[SIC] Free Time (open)

With an omnious look on his face, Björn was walking over the streets of Kattegat. People nodded at him, but this evening he didn’t nod back. He was on his way to house of the red headed viking warrior, Rhona. Rhona was a known shield maiden who had proven herself in the name of Kattegat multiple times. She had definitely gained the trust of the Ragnarssons, but it had been noticed that she had spent time with the new blacksmith earlier that day. More specific, training with him, showing him the way Vikings from Kattegat fought. People spoke, so eventually the news reached Björn’s ears. And it was news that didn’t pleasure him, since he had a hard time trusting the man after hearing his story of betrayal. So with a head full frustration he continued his stroll to her house.

Björn didn’t hesitate once, when he stood in front of her door. He slammed his fist multiple times on the wooden door, waiting impatient for her to open up. He was clenching his jaws firmly on each other to suppress his frustration. It wasn’t something he liked to do, questioning his trusted warriors. But since he met Svart in person, he even distrusted him more than before. And Rhona hanging out with him wasn’t something he liked to see. ’What do you want?’ Rhona’s familiar, roaring voice sounded from the other side. Björn rolled with his eyes and slammed on the door another time. The door was shaking in its hinges. ’Rhona.’ He called back at her, using the same strength in his voice. ’By the gods open this door.’ Björn took a step back from the door, trying to calm his temper and prepared himself to talk to her as normal as he could. She maybe was used to him elevating his voice, but there was a difference between doing that in the middle of the village, or in the middle of a battle.

The door creaked open and the trusted color of her red hear appeared. But that was not the thing that jumped in his eye the most. It was the way she was dressed, the parts of her skin that were showing. Björn was used to see her in a leather armour, wearing war stripes on her face, her hair braided backwards, preventing it from falling into her face. But at that moment, seeing her with a half-naked shoulder, her tunic that reached right above her knees.. It made him forget for a second what he was there for. But as fast as he had lost his authority, he also picked it back up, immediately focusing on the axe she was holding in her hand. If that weren’t the reason he had gotten to her house, he maybe would’ve felt threatened, but at that point he only saw it as proof. ’Ironside. What bringt you to my home this eve?’ she greeted him politely. ’Business.’ He muttered from between his lip. Björn fixed his eyes in hers for a moment, before he took a step forward. He towered far above her, especially when he was up close to her. Eventually he stepped past her and entered the house, not waiting for an invitation.

Björn didn’t wanted to question her in front of the people on the street, he wasn’t like that. He waited until Rhona had turned around before he spoke again. ’Close the door.’ he said, standing in the middle of the room. Everywhere he came, he made the environment seem small. ’Let me see.’ Björn commanded in a calm way and gestured at the axe he was holding. He knew every weapon his warriors fought with, and also that these weren’t her trusted weapons. Quickly he looked around in the room, to see where the other axe was, since Rhona was known for fighting with a pair of beard axes. ’You got these from the new blacksmith?’ he asked, curious if she would answer honestly since he already knew the answer. Not that it was hard to see that it was work of Svart, not a single one of the blacksmiths that originated in Kattegat were able to craft like that.

Rhona handed him her axe willingly and Björn enclosed the handle with his big hand. He felt immediately that axe was too light weighted for him, but for Rhona it would be perfect. His own axe was rougher, not so detailed and finished as hers. But he would never us another axe, not until the one he owned was destroyed. Till the end. Björn fought with a single handed one, sometimes a shield, sometimes not. As he was observing the fine craftwork, he heard Rhona moving through the living room. Not much later he was handed over the second axe. Shortly he looked up to her, with a thankful glance in his eyes, before he focussed himself again on the weapons he was holding.

