Into My Heart

"So Bryna," Ragnar begins as the pair set off towards the deciduous forest, walking away from the tethered horses "Tell me, why do you want become a part of our village? Surely, in your travels, villages had asked you to stay." The large man looks over to the delicate female beside him. His curiosity drawing him towards her. He wanted to know more about Floki’s sibling. "They have, and for small amounts of time, I had. But it wasn't right. It wasn't home to me” She mutters looking up at the sky before they reached the thick forest. ‘This will be a lovely place to hunt’ she thinks as the Earl continues. "Why is that?" He questions, his azure eyes scanning the surroundings, looking for any signs of wildlife.

"It wasn't with my family” She states lightly, pulling her bow off her shoulders and an arrow from her quiver. "The only remaining family that Floki and I have left is each other and I will try my hardest to keep us together" Ragnar notices a change in her tone, so he stays quiet hoping she'll continue. She stops, her gaze settling onto the leaf covered ground and letting out a breath she had been holding. "From what I'm told, our family came from a long line of ship crafters. Our father had a pact with a Jarl, I think, to build him many ships by the time for the summer raids. Floki had told me it was impossible and that our father had set the older children to work, the eldest, Aben at 15, Floki, and Egal, the youngest of the three boys. Him being just shy of twelve." She takes in a deep breath as they step into the woods “To end the story quickly, Earl Ragnar, the numbers weren’t met by 3 lousy ships, and he decided to slaughter the entire family. My family fought off as many as they could while my mother had told me to run and hide. I did just that, I was young still being a babe, hardly remembering anything about that dreadful night. Minutes later, Floki had found me, snatching me up before running for the hills."

"That's the first I had heard any of Floki's past." Ragnar mumbles "Now I know why. It is not a fortunate one." "It has made us who we are on this day" Bryna looks over at Ragnar with a smile, hoping to lighten the mood. The small blonde tilts her head back, gaze facing upwards towards the forests’ canopy, looking for any sort of bird to bring home for their lunch. Out of the corner of her eye she sees Ragnar draw his bow and arrow, readying himself. The pair continue to slink through the thick forest, looking for trails, prints, or droppings - any evidence that life is close.

Bryna holds up her hand, stopping Ragnar, as she hears a scratching sound from a thicket adjacent to them. She looks down to her feet picking up a large stone, about the size of her fist, chucking it into the greenery. Grouse begin to scatter the underbrush, heading upwards and out of the canopy. Bryna and Ragnar both bring up their bows, sending their arrows soaring. She hits one, sending it crashing towards the decay of the forest floor. Hurrying she readies another, pulling the string back before letting that one fly as well. Ragnar watches the bird as it hits branches and leaves, before it finally collides with the padded ground close to where he was standing.

“Not bad” He smiles at her as he picks up one of the carcasses, studying the placement of the arrow. It was harbored in the chest cavity on both of the feathered creatures. Bryna’s smile widens as she moves to find Ragnar’s in the underbrush. She was proud that she had done well, missing would have differed the Earl’s judgment of her. Moving the thick leaves and stems, she finds the bird still breathing in slow, labored heaves. Ragnar notice the girl frown as she picks up the bird with ease, muttering an apology before twisting the arrow into its heart, ceasing its life.

“Why did you do that girl?” The Earl asks puzzled, stringing his bow across his chest. Bryna pries the wooden arrow of the grouse’s carcass before looking up at him with somber eyes. “No innocent creature should have to suffer before their death”

“To the Hel with this!” Bryna shouts at her brother as she examines her opponent who had just dismounted his steed across the ring. Floki laughs, knowing this would be her response. Even after their years apart he still finds himself predicting her actions. “Say what you want to, sister, One-Eye is a great warrior” The smaller sibling huffs as the Earl and his two wives cross the area, greeting the pair.

“Bryna” The Earl greats “You looked troubled” He tilts his head to the side as he studying the young woman before him. Her creamy white cheeks having a slight flush to them, her light brows pinched together tight in frustration, and her osseous chest heaving with unpleasant breaths.

