Private Tales Falling Snow..

[Ivar]

The dawn came far too quickly, at least for his taste.

Ivar awoke for the first time not with a start, but a gentle stirring. He could still feel the warmth of Willa pressed into his side. A smile pulled over his lips, half hidden by his unruly beard as he slowly took in a long breath.

Bright blue eyes flickered open.

For a brief moment he said nothing as he lay there, his hands slowly stroking over Willa's skin. He took the moment to simply enjoy the sensation, the touch, the scent of her.

Then finally he spoke. "Good morning."

Ivar said softly.

 

[Willa]

Her lips curled at the low rumble of Ivar's voice and she looked up, rolling to rest her chin on his chest with a deep sigh.

"Morning..." she answered in a quiet rasp and dragged her teeth over her lower lip. It was strange to lay with him like this and even more to feel so comfortable doing so. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she hesitated before asking what she had to ask..

"Was this... Okay?.." she arched a brow. They'd both been drunk, but she failed to find any regret on her part. She just hoped she hadn't ruined anything. "There's no.. obligation." she assured a little awkwardly.

 

[Ivar]

"It was okay." The Barbarian assured her.

In fact, he had all been but a step away from asking her the same question.

The circumstance under which they met, the chaos and horror that Willa had endured was not something Ivar had forgotten. Something like that was not easily pushed aside, and not easily ignored either. His fingers tightened on her for a brief moment. "More than okay."

He said softly, a gentle kiss pressed against her forehead.

Back home something like this was almost unthinkable. The lines that they had crossed, the path they had taken. Yet in the moment, that hardly seemed to matter.

Ivar was wondering if it mattered at all.

 

[Willa]

A deep breath tumbled from her lips in relief at his assurance, her eyes closing as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. How a northern warrior such as he could be so tender or how hands that'd ended the lives of so many could be so gentle, she didn't know, but she felt so soothed in his arms that she'd have happily never left them again.

"Alright.." she answered quietly.

It was unexpected to say the least, but where the alcohol might have bolstered her confidence, it hadn't clouded her judgement, and she was glad that he hadn't woken with regret either. She flashed a smile up at him as she trailed her fingertips over his lips before kissing them again, now that she was sober. Her chest rose and fell in a deep breath.

"I'm not so sure I want to leave this place.." she laughed under her breath. It had been the first time she'd felt safe enough to relax in such a long time, and to dance and laugh and enjoy pleasures that she'd never anticipated enjoying again. It was nice to feel normal, instead of lost and broken.

 

[Ivar]

He smiled, his fingers slowly continuing their soft caress.

Not a single part of him argued with the sentiment of staying there. He wanted to remain in her arms, to keep the peace that they felt in that moment. It was something he had...he had never experienced before. A sense of calm that had seemed fleeting for all his life.

They had called him a Berserker. A man of rage. Anger.

A warrior capable of slaughtering hundreds while he withstood even the worst wounds.

Yet in Willa's arms he felt as delicate as any man. Like he could let go of that anger. Like he could lose himself, and finally become something more. "Me too."

He said softly.

"But I think the innkeep would object." Ivar joked softly, his fingers tightening for just a brief moment.

 

[Willa]

She breathed out a laugh and nodded, grazing her lips over his. "I suppose not.." she answered with a sigh. "Then we should make the most of it whilst we're here.." she proposed, and drew him into a demanding kiss.

The morning had passed them by by the time Willa had finally relented and rolled herself out of bed, her silvery hair tumbling in waves down her back. The first few steps after resting were always the stiffest, and she limped to the wash basin and filled it with fresh water to wash with before starting to dress. Footsteps sounded in the hallway and Willa tensed, looking toward the door and easing only at the sound of the inkeep's voice as he knocked at the door.

"I've kept you both some food. Lazy arses! I'll just uh.. Leave it out here."

 

[Ivar]

Ivar let out a guffaw as the Innkeeper jolted them into action. The Berserker shook his head with a slight chuckle, and then slowly began to unwind himself from Willa's grasp. Fingers slipped over her skin as he stood and made his way over towards the door.

