Amber Curse

by TSValing

In a time of gods and giants, there was no escaping the fate woven by the Norns. A young woman with a mysterious heritage flees an oppressive Jarl, only to find herself in the possession of another. But is the Berserker truly as cruel as the man she's hiding from? Rated for violence, gore, and sexual content. Kid x Nami. One-sided Arlong x Nami.

12. Chapter 12

Warning: Descriptions of violence and gore in this chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or the characters, they belong to Eiichiro Oda.

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Revelations

Nami sensed that Kid wanted to linger at the beach after they talked of his family, and he wanted her to stay with him. She was content at his side, so said nothing as they sat in a peaceful silence. She was taking in this new piece of Kid's life, and coming to see him in another light. Over the weeks she had known him, she had learned plenty about how he ran his village and treated those within his household. She could see now why he commanded such respect. And she could see he was not lying when he first brought her into his hall and said that if any man mistreated her, he would take care of it so that it never happened again.

She was truly grateful for whatever hand the gods had in leading her to him.

While Kid silently collected himself, she began to nod off as she leaned into him. It was strange how simple it was to find sleep when he was close. When he was beside her, she knew that she was safe, that nothing could bring her harm. He brought her security she had not known in years.

Back in Tingstad, before it was the dreams that disrupted her sleep, she rarely found true rest. It didn't matter that Arlong's men were under orders to treat her as they would a sister, she knew better than to ever trust a single one of those men. Arlong included. She only ever slept a few hours at night, with Nojiko staying awake to guard her. She would wake after a few hours of light rest to let her sister sleep until dawn, watching over her in turn. Once Arlong allowed her an enclosed room only big enough for a bed, with a door she could bar shut at night, she and Nojiko slept better, but still found themselves waking at the faintest creak outside their room.

She stirred awake that night when she felt a flutter of movement against her cheek, the gentle brush of fingers roughened from work and battle. She smiled at the touch as they guided a strand of hair behind her ear. Warm breath fanned over her forehead as he whispered her name. She didn't want to move, didn't want to leave her black, dreamless sleep. She burrowed closer, and his breath fanned over her again in a short huff. He grasped her shoulder and lightly shook, as though he did not want to disturb her but felt he had to. When she refused to open her eyes, he gave another rousing shake, whispered that she needed to go to bed. The chill permeating the night urged her to wake, to fall into the warm furs waiting in Kalifa's home, but she did not want to leave Kid's side just yet. Groaning as he nudged her one last time, she finally stretched and opened her eyes to peer up at Kid.

His stoic frown said nothing of his mood, and it had grown too dark for her to see what thoughts his eyes might give away. He didn't speak, merely nodded up the hill to signal they return to the hall. She couldn't help but pout, and his frown cracked. It was barely a twitch of his lips, but she saw the amusement flicker across his face before it was locked away again.

Before she could argue that they stay a few minutes longer, Kid pulled away to stand. He ignored her sulking as he held out a hand to help her up. He waited for her to brush the sand off her dress, still silent as he gazed off toward the path they followed. Once she was ready, he turned to lead the way back. His longer strides kept him a few steps ahead of her at first, but once they passed over the rocks lining the beach, he slowed until she reached his side and allowed her to wind her arms around his to help her stay on her feet as she yawned.

He paused outside Kalifa's home and frowned at the door. A glimmer of candlelight shone through a crack in the frame, telling Nami that Gunda had stayed awake waiting for her. She was surprised the shieldmaiden hadn't searched for her when she didn't return with Kalifa after supper. She had wanted time alone, weary from the trek and her anxiety over the raids, but Nami knew she wouldn't neglect her duties. Nami prepared herself to be fretted over, and released Kid's arm with a resigned sigh.

He stopped her before she reached the door. She looked down at the hand firmly gripping her arm, unsure why he would stop her when he was the one who wanted to return to the hall. She looked at him in confusion and found him staring off to the main hall, his own expression painted with uncertainty. When he caught her stare, he pursed his lips into a tight frown before flicking his gaze toward Iceburg's hall and gave a gentle tug in silent suggestion.

Her heart skipped a beat. She couldn't even begin to guess why.

She looked over her shoulder at Kalifa's home. She had slept fine the night before, she had no reason to stay with Kid. Even if she had been comfortable beside him on the shore, she was still expected to remain with the women. And she couldn't rely on his presence to keep the visions away, she would have to learn how to control them herself. That might never happen if she took the easy route.

She shook her head and smiled solemnly. Kid knew her answer with only that and slowly released her. If he was disappointed, he didn't show it. She squeezed his arm in a quiet goodnight and went inside with his gaze heavy on her back. She didn't hear him walk away until she barred the door shut behind her.

"Lady Nami," Gunda whispered in open relief as she sat up in bed. She looked to have been dozing as she waited, and Nami came over to sit beside her with an apologetic smile. "I was worried that you might not return tonight. What were you doing down by the shore with the jarl for so long?"

Her eyes widened. "You saw?"

"When you didn't return with Lady Kalifa, she said you had gone for a walk with Jarl Eustass. I went to look for you when it grew late and you still hadn't returned. I saw you sitting together, but didn't think it right to disturb you," she explained.

"Sorry," Nami whispered, taking the shieldmaiden's hand to squeeze. "I needed to speak with him. We got lost in conversation, is all." She paused to yawn. "And then I fell asleep for a bit."

"You should have been to bed hours ago," Gunda rebuked, sounding more like a stern mother than her shieldmaiden.

"I know. I'll go to bed now," she said, her eyes already feeling heavy again.

Gunda climbed from her bedding to help Nami undress and change into a wool tunic. She continued to mother her as she combed out the tangles in her hair and tied it in a loose braid, then helped Nami under her furs. She was too tired by then to bat her away, and willfully let the shieldmaiden tuck her in. Gunda was nervous about the trip and if fretting gave her an outlet for her worries, then Nami would let her.

Half asleep, Nami grabbed Gunda's hand before she could return to her bed. "Thank you for worrying about me," she whispered, surprising the woman.

Gunda relaxed into a warm smile for the first time in days. "You're most welcome, my lady. Now sleep."

She nodded as she rolled away to burrow under her furs. She listened as Gunda slipped back into her bed. Her eyes blinked open long enough to see the room fall dark when Gunda blew out the candle. When she closed her eyes again, she sank into her bedding, wrapped up in the comforting warmth of her furs. In an instant her mind floated off into darkness and she was fast asleep.

If she had known what dream would greet her, she might have thought twice about refusing Kid's offer.

At first there was only sound. The echoing howls of wolves that always haunted her dreams. There was panting and the muffled thump of their paws striking soft ground as they ran. They were off on a hunt. Eager for their feast. Their cries and snarls grew distant, and she slowly opened her eyes.

She found herself in fog, but she didn't panic. She could smell the trees, the rich soil beneath her feet. The fog would conceal the pack in the forest. It was ideal conditions for them to strike their prey unaware. As long as they went unseen, their hunt would be a success.

She had thought herself alone until she felt fur brush her hand. The touch surprised her as she looked down to see a wolf at her side. It wasn't the same wolf with the rusty eyes that haunted her nightmares. This one peered up at her with eyes the color of the sky that stood out from ashen fur. The wolf nuzzled her hand, gave it a happy and playful nip that made her laugh, then loped off into the fog.

Another wolf brushed by her, yipping in a way that reminded her of laughter as it bounced away from another wolf. Neither had rust colored eyes. One had eyes as deep blue as the ocean. The other a gentle green. She giggled when yet another wolf came out of the fog to rub against her affectionately. This one had dark brown eyes. There was another wolf with golden eyes that came to lay on the ground in front of her and roll to its back in the dirt, its tongue lulling out happily.

She was surrounded by wolves, but she had never felt safer. They were happy, at peace, playing while they waited for the others to return. Nothing felt amiss.

She sat down on the ground to play with her keepers and watch them run around the tranquil field. The fog slowly began to burn away, letting her see the trees around the large clearing they had taken for themselves. She could hear the ocean somewhere behind, the call of a seagull overhead, as more of the world bled into her awareness.

When she heard the beat of hooves off in the forest, she didn't think much of it, but the wolves stopped their playing and jerked to attention, their noses sniffing the air. As the horses grew near, the wolves tensed, their fur bristling as they growled. Nami finally felt fear when the ashen colored wolf tugged at her sleeve, urging her to get up and move away from the horses bearing down on their camp.

She heard the bark of hounds and began to scramble away. Her pack wasn't the only one out on a hunt, and just like her wolves, these hunters found advantage in the fog.

The thrum of a loosened bowstring was as loud as thunder in her dream, and her breath caught.

A yelp rang out when the arrow struck one of her wolves, and then chaos rained down.

Her dream spun out of control and left her dizzy as she tried to track all that happened. Through the mist it was all a flurry of teeth and fur and iron spears. Her wolves snarled and snapped at the hunters, attacked man and beast alike. A horse fell with its rider and both were swallowed up in one bite. A hound lunged onto the back of one of her wolves and took it down with its jaws wrapped around its neck. The hound was tackled off its prey by another wolf that was quickly joined by a second. The hound didn't last long outnumbered and was torn apart amidst shrieks and yelps.

As she watched the carnage around her, she stood frozen. Tears stung her eyes. She couldn't move. She couldn't stop the slaughter. All she could do was watch until she couldn't see through the haze of tears. All she could see was a red sea drowning the green grass. All she could hear was the roar of the ocean as she grew deaf to all else.

Arrows flew by, grazed her skirts, but she was heedless of the danger she was in. One bit at her shoulder and threw her back to crash against the ground. Startled, her senses came rushing back just in time to see a horse charging at her, its faceless rider holding a spear with deadly intent. The ground was slick with blood, the dirt turned to sticky mud. She tried to push back, to find her feet and run, but all she could do was sink deeper into the muck. The rider grew closer, the hooves thundering. Fear chilled her heart. All she could think to do was raise her arms to shield herself from her inevitable doom.

The strike never came, and she lowered her arms to see the ashen wolf on the horse's back, its jaws around the rider's arm. The horse reared as claws dug into its rump, but the wolf did not release its prey. She watched with hope blossoming inside her. Could this be a victory? Could this be an end?

