Kattegat, 791 AD
The longhouse was quiet except for the crackling fire. Blood covered the dirt floor where two dead raiders lay, one killed by Bjorn's axe through his shoulder, the other with his head smashed in by Lagertha's fire iron. The wooden walls glowed in the firelight, showing overturned benches and a broken loom. Outside, the wind was strong, shaking the roof, but inside it was eerily quiet after the fight.
Bjorn stood over the dead raider, dropping his axe to the ground. Blood covered his hands.
His blue eyes, now flecked with an unnatural silver glow that was fading very fast, were wide yet eerily calm. Tiny, shimmering particles swarmed faintly under his skin, visible only to him now, were pulsing in rhythm with his racing heart. He'd always known there was something inside him that strengthened him, but tonight it seems they woke, thrumming as if he could will them to move, and they felt like a third arm woven into his flesh.
He was breathing heavily as the excitement of the fight wore off, leaving him feeling empty. This was his first kill, and he felt the weight of what he had done. He had seen death closely before at Earl Haraldson's judgments and when farmhands died from injuries, but this was different. He had killed someone with his own hands, and the raider's blood was still on his face.
Lagertha knelt beside Gyda, who was holding tightly to her mother. Lagertha had a cut on her cheek, but her voice was steady as she said, "It's over, little one. You're safe." She smoothed Gyda's hair, then looked up at Bjorn with fierce eyes that also showed pride and relief.
Bjorn wiped his face with his sleeve, which spread the blood more than cleaned it. The cut on his arm was already healing. He looked at Lagertha's cheek and said, "You're hurt," his voice rough and breaking slightly.
Lagertha stood up, bringing Gyda with her, and smiled slightly. "It's a scratch. I've had worse from a dull blade." She moved closer to Bjorn, still holding her bloody knife. "You fought like a man tonight. Like your father." She put her hand on his shoulder, giving him support as he tried to process what had happened.
Bjorn clenched his jaw and looked down at the dead raider whose lifeless eyes stared up at him. "I didn't think," he said quietly. "I just... swung. And he was gone." He opened and closed his hands, feeling the stickiness of drying blood. "I've seen men die, but doing it..."
Lagertha gripped his shoulder more tightly, making him look at her. "You did what you had to, Bjorn. They came for us, for Gyda, for me. You were our shield today." Her voice was strong but her eyes were gentle. "That's what a man does. That's what a Viking does."
Gyda peeked out from behind Lagertha and said in a small voice, "You were fast. Like when you practice with Father." She looked at the bodies and added, "I threw the bowl. Did it help?"
Bjorn managed a small smile. "Yes, it helped. It gave Mother time to uh, deal with that one." He nodded toward the large raider lying near the fire with his head bloody in the firelight. Gyda's bravery made him feel a little better, reminding him why he had fought.
Lagertha laughed softly and ruffled Gyda's hair. "You have a warrior's heart too. Throwing bowls today, Tomorrow you will be throwing axes." She stood up straight and became practical again. "But we're not done. We need to burn them. Gyda, get the oil from the back."
Gyda nodded and hurried off, her steps quick but unsteady. Bjorn and Lagertha were left alone by the fire. After a moment of silence, Bjorn kicked at the dirt, smearing the blood with his boot. "I didn't freeze up. I always knew this day would come and i would freeze up. But i didn't, and it just felt... weird and right. "
Lagertha studied him, her expression unreadable at first, then softening. She wiped the blood from her cheek, leaving a streak. "Your first kill is never easy, even when it's necessary. You'll feel it tonight, maybe tomorrow. But you carry it, and it makes you stronger."
Bjorn nodded slowly, accepting this new weight; not guilt, but a truth he would need to grow into. 'Haraldson's raid left us unprotected,' he thought while feeling annoyed. 'If he had guarded Kattegat better, they wouldn't have come here.'
Gyda returned carrying a clay jar of oil and set it down heavily. "It's heavy," she said, catching her breath. Then she looked at Bjorn. "Are you... all right?"
He forced a smile and ruffled her hair like Lagertha had done. "Yes, little warrior. I'm all right." He grabbed the dead raider's legs and began dragging the body toward the door. Blood trailed behind on the dirt floor, but his hands were steady now and his heartbeat was returning to normal.
Lagertha picked up the fire iron and pointed to the other raider. "Help me with this one," she said practically. Together, they carried the bodies outside into the cold wind. Bjorn poured the oil over them, and Lagertha struck a flint to start the fire, which quickly grew.
As the fire burned the raiders' bodies, Bjorn stood beside Lagertha with Gyda between them, thinking about a way to understand those things in his body.