SHE WOLF
— 1. Earl Ashton

      After Ragnar Lothbrok had sailed to England once more with his best fighting men and King Horik's, excluding Jarl Borg from the whole ordeal, it didn't settle well with the man and when all of Ragnar's fighting men had gone, he took the opportunity to attack Kattegat and take it for himself.

Luckily, Rollo, Ragnar's brother, was able to get his brother's wife out in time alongside his nephews, and his lover, Siggy.

After fleeing, he had no idea where to go next. It would soon be winter, meaning they needed shelter and even after Aslaug suggested taking sanctuary with another Earl, he was hesitant.

He knew it was a risk. Any man could easily report back to Jarl Borg once laying eyes on them. However, after a moment, he thought of the one person who would never report back to Jarl Borg because they hated him as much as Rollo did at that moment.

A person who knew Rollo and Ragnar and who would most likely give them sanctuary at their time of need and had enough men to defend and protect them if Jarl Borg came after them. Ylva.

Upon arriving in Ashton, Rollo led Siggy, Asluag, her children, and the rest of those who were able to flee with them through the city, many people briefly glancing at them before looking away.

They soon arrived at the Great Hall where Ylva lived with her brothers. Rollo had been the first to enter, finding Ylva sitting on her throne with both of her brothers standing on both sides of her while numerous guards were scattered around the large room.

Ylva had been in the middle of conversing with her brothers when the door opened. She looked up, immediately frowning in confusion at the sight of Rollo standing before her alongside Aslaug and countless others.

"Now, you are the last person I expected to be arriving at my doorstep," Ylva spoke up and Rollo smiled at the girl, relieved that she recognized him, "Hello, Rollo."

"It is good to see you, Ylva," Rollo greeted the girl happily, beginning to walk toward the girl when a few guards protectively stepped forward with their hands on their weapons.

Ylva lifted her hand, signaling her men to stand down before she stood up. She stood up, making her way closer to Rollo.

"You know this man?" Erik asked his sister, a suspicious look on his face.

"Of course I do," Ylva replied in a calm tone as she kept her eyes fixed on Rollo, "I was on the run from our father for three years. I lived all over these lands, but the place I remained at the longest was at Ragnar Lothbrok's farm. He took me in for nine months of that time before I was forced to flee once more when Father's men came looking around. I met Rollo there."

"We protected you," Rollo nodded as he gave Ylva a determined look, "Now, I ask that you protected me and..." He trailed off, gesturing toward Aslaug, who carried baby Sigurd, as she stood beside Ubbe, Hvitserk, and Siggy, "Ragnar's wife and children. Jarl Borg has invaded his lands while Ragnar has been away in England. He killed all who resisted. We barely made it out with our lives."

Ylva remained silent. She glanced around her, her eyes becoming fixed on Aslaug, Ragnar's new wife. She heard about Lagertha leaving Ragnar because he had gotten another woman pregnant, but she never actually believed it. Here she was, though.

"It is sanctuary that you ask for?" Ylva questioned and Rollo nodded in confirmation, "Then, that is what I shall give you all."

Aslaug sighed in utter relief, turning to exchange a look with Siggy. "Thank you," She told Ylva, who simply smiled and nodded.

"No one can say I'm not merciful," Ylva commented as she turned to her brothers. Sihtric seemed content about them staying while Erik looked deeply unhappy. 

"Sister, if I may--" Erik began to complain, only to be cut off.

"You may not," She plainly stated as she turned to him with a calm expression on her face, "If there is something you would like to discuss with me, you may do it when we do not have guests standing before us."

She walked closer to Rollo and the others, smiling slightly. "I will have rooms made up for you and the others," She informed him as she glanced around, "Those who saw you enter will not tell anyone that you are here in fear of making an enemy out of me. I promise you that."

_____

Sighing in annoyance, Ylva entered a private room with her brother Erik. She closed the double doors before turning to face Erik, who was deeply angered at that moment.

"Do you wish to start a war with Jarl Borg by helping Ragnar's wife and his children!" He shouted at her loudly as he took a step toward her, "Are you mad?!"

"Three years, Erik. Three years I was on the run from Father!" She shouted as she roughly shoved him on the chest, "I was forced to go from place to place, unable to call anywhere my home for longer than a few weeks. But Ragnar took me in for nine months. It might not mean a lot to you, but it meant a lot to me. It had been the first time I had a roof over my head for that long. Ragnar's wife and children need my help and I intend to help them."

Erik opened his mouth to argue, only to have Ylva raise her hand as a way to tell him to stop. "Don't you dare question my decisions, brother," She demanded in a stern tone as she walked closer to him, "If you must know, this isn't only about Ragnar. Jarl Borg has raided nearby lands for years. He has made it clear that he is an enemy to us. Kattegat is our neighbor. We cannot have the enemy that close to us. At least with Ragnar as the Earl of Kattegat, we had an ally. We will not have that in Jarl Borg. And if keeping Ragnar's wife and his heirs safe ensure that Jarl Borg will not be Earl of Kattegat for long, then so be it."

