Virago - Ivar The Boneless

The Returned and the Help

Little Bear's wound was becoming more and more painful by the second; her mind was thinking about the worst possible outcome. As she looked up at the man who was holding her down, she looked into his brown eyes as he pressed down on her hands with his knees, the wet ground below her seeping between her fingers. His left hand was on the axe handle, making sure she behaved, his right hand was quick to grip around my throat as he leaned his head down his lips against her ear. "I'm going to take my time with you," his words made Iona shudder as he spoke in a low voice. "No one around here is going to hear your screams."

Her eyes flitted around, looking for a way out of this. Only once had she ever been in a situation where she was this scared, but at that moment, she was fully able to fight back not having injuries. Little Bear looked at the axe that was in her skin, her blood trickling out of the wound around it only made her feel a little weaker than she actually was.

The man's old calloused right hand moved away from her throat, grabbing hold of the waistband of her trousers. His actions made her realise if she didn't do something now, she'd be just another damsel in distress. She let him fumble around trying to work out what he was doing; the man moved one of his knees so he could get a better view of her trousers, his left hand coming off the axe at the same time. Iona took a deep breath, steadying her breathing before using the hand that had been freed and moving as quickly as possible, she hissed as she yanked the axe from her skin before ploughing it in his skull.

The man fell down on her; the blood poured from his skull matting in his brown hair and over her clothes. Pushing him off her, she managed to get up, her right hand yanked the axe from the man's head, her left hand covering the wound on her shoulder, which she pressed tightly. Looking around, her eyes spotted some moss that was covering a tree trunk, taking the moss, she wiped off the excess dirt before shoving it into her wound, something she'd learnt from Bjorn a long time ago. Iona growled to herself as she tied a piece of material around the wound, hoping to seal it for a while. Once she found somewhere to stay, she could deal with it later.

Maybe she should never have of left Kattegat, she knew that now she was here injured and with nowhere to go. At that time she thought she was doing the right thing, staying there made her weak, unfortunately for her, leaving Kattegat had proven that point. Little Bear checked the three bodies before taking her small knife and the axe and any coins they had before she ventured further on, making sure to not leave a trail, she didn't want anyone following her.

She had to stop around an hour later, Little Bear leaned against a tree as she sat on the ground. Her hand swiped over the wound as she thought about the fact that things were getting bad now. Although the moss had plugged the blood, she knew she couldn't keep it in forever, she'd have to eventually get it out and patch herself up or bleed out. The second wasn't an option, it wasn't her time to die, she might have the God's with her, but she had to prove to them that she could look after herself once again.

As didn't realise, but she was quite tired, her eyelids closing as she felt her shoulder with both hands. A light sleep overtook her body as she laid there, her mind working overtime as dreams reached her almost instantly.

"This is your father," Lagertha told her blonde daughter as she pushed her in front of a man. Iona stared up at the strange man, she'd seen him before, but she couldn't remember where. "I have to go now, you will be safe with him."

Little Bear didn't speak as she turned to look at her mother, who climbed up on a large white horse before she left. Turning back to the man in front of her, Iona just looked up at him. His eyes were brown like the earth with matching hair, his facial hair was trimmed and neat, almost like he was there to impress.

"You are not my father," Little Bear spoke quietly as she looked up at the tall man before her. From the way, he dressed she knew he was a warrior, the scar on his forehead, showing her that he was highly skilled in what he did.

He nodded, "I am not."

She was confused as to why her mother would lie to her before leaving her with this man. "I do not know who my father is."

The man nodded, "I cannot help you."

Iona woke when she heard a noise, it was too late though, when she opened her eyes, she found herself face to face with a man she had only met once. "Hello, Little Bear." He may have aged, losing all his long locks and gained a few wrinkles, but his smile was still the same as he grinned at her. "You are a long way from home."

She nodded as she reached for her shoulder, hissing in pain as she touched the tender area where her wound was. "Too far," she admitted to him as she looked into his bright blue eyes, the one thing that reminded her of his youngest son. "What are you doing here, Ragnar?"

Ragnar sighed as he reached for her top, exposing her shoulder, "I think we need to get you some help. I am heading back to Kattegat, you'll be coming with me."

Little Bear didn't argue as he helped her to her feet, taking her weapons from her and walking at her pace back the way she had came. "Why have you returned now? You've been gone over ten years, Ragnar."

He didn't look at her, he kept his eyes trained ahead as he expelled air loudly. "I have to see my sons," his explanation was simple, but Iona couldn't help but feel like there was more to the story. "You have been in Kattegat?"

She nodded, "I have been there a few years now. My mother, she's away. Bjorn took me with him to Kattegat, although he has moved on since." She held her shoulder as she walked, the pain still present even though she had packed it.

"What are you doing out here then?"

Iona thought about his words, she'd left Kattegat due to the words of Ivar. She didn't want to be weak, she didn't want to the young woman she'd become over the last couple of years. "I was leaving."

"Was?" Ragnar picked up on her words as she studied him.

During the time he'd been away, he'd lost all of the hair on his head, exposing his tattoos, his beard was grey and halfway down his chest, which from the way he stood was still filled with muscle. Iona had been in the presence of a load of men who kept fit. Therefore she knew the signs. His clothes were old as if he'd been travelling for some time and he had a strange smell that followed him around, but Little Bear was glad of the company right now. The one thing that had not changed at all was his eyes, the ocean blue eyes that stared at you with the same intensity that Ivar had.

"I was hoping to maybe find my mother," the words that Iona spoke sounded naive. She didn't know where her mother was, and if she was honest with herself, she knew that she wouldn't find her alone.

Ragnar turned and looked at the young woman, the daughter of his first wife and half-sister of his eldest son. She was scared, pale and starting to fail as she walked. He watched her taking a few steps, she seemed stable enough on her feet, but he knew if he kept her going much longer, she wouldn't make it. Although he was ageing, he made a decision in his mind, stopping in his tracks getting the young woman to stop too. "Nearby is a woman," he told the injured Little Bear. "She can help you," he reached out to her and smiled as he pushed her hair away from her face. "We can go there tonight, although I think you need to rest." He nodded at her as he took his hand away from her delicate skin. "I can carry you, you need to conserve your energy if you want to live."

As much as she hated to admit he was right, she nodded in agreement before she let his swoop her off her feet, carrying her in his arms. Her shoulder getting some relief from not being stretched from standing up straight. "Thank you, Ragnar." Her voice was quiet as she closed her eyes, hoping to get some kind of rest before meeting the woman who would help her.