Viking shizzle yoyo

He had eyes dark as ravens. His long blonde hair and beard, both often braided,  always filled with rings of his fallen enemy’s chainmail.  When in battle the man was feared by many. Not only by his opponents but also by his own man. The rage that filled him up during battle was unable to miss. But just before a battle, he was calm and reckoning. His face was worn by the wind, scars as well.
He thought back of the war between his people and the Christians. Pagans, they called his people, because they did not believe in their god. Pagans... he could say the same about them, though he didn’t try to force his believe onto them. There was pain in his eyes when he thought about the past few years. How many friends had he burned? How many were now slain by those Christians, following their white, loving god. So id he was a loving god... then why did they shed blood in his name? So Hakan wondered.

“Hakan.” He heared, ripping the man out of his thoughts, his eyes now attentive. “Yes Snorri?” he asked the man standing in front of him. Snorri was about the same age as Hakan was, both in their thirties. They had been through so much together, serving both under lord Gunnar in the north, they travelled the world together and found the Moors, those man with skins like ash, great fithers they were and some of them were now under Hakan’s orders. There was one big difference between Hakan and Snorri, though they were still the best friends. Hakan was an Ealdorman in Denmark. He could even call himself a king if he wanted to, though he never did for he did not want to offend the real king that ruled the Dane.
Hakan smiled and rose from his chair, opened his arms as Snorri did the same. “My old friend, why have you come?” Hakan asked Snorri after they broke their quick embrace. “I am here to bring you news from the king, Hakan.” His friend told him. Now, completely surprised, Hakan signed to another char, just beside his own. “Sit down then. I have a feeling this is going to be a long story.”He said to Snorri. The smile did not leave his face, though he was warned. Why would the king sent him a message? Yes he was his Ealdorman and yes he fought many battles and lived, but what in Odinn’s name could the king want from him?

“And that is why the king sent my here.” Snorri ended his story, while he drunk his cup of mead dry and got himself another one, watching Hakan in silence as he waited for an answer. “So if I get this right...” Hakan said slowly, “the king wants me to go across the sea to Northumbria, to find out what these English are made off and if they are not worth my time, he wants us to settle there?’ Hakan asked Snorri. His old friend just nodded and Hakan looked at the fire in front of him. It was as if that fire represented what he felt at that very moment, for he was eager to go out again, now raiding and conquering the Northumbrian shore. “Tell the king, Snorri, that I will go. Tell him I will take five ships with me. In two weeks time, he will have his answer.” Hakan told his friend. Now a grin spread across his face as he rose and hit Snorri brotherlike  on his shoulder. “You should stay with us, you can come to Northumbria and deliver our message to the king when you return to Denmark.” Haken proposed.
And so it was done.
There was a feast that evening, one of many Hakan held in his great hall. He had summoned the men who took care of his ships in his hall first, before he started the feast. He had also asked one of them to take is son Agnar, for that man was to be on his first raiding in a different direction and Hakan thought him wise enough for the task he had in mind for him.

His commanders were the most important people on the ships. In winter they made sure the boats were ready when for the coming raidings while during the raiding they looked after their crew. Whenever one had lost a crewmember, a new one had to be found. There were hundreds of things his commander had to do. Not that they were badly paid. After every raiding, each commander and raider got his share and most of the time, it was not bad at all.
Hakan rose from his chair, a little bit inpatient. It took him to long for his commanders to arrive. While he walked, his armrings touched each other, producing almost a laughing sound. Vikings loved their armrings. There were bronze and silver ones but also gold ones. Each had their value and when a warrior had no money at a time, he could shop an armring into pieces to pay for whatever. “Sigrid!” Hakan called his daughter, not too pleased. “Why is it taking so long?” he asked the girl. She was not really a girl anymore, she was now eighteen years old and still not married, for Hakan had not found the right man yet. She was his only child and he was planning to keep her close to him, maybe he should take her to Northumbria? “I do not know, Father.” Sigi answered calmly, crossing her arms over each other. “maybe you should take a good look before you call me next time.” She told her father, after she left again and he could her the men come in.

