Catch or release [Björn]

This was one of those silent spots, where you hardly heard a bird calling out, where you hardly saw any movements over the rocks, the sand. It was the sweet silence of mother nature or maybe just the calmness of the Gods striking down. In any case, Ubbe wasn’t here to enjoy the silence. Although he loved some spare time of from his brothers, it wasn’t his main reason to be here at the shorelines, looking over the steady water. It was something else than the sea, which he had the pleasure to sail over once before, with his father, before he turned his back to all of his children and vanished. Every day again, there was a moment he asked himself why Ragnar did it. And every day again he stared blank, he got nothing except for his own opinion. They all had it, his less dramatic in ways than his brothers. The fact was, nobody would know, not until father came back, so why the thinking? He suppressed those thoughts, keeping his gaze over the water while his fingers where working something entirely different.

He grabbed the knife again, crouched aside a rock where he was sharpening a branch to a wooden pointy spear. He blew away the small splinters and held the spear up to the sunlight, admiring his own work before standing up. He putted his knife away behind his belt and looked back to the water, already grinning of his plans to mock away his brothers ‘catch’ from earlier today, what wasn’t much. But so it went, like a competition between four brothers and he loved it from time to time. It held him distracted from his mother’s worries and made him feel boy again, rather than a man. He pulled his shoes out and threw them behind him before walking over the sharp rocks into the water, looking down to the fish that slit away under the surface. It wouldn’t take long for them to come back, they were that stupid. He threw his spear in the air and caught it with his hand, point down, ready to hook on some fish. In that moment he was so busy scouting the water that he really didn’t was paying attention to his surroundings. And even if it did, from whom did he need to be scared more than his youngest brother? No one, so he kept his eyes dawn rather than looking to however approached.

Reserved for Björn

The water was cold but hardly something that he noticed, why should he, Vikings endured harder things that the cold water. He was nothing more than a little boy when he wandered off to the ice with Hvitserk. Both testing the limits of the ice while Siggy yelled at them to stop. They had only looked at each other before walking further over the ice before the water swallowed them at once. He could remember every minute of that event, how he tried to hold on to Hvitserk while the cold bited on his body before Siggy jumped in and saved them both, giving her life for the sons of Ragnar Lothbrok. He would never forget that or her for that matter. Siggy was in many ways a better mother than Aslaug even was back at that time. Ubbe looked down to his own feet, looking how the fish started to get used to him being around, getting back to their old routines.

He started to put his focus on the fish, pointing his spear towards them, closing in on the water surface. He wasn’t that good as many fishers where but he did if often, made it a certain perfection of his skills. And just, just as he was planning on stabbing a fish he heard his name, causing him to miss a fish off course. He didn’t really startled, being around four brothers … especially Ivar, made him a little prepared for this. Björn grabbed him by the neck before he even could turn his head around. He pushed him down and just before he could lose balance Björn pulled him back up. He kicked Björn with his spear between the ribs, not that hard, he hardly would fell it. ‘Brother.’ He greeted Björn with a wide boyish grin. Björn may be his half-brother, for him it was always his brother. They shared the same father, what was stronger than each their mothers. ‘That’s a secret I’m never gonna tell you.’ He winked on the words, balancing his spear around while gazing back to the water. The fish he could forget for now. He turned around to Björn who pulled his shoes out and took his rabbits. ‘Is that all you can catch these days?’ He chuckled, stepping back to dry land to get the same result on his feet like Björn did. He stood aside his brother, looking down to the rabbits before slowly looking back up to Björn. ‘Getting old are you?’ He said, with that amusing grin. Brothers under each other, doing more childish things than actually growing up sometimes. He knew that Björn probably would react on that so he held his spear tighter, smiling like the idiot he sometimes was.

First that big half-brother snatched away his good attempt on fishing and then he just pushed him always into the water to truly ‘save’ him afterwards. So Ubbe reacted by punching that stick into his ribs what almost brought him out of balance. And on that exact point the game had begun, fooling around each other like the boys they used to be. Although they didn’t grew up together, Björn was and would always be a great example for Ubbe. Certainly after Ragnar left for unknown reasons. Ubbe was on an age he needed guidance than, leadership to show him the good way of ruling, Björn did that better than Aslaug ever did. He loved his mother but her lack in leadership was always that him always frustrated, although he never showed any of it.

