Let's be victorious [Thora]

When she first came to Kattegat, Thora was surprised to find that she enjoyed training younger warriors, and Kattegat had plenty of them. It was good to go through the motions slower, to pass on her knowledge, and she found that she learned things from them, too. She fought a bit differently from most of the warriors in Kattegat, and she enjoyed learning their style as well as passing on her own. And so this afternoon found her on the training field, teaching a young frú how use a shield not only for defense, but as a weapon. How to swing it to knock an enemy blade away, how to drive an enemy back using his own weight. How to swing the shield to bruise, to even break bones if there's enough force behind the blow. When the girl's shield finally knocked into Thora with enough force to force her a step back, she gives a joyful shout and steps forward to clap the girl on the shoulder. "Good! You can take a break now, if you want." The girl nods, panting, and wipes sweat from her brow as she drops her shield.

Thora is panting herself, and stoops to drop her shield and grab a water skin. She takes a few gulps, watching the other girl with pride, and is completely surprised by the kiss of cold steel at her throat. She freezes for an instant, her mind running through possible responses, and she's just about to sink her elbow into her attacker's stomach when he speaks. Instead she simply leans back against him, humming quietly in contentment, and laughs as he removes the blade from her neck. She's happy to hear Ubbe's voice, and she knows a wide, silly grin is on her face but she can't help it. She'd been hoping to see him today. "No. I wasn't paying attention." Her voice is light and taunting, laughter in her words. "That's cheating." She turns to face him, feeling his eyes roving over her, his head tilted to the side, and she hates the slight distance between them even as she enjoys the sight of him before her. She wants to close the distance between them, wants to press her lips to his, but she hesitates. They aren't alone here, there are plenty of watching eyes.

Instead she gives him a cheerful smile and a wink, licks her lips as she lets her eyes roam slowly over him. She tilts her head as she drags her eyes back up to his face, meeting his blue eyes, and she takes an automatic step closer to him. She wants to kiss him so badly but still she doesn't, and settles instead for teasing him. Excitement is plain on his handsome face, and she raises her eyebrows as she considers him. "Did you come all the way here just to sneak up on me, Ubbe?" Finally she presses one hand against his chest and smiles up at him. She hears the girl she was training just moments before gathering her things, mumbling some excuse that she doesn't hear, and she waves a hand vaguely in the younger woman's direction but her attention is still focused on Ubbe.

Thora had thought her day couldn't get any better. She loved training and she loved fighting, and one of her favorite things to do was use the shield like it was a weapon. Few people seldom thought of it that way, since it was for defense, but it was effective. Using the shield in an attack wouldn't defeat someone, but it could buy a few seconds to get a more lethal weapon into place. Fighting is about control: controlling the space and the weapons, forcing your enemy to do what you want him to do, about giving yourself the time and space to be victorious. You either controlled the enemy or were controlled, and if you were controlled, you were dead. Fighting is simple and hard at the same time. There are people who understand it and people who don't, but the best way to understand it is to do it. The girl had been skeptical when Thora first started teaching her to use the shield, but now that she knew the ways to use it, she would remember, and when she was in her first battle she would learn for herself how important it was.

But Thora had thought her day couldn't get any better, until it was Ubbe's voice that came from behind her and she relaxed against him, reveling in the familiar feel of his chest against her back, and she knew she had been wrong earlier. Her day could get better, and it just had. He removes the knife and she immediately turns to face him, accusing him of cheating because he snuck up on her, although the truth is that she should have been paying more attention. She's surprised by Ubbe's next words, and the shock is plain on her face as she looks up at him. "More than a shield maiden? Like a healer or something?" She raises her brows in question, then shrugs. "You're right, I do love it, but what besides a shield maiden could I ever be?" She doesn't add that this is all she's ever wanted since she was a child, and besides, what else could she be? There's not much else she can be besides a shield maiden, the only thing she can do from here is continue to keep fighting and training, to improve her reputation and prove herself to be a mighty warrior.

When her eyes return to his face after slowly exploring his body, she sees his wide grin and returns it with one of her own, and it's so hard not kiss him that she takes a small step toward him. She watches his gaze drag slowly over her body, down to the belt at her waist containing an axe on her right hip and a sword on her left, and she laughs as he admits that sneaking up on her was only part of the reason he came to find her. She raises her eyebrows, waiting, when he says he has a question, and when he speaks again he reaches forward, hooking his fingers behind the belt that holds her weapons, and using it to pull her closer, and his question has her so full of joy that she can't help but laugh as he knocks his forehead against hers quickly before he pulls back to look at her, and finally she gives in to the urge she's been trying to ignore since he got here, and she rises onto her toes to press her lips to his, quick and fierce, both her hands rising to cup his jaw and tugging lightly on his beard. She's grinning when she pulls back, her bright green eyes wild and excited. "The gods themselves couldn't stop me from raiding with you."