"Oh and you may want to check on your friend!"​

The man called out as he began to walk away.

Ivar frowned, glancing at Willa curiously for a moment but shrugging. Fingers grasped the handle, pulling it over ever so lightly. When he saw the innkeeper had departed he quickly swung the door open and pulled in the tray.

"Well, it isn't the worst meal I've ever seen." The tray contained two plates with what appeared to be eggs and some sort of oatmeal, as well as two cups with what he thought might have been that odd 'caf' drink they had in Elbion.

Ivar slowly made his way back towards the bed. "It is cold, though."

He said with a chuckle. "Supose we should eat up and see how Orest is doing. He drank near twice as much as both of us combined."

Bad enough, even for a northman.

 

[Willa]

Willa pulled her knees to her and wrapped her arms around them as she sat up, a light smirk passed at the thought of whatever state Orest might have been in. It was strangely comfortable, she noted. Strangely normal. So much so that it was easy to forget every worry or trauma that had inhabited her mind, at least for now.

Her eyes followed Ivar as he moved, watching him return to the bed they'd shared with their breakfast in hand, her lips curling as he spoke. Before she bothered to say anything else or pay any attention to the breakfast she leaned toward him, gripping the side of his neck and claiming his lips and pouring her appreciation of him into the kiss. She could only smile at him as she broke away with a deep sigh and lifted the warm drink to sip at.

"I don't think I've ever drank quite so much. Had I done so back home, before, it would have caused quite the scandal." she laughed under her breath. That wouldn't have been the only scandal, she knew, and he did too.

She ate the eggs and skipped the oatmeal, her nose wrinkling as she took a small spoonful and found it wasn't to her liking. After limping to stretch out her legs she quickly washed up and dressed, her silver hair pulled up into a loose knot. The dress she wore was tattered around the feet from their journey, but otherwise she'd managed to keep herself in good order.

 

[Ivar]

"Another boon of the south then." The Berserker said with a slight grin, side-stepping the other scandal that both of them were already thinking about. He half turned around for a moment, watching her bare form as she washed herself.

His eyes wandered for a moment in appreciation, and then finally few away.

As Willa began to pull on her half tattered dress, Ivar dressed himself in his heavy furs and chain armor.

It was more habit that forced his hand than anything else. The air here was still warm enough that it made most of his clothes redundant, and yet a lifetime forced his hand anyway. Without what he wore the Barbarian did not feel entirely whole.

As the armor slid into place and Willa finished dressing the two headed out of their room. As they moved towards the stairs Ivar frowned. "Perhaps we can find some new clothes here."

He said, observing the dress.

They still did not have much money, but they had enough for tha-

His thoughts died in the middle as Ivar and Willa stepped back into the common room. There a sight greeted them, five men all strewn about the floor either dead or unconscious. Blades strewn about them, some bloody and others clean. Each man was dressed in black leathers.

A sixth man was leaning hunched over a table.

Orest snored loudly, his body rising and falling as he slept.

 

[Willa]

Willa shrugged with a thin smile and a quick glance down at the dress she wore. It hadn't been her own. Her own had been torn to shreds, and so a fresh, clean dress of her own would have been appreciated - still, she knew they had little money and she'd only feel guilty spending any on such a thing. "It's alright.. I'm sure I..."

Her words turned to stone in her throat as she stopped in the doorway, her gaze wide as it drifted over the carnage. "Gods.." she breathed, the sight of the dead men and scent of blood causing unwanted memories to crash into her with a wave of nausea.

She reached to Ivar's arm.. "Who are..were they?" she asked, afraid to step over the man closest lest he jump awake and attack her.

"Orest?.. OREST!" she barked at the snoring Northman.

 

[Ivar]

Ivar had absolutely no idea what the fuck had happened.

Briefly he recalled the sound of bootsteps, the noise below that he had pulled away from when Willa had dragged him into the present. At the time it had seemed the...no, it had been the best option. Even now he felt not an ounce of regret, and yet the shock of this resonated through him.

Fingers tightened on the hilt of his ax as he took half a step forward.

Willa called our to Orest, her voice breaking through the echoing snores of the other Northman.

