Thank you to those of you who are now following! I am getting such positive response's of the story! I am touched so many of you like it. It means a lot. ;)
Reviewers:
Lorelie Candace Black - I am sorry it wasn't too long. If I make them too long, I get a bit carried away. I just kind of write until I feel there is a good break and a good time to end a chapter. Whether it be a ciffhanger, character development ect. Thank you as always for your feedback.
Read like Hermione - Thankyou! I rather enjoyed writing it.
Shadow Spears - You will find out soon enough! Thank you again.
Harper loves Alex - I am glad you were happy with me saving Helga. I don't know what they have planned for Floki in season 5 now Helga has died but I wanted to keep her on board! She is like a mother to both Kadlin and Ivar.
Guest - Thank you for the review. Am grateful you think it is a great chapter. I am pleased you liked the kiss between them, hoping it gave the "Feels". Fingers crossed you enjoy the next chapter too!
Lady vampire of Vampires - Least you haven't had to wait too long to get the next chapter! I'm feeling the capitals of you being excited lol!
Tuey 101- Welcome to my story. Thank you for reviewing. Oh you should catch up on the season's its such a good show! I am so excited that you think its a good stand alone story. I am actually rewriting the entire thing as a different story as my own creation. So stay tuned for info on that if you like this one!
As always, thankyou. Enjoy.
Ivar heard his name being called, as he tried to get the damn chariot down the hallway. It was too narrow. "Bloody hell" he yelled frustrated.
That was when he noticed Ubbe carrying Kadlin.
"What has happened. Is she alright?" Ivar asked quickly.
"I do not know brother. All I know is that Floki owes this woman"
"What do you mean?"
"She saved Helga. The girl was about to stab her, and Kadlin shot her with her arrow."
"We must get to her to Floki" Ivar told his brother as he placed his hand on her chest. Grateful to feel her heart still beating.
Helga came running up to them. Tears streaming down her face.
"Oh Kadlin" she sobbed, as she placed her hand on her head. "Thank you, Thank you"
Ivar turned to Ubbe. 'Ubbe, put her in the chariot. I will take her to lay down. Then will you find Floki?"
It was Helga that spoke. "I will get Floki. Take her to the small cottage near the gates we passed when we entered. We will meet you there."
Ivar nodded and watched as Helga ran off through the castle, not even glancing at the body of the girl she wanted to call daughter as she ran past her. Once Ubbe had placed Kadlin in the back of the chariot they left to the cottage of which Helga spoke of. A million different things were going through Ivar's mind. Did Kadlin know this was going to happen to her? If so, how could she be so reckless.
They arrived at the cottage, and Ivar was grateful of Ubbe to help him get Kadlin inside. There was a small bed in the inside of the room, and he set her on. Ivar crawled to her side, and pulled back her dress. He was shocked when he saw what had happened to her. The stab wound on her stomach was bleeding, her small body bruised all over. Her ankles were purple and swollen as if she had been chained. The only thing that had not been injured was her face. How could he not have known how much pain she would have been in before, he thought to himself.
Ivar was furious, how could someone do this to her. Well he knew how, but still. If she had known this was going to happen why would she allow herself to get caught. He spotted a bowl of water on the table, and before he asked Ubbe to pass it to him, his brother had handed him the cloth.
"Be with your woman. I will be with Bjorn." Ubbe turned to leave.
"Thankyou Ubbe" Ivar called out as his brother left the cottage.
Ivar wiped over Kadlin, as he could do nothing else whilst he waited for Floki and Helga. Ivar had been around blood, battles, swords and the like his entire life. He had inflicted worse on people, but when he looked down at Kadlin, he wanted nothing more than the take the pain away. He prayed to the gods that she would be alright.
"Ivar?" Floki said quietly as he entered the cottage.
Looking up, he gave Floki a small smile. "I am glad you are here"
"Helga told me what happened. Ivar, I will do my best to bring her back to health"
"Thank you my friend." he said, meaning every word.
"Ivar, I know you must want to be here with Kadlin, but as we speak your brothers are discussing Ecberts fate. I thought you might want to be there."
Looking at Kadlin lying on the bed, unconscious, bloody and covered in bruises. He was unsure what to do. His first thought had always been about the revenge for his father, but seeing her like this, he felt he needed to be here when she woke. Ivar had never felt conflicted like this before.
"Ivar" Helga spoke gently. "Go, to your brothers. You have waited a long time for this. I will come to you as soon as she wakes."
