The war will begin soon. Plans are being made for it, but I am no where near these people. I have my own plan. Something I have thought long and hard about. Ivar is stressing, but doesn't show anyone. It. I sit by a tree letting the breeze flow by me. Astrid comes to sit beside me.

"Thought you would be with the men." She smirks at me. "No Alca, why would I want to be with them when I can be with you. We both know our fates here. Might as well live our last moments in peace." I sighed, "I guess you are right. So how are you going to go?" She turned to me confused. "What do you mean?" I laughed a little. "You know, how are you planning to die. How are you planning to kill that?" I pointed to her belly and she looked down toward my fingers. She then looked backed up towards me.

"I plan for Lagertha to kill me of course. Hopefully a stab. But it has to be her. I betrayed her in every single possible and I love her. I deserve to be killed by her. She needs her revenge." "Do you think she will be able to do it? That she will kill you for revenge?" She didn't answer straight away. She placed a hand on her belly and looked down. "I am counting on it."

We didn't talk for a while. We just looked out over the woods. All the people moving around and preparing for the battle. "How do you plan to die Alca the Midgard Serpent?" I closed my eyes and took a long deep breathe. "I plan to die in the most honorable way for a person like me can. I do not think I will be welcomed through the gates of Valhalla, so I will make way out of life for gods at least."

"Alca, I don't understand what you mean by this. What are you planning to do?" I stood up, wiping the dirt off my butt. " Don't worry Astrid, everyone will soon know of my plan." I grabbed her hand and pulled her up. We walk over to the tent.

"Alca you know they went back to talk with Bjorn." I looked at her and we didn't go into the tent. "What who is they and how do you know?" "I went with them. Bjorn, Hvitserk, Geir..."

"GEIR WENT !" "He isn't a boy anymore he can do what he wants." "That isn't why I am upset. I would have liked to go too." "We couldn't let you go Alca. Ivar didn't want you seeing Halfdan again" I turned away at this and walked through the tent.

"Alca just the lady I wanted to see." "Great I wanted to see you too Ivar. How dare you not bring me along to your meeting with Bjorn. "

He starts to laugh, but no one else is, everyone a little hesitant to do anything. "Alca lighten up we are going back to Kattegat tonight after our victory." I rolled my eyes. "You lost your little Christ friend." "Things have to happen in order for victory." I walked closer to him, but he kept on smiling, everyone else kept backing away. " I wouldn't really call this a victory. You are killing too many men for the sake of revenge. You have the kingdom now, but yet you keep seeking for more and more." his smile finally falters.

"I thought you were on my side Alca." "I am, but I never said I believed in your values. Let's get back to Kattegat.

Everyone gets backs to Kattegat, most go back to their own homes, many excited over one small victory. I stand next to Hvitserk who is leaning his arm on me as we look at the ocean.

"Hvitserk what plan do you and Ivar come up with." He takes his arm off of me and starts to lead me to towards the mountains.

"Alca, we are severely out numbered compared to Lagertha and Bjorn. My Uncle told me that if I ever needed help I could ask for it. "

"When did all this happen?" "You were pass outed for a while." We get to the trail and start walking up the mountain. At the top I see Harald and Ivar there. They both looked at me. "So you told her," said Harald. "Of course I did she deserves to know and she would find out anyways." No one said anything after that and I hated the Silence. "So when are they arriving." Hvitserk then turns me around keeping his hands on my shoulders "Now."

I turn around and many ships are pulling into Kattegat. Wow so many have come. Hvitserk took his hands off my shoulder and he and Harald walk away leaving Ivar and me there .

"Alca are you going to tell me what you are planning." I sit down and he finally loses his crutches and sits too. " Ivar I have thought long about this." He doesn't look at me. " I feel in order for you to win the war you should make a sacrifice to the gods to be in their favor." He doesn't flinch or anything.

"What do you plan to sacrifice Alca. All we have right now is cows and that's for the harvest." "Or people." His eyes widen and his mouth opens a little. he turns his head to look at me. "Alca you don't mean..." "Yes Ivar, Sacrifice me to the gods." "No." He grabs his crutch and tries to standing up. I stood up right away.

"What do you mean no?" "I can't kill you Alca." We start walking, I'm guessing to the grand hall. "Yes you can Ivar. All you have to do is stab me or slit my throat. It's not that hard." "I can't do it Alca." He starts screaming now. I grabbed his shoulder making him stop. People are looking at us but when I have cared about that.

"You made a promise to me Ivar. You said you would kill me and this is how you will do it. It's how the gods would want it to happen." "How can I kill you. You have been the only one who doesn't see me as a monster since the beginning. You are the only one who has cared for me. I can't lose you Alca." I can see a tear almost about to escape his eye.

I walk up to him and place my hand on his cheek. "Ivar i love you as my son, I hope you know that. I'm not asking you to so this because i want you to be in pain. I was going to die very soon anyways, but the gods have other plans for me and for you. I love you so much that it has to be you, the great king Ivar the boneless, that has to kill me. "

Halfdan singing starts and harald joins in. Everyone hears it. People are lined up on both sides of the battle field. The crows sitting and watching everything unfold. But there are still some things left to be said.