Crows cawed in the distance, a very ironic thing, seeing as crows symbolize tragedy.

It was a funny thing how the gods knew the things that would happen before they would take place. Their job being that they weave through the threads of destiny. Looking back, perhaps the crows were signs of the incoming onslaught of chaos. Their distant sounds representing messages from the gods. Messages that they were too distracted to hear.

Harald remained stoic, sulking silently by himself. Kari had tried speaking to him but it was evident that he did not wish to speak to anyone. Not even her. It was a wound on his pride, that was no doubt.

Still, she could not help but feel a sense of hurt that he refused to confide in her. It was not as if he was completely clueless as to how Ivar was feeling. Halfdan was on the opposite side as well. Should he not feel relieved that he would not have to fight his brother?

However, even if this was so, she could not help but pity Ivar as well. He looked unhappy on his own regardless of the fact that it was his decision to put a stop to all the fighting. She had seen him act cruel and even act arrogant but it was only now that she could see beyond all of that. Only now did she see through the broken man he tried to hide.

Ignoring everything in her, Kari approached Ivar, turning to face him as she sat on the seat beside him.

Ivar sighed, looking away. "If you're here to lecture me, I do not care. I have made my decision. You and your husband can just-"

Kari blurted out. "Have you ever wondered what father would be thinking of us now?"

He tilted his head in question before shaking his head fondly at the memories he had of the man. "Father? Seeing us, he would probably laugh in our faces then smack us all in the head."

She laughed softly, leaning back against her seat. "Would he? I wish I could have met him. What I would give to have him smack me in the head. Or at least hear his voice."

"You know what was the last thing he said to me?" He asked, remembering how it had felt hearing such words from the father who had been gone for so long.

"What?" She looked at him expectantly, wondering what the last thing the great Ragnar told his son before everything.

"He told me that people would always underestimate me and that I must make them pay for it. Be ruthless, he said." He answered, recalling the words embedded deep in his heart fondly. Ragnar may have been gone from this world but his words and his actions live on in them.

"And you have done just that. He would be proud." She assured him, her heart twinging that she would never get the chance to hear those things from her father, to ever hear his voice.

"If he had known you, he would have loved you. He loved all of his children, even when he left." His lips morphed into a soft smile, for the first time, cruelty was not laced in his eyes. He was speaking truthfully and maybe if he had known he had a sister sooner, there wouldn't be such bitter blood between them.

"Maybe." She returned his smile, hoping that was true. "There's no use thinking of things differently. I find that it is not ideal to live life in regret. Don't look back so much, you've done well thus far."

"Why are you saying this to me? You hate me. You went out of your way just to show that." Ivar's eyebrows furrowed in question. Truth be told, he wasn't even suspicious, only curious as to why they were sharing such a conversation.

"I may not like you most of the time, Ivar. But I do respect you. That mind of yours is capable of many things, it would be a shame to put it to waste. You've made your choice. Don't regret it." Kari admitted, patting him on the shoulder before joining Harald as the horns of mead arrived.

Ivar watched her as she went. He could not help but ponder on what she said, about their father's last words. She did not know what Ragnar had told him at first but she knew what it would mean for him.

Be ruthless. People would always underestimate him because of his recklessness and his physical limitation. That did not mean that they have to be right.

"Skål." Lagertha said, raising a cup of mead into the air as they all echoed the words back.

Everyone followed suit, including Ivar, despite Ragnar's and Kari's words circling around his mind. His head began to ache from the tension in his mind, his thoughts warring in all directions.

He could only watch as Harald tipped his drink over, spilling its contents into the soil, a massive spat on their so-called accord. Kari faced her husband with wide eyes, every movement she had now measured. They were teetering on the brink of a fight with everything on the line.

You've made your choice. Don't regret it.

Ivar met Kari's eyes, her words ringing in his mind. He knew he would forever regret not avenging his mother, forever regret not taking the chance when he had a massive army at his side to take Kattegat. He would always wonder what would have happened if he went through with it. It would have haunted him and tainted his mind for all eternity.

Shaking his head, Ivar felt a smirk form on his lips before he flung the remaining mead in his cup straight into Ubbe's face. The tension between all the warriors increased tenfold but Ivar found that he did not care.

Hvitserk frowned at the sudden movement whilst Harald stirred from his angry bout of self-loathness.

"How blue are my eyes, huh?" Ivar demanded angrily.

"What?" Ubbe recovered, wiping the mead from his face.

"How blue are my eyes?" Ivar shouted, repeating the words once again.

"Your eyes are very blue." Ubbe answered, shaking his head at the absurdity of the whole conversation.

"Mhm." Ivar hummed, continuing his tirade. "You remember I had to ask you every single morning how blue the whites of my eyes were because if they were very blue, I was in great danger of breaking a bone."

"Yes, I remember. It was a big part of my childhood. 'How blue are Ivar's eyes today?'" Ubbe recounted as everyone watched on, their bodies tense at the turn of the exchange.

"I might break a bone, but I can never break a promise. I can never forgive Lagertha for murdering our mother. How can you, hmm? How can you?!" Ivar questioned, pointing at the woman in question. Ubbe turned away, fed up with his brother, chuckling bitterly before Ivar struck him. "Our mother! Of course, I'm going to kill her!"

Lagertha declared, pouring the rest of her drink to the ground, throwing away all sense of peace. "You can try."

Ivar sneered, the mad smile back on his face. The need for revenge filled his whole being and he could not even remember why he had changed his mind in the first place. "Oh, I will."

