A Ballot of the Wolf and Merc | Ubbe Ragnarsson FanFic

Sigurd's Stance

Drawing his long fingers along the thin wire stretched tight across the worn fingerboard of the beaten lute. Sigurd exhaled slowly and looked over at the sealed door for the thousandth time. Antsy to see his brother and varagain walk through the door at any given time. The ceremonial hype Lagertha had put on in the middle of Kattegat went well into the dulling of the evening sky. With Ubbe's outburst being settled just as quickly as it had happened, Lagertha had no problem reigniting the spirit of the affair in the village folk. Sigurd taking none of it when he was blocked off by Lagertha's shieldmaiden's from following Eleri. Obviously all three of them loose nothing the new Queen wanting to deal with. Leaving Sigurd saddled alone at the reception with hawk like eyes from all angles on him.

Not until much later when people died down like the fire, Sigurd was roused from the stool he'd spent most of the evening still on. Few beverages offered to him but the nagging-ness of Ubbe's and Eleri's absence consuming the young viking. Until he was finally elicited to come with two of the women who'd been keeping a very obvious eye on him.

Now alone within the confines of his to be shared room, Sigurd idly strummed his old lute in the hopes it would take his mind off things. Each note he missed doing nothing but driving home the point of his isolation in the four walls. Even being given a sitting room fashioned into a mock bedroom type set up. Enough space for three adults to sleep in some configuration as well as the small hearth to keep warm as they preferred. Lagertha's given arrangements not horrid considering the thought of being forced to sleep outside crossed the blond man's mind.

Glancing back up at the oaken door Sigurd watch for a long moment the stillness sunken into the wood. Not a jiggle from the knob even. Surely almost two hours must have passed. No one even coming in to spare the viking of what was going on. Sighing lowly Sigurd took the lute from his lap to prop up against the wall when his wandering mind was yanked over towards the tick in the door knobs lock.

Unexpected but welcoming of whatever might be happening, Sigurd jumped to his feet without question. Watching the door creak open slowly like there was a fear of waking someone, no way the lone brother could sleep at a time like this, Sigurd nearly expected to just see a guard checking up on him. Much more elated when he saw Eleri's face appear in the doorway. And right behind her Ubbe loomed looking into the accommodations. The expected guard behind both of them but Sigurd caring less about the escort.

"Sigurd-" Eleri's slate eyes widened when they came to see the viking standing in the middle of the room, very much not asleep, "W-We thought you would be-"

Promptly discontinued from her apology, Eleri was unprepared when the lanky arms of his coiling around the woman posthaste without a word. Unready it took Eleri a moment before her arms moved and she hugged Sigurd tight against her. He buried his face in her neck silently, only responding with his arms tightening around the varagain for dear life. Offhanded about the hug Eleri didn't reject Sigurd. Regretful to have spent so much time apart from the viking and indefinitely horrible for leaving him in such a situation.

Behind her Eleri could hear traces of Ubbe's voice as a now much calmer man nodded in agreement to the shieldmaiden's passing words about Lagertha's gift to stay in the Long House. All of course as long as both vikings did not leave without the varagain's assistance. Nothing Ubbe could deny, especially so late in the evening, he only obliged, "Yes, thank you. Yes, yes of course."

Sigurd finally removing himself from Eleri's personal space, he avoided eye contact with the woman after such a needy display. Eleri only quiet and understanding while her hand dropped down Sigurd's arm to give his narrow long hand a simple squeeze. Tossing her attention back to the woman who'd escorted the belated duo back into Kattegat's Long House without much of a tussle, Eleri motioned for Ubbe to just go and be with his brother. A simple nod and he side stepped past both women. Eleri squaring up with the shieldmaiden who was clearly going to insist on anything other than Eleri just going and laying down for the a well needed rest.