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its-calliste · 7 months ago

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Susurrat Virtutis | Prologue

Hello! This is my first time ever posting a story in here, and well its very nerve wracking. I just wanna say that english is not my first language, and this is translated from spanish to english. This is cross posted on wattpad and Ao3 under the same name. The format is not the best so bear with me while i figure everything out. Tips, comments and hearts are appreciated!

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"Only the dead have seen the end of the war." —George Santayana, 1922

What is war from the perspective of a small child? For [Name], war was something that could not touch that village she called home, in that place where its residents knew each other well, where everyone knew who was who, who was married to whom, whose children were whose and who were friends with who, in that place it was impossible for the war to come. But [Name] was but a small child, one which didn't know what lay beyond her village.

"I still think it's a bad idea to teach [Name] to use a bow" her mother, a woman who had a somewhat traditional mentality, was opposed to her only daughter learning to use such a savage weapon.

"Maybe in some future it will be useful for her to know how to use it" her father had taught her how to use the bow since she was about 6 years old. She didn't know the reason why, every time she would ask he would always answer with the same "it will be useful to know."

[Name] listened to her parents having the same conversation they had every time she and her father went hunting in the forest that surrounded the village. She listened to it a little bit more until she got bored and left her position by the door to walk through the garden that her mother cared for.

It was a day like any other, the residents of the village went out to wash their clothes, tend to their lands or the animals, and the children got together to play. She on the other hand did not dare to join them. She feared that she would be rejected by the same boys who played at being warriors and fighting each other as one.

Her father had taught her to use a sword when she turned 10, so she was not afraid of being beaten by the other children. So she went with the girls who remained a few steps away from them, sitting and leaning on the fences that kept the sheep inside. They watched as they hit each other, bruises quickly appearing on their faces and arms.

This is how [name] spent the day playing with those who did not reject and judge her.

(...)

"Can you tell me another story of your adventures?" she asked her father, the dim light of the candle burning by her dresser illuminated the small room, she was lying in her bed with several blankets and furs from animals they had hunted together. Her father settled next to her

"again? I thought I had already told you everything, why don't I tell you when I married your mother instead? Your grandfather was really angry!" He laughed by just remembering it. Father and daughter turned towards the door when they saw movement.

Her mother came in with a basket in her arms "didn't you say you were scared when my father almost stabbed you with his sword?" she asked, looking at her husband in disbelief; The aforementioned man made a surprised face.

Her father was about to respond when they heard several knocks on the door, followed by several shouts of his name "Gjord, Gjord, Gjord!" Like a mantra, he continued until finally her father stood up and opened the door.

"What the hell got you so worked up for?" That man began to explain to him in a way that he did not understand at all, it was not until Gjord looked behind that man and managed to realize what was happening.

Several houses were burning, blood in some of them, and several men carrying shields, spears, swords, axes, and bows, ran around murdering the villagers of that once peaceful place.

[Name] couldn't hear what was happening well, she watched as her father entered the house again, as he whispered something to her mother and left the house again. Her mother entered her room minutes later, took [name] by her arm and took her to their room, moving the bed to the side showing a small hole in the wall. Her mother didn't explain anything, she just took [name] by the shoulders and looked at her with a sad expression. She opened her mouth.

"Listen to me, whatever sound you hear, don't leave this place, I don't want you to make any noise, when dawn comes, run out to the forest" her mother released her to open a chest, gave her a dagger, and her a sword that she once saw her father wield "You know those woods better than anyone, run to the nearest town you know and ask for help"

"Mom" she felt like she was about to cry. She couldn't understand what was happening. "where will you hide? And what about dad?"

"Don't worry about me, okay?" Her mother caressed both of her cheeks with her thumb; holding her small face "no matter what happens, you have to leave"

The next thing happened so fast that she couldn't understand what was happening. They heard a sound by the door, her mother pushing her into the hole. She moved the bed so that it would hide [name's] body from whoever was attacking this place.

She heard those intruders scream, then her mother shouting something and finally steps going far from where she was, those people behind her, and then silence.

(...)

She really didn't know how much time had passed, but she stayed in that hiding place for a long time, pushed the bed with all her strength and came out, abandoning the sword and dagger behind.

