A/N - It saddens me to lose followers/readers, but there's that old saying - you can't please everyone. The Rollo/Agi strife had be resolved somehow, either by rape or the decision I made. I stand by my decision. I'll admit it was OOC for Rollo - he would've raped Agi later, during his rebellion against Ragnar. I had planned as much, but I grew attached to Agi, and I noticed others had too. I realized I could not subject her to that, particularly when Agi would've potentially been at her strongest (at that point in the storyline).
I decided to name this chapter, for a few reasons, which I'm sure you can guess. One of which, is that this marks the end of the first saga of Agi's life in Kattegat. Tis an altered line from Bastille's Bad Blood song, because the actual lyric wouldn't fit as a title. (And I was afraid simply calling it 'Bad Blood' would spark thoughts of Taylor Swift, which wasn't my intention.)
I crafted my viking OC Jynir Still-Knee with actor Tom Wlaschiha in mind. (aka Jaqen H'ghar from GOT)
Agi had endured many night terrors, that carried into the waking hour, but not once had she herself been aware she was dreaming. At last it happened, the euphoria of knowing she was sleeping, whilst still dreaming. It was not an immediate realization, but the moment Denyn's spirit appeared to her, Agi knew. She knew him to be a ghost, because he was deathly pale, his throat slit into a gaping gash, yet he spoke coherently, his brilliant blue eyes wide and sorrowful. "Dearest Dianthra, my death is your fault.." His voice was not angry, nor sad, but it jarred Agi even so. "I risked everything to rescue you, but you did not need rescuing. It was all for naught."
Feeling as if something need be said, if only to progress things, Agi mumbled. "...I'm sorry."
"No, you aren't." Denyn argued, his voice still empty. "If you were, if you mourned me, you would've killed Rollo when the opportunity presented itself. You had him at the mercy of a sword, and you did not think once of me. You thought only of your own selfish could've killed him then and there...instead you let him pollute you..."
Shamed, Agi gazed down at her wretched palm. A wild sense of panic debased her composure, as her auburn eyes stared unflinchingly at the blackened streaks of dead flesh branching outward from her wound. Her fingers curled shut around the festering disease, but the instant her fingertips connected to her palm, the blackness spread. It wormed over the ridges of her fingers, and snaked its way past her knuckles. Hurriedly, Agi relaxed her hand. Her fingers cracked and crumbled like burning wood, disappearing like ash in a sudden gust of wind. "No!" she whispered futilely.
A foreign set of male hands coupled around her deteriorating palm, the very touch of them seemed to slow the decay, his thumbs stumping out the blackness. Agi glanced urgently at the person hunched before her, piecing her hand together. He was a stranger, younger than her by a feeble ten years, but they shared the same reddened hair. She knew who he was by his ocean-hued eyes, knew him even before he spoke. "It's alright Mother." he smiled, his grin slightly askew like his father's.
Agi felt a second presence looming beside her, but she did not acknowledge it, until the person spoke. The voice was lighter than his brother's and when she gazed upon him, she noted he was far ganglier than his kin. "She worries too much." he huffed, crossing one arm over the other. His hair was tannish red, his eyes grey and unyielding.
"I know." hummed the first one, his thumb massaging her fingers back into existence.
"What will be, will be." assured the lanky one.
Agi's gaze drifted from her future sons, onto the horizon. There stood the daughter, her eyes a dark slate, her face expressionless, red hair tussling in the breeze. Suddenly an arrow pierces her chest, but she does not scream nor grimace nor bleed. She merely fades away. The uncanny snickering of the lanky male, resonates throughout Agi. She glanced again to her right, witnessing as he lowered his bow from eye-level, still gazing outward, his mouth hardened into a jeer.
"I wanted to do that!" complained the blue-eyed one, straightening from his haunches.
"You were busy fixing Mother!" retorted the grey-eyed one.
Agi looked at her blistering palm, and found it had in fact, been made whole. There was a thick scar in the midst of her palm, that would not grow faint, no matter how hard she wished it to. When she glanced up, her sons had vanished, replaced by their fathers. Both Ragnar and Floki, had a single word carved into their bleeding throats. Ragnar's read 'Temptation', Floki bore 'Damnation'.
