Akin to Gods

chapter four

you did not sleep long after ivar's late night visit. the thought that something would happen to him while you were apart ate at you, interrupting your sleep. you could not follow ivar to england - you had given hvitserk your word that you would follow him and bjorn to the mediterranean and going with ivar would be seen as a blow to his ego. he would view it as you not believing that he can protect himself.

when you finally give up on the notion of sleep, you haul yourself out of the hammock and head to the trees. you could not follow ivar, but you could still do something for him.

floki had a way with trees. he could look at them and tell you which ones would bend, yet remain strong for the creation of his boats - which ones would make the best kindling fire - which ones should be left to grow, to be there long after you all were gone. he looked at them and saw everything they had potential to be and sometimes, when he looked at people, he saw them the same. you had often wondered what he saw when he looked at you.

unlike floki, you were not blessed by the gods with such gifts and it didn't matter anyway. it was not an entire tree that you needed, but just a small branch. you tried to let instinct guide your choice and eventually settled on one that felt right. there as you sat, in the dirt, while the sun finished rising - and with a knife, you carved the wood.

shaving it down in size and making it smoother before you carefully, with all the intent and love and even prayers to the gods that you could muster, you carved runes so the gods would look after ivar. uruz, for courage and strength. hagalaz, for overcoming obstacles. and algiz, for protection and defense.

when you were satisfied with the carving you tucked it in your pocket and headed into kattegat.

you caught ivar just as he was crawling out of the great hall, surely off to find ragnar. he stopped when he saw you, giving you a look of trepidation - you knew he thought you had come to encourage him not to go but that was not the case.

pulling the little talisman out of your pocket, you hold it out towards him. "these runes will keep you safe, ivar. i carved them for your journey."

taking the wooden talisman, he smiles - he turns it over in his hands for a moment and then looks up at you in gratitude. "i will see you when we both return."

-

the journey to francia was a quiet one. everyone had worried and wondered the same thing; had you come this far just to return home or would rollo grant you access through his land?

when bjorn, your father, and a few others left the boats to speak with rollo, you had stayed behind. as night fell, your fellow warriors turned impatient for the return of bjorn and you had to agree, if only for the sake of your father. especially when you knew that he and helga had quarreled not long before this journey had begun. you did not know what they had fought over, but you knew it must have been important. helga did not usually stay upset this long.

but in time, they would all return - with rollo in tow, much to everyone's surprise - and your heart was able to relax again. the first trial of your journey to unknown lands had passed with relative ease.

and that night as the boats sailed out of the frankish lands, hvitserk settled himself against you. you didn't worry about what others on board may think about the prince sitting at your side like this. hvitserk was known for his affectionate ways with those he cared for. "you worried for me while we were in rollo's dungeon," he spoke, voice soft and a smile present.

you nudged him with your shoulder, returning the smile. "for all of you, not just you in particular. if your journey takes you to valhalla, then i shall be happy for you. but it does not mean that i won't miss you."