"Are you alright?" Ragnar asked as Ivar held tight to the side of the boat, his stomach churning and his anxiety of the water overwhelming as he vomited into the cool blue water.

"Without Nerida, I am terrified of water." Ivar said through clinched teeth as he wished more than anything that she was by his side. Nerida had made for him a pair of iron crutches that he could use to walk, a smile rolling over his face as he thought of his beloved.

"There are plenty of worse ways to die, than to drown. Just ask your Nerida, she watched her own brother die inside a great Brazen Bull." Ragnar said, Ivar jerking his head as he had remembered the story, but Nerida had failed to tell him that her own brother had died.

"She told me about Tanais, but I did not know it was her brother. How did you know?"

"The story reached my ears some years ago, that a young pirate, had to watch her brother of only ten die in that horrific way. She then had to sit chained to his rotting body for days. It may have been part of the reason she was so reluctant of you at first, as you said it took you a long time to win her trust." Ragnar smiled as he playfully pushed Ivar's shoulder, Ivar vomiting once again as the boat continued to rock.

"Nerida made this for you?" Ragnar asked as he looked at the leather straps with Iron rods that were now tied to Ivar's legs, keeping them as straight as they could. By his legs were a pair of iron crutches, with sharp ends so he would not fall over as some cripples did.

"She did, and the blacksmith said that when she returns, she will make me Iron legs, so I can walk with only one crutch." Ivar smiled proudly as a sadness lured over him, his heart missing a vital piece. As long as Nerida was away from him, he was not a complete man. "I never thought I could miss someone so much that I feel pain, Father. Every moment I am away from her, feels longer than before."

"I know how you feel, Ivar. It is not easy for any man to be away from the woman he loves." Ragnar admitted as Ivar nodded his head and looked out at the sky, the clouds becoming darker and darker as the current began to grow stronger.

"This is why I wanted Nerida to come, only she could sail a boat into clouds like this and live to tell the tale." Ragnar said as the wind began to pick up. Within the blink of an eye the rain came pouring down, stinging Ivar's face as the waves bounced them around the sea. Ivar screamed with each violent rock of the boat, his arms holding tight to the side as he feared one wave would send him over.

"Let go!" Ragnar yelled as he hoisted Ivar over his shoulder and carried him to the center mast, tying a rope tight around him as Ivar held to the sail. "Nerida told me if we hit violent seas, let the waves carry you, listen to me Ivar! We are not going to die." Ragnar said as he placed a hand over Ivar's mouth to hush his violent screams. It was then that Ivar saw it, a wave so high it blocked out the clouds and the sky leaving the tiny boat shroud in darkness.

"NERIDA!" Ivar screamed out into the wind as the wave came violently crashing down, sending him and everyone in the boat into the deep blue sea.

***

"IVAR!" Nerida screamed at the top of her lungs as she was pulled violently from her sleep, her heart pounding as she felt cold water drip onto her face. She sat up and crawled to the edge of the boat, looking out into the murky horizon as if she was trying to look for Ivar.

"Nerida? What is wrong?" Helga asked as she tried to place her hand on her shoulder, Nerida jerking it away as she stood and began looking all around her, an uneasy feeling coming over her as she felt Ivar was in trouble.

"It is Ivar, something is wrong. Something went wrong with him and Ragnar. I must go to him." Nerida said as she searched for the boat who had a small boat attached to it, a boat that was kept for small journeys.

"Nerida, it was a dream—a bad dream that is all. I am sure Ivar is fine." Helga said as Bjorn stepped by her side, his hands resting on Nerida's shoulders as she tried to shove him away.

"It was no dream, Helga. It was the gods showing me my mistake! I should have gone with Ivar, but here I am on this voyage while he is in danger. You can hate me Bjorn you can lock me away, you can whip me until your hands are red with my blood! You will not stop me from taking that boat and going to find Ivar!" Nerida yelled as she shoved Bjorn back with such force, he toppled into Floki.

