Leaping from tree to tree Ingrid made her way through the cleared forest. The stream running along the road branched off of the Green River that flowed north from the mountains to the south.

It wasn't always clear where it was, but you knew you could find flowing water near the towns and villages on the isle. So, the sound of water rushing across stone just widened her grin.

She was so close to breaking through to Drang, and her body sang from the flow of power. The anger in her heart keeping her warm against the day's chill, and the wind crossing the river.

There was only a few pauses when she noticed something of interest to her. Like the boar snuffling at a tree she jumped onto. It became enraged at her, but only lived for a moment more.

Her axe came down across it's neck, and stunned it long enough for the blood loss to kill it. The handle had creaked a bit when she struck the tough hide and bones of the boar, but she just tapped it against the tree.

Using the last of her rope and string, she tied the hog high in the branches to bleed out. She would come back for it, it would be a great feast for her victory. She was at the Threshold, and few things could handle her right now.

The waves of strength could have easily crushed that bear she fought tooth and nail against. She audibly laughed at the memory of that fight. It wouldn't be such a struggle now.

Spinning her axe, she decided to just rush to the river instead of staying in the trees. Beasts always charged and attacked aggressively, except one of those Eldhartur. But, that was a rare behavior from a Beast.

She made sure to make extra noise as she ran. Yelling her challenge to those who called themselves Beasts, and nothing seemed to want to answer. Which made her annoyed.

When she was careful, they were always there. A step away from attacking her even with her caution. Now, when she tossed all of that aside to be as loud as possible, and they vanished?

"Cowards!" She yelled to the roiling waters. Their pounding echoing across the stone and through the trees, "I, Ingrid, Daughter of Olaf, Thegn Warrior. Challenge you miserable creatures!"

---

Screams startled Ingrid from her nap. Even with her training to wake up completely, she was stunned for a moment by the sounds. Fire and battle warred for control over her senses.

The smell of burning wood and hair strong in the air. While the clash of axe and shield raised a sort of music. One that boiled her blood, but no drums joined the battle.

The drums always came before a raid. They came before a Challenge was made. They even came before peaceful talks.

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Where were the drums?

Panic tried to pull her into it, but she slowly descended the tree. Then, she crept towards the town. Considering that the disarray she saw, it didn't seem like she needed such care.

There was so much fire around the edges of the town it looked to be ringed by a wall of flames and not wood. While people ran around and fought one another. With only a few standing out to her as though she knew.

Children had been killed or tied up haphazardly all around the place. With everyone doing their best to kill the invaders, the honor less bastards who didn't bring a challenge. Ingrid looked around for her father, and was stopped dead by the banner.

Those without honor could make one sure, but no one or everyone knew them by heart. This one... it wasn't one she expected to see. The Bloodaxe Clan was aggressive, dominating, but also on a different island from them.

Everyone dreamed of becoming one of their members since the new Chief took power. Since he had been rumored to be giving out the secrets to becoming a Warrior to any who joined his forces.

Ingrid's father was actually impressed with the man.

"Bloodaxe is trying to change things, and if he trains them right. It could be the start of a new age for the people." He had said it last night, before she ran off into the forest to train again.

Her chest tightened as she found her father.

He fought against two men in the leathers of Bloodaxe. His own axe twisting with incredible speed to parry his attackers. While his shield smashed into them. Clearly he was trying to end the fight with disabilities not killing.

It was a good tactic if they could win. Since they would put to work as serfs or indentured servants. Her father had always been a pragmatic man, even watching his fellows being cut down by these bastards.

She felt the anger build and build, but as she stepped up to run down the hill. A presence crushed her into the ground, and the flames on the buildings rose into the air.

"Seidr..." She breathed, her lungs struggling to pull in air. Only a Shaman could make fire act that way, but being in the tall grass of the hill she couldn't make out what was going on below.

Only that the sounds had died down, and only a single voice mumbled in the distance.

---

Ingrid fumed with almost literal heat as the Beasts seemingly refused to make an appearance. Like that clear moment in her memory, the moment that took hours for her. The world seemed strangely silent.

In that eternal moment of silence. Her mind turned over everything that was going on, and, slowly, the anger was replaced by horror.

Astridr was injured and over an hour away from her. There was no way sounds could carry, and now that the area was cleaned up creatures would certainly approach. Shaman or not, it was unlikely the unconscious woman could defend herself.

Regardless of her motivations or the effects of the Threshold. The FIRST order for a Warrior was to protect those they shelter, and she had ran off seeking power?!

The implications of her actions the last few hours hit one after the other; she killed and abandoned a kill, she abandoned an innocent and injured person, she had scoffed caution and loudly challenged the world.

Each was a crime against her calling as a Warrior, and tore a new, painful wound in her chest. She needed to return to the boar, and take it back to camp. Only after ensuring the kill and the woman were safe. Would these marks against her stop hurting.

They wouldn't fade, her father made sure she understood the meaning of a Warrior with rod and stone. But, she would be able to live with herself after she did so.

Which is when she smelled smoke, and heard a low growl.

"Damn the Fates." She cursed, seeing the boar Beast charging her with burning red eyes.