— 22. Fallen

It was nighttime and Tova stood with Ragnar, King Horik, Erlendur, Lagertha, Bjorn, and the rest of the usual group as they spoke of what Horik had done to the King's son and the rest of the men who had come to make negotiations.

While Aethelwulf and the other men had been leaving after making negotiations with Ragnar, Horik had sent some men, including his son, to ambush the Saxons.

"King Horik, your behavior has made it very difficult to talk peace or to negotiate with King Ecbert," Ragnar spoke up as he gave the man an annoyed look.

"I never had any intention of negotiating with King Ecbert," Horik complained in a calm tone, "I thought you were aware of that. I only want revenge. I want to kill King Ecbert. And then, perhaps, I shall talk to him."

Hearing the man's words, Tova turned and exchanged an annoyed look with Ragnar.

"If we defeat Ecbert in battle, he may be prepared to offer us more in terms not only of gold, but of land," Lagertha explained to the group as she glanced around.

"This was a gift of good faith," Ragnar pointed out as he held up Athelstan's bracelet.

"What is good faith?" Horik retorted as he turned to look at Ragnar, "Why should there be good faith between us and Christians?" He asked in a cold tone.

"Don't you ever think that in the next hundred years, perhaps there will be no Christians or Northmen? That we'll all be one and united?" Tova complained in an aggravated tone.

"Says the girl raised by Christians half her life," Horik snapped at Tova, just before turning to Floki, "What do you say, Floki?"

Floki made a weird face and nodded, agreeing with Horik, but Ragnar and Tova had already expected that. "They worship a false god. They're fleas and vermin."

"I will go myself and talk to him," Ragnar decided, causing Horik to turn to look at him.

"You will not divide our forces, Earl Ragnar," Horik argued in a stern tone, "You seem to forget I am King. We will strike camp tomorrow. And armed and ready, we will go to seek battle as our Father Odin has taught us."

With that, Horik stood up and left with his son, causing Tova to sigh as she turned and exchanged a look with Ragnar.

_____

Later that night, Tova was sitting with Ragnar, who had himself wrapped in a blanket. It wasn't long before Bjorn made his way over to them and sat down across from them. "I can't sleep. I am thinking about what it is like to die."

"Only those who have died would know," Ragnar commented in a calm tone.

"The Seer would know," Bjorn reminded his father as he looked down at the fire.

"He is not truly dead. That is his curse," Ragnar pointed out to Bjorn as he looked directly at him, "He told me something about you. That you would marry the daughter of a king, or else sail around the sea with no tides."

"Then I shall not die tomorrow," Bjorn replied and Tova smiled, nodding her head.

"Not according to the seer," Ragnar pointed out with a smile on his face.

Bjorn looked up, glancing between Tova and Ragnar before he walked away.

Tova took a deep breath and glanced around, only to lock eyes on Erlendur. He was staring at her, gesturing toward her tent.

"I think I shall go to sleep," Tova suddenly spoke up as she stood up from her seat.

"You and I both know it's not sleep you're about to your tent to do," Ragnar commented, causing Tova to smile as she turned to him.

"Perhaps you should ask Lagertha if she wants to have sex with you. Perhaps you'll be lucky and she'll say yes," Tova asked, a teasing smile on her face.

"I doubt it," Ragnar replied, letting out a large scoff.

"It's worth a try. You still love her. I can see it," Tova admitted, smiling at Ragnar before she began to walk away.

She soon reached her tent. There, she entered with Erlendur, both of them smirking as their lips smashed against each other.

Lagertha had been walking toward Ragnar when she watched the scene occur. "She has quite the free spirit, doesn't she?"

"Reminds me of someone else I know," Ragnar commented, smiling as he turned to give Lagertha a knowing look.

"She may have my free spirit and courage, but she has your wit and she questions the gods as you do," Lagertha explained, not knowing whether she saw it as a good thing or not, "You raised Tova into a fine young woman."

"I am not the only one responsible for who she has become," Ragnar replied, a proud look on his face, "But I am proud of her. She and I are bonded, you know. I view her to be my daughter."

"As do I," Lagertha admitted, smiling at the thought, "Though she and Bjorn do not see themselves as family. They see themselves as something more."

"Yet they do everything within their power to deny it. At least, Tova does. She seems to have eyes for everyone but Bjorn. And it frustrates him. I can see that." Ragnar explained with the slightest of smiles on her face, "She waited four years for him to return. She might not see it now, but I know the truth. She cares for him just as much as he cares for her. I suppose if they both survive tomorrow, maybe the day will come where she finally comes to terms about how she feels for him."

"I prayed to the gods that the seer was right, that our son and Tova will not die tomorrow," Lagertha admitted in a calm tone, "And I believe they will grant it."

____

The following day, the battle began. Tova held a shield in one hand and an ax in the other. The rest of the army walked with her down the hill of the field the Saxons had chosen to have the battle on.

"This is the place," Ragnar spoke up in a calm tone.

"How do you know?" Horik asked as he turned to Ragnar with a confused look on his face.

"Because they are already here," Ragnar informed him in a calm tone.