Nodding at Helga, he dropped to the floor and crawled out side. Pulling himself up into the chariot. Without looking back, he rode towards where his brothers were. Helga was right, Ivar had waited a long time to seek justice for his father's death from Ecbert.
When Ivar arrived his brothers were talking amongst themselves. He saw Ecbert hanging above them in a cage.
"Ivar. How is Kadlin?" Bjorn asked.
"I do not know. She has not woken up yet. Floki is with her now. "
Bjorn nodded. "Now brother, we have waited for you so that we can discuss what happens with him" he pointed up to the cage.
"We should Blood Eagle him" Ivar said simply. "What is there to discuss? He killed our father. He needs to die"
"It is not that simple Ivar. Our father wanted land here. Perhaps we should consider that option"
The brothers spoke between themselves, Bjorn and Ubbe were both considering the option of land, Hvisterk was uncertain, he agreed Ecbert needed to die, but he wasn't sure about the land. The talk quickly escalated to frustration between them.
Ivar groaned. "Well what about you Sigurd? You are being unusually quiet"
"I agree with you Ivar."
Ivar was shocked. "Excuse me!"
"You heard me. I agree with you. I think we should kill him"
"Ahem" The brothers looked up. Ecbert had moved to the edge of his cage. " I can understand what you are saying. Mostly anyway. I would like to add something, If I may?"
The brothers looked to Bjorn, who waved a hand in agreement.
"Your father and I were friends. I am saddened deeply that he died. Knowing that he is in Valhalla and I will never see him again. I would like to offer you land. I know it was your fathers greatest desire to settle here. " Ecbert must have been able to sense the interest in the room as he continued. "I will give you the kingdom of East Anglia. As I am king of kings this can be done, and no one will question it. If they do, I sense you have enough men to hold it regardless"
Ubbe stepped closer to the cage. "What do you want in return?"
Ivar looked up at Ecbert. He had retreated to the back of the cage. " I will only tell you that when you accept my offer"
"Come brothers let us go and talk" Bjorn said to them, Ubbe picked Ivar up and threw him on his back.
They ended up outside of where they were before. They started talking about what the right thing to do would be. Ivar had enough of listening to it. He wanted action taken, enough talking had been done for his liking.
"Bjorn, I think we should take the lands, then kill Ecbert. I'm thinking blood eagle, and of course I want to do it"
His brothers laughed at him, but it was Sigurd who spoke. "I don't think you could stand long enough to do it Ivar"
A cold look appeared on Ivar's face. He looked at Sigurd with disgust and hatred. "I imagine me sitting"
It was then that Helga ran up to them. "Ivar she is waking up"
He looked at Helga. Feeling conflicted, he wanted to be here with his brothers, but he wanted to be with Kadlin. Thinking quickly, he knew that Kadlin was more important. She was the key to much more. They would get the lands regardless and Ecbert would die. Kadlin could offer him much more.
"I need to go." he told them, as he crawled off and followed Helga back to the cottage.
Upon entering the room he saw Floki leaning over Kadlin. He pulled himself up to the small framed bed. Her eyes sleepily trying to find him. He sat up next to her, resting his hand on her face. Then she saw him.
"Ivar" she breathed.
"Yes. I am here. How are you feeling?" he asked her gently.
"Awful. I hurt all over."
Ivar looked over to Floki. "Can you give her something for the pain? "
Shaking his head in response. "I have done what I can. At least she is awake now."
"Ivar. You must listen to me. Ecbert is not king, whatever he has promised you is a lie."
She had his attention. Less than half an hour earlier, Ecbert had just promised them land, if he was not King any more he would not be able to give them a legal standing here. Kadlin must have sensed the look on as his face. She placed her hand in his and squeezed.
"Go, back to your brothers. Make sure Ecbert pays for his deception" She sounded tired, out of breath and as if it hurt for her to speak. "I will be here whilst you do. Just do me one favour?"
"Yes?"
"Bring me when you kill him. I want to be there when it happen's"
Ivar smiled his cruel smirk. "It would be my pleasure". He lent down and kissed her on the forehead. "When all this is done and you are well enough to talk, you must tell me what happened whilst you were here."
Nodding as she closed her eyes. "I will."
Making it back just in time before his brothers had left. Ivar signalled to Bjorn that he needed to speak with him.
"What is it? Is Kadlin alright?"
"She is fine, resting. She learnt something when she was here. But there is a condition that I want to add for me to tell you."
"Oh, and what is it?" Bjorn added sarcastically.