Her hands leave his face and she absently runs her fingers over the hilt of her sword. She can feel the weapon singing for blood like a soft vibration up into her fingers, and she knows it isn't the sword's excitement so much as her own, but she's always believed weapons know when blood is coming and they thirst for it. She's having trouble keeping still now with this excitement humming in her blood, and she steps closer to Ubbe again, pressing her forehead against his to lock eyes with her. "When? Do you need help with the preparations?" Her mind is already whirling, trying to figure out what she needs to work on in training to make sure she's strong enough, which of her weapons need to be checked by the blacksmith, and how she'll need to test her new short sword to see if it can stand up to what she expects of it.

Although Kattegat hadn't been on a raid in some time, and although she was a shield maiden, some force beyond her knowing had sent her to Kattegat. She believed it was the gods, that it was their voice that whispered in her ear and told her to leave Uddevalla. She hadn't understood why at the time, because there was no better place to be a warrior than Uddevalla. They placed utmost confidence in their warriors and trained them from early childhood. Thora had been born for the shield wall, she'd always known that. And so what strange impulse had driven her to Kattegat? There was more to it than escaping her cruel, vengeful ex-husband, more to it than the constant need to prove herself a strong warrior. It was the gods that led her here, and although she can't understand their reasons, she's grateful to be in this place, with Ubbe smiling and excited before her, and a raid in the very near future.

She raises her brows as he suggests she become a radningar, and she's so surprised her mouth opens for a moment before she speaks. She recovers after a few seconds, shaking her head, brows still raised. "In Uddevalla women cannot hold ranks higher than shield maiden. I did not know Kattegat was any different." She shrugs, giving him a grin. "I will think about it, but the raid is more important now. Everything else can wait until afterward." She does like teaching the younger warriors, though, and she promises herself she'll give serious consideration to Ubbe's suggestion, but at a better time. As soon as he mentions raiding her mind is spinning, everything that needs to be done running through her mind, and excitement singing through her so loudly that she can't stop herself from stepping forward to kiss Ubbe, fierce and excited, and his grip tightens on her belt. She's grinning when they break the kiss, and she tells him the gods themselves couldn't stop her from going with him, and she means it. She swore to fight alongside him from the first time she met him, before she even knew who he was, and every moment since then she's known the rightness of that promise. If the shield wall is where she belongs, it needs to be in the shield wall beside Ubbe.

Her hands leave his face but she doesn't step back from him. She wants to be close to him right now, to feel the warmth radiating from his body and the solid feel of his chest against her. She catches the look he gives her when he falls silent, saying he came as soon as he heard and dealt with Ivar. Thora can't stop her bright green eyes from rolling up toward the sky at the mention of Ivar's name, but besides that she keeps her face neutral. "Ivar. I finally met him a few days ago." She pauses a beat, raising her eyebrows as she looks up at Ubbe. "He is upset about the raid?" Thora supposes she shouldn't be surprised. Ivar is the youngest, and with his legs, his mother almost certainly won't want him to go. She can't say that thought makes her sorry. She finds Ivar to be.... Frustrating, to put it mildly. It doesn't surprise her that Ubbe is usually the one to deal with him, calm, patient Ubbe, because he's a good man.

There's something so reassuring about Ubbe. He's steady and confident and his smile is warm and open. He's a man that warriors will follow because he inspires confidence, and Thora knows he's smart and he will learn how to lead men in a battle. She's always believed him destined for greatness. But now he is young and she has some experience in raiding, and she's happy to help guide him through how to prepare. She wonders briefly if they generally prepare differently in Kattegat, but the end result of a raid is the same, no matter what place the warriors call home, and so how different can the preparations really be? She nods when he says they're gathering Ragnar's old warriors."Warriors, weapons, ships, food, water, and sacrifices." She automatically ticks off the five things she was taught are most important to a raid. "You already have the ships and the warriors, and the warriors will bring their weapons. I can start buying food if you want me to." She grins up at him again, reaching a hand up to his shoulder and squeezing lightly. "I have to go to the blacksmith in a few days and pick up my new short-sword. Do you need anything made? I can order it while I'm there, or get your weapons sharpened?"

