Vikings: Harsh Lesson
Chapter 14 of my Vikings story, enjoy.
Reviews
Wolfgirl2013: Thanks, uh, you do realize she's chained to his bed and he's raping her right?
Veridissima: Thanks :)
Now onto the story.
Disclaimer: Vikings belongs to History Channel.
Chapter 14
It was well into the night within Kattegat; Hreinn had promptly fallen asleep after claiming Porunn. Many of those who were meant to guard had drunk too much, and so were failing in their duties. Therefore they were unaware of the actions being taken against them. Unbeknownst to them, Ragnar was already leading a group of his men through the hidden tunnel. Soon they reached the blocked entrance and quickly began working to quietly remove it.
Before long they were successful and moved quietly into Kattegat; Ragnar shook his head.
'I would never have imagined I would return home this way.' He pondered quietly. 'How strange, the way things work out.'
He quickly focused however as they had to move quickly but quietly and therefore had to keep their wits about them. As they moved through the Earl's hall, they found many of the guards sleeping. Some of them they killed silently, removing the bodies from sight, others they avoided.
However then they had to stop; up ahead, guarding the door that would lead them into the main hall, was a guard. Only this one was awake; they had no way to sneak up on him.
"Only one option." Ragnar whispered.
The others nodded and so, Ragnar broke cover and ran directly at the man. Taken aback by Ragnar's sudden appearance; the man was startled; to startled to cry out. He tried to draw his weapon, but Ragnar was faster and soon silenced the man permanently. Lowering the man's body down, out of sight; Ragnar signalled the others and they continued onwards.
They moved quietly through the deserted main hall and slipped outside. They continued to rely on stealth; none of those guarding outside were drunk. Finally they reached the gates where the rest of their men were waiting. Taking great care not to be seen; which meant sometimes stopping and hiding again, they opened the gates.
Still relying on the element of surprise, they gave no battle cries. But they acted swiftly and began cutting down those that served Hreinn outside. Soon the outside was back under control, now it was time for them to retake the interior. They rallied and began their attack.
Hreinn was startled into wakefulness by the sudden noise; Porunn also started; lying fearfully, yet allowing herself some hope. Hreinn was rapidly getting dressed and, once dressed, he approached the door. He opened it and looked out.
"What is going on?" He snarled.
He soon got his answer when one of his men arrived. "Ragnar and his men have returned, they somehow avoided the trap; they're attacking."
Hreinn cursed and, in his rage, killed the man before turning back to Porunn.
He glared at her and she froze. "They will not take me, I will escape this. You will ensure that my dear, you will also be coming with me. Now, you better behave while I get you ready; otherwise you'll be in serious trouble."
The threat was not an idle one and she could only wait and pray.
Bjorn had lost all track of time; he had no idea how long had passed. Yet it had been some time since he had been brought to fight. Things were quiet, apart from his breathing; he couldn't hear his mother in the next cell. He just hoped that she was still alright; that they would survive this.
Suddenly he heard it; the sound of weapons clashing, yelling, cries of pain and death.
'What, what's going on, is, could it be…?' He wondered hopefully.
The sounds of fighting continued until finally it went silent. Following that the door to his cell opened and he smiled.
"Bjorn!" Rollo cried out when he saw him.
Bjorn grinned. "You all took your time."
Laughing at Bjorn's statement Rollo quickly got him unchained. They left the cell, Bjorn trying to resist the pain. As he left he saw Athelstan had freed his mother.
Lagertha smiled in relief. "Bjorn, thank the Gods."
Rollo nodded. "We better hurry, we're not finished yet."
They nodded and, both verifying they were both alright; despite Bjorn's obvious pain from his injuries, they headed back up to the main hall. By now, apart from Hreinn and those of his men who had been captured, all the invaders were dead. They had more or less retaken Kattegat, now there was just the matter of dealing with Hreinn.
They waited, after all, they knew Hreinn was now aware of the attack and was trapped. Finally he emerged; Bjorn growled and had to be restrained, for he had emerged holding Porunn. She was naked, chained up and had been gagged, even despite all this, all the humiliation she had to endure, the injuries she had sustained, her eyes remained defiant.
Hreinn was using her almost like a shield, as well as holding a dagger to her throat. There were growls from the other Vikings for his actions, viewing them as cowardly.
"Well, you've certainly made a mess of things Ragnar Lothbrok." Hreinn growled. "But as you can see, I still hold a means to bargain. Unless you plan on letting this girl die, you will let me go."
This drew more muttering and even sounds of consternation. Bjorn growled, unable to believe the actions of this man; his anger building but still he was powerless. He could risk anything that would hurt Porunn. Hreinn smirked; he knew he had the edge, he knew the girl was treasured; they wouldn't dare let her be harmed.
Suddenly, as he relished his triumph, something suddenly slipped past him, knocking him off balance. When he recovered he saw what had happened and fear gripped him in its icy grasp. Floki had used his speed and cunning to slip under Hreinn's guard, get Porunn out of his hands and, unchaining her and removing her gag, he led her over to where Helga was waiting.
Helga quickly covered Porunn with a pelt, sparing her further humiliation; she was now safe. Hreinn looked around desperately; the tables had turned; now he was trapped and he had no way out of it.
End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.