Little wolf

Mockingbird

After last nights events Skadi decided that  today's training session should take place somewhere more secluded. So she set out early before her mother woke, winding her way through trees and undergrowth til she was far away enough, that no one would bother her.
The clearing was small, fog still clinging to the grass, as light from the early sun shone through. Serene, was the word that came to mind, morning birds chirping. Her mother would like it, but it was to far out of Hedeby. Her mother seemed to have less and less time for her daughter as she got older. Skadi had figured it was a result of her losing Gyda, her sister, one she never got to meet. Lagertha never talked about her, and every time she asked, her mother would stiffen, before dismissing the question. She had only fully learned of her sister from Bjorn, he told her how she died very young, while Ragnar was gone. Though from what Skadi had gathered, the sisters were very different. Gyda seemed sweet, gentle ,and quiet. Skadi wasn't any of those things.
When she had first discovered her mother's grief, she had tried to act like Gyda sounded. Yet, it only made it worse, especially when her true nature showed whether her abrasive personality or quick temper, she simply was not Gyda.
Skadi had grown a bit of resentment to her mother and passed sister, she had felt like her mother didn't love her. Or at least not as much as Gyda or even Bjorn, which Skadi knew was ridiculous, but she felt it anyway. She had learned to take out this frustration through training, whether with Bjorn or Ulf.
That was not why she was here today, she  was still fuming from Geirs harassment.
There was a problem with her conflict solution plan, she didn't bring any weapons. Dumbass. 
Freki however didn't seem to mind, he trotted and rolled through the tall grass. Geri seemed a bit annoyed at his brothers tendency to act like a puppy. Even though they were puppies. So there the three sat, well two sat, Freki rolled.
Soon enough the sun was high on the sky, the fog was gone and so was most of her anger. So she started the trek back to town, that's when she saw it.
A white tent across a field, strange. Skadi wanted to keep walking, back to the main hall to were the food was. But her curiosity was getting the better of her, again. So she circled around, so she could climb up and spy from above.
At the edge of the trees she remembered her pets, "Geri," his ears perked. "Stay here, if I don't come back get Ulf. Okay?" He didn't respond. Wolf, right.
"Just stay here."
Climbing trees was one of her strong suits, except for one she fell out of them. So she climbed up, high into the branches before jumping to the next tree branch until she got closer.
There were far more tents then what she had thought, and they didn't seem like they came for trade. Swords seemed to be in every mans hand, or at least within reach. Shields lay around the camp, ones she hadn't seen before. Blue and yellow crossed over it, a banner over some of the bigger tents featured the same colors, with what seemed to be thors hammer in the middle.
The were Vikings at least, but why were there so many armed. None seemed to notice her high in the trees, so she decided to try and get closer to the middle of the camp. That's were she saw him, Skadi didn't know the man, but he seemed important.
He was very big, and tall, like Bjorn but wider. He looked as though he could snap a tree with no effort. His hair was pulled into a thick red braid like Ubbe wore his, but his beard was much longer. He and a few others stood around a small table with a map laid out.
Skadi tried to get closer climbing across the thick branches quietly as possible. She was now almost directly above them, though the sparse leaves of early spring did little for covering her small form. The map itself seemed to be of the land surrounding Hedeby, with small marks of farms and the walls of her home.
"They're walls are weak on the north east side," it came from a rather short man covered head to toe in poorly made clothes, they were far to big for him. "We should attack soon before they make us."
That was enough for Skadi, she needed to return and tell her mother of the planning attack.
The group began bickering about timing and strategy. That is until the big man stood waving his hand to silence them.
"We will attack soon enough," His voice was deep and cold. "But it seems we have a little mockingbird waiting to relay our plans."
What the hell is a mocking bird, who was it.
The giant mans head looked up directly into Skadis eyes. Her eyes widening slightly he chuckled at her reaction. Standing he could nearly reach her, never breaking eye contact.
"Come down here little one, you will not be harmed." It didn't seem sincere, " Do not make me get you child you will not like to outcome."
She ran, run across branches as men and women alike followed her on the ground. She hadn't gotten out of the encampment when she tripped over herself, falling forcefully into a lower branch, stomach first. It had knocked the wind out of her, incapacitating her for a few moments.
Well before she could get her bearings someone trapped her ankle pulling her down. She half expected to hit the ground but she fell in very big arms.
"I told you, you would not like this outcome." His voice was low and venomous and it sent chills down the young girls spine.
It was a short walk back to his tent, Skadi was quickly bound tightly in ropes to a post just outside the dwelling.
"Tell me mockingbird, why you chose to spy on my men and I?"
She had no response for him, why would she tell him anything.
"Answer me mockingbird." He was squaring in-front of her, meeting her eye to eye. He chuckled a bit, though didn't seem all that amused. "Do you speak little one."
Not for you jackass.
They stared at each other in a silent battle over who would look away first. He continued asking her question after question, but she never answered. His nice demeanor was dropping fast, so was his patience. Skadi was stubborn she always had been, if she didn't want to talk she would be a mute the rest of her life.
*
*
*
*
*
Thank you for reading, and voting.
😊😊😊