It was a sunny day in Normannia. A rarity. No naturally the duke thought that it was a perfect opportunity to pay a visit to one of the viking camps that settled there for winter. He was wearing a long short sleeved shirt and had an axe tied on his belt. He had to show the vikings he was still one of them. Rollo got out of his room and walk down the corridors to the great hall where he knew his wife was administrating the finances with some priests. As he was walking, his daughter came beside him, running and begging him to take her to the viking camp.
- No, he said for the tenth time. Too dangerous.
- But father, I want to see them! Guillaume is coming with you, why not me as well?
- Because you are...
- A lady, yes I know. But I am fourteen! Wouldn't it be nice I learn about my culture?
- Your culture, he chuckled. You are Frankish Geirlaug.
- Then why did you name me Geirlaug? This isn't a Frankish name! I am Norman, father and it is time I learn what that means.
Rollo sighed. He couldn't compete with a teenage girl stubborness. He wondered if Ragnar ever had that problem. Would Gyda have been that stubborn? He doubted it. She was kind and calm. Not like his daughter who inherited her mother and father's fire. Yet, he was proud and happy his children took their norse inheritance seriously. It brought him hope that Gisla would do likewise and perhaps appreciate this side of him.
- Fine, he capitulated. Change yourself, grab a coat and meet us at the stable in ten minutes.
Geirlaug jumped with happiness and hugged her father. Then, she ran into her room and quickly did what her father asked her to.
Rollo's heavy steps echoed on the walls of the great hall. He met Gisla's eyes as soon as he entered the room. She looked proud of herself and her face showed victory. Apparently, she just won an argument. Rollo chuckled. He loved how they didn't need words to communicate. She beackoned to him, telling him to come.
- What is it?
- I wish you take Geirlaug with you today.
- Didn't you say she was to be a lady?
- Yes, I did, but it is a lady's duty to go and encourage soldiers. I wish you could teach her that.
- Gisla, those are not soldiers we will go visit. They are northmen. Vikings. I thought you hated them.
- I married one. A lot of your kind settled here. It is important for our son and daughter to know and learn about this part of their legacy.
- Did you talk to Geirlaug lately, he asked with a grin.
- No, why?
- Because she thinks just the same. She is already as wise as her mother, he joyfully said.
- Good for her, she said proudly.
Gisla raised herself on her feets to kiss her husband. Both smiled.
Geirlaug rushed into the room and shouted:
- I am ready! Let's go!
- Those kids will be the death of me, Rollo sighed. I see you tonight, he bended to kiss his wife.
The ride was long. The vikings decided to set the camp right next to the sea. A logical choice considering they had to be ready for their next raid to Wessex. Rollo was leading the party which was composed of his children and a few of his men – including Sprota's father. They finally reached the camp after a few hours of riding and all dismounted. Rollo headed straight to the main tent. He looked at ease there. More than usual. It was like he knew the camp already and where was all the food and the weapons. Maybe he kept that knowledge from the raids he was part of, when he was younger, his daughter thought. She followed her father and her brother to the main tent. A rather old man was sitting on a chair made of sticks and furs. He was tall, but not as tall as her father. He wore a lot of furs for someone coming from the north, she noted. He had long orange hair and clear eyes. Apparently, he was the leader of the raid. Her father spoke up:
- Sigurd, I am happy to meet you again. How are Ubbe, Hvitserk, Ivar and Bjorn? I suppose they're pretty busy with all the raids in Wessex.
- Ivar is raiding in Ireland, Ubbe and Hvitserk are in Northumbria and Bjorn is leading some raids on the Byzantine cost. I, for one, am thrilled to raid Wessex again. King Alfred is getting on my nerves, so I decided to punish him. Speaking of christian folks, how is your wife?
- She is fine. She allowed Guillaume and Geirlaug to come with me.
- Ah, Guillaume, you grew so much since last time! And Geirlaug, you are a fine norman girl. You look like your father so much. Did you teach her how to fight?
- Yes. But Gisla won't let her be a shieldmaiden, so she is only practicing with knives.
- Fine. Well, let's begin our talk then uncle. Your children can stay of course.
Rollo and Guillaume sat on the guest's chairs while Geirlaug asked in a perfect norse:
- Can I go wander around the camp, father?
