A/N - Likely not the chapter you expected, but necessities had to be had.
Rarely, did the Seer sleep. A fortunate fact for Ragnar.
"Why have you come?" The Seer greeted.
Ragnar sat across from him, elbows pressed into his knees. "She is different. Agi. It has made me wonder, what the Gods have in store for her."
"I see that she is dancing fire. Mindful of her flame, but oblivious to those she brands...The Gods have no plans for her, or none they are yet willing to share." The Seer contemplated.
Ragnar lowered his head, his enthusiasm ebbing. "So there is no telling, what will become of her, once she is freed..?"
The Seer also bowed his head, concentrating. "Freedom is not so easily granted. Another fire springs forth, smothering its kin. Acceptance, hard-sought and unconditional, will gnash upon each other, ending with tears. She is her own undoing. I can speak no more of Agi."
"Why not?"
"The Gods have fallen silent."
The sparring matches between Torstein and Agi became a public spectacle of sorts, the crowd varying day to day. Some watched in contempt, such as Rollo. Others viewed it as entertainment, like Floki. For Ragnar, it was an opportunity to stare at her without prosecution. Ragnar had not asked the Seer, the question that pursued his waking thoughts. Ragnar felt uncertain the answer, whatever it may be, would sate his inclination.
Ragnar dropped his gaze from the makeshift battlefield, to Athelstan who sat beside him. "Do you notice a change in Agi, Athelstan?" he wondered. "Not in her sword-work, in Agi herself...?"
"She looks...less anguished..." Athelstan replied uncertainly.
Ragnar unleashed a chuckle. "Yes. She has fully settled into Floki..." Ragnar muttered, reverting his gaze onto Agi. The sparring had reached its conclusion, with Agi and Torstein dispersing separately into the gaggle of onlookers.
"You mean settled into life with him." Athelstan, incorrectly presumed.
Ragnar peered at Athelstan sideways, a smirk budding on his lips. "Can you not tell?" Ragnar retorted, with the shadow of a laugh.
Athelstan frowned, his gaze seeking out Agi. She stood in close proximity Floki, resting her shoulder against Helga. Agi raised a stout mug of mead to her smiling lips, her auburn eyes alight and fixated on Floki.
Noting the realization dawning on Athelstan's face, Ragnar snickered and patted the back of Athelstan's neck. "It was only a matter of time, Athelstan." he stated.
Agi had become accustomed to being stared at, yet somehow, it felt fresh when Athelstan was the guilty gawker. Agi exhaled an irked sigh, and stepped away from the forge, wiping her sooted hands against her slacks. "Oftentimes I ignore those who stare at me, because I do not care for their reasoning. It seems you are an exception, Athelstan." Agi greeted, taking slow deliberate steps in his direction.
Streaks of pink blemished Athelstan's pale skin. "I am sorry." he paused, studying Agi with what he hoped was a less intense gaze. "I suppose it is just my foolish surprise, betraying me." Agi tilted her head, her hair whisking in the breeze. Athelstan broke eye contact, his face tinging in discomfort. "I should not have bothered you, forgive me." Athelstan turned to leave, but Agi's hand coupled with his wrist. Rather than meet her questioning gaze, Athelstan's blue-green eyes surveyed her coiled fingers. "When I arrived here, that first night, Ragnar and Lagertha propositioned me." Agi retracted her hand with a laugh. Ignoring how his skin ached at the loss of her physical contact, Athelstan continued. "I refused, but I did think on it."
Agi crossed her arms, hoping to dispel the image from her mind. "Then perhaps this is a conversation best had with them." she replied. Her eyes narrowed as Athelstan continued to stare pensively at her. "..Unless...you are alluding to something." Agi mused.
Athelstan gave a half-nod. "You and Floki..and Helga..." he mumbled timorously. "You..share each other?"
Floki's laughter drew Agi's attention from Athelstan. A laugh still lingered on his mouth, but the rest of Floki's face was wrenched into a glower. "Why do you ask Priest? Do you wish it were you involved, not me?"
Athelstan's gaze darted from him to Agi. "No I..." he stammered, breaking eye contact.
"Then why bring it up?" Floki interrupted, his features unchanged.
Athelstan swallowed his anxiety, and held his head higher. He ruefully eyed Agi. "You preserved yourself for so long, I found it odd, is all. " he explained, his palm hugging the backside of his other hand.
"Odd?" Agi repeated blankly, raising an eyebrow.
Athelstan pursed his lips. "It seemed...disagreeable, that you would take two partners instead of..."
"You?" Agi guessed, earning a giggle from Floki. "You are envious, Athelstan.." she accused.
