''We go...West, through the seas and to glorious victories!''

Those words had echoed in the minds of all the warriors who hailed from the Norse town of Bravöllr for all the rest of winter, for when summer started came the time for raiding. All aspects of life was very hard in the north where those people, who would come to be known as Vikings, or Norsemen, originated from. They were master ships builder and they used those to launch devastating hit and run raid on any villages that had the back luck of being near a coast. It was the only way they knew to keep on living and gaining riches in such a hostile birth place. The Earl of Bravöllr had always lead his warriors east, along with the rest of the tribes, but the loot there was only becoming smaller and smaller. Very soon the need for more arose, but the man was too scared to take a definitive action. The Earl had a wife named Sigrid Torstendatter, a warrior in all rights and a very strong woman. She herself provoked her weak and fearful husband to a death duel, Einvigi, for the right of becoming an Earl herself. The woman won the duel and the loyalty of every man or woman in the town, as well as the title she fought for.

It was then that she spoke the words that everyone wanted to hear, for they had heard of an unknown land full of riches to the west, through the sea. They had the instruments to travel the endless sea now, and only a strong willed leader was needed to do so. Sigrid was exactly that. Soon the warriors bid farewell to their family and left for an unknown destination. The travel had been long and perilous, some men even lost their life through storms at sea or madness, but the ships, guided by Thor, eventually had land in sight. They had made camp and, immediately after, left for glorious battle. They had quickly found a small settlement and proceeded to sack it, murdering anyone in sight let it be men, women and children. The riches found were much more than anyone had ever imagined, and it is with encouraged minds that they left back to their camps.

The kingdom on which shores the Vikings had landed was known as Northumbria. It's king was named Osric and he was outraged at the news of this massacre within his own kingdom's borders. The Norsemen were no good news at all, and he had to act swiftly. He had asked his son, the prince, to gather a force with which he'd meet these savages...and meet they did on the outskirts of a town not so far to the east of the first sacked one. The Vikings were fierce warriors indeed, and the Saxons were defeated and forced to retreat...however not empty handed for they had caught what one of them described as the leader. They made their retreat back to Edinburgh, the capital of Northumbria, where the woman was brought in front of the king's court.

She was unlike any woman who lived on these lands. Sigrid's eyes were surrounded by black war paint and her hair, dirty with mud and blood from previous battle, were also braided in a way that was obviously meant for battle. He clothes was nothing like those of a high ranking person. Instead, she wore simple tunics under her leather armor of strange designs. The woman was questioned, but obviously could not speak the Saxon's tongues and she was then sent to a cell while deciding what should be done with her.

While in front of the king, Sigrid had noticed another woman standing close to him, to his left. The man she fought against on the battlefield was to his right, and the Shield-maiden quickly understood they must have been the king's daughter and son. Her eyes locked with those of the princess for a little while before she was brought away.

A slender figure was curled up on the window seat in a vast library set high up one of the towers. A book was laid out across her lap but while her blue eyes were scanning the pages no words were sinking into her brain. She sighed and glanced out the window, looking down on the city. The quiet click of a library door opening caught the blonde's attention and she turned away from the sight spread out before her. A tall figure stood by the doors, causing the girl to tense for a second before she recognized the face of her childhood friend and personal guard, Alden. He gave her his familiar mischievous grin as he joined her side. "How goes your studying?" He inquired with a raised eyebrow. "It's going well." She lied and not too good either because her friend saw through it in a second. "Truly? Tell me something you learned from the current chapter you're on." He challenged. The women bit her lip as she struggled to come up with something. A few moments passed before the male sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "This isn't the first battle your father and brother have been in Blythe." He told her gently.

Blythe's brows furrowed. "But it is the first time facing these brutes." She replied. They all had heard the stories of the East but she hadn't truly understood how terrifying theses beasts were until news reached her father of the raided villages on the fridges of the kingdom. She shivered when she remembered the messengers recount of the event; how even the women and children had been slaughtered. "Yes, but theses savages are no different than any bandits we've had before." Alden countered. Blythe refrained from commenting, knowing full well Alden was just saying that to keep her from worrying. The man sighed and gently laid a hand on her shoulder. "You have to be strong. If the king and your brother perish in battle then you are next in line for the throne...." He hastily cut himself off as her face paled and frantically scrambled to correct his mishap. "However, that won't happen of course. Your father is too strong a warrior and Coric is too stubborn to give up." His last comment coaxed a small smile from the women. Yes, her brother was definitely stubborn to say the least.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door and a breathless servant came in. "My lady, your father and brother have returned! The king requests your presence in the throne room." Blythe shared a look with Alden before they were both hurrying from the room and down the stairs. She quickly hurried into the throne room where she saw her father sitting on his throne with her brother standing next to him. She opened her mouth but Coric shook his head and gestured that she was to come stand by their fathers side. She had no soon stepped into place before the doors burst open and a women was brought in. But she was like no women Blythe had ever seen. The sight of her sent shivers of fear down the princesses spine as she realized that this must be one of the savages her father went to war against. She shot her brother a shocked look and he shook his head, mouth the word later. Blythe nodded and turned her gaze back to the women only to flinch upon seeing that the women was staring back at her.

Blythe resisted the urge to shrink back and returned the gaze with a wide-eyed stare of her own. This lasted for a few more moments before her father sent the women to a cell after coming to the realization that she did not speak their tongue and therefore he could not glen any information for the time being. Blythe glanced at her father, biting back many of the questions waiting to burst forth.

