Your village burned behind you, the smoke curling into the dawn like a serpent. The sound of metal clashing had long stopped, replaced by weeping and the crackle of wood giving in to flame.

And yet, you stood. Not as a prisoner—but as a price paid.

Your father, in all his trembling cowardice, had given you away to the Vikings as a peace offering. His only daughter, offered like livestock to save his own skin. You had screamed, fought, begged—but they took you anyway.

And then... they punished him. Not with mercy.

You watched as one of them—the one they called Ghost—struck your father down, not fatally, but enough to make a statement.

"A man who gives away his blood deserves none." John Price had said, his voice deep and steady, eyes unreadable under a weathered brow. They hadn't laughed. This wasn't joy. This was judgment.

You were dragged to the shore, your wrists bound but not cruelly. The sea rocked the longship as they lifted you aboard. You cursed them in every language you knew. They didn't respond.

Only the youngest—dark-haired with a sly smile—glanced at you with mischief.

"Feisty, isn't she?" he said. That was Gaz, you'd learn later. Johnny, blond and half-wild, gave you a wink. "Might like it here after all."

You hated them.

And you hated how calm their leader seemed.

Price stood at the helm, cloak fluttering, steel in one hand, the other resting on the hilt of a dagger. His gaze flicked to you only once. It didn't feel like victory. It felt like a man burdened by yet another unwanted truth.

The sea grew rough as the sun set. You sat near the mast, wrapped in a thick fur one of them had thrown over you—Ghost, you thought. He hadn't spoken a word.

You were furious, terrified, and yet... your eyes kept finding their leader.

John Price gave quiet orders. His voice wasn't loud, but the others listened. He glanced at you occasionally—not cruelly. Not mockingly. Like he was watching your storm but choosing not to stop it.

Johnny sat beside you, tossing a small carved animal in his hands.

"You glare like you're going to burn the ship down."