The horse fell, tossing rider and wolf to the ground. The landing forced the wolf to let go of the man, and both scrambled to find purchase in the muck. The hunter looked to her first, but then turned to the wolf in time to catch the predator's lunge. He raised his spear. There was a yelp. And Nami felt a scream well but there was no breath in her lungs to give it voice. She watched, stunned, as the spear impaled the wolf. The beast tried to fight through the pain, clawed at the shaft, reached for the hunter, snapped its jaws, but as blood splashed to the ground, its movements grew weak and slow.

With cruel malice, the hunter swung his spear and tossed the dying wolf off. It landed in a heap before her, whining and panting in pain. It wasn't dead yet, but it couldn't move as it continued to bleed out.

Nami wanted to wake up. But she couldn't

Her hands trembled as she reached for the beast. Its breaths shuddered as she gently ran her fingers through its matted fur. A sob built in her throat when it let out another pitiful whine. It opened its eyes, lifted its head, and looked at her with a pleading gaze. It was suffering, barely clinging to life, and it was still concerned for her.

Run, she swore it said with another whimper. Move.

She knew she needed to move. She should have moved sooner. She should have fought. She could have helped them. She could have saved them.

Its head fell back to the ground. It released another rattling, fluid-filled breath - and then fell still.

The hunter began to bear down on her with his spear poised to strike. She couldn't move, even as the sharp tip began to descend on her.

All she could do was scream.

And then she woke.

She shot up in bed, gasping through her sobs. Sweat and tears made her eyes burn. Her lungs clawed at her chest, begging for air to fill them. Panic overtook her, wrapped around her throat. They were all going to die. They were all going to die because she couldn't do anything.

"… Nami… Lady Nami…" she heard on the edge of her frantic, dizzying thoughts. "Lady Nami," they tried again, this time a hand clutching her shoulder tight to shake her. "Lady Nami! Please wake up!"

She was awake, but the dream wouldn't leave her. She tried to shake it, to fix her gaze on Gunda's worried face to one side. She sucked in a desperate breath, but then it felt as if her ribs had collapsed to stop the next.

"Lady Nami," a calmer voice said to her other side, and she forced herself to focus on Kalifa's stern face. There was confusion and obvious concern. She didn't know of her dreams, her visions. She didn't know what her mind was doing to her. "You need to calm yourself. Breathe…" she said.

Nami managed to drag in another breath as reality washed away the dream. Gunda's hand sat firm on her shoulder, grounding her to their realm. Kalifa held her by the wrist, and with Nami's next breath, she noticed the soothing circles her thumb brushed over her pulse. Nami blinked away her tears, shut her eyes, and bowed her head.

"I'm… I'm all right…" she croaked out as she gripped her fur blanket tight. "I'm…" She slowly opened her eyes.

And screamed.

"Nami," both women exclaimed as she frantically threw the blanket off. She didn't heed either of them as she shoved them away in her madness.

Blood. There was blood everywhere.

She scrambled out of bed, ignored the women crying for her to stop, to calm down. She needed to move. She needed to run. She couldn't flee in the dream. But in the waking world, it was all she knew how to do.

She was out the door before either of them could stop her and sprinted away from the house. The chill air of the night bit the skin of her bare legs unprotected by the tunic she wore. The rocks of the path cut the soles of her feet as she ran barefoot to the sea. She needed to wash the blood away. She needed to make it all go away.

She stubbed her toe as she ran over the rocks lining the shore, but even that wasn't enough to stop her, only made her stumble before she balanced and sprinted forward again. She kept on running over the wet sand until she reached the water. She ran into the sea until it hit the middle of her shins and then fell to her knees. It was cold, a shock of ice jolting her senses, but she didn't care as she splashed the water over her bloodstained arms and clothes and face. She scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed, but the blood wouldn't come off, even as the sea ran red.

She screamed and sobbed and splashed, cursed and pleaded. The blood was on her. It was all her fault.

She thought she heard someone call for her, but she ignored them. Water splashed behind her, but she didn't turn around. A growl rumbled above her, but she continued to scrub. She cried out when his arm wrapped around her waist and thrashed in his hold as he hauled her out of the water.

"Put me down," she screamed as he set her on his shoulder. "I need to clean the blood off. Please! Put me down!"

"No," Kid growled, stomping back to the shore. She continued to struggle as she sobbed, arching over his shoulder in a desperate bid to somehow reach the water. He unceremoniously dropped her onto the soft sand of the beach and she scrambled up, intent on running back into the water. Kid was there to stop her, though, catching her around her waist to haul her back. "Stop it, Nami."

"But I need to…." she began to plead, but it was cut off as he shoved her back onto the sand.

"You need to snap out of it," he snarled as he climbed on top of her to hold her down.

"But the blood…" she sobbed.

"There is no blood," he said frankly, his hands gripping her shoulders tight to keep her pinned. It was a firm hold, but controlled enough that it wouldn't hurt as long as she didn't struggle. She forced herself to breathe in and let her body go limp beneath him. No matter how much she fought, she would not break free. "But if I didn't stop you," he said, calmer once she ceased fighting him, "you would have clawed your skin off to get it."

She shut her eyes as she caught another breath. His grip relaxed, but he didn't get off her as she continued to calm. She was awake. The dream was gone. He said there was no blood. She trusted him. Kid had never lied to her, so why would he lie about this? But there had been so much blood. She felt it thick in the fur blanket, slimy on her hands. It all seemed real.

But Kid wouldn't lie. Kid never lied.

She bit back another sob. It came out with a quiet whimper.

"She's fine now," Kid said to someone. "Go back to your beds."

Her eyes fluttered open to look around him. Gunda and Kalifa stood beside them, both women openly concerned. Her shieldmaiden held Kid's cloak in her arms and passed it to him when he gestured for it. Once he took it, he sat back on his knees to cover her wet and frigid form. She shivered as she drew it against her chest, soaking in the warmth of his fur while the others talked.

"It wouldn't be proper to leave her with you while she's in this state," Kalifa argued.

Kid glared at her. "Fuck off," he snarled. "She's safer with me than either of you. So take your proper horseshit and go back to bed."

Kalifa looked ready to argue again, but Gunda grabbed her arm and tugged her away.

"If Jarl Eustass says she is safe with him, then she is safe with him," Gunda said softly, though her downcast eyes told of her own doubts.

Kalifa's gaze turned cold as she glared at the other woman. Arguing wasn't going to make this better, so Nami shifted to sit up as best she could with Kid atop her, and wiped at the tears staining her cheeks.

"It's really all right, Kalifa," she interjected. "I'm sorry to have worried you, but please go back to your home. Kid will see me back once I've calmed down."

Kalifa looked between her and Kid with a deep frown. "Are you certain? We can stay-"

"She said it's fine," Kid barked impatiently. "Leave."

Kalifa didn't look pleased by the rude order, but she pursed her lips and spun away with a huff. Gunda graced Nami with one more look of concern before turning to hurry after the other woman. Kid sat above her as he tracked them all the way up the path back to the square. Once he was satisfied that they were gone, he turned his attention back to her.

"I knew you shouldn't have stayed with them," he grumbled as he glared down at her.

"I was fine last night," she argued tiredly. "We can't predict these dreams, and we already discussed it, I can't rely on you to keep them at bay. And I still might have had this dream tonight, even if I stayed with you."

"You were sleeping peacefully when you were with me," he reminded. "You always sleep best with me nearby."

She fell back into the sand with a sigh and draped an arm over her eyes. "No, I sleep best after I've had that dream. After you've woken me from it."

"After I stay," he added stubbornly.

"I still had that dream when we camped and you were nearby," she argued.

"That was a different dream."

"So was this one," she snapped, shifting her arm to glare at him. "I didn't dream of your death this time…." Her eyes burned with fresh tears she tried to blink and sniffle away. Kid shifted atop her uncomfortably. "It was so much worse," she said with a strained whisper. "And I didn't do anything to stop it."

"You can't do anything to change it if it's been fated," he whispered as he leaned over her.

"But I can. I just don't know how," she admitted. "I have to change it, Kid. I can't let them die. I can't let anyone else die for me."

Her tears escaped to burn against her cool cheeks, unfettered as grief clung to her heart. Kid sighed and grasped her by the shoulders, roughly pulling her up into his arms. He drew the cloak around her, covering her shivering body, and then pressed her face to his bare chest. She sank into him with a sob and greedily took the comfort he offered. His heart thumped steadily beneath her ear. His skin smelled of sand and sea. His fingers wove into her hair, soothing her as he combed through the thick locks. She felt him shiver when her arms wound around him, but he made no complaint.

"What did you see this time?" he asked once she had calmed.

She gripped his back tight. She didn't want to remember the vision. She didn't want to speak of it.

Kid pulled away enough to glower down at her. "Nami," he ordered impatiently, heedless of her sorrowful frown.

"There were other wolves," she said with a sigh, leaning in to press her forehead to his chest so she didn't have to look at him as she spoke. "Your men, I suppose. They were protecting me." She took a deep breath and shook her head as she tried not to think of the end, the blood, the horror. "It was a peaceful day. I didn't think to worry. They were all playing and happy. You and the others were out on a hunt. But… other hunters came. Men on horseback, with hounds at their sides. There was death everywhere. No one was spared. One of the wolves saved me from a spear, and I had hoped that would be the end, but…" She let out a shuddering sigh. "They were thrown from the horse, and when the wolf attacked the rider…" Her throat began to close as the image of the wolf impaled on a spear flashed before her mind's eye. She swallowed down the lump when Kid's nails scratched over her scalp, pulling her back to their world. "The wolf was dying in front of me, told me to run, to move… I couldn't. There was so much blood… I woke before the man could strike me down, too."

Kid's hold on her tightened and he let out a ragged breath of his own. "Do you know when this will happen? Where?"

She thought hard of the place she had been. They had been in a field, away from the village. They were close to the sea, but she didn't recognize the forest. And the riders with their hounds - their helms and shields said they were from other lands, but she did not recognize their heraldry. Her stomach sank. She had a feeling she knew when this prophecy would be fulfilled.

"I think…" She gazed up at him. "I think it's meant to happen in Britain. On this raid."

Kid growled out a curse and looked away from her, sneering off into the distance. "And I suppose sending you back to Drafn won't change anything."

