Siggy stared at the ceiling, laying on her rough bed made of straw and fur, her blonde hair spread over her bed. Outside, she heard Helga and Angrboda talking to one another and heard Floki working on his boats below the house. Siggy roammed the blanket of thick fur underneath her body with her fingers and fell on a tiny piece of carved wood. She lifted it to her sight and smiled. She made progress. Sure it wasn't as good as Angrboda's carvings, but she made improvements.

She heard a person enter the house and instantly knew who it was. She could have recognized that breathing and those steps even in the blackest of nights. She straigthened up on her bed and smiled to Angrboda. She looked at Siggy with a pained expression, nervously stroking her long blonde hair – as long as her mother's. As if she pitied her.

"Your father summoned you." she said.

"Boda." Siggy sighed.

"Right." she said with an amused smirk, her hazel eyes sparkling with affection. "King Bjorn summoned you."

"I do not know why it is necessary to call him king." Siggy said.

"Because he is king."

"No. He is king of nothing. His mother rules for him. She sits on the throne by his side in Torvi's place. She rules for him as if he was merely a child. Bjorn is not a true ruler."

"Siggy." Angrboda sighed.

"Alright. Let me just wash my hair and put some jewelry on."

"I don't think it is needed. Bjorn will not care if you show up like this." Boda said with a shrug.

"Perhaps. But I want to please Guthrum." Siggy said blushing slightly.

Angrboda giggled silently. She poured water in a bucket and handed it to Siggy as well as a piece of cloth. Siggy washed her face and headed to her chest. She opened it to find the rare bracelets she had. She shrugged and took all of them and put them around her wrists. She adjusted her apron, her skirt, and her brooches, tied her axe on her belt and braided her blonde hair.

"How do I look?" she asked her friend.

"You are marvelous. As always. I do not know why you never do any efforts to look more feminine. You are such a beautiful woman."

"Beauty does not matter. Only strength does. I do not want to be beautiful if I am not fearsome first."

"Perhaps." Angrboda whispered. "But I am tired of you messing with my work! This week alone, you came home with more bruises and cuts I'd wish to see you have! Try to respect my hard work a little and stop fighting for such silly things!" she said sternly.

Siggy's eyes widened in fright and a brief moment later, she smiled with affection.

"I will think about it. You are too frightening when you are mad Boda."

Angrboda laughed and went to sit by the fireplace to skin a rabbit.

"Did Sigurd tell you when the next raid will take place? I want to fight." Siggy said.

"I do not know." Boda answered. "I suppose it will be this Summer. There is still ice at the end of the fjord. And if it is to come back with injuries, you can bet your ass that I will tie you to your bed until Ragnarok."

"Why are you always talking about Ragnarok?" Siggy whined with a shiver. "You are like Floki; gloomy and unhappy."

Boda laughed and slapped Siggy's shoulder. "Don't tell me this, I might end up bald like him! Can you imagine my head without my hair?"

Siggy faked a shiver. "Dreadful."

"Is it!"

"Shit!" Siggy cursed. "Now my apron is redder with that rabbit's blood!"

"Sorry." Boda said.

"Oh well, it would have been stained with blood either way."

"Because you plan to fight today?" Angrboda coldly asked.

Siggy laughed. Angrboda was so easy to tease. "Not if I can't help it."

Angrboda sighed in annoyance. "With your temper, you'll die, murdered, before your time."

"That would be dishonorable." Siggy said. "Only a coward kills someone in the back. Christians does that. They are treacherous." she stated. "I'd rather die in battle, covered with glory and fame. Like the late queen Gunnhild of the Danes and Brynhildr, Aslaug's mother."

Angrboda tried to laugh but could not. She hated to hear Siggy, her precious Sig, talk about death in such a fashion. She knew Sig loved to fight and desired more than anything to prove herself worthy of her father and mother's legacy; to prove she was a daughter of Odin, but she also cared about her. She cared about her like a sister and also a mother. She loved her and every harm she suffered, Boda was pained of it. She was pained Siggy was so angry. She was pained she sought death.

