Fated to the Viking Lord

We silently rode the elevator back down to the ground floor, and stowed all our items in my car. Kristófer once again opened my door for me, and then did the same thing for my sister before stowing himself in the back. Once our seatbelts were secure, I started driving. The mood was tense; still frosty from our encounter with Luke.

Then, in typical Lafontaine family fashion, my sister lightened the mood with a joke.

"Alright, I'm just going to say it. We all fucking hated Luke. Pierre and I used to mock him when you weren't around. We always assumed he had a tiny dick. Also, he's gross. I'm so happy that he's out of the picture. Can I call Daniella? She needs to hear about this!"

I laughed. I laughed so hard I peed a little. Thank God I still had a pad on from my exploits on the plane. But mostly, thank God for my sister.

We called Daniella and put her on speakerphone as the three of us made our way through Montréal to the highway towards my hometown. We talked until the lights of the city turned to the diminished suburbs and eventually to the muted night of farmlands. My sister promised that she'd come over tomorrow to Julianne's farm and let us all catch up. We all promised that we'd day drink and celebrate the end of my toxic relationship.

Throughout the trip, Kristófer was relatively silent. I looked in my rear-view mirror and could see him smiling at me, but otherwise lost in thought. The previous camaraderie between Julianne and Kristófer seemed forgotten as he happily let me and my sister talk about anything and everything. Whether it was nervousness or something else, I didn't know. Honestly, it was nice knowing that he didn't need to constantly be the centre of attention and was content to let me have my own time.

The trip from Montréal took a lot less time than it did after I left the courthouse. My sister had charged my car up when we were parked at the airport, and we were leaving Montréal with almost a full battery. Three hours later, and voilà, we were there.

Julianne lived not even five minutes from Daniella. However, Daniella's place was in town, whereas Julianne and her husband Pierre lived on four hectares of land. It was technically a hobby farm, but they were both doing their best to turn it into a small orchard. Even at night, it was evident that they had more apples than they knew what to do with.

By the time we arrived, the sun had already gone down and everyone was ready for bed. While Kristófer brought in our bags, Julianne and I made up the guest bed in their basement. As we threw on new sheets, she gave me a gentle ribbing about not rocking the springs too much because they squeaked.

"Oh, I think we'll just sleep tonight. I got my fill on the plane this morning," I confided in her with a grin.

"LUCILLE! You're like a love drunk teenager! Was it any good?"

"We've been together a week and I think I've orgasmed more with him than I did in the entire previous decade."

"Saint sacrifice, Lucille! How old is he anyway? He can't be older than twenty-five. Where did you find him?"

"I'll explain later. However, it's serious. He's twenty-two, but you could say he's an old soul. Let's just say that it was love at first sight."

"Alright. Tomorrow, you can tell me all about it. You cougar," she said to me with a giggle and a wink before heading upstairs.

When Kristófer came down, I was already naked and under the covers. I didn't expect him to make love tonight - being that we were in the basement of my sister's tiny farm house - and he looked sated enough anyway. Instead, he stripped while I ogled him. He threw off the sheets and climbed in with me, giving me a sizzling kiss. He bade me good night while wrapping me up in his arms, and we drifted off to sleep.

Chapter IX: Making an Impression on the Locals

When I awoke, I was alone. It was also early. That wasn't good. That meant that Kristófer was up and doing... something. I looked over at my phone and saw that it was only a quarter to seven in the morning. God, this man was going to piss off my family before they'd even had a chance to be properly introduced.

I got up and threw on a bathrobe, doing my best to cover myself from the chill of my sister's basement guest room. I did my best to quietly scale the stairs into the joint kitchen and dining room of Julianne's quiet farmhouse, to hear clanging and the sound of sizzling.

What I saw next was equal parts astonishing and bewildering. Sitting at the dining room table was my sister Julianne, wearing a bathrobe and quietly talking to my boyfriend. It was evident that my overprotective sister was grilling him on what his "true intentions" with me were.