"Kadlin tells me that Ecbert is no longer king."
"Ha" Bjorn laughed. "Trust Ecbert to try get one last upper hand in this. How dare he try and deceive us!"
"Well he has, might I suggest. We accept his offer, play along his game. Then once the papers are ours, we kill him. I still very much want to blood eagle him Bjorn".
"I suppose that was your condition?"
Ivar nodded.
"Very well. Your plan, I like it. Let him think he won"
"Exactly" Ivar added.
The two of them entered the building where Ecbert was waiting in the cage for them. Bjorn spoke and told Ecbert that they agreed to the terms, then asked what it was he wanted in return.
"I want to choose the manner of my own death"
Bjorn quickly looked over to Ivar, who smirked at him in return. "I agree". Then they turned and left.
Ivar sat next to Bjorn, whilst the paper's were signed and handed to him. He was getting very excited, across from him Ecbert sat looking proud of himself, as if he was accomplishing one last thing. One last win against the Pagan's.
Ecbert stood and went to leave the room, after hugging the boy who had helped him with the paper's.
"Well, I must go. I have one final journey to take"
Ivar looked to Bjorn who nodded. "Yes. You do Ecbert. But I am afraid things have changed" Ivar told him.
"What, you cannot do that" He looked to Bjorn. "You agreed, to let me choose the manner of my own death."
Bjorn stood, and leant on the table. "Yes I did but my brother here tells me something different. Ivar, would you explain?"
Ivar hoped he looked as smug as he felt. "Yes. Ecbert it seems you have been dishonest with us. Did you really think we wouldn't find out, that you were no longer the king? That you named your son Aethulwulf King?"
A look of horror came across Ecberts face. As the realisation hit him. "How did you find out? Ah, the girl. She is with you, is she not?"
"She is. And yes, Kadlin enlightened me on this matter." Ivar dropped to the ground, taking his daggers out. He stabbed them into the ground, and pulled himself along with them,
Thud, thud, thud. As he moved closer to Ecbert.
"The agreement has been changed. You are to die, by my hand. You tried to play us, and you failed. Just like your son will fail"
Hvitserk and Ubbe had moved and grabbed Ecbert, holding him still.
"And it is you that is going to kill me is it Bjorn?" Ecbert asked, almost sounding hopeful.
"No, it will be done by me." Ivar responded. "Take him outside. I will be there soon"
Ivar spoke with such authority that no one questioned him, They simply listened and carried Ecbert outside. Ivar left the room and returned to the cottage where Kadlin lay. Floki and Helga were stil by her side. Ivar was glad to see she was awake again.
"Back so soon" she spoke to him.
"Yes. It is time for Ecbert to die, and you asked to be there. I have come to let you know. You must come now. We are doing it out here."
Kadlin moved to push back the covers, when her eyes rolled into the back of her head.
"Kadlin. Kadlin" he tried to shake her.
"Ivar wait. I think she is having a vision. Leave her" Floki told him. Helga looked confused, but said nothing. Ivar stopped moving her, and simply rested his hand on her, waiting for her to open her eyes and tell him what she had seen.
Moments later she opened her eyes, she was breathing heavily.
"I know you must kill Ecbert for all the wrong he has done you. However there is something you do not know."
Rolling his eyes. "What is it."
"Ecbert loved your father. He has told you this. Yes?" Ivar nodded. "He was with him at the end"
"What?" Ivar was confused. Ecbert had handed Ragnar over to Aelle. They all knew this to be true. He did not want to dirty his hands with the blood of Ragnar so he got Aelle to do it for him.
"Ecbert sent your father to Aelle yes. But he followed him there. He watched as he was dropped into the snake pit. Ecbert loved your father, He was the last face your father saw before he entered Valhalla. A face of someone who loved him, who he would never see again. I know you want to blood eagle him, but Ivar I believe he deserves better than this. Do not put him through that, not when he was a source of comfort for your father in his final moments."
Ivar took a deep breath. Kadlin spoke with such passion, he couldn't deny that. He did not know that Ecbert had followed his father, it was a shock to hear. Throwing his hands up in the air he let out a scream. He had no idea what to do. He had asked Bjorn to let him blood eagle him, he could not simply change his mind could he?
But as he looked at Kadlin, he saw the look in her eyes. He had never shown mercy, he did not wish to be seen as weak. Seeing her this way though, he knew better than to disregard what she was saying. Perhaps it was not a weakness to show mercy, not when mercy was needed.
"I agree with you Kadlin."