conquering the enemy-Halfdan & Haskell

Sofie had been spending the morning training with the other women of the village. She had been doing so well today, and hadn't lost any of her battles. However despite how well she had been doing, she heard Freydis talking shit again. It had started out with her talking about Freyja and how much of a coward she thought she was for stopping her training becoming a boat builder.Sofie did her best to ignore that, it was something the women had said before. The next thing the Shield maiden said was that Visna was going to grow up to be a little whore. That Freydis could just see it coming. Sofie again, tried her best to just ignore the comments, and even knocked her opponent to the ground with such ease. It was what Freydis said last however that set Sofie off. The bitch had the nerve to say that she bet that Tora would make a great Thrall. Because she was so friendly and small. That any man in the village would love to have a little Thrall like her. That had been enough for her. She knew that she needed to teach Freydis a lesson to keep her stupid mouth shut for a while now, but had tried her best to just prank the other women. She had hid her weapons, dyed her clothes, and even put spiders in her bed. Nothing was seeming to make her shut up. Noting was going to make her stop. So, Sofie kicked the person she was training with currently to the ground quickly before heading toward Freydis.

She was just within grabbing distance whens she pointed her sword in Freydis's face. "I have had enough go you.she said to her first. Anger rolling off of Sofie in waves. She knew that if she lost this fight that it was not going to end well for her. "You are going to shut your fucking mouth about my family, and your going to do it now! She said to her next. "Oh are you going to make me? Freydis asked her with a cocky look on her face. "You're just a Frú" the women said to Sofie after that. "I'm going to fight you right now, and if I win you will keep your fucking ugly mouth shut! Sofie yelled at Freydis as she looked the older women over. She really was an ugly women, inside and out. To make fun of a family just because she was jealous was petty, and Sofie knew that all of Freydis's words were petty and jealous. However that didn't change the face that she wanted her to shut her mouth. Besides, Freyja said that it would fee great to beat her in training, and knock her down a peg or two. Something Sofie knew that she was easily going to be able to do. Even though Freydis was twice her age and a seasoned shield maiden, it as going to be an easy fight for Sofie.

Freydis just looked at her for a few moments, and the sword Sofie had pointed at her face."I am a shield maiden! I don't need to fight a Frú! You are nothing compared to me." she said trying to push Sofie's sword from her face."Are you scared I'll win?" was all Sofie said in return. Moving the sword even closer to the older women face. Freydis made a sound that sounded similar to what a pig would make before he backed away and raised her sword. Good, Sofie was glad she wasn't going to be a coward about all this. It would make things so much less fun. Sofie got into positions and they started there little dance. Freydis was angry, and it was showing in her moves and hits. It was making it all too easy for Sofie. In battle its best not to get mad, to give all your mind and energy into winning and thinking out your moves. Sofie had been watching the Shield maiden for weeks, watching how she fought and studying her moves. She had not gone into this fight blindly, that would be more then foolish.

The fighting went on for maybe twenty minutes before Sofie was able to knock the other women sword from her hands. She then turned and kicked Freydis's feet out from under her body before pointing her sword at the women stomach. "Are you going to keep your stupid mouth shut, or am I going to need to run you though with the sword?" Sofie demanded of the women on the ground. "I won't say anything anymore, now get away!" Freydis cried out like a child. Sofie just rolled her eyes and moved the sword from her stomach area, but did not move or turn her back. She wasn't stupid, she knew the Shield maiden fought dirty from time to time. She watched as Freydis got up and got her sword before she ran away like a baby runs to his mother. Sofie just stood there for a few minutes. There had been quite the crowd that gathered around her fight, and now she was being watched by villagers, and viking alike. Sofie simply nodded her head toward them all before turning on her heal and heading straight home.Once home she didn't talk to a soul, she just went to the bathing area and got herself a bath ready. She was glad she defeated the other women. Hopefully she really would stop her shit and leave her families names out of her mouth.

Sofie had been stomping around her house for hours now. She was so glad that she finally beat the other women in a fight, but it still didn't make the fact that she was mad about what she had said any better. How could someone be so jealous, and so petty that they would wish the life of a thrall on someone as kind and sweet as Tora. It confused her, and angered her to no end. The thing she was most upset by was that she almost had run Freydis throw with her sword. The strong desire to kill her and shut her up forever had been running throw her mind as she had looked at her on the ground. Sofie had started her training to be able to protect her family, and help earn riches fro them as well. Not to become a killer, or a monster. So why had she been so willing to do it. Why had every bone in her body wanted her to just push a little bit farther and end Freydis's life. Maybe it was the constant shit that fell from the other women's mouth. Or perhaps it was the fact that she has been listening to it for months now, and she had just had enough. Sofie wasn't sure, all she knew was that she wasn't going to let herself get that made or think those types of thoughts ever again. She would just handle the situation a lot faster next time, instead of letting it eat her alive until she snapped like she had done today.

She was still stomping around the house when she heard someone knocking at the door. Great, who wanted to bug her now. She opened it and her eyes fell onto Haskell, and he looked to be in a mood. That meant that he knew, and he was mad at her for fighting one of his Shield maiden. Of course he had no idea everything that had been going on. So if she was lucky, when he was done yelling at her she would be able to tell him everything that had been going on. Then maybe he wouldn't punish her, at least she hoped he wouldn't. Opening her mouth she went to speak just as he spoke first. ‘Halfdan The Black wants to see you.’ he said to her and Sofie felt her mouth fall open, and her eyes widen in shock. At the same time her heart sped up to a speed she had never felt before."What." she said looking at him. Halfdan wanted to see her over this? What was he going to do to her? Would he even listen to what she had to say, and why she did it? Sofie felt her breathing pick up and the panic start to set in. Haskell had no emotion on his face, but she could see he was mad at her. Was she going to die? Was she going to be raped? She had heard so many horrible things about the earl over the years, and now because she had to go and make that bitch shut up he wanted to see her.

