Frida

Chapter 15 - Family

"No, Ubbe... Hvitserk!" Frida exclaimed from her seat on the small bridge that led to the salty water of the sea as she watched one brother push the other lightly on the shoulder.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Bjørn quickly getting to his feet before rushing over to his small brothers, pulling them apart. "What did I tell you two about..." Bjørn started out in a serious voice, but Frida smiled to herself and stopped paying attention to his words, as she knew that Bjørn was very good with children. She turned her head to smile at Ivar who was sitting beside her in his small cart, and she reached over to help him untangle his fishing line from the weeds that grew up along the post of the bridge.

Frida had eagerly agreed to go with the boys on a little fishing trip just outside Kattegat's margins, just to do something else with them than sit around in the long-hall and come up with games for them to play. She had not exactly devoted much time to Ragnar's children since she had arrived because of the many things she felt like she had to learn, but now that a small bump on her stomach had started to make its appearance, Frida really felt the need to get to know them.

She was carrying Ragnar's child, and even though she knew in her heart that she would become a good mother, she still wished to show them that she cared for them, and wanted to spend time with them.

She felt Ivar tucking at her hair, and she gazed upon his sweet little face as he proudly presented her with a small trout that he had caught. "Wow, Ivar, what a nice fish!" she exclaimed before pulling it off the hook.

Ivar smiled to himself before throwing his line out in the water once more.

Frida chuckled.

Ivar was the brightest child she had ever known. He was still very young, and he did not talk much, but she could tell that he was always watching everyone around him, listening, like a serpent waiting patiently for a prey to come along. He was very beautiful. His hair was a darker blond than the other boys', an almost golden red firing from his head. His teeth were small and perfectly aligned, and he kind of reminded her of a little prince. She took joy in being around him and his silent being.

"Father?!" she heard all three boys shout out in union at the end of the bridge.

Frida turned her head to see Ragnar gliding over the water towards the bridge in a small boat, and her eyes connected with his immediately, earning Frida's heart to speed. He still made her feel so warm inside.

"What are you doing here, father?" Ubbe asked as Ragnar swung himself up on the bridge before handing him the rope for the boat.

"I'm fetching you. What does it look like I'm doing?" he answered as he signaled for Bjørn to help him carry Ivar to the boat.

"Fetching us?" Frida asked confusedly. They were just having such a nice time, and Ragnar had already told her that he was going to be training all day with his brother. 

"Hm," he smiled while blinking his eye at her, "We have been invited to join Floki's family this evening."

Frida gulped down as she reached for Ubbe and Hvitserk's hands, guiding them down the bridge carefully, both of the boys wooing excitedly when they heard Floki's name. She had never understood their affection for this man. It seemed like they almost felt him to be their uncle, but Frida had always trot carefully around him.

She could not figure out exactly what kind of man he was.

She knew that he was very good at interpreting the gods' signs, that was what Bjørn had told her, but Ragnar was always quiet when she asked him questions about Floki. And Ragnar's silence always meant something, she had quickly learned that.

As they were sailing along the coast, Frida felt a slight nudging at her arm. "What are you thinking?" Ragnar voiced into her ear and put his arms around her.

She shivered at the warmth and sighed out, shrugging her shoulders. "I do not know," she voiced back so that the boys would not hear their conversation.

Ragnar turned his eyes to the sea, hovering over it as he had done when they had sailed from England. He had a strange look in his eyes.

"I want you to trust him," he finally breathed, and she looked up at him.

His eyes were restless, dark circles carving at the skin beneath them, and she felt a slight sting in her heart. She knew that the responsibility of being a king was very hard on him. "Do you?" she asked.

Ragnar turned his eyes to glare into hers and a crooked smile curled his lips. "Hm," he smiled, before turning his head to the coast and reaching his hand up in the air to wave.

"Ragnar!" she heard Floki call out from behind the trees.

At the shore Ragnar, Frida, and the boys were greeted by Floki and his small family. His wife Helga, a white haired woman with big round beautiful eyes, and his little girl named Angrboða welcomed them smilingly to their home that was positioned up on the side of a mountain, well hidden behind the trees. 

Their house was very charming, not too big, but it seemed as if it was a part of the mountain, the forest even.

When they had all entered the house, it was not long before the children were running around, playing both boys and girl, while the three men had sat down by the fire. Frida looked at them from the table that she was helping Helga prepare, and she felt Floki's eyes on her, constantly switching between her face and her stomach.

She let her hand stroke her small bump there mindlessly.

"Are you excited?" she heard Helga chirp beside her, a hand nudging her shoulder slightly.

"Huh?" Frida exhaled as her mind had wandered, and she turned her head to look at Helga's sweet smile, and she saw her nod her head down at her belly. "Oh, yes, very," Frida smiled, her eyes returning to stare at Floki, "It is my first child."

Her eyes twitched when Floki snickered into his horn at something funny Bjørn had said. She did not like this man's air.

"I know," Helga's voice sounded in her ear, "that my husband can behave in strange ways sometimes..."

Frida felt herself blush, and she quickly turned around to look at the Norse woman beside her, forcing all of her attention on her.

"But," Helga continued as she poured some mead, "he is loyal to his king. And therefore also to you."

Frida gulped down before trying her best to shake the nervous feeling off that crawled on her skin, smiling a bit forced at the woman beside her. Helga's eyes were warm and friendly, and Frida soon felt at ease in her company, as they served the night's food. She could tell that they were going to become great friends.