A friend in need -Björn Ragnarsson

Sassa had just finished spending a wonderful day with Arngeir. They had spent the day together working on his farm. Him teaching her teaching her how to do all kind of things. From taking care of her new puppies to getting the ground ready for the coming winter season. She loved spending time with him more than anything in the world. Sassa was so grateful to have met him after the feast. They had spent almost every day together since then. Even if it was just for a few hours when she could get away from her mother. Luckily her mother still had no idea what was going on. No idea that her daughter wasn’t going training in the woods, but seeking off to spend time with her secret man. Not that he would be a secret forever.  Just until it was the right moment, and they were ready to take themselves to the next level. To become public and tell the village that she was his was a big step, and though Sassa was already ready. She wanted to make sure they didn’t move to quickly. Plus once that happened she would have to move out and away from her controlling mother. Something that wouldn't happen without drama she was sure.

Walking down the Path from Arngeir’s farm to her home Sassa saw something, or well someone else was outside, just outside of the manor, by the Great Hall. Bjorn Ironside was sitting outside with what appeared to be a cup in his hand. She wondered what he was doing outside all by himself. From the looks of it he was drinking, most likely ale. It was a weird image to see him all alone. Seeing as he was always with at least one of his brothers or another Viking. Deciding that getting home could wait a little bit longer she made her way toward his resting forum. Hoping he wouldn’t mind he stoping over to see him. Sure she wasn’t as close to him as the other brothers, but Sassa still considered Bjorn to be a good friend of hers. He has always been kind to her, defeating her from Ivar at the feast for instance. Besides Arngeir knew she was close to the princes of Kattegat. So he shouldn’t mind that she decided to stop and see what Bjorn was up to. At least she hoped he wouldn't mind. Sassa didn't want to do anything to upset her dear Arngeir.

When she approached him she made sure to make her presence to him early. She didn’t want to startle a skilled fighter as Bjorn. That would be very foolish to do. “Hello Bjorn” she said at first before she walked the rest of the steps to stop in front of him. Smiling down at him she continued to speak. “What are you doing out here all alone?”  She asked him. She hoped he was okay. For now that she was standing in front of him she could see that he had, had a few cups to drink. As she waited for his answer she  wondered if maybe he and ivar got in a fight again. Or if queen Aslug did something to annoy him. She knew those were the two people that normally made him angry and annoyed him. Or maybe it had to do with the fight he got into with Ubbe. Sassa had already left the feast by the time it happened, and honestly wasn't sure what had happened to make the two brothers fight. She had been spending all her free time with Arngeir that she hadn't gone to see the Princes in some days again.The last time they spoke had been at the feast before she went home. She hoped he wouldn't be upset with her absents again, but he most likely hadn't even noticed.  " Do you want any company? I'm all yours if you do, until you get sick of me anyways!” She said to him next. She made sure to give him a gentle smile, wanting him to see that she was very much being genuine with him. That she really did care, and was a bit worried about him.

Maybe if she stayed and talked to him for a bit she could help him feel better. Plus if her mother got upset with her coming home late she would just say she was talking to Bjorn and her mother would leave her alone. Knowing that they were friends and being excited her child was talking to one of the princes.The shear thought of her mother getting all excited over nothing made Sassa want to roll her eyes. She couldn't wait to tell her that she already belonged to another man, to her wonderful Arngeir.

Sassa had noticed that it had taken him some time to answer her greeting, almost as if he hadn't heard her at all. It wasn't until she asked him why he was outside all alone did he look to her. When the great Björn Ragnarsson looked at her, Sassa could already tell he was drunk, and he hadn't even spoken to her yet. ”Sitting, I guess.” was his reply to her first question."I see. she simply said. Trying her best not to frown, Sassa decided in her mind in that moment she would stay with her dear friend until she was able to help him feel better. For whatever was bothering him had to be something pretty bad. She hadn't seen him in a state like this in some time. Not since the the things that had happened with Thorunn anyways. Sassa hoped that whatever Bjorn had been fighting with Ubbe about hadn't been the cause of this as well. For she would be disappointed in Ubbe for leaving his brother in a state like this. If she had any siblings and she fought with them, whatever the reason, she would never let them be upset like this alone. It just wouldn't be right in her mind. She watched as he drank the rest of his cup empty and then threw it to the side. The action made her bite her lip just a bit.

