I'm taking a medieval history course in college and I've also been reading Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman... which is basically how this story popped into my head.

I really just wanted to try and write a story where some of the conflict is more language and culture based than some internal conflict of the heart or something. This concept also gives me a chance to try and write physical conflicts as well, which I find very difficult to write.

I'm trying to keep this story as historically accurate as I can so there may be times were I talk about Christianity or Paganism which, just to clarify, in no way reflect my own beliefs or opinions. I also do not claim to be an expert in such things but I think that because religion is an important part of this time period there is no way to truly avoid.

Other than that, I hope you enjoy!

Happy Reading!


Chapter 1

The dense cover of fog made it nearly impossible to see as the four ships rocked with the water of the sea. Standing near the back, she waited, listening for the crash of waves on rocks or the distant sound of gulls to signal if they were close to the coast. Padme Naberrie was the Jarl of Varykino. Her lands were small but they were located on the coast near the mouth of the Otra River making Varykino a prime trading post for the region. Padme pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders to keep warm. They had been at sea for three days but those three days were rough and stormy, more so than the previous three times she had made the journey. Around her, she could hear the whispers of her warriors as they questioned where they were. They should be reaching land soon but she could hear nothing but the creak of the ship and the splash as the oars ducked underwater to propel them through the sea.

"Raven." She ordered. Near the front of the ship, one of her men rose from his seat and opened a woven cage of wood sticks. The black bird cawed as it was pulled out and stretched its wings before the man threw it up in the air forcing the black bird to take wing. The ship fell silent as they watched the bird fly over the bow. They were close. For whichever direction the bird flew, it meant land was near. Padme hurried to the front of the boat, stepping over crates of supplies and ducking under the main sail to reach the immaculately carved stern of the ship. Her fingers wrapped around one of the ropes holding the sail as she leaned out as far as she could, straining her eyes through the fog. On the horizon, she could see a dark shape slowly come into view its outline barely visible against the grey skies. The shape followed the horizon for what looked like forever but she knew better and recognized it as a massive landmass. "Land!" She shouted, and her four ships cheered and stopped and banged against their shields as they rowed faster towards it. They had finally arrived.

They cast anchor as close to land as they could before jumping over into the water to make their way to the shore. The boat builders they brought with would cut down some trees to make rudimentary docks and make any repairs they needed once they had decided this was the place they had come to raid. With her shield on her arm and her sword at her waist, Padme disembarked with the rest of her warriors and took a moment to acquaint herself with the land. England was a prime raiding location for Vikings. The riches the land had to offer were great but poorly guarded. Gold, silver, steel, livestock; they had in plenty and the battles they fought to win them were glorious. And while Padme is a fierce warrior- a shield-maiden guided by Freya herself, her true interest in England however, was for very different reasons.

Once it was decided the land would suffice to build their camp, the builders put together the simple docks so they could pull their boats closer. One by one, each piece of equipment was unloaded and piled in the center of the camp while improvised groups set about putting the camp together. Padme moved between the groups, helping where needed but spending more time with the groups working on carving the wood spikes that would make the barricade preventing cavalry strikes. Camp building was a long process and one that unless they meant to stay for a long time seemed pointless to do. In her mind though, it was always necessary. Camp meant they had a place to fall back to should their foe be too strong. Camp meant protection. And it was one of the most important things to have ready before raiding.

It took them most of the day to finish making the camp and by then it was far too dark to venture away from. They would have to leave in the morning to begin their raid and that meant they had to be patient and silent so as not to give nearby towns any indication of their arrival. That also meant no fires as the smoke and light could give them away.

At the first light of dawn, the raiding party assembled at a leisurely speed. They were all eager for a good raid but they were in no rush. Padme joined her force and stood at the head of the crowd as they walked further inland from camp. They were not sure where the nearest settlement was but if they followed the stream a village or a town wouldn't be too far off. The forests of England were different from the forests back home and yet they were the same. Forests back home seemed to go on forever but here, they ended and opened into wide open fields and dipped into grounds of rich soil ripe for farming. "Look," To her right, her long time friend Obi-Wan pointed to a tall spire of stone in the distance. It looked like every other town they had seen on every occasion they had raided. She expected this one to be no different.

Drawing closer, they ducked behind hills as they scouted the area for a moment. Her warriors were restless and eager for a fight but she wasn't going to risk them just yet. The gates of the town were open, meaning they had yet to notice their arrival. From what she could see beyond the walls, it didn't look like they had a massive force to protect them. Padme doubted they had much to offer in the ways of gold but anything was better than nothing and giving her warriors a chance for a glorious death served to win their favor more than turning back and denying them that right.

