Chapter 17
1719 Words
I didn't want to wake up the next morning, knowing that Halfdan would go off to battle and leave me back waiting to tend to the wounded. But, the hustle and bustle of people packing to leave for York was what woke me from my slumber. I looked up to see Halfdan watching me, and he smiled, "Good morning beautiful. I would love to stay cuddled in bed with your naked body pressed against mine, but I do have an army to help lead."
"Good morning handsome. I know you have to fight, just be careful, or I may get too worried and do something stupid," I replied.
"Well, let's get dressed, and try to stay with Liv. I don't want you to get hurt," Halfdan said, as he leaned out of bed, grabbed my clothes from the floor, and grabbed his trousers off the floor.
Halfdan sat up on the bed, with his feet on the ground. He pulled his trousers on before standing up and pulling them up the rest of the way and doing them up. I slipped on my dress, over my head, and done the front up, nice and tight. I pulled my trousers on slightly and moved to get out of bed. I stood up pulling my trousers up and buttoning them up. We both put our shoes on. I grabbed my belt, that had my sword and dagger tied to it, and done the belt up around my waist, while Halfdan did his.
Halfdan wrapped his arms around me, pulling me tight against his chest, before begging, "Please stay back, and out of harms way. I don't want you to fight. I want you to be safe."
"I have always said I will only fight if I have to, I won't fight unless I am in danger or risk losing someone I care for. I will stay back for as long as I can," I spoke softly, stroking his cheek, enjoying the feel of his thickening beard.
"Stay with Liv. I will find you when the battle is over, I promise," Halfdan promised.
"Come on, you better take me to Liv, make sure I stay by her side."
He took my hand and led me out of our tent and towards Liv. Everything was almost packed up. Liv was sat on the cart waiting. Halfdan looked at me, smiling and pressed his lips against mine, before lifting me up on to the cart.
"I will see you soon, stay with Liv," Halfdan try to command.
But, I nodded, I understood his worry and concern. I moved closer to Liv, as Halfdan disappeared off in to the thick of the men.
"You two are very close," Liv smirked at me, before winking.
"So, you know," I asked her.
"That you two had made love last night, yes. The looks you two give each other, I knew it was only a matter of time. I have never seen a son of Ragnar look that way at a woman before," Liv explained.
"That is good to know," I replied, as the cart and the men began to move off towards York.
We remained quite for the rest of the journey to York. When York came into sight, I noticed a roofless wooden struck to the right of the gate outside the stone walls, it was close to the walls. The men continued on, leaving us close by but still behind with all the severely wounded.
We watched, as the gates of York were smashed through and our men stormed into the city. Most of the remain Anglo-Saxon men were on the ramparts, of those we could see. That is when I saw him, Halfdan, he was on the ramparts fighting really well.
But, I saw atleast ten Anglo-Saxon men begin to pour out of the door behind him. I could get there before they get to him, I had too. Before, I knew it, I had hoped off the cart and ran as fast as I could. I jumped, grabbing the wooden structure, and I swung myself on to the top of the structure. I ran across it and flipped over the wall, on to the ramparts, behind two Saxon men with another eight to the other side of me I was surrounded.
While the Saxon men were stunned by my talent, I sprung into action, targetting the two men who had their backs to me. I jumped on one wrapping my arm around his neck, while I kicked the other man off the edge of the rampart to the ground inside the walls. I gripped the chin of the man, I was choking with my arm, and viciously yanked his chin to the side snapping his neck. I spun around and threw him into the other men.
I drew my sword, as Halfdan came to myside. Together, we slaughtered the rest of the Saxon men on the ramparts. Once alone, Halfdan wrapped a single arm around my waist, pulling me against his body. He pressed his lips against mine.
"That was amazing. Now, your staying with me, and we have to meet my brothers at the palace," Halfdan smiled, kissing me again.
"Let's go," I smiled, taking his hand.
