When Rollo woke up, everything and everyone was ready. He quietly got out of bed without waking Gisla up and dressed himself to battle. He pulled a shirt, a pant, boots and his usual armor. When he left the room, he grabbed his sword and his axe he put on his belt. He went downstairs and sat at the great table where Ragnar, Lagertha and their son were eating. A bunch of servants came to give him his lunch which was made of bread, cheese, fruits and meat. He ate in silence while a few of his men kitted themselves out with pikes, swors, shield and axes.

When he went outside with Ragnar, the stable boy came with two fresh horses fully prepared. Rollo hung his shield to the saddle while Ragnar did likewise. He prepared to mount on the horse when Gisla came toward him, still sleepy, her hair unbrushed and wearing a simple blue dress. She held a cloak in her arms and was followed by her two knights.

- Did you sleep well, Rollo asked.

- You forgot to wake me up this morning, she noted.

- I tought you might want to sleep a little more.

- I have something to give you, she said.

- What is it?

- A cloak. A duke should not go out without a cloak. It's not very worthy of his rank. This way, your people will know who you are.

- Did you made it, he said his voice full of admiration.

- Yes, she said lowering her head shyly.

Rollo put it around his shoulders. The cloak was made of fur and rough red fabric with two lions embroidered with golden thread. According to him it was beautiful. He mounted on his horse and bowed to Gisla.

- Thank you for this wonderful gift, my beloved wife. I will see you in a few days if everything goes as I planned. Please, take care of you and our people.

- I will. Come back in a single piece Robert.

Then she stood up on tiptoes and kissed him on the lips. Rollo was as surprised as pleased. Never has she done such thing. Things were definitely getting better with them. As they kissed, the other vikings looked at them, some embarassed, some disdainful and some happy. Ragnar, he, was looking at them, curious and a little bit infuriated as he was rolling his eyes on his horse. When hey finished their kiss, Gisla said:

- A last gift for you not to forget me, she said.

- I promise, I won't ever forget you princess.

Then, he turned to the exit of the fortress and gave the departure signal. His horse rushed toward the gate, followed by Ragnar's and the other warriors. When he crossed the big door, he looked backward to Gisla's face. She was still looking at him and he noticed something strange in her eyes, something she was hiding. Suddenly, he had a strange feeling of urge and danger. But soon, he forgot that feeling as he was focusing on his next battle against Britons. He turned his head toward the way forward and left the fortress and Gisla who was still looking at him with Lagertha and the others inhabitants of the fortress. When they disappeared of his sight, he suddenly felt empty, even with his brother beside him.

After they crossed the Seine, the countryside became more and more flat. Instead of high cliffs, there was now only forests and fields with a few cottages here and there, lost in the nature. As the duke and his army crossed a few villages in which they were being welcome by fearful peasants, Ragnar finally asked:

- Why did she called you Robert?

- That is how she decided to call me.

- Why ?

- Because she said she swore to her god to never call me by my real name. She decided to only call me by my christian name. You know, she does really believe in her god. I am sure Athelstan would have liked her.

Ragnar's eyes became darker as his brother said the name of the priest. Apparently, he still hasn't got over his murder.

- By the way, do you know who killed him, Rollo asked.

- Yes, I know.

- Who is it?

- Floki, he said without emotion.

- What? Why? But more importantly, did you punish him?

- As a matter of fact, I did. That's why he stayed in Kattegat.

- Then, I assume Aslaug is in charge of his punishement. By the way, how are my others nephews?

- They are fine. They grew up quite quickly, I think. Maybe they'll be able to raid next summer, well, the elders ones. Now back to your wife, he said. What was that kiss earlier?

- I was just as surprised as you, Rollo said. She usually never does that. You know, she isn't the kind of woman to just confess her feelings and especially toward me. She is quite stubborn when it comes to prove she hasn't fully acknowledge me. I think that this is a good virtue.

- She is very different from Siggy, Ragnar noted.

- She is indeed. But I still love her.

- You always loved strong woman. Like Lagertha.

- I loved Lagertha, yes. But it was a long time ago. Now, my only concern is my wife and our child.

- Love is love.

Rollo laughed, followed by Ragnar and they both went back to the road they were travelling on.

The men that were travelling behind them began to feel tired and asked for a break. They were not very far from the place they were gonna establish a camp, so Rollo and Ragnar granted them this wish. They sat under a tree as the men were drinking, eating and polishing their weapons. Rollo's men were sat aside from the northmen. They were very distrustful from them. After all, they attacked Paris, they were pagans that didn't believe in the allmighty Christ. Rollo could feel this tension running in his ranks, but there was nothing he could do to solve this problem. Ragnar asked him:

- Where is Sinric? I haven't seen him since we got here.