More deep breaths came in and out of her body as she tired to form words in her mind and mouth. "Oh Gods." she said first and she looked at him and then looked around for a way to escape. Even if she ran, they would get her. Then things would just be worse, whatever punishment that he wanted to give her would be worse. "I was just trying to shut her up." she said next more to herself then to Haskell.Her hands were shaking now and she thought of everything that was or could happen to her when she got to the manor. "She had been saying nasty things about my sisters and I for months. I just wanted her to stop." Sofie said next, again more to her own self then to Haskell. "Now I'll be raped and killed." she said and a short sob fell from her lips and she looked up at Haskell. Panic all over her face,as well as the heavy worry she was feeling. "I'm sorry...I...oh gods...is he going to kill me Haskell?" she asked him boldly. If she was going to be killed she wanted to know, no she needed to know. She would have to tell her sisters goodbye , and her mother. Even if she was mad at her for trying to marry another man.

The tears came next, but she did her best to rub them away. She couldn't be weak, and she couldn't look like she had been upset before she was taken before Halfdan. Through her breathing she reached out a hand toward him for him to take her to Halfdan. This was her fault, she had brought it onto herself by fighting the ugly bitch. She would have to deal with what was going to happen next. She just hoped her sisters knew she loved them, and part of her regretted never telling Aleinn she liked him. There might not be a chance for her to do that now. There might not be a chance for her to do anything else ever again.

Sofie was still in the middle of her panic when she heard Haskell speak to her. ‘Scramble your confident together, you are coming with me.’ he told her and she really didn't feel confident at the moment. She felt more like throwing up all over the ground at the idea of what was going to happen to her now. Sofie did her best to try and explain things to him. To tell him that she was just trying to beat the shield maiden up so she would leave her family alone. She just wanted to make her stop, not all this. ‘You took it on your own to beat one of my shield maidens where everybody could see it, do you know in what mess you are in?’ Was what Haskell said when he cut into her words. She could feel the anger coming off of him and in his words. If he was mad at her, Gods, that meant Halfdan had to be even more mad at her. She was going to try to explain things to him. To speak, but he beat her too it. ‘I need to bring you to Halfdan of all people, because you and your pranks, your constant way of proving yourself got his interest.’ the way he worded it, it terrified her to no end. What would it mean to have his interest? Was he going to want her in an adult way, or was he going to ask her to fight? She had no idea, all she knew was she wanted her daddy, and her daddy was dead. With her luck she was going to be joining him far sooner then she wanted too as well. "I didn't want this, to get his interest. I just...I'm sorry." she said to him with fear and confusion on her face.

She was still shaking, everything he was saying to her was settling down on her heart and her soul, and he wasn't done. ‘You had come to me, I would have helped. Your sister was so smart to do it, now I need to find her later and explain everything. You are not only putting yourself in danger, you are putting your sisters at risk to.’ Haskell said to her and Sofie's eyes shot to him. Her sisters were going to be in danger now too? Oh gods, she would kill him, or go down trying if he even thought of touching her younger sisters. They were not strong like her and her two older sisters. Why had she done this, why had she been so stupid?"He won't touch them." she said to herself and not to him. She wouldn't let it come to that. She was just trying to defend her families honor. To not let a women get away with saying nasty and unneeded things about her family. Wouldn't anyone else do the same thing? If it was one of her other sisters like Runa, she was sure that she would have done something similar, or well she as trying to convince herself that. However maybe not, maybe she truly wasn't as smart as she had thought herself to be. Maybe she was just asking for a death. A fast quick one she hoped anyways.

The freaking out never really stopped as she looked to Haskell and asked if Halfdan was going to kill her. She knew it was a bold thing to ask, and that he wouldn't even know the answer for sure, but she still asked. Sofie needed to know what he thought. ‘No, I wouldn’t let him.’ Haskell told her as he reached out and touched her head before moving it down to her shoulder and started to lead her to the great hall. "Thank you, I'm so sorry. So so sorry." she said to him as tears started to stream down her face. She was doing her best to rub them away, but she is absolutely terrified of the Earl. ‘If you provoke him in any way Sofie, you gonna regret it.’ he told her as they got closer to her doom."I won't, I promise. I'll be good." she said to him as she tried to rub her eyes more and more. She wanted to be held and hugged. She wanted her sisters, and most of all she wanted to turn back time. Sofie finished rubbing her eyes just before they entered the doors of the great hall. This was it. Would she live? Or would she die?

Sofie wasn't sure how to make herself calm down. She wasn't sure if she would ever be able to calm down again. This was now what she had thought was going to happen to her at all. She just thought she was going to shut the other women up and things would be easier for her at the training grounds. That she could go the rest of her life without having to hear the Shield maiden say nasty things about her family. Now she had to go and talk to the earl, and most likely get killed or attacked by him in front of all of his men. Was that how her first and only time with a man was going to be? Had she waited for absolutely noting at all? So many horrible thoughts were going in out and out her head as she talked to Haskell and tired to find a way out of this. ‘You wouldn’t believe me, I think you gonna believe him.’ She heard Haskell say to her after she told him that this was not what she wanted. That only seemed to scare her more then before. She should have listened to her sister, and to Haskell too. If she had, this wouldn't be what was happening to her right now. She would just be off pulling a prank or something like that. Something that didn't involve going to her maybe death. "I should have listened." she said to herself and to him and she looked at him and his stern face.

