— 4. The Farm

It was afternoon time and Tova sat on a boat with Ragnar, fishing. As they did so, Ragnar turned to the girl with a calm expression on his face. "You killed a man the other day," He spoke up in a calm tone.

"I did it to protect myself," Tova replied softly and Ragnar nodded in understanding, "That is all."

"Do you feel different?" Ragnar questioned and Tova shrugged her shoulders.

"I know it was necessary, but I still feel guilty. That man could have been a brother, a son, or even a father," She confessed in a whisper, "I stabbed him and watched him die. I can't help but feel guilty about that."

"You are still young. You don't truly understand the concept of it all, but you will. I will make sure of it," He assured her in a calm tone, "Though it will not be long before Earl Haraldson comes for you."

"I know," Tova admitted in a soft whisper as she stared downwards.

"I might have no choice but to allow him to take you, even if I don't want to," Ragnar confessed in a calm tone, "Keeping you from him could cost us all our lives."

"I understand. If you to give me up, I wouldn't blame you. But I hope that one day, you would bring me back with you. I don't know those people and I never will," She explained and Ragnar nodded in understanding.

"Do you remember anything from before England?" Ragnar found himself asking the girl curiously.

"Not really," She confessed as she shook her head, "I only remember short glimpses of it all. I remember the day I placed at the gates of the monastery. I knew the man somehow. But I don't remember his name. He took me there on a boat."

"Was it like one of our boats?" Ragnar asked and Tova nodded her head in confirmation.

"What are you planning?" She suddenly questioned, causing Ragnar to raise a brow at her, "What are you preparing for?"

"What do you mean by that?" Ragnar replied in a calm tone.

"I've seen what you've been doing of late. You are about to do something. Something that has taken a lot of thought and patience. You have made yourself very strong in the past few days," She explained and Ragnar sighed in defeat.

"Perhaps not strong enough," He pointed out and Tova tilted her head, giving him a curious look.

"Do you plan to overthrow Earl Haraldson?" She suddenly asked, causing Ragnar to turn to look directly at her.

"No, but even if I were, I doubt admitting that to his daughter would ever end well," Ragnar commented, beginning to smile in amusement.

Tova sighed in frustration and rolled her eyes. "I don't even know the man. You're more my father than he is," She complained, only to turn to see the expression on Ragnar's face had changed, "What?"

"It warms my heart to hear that, young Tova," He confessed, a smile forming on her lips, "Though I must admit, I am not the best man to look up to as a father figure."

"You are to me," Tova admitted, beginning to smile at the man.

____

Later that, Ragnar had decided to go hunting and he decided to take Tova with him. They stood in the woods and Ragnar was teaching how to track. He knelt down on the ground, running his fingers over a track made by a deer.

The duo lifted their heads, their eyes locking on the deer that stood from afar. "Prepare your bow," Ragnar whispered to Tova, who smiled and nodded her head.

"Take a deep breath. Nock," Ragnar instructed Tova, who held the bow in her hands.

Just as she was about to draw her bowstring back, the duo froze, the sounds of terrified screams in the distance gaining their attention.

Tova frowned in concern and turned to Ragnar. "What is that?" She asked worriedly.

"The farm. We are under attack. Come! Now!" He insisted and with that, they ran in the direction of the farm.

They stopped near some trees, finding that Earl Haraldson and his men were attacking the farm, setting fire to numerous barns while also killing anyone in sight.

"What do we do?" Tova asked, her eyes widening in horror as she turned to the man.

"Stay with me. Do not leave my side," He demanded in a stern tone and Tova nodded, following him as he ran forward, "Prepare your bow. Use it as I taught you, but instead of an animal, aim at any man who comes our way."

As they ran forward, Tova drew her bowstring back and released her arrow in the direction of a man who was standing with their back facing them.

The arrow glided through the air, just before embedding itself in the man's back. As the man dropped to the ground, Ragnar charged at a man riding past them on horseback.

He leaped upwards, ripping the man off the horse before tackling him to the ground.