All the onlookers seemed to have come to the same conclusion. There was to be no accord. There was to be no peace. There was too much anger and hatred between them that could not be patched by blood and family. The only way to resolve it was spilled blood. Bjorn turned away from all of them, disappointed by the turn of events.

"You said you wouldn't fight your brothers." Ubbe resisted, not able to believe that all of this, all they had spoken about stirred nothing in his youngest brother.

"You are no longer my brother. You were once my legs, but not anymore." Ivar established, his eyes showing that he was serious. He was disowning his brother. In Ubbe's face, one could see heartbreak. Pure, unadulterated heartbreak.

Harald began to laugh, loud guffaws escaping his mouth as Kari turned to him in disbelief. This was not the time for such laughter but her husband seemed immune to anything but the fact that the fight he so craved would happen.

"This was all a waste of time." Ubbe remarked, covering up his hurt as he turned to leave.

Ivar scoffed. "No. Not at all. You can surrender Kattegat now. You've all been talking about how terrible the slaughter will be. How we will kill our nearest relations and members of our family. I don't want to do that. Let us not do it. You. Bjorn. Lagertha. Just go away. Leave this place. Do not put your men to the test."

It was quiet then suddenly everyone went into action, the sounds of metal filling the air. Swords were drawn while the vikings carrying flags went into defensive positions, the two sides both facing each other.

Kari tightened her hold on the hilt of her sword, familiarizing herself with its feel to ensure that it would not slip from her hand should this become an all-out bloodbath. Ubbe moved to advance, a man on a mission as they all tensed in preparation.

Lagertha reached out a hand to stop him. "Not now."

At her words, all those from her side stepped backward slowly, knowing that they were simply being provoked. It would be no good to fight now only to lose when they had a whole arsenal to use against Ivar.

Kari found herself confused by the reaction. If they were truly at an advantage over Lagertha's army, why would they not take the opportunity to fight them when their numbers were equal? They were planning something, knew something that would help them. Something wasn't right and she would find out before they all had to fight lest they suffer a big loss.

Her attention was diverted to the far side as her gaze met Bjorn's. Ivar may have cut all ties with Ubbe but her and Bjorn remained complicated. She could tell that he was feeling the same way as emotions warred on his face. Guilt overcame her immediately.

She had a brother but now, it seems that she had burned that bridge to the ground. It was by her own actions that she would lose him and she could not help but doubt whether or not she was making the right decision for her and Harald.

Feeling eyes on her, Kari turned to her husband, whose emotions were closed off to her. He was assessing whether or not she was having a change of heart. She almost laughed. As if that would do anything now. A lot of good that seemed to do.

Shaking her head, she sheathed her sword, moving to follow after Ivar and the others. She had expected Harald to be right behind her, only to be surprised upon seeing that he had not moved.

"Harald?" Kari spoke up carefully, stopping in her steps and moving towards him.

Harald glanced at her before facing Halfdan, placing his sword back into his sheath. "You're sure? Are you going to deny your brother?"

Halfdan extended his arms to the side. "Bjorn saved my life. I'm indebted."

Harald grimaced, sending a look of rage in the viking's direction. "You're not his blood."

Halfdan exhaled, a trail of finality leaving his lips. "Maybe we care too much for that."

"Maybe." Harald frowned, though he looked anything but convinced. For his entire life, it had only ever been the two of them. Harald and Halfdan, brothers. He may have found Kari but that did not change all the years when it was just the two of them. "Maybe."

Harald opened his arms and Halfdan met him halfway, the two of them embracing fondly, their foreheads pressed together. Two brothers forced apart by fate, the decisions they have made leading up to that very moment.

For a moment, Harald wished that he could turn back time and stop Halfdan from getting on that boat. Perhaps things could have been different. Perhaps they would be fighting on the same side. Many things could have been different.

"I'm sorry, brother." Halfdan apologized, sheer pain in his voice. "Truly."

"Don't be sorry. No." Harald refused, turning away before drawing back to land a punch on his brother's face.

"Halt!"

"Hold!"

Both sides froze, their every muscle stiffening, unsure if that was considered an attack or not. Either way, both Ivar and Lagertha stopped them from going too far. It was not yet the time for battle, no.

"You know I'll kill you. You understand that? I will kill you." Harald stated, a promise more than anything. He spoke with pain but also with acceptance, that no matter what he did, no matter what he said, Halfdan was lost to him.

He may be alive but the man he recognized as his brother was dead. The same went for Halfdan as the man closed his eyes, welcoming the harsh words his brother imparted upon him.

Harald began to walk away, placing a hand around Kari's waist, pushing her forward. He knew that there was already doubt beginning to fester within his wife and as of that moment, he could not imagine losing her too. He could not lose her. He will not. Not even when her brother was the one who took his brother from him.

Kari wanted to look back. She wanted to see Halfdan or even Bjorn, wanted to see them one last time before the battle. Before she would have to see them as a hindrance to her survival. Before she would have to take action against them or face the harsh bite of their blade.

Kari turned to face her husband once they were at a distance away. "Harald, I-"

"Don't, Kari." Harald hastily cut her off, his eyes hard with emotion.

Kari was taken aback by the sight because in those eyes she loved so much, she saw something she never thought she would ever see. At least not directed at her. There was agony and rage. But there was also blame. As if all that has happened, all that he had lost was because of her.

She had wanted to make life better for him yet somehow, she seemed to have made it worse.

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Hello everyone! Yes, so that happened. I'm afraid it can only get worse from here so brace yourselves! Kari and Harald still have a long road ahead of them, especially after this.