The art of Distraction-Yrsa

Gerolf had started his day out just like any other day he had. He got up, went training for a few hours.Found himself someone to help him feel better, and then ate some food. Now he was on his way to the market. Things had been more difficult for him and his brother lately, Gerolf felt that Kettil was starting to fight back a little more each day. So he needed to get him something to distract him with before he left to go and get his wife. Gerolf had been spending time talking to people and listening around to who had young daughter and who wanted a wife for their daughter. He had found out about a man in Skagen, with a beautiful sixteen year old that Gerolf was going to go and meet soon.He believed her name was Ylva,and that she was completely untouched. The father, Halvor Tarbenson, had been a great viking man and promised his daughter would be a wife that would be good and listen to anyone she was married to. That would be perfect for Kettil, a young beautiful girl that he could get to be the perfect wife for his brother. Then Kettil could focus his time and energy on this new women and stop wanting to learn to fight.

However in the mean time before he went there, and for while he was gone, he needed to give his brother something to keep him busy. Sure he had the horses, but clearly that wan't enough for his dear brother. Maybe he would get him a puppy. He had looked at trying to find the wolves that Kettil and Yrsa had been talking about for a few days, but hadn't had any luck in finding them. So a normal dog would have to do until he was able to find the wolves. Maybe it would have to wait unit he got back with Ylva. Then Kettil would be extra distracted from his need of fighting. Gerolf just hoped his brother would be good and be happy with all the work he has gone through for him. It was hard to explain to people that he was looking for a wife for his brother, and not himself yet. He would find a wife later, after this was all settled. Then things will be much better for him and his little family. He won't have to worry about Kettil trying to learn to fight behind his back, he wasn't sure what he would do if that were to happen. He would have to punish his brother, but that was not something he wanted to do. Sure he was hard on him, but he didn't want to have to get rough with him too.

Gerolf was now at the market, looking at some different types of dogs. He really didn't know anything about this kind of thing. So he wasn't sure what kind of dog to get his brother, but he knew it needed to be one that would be easy to train. Maybe a dog that could help him with his work in some way, one that could heard the horses or something. Gerolf really wasn't sure, and he didn't want to ask. That would make him look stupid, and stupidity was weakness. He was not weak, very far from it. Anyone who thought he was weak would be in for a rude awakening. He was just about to reach down and touch a dog when he was bumped into by a person. Looking up in a little annoyed he saw it was someone he knew and quickly put a smile on his face. "Hello Yrsa" he said with his smile still very much in place. She looked just as beautiful as she always did, too bad she was so head strong. She would make a good wife. "How are you today?'" he said next. Making conversation, maybe he could ask her to keep an eye out on his brother while he was gone.

Gerolf smiled at Yrsa when she spoke to him “Sorry about that, Gerolf. I tripped over Aksel,” she said to him, a smile on her own face. With a hint of shock as well. Maybe it was because he was being nice, but he could be nice sometimes. She didn't need to act shocked by the fact. He looked down to see she had a few puppies and that made him smile more. Good if she had dogs she would know what was a good kind to get for his brother. Then he could work it in a way that he was asking about her dogs, and not that he knew nothing about them. “I’m very well, thank you! How are you?” she said back to him when he had asked her how she was. "I am well, thank you Yrsa." he answered her back as he was still looking at her dogs. Trying to figure out a way to find out what he needed without coming off as stupid. He was not stupid, because he was not weak. He would never be weak, weak was not in Gerolf blood. He was strong, he killed his own father. That would make anyone strong, at least in his eyes anyways.

When she spoke again he looked up at her with a blank face for a moment. Why would he be standing over here looking at the dogs if he wasn't going to get one. He wanted to say something like that, but he had to be nice. It would be rude to snap at her and then see if she would keep an eye on his brother while he was away. “Thinking about getting a dog?” were her words. He changed his blank face to a smile before speaking."Yes, but not for myself." he said at first before looking over at the animals. "I want to get Kettil someone to keep him company...I'll be going away in a little while for a few weeks, and I don't want him to feel lonely." he said before looking back at her. Smile still in place. He hated being this nice, but it was a bit easier with how beautiful she was. He focused on her beauty and not the fact that he wasted to be rude for no reason at all. "I had tried to look for the wolves and get him a wolf pup like I had said,but I didn't find them..I figured this would do until I was able to." he said next with a shrug.

