Imagine saving once Ragnar's life. He cannot believe his own eyes when he sees you again, as you had promised, as a guest of Harald.
It had been barely two days since Ragnar came back. The tense atmosphere his comeback created has only intensified. His family and friends were outraged that he left at all, but also somehow relieved to know he was safe and sound. The five princes noticed how different their father acted, although they didn’t think much of it - it had been years since they saw him as young boys.
Aside from their suspicions, came factual observations. Ragnar would often go out at night or sit for hours by the shore while staring at something small in his hand.
Though he never allowed anyone to see what it was.
When Bjorn told him about sailing the Mediterranean Sea and king Harald who agreed to go with him, Ragnar became more enigmatic and uneasy. Was it possible that during his absence he met king Finehair? Could a minor misunderstanding absorb Ragnar so much?
The mystery was about to be solved, as the day of Bjorn’s departure came.
The Great Hall was filled with laughter and ale. It was the night before Bjorn’s company leaves for southern Europe. Great warriors, shield maidens and their families gathered to unofficially bid their farewells. And the feast lived up to tales about Viking feasts: strong ale, greasy food, beautiful women and mighty warriors. Kattegat also welcomed guests from far lands: Lagertha with her lover Astrid, king Harald and his dear brother Halfdan. Ragnar wasn’t exactly surprised when he saw those familiar faces, aside from Astrid. Actually, he seemed to sulk on his throne, sitting on all those furs. With disappointment painted all over him, he clutched that tiny strange thing and absentmindedly looked at the fireplace.
Ubbe and Hvitserk, who were about to meet Harald, found their father especially off on that fine evening.
Just as Bjorn introduced the king to them they noticed yet another Lothbrok acting out of character.
”Where is she?” the oldest prince asked quietly. Harald barely spared him a glance, with a smile never leaving his lips.
”She should be here soon. Have you missed her that much, Bjorn Ironside?”
He did not answer, just clenched his jaw.
As if Bjorn was a divine being, his question seemed to have brought that enigmatic woman to Kattegat.
Heavy wooden doors creaked as someone opened them. Some heads turned to look for the newcomer, only to look away disinterested.
There stood a woman in a dark cloak. She had a muscular physique and many scars and burns. Unlike any woman in Kattegat, both of her ears were decorated with circular earrings of various sizes - at least seven in each ear. Her gaze was sharp.
Ubbe first looked at her, then at his father, who seemed to be surprised and smitten at the same time. Then his eyes wandered to Bjorn, whose expression wasn’t much different.
”(Y/N)!” king Harald was beyond joyful. ”Were the snows of Trondheim merciful?”
The woman’s face beamed equal joy.
”A lot more than people living there.”
Harald embraced the woman, and after that, Halfdan did the same.
Three princes closely examined the woman who was called (Y/N). Especially her scars - only some of them were done by a blade or an arrow, and of that they were certain. From beneath the untied linen shirt she was wearing, they could make out a shape, a pendant it seemed. Her clothes were obviously male but somehow fitted her just fine. She wore very tall shoes or at least taller than theirs. Those shoes went all the way up to the knee, instead of ending midway through the calf.
”Please, meet Bjorn Ironside, who we will be leaving with tomorrow, and his brother Hvitserk, who will come along,” Harald introduced her.
She must have known they were princes since she bowed lightly.
”An honor to meet you, sons of Ragnar.”
”And the rest of their brothers,” king motioned to three other men. ”Ubbe, Sigurd and Ivar.”
The latter, somehow, heard his name being mentioned and turned to see what the commotion was about. His gaze was met with (Y/N)'s eyes, the woman giving him a polite smile, light bow of the head and went back to the conversation.
A bunch of questions was born in his head; questions he felt he will not earn answers to in near future.
On the other side of the hall, Ragnar couldn’t believe his own two eyes. Slowly, he looked at the small belonging he acquired several weeks ago.
A debt of this kind cannot be paid back, Ragnar Lothbrok.
Her voice was still vivid in his memory.
Lives are a very unstable and rare currency. They are not equal and neither is saving them.
He quickly got up from his throne and made his way to the woman.
You are so eager to take lives, but can you give them to those, who lost them unfairly?
Ragnar desperately tried to reach her, afraid that she might disappear just like she did the first time he met her.
Take this, king Ragnar, as a promise that we shall meet once more.