That big boyish smile laid on his face while walking back to the sand after his brother mocking him right away with the poor catch he had today. Hunting was always some kind of a challenge within the family, who could catch the most was the better man for today. Ubbe came here to beat Hvitserk his catch from yesterday but by the looks of it he could forget that thought. ‘Who is saying that?’ Ubbe followed the gaze down to his empty spear. He pointed it up, hardly pinching Björn with it in his arm. ‘This is your fault.’ He stated the empty spear. He would have managed, Björn ruined it. One of his brothers always had to ruin a perfect good moment, never thought it would be his elder half-brother for a change. Offcourse, Ubbe was Ubbe, challenging even the best if it would satisfy him in something fun. His reaction after the words stated the obvious, he was ready for any attack or move his brother could make. He stepped back with a grin when Björn dropped the bear skin, making him a little less heavier than he looked just before. He glanced down and Ubbe tried to anticipate but Björn was the stronger one, jumping forward grabbing the spear and twisting it in between them. He pushed back, hoping to keep that spear into position but who was he kidding? Not old … just a child … ‘At least I’m younger.’ He said right back, stepping back because of the force Björn used. Offcourse he didn’t saw the foot so he smacked right with his back in the sand. He chuckled, resting his head in the sand for a moment. ‘And ignorant to, by the looks of it.’ He said to himself. He should at least have anticipate that.

He grinned by the words, knowing they weren’t entirely true. Ubbe learned a great deal from Björn and that after learning a great deal from his own father. Between that and this there was much changed. They didn’t had a father anymore when some of them needed them the most. Ubbe was just learning every bit of value in the world when Ragnar left, forcing it on Björn his shoulders. If Björn didn’t want it he wouldn’t do it but he did. Ivar never appreciated it but Ubbe certainly did. So for a big part Björn seemed like a second father, the big brother living in Kattegat to not only support them but also the village under Aslaug her rule. ‘You will turn grey very fast with all the misery you will get from us in the future.’ He smiled in a reply. He and Hvitserk were boys when they joined Ragnar to Paris, it didn’t really count. But one day they all four would go into battle and it would all depend from Björn. Would he know it, maybe. Ubbe was a follower, Hvitserk to but those other two brothers, they were the cold core of this family battering all the time.

‘Don’t call me Prince.’ He reacted. Yes he was a prince but he was rather called Ubbe than prince. At least Björn had a nice name for himself. ‘And maybe.’ He replied on the question, a smile that challenged his half-brother even a little further. He knew he would regret this in the end but for now it was all the more nice, having his brother back. Björn tackled him and pointed the tip of that spear against his throat. “Dead” he said. Playtime was over the words pushed that through. ‘You never let me win.’ He protested, taking his hand before getting pulled up again. ‘it wouldn’t make me man, or at least that was what father always said.’ He followed, shaking his head a little to remove the said sneaking up in his braid. The rare smile Björn told was an appreciated one, Ubbe nodded somewhere, knowing that the smile was something saying without words. Björn still held the spear while walking back and Ubbe didn’t risk another move. ‘Where have you been all this time?’ He asked. Björn was away for some time, not long enough to let everything fall out of control but just long enough that his disappearing was noted. ‘Visiting your mother or more challenger plans?’ Ubbe was always curious to what laid in the future, to what may become his first victory or first task as a Ragnarsson.

Self-knowledge was the beginning of becoming a great warrior. Ragnar had told him quite similar not far before he left and he smiled about the thoughts. Ubbe was quite self-conscious; he knew where he stood in this life, his knew his place, his body, his wished. What Björn said shortly after, giving him a playful push made Ubbe chuckle. Ivar … talked about somebody who could learn a thing or two but was too arrogant to take any advice. ‘Coming from you he will laugh about it, but sure I can give it a try.’ He joked, knowing that nothing would get into that big annoying head of his little brother without a very good reason … and advice from Björn wasn’t that. If one brother was the problem of them all it was Ivar, luckily Ubbe could point his brother in the right direction sometimes, but it didn’t worked every time.

