Three long ships split the sea, Germany’s shore neared, the fleet’s commander held onto the dragonhead, and called to his fleet, “Let’s show the Saxons, a taste of the Wolfs Clan!” He brought his dual axes to the sky, and swung them together, sparks flew and the sound echoed. The long ships suddenly grew in speed. The shore had a wall set up, Vikings had attacked Germania’s shores for nearly a century now, and the Saxons and Christians had set up a wall to protect the nearby church and village from the cold blooded Vikings from Sweden, the archers ran up the ladders, grabbing their bows, their arrows flew through the air, and they began crashing, the long ships were now under attack, “Erik! Njal! Ulf! Prepare to attack!” The commander yelled, three men got up, one had messy medium lengthed blonde hair, he held two axes, though one was larger than the other. One was very tall, and had brown hair that was short, he had a stubby beard that covered no further than the end of his lips, his eyes fueled by the attack. The final one, had gray hair and thin eyes, his sword drawn, he jumped to the dragonhead and held on, then the commander called, “Go!” The three boys leaped forward, the dragonheads still nearly 30 feet from the shore, but they launched themselves off, the archers held their bows, in shock. Njal landed and swung his large axe, smashing the loosely built gate, the soldiers behind all watched in horror, Njal then called, “Ulf! Erik!” Ulf and Erik both launched up, weapons in hand, Erik swung his larger axe, into the first soldier’s skull, the bone easily broke, and blood spewed onto his axe, whilst Ulf brought his greatsword up and struck the soldier’s skull, killing him instantly. Erik leaped from the new corpse, and spun in the air, his axes taking two soldier’s heads straight off, Ulf took to the ground and swung his sword around, killing the soldiers. As they fought, their crew’s long ships hit the shore, and the Vikings brought their weapons out, and ran into the fortress. The soldiers looked down to the shoreline wall, one yelled, “We’re all going to be killed!” He dropped his sword and shield and began running, the women and children looked down, and the younger girls fell to the ground, their dresses now dirty, the oldest woman fell down and cried, “I remember what they do, they’ll rape the young girls, get them!” The girls all screamed, as the Vikings tore through the soldiers, limbs and blood flew everywhere. Erik jumped to the ground, and quickly brought his smaller axe up, and blocked the attack from a soldier, “I’ll kill you, damn Vikings!” Erik’s eyes thinned, and he swung his axe into the soldier’s shield, the sheer force broke the shield from it’s handle, it flew to the ground, the soldier quickly brought his sword up, and defended against Erik’s attack, he then kicked Erik’s feet from under him, Erik’s eyes widened, and he quickly flung his feet down, and jumped up, gripping his large axe tighter, and mumbled “Give me strength, Father.” He brought the axe back, and swung it into the soldier’s neck, flesh torn and blood splattered onto Erik’s axe-head and face. Hours passed, the church had been completely ransacked, all their wealth belonged to the Wolfs Clan, the remaining men, women, children, and elderly were tied up and sat along the edge of the southern-most wall, and the commander of the fleet, Osmond, stood there, he smirked and said, “Well Saxons, what should we do to you, lot?” The girls began cowering in fear, Osmond walked to one and said, “Should we rape the girls?” Erik looked in disapproval, and gripped his axes harder, Osmond stood up again, and said, “Release them. We aren’t tormentors.” Wolfs Clan members walked up, and took their weapons and cut the ropes, the people looked to Osmond, “Why?” Osmond turned away, and said, “We, Wolfs Clan, don’t torment you people, we simply want to make a new home and make a land where anyone can live.” Erik sighed, he had hoped Osmond remembered the Wolfs Clan pledge, he walked into one of their tents, and lied down, his axes lied next to him. His larger axe was named “Drepa” or “To Kill”, it was his father’s axe, he used during his years as a Viking, only sat to rust and decay within his father’s old chest, his other axe was a basic axe given to him by the Wolfs Clan, when he joined them. His distant cousin, Randolf had brought him into the Wolfs Clan, after he left. Erik then awoke to the sound of his Clansmen, he looked over the side, and saw one, his blonde dreads tied back. Asva, didn’t follow the Wolfs Clan pledge, he would take English women and do unspeakable things to them, he turned to Erik, his clothes off, the women screaming into the rope, “Want a try finally, Erik?” Erik thinned his eyes at Asva, and said, “I’m not like you, Asva.” Asva frowned and said, “English women are to die for.” He then proceeded to rape her, Erik gripped his axe, he was tired of Asva. Asva turned, “Oh, Erik, you actually gonna..” Erik swung his axe, and cut Asva’s head off, Erik turned to the girl, and cut her ropes and said, “Please flee to your family.” The girl’s tears kept flowing, but she muttered, “Thank you..” Erik smiled lightly, “Erik.” “Thank you, Erik.” She then grabbed her ripped shirt, and ran into the night, Erik picked up Asva’s body and dumped it into the river, as he said, “You deserved this, scum of the Wolfs Clan.” Erik then turned away, and clipped his axes back into his belt, and walked to Osmond’s tent and entered. “Erik, good to see you!” Osmond called, Erik smiled lightly and said, “You’re still a cheery bastard.” Osmond smiled and grabbed his goblet, and drank more wine, “Always will be.” Erik then sat on the barrel behind, and asked, “Where’ll we attack next?” Osmond grabbed his knife and stabbed it into the makeshift map, they had of the area, “Germania’s built a wall in the river, a few knots west. We’ll join with the Ravens Clan and together take the wall down, and kill this false king.” Erik clenched his fist tighter and said, “And I’ll find my father’s killer. He'll breath for the last, by my axe.” Osmond couldn’t forget his trip with Thor, they had attacked Germania together about 12 years back, Erik was 5. Erik got up, he saw Osmond’s face, “It wasn’t your fault. You were trying to keep the fleet alive.” Osmond looked to Erik, Erik saw him as a father, “You always say that. I hope he’ll forgive me, when I join him in Valhalla.” Erik looked to him, his eyes different. “You will live a plentiful life. I’ll take command of the fleet soon, and then you’ll marry and have children.” Osmond sat back, “Erik, I’m 34, no women will marry to me. I want to die in battle, like Thor.” Erik gripped his fists harder, tears began forming, “Erik..” Erik exited the tent, and walked down the path, dust rose after every step. Erik remembered his family, his mother, older twin sisters, and his father, Thor. As Erik walked to the dock, Ulf sat on his shared long ship with Osmond and Erik, “Sleeping is hard again?” Ulf asked, Erik sighed and brought himself onto the boat, the moon rose, “Yeah, same goes for you, brother.” Ulf sighed and said, “I’ll be the head soon.” Erik nodded and replied, “I’ll try to help, Ulf.” Ulf looked into the moon’s reflection, on the waves, “Will I die like my father?” Erik gripped his fist, “Ulf, your father was assassinated by our Clansmen, why haven’t you killed them.” Ulf gulped, an awkward silence passed, “One of them is Signe.” Erik looked to Ulf, a slight pink toned his tan skin, “You still love Signe.” Ulf looked away, “I’ll leave you be, Ulf.” Erik jumped from the boat and said, “We have a long trip, so get some sleep.” Ulf nodded, and Erik walked away, as wolves called from further in, as the night darkened.

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