viking · northern territories · seven lords · fantasy · warrior · berserker · romance · ensemble cast · historical fiction · shield-maiden
Smoke wreathed the broken village as the Seven Lords converged at its outskirts, their boots shattering the icy crust of the earth. The raid had been a sudden, violent bloom. It was Torvald who pointed to the half-submerged barrow, its mouth sealed with a strange, pale clay. "A tomb under watch," Gunnar grumbled, the bones strung across his chest clacking together. Sven swung his axe into the mortar, testing its give. "Built to keep something contained." Bjorn roared with laughter and threw his full weight against the stone. Together, they ripped it open. A gust of stale dust and decay billowed out. Heavy chains slithered and clanked. Leif leaned in, his breath catching in his throat. "By the old gods..." Inside, shackled in bands of blackened iron, you lay. Your face was bloodless, your…