She also was pained of the loss of Aslaug. She was pained her mother missed her as well as Siggy the old; Siggy the wise. She was pained of this game of power which led every ruler in Kattegat to die. The throne was cursed and Angrboda wished someone would break the curse and restore peace in the empire Ragnar left when he died a few months ago. Boda was pained Aslaug died in such a fashion she would never reach Valhalla. Aslaug had taught her how to heal – as well as her mother, the sweet Helga – and the art of magic. That knowledge, Boda was proud of. Thanks to it, she gained a strong reputation amongs the people of Kattegat. She was respected.

Siggy was not. Siggy was mocked and feared. Rejected daughter of a king who let his mother rule in his place, Siggy was laughed about which often led to broken noses and bloodbath wherever she went. Siggy was a wild child born born chaos who grew in battle; Siggy had a mind set for war and destruction. Siggy was born angry.

"But that does not answer my question." she said. "When will we raid again? Has Ivar told you of it?"

"I am his personal healer." Boda said. "Not his mother."

"So?"

"I do not know, Sig!" Angrboda exclaimed with annoyance. "He hasn't told me yet!"

Siggy sighed. "I want to raid." she said, looking at the ceiling again. "I want to escape this place."

Angrboda gave a sad smile. "Yes... I understand."

"There is nothing here for me." Siggy said. "My future is elsewhere, I know this. It lies beyond the sea."

"One day, you will find it. I promise." Angrboda said. "In the meantime, your fath... sorry, Bjorn is waiting for you."

"Do I really have to?" Siggy whined.

Angrboda gave her a stern look.

"Alright." Siggy said, leaving the house. "If I find Sigurd, I will ask him. Ivar too."

"The sons of the blacksmith went hunting. Sigurd and Ivar are probably with them." Angrboda said, her eyes, back to the rabbit she was skinning.

Siggy shrugged. "We'll see"

She gave a last smile to her friend, still skinning the rabbit by the hearth, then left the room. On her way to the village she greeted Helga, who was harvesting some herbs and shouted a 'hello' to Floki, below the house, who was building the ships Bjorn had asked to sail that mysterious sea with no tides. Floki did not answer, but a silence between the sounds of hammers striking the keel of new ships told her that he heard. Siggy walked towards Helga.

"Be kind to him, Siggy. You mean to him more than you can possibly know." Helga advized, turning her head to her.

"I doubt that Helga." Sig replied. "Floki is right. You see the good in people too much."

"I see people such as they could be. There is a difference. Be kind." Helga said.

"I'll try." Siggy sighed. "But do not have too much hope about me. I am not worth it." she said in anger.

Helga looked down, saddened. Siggy wanted to apologize, but stubborn as she was she simply sighed and walked back towards Kattegat and the great hall where she would be standing in front of Bjorn Ironside, son of the great Ragnar Lothbrok. Or maybe she would stand in front of his mother; the shieldmaiden Lagertha, the one who murdered Aslaug in her madness following the death of the man she loved for so long, to give her beloved son the vacant throne of a king who abandonned his kingdom and his people. The one without honor. The coward.

But Aslaug abandonned Siggy; she had been told of this by Sigurd. She once promised Bjorn to take care of her as her own, but she failed. She let her down, wandering with poor rags in the wild. She promised and did not keep that promise. Aslaug was to raise her, take care of her, but she did not. Siggy did not expect her to love her, but care and attention would have made her childhood sweeter.

"She betrayed me." Siggy often said when people asked her about Aslaug.

And yet, she taught Boda magic and healing. Yet, she had been kind enough to ask servants to make sure she was healthy a few years later, maybe to make up for Siggy's first years. Maybe to erase the madness she was in. Maybe to be herself again; to be Aslaug, the mother and the great seeress.