She smiled as she heard Bjorn speaking again. ”All mine?” he said to her first. Sassa just nodded her head before he spoke again ”How could I say no to that?” Bjorn said to her as he stood up and made his way to her. Sassa just smiled a big smile to him as she had her arms ready to grab at him in case he fell. She could tell by the way he was moving that he had quite a bit to drink. When he stopped right in front of her she crannied her head back to look up at his face. She couldn't help but see the emotions that stormed through his eyes as he looked at him before saying ”I guess there are plenty things we can do before I get bored of you.” Sassa smiled a large smile at him when he said that. Seemingly unaware to the double meaning that could have come from a statement such as that. She was just glad that he was taking her up on his offer of company. This way she could help him feel better, and maybe even get him to give her more than a polite smile in return.

Reaching forward she grabbed one of his hands in a friendly manner and smiled up at him. " Good, well I'm here until you tell me to leave! For whatever you need!" she says at first before giving his hand a gentle squeeze. Sassa wanted to give him a hug, it would be what she would do with Ubbe or Hvitserk. However she knew she wasn't as close with Bjorn, and didn't want him to get the wrong idea. She was here as a friend after all, and very much loved her sweet Arngeir! " So what would you like to do? We could go inside and talk or stay out here? Maybe we could get some water in us as well." she said next, making sure to say water instead of ale. Bjorn seemed to have more than enough in his system for the two of them. More Ale might make him sick, and the water would help with the hangover he was most likely going to have in the morning when he woke up the next day. Maybe she was misguiding how much he had to drink, but she knew for certain he was drunk at the moment.

She wanted to ask him what was bugging him, but she also didn't want to upset him right off the bat and have him send her away before she even had a chance to make him feel better. Sassa made a mental note to herself that she would have to speak to Ubbe about this all later. That she should have maybe come and found out what in the world they two of them had fought about sooner. That way she would know if that was what was bugging poor Bjorn, or if it was something else completely. She hoped that he would open up to her about what was bugging him, but she also wasn't going to be foolish and try and push him into talking about it. That could only make the situation worse, and Sassa didn't want to be the reason he become more upset than the way she found him. She wouldn't be a good friend if she did that to him.

Sassa smiled brightly at Bjorn as she felt him squeeze her hand back in return. He was simply staring at her for some time, and she began to worry about his drunkness, that he was so drunk he was zoning out on her. She hoped that wasn't the case for he wouldn't remember their conversations in the morning and maybe he would still be upset as well. She just really needed to get some water into his system. Then he would start to sober up, maybe some food would help him out too. Still looking at him with a gentle smile she felt Bjorn raise her hand up in his own to his mouth. Running his lips over the top of her hand, just barely touching her skin. For some reason this action made her blush a little and look down away from his face. Sassa wasn't sure what had made him do something like that, but she quickly put those thought to the side when she heard him speak again. ”Are you afraid of me?” Bjorn had asked her. Confused, her eyes shot back up to his face before shaking her head no at him. "What! No, of course not silly!" she said to him with another smile gracing her face.

Why in the world would he think she was scared of him? That must be why he did that to her hand. To make her feel more at ease with him. What was bugging him really must be bad, if Bjorn was worried she was afraid of him. Sure she didn't want to be on the other end of his sword on a battle field, the idea of that scared her. However Bjorn himself did not. He was her friend, she had known him for years. Soon Bjorn was brining her from her thoughts as he gently pulled her to a new destination. It appeared that he wanted to go somewhere more private. What he wanted to talk about must have been something very personal. Sassa looked around as he took her to the back of the manor. It looked to be the area where things were stored for shipments. It was somewhere she had never seen before that was for sure. She watched as he sat down on one of the boxes before leaning back against the wall. One of her hands still in his own as he spoke again. ”Please come sit with me.” Bjorn had said as he held his other hand out to her.

He seems so open to her, and much more calm than he had been when she first saw him on the steps. So she was slowly making him feel better already. Smiling she put her other hand into his, figuring he wanted to make sure she got on the box without falling or something like that. She felt Bjorn slowly pull her toward himself before he let go of her hands and pulled her onto his lap. Placing her in a way that they were looking at each other in the eyes. This new action made Sassa feel a little bit nervous, and more nervous as he leaned in and breath deeply. Moving her hair to her back as he spoke to her again, making her realize she had been pretty quite. ”I have never seen you from this close before.” Bjorn said to her with a smile, one that she could see reached his eyes. Very different from the ones he had been giving her before." Thats because you are normally very busy when I am around. Plus any time I come over Ubbe or Hvitserk drag me away to spend time with them!" Sassa said with a small smile as she looked to the side for a moment before looking back at him. This was the most time she had ever spent with him alone she realized.