"They might not die in Britain, but if we run from it in the hopes of changing it, we risk angering the gods. They might sink our ship. We might be attacked in the village while you're away." Even if she chose another branch to follow, their fate might not be any different.

"But you said you could change it," he said. "You sound certain of it. Does it have to do with your dream of the Norns?"

Her eyes widened. "You were listening," she hissed in accusation.

"I wasn't going to leave you alone," he huffed. "Now tell me how you think you can change it when you say yourself that running from it might only change the means or place of their death?"

"I said I don't know how to change it. I just know that I can. Somehow."

"Why do you think you can?"

"Because…" She sighed and shut her eyes. "That was my ancestor's prophecy, though I can't be certain I'm the one she foretold of. She merely said that at the end of our lineage, there will be one capable of magic no mortal has claimed before."

"And you're the last of their lineage," he said, awestruck. He sank down as understanding dawned on him. "Unless you bear another daughter."

"The Norns kept telling me to move, but in this last dream, and the one I have of you, I'm always frozen with fear. I can't change anything when I can't move, but… I'm scared… I'm scared of dying, of failing, of doing everything I can and only making it worse. I'm a coward." She looked down as more tears stung her eyes. It was hopeless.

"Don't call yourself that," Kid said firmly, pushing her back hard and forcing her to meet his angry gaze. "I don't think you're a coward, so you shouldn't see yourself as one."

"But all I've ever done is run away, and when I don't, I just stand there and let people die. How am I not a coward?"

"Because you've done what you have to to survive. You were a child when that usurper came, and you suffered in his household, knowing he meant to use you for his own purposes, and as soon as you were capable, you ran."

"You're only proving me right," she hissed.

"No, I'm proving you wrong," he growled back. "You stayed in a home with the man who murdered the woman who raised you, who enslaved the jarl who offered his protection to you. You stayed and suffered until you couldn't any longer, and when you ran, you ran alone, sailed through the straits in nothing but a faering, and survived Rán's net. You then walked through unknown lands, sick and starved, until the gods brought you to me. You never stopped moving. You never gave up on your life. You faced forward and fought for your own survival. If that isn't brave, then I don't know what is."

She gaped, speechless. He was so vehement in his reasoning, she couldn't find the words to deny him.

"Just because you can't stand up to battle a damn giant doesn't mean you're a coward. It just means you're smart and know your own limits. There are some fights that can't be fought alone, and that's why you're with me," he added.

Her eyes burned, but she wanted to smile. "Sometimes I hate you so much," she said, shaking her head as she gave a tired laugh.

Kid snorted. "'Cause I'm right and you know it."

"I don't think you're right, but maybe you have a point," she relented.

"No, I'm right. Just admit it," he said with a gloating smirk.

She shoved at his chest. "You're not wrong."

He chuckled. "Close enough." Sighing, he reached up to brush at a strand of hair that loosened from her braid. It had begun to dry and turn coarse from the brine. "So what are we going to do about this new prophecy?"

She pursed her lips in thought. If they couldn't run from it, then all they could do was face it and hope that when the time came, fear wouldn't freeze her.

"I need to think," she decided. "If running away isn't an option, then I need to figure out something that I can do to change it. I need to understand what I'm truly capable of." She shifted, letting his cloak fall down so she could look at her soaked clothing and red arms. She was covered in welts and scratches from how hard she scrubbed, the marks a bright contrast to her pale skin. The chill air covered her in tiny pimples, begging for her fur bed or a warm tub. "I could use a bath."

Kid frowned down at her arms, taking them to examine. "There's no blood."

"I know. But I still need a bath. Maybe it'll help me think."

"No scrubbing yourself raw like this again," he lectured as he rubbed his palm over her skin to warm it. "Or I'll have to watch you bathe to see that you don't."

She glowered at him, thinking his threat was a poor excuse for a lecherous joke. He looked dead serious. At least as serious as a man trying not to shiver from the cold could look.

"Why are you only wearing trousers?" she asked. "Aren't you freezing?"

"I am, but when I heard you scream, I only bothered to pull on my pants before coming to you."

"You heard me scream?" She looked around the hill, toward the houses the other men were in and up toward Iceburg's hall. "Why did no one else come?"

Kid frowned. "Don't know. Maybe only I heard. Sounded like you screamed in my damn ear."

"If I was that loud, everyone should have woken," she reasoned.

Kid shrugged. "Might have to do with your magic. Don't know. Even if I hadn't heard, Gunda was on her way to wake me. Nearly ran her down in the square as I chased after you. Just bothered to order her to fetch my furs when I saw you weren't any more clothed than I was."

"Oh." She felt a pang of guilt, her cheeks heating in embarrassment. She put them all through so much trouble with these dreams.

"I swear I've never seen anyone run so damn fast, even over those rocks," Kid continued. "Hell, only ever seen cats flee in a panic like that. How'd you not trip and knock yourself out?"

She shrugged. "I stubbed my toe, but all I cared about was getting into the water."

He hissed. "Makes me worry you might have drowned yourself in your madness. You're right, you need to understand your magic better, before these visions can push you that far." With a tired groan, he moved to stand, hauling her up with him. "For now, let's get you to my quarters. I'll wake a servant so you can have that bath."

"I can just use Kalifa's bath," she argued. "I don't need to stay with you tonight. I'm not going to sleep again."

He frowned. "You're being stubborn again. The women are probably sleeping by now."

"I doubt that, not with how worried they were. Please, just let me stay with them for the rest of the night." His glower deepened into a sulky expression that made her giggle. His gaze hardened into a glare when she reached up to brush her hand over his cheek. He really was cute when he worried. "I promise that I'll be fine. I'm not going to learn how to control these visions any faster if I keep using you to shield me from them. It's a crutch that won't always be there. If I feel I need you, though, I'll tell you."

He pursed his lips and nodded. She ran her hand over his cheek on more time before letting it fall away. As it dropped to his chest, he forced a smile and gave her a playful nudge. "And you say you're a coward."

Laughing, she pushed at his chest. "I might get scared, but I know I'm not weak. I don't need anyone coddling me."

His grin turned proud and he pinched her cheek hard enough to make her shriek. "Cute," he muttered before releasing her. She huffed as she rubbed the sore spot, and Kid turned her toward the hill. "Fine me for that later. Let's get you back before I freeze my ass off."

She shivered and agreed that it wouldn't be good to linger out there. She adjusted the furs to wrap tight around her shoulders, and set off for the hall. She had a harder time crossing the rocks without fear surging through her veins and slipped once before Kid took her by the waist and hauled her onto his shoulder. She wanted to argue over his manhandling, but it was better than cutting her feet apart. When she didn't struggle, he continued to carry her up the hill, only setting her down once they spied Kalifa outside her home.

"Gunda is heating water for a bath," she said, tone hard and rebuking, eyes set in a sharp glare. "We can't have you catching your death from the cold."

"Thank you." She nodded graciously as she returned Kid's cloak. He immediately wound it around his bare shoulders with a relieved sigh and shudder. She waved him off and headed into the house as he hurried toward the warmth promised in Iceburg's hall.

Inside, she was pounced upon without warning. Kalifa huffed in annoyance as she yanked the tunic up over Nami's head, ignoring her squeals of protest.

"Warm yourself by the fire while your shieldmaiden finishes filling the tub," Kalifa snapped once she was bare, gently shoving her toward the small fire they lit while she was away. As soon as Nami sat down on a stool, Kalifa tossed a fur blanket over her lap and draped a wool one over her shoulders. "I do not like the way that jarl treated you out there. He is too rough."

"He tries not to be," Nami argued. "I was fighting back. He was merely trying to stop me from hurting myself."

"That may be, but he could have gentled his touch," Kalifa said as she stood behind her and began to pull at Nami's disheveled braid. Her own touch was rough with frustration until Nami winced and drew away. The older woman took a deep breath and forced herself to calm before easing Nami toward her again to pull at the tangled strands with more care. "My apologies. Your nightmare must have been very traumatic, and here I am lecturing you for your jarl's brutishness"

Nami slumped forward. "Yes, very traumatic. I suppose I'm more nervous about the raid than I thought."

"A mind can conjure up the worst nightmares from your fears," Kalifa agreed as she ran her fingers over her scalp. Nami sank in the blankets with the soothing touch and let her eyes fall shut. "I was surprised by how quickly Jarl Eustass came to you, though. It was as though he sensed your distress. And your shieldmaiden had been going to fetch him before he came running out. It seemed to me this was not the first time you had such an episode."

Nami's eyes shot open in surprise. She couldn't let this woman catch on to what she was. Could she?

"Nami?" Kalifa prompted, her hands settling on her shoulders. "This is not your first night terror, is it?"

She realized she couldn't lie, not entirely. If she was to go with them to Britain, she would likely figure it out eventually. She closed her eyes with another sigh.

"No," she said softly. "Though it is the worst I've had thus far. They only began to plague me a few weeks ago, right before I came into Kid's care."

"Are they all the same?" Kalifa asked as she picked up a comb and began to run it through the stiff, dried strands of her hair.

"At first they were. I had a new one a few nights ago, when we camped on the way here. And this one was different from the others. It was so vivid and refused to leave me after I woke," she explained. "They only seem to abate when Kid wakes me."

"We woke you fine."

"I ran to the sea screaming. I don't see how that is waking up fine."

"Point well taken," Kalifa ceded. "What are these dreams of?"

Nami hesitated. She nearly gave a vague response, but Gunda spoke up before she could.

"Please do not question Lady Nami on her dreams," the shieldmaiden said. "They are a source of great turmoil for her and Jarl Eustass. It is unkind to make her think on them so soon after. Lady Nami, the bath should be warm enough for you."

Kalifa pulled away without argument and bowed her head apologetically. A part of her wished she could tell her why Kid and his people were so protective of her, but she knew she couldn't trust anyone too easily. Still, she liked the woman well enough. There was something about her that made her want to trust her.

She turned to place a hand on Kalifa's arm, drawing her attention back to her. Smiling, she gave her a squeeze. "I could do with some company while I bathe. I don't care to be alone after these dreams. If it's not too much trouble, could you keep combing my hair? It's very soothing."

Kalifa smiled tightly and nodded. "It would be my pleasure."