“This is insulting” She mutters to her new lord, causing him to smirk at the maiden. “Well then, you shouldn’t have any troubles defeating him.” The wives of the Earl wish her luck before following their husband off so they can sit to watch the fight.
She turns to her horse, gathering her Chakrams from her seal skin pack, letting them both dangle loosely in her delicate grip. She turns to brother who looked her over, before tugging at her braid. “That needs some tucking in.” He jests. “Wouldn’t want you looking like a mere child more than you presently do”

She slaps away his hand before throwing the long woven locks over her shoulder and making her way towards the center of the ring. Her opponent and Rollo stood in the center of the ring surrounded by townspeople who had come to see.
Rollo held out a shield for her to take giving a light smile. She shook her head, holding up her Chakrams and giving them a wave. He was confused by the new weapons but he nodded his head anyway.

She pulls her gaze from him, readying herself for the fight. She eyes the one eyed Viking, studying him quickly, not knowing how long Rollo was going to wait to call the fight.
She closes her eyes and inhales a deep breath, calming her adrenaline. She needed to think. Analyzing her opponent she smirks, five hits. That’s all she would need to win this mock battle.

“As you know this is a mock battle, not one ending in death” he states looking down between the two, who both nod, not taking their eyes of one another. The admirable Viking takes a few steps back towards the circle the town’s people had created.
Rollo bellows, calling the fight letting both of the Vikings get into their ready stance – Bryna holding a Chakram up in each hand. Still smirking, she waves with her right hand, signaling for the Viking to come forwards and to advance on her. He charges at the small woman, taking off from his place in the dirt. Her smirk grows as he raises his battle axe, ready to strike down without mercy while his feet pound into the soil beneath him, making his way to the girl.

Striking down, the warrior clearly expected her to dodge his axe or it come into contact with her. Never did he think that she would catch the axe within her circular blades. Bryna wasted no time, bringing up her leg and kicking him in the chest, knocking the warrior back his grip becoming lose around his axe, dropping it into the wet mud. Arne counters in a haste, pulling the long knife from its sheath tied to his waist as he tosses his shield off to the side, no longer finding a need for it.

Smirking at the smaller Viking, she cocks an eyebrow at him, playing smug. She knew he wouldn’t have expected that from a woman of her stature. The Viking tossed the knife up and down in his hand, holding his other one out to the side, studying the female before him.
He charges once again, his long knife anticipating to meet Bryna’s flesh. She waits until he was close - too close for Floki’s liking - before jumping out of the way, sending her blades in a diagonal down his back lightly, and cutting into the skin on his back lightly.

As Rollo had said earlier, this wasn’t a fight to the death, just to prove herself worthy enough to fight amongst the Vikings during the summer raids.

He stumbles forwards hissing, before gaining his wits. He turns around to see Bryna wiping the crimson liquid off of her blades and onto her leather breeches.
‘This is too simple.’ The female warrior thinks to herself. With boredom of this fight settling in quickly, she charges back, her quick light steps approach his weakened side – the one lacking vision. She draws her blades up, readying for her prediction. As One-Eye brings his arm up she maneuvers the disk like object around his forearm, pulling it towards her as she continues to lap around him. The Chakram digging into the flesh of his forearm as the other gives a light cut across the bottom of his back. Spinning herself to the front as she lets go of the one around his wrist, she makes a long gash down the front of his shirt. Quickly she grabs the hole in the shirt with her free hand pulling him forwards where she pressed her blades onto the skin of his throat. What seemed a lot longer for her, had been mere seconds to those around her.

She hears Rollo call the fight, her being the victor, letting the small blonde to release her grip on the embarrassed Viking. She nods at the man in front of her as Rollo comes up to the pair, followed by Ragnar. Some healers guide Arne away to have his wounds looked at. Bryna sees this, reminding herself to take him some salve later on this evening.

Rollo picks up the ring-shaped object studying it carefully. He was sure the disc could almost fit around his head. The heavy blade was of dark metal, being sharp on the inside and out, stretching from the left of his substantial hand to the right. The only place that wasn’t a blade was just big enough for his palm to grip. The Brute Viking lightly touches the blade seeing if it was sharp. He got his answer when the crimson liquid smears across the blade, making a crisp opening in his skin.

