Bjorn stayed by his brother's side around the clock, both boys telling each other stories about their conquests and achievements in battle.
Tyr's were far more impressive but Bjorn's was fought on a larger scale.
"And what is with the girl? Does she always stare at people?" Bjorn asked and Tyr immediately knew he was talking about Gudrun.
"Ah, that must be Gudrun. She means well," Tyr dismissed it but since they were on the subject, he thought it best to tell him about his first kiss.
"You know…. We sort of kissed…" Tyr muttered weakly like he was shy about it.
"Hahaha! I bet you did…" Bjorn laughed off Tyr's claim because he just could not picture Tyr doing anything remotely romantic with another person so this was random, to say the least.
"Wait… Bjorn, have you ever been with a woman?" Tyr saw this opportunity to throw a jab at his older brother and the amusement on Bjorn's face slowly slipped away.
"O-Of course! I have been with loads of women!" Bjorn cleared his throat like it would make the lies more believable but Tyr just busted out laughing.
They joked about things that should not be joked about, the brothers were back on good terms but this made it the second time that Bjorn had given up on his younger brother.
Tyr was not oblivious to this, he knew that Bjorn's loyalty to him was not as absolute as his was to him.
Tyr knew that Bjorn was susceptible to being manipulated as all it would take to turn Bjorn against him was a well-crafted story.
But who permitted Bjorn to come out here with these many horses?
It could be no other than Askild but Askild had a deal with Sighvatur for his capture so why would he send Bjorn?
Was Bjorn the person that was to bring him back?
Was all this some trick?
No, it could not be, Bjorn has always been an honourable person, to say the least, but he was not the smartest so how was Askild using him?
"Brother…" Tyr's lips opened and Bjorn's raised brow showed he understood that what was about to come out of his younger brother's mouth was important.
"Did you know that Askild was involved with Sighvatur?" Tyr asked but he did not need a verbal response to confirm that Bjorn was oblivious.
"Involved? Why would Askild be involved with him?" Bjorn questioned as it did not make sense or else why would Askild send him on this journey if he had the means to bring Tyr to Kattegat?
It was simple, Askild knew Signy had been in contact and did not trust Sighvatur enough to think he would make the right decision but ironically, it is because of Bjorn's arrival that made everything go to shit or Tyr would have been dead, an outcome that would benefit all involved.
"Bjorn, do you trust me?" Tyr asked and Bjorn was hesitant to answer this question considering he only just got his brother back but he made a vow to give Tyr the benefit of the doubt starting then.
He was not going to believe anything, regardless of how damning the evidence looked until he heard it from his brother's mouth directly.
Bjorn nodded with a stern face and Tyr's face relaxed.
"I need a favour from you brother. You are the only one I can trust," Tyr said and Bjorn's posture immediately changed as he leaned in.
Tyr knew that there was somewhere deep down in Bjorn that wanted to make it up to him so the probability that he would accept what he was about to ask was astronomically high as he let loose what he wanted Bjorn to help him do and judging by Bjorn's visual expression, this was something that shocked the young warrior.
-
Kjell was informed of the outcome and all he could do was marvel at the events.
Aksel's death did not come as a surprise to him but he heard about Tyr's faked death only to hear that the boy had risen from the dead.
Kjell was flabbergasted but he was even happier that he did not have a hand in his demise; he could tell Signy this because there was no way that such a thing would not circulate around the Viking world.
He was the son of Ragnar, a King, this already made his feats bound to be heard by all.
Kjell knew this would shake the Viking world as some might even revere him as a god.
Kjell had no further intention of doing anything, the fact that Tyr could kill Sighvatur, Sturla, and Gissur was a testament to his cunning abilities and strength.
He had done a task that Kjell thought impossible even though Tyr did die at Sighvatur's hands.
But what he found troubling was Tyr handing ownership of an army to Kolbeinn because he knew the kind of leader Kolbeinn was. He would be a far more effective ruler than Sighvatur and Gissur.
He never had the military strength to pose a threat but now he did.
-
Unknown to everyone, Tyr did not hand him the army as some sort of kind gesture because he knew Kolbeinn would feel indebted to him in some way if Tyr gave up everything for him even with what he had done and he was right.
Shortly after he took command, Kolbeinn swore his allegiance to Tyr Ragnarsson, believing him to be some kind of god for he had conquered death.
Tyr relinquishing command seemed like a selfless act, did it not?
But this was Tyr's intention from the get-go or would it be more accurate to say he had plans to reunite everyone under Gudrun after meeting her but he had seen that Gudrun was not cut out to be a leader after he faked both his death and Kolbeinn.
Tyr had planned on killing Kolbeinn as well but entertained this possibility hence why he tested it first; Gudrun failed him but he knew how taken Gudrun was with him.
The clan was as good as his because if Kolbeinn died, Gudrun was certain to succeed him and knowing Kolbeinn, he would take measures to make sure she was ready before then.
Why could he not lead them directly?
It was simply, no sane King would allow a stranger, not even if he was the son of Ragnar, to walk into his kingdom with an army capable of opposing them at his back so Tyr kept this little trump card away from everyone. What Noa did was kept buried under the carpet as he knew he had fucked him over so with this, they were even.
Finn was found alongside a few others, he was injured but the injury was only minor and they were lost so they could not return to camp until they were found by scouts sent to look for them by his sister who refused to believe he died.
This belief was gotten from Bjorn, watching Bjorn fight for Tyr's life was admirable despite his claims of wanting to kill him.
She knew deep down that Bjorn did not want to kill his brother but he did not have any other way to place his hatred and Bjorn had every right to.
-
A few weeks passed and Tyr was fully healed, but so was the winter, coming to an end.
Tyr had spent four years in this part of the world, he had no idea what was going on in Kattegat or around the world but he was about to rejoin the world.
Bjorn had left a few days back because he was not there on some sort of holiday but he returned with something that Tyr entrusted him with.
Bjorn wanted Tyr to come back with him but if what he said was true, then Tyr would be in danger in Kattegat; he had first-hand confirmation that his little brother was alive and he had every intention of spreading what he had just witnessed.
The dream that Bjorn had made a lot more sense now for it depicted, Bjorn was the only that could save Tyr but did that dream mean this particular event or it had something a lot larger in mind? That, we shall soon see.
Gudrun was heartbroken that Tyr was leaving them but she knew that this was not the end of their journey.
She has to stay back as she was the heir to this newly merged clan so the prospect of love would have to be on hold for now.
Kolbeinn thanked the son of Ragnar as Noa was taken under his wings but Nora and Finn opted to follow Tyr on his new adventure, a request that Tyr granted as this would indirectly keep Noa in line knowing the love of his life was close to the boy he has already once betrayed.
And a new chapter began, for Tyr was on his way to Rogaland to accept King Ruga
lf's offer, and Tyr was officially seventeen-years-old.
