The moment I lose the arrow, I feel the invisible tethers of regret reaching out with their fingers fighting to retrieve it back. However, as the point of the arrow slices the taut rope and Anders's arms fall heavily from their place above his head, the breath I'd been holding escapes through my parted lips expelling the sudden contrition built in my bones.

The silent sea of people below becomes a tempest with an audible gasp then the clansmen spin around to follow the path of the arrow. My name is choked and yelled from the waves of people stunned to find me as the creator of the disturbance.

Upon the stage, blue eyes shining like jewels fixate on me forcing the regret to bud within my chest once more but I steal my spine and lower the bow. "Leif, my brother. I'm begging for your pardon for my disregard of your commands." I say, then descend down the sloped roof of the blacksmith's shop.

At the ledge of the roof, I drop and slide down, landing into the clutches of a group of guards. The dense crowd erupts into madness and I'm roughly escorted up to the stage, my arms held firmly as if now I'm also a prisoner awaiting her execution.

"Tove?" Leif shakes his head, his eyes dancing between me, the crowd, his guards, and his father, "What have you done?" His voice is so low only we located on the large platform can hear.

"You can't make him an undead-" I begin but Jarl Jorgensen interrupts.

"My son is due to become Jarl tonight and you've already-"

"Forgive me, but this man did not attack you or you," I state glaring at Jorgensen. "He and the others attacked me. Haven't you stopped to ask yourself why?" My words cause a pause with Leif as his jaw wires shut.

Svea appears at the base of the stairs and runs up holding her gathered skirts in her tight fists, "Recall the trial, my love." She says her breath labored.

Jorgensen scoffs and plants his hands on his hips.

"You've put me in the most dreadful position, Tove." Leif speaks through his gritted teeth and rings the hilt of the knife in his hand. I know he's debating on stabbing Anders here and now, throwing away his original sentence because of my disobedience.

"It is my honor that has been threatened, Leif," I add hoping to rein him back in.

"She's right." Svea adds. "As your wife and partner, I urge you to show mercy towards this outsider and listen to Tove."

The hoard of bloodthirsty clansmen calls out wanting the sentence to carry one interrupting the bickering between us all. Every moment that passes they become louder and more dangerous.

"Mercy? I can not show mercy, especially now. The people want their vengeance, not a Jarl who changes their mind at the drop of a coin.

For the fraction of a second, the temptation to settle this dispute with a Holmgang (Duel) hangs seductively from my lips but my insides churn at the thought of crossing blades with Leif.

"Faen (fuck), Tove!" Leif barks out and twists to glare at Anders flipping the knife in his hold. "I am to be Jarl and on the eve before I take the throne you -- my right hand -- disobey my first order?"

I snarl and can't stop from answering back, "Yes, dear brother. But you are not Jarl yet."

Svea stills in response to my words and the platform goes eerily silent. The hands around my arms tighten as Leif marches straight up to my face speaking for only him and I to hear, "You know nothing, you haven't seen anything beyond this land like I have. I've seen what happens if you let a wound fester. It grows and grows until the host is rotted from the inside out. The disease must be cut out, cauterized. Or, no matter how much you attend to it, it'll spread."

"I may have not left our land but I know far more than you think."

"Tove," Svea warns in a hushed voice.

But I ignore her, "You think the brothers are the only ones planning an uprising? Those two could not create a fire with two sticks and a flint. That man, " I gesture with my chin to Anders, '' may know who is orchestrating my death warrant. The disease is already here, my brother, and has already spread."

Leif inhales a deep breath, his fanned nostrils, and his jaw flex as my words burrow deep inside him. As we all stand in silence I pray to the Gods that the seeds of my words are taking root.

I pray he sees reason. With the Björn clan threatening to attack any moment we need to burn out the rebellious rats from their holes.

Then, Leif's shoulders straighten and the resilience in his blue eyes blaze into mine. He spins back grabbing the severed rope dangling below Anders tied wrists and lifts it. "Leif, wait!" I yell and struggle against the guards at my arms.

With one stab of the knife Leif pins Anders's right arm raised up against the post. Anders cries out but he presses his trembling lips together to hide more screams.

"My brother has decided to take on this man and his crimes for herself!" Leif says, projecting to the crowd who watches on. "Any further crimes committed by this filth will be Tove's responsibility."

I let out a breath and stop struggling but Leif throws a smile that sets a chill to race down my spine, "But, as Vikingr we demand justice!"

The crowd yells back in agreeance.

"The debt must be paid even by the honorless!" Leif steps back up to me swiping my axe from the sheath then turns swinging it hard and steadfast. My blade severs Anders's arm from below the elbow leaving his hand, wrist, and forearm pinned to the post by the knife implanted in the flesh.

Anders drops to the ground, writhing in pain as his blood fans out across the platform.

"Tove deserves punishment!" Someone calls from the crowd, echoed by several more.

"She's brought the Björn clan right to us!" Another chants.

I throw my arms, freeing them, and glare down at the angry crowd, "They were already planning an attack you rævhøls (assholes)!"

"If it weren't for me you all would be sitting on your arses oblivious to the incoming attack!"

"Brother!" Suddenly I'm jerked away from the edge of the platform and forced to glare into Leif's eyes. "You will not win against a blind and angry crowd no matter how true your words are."

Movement catches my eye and I watch as Svea and Morta attend to the bleeding Anders still lying in his own blood on the floor of the stage.

