A Ballot of the Wolf and Merc | Ubbe Ragnarsson FanFic

A Working Woman's Mead

"Our Mother has kept the thrown open for our Father's return for years it seems now, always hopeful the old fool will return," Taking up most of the narrative as the band wandered through Kattegat, Ivar's directors cut into the intimate life of his family was spared to the foreign woman more than the actual directory of the city.

"She doesn't care about our father's absence Ivar, mother just asked we show her around," Sigurd rolled his deep set eyes at his sibling.

"Mother said she's going to go find Father didn't she?" Ivar heeded in a pompous tone.

"Deliver a letter," Sigurd sneered.

"A letter telling Father he needs to see to his people," smug about his retort Ivar looked away from his brother and to the woman smirking at him, "Tell 'em woman."

"Excuse me?" shuffling the weight in her hips to the other side, Eleri crossed her arms over a skin shawl. Face set sternly at the boy perched like a parrot practically on his brother's back.

Taken back that he did not assume he stuttered, Ivar looked to his brother's for confirmation of what he said. None of them spoke, Ubbe only rolling his eyes. Clearing his throat Ivar bullheaded tone came through once more, "Tell them what you're doing here woman."

Lips sealed, Eleri starred at him and spoke of nothing. Though her voice box was suddenly gone.

"I asked you a question woman!" barking Ivar grew angry with her lack of answer, "Answer me shrew!"

Narrowing her eyes Eleri's jaw twitched. The brat attempting to stare her down like a rabid dog. But Ivar could not surpass the plaintive steely look Eleri slated over her face.

Unrelenting even from the back of Hvitserk, Ivar frothed angrily, "I swear by my father's name I-"

"Where does one acquire a drink in this municipality of a village?" a slight flick of her head and Eleri brushed off everything Ivar had just said.

This time her eyes landing victim on the toe headed blond Sigurd unaware for a second she was speaking to him, "I uh-"

"There's a tavern two allies down," spoke solemnly Ubbe gestured towards the south of Kattegat past some buggies being drawn by a collection of mules and burrows.

"Wait a second I asked-" miffed to be schlepthed off with no concern caused Ivar to keep chiming in even when Hvitserk groaned loudly wanting him to drop it.

"You're my mother's guest, do not drink a fool of yourself," Ubbe's suggestion sounding more like a command as he starred down his nose at the female.

"You take me for a lightweight son of Ragnar Lothbrok?" Her eyebrow shot up at the tone he spared her.

"My name is Ubbe girl, I have my own name as my own man," retorting herm his blue eyes didn't flicker off her face.

"Hold your tongue son of Ragnar," Eleri winked knowingly to Ubbe, "Girl would mean I'm younger than you royal offspring."

Jaw setting tense Ubbe wasted no time, "I am of twenty one years of-"

"Twenty three," flashing a look over to the other three she studied each brother only briefly, "And none older than you. Seems I hold seniority over the lot of you."

"But we be of the Queen and King's own, Kattegat is but our own," Hvitserk intrigued to see Ubbe's reaction to being challenged as such couldn't help aid in his brother's word play.

"I do not reside here, do not care for your customs and do not plan on staying," gesturing with arms out Eleri spun slowly to beckon to the city as she spoke, "Oh yes, I believe the word was guest, from the very lips of the dear Queen. Or should I say mommy?"