The Way of Trade

He laid with his head on his crossed arms, listening to the babbling voice of one brother against the other just in front of the great hall. Some sunlight got in, shining half his face. It was rather enjoyable, just sitting there, acting half a sleep without anybody around except for his own family. The village was growing with noise in this early day. Nobody except for Aslaug her people came to the great hall so it was rather peaceful. Except for … “Go kill yourself brother.” Ubbe lifted his head up and looked out, to Sigurd walking away from that one spoiled brad on the stairs. The struggles of being a big brother, he wanted to do good for everybody. But just as he was planning to go outside Aslaug appeared from out of her sleeping quarters. ‘Ubbe.’ She called out to him. ‘Yes mother?’ He turned his head her way, curious about what she needed now. Without Ragnar Aslaug was in a rather weak position, with Ubbe at a descent age she used her often for her own gain, something he liked but very often didn’t liked to. ‘Can you pick up my dress at the dressmaker?’ She said without really looking at him, way too busy with whatever she was doing. ‘At the dressmaker, why don’t you do that yourself?’ He asked right away, not planning on seeing himself walking in there, although … it could have some amusement on the way. ‘I’m busy.’ ‘Fine.’ He pulled up and walked out, slapping Ivar his head on the way he only grunted in return.

Ubbe smiled, walking through the village he grew up in. He knew a lot of faces and they knew him. When he arrived at the dressmaker he walked in, spotting a young girl folding tunnies. His eyebrows came a little up. He knew the older woman working here but her, it sparked his interest. ‘Morning.’ He greeted her, eyes traveling to the blue dress hanging on the side. It was way to expensive for any villager here so it had to be his mother her dress and it seemed like someone put a lot of time and effort in it. ‘I think that’s mine,’ he said it before realizing his own damn words. He not just said that. ‘Or rather my mothers.’ He smiled because of his own mistake. His bleu green eyes traveled back to her, to her dark hair and the way she looked back at him. Ubbe was a totally relaxed person, didn’t hurry for anything; not even for a dress from his mother …

When he looked at the dress he was asking himself how much time they should have cost, how much work. Aslaug just had to clap her hands and everything was arranged for her, she even didn’t came to collect all the things herself. It was something that troubled Ubbe for a while. He grew up here, he knew the people and he respected them, just as his father did. It was his weakness to not use others in his advantage, or like his more did. That dress was something only Aslaug would where and she wasn’t here to thank the person who made it. And when he looked to the girl he wasn’t even mad on his mother for sending him, or that he needed to thank her. In de back the old woman he knew to be the original dressmaker, walked around, murmuring something and when he looked back at the girl it seemed like she needed to handle a lot from that old lady. But that was life, you got commanded around by the one above you. Like he could ask for whatever he wanted just because he was a prince. Hard life, nobody told it would be easy … Ubbe was just in a way lucky enough.

She greeted him and the corner of his lips stayed in that smile a little. The laugh she produced made it even bigger. Her words made him chuckle while walking in a little more, looking back to the dress. He was not just imagining himself in a dress. ‘You don’t know me that well. I have a lot of secrets.’ He got in on it, like it was actually true, winking to turn the word mistake into a joke. Looking at her she thought she made a mistake by saying that, yes … that weren’t any words you should say to his youngest brother but Ubbe, he could laugh about anything every day. When she told him the dress wasn’t ready he looked back up to it. It looked ready in his eyes. ‘Than I need to wait, or come back.’ He trailed into the doorway before he looked back to her. ‘It looks like you can use a break from her.’ He didn’t say it that loud but he nodded with a promising look towards the lady. He could command her easily to give the girl a break. But where was the fun in that. ‘Want to run away?’ He tilted his head. Not knowing her made it a challenge for him. Curious to what she was about to answer. That dress could wait, days if necessary, Aslaug had enough to wear.

