Hi readers! So, I've had to do a little rewriting and figuring things out since the Season 5 finale of Vikings. There will also be a title change.

"Raneir!"

With a gasp, Raneir forced her eyes to open against the brightness. Above her, two pairs of ocean blue eyes blinked slowly.

"Thank the gods you are alive," Ragnar said with a grin. "I thought Ivar was going to crawl back to the sea and beg Ran for your life."

Raneir glanced over at Ivar, who only rolled his eyes at his father's comment.

"Come," said Ragnar as he helped the girl onto her feet. "There is a small cave ahead where we will meet the others."

"So, father," asked Ivar, "what are we going to do?" Raneir watched from her place next to the small fire as a man named Gardar spoke up.

"Your son asks a good question. Here we are in deep trouble." Raneir narrowed her eyes at the man's hidden accusation as he continued. "What are we going to do now?"

Ragnar stood up and gave a tired sigh. "I don't know," he answered quietly.

Raneir poked at the smoldering fire, "I'll tell you what we do know, Gardar." All eyes turned to the girl. Raneir looked up from the fire, catching Gardar's gaze.

"We do know that our king has been here before and we have not, yes?" The small group stayed silent, their eyes shifting back and forth between each other.

"All of you came here on your own. No one forced you." Raneir stood up as she spoke and made her way to stand in front of the man. Looking up as he towered above her, she continued, "So do not start with your accusations and your grumbling."

Gardar gave a low chuckle, straightening his back to make himself even taller. His upper lip curled into a sneer and hissed, "And just what will you do, tiny one?"

Raneir quickly drew a small dagger that she had found and pressed the point of it under his jaw.

"Do not test me, Gardar."

It wasn't long before the small group found themselves crawling along an outcropping of rocks.

"Get down!" hissed one of the men as the sound of hooves came clacking along the path. Raneir dropped to her belly along with Ivar and Ragnar. Raneir gulped as she watched Saxon men ride past, a stone's throw away from where they were hiding.

After the men passed, Raneir let out a breath as Ragnar signaled the group to continue. Raneir stood up but paused as Ivar flipped over, trying to fix his contraption around his legs. Raneir knelt as she tried to help the young prince but was pushed to the side as Ragnar sat on the boy.

"You will never be normal," huffed Ragnar as he untied Ivar's contraption. "I'm not going to stand around all day watching you try."

"I am normal!" shouted Ivar as he thrashed around under his father.

With a grunt, Ragnar threw the metal pieces away into the distance. Turning his attention to the boy, he flipped Ivar over onto his stomach. Raneir sat on the rocks as she watched the interaction between the two.

"Once you realize that you are not normal," said Ragnar softly, "That is when greatness will happen." Ivar huffed and pushed his father's hands away. Ragnar moved to stand beside him and pointed toward the direction of the group.

"Now, crawl!"

As Ivar began to crawl, Ragnar help Raneir to her feet. Ignoring the look on her face, Ragnar shrugged his shoulders. "Someone needed to say it," he muttered.

Raneir shook her head with a quiet laugh, "He will listen to you better than he would me, my king."

When the group made it to level ground, they paused for a small break. Two of the shield-maidens placed the stretcher, that would be used to carry Ivar, on the ground. As he made his way over to it, Raneir grabbed some extra cloth and began to rip it into strips as she sat in front of him.

With a mumble, a man with a protruding belly sneered, "And to top it off, we now have to carry the cripple." Ivar clenched his jaw as he tied the strips of cloth around his legs. Raneir caught Ivar's gaze and winked.

"Better the cripple than your fat ass, Gudmund," she said with a grin.

The man named Gudmund growled, "You better watch that mouth of yours, girl." Raneir gave a giggle that sounded as if Floki himself were standing in their midst.

"Well, I can throw curses just like my father," she smiled. Just as quickly as the smile appeared, it disappeared. "Want to know what else I got from him?"

Gudmund sneered and turned away from the pair. Ivar raised his eyebrows and chuckled under his breath.

"What is so funny, my prince?" Raneir asked as she tightened the cloth around Ivar's legs.

"Nothing," Ivar shook his head and situated himself onto the stretcher.

"Raneir."

The young woman looked up at Ivar's mumble of her name. "Yes?" she questioned, waiting for him to continue.

"On the boat," Ivar paused as he picked at a stitch on his wrist bindings. "Why did you kiss me?"

Raneir's heart stuttered in her chest. She kept her head lowered as her hands hovered over the knots in his bindings. Clearing her throat, she finally answered, "I did it to shut you up. You were screaming so loud that I am sure Thor could hear you over his thunder."

Ivar smiled, rolling his tongue along the inside of his bottom lip. "Uh huh." Ivar placed his hand on top of Raneir's, stilling their shaking. When she raised her eyes to meet Ivar's, he whispered, "I know when you are lying, too."

With a scoff, Raneir shook off Ivar's hands and pushed at his forehead, causing him to fall back in laughter.

As the group, now down to Ragnar, Raneir, and Ivar, came around the corner, the town gates came into view. Panting, Ragnar stumbles over to a wagon filled with hay. The trio paused to catch their breaths.

Raneir sat beside Ivar as Ragnar knelt in front of them. Taking a shaky breath, Ragnar started to instruct the young adults on what will happen once they got inside.

"When we get inside, we will be separated." Ragnar took his hands and placed one on Raneir's cheek and the other on Ivar's cheek. "No matter what, Ivar, you have to act like a cripple." Ivar nodded.

"Raneir, you have to act weak so that they will not be threatened by the shield-maiden that I know you to be." Raneir nodded and pulled out her dagger.

"May I keep this, my king?" she asked, hope lacing her voice.

Ragnar shook his head. The old king took Raneir's blade and the one that Ivar had inside his vest and hid them in the hay above their heads.

"No matter what happens, I will find you both when I can." Raneir's heart started to fill with worry and sadness. "And what will happen?" she whispered.

Ragnar sighed and looked away.

Ivar clenched his jaw and hissed through his teeth. "So we are to watch while they hurt you? Sounds like a good plan."

Ragnar chuckled and with a sad smile, leaned forward and placed a kiss on his son's forehead. Pulling back, he looked over at Raneir, tears welling in her eyes.

"But why, uncle?"

Ragnar used his thumbs to brush away the tears from under her eye. "Because, little one," he said quietly, "it is what the gods have planned." The old king leaned forward and placed a kiss on her forehead.

Ragnar pulled back once more and nodded at the young adults in front of him. Then, with a steadying breath, he stood up and slowly made his way to the town gates.

Hey readers! Hope you enjoyed this extra long chapter!

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