- The king asked him to come to Paris. He thought he might be useful.

- That was not for him to decide.

- Meh. Sinric said he was okay with it.

Then, they went to check on their men's weapon and when every warrors were satisfied, they went back on the road.

They arrived in a town the Britons called Kan. But as Rollo said, this was a briton name and as this town was now his, he decided to rename Catheim. It was a small town built on a swamp with a few canals and river crossing the buildings. There was an enormous amount of marvelous bridges and houses, all built in white stones. Rollo, his brother and his army established their camp on top of a cliff from where they had a bird's view of all the town and the plain. It was definitely a nice town, even Ragnar agreed to that.

Rollo was in his tent with Ragnar. He was planning their next move when he heard horns as an indication that someone important came to the camp. The two men got out and gazed toward the entrance of their camp. They moved the pike made fence and walked toward a man on a horse. He was followed by a few men, also on horses with weapons on their belt. The most important one was holding a white banner and said:

- In the name of Gourmaëlon, count of Cornwell and Prince of Brittany, I have come to deliver you a message. Can we converse elsewhere?

- Follow me, he said with a sign of the head. Uncocked.

The riders, after they got rid of their weapons, entered the camp and, leaded by Rollo, they headed toward the main tent, while Ragnar was examining their guests. These men were quickly noticed by the army and they soon became surrounded by strong and fierce warriors fully armed and with heavy muscles. They dismounted, very anxious and entered the tent followed by Ragnar.

When they got in, they sat on a table, Rollo on one side, the messenger on the other and Ragnar, quietly watching aside.

- Well, what does your master wants, he said as intimidating and menacing as he was in front of an ennemy.

- He... He wants you to go back to your rightful lands and stop your annexation of his lands. He also wants you to give him back the lands you already took from him, he said uneased.

- And what if I don't?

- Then, he said that his retaliation will be dreadful. He will seize your lands, claim a higher title, destroy your fortress and kill your family.

The moment he said it, Ragnar and Rollo looked at each other and began to laugh hysterically. It was a mocking laugh. Apparently, the britons were not really aware of what Rollo's men were. He couldn't know that they didn't fear death, that even if they killed his family, he wouldn't die so easily and that he would seek revenge. He couldn't know that he had two bloodthirsty monters in front of him. And apparently, he couldn't know that Rollo's family was Gisla, the daughter of the king of Frankia and that if something ever happened to her, this would mean the kingdom would make war to the Prince of Brittany. Their laugh became colder and more cruel. The messenger began to sweat, never has he experienced such laugh and such men. When they finished laughing, Rollo said:

- Tell your master that I don't fear him. That if he doesn't cooperate and give me the lands I want, I will his lands turn red. That if he ever thinks about hurting my family, I will burn his cities to ashes.

- What? But he...

- Tell him, Rollo roared.

The messenger fled, scared to death by Rollo's eyes and it took him a few minutes to get back on his horse and leave the camp like cowards. Ragnar came by Rollo's side at the entrance of the tent.

- You really scared him. Do you think the Prince will accept your demands?

- I hope not, Rollo replied a carnassial grin on his face.

Ragnar smiled to himself and got back in the tent while Rollo looked outside wondering what his fate could be tomorrow. He wished he asked the seer about this.

A few days passed before the messenger came back. In this short amount of time, Rollo managed to look around the town a little bit. He found grapevines and a few peasants offered him to taste it. Of course, their duke graciously did it and ordered them a few barrels for his men. He also orderd barrels of cider to water his men.

One day, when the sun was slowly disappearing below the horizon, the messenger came back to deliver his master's answer. He stayed at the entrance, afraid to go further into the camp. Without dismounting he said to Rollo:

- He said he won't grant you what you want.

- Good.

Then he grabbed his axe and cut the messenger's hands. He screamed, looking at his hand in full panic and his horse moved brutally and rushed to the plain unhorsing his rider who was now dragged in full speed on rocks, followed by his escort. He was screaming from pain and a few moments later, all they could hear was silence.

- Is that your answer, Ragnar asked.

- Yes, he said.

- This so like you to do that.

- I have to give you satisfaction, Ragnar, otherwise, you will think I'm weakening.

- I grant you that!