Siggy resented Aslaug, but she felt torn between the hatred she felt towards Lagertha for never even asking about her and for never doubting her son, and the hatred she felt towards Aslaug, for betraying her promise to raise her as the princess she should have been. Siggy was tired of this. She was a coin; undecisive in her anger, two-sided. The coin was full but its faces divided. One side had to win and yet, she wanted to hate the two women until Ragnarok.

She looked at the ground and sighed with content. Spring was there, and with it, the possibility to raid again. She wanted to fight again, to feel blood spatter her face and to hear her enemies' screams of pain. To feel her sword pierce their hearts and cut their flesh, hear her axe break bones and ribs. She wanted to dodge blows also. She wanted to feel that sensation she often felt in battle, to be on the edge of death. She wanted danger. She wanted to risk her life; to make sure she truly existed. To exist in a world that did not want her.

Lost in her day-dreams about battles and raids; glory and death, she did not notice that she had already arrived in Kattegat. She was drawn out of her mind by Sigurd, who called her from the forge he often spent his time at.

"Siggy!" Sigurd called.

"Uncle." Siggy greeted him with a smile.

Sigurd flinched and gave a long annoyed sigh.

"I told you not to call me this." he said. "I am only a few years oder than you are. Please do not age me more than I am." Sigurd begged. "Just call me Sigurd, or Sig."

"You are my uncle. Why shouldn't I call you what you are, uncle Sigurd?" she teased mischievously.

Sigurd gave a groan of anger but smiled. He loved his niece. In spite of her bad manners and her teasing, he appreciated the fact that she was alive and often looked up to him. He appreciated the fact that she was like him; neglected and abandonned by her own parents. He appreciated that, like him, she sought a place in the world. She was like him and she understood him. That was something he liked about her.

"I asked Boda if you were planning to raid soon." Siggy said. "Now that you have your own warriors and ships, you might be able to raid alone, without Ivar, Ubbe, Bjorn or Hvitserk. You are your own man now."

"I still pledged alliegeance to my king." Sigurd said. "I have to obey him."

"Don't you mean, queen?" Siggy snarked. "You know he is not ruling, right? Surely you must know that it is the woman who killed your mother in the back who is sitting on the cursed throne of Kattegat. And you still wish to obey her?"

Sigurd sighed again, his face darkening. "Are you telling me I betrayed my own kin, Siggy? Are you telling me that I am as despicable as my uncle Rollo for not wanting to avenge a woman who never loved me?!"

"I am just saying that you should be your own man, that is all." Siggy said with a shrug. "I know I want to be my own woman and build something for me. I know I do not want to obey any king or queen. And if you are like me, you know I am right. If you are like me, then, I know you are blinded by your own resentment. After all, she took care about you more than she cared about me." Siggy growled.

"I was her son. That is perfectly normal!" Sigurd bitterly said. "I was her son and yet, she never truly cared about me. Not like Ivar! I was her son!"

"So why are you not avenging her then?!" Siggy yelled. "Why don't you burn everything to the ground until vengeance is fulfilled?"

"Siggy..." Sigurd began.

"Why don't you want, like me, to watch them all know sorrow and terror?! Why can't we make them pay for what they did to us?!" she kept yelling.

"Siggy... I know how angry you are, but now is not the time, nor the place for you to unleash your fury." Sigurd said, calmer.

"Ha! You're afraid to get punched!" Siggy exclaimed with a grin.

"You know I am." Sigurd replied with the same mischief.

"So," she changed subject. "When are we sailing? When will we raid again? And if you say that I am too young yet, I swear by the gods I will fucking breath fire!"

"My name is Sigurd, after Sigurd Fafnirsbana. If you decides to become a dragon, I will have no choice but to slay you." Sigurd joked.

Siggy gently punched his arm and laughed at the joke. Sigurd ruffled her hair, happily laughing, as if they were a brother and a sister, bonding.