Haskell talked about how that this was going to affected her sisters as well and she said that he wouldn't touch them. She had meant it, but she shouldn't have said it out loud to him the way she had. ‘Say that to him and he will take it as a challenge.’ Haskell told her, and if it came down to it, it would be a challenge. She would never let her sisters get hurt because of something she had done. No one was going to touch Tora, or Visna. She would go down dying if she had to, to protect them. However Sofie didn't think of that much at the moment. She thought more about the fact that she was going to her own maybe death at the moment. If he killed her on the spot, then there really wasn't going to be much that she would be able to do to protect her sisters anyways. She prayed and begged the Gods, that if she was to die, that Freyja would get the others away. That they would get somewhere safe before something happened to them. She also prayed they would forgive her for doing this to them. For putting them in this kind of situation. It was helping her not think about the fact that she had know idea what was going to happen to her, but it didn't stop the tears that were trying to come out of her face.

As they walked she could see eyes on her, people were looking at them and her tears and it just made everything so much worse to her. She hated showing emotions to people, to look weak like she was right now in front of the whole village at the moment. Sofie just prayed that someone would tell her sisters, that they would know what was going on and where she was going. She wished so much that she could at least tell them good bye before entering, but tried to remind herself that Haskell promised that he would not let her die. She was more grateful of him in that moment then he would ever be able to understand. That she would have him with her in this moment, and that she wasn't going to have to do this all alone. Just before they went inside she felt Haskell stop her. ‘Be confident, be obeying, I’m there, all the way but I can do just as much as my limits let me.’ he told her as he cupped her face and whipped her tears away. Sofie bit her lip hard and nodded her head before taking a deep breath to try and calm herself down. There was no getting away now, there was no running to do. This was it, as much as she didn't want to admit it.

They walked inside and she felt all eyes on her. She had never felt more uncomfortable in her life then she did in this moment. Some of the men were almost undressing her with there eyes as they looked at her. You pick them very young Haskell.’ she heard one man say before laughing in her direction. She saw the small smile on Haskell's face, and she wanted to throw up. Before she could think or do anything else she watched as a viking man that had been looking at her got pushed to the side. Halfdan was now stood in front of her. Haskell left her side and she felt her heart speed up a little bit in fear as she watched him walk over to Halfdan. Who hadn't taken his eyes off of her. He was looking at her with a look that made her want to run away already and he hadn't even spoken to her yet. It was like all time slowed down around her as she looked at him, watched his every move.‘You must be Sofie.’ Halfdan finally spoke to her, as he pointed a finger toward her from the cup in his hand. Slowly Sofie nodded her head yes at him. Far to scared to open her mouth. She watched as his eyes traveled her body so slowly that she felt naked in front of him while he shoot his head.

She had tired her best, but the way his eyes had been traveling down her body, she let out a shiver, making her look weak.‘The trickster of Skagen.’ She heard him say next before he took a drink from his cup.‘You are almost more popular than I am. Isn’t it?’ he said to her next and Sofie's eyes widened before she shook her head no at him. She was not anywhere near his fame, or his popularity. She didn't want it too, she just wanted to go home."No sir! You are far more popular then I." she said in a quite voice as her eyes never left him. Sofie watched as he walked over toward her, walking around her like a wolf or bear would watch its pray. Suddenly he was touching her arm, and the panic that she had been trying to fight away came back fully and her eyes widened even more as she looked at him in shock. ‘Looks like we have to settle that score.’ he told her, and all she heard was laughing all around her while his hand was on her. She wanted to run, she wanted to scream, to shout, to cry, but all she did was start to have a little shake. It started in her hands as she tried to stay calm. However all that filled her mind was the thought that he wasn't going to stop at touching her shoulder, and with the laughing the others wanted him to do something.Did they all want him to attack her too? Did that many people really not like her that much that they wanted her to be raped by the earl in front of them, or killed for that matter?

Plus Haskell let her side too, he was letting Halfdan touch her, after he promised he would protect her. The shaking traveled up her hands and slowly until her whole body had a nervous little shake happening. She hadn't taken her eyes off of him however, even though she wanted too, she wanted to be able to be ready for when he did something else. So it wouldn't be a surprise to her at the very least. Taking a deep breath she decided to speak, but she had made sure to think hard about her words before doing so. "How are we going to settle it?" she asked him as her breathing picked up and she went back to watching his every move again before adding. “And I didn’t mean to have a score to settle in the first place sir”She had done her best to sound respectful and brave whens she had spoken to him. Despite the way her body shook a little bit as she looked at him and waited to see what he did and said to her next.

Sofie was watching him for any sudden movements. From the moment he came out from behind the Viking man that made the inappropriate comment toward Haskell about her age. He was saying that she was almost more popular then him,and Sofie had shaken her head no at him in shock. She didn't want him to think she thought she was better than he was. Or anything along those lines at all. Sofie had no idea what she wanted him to think about her, and if she was honest she wished he never thought about her ever. The Rumors about him were terrifying, and being this close to him was even worse. ‘You disagree.’ Halfdan said toward her just as he shoved his cup into a poor persons face. Someone she knew had to be a Thrall, and she started to feel even more uncomfortable. However the fear picked up when he circled her like an animal, and touched her body the way he did. Halfdan patted her shoulder, in a mocking way and all she wanted was for him to stop touching her. ‘I expected a little more then this,’ he told her as he looked her down. A look that seemed to give nothing he was thinking away, and just made her little shaking worse. ‘but,’ he said next followed by ‘always room for change.’ to her as he removed himself from her personal space. Sofie wanted to look toward Haskell, for his comfort, but she knew better. She made sure her eyes followed Halfdan the entire time.

