SHE WOLF
— 3. Vengeance

Wanting allies to join them on the trip to England, Ragnar ended up inviting Ylva and her brothers back to Kattegat for a feast he was having with King Horik and her son, who had just returned from England.

"You'll have to forgive the poverty of the feast," Ragnar spoke up, glancing over at his wife before back at Horik, "It has been a hard winter. We had to burn our own grain stores to rid ourselves our Jarl Borg."

"So I heard," Horik replied, not seeming to be interested in what Ragnar had to say.

"Tell us, Erlendur, what happened in England, after we left?" Ragnar asked as he looked directly at King Horik's son.

Ylva rolled her eyes and exchanged a look with Sihtric. She found herself zoning out of the rest of the conversation. However, she did hear parts of King Horik wanting nothing more than to claim vengeance on King Ecbert. Though Ragnar intended to get vengeance on Jarl Borg first.

A servant walked over to Sihtric. She was in the middle of filling up his cup, only to accidentally spill it. Her eyes widened in alarm and Sihtric turned to her, a calm expression on his face. "Forgive me," She quickly told him, thinking he'd be angry.

"No need. It is fine," He assured her and the girl nodded before walking away.

Ylva turned and smiled slightly, watching her brother stare at the servant girl as she walked away.

The conversation continued on and Ylva listened in, learning that Ragnar and Horik needed more men and ships for the raid, but had no idea where to find them.

Horik suggested Jarl Borg and claimed that Rollo needed to be the one to do it, which confused Ylva.

Ylva glanced between his brothers, immediately wanting nothing more than to offer the countless men and ships that she had back in Ashton. She opened her mouth to speak up, only to have Erik roughly grip onto her arm from underneath the table.

She turned and glared at him, knowing it was his way of telling her to keep her mouth shut.

___

Upon arriving at the rooms she was being forced to share alongside both of her brothers, Erik followed after her.

She scoffed loudly, turning to face him. "What do you want?" She asked him with an attitude.

"I know you're about to offer our ships," Erik told her in a vicious tone, "And there is not a chance I'm going to let you do that."

"As I recall, you are not Earl. I am," Ylva reminded her brother in a stern tone. She crossed her arms, walking closer to him.

"Aye, but I'm your brother," He snapped at her as he roughly grabbed her by the arm.

Ylva scoffed, quick to snatch her arm out of his grip. The door was open a crack, causing Bjorn, who had come to see Ylva, witness everything that was happening.

  "You're just jealous that it will be my name speak of when they talk of the people who went to England, not yours. You're jealous that your younger sister is a better Earl than you could ever be," Ylva taunted her brother with a smile on her face.

Angered, Erik lifted his hand, slapping her across the face without another word said. She gasped, turning to him with a shocked look on her face.

Just then, she turned, watching as Bjorn entered the room in a manner that told her that he was about to do something to Erik.

She quickly stepped in front of Bjorn, trying her hardest to push him toward the door. "Bjorn, Bjorn! Stop. It's okay, it's okay," She tried to assure him, "Just go. I can handle it."

Once Ylva had pushed him all the way to the doorway, Bjorn looked down at Ylva and sighed. "Just go," She whispered to him softly as she nodded her head in encouragement, "Just go. Please. I'm fine."

Bjorn stood in place for a long moment. He stared at Ylva, who was giving him a pleading look, wanting him to leave. He sighed in defeat and nodded, leaving despite feeling hesitant to.

____

The following day, Bjorn walked through Kattegat, searching for Ylva. He was hoping she hadn't left, since he didn't seem to see her anywhere. However, after laying eyes on her brothers, she knew must not have been far.

Soon enough, she found her, sitting alone near where some shieldmaidens were sparring. "Ylva," He called out, causing Ylva's eyes to widen when they locked on her.

"Why have you have come, Bjorn?" She asked him, trying to hide her uneasiness.

"I wanted to ask you if you were alright, after yesterday," He told her, a genuinely concerned look on his face.

"I'm used to it," Ylva replied as she shrugged her shoulders.

Bjorn sighed, moving closer to the girl. "Why do you let him do that to you?" He found himself asking her as he frowned in confusion, "It is wrong to let him treat you that way."

"You wouldn't understand," Ylva replied, sighing as she shook her head.

Bjorn nodded in understanding and took a seat near her. "Sit a moment."

