It was cold. Too cold.

Winds swept against the empty field harshly, flags of blue and yellow threatening to pull away from the stoic faces holding them. It was difficult to hear a single word. Not because there was pained silence but because the chaotic winds were all anyone could hear.

No one dared to move. Not even to breathe differently. No one shivered from the cold temperature nor did anyone try to do anything. They merely looked ahead, across the battlegrounds they had chosen for war, and hoped that they could emerge victoriously.

Across the plains were their rival, the enemy. But for some, they only saw family. Brothers, sisters, vikings alike. It was comical, how they would be fighting against people they knew, people they cared for. However, that was the path that they were on and none dared to disobey the treacherous twists of fate.

Suddenly, a shift in the wind. All eyes turned to look at the two figures that separated from the large army. Two people that Kari herself was familiar with.

Halfdan and Bjorn. It seems that they wish to come to an accord, to speak first before anything or anyone else happened.

Kari looked to Ivar and they nodded, looking to Harald and Hvitserk. In turn, the two men prepared to advance forward to meet the two already in the middle of the battlefield.

Pressing a hand to her chest, Kari looked at Harald and silently asked him to be safe and to be careful. Halfdan may be his brother but there was no telling what could happen. This entire thing proved that.

Harald smiled gratefully, pressing his own hand over his heart before moving his horse into motion. The sound of hooves on soft soil permeated the air and for a mere second, that was all people heard. Not the winds that raged around them but the careful steps that would decide their fate.

The horses nickered, an almost taunting sound as all remained serious in face of what could become an all-out war.

Harald came face to face with Halfdan as Hvitserk came to stand before Bjorn. Brothers facing one another on opposite sides.

Bjorn spoke first, breaking the silence. "If we must fight, then we must fight. But first, let us discuss the alternatives, in good faith."

Harald inclined his head in agreement. "We are willing to do that. But first, we must exchange hostages. Good faith, although commendable, it's not really enough."

Bjorn nodded before gesturing to Halfdan at his side. "Your brother will go with you to your camp."

"And your brother will go to yours." Harald responded, an easygoing expression on his face as Hvitserk moved toward Bjorn and Halfdan towards him. "We meet again tomorrow. Yes?"

"Yes." Bjorn agreed, turning his horse away to return to his army.

Harald did the same, returning to his army with his brother by his side. Though he tried to meet Halfdan's eyes, the other man seemed committed not to look at him, almost as though he were ashamed.

He did not know what else to say and do. It was not like he could begin an argument in front of the two armies. Sighing, he continued forward, finding Kari amidst the sea of men.

She would know what to do to convince Halfdan, he thought. After all, they had always been fond of one another. She had liked his brother even before she started liking him.

However, when his gaze fell upon his wife, he found that she was not looking at him. In fact, she seemed lost in thought as she looked at the other army. He did not need to glance back to know who she was looking at.

If her gaze had been a furious one, he would have thought her to be looking at Lagertha. He knew how much she hated the other woman, having been protective over him. It had warmed his heart to know how much she cared for him.

Yet at this moment, her gaze was upset and almost forlorn. That meant she was looking at Bjorn, the first person she told about her parentage and the one she considered her brother.

Harald could not blame her. It broke his heart to see his brother on the other side of the field, amongst enemy lines. Never would he have thought that this could happen, causing a rift in their almost unbreakable bond.

Just as he reached their front lines, Kari met his gaze comfortingly before smiling softly at Halfdan. It was too easy to imagine the three of them back to how they were before but that was not to be.

The three of them were no longer the same people they were in Wessex and no matter how much they wished to turn back time, they were all stuck in the present.

Nothing looked to have changed and yet everything had.

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Kari dismounted from her horse with a stoic expression.

Everyone watched as she approached Halfdan silently. No one dared to get in her way. All of them were too afraid of her husband but Harald himself did not even seem bothered by the turn of events, knowing that what she would do would shape how they would treat their hostage.

Halfdan turned to stare at her, unsure of what to do. Without a single word, her face broke into a smile and she flew into his arms, laughing.

"Hello, Halfdan." Kari greeted, squeezing him into an embrace. "I've missed you so very much."

"And I've missed you too, dear Kari. It has been too long." Halfdan responded, pulling back to look at the girl he became fond of and was proud to call a friend.

Upon seeing the two being friendly with one another, the men relaxed, their hold leaving their swords. Their queen did not need protection for the moment but still, they would maintain a close watch.

Ivar calmed as well before leading the way to a place where they could settle, wishing to rest his legs for a moment. Heahmund watched the new viking with suspicion, not at all liking how close he was to Kari.

"Far too long." Kari admitted, before closing her eyes in fake annoyance as she moved to follow after Ivar. "How could you leave me alone with Harald for so long? Do you truly hate me so?"

Halfdan chuckled, walking beside her as he joked. "Forgive me. Perhaps now you know why I chose to sail the Meditteranean."

"Even after so long, the two of you still chatter on and on like a couple of gossiping maids." Harald gruffly joined in, draping an arm around Kari's shoulders as amusement glinted in his eyes.

