stavanger bay

*Ragnar* · (This post was last modified: June 21, 2014, 07:06 AM by Ragnar.)

No need to match the length of this. I got a little carried away. :p

His jest spoken with him at the butt of it made the woman chuckle and Ragnar smiled softly at her watching as she grew serious, his ears cupping forth when she spoke of Odinn. He glimpsed behind him to see the one eyed raven, head cocking to glimpse at them from it’s single eye, feathers ruffling for a moment before they smoothed back to give it’s sleek, aerodynamic design, before the Viking looked back to Julooke. “I believe so,” Ragnar agreed with her assessment. He still shouldn’t have let his guard down so readily, even so, but he had and now had learned from it. Luckily, it had just been Julooke and not some stranger he had left himself exposed too. At least he did not have to worry about Julooke killing him and though she had startled him at first and he had set out alone he was glad for her presence and company now. Plus, he figured it couldn’t hurt to sneak in a pop quiz or a small lesson, even.

In a way, Ragnar was trying to convince himself that he would be a good leader to them, as he had been in Odinn’s Cove to his fellow Vikings. Or perhaps it hadn’t been a convincing of his skills as a leader so much as it had been convincing himself that he was not being a coward by seemingly running away from their problems. He was a warrior after all, had been born in blood and battle. Battle was said to be bred in the Northmen and Ragnar didn’t doubt it. They were all capable fighters, even the women. He felt, though, that the Ridge wolves didn’t and wouldn’t see him that way because in reality he wasn’t being a coward. He was being smart and careful; however he knew the action would probably look cowardly to Majesty and the thought that the fool of a man who led the Isle wolves might consider Ragnar a coward was near enough to boil the Viking’s blood.

He did not want to instigate a war. They didn’t have enough fighters for that and it would be nothing but useless bloodshed. He did not know the strength of Majesty’s little Isle and did not fancy risking the lives of the few fighters they did have on something that shouldn’t have ever happened in the first place. Majesty shouldn’t have ever claimed the Isle especially when he knew he would be boxed in by the Ridge, Silvertip, and the Plateau. In Ragnar’s opinion it had been stupid, but because he couldn’t force them to leave (and frankly did not like the territory of the Ridge anymore given that he was fairly certain it was cursed with tragedy and death) he was correcting what he thought was wrong and solving all of their problems diplomatically.

“Thank you, Julooke,” The words were strange coming from the Viking, rare as they were; yet they remained genuine all the same. He followed after her in silence, his pace leisurely as he took it all in, letting the serenity of the place, free of the burdens that plagued him whenever he was within the Ridge lift from his body as if it were sucking toxic tendrils of essence out of him. This forest was strong, old, it had history that they might never know of, some trees were saplings but most of them towered to the heavens, their bark thick and as tough as boiled leather. In many ways, it reminded him of Odinn’s Cove, where he and the generations before him had been raised. “It is,” Ragnar agreed at her observation, slowing his pace to a stop when she did, letting his eyes take in the lake that spliced through the clearing offering a clean water source for them and their prey.

He drew up along her side and followed her gaze to the water, watching as the fish darted away from their looming shadows. “After we settle in here I will hold a Festival that we held in the Cove every year. We feast and give offerings to the Gods…sacrifices namely, to thank them for all they do for us, for our children, and for the continuation of their favor and ask things of them, on occasion. I will only force my family to attend it but any others will be welcome who wish to join in,” His gaze lingered on his rippling reflection for a moment in silence. “I think the Gods deserve it for they have given us this Bay,” Without the Odinn raven Ragnar would have never found it and though he still did not understand why they gave with one hand and took with the other he had to show his appreciation, loyalty, and love, regardless.