The tide turns

Chapter 15 / The hunter

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Their journey continued the next day, after they had quickly escaped Sigurd, who had caught up to them, demanding he bring Gudrid back to Iceland.

Gudrid had felt bad, but was quietly reassured by Thorfinn that it wasn't as much trouble as he had once caused. It was bittersweet.

A few days later, they made it to Norway, a few kilometers off of the city of Bergen. Gudrid, despite her previously sullen mood, couldn't help but laugh. On either side of the ship was a forest with large trees, like the ones she had been so excited to see. Unlike back then, she could really enjoy it this time.

"It's been 5 years," she mumbled, and she stared with shining eyes at the lush but snow-covered landscape all around her. Her eyes wandered up the cliffside and stopped on a figure standing there, looking like it was watching them pass by. "What's that? On the cliff," she pointed, and Leif looked up.

"Where? I don't see anything."

"It's right-"

She was cut off, and she flinched when Thorfinn began to scream. It wasn't the first time Gudrid experienced it, watching him scream and thrash around, but it was still startling.

"It's the night-duty crew..." Bug eyes called, and Gudrid moved, mumbling how much he had startled her that time. She never asked, but having talked with him that night, she had a vague idea of what he was dreaming about.

Einar woke him up, grabbing onto his sleeve and putting a hand on his shoulder, when Thorfinn sat up with one last scream. His eyes flickered around the room, trapped in the haze of his nightmare. He wasn't actually sure where he was until his eyes landed on Gudrid.

He apologized and closed his eyes, bringing his hand up to his forehead and keeping it there while he caught his breath.

Gudrid decided to fill a cup with water and bring it to him, while Einar moved on with his duties around the ship.

"Are you okay, Thorfinn?"

"Yeah, thank you, Gudrid," he smiled weakly and took the cup from her hands, wiping the remaining drops of sweat off his face before he began to drink of it. "I'm sorry if I startled you," he apologized between gulps.

"It's okay. It's just... those nightmares are really bad." She mumbled the obvious and looked up at the treetops once more.

He looked up at her, keeping the cup of water close to his lips.

He didn't want to make himself a victim.

"It's not so bad," he shrugged, and she frowned but still didn't look down at him. She knew he was lying, but she wasn't going to call him out on it. "I'm just a coward, is all."

"I see"

They were both silent, with Gudrid watching the forest and Thorfinn watching her. There was a look in her eyes that Thorfinn recognized from the time they spent together on the beach, back when she would talk so much that he could barely get a word in even if he had wanted to.

He followed her gaze, watching the cliffs and the forest with snow-covered pine needles, and a smile crept onto his face.

"Trees"

Gudrud looked down, a blush tainting her cheeks. She was a little embarrassed. Thorfinn had said the simple word in such a way that she was sure he remembered how fascinated she had been by them—and still are.

It was still strange watching him smile at her like that, so she had to look away.

"It's been a long time," she muttered, and she could see Thorfinn nod out of the corner of her eye.