𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌 𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒈 ✩ Ivar The Boneless

✩ chapter VII, act I ✩

"If you ever leave me, I'm going with you."
chapter VII, act I ✧ 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒄𝒂𝒏'𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒚

Nero really wanted to ask why her father was loading food into a boat so small, not even the tiniest army could ever fit. But she couldn't. She knew why. The tiny girl pressed her eyes shut and clenched her fists as her, Ubbe, Hvitserk, and Ivar came to a stop in front of the toy boat.

She tried convincing herself it was merely but a dream, she would wake up soon enough and Floki wouldn't be leaving, Helga would be alive, and Ivar and Sigurd would be bickering over stupidities.

But it wasn't a dream. Ubbe's arm made it's way around the girl's shoulder, keeping her up and steady as her legs trembled. Under her lids, her mind played an endless movie of her parent's abandonment.

Oh, two lovers that shouldn't and couldn't be together for whatever reason imposed by society. They could no longer feed their child, but they couldn't spare the small girl the trouble of her life and end it for her. So they left, and ran, and ran like two madly in love lovers would.

Floki found her after. Her clothes in rags, her body torn. He took her in as his responsibility. He brought her to war. He taught her all she knew, all she would ever know. And yet there he was, leaving her behind.

"You were planning to leave without telling us, Floki, huh?" the oldest Ragnarsson murmured, the girl had already been slightly off because of Björn's and Halfdan's departure. He wasn't sure she could take anyone else leaving with no plans of coming back to her.

"I wanted to spare you the trouble of trying to stop me," he argued, walking out of his ship and standing in front of the four kids he loved. The only people left that he loved. His eyes trailed over to Nero and he cursed the Ragnarssons for bringing her, he understood how hard it would be for her.

"But we will anyway," Ubbe bellowed, Nero stared at the ground, finally opening her eyes, only to find them greener, sadder.

She knew there was no convincing him out of this one, she knew he would leave her. Her heart was aching in her chest and she wanted to cry out, but she didn't, she knew he needed to leave.

"And you can't." Floki sighed, his eyes leaving the girl and facing the taller brothers, who stood side by side like perfect, strong creatures. He wanted to look at Ivar, but his heart had taken enough pain from looking at his daughter, "So let us just say farewell properly instead."

Hvitserk looked over at Nero, shaking his head slightly at how broken she was, he sighed as well, "Where are you going?"

"Wherever the gods will take me. But as long as I live and breathe, you, the sons of Ragnar Lothbrok, will always be close to my heart," he shrugged his shoulders before grabbing Nero's face in his hand, taking the girl by surprise and forcing her to look up at him. She visibly swallowed a cry, "and you Nero Gunnolf, the best living part of my short road in this life. I won't ever forget you, and I shall wait for you in Valhalla."

She nodded, her heart heavy and she knew she wouldn't be able to speak without completely breaking down. Floki said goodbye to both Ubbe and Hvitserk, who tried, for all of their sakes, to be as cold as possible, holding back their emotions.

As her father moved to Ivar, Nero's face was overcome with a sad smile, the boy looked up at his mentor, a scowl on his face, "You knock-kneed fool. Stay. We need you just as much as our father needed you, but instead, you choose to run away, you coward."

"Stand up and say that to my face," the boatbuilder joked, causing Ivar to huff, yet a small smile crossed over his features. Nero sighed, knowing that was the last time she would see such interactions.