Rebekah sat on the wooden bench near the hearth, her hands folded in her lap while she watched the tall dark-skinned man settle into the chair opposite her. She rubbed her hands together in an attempt to fend away the chill from outside, but also in an attempt to still the anxiety she felt as she waited for answers about Thorfinn. The dark skinned man had accepted their offer of hospitality without hesitation, and now he sat with his long legs stretched out, a wooden cup of ale in one massive hand and a piece of flatbread in the other. He ate and laughed as he talked, treating their home like he had lived there for years.
He had already told them three separate tales since he arrived, each one more unbelievable and more colorful than the last. Stories of deserts that stretched forever, of rivers wider than any fjord, of cities built from white stone that glittered under a sun so fierce it could burn skin black in a single day. He spoke of fate the way other men spoke of Odin or Thor, as though it walked beside him and whispered in his ear. He called himself The Nubian, and when Freydis had asked why he had no proper name he had laughed and said that he did have a name, but Names have power tied to the world around them and that his people believed in keeping their names to their hearts.
Freydis sat cross-legged on the rush mat at his feet, her white hair spilling over her shoulders as she fixed her gaze on him. Gyda perched on the edge of the bench beside Rebekah, her own fair hair braided tightly, her fingers twisting in her skirt. She had not spoken much since the Nubian arrived, but her gaze never left his face whenever he mentioned Thorfinn.
"How tall is Papa now?" Freydis asked suddenly. "Is he taller than you?"
The Nubian grinned, showing bright teeth against his dark skin. "Taller than me? No, little snow-hair. But he stands like a mountain all the same. Broad across the shoulders, arms thick as old trees. When he walks into a room men step aside without knowing why."
Gyda leaned forward. "Does he still carry that sword with the runes? The one that he used to slay the Draugr?"
The Nubian nodded. "He does. Refuses to replace it. Says it was blessed by one of your gods and that it has protected him through many battles. He trains with it daily still, and quite a few times I've seen him skin larger prey with it like Crocodiles and such."
Freydis giggled. "Crocodiles? What are they?"
"Large beasts bigger than any wolf you have ever seen," The Nubian said, spreading his arms wide. "Teeth like daggers, tails that can snap a man in half. Thorfinn wrestled one once. Held its jaws shut with his bare hands until he snapped its neck."
Gyda's eyes shone. "Did he really? Or are you making that up?"
The Nubian placed a hand over his heart. "On my honor, fair one. I saw it with my own eyes. The beast was longer than this house, and he pinned it down like it was nothing, of course that was only after I taught him how to do so..."
Rebekah listened quietly, a small smile tugging at her lips, but her thoughts kept drifting. She waited until the Nubian paused to take another swallow of ale, then spoke. "What of Dahlia and Morgyn?" she asked. "Has Thorfinn found them yet?"
The Nubian stopped mid-motion. The easy smile faded from his face. For the first time since he had stepped through their door he looked serious, almost solemn. He set the cup down carefully on the table between them. "These are not my things to say," he told her gently. "Thorfinn will tell you everything when he arrives. Every word, every truth. It is his story to give you, not mine."
Rebekah's hands tightened in her lap. Lagertha reached over and closed her fingers around Rebekah's, giving a small squeeze.
"When will he arrive?" Lagertha asked calmly.
The Nubian lifted his shoulders in a broad shrug. "He could already be here, walking the streets of Kattegat even now. He could arrive in another hour. Who knows? My brother is a dramatic one. When he comes, he will make a big entrance. That much I promise you."
Rebekah felt her chest tighten with anxious hope. She wanted to stand, to walk out into the city and search every path until she found him. She wanted to see his white hair catching the last light, to hear his voice say her name. The waiting clawed at her.
Lagertha felt the tremor in her hand and held on tighter. "Breathe," she murmured. "He will come. You know he will."
Rebekah drew in a slow breath then let it out. She forced a smile and looked back at The Nubian. "Tell us how you and Thorfinn met. It must've been a quite the story for you to come so far from home for him."
The Nubian's face brightened. He leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. "Ah, that is a tale worth telling! We met in the great Colosseum of Constantinople. What a place it was!!! A huge round arena of stone, bigger than any hall you have ever seen, filled with thousands of people shouting and cheering."
Freydis tilted her head. "What is a Colosseum?"
"A place where men fight for glory, or for their lives, or sometimes just because a rich man wants entertainment. They throw warriors into the ring against beasts, against each other, against anything that will make the crowd roar," The Nubian replied.
Gyda frowned. "And Thorfinn was there to fight?"