In the meantime he asked her a question, which Rhona answered. ’I did. They are very fine, are they not?’ Björn released a soft hum and looked her into the eyes again, ignoring her bare skin. ’I also fought with him at the fields for a while.’ With that honest statement she did a step forward, handing him a horn of mead. Björn handed over the second axe to his right hand and took over the ivory willingly. ’They are indeed.’ he confirmed, and placed both of the weapons on the bed before taking a mouthful of mead. His eyes were pinned to the runes for a moment while he thought about how he would fold his opinion about Svart. ’He is a traitor from Uddevalla.’ he suddenly said. What was the point to circle around the clue without revealing it? ’I know we could use a fine foreman. But that doesn’t mean we have to let him too close.’ Björn placed the cup to his lips again, emptying it. Meanwhile he was looking Rhona straight into the eyes from over his cup. After a few seconds he spoke again. ’Watch your steps, and certainly watch his. You can never trust him, Rhona.’ He lowered the horn and pointed with it towards the axes that were on her bed. ’‘You are learning him things that he could use against us later.’ Björn sighed and wetted his lips, trying to think as his father would’ve done. He moved his head sideward and back straight up before he took a step in her direction. This time he raised his hand, pointing his finger towards her, placing it on her forehead. ‘Never forget where your loyalty lies. It may mean nothing to Svart, but it definitely means a lot to us.’ he referred to his brothers, because he wasn’t the only Ragnarssons that put so many value in loyalty.

He knew she had a temper, just as he did. And maybe the finger on her forehead was a thoughtful step, to make sure she would spit out the thoughts that she had on her tongue, which she might have had kept secret otherwise. He knew people -even trusted warrior companions- could keep their honest opinion behind, afraid for the consequences they could have. But with her Björn wasn’t surprised that she pushed his hand out of her personal zone and stared at him with an intense glance in her bright eyes. ’I understand loyalty, Ironside.’ she started and repeated the exact same thing as she had said to Svart. It made him proud of her, deep down, knowing that she would always pick the right side. But when she continues, he knew he had brought a sensitive topic to the surface. ’Have you forgotten, Björn, that I was alone, motherless, a child of a dead slave, before I was recruited to be a shield maiden?’ Björn kept his eyes fixated in hers, trying to keep his breath under control. He understood what it was to be lonely, maybe more than she would ever be able to understand. He also had lost much. But it wasn’t for him to talk about it to her, or even say that he knew what she meant. So he kept quiet, staring her intensely in the eyes without revealing his emotions. A deep sigh came out of her mouth and Björn was able to rediscover his calm before he was about to speak again. ’After all, is it not wise to keep an eye on that which causes concern.’ Rhona offered him a soft smile and Björn tried to answer it in return. Tried. She was right, but the memories that came by.. It wasn’t easy for him to conceal his emotions when they were brought to his mind as sudden as just had happened. And the easiest way for him to hide emotions, was to drown them with an even more intense emotion: Anger. Björn turned towards the table, and placed the cup he was holding on it, maybe harder than was needed. He placed both of his hands on the edge of the wood and stared intense at the stripes that crawled over the table as veins in a human body. ’I trust you with this, Tvåhänt.’ He said with an undertone in his voice that made clear that he was holding himself back. ’But don’t forget, that I also have seen things.’ Björn caught himself following one of the veins with the tip of his finger. ’Different villages have different cultures. Different cultures have different manners. And manners are hard to outgrow.’ He thought about Athelstan the monk, and how he even after all those years in Kattegat still was loyal to his own god and the manners of the Christianity. ’Don’t underestimate the people of Uddevalla. They are known for the many faces they can have.’ Again he looked her into the eyes, with a serious glance on his face. He only meant well, but people often looked past that.

Rhona kept her eyes fixed on his intense gaze, a sign that she was certain about her own capacity. She wasn’t afraid of giving her own thoughts, even if that meant she would be facing the other side of Björn Ironside. It was something Björn liked about her, even though he had never -and never would- shown her. ’I understand, Björn. I will tread carefully. But I hope you can at least give yourself a chance to get to know him. He might be able to prove himself worthy of your trust, with time.’ He listened to her words carefully and stroke with his hand over his forehead. ’Maybe I will.’ he said on a softer tone and straightened his back. ’Maybe I will not.’ And by that the subject was finished.