Evidently, Kristófer was smart enough to whittle down her defences with his patented cooking skills. I knew that Pierre was a traditional man and couldn't cook worth anything. Therefore, having a man in the house that was making some Swedish concoction of pastry, chocolate and strawberry for her and her kids before anyone was even up was a real treat. Add to that the fact that Kristófer was wearing only a pair of pyjama pants, a tight t-shirt and some fluffy slippers that he had clearly stolen from my closet when we were visiting my condo, and he presented a very different sight indeed.

When Kristófer saw me, he put the spatula that he was holding down onto the counter and took me into his arms. The kiss that he planted on me was absolutely scorching, and I was thankful that I had pyjamas on under my bathrobe lest my sister see my boyfriend turn me on. When he broke the kiss, he looked at me with those cerulean blue eyes of his and almost melted me.

"Good morning, my beautiful," he told me, no longer whispering. He wanted my sister to hear his terms of endearment. Smart.

"Good morning, handsome. What are you making today?" I asked back, genuinely curious what smelled so good.

Kristófer told us that he was making kanelbulle, a traditional Swedish cinnamon bun that he was spicing up with cardamom, honey and chocolate from Julianne's pantry. It smelled absolutely divine.

I knew what he was doing. He knew that he looked younger. He also knew that I had just gone through a bad breakup, and that my sisters would immediately assume he was a rebound. Even after a thousand years, some things never change. He was really wise beyond his years.

Shortly after seven, Julianne's kids awoke, and were ushered down the stairs by her husband, Pierre. Kristófer happily served the kids their cinnamon buns with a smile, delighting the little ones. Their routine usually consisted of cereal, so to have something warm out of the oven immediately after waking up was a great way to endear yourself to a family. Especially if you were intending on sticking around for a while.

That's when it hit me. Luke had never cooked once for my family. It was my family, and therefore my problem. He didn't care. Even after all that time, he never cared. Kristófer had been here for a moment, and was going out of his way to impress my family. He genuinely cared. I cared about him. God, I knew we were in love.

I wrapped my arms around him as he was cooking up another batch of dough in a bowl and kissed his shoulder. He immediately turned around and wrapped his arms around me, planting another sizzling kiss on me.

"Auntie Lucille, gross!" chimed in François, the eldest of my sister Julianne at six. The reaction caused us both to stop, but also caused everyone around the table to laugh at the exchange.

After everyone had a mug of coffee or tea and a bun in front of them, my sister decided to turn the conversation serious. She could be like that sometimes.

"So, Lucille. Now that you're free from that asshole, what is your plan?"

She hadn't mentioned Kristófer, despite him sitting beside me. It didn't seem to bother him in the slightest.

"Well, I had a lot of time to meditate on what I wanted in Finland. I mean, in between massages and hiking. I realized that the whole reason that I became a lawyer was to help people. I still want to do that, and I think I'm going to sue the firm where I worked with some other women and see if we can knock them all down a peg. However, I want to be closer to you as well. I miss you all, and I'm so sorry that I haven't been present the last fifteen years while I dedicated myself to my career and an asshole who never cared about me. So, I've decided that I'll be opening my own law practice here in town. Afterall, people here need someone to write their will and testament, and to notarize their house sales."

The news that I was moving home moved my sister to embrace me warmly and squeal with delight. I reveled in her warm embrace.

Pierre, however, was giving Kristófer a weird side eye. I knew that he and Sylvain - Daniella's husband - had always been sceptical of Luke. They weren't going to back off now that there was a new man around. Even if he did make them cinnamon buns.

"So, Kristófer, if Lucille moves home what are you going to do? Go back to Finland and do this long distance?" Pierre asked, without a hint of sarcasm.

To his credit, Kristófer never batted an eye at the insinuation or the accusation.

"Well, let's just say that I've been working at that inn for a lifetime and I'm ready for a change. Lucille has stolen my heart. If she moves over here, I just hope she gets a place that has enough room for me," Kristófer said while looking at me with a smirk.

I smiled back at him.

"I know it's fast. I know it's sudden. I know what you all must be thinking as well. But Kristófer and I are in love. I cannot explain it," I added, hoping to clarify.

Kristófer put his hand in mine and held me. That ended the conversation until François, with all the tact a six-year-old can muster, interjected.

"So, is he my new uncle? And will you two make a baby?"