The Nubian nodded with a wide grin spreading across his face. He leaned forward and spread his arms as far as they would go. "Fate put us together that day, we drew tokens to determine who we would partner with and it was him that drew the same as me. They told us we would face a monster called Kong. This ape stood taller than ten men piled one upon another, with fur black as midnight and arms thicker than the trunks of great oaks. Its roar shook the very stones of the arena and made grown warriors wet themselves in fear."
Freydis gasped with delight. "What did you do?"
"I laughed a great laugh that echoed through the whole city," The Nubian declared. "You must wonder why I laughed... the reason was this ape was nothing to me, I had played with bigger creatures when I was a babe. But poor Thorfinn, brave as he is, froze like a frightened maiden during her wedding night. His white hair stood on end and his knees knocked together. He looked at the beast charging toward us and cried out, 'Save me, mighty warrior from the south!'"
Gyda rolled her eyes and folded her arms, but a small smile tugged at her mouth.
Freydis burst into laughter, clapping her hands. "Papa said that? Really?"
"Every word," The Nubian continued without pausing. "So I, being the true hero that I am, stepped forward alone. The ape swung a fist big enough to crush a ship. I caught it in one hand and held it there while the beast strained and grunted. With my other hand I reached up, grabbed one of its massive fangs, and pulled myself onto its shoulder as easily as climbing a fence."
Lagertha raised an eyebrow though she had a smile on her face. "You caught its fist with one hand?"
"One hand," The Nubian confirmed. "Then I ran across its back while poor Thorfinn cowered behind a broken shield, shouting encouragement as he wiped the tears from his face. The ape tried to shake me off but I was too smart for it. I leapt into the air, spun three full circles, and landed on its head. There I took hold of both its ears and twisted until it howled in pain."
"Wait was it three times?" The Nubian said. "Maybe four. I lost count. It was at this point the crowd started to cheer my name. Meanwhile Thorfinn peeked out and called, 'Hurry, great one, before it eats me!' So I wrapped my legs around the beast's neck and squeezed until its eyes bulged. It staggered. It fell to one knee. Still it tried to attack me, so I jumped down, picked up Thorfinn's fallen sword and hurled it straight between the monster's eyes from a hundred paces away."
Rebekah pressed her lips together to hide her amusement. "And Thorfinn did nothing at all during this?"
"Oh he did something," The Nubian said with a wink. "He cheered very loudly once the beast lay dead. He ran forward when it was safe, patted my shoulder, and declared, 'You have saved my life, brother. From this day I am yours to command.' Then the people of the city carried me on their shoulders while Thorfinn walked behind carrying my wine skin and helping the ladies form a queue to receive my attentions."
Gyda rolled her eyes again. "That does not sound like Thorfinn at all."
The Nubian placed a hand over his heart. "Every word is true, fair Gyda, though perhaps the ape was only as tall as eight men and I only spun twice in the air. But the rest happened exactly as I tell it."
Freydis wiped tears of laughter from her eyes. "Tell it again! The part where Papa hides behind the shield!"
"Later, little one," The Nubian promised. "For now know this. After the fight Thorfinn looked at me with new respect in his eyes and said, 'I have never seen a man fight as you do. Fate has bound us together.' And from that day he became my brother."
Gyda shook her head but smiled fully now. "He will not like hearing this version when he arrives."
The Nubian laughed. "That is why I will tell it often and loudly. A good brother keeps another humble."
Rebekah felt warmth spread through her chest as she listened to the tale. Thorfinn had seen Constantinople after all. He had stood in the greatest city in the world and fought beside this strange kind man and lived through it to come home at last. He had done exactly what he dreamed of doing and she could not help but feel happy for him despite the long wait.
...
As they continued to talk inside the small home none of them noticed that a man had been watching them from the shadows outside the door. This person was a tall lean man with a scarred face and hair tied back in a single braid that reached his shoulders. He had lingered there unseen for some time with his ear close to the wall to catch every word spoken within before he slipped away without a sound and moved back toward the center of the cit. He walked quickly through the crowded streets until he reached the Jarl's Longhouse which stood at its centre.
He pushed open the doors and stepped inside where the warmth from the central fire greeted him along with the smells of roasted meat and spilled ale. Several people looked up as he entered and among them was Torstein who sat on a bench with his arm wrapped around a slave girl whose dark hair fell loose over her bare shoulders and she giggled as he ran his hand up her thigh and whispered something in her ear that made her slap his chest playfully.
Torstein noticed him first and raised his cup high with a grin splitting his bearded face. "Torvin you old goat fucker, come join us and tell me you brought word of traders coming to bring fresh cunt to our markets, I fear this girl may not last long enough!"
The slave girl laughed louder at that and Torvin chuckled as he walked closer.
Athelstan sat nearby with his own woman perched on his knee, she had red hair braided with beads, he held her close while he drank from a horn. Athelstan looked up and nodded with a smile. "Torvin come by the fire, it's been days since I've seen you," he said with a smile.