His words hurt her too, they hurt her pride.However maybe it was better he thought nothing of her. Then he won't want to attack her, or want her body for any reason at all. They talked about a score, and Sofie asked him how they would settle it, and made sure to tell him she never wanted a score to settle in the first place. She had called him Sir to be respectful, but he used mocked her. ‘Sir.’ he repeated her words, and everyone just laughed at her. Sofie was sure she had never felt this small, and this scared in her life. At least he was a little ways a way now. He hadn't raped her yet, so maybe Haskell really was protecting her, even if he did leave her alone and let him touch her. ‘How to settle that score, you beat one of my shield maidens, it would be only fair for me to beat you.’ Halfdan said, and Sofie couldn't stop the gasp that she sucked in. He was going to kill her after all? ‘Halfdan.’ She heard Haskell say, and for the first time since she saw Halfdan, she looked over to him in fear. ‘I was joking Haskell.’ Halfdan said and she snapped her eyes right back onto him as he hit Haskell on the shoulder. He was joking? Was this all some big game to them? To scare her and make her fear for her life for no reason other then there enjoyment alone? The idea made Sofie a little mad, but she wasn't going to say anything.

Halfdan started to speak again ‘But tell me Sofie, how did you beat my shieldmaiden? I’m rather curious to what is hidden in that body of yours.’ he said to her and she gulped down her fear and got ready to speak, but he beat her to it by saying ‘Who learned you that?’ to her. Again, she went to speak, but Haskell decide to speak for her. ‘I did.’ he said quickly and she realized the two of them could protect her sisters. ‘I asked her.’ Halfdan said in retuned before looking back toward her. ‘You beat one of my shield maidens and for what? She run away with your lover?’ he said last before he leaned back. everyone was looking at her, and almost everyone was laughing at her too. She was less scared she was going to be raped now, but still very scared he would kill her at any second. "I beat the shield maiden relatively easily." she said to him first, her voice was shaky as she looked at him."She is weak, and her moves are predictable." she said to him next. Trying to make her voice more even. "I like to watch people, learn the way they fight, and then use it again them...that is part of how I beat her as well...and I train almost everyday.." she told him slowly. Being as respectful as she could.

The more she talked the more calm she was starting to feel for some reason. "Haskell is in fact the person who taught me almost everything I know...I also like to teach myself." she said to him next. Making sure to answer him in the order of which he asked her. "I am only seventeen, and have never had a lover, besides she is ugly.So that isn't a worry of mine." she tells him next and her voice cracks before she adds "But I beat her ugly ass because she doesn't know how to keep her mouth shut. She was talking illy about my family, and had been for some time. I tried to handle it in other ways, however they didn't work. So I made her shut her bitch ass up." she said and then her eyes went wide when she realized what she said to him at the end. "I...I mean...I...Sorry" she said looking at him and then looking over to Haskell in fear and trying to portray she was sorry, that it slipped. She just got so mad when he said thing about the lover, like another women could ever take a man from her. Besides she had been scared and mad this whole time. It just slipped.

Sofie watched him as he looked around the room at his viking men. Making sure if she was telling the truth or not. She could see clearly all over his face that he didn't believe her at all, and part of that annoyed Sofie just a bit. However she was not stupid, and she wasn't going to say anything about the fact that she was annoyed he didn't thing she could fight that well. It had to be her age, she knew she was young, and that most people thought that she couldn't be a good fighter and a pranker. However one of the Viking men says that she won the fight easily, just as she told him she had. Sofie watched as his eyes slowly traveled back to her and she took a deep breath. she had done her best to watch him and follow his every move the entire time. Just waiting for him to strike and try to hurt her. ‘Get me Freydis.’ he says and Sofie wonders why he wants her. Does he want her to kick her ass again, because she would. She knew how to fight Freydis. She knew her weaknesses and soft spots. Sofie watches as Halfdan looks toward Haskell and Haskell says ‘She is one of your brother. I didn’t train her.’ to him. That made a lot of sense to her. That she was not one of Haskell's warriors, she was too weak and not trained well enough at all to be one of Haskells.

Halfdan laughs and then looks back toward herself before slowly walking back toward her. She took a deep breath as she watched him. Bracing herself for him to touch her or hurt her. ‘You watch.’ he said to her first, before he grabbed her face and made her look up and into his eyes better. Sofie hated every second of it. Of him touching her more then he had when he touched her shoulder. She wanted his hands off her and to take he longest bath in the world and Halfdan hadn't even touched her in a inappropriate way. She prayed to every god that he never did. ‘You always watch? Then tell me, what is your Radningar his weak point? Or doesn't has he one.’ Halfdan says to her next and she takes a deep breath as he lets go of her and looks back toward Haskell. Sofie takes a small step away from him while he is looking away. ‘I have. Everybody has.’ Haskell says and she nods. It was true, everyone had a weakness, they were not gods. Halfdan had one, and she knew his too. She was pretty sure she knew almost everyones weakness. At lest anyone she watched fight more then once."Yes...Everyone has a weakness...Haskell's is his left hand..." she says to him, answering the question she wasn't even sure she was suppose to answer in the first place.

Still feeling so scared, and now a little bit annoyed Sofie watched as he walked away from her. She says what she needs to and hears him repeat the words ‘Seventeen.’ softly as he looks over her body again. The way he just looks at her like its no big deal, but he could be trying to undress her with his mind bugs her to no end, and makes her want that bath even more. She says that the shield maiden is ugly and he laughs, and some of the viking men around her even were agreeing with her. ‘My brother only chooses ugly ones.’ he says in return. Sofie knows he is in a way defending the fact that she is a fighter of his, and does her best to keep her face neutral as she keeps talking. However then she puts her foot in her mouth and starts cussing and saying things that she shouldn't right to Halfdan's face. ‘You always talk like this.’ he asks her, while giving her a dark look. One that speaks the warning that is hidden behind his eyes. It gives her another chill that makes her body shiver."sometimes...when I really dislike the person.." she says to him slowly ‘Wrong words could get you killed little girl, speaking like that against a higher rank isn’t really nice.’ Halfdan tells her next and she just nods her head at him. That she understands what he is saying,and that she is no way ever going to talk that way in front of him again. "Yes Halfdan, I am sorry....I wont again." she says to him quietly.

