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I'm playing with the storyline a bit so it fits Brynja's pregnancy. I hope that doesn't bother anyone too much.

Chapter 10- The Departure

"You cannot leave him in charge of the Great Army," Ubbe said to Bjorn once Ivar had left the room.

"That is your affair, Ubbe," Bjorn countered. "You're his big brother. You take charge. It's none of my concern. I plan on returning to the Mediterranean… with Halfdan."

"Will you return first to Kattegat?" Harald asked.

Brynja lifted her head and looked at Bjorn as she waited to hear his answer. Their eyes immediately locked.

"I have no intention on doing that," Bjorn looked away from Brynja. "My fate is too urgent."

"Then I will go there," Harald sighed. "And I will tell Lagertha about the avenging of your father's death, and the defeat of the Saxons, and the great gift of land to our people."

"And tell my mother," Bjorn spoke as he glanced at Brynja. Her sad eyes were glued to the ground. "And Torvi, and the children, that I think of them, and I will return… If the gods will it"

Harald nodded his head. "Skol," he stated as he lifted his drink toward Bjorn.

"Brynja," Bjorn said softly. "Please speak with me outside."

Brynja rolled her eyes as she followed him. Once they were away from the door, she crossed her arms as she began to speak.

"I understand why you're leaving me. And I do not care," She paused for a moment as she calmed herself down. "But I do not understand how you can leave your child."

Brynja was fairly young when Bjorn had a daughter with Porunn. But she remembered that once Porunn left, Bjorn seemed to not care for his daughter. The poor child was taken in by Aslaug, who more or less ignored her.

"I am not leaving the child, or you," Bjorn tried to comfort her. "When I come back, we will be together, and I will have another beautiful son."

Brynja scraped at the dirt beneath her feet as he spoke. She was beginning to realize that she couldn't trust Bjorn to keep his promises.

"And what if I go back to Kattegat? What do I tell Torvi about my growing stomach?"

Bjorn sighed.

"Tell Torvi the truth. I am sure she won't hold it against you."

"So, I am supposed to just show up and tell everyone I am carrying your child?" Brynja couldn't believe that she was the one that was going to have to break the news to Torvi.

"Yes," Bjorn answered.

Brynja stood by the ship as she watched the people board it.

"You came to say goodbye to me," Bjorn stated as he approached her.

"I am carrying your child," Brynja retorted. "It felt wrong to not see you off."

"Well, I am glad you are here," Bjorn pulled her in for a hug.

As he pulled away, he noticed the small bump that was beginning to show on her stomach.

"You will be a great mother," Bjorn stated as a pressed his hand against her stomach. "I can't wait to see you both when I return."

"We will be here," Brynja assured him as she rested her hand on top of his.

"We have to leave," Halfdan said as he approached Bjorn.

He then turned his attention to Brynja. He hugged her close.

"If you don't want people to know the child is his, you can always say it's mine," Halfdan joked, causing her to laugh.

"That is a more tempting offer than you realize," Brynja smiled into his shoulder.

The hug ended and Halfdan looked down at the young woman.

"I hope the poor child looks more like you."

Brynja and Ubbe watched as Bjorn and his men sailed away.

"Are you okay?" he asked her.

"I'm fine," she answered honestly. "I don't care that he is leaving me. It is the idea of my child growing up without a father that saddens me."

"If your child does not have a father who is there for him, he will always have an uncle who loves him," Ubbe looked down at her as her eyes grew big.

"Ubbe," she almost shouted. "I think he is kicking!"

Her hand reached to touch her stomach as a large smile lit up her face.

"He has never kicked before," her face seemed to glow. "Feel it," she demanded as she grabbed his hand and put it on her stomach.

He paid close attention as he waited to feel her stomach move. After what seemed like forever, a small bump pressed against his hand.

"I felt it," he smiled.

The excited woman wrapped him in a hug.

"I am glad you are here," she smiled. "It lightens my heart to be able to share this with someone. My child is lucky to have such an uncle."

"Speaking for our father, I think we should claim and settle the land given to us by Ecbert," Ubbe said as he looked over at Ivar. "Saxons are in disarray. This is a good opportunity. We have the resources to make a permanent settlement."

Brynja ate her meal quietly next to the men as she listened to them speak.

"Do you agree, Ivar?" Hvitserk asked.

"I don't want to disband the army," Ivar answered. "In fact, I want to continue the war against the Saxons while we are still in a position of strength. My suggestions is that we go back north, to where we defeated Aelle. We should establish a permanent camp, as you say, but near the coast—so we can raid wherever we want."

"Our father's dream was that we wouldn't be just raiders," Ubbe told Ivar. "That we would behave in a different way."

"You are not listening, Ubbe," Ivar tried to reason. "We have to have a stronghold. If we go north, we are closer to our own lands and shipping routes. We can build an impregnable fortress."

"Where?" Hvitserk asked.

"I've heard of a town called York," Ivar answered. "It is built on a major river and it is not far from the sea. And, I think that we should take it."

"No," Ubbe spoke up. "It would seem like a withdrawal."