I blushed. My sister covered her face with her hands. Even Pierre looked shocked. Everyone was stunned by Kristófer's reaction though. Even me.

"Well, my little man, nothing in the world would make me happier than having a baby with your aunt. I love her and would love to start a family with her. I have some stuff to take care of first, but once we're settled, I've love to give you a cousin or ten," he added.

"Oh, mon dieu, he's perfect for you," was all Julianne added - with a colossal grin and an understanding of what I was longing for - before we started cleaning up breakfast.

Chapter X: Plan For the Worst, Hope for the Best

The rest of our week was a whirlwind. We rented a car and made preparations to end Kristófer's millennium long struggle. We made reservations at hotels along the way. It was quite the journey from Québec City to the old Norse habitations in Newfoundland. It would take two days of driving. That seemed like a lot to me, as most of my travels had been in the Ottawa-Québec corridor all my life - a four-hour car trip when traffic was light. However, the enormity of the task before us really did not hit me until we were on the ferry towards Newfoundland, leaving Cape Breton.

"You know that he will try to kill me, right?" was how Kristófer started the conversation.

"I figured that," I responded.

"I have read enough about the old Gods to know that if he is stuck in a fjord here and cannot leave, then something bad will happen to him if he steps outside the area where he has already been. I don't know what, and I won't even pretend to understand the magics that have trapped him here. However, I do know that getting that ring off his finger and over a flame is critical," said Kristófer.

"How so? I feel like there are easier ways to destroy it," I added.

"The ring is pewter. It will melt at a little over a hundred degrees. You can deform it with a lighter or a candle. If you harm the ring enough, it will break the magic. That will be enough to free us both."

"And what will happen when you're free?" I asked him.

"I don't know," he responded.

My heart sank into my chest.

"I might die instantly. I've been around a long time Lucille. I might start to finally live my life. I might age rapidly to the point where I look a thousand years old. The only thing I know for sure is that the heat under the Dragon's Hearth in Finland should stop."

I let a tear fall down my cheek. Deep down, I knew this was a possibility. I knew what I was helping this man do.

We were both looking out over the ocean as the ferry made its way towards Port-Aux-Basques.

"What do you want to happen, Kristófer?" I asked him. I needed to hear his reassurance.

"I want Nils to give me the ring. I want to destroy it and call Inga to confirm the water under the inn is cold. Then I want to go to the nearest hotel and put a baby in you so that we can start the life together that we both deserve."

He said it with such conviction that I believed it would come true. I put my head into his chest and cried. He held me tight to his body and kissed my forehead.

It was just like me to fall in love with a thousand-year-old Viking. It was also just like me to drive him towards a conflict that just might kill him. I sure can pick men.

Once the ferry landed on the Newfoundland coast we checked into a local hotel for the evening. We'd make the seven-hour trip up the coast to the old Norse settlements in what was once called Vinland. We had both packed in a single suitcase. He had not brought much over from Finland anyway.

Crawling into bed, I kissed Kristófer with as much intensity as I could. We both slept next to one another in the nude. He had convinced me that he was warm enough that I didn't need pyjamas. He was right. We made love passionately. I straddled him and rode him while never breaking our kiss. When he came in me, filling me with his seed, I rode him again.

We made love until we were too tired to continue.

"I love you, Kristófer," were my last words to him before sleep.

"I love you too, my shield-maiden," was the last thing I heard before sleep overtook me.

We were both up early. I knew this was some combination of fate and destiny driving us forward. As we made our way up the rocky and forested Newfoundland coast, we drove in amicable silence. I followed the highway while Kristófer kept his hand on my thigh, doing his best to comfort me.

I knew that the Norse had settled in what is now known as L'Anse Aux Meadows, in Northern Newfoundland. However, in my dreams Nils was trapped on an open stretch of rocky coastline. We had used the internet to find out exactly where that cove was, and sure enough, it matched the description in my dreams exactly. It was also around an hour closer than the old Norse settlements.

We traveled in amicable silence. I was basking in the presence of the love of my life, knowing that he might not be around tomorrow. He was finally confronting his fate. I didn't ask what was going through his head. After a thousand years of walking the Earth, I'm not sure I'd even know where to begin unpacking what he was thinking about.