The moment they hit the ground, Ragnar lifted his ax, killing the man instantly with numerous vicious blows to the chest.

Two other men came charging at Ragnar and as he killed one, Tova shot the other in the shoulder. Ragnar grabbed the man by the arm, just before slashing him across the belly with his ax.

Another was coming toward Tova, but before she could have time to attempt to release another arrow, Ragnar threw his ax in the man's direction and killed him upon impact.

He ran forward and took his ax back, killing two more who came in his direction. A third one charged at them and Ragnar winced as he was slashed across the leg before he killed that man as well.

He glanced down at his bleeding leg, sighing before he defended himself against the two other men charging in their direction.

He stopped and exchanged a look with Tova, just before they snuck past the men and toward their home.

However, just then, an arrow glided through the air and shot Ragnar in his back. He yelled out in pain and bent forward, causing Tova to look worried.

She turned, seeing that it was Svein who shot the arrow. She shot the man a hateful glare, just before walking to stand in the back of Ragnar. "Stay still," She demanded and without hesitation, she snapped the arrow in half.

Ragnar winced in pain, giving her a grateful look before he pulled the other half out of him.

"He's in the house, my lord! Him and the girl!" She heard Svein shout to Earl Haraldson, earning an eye roll from Tova.

She exchanged a look with Ragnar, just before they both made their way inside the house where Lagertha, Bjorn, Gyda, and Athelstan had been impatiently waiting for their return.

"Father! Tova!" Bjorn exclaimed worriedly as he rushed forward, noticing how Ragnar held onto Tova for support after being deeply wounded.

"You're hurt," Lagertha stated, looking worried as she rushed over to Ragnar.

"We have to go now," Ragnar insisted as they all made their way to a secret way out.

"What's happening?" Lagertha asked Ragnar worriedly as she watched him open up a secret opening in the floor.

"Father, please tell me," Bjorn demanded, a desperate look on his face.

"We have to get to the boat," Ragnar insisted and Lagertha frowned in concern.

"Are you coming?"

"Go," Ragnar demanded in a stern tone, "Quickly, Gyda! Come on, boy."

"Father, I won't go without you," Bjorn argued as he shook his head.

"Boy, don't argue!"

"Father, I don't want to go without you."

"I'm right behind you. Now, go. Go on, quick. Go, boy, go," Ragnar insisted before turning to Tova, "You must go as well, Tova. Go!"

"No," Tova argued in a stern tone as she remained in place, "I will not go. Earl Haraldson wants me as much as he wants you. If you give me to him, perhaps it would give you enough time to get away."

"I will not do that," Ragnar complained as he shook his head in disbelief.

"You must," Tova pleaded, tears filling her eyes, "We will distract them long enough for the others to get away safely. Then, you will attack and run."

"And you will join me," He insisted and Tova shook her head.

"I will not. They will slaughter everyone you love to get to me. I shall stay with them," She replied and Ragnar sighed in defeat.

"You do not have to do that," He reminded her, causing Tova to sigh and nod.

"But I will. I will not let you all risk your lives for me. Not when this can be avoided. I will give myself over. It will ease Earl Haraldson's anger a bit. But you must promise me that you will kill him," She pleaded and Ragnar tilted his head to give her a confused look.

"He is your father. Why would you want such a thing?" He asked her in a soft tone.

"I do not know that man. I do not remember him or his wife. They are not my parents. Not to me, they aren't. You, Lagertha, Bjorn, and Gyda have become more my family than they will ever be," She explained, causing Ragnar to smile slightly as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Ragnar Lothbrok! Show yourself!" They could hear Svein shout from outside, "Show yourself! Bring out the girl."

Ragnar and Tova turned to each other, exchanging a look. Tova grabbed Ragnar's arm, assisting him as they walked out of the house together to see Earl Haraldson standing there with numerous others.

"Skadi," Earl Haraldson spoke up in a whisper. only to have his attention go to Ragnar as he dropped into a kneel in front of him.