- You can. But don't get in trouble and stay away from the berserker, he said.
Geirlaug nodded and then, left the tent where her father and the leader of the vikings were discussing what seemed like a treaty.
The camp was big. Geirlaug had never seen so much vikings gathered in a single place. She did as her father said when she approached bare chested men fighting. She avoided them. Her path led her to a place at the opposite of the main tent. There, she realized one thing: there were no men. The only human beings in this part of the camp were women. Geirlaug walked forward thrilled and excited. Her eyes were shining and she had a big smile on her face.
- Shielmaiden, she whispered.
She noticed two women, sitting under a tent, sipping what seemed ale and chatting. One looked angry and the other one, annoyed. The younger one was the tallest. She had blond hair and multiple northern braids and was wearing a warrior outfit. The other one had khôl around her eyes and had the longest hair Geirlaug had ever seen. She was wearing a long sleeved dress and a belt with multiple bones and woodsticks tied on it. Geirlaug was amazed.
She stood in front of them, smiling, her hands joined. The youngest one, who was the angrier looked down at her and barked:
- What are you looking at? Those christians! Always praying when they see a viking!
- I am not praying, Geirlaug stated.
The woman started and the other turned her head to her, interested by that little girl who dared answer to her friend.
- Who are you?
- My name is Geirlaug, I am the daughter of Duke Rollo, she bowed to them.
- Mine is Siggy Bjornsdottir, though I'd rather be called Siggy. My friend is Angrboda Flokisdottir.
- Your father is Rollo then, Angrboda asked. I heard a lot about him. It is said he is a great warrior. King Ragnar used to speak of him in these terms. So I guess that makes Siggy your niece even if she is way older than you, she laughed.
- You are Bjorn's daughter, Geirlaug asked.
- I am no one's daughter. Even if he and my mother gave me birth, that doesn't makes them my parents, she said resentful. They abandoned me, she said to Geirlaug.
- Are you a shieldmaiden, she asked full of joy.
- Yes. I am, she said.
- The strongest, Angrboda added.
- Boda! You know very well that Lagertha is way stronger than me.
- You don't know that, you never fought her.
- Could you teach me some things, Geirlaug begged them.
- I am only a healer, Sig will teach you, Angrboda smiled to the teenage Geirlaug.
- This will be hard, I never taught to beginners.
- I am not a beginner. My father taught me some stuff.
- Really, Siggy asked pleased. What did he taught you?
- I know how to wield a shield and how to fight with knives. But my father would never let me touch another weapon.
- Do your christian mother approves?
- Who is she to judge? Her, who threatened my father with knives on the first days of their marriage?
Siggy grinned and Angrboda smiled. They were impressed by the courage of the young lady and it was truly a delight to meet a christian who wasn't afraid of them and, on the contrary, admired them, was she norman. Siggy stood up and took a fighting stance. She beackoned Geirlaug to come and fight. The young norman girl did as she asked and took her two knives out of her sleeves. She grabbed a shield on the pile next to Angrboda and came to postition herself in front of the shieldmaiden.
Siggy didn't wait for the word "fight" that she was already waving her sword in the air. Geirlaug instinctively put her shield on her head. But instead, she changed direction and aimed to her side. Geirlaug swiftly intercepted her blow with one of her knives. The impact was loud and violent. Geirlaug made a few steps back. She had worse but Siggy's blows were just as strong as her father's. She ran to her, her shield held on her chest. Siggy grinned and then brought her sword down on top of her aunt. The norman avoided it only thanks to a mistake she made. Geirlaug dropped her shield, realizing that the shieldmaiden couldn't compete with her on a close distance fight. She punched and hit, trying to cut her opponent's flesh. Which she could have achieved if Siggy wasn't an excellent close distance fighter. Often, Geirlaug ended up on the ground and often she was able to touch her niece. Both women smiled, happy to fight under Angrboda's encouragement. They fought for an hour before they fell out of tiredness. Siggy handed Geirlaug a pint of cider, which she drank greedily. Then, Angrboda sat with them and began to tell edas and sagas to the young woman. Geirlaug was happy she came. Those women proved her that being a woman didn't mean to be weak. Women were strong, were they warriors or healers. Geirlaug wanted to be like them. She wanted to be as strong as her mother and as strong as a viking woman.
