Warlord in love

Together in pain

Locked up in whirlpool of unpleasant emotions she was ignorant to the fact that the town became louder, that he came back...

He was searching for her eyes in the crowd, while they were feasting in his honor, but every attempt to find her face in the crowd was a failure. "Hvitserk where is Aerlene? His curiosity killed the pride, specially having in mind that she was sick before he left.

Hvitserk was devouring his ale determined to bare pain easier, and he nearly choked when he heard the question. "She is in her room... I think..." he said quietly, soon after raising his horn up. Ivar raised his brow glancing at Hvitserk and he gesticulated to one of the servants to come closer.

"Go, and bring Aerlene!" but pale girl looked at Hvitserk unable to hide the fact that she is terified. "Is there some problem with that?" He noticed their nonverbal communication, and fear in her dark eyes. Hvitserk decided to speak, knowing that eventually he will find out anyway. "Maybe, she won't come now..." he exhaled deeply, watching raising uncertainty in Ivar's eyes.

"Why?" He asked almost silently, with boyish disarmed gaze on curiously fixated on Hvitserk.

"While you been away... Saxons attacked Aerlene..." Ivar hand started griping the handle of his axe strong, as Hvitserk was taking another sip of ale, to lighten up his tongue. "But somebody butchered those solders. She is unharmed, but still in shock!"

Now little more relaxed he released the grip from his axe, and took a large sip of ale himself. "But she is alright?"

"Yes, when I found her, she was sleeping, but once again, totally unharmed!"

"And the Saxons... Who killed them?" Floki was also following the flow of conversation between brothers with fixated attention while the raising curiosity was boiling in him.

"I don't know... but it must be great warrior... you should of seen the place you would be enjoying the sight, I swear that I didn't know you wasn't there, I would give my hand that it was you brother!"

"Maybe it was he..." Floki hit Ivar in biceps strong, to bring him back in conversation, accusing him with his shiny little eyes. "He was missing for two days... so..."

"Shut your mouth Floki... where is she now?"

"In her room I think" Hvitserk finished his drink, pouring another in Ivar's horn, but he just glided on the floor, and proceed to her room as fast as he could, leaving the bloody stains behind him, since his nearly healed skin braked again under the pressure.

**

He nearly broke the door with his clenched fist.

When she heard the banging on the door, waterfalls between her eyelashes enhanced their flow. He came back...

"Aerlene! Open the door, or I will break them!"

"Go away Ivar, I want to sleep!"

"Let me see that you are alright, and after you can sleep as long as you like!"

"Why do you care?"

"Because I gave my word, now don't, test my patience anymore!" he was more begging than commanding this time, so she managed to drag herself to the door, her hair was falling all over pale face, hiding the swollen eyes, she opened the door, avoiding meeting his curious gaze, and walked over to the window.

Seeing her in that state he realized the seriousness of situation, and he took a place on the chair near her bed, unsure what to say next. Uncomfortable around her vulnerability, scared of her sadness.

They stayed silent for a while.

"I won't need your protection anymore!" she decided to kill the silence, which was causing almost unbearable waves of anxiety. Her voice was sharp determined, tightening slowly area around his heart.

"Why do you think that?" It was strange, the way that his confidence was leaving him in her presence.

Damn blue eyed devil and frequency of his voice which had an effect on her like the truth serum, although her conscious intention was to stay silent and suffer alone... but there were no words that could explain the facts better than action, so she blazed over to his chair, taking his knife in a flash, throwing it at first sight randomly across the room, while his eyes were expanding so that his eyelids hurt, as she brought him back his knife with the killed fly on its tip.

He was starring at the dead insect, and backs at her seeing the fear and confusion tearing her apart, that she wasn't so sad he would allow himself to admire Godlike precision and let his imagination run wild, respecting her now even more. But he recognized the fear, and she was slowly turning her back on him, rushing to avoid perfection that he radiated so effortlessly, sight of him was stopping the time, making everything easier... and harder simultaneously.

He caught her strong without containing his strength now sure that she can take it, and he pulled her closer throwing her completely of the balance, landing her in his lap.

"So you can throw a knife, big deal?" Guiding his rough palms over her arm he reached the knife and took it away from her hand, spinning it in the air casually, and letting it fly and land right in the spiders back on the wall across them. "That doesn't mean that you can protect yourself?"

She needed to convince him, to show him what kind of monster she was, so she proceeded with demonstration of her power throwing them both of the balance on the floor catching his wrists with her best grip pining him on the floor. Fear was still dancing in vastness of her gray eyes, he was surprised but pleasantly at her action, refusing to provide any kind of resistance he was just starring in her wild beauty, knowing that he could do so for hours.

"See how strong I am?" she was annoyed with his smirk, giving her best to sound as badass and serious she could, but he was turning her agony and pain from previous hours into a not so serious problem at all.

"I knew that already lassie!" He curled his lips in most charming smile so far, disarming her, melting every mask of her face.

"That makes one of us than!" She said with a little drop sliding trough her cheek, landing on his. She knew that if she stays in that position, just a moment more she wouldn't be able to stop herself from hugging him, so she rushed to the window again, to the air supplies.

He followed her, hating the fact that he couldn't stand up tall behind her in the moments like this, like any other man.

"But your strength is a gift! Don't be afraid!" he took a seat now at the edge of her bed, determined to stay as long as necessary till he sees again the calmness in her eyes.

"Did they tell you what happened in the woods?" she asked looking at the moon, and heavy clouds.

"Yes... but nothing matters now... now when you are fine."

"You know..." she faced him, looking him straight in the eyes approaching him subconsciously "...that I..." tears again illuminated her eyes; she caused a tornado in his internal organs with her strong and raw unhidden emotions.

"I love that you killed those filthy Christians, I was so happy when I heard" He said with excitement and honesty, the thing she was afraid to say out loud, reassuringly nodding with dark glow in his eyes. She kneeled before him, like the weight fell from her back.

"How did you know?" Confused and relaxed a little more, he put her hands over his knees, resting her chin on them, admiring his face from that angle, and thinking could somebody be so perfect.

He approached his head to hers, merging their breaths, deciding to keep his reasons hidden for now he whispered. "I knew... because I never liked week people!"

Her heart was about to pierce her skin and fly away, did he just said that he liked her, his words dried her tears, and emotional roller coaster guided her next move. She landed her lips on his, strong and quick, like she was attacking him with her display of affection. He wasn't moving his lips, terrified but burning with desire to do so. Devastated but without better choice he moved away his head.He tightened his fist felling the anger old friend coming back again; to remind him of all things he is incapable of.