— 3. Skadi

Days had passed and Tova grew comfortable living with Ragnar and his family. While they were considered slaves, Athelstan and Tova were not treated as such. They were treated like a part of the family, especially Tova. Bjorn and Tova bickered and on many occasions, it nearly turned into full-on brawls, but besides that, Tova was learning to adapt to her new environment far quicker than Athelstan.

It was morning time one day, Tova was playing outside with Gyda and Bjorn when Lagertha told them it was time to eat. The three children followed Lagertha inside, only to stop when they saw Athelstan in the middle of shaving the top of his head. However, as he did so, it caused blood to drip down his forehead in the process.

Bjorn and Tova began to laugh, causing Athelstan to immediately turn to see the duo standing there alongside Lagertha and Gyda. Gyda looked concerned while Lagertha looked unamused by Bjorn and Tova laughing.

"Time for breakfast," Lagertha insisted, causing all three children to laugh before following after her.

_____

Later that night, Ragnar was sitting with Athelstan and Tova, supplying them with more ale than they had drank their entire lives.

Athelstan drunkenly burped, groaning and shaking his head as he watched Ragnar pour another cup of ale for him. "No, no more."

"We don't like those in our house to go hungry or thirsy," Ragnar insisted and Tova smiled slightly, smart enough to realize Ragnar was getting Athelstan drunk on purpose.

Ragnar turned and smiled at her, realizing she was catching on. He wanted answers out of Athelstan and her. While it was obvious Tova would give answers about England without being manipulated into doing so, there were still some things she didn't know, of which Ragnar intended to get out of Athelstan.

"I mean, look at Tova. She is having the time of her life," Ragnar continued on, causing Tova to chuckle in amusement.

"She is ten and she is drunk," Athelstan argued, causing Tova to smile and roll her eyes.

"I am very curious about England," Ragnar confessed, glancing between the duo, "Does it have one king who rules over the whole country?"

"Not even close," Tova laughed as she shook her head, leading to Ragnar turning to her, "There are many kingdoms in England. Four, in fact. And four kings to rule them."

"She is right. You landed in the kingdom of Northumbria," Athelstan added into what Tova was saying, "The King of Northumbria is called Aelle. He is a great king."

"No, he is not," Tova cut Athelstan off, earning an annoyed look from Athelstan, "I've never been outside the walls of the Monastery and still, I know King Aelle is nothing but a fat coward that doesn't deserve to be king. He is a usurper and an illegitimate king."

"May I speak?" Athelstan asked in an annoyed tone, earning a glare from the girl while Ragnar smiled in amusement, "Aelle is a powerful king, not any of what the girl has said about him."

"Sure," Tova muttered under her breath as she rolled her eyes.

"If he is not what Tova says he is, then why did his men not protect your temple?" Ragnar asked and Tova smiled, grateful he agreed with her.

Athelstan scoffed, glancing between the duo. "Before you came, we had no need to protect our monastery. We lived in peace. Everyone respected it as a place of God."

"Why does your God need silver and gold, hmm?" Ragnar questioned as he poured himself another cup of ale, "He must be greedy..." He trailed off, beginning to laugh, "We have greedy gods too."

"Like Loki?" She asked curiously and Ragnar smiled proudly as he nodded his head.

He still didn't know how the girl knew so much about his gods, but he assumed, sooner or later, her backstory would make sense. Clearly, no matter what Athelstan said, the girl wasn't born in England. She was brought there, but still, Ragnar could not understand how a girl born in Scandanavia could be brought to England willingly by his people.

"My god is not greedy," Athelstan argued as he began to smile, "His kingdom is not of this world."

"Then why is his kingdom so full of treasure?" Ragnar questioned as he leaned forward in his seat.

Athelstan frowned, giving Ragnar a weird look after hearing his question. "Christian people give away their riches to the churches and monasteries in order to save their souls."

"What are their souls?" Ragnar asked, a confused look on his face.

Athelstan's lips parted and he frowned, unable to answer Ragnar's question.

Tova smiled and stood up, bored with the conversation. She picked up her cup of ale, stumbling slightly before she began to walk away.