Doe-eyed Ragnar stood next to his sons, Harald, Halfdan and (Y/N). His left hand was still clutching whatever it was that the strange woman had given him.
”King Ragnar, I hope all is well.” Her voice was just as he remembered. ”I told you we will meet again.” She kept on smiling.
”I see you have already met Ragnar Lothbrok,” Harald cut in. He seemed to be surprised.
”I saved his life back in Trondheim. King or not, northern lands are merciless to anyone who underestimates them.”
Bjorn made a single step in her direction and put his big hand on her shoulder.
”Thank you for saving my father.” His voice was sincere.
”I want to believe he would have done the same for me” she gave him a reassuring smile, although the lack of honesty in her voice was fairly audible. She did not believe her own words; it was purely out of courtesy. ”King Ragnar, I beg your pardon, but I do believe you have something of mine.”
Ragnar snapped back to reality. She wasn’t a dream or a hallucination, she was real. That woman really did selflessly save him from dying. His bruised hand reached out to (Y/N). Three princes, filled with impatient curiosity, peeked at the object their father seemed to treasure above all else...
...a pin.
It wasn’t like anything they have ever seen. It was a circle with three smaller ones entwined inside. The pin looked unbelievably average, metal becoming rusty in few places, dirt had stuck to it in other parts.
As (Y/N) was about to take the pink from Ragnar, the king changed his mind. He closed his fingers again and with a questioning look asked:
”May I?”
Guessing what he meant by that, the woman happily nodded her head and let the king of Norway put a pin in her cloak.
Throughout all evening, (Y/N) did not speak much. The less she spoke, the more Bjorn and Hvitserk were intrigued. King Harald himself asked to invite her on their journey, sending his own brother to speak to her.
What kind of a woman is she to impress such a man like the king?
”What is she?” Hvitserk couldn’t contain his curiosity, but his half-brother did not possess the answers.
”I do not know,” he responded, still carefully watching the stranger. ”King Harald is certain she will be of great help, and so far we have to trust his judgment.”
The theory says that Aslaug sacrificed her reproductive organs to save Ivar's life when he left to go to England with Ragnar.
Before Ivar and Ragnar left, Aslaug foresaw that there would be a terrible storm, and that Ivar would drown after their ship sinks during the storm. After they left, as the storm is raging and the ship is sinking, we see shots of Aslaug crying, screaming, and holding her stomach as there is blood all over her dress around her pelvic area. But why? Where did that blood come from?
If she truly is a witch, and if she sacrificed her womb to save her son, then that would explain why they showed us the shots of her with blood on her pelvic area during the same scene. It would also explain why Ragnar was able to save Ivar and pull him to shore, when he was supposed to die in the storm.
Gifs ain’t mine, credits to the owners ➺ Here / Here (+ most of the pictures come from Pinterest)
"A little girl! Do you hear that my son, a little girl!" Wearing a broad smile on his face, the young prince, then twenty-three years old, held in his hands a newborn baby whose cries could be heard by everyone who populated Kent Castle at the time. Gently cradling his new baby girl, Ecbert whispered a few words to her, audible only to the child, even though it was obvious that she did not understand. Settling on the edge of the bed, close to his wife, he placed a kiss on the forehead of the newborn before entrusting her to one of the servants who seemed concerned about the health of the princess, his wife.
Turning his attention to the new mother, the whiteness of her skin reflected her failing condition. Her eyelids seemed heavy and her breathing became more and more jerky. Taking her hand in his, Ecbert placed a kiss on the back of her hand, as if he hoped it would bring back some color to his beloved. He then began to pray to God to keep his wife alive as she seemed to be about to fall asleep. Ecbert finally knelt by his wife's side, trembling slightly as the young woman gave her last breath. Tears welled up in his eyes, but none of them trickled down the young prince's cheeks.
Solemnly, he placed a kiss on her bluish lips before turning to the maids.
"My wife has joined the creator, please see to it that she is prepared for the ceremony." His voice was relatively neutral, showing no emotion, but they all knew that inside he was suffering terribly.