Horik glanced around in confusion, only to suddenly hear Saxon soldiers from afar. "A large force, but not large enough," He complained, earning an annoyed look from Tova, "We will go down to them."

"I think we should wait," Tova complained as Horik began to walk away.

"Who are you stay that? Shut your mouth," He snapped at her coldly and Tova sighed, having a bad feeling about the whole ordeal.

"Tova is right," Ragnar spoke up in a calm tone, "I believe we should wait."

"I'm not waiting!" Horik shouted as he turned to glare at her, "The enemy is there. We have the advantage of the hill. Forward!"

As Horik walked forward with his forces, Tova turned and exchanged an annoyed look with Ragnar. "It is decisions like these that will get us killed."

Having no other choice, Ragnar gestured for them to walk forward and follow after Horik's forces.

The men shouted out loudly and banged their weapons against their shields. Tova sighed, continuing to feel uneasy about the whole ordeal.

Just then, she turned, locking eyes with a group of Saxons moving toward them from the right. "Ragnar," She called out, causing Ragnar to turn his head to see what she was gesturing.

"Form!" Ragnar shouted in a loud, stern tone.

"Forward! Move!" Rollo and Tova commanded the men as well.

"Why are you stopping!" Horik snapped at Ragnar since he and their men were not joining them in charging at the Saxons, "The Gods are with us! Forward!"

Tova sighed and shook her head, watching as Horik's men charged at the Saxons.

"Hold your positions!" Rollo yelled out as Horik's forces collided with the King of Wessex's, "Lock shields! Brace!"

The men quickly obeyed him and Tova braced herself as Saxons warriors charged at her and the rest of the warriors. "Shieldwall! Brace! Brace!"

She raised her shield in a defensive stance and raised her sword in preparation.

"Hold!" Lagertha shouted and Tova slashed at one of the Saxons who lunged at her.

As another swung at her, Tova raised her shield before slashing him across the chest. She continued to slash and stab at any who came her way.

A Saxon warrior ran her way and she tripped him before stabbing him in the chest.

Hearing a horn blare, Tova turned, only to watch as another small army of men came to attack them.

"Ragnar!" She called out loudly and the two of them shared an alarmed look.

Tova continued to fight any in her path, but felt uneasy as she witnessed many of her fellow warriors being slaughtered by Saxons.

She lunged at one of the men, knocking him to the ground before she stabbed him. She slashed at another and then a second man, killing any Saxon she could get her hands on before they could kill her.

A horse rode in her direction, but before it could knock her over, she jumped out of the way. However, from afar, she could see Aethelwulf riding toward her, but before she could react, Aethelwulf had slashed her across the chest as he rode past her.

Tova gasped in pain and her body hit the ground. However, before she could attempt to stand up, another horse rode past her and stepped right on her.

"Tova!" Ragnar roared out loudly as he witnessed the sight and how she coughed up blood, "No!"

Without hesitation, Ragnar turned, glancing at Ecbert before he killed anyone in his path as he tried to get to Tova.

He ended up knocking a Saxon off his horse before stealing it. He rode in Tova's direction, killing anyone who got in his way.

He suddenly froze in place, finding the sight of many of his fellow-men lying dead on the ground. It made it clear who was to be the victor of the battle and it wasn't his people.

Suddenly seeing another force of Saxons riding into battle, Ragnar knew they couldn't win. "Run! Run!" He shouted out before continuing to ride in Tova's direction.

He soon climbed off his horse and began to travel in Tova's direction on foot. Many Saxons began to surround him and he used his ax to defend himself as best as he could.

"Father!" Bjorn called out as he saw his father struggling to defend himself against so many men. It didn't seem like Ragnar cared, though. All he could think about was getting to Tova. He refused to leave the battlefield without her.

He lost one daughter. He would not lose another.

Bjorn slashed at numerous Saxons before running over to his father. The father-son duo stood side by side, looking to see Tova's body from afar. She looked dead. There was no saving her.

The men two men exchanged a look and despite not wanting to, they had no choice but to run and retreat.

_____

At the aftermath of the battlefield, Athelstan, wearing monk's attire, walked around, witnessing as all of the surviving Northmen left on the battlefield were killed by the Saxons as they laid dying on the ground.

He glanced around uneasily, only to have his eyes widen at the sight of a familiar person lying unconscious on the ground.

A Saxon warrior walked toward Tova's body, preparing to kill her with his spear. "No, wait! Stop!" Athelstan shouted out, immediately rushing over to Tova's side.

"Athelstan?" Ecbert called out, causing Athelstan to turn to glance at him, "Who is it? Do you know this girl?"

"I know this girl," Aelle suddenly spoke up as he rode toward them on horseback, "She was an orphan girl raised at Lindisfarne Monastery. No one knew where she came from. An insolent little girl. Baptized three times, but still reluctant to follow our God. Ragnar Lothbrok took her with him back to his homeland after his first raid on Northumbria."

"She was a Viking, to begin with. The daughter of a famous Earl named Earl Haraldson," Athelstan informed the men in a calm tone, "Ragnar took her in and raised her as his own. He named her Tova. She is the person he trusts most and she shares his wit."

"It is unfortunate that she's dead," Ecbert responded in a calm tone.

