I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Reviews are always welcome, in fact I love reading them. They help me push through and try to get chapters out as much as I can.
Thank you to:
Puffgirl1952 the 2nd - Here is a chapter for you. I will try my best to get another one out asap!
LadyBlondeMary - Am glad you liked the chapter. Fingers crossed you enjoy this one too.
Enjoy ;)
Kadlin wasn't sure how the best way for them to go forwards was. Having told Ivar what she had seen, she felt pity for King Ecbert. He like Ivar's father had just wanted what was best for his children and by falsely giving the land to Bjorn, it was ensuring that his son had the upper hand even after his death. The same as Ragnar had done, by asking Ivar to ensure they sought revenge on Ecbert as well as Aelle.
"How am I to get the brothers to listen to me? I was in the campaigning for Ecbert to be blood eagled. I can't very well go back and say, I have changed my mind"
Kadlin felt his frustration, "Let me think for a moment" . Lying in her bed, she closed her eyes. After a few moments she spoke. "Do you mind if I speak with them?"
Ivar shook his head, "I will go get them" .
Keeping her head down on the pillow, she tried to look as frail and injured as she could manage. Not that it was too hard, her body ached all over and the wound on her stomach made it hard to breathe.
It was not long till the brothers entered her little cottage. "Bjorn, Ubbe, Hvisterk and Sigurd" she nodded to them. "Thank you for coming. Firstly Ubbe, thank you for bringing me back here. If it were not for you, I am afraid I may not be here, but lying dead in a corridor somewhere"
Ubbe smiled and inclined his head "Well our brother might be a bit upset at that, and its nice to see Ivar so happy"
"Thankyou. Ivar has told me, it is your plan to blood eagle Ecbert is this truly happening?"
A smile played across Bjorn's lips. "It is, finally we can lay our revenge plans to rest. I must thank you for informing us of his deceit Kadlin. It seems once again I am indebted to you"
"Your welcome. We all play a part and I am glad to be of help. However I learnt something else in my time with Ecbert. I am not sure if I should tell you, now that your decision has been made"
Bjorn suddenly looked serious. "Have you told Ivar"
She nodded. "You must forgive me for not telling you sooner. I am, as you can see not in the best frame of mind at the time"
The brothers looked to Ivar, it was Hvisterk who spoke. "Well what is it"
Ivar inhaled and looked to Kadlin, who gave him a nod encouraging him to go on. "Ecbert was with our father when he died."
"No, he gave him to Aelle brother. Did you hit your head too?" Hvisterk replied.
Kadlin tried to prop herself up. Ubbe and Bjorn took each placed a hand under her, and carefully helped her up.
"Thankyou" she said quietly to them. "It's true. When I was with Ecbert he admitted to me that he walked to Aelle's kingdom by himself. He dressed as a lowly merchant and arrived just in time to see your father put to death. In your fathers final moments, his eyes found Ecbert and he smiled. Your father never once screamed out in pain, he just kept his eyes locked to him. He spoke of the want to join Odin in Valhalla to drink from curved horns. Waiting to see his son's once again to bask in your tails of your glory" tears fell from Kadlin's eyes as she spoke.
Bjorn looked to his brothers, who we are stunned into silence. "He was with him?"
Trying to stop her tears from falling. "He was Bjorn. Please don't blood eagle him. He was the only source of comfort your father had when he died. He deserves to die, yes for what he did but not in this manner"
"Kadlin" she turned to Sigurd. "How did you escape?"
"I told them something that I had hoped would save me. Men wanted to rape me, they were going to kill me. So I said the only thing I could think of. I told them I was Aethelstan's daughter. I knew Ecbert had a great love for Aethelstan and I hoped it was enough for him to free me or else I would have had to fight my way out. As much as I have trained with you, I did not think that possible"
"And they believed you?" Ubbe asked her.
"They did. In fact, Aethulwulf wanted me for his mistress because of it"
Ivar was suddenly at the foot of her bed. "Did he touch you? Are you alright?"
"I am" she smiled fondly to him.
Bjorn had raised his hands up over his head. "It seems that it is not the right thing to do with Ecbert. I may hate him for what he did, but you are right. He does not deserve to die the same was as that bastard Aelle. It puts us in a difficult position, I cannot have King Harald and his brother, or the rest of the men seeing us to change our mind. I do not want them to think we are so easily swayed"
"If it is not too bold to say. I have thought of how?" Kadlin commented.
"Oh, are have you?" Ivar replied. Kadlin thought he almost looked proud of her.
