Vigi's eyes widened in horror, the orange glow of the fire growing brighter with each moment that passed. [b]"No! Are you mad!? All of our medicine is in that house!"[/b] Vigi shouted moving toward Harald with a snarl but he was yanked back by one of his men. 

He started to turn to bark at the man but a shout of pain escaped instead. The man had grabbed his wrist of the hand holding his saex and twisted it up behind his back.

Vigi held the handle for as long as he could until the pain forced him to release it. [b]"Put out the fire you fool or you'll doom us to a winter without medicine!"[/b] Vigi yelled at Harald the pain and anger clearly coloring his voice. Though all that he let show on his face was an infuriated scowl and an icy glare. 

The man holding him twisted his arm it further until it felt like the bone was about to break. Vigi bit back anymore sounds of pain. [b]"You do not speak that way of Thegan Harald."[/b] The man said, sounding unbelievably arrogant of the statement. Or perhaps he felt smug because of the power he currently had over a man who spoke to the gods.

[b]"Thegan!?"[/b] Vigi sneered and jerked his arm to try to free himself. [b]"A mangled dog would sooner be named Thegan than that cowardly swine!"[/b] He should not have said that, he knew he was inviting his own death with those words. But anger, exhaustion and fear was making his tongue loose.

The man reacted as soon as the words left his lips. He forced him around and a large calloused fist slammed into his face. Pain exploded in his jaw and he stumbled back, feeling warm blood drip down from his split lower lip. 

He started to breathe heavily and focused on the man in time to see his fist before it hit him again. This time the strike threw him off his feet and into the snow. His skin already throbbing from pain he got to his hands and knees to rise. 

A hard kick to his chest sent him sprawling back into the snow. [b]"The gods no longer favor you. You have no power,"[/b] Another kick to his ribs and Vigi grunted in pain, gritting his teeth to keep otherwise silent. [b]"Anymore."[/b]

Vigi blinked open his eyes after having squeezed them shut from the pain. For a moment he stared at the small drops of ruby red blood from his lip that had fallen to bloom on the pure white snow like flowers. 

[b]"Without the gods you are nothing but a weak, joke of a man."[/b] A hand grabbed his long hair painfully and yanked on it until he was up on his knees. [b]"The only use you'd have now is spreading your legs."[/b]

The words made Vigi snap a furious glare up at the man. His breathing came faster with his anger despite the way it pulled on his abused torso. [b]"The gods have not abandoned me."[/b] he panted out, a snarl twisting his filth covered face. [b]"You will see soon enough and you and Harald will greatly regret this."[/b]

The man smirked mockingly down at him. [b]"I'm sure."[/b] He drawled, voice dripping with sarcasm. He released his hair only to strike another powerful kick into his chest, knocking him back and forcing the air from his lungs. 

Just as he began to breathe properly again a heavy foot stepped on his chest and a sword pointed down at him. Vigi froze instantly, wide pale green eyes locked on the blade that glowed a dull orange from the fire.

His breathing began to quicken as his mind flashed to his vision. A sharp blade illuminated by fire, a heavy weight pinning him to the ground and a warrior standing over him with a bloodthirsty grin on his face. 

This was it. This was what his vision had been warning him of.

He was going to die here. 

[b]"Now shut your mouth until Thegan Harald decides what to do with you."[/b] Vigi could barely hear the mans words over the pounding of his heart and the blood roaring in his ears. 

His fingertips dug into the snow, his fast, shallow breathing making his chest scream in pain as his mind raced. This was really it. This was where he died. 

For the first time in his life, he truly felt that the gods had abandoned him.