"You're leaving," Ivar accused.
"Just for Jól. I'm coming back," Unnr said.
"I'm coming with you," he declared. "I would like to see Hedeby."
Unnr laughed. "Will your mother allow that? To run off with me?"
"And Björn and Torfi," he added. "Perhaps my other brothers would like to come too."
"What is this about?" Áslaug inserted herself into the conversation.
"I want to go to Hedeby for Jól," Ivar declared. "With Björn and Unnr."
Áslaug choked on her honey wine. "No. Absolutely, not."
"Mother, I am unable to go on raids. I am not allowed to leave town on my own. I have never been outside of Kattegat. I want to go to Hedeby!" He slammed his fist on the table.
She hated when Ivar was upset, but it pained her to have him away from her "Fine, Ivar, you can go to Hedeby," she sneered at Unnr.
When the other brothers heard of this, Ubbe and Hvitserk both insisted they be invited too, leaving Áslaug with only Sigurd for the festival. The last thing Sigurd wanted was to be the only son in Kattegat, but he also didn't see what was so great about Unnr to follow her all the way to Denmark; they had never gone to Lagertha's when it was just Björn and he was actually family. As the last minute decisions were made, there was no time to send a messenger ahead to inform Lagertha to expect three extra guests for the thirteen days of Jól.
As the family boarded the boat, Ivar immediately regretted his decision to follow Unnr. At the time the thought of being left alone with his brothers without her seemed unbearable. He had grown so used to her company. For Unnr it was a short trip, taking only one full day to sail there, but Ivar had never been on a boat. The thought of leaving land was terrifying to someone who would never be able to swim. He placed himself at the prow, looking in towards the mast. He didn't speak and he didn't move while everyone else ignored his discomfort in fear of hurting his pride. Luckily there were fair winds and still waters, as there always was when Unnr sailed.
Unnr was glad Sigurd had stayed behind and couldn't disrupt the comradery as he tended to do. "Oh, I've missed Denmark," she declared. "It's wonderfully flat."
Björn laughed. "That is true, I believe the biggest mountain I am able to climb in three steps."
Unnr looked at Ivar who sat just inside the corner of her vision. A small smile had formed on his lips, but the relief of a flat country was still a couple hours until fruition. It was only a small trip that never required entering open water, but she still worried if something happened it would be her fault. The three of them were following her to Hedeby, not Björn nor Torfi. She wanted someone to tell her everything is and will be alright. She wanted to hear that she was going somewhere easy to traverse.