Torvin laughed and clapped Athelstan on the shoulder hard enough to make the bench creak. "It's a shame to see you both still wasting your seed on these fine women instead of saving it for the raids this summer, I will join you later after I speak with the Jarl."
He walked past them all but his eyes lingered on several women who moved about the hall carrying trays of food or pouring drinks, one with fair skin and full breasts caught his gaze as she bent to pick up a fallen cup which made him smile to himself before he continued on. At the far end Ragnar played on the floor with Ubbe and Hvitserk who wrestled while laughing and shouting at each other. Aslaug sat on the throne beside them with her hand resting on her large belly swollen with child, she watched them all with a smile on her face.
"Jarl Ragnar," Torvin said to get his attention as he approached and stood before him.
Ragnar looked up from the boys and his blue eyes brightened. He stood quickly and slapped his hands against Torvin's shoulders with a firm grip that shook them both. "Torvin my friend, you return at last, I thought the gods had taken you for their own hall or perhaps a wench had chained you to her bed for good!"
Torvin grinned back. "I have important news for you Jarl, news that cannot wait."
Ragnar kept his hands on Torvin's shoulders for a moment longer before he released him and gestured with his head. "Speak then."
Torvin glanced around at the others in the hall who paid them little mind. "Perhaps this should be said in private away from listening ears."
Ragnar frowned with his brow furrowing deep but he nodded and gestured for them to go to the back room behind a curtain. They walked there together and pushed through the curtain into a smaller space. Once inside Torvin began to speak without delay. "I was following Rebekah and Lagertha as you requested, when I came across a strange man in the market square, stranger than any I have ever seen before. He had skin as dark as charred wood and a voice that boomed like thunder from the clouds. He performed various tricks for the children such as juggling stones and balancing on a rope and he drew a large crowd with his antics."
Ragnar listened with his arms crossed. "This hardly seems like news, Kattegat has become a large trading port, we get many strangers that come and go," he said with disinterest.
"But... he spoke with Rebekah and Lagertha after his performance and they invited him back to their home as if he were an old friend," Torvin continued. He paused then and took a breath. "They spoke of Thorfinn in there, they said he has returned and that he is here now in Kattegat or very close by."
Ragnar paused with his body going still, he walked away for a moment toward the far wall where he placed a hand against the fur.
"The strange man claimed to travel with him and told tales of their adventures in distant cities—"
Ragnar sat down on a bench against the wall and interrupted him with a raised hand. "Leave me now Torvin."
Torvin stood there confused with his mouth open. "But Jarl there is more to say about what I overheard—"
Ragnar looked at him directly. "I said leave me now... go back to the hall and drink with the others."
Torvin hesitated for another breath but then nodded and gave a nod before he turned to leave the room. Ragnar remained seated, concern filling his mind. 'It seems you really came back...' He recalled the promise that Thorfinn made to return after four years, in truth after the first two he didn't believe he would.
A moment after Torvin left Aslaug came into the room, walking slowly from the weight of her belly and she sat by him on the bench placing a hand on his arm. "What is wrong husband, your face looks as though you have seen a ghost from the grave."
"Perhaps I have..." he said with a small chuckle, after that he did not speak for a moment with his eyes fixed on the floor.
But after a while he got up from the bench and turned to face her. "Thorfinn has returned to Kattegat."
Aslaug's eyes widened with shock, though she hid it quickly by pressing her lips together. She rubbed her belly with both hands as she sat there, thinking on what it could mean for them, for the hall, for their children. Then she lifted her gaze to him "What will you do about it."
Ragnar laughed and reached for his cup. He drank deeply, and when he lowered it he kept turning it between his fingers. "What do you mean by that, wife," he asked, a small smile playing at the edge of his mouth.
Aslaug's eyes narrowed. She stood slowly struggling slightly with the weight of her belly, "Do not play the fool with me, Ragnar," she said, her voice rising. "We cannot let him take back what we have built here. I will not be thrown out of our home like some unwanted thrall. I will not lose the status we hold, nor the what we leave our children."
Ragnar set the cup down. "You forget," he said, "that Thorfinn is the true Jarl of this place. He left me in charge when he went away four years ago to seek his fortune. I have only been his steward in his absence. I was never truly the Jarl myself."
Aslaug stepped closer, her expression hardening as her anger grew. "If that is true," she said, "then why did you not follow the plans he left behind. Why did you ignore what he wanted. Why did you take his silver and spend it on your own ambitions."
She leaned in closer still. "Thorfinn will not be happy when he learns of it. He will not listen to your excuses. He will take everything back, and he will do it without mercy."