The small girl looks over at Rollo, clearing her throat. “It’s a Chakram” she explains to him and his brother. “I bought them a while ago off of a wanderer. Most people have no idea about them, the ones that do though, lack the knowledge to use them. They work well for me though” She hold out her other for the Earl to see. “It was quite a laugh when Floki handed me a large battle axe, every time I swung the damned thing, I nearly fell over”

Thunder cracks above, letting Bryna drop her head and slumping her shoulders. She knew this storm was coming since earlier this morning when she was sitting on the shore line. Although she was glad it had held off, her plans of strolling through town in search for a new dress and shift for tonight’s feast were now ruined. A quick run through would have to do if the rain begins to pelt.

“I must see these” Lagertha says excitedly as she pushes through her husband and her brother-in-law, ripping the one out of Rollo’s hands. “You could have asked, woman” He mumbled before looking up to the sky. ‘What a shitty night it will be’ Rollo thought scanning the sky, even though he was grateful that hopefully the farms surrounding Kattegat would flourish.

“I thought the fight would have been over sooner, Bryna” Floki comes up to the group, slinging his lanky arm around the small girl “I would hope you’re not losing your abilities” Floki leans his weight on her tapping her forehead with his long, dirty finger. She huffs throwing his arm off of her shoulders.

“Get off of me you oaf” She jests, slapping him across his chest and rubbing the place his finger had touched, in fear of a dirt mark. “I had to have a little fun, no?” Her eyebrows raise, waiting for his reply. “It’s a poor excuse, Girl” he smirks, knowing that calling her that would piss her off. Her face darkens as it contorts into a hard glare.

“Let us feast!” Aslaug says walking over with her two sons, Ubbe and Hvitserk, stopping beside Bryna and Ragnar. “I agree” Floki mutters, patting his slender stomach. Most of the group begin to break away, heading towards the longhouse. Lagertha looks down at the smaller woman, holding her hand out with Bryna’s Chakram. “We will see you later?” She asks “After all, it is - in a ways - for you”

Bryna nods her head at the Earl’s wife with a kind smile. “I will be there, though why it is for me, I do not understand entirely.” Bryna’s face comes together in confusion. Lagertha smiles shaking her head. “You are funny, Bryna, but I will see you soon” she finishes giving a small wave as Bryna nods her head. She turns to the last Viking beside her, Rollo.

“Don’t you have a meal to be devouring?” she smirks up at the large man. He gives his crooked smile his brown seeming lighter “I could ask you the same thing, mouse” Her mouth falls open, as she tries her best not to crack and smile. She ends up failing miserably and giggling a little. “By the Gods, how do we even compare?”

“Your small size, I would assume you weigh nothing, your footsteps raise no noise” he looks down to her feet as they had started walking towards Forkur to gather her coin pouch, the towering man must have wanted to talk to her. “Need I continue?” Bryna laughs, shaking her head as she reaches up into her pack tied to the horse, pulling out her small coin pouch that she had brought just to purchase a dress.

“Sadly, no. I do get what you are saying, though I am not sure if I should be taken aback” she continues as he opens his mouth to speak, cutting him off. “As much as I do enjoy your company, Rollo, I do need to fill my stomach, though I do need to purchase a few items.” She grins before turning in the direction she had seen a few traders with her wanted items.
“I will be seeing you later I’m sure, four or five ales in.”

“We will see, Mouse” he smiles, bidding her off. The small woman gives a small wave with a coy smile before turning and heading off into whatever direction she needed to go. Rollo watches Bryna’s small figure move through the town’s people until she rounds a corner, disappearing from his line of sight.

He liked her, he knew that much. He was curious about her, he is sure of that. She was good-humored, making small jests when the moment calls for it. She was certainly a treasure to look at. Rollo found himself admiring the allure of the dainty woman from afar, more than what is normally acceptable.

The night before he had spent a fair amount of time talking to her, along with Floki and Leif. Even though the skittish Viking had a hard time conveying his emotions, he could tell that Floki had missed his sister. Leif on the other hand seemed just as curious as himself. The icy-eyed beauty drawing both of them in, capturing their attention. Not that Rollo had minded, though when Siggy returns she might.