[Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II; Mature, 15 chapters planned, a Thórgestr-centric Redemption Arc fic with slowburn Senua/Thórgestr - full hellblade fic masterpost]
[chapter 1 tumblr post | AO3]
“He’s gone,” someone says, soothing but for the note of desperation crackling through their voice, “Áleifr is gone and cannot hurt you anymore—now rest, heal, live for me, I will not lose you, too.”
But Thórgestr is lost, blind and trapped somewhere between Midgard and Niflheim. Alone in the dark.
“Follow my voice. I won’t leave you.”
In the aftermath of events in Borgarvirki, Senua and Thórgestr navigate legacies and leadership, healing and moving forward.
[chapter 2 tumblr post | AO3]
“It is good to see you awake,” Senua says once he has caught his breath, though he leans heavy into the bedding, worn out from even so little an effort. “I thought…” She trails off, moving away, and he reaches almost without thinking to grasp her hand and to rest her palm against the unmarred side of his chest.
“Don’t worry,” he says, trying to pull a smile to his face. His voice is stronger, at least, though still threaded with weariness and the pain he is determined to ignore. “It will take much more than a sword cut to send me to Hela.”
Awakening from illness, Thórgestr learns what has happened over the past few days in Borgarvirki.
[chapter 3 tumblr post | AO3]
Thórgestr! He hears not with his ears, not in his mind, but deep in the marrow of his bones. At first it is the enraged snarl of Áleifr, the promise of brutality if he does not come to heel. He freezes, prey in sight of danger. But then—Thórgestr—another voice joins his father’s and outlasts him. It draws Thórgestr away from fear, deeper into the dreaming but away from the dark.
In the dreaming again, in the space between worlds, a spirit makes her presence known.
[chapter 4 tumblr post | AO3]
The hall beyond this room is quiet. More often than not, his door has been kept open for the convenience of those coming in and out, sound traveling easily in and out of the main room. In daylight, there is a rolling river of mixed languages and sparse laughter, and truth be told, he has been too weary to hear it as more than the murmur of life beyond illness, waiting patiently for him to rejoin it.
But for now there is this room and the woman who watches over him in it.
Thórgestr and Senua have a midnight conversation about the importance of rest.
[chapter 5 tumblr post | AO3]
“I want to know,” Ástríðr seethes. “I want to know you regret it—all of it. The sacrifices. The tributes. Your father’s tyranny over everyone he deemed weaker than you.”
Another important and inevitable conversation finally happens.
[chapter 6 tumblr post | AO3]
“There was a moment,” Senua says, before Thórgestr can think of anything else to say or do. “When Áleifr was on the ground, everyone looked to me, waiting for what I would do. Who I would become. And I felt it. The same shadow in me, the pull of the Tyrant. How it might feel to be honored, loved, feared. The way everyone calls me Giantsbane now, I…”
Clarity comes to him again. Recognition. “You’re afraid, too.”
A fire is kindled by another fire.
[chapter 7 tumblr post | AO3]
“Did I hurt you?” he asks, dreading it, but still needing to be certain. “Last night?”
“I think it is everything. Crashing on the beach, traveling across the land, the giants, all the fighting… It was a hard journey.” She shrugs. “I’ve had harder. I’ll live.”
A day of rest, and then another dream, at last.
[chapter 8 tumblr post | AO3]
“You were the chieftain’s son, were you not?”
Thórgestr does not flinch outwardly, but only because he has been bracing himself for this. For a moment, he feels his father’s heavy hand gripping his shoulder. Senua’s knee is still pressed against his leg beneath the table and thankfully her touch prevails against the shadow of the past. You’re with me. “I was,” he tells Audunn. “We severed ties.”
“Your father nearly severed you,” Iseult says, pushing a plate of bread and dried fruit across the table. “Save talk for later and eat something.”
Thórgestr finally meets the former captives.
[chapter 9 tumblr post | AO3]
A figure approaches, weaving through the bodies of giants, steps slow and methodical—a traveler who has come far and with purpose, as relentless as the sea in his pursuit.
“Chieftain’s son,” the stranger says, a Vestmann by his accent, but he says it in smoke-rough Norse. “I’ve been watching you.”
In the dreaming between worlds, an old fool delivers a message.
[chapter 10 tumblr post | AO3]
He has to find a way to carry all that has happened and not let it weigh him down into a grave.
Find your strength, Druth had said, he who knew Senua somehow. His words still have the resonance of a battle-cry and Thórgestr will not shy away from that. This is not your final resting place.
