A/N: Tumblr and MCR inspired me to write this. I was listening to The Light behind your eyes while reading a Writing Prompt on Tumblr and felt inspired to write this AU where Eivor and Oswald are enemies on opposing sides instead of allies like they are in the game. Anyway on with the fic.
In a different world, Eivor Varinsdottir and Oswald of Elmenham were enemies.
Eivor crawled on the beach, clambering up as she forced herself to get up on her hands and knees - the longship that she had been riding on had crashed and smashed against the castle's walls. Chaos ensued as men screamed charging ahead, axes and shields in the air.
Eivor stood up, delirious by the sight around herself, before reminding herself that she was on a mission and that there was no time to waste.
The mission was to find the King of East Anglia and to eliminate him. Elimnate him before he could take control and power, which was not what the Raven Clan wanted. Sigurd wanted every part of England under his thumb, and he would do it by any means even if it meant burning and killing his way through it.
The strong smell of smoke and ash hit Eivor's nose as she entered past the broken wall, finding an opening. Fighting her way through several saxon soldiers, she took them down easily, keeping an eye out for a young man with brown curls and a green tunic on.
Oswald meanwhile had just come out from hiding and from a safer side of the castle that hadn't been invaded yet. Alerted by the distant noise of screaming he went outside to investigate only to see and smell the familiar sight of battle in front of him.
Burgh Castle was no longer just a large, quiet fortress anymore. No it was quite the opposite. The wooden walls had been smashed and broken down, bloodied corpses of both Saxon and Danes lay on the muddy ground. Metal on Metal sounded as people fought each other.
Oswald ran down the steps. He approached a Saxon soldier who was in the midst of a clash with a angry Dane brute.
"What's happening?"
"The Wolf Kissed. She came here with her army. They've broken down the walls and they've invaded. I've seen her out there, in the battlefield. I would be careful"
Eivor? Eivor's here? To take my land and my home? Well I'm not going to let East Anglia fall to the hands of raiders. It's my job to make sure this kingdom is safe.
"Alright thank you. You just hang in there. East Anglia will be ours again I promise. I'll make sure of it" Oswald reassured giving the fighting soldier a pat on the shoulder
The soldier only nodded in response before he turned around once more and smashed his sword as hard as he could against the Dane brute.
Wasting no time, Oswald headed deeper into the midst of the battle. He approached a unsuspecting Dane. Grabbing his sword which was attached to his tunic, he swung knocking him out before stabbing and killing him.
Another raider aimed towards Oswald trying to swing at him. Oswald ducked the hit, using his small stature and frame to his advantage before he stabbed him with his sword from behind him killing him once more.
He had been in a few battles prior to this, so this was nothing new to him. He took a few more of Eivor's men and army out before he stopped briefly to call out
"Eivor? Eivor! This ends now. Enough bloodshed. If it's me that you want, come and get it. I'm standing right here!"
At first there was no response. Oswald just stood idly in the square of the castle alone as men continued battling and fighting around him.
Eivor approached the square, bloodied and sword in hand as she saw Oswald standing opposite on the square already waiting for her.
Ah. Oswald. He's here already.
"Oswald, your here now. I see you've come out of your hiding spot after the chaos I've caused. I was hoping you would come out and now your here again" She smirked coyly at him before stopping several metres away from him
Oswald grimaced as he felt an uncomfortable sensation rising within his gut.
He forced his next words past his dry throat
"So this is how we end?"
Eivor sighs tiredly, exhausted at the situation. Exhausted at the whole facade. She didn't want to be here, she never wanted to do this. She was just following Sigurd's orders, doing Sigurd's dirty work as usual. Dirty work that he himself couldn't be arsed to do.
"Unfortunately. I wish it didn't have to come to this, but it is just the way it is. So let's just get it done and over with"
Oswald nodded "As you wish. We'll have to fight it out then. Whoever wins this gets to take over East Anglia. I challenge you to a Holmgang. Me and you, just the pair of us no one else. If you win this land may be yours, if you lose you die and this land will be mine"
"I accept. I accept your challenge"
"Good. I'm glad you do. Shall we get started then?"
No sooner had Oswald said that, Eivor had already charged torwards him sword in hand. Oswald managed to block it just in the nick of time, his sword blocking the blow as metal clanged against each other, sparks flying everywhere.
Eivor grunted in frustration as she swung again aiming at him, but he only blocked the movement once more.
Becoming increasingly frustrated, Eivor continued swinging wildly aiming her other free hand in an attempt to punch him.
Oswald grabbed her wrist as it stopped inches from his face, furious Eivor swung at him with her sword only for him to block it with his longsword once more.
"Is this all you got? Well come on then!" She gritted yelling as she shoved him pushing him away from her with the edge of her sword
He stumbled briefly, stumbling over his feet before he regained his balance before turning back to her with determination
Eivor attacked once more seeing him vulnerable, but he only blocked her other attacks once more. No matter how she manouvered or tried to attack him, he never once attacked her.
"Why are you making this so hard? I'm doing all the work here, Your going easy on me. I'm doing all the work here!"
