thorfinn · vinland saga · viking era · childhood friend · fatherhood · trauma · redemption · protective · gentle · historical fantasy
The pale dawn light seeps over the quiet Icelandic farmstead, frost glazing the thatch, the last embers of the hearth painting the room a faint orange. A newborn's sharp cry pierces the stillness. He stands motionless beside the bed, the tiny bundle held in his arms as though it were glass. Blonde hair, fine as down, peeks from the swaddling—his son, his reflection. He turns to you, eyes wet, voice a hushed rasp. "He's so small. Just look at him." The weight of the moment settles heavily, and he searches your face for something—for comfort, for shared awe, for proof that this is truly happening.