#ragnar sons

He knew something was going on, he had never seen you smile so big and you were moving from foot to foot like you had taken something you shouldn't have.

"I have a surprise for you My Prince."

You directed him to lay on the ground on some furs you had laid out.

"Just trust me ok?" The clanging sound was not fun, and you could feel it shake your skull. You knew that sooner or later, it would trigger an attack and your head would feel like it was being split open but as long as you lasted till tomorrow, you'd be ok.

It didn't take as long as you thought to have the braces on, when the last hammer blow fell the Blacksmith was already going to the backroom to get the new crutch.

"Ok, I'm going to help you for a minute but you should be able to do it yourself when you get your balance."

When Ivar saw the crutch, it clicked.

"What did you plan Woman?" He was so confused.

"No time to talk, I'm going to grab one of your hands and I want you to put the other one the crutch, then on three, I'm going to pull you up."

You did so, holding onto his hand as tight as you could while you use your combined body weight to rock back and then pull up.

Ivar wobbled for a moment and then managed to stand still. You let go of his hand slowly but stayed close enough to catch him if he fell. The smile on his face was worth everything. But that's not Ivar was thinking, sure he was standing but the way you were looking at him made him feel like he had just slain Fenrir.

"Now put your weight on the crutch and take one step, one whatever leg feels the best." He did so, all be it a little wobbly.

He was looking at you in disbelief.

"Now do it with the other leg." he was more steady now, you didn't feel like you had to be standing there to catch him. You didn't expect Ivar to be able to pick it up so quickly, you also didn't expect him to walk over and hug you. But he did, he crossed the room with surprising ease and wrapped you in his arms like a snake.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you." It sounded like he was crying but it was getting hard to you to take a deep breath

By Thor he was strong.

"Ivar you're crushing me." he pulled back but kept his hands on you. A silence came over the room. You had never seen him his close, he was very handsome.

"We are late for dinner but I think you deserve to make an entrance." You had planned to be late so everyone was in the hall when you got in but there's was no way you'd ever tell Ivar that. The Blacksmith looked at you like he knew, you had wondered why he took so long to cut all the leather.

"We should take the back way to avoid spoiling the surprise." You were smiling so much your face was hurting.

"Agreed" The Blacksmith was shoving you both out the back door the moment you figure out your plan

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You and Ivar pressed yourself against the wall as you walked back to the Great Hall.

"AHHH Ivar." You yank him behind a pillar to avoid the men walking by.

"Oh, so I'm Ivar now?" You could hear something in his voice but it was hard to pinpoint.

"I think I've earnt a first name basis." Ivar didn't say anything, and you started to walk again.

"Stop making eye contact with them Ivar, you'll give us away." Ivar rolled his eyes at you very dramatically.

"I'm not the one who keeps squealing when people walk by!" You were pressed against the wall in an alleyway a street away from the Great Hall now.

"I do not squeal!" Ivar pressed his hand over his face to stop a laugh.

"Collect yourself, it will make more of an impact if we just walk in." Ivar took a deep breath and followed after you.

The Great Hall was quiet tonight, Ragnar's family had forgone the nightly feast to spend time with each other.

"I'll go in and sit down, you come in just after me." Ivar thought to himself that you would never make a spy.

You walked into the Great Hall as calmly as you could, you couldn't even make eye contact with anyone for fear of breaking.

"Sorry I'm late, Ivar should be in soon." they knew something was up.

Thump step, thump step, thump step.

"That should be him now." You watched the door open and the crutch come through the opening, you hid your face behind your hands to hide your smile.

Ivar stood proudly in the door was before coming in and sitting down without a word. You shared a look and turned to the room. Aslaug was crying, fanning her hand in hopes of banishing the tears.

"We've had a busy day." Then you were being flung out of your seat in Ubbe's arms. He was squeezing you with all his might while spinning you around in circles.

"This is wonderful. You are truly a gift from the gods." You could hear the elation in his voice. Aslaug was standing next to her Son, looking into his eyes.

"I knew I was right."

How cryptic

"Thank you y/n, for everything you've done for us." that meant a lot coming from Lagertha.

"How did you come up with this?" Sigurd sounded impressed.

"It wasn't my idea. I acquired some letters from a traveller, those letters spoke of a man who, after being trampled by a horse, was able to walk again with braces and a crutch." Nods all around, they seemed like they really wanted to listen to you.

"What's strangest things you've seen?" Ubbe was always very curious.

"Bug bites. The man had just returned from a raid when he noticed, it turns out he fell asleep next to the ocean and was attacked but sea lice that had been whipped into the wind by a storm." You can still remember pouring over scrolls for hours because you had never seen that rash pattern before.

"Have you ever refused to treat someone?" they could see you trying not the laugh.

"Yes, an Earl in the mountains. He fell off a horse as a young man and was having back pain." They knew who you were talking about because he never talked about anything else.

"Earl Knut?" Ivar's tone was impassive, you nodded at him.

"Go on", Bjorn was smiling.

"He was unbearable, he never did anything I asked and just complained all day long. Had he got up off his arse and walked around he would have started feeling better." Ivar looked angry, you understood that. It was hard to live with pain you couldn't control, especially when other people took that control for granted.

"And his Son, by the Gods that man was a pest. He would not leave me alone, it was like he was a rabid dog, or an enormous horse fly." Lagertha and Aslaug giggled in sympathy.

"One day, he comes into the store complaining about a cut on his arm; when I came back from getting supplies from the back, he was standing in the middle of the room stark naked with a flower in his mouth." Ivar didn't look very comfortable.