Ragnar's jaw tightened. Annoyance flashed across his face, and his voice rose to meet hers. "What do you expect me to do then, Wife," he snapped. "Kill him in his sleep like a coward. He is my family. He trusted me to hold his place while he was gone."
Aslaug grabbed his arms. "You told me yourself he would not come back," she said. "You swore it to me when we first took this hall as our own."
Ragnar pulled back slightly, "I said he likely would not come back," he replied, "after so long away, and with the dangers he faced. That is what I believed then."
"King Horik and Jarl Borg will see us as weak fools," she hissed. "If we hand over our title without a fight. To a man they do not even believe is real. A man with so many stories about him you would think he an Aesir."
Ragnar's hands rose and settled on her shoulders, "Calm yourself," he said, voice lower now, trying to steady her. "Everything will be fine in the end. There is nothing to worry about that we cannot handle." He pulled her into him, wrapping his arms around her. Aslaug hesitated only a moment before she hugged him back, her cheek pressing against his chest, her hands clutching at him as if she could anchor herself there.
Ragnar rubbed her back slowly trying to comfort her and make her relax. But his mind was elsewhere.
All he could think of was that vision, the one that had taken root in him and refused to die. The one he saw Darkmoon Forest.
Even now he saw it.
The image of an old man, forgotten by all, with no hall to call his own, no sons to carry his name, no songs sung for him, no tales spoken of him in great halls or around warm fires.
Ragnar's hand kept moving on her back.
And inside, something hard settled in him.
He would not let that happen.
Not to him.
Not no matter what.
___________________________________
Kattegat had changed greatly since Thorfinn last walked its muddy paths four years past, when dahlia had left it a smoking ruin. Now the place thrived as a busy trading port where longships from many lands tied up at the docks and merchants sold their goods. The large village had grown into a small city filled with new families who had come from every corner of Norway and Denmark.
Thorfinn stood with his back against the wall of a small house, his hood drawn high so that only his eyes showed as he watched the people pass. He had spent several hours there, sometimes speaking a few words to a trader or a fisherman, other times simply watching the daily work of the place. This kind of watching had become a habit during his time in Constantinople, the Assassins had trained him and taught him that a man learns far more truth by observing people in their ordinary lives than by asking questions that might bring only careful lies.
'Idris always was a lover of his rhymes...'
The city looked prosperous with full storehouses and strong roofs and children playing freely in the streets. Yet something troubled the back of his mind like a splinter he could not pull free. Before he sailed away all those years ago he had given Floki careful instructions and a great chest of silver to improve Kattegat in ways he believed would make it strong for generations. He had told Floki to lengthen the docks to take more ships, to raise a high wall of timber and stone around the whole settlement, to bring stonemasons from aceoss rhe land and open a quarry for good building blocks, to raise a true keep with towers in place of the old longhouse, and above all to build an aqueduct from the hills to carry fresh water and open the possibility for bathhouses and plumbing. He had drawn every part of these plans so that Floki would understand perfectly.
But as he walked the streets that day he saw that almost none of these things had been done. The docks had gained a few new piers, the great longhouse now rested on a foundation of stone blocks, and he had heard men speak of a quarry opened in the hills, yet no wall guarded the city, no keep rose above the roofs, no water channel ran from the hills, and no bathhouses were in the city.
Thorfinn drew a long breath as understanding came to him. Only Ragnar had the power to halt such works, he held authority in Kattegat after Thorfinn left him in charge. He decided to reserve judgement for the time being, he had been gone a long time and he didn't know what might have happened from them till now.
"What are you frowning for, grumpy," Sophia said as she stepped up beside him with her own hood raised.
She held out a small cloth bundle she had bought at the market and unfolded it to reveal pieces of hákarl.
"Try this," she told him with a bright smile. "It is very good, truly one of the best things I have tasted here."
Thorfinn looked at her for a moment and then a small chuckle escaped him. "It is good," he agreed before taking a piece and eating it slowly.
Sophia suddenly saw how foolish her words had been since he had eaten this food all his life and giggled at herself before leaning her weight against his shoulder.
"How long are you going to stand here and skulk anyway?" she asked with a grin.
"I am not skulking," Thorfinn answered at once.
"You are definitely skulking," she replied. "I heard three small boys daring each other to run past you, they think you are some evil spirit."
Thorfinn sighed.
Sophia grinned wider and poked his arm. "Perhaps you should growl at them next time, make your eyes flash yellow so the tale spreads faster. Or pull your hood lower and mutter curses in wnother tongue until the whole town believes a sorcerer has come among them."
He gave her a sidelong look before he rolled them.
"Or maybe," she went on, "you could stand on one leg and juggle stones like that fool in the square."
