Thank you msoriginaljester for the rec!
Ten Thousand Drops of Blood
Author: Cerch
Rating: Mature
Setting: Historical
Word Count: 41k
Summary: The Northmen are a hard breed, mostly concerned with the honour of battle, and being different can cast someone aside more effectively than any physical barrier. Merlin, with his gift of magic that should belong solely to women, has for a long time stood apart from the others. His precarious position as the völva’s apprentice is only protected by the favour of his foster mother, Ygraine, and her son, Arthur, with whom Merlin’s relationship is nothing short of complicated. And suddenly Arthur has a sister among the thralls and enemies among his own men, and Merlin’s carefully constructed front falls overboard faster than Thor’s lightning crosses the sky.