A Ballot of the Wolf and Merc | Ubbe Ragnarsson FanFic

Woeful Love

Multitudes of souls gathered before the lashing bonfire in the middle of Kattegat's grand ceremonial pavilion. Sun setting while men, women and child surrounded the thrumming forum dedicated by the new hierarchy in place under Lagertha's impending celebration to claiming the crown. Jeers and lively murmuring surged through the crowd as the light in the sky dimmed and the bonfire only grew in size.

"Welcome back!" A group of younger women cheered upon Lagertha's grand entrance towards the middle of the congregation.

"Lagertha!" Another, some fellow vikings from her settlement neighboring Kattegat, raised their steins in honor. Few mixed feelings as those who followed the new Queen had done so long before Aslaug took power. Some coming with her in her conquest to take back her birth place. Other's slowly welcoming a change to the cold shoulder from the last.

Stepping foot before the glowing fire, Lagertha stopped. Astrid at her side. Warm orange flames bathing both pale women in the light. Each owl that sat atop Lagertha's shoulders calm and collected as she slowly raised her arms, "Today marks a new dawn for Kattegat!" Lagertha's powerful bellow reached even the furthest outskirts of the mulling townsfolk. It took nothing for sounds to die out and attention to turn to the new reign. Looking out at the faces that stared back at her only brought a prideful smile to the shieldmaiden's face, "For all of us!"

No time at all for the thudding and applauding to resume. Merry as it was Lagertha casted her blue eyes out on the group wary of any shadows lurking, "We do not know King Ragnar's fate," Procuring her heed over the assembly was easy for the woman as she held a gaze with as many different faces as she could, "Or, if he will ever return." The man's name caused a stir in the crowd. Clearing her throat Lagertha drew the attention back from the people, "Kattegat has changed, you have not been ruled properly for along time." Flashing Astrid a look over her shoulder, Lagertha nodded to her mate and turned a smile back towards the town, "Together, we will bring Kattegat back to it's glory. To flourish and grow once more. Become the largest, richest, greatest trade in Norway-"

Jerked short by the lurch in her own guards around her, Lagertha was staggered when her keen eye had missed the figured of Aslaug's oldest brashly run towards her. For nothing though as Lagertha's shieldmaidens pushed aside the to be crowned Queen and met the viking head on with their shields.

"Ubbe!" The sharp shriek of the varagain's voice amongst the crowd hit Lagertha before the woman's broad frame came bounding towards the front lines.

"Enough!" Lagertha barked out when the man's tussle with her shieldmaiden came to blows. Ubbe only succeeding in knocking one off their footing with a sloppy head butt. Out numbered in seconds as four swarmed the viking. Clearly huffing Lagertha stepped forward to look down at the crass attack in the middle of such a joyous evening. Ubbe's stinging blue eyes shooting up at Lagertha over the tops of the shields pinning him back, "Son of Ragnar."

"You will not take this city, it belongs to my mother and my father," distraught outwardly for the first time since seeing his mother's murder almost two days prior, Ubbe's huff lasted only momentarily when Eleri saddled up between him and the women under Lagertha's control.

Flashing the varagain a stern look, Lagertha's eyebrow shot up, "This is nor the place nor the time. Varagain this breaches-"

"Her deal with you has nothing to do with me!" Ubbe bit out loudly at the woman. Once Eleri had backed up the shieldmaidens surrounding him, Ubbe straightened himself up. Starring daggers across to the woman responsible for his mother's death, "You murdered my mother in cold blood." Ubbe shook his head, body tense like his finger was on a trigger, "You had no right."

As silent as the gathering had become soon some murmuring emanated from the crowd. Ubbe coming to feel the eyes nailing into him. Taking a step back the eldest looked away from the woman who took his mother's life, to the face of the one who'd pleaded him to contain himself. Eleri's grey eyes begging him to cease this all. Her body between him and the twitching fingers of the others hands on their sword hilts.