Each one of the men was well build. Broad shoulders and muscled. They wore no wapens, for that was not allowed during festivities in the hall. “Sit down.” Hakan told his men with a smile. It was well known that Hakan loved the raiding season and now.. it was to be even better than normal. “My men, my friends..” he started, all the impatiens had moved away. “I reckon you all know why I called you here? For it is known to all of you that the raidings are to start again soon.” He said, looking at every man, some he them watched him with a twinkle in their eyes as some of them laughed and grabbed each other. Vikings loved their raidings as much as their armrings. “Now, let it be a coincidence that the king asked me a favour.” Said Hakan as he sat down and took a gulp from his ale. “We are to go somewhere else this time, Lads.” He said, smiling broadly. “We are to go across the sea to Northumbria, a place of good land. The kings wants us to see what those English are made of, to see if their ‘lord’ really protects them like they clam.” He said to his man, mocking the Christian god for he knew that god had no power here.
“We know the gods battle with each other in a different world, what do you say? Shall we battle with the followers of the white god here on earth?” He asked his men.

Not long after that, everything was planned. They would go to Northumbria in two weeks time. The boats, and its raiders, needed to be ready in that time. He had placed Agnar in his father’s boat, Hakan needed him to be ready soon, so next time he could command his own boat.
After all the serious talk, Hakan had given his friends and commanders mead or ale to drink and the feast could begin. There was talking, eating and drinking. At some places a small fight started but ended just a few minutes after. Hakan just talked to some friends of his, also to Snorri. “I think you have collected some fine raiders, Hakan.” Snorri told him, a little bit impressed by all the men. “Yes, they are good man all.” Hakan said with a enthusiastic glare in his eyes, he could already smell the blood and sweat of battle.

With that thought in the back of his hand, it didn't take all too long before he could feel the pleasant buzzing in his head, caused by the ale he'd drunk. He sat on his own for a while, observing everyone's joy with the new raiding season coming closer with every second. The feast already was an hour or so in progress and this was the first moment Agnar had found the chance to sneak to the side of the hall, giving his feet some rest. He had an empty cup in his hand and stared at it, letting his thoughts drift away. The sound of all the people feasting made him feel relaxed, as if problems didn't exist for a while. Although that could be the result of the ale as well.
After a while he decided to get up again and mingle with the others. His feet had had enough rest. He filled his empty cup with ale and took a small sip. He looked around, trying to find one of his friends, when a flash of red hair caught his eye. For a small moment he thought it was Yngvarr, but no. Of course not. Yngvarr didn't have boobs. Or such a gorgeous smile, for that matter.
Normally he never would've dared to approach Hakan's daughter with her smile in his mind, but now the ale made him believe it wasn't that big of a deal. 
'Hello,' was the brilliant sentence he came up with to start a conversation with her. 'Must be hard, always watching your father leave,' he added, and immediately cursed himself. Dammit, what a way to lighten the mood. Not.

After the men had all arrived, she had hid herself behind one of the great wooden doors in the room. Ofcourse she was not spying on her dad, she was just… helping him notice things he could not see… no, she was just curious about what her father wanted from his men. She knew the raidings where starting soon and she had the need to come. She wanted to come so badly this time, she could not stay home again. She could fight as good as a man her age, she was much faster than they would ever be and she was to be underestimated, which gave her a good advantage.
She listed to every word her father said, saw the reaction of his men and when the ale came, she left to change clothes. Right before the meeting she had left without permission and it was not on of her priorities to make her father know that.
Not long after the changed and entered the room again, the feast had already began. Men were drinking ale r mead, were talking to each other about raidings of the past and the one to come. She smiled when she heard a man say “there was this one man, tall and broad as a tree. His horse came my way, its eyes white. Then I drew my sword and gave it a swing. The blow threw him on the ground. I shattered his shield with another blow and then chopped his head of clean.” The man said, telling the story like a fact. She smiled, for she knew that man to be a amazing storyteller. He always made his story sound more beautiful and adventurous than they were.
She walked through the room, drinking from her own cup of mead as she sometimes stopped and talked to people. It was expected of her to wish the men good luck for the coming raiding. “SIGRID!” she heard someone call her. With a big smile on her face she went to her nephew across the room and hugged him. “I thought you could not make it tonight?” she said when they parted. “No, you are right. I thought I could not but me father let me go sooner than I had expected, so here I am.” He said with joy in his eyes. “So, are you coming this time?” he asked her, now in a lower tone. “Yes, I am trying. But even if my father commands me to stay I will come anyway. Can hide myself on a ship. It has all been arranged.” She trusted her nephew.

