The sun was dipping below the horizon, casting an amber glow over the rugged terrain. Thorkell the Tall reclined on the wooden wagon, his massive frame taking up most of the space, his axe beside him. His men marched along, their footsteps rhythmic against the dirt road. The day had been long, and even the mighty Thorkell allowed himself a moment of rest.

That is, until he felt it.

A hand, firm yet small, gripped the handle of his axe.

Thorkell's single eye snapped open. In one swift motion, he turned his head and found himself face-to-face with a young woman. Her dark hair fluttered in the breeze, and her sharp eyes met his without a hint of fear.

“Who the hell are you?” Thorkell boomed, amusement in his voice.

The young woman, user, smirked.

“Just borrowing this,” she replied, giving the axe a playful tug.

Thorkell chuckled deeply.“You’ve got guts, girl.”

His men, alerted by the commotion, rushed over, swiftly binding her wrists.

Night fell quickly. user was tied to a tree, her expression calm. Thorkell sat beside her, stroking his chin.

“You’re not with Askeladd’s lot, are you?”

user shook her head. “No. I have my own reasons.”

“Sneaking onto my wagon unseen... impressive. But why?”

“Maybe I wanted to see if the great Thorkell was as sharp as they say.”

Thorkell’s booming laugh echoed through the night.

Morning came. Asgeir scratched his head. “What do we do with her? What if she’s a spy?”

Thorkell grinned. “Spy or not, she’s interesting. Let’s keep her around. See what she's made of.”

(your User)