Signy was an orphan raised by the renowned boat builder Floki and his wife Helga. Growing up, she was best friends with the sons of the great Ragnar Lothbrok. However, when her half sister is to be sent to get married and Signy steps in to swap plac...
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"CHUG! CHUG! CHUG! CHUG!" We laughed as Hvitserk and Kari poured mead down their throats. All of us, including Hvitserk, could not believe the tiny girl. She stood beside him drinking twice as fast and twice as much, and Hvitserk was drinking gallons. I sat by the fire, a cup of ale in my hand, laughing as Kari wiped the alcohol from her lips and stumbled back over to Ubbe who held her up. Thankfully, she hadn't fallen over on her way over to him, so he put an arm around her to steady the young woman as she sat down beside him. Her head gently rested on the boys shoulder and I smiled over at the sight. Hvitserk came and sat by Sigurd and I and I chuckled at the drunk boy before helping him sit.
"Freya, Hvitserk! How much have you had to drink?" I laughed, Sigurd and Ubbe looking at him in amusement.
"Just a bit." He slurred, shrugging nonchalantly before resting his head on my shoulder and falling asleep right there and then. Hel he was going to be hungover in the morning. Luckily, we had no battle plans sorted yet so we likely wouldn't set off for Wessex until the day after.
"Sigurd, a little help?" I sighed at the unconscious man beside me.
"I don't know, I'm kind of enjoying the show." He laughed at his brother and I couldn't help but smile.
"Just help me get him to his tent. I can't drag him there on my own."I laughed, throwing my empty cup at the useless son of Ragnar. God's, they could all be so annoying sometimes.
Sigurd stood up with a chuckle and threw one of Hvitserk's arms around his shoulder. I took the other arm but Sigurd still had to carry most of Hvitserk's weight due to my small stature. We walked along to the boys tent, Hvitserk occasionally helping us by taking steps.
"Come on you idiot." I sighed as we both pulled the drunken fool into his tent and set him down on his bed.
"I love you guys." Hvitserk slurred, holding each of our hands. I gave Sigurd a strange look before we both burst into laughter.
"We love you too, Hvitserk. Now rest, you'll need your wits about you in the morning." I chuckled and Hvitserk nodded obediently until suddenly the tent was filled with quiet snores. Sigurd and I left the room laughing as we made our way back to the others. That boy.
When we finally made it back to the others, more people had sat by the fire. King Harald, Halfdan, Bjorn and Ivar had all found their way to the small area. Also with them were a few of the shieldmaiden from my ship. Well, I was lucky they were here now. I didn't want Hvitserk sleeping with all my best fighters and causing a little war between the women over the boy.
"Princess Hvitserk is back in his tent." I spoke flatly to Ubbe, earning a chuckle from him and Sigurd. Though, it didn't go unnoticed that Kari had also passed out from her intoxication.
I sat beside Ivar, Sigurd scoffing at my action as he sat against the rock that we'd both sat at before. I rolled my eyes at him and threw another empty horn at the boy. He grinned and threw it right back at me.
"I'd be surprised if the rest of us had anything left to drink after those two." I sighed and Ubbe and Sigurd both only nodded in agreement.
As the night continued, we all laughed and talked. Each of us poured out cups of mead, the alcohol flowing through us. Though, none of us got quite as inebriated as Kari and Hvitserk had.
"You're telling me that a son of Ragnar was beaten by a girl?" Harald roared with laughter, the rest of us bursting into a fit of laughter.
"She takes after our father." I smiled, looking over to the sleeping girl. I felt Ivar's hand grip my side and pull me next to him. No one else noticed this action, of course, as the Ragnarsson was sly about it. I couldn't help but chuckle at him. No one else knew of us. They knew we were best friends but nothing more. Though, I knew it would come of no surprise to anyone to hear what'd happened. I just had no idea that Floki had already known.
Of course Floki knew, Ivar told him everything. That I is why I suddenly understood Floki's constant suggestions about Ivar and I. Had Ivar felt this way about me for long? How long had it been?
I smiled and placed my hand on that of the crippled genius, a small smile dancing across his lips as I did so. We were both listening to Bjorn and Halfdan talk utter shit to eachother. I had to admit that it was incredibly amusing.
"Well, as much as I'd love to watch you boys leer over women, at least one of us must be sober in the morning. Goodnight." I spoke, standing up. The brothers all sent me their farewells and I slowly walked through the camp.
My tent was on the other end of the camp to those of the Ragnarssons. I was right at the edge, close to the lake in which I had bathed earlier. In truth, I loved this. It gave me a certain amount of privacy that I would not be allowed otherwise. For that, I was grateful. However, being a Quern meant that I now spent so little time being the friend of the brothers. I was more of an ally now, of this we were all aware. But I couldn't help but wish for things to go back to how they were before. I stripped bare of my clothes and climbed into bed under my furs. Honestly, I couldn't be arsed with changing so I just didn't.
I curled up under the warm furs, my eyes closing gently. A soft breeze entered my tent, someone along with it, before disappearing again. However, I knew who it was so I didn't flinch. I knew that Ivar was looking to scare me. He wanted a reaction. "Hello Ivar." I said plainly, earning a groan from Ivar as he flopped onto the bed. He didn't seem particularly sober. "get some rest." I sighed, gently resting my head on his chest once more.
