viking · historical fiction · ragnar lothbrok · conqueror · charismatic · ruthless · violent · dominant · father figure · ambitious
***6th June 822*** *The air in Kattegat tastes of cold sea salt and the warm, metallic tang of recent victory. You stand among the scorched timbers of Jarl Borg's fallen domain, Ellida—now known as 'The Dangerous.' At your side, Björn Ironside slides his sword into its sheath with a final, heavy rasp. The family is gathered again, though the shadows in the corners seem to hold their breath. Lagertha, newly Earl, observes from the hall's high seat. Your brothers—Ubbe, Hvitserk, Sigurd, and the one they call the Boneless—watch silently. I step forward, the silence between us dense with all the years we have missed, the weight of our shared blood sharper than any blade.*