Chapter 189: Endre Begins His Attack

"Frida," Ivar called out to her getting Brede and Frida to look his way. Brede’s eyes went hard, being interrupted while Frida was unable to meet them. "I need to talk to you, alone."

Frida looked up at Brede walking off before he could say anything.Should I tell him what the hunter said?’It had been weighing on her mind. She had spoken to no one about it. She was sure Gunnar wanted her to let Brede know but she was scared. Scared at what danger that would put her in.

Walking alongside Ivar, the man said nothing as he led them to the room that held Helga’s kids. The large bodyguard looked at the two before opening the door and following them in. He pulled the large axe from his back and held it in his hands as two Ancient Ones took care of the children.

Frida looked at Ivar before walking forward to stand over the cots of the children. Her eyes softened looking at them as she reached out to touch one being stopped by the wrinkled hand of an Ancient One.

"Why are we here?" Turning to face Ivar she crossed her arms, finally looking deep into his eyes.

Ivar walked forward to look down at the children. "I have been thinking. What is it you want? Sure the easy answer in this situation is to go home. But we both know that’s not possible. But I wanted to look deeper."

Turning to face her he looked back into her eyes wearing a smile. "I contemplated. Most women wish to have children and become mothers. Others to marry heroes of the past or present. But you. You don’t want that. Do you?"

Ivar saw a settle change in her eyes. "No, what you want is freedom. Freedom from the constraints of your life, gender, everything that makes you Frida." An embarrassed look spread on her face and Ivar smiled knowing he hit the nail on the head.

It was easy for him to figure out. In the few conversations they had, she had idolized the woman and goddess of their world. Her desperate cries about being forever stuck in her position. The happiness she felt was being able to go and explore Helstia on her own.

They were all small things, but together they gave him a good understanding of Frida and her psyche. "Frida." Ivar closed the distance between the two ever so slightly. "If you wish for this, I can help you. Our Lord can help you. Her very existence is proof of this."

Frida clenched her fists. She was sure that if she followed Ivar’s tempting words maybe she could have the power and freedom she sought. But at what cost? The tales Gunnar told her painted a picture of the extreme brutality that followed it. She didn’t want that. She didn’t want to be someone who could kill children.

Her eyes glanced back at the twins in their beds. If she dared to try and reach the heights Helga had, would she kill babes as young as them? It would cost a part of herself. A part she would never be able to get back.

"Why are we in the children’s room?" Frida dodged the offer. Ivar could see that and he let out a strong breath his nose, looking into her eyes.

"Do you know what the cost of ambition, freedom, and power is? It’s never the person themselves. Failure will mean death, but they will die satisfied, having tried to achieve their dreams." Ivar walked closer to the costs as he reached out stroking Balder’s hair. "The real cost of these things will always be the children."

"The day they are born they become a target without even knowing. If they survive into adulthood, then they are forced to manage their parent’s ambitions, forever having to be stuck in their shadow or forced to be better. It really is a tragic fate." He spoke with a tone of melancholy as Frida took a step forward to stand by his side. Looking down at the children she sighed.

"Victims." She scoffed. "Like Knut’s children." She knew that she shouldn’t bring up the topic, but if Ivar denied it or got angry then it showed his hypocrisy.

Ivar wore a bitter smile. "Like Knut’s children. Like your brother. Like our Lord’s brothers." Ivar ruffled the young boy’s hair a little before pulling his hand away.

"You are a good person Frida. I can see it. But your ambitions. Your dreams, are unachievable the way you are. You wish for freedom that only comes with power. The only way your father will grant it to you is by marrying you off to some King or Jarl. And the way you are this is still unlikely."

"If you become a King’s wife, a concubine more cruel and cunning will come along and take your place. If you try and get this freedom yourself someone more desperate will stop you. If you achieve that power, your followers will get greedy and abuse your kindness."

Ivar stopped and took a glance at Frida. Her eyes shook slightly as she stared at the two children. He could see the body tense up hearing some truth in his words. "The tales you heard about Our lord are all true Frida." He needed to give her one final push. "But they are things she must do to keep her place. She is the outliner, someone whose existence is strange in our society. To keep the people under in check, she has to be worse than them."

His voice didn’t waver as he lied. While part of Helga’s cruel acts were inline with his words, she mainly committed them to satisfy herself. But Ivar could see that Frida didn’t know that. The woman’s head fell. She didn’t know how to feel. To be told what Helga did to Knut’s family was true by her trusted follower. To be told everything she did was true should have made her hate and despise her. Was it truly the price a woman had to ay to reach the peak of their world?

FIrda didn’t want it. She didn’t want to be free if that was what she had to do. "Is there no other way?" She held her breath waiting for the answer.

"Unfortunately yes." Ivar grabbed her shoulder and spun her around, taking her out of the room. "No one is free from this fate Frida. Your father and brothers follow the same way. They are willing to sacrifice everything if it means to complete their blood feud. Jarl Halfdan’s tale is well known. He clawed his way up from nothing to take his place. King Astrom famously killed his brothers and sisters for their weakness to become king."

"In the eyes of people like this, the current you would be a golden egg. Kind, just, pure. They would attack you in ways you would not realize, slowly making you insane." Ivar grabbed her shoulder seeing Brede in the distance.

"If you want to achieve your freedom, break the shackles holding you back Frida, because it’s not possible without some sacrifice."

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Endre looked at the distant village. It was finally time for him to make his move and although he didn’t know the progress his father or the army had made, he was sure that it would be safe.

It was very lightly defended and with his hundred men, they would be able to make quick work. That being said he knew that a siege had to be avoided. Whilst the rest of his men hid in the nearby woods, he took five over. Two carried deer whilst the others small animals like rabbits.

"Evening my friends," Endre called out to the two guards on the gate as they let them through stopping them only to get some coin for them to be let in.

"What about him is he not coming in?" The guard pointed at the only one not carrying any animals.

"Are about that?" Endre and two others acted quickly plunging knives into the people’s chest. The man with the bow quickly took it out shooting the man on the small tower next to the bell, hitting him in the eye. Lifting his hand he created a sign and the rest of the horde charged out.

"REMEMBER NO SURVIVORS! WE CAN’T RISK BEING CAUGHT!" Endre ran in first, killing those who were armed as most of the men charged through the gate, the rest circling around to block the exits.

His sword was quick as he cut down the old guards who had been left behind from the war, their skills or age not allowing them to take part in it. Screams and fires quickly broke out all around as Endre ran through, his blade spilling blood with every step he took.

"FIND THE FOOD STORAGES! HAVE THEM TRANSFERRED OUT!" His mission was twofold. To stop all supplies from reaching the front and slowly starving out LEifs and Oluf’s army aswell as sending supplies back to his father’s lands to prepare for the future where war with Helga may happen. For that,t they needed food and weapons. They couldn’t risk being starved out.

The gates opened as people tried to run out carrying what little belongings they had in hopes of reaching nearby villages for shelter. It was a futile attempt as Endre’s men were ready to meet them, quickly cutting them down before they could take more than ten steps away.

Kicking a door down, a woman was seen holding a small knife as she shielded her children. He didn’t hesitate, dodging the slow attack aimed at his stomach, quickly plunging his sword into her back. Looking at the small child looking up at him in terror, he clicked his tongue.

He was ordered no survivors. Not wishing to cause pain, he was quick, stabbing into his heart, quickly killing the young boy. He understood why. Any child left alive who would remember the incident would become a future problem. Despite that, he didn’t like it. Turning his back to quickly forget it, he ran out, ready to carry on his attack.