Possessions | Rhona

The night didn’t brought him much of a rest. Physically he was at ease, but his mind was like a galloping herd of horses. He didn’t regret his actions with Rhona, not at all. It made him feel alive, and like a real man again. But the more he thought about it, the more he was afraid of the consequences. What did she expect from him? Things he wasn’t able to offer? He wasn’t just a warrior anymore, he was Björn Ironside, the next to sit on his father’s throne. The next to rule over Kattegat. And by those thoughts he wasn’t able to catch his sleep. Björn had tossed and turned, and as soon as the first daylight appeared he was already back on his feet. The dark circles beneath his eyes gave away that he was exhausted, but apart from that there was not a single sign to be seen on his body. His eyes were and always had been the portrait of his soul. Only people who truly knew him were able to tell how he felt, just by looking at his eyes.

But his exhaustion hadn’t kept him from fulfilling his promise to Rhona. The entire morning he was busy collecting the things she had asked from him. From the butcher he bought some of the finest meat, already cut into the right proportions. By the dressmaker he stopped to claim a fine linen tunic, which was embroider with a golden thread by the collar and sleeves as he waited. And at least he picked some of the most beautiful furs from his own collection. Björn had commanded a servant to position the materials on a table in the Great Hall, where they would be waiting for their future owner to collect them.

Björn was sitting by the fire, and apart from himself and a few servants there was nobody to be seen in the Great Hall. Aslaug had taken her boys on a little trip to the lake to have some time with the family. And of course Björn wasn’t a part of that family anymore since Ragnar had disappeared. Not that he was sorry for it, he had other things on his mind. But after a while, his busy mind finally found some rest. Björn had sunken away in his chair and eventually fell in a light sleep. The flames, the empty cup of ale on the table, the lack of night’s rest and his brothers being away.. it all played a part in his dog-sleep. He even wasn’t aware of his surroundings, so didn’t hear how somebody pushed open the wooden door.

The sound from metal against wood made Björn startle and he awoke from his nap. He placed both his hands on the elbow rests and pushed himself straight up. In the fraction of a second he had placed his hand on the knob of his own axe and blinked his eyes in confusion. He turned his head in a hurry and immediately found the eyes from..Rhona. When he finally realised what was happening, he couldn’t decide how to react to her presence. Björn scratched with his fingers through his eyes and stroke down over his beard. ”I see you have found your way in.” he said softly and rose from his chair, ignoring the fact that he had been extreme mindless by falling asleep in the middle of the great hall. If she wanted, she could've killed him with that axe of her. But luckily the only thing it had done was waking him up. Only by looking at Rhona he could feel her nails piercing the skin on his back all over again. And that wasn’t the only mark she had left on him. The bruises on his neck and collar bone, the never ending thoughts in his head… But he couldn’t make himself say something about it or even allow the feelings to take over again. Björn stepped right aside her and took place in front of the table. He placed both of his hands flat on the table and leaned forward towards the goods. ”I hope this is what you had in mind?” His voice sounded raw from his recent awaking. Björn turned his head, looked over his shoulder to the red headed woman, that had definitely earned the color of her hair.

The sphere that was in the great hall was nothing in comparison with the night before. But he couldn’t tell what was the cause of him being so distant towards her. He didn’t regret his actions, but he wasn’t sure of them either. The big question was what Rhona expected from him, and what he was able to offer. So there he was.. standing there in half silence, without any sign of emotion or empathy.

Björn Ragnarsson, a future King that had to carry the weight of the civilians.

And on the other side there was a table full of royal gifts that had cost him the entire morning to collect. A token of friendship, trust and maybe even some kind of love that he yet had to discover.

Björn Ironside, the guy Rhona knew from when they were still kids. Free, careless, fearless.

Two extreme opposites, that made the situation even more difficult that it was already was.

He could feel her eyes resting on his body, that was indeed battered from the fight they had fought the night before. But Björn didn’t looked back at her, not knowing what kind of look he had to put in his eyes. She got him more confused that he liked to admit, so it was better to preclude any more confusion. So without paying her anything like the attention he had given her last night, he asked her a question. About her expectations.. ”Yes, it had sar exceeded my expectations. I had figured there would only be a couple of dresses rabbits waiting for my knife. A pleasant surprise, to find that I was wrong.” Björn straightened his neck and placed his eyes in hers again. He just couldn’t help himself, she gave him the words in the mouth.. “I figured out that dressed is not really your style.” His message included a strange kind of humor, but the way he said it just didn’t match. He kept staring at her, until the smile from her face disappeared as well. She immediately looked behind his mask, that he didn’t even tried to put on.

”What has kept you from sleep until now, Björn? You are not usually so careless as to fall asleep when not in your own bed.” She stared straight at him, without any sign of regret about what happened. Björn had no regret either, he was just afraid of the consequences. ”There is a lot of thinking going on in my head.” He said and stroke over the back of his neck. The skin right beneath his collar was still feeling raw from the trail that her fingers had carved in his skin. ”About what will happen next. Expectations, maybe?” He knew that she would know that he was talking about last night. The pressure in the air just screamed it. ”What is this, Rhona? Why can’t I get it out of my head?” Björn had bed only a few woman, he wasn’t the type of Viking that would force himself on a slave. When he did it, it was out of love or two-way desire. But it felt like there was so much more going on.. or it could just be him. He wasn’t being himself lately.

”It is what we decide, Björn.” She said. Björn stared at her mouth as she spoke words that immediately went straight to his heart. He bit on the inside of his jowl and nodded, slightly. ”You bring me a certain comfort, Rhona, just as I bring you all the same. But I can not give you more than that at this moment.” He took a step closer towards her, his eyes full of emotion. He meant what he said. . ”Our friendship has rooted deep inside of my heart, and we will be side by side for the rest of our lives.” He tried to place a smile on his lips, but failed. ”As friends. Vikings. Maybe one day as lovers.” He places his hand on her shoulder, slightly pinching. ”Odin has everything planned out for the both of us. We will see where his path brings us. I just feel that it is not for now, we need time.” With those words he took his off her shoulder and turned his back at her. As he walked to the other side of the table again, he heard Rhona gathering the stuff he got for her. Slowly he looked back at her, only to see her smile and wink at her. Björn nodded, raising the corner of his mouth. ”Thank you for the gifts. You know where to find me if you wish to speak more. Otherwise, I will assume we are to remain close friends, and I will be here if you need me. Good day, Ironside.” – ”I will find you, Tvahänt.”