Suddenly she heard a loud shout at the other side of the camp calling for her name. She recognized her father's voice and quickly took her leave, thanking Siggy and Angrboda for the time she had spent with them. She ran to where her father's voice came from and arrived in front of him within a few minutes.
- I am here father!
- Geirlaug, where have you been? Why are you sweating and smelling alcohol? What did you do?
- I spent the best afternoon of my life, she said with a bright smile.
Sprota was gone and it was time for the ducal siblings to train again. Geirlaug requested a training session for the whole week trying to avoid the nasty stares she felt on her, count Robert, the scheming counts and count Guillaume. She still blushed from time to time when she remembered of what happened in the forest. Yet, she couldn't help but feel hot when she watched him from behind. The way he walked, his back, his hands, his eyes, his smile, and his voice... His voice. A simple whisper from him was enough to make her fantasize about him and the nights they could spent if they were free from noble priviledges. She wanted to possess him as much as he wanted to possess her. She wanted to claim him as hers and push him against a wall to kiss him violently. She desired him so violently, so strongly. Her game became a pleasure and she took advantage of every occasion to tease him and feel his warmth. She often thought that as a southerner he was used to fire and that must have been why he survived to her fire this far. She almost loved him. She was on the border of a neverending pit and it would only take one tiny step for her to fall.
They finally arrived in the place they used as a training yard, away from the other nobles, from their sights and from rumors. The place was calm and they could only hear the bird tweet. As usual, her brother tossed her her shield, she grabbed her knives, him, his sword and both began to work. They were grunting in Norse, swearing whil each other dodged their blows. Soon they dropped their shields and began to train harder and more violently. Geirlaug loved it. She unburdened all her anger and frustration to her brother to which he answered with his own. Truly, they fought like wolves.
When count Guillaume went to ride, this afternoon, he certainly didn't expect to find the woman his heart desired on one bank of the Seine fighting her brother. And yet, there she was. Wearing a short and practical dress with pants, holding two knives in both her hands. She was more impressive than ever.
Guillaume had been drawn there by the sound of their shouts and had tied his horse to a tree. He had walk to the source of it and found the children of Normannia in the middle of what seemed to be a training session. He immediately hid behind a bush and observed them silently, afraid of being discovered. Geirlaug was beautiful. He had never seen her like that before. Sure, she used a burning knife to heal herself in the forest, but it was nothing compared to what he was witnessing. She hit and punched her brother so many times, with so much strenght. Every punches she gave produced a sound, himself could hear despite the safe distance from where he was watching the scene. He was certain she broke her brother's jaw.
Then, he saw a small spill of blood and realized she cut him with one of her knives. Her brother answeed by waving his sword to her side but she intercepted it with her second knife. The duke Guillaume made no efforts to hold his blows. He put all his strenght to the fight. Those were not blows to train, those were blows to kill. What kind of siblings trys to kill each others? It was like watching two bears fight. Guillaume was sure he would have died if the duke didn't restrain his blows during trainings. To his shame, Geirlaug was a better fighter than he was and she was standing up to her brother quite nicely.
That was there, when he realized how admirable she was, that he fell for her. He took his decision. She was going to be his wife and nothing would come in his way. He wanted to show her the sea, the mountains, the grapevines, he wanted to ride with her in the forests of the south and to enjoy wine and sex. He wanted to hear her talk about Nomannia, her father's gods, his customs and his stories by the fireplace. He wanted to sing her songs on her beauty and her skills. He wanted her to talk to him in Norse. He wanted to claim her body as his and her to claim his body as hers. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.
Focused on his emotions, he forgot to stay silent and produced a cracking wood sound. The noise made Geirlaug and her brother stop their fight and turn to where the count was hiding. He showed himself immediately, hands up, to reassure them.
- I am sorry. I was riding and your fight made me come here. I didn't mean to spy, he said with his usual smile.
That was when Geirlaug face's fell. She suddenly became pale and was about to vomit. She dropped her knives and took a step back. Her eyes showed nothing but fear and panic.
- No, she whispered. Oh no no no no no no no... NO!
Her brother turned to her surprised of her attitude. Count Guillaume stepped forward, worried and intrigued by his beloved's behaviour. He walked to her and raised his hand as to tame a wolf.
- My lady Geirlaug? Are you fine?