If there was one thing that could put a damper on Thora's incredibly good mood, it was the one thing Ubbe happened to mention next. Ivar. Thora had only met him once, and the encounter had not gone smoothly, to say the least. And there was one thing in particular he'd said that bothered her, although she was mostly certain he'd said it to get under her skin. It hadn't bothered her much at the time, but now she was beginning to remember it, and it bothered her more than it had initially. She knew it shouldn't. It was only natural that Ubbe take a lot of girls to his bed, he was very handsome and very strong and she knew he was brave. She knew he was loyal, though, and so she's able to put aside those feelings of jealousy for now. She knows she can ask Ubbe and he'll tell her the truth of it, and soon she will, but first there's the raid to discuss. She only gives him a small, serious smile as he says that maybe Uddevalla doesn't appreciate women the way they should. "It's just a different place, that's all. They don't think women are as strong there." She shrugs it off.

He asks how bad her first meeting with Ivar was, after she rolls her eyes at the mention of his name, and she decides that now is as good a time as any to bring it up. "He likes to push people." Her statement is simple, and she looks up at Ubbe with a small smile. "And so do I. It was less a discussion and more of a challenge." Finally she smiles up at him, pressing herself a little tighter against his chest and rising to her toes to press the tip of her nose against him, locking her bright green eyes on his blue ones, and closes her eyes for a moment as she enjoys his hand slowly stroking up her side. She raises her brows like she's about to ask a serious question, but can't keep the teasing out of her voice. "I'm honored to be one of the many women you've brought to your bed." She giggles, darting her head forward to gently nip at his lip. She nods, her forehead still resting against his when he says they can't bring Ivar on such a journey, but that he's certain there will be no stopping him in the end. She sighs, reluctant to admit anything good about Ivar."He is a warrior, though. I married a man like him, in Uddevalla."

She drops down from her toes to flat feet, and presses her forehead into Ubbe's shoulder. It's hard to look at him when she talks about things from her past. "Clever, ambitious, ruthless. He may not be able to stand in a shield wall, but he'll be a warrior anyway." After that, she's more than excited to focus her attention back on the raid. She feels at home planning for things like this. Preparations are the easy part, and she's prepared for many raids before. She giggles when he says he already has the best warrior, and she returns his quick kiss with one of her own. "Yes you do, his name is Ubbe." She winks up at him, grinning, and nods eagerly when he asks if she'll buy the food. "Of course." She returns his warm grin with one of her own when he interrupts her, and she chuckles a bit when he says she isn't his slave or anything. His hand tightens against her side and she looks up at him with raised brows. "You didn't ask me to do anything, I offered it freely because I love you." She reminds him, tugging lightly on his beard.

She laughs at his teasing look as he tells her he's happy, and she ignores the odd looks they're getting and wraps him in a hug. "Of course I'm coming." Her voice is muffled slightly against his shoulder before she pulls back to look up at him, her face going serious for a brief moment. "Will you help me test my short-sword when it's done? It's being made in Kattegat so it should be tested against someone from Kattegat."

Thora wonders for a moment how Ivar holds the power to dampen their mood, and he isn't even here. She hasn't seen him in a few days, but she knows Ubbe just came from dealing with him, and so she guesses that makes sense. Ivar isn't easy for her to deal with, so she isn't sure how Ubbe can handle dealing with him all the time. She supposes it's easier, since they're brothers. But even so, Thora sometimes has to fight the urge to trade blows with her own siblings, especially her sister Jorunn. Eirik is patient and hardworking and hardly ever fights except in the shield wall, and Audun is so like Thora that even when they fight, it usually ends in laughter. She can't imagine having a brother like Ivar, but maybe that's because he shares some of that cruelty, some of that bad attitude, with her ex-husband. Thora has no patience for people like that anymore, because she's realized she can't change them. Sometimes people just are who the gods made them, and there is no changing them. She doesn't want to be around cruel people anymore. Ruthless in a fight, she can handle. Cruel for no reason, she has no patience for.

She chuckles when Ubbe says he isn't going to defend Ivar's way of thinking. "You don't need to defend it, I think I already understand it, at least a little." She laughs when Ubbe says he guesses it didn't go all that well, and she shrugs as she answers. "Well, we're both still alive so let's consider it a success. I will probably not call him "little Ivar" again, though." She's tired of the serious turn the conversation has taken, tired of Ivar ruining their good mood even when he isn't here, and so she hopes that by telling Ubbe about that, it'll make him laugh. She loves it when he laughs. She rises up to press her nose to his, teasing him a little, nipping his lip, and he nips her back and doesn't deny her accusation. It makes her giggle a little, and when he kisses her she pauses for a moment, drawing it on a little longer before she breaks it. "I thought I was the only one, but it's nice to hear it anyway." She winks quickly up at him. "You're the only one too, if you were wondering."

