A Dance With Death- The Shield Maiden

my breast heaved as I buried my axe into another faceless enemy. sweat poured down my face, mixing with the blood and mud, that covered my body. I wiped my eyes with my free hand, bracing my boot against the chest of the man at my feet, I heaved my axe free of the man's skull and swung it at deadly speed into the chest of a man behind me. I barely registered the look of shock in the man's eyes, as he realised he was dying. his sword fell from his lifeless hand, as he crumpled before me. I didn't even bother to watch him fall, as I hacked away at one man, after another. I couldn't even see my brother, amongst the fighter, I didn't dare look at the fallen men around me. I prayed that he was not feasting in Valhalla tonight. My arms shook with the effort of swinging my axe, I had no idea how long we had been fighting for, but I could tell we was winning. I gritted my teeth into a feral smile, as I surged forward into another group of Saxons. I slayed them where they stood, leaving none living, in my wake. I heard cheers behind me and turned to see the Saxons fleeing over the hill. Men staggered all around me, scrambling over their falling comrades, as they tried to flee death. Grabbing a spear at my feet, in one quick movement, I aimed and released it, in the direction of a fleeing Saxon. I knew my aim was true and smiled as it buried into the man's back. I didn't bother to watch him fall, instead turning to find my brother. I made my way through the fallen, heading for my comrades. I could hear my brother's voice, booming across the field. How my dear brother liked the sound of his own voice. As I suspected he was standing atop a pile of dead Saxons, blood and dirt covered him, as it did everyone that survived the fight. I rolled my eyes as I approached them. Everyone gathered around my brother, he had organised this raid across the sea. We had been here for over three full moons and this was certainly not the first attack on our camp. The native people of this land, the Saxons of course did not appreciate our being here. Honestly I did not blame them. The nearest villages had been plundered, the inhabitants murdered, r***d or taken captive for slaves. Our people had already taken control of two of the kingdoms of this land and we was now working our way through the last remaining, Wessex. I truly hated when the men that I called friend and family, r***d women. I stopped any that I saw and had gotten into plenty of fights over it. The argument had always been the same. "They earned the right to r**e these women." "They needed a release after a battle." and of course " They wouldn't try it on with me, so not to worry."