"I was a foolish to ever doubt you, Nerida. You gave an eye to bring us sell swords and have fought honorably in battle beside us." Bjorn said as he kissed her once more, Nerida trailing kisses over his jaw and down his neck.

They had walked for ten miles before their messenger informed them that the King's army was less than a day away, which meant they were now on the eve of battle. "If I die tomorrow—"

"Please. Do not say that, Bjorn. You are Bjorn Ironside and I know that this battle will not be your last." She smiled, Bjorn moving his body fully over hers as they began to once again make love, neither of them wanting to sleep.

Hours later Nerida found herself unable to sleep, her mind restless as she thought about the plan set forth by Ivar. She did not trust him, and her heart was no longer his to break, Nerida grateful that she had allowed Bjorn to love her.

She carefully stood and slipped back into her clothes and armor, her mind anxious to see the battlefield, and her heart anxious to be back in Kattegat. Nerida stepped from the tent, the air cool and the camp filled with a thick fog that made it almost impossible to see through.

The camp was quiet almost too quiet for Nerida's liking. She knew that her men would be up and awaiting to hear the battleplan, her core still aching as she carefully walked through the fog and towards the pirate's encampment.

"Nerida?" Bjorn whispered as he rushed towards her, Nerida smiling as he pulled her close. "You should be resting." He said as he rested his hands on her hips.

"I am always anxious before a battle, and I worry that Ivar's plan will not work." She whispered as her hands rested on his chest, all her worries seeming to dissipate as her eyes locked with his.

"I know you want to be with your men, but I want you with me by my side. I also do not want to wait until we return to Kattegat. Before we go into battle, I wish for Floki to marry us. I do not want another day without you as my wife, Nerida." Bjorn whispered as he kissed her forehead, Nerida's heart racing as she felt a single tear run down her cheek.

"I do not deserve this, Bjorn. I do not deserve you." She said her words cut off as Bjorn kissed her lips passionately, his arms encircling her as he held her as tight as he could. Nerida broke the kiss to rest her head on his chest, a safe feeling coming over her, feeling she had never felt before.

"When the sun rises Bjorn, I will marry you."

***

"Thank you for your help Helga." Nerida smiled as she stood from the bed, her body clad in a white gown she had borrowed, her head fitted with a crown of wildflowers and her body void of armor. "All of this and yet I feel so naked, Helga. Were you this scared when you married Floki?" She asked as she looked to Helga's adopted daughter, a look in her eyes that worried Nerida.

"I was happy, and I have remained that way. Bjorn will protect you and you him and I know you will bring joy to each other." Helga smiled as she kissed Nerida's cheek, Nerida hugging her tight before leaving the tent. A blush went over her face as everyone turned to look at her, her body trembling as she walked towards Bjorn.

To her surprise Ivar looked calm, an almost kind smile on his face as he sat on the ground, his brothers standing beside him. Nerida stepped in front of Bjorn, his shaking hands taking hers as she wiped a tear from his cheek.

Nerida gasped as she saw that most of her men were in attendance, which shocked her since they had preferred to stay away from the Vikings. The moment Floki wrapped their hands in cloth, Nerida's heart began to race, a feeling she had not gotten when she had married Ivar.

Their hands were shaking as they repeated their vows and exchanged their swords and rings, Bjorn sealing their marriage with a kiss as the entire camp irrupted in happy cheers for them. Instead of having a wedding night, Nerida and Bjorn changed from their wedding attire into their armor.

"Stay close to me, do not wander.'

"Bjorn, we have been married for mere hours and you already think me weak?" She teased as she playfully pushed him back, Bjorn's eyes serious as he pulled her to him.

"I cannot lose you, Nerida. I thought I knew love, but I know that what I had with Thorunn and Torvi was trivial. Losing you would be like losing a part of myself." He admitted as he cupped her face with his hand.

"I thought I knew love, I thought that I did not deserve it, but I know in my heart that I love you Bjorn. I love you." She said as she lifted on her toes and kissed Bjorn hungrily, her hands gripping at his leather armor as his hands gripped her ass. "I wish I could take you right now."

"All in good time." Bjorn whispered as he reached down and grabbed her daggers from their bed and placed them in her hands. "I know you are a fierce warrior Nerida, and I know you could take on all of my men and shieldmaidens, which is why I want you by my side." He insisted as Nerida smiled and kissed his cheek.

Nerida walked from the tent, a smile on her face as she saw Floki an Helga saying their goodbyes before Floki left for the battlefield, her eyes catching a glimpse of something tucked into the dress of their adopted daughter Tanaruz. She casually walked over to them; Helga preoccupied by her husband as Nerida grabbed the dagger that Tanaruz was hiding.