The predawn sky seeped through the window, as Agi awoke. She was turned on her side, opposite Floki and Helga who slept soundly in his embrace. Agi's hands were clasped around one another, as she separated them, she studied the bloodied tissue of her left hand. The wound likely wouldn't close on its own, it already had its stint with infection before Rollo had torn it deeper. Agi needed to speed the healing process, and she needed to it now. Floki's eyes didn't quiver, as Agi gingerly shifted off the bed. She was scarcely aware of her action, yet she felt the need to do it. She crept from their home, moving silently through the town even when no silence was rightly needed. She ventured into Ragnar's abode, grimacing as the guarddog gave a low whine beside the entrance. The dog did not rise from his resting position, and did little else but observe Agi carefully, as she navigated to Athelstan's room. Gazing at the priest's slumbering form, a sudden reluctancy eschewed her resolve. Athelstan, however, began to toss and turn, beneath her heavy stare. Agi drew in a deep breath, and stepped closer. "Athelstan.." she whispered, cupping a hand to his shoulder. Athelstan shied from her touch, a frown fumbling across his drowsy lips. "Athelstan..please...I need your help.." Agi urged.
The sound of Ragnar's husky voice startled Agi, which in turn awoke Athelstan since her hand was still joined with his shoulder, when she jumped in surprise. "You are not as light on your feet as you may think.." he greeted, resting his forearm against the doorframe. Ragnar stood fully undressed and unabashed. The way Agi's shoulders had bunched toward her ears, indicated she wished to turn her back on him. In an attempt to maintain her dignity, Agi instead kept her gaze fastened onto Athelstan, as if Ragnar had not interrupted at all. " Why do you need Athelstan's help?" Ragnar added curiously.
"You wouldn't understand...just as Lagertha will not understand why I am here and you are out of bed." Agi spoke hurriedly with a hiss of urgency.
Ragnar lowered his forearm from the doorframe, onto his bare chest, crossing his arms as he rested his shoulder against the door. Lagertha stepped up beside him, the fastenings of her nightgown undone. "Then perhaps you best explain to both of us." she greeted, her tone equally forlorn and friendly.
It had not occurred to Agi that Ragnar and Lagertha may've been already awake and she cursed herself immensely for not considering it. Agi chose to look mainly at Lagertha, her gaze straying onto Athelstan briefly. "I needed Athelstan's assistance with something spiritual.." she explained. "I did not wish to wait for morning, for fear of Floki interrupting us."
Hoping to goad her, Ragnar mused. "This must be important to you, to go behind your master's back."
An automatic leer jumped forth from Agi's eyes onto Ragnar's face. "..It is..." she said thickly.
"Then see to it." Lagertha dismissed. As she retreated, Lagertha noticed how Agi's gaze leapt from her, straight to the floor. Ragnar lingered for a moment, clearly hoping Agi would look upon his nudity. She did not. Lagertha dutifully straightening her head as Ragnar followed in his wife's footsteps.
Agi continued to stare at the floor, until her eyes willed themselves closed. Agi's brow furrowed as she heard a near silent, snigger exhuming from Athelstan. "That wasn't funny Athelstan." she whispered in disapproval.
Agi sat on her knees beside the river, the stones embedding themselves into her shins. Athelstan loomed beside her, clenching tongs with a red-hot bar of iron enclosed. Agi raised her ruined palm skyward, sealing her eyes shut. Athelstan also closed his eyes, then he recited a verse. "Our Savior Jesus Christ we beg you, hide Your face from her sins and blot out her iniquities. Create in Dianthra a clean heart, O'Lord and renew a steadfast spirit within her. Envelope her in new peace - cleared, cleansed and good.."
Athelstan pressed the red-hot bar against Agi's wound. It felt as if the sun itself was scorching her palm, sizzling angrily at her. Agi attempted to downplay her scream, but the longer the iron grilled into her flesh, the greater the effort. They had walked deep into the forest, in the hopes that Agi's wail would not be overheard. At long last, Athelstan withdrew the tongs and Agi collapsed her hand into the river. Tears trudged from her eyelids, sliding down her cheeks and dropping into the freshwater stream. Beneath the water, Agi forcefully relaxed the numbed fingers of her wretched hand, attempting to ignore how the burn seared with the smallest movement.
Athelstan dropped the tongs and the adjourned iron, aside and sank down beside her. "Agi?" he mumbled, the word heavy with concern.
"Thank you Athelstan.." Agi breathed, slowly leaning backward onto her haunches, her fingers combing the riverbed. "Though I wish you hadn't used that name.."
"It was the name you were born with. Any other, He may not have recognized." Athelstan responded.
Agi heaved a sigh from her raw throat. "I suppose you are right.." she murmured, jumbling her fingers. The motion enacted a horrid pain, and Agi stopped instantly. Leaning forward to maintain the stream's current, Agi winced as she gingerly turned over her hand, to examine her palm. The burn was blinding to behold, but a welcome contrast to the open wound it had been. Agi glanced sideways at Athelstan. "You should return to Ragnar, begin your morning duties."