After a little more talk, the two separated again and she was left alone. She stared at the file, finished her cup of mead, ate something and refilled her cup again, to take another big gulp. Her dress was made of dark green fabric, matching her eyes perfectly. She had a smile on her face as she watched over the room. Her father was talking with his old friend again, her mother was enjoying herself perfectly, so it seemed. Sigrid however thought only about how much she wanted to come this time… needed to come this time.
“Hello.” She heard someone greeting her. She turned to the man and recognized him immediately. “Hello Agnar. “ she said to him with a friendly tone in her voice. His next words however made her eyes hard. 'Must be hard, always watching your father leave,' he said. “No, it is not. He always comes back, and if he does not he will be in Valhalla, feasting with the gods and other warriors.” She said to him. She gave him a quick smile, trying to relax again . “Besides, what makes you think I will be staying here this time?” she asked Agnar, for many people knew how much she wanted to leave. “I mean, I have the right to come with you and the other men. I can fight just as good as you all can.” She said stubbornly, though she never tried to make her father understand again, because last time he had locked her in her room under guard for over a month. “I can do more than just spin and do woman stuff every day... I don’t want that...” she said, muttering to herself out loud and she gulped away her mead again. “But, I heard my father asked you to come. I am happy for you.” She said to Agnar, as if to try to make him forget about what she had said just before that. she could not... she should not... say such things out loud, at least that was her mother advice last time.

"So... does your father already know you intend to come with him this time?" Agnar asked her. for a moment there, time stopped for her. Everything was frozen and she almost felt sick. She felt sick by the idea of her father knowing what she had planned. Things unfroze and she looked at Agnar, her eyes almost emotionless, trying not to let him see her small inside panic attack. “No, ofcourse he does not.” She said to him and gulped half her cup away.
'If not, I won't say a thing,' he added quickly, not long after that followed; 'I mean, if he decided I'm good enough to come with the other men, you're certainly ready,' he said. 'I've seen you fight,' he explained. 'You're better than I am.'
Sigrid looked at him and soon a faint smile decorated her face. Her eyes lit up a bit, unwillingly ofcourse, because why on earth would she accept a compliment from him. But she did and she felt a little warm inside, a pleasant feeling. Like there was someone other than her mother who saw what she really wanted. “You are so full of shit you know.” She said, teasing him as the pushed him a little bit back. Again she took a sip of mead and looked at Agnar again. “But I would very much appreciate it if you won’t tell my father a thing. He is to stay in the dark for a little while longer.” She said to Agnar, looking across the room to her father, smiling when the man smiled to her, raising her cup. She turned to Agnar again and cleaned her throat. “he would be pissed when he finds out, but by then we will already be at sea and he loves me too much to let me swim back.” She said, her smile had gotten a little bit bigger. This plan could work out, it had to. “And you are right, I am way better than you.” She said, teasing some more. “Maybe, some day, you can defeat me.” She smiled.

