A/N: It's occurred to me now, three chapters in, that I neglected to provide translations for the chapter titles. *facepalm* So here goes...

Solveig - Daughter of the Sun
Sköll - "Treachery"; in Norse mythology, Sköll is a wolf who chases the Sun, trying to eat her; Sköll's brother, Hati ("Hate"), chases the moon. They will both finally get their quarry at Ragnarok. In the show Vikings, Rollo has a tattoo of them. (And yes, there will be a chapter in this fic called Hati, for those who'd like to ponder who's hating who.)
Nornir - the Norse version of the Fates; Urðr, that which is; Verðandi is that which is becoming; and Skuld, that which should be.

And now that's out of the way, on to the story!

Urðr

Buffy gazed out over the ocean.

It was one of the few things that hadn't changed with her leap back in time. In fact, if she stared at the waves long enough, she could almost believe she was sightseeing on the Pacific Northwest instead of stuck here in Viking hell. Wishful thinking wasn't going to help her, though, so she resisted the urge.

The wallowing and self-pity were a little harder to ignore.

She didn't think that was entirely unreasonable, all things considered. She was adrift, lost in the time of Eric the Red without the slightest clue how to return home. Though she still held out hope that Willow and the others would find her, it was definitely fading with each passing day. Now when she came here to the beach, to the very spot she had first appeared, it wasn't to look for a sign or a portal or anything that would show her that her friends were close to a solution. It was because she didn't know what else to do.

Buffy clenched her hands into fists. Thankfully, a noise behind her caught her attention before she could fall too far into an emotional black hole.

It was Rollo, striding toward her with a smile on his face and a sword in each hand.

Buffy stiffened, thinking that he must have changed his mind about her, now that he'd had some time to think about her magical appearance and her less than normal battle with Olaf the Troll. Of course, if that were the case, she would've thought he'd have told the others and they'd attack her en masse. He probably wouldn't look so sheepish, either, coming to an abrupt halt when he noticed her reaction to him.

"Will you fight?"

He kept his words simple, but Buffy didn't understand a word he was saying; she did, however, recognize the way he raised his arms in the universal 'I mean you no harm' gesture as he spoke. She still wasn't totally convinced his intentions were pure, but she left herself relax ever so slightly.

Encouraged, Rollo flipped one of the swords so the hilt was pointed toward her, miming out his intention to give it to her. When she nodded, he tossed it to her; gently enough so that it plopped harmlessly in the sand a few feet in front of her. Then he spoke again, raising his own sword as he did in askance.

He wanted to spar, she realized.

Buffy bit her lip. She knew she should have refused. Even if he wasn't bothered by her unnatural self, it wasn't the smartest thing to keep reminding him of it. There was also a risk of exposing her secret to everyone else. In a time that was full on medieval and deeply suspicious, she was liable to get herself burned at the stake.

And yet she couldn't bring herself to refuse. Between the anxiety of being trapped there and the lack of slayage, she was ready to burst. She needed an outlet and Rollo looked like he wouldn't disappoint. Even more than that, though, she did it because, like the water, sparring was one of the few things that reminded her of home.

With a grin - her first real smile since she had been dumped in this place - she scooped up the sword and prepared to fight.

Verðandi

Buffy sat on the beach, letting the gentle, rhythmic sound of the waves lapping at shore soothe away her frayed nerves.

The Viking way of life was difficult and so different from what she knew. It was frustrating beyond belief. She could hardly complain, though, because she knew it wasn't nearly as bad as it could've been. In fact, between the subsistence living and pro-slavery social structure, she knew she actually had it pretty easy. Not only did she have Rollo looking out for her, but she had Siggy, too, the woman actually taking her into her home.

That wasn't to say it was all smooth sailing. Buffy got the distinct impression that Siggy wanted to throw her off a cliff some days. But she didn't, and she didn't turn Buffy out, either, even when it became painfully obvious that she was dead weight. Even Siggy's annoyance with her, though endless, was beginning to have some big sister undertones to it.

Then there was Aslaug. For reasons beyond Buffy, the woman had taken a shine to her. It actually made her a little uneasy, unsure what she wanted from her, why she always looked at Buffy with a small, knowing smile. Just like she did with Rollo's silence, however, Buffy didn't question it. Having the leader's wife in her corner was nothing to sneeze at, and most of the others kept their distance because of it.

The only problem was that friendship alone wasn't going to help her much, not if she needed to find her own ticket home. Neither was staying in Kattegat.

