A permanent twilight inhabited the barn, and it took some time for Agi's eyes to properly adjust. It was dank and crowded with pacing men, some elderly, some younger than Agi herself. All of them were potentially slaves now, and it was all because of her. Agi's tense shoulders were pressed against the wall she sat beside, allowing her to glance at Denyn who sat beside her, and her brother Lon who sat beside him. It had been a remarkably easy decision for Agi to continue Floki's farce of being a common slave, until the right moment came. Judging from the vessel Denyn and Lon had arrived on, the journey to Kattegat had been hard-sought. To tell them, and indeed all these men who had traveled with them, that they had needlessly risked their lives, was surely a cruelty.
"Who are these people Lontyr?" Agi asked, squinting at her brother.
"Penniless souls and orphans..." Lon answered flatly, continuing to observe the forlorn faces surrounding them.
"Except for Jules..." Denyn piped, his voice showing merriment his face did not exhibit, his nose swollen from its impact with Rollo's fist. "Jules was my archery instructor...but...it appears he was killed when our ambush was discovered.."
"Did you truly believe Ragnar would not check for such a thing?" Agi asked tiredly.
"We didn't know what to expect of a barbarian lorde." Denyn laughed, scratching his neck. "We hear nothing of Ragnar Lothbrok's cleverness...how were we to know what manner of man we faced?"
Lon had lowered his head to massage his temple. "If Ragnar had refused to bring you to me, the archers were to retreat, regroup, and advance into the village, cause a distraction so that you and I could flee." Lon glanced sideways at Agi. "Do not fret about their fate sister. That they still live, is a blessing." he assured her.
"Yes," Denyn agreed, before Agi could respond. "Jules taught them well, but it's unlikely they'd have accomplished more than wounding Ragnar and whomever else. Still, the ambush would've provided apt time for you, Lontyr and myself to flee to the safety of our ship.."
"A simple plan." Agi murmured. with an unwelcome twinge of disappointment. "But I suppose, you do run well, brother." she taunted, with a healthy glare.
It was thoroughly impossible for Lon's face to pale and flush at the same instance, yet the muscles in his cheeks grew slackened and tight in a rush of seconds. "I did not abandon you Dianthra...I swear it. I was wounded and thought only of Jon, unable to defend himself..."
Denyn, who was prone to outbursts, said haughtily. "So you ran off to find him? Have you learnt nothing from past mistakes Lontyr?"
Lon closed his eyes grimly, his jaw clenching shut. "It was wrong, and it was for naught. Jon was slain, his maps torn from his homestead..." Lon opened his eyes again, staring past Denyn at Agi. "When I at last found you sister, you were aboard their vessel...with that filth, circling you, giggling to himself." he spat.
"Do not call him that." Agi warned.
The hostility in Agi's undertone, surprised Lon, though his features displayed only confusion. "What would you have me call him then?" he asked curiously.
"His name. Floki." Agi stated. The siblings stared at each other for several seconds, before Denyn cleared his throat.
"This..Floki...how often did he defile you?" Denyn asked reluctantly. Agi's eyes snapped from her brother, onto their mutual friend. Denyn's gaze was downcast, his lips hardened into a thin line. "I know it must be agony to think of, let alone speak aloud...but I must know, if we are to marry.."
A hysterical laugh flew from Agi's mouth. "Denyn, you do not truly think your debt to us still stands, as of this moment?" she marveled.
Denyn met her gaze, his lips softening into a smile of sorts. "I did not think of our marriage as a debt repaid, Dianthra. I cared for you long before the...unfortunate happenings that led to my inheritance."
Had he? Agi was unable to recall noticing such affection. "Is that why you came?" Agi murmured, with a hint of sadness. She had never regarded Denyn as true relationship material, marrying him was to be a business arrangement.
Denyn appeared to be considering his answer, but Lon had a response ready. "No sister," he scoffed. "I believe Denyn came to ensure his family heirlooms did not sink to the bottom of the sea.."
Agi smirked grimly, while Denyn's mouth opened in an aghast cry. "That is a relief.." Agi said, her gaze drifting from the men seated beside her. "No amount of sweetness on his part, could've inspired me to possess feelings of longevity.." she stated coldly.
