"By the Gods," Svea gasps as she clambers from her and Leif's bed-chamber. Her face laced with sleep until her beautiful features spark with sudden worry as she spots me sitting on the bench.

"Bring the traitor in!" Leif demands sitting on his father's throne while Anders is dragged into the longhouse followed by the growing mob.

Svea takes the dirty staunch cloth from my nose and huffs out a growl of irritation, "Can you not stay out of trouble, Tove Ubbedottir. For at least one night?"

I ignore her griping and wince as the rag is placed back to my pulsing nose.

Clansmen flow into the longhouse and it begins to fill with voiced concerns of Anders and his current misdeeds.

Svea continues her inspection of my nose and Leif grows angrier and angrier the longer he sits on the throne.

"My son, what is the meaning of all this?" The Jarl appears and circles his throne as Leif makes no attempt to move. The appearance of Jorgensen brings the buzzing longhouse to an eerie silence.

"I...Seem to have made a dire mistake." Leif mutters between clenched teeth, his dark gaze focused on the pelt-laid floor. His jaw flexes and his nostrils flare while I wait unsure what his next steps will be. Again, the memories of knowing Leif's every move are simply memories, gone with the tides that took him from me years ago.

Anders stirs from where he hangs by his arms between two clansmen.

"It seems, I've invited a filth into Ormensthorpe. This disease swore its allegiance to me on the shores of Dubhlinn (Dublin). It fought by my side and protected my back from many blades." I push away Svea's tending hand and hold the rag myself watching from the corner of my eye as Anders fully comes to.

Leif inhales a slow and long breath, the fire in his eyes calming but remains entirely focused on Anders held on his knees before him. "You come to our land as a trusted friend. You sit in our hall. You eat our food and drink our ale. You then attempt to take the life of my right hand. An assault against this woman is worse than an assault against myself." Suddenly, I feel the heat of many eyes gaze past Svea and stare at me.

"My son-."

Leif raises his hand and Jorgensen goes silent.

"Is there anything you wish to say for yourself?" Leif asks and Anders remains quiet. "And any of you? Does anyone else wish to share their feelings regarding Tove Ubbedottir?"

I purse my lips together and feel the comfort of Svea's hand on my shoulder as we wait on pins and needles for the men and women of Ormensthorpe to speak.

Then Svea's hand slides down my arm and takes my own. Her brows furrow and her eyes thin as she rubs her thumb over the stag ring still residing on my fifth finger.

"Where did you get this?" Her lips move, but her voice remains dormant.

The ice in her eyes crystallizes and I find myself staring back confused at her intensity.

"Svea?" I whisper then Leif stands from the throne and approaches Anders who struggles to lift his yellow and blue swollen face.

"If any clansmen have any concerns regarding my right hand then they are to discuss it with me directly. If I so much get a scent of an uprising you will suffer the same execution as this maggot. You, Anders, will suffer a living death. As to be a constant reminder to me of my mistake of trusting a foreigner." Leif stands closer and Anders cranes his head to stare up at him. "I was blind, so I will take your eyes. You spoke lies so I will take your tongue. And I listened without thought of betrayal so I will take your ears. You will be a squabbling rat roaming Ormensthorpe as a constant reminder to me and others about what happens to the honorless."

<><><>

What I had seen in Svea's eyes was turmoil.

I'd not have more than a mere second to ask her about the ring before she saw it, but now I'm unsure if I should.

Within my hut, I hurry and drop to my knees. Using the tapered end of the axe blade I wedge it between the narrow floorboards. I rock it gently, working the floorboard up until it pops out of place then set the ring deep down into the hole. Placing the board back over I use the hilt of the hammer to jam it back into place.

"Tove?" Svea appears standing in my doorway dressed in a silver gown her hair plaited beautifully away from her angular face, "Are you coming?"

"Y-yes." I jump from the floor and straighten myself, setting the axe into the empty sling around my waist and follow her out. Even now, I'm unsure what is compelling me to hide the ring. But my dear friend's reaction to it is disturbing. By the grace of the Gods, she has yet had a moment to question me about it any further.

"What were you doing? You know the foreigner's sentence is being carried out at any moment."

I shrug, giving a glance back to my hut, and follow the crowd following the muddy trail through the village. Hravns caw above, resting on the tangled branches of the trees, as if they know of the edible spectacle that is about to take place.

Stealing my attention from the flock of hravns Svea coils her arm around mine as we begin the descent into the village center and follow the mass of clansmen through the enormous adorned ribs of a whale skeleton. Each bone is wrapped in animal skins or decorative vines as feathers and trinkets dangle from the bowed ribs above our heads.

CAW!

A large black bird lands on a curved rib bone and its large black eye pins mine through the large spacing of the whale skeleton, chilling me down to the bone and stopping me midstep.