She felt more restful when he told her he would not tell her father a thing. He had no need to know anyway, he was too busy doing... stuff, so he wouldn’t have any time to spend on her and her thoughts anyway.
She saw Agnar drink again and shook her head, almost unnoticed. “you should not be drinking so much.. then again.. its midsummer, so you can.” She smiled. "if it means I can see you smile more" she remembered him saying that to her a few minutes ago. She felt a blush coming up, luckily for her it was too dark in the room for Agnar to see. 'I didn't say you were way better,' he said to her. 'Just a tiny bit. As in, we're almost even,' he added, after he gave her a slight push. She backed up a little, not because the push was that hard but because she was thinking about an answer. 'I feel as if I should already feel sorry for giving you a compliment,' he said to her and now she could not hold her laugh any longer. A short laugh came from her throat, a happy one for now. She felt like she did not have a care in the whole world, at least at that moment. “No, you should not have complimented me. If you had a brain you would have known.” She insulted him, though she made it clear it was just a joke in her eyes.
Again a small group of men started a bare fist fight and know there were more spectators than before, encouraging them to fight alone. She snorted, she could do better than that, she knew for a fact. So she turned to Agnar again with a playful look in her eyes. “Let’s bet shall we? The one who wins can think of a good punishment for the other.” She said to Agnar, daring him. The always liked betting, often enough she was right and that was how she spend her quality time when she sneaked out of the village to go to another one for a couple of day... mostly her father would not let her leave the hall for a week or two after she had returned home, not that she regretted it.
“So what do you say? I say... Gunnar will win, you know the one with the bone in his hair?” she said to Agnar, thinking it through. Gunnar was not a great man, he was actually a little bit short, but he was a good fighter, she knew for she had felt his punch herself when one time she had tried to scare the shit out of him.


In the mean time, Hakan was busy talking to Snorri. But he watched everything, so he also saw his daughter talking to one of his commanders sons. He could not help it but feel a little bit uneasy. “Don’t worry, the boy would not dare do anything, besides... if you want her to stay out of trouble, you should let her get married.” Snorri said bluntly and Hakan looked at him with a blank face. “Thanks for you advise.” He said with sarcasm in his voice.
Hakan could see by the way she was talking to Agnar she had a good time, and so he let her be... for now anyway. He could also see that she was making a bet again and for a moment there he thought of her not just as his daughter but for a clever, spirited young woman. He swallowed a lump in his throat away with some more ale. Maybe he didn’t want her to grow up? Maybe he just wanted her to stay his little girl, but like everything that starts out little... she grew up too, maybe he should give her some more space? Let her get married or take her to another place... so Hakan was completely absent at that moment. Just thinking things through. “Maybe you should let her come? She would like that... and besides, if you had raised her more like a woman, she would not act so damn manly at some occasions.” Snorri said, lightly.

Agarn had decided that Steinar was the best one to chose, because he had a strategic eye, at least Agnar told her that. The shrugged and looked at the two fighting men. Steinar, maybe, was a little bit smarter during real combat but in this case he had had too much to drink and he failed.
The look on Agnar he face had been priceless to her and she had laughed, drinking her cup empty. “It is ok Agnar, you have to be good at something.” She teased him and she put down her cup. Maybe it was time for her to leave, for this place became more savage every second. She looked at Agnar and said “I think I should leave. I have to hunt tomorrow.” She said to him with a faint smile. She had won the bet and so she could come u with something he could do for her. “And you are going to join be. Be there at sunrise.” She said to him, as she disappeared into the crowd.

Everyone smelled like filthy pigs, Hakan thought. He smiled and raised his cup as he encouraged the fighting man. He had seen his daughter make the bet and it the end, win it too. He grinned at Snorri and said “That’s my girl.” Giving him a slap on the shoulder too. His friend shook his head and laughed. “Let her come with us.” He said to Hakan, who looked surprised at his friend. “Maybe it will learn her a lesson or two, maybe afterwards she will listen..” Snorri said, a little bit doubtful and then his laugh filled the room, for both of the men knew that was not ever going to happen. But it put Hakan’s mind to work and soon he had made up his mind. He had seen here, trying to sneak out of the room and he let someone block her way. He got onto the platform in the centre of the room and he demanded silence. He raised his cup and said “My friends! My family!” taking a quick sip to continue “I want to say something, not only to you but also to that lovely redhead that is trying to sneak out this very room.” He continued, talking about his daughter, who froze and turned to her father with an innocent smile on her face. “I want you all to know that this time she will come with us! Because I know she would try to come anyway and I love her to much to drown.” He said, with a broad smile on his face. He stepped of the centre and drunk his cup empty.