Thórgestr and Senua speak of the past and a few of their ghosts.
Thórgestr also gets a haircut.
[chapter 11 tumblr post | AO3]
Silence stretches long until Solveig hums like she’s learned something already. “You look well for a man who took a blade through his back.”
Thórgestr has a meeting with Solveig Silvertongue, skáld of Borgarvirki.
Behold, my first Hellblade fic. I hold @brynnmclean entirely responsible.
Let Love Conquer Your Mind (Warrior, Warrior)
Rated E, ~2000 words, completed one-shot
"I like this sort of rain," Senua tells him softly. "It makes everything smell new.""Mm," he responds, burying his nose in her hair. She smells like the rain and the softening earth and the green things growing in it. She smells like life.
It is a rainy day in Barðarvik. Senua and Thórgestr take some time for themselves.
Takes place in Hertan-verse but can be read on its own!
in the core of everything drums a beat - [M, current WIP, 15 chapters planned; fic masterpost | rough draft excerpts 1, 2 | AO3]
“He’s gone,” someone says, soothing but for the note of desperation crackling through their voice, “Áleifr is gone and cannot hurt you anymore—now rest, heal, live for me, I will not lose you, too.”
But Thórgestr is lost, blind and trapped somewhere between Midgard and Niflheim. Alone in the dark.
“Follow my voice. I won’t leave you.”
In the aftermath of events in Borgarvirki, Senua and Thórgestr navigate legacies and leadership, healing and moving forward.
Planned future fics in the series:
the heart counsels the rider of will
that which costs deeply rewards deeply
other fics / ficlets
fade under - [M, 673 words, a cut scene from in the core of everything | Tumblr post | AO3]
There are no twists and turns of conversation, no winding words and unsolved riddles. This here is his element and his mind shifts seamlessly from step and swing and slice and scream and throwing all his strength into the fight.
He was made for this and only for this.
Thórgestr dreams of battlefields.
the river stands still - [G, 530 words, related to Hertan as a whole | Tumblr post | AO3]
Where does it hurt? she asks.
He answers, My lungs. My ribs. My back. My heart. Everywhere.
wind and waves, I rode and ran - [G, 517 words | Tumblr post | AO3]
They cannot die out here in the pitiless sea. That cannot be their fate.
leave fears behind, let fall all masks - [T, 910 words, continuation of wind and waves | Tumblr post | AO3]
There is a corner of Senua's mind that he will never be able to reach, a secret, inward place she sometimes falls into. She's been locked in there since long before the sun sank below the horizon and the stars spread across the sky, though her body remained in this world, tucked close to Thórgestr's side.
Thórgestr has learned that it is a precious task, watching over her and shielding her until she finds her way back.
if come thy foes on the gallows-way - [M, 720 words | Tumblr post | AO3]
Thórgestr was not going to let her go into a draugar's camp alone, not this time.
bloom under stone fallen blackbird - [M, WIP | Tumblr tag | AO3]
Send me back, Senua cries. Let me save him.
Who listens?
Or, a time loop AU
This is compilation list 2 of 2 for a significant section of the Hellblade fics on AO3 (updated 26 March 2026)! Sacrifice Fic Rec List is here.
For transparency, certain filters were used to gather the following list: 1) these are written word fics only, so collages/fanvids/fanart are excluded, 2) all of these are English Only as, alas, I’m monolingual and don’t trust Google Translate, 3) I filtered out the Non-Con archive warning out of personal preference, and finally 4) I filtered out fics that involved crossover fandoms, so the lists are Sacrifice/Saga universe fics only. They are listed from oldest to newest posted. I’ve tried to tag writers whose tumblr handles I know/could find, but if anyone sees this and wants to either be tagged or untagged here on tumblr, please let me know!
Thanks for reading these rec lists! If you get the chance, go show those writers some love in the comments!
ETA: I want to strongly encourage readers to actively support fic writers while they are here in this small fandom. Most of the fics in this list have only a handful of comment threads! Comments can encourage writers to keep writing and stay in fandoms. Even a small comment like, "hey, I enjoyed reading this!" can make a difference.
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1. Wish for the Future by SheiGriffin / @sheigarche (G, Senua/Thórgestr, 1k words)
When night comes, Senua and Thorgestr have the chance to talk by the campfire.
A lovely scene in Thórgestr's POV, set between Bárðarvík and Borgarvirki. It's nice to see Thórgestr trying to do his best to understand Senua and to move away from fear to reason. And the two of them hold hands! I'm a sucker for that.