Talking to her seemed to be kind of easy. Sure they were in public and he didn't want to be seen as rude and scary all the time, but she was still easy to talk to all the same. If only he could tame her. Then he could find himself a wife and Kettil a wife at the same time. That surly would make things easier for him. However he knew she wouldn't be someone he could tame. She would take so much breaking,that it wouldn't be worth it to him. Gerolf wanted someone he could mold into what he wanted. Just like he was looking for Kettil. He almost wished this Ylva girl was older, or he would mold her for himself.Though she wasn't and it was best not to focus on that. She would be great for his brother, as long as everything her father said was true that is."So what one do you think would be best? You have dogs yourself, so you should know so much more that I right?" he asked her next. A smirk in place of the smile that had been there before. He could only smile like that for so long before he got sick of it. He wasn't a nice man, and it was no fun pretending to be one.  

Gerolf made sure to keep smiling an keep being as friendly as he could as they talked together. “That’s so thoughtful!” he heard Yrsa say about his idea with the dog. In a way he guessed it was, not wanting his brother to be alone, but he knew the truth. He was doing this to keep Kettil more busy while he was gone too. He wanted to make sure his baby brother would have things to do other than taking care of his horses. That way his brother would not have very much free time. with no free time, he wouldn't be able to betray him and start training behind his back. Something that as time went on Gerolf was more and more worried about. Kettil would simply not leave the subject alone. The older that Kettil got, the more he brought it up. Gerolf understood in a way as well why he was so desperate. Kettil was a viking, and viking men wanted to be strong and they wanted to fight. However Gerolf didn't want him to become like him. He knew that he himself was a monster, and he embraced that about himself. Gerolf just didn't want Kettil to become one as well. He had always be so good, and kind. So much better then himself. Sure, Gerolf didn't get this bad until after he killed his own father, but he knew he wasn't normal, not really ever. "Lets hope he feels the same." Gerolf finally says to her telling it was thoughtful of him.

When he had finished telling her that he had to settle on getting a dog because he couldn't find a wolf she had something to say to that.“A dog is probably the better option, since you live on a farm,” she told him and he looked at her for a moment before nodding. That was correct, a wolf would grow up and maybe attack the other animals. However If Gerolf ever got a wolf he would train it to attack anyways, so he didn't see that as too big of deal. He would just train it to leave the other animals alone. That wouldn't be so hard he thought. If hew as certain he was going to be able to train Kettles future wife, as well as his own, a animal wouldn't be much harder. " Suppose that is true/" he said with a shrug of his shoulder. It was so easy to talk to her, as long as he kept breathing deeply he could keep the beast at bay for now. Act and look normal while he spoke with her. It helped that he was trying to not over talk, to say little instead of lots.

Gerolf then asked her what one she would get, to secretly get a better feel of this whole thing without looking weak. “Honestly, I want them all. I might not be the best help for this. But,” she says first to him before adding “You’d want to find out if any of them are trained yet at all? If they are, a trained adult dog would be more useful than a puppy. But if none of them are trained, a puppy would be your best bet. They’d definitely be easier to train.” to him next. He could see her logic, but the whole point of getting the dog was so Kettil had to take the time to train it. So as smart as getting a trained one would be, it didn't fit well with what he had planed out. "Yes that is true, however I think that a puppy would be best in this situation." was what he said back to her with a smile in place again. It was weird to be this "friendly" with anyone but his brother. Most people were scared of him and kept some distance from him.He found that he kind of liked having conversations like this, but only slightly.

Yrsa spoke again “Is this a surprise for Kettil?” she asked him and Gerolf nodded his head at her. Of course it was. If Kettil had known he would have just sent him down here himself. So he wouldn't have to stand here and look stupid by not knowing a thing about dogs. Animals were Kettil's thing, not Gerolf's. He much preferred to hunt and kill, than to care for them. “Puppies are a lot of work. If he’s not really interested, because he’s already so busy with the horses, and things, it might not go so well for all of you.” she says to him next and Gerolf raises an eyebrow at her. "I'm getting him a dog, he will be happy weather his is busy or not." he says to her. His cockiness wanting to break out from behind the wall of nice he was trying to give off. "It will keep him company, I could be gone for a month or more. He will be glad I thought of him." he says next as he looks at her before looking at the dogs. He could careless if Kettil didn't want the dog, he was getting one. Gerolf just hoped he one he got would be helpful to the farm at the very least. In his twisted mind he only wanted what was best for his brother. Just what he thought was best, not what others thought.

Gerolf smiled at Yrsa when he heard her say “I’m sure he’d agree with me,” to him about his brother being happy about the dog.He hoped so, It felt like Kettil thought everything Gerolf did was wrong lately. Sure he knew he had problems, but in his mind he was doing his best to give his brother the best life. Without the riches he gave Kettil the farm wouldn't be doing nearly as well as it was. He did a lot to help his brother, and he was just trying to protect him from what he could become by keeping him from training and fighting. If he could just make his brother see the light in things, it would make his life so much more easy. He would just have to wait until he got back with his wife. Then things would be a lot better for them both."Then I'll believe that he will" he says with a smile. He is doing very well at this being nice thing, Yrsa makes it easy with how beautiful she is, and how she is treating him like he is normal. Gods why did she had to be so strong, she made him want her a lot sometimes, and it annoyed him that he knew he would not have her without force. Something that would get him in trouble with the Earl. She was a free women, not a Thrall.