Sassa also watched him relax even more than and tired to fight back the uncomfortable feeling she was feeling. She has sat on Ubbe's or Hvitserk's laps before over the years,more when they were children than at this age. However even so it had never been in this position, and it never had this type of feeling attached to it before. When they had held her on their laps it had been for comfort when she had gotten hurt, or when there hadn't been enough seats for everyone. This, this felt different to Sassa, but she guessed Bjorn was a different kind of person, maybe this was the way he wanted to talk. So even though she was feeling a bit uncomfortable Sassa tried to push those feeling aside, for Bjorn seemed to be feeling better. That was the main reason she had stopped from going home, to make her good friend feel better and get over whatever was bugging him. So she decided to try and shift herself around to get more comfy, but stopped when she saw Bjorn have a strange look cross his face. Maybe she had hurt him!" Sorry, I was trying to get more comfortable. I hope I didn't hurt you!"she said looking at him in concern.

Sassa felt herself light up with joy when she heard Bjorn laugh and saw him smile. She was so glad that she was helping him out. That the sad Bjorn she had found was replaced by a happy,smiling, laughing Bjorn in his place. Sassa wanted her friend to look this way more often. Bjorn was always so serious looking when she saw him. It was very nice to see this side of him. A relaxed carefree side that seemed to be drown in all his hard work and sadness. It made Sassa wish that she had tried to speak to him sooner. If she had made more of an effort to become his friend sooner, than maybe she could have helped him become this happy before. ”Now I realize why.” she heard Bjorn say at first, followed by ”You are so good to me, Sassa.” that made her shake her head no. She didn't think that was true at all. She was just trying her best to be a good friend to him. Like she would do with Ubbe or Hvitserk. Bjorn deserved good friends just like his brother did, and if she could be that to him she would do her very best! Maybe after this night was over they would be close like she was with her brothers.

Sassa found herself liking that idea of being good friends with someone such as Bjorn. " When I am here with you now, and they will just have to get over it and share me anyway if that is the case!" she said with a small smile. Finally addressing what he had said about his brothers. Sassa hoped that he was wrong and that his brothers didn't try to keep her away from him for some reason. She didn't think that was the case, but it was true. Any time she came over to see them, one of them would drag her off to go do something else the moment they saw her. Until now she figured it was to keep Ivar from speaking to her or saying something rude to keep her away again, but what if it really had been to keep her away from Bjorn? That was something she would have to think on at another time. When she wasn't busy trying to comfort her friend.

When Bjorn spoke again Sassa's smile fell just a tiny bit ”I am starting to think that Ubbe and Hvitserk do not want to share you with me.” He moved his hips as well as her body in a way Sassa knew wasn't at all what a friend would do before adding ”Because they knew how much I would like it. You. ” He said to her. Sassa was starting to feel even more uncomfortable now, but did her best to fight it off. She would just need to make it known that she was with someone. Bjorn would be the first person who would find out about her secret with Argneir. She would find out what had been bugging Bjorn and then once she had the right moment and she knew he was completely better she would tell him. At least that was her plan. She didn't want to blurt it out at this moment, he could have just been moving to get comfortable, and moving her with him helped him do that. She had tried to move herself to get more comfortable after all.At least thats what Sassa convinced herself as she heard him speaking again. ”You are not hurting me Sassa.” she heard Bjorn say. His voice sounded different then it had before when he was speaking about his brothers. It sounded lower rougher, and it made her even more nervous. She was starting to realize just how stupid she had been as he spoke again ”I want you to feel comfortable.” he said to her as moved his hips forward again. Making her blush as he grabbed her upper legs and moved her forward.

Everything was happening so fast that Sassa was sure she was going into shock as she felt him grab her hand and place it onto his neck, his skin felt warm like a hot fire on her hand. She looked to Bjorn in shock as she saw him look into her eyes for a second before he kissed her. Bjorn Ironside was kissing her, pulling her closer and trapping her to his body. At first she didn't do anything, she didn't move, she didn't breath. It was like she was frozen. How could she had been so fucking stupid. Looking back at this whole situation there were so many signs that he had taken her friendly offer of company as something else, but she was just so happy seeing her friend happy that she payed them no mind. That she pushed he signs away and focused on helping him smile, helping him laugh, and feel more relaxed. Bjorn was a man, of corse siting on his lap this way was more then just wanting to be able to talk in simple whispers. What was her dear Arngeir going to say! Arngeir, the thought of him and her love she was growing for him was enough to unfreeze her.

