So I caught up with Vikings lately and love the show – especially Floki. As per my norm I have inserted an OFC into the universe to explore different interactions with the characters.
Conversation 1
"The gold! Where is the gold?"
The savage tone echoed through the chapel, a harsh contrast to the soft sunlight reflecting off the alabaster stone and the quilted hangings moving gently with the soft breeze entering from the open doors but in keeping with the pool of blood where the last of the convent's male servants had been thrown in a heap and bled his last. Unsatisfied with the lack of an immediate answer Rollo stalked from the ruins of the altar, grabbed the stature of Mary and threw it to the ground, causing noises of dismay from the gathered women. One of the younger nuns fell to the ground in a faint and the Mother Superior flinched.
Ragnar approached the Mother Superior, Torstein tightening his grip on her arm to prevent her backing away. "Where is the gold Priestess?" he asked in a deceptively gentler tone.
"I do not know," replied the Mother Superior with the remaining shreds of her dignity. She had seen many winters and her face was lined with her experience but she was obviously struggling with fear in the face of the invaders and her voice quavered slightly.
Ragnar shook his head.
Rollo snatched at one of the other nuns, pulling her hard against him and placing his knife against her throat. Her whimpers morphed into gurgles as he drew it across her skin, her blood turning her starched collar a bright red, her body landing limply as he discarded her.
The Mother Superior gave a cry of dismay and her flock screamed, some of them so overcome with fear that they tried to break for the door and were brutally pushed back to the ground by the surrounding Vikings.
Ragnar frowned at his brother and turned back to the Mother Superior. "Where. Is. The. Gold?" he asked deliberately. "Or does my brother have to ask another one of your women?" he waved a hand.
Rollo grinned and yanked another of the nuns into his arms.
"She doesn't know," said another voice.
Ragnar straightened, turning to the back of the church; there was a rustle amongst the prisoners and a small nun stepped out of the press of the village women and children. Her habit was old and fresh smears of blood were bright against the dirt stained fabric and her head was covered closely by a white wimple and a black veil. Several of the women clutched at her, trying to pull her back but she smiled at them and put their hands aside.
"Sister Marion – no," ordered Mother Superior.
"They are monsters Mother," replied the nun in contemptuous tones. "They will not leave us alive without the gold."
"The gold belongs to God," announced the older nun.
"So do we," replied Sister Marion. "And we are worth more to Him than gold."
The Mother opened her mouth again but Torstein reacted to a baleful glance from Ragnar by covering her mouth with a dirty and bloody hand. Ragnar grinned and sauntered his way down to stand in front of the nun, the other women quailing backwards and leaving her in complete isolation. She stood firm, lifting her chin and glaring at him with dark brown eyes framed by very long lashes.
"What does the woman say Ragnar?" demanded King Horik in the Viking tongue.
The burst of satisfaction at seeing a slight jump from the nun was buried in annoyance at his name being announced and Ragnar's face twitched slightly. He continued in silence around behind the nun, looking over the top of her head to reply to his king. "She says that she knows where the gold is."
"Well get her to tell us where it is," ordered Horik.
Ragnar's face twitched again, but he leaned in until his lips were millimetres away from where her ear was hidden by her wimple. "Where is the gold Sister Marion?" he purred.
"Safe," she replied shortly, keeping her eyes forward and only a slight shiver betraying her apprehension. Her nostrils flared slightly in reaction to the scent of blood around him. "Where you will not find it were you to search for a whole week."
"She says we will not find it were we to search for a week," translated Ragnar with some appreciation, lifting his eyes to Horik.
"We don't have a week," said Lagertha even as Horik frowned in annoyance. "We must return to the camp tonight." Bjorn and Erlendur had been left in charge of the camp – fitting to their position as sons of the king and earl but a new responsibility that didn't bear any severe testing.
"What a shame that we don't have your Priest with us" remarked Floki in his teasing lilt. "He would know where to look."