He parried her sword once more while gritting
"Eivor, I don't want to hurt you. I want you to live. I want you to kill me"
Eivor stopped briefly as she froze in shock at his words
No No No I can't do that... I can't. Why is he doing this? Why now? Why can't he just fight, Why does he have to complicate things?
"No. No I can't do that. I can't. Pick up your sword and fight. You can't ask me to do that"
Oswald stopped removing his sword against hers, throwing the weapon on the ground as it hit the concrete square with a sharp clang next to him.
"You can Eivor. You can. You have a lot more to live for, I don't. Look after East Anglia when I'm gone will you. Build and rule it nicely"
At those words the dam of emotions thathad been building up inside of her exploded.
"I can't. I can't. Damn you." She cried hysterically whilst shaking, wobbling unsteadily as she swung towards him once more
Oswald blocked the attack with his unarmed arms, he grimaced in pain as the sharp blade cut across his arms, a thin line of blood seeping through the blue fabric of his sleeves
Grabbing her arm gently as she continued to sob in front of him, he placed it gently to her side again before placing his hands gently on her shoulders so she would look at him
Looking deep in her eyes he gently said
"If you won't do it, I'll do it for you"
"What? What do you mean?!" Eivor croaked as tears continued to roll down her cheeks
He shook his head gently giving a gentle smile
"Trust me"
Before she could object any further, he grabbed her swordarm roughly pushing it against his abdomen and his stomach as he groaned out in pain as the sword struck him through cleanly the blade sticking out on the other side before he collapsed on his knees
"Oswald!" Eivor cried out
"It's alright. You can pull it out now. It should be enough to kill me"
Eivor nodded as she removed her sword from his impaled abdomen
Oswald cried out in agony as the blade was removed from him swiftly as he collapsed on the ground weakly, his chest heaving up and down rapidly as his breathing quickened
Eivor threw the bloodied blade away hastily as she rushed to his side falling on her knees.
He looked up at her, vision blurring as he bled out in front of her. He places a bloodied hand on her cheek
A flashback appears in front of his eyes as he approaches death's door.
The smell of her, so close to him as his face and nose burrows on her hair. The sweet musky smell of her. The sound of the waves crashing gently behind them as it hits the sand. The light smell of the sea air.
"I love you" she whispers gently to his ears.
He chuckles at the memory as his eyes threaten to snap and close
"Perhaps in another world, everything would of worked out and we would of ended up together" He croaked weakly
Seeing him lose more blood and becoming weaker by the second, Eivor knew there wasn't much time left before he would succumb to death.
There's no time. I will never get to tell him if I don't do this now. Actions speak louder than words. It's now or never.
Reaching over to him, she lifted his head as his flickering eyes gazed upon hers, the contact lasting less than a second as he feels something soft and hard pressing against his bloodied lips.
He wraps a bloodied hand pulling her closer as he returns the kiss with the last of his waning strength. For a minute he can taste all the hurt, passion and pain through her lips. She pulls back looking at him once more.
"Perhaps. I'm sorry. You know I didn't want to do this. I never did. It was Sigurd who wanted this, not me. I..."
She was cut off by a weak hand squeezing her lightly on the cheek
"It's alright. I understand. I forgive you. Now go and make me proud. I love you" He rasped weakly
Tears roll down her cheeks streaming down her face like a river as she answers him nodding "I will. I love you too"
Those were the last words he heard as his head slumped down on the side for the final and last time as Death consumed him.
She places her fingers on his eyelids, closing them shut gently as she looks on at him laying quietly and peacefully in a bloody slump in front of her.
"Never let them take the light behind your eyes" she mumurs sadly to herself
"I failed and lost this fight. Never fade in the dark. Just remember you will always burn as bright"
Wiping her tears down with her sleeve, Eivor got up and left, leaving the chaos of Burgh Castle behind.
A/N: And that's it, that's the end of this little AU and fic where Oswald and Eivor are enemies with each other based on a Writing prompt and The Light behind your eyes by MCR. If you haven't realised already this is meant to be an alternate rewrite of the arc and the Burgh Castle siege instead of Rued and Eivor fighting, I swapped it with Oswald. The fic didn't explain it well but they were actually lovers or would of been in a different world if it wasn't for circumstances making them enemies.
Basically Sigurd told Eivor to scout out East Anglia so they could invade and conquer it and make it their new home. Eivor had only just arrived in England prior to this and instead of Ravensthorpe, Sigurd chose to target East Anglia to make as his future home instead. Sigurd told Eivor to go over to East Anglia and to seduce the King so he would give over his secrets to her which she did but in a cliche twist, Eivor fell in love with him and so did him. At some point, Eivor tells him the truth about Why she is really here and what Sigurd wants from her so he knows one day they'll have to face each other as enemies on the battlefield.
That is why when it comes to the Holmgang he deliberately lost on purpose and went easy on her and sacrificed himself because he knew what was going on and being the gentleman he is he didn't want to hurt her even if the situation him to. When he suggested the Holmgang this was his plan all along (Which was for Eivor to win and live on, not him). So that's the backstory behind that part.
Anyway I hope it wasn't too confusing. This was tricky to write them as Lovers to Enemies, I usually find it easier to do it the other way round and also using writing prompts instead of my own idea was a first. I hope you still enjoyed despite this. If you got all the way to the end, Thanks for reading!