"Enough, woman," Thorfinn said though the corner of his mouth lifted. Eventually he pushed away from the wall. "I wanted to see with my own eyes how Kattegat has changed while I was gone."
Sophia nodded as understanding dawned on her. "It is a little remote compared to the great cities we have seen, but I have walked through worse villages."
Thorfinn chuckled. "Here in this part of the world men would name this place a city. Outside of Kattegat places are a lot smaller, and people are much more spread apart."
Sophia laughed at that with her head thrown back. "Why are people so afraid to live close together? Though if the other Northmen are anything like you I can understand why you'd keep apart?"
Thorfinn chuckled with her. "The Roman Empire never reached this region, so our ancestors never evolved past what they were, you'll find a lot of places are the same."
Sophia tilted her head and thought about his words before she nodded. "I suppose so." She then studied his face for a moment. "How long will we stay here?"
Thorfinn only shrugged with his broad shoulders rising and falling.
Sophia watched him and a slow smile spread across her face as she saw the truth he tried to hide. "You are still nervous about seeing Rebekah again, and the others. Your family."
"I am not nervous," he said too quickly.
"You are," she answered softly. "I know you too well, Thorfinn. I see it in the way you watch the streets and the way your hand rests near your sword though no enemy stands near."
He looked away toward the hills for a time and then sighed. "Fine. I am nervous. It has been four years... Much can change in four years, what if they've moved on, or what if they hate me for leaving."
Sophia reached out and squeezed his arms with both hands. "Thorfinn... They will be happy beyond words to see you. You are their family. I am certain Rebekah has waited every day for your return. They will run to you with open arms, not turn away."
Thorfinn smiled at her words and the warmth in her voice. He looked up at the sky where the sun was ready to sink behind the fjord. At the same time the sounds coming from the Jarls longhouse started to get louder. It was clear there was a feast tonight and like all feasts most people would be there.
"Alright," he said with a deep breath. "Let's go make my return."
Sophia nodded with a bright smile and fell into step beside him as they turned toward the heart of Kattegat together.
_____________________________________
The great longhouse roared with life as the feast swept through its full course, and men and women drank deeplyy from horns filled with strong ale and mead that burned the throat on the way down. Roasted boar turned on spits over the central fire, fat dripping into the flames with loud hisses while thralls carved thick slices and passed them on wooden platters piled high with bread still warm from the ovens and bowls of stewed cabbage mixed with onions and pork scraps. Skalds plucked bone harps and beat drums, their songs told of old battles and stories.
Torstein stood on a bench with his tunic half open, his beard flecked with ale foam, he pulled a laughing girl onto his lap while his free hand slid under her skirt and squeezed her bare thigh until she squealed and ground against him in full view of everyone. Nearby Floki spun Helga in circles while dancing, his long limbs flailing like a mad puppet, he laughed a high cackling laugh while Helga threw her head back and let her hair fly loose so that it brushed the faces of those who danced around them. Floki grabbed her waist, lifted her high, and kissed her hard on the mouth before setting her down again so that they could drink from the same horn and spill half of it down each other's necks.
Freydis ran between the benches chasing Ubbe and Hvitserk and the other children, all of them shrieking with delight as they played a game of tag among the legs of the grown folk, she darted under tables and popped up again with her white hair wildly and her cheeks red from running.
While she did this, at one of the long tables Rebekah and Lagertha sat pressed close together, their shoulders touching and their thighs brushing beneath the boards, they passed a large drinking horn back and forth while they laughed at some shared jest that made Rebekah lean in and whisper something into Lagertha's ear which caused the shieldmaiden to throw her head back and roar with amusement.
Blaeja tugged at Elijah's sleeve and tried to drag the serious young man toward the open space where the dancers were, but Elijah shook his head and stayed seated until she finally climbed onto his lap instead and kissed his neck snd whispered to him something that finally made him give in. Across from them Niklaus slammed his fist on the table and cursed loudly as Henrik scooped up the pile of silver from their latest dice throw, Niklaus demanded one more game while Henrik laughed and rattled the bones in his hands.
Across from them near the fire Gyda and Thyri danced together, their skirts swirling as they turned and clapped in time with the drums, their faces shone with sweat and joy while they called out to Lagertha and Rebekah to join them. "Come on, you two sit there like old women," Gyda shouted, and Thyri grabbed Rebekah's hand and pulled until Rebekah stood with a grin and let herself be drawn into the circle where the four women linked arms and stamped and spun until their hair came undone and their laughter rang over the music.
But none of this compared to the spectacle on the middle of the table. The Nubian, who had been more than happy to accept the invitation to the feast, danced a strange tap sort of movement where he jumped and tapped his feet in rhythm with the music while clicking his fingers and moving his head. Needless to say he was quite popular among everyone who was there.
