Vikings in Equestria

The army was camping in the hills of King Horik's lands. Ragnar and Horik were holding their counsel. Vigi came over, cald in a fur covered cloak, as all the others.

"There is still no sign of him." Vigi said, "Maybe he won't come."

"He will come." Ragnar assured him, "For Jarl Borg has many reasons to come."

"We will wait for him here." Horik decided, "And for your brother. Unless you have heard from Rollo?"

"It is true, I've had message from my brother." Ragnar admitted, "But I still believe in my heart that he will not betray me. For me he has no reason."

"Who needs a reason for betrayal?" Floki warned him, "One must always except the worst, even from your own kin. That way you avoid too much dissapointment in life."

Later in the morning Ragnar was washing his face, when he heard the sound of a horn. He looked up and saw men standing on the next hill. They were carrying shields, covered in the characteristic colors of Jarl Borg, orange and green. One of them was Rollo.

"There is the teacherous one." Floki said, behind Ragnar, "I was right."

In the camp of Jarl Borg, the men were getting ready for battle. Borg stepped beside Rollo, both bare chests.

"Any regrets?" Borg asked.

"No regrets." Rollo replied.

"Then let us fight." Borg said, "And let the gods decide the outcome."

The both stepped to the priest who had accomapanied the army. He tipped a brush into a bowl of goat's blood and sprinkled it over the warrior's chest. The both took a hand full of mushrooms out of another bowl and quickly ate them.

"Rider approaching!" The guard called.

"What is it you want?'' Borg asked.

"I am here on behalf of Ragnar Lothbrok." Arne said, "I want to speak with his brother. Rollo, you and I have fought many times. I think of you as a brother." He said, "But over there...Is your real brother. Your own flesh and blood. Do you really want to rise your axe against him?"

"Tell Ragnar, I shall answer in blood." Rollo told One Eye.

Finally, the two armies faced each other on sandy battlefield, surrounded by hills. Both waited for other to make the first move. King Horik had left the command of the battle to Ragnar, although he and his men made up a great portion of allied army.

"Shield wall!" Ragnar finally ordered. Immediately, everyone held their shields together, forming a tight wall.

"Shield wall!" Borg ordered on the opposite side. His men followed.

"Spears!" Ragnar shouted. The men in their ranks holding spears held them out of the front of the shield wall. On the other side, Borg's army followed their example.

Ragnar waited for a moment, readying himself for the fight, then he ordered, "CHARGE!''

Both armies ran forward, closely packed, trying to break enemies shield wall by the force of the impact. The collided and the melee began. Rollo was swinging his large axe with both hands. He cut down one of Horik's warriors.

"Form a wall!" He ordered.

Some of Jarl's Borg men tried to jump over the fighters in the middle of the battleground. The first one's were hit by spears. Other's came through and were cut down by the men in back of Ragnar's shield wall, like Floki, Vigi or Arne.

Thornstein, Ragnar and Horik were in the front line. They wielded their swords and cut down's Borg's men, one by one.

Finally, Rollo jumped over Horik's shield wall, his axe connecting with one of Horik's warriors. He swung his axe around and hit another one. Then Floki looked over his shoulder, seeing Rollo stand behind their shield wall, he attacked him with his hatchets.

Rollo parried the attack with the handle of his axe. Floki fell on the ground and was about to grab one of the shields lying around, before Rollo's axe came hammering down. The other warriors formed a small shield wall, protecting Floki.

Rollo cut the down, first the left one, then hit the right one in the head with his axe. By now, Borg had broken through the shield wall. He circled the boatbuilder. Floki drew his knife from his belt and tried to stab Borg. Borg avoided the hit and tried to hit Floki with his axe. Borg and Rollo were pushed back by Floki's attack, aimed at them both.

The somehow avoided being stabbed and Rollo finally finally held Floki's hand fixed. He hit the boatbuilder arm with the wooden handle of his axe as the axehead was broken off before. The bones in Floki's arm broke as his hand was twisted around. Borg hit Floki with his axe on the shoulder, before Rollo scored another hard hit to Floki's head with his axe. Floki fell to the ground.

