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Ultimate Battle Competition: Viking Helmet Price 1K Viking AU
Quidditch Supplies: (pairing) Tonks/Fleur
Warning for mentions of killing and battle and most things a Viking!AU would consist of. Also a crossover with Vikings. Word count is 3,030 words. I hope you all enjoy V for Viking.
Tonks spotted her from across the field of battle. The most beautiful blonde shield maiden she'd ever seen in her entire life. Even from as far away as she was Tonks could see the spark of adventure and bloodlust in the blue eyes.
"That's her," one Tonks's companions said, pointing the delicate blonde standing amidst the ever-growing pile of men that had fallen to her sword.
"Her?" Tonks asked, not knowing what the man was talking about.
"Largetha," the man stated as though Tonks was a bit daft in the head. "You're telling me you haven't heard of the shield maiden Largetha. That's impossible."
Tonks growled low in her throat and stalked away from the man. She kept her eyes on the delicate willowy woman. She had all the features of Largetha but this was definitely not her. Not that Tonks had actually met the woman before but she had heard that Largetha was taller than this woman.
"My lady, watch out," one of the men fighting near the woman called out in alarm. Tonks finished him off with a sword before he could point her out to his lady.
Moving closer to the whirling blur of motion that was the woman in front of her, Tonks couldn't help but admire her. She'd heard about the strength of other shieldmaidens but she never thought she'd get to see it up close and personal. It was almost a pity that she had to capture such a specimen as this.
The blonde must have been alerted of an attack on her because the next thing Tonks knew she had a sword tip pressed against her neck. Those blue eyes were staring straight at her. The woman gasped for breath as she leveled her gaze with Tonks's own.
"Who sent you?" a gentle voice asked, which surprised Tonks greatly given the carnage that was around them. "Who is paying you?"
"Paying me for what?" Tonks asked, taking a step back to collect herself. She couldn't help it if her eyes happened to travel up and down the long-legged woman's body.
"To take me away from my people, of course," the girl said, looking around her for any sign of help that could be on the way.
"Who are - " Tonks was cut off before she could finish her question by the man sneaking up behind the blonde hitting in the head sending her pitching forward. Tonks caught the unconscious form as it fell. "You didn't have to do have that, you know?"
"Do you really think that Largetha's just going to come with us?" the man snarled, picking the unconscious body up out of her arms and stalking away.
Tonks followed watching the unconscious form as the man unceremoniously carried the blonde woman over his shoulder. The hair was the right color to be the shieldmaiden they were sent after. The thing is that was the only thing about this woman that was right. The eyes were the wrong shade of blue. Largetha were more a grey-blue and not a shining blue like this woman's were. This woman was pale were Largetha was tanned from working in the fields all day. This woman didn't look like she'd ever done a hard day's work in her entire life.
Fleur's Point of View
She'd done what she had been asked and this was how she was repaid for all her hard work. She was slung over the back of some man who only wanted her because he thought she was some other famous shieldmaiden. The enormity of it all kind of fell like a dead weight on her shoulders. She had only been given the assignment she'd been given to take the heat off of another shieldmaiden and they couldn't understand why she didn't enjoy fighting for them.
The stench of the man that was carrying her was enough to make her want to puke the contents of her stomach all over him. But she couldn't allow them to see that what was happening was making her feel any way out of sorts. She had to remain strong and keep giving them the impression that they had the right person. That was her assignment after all.
Opening her eyes a crack so as not to alert her captors that she was awake, Fleur looked around her. She was in unfamiliar countryside. The field they were walking through stretched as far as the eye could see. A fog was filling the landscape and making it hard to see the route she should take if she escaped.
Then she noticed the woman craning her neck to get a better look at her face. She couldn't be seen to be awake so she closed her eyes the rest of the way. Maybe the woman would think she was just seeing things? Maybe once they stopped to take a break for the night she could make her escape?
"Are you sure she's who we think she is?" the woman's voice floated to Fleur's ears. There was something about this woman's voice that was calming. Something that made Fleur believe as long as she was around Fleur would be safe. "She doesn't fully fit the description of…"
"She's who we think she is," the voice of the man who was carrying Fleur hissed. "Don't question me about this again."
The finality of the words hit both Fleur and the woman like a ton of bricks. She could hear the woman's breath escape as she thought better of speaking. Maybe this woman was the key to Fleur escaping from the brute that was carrying her? Maybe she could convince this woman to join her and come back to fight for Kattegat? But how?
She thought of all the things she could say to get this unknown woman to help her escape the brutes that had kidnapped her. She thought of everything that would convince her to go with Fleur. But it was difficult because how could Fleur even know that what would work on her would work on this woman too?
"Maybe we should stop here for the night?" the woman's voice rang out again. "Get some rest and continue bright and early the next morning."