They went on to talking about the dogs and what would be best to get Kettil. She had annoyed him when she had said a trained dog might be better, but he was less annoyed again when she saidThen a puppy it is, to him. Gerolf smiled at her and nodded his head."A puppy will be best. Something with energy to take up time and keep him from being lonely." he says with a half smile this time. Maybe if he got one that was considered cute he would make his brother even happier. He knew Kettil had lots of feelings for animals, and wanted to play into that a little bit more. The happier his brother was when he left the better Gerolf would feel about all of it. “You’re leaving for a month or longer?Gerolf heard her say next and he just nodded his head at her. He was about to speak again when she spoke first. “That’s a long time. Is everything okay? she asked and Gerolf let out a small laugh. She was acting like she cared about him and it was funny to him. He was almost certain she had fear of him, so why fake the caring side?

Taking a deep breath after his short laugh he spoke."Yes, it could be that long, and everything is fine." he said to her first. He knew he had to be careful with his words. If he said to much then his brother would find out and he didn't want to fight his brother in this matter. Gerolf didn't care if Kettil would want to find a wife on his own. He wouldn't pick well, Gerolf already knew that. He needed someone easy to control, not a strong women. Gerolf knew what was best, he always did. "I have to take care of something important for my brother, it could take a while depending on some details.Hopefully it won't take that long however." he chose to say vaguely."Don't say anything to him, its a surprise, and thats why I'm not telling you to much." he says next before he looks at her with a smirk and raised eye brow. That should be enough to keep her at bay, but maybe not. It depended on how noise Yrsa was. Gerolf wasn't sure on that matter.

Still looking at Yrsa, he tuned when she said “That one looks pretty young, so would be easier to train. I think it’s a boy, so you wouldn’t have to worry about it having puppies of it’s own. And that’s a hunting breed. They’re usually very smart.” to him. Nodding he walked over to the dog and kneeled down to look at it better. He was sure that most people would think it was cute, but to him it was just another animal."Ahh yes, a hunting dog was what I was thinking too." he said trying to play it off that is was his idea and not her own. He would not look weak to her. "I think he shall do very nicely indeed." he said next. Reaching into his bag he pulled out some gold and dropped it into the owners hand. Once that was done he picked up the dog somewhat gently and tuned back to yrsa. Gerolf smiled at her for a moment before speaking "So should we name it? Or do I let Kettil do that?" he asks her as he pushes the puppy out a bit to look at it"It's kind of cute I guess." he comments to himself as he looks the dog over.  

Gerolf raised an eyebrow at her when she repeated herself “That’s very thoughtful,” to him about getting Kettil a dog. Gerolf knew she was very bright, but wondered if she took a few hits to the head sometimes “I mean, really, very nice of you. To worry about him being lonely.” she said next. Fixing her mistake of repeating herself from before. She must just be nervous around him, most women were. She thought it was nice that he worried about Kettil being lonely, wasn't that a normal thing to do for your sibling? He had thought it was. "Well we are all we have left. Our parents are dead, my mother died in a raid, and as I'm sure you know I killed my father." he said to her before taking a deep breath."He was a useless drunk who beat myself and my brother senseless after our mother died...So he got what he deserved..I did it to protect my brother.." he said next, Gerolf had no idea why he was telling her this. It was just falling out of his mouth almost."So with me being gone I don't want him to be alone, we haven't been raiding in some time, so he is use to me being around." he said finally, giving off a shrug like what he had told her hadn't been super personal. Gerolf was pretty sure that everyone knew he had done it though, so he guessed it wasn't that weird that he had just told her. Its just he never really talked about it, the thing that made him into the monster that he is.

When she said “I’m glad everything’s fine,” to him he looked at her in surprise, did she like him? Was that why she was talking to him and being so kind? He doubted that was why, but he was getting more and more curious about her as they spent time together. Gerolf smiled at her in return. The first not forced smile he had given her the whole time they had been together. That smile of course fell when she spoke again. “You’re getting him a puppy and now going away to get him something else? Have you upset him somehow?” she said first before adding “The last time I was this nice to my brother, I’d broken his toy practice sword. I think I was about five years old.” to him. He let out a small laugh at the thought of Garth the bastard being upset. He was glad when the other man moved away, at least he was trying to better himself. To be more then a son born of a former whore. “I won’t say anything,” she said before he could talk back about it.

