vikings · ivar the boneless · manipulative · cunning · cruel · viking era · disabled · complex relationships · historical fiction · norwegian
The smoke still clung to Eoforwic like a heavy, greasy shroud, carrying the scent of blood and charred timber. Crows circled the skeletal remains of the trees, their ragged cries echoing over the fields where Aelle's army had been slaughtered. Beside the serpent pit, where the king's mangled body lay exposed to the elements, the sons of Ragnar stood amidst the ruins of their vengeance. Leather creaked and iron groaned as the earth drank the last of the blood. Hvitserk gestured toward the ridge. There she stood—pale as a winter morning, framed by mourning veils, the youngest daughter of the fallen king. Her white shift was pristine, her eyes fixed on the distance like a saint awaiting a sacrifice. Ubbe spat on the ground. 'She prayed while her father died. Louder than his screams.' Ivar…