Björn was about to prepare himself to leave the house, since he had said everything that he wanted to say. But Rhona stopped him by asking a question. About his half-brothers. ’How are your half-brothers doing, Ironside? I have not spoken to them recently.’ A little blown away by the question he stared at her and thought about a suited answer. ’They still need to learn what is important in life. And what not.’ he answered and raised his eyebrows, thinking about Ivar and Sigurd that still were still fighting each other for the tiniest thing. ’I always told my father to have patience. And now I need someone to tell me the exact same thing.’ Björn looked down at Rhona who had just started to eat her food that probably had gone cold since his arrival. It remembered him that he had said to join Aslaug and her sons for dinner that evening. But the thought of that made his hunger disappear, so instead of leaving, he moved the chair by the table back and took place on it. ’If you don’t mind.’ he said with a crooked smile and refilled her cup of mead before he did the same with the one that he had slammed on the table a few moments earlier.

There were a lot of frustrations going on inside the Manor of Kattegat. A lot that people hadn’t knowledge of, although Björn could swear that the shouting of Aslaug and the Ragnarssons was audible far beyond the walls of the Manor. Björn couldn’t get along with Ivar well, nor did Sigurd. But it was clearly noticeable that Björn had become more mature than the others, even more when their father decided to never come back. ’You have to be patient, Björn. They will settle soon enough.’ It was Rhona, imitating the voice of his father including the facial features that went with them. Björn looked up, suppresses a smile that was appearing on his face. He himself also took over a lot of characteristics from his father, without even doing it on purpose. ’Is your name Ragnarsdóttir?’ he asked jokingly with an strange smile on his lips before placed the cup of ale against his lips again. His thought shortly went on to Gyda, there he still was carrying her memory. Rhona was smiling, a wide smile that he hasn’t seen a long time either. And it felt good, Björn was able to lower his shoulders as an attempt to relax himself.

’So what have they done now?’ The question made Björn look at the nerves at the table again, tilting his head sideward. He grinned when he looked back at Rhona. ’I bet Ivar is trying to string Sigurd to his knife at this very moment. Hvitserk will be laughing about it, and Ubbe is probably trying to calm them down, wishing that I would be there.’ Not to talk about Aslaug.. Björn took another gulp of the ale, emptying it again. ’We are both lucky and unlucky. You having no brothers or sisters, and I having too much.’ Björn looked back up to her, she was still eating her food. 'The day they will go with us on their first raid...it will be very special' His eyes were wide open for a moment, trying to imagine how it would be if he had Hvitserk fighting next to him. It only made him realise how much they still had to learn. The mighty Ragnarssons.

Rhona kept silent as Björn spoke over the advantages and disadvantages about having a big family. It was a sensitive subject to talk about and he knew how much she still thought about how things could have been. So he didn’t blame her at all when she didn’t continue the conversation about that. The both of them just enjoyed each other presence, something that they hadn’t done in years. They used to be friends, but since everything that happened in Kattegat since Ragnar left, their relationship had become more superficial. Björn had led her and many others to battle many time, so she was used to obey him instead of being his friend. And there was no-one to blame, it was just how things had turned over time.

Even though he would never admit, he was happy that she asked him another question since he wasn’t used to take the initiative in such a situation. Björn saw everything as business, realistic and with a goal in sight, he almost never had a spontaneous conversations with people other than his brothers. After all those years and events he almost had learned how to live his life to the fullest, but he almost forgot how to have fun. ’Have you been hunting lately? I could use some new furs, and more meat as well.’ She pushed her plate forwards, making clear that she was done. ’The gods are with you today.’ Björn said while lifting the corner of his mouth. ’Three rabbits, already skinned.’ His visit to the forest earlier that day wasn’t very successful because of his collision with Svart. But if he could make her happy with it, then why not? ’I will keep them apart for you, both the meat and the fur. You can pick them up tomorrow.’ Björn said with a small nod. ’Is there something else you need?’ he asked her and drank from his cup, kept looking in her eyes while he did so.

