The Cripple and The Shieldmaiden II

// 6 //

Torhild had always imagined how it would be for Raynor to grew up aside Ivar. She had so much in mind, Ivar learning him to shoot an arrow, taking him everywhere on his chariot, not wanted to let him go if Raynor needed to sleep. But that bubble with imagines out of love burst when he smached his cup on the ground, yelling to her. That was the first image that Raynor got from his real father, his anger, his hatered and agression. And first impression often left stamps. It was the worst idea ever, why did she let Hvitserk convinsing her to take Raynor with them. She was glad that Raynor didn't understand her when she explained who his real father was. It was Hvitserk, it would always be Hvitserk. She walked out of the great hall and almost missed Ubbe who sat on the couple of stairs before while looking for her son. 'How did it go?' He asked.
'How do you think.' Ase replied, more visable angry than Torhild was. With her it brewed all on the inside, a mask over a mask. Knowing Ivar this was only the start of everything. A part of her wanted to go back in, trying to get a civilised conversation but the other part only wanted to take a boat back home. She made her mother a promise, coming back with a crown and all of England. If she needed to work with Ivar for that, fine, but she wasn't planning on making him things easy.

She found Hvitserk before one of the houses, looking down to his own knife he was sharpening. 'On who are you going to use that?' He looked up and a smile spread over his lips when he heared the sarcasme in her voice.
'Do I already need it?' He aksed back, an indirect question that asked how things went with Ivar. Torhild walked in the house, avoiding his question, looking for Raynor. He was already sleeping, tired of the long journey and all those first impressions along the way. She felt tired to, but the anger still boiled so she knew she won't have much rest if she layed down now. So she walked back out, stood aside Hvitserk who sat on a log working with his knife.
'Don't leave Raynor out of your sight Hvitserk.' Torhild said after a little while. He stopped sharpening his knife and looked up to her.
'If you don't leave me out of your sight. I saw him looking at me Torhild and,' he didn't finished his sentense. Ivar looked like he was planning on tearing Hvitserk apart and that was because Hvitserk got it all, a wife, a child ... supposed to be Ivar's in the first place.
'I left him quite speechless.'
'Yes well, you have that effect sometimes.' Hvitserk chuckled. Torhild looked down to him and sighned, thinking of all the problems she had to endure. 'Focus on the throne, not on him. And take some rest, you can use it.' He advised her. She laid her hand on his head, pulling one of his braids so he had to look up.
'I will. Thank you for coming.'
'For you everything love.' He smiled tender. Torhild placed a kiss on his lips and walked the house in. She got undress for a part and laid down aside Raynor. Like he knew it, he turned around and snuggled against his mother. She wasn't going to leave his side, not at day and certainly not at night. She wrapped an arm around him, stroke his dark hair and smiled loving.
'Your father is one of a kind Raynor.' She whispered against his forehead, leaving a soft kiss before she felt asleep to.