"So when are we raiding and where?" Siggy asked.

"I have planned a raid on my own in Northern Northumbria." Sigurd said. "We will leave tomorrow morning."

"Is Ivar coming with you?"

Sigurd sighed. "I'd rather not. The last time we went raiding together... things did not end up that great. Besides, I wish to know if I can be a warlord on my own. Ubbe and Hvitserk already are, and Bjorn is a king who inherited of all of our father's empire."

"Are you jealous of him?" Siggy brutally asked.

"Of course I am!" Sigurd exclaimed. "Why should he have everything and us nothing?! True, we should consider ourselves lucky not to have been killed by Lagertha as well as our mother, but still, it is unfair. I was born a prince of the blood and now look at me! What am I?!"

"A future warlord and conqueror. Perhaps a king, even! Who knows?" Siggy said with a smile. "And I will join you tomorrow to help you achieve that. I want to fight."

"I know you do. Just, please, try not to kill my warriors on our journey to England. That would be terrible for our endeavour and I tried hard enough to get an army on my own." Sigurd joked once again.

"If they piss me off, do not expect me to let them live."

"Siggy!" Sigurd protested.

"Alright, alright, I won't." She said, hands in the air to capitulate. "Will this raid contribute to avenge your father?"

"You know very well that it will." Sigurd said. "Hvitserk is already in Wessex as well as Ubbe and a few other petty kings from Norway. They are fighting Ecbert's son, king Aethelwulf. Ivar is talking about raiding too. He wants to prove himself and he wants to kill christians. He will have no rest until Aelle is dead. Then, he said he would raid other kingdoms. He heard about a land next to England; I suppose that this is his next target."

"Has Guthrum talked about this raid? Will he come?" Siggy asked.

Sigurd sighed and stayed silent for a moment, thinking. "He did not say. Perhaps he will when you'll see him. Also, regarding your relationship, Torvi saw you yesterday by the lake. You should be more careful. And do not give away your virginity so easily. You will not be able to marry afterwards. Do not cover yourself with shame." he advized. "Like my mother did." he added on a bitter note.

"I will not marry. Ever! I belong to no man!" Siggy fiercely seethed. "And if a man DARES pretend I belong to him, I will kill him and chop his head off."

Sigurd gave a gentle and low chuckle which turned into a delirious laughter.

"What? Do I amuse you?" Siggy asked harshly.

Sigurd wiped off a tear from his face, still grinning, struggling to regain his calm. "You are so quick to anger Sig! This is so damn funny!"

Siggy gave a small smile. She was always happy of Sigurd's laughs; they were so rare. She was happy to talk to him like a brother. Sigurd was her uncle and yet, it was him, among her family she was the closest too. The one who shared the same dreams and regrets as her.

"I am being summonned by Bjorn." Siggy said. "Mind going to the great hall with me?"

"Not at all." Sigurd said. "After you are done with that, maybe you and I can train, what do you say?"

"I will always jump on any occasion to kick your ass, uncle Sigurd." Siggy joked.

"I really hate it when you call me like this." Sigurd flinched, frowning.

"I know. That is why I do it." Siggy said. "But you are my favorite uncle. You are the only one who truly cared about me. You are my family."

"I am happy you are mine too. So, how is Boda?" Sigurd asked, slightly blushing and nervous, as they were walking.

"She is well."

"Still angry about you being injured everyday?"

"She is." Siggy laughed. "I am sorry about this but I really cannot help it."

"Liar." Sigurd said. "I know very well that you have no impulse control, but you should try and make some efforts about this."

Siggy brushed away his words with her hand. "I will make efforts the day people will make some! Not the other way around!"

"Then the circle will never end." Sigurd said with wisdom. "I am angry too you know. But unlike you, I learned, long ago, to channel it."

"Right!" Siggy snarled. "Channel it! Like you do with Ivar?"

