(Y/n) lay in the grass and pulled at the bright green blades, as she watched Hvitserk and Ubbe finish practicing. She and Ivar had been firing arrows at the hanging wooden targets, and he now sat on the log next to her, fixing the broken fletchings on one of his arrows. Sigurd off, sat under a tree some distance away, (Y/n) presuming that he was coming up with the next insults that he could sling at his brother. Floki's daughter sure that if the blonde young man called Ivar a cripple one more time, he would regret it.

She had known the sons of Ragnar for as long as she could remember, and when Aslaug had brough Ivar to her father for his help, to have him teach her son about how to be a Viking and about the gods; the two young ones had become the best of friends. (Y/n) often to be found pulling the little cart around that Ivar would be placed in by her father. And for some time after he had killed the boy as they all played with the other children, (Y/n) had been the only one that would spend any time with the youngest son of Ragnar. The only one that didn't fear what he might do if he were to lose his temper. For in truth, they were both looked upon strangely; he the crippled boy, and she, the girl that Floki had found in the woods one day, underneath an ancient, vine covered carving of Odin. The boat builder bringing her home and presenting her to Helga as a gift from the gods; the foundling from that moment raised as their own. Coming to be known to all, as (Y/n).

"You are watching him again. You can't keep your eyes off him.............." Ivar suddenly said. (Y/n)'s attention turning from the two older boys, to her best friend.

"What.........? Who..............?"

"Hvitserk. You have been watching him all morning." The young Ragnarsson replied harshly, as he finally finished fixing his arrow. (Y/n) quickly jumping to her feet and glaring at the boy.

It was not the first time that Ivar had accused her of such things. Accused her of letting her eyes wander to one of the other boys in Kattegat. Of making herself look like a fool, as she walked around town, drooling over anything in pants. She had just been able to ignore it in the beginning; for most part laughing it off as just one of Ivar's strange ways. But slowly, it had become too much. His words becoming crueller and more mocking as they had grown. (Y/n) once having punched him in the arm when he had said he had seen her laughing with Ubbe, and that it was ridiculous. Ready to punch him other places when he told her that she was throwing herself at, and paying too much attention to Sigurd. And now, now it was Hvitserk. The young shieldmaiden wondering if the next man that he would tell her that she was watching too much, would be his father, or even the seer.

"I am not watching Hvitserk. I am actually just studying how he and Ubbe fight. And if you remember, I actually beat you when we were practising. If I could watch Hvitserk and shoot off arrow after arrow, I must be better than I thought." (Y/n) retorted, her arms crossing firmly over her chest.

"He's not interested in you, you know. No one is interested in you. There are so many better looking girls................." Ivar continued curtly. His tone vicious; his words cutting deep. (Y/n) able to see the joy in his eyes, from saying such a nasty thing to her. Ubbe and Hvitserk stopping what they were doing, as the voices of (Y/n) and their brother became louder. Even Sigurd moving from under the tree, to see what was going on between the pair.

This was what happened when someone knew you too well; her closeness to Ivar, all the time they had spent together growing up, meant that he knew about all her fears. Meant that he had seen how other people in Kattegat had treated her. Many often wondering where she had really come from. Some even suggesting that Floki should have left her where she was; that he should have left her to the will of the allfather. Boys, other than the sons of Ragnar, seemingly not really wanting anything to do with her, despite the fact that she was quite a beauty, and already a very skilled shieldmaiden. In the past, Ivar would have been her greatest defender; but now, now he was the one that used all this against her the most. Not even Sigurd ever having said such a thing.

"Is that right? No one is interested in me, are they not? Well then, I doubt that you would want to be seen with me anymore, as I am so awful and ugly; because as there are so many girls chasing after you, as you crawl along the floor, I wouldn't want them to think that there is anything between you and I. From now on Ivar, you can stay away from me, and I will stay away from you." (Y/n) spat, picking up her weapons and shield, before storming off to the gods only knew where.

"Why did you do that?" Ubbe asked, the irritation evident in his voice, as he looked down at Ivar, who just pushed his axe back into his belt. Ubbe well aware, just like the other brothers, of all the things that (Y/n) had done for Ivar. How she had always been there when he needed someone. How she would defend him against anyone and anything, even Sigurd, who currently seemed more taken aback than Ubbe and Hvitserk about the interaction.

"She deserved it............" Ivar simply replied, suddenly more interested in stabbing his dagger into the tree stump beneath him.

"I'll go and find her. Make sure that she's alright. I'll see you two later." Ubbe told Hvitserk and Sigurd. The oldest of the four, pushing his sword back into his belt before making his way off in the direction that (Y/n) had headed. Hvitserk and Sigurd looking at Ivar one last time, before heading away from the training area, leaving Ivar alone.