2. Mirrors by FancyLadySnackCakes / @brimbrimbrimbrim (E, Senua/Thórgestr, 9k words)
Thórgestr is brought back to Sjavarrisi to heal from his wounds, while Senua avoids him by the sea. As a storm rolls in, she finds herself alone with him in the longhouse, where she decides that the Northman is everything else but what he once was, and there is room in her to feel love again.
This is a really beautiful fic set in Bárðarvík, post-game. I love the flowing, evocative way that Senua's headspace is written, and the Furies are perfectly audible to my inner ear. There are also details in the fic that I find fascinating in their implications-- a line about Áleifr turning to stone, Thórgestr knowing about the dark rot and having feared it. Very good!
3. Animal Soul (translated from French) by jusToxy_more / @alty759 (Not Rated, Senua/Thórgestr, 3k words, French fic is here!)
"She startles and seems to suddenly be out of her torpor. Her big blue eyes roam the landscape, her eyes falling over the ridgeline above them as well. Good reflex, he thinks. Then Senua turns to Thorgestr, meeting his gaze. He thinks the blue of her eyes doesn’t stand out as brightly as it did now that her face isn’t drenched in blood anymore. They were piercing during their confrontation on the beach. The corners of his lips twitch.
“Who taught you how to fight?”, he asks, in order to engage conversation."
________________________
Many days of walking await Senua and her group after they leave Bardarvik in direction of Borgavirki. As they set off for the last step of their journey, it gives Senua and Thorgestr the opportunity to get to know each other.
It is in this wild nature, in those expanses devoid of any human presence, in the shadows of night, that Thorgestr, little by little, realizes the extent of the affection he feels for the young woman.
A really sweet fic featuring some revelations about Senua's past, some flirting about fighting, Thórgestr making promises, and then the two of them falling asleep together in the dark. I'm so happy this got translated and I got the chance to read it.
4. Stop Thinking And Feel It by SheiGriffin / @sheigarche (T, Senua/Thórgestr, 6k words)
Senua returns to Borgarvirki to find Thórgestr almost fully healed, but things don't get any easier because of that.
I love seeing Senua be welcomed by other people in the aftermath of Saga. Delighted to see Fargrímr here too, watching out for Thórgestr and Senua both. Senua and Thórgestr spar and then talk a little bit about what the future holds for them next. It's such a bright fic. Lovely.
5. A Ray Of Light by SheiGriffin / @sheigarche (G, Senua/Thórgestr, 977 words)
Immediately after the end of Hellblade 2, Senua sees Thórgestr… alive.
Everyone's favorite "he didn't actually get impaled" theory rendered in a very sweet fic!
6. The Calm Between Storms by SheiGriffin / @sheigarche (M, Senua/Thórgestr, 5k words)
After the Draugar attack on Bárdarvik, Thórgestr has a hard time calming down, while Senua is still overwhelmed by everything else. When they bump into each other, in the heat of the moment, they both decide to give in to their instincts.
Classic post-battle tension boiling over into banging! Very fun!
7. The Unspoken Journey of The Northman and The Mad Woman by FocusAndTheFuries / @focusandthefuries (M, Senua/Thórgestr, 9k words, WIP)
Things had changed between the two of them, Thórgestr and Senua. They could both feel it. An unspoken feeling had attached itself to both of them. It was pulling them closer but would it be strong enough to bring them together? The Northman and The Mad Woman? They did not know, and with their fate hanging hinging on a battle of giants and the Björg, even their lives were uncertain.
The start of a long fic set in Bárðarvík during Saga, right after the storm-giant is defeated. It's nice to see the POVs of Thórgestr, Senua, and even Fargrímr in parts. Fargrímr also attempts some sly matchmaking and that made me laugh!
ETA: heads up for an untagged trigger warning for chapter 2 of the fic, in Thórgestr's backstory, he was in a relationship with a woman who died via miscarriage and he has some overt memories about finding them!
8. Seiðkona by kingjjon (G, Senua/Thórgestr, 1k words, Russian fic is here!)
No summary.
This is a deeply atmospheric first-person narrative fic featuring Thórgestr reflecting on his relationship with Senua after Saga's events. The premise of this was so cool to read, it felt like Thórgestr as an older chieftain speaking with his children around a hearth fire about how important Senua is and has been to him. Very cool fic that still lingers in my head.