Ragnar flicked Floki a reproving glance, which was met with a giggle and grin, and moved around to stand in front of her, tipping his head. "You will tell us where the gold is?" his tone suggesting the threat was almost as an invitation.
Her eyes came up to him. "I will," she nodded. "On one condition."
"The little woman has a condition," translated Ragnar and there was laughter from the amassed Vikings. He switched languages to address her again "why should we be concerned with your conditions?"
"Because you want the gold," she replied stiffly. "And I am the only one that can give it to you."
"We could make you give it to us," he suggested silkily. "Perhaps we could kill one of your sisters?"
Her eyes snapped to where Rollo was still holding one of the nuns, his blade pressed hard against her throat, apparently unaware of the exact content of the discussion but watching for any signal. "You hurt one more of my sisters and I will go to the grave before I tell you a thing."
"But you just said that your sisters' lives are more important than gold," he protested with a mocking grin.
She glared at him. "My sisters for the gold. All of my sisters and children for the gold. That is my condition."
"Can you hold to it though?" asked Ragnar, studying her. "If one by one your sisters fell to the ground with their throats cut out?"
Her face paled but her voice was firm. "Then they will die as martyrs and be welcomed by the Lord God himself through the gates of heaven. A joyous death for any Bride of Christ." She paused. "And you will miss the tide and still have no gold."
Ragnar leaned forward until his blood spattered forehead was pressed against hers, his eyes less than a centimetre from hers. The convent had been unexpected, found only because they had followed the fleeing villages from their poor waterside shacks in search of better pickings than nets, baskets and driftwood. The gates had not been able to withstand the Vikings' axe barrage but the villagers had fought hard, if with little skill, with a resilience that he hadn't expected. Within her eyes he saw the same resilience and he stepped back, his smile of genuine amusement. "I believe you," he nodded. He turned back to his fellows. "She will show us the gold if we release the women and children."
"Earl Ragnar expects us to be dictated terms by a flock of women wearing sacks?" said Floki slyly.
"What honour is there in killing them?" demanded Lagertha. She walked forward, looking at the woman that even she overtopped in height although the habit made it impossible to compare physiques. "She has a stout heart this little woman," she said. "I agree to her condition."
"If we release the nuns they will tell Ecbert what has happened," pointed out Floki, looking to Horik.
"If we kill them then King Ecbert is bound to find out," refuted Lagertha. "And he will be unlikely to want to talk terms with us."
"And what does Earl Ragnar say?" asked Floki after a pause of looking at Horik, stepping forward and waving a hand.
Ragnar looked at Horik, tipping his head slightly. "I say that we are here for gold and for honour. Not to murder a flock of harmless women and children."
Rollo saw the consent on Horik's face and spat to the side, pushing the nun back to her sisters. Torstein stepped back from the Mother Superior and she moved to kneel at the side of the fallen nun.
"We agree to your terms Sister Marion," announced Ragnar, turning back to her. "Show us the gold."
Marion's eyes closed briefly and her lips moved soundlessly for a couple of seconds. "I will show your leader," she said, looking uncertainly between Floki and Lagertha, before turning back to Ragnar. "The rest of you must wait at the gates."
"What is she saying?" asked Floki.
"She says that she will take our leader to the gold," said Ragnar with a grin, although his eyes were hard as he flicked a glance to Lagertha. "She says she will take Floki to the gold."
"Floki?" repeated Lagertha with genuine uncertainty. "She believes Floki is our leader?"
"And the rest of us must wait at the gates," finished Ragnar still enjoying the moment.
"This Priestess is making a mockery of us," blinked Floki – first to recover from the shock.
"Are you afraid of the little woman Floki?" asked Torstein with a grin.
"I mistrust this Priestess Torstein," said Floki with narrowed eyes. "But I will play her game," he said and walked towards her.