"Yes," Ivar said. "It would. But, it is only tactical. Surely, you understand, Ubbe. If we establish ourselves in the middle of the country, then we are surrounded by enemies. In York, we are near our home. Right, Hvitserk?"

Hvitserk paused as he was forced to choose between his two brothers.

"I agree with Ivar," the middle brother stated. "We should go north and attack York."

Brynja looked over at Ubbe in time to see a flash of disappointment in his eyes.

Ubbe nodded his head as a look of triumph was plastered all over Ivar's face.

"It's good," Ubbe replied as he faked a smile.

He quickly got up from the table and left.

Brynja looked at the brothers remaining at the table. She rolled her eyes at Ivar before following after Ubbe.

"Why do you let him do that?" she asked once she had caught up with him.

"Hvitserk agreed that it was the better plan," Ubbe answered.

"Ubbe," Brynja cupped his face in her hands, forcing him to look straight at her. "If you do not show Ivar his place, this will end in ruins."

Ubbe nodded his head but didn't speak.

"I would follow you anywhere, Ubbe. And I am not just saying that because you are my friend." Brynja's hands still hadn't left his face. "You are wise. And I think that out of all of Ragnar's sons, you would make the best king."

"You really believe that?" Ubbe looked into her eyes.

"Yes," the brunette woman answered softly.

She smiled up at the handsome man as her hands dropped from his face to her sides.

"Do you ever think about the night we shared together?" Ubbe asked as a smirk appeared on his face.

"Yes," she answered again. Her cheeks quickly began to color. A part of Brynja assumed that he had forgotten that they had ever slept together.

She often thought about how gentle he was compared to Bjorn.

"I do as well," he stated as he looked down at the woman.

Brynja's hand rested on top of her ever-growing stomach as she walked beside Ubbe and Hvitserk.

A group of armed Viking men began to surround them.

"Let us through," Ubbe said as a tall, scary man with white hair approached them.

Brynja was unsure if it was her nerves or the child pressing against her bladder, but she suddenly began to feel anxious.

"Do you know who we are?" Ubbe asked the men in front of him.

"We know who you are," the white-haired man said as he stood directly in front of Ubbe. "What do you want?"

"I want to speak to my brother, Ivar," Ubbe stated. "Now get out of my way."

"I'll ask him, and see if it is okay," the white-haired giant replied.

Brynja grabbed the back of Ubbe's arm. She was no longer experiencing any morning sickness, but something about this situation just made her stomach churn.

She knew Ivar would seek to overthrow his brothers, but she never imagined that he would get the people to support him so quickly.

"No. You won't," Ubbe's voice was low. Brynja released her grip on his arm. She figured that soon they might be in the middle of a fight. "Because you will not have a tongue to ask him with. I will nail you to that post just over there. Do you understand?"

The two men glared at each other for what felt like a century.

Brynja began to slowly reach for the knife which was placed on her hip.

The giant then looked at her, and upon seeing her belly, nodded his head at Ubbe. The guards then created a small path for the three of them to squeeze through.

As they approached Ivar, Brynja noticed that he was in the process of getting a tattoo.

"Hvitserk! Brynja! Ubbe!" Ivar shouted as he greeted them. "Did you take a look around? The work on strengthening the defenses is going well."

"Why do you need guards to protect you from your own brothers?" Brynja threw her hands up as she confronted Ivar.

"What?" Ivar scoffed at the woman in front of him.

"We were just stopped by your bodyguards. Why do you need them?" Ubbe asked. "Do you need protection against us? Against your brothers?"

"Of course not," Ivar answered.

"Then why have them?" Hvitserk asked.

"I'm a cripple," Ivar stated. "I need a bodyguard."

Ubbe looked at Brynja and thought about what the woman had said to him before.

"It's not just the bodyguard, Ivar," he stated. "The fact is, you never seem to consult us about anything. It's as if you now think you are the leader of our Great Army."

"Do you think you are the leader?" Ubbe asked as he bent down to look Ivar straight in the eye.

"No, I don't," Ivar answered. "Why would I ever think such a thing?"

"I am glad to hear you say that," Ubbe replied. "Because, you are not the leader. We three brothers are the leaders together, as our father would have wished."

"We are older than you, Ivar," Hvitserk chimed in. "You can't push us aside. It's unacceptable."

"No," Ivar stated. "You're right, Hvitserk. But, you two have to understand that it is harder for me to share and stake my claim. I truly want to be your equal. But, in order for me to do so, I have to be better than you. I have to make you forget that I'm a cripple."

"Listen, Ivar," Ubbe began. "We know what you are. And, we accept what you are. It makes no difference to us. You are just our brother."

"Don't try to make us feel sorry for you," Hvitserk smiled. "Because, my brother, we never will."

"There's a large Saxon force on its way here," Ubbe began to address the real reason he had come to speak to his youngest brother. "But I thought you'd already know that."

Ubbe nodded his head towards Brynja and Hvitserk before turning and beginning to leave.

Ivar watched as the three of them walked away.

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