When his mother asked him to fetch that dress he was complaining, doing this kind of shores wasn’t his job, she had slaves for that. Offcourse he was the beloved son so he had to, to keep her close enough for in the future. Now, he wasn’t complaining anymore while he looked how handy her fingers where with the different kind of silks, fabrics, freshly made clothes. It was an art, every job here in Kattegat was an art. He stood above all of that and sometimes, because be brought so much time through with the others, he asked himself how his life would be if he stood lower in this life. If he was a stable boy for example. Looking at her made him ask that question again in his head before his eyes went to the elder woman and he realized that he was looking to her to long and almost forgot for what he was coming here.

Secrets … the corner of his mouth came up again when she repeated that word, looking towards him in curiosity. Biting that lip brought his eyes shortly towards it. ‘Do you girls want to know everything.’ He stated generally. Yes it was something they all had, that eagerness for things that weren’t generally known around here. Ubbe didn’t had much secrets, it was hard as a prince to keep one when half the town followed your every move. He was almost planning on temping her with one to get her out but he thought to try it first on the normal way, asking if she wanted to run away. It looked like she could use some time of, apprentices of certain ranks didn’t had much spare time, she was one of those so he wouldn’t be shocked if she had to a lot more than the old lady did herself. But if she dared to do it, that was an entire different question. His eyebrow pulled up, amused when she started to consider it, looking to where the old lady was before she looked back with that playful grin on her beautiful face. She got up, gesturing him to go outside. He held his laugh until he was out, turning towards her with a chuckle. ‘I imagine you don’t do that every day.’ He tilted his head a little, studying her face in brought daylight. When she asked where they should going he looking into the streets. ‘What is it that little mischief over here is dying to do someday?’ He asked curious. He could bring her to so much different places but maybe there was a place, or something she wanted to do so badly. ‘Do you go by a certain name or do I have to earn it.’ He started walking, backwards before her, giving her that particular smile of his own before turning and walking besides her again. Mother wouldn’t mind, he ran away all the time, that dress … wouldn’t run anyway, her … he looked aside, maybe.

She sneaked out way to fast, what said enough, this was her first time in bending the rules and it was absolutely cute how she hurried him out like that old woman could catch up with them if they started running. Ubbe felt her certain enthusiasm, bringing that big smile on his lips while he walked out. And if that woman was saying something Ubbe would take the blame on him, saying he needed her, or his mother needed her. She wouldn’t get caught up in the punishment that old cranky lady could come up with. Ubbe often lift the dangerous life, that was the other side of being a prince, people expected certain things from him, leading raids, become an king himself someday. He sailed already with Ragnar to Paris once, he didn’t die there but his life was way more unpredictable than hers for example was. But this, those little moments, sparked up his youth.

The answer on his words came together with a nod towards some beggars at the side of the road. Ubbe looked at him before he looked back to her. ‘And if I would notice you here on the side of the road I would take some actions of my own.’ He bow his head softly. The beggars were mostly old or sick, a young woman like her wouldn’t be a fit in that. ‘If your mentor is making trouble about it, speak in my behave, I don’t want to get you in trouble,’ he felt silent for a moment, giving her a playful grin. ‘But you are.’ He finished. She ran already out, if she wanted she could still turn back but seeing the excitement on her face told him enough, she was ready for the consequents if they came. When he asked her what she would love to do the answer came quite fast. The bay, he brought there often time through by his own, on the shoreline or catching fish with his brothers. ‘The bay it is.’ He smiled towards her. While he walked backwards and asked for her name he same something of a small blush getting over her cheeks. The shy look down, the teeth sinking in her lower lips, girls couldn’t do that and expect it wouldn’t do something. ‘Eydis.’ He repeated her words, that half smile bighting up his face again. ‘Nice meeting you.’ He bow in a polite way before walking aside her again. The walked there way out of the busy streets that Kattegat filled with life. After her question he chuckled for a moment. ‘Being the son who loves his mother and acts like it.’ He answered in first reaction, joking offcourse. ‘No,’ he shook his head. ‘I like to be under the common people, she knows that. Not that I want to be her errands boy for the rest of her life it is good, gives me more perspective about the people. Although picking up her dress was a little to much I’m not complaining now.’ He smiled towards her. He wouldn’t complain for the rest of the day. If he had known she was there more often he would pick up ten dresses just to get a glimpse of her. But he was Ubbe, prince of Kattegat, he just sneaked out with her after the first few moments. ‘Did you make it? The dress?’ He asked curious. The streets got less crowded, they didn’t need to navigate through the people and just could walk aside each other without bumping in to others.