"I meant to say, that it is unlike you." Athelstan insisted.
Floki spat at Athelstan's feet. "You know nothing about her, Priest." he sneered, his shoulder clanging against Athelstan's as he walked past.
Athelstan cast a weary glance over his shoulder, at the lanky man he had pissed off. When his head straightened, Athelstan saw Agi had remained still, her gaze painted plaintively upon him. Athelstan attempted a smile, but it was lop-sided. "You told me once, that you would not become complacent here. You desired freedom above all else. Giving yourself to him, does that not complicate matters?" Athelstan asked.
"I thought it would...but the opposite is true." Agi responded, her voice soft, her words leaden. "You spoke of self-preservation...I fought so hard, to hate him and Ragnar...and when I was unable, I loathed myself instead."
"I remember." Athelstan said quietly.
"The effort was for naught, Athelstan. I can hate their deeds, but I cannot bring myself to hate either man. To accept that, is to preserve myself...which is what I have done." Agi explained.
"That is a thin line to walk." Athelstan mused.
"Do you not walk a similar line...priest?" Agi inquired.
Athelstan's features smoothed out, a frown biting on his lips. Knowing she had struck a nerve, Agi placed a kiss into his cheekbone and returned to the forge.
To the best of her ability, Agi had made peace with her double-edged feelings for Ragnar, but it did not steady her heart, when he summoned her. Collecting herself, Agi stared up at the rooftop of the Great Hall. For the briefest of seconds, Agi thought she saw two figures walking on the roof's foremost edge. Agi blinked, and saw nothing. Days ago, she had convinced herself, the vision she had seen of Ragnar and her baby, had been due to sleep deprivation. Since then, she had slept soundly. If Agi had another vision, she would have a harder time lying to herself now. Closing her eyes, Agi composed herself and pushed through the door. Ragnar stood expectantly within, two swords laid out on the table beside him.
"Why must we always meet here? Does it not draw more attention than it hides, Earl Ragnar?" Agi greeted, as carefree as her nerves allowed.
"You hold your breath whenever we converse...we meet here so that you may breathe." Ragnar retorted cheekily, spreading his arms out for emphasis. Agi's leer did not hold the same weight it once would've, but Ragnar enjoyed the sight of it nonetheless.
"The length of the room is of no importance - I mistrust being alone with you." Agi responded potently.
"Why, what've I done?" Ragnar asked with an invisible chuckle, lowering his arms. Agi glowered at him, though her expression changed when Ragnar shifted his gaze, and held up one of the swords. "This is the first sword you crafted at our forge, is it not?" Ragnar asked, strolling forward. Agi nodded and with a minor smirk, Ragnar offered it to her.
Agi's hand wrapped around its handle reluctantly, her eyes clouded in confusion. "You wish us to spar?" she murmured, watching as Ragnar retrieved the other sword from the table.
"Was that not obvious?" Ragnar replied, twirling his weapon, his legs pacing in a half-circle around her. "You've fought those close to me, if you did not fight me, I would be offended..."
"And if I told you I did not care, what then?" Agi replied, pacing in the counter direction of Ragnar.
Ragnar smirked guilefully. "Then I would remind you, when last we were alone, you told me you wanted to kill me - how do you hope to accomplish that if you cannot spar with me?"
"I didn't say I couldn't spar, only that I didn't care to." Agi corrected, pointing her sword at him.
"And why not?" Ragnar challenged, batting the side of his sword against hers. "Is it because I disgust you so?"
"Stop it." Agi said shortly.
"Stop what?" Ragnar piped eagerly.
"Stop this charade - we are not children, Ragnar!" Agi said, ceasing her pacing and tossing her sword aside.
The irony of her actions amused Ragnar, but he played along. Shedding his sword too, Ragnar closed the gap between them. "We are not children...you will not bite me this time then..." Ragnar responded, engulfing his mouth over hers. Agi's shoulders turned to stone, but her lips flared betwixt his. Ragnar tugged her closer, quickening the kiss, lulling his tongue at intervals. Agi felt his rough fingers latch against her bare back, and she regained control. Her boot slammed out against his calf, and as he buckled in surprise, she hurriedly put distance between them. "Oh we are not children!" Ragnar mocked, with a dark laugh.
Agi's breathing was uneven, her fingers shaking as she grazed them through her scalp. "You would forsake Lagertha and Floki for a few minutes of pleasure?" she snapped.
"Not minutes, no." Ragnar jested.
"Argh!" Agi huffed, scrambling to retrieve her sword.