As princess of Kent and later of Wessex, King Ecbert's little girl was named Leofflæd, beloved beauty, on the day of her baptism. Although she was five years younger than her older brother Æthelwulf, this did not prevent the boy from taking care of his sister from the time he was a child, bending over her cradle whenever he had the chance. Growing up without a mother, and with a father who was king of one of the kingdoms of England, brought them very close. As soon as she was able to speak, her education began in the company of nuns from a well-known convent in Wessex. Little Leofflæd learned to respect God, to love and cherish him more than anyone else on earth, and to read the Holy Scriptures until she was a teenager.
Not finding a suitable husband to form a lasting and politically interesting alliance, King Ecbert was strangely patient with the marital situation of his only daughter. One of the nuns had been instructed relatively early on, from the time of her first blood loss, to explain to her how God offered godly women to bear the Men of tomorrow, those who should populate the Earth as he had entrusted the task to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. However, despite these explanations, Leofflæd learned nothing new during this discussion session. No doubt, if she had been there, her mother would have explained to her properly the ins and outs of a married woman's life.
Some nights, when the thunder rumbled outside the castle walls, Leofflæd would slip into her brother's bed, just to find someone who could reassure her without judging her childish fears. However, these little nocturnal excursions ended up being known by the king who made it a point of honor to stop them, expressing his disappointment with the behavior of his little angel, but especially worried about what his contemporaries might think of him for leaving his children alone in a room without knowing what was really going on there.
At the age of eighteen, and with the sole aim of appeasing the pagans who had invaded his lands, Ecbert had the idea of sending his daughter, accompanied by the bishop Edmund and the ealdorman Eadric, to meet the Vikings.
"They may be pagans, but they would not allow themselves to damage such a pretty face." Standing before his throne, the blond king held his daughter's hands firmly but gently. Too naive to hear her father's undertones, Leofflæd drank in his words as she gazed into his eyes.
"And then you will not be alone my child, Bishop Edmund will be there to protect you and bring God's protection to this meeting. You have nothing to fear from it." Nodding, the girl had no choice anyway. She took a graceful bow to her father before heading to the courtyard where her older brother and protector awaited her.
"God bless your little expedition, my beloved sister." Æthelwulf told her before placing a kiss on her cheek for good luck.
"I still don't understand why our father doesn't want you to accompany me, I will feel safer with you by my side."
"No doubt father has other plans for me. But don't worry, I will pray for you."
Therefore, along with Bishop Edmund and the Ealdorman Eadric, Leofflæd had the chance to meet the one most Saxons feared, Ragnar Lothbrok. However, she was only present during this meeting, not being allowed by the bishop to speak so as not to endanger herself.
In fact, she was too paralyzed by fear to make any sound. The young princess didn't listen to the conversation that had been started between the bishop and the pagan, her eyes darted here and there, trying not to show her fright at the situation. Standing between the priest and the ealdorman, the girl was lightly sprayed with blood as King Horik slaughtered Eadric for a reason that had escaped her. Having never witnessed such a cruel act, such a monstrosity to her fellow man, Leofflæd found herself unable to move, shocked by the murder. Nor could she hear the cries of her father's soldiers calling to her, almost begging her to return to her horse. One of them finally found the courage to take her back to safety, while the Vikings looked on in amusement.
The image of a lifeless body, disfigured by ax blows and covered with fresh blood is not easy to forget. Haunted by it, the young woman prayed to God for many days and nights, hoping to save her family and the people of Wessex from what the Bible called the northern plague. A few weeks after this tragic incident, a man entered the king's court, a priest who had lived among the pagans for some years before being captured by Saxon soldiers. And, although reluctant at first, Athelstan eventually helped her to find a way to think about something else and to see the Vikings as people with morals almost as interesting as those of the people of Wessex.
"...And then, the thunder struck the still wet ground of Kattegat, I saw in the sky the god Thor himself expressing his anger on Men." The priest told with such humility and accuracy that even the most devout Christian would have doubted for a second the existence of false gods.
"And why can't our God coexist with those you call the Aesir?" Athelstan took a few minutes before answering the princess's relatively sensible question.
"They cannot cohabit in the hearts of men. This simple idea would make such people damned, they could not enter Heaven or Valhalla and would be condemned to a life of wandering between worlds."
King Ecbert, considering Athelstan a holy man, saw this relationship as something beneficial for his daughter, hoping that the young priest would open the way to a new spirituality. With him, she felt almost secure, confident in what she could tell him even when it concerned the king or other members of the court.
When her brother married Princess Judith of Northumbria, she welcomed the young woman as a member of her own family, not caring about the alliance that came with this union.