He seemed to jerk for a moment, her voice shaking him to his core as his head suddenly shot up. Bruises covered his features, a black eye practically glowing in the glint of the morning light as he suddenly shot up and looked around.

"Wha...who?! There more of em!?"​

Orest called out, glancing around. "No, no, Orest...just us..."

Isaac said with a shake of his head.

"What the fuck happened?" The Berserker asked as he gently grabbed Willa's arms and guided her through the field of unconscious men. As he did so Orest looked around, then focused on his two kinsmen.

"Oh...well these lads showed up, searching for people from the north and..."​

He shrugged.

"They wouldn't take no for much of an answer."​

 

[Willa]

Willa trusted Ivar's guidance, though she still gazed down at the men on the floor warily as she moved around them. Orest's explanation caused Willa's breath to lodge in her throat, and she stared at Orest for a long moment before turning to Ivar. "Who are they?"

Had they been looking for them?

Movement caught the corner of her eye and her head snapped toward one who was rolling onto his back. He groaned and coughed, sputtering blood as he did so. Willa glanced to Ivar again. "Perhaps we should leave now, before more trouble arrives..." she suggested hurriedly.

 

[Ivar]

"Fuck if I know, darlin. I just put the fuckers down."

Ivar looked at the unconscious and half broken men, a frown flickering over his features. He jerked slightly as one of them slowly rolled over, pulling onto his back with a sputtering cough. "Shit."

He swore as he stepped over towards him, grabbing him by the lapel as Willa offered her suggestion.

"Get our things." Ivar told her as he wrenched the man up. "I'll find out who they are and..."

He glanced towards Orest. "And make sure we're alright to keep going."

There was little doubt that the other Northman had helped them, that he'd stopped whoever these men were. But Ivar needed to make sure. He needed to keep Willa safe. Whoever was following them needed to be stopped, but what that took...what he needed to do for that...

He didn't want her to see it.

 

[Willa]

Willa's eyes were wide with panic as they shifted between Orest and Ivar, and those on the ground. She knew why Ivar was telling her to leave, and for a moment she thought of trying to calm him down, but she bit back whatever she'd been about to say and nodded quickly.

She glanced back at him from the doorway, almost pitying the man that he was about to question. Her feet pounded quickly up the stairs and she shut the door behind her to muffle as much sound as she possibly could, not wishing to hear whatever went on downstairs.

 

[Ivar]

The sound of a slamming fist, a sharp yell, and then terse questions followed Willa as she rushed up the stairs.

It was easy to get angry. Easy to embrace the rage that simmered within his chest. These men could have hurt Willa, they could have dragged them back to that darkness. It wasn't something he could allow. It wasn't something he would ever allow.

Whatever brutality he had to deal out. Whatever retribution The Berserker had to give, he would give it without hesitation. As long as it meant he could keep her safe.

Ten minutes later a surprisingly soft knock echoed on the door.

It fell open with a quiet creak, Ivar stepping inside. Blood stained the knuckles of his right hand, though he hardly seemed to notice it was there. "They were after me."

The Barbarian said quietly as he stepped inside and moved towards her. "Not you."

Gently he wrapped am arm around her in a soft, reassuring touch.

 

[Willa]

Being alone in this room with the sound of violence downstairs played hell with her mind. She sat at the head of the bed, holding onto a pillow as she stared at the door, her fingers fisting into the fabric. The sound of footsteps climbing the stairs filled her with dread, and her eyes teared as her fears twisted her reality and she imagined the worst.

She flinched as the door opened, despite having expected it to do so. Relief washed over her, despite her logical mind knowing that it'd be Ivar who'd be stepping through that door. Her crystalline eyes were crushed diamond as they filled with tears, her brow furrowing as she looked over him.

"For you?.." That didn't reassure her at all. They were a 'they' now, weren't they? She needed him, and the thought of Ivar being taken from her caused panic to rise to the surface. She wrapped her arms around him and held on tightly, pulling herself as close to him as she could possibly be.

"Who are they?.. Will there be more of them?" she asked, her voice muffled against his shoulder.

