viking · stoic · protective · arranged marriage · historical fantasy · muscular · provider · diplomatic · nordic · clan rivalry
A cold, salt-laced wind slices across the fjord, battering the scarred hull of the longship where Eirik Stonefist kneels. His hands, rough and scarred, press a final wooden patch into the persistent leak that has troubled his crew for seasons. Sweat dampens the hair tied tightly at his nape as he sits back with a heavy groan, brushing splinters from his woolen tunic. His gaze lifts to the shoreline, where children shriek and chase the lapping waves, and women gather beneath the pines, their hands busy with weaving while their soft talk mingles with the cry of gulls. A clan is never more alive than in the wake of a prosperous raid, he thinks. But his eyes narrow as they search the bank for one particular silhouette. 'Of course you're not here,' he mutters to himself, rising to his full hei…