"Gunda - join us, too. I could use all the company I can get after that nightmare."

The shieldmaiden tilted her head in agreement, and moved aside as Nami got up to head to the tub waiting in the back room. As soon as she sank into the warm water, she sighed with relief while the last tremors of cold and fear washed away. It was exactly what she needed to clear her mind and hopefully think on what to do next.

It was unfortunate that her only source of answers came in a cryptic dream from the Norns. They hadn't been helpful at all.

---

Kid found the hall lit up when he returned, a fire roaring in the hearth and candles flickering at one of the tables. He paused at the sight of Iceburg stretched back in a chair, his feet planted on the table. He looked to be asleep. Kid was surprised to find him out of bed at all.

"A herd of reindeer could have stampeded through here, and they would have been quieter than you," Iceburg said as Kid limped toward the fire. He should have at least tried to slip on his boots before running out, but his main concern was reaching Nami after hearing that scream pierce his mind and shatter his dreams. His feet and hands were frozen after pulling Nami from the water. "What sent you out with such a racket?"

"None of your business," Kid grunted.

"Mm, I saw your lady's shieldmaiden and Kalifa return not long ago. Kalifa said Nami had a nightmare. But how could you have known?" Iceburg peeked open one eye, his brow raising. "There is something strange about her, and your relationship to her. What exactly brought her to your village again?"

"An alliance with her father," Kid grumbled, turning away to take a cup of ale from a servant that Iceburg must have dragged out of bed.

"Ah, right, the one who is so poor, he is little more than another farmer in his territory," Iceburg said, nodding. "He supplied you with his daughter, who you claim is a talented navigator, but if she only ever grew up on a farm with a jarl so poor, I doubt she had much chance to sail. Even if she showed an early gift for it, though, that is still a meager exchange for an alliance."

"She was all he had to offer," Kid growled. This lie was going to bite him in the ass the more Iceburg tried to unravel it. "And as I said, this isn't any of your business."

Iceburg hummed. "As your trading partner, I think it might be my business what manner of woman you brought to my village. Especially now that I have men and women both volunteering to join you on the raids, some for the sole purpose of protecting this lady of supposedly humble origins. If my people are in any danger, then it is my duty to do what I can to protect them."

Kid sighed. He was unable to argue that point, but he had a duty to protect Nami. They could not let too many know of her true origins, or who she had fled. It could put her in danger, and that was the last thing he wished to do.

"If I tell you, you must swear yourself to secrecy," Kid said, glaring at his fellow jarl. "If I learn you broke my trust and told this tale to anyone else, I'll bring a swift end to you and this village."

Iceburg dropped his feet from the table to lean forward with a thoughtful frown. "Very serious consequences for telling a tale. She is that important?"

"She is," Kid answered frankly. "Her well-being and the safety of my own people are at risk if this story reaches too many ears."

Iceburg thought a moment, and then turned to the servant waiting on them. "Bar the doors and return to your quarters. See that no other servants come in here until I tell them otherwise. If I catch any one of you eavesdropping, I will allow Lucci to do with you as he pleases."

The threat was terrifying enough to get the servant running to follow his orders. Once alone, and hopefully with no one listening who shouldn't, Iceburg came to sit beside him at the fire, waving for him to tell their story.

Kid sighed in defeat. "She was brought to me by the gods…"

---

It was well after dawn when Nami made her way to the hall with Gunda and Kalifa. She felt more relaxed than she had been, though she wished she could have slept longer. Her dreams were going to leave her overly-fatigued if they continued to worsen. She had no idea how to control her visions, if she even could, but she was determined to find some way to ease their effects on her sleep.

The hall was bustling as all the men came in to eat breakfast, the servants flitting about as quickly as they could to see that all the guests had their meals. Nami expected to see Kid hunched over in a chair, scowling as he always did in the morning, this time with a worse attitude after being woken so early by her nightmare, but he was nowhere to be found in the main room. She wondered if he had gone back to bed and managed to find sleep again. If he did, she envied his ability to fall asleep without a care.

"Nami," Killer called to her from one of the tables, waving her to him. "Are you feeling better?" he asked quietly, eyeing her covered arms as though hoping to see the marks she left in her scrubbing. Kid must have told him what happened.

Hróarr stood from the table, offering his seat. She slipped into the chair beside Killer, smiling her thanks.

"I'm feeling much better," she answered Killer. "Where's Kid? Did he go back to bed?"

"No, he had to see to something with Jarl Iceburg. They should be returning soon," Killer said as he waved down a servant, signaling for them to bring Nami her meal. She wondered what might have drawn them away so early. Perhaps they were preparing for the raid.

She was nearly done with her meal when Kid came back into the hall and immediately made his way to her. "Nami, finish up and let's go."

"Go?" She blinked up at him. "Go where?"

"Just hurry up," he huffed instead of answering her.

She rolled her eyes at his impatient bossiness. He had been being so nice to her since the night before, too. "Can you at least give me a hint of what you're up to?"

"No. I'll explain on the way." He snatched her bowl from her when she didn't finish her porridge fast enough and quickly ate the last few bites himself while she gaped at him. "There, you're done. Let's go."

"Oh, you are going to owe me so much gold for that," she growled, but stood to follow him out before he could think to toss her over a shoulder. "I want a whole chest for this."

"Quit complaining," he grumbled as he led her to the door. "You'll thank me for this."

"Doubtful," she muttered. He glared at her over his shoulder. She sneered in return. "I knew you wouldn't be in a good mood today, but this is bad, even for you."

"I'm not in a bad mood," he said as he took her arm to pull her along at a faster pace as he took the path to the village center. "Just don't have a lot of time to waste for this."

"Where is it you're taking me?"

"To see someone," he answered.

"Who are you taking me to see?" she asked through grit teeth and forced politeness.

"Iceburg said she might be able to help with your visions."

She stopped dead in her tracks at the base of the hill and ripped her arm from his. He turned to glower at her.

"What?" he growled.

"You spoke with Jarl Iceburg about this?"

"He heard me run after you and wouldn't stop questioning me about it," he said with a shrug.

"How much did you tell him, Kid?" He pursed his lips and looked away. "Kid!"

"Everything," he muttered. "Except for your ancestor's prophecy. He swore that it would remain a sec-"

She smacked his chest to cut him off. "You were supposed to keep it a secret."

"I know," he hissed. "I tried."

"Not hard enough," she snapped.

"Lady Nami," Iceburg called as he sauntered toward them from the harbor. Nami glared at Kid one more time, then brushed by him with a huff. It was too late to make this right. "Is there a problem?"

"No," she bit out. "He said you know someone that might be able to help me."

Iceburg looked between them, his expression flat and unreadable. "Mm, well, I think she might. I'm not sure. At the least, I believe she is someone you need to meet."

"Fine. Let's get this over with," she snapped, waving for him to lead the way.

Iceburg stayed in his place, frowning down at her as he idly ran a finger over his mouse's head. "You have no reason to be upset with your jarl. He has made the importance of this matter perfectly clear, and swore vengeance on me if I broke my oath and put you in danger. There is no one on these islands you can trust with a secret more than me and my brother."

"You told Franky, too?" Nami asked, rounding on Kid.

"It was my decision to include him," Iceburg interjected before she and Kid could argue again. "While I am jarl, he does hold sway with his own men. Since they are joining you on the raids, I felt it prudent to inform my brother of the matter of your safety and the reasons for it. He will be bringing Kiwi and Mozu as two more shieldmaidens for you to add to your personal guard since Jarl Eustass said you feel most comfortable with them."

As tempted as she had been to tell Kalifa the whole truth, even she resisted the urge. She knew better than to trust these people, no matter their friendships. Hearing that Kid willfully told these men her secrets infuriated her. At least he thought better about telling them of the prophecy, but he still knew the dangers of saying too much to the wrong people. What if Arlong sent ships to all the northern territories in search of her? Arlong knew that gold worked well to loosen tongues when he needed information. He might very well be able to buy her whereabouts from these people.

She had never wanted to smack Kid so much, but she restrained the impulse and pointed up at him, sneering. "Make that two chests, or I will make your life miserable."

Kid rolled his eyes. "No, you won't," he grunted and shoved her toward the harbor. "And I do think you'll thank me for this."

"But what if Arlong-" she hissed, only to be cut short as he pushed her again.

"He won't find out from them, I can promise you that," he growled. "If he does, then you can cut out my tongue as punishment. You trust me, don't you?"

"Yes, but-"

"If you trust me, then trust I wouldn't have told them anything if I could have avoided it," he huffed. "I wouldn't do anything that might endanger you more."

He was right about that. She trusted him, and thus far he hadn't given her any reason to doubt him. She forced herself to relax with a sigh, following along after Iceburg without Kid pushing at her back.

"I'm still fining you," she huffed stubbornly, but she knew the threat lacked bite as she let go of her anger.

Kid chuckled. She felt his hand brush beneath her hair to squeeze the back of her neck - a quiet assurance and concession. The simple touch loosened the tension in her shoulders, left her at ease with Kid's decision to tell Iceburg of her visions.

When his hand fell away, her body tingled at the absence of his warmth. She slowed to draw closer and was rewarded with a soft touch to the small of her back.

A boat waited for them at the harbor with Franky already on board, seated beside the steering oar. Kid helped her into the faering, directing her to sit at the prow with Iceburg while he took to the oars to row them from the harbor. They steered through the inlet, into the strait, and headed north.

"I would still like to know who you're taking me to," Nami said once Kid stopped rowing to let the sail carry them along.

"Mm, she's an old friend of ours," Iceburg said as he leaned back. He shut his eyes and looked ready to nap as he idly played with the mouse running over his chest. "She claims herself to be a sea witch."

"A sea witch?"

"She was close with the man who raised us," Franky explained. "He, like that jarl you're hiding from, claimed himself to be a son of the sea, a giant of Aegir's lineage. Though, he wasn't interested in starting any wars over it. He just liked building boats."

"Mm, all people have their tales of creatures in the seas. The Greeks have their sirens. Others speak of maidens with a fish tail in place of legs. And we have our sea giants that reside in halls far beneath the waves. She claims to be descended from those very same creatures, too" Iceburg said. "Mm, though I've never seen this tail she swore to have. I think that story was more ale than truth."

