[3]

"Vidar!" I hear Ayana shout but I grow tunnel vision as I hear a pained shout ahead of me in the distance, which is quickly followed up by a familiar scream.

I arrive at my destination finding Esther on her knees in front of a woman all in black desperately begging the woman, "Please sister, don't do this."

I arrive to find Dahlia refusing to even pretend that she isn't hearing Esther's pleas, though seeing Dahlia continue stepping forward feeling both mine and Freya's hearts beating pounding in our chests when she reaches out and grabs Freya.

I reach out and grab hold of the life force…the magic in the surrounding nature, my siphoning power in full force as the tall grass around wilts around me and the ground turns black and lifeless and the trees shrivel up to pencil sized husks.

"LET HER GO ! ! !" I shout and it comes out as a roar that makes the air visibly ripple, as the wild untamed power expels itself as fast as it enters me, the raw wild unrestrained magic feels orgasmic but unfortunately for me, my body is neither used to channeling such amounts of raw energy or mature enough to properly control it, I could feel the energy burning me from inside out…maybe I should have been training more dutifully but I'd always avoided draining the life force of nature as I worried Ayana wouldn't want or love me any more.

"HAA ! ! ! I roar again and this time using all my will, my love, my hate, my fear and direct the wild magic at Dahlia who is looking at me curiously like I was an interesting variable she never expected to encounter.

Dahlia shoves my attack aside like it's nothing.

"What an interesting consequence of my spell you are, to consume the magic of others and the forces of nature…unfortunately you're not the first born or I'd take you, be glad I keep my promises unlike my whore sister." Dahlia says to me as she cups my chin, my knees give out and my vision blurs, her hand feels surprisingly warm and soft against my cheek.

"Take it instead, sister I have no use for such a foul thing unlike you." I hear Esther cry and beg while I force myself up off the ground to glare at Dahlia and attack her again.

"Such a fool hardy child…at least you're loyal unlike your mother." Dahlia whispers as she appears in front of me again in a flurry of movement I couldn't track.

"Forget…sleep." Dahlia whispers to me as her hands come up to rest near my temples.

I feel pressure entering my brain and I do everything I can to absorb it but my body feels like molten fire is flowing throughout me as I do so.

I can hear Finn and Freya crying, I try to lash out at Dahlia with the magic I'm siphoning off from her attack on my mind, and just as the wave of power exits me aimed at her I pass out just in time to see Dahlia flicker away with a smirk on her lips.

"FREYA ! ! !" I shout as I bolt upright feeling the furs of the bed I share with Ayana underneath we as Ayana's gentle hands push me back down onto the bed and she wipes sweat from my forehead.

"Easy, my child, the fever is still affecting you…I don't want it to claim you as it did sweet little Freya." Ayana tended to me from beside me in bed.

'What…fever…does Ayana not know about Dahlia?' I wonder as I look at her, my eyes widening in surprise, before I was pulled back to sleep by some magic I could feel in my head.

When I woke up again, I was still in my bed with Ayana by my side clutching me tightly to her chest.

"My sweet child, my precious gift…I'm so happy your fever has finally broken…I've been…I've been considering…and I believe it's time I teach you to control your gifts before you hurt someone or yourself and so you can keep yourself from becoming sick like this again." Ayana whispers to me in a fragile voice as she starts to shed tears.

I hug Ayana back and start to cry too.

Near the end of the month passes before I start to feel like I can actually move more than a few steps and not feel like my stomach is eating itself.

Lathergra visited me near every day once my fever broke but the hole inside me at failing to protect Freya made me numb to her presence.

'I know…in my mind there wasn't even a minute chance I could scare Dahlia away. And even though I know that I'm pushing away my best friend.' I internally berate myself, feeling depressed and lethargic.

But once I hear the sounds of the welcoming horns sounding Mikael's and the raiding parties return I am filled with a newfound strength and energy.

I run to the docks feeling my lungs burn from the cool air and I slam into Mikael before he's out of the river.

I couldn't stop the smile that forms on my face at having him home even as I start to cry at Freya not being here to greet him.

Mikael let's out a boisterous laugh as he lifts me up into his arms and hugs me.

"My son, I have missed you as well…Where is Freya? I thought you both would tackle me into the river!" Mikael expresses mirthfully as he hugs me tightly against his leather and steel armor, and a sob slips out of me at his question.

'I can't tell him the truth…not yet as we are as he is…Dahlia will turn us into bloody smears on the ground…I have to go with the story everyone believes that has been enforced by my own severe fever.' I tell myself in my mind and it feels like I'm stabbing not only myself in the back but also Freya and Mikael.

"I'm sorry father, I failed you…I failed Freya." I sob and look up to see Mikael's smile falter before he hugs me tighter but not in an unwanted or painful way.

"Mikael…we should speak privately." I hear Esther say timidly.

"Yes Mikael…I agree with Esther we should speak privately…this is a painful matter for all of us." I heard Ayana's gentle voice and her hands on my side offering to take me from Mikael, but Mikael and I hugged each other tighter…almost painfully.

"Leave all of you." I hear Mikael's stealy command and people rushing to leave.

"Mikael…we almost lost Vidar…to fever…that he received while visiting Freya…Freya succumbed to the fever that almost claimed Vidar." Esther and Ayana explain together and I feel a sob tear through Mikael that matches my own before both of us cry an anguish filled cry that I knew was heard across the village.

'Forgive me father.' I plead in my mind.

~ — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — ~

For the first time ever I feel like I have Mikael all to myself and it makes me hate myself that I enjoy having his full attention as he holds me close and carries me around like he did when I was a baby.

But that feeling comes grinding to a halt as I spot Lagertha kneeling in front of a burning pyre with her head down and her shoulders trembling.

"Poor girl, her mother fell in battle three days from here in a battle against a hostile tribe." Mikael mutters and I twist out of his hold and run over to Lathergra and hug her from behind.

'I know I'm intruding on her family's morning rights but she was there for me after Freya's supposed death.' I mutter in my mind as Lathergra turns around in my arms and hugs me tightly, crying against my neck.

I saw Mikael walk over to stand beside Lathergra's father, Rangnar…the man tenses up at Mikael's presence.

"Jark Mikael." Rangar greet with respect and disdain.

"Shipmaker, I believe our children are a good match…we should enter them in a formal betrothal." Mikael commanded.

"It is as you say Jarl." Rangar replies to Mikael, his voice holding the slightest bit of tremble to it.

'Huh…Lagertha and I Husband and Wife…that doesn't sound too bad.' I mutter inside my mind as I rub Lagertha 's back.

"Thank you Vidar." Lagertha says to me as her tears stop.

"Humph, you're to be my sword wife so it's natural." I puff up my chest and proclaim proudly even as my cheeks burn crimson in embarrassment.

"Shieldwife." Lagertha corrects me with her own cheeks turning pink.

I feel soft fingers run through my hair and look up to see Ayana smiling down at me though, her smile is a bit sad, almost hurt as she looks between Lagertha and I.

"Come my child, it's time to begin your training…Lagertha …I know you'll make a wonderful wife for my Vidar when you're both older." Ayana says softly though her voice cracks as she does so.

"Thank you lady Ayana." Lagertha replies to Ayana as her cheeks turn from pink to pure crimson.