"This is different!" Sigurd harshly said. "We are brothers! It is natural to fight! Look at Ragnar and Rollo! They fought too!"

"Normal?" Siggy hissed. "What is normal in your family?! Your mother was a sorceress and a seeress and your little brother is a cripple! Your father abandonned you and yet you are willing to avenge him in spite of everything he has done! Not to mention you don't even seek to avenge your mother! That is not normal Sig!"

"That is also your family you are talking about." Sigurd added.

"I do not have a family. I am an orphan! I do not have a mother or a father! They abandonned me! They will never be, to me, anything else than traitors!" Siggy seethed with all the hatred she could. "Do not forget how I spend my childhood! Do not forget that they all forgot about me!"

"How could I?" Sigurd said, his face darkening with grief. "It had been so painful. All those years you disappeared... it was dreadful. Worst years of my life."

"Sorry..." Siggy said. "I never truly apologized for it, didn't I?"

"No. But I do not blame you." Sigurd said, smiling to his niece.

Siggy smiled. They kept walking for a while towards the great hall where Bjorn was awaiting Siggy, sitting on a throne usurped many times, rotten and cursed; taken by treacherous thieves who sought power to fill their empty hearts.

Through the years, Siggy slowly became indifferent to the sounds of Kattegat. It was all for her but sounds destined to remind her that she did not belong there. She was an outcast, a forgotten daughter; and although she was Lagertha's grand-daughter, she wasn't loved or respected, even less admired for all that. She was the reminder of a time many wished to forget; of a time so bright and so happy people wished to forget it even happened not to sink into regrets. Siggy was regrets; regrets for a father and for a mother and soon enough, she became Kattegat's regrets. The reminder of a golden age lost long ago.

She looked at Sigurd and saw his melancholy, carved on his face. She knew she wasn't the only one not to feel at home here. Kattegat was not their home; they did not feel they belonged there. They were orphans seeking for a place to call home.

Although they remained silent while they walked, time flew by while they were heading to the great hall. Soon enough, Siggy stood at the door, breathing heavily to calm her growing ire. She was about to talk to the man she could have called father and who was now a king she owed her alliegeance, now was not the time for murder wishes.

"Well Siggy," Sigurd said. "I'll leave you there. Do not kill anyone."

"You wish!"

"Damn right I wish! I do not want you to be banished!" Sigurd hissed.

"I won't be banished. And if I ever was, I'll follow you. I owe you my loyalty." Siggy said, giving a small, yet, warm smile.

Sigurd returned the smile. "I have some things to finish at the forge; my sword. I hope I can finish it before sunrise tomorrow. I will see you later, perhaps."

"See you, uncle Sigurd." Siggy said, teasing.

Sigurd flinched but smiled. Then, after he pressed Siggy's shoulder in an affectionnate way, he walked back to where they came from, humming a song, a poem, he learned from a foreign scald.

Siggy looked at him disappear between the houses of Kattegat, then, she turned back to the door, carved with battle and glory, and took a deep breath. Her face darkened and she clenched her teeth, like a wolf, ready to bite. She was ready.

She opened the door brutally and slammed it behind her. She walked angrily in front of Bjorn, who was sitting on a throne covered with fur, Torvi by his side, holding her sons' hands, her daughters weaving nearby. Guthrum was also there, standing by the hearth, leaning against a pillar, so tall and handsome, his face twisted into a scowl full of hatred. He shot Bjorn dark looks from time to time and his face showed nothing but disgust when he looked at his mother.

Siggy loved his disdain towards them. She loved that common ground they had. Guthrum had very little of his mother in him; his hair was golden, his beard ginger and his face was long and finely shaped. Siggy deduced long ago that he looked like his father, Jarl Borg, the traitor. Guthrum was handsome and Siggy loved that. It only gave them one more common trait.

She gave him a quick knowing glance and smiled, her smile so discrete it was a shadow on her face. Guthrum returned it, smiling more widely than her; more explicit in his infatuation.

