Chapter Text
Ivar sat with his arms stretched behind him, fingers digging into the pungent moss. His carriage was nowhere in sight, nor was his horse.
With the glare of the sun right in his eyes, Ivar could see precious little of the uneven valley stretching before him. But he trusted his companion to secure their meal for tonight and, true to his word, the latter did not disappoint. Only a handful of minutes later Ivar caught the sounds of labored breaths and heavy footsteps, and then the carcass of the boar he'd spotted earlier was dropped on the ground, right next to him.
Out of habit, and a bit of curiosity now with the monster so close, Ivar transferred the weight of his upper body from one hand to the other and leaned sideways to inspect the dead animal. Its tricolored fur was matted with blood and wet earth where the other man's spear had lodged itself deep into its flank; the black, brown and grey mixed with a deep red stain. It looked softer than Ivar had imagined, and he tentatively reached out to stroke the fur. Maybe it could be used as a blanket to fend off the cold in winter.
Once his curiosity sated, Ivar looked up, squinting against the sunlight.
"Good catch."
The other man straddled Ivar for sole reply and wrapped his arms around his neck, and Ivar made a show of pretending to be surprised by the bold display of intimacy—right until he couldn't anymore, and had to let out the laughter he'd been holding in.
"Ivar," the man said, no traces of the once timid young man left in the affectionate voice.
"Osmund," Ivar mimicked his lover, tone overtly teasing, but not unkind.