418 Grjötgard Vs...!?
Grjötgard was cutting them down one after the other like they were ants beneath his feet, it got to the point that they stopped attacking him as they knew numbers wouldn't do them any good.
Hagen watched from the wall and he was amazed by how strong this man was.
Hagen noted the resemblance between him and Erik the Berserker even though Grjötgard was a smarter fighter than Erik.
"What are they waiting for?" Hagen asked and rightfully so, this was unusual as shouldn't they want to tire him out even if it meant them dying?
They had the numbers and Grjötgard couldn't fight forever but by backing off, they were giving him a chance to rest.
However, it all soon made sense as the warriors gave way to a rather intimidating man right through them.
Grjötgard looked right at the man and grinned because he knew that this man was no fodder.
He was slender and was easily as tall as Grjötgard even though his body mass was far less.
He had a cross hanging around his neck despite not having on any shirt, just trousers.
"You are a Viking, aren't you?" Grjötgard asked but the man chuckled upon hearing this.
"Was... I was saved by Christ and now I kill for him," The man said.
"Hahaha! I see..." Grjötgard laughed it off because it made no difference to him.
Anyone that stood in his way was going to be killed.
"What is your name, pagan?" The man asked Grjötgard and Grjötgard found it ironic that he was being called a Pagan by someone that once did what he did.
"I go by the name Grjötgard Gardsson, the brother of King Rugalf," Grjötgard said and the man before him showed his surprise.
"You're Grjötgard?" The man asked with a wide grin, he looked menacing yet malnourished at the same time.
"Grjötgard The God of War!?" The man exclaimed and it was clear that he had heard of Grjötgard but who in the Viking world hadn't?
"I see you know my name, do you still wish to fight me or will you tell me where King Ragnar is?" Grjötgard asked him directly, he knew the people around couldn't eavesdrop due to them speaking their language.
"King Ragnar? What do you mean?" The man asked, showing confusion as there was no reason for someone as big as Ragnar to be here. n..o((v/)e)(l-)b.)1-/n
"You do not know that King Ragnar is here?" Grjötgard asked.
"Ha! I know I was just messing with ya'," The man said right before charging at Grjötgard, his weapon of choice was a strange hammer that a normal person wouldn't even be able to lift and talk more of wielding.
"I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS MOMENT!" The man screamed at the top of his lungs, bringing the hammer down vertically, in a bid to smash into Grjötgard's head but he was up to the task.
He simply sidestepped it and with the force in which it was swung, it should be impossible for the Christian to defend himself but this was where Grjötgard was wrong.
The man redirected his swing mid-strike and smashed an unsuspecting Grjötgard right on the chest.
The force was enough to send him flying a couple of meters back but he came to a halt soon after.
Grjötgard remained on his feet and the Christians watching were surprised because that was the first time they had seen anyone survive a strike from him.
Blood seeped through his parted lips, showing that Grjötgard took damage.
"You're still standing!? You live up to your name!" The Christian praised him but Grjötgard knew who this person was even without an introduction.
"A man that wields a hammer like a whip, exiled from his Kingdom because he wanted not just his King's crown but his wife as well..." Grjötgard muttered.
"That's right, you're Guthrum..." Grjötgard said, spitting out the blood in his mouth.
Guthrum stopped in his tracks the moment Grjötgard called his name, tears filling up his eyes.
"You know me? The great Grjötgard knows my name!?" Guthrum said as he began to sob profusely.
Grjötgard knew he had to take him serious, there was something that came with being a Viking that no other warrior had.
This was what they lived and died for, they all wished to die on the battlefield and while Guthrum might have changed his faith, it didn't change who he was at the core.
It simply meant he was willing to die for this new God called Jesus Christ.
Grjötgard cracked his neck and flexed his arm.
"You're finally getting serious?" Guthrum asked, wiping the tears from his face.
"I guess I should also get serious," Guthrum said, reaching for his back to equip a shield but the composition of this shield wasn't wood.
It was metal and it was another heavy item that showed just how deceptively strong Guthrum was.
Guthrum charged at Grjötgard once again and tried to bash in his right side with an inswinging horizontal attack but Grjötgard managed to block it with his sword and this was where Guthrum turned his shield into a weapon.
He flipped it and tried to use the edge to bash Grjötgard's neck but despite being so big, Grjötgard displayed impressive agility.
He ducked down and landed an upper cut right below Guthrum's jaw.
This sent him stumbling back as the blow shook his brain and thus came an opening for Grjötgard.
Grjötgard, however, didn't take it.
He stood there and allowed Guthrum to regain his composure.
"He didn't fall for it?" Guntrum thought to himself.
Grjötgard wasn't not fool and understood this was Guthrum trying to lure him in.
"Are you done with the tricks?" Grjötgard asked.
"You know what I said earlier? Yeah, forget that. You're better than the stories!" Guntrum exclaimed.
But what Grjötgard did next surprised him, Grjötgard tossed his weapon to the floor.
"What are you doing?" Guthrum asked, tone changing.
He clearly felt disrespected and who could blame him?
"I don't need any weapons against you," Grjötgard said bluntly and like a switch, Guthrum charged towards him but all he felt was a hand around his face.
"Huh?" Guthrum muttered right before being smashed into the ground.
He couldn't even react to the attack.
"In battle, it's important to keep a cool head..." Grjötgard offered him a piece of advice.
"You're right," Guthrum responded with a grin.
Grjötgard realized he didn't have his weapon in him anymore.
He looked around frantically to see where it was but nothing which only felt like one more possibility.
"Above?" Grjötgard looked up but couldn't get his entire body out of the way in time.
The hammer slammed into his right shoulder, dislocating it in the process before hitting the ground hard.
Guthrum threw it right before he was slammed into the ground. They were in motion so what Grjötgard's eyes could register was severely limited.
This, however, mitigated the original attack that Guthrum had planned because there was no telling what would have happened if it landed on his head.
"You dodged?" Guthrum sounded disappointed because he did take damage for this gamble.
But the outcome of the battle now looked uncertain.
-
Thorgard, Alf and Ecgberht had managed to get to safety. Thorgard wondered what could have possibly happened but the fact that they wanted him dead didn't make sense to Thorgard.
Alf was following Ecgberht's lead because according to him, he had contacts for times like these but he didn't know if this was a trap.
They were his enemies after all even though they had just saved him.
Thorgard shared this suspicion and wondered if it would be better to kill him now to avoid further complications down the line even though this had the potential of strengthening their position in Northumbria.
Ecgberht wasn't just anyone, he was the son of the usurped King and this attempted assassination had the potential of drawing his father into the fray.
For any of this to happen, they needed Ecgberht.
"Alf, are you sure this is a good idea?" Thorgard asked.
"We don't have a choice, this is the only way..." Alf responded.
*"Alf and Thorgard, I'm most grateful for this opportunity..."* Ecgberht was quick to show his gratitude, Alf told Thorgard what was said.
"That bastard... I will make him pay!" Ecgberht cussed under his breath but Alf knew better than to trust his words.
Ecgberht's hatred for his uncle was no secret but he was a coward first and foremost, he couldn't do anything but give empty threats.
Something told Alf this was another of those charades.
They reached their destination shortly and to everyone's surprise, it was up in flames already.
*"T-That's impossible!"* Ecgberht blurted out.
"It looks like they were one step ahead," Thorgard muttered to Alf.
"We need to lay low, he has to stay with us. It looks like there are some serious politics at play, as long as we hold this card. There might still be some hope for us," Alf said and with that, they dragged Ecgberht and made their way away from this area.
Who knew what outcome this war could have as long as Ecgberth remained alive?
That was what both of these men gambled on.