She had stopped walking when her father had described her and she had turned around, trying not to die. What the hell would he want? She had thought, panicking a little bit. But when he said he wanted her to come with them this time, she had just looked blank, not knowing what to say or what to do even. All the feelings she now felt and she could not do anything with them. “Breath, Sigi.” She heard Ivan say to her. Ivan was the man blocking the door. He was not that big or broad of a man but he had that calm, killing look in his eyes whenever he disliked anyone. He for one was one of the people who knew how much she wanted to come. She took a deep breath and tried not to choke. “He is joking right? I mean he would never...” she started, but she stopped when she saw her father coming her way. “I Mean it.” He told her and he laid his hand on her shoulder. “You are grown up now and Snorri think it will be good for you.” He said to her, then he hugged her and whispered “You should go sleep, hunting starts early.” Then he left with a nod and she went to bed.


Next morning, before sunrise, she was already wide awake. She could still not believe that her father actually had asked her to come, well... more like commanded but hell, she could not care less, she was already the happiest girl on the world at that very moment.
She got out of bed quickly, so she could take a quick swim before the hunt. She sniffed at her clothes and almost threw up. The stench was almost unbearable and she grabbed herself some other clothes, she would wash the filthy once, since she was there already.
She sneaked out of her father’s hall and run towards the woods.
There was a small like, not far from their village. The water was warm and comforting and she desperately needed some of that warmth and comfort. She got there soon and she took a look around, to make sure nobody was there. Then she put off her clothes, grabbed the filthy ones and jumped into the water. A couple of seconds later she was at the surface again, taking a deep breath and diving under again. She had lost something some days ago and she still had not recovered it.
She decided to stay there for a little while. It was quiet, nobody was there and now she had finally some room to think. So she swam to shore and just closed her eyes there, enjoying the warm water around her.

It was so still around her. Everything smelled so good in the fresh air and she sighed, closing her eyes again and went for another dive. She just could not stand that she had not found that necklace yet, it had to be here somewhere? She muttered in herself.
She had not heard the footsteps approaching and the familiar voice scared the shit out of her at first. “Fucking hell, Agnar!” she said, a little choked at first. Though there was a laugh afterwards as the climbed on land, grabbing her clean clothes. 'I swear I had no idea you were here,' he said to her. “Doesn’t matter, it is ok.” She told him and with a sour face she looked at the water again, though now she was dressed. “Still have not found that stupid thing.” She murmured. Maybe someont, or something, could find it for her. And so she left a little offer, n the hope that one would find it and leave it for her to find.
“But what are you doing here? I thought I would meet you back at the hall.” she said to Agnar once she stood in front of him, looking up at him. She hated looking up at people, she felt small that way and she did not like that one bit. Her eyes crossed his and she cleared her throat. “So, I bet you have slept real bad, Earsling.” She said to him and she pushed him away, gently.

The other hunters had already gather, as had her father. He gave her the bow and then he said they were going. So the handful went to the woods again, and Sigrid kept shut about her meeting with Agnar in the forest, her father would be furious and right now, she did not need that at all. “You know how to hunt, do you?” she asked Agnar while they walked. Not that she doubted him one bit. She had seen him hunt and he was, in fact, better at that then she was. She had watched him once, not on purpose of course. She was just there and had felt no need back then to let them know she was there at all.

The hunt was fun. There were a few deer in the end and a boar, killed by her father. The beast had been a big one but with help of Snorri her father had taken care of it and now, like he told them, he would make a new coat out the beast. There was laughing as they went back to the hall. but when they were almost there, he father turned to her and Agnar. “There is a merchant coming from across, with more information about the English, I want you two youngsters to get him here when he arrived.” Her father told them, and so the group slit up. Two went to the village and the rest went to the hall for dinner.
She had not really spoken to Agnar, for they had not been alone. But she was constantly thinking of how much he had seen, though she tried not to care. “So, what will you do when the first raid is done and you will have you piece of the plunder?” she asked him, plunder always included captured woman and so she thought it was a good enough question. Not to obvious to be suspicious.