"Yes. I thought perhaps we could say that I wish to see him being blood eagled, however I am not strong enough to leave my bed at this time. Also preparations need to be made so that it is Ivar who can carry out the sentence. So, I propose that he be kept somewhere tonight and it to be done tomorrow. Tonight, myself and Ivar will sneak into where he is being kept and he can meet his end there. Away from the public eye, we can even make it look like Ecbert took his own life. No one should suspect Ivar and I, as we should be in here as I am too weak to move. Then tomorrow, you can send someone to fetch him and make the discovery".
"If it works, it is a good plan. If it doesn't then I don't know what we will do. Ivar what do you think of this?"
He looked at Kadlin who nodded again. "I think it is a good plan. Kadlin and I will be out before anyone is even aware"
Bjorn looked seriously at the two of them. "Then it is settled. We will go tell everyone it will happen tomorrow so that you can attend. In the meantime, thankyou again Kadlin. We are truly blessed by the gods that you are here."
Smiling in return, the brothers one by one kissed her on the forehead as they left. "Ivar, will you stay?"
Pulling himself up onto her bed. "Only if you tell me what Aethulwulf did to you?"
Sighing to herself she tried to move so that would be more comfortable. It was not easy to do, especially since every way she moved pulled at her wounds. With Ivar on the bed there was even less amount of room to manoeuvre about.
Ivar shuffled himself back so that he was sitting up on the bed and gently pulled her over so her head was resting on his chest. "Now will you tell me?"
Starting her story back at the beginning , Kadlin told him how she was taken, then to when Aethulwulf stepped in before the men could rape her. She explained how he wanted her for a mistress as his wife had an affair with Aethelstan and had carried his child, Alfred. Finally she finished her story, ending where Ecbert had brought her outside.
"It seems you were lucky. Tell me, did you not see this in your visions?"
She shook her head, but it hurt. The medicine that Floki had given her must have been wearing off as the pain was starting to return. "I did not. I think perhaps I did something that altered it. It might have been when I decided to tell your brothers about Aelle, or anything really. It shows that I can change what I see in the visions too, as I did with Helga"
Kadlin felt Ivar's fingers playing with her hair. Gently brushing them away from her face. It was very relaxing. She was touched at how genuinely concered Ivar had been on her safety. How he was now, she could see that their relationship was definitely changing, she felt very comfortable, relaxed and safe with him. Whereas a few months ago, he still frightened her. She liked how he seemed to be changing too, more considerate and caring towards her.
"Thank you for saving Helga. She is like a second mother to me. Now that my own has gone"
"I know. Ivar do you mind if I sleep?" she said groggily.
"Sleep, Kadlin. For when you wake, you and I are to kill Ecbert"
Sometime later Kadlin woke. Ivar sleeping beside her, and her head still resting on his chest. Carefully and quietly she dressed, securing her dagger that Ivar had gifted her to her waist. Peering outside she saw the moon shining brightly up in the sky and that the army was still drinking and feasting. She saw Bjorn, Ubbe, Hvisterk and Sigurd sitting up top a table, drinking with King Harald and his brother. Laughing and singing, feeling triumphant from the previous days battle and of course the capture of Ecbert. Walking back over to a sleeping Ivar, she kissed his forehead.
"Ivar, it is time to wake. We must go"
His eyes fluttered open. "I did not realise I fell asleep" he muttered to her.
"Come, we must get to Ecbert before it is to late."
"Yes, yes. Is it clear outside?"
Shaking her head in response. "No, they are still awake, but if we go around the other side we should be alright"
"Lead the way." Picking up his daggers and fastening them to his belt he dropped down to the floor and followed her out.
The two of them crept around the village until the were out of sight, inside the castle. Bjorn had told them that Ecbert had been taken back to his chambers and was locked inside. A single guard posted at the entrance. Once Kadlin spotted him, she alerted Ivar.
"There is a guard" she told him, as she crouched down to the floor.
"You must get him to leave Kadlin. We cannot kill one of our own, it would bring too much suspicion"
"How do you expect me to get him away?"
He rolled his eyes at her. "You have breasts do you not?" not that he sounded overly happy about her flaunting herself. It would be much harder to be seductive what with her wound only just starting to heal and her bruises everywhere. Still this had to be done.
"Oh, ok." she kissed him "I will be back."
Leaving Ivar sitting hidden behind a statue, Kadlin walked up to the guard. Having pulled her hair out from her trademark braid, it flowed freely behind her. Acting as if she had some of the wine, and was drunk she stumbled towards the guard. He was young, He barely looked old enough to even be here, let alone guarding a king.
"Do you know what they say about women with hair not tied back?"
"No." he replied.
She sauntered up to him, swaying her hips painfully as she moved trying to not to wince or show discomfort as she did. "They say, it is down and flowing because they have not yet been fucked" Standing this close to him she could see him swallow. Trailing her finger along his chest, she bit her lip and looked up at him.
"Would you like to help me with that?" she asked, as she grabbed his hand and placed it on her chest. "Would you like to feel what is underneath this dress?"