When the Vikings presented themselves again at the gates of Wessex, Leofflæd truly believed that they would never leave without conquering the Saxon kingdoms. She spoke again with the priest to learn more about the famous Ragnar Lothbrok whom she had already had the unpleasure to meet. Her father found this man very interesting in his way of acting, in his strategies and, in another life, Ragnar would have been an important ally. Once again, the king decided to put one of his children in danger by making Æthelwulf the emissary during a meeting with the pagans.
What followed was an impressive Saxon victory, which was celebrated throughout King Ecbert's villa by the forces of Wessex and Northumbria. Following her upbringing, Leofflæd volunteered to help the wounded soldiers, more in an effort to make their weeks in bed a little more comfortable than in the hope of actually seeing them heal. Among the wounded Saxons, Athelstan introduced her to a pagan who had also been wounded on the battlefield. Without really caring about the difference in their religion, Leofflæd took care of him as well as the others.
To conclude an alliance or sign a peace treaty, King Ecbert invited the Vikings to his villa in Wessex, leaving King Ælle as a hostage. Sitting around the table, between Princess Kwenthrith and her brother Æthelwulf, Leofflæd was only present for the symbol, not understanding old Norse. However, her father switched to English relatively quickly, being translated by Athelstan.
"In order to seal this compromise, this treaty of peace between our two peoples, I propose a marriage..." Frowning after raising her head, the young princess tried to catch her father's gaze without him deigning to give her his attention. Athelstan was translating the king's words into Old Norse, so there was never silence in the room. "...my daughter, here present, is a good choice for such an agreement. However, as a princess, you will understand that she cannot marry just anyone."
Disturbed by her father's more than surprising news, the young woman glanced toward the end of the table where the Vikings were sitting. They were talking to each other, whispering a few words here and there, sometimes raising their voices without any Saxon, except Athelstan, really understanding the content of their conversations. Feeling suddenly betrayed by her own father, Leofflæd sought the support of her brother, who took her hand under the table as if to reassure her.
The heathen chosen was Rollo, since Bjorn seemed to have someone already and King Horik did not want to marry his eldest son to a Christian. Although Ragnar's brother already had a woman in his life, she was not married and it seemed that she could not have any more children. In addition, Rollo had yet to fully regain his brother's trust.
That evening, she confronted her father about his decision. The young princess was under the authority of the king, so he could control her life as he saw fit. His primary intention with this marriage was to have someone in enemy territory, as a woman she was not a threat, so if she ever returned to England, King Ecbert would have someone who knew Kattegat.
After packing a few things, the young woman left her home with the intention of joining the camp of the Northmen with her brother and Athelstan. As a calculating man, Ecbert had entrusted the marriage to Ragnar, so that his daughter would not be married before God and could be married again when she returned to England.
Leofflæd spent much of the journey to Kattegat trying to learn about the city so that she would not be totally disoriented when she got there. The presence of the priest had reassured her a little.
When the land was in sight, the young princess felt her stomach knot up, Kattegat was standing in front of her which meant that England was already far away. Lost on the deck where Ragnar's ship was moored, Leofflæd did not know where to look, or what to do, who to help, who to follow. Perhaps out of pity, Athelstan held out his hand to direct her to the Skali where the reunion between the warriors and their families was going on.
A whole new vision of the Northmen was taking shape before the eyes of the Saxon princess. The respected king or earl had relative authority, and the city was more like a big family reunion where everyone was happy to see each other. The young woman was amazed by the architecture of the Kattegat longhouse, still, at Athelstan's side, the latter introduced her to Princess Aslaug, wife of Ragnar.
"And who are you?" The princess threw to the girl whose clothes betrayed her Saxon origin. Not yet speaking perfect Old Norse, the priest took over the talking.
"Princess Aslaug, allow me to introduce you to Princess Leofflæd, daughter of King Ecbert and who, intending to conclude a treaty, Ragnar and Ecbert have agreed upon a union with Rollo." Hearing her name, the young princess curtsied upon hearing her first name before seeing Ragnar's wife relax slightly and hand her a drink.
"We'll see if she manages to fit in."
