You reflexed your axe into the sunlight cracking through the wood of the blacksmith his work space, your brother. The runes on the metal glistered under the sun, prepping a smile on your lips as you pushed the edge of it down again to sharpen it. It was one of the places you were way to often before an upcoming raid. Just as it was his favorite place to. You didn't looked up when you heard the familiar dragging of his body, you only enjoyed the sound of the contact your axe made while sharpening.

'Y/n, what are you doing here?' He asked you surprised, you could hear from miles away when he wasn't general about it.

'Never go to battle with an axe that isn't sharpen.' You replied, turning your body a little around to look at him.

'Ah,' Ivar nodded, rolling his jaw to suppress the smile that was trying to get on his face. 'So you didn't heard then?' He asked just as you turned back.

'You know I catch all your lies right?'

'It doesn't involve lying.' He protested. You signed, turning around to him. He had his head titled, with that mock on his lips that often irritated you.

'Spill.' You gestured.

'Did Hvitserk talked with you, about the raid?' He asked with small squeezed eyes. You frowned, shaking your head. 'You better do.' Ivar chuckled, pulling his axe from out of his belt. 'A certain ear caught a conversation between him and Björn in which they negotiated you not coming.' He followed, turning his blue distinct eyes down to his axe.

'Hvitserk doesn't want me to come?' You asked breathless.

'You ask him yourself, he is eating dinner, like usual.' The dark tug in his lips got lost in the way you walked out of that blacksmith, lips pressed together, eyes locked on the great hall. You weren't just a shield maiden, you were the finest and the best. If he thought a relationship would get him on bossing you around he was wrong.

He was eating, like usual. You normally could adore his way around food or the fact how happy it made him but now you even ignored the boyish grin on his face when you walked it. At least Ubbe understood your look because he changed a fast look with Hvitserk.

'A certain ear caught words that I can't go on the next raid.' You came straight to the point. His food got stuck, causing his to cough as he looked at you.

'Ivar.' He reacted as he got his cough under control.

'And here I thought you would deny it.' You smiled, hardly with any emotions really. Ubbe, wisely as he was, walked away from the table. Hvitserk got up from the table, wiping his mouth before coming around, sitting on the edge while pulling your closer at your hand. You let him.

'I don't want you to come.' He stated honestly. Your jaws tensed on each other, not giving a crimp while his hands run over your arms before cupping your face. 'I don't want to find the one I love dead on a battlefield.' He whispered, messing it even more up.

'I'm the best shield maiden you have.' You just stated, giving him a chance to make it right again.

'And I want to lose you. Y/n, you understand?'

'Totally.' You faked with a smile, laying your hand on his before kissing him. You felt his fingers around your waist, following the curve of your ass before he pulled back.

'Thanks for understanding.' He smiled, generally in love. You petted his cheek before turning around and walking out.

'You are so deep in trouble brother.' You heard Ubbe chuckled, at least somebody understood. You were a born fighter, you always fought and now all the sudden you couldn't? Because Hvitserk loved you ... how much would he love your silence?

He sneaked in late at night, trying to get you awake by kissing your warm skin but you just ignored the innocent act until he fall asleep. When he woke up you were already long gone, practicing on the training ground in the forest.

'How did you took it?' Ivar asked amused when he arrived. You pulled the string back, hitting a deer head right between the eyes. 'Not good.'

'I won't say a word to him until he lets me come.' You stated, looking aside to Ivar.

'You know he will go crazy right? Before even realizing his fault?' Ivar asked.

'That is the plan.' You muttered, taking another arrow, placing it on the bow.

'I like you Y/n, if you ever grow sick of him you can always turn to me.'

'Well,' you stopped your own words, turning with the bow until your eyes fell on Hvitserk and Ubbe, joking while walking over. You took a deep breath, pulling the string back before aiming, hitting the tree just aside him. Hvitserk startled and the only sound around you was Ivar his laugh.

'You weren't there this morning.' Hvitserk started. You tilted your head, crossing your arms while looking at him. 'You are angry.' He guessed.

'You think you are good around woman by having such high standard but isn't she a little too good for you?' Ivar joked, ducking for the twig that got his way. He totally had his fun with it. You turned around, grabbing another arrow and getting back to your training.

'Y/n, tell me.' Hvitserk insisted, blocking your view from the deer. If he really was thinking you would shoot he was wrong. You pulled the string back, giving him a challenging look, he jumped aside before it could hit him. 'You are that angry that you rather have me dead?' He asked out of the blew.

