Heathens (Ivar the Boneless)

Chapter Seven

Italics= The Viking Language

Bold Italics= Different Language

The entire group surrounded Sigurd as his burial went on it's way. Kai stood beside Ivar whom she could tell was mad at himself for what he had done. She put her hand on his shoulder and felt his hand rest on atop of hers as he continued to look at Sigurd's body.

As much as Kai did not like Sigurd for everything that he had said about Ivar and everything that he had done to him, Kai never wished for this to happen. She, of all people, knows how Ivar can get.

After the burial, the brothers and Kai sat in a bigger tent. Ivar's head hung down as he held the cup in his hand. Bram and Bracken had put themselves to work as to not get involved.

"I know what you're all thinking." Ivar said as he looked up. Bjorn walked into the hut and shook his head. "But it is not true...I didn't mean to kill him. He made me kill him. He taunted me, he made of me. What was I supposed to? What kind of a man turns and tells lies about his own brother?"

"And what lies did he tell?" Hvitserk asked as Ivar looked at him.

"You know that as well as I do Hvitserk."

"He said that you weren't a real man." Ubbe chimed in.

"And what you have done if he had said that to you, Ubbe? What would you have done if you were a real man...but I swear to the gods and everything that is sacred that I never meant to kill him. Anger overcame me, and I wasn't thinking. I am truly sorry." The brothers were quiet, and Ivar just grabbed his helmet and made his way out of the hut. Hvitserk looked at Kai and she just sighed. She stood up and followed Ivar with her dog following behind her.

Ivar crawled into the tent that he shared with Kai. She came in shortly after him. Kai sat down on her knees in front of Ivar. Her dog lay beside her.

"I believe you, Ivar." Kai said as she looked at him. "I know you didn't mean to kill him."

"He always made fun of me, he always taunted me about my legs, and he spread lies about me not being a real man." Ivar replied as he looked up at Kai. She smiled.

"Ivar..." Kai crawled over to him and straddled his waist. "I know that you are a real man. You have proven it to me. You do not have to prove it to anybody else but me."

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Ivar had gone off to find Floki to talk to him. She bumped into Hvitserk who was coming to talk to her.

"Have you told Ivar?" Hvitserk asked as he and Kai sat down to eat.

"Told Ivar what?" Kai asked as he looked at Hvitserk.

"That you were coming to me."

"Why does Ivar need to know that? I was not with Ivar when we had that arrangement. Besides, if Ivar were to find out that his woman was with his brother, he might try to kill you."

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The group had gathered around as Floki prepared to leave.

"You're planning to leave, without telling us, Floki, huh?" Ubbe asked as him, Ivar, the other two, and Kai walked up.

"I wanted to spare you the trouble of trying to stop me." Floki replied as he continued to put things on his boat.

"But we will anyway."

"And you can't. So, let us just say farewell properly instead." Kai watched as Floki said goodbye to the brothers then looked at Ivar.

"You knock-kneed fool, stay." Ivar said to Floki. "We need you here as much as my father did and yet you choose to run away, you coward."