Björn pulled him up like it was nothing really, a feather. He felt his brother strength through his own body when he landed back on his two feet. Father never let them win either, they didn’t do in among each other to. Björn pinched his shoulder for a moment, talking and Ubbe looked at him, nodding over the words. ‘And there isn’t a greater way to die.’ He said, giving his brother a short firm pet against the chest before they both walked back to where the rabbits laid sunning on the big rock. He said down on it, taking back his spear. His smile came up when he saw the warning look of his brother. He didn’t start it to begin with, this was all on Björn. He pointed the point of his spear down to the sand, piercing it through while asking Björn where he had been all those days. It wasn’t that he needed Björn around all the time but he knew it influenced Aslaug a huge part. Back to the cabin. Ubbe pierced the spear further to the sand before it was low enough and he rested his chin on the other side, looking aside to Björn. He looked down to the rabbits that where threaten by the most skilled fingers he knew. When he told him what he was looking for he started chuckling. Patience, they needed it all, certainly with some brothers around. His eyes went to the rabbit that lost his skin with a edgy shivering sound. ‘You better find it soon brother, without patience you won’t hold on a day here.’ He gave his brother some good advice. Björn could go home, if he needed It the break away from his brothers and Kattegat. It was village that needed patience, more than usual. In the fragile position it now was without Ragnar they needed to be patience with the people. He followed his brothers look to the horizon. ‘What is stopping you?’ He asked, nodding towards the water. He knew Björn wanted to sail again, but something kept him here …

Patience was a very thin layer covering this village, it wasn’t there in the beginning and it wouldn’t be there at the ending. Being the biggest trading village there was Kattegat had no place for patience, certainly not among the Ragnar family. Power shifted so many times that Ubbe lost count of it. Ever since his father disappeared it wasn’t the same. Aslaug wasn’t a fit leader, even Ubbe saw that but knowing her she wasn’t giving any power or status away to a son of Ragnar that wasn’t hers. And Ubbe didn’t wanted it, it belonged to Ragnar, or at least Björn, they deserved it, he was to young, he had still much to learn. And Aslaug wasn’t the only problem, there was Sigurd, Ivar, it just was more arguing that actually living with those two. Ubbe was the eldest of the four, he needed to hold them in control, so he knew all about patience and to be honest, even he hasn’t had much left.

Ubbe followed the movements his brother made, how he ripped the skin off and laid it under the sun to dry before he spoke again. Ubbe chuckled with his words. ‘We manage.’ He only said. Björn wasn’t much around and Ubbe understood it, he had a mother in another village and duties with an alliance in Skagen. He was a leader, leaders didn’t had much time left, not even for their brothers. When he said he couldn’t leave, he couldn’t leave the four of them Ubbe leaned his head against the spear and looked aside to Björn, thinking about it. When he asked what was stopping him the answer was quite obvious. Ubbe shortly smile, knowing it was the truth that smile faded a little. When Björn spoke Ubbe looked in the sand, making a stupid figure with his spear. ‘Mother has not much input in this village, a lot of people hold you as the ruler, or own their loyalty to your mother. She is weakened. I think we should be more concern of who could be overthrowing Kattegat from the outside than rather what she can do from the inside.’ He stopped making the figures in the sand and looked back up to Björn. ‘We are messing with her mind.’ He pointed to his own temple. ‘Ivar is messing with her mind, Sigurd, we all do. She doesn’t know what is the best if we all want something else. So yes, you better stay.’ He chuckled with that last sentence, thinking about his own mother. He loved her, dearly, but he saw her flaws thought the cracks, because he was the eldest.

‘Our father just needs to return.’ Björn said. Ubbe nodded, gazing over the water again. ‘If we look, you think we could find him?’ He asked doubtful. It were more Ivar his thoughts than his own, he knew that his youngest brother wanted to look for Ragnar. But being a cripple limited him again. ‘He won’t be hiding in the big villages. How far could he be by now.’ He murmured more for himself, sinking away in his own thoughts again. Björn was right, father needed to come back home, at least Björn could spread his wings again.