Heathens (Ivar the Boneless)

Chapter Three

The three of them washed up on the shore. Ivar was the first to open his eyes. Kai shot up and took a deep breath as she started coughing.

"Are you alright?" Ivar asked as he looked at Kai.

"My fear of drowning is strong." Kai replied.

"What?" She heard Ragnar asked after Ivar. Kai pulled herself to a sitting position.

"What can you see?" Ivar asked.

"I cannot see any of our boats." Ragnar replied. They heard talking and looked over to see more people coming out of the water. They sat against the side of what looked like a cliff as the three of them dried off. "Can you not swim?" Ragnar looked over at Kai. She shook her head.

"I almost drowned as a child." Kai replied as Ivar looked at her. He knew exactly what she was talking about. Kai fell into the water and would have drowned if Ivar had not yelled for help when he found her.

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The group crawled up the mountain, so they couldn't be heard. One of the men said to get down and Ragnar immediately pushed Ivar and Kai down. They could see men on horseback. The group then started off again. Kai watched as Ivar struggled.

"Forget that thing, just crawl." Ragnar said as Ivar fought with his crutches.

"With this I can walk like a normal man." Ivar replied. Ragnar walked up to him and sat on him, then threw his crutches. Kai sat stood there as she watched. Ragnar looked at Kai and she followed them as they continued. Part of her was still questioning why Ragnar would save her from drowning.

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The group finally took a break. Kai could hear the others complaining about having to carry Ivar. Ivar started laughing as Ragnar helped tie his legs together.

"What are you laughing at?" Ragnar asked Ivar. Kai smiled.

"Nothing...the Great King Ragnar playing nurse to a cripple." Ivar replied. Ragnar just looked at him and pushed him back onto the sling.

"Ragnar, can I ask you something?" Kai asked. Ragnar looked at her. "Why did you save me? I am not your child to keep alive?"

"I saved you because there is something between you and Ivar. I will not come between that."

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The group continued walking through the trees. Kai walked next to the stretcher that Ivar was on. The group then stopped when they heard singing coming from somewhere. Everybody hid from the voice which was a little girl. The girl walked off and the group set up.

Kai managed to fall asleep while Ivar and Ragnar snuck away from the group. Ragnar had told Ivar that they had to kill the men and shield maidens that they came with.

"What about Kai?" Ivar asked. "I cannot kill her." Ragnar smiled.

"Do you love her?" Ragnar asked.

"I don't know, but I can't do it."

"Then don't kill her."

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Kai was sound asleep by the trees when she heard one of the maidens talking. She lifted her head to see Ivar crawling towards the shieldmaiden.

"Ivar...you don't have to kill me." The girl said as Ivar pulled out his knife. "B-because you can have this." Ivar leaned forward and silently drew his knife. He was stopped when an arrow flew into the shieldmaidens forehead. Her body fell back to the ground and Ivar turned his head.