Querencia \\ Hvitserk Ragnarsson

Chapter 5: I did just save your life

A few days later Bjarke had woken up. Somehow she felt like the gods had helped her to recover as she felt pretty good.

"Bjarke, glad to see you're awake," Helga said.

"So the girl lives. Good for her. Can we continue eating now?" Bjarke heard Floki's familiar voice.

"Floki, so nice to see you're still alive," Bjarke smiled, which made Floki laugh.

"I'm going to get some things in Kattegat today, shall I let Hvitserk know you're awake?"

"Hvitserk? Sure, go ahead."

So later that day, when Helga told Hvitserk that Bjarke had woken up, he rushed towards the place that Floki and Helga called their home.

"She's in there," Floki told Hvitserk. Hvitserk thanked him and walked up to where Bjarke was supposed to be.

"Bjarke, are you okay?" Hvitserk asked. Something in his voice told Bjarke that he had actually been worried.

"Ehm... Fine, I guess," Bjarke answered. "But who are you?"

The look on his face was worth lots of gold.

"I- I'm Hvitserk. I saved your life a few days ago..."

Bjarke smiled and said: "Don't worry. I was just kidding. I know perfectly fine who you are."

Hvitserk laughed.

"You seem to be healing quite fast," Hvitserk said as he saw that Bjarke was already up and walking.

"Yeah, I'm not in a lot of pain. I guess I'm doing okay."

"There is going to be a feast in the great hall today. Do you think you're well enough to join me?"

Bjarke was kind of surprised by the question. She didn't quite know about going to a feast, but if she was going to settle into the area she might as well go.

However, the 'joining him' part was what was holding her back.

"I don't know abou-" "Just as friends, Bjarke."

She was relieved by that. "Sure, I'll join you at the feast as a friend."

Suddenly something else dawned on Bjarke. "How do you know my name?"

"After you passed out I took you to Björn's place. He seemed to know you. I assume you've met before," Hvitserk said.

"Yes, we have met before. A long time ago."

---

Later that evening Bjarke walked up to the great hall. She had told Hvitserk that she didn't own any dresses and that she felt like she had to wear one to a feast. It was only then Hvitserk realized that Bjarke had never been to a feast before, so he told her everything about them and even got her a dress that would probably fit her.

Bjarke later found out that it was one of queen Aslaug's dresses. It was a little too long, but Helga had helped her solve that problem.

As soon as Bjarke entered the great hall, she noticed Lagertha was there as well. She just nodded at Lagertha. It would be better if people did not know they knew each other.

"Bjarke!"

Hvitserk hat gotten up from his place at the table with his brothers and was now walking towards her.

"Hello, Hvitserk."

"You look really beautiful. A friend can say that right?" he smiled.

"A friend surely can," Bjarke said.

"You can come sit at that table with my brothers, but then you'd have to sit with Sigurd and I understand that you might not want to."

"It's fine, Hvitserk. I'm not afraid of him or anything. The gods will know of his sins and he'll spend the rest of his life making up for them."

Hvitserk smiled at her, put a hand on her back and led her to the table. Bjarke sat down at the end, next to Hvitserk.

"Hvitserk, did you forget to mention that you were seeing someone?" Ivar smiled.

Sigurd was just staring at his cup, which made Bjarke feel good. He should feel guilty.

"She's a friend," Hvitserk simply answered.

"And does your friend have a name?" queen Aslaug, who returned to the table asked her son.

"Her name is Bjarke."

Bjarke got to know the four boys a little better. Even Sigurd would talk to her at the end of the night. Bjarke would never forgive him for what he'd tried to do, but she would prove to him that she was the better person.

At some point that night he had left and later returned with a worried expression on his face.

Later that night the only ones to remain were Ubbe, Sigurd, Hvitserk and Bjarke.

Bjarke finished her cup of ale and said: "I should probably go too before Helga gets worried."

"No, don't. Stay a little longer. It the least you could do. After all, I did just save your life."

Bjarke grabbed Hvitserk's cup and drank all of the ale that was still inside. Hvitserk grinned and just refilled his cup.

"Spill," Ubbe then told Sigurd.

Sigurd told the three of them all about Ivar and how he had tried to kill a slave girl called Margrethe because he didn't want her to tell anyone that he could not satisfy a woman.

"Poor Ivar," Ubbe said.

"Yeah," Hvitserk said.

"Poor Margrethe," was Sigurds response.

"I suppose you had to console her," Ubbe then said to Sigurd.

"I did what I could."

Hvitserk took another sip from his cup. Bjarke stood on Hvitserks right side. Without even noticing herself she had stepped a little closer to him. She could feel the tension build.

"She's terrified of him," Sigurd then said, looking at Hvitserk. It was then that Bjarke realized that all of the brothers had had Margrethe.

"So am I, Sigurd. So am I," Ubbe said.

There was a moment of silence and Bjarke started to feel uncomfortable.

Hvitserk seemed to notice. He looked at her and said: "I'll walk you home. Just to make sure you get there safely. You'll never know who has drunken a little too much..."