Runa| Hvitserk Ragnarsson DISCONTINUED

𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧༄

"So we will attack in the morning," Bjorn concluded his plans to the brothers. Hvitserk's mind was elsewhere for most of it, however, he knew this was not the last time he would hear of the plan. He gave a nod before the group disbanded about the camp.
He stayed by the water and sat down near the edge. The smell of the damp soil around the forested body of water brought the man peace. He wanted this whole ordeal over and done with and soon. He didn't want to dwell selfishly over not being around Runa but he just felt right when he was beside her. However, he came to the conclusion that when this was over he would propose they run away. He's thought it over hundreds of times. He wanted to move more north, maybe slightly follow his father's footsteps and not return for years. Who knows, maybe when they did decide to return a couple of children would be there to accompany them.
He smiled slightly and hoisted himself up from the ground and joined everyone in the camp.
Men were sharpening their swords, shield Maidens practicing in the clearing, archers building arrows, and his brothers were drinking it up by the fires. The atmosphere was definitely filled with excitement. Thought this one camp was particularly small, many nations will be arriving within the next day to fight in the name of Ragnar.
Hvitserk found himself with a cup of mead, sitting by the fire watching everyone. He didn't feel like he was distancing himself from everyone but it probably looked that way. He didn't mind, he preferred to be calm and relaxed before any form of fight.
"TO RAGNAR!" Someone yelled out of the blue. A sense of joy and pride washes over hvirserk as he and everyone else hollered back at the cheer.

—

Air. Runa needed air but her breath was hitched in the back of her throat. The smell of metallic blood invaded her senses. Through the door, she could see a counter completely blood-filled. She knew Knute was a fisher, perhaps a cook, but the woman couldn't understand why he would leave a gaping pool of blood on the table.
She stepped further into the home and went towards the counter. Quirking a brow she slowly raised her finger and placed it into the crimson liquid. Chills ran down her spine as she felt the sticky consistency of the liquid. She determined it was not cold enough to be that old so it would have been recently leaked. She scraped her finger on the edge of the wooden board to rid the blood when she felt something drop on her head. Like a raindrop. She shook her head and then felt another drop.
"What the-
More drops of liquid started to drop as she moved backward. Where could it be coming from? Was it a leak in the roof? Did it start raining?
She peered her eyes to the window, still bright and sunny. There was no rain so it couldn't be a leak in the roof.
"Mother?" She called out loud.
No answer. She hummed, her heartbeat slowly rising. Another drop landed in her hair.
"Knute?" Runa called out even louder.
Met with silence, she felt another drop hit her forehead. She felt it slide down ever so slowly down her pale face. She whipped it off just as slow and felt her body stiffen. Her face was completely void of Color.
She looked up.
A blood-curdling scream was heard.
Above her were dismembered bodies tied to the support beam of the home. They weren't just any bodies. One was Knute, the other was her poor mother.
A tear went down her face as she tried to shake the feeling that this a trick pulled on her by the god Loki. Her mother was the kindest soul, she has never hurt anyone in her life. Though Runa barely knew Knute, she trusted her mother's thinking. If he was good enough for her, then he was just as well to Runa.
The longer she stared the felt as if she was being watched. Her breathing picked up. She had nothing to defend herself with. she scanned the room for something, her eyes landing on the makeshift knife on the counter. She reached for it quickly and back away from the scene.
Closing the wooden door she entered she an eerie silence invaded her ears. She was still backing away from the house, almost as if she didn't know how to turn around walk forward when she bumped into something. Or someone.
"Well hello, Runa."
She uttered a scream that was soon muffled by blood-stained crimson hand.

—

The camp quieted down as the majority of the men went to get rest. Hvirserk, now on his third cup of mead, stayed by the fire. Leaning his head down. He was probably doing to regret falling asleep in such a stiff position but he was too tired to walk over to his stuff.
"Hvitserk." Someone nudged him.
"What." He rubbed his eyes before looking over to his brother.
"I have some news." Ubbe sounded urgent but whispered in case anyone heard them. In the light of the fire, Hvitserk knitted his brows together.
"I heard Sigurd talking to Ivar."
"Don't be ridiculous Ubbe. they don't talk, they fight." Hvitserk rolled his eyes at the older sibling.
"Well, I think you should know what they were talking about." Ubbe cleared his throat hesitating to continue.
"Well spit it out!" Hvitserk urged, still a bit drunk.
"It looks as though mother has taken it upon herself to hunt out the woman you've been seeing," Ubbe said quickly, looking around unsure if the two other brothers were anywhere.
Hvitserk let out a boisterous laugh, he couldn't contain it. Ubbe covered his mouth.
"Are you crazy?!" He spoke, "we don't need attention on us right now."
Hvitserk calmed down and moved his brother's hand from his face.
"Ubbe, our mother may be a bitch but like hell, she would send out someone to search for her."
Ubbe's face softens before he steps away. He truly felt concerned for Hvitserk. He knew he was drunk but he had to share the information as soon as he spotted the two enemies close together conspiring.
"I don't think they're lying Hvitserk, take this seriously."
And with that, the second eldest Ragnarsson faded away.
Various thoughts went about the man's brain, as usual. However, the joyful and glee fantasies have morphed into cold terror. He shivered at the thought of what could have been taken place right now. Is Runa alone? Is she well? Is her mother and Knute close? Hvitserk Ragnarsson was scared. He didn't want the answers but he needed the answers. How he craved to go to a seer. But unfortunately, he would have to trust it, no matter how unpredictable it is.