Siggy turned away to look at her father and his second wife; the woman who was forced to marry him in order for their children to be his legitimate heirs. The woman who never asked about her and who had for her only disdain and jealousy. Siggy suspected she was jealous of her natural beauty; a gift from her mother and her grand-mother. Torvi was not as beautiful as Siggy was and she was not aging well, not to mention the heavy lines of black khol hiding the color of her eyes. Siggy knew she wanted to imitate Lagertha; she knew she wanted to be like her. Everyone wanted to be like Lagertha and if you didn't, something was wrong with you. Torvi was a shieldmaiden, but Siggy considered her as a failed one for she cowered behind a crossbow and had never stained her delicate hands with blood.

And then, there was Bjorn; king Bjorn. Ragnar's favorite son. The one who abandonned her and who failed to keep her mother by his side. The selfish one who always favored his own fame and exploits over others. The one who could have been her father.

Siggy hated him. She hated the fact that he was her father. She hated his mere sight. She hated his eyes she inherited – Lagertha's eyes – she hated his face. She hated his hair. She hated his hands. She hated his voice. She hated everything that reminded her he was her father.

"Siggy..." Bjorn began.

"So, where is the queen?" Siggy cut him, which drew some laughter from Guthrum's mouth. "Where is your momma?" she mocked him with all her hatred.

"Lagertha is taking care of some business in Hedeby. She is still a Jarl. Now shut up when you talk to your king!" Torvi said.

"How far up his ass must you be to defend him when you are only his wife?! Let him speak! After all, he is a grown man, right? That is why he lets his momma rule for him and not you!" Siggy spat with all the hatred and anger she could, savoring with delight the shocked and angry look Torvi was giving her.

"That is enough, Siggy!" Bjorn loudly said. "You are in my hall. So you ought to listen and shut your mouth!"

"Your hall?" Siggy snarked. "I thought it was Lagertha's."

"This hall was my father's and now it is mine! Mine! Now, shut it or I'll have you shut up!" Bjorn yelled, making his sons and daughters cry.

Torvi cradled the boys and hugged her daughters. Guthrum held a laughter and Siggy gave him a small smile. She loved the chaos she brought. Her rage was a poison she wished to spill everywhere she went, like the most violent of storms.

"I summoned you," said Bjorn. "to make an announcement of great importance. I summoned you to announce to you, your wedding with a prince from Norway. His father is a very important king, wealthy and famous. This alliance will grant us money and men. It is crucial if we want to raid in Wessex and win against king Aelle and king Aethelwulf; to conquer lands and fulfill my father's dearest wish. The Norse king agreed. The bride-price has been paid. You will marry Rognvald this Summer and you will be his third wife."

Guthrum scowled and spat with anger. Siggy gave him a look full of worry and sorrow. She did not wish to be parted from him. In spite of all his flaws, she wanted to stay with him. In spite of his obsession with vengeance and his hatred towards everything Ragnar touched or made, Siggy was convinced that he loved her. She did not want to be parted from him. Not yet.

She turned back to her father, her eyes burning with ire. "Why would you want me to marry?"

"You are a princess; my daughter. You are from the blood of the great Ragnar Lothbrok, descended from the gods. It will be a noble alliance." Bjorn explained under Torvi's look, full of distrust.

"So now I am your daughter?" Siggy seethed, almost laughing at his words.

"You are." Torvi coldly said. "Look at yourself in a mirror and you'll see."

"I do not own a mirror! And even if I did, why would I look at my reflection? I do not want to be remembered of my parents! Not in any ways!" Siggy yelled.

"Enough!" Bjorn yelled. "You will marry, no matter what you say! You will marry even if I have to chain you to your chair! As a princess of Kattegat; as the grand-daughter of Ragnar Lothbrok, it is your duty! You will obey me!"

