Virago - Ivar The Boneless

Making Changes

Little Bear attended the feast in the main hall that evening. She had stashed her large blade away, only taking the smaller dagger Sigurd had given her. Although it was a significant change for her, she knew it was something she'd wanted to do, after all, she'd been carrying the large one around for so long. There was no dressing up for Iona when it came to this meal, she wore her regular clothes as she entered the hall. Looking around, she noticed Bjorn sitting with his half brothers, she searched for another space to sit, but her attention was drawn back to the boys when she heard Sigurd calling her name.

Casually she approached the table, Bjorn was between Hvitserk and Ubbe, Sigurd was sat between Ubbe and Aslaug, the only space free was between Ivar and Hvitserk, uneasily she took the seat looking ahead at her brother who smiled at her. "Glad you could join us this evening," he said to her with a grin.

She managed to smile before she leaned back in her chair. She hoped that the attention on her would be diverted, but she could feel quite a few pairs of eyes on her.

"Somethings missing," Sigurd spoke with a grin as he looked at the girl.

Bjorn looked at his sister before raising his eyebrows, "Where's your sword?"

Little Bear smiled, "I'm trying something new." She put her hands on the table in front of her as she looked around at all the people watching her. Aslaug was eyeing her up, she tilted her head to the side as she looked at the young female who was captivating the looks from all the males around the table. Aslaug worried that the young blonde was different to the other women in her son's lives, Iona didn't wear dresses, she didn't follow the regular rules, and she certainly didn't try to fit in with the others around her. People who stuck out caused trouble for Aslaug, her only concern was to keep her son's safe, but as she scanned over her son's expressions, she knew there was already a problem.

Iona didn't know she had their attention, she was blind to the fact, she was too busy focusing on the items on the table. She'd seen many different things, but the plates and glasses were almost a golden colour, her right hand wrapped around an empty glass examining it closely. Although she'd seen gold items before, she'd never been in such close proximity to them, never held them. 

"Has Sigurd been showing you around?" Bjorn asked as he stared at his blonde sister.

She looked up from the empty glass, placing it back down before acknowledging his question. "I've seen quite a few things already." From beside her, she heard a snort, turning her head, she looked at Ivar who was sniggering as he looked down. "What is so funny?" Her voice changed, and it seemed that everyone heard the tone as silence fell across the table.

He stopped making noise as he moved his head, so he was facing the blonde, "I've seen you." He spoke in a wicked tone as he eyed the young woman, the way he was with her was like there was no one else around. "Don't pretend like he has shown you much more than his bed."

Bjorn looked over at his sister before glancing at his brother, he opened his mouth to speak, but before he could Little Bear was there to defend herself. "Don't pretend like you have anyone to share your bed with," she burned him with her words. "Not that the time I share with Sigurd is any of your business."

"Sister," Bjorn placed his hand on her left arm as he reached across to her. 

She turned her head wildly to her brother before removing her arm from his vice-like grip. Little Bear looked back at Ivar, who was the other side of her, she lowered her voice as she spoke again. "I see the way people look at you," she gritted her teeth as she heard others start their own conversations around them. "They might all be scared of you," she made sure she kept eye contact with those bright blue eyes of Ivar. "But you don't scare me."

His eyes looked away from her, darting around as he checked for anyone who might be watching them. When he was satisfied no one was paying them any attention he leaned close to her, his breath hot as he put his lips next to her ears, "You should be scared. Bjorn won't be here to save you all the time." His voice was a harsh whisper before he sat back up and returned to his food as if nothing had happened. 

Slowly, Little Bear turned back to the table, her right hand laid on the table, under the table, she gripped her small knife tightly, the blood drawing in her palm as she squeezed the blade in her fist. As she looked up, Bjorn's eye's met hers, he gave her a small nod before she returned the gesture then got to her feet. Looking at Aslaug, she managed a smile at the woman who was the mother to everyone apart from herself and her brother, "Thank you for your generosity but suddenly I'm not feeling so hungry." 

Aslaug didn't speak, she only smiled at the blonde. Ivar watched his mother's face, he knew the look well, it was the same smug smirk he seemed to have when things went his way. He didn't turn his head to watch, but he heard the chair beside him move back in before the young blonde left the table and started her walk through the hall, her boots clomping against the solid wooden floor. A smug smirk, almost identical to his mother's spread across his lips as he looked up catching the eyes of his half brother, who narrowed his eyes as a way of warning without exchanging words. Ivar didn't speak, he just returned to his plate full of food, no second thought to the sign Bjorn had given him.