Hvitserk had a thing for long sleeping so Torhild was alone with Raynor. Luckely Ase didn't leave her side so she wasn't completly alone. 'More up little man.' Ase smiled to Raynor who tried to pick up a sword.
'It's heavy.'
'We will have to make you a wooden one than.' Torhild smiled. But Raynor didn't give up, he putted all his strengh in his arms to get that sword up at least a few inches. And just when he did that a white stalion breathed down in his neck. Torhild looked up to Ivar in his chariot.
'Didn't you see him or do you want you to make a point?' Ase asked him angry. Raynor turned around and looked up to the white stallion, petting his noise. Torhild stood up and picked the sword out of Raynor his hands before he could hurt the animal. She still loved that beast, a horse that once belonged to Lord Edgar, a cruel man that once ruled their settlement. She stroke the body of the animal before she looked up to Ivar.
'The sooner you take your throne, the sooner you can leave again.' He annouched, sarcastic. There he was, not so speechless anymore.
'If you get me the things I need.'
'It seems like you have already plenty.' He reacted. Torhild turned around to Raynor who investigated the chariot with a close eye.
'What is this mother?' He asked, looking up to Ivar curious. Torhild forced a emotionless smile on her lips and turned her head to Ivar.
'I don't know son, what is it Ivar?' She asked at least as sarcastic as he did. It was quite satisfiecing that Ivar was completly speechless with Raynor around. He opened his mouth to say anything but shutted it after a while. But Raynor lost all his interest when Hvitserk walked out.
'I picked up a sword.' He yelled enthousiastic. Torhild looked up to Ivar who was watching Hvitserk with so much envy.
'Hurt, doesn't it?' She asked him. She saw he tried to control his anger and when he looked back down to her every bit of mercy was gone. He just took off again and Ase came to stood aside her, the both looking at his chariot taking of. They didn't say much, Torhild took her gear and walked with Raynor to the great hall, knowing that it was way to early for Hvitserk to take care of him ... typical man. When she arrived she saw Ivar his chariot, but he wasn't inside. Raynor ran over to that throne and took place at it.
'Am I a prince now?' he asked. Torhild looked down smiling.
'You miss a crown sweetheart.'
'Can I get one?' Raynor asked. Torhild looked over her shoulder to Ivar crawling in, his eyes locked on Raynor. He stopped aside Torhild. 'Do I need to kill people to get a crown?' He got further. A child of four wasn't supposed to say thing like this.
'And than I ask myself from who he has that eager will to kill.' She whispered, looking down to Ivar. But he didn't respons, he looked to Raynor and maybe there changed a little something in his eyes.
'Can't you walk?' Raynor asked him, catching Ivar off guard with that question. Torhild crouched and gestured Raynor to come. The boy jumped from the throne and walked over to his mother, keeping a close eye on Ivar was aside her.
'Not everyone is as fast and strong as you are, be kind, okay?' She explained him softly. Raynor looked to Ivar again and nodded slowly before he runned back to that crown. Torhild stayed crouched, looking at the little boy that was just like the man aside her. 'I didn't do it to punish you, I did it for his own safty.' She looked to Ivar but he was still looking to Raynor. Keeping Raynor away from Ivar was the best option and she would do it all over again when she got a choise like this again. Ivar seemed troubles, like his was fighting his inner demon or something. It couldn't be easy for him, he was just to being cold and distant but this wasn't something he could ingore just like he ingored his feelings and emotions for her.
'Let's take England.' It came out way to fast and flat. His eyes turned cold again and Torhild shook her head a little. How much would it take to brake throught in that head of him?

'So, let me get this straight,' Ubbe began. They all sat around the table in the great hall, Halfdan and Ivar among them discussing the whole situation at hand. 'Edward, took over the kingdom of his father, Lord Edgar, and protects the kingdom of former king Aethelwulf? And Aethelred has take over from Aethelwulf.'
'It isn't that hard to understand brother.' Ivar mocked. Torhild rolled her eyes and shook her head but Ubbe could laugh about it.
'Do they know who I am?' Torhild asked curious.
'How would they know if I found out just two months ago. How long did you know? Or is that something you kept a secret to before you left?' Ivar challenged her. This would be days if not months the case, him working his frustrations out on her. She didn't mind, she was just to it, like Hvitserk said he had a harder time embracing her cold and distant behavior.
'She didn't know brother.' Hvitserk reacted calm.
'You shut up!'
'Or what, you gonna use that axe on me to?' Hvitserk pointed to the axe that laid aside Ivar on the table. And he was grabbing for it to. Torhild jerked out of her seat, layed her hand over his, looking at Ivar with a warning look. In a very fast time the situation became so tensed that everybody felt silent, stopped drinking or whatever.
'You know what I said.' She warned him. The corner of his mouth came up in a arrogant smirk.
'I love to see you try.' He said hardly to hear for anyone, just for her. She kept looking at him, her hand over his that still holded that axe ready for using.
'If you want to find out be my guest, I'm not that desperat little girl anymore.'
'I see that.' He reacted, eyes traveling down her body. She felt her body react on his gaze, a heat spreading up, remembering all the things he had done to her four years ago. Everybody was waiting on the moment she would pull back or he would let go of the axe. Ivar smiled and let go of the axe, sitting back in his seat again. Torhild pulled her hand back and sat down to, leaving a terrible tensed heaviness in the great hall. He was still looking at her and she just looked back, not willing to let him win, not willing to let him get to Hvitserk.