Nerida woke as something hit her boat hard, her hand grabbing for her dagger as she stood and looked into the eyes of Floki the boat builder.

"Floki? What are you doing? Why have you come?" Nerida asked as she watched him tie his boat to hers. She watched as he jumped to her boat and began tossing all her food and water to his, her heart race as she rushed to stop him.

She watched as he jumped from her boat to his as, she chased him, her legs tiring as she finally sat down and tossed her dagger to the bottom of the boat in anger. "Floki! Stop! Why are you here?"

"I am here, to take you back to Kattegat." He said simply with a smile that Nerida wanted to slap from his face. She grabbed a box of food and tried to place it on her boat, watching as Floki removed a wooden ore and threw it as far as he could into the cold waters.

"NO! Floki! Why have you done this? Ivar has sent you, hasn't he?" She screamed as she shoved him down watching as he stood again with ease. His tall slender frame towered over hers, but she was not fearful of him, she feared no man.

"Ivar does not know I am here. I came by my own choice. Ivar has made a mistake and you are punishing him far too harshly. His mother can see things, see visions and tell prophecy, so her lie was far too convincing for him. Last night I watched as he prayed to the gods to take him away, prayed to kill him." Floki explained, Nerida sighing as she pushed some brown hair from her face.

"First test of honor, and he betrayed my trust! He thought so bad of me Floki, I trusted him." She yelled, a laugh escaping Floki as he shook his head, Nerida shoving him back as anger flowed through her. "I cannot go back to Kattegat, I do not belong there Floki. Ivar will find another—"

"Ivar will not find another! You two are fated to be and you cannot outrun the fate of the gods." He explained as he stood face to face with her, Nerida sighing as she sat down and rested her arms on her knees, her eyes narrowed on Floki as he sat across from her.

"If you do not want to be in Kattegat, you can stay where I build my boats, or if that does not suit you, you can sail away in this boat. I will warn you Nerida, that if you turn your back on your fate, your life will be in ruins." He said with such passion in his eyes. Nerida knew that he was right, and that she had reacted too harshly to Ivar, but he had broken her heart and her trust.

"I will go back with you Floki. It is not like I have a choice." She huffed as she grabbed her dagger and the rest of her supplies and jumped into his boat, silence overtaking them as Floki rowed them back home.

***

Ivar watched from afar as Nerida trained with Ubbe and Hvitserk. Nerida had not said one word to him since she had returned, but Ivar was not going to give up. He was going to win her affection and trust back. He had forgiven his mother, but he could not forgive himself for what he had done. He had allowed his anger to cloud his mind once again and allowed his temper to get the better of him.

"You can do better than that, Hvitserk! Come on!" Nerida yelled as she shoved Hvitserk back, Ivar feeling a pang of jealousy as he watched them. He desperately wanted to have her by his side once more, desperately wanted to hold her as he fell asleep, but in his heart, he knew he had lost Nerida.

"You both worked hard." She said as she sheathed her sword and walked from them and up the hill. Ivar watched through his hooded cloak as she walked in his direction, their eyes only meeting for a moment before she turned from him.

"Nerida—Please speak to me." Ivar beg as he grasped her hand with his mud-covered glove, Nerida pulling her hand from his as she turned to finally look at him. "I am throwing myself at your mercy and begging for forgiveness." Ivar pleaded once more, his eyes darkened as Nerida could tell he had been crying. She sighed and looked passed him at his brother Sigurd who was preparing for their journey to the hunting cabin.

"I know you asked to come to the hunting cabin, Ubbe refused to carry you. You will come with me." Nerida said emotionless as she walked from his side knowing in her heart, it was time to forgive him. She felt a change in the air, a tension around her that something was going to happen and soon.

"I invited Ivar to the cabin." She said as she walked passed Ubbe, her eyes locking to his as she knew he was going to challenge her like he always did. "I will carry him." She explained as she picked up a spare rope from atop a table. She tied it around her waist and chest, making sure it was firm enough for him to grasp onto.

"You will be responsible for him, if he—"

"Ubbe, you waste words on me as if I care about them." She teased as she pushed passed him, listening as he scoffed at her words. Moments later she walked into Bjorn and Torvi's home, a smile on Torvi's face as she welcomed Nerida with a smile.

"I am going to the cabin with the boys—I am taking Ivar." Nerida said as she accepted a bowl of soup from Guthrum, Torvi's eldest son.

"Are you finally going to speak to him?"