Borg and Rollo were attacked from behind by Thornstein, Vigi and Arne while Ragnar carried Floki away. Suddenly, Arne found himself along facing Rollo. He paused for a moment, then charged at the other man, swinging his axe and shield with all his strenght. Rollo effortlessly parried the attack with all the handle of his axe, then pushed the One Eye back.

Rollo discarded the broken handle and waiter for the next attack. Arne picked up a spear which was lying on the ground. He aimed and ran towards Rollo, who stepped aside and avoided the hit. He trapped the spear in his hands and pulled, until he had finally knocked it out of Arne's grip. He turned the spearhead around and ran it into the one eyed warrior. As Arne began to spit blood, Rollo raised the spear, lifting Arne's feet off the ground, impaling him at the top of the spear.

Ragnar returned to the battlefield, followed by Thornstein and Vigi. Rollo was looking at the dead body of Arne, not sure how he felt. He had been an enemy, but it was also true, he had been a close friend. Now he was dead. Rollo was awoken by the returning Ragnar and quickly pulled the spear out of Arne's body. The spear at the ready, he faced Ragnar.

"Is this what you really want, brother?" He asked his older brother.

Rollo tried several times to get himself to run the spearhead into Ragnar's unguarded chest. He failed. He had to admit it to himself.

"I cannot fight you." He said loudly. Rollo threw the spear away and stood there, unarmed. He fell to his kness, at mercy of his brother.

Ragnar was sitting on the campfire, warming his hands. He was stll encrusted with blood from the battle. Floki was lying on the ground, badly wounded. Rollo was kneeling in chains, guarded by Thornstein and Vigi.

Jarl Borg and several of his guards entered the camp. The approached Ragnar. King Horik came out of his tent, walked over to the campfire where he sat down next to Ragnar.

"Without being defeated, we have grown weary of the slaughter of our young men." The King announced, "So, Jarl Borg, I offer you one third of the profits on the disputed land. Unless you continue to challenge my claim."

"I would rather go back fighting than accept such scam justice." Borg replied.

"So you will not accept my fair offer." Horik queried.

"No." Borg replied.

"Why do we continue to look inwards?" Ragnar wanted to know, "Why do we fight each other about this piece of that piece of land? Why don't we look outwards? I have already found a passage west. We have found wealthy lands over there. If we raided together, we would not need to kill any more of our young folk. But instead offer them land, to farm."

"My mind tends the same ways as Ragnar's." Horik stated, "I want to sail west with him. What do you say, Jarl Borg?"

"Yes." Borg agreed after a moment of thought, "I want to see this land to the west. And so I accept your offer."

After Jarl Borg had left the camp, Ragnar walked over to Rollo, "Not that you'd care brother. But your niece Gyda is dead."

The two ships returned to Kattegat. The women of the town were cheering on the pier as the boats came nearer. The cheers ebbed, as they could see how few actually returned, who was missing. They docked to the pier and Floki and the other wounded were carried ashore on stretchers. Then

Then Rollo was guided onto the pier by Vigi, his hands in chains. Vigi angrily pushed his forward before he noticed his wife Juta. He hadn't seen in a few weeks so he quickly ran to her.

Juta passionately kissed her husband and quickly grabbed his hand and placed it on her belly. Vigi looked at her in shock mixed with confusion, then she nodded her head, confirming that she was pregnant with his child. Vigi fell on his knees and kissed Juta's belly, still holding her hand.

Later in the evening, Ragnar was eating, while the other listened to the news.

"We fought all day." Ragnar began, "Jarl Borg would not give in, neither would we." He continued, "One Eye died. Rollo killed them."

Siggy looked up as if she wanted to say something, but was not able to speak.

"And Floki may not survive." Ragnar added, "For he is so badly wounded."

"That was not your quarrel." Lagertha said, "This should have never happened."

"No man can walk through life without things happening to him." Ragnar told her.