She brought her hand up and released her dark hair of its braid, causing the strains to fall over her face, giving her skin an even lighter touch than it already had in the soft sunlight from this morning. Yes, he paid attention to the details, knowing beauty often came out of the heart she wore the beauty on the outside to. His eyes followed the ways how her hair landed on her shoulders before a man passed through between them and he needed to release himself out of his staring to step aside. When she said how mad her mentor would be, her smile weakened a little. Not enough to let those thought caught her up, just more a swift reminder of what it would be like later. ‘If I tell her than I needed to bring you to my mother because she needed another dress, one that acquires your attention for the whole day,’ he said with some charm in his voice. ‘would she believe it?’ He asked her curious. She would get in trouble and he wasn’t letting her. But in some way this did her good, it had been a while since he saw a girl smile like her, look with so much excitement into this little adventure. She embraced it despite the outcome it would have and in his way it was an act of bravery, she wasn’t scared, she just lived in the moment. Nothing he could admire more than that.

Wrong word choice, the laid to much attention to the ‘common people’ in her sentence and he understood why. Yes he was a prince, others stood below him, so it was his change to prove her wrong over that. ‘Did you never imagined what it would be like to be a princess? A queen?’ He asked with that boyish excitement in his eyes. He looked at her thorough, knowing her first reaction on that would give the answer without even knowing it. It had to be, she was a dressmaker, a lot of nice fabrics past her fingers. Somewhere along the road she must have dreamt about it. ‘Well, sometimes I ask myself the same, the other way around. The only thing how I can compensate the fact that I’m above this village is to admire every single soul in it, some more than others.’ He just knew his way a little around words. ‘Seeing the people, knowing them, helps me to imagine that picture. So, to answer your question, yes, it feels pretty good.’ He smiled softly. A king that doesn’t look over his people wasn’t a king, that was something he learned from his father way back. Something his mother had to learn her way in it.

When he asked about the dress she answered quite fast, with a short nod. ‘In how far my expertise goes in dresses, it looked amazing.’ He laughed, thinking back on his mistake when he asked for the dress in the first place. Would Aslaug love it, she was rather cold about things like that. ‘She will, and I surly will tell her how young and bright minded the maker after that dress is.’ He winked. Aslaug knowing she would thank the old lady for it, ignorant for the young skillful finger that Eydis had. So Ubbe would make it his mission to get her some extra credit to.

He held his attention so centered on her that he forgot the things around him, the people who smiled at him on the street or the traders almost bumping in to him. He wasn’t ignoring him, he never really did that before but it was just plain simple match, Eydis just grasped it right away with her playful smile, the sparkle in her eyes. How could he look away when she walked here right beside him. She told him that it might work, at least if Ubbe held a straight face when he told her a little lie to save the day. Why should she be punished if nothing did more that sewing and working on the dresses. But it was like she said herself, that old lady loved the hierarchy, what meant that Eydis didn’t had a choose but cooperation and listing to what was her been told.

For some people it always would be a little a sore subject, common people or not. Eydis was the kind who didn’t accept the whole rang order of this trading village to the fullest. And he understand it, he didn’t really know what he would think if he was in her place. So it was his task now to little explain his point of view before she would make a judgment or he would run her excitement for this day. Her guilty look down just said enough. A smile spread over his lips while she answered his question. ‘You would be an outstanding princess.’ He whispered, little in his own thoughts imagining how she would look in a nice light dress, with that dark here, that sparkling look full of excitement. Although it didn’t change the picture, a nice dress or not she was worth the admiring with or without. He kept his eyes on her face, studying the lightly shyness, the smile that came with the thoughts. If he had a sister he would pull her over just to give her a taste of the life. But he hadn’t, he had only brothers so it wouldn’t really help the cause. ‘I’m not a king; don’t know if I ever want it to be. But thanks you, I guess.’ He reacted, smiling because of the outing of her appreciation. He thought about his father for a moment, knowing with burdens lay on his shoulders and now he ran off to gods known where. ‘I just don’t thing a village can survive if the king or earl isn’t there to listen.’ That was what he thought about it all. Plain and simple, he wanted to have the people to have a voice. When he said he would put in a good words, he wasn’t lying. Her thanks came with the soft fast battling of her lashed and his eyes just grabbed a hold on it for a minute.