Ragnar smiled slightly at her struggle before turning to Athelstan, leaning closer to him. "I want to learn some of your language," He informed Athelstan in a calm tone, "Will you teach me, priest?" He asked and Athelstan didn't answer, "From the looks of it, you were the one who taught Tova your language."

"How did you—" Athelstan began to ask Ragnar as his eyes widened in shock.

"She speaks my language better than she speaks yours. It is obvious that she is no Saxon. She was brought up as one, but she wasn't born one. How do you explain that?" Ragnar explained, causing Athelstan to look uneasily as he glanced around.

He sighed, making sure Tova was not around before he looked back at Ragnar. "She is one of your people."

Ragnar's expression remained the same, clearly already expecting to be the case. "Then how did she find herself in England?"

"Nobody knows. She turned up at the gates of Lindisfarne one day. A man had left her there. He was not one of my people. He was a foreigner. We were going to give her away, but then we learned she was a pagan. Father Cuthbert took her in, wanting to change her ways before it was too late. It worked, but not as much as we hoped. She always mentioned your gods. It was so clear she remembered her old ways, no matter how much they tried to teach her otherwise," Athelstan explained to Ragnar, who smiled slightly.

"I can see that," Ragnar commented, an amused look on his face.

_____

A few days had passed and one afternoon, Tova sat at the table in the kitchen with Lagertha, Gyda, Bjorn, and Athelstan as Ragnar spoke to them about what was yet to occur.

"I have the Earl's permission to sail back to England," Ragnar informed his family with a smile on his face, "I want to leave as soon as possible."

"How soon is that?" Lagertha asked Ragnar curiously as her back faced him.

"Tomorrow," Ragnar answered as he was in the middle of packing.

Lagertha's lips parted and there was a moment of silence. She sighed, slowly turning to face him. "We all wish you success. We will sacrifice to Odin."

"Are you not coming?" Ragnar suddenly asked Lagertha, causing Tova to frown in confusion.

"What?" Lagertha asked Ragnar, looking to be just as confused.

Ragnar smiled, immediately turning to face Lagertha. "I want you to come with me," He confessed, causing Lagertha's lips to curl upwards into a surprised smile.

"But the farm, the children," She reminded him, despite wanting nothing more than to go with Ragnar.

"Bjorn is still too young, although he can help on the farm," Ragnar explained as he walked over to the table.

"But who is in charge?" Bjorn asked, a confused look on his face.

"The priest," Ragnar suddenly announced, causing Tova's eyes to widen as she stared up at the man, "I will leave him with a key."

"Father!" Bjorn exclaimed as he jolted out of his seat, "You cannot place a slave above me, your natural son."

Bjorn stared at Ragnar in disbelief, only to have Ragnar's expression not change in the slightest. He sighed in defeat and sat back down, having no other choice but to listen him.

Tova began to laugh, causing Bjorn to turn to shoot her a glare.

"Do not laugh at me! You're no more than a slave," Bjorn complained, only to have Ragnar give him a scolding look.

"I don't regard Tova or the priest as slaves," Ragnar informed Bjorn in a calm tone, "Athelstan's a responsible person."

"Please, Ragnar Lothbrok, don't do this," Athelstan pleaded as he stood up from his seat.

Ragnar glanced at Athelstan briefly before turning to Gyda. "What do you think, Gyda?"

"I don't mind," Gyda replied with a smile on her face, "I like the priest, and Tova, too."

"Hmm," Ragnar smiled, placing a hand on the side of Gyda's face, "Then it is settled."

Ragnar turned his head to glance to Athelstan, just before walking away.

Lagertha watched Ragnar walk away. Once he was gone, she placed her hands flat down on the table before leaning closer to Athelstan, a threatening look on her face. "If any harms befalls my children, I will tear the lungs out of your body, priest."

With that, Lagertha left and Tova smiled, turning to Gyda. "How does your mother get to go to England? Women are not allowed to fight."

"There are here. They are called shield maidens," Gyda informed Tova, who immediately looked interested in what she had to say.

"Shield maidens?" She asked, a curious look appearing on her face.

"They are warriors that are women. They fight alongside the men. And they are just as good," Gyda explained, a smile forming on her lips, "I would like to be a shieldmaiden one day."

