The Frenzy of Love & War

The Fire

“Please stay and celebrate with us! We have just returned from raiding and have no mind to duel.” Jarl Leif dismissed, waving his hand. 

“I’ve not come to celebrate. I’ve come to defeat your greatest warrior.” The berserker responded calmly. 

Jarl Leif sighed and made his way down to the berserker. Hedda noticed the warriors in the room tense up, and some stood.

The Jarl stood in front of the berserker. They met eye to eye, and that was no easy feat as the Jarl was easily over six feet tall. Jarl Leif’s dirty blonde hair and build seemed shadowed by the stranger’s dark red hair that peaked under the bearskin and defined build.

“Now is not the time. As it won’t be a fair fight because we have just returned from a long journey.” Jarl Leif’s voice was strong and the sound was reverberating off the walls silencing all the murmuring. 

Hedda noticed the berserker’s hand move towards his ax, his hand wrapped around the handle and clutched it tight. She wasn’t the only one that noticed either, the warriors stood up from the tables they were sitting at. 

Jarl Leif clapped the berserker on the shoulder and turned to go back to his throne.

Before Hedda knew it her body was moving, and she was standing in front of the berserker. He had removed his ax, and she had her hand on it clutching it tightly. The berserker’s eyes were wide, and a smile cracked on his lips. 

Hedda released the ax but didn’t break the man’s eye contact. He placed it on the table next to him and sat down. The room erupted in sound when his ax hit the table; drums, yelling and talking. Hedda broke his gaze when she felt a hand wrap around her arm and jerk her away.

“What are you doing?” Ivar hissed, and his hand was gripping Hedda tightly. 

Hedda shook her head “I..I…” It all happened so fast, and Ivar dragged her outside. Once they were outside, Hedda ripped her arm out of his grasp. 

“What were you thinking grabbing a berserker’s weapon?! Do you have a death wish?!” Ivar yelled at her. 

Hedda took a step back, no one had ever spoken to her like this. Except for Turid, but usually, that was with just cause. 

“Why are you acting like this?!” Hedda roared back, not understanding where this ferocity had stemmed from. 

Ivar had been a family friend for as long as Hedda could remember. They had played and grew up together, but this morning he looked at her differently and he was talking to her like she was a child that needed to be managed. 

“Think of what could have happened if you angered him? He could have taken out half our men, at least! Completely irresponsible.” He growled. 

“What are you talking about?” Hedda furrowed her brow. 

“Berserkers have uncontained rage. They turn into mindless animals...like the one he skinned and wears like a coat now.” Ivar walked toward Hedda, and her back pressed against the rough wood exterior of the mead hall. 

“Yeah, I know! I am not a child, stop this! Stop yelling at me!” Her breathe caught in her throat, and her hand was pressed against his chest. His chest was warm underneath her hand and she felt his heart thumping underneath her hand.

Ivar looked surprised feeling her hand on his chest. He roughly grabbed her face with both his hands, and he smashed his lips into hers.

She was taken aback and pressed further into the building behind her. She shoved Ivar hard, her hand coming up to her mouth, her eyes wide searching his face. Ivar just stood there looking at her. 

In those moments Hedda noticed things about Ivar that she never noticed before. He had always been a thin, lanky boy. He was never very strong, but he made up for it by being clever. Tricking the servants into giving him treats, and beating everyone in combat as if he could see what they were going to do before they did it. 

Hedda realized that she wasn’t looking at an awkward boy anymore, but a man. He was tall and lean. His toned chest peeking through his tunic, his brown wavy hair was in a braid down the back of his head, and the sides of his head were shaved. His eyes were entrancing Hedda to move toward him, and the drums from inside seemed to match the beating of her heart filling her head. She grabbed Ivar by his collar and pushed him against the building, and kissed him. Her body pressed into his. Ivar entangled his hands in Hedda’s dark hair, he slowly moved his hands down her back, and onto her bottom. Hedda began kissing his neck, and his chest, then back to his lips. Her body was on fire and wanted more and more of him. Ivar picked her up switching places with her against the wall. Hedda wrapped her legs around him, and he buried his face in her chest. Hedda gasped and closed her eyes, her head was reeling from all these new sensations. 

“Hedda, I want you” He whispered into her neck, his breath was warm against her skin.

Hedda’s words were stuck in her chest, she didn’t know what she wanted. But she was thoroughly enjoying how Ivar made her feel. She grabbed his face, and Ivar put her down looking deeply into Hedda’s eyes. 

Before Hedda could make a wild suggestion, something caught her eye “Fire” she whispered. 

“What?” Ivar said holding both of her hands. 

“There’s a fire.” She spoke louder realizing what she was seeing “Ivar the boats are on fire!” She cried out. 

He whipped around “Oh gods!” He sprinted inside the mead hall. Hedda followed close behind. 

“Fire!” Ivar was screaming, ripping couples apart, and knocking cups of mead onto the floor. “The boats are on fire!” The room burst into confusion and panic. 

Hedda was standing in the middle of the commotion looking for her father. The men started running out the front door, and there were bloodcurdling screams outside. It made Hedda’s heart fall into her stomach and she stared at the door. 