Tanaruz looked at her shocked, pushing Nerida back as she tried to grab the dagger from her grip. "Stop!" Nerida said in Tanaruz language of Arabic, Floki and Helga looking at her shocked since Nerida had never even tried to speak to Tanaruz before.

"I know you are scared; I was scared too. Helga loves you and wants nothing but the best for you. I would have given my soul for a mother like Helga and a father like Floki, you best not squander this, Tanaruz." She said as she kept the dagger, tucking it into the back of her leather belt, Tanaruz looking down at the ground as shame no doubt came over her.

"You never said you could speak her language." Floki said in a shocked tone as Nerida winked at him. "Why did you not tell us you could speak to her?"

"You never asked." She smirked as Floki pretended to attack her, his hands gripping the side of her throat as he pretended to choke her. Bjorn stepped in and pulled Nerida to him, Floki running away as a giggle escaped his lips.

"Are you ready?" Bjorn asked as he handed her a bow and quiver full of arrows, Nerida taking them as her mind became focused on the battle ahead.

****

"If they retreat towards Repton which they will, I want to be with my men." Nerida said as she and Bjorn ran as fast as they could toward the next destination. Ivar's plan to run Aethelwulfs men all over the battlefield was working beautifully. Aethelwulf and his men were confused and looking like fools as they ran back and forth up and down the battlefield, Nerida smirking at their confused faces.

"If you must go, go—just be safe my love." He said as he pulled her to him for a quick kiss, before she ran in the direction her men were hiding along the road to Repton. Nerida ran swiftly through the woods ducking low as she came across her men, each of them holding a clay pot filled with black powder and a piece of cloth to ignite it.

"In position!" She said in a loud commanding tone, all of them ducking low behind the trees that filled the road to Repton. Nerida got low behind a bush as she heard the low rumbled of horses coming up the path. She stood and walked down the hill and onto the road, wanting Aethelwulf to see her face before she killed him.

"Hold. Nerida—I should have known we would cross paths again." Aethelwulf said in a smug tone as he stopped his horse, Nerida smiling as her eyes narrowed on him.

"I vowed to not miss your death, little Prince." She smirked as Aethelwulf began to laugh along with his men. Nerida slowly raised her hands in the air almost as if she was surrendering.

"FIRE!" She screamed her men instantly lighting the clay pots and throwing them at the trapped soldiers, all of them screaming and trying desperately to flee. Nerida ran back up behind the tree line and grabbed one of the pots, tossing it as hard as she could towards Aethelwulf, her eyes going wide as he caught it and threw it back in her direction.

"MOVE!" She screamed as she grabbed an older man by his leather armor and pulled him down the hill with. Before Nerida could get away the pot exploded sending her and several others flying through the air, her back hitting the truck of a tree as the air was pushed from her lungs.

Her ears were ringing and everything around her seemed to move in slow motion as she tried to regain her focus. Nerida felt dizzy as she felt a pair of hands on her, lifting her from the ground with ease after several agonizing moments.

"Nerida! Nerida! Look at me!" Ivar yelled as he finally came into focus. "Are you alright? Nerida!" He yelled again as she still felt dazed. "They are retreating! Nerida, you did it." Ivar smiled as his hand gently slapped her face to pull her from the fog.

"We won." She whispered as her head finally started to clear and her ears stopped ringing.

"You were right." Nerida smiled as she placed her hand on his shoulder in order to stand, her eyes finally focusing as she saw Ivar's men running down the road, Ivar's chariot resting a few feet away. "Ahh." She screamed as she felt a searing pain in her ribs, a pain so harsh it brought her to the ground.

Moments later Bjorn came rushing to her side, his hand looking her over as he looked for any sign of blood. "Are you alright?" He asked as he helped her stand his lips kissing her forehead as he saw the pain on her face.

"I think I broke some ribs." She whispered as leaned on him, her head feeling dizzy as she tried to take a step, any movement causing her to scream out in agony.

"I thought I had lost you. I hear Ivar screaming your name and all I could do was run as fast as I could fearful that the life would be gone from your body." Bjorn whispered as he held her gently, Nerida still struggling to breath as she felt blood fill her mouth.

"B—jorn." She whispered, blood spewing from her mouth as she felt her legs buckle from under her. Her hands tried to grip at his leather, but they no longer held strength, as her eyes rolled into the back of her head.

"Nerida! NERIDA!"