In the meantime the most of the crowd was behind them, only the most of traders and sailors walk over the road that leaded to the docks. With her question he looked back aside to her before he came at a little down part that leaded into the sand towards the bay. He jumped off and turned around, offering her his hand. ‘Not really the big raids, mother doesn’t let me, she things Björn it to reckless. Father to me once to France, when I was younger.’ He helped her down. ‘And the very small raids I did aren’t worth the tales. Why the interest?’ He asked her curious. Maybe she had parents who went raiding, or maybe it was her curiosity. Either way he was happy to tell her anything she wanted to know about it.

Imagining how she would look in a dress, with that dark hair braided underneath a crown, it where thoughts that made him gaze a little longer to her than needed. And when she asked why she would be an outstanding princess he looked back to her, with a sincere smile on his lips. ‘You want me to tell you that?’ He teased her a little. Maybe she would get it high in her head by the idea, not that he thought that would happen, she already made her position, or at least her thoughts, about the hierarchy within Kattegat noticeable. ‘Only your compelling look would make you a good fit to be a princess, in a dress, hair braided,’ he shortly touched a strain of her dark hair before continuing. ‘jewelry, that smile. Beside all of that I think you would be the kind of princess that would be very passionate about the people around her, the village, kind, patience, friendly,’ he felt silent, not letting her look fade away from him. ‘Do I need to stop or do you need more of those compliments?’ He asked with a short smile. He meant it, his mother wasn’t in any way like her, the former queen, Lagertha wasn’t in any way like her. If she would be a princess she would be the justified one. ‘Only don’t forget to find yourself a husband who can protect your people, because I don’t think you are the kind of fighter, or am I wrong?’ If she could fight, he probably would be amazed, not so say he wanted to have some prove than. Princesses came in all shaped and attitudes, Eydis would be a good one, just like he said before.

Eydis was surprised when he said he maybe didn’t wanted to become a king. He chuckled with her question and shook her head. ‘Even if I want, my parents need to die and still, I have Björn who would get the throne first.’ He explained that part a little. ‘My father changed a lot in his time as a king, the wars, the raids, the responsibility, it took the better of him. And look where we stand now, no king for Kattegat. I don’t even know if I would be good at it. Maybe not ready even.’ He shook his head, a little lost in his own thoughts and looked back aside to her. ‘Maybe, one day.’ He finally said. He wasn’t doubting it, if it would be there he would take it but thinking about the burdens Ragnar had he didn’t know it for sure.

He jumped from the little descent and offered her his hand. Her fingers felt so small into his big hand, he folded his hand around her, fully absorbing it into his protection while she jumped down, he kept her balance in her landing by laying is hand shortly against her side. ‘Very much welcome.’ He said with a respectfully bow, pulling his hand away from her side although he rather didn’t want it. His other hand he unfolded around her, looking to her while he pulled it softly away. They stood on sandy ground now, with the bay right before them. But it was still crowded, so sort by the harbor so he started walking again in the direction away from the harbor. ‘Your mother,’ he began surprised. He didn’t, but still, he respected the woman fighting in men’s battles. ‘We were young when Ragnar took us to France but I remember how it looked when the ships sailed over that water.’ He looked to the bay and shook his head, grinning like he did back then. ‘It’s completely surrounded by water, stone walls defensing a large city within. Pale walls, stone houses.’ He felt silent and looked aside to her. ‘It was the most wonderful thing I ever saw in my life. Just sailing that water, looking at that,’ he pointed before him, imagining it all again. ‘Paris. Can you imagine.’ He looked back aside to her, smiling like a fool by the excitement he showed.