9. held by bearcvck / @bearcvck (G, Senua/Thórgestr, 2k words)
“Why are you not sleeping?” She asks, voice soft.
Thórgestr blinks, and meets her eyes. “The nights are cold,” he shrugs. “My knee aches with it.”
Oh, she thinks. Oh.
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Or, one cold night on the way to Borgarvirki.
Gap fill fic set during Saga events! I love the tenderness and physicality between Thórgestr and Senua in this one.
Thórgestr observes the battle between Senua and Goði
The tags call this "Thórgestr's 'Ode to Senua' Flash Fic" and that is true! And it's GREAT. I love the way this weaves in the words of Heilung's "In Maidjan", the intensity of it, and the focus it has on Senua. Short but sharp! Delighted to get to add this to the list. :)
It's a cold morning in Borgarvarki. Luckily, Senua is there to warm Thórgestr up.
This is a very sweet fic, featuring tender morning sex during the first winter in Borgarvirki, post-Saga! A lovely read.
12. tempest by Linnea_Ancalime / @linnea-ancalime (G, Senua, 100 words)
Most tempests happen in the same way; only we change.
Yay!!!! A drabble about Senua's path from Sacrifice through Saga. This is lovely!
13. The Shapes in the Fog by Skullsz / @in-our-veins (G, Senua, 215 words)
Senua is struggling to find her friends and leave the haunted Járnviðr…
A heartbreaking little fic based around uncertainty over whether or not Senua's companions are real people or hallucinations, especially in the twists and turns of Járnviðr.
14. A Power to Give by Skullsz / @in-our-veins (T, Senua & Thórgestr, 226 words)
Thórgestr is afraid of the woman who tied him up…
Senua and Thórgestr exchange names on the way to Freyslaug in this one and I found it delightful.
15. Light Leaks Through by Skullsz / @in-our-veins (G, Ástríðr & Senua, 473 words)
Senua cannot save enough, and her friends care about her well being…
After the draugar raid on Bárðarvík, Senua's friends (Ástríðr in particular!!!) comfort and reassure her. I absolutely LOVED seeing the gentle, encouraging side of Ástríðr.
Thórgestr overhears Senua and Fargrímr conversation…
A really interesting little look in Thórgestr's head after Freyslaug while Fargrímr tells Senua about the giants! What if he doesn't believe them!
17. Let Love Conquer Your Mind (Warrior, Warrior) by Ichabodjane / @ichabodjane (E, Senua/Thórgestr, 2k words)
It is a rainy day in Barðarvik. Senua and Thórgestr take some time for themselves.
There are not adequate words to express how happy this fic makes me!!!! Senua and Thórgestr have a house in Bárðarvík and they have a dog named Birna and Thórgestr is still making dumb little jokes and it is SPRINGTIME and they are HAPPY!!!! I love this fic and I'm so honored to have had my fic inspire it even a little. Yay!!!! <3
18. Í Myrkri Fundin by m7udo (M, Senua/Ástríðr, 2k words)
The sword at Senua’s throat is not the only thing between them.
Very excited to see a Senua/Ástríðr fic in here!!! This is a beautifully written character study of both women and how they could come together on the road to Borgarvirki and discover each other's secrets.
19. The Warmth of Winter's Edge by firebird_writings (E, Thórgestr/Reader, ~6k words)
Your soon-to-be husband has kept you waiting, and it has you anxious. What happens when he finally visits you.
I think this is our first Reader fic in the fandom which is an exciting addition to the ecosystem! This is a interesting look at Thórgestr and a childhood sweetheart-now-betrothed just before Thórgestr leaves for the Orkney raid. Mind the tags on this one, a fair amount of rough stuff is implied.
Is it enough that Thórgestr lived when he should have died? Is it enough that Senua lingered when she should have been gone a long time ago?
Another multichapter WIP has been posted and I could NOT be more excited about it! As of writing this comment and adding this fic to this rec list, there has only been one four!!!! chapters posted, but I think it is a deeply intriguing start and very wonderfully written. Set in Borgarvirki at the very beginning of winter, it seems like Senua and Thórgestr are going to be feeling out the connection that was forged between them through Saga.
21. Voices Heard Above the Stream by aereona / @aereona (T, Senua/Thórgestr, 100 words)
The Furies and their incessant chattering are not helpful when fishing.
LOVE seeing this drabble in our fandom. (I am someone who will die on the "drabbles are 100 words exactly" hill, so I deeply appreciate the word count!) A cool little glimpse into Senua's head while fishing with Thórgestr. Check out the tumblr post for some formatting that didn't make it to AO3.
