With some inspiration from KuroShiniGamiEngel, (thank you so much) I have decided to write something along the lines of my Hamingja piece for the sons of Ragnar, and Ragnar himself. Something like soulmate stories. Hope you enjoy.

Ivar couldn't sleep; the young prince turning once again as he tried to get comfortable. That despite his best efforts; despite how hard he scrunched up his eyes and ordered himself to go to sleep, nothing seemed to work. With a heavy sigh, he stared up at the ceiling; the soft light from the slowly dying fire, the only thing that allowed him to see into the gloom of the room. This had been happening more and more often recently; his nights of peaceful slumber replaced with waking unrest. Ivar not sure why it should be so; but he had found that when he could not sleep, he would be called on by a visitor. A night visitor that only he seemed to know about. That only he seemed to be able to hear. His brothers just shaking their heads and furrowing their brows as he would ask them about it. Sigurd as always, trying to make him look foolish. Trying to suggest that he had lost his mind; that he was seeing things. But Ivar knew that he wasn't, he knew that she was real; and as he heard a soft call fill the silence of the night, he knew that she was coming to see him again. A smile coming to his lips, as he pushed himself up onto his elbows. A louder call letting him know that his night visitor was just outside.

Slowly, he moved his legs to the side of his bed and reached for his crutch; Ivar struggling a little to get to his feet before he made his way over to the door of his cabin, opening it carefully, as to not scare her.

"You are here again, little one............." Ivar said quietly, as he leant against the door. His smile getting broader, as he looked at the beautiful Tawny owl that had come to rest on the old stump that he himself would sit on sometimes.

"Is it you that keeps me awake? You must know something if you always turn up when I cannot sleep..............." The prince continued. Ivar chuckling, as the owl twisted her head from side to side, as he spoke. The pair just looking at one another for a moment, before the owl took to the air and flew past Ivar into his cabin.

"Hey................" The youngest son of Ragnar called out, as he turned and followed after the bird. Ivar chuckling again, as he saw the owl perched at the head of his bed. The prince closing the door behind him before making his way over to where his feathered friend was waiting. Sighing as he reached out and carefully stroked the feathers on the night visitor's head. The winged creature closing her eyes and seeming to savour his touch.

"Well, at least I can satisfy you..........at least you don't see me as less than a man............" Ivar said softly. The anger that would normally be showing itself now. The anger at the notion of what Margrethe had told everyone; at how Sigurd used this to insult him even more, strangely not making an appearance, as Ivar found himself looking into the bird's dark eyes, that had opened again at his words.

If anyone were to see him talking to the owl, they would perhaps think that he had been spending far too much time with Flóki. That he might have just lost his wits; but when he saw her, he would think back to all the things that the boatbuilder had taught him when he was growing up. About how some feared those creatures of the night, about how some would avoid them; but mostly that owls were associated with great things; with the secrets of the world. Ivar recalling that he and Flóki had once seen an owl hunting in the dead of night, and he had wanted to capture it; the boatbuilder chastising him, informing him that owls were the seen an unseen of their beliefs. That they were associated with wisdom, mystery, protection and secrets, and therefore should be respected. Ivar nodding in agreement, as he had continued to watch the bird; the little prince smiling, as the owl caught its prey.

"Stay......please........" Ivar said, knowing that it sounded a ridiculous thing to say to a bird, as if it could understand; but since she had been coming to him when he could not sleep, he had felt a strange sense of calmness, a calmness that he had never experienced before. Her visits to him, always making him smile. Always making him feel less alone. Always.........always making him feel as though he were loved.

"Does that mean that you will............?" He continued, as the beautiful owl ruffled up her feathers, before seeming to make herself more comfortable at the head of his bed. Ivar moving his legs back under the furs, before laying his head down. His eyes growing heavy, as he looked up at her. Her eyes focused on him, as his lids began to close.

"Good night............." He yawned. Sleep finally taking the dark prince to its bosom. Ivar having no idea what the rest of the night would bring him.