Lagertha was surrounded by multiple kids in her tent, they looked at her with admiration. She noticed that their skin was pale and scaly. They all looked ill and unhealthy but that was common considering where she was.
This area of Kattegat had the highest rate of crime as warriors or the governing body did not take their safety under concern, they were protected in the general sense and by that, I mean they were policed so they do not cause trouble for others outside of this place.
King Askild visited this place previously because this was where the soothsayer was located.
Lagertha was on guard as the children seemed to be wooed by her, and the girl that had spoken to her previously walked in with the kids dispersing like runaway rats.
"They do this every time..." She grunted in annoyance, focusing her gaze on the beautiful Lagertha.
"They have never seen a woman warrior," She said, clarifying why they were staring at Lagertha the way they did. They were even more surprised that such a beautiful lady wielded a sword.
"What is going on in the main city?" Lagertha asked, sitting upright albeit barely.
"The main city? I do not know but the security was tighter than usual," The lady responded to Lagertha. Lagertha was not surprised that information did not get through here but there had to be some sort of rumor.
She wanted to know how Herfjötur was doing because she was not sure if she was alive or dead. The last time she saw her, she was in a dire situation right after taking an arrow that made her tumble down.
"Is there anything you are not telling me?" Lagertha asked in a suggestive voice but the girl went straight into thinking, she was thinking long and hard for a full 5 minutes.
Lagertha granted her silence in return and just watched her do her thing because, in all actuality, this girl did not owe her a damn thing. She had not only saved her life but also granted her a place to recuperate.
"YES!" The lady shouted out of the blue, this was a lightbulb moment in her little head but Lagertha waited patiently for her to talk when she was ready.
"There was news going about an attack?" The lady said but she was not sure if this was what she heard or not. She was a bit of an airhead when it came to information.
"Please tell me more about it!" Lagertha asked, the urgency in her voice allowed the girl to know it was important to Lagertha.
"Someone was severely injured. They must be of pretty high status because I heard that is why the security was buffed up but I do not know if she is alive or dead." The girl said, giving Lagertha a lifeline to hold onto.
If Herfjötur survived, there was no way she would die from whatever injuries she had gotten, this was what Lagertha had to believe to maintain her sanity.
She had to believe that this was not what fate had in store for such a great warrior but fate can be cruel.
-
Herfjötur was unconscious, it was a miracle she was still alive as she did not possess the same constitution as Erk despite their similar sizes. She was barely clinging to life as it was, she could not separate life from death.
But the person that led the attack was under custody, she was conscious enough to start talking but Tiril did not know if she should begin interrogating her or otherwise.
She did not want to mess this up but the decision was hers to make, she did not understand why this thing had to happen because if Lagertha was here, she would have made the call for them but she was presumed dead at this point.
"What the shit is going on here!" A voice rang out following the sound of the door busting wide open, this voice.
Tiril turned only to see Ulrik standing right there, he was with a few of his men but there was no way he was in Kattegat when the others were fighting a war in Vestfold.
"Ulrik!? What are you doing here!" Tiril barked with the warriors with her taking a battle-ready stance but Ulrik did not care much for her noises.
He walked to the bed of Herfjötur and just stared at her. Tiril wanted to know what he wanted because she knew very well that no one in that room could defeat him so it would be best not to provoke him.
Ulrik looked like he wanted to do something to her but what?
"Hey Herfjötur, are you dead?" Ulrik asked but he didn't get any response, he did not look like he was expecting one.
"Move over," Ulrik said, and this drew puzzled looks from everyone present because she was unconscious so there was no way she could move over.
"Fine, have it your way…" Ulrik muttered as he lay beside her, or rather the little space her body mass did not cover-up.
"Was he sleepwalking!?" Tiril thought to herself as she noticed he was not himself and even the Vikings that followed him looked embarrassed for their commander's behavior.
A man with radish wavy hair stepped forward and apologized for the behavior of their commander, this was the right hand of Ulrik.
He was an elderly man, in his late 40s but he was not a warrior but an advisor to Ulrik.
Ulrik was strong but he was also young and impressionable.
"I apologize for his behavior, you see…" The man said, pausing to look at the snoring Ulrik.
"Commander Ulrik got the information for the departure wrong…" The man said and Tiril could not believe what she had just heard.
"I see you are in quite the dilemma, allow us to offer our assistance," The man offered and Tiril did not know if she should accept their kind gesture or refuse it. Damn it, Tiril accepted the offer of the right-hand man of Ulrik.
"Thank you…" The man paused for an introduction.
"Tiril…" Tiril responded sternly.
"I go by the name Karl," The older man introduced himself with a polite smile that made Tiril's tense shoulder become more relaxed.