His next words make the feeling of wanting to puke come back like a truck running into her. ‘Big family?’ he asks Haskell and Sofie wants to punch him when she sees him nod his head. She knows he has to tell him, but it was clear that Halfdan had not known before. That he had no idea she had sisters, or any other family. Now thanks to her, he knew and seemed to be thinking something about them. Or at least she was pretty sure, or he wouldn't have asked she was sure. ‘What other ways you tried on shutting her up?’ Sofie hears Halfdan ask her next and she knew where this was going. ‘You pranked her?’ he asked next in a mocking voice. He was trying to make her say something she shouldn't, the way he was mocking her. He had been mocking her the whole time like this, making her feel horrible, and scared, and gross. Sofie just wanted to leave, and was glad he hadn't hurt her yet. Maybe she would make it out of her alive if she was careful. "I told her to stop first...Then I demanded that she stopped...when that didn't work...yes I pranked her, a lot....so then when that didn't work, I decided to fight her...that worked...She said she would stop.. " she says to him slowly. Thinking every words over before saying them. Sofie looked away from Halfdan, and to Haskell, trying to portray how sorry she was. How much she wished she could be done and she could leave.  

Sofie was still unsure it telling him what Haskell's weakness was, was a good idea. However she made sure to watch them and it seemed like maybe it wasn't. ‘Is that true?’ Halfdan asked Haskell while he stood next to her. ‘I broke my wrist once, never felt the same.’ she heard Haskell say in return. Giving her a look of approval. That at least made her feel a little bit better, that she hadn't done the wrong thing in saying that. However that good feeling quickly left as Halfdan leaned down toward her and gave her a look of his own. He got even closer to her then, his lips almost touching her ear when he asks ‘What is yours?’ to her. Making Sofie want to puke and punch him at the same time. She makes sure to not shiver or shake at this new touch. Seeing as he seemed to want to keep touching her, at least he wasn't doing anything inappropriate too. Halfdan pulled away and rubbed his chest, the area that she knew was weak for him. The men around them started to debate, but she made sure to only have her eyes on him. He made them stop with nothing but a look. A power, if she wasn't so scared, she would respect. "One of my legs." she says to him in return to his question, but doesn't say which one of them. Maybe that was stupid, but she was nervous about him. He was a dangerous man, and she was nervous of telling him her weakness. Even more so right in front of all the other vikings and shield maidens.

Then the conversation changed and turned. Sofie promised she wouldn't say anything like she did again, and he simple says ‘Will see about that.’ while nodding toward her. She wished she could read minds, and that she could just for a moment, know what the man in front of her was thinking. Would it give her peace of mind? Most likely not, but at least she wouldn't have to be so scared about if and when he was going to attack her or hurt her. ‘Everybody will pay attention to you,’ he says to her next and Sofie takes a deep breath at his words. Already dreading what he was going to say next to her.the trickster.’ he says to her next. Laughing as he walks around her like a wolf, its something he seems to like to do. ‘I’m gonna look at you while training,’ Halfdan says to her next and that makes her shiver because he whispers it and leans into her space again. She hates the idea of it already, but at least that meant she was going to walk out of here alive right? ‘I can rank you up.’ he says to her next, and this gets Sofie's interest. She watches him look over at his men before he speaks again ‘Would you want that? To become more then this miserable scared little girl?’ he says and Sofie bites her tongue to keep from saying something stupid to him.

She was not a scared little girl all the time, just right now. Here in front of a man that was known to rape and kill women for his own gain and enjoyment. He looks back down toward her and speaks more ‘To become one of us.’ he says and in her mind she knows, even if she gets him to rank her up and keep her alive she would never be like him. He hurt people for fun, and she wanted to fight and raid to help her family. She was also against Thralls,and Halfdan had lots of them. It was just something she was never going to do. "I want that very much, that is why I became a Frú in the first place...To rank up and become stronger, to become better..." she says to him honestly. Another thing she answers, but isn't even sure if she is meant to answer in the first place. She doesn't want to say the wrong thing to him, but she also doesn't want to get in trouble for not answering when she is meant to answer. This was all so new and complicated to her, she had never had a real conversation with this man before, and she had planed before hand to never have to talk to him ever in her life, only serve under him.

He asked her how she tired to answer the women and she tells him she pranked her, and his words annoy her. ‘Childish.’ he says to her first and she wants to tell him its not, but she doesn't. Maybe it was to him, but to her she put a lot of time and effort into her pranks. It wasn't a child doing them, it was something everyone thought was just a silly little girl, but was in reality a person who knew far more about the ins and outs of the village then they new. Her watching and learning payed off big time when it came to knowing a lot of the secrets. However things changed quickly, the nasty ugly witch is brought into the room by one of the vikings. Sofie looks away from Halfdan to look at the Shield maiden, she sees the dirty look she give her and Sofie just returns the look right back at her. It was her and her stupid mouth that had them here in the first place. ‘There she is.’ he says to her as she walks over to them. ‘I hear some stories about you Freydis.’ Halfdan says to the ugly cow. ‘You think because King Harald isn’t here that you can do whatever you want with whoever you want?’ he says to her next and she watches as the girl just raises her chin at Halfdan. That action surprises Sofie, because she thinks its disrespectful. ‘Exactly.’ he said to her next.