On the deck, Leofflæd had met Siggy, Rollo's concubine to whom she forced herself, once again with the help of Athelstan, to explain that she had not been the master of Ragnar and Ecbert's decision. The first days were the most difficult, mainly because of the different customs and especially the language barrier. She went from being a princess in a castle to a future warrior's wife. Unlike what a Saxon noblewoman would have done, Siggy felt pity for the girl who reminded her a little of her own daughter. In the company of Floki's wife, who could not stay in the same room with her without making remarks about the falsity of her religion, Leofflæd found ways to adapt more easily to her new life.
Athelstan took it upon himself to teach her to speak the language of the Northmen as fluently as he had taught Ragnar English. And it was thanks to this that she was able to speak with Rollo, finally getting a few words from him, after Ragnar had explained the situation to him. The wedding was to take place once the berserker was back on his feet.
Being in his room when King Horik's warriors started to attack Kattegat, she was saved by Rollo, who was still wounded and bruised by his deplorable state.
Her marriage, entirely pagan, did not seem to bother her, being too busy thinking about how she could return to her country. The first few days were the strangest, with Rollo not really knowing who he should pay attention to. However, as his relationship with Siggy had taken a turn for the worse, Leofflæd was like a gift from the gods as he felt his heart fill with remorse, sorrow, and other ills. The young princess was not of a jealous nature, therefore, her husband's relationship with Siggy did not bother her. It was not unusual for a young Anglo-Saxon woman to see her husband spending his nights with other women, so she knew what to expect.
Sitting in the Skali, her hands reaching for the fire to warm herself from the harsh winter that was passing through Kattegat, Leofflæd felt Ragnar's gaze upon her. In a few months in the city, among the Northmen, she had transformed herself as Athelstan had done to survive years before. Her hair was braided in the manner of a Viking woman and her dress, the work of Siggy, made her blend into the crowd of Scandinavians around her. However, hidden behind her new clothes, she kept around her neck the cross that her mother wore. The new king moved toward her, promptly finding a place on one of the logs near her.
"If we return to Wessex, will your father keep his promise?" In addition to the marriage and Rollo's return, Ecbert had offered the Vikings land to farm in East Anglia. Taking a deep breath, eyes looking up at him, the young princess placed her hands on her lap before answering.
"If you can prove to him that you have kept your end of the bargain then I see no reason why he should not do the same. Allow me to accompany you and I can tell him how you've treated me so far." Nodding, Ragnar headed back towards the bridge where preparations for the new expedition into Wessex were taking shape.
Accompanying Ragnar and his warriors to King Ecbert's castle, she was the first, after Ragnar, to greet her father. He held her hands and placed a quick kiss on her cheek before returning his attention to the one who had become, after the death of King Horik, his equal.
Leofflæd was happy to be able to see her brother again, who showed more affection than their father had towards her. He had a son, named Æthelred. The young woman was happy to hold him in her arms and cuddle him as if he were her own. Around the king's table, politics and agriculture were the two favorite subjects, subjects that did not directly concern the princess, who spent most of the meal talking with Æthelwulf, mainly to reassure him about the Vikings' treatment of her. When the discussion became slightly tense and a discussion had to be taken, she took over the translation for her brother and Princess Judith.
Not being a warrior, Leofflæd instead followed Lagertha and Athelstan to the colony they had to establish, after wishing her brother and her husband good fights and making them promise to come back safely. Despite her status as a princess, she was not afraid to get her hands dirty to give those who wanted a new life something to prosper.
Once the throne of Mercy was taken from the family of Queen Kwenthrith, Leofflæd sailed back to Ragnar, hoping for nothing more than the continuation of the alliance between her father and the Viking King. However, the news of Siggy's death cast a shadow over her married life as Rollo began to mourn. She tried several times to change his mind, but nothing worked. Paris was his release.
After Floki murdered Athelstan, the young woman began to fear for her safety because of her religion, which was still too present in her lifestyle.
When they returned from Paris, not seeing Rollo coming back and after Björn's explanations, Leofflæd sailed back to England. Accepting a widowhood that was not really one at only twenty years old.
Almost ten years later, having lived in her father's castle by her brother's side for all those years, her heart broke again when she saw the old Ragnar Lothbrok return to Wessex.
Bound hands and feet, the old king seemed almost to suffer from his condition while accepting it. With his eyes closed, his breathing jerky but regular, Ragnar was a man that everyone would have liked to let rest. Aware of what was to become of the man who had once been his leader, Leofflæd stood before him like an old friend.