With a nod of her head, they stood from their hiding place and walked towards the town, their shields braced in front of them prepared to block any resistance they could be met with. The bells in the tower rang loudly as they drew closer and the screams of the people grew in volume as they ran to take shelter. What protection the town had to offer assembled in front of the gate with a small force behind them guarding the rest of the town. With a loud battle cry, Padme charged with her warriors to either side of her.

The battle went by in a blur. Her shield blocked every blade and every arrow that came her way as she brandished her sword with experienced precision, cutting through flesh as though it were nothing but air. Before long, all the soldiers were dead either killed in the battle or cut down as they tried to escape. With laughter and loud war cries, her men celebrated as they broke down doors and went through homes stealing what goods they could find. The doors to the church in the center of the town were locked from the inside but a group of her largest warriors made quick work of it, ramming their bodies and shields against it until the wood gave way and was knocked to the ground. Padme ignored her warriors as they raided the church stealing the gold workings shaped into the religious symbols of the Christian God. Instead, she walked around the small town. She liked to see how the Saxons lived more than just raiding and then leaving. She found value in knowing who they were up against and knew that one day, such knowledge would benefit her and her people.

A rustling sound came from a barn to her left followed quickly by hushing sounds and then silence. Her eyes narrowed at the door as she brought her shield in front of her. With her sword drawn, she approached the door and took up a wide base to defend against impact. With a hard kick to the door, she knocked it over and was almost immediately hit as a shield met hers. With a grunt she pushed back, making an opening with her shield for a quick thrust. The man dodged quickly and attacked with quick wide slashes of a sword. Padme blocked them with shield and sword before blocking one hit with her shield and spinning quickly, slamming her back into his side. He stumbled and lost his grip on the shield. Moving in quickly she swung down on him but he blocked it with his blade. His hand wrapped around her wrist, holding her in place as he kicked her legs out from under her, sending her tumbling to the ground beside him. He tried to get over her, his blade still connected with hers but she was faster. Bringing her knee up, she kneed him in the groin before slamming her head up into his and elbowing him in the side.

His grip on her wrist gave and she rolled away from him. Climbing to her feet, she hovered over him. He looked up at her with dark blue eyes as fearless as Thor himself and for the first time in battle, she stayed her blade. The man noticed her hesitation and spoke to her. "I don't understand," She said. His language was as odd to her as it must sound to him for he too didn't seem to understand. Instead, he looked behind him and it was then she noticed the small group of children behind him huddled in one of the mule stalls. Now she understood. He wanted her to promise not to hurt them.

"Padme!" Obi-Wan ran up behind her, his sword in his hand as he looked around the barn. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," She said, turning her attention back to the Saxon. "You speak his language, don't you?" She asked Obi-Wan.

"I know enough," He said. "What do you want me to tell him?"

"Tell him I won't hurt his friends," She said, paying attention to what was said.

The Saxon's eyes darted between her and Obi-Wan, no doubt surprised her friend knew their language. When he finished relaying the message, the man was quick to reply, his tone implying anger at them.

"He said we've already hurt his friends. The guards and the people hiding in the church were his friends. He's angry at us."

"Would he like to join them?" She asked and watched the man closely as Obi-Wan translated for her. She expected him to look terrified, to shake his head and beg for mercy as most Saxons did. But he surprised her.

"No," He said, his accent in their language was thick but she could still understand him through both word and from the courage in his eyes.

Few Saxons she has encountered had such eyes- eyes that seemed more Viking than Saxon. It intrigued her. And by some will that did not feel like her own, she knew what to do with him. "We're taking him back with us," She told Obi-Wan.

"For a slave?" He asked.

Padme hesitated for a moment, the words feeling wrong on her tongue, "Yes," She said, sparing a glance at the Saxon. "Leave the others alone," She ordered, referring to the children he had been protecting, "And don't tell Typho or anyone else what is in here. As far as they need to know, it's empty."

Obi-Wan nodded and translated what she had said to the Saxon but she did not stay to see his reaction. Leaving the barn, she returned to the church where she could here the others celebrating the success of their raid.

In front of the altar, her warriors had piled a small mountain of ornate treasures and gold and silver coins. The people who had taken shelter in the church lined the walls below the windows, huddled together in fear. Padme noticed them tremble as she passed. She had always found such fear almost amusing. She was neither the tallest nor the scariest warrior. That honor belonged to Typho. Where she was short, thin, and unscarred, Typho was tall, strong and sported an eyepatch over his left eye to cover the hole left from when it had been hit with an arrow some years back. Perhaps they feared her because they could tell she held the power over the raiding party or perhaps they simply feared her because she was a Viking. She didn't know and it wasn't important enough to ask about.

