The sound of rain filled the air as a group of farmers hit their hoes into the ground to till the ground for the upcoming season. The ground had finally softened and the soil was ready for this year's crops to be planted; the snow had long since melted and while a crisp breeze still made the residents it this farm shiver it was bearable with the furs they covered themselves in. While the rest of the labourers worked hard in ploughing the land, one of them leant on their home as they looked out towards the main house. 

Thorfinn Fjollsson watched with envy as he saw Ragnar play with his son Bjorn, teaching him how to wield a sword and axe. While he was grateful to the man for taking him in after his mother had died, he knew he was meant for more than tilling the land and helping bring in the harvest. They had just celebrated Eostre in Kattegat and so they expected the Harvest to be plentiful this year; Ragnar would need all hands ready to plant as much as they could for the upcoming winter. Food was as good as gold during particularly rough winters. 

Thorfinn hoped that he might convince Ragnar to take him raiding with him this year. He wished to prove himself and he couldn't do that if he was stuck being a simple labourer for his entire life. "Thorfinn! Till the land, the rain is undoing our work!" One of the older men yelled to him. 

Thorfinn grunted before bringing his hoe up and continuing to till the ground. He hoped the rain would stop soon as too much would mean more work tomorrow, and he had wanted to go fishing in the nearby stream; perhaps he could catch something for Rebekah and she could cook it for them, he did always enjoy the food she had brought him at times. Though he had to admit Gyda was just as talented a cook, which surprised Thorfinn as Lagertha's food was nothing special. 

Clearing these thoughts from his mind he slammed his hoe back into the ground. His muscles were burning and aching as he had been filling the ground since the morning with little break. His kyrtill was soaking through because of the rain and he had to brush his shoulder-length white hair out of his face. Thorfinn was often said to have been touched by the gods as he was born with white hair that almost seemed to glow, and as he grew older he seemed to grow more handsome as well. 

Even at thirteen winters old he was turning the heads of women twice his age and had even been propositioned many times in Kattegat, by both men and women alike —but he did not want to think about the former. For hours he kept on tilling the land, it seemed the gods were on his side today as the rain stopped shortly after and they were allowed to continue their work without too much damage caused to the land. 

After he had finished for the day he walked exhaustedly to the stream next to the farm. He removed his clothing before submerging himself in the river and washing the accumulated sweat and earth from his body. The sun had come out from behind the clouds bringing a bit of warmth to the otherwise cold land and while it couldn't compare to the icy cold water of the river, Thorfinn found that he didn't mind the coldness of the water and took pleasure in lying under the shining sun. Washing his face once more he emerged from the river and walked to where he had hung up his clothes on a nearby tree branch; Thorfinn heard a rustle in one of the bushes and smiled "Shouldn't you be cooking with your mother Gyda? She'll be disappointed that you spent you spent your time watching me bathe," Thorfinn said jokingly as he put on his clothing. 

Gyda emerged from the bushes having been caught, Thorfinn could see a slight flush on her face as she came out but she had her arms crossed. "You said you'd help me pick herbs after you were done in the fields, when I came to find you, you were nowhere to be found," Gyda said accusingly. 

"It was a hard day Gyda, I wished to clean myself before doing anything else," Thorfinn explained as he slipped his krytill over his head. 

"Was the rain Freyr sent not enough to clean you," Gyda said with a giggle. 

Thorfinn looked at Gyda and saw how dry she was —having stayed inside during the worst of the rain. "I see you were not able to receive Freyr's blessings, a true shame," Thorfinn said with a smile on his face as he started walking closer to Gyda. 

Gyda's eyes widened as she watched him her closer "No Thorfinn!" She warned as she backed away from him. Thorfinn lifted his hands signifying his intentions to grab onto Gyda, she turned around on her heels and tried to dash away from the riverbank, but Thorfinn was too fast and he managed to grab onto Gyda lifting her. "Thorfinn! Put me down!" She said while laughing. As she wiggled and tried to get out of his grasp she managed to unbalance Thorfinn who slipped on the muddy shore and they both fell to the ground tumbling over each other. 

Both Thorfinn and Gyda laughed but she soon hit Thorfinn in the shoulder as she saw her dress was made muddy by the wet earth or the river. "Mother will think I've been acting indecently!" She said as she walked away from the bank of the river wiping the mud from her face. 

"Then it seems that you are in need of Freyr's blessing more than I am," Thorfinn said with a grin as he walked past her pushing his wet hair behind his ears. Gyda pushed him again but did so playfully as they both walked down the dirt path back to Ragnar's farmstead, along the way they spoke of the upcoming summer raids and of both his and Bjorn's journey to Kattegat to get their arm rings, an important event in their lives as it would signify their ascent into manhood and all the privileges that come with it. 

