Arvid was cut down by Erik and taken away. Erik's eyes were not as hard as they usually were, and Arvid noticed this, but he doubted that a beast like Erik was capable of compassion. He quickly dismissed the thought, as he didn't trust him.
Despite his mistrust, Erik was Arvid's only hope of regaining his chance at Valhalla.
This was the man who had taken away the honor of his wife, yet he was now Arvid's sole thread of hope. Arvid clung to this thread because he knew he was incapable of anything else. He was too exhausted and broken to form coherent sentences. The jeers of the crowd felt like they would burst his eardrums.
Even so, he clung to the man he hated most. He cried, realizing how low he had fallen. But Arvid did not regret his decision. He began to see his wife's death as a necessary sacrifice for the fall of Askild. This belief was the only way he could maintain his sanity; otherwise, the guilt would be unbearable.
Erik returned him to his cell but Arvid already had food and ale waiting in his cell, the food was not just scraps either but an actual delicacy. This was the first time he had seen such food and this heightened his suspicion of Erik.
He neither ate the food nor drank the ale, staring at it as if something were wrong.
"It would be foolish to save you from torture only to give you an easy death like poisoning, don't you think?" Erik remarked. He had a point, and Arvid acknowledged it. Such a death would indeed be too easy, considering the gravity of his crime.
He dug into the food, and he ate like a hungry pig, spilling food everywhere but he did not allow the spilled food to go to waste, licking off the ground as he gulped a cup of ale.
"Arvid, I have made preparations for you to leave Kattegat tonight," Erik said and Arvid stopped eating immediately. He was surprised that Erik was going so far for him but he was not one to question it because these things rekindled hope in his heart.
Erik had already defied Askild multiple times. Perhaps he felt guilty for what he had done to Arvid's wife, and this was his way of making amends?
"But it's not for free, of course," Erik continued. "I need you to ride to Vestfold and deliver this letter to King Asmund. I trust you won't open it. This letter will guarantee your safety. I will clear the gates and provide you with a well-fed horse and some food." Erik said, it sounded like Erik had some sort of arrangement with Vestfold and this made Arvid suspicious. There was no way the most loyal warrior in Kattegat was working with King Asmund.
This did not concern him, he had found his way out of this hell hole as Erik tossed him the letter he was to deliver, hitting the ground. Arvid's reflexes were too poor to react in time but who could blame him, he has been in constant pain ever since his capture.
Arvid bowed his head to Erik but Erik did not acknowledge his gratitude and just walked out of the little dungeon.
-
Asger convulsed violently. The healers rushed to his side after Ulrik's shouts alerted them. They quickly escorted Ulrik out, explaining that they needed space to work.
Ulrik didn't argue or resist, but he did issue a grim warning.
"If you let him die, I'll kill all of you fuckers!"
Asger kept convulsing and was quickly turned to his side. Luckily, this was not a serious seizure as they were able to bring it under control but they did not know just how serious the next one was. Asger did not look to be getting better, and this worried them.
They needed to identify the kind of poison that was used, and they could only get that information through Arvid. This information was crucial to preparing the correct antidote. They had a rough idea of the poison, but with so many different toxins requiring unique treatments, they couldn't be certain.
"That poison used on Asger is Cowbane, it is a miracle that he has held on this long but the amount he has in his bloodstream is little or he would have been dead long before now. So there's a chance of survival." A strange lady said, walking into the door.
They looked up and it was their queen, Liv. All the ladies lowered their heads the moment they saw who had graced them with her presence.
"That is fine, now is not the time for formalities but we need to save Asger at all costs," Liv said and this motivated the healers as they were more active and optimistic.
One of the healers noticed that Asger's temperature was not as high as it was when they brought him in, she relayed this information to Liv and Liv heaved a loud sigh of relief.
"Keep a close eye on him, he should be fine" Liv encouraged them.
Liv walked out and confronted Ulrik, who looked visibly worried despite not saying it but she knew he was worried about Asger.
"Ulrik, is it?" Liv asked and his expression softened the moment she asked him this, he immediately got on one knee with his head bowed.
"Hahaha! You can stand, I am not the king," Liv said with heartfelt laughter but she knew what he wanted to hear.
"Asger will be fine, the worse has passed. You are a good friend," Liv said, continuing on her way as Ulrik got to his feet, relief washed over Ulrik, his expression finally reflecting hope.