Not Anymore

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The boys, on either side of their father, have nerves on edge

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The boys, on either side of their father, have nerves on edge. Their ships land coastside when the round moon barely kisses its light across the land. They are met by another landing party's campground but those there were not entirely unfamiliar. Their tongue have a familiar twang, slackening the boy's shoulders from their strain instantaneously.

"Is it Sverri?" Hvitserk asks breaching the measly gates of the anomalous site. Sverri's normal campsite raised the forest green flags of Yggradsil while these flags were darker in shade. The grey raised flags bore three interlocked triangles– the Valknut. It could not have been Sverri's camp for those reasons. Besides, he is sure that Sverri made himself well in his home with you and your body. The seer told him so.

"No doubt it is Faksi who has come." Ivar scoffs.

"Grandfather?" Veifnr chirps and skips ahead, darting within despite Ivar's bellow out to him to come back.

Uxi shouts, "Brother WAIT!" as he darts after his younger brother. The two swerve ahead stopping as their grandfather and a man they somewhat recognize chat idly over a pitcher of mead and a conversation of battle stratagem. They look out in the dark of the night toward a dark catapult. Ivar's walls guarding Kattegat have fallen at long last.

"HAHA! Those are my boys! Veifnr! Uxi!" The boom of their grandfather's voice spills out of the tent where the men spoke. Faksi was a broad built man, sporting a beard as white as spun thread and hair that had turned just the same. His hair waves in tightly knit braids on his head. The boys ran forward, clustering about his legs like ashy pups.

"Hello boys, I am King Sverri." The man lowers to their eye level, looking between the two. His voice caramelizes with deep admiration. The boys give jarred smiles glancing between one another to him. They had met many kings. It was not the first time they met Sverri either, what with the mess he made between Kitta and you. But individually they had not talked much to him. Often they would play on their own or be sent off by any of their parents.

"I remember you." Says Uxi folding his arms with a flat lipped expression.

Veifnr moves closer. "Hi."

The King gives a wide shark like grin. Uxi's words bear the threat of an impending cruel statement lurking behind them. Rather than engage Uxi he decides to speak to Veifnr, the quiet one.

"You must be Veifnr, because your mother said Uxi would be the more critical one." He shakes his ringed finger at Uxi, his armband jiggling on his arm.

"You've seen mother? Is she alive?" Uxi turns with a wet gleam in his eyes. Tears that Veifnr doesn't pay any mind to. Instead he is eager with excitement to find his mother and bring her back to their family. Somehow, he misses the fact that Sverri is the one who took their home.

As the flaps waver again, Ivar came in. The King however hardly spared him a glance. His eyes are stolen by stars in young Veifnr's eyes. He could tell how much the young man adored his mother.

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