 

[Ivar]

"I don't know." Ivar said softly.

A large hand flickered up, surprisingly gentle as it stroked through Willa's hair. A sense of urgency clung to him, but not fear, not worry. He wanted to protect her. Wanted to make sure that she was safe. That was all that mattered to him now.

The Berserker was not fool enough to think of parting ways with her. He knew even with a bounty on his head Willa would be safer at his side than anywhere else, but it was also a risk. "They were Bounty hunters, from that city."

He said softly.

"They won't chase us too far." There was only so much value in hunting a Bounty, and Ivar couldn't imagine his was too far. "As long as we get further away, we'll be alright."

That he was confident of at least.

 

[Willa]

Willa drew a deep breath and let it tumble free as her eyes closed, savouring the gentle comfort he offered. "I am so tired of running, Ivar.." she whispered, leaning into him. Would they ever just be left alone?

She was exhausted and she was afraid, but underneath that was an undeniable burning rage, simmering dangerously below the surface of the ice that'd settled in her bones. That there were yet more who sought to tear a peaceful life from her grasp, who'd attempt to take the only thing she had left in this world from her, evoked a fury such as she'd never felt before.

She pushed it down, for it was hard to be angry when he was so calm and gentle, but it was there - waiting. "We should move now. If they arrived on horses, at least our journey will be quicker.." she considered and straightened to look over his face, trying to read his emotions from the way he looked back at her. Her gaze quickly shifted to his hand however, his angry knuckles freshly bruised from whatever face they'd pummelled into. Willa took the hand in hers and lifted it to her lips to press a gentle kiss against each one.

 

[Ivar]

Ivar frowned. "I know."

Truth was, he was tired too.

His whole life he had been an exile, an outsider, and he was...he was simply tired of carrying that weight. With Willa he felt as though he had finally found a home. Finally found a place that he wanted to be; at her side. Nowhere else.

Yet the hounds nipping at their heels wouldn't even let him enjoy that, not for a night, not even for a few hours. If it had not been for Orest even the night before would have been interrupted.

"We'll make it." He told her softly. "We'll get to the sea, and from there..."

Ivar smiled. "From there, I dare them to chase us."

His fingers gently curled around hers as she kissed his knuckles. "We are of the north, from Kjos. The waves roil in our hearts. Whether the seas be cold or warm."

 

[Willa]

How he could make her smile the way she did right now, she'd never know. Perhaps it was the prospect of making it to the sea and setting foot back in the Tundra with him at her side, or the reminder of how strong they were.. perhaps it was just the smile. Regardless, she was still smiling when she kissed him, still holding gently onto his swollen hand. She wished they didn't have to leave so soon but there was little choice in the matter. At least now she knew that no matter where they had to sleep for the night, she'd be much more comfortable from now on.

"Let's get moving then.." she sighed and rested her head against his for a moment. She had packed all she could, including some spare blankets and soaps. "Is Orest alright?" she asked with a frown, recalling the sight of the men he'd taken on alone.

"Maybe we should take him with us.." she laughed under her breath.

 

[Ivar]

Ivar smiled.

"Aye, he's okay. A few bumps and bruises but..." He shrugged. Orest was a northmen. It would take more than a few broken bones to put them down for a long. A smile flickered over his features as Willa suggested taking the man with them. "You're reading my mind."

The Berserker had absolutely no idea if the man would accept, but the offer would be extended.

Arms wrapped around Willa for a brief moment. A light squeeze pressing her against his chest. He took in a deep breath, and then slowly the two of them departed down the stairs. In the common room they found one of the tavern girls tending to Orest, the man nursing a mug of ale.

Chasing the hair of the wolf, no doubt.

The conversation that followed was a quick one. Ivar and Willa made their offer, and Orest considered only briefly before accepting. It was only shortly after dawns full breaking that the three northerners found themselves upon the road once more.

"South always has been a little too warm for me."​

Orest said, spitting on the ground as they finally left town.

 

[Willa]

Another night or two in a warm, comfortable bed and a few more hearty meals would have done her well, but she hadn't taken the restful sleep or the full belly that she'd gained from that single night. Nor would she forget what she'd found there. Even after the panic she'd felt before they'd had to leave so abruptly, she couldn't stop the insistent smile that played on her lips, nor the stolen glances at Ivar.

