"You look deep in thought, Ivar." Nerida said as she gazed at him, the wind blowing through her hair as the smell of the ocean filled her lungs. They had set sail one day before, Queen Lagertha offering up several shieldmaidens who were now rowing swiftly towards the horizon.

"I am anxious to see the shores of Greece. It is a place I know nothing about, only what you have shared." Ivar said as he smiled at Nerida, his hand taking hers as he kissed her palm gently.

"I am anxious too, I have not seen the shores of my home in many years. So much has changed." She admitted as she hoped her welcome would be warm and not deadly. She had not seen her beloved home in so long, that she feared she would no longer be welcome.

"What else troubles you dear wife? I can see the fear that lingers in your eyes." Ivar asked as he turned Nerida's face towards his, a weak smile forming over her lips as she knew she could not hide her feelings from him.

"I am worried they will not accept me. Ivar if they do not see me as one of their own—our lives are in danger. I did not want you here for that reason alone." She admitted as she locked her gaze to his, her fears slowly fading as Ivar smiled at her.

"If I am to die, at least I will die by your side my love."

****

"When we make it to the shore, let me off first." Nerida said as she feverishly removed the braids from her hair. The pirates had to see her as one of their own, which meant she needed to look and act like one of them. She removed the braids from her hair and the Viking armor that had become like a second skin for her.

"I do not like seeing you this way." Ivar admitted as his gaze darkened and he grasped Nerida's hand in his. She could feel the tension coming off him, he was scared, in more ways, than one.

"You fear I will be seduced by my old life, yes?" She asked as she knelt beside him, her hands taking his as she felt her heart swell in the moment. "Ivar, my sweet Ivar. You will never lose me. My heart and my soul are yours. I am here only to convince these men to fight for your father's honor. Have no fear my love." She whispered as she kissed his hands, her head turning as one of the shieldmaidens shouted that land was over the horizon.

Nerida stood and walked to the front of the Viking ship, a small smile rising on her face as she saw in the distance the shores of her home. She removed her red sash from her waist and waved it back and forth as they approached the shore.

"Who is that?" Ivar asked as he looked past Nerida to the large crowd gathering by the shore. They are the pirates of Napoli. Act like a cripple Ivar." Nerida whispered as she continued to wave her sash back and forth, hoping to see one of them welcoming her from the shore.

"Everyone stay here, be ready to fight." She said as she jumped from the ship, the cool blue water of the Mediterranean soaking through her breeches and into her boots as she slowly walked ashore.

"Tell me ya business wench." An older man with leathery skin and a long white beard asked as she stepped onto the white sand. The small group of Pirates started to circle around her, her body and mind calm as she knew how to handle them.

"I invoke the right to Parlay." She said as she tied her sash around her waist once more, her head jerking back as two tall strong men grabbed her arms and proceeded to pull her into the small village.

"NERIDA!" Ivar yelled in anger and worry as the small group surrounding her came to halt. The men who held her in their tight grips released her, their eyes going wide as they gazed down at the ground.

"Nerida? It cannot be. The sea took you." The old man said as he approached her once again, the fear in his eyes replaced with a small glimmer of hope.

"I survived thanks to the men and women who have accompanied me. Take me to your captain."

"Well—if is not my old friend—Nerida." A familiar voice said as the crowd began to part, Nerida's eyes gazing up at a man she once considered to be her greatest confidant. At one time she even romanced the idea that they would be man and wife., but when she saw the true man under the facade, she loathed the very thought of him.

"Savvas. I cannot deny that I am shocked to see you, last I saw you; you were bleeding from a large wound I had inflicted." She hissed as she stood tall, her hand resting on her dagger as she knew she could not trust the man in front of her.

"Healed. As I recall you left me there to die and stole my ship. Now you arrive with these outsiders seeking Parlay, you are bold little Nerida." Savvas hissed as he stepped towards her, his blue eyes locked to hers as his black hair billowed in the wind. He was a far cry from the friend she once knew, but she was not the person he remembered.

"That was my father's ship, and his alone. I have no quarrel with you Savvas, my fight is across the sea in England. I have come back to my home to ask you, the fighters of this land to fight for me." Nerida said proudly as she saw Ivar crawling up the beach with several shieldmaidens. Anger rose inside her as Savvas began to laugh, which caused a chain reaction among the crowd.

