Chapter 6

"Hello Skadi"

Ragnar Lothbrok stood tall, enveloping Skadi in a large shadow. The two stared at each other for a long moment. Half of the girls head told her to jump up and hug him. The other half said, 'no stupid you just got stabbed, do you want to die?' The second half was definitely the one to listen too.

Besides, her father left, and had made little attempts to ever meet her. Bjorn acted more of a father then her actual one ever has. Probably ever will. But he's here, she could reach out and touch him, she was losing the battle of hating him. Oh and she wanted to hate him.

However she could ignore him, yeah that works.

Skadi turned back to Hilde, "where's my mother?"

The women smiled, "I sent her off to bed a few hours ago, she's barely slept since you've returned." Only Hilde could send one of the most fearsome Vikings to bed and live to tell the tale. "I'll tell her your awake, and I'm sure Ari will be thrilled."

Skadi smiled as the round women waddled down the hall towards her mother's bedroom.

She waited, not wanting to make eye contact with her father again.

"Skadi" no.

"Skadi?" Saying it slightly louder isn't going to change my mind.

"Ska-"

Before he finished her mother was in the doorway. Sighing in relief, before kneeling down and wrapping her in a tight, but not painful hug.

When Lagertha finally pulled back, she smiled at her daughter. "Are you alright, how do you feel?"

"I'm good mama," Skadi had tried to sit up, only to whimper at the pain in her stomach. " okay maybe goods, a bad term."

Her mother chuckled lightly, but her smile fell when she saw Ragnar. Apparently she had forgotten he was here, or maybe she hadn't known.

Ragnar had continued to visit her through the next few days. Though there was little talking, none of hers.

That's were the duo sat now. Skadi sat up in the bed, one hand ran over Freki's soft head. She was reading a book that Bjorn had found on an expeditions. It was about a 'fair maiden' trapped in a tower so tall it reached the clouds. If that wasn't enough a big mean dragon guarded her, and only a true knight could kill it. A very strange book, but it kept her eyes from meeting his.

Ragnar sat across from her, carving away a small piece of wood. Honestly Skadi was a bit intrigued as to what he was making, that and she had finished her book an hour ago. She watched him as discreetly as she could, but apparently she wasn't as good as she thought.

"If I didn't know I'd say your not ignoring me." His smirk made Skadi want to hit him.

Actually it reminded her of Sigurd, and Ivar. However rare it was for the two to be put together, the same smirk was held by both when they'd taunt each other.

What exactly he was trying to do, Skadi didn't know, but she certainly wasn't going to ask.

All she did was turn over and close her eyes, hand still stroking Freki's fur. Unlike his brother, Freki was very cautious of this new face. Perhaps he felt her own discontent with his need to be with her at every moment. Geri on the other hand had evidently grown bored laying around all day and took to bringing her his prizes from hunting. Usually rabbits, sometimes fish, once he dragged a stag through the hall. Only for its antlers to get stuck in the door frame. Skadis mother was very unimpressed with this.

At some point the girl had fallen asleep, head nuzzled into her pets belly.

In the meanwhile Ragnar had watched her sleep, her steady breathing. She looked like her mother, the long blonde hair fell over her face, the way her lip twitched lightly. He had finished his little project, leaving it on Skadis night table. Before leaving he brushed her hair behind her ear, then kissed her forehead, and pulling the blankets.