[27]

[27]

I feel a deep sense of happiness at seeing Jack so happy over the Black Pearl, 'This must have been how Father felt when we forged my first sword together…ugly misshapen thing but I was so happy about making it with him I didn't care.' I mutter in my mind as I catch up to Jack who's running around excitedly once aboard the ship. I can feel that power has fused into every grain of wood and stich of fabric. 

'This ship has become an expression of mine and the Oceans Depths's power…quite interesting.' I hum in my mind as I start weaving that magic into protections for the ship. 

~ — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — ~

"Shadousuri." I mutter questioningly as Shadousuri steps out of the shadows making Jack jump in surprise and smack the top of his head in the deck above us.

"Master, may we speak in private?" Shadousuri asks softly while not even sparring Jack a glance as I nod to her and we move to the Dauntless…that still needs to be cleaned.

"What is wrong Shadousuri…has something happened back home?" I ask Shadousuri who doesn't look up at me like she normally would after kneeling.

"I-I bring disturbing news Master…it has to do with Lady Lagertha's…health…the health of her mind…she has expressed a desire to end her own life." Shadousuri says to me, in a soft voice that barely can be considered above a whisper.

"What!?!" I snarl as I grab Shadousuri by her throat and smack her back against a support pillar splintering it, Shadousuri does nothing to defend herself as her eyes glisten with moisture.

"I am sorry I have failed you master please punish me as you see fit." Shadousuri apologizes and I growl as I pull her into a hug while feeling like my world is crumbling.

"Thank you Shadousuri…please assemble all of my warriors and have them meet at Castle Mikaelson…I will give Lagertha her final battle." I whisper as my bottom lip trembles slightly and a tear slips from the corner of my right eye.

"It will be done, Master." Shadousuri replies to me resolutely before cupping my cheek, wiping away the tear away with the soft pad, of her thumb while giving me a kiss, before she appears to melt into the shadows even with my acute vampiric senses.

"Vidar…"Jack calls out to me softly.

"Jack, he-hem, I have to return home for an undetermined amount of time to check in on my wife…" I greet Jack, my voice cracks so I clear my throat.

"Would you like me to join you?" Jack asks me softly, and I shake my head no. "No Jack, I'll spend some time with you before leaving make sure you have a good handle on your new abilities to give my warriors time to assemble while you carry on recruit a crew, and keep doing as you wish…what I'm going to do is going to be the most painful thing I'll ever do…" I reply to Jack, my words trailing off as I picture mine and Lagertha's final battle.

"Rum…" Jack offers me the bottle and I chuckle.

"Sure." I reply to Jack with a smile and take the proffered rum bottle, 'Huh, Jack got over here pretty easily.' I mutter in my mind.

"You seem to be adapting to your new abilities quite easily." I say to Jack and he pulls out another bottle of Rum and motions to it.

"Rum solves all problems." Jack jokes lightly and I roll my eyes at him.

~ — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — ~

~ — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — ~

I enter mine and Lagertha's chambers, I pause in the doorway and just watch Lagertha sitting in front of the window the sunlight reflecting off of Lagertha's pale, flawless skin as Garmr rests his head in her lap.

'This is what home feels like…I never want to lose this feeling.' I mutter in my mind as my heart aches.

"Welcome home, My Husband." Lagertha turns and greets me with a facsimile of her old smile that could light up a room.

"It's good to be home, my wife…Garmr…come I have a surprise for you." I say and motion with my hand and I wave my other hand over a secret compartment, that reveals 7 intricately carved white oak stakes with each of our names carved into them with runes, each stake spelled to only work on the ones whose name is on it.

'Gar must be really mad at me for being gone so long he's not even acknowledging me.' I sigh in my mind.

I remove mine and Lagertha's and when she walks over to me I press my stake into her hand.

"Husband?" Lagertha asks me in shock.

"I believe it's time…we should have fallen in battle long ago…I know you hate this life and long for the days when battles held real risk for you." I whisper to Lagertha as I cup her face in my hand and kiss her fully.

"Thank you for being so selfless and staying by my side my beautiful Shieldwife." I say as I break the kiss.

"Vidar." Lagertha expresses as her eyes grow misty and I take her hand and lead her outside where my warriors await us armored and armed ready for battle, I draw my sword and Shadousuri hands Lagertha her weapons as I speed to the other side of the battle grounds.

"Come my Wife show me the Valkyrie of old, the one that stole my heart and has kept it safe all these centuries!" I shout and watch as a true real smile splits across Lagertha's face.

Lagertha's happy laugh echoes across the field and a real smile splits across my face as Lagertha charges the line of my sired warriors.

Lagertha crashes into the line of the warriors from our old village, she shreds them like they are fodder, limbs, heads and everything flies across the battlefield.

Leaving Lagertha staring at me a bloodthirsty smile on her face as she's covered in blood.

"Come my Husband…show me a real warrior of old...unlike these boys and children with their guns." Lagertha teases me gently as we engage in battle, we dance around one another Lagertha blocks every swipe of my sword.

As he shield and axe finally disintegrate, I throw my sword to Shadousuri, and draw Lagertha's white oak stake, as she brings out mine, Lagertha and I grapple each other.

Our punches create sonic waves, divots form in the earth, and I feel the press of Lagertha's stake against my chest as we interlock with one another mine I can feel spreading her ribcage apart and I fall to my knees cradling Latherga to my chest.

"No." I whisper as my eyes sting and distort with tears and Lagertha pulls the stake for me away from my chest.

"You have my apologies my Husband, but as your Shieldwife…I can't take your life." Lagertha whispers to me as she cups my cheek, her face slowly becoming gray with blue veins starting to rise underneath her flesh, "Thank you my love for granting me a good death." Lagertha whispers to me as I look into her beautiful blue eyes, as the stake in her chest ignites in flames, and consumes her the fire burning me feels like a soothing balm as I roar into the sky.