I Want to be Kind [-Thorfinn X Reader-] [Vinland Saga]

World on Fire

-Thorfinns POV-

Everything has been so confusing for me as of late. That girl is confusing for me. I try to be mean to her because of the feelings I have towards her father. But at the same time, when I am harsh to her I feel a sharp pain in my chest as if I just did the cruelest thing imaginable.

I can't understand why I feel this way all of a sudden. Ever since she saved me back in London I've felt something odd for her. Something I quite don't understand. I've wanted to tease her, be kind to her, and protect her. But at the same time I feel scared by these new and sudden urges. So I try to combat these feelings by saying harsh words to her to get her to dislike me and leave me the hell alone. But as soon as the words leave my mouth I instantly regret what I've said.

Especially during the night some of the men came into the barn we were sleeping in to rape a woman. I was so angry after witnessing it I wanted to take out that anger. And with me being concerned about my recent feelings toward her, I felt as if I needed to hurt her. For my sake, and for hers. I wanted her to hate me.

But when I saw the look of anger and hurt in her eyes I knew I could never do that again.

So I've decided to try to stay distant from her in order to save my feelings. So why the fuck did I agree to be her friend? That's the last thing I should've done, but when I stared into her eyes I couldn't help myself from agreeing. Gods I'm an idiot.

I felt water splash over me and run down my body as men poured buckets full of water over my head.

Askeladd's great ideal for stealing away the prince was to burn down the whole fucking forest when Thorkell and some of prince Canute's men go to battle, all the while sending me into the flames to sneak him away from Thorkell during the chaos. I look at the towering flames from where I stood beside a horse. The wind kept the fire from spreading our way, I watched as smoke began to fill the forest, trailing over the undergrowth and weaving between tree trunks.

"Now you remember the plan don't you Thorfinn?" Askeladd asked, standing a few feet away besides his daughter. She was staring at me with a look of concern in her eyes, but she didn't utter a word. When she had found out I was the man for the plan she was instantly upset at her father, arguing that another man could easily do the job, even offering herself up as a substitute or a partner to me. But for all of her arguing Askeladd refused to listen to her, saying she was an asset he wouldn't risk and that only I could do it.

Fine by me, it gave me another chance to duel him.

"I'm not an idiot baldie. The plan is easy enough." I say dismissively, climbing up into the saddle of the horse. "Make sure you grab the right man, he should be in a red cape and a feathered helm. You spotted him earlier right?" Askeladd asks as he steps up to my side. I answer with a glare and a simple "mhm." annoyed at his pestering. "Good. Now go" He ordered me. Kicking my heel against the horse, I took off into the woods without a glance back.

I make my way through the forest, entering where it was currently engulfed in flames. I hear men around me coughing and hacking as they try to get away from the fire and smoke, yelling out to each other in alarm, and the clash of metal as men continue to fight even with a fire currently surrounding them. As I make my way through I run by men, checking if they could perhaps be the prince, but I have no luck.

I continue my search when all of a sudden I hear a shout "We found the prince! He's over here!"

Found you.

I reared the horse towards the men, a wall of flames roared between me and where the shout originated. I brace myself, not caring for the horse at all, I lead it through the fire. Instantly the hair on the horse lights aflame, but thanks to being soaked I was perfectly fine. I jump from the horse as it runs between the two groups of men. "Holy shit! Was that a horse?" A few of the soldiers keep their eyes on the horse as it runs past, completely ignoring me.

I stand up from where I landed, daggers raised, ready for any attack. "What? Where did he come from?" A large soldier says. "What are you planning to do with those knives huh?" Another asks me tauntingly, but I just ignore him, staring at him silently. "Fine be that way, you die now!" He yells out as he pulls back his axe and brings it down. I simply dodge out of the way, stepping closer to his body and dig the dagger into the man's throat.

He lets out a cough of blood as I pull the dagger back out of his flesh and step away, letting him fall to the ground with a heavy thud. "You're prince Canute right?" I ask looking over to the man fitting Askeladd's description, with a big burly cone headed man beside him and what looks to be a priest. He stays silent.. I suppose I will take that as a yes. "I'm here to save you, just wait right there till I'm done." I ordered him.

I size up the men surrounding me. The fire roaring around us as the heat picks up, branches dropping and falling around us as the trees burn. "Oho! Thorfinn!" I hear a jolly man say. 'Fuck please don't be who I think it is.' I think, a shiver of disgust running up my spine. Looking over to the man with a grimace, I see Thorkell the tall. Gods be damned.

"I knew I would get to meet you again!" Thorkell exclaims happily as he walks closer. Seeing his soldiers around me he asks "Wait were you fighting him? He's a tough one isn't he." He says to them, turning his attention back to me. "He put up a great fight last time I met him, and his woman got me in the arm with an arrow. Hurt like hell pulling that thing out." He says with a hearty laugh.

I furrow my brows as I listen to the man. 'Why was this man acting so friendly? And she's not my woman!' I think to myself, a light blush wanting to dust itself onto my cheeks at the thought that Thorkell thought she was my woman.

"I have a question for you Thorfinn. You called yourself the son of Thors. Would your mothers name happen to be Helga?" Thorkell asked me quizzically, his head cocked to the side.

"How would you know that?" I asked him, shocked by his accuracy.

"Aha! So that means you're the son of the troll of Jom, Thorfinn son of Thors. That explains how you're such a great fighter." Thorkell announces causing men around him to look at me with shock, some exclaim they didn't know my father had even fathered a son, while others say I look nothing like him.

At that moment a large tree branch on fire fell down between me and Thorkell's men, blocking off any way of them getting closer to me and the prince. "I guess you can hold on to the prince for the time being, Thorfinn. I assume we're both traveling to king Sweyn and his army anyways. Maybe when I take back the prince I'll get to meet your woman too!" Thorkell yelled out from beyond the flames. I felt a spike of fear run through me after hearing his words. I wouldn't allow him to fight her, never her. Gritting my teeth I dragged myself away from my fear filled thoughts, I couldn't dwell on them right now, I needed to get the prince back to Askeladd.

"This way. Hurry" I tell them as I lead them to where Askeladd had made the rendezvous. And back to where (Y/N) was.