'Fire In Your Eyes' (Thorfinn x Reader) - Vinland Saga

Hel

I feel it important to mention that this is all completely non-canon but characters in the anime are used as they are all brilliant and really interesting. A lot of OC's, a ton of swearing and a whole lot of detail (studying Oscar Wilde recently hasn't helped so apologies if you find it a bit wordy., I can assure you as the story develops there will be more dialogue!). This little spin off has become my own little saga. I really hope you enjoy it!

ALSO; This cover of the first theme of the anime (which was INCREDIBLE) is what I imagine would be the theme for our girl's story! The same pain, anger and passion... Check it out. 

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I haven't known this band of Vikings for too long, they'd invaded my village 4 months ago. A gang of thoughtless thugs led by a man called 'Gorm', a huge, ugly, balding man with a very noticeably crooked nose, on account of it being broken so many times. His men say he keeps it fractured without ever re-positioning it on purpose, to make it evident that he is indeed a giant brute; quick with a sword but not with wit. His right hand man Leif usually does most of the talking, definitely the more patient of the two.

I confined myself to a small hut on the outer ring of the village, its comprises of no more than 100 small huts, and since the arrival of this yob, at least 40 tents. Previously home to my friends and family, we'd lived peacefully in the forest of Dean, hidden amongst the great trees, tucked away safely in Cannop. We'd never felt any danger, the safety in being situated in the middle of nowhere where only the village folk knew their way in and out, merchant traders would pass through but even they would be someone who originated from Cannop.

I lived with my grandmother, she was blind and as hard it as it may be to believe, she had heard them coming a while back. One night, just as I was about to put out the fire, she started muttering that the wind smelt different, and the trees were groaning too loudly. She had a habit of speaking in riddles but as one of the longest living elders of Cannop, I knew she could smell real trouble.

I grabbed my father's sword and rushed to alert Alcott, being aware of not waking the village and causing unnecessary panic. Alcott was my age and the son of our village chief representative, Carden, who lived with his family at the centre of the huts circular formation. Carden warned us not to panic and calmly asked Alcott and his twin sister Luella to start gathering the weapons from a nearby shed that was being used as an armoury. There was never real cause to have one but the rumours about swarms of Danes terrorising towns and conquering cities had even spread to our little village, and Carden felt it necessary to stay prepared.

Leif rode in accompanied by 30 of his men, with strict orders not to storm the huts in their usual fashion, burning things down and killing any man in their way whilst dragging the women they desire off to have their disgusting way with them, before killing them as well. In a fucked up way I always admired Leif for that.

They had their weapons brandished and you could tell they were itching to charge forward and hunt, growling and snarling, they'd stare the men down and whistle at the women as we all emerged from our homes to see what all the commotion was about. Leif called out to ask if any of us knew Danish, though he spoke in English to ask us. Carden stepped forward and began to converse with Leif, who was still on his horse. I could understand parts, I knew Alcott and Luella could understand more. Since the rumours, Carden had taken it upon himself to teach the children both Danish and Norse for if such an occasion were to arise, if we were ever caught off guard we would know how to negotiate our surrender. I never thought it would actually happen so I didn't pay too much attention. Way to go, idiot.

I could see Alcott from my peripheral, his right hand gripped tightly around an axe he'd made a few weeks back. He was so proud of it, he didn't stop showing off, throwing it at trees for 6 days straight. His blonde hair was a mess but he had time to suit up, wearing a black leather tunic and his long brown boots. Handsome. Brave. Dashing. Like his dad. Like his sister. Who stood beside him in a matching tunic. His mum must have made them.

I don't think the vikings much appreciated that heroic display as much as I, as 5 of the vikings had their eyes completely fixed on Carden and his brood. They knew they posed a threat and they wanted first blood. Like dogs on chains. My grandmother had come to hear what all the fuss was about, though I protested against it there wasn't much I could do against an 87 year old woman who knew every inch of this village better than I knew my own body, sight or no sight. I stood behind her, guarding and waiting. "What manner of man smells this foul?" She huffs. I couldn't laugh as the air felt colder and the conversation felt like it was starting to heat up. "They can fight" Carden says. The context is now lost on me, I've been too distracted. "Keep them" What is he talking about?

I see Alcott and Luella exchange grim looks and Luella looks like she's about to throw one of her daggers, Alcott grabs her arm and harshly whispers something to her, the vikings staring at her lick their lips. Something is going wrong. What is going on? I feel the knots start to form in my gut, I can feel it's poison start to spread and I have to breathe deeper to slow my heart rate. Not now. This isn't one of our tests, why the fuck is this happening now? Suffering from an anxious disposition from a young age has always failed me, I couldn't let it get to me now, not while lives were at stake.

Grandma grabs my hand. "Come back. Now!" she spits at me. Someone screams. It's Luella, I look over and Carden he's been grabbed by his hair by Gorm who has appeared on a horse as if from thin air, he lifts Carden a few inches off the ground and in one swift motion slits his throat. Blood spurts out covering the side of Leif's horse as he let's go of Carden, dropping his spasming body to the ground. What happened? They were just talking? What the fuck? Carden's... dead? Their numbers multiply in seconds as more emerge from the darkness. Luella is sprinting towards them now, daggers in her hands, screaming bloody murder but one of the archers they have awaiting in the left flank shoots her straight in the head. One of the dog like Danes turns and curses, gesticulating and cursing in both English and Norse. "I wanted her for myself you fucking pig! Curse you and your whore of a mother!"

Alcott is screaming now. And crying. They laugh at him. He charges forward, and so do our fighters, a mix of our men and women. The vikings charge too. Stop. Everything's in slow motion. They'll kill us all. The poison's spread to my chest and the air becomes thin. Wake up (y/n) Please tell me this is all just-

I feel Grandma digging her nails into my palm, I look into her milky eyes. She's crying. She never cries. "You have to fight (y/n) FIGHT! And live!" 

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Hello hello! Thank you so much for reading, as you can tell this is just a bit of world building, more to come in the next chapter but we will also be introducing a certain broody mysterious little dude. Gee I wonder who...