"And then, the pig, who at this point was just about as shocked as me, came walking towards me. I stood up as fast as I could and I just ran away, covered head to toe in this pig's mess, screaming at the top of my lungs as this angry sow chased me."

The two walk through the night, Tohryl walking slightly slower to allow Ivar to keep up. Torhyl's laughs are set free into the night air as Ivar tells her stories of his childhood. Torhyl in turn tells him stories and he too finds amusement in her mischievous tales.

"You threw up on a queen?" Ivar cackles, his eyebrows raised in disbelief.

"Right in her face." Torhyl exaggerates, her face contorted with excitement.

The two laugh without restraint. They continue through the empty streets towards Torhyl's tent.

"My brothers used to pull me around in a cart when I was but a boy," Ivar explains his tale. "We were running around the top of a hill this particular afternoon and my brother Ubbe was pulling. He ran the cart right over a ditch in the road. The cart tipped and sent me rolling down this hill at full speed. All you could see was this small child screaming as he rolled like a barrel down this hill, his brothers chasing after him like he was a lost ball."

Torhyl burst into laughter. She clutches her aching side, withdrawing small breaths only to fuel more laughter. Ivar laughs at the memory and at Torhyl's reaction.

"My father told me that when I was just walking that I would always explore places I wasn't supposed to. So!" Torhyl exclaims pausing to recall the story. "I was walking around this particular day and I walked straight into the pig pen."

At that point Ivar was already in reels of laughter.

"It gets better!" Torhyl exclaims. "I didn't realise that there was a pig in there. So, I walked further into the muddy sty and soon enough found myself facing down with this humungous sow."

Tohryl chuckles at the memory and composes herself enough to continue. "Now this pig was easily four times my size, but that didn't stop me. I ran straight towards this pig and this pig was shocked that this small child was trying to attack it. I looked so heroic, as if I was running into battle. But, as I was running, my foot got caught in the mud and sent me flying face first into a pile of mess."

Ivar laughter increased his stomach aching from the intense laughter that raked his body.

"And then, the pig, who at this point was just about as shocked as me, came walking towards me. I stood up as fast as I could and I just ran away, covered head to toe in this pig's mess, screaming at the top of my lungs as this angry sow chased me."

Ivar erupted into rounds of laughter as does Torhyl. They both stumble slightly as they try to compose themselves. An officer walks past and shoots them a confused glance.

Torhyl stands a little straighter and gives him a stiff nod. "Officer."

He passes her still just as confused. Torhyl snorts at his reaction and Ivar soon enough follows her into a string of laughter. The alcohol that they had drunk earlier buzzes through their veins, hazing over their usual stone cold personas.

Soon enough they came to the front of Torhyl's tent. Torhyl took a breath to calm her giggly spell and turns to look at Ivar.

"Thank you for your company tonight," She smiles with gratitude. "It was...a very amusing evening."

Ivar lets out a breathless laugh, his smile falling and his teeth rest over his bottom lip. "Any time, Commander."

Torhyl crouches down in front of him. She trails her fingers gently down his cheek and gently pushes his chin to turn his face slightly away from her. She places her lips on the corner of his, leaving a gentle kiss tingling on his skin. She looks into his eyes and smiles.

"Goodnight, Ivar." She says smoothly before entering her tent.

Ivar sits completely still. His eyes are wide and his mouth hangs open slightly. His breath is caught in his throat and he swallows loudly before urging his arms to carry him away.

Torhyl traces her lips with her fingertips, still feeling the sensation of his skin against them. She walks over to the pile of furs on the floor and tosses her coat aside. She lies down and stares at her ceiling, her eyes slowly closing as she dozes off to sleep.

"Commander Firesyghs." A voice causes Torhyl to sit up sharply, suddenly awake and alert.

Tohryl's eyes steadily focus on the figure in front of her. The body slowly forms from a blur into a solid form. Aslaug stands at the foot of her bed, her body upright and taut. Aslaug waits for Torhyl to stand before proceeding.

"We need to talk."