"Mom?" With a weak voice she called out to nowhere, she searched all the rooms of the house but found no one. She then went outside, looking around at what was once a beautiful place now reduced only to ashes of what were houses, how the air carried with it the smell of blood and burnt flesh. Bodies lying around of some villagers and unknown men wearing some type of helmet made of metal and wearing dark cloaks.

This moment, the moment when she stood alone for the first time, would remain etched in her memory for the rest of her life.

The small girl, only 12 years old, left her house, with a bow and arrows on her back, on her left side her father's sword and on her right the dagger that accompanied it. It was a little heavy but it was comforting to have something that reminded her of her father by her side. She took the small bag that her mother had made for her and filled it with some food, medicine, and bandages to begin the journey to the nearest village.

(...)

It was easier to talk about traveling alone and finding the village than to try and do it. She couldn't really tell how much it took to get to this small fishing village. She was hoping to stay there, but she was sure no one would help a girl who came from a village that had just recently been attacked.

So with the little money she had left she paid a merchant to take her across the sea to another village. About 13 days later, she found another village, still not daring to leave the edge of the forest. That's how it became easy to spot the ship that was slowly approaching said village.

She didn't really know English, couldn't tell anyone of the approaching attack but that wasn't really the reason. She just didn't want to die, that was the simple answer.

However she did notice a young boy, -perhaps her own age- watching a woman being murdered in front of him. And that's when she didn't hesitate to run for it.

Maybe she saw his sad look, something that made her see herself reflected in him. It was the push that made her try to pull him by the arm with desperate screams, shouting at him in the only language she knew."We have to get out of here!" was the first thing she screamed, the boy tried to get her off of him but [Name] simply refused to let go.

This is how they remained until the scream of the people near them stopped, they were quickly surrounded by men larger than the two of them. A man with blonde hair, wearing some type of black armor approached them.

"What is this?" He asked when approaching the small children "did you get lost?" He didn't seem worried, rather he was asking in an amused tone.

[Name] realized that the man had spoken norse. "I..I, my house was attacked... I have traveled here in search of them," she said between cuts, without realizing it she was squeezing the other child's hand.

The boy was simply watching the interaction happening in front of him. She knew that these people were like those who had attacked her village. But it wasn't them, for some reason she knew it wasn't them. So with a lot of confidence as to not seem weak she asked "could you take me to the Faroe Islands? My family…I have family there"

That man laughed, causing the other men who had heard her question to follow him. After a few seconds of [name] being confused, the man suddenly stopped "the people in the Faroe village are dead. We murdered them ourselves 6 years ago"

The girl did not know how to react to such news. She was ready to offer her weaponry if it meant getting to her family and finally being safe.

"Tell me girl," the man spoke again, "do you know how to use that?" He pointed to the sword at her side.

[Name] raised her head and looked him in the eyes. Nodding quickly, "my father taught me how to use it, the bow too…." SHe took a step forward.

The man smiled. “My name is Askeladd son of Olaf, what is your name?”

"My name is [Name] daughter of Gjord!" She answered loudly, "sir, please let me join your group!" The boy behind him tensed his shoulders. He stared at that girl in disbelief.

(...)

[Name] could see how the seagulls flew above that ship, how the waves moved in the vast ocean. From the back of the ship she could see how all the members of that band of pirates worked together to make the ship move, while their leader simply looked ahead.

Another taller man stood next to him. For some reason that man called Askeladd agreed to let her join his group of pirates. Many of its members complained about letting a girl join, apparently the boy who had tried to help was part of the band too. Although it seemed that he hated his companions.

He was in the back with [name], not saying a word or even addressing her.

"Uhm" she approached him making a small noise hoping to get his attention "my name is [Name]" she smiled at him "could I know yours?"

That boy looked at her for a few seconds, and without looking at her he responded "Thorfinn..."

[Name]'s eyes lit up, smiling even more. “It's nice to meet you Thorfinn!”

This was the beginning of [Name] story and another page of Thorfinn's.

#thorfinn x reader #Thorfinn x you #Thorfinn and you #vinland saga

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