Meanwhile ahead of the long table was Ragnar, who sat upon the high seat, a cup of ale in his right hand which he drank from. Beside him on a lower bench sat Mikael who had become somewhat of an advisor to Ragnar during the years he had ruled as Jarl. Despite being an old enemy Mikael was a wealth of experience, which was something Ragnar needed at the time, especially with Kattegat so weakened as it was.
Mikael leaned closer to Ragnar. "So the tales are true then, and that bastard Thorfinn lives."
Ragnar kept his gaze on the dancers for a moment before he answered. "The tales say he comes, yes, and men I trust have heard signs of it."
Mikael spat onto the rushes covering the floor at his feet with clear disgust in his face. "He should have died out there in whatever foreign dirt he crawled to after he left us, the world would be cleaner without him in it. That boy brought nothing but strife and hardship to my family from the day he first stayed at my home, he took what was never his to take by right or honour."
Ragnar turned his head slowly and looked directly at Mikael with a lazy smile pulling at one corner of his mouth. "Still sour that he claimed your daughter as his own, old man?"
Mikael gripped his drinking horn tighter until his knuckles whitened against the carved bone and his face darkened with old anger that had never and would never fully xool. "That whelp corrupted her completely," Mikael growled. "He turned Rebekah away from her own blood... her own kin until she would scarcely speak to me, now she does not even live in Kattegat anymore but chooses to stay in that place they call Torfinstad." He spoke the name with mockery twisting his mouth as though the word tasted foul. "I barely lay eyes on my granddaughter these days, for they keep her away as if I carry some plague upon me."
Ragnar breathed out slowly through his nose. "I always believed you hated the girl herself because of who her father is."
Mikael shook his head once with force. "She is still family no matter who sired her, my blood runs strong through her veins no matter what else flows there." He lifted his horn then and drank deeply from it until ale spilled at the corners of his mouth which he wiped away with the back of his hand.
Ragnar breathed heavily as he rolled his eyes toward the rafters and sank deeper into his high seat while he took another long swallow from his own cup and felt the familiar warmth spread through his chest. His thoughts turned inward as he weighed what he should do about Thorfinn's return and whether the man would demand the seat back or let things stand as they now were after so many years.
As if he read Ragnar's silent thoughts Mikael spoke again. "That wife of yours was right you know."
Ragnar lowered his cup and glanced sideways. "Right about what?" He tried to drink more but found the cup empty when he tipped it over his lips and nothing came out save a single drop that fell onto his beard.
Mikael scowled deeply with lines carving across his brow. "You would be a fool to give up your seat as Jarl without a fight. Think on what you have built here with your own hands." Mikael leaned in closer. "It was you who was left with nothing but a burned husk of a village after that witch Dahlia tore through it and destroyed near everything we held dear. It was you who rebuilt the houses and the docks plank by plank, you who turned this place into a trading post that draws ships from every coast and fills our storehouses with food and goods. It was you who forged the warriors here into a fierce fighting force the likes of which even King Horik must respect. You would hand all that back to a boy who had no part in its making and who ran off to chase his own glory while you bled to hold it together?"
Ragnar listened with his fingers drumming slow on the arm of his seat. "The things I did still fall under a steward's responsibility in the eyes of many, for Thorfinn named me such when he sailed away and left the place in my care. If I cling to the high seat now that he lives people call me traitor."
"They would call you Ragnar the arse-licker, or Ragnar the seat warmer, being used and discarded like leaves after being covered in shit," Mikael spat.
"Perhaps they will call me Ragnar the Patient... or Ragnar the Wise." He gave a short laugh at his own words as if it were only a jest but inside he felt real concern twist in his gut at the thought of such names sticking to him for all his days. In the end however he waved Mikael off with one hand and rose to his feet which brought a gradual hush over the hall as men and women turned their faces toward him. He raised his empty cup high. "I thank you all for coming to this feast and filling my hall with your presence...." He walked forward a little, keeping his eyes on everyone as he did. "It has been a long four years since the dark days that near broke us, and we have suffered much in raids and losses and hard winters, but now we stand strong again with full bellies and sharp blades."
He paused there while cheers rose loud and horns banged on tables in approval.
Ragnar smiled wide and waited for the noise to settle before he continued. "Now I am sure many of you wonder about the summer raids that draw near. I am here to assure you that this year is the year we finally sail west across the great sea to the rich lands of England."
He spoke louder then with fire in his words. "We will burn their churches and take their silver, we'll take enough to sink a longship, we will strip their kings of crowns and rings m, and we will bring back slaves and cattle and grain enough to feed every family here for years without want."
The room erupted in cheers that shook the very timbers with men standing on benches and women shouting their approval while fists pounded shields.
