Chapter 33 The Next Generation

"Hagen, why was Ulf here?" Sif asked, a few minutes after Ulf had gone.

Hagen did not suddenly look tired anymore but rather, excited at what Ulf told him for it was of significant importance in terms of the war.

Sif noticed her husband's mood and stayed by his side once again without saying a word but she knew of his hostile relationship with Ulf so what could that man have possibly said to draw such a reaction from him? This did not matter.

Ulf was on his way back but ran into both Tyr and Bjorn, who were on their way to see Hagen.

"Uncle Ulf!" Bjorn called out, running to embrace his uncle who was equally as excited to see him.

"If it isn't the little warrior, Bjorn!" Ulf returned his enthusiasm but Tyr rarely saw this man so while he was his uncle in terms of their family tree, he was still very much a stranger to Tyr.

His attention was divided, he did not even look in their direction but looked distracted by the passerby as he waited for Bjorn to finish up with their uncle.

He did not even greet Ulf and when his eyes met that of Ulf, he saw the disgust in the eyes of Ulf but Tyr was not bothered by this prospect because that was all he could do. Ulf could not touch Tyr, no one could or they would face the wrath of Ragnar Lothbrok.

Ulf was soon on his way, and Bjorn returned to his brother's side as they continued their journey.

"Why did you not greet uncle Ulf?" Bjorn asked his younger brother.

"I do not like him and I do not think he likes me either," Tyr responded in a disinterested tone.

They were in Hagen's house in no time but neither Hagen nor his wife was there but their children were. They met Floki, the 6-year-old son of Hagen, who answered the door to see both sons of Ragnar at their doorstep.

"What do you want?" Floki asked bluntly, he looked mischievous and troublesome but he was soon dragged inside by his sister, Ursa.

"Father said you should not open the door to strangers!" Her voice echoed inside and a smack soon followed before deafening silence set in.

"Who are you, people?" Ursa asked with her head peeking out the door, and both brothers were confused because they did not know Hagen had a daughter.

She has short brunette hair, cut and styled like that of a man, she was much smaller than both boys.

"Who are you?" Bjorn asked her, answering her question with a question.

"I asked you first!" Ursa shouted in annoyance, this was her home, and Bjorn's attitude was as if this was his own home.

"I do not care! Let us settle this in a duel!" Bjorn was quick to challenge her with Tyr playing the observer in this interaction.

"Bring it!" Ursas shouted in response and came out the door, she was wearing a frail white dress.

"Why is a boy wearing a dress?" Bjorn questioned Ursa with a raised brow and her face soon turned red.

"I AM A GIRL!" Ursa screamed, attempting to slap Bjorn but he caught her hand.

"Girls should not be going around hitting people. It is unladylike." Bjorn said with a sigh after confirming her gender, he had no intentions of fighting her after this revelation.

"I do not fight women. The duel is off," Bjorn said in disappointment, but out of nowhere came Floki.

Bjorn did not pay for his presence, even when he lunged at him but what he saw next was Floki being sent tumbling by his brother.

"Hey Tyr! He is just a kid!" Bjorn shouted as Ursa broke from his grasp and ran towards her brother.

"A kid, look closely Bjorn," Tyr responded while pointing at Floki, Bjorn jerked his head in that direction and was shocked by what he saw. Floki was with a dagger, that young boy intended to stab Bjorn and if not for Tyr, Bjorn would be laying in his own pool of blood.

"Even you cannot expect to get to Valhalla if a kid killed you," Tyr said, barely keeping a straight face as Bjorn was embarrassed. There was no excuse for his carelessness but none of the brothers held any qualms with Floki, he did the right thing by trying to protect his sister but what surprised them was the method he intended to use to do just that.

"What is your name?" Bjorn asked the child in pain, Floki tried his hardest to hold back his tears because that would not be very manly of him.

"M-My name is Floki..." Floki said through the pain, with Ursa comforting him.

"I am Bjorn and this is my brother Tyr, we are sons of Ragnar," Bjorn responded, crouching to the height of the boy. Ursa gasped the moment she heard the name 'Ragnar' and she saw the knife in her brother's hand and understood why Tyr took the actions that he did.

They would have been in trouble if they harmed a son of Ragnar, even though they knew how important Ragnar was in Kattegat.

"I-I am sorry! I did not know who you were!" Ursa quickly apologized, bowing her head to earn the forgiveness of the brothers for her and her brother's transgressions.

"Hahaha! You do not need to apologize! Floki has the Viking spirit! I would have made you my rival but my brother has that spot." Bjorn said. He was more excited than angry because he knew Floki would grow up to be a great warrior.

"Keep looking after your sister, Floki. You did the right thing!" Tyr encouraged the young boy, who started crying thanks to the praise of these two but mainly because of the gut-wrenching pain in his abdomen.

"And you girl, what is your name?" Bjorn asked and Ursa quickly introduced herself but neither of the boys looked to be interested in her. All that was on their minds was battle and Valhalla.