Halfdan pulled me to the stairs, and we walked down from the ramparts. We made our way through the streets, as our men ransacked house after house in York. We arrived at the palace, were we met up with Halfdan's brothers. They were trying to break into the palace, but it had been barricaded shut.
"What is the hold up," Halfdan asked.
"The last of the men, the remaining royal family, and some other people have barricaded themselves inside," Bjorn replied.
"Have you tried the doors up on the balcony," I inquired.
"We haven't been able to secure a rope to climb up there," Sigurd said.
I dropped Halfdan's hand and took a few steps back, looking up at the balcony, before saying, "Who says you need a rope to climb."
Halfdan looked at me and asked, "What are you planning?"
"Just watch," I smirked.
I ran at the column, jumped and pushed off the column, with my foot and gripped the bottom of the balcony. I used my upper body strength to climb up the fence on the balcony. I put my foot on the balcony, and stood up, before climbing over the fence on the balcony. I turned around to see Halfdan clapping, and some of the men cheering.
I smiled, "Chuck a rope up. I will tie it to the column."
A rope was thrown up to me and I caught it, before tying it to the column. Halfdan was the first to climb up. He wrapped his arm around my waist as more men climbed up. All the men charged through the doors, while Halfdan kept me back.
Those inside were kept alive except those who fought. Me and Halfdan walked through the palace, we entered a room, it was full of desks and stools, parchment all over them, shelves with books and parchment all over them.
"What is this place," Halfdan asked.
"It looks like where they teach the men folk to read and write. See," I responded, showing him pieces of parchment with writing on them.
"What do you think it says?"
"I have no idea, if I could read it, I would tell you."
"Why do they not teach women this, men should fight?"
"They probably don't want women to think. Women thinking is dangerous to them, because if women think then the men can't control them. A bit like how you can't control me, I think too much," I chuckled, as I went through the parchment.
Suddenly, a monk came running out with a dagger, screaming in a language neither of us know. He charged straight at me, but Halfdan had to be the hero. He sliced through the monk with his sword, to protect me.
"I am going to check the rest of the room, stay here till I get back," Halfdan ordered, I nodded.
After he left, someone began chanting, "ut Deus percutiat te fulgur."
It was a monk, repeating the same words over and over again. Thanks to the latin class I took, I know he was trying to say may God strike you down. The chanting was almost like a spell.
That is when something began to happened. As he continued chanting, the lighting bolt shaped birth mark on the back of my neck began to burn. I fell to the ground in pain, clutching my neck.
He saw my birth mark, and said, "Tu es unus. Una redire ad praeteritum, tempus servare in ordine."
What does he mean I am the one, the one to return to the past to keep time in order? How does he know about me?
He rushed over and grabbed a book, handing it to me, and saying, "Hic liber de sanguine tuo narrat. Tu praesidio linea tempore."
This book tells of your bloodline. You protect the time line. What is special about my bloodline? How do I protect the timeline? He then ran off, but was caught and slaughtered. Halfdan returned to my side.
"What is that," Halfdan asked.
"That monk said it is a book on my bloodline, my family," I whispered.
"Did he know you, your family?"
"I don't know, he saw my birth mark. The mark on the back of my neck. Then he spoke our language, and gave me this book," I replied.
"Keep it safe. Hopefully you can find out something from it," he smiled.
Halfdan kissed me, just as Bjorn came and said, "We have taken York. Now, we need to celebrate."
"Agreed," Halfdan smirked, as he pulled me against his body.
Bjorn shook his head, "Come on, we need to go to the throne room."
Halfdan nodded, wrapping his arm around me, as we followed Bjorn. Lovely, time to celebrate. Everyone will be getting drunk. But, I just want to eat, maybe have some fun with Halfdan, then try to read this book.
"How about after this we go to find a nice room, and have some alone time," he whispers, kissing my neck.
I nodded, smiling, before pulling his body against mine, and pressing my lips against his.
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