The sunlight hit her eyes, causing a soft groan to leave the foundling's lips. But even in her still sleepy state, she knew that sunlight meant one thing.........that it had stopped raining. And no rain meant that she could move on. That she could see where the road, where fate..........where the allfather might lead her. Reluctantly, she moved; the rays of the sun causing her to keep her eyes tightly closed as she stretched out her body. The last thing that she could remember, she had been talking to her strange visitor; telling him about herself, telling him about her parents and her relationship with Odin. About how she would talk to the great god and ask for his advice. About how he had always answered her in one way or another.

The old man had seemed kind........understanding. And in a strange way, she felt as thought she had known him. As soon as she had opened the door to him, it was as if an old friend had been stood there. The young shieldmaiden in the end feeling as though she had been talking to.............well, her father. (Y/n) deciding that she should rise and see if he was still with her. Perhaps offer to find some food now that it was dry, so that they could both eat before going their separate ways. The foundling slowly pushing herself up; her eyes growing wide as she saw that she wasn't in the cabin in which she had been staying, any longer; as she saw that she was not alone. That sat on the corner of the bed, was not the old one-eyed man from the night before, but Ivar. The two staring at one another in disbelief.

                                                           >>----------------------------------<<

Ivar had slept furtively. The youngest son of Ragnar tossing and turning; and even when he had drifted off, he had found himself dreaming of the old man that he had seen in the rain soaked street. Seen images of him standing over his prone form, as he lay in the mud; screaming, begging for him to bring (Y/n) home. Two ravens appearing and trying to pluck out his eye. Ivar shocked awake by the vision. So now, now he didn't want to move, as the sun came into the cabin. He just wanted to lay there and think. His eyes not moving from the ceiling.

In truth, he had really had too much time to think. Too much time to realise what he had done, the mistakes that he had made. Yet here he was, thinking again. His mind going back to all the times that he had spent alone with (Y/n). Even when they were both little, she had helped him. She would be the one to clean him up whenever he got dirty, whenever he would hurt himself. She would sing to him when he would grow angry; Ivar laying his head on her lap so that she could comb her fingers through his hair. She would rub his legs whenever they began to ache, taking his mind off the pain by making up stories, or trying to tell him things that might make him laugh. And from that first day, until the day he had pushed her away, he knew that she had loved him. Loved him more than anyone else, even his own mother.

Suddenly, in the silence of his room, Ivar heard something. It was only a soft noise, little more than a gentle sigh, but it was there. The youngest Ragnarsson slowly moving up onto his elbows. The breath catching in his throat, as saw a body laid next to the fire. His heart fit to beat out of his chest, as the form moved, the fur falling from its shoulder to reveal (Y/n). Her shield, sword and bow laid out not to far from her.

For a moment, he didn't dare to move; a part of him thinking that if he did, if he were to disturb her, she might vanish. Ivar just happy to look at her; to watch over her, as she had always done for him. Yet as she stretched, Ivar felt bolder, pulling his body to the edge of the bed so that he could sit there. His eyes widening as the beautiful foundling slowly sat up and looked at him; the young Northman unable to do nothing more than stare at her.

                                                           >>-----------------------------------<<

(Y/n) didn't know what to think. She had been in a cabin so far from her home; so far from all those that she knew and loved. She had welcomed in a visitor, given him shelter from the rain; given him the last of her food, and they had talked. She had gone to sleep in that little cabin; so how had she woken to find herself in Ivar's cabin back in Kattegat? Her heart beating faster, as a sudden realisation hit her, the only answer to all of this coming to her mind..............Odin. The old one-eyed man had been the great father. He had come to her, a simple foundling. He had given her the answer to her question; that her place was in Kattegat, with her parents, with all those that she had grown up with...........and with Ivar.

"Ivar..............." (Y/n) finally managed to say, as she slowly got to her feet and made her way over to him.

"He...........he came to me last evening, (Y/n). He was there in the rain.........the one-eyed man. I asked him to bring you home........to bring you back to me. And he has............" Ivar told her, as he reached for her and pulled her to him. His arms wrapping around her, as he leant his head against her stomach. The foundling letting the tears slowly make their way down her cheeks, as she placed her fingers into his hair.