The result is that we arrived shortly before noon.

I parked the car on the side of the rural highway. There wasn't exactly a parking lot with a sign saying "Old Viking Warlord, 10 km," so I did my best to park on the gravel shoulder.

Kristófer was wearing boots, and I had my comfy sneakers on. It was still autumn and we had beaten the early snow at least, but it was still bloody cold. We made our way down the sloping terrain towards the water below and the rocky beach and jagged cliffs.

When we reached the coast, I noticed that there were a few rowboats that had washed up on shore. Here and there were broken oars and the flotsam that comes with decaying fishing boats. I was pretty sure that this cove had been prosperous, once, but was now entirely abandoned.

Nobody would have talked to Nils in a long time.

We walked in silence, holding hands, along the rocky beach until we could no longer see the highway. Then we kept walking. When we reached the junction of the cove entrance and the open ocean, Kristófer stopped. He looked around alertly, like a soldier noticing a threat.

"Lucille, Nils is here. It's been a long time since I've fought someone. Gods above, the last time I picked up a weapon was in the thirties when the Soviets invaded Finland. However, I know he is watching us."

That had me on edge. I backed away from Kristófer towards the edge of the water. If Nils was here, I wanted to talk him down. Convince him to give up the ring. I wanted to show my man that I was a lawyer and could win this. Deep down, I just wanted it to be over.

A petrifying cry came from above us, and a deranged man in tattered leather clothing jumped out of the cliff face towards Kristófer.

"DU ÄR INTE EN DRAKE!" yelled the man as he collided with Kristófer, both of them falling to the cold and rocky ground.

I would later learn that Nils had shouted "You are not a dragon!" at my boyfriend before tackling him to the ground.

Kristófer was stunned by the vicious and deranged attack, and struggled to mount a defence as Nils rained punches and elbows onto his face and torso.

Nils was just as experienced as Kristófer at war, and isolation had made him utterly deranged. This fight was over before it began, and I could see that my boyfriend was taking way more hits than he was giving back. Nils was wrapped around his chest, and was proving resistant to his attempts at dislodging.

Immediately, I emptied my head of thoughts of calming them down and being a lawyer. Kristófer did not need me to be a lawyer. Last night when we made love, he called me his shield-maiden. That is what I needed to be for him today.

I looked around for something - a weapon or something heavy to help out - and my eyes landed on a wooden oar. It was thick, and heavy. It would do nicely.

I ran over and picked up the oar, and did my best to get behind Nils. I ran into the water, letting the freezing cold Atlantic water fill my comfy shoes to the brim. Nils was pummeling Kristófer by the time I raised the oar above my head.

I knew in movies that you were supposed to say something clever before you whacked someone with a surprise attack. However, the only thing I could think of was that I wanted to have kids with my man, and that to accomplish this, he needed to be alive.

Shortly after that thought had totally registered in my head, I swung the oar as hard as I could. I brought it downwards like a lumberjack swings an axe. I felt it connect with Nils, and the reverberation shook through the oar into my arms. I heard Nils yell, and fall off Kristófer's chest, clutching his ear and the side of his face.

My attack had torn Nils' ear clean off. The bloody mess on the side of his face led to a shoulder that had clearly been dislocated. It was disgusting.

My victory was short lived. Nils rose from Kristófer's stunned body and charged at me. His face was a bloody mess, and the fact that I was in freezing water made no difference. He charged into the water and into my body.

Immediately, the wind was driven from my lungs as he pushed me into an invisible barrier. Behind me, it felt like there was a wall of flame that we could not pass.

That's when my lawyer brain turned back on. This was the effect of the ring. The wall in the water was why Nils was trapped here! There must be four invisible walls of flame keeping him pinned here.

WAIT! There were walls of flame? Kristófer said that enough fire would melt the ring. I just needed to get Nils to push on me harder and get the ring to fall through the flames!

Nils slammed me back against the wall, driving the wind from my lungs again.

I had never been in a fight with a Viking before. However, I had taken self-defence classes before. Every woman in our firm was offered self-defence classes by the company after a woman was assaulted in the parking lot.