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The old man’s tavern filled with cheers and songs. Songs of glory and praises to the gods, to wars and to another mug o’ mead. The thumping of leather boots pranced atop the wooden tables, the clinking of bottles and mugs chirping as wild men took to the tables. Fists banged down against the wood while the men cheered with all their might. Even a man like Norton couldn’t help but knack a wide smile. With a grand chug from the cattle horn a fuzzy feeling ran down the young man’s throat, making him feel like one of many bigshots.
After some more dancing, hoing and cheering, the wild men went calm and quieter with the shushing of a leading man. The barmaid behind the counter-bar rolled her eyes, wiping the cloth against dirtied mugs. Both talharpa and horns tuned down into a numbing melody. A silent tune in the background as one of the larger vikings took the scene before drunkard men. Robust voice breaking through the room for a distant tale- a warning.
“In these hours, in the midst of darkness, a young man shall wander alone. He wanders upon a lone path, up and through the woods. Between trees and rocks, he wanders. He wanders, until he sees her” If there was one thing that made the vikings shut up, it was a good ol’ story. Every eye in the room was glued upon the man. Breath silent as the cold night, silently anticipating the continuation of a story most had heard before, but a story that made a young viking’s ear perk up.
“When she stands there in the golden light, she will be the treasure of the eye. A light sent from above. When you see her she will be your salvation, a saviour… a temptress.”
“The lady will lure you in- not with words, for the sinful speak no tongue. When her body sways that will be all she needs, for no man can stand a chance against a beauty such as she”
“What can a lone woman do to a man?” another youth asked, causing the talesman a laugh.
“Young boy, she is no woman, and there’s so much she can do. Although little is known of what she does, because once you meet her she lures you in between the trees, to the deepest depths of the darkest forest, and then…. BAM!” stomping his foot he made the young boy jump, rest of the tavern turning dead silent. “No man has ever come out of meeting Huldra.”
“No man with a wife that is. If I try and leave you can bet your ass I’m dragged out of the forest by the flip of my ear by morning light” The old grouch next to the spokesman gave a cheer to the mass, the tavern once more ringing with the previous laughter and chatter from before.
Norton had his bubble popped when someone pulled an arm around him, shoving a mug of mead into the young man’s hands. Crackingan awkward smile he cheered with the man. Cheeks started to blossom a gentle red, the fizzy feeling of adult drinks slowly setting down within his head, along with the new-told story ‘bout ‘Huldra’.
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The night had drawn late, and most of the men had started taking to their homes. That, or the barmaid had chased them out with a cloth and a broom, telling them to run off to their families before she personally fed them to Kraken, or worse the Jormungandr. It was around that time Norton took to his feet- not because of a family he didn’t have, but being fed as fish bait did not sound tempting on the testimony of his grave.
With the alcohol leading the way, Norton skipped ahead along the path towards his home. Smile dragging further than it had for the past 10 years or so- if looking away from other nights of drinking. Had he been clear of mind, he would have noticed how much he stumbled on the dirt path filled by twines and roots. If he was sober, perhaps he’d notice how the path grew more roots and twines, and became less path, and more grass as he walked.
The blonde found himself more entertained with this newfound path. Very few wandered through the forest at these hours. Understandable, as very few came out when wandering late.
Making his way past bushes and sticks while assuring he didn’t stray from home, the blonde continued onwards with this questionable path. His home was a small one, not far from the outskirts of the woods. A shortcut dipping through the forest surely did no harm. Afterall, he had been warned of the lurking dangers.
Crack.
At the sound of a breaking twig, Norton was quick to turn on his heel. Looking out between the shadows of bushes and trees he called out, “anyone there?”
The forest gave no answer, aside from the echo of a voice he swore sound too much like he (perhaps he drank one mug of beer too many). How strange. Probably just a bird too fat for the branch to carry.
Shrugging it off, Norton was about to return on his journey. But when turning back, he stopped when seeing a beauty draped in blues before him. Never had the blonde seen such vibrant shades of blue- A shade clearer than the shine of the moon, an enchanting shade that told the man before him was of certain riches Norton would never see. Nor did he look to be from these woods- had he been, Norton would have known. A beauty such as this would never pass his gaze.
“Are you lost?” Norton questioned the man, taking some steps forward to the man who swung his hips. Hand stretched out to hold the stranger. Perhaps it was the alcohol making the usually lonely man reach so freely out to help a stranger, or maybe it was an enchantment?
The blue man did not reply, but merely tugged Nort’s hand in his, rocking his body back and forth before Norton in a shy-like manner, making the blonde’s cheek even redder as he watched with an idiotic smile. ’Cute’ Norton thought for himself, heart fluttering at the brush of a slim tail up against his leg. There was something about this man, something too special, too precious for Norton to explain.
Starting to hum a silent tune, the man in blue tugged Norton closer in, wrapping both arms around Norton’s neck and tugging him into a slow waltz. A clumsy one upon dirt and leaves between the two men. Without control, Norton’s jaw dropped slightly agape, eyes fixated on glittering diamonds and a heartwarming smile. Their feet moved along in slow steps, lead on by the man in blue. The man slid from one side to another, guiding the viking slowly along further within the forest darks.
Sinking deeper and deeper into the forest, the two of them kept singing to the blue man’s gentle humming. The blonde was starting to get drowsy. Eyebags feeling heavier the further the blue man dragged them into the dangerous forest, and the humming began to sound more and more like the softest lullaby. Oh, right. The forest-
In a brutal stop, Norton yanked the blue man’s hands close to his. Stopping them both in the midst of their dance, before dragging the stranger along on his way out of the forrest.
“C’mon, forest aint safe for people like you and I. If we stick around those crazy folks are gonna appear.”
Drowsy and still in effect of the previous melody, Norton wobbled about for a few steps ahead, until he inevitably fell into the blue man’s arms. Both alcohol and lullabies hitting the vulnerable man strongly. The stranger only looked in confusion upon the man in his arms. From what was supposed to be a dance into the forest had turned into a far too heavy man flopped into his arms- The blue man couldn’t hold Norton up for long, so sitting down by a boulder like rock, he brought Norton up into his lap. Now was the perfect time to bring the blonde into the deepest depths of the forest, but…
.
.
He had quite the adorable sleepy face, didn’t he? And it was seldom a human tried to drag him into their town- Never had it happened before actually. With a soft scoff and a push of dirty blonde hair behind Norton’s hair, the blue haired man watched the huge man sleep.
Perhaps some humans could wander free- Granted he would pay a visit, to watch the dummy who wandered the forest at night,