Tova let out a shaky breath, staring down at her hands, which were now covered in Ragnar's blood.

Just then, Earl Haraldson grabbed her by the arm, causing her to flinch as he pulled her toward him and away from Ragnar.

Earl Haraldson walked toward Ragnar, staring down at him with a cold look on his face. "Do you accept that you are a criminal?" He asked and Ragnar grunted in pain as his head was lowered, "That you are only worthy only of defeat, worthy only of death."

"I accept my fate," Ragnar replied as he turned to exchange a look with Tova, who nodded at him, "Let me speak with my god."

Harald stepped away from Ragnar, allowing the man to lower his head to begin speaking to Odin. "Odin, Lord of Lords, Father, help me."

Just then, Ragnar stood up, lifting his ax before swinging at two men. He threw the ax in the direction of another man, just before climbing onto a nearby horse.

"After him!" Earl Haraldson shouted and with that, Ragnar began to ride off.

Svein lifted his bow to shoot at Ragnar, only to have Tova roughly shove him back. He turned to shoot her a glare as Ragnar rode off and before she could react, the man had struck her across the face.

She cried out, placing a hand on the side of her aching cheek as her small body stumbled to the ground.

Earl Haraldson turned, shooting Svein an angered glare. "Did I or did I not say that the girl is to be left unharmed?" He asked the man in a low, threatening tone.

"My lord—" Svein began to say, only to be cut off.

"Just shut up and go after the traitor!" He yelled at the man angrily and with that Svein ran off, causing Tova to smirk in amusement.

However, her smirk disappeared the moment Earl Haraldson turned to face her. "Do you know who I am?" He asked her in a calm tone.

"You are the Earl of Kattegat," She replied quietly and Haraldson nodded in response.

"Do you know who you are?" He questioned, causing Tova to slowly nod her head.

"I am Tova. I was brought here from England as a slave," She replied, purposely not mentioning that she now knew who she truly was.

"You weren't born a slave. You were my daughter. Your name is Skadi. You were taken from your mother and me as a girl. We thought you were dead, but you were taken to England instead," He explained, his eyes softening as he stared down at her.

"Why did you think I was dead?" Tova replied, eying the man suspiciously.

"Your brothers were killed. We saw the bodies. We thought you died, too," He responded and Tova shook her head.

"But you never saw a body," She complained as she stared up at him, "How could you know?"

"Your brothers were taken from us when you were. We assumed—" He began to say, only to have her cut him off.

"Well, you assumed wrong. And because of that, I was raised as a slave. I was treated horribly and I didn't get to be a child. I was forced to live with priests all my life. Do you know I had never met another woman or child until Ragnar brought me home with him?" She explained to him, letting out a large scoff, "That is your fault because you never looked for me."

"How could we have known?" The older man asked her in disbelief, "We thought you were dead."

"You never saw a body. A real, loving parent wouldn't have given up until they saw my body," She snapped at him, shooting him a glare before she began to walk away.

"I am sorry," He spoke up and Tova stopped, sighing before she turned to face him.

"Does sorry make up for the last six years of my life?" She replied with an attitude.

"Of course not. But I hope I can make up for that," He responded as he placed a hand on her shoulder, "I am to bring you back home. You may see your sister again."

"I have a sister?" Tova frowned as she stared up at the man in shock.

"Yes. Her name is Thyri. She will be delighted to meet you again, Skadi," He explained, causing Tova's face to fall at what he had called her, "She was delighted when you were born. She finally had a sister. Now, she will have you with her once more."

"My name is not Skadi. It is Tova," She corrected him in a calm tone.

"And who named you that? The priests?" Earl Haraldson asked, letting out a large scoff.

"The priests never gave me a name. Ragnar Lothbrok gave me my name when he met me. I do not wish to have my name taken from me after just receiving it," She informed the man and turned, avoiding eye contact with him, "It was the first thing I had to call my own. Please don't take it from me."

Earl Haraldson sighed, placing a hand on Tova's shoulder as a part of him felt bad for her. "If that is what you wish to be called...Tova."