Virago - Ivar The Boneless

Ragnar's Advice

Bjorn greeted his sister with a large smile and a hug when she approached him that evening for dinner. "You look well," he told her as he held her tightly. 

Iona smiled to herself if there was ever someone to make her feel better it was Bjorn. "You look old," she teased him as she pulled out of his grip and looked him up and down before chuckling. "Are you back for good?" She was hopeful as she asked him but she knew from the look on his face that she was going to be disappointed with the answer. 

"Come and eat with me," he motioned his hand towards the main table. 

She looked over, her eyes landing on Bjorn's four half brothers. Looking back at Bjorn, she sucked her bottom lip in as she thought of her options. "I'm feeling quite tired," she lied as she faked a yawn. 

Her brother looked over at the table he had walked over from, he was confused as to why his baby sister would not want to sit with him and his family. Looking back at Iona, Bjorn raised an eyebrow before speaking lowly. "What has happened?"

"Nothing," she shrugged her shoulders. She didn't want to burden him with her problems, her issues which were probably more in her mind than real. 

"You can tell me if there is something wrong, I know that you and Sigurd haven't been as close lately. Did something happen between you two?" He asked his sister, as much as he didn't want to hear about it if something had happened, he wanted her to know he was there for her should she need to talk about it. 

Rolling her eyes, Iona laughed before he shook her head. "You could not be more wrong," she smiled as she thought about his words. Was this what people thought about her? "Sigurd and I are only friends. I do not have any feelings towards him."

Bjorn looked into his sister's eyes, he looked for a hint of deception but found none. For him to hear that made him relieved, he also knew that his brother did not feel the same. He looked over at his brothers, at the table sat Sigurd who was staring over at Little Bear. She was oblivious to it all though. Iona had always been one to ignore others feelings, she didn't read people well and it showed. 

"So, why have you distanced yourself from them?" Bjorn asked her trying to find out the truth for himself. 

He watched her, she didn't speak for a moment as she glanced over at the main table to where his family was. He followed her gaze and held in the groan he wanted to make when he saw who she had looked at. "I must go now," she said as Bjorn turned to face her. 

Iona walked away, leaving the room as people around them drank and cheered loudly. Bjorn looked at his sister who was leaving before he glanced back at his brothers. Closing his eyes for a moment, he shook his head before he pressed on after the young blonde who was quick to go. 

Catching up with her outside, he walked alongside her as she headed towards the forest. "Come on, Iona-"

"Don't call me that!" She snapped as she abruptly stopped walking and stared up at her much taller brother who halted in his tracks. "I decided not to spend time with them, I decided to distance myself!"

Bjorn took a chance on his next words, "I know Ivar can be difficult sometimes."

Iona's temper flared as she breathed in heavily, her eyes widened and her blue eyes turning a dark grey. "Just leave it!" She tried her hardest to avoid it, she didn't have the strength to deal with this right now. 

"I cannot help you if-"

"You cannot help me anyway!" She interrupted him as she pushed her blonde locks away from her face. "Go home, Bjorn."

He looked down at her, he realised he wasn't going to get anything out of her right now. He didn't speak before he left her there, she watched him walk away before she headed to the large tree with the hole in the trunk. 

Reaching into it, she pulled out an axe which had been put in for safekeeping. Turning on the spot, she put all her energy into her next moves, swinging her arm back before thrusting it forward, throwing the weapon at the tree she practised on the most. She fell forward, her knees hitting the ground as she put her hands out to stop herself from falling on her face before she felt tears of anger brimming at her eyes. Closing her eyes, the tears fell from her eyes as she leaned forward. 

Everything seemed to hit her all at once, the feelings she felt about herself, the anger she felt towards Ivar, the annoyance she felt towards Sigurd and mostly the disappointment she held for her mother right now. The tears that fell from her eyes was one of the only things that kept her from going crazy at that moment in time. 

Her face was covered by her hair which flowed freely, but it didn't stop her super-sensitive hearing picking up on footsteps which seemed to be coming towards her. Whipping her head up, her hair flung back as she looked at the person approaching her. 

"Ragnar?" She looked at him before she pushed herself up and smiled at him. "Why are you here?"

He gave her a small grin, "I thought you could do with a friend." 

"My brother sent you," she raised her eyebrows as she wiped up her eyes drying her face. "I do not need a babysitter."

Ragnar shook his head before sitting on the ground in front of her. He crossed his legs before he waved his hand to the ground in front of him. Iona sat down mimicking his actions with her legs and waiting for him to speak. "You are a brave warrior like your mother," he told the blonde who reminded him so much of his first wife. "I believe you are destined for great things but you won't get there without accepting help."

"What if I don't want any help?"

He laughed, "You are just like your mother. It's not about wanting help, it's about needing it. You are strong alone but imagine how much stronger you could be with someone who has the strength you have too." Ragnar nodded his head at her, "Before I met your mother I was like you. When I was with Lagertha, I became the great man everyone always talks of."

"It couldn't have been that great," she was quick to speak back. 

Ragnar tilted his head as he carefully thought about his next words. "Your mother is a great woman. I do not regret any of the time I spent with her and the joy she gave me." He took a deep breath before he smiled, "A part of me will always love her but she couldn't give me the one thing I was meant to have." 

Iona's eyes flashed as she listened, she knew what he meant. "Your sons," she sighed as she shook her head. "After my mother and Aslaug though, you have lost your way. Is that what will happen to me?"

He shrugged his shoulders, "Your mother and I married young. I listened to The Seer regarding my future. When you find the person you are meant to be with you will know, you will feel on top of the world. That person will make you stronger, they will help you be the best person you can be. You make your own future, Little Bear."

She listened but doubted his words.

Getting to his feet, he looked back down at the young woman before he spoke once again. "I think you already know the truth. I think you have found that person. You just don't know it. Your future is already decided, I see it."

Iona didn't question him, she didn't get up. She sat on the ground as she watched another person walk away from her. She sat alone instead, hoping to find the answers to his riddles.