Ubbe got a little weak hearted here. Although he had enough girls around that where in some way likeable, she was different. He liked her innocents, her excitement for the little adventure, she was in some way pure and there was just something about her he couldn’t ignore. When he walked in for that dress, seeing her sitting there he was already compelled by the dark strains of hair covering her back, the innocents in those dark eyes and that smile … it just gave her face something else. Aside that entirely, she took the risk to come with him, to get maybe punished afterwards. She didn’t seem like the girl who would follow everybody but yet she did. The fact that he was a prince didn’t matter; he actually didn’t feel like one around her.

All his compliments left her speechless, but that laugh, he could only smile at the sight of it. ‘You don’t have to say anything, seeing it is already enough.’ He reacted on her words. Only the way she looked back at him, that smile, those sparkling eyes, he fell for it. That she wasn’t a fighter was something he predicted, she looked way to innocents to be one. With woman it was often the one or the other. Or they were badass with a weapon but a little colder in the heart or they kept violence out and where like her, warm, open, innocent. When she confessed that she hardly had the time to look for a husband he looked for a second before him. ‘Don’t look, for all you know they walk in without announcing.’ He advised her. It wasn’t that he was looking, although Aslaug couldn’t stop with the fact that he needed to find a wife, Hvitserk to, the both boys just lived their lives ignoring everything they mother advised. Why looking for it? While maybe one day it could be out of love. He was maybe wrong, Aslaug wanted him to marry for power, with a princess or a future queen while all he wanted to do is know the feeling and go from there out. And really it didn’t matter for him who it was, a slave, a princess, a shield maiden, as long as that connection was there.

When she told him he would be a good king she left him a little speechless for a moment. ‘Now I’m flattered.’ He winked. He and Hvitserk often joked about it, what they would do if they were king but it was hardly the imagination, Ubbe wasn’t often serious about it. He helped her down, getting her for that moment just a little bit closer, looking to her with his blue eyes her look lingered a bit and he hardly could do anything else than just looking back. Why does it felt like he knew her already for a longer time, while this was in fact the first time they were around each other? When they walked further, the hard ground changed into the mulled sand of a beach. Telling about Paris here made it in some way like he was there again, what you definitely could see in his enthusiasm. When she said she was never been out of Kattegat he looked aside her. ‘Would you love to travel?’ He asked her curious. Maybe she liked Kattegat enough to stay around, but there was so much outside. Paris brought him a certain eagerness to get back on a boat but was such a long time ago the feeling faded again. And then she asked him something that brought that wide smile back on his lips. ‘Maybe I don’t need to go back to give you something,’ he began. ‘father brought a lot of treasure, if I take a look at it maybe I find something suiting you.’ He offered. He looked for a while to the steady bay before them, enjoying that sight as much as he enjoyed having her here. ‘None the less, if I go I bring you something even if you have already something to treasure.’ He followed, looking slowly back to her with that smile of his.

OOC: Falling in love here <3

It was stated that every young woman and man needed to find a husband somewhere along the way. You didn’t saw a lonely woman or men walking around, or yes, the beggars or the ones who lost their wife or husband to sickness or battle. Other than that there was so much pressure on the younger group. His father told him so many times, marry young, have children, get famous and still, after all that time he tried to ignore the fact. Ubbe was twenty; Aslaug didn’t stop asking if he wouldn’t travel to other kingdoms and villages to seek out a good bride. And then you had him and Hvitserk, living there free life waiting for something to come that would settle them down on a more nature way. When he looked aside to her he saw the subject did something with her. And when she started to tell about her father he only nodded for a moment. ‘My mother to. She always says we are getting to old to be alone.’ He give her a short look, seeing how she sighed made his look more concern. ‘You’re scared.’ He guessed. He didn’t want to get to deep on the subject but he wasn’t planning on leaving her with this kind of feeling either. What he would do for her, she probably didn’t want to know.

