Thorge took a deep breath. The battle was over.

He had taken Naya to the longhouse with his mother. Fortunately, the sword that Herdi had missed on her back was not deep. Liv had sutured the wound as well as the wound on his leg. She had assured Thorge over and over again that Naya was not badly injured, but it was only when both women had scolded him for making her nervous with his questions that he went to the sweathouse and washed himself.

He did not know how his men felt about it, but they had built a podium in front of the longhouse and placed two chairs there. And this time, they insisted he use the podium as well. So he and his wife were sitting on the chairs. He had been given a fur coat and a strange heavy chain around his neck that he had never seen before. Alda wanted to put rings on his fingers, but he had refused. He was not a woman who had to show off jewelry. Alda had grinned at him, uncovered his upper arms, and then looked at him proudly.

"Finally you look like a Jarl! Very impressive! They'll shit their pants in fear! "

Naya, too, was outfitted with a fur and jewelry and was sitting next to him. He looked at her and grinned as she sighed softly.

"I'd better take care of the kids and not sit here useless!" She whispered.

Thorge leaned slightly towards her.

"Obviously, we have nothing more to say in that regard."

She nodded.

"They want to specify with us. Let's leave her! "

After a while, the men arrived with the prisoners and threw them to the ground. The effect of the intoxicant had probably diminished, because the guys looked around rather confused and did not seem to realize what they were doing here.

His people taunted her. There was a beating on her and Thorge could well understand what they all felt. Everyone was angry with these men. Himself was no different.

He felt like killing everyone himself.

He wiped his face. He had lost four men and one woman today! They were all good people, but compared to other battles he had been lucky.

Finn, Jonte, Björn, Jorrek and Smilla!

They were all laid out in the hall of the nave, waiting for their last ride.

Anger arose in him and the grip on his sword became stronger.

Naya put a hand on his arm.

"Chill out!

He glared at her, but immediately regretted it when he realized how she recoiled. Slowly he took her hand and pressed a kiss on the back of the hand.

"Forgive me! But I'm so angry. I can hardly calm down. There are five good people in the hall. And these men have caused their death. You and Herdi! Because of lies and a false sense of honor! "

She nodded.

"I know that, Thorge. And I'm angry myself. But I also know about her past. They were just following Herdi's orders. "

Thorge nodded.

"I realize that too, Naya. But should I be lenient? Then I'm considered weak and others will come to attack us. Do you want it? Should we be attacked again and again just because everyone thinks I'm too mild? "

Her eyes widened, then she lowered her head.

"I prefer mild and compassionate than cruel! Obviously I'm not fit for a jarl woman. ", She hissed.

Thorge clicked his tongue.

"Do you want to argue with me now, Naya?"

She shook her head.

"Then let it be good! You're my woman. And I'm a jarl! You knew that! "

Behind them, it hissed.

"Can you stop the crap? You have other things to do! "Lasse whispered.

Thorge snorted again, then looked at the men in front of him. Again he took a deep breath.

"You attacked us!"

His anger was now open to hear and even the children fell silent even though he had not even roared. Everyone was staring at him. Just not Naya, who stared straight ahead. Her mouth pressed together so that her lips were only a thin line.

Thorge shook his head briefly. His thoughts could not be with Naya now. He had to act.

He waited for an answer, but they owed him.

Some even had the courage to look at him arrogantly. There were only a few who lowered their heads. All the others still seemed convinced that they had done the right thing.

Oh no! There was no regret.

Finn was wrong.

They were still obsessed with Herdi and would even jump up and kill anyone who had killed their mistress.

Thorge did not understand that Naya did not see it too.

"You killed good men!" He continued.

One of the guys spat in front of him.

"They deserved it! And I'm glad it was me who hit Finn in the sword! "

Slowly Thorge stood up.

Naya remained seated, but in the corner of his eye he saw her tremble.

"You killed Finn?" He asked dangerously softly.

The guy nodded.

"He deserves it. He was a traitor! "His gaze went to the brothers who had lined up beside the podium." Just like those bastards here, they're hiding behind a jarl that's still green behind their ears, like cowardly dogs! dishonorable men with you, dishonest, cowards and traitors! "

Thorge saw Tyr pull his sword, but he raised his hand and Tyr released his hand from the sword.

