Good Afternoon! Here we are with a new chapter, and I hope it finds everyone well.

We're moving right along here with the story, and I made a few changes to the interaction of the characters. I hope it all makes sense.

It's a shorter chapter, but the next one will be long. We're back in Athelstan's perspective as well.

Enjoy!


Floki

When the trees around them became less and less familiar, Bjorn nodded for Athelstan to turn right to leave the river, and it was a good thing. They had rowed for longer than Athelstan had in his life, and his arms ached as they reached the last part of their journey. The sun made it impossible to hide, so now they needed shade. The rocky banks changed to a sandy beach that ran up to a small dock, and Bjorn nodded to it so they could row up along side it.

In the hull of the boat, Lagertha desperately pressed what she could to Ragnar's wounds, pointing out where Gyda and Lilith were to do the same as well. She only glanced at Athelstan and Bjorn once, not speaking or even nodding. That was how Athelstan knew it was bad. He'd never seen anyone sustain such injuries and live, and in his heart, he knew the possibility of living was diminishing very quickly for the man who had essentially saved him from a terrible fate.

When he'd jumped into the water after Ragnar, Athelstan had not been thinking of himself. He hadn't even been thinking of Lagertha, of saving her husband. He had been thinking of Bjorn, listening to the boy who always pretended to be so strong and so wise cry out for his father. He had been thinking of Gyda and the frightened look in her golden eyes that he never wanted to see again. And he'd been thinking of Lilith, whom he loved so dearly and could not forsake her this family she had found and loved as much as they had come to love her.

Athelstan knew Lilith had seen her fair share of blood just in the last several months of her young life, but this blood was different. This blood was precious.

Once the boat touched the rocks and sand of the beach, Athelstan jumped out and pulled it further out of the water, reaching for Bjorn's hand and helping him out before he hurried to help Lagertha.

"Help the girls first," she ordered as she pressed her hands to the wound on Ragnar's leg.

He hesitated only a little, reaching for Gyda first and lifting her out of the boat before he turned and helped Lilith. "Go up there and wait for Bjorn," he told them, pointing up the embankment and waiting until they went to turn back to help Lagertha.

"We cannot lift him by ourselves," she huffed even as she sat her husband up so Athelstan could put the man's arm over his shoulders.

"Should we wait for Bjorn?" he asked.

She looked up then, sighing softly, relieved as a new presence came to their aid.

Athelstan glanced back and saw Floki, the boat builder, hurrying toward them with Bjorn on his heels.

"What happened?" Floki demanded.

"It was Earl Haraldson," Lagertha said, and that was all she needed to say.

With just one movement, Floki grabbed Ragnar's leg and his arm from Athelstan, then instructing him to take Ragnar's other limbs. "Come, Priest. We must hurry."

The inclination presented the biggest problem, but thanks to the last few months of working on the farm, Athelstan made the trip with only a small ache in his back. Lagertha hurried ahead of them, finding a nearby hut that extended from a hillside and pulling the door open as they arrived so they could go inside. Athelstan glanced behind him to make sure Bjorn followed with Gyda and Lilith, sighing when he saw them all there.

"Helga!" Floki yelled into the hut.

Athelstan looked up to see a petite, blond woman coming toward them, and when she saw them, the smile on her face fell instantly.

"Get the bark of the ash!" Floki commanded. "And the garlic. And sage. Get the sage. We will make a paste."

Floki guided Athelstan to the fire that burned at the center of the hut, and together, they lay Ragnar on the ground next to it. Lagertha nudged Athelstan to the side, nodding back to where Gyda and Lilith waited as she took his place next to Ragnar.

"First, we must cleanse the wounds," Floki muttered. "The only way to make them clean is with fire. Bjorn, bring more wood. Helga, I need a knife."

Athelstan watched from where he stood with Lilith and Gyda, keeping them close even though he wanted to help as much as he could.

"Is Ragnar going to be all right?" Lilith asked from his side.

He glanced at her, holding her closer and then holding Gyda close as well. "I'm not sure. But it looks like Floki knows what he's doing. We must trust him and pray that Ragnar can recover from this."

Lilith lifted her hand to his that was on her shoulder, and somehow their fingers managed to be linked together. Athelstan squeezed her gently, trying to see around Lagertha and Floki as the petite woman, Helga stood by grounding herbs in a bowl. It looked like they had done something like this before, and even though Athelstan was no stranger to being tended to, he'd never seen people move so quickly to help someone hurt so badly. Even in the monastery, his brothers were never this fast to heal anyone needing care.

As the herbs were ground and ready to be applied to Ragnar's wounds, Helga moved around to Floki's other side, helping him to mix them together for the bloody punctures and gashes covering his leg and his back. Athelstan had no knowledge of how any of the herbs worked together, but he wanted to learn. If something like this happened again, he would need to know. Lagertha kept her hands over the wounds, applying as much pressure as she could and glancing back at Athelstan and her girls without saying anything. She didn't have to.

Helga stood up with her bowl, seeing Athelstan for the first time and then seeing Gyda and Lilith. "You are Ragnar's slave," she stated simply.