'I think she is proving a point brother.'

'You shut up!' Hvitserk snapped towards his younger brother. You couldn't suppress the little smile on your lips, seeing how much it already irritated him that you didn't say a word. 'Fine, if you want to play it this way.' Hvitserk started, pulling out his sword.

'Be wise brother.' Ubbe warned him. You gave the bow to Ivar and he gave you an sword instead. You already fought Hvitserk in countless ways, he didn't won that often. He should know how good you where, he should be the one staying home, not you. You turned the sword two times around your wrist before setting your attention to him. You smiled, not the kind way, the promising way of winning this came.

'Don't think you can impress me.' He smiled charming. You didn't answer and he attacked. Your feet work went fluent, douching his attack with a fine line between defending and attacking back. For the first time you gave him the hints of the killer you could be, cutting him in his upper arm before swiftly tackling him down to the ground in les then five minutes. You pinched your sword to his throat, giving him a sweet smile yourself. 'I'm sorry!' He signed, losing the sword to surrender. 'I offended your by saying you weren't good enough, I'm sorry.' He explained. You pulled the sword back and he got up, tilting hi head. 'Forgive me?' He asked sweet, out of breath. You gave the sword back to Ivar before leaving the trainings ground. 'Y/n!' He yelled after you but just as before he got only silence in return.

After that there wasn't anything stopping him from trying to getting you to talk. He helped your parents with stocking hay the day after in the hope you would talk directly to him, which you never did. The day after that he tried on getting you somewhere you knew you liked it, the hunting cabin. There were a lot of vivid memories in that cabin that made you warm only by thinking. But you just went on with your work. You were in your brother his blacksmith when he found you the third day.

'Here you are.' He greeted you, totally normal. You turned your head to look at him but didn't react. He grunted, strangling his fingers through his hair, almost pulling it out. 'Please Y/n, how do I get you to talking to me again.' He was almost begging. You studied his face as he came to stand before you. 'I can't handle this anymore, I said I was sorry a hundred times over. Please talk, I will do everything you ask.' He promised. Your eyebrow cocked up ... everything?

'Normally it would feel better now, I made a few adjustments.' Your brother started, walking from a little shed into the blacksmith. 'Hvitserk.' He greeted your lover. Hvitserk only signed, letting his head fall forward as you turned to your brother.

'Thank you.'

'Be careful.' He warned you.

'I will.' You winked. You walked out, slowing your steps as you heard Hvitserk.

'How do I get her to talk against me again?' He asked your brother desperately.

'Give her what she wants.' You brother answered and you smiled, walking back home.

That evening you were invited to eat in the great hall, a really good meal with a lot of ale. Hvitserk was always watching you from the other side.

'Still not talking to each other?' Ubbe guessed.

'I do plenty talking, she just doesn't answer.' Hvitserk muttered angry. You grew rather amused of the matter, knowing this would be the only lesson you would have to give him. After three days you longed on talking to him again, but you were just the more stubborn party. He looked at you, waiting for reaction before he slammed his mock down on the table. 'You are driving me crazy.' He threw out, frustrated. Ubbe frowned his eyebrows, rather amused and Ivar ... well he had a lot of fun on the matter. 'You can come.' He gave in. A slow smile got on your lips while tilting your head.

'Wasn't that hard right?' You asked him. He looked at you, mouth hanging half open.

'Seriously, this was all I had to do?'

'If you think you can make my choices than you are wrong Hvitserk.'

'You just had to say it to me!' He flew out, relieved, confused.

'I did. You just don't read woman that well.'

'She did.' Ivar supported you amused. You both gave him an angry glare.

'Don't make my choices, I'm a better fighter then you, you don't get a say in how I die.' You stated. Hvitserk grabbed his cup an drank it empty in one time. 'But it's cute seeing all the effort of past days.' You bite your lip.

'How can I still love you.'

'Because I'm the best there is.'

'If you die on me I kill you all over in Valhalla.'

'If I die, we better make the best of it before then.' You wiggled your eyebrows. He gazed at you before jumping from his seat. You smiled, getting up and giving jealous Ivar a seductive smile. 'Enjoy my friends.' You winked to them before following Hvitserk outside, feeling the greedy fingers around your body as if he missed your for weeks. Cute.