"There is things I still must do," She replied, hesitant to spend time with him.

"I'm sure you can spare a moment," Bjorn told her, an amused look appearing on his face.

Gradually, Ylva smiled and nodded. She moved closer to Bjorn and took a seat beside him.

"Has that happened before, him hitting you?" Bjorn questioned and Ylva shrugged her shoulders.

"Once or twice. It isn't a big deal. It isn't like he's truly harming me," Ylva replied, not seeming to care in the slightest that her brother dared to lay hands on her.

"What caused it?" Bjorn asked, a concerned look on his face.

"I want my men and I sail to England with your father," She answered calmly as she sighed deeply in defeat, "Erik doesn't agree with that. He thinks my decisions are ruining us. And having to share a room with him and Sihtric for the next three days doesn't make anything better."

There was a moment of silence as Bjorn processed what she had told him. Just then, he turned to her, a curious look on his face. "Do you..." He trailed off awkwardly, "Do you have a boyfriend?"

Ylva looked up at Bjorn, an amused smile forming on her lips. "Of course I don't," She replied, earning a puzzled look from Bjorn.

"Why not? You're beautiful," Bjorn commented and Ylva smiled, shaking her head at his words.

"Because I do not intend to fall pregnant or marry," She answered without hesitation, which earned a confused look from Bjorn.

"Why's that?"                                       

"If I married a man, I wouldn't be the Earl of Ashton. My husband would. He would try to rule through me. I do not want that and that is why I will never marry," Ylva explained to Bjorn, who didn't seem to understand the whole ordeal.

  "If you're not to have children, who will succeed you as Earl of Ashton?" He asked her, frowning in confusion.

"My brother Sihtric and his children, of course, when he has them," Ylva informed him in a calm tone. She had been smiling, only to have it fade when she saw Erik nearby. She sighed, looking back at Bjorn, "I must be going."

Bjorn opened his mouth to speak up, only to sigh as he watched her walk away without another word said.

From afar, Ragnar stood alone, watching as Bjorn and Ylva walked in two opposite directions to make it less obvious that they had been talking.

"She is remarkably good looking," A voice suddenly spoke up, causing Ragnar to turn his head to see Aslaug making her way over to them, "They'd make a handsome couple."

"She's too strong for him," Ragnar replied as she shook her head, "She'd bend him to her will."

"I believe they'd level each other out," Aslaug corrected him, smiling as they watched Ylva walk past them.

_____

The following day, Bjorn was walking through Kattegat alone. He stopped, however, when he heard men playing intruments as the crowd clapped and cheered. He walked closer, only to find the people crowded around two individuals.

He stepped closer, smiling when he saw that it was Ylva and Sihtric dancing together. He continued to stare, only to have his smile fade when he noticed the bruise underneath her eye. She hadn't had that earlier.

Ylva stopped dancing and she turned to Bjorn, smiling when she caught him staring. "If you stare any longer, you might get stuck like that, Bjorn," She teased him, not seeming the slightest bit bothered by her new bruises.

Bjorn looked away smiling, despite a part of him feeling uneasy about the whole ordeal.

____

  When Jarl Borg arrived in Kattegat, celebrations began, despite Ragnar truthfully being unhappy about him being there.

Ylva was standing alone, staring at Bjorn, who stood from afar, speaking with Floki. "I see you like him," A voice suddenly spoke up, causing Ylva to roll her eyes as she turned to Erik, "I see you like him very much."

"I do not," She argued in a low tone.

"You do. I thought you said you weren't going to marry," Erik reminded her, earning a weird look from Ylva.

"I am not," She complained as she gave him a look of disbelief, "Who said anything about marriage?"

"Good. You must stay away from that one. If you were with him and Ragnar made him his heir, we'd be joining the Earldoms of Kattegat and Ashton in the future and I will not let that happen," He explained, much to Ylva's frustration.

"I am not marrying him," She snapped at him coldly, "So what if I like him? It doesn't mean I will marry him. Now, go away."

Ylva began to glare at her brother, watching as he walked away. She turned again, only to lock eyes on Floki, who had heard the entire conversation.

She sighed in frustration and walked over to him, a calm look on her face. "I hope you can keep that a secret."

Floki chuckled, shaking his head. "No," He replied, earning an annoyed look from Ylva.