Erik began to glare at his younger sister, still not agreeing with her. He moved closer to her and raised his hand, which was his way of threatening to strike her.

"Go on, brother. Hit me," She stared up at him and showed no fear, knowing he wouldn't dare to hit her, even though there were many times when he wanted nothing more than to do so, "Do it. I dare you."

Erik yelled out in anger, pulling his hand away. He roughly slammed his fists down on the table in frustration before he stormed out of the room in a fit of rage.

Aslaug and Siggy had been in the main room when Erik came storming through. They turned, their eyes widening in shock at how angry he seemed. The two of them and Rollo turned, finding Ylva to be standing there with a calm expression on her face. She didn't even seem the slightest bit bothered by how angry her oldest brother was. She only sighed when she noticed the looks she was being given. "Ignore him. He just doesn't like that my decisions are final, not his."

____

In the large room, Ylva had given Rollo, Aslaug, her sons, and their people to remain in, Aslaug was holding baby Sigurd and was attempting to calm him down. She turned, only to watch as Ubbe and Hvitserk began to fight each other as they argued.

"Boys!" Aslaug scolded them, but they ignored her as Ubbe continued to shove Hvitserk, "Ubbe! Leave your brother alone!"

The two boys began to run and Siggy sighed, making her way over to Aslaug. "Here, give me the baby."

After giving Siggy the baby, Aslaug scoffed, quick to pry Ubbe off of Hvitserk. "Everything is so crowded and loud here," She complained as she sat down on the bed and sighed in defeat, "They live like barbarians."

Siggy rolled her eyes and gave Aslaug a weird look. Didn't she understand that they were Vikings?

"You are safe here, and your children are safe here. The Earl will make sure of it," Siggy assured Aslaug as she rocked Sigurd to sleep.

"Safe?" Aslaug asked in disbelief as she uneasily glanced around, "Have you not heard the stories of how that girl came to be Earl? She killed her father and her father's wife, who was said to be pregnant at the time. She became Earl at thirteen, Siggy. Thirteen! She is older now, but she is still a child. Rollo has put our lives in the hands of a child! I can't stay here."

"You have to stay here," Siggy argued in a stern tone, "Look, I know this is not what you are used to, but you will get used to it. It is clear that Ylva cares about Ragnar and Rollo. She will protect us and she has the men to do it. Life is not a walk across an open field!"

"Say what you want, Siggy," Aslaug complained as she took Sigurd back into her arms, "We won't stay here."

Siggy sighed in defeat, watching as Aslaug walked away with Sigurd without another word said.

_____

A few days later, Ylva was standing outside. She stood under a small roof that had a dead cow was strung upside down. She stood in front of it, grasping a sharp knife in her hand as she cut open the animal's belly and removed its insides.

Ubbe and Hvitserk soon walked over, followed by Rollo and Siggy. "What are you doing?" Hvitserk found himself asking Ylva curiously.

She smiled, turning to face the young boy as she looked down at him. "I'm skinning the cow and preparing it to be cooked so that we may eat it tonight for dinner," She explained to him in a calm tone.

"But you're an Earl. People are supposed to do that for you," Ubbe complained, earning an amused look from Ylva.

"You could say I'm not like other Earls," She admitted as she shrugged her shoulders, "I like to prove to the people that even if I'm an Earl, I'm still just like them. I may have some servants living in my home, but they are not slaves. They are treated well. They are paid well enough to support themselves and their families and I also do most of the work around here myself," She explained as she gestured toward the cow.

"The people love her for it," Sihtric spoke up as he walked to join the group and Rollo smiled at the thought.

Ylva turned, continuing with cutting up the dead cow as Hvitserk and Ubbe watched. Hvitserk sat in Rollo's lap while Ubbe stood in front of Siggy, who had her hands placed on his shoulders.

Moments later, Aslaug walked over, feeling uneasy when she saw her sons watching Ylva skin the cow, blood covering her hands and some parts of her face. "Ubbe, Hvitserk...Come away," Aslaug insisted as she walked closer to the group.

"But we want to watch," Ubbe complained as he turned to glance at his mother, "Ylva says it's a good skill to learn, so that we don't always have to rely on other people doing it for us."

With her back facing them, a small smile appeared on Ylva's lips. She turned, watching as Aslaug walked away, clearly unhappy about being there.

____

Three days later, Ragnar had arrived with only a small number of his men from Wessex, Floki being one of them. A few hours had passed since then and it was nightfall. He had been with Aslaug when Siggy entered, telling him that Rollo and Ylva had returned from wherever they had been. "Hello, brother," Rollo greeted Ragnar first before Ragnar's attention turned to Ylva.

"Ylva. It's been a while. Last I saw you, you were..." Ragnar trailed off as he gestured to a height that was far shorter than what Ylva was now, "How big you've gotten."

Ragnar smiled widely and walked closer to the girl, just before engulfing her in a hug. He pulled away from the hug, chuckling as he placed his hands on her shoulders. "I must thank you, for keeping my family safe when I could not."

"You gave me sanctuary once more. It was fair that I returned the favor," Ylva replied and Ragnar smiled, patting her on the back before he turned to Rollo.

