Eyes of Fire

Floki's Home

  "Hel. I would like to speak with you." Looking over, I saw Ivar pulling himself up onto the log I was sitting on. Garmr came bounding over with a wagging tail and a lolling tongue, seeming rather happy to see the Viking.

  "About?" I questioned, going back to looking out over the water while idly spinning my knife into the sand.

  "I want you to join us, my brothers and I, back to England. We need as many warriors as we can get." Ivar stated while running his hands through the wolf's thick fur.

  "Is this journey going to get me nearly drowned again?" I questioned, and the man scoffed.

  "Not unless the gods wish it."

  "Oh, that's a real comfort."

  "Come. You missed the battle you were promised the last time." Ivar smiled as Garmr licked his cheek. "I will have my brothers there, but I will need someone I can trust to watch my back not because of our blood."

  "If there's anything I've learned about you since I got here, it's that you're crazy." I sighed, and his smile fell. "So, someone has to make sure you don't get yourself into too much shit. Being your only friend, I guess that job falls to me, now doesn't it?" I grinned while looking at Ivar, and a smile slowly grew on his lips.

  "Friend?"

  "Of course we're friends. I told you some of my embarrassing childhood stories- I have to make sure you tell no one else." Pointing at him with the knife, I then raised my brows while tilting my head down. "Not to mention I had to smell your stink for weeks and sail us home."

  "Oh, I stink, do I?" He chuckled.

  "Awfully."

  "Well, you smell even worse- like wet wolf fur."

  "Donkey breath."

  "At least I don't snore like a boar."

  "Oh, but you do. Worse, even. Like rumbling storm clouds. You're so awful that you make Garmr howl."

  "He's not howling right now. In fact, I think he likes me quite a bit." Ivar gave a cocky grin while looking at me, and I glanced at the wolf getting a belly rub while he was kicking his leg. I threw my head back to howl, and Garmr shot up to howl as well.

  "Told you." I laughed, and the blue-eyed man scoffed.

~

  Over twenty ships arrived one day in the fjord- the beginnings of the great army the Ragnar sons were forming. The hall that night was filled with music and laughter and drinking to greet the new arrivals, and I was sat near one of the walls with Garmr.

  I was drinking while polishing my sword, and Garmr was curled up at my feet. Setting down my cup, I picked the rag back up and went back to work while not really interacting with the others around me. However, that didn't seem to faze one drunken man that took a seat in front of me while smiling.

  "You've got strange hair for a young woman." He stated, and his eyebrows rose a bit when I looked at him. "And eyes."

  "You've got a strange face for a young man." I popped off, seeing how his face was covered in tattoos and scars. His hair was bald on the sides while the top was pulled back into a long braid, and he had some blond scruff on his jaw.

  "I must ask," He leaned forward and gestured at me with his cup half-full of ale while resting his elbow on his knee. "is all of your hair such a pure white?" I flatly looked at him as he took a drink. Saying nothing, I just went back to my sword until he placed a hand on my leg just above my knee, and Garmr started to growl. "Fine, if you don't want to answer, why not let me see for myself?"