Her response ruffled Denyn's feathers, he exhaled erratically, and straightened his tonic unnecessarily. "Well, seems I needn't have made the journey at all - what with this news of King Horik being your kin. Why not tell me, Lon?" Denyn complained.
"I truly thought treasure would be enough for these savages...but it appears Agi is worth more than gold and jewels." Lon responded, his gaze boring into his sibling. Agi did not like the way her brother said her Norse name, her auburn eyes narrowing into a moderate leer. "Why did they give you that name, what is its meaning?" he prodded.
"Longing in bewilderment." Agi answered curtly. "And while I speak of bewilderment, do tell me brother - did Father ever give his reasoning as to why Horik is untrustworthy? Why he deemed we should avoid our uncle? Surely Father knew we would never live easily, without a guardian."
Lon chuckled darkly. "We had a guardian of sorts once..but you were too young to remember. The lordship of the knight who had slain our father, was displeased with his knight's decision and saw fit to aid us. We lived good during your infancy, and some years afterward...safe within the borders of his land. Then the lordship informed me his wife was with child, and we were no longer welcome." Lon paused to laugh again, bitterness swelling his tongue. "I remember being so angry. We didn't live in his palace, why did we have to go? But a change came over him...I argued no further.."
Agi's head felt heavy, as she shifted through her earliest childhood memories. She could remember, at perhaps age 5, being angry at Lon for having to leave someplace. A man had soothed her, his voice hypnotic, his hair paler than honey. Agi could remember nothing else. "What was his name?" she asked cluelessly.
"Ecbert." Lon spat.
"Ecbert? Of Wessex?" Denyn chortled. "You Waylands have the favor of Our Lord and Savior indeed.."
"Yet here we sit, Denyn." Lon argued. "On Pagan land, in a barn that reeks of manure and piss. There is no telling how long it will take for King Horik to arrive...or that he shall arrive at all. We rely only on the word of Earl Ragnar." Lon's attention swept past Denyn onto his sibling. "I expect you trust Ragnar, Dianthra? Surely you'd not have shared our past with him otherwise." Lon's words inspired confusion within Denyn, who turned to gaze at the female at his side.
"You told him? Willingly?" Denyn gawked.
"I spoke no specifics." Agi mumbled sourly, alining her gaze with the gaggle of would-be slaves standing and stirring around her.
"Still, we swore never to speak of it again." Denyn tsked.
An angry retort clambered on Agi's tongue, but she did not speak it. Her attention had been sewn onto a man, amongst the crowd, who was staring straight at her. He was roughly her age, with piercing eyes, and a grimace etched into his handsome face. His rusty red hair clung to the back of his ears, facial hair trickled across his jawline. Agi was certain she had seen him before, and she sat forward, in concentration. When Agi blinked however, he had disappeared. Her heartbeat rose in shock, a surprised frown quivering on her lips. With each passing second that Agi's mind reeled in disbelief, his finer features such as eye color and physique, began to allude her.
Lon's voice grated into Agi's ears. "Dianthra? What's wrong?" he asked urgently.
Agi remained silent a moment longer, convincing herself that she was mistaken in assuming she had glimpsed her future son. "...We should get some sleep. It'll likely take a day or so for Horik to arrive." Agi murmured, curling sideways onto the ground. Her gaze was still fixated on where she had seen the disappearing man, when Agi closed her eyes and drifted into uneasy slumber.
She crawled as fast as she could to her father, but it did not slow the blood seeping from him. Still she crawled across the dirt, until at last her chubby palms sank into the sticky red substance. Then she sat back on her haunches, and cried. She was hurriedly lifted from the ground, and through her tears she recognized her sibling, before he pressed her face into his chest. She turned her head sideways to wail louder, and it was then she saw the cruel knight arguing with the distraught king.