She was a little satisfied by the fact she left his speechless for a moment. He smiled when she retorted, with that smile again he began to adore more than healthy was. Walking here over the beach, looking over the bay made traveling so much easier to talk about. Ubbe gazed over the water, remembering the few times he took a boat to sail away, and that wasn’t that much to be fair. He was eager for battle, he felt ready but as long as Björn and Aslaug didn’t allowed them to come he could do nothing else than train to get better. ‘Father told me much about England, Paris. Wish I could be there again, take you with me.’ He looked aside to her and smiled, slowly shaking his head. ‘If it was that easy.’ It wasn’t like just sail a day and landing there. He would never been able to pull it off on his own. Maybe he didn’t need to take her, her just could give something from there to her. It would be the first thing he would do when he got back home, looking where Ragnar hided all that treasure out of Paris. ‘I see what I can do.’ He reacted on her excitement. He looked up when the clouds let a little sunlight through. When he looked aside she sat down in the sand, the sunlight greasing her pale skin making it even harder to look back away. They were alone now, the man he could see walk was way to far to recognize and the only thing disturbing their view were the ships getting in and out. When she thanked him and sat down aside her, wrapped his arms around his knees and give her a small tender smile in reaction on hers. ‘Glad my mother let me pick up that dress.’ He looked away from her and his smile grew more. He was more than glad, he wouldn’t forget this, he probably wouldn’t forget her. ‘Maybe I needed this to.’ He whispered than more for his own, looking over the water while he faded a little in all the thoughts.

How many girls would feel as scared as Eydis did in this moment. Forcing to get married just to hold honor and name in stand. For man it was different, easier, they hadn’t that much emotions sitting around. Woman where just so much sensitive than the male side. They needed to bare children, doing the hard work while all their husbands maybe cared for was drinking and raiding. It wasn’t fair and it wasn’t only now he thought about that. He looked aside to her, to her troubles eyes, not losing their softness but definitely their happiness. When she spoke he slowed his pace a little, keeping his blue eyes on her face. ‘Eydis.’ He stopped her at her elbow, softly and turned her a little towards him. ‘If it ever happens and you are not happy with wat is coming your way, come to me.’ He laid his finger hardly a second under her chin, a soft touch, coming and going faster than she would notice. ‘I have the influence to help you. Only if you want me to, only if you think you will be unhappy.’ He whispered. He bend a little through his knees to level with her. ‘Deal?’ He asked with a soft smile. He could do things, that was the advantage of being a prince. And if he could help her in anyway why shouldn’t he? She was way to pretty to be unhappy, with the hard work she did she deserved it to go home to someone she loved and not someone who only would demand more work.

He wish he could to, just sailing away like that, like it presented nothing. When he looked aside she was looking at the ships and he sat down aside her, resting his head on his upper arm for a bit. ‘Did you ever go sailing in the bay?’ He asked curious, already knowing that if she didn’t had before he would pull her on a both within the week. Knowing how much fun that could be he was already smiling a little by the thought. He took a large breath, confessing that he needed this to. When she asked what was on his mind he fell back with his back in the sand, rubbing his finger shortly over his temple. ‘A lot, sometimes.’ He confessed, turning his head to look at her. ‘Don’t want to bore you with the details. ‘He rested his two fingertips shortly against her underarm, like he was petting it before he let his hand rest on his stomach. ‘I have four brothers with each different opinions, a father that isn’t around and a mother that just asks to lot.’ He fell silence and nodded for himself. ‘Am I glad I’m spending my day at the bay with you.’ He followed softly, somewhere still drawn in his own thoughts. He looked at her, to long maybe but he really didn’t care before his blue eyes crossed the blue sky above him.