Lagertha decided it was not the time to press this further. Instead she needed to know something else.

"Who is Aslaug?" She asked.

Ragnar's reaction was strong. He threw his cup in the corner of the room.

"Who is Aslaug?" She repeated.

"She a Gotland princess." Ragnar told her, "We met her over there."

"You justmether." Lagertha kept digging.

"Lagertha, stop." Myrus cautioned her.

"What has the boy told you?" Ragnar asked back.

"It does not matter what Bjorn told me." Lagertha said furiously, "What are you saying?''

"I say.'' Ragnar began, "We should not wash our dirty clothes in public.''

He stood up and left the room. Lagertha followed him. As they reached the bedroom, Lagertha took a cup from the table and threw it at Ragnar.

"Did you have sex with her?" She shouted.

"Yes.'' Ragnar admitted. Lagertha slapped him in the face.

"How many times." She wanted to know.

''Once.'' Ragnar replied, catching her hand before she could hit him again, "I don't love her."

Lagertha tore her hand free and let her fist connect with Ragnar's nose.

"How can I make you let this go?" Ragnar asked, trapping Lagertha against the wall.

"Never see her again.'' Lagertha fumed, "Never again.''

"Done." Ragnar agreed.

Myrus watched as Siggy sat next to Rollo who had been put in chains at the town square. Ragnar told her before, he was not able to judge his own brother for treason. Therefore, they would have an assembly and they would bring Rollo to what is called ''law rock''. There his fate would be decided.

The population of Kattegat had assembled at the foot of the giant, rocky hill, called the law rock. Rollo was brought towards by Thornstein and Vigi. Rollo knelt in the grass, next to the executioner's block.

The lawgiver appeared on top of the hill. He was an old man, wise from the years. He served as Judge whenever the Earl excused himself from making a judgement.

''I have been asked to determite the fate of this man.'' The lawgiver said, ''He chose to fight with our enemies. He killed many of our sons, fathers, brothers and friends. What hope is there for him?"

The crowd argued loudly for his death, until the lawgiver raised his hand, silencing them.

"This man deserves to die." The lawgiver agreed, "But the gods have made their judgement. If they'd wanted him dead, he would have died in battle. I conclude therefore this man to be set free!"

Thornstein stepped forward and murmured to Ragnar, "We should kill him anyway."

"We must obey the law." Ragnar countered.

"Who is the lawgiver?" Thornstein asked, "Just an ordinary man."

"No when he stands on his sacred stone." Ragnar reminded him.

Myrus watched as Rollo's chains were realesed. No one seeme to be satisfied with this decision, not even Rollo. Yet, no one else protested against the sentence.

Several days later, Myrus was searching for Ragnar.

"Ragnar.'' He said as he found him, lying on the beach.

"What is it Myrus?" Ragnar wanted to know.

"There's a boat coming.'' Myrus replied.

Ragnar quickly went to the pier and immediately retreated to the great hall upon recognizing the guest. When the guests arrived in the hall, Lagertha scrambled out of their room.

"I had no idea that she would come." Ragnar tried to calm Lagertha, "I did not ask her to come. You must believe me."

They both stood side by side when the guests entered the hall, accompanied by guards. When the guards stepped aside, they revealed a heavily pregnant woman. Lagertha threw an accusing look at Ragnar and bit down an angry comment.

"Lagertha, Princess Aslaug." Ragnar introduced them, blushing.

"Thank you Ragnar." Lagertha said, "I know who it is."

She locked her eyes with Aslaug for a moment, then said, "Come, eat, rest. You must have had a tiring journey."

In the evening, they were all sitting together at the table, feasting and drinking. Lagertha tried to entertain Aslaug by a little talk.

"Bjorn told me that your mother was the shieldmaiden Brynhilda of whom we've all heard?" She inquired.

"It's true." Aslaug replied, "Although she died when I was really young. I barely remember her."

"And your father?'' Lagertha wanted to know.

"My father was Sigurd." Aslaug replied.