'I'm not sure, actually,' he admitted and looked at her. 'Actually, I've been thinking more about how I will drive Fricco from his throne as storyteller,' he told her and grinned. She laughed and gave him a punch. “Yes, right. You? A storyteller? Give me a break.” She teased him as they walked along. 'What will you do with your piece of the plunder?' he asked her then. She narrowed her eyes a little, staring at nothing actually. “I don’t know yet. Maybe I will go away, see some things before I am too old.” She joked. Then she got serous again and she just looked in front of her.
She heard her own footsteps clear, as did she hear Agnar’s. There was a rhythm in their steps. She sighed and focused on the subject again. “I really don’t know. Maybe i’ll get married, live a life, get kids...” she said and then she stopped again. Perhaps, that was it? That she was afraid for what would come after this raid? Did she even want to stay in England? “Do you have anything in mind? Long term?” she asked him now.

A while after that, they reached the docks. There was no ship yet but she knew it would come soon, it had too, otherwise her father would not have sent them yet. So she sat down on the ground, decided it was too much effort and laid down on her back, eyes to the sky. s
She was daydreaming again. This time thinking about a fight. About a shield wall. She could smell the blood and sweat. Could only hear the cries of men dying. There were ravens too, Odinns eyes she knew, and she greeted them with a shout, to let him know she was there to. Her dream did not continue for she was ripped out of it by a man shouting. “SIGRID!” she heard a man shout. It was that familiar voice that made her sit right up, jump up and ran towards the man coming her way. “Father did not tell me YOU were the merchant!” she said joyfully. The man was in fact her brother, who was also known to Agnar. “You have grown.” He said to his sister and then nodded at Agnar. “Good to see you.” He said to the man. Then he looked at his sister, back to Agnar and back to his sister again. He did not ask but he would find out soon enough, at least he thought so. “So, let’s pay our father a visit.” He said with a wide smile on his face.

“Tell me everything that happened the last month or so, Agnar.” He asked the man, for he knew his sister had been on lockdown for more than half the time.

‘so he finally gave in! good for you little sis.” Her brother said to her and he smiled. “it’s great for the both of you, that you are to come with us.” He said to her and Agnar. “So, I will go inside, better you two stay out.” Her brother said and so she stayed outside and she just lay down in the grass again. She did not feel like listening to her brother say how stupid, braindead the English were. “So, what do you think? Are you exited?” she asked Agnar, looking up at him. Then a teasing smile appeared upon her face. “Maybe exited about swimming too?” she asked him. She just liked to teased him, she knew he did not mind, otherwise she’d already be dead.. or something like that.
She could hear the men inside shout when her brother told them something. “Seems like there is something to be happy about. Shall we see what is going on? Maybe i can get us some mead or ale and we can drink? Perhaps I will get drunk but at least we’ll have fun on the last day of Yule.” She grinned at Agnar. She stood up, stumbled over some a heap of dirt, into the arms of Agnar. “I am so so sorry.” She stuttered, though she could not make herself get out of his arms. So she decided to tease him, perhaps it would not show her unease? “Bet you think of a lot of things right now.” She grinned.

She had taken him off guard, because he did not say a word for almost a minute. She just smiled. After he had recovered he just grinned at her, like she was grinning at him. Actually it was pretty... NO DON”T THINK LIKE THAT! Her mind shouted, and she did its bidding. She could not think like that, but she did right now. 'I'm thinking your hair smells a bit like fish,' he said to her, 'Probably from your dive this morning,' he teased her.
She opened her mouth for a coming protest as she looked at him, stunned. Come on, her hair did not smell that bad, did it? For a moment there she doubted about herself and looked at him, stunned. Then she got that grin on her face again and got a little bit closer to Agnar. He wanted uncomfortable, he could get it. “I do not smell that bad, otherwise you would have let me go by now and run back into my father’s hall.” she said to Agnar. Now standing on her toes so she was a little taller. “Bet you would have wanted to dive in yourself.” She said, her mouth now very close to his.
She smiled and then her lips brushed his, then she ducked away, from out his arms and started to walk to her father’s hall. she would never admit, but when she had done that.. she had wanted to do so much more than just that. For a split second, her cheeks had been as red as her hair, that was why she had ducked away in the first place, so he could not see it.