Agi awoke to the sound of Athelstan's voice, and the smell of roasted chicken. A sixth sense told Agi, she was no longer in the barn. When she opened her eyes, she recognized her surroundings as the home of Ragnar. Floki sat on the edge of the bed, a plate of chicken in his grasp. Ragnar stood against the wall, in the small archway that separated the bedroom from the dining area. Agi could see Athelstan sitting at the table with Lon and Denyn. Lon had turned completely in his seat to keep an eye on his sleeping sister. The fact that Agi was awake now, did not change his demeanor in the slightest.
"Your kin is a stubborn man." Ragnar said, flicking his gaze onto his guests. "I ate from his plate, but still he refuses to consume his meal."
"I don't like him." Floki informed, munching on the skin of the chicken, as Agi shifted into a sitting position.
"Yet you let him live.." Agi murmured.
"I did. What was I thinking?" Floki replied with a wry glance at Ragnar. Agi also glanced at Ragnar, who was already studying her.
"What is wrong with your brother?" Ragnar asked bluntly. "He told me your God damned him at birth...what did he mean?"
Agi quietly debated, and as she did, she lobbed her gaze from Ragnar, to Lon, then onto Floki, before she chose to stare at the ground instead. "He is an abomination, so the Bible says." she responded ruefully.
"And what do you say?" Ragnar pressed.
Agi met Ragnar's gaze. The words she crafted were made of unshakable resolve. "I say he is my brother. I killed those who threatened to flay him, and I would do so again." Agi stated, anger burned within her eyes, and spite coursed through her heart.
Floki maneuvered a bit, so he could better see her face. "You don't fear the wraith of your God Agi?" he asked.
"No." Agi answered plainly. "
"Why not?"
"I have no God."
"You've no God, because Odin has already claimed you..." Ragnar spoke up. Floki exchanged a look with Ragnar, who gave a short nod. "Tell her." Ragnar added in a mumble.
Floki set down his plate and pulled Agi closer to him. "You asked Helga once, why it is I took you...?" he began, his arm hooked around her back.
"..Yes." Agi admitted, her breathing slowing to a crawl.
"It was during my fight with your brother, that the Goddess sisters Hnossa* and Gersemi appeared, beckoning to me. They ran, so I chased them...and do you know where I was led, Agi? Straight to you." Floki explained with a proud grin.
"I don't understand, who are they?" Agi murmured.
"They are the daughters of Freya and Odur*.." Floki cast a sideways glance toward the dining area. "But this discussion can wait, for a time when there are less ears of outsiders present..." he decided.
Ragnar smirked a bit, and also glanced in the direction of Lon. "Your brother seems to believe we will both bed you at any moment, Agi." Ragnar kept his head slightly turned away, even as his pulsating stare trapped Agi. "A shame to disappoint him...isn't it?" he simpered. Ragnar reveled in the heat flash radiating from Agi's face, the pinkness that streaked her cheeks as Floki giggled.
Agi was fairly certain, Ragnar had only made such a remark to rile her, yet her blushing shamed her. "Lon already faces disappointment - in rescuing me and perhaps even, in meeting our uncle Horik..." Agi responded.
"There is likely much truth in that." Ragnar a brief moment of contemplation, Ragnar strolled into the bedroom and slowly hunched down in front of Agi.
A hurricane of desire and panic thrashed Agi's insides. "..I didn't mean..!" Agi blurted, shrinking slightly into the embrace of Floki's arm still knitted around her waist. The logical thing for Agi to do, would've been to stand up, push aside Ragnar and join Athelstan at the table with her kin. It appeared, however, that logic was failing Agi. "That wasn't permission." she choked out, unable to do anything more than stare at Ragnar.
Floki kept half his attention on the redheaded male in the adjourning room. "Sounded like permission to me.." he slyly retorted, lowering his hand from her hip onto the fold of her thigh. Agi glanced up at him in alarm.
"Are you certain it wasn't Agi?" Ragnar agreed. With a short glance over his shoulder, Ragnar rocked forward on his feet as if he were about to kiss her. Interestingly, Agi did not recoil nor raise her hand to stop him.
In the background Lon scurried from his seat, broke his plate upon the ground, fetched a sharpened shard of it and advanced toward them. Ragnar instantly stood upright with a smirk shining on his face, his hands held somewhat upward in surrender. "Merely a jest Lontyr..." Ragnar assured him. "We are more dignified than you may believe.."