Gerolf thought over his words before answering."A lot of the things I do upset him, however I'm doing this to help our brotherly relationship. If I do this right, it could fix a lot of our problems..at least I hope" he says giving her another shrug at the end. He really was sharing a lot with her, Yrsa making him feel normal more and more as they talked. It was so weird. When he had finished buying the dog he saw and heard dogs getting very excited about it. “Oh hush,”Yrsa told them first before adding “You can play with him next time we visit Kettil at the stables,” to them. He smiled at the dogs before looking back at the puppy in his hands.Gerolf asked her if they should name it and she said “Should we name him? I don’t know, he might want to name him himself?” in return. That was fair, let his brother name his own new pet. "Okay, Kettil shall name you then." Gerolf tells the mutt in his hands. “I’d pick Magnus, or Gunner probably. If he was mine,” Yrsa added and he laughed, liked he cared, but he wouldn't tell her that. "And he's very cute." she added last. "Yes, I suppose so. You however are far nicer to look at Yrsa." he tells her."You are a very beautiful girl. I have enjoyed spending time with someone so lovely to look at." he says smiling, a hidden meaning he was sure she wouldn't pick up."And you are very helpful too." he added, really laying it on her.

Gerolf clicked his tongue when he heard Yrsa say “That’s really awful, what happened to you. And what you had to do.” to him. He wasn't even sure why he had said the things he had to her. Maybe because he didn't have many friends, well he had hardly anyone but his brother at all. However it still shocked him he shared at all, and by her face and words he could tell it shocked her too."I am more sorry Kettil had to live though it..he was always a good kid, and he's a good man now too," he desired to say about it. Gerolf knew he was horrible and controlling but he did it for Kettlil's own good, at least he thought he was. If he only knew, maybe he wouldn't be as horrible, maybe he would back off just a bit. However those things were hard for Gerolf, he liked control. He never had it as a child, not until he killed his father. The act that changed his life forever.

Then they started to talk about why he was going and other things. He told her he was doing it to fix things and she said “Well, I hope so too,” to him. Gerolf simply smiled at her. She was a nice women, a little on the nosey side for his liking, but she was still kind. He wished he could be kind sometimes, that it wasn't so hard for him, but that was not how life was for him. He was not a kind man. He was an anger man, a controlling man. That was what he had been for years now. His mind never stopped thinking about hurting others, and pain. It was just something he learned to except about himself. That he was a monster. That was why he had to keep Kettil from becoming one too. He was too good, too kind to become anything like him.Gerolf would sooner kill him then curse him to this life that he lived.

Gerolf had complimented her next, to see how she would react and it had been worth it. Her face had become a mixture of shock and confusion. Did she not know that she was beautiful, or was it because he was saying it to her, and who he was. “We’re basically the same age, I’m not a ‘girl’, thank you very much.” she said first. Oh so she was upset he called her a girl, and not a women. It made him laugh at her and her silliness. “Are you making fun of me? she said next and he shook his head. "No, not really anyways." he said first with another laugh. "you are correct, we are of similar age, and you are a women not a girl. Your body gives that away." he says next, giving her a wink. "I just meant you are beautiful, you know that right? That you're one of the best looking women in the village...I mean no harm, this time. I am just stating facts Yrsa." he says next before shrugging and looking at the puppy once more. "The silly women doesn't know she is good looking." he tells the puppy before getting licked in the face. To which he makes a face at the animal. "Don't do that." he tells the dog before looking at Yrsa again.

Gerolf nodded his head when she said“He is a good man,” to him."Yes, better then I'll ever be, and better then our father." was all he said back to her. Kettil was a good person, but he was also weak. Weak minded and weak in his body, and yes he kept him weak in his body because then he couldn't fight. He didn't want him to leave, and lose the good in him. He hoped he would stay a good man the rest of his life. He would be a better husband and father the Gerolf ever would be a well. That was another reason he was so set on getting Kettil a wife, so he could be more happy. More happy then he could ever make his brother in a million years. If however he did all this work and Kettil wasn't happy he would just keep the girl for himself. She was a little young for his taste, but he wouldn't let all the time and engery he put into this and his plans go to waste.

The conversation changed and he was complimenting her, and clearly she didn't like i.“Will you please stop talking about my body?” where Yrsa's words first He raised an eyebrow at her. Could she not take a compliment then? “Well, you should keep those sort of facts to yourself, please and thank you. And stop talking to the dog about me.”  she said next and Gerolf rolled his eyes at her. "You should learn to take a compliment, but clearly you don't know how. Maybe you are beautiful on the outside and ugly on the in? Is that why you are still single?" he said to her first just before she said “He’s just trying to be your friend,” about the dog."I don't want to be its friend. Its going to be Kettil's friend." he said looking at the dog like it was trash. "I think its time I go now. Have a good day Yrsa" he said next as he held the dog closer and just walked away. A smirk on his face as he went. She dared tell him what to do. she had it coming.