She was on the verge of walking away, only to have Sihtric gesture for her to follow him. She sighed in defeat, but ended up following him to another part of the hall. "What is it?" She asked him and Sihtric moved closer to her, beginning to speak in a hushed tone.

"If our brother dares lay a hand on you again, you must tell me," Sihtric insisted, a genuine look on his face.

"Why?" Ylva asked in a whisper, "What will you do that I cannot?"

He glanced around, making sure no one was close enough to hear him before he leaned closer to his sister. "I will make him stop for good this time," He responded in a low tone, causing Ylva's eyes to wide as she watched him walk away without another word said.

____

  That evening, Bjorn was holding Ylva's hand, leading her into the room where he usually slept in. Ylva stopped in the doorway, turning to give him a concerned look. "What are you up to, Bjorn?" She asked him uneasily.

"It is fine, come," He assured her and Ylva sighed before hesitantly listening to him. Once arriving in the room, Bjorn fixed the place up a bit before turning to Ylva, "You can sleep here tonight. It isn't fair that you must share a room with your brothers."

"No, I can't," Ylva answered quietly as she shook her head in disapproval.

"Of course you can," Bjorn replied, frowning in concern as he turned to her, "Why not?"

Ylva sighed, uneasily glancing around. "This is your place, Bjorn. I cannot sleep here."

"Well, don't you want to?" Bjorn asked, continuing to give her a puzzled look, "Isn't better than where you're sleeping now."

"That isn't the point, Bjorn," She argued in a stern tone as she moved closer to him, "It wouldn't be right. People would get the wrong idea."

"Why would they get the wrong idea?" Bjorn responded, standing up to face her.

"You know why," She told him softly as she took a large step toward him, looking uneasy because of how she felt at that moment, "Because of the way you feel about me and the way I'm starting to feel about you."

Bjorn remained calm, leaning his face closer to her. "And what way is that?" He asked her in a whisper and without hesitation, Ylva had leaned forward to kiss him.

Bjorn cupped Ylva's face in his large hands as her lips pressed against his. Slowly, she pulled away and stared up at him, a soft smile on her face. "That way," She answered him calmly.

Bjorn smiled and nodded. With that, he kissed her once more, wrapping his arms around her waist to pull her closer to him.

______

    The following morning, Ylva woke up to find herself laying beside Bjorn. She lifted the blanket slightly, sighing in relief when she found herself to still be clothed.

She turned, smiling slightly at the sight of Bjorn laying fast asleep beside her. She leaned closer to her, smiling as she pressed a soft kiss to his cheek.

With that, she stood up and walked toward the door. She made her way outside, fixing her hair as she did so.

She was on the verge of traveling back to her own room, only to sigh in defeat when Erik appeared in front of her, looking as though he knew what she had done.

She avoided eye contact with him and for the first time, she felt afraid of what Erik would do to her. Whatever it was, it wouldn't be good.

_____

  The whole trip back to Ashton had been filled with silence. It made Ylva feel uneasy, knowing something bad was to occur when they arrived back in Asthon.

Upon arriving back in Ashton, Erik had a tight grip on Ylva's arm as he dragged her into a room. She unable to get herself out of his grip, which was what terrified her the most. "Let go of me!" She shouted at him in a low, stern tone.

Once arriving, however, he roughly pushed her, causing Ylva to nearly fall before she balanced herself.

He grabbed her by the hair, pulling her back before he punched her. He shoved her to the ground, wasting no time beginning to kick her repeatedly. 

Hovering over her, Erik punched her in the face, causing her to cry out. She growled and with that, she wasted no time kneeing him in the groin. She shoved him off of her before standing up.

However, Erik grabbed her by the ankle and knocked her back to the ground. He climbed on top of her, punching her twice in the face. He stopped briefly before he continued on, even after she had become a bloody mess.

"Please, Erik! Leave her alone! You're killing her!" Sihtric pleaded as he entered the room and tried to pry his older brother off their sister.

"Stay out of this!" Erik growled at Sihtric, roughly shoving him back before he punched Ylva once more.

Sihtric took a deep breath, feeling uneasy on what to do next. He sighed, just before unsheathing his sword and pointing it directly at Erik. "Stop it! Stop it!" He shouted at his older brother, causing Erik to turn to see that Sihtric had his sword pointed at him, "I will not let you hurt her any longer."