Lon's face did not thaw from its glower, nor did he lower the weapon he held. "Oh, I doubt that..." he growled.
Denyn hastily grabbed Lon's arm. "Lon sit down, you're going to get us killed!" he woefully hissed.
Lon shrugged free of Denyn's weak grip, his auburn eyes remaining steadfast on Ragnar. "I'm sure I speak for all of us, when I say we grow weary of your hospitality Earl Rag..."
"No." Agi interrupted, rising from her place. Lon glanced at his sibling in confusion, as she stepped forward, putting herself between Ragnar and him. "No Lontyr, you cannot speak for me, no one speaks for me but myself."
"Sister this is not the time for..." Lon fumed, but he trailed off, as he got a good look at his sister's face. She bore the same indignant glare and disdainful frown that Lon had witnessed in the barn. A dark laugh pierced his throat, as he dropped the jagged shard. "...You soiled slag..." he whispered haughtily.
Agi shoved him with all her might, causing Lon to stagger backwards over the broken plate. "I will not be judged by a fleeing coward!" she said through clenched teeth. "I easily could've abandoned you once but I stayed and fought..yet when the Northmen came I received no such loyalty from you! Is it any wonder that I had hoped you were dead, so that I would never have to look upon you again?!"
"Jon..." Lon began to retort, but Denyn interrupted him.
"Do not speak of Jonathan, if it weren't for you and he, you and Dianthra would not have been in Eltisley!" Denyn piped. "You'd still have been safe and sound with me, in Croxton." Agi glanced at Denyn with a slight hue of horror lighting her eyes.
"Croxton?" Ragnar echoed. "Not Caxton?"
Denyn looked vaguely surprised, then he scoffed. "Caxton is naught but marshland Ser..."
Agi's eyes became sealed shut in shame, a grimace sickened her face. She felt Ragnar step closer to her, his breath fanned the side of her face. "Caxton is marshland, Agi. Croxton is a city of substance, the same city your brother retreated to, so it would seem. Did you know that, when you charted the course with me?"
Denyn made a stifled noise of delight. "You were going to deceive them? Oh Dianthra that's...oh...right..." he stammered foolishly. When Agi opened her eyes, she glared openly at Denyn, whose shoulders slumped in shame. "I-I didn't know!" he added worriedly.
"I did not draw a direct path to Caxton...we would've passed by Longstowe, surely profit would've been obtained there..." Agi told Ragnar.
"Have you journeyed there before?" Ragnar asked lowly.
"...No." Agi muttered.
"I am disappointed Agi..." Ragnar hummed, his gaze flicking onto Athelstan. "But not surprised..." Ragnar planted a kiss in the grove of Agi's cheekbone, cast a brief glance at Lon, then sat in his empty seat, beside Denyn. "Tell me of Elsworth, Denyn. Would you say the area is more bountiful than Croxton?" he asked.
Denyn appeared immensely uncomfortable, as he addressed Ragnar. "..Yes I have heard it is the largest trading village in all of Grantebrychge..."
"How far is Croxton from Elsworth?" Floki piped curiously.
"..I-I do not know for certain, but the two are neighbors certainly..." Denyn murmured.
"Good..." Ragnar said, crossing his arms. "Horik will be pleased indeed, not only will he receive his kin, but he will also receive a place to pillage..."
"You lie!" Lon spat. "Horik is no barbarian..."
Ragnar pivoted his body to look at the redheaded male. "How would you know, when you've never met him?" he challenged. Lon remained quiet, glancing apprehensively at Agi. Ragnar smirked, and called out to Torstein. "Show Lontyr and Denyn back to the barn Torstein...we must speak alone with Agi..." Ragnar instructed, picking at the chicken Denyn hadn't yet eaten.
"What will you do to her?" Lon asked wearily.
"Nothing she would not enjoy, Smith..." Floki answered with an accompanying giggle.
Silence grew within the structure until Denyn and Lon were escorted outside by Torstein. Agi watched them go, intent on looking anywhere but at the prying eyes of Floki and Ragnar. Athelstan observed each of them briefly, before breaking the stalemate. "Ragnar you mustn't be upset with Agi. I'm certain she only hoped to perverse a city she once called home..." Athelstan said earnestly.