"I think you will be a good shieldmaiden," Tova replied, smiling at Gyda.

"I would like to be a warrior one day. A warrior as great as my father," Bjorn admitted with a sheepish smile on his face.

"I doubt it. I think you will be a shit warrior," Tova remarked, earning a hateful glare from Bjorn.

"Not as much as you. You'll be the worst warrior of them all," Bjorn snapped at her, causing Athelstan to groan and facepalm himself as he witnessed the scene occur.

It seemed like every day, there was something new the two of them were bickering about. And usually, when Ragnar was there, he took Tova's side, which enraged Bjorn even more.

"Who says I am to be a warrior?" Tova questioned, only to glance between Gyda and Bjorn to see the look they were giving her, "What?"

"You are too strong-willed and brave to be just a simple woman when you are older, who stays home while the men go and fight. You would be a shieldmaiden. My father already intends to train you," Gyda explained and Bjorn smirked as he turned to Tova.

"Not before he trains me," Bjorn pointed out and Tova turned to him, smiling.

"During my time here, I have seen you train with Ragnar and I can already see you are a pitiful excuse for a warrior," Tova commented, causing Bjorn to shoot her a glare before he stood up and stormed away.

"Why are you so mean to him?" Athelstan asked as he sighed and turned to her.

"It's funny to see how angry he gets. His cheeks become as red as a tomato," Tova admitted, an amused look on her face.

"That is cruel," Athelstan scolded her and Tova shrugged.

"When am I ever not cruel?" Tova replied and Athelstan sighed, realizing she had a point.

There was a long moment of silence, just before Tova turned to Athelstan. "Athelstan?"

"Yes, Tova?" He replied as he was in the middle of drinking his cup of ale.

"What is sex?" She suddenly asked, causing Athelstan to spit out his ale.

He turned to her, his eyes widening in shock while Gyda quietly giggled.

______

It was evening time and Tova sat at the table with Gyda, Bjorn, and Athelstan eating dinner. "I want to go to Kattegat," Bjorn suddenly spoke up as he looked directly at Athelstan, "I want to see my father return soon. He must return soon."

"I gave your father my word that I would look after you both and Tova here," Athelstan reminded Bjorn in a calm tone.

"You are not looking after us," Bjorn snapped at Athelstan with an attitude, "We look after ourselves."

"The way you act says otherwise," Tova muttered under her breath.

"Shut up!" Bjorn shouted as he turned to shoot her a glare.

"Make me," Tova encouraged him as she leaned closer to him.

"I cannot allow you to go on your own to Kattegat," Athelstan spoke up in a frustrated tone as he cut the duo off before they could begin arguing, "Your father would never tolerate such a thing."

Athelstan took a seat at the table, beside Gyda and across from Tova.

"Then we should go together, the four of us," Bjorn suggested as he glanced around at the group.

"And who will then look after the farm?" Athelstan questioned as he raised a brow at Bjorn, who gave him an annoyed look.

Athelstan closed his eyes and folded his hands together, beginning to give thanks for his meal. "For what we are about to receive, may the lord make us truly grateful."

Tova rolled her eyes at Athelstan, immediately beginning to eat without giving thanks.

"Amen," She heard Athelstan finish his prayer as he made the sign of the cross with his hands.

He poured Bjorn a cup of ale, just before pouring himself some. "Can I have some ale?" Tova asked Athelstan, a eager look on her face.

"You're too young, Tova, to drink ale, no matter what Ragnar says," Athelstan pointed out, referring to the fact that Ragnar had given her ale the night before he left for England.

Tova sighed in frustration and looked down at her food.

Bjorn rolled his eyes at Athelstan's actions. He wasted no time picking up his own cup of ale before he handed it to her.

She sent him a small nod, giving Bjorn a thankful look. She sent Athelstan a mischievous smirk, just before taking a large sip of the ale.

Bjorn nodded back at Tova before turning to give Athelstan a daring look. "I want to make a sacrifice to Thor, for my father's safe return."

"What will you sacrifice?" Athelstan asked with a large smile on his face.

"You!" Bjorn snapped at the priest as he stood up, knocking over his cup and bowl. He shot Athelstan a glare, just before storming off.