There was nothing supernatural about the place. No vampires, no Hellmouths, nothing. They were all just people trying to scrounge a living out of what looked like pretty meager resources. The only exception was Anyanka, but even her magic was tied to D'Hoffryn and not Kattegat. Summoning her was out of the question anyway. The vengeance demon from this time wouldn't lift a finger for her, at least not a finger Buffy trusted. She wouldn't put it past Anyanka to alter the future beyond all recognition once she learned the truth, just out of spite.

No, if she wanted help, she would have to go somewhere else.

The most logical choice would be to find either the Slayer and Watcher of this time or a friendly coven, but that was a lot easier said than done; it would be like trying to find a needle a very transportation poor haystack. The fact that she didn't know the first thing about surviving in a world without modern conveniences and high standards of personal hygiene made it next to impossible. Yet as the days continued to tick by without a single sign from her friends, it seemed more and more like a real possibility.

Buffy began to pace back and forth on the beach as she tried to think the logistics through, of what striking out on her own would truly mean, what she would need. With each step, she felt her agitation rise until she actually felt worse than when she had first arrived. She practically tore the sword away from Rollo when he came down for their daily sparring session a little while later, before he could even ask if she wanted to fight as was their custom.

If he was surprised, he didn't show it. He simply attacked as he always did; eyes gleaming, teeth bared, and holding absolutely nothing back, obviously still thrilled to have a partner who could more than hold her own against him.

That was fine by her. As their swords clashed, Buffy let go of her worries. But it was only a temporary fix.

Leaving Kattegat may not have been a good idea, but it was the best one she had.

Skuld

After her revelation on the beach, Buffy tried to absorb as much as she could about living in this world, but progress was painstakingly slow. More often than not, she went to sleep feeling completely demoralized. The only bright spots to her days were sparring with Rollo on the beach and, surprisingly, spending time with Aslaug's kids, Ubbe and Hvitserk.

At first, the boys were just a way to learn the language at an I Can Read level. Because they were so young, however, they were still completely innocent and accepted her without reservations and without any underlying motivations; they were just thrilled to have an adult who had time to play with them, especially now that their mother had a new baby to take care of. Before Buffy knew it, the sweet, rambunctious little boys had wormed their way into her heart.

Buffy grinned at just the thought of the little rugrats. Her smile grew wider when she noticed Siggy's questioning and slightly disapproving look as they walked through the center of the village toward Aslaug's. Buffy couldn't help it, nor did she want to, having finally warmed up to the role of the little sister. Before she could think of how to take it further, however, all hell broke loose as people began running around the center of the village in a panic, yelling the word 'Borg' over and over again.

Buffy frowned. The only Borg she knew were in the final frontier. From everyone's reaction around her, though, it seemed as though this one was just as bad.

Concerned, Buffy turned to Siggy, hoping to get an explanation, but Siggy was already gone, running as fast as she could on a path that led away from the village center.

Buffy immediately set off after her. Unfortunately, catching up wasn't as easy as it should've been. Not only did Siggy's sheer terror give her a boost of speed, but she also knew the way. Although Buffy was sure she was heading to Rollo's house, she herself didn't know where that was, only the general direction. By the time she reached something resembling a house, Rollo was already storming out of it, his hair flying and his eyes blazing, so intent on his focus that he didn't see her when he passed her by.

Now really worried, Buffy rushed inside the house to find Siggy. She entered just in time to see the other woman fall, her foot going right through the floor.

Buffy was at her side in an instant, assessing Siggy for injuries as she helped pull her foot out. All thoughts about cuts and breaks vanished, however, when she spotted something glinting underneath the broken floorboard.

With a sharp intake of breath, Buffy pulled the crucifix out of its hiding space, suddenly finding it difficult to breathe.

It wasn't because she had found a cross, though that in itself was shocking. From what she could tell, Christianity wasn't a thing around here. What set Buffy's head spinning was the chain the crucifix was attached to; it had a distinct set of markings on it, ones she had only seen once before - on the crucifix worn by the monk from the Order of Dagon.

Even as she held the proof in her hand, she told herself that it was impossible, just a crazy coincidence. It was the wrong time and place; the markings weren't even an exact match. And yet-

Buffy gasped at the crucifix was snatched out of her hand. Her gaze shot up to Siggy, who quickly put it in her pocket.

Buffy's initial reaction was to protest. When she saw the fear and disapproval in Siggy's eyes, however, she held back. If there was any meaning to the crucifix at all, she wasn't going to figure it out now, especially in front of Siggy. Besides, they were currently in the midst of a crisis, one Buffy still didn't fully understand.