"You laugh at me? I am Nerida the merciless, daughter of Wrynn the cruel. You fought under my father's flag and most of you saw riches beyond what any of you fathomed, and now you dare laugh when I come asking for aid? You all took a blood oath for my father and now I call you to honor that. Whose rule do you follow?" She yelled as she took her daggers from their sheath and held them tight in her hands as her eyes danced through the crowd.

"I rule now, your father is nothing but a distant memory, like ashes floating on the breeze." Savvas smiled as he motioned with his fingers, the smug look on his face causing a red-hot anger to rise within Nerida. "And who is this cripple?"

"This is Ivar the Boneless, son of Ragnar Lothbrok—he is my husband." She said proudly as she looked down at Ivar. The moment she heard a chuckle from the crowd Nerida threw her dagger as hard as she could, striking a younger man directly in the skull.

"Anyone else care to laugh?" She smirked as she looked around to all their frightened eyes. "Savvas I challenge your claim to rule." She said proudly as she stepped toward him, his long hair blowing into her face as a smirk rose over his lips.

"Do you really want me to kill you in front of your--husband?"

"I will not be the one dying this day."

***

"Nerida please do not do this, we will sail back to Kattegat and find another way." Ivar begged as Nerida pulled her braided hair from her face. Her body was once again donning her Viking armor, along with a heavy shield, that one of the maidens had graciously given her.

"Without them—we lose, Ivar. I know Savvas, but most of all I know his weakness my love. I will not let him kill me." She spoke softly as she knelt beside him, her hands in his as he kissed her passionately

"I love you." He whispered against her lips as a single tear fell down his cheek.

"And I love you—my sweet Ivar." She said as she rose quickly and stepped away from him before a single tear could escape her eyes. Nerida walked into the circle, her eyes locked onto Savvas who was kissing several whores, all of them looking frightened. She laughed to herself as she realized that he had not changed, he was still a man who only took his own feelings and future into thought.

"Just as foolish as before." She said as she held her shield tight and her dagger tighter, knowing that Savvas fought dirty.

"Just as naive. You sail away from our land to die, only to be taken in by savages. You dare betray your people by marrying and bedding a cripple. You deserve a slow death." He spoke as he pointed his blade at her, her eyes narrowing as the world around her began to slowly fade away.

Savvas stepped forward and slammed his sword into her shield, the vibrations shooting through her body as she shoved him back with ease. With one move she lunged at him with her dagger, his small shield blocking her as he shoved her back. Without warning his spike covered shield connected with her face causing blood to pour from a small wound just below her hairline.

"Nerida!" Ivar yelled, his voice fading into the distance as Nerida only saw Savvas, her blood rage starting to kick in as she dropped her shield by her side, watching as Savvas did the same.

"You fight with no honor!" She yelled as she wiped the blood from her face, her free hand grabbing her dagger from its sheath as she moved slowly to her left. She watched as he moved, knowing that he was planning something dirty.

A scream from behind her made her lose her focus as her head turned to see one of his whores screaming at nothing. Before Nerida could react Savvas's blade sliced over the left side of her face, cutting her eye and her cheek.

Nerida screamed out in pain as she fell to the ground, her hand holding her bleeding face as she heard Ivar scream out in terror. She could feel Savvas drawing near to give her the final killing blow. She cried out in agony as she saw his feet close to her body, her hand grasping her dagger as she twisted her body around, her blade slicing through his boots and into his Achilles tendon.

She stood up watching as he sank into the ground below, shock and terror filling his face as blood poured down hers. "You learned nothing Savvas. Like I once told you, your ignorance and ego will kill you." She hissed as she yanked his red sash from his waist using it to wrap around her head covering her bleeding wound.

With one swift motion Nerida drove her blade deep into his neck, blood spraying over her face as he twitched and tried desperately to push her from him. Nerida watched as the soul was drained from Savvas, the memories of their friendship fading with it. She slowly stood and looked around at the shocked yet relieved faces, her body starting to shake as the pain of her wounds was finally catching up with her.

"My sword and my loyalty are yours." The old man with the long white beard stated as he stepped forward and knelt, everyone slowly following as Nerida stood tall, her gaze turning to her husband, a smile on his face as he mouthed, I love you.

Nerida smiled and raised her dagger to the sky, the clouds opening as rain began to pour down on them, the pain and worry she once carried, washing away.