When Ivar meets a girl with flaming red hair and eyes that cannot see, he begins to wonder how a sightless girl can see so much beauty in the world... And in him.
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Ailbe had dreamed of distant lands many times. She knew she would never see them, her mother would never allow her to travel around the world and adventure. It was far too dangerous for a cripple like her. But that did not stop her from dreaming of it.
She had run away to a quiet spot on the beach, her tears and sobs drowning out yells from her mother and the locals. She'd never even noticed that someone had seen her run off and followed her in concert.
Hvitserk had grown concerned the moment he saw the girl's mother knock her to the ground. Seeing her run off like that, so full of sorrow, was a painful sight to behold. Everytime he'd spoken to her, the girl had seemed so joyous. Her happiness seemed to permeate her surroundings, filling the world with a beautiful sunlight. He'd even noticed Ivar growing cheerier in her presence, and that was a sight to behold.
As she sat in the sand, tears drenching her cheeks and sobs filling the air, Hvitserk walked over. Though he was quiet, he knew she could hear him, and slowly he pulled the furs from around his shoulders and wrapped them around her.
"Are you alright?" He asked calmly, his tone sincere.
Through her tears, the girl gave a broken smile, nodding softly. "I'm fine." She answered. "I've always known what people thought of me."
"Well it's wrong." He spoke up. "You're not useless just because you can't see."
At this she chuckled gently, gnawing on her lower lip nervously, "I'm not your brother." She answered. "I'm just a blind girl."
This time it was Hvitserk's turn to smile, "Perhaps the fact you're not my brother is a good thing."
Ailbe contorted her face into a look of confusion. "How so?"
Again, Hvitserk smiled at her, "You're kind, compassionate, caring. Ivar is none of those things."
But at this, Ailbe's confusion turned into dismissal. She shook her head with a polite smile, "You're wrong, Hvitserk." She spoke finally. "Your brother has good in him, he just doesn't want you to see it."
"And you have seen it?" He quirked up a brow in curiosity.
"My mother says that I see the good in everyone." She giggled. "Which is ironic, I suppose."
"My mother used to say that about my brother." He spoke with a distant smile as though reminiscing over times long past.
"Ivar?" Ailbe laughed as though the thought was utterly inconceivable.
In turn, this made Hvitserk chuckle too. "No, not Ivar. My other brother, Ubbe."
"I would like very much to meet all of you Ragnarssons one day, and your people too." She beamed. "Could you tell me about your home? In case I never get to go?"
He nodded, but quickly realised his mistake. "I promise that you'll see it all for yourself someday."
Ailbe laughed, and again Hvitserk felt foolish for his choice of words. "Perhaps the ladies in the town are right and you Vikings really are magic."
"They say that?" Hvitserk smiled, now not noticing a single tear in the girl's eyes.
"Perhaps." She beamed brightly like the sun itself. "Are you."
At this, Hvitserk grinned mischievously, "perhaps."
I know it's short but oh wellllllll I'm finally on holiday so updates will be more regular yayyyyy -Rhi
Edit: I spent the last day getting really upset because no one voted on this chapter... And I just realised that I never published it. I'm an idiot.
