Entry for Day 7 of @vikingsevents vernal equinox event. Have a little Ragnarssons being small cuteness that came to me without asking, lol. It's kinda centered around Ivar, which is a double surprise. Aslaug POV, which isn't a surprise at all. (1k fic below the cut)
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The weather was ideal for them to go on a hunt for easter eggs and Aslaug had made it harder for her over-eager boys. She knew Hvitserk and Ubbe were quick to find all the nests she hid away and so she made the rule that they could only take those with their names on it and have to leave those that don’t. She was sitting on the porch, a tea in hand as she watched them spread out in their yard. Hvitserk was already stomping around in frustration, because he’d found Ivar’s and Sigurd’s nests, but not his own. Ubbe had sat down near a tree instead of looking for his nest and Aslaug was inclined to ask, but with him it was most likely to keep the pressure off his brothers. Last year Ivar had had a fit when he couldn’t find a single egg, so much so that in his rage he managed to topple over in his wheelchair. Neither Aslaug nor Ubbe were allowed to get near to help though.
She was positive that Hvitserk and Ubbe finding the hidden eggs after five minutes didn’t help the cause. Even Sigurd had managed to swallow his jokes when he saw the fury in his brother’s eyes.
Her youngest had refused to use his wheelchair this time though and was crawling around in the grass, possibly staining his jeans a bright green where they brushed over the ground. Ivar was also very close to the forest that started exactly where their yard ended. And also as far away as possible from any easter treat Aslaug had planted. She took a sip of her tea and continued watching what would unfold.
“Mister bunny!” Ivar called out all of a sudden, halting his brother’s in their search. “He’s here!” he was pointing towards the forest and Aslaug frowned, before getting up. She did not want him to crawl around the underbrush of the forest. She’d already been against him doing that in their yard, but there was no way of arguing with an Ivar who had an opinion. Even though she swore herself not to intervene, this did the trick to cause her to walk over.
“It’s easter bunny!” Hvitserk corrected him. “And you didn’t see him.” he added, his skinny arms folded and a scowl on his cute little face. There was a reason why Hvitserk didn’t believe Ivar and Aslaug knew that it had a lot to do with Ubbe telling his brother that the Easter Bunny wasn’t real. And neither was Santa. Thankfully it didn’t stop Hvitserk from loving the presents and treats and he kept his mouth shut about it towards Sigurd and Ivar.
Although, Aslaug was sure he was holding that revelation back until the very moment one of them pissed him off. He’d done it before with a secret not meant for little ears and Aslaug couldn’t tell if he picked that trait up from her or Ragnar. Or possibly Ubbe.
“Yes, it was!” Ivar argues, already red in the face. “It’s mister bunny,” he said with confidence and Aslaug had to smile. Ivar did not like to be corrected and he seemed to have a special hatred for Hvitserk correcting him, though Aslaug hadn’t found out why yet. He was fine when Ubbe did it. “He will show me…” Aslaug barely caught that part before she saw Ubbe stand up to follow his little brother who was already disappearing into the forest.
“Ivar!” she called out, halting him in his movements. “The easter bunny did not hide your nest in the forest, come back here!” Her quick stride brought her to the end of the yard where her boys had started to huddle. “Now.” Aslaug insisted, leaving no room for discussions.
When Ivar emerged from the higher grass, he sported a pout so big he deserved a place in the book of world records for that expression. Ubbe wasn't far behind him. “But I saw him, mom!” Ivar insisted, “Mister bunny has my nest!” he whined so pitiful Aslaug had to resist picking him up. She knew he hated coddling, but sometimes she couldn't help herself. “Believe me.”
“No, he doesn’t,” Aslaug replied. “I saw him this morning, hiding all your nests.” When she dared to look Hvitserk’s way, the eyebrow raise caught her a bit off-guard. At this moment he looked surprisingly like his father. “Come with me, you’ll find yours closer to the house.”
The boys continued their search, this time even Ubbe acted like he was genuinely looking as Ivar followed her back. “You don’t believe me…” she heard her youngest say, a sadness in his voice that tore at her heartstrings.
“I do believe you saw a hare,” Aslaug replied. “But the easter bunny wears a bow around its neck,” she lied. “Did yours have a bow on its neck?” Aslaug wanted to know, looking down at her son who had started poking through the flowers. Still nowhere near the place she stashed his nest. And here she’d thought she made it easy for him…
Ivar shook his head, the pout back on his face. “HAH!” she heard Hvitserk exclaim and knew he finally got the nest that was meant for him. A quick look back and she saw how Ubbe avoided looking at her as he rubbed his neck. She was positive he helped him somehow, but being distracted meant she couldn’t prove it.
“Why don’t you look over there?” Aslaug suggested, pointing in the direction where she hid Ivar’s easter eggs. “I think I saw him near the lavender.” With a look of concentration, Ivar crawled towards the huge bush of flowers. With her help he managed to find his nest before Sigurd found his own and Aslaug knew that meant a lot less screaming in the afternoon.
When she sat back in her chair, her boys busy picking through their chocolate eggs and small gifts she placed in those nests, she watched how Sigurd and Ivar compared theirs to make sure neither one was favored. On the other end of the brother spectrum she saw Ubbe and Hvitserk exchange treats they liked best and wondered why she even bothered giving those two their own.
A heavy sigh escaped her and she turned her gaze towards the forest, only to notice the hare Ivar must’ve spotted earlier. “Well, hello there, mister bunny.” she said quietly and more to herself than anyone else.
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In danish Easter Bunny is called Påskehare and Mister would be Herre. So Ivar basically named him Herrehare.