"So you're taking me to a drunk with wild stories of fish people and sea giants," Nami said, glowering.

"Not all of her stories are pure fantasy," Franky said. "Some just get a little exaggerated when she drinks."

"You will hear for yourself when you meet her, and then you can decide if this was a waste of time," Iceburg said. "Mm, but you should perhaps keep an open mind. For one such as yourself, the existence of a real sea witch shouldn't be such a hard story to swallow."

She grudgingly admitted that he had a point, and said nothing more on the woman they were taking her to meet. If she could believe that Arlong and his men were descended from a race of giants, then she could believe this woman might be of similar origins. At the very least, if she was a witch, then she was well practiced with magic and might be able to guide her to better answers.

They hadn't sailed long before Franky told Kid to return to the oars. Two islets were in sight ahead of them, with another island rising high to the north and west of them. Franky steered them to the islets, into a shallow waterway cutting between them.

"Here," he called to Kid once they reached a small bay on the larger of the two islets. Kid rowed them in close, then pulled in the oars before jumping into the shallow water to pull the boat onto the sand. As he and Franky secured the boat, Iceburg stood to help her out.

The beach was empty, but off into the thick woods, she spied a thin band of smoke rising into the sky. Iceburg headed off in the direction of the smoke, but paused at the edge of the trees.

"Franky, the mead," Iceburg said, gesturing toward the boat. His brother quickly went back and grabbed a bag by the steering oar, shouldering as he jogged after them. Iceburg looked down at her. "She has a rule that we're never to come without a gift."

"And her favorite gift is a good mead," Franky said with a laugh. "She'll be very welcoming as soon as she smells this."

They didn't instill a great deal of confidence in her, but she shrugged off her concerns and followed them into the woods. The house wasn't far from the beach, tucked into a clearing shaded by thick trees, but still open enough that the occupant could see the ocean and any ships that might come to the islet. Its dark wood and turf camouflaged it well, so while they could see their boat from that point, there was no way of seeing the house until they were right on top of it.

"Kokoro," Iceburg called out before he reached the open door. There was a crash inside, and a child shouted out just as Iceburg ducked inside with Franky behind him.

Nami paused outside while the brothers entered, nervously eyeing the fish bones hung around the door, mixed with smooth pebbles and sea shells. Kid's touch to her back urged her inside before she could give in to the temptation to run away.

Inside a small fire burned at the center of the main room. It was a cramped space with all four of them in there - Nami hidden behind the jarl and his brother, Kid lingering just inside the door behind her. Franky crouched down to pick up a young girl with thick blonde hair subtly stained with a light green and tied into two messy braids.

"Chimney," Franky greeted. "Where's your grandma?"

"She went to get fresh water for her fish," Chimney answered. "She said you would be coming today."

A cackle rang out from behind them, and Nami jumped away from the door in surprise. Kid shifted to the side to let her see an old lady standing there with a pail laden with water. As old as her weathered face said she was, her hair was still blonde, tinged with green like her granddaughter's, albeit faded from her years. It was as thick as the girl's, too, but kept free of braids, left to hang in messy curls and knots. Seashells adorned her hair that Nami thought might be tangled in her hair, not hung by a piece of string.

"The fish said to expect some visitors," Kokoro said. The heavy set woman grinned wide and laughed again, before pushing her way inside. Kid had to shove himself as close to the wall as he could, while Franky did the same on the other side of the room. The old lady didn't seem to mind the tight space, her wide smile never wavering as she waddled through the room to set her pail down by the table. The water sloshed, and then splashed, and Nami noticed the tail of a fish flop out before slipping back inside.

"So she can talk to fish?" Nami muttered to herself.

Kokoro laughed, the sound deep and raspy, thick with a drunken slur. "And you must be the woman the fish were telling me about. They said you tried to swim with them this morning."

Nami straightened and her cheeks heated. Kid snorted behind her.

"Did you men bring me something to drink?" Kokoro asked with her wide grin.

Franky opened his bag and carefully pulled out a small cask to set on her table. "The best mead in Noreg, of course," he said, much to the old woman's delight.

"Chimney, take the men outside and show them your new cat," Kokoro said to the girl, practically shooing them all out.

Nami moved away from the door to let Iceburg and Franky follow after the little girl who skipped out ahead of them. Kid lingered a moment, but ducked out of the home after he caught Nami's gaze and gave her a subtle nod of reassurance. Once alone, Nami looked to the old woman as she ambled about her small home. She grunted and huffed as she dug through a chest, then chuckled some more as she pulled out two wood cups.

"Sit, woman," she ordered happily, waving toward the table.

Nami took one of the chairs at the table and sent an uneasy glance toward the door. She hoped this wouldn't be time wasted.

"What's your name?" Kokoro asked as she set down the cups. She swayed on her feet when she turned to search for a knife to pry open the cask, but caught herself with yet another laugh.

"Nami," she answered.

"Oh? You're named from another land, too?" Kokoro chuckled as she managed to open the cask. "The same lands as mine."

"What does your name mean?" Nami asked politely.

"Heart. Though, I think it might be more fitting if I had your name." She dipped a cup into the mead to fill it and handed it to Nami. "Drink. Drink. It's not every day I have a new drinking partner."

Nami smiled as she took the cup. "Why do you say my name would be more fitting for you?" she asked before taking a sip. She savored the sweet tang of the fermented honey, and immediately took another sip with a pleased hum. Mead was a rare treat to enjoy.

"Well, because my people are the ones born from those waves, not yours," Kokoro answered merrily.

Nami's attention snapped from her drink in surprise. "What do you know of my people?"

The old woman laughed. "That they are long gone, but the clan that took them in is far from dead."

"What do you mean? That clan was weakening, and I was told that the last of them died with my family."

"Yet here I am," Kokoro cackled. "Rán had nine daughters, why would they all stay in one place? The sea is all around us. There were many more daughters born of them than the ones who took in your people. And even in that clan, many left over the years to settle in new places, married other men and had families of their own that were not remembered by the direct lineages."

"I also heard their magic was waning, yet you can apparently talk to fish."

"That I can," she said, chuckling. "The magic of those who protected your family had lessened, but the seas still storm, Rán still takes men to her hall, and I can still talk to fish." She threw her head back and laughed louder. "Though that is nothing compared to a gift of sight."

"I wouldn't call it a gift," Nami muttered into her cup.

Kokoro sobered for a moment. Her grin didn't vanish, but it lessened as she looked at Nami's arms.

"Let me see what you did," she urged, gesturing for her to hold out her arms. Nami set down her cup and stretched her arms over the table for the old woman to take. Kokoro pushed her sleeves out of the way and her grin vanished, replaced by a pursed frown. "They said you were scrubbing all your scales off."

"I don't have scales."

"Skin. Scales. To a fish it makes no difference. What drove you to do this?" she asked as she turned her arms over and back, examining the red marks closely.

"I had a dream. When I woke, I swore the blood was still on me," Nami said softly. "I just wanted it off."

Kokoro nodded solemnly and released her. She sat back in her chair, humming to herself while Nami tugged the sleeves of her dress down.

"I have heard of many seers being plagued with madness if their gifts come to them too quickly. The stronger the magic, the harder it is to adjust. I've heard of some beating at their heads to get the visions out. Others carve at their faces, burn themselves with hot embers, sew their eyes shut – whatever they can do to blind themselves so they might never see again." Kokoro's serious tone broke with another laugh. She grinned again. "They only serve to make themselves see even more."

Nami shifted in her chair. She didn't think her visions could push her that far, but she had run into the sea and would have torn off her own skin in her attempt to get clean.

"Is there any way to make them stop?" she asked, gripping her scarred shoulder and the mark that had held her back for so long. That mark had bound them, perhaps another could do the same.

Kokoro's gaze settled on her arm as she hummed. "Nothing short of death," she said, voice dropped low. Her serious tone broke with yet another laugh and she tossed back all the mead in her cup. "That man who brought you here might not be pleased if you tried to take that route, though."

"And what do you know of him?" She glowered at the woman who dipped her cup for more drink. Kokoro continued her tittering as her gaze turned sly and knowing. "You know a lot about us for a sea witch living alone on an island."

"It's the fish. They can be mouthy little gossips sometimes." The old lady laughed. "I heard nothing but talk of the woman with amber hair after Rán took her in her nets. It's not often someone survives meeting her."

"I imagine it's not for a lack of trying on her part. She threw me into a rock," Nami said flatly.

"That was her way of helping." She pointed at her shoulder. "When she saw how determined you were to survive, she made sure everything was set in motion to lead you to where you need to be."

"She could have done it a lot nicer," she grumbled. "I was delirious with fever for days."

"Rán isn't nice. She just barely tolerates the gods Aegir brings to his hall, and she revels in sinking mortal ships with her storms. For her to not only allow you to bear a name from her, and live with her most steadfast worshipers, and then survive her most malevolent seas… I'd say she's been far kinder to you than to any other mortal in this realm." Kokoro paused to swallow a belch, then laughed giddily. "In fact, I'd say she's fond of you."

Nami was beginning to feel frustrated. This conversation wasn't going in any direction that she imagined would help her. If she couldn't make the visions stop, which she suspected from the start, then was there at least a way to control them? Why did she have to have them in the first place? If mortals were not meant to bend fate to their will, beyond the paths provided, then what good did it do them to have people who could foretell what was on the horizon? And why were the gods so intent on meddling with her life?

She swallowed down the last of her drink, much to Kokoro's merriment, and went for more from the cask.

"Nothing in my life has ever seemed to make sense," Nami began to complain. "Not the stories of my family. Not the giants trying to take me. Not the gods' ways of helping me. And these gifts, this magic, is slowly driving me to lose what little sense I can make of anything. If I can't control it, then what's the use of it?"

Kokoro hummed thoughtfully. The old lady swayed and bobbed as she took a drink, and then set her cup down with a satisfied sigh.

"I'm not a seer, so I can't tell you how to work your magic, but I can imagine how strange it is to one day have your whole world seem different from before. I could talk to fish since the day I was born. Never thought it strange at all. That magic was born inside me, is in my blood. It's no different for yours; that giant merely stunted you for his own purposes. I suppose he thought it wouldn't bring this much harm to you, that he might be able to harness and control your visions himself, but a woman's magic is nothing a man can wield. Not through force, anyway."

