PLEASE READ A/N! NOTHING BAD I PROMISE!

So I realized the main problem I have with this story is that the next big plot point isn't until one year later when they go back to England for the summer raids. Until then it's mostly character and relationship development and for whatever reason that's really hard for me to think of without big plot developments as well. Unless I have a big map of what I want to do anyway.

So basically I have a lot of big white blank spaces in my mind of what to do until the next raids. So I'm coming to you, dearest readers. If there's something you want to see, anything at all, please let me know so I can try to find a way to work it in and give me stuff to write about that will move the story on with the characters while we wait for the plot to come back. There might be some small time skips to help as well but I don't want to do that too much because we won't be able to see Temperance getting to know everyone and adjusting to life if I do. So please, if you have an idea, let me know, and if it fits, I'll slap it in. If it doesn't I'll at least try to put it into a separate oneshot so you'll at least still get to see your idea come to life...sort of.

Anyway, thank you so much. Whatever help I can get will help, and will hopefully speed up updates a tad as well. Until then, please enjoy this next chapter! :D

Temperance paced the length of the room, still draped in the shirt she'd worn to bed. She knew she should change into something more decent, the clothes Lifa promised were stashed away in the closet. Yet somehow she couldn't bring herself to change. The mere thought of changing into yet more clothing made by a people she didn't understand in a world where she couldn't even pretend to belong was more than she could handle. She couldn't allow herself to be dragged further into this world than she already was.

There was a sharp rap before the door swung open. Temperance had to bite her tongue from the usual scolding she would give a servant for entering without permission if she were still in Northumbria. She wasn't at home and she had no idea how the people here operated. She nearly sagged in relief when Lifa's head poked around the door. The blonde stepped in fully, dressed in a man's shirt and a pair of skin tight trousers. Her feet were bare and slightly dirty from her trek here and her blonde locks were braided and pinned to her head, leaving her features open. Aquamarine eyes studied the Englishwoman carefully and a pale eyebrow rose questioningly, "You're not dressed."

Temperance bit her lip, hands fisting nervously in the fabric covering her belly. She had no answer that wouldn't sound childish out loud. Part of her knew she was being difficult, but really, they had stolen her here against her will. If any of them thought she would be cooperative after that, they must have had too many blows to the head. Lifa studied her for a beat longer before giving a decisive nod and motioned her to follow. Temperance hesitated, not wanting to be forced into anything, especially as she had only just noticed the large leather bag slung over the blonde's shoulder.

"Sit," Lifa motioned to one of the large comfortable looking chairs beside the fireplace and dropped the bag beside it. Temperance slid into the seat reluctantly and watched the other woman kneel down to work the fire back up. Temperance leaned forward to study her movements. Knowing to start her own fires instead of relying on servants seemed like a good thing to know.

Lifa gave an unladylike snort, "You'll hardly need it. You'll have plenty of servants here as well, you know."

Apparently she had spoken aloud. She ducked her head, allowing the untamable curls to fall around her face as a sort of curtain.

"Now, would you like another bath? It may help you relax a bit more." She reached out and tugged on one of the Englishwoman's curls, watching as it sprang back into place, "May help tame your hair a bit as well."

"Why are you always so nice to me?" Temperance blurted out, cheeks heating with a blush. Why, oh why couldn't she keep her thoughts to herself today?

Lifa's brow furrowed in confusion, "Haven't we covered this already? On the boat?"

"You never truly answered," her voice gained strength as Lifa hadn't immediately dismissed her. "You were distracted…"

"Oh right," Lifa nodded, remembering how she had confronted Temperance's father's murderer. "Well, to answer your question, I am nice to you because I want to be. You have never done anything wrong, have never insulted or hurt me in any way. You have given me no reason to be cruel to you."

Temperance shook her head, "I don't understand. I don't understand any of you."

"Not surprising," Lifa stretched from her crouched position, dusting her hands off on her pants as she collapsed onto the chair across from the brunette. "There are not very many similarities between our people."

"Are there any at all?" she asked almost desperately. She had to know of anything that could make her feel at home. Anything at all.

Lifa shrugged one shoulder, "A few. Hardly any, but they're there if you look carefully. But apparently, that's what I'm here for."

"What do you mean?"

"Ragnar asked me to teach you of our people, so you would understand. Starting with our language."