Satisfied, Siggy motioned for Buffy to follow her. Soon, they were both running out of the farmhouse back down toward the village. Instead of stopping there, though, like Buffy thought they would, they kept on going until they reached the beach.

That was when Buffy finally realized what was going on.

There were a dozen ships coming straight at them. By the looks of the men on them, it wasn't for a social visit.

At first, Buffy could only stare. She was still reeling from the crucifix; this just took things to a whole new level of surreal. Reality soon came crashing down, however, as Rollo suddenly appeared in front of her, his huge frame blocking everything out of her sight but him.

"Will you fight?"

It was the same question he always asked her; for the first time, however, Buffy couldn't bring herself to say yes.

This wasn't her world, and this wasn't her fight. These were people, not demons, attacking for reasons she didn't know. It seemed wrong to use her slayer skills. Though they had grown on her, the people of Kattegat weren't completely innocent, either. Aslaug's husband was off on his own little raid, probably doing this exact same thing to some other unsuspecting village. She tried not to judge. This was just their way of life - but it wasn't hers.

There was also the issue of changing history. She didn't know who these people were or why they were attacking. Chances were this wasn't a pivotal battle in Viking history - more like an everyday raid she learned about in history class - but there could be ripple effects.

Of course, if she changed history that much, there was a chance she wouldn't be sent back in the first place. Or she just may not exist.

As she tried to sort through all the implications, Rollo spoke, bringing all her thoughts to a screeching halt.

"We need you. I need you."

It wasn't the words that surprised her. It was the way he said them, with a mixture of hope and pleading in his voice - along with something else.

Buffy was stunned. She didn't know how to respond - to his request or to him.

Taking her silence for refusal, Rollo started to leave. As he moved away, Buffy caught a glimpse of the beach behind him.

By now, a group of people had gathered there, passing out weapons as they prepared for the attack. There were a few who looked like they knew their way around a battle. Most were old men or kids, though. Either way, there wasn't nearly enough of them, not if the battle cries across the water were anything to go by.

As Buffy looked at the people in front of her, terrified and yet ready to defend themselves, she knew in her heart that she couldn't just stand by and let them get hurt. Before Rollo could leave, she reached out and grabbed his wrist.

"I fight."

Rollo's eyes lit up with a familiar gleam, one he got whenever they were sparring, but Buffy barely saw it.

Up until then, Siggy had been still as stone, an invisible observer to the conversation. At Rollo's look, however, the woman visibly flinched.

Buffy's heart dropped. She knew that Siggy and Rollo had something going on. The walls in Siggy's place were hardly soundproof. Because they never acted like a couple, never really sought each other out during the the day, Buffy had assumed it was just a physical thing. In that moment, though, Buffy knew it was much, much more, at least for Siggy.

Before Buffy could think of a way to reassure Siggy she wasn't going to break the ultimate girl code, Rollo turned toward the other woman and began speaking in rapid-fire Norse, completely oblivious to her distress as he slipped into battle mode. All Buffy could really make out were the words 'Aslaug' and 'mountain'. Whatever he said, it didn't make Siggy happy, but she nodded. Then she was gone without so much as a glance at Buffy.

Buffy frowned. She hated to leave things like that. There was nothing she could do, though, so she hurried after Rollo, who was already striding down the beach, barking orders as he went.

By now, the villagers had formed a defensive line. She could practically feel the nervous energy around them as they braced themselves for the attack; the air practically vibrated with it. It intensified to shock waves a moment later when the ships finally reached the shallows.

Without a second to lose, Buffy found a sword and took her place at the end of the line, standing next to a kid who couldn't have been more than 12. Even as she made it her personal mission to keep him safe, the beach was flooded with heavily armed men, the sound of clashing metal and the smell of blood filling the air. One cadre of attackers immediately made a beeline for Buffy and the boy, probably assuming they were weak links. They soon realized their mistake, falling to the ground before they could reach dry sand. She didn't kill them, though; she couldn't. Instead, she chose to immobilize or render unconscious.

Logically, she knew it made no sense. In this time and place, a sword cut could lead to a slow, agonizing death, much worse than a clean strike to the heart. It also meant she had a major handicap, always having to check her force and use less effective blows. Still, she refused to budge from her plan - even when one attacker scored a particularly nice slice on her leg when she was distracted by two others attacking the boy.

"Solveig!"

Buffy frowned as she dealt first with the two and then with the guy who had managed to cut her, giving him a slice on his leg to match hers before knocking him out with a blow to the head. Only one person called her that name, and he didn't sound happy.