The man carrying Fleur laughed and Fleur found herself wishing he wouldn't. The shaking of his shoulders had sent her into a dizzy fit and she realized that she hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. Maybe the other woman had realized this too and was trying to help.
"Why should we stop now? It's not even dark out yet."
"At least stop for a bit of food. I know most of us are hungry. I don't know about you but I don't usually eat before being sent on a task such as this. Just in case we die and go to Valhalla."
The man let out a sigh but stopped moving. Fleur felt herself being lowered off of his shoulders and onto the ground. She felt grateful to this woman for at least the moment of peace she was about to receive.
"Don't try anything funny, you," the man snarled, getting into her face. His dank breath making her eyes water and the bile begins to form in the back of her throat. "I've got my eye on you."
She watched the blond man lumbered over to where his companions were breaking out some food. She was glad to see the back of him. The man was horrible both in looks and in smell. His blond hair would have been attractive on any other man as would his blue eyes. But the scars and pockmarks on his face diminished his looks greatly. His tan skin made her think that he was a farmer or a fisher. Definitely someone who worked outside a lot.
"Don't mind him," the woman's voice said, sending a flutter through Fleur's stomach. "He's usually much worse than that. Your lucky he thinks you're Largetha. If he didn't think that who knows what would be happening to you right now." The woman laughed, giving her lively eyes a dancing look to them.
"What do you mean he thinks I'm Largetha?" Fleur asked, knowing exactly what this woman meant. She'd done her job and fooled people into thinking that she was Largetha. "Why would anyone think that I was Largetha?
"You have a similarity or two," the woman pointed out. "But only someone who knows enough to look closer would realize that you both only have blonde hair."
"You realized that I wasn't the person you were looking for right away?" Fleur asked the woman. She found the ever-changing color of the woman's eyes mesmerizing. One moment they were blue, the next they were grey, and then back to blue. "Who are you?" Fleur found herself wanting to know as much as she could about this woman.
"Nymphadora," the woman said, eagerly holding out her hand before realizing that Fleur couldn't shake it. "Most folks call me Tonks though."
"Only if they know what's good for them," called one of her companions, a red-haired man with a shaggy mane of hair. "The idiot captured the wrong girl again, didn't he?"
Tonks nodded.
"Ivar isn't going to be pleased about this. Especially once he finds out that the girl looks nothing like Largetha."
The man knelt in front of Fleur and looked her over. His hazel eyes soft and caring as he looked at every facet of Fleur's features. He got up and shook his head.
"This is definitely going to cost Edric big time," the man said, shaking his head. "It would have been better if he didn't even bring her along at all."
"What's going on?" the man, Edric, called as he lumbered back over. His scent stinging Fleur's eyes and making her want to gag on the food she was currently chewing that Tonks had given her. "What are you doing near my captive, Charlie?"
"Looking close enough to realize that this isn't Largetha." Charlie folded his thick arms over his chest and waited for Edric's reply.
"She is Largetha. Look," - he pointed towards Fleur - "she has the right color hair and…" he stopped short as he looked into Fleur's eyes. "Wrong color eyes and skin tone."
"Exactly."
"Ivar's going to kill me," Edric said, the finality of all dawning on him too late. "How could you let me take the wrong girl?"
Tonks's eyes widened at the accusation that had just been fired her way. She had tried to tell him. She had tried several times to warn him during their trek and each one had gone heard.
"She tried to warn you," Fleur spoke up.
"What am I going to do?" Edric sighed.
"You're going to face Ivar like a man," Charlie said firmly, sounding every inch the voice of reason that he must be for this group. "Then you are going to take your punishment without complaint. But first, we are going to return the girl."
"What?" three voices rang out in question.
It wasn't that Fleur didn't want to return to her people. She just didn't want to lose contact with Tonks. She wanted to get to know the other woman better.
"Ivar will kill me," Edric cried out.
"Not if her people don't kill you first. Along with the rest of us for being with you, to begin with," Tonks shouted.
"I will speak for you with me people," Fleur said, looking at Tonks. "I will make them understand that not all of you are bad people."
Tonks knelt down in front of Fleur and undid her bonds. She was very gentle about how she moved and touched Fleur. Watching her work at the ropes that bound her hand and foot made Fleur wonder if Tonks could tie ropes as well as she untied them.
"Thank you," Fleur said, once the ropes had fallen away from her wrists. She rubbed the feeling back into her hands and wrists as she continued to watch Tonks. "You aren't like the rest of them, are you?"
"What do you mean?" Tonks asked, frozen in something akin to fear. She was definitely hiding something and Fleur definitely wanted to know what that was. "How am I not like the rest of them? These fellows have been my friends since we were all young children."
"Doesn't make you like them?"
"I'm certain that you are definitely like Largetha. You made me pause for a second before I went to capture you that's for sure."
