Virago - Ivar The Boneless

Floki's Help

Little Bear's accommodation had been upgraded since she first arrived after Bjorn left she was given his hut. The upside to that was she now had somewhere that she could call her own while she stayed in Kattegat. Here she could be alone, although the only time she was genuinely lonely was at night when in the hut. Iona would spend her time with Sigurd in the day, eating the first meal of the day with him before they would head off and try to find different things each day. In the evenings they would eat in the main hall even going out of their way to sit on a table just the two of them. Their thoughts and words almost in sync as they had each other's back in any situation. 

Tonight was different, after exchanging words with Sigurd earlier in the day, Little Bear headed to the hall alone. Her intentions were to grab some food and leave with it, even though she knew that would be disrespectful to Aslaug with was the ruler of this small place. 

Little Bear approached the hall late, she held her furs tightly against her skin, aware that her growing body was becoming too big in places to be covered by the cloak. Standing outside of the hall, she leaned against the wall as she thought about the day's events. Not only had she upset Sigurd, but she'd also ended up getting on the wrong side of Ivar, something which was bad on the best of days. 

"Aren't you coming in?" The thoughts in her mind were interrupted by the blonde slave woman she'd shared a hut with before Bjorn left, Margrethe. 

Iona looked at her, "I don't think I am welcome tonight."

Margrethe chuckled as she slid her arm through the daughter of Lagertha, "I've only ever heard good words about you." The words she spoke were to make the warrior feel better, sure she'd heard a couple of the men talking about her, but it was usually more wondering than good. 

As much as she knew she was lying, Little Bear allowed the slave girl to lead her into the hall. It was so quiet when they entered, Iona's eyes were trained forward to the table at the end of the room. Aslaug was absent today, leaving her son's to entertain and be in charge of the townspeople. She made eye contact with Sigurd who quickly looked away and down at his food, avoiding her. She did notice one other people watching her with a dirty look on his face, her eyes flickered to the youngest of the Ragnarson's as Ivar watched her through small slits. 

"You are interested in the Princes?" Margrethe asked, noticing the way Iona and Ivar exchanged glares. When Little Bear looked back at her, the blonde slave smiled, "You should be careful."

Picking up a plate from nearby, Little Bear rolled her eyes as she ignored the warning from the young woman. "I think I can handle myself," she was confident as she spoke, her hands picking up two legs of chicken before looking back at the woman beside her. "Do you know them?"

Margrethe's pale wides widen before she blushed a little then turned away getting her own food, "I spend time with all of them, not Ivar though." She looked back up at Iona before she spoke again, "If I'm honest, he's a little..." Margrethe stopped talking for a moment as she thought of a word to describe the youngest Lothbrok. 

"Intense," Little Bear said a word that was diplomatic and truthful. She looked over at the table where the four Princes sat, they were all in their own conversations now, none of them looking in the direction of the two blondes. Iona looked back at Margrethe who grinned then took a few steps towards the table Iona had been staring at. "Where are you going?" Little Bear's voice was a hiss as she got the attention of the slave. 

The blonde woman turned her head to Iona, "It's fine." 

Iona watched as Margrethe made her way over to the table at the head of the room, the slave sat between Ubbe and Sigurd before looking up at Little Bear. As she stood in the middle of the room, Iona felt all eyes were on her as the Princes all turned to see her as Margrethe talked. Not only did they look at her but she could feel other eyes on her from the rest of the townspeople. 

Her hands shook as she stared at Ivar, his powerful gaze was enough to make her feel unsafe. At that moment in time, she knew she really didn't belong here. Little Bear's paranoia was setting in and with every passing second that she kept eye contact with him the thoughts in her head began to become distorted and a mess. Kattegat was messing with her mind, her instincts leaving her with every passing day. 

Putting the plate on the nearest table, Little Bear turned away and left the hall quickly, her boots slapping against the wooden floor before getting out the door. Once she was in the outside, she broke into a run, her hands pushing her hair back from her face as she pushed herself and headed to the river. It took a good few minutes to get to her destination, but it was worth it when she fell in a heap against the trunk of a large oak tree. 

She pulled her knees to her chest, resting her head on her thighs as she steadied her breathing. Her hands balled her hair angrily as she tried to avoid all the angry thoughts that swirled around her head. Reaching into her boot, she pulled out the small dagger she'd grown used to carrying around, putting it against her palm as she thought about her mother, Lagertha. She missed her so much, she didn't think she would, but time made it worse. Bjorn was next to leave her, abandoning her here in Kattegat with the other half of his family. The truth was none of his brothers cared about her as he did, yet he'd gone and left her there without him. A scream left her mouth as she pulled her hair harder, a way for herself to relieve the pain she was feeling. 

"Little Bear?" Iona sprung to her feet, knife in her as she stared wildly at the man who had interrupted her. 

She breathed in deeply before she lowered her knife, "I could have murdered you." She spoke freely only to be laughed at by the excentric man, Floki. Little Bear narrowed her eyes at the makeup clad man before she threw the knife, the blade skimming past his right ear before sticking in the tree behind him. 

Floki turned his head to look at the knife before he reached for it, the laughing ceasing as he handed it to the blonde. "What has made you upset?" He could be understanding, she'd seen the way he interacted with other people, but she had never confided in him herself. 

She took the knife, holding it tightly in her left hand as she watched Floki. "I have to leave Kattegat," Little Bear spoke simply as she looked up at him, "I don't belong here."

His expression was blank before he asked, "What about Sigurd?"

"What about him?" The question was confusing to Little Bear, there was no need for Sigurd to be a factor in her wanting to stay. "He's just like the others, people are scared of what they don't know."

The boatbuilder eyed her suspiciously before asking, "And what don't they know?" 

The temper of Little Bear was flaring as she thought of what she was, the thought that she was as powerful as she is but yet there was no one close to her to help her harness that. Without her mother and Bjorn, she felt helpless, helpless to stop the feeling that was overcoming her. "They don't believe," she seemed to be confused, but her voice was getting louder as she turned away from the man before her. "I know he feels it about himself," she closed her eyes. "Aslaug believes her son is more than just a man," Little Bear spoke about Ivar. She'd been watching him as he had been her and she knew that he felt he was special, that he was from the God's like herself. "I can't stay here," she was impulsive as she pushed her cloak off, the cold air hitting her before she jumped at the side of the river bank. "If I stay, one of us will die." 

Floki stepped forward, but it was too late, the young blonde jumped into the river, the current taking her downstream and away from Kattegat, away from Floki at a speed that even he wouldn't be able to keep up with. He jumped up at the bank, watching her blonde head bobbing up and down, she didn't scream, she didn't seem to panic as she let herself go letting the water wash away the anxiety she felt for the moment.