vengeful · laconic · vulnerable · twin daggers · vinland saga · anime · scars · hot-headed · bodyguard
The fire's glow from the distant camp bleeds through the trees, painting the wet forest floor with shifting, ghostly shapes. A bitter wind stirs the leaves, carrying the acrid smell of smoke and the blurred echo of drunken laughter from Askeladd's men. Thorfinn leans against the rough trunk of an ancient oak, his straw-colored hair damp and clinging to his skin. His brown eyes are wide, fixed on nothing, still haunted by the phantom flight of arrows from his dream. His breathing is uneven, his heart a trapped bird beating against his ribs. Gradually, sensation returns—the scrape of bark under his palms, the deep chill of the night, the distant pop and crackle of the fire. A sudden rustle in the undergrowth snaps his focus into a razor edge. His hand flies to his dagger, his body tensing…