"Do you still intend to join the summer raids?" Gyda asked. 

"If Ragnar approves of it I will," Thorfinn said with the nod of his head. 

"You have little experience with the axe or the sword, would it not be safer to stay here and learn more?" Gyda asked she was worried about her friend, more worried than she would admit. She did not believe Thorfinn to be the sort of warrior to make it home from raiding unscathed; In her home she had precious few people to talk to, even her family did not see her as much as they saw her brother Bjorn. Losing her friend to the Eastlanders would be difficult and she spent many nights dreaming of such things ever since Thorfinn had told her of his intentions to go raiding. 

"I have practised on my own every chance I have gotten, I will be able to handle myself," Thorfinn stated confidently. 

But his words did little to sway Gyda who frowned at him. "You are only thirteen winters old, these men you will encounter are twenty maybe thirty winters, some have been raiding longer than you've been alive."

Thorfinn rolled his eyes "I do not want to work on a farmstead all my life Gyda, I am an Fjallsson, I have nothing and I'll always have nothing unless I grasp it with my hands," he said to her. 

"You could stay with me, Father would allow you to court me if I ask him, we could marry and you could build a house for us on the land," Gyda tried to reason as she put her hand on his arm. 

Thorfinn gave her a mind smile before shaking his head "You know my heart belongs to another Gyda, but even if it did not I wouldn't marry if I had nothing to offer that was my own," he said resolutely. 

Gyda giggled "You are still entranced with the girl in Kattegat, Rebekah is it?" She asked. 

Thorfinn nodded "She loves me as well, but her father is a wealthy and cruel man, he does not let me get anywhere near her," he said as he picked up a stick from the ground and started swiping the air with it like a sword. 

"Does she not have five brothers? You set yourself a difficult task Thorfinn, even I am interested in how you plan to gain her hand in marriage, I wouldn't think any man but the Jarl's son would be good enough," Gyda said. 

"Once I go raiding I can start to acquire wealth and prestige in battle, then I can buy my own land and build a house upon it," Thorfinn explained to Gyda who laughed. 

"Father says the eastlanders are just as poor as we are, where do you intend to get this great wealth, will you raid Njords halls and steal it," she said while laughing. 

Thorfinn shoved her before throwing his stick to the ground "There is little else I can do, I do not have a trade, apprenticing to someone would take too long and I'm not a dwarf to go searching the mountains for gold, battle is the only way."

"There is no shame in being a farmer Thorfinn, do not forget what it is people spend their gold on," Gyda said as she leaned against him. 

"Fine clothing, strong swords and a large longhouse," Thorfinn said with a grin. 

"Men... you are all on a lifelong journey to get more than you have only to realise at the end that you already have everything you need," Gyda said sagely. 

Thorfinn looked at her with raised brows "I did not know you had such wisdom, are you perhaps aiming to become the next seer," he said jokingly. 

"It's something mother tells me when she's annoyed at father," Gyda replied. 

Gyda then looks to Thorfinn and caresses his face "Swear on the gods you'll come back, that you'll run if it becomes too dangerous, that you won't die," she said in a serious tone. 

"I swear on the gods that I'll come back, but I won't run Gyda, it is only victory or Valhalla for me," Thorfinn said confidently. Gyda had to wonder whether his words were true, she had seen many people only a few years older than Thorfinn come back from raiding only to never to again. She wanted to go to Valhalla and feast amongst the Aesir but she didn't want to go yet and she thought a lot of the other people she knew wouldn't either, Thorfinn included. 

They didn't say much to each other as they entered the Farmstead where Thorfinn walked Gyda back to her home. As they approached her mother Lagertha the Shield-Maiden walked out and smiled at the two. "You are late Gyda and your clothes are a mess," she said as she brushed the mud off her with her hands and straightened up her hair. 

"I'm sorry Mother I tripped near the river," She replied as her mother stroked her hair. 

"No matter, come let's eat, will you join us Thorfinn?" She asked and Thorfinn nodded eagerly, he hadn't had much chance to eat today as the rain threatened to destroy the crops they had planted and so he was ravenous. Lagertha ushered them both into the house where Ragnar and Bjorn sat around the table, the older man joked and played around with his son fighting with him. "Enough playing, eat," she chided her husband and son as she spooned bowls of stew into their bowls.

Thorfinn and Gyda took a spot on the opposite side of the table where they both started to eat the soup, Thorfinn a lot more greedily than the others. "I did not think I'd see someone enjoying my wife's meal more than the pigs," Ragnar said with amusement as he watched Thorfinn eat, his own wooden spoon twirled in his bowl not having taken a bite yet. 

Lagertha hit him in the arm "Perhaps you wish to cook tomorrow then, and I'll teach Bjorn how to fight," she said offended at his words. 