Then his attention is back on her and he asks something he wished he wouldn't ask. ‘How big is your family? Sisters? Borthers? Parents?’ he says and Sofie tastes blood in her mouth for how hard she was biting the side of her mouth. Taking a deep breath she goes to answer him, but stops when he starts to talk to Freydis again. ‘You think her beating you up was the end of it don’t you?’ he says and that confuses Sofie. "I have four sisters. Two older and two younger." she says to him before taking a deep breath and going on. "My father died on a raid with your men when I was twelve. He was the old shipbuilder." she tells him next. A dark look crosses her face as she say that, but Sofie doesn't even notice. She was still bitter about his death, and would be for a while longer. "My mother is still alive, and will be getting remarried to one of your viking men, Johan." she says to him next, another dark look crosses over her face, but she is respectful. Then she is looking at him, waiting to see what he was going to do next. She even made sure to take a step, a very small one, away from the Shield maiden. Wanting nothing more then to beat the shit out of her again. If she would have just stopped a long time ago, this would have never happened.

Sofie is a little bit a annoyed when she sees Halfdan look from her and to Haskell to tell him what leg of hers was weak, and even more annoyed when Haskell knows the one, and points it out. ‘Left.’ he says and she bites the inside of her mouth. Sofie should have guessed that Haskell would also know hers if she knew his. He was a great viking, and she knew that more then she let on. She knew who the best fighters were, and she knew who the worst were. The ones that were going to die in their first raid because they were stupid, and didn't think things through enough. Haskell had to know the same things she was sure. He was the one training everyone, everyday. If he didn't he wouldn't be a good fit for his rank, and she knew that he was. He could easily rank up and become more respected, more powerful. He would make a great Earl if Halfdan was to die or something else. She saw the dirty looks she was getting from some of the other people around her, and the look that Halfdan gave her himself. Sofie in no way trusted him completely, and knew that he could hurt her at any second.

She listened to the way the people around her were talking as well, after he asked her if she wanted to rank up. Most of them were talking about her age, and her pranks. That she needed to grow up first, and that she was too young to rank up yet. She thought they were stupid. Age had nothing to do with it, it was more about skill and strength. ‘Good.’ she heard him say after her words on the matter. Halfdan pointed first to her, and then to himself before going on. ‘And are you for that loyal? Can I count on you for serving me?’ He asks her and Sofie just nods her head. She would be, and could be very loyal, however if he went around hurting her, she wouldn't be very loyal to him. That would be stupid for her.‘If I would propose that you rank up to become the next warrior of Skagen, in which you will do everything I say, in which you follow Haskell everywhere around, would you take the offer, or do I really,’ he says to her and the way he pauses at the end worries her. ‘need to prove myself.’ he says,and his voice hold the danger that she knows is there. The danger that she is still in. She shakes her head no at him, that he doesn't need to prove himself at all. His words had made the whole hall quite. Sofie watches as he looks toward Haskell ‘Can she do it?’ Halfdan asks him and Sofie feels better on his words ‘Yes, if you want me to make her the next best warrior, I will. She can do it.’ he says.

The look he gives her afterwards is enough for her to give her answer. ‘You would gain a lot, but you would be also required to make sacrifices.’ Halfdan says next before she can speak. Taking a deep breath she speaks "Yes, I am willing and able to do those things. I would server you to the best of my ability and I would be loyal to you. You have no need to prove yourself, for I know of your stories." she says to him as calmly as she can. She had looked at his face the whole time, so he could see that she as not lying to him. Besides, she had very little choice if this was what he really wanted. If it was to server him and be loyal or die, she knew what she would pick each and every time. Plus, Haskell, the way he looked at her made her want to say yes even more. It made her feel less scared, and less like she was going to be attacked. Which was nice, seeing as she had felt like it was coming at any second.

Things changed quickly, and the bitch of a shield maiden was brought in and made to stand next to her. Halfdan asked about her family and she told him very little, but enough to try to protect them. ‘Four?’ she hears him say and the looking over at his men. ‘Four women.’ he said next, and Sofie didn't like the way he said it one bit. ‘Should I know any of them?’ He asked next and Sofie was quick to answer, maybe to quick."Two of them don't fight..One is a boat builder, and my other sister is a Thegn.." she says to him and then bites her cheek again. She shouldn't have said shit about them at all. Then they were talking about her dad. ‘I remember him, great warrior, I can see from where you have the potential.’ Halfdan's words have her smiling before she even knows it. She hopes she is a as great as he was someday. It made her feel good to hear someone say that, even if it was someone as scary as Halfdan. Sofie watched as his attention went back to the bitch next to her. ‘If somebody talks dirty about my brother I tend to,’ Halfdan says first before pulling out his axe and pointing at the other women before adding ‘kill. Tell me Sofie, what do you think is a good punishment for her talking dirty about four of your sisters.’ he says next and Sofie takes a deep breath.

Sofie knew that how she answered this was going to show a lot about her character as a person. She didn't want her to die per say, but she did want her to stop. "There are two things I can think of." she says looking at him for a moment before going on."You cut out her tongue so she can't say those things again, or you rank her down, to a Frú again." she says to him making sure to look confident and not scared. If he cut out her tongue that would be horrible, but at least the women would still be alive right? Maybe being dead would be better, but Sofie didn't want to be the reason someone died, even if she didn't like the women at all. She as still a person and she still had a family.