Fleur laughed causing a beautiful pink blush cross Tonk's cheeks. She found the blush rather attractive on Tonks. It brought out the sprinkling of freckles splashed across the dark-haired woman's face.
"What's so funny?" Tonks asked, folding her arms over her chest.
"Nothing," Fleur said. "Will, you and your comrades be returning the gold you have stolen as well?"
Tonks shook her head.
"They won't let you keep it, you know?"
"Why are you so sure?"
"I know these people. They won't let you keep the gold unless you can prove yourself loyal to them and only them."
Tonks laughed.
"I'm serious," Fleur said. "Largetha and her son are fearsome warriors and accept only the most loyalist of people…."
"Wait you want them to accept me?" Tonks asked in surprise.
"I want you to be able to stay with me," Fleur said, slipping her now free hand into Tonks's own. She smiled at the heat coming from the other woman's palm and squeezed the hand. The feeling of fluttering in her stomach increasing tenfold.
"You want me to stay with you?"
Fleur nodded. "I would truly love that," she said, a smile forming on her face at all the things she wanted to find out about Tonks. "I truly wish to get to know you much better, Nymphadora."
Tonks's Point of View
Usually, Tonks hated the sound of her birth name. Nymphadora wasn't a fearsome Viking name. It was the name of some rich woman and not fear-inspiring at all. But coming from Fleur's mouth her name sounded like poetry. It sounded like a song that Tonks would never tire of hearing.
"She doesn't like her birth name," Charlie pointed out, making Tonks want to hit him upside the head. She would be able to deal with Fleur calling her Nymphadora. The rest of these brutes would get the usual treatment.
"I don't mind her calling me Nymphadora," Tonks said, looking straight into Fleur's blue eyes. "I don't mind that at all."
Charlie chuckled and began to walk away, throwing a wink over his shoulder as he went. Tonks was pretty sure that Charlie knew what she was up to. She only ever allowed her lover or significant others to call her Nymphadora. She just wasn't sure right now which she wanted Fleur to be.
"Nymphadora," Fleur's voice broke her train of thought, pulling back to the moment.
"Fleur," she stated smiling at the blonde.
"What's so funny?"
"Just an inside joke between myself and Charlie," Tonks said, taking a mental note to smack Charlie the next time she saw him. "It doesn't mean anything bad. It's just meant to be playful."
"Playful?"
Tonks nodded.
The edges of the sky were starting to turn a beautiful orange. One that Tonks couldn't get over seeing any time she watched the sunset. She could hear the sounds of the men rushing to set up camp. Not that they'd moved an inch from their break. They were still somewhat discussing returning Fleur.
Looking over at Fleur's awestruck face, Tonks had found a sight more beautiful than the sunset she usually liked to watch. The oranges turned to pinks, then to purples, and finally to the pitch blackness of night.
The crickets started up their tune as a light meal was cooked over the campfire. Songs were sung and mead was passed around. Stories were told around the fire and all Tonks could see or hear was Fleur. Fleur coated each and every one of her senses except for taste. Not that she didn't want to do that either. It would just be inappropriate at the moment.
"Your people really live like this?" Fleur asked, making Tonks jump a bit.
"Like what?" Tonks asked, looking around them. This was a normal evening for her and her band of friends. Camping out under the star and eating the limited food they'd packed to last the night.
"Like this," Fleur pointed to the group situated around the campfire.
"Most of the year, yes," Tonks nodded. "Especially when we pillage other villages. It's easier to keep on the move this way. Not much to slow you down. Not much to pack up and move. It's kind of perfect in a way."
"In what way?"
Kattegat
The sounds of hoofbeats sounded through the spring air as the rider rode through the village to reach his destination. He had to reach his destination. His daughter's life depended on him reaching his destination.
He reigned the horse to get the animal to move faster. He wasn't a cruel man but every moment spent on the beast was a moment that Fleur was being tortured or the gods knew what.
He was about to round the corner when he saw Largetha and her son, Bjorn walking down the street from him. He stopped the horse and quickly jumped off of it. Tying it to a post as quickly as he could, he approached the mother and son duo.
"Largetha," he gasped, out of breath from the short jog, "my daughter needs your help. She's been captured from our village."
"What exactly do you want us to do about it?" Bjorn asked, watching the small foreign man. He'd been leery of the man since he, his wife, and daughter had arrived in Kattegat. He didn't think this man could be trusted.
"I want your help to get her back," Fleur's father said. "The only reason they took my daughter is that she looks like her." The crying man pointed towards Largetha with a trembling finger. He didn't want to cause the lady any trouble but he would do anything for his Fleur.
"We will help you," Largetha said gently. "Follow me."
I hope you all enjoyed V for Viking as much as I enjoyed writing it.