"Another successful raid, Jarl!" Typho greeted with a smile on his face and a drink in his hand. "Perhaps next season our force will double as more and more tales of our exploits spread."

Padme returned his smile easily. He was a good friend and a trusted warrior whose loyalty to her was unquestioned. "Perhaps," She said, "But let's just focus on getting back from this raid. It's only a matter of time before word reaches their king about this."

"Padme, you worry too much," Dorme said as she came to join them, her hand resting casually on the head of her sheathed axe. "All the townspeople are either here or dead. It will take at least two days for them to realize and by then we'll be well on our way to the next town."

"Are you so certain?" She asked. "Have we killed the farmers far out in the fields? Or the travelers on the roads? Or what about the people who fled before we arrived? Any one of these people could have seen or heard us while we fought here. Any one of them could send word to their lords or their kings and inform them what has happened here. They could be on their way here as we speak."

Dorme gave a small smile, "The gods favor us," She argued. "The Christian God these people worship cannot save them from us."

"Perhaps the Jarl is right," Typho spoke up. "I do not doubt the wisdom of the gods, but it might be best to go with caution."

Padme gripped Typho's forearm in a gesture of gratitude, silently thanking him for agreeing with her. As much as she loved and trusted Dorme there were times she placed too much faith in the wisdom of the gods. "Then lets bring this celebration to an end and be off with our spoils." Dorme bit her lip, likely to stop herself from arguing, before turning to do as her Jarl bid. Padme watched as the two of them casually spread the word to gather their new found goods, waiting for them to start moving before she turned to leave the church.

Outside near the center of the courtyard, she found Obi-Wan speaking with the Saxon man she took. Obi-Wan seemed to be the more talkative of the two as the other man simply looked around the town as he pulled at the bonds around his wrists in an effort to loosen them. "How is our new Saxon friend?" She asked as she joined them, crossing her arms over her chest.

"He won't say," Obi-Wan said, "Are you sure about this?" He asked, "What use will he be back home?"

She gave a shrug, "I don't know," She said.

"Then why take him? You have servants and a Saxon won't fight his own kind for us."

Padme glanced at the Saxon out of the corner of her eye. She didn't have an answer for Obi-Wan. She was simply taking him because of feeling one she couldn't explain very well. Something told her not to leave him here that in time he could be useful but that purpose was unclear. "Because I wish it," She answered. "The gods may yet have a plan for him."

"Plans?" He asked, his brow arched in the elegant way that only he could, "What plan could the gods possibly have for a Christian?"

She gave a shrug, "Maybe you should ask the seer when we return." She took a moment to look the Saxon over, their eyes meeting for a moment and she felt a chill run down her spine colder than the harsh winter that had only just passed. She didn't let it show on her face and instead walked past him slowly. She had no words for him. At least not yet. She still had to figure out where he would go once they returned home and she didn't have the slightest idea where that would be.

Little by little her raiding party made their way back down the street and back into the forest that led towards their ships. They walked in groups of four carrying between them makeshift racks which they had tied their treasures to. Smiles adorned all of their faces as they sang songs and laughed as they walked. The joy they all felt and the anticipation of the glorious welcome they will receive when they returned home brightened the mood of all of the Vikings. Near the back of the group, walked the slaves they had captured and their expressions and moods were the polar opposite of what their captors felt. The twelve people they had taken walked slowly with their heads bowed, stumbling every few feet as the Viking holding their ropes gave them a harsh tug either for them walking too slow or just to laugh when they stumbled. Only one of them walked with his head up, eyes glaring at the Vikings who were taking them. The Saxon she had fought was more angry than afraid and looked as though he wasn't afraid to defend his fellow Saxons should the opportunity arise. Part of Padme's lips rose in a half smile when she watched him pass through the gates. His courage in the face of uncertainty was admirable and she would hate to see such potential wasted. Adjusting the shield she slung over her back, she made her way to the head of the party next to Obi-Wan. "Ride with Tecla back," She ordered. "Make sure that Saxon makes it to Varykino," She said, knowing very well that of the twelve they had taken, they would probably drown about half of them before they reached land.

By the time they reached camp, the sun was only barely visible over the horizon casting thin orange streaks across the sky. The camp party that had stayed behind greeted them with mead and songs as they praised their good fortune. Fires were lit and everyone gathered around to hear the tale of what had happened with most of the details being over exaggerated. Padme participated for as long as she needed, waiting until most of them were sufficiently drunk enough that she could leave. Ducking into her tent, she grabbed her fur cloak and wrapped it around herself before laying down, her hand checking for the handle of the axe she brought with her to make sure it was close by. Her hand wrapped around the leather wrapped handle just for a moment before she released it and let out a breath, letting herself relax before slowly drifting to sleep.