"I dare say he hates you more than he hates me," Tova commented, smiling as she took a large sip of ale.

___

That night, in their shared room, Gyda laid fast asleep while Bjorn and Tova were laying beside each other, wide awake.

"I am sorry that I am so mean to you," Tova spoke up, a smile forming on her lips as she turned to glance at him, "I just like how you get when I do something to make you angry."

"I can tell. It is why I hate you sometimes. That and that you are a Christian," Bjorn admitted and Tova scoffed.

"I do not believe in the Christian god, you know," She confessed, causing Bjorn to turn to her with wide eyes.

"Why?" Bjorn asked, his eyes widening in disbelief.

"I don't know. I never did. Your father thinks I am from here, but that I was brought to England as a little girl," She explained and Bjorn frowned in confusion.

"Why would anyone want to bring you to England?" Bjorn asked, looking puzzled by the revelation.

"I don't know," She replied as she shrugged her shoulders.

"Perhaps only the gods know," Bjorn pointed out and Tova nodded in agreement.

She turned onto her stomach, looking directly at Bjorn. "Can you tell me about these gods?"

"What do you want to know?" Bjorn asked, sitting up from his lying position.

"Everything," Tova admitted, her eyes lighting up at the thought.

That night, Bjorn and Tova had talked for hours about the gods. Bjorn never thought he'd ever meet a foreigner so interested and curious about his peoples' gods.

They ended up falling asleep talking about it, only to be woken up by Athelstan, who was calling their name.

The duo's eyes fluttered open and a weird look appeared on both of their faces when they realized they had fallen asleep in the same bed.

After a moment, they shrugged it off and turned to Athelstan. "What is it?"

"We'll go to Kattegat, all of us, tomorrow," He informed them with a smile on his face.

The duo turned to each other, their eyes widening in surprise.

____

The following day, when they arrived in Kattegat, the group of four became shocked when they learned that Ragnar had been arrested for the murder of a man named Knut. Lagertha soon joined them and Tova found herself staring at Earl Haraldson and his wife, Siggy, who sat upon their thrones.

They briefly looked directly at her in a way that made Tova feel as though they knew something about her that she didn't. But what could it be?

"Bring in the prisoner!" Svein announced loudly and Tova turned her head, watching as Ragnar was brought in.

"Look at him. He's in chains," Tova complained, looking worried as she shook her head, "It isn't right."

"It's alright, girl," Ragnar assured Tova as he looked directly at her.

Tova sighed in defeat and nodded her head, turning to look back at Earl Haraldson.

It wasn't long before the trial began and it became revealed that Ragnar had killed Knut, Earl Haraldson's bastard brother, after he tried to rape Lagertha.

Earl Haraldson didn't believe him, thinking it to be convenient that the only two witnesses were a husband and a wife. They weren't a reliable source.

However, Rollo was soon brought forward and much to Earl Haraldson's surprise, Rollo vouched for his brother.

Ragnar had smiled in satisfaction afterwards, knowing it meant Earl Haraldson had to free him.

He continued to smile, holding up his bound wrists. "Now, who has the key?"

After the scene occurred, Ragnar had been unchained and as he went to leave with his family, he wrapped an arm around Tova.

"Skadi," A voice suddenly called out and without even realizing what she was doing and why, Tova turned her head. She locked eyes on Earl Haraldson, who had been the one to call out the name.

He was looking directly at her alongside Siggy, both of them looking both shocked and relieved when Tova turned her head. Their presumptions had been right and Tova had proven that when she reacted to the name.

Tova frowned, clearly not catching onto what was happening. She didn't even know why she turned her head. Skadi wasn't her name as far as she could remember. She didn't have a name until Ragnar gave her one just months before. And that name was Tova, not Skadi.

Ragnar turned his head, sighing as he watched the scene occur. He briefly closed his eyes and cursed under his breath, clearly piecing everything together.

"Let's go," Ragnar insisted as he led the girl out of the Great Hall.

He ended up telling the rest of the group to walk on without them. Once they did so, he stopped walking. He placed his hands on Tova's shoulders and crouched down in front of her.