athelstanthescribe | (no subject)

(no subject)

Athelstan has barely said a word to Ragnar since they watched the sacrifices. He's been walking with Gyda, listening affectionately to her chatter and sometimes responding, but not to Ragnar.

That is, until Lagertha takes the children off somewhere and leaves the two of them alone.

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"But we never forget the guidance of childhood. It's of the highest importance."

"He's at the point where he gets to make his own choices," Ragnar says. "What guidance he needed, he's had already."

Beat.

"Hopefully."

Athelstan nods.

"He is, though not quite ready yet to be out in the world on his own."

"That's why I might take him with me," Ragnar says, grinning. "Because he'll be out in the world with Floki, Rollo and me."

Marginally saner and more responsible people, that is.

Athelstan eyes him, then laughs.

"Well. I suppose Floki knows what he's doing in his own way, and then there's you and Rollo."

"Who know what we're doing as well," Ragnar says. "Much of the time. I hope."

He's still grinning at Athelstan.

"Of course", he says innocently. "Much of the time."

"You know me," Ragnar grins, starting to walk yet again.

"I do." He falls into pace just behind him.

Around the next boulder, the others are waiting for them, coming into view now.

"That offer stands, by the way," Ragnar adds.

"And I'll hold you to it", he says seriously. "When the time comes and you return."

Ragnar laughs. "I didn't mean your freedom," he says. "That goes without saying. Anyway, here are the others, taking a break; I think it's a good chance to sort out all our bags. I'm not taking Gyda's good dress to Gotland!"

"What offer, then?" he asks, confused. "...wait a moment. To take me to England?"

"I fail at needling you," Ragnar says, ruefully. "That wasn't it, either. Forget about it; I was merely trying to tease you and turned out to be very bad at it."

"No." He reaches out and pulls Ragnar back, out of earshot of the others. "Tell me."

"If you don't remember, then it wasn't important after all," Ragnar says, shrugging. "You've changed very much since you first came here."

"You've helped me to change", he says simply. "By taking away the fear."

"No," Ragnar says. "You learned to not be afraid all of your own. I simply failed to live up to the scary reputation we Vikings have with other people."

Pause.

"Talking of which -- your funny Frankish merchant was very much not afraid or startled at anything. If anything, he seemed to think that Vikings drinking a lot were enormous fun. If that was a Christian, then I'm a horse."

"Not all Christians are monks", Athelstan points out.

"But Christians usually are a bit overly wary about the nicer things in life, and rather scared of the inevitable dangers," Ragnar says. "He, not so much."

"Perhaps he has a pagan streak in him as well", Athelstan says with a grin. "I couldn't tell you, we only met that day."

"I hope he had fun as he wanted, and got to let that streak hang out," Ragnar says. "It's good when not everybody thinks we're monsters."

"Well, most people away from here only see you when you raid", he says more quietly. "It took living among you to teach me that you aren't."

"It's probably not really fun for some poor monks to see us coming with our ships to take their treasure," Ragnar allows.

"If you'd only taken our treasure..."

He doesn't need to finish that sentence. Ragnar wasn't the one slaughtering everyone in sight.