Into My Heart

The next morning after the feast, Bryna had awoken early, dressing and preparing herself for the upcoming fight between her and whoever the Earl deemed necessary. She sat outside, near the water eating her porridge she had made for everyone, though Floki and Helga were still sleeping. They had been up the majority of the night so she had just left theirs in the kettle, sitting a pile of berries beside the bowls she had also set out, so that they could eat when they woke. Gods know they would be starving when they awoke.

She sighed as she crushed a few of the berries in her wooden bowl with her spoon, releasing their sweet juices into the bland mixture of crushed oats and milk. 'If she only had some honey' she thought as she took a mouthful off the wooden spoon as she looks out over the choppy waters of the inlet her brother lived in.

She huffed before taking another large bite of her breakfast. She knew what the choppy tides meant. A storm was brewing.

And with her luck it was probably close.

The wind picked up, sending the white strands that had fallen free out of her braid across her face. Her thin fingers raking them back and tucking them in a random link. She would most likely have to make a band to hold the flyaway stands back for the fight.

Bryna sighs once more, sending a silent prayer to the gods that she could get the fight done and over with. It completely irks her that she's no longer part of anything. It's been her and her horse, Forkur, for so long, wandering from village to village in search of her brother.
Three winters had passed before she finally had found him, just a mere two days ago. Villages had asked her to stay, and a few times she had, but to her it wasn't home. It wasn't with her brother, her only living family, that she knew of.

Bryna takes one last bite of her meal before standing up and taking a few steps, reaching the waters edge, where she bent down to wash the bowl. In the midst of her washing she heard a twig snap behind her in the forest.

Bryna quickly stands up, turning to face the woods behind her. A man, smaller than the rest of her people, stepped out of the woods leading a grey mare. She had spoken to this man last night. He was the priest from the west - from England.

"Athelstan" She greeted walking towards her brothers hut where he waited. "You do know that riding the steed gets you places much faster." He gave a smile as he looked back at the fat mare, giving her a firm pat on the neck. "Something must have scared her a ways back, I didn't want to end up with a broken bone if she reared"

The blonde shook her head as she gave a small giggle. "I am afraid that my brother is still asleep" she says setting the bowl on the table outside "So what can I do you for priest?"
"Actually you were the one I was wanting to talk too" Athelstan states causing Bryna to furrow her light brows "Earl Ragnar was wanting you to accompany him on a hunt to see your marksmanship" Bryna nodded her head, making sense of the hunt in her mind. "And the Earl was probably wanting to leave as soon as he could?" she asks, smirking and arching a shaped brow.

"As you can imagine" Athelstan grins as the horse tugs at him to reach a bush. Bryna nodded as she turns towards the opening of the small hut "I'll be just a minute, let me gather my things" she grins before dismissing herself into her brothers residence to gather her things. She walks over to her area and to the table by her bedside, picking up her long-knife, tucking it into the designated place on her belt and picking up the shorter version of the same knife and tucking it into her boot. The blonde then ties her chakrams to her waist before picking up her quiver, tying that into place. She sighs as she strings her bow across her shoulders and picking up the thick fur blanket that was buckled together, before making her way out of the house.

She nods her head toward the woods, hoping that Athelstan and his chubby mare would follow her up the path up to where animals were. She passes by the first few pens before reaching the one holding her black stallion. "Good morning Forkur" She greets as he rubs his muzzle against her hand. She scratches in between his ears as she drops the buckled bundle to the ground.

"That horse is a giant" Athelstan says as he ties his mare to a fence post. Bryna chuckles as she bends down undoing the buckle and unfolding the light grey sheep's hide. "Most people say that about him" The blonde says as she stands up holding a head stall. She motions for the tall horse to bend down, which he does obediently. "Believe it or not he was the shortest of his brothers"

"Can't imagine them being much bigger" he murmurs coming up to the pair. Reaching out to touch the large horses neck. Bryna finishes and bends down to retrieve the fur. Forkur quickly snaps at Athlestan's hand, making the small man pull his hand back quickly

"He's not fond of men" Bryna states before giving him an apologetic smile "And not many woman, doesn't seem to have a problem with children though" she finishes as she opens the pen and walking up beside the large stallion, tossing on the sheep's hide and buckling it in place. "I would hope" Athelstan says walking back over to the dappled mare "It would be a shame if a small child lost a finger"

"That it would" She mumbles to herself as she nudges his front foot, letting him bend it up, allowing her to step up and pull herself on. She takes hold of the leather reigns and nudge shim out of the pen and father down the path, the way that they have previously came. Bryna glances behind her to see Athelstan behind her, on the back of the the ample horse. Smiling, she leans forwards, whispering a command and letting the horse gallop towards the small town of Kattegat.

~`oOo`~

She slows the horse to a walk as she enters the town's vicinity, looking behind her she laughs a hearty laugh, seeing the lack of Athelstan in her view. She steers the horse towards the towns circle, where the tying post was and the entrance to the long house, where the Earl would most likely be found.

She stops the sizable horse by a trough, letting him drink. She glances around the towns circle, making note that Athelstan had still not made it. Laughing again, she dismounts the onyx steed. "Something funny?" A deep voice asks lightly, gathering her attention. She smiles at the admirable viking, shaking her head. "Just giving my horse a drink, Rollo" she replies, running her delicate fingers through the curly locks of Forkur's mane.

Rollo furrows his eyebrows in confusion as he looks between the dainty woman and the giant. "He's a sizable bastard" Rollo mutters before taking a few steps towards the two. Smiling, she nod her head, lightly placing her hand underneath the horses jaw, pulling him up from the trough. The horse obliges as she leads him past Rollo and to the tying posts where he would wait until she is done with her hunt.

"Brother" she hears the younger sibling of Rollo, the Earl, call for him "Has Athelstan returned with Floki's sister?" Rollo shakes his head before pulling at the back of Bryna's tunic, tugging her out from behind the horse and into the view of the Earl.

"Where's the priest?" Ragnar looks at the scanty female, who shrugs her thin shoulders. "He couldn't keep up my lord." She says as Rollo and herself approach the Earl at the double doors of the longhouse "He should be arriving in a moments time." She finishes, giving a small, polite smile to the blue eyed viking.

"Bryna" Lagertha greets, approaching her husband's side "I hear you will be off hunting this morning?" Bryna looks up to the Earl for confirmation. "That is to my understanding" "Indeed, we must be off before the other hunters begin to fill the woods" The Earl says leaning in to kiss his wife. "Wouldn't want them killing our lunch" Bryna jokes, trying to lighten the mood around her. "I will see you when you two return" Lagertha dismisses herself into the longhouse, tending to her daily duties.

Bryna turns to the largest viking beside her. "Will you be hunting with us?" She asks Rollo, hopefully not sounding to hopeful, but in a manner of sincere curiosity. "I have other matters to attend too" he mumbles after shaking his head no. Bryna nodded in response as the Earl next to her bids his brother goodbye. She sighs before following her new found Earl to begin their morning hunt.