Chapter 16

[A/N:I wrote this for fun ,so please read it to pass time.]

Thor POV

Lord Æthelwulf being the brother of King Aella was a valuable hostage, Rollo urged Ragnar to attack as Ragnar spoke "Attack, attack, attack! That's all he ever says. I want to talk to the king."Rollo questioned, "What is there to talk about?"

Ragnar explained "Imagine the treasures the king keeps in his household? I want them. I want to see how he lives... What manner of men they are, and I'm hungry."

I laughed at that and said, "If you want to go to the feast go had my group will stay behind to watch over the camp."

At Ragnar's urging everyone except our Warband went to the feast. When Ragnar returned I heard from Loki how Ragnar wanted the Anglo-Saxons to pay 2,000 pounds of gold and silver to leave their country and to return Æthelwulf to Aella. Aella agrees, but only on the conditions that Ragnar and his warriors remain in their camp and cease their attacks on the Northumbrian people and their property, to which Ragnar agrees.

I heard everything my only thoughts were "Poor Athelwulf.I knew Aella will not keep his end of the bargain."

Aella also made a stipulation that one of the Vikings agrees to be baptized into Christianity, which Ragnar and the other Vikings, all being staunch pagans, laugh at. However, Rollo agreed to do so in order to seal the deal, much to Ragnar's annoyance.

After Rollo's baptism which was the funniest thing, I have seen the guy himself found the whole thing annoying. Back at the camp Rollo joked about the whole thing but Floki was angry spoke"Well done."Rollo gave Floki a questioning look as he asked"What's wrong with you, Floki?"

Loki smiled said"Oh, there's nothing wrong with me. I did not renounce the gods in front of everyone."Rollo laughed and replied"It was a joke.I didn't believe it. I didn't even know what the old fool was saying."

Floki while discreetly looking at Thor's group replied"It doesn't matter. Surely you've made them very angry."Floki was an avid believer that Thor was a real god with his abilities and he even was sure that Thor's mother Frigga was goddess Frigga herself. While Floki also noticed in their raids none of the members from Thor's Warband even had a scratch on them,He even saw one of them get shot with an arrow only to shake it off as nothing.

Floki broke out of his thoughts when he heard Rollo say"Don't be stupid."Floki once again spoke "No, you are the stupid one... To risk the wrath of the gods. How will you ever get Odin to forgive you now?"Everyone including Ragnar watched Thor's Warband and they saw Thor and Sig were looking at Rollo specifically this made Rollo slightly nervous as he started to slowly believe Floki's words.

Ragnar's sentries spy a wagon carrying large chests. At first, they take this to be their payment, but after examining them it becomes apparent that Aella has double-crossed the Northmen and sent a massive army to destroy them. Ragnar has planned for this, however, and has laid a trap for the Saxons. A spiked barricade is launched upwards at the Saxon horse charge, killing many men and robbing them of their momentum. With this, the Saxon force is thrown into momentary disarray and the Vikings swiftly move in to annihilate them.

Thor and Sig entered the battle they didn't waste any moment as they started cutting through the Saxon soldiers one by one leaving behind a trail of dead bodies .Thors warband who were massacring the soldiers easily.After a pitched battle in which a few of them are lost, the Vikings crushed the Saxon warriors with their unorthodox fighting style.Rollo slaughtering more than anyone from Ragnar's Warband else in order to prove his commitment to the Norse faith,as he yelled "How many Christians did I kill, Floki? How many? Do you think Odin is still angry with me now?" which Ragnar and Floki watch with approval.

Ragnar soon walked he was breathing heavily as he said to Athelwulf "It seems your brother the king... Does not care if you live or die."Athelwulf replied "If you let me talk to him, I will persuade him to honor his pledge."Ragnar chuckled as kneeled in front of Athelwuld looked straight in the eye and said"Why should I not... Just kill you now?

Athelwulf replied, "Then you'll have nothing left to bargain with." Ragnar smiled and showed his axe and said"I have this."Athelwulf knew what was going to happen next as he closed his eyes readying for death.But he felt nothing as he opened his eyes he saw a frozen Ragnar swinging his axe at him he looked around to find everyone was the same as if time had frozen suddenly he heard "I must say your brother really is a Piece of shit."He looked at the direction of the voice and saw Thor sitting there checking his sword and Athelwulf whispered"You did this ? What are you?"

I smiled while letting lighting danced in my eyes and replied "Well you know me as a pagan god and my name is Thor the god of thunder"Athelwulf was stunned a literal god was in front of him.He wanted to deny it but he just witnessed his power first hand.

I spoke "I will let you live Athelwulf. Show your brother it was a mistake to sacrifice you."Athelwulf didn't know what he meant as he suddenly fell asleep next thing he knew was waking up in his chamber as a servant came and checked on him as he asked "What happened to me."They told him how his body was dragged by horseback to the city and he had a huge wound on his neck and barely alive the royal physicians told everyone he would not survive.

Athelwulf was surprised as he looked at his neck to find there was no wound one of the servants who saw this yelled "It is miracle God has blessed you, milord"Hearing this Athelwulf only thoughts were "Not by any God, Thor the God of Thunder."

King Aella entered the chamber shouting "Brother how it is good to see you alive. Don't worry we will get those barbarians next time."Athelwulf remembered Thor's words as he was angry at how easily his brother sacrificed him as he thought "Couldn't he part with 2000 pounds of gold and silver for his own brothers life.Only after his troops were defeated did he give them the gold and silver."

Athelwulf masked his hatred and anger as he gave a forced smile and replied: "Yes I am a fine brother.God had taken mercy upon me"This was the start the war between two brothers.

While Thor' group and others returned back homer with the loot and plunder.

The important festival at the Temple at Uppsala is now approaching as we all got ready to go as things went on I heard Ragnar who first didn't want to go to the festival now decided to go.I smirked and knew his reason for going to the festival as Sig questioned "Why is he eager to go to the festival now."

I grinned and replied"There have been rumors that King Horik of Denmark will also attend the festival. Ragnar knows that this is not a mere rumor he probably wants to gain Horiks favor so that he can send larger raiding parties west to plunder and fight, but also to explore other lands that lie to the west aside from the Saxon kingdoms."

Val who heard this spoke, "He is an ambitious one. Let's hope he doesn't bite more than he can chew."I chuckled hearing that as I was more interested in the battle between brothers on one hand I knew if I participated in that fight I would more or likely kill Rollo.