"Enough about Ivar, he isn't even here." Thora groans slightly, rolling her eyes up toward the sky as Ubbe says not to underestimate Ivar. "We have more important things to talk about." She leans into his touch as his hand strokes her face, and she only shakes his head at her words. "Next time I'll beat you without tricking you." She promises lightly, pressing her forehead against his with a content sigh. "I know you won't ask, but since I'm offering, do you need anything from the blacksmith while I'm there anyway?" She chuckles, pressing a light kiss to his neck before she continues. "You're about to be very busy planning for this, so let me help you in whatever ways I can." Her hand goes up to rest on the back of his head as he leans down to kiss her. He pulls her tighter when she hugs him, and she feels his lips in her hair before he pulls back to look at her. She's grinning up at him, already thinking about fighting him, and she laughs when he agrees. She tries hard to make her face very serious, but she can't quite keep the laughter out of her voice. "But that's the entire point of testing it! I guess I could test it on a deer instead." She sighs dramatically, her face serious for only a moment more before she's laughing again. She's more worried about the sword taking blows from other weapons and shields than it's ability to stab, and of course Ubbe knows that.

She's glad Ubbe came to tell her this, glad that Kattegat is going on a raid after all this time. She's missed raiding, missed it like part of her own self was gone. Raiding, and training to raid, has been a part of who she is for as long as she can remember. She's trained with the single-minded passion of one who knows their destiny, and doesn't fear it. She love fighting and training and celebrating victory, there's even a morose part of her that enjoys mourning those who have fallen. Because if they've fallen, that means they've gone to Odin's golden-roofed hall, and isn't that what every Viking strives for? To fall by the axe or sword is a glory given only to the few worthy of that fate. Thinking of that is enough to pull her thoughts away from Ivar, and she's glad for that. Few things can dampen a good mood like that sullen prince. But few things can make her happier than Ubbe's laugh, and she's rewarded by that wonderful laugh when she reveals that she called his brother little Ivar. She grins up at him. "Aggressive, but not too much." She answers, conveniently forgetting to tell him that Ivar had thrown a knife at her. She bore the slight graze from his knife on her shoulder, little more than a scratch anyway. Certainly not a wound worth mentioning.

She laughs, her green eyes glinting, when Ubbe says it's good she has so much faith in him. "I've had faith in you from the beginning." She reminds him, brows raised. "I swore to fight at your side before I even knew you were a son of Ragnar." She tilts her head for a moment, considering. "Although I suppose this is a different kind of faith." She shivers lightly, her eyes dipping closed, as Ubbe tightens his grip around her waist, burying his nose in her neck, and pressing his lips beneath her ear in a kiss. She leans into it a little, simply enjoying the feel of his lips on her skin. How in all the world did the gods set her on this path? She doesn't understand, but she'll do her best to follow it no matter how tired her legs get or how much her feet ache, and her path seems twined with his, at least for a time.

She shakes her head as he states she would still be the best warrior, rolling her eyes, but she lets the statement pass without responding. She knows that in all of Kattegat there are probably dozens of warriors her equal or better, but this doesn't seem like the time to argue. They'll have some of Ragnar's old warriors, and at least among that legendary crew, there must be many warriors better than she is. It isn't that she's a great warrior, it's just that her fighting style is different from many in Kattegat. It may be a bad thing in some ways, but perhaps it will work in their favor. Maybe it will make their army more versatile, make them harder to defend against since there's different fighting styles among them. She knows there's at least one other, a thegn named Hilde, who at least carries weapons from Uddevalla, but she isn't certain if the girl is from there, too. He grabs a hold of her chin after telling her he needs his axe sharpened, and she nods. "Just bring it with you the next time you come to my house and I'll take care of it. It is no trouble."

Thora giggles as he kisses her, then rests her forehead against his when the break the kiss. She's grinning, happy that she's here with Ubbe and happy that soon they're going raiding. "Oh? And what will we be doing during that free time?" Her green eyes are wide, glinting with mischief, and her voice is entirely too innocent. She's trying hard to not look like she's about to get into some sort of trouble, but of course she's failing miserably at it. "Since we obviously won't be testing my sword." But when he asks about the raiding parties in Uddevalla, she immediately gets serious. "Depends on how many ships, which depends on the destination of the raid. The bigger ships hold a crew of a fifty, the smaller ships hold a crew of twenty, but the longships can hold seventy or eighty. For a normal raid," she pauses for a second, squinting. "Three or four longships and one or two smaller ones." She shrugs. "We never conducted raids the same way twice, to keep our enemies guessing."