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

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I stared down at the man, the dagger raised in my hand. I wasn't well versed with close combat, but I would die before anyone took my man away from me again. After all I have been through to find him, the years I haven't been able to touch him. Gritting my teeth I hissed out "Don't fuck with us." as a warning. The man's face goes rigid as he meets my glare head on with his own.

"(Y/N)! What do you think you're doing?" Thorfinn said in exasperation, grabbing my arm that held the dagger and forcing it down. I'm about to shake his grip off of me when Lief ran in between us and the man with long black hair. "Excuse us but we mean no harm! We were promised Thorfinn by the master Ketil." he explains to the man who just narrows his eyes at us in suspicion. "Then why isn't the master here?" He asks, Folding his arms. Omar steps forward shakenly "My father is busy at the moment, Snake. But he did promise them to Thorfinn for getting them out of Jelling. You can ask him yourself later if you want, but they have a right to this slave." he assured the man named Snake.

The man's gaze travels from Omar back to me and Thorfinn, a hard frown etched into his face. I glared right back at him, imitating Thorfinns old notorious glare the best that I could. He lets loose a sigh. "Fine. I suppose that makes him a free man. I can't hold him for punishment any longer."

I feel a weight loosen itself off of my chest at his words. Thorfinn lets go of his grip on my arm, standing suddenly he says "What about my friend. Einar?" He asked, looking at a large burly man with reddish brown hair, who was currently tied up to another post similar to how Thorfinn had been tied up. Snake glances over his shoulder to Einar. "He'll stay there until we hear word from the master about what needs to be done to him." He answered before leaving us, my eyes trailing after him till he sat down beside a fire, his attention on us as well. Letting loose a sigh of relief I turn to Thorfinn to find him staring at me.

"It's really you." He whispers out, his hand reaching out to place itself against my cheek. Leaning into the touch of him I swallowed down a choked sob. I couldn't cry in front of everyone, I needed to wait till we were alone together. "It's really me.." I whisper back to him. relishing in the feel of his palm against my cheek, the rough feeling of them from hard labor out in the fields. They felt different and changed, yet ultimately Thorfinns. "I've missed you so much. I thought you were dead." I mutter, hearing the approaching footsteps of Bug-eyes and Lief behind me. "I missed you too my love." Thorfinn whispers back, giving me a faint smile, his eyes looking to Lief behind me before saying "We have company for now though. Later we can thoroughly enjoy each other's company. But for now let's deal with the present." he whispers, just low enough for me to hear as he gives me a quick kiss.

I nod in agreement with him, turning my attention to Lief and Bug-eyes. "It's been so long, Thorfinn. I honestly never expected to find you again." Lief says half-jokingly as he goes to bring in Thorfinn for a hug. Thorfinn lets out a small chuckle at the show of affection as he returns the old man's hug. "I never expected to see you all again either." He says, a hint of sadness tinged his voice.

"Now we can get the hell out of this place." I say, ready to leave this place that had kept Thorfinn as a slave. At my words he perks up. "Actually.. I have something I need to do here before we leave if you don't mind." Thorfinn said looking at me and I cock my head in question. "It's probably best to not talk about it here though. Let's head somewhere else for now." He tells us, glancing at the men around us and I have a feeling what he wanted to talk about had to do with the fact he had tried to escape with two other slaves. Peering over at Einar, who was still currently tied up, I wondered where the other slave must be.

We leave the encampment, Thorfinn leading us back toward the houses where we had met the farmhand Patil. Omar left us now that he had done his job and gotten Thorfinn for us. I observe Thorfinn as he explains to us that he and his friend Einar had tried to help a slave woman escape in order to be with her husband. A man who had been enslaved at a nearby estate and killed his masters after years of abuse.

Hearing him talk I felt as if this wasn't the man who I had originally fallen in love with. He had grown so much in just three years, even going out of his way in order to help someone in need. He had become more polite in the ways he spoke, his mannerisms were more timid. The Thorfinn I had known would've never gone out of his way to help anyone outside of me, he never considered other people's feelings when he made decisions. To me this was a new man, a man who had grown significantly since the time I had known him. But it was a welcomed change.
I smiled to myself as I watched him explain what had been happening on the farm that ended up with him in custody at the barracks.

"So you want us to help you free Arnheid and Einar." I questioned him once he was done explaining the situation to us. "It would mean the world to me if you would help me free them. They've done so much for me during my years here, I couldn't leave them behind." He responds to me as we arrive at the Farmhand Patil's house.

Knocking on the front door we awaited for him for only a second before we heard a chair screech across the floor, then footsteps approaching the door. Quickly the door is yanked open, Patil standing on the other side of the door staring at us with a face filled with distress. Without a word he leads us into the house, allowing us to see a woman bandaged on the bed in the middle of the room.

She would've been beautiful if not for the bruises marring her face. She looked half dead from the beating she had received. "What happened?" Bug-eyes questions as we gather around the bed. Thorfinn stared down at the body of the woman with a hard expression, making me wonder if he cared about this woman as a romantic partner.

Sure he had helped her try and escape with her husband, but a part of me questioned if he had a thing for her and only helped as a means to see the one he loved happy. I frown at the thought, I didn't have the right to be jealous when I had agreed to marriage with Canute. Yet a small part of me still felt the hot sting of jealous worm it's way into my thoughts as I looked down at the woman in pity.

"She's still alive. But she hasn't regained consciousness. I can't say whether or not she'll make it through this." Patil explained, grabbing the chair he had been sitting in before he opened the door. Pulling it up besides her before sitting back down. "Did Ketil do this?" I asked, remembering the man had been crying out for the woman when we had docked earlier that day. I would've never expected that broken man to beat this woman within an inch of her life.

"Yes, he had been furious at the news when he heard that she had tried to run away with her former husband. The master made Arnheid his mistress, and he couldn't believe that she didn't actually care for him." Patil says, "Even when she claimed that she was with child, he hadn't believed her."

Taking one look at the woman, It was obvious that she must have lost the child due to the man's outburst. Reaching out I grab Thorfinns hand, surprising him. Glancing over at me I give his hand a squeeze in reassurance, knowing it must be hard to see a friend in pain like this. He gives me a small thankful smile.

Racing feet on the other side of the door alerted me to a new presence. Both me and Thorfinn looked toward the door, Tense and alert. "What is it?" Patil asked before we heard the banging at the door. Patil looks between us and the door, looking a bit unnerved that we had both known someone was there before they had.

He stands up once more, moving to the door and opening it for the man that stood on the other side. The man stood there trying to catch his breath before saying "The king is on the way with a fleet of Jomsvikings. Master Ketil is asking for every man willing to fight to meet at the Barracks." He announces to Patil in between breaths. My blood freezes at his words.'Could Canute have come all this way for me?'