Sassa wasn't sure how long she had sat there frozen and let him kiss her without moving, but when she starting to move again she slowly moved her hand away from his neck and used both her hands to push him back. Jumping off his lap, almost falling as she tried to get down and away. " Bjorn" she said at first as she looked at him in shock and the shock on his own face. " I am so sorry, and so so stupid." she said taking a few steps away from him. Suddenly worried how he was going to react to her. " I..I don't know how I let this happen, I..I was trying to cheer you up as a friend." she said before she crossed her arms over her body. " I saw that what we were doing was helping, and I guess I didn't think anything else of it. I have always been close to your brothers, because of that closeness I've sat on their laps before...I've.." she said. She knew she as rambling, but she was just in such shock of her stupidity and actions. " I didn't even see or think that all this could have been taken for something more then me being your friend until just a few moments ago." she said sighing loudly before bitting her lip.

Taking a step toward him she felt tears in her eyes. " I didn't mean to lead you on, Oh God, I'm with someone. Oh God Argneir. He's going to kill me, hate me. Oh God." she said as the tears fell down her face freely. She could see the hurt on Bjorn's face as well. God she had just made everything so much worse in a mater of minutes. She would never forgive herself for being so stupid, for being so blind and oblivious to what was really going on."I'm so stupid... Bjorn I'm so sorry..please say something" she said as she took another step back to him. She didn't want to hurt him by rejecting him the way she had, but she loved Argneir so very much. If this had happened before she met Argneir, then maybe things would have been very different, but she couldn't think that way right now.

The tears that were falling down her face turned to sobs quickly as she watched him move around. She could see the hurt in his eyes as he had tried to move toward her at first. He looked so confused until she had started talking to him, before she started ruining everything for him. She had mad him so happy and then destroyed it all at once. She watched at he moved around and away from her. He was leaning on the box they had both been sitting on with his back toward her before she had told him she was with Argneir. Then she had seen the real toll of what she had done to him. She saw the fire, the angry and the hurt all mix together and all directed right at her. She had just ruined her friendship with him, she was sure of it. All because she hadn't realized the way things were going were not friendly at all. That he had a very different view of how things were going then she did. ”What do you want me to say, Sassa.” he'd  had asked her when she finished talking. She could hear the mock in his tone. It simply made her cry more. That the brother next to Ubbe that always defended her, and was kind to her was now mocking her.

That he now hated her. ”Thank you for caring?” he said next. Still in a mocking way, but she could hear the hurt in his voice. She could see the damage she had done all over him and it broke her heart. That she had been trying to help her friend, and made things worse and lost him all because she was stupid. ”Stupid women..” she heard Bjorn say, and it was true. She was so stupid, and more so she was a horrible friend. A small scream fell from her mouth as she watched him lift the box and throw it. Watching as it broke in half right before her eyes. Was he going to hurt her now? She would deserve it in a way, and it wasn't like she could fight him off if she wanted to. She felt bad, because all of this had made her earlier statement of not being scared of him false. She was absolutely terrified of him at this moment. How could she fix this? How could she help him now? She didn't want to leave him here like this. So upset and angry at her, but she also didn't want to upset him more.

What if she made him so mad that he simply took her here on the ground behind the manor. He took what he wanted? She didn't think Bjorn was the type of person to do such a thing, but she had never seen him so angry, and even if she had seen him mad before it had never ever been directed at her.Besides her mistake had gotten her here, she would never misjudge a situation again. She would be more mindful of everything from now on. " Bjorn...I" she tried to say as she took shaky steps toward him. Maybe she was being unwise, but it hurt her so much to see him like this. To be the reason he was so upset. However she stopped slowly walking toward him when she heard him yell ”Get out of my sight!” at her. Sobs still falling from her small frame as he said ”I am tired of you!” to her next. Using her words against her, she had said she would stay until he was tired of her. " I'm so sorry Bjorn! I really was trying to help...not hurt you..." she said to him as she took one last step toward him. Almost reaching out to touch his arm. Only inches away before thinking better of it and turning and running as fast as she could away from him. She had no idea where she would go yet, but she couldn't go home. No she needed to figure out how to fix this all. How to make him not hate her, and how to take his pain away like she had wanted in the first place.