Ragnar lifted his cup again though it held nothing. "Skol to the Jarls from Torfinstad who sit among us tonight," he said with a gesture toward Rebekah and Lagertha who raised their own drinks in return.
"Skol!" the hall roared back.
"With their support and the warriors of Jarl Borg and of King Horik who will arrive soon, we will raid England with the biggest army ever gathered in Kattegat. We will take so much gold and silver that every man here will swim in it, so many thralls that every farm will have hands to spare, and treasures enough to make our children kings in their own right."
Everyone cheered again louder than before with voices hoarse from shouting and cups slamming down, spilling ale and mead all over the place. .
Ragnar paused for a long moment as he looked out over every face flushed with drink and excitement before he drew breath to speak once more. "I have another surprise for you all this night that will—"
*THUD*
Before he could continue the great doors at the end of the hall slammed open with a crash that cut through the noise like an axe through wood and cold evening air rushed in along with two figures who stepped inside. A tall man entered first with his hood pulled over him and a cloak wrapped close against the chill, and beside him walked someone much shorter who also wore a hood that hid their face completely.
Everyone turned toward the doors with confusion spreading across the benches and some men reached for axes or knives while others stood ready to meet whatever threat had burst in unannounced. But after a moment the tall man reached up and pulled his hood down which revealed long white hair that caught the firelight and a face many in the hall found familiar though changed by years.
"Brother!" The Nubian shouted from the table with joy exploding in his voice as he leapt down and pushed through the crowd.
Ragnar seized the moment with both hands and raised his arms high. "Thorfinn Hellbane has returned to us at last!" he shouted loudly so that every ear heard it clear.
The hall filled with gasps and shouts as old friends recognized the white-haired man at once, those who knew Thorfinn from before his long absence surged forward with wide eyes and open mouths while cheers broke out among the benches from warriors who had fought beside him in past raids or heard stories of his accomplishments. Floki pushed through the crowd first with his long arms waving wildly above heads, his face split in a manic grin that showed all his teeth, he reached Thorfinn in three great strides before grabbing him by the cheeks with both hands which squeezed hard enough to turn the skin white under his fingers.
"Is it really you, Thorfinn, or have the gods sent a ghost to play tricks on old Floki?" he cried out with histrembling from excitement, then he giggled loudly. "Look at you now bigger than a bear, the gods must have fed you sap straight from Yggdrasil to grow you so tall and broad!"
Helga came right beside him with tears already shining in her eyes, and she wrapped her arms around Thorfinn's waist in a fierce hug while she stood on her toes to kiss his cheeks one after the other with loud smacks that left wet marks behind, "I am happy to see you Thorfinn... gods know how much I worried for you these past few years."
Torstein barreled in next with ale still dripping from his beard, and he clapped Thorfinn's shoulders hard with both hands which made a sound like wood striking wood while he laughed deeply from his belly. "By Odin's eye, look at the size of you now, you were a skinny whelp when you left but now you could wrestle a troll!"
Everyone around them murmured in shock at how much Thorfinn had grown during his years away, with his frame filled out broad and tall like a man who had been blessed by a Jotun. Niklaus and Henrik approached through the press of bodies with Niklaus leading the way, his face breaking into a wide laugh as he pulled Thorfinn into a rough hug that lifted him slightly off the ground for a heartbeat. "When did you grow taller than me, you sneaky bastard?" Niklaus asked with his voice full of mock offense while he held the embraced the man.
Thorfinn returned the hug with equal strength but his eyes went wide with surprise at Henrik who stood beside them now looking strong and tall. "Henrik, you have grown into a man yourself," Thorfinn said as he reached out and rubbed the boy's hair roughly which made Henrik grin despite trying to pull away.
Then came Elijah who walked through the crowd with his hand resting on the hilt of his sword out of old habit, he was Thorfinn's best friend and mentor who took him into the Mikaelson home as a boy and trained him in the ways of sword and shield until he could stand as an equal in any fight. "Elijah," Thorfinn said with a smile as he stepped toward him. "It is good to see you, brother, more than words could ever express."
Elijah nodded once with warmth in his gaze and said the same words back before they hugged tightly like kin long separated, clapping each other's backs with heavy thuds that spoke of shared hardships and unbroken bonds.
Thorfinn pulled back and saw Blaeja standing next to Elijah with her hand linked in his, the princess from Northumbria whom he had befriended and brought back from England years ago. Blaeja greeted him with a warm smile of her own that showed genuine joy. "Thorfinn, you live and stand before us, god must've have been kind to bring you home."
"I am glad to see you as well, Blaeja, looking as beautiful as ever," Thorfinn replied, though as he spoke he noticed how closely Elijah and her stood. "Wait... are you two?"