Ragnar put his hands up in surrender "Your food is divine my wife, if it is not served at the table of the Aesir then I shall not attend the feast," he said before bursting out laughing with Bjorn and Gyda joining him. 

Lagertha took it in good spirits as she shook her head and started to laugh as well. "How were the fields today Thorfinn," Lagertha asked as she turned to face him. 

Putting his spoon down he swallowed his food "The gods were good today, it stopped raining before the soil could be damaged," he replied. 

Lagertha nodded "Are you looking forward to travelling to Kattegat tomorrow to get your Arm Ring?" She asked. 

Thorfinn nodded eagerly "It has consumed my thoughts for months," he said. 

Thorfinn then turned to Ragnar "I have a request of you Ragnar," he said respectfully. 

Ragnar who was watching Thorfinn converse with his wife continued to look at him before gesturing for him to continue. "I wish to join you in the summer raids," he said bluntly. 

Ragnar leant back in his seat before taking a sip from his ale. "The Jarl decides who will join on the Summer Raids, not me," Ragnar simply said. 

"I know you plan on suggesting we go west instead of east this summer, I heard you speak to Floki about it," Thorfinn said causing both Gyda and Bjorn to look at their father. 

Ragnar took another sip from his cup before standing up "Outside," he said before leaving the table. 

Thorfinn stood up as he repressed his nervousness and followed Ragnar outside of the house. "You wish to go raiding, but do you have any experience fighting," Ragnar asked before unholstering his axe and swinging it towards Thorfinn who in an attempt to duck fell on the floor. 

Ragnar kept swinging at Thorfinn who rolled across the ground before pulling out his own dagger from his belt. Ragnar spun his axe around and hit Thorfinn's hand with the blunted end of the axe forcing him to drop his knife he then sent a kick straight to his chest sending him across the ground. "Why would I bring a boy who cannot even defend himself let alone defend his brother in a shield wall," Ragnar said as he kicked at Thorfinn who was still on the ground. The boy didn't give up yet and stood up ready for Ragnar's next move. 

"I know I have the strength and will to do this," Thorfinn said resolutely before going to attack Ragnar by swinging at him. Ragnar avoided the hit before sending his knee into Thorfinn's stomach and pushing him to the ground again. "War is not a game boy, all my friends from childhood are gone and now feasting amongst the gods, do you wish to join them so soon?" He asked. 

Thorfinn pushed himself up "If the gods will it then so shall it be," he replied. 

Ragnar stood looking at Thorfinn intensely for a few moments longer before putting his axe back on his belt. "Show me you can fight, show me you can hold your ground in the shield wall and I'll consider taking you with me," Ragnar said before turning around and heading back to the house. A few seconds later Gyda and Lagertha who were watching the windows approached him —though some faster than others. 

"Are you well Thorfinn?" Gyda asked as she inspected his body for wounds. 

"He's fine Gyda, Ragnar was just a little upset that you spied upon him, I wouldn't do it again Thorfinn," Lagertha said with a warning look. 

Thorfinn who was breathing a bit heavily nodded. "Maybe you should be getting back to the labourer's house, it is getting late," Lagertha suggested and Thorfinn nodded. He would be busy tonight so he had to prefer for his journey to Kattegat. 

Saying one final farewell to Gyda Thorfinn headed to the bunkhouse where all the labourers ate and slept. Once he arrived there he got changed out of his muddy clothes and instead changed into some of his best ones —though still reasonably low quality. Taking some mint he had picked earlier he put some in his mouth and started to chew it; Thorfinn sat on his bed and waited for the sun to set before leaving the bunkhouse and travelling on the dirt road to Kattegat under the light of the moon. 

It had been too long since he had seen Rebekah and so he decided to surprise her and sneak in unannounced. He hoped that he wouldn't get caught as he couldn't imagine anything good coming from being caught by her father or five brothers. Thorfinn started to walk faster and faster before moving into a slight jog, that slight jog soon turned into a fast job that bordered on a sprint. He had always been good at running, people say that the wind carried him when he ran as that's how fast he was. 

Running to Kattegat may make him sweat a little bit it would be the fastest way and he was desperate to see the woman who stole his heart. A while later he found himself coming upon lights through the treeline; emerging from the trees he was greeted with the town of Kattegat even late at night still shined with light. 

Looking further ahead he could see a large Longhouse in the city though it wasn't the Jarls. It belonged to Mikael Mikaelson, a wealthy landowner and the father of Rebekah. With how big his longhouse was Thorfinn hoped he would have no trouble sneaking in. 

'At least I hope so,'

(AN: My new Novel based on Vikings and the Originals. Yes it's a harem. yes Thorfinn becomes an original and yes he's a hybrid original. Hybrid of what? You'll just have to wait and see. Hope you enjoyed the chapter.)