LITTLE BIRD┊Ivar the Boneless & Harald Finehair

CHAPTER SIX

The rest of the night was spent without a second of sleep, Eira's mind rethinking every second of what happened hours earlier but she couldn't understand why the Gods got so angry and violent with her this time when they always allowed her to see further with little to no costs. She coudln't even remember doing something to anger them, even stayed by Ivar's side.

Ivar... He'd be furious if he finds out about her new situation, which was another reason for why she had told herself to wait more days to confirm if the visions were really gone The only thing she knew and was sure was the sharp pain on her neck, a reminder for her to stay away from their sign until told the contrary.

Eira sighed as she tossed around on the bed for the hundredth time, throwing the covers away and making her way to the path she walked earlier, not bothering to knock on the door of the hut. She stopped in place as Ivar quickly sat up on the bed, sword ready on his hands to fight the intruder before he noticed the small blonde figure standing there.

"I'm sorry. I..." She bit her lips, taking a deep breath before approaching his bed slowly, sitting on the edge of it "Can I sleep with you? I.. need someone by my side."

Ivar blinks in surprise, watching her for a second as he fight the smile on his lips, moving aside to giver her some room to lay down.

They stayed quiet for a moment, his fingers hesitantly reaching out to caress her blond locks. He immediately furrowed his brows when he brushed the her away from her neck, only now noticing the dark bruises around her neck and the anger raised on him just as quickly.

"Who did this to you?" The viking asked between gritted teeth, softly tracing the marks and Eira closed her eyes, cursing mentally for forgetting about it, before turning around to face him.

Ivar was fast and smart like a snake to trick his preys but Eira always knew how to read him. There was something on him that never lied to her, doesn't matter how much he tried. His eyes always told her all the truth she wanted to know and right now, she could see the storm of fury dancing on his ocean's blue eyes. A look that would make any men shiver and with reason.

"I was training for the battle earlier" She forced a smile to her lips, hoping the lie could spare her some time to confirm her doubts. "I think I got too confident and forgot about keeping my defenses high, huh?"

She bitted her lip as Ivar didn't laugh with her, his eyes still studying her quietly before he sighed, too tired to question her further.

"Tomorrow we're training together. I can't let you ruin the image of the Ragnarssons in the field now, can I?" he smiled teasingly, caressing her jawline as he could feel his heart beating faster with the closure.

War, revenge and legacy weren't the only things occupying his head. Ivar wanted to be a king. The king of Kattegat and if things went as planned, he'd be wearing that crow sooner than the others expected. He watched his mother in the last years there and he knew that throne could be heavy and lonely without someone to share it. Maybe when the battle was over, he'd start looking for a wife and it'd be a lie if Ivar said that he hasn't been thinking about how fierce and strong Eira was or the way she looked like a goddess in that gown. For Odin, just think about what they could conquer together mixing his sharp mind and her sacred visions.

"Something is troubling your mind?" Her soft voice awaked him from his hazed thoughts and he had to remind himself that for now, he made different plans for her.

"Just thinking about how you're going to treat our lovely host with one of your visions, make him trusts us enough to grant us his warriors and ships. You must make him happy and.. I know you're going to figure something out to garante us that." He smirked, gulping the bitter taste his words made him feel but if that was the price to pay for revenge and crown, so that be it... rigth?

Eira nodded as the small smile on her lips didn't reach her eyes and she tugged her shaking hand under the pillow, thinking about what Ivar would do to her when Harald came back to tell him about how the völva could no longer see beyond the mortal's horizon. She knew very well how Ivar didn't like to be seen as a fool and that's what would happen if she couldn't figure out something soon to cover her new situation.

"You shouldn't trouble yourself with that, Boneless." She looked away from his, searching for anything to look at until her eyes landed on his bare shoulder, arching a brow as she traced the lines of ink on his skin, unaware of the trail of warmness irradiating under Ivar's flesh. "This one is new, isn't it? I don't remember it being there before."

His gaze fell down to watch her long fingers drawing the same pattern on his skin, the warmness in his chest was familiar and it was unsettling, reminded him of the fool cripple that drooled over her when younger and Sigurd's words sneaked into his head little tiny roots. She would never look at a cripple like him. Eira would rather a real man, a real son of Ragnar like their brothers.

The words made his blood boil and he grabbed her wrist with more strength than he perceived as she watched him with wide eyes, the shadow of fears there knocking down the wall of frustrated thoughts as he slowly let go of her, a heavy breath leaving his lips.

"It's been a long travel, you should rest now." He whispered, placing a kiss on her forehead as he brought her closer under the furs.

There was a moment of silence, the wood cracking under the fire in the middle of the hut as the rain poured strongly outside, making Eira wants to curl until she was invisible to them again. She didn't need a reminder of Thor's strength and the power that Mjörnir had on their mere mortal creatures.

"Ivar?" She waited until he looked down at her, smiling as she could feel the familiar presence in the room, reminding her of when the king visited Floki to share drink mead. In that moment, some of her fear dissipating as her visions haven't disappeared completely. She still could feel them. "Ragnar would be proud of your achievements."

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Chapter revised.