The Son Of Ragnar

Things were coming to an end and there were no closer to finding out who killed Tor as the chaotic scene allowed King Gryting to implement his plan. 

He was now fighting Ragnar, a man that he wished he did not pick a fight with due to his impeccable battle prowess. 

Even though he landed a hit on Ragnar, he realized that Ragnar\'s mind was focused on something entirely different. 

King Gryting heard his archers being cut down in the distance and he realized it was just him and Ragnar. 

The armour he was so confident in, he realized that Ragnar\'s strikes were not to test its durability but rather, forced the metal to cave in around his joints. 

This made it a lot more difficult for Getting to fight and the only option he had if he was possibly going to compete with Rsgnar was to take it off. 

And that is exactly what he did, Gryting took off his armour as he watched Ragnar remove the arrow protruding from his shoulder. 

"Who are you working with?" Ragnar asked, he caught onto something and that was Gryting was not the kind of man to engage in battles he did not have a chance of winning and with his troops alone, there was no way he could have won even if mother nature was on his side. 

"What are you talking about?" Gryting chose to play dumb but Ragnar knew he had to get him to submit if he was going to get any information from him. 

Ragnar dropped his sword, he wanted to give Gryting that false sense of an advantage because this would increase the possibility of him slipping up. 

"I will beat it out of you," Ragnar threatened and this angered Gryting.

Gryting swung his blade in an attempt to bifurcate Ragnar horizontally, the target was his lower torso. 

Ragnar jumped high enough to escape its range before stomping the blade to the ground in mid-air, stepping on the flat surface.

Ragnar proceeded to slap him like a child, Gryting could not believe how unmatched he was.

Gryting let go of his blade and tried to punch Ragnar but like a dancing willow, Ragnar dodged it and landed yet another slap. 

Gryting grabbed his face in disbelief, he began looking to his left and right for an escape route because he knew that this battle could not be won.

He was stupid in thinking that he could defeat Ragnar but Lagerha soon came into view, covered in blood. 

"You are not going anywhere, King Gryting…" Lagertha said and Ragnar could tell he was defeated mentally.

"I could kill you right here and now without any consequences, I would be justified," Ragnar said and Gryting bit his lower lips in anger. 

"You bastard! I am a King, you cannot kill me without consequences!" Gryting said and Ragnar chuckled when he heard this. 

This man clearly was not aware of his situation.

He lost that immunity when he attacked Rogaland, right now he was an enemy but Ragnar knew he needed to follow due process. 

"I cannot kill you?" Ragnar questioned right before King Gryting felt a sword rested on his shoulder but it was not Ragnar\'s sword but rather, Lagertha. 

"You see, I am not the hot-headed one in the family, she is…" Ragnar said and Gryting gulped loudly because he could see the fury in Lagertha\'s eyes. 

He hurt her husband and she was not going to forgive him. He knew that Lagertha would take his life. 

"W-Wait! I can explain!" Gryting finally broke; a last-ditch attempt to cling to the life he held so dearly. 

"Go on…" Ragnar instructed. 

"You were right, King Ragnar. I was not working alone!" King Gryting said desperately because he knew just by saying this, it made his life valuable hence Lagertha won\'t kill him, not yet at least. 

"Who are you working with? Why are you targeting my sons and why did you kill Tor?" Ragnar asked but warm fluid soon splattered on Ragnar\'s face, temporarily blinding him. 

Ragnar stumbled backwards as he struggled to clean his eyes and when he came to it, he saw Gryting dead body on the floor with an arrow clean through him.

"What the hell!?" Ragnar said out loud, he was certain. That there were only three archers and Lagertha had taken care of all of them or was there a fourth?

Ragnar kissed his teeth in annoyance because he was so close to figuring out who wanted him or his sons dead. 

"What was that…" Ragnar thought to himself but this was not about Gryting being killed. 

Ragnar knew Signy wanted his head but did his influence extend here? He could see it happening considering that his involvement in the clan war that just concluded was evident but if he was willing to go this far to claim the lives of his son then Ragnar could no longer sit idle, he would have no choice but to take drastic actions against Vingulmark.

Whoever he allied with would rather have him dead than allow him to spill the beans, indicating that King Gryting might have just been a pawn in a much larger conspiracy.

-

Nora followed the man desperately, she hoped that she could catch up to him as she knew how important information was so if she could capture him.

That would prove invaluable but she was also aware that she might have to kill him. 

Nora was angry, the veins bulging on her forehead were proof of this as she did not take it lightly that someone had just attempted to kill Tyr. 

Of course, she trailed him undetected as she knew this person might take an alternate route should they figure out that they were being tailed. 

Nora hoped that Tyr was okay but she trusted Finn, Finn was attached to Tyr on a level she has never seen from her brother so she was certain he would do whatever it takes to make sure that Tyr was alright. 

Nora slowed down as she noticed the assailant come to a halt before suddenly jerking his head backwards. 

Nora had to quickly duck out of sight and fortunately for her, she was not detected.

Nora knew she had to be more careful, sticking out her head once more but the person had vanished. 

"Shit! Where did they go!?" Nora cussed in her mind, she could not afford to make a sound. 

But she noticed that there were footprints on the ground, this was heaven-sent as this person probably relied on the high probability that they would not be followed and this gamble was about to bite them in the ass. 

Nora followed the set of footprints on the ground but she was also aware that enemies might lay ahead. 

Everything would be pointless if she was found out and killed because then, the information she learned would go to waste. 

She had two options, should she wait for backup or go in herself while the opportunity still presented itself?

-

King Tryggve, King Rugalf, and Bjorn were met with silence after Rugalg asked his question. 

"I think I know who is responsible for this," Tryggve said as he clenched his fist, Rugalf was willing to hear him out even though he would still face some sort of punishment for causing such unrest.

The only saving grace he had was none of Rugalf\'s brothers was injured as of this moment.

This would drastically reduce the punishment that Tryggve was going to receive and the fact that he sounded the horn even while knowing that death might be a possible factor gained the respect of Rugalf. 

Rugalf always thought of Kings as warriors that would rather choose self-preservation over sacrifice but Tryggve proved him wrong with his choice.

King Gryting was the threat and his attempt to do whatever he intended was for naught. 

Rugalf heaved a loud sigh before saying. 

"That fool really did carry on with it…" 

Bjorn was shocked by this because this statement meant he knew that King Gryting was likely to launch an attack so why did he wait until it came to fruition for him to act? 

"King Rugalf, I will accept whatever punishment you give me but allow me to help you protect your Kingdom," Tryggve tried to redeem himself because he could not help but feel like he was to blame for all of this. 

"Help? You mistake something King Tryggve. We are more than capable of defending ourselves, I worry more about what he might do…" Rugalf said with a tired sigh. 

"What he might do?" Tryggve repeated and Rugalf simply said. 

"Yes, what Grjötgard might do…" Rugalf let loose the name. He was not worried about Salgard because Salgard was a cheap imitation of Grjötgard.

Grjötgard was the real deal, and Rugalf knew he would not stop here either. 

There was no longer any doubt, King Gryting was the one with the most motive to want Tor dead with King Tryggve himself personally clearing Ragnar\'s name of all suspicion thanks to his little fight with Bjorn. 

But none of them knew that the man known as Gryting was dead as he was only a clog in a much bigger machine.