Sigrid walked to the hall. To try and make herself.. well.. not red anymore. She still felt the blush on her skin so she was very happy that inside, it was more dark than outside. The men in the hall all had a cup in their hands as they were talking and some already singing of glory. Well, singing... not quite, it was more like howling than singing, it made her laugh though.
She gladly took a cup of mead from her brother, who looked at her with narrowed eyes. He looked at Agnar who just got in and in that flash of light, he could see that the young man was completely in his own world. Her brother did not say anything though. He was not the one to make fast judgement on something, that had always been her father. Besides, she covered it up well and drank her mead. She just hoped she would not make a mistake like that again.
Was it a mistake though? In her eyes? No, definitely no. She had wanted to do that for a while now, and more obviously, but on that front she was the shy and unsecure one, so she did none of that until now.
First she did not look at Agnar, but then she could not help herself and just looked at him. Don’t aked like a girl Sigi, she thought firm to herself and she walked up to Agnar, refilling his ale. “Let’s all drink and have a hangover in the morning! Tomorrow we prepare and the day after we will sail for England!” her father shouted joyfully. It made her smile. She was proud about that man and her brother for that matter. The both of them were powerful men, they had both done things one could only dream of and now, she was to come with them. Her eyes lit up at the thought of that and she looked up at Agnar. “I am sorry.” She whispered to him, no one could hear her apologise, otherwise it would raise certain attention.
“Next time I will go for it.” She teased him and then pushed him away gently. She teased him like she had always done, but now on a higher and very different level than earlier.

The evening had passed, so had the next day. They had worked all very hard. Trying to get everything ready for the boats. Her father had ordered everyone to sleep well that night, cause at sunrise they would sail again. So as usual, Sigrid rose earlier. She sneaked through the hall, to the forest. There she ran for the lake, got herself undressed and dived in again. She had to find that bloody thing now more than ever, it was the only gift she had left of her grandmother.
A minute or so later, she finally found it and with a shout of happiness she got out of the water.

At last! She had found the bloody thing. She could not believe her luck and she let herself fall into the water again, shouting happily.
After a short while, she got out again, getting to her clothes, drying herself off a bit and then she got dressed quickly. It almost had to be sunrise, she thought and so she decided to take a detour back home. While she walked she whistled. She brushed of the mess on the necklace and then put it on her. It was a simple one with a thor hammer but she had always loved it when her grandmother had it and now she had it herself.

She heard a noise, not that far away from her and she stopped walking. She did not hide, she was Hakan’s daughter, she never hid away. So she saw Agnar coming her way and then she could not move. She could just stand and be invisible behind the green of leaves. She breathed quietly, trying not to make any sound as she turned around. Wait what? Why would she turn around, she had the right to be here. So she turned back, got through the bushes and almost bumped up against Agnar. “Since when are you a morning person?’ she asked him. Drying her hair with some linen she had used to dry herself of with. She just looked at him, waiting for an answer. But she could not hold his gaze to long and looked away.
“It was probably the sunstroke earlier. I am sorry.” She now said. She had not seen him the day before, she had tried to avoid him as much as possible. When she had known he was there, she had not been there. But now she had no other choice. She had to be on the same ship as him for more than five days and after that there were fights to win, English to kill. They had no time for this. “Listen, no matter what. We have no time for childplay.” She now said to him, more to confort herself as well. “Agnar, I need to know...”She said, looking at the ground first and then at him. His eyes were so beautiful, she thought, turning red a little for that thought. “I need to know how you feel about me.” She finished her sentence then. Avoiding his gaze now because what she had to say... it made her feel unease, suddenly very young again. “Because I certainly have feelings for you.” She said to him, so soft he almost could not hear it.