Sofie prayed to the gods that agreeing to this was the right choice in the matter. That this was what her father would have wanted her to do. To become a great warrior and be loyal to the Earl he died working with. Besides, she had been terrified of what would have happened if she told him no. He would have killed her, raped her, hurt her, so many thing. Sofie would rather be worked and trained until her breaking point then have any of those things happen to her. He had already touched her way to much for her liking, and the idea of him touching her more made her want to puke. ‘Good.’ had been his first word to her after her dedication to him, and the was glad it seemed her picked the right thing. ‘She is all yours Haskell.’ he said to Haskell before looking at her once more. ‘I’m not generous with a lot of things, screw this up and,’ he said to her first and she just nodded her head as he went on ‘you will regret it.’ he said next and she just kept nodding. She was not going to do anything at all to make him upset, that would be stupid. She had lived this long, and just agreed to him. Why would she do anything to make him regret his offer to her.

The conversation turned to her family, her sisters. She opened her mouth and already says to much. She wants to punch herself for giving him such information. She should have just said no, there was nothing, but the fear of him finding out she was lying was strong as well. He could have punished her more. ‘A thegn and a boatbuilder?’ he said to her next and he looked to be in thought. Sofie didn't want him to think of her sisters at all. ‘Is my boatbuilder hiding between her wood because she is afraid or just shy?’ he asked ands he bit her mouth again to keep from saying something stupid. That her sister was very strong and had no need to hide from him at all. ‘She is busy, mostly.’ Haskell said in her defense and Sofie is glad he does ‘You know her?’ Halfdan asks next and Sofie is less glad. ‘She was a former fighter once, learning, before her father died and took his place.’ Haskell says next and she's mad he says it, but understands he has to do so. It shuts Halfdan up however and he looks to be thinking even more. Something that upsets her further. She was not dedicated to him and couldn't say anything, but Sofie wanted him far,far away from her family.

When he asked her what should happen to the shield maiden she saw the look that Freydis gave her afterwards. Did the dumb bitch want to die? At least if one of those things happened she would still be alive in the end and not dead on the ground. Sofie watches Halfdan carefully as he moves his Axe around in his hands before he starts to laugh at her words. Sofie however felt her life flash before her eyes as she saw the warning look from Haskell just seconds before the axe was pointed at her chest. This was it, he was going to kill her and she had said the wrong thing. ‘Good choose.’ he says to her and she just looks at him doing her damn best to keep her face as clam as she can as she watches him lower it and remove it from her space. ‘I expect all my men, this whole village for that matter, to be obedience to me,’ he says next to everyone in the room. ‘to make my point.’ he says next and Sofie watches what happens next in shocked silence. He lifted Freydis's head up with the axe and cut her neck with a small cut, Sofie had hoped that would be it. However it wasn't it at all. Not even close to being it. He moved so quickly and sliced Freydis's neck open.

Sofie held her body in place and kept the screaming in her mind as blood splatters all over her face and side. She watched as he pushed her body down onto its knees and then pushed her over like she was nothing at all. ‘A little more respect maybe, if we can’t live together as fighters, what do you think will happen in a shield wall.’ Sofie heard him say, and she raises her eyes from the dead women on the ground and back up to him. That death was her fault partly. If she wouldn't have challenged her she would still be alive, and Sofie wouldn't be here in this position. Before she knows it, the now blood covered axe is now being pointed at her face, and she doesn't even know how to react anymore. ‘That could have been you.’ he says to her and she just tries to swallow in her dry mouth. ‘Don’t disappointed me.’ he says next and Sofie nods her head at him."I wont, I promise." Sofie says with as much confidence as she can. She wont be doing that, not at all will she do anything to be killed like the women who was now dead on the ground next to her. ‘Go.’ Halfdan said to her just as he passed the bloody axe to a slave.

She didn't have to be told twice to go, she looked toward Haskell for a few moments before looking toward Halfdan and giving him a bow in respect. Then she turned around and walked as fast ad she could toward the door and to get outside. Sofie prayed that Haskell would be following after her, she needed someone, something to keep from losing it, to keep from passing out, screaming, crying, puking, pretty much everything. Plus she needed answers, she needed to know what was going to come of things now. He hopefully would tell her everything she needed to know after she was done having her mental breakdown. She had been so careful to not freak out and show any emotion when he killed Freydis, but her mind was racing right now. She couldn't calm down at all in her mind. Someone was dead, and it was partly her fault. She had the blood of Freydis all over her, and it was partly her fault. She didn't kill her, but her actions and Freydis's actions were why Freydis was bleeding on the ground and dead.

The second she was outside and away from Halfdan her breathing picked up so intensely. She felt like she was going to have a hear attack when she felt Haskell grabbed her by her shoulder and spoke to her. ‘Come on.’ he said as he pushed her forward and started walking her away. There were people all over still, so she knew she had to stay as clam as she could. She was covered in blood, and her surely looked like hell as she tried to compose herself after everything that had just happened to her over the last hour or so. As soon as they were a safe distance away from the great hall she felt him stop them from walking. Haskell was looking down at her and talking again. ‘You can let it go.’ he says first and Sofie shakes her head no at him. She didn't want to cry, but it was coming. Then he was getting on her level and talking more ‘You did amazing Sofie, there is no weakness in admitting you were scared, there is no shame in crying.’ Haskell said to her next and that was enough for her to lose it. She just started sobbing the second he squeezed her shoulder and said ‘I’m sorry for what happened.’ to her. That was all it took for her to lose it all, to let her walls come falling down and hard. Sofie reached forward and grabbed onto him and smashed her face into his chest. She started crying harder and harder as everything that had just happened really hit her. At all her fears and for the thing she just witnessed.