"And you?" Athelstan asked.
"I will stay here until I am summoned the bid my kin farewell.." Agi responded.
"You realize, it is not only your kin who leaves today?" Athelstan said slowly. "King Horik's men await at a charter upstream. Floki's fleet of vessels are complete, Ragnar intends to set sail..."
"..I thought there was still time, that Horik would return home first and then they would..." Agi trailed off futilely amid Athelstan shaking his head. "Oh." she muttered, staring into the river.
"Must admit, I am surprised you weren't told.." Athelstan mused.
Agi chuckled hoarsely, carefully readjusting the wooden band Floki had gifted her. "I am not. After all, I was not told Floki took me because a vision of Goddesses bid him to do so..." she grumbled.
"Would you have believed him when you first arrived? Do you even now believe him?" Athelstan wondered.
"...I believe I was meant to come here. But did two unearthly vixens truly have anything to do with it? I do not know." Agi answered thoughtfully.
A gentle bustle of footfalls atop grass, reverted the attention of Agi and Athelstan. Helga slowly approached, her face apprehensive. "That must change." she greeted. "Floki knew when you awoke Agi, he followed you here. When he saw you pray with Athelstan..." Helga paused, glancing in the direction she had appeared from. Floki was nowhere to be seen. "Had we been any closer, surely you would've heard his fury."
"I was not praying, I was asking for a blessing..." Agi stubbornly argued.
"It is the same to Floki." Helga said simply.
"You aren't angry?" Agi asked, rising to her feet. Helga shook her head. "Why not? I should have known better..."
"You did know better, Agi, but you felt the need to do so. It was wrong, but it was your decision to make." Helga replied.
"Was it? I am a slave Helga.." Agi said with a downward glance at her wooden bracelet.
" I have never thought of you as such.." Helga murmured with a sad smile. Agi weakly returned the smile, even as Helga's vanished. "Floki asked us to meet him at the home of Jynir Still-Knee..."
"I've not heard that name." voiced Athelstan.
"Few alive know him...and those alive would not think to mention him. Jynir used to be a warrior, until he was injured, now he is the greatest fisher in Kattegat.." Helga explained.
"Why would Floki want me to meet him?" Agi asked.
"..I think it is to be more than a meeting..." Helga answered carefully.
"Meaning?" Agi blurted.
There was an uncomfortable tremor coursing along Helga's mouth as she spoke. "...Jynir lives far, further than we do. I think Floki intends you to stay with Jynir, while he is on the pillage...Far from Athelstan...where you may learn all there is to know of our Gods..and perhaps Jynir could tutor your swordwork, if he himself remembers.."
"Then I am to be loaned to this stranger for months on end?" Agi asked, her voice rising with an ounce of outrage.
Helga tilted her head sympathetically. "You mustn't think of it that way. I will still visit. And Jynir is a good man..."
"Do you know him well?" Athelstan asked.
"I know him well enough that I am certain he will not harm Agi." Helga answered,
"..I have no choice..." Agi reminded herself bitterly. "It would take longer than a day to convince Floki I am not a follower of Christ...Take me to this Jynir..."
Floki was emptying his boat, when the vessel wielding Helga and Agi glided alongside him onto the seashore. Floki barely glanced up, his focus situated on the wooden chest he was heaving ashore. It was the same chest Ragnar had presented Agi with, it contained her new clothing fresh from the market. Agi felt a quake of betrayal rut in her ribcage. She knew deep down, Floki also felt betrayed, but it did not seem vitally important. Perhaps Denyn's spirit had been right, perhaps Agi was becoming self-centered. Such a thought only irritated Agi more, her grimace solidifying as she stepped out of the boat. Agi followed Helga silently, attempting not to glare at the blonde who consistently smiled in her reassuringly way. Floki had already gone ahead into the house, lugging in her chest of clothing. Her lungs clogging her throat, Agi followed Helga indoors.
Jynir Still-Knee, stood straight, straighter than any other viking. His face was slightly weathered by the sun, but appeared otherwise unmarked. The stubble on his cheeks could easily have been mistaken for dirt. His hazel hair fell unevenly against his shoulders. Although his sky-blue eyes were evenly spaced, his left pupil was slightly further than the right. Jynir was three inches shorter than Floki, had moderately less girth than Ragnar and surely was the same age as Rollo. His lips were full yet somehow crooked, his voice dusky. "Raudr praell..." he mused, seizing Agi with his mismatched eyes. A frowning Agi glanced tentatively at Floki, which seemed to amuse Jynir. "Is that the first you've heard it, raudr praell? No one else has called you that? Hm." Jynir mused.