Ragnar turned back to the nun and gestured flamboyantly towards the door. She looked apprehensively at Floki, his impish smile distorted by the smeared kohl on his face, and took a couple of steps in that direction. She paused and looked up to the altar to where the Mother Superior stood with the rest of the nuns. "Forgive me Mother?"
"I cannot," the woman replied sadly. "I will pray to Mother Mary to intercede for you."
Ragnar saw the pain in her face for an instant then she ducked her head and turned away, her habit rustling and the beads around her waist clicking as she walked through the Vikings out into the courtyard without a further glance. Floki directed a narrowed glance at Ragnar for a moment but followed, Lagertha and Horik behind him. Ragnar jerked his head and Torstein nodded, leading the rest of the Vikings out to the gate, and watched the village women and children run to the altar. He stared at the gathered women long enough to make them feel uncomfortable and then walked outside, hearing the door close and latch behind him. He grinned to himself; the wood was old and no match for the Vikings axes.
The nun exited the courtyard and turned parallel to the external wall of the compound, her short sharp steps contrasted by the ranging strides of Floki at her right shoulder with his axe swinging with his pace, his eyes moving from side to side looking for a trap. She stopped in front of a wooden building, its large doors held closed by the body of one of the convent's grooms. She swallowed and crossed herself before stepping forward and taking the man under the arms, attempted to drag him out of the way. Floki snorted in amusement as her heaves were virtually ineffectual and it was Rollo who stepped forward with a curse and pushed her away, moving the body without any difficulty.
Marion paused, staring at the group. "You must go and wait by the gate."
Ragar's brows lifted. "But how will you communicate with our King?" he asked. "He does not speak your language."
She hesitated, her face displaying an internal conflict for several seconds. She came to a decision and looked at him directly, nodding. "Well the others – they should go."
Ragnar pulled a face. "These two – they are important persons." He offered a smile and a shrug. "And if they do not see the gold, they might fight about whether their share is fair."
She looked at him with acute suspicion but he looked back at her with wide eyes, the blue heightened by the angle of the light. "And him?" she pointed at Rollo.
Ragnar shrugged. "He is my brother."
Ragnar looked at her, waiting with some expectation, and smiled slightly with a mocking tilt. She ducked her head after a few moments, yielding. She stepped forward to the door and with only a small hesitation, dragged the door open.
Ragnar braced himself and he saw Floki lift his axe – but nothing happened and the nun took a step into the barn. Floki's hand reached out and grabbed her arm and she halted, looking up at him in query.
"We should not go into there," said Floki, narrowing his eyes to try and see into what was a dim interior despite the morning sun at their shoulders.
"Are you afraid Floki?" asked Ragnar in amusement.
"This Priestess is planning something," replied Floki, turning to look at King Horik. "I can feel it."
"What can she do?" shrugged Rollo. "She is one and we are many."
"I do not know," answered Floki, still holding the nun by the arm.
"What is it?" asked Marion, looking at Ragnar.
"Our king thinks you are trying to set a trap for us," he explained, watching her keenly.
"And what use would that be?" she asked in a matter of fact tone. "You would kill me and then go and kill my sisters and the villagers."
"And we will," he warned.
"The gold is inside," she assured him. "It will become lighter once we are inside, your eyes will adjust."
"What does she say Ragnar?" asked Floki.
"She tells you not to be afraid of the dark," grinned Ragnar.
Floki wrinkled his nose and hissed, shoving the nun forward and striding in after her. Horik followed with Rollo on his heels. Lagertha gave Ragnar an admonishing look and then stepped in ahead of him.
The barn was dark and he blinked in an attempt to heighten his vision; Lagertha's hair was a dull glow and Horik's and Rollo's figures were only slightly indistinct but he could only vaguely make out the signs of Floki's tall figure a few metres ahead of him. He couldn't see the nun at all and he blinked a few more times, his grip tightening on his sword.
"It's in here," he heard the nun say and then there was a scraping sound as some type of door opened.