When they got back to the camp, Rollo and Ragnar gathered the men and told them:

- Prepare yourselves! Tomorrow, a big battle awaits us! Show no mercy to our enemies, slay them until the very last! The men who will become renowned will become barons, I will grant them a title, a castle and money. As soon as the sun will rise, we shall go to the battlefield and show them our pride!

His declaration caused a huge clamour from the warriors who rose their weapons as a sign of their joy of going to battle. Ragnar, him, was looking at Rollo, quite intrigued of what could his brother become. For once, he wasn't the center of attention. This time, it was Rollo the leader, and he wondered how the battle will be with him in charge. Then, the night came and they spent the evening singing song and get ready to fight.

When they woke up, the morning, everybody was ready to kill. They left the camp and headed toward Baiocas, the fortified city, the Britons were controlling. They arrived in a hilly ground where they saw an army of britons. They seemed scared and confused at first but soon, they blew in some horns and they rushed toward the northmen screaming in their own language. They had the advantage of the ground and the vikings were trapped in the middle of the hills. But as the Britons rushed toward them, Rollo roared:

- SHIELD WALL !

As soon as he gave his orders, the warriors gathered in front line, protecting Rollo's Frankish men. They all rose their shield and their pikes as Britons were running full speed on them. Naturally, the enemies impaled themselves on the vikings's pikes, spreading a considerable amount of blood onto the vikings's heads and shields. When the first bodies fell on the floor, the melee began. At first the britons were pushing back the vikings, but with much axes shots, they were able to push them back. The archers were shooting arrows behind the shield wall, the knights were dealing with some of the enemies who were attacking the flanks and the britons were rushing into battle. Blood was spreading everywhere, skulls were opened by axes and you could see large piece of brain get out of it. It was a true massacre. The northmen's shield wall began to weaken and Rollo and his brother decided to stop it and to fight directly the men that came to them. Their enemies were too many but that didn't stop them from slicing their throat, cutting their arms and legs, pierce trough their flesh and hitting their heads with axes. At the sight of it, Rollo went full berserk and a few of his men followed him on that path. All he could see around him was blood spurting out of flesh, visceras desribing large arcs of a circle, opened skull and bones cracking out of bodies. The land was trampled and covered with bodies. This was a fight rarely seen. It was a battle between two forces of nature, two brutal strenghts who were fighting each other and didn't fear death. You could see the chaos it was, hear the crash of weapons on shields, the men roaring over it. It was like seeing two giant creatures made of huge rocks wrestle.

After a few hours of intense battle, There was nothing left on the battlefield than Rollo, Ragnar and the majority of the northmen who came with them. Rollo walked toward the hill to look at his conquest. He stepped in a pool of blood and looked around him: the land became red, and he saw blood flowing in rivers and dead bodies drowning in them. The Briton's bodies were barely recognizable. There was nothing but destruction and violence on them, you could hardly think they were once humans. Then, Rollo looked at himself: he was covered in blood as if he bathed in it. His armor and his weapons were all red and even his hair got dirty with dry blood. He, then, looked at his warriors and he noticed that all of them were in the same state. Oddly, batteling with such intensity gave him relieve and satisfaction. Ragnar came beside him, as dirty as most of the men.

-You fought really well today.

- Thank you. It feels good to go on the battlefield with you again after these past months.

Ragnar pat his shoulder and Rollo turned to his men.

- I need one of you to deliver a message to the prince, he said.

A strongly built viking stepped forward and said:

- I'll be the deliverer duke Rollo.

- Good! I need you to cut all the britons warriors's head and throw them to the prince's feet.

- Why do you want that, Ragnar asked while the man did as Rollo asked.

- This way, the prince will know what I'm capable of. And to support my actions, I prepared them a surprise. Now, he said to the man, tell the prince this: "this is your punishment for going against me and my family. Threaten me again, and there will be more death. Agree to my terms and I won't attack you again". Go! You can take a few men with you.

The man complied and cut the head of all the dead warriors, most of them with brains out of their skull, called his friends, took their horses and went away with bags full of cut heads and dripping with blood. When they finally were out of sight, Ragnar said:

- You know, he will never agree to your terms.

- Yes, he said. That is why I have my "surprise".

He stared at the horizon with an enigmatic smile on his lips, wondering what Gisla could possibly do at the same moment.

Finally! Some bloody battle! I really hope it was good and you liked it.

What do you think about Rollo's cut heads delivery service? I also tried to include some historical facts about Normandy and Britanny (do you really say brittany or britain, I don't know).

Also, don't worry, Gisla's big chapter is coming! Don't forget to write me a review, I love it !