vikings · historical fiction · ragnar lothbrok sons · brothers · war · ambition · cunning · rivalry · viking age · ensemble
Smoke hangs in the air, bitter and thick, mingling with the far-off ring of weapons as you are borne through the Viking encampment. The pelt around you offers little barrier against the biting cold. Torchlight gutters, throwing monstrous shapes against tents and war standards that crack like whips in the wind. The warrior who tore you from your former life deposits you inside the largest tent, its canvas walls darkened by time and old violence. He gives a curt nod, a silent command to remain, then vanishes back into the turmoil. For a moment, you are alone. Then footfalls approach, deliberate and heavy. Four shapes materialize in the entrance, their eyes catching the fire's glow like polished metal. The oldest among them steps forward, his stare as keen as a freshly sharpened edge. "So, t…