The sea stretches out endlessly before me, smooth like a hotel sheet and glimmering like expensive rubies when the low-hanging sun hits it. There's no sign of the long-suffering man who just stepped through the surface to meet his love in another time. A time that should be long gone. But maybe that's not how time works. Maybe time is always happening, everything at once, rather than being stretched out into a line like in the history textbooks.
Björn's where he belongs. My mission in Greenland is finished. So why don't I want to leave this island?
A rattle from the cliff behind me makes me turn around. I find Mikk standing atop the steep hill, just like when I met him the first time. Luckily, there are no bears he needs to save me from this time, which makes the situation much less tense. Upon seeing me, knee-deep in cold waters once again, he breaks into a smile that warms even my numb calves.
Oh yeah, that smile is why. It's the reason booking a flight home to Sweden isn't at the forefront of my mind. I need more of that smile in my life. I need to see it every morning and every night. Even when those two blend together in darkness since the sun doesn't rise in winter.
"Is Björn gone?" Mikk asks upon realizing I'm alone in the waters.
"Björn is home," I reply, looking away across the waters as I wipe away a tear. I hope that Björn and Gudrun are--or were?--able to find a place they could call home on the other side of time. But regardless of their eventual fate, Björn belongs in his own time with his love and their child. His journey here was just a detour. A very long one.
"Come here then." Mikk shuffles down the cliff to reach out a hand and help me get ashore safely. Better avoid me getting completely soaked this time.
I land in his strong arms on the shore. His hold isn't necessary for me to keep upright, but it still feels vital for other reasons. I nestle against his chest, reveling in the scent of pine and paint chips. Tilting my neck slightly upward, our lips meet in a celebratory kiss. We did what we needed to do, and now we're free to do whatever we want.
"Let's get those pants off you," Mikk says.
Wow. I raise an eyebrow at the request. He's usually not that forward. Not that I mind though.
"Oh..." Mikk's face turns a shade of red reminiscent of the midnight sun as he realizes how I interpreted his words. "I didn't mean like that. Although..." He composes himself. "I meant that your pants are soaked in freezing water. You should take them off so you won't get frostbite. I brought a blanket from the truck." He nods toward the cliff above, where the blue blanket with polar bears on lies.
Not wanting to argue with sound reasoning, I've soon stripped my pants, socks, and shoes, exposing my pale legs to the sheen of the midnight sun. Wrapping the cozy blanket around my legs, I sit down on the rugged rock to enjoy the mindblowing sight of polar summer. Ever since I arrived here, I've been running around hunting the past, but now I can finally take in the beauty of this place in present-day fully, without worrying about some kind of were-bear emergency.
"Dammit," Mikk mumbles as he sits down beside me. His gaze is fastened on the sea, where a man we both had come to care for just disappeared into the distant past.
"What?" I ask, taking his hand in mine. It's such a natural action that I barely even recognize it consciously. It just makes sense to search for Mikk's closeness whenever I can.
"Well, I gave Björn my favorite hiking hoodie." Mikk sighs, probably not looking forward to having to buy a new one. He doesn't seem like the kind of guy who enjoys shopping. "I don't think I'm getting it back now..."
"Unless it's found at an archaeological dig or something"--which would certainly be an interesting turn of events--"I fear it may be lost forever. I hope you didn't have anything important in the pockets."
Having watched too many time travel movies, I get visions of Mikk's iPhone having snuck back in time, somehow changing the world as we know it. That would probably be less than ideal.
Luckily, the man beside me shakes his head. "Just some hiking gear, I guess," he replies. "Ever since I got lost that one time, I always carry some stuff to help me find my way if need be. But it was a good hoodie." He sighs overdramatically and I press my lips to his cheek to console him in this tragic moment of loss.
"I'll get you a new one," I promise, leaning my head on his shoulder. Exhaling together, we admire the vastness of the purple velvet sea and the bright red-orange tie-dyed sky above. Not a single bear lurks on the harsh cliffs around us, which is a nice change of pace.
"So... Did we just change the past?" Mikk asks, releasing his grip on my hand to wrap his arm around me. He gently sweeps some strays hairs away from my cheek, blown there by the always-stirring polar winds.
I ponder the question before shaking my head against his warm shoulder. "No," I reply, suddenly certain of my answer. "I think Björn always left with Gudrun and Signy on that longship, running from himself. He just took a detour of six hundred years. The past always happened, and I guess we were somehow part of it."
"This is all doing my head in," Mikk mumbles, leaning down to kiss my forehead. "But I guess it's over now, and whatever happened then has already happened anyway. At least Björn got to be with the one he loves."
Love. The word drops like a snowflake on my neck, making chills reverberate throughout my body as I remember what I told Mikk during duress.
"You know I..." I start, very eloquently, "...I meant what I said before, when the bear attacked, I mean."
It's not the most romantic declaration of love ever, as a whirlwind of worries is stirring in my mind. Because maybe Mikk doesn't feel the same. Maybe it was all just called on by the intense situation.
Mikk lifts an eyebrow. "What did you say then?" he asks cluelessly. Perhaps the trauma of the situation made him forget.
"That I..." I look up to catch a mischievous smile. He knows exactly what I mean. I jab him in the ribs with my elbow before declaring, "I love you."
"Ouch," Mikk complains, holding his midsection in a faux dramatic manner. His gaze, dark and deep as the water below, catches mine and I know. He cradles my chin with his fingers, pulling me close to announce, "I love you too, Saga," before uniting our lips once again. In the lingering twilight from the midnight eclipse our love story, which hopefully won't span centuries or entail mysterious curses, is just beginning.
"Then you'll be fine with me sticking around or a bit?" I ask, finally ready to talk about the future.
