Nicko had been sailing for a while now, and he was getting bored. But he was not lonely, no, thinking of seeing Snorri was more than enough to content his want for companionship. He was on a pretty steady course, so when he didn't have to man the wheel, he sat and carved.
He was carving... something. He wasn't sure what it was yet, but Nicko had done enough of it to know the wood needed to lead him in the right direction, not the other way round. When he looked down several hours later, Nicko had carved a small figure, with a detailed beak and wings spread wide. He smiled, and placed the figurine of a Bar-Tailed Godwit, a migratory bird, in his pocket.
Making his way to the wheel, Nicko glanced down at his map. According to it, and his various navigation tools, he should be nearly at the Land of the Long Nights, Snorri's home. Nicko glanced up, and in the distance, he saw the shoreline. He was nearly there. Nearly with Snorri. Nicko couldn't believe it was finally happening. She was so close, so very nearly in his arms again.
Nicko started frantically tidying the deck. He had never been overly neat, but he couldn't have Snorri's first sight of him after years apart be marred by a messy ship. As he pushed the debris into his cabin, he paused. What if she wanted to come on board? He straightened up the Cabin, and made his bed just like Mum was always telling him to, back home. He swept off the deck, making sure all the wood shavings were sent straight overboard. The bird was a surprise, he couldn't have her see his carving tools and scraps before he gave it to her.
His frantic cleaning done, Nicko sat down and waited, his thoughts spiraling at a dizzying speed. At first, they were happy, excited. He was seeing Snorri again! He would get to hold her hand, and wander around the docks he could just barely make out. Nicko had been studying her language as well, from a dictionary he bought off of a northern trader, the year she left. She deserved that respect, and Nicko hoped she wouldn't make fun of his atrocious accent too much, like the Traders he asked for lessons always did.
Soon though, he had spiralled towards more nervous, pessimistic thoughts. What if Snorri didn't live on the outer port? Would he ever be able to find her then? What if Snorrihad found someone else, and that was why she never came back? Of course, Nicko hoped she would be happy, but he didn't know if he would be able to stand not being able to spend the rest of his life with her. Oh Gods, what if she was dead? Would she even be there to greet him? The whole of his journey, Nicko had willfully avoided these questions, but now that he was so close, they wouldn't be pushed aside.
Nicko looked up, and steered his ship towards the docks. He was here now, there was no changing what would happen next, good or bad. He practiced saying the greeting he had perfected, and took a deep breath as He steered the Adventurer to shore. In the spot right next to the one Nicko was aiming for was the Alfrun. Nicko beamed at the familiar cabin and paint, before mooring at the docks. Then he stopped.
There, only a few short feet away, was Snorri. Nicko vaulted onto the dock, and sprinted toward her. Snorri was laughing as they meant in the middle, and Nicko picked her up and spun her around in delight.
"Nicko! You're here! Actually, really here!" Snorri's lilting accent was a joy to his ears, and as Nicko finally held her in his arms again, he realized how much shorter Snorri was than he remembered. He realized that wasn't the change at the same time Snorri did. "You've grown" she smiled, and Nicko's world was whole again.