I have been freaking out over governors school applications and studying about the war of 1812 far too much to be healthy. So that's my excuse for the lateness.

I don't want to be busking for reviews or anything, but just some feedback would be lovely!


It had gotten dark now, as it usually does this time of year, and the two housemates shuffled outside into the now crisper air for a glimpse of the setting sun.

They sat side-by-side; backs pressed against a log, facing toward the fields of their neighboring Norwegian farmers and out into the orange glow the sun had painted across the clouds.

They sat in silence, as they always did, just staring.

Njal always ensured there'd be silence between them.

You see, Njal was quite the perfectionist. He'd watch as he snatched food from his plate. He'd watch his fingers as he played on his fiddle. He devoted his mind to ensuring precision, and when it was not achieved he simply tried no more.

He counted, each and every day, the time it took for the sun to sink past the mountain top. He always was on time for it; no matter if his dinner was eaten at a table or held in his own hands as he sat.

And he was too much of a perfectionist to ever consider speaking in his 'horrible northern accent' to Saemund. (Though He claimed to himself that it was not an excuse for his asocial personality, he just didn't want to talk to Saemund. It wasn't that he didn't know how to. Not even a little.)

(Ok a a lot, but he certainly wasn't going to admit that aloud.)

So he just counted the sunset as he sat with Saemund, with only crickets cutting between them.


~*~*~*Flashback*~*~*~

Saemund was expected to be bored with the quiet country life the strange Norwegian offered. Everyone in the royal Danish court (where he had previously presided) had imagined him to return, riding back to the king begging for a reassignment. Bets were even placed, as everyone had at some point encountered Njal on his infrequent visits to the country.

Njal was frankly too odd for the Danes, and by the looks his own King* had given him, he was strange for a Norwegian too.

He often could be found (or not found, as search parties for the man were more common than counter-raids) wandering the streets of Kopenhamn, casually glancing into windows and sampling flowers from someone's garden. * He often was found fairly easily due to the help of the town's women, who had earlier shooed him away when he failed to understand that his words were lost on them. *(Catching him was the easy part though, as he walked with an unmistakably slow saunter due to his need of placing his feet perfectly in alignment.)

His aloof personality and unthreatening demeanor caused him to be subject of many raised eyebrows and in his king's case, bridge pinches and head shakings. (All of which were lost on Njal)

When Saemund, as the official embodiment of Denmark (or at least that's what he told his king he was), was assigned to accompany Njal (the official embodiment of Norway) on his way back home one day, he threw a fit.

His pouting huffs and foot stomping could be heard throughout the kingdom, as well as his loud exclamation of "HE'S A COMPLETE IMBICILE, HE'D GET US BOTH KILLED ON THE WAY THERE! EVEN IF HE DOESN'T, I'D DIE OF BOREDOM. ALL HE TALKS ABOUT IS TROLLS AND AND HIS WHISTLING IS ATTROCIOUS."

As soon as he said that, a voice called out "why look, there's a door here." And Njal himself, came peering out from a sudden hole in the middle of the floor. "Oh look.' He said looking around the room. 'It's the throne room. Oh hello Saemund. I found this under here, do you want it?" he held up a old, slightly rusty sword.

Mouth agape just at the oddity and suddenness of the situation, he stuttered a "um.. no? Where even did you…?"

"Oh… alright then. Thought it'd make a good thing t' put ya out of your misery with." Njal shrugged and crouched back down into the hole, closing the door above him.

The room was once again left to Saemund and the King.

"Did you just… was that real?" Saemund uttered, still in utter disbelief.

The King went on with his earlier message, in a long drawn out sigh "His king is dead and his land is free. Ensure he makes it home and then he's ours for the taking."

Collecting himself up, Saemund glanced back down at where the Norwegian once was.

"Does this mean I'll have to stay there? He couldn't possibly live by himself; he'd get killed by his own countrymen."

"Yes… and he already knows as you can see. I tried to arrange a house in Oslo for you; however he insisted that you live out in the wilderness or something. Said he has a farm a little northward. I'd send someone else; I'd hate to know the repercussions that you being bored in an offbeat Norwegian valley would be like. But he insisted that you come, said something about how he wanted you to teach him how to whistle if his is so bad, and that you'd need to be shown a proper troll."

"Pretty much he just chose me to go because he knows I'd hate it there." Saemund retorted, rolling his eyes with a huff.

The King chuckled and waved Saemund out of the room, bidding him a farewell for now and a good luck.

~*~*~END FLASHBACK~*~*~


Saemund absolutely hated the silence Njal hung around himself, though he grew to enjoy the subtle messages of hate sent his way.

Like the Troll under his bed.


HERP DERP THIS IS BAD

This is late and bad and my humor is lost to everyone I just know it

Anyways

Space-cadet Norway is best Norway

Historical things:

*Norways king was Harald I who untied the kingdom of Norway until his death in 930, in which his land came under the Danish crown.

*Those lands were actually just the southern tip of Norway but ah-well that's close enough

*Kopenhamn. Old Viking name for København. It's about 200 years too early in this story for it to be an actual town let along the kings residence but HAHA OH WELL IT'S FANFICTION

*Iceland WAS settled at this point, but was inhabited by Norwegian runaways who didn't want to pay the fucking taxes. Iceland baby is there but isn't really liked because he's fucking with the system so he's just gonna stay an outlaw for now

*There was still many petty kingdoms outside of "Norway" so counter-strikes were common

THAT IS ALL FOR NOW I AM SORRY FOR YOU BRAINS FOR READING THIS IT'S 1 O CLOCK AND I'M TIRED AS SHIT

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