"No one asked you to stay Priest..." Floki grumbled.
Ragnar however, tore his gaze from Agi to assess Athelstan who sat across from him. "What would you have me do with her Athelstan? She has deceived us, surely we cannot bring her along now...Shall I order her to stay and bare your child?" he pondered.
"Ragnar!" Agi cried, her thoughts racing to the vision she had the day before.
Ragnar's eyes darted to her, though his face remained directed at Athelstan. "It was to be our arrangement wasn't it? You would pillage with us, become a free woman...or you would remain a slave, entering motherhood..." Ragnar reminded emotionlessly.
Athelstan cleared a knot of anxiety growing in his throat. "Do you not think we should await King Horik's arrival? He may wish to take Agi back to Denmark, to live in luxury..." he pointed out.
"I would not wish that." Agi said, coaxing herself into breathing, as her heart hammered relentlessly against her ribs. "But I would wish to speak to the Seer..."
Floki tilted his head, his arms crossed tightly over his small frame. "You swore you would never go back to the Seer." he remarked.
"I swore a great many things once...I've changed somewhat..." Agi responded softly.
"Go then." Ragnar dismissed. "For now, we will heed Athelstan's request - we will reach a decision after King Horik has arrived.."
The Seer was never surprised of his visitors, largely because he could not feel surprise at all. If he could, perhaps now would've been an exception.
"Why have you come Agi?" the Seer greeted.
Agi loathed sitting, she wanted to pace around, but his hut was simply too small to do so. "I must know what is to become of me..." she said, an invisible weight boring down onto her head.
"Do you not already know?" the Seer retorted.
Agi frowned, her words hesitant on her tongue. "I suspect but..." Agi trailed off, and inhaled deeply. "I saw a young man...I cannot recall his face, nor truly what he looked like...but...I knew him, yet I don't believe we had ever met. He stared at me as though I wronged him..."
"You've never met that is true, you know one another deeply, though he has not yet been born nor conceived..." the Seer confirmed.
"..My child. Why is he appearing before me, why now?"
"The timing is of no reverence, he will continue to appear to you until he is within your belly."
"...My future is to bear a son...there is no changing it?" Agi asked, her tone riddled with regret.
"It is your future, but it is not all of your future. The Gods know what is best for you..." the Seer answered.
"...Will my child have siblings?" Agi asked.
The Seer's mouth curled into a laugh. "Perhaps."
"Why do you laugh?" Agi pressed, feeling a cornel of irritation.
"Because I know the question you do not speak...the question only a harlot could dare breathe without reprieve. Know this Agi, your son will appear to you one last time before inhabiting your womb, as he will also appear to the father whose seed he will sprout from. Your son will appear within arm's length, but you will not reach for him." the Seer predicted.
"...And if by chance the father, isn't forthcoming about seeing the child?" Agi fretted.
The Seer exhumed a laugh again. "Lust dwindles with time, but times does not dwindle all lust. Your son will appear behind a basin of blood and water, mere moments before he is conceived...I have you told enough for one day Agi..Leave me."
A/N - I think someone needs to remind Michael Hirst that he need not compete with Game Of Thrones. Seriously, I can't handle this season of Vikings. At all.
I chose the alternate spelling of Odr (Odur) and Hnoss (Hnossa). I was also a little reluctant to include both sisters (Hnoss and Gersemi) since they seem fairly identical, but I made a judgement call. Floki would know the difference between them, and what difference I was able to dig up, suggest that Hnoss is more a deity of infatuation itself whereas Gersemi is more alined with actual treasure.
The precise locations...*sigh*..probably didn't exist by those names way back then, I know Grantebrychge is correct because it was later changed to Cambridge. So I apologize to any geographical/historical whizs amongst you, I tried looking at old maps, but honestly I kept confusing myself.
Thrilled as I was to realize I had a perfect niche to include Ecbert...well...now I feel conflicted, because a part of me feels like Agi has to meet him at some point. What do you think?