"I never had any visions as a child," Nami insisted. "Even before Arlong branded me as his."

"You might not have had any visions, but your magic still flowed through your veins and shaped your world," Kokoro said. "Tell me what other gifts you have."

"I have no others."

"Truly? There is nothing else that others have remarked is strange about you? No talents or abilities you might have shown even as a child?"

Nami frowned. "I suppose my navigating. I was always good at reading the wind out at sea. I know the currents beneath the waves unseen by human eyes. Are you saying that's part of my magic?"

Kokoro laughed. "It's certainly part of the gifts your family imparted on you. Is there not a god in your lineage associated with the sea and wind and sailing? Another known to bring sunshine and fair weather, who owns a ship that always brings a favorable breeze? You might have gotten much from your clan's grandmother, but your magic goes beyond her."

"You know that much?" she asked in quiet surprise. At Kokoro's answering grin, Nami took a deep breath and let it out with a sigh. Leaning forward, she tried to make sense of what the old lady told her. "Say it's true that those talents are part of my heritage, how does that help me with these visions?"

"I don't know," the old lady said with another unhelpful chuckle. "I was just rambling."

Nami let her head fall against the table. She should have known there would be no real advice coming from a drunk.

"Now tell me about that man fidgeting about outside my door waiting for you?" Kokoro asked cheerfully.

Nami glanced up, brows furrowed. "What about him?"

"I'm just curious what part he plays in your saga," she said with a shrug and grin. "How did you come to be in his care?"

Nami sighed and sat straight. "The gods brought me to him for protection after Rán cast me ashore." Kokoro hummed, once more wearing a sly smile as she drank her mead. "He's been a friend to me these past weeks."

"And you to him, according to what the fish have told me." The old woman hiccuped. "Said you two sat on the beach last night talking until you fell asleep beside him, and then he was the one to drag you from the water this morning."

"All this talk of talking fish is making me wonder if I'll enjoy my next meal," Nami muttered. The remark made the old lady laugh. Everything seemed to make the old lady laugh. "They certainly need to mind their own business." She took another drink. The mead was sweet, though not strong, but it helped her relax. "As for his role in my saga, I suppose he means to be the hero. He's sworn to slay my giant, even at the cost of his own life."

"Is that so?" Kokoro breathed out, a touch amused in her awe. "And what role are you in his saga?"

Nami's brow rose. "I suppose I'm the reason for his death."

Kokoro pursed her lips in the first real scowl Nami had seen her give, and hummed disapprovingly. "That is not it."

"You're not the seer," Nami pointed out. "You're not the one plagued with nightmares of that man's death, or the deaths of his men. I've seen what's to come."

"That is not all you have seen," Kokoro said.

Nami gaped at her. Do the fish eavesdrop on all of her conversations when they occur near the water? She was going to have to be more mindful of where she spoke.

"The Norns told me to move, but I can't. I can hardly remain sane from these visions, how am I expected to act in a way to change them?" she asked.

"That I definitely can't tell you. It's magic beyond any I've encountered. Though… Perhaps I wasn't rambling so much when I spoke of the gods earlier." She reached over the table and laid her hand over Nami's bracelets. "The valkyries have watched over you for a long time, why is that?"

Nami sighed. She had a feeling this was going to be another rambling lesson on the gods.

"Because Odin dispatched them to watch over my lineage," she answered.

"Just Odin?"

"They are spirits that do Odin's bidding, though in this instance he sent them at Freyja's behest," she answered carefully.

"It is true that the valkyries are the ones who choose the fallen warriors taken to Valhol. But they only take half to him, correct?"

Nami's eyes widened.

"Who takes the other half again?" Kokoro asked. Her mischievous gaze knew the answer before Nami could whisper it.

"Freyja."

"And who is to take those souls to Fólkvangr? Is she to carry them all herself?"

"She is known by another name," Nami said softly. "Valfreyja. Freyja of the slain."

"She is a war goddess, among many other attributes. If she has her own hall and field, with a host of fallen warriors, then surely she has her own valkyries to do her bidding, especially if she acts as one herself." Kokoro laughed. "I've always wondered what sort of spirits might aid her so? The valkyries are spirits tied to our realm, as well as that of the gods. So who are these women who might serve Freyja so faithfully? Who are her spirits that choose the slain?"

Nami sat back as she let that revelation sink in. Maybe this meeting hadn't been such a waste of time, after all.

"You said that you don't believe I'm to be the cause of Kid's death, but I see him die at the hands of a giant trying to claim me," Nami remarked.

"He's the instrument of his own death. It was his choice to take you in. Even if the gods brought you to him, it was ultimately his decision to follow their path. If that leads to his demise, and he is aware of that end, then it is by his own actions and choices that his death will come," Kokoro explained.

"Then what do you think I'm meant to be in his saga?" Nami asked.

The old lady belched, took another long swig of her mead. She set her cup down and hiccuped as she leaned forward. "If I were the gambling sort, I would say you are the hero of his saga."

Nami laughed incredulously. "Me? His hero? That man has far too much pride to let anyone claim that role in his sagas. Only he can be the hero of his stories."

Kokoro shrugged. "A hero can come in many forms. You do not have to be his sword and shield, like he means to be for you, in order to be his hero."

"I still think that's insane," Nami said, though she hoped it might be true. If she could find a way to save him from what she had foreseen, then she might be able to call herself his hero. No matter what Kokoro said, she still blamed herself for pulling him into her turmoil. "I don't understand why the gods brought me to him to begin with. Even if he's strong enough to protect me, he shouldn't have to be dragged into someone else's problems. Especially when they could destroy everything he's been working toward."

Kokoro's brow rose. "You don't know why they chose him? I thought that obvious," she said. Nami stared at her in confusion, silently urging her to explain. The old lady chuckled. "You each have what the other desperately needs, but lacks."

"What do you mean by that?"

"He has courage to shield you from your fear. You have kindness to stay his sword. You are the sea that carries his ships to seek great treasures, and he is the rock you can lean on when you find you can't stand any longer. He is the home that gives you a place to hide from the terrors in this world, a place to feel at ease and secure. You are the fire in the hearth, the one who lights and warms his hall during the coldest winter nights. He is your vengeance, and you are his forgiveness." Kokoro laughed while Nami sat in stunned silence. "And, of course, he is Odin's man. It was Freyja who brought seidr to the Aesir, and it was Odin who came to master it just as Freyja had. I find it fitting that it is Odin's strongest warrior who shelters the seer who may just carry Freyja's most powerful magic inside her."

Nami sat back as she took in all that Kokoro had said. She could agree that Kid had qualities she lacked. He was certainly braver than she was, steadfast in his decision to take her in, despite knowing it would get him killed. She did feel secure when she was around him, a feeling that grew with every passing day. She didn't fear for her life in his hall, didn't fear what he might do to those she had grown to care for within his home, even in the face of his poor temper. She trusted him to bear some of the weight on her spirit, a weight he willfully took on even when she tried to carry it all herself. And she supposed there was a poetic quality to the deities they most revered, and the joining of the Aesir and Vanir tribes their gods belonged to. And like Freyja so often endured, she even had a giant wishing to claim her.

As she sat in thought, Kokoro helped herself to Nami's unfinished cup, chuckling the entire time. Nami snapped out of her thoughts to glare at the old woman. Kokoro cackled but refilled the cup and handed it back to Nami.

She couldn't think of anything else to discuss with the woman. She had learned more than she expected to from their conversation, and she would need more time to think of how it might help her. But she was curious about this woman. Bellemere had told her that there were no more of Rán's granddaughters in the realm. Even Arlong said that she was supposed to be the last, unaware that her foremothers had been adopted into the clan. She wanted to know more of what these children might be capable of.

Sitting forward, she took a sip of her fresh drink and smiled kindly at the old woman. "So tell me, what else do these fish of yours gossip about?"

The question earned a ringing laugh, and Nami learned that people would be wise to avoid doing anything in secret near the ocean, not unless they wanted a sea witch to hear of their most embarrassing failures.

---

After talking with Kokoro for a while longer, she sauntered out of the small home and stopped just outside the door to stretch. She hated to admit it, but she was thankful that the men had brought her there, even if she was annoyed that Kid told Iceburg and Franky the truth about her. She would have to trust that they could keep her secret.

"Any of that mead left?" Kid asked.

She startled and looked down to find him sitting beside the door. He glowered at a piece of wood as he ran his knife over it, whittling it down to a sharp point. He must have gotten bored.

"Not a drop," she said apologetically and went to sit at his side. "It was a pretty sweet batch. I don't think you would have liked it."

His scowl pursed. He wasn't satisfied with that answer.

"We'll get you a pitcher of ale when we get back to the hall." She nudged his arm. "Don't sulk too much."

He grunted, his attention seemingly stuck on the wood he sharpened. After sitting out there for nearly an hour while she talked with Kokoro, she expected him to snap at her for making him wait so long. Patience wasn't his strong suit at times, especially when he was forced to sit around with nothing to do. The lack of good food and drink should have only made his mood worse, but despite looking bored, he seemed too lost in thought to be irritated with the wait.

"I take it you were eavesdropping?" she asked quietly. He grunted, and she assumed that was a yes. "You're worse than the fish."

Kid snorted and his expression finally cracked with a faint smirk. "I wasn't fidgeting, just so you know."

"You look like you're making a spear right now. You were definitely fidgeting." She giggled.

"Just trying to keep my hands busy," he grumbled as he continued his sharpening.

She hummed as she looked through the clearing in the trees and off toward their boat sitting on the beach. "Where did Jarl Iceburg and Franky go?"

"Iceburg's taking a nap," Kid said, leaning forward to point his knife at the trees to the side of the house. She had to squint at the dark patch of shade beneath the overgrown trees until she spotted Iceburg's orange tunic. "And Franky's playing with that girl. She's been chasing him around the island with her cat. Which is actually a rabbit, but don't tell her that."

Nami laughed. "I'll remember that."

They sat in silence, comfortable and content. Kid kept at his carving. Nami stared off at the sea and listened to the drunk old woman mutter to her fish inside. They had nothing better to do, though Nami supposed she could try to help Kokoro with some chores while they waited for Franky to return from his game with the girl. Kokoro didn't seem inclined to work on any tasks, though, so Nami took the opportunity to relax until Kid finally gave up on his stick and tossed it to the dirt. It stuck straight in the ground just like a spear.