"Brother. Shall we talk?" He asked, an uneasy look on his face.

With that, Ylva stepped back, watching as Ragnar walked outside with Rollo to speak in private.

"I want to attack Kattegat. Now!" Ragnar insisted in a desperate tone as he moved closer to his older brother, "I want to destroy Jarl Borg, I want to make him suffer as he has made my family suffer. I want to kill that Madr Strodinn with my bare hands."

"Then I must be frank with you, brother," Rollo responded lowly, "I know you lost boats in the storm, but it's a pity you didn't return with more men. As it is, we have no chance of defeating Jarl Borg, or regaining Kattegat."

"Then we find more men," Ragnar suggested in a determined tone.

"There is no more to find, believe me," Rollo argued and Ragnar sighed in frustration.

"What of Ylva?" Ragnar asked Rollo curiously, "She has men. Lots of them from the looks of it."

"She's already given us sanctuary," Rollo complained as he shook his head in disapproval, "This is not her quarrel. Why should she fight to restore your lands? News of your arrival has only made our discovery more certain. Jarl Borg has placed a fortune on your head. And his fear of Ylva and the only thing stopping him from coming here."

Rollo shot Ragnar a glare, just before storming off. Ragnar watched him walk away, sighing deeply in frustration.

____

The following day, Ylva was inside, sitting with her brothers at a table. Erik stood up, beginning to pace the room, clearly unhappy about what he heard his sister decide. "You're willing to risk our men for them?" Erik asked his sister in an aggravated tone.

"What is the big deal, Erik?" Sihtric replied, rolling his eyes at his older brother, "I agree with Ylva."

"Of course, you agree with her. You always agree with Ylva," Erik snapped at Sihtric coldly.

"Maybe because I'm always right and you're always wrong," Ylva retorted with an attitude, earning a glare from Erik.

"We neighbor Kattegat," Sihtric spoke up as he rose from his seat, quick to defend Ylva's decision to give Ragnar fighting men, "We were going to be involved in this war one way or another. We should give Ragnar a small portion of our fighting men to take back Kattegat. If not, Jarl Borg will try to take these lands next. He had a vendetta against our father and he now has a vendetta against our sister. Either she fights with Ragnar and ensures that he wins or we risk having to deal with Jarl Borg coming after us later on."

"I will not fight in this upcoming battle," Erik complained, earning a glare from Ylva.

She slowly walked toward him, a cold look on her face. "Then, don't. Stay here with the women and children like a coward. What do I care?" She replied without a care in the world before she walked away.

After Ylva walked out, Erik threw a nearby cup across the room in rage, causing it to collide with the wall before it fell to the ground.

Sihtric sighed, rolling his eyes as he turned to his older brother. "Why can't you ever agree with her? It isn't that hard and it would save you a lot of trouble. You know she's right. You just don't like the idea that we have to bow down to our younger sister. Even after all these years, you can't accept it."

"That is not why!" Erik shouted angrily as he pointed an accusing finger at Sihtric, "She listens to no one's counsel but her own, just like Father. When she's decided something, there is no one in this world who will convince her to do otherwise, even when it's the wrong choice. She will be the death of us as Father nearly was."

"She's been Earl for five years, Erik, and our sister's done nothing but make Ashton better for everyone, unlike Father who made it worse. Ylva's made us prosper. She's made us rich. She's made us powerful and she's made us feared by neighboring clans, clans who wouldn't dare try to raid our lands in fear of her," Sihtric explained with an attitude, "She will not be the death of us. She will ensure our survival. It is a shame you can't see that." Sihtric scoffed, shooting Erik a glare before he stormed out of the room as well.

Outside, Ylva was speaking with Ragnar and Sihtric when Floki came running over, claiming that Jarl Borg's men had come. Ylva lifted her battle ax and stood alongside Ragnar, Floki, and his wife, Helga. They looked ahead, watching as men and women on horseback rode through the Ashton and toward the Great Hall that Ylva lived in as Earl.

"They have come to finish us off," Floki told the group and Ylva was quick to argue.

  "No, my men would have never let them through if that were the case," Ylva argued, shaking her head in disapproval.

Ylva was on the verge of walking toward the men who were on horseback, only to have Ragnar pull her back. She turned to him and frowned, only to watch as Ragnar walked toward them instead.

Ragnar stopped walking after a while, allowing a woman and a young man to climb off their horses to make their way over to them. They watched as Ragnar hugged the young man and Sihtric frowned in confusion. "He must know them."

Ylva squinted her eyes, only to realize the duo was familiar. "Lagertha?" She stated quietly, her eyes widening in shock. What was she doing there?

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

First chapter! I hope you liked it.

  As you can see, Ylva has a bit of history with Ragnar's family. (Lagertha, Bjorn, Rollo, and Ragnar himself) so she already knows them a bit but it's just been many years since she last saw them. She had been a child at the time.

And also, you can see that her brother Erik is a potential threat since he always seems to disagree with her decisions and her rule.

And then there's Sihtric, who's not only close to her in age, but closer to her in bond.

How did you like the first chapter?

What do you think of Ylva?