Thorge took a step forward.

"Finn was not a traitor. He had sworn no oath to Herdi. Not the brothers either! But they have sworn allegiance to me. "

The guy yelled out his anger.

"You had no right to! Each of them is a traitor and they will betray you if they do not get what they expect! They are dishonorable and their ancestors spit on them! Give me a sword and I'll show everyone what ... "

He did not get any further.

Thorge had drawn his sword and, with a single blow, separated his head from his body. Blood splashed on the crowd and Naya got away from it. She closed her eyes and sat stock-still.

Thorge breathed in and out.

"Does anyone else want to insult the honor of my men?"

He did not wait for an answer but rammed a sword into another man's chest, as he had dared to spit on the floor he was stepping on.

Just as he raised his sword again, he heard Naya's voice.

"Thorge!"

He stared at her.

Naya had got up. The blood was still clinging to her dress. He saw that it was just the blue dress he loved so much about her. And now it was bloodstained.

He almost expected her to scold him in front of his people, but she did not.

"These men deserve death!"

Her otherwise firm voice trembled slightly.

"They have polluted the honor of a dead man. And they dared to insult others! But not the Jarl should kill them all, but the men who accused them! "

Thorge came up to her.

"What you up to?"

She did not look at him.

"Tyr and Trygg also have the right to avenge themselves," she said, "and others too, not just you, even though you look like you were going to kill everyone yourself!"

His father, who had been standing behind his chair, nodded slightly.

"She's right, son. You have proven that you do not yield weakly. Now let others have their revenge! "He whispered.

Thorge did not mind that Naya treated the others for her revenge. It bothered him that she had stopped him. This was the second time she had rightfully proven him to everyone. He could not tolerate that. He turned away from his people, but glared at his wife. She barely responded and only her shaking hand showed him that she knew he was angry. On them!

He sat down and held up his hand.

"Then it's supposed to be like that."

The women took the children away when the first men left for the men left behind. Hesitant. But then came Jülf!

"Who has violated my wife?" He bellowed.

He randomly threw a small sword at a man's feet and then fought with him. The guy had no chance against Jülf, because Jülf was in rage and left her at the guy until he knelt on the ground in front of him and Jülf drilled his sword over his shoulder to the heart.

Thorge remained seated until only the men who had warned her were left. He knew that they had helped the women in battle as well.

"You!"

Thorge pointed his finger at the three.

"Since you have helped us, I will grant mercy. You can go home, but you will report to the people here! "

He got up and went to the longhouse, ignoring anyone. Everyone avoided him. He really had to look scary.

There he saw the dead lying.

He closed his eyes for a moment, then looked at Finn, who had already been made ready. He looked gorgeous in his clothes! Smilla was lying next to him. She was wearing her best dress and her hair was open. Someone had combed it so that you did not see the scars. One hand held a twig of flowers, the other lay so that it looked like she was holding on to Finn's cloak.

Thorge prayed to the gods that the two were reunited in the other world.

"I'm sorry, my friend. But I could not fulfill your last wish! "He whispered.

He saw the injured. Also some of them belonged to Herdi. He reached for the sword again, but he stopped in the middle of the movement.

No, he would not go that far! They could not fight back!

"Get the injured on Herdi's boat. They disappear from here as fast as possible. But they do not get food! It's enough that we've taken care of their wounds, "he ordered.

Without waiting for an answer, he went to the bedroom. He threw the fur on the floor and the chain on a chest. He breathed in and out a few times before slamming his fist against the wall.

In the next room he heard his children. Kjell called to him and the younger ones cried.

He could not go to them now. Not if he still had such anger. He went outside again and saddled a horse.

He had to get away and settle down here.

Thorge had not spoken to her since the execution.

She had wanted to talk to him, but when she came to the longhouse, he had ridden off again.

When they burned their own people, he just stood beside her, but he did not look at her. His eyes were calm, not angry, but she had also seen something else in them that she could not interpret. Guilt and he was also ashamed in a way. Was he ashamed because his people had died? He could not help it. Again and again she had wanted to speak to him alone, but he had avoided her.

He had not come to her that night, either, sitting and drinking with the others in the nave. She did not know that from him. Not in moderation.

It was not until the early hours of the morning when he had come to bed and had fallen asleep.

