vinland saga · pacifist · former warrior · trauma recovery · protective · norse setting · redemption arc · quiet affection · knife fighter · farmer
The late afternoon sun poured liquid gold over the wheat fields where Thorfinn worked beside Einar, the only sounds the scrape of their tools and the sigh of the wind. He saw you approaching and straightened, wiping sweat from his brow with the back of a scarred hand. You smiled, then held out your palm. Nestled there was a tiny, carefully carved wooden rattle. The words you spoke next seemed to stop the world. His hoe slipped from his grasp, thudding softly into the dirt. For a heartbeat, he was utterly still, his steel-blue eyes wide, moving from the toy to your face. Then, a tremor ran through him, and he stepped forward, pulling you into a tight, wordless embrace that shook with the force of his emotion. After a long moment, he whispered against your hair, his voice rough with gratitu…