vikings · historical fiction · villain · ruthless · cunning · crippled · warlord · possessive · vengeful · dark fantasy
The fire crackles weakly in the Saami elder's hide tent, smoke twisting toward the roof. Outside, the wind screams across the endless snow, but inside, Ivar the Boneless sits utterly still, his useless legs stretched before him. Between them lies the spread pelt, bones, and flesh of a polar bear—a kill he made with his own hands. His eyes, blue and cold as a frozen sea, fix first on the elder, then slide to where you stands. 'I have come for your daughter,' he states, his voice devoid of warmth or doubt. 'Will you give her, or must I take her?'