Athelstan almost corrected her, only to be stopped by Lagertha.

"He is not a slave," she said definitively. "Not to us. So we will not treat him like one."

Helga bowed her head, taking a step closer to Athelstan and the girls. "You are all safe here," she declared. "I swear it."

She nodded just once, and Athelstan did as well before she moved away to ground more herbs.

As they waited, Lagertha turned her head to look back at Athelstan and Lilith and Gyda. "Come closer for a moment," she requested.

He didn't hesitate, holding Gyda and Lilith tighter as he crossed the distance slowly. Once he was close enough, Lagertha reached for both her girls with one arm.

"I do not want either of you to be afraid," she commanded gently. "I know it will not be easy, but as long as we believe in Floki, he will be able heal Ragnar. Say you believe Ragnar will be healed, and it will be done."

Gyda looked at Lilith, and together, they looked at Lagertha and nodded together. "I believe it," Gyda said.

"I believe it," Lilith echoed.

Lagertha smiled just a little, lifting her eyes to Athelstan's and cupping his cheek as completely as she could. "Until this is finished, you will be responsible for my children. That means you will need to make sure they are cared for and fed and clean. I trust only you with this task. Do you understand?"

Athelstan nodded without hesitating, knowing how important it was to her but also understanding for the first time in three months how important it was to him. "I understand."

She kissed his cheek without pausing or missing a beat, turning back to Ragnar and signaling that she was finished. Athelstan took Gyda's hand and then Lilith's, pulling them up from the floor of the hut and backing up to where they had been standing. His cheek burned from where she had touched him, and he felt faint for a minute before he was able to lean against the post behind him. He held Gyda and Lilith's hands a little tighter, grounding himself so they wouldn't see him fall over. After a minute, Lilith wrapped her other arm around him, and he bent down to kiss her head.

"It's all right, Lili," he whispered. He held Gyda closer. "It's all going to be all right. I promise."

It was quiet for only a minute before Helga stepped closer to him and spoke to him gently. "If you wish for something to do, you may help me with the herbs. I can show you which ones are best."

Athelstan looked at Lilith and Gyda, holding them closer before he looked at Helga and nodded. She smiled and gestured for him to follow her to where she had set her bowl for more herbs.

Another hour passed quietly as Floki and Lagertha worked over Ragnar's wounds, managing to stop the bleeding and wrapping them in linens to keep them from becoming infected. Athelstan helped Helga ground herbs, and she also gave Lilith and Gyda vegetables to cut up for everyone else so they could eat. When it was all said and done, Floki had Athelstan help him lift Ragnar to a small bed by the fire, and Lagertha sat next to him while still covered in his blood. She glanced at Athelstan as he sat with Lilith and Gyda, staring for a few seconds before she nodded for him to come to her.

He didn't hesitate, rising from where he sat and hurrying to her. "Are you all right?" he asked immediately.

"I must wash my face and my hands," she said blankly. "As should you and Bjorn. Helga and Floki can watch my daughters while we go clean up. Bjorn, come."

Her son glanced at his father just once before he left the man's side, following his mother and Athelstan out of the hut as it rained outside.

Lagertha led them down to the water, pointing down the embankment as she arrived. "Bjorn, take Athelstan down to that alcove and help him wash his face. Come back here when you finish and wait for me."

She gave them no time to argue, walking off in the opposite direction and leaving them to find the alcove on their own. Bjorn nodded for Athelstan to follow him, and silently, he did. The rain persisted as they walked, and the cool air soothed Athelstan's face after being by the fire in Floki's hut so long. He remained quiet as they walked, keeping his head down and praying still for Ragnar to recover from this as quickly as possible.

"Come, Priest," Bjorn said. "We should not keep my mother waiting."

They made it to the alcove a minute later, and Bjorn showed Athelstan where they could wash their hands and faces. He leaned over the water after Bjorn, seeing his face for the first time in three months and discovering how different he looked from the last time. He only barely saw the blood smeared across his cheek.

"What is wrong?" Bjorn asked.

Athelstan lifted his head, looking in Bjorn's direction before he spoke. "Nothing," he said as convincingly as he could. "I didn't realize I had blood on my face."

Bjorn just shook his head, rinsing his hands, and after another minute, Athelstan followed his lead, washing the blood from his hands in the cool water.

After he washed his hands and then his face, Bjorn stood up and faced him, looking over his face and then nodding before he led them both back to the embankment. Lagertha sat on the sand in front of the water, staring at nothing as she sat alone, and Athelstan glanced at Bjorn, nodding for him to go on before he went down to sit with her.

She huffed as soon as he sat down, clenching her jaw even as tears slipped down her cheeks. He didn't have to say anything. She just started talking.

"I always knew something like this would happen," she said. "But I never believed it would happen in my home by one of my own people. And I never believed Ragnar would ever almost lose his life because of it." She paused, but still, he did not speak, knowing she wasn't finished. "I do not want to prepare my children for the possibility of losing their father," she wept. "And I do not want to prepare myself for the possibility of losing my husband. Despite our quarrels, he is my partner, and I cannot do this without him."

