Michael Screw Up

My doctor instincts kicked in the moment someone passed out in front of me.

I rushed over to her. As soon as I touched her, I realized her clothes were soaked with blood.

Judging her bleeding, I figured she must've been running with that arrow stuck in her side. I couldn't even imagine the pain she must've endured.

No normal person could handle that unless adrenaline were coursing through her body.

Adrenaline only kicks in when someone's under intense stress or in life-threatening situations, like a survival instinct.

Was someone chasing her?

"Maikal, don't touch her!"

I heard Ingrid's sharp warning. My fiery companion must've noticed something too.

"She needs help, Ingrid. We have to take her back to the settlement!" I insisted.

"No!" Ingrid snapped. "And we need to leave right now. Look at the arrow in her back. She's being hunted."

"So what? You want us to leave her here? We need to take her."

"No, Maikal! No! She'll leave a blood trail!"

As we argued, I started hearing footsteps and shouting in the distance. Judging by the sound, there were a lot of them. And they sounded furious.

"Where are you, bitch?!"

"Keep hiding! We'll find you!"

"You'll face a brutal punishment!"

Panic surged through both Ingrid and me.

What did this woman do to make so many people this angry?

Ingrid gritted her teeth, clearly losing patience.

"We need to get out of here, Maikal! She's caused big trouble. We can't get involved in another clan's business."

Ingrid was right.

I had no idea what this woman had done to end. And I had no clue how dangerous the people hunting her were. Maybe she did a terrible thing.

But still, I couldn't just leave her here to die.

I'm a doctor, damn it. If they wish to kill me for trying to save a life, so be it. I've died once before. Dying again doesn't scare me.

"Go, Ingrid. I can't let her die here. If they catch me or something happens to me, I won't say a word about the Varglund Clan. You and Ingmar won't get dragged into this."

After I said my piece, Ingrid's jaw dropped. She looked at me like I had lost my mind.

"You're insane!"

Well, if I weren't insane, I wouldn't have become a doctor.

Some of my friends in my past life volunteered to be medics in war zones. I always thought they were nuts. Now, I get it.

People like us just can't stand watching someone die.

"Go. Your life is your responsibility."

Ingrid gritted her teeth again. I could see the sheer frustration on her face.

"Damn it! We'll fight together."

I was surprised. I thought Ingrid would leave, but she stayed.

Guess she's just as crazy as I am.

Not long after, a group of men emerged from the hemp field. They were all armed, and their expressions were far from friendly.

"Hey, you two! Hand over her!"

When one of the men demanded I give up my patient, I used one hundred percent of my brainpower to think of a diplomatic answer. If I could avoid a fight, I'd do whatever it took.

But before I could say anything, Ingrid had already answered.

"Try taking her from us, but don't cry when you get hurt by a woman."

"You!"

Oh, for God's sake… I should've warned Ingrid. Just because I decided to face them doesn't mean I was planning to fight them.

This woman's a Viking. I forgot that all they think about is battle.

"Calm down, everyone! Don't be rash!"

As Ingrid and one of the bad guys squared off, a woman's voice stopped them.

Among the men, an old woman dressed in brown stepped forward.

Judging by how they made way for her, she had to be their leader.

The old woman looked at us. First, she stared at me. And then she shifted her gaze to Ingrid.

She approached Ingrid, walking around her, sizing her up from head to toe.

Ingrid seemed weirded out by the old woman.

"You, blessed with the beauty of Freya and the strength of Thor. I see a bright future. Full of glory. Full of gold. A shieldmaiden who will pave the way for her people."

I frowned, confused. What was this old hag rambling about? And why did Ingrid seem so serious, listening to her?

"What's your name?" the old woman asked.

"I… I'm Ingrid Asbjornsdottir," Ingrid replied, stumbling over her words.

As soon as Ingrid said her name, the bad guys started whispering amongst themselves. I caught bits of what they were saying about Ingrid.

"Ingrid Asbjornsdottir? That crazy bitch?"

"So she's the shieldmaiden from Varglund Cland. No wonder she's brave enough to stand against us."

"She's Asbjorn's bloodline. Of course."

Turns out, they knew who Ingrid was. From how they spoke about her, it sounded like she had quite a reputation.

"Hoo… So you're Asbjorn's daughter, huh," the old woman said. "No wonder I can sense the warrior's aura around you."

Ingrid narrowed her eyes. "I'm not a warrior because of my father. I'm a warrior because of who I am."

The old woman cackle, sounding like a witch's cackle.

"You're stubborn. Just like your father. No matter how much I beg you to hand over this cursed creature," she rolled her eyes at the woman we'd saved, "you won't give her up."

The more I heard the old woman talk, the more she sounded like a witch from a children's fairy tale.

"Leave her. Let's go," the old woman ordered.

Her men were confused. The woman they were after was right before them, and they were just going to let her go.

"Gull, she's right here! We should take her!" one of the men protested.

"You can take her if you want, but the daughter of Asbjorn won't let you. If you kill her, or even so much as scratch her, war with the Varglund Clan is inevitable. Let's go home and let our Jarl decide."

The man swallowed hard.

After the old woman convinced her men, the group left.

I held my breath for what felt like forever, watching them disappear into the fields.

As soon as they were out of sight, I exhaled in relief.

"Thank God. We're safe."

But Ingrid didn't seem to feel the same relief I did.

She looked shaken, her hands trembling, her eyes fixed on the ground.

I had never seen Ingrid like this before.

"Hey, are you okay?" I asked.

When Ingrid turned to face me, I could see the fear in her eyes.

"I've made a huge mistake," she muttered.

I frowned. "What? No, you didn't. You got them to leave, even if it was partly thanks to your father's reputation."

"No, Maikal! You don't understand! That woman was Gull! She's the seer from the Omvrik Clan."

Seeing Ingrid, who's normally annoying, suddenly turn terrified made me anxious.

"So what? They seemed scared of your father."

"They're not scared of my father, Maikal. They're scared of breaking the treaty!"

Suddenly, I felt the same fear Ingrid did. A bad feeling crept over me.

"Our clans have been at war for hundreds of years with the Omvrik Clan. My father and the leader of the Omvrik, Guthrum, decided to make a peace treaty to end the feud. And we just screwed it up."

Shit.

I made a huge blunder.

Who knew saving a wounded woman could reignite a clan war that's been going on for generations?