- You're going to burn me, she cried. I knew it! I knew I would be discovered someday! How ashamed you must be! A woman fighting! What was I thinking?! My reputation is ruined. You're going to say it to the king and he'll excommunicate me! Oh no! What was I thinking? What was I thinking?
Geirlaug was in tears. She moved so far back that she was in the water. Her brother watched as Guillaume came so close to her he could touch her shoulder.
- My lady, trust me, never would I reveal what I just saw. And I do not hate you because of that. It is quite the opposite actually. You just made my love and admiration for you grow to a point God could not even contain it.
- Really?
- Yes, he whispered wiping a tear off her cheek. You might even be stronger than I am, he laughed.
- That wouldn't be complicated, she nervously laughed.
He held her hand to get out of the water and both sat on the grass.
- I will bring our stuff back to the palace, Guillaume said. You can rejoin me when you two are finished talking.
Geirlaug nodded to her brother. He left with a joyful smile on his face. Perhaps them talking would lead to a proposal, he hoped.
There was a silence before they started talking again. A silence only broken by the sound of a light breeze and the tweets of the birds. Geirlaug un-braided her hair, letting them fall on her back. Guillaume watched her more intensly.
- When did you start training?
- When I was twelve. I just became a woman. And I discovered that fighting made the pain go away.
- You really are full of surprises. Are there any warrior women in Normannia?
- No. But I know of some women who fights alongside men. They are vikings who came in Normannia between two raids.
- Tell me more about them.
- My uncle's first wife was a famous shieldmaiden. It is said that she was the best warrior that ever walked the earth. My father told us the story of when she killed another famous shieldmaiden in combat. Every woman that wants to fight admire her. Even my mother showed admiration when she talked about her. If that isn't a proof of how great she is...
- First wife? Did she died?
- No. she divorced my uncle when he cheated on her with his second wife, the princess Aslaug. What is funny is that both of them leads an army of shieldmaiden. My father often says that his brother is unable to keep his dick in his pants and that it only brought him troubles. Even if he doesn't say it, I think he misses his brother very much. Anyway, Aslaug's mother was a famous shieldmaiden too, her name was Brunhildr.
- So, a lot of women fight, then?
- Yes. In my father's culture, women are as valuable as men and they are respected and considered as equals. They can rule. The proof being Lagertha who rules a fiefdom between two raids and Aslaug who rules the kingdom when my uncle is away. Thus, my mother have a great political power in Normannia. She rules as good as my father and he always listen to her advices. He truly consider her as an equal. He always says that men must be worthy of the women they love. As an example, he told us the story of a young princess who was forced to marry a prince. She didn't judged him worthy of her and went viking instead of marrying him. She stole a ship from her father, gathered all her warriors friends, all women and sailed away to raid. Her father sent her bethrothed after her and he chased her for years. One day he found her and fought her. She was so impressed by the man's courage she agreed to marry him. He also tells us how he won my mother over: by learning her language and adapting to her customs. He made himself worthy of her. She loved him for that.
- I hope I will prove myself as worthy of you.
Geirlaug smiled to him. Just hearing him say that made her heart filled with joy.
- Maybe I should change the rules of inheritance in Aquitaine. Our lineage would be safe...
- Our lineage? Why, count, you sure don't doubt a thing! Why would you think of us with children?
- Because I want to marry you. And if, in the future, we only have one female direct descendant left, I want her to inherit everything.
- Marry me? But I thought you wanted to stay free of the matter.
- Not when I can spend my life with the amazing woman that you are. And it should be noted that I progressed a lot in fighting.
- I can't wait to watch you, then, she whispered in his ear.
- I can't wait to ask your brother your hand in marriage tomorrow, he whispered back in her neck.
So yeah... Siggy and Boda. I couldn't resist to add them to the story. i am still mad at Hirst for killing them so, as I am stubborn, I made them live (muahahaha I am a god lol). As you noticed, this chapter is longer than the others and to tell the truth, the following chapters will also be longer (except for chapter 12). I hope you liked the references to the other women of the show and the story of Awilda (who is a real legend). As for Siggy, I figured she'd be angry at her family for abandoning her. But Boda is her best friend so she's okay, I guess. And she wasn't trained by Lagertha because she resent her in a certain way.
I hope you liked this chapter. Leave a review if you feel like it ;)