Passion And Glory

Chapter 1: How It Begins

Prologue

-Norway, in the village of Vågen, 872

Snow gently blew through the wind as the afternoon was slowly coming to an end.

The residents of Vågen were looking forward to the end of winter, eagerly anticipating the warmth of spring. The snow was slowly melting under the bright sunlight, but the air remained bitterly cold. The villagers huddled in their homes, grateful for the warmth and comfort of their hearths, as they waited for better days to come.

A half of a mile from town, two children, Liv and Kanut ran through the snow-covered forest, laughter ringing out through the air as they chased each other. They were not far from Vågen, about half a mile away, and seemed to be lost in their own world. Kanut was determined to catch up to Liv, who was running at breakneck speed.

"Liv, wait up!" he shouted breathlessly, struggling to keep up with her.

"Haha, you can't catch me!" Liv taunted, giggling as she ran.

"You just wait!" Kanut responded playfully, chasing her as fast as he could.

As they ran, Liv took a sharp left turn, leaving Kanut momentarily confused. Thinking he could outsmart her, he followed her lead. But as he made the turn, Liv vanished.

"Liv?" Kanut called out incredulously, looking around to see if she was hiding behind a tree or a bush.

"Liv?" Kanut called out, scanning the area for any signs of her. "This isn't funny, Liv," he continued, his voice tinged with worry.

"Liv, where are you?" he called out again before getting startled as Liv suddenly jumped out from behind a tree, causing him to lose his balance and slip into the snow. "Ah!" he exclaimed as he tried to balance himself.

Liv burst out laughing at Kanut's reaction, her cheeks flushed with excitement. "You found me!" she exclaimed playfully.

Kanut looked relieved but still a bit annoyed. "Gods, Liv, I thought something had happened to you," he said, brushing off the snow from his clothes as he stood up.

"I was just messing with you, turd," Liv said, chuckling.

"Well, you succeeded," Kanut replied, unable to suppress a smile. "How do you come up with these ideas anyway?"

"You're too easy," Liv teased, enjoying the playful banter.

"And you're too predictable," Kanut retorted, his tone light-hearted. "But don't forget, there are plenty of things that I'm capable of that you wouldn't expect."

"You're cute when you're flustered," Liv teased, grinning at Kanut.

"Liv, you know I'm not flustered. I can't believe that you could come up with ideas like this," Kanut replied, a hint of disbelief in his voice.

"I thought it would be fun," Liv said innocently, but Kanut could tell she was hiding a mischievous glint in her eye.

"Well, I'm glad you're alright," he said, smiling at her.

"Why wouldn't I be? I can take care of myself, you know?" Liv responded confidently.

"Not if you act like a damn fool and get yourself killed," Kanut half-joked, his tone serious.

"I could say the same about you, since I always seem to trick you," Liv fired back, playfully pushing him.

"Oh yeah?" Kanut responded, playfully pushing her back.

"Mhmm," she said before tackling him. The two wrestled in the snow, laughing and screaming as Liv tried to overpower Kanut. However, he was able to keep her at bay, his strength surprising her.