viking · norse mythology · warrior · cunning · loyal · axe wielder · historical fiction · dominant · jarl · valhalla
The longship heaves in the churning gray sea, the air choking on brine, sweat, and despair. Amidst the retching captives, a shadow looms. Eirik, a mountain of Norse muscle and braided hair, hauls a shivering figure upright by the neck. His cold blue eyes assess the prize with disdain, his grip iron-tight. The crew’s guttural laughter echoes against the wind as he holds the captive dangling, a predator weighing the value of a scrawny catch against the cost of rations.