Foreign love - Thorfinn x Reader

08

The stench of death was everywhere.
Dead bodies littered the ground, their lifeless forms twisted and broken. The sight of it made my stomach churn, and I felt my throat tighten as nausea threatened to overwhelm me. My steps faltered as I looked around, my heart pounding in my chest.

I swallowed hard and made my way to Askeladd, tugging at the hem of his shirt like a lost child. He glanced down at me, his sharp features unreadable, his expression caught somewhere between annoyance and mild curiosity.

"What is it, kid?" he asked, his voice gruff but not unkind.

I hesitated, my voice trembling.
"Where are we...?"

"England," he replied simply, his tone as matter-of-fact as if he were commenting on the weather.

"England..." I repeated softly, the word foreign and strange on my tongue. I sat down on the ground, wrapping my arms around my knees as I tried to block out the carnage surrounding us.
My mind raced with questions I was too afraid to ask.

Soon, it was time to disembark. As I stepped off the boat, the smell hit me harder than before-a thick, suffocating blend of rot, blood, and smoke. I gagged, doubling over as I tried to keep from throwing up.

Behind me, Askeladd smirked, patting my head with a rough but almost teasing gesture. "Get used to it, kid," he said, his voice tinged with dark amusement.

I clamped my hand over my nose and mouth, forcing myself to walk forward, trailing behind the others. My eyes darted from one lifeless body to another as we passed through the battlefield. I tried my best to ignore them, but the images were burned into my mind-faces frozen in fear, twisted limbs, and blood-soaked earth. My legs felt heavy, and my breaths came in short, shallow bursts.

At last, we stopped. Here, at least, there were no bodies. The air, though still smoky, was free of the putrid stench. I took a deep breath, relishing the slight relief it brought.

The men began setting up camp, opening their tents and starting fires to prepare food. Askeladd was deep in conversation with someone I didn't recognize. Their voices were low, their words unintelligible from where I sat. I didn't care much about what they were saying. My hands were busy weaving flowers into a crown, something to distract myself from the horror of the day.

When I finished, I placed the crown on my head, but it was too big and slid down over my eyes. I giggled softly, the sound strange and out of place in this grim setting. Adjusting the crown, I made it smaller and set it on my head again. This time, it fit perfectly. For the first time in what felt like forever, I felt a small flicker of pride. After so many failures and mistakes, l'd finally done something right.

Askeladd suddenly clapped his hands, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"Huh?" I whispered to myself, confused by the sudden sound.

Before I could ask, the sky darkened, and a sharp whistling sound filled the air. Arrows rained down like deadly drops of water from a storm. I yelped, my heart leaping into my throat as panic surged through me.

"Kill every last one of them!" Askel-add's voice rang out, commanding and unyielding.

The forest erupted into chaos. The fires spread rapidly, consuming trees and tents alike. Heat rolled over me in waves, and the acrid smell of burning wood and flesh filled the air. I ran, my feet stumbling over roots and debris as I searched for somewhere-anywhere-to hide.

I ducked behind a tree, pressing my back against its rough bark. From my hiding spot, I could see the scene unfolding before me. Men shouted and screamed, their weapons clashing with a terrible ferocity.

Then I saw him-Thorfinn. My eyes widened, and I gasped softly. I hadn't expected to see him here. His face was tense, his amber eyes scanning the battlefield with a mix of fear and determination. He gripped his dagger tightly, the blade gleaming even in the chaos.

A gruff voice interrupted him. "What's this? Are you a pirate too, brat?" A man loomed behind him, his voice dripping with menace.

Thorfinn spun around, his hands trembling as he pointed his dagger at the man. For a moment, he looked like a cornered animal, desperate and scared.

He tried to run, but the man lunged, tackling him to the ground. My breath hitched, and I let out a small yelp, unable to look away.

Suddenly, Askeladd appeared, his sword flashing in the firelight. Without hesitation, he drove the blade into the man's back, killing him instantly.Thorfinn gasped for breath, his face pale and stricken.

Askeladd turned to him, his expression almost mocking. "My mistake.
I thought you were dead," he said casually, as if they weren't standing in the middle of a burning battlefield.

"The weak tend to die first on the battlefield. Just like you, kid," he added, his words sharp and biting.

Thorfinn pushed the man's lifeless body off him and staggered to his feet, his face twisted with trustration and anger.

Everything happened so quickly after that. A man charged at Thorfinn, his knife raised, but Thorfinn struck first, driving his dagger into the man's abdomen. Blood poured from the wound, staining the ground. Thorfinn stabbed him again, and the man collapsed backward. But it didn't stop there. Thorfinn lunged forward, stabbing him two more times, the blade sinking into flesh with sickening precision.

Then he froze, his chest heaving, his face streaked with tears and blood.
His small frame trembled as he let out a guttural scream, a sound filled with pain, rage, and despair.

I couldn't take it anymore. The scene was too much-too overwhelming. l stood up and ran, my legs carrying me as far away as they could. My heart raced, and my stomach churned. I wanted to scream, cry, do anything to make the images in my head go away.

I stopped when I couldn't run anymore, my chest heaving with each labored breath. I sank to my knees, clutching my head as the weight of it all crashed down on me.

"Mom.." I whispered, my voice trem-bling. The word felt foreign and hollow, but l clung to it like a lifeline. Tears streamed down my face as I realized the bitter truth-I wasn't going home anytime soon.

And I wasn't sure if l'd ever feel safe again.