"Fine. They want their justice. Then give it to them." I roughly shake my arm from his grasp, feeling my heart pound in my throat.

"Ten lashes," Jorgensen states coming up to the pair of us.

"You can't possibly be serious!?" Svea stands from Anders as Morta wraps his severed arm up in layered cloth.

"You must show them you can not be swayed by Tove." Jorgensen adds again.

"I can not do that to my bro-"

"Do it." I say cutting Leif off, "They'll be at my throat for what I did in Kivickstead until I'm punished in one way or another."

"My son, they must have their pound of flesh." Jorgensen clasps a hand on Leif's shoulder. "They must know the clan comes first. Not the love for Tove."

"I can not do it." Leif argues, meeting my eyes, his iris's reflecting the forming grey clouds above us. It is clear a sheet of shine has built within them. Then he recites the words he often spoke to me when we were small, "If you bleed, I bleed."

"You will be the Jarl by tonight. You mustn't show weakness." I tell him knowing if he spares me the lashing an uprising is almost a guarantee. "Strike fast, my brother."

<><><>

The ten lashes dealt out by Leif on the platform felt as though I was being lit on fire with each crack of the frayed whip. But after each strike, I could feel the clansmen being more and more satisfied.

By the end, my back felt as if it was pressed directly onto the sun itself and Leif was as silent as stone.

Thankfully, the clan allowed my request to take Anders on as my slave and I've been forgiven for my deeds in the north and they've accepted Leif as their Jarl.

Within my hut, I remain laying on my stomach as I listen to the chanting and cheering of Leif's Jarl ceremony take place at the docks and village center. By now the sacrifice has been given to the Gods and he's been crowned. The rest of the night will be a celebration.

Meanwhile, the pain radiating from the torn flesh on my back penetrates my muscles and even my spine. Everything hurts and pulses in heated waves across my skin.

A soft knock sounds at my door, but I ignore it hoping whoever it is disappears. When I don't respond the door opens slowly and I find Svea standing in my doorway, her plaited white hair adorned with an antler crown and her dress light blue with silver and gold accents.

She huffs a sigh, sympathetic to my pathetic state. "I've come to check your bandages."

"Have you brought any ale?" I ask, forcing a smile to my lips but it falls quickly from the pain.

"I've brought something much better."

"Brilliant, you've come to poison me? Please do." I tease again trying to make light of the situation in hopes to forget the affliction on my back.

She stifles a smile then I notice the green necklace hanging from her neck and this time can't help but laugh, "What a beautifully useless necklace."

Svea laughs and closes my door behind her then comes to the foot of my bed shaking her head and feeding the fire with larger logs to fill my hut with heat. "Be nice, Tove. Leif is in worse condition than you are right now."

My poor brother. I know this killed a part of his spirit.

I nod and Svea turns to me, producing from a small purse containing some medicinal balm and a tiny black valve. "Drink this. It'll help with the pain and help with sleep." She tells me lifting her dress and climbing beside me, eyeing the chaotic mess on my back.

The movement of my arm causes me to wince but I take the valve and place it to my lips, drinking it quickly, craving the comfort of being numb and asleep.

"Good." She smiles and checks the strips of cloth covering the wounds of my back, peeling some away to look beneath.

"Thank you, Svea. You've been so good to me. Even when I told you I wanted to go to Kivickstead."

She tilts her head and her green eyes sparkle, "Of course. I'll support anything you wish to do, Tove. I love you."

Her tender touch moves around my back checking each of the wounds. The soft-touch in comparison to the whip is as if I'm being touched by Freyja*.

"I missed you last night."

For a moment I think I've imagined these words so I strain my neck to gaze up at her. Svea drops and caresses the skin of my shoulder with her warm lips then lays close beside me.

My thoughts cloud and my eyes become heavy as the medicine takes over but I'm also consumed with her tender touches. "Svea?"

"I hoped that you'd come to me last night."

My brows furrow and I struggle to piece together any sort of rational thought. "I-I don't know what to say." I mutter and melt into her touch as her hand pulls the shredded fabric of my tunic down off my arm.

"You don't have to say anything. I'd hoped seeing my husband would clear these feelings I have towards you but it hasn't."

I watch her pink lips move, seeming to be under a spell, and don't move back as she takes the side of my face running her thumb across my parted lips.

"But what about L-Le-" My thoughts clamber together but my mouth fails to speak. The pain subsides, but the confusion remains.

"Enough about Leif," She says and plants a quick kiss onto my lips then pulls away just as fast. Her hand moves from my neck and pulls the fabric further down exposing more of my skin to her. She kisses me again, molding her lips to mine and taking the last bit of sane thoughts with her.

The chill of the room finds the exposed sensitive skin of my breast but is warmed by her cupped palm.

My mouth moves with hers and my tongue searches for hers. My body, numb of pain but overcome with need. I still with anticipation as she pulls me over her ready to feel the wounds burn with the movement but there's nothing. No pain, no burning, just Svea.

<><><>Glossary<><><>

*Freyja : Most renowned of the norse goddesses. She was in charge of love, fertility, battle, and death

Anyone see this coming with Svea and Tove??? I've been so excited to write a girlxgirl story so I'm incredibly excited lol

tell me your thoughts on it?

tell me your thoughts on Leif still? do we like him? hate him? 

give me all your thoughts!