"You wish to fight? Good," Ragnar paused to grab his own sword off the floor. "I feared you may throw a tantrum again!" he snickered. In her riled state, Agi struck before Ragnar was ready. Her blade licked his abdomen, drawing blood. Ragnar looked up at her through his lashes, drowning her in his stare, and tsking. "Dianthra.." he simpered, pivoting his arms up his sleeves, Ragnar shrugged out of his tunic, one side at a time.
Her breath compiling in her throat, Agi's auburn eyes raked in the sight of his scarred, muscular torso. "I wonder. " she said, though her tone grew husky as if she were winded. "Will you at last show yourself to be Rollo's brother? Will you force yourself upon me?"
"You are the forcer here Agi." Ragnar retorted, circling her. "You force yourself to resist...as though I don't moisten you."
Agi struck out at him repeatedly, their swords crashing into another in flawless parries. "I, am not, so easily enticed, Ragnar Lothbrok.." she grunted between swings.
Ragnar smirked, rolled his shoulder back and heaved the sword overhead. Agi had to use both her hands to block the attack, and Ragnar continued to bear his weight into the sword. Agi began to back away, in preparation for side-stepping out from beneath this stalemate. With minimal power, Ragnar guided Agi to the wall, their swords still deadlocked in the air. Ragnar snaked his free hand beneath Agi's breeches, enclosing his fingers in her womanly folds. Agi's wrists grew limp, and Ragnar skated their swords aside, straightening his other arm to rest his weight against the wall behind her. "Your clit betrays you, Dianthra." he whispered, stroking her wetness.
"Don't." Agi breathed, her hands clinging to his arm hovering over her shoulder. Equally, she wanted to pry him off her, and wanted him to pry within her.
"Don't what?" Ragnar asked, venturing deep. She was close, unfairly close.
Agi's eyes rolled to the back of her head, her body quivered at every twitch of his fingers. "Don't call me Dian-thra.." she murmured with each intake of breath.
Ragnar smiled. "Alright." he leaned his mouth to her ear. "Agi." His nose slopped past her ear, into the weaves of her hair, as Agi cried out in release. "Have you ever killed before?" he asked, massaging her anew.
"Yes." Agi answered softly, her eyes still shut.
"Did you enjoy it?"
"..It..didn't haunt me.."
Ragnar pressed his thumb into her hard and Agi's eyes flew open. "I asked did you enjoy it?" he persisted.
"...Yes." Agi said through clenched teeth.
"Would you enjoy killing me?"
"Ragnar."
"Answer." Ragnar insisted, slicking his fingers in and out.
"N-No!" Agi whispered, crumbling against his chest. His natural musk washed into her nostrils, bristling her pheromones. Her hands abandoned his arm to clamp onto his neck. Standing on her toes she mashed her mouth against his and Ragnar's jaw crackled, deepening the kiss.
The sound of the door being bashed open, put a halt on their sexual endeavor. Both Ragnar and Agi stared at the newcomer. Athelstan's eyes were wider than usual, slightly breathless and throughly surprised at what he had just walked into. "..Ragnar.." he muttered in shock.
Ragnar reluctantly pushed himself off the wall, separating himself from Agi and rounding onto Athelstan. "What is it?" Ragnar demanded with a hiss of disappointment.
"..The hunters found trespassers in the forest, one of them asked for you by name..." Athelstan said.
Ragnar glanced at Agi, nipping his fingertips in his mouth for a quick taste. "Duty calls." he replied with a weak smirk, bonding towards the doorway.
Choosing to stare at Ragnar's bloodied tunic, rather than Athelstan, Agi righted her wrinkled clothes and hurried outside before he could speak.
Ragnar journeyed into the forest on horseback, shirtless, biding the chilled wind to calm his prowess. For once his curiosity had become a nuisance - had not been so strong, Ragnar would've likely remained to feed his sexual appetite. Ragnar instantly spotted the hunters as well as a small group of bruised intruders, all knelt in mercy. Ragnar laughed a little, slowing his horse to a gallop, then a walk. It was easy to guess, which had requested Ragnar by name. Dismounting, Ragnar brushed his fingers through the mane of his horse as he stepped forward. Ragnar leaned down on his haunches, and raised the chin of the broad-shouldered man of the group. "Lon, wasn't it?" Ragnar greeted, avidly inspecting the rustic redhead.
A/N-Why yes that is a cliffhanger!
'When would Lon appear?', was far easier to decide than 'how does Lon appear?'. I considered shipwrecked in the middle of the sea, then I considered washed ashore, then I considered him just sailing up. This felt the most realistic.