"Of course," Mikk replies, stealing another quick kiss. "But what about your job and everything back in Sweden?"
I shrug. "I may have already solved the job thing," I reveal. "I talked to Stefan at the police station and in exchange for me not revealing compromising about him to the company, he agreed to let me turn in my resignation with very favorable benefits."
"So you blackmailed him?" Mikk surmises.
"Something like that," I agree.
"So what kind of benefits did you negotiate him for?"
"A year of full payment." I smile triumphantly. "And glowing references if I need them. So I got some time to figure out what I want to do after that. But right now, I want to explore this island with you." I sneak in another kiss. "If you'll let me, of course."
"I wouldn't want anything rather. And I got plenty of room in my house. But what about your family back home?"
"They can come to visit. And maybe we could"--I tousle my hand through Mikk's hair--"go back there to visit them as well. I do need to get my stuff from Stefan's place at some point. If you think you would be brave enough to leave this island, big guy?"
"I've just handled a were-bear," Mikk states, a smile on lips that are temporarily parted from mine. "I think I can handle some traveling."
In another time, Björn is after six-hundred years of waiting finally leaving Greenland for warmer and more welcoming shores. But right now, I can't imagine a place I would rather be. I would gladly spend centuries on this island at the end of the world, as long as I get to do it with Mikk by my side.
I just hope no more were-bears show up. I've had enough of those for a while.
***
Standing alone at the stern of the ship, as Gudrun has gone to feed Signy, gusts of wind grab ahold of my hair and clothes when the vessel exits the bay and enters the open sea. Lingering ice sheets in the murky waters make our journey treacherous and circuitous, especially as the moon still covers the light in the sky. This journey is risky but it's still our only hope for salvation. Six-hundred years of waiting haven't made me less convinced of this truth, even if my thoughts wander toward Ivar and Aakku, who will inevitably be left behind. But I know they will be happy because I've seen them flourish in their chosen way of life.
I've already seen the next six-hundred years on these shores. What happened can't be changed. We can't stay. We must move forward.
So I keep my gaze on the sea before us, turning my back toward Greenland. The future is on other shores.
In an attempt to warm my frozen fingers, I put them down in the conveniently placed folds in the front of the peculiar clothing item my brother's descendant gave me. The fabric is still wet from my journey through time, clinging to my frame. I need to change into a wool tunic instead, which warms even when soaked in water.
My curiosity is peaked as numb fingertips find an object hidden in the wet fabric. I pull it up to inspect just as a few rays of sunshine start to peak through behind the moon.
The object is circular and made of something resembling glass, although lighter. A needle spins on a disc marked with symbols.
During my journey through time, I've seen people navigate through the vast wilderness of Greenland. Some found their way to their destination while some got lost forever. Some of them used a tool similar to the one I hold in my hand. My people use the stars to discern our position. But when the stars are clouded and the sky gives no answers, an optional means of navigation will perhaps aid us in finding our way.
Vinland is to the west. That I do know. And I know the W-symbol will guide our way there.
Perhaps taking a six-hundred-year detour is what will make the difference in us landing on a safe shore.
The sun breaks through and turns the sea before me into molten amber. Invigorating rays of sunshine hit my skin for the first time in so many years. Only white fur ever got to see the sun.
I remain me, even as the light cover my whole body. I know I slayed the bear, literally and figuratively, but it's still nice to get confirmation that the curse is gone. I can live out the rest of my day in light or darkness without changing shape, and without being a danger to my brethren.
A roar from the cliffs on the shore makes me turn a final time toward the island that had me captured for so long.
Up there, on an illuminated rock, I see him. I see the bear. I see myself. White like newly fallen snow and raging like rafters in spring, he doesn't know about the journey he will go on.
But even if he did, he would suffer through every single one of those years gladly, just to stand here on this day. I know, because I am him and he is me. I am the bear and the bear is me. And I would make the same choice again.
"Björn," Gudrun calls for me and I have to answer. I let my eyes wander from the bear toward her. I know every step on the bear's journey from now on anyway. But the journey before me is unknown. I need to learn how to be Signy's father and Gudrun's husband, if she lets me wed her.
"Can you hold her?" She asks, handing me a screaming child wrapped in thick blankets. Apparently, Signy isn't fond of being on a ship.
I rock the child in my arms, rocking her back and forth in tune with the ship's movement. Signy keeps screaming and I keep rocking. After all this time, the simple act of trying to soothe my child is soothing me as well. The years disappear when I'm with her. Because Signy doesn't care about everything I've gone through to be here, she just needs her simple needs as a newborn human to be met.
Eventually, the child yawns and settles against my chest. Tiny fists cling to the fabric of my still-wet clothing. I will have to wait to change into something else until Signy doesn't need me anymore.
Perhaps I will have to wear this clothing for days. It may dry on its own before the baby lets me put her down.
"Thank you." Gudrun gives me a grateful smile and places a kiss on my cheek. Her hair glows in the exact same shade as the sky when the oncoming sunrays hit the strands. I tried to remember her beauty throughout the years but my memory didn't make her mesmerizing appearance justice.
Signy smacks her lips slightly. I pause everything I'm doing to look at her in awe.
"So which way to Vinland?" Gudrun asks. "I've seen you direct our course in my dreams. We need you to get there. Björn."
I nod and gesture discreetly--to not wake Signy--in the direction I now know west to be in, displaying the artifact in my hand to Gudrun. "It's that way," I declare confidently. "That's the way to Vinland. That's the way to our new home."
Truth is that anywhere in the world can be home to me, as long I get to be with Gudrun and Signy.
Author's Note: That's it! That's the last chapter! But stay tuned for an epilogue tomorrow.