Ragnarssons And The Berserker's Daughters

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  It was early in the morning hours when Hillevi was rudely awakened from her slumber.  With a loud snarl and swift grab for her sword, Hillevi glared at the offending human being who dared wake her after the gory events that transpired last night in the great Hall.

  "It's a good thing you jumped back like a startled kitten, Sigurd."  There was a chuckle behind the person Hillevi was pointing her sword at.  "She could have cut your head clean off."  She immediately recognized who was speaking.

  Squinting her eyes in the darkness of her bed chambers, she could see the outlines of three people and someone who appeared to be laying on the ground. 

  "Why don't you shut up cripple!" Sigurd hissed back over his shoulder.

  "Behave!" Ubbe growled in warning at his younger siblings.  He was in no mood to deal with his younger brothers' fights this early in the morning.

  With a heavy sigh, Hillevi put her sword down and ran a hand over her tired face.  She wanted to go back under the soft furs of her bedding, but she knew she wouldn't be able to.

  "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't break every bone in each of your bodies?" Hillevi muttered crossly while eyeing all four of the Ragnarssons in what little light there was in the room.  "You do realize the sun has barely risen yet?"

  "Ivar insisted that we come and wake you up." Hvitserk spoke with a glance at his younger brother who was by Ubbe's feet.

  "Why?" Hillevi sat on her bed facing them now.  She fixed the thin woolen shift that she was wearing.  She moved a few tightly twisted braids that were in the way of her sight.  Hvitserk watched her fix herself then quickly cast his eyes to another side of the room hoping that she didn't notice.

  She didn't.

  Sigurd moved back to stand beside Hvitserk as Ivar crawled forward on the ground.  Hillevi watched him closely with an annoyed expression.  She should have guessed Ivar would be behind this.  He was just a few inches from her bare feet and he strained his neck to look up at her from where he was.  His blue eyes seem to glow in the darkness of the room like a wolf who watched it's prey.

  "Gerd hasn't come back." Ivar stated simply and tilted his head to the side as he studied her. "But I have a feeling you wouldn't care about that.  You didn't really look hard enough last night when everyone went looking for her."

  Hillevi narrowed her eyes at the youngest Ragnarsson and bit the inside of her cheek.  Yes, it was true that right after Gerd ran off, everyone went looking for her.  Even Ivar wanted to, but his mother held him back.  Hillevi did go searching with Olin.  They combed over each place they new Gerd would go to be by herself.  Though, they had no luck finding her.  No one knew where she ran off to last night.

  Right now Ivar was trying to get a reaction out of her, but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction.  Instead, she rose from her bed and glared down at him as he moved backward to give her space.  A smirk was on his face.  Oh how she hated the way his mouth twisted like that.  It seemed to be the only thing his lips could do.  He was never one to smile often.

  "I do care Ivar." Hillevi spoke plainly. "I have a feeling she will return when she wants to.  In her own t-"

  "You don't know that."  Ivar cut her off instantly.