Kari rolled her eyes, shrugging off the arm around her shoulders. "Do you see what I mean, Halfdan? He's horrible, just plain awful."

"That's not what you said last night when I-" Harald smirked, enjoying the way her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed at his words.

Halfdan interrupted, looking between the two knowingly, a sly look entering his face. "Ah, so it is true then. The two of you are husband and wife."

Upon hearing that, Kari grinned sincerely just as they reached a small canopy where Ivar was already sitting. "We are."

Harald continued, leaning over to press a kiss on her temple as she sat down. "After chasing after this one for so long, you would think that it would have happened sooner."

"You're not surprised though, are you?" Kari peered curiously. The other man did not seem shocked at all, only entertained, as if he knew what would happen all along.

"Of course not. I'm not as blind as the two of you are. I knew from the moment you two saw each other for the first time." Halfdan confessed, recalling all the moments the two had clashed, trying to control the tension between them.

"Sure you did." Harald grumbled doubtingly, crossing his arms over his chest as he sat down.

"I'm glad you two are married. Truly, I am happy that you found each other. There could be no better wife for you, brother. Kari is the best woman I know and I see how much you two love each other." Halfdan assured them, clasping both their shoulders.

"Thank you, Halfdan." Kari smiled at him, the fondness between them still evident despite having spent months apart.

Moments passed in light conversations with Ivar joining in from time to time. They drank and spoke of Halfdaan's travels, trying to avoid the inevitable.

Halfdan was family, at least to Harald and Kari. To speak to him as though he were the enemy would be heartbreaking but like all good things, their light exchanges had to end as their sway from reality had no effect.

"As much as I would like to pretend that none of this is happening, it is too difficult. This is madness." Halfdan spoke out, looking imploringly at all of them.

"Is it?" Harald questioned. "You are here where you belong. Don't deny it. Why would you fight for Lagertha or Bjorn? They are not your folk."

Halfdan was quick to defend. "Bjorn saved my life. Isn't that reason enough?"

Ivar piped up, not convinced by the man's reasoning. "Not really. We all choose to live a dangerous life. That is part of our way. So I think that you give what happened between you and Bjorn too much importance."

Harald added. "Family has a greater claim. I don't want to fight against you. I don't want to have to kill you."

Halfdan sighed, knowing that whatever he would say would not change anything. They all seemed to be resigned in their ways, stubborn, and unwilling to back down.

Haldan shifted his attention to the bishop who stood off to one side. "I suppose none of this makes any sense to him anyway."

"He's a great warrior. He doesn't need anything to make sense." Ivar sneered.

"By the gods, Ivar, you are just so cynical." Halfdan mused bitterly.

"Why don't you tell Kari that? The bishop's sworn to her and your brother." Ivar rolled his eyes, turning to look at his sister.

"Kari?" Halfdan turned to look at her as well, shock filling his features. "Don't tell me you helped with this madness. You just don't care, do you? Any of you?"

"We care about winning this war." Kari said softly, trying to reach for his hand only to have him shrug her off.

She looked away from him, hurt at his estrangement. Harald found himself glaring at his brother. It was not as if Kari wanted to fight Halfdan, if he would just come home, they could go back to the way they were before. He was the one making things difficult.

"Halfdan, you have to choose between a friend or a brother." Ivar continued. "To me, the answer is obvious."

"Bjorn and Ubbe are your brothers. Why do you fight them?" Halfdan countered, challenging the other man's defense.

"But Hvitserk is with me, my brother. As well as Kari, my sister. I choose to avenge my mother. I choose my family. Why is it so difficult for you to do the same?" Ivar retorted before leaving, angry to be reminded of his brothers on the other side.

Halfdan refused to look at his brother and his friend, his heart in despair at seeing them so set on fighting in this war. Despite everything in him, he found that a small part of him wanted to turn back, to join them.

It would be too easy. Halfdan missed his brother's booming laughter and Kari's short temper. Life would be simple and filled with joy but that was the problem. Harald and Kari had found their place. They had found that they belonged together.

It wasn't that he was selfish. It was just that he had found his place. Traveling the Meditteranean had shown him that there was more to the world and Bjorn had saved him. Why should he not do the same by helping save Kattegat?

Heahmund had begun to utter prayers in the corner but none of the three had bothered to care. Not even when the man left with a single look at Kari. Halfdan did not like him one bit and he despised the fact that the man was sworn to them.

"You are a part of my fate. As I am a part of yours." Harald implored, placing a hand atop Halfdan's own unmoving hand. "Stay."

Even as Harald said those words, everyone present knew that there were no changing things. Halfdan would not be switching sides, he would not be changing his mind.

Harald had more or less already lost a brother. Win or lose this war, his relationship with Halfdan would never be the same again. Not unless one of them switches sides, an option that seems particularly bleak at the moment.

There would be a great loss in this war. Losing a brother appears to be a common theme indeed.

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Hello everyone! I hope everyone's doing well! It hurts to write their relationship being strained but at this point in the story, it's like there's a division between Harald and Halfdan just like how there is one between Ubbe and Hvitserk on the other side.