Smoke. "Where is the smoke coming from? " Sophia asked herself as she slowly opened her eyes; from afar, she saw what looked like a village. It differed from Ragnar's village since it was close to a forest. Sophia tried to move, but her feet wouldn't move. It's as if her feet were part of the ground.

Screams echoed, and she looked to the left. There was a small army going toward the village. The men held weapons; they were on the attack. The young woman tried screaming, but she couldn't. 

Why?

All she wanted was to warn the villagers that they would be attacked. Sophia could only helplessly watch as the Vikings attacked the village. The houses were on fire; the villagers ran and screamed. Some tried fighting back. However, they were outnumbered. Many people were slaughtered, many women were taken away, and some were about to be assaulted.

She turned away, closing my eyes and covering her ears. However, their screams still echoed in her mind. "PLEASE MAKE THIS STOP!"

Suddenly, everything became...silent. Sophia still had her ears covered and eyes closed. She waited momentarily to see if the screams were about to return. Sophia slowly opened her eyes and uncovered her ears when nothing was heard.

The city looked like a speck from how far she was. 

It was strange. 

Sophia looked at my surroundings, and there were trees everywhere.

A forest?

The young woman looked up to the skies, and it was slowly turning dawn. She decided to walk deep into the forest; she had to get far from this place. As Sophia walked, she saw something. It looked like a hooded figure, and he stood at the forest's center. Sophia hid behind a tree, ensuring not to be seen. Then, there was someone else who walked into the forest. Her eyes widened as the person who walked by was the same older man who led the attack.

"Who was he?" she asked herself. Once the older man left, the hooded figure stood there. Sophia was about to leave, but she accidentally stepped on a twig.

The figure slowly turned toward her direction and saw her. 

"Sophia!"

Sophia opened my eyes, and she saw Estrid looking at me. "You're finally awake. I was trying to wake you up. It looked as if you were having a nightmare. Did you have another vision?"

"I wish I didn't. I hate having these supposed visions. All I want is to have a moment of peace. I need to tell Ragnar."

"But you need breakfast first," said Esther.

"This can't wait. I dreamed that there would be another attack." Sophia stood and got out of the house and went toward Ragnar. It was almost morning, and some people were beginning to wake up and start their daily routines. She arrived at his home, and she gently tapped on the door. "Ragnar." There was no response. "Ragnar."

He was possibly asleep, but this couldn't wait, so she entered and slowly walked inside the house, calling his name.

"I am in here."

When Sophia got through the doorway, her eyes widened. "AAHH! Ragnar, why didn't you tell me that you were bathing!?"

Ragnar stood in a wooden tub in warm water; he was nude. "Well, why have you come? It is not fully morning. Besides, you're a healer; you must have seen many parts of a man."

"Th-That's not the point! It's about respect!" Ragnar chuckled as he sat down on the wooden tub. "W-Well, I had another vision."

"And?"

She explained what she saw; Ragnar was silent and listened. "By the end of the dream, the hooded figure gave this man a stone that had runes. When this figure saw me, he turned and called out to me. It was as if the figure knew who I was."

"So you couldn't see who this hooded person was?"

"No."

Ragnar nodded. "Describe me, the old man."

Once the old man was described, Ragnar's expression changed. "It sounds like Frode. He was also the one who attacked us previously. It would seem that he and Itzvar are working together. The way you described the figure, I imagine it is not Itzvar."

"How can you be so sure?"

"They met each other in secrecy. If I had to guess, we have a traitor in our mist."

"A traitor!? You could tell that even with minimal information?"

"The gods like to play their jokes, but sometimes one must be wise on many things. That is the only possibility, but the gods will not show us who it is. The figure called you by your name, so whoever this is, knows you. Which means it is someone among us."

"S-So should we tell Golm and-"

"No. We will keep this to ourselves. We will tell him about the attack but about the hooded figure. We can't risk bringing too much alarm." 

That would make sense, as it could be anyone in the village. Sophia didn't like to keep too many secrets, but if it was for the greater good and the safety of the people, then she was all for it. "Alright, I won't say a thing."

"Furthermore, I wanted to ask if you would like to train and have dinner with me tonight?" Ragnar was asking me to train and dine with him. "I am serious about my intentions, Sophia. I want to earn your respect. Will you give me the opportunity?"

She couldn't believe this was happening, but Ragnar asked for her permission. Sophia was given a choice that not many women had. "Alright, I'll accept but don't try anything you might regret."

He chuckled. "I wouldn't dream of it."