He grinned, and in that moment she knew she had him. "Well come on then" she grabbed his hand and led him towards a room on the adjacent hallway.
"I cant really leave my post" he stammered.
"Oh, i'm sure it will be alright for a few minutes" she coaxed him, as she moved closer to him and rubbed her body against his. "Come on, you know you want to. I know that I want to"
"Fuck it, lets go" he said, grabbing her hand and pulling her towards the door.
Just then, Ivar appeared from nowhere. Tripping the guard up, so that he landed flat on his back and was knocked out. A blade in his hand, he looked as if he was going to slice the man open. She dropped to her knees.
"Ivar, what are you doing. You are the one who said we can't kill him." she said in frantic hushed tones.
She could see his was pissed off, "That was before he wanted to fuck you."
"You told me to seduce him!"
"Well I didn't think you would go that far!" he said angrily at her.
Bringing her hands to his face. "Ivar" she said seriously. "You know there is no one else for me. If you want we can go into that room and you can have your way with me now. However Ecbert needs to die. I only said what I said to get him away from his post. Nothing else"
"Alright alright, You have made your point. Can you drag him into the room though?"
"'Perhaps you should have thought of that before you knocked him out?"
"Yes, point taken. Now hurry up"
Kadlin opened the door to the room, and then grabbed the feet of the man. Hoping he would be knocked out long enough for them to get inside Ecbert's room. As she pulled him into the room, she decided she had to make the scene look more realistic, she had to make it appear as I he too were drunk. Grabbing a pitcher of wine, she threw it over him so he smelt of wine and then pulled his pants down. Now it looked like he had left his post for the company of a women.
"All sorted?" Ivar questioned her.
"Yes."
Kadlin opened the door and the two of them entered Ecbert's room. They spotted him huddled over in the corner reading some scriptures. Hearing them walk in he looked up.
"Ah, daughter of Aethelstan and Son of Ragnar two of my closest and best friends what can I do for you on this night that is to be my last?"
"Well, it is actually something we can do for you"
"Oh, yes. Sit down my friends. Let us speak"
Ivar looked at Kadlin, who stepped closer to him and sat down.
"Ecbert, we are here because tomorrow it has been decided that you are to die."
Smiling at her in response, as he sat cross legged in front of her. "Yes. Bjorn has allowed me to choose the manor of my death and given me this one last night"
"You see, that is not the case. If you look out your window you will see a wooden chair of a sort"
Looking confused he got up and looked out his window. "What is that for?"
"It is for you to die on. They plan to blood eagle you, the same way Aelle died"
"No, no no. Bjorn gave me his word that I could choose the manner of my death" He circled around the rooms, looking as if he weren't sure weather to sit, stand or try to run away.
It was Ivar's turn to speak. "That was before you lied to us. Did you not think we would find out, that you are no longer king?" Tut tut tut, said Ivar.
"I, ah, I" Ecbert stuttered.
"Ecbert, it is alright. I, we, Ivar and myself are here to help" Kadlin said softly.
"Why would you help me?" he asked her as if he didn't believe her.
"Sit down, please." Ecbert agreed and sat down beside her. "I have visions, and in my vision I saw you. I saw you with Ragnar before he died, I saw you had walked to him, to be with him as he left this life and entered the great hall of Valhalla. Why did you do this?"
Ecbert looked to Ivar and then Kadlin. Ivar sat there playing with his knife. "I went because Ragnar was one of my dearest friends, he did not deserve what happened to him. I should have killed him myself, at least then he could have had an honourable death"
Breathing a sigh of relief. "That is why we are here. You took great risk going to see King Ragnar as he died and now that we know of it we cannot let you die in this way"
"You will still die, but it will be tonight." Ivar added.
"How?" Ecbert questioned them both.
Kadlin looked to Ivar for an answer. "Well that is up to you. You can die by your own hand, or by ours. We will leave you for a moment to consider your options" Ivar told the man who had been his fathers friend. "Just know, I would very much like it to be me that kills you"
"Come Ivar. Let us leave Ecbert here for a few minutes" Kadlin took the hand of Ecbert, she wasn't sure where the next words came from but they felt right, so she spoke them. "Make your peace and leave this world lord. Your God awaits you, Aethelstan longs to see you again, he is in your heaven waiting."
Kadlin arose from the floor and then left Ecbert seated by himself. She and Ivar moved around the corner of the room to give him some privacy. Seated next to one another on the floor. Kadlin crossed her legs, whilst Ivar sat propped up against the wall.
"So," he said to her.
"Mmm?" she answered in response, her mind miles away. Wondering how Ecbert would choose to die.
"So, would you have slept with him?"
Shaking her head in both annoyance and answer. "Ivar how can you ask that? You know I would not have."