He caught the movement out of the side of his eye. "Shields!" he yelled, more out of instinct that any real awareness of trouble, lifting his to protect his torso. The battle hardened Viking warriors responded without thought. Rollo, Horik and Lagertha lifted their shields but Floki had no shield, and instead dropped to the ground.
There was an unholy scream, a whoosh as the stallion's hooves punched through where Floki's head had been and then a thud as they landed on the ground perilously near Floki's legs. He scooted backwards as the stallion spun and reared, hate and wildness in its eye, and then there was another thud as Rollo's axe landed in the animal's flesh. The horse screamed again, this time more in pain than rage, aborting its strike on Floki to retaliate against the new threat. Rollo thrust out his shield and the horse's teeth locked around it, dragging Rollo forward on skidding feet and then throwing his sideways into the barn wall. Horik slashed with his sword and the horse screamed again, his back feet dropping from underneath him. Rollo stepped forward again with a downward blow of his axe and the horse screamed in agony as the axe bit in deep. Rollo lashed out again and then once more and the horse hit the ground, its laboured breath the only sound in the barn.
"Floki," said Horik. "Are you alright?"
Floki looked at the heaving mass of stallion in front of him and then up at Horik, taking his hand and rising to his feet. He looked at the horse again and then back to Horik, his eyes wide. "The Priestess tried to kill me."
Rollo laughed, clapping the taller man on the shoulder. "It was the horse that tried to kill you Floki."
Floki shook his head, looking into the stall where the nun was pressed into the corner staring at the dying stallion with wide eyes. He shook his head. "It was her."
"Rollo," said Horik loudly. "Go. Kill all of them except their leader. Bring her here."
Rollo grinned and slapped his axe against his shield, striding out of the barn.
Ragnar walked forward, giving Floki a glance and receiving only a flick of a glance in response and squatted in front of the nun. He heard Lagertha mutter a prayer and slit the horse's throat; the nun shuddered and her eyes turned up to him. "You should not have done that," he said slightly sadly. "He will kill them all now."
"Who is he?" she asked, glancing at Horik.
"He is our King," he replied and she looked more sharply at him.
"But…." She blinked. "Who are you?"
"I am Earl Ragnar," he replied and watched the flicker of recognition in her eyes with a little pride. "And this shieldmaiden is Earl Ingstad."
"And him?" she directed her gaze to Floki.
"He is our boat builder," replied Ragnar with a grin.
"Hell," she whispered with a resigned sigh.
"Where is the gold?" he asked softly.
She heaved another sigh and lifted her chin in the direction of the trough. "In there. There is a false bottom."
Ragnar snorted softly and stood, walking over to the trough.
"Ragnar," said Lagertha in a warning tone.
Ragnar lifted a brow towards her and looked over his other shoulder at the nun. She was still, her whole posture submissive, defeated. Ragnar grinned and reached into the trough. The bottom came up with only a little effort and even in the dim light he saw the dull golden glow of the gold. He reached down and pulled out a candelabrum, lifting it above his head. Lagertha smiled and stepped forward, passing him a wooden pail for filling.
"Rollo?" Horik's voice was puzzled. "Where is the woman?"
Rollo gave a twisted smile. "They're gone."
"What?" demanded Horik. "How can they be gone?"
Ragnar turned back to face the nun with some surprise, watching her close her eyes and murmur a silent prayer.
"The chapel is empty. There is not a sign of any of them," Rollo was explaining.
"Where are they?" asked Ragnar softly from his position.
The nun opened her eyes and looked up to him. "Safe," she replied. "Where you won't find them if you searched for a week."
Ragnar grinned in appreciation, meeting Lagertha's eyes briefly before she walked from the barn with a golden filled pail with a smile.
Rollo strode forward and grabbed at the nun, lifting her off her feet and pressed her against the wall, his axe blade to her throat. She trembled but stared into his eyes with the same resilience that she had shown to Ragnar.
"No," said Horik with a glance at Ragnar. "Bring her."
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So….?