Helga shook her head with a rueful smile. "You will only confuse Agi switching between our tongue and the common one..." she said.
"Let her be confused, at least then she will not be bored." Jynir retorted, invoking a laugh from Floki.
"Tell me its meaning, I am not here to amuse you." Agi said bluntly.
"No." Jynir agreed. "But I may find my amusement in you anyway. You are a raudr praell - a red thrall - yet all this while you have been treated differently..."
"You intend to treat me as a slave." Agi noted.
Jynir did not answer instantly, but he did raise his chin ever so slightly. He took a step toward Agi, left leg first, his right leg lagging rigidly in tow. "It is what you are, until the Gods or our Earl decrees you not to be." Jynir reminded, walking straight up to her.
"Are you trying to intimate me?" Agi asked.
"I am stating fact. Agi." Jynir answered with a meek tweak of his shoulders.
"Good. Because you do not frightened me." Agi told him.
Jynir smirked, his crooked lips becoming righted. He leaned down slightly, his prominent nose inches from Agi's. "Good. I did not expect you to be."
The close proximity unnerved Agi, her attention briefly shifting from Jynir to Floki. "What did you expect? What will you gain from harboring me?" she asked.
Jynir perked an eyebrow, as he took a step backward. "The raudr praell asks many questions."
"Stop calling me that." Agi snapped.
The smirk returned to Jynir's mucked mouth.. "No, praell, I will not. You are to be a guest in my home, I will call you what I wish..treat you as I wish, but I will not lay a hand on you. Least not a hand, that would be unwelcome."
Agi's jaw unhinged, igniting laughter in Jynir, Floki and even Helga. A warmth swept across Agi's face, irked that she had been taken off-guard.
"Raudr praell, you are not repulsed by me.." Jynir jeered, smugly tapping a finger against his own cheek.
"That does not mean I will bed you." Agi spat.
Jynir's blue eyes flicked sideways onto Floki, so swiftly Agi was uncertain if she had imagined it. His response was singular, yet doubled with mockery. "No?"
With an audible scoff, Agi narrowed her auburn eyes. "Floki.." she began.
"No Agi." Floki interrupted, approaching her in two fluid movements. His face displayed calmness that his grey eyes did not mirror. "I will not change my mind. While I am gone, Jynir Still-Knee will look after you...if I do not return, you will be his."
"Floki.." Helga protested.
Floki rounded his head toward Helga without moving his body. "She is too close to the Priest already Helga. The Gods do not like it...and I will not risk Agi angering Them. If Ragnar wants her near to his family, he must free Agi first."
"He is Earl you cannot dictate.." Agi began.
"All Earls bow to the Gods. Ragnar knows this." Floki interrupted, pointing a finger in her face before jabbing himself in the chest. "The Gods gave you to me. Should I die, I give you to Jynir. That is the way it is to be Agi."
Ag stared wordlessly into Floki's eyes for several long seconds, observing his resolve with a pang of disappointment emitting within her. When at last Agi blinked, she held her eyes closed a moment longer than necessary. "I believed you regarded me more than a sacred possession Floki...my own folly it seems..." she whispered. "I think now, even if I become shield maiden, it will change nothing. To you I am Agi, a gift from the Gods - not a person, but a present."
Jynir cleared his throat. "What are you to Ragnar, if not a present to unwrap?" he put in.
It was a fair question, but Agi snapped. "And what are you to anyone?" she glared. Jynir's face did not emote a response. Agi reluctantly reverted her attention to Floki, whose face had also remained solitary.
"Why I care about you should not matter, Agi, only that I do." Floki told her plainly.
Helga placed a hand on the small of Agi's back. "Agi and I will return shortly Jynir. She must say goodbye to her kin.."
Agi did not speak nor glance at Jynir as she exited his home. She also remained silent and oblivious as she boarded the boat with Helga and Floki. She curled into the crevice near the boat's helm with her back to Floki. Helga perched behind her. "Agi, do not let him leave like this..." Helga pled. Agi remained mute, her gaze hollowly combing the ocean's surface. "Agi?" Helga pressed. "Floki is only trying to protect you.." Helga persisted.
Agi did not feel protected, she felt bartered. She turned her head as if to glance over her shoulder, but Agi's eyes did not stray from her burnt palm. "What will be, will be." she recited softly.
