The Son Of Ragnar

Kattegat was regaining its stability with the search for Lagertha bearing no fruit, there was no way to confirm if she was dead or alive.

Ulrik was in charge of Kattegat now and he told everyone not to announce that Lagertha could be dead as if this got out, it would be difficult to contain even if they do find her.

Unless there was a body, Lagertha was alive until then and Ulrik took the interrogation of the lady that had led the attack himself.

She was taken to the dungeon, while he was no Erik he knew how to break his prisoners.

The mind was what Ulrik liked breaking, not the body.

Tiril felt sorry for the lady that was now within the grasp of Ulrik, a fate she would not wish for her worst enemy but this lady did hurt her commander.

She wished her the worst possible kind of pain any human could bear.

"Well, well. King Askild is gone a day and you fuckers try to take over?" Ulrik said, sharpening a dagger right in front of the tied-up woman.

He noticed the fear in her eyes as he momentarily stopped sharpening the knife.

"Oh! This? This is not for you." Ulrik said and the relief on the woman's face was clear.

But the fear was still in her eyes, she did not know what he planned to do with her but she knew it was something very unpleasant.

"I do not harm ladies, but my process is slow and a lot more of an attack on your mind. Food and water will not touch those lips of yours, you won't be allowed to sleep…" Ulrik was saying all this with a satisfied smile as he was listing the things he would do to her.

The lady was not gagged but there was no point in talking and risking provoking the one that was in charge of getting information out of her.

"But before I begin, I will give you a chance to tell me everything you know," Ulrik said as he returned to sharpening his dagger.

"Who do you work for?" Ulrik asked but the lady held out. She soon realized by Ulrik's smile that this was exactly what he was hoping for.

"I-I can't say their name or I am as good as dead," The lady said and Ulrik's smile disappeared with this.

"I do not give a fuck, I could kill you now if you want. It makes no difference." Ulrik said.

He was surprised by how stupid she was but he knew that whoever was responsible was someone with some sort of influence or there was no way she would hold out.

"There is an interesting punishment I have in store for you," Ulrik said, pointing at the stone that was barely touching her legs as the rope wrapped around her wrists kept her suspended.

She had to stand on the stone or she might damage the nerve in her hands, she had no problem balancing for now as she still had stamina but for how long?

"Do you fear that person more than you do King Askild?" Ulrik asked and the horror that crept up on the lady's face showed she did not.

She was stripped naked and he noticed that she had a strange tattoo embedded on her back.

"I-I do not know the person's name! You must believe me!" The lady pleaded but this contradicted what she had said previously, she said she could not say the name and not that she did not know the name.

Ulrik was no fool but he decided to play along with her games, fear does make people say things they do not mean.

"What is that mark on your back…" Ulrik questioned her but that was when the lady chose absolute silence despite her fear. Ulrik was in no rush, they had days, weeks, or even months to break her.

Lagertha was feeling better, she had regained the mobility in her joints and could stand on her feet, albeit barely as she fell each time she did.

She was advised to lie down but she wanted to step out for fresh air because the inside house stunk badly due to the decaying organisms around her.

She was held up by the girl and outside was one of the most unhygienic places she had seen in her life, the ground was swampy and the road was littered with dirt and rubbish.

Starving children on the road, devoid of energy as they lay there to die.

This made her gesture even more selfless because this girl could easily have left Lagertha, this place was already terrible enough for her to concern herself with one person.

"Where did you find me?" Lagertha asked the girl, she had to know.

"I found you collapsed some distance away from here, I thought you might be a noblewoman because of your beautiful skin. If a noble dies here, we will all be in trouble," The lady said, prompting Lagertha to understand just how unfair the world was to them.

"You saved my life, I owe you so much more than my life and I will get you out of here," Lagertha said, and an idea came up as she remembered how they adopted Tyr.

Nothing was stopping her from adopting this girl or taking her as a maid because she could not make her, her child without the consent of her husband who was currently at war.

"W-What do you mean? That is not possible!" The girl firmly said. She did not believe Largetha. She lost her parents when she was little and learned to scavenge for herself.

"I will take you out of here, what is your name?" Lagertha asked but the girl became flustered.

"I-I do not have a name," The girl said, her head facing the ground as this brought a smile from Lagertha.

"Do you mind if I give you one?" Lagertha asked and the girl's face lit up as she shook her head to let Lagertha know it was alright.

"How about Garda?" Lagertha said. a name that meant shelter, just like she had provided her.

The smile on the girl's face gave Lagertha her answer.