Vikings-The Trick Of The Gods

Fifteen.

I woke naturally and looked about still fully submerged under the soft furs. Despite it being summer last night was particularly cold and so everyone slept fully dressed. As I wiggled my body around to look at who was or was not still asleep, I was surprised to see 3 head immediately snap towards me. Roused by the sound of my movement, the eldest Rangarssons all looked towards me. Ubbe wore a smirk, Hviskerk a goofy grin and Sigurd pleasant smile. I turned to Ivars bed to find it already empty. How long had the boys already been awake for?

"We thought you might be dead." Chuckled Ubbe

How long HAD I been asleep for?

I pulled the furs off my body and they slumped to the floor. I flexed my toes, swinging my legs over the side of the bed standing up swiftly. I looked about unsure of what to do next. The boys had followed suite and had already begun preparing for their day, gathering swords and axes and strapping them on to their persons. Sigurd looked back at me then and upon seeing my expression understood my thoughts.

"Do you want to spend today with us?" Sigurd asked innocently.

"Please." I sighed in relief.

I looked at the boys and tried to copy what they were taking with them yet I still brought a little extra, like my herb collecting bag, just in case. Having finished getting ready I looked up to see the back of Hviskerks head bob out of the door. I began to panic a little and hurried to the door so as not to be left behind but then a hand reached over my head and yanked the door open for me. I turned to see Ubbe standing over me, his sapphire eyes filled with patience. I thanked him and slipped out of the door.

I felt her eyes before I saw her. Her gaze felt like the claws of a bear as they ripped my flesh from head to toe. I glanced up and sure enough Aslaug was watching me her eyes and ears probing for information on Lagertha or anything else that could be used to her advantage in the future. I immediately looked back to the floor and I felt her gaze shift back to the man who addressed her now who asked about something to do with livestock though I didn't pay much attention. I fixed my eyes on my toes as I shuffled through the room behind Hviskerk and saw him clutch at some things on the table beside us before we continued to slink out the main door.

Their weapons were blunt. I sat in the forest resting on a fallen tree looking into the clearing in front of me my hand tracing over the blade of one the swords the boys had brought with them. They were blunt but I could see why. Sigurd and Ubbe crashed together both grunting and growling with the effort, metal glinted in the air as they swung at one another with reckless abandon. Ubbe was older and stronger and it was clear he was to win this fight though Sigurd was a skilled fighter for his age. Ubbe sent his sword flying towards Sigurds head. In one swift movement Sigurd stepped back, raising his own sword in return until the two collided. Metal scratched as the blades were forced together, twisting around on another begging for control.

Sighing I placed on hand on the ground as leverage and, as I kept hold of the sword in the other, I stood, turning as I did so to face Hviskerk who had been sitting next to me. His eyes were fixed to the fight I dropped the sword into his lap and he jerked a little from the impact then he looked up at me. I told him I was going to go look for plants and he offered to come with me but as Ubbes sword rested now centimeters from Sigurds neck it was clear it was his turn to practice fighting. I looked over at the stump of the fallen tree and the crippled boy. The boys had told me they train most days and Ivar had just decided to get a head start to the clearing which is why he wasn't in bed. He was facing the fight but his body was stiff and I could tell he was trying to look at me without turning his head so as not to make it obvious.

I couldn't be bothered with whatever drama he was living out inside his own head so I hopped over the fallen tree and walked into the forest. Not many herbs will grow in the forest due to the low light levels but if I was lucky I would find a useful mushroom or two. I plodded around the forest making sure to not go too far, looking on tree trunks and on the soft dirt. The trees were more dense when not near the clearing and without seeing the sun I couldn't tell how long I'd been on my own for. My stomach growled so I began to trace my steps back to inquire about food.

As I hopped back over the fallen tree I could see Hviskerk hunkered over his bag, his hands searching through its contents. The eldest three were audibly panting, weapons lying by their feet. Hviskerk threw something at Ubbe who caught it easily in his hand and then threw something at Sigurd too.

"Hey," I started and the boys turned around to look at me, "I'm getting a little hungry can we go get som-"

Hvitskerk threw something at me too. I gasped in shock as my hands fumbled through the air to grab it. It glanced off my fingertips and spun to the ground behind me. I whipped around though I knew I would be unable to recover it now before it collided with the ground but as I turned I found it had not reached the floor at all. A large chunk of bread, assumedly what Hviskerk had grabbed off the table this morning, hovered half a meter from the ground. Dirty fingers were wrapped around the chunk and as they tightened I followed the fingers to the arm to Ivars face as he straightened back up. He'd caught it for me.

"Thank you." I said, reaching out my hand.

"For what?" He replied and instead of offering me the bread he moved it to his lips and took a large bite.

I stood slightly shocked. It was so unnecessarily malicious. The way people behave here and expect us to behave sometimes makes me forget were still children until petty moments like this. Ivar smirked at me, proud of himself. He was really starting to get on my nerves but I think patience is key with him. I turned back to see Hviskerk and Ubbe both split their piece in half and offer them halves to me. Ivar scoffed.

We ate in silence and after some more training we began to walk back to Kattegat. I had noticed that no one had once asked me nor Ivar to fight with them. Perhaps they thought I didn't know how. Once in Kattegat I went to the infirmary and left the mushrooms I found to dry then went to rejoin the boys.