THE INNOCENT

"Are you hurt, Your Highness?" asked Heahmund from where he sat opposite Sophie who was curled in the corner.

The poor girl was a mess with bruises covering her face and hands as she seemed to be in pain. "I'm alright," she whispered.

"Are you sure, Your Highness?" Heahmund asked again.

"I am okay," Sophie repeated more quietly this time.

"They will pay for it, Your Highness," Heahmund promised. "Those heathens will pay for it. I'll make them pay." He was trying to contain the anger that raged inside him.

"How will you do that if we're both stuck here?" Sophie asked.

"We'll get out."

"It's useless," Sophie whispered. "They'll kill us anyway."

"They won't," Bishop Heahmund said. "That crippled pagan had taken a shining to me."

"Ivar?"

"Yes."

"What does he want of you?" Sophie asked.

"I'm assuming to fight on his side."

"And will you?"

Before the Bishop could answer, the iron cell gate was opened, and in strolled four large Vikings with huge grins painted on their faces. Their eyes never left Sophie's curled form as she sat there staring up at them defiantly.

"Where is Ivar?" She asked as three men passed by her and towards Heahmund. "Where is he?"

She knew she shouldn't anger any more Vikings but the Bishop's presence seemed to give her the courage she needed.

"Shut up, Christian!" The fourth Viking hissed in his language as he made his way towards her. He reached for the axe on his side, pulling it out before bringing it down with such a force that broke the chains that once tied her feet, making Sophie jump in fear.

"Stay away from her!" Bishop Heahmund shouted as he tried to break free from the grip of the three Vikings that forced him up.

Sophie was forced next to her feet before being dragged outside behind the other three Vikings that were dragging Bishop Heahmund out.

They were led up from the dungeons and into an open area that looked like a ruin. In the middle, there was a large post with four cuffs and an iron collar.

Sophie feared for the worst.

The Viking holding her pushed her down to the floor by one of the walls before tying her ankles to two of the cuffs while Bishop Heahmund was brought to the post where he was forced to kneel. The iron collar was locked around his neck while his hands were tied to the two chains left which left him forced to remain up straight as he knelt.

From the shadows emerged Ivar, crawling, causing the four Vikings to finally walk away.

"Blessed is he who walked not in the counsel of the ungodly," Bishop Heahmund started. "Nor standeth in the way of the sinner, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful."

"For he delights in the law of the Lord and in that law doth he meditate night and day," he continued causing Ivar to chuckle as he brought himself to sit next to Sophie who shifted away from him.

"And he shall be planted like a tree by the rivers of water. That bringeth forth his fruit. In his season."

Ivar exhaled. "You call me a heathen... but to me, I am godly. I live by the gods."

"There is only one god," the Bishop told him.

"But I have seen other gods. I have seen Odin, the all-father with my own eyes."

"They are the devil's work."

Ivar laughed.

"He conjures up demons and fallen angels to beguile us and lead us into evil," continued the Bishop.

"What is evil, hmm?" Ivar asked him.

"The slaughter of the innocent," Bishop Heahmund answered.

"You slaughter when it suits you," Ivar told him.

"He who chooses to be heathen is not innocent!" Bishop Heahmund hissed. "But I could show you the ways of God. I could bring you to salvation and to eternal life."

"Do you know who I am?" Ivar laughed.

"Of course," Bishop Heahmund said. "You are Ivar, son of Ragnar Lothbrok. And many there are who fear you."

"Hmm," Ivar hummed. "But not you?"

"No," the Bishop said. "I fear no man. No matter how wicked."

"People tell stories about other people. People they don't know. Have never met. And yet they still curse them and tell lies about them. Isn't that true?"

"Yes. People told lies about our Savior."

"Well, perhaps they tell lies about me as well."

"How would I know?" The Bishop asked.

Sophie watched Ivar as he sat there silently for a moment thinking. "I will give you the chance to find out," he said, glancing at her as he started crawling away from them. "You are coming on a journey with us."

"I am already on a journey!" Bishop Heahmund called after him.

"Aren't we all?" Ivar muttered before he disappeared, leaving Sophie and the Bishop in their cold prison sprawled over the muddy ground that was covered by the blood that was spilt there.

They both remained silent, each lost in their thoughts for a few minutes until the approaching footsteps brought their attention back to the present moment. And just like that, Sophie's body tensed up only to relax again once she saw the familiar face of Ubbe, who approached.

"Ubbe?" Sophie whispered as she looked up at the tall Viking who crouched in front of her. He directly reached for his ax before he cut her loose again all while Bishop Heahmund was watching cautiously.

"Come on," Ubbe said softly, urging Sophie to her feet as she remained still.

"What do you want with her?" The Bishop hissed with gritted teeth.

"I will get her out of here," Ubbe said, looking over his shoulder.

"To where?" Bishop Heahmund asked again, but this time Ubbe ignored him as he pulled Sophie to her feet forcefully.

"Where are you taking me?" Sophie said, panicking from the sudden change in the demeanor of Ubbe. "Away from Ivar," he hissed.

"To my brother?" Sophie asked, but Ubbe remained silent as his eyes bore into hers.

"No," Ubbe said. "To Kattegat."

"Kattegat?" She asked but had no time to process what happened next as she was tugged along with him away from the Bishop who fought against the chains that bound him.

"Let go of her!" And of course, it was useless.

His shouts eventually faded away as Ubbe marched them towards three Vikings that stood guard. "Let us through," he told the large guard that blocked his path but the guard refused to budge. "Do you know who we are?"

"We know who you are. What do you want?" The tall guard with white hair asked.

"I'm heading out and you're wasting my time," Ubbe told him. "Now, get out of my way."

"I'll ask him and see if it's all right," the guard said.

"No, you won't," Ubbe started. "Because you will not have a tongue to ask him with. I will nail you to that post just over there. Do you understand?"

That wasn't the Ubbe that Sophie knew, but this new Ubbe seemed to intimidate the three guards as they quickly cleared a path for them to pass. He marched them towards the group of Vikings gathered with their horses ready, and among them, Sophie spotted Hvitserk.

"Ubbe," Sophie hissed. "Slow down!"

"We have no time!" Ubbe retorted.

Little did she know that Ubbe and Hvitserk had a meeting with her brother and his sons the night before, leading to a deal that Ubbe was willing to fulfill against Ivar's wishes, who was kept in the dark about the whole plan.