"Sigurd? Just Sigurd?" Lagertha asked.

"No, I mean he was the Sigurd." Aslaug replied, "Who's according to the sagas killed the dragon Fafnir."

"Then your father is also a hero." Lagertha complimented her.

"I am proud that he was my father, but I never knew him." Aslaug said, "Do you remember me, Bjorn? How we stood together under the tree of life?''

"It wasn't Yggdrasil." Bjorn pouted, "It was just an ordinary tree.''

"That's true." Aslaug agreed, "We both know that it creates a bond between us.''

"There is no bond between us." Bjorn said in anger, "I don't want any bond with you."

The next day, Lagertha and Siggy were busy, weaving.

"What do you know about this woman?" Siggy asked.

"I only know what Bjorn told me, which is not much." Lagertha replied, "He did not want to be disloyal to his father." She checked the threads in the comb, "I did not know that she was carrying his child."

"Do you believe it?" Siggy asked.

"I do not know." Lagertha said, "Ragnar believes it."

"And what are you going to do?" Siggy asked. Lagertha remainded silent.

Ragnar and his son were visiting Floki. He was still lying in his bed, too hurt and weak to even sit upright.

"Floki." Bjorn said sadly.

"I'm not dead, yet." Floki murmured with his eyes closed, "No thanks to you Ragnar."

"Say what you want about me." Ragnar smiled, "I'm just glad that the gods were stupid enough to save you."

"The gods, and Helga." Floki agreed.

"You must regain your strenght." Ragnar told him, "There is a lot to do, a whole fleet of boats to built."

In the evening, everyone was sitting at the table again. Aslaug, followed by her guards walked in and placed several meals on the table.

"I hope you will accept what I have chosen and prepared for you." She said.

"I did not except you to go to so much trouble." Lagertha told her.

"It is no trouble if it is pleasing you." Aslaug smiled.

Aslaug took her place at the table and the feast began.

''To tell you the truth, I did not imagine you could cook." Lagertha complimented Aslaug.

"I can't." Aslaug replied, "My women cooked, I just brough the ingredients.''

"Looking at you both together here in my hall." Ragnar began, "I see no reason why you should not get on together. I have heard similiar arrangements exist all over the contry.''

"What arrangements?" Lagertha asked with clenched teeth.

"That a man can live with more than one woman." Ragnar suggested, "In fact it is not unusual. It works to the benefit of everyone, especially the children of both marriages."

"It's true.'' Aslaug agreed, "I know of many such instances."

"Is that what you are suggesting?" Lagertha asked.

Stroking her hair, Ragnar replied, "If I were, what would you say?"

The next morning, servants began to load a cart with different chests, which Lagertha packed. Lagertha was in the back of the hall, still packing. Thornstein entered, followed by Floki who was using a stick as crutch, Myrus, Vigi and heavily pregnant Juta.

"You are leaving then.'' Floki stated.

"If course I am leaving." Lagertha confirmed.

"Is Bjorn coming with you?" Thornstein wanted to know.

"That is up to Bjorn." Lagertha told him.

The wagon was loaded, everyone was there to say goodbye to Lagertha, except Ragnar.

"Bjorn you have to choose." Lagertha told him, "Say it now.''

"I choose my father.'' Bjorn sobbed.

Lagertha hugged him tightly, then said her goodbye's to the rest. All of them wished her luck. Lagertha climbed upon the wagon and began her journey.

A few moments later Ragnar rode into the town. He stopped his horse in front of Bjorn, Thornstein and the rest.

"What?" He asked in confusion.

"Mother's left.'' Bjorn told him.

Ragnar forced his horse in a fast gallop, trying to close in on the wagon. He overtook it, and dismounted from his horse.

"Are you really going to abandon me?" Ragnar wanted to know, "Without even saying a word?"

"You insult and humiliate me." Lagertha spat in his face, "I have no choice but to leave you and divorce you.''

They were interrupted by Bjorn, running up to them. Catching his breath he said, "I've changed my mind. I'm coming with you."