Athelstan raised a brow at the word 'nerd'. It's still a new one. "Is that what they call intellectuals now?" he asks curiously.

There's another pause and then Athelstan shakes his head. "Well, I did, for a while. The Vikings returned home without me, Ragnar had already left because Kattegat had fallen under attack and his family was in danger..." Athelstan smiles sadly. He still wonders what life would have been like had he not insisted upon staying with King Horik to help translate with the Saxons. "Later, Ragnar came back to Wessex and I had a choice. I chose to go home to Kattegat."