Birger Pihl ran stumbled through the front door shadowed by a blaze behind him. Hedda ran over to him and caught him in her arms. He looked up, and Hedda noticed his chest and neck were covered in blood “They’re here. Killing everyone.” He croaked out before falling to the floor dead. Hedda looked at her hands which were covered in blood, when she looked up a warrior covered in silver metal from head to toe was standing in front of her with a blade ready to come down on her. She jumped out of the way before it cut into her head. She stumbled into a chair, and her blood ran cold ‘what is happening?!’ she thought to herself. The metal warrior came at her again, and she picked up a cup sitting next to her and threw it at him. The liquid went into his helmet giving Hedda time to run further into the mead hall. She noticed while the warrior was strong and protected he was slow and labored. She heard screams all around her, and realized the mead hall was filling with smoke and people were running everywhere. She didn’t see anyone she knew, and the rush of adrenaline was alarming her senses. She was furiously trying to get her bearings when a sharp pain went through her shoulder, crippling her to the ground. She was howling in pain, as she saw an arrowhead poking through her shoulder. Hot tears were streaming down her face, and the smoke was starting to make it hard to breathe. ‘What is happening? Am I dying?’ Hedda thought over and over. 

She felt someone grab her underneath her arms and drag her outside. She was disoriented but felt them snap the back of the arrow off.

“Ahhh!” Hedda screamed, and she pulled away from the pain.

“Hedda! Hedda, it’s me! Look at me!” Ivar grabbed her face, and she focused on him. “I have to pull out the arrow. It is going to hurt, but we have to get you to safety” 

“Where is my father?” Hedda sputtered out. 

“I don’t know. But I am sure he is safe.” Ivar propped her up against the building and was positioning her to take out the arrow and Hedda noticed that all of Sandvik was on fire. Her people were getting cut down left and right. Men, women, and children, no one was being spared. 

“Hedda put this in your mouth.” He placed the back end of the arrow into her mouth so she wouldn’t bite her tongue off in pain. “This is going to hurt” Ivar ripped the arrow out quickly before she could object. 

Hedda’s scream was muffled by tears and the arrow in between her teeth. She regained her breath and spit out the stick and cried aloud “No! We have to help them!” She tried to get up. 

“We need to leave Hedda.” Ivar said wrapping his arm around her waist “We can’t stay. They took us by surprise.”

“Who?” Hedda said gasping in pain, shuffling beside Ivar. 

“I don’t know. We will come back later and investigate when it is safe.” He pulled her toward the edge of the village into the mountains. 

“My sister Ivar! My father! Bera! I can’t leave them.” She pried herself away from Ivar trying to turn back. 

Ivar grabbed her again cupping her face “We cannot go back. We will die. You have to live.” He kissed her.

When he pulled away from her Hedda’s eyes widened in fear and before a word escaped her lips a blade cut through Ivar’s chest. Ivar’s eyes grew big, and he looked at the blade in his chest. 

Hedda’s mouth was gaping, and her hands hovered over the blade. Just as quick as it had appeared, it was gone and Ivar fell dead at her feet. 

She was staring at the metal warrior in front of her, and he removed his helmet. 

A wicked smiled crossed his lips. 

Hedda turned to run, and he leaped forward ripping her back to him “No little dove, I don’t think so.”

She was struggling, clutching her hurt arm to her chest “Please let me go!” She had never begged in her life, but a pit in her stomach was growing. She knew that what he would do next was worse than death. 

“I won’t hurt you. Just want to get to know you a little bit.” He grabbed her behind the head and shoved her to the ground. 

Hedda laid there defeated, shuddering and awaiting her fate. She opened her eyes and could see Ivar’s body a couple of feet away from her. Her tears wouldn’t stop. 

“ARGH!” She heard the metal warrior yell behind her. 

She flipped around, to see the berserker towering over the warrior’s dead body. His bearskin was gone, and his bare chest glinted in the firelight. Hedda realized he wasn’t dripping in sweat but blood. His hair a deeper shade of red, and his face a mask of red. She scooted herself away from him startled, and he turned his head noticing her.

Several metal warriors ran up behind him, and Hedda shifted her gaze to them. The berserker turned around to see what she was looking at. He admitted an unearthly, guttural noise and charged forward. His ax repeatedly slamming into the weak parts of the metal warriors’ defenses. He had no rhythm or tactics. He was roaring and jumping between each of them not stopping for air. It was as if he had turned into a wild animal. He had no hesitation or pity. 

He finished off all six of them and turned back to her. His eyes were crazed and he opened his mouth with his tongue out and laughed loudly. 

Hedda was frightened. No man had ever acted like this in her presence, and she didn’t know what he would do to her. 

The berserker approached her and crouched meeting her gaze straight on. Hedda’s whole body trembled to feel the heat radiating off of him. He wrapped his arm around her and lifted her off the ground with ease. He threw her over his shoulder, and Hedda flinched in pain. She could feel the berserker pause feeling her tense up, but didn’t stop for long. Hold his ax in his left hand, and carrying her in his right he marched out of the village into the mountains.

The last thing Hedda saw before she passed out was the flames of Sandvik lighting the horizon and the last few screams of survivors.