He was still emptying his cup when Rhona answered to his question. Honest, as she was. ’As a matter of fact, there is.’ She started, and Björn placed the empty cup back on the table. The way she had said it, made him prepare for something serious, it was very clear that she wouldn’t be asking for a pair of new boots. So he frowned his forehead, crossed his big arms over the table and listened. ’I need my friend to be happy.’ Björn was surprised by the message she delivered, but not a single thing about his facial expression revealed that. "And so I want you to come to me if you ever need to talk, or eat somewhere without your family. You will waste your life if you do not set aside time for yourself, bear." Björn looked down at the table and shook his head when he heard his old nickname. A soft smile appeared on his lips, appreciating what she was trying to make clear. ’I cannot afford to put myself before others, Rhona.’ he answered honest. ’This is who I am now. This is who my father wanted me to be.’ or at least that was what he thought. Nobody had any idea what Ragnar’s purpose was by leaving Kattegat in the hands of his wife and five sons. ’But..’ he said, slightly more enthusiastic than before. ’I am here now.’

Rhona had also emptied her second, -or was it third?- cup. Björn found it amusing, seeing how she slowly started to loosen up. It made it much more easy to hang with her as a friends than as one of his shield maiden. Rhona giggles, something that surprised Björn. This time it wás noticeable on his face. ’Apparently I need more mead as well.’ Björn pinned his eyes on the back of her linen tunic when she walked to the shelf for another jug. When she returned to the table Björn took over the jug and poured her cup till the brim. ’Are you sure you can keep up with me?’ he asked with a held back smile on his lips and did the same with his own cup. After taking a sip he looked back at her, observing the changes in her attitude. Maybe it wasn’t a bad idea, just to forgetting about everything for a moment.

He could read in her eyes that she could give his situation a place in her mind and her heart as well. Things just had changed since they were only kids. She had turned out to be an extraordinary shield maiden, and he had turned out to something with even more responsibilities. It was what Björn always had wanted, authority, power, but the way he had gained it was not the way that he had wanted it.

Being with Rhona, releasing themselves on the ale.. it made him think about the time they used to have together. Hanging out with all the Thegn’s after practice, doing what youngsters were supposed to do: Having fun. Even though it were just a few years ago, it seemed like an eternity. Björn could barely remember what it was like to fall down from laughter, or to get drunk and doing stupid things. There were still feasts in Kattegat, organised by Aslaug, but they brought Björn more stress and frustration than they did god. And they were nothing in comparison with the feasts that Ragnar had given. So Björn tried to pick up the nostalgia, daring Rhona to keep up with him. ’I think you will need to keep up with me, Bear. It had been a while since we drank together, and I can hold my mead much better now.’ Björn was making preparation to say something to that, when Rhona did it herself by hiccupping. He shook his head and laughed, a pleasant sound that filled her living room. ’Are you sure you want to do this?’ he asked her in a challenging way. ’We can make a game out of it. Challenges. The one who loses..’ Björn pointed towards their cups. ’..has to drink.’ Again he raised an eyebrow, waiting for her answer in excitement.

’Of course I am sure about this. As a guest in my house, you get to name the first challenge.’ Rhona set her elbows in the table, a sign that she was prepared and ready for what was about to come. She leaned towards him and raised an eyebrow which Björn answered with an challenging smile on his face. ’What shall it be, bear?’ she asked, again using the name he had been called a lot when he was younger. Not much people had been using the name since he had really killed one with only an axe and a knife. He wasn’t a bear, he was just a man who was able to kill one all by himself. But he liked it, when it came out of her mouth. Björn pushed his chair back and stood up. He again rose far above her when he found his feet.

’The first to disarm the other, wins.’ he said with a crooked grin while he looked her straight into the eyes. Björn took up both of her axes from the bed, holding them up and waiting for her to get them. He didn’t said any word after, only observed her when she got up from her chair under the influence from the alcohol.