"You would stand against me for her!" Erik yelled at Sihtric, who remained calm as he nodded his head. He spat on the ground, giving Sihtric a dirty look before he left the room.

Once Erik was gone, Sihtric looked down at his younger sister, immediately feeling concerned by how bloodied and beaten her face was. He knelt before her, letting out a shaky breath. "Ylva..." He called out softly as Ylva weakly sat up.

He cupped Ylva's face in his hands, watching as she began to cry. "Listen to me," He told her in a soft tone, forcing her to look him in the eyes, "You need to stay strong."

Ylva looked up at Sihtric, her lip quivering. "I can't stay strong," She admitted, a hopeless look on her face, "I never was strong. They are right what they say. I am nothing more than a child."

"You are strong," Sihtric argued in a stern tone, a determined look on her face, "And you are not a child. You are far more than that. You are the future of this family."

Ylva began to cry and Sihtric sighed, wasting no time hugging his sister tightly.

____

That evening, a feast was held in Ashton and Ylva was sitting at the head table after being cleaned up. Of course, she still had numerous bruises scattered across her face and neck, but she was still able to attend.

Ylva remained silent, glancing around at all of her surroundings. She suddenly stopped, her eyes locking on Erik speaking to a woman she did not know. She had seen them talking on numerous and it immediately gained her curiosity.

She adjusted herself in her seat, a part of her becoming curiously. She turned to a servant, who was walking around, filling people's drinks. She gestured for her to come forward, which she immediately ended up doing.

"Yes, Earl Ylva?" She asked her curiously and Ylva smiled at her.

"What do you know of that girl my brother is talking to?" Ylva questioned and the girl avoided eye contact with her, feeling uneasy, "Whatever it is, you can tell me. I will protect you."

"You didn't hear it from me..." She trailed off, leaning closer to Ylva, "She is your brother's lover. Her name is Estrid. They've been involved for a while now and at this moment..." She leaned even closer to Ylva, her lips nearly touching the Earl's ear, "I heard them plotting your demise."

Ylva turned to the servant girl, her eyes widening in shock. She felt betrayed at first, but soon enough, her eyes filled with fury and rage.

_____

That evening, as the celebrations continued on, Ylva had watched as Estrid walked outside alone, clearly drunk.

She walked up to the woman, a smile forming on her lips. "I'm afraid we haven't met," She spoke up, causing Estrid to feel uneasy as she slowly turned to Ylva, "I'm told my brother is fond of you and you're fond of him. I suppose you're looking for him right now," She explained, slowly walking toward the woman, "I'd like a little word with him myself."

"And why's that?" Estrid asked, trying her hardest to hide how terrified she was at that moment.

"Because someone has recently told me that he plans to have me killed tonight," She answered in a calm tone, "In my sleep, just as my father tried to do to me eight years ago."

"Ylva, please," Estrid pleaded, tears beginning to form in her eyes, "Don't hurt him. He's your brother. You can't kill him..." She trailed off, beginning to cry, "I-I love him. He's all I have."

"And you're all he has, I'm told," Ylva replied calmly and she talked toward the woman, tightly grasping her ax, "You're right. I cannot kill him. But what better way to claim vengeance on someone you can't kill than to instead harm the person who matters the most to them?"

"Please—" Estrid began to beg Ylva, only to be cut off as the Earl punched her in the face. She shoved the woman to the ground and before Estrid could react, Ylva had lifted her ax and beheaded her with one clean swing.

Blood splattered across Ylva's face and she looked down at Estrid's decapitated body, a part of her looking satisfied.

______

That night, Erik was in his room, preparing for bed. He frowned, wondering why Estrid hadn't returned yet. Just then, the door to his room opened and Ylva, of all people, entered, holding a large bag in her hand.

He frowned to her, frowning in confusion when he saw the blood covering her face. "What did you do?" Erik asked, a part of him becoming concerned as he walked closer to Ylva.

Just then, Erik's eyes widened and he gasped loudly, watching Ylva dig her hand into the bag before removing his lover's head from it.

Ylva tightly grasped the hair of the decapitated head, tossing it onto her brother's bed without a care in the world. "Defy me again and it will be your head next," She demanded in a low, threatening tone.

She turned on her heel and walked out of the room. As she did so, she listened to Erik cry for a moment before he let out a large roar in anger. She smiled slightly, continuing to walk away without saying anything.