The king, Osric, looked back at his daughter with a grave stare. The man was known for his seriousness in all situations, and despite anything that was being said about these barbarians, the situation was grave indeed. With the civil turmoil happening in the neighboring kingdom of Mercia, war might be on Northumbria's doorsteps and these incursions were the last thing the king could have hoped for by far. He knew that the princess would have many questions, but it was neither the time or place to address them for he had much to attend to. Nevertheless, the king reached out and lovingly put his hand on his soft daughter's cheek. ''Every time I leave, I am scared to never see you again my sweet daughter. You must have questions, I know you, but you will have to excuse this old man for I have many things to attend to for now.'' After these words, the king turned to the prince before going on. ''Coric, take care of the princess for now. I need to attend a war meeting. Once you are done, I expect to see you there. Waste no time.'' and he took off, followed by two of his personal guards as well as a few advisers.

Coric stared as his father left the room, only to turn to his sister. They have had the time to wash off before the servant came to the princess with the news of their return, but the prince had a wound on the cheek that was bound to leave a scar. He looked upon his sister with a smile. ''Dear sister, how worried you must have been. Come, let us walk.'' Without leaving her the choice, he took her hand and lead her to a door on the left of the throne leading to a large corridor. The prince did not speak at first, instead leading her to the gardens of the castle. There had been a time where the gardens were full of life and beautiful flowers, but it was not the case anymore. Not as much as it used to, anyway. Their mother, the Queen, had always been taking care of this place but...after her tragic death the place began to fall apart. Coric still loved to come here when he wanted to be at peace. ''You would have many questions, right sister? Every time we leave it is the same. I have to tell you the stories of our travels.'' the prince said, laughing lightly. He sat down on a bench made of polished rock and sighed. ''Well, we did not travel far this once, which is scary in itself. The enemy was at only half a day's walk, close by a small village to the south east. ''Blythe, these brutes that we fought...they were not like anything I have seen. They fight as if the devil was chasing them. They seem to never tire, as if they were thirsty for battle, unafraid of death. There were women among them, too. They fought like raging beasts, equal to any of the best warriors I had ever seen. The one you seen was the one who wounded me...'' he said as he caressed his cheek with a finger ''...she would have killed me if not for our father.'' The prince stood back up and tried to reassure his sister with a smile as best he could. ''I have to attend the meeting. Promise me, sister, that we will see one another tomorrow and celebrate our victory today? I look forward to it. For now, I bid you a good evening and a good night, Princess.'' and he simply took off, leaving Blythe with herself.

Sigrid had never seen such buildings, entirely made of stones. Soon after she was brought before the obvious lord of the place, the shield-maiden had been brought down below to a small and cold cell, where she had since been left to herself. The woman had seen the three faces she needed to remember. The king, his son and now...his daughter. The culture of her people was all about honor and strength. It was custom to answer insult and disgrace by revenge, and expected if one was to be respected. Her people had known victory today, but she had been personally defeated. Once she could escape from this cell, Sigrid would seek a way to exact vengeance for it. She knew her men would remain loyal and wait for her, so she only had to find a way to get out for now.

Blythe gave her father a small smile. "It's good to see you home again and well father." She answered, placing her own small hand on top of her fathers. She bid him farewell as he left before turning to her brother with an expectant look. She ran her eyes over her brothers form, relieved to see no serious wounds aside from the one on his cheek. She accepted his hand and left him lead her down the halls of their home. They stopped at the gardens, the sight creating a small pang in the women's heart. It had been so full of life and she could remember running around in this place with Coric while her mother sat on her favorite bench near the roses and smile and laughed with them. However, now that their mother had passed into the next life the garden had slowly died, the flowers not responding to anyone else's care. They died right along with her mother. She knew that Coric still came to the gardens but she didn't have the heart or the strength to come to a place that used to be full of their mother's presence. "Of course." She said to her brother with a smile. "Since I must remain I go on adventures through the stories you bring back with you."

She took a seat next to him and turned her full attention to him, hands folded in her lap as she waited for him to begin. She listened closely to his recount of the battle and her hands clenched in her lap when he mentioned his wound., relieved that he survived with only that as his price for battling with that madwomen. She gave him a small smile back and promised to celebrate with him on the morrow. She watched his retreating back before she sighed, looking down at the ground. She sat there for a few moments before she went to go find Alden.

She found him pacing by the throne doors and when he spotted her he hurried over. "So what happened? Who was that wild women they brought in?" He questioned. "I think she was the leader of the group attacking the villages. She didn't seem to speak our language so father had her taken to the holding cells below until he could figure out what to do with her." She answered as they began the slow walk to her rooms. The sun had been settling when her father had called for her and now the moon was in it's place in the sky. "Maybe he could hold her hostage and make her people stop attacking the villages." Alden mused as they walked. "Yes, but how will he communicate with them? They know not our words." Blythe pointed out. Her companion was silent a moment before he sighed. "I suppose your right."

They soon reached Blythe's quarters and Alden stopped her at the door. "I'm going to post guards at your door tonight; I don't feel comfortable leaving you unguarded with that heathen so close." The princess frowned at him. "That's ridiculous. She in a cell in the dungeons with guards posted at the doors. I doubt she'll manage to find her ways to my rooms. We're sort-staffed as it is with the battles and I don't want to contribute to it." She gave him a small smile. "I'll be fine. Good night Alden." She said as she stepped inside. She heard him and whisper a good night back right before she closed the door.

There was a fire crackling merrily in the grate and a candle was resting on her bedside table. Blythe, not feeling sleepy quite yet, settled down with a book in front of the fire, soon becoming immersed in the words on the page.