She was so vulnerable under his touch, under his words that all he wanted to do is say more, touch her face another time. How could it that he just met her today and she did already so much. She showed so much, looking down to that pale face of her, seeing how she fought her own emotions to stay in control made him weak, he got weak for her and it wasn’t really something he felt before. Her breath shuddered under his touch while he kept his on hold. With her question he could see she was almost on the verge from crying. His fingers stroke a strain of her dark hair before he nodded slowly. ‘You would be amazed of what I would for someone so kind and beautiful like you.’ He complemented her with those last words, hoping she wouldn’t shed out in tears because he didn’t want her, her face was too beautiful to be ruined by tears. When she thanked him he smiled. ‘Don’t thank me.’ He did it with love, because she deserved her happiness. At least someone in Kattegat needed to have the perfect good happy life and he wanted to be that Eydis.

While they sat there looking over the bay, the boats, he enjoyed more than only her company. He enjoyed the silence, the nature, he loved to be alone from time to time and his alone included her on the moment. When he asked if she sailed once before he was pretty sure her answered would be no, what meant she didn’t came out of a fishers family, what told him it was probably farmers. ‘I will take you on a boat than.’ He reacted right away on her words, giving her a playful look. ‘If you dare.’ He pulled his eyebrows two times up, challenging. He and Hvitserk sometimes took off in a boat, just staying in the bay while they talked battle, or woman, or their father and his absent. Mostly there was ale causing at least one of the two fall asleep on that boat. When she pointed her attention on his thoughtful gaze he laid down, looking to the sky before he looked to her. Offcourse she didn’t mind. If felt comfortable, it was a very long time ago he had talk to someone else despite from his brothers like he talked to her. She laid down on her belly, aside him. He turned his head and studied her face, smiling because of what she said. ‘Yes.’ He nodded, embracing the idea already. ‘I would love to run of with a pretty girl like you.’ He said a little more teasing. He could show her so much, there was so much to run off to. There was his father’s farm that stood empty, a boat, the cabin somewhere a days travel from here. ‘I have a lot of silent places where I can take you if you want to escape the crowd, work, life.’ He smiled, looking to her dark hair. ‘With me.’ He followed, looking back to those dark eyes. The idea, he fell in love with the idea of running of with her.

Just laying here, flat on the beach, gazing to the sky when he listened to her sound of her voice … was there something else he loved more on this moment than this? No, probably not. At home he was always surrounded, by his mother who was angry with Ragnar his departure in the beginning and now only pushed her sons to be better than their father was. It was a heavy task, growing up in the image of Ragnar Lothbrok, and as eldest of the four it was for him the hardest. Some moment he thought how good it would be to travel away. Björn could visit his mother, he could get away from all of this but Ubbe, no he had to stay. So when he challenged her to sail someday he hoped to say yes, just to repeat this exact moment over and over again. Her excitement with her word to accepted the challenge made him laugh softly. ‘Good, I hope you have enough spare time left because I’m talking you, if you want it or not.’ He challenged her even further. He wouldn’t get in the way of the duties at home and work but he hoped she had enough left, if it was maybe for just an hour to escape the reality with him.

She started to play with the sand and for a moment there was that silent they both enjoyed. Ubbe turned his arm, leaning his head on his arm while he stared to the clouds. The figures moving for and away from the sun. It wasn’t that cold to be honest, the sun give just enough warmth free. When he told her about all the places he could take her to her excitement sparked a little, just as that smile did on her face. He looked at her face, studying it while she looked over her shoulder to the water. She was considering something and he pushed a little up on his elbows, following her gaze to the water. Swimming. ‘I bet that you get cold before you are a quarter in it.’ He answered her look. He was a little used to it, he fished often with his brothers here in the bay, or swimming in the lake the forest had. When she told him she wished that she could show him something she sounded a little lost. ‘It doesn’t need to be a place, in that way you show already enough.’ He reacted softly, tender almost. ‘Besides. I’m sure there is somewhere a place you love and I never saw before, you just have to find it back in in here.’ He placed his one finger against her temple and gave her an encouraged smile before that finger slipped away. He looked back at the water and jumped up, grabbing her hand and pulling her up. ‘Only the feet.’ He said with that boyish grin while running, pulling her with him to the water. Yes, it would be cold.