Elijah placed a hand on her shoulder then and looked at Thorfinn directly. "We are married now, she and I, bound before the gods."
Thorfinn's smile grew even wider. "Married? When did this happen?"
Elijah glanced at Blaeja with a smile. "A year past now, in the spring when the fjords thawed."
Thorfinn clasped Elijah's arm firmly. "I am happy for you both beyond measure, though I apologize that I could not stand there for the celebration and raise a horn to your union." He turned then and gestured to the shorter figure beside him who had stayed quiet during the greetings. "This is my companion Sophia, who has traveled with me through many lands and stood at my side the whole time."
Sophia lowered her hood to reveal her face and greeted them all with a nod. "It is good to meet Thorfinn's kin and friends at last, after hearing so many tales of you."
"Thorfinn!"
Two girls shouted together from the side, and Gyda and Thyri rushed forward with their arms open wide before they both hugged him tightly at the same time which nearly knocked him back a step from the force of their welcome.Thorfinn laughed as he hugged them in return with one arm around each. "Gyda, Thyri, it warms my heart to see you again after so long, and look at you Gyda, you have grown up into a woman, you look as fierce as your mother."
Gyda pulled back slightly with tears in her eyes but a smile on her lips. "We thought you lost forever, Thorfinn, but here you stand, I have missed you every day since you went away."
Thyri nodded against his shoulder. "The hall felt empty without you, and now joy fills it again because you have come back to us."
Moments later however Lagertha's voice joined theirs from close by while her eyes took in his full height. "By Freyja, look how big you have grown, Thorfinn, you have truly been blessed with a giants strength."
Thorfinn felt real happiness swell in his chest at the sight of her, and he went toward her quickly before pulling her into a strong hug that lifted her feet from the floor for a breath. She cupped his face in both hands when he set her down and looked deep into his eyes with the same fierce care she always held for him. "Yet even with your size you still look like the same Thorfinn to me," she said softly with her thumbs brushing his cheeks.
He smiled back at her with warmth filling his gaze.
Lagertha lowered her hands then and stepped aside slightly. "There is someone else waiting for you, one who has longed for this day more than any."
She moved fully out of the way, and Thorfinn looked ahead through the parted crowd where Rebekah stood waiting with her hands clasped tight in front of her. Time seemed to stop in that instant as their eyes met across the short distance, it was as if not a single day had passed between them despite the four years that separated his leaving from this return, with every feeling from before rushing back like a flood through open gates. Thorfinn approached her slowly with each step, his heart pounding in his ears while the hall's noise faded to a distant hum around them.
"Rebekah," he whispered when he reached her.
She reached out and took his hands in hers with her fingers trembling slightly. "Thorfinn, you are here, truly here after all my prayers to the gods."
He pulled her close then into an embrace that held all the passion and longing built over seasons apart, his arms wrapping around her waist while hers went around his neck and they stood there lost in each other amid the watching eyes. "We are fated, you and I," he murmured against her hair with his breath warm on her skin. "No matter how far I go across seas or lands, I will always find my way back to you, my love."
Rebekah lifted her face to his with tears tracing down her cheeks, and they kissed deeply with their lips meeting in a way that tried to make up for all the time that they'd lost, their bodies pressed close together as if to make up for every lost touch. They held each other tightly for long moments after with foreheads touching and breaths mingling until Rebekah drew back slightly and wiped her eyes.
"I have someone to introduce you to," she said with a soft smile breaking through her tears.
She turned and beckoned to Freydis who stood nearby with Ubbe holding her hand for courage, the girl looking nervous at first with her small fists clenched at her sides and her white hair falling over wide eyes that stared up at the tall stranger.
"This is Freydis," Rebekah told him gently as she knelt beside the child and placed a hand on her back. "Our daughter, Thorfinn."
Thorfinn knelt down to her level with his heart swelling, he held out his arms slowly. "Freydis... I haven't seen you since you were a baby... but there has not been a day where you have not been in my thoughts."
Freydis hesitated for only a breath with her lip quivering, then she jumped forward into his arms and hugged him tightly around the neck with her small legs wrapping around his waist while she buried her face in his shoulder. "Papa," she whispered against him as tears soaked his tunic, and Thorfinn held her close with one hand cradling her head while joy and wonder filled him completely.
It had been over four years since Thorfinn had left and now he was finally home.
(AN: So Thorfinn has reunited with his loved ones, and I'm sure some of you may have a problem with Blaeja being with Elijah but to that I say who fucking cares, even before the timeskip I never planned to add her to the harem. Tbh I didn't really know what to do with her, I felt this was better. So anyone who cries NTR grow up, Thorfinn won't be with every woman he encounters. Anyway hope you enjoyed.)
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