"Tove? You've stopped-."

I raise my hand to quiet Svea and keep my eyes connected to the hravns still watching me from above.

The bird cocks its head to the side, his black eye penetrating my thoughts.

"When men encounter enemies in the fight, a robust heart is better than a sharp sword. Do not let your need for revenge cloud your ability to see the possible hidden opportunities, Tove."

My father's quoted words fill me up and instantly I'm aware that this hravn was sent from the halls of Odin to deliver me this message.

And instantly, I know Leif mustn't carry out his sentence on Anders.

It is obvious based on the brothers I killed last night I have enemies here, and if Anders spoke to the brothers he may know of more clansmen who want me dead. Not to mention I am more than likely wanted in Kivikstead for killing Ivan the Cruel.

"Tove?" Svea's voice interrupts my sudden realization.

"I must stop Leif," I say then jog down the incline, shoving past the villagers until I reach the base of the erected staging.

Torches line the circular stage as a recently carved pole sticks from the center. Surrounding the base of the stage is wood, dried for quick kindling if required.

The crowd parts, and the drumming begins as Morta, the völva (female shaman), enters as part of the start of the sentencing.

I double back, shoving my way past and ignoring Svea's questioning until I reach the ribs of the whale where Anders is tied by his hands and being escorted by several guards.

Then Jarl Jorgensen and Leif appear at the end. Leif dressed in robes and his face painted a chalky white to represent the bringer of death. "Leif!" I call in a whisper, knowing my interruption of his sentencing would be seen as a sign of disrespect for his authority.

His eyes spot me, but he continues walking beside his father as Anders is tied to the pole on the stage.

"Leif!" I say a little louder this time gaining the irritated attention of Jarl Jorgensen.

"What Tove!?" Leif asks between a flexed jaw.

Shoving someone out of my way I keep pace within the crowd as they continue closer to the stage. "You can't kill Anders," I state and Leif nearly stops in his tracks but only falters.

"This is not your decision to make. It is mine." He growls under his breath and his father glares a look of warning.

"He may know of others-." I retort and walk straight into a large wall of a burly clansmen. "Faen (fuck)!"

Leif and Jorgensen become out of earshot and reach the steps of the staging, then ascend to join Morta and Anders while the drummers circle around the stage continuing the sounds of impending dismemberment.

The tight mass of spectators parts and Svea appears holding the skirts of her dress and her blonde brows crinkled together, "Tove, what is it?"

"Anders can't die. At least not yet."

With a look over her shoulder she tosses the thick intricate braid back behind her shoulder, "But he tried to kill you?"

"I know. But I must speak to him first."

"You mustn't interrupt Leif's sentencing. It is too late. He is already a dead man."

I consider her words a moment but a disgruntled caw from my messenger in the distance fills my ears and then the drums cease.

"Stay here. I don't want you to be a part of this." I tell her as her eyes begin to plead.

"Wait! No, Tove!"

I twist around and sprint from the thick crowd to the nearest building. The smell of sulfur from the blacksmith's lodge wafts from the empty building. The recently smithed items are out for the taking. I swipe a bow and one arrow. Fitting the arrow between my teeth and the bow to my shoulder I climb a crate and jump, fisting the rim of the roof, and hoist myself up. My fatigued muscles screaming for rest.

Leif's voice projects to the crowd, and I hustle on my hands and feet as I ascend the steep and rounded roof until I reach the top.

The view from the top gives me an eagle's view of the execution in the square below.

My heart beats wildly reflecting quickly on my decision to blatantly disobey my brother's orders. Not only am I disobeying his authority but I'm doing it in front of the clan. Leif will be forced to lay down a punishment for me and I hope it'll be worth something this foreign Eldhúsfífl (Hearth fire idiot, good-for-nothing) has to offer.

I gain my balance resting on my knee and bring the bow forward, taking the arrow from my teeth and loading it into the shelf. I draw it back and exhale a calming breath from my mouth thinning my sights on the roped knot tying Anders hands above his head.

Then Leif's words reach my ears, "This foreigner has committed the worst crime anyone can commit against me..." My throat stings because I know my brother is going to recite his most favorite quote. "One's back is vulnerable unless one has a brother. And all of you know, my brother is Tove Ubbedottir."

I steady my aim as Leif turns to Anders with a large seax (knife) in hand then release the treacherous arrow that will finally put a divide between my brother and me.

Oh boy! Tove LOL

This will no doubt cause a rift between Leif and Tove.

I did a lot of research for this chapter lol and didn't want to do a reenacted scene from the Vikings Show so I hope everyone likes this!

Thank you so much for reading! I'm really loving this story I hope you are too! It takes so long to make sure the chapter is accurate so I appreciate your patience between chapters!