Virago - Ivar The Boneless

Blood Sports

When they arrived at the place King Aelle confirmed Ragnar died, Iona stood between Hvitserk and Ubbe. She listened to the pain in the brother's voices as they spoke about their father, about his last moments here. The King even tried to buy his way out of this, begging for his life. This only angers them even more, before Floki took over. 

 She watched through narrowed eyes as Floki taunted the man. She never flinched when she listened to the sounds of the nail being pushed into the hands of the King. His screams didn't affect her at all. 

She noticed the way all the brothers kept their eyes on the scene in front of them. Sigurd stood the other side of Hvitserk but she knew now was not the time to be concerned about him. She looked over at Ivar, he did not stand with his brothers, instead, he sat in front of the King watching from a short distance. 

When Floki had finished, she looked back as Bjorn stepped forward with a sharp heated knife. She stared, her lips curling into a smirk as Bjorn began the cut into the middle of the exposed back of the King. 

The scream from the King was blood-curdling. Iona could smell the flesh burning as Bjorn ran the knife down the centre of the back. Her smirk left her lips as she watched, she stood on her tiptoes to see more. She felt like she was shaking, the adrenaline in her veins was almost bursting out of her. The feeling was like a lust, a lust for the pain and the blood. When she had been on the battlefield, the rush had been amazing but how she felt right now at this moment was something else. 

She knew what was happening but she had never seen a blood eagle before but she'd heard of it. This man had begged for his life but right now things were different, he was paying with his life. Iona knew he deserved it though, no one would ever get away with the murder of a great warrior like Ragnar and expect there to be no repercussions.

Bjorn pulled back the skin, exposing the insides below the flesh. Hvitserk glanced at her for a second, he noticed how she almost bounced on her toes, though she did not change her emotionless expression. Returning his gaze to Bjorn, he now held an axe. There was a glint in Bjorn's eyes as he stood over the fallen King.

Taking his time, Bjorn raised the axe, each blow into the back of the King was slow and deliberate. Blood sprayed over the face of Ragnar's eldest son, the blood reached's Ubbe and Hvitserk's faces. Ubbe smiled as he closed his eyes, embracing the feel of it on his skin.

Ivar moved forward, crawling till he was in front of the tortured King. The youngest Ragnar watched as the life seeped out of the eyes of the man before him as the blows continued. He got as close as he could to the King's lifeless face, smirking, this man had killed their father and this was just the start of the blood that would be shed.

Iona managed to tear her eyes away from the damage Bjorn had inflicted. Little Bear could not help but look over at Ivar, she smirked knowing he had the same mentality as she did. her stomach knotted as she saw the evil behind those blue eyes, the rage that he kept to himself. 

"You're doing it again," Hvitserk whispered in the silence before he stepped forward to help Bjorn alongside Ubbe. She looked up at him as he walked in front of her, her arms folding over her chest as she waited.

When the eagle had been completed, she stared up at the body that hung in the air. 

The five brothers all stared up at the handy work that had been done. 

Iona looked over at each of them. Bjorn looked serious, after what he had just done there was no other way for him to look. She noticed that all of the brother's had different looks on their faces. Sigurd looked a little disgusted, Ubbe showed no emotions, Hvitserk had a smile on his face whilst Ivar looked majorly pissed off. His smirk had disappeared, of everything this concerned the blonde the most. 

XOXOX

Sailing on, Iona laid on the deck looking up at the sky as she watched the clouds. "Sister," Bjorn stood above her blocking the sun from her view. "Why do you lay here?"

She looked at him, her lips remaining in a thin line. "Here I am out of the way," she told him as she turned her attention back to the clouds. "Where do we go from here?"

Bjorn raised his eyebrows, "My brothers and I have much to discuss. There are places we need to go from here." He looked over at the sea, "You should return home to mother." He wanted his sister to be safe, he knew Iona could look after herself but it was only a matter of time before she got hurt, everyone always did. 

"I did not wish to go back without you," she told him with a smile. "Now, could you either go away or sit beside me, you are blocking the sun." 

He laughed before walking away leaving Little Bear to enjoy the sunshine and the clouds. 

She leaned up, her elbows supporting her as she looked around the boat. Towards the back, she noticed Aslaug's sons waiting as Bjorn approached them. She stared, there was so much they had in common yet so little. 

Hvitserk watched as Bjorn walked in their direction, his eyes scanned around seeing Little Bear on the wooden slabs of the boat. She was watching them, he wondered what she was thinking as for a second their eyes met before she looked away and laid flat again returning her eyes to the sky. 

Iona's thoughts were scattered. The clouds in the sky were not enough to keep her from the dreadful thoughts in her mind. She needed more than what she had right now. There were so many thoughts swimming around her head, so many things that confused her, intrigued her.