A Ballot of the Wolf and Merc | Ubbe Ragnarsson FanFic

The Dragon and The Cripple

Ivar heaved himself up the steps leading to the open floor plan of Kattegat's long house. Once his home beside his mother, father and three brothers. Now though, Ivar's trawl was for something much more furious than his childhood memories. Whooping and hollering out of place for the stern set expression on the youngest Viking born of Queen Aslaug and King Ragnar. Nothing but a trail of resentment and reasoning falling from his brother's mouth. Ubbe doing his best to cease Ivar's anger. Once misdirected from the varagain, the dark haired young man went for the throat of the next in line to feel his wrath.

"Welcome Ivar," Lagertha, posed elegantly at her earned throne amidst the people of Kattegat, piercing blue eyes held steady with her step son moving his body weight up to the throne's steps with strong intent.

"I come here for justice," Ivar's voice a low cutting growl that hushed the mulling crowd in the long house. Not tact to his harsh claim even as Lagertha stood unflinching before him, "Everyone knows you killed my mother for no reason, except ambition," projecting his knee jerk reaction to the news of their mother three months ago, spared to him by his brothers. No reason from Sigurd or even Ubbe stopped the fuming heir from confronting the interloper. It was when Eleri's figure detached from beside Ubbe and Sigurd. The varagain taking up a stance behind Kattegat's Queen with just a flicker of Lagertha's eyes from Ivar back to the woman. Seeing the foreigner perched behind the shieldmaiden stinging Ivar's blood back to white hot rage, "Therefore, I demand justice."

Ubbe and Sigurd glancing at one another, Sigurd reaching out a hand to touch his younger brother's shoulder. Well aware of the hurt the loss of their mother had on him. Ivar feeling the same hurt Sigurd thought he could extend to him.

"Don't touch me, coward," Ivar wrenched away from him with a guttural hiss. Shooting an accusing stare at the Viking who'd stayed within Kattegat's walls with the atrocity that had played out while Ivar was gone.

"He is not a coward," breaking into Ivar's cruel retort to his brother's sympathy, Lagertha called Ivar's attention back onto her. Wanting his focus on her and none of the other's he might feel at fault for his mother's death, "But, it is perhaps he understands something you do not."

"I understand everything perfectly," Ivar spat full of rancorous intent up to the Queen, "You murdered my mother, in cold blood. I want revenge." All eyes of the crowd on Ivar as he shifted on his worn palms and straightened up as much as his crippled legs would allow, "I challenge you to single combat."

Swishing over the crowd was murmur that could be heard back even near the Long House's doorways. All eyes on Lagertha as Ragnar's youngest remained unfaltering in his demands of her life for his late mother's.

Lagertha's lanky frame swelled with a deep breath. Composed in all that she was as Lagertha didn't let his anger before her people change her self-control, "I refuse."

"You can't refuse," Ivar spat at her refusal. Ubbe and Sigurd letting out a long held breath they seemed to be holding the moment horns signaled Lagertha's return.

Forbearing voice as Lagertha simply shook her head, "I refuse to fight you, Ivar Lothbrok, son of Ragnar."

Her denial just as caustic to the muttering in the gathering as hushed voices came to life. It was all background noise as Ivar barked demanding the right to revenge in his mother's name. His callous response only growing brutish over the people as the room fell silent.

"I do not wish to kill you," Lagertha holding her stead firm answer. Astrid clearly antsy in her mates proximity. Opposite of her, the varagain who held her tongue and refused to look down from her perch onto the sons entirely.

"Who says you would kill me?" Ivar revolted at the idea a woman would best him in combat.

"I do," the ruling shieldmaiden cold with her rebuttal. Her gaze unwavering from the crippled son of her estranged husband. The sneer clear on Ivar's lips as his eyes had a hard time flicking between the Queen he wished to dethrone and the varagain standing stoic behind her. Ubbe and Sigurd desperate to defuse their brother's quarrel with Lagertha and find a better solution to the chaos.