Sure enough, when she turned toward the voice, she saw Rollo, sending furious looks her way as he battled, slicing and dicing the enemy with abandon.

Buffy made a face at him and turned back to the fight - only to catch sight of another man glaring at her, his eyes never leaving hers as he barked orders to his men. Buffy ignored him, too. She didn't have time for posturing. Her hands were full enough with three attackers who were currently trying to bum rush her.

Though she handled them easily enough, she knew she had a real problem on her hands; for as soon as they were down, three more took their place. Then three more. There were just too many of them, and the defensive line was beginning to falter. In fact, to Buffy's horror, she saw about half a dozen men slip by it altogether on the far side of the beach, the people around them either dead or too distracted to stop them from disappearing down a path that led around to the back of the village at the base of the mountain.

Buffy was torn. If she left her spot, there was a good chance the boy would be killed, along with the people around him. If the men got to the village, though, they could run around basically unchecked with no one there but women and children. They'd also cut off any escape routes for the villagers.

Thankfully, Rollo made the decision for her a second later.

"Fall back!" he bellowed. "Fall back to the marketplace!"

Without wasting a single second, Buffy motioned for everyone around her to head up the beach toward the main path back to the village center, fending off any attackers who tried to stop them. Once she was sure her area was clear, she took off down the length of the beach.

It wasn't easy. Arrows and spears were hurled at her as she ran, slowing down her progress as she dodged each projectile, something made much more difficult with all the dead bodies that littered the ground. It took her twice as long as it should have to get down the length of the beach. By the time she reached the path, the men were out of sight.

Silently cursing under her breath, Buffy raced after them, using their footprints as a guide. Just as she had feared, they went around the village to the back entrance. Instead of going in, however, they all paced back and forth in one spot before veering off to the right, up the mountain.

Frowning, Buffy looked up at the cliff, wondering what they were up to. At first, she saw nothing. Then her eye spotted it; a flash of pink, one that matched the color of Siggy's dress - followed by a mass of yellow and black shields moving below them.

She and Aslaug were escaping up into the mountain with the children, Buffy realized, Rollo's words suddenly making sense. And the men were chasing them.

Buffy paled. She didn't know if this had been the men's intention all along or if they had just seized an opportunity. Either way, in all of history, the conquerors never treated the conquered very well, especially the leader's sons.

Her sword clutched tightly in her hand, Buffy set off at sprint up the mountain, hurdling over rocks and shrubs as quickly as she could. Though there was still some distance between the two groups, it wasn't going to last long; the second group was moving fast - too fast. Before Buffy could catch up, she heard the sound of metal hitting metal, followed by a baby crying.

Pumping her arms even harder, Buffy flew up the mountain path, ignoring the burn in her thighs as she navigated the steep trail. She knew she was close, but she still felt a wave of relief when she turned the next corner and saw Siggy and the others in a clearing less than 50 feet away, scared and cornered but otherwise unharmed.

Without breaking her stride, she quickly assessed the situation. Six men had formed a semicircle around Siggy, Aslaug, and the children. They were laughing at Siggy as she lay on the ground, a sword lying next to her just out of reach. The guy closest to her had his non-sword arm raised, ready to belt her one across the face.

"Hey! Hagar the Horrible! Want to try that on someone who hits back?" Buffy shouted.

Because her plan was to draw attention to her and away from Siggy, she didn't bother trying to talk in words they could understand. She just used good old-fashioned English, and boy, did it feel good. It worked, too; unfortunately a little too well. Somehow, amid the distraction as all eyes turned toward her, Ubbe managed to break from his mother's grip and rushed toward Siggy.

The reaction was immediate. The man who had been about to hit Siggy raised his arm - his other arm.

Apparently, Siggy got the fist, but Ubbe got the sword.

As the blade rose high in the air, the metal glinting in the light as it arced downward to cut the little boy down where he stood, something in Buffy snapped. Before she even fully realized what she was doing, she whipped her sword at the man, sending it hurtling end over end straight towards his heart.

He was dead before he hit the ground.

Buffy barely saw it, looking in his direction only long enough to see Siggy get to her feet and grab Ubbe. Instead, she focused on the other men, who immediately charged toward her save one, who stayed back to guard Siggy and Aslaug.

Buffy inwardly smirked. They probably assumed they had her now, being alone and weaponless. She actually saw the surprise in their eyes when she continued to charge at them head on. She could only imagine what they thought when she planted both feet on the ground and jumped, vaulting over them with a front flip, just when they came within a few arms' lengths. She never got to find out, though. As soon as she landed on the other side, she was running, her sights set on the lone man. No longer caring how much force she used, Buffy delivered a vicious flying side kick to his head, sending him flying through the air and into a tree. Then, because she knew the others would be on top of her at any moment, she dove for the sword that had been lying near Siggy and positioned herself between the men and her friends.