"I do not know, Torvi. I do know that I feel an empty burning inside me, it grows each day." Nerida explained as she filled her mouth with delicious broth. She smiled as Torvi sat behind her and began braiding her hair, something that Nerida was starting to love. She had taken to so many of the Viking Customs, customs that were not all that different from the ones she had grown up with.

"You love him, Nerida. You cannot deny it to yourself or to him any longer." Torvi said as Nerida winced in pain as she pulled her hair. "Ivar believed his mother because he had no reason not to, she had coddled him since birth. She has a special bond with him and Ivar trusted her more than anyone." Torvi explained as Nerida looked down at her almost empty bowl of soup.

"I have seen him toy with that slave girl, Margrethe. I have seen him touch her and smile at her."

"She means nothing to him, Ubbe, Sigurd and Hvitserk pass her around. She is filthy." Torvi chuckled, a warm smile filling Nerida's face as she knew she was right. Nerida sat as Torvi braided her hair so intricately, something that Nerida envied of her.

"Thank you, friend." She said as she hugged Torvi tight before leaving her home, a warmth in the air as she knew that hunting was going to be thrilling. She hadn't been on a real hunt in so long she feared she had forgotten how to track, but she knew once she was on the hunt, it would come back to her.

"Are you ready?" Nerida asked as she walked inside the Great Hall to see Ivar speaking to his mother. She watched as Aslaug's eyes narrowed on her, but she quickly turned away once Ivar looked up at her. Nerida walked over to Ivar and turned her back to him, crouching low as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and held tight to the rope harness she had constructed. Nerida lifted his body up with ease, her hands holding his legs firmly as she felt his warm cheek press to hers.

"Thank you for bringing me along." Ivar finally said after many moments of silence as they began walking down the path behind Ubbe, Sigurd and Hvitserk, always keeping a distance. Nerida did not know what to say, her heart and mind searching for the right words to say.

"I forgive you." She simply said as she felt Ivar's body shutter as he released a joyful chuckle, his arms holding her tighter as she allowed herself to smile. Ivar was far different around her than he was with others. With her he was kind and sweet and gentle, but around others he was cocky, and confrontational.

"Nerida, catch!" Ubbe shouted as he threw a large insect towards her, causing her to release Ivar's legs sending him tumbling to the ground below. Everyone bursting into laughter, Including Ivar, the laughter something they all desperately needed.

By the time the sun was setting, they reached the cabin, everyone ready to drink, eat and sleep. Nerida set Ivar down on the bed, her hands removing the rope harness as her legs felt fatigued. Her heart lept as she felt Ivar grab her hand with his, their fingers interlacing as she sat on the bed beside him.

"Are you mine again?"

"Not yet Ivar. When I am fully ready to give myself to you and you to me—than we can be together, forever." She explained as she sat up, her eyes noticing the confused look on Ivar's face. "I am speaking of Margrethe. I see how you lust for her and how you touch her. I even heard you speak of taking her and she could do nothing about it." Nerida explained, watching as a sadness filled Ivar's face. She left his side to assist the boys with making a fire and cooking of the little food they had brought. They all began drinking of the large amounts of Ale they had brought, each sip filling Nerida with a warmth that left her feeling calm.

"Tell us another story, Nerida." Ubbe drunkenly said as he took another sip of ale from his cup, Nerida smiling as she leaned back on her elbows and looked up at the many stars in the night sky.

"I have told you all the stories that I know." She smiled as she caught Ivar's gaze, his eyes burning into hers as she knew what he was thinking. "Have you ever heard of the face that launched 1000 ships?" She asked as they all sat up in astonishment at her words.

All eyes were on her as she told of the great Helen of Troy, and the Trojan war. The war that lasted ten years and resulted one of the greatest triumphs in Greece, the Trojan horse. "Wait, so they made a giant horse from their ships and the Romans took it blindly into their city?" Ivar asked in amazement as Nerida nodded her head.

"They saw it as a sign of final peace, but in the dark of night, when all were drunkenly asleep, the warriors crawled out of the horse and snuck into the city, burning it to the ground." She said in a theatrical fashion. She smiled as she saw that everyone had passed out by the fire, everyone except for Ivar.

"You can have the bed, I will sleep out here." Ivar said as he rested his hand behind his head, Nerida slowly standing as she once more looked up at the stars before slipping into the cabin and removed her heavy boots. Her eyes felt heavy as did her body, but sleep did not come to her that night, since more than anything, she wanted Ivar in her arms, but once again her pride kept him far away.