"I think you better do as she says, Bjorn." Floki said as Nerida stood over him, her eyes dark and her hand on her dagger as she was prepared to fight her way out.

"How are you going to find them? You have no map an no way of knowing where they are."

"I know this sea better than anyone Bjorn, I can also track better than your best hunter. If you do not give me what I need I will take it, but I prefer if you just give me the boat." She explained as she stood her ground and locked eyes with Bjorn.

Bjorn stood there for the longest time, Nerida wishing she could read his thoughts and the thoughts of those around her. To them she was going insane, but Nerida knew that something had happened, and she could never live with herself if she chose to stay with Bjorn on his journey.

"Call the boat over." Bjorn said as he motioned to Floki to sound the horn, a small but grateful smile ran over Nerida's lips as she took Bjorn's hand in hers.

"Thank you, my friend. Words cannot express how grateful I am to you. I will leave as soon as the sun rises, all I ask is enough food and water for three days." Nerida said as she could see the anger in Bjorn's eyes even in the cover of darkness. She knew that he was upset with her, but this journey was his and his alone.

As soon as the sun began to peek over the horizon, Nerida kept her word and moved her provision over to the small one-man boat, her heart racing as she felt a hand grab hers.

"Travel safe, Nerida." Hvitserk said as he pulled her to him for a tight hug, Nerida feeling his fear as she pulled from him.

"Do not worry, Hvitserk, your blade will be stained with blood and your body void of injury. Remember what I taught you, always let him come to you, and—"

"And keep my shield high, yes I remember." He smiled as she hugged him once more before turning to Helga and Floki, worry in their eyes as she smiled weakly at them. She knew that leaving would put them at risk, since she was the only person who knew any language of the Mediterranean, but she was confident that Bjorn would return from his journey with many riches.

"May the gods bless this journey." Helga said with a smile as she kissed her cheek, Nerida shocked when Floki pulled her to him for a hug, her arms holding him tight as he said a small blessing in her ear.

Nerida felt a sense of guilt as she slipped into the small boat and began quickly rowing away, rowing as fast as her arms could take her. "Do not worry my love, I am coming."

***

"Allfather, give me strength." Nerida whispered into the night air, her arms and legs burning in pain as she continued to row. Her hands were bloody and her eyes heavy as she had not stopped rowing for two days, the sun and the moon her only guide towards Ivar. She had been told by Lagertha, that when the gods fated two people together, nothing will ever keep them apart. Not even death.

As the sun began to rise, Nerida cried out in joy as she saw the shore of England, her body and will to continue fueled by the gods as she rowed faster and faster. The moment the shore was in reached Nerida jumped out and ran through the water and onto the sand. The shore was littered with wood and broken weapons, a smile on her exhausted face as she searched the ground for clues.

"Allfather—lead me to my Ivar, or him to me." She whispered as she lifted her body from the sand and looked all around her. "Where would you go, Ragnar, where would you go."

"I am going to England to die. That is all you need to know."

His words rang in her head as she knew where he was going. He was going into the belly of the beast, a place that Nerida feared to go. She pushed her fear away and pulled her dagger from its sheath, since she knew full well that Ecbert knew that Ragnar had returned to England. The footprints in the sand told her that his men were out looking, which meant her life was just as much in danger.

Nerida walked until she was surrounded by forest, her memories of England coming back as hot tears streamed down her face. She was only a child when Ecbert branded her with the gold cross. She had killed along with her father, but in those moments, she knew not of what she was doing.

Nerida pushed those foul memories from her mind as she continued to run as fast as her legs could take her, knowing that she was not far behind Ivar. She knew that only a great storm could have crumbled the boats and left them on that shore, a great storm like the one that had brought her to Kattegat.

"In the name of King Ecbert I implore you to stop." A familiar voice said as Nerida realized she was surrounded by Saxons, her arms up by her head as she turned to face a man, she had vowed to kill one day.

"Why—Aethelwulf, it has been a long time." She whispered as her body finally succumbed to her exhaustion, and darkness finally consumed her.