"No, she's still alive!" Athelstan exclaimed when he noticed that Tova was still breathing.

"Father!" Ecbert called out and one of the priests immediately turned to him, "This is an important woman. See what you can do to save her."

The priest immediately rushed over to Tova. He knelt before Tova's body alongside Athelstan, wasting no time beginning to tend to him.

As she laid there, Tova's eyes weakly fluttered open. She looked upwards, seeing the flock of ravens circling around her in the sky.

"Athelstan," She managed to get out as she looked up at the man she hadn't seen in months.

Athelstan sighed. He grabbed her hand and squeezed it in comfort. "I am here, Tova. You needn't worry. I am here," He assured her in a whisper and a single tear spilled down her cheek. She couldn't move her legs.

____

Walking back, Bjorn was beyond enraged by their defeat. He stood near his father, glaring at Horik since it was his fault. And now, Tova had a great chance of being dead.

"So, do you still think that we should not have talked to them first?" Ragnar complained to Horik, an annoyed look on his face.

"You always think you can second-guess the Gods, Ragnar!" Horik snapped at the man coldly, "What has happened today was fated. It had nothing to do with you or me."

Bjorn walked ahead, shoving past numerous people. Unable to control his anger, Bjorn rough threw his shield on the ground before kicking over a bucket.

Lagertha sighed and walked closer to her son. She sat down on a nearby seat, just as upset as he was as she thought about Tova.

"You fought well today," Ragnar told his son in a calm tone as he tried his hardest to keep his mind off the fear he felt at the thought of Tova being dead. He would never forgive himself if Tova was truly dead. She was the light of his life, in a way. She was his daughter in his eyes, no matter what people said, no matter what people thought.

"I was fortunate, that is all," Bjorn replied, not seeing it as a big deal.

"You were favored by the Gods," Ragnar corrected him, smiling slightly.

"Favored?" Bjorn asked his father with an attitude as he walked closer to him and scoffed, "We were defeated!"

"We live to fight another day," Ragnar pointed out to his son in a calm tone.

"Yes, we lived, but Tova has died," Bjorn argued as he moved toward Ragnar with a threatening look on his face, "Or do you not care about that?"

"I highly doubt Tova is dead. In fact, I know she is not dead," Ragnar argued in a confident tone, placing a hand on his son's shoulder, "She has survived more than you could ever know. It would take a lot to kill her. And there is no way the Saxons wouldn't spare such a valuable hostage."

Ragnar walked over to his son and placed a hand on Bjorn's shoulder. With that, he led him over to where a group of warriors was resting underneath a tent.

"Since no ax, spear, or blade could touch my son today, he will now be known as Bjorn Ironside," He announced in a loud tone. He patted his son on the back before walking closer to the rest of the group.

Lagertha glanced around, an impatient look on her face. "We must make some decisions, and we must make them quickly," She complained as she looked around, eager, "Do we leave tomorrow and abandon this raid? Do we go home or do we sail up the coast and find some easier pickings elsewhere?"

"If Tova is captured and wounded, I want to stay in this place..." Bjorn spoke up as he walked closer to his mother, "As long as it takes until she is free."

"Well, King," Ragnar spoke up in a sarcastic tone as he walked closer to King Horik, "What are we fated to do?"

King Horik remained silent, beginning to glare at him.

_____

In King Ecbert's Royal Villa, where the wounded were being tended to, Athelstan walked over to where Tova laid wounded.

He sat down beside the girl, grabbing ahold of her hand. "Tova," He spoke up in a soft tone, leaning forward to place a hand on her shoulder, "Tova?"

Tova began to breathe heavily, opening her eyes to see Athelstan. "Athelstan..." She trailed off, attempting to lift her head, only to groan since it hurt too much. It was a miracle she wasn't dead, after all.

"I am here," He assured her in a soft tone.

"You left us," She spoke softly, tears forming in her eyes, "You left Ragnar. You left me. Why?"

"I had no choice," He admitted, a hurt look on his face.

"No choice?" She asked, letting out a large scoff. She weakly raised her hand and tightly grasped the cross he wore around his neck, "They were right about what they said. You have and always were a Christian. You were never one of us. Since you are one of them now, what does that make us?"

"We are what we've always been. Family. We survived Lindisfarne together. We survived being slaves and we became family to the famous Ragnar Lothbrok. We have survived so much together, Tova. We are bonded, you and I. We were both brought up as Christians but were then forced to adapt to the Northmen's religion," He explained, smiling at the sight, "You embraced it without question, but I could not. You know that. In my heart, I have always been a Christian and despite what you may say to them, I know you are like Ragnar. I know you do not care whether I am Christian or follow your gods."

"You are right, I don't. But the rest of them will not think the same," She admitted softly, only to wince in pain and place a hand over her chest, which was where it hurt most other than her right leg, which she couldn't even move more, "Am I going to die, Athelstan?"

"If you had been stabbed an inch away in any direction, I suppose you would be. Either my god or your gods thought you to be worth saving," He explained but deep down, he knew it was her gods. Odin was watching over her. It would explain the ravens flying around her dying body.

She was favored.