11 The Village of Gregor

"Brant. I know it's you. I can tell, underneath all of that bravado," Lagertha said.

"Hold on. How do you know my name? Who are you?" Brant asked. Because of how long Lagertha has not seen him, he seemed to have forgotten all about his only friend.

But that alone did not stop the Wolf Queen from stepping close enough for him to see if he can recognize her. Brant's eyes were opened wide, and he was finally seeing someone as if he never thought he would see her again. His will was not the same as Lagertha's will, and his mind was only set on hunting down every night creature. His hate towards the demons was very strong; like Lagertha, the demons did many ungrateful things against his family. He finally knew that Lagertha was standing in front of him, yet he had so many questions to ask her.

"Lagertha... I... I thought you were gone. What happened to you? What has been going on since last we met?" Brant asked. The way he spoke was as if he had seen an evil spirit and an outcast that nobody cares for.

Lagertha could not hold back on answering Brant to make sure he understands her.

"Brant, I have much to tell you. But it's so difficult for me to explain everything. If I tell you now, chances are that we'll part ways again," Lagertha said.

"I won't let that happen again, Lagertha. We may have gotten off on a grim note, but we can still find ourselves out of this nightmare. I'm here, am I not?" Brant asked.

"Of course. But if you want to know everything I have seen... well, you may not like what you're about to hear. There is so much about me I don't want you to know," she said.

"What's wrong? Do you not think I'm any good at keeping secrets? I know for a fact that I keep every secret in my mind."

"Hey, I'm just glad to hear you're alright. I'm just glad that you're okay after all this time. But it seems like I'm too tired to tell you everything. If you have something you'd like to tell me, I'm all ears."

"You know, I've never done this sort of thing before. But I know a place in Gregor where we can all make ourselves at home. Anywhere else would not seem right for the two of us."

Though glad he can see his best friend again, Brant was eager to let Lagertha find a place to stay in the village. Gregor, the man whom the village was named after, welcomed all who wanted to settle around his home. He was a rich man who had a tender heart for all who were hungry for food and eager to find a place to rest. Then, Lagertha looked at the village behind Brant and knew she could not take another night in the forest. She understood she might be greeted by an entire group of people for the things she has done against the demons.

Then, she looked back at Brant and could tell how much he trusted her; he wanted to help her ever since he laid eyes on her.

"Fine. Let's get this over with. Let's find a place at one of those taverns," Lagertha said.

"Oh, alright then. Don't worry, I got plenty of coins for the two of us. None of us should have to fret over the demons ruining this village," Brant said. It was not entirely true about what the night creatures plan to do with the people of this certain village.

Lagertha had no choice but to be silent about everything else. And she is with Brant for however long she desires. Even though she wanted to tell him about many things, she needed some rest and energy for the new day.

"Let's get going then," she said. And so, Lagertha and Brant walked with each other to the village of Gregor as the night was slowly ending.

Fortunately, they could not see any creatures coming at them; both of them were in the business of wiping out every demon standing in their way. They were all expecting to see how it would all turn out when no creature of terror would ever bring harm to the earth again. They did not know the day nor the hour of when that will happen, yet they continue fighting back until their strength gives in. Their knowledge of how the night truly works was beyond anything an ordinary human could figure out.

They both walked with each other, yet they wanted to gaze at one another after all that has happened. Anything else would be tiresome and worthless as they had questions to be answered. A few minutes later, they walked towards the entrance of the village, only to be stopped by two guards. The guards were on duty all night long, yet they still needed to make Lagertha and Brant pay up to enter.

"Brant, who have you brought? You should know by now that all strangers must pay up for the privilege of entering the village. But... she seems unfamiliar, unlike most people," one of them said.

"Don't worry, she's just a friend. She's not staying here for long. And I will probably be on my way as well," Brant said.

"Is that so? You've been here for quite some time. We've even allowed you to have some company for being a citizen of this village. What has brought about this change?"

"Well, there comes a time when all of us must go our ways. There are other times where even the most mighty and most respected knights of a certain city must take their leave. The tides of Fate always lead those who are great and mighty into another piece of land. And by law, a man always brings a friend or two to a city if they are that desperate to find a place to stay. And yes, I have read those statements multiple times."

The guards were always willing to allow anyone into the heart of their village, but if they were staying for a very long time, they would have to pay up. It was for their good and the only way to protect them from the night creatures and their tyranny. The guards looked at Lagertha and noticed the blood on her longsword, and they saw her for what she is worth. None of them expected a woman such as her to be by herself at night and hunt down demons. They expected her to be some wayfarer of faraway lands and coming to the village for some ale and food.

"Very well, you may enter," one of them said. And so, they opened the front doors, and they allowed Brant and Lagertha to enter the village.

As they entered the village of Gregor, the sun was slowly rising and a few men were going back to their homes. They were returning from the walls and wishing to get some rest after being awake all night long. But Brant was leading Lagertha to an inn he has been living in for a few weeks, yet he did not visit there often. He was being a citizen of Gregor because of how many creatures he has hunted down. He did what no other man could do, and that was enough for the village's leader to allow Brant into his town.

Lagertha had many things to ask the son of King Harald, including how and why he left the village of Jorvik. She would most likely want to know what happened to Erica to make Brant leave her. Lagertha becomes silent until the young hunter finds the little home that he was given as a citizen. He did not need to go out of his way and pay the innkeeper for a room because of how well-known he is. Lagertha followed Brant to a small house with a few rooms; he opened the door and allowed the Wolf Queen to enter before him.

"Well, this is where I live. In case if you were wondering, I've only been here for about four months. Even if I started making a name for myself in this village, I can't get many things out of my head," Brant said.

"Don't worry about it. You said we had much to discuss, didn't you? Now, where is your bedroom?" Lagertha asked.

"Oh, right this way," he answered. Then, he sets his sword aside and leads Lagertha up the stairs as she looks at everything he owned.

She could tell that he has spent plenty of time making a name for himself and noticed what he accomplished by protecting the village. He then opens his bedroom door and enters inside as the morning sun shines in the sky.