"I am not a princess. I am a bastard; a woman without a father and without a mother. Remember? I am not your daughter and I am not a princess. I am a warrior whose hands are filthy with the blood of my enemies. Why do you want me to marry? Me, of all women! Why not your other daughters? Am I that expendable to you? Am I nothing but a mere pawn on a Hnefatafl board you have no control over? Am I that meaningless that you can afford to throw me to men you consider more as enemies than friends? Am I?" Siggy yelled with anger.

"Siggy..." Bjorn warned, his anger rising as well as his daughter's.

But Siggy did not stop. She was raging, her ire unquenchable, and she wanted to unleash the fury she usually concealed. "I must congratulate you, Bjorn Ironsides, now you fully are like your father. You act like him in every ways! Even your first wife left you! Oh you must be proud! But be careful, you might end up dying in a pit snake the most dishonorable of ways. If you so desires to be your father, then I can bet your death will be pathetic." she finished with a mocking grin.

"That is enough!" Bjorn shouted, once again, making his children cry. "You will respect me! If you decides to be so stubborn, I'll have you followed by my men and by Frigg, you will marry! I will keep you in Kattegat until you are given to Rognvald!"

"I'LL KILL THEM!" Siggy yelled, louder. "I WILL KILL EVERY MAN YOU HAVE AND I WILL BURN YOUR SHIPS! BY ODIN I WILL BURN KATTEGAT TO THE GROUND IF IT PLEASES ME!"

"I AM YOUR FATHER!" Bjorn yelled.

"You are not!" Siggy spat, walking to the door. "I have no father, or mother! I will forever be orphaned! You cannot marry a daughter you do not have to anyone!" she shouted before she slammed the door behind her.

Behind the door, she heard Bjorn yelling orders for her to be followed and then imprisonned. She heard him curse her name and her existence. She heard him deciding of her fate.

But Siggy had decided long ago, that only her would choose her fate; not even the Norns could weave her thread. She decided long ago that she was her own person and that as such, she took her decisions for herself. She will not please Bjorn. She will not please Rognvald. She will not be sold and be a pawn. She will not be a wife. She will not be a truce or a tool for bargain. She will not be an hostage. Siggy was a shieldmaiden. Siggy did not belong to anyone, even Guthrum. She will follow her own path. And she decided to live without regrets.

Siggy thought for a long time, walking towards Helga's house. She had to take a decision. Quickly. Suddenly it appeared to her. Her solution! She grinned and changed path. She walked towards the end of Kattegat. The size of it tripled with time; a consequence for Aslaug's ruling over the kingdom for years. The once small town became a majot trading center, protected with a wooden wall Lagertha had had built right after she killed the former queen. A way, perhaps, to make amends for her actions.

She finally arrived to the house she was looking for. She took a deep breath and knocked to the door. She hoped he was there. She hoped he came back to his house.

Relief filled her when he opened the door, his face puzzled and blonde brows furrowed.

"Siggy," Sigurd said. "Already? I just came back from the forge. My sword will be read..."

"Sigurd," Siggy fiercely said, determined. "I need your help."

So this was the first chapter of that Sig and Boda fanfic I longed to write for so long. It is longer than I expected and I hope I can keep up with the length. It would be nice if all the chapters did not exceed 5,000 words; it would be easier for me to write them. I hope you liked this beginning. Be warned tho; I only wrote one chapter so far and the whole fanfic is not fully planned yet. I have yet so many things I need to write down and a timeline to set up, a tone to find, a structure to establish (and I have yet to finish Crashing Waves). Many things will happen (SO many!) and I can only hope this will be as exciting to read as a saga.
I really hope you will like it. I wanted to give Sig and Boda the story they deserved because I was bitter about the way they had been handled in the show. Also, if you ever see similarities with the story of Alfhildr, it is normal. It is a great inspiration of mine. Also, this story is linked with Children of the Wolf.
I really hope you will like this fanfic.