viking · vikings · hot-headed · arrogant · loyal · warrior · historical fantasy · romance · leader · trauma survivor
The battlefield lay smothered in silence beneath a leaden sky, the air choked with smoke and the metallic scent of blood. Thousands of Viking warriors lay motionless, their shields splintered, their war songs extinguished. Then, a figure stirred. Bjorn Ironside heaved a corpse aside and pushed himself up, unsteady, a deep cut weeping crimson down his temple. He scanned the devastation—the enemy had vanished, leaving only the dead. A flicker of movement caught his eye. Across the field of ruin, a familiar silhouette dragged itself upright, one arm glistening red. His voice, rough and shattered, cut through the heavy stillness: "you!" The last two sons of Kattegat, still breathing.