Those who'd come looking for him were kind enough to have come on horseback too, and so they'd make the journey far quicker, as the supplies they carried would make it more comfortable, and the two Northmen who rode either side of her would surely make it safer. Willa had managed to find some warmer clothes too. The dress she'd worn hadn't been her own as it was, and nor were these, they'd been men's clothes, but they were fresh and cosy and the cloak she wore was thick and heavy as weighed on her shoulders and back like a comforting embrace. It was likely too warm for such thick layers, but Willa always ran cold. The cold was in her very bones.

Her silvery hair seemed whiter now that it'd been properly cleaned, and it stood out stark against the dark fabric of her hood, carried away in wisps with every breeze that crossed her path. "I'm not quite sure how we can repay you for what you did back there, Orest." Willa said with a quick glance over her shoulder toward the receding village.

"I am glad you decided to travel home with us.." she smiled to the mammoth northman, her fingertips stroking through the mane of her speckled-grey mare.

 

[Ivar]

Ivar rode alongside Willa with an odd level of contentment.

He was a hunted man. A bounty lay on his head and for all he knew half the world wanted him dead. Yet for some reason he felt more confident in their trip than ever before. He wore an easy smile on his face, fingers loose on the reins of his horse.

The berserker had never much liked riding the beasts, but it would have taken a fool not to use such a tool when available. Plus, the horse was off-set by the company that he got to keep.

"Ah think nothing of it lass."​

Orest said, spitting onto the ground.

"Been fighting for a dozen causes of the last ten years that would have seen me dead for not much more than gold."​

It was a feeling that Ivar could sympathize with.

His entire time in the southlands had been spent as a mercenary. Fighting for one Lord or another, standing on a wall and nearly getting killed. Only once had it been for anything, and even then he'd almost gotten himself killed.

"Felt good to fight for my own."​

 

[Willa]

Willa cast a warm smile to Orest, reaching a hand to settle on his meaty forearm with a gentle squeeze of thanks.

"I am very glad to hear that." she answered, though there was a brief flicker of guilt as she considered what their new friend may have unknowingly let himself in for. She thought of those who were after her, those so cruel that they sent a creature like.. Him, to slit the throats of her guardians and drag her through hell.

The thought of such a thing happening again caused her heart to freeze in her chest, and she cast her cold eyes through the surrounding woodland before settling them on Ivar. She tried her best to shove those thoughts from her mind, to just let the moment of happy contentment last, but there was worry in the way she looked at him.

She would die if she lost him, and willingly so. She was so tired of running and hiding, so haunted and so broken that he and he alone was the only thing that could hold her together. Without him there was nothing but more fear and more pain.

The horse she rode whinnied, its stomping hooves rattling her out of her thoughts as she realised how cold the air around her had become, her breath a fine mist. She hadn't realised that she'd done anything at all, but she cleared her throat and patted the mare's neck in apology.

"Well. I don't know about you, but I am starving." she sighed, hoping a quick change of subject would suffice.

 

[Ivar]

Orest was the first one to answer.

"Aye, my stomach's been rattling like a Grossmir in heat."​

Ivar slowly looked over towards their new friend, cocking his head as the man conjured an image of one of the giant boars of the tundra. Lips thinned for a brief moment in displeasure at the thought, but he shook his head. "We should hunt for something."

He remarked.

"These forests seem plenty, and we'll need some meat for the road anyway." Slowly he began to reach towards the bow on his back, but before he could Orest let out a howl of glee.

"Oh aye we should!"​

The man was practically giggling.

"Little competition, no? We make camp. Split up and see who can catch the biggest beastie."​

Orest looked at the two other Northerners with glee in his eye. Ivar couldn't help but return a grin, though at the back of his mind he strained to think of leaving Willa by herself. She wasn't defenseless, but...the thought of separating from her for any mount of time was almost painful.

Especially after the last few days.

He glanced over towards her, seeking her desires before offering his own answer.