Beinlausi

Chapter VII

Ursula knew that even if Ivar kept his face as neutral as possible, his eyes were a completely different story altogether. Concern, protectiveness, warmth, and an immense plethora of other emotions swirled through his wolfish eyes almost entirely like a rainbow of blues. But he must have found what he needed. Ivar's features softened enough for her to notice as he gave her a nod. He then reluctantly released her wrist subtly rubbing his thumb on her palm as he did so.

She knew her face had been, at the very least, the barest hints of red all because of the smug smirk on Ivar's handsome face. A small smile pulled at her lips as she walked back to her chair. It went away quickly after a sharp intense pain went through her right knee traveling throughout her leg continuously. Her hand immediately grabbed onto the first thing within reach, which had been the countertop of the larder. Her weight is then transferred to her left leg to alleviate the pressure on her right one.

The tightening of her jaw helped out hold back the wince threatening to escape and her wrist is then held into a firm grip of a familiar hand. Her eyes looked down to Ivar as he got himself to his knees looking at her with an intense, chaotically focused expression. "What's wrong?"

The various shocked expressions on Ubbe and Hvitserk's faces would have made her laugh any other time but now. "It's my leg. I just need to get to my chair, and I'll be fine."

Unintelligent sounds came from the other two men as Ivar carefully helped Ursula to her chair. Her left hand gripping the nearest flat surfaces it can find, and Ivar's hand on her elbow guiding her while moving along on his knees without any complaints. He even snarled at his elder brothers when they moved to help Ivar help her as well. If it were any other situation, Ursula would be laughing until she was wheezing from lack of air.

"Ubbe, Hvitserk," Ivar managed to partially snap the elder brothers out of their daze, but not completely. "In the cupboard to the left, there are various jars of herbs and salves. Bring them to me."

When they didn't move immediately, Ivar bared his teeth at them impatient and annoyed all at once. "NOW!"

Just as he did so, Ursula grabbed the back of her chair and carefully sat down in it, Ivar ever hyper-vigilant at her side. She immediately started rubbing at her knee as Ubbe and Hvitserk brought over her medicinal herbs and salves. "The peppermint and ginger paste, please."

Ivar handed the pale green mixture to her with his nose crinkling at the scent of the salve as she applied it to her knee, calf, and ankle. Ursula knew that it is time to use the hot spring that she found soon. The heat of the water would do wonders for her joints and muscles even when the salves she made are just as effective.

Ivar stayed at her side watching as she applied the mixture to her now pale tanned skin. If it were any other man, she would assume that he was looking just to be lecherous. With Ivar, however, he is actually learning by watching her apply the salve in key places to massage and loosen the tightened tendons, ligaments, and muscles. Which really surprised her when she first noticed it, and she had gotten a raised eyebrow look from Ivar when she showed her confusion.

"I know better than to touch you without permission. If there is one thing I am not, it's a lecher." Is what he told her, and it only made her feel much more deeply for the younger man.

Ursula wiped her hands off with a handwoven towel as Ivar closed the jar holding the salve. Both Ubbe and Hvitserk sat in front of them, silently watching the interaction with various forms of disbelief, suspicion, and shock.

Her golden hair fell across her left shoulder as she turned to Ivar asking quietly, "Do you need me to ...?"

He shook his head at her, his jaw clenching stubbornly glancing at his brothers before looking towards her. "Not right now. Later."