"You think anything that old lady said is useful for you?" he asked as he leaned back against the house.

"I think so," she said, nodding. "It at least gave me a different perspective to think from."

Kid hummed. There was a lengthy pause before he chuckled lightly. "I know who your matriarch is," he sang, grinning down at her when she shot him a glare. "I was listening the whole time. That old lady gave everything away."

Nami huffed. "I thought you were enjoying the guessing game?"

"I was, but I'm enjoying this even more. To think I have one of Freyja's daughters in my household…" He chuckled some more.

Nami gave him a slow smile. "You're wrong. I'm not Freyja's daughter."

Kid's smug attitude vanished in surprise. He looked at her with a cocked brow. "She said you got her magic."

"I do, but she's not the mother of my lineage," she explained carefully. He looked confused and eager for a straight answer for once. She supposed he knew enough that it was silly to hold back the rest, and she could trust him to keep it a secret. She cocked her finger, beckoning him to lean down so she might whisper in his ear. "She's the grandmother," she hinted. Kid's brows furrowed, and Nami leaned in more. "She bore a daughter by her husband, Odr. She is Freyja's most beautiful and precious treasure."

Kid sat back abruptly, eyes wide, mouth agape, and stared down at her. He might have gotten close to figuring it out on his own, but it seemed he hadn't been as close as he thought.

"I'm trusting you to keep that to yourself," she reminded him. "You tell no one. Not even Killer. If you do, I will take your suggestion and cut out your tongue."

He snapped his mouth shut and shook his head to clear his stupor. "I swear I won't say anything," he said, expression dark and serious. Leaning in closer, his ire melted away to show the eager curiosity lighting up his eyes. "But tell me how? I haven't heard many tales about Hnoss, and none of her bearing a child."

She was about to explain when she heard a child's shrieking laughter and Franky's playful roar. Even if he had entrusted the other two men with her tale, she would still rather keep most of it a secret.

"I'll tell you the whole tale later," Nami said. She was met with a dissatisfied glare, but Kid would just have to be patient. He at least had one of his many questions finally answered, he would survive a few more hours before hearing all the details. She reached over to squeeze his arm as she stood. Franky and Chimney raced through the trees just then, the little girl with a rabbit hanging from her arms. There was no time to tell the story. "I promise, Kid. Later."

Kid huffed, but relented with a nod.

"You all done talking with the old lady?" Franky asked, bent over in front of them as he caught his breath. Chimney ran into the house shouting for her grandmother.

"I think I've heard all that I need," Nami said. "Thank you for bringing me to meet her."

Franky grinned. "You're welcome. We likely won't be leaving for Britain for a few more days while Iceburg's men ready their ships, so if you want to come here to chat with her again, just let me know and I'll bring you."

"Just don't forget the honey-wine," Kokoro called from the house as she ambled toward the door with her granddaughter latched onto her arm. "Or the ale," she added with a low chuckle. "Oh, and while you're raiding, see if you can find some of that grape wine those Christians are so fond of. You ever try that?" She pointed at Nami.

"Once," was all she said, unwilling to elaborate on that. Arlong brought some back to the camp during a raid in Francia and allowed her to try it. It would have been delicious if not for the blood on the cask souring her stomach.

"Ah, then you must have some with me when you return," Kokoro decided. The old lady grinned at Franky. "You remember that, Franky. I want their fruit wine as a gift."

"You got it, old lady," he said before turning toward the trees. "Idiot Iceburg," he called, "get your lazy ass up. We need to get you back to all that work you're avoiding."

Iceburg sat up with a yawn. "I'm not avoiding anything."

"I thought you were supposed to meet with the trader from Bergen about their new knarr," Franky reminded as his brother appeared from the trees, glowering.

"Mm, I don't want to," he muttered. "Paulie can handle it without me."

Franky sighed. "Well, either way, we should get back. I'll come by after the raids, Kokoro."

"Mm, I'll bring ale while their raiding," Iceburg said, waving at the old woman on his way back to their boat. "All my people are leaving me. I don't want to do their work, too."

"You hardly do your own work," Franky muttered as he followed after his brother.

Nami laughed, then turned to bow her head to Kokoro. "Thank you for talking with me. I'll pay you a visit when we return."

Kokoro chuckled and waved her off.

Kid remained silent as he followed behind Nami, only sparing a grunt and short nod to the old woman. He was once again stuck in his thoughts, and Nami was curious to know what had brought on his pensive mood. She doubted she would get any answers. He could be more tight-lipped than she was when he wanted to be. She wouldn't press him on his mood today. She knew that some thoughts were best kept private, and that if it were something that might concern her, he would eventually share what plagued his mind once he had it sorted.

In the meantime, she had plenty of her own thoughts to occupy herself with.

---

Kid hadn't understood all that Nami had spoken of in Kokoro's home concerning her lineage. He knew that the discussion of Freyja and her role as a chooser of the slain had been of importance to Nami. The way she said her name, as though everything had fallen into place, told him as much. He wasn't sure what thoughts it had sparked, and decided that he didn't need to know. All that mattered was that it might help her with her magic and visions.

He was certainly pleased to know who among the Vanir she bore heritage from.

But despite that revelation, his thoughts had become stuck on only one subject from all he overheard. Nami hadn't been sure why she was brought to him, and he, while certain it was because of Odin's will, hadn't fully understood the reasons beyond that. He hadn't cared. All that mattered was that she was entrusted to him, and he would not fail in the task and challenge presented to him. Why it had to be her, why it had to be him - he had not really thought enough to care. Nami had, though, and the answer she received trapped him in endless musings.

The old lady was not wrong in her assessments of what they provided each other. The past night and early morning made it abundantly clear that they both relied on each other. There were traits she possessed, had brought into his life, that had quickly endeared her to him and made him that much more determined to protect her.

She was kind, even if she could be quick to erupt in a fiery anger that never failed to amuse him. When she cared for someone, she was sweet and compassionate. She would grow angry when they were wronged, sorrowful when they were hurt. She was a comfort to those who needed a softer touch and kinder words. He hadn't known many who would touch him so gently and show genuine concern for his life. His own mother had been cold to him until she couldn't hide her love any longer, but by then it was too late. Killer had been the only person to grace him with any sort of affection in his life, and now he had Nami there to reveal all he kept hidden behind steel walls and endless rage. She brought him peace. She brought him warmth. She cried for him. She smiled for him. She gave him a piece of the world that he had rarely known before.

He knew that all the old lady said was true for Nami, too. While she might have feared him at first, she still trusted him with her well-being. Whenever she was scared, all it took was one touch from him, sometimes just a look, and she allowed herself to relax, believing that he wouldn't let any harm come to her. He knew she felt most secure when he was near. Her own magic seemed to sense it, too. He was the one who chased her visions away when she couldn't do it herself. He was the one she leaned on, he was the one who supported her. He knew she was strong enough to hold herself up, she had to be if she could endure eight years with a man who sought to abuse her power for his own gain. But he would see that she continued to face forward, no matter how terrifying the future, and not give up.

All through the afternoon and into supper, his mind circled as he tried to decipher what all that could mean. He understood that Nami needed him. No matter how strong he believed her to be, she was still unable to fight against giants. But he didn't understand why it should matter that she gave him something in return. He had never thought he needed someone like her in his life, but it seemed the gods disagreed. Now that he had her, he wasn't sure what he might do if she were ever to leave. He had never thought of what his life would be like without her in it, and now that he had, he found he hated the feeling it brought.

So caught up in his thoughts, Kid had forgotten all about the story Nami had promised him. After supper, he went off to his quarters, still trying to understand why the thought of Nami leaving hurt. He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep while his mind was so occupied, so he had a servant bring a bowl of water and some linens. He needed to shave before the coarse bristles began to annoy him, and if he was lucky, it might push those thoughts and unwanted emotions away.

He stripped from his vest and tunic while he waited for the servant to return with all he requested. When they came into his quarters shortly after with a bowl of warm water, he was surprised to see Nami trailing after them, a linen cloth draped over her arms.

"What is it?" he asked as the servant set the water down on the corner table.

"I promised you a story," Nami said, setting the linen beside the bowl while the servant bowed and took their leave. "You disappeared after supper before I could tell it."

"Forgot about that," he grunted.

He crouched in front of his chest to find his bar of soap and silver razor. Nami leaned against the table, watching him gather his things.

"You've hardly spoken since we left Kokoro's, too," she idly commented.

He glanced at her as he returned to the table and sat in the only chair beside it. "I've had a lot on my mind," he explained.

"Care to discuss any of it?" she asked while he went to lean over the basin.

"Not really," he answered dismissively. He just wanted to shave and forget the thoughts plaguing his mind.

Nami hummed, but didn't move to leave. Instead, as he went to splash water on his face, she picked up his razor. He stared at her in confusion, but she only smacked his shoulder. "Sit back," she commanded with a wave. "I'll help."

"Why?" he asked uncertainly, but slowly eased back in the chair.

"Because I want to tell you this story."

"You don't have to help me shave. If you want to tell it, then tell it."

"It'll keep my hands busy," she explained. "And you seem so distracted, I'm afraid you'll cut yourself."

"I won't cut myself, woman," he grumbled, but sank back despite his doubts. He would not pass up the opportunity to have someone else shave his beard, especially when that someone was Nami. It might help him relax and end his circling thoughts.

Nami lightly smacked his forehead. He glared, but she merely giggled down at him as she angled his head back. With a sigh, he shut his eyes and let her wet his face. She used the linen so she wouldn't soak his chest and gently dabbed the damp cloth over his cheeks and jaw.

"How did you learn to shave a man's face?" he asked as she began to lather his skin and beard with soap.

Her hands stilled along his jaw. He peeked open an eye to see her somber frown. When she caught his gaze, she sighed and returned to her task. "Arlong regularly made me shave Jarl Genzo's hair and beard when it grew too long," she explained. He shut his eyes, satisfied with that answer, and was about to let the subject drop rather than press her on that relationship any further. He knew she never liked to talk about either jarl in depth. She either looked sad or scared when she discussed them, and he hated both expressions on her. But then she sighed as she took the razor and set it against a cheek. "And when I became a grown woman, Arlong decided I should begin practicing all the duties of a proper woman in servitude of her husband, and had me help him shave and trim his hair after he bathed if he needed it."

