War Draws Near...

Kattegat was not the only one preparing for war, Vestfold was all but ready for war.

They had their strongest warriors present and were ready for a Kattegat invasion.

The news of Birger being in Kattegat reached them and King Asmund knew that it would be any day now before Kattegat attacked because he did not know just how they did plan to attack.

The warriors were assured of their victory, there was not a single shred of doubt in their minds as their morale was at an all-time high.

King Asmund was not fighting this battle alone as Earls of neighboring kingdoms volunteered their sword, something which King Asmund accepted without hesitation.

Askild's cruelty and hatred were now coming back as karma as others actively saw him as a threat and this created an alliance of some sort, even though Asmund was wary of those that claimed to be his ally but he managed to convince them that if Vestfold falls. King Askild won't stop there, he will eventually aim for the whole of Norway but only a few heeded these words as others dismissed it as mere speculation because he couldn't conquer Norway with his current military strength. There was no way he could accomplish this on paper.

"King Asmund, we have assembled the strongest blades and are ready for the war," Signy said, he had taken on more responsibility ever since the death of Egil.

Asmund was proud of his son but he knew he needed more than this to fill in his shoes.

A messenger suddenly burst in without permission, he was bleeding profusely.

"K-King Asmund! Kattegat have assembled their warriors! I believe they will begin marching in a week!" The messenger warned. This was far too soon, Asmund expected an attack at any moment but this was too soon for one.

He has been keeping tabs on Kattegat and the information he had gotten said nothing of such a possibility but why was this man in such a state to begin with? Before he could ask, Signy took over interaction with this messenger.

"What happened to you? Where are the others?" Signy questioned the man, he was not the only scout sent and for him to be in this state meant something happened to them.

"W-We were ambushed! They got the rest of our scouts!" The Messenger said he. He could barely move and this meant that he was using his last strength to deliver this message. This was how strong his resolve was.

"Get yourself to the healer." King Asmund said in a fatherly tone, this information was important but if they intended to capture or kill everyone. This man would have never made it back so the fact that he was here was because this was the plan of King Askild.

Asmund entertained the possibility of this information being wrong and the reason Askild let him 'escape' was to deliver this false information.

What if they planned to attack earlier and the week-notice was to throw them off-guard?

This now created uncertainty and Asmund had two options to pick from as Askild was fond of such mind games with Asmund having no choice but to entertain it.

It was delivered in such a public manner that made other Vikings wary as they thought this to be true, the messenger was taken away to the healers as murmurs filled the room.

"It looks like the time to stain our swords with the blood of our enemy nears," Asmund said out of the blue with a smile across his face, disembarking from his throne.

Everyone's attention shifted to Asmund, it was rare for him to give a morale-boosting speech as everyone here would lay down their lives without hesitation for him.

They cheered as these words left his lips.

"Our enemies think us to be stupid. They say one week but we are ready to send them to the grave today!" Asmund shouted and the cheers got louder.

Signy looked at his father in admiration, this was what a King looked like.

"From today, I want you all to take it as the war is starting! They will not catch us off-guard!" Asmund shouted and the Vikings in the room left it one by one for they were pumped as this war would give them a chance at glory.

The room was emptied in a matter of minutes and the only person left was Signy as he stared at his father. The encouraging face he wore slowly faded.

"Signy, I want you to kill that messenger, he did not escape. He abandoned his brothers in battle," Asmund said in a concerned tone. It was clear he did not want to do this but he had no choice.

"W-What do you mean father!?" Signy questioned his King because such an order was out of character for Asmund.

"Those wounds were self-inflicted, he betrayed Vestfold for a chance to live." King Asmund said. He was very analytical and observed the messenger. The wounds were not only shallow but they missed all vitals, and the blood he was covered in was not his either.

Asmund explained the situation to his son in much more detail and Signy was amazed by this.

He was right, there was no way the enemy could not catch up to him, and losing that much blood would make it impossible for him to get this far, let alone speak.

"Signy, gather your unit and stand to watch at the gate. You will serve as the last line of defense," Asmund instructed as he got to his feet to wear his armor.

"What about you father?" Signy asked his father but Asmund did not answer until he wore his helmet and equipped his battle hammer.

"I am heading to the front lines. A king must boost the morale of his army through his presence. This is something Askild will never see coming." Asmund said. He knew the tides of the war would rest in whoever could secure the first victory in battle.