A Ballot of the Wolf and Merc | Ubbe Ragnarsson FanFic

Hopelessly Lost (Part One)

Virtually a solid hour had gone by with Sigurd scouring the places he associated with the varagain within Kattegat's perimeter. Greatly disappointed when he took his leave and no one, including Ubbe, sought to find if Eleri was ok. Sigurd on his own seeking the distraught woman who'd barged out before the gathering. Bile in his throat thinking about Ivar's audacity to even say that kind of personal information for all ears to hear. Difficult for the young viking to even side with his older brother's response to hate the choice made by the woman.

The tavern, the stables, even an adjoining lodging between the two, not a skiff of Eleri presence in their walls. Inquiring quietly from those who ran the areas resulted in the same blank stare followed by a helpless shrug. Coming to realize less places outside the longhouse were important areas to Sigurd in his eyes when thinking about Eleri. All he'd ever been with her was the tavern and the river.

The river!

Spurred by the recollection of time spent out by the brook further out but parallel to Kattegat, Sigurd stupefied it took him that much traipsing around to remember the only truly isolated place. With her absence from any place in the city limits only indicated the blond male to make the short hike out of his home.

Ease from the first time when all three of them had made it out to the spring during the early warming months. Now mid summer the path out of Kattegat dry and packed firm. Including the shrubbery he had to weave through to make it deeper past the grassy knolls, were much friendly in the summer months than they were in early spring. Mostly sopping wet and twiggy before their leaves sprouted as they were now in the height of summer. Dry as can be Sigurd's trek out to the stream was nothing compared to the wandering around Kattegat like a chicken with it's head cut off.

Emerging over the last little hump of the lowest knoll, Sigurd paused at the head of the stream to scan around in the hopes of spying the woman in question. Past midday and heading into evening meant nothing to the warm bodied viking after such a hike. Shouldering off the cloak he'd grabbed before leaving. Sigurd draped it over his forearm knowing foolishly well setting it down would be doltish when the sun began to set. And perhaps with the time Eleri had been out she could use the article to cover up.

A good glance around only gave the man little hope that traveling this far out was the right plan. Eleri nowhere to the naked eye. Anxiously tugging on his chapped bottom lip, Sigurd began down the path to walk along the creek for a closer look. A soft trickle from the partly dried up stream accompanied the quiet patter of the soles of his books on the green grass. Sigurd watching his step for lingering blackberry vines creeping out during the warm month. Stealing quick looks around as he descended to the river bank.

Brief glimpses left and right as he tried to look for a tell tale sign of Eleri's possibly being there. Exhaling slowly and a tad frustrated about it, Sigurd came down to the banks and didn't see any part that tipped him off. Growing discouraged by the second he reached up and anxiously ran his long tapered fingers through the unbrushed mess of blond curls. Worrying that perhaps staying put with his older brother was the smarter choice than being where he was now. Alone and without a chance to find Eler-

"Sigurd-?" not directly at the brook at all, the voice resonating from further back behind the viking. Amongst the tree line feet away from the actual banks. Snapping around Sigurd stared into the shaded areas unable to locate the voice. Until a twitch in the shadows and Eleri's figure rose from being tucked around the side of a thick trunked oak, "What are you doing out here Sigurd?"

Evident to see even when Eleri attempted to wipe at her cheeks discreetly, the puffiness in her eyes a clarity to how much crying the woman must have been doing alone. Wordless Sigurd met Eleri under the trees grand reach before she could approach him. No discerning expression on the vikings face as he looked the ragged woman up and down. Feeling thoughtless it took him this long to make it out here for her and yet here he stood without a word to say to her.