"I don't know how I handled it without losing my temper. He only left me alone when I found a new healer for his Father, this one was a man and didn't know left from right."

"I don't think most men know the difference between left and right." Aslaug was funny when she wanted to be.

You were really starting to feel the headache now, you hoped that if you got to bed now, you could still function tomorrow.

You were wrong.

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When you woke up it was still dark, your head felt like it was about to burst open. But you could hear Ivar moving around so you had to get up.

"Is everything ok Ivar?" he looked well, maybe a little tried considering how late it was when you heard him come in.

"My feet are swollen, I can't get my shoes on." He didn't sound as down on himself as usual.

"That's to be expected, I'll make you some tea." You went to your chest and hot out the same herbs you gave Ubbe when he fell off his horse. After it steeped, you handed it to him.

"I don't like this one, it makes my stomach hurt." You were not in the mood for this.

"Drink the drink Ivar, or I will make you." You sounded a lot like his Mother then, he was too scared to Disobey.

"Thank you, try again in 20 minutes, if it's not better I'll get you another cup. In the meantime, I'll get you some food so your stomach doesn't hurt."

Ivar managed to get his shoes on the first time and you and he walked to breakfast. Ivar was ravenous but you could barely contain the urge to gag, you settled for eating some bread and salty eggs so people wouldn't worry.

"You should come out to the training field with us, we'd hate from something to happen to Ivar the first time he fights on his feet." Sigurd sounded genuinely concerned.

"Of course, I'm looking forward to watching Ivar defeat all of you." You should be in bed resting, but you didn't want to worry anyone, and you certainly didn't want anyone fussing over you.

***********

Despite the growing pain, you were having fun, the cool air on your skin and the pleasant smell of the forested training grounds helped immensely.

Ivar was a very fast learner, he only fell on his face once before he gained his balance. You watched him swing the sword at his Brothers over and over again without tiring, dragging himself around his whole life had made his upper body strong and given him more endurance than his Brothers.

Come lunchtime, you only managed to eat some bread and meat. You were too preoccupied to see how worried they all were.

"I think we should take y/n back to the Hall, she doesn't look very well." Ubbe was ready for you to fall in a heap.

"She hasn't eaten enough today, especially with the cold. That can't help."

Ivar didn't know what to do, it was clear something was very wrong but you were also doing your best to hide it.

"What wrong y/n?" You were taken aback, you never expected them to notice.

"I'm just tired is all." Ivar could tell you were lying.

"No you're not, you're hurting somewhere. Don't lie to me." You could tell his anger was from worry.

"My head is aching, it happens from time to time. I just need a day or two and I'll be back to normal. I promise I won't neglect you." Ivar was gripping your arms and pulling you off your seat.

"We are going back home now, and you will spend the day resting. It's not up for debate, if you don't go, you will be carried." You looked back at his Brothers hoping for backup, but they weren't on your side.

You all walked back slowly, Ivar was watching you the whole time.

You were practically pushed into Ivar's bedroom. "This is unnecessary, I will be fine." Ivar didn't even respond.

"You don't need to put me to bed, either!" There was no point fighting. Plus, you didn't feel like it.

You could hear someone rooting around in your trunk and then Ivar was approaching you with a cup. You could already smell the bitter drink.

"Ivar I don't need that, you know how strong it is." he didn't seem to even hear you.

"Drink the drink y/n or I will make you." You did your best to glare at him but you could see Hvitserk chuckling in the background. You took it in one shot, by the time it started to work everyone but Ivar had left.

"Someone will keep you entertained when you get up."

You woke up a few hours later, Ivar was sitting at the end of your small bed reading a book.

"I'll have Hvitserk bring you some food, you will finish the whole plate before you get up." You'd have to work on his bedside manner but he wasn't bad at looking after another person.

He'll make a good Father.

"I'm actually starving." You looked a little strange but Ivar knew how you felt, but he would take feeling like his skull was full of rabbit fur over the pain any day.

The boys were in out all day, Sigurd has swapped places with Hvitserk once you were done with your meal.

"If you're feeling ok, can you tell me about all your herbs?" You have wondered when Sigurd would bring it up.

"If you bring me my chest I can show you right now." He did just that.

You went through everything, taking out each jar and pouch and showing him how you had already portioned off every ingredient.

"Do you use the same amount for every person?" You liked that question.

"No, half the portion for children, the whole portion for women and teenagers and double for men." Sigurd thought that made a lot of sense.

"What about for Berserkers?" You held up three fingers, your face said that you had some stories.

It was dinner time when you were done.

"Thank you for being such great company Sigurd."

*************

Dinner went much better than breakfast, it was still a little hard to carry on a conversation that involved thinking but you were feeling much better.

"We'll have to have you back here very soon, Bjorn and Lagertha are leaving for their Earldom soon and we would like to discuss some trade ideas." It took a moment for it to sink in.

"You want my advice?" You must have been looking at Aslaug like she had two heads.

"Of course I do, who better to ask about spices than the expert." You were still a little stunned.

You and Ivar went to bed pretty early, you were drying your hair when Ivar asked you to sit down with him at the table.

"Y/n, I wanted to ask you something?" you bobbed your head for him to continue.

"I would like you to stay here in Kattegat with my family and me, I see no reason for you to go back to your village. You can treat your patients here, I'm sure Mother would be happy to give you the best stall in the market."

Oh no

Part 6