Chapter nine

Trygve was a very talkative man, speaking, rather loudly, the entire ride home. He made it hard for Skadi to think, but evidently not hard enough. The nagging question kept poking her brain, why would Lagertha call for him. Skadi knew her mother she was plotting something, and she had a bad feeling about it. If it was a battle, she would ask Bjorn to stand beside her versus going to the Mediterranean. Unless,-

Ragnar tapped her shoulder, bring her focus back. Nodding up at the man, her and Trygve held each others eyes for a moment.

"What?" Her voice cracked a little.

"How old are you?"

"Thirteen."

"Ahh, nearly a women," he slowed his horse down to walk beside them. "A very beautiful one I'm sure, men from Kattegat to Svealand will ask for your hand."

Skadi knew that it was supposed to be a compliment, but she didn't want to be married. Not now at least, but Trygve looked at her like he was expecting a 'thank you'.

"There will be plenty of time for marriage when she's older, but I've seen here fight, she could as great a shield maiden as her mother." Ragnar intercepted.

Though Trygve's smile faded, before the look of discontent took over. "Never understood why women insist to fight, they have a purpose, one to bear boys and keep house." Trygve continued ranting, but Skadi's focus shifted to the other side of the path. Freki and Geri were trotting along a few feet in the woods.

Freki's ears were upright, which wasn't unusual, he was always on alert. The problem came with Geri, he was a goof, never alert, relying on his brother. His ears too were on full alert, looking toward the denser woods. Somethings out there.

Her eyes scanned the woods, looking for anything that moved. She heard it before she saw it. It was a man, a big one, he came running at them.

She knew him, he was one of Arnes men, he was with him when they found her in the tree. He was the one that called the retreat at the gates. Suddenly a dozen more men poured onto the road, encircling them. They outnumber the guards by half at least.

"What a lovely surprise" skadi knew that voice,"Hello mockingbird."

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Shoutout to you guys for being patient, holidays are a lot. Also shoutout to me for deleting twelve chapters of this story, so yeah.