Water. She saw water as the solution for the challenge that Björn had invited her into. He held his eyes pointed towards her when she wiped her mouth and placed the cup back down. Rhona took over one of her own axes and Björn kept the other. They were light-weighted, in comparison with his own axe. He tested the grip, let the axe turn different ways in his hand, before he found the right balance. It wasn’t the first time he held Uddevalla craftwork, but it was the first time that he was going to use it. Björn spread his legs a little, making himself wider and leaned a bit forward. And by that, Rhona moved. She lifted her arms -or acted like she was about to- and Björn rose his own axe, preparing for an impact that never came. He had to admit that he was surprised, when he heard the sound from metal to metal on a place he didn’t expected. Rhona had hooked her axe behind his and he felt a strong pull. But Björn didn’t released. He turned the axe, trying to unhook it, but was distracted by Rhona who had turned her back against his stomach. She was close. Björn looked down, saw how her linen tunic had slipped from her shoulder again. He felt another yank and again strengthened his grip around the handle. With his free hand he grabbed her hip, trying to pull her sideward away from him. But Rhona saw it differently. With some fancy footwork she was able to turn herself which made Björn pull her closer towards him instead of pushing her away. The pressure of her body on his leg distracted him, which eventually made him lose balance when Rhona threw her knee into the fight.

It was the sound of metal to stone that made Björn realise what just happened. He turned his head, saw the axe that was a few moments earlies in his hand, laying in the corner of the room. With a not understanding look in his eyes he looked at Rhona, who was still standing against him. ’You are cheating.’ Björn said with his breath slightly increased. He pulled his hand back slowly from her hip and took a step back, staring at her like she was a Goddess herself. ’Playing with my mind.’ He placed a finger against his own head to make clear what he was meaning. And then he laughed, softly, still nog realising that he had lost the challenge from her. Björn took his cup from the table, drank it empty at once and also wiped his mouth with his sleeve. When he had placed the cup on the table again, he turned around and looked at Rhona that was still standing next to the bed. ’I loved it.’ he said with a deep, raspy undertone in his voice. There weren’t much woman who were able to do as Rhona just did. Again he walked towards her and took her axe from her. Björn threw it in the same cornet the axe he had fought with was in. Again the sound of metal on stone. ’Your turn.’ he whispered, standing right in front of her.

Just as he stared into her eyes, she directly stared back at him. It made Björn raise the corner of his mouth again, but in a different wat that he had done before. When Rhona moved, he looked at her with a questioning look in his eyes. She walked towards the table, took both of the cups and gave them a refill. Björn had lost the count, but he noticed that his body started to embrace the gentle warmth that the ale brought with it. Rhona walked back to him, handing him his own cup. Björn took it from her, and felt the invisible tension between the both of them returning when she stood back in the place she just had left. Björn told her that it was her turn, and he saw her thinking about something. ’The first to break eye contact, loses.’ Björn raised his eyebrows and tilted his head a little downwards and nodded to make clear that he had accepted the challenge.

Björn took a deep breath, his eyes pinned in hers, determined not to give in. He wasn’t going to lose a second time from her. Staring was something he was good at. He did it all day, to keep people on a safe distant, to put more emphasis on his words. So he stared, without any emotion into the eyes of Rhona. It was only then when he realised how much she had grown by the years. Her cheekbones had emerged, her lips had grown fuller. Björn swallowed and took another deep breath while he blinked with his eyes. By the look of it, Rhona was equal determined as he was. So he had try something else.. play with her mind just as he had played with his. He raised his hand, roughened by all the battles he had fought, and stroke her red hair behind her ear. ’You remind me of fire.’ he whispered and let his fingers slide down over her bare neck. ’Unquenchable.’ Björn humidified his lower lip and did another step forward, his hand was running down her shoulder, over her upper arm and eventually went over to the side of her body. He felt her body heat through her linen tunic, warming the palm of his hand. Softly he squeezed her skin, pulling her body closer towards his. His eyes hadn’t left hers for a second. This time he was going to win either way.