"No? Well he can at least give you more than I can. His prick works it seems"
Kadlin looked at Ivar, and saw that he looked different to usual. Sensing that it was sensitive subject, she chose her words carefully.
"Ivar, we know that you can feel pleasure. Perhaps not all the time, but we know it can happen. By the gods it did happen."
Taking her hand he placed it over his crutch. "Well there is nothing now."
"Well we are preoccupied with other matters Ivar. Do not worry, I have seen it. You and I, rolling around in the sheets, out under the stars, in the grass." she looked at him, straight into his eyes, the piercing blue as if she could see through to his soul. "I could tell you all the places it will happen. I will leave it to your imagination. Trust me Ivar"
He smiled, a devious smile. "Under the stars? With no one watching I hope. I want all your pleasure to myself"
Smiling back at him, "Yes just us. Now back to Ecbert, If you don't mind."
"Fine, fine. Let us speak of him again"
"I wonder what he has chosen."
"I do not care really. As long as he dies" Ivar shrugged.
"Come, lets go back and see what he has decided." Kadlin stood and Ivar moved to his position so he could crawl over to Ecbert.
"I cannot be bothered moving over there. I will wait here whilst you go speak to him"
"As you wish" she bent and kissed him on the forehead and then walked carefully over to where Ecbert sat. She sat down next to him, he looked as if we were somewhere else. His eyes were glassy and he didn't move or speak as she sat next to him.
"Have you come to a decision?"
After some time, Ecbert looked at Kadlin and smiled softly. "I should like to take a bath"
A look of confusion came across her face. "This is not the time for bathing, it is a time for you to make your peace of this world and leave"
"Kadlin, I have had many important conversations in that bath. With your father, with Ragnar oh and the many lovely times Judith and I spent in there. I think I would like one last bath, and I had thought to take my own life in there."
"Very well."
Ecbert stood and took his leave to go to the bath chambers. Kadlin returned to Ivar, telling him what his wishes were.
"He's going to kill himself?"
"Apparently"
"Well, I want to watch him do it." Ivar said, as he pulled himself to the bath.
When the two of them entered, they saw Ecbert standing at the edge of the bath. Not bothering to look up at them. He held two blades in his hand. One a small dagger and the other twice the side. Deciding on the smaller, he threw the larger one away. The sound of the metal hitting the floor echoing in the room as it landed. Carefully he disrobed, and slipped of his shoes before stepping down into the water.
"Here to see the show?" he asked them, in a voice that was empty of emotion.
"It is not a comfort to know that the children of your closest friends are here with you, in your final moments?" Kadlin asked him kindly.
Kadlin and Ivar moved towards Ecbert. She sat on one side, and Ivar the other.
"Is it not some comfort. We are here with you, as you were there with Ragnar" she added.
He smiled at her. "Yes you are right" Ecbert looked down at the blade in his hands. His head tilted to the side, he looked around as if he could hear something both Kadlin and Ivar could not. A smile flickered across his lips, and then tears filled his eyes.
"I cannot do this" he said.
Quicker than she had realised, Kadlin drew her blade and held it deftly in her hand. Once again speaking things she had never known of before. Encouraged that it was the gods helping her to find the words to say to him. "Ecbert, is it not considered a mortal sin to take one's own life?"
He sobbed more.
"Let us take the burden from you. Hand me your blade, and let me help you enter Heaven's gates with a clear conscience"
"Yes Kadlin" he turned and looked at her. "Daughter of Aethelstan."
Kadlin noticed that Ecbert had dropped the blade in the water. His palms turned upwards and the look on his face as if he were a man broken. Standing up, Kadlin stepped over the edge of the bath and walked past Ecbert. His eyes never leaving her's as she stopped and stood infront of him.
Looking to Ivar she saw he had pulled himself closer to the edge of the bath, an eager look in his eyes as he watched her intently.
Concentrating back on Ecbert and trying to recall her many lesson's with Ivar. Lifting her hand up, she placed the tip of her dagger at the base of Ecbert's wrist. Glancing up at him once last time, she dragged the blade up him arm. The blade cut him deeply, and Kadlin was grateful her hands were not shaking, it was after all her first time taking a life. Without stopping to consider if she had done it right. She took his other hand and did the same.
Looking up she saw Ecbert staring at her, a look of content on his face now. Throughout the entire thing, he never made a sound. She saw Ivar, move from next to him, and before she could say a word, he lifted Ecbert's head back and slit his throat open.
The blood loss that he had already endured, ending his life much quicker than if he had waited to bleed out in the bath. His eyes closed, his throat making gargling sounds as the blood continued to seep out. Ecbert's lifeless body slumped down in front of her, as she carefully stepped over him. The movement of her leaving the water, caused Ecberts body to fall and float face down in the water.