She had just watched someone die right before her eyes and there was nothing she could do about it If she moved or showed any emotion she could have been next. It was her fault, or at least partly her fault that Freydis was dead too. She did not swing the axe, but her actions were part of the reason that this happened. If she never would have lost control and fought her, they wouldn't have had to see Halfdan.Her family wouldn't be on his radar."I was so scared Haskell. I thought he was going to kill me! There were so many times I thought I was going to die...He pointed his axe at me twice.." she says to him first. Looking up at him with frightened and puffy eyes, tears pouring down her face. "He kept touching me, pushing me, and I almost cracked Haskell...you were standing off to the side and letting it happen I thought... he would rape me at one point...and you would..." she cut herself off with another sob at what she thought was going to happen. She thought Haskell wasn't going to help her at first, but he had. He had done his best and she knew that. "I'm sorry...I know you couldn't do much, but I was so scared you would let him the way you just left me there. I understand after watching you had to do it...you were doing what you had to do...I didn't mean to doubt you..." she said trying to explain. She didn't want him to be offended by her.

Sofie knew she might not make sense at all right now, but she was just so overwhelmed and freaked out. Her thoughts were everywhere. "She is dead, Freydis is dead, and its partly my fault too!" she said to him next as she rubbed at her face. Just making the blood and tears mix together in a way, and smear all over her face."I'm sorry I didn't listen, I'll always listen I promise. Just don't let him touch me again." says to him next as she rubs at her eyes more. "I'll be a good girl, I wont prank anymore, I'll do what you say I promise." she tells him next before looking around to see if people were looking at her. Thats when she sees someone she didn't know would be this close to her. She sees Freyja and her tears just grow so much stronger. "FREYJA!" she screams as she moves away from Haskell and runs at her sister as fast as she can.

Grabbing onto her as hard as she can. She knew Freyja had to be in a panic. To see her in this way. Covered in blood, and sobbing uncontrollable. Did she already know what was going on? Did Tora go and get her? Because if Sofie remembered she had been home at the time right? Everything before this was a blur in comparison. All she could think of and feel was his hands on her and the blood. The way Freydis just fell over, and bled out on the ground. How Halfdan had just kicked her over like she was nothing."OH Gods Freyja, I'm sorry I'm so sorry." she says to her first in between tears. "I thought I was going to die, that he was going to rape me." she said next in between historical crying. "Freydis is dead, he killed her, it could have been me but he killed her...this is her blood...its my fault." she says next shaking and sobbing. She didn't even care people were looking at her anymore. She just needed her sister.

Sofie felt bad about telling him what she had thought, but she was just so upset that everything just kind of came falling out of her mouth all at once. She was just trying to get a grip on everything that had happened and try to understand it all. However her emotions were in a state that she just couldn't control. She had wanted to wait until she was in the safety of her own home, but Haskell, his word and actions had her cracking in seconds. How does she repay him for his kindness, for helping her? She tells him she thought he would stand there and let her get attacked. After he told her he would be his best to protect her. She watched him and Halfdan interact, and she slowly understood that he did what he could do and nothing more. For his own life could the been on the line as well. He was close to Halfdan that much is clear from what she witnessed from the two of them today. ‘It’s nothing.’ had been his words to her after she said she was sorry for thinking that about him. Sofie watched everyone, and everything, so she knew by his eyes alone that it was not nothing. That her words and that she had even thought it for a moment, was not nothing to him at all.

Then they were talking about Freydis and how much she felt like that was her fault. She had caused the fight,she was the reason the two of them both had to se Halfdan. Sure Freydis's words were why she fought her in the first place, but they were just words now. Just petty insults and because of it she was dead. She wouldn't go home to her family. Before she knew what was happening Haskell pulled her back and was cupping her face in both of his hands, making her look at him in his eyes. ‘It isn’t your fault Sofie, it’s nobody’s. It could be you, or me for all that mattered. You can’t take this blame on yourself.’ he told her and she just looked at him. It could have been her on the ground dead and bleeding out, or it could have been him. Those were scary thoughts, but they were true as well."okay...I'll try" she says to him simply. Because she isn't quite sure she believes it, but she wants him to know that she understands and she was listening. She sees that he was going to talk more, but she sees Freyja and losses her mind and runs to her as fast as she can.

The second she is in her sisters arms she hears her talk “Are you okay? What happened? Tóra told me you had to see Halfdan?” Freyja said and Sofie tired her best to explain everything to her, but she was upset all over again. Her words had been so confusing to her sister she was sure, but she had done her very best to try. “He killed her? How is this your fault? I’m still confused. Why did you need to see Halfdan in the first place?” she said next, but before she could even speak her sister was talking again. “Everyone else is at Johan’s, why don’t you meet them there?” Freyja says and Sofie pulls away from her and looks at her like she has two heads. She almost just died, and watched a women be killed before her eyes and she thought she wanted to go spend time with a man she wouldn't mind going on a raid and never coming back. Was Freyja insane, or was she so keen on talking to Haskell that she was sending her away. Freyja hugged her again, but then turned toward Haskell. However Sofie made no move to leave. “What happened?” she heard her sister ask Haskell, she just noticed he must have walked over here from the spot she had left him.

She watched as Haskell composed himself and then spoke. ‘Sofie beat up Freydis over the talk she is throwing around over all of you. It came to Halfdan his attention and he wanted to see her,’ he felt silent and took a breath. ‘Halfdan and Sofie have an arrangement now, but he killed Freydis.’ he said it all so calmly. Like the arrangement that now had him stuck with her was not a big deal at all. Sofie took a few deep breaths to calm herself before she decided to let them know she didn't just leave like her sister had hoped."I'm not going to that mans house...Its the last place I want to be...I'll figure something else out. I need to find a hole to crawl into and just fucking process what happened to me, and what I saw...I will find you later Haskell...I have questions.." she says to him before turning and walking away in a fast pace before she took off running as fast as she could. Sofie ran and ran until she ended up on the beach.