The men, for their part, finally got a glimmer of what they were up against. With primal yells, they attacked her all at once, trying to surround and overwhelm her.

They didn't stand a chance. Armed with a sword once again, Buffy tore through the rest of men, her bladework brutally efficient, at the top of her game thanks the sparring time with Rollo.

She didn't stop moving until the last man had fallen, fueled by her fury at these men who would kill little Ubbe without the slightest hesitation, at herself, at Olaf, at the entire world, for putting her in this situation in the first place. And yet, once the fight finally ended and her anger was spent, she wasn't sure if she could ever move again, crushed by the weight of her own guilt.

It was bad enough that she was responsible for the carnage around her. What really made her stomach lurch was the fact that she didn't feel nearly as bad as she should have, knowing that she did what she had to if she wanted to keep Siggy, Aslaug, and the children safe.

She was almost grateful when she heard a noise coming up the path, forcing her to focus on something other than the bodies around her. It turned into real relief when she saw that it was Rollo - until she saw his face and the devastation written all over it.

She shook her head in denial. "No." she said, and started to head back to the village.

Now that he was there, they didn't need her. She could still help-

Rollo grabbed her wrist as she tried to pass.

"No. It is over," he said quietly.

She understood the words, but she refused to believe it. Easily breaking his hold, she got about ten feet down the path before he stopped her again, this time a little more forcefully, wrapping his arm around her waist and physically pulling her back so she was trapped against him.

Buffy grunted in annoyance. They both knew he couldn't hold her. Before she could break free, however, he leaned down and spoke, his voice right in her ear.

"No. It is done. The fighting is done. Look."

Releasing her, he pointed to a break in the trees, where she could just make out the village below through the trees.

To Buffy's dismay, she saw that he was right. There was no fighting anymore. The village had surrendered; people were tending to the dead, and for the most part, the victorious attackers were leaving them alone. If she went down there now, there would only be more death.

"They are… good?" she asked, struggling to find the words and she turned back toward him.

"Yes."

It was just a single word, but it spoke volumes. He really believed that they would be okay. And yet he also wasn't any happier about leaving the village to fend for itself than she was. He was going to do it, though, because he had to.

It was too much. Buffy wasn't meant to live in the land of moral ambiguity. If people needed saving, she saved them, plain and simple. Bad guys were just that, and the good guys definitely didn't do the same exact thing the bad guys did, just to other people. And above all else, she didn't kill them.

Except she just did.

Almost unconsciously, Buffy took a step away from Rollo. Even though she was still woefully under-prepared for the great big world out there, she was more than ready to walk away from this right here. It wasn't as if she could go to the beach anymore. And sure, it would be without the crucifix, but she was okay with that. If it really was from the Order of Dagon, she wanted its owner, not the cross itself, and she highly doubted there was a secret order of monks in Kattegat. There was nothing there for her, plain and simple.

As she contemplated leaving, Rollo's gaze grew intense, as if he somehow knew what she was thinking. He didn't say a word, though, nor did he try to stop her. He just watched and waited with an inscrutable look on his face.

Out of the corner of her eye, Buffy saw that Siggy and Aslaug were also watching her, though they were much easier to read. Siggy was staring at Buffy as if she had three heads, while Aslaug had what could only be described as a serene smile on her face, bordering on smug, even as she shielded her children from the violence around them.

They were polar opposites, to the point where it was almost comical. And yet as Buffy looked at them, she couldn't help but notice that, despite their different reactions, they shared one thing in common.

They both looked extremely vulnerable standing there on the mountainside with the children clinging to their skirts, with no food or shelter in sight and an army of men below wanting them dead or maybe even worse. Leaving now would be the same as abandoning them, and she couldn't bring herself to do that.

With a sigh, she took one last look at the village below, where daily life had resumed; beyond that, she could just make out the ocean - and the ships that still sat in the harbor.

Buffy felt a pang of anger at the sight, knowing that her one place of refuge was forever marred - though in hindsight it was probably for the best. She had used the ocean as a crutch, relying on its unchanging nature as a source of comfort. It wasn't a useful way of thinking, though; more importantly, she had been wrong.

The ocean endured, but it did change. Sometimes it was through a huge, cataclysmic event that was impossible to miss, but it also happened below the surface, a million little things no one saw.

Like the ocean, she would have to endure - but she would also never be the same.

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