"It has been a long time" Her voice was soft, she did not wish to interrupt his rest, and yet there was much she would have liked to share with him. Rattling his chains as he straightened up, the Viking king let out a slight smile as he caught sight of his sister-in-law.
"Indeed..." he said before she offered him a glass of wine. As her hand was outstretched, Ragnar grabbed it, drawn to what surrounded one of her fingers.
"Why do you still wear it?" around her left ring finger, the wooded ring from a pagan wedding showed that her mind was still buried in her past.
"To remember the most extravagant moments of my existence. King Ragnar, I have come to thank you for once accepting my father's proposal and not condemning me to a tasteless life here in England. He has explained your situation to me, and I deplore it from the bottom of my soul, but since things must be this way, I wanted to express one last time the admiration and gratitude I have for you.”
In vain, the young woman tried to convince her father not to condone his sentence, not to send Ragnar to Northumbria, but nothing could change his mind. As Ivar, the one the pagans called the boneless, was being sent home, Leofflæd took care to give him something to survive for a few days, in memory of the little boy she had seen years before.
Like her brother, she learned of the death of the great king Ragnar Lothbrok from her father, who had witnessed the killing as a friend. The consequences were going to be abominable, she knew it, Ecbert knew it, and his decision had been a stroke of genius.
A few months later, hundreds of heathens came ashore on the English coast to seek revenge for the death of a man who had become almost as important as Thor himself. After his brother's coronation as king of Wessex, East Anglia, and Mercia, Leofflæd expressed her desire to face the Vikings who would invade her father's castle. It was obvious that Æthelwulf tried to pressure his younger sister to change her mind, but even his new position as the king did not change things. So she bade him farewell, in the most humble of ways, promising to pray for the prosperity of his people and for him and his family to stay alive as long as possible. Embracing Æthelred and Alfred, she offered, to the eldest of them, the only real descendant of Ecbert and his wife, as a sacred relic the cross her mother carried so that it would remain in good hands and not be lost in the consecrated land of Wessex.
Unlike her father and Bishop Edmund, the princess devoted what she thought were her last moments to praying to her God as she had promised her brother until the time came to face the Northmen.
Locked in the castle chapel, the cries and growls of the Northmen interrupted her last Lord's Prayer. The young woman found herself convinced that her time had come, which gave her an unexpected bit of courage. Like the brave woman she had become during her few years in Kattegat, she presented herself to the Vikings in all humility, alone, without weapons or warriors to protect her. It only took a few minutes for Björn to recognize her. As the silence grew heavy, she began to speak.
"They are all gone."
"But not you," Bjorn replied, approaching the young woman he had finally recognized.
"I always knew you were a perceptive person, Björn." Frowning, Ragnar's eldest son would have preferred that she not be in his way. He had absolutely nothing to blame her for, and besides, they had shared part of their lives together in Kattegat. Turning her gaze to Bjorn's brothers, she exclaimed again.
"I don't know if it's the same for you boys, but I'm glad to see you again, each of you." Leofflæd then turned to Bjorn who had moved a little closer to her. "I know what awaits me, I know why you are here and believe me I will not seek to escape God's will..." the princess could hear Floki frown as she began to speak of her God "...my only wish is that my body be buried next to my mother's a few places from here." Watching the young woman from head to toe, one detail caught her attention.
"Despite the betrayal, it would seem that you are still loyal to my uncle."
"And I'm proud to tell you that when I returned the people here treated me as one of you and I..."
"I remember you..." Hvitserk cut her off, ever since she had appeared as a heroic figure in the middle of the courtyard, the young warrior had been digging into his memory to find where that face was familiar from. Frowning, Leofflæd felt her heart melt in her chest as the sons of Ragnar all seemed to remember something that had marked them. Hvitserk must not have been more than four years old when, at Aslaug's request, the princess had helped the little boy find his cloak. Already a bit of an airhead, she had suggested that she sew his name on a small piece of his clothing so that those who stumbled upon it could bring it back to him.
In memory of the good old days, because she had been a Viking's wife, had shared part of her life with them, and still wore the memory of that time around her finger, Bjorn granted her an unexpected respite against Ivar's will. Amazed but touched by this act, Leofflæd did not play with fate any longer, a horse was lent to her before she managed, by God's will, to join her brother's army in the swamps.