"Oh," her shoulders slumped slightly. Lifa was here to take what little she had left of her culture. She should have known. "I will not be allowed to speak English anymore?"

Lifa grinned mischievously, "On the contrary. You can speak which ever language you like. Ragnar has requested I teach him English as well."

Temperance blinked at the blonde, waiting for her to start laughing, tell her she was just joking. When she didn't, the Englishwoman asked tentatively, "Really?"

"He has his reasons for wanting to know your language."

Temperance frowned, "He plans on going back. He'll do what he did to my kingdom to someone else, won't he?"

Lifa looked almost proud of the woman, "Yes."

The brunette let out a slow breath, dropping her head in her hands as a small headache bloomed at her temples. How could she be a part of that? She couldn't kill and torture and kidnap. That wasn't who she was. She wasn't a monster. She refused to become one.

"You of course, will stay here. Watch over Ragnar's subjects for him while he's away. And I'll stay with you. I've had my fill of traveling for quite a while, I believe. But that won't be for another year. Until then," Temperance raised her head to watch Lifa drag her bag closer and tug it open. "I don't think you need to lose everything from your homeland. After all, Ragnar chose you, and Englishwoman, not someone from our own land for his wife. He must have seen something he liked."

When she straightened, Lifa pulled a long blue gown of English make and style out of her bag, slightly wrinkled put otherwise in pristine condition. It wasn't as elegant or elaborate as most of the clothes Temperance had owned, after all Lifa would have been considered a peasant in England and unable to purchase such finery. But it was undeniably English and brought tears to Temperance's eyes as she fingered the familiar fabric.

"I spent a quite a lot of time in England. Enough for me to require some English style clothes. I won't need them anymore, and though we are not exactly the same size, we're similar enough for you to fit these, I think."

Temperance smiled, the first smile she had given since Ragnar's ship had landed on her father's shores. "Thank you."

Rollo sat against the tree, eyeing Floki as he ran around like the crazy bastard he was, mumbling about which tree would become what. Ragnar sat not too far off, idling whittling on a spare branch Floki had thrown at him earlier for whatever reason. His younger brother's eyes continued to flick up at him occasionally, making Rollo feel the need to fidget, though he stayed perfectly still. He was a little worried by what exactly had made Ragnar call them together in the middle of the woods and then stay silent, almost bored looking if it weren't for the mysterious glances.

"What is it you needed, Ragnar?" Rollo finally gave in to the need to growl at his brother. Floki was now swinging from a branch above their heads, content to look at the world upside down.

Ragnar grunted, tossing the half-whittled branch away and stowing his knife in his belt before turning fully towards his brother, "It's about Lifa."

Rollo kept eye contact with Ragnar as Floki leapt from his perch to crouch down beside them, "What about Lifa?"

"What's wrong with her?"

Rollo narrowed his eyes at his brother, not liking his demanding tone.

"Nothing is," Floki answered, a hard edge to his voice. He never liked being out of the loop, especially if it involved his baby sister.

"Your reaction to my teasing this morning was not normal. You only act that protective of Lifa when something is wrong. What happened?"

Rollo clenched his teeth, his fists tightening until his knuckles turned white. He refused to break eye contact just as he refused to break Lifa's trust. She hadn't wanted to admit what had happened, had been ashamed. Rollo doubted those he called brothers would react the way she seemed to think they would, but she didn't want them to know and he would not be the one to tell them. That was her choice. He wouldn't be another person taking away her choices. He wasn't a monster, despite what some thought.

"Rollo," Floki growled, making said man look over at him. "Tell me what is wrong with my sister."

"Nothing," Rollo's tone ended whatever arguments they may have had. "She's fine. Safe. Neither of you need to worry."

Ragnar's eyes narrowed, "But something has happened. You wouldn't have said she was safe if it hadn't. What aren't you telling us?"

Rollo chewed on his answer. He couldn't tell them what had happened, but if he admitted he knew something they didn't, they would start hounding Lifa for answers. If she saw how concerned they were for her, she may begin to understand she had nothing to fear from them. They would never think less of her for what had been forced upon her in a strange land when she was on her own. It wasn't her fault, and the combined efforts of the three men could be enough to convince her of that.

"Nothing I am at liberty to talk about," he finally answered, pulling up an answer Ragnar would normally answer with, just vague enough to claim his innocence while sending the other men on the trail of what had happened. HE could only hope Lifa would see it that way.