brave in the heart. vikings

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Chapter nineteen

The fire in the centre of the room did much to warm the icy hair that settled. Winter was settling in fast and within the few weeks that Merida had come to Kattegat, the waters had become unable to sail through and the winds too cold to face without many layers. But the warmth of the fire, no matter how large, wasn't enough to ease the tenseness of her muscles. The past few days had been spent with Lagertha, on her own persistence. If she was to be a shield maiden, then she would be a good one.

The atmosphere in the main hall was much different to the one that she had grown used to. Instead of loud singing and drinks sloshing around and staining the floor with stickiness, the evening reminded her of home more than anything else. They all sat more quietly, talking between themselves as they sat beside the fire. There wasn't as many people either, only those close to Ragnar- Merida was surprised to even be invited, but she supposed Lagertha may have had something to do with it. Though Ragnar loved her a lot. It seemed the image of Lagertha that lay in her movements and stubbornness meant he had no reason to dislike her.

Ragnar and Lagertha weren't the only ones who seemed to take a liking to her. Bjorn's half brothers hung off her arm at every seconds they could, asking her to play or shoot her arrows through the woods- they had seen her that first day. Apparently many had. But Ubbe loved her more than any of his brothers. The young boy's eye sparkled every time he saw her and everyone had noticed it. Merida laughed at the thought of having a young boy fancy her. In Dunbroch she was the last of the Lords' children to ever be seen as worthy of anything such, so she felt flattered at least a bit.

The three boys sat around her, taking in the fire with wide eyes. Ivar was held in her arms too, after much persistence. Aslaug didn't seem to like her very much. But all of the boys seemed to be intent on learning of her own home, of the land across the sea.

"What was your home like?"

"Green. Very green. With waterfalls dropping to the sea and trees reaching far." She smiled at the thought of home. "We had sun and rain and snow all through the year."

"I can't remember the last time it rained without snow or ice," Ubbe said.

Merida could imagine that to be quite true. In the weeks that she had spent in Kattegat, the town had been suffocated by ice and snow, the trees wearing their Winter coats of frost so early.

"Well maybe one day you boys may see it- see Dunbroch. Your brother Bjorn has, and your father is well known for his sailing," she said. "I think that says enough about what your lives may be like too."

"I hope so," Hvitserk added warily, his chin drooping to rest of his hands too close to the fire, so that he flinched back.

"I'm going to be a big strong raider," Ubbe said, while pulling his brother back with a smirk.

"I don't doubt it."

"I got my first sword today."

His brothers didn't seem happy at that. Ubbe was the eldest of the four and would therefore be first to almost everything. And while she wouldn't know exactly how the three felt, she could picture it- her three brothers had been younger than her too.

"You're already getting there."

"And I get mine soon," Hvitserk jumped to tell her, making Ubbe scowl.

She watched as they begun to argue with each other, squabbling as she had done with her own family. They grew louder, earning glares of annoyance from the otherwise quiet room. So Merida patted their shoulders, gaining their attention.

"I want you to promise me something boys." They stared up at her intently. "You have a lovely family. And a brotherly bond that remind me of my brothers."