This is compilation list 1 of 2 for a significant section of the Hellblade fics on AO3 (dated 03 October 2025)! Saga Fic Rec list is here.
For transparency, certain filters were used to gather the following list: 1) these are written word fics only, so collages/fanvids/fanart are excluded, 2) all of these are English Only as, alas, I'm monolingual and don't trust Google Translate, 3) I filtered out the Non-Con archive warning out of personal preference, and finally 4) I filtered out fics that involved crossover fandoms, so the lists are Sacrifice/Saga universe fics only. They are listed from oldest to newest posted. I've tried to tag writers whose tumblr handles I know/could find, but if anyone sees this and wants to either be tagged or untagged here on tumblr, please let me know!
ETA: I want to strongly encourage readers to actively support fic writers while they are here in this small fandom. Comments can encourage writers to keep writing and stay in fandoms. Even a small comment like, "hey, I enjoyed reading this!" can make a difference.
-
1. The Wilds by Skullsz / @in-our-veins (T, Senua & Druth, 1k words)
Senua is out scavenging until the night descends, and her voices are making her paranoid, so she returns to the camp and to her friend, Druth.
A nice look into Senua and Druth's friendship and how they took care of each other while in the wilds of Orkney. I found Druth comforting Senua to be lovely!
2. The Bargain by PornAccount (E, Senua/Dillion, 2k words, WIP)
The north wind sighs in the winter-bare branches of the willows, making the embers of fire flicker and glow, small puffs of fine, white ash whirl and dance on the black wind.
Lost souls, homeless and alone.
Like her.
An interesting, very intense beginning to a long fic set during Senua's time in the wilds and featuring a visit from Odin and a bargain made.
3. Her World by Mikuxmew85 (M, Senua/Dillion, 14k, unfinished multichapter WIP)
Her world was completely different than the one across her window… Strange how a few bars could separate the Darkness from the Light. Senua had given up trying to live opposite the Darkness, until she saw him. He radiated Light, it seemed to envelop everything around him. Seeing that was enough and she knew, she wanted that Light. She wanted to fight.
A longer fic interspersed with chapters of author's notes, set during the early days of Senua's relationship with Dillion. Dillion's encouragement of Senua is very sweet. And I liked the formatting of the Furies' voices! The fic did end up being unfinished though it is marked complete, wrapping up with an outline that ties things to the beginning events of Senua's Sacrifice.
4. Annarr Kostr - Second Chance by Haprilona (T, Senua/Dillion, 49k, WIP, warnings for untagged sexual violence and slavery)
What if Hela, her journey to Helheim, her quest - all of it was real? Senua will find that getting back her lover isn't as easy as bargaining with her soul and resurrecting the dead.
Will feature a lot of new characters, both Picts and Vikings, as well as my poor attempts at grammatically correct Old Norse when written from Senua's point of view.
This is an unfinished long fic that I found very interesting, though I will add as a heads up that it does feature sexual violence and the threat of rape and neither of those are tagged warnings. It is a fic that heavily features slavery, as Senua is taken captive by viking raiders -- and resurrected/amnesiac!Dillion is one of those raiders. I found the resurrection premise and historical elements intriguing, and many of the large cast of characters compelling.
5. In This Waking Nightmare by mimerswell (E, Senua & Druth, Senua/Dillion, 9k)
Senua's encounter with Druth. He tells her the stories that later will fuel her journey into Hel.
Takes place during Senua’s self–exile right before the Tragedy.
Another gap fill look into Senua's POV. I don't think I'll ever get tired of stories where Druth is a good friend to Senua, tbh, especially during that time in her life.
6. simulacra by sylrain (Not Rated, Senua/Dillion, 346 words)
Her sword is broken. She doesn’t know how she can keep her promise to him.
Short and sweet, Senua dreaming of Dillion during Sacrifice. A lovely little piece!
Behold, my first Hellblade fic. I hold @brynnmclean entirely responsible.
Let Love Conquer Your Mind (Warrior, Warrior)
Rated E, ~2000 words, completed one-shot
"I like this sort of rain," Senua tells him softly. "It makes everything smell new."
"Mm," he responds, burying his nose in her hair. She smells like the rain and the softening earth and the green things growing in it. She smells like life.
It is a rainy day in Barðarvik. Senua and Thórgestr take some time for themselves.
Takes place in Hertan-verse but can be read on its own!