She had not wanted to wake him and she understood that he was mad at her. With a sigh, she had taken the children into the hall and after the morning meal she had taken her laundry and gone to the river. Kjell ran to the other children and the twins lay in their basket and slept.

Sighing, she took the blue dress and looked at it.

Thorge loved this dress. And now it was stained with blood.

She dipped it in the water and tried to remove the stains. Her tears ran down her face. The spots simply did not want to disappear. Instead, a big hole in the fabric gaped.

Resigned, she sat on the rocks and wiped away the tears. She had exaggerated it, she knew that. Thorge probably thought she had exposed him to the men.

He was probably right, but she had never seen him so cruel. it had scared her. She had often seen Thorge angry, but that was nothing compared to yesterday.

For a moment, she thought of leaving everything here. Easy to go and forget about what had happened.

"You know, you also have to understand my son!"

Naya wiped her face again, then looked at Stijn, who was sitting next to the twins basket. She had not heard him come.

"I understand him too, but I've never seen him so cruel!"

Stijn clicked his tongue.

"Each of the Gunnarssons once had a period when he was very cruel. This is part of our trials imposed by the gods. "

Naya laughed mockingly.

"Thorge was once cruel and had gotten this terrible nickname."

Stijn nodded.

"That's right. Still, he was still harmless at the time. Girls, we are warriors! We are all cruel in the fight. What you experienced yesterday was anger. Every Gunnarsson had it. Tjark had this anger when he was in mourning for our mother. I had her when Tilda lost her child and I did not understand why Tjark had stayed so calm. Lasse also had her when he believed he lost Jule. "

He stroked his grandson's head.

"He too will probably experience it once. The gods test us to see if we are worthy. "

He looked at her sternly again.

"Thorge had this anger because they wanted to take his family and because they doubted the honor of his men."

He sighed, because Naya was still quite stubborn.

"It's not the man I married," she said stiffly.

Stijn laughed again.

"Right! Yesterday he was the jarl and not your husband! And he had done well to kill those men. If he had not done it, what do you think, what would have happened then? Really imagine what would have happened if he had sent the men back. What impression would one have gained from him? "

Naya opened her mouth, but then she stopped.

Actually, she wanted to shout to Stijn that he was considered merciful. But she remembered what Thorge had said to her.

But should I be lenient? Then I'm considered weak and others will come to attack us. Do you want it?

She sagged slightly.

"By all the gods! I have wronged him! And I still stabbed him in the back when I stopped him! "

Stijn nodded and got up.

"I know you think that. But you were also right in a way! The men were also entitled to part of the revenge. Thorge will know that, too. He was angry! Do you know what happens when we have this anger behind us? "

She shook her head.

"We regret, daughter! We regret and be ashamed! And my son is in no way inferior to us. I have never experienced my boy like I did yesterday. He got drunk senseless. Well, that has happened before, but he did not say a word. He brooded and drank one horn after another. "

Naya sniffed softly.

"He left me alone!"

Stijn nodded.

"But only because he was ashamed, too. He was mad at the men, at you, but especially at himself. And the anger at ourselves is the one that bothers us the most. "

He stretched out in front of her and she had to smile despite her tears.

"So what do you want to do now? I know that you thought about leaving him. "He grinned," That too is the Gunnarsson's cradle, and any woman who is destined for a Gunnarsson once thinks to leave him, and was with you Is it so far today, am I right? "

Naya was startled. How could he know that? It had only been a moment.

"Liv wanted to leave you?" She asked instead.

Stijn nodded, sighing.

"The past caught up with me and I was pretty stupid towards her. It was only a moment, but yes, she thought of it. Just like Tilda and Jule. And should I tell you something else? "

She nodded and Stijn came close to the shore.

"We men are then no longer ourselves. We like to be strong! We are cruel! But without our women we break. Do you really want to do that Thorge? "

She shook her head.

"No!"

He grinned at her, then took the basket of twins.

"Then go to him. Console him. And above all, show him that you stay with him and keep him! "

He turned around and she heard him mumble to the children: "Six more children, that happens! I think I should have jumped into the creek once more than ... well, let's leave that alone. "

She had to laugh against her will!

She was glad that Stijn was her father-in-law. He would always make her laugh, even if she was desperate. But now she had to go to Thorge.