The bustle of the docks, was chaotic, dozens of vikings hustling back and forth, with armfuls of weaponary. The crowd seemed to thin in a large invisible circle, surrounding King Horik and his family, including her brother Lon. Moving through the masses, Helga remained planted at Agi's side, but Floki soon became lost in the ramble. Agi's weary eyes searched for him briefly before admitting defeat. King Horik embraced Agi eagerly, though the hug did not last longer than three seconds. "Agi, I pray to the Gods that we will meet again. Nothing would please me more, than to see you become a shield maiden. On that fated day, your parents Marcus and Dorete will share my pride from the graves." Horik beamed. The stillness to his eyes had not thawed, and Agi had difficultly believing his words to hold sincerity.
"Thank you, my liege.." Agi said with a bow of her head.
Erlendur stepped forward, past his mother's shadow. "Perhaps then we will share better time together, cousin." the youngster said, his eyes just as lifeless as his father's. Agi nodded accordingly with a fake smile in tow.
Horik's wife Gunnhild, placed her hand on Agi's shoulder with a smile. "We should leave the siblings a moment alone husband, I get the feeling they will not see each other again." she suggested. Silently, Agi whole-heartedly agreed. Horik also murmured his agreement, and herded his family aboard the ship.
Lon watched their movement cautiously, while Agi readily observed him. "There is something not right with that child Dianthra, mark my words." he mumbled.
"Mm your word counts for so much.." Agi replied earning the full attention of her annoyed kin.
"I know you must loathe me sister, but such loathing must also be aimed at yourself." Lon began. "This did not have to be your life. You could've ran just as I did. You could've hid.."
"If I had ran and hid, Rollo or a man like him, would've found me and destroyed all that I am!" Agi argued.
"Have they not already?" Lon challenged, his dark eyes darting toward her hand. Agi balled her hands into fists, the pain of her burnt palm zapping through her like electricity. "Denyn thought you destroyed.." he added softly.
"Denyn is dead." Agi stated coldly.
"Yes, because of you. Had you not succumbed to your own dark desires, had you been the same woman Denyn had fallen in love with..." Lon paused briefly. "...Our rescue mission would not have unfolded as it did."
"That is a burden I will forever bear, but I will not accept full responsibility. You are also at fault Lon, whether you see it or not. If you had never fled, Denyn's financials would've not been needed."
"I would've been dead."
"Yes, but you would've died fighting. Now you will die from disease or old age." Agi said flatly. "Goodbye brother, I wish you luck..."
"I wish you luck also sister, that you do not die birthing their litter as our mother did birthing you." Lon responded with an hateful nod toward the Great Hall.
Had Agi not been so shocked, she'd gladly have smacked him. "You blame me for that too?" she asked luridly.
"I always have, but you were my kin...I loved you nonetheless.." Lon admitted.
"As I did you, despite your...affliction, so claims the Holy Text..." Agi mused. "Now you have Horik to love in your spiteful way..."
"No," Lon argued, taking a long step away from her. "Now I have no one.." With that, Lon boarded Horik's ship without a parting glance at Agi.
Agi exhaled her medley of emotion, her eyes fluttering closed with the strain of tranquility. Opening them, Agi slowly turned toward Helga, but found herself facing Ragnar instead. Judging from his stance, but he had lingering for a while. "You are better off without him." he announced with the makings of a shrug.
"You are not wrong, but I do not feel gladdened by it." Agi replied, her words laced with sadness that had little to do with Lon. "Is this goodbye?" she asked.
"For now." Ragnar answered casually. "I understand you will spend your days with Jynir Still-Knee until we return.." Ragnar noticed the fleeting glower flash upon Agi's features. "There is much you could learn from him, if you choose."
"I am a raudr praell, that he has already taught me." Agi said haughtily, causing Ragnar to smirk.
"It will not always be that way." Ragnar reminded her.
"When then will it end?" Agi asked, knowing he would not answer. Ragnar's smirk straightened slightly, as he walked away. "Wait.." Agi blurted.
"What did you expect wisp?" said the intruding voice of Rollo from somewhere behind Agi. "A kiss?" he taunted.
Agi's teeth gritted against each other, but Agi did not acknowledge him. Spotting Helga in the mob of onlookers, Agi advanced toward her. "Let us return to Jynir Still-Knee..." Agi greeted.
"We must wait until the ships leave...don't you want to?" Helga responded, a slight frown coating her lips at Agi's disenchanted eyes.
"I've already said my goodbyes.." Agi said lowly.
"Agi.." Helga mumbled, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "You mustn't be so grim...the months will move fast."
Agi was skeptical, but kept such pessimistic thinking to herself. Her auburn eyes remained honed onto Ragnar and Floki, until at last the ships were lost to the horizon.
A/N - I know you're disappointed about those goodbyes, but it felt appropriate. In the next chapter I may touch a little on her with Jynir, but I will do a time jump for certain. Would love any feedback on him btw.