Querencia \\ Hvitserk Ragnarsson

Chapter 11: Ragnarsdottir

Hvitserk and Bjarke were sitting next to each other near the fire.

In Kattegat, it had been cold as well, but here the days were warm and the nights were pretty cold. Bjarke could use the warmth with which he provided her by wrapping an arm around her now vulnerable body.

For the first time in a long time, she felt safe. She was not carrying any weapons with her as she trusted the others. Just one night she would allow herself to be vulnerable.

"Hvitserk, I've never seen you smiling this much. You're not dying, are you?" Floki asked.

"Oh, Floki," Helga smiled.

Bjarke rested her head on Hvitserk's shoulder and he softly pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"Before I left my wife and I had an... argument. However, she spoke of one Viking she actually trusted, apart from me," Rollo said.

"How mistaken she was. You cannot be trusted," Bjarke whispered so only Hvitserk could hear. Hvitserk smiled and said: "She might not have figured that out just yet."

"She spoke of a Bjarke Ragnarsdottir," Rollo said. Bjarke's head shot up. That was not supposed to have happened.

"Now I only know one Ragnar and I do not remember him having another daughter," Rollo continued.

"I'm sure there is another Ragnar, Rollo. The fact that you do not know her father does not mean he does not exist," Hvitserk said.

"Well, I think Bjarke might me closer to your father than you know, Hvitserk. Her reaction just gave her away," Rollo said.

Hvitserk's arm left Bjarke's body.

"So you're my sister?" Hvitserk asked Bjarke while getting up. The look on his face scared Bjarke. His body language was suddenly filled with such disappointment and disgust.

"Hvitserk, you don-" "No, Björn. This is between me and Bjarke. Not you. She lied to me," Hvitserk interrupted Björn. He then turned around and walked away.

"Thanks a lot. Next time you might want to keep your mouth shut until you know the whole story," Bjarke angrily said to Rollo. She hit him on the back of his head as she went after Hvitserk.

---

Bjarke had followed Hvitserk into the woods. He was currently sitting on a fallen tree trunk, staring into the distance.

"Hvitserk," Bjarke carefully said as she stepped closer to him.

"I knew you were keeping something from me. You were hiding something, that's why you didn't want to talk to me about yourself. Why you didn't open up to me. I get that, that's okay, everyone has secrets. But being my sister? I kissed you, Bjarke. I kissed my sister," Hvitserk said. His voice and body language were filled with anger.

"Hvitserk, I am Ragnar Lothbrok's daughter, but not like that," Bjarke tried. She had to get him to listen to her. To hear her out.

"What do you mean? You're either his daughter or you're not."

"When Ragnar was gone, those ten years, he took me under his wing. He took care of me and taught me nearly everything he knew. I am not his daughter by blood. If I were I would never have kissed you," Bjarke explained.

"Then why is your name Ragnarsdottir. Yes, he did take you in, but you're not his daughter. You shouldn't carry his name," Hvitserk said.

Bjarke sat down next to him on the trunk and put her hand on his leg.

"It's safer this way. I cannot tell you who my real father is. I do not carry his name because it would be dangerous for me to do so."

"How can carrying any name be more dangerous than carrying my father's right now?" Hvitserk asked while looking into her eyes. It was the first time since Rollo had said the name. Ragnarsdottir.

"Because my father was not Viking. He was killed because of what he believed in. My mother was killed because the people thought she was a traitor."

"Bjarke, I'm so sorry. I didn't know," Hvitserk said. "I feel so stupid right now."

"Hvitserk, it's okay. I should've told you earlier. There was no way you could've known," Bjark said while grabbing his hand. "Just please don't tell anyone."

"I won't. I promise. But is there anyone else who knows?" Hvitserk said.

"Yes. Björn knows, and so do Floki and Helga."

"You might want to keep it that way for now. We might even be able to use the name Ragnarsdottir. It might do you some good. But you have to promise me you'll tell me these kinds of things from now on. You don't have to tell me your father's name, but other things are important for me to know if we're going to do this," Hvitserk said.

"Do what?" Bjarke asked him.

"Well, this," he said while smirking. Before Bjarke even realized it his lips were already attached to hers.

Bjarke smiled during the kiss and when they broke apart she said: "I can live with that."

However, apart from her father's name, there was one more thing she could not tell him. She could not tell him about Lagertha or her plans just yet.