CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

                                    

                                          

                            

                                
                            
                              
                                  
                              
                              
                                
                                  
                                  
                                
                              
                             
                            
                            
                          
                          
                          
Vál had ran into the forest again with the rest, deep enough so the Frankish soldiers hopefully gave up the chase and returned to their damaged Kingdom. All the people she knew seemed to have survived, Floki stood by a tree, Rollo looked like he could break anything at any moment, Ragnar stood beside him and Björn came walking towards her further away. Harald stood by his brother who groaned as he moved, the arrow was still penetrating his flesh however the blood seemed to have stopped bleeding and was now slowly coagulating.
                          
"Are you okay?" Björn asked with worried eyes and she frowned. "Your leg." Björn said and looked at her thigh. When she looked down she still frowned, the adrenaline made her completely unaware of the large gash on the side of her thigh. Her pant had been ripped from the middle of the front almost all the way to the middle of the back side. A long straight line of a gash was visible in the middle, probably from an arrow or if someone had a knife since she didn't recall someone hitting her with their sword.
                          
"It's nothing." She said before they started to walk back to the shore again. Björn walked beside her all the way, asking her from time to time if it hurt but she only rolled her eyes. It was nothing really to her. A little deep unfortunately but nothing life threatening. To make Björn shut up she had ripped the long sleeve from her shirt and tied it over her leg before continuing to walk. Even if it were nothing to her, she knew it was unnecessary to cause more damage. 
                          
After walking for a while they arrived at the shore. Helga ran up to Floki and embraced him in a bear hug but her eyes soon widen when she saw all the injured warriors. When her eyes landed on Váls bloody cloth around her leg they widen but Vál only shook her head at the older woman.
                          
"What happened Vál?" Helga asked and she groaned on the inside. She could feel Ragnars, Björns and a few others eyes on her but she didn't bother. 
                          
"It's nothing Helga, only a little cut. Nothing I won't survive." Vál said before turned to look at Halfdan's injured shoulder. Rollo asked Helga to help another man who had a more serious injury, an arrow through his leg which was very bad positioned. Halfdan walked over to one of the smaller fires that was still burning before sitting down. By the fire stood two smaller barrels with unknown content. Helga and the rest who stayed had packed their things so they could set sail before the darkness blessed them with their presence. Suddenly the loud cursing leaving Rollo's mouth was heard. Even if she had seriously questioned his planned way of attacking the Frankish kingdom who without their knowledge was trying to figure out a way to never have the pagans invade their kingdom again. 
                          
Vál had walked over to Halfdan and Harald to see if she could help with the arrow when Rollo shot them a disgusting expression filled with rage. Vál only snorted before she raised her brows at the old child who had been nothing but rude to her. He had avoided her in the village and even when they got here. She didn't approve of the look he was giving her. He was a leader but he hadn't done a good job, neither on the field or the way he treated his warriors. Ragnar had been too kind to give his brother power but he still cared for his people. He treated everyone the same, even if he was King in the end. Then when Rollo pointed his blood stained finger at them she felt her rage inside.