Athelstan reached out as gently as he could, wrapping his arm around her and comforting her as best as he could. He had only ever comforted Lilith when she'd been scared or when she had woken from bad dreams. He had never had to say anything because it was always just known how he felt and what he would say. But no one else had ever needed him to comfort them before now. And now, he felt like he needed to say something. "You would not be made to carry these burdens if you could not bear them," he said softly. "And you are the strongest person I know. I know this because you have helped me to be strong as well, and I could not do half the things I do were it not for you."

Lagertha scoffed, but not in a skeptical tone or even because she didn't believe what he said. "Is that what your God has taught you?" she asked, her voice still thick with tears.

Athelstan sighed. "No, it is what I have seen. It is what Lili has shown me, and it is what the world has taught me. You are strong, Lagertha. Ragnar is strong. And you will both get through this. I know it."

She didn't say anything else, laying her head over his shoulder and leaning into him as she cried again.

He couldn't remember ever seeing her so vulnerable, but he knew it meant that she trusted him. He knew it meant that she cared about him and probably believed he could help her. So he sat with her until she was ready to get up and go back to the hut. She didn't say anything else to him, but watching her made Athelstan realize something he had never expected.

Even after Lilith had come to the monastery, Athelstan hadn't felt like he had a family or a home. He had cared for Lilith and loved her and protected her, but he'd been a child himself, without any discernible father or mother figure to replace the ones he'd lost. He had done what he could to make sure Lilith never felt unloved, but he admitted to himself that Father Cuthbert had been a terrible role model for him, especially when he considered how the man regarded discipline.

Somehow, in just a few months, Athelstan had become a part of this world he'd been brought to without even meaning to, and more than that, after being with Ragnar and his family, Athelstan had become a part of their lives without even trying to be. It was more than adjusting or adapting. It was more than survival or even acceptance. Because Lilith had accepted them as her family, Athelstan had as well.

He realized that in just a few months, he had begun to care for these people and their well-being, and he hadn't expected that at all. It was easy to understand that where Gyda was concerned. She was such a gentle person. It was easy to care for her and love her. Bjorn was even coming around without too much trouble. Lagertha wasn't exactly welcoming, but she was protective in her own way, and Athelstan was learning how to read her the way he had always been able to do. Ragnar was another issue all by himself.

Athelstan never knew when Ragnar was in a joking mood or when he was being serious, and it was worse than trying to navigate through a den of sleeping wolves. One wrong move, and Athelstan still felt like he would suffer some imagined consequence even if the possibility wasn't very high. Their conversation before this happened was a perfect example, and it was difficult to find common ground when Ragnar constantly challenged his beliefs or even just his knowledge of the world around him. Athelstan had never felt more ignorant in his life, and he didn't like it. Even still, it was impossible to imagine this world without Ragnar in it.

"Athelstan!"

Lilith's voice startled him, and he looked around to discover himself alone on the path that led to Floki's hut. He lifted his head to see her coming toward him, and he hurried to her.

"Did something happen?" he asked frantically.

"No, but you didn't come back with Lagertha, and I was worried about you. Are you all right?"

Athelstan pushed out a heavy breath, relieved as he reached for her hand so they could go back. "I'm all right," he said, squeezing her hand gently. "I'm worried about Ragnar, obviously, but I'm also worried about Lagertha. She will need us all until he is better. And I hope I can count on you and Gyda to do that."

She lifted her other hand to hold onto his arm as they walked. "Of course we will help," she promised. "I love Ragnar as much as Gyda does. Don't you?"

He blushed without meaning to, unable to agree but smiling even as he spoke. "Well, I care for him a great deal, and I am grateful to him caring for you and making you happy. We'll probably have to work on love, if it ever happens."

Lilith laughed softly, stepping ahead of him and pulling him closer to Floki's hut.

Helga was standing at the door when they made it back, watching them with curious eyes and a little smile on her face. "We are nearly ready to cook the food," she said, and it looked like she wanted to say more. "If you still wish to help."

Athelstan nodded. "Of course."

Helga gestured for them to go inside, and she followed them, closing the door to keep out the rain. As soon as they were inside, she spoke. "You are very affectionate with Lilith," she said. "Like she is your family."

He smiled and squeezed Lilith's hand again. "That is because I helped raise her," he explained, adding, "well, we truly raised each other since I was only a child when she came to the monastery we lived in."

"So she is not your family," Helga concluded.

Athelstan shrugged. "Not technically, I suppose. But I have cared for her since she was a baby. If that doesn't make us family, then I don't know what would. If that makes sense."

She nodded, accepting what he said and smiling a little wider as she watched the two of them together.


Probably in the next chapter and obviously many after this, there will be more noticeable changes. I kind of wanted to lay the groundwork here so the beginning of the story was still the same.

It should suffice to say that as I make more changes, the outcome of certain characters will change. We shall see.

Thanks to everyone who's following this and putting this in their favorites. And a special thanks to everyone who's reviewed.

Until next time!