Virago - Ivar The Boneless

Nothing

To say the Kingdom of Ringerike was cold was an understatement. Little Bear needed to spend time outside, she couldn't take being cooped up inside with all the others. This was a place she could rest herself at night, it didn't mean she wanted to be there at night nor did she want to be like the other women around her. 

As she left in the morning, she noticed King Olaf had followed her outside. Turning to look at the older man, Iona smiled, stopping in her tracks. "You are well, my King?" 

He nodded at the young woman as he held his hands in front of him, holding them together. He did not seem to mind the cold, there was no signs of him shivering as he managed a small smile. "I have not come here to talk about myself," he watched her carefully. "I want to hear about your King."

"You are my King," she told him what she wanted to hear. She didn't care much for the King title, she didn't care who ruled, after all, she would always be her own judge, her own ruler. 

His lips rose slightly on the right side as he heard those words. "I speak of Ivar," he noticed her hand taken around the hilt of her axe. "I want to know how he rules, child. How do the people respond to him?"

Little Bear's fingers were wrapped tightly, she was sure her knuckles were turning white as she thought of Ivar. "He has made some choices I do not agree with," she admitted. "The people like him," she didn't want to say those words but it seemed to be the truth.

"You do not like him?"

She grinned as she loosened her grip on the axe, "My relationship with Ivar is no longer a thing. I respect him as person, as a King." She spoke the right words, she knew speaking against someone like Ivar was not wise, after all, she might have been brave, but she was just one person, one woman with no support from anyone in her life.

King Olaf laughed, he shook his head a little. "You say one thing, but I believe you feel another. Personal feelings will always get in the way. If you have unfinished business, it is always best to resolve it." 

Little Bear looked down at her feet, she had so many untied ends, things that she needed to solve. She had never thought about the lose ends before, usually she walked away from all things not caring an inch. "There is too much for me to make things right in my life."

"Everything can be fixed in time," King Olaf reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You are a strong, brave woman. Just remember if you leave things too long, you won't get the opportunity to make it right." He gave her shoulder a small squeeze before turning away from her and returning inside. 

The young woman stood for a second, her mind on things she had left behind. 

His blue eyes stared back at her, intruding her deep and dark thoughts. Her soul exposed as the blue seemed to suck all the details out her her. The colour which she held in such high regard, especially when their focus was only on her.

"Everything is for you," the voice of her mother stung in her mind which made the blue eyes of Ivar disappear into the darkness. Everything was black as she heard Lagertha's voice again. "I will always love you, my child. You and your brother are the most important things to me now."

Opening her eyes, Little Bear headed in the direction she was originally going. She had little plans on her daily adventures but she needed the freedom. Canute had a job for her in the evening but apart from that, she had the day to do whatever she wanted. King Olaf had recognized she was an asset, he wasn't about to get her to be another washer woman or get her to clean up after him. He hoped that in the future she would be there to help defend him, should he ever require that.

She made sure to walk only in one direction, she checked back, making sure there were footprints visible in the snow to help find her way home. Listening, Iona could only hear silence, she was sure there was no one around nor was there no wind rustling the leaves on the snowy trees. She scanned her surroundings, continuing on her journey not that she knew where she was heading. As far as she could see, it was only white, the snow coating the lands. Pulling her furs around her, she let a shiver run through her body. 

Dropping her right arm by her side, she listened as her axe made swooshing noises in the silence. Her eyes flickered as she watched the snow start to fall around her, the white all blending in with everything around her. Lifting her axe, she allowed it to hit all the tree branches as she passed them by, the snow gathered on the tree falling to the ground. 

A sound caught her attention in the distance. Halting, she closed her eyes as she froze in place, her mind trying to pin point where the noise came from. Then she heard it again, a smirk crossed her lips as she heard a woman's voice, the voice sounded sweet, sickly sweet. Opening her eyes, she felt a hunger in her throat, a pull in her veins as she followed the sound. 

The closer she got, the louder the voice became, a woman singing, a soft, beautiful song. 

She watched through the branches, the woman was young, young and blonde like herself. She was alone, in her hands she held a small basket for the goods she had been collecting. Tilting her head to the side, Little Bear watched as the woman twirled, dancing a little as she sang, then her head turned, the voice halted suddenly as the blonde woman's eyes met Iona's. Little Bear watched as the skin of the woman in front of her turned pale, her eyes wide and a scared look crossed her face. 

"Who are you?" 

Little Bear pulled back the branch that separated the two women before stepping forward, the singing woman moved back quickly realising that she was in possible danger. Iona was extremely rapid in her movements as she swung her axe back and let it go, the blade embedding itself into the woman's chest, blood pooling and seeping through the woman's light clothing. Stepping towards her, Little Bear pulled out the weapon before the woman fell to the ground in front of her. The woman was screaming but there were no sounds that Iona could hear, it was almost like she was instantly deaf. 

Crouching down, she watched as the woman tried to talk, her mouth wide open, her breathing changing but it didn't matter to the blonde. She felt nothing, numb, she didn't feel angry, remorseful, sad nor did she feel the joy she had once felt when doing this. Wiping her blade on the woman's clothing, Iona shook her head before rising to her feet. She'd changed, she was no longer excited by the thrill or murder, that should have scared her, but there was nothing, nothing at all. 

OH LAWDY I MISS HIM