His eyes snapped open to stare at her in surprise. She refused to meet his gaze, held his skin taut so she could cleanly sweep the razor against the coarse hair.

"Had he arranged a marriage for you?" he asked, uncertain why his heart beat hard and fast at the thought. All he knew was that he didn't like that possibility. She had never mentioned a betrothal or husband, though knowing her, he doubted she would ever bring that up unless she absolutely had to.

Nami pursed her lips. "None that I was aware of at that time," she answered after a moment. Her words felt misleading. She was unaware of a betrothal then, but now… He had a feeling this was the reason she ran away. "I think he just took pleasure in forcing me to play servant for him."

She still wouldn't tell him the whole truth, but he had come to expect that from her where Arlong was concerned. She always held something back about the life she led in Tingstad. What little she ever did tell him made him dislike the man even more. Arlong seemed to treat her like a slave, not a ward. He branded her, raised her to serve, and seemed determined to use her for his ambitions, all while forcing her to watch as her people suffered.

Kid gently reached up to take Nami by the wrist before she could sweep the razor over his cheek again. Her expression had turned distant and hollow, separated from whatever emotions she might feel at the memories his question brought. He hated that look the most.

"You don't have to do this," he said firmly. "You have no responsibility to serve me as you did him."

Nami's lips gently curled into a smile, the warmth returning to her gaze as she did. "It's okay, Kid. I want to." She giggled quietly as he slowly released her. "Though, if you ever want me to do this again, I will expect a good payment for my services. I won't serve you without proper compensation for my work."

Kid snorted and relaxed back, allowing her to continue. "Should have known." He hummed as she made another easy, gentle sweep of the razor. He listened to the water splash, and then she ran wet linen over the clean skin. Her touch was soft, but sure. She was well practiced. "Surprised that man let you anywhere near him with a razor," he mused. "Wasn't he afraid you might slit his throat?"

Nami hesitated before her next pass. Her touch was rougher with her next sweep, but he didn't complain. It was his fault for bringing up Arlong again.

"He knew that I was smart enough not to. It didn't matter if I was a child, or blessed by the gods - his men would have seen that I suffered until I pleaded for death, and then made me suffer even more," she whispered. "But that didn't stop me from dreaming of it. If I could be certain that the village would be safe from their wrath, I would have slit his throat the second he put the razor in my hand."

Her tone had turned cold and unforgiving, and he had no doubt that she had dreamed of killing Arlong many times over the years. She was right not to, though. If his men were so loyal to their master, she would never know peace again, and the people she tried so hard to protect would be far more miserable than they already were. When he finally met this bastard on the battlefield, he would make sure to cut his throat open just as Nami had wanted to herself.

He let the subject drop after that, allowing Nami to calm down as she continued with her task. Once her touch softened again, he decided to let the silence linger a while longer. Her touch made him drowsy, and he was glad that she volunteered for the task. By the time she cleaned the stray hairs off his face with the cloth, his thoughts had cleared enough to leave him feeling at peace. He was nearly asleep when he felt her fingers trail through his hair, gently tugging it from a leather tie.

He slowly blinked his eyes open and reached up to run a hand over his smooth jaw. He didn't feel a single scratchy hair or patch of errant stubble and hummed his approval while sinking down further in the chair, silently allowing her to continue her grooming as she combed her fingers through his hair.

"Do you still want to hear the story?" she asked quietly.

He moaned low in his throat as she ran her fingers over his scalp, just behind his ears. He fought back the urge to shiver when she did it again.

"Might as well," he muttered. "Before I fall asleep."

She giggled softly and continued playing with his hair, lulling him into a dreamlike state with her gentle touch.

"Long ago, there was a small village in Svealand, far to the north where the summer was filled with endless sun, and the winter was endless snow. The village was hearty and peaceful, led by a chieftain said to be as loved by his people as Freyr was loved by all the gods. Stories abounded that he was truly an elf from Alfheim because his smile was as radiant as the sun and his laughter brought warmth to all their hearts. But he was a man, mortal like all the rest, and as kind and benevolent as he was to his people, he was just as fierce and wrathful a warrior toward their enemies. He struck such deep fear in other chieftains that few dared invade his lands, and those that did were immediately struck down and their lands taken into his own.

"Peace reigned for twenty years under his guidance. His people were happy and rich and said to be blessed by the most prosperous of gods. They gave sacrifices to Freyr and his sister Freyja, and surely they had received their protection for all they gave in their names.

"Curious of this chieftain and his people, Freyja sought him out with her beloved Hnoss. She disguised herself as a poor widow named Gefn, clad them both in rags and mud, and came to the village claiming to be in need of a hall to sleep in for only a fortnight. The chieftain graciously welcomed them to his home and hearth, gave them the finest furs to sleep with, and shared with them his best ale and mead. Freyja was impressed with the hospitality and went to their fields and planted a single fingernail, guaranteeing that their crops would flourish for the next nine harvests. She wove them nets with locks of her golden hair, ensuring they would never want for fish for sixteen summers. And she mixed a drop of blood in the smith's molten iron, gifting the chieftain with a sword that would never rust for as long as he lived.

"All this she did in secret, for she was used to walking among strange lands and strange people in search of her lost husband, never sharing her real name with any she met, even as she gifted them with all she could in thanks for their care. But her daughter was still young then and had rarely journeyed from Sessrúmnir. She was curious of this new world, infatuated with its people. While her mother journeyed through the chieftain's lands, Hnoss stayed at the hall and village to learn more about these short-lived mortals.

"Of course this created some problems. Freyja's disguise did not diminish Hnoss's beauty, and all who met her said she was as radiant as their gold and gave her name to their most valuable treasures. Men desired her, courted her, brought her all their most precious belongings in order to win her favor. While she enjoyed their attentions, there was one who was different from all the others, who stood above them all in Hnoss's eyes.

"The chieftain often watched her from afar, and was as friendly to her as he was to others, but he didn't shower her with gifts beyond what she needed during her stay. He did not speak of how her beauty stole his voice, or how her touch blinded him with ecstasy. He seemed resilient to her natural allure.

"His gentle kindness captured Hnoss's attentions better than the jewels her suitors brought her. Instead of declarations of love and devotion, he regaled her with tales of other lands, told her of the battles he had fought. He spoke of his siblings and danced with her at every feast and laughed over ale. He asked her of her mother, and listened to her speak of her lost father and how her mother cried for him every night he was gone.

"As the end of her two weeks there neared, Hnoss became reluctant to leave for she had fallen in love with him, and he with her. She pleaded for her mother to let her stay, but while Freyja was fond of the man, she said that Hnoss's place was in Sessrúmnir with her. If she remained in Midgard with the mortal man, she would lose her source of immortality, grow old, and die, and Freyja could not bear to lose her daughter that way.

"But Hnoss was stubborn in her determination to remain with the chieftain. Her last night there, she slipped into his bedchambers, shed her disguise, and seduced him. The next morning, she left with her mother, but whispered promises to her love that she would return with the next full moon, when her mother was to be away from the hall, and they would never have to be parted again.

"She counted down every day she had to be apart from him, and became anxious as the moon glowed brighter in the night sky. The chieftain, too, waited just as eagerly for his love to return, his feelings so strong he forsook all food and drink, let his hair grow long and beard grow thick. He dreamed of her every night and longed for her company every day.

"But as the month neared its end, a foul trick came to curse them. Loki had learned of their plans to elope and sought to interfere. He whispered of the plan to a giant who had long desired Freyja, as many other giants had, and also sought the affection of her daughter. The night that Hnoss was to sneak away to Midgard, the great jotunn intercepted her and whisked her away to the icy mountains of Jotunheim, intent on making her his bride.

"Meanwhile, the chieftain went to meet her at the entrance to his village, but found her absent. He feared the worst for he knew she would never forsake him. He walked for days, in every direction, calling for his beloved to return to him. He grew frail and weak but refused to lose hope in his search. A week passed when he stopped at a river, desperate to quench his thirst. As he knelt down to cup water in his hands, he noticed that the stream was filled with amber stones, all rolling along with the water's current. He forgot all about his thirst as he went to pick up one of the largest stones, thinking he might be hallucinating in his madness.

"The amber was true, and not only that, it was born of Hnoss's magic and filled his mind with visions of her. She had been frozen into a glacier deep in the mountains after refusing the giant. Trapped in ice, all she could do was weep. Her tears struck the water melting from the ice and turned the stones within the rivers and streams to amber.

"Fearing that his love would be lost if he did not find her, the chieftain went out in search of offerings to give as a sacrifice to Freyja for he knew he was not strong enough to battle a giant alone. He knew that the offering had to be grand in order to obtain all the strength he needed, so with his enchanted sword he slew a wild boar thrice his height, fought a great wild cat and lost an eye before slaying the beast, and built a stone altar to present these gifts to the goddess.

"Freyja had been at an assembly with the Aesir when her daughter vanished, and had only just returned to her hall to find her gone. She had worried that the girl had gone to her mortal lover, and had begun to seek him out when his invocation of her name reached her. She rushed to his altar to hear what he had learned and grew so angry that the earth shook beneath him and the skies turned dark and malevolent. She knew Loki would be the one to blame and swore that she would get her daughter back and see that this giant was punished for daring to take her. But the chieftain's sobs and pleas gave her pause.

"He wished to prove his worth. He wished to save the goddess Hnoss, to prove that his love for her was true, so that Freyja might bless their union. His devotion moved her, but she feared that this trial would cost him his life for she only knew of gods possessing the strength and power to slay giants. Uncertain, but desperate to have her daughter returned, Freyja called for Odin's counsel, sure his wisdom could guide them.

"Odin declared that a mortal of great devotion and purity of intent could wield the power of the gods given they make a sacrifice equivalent to the power they wished to gain. He said that the man had already starved himself in search of his lover, had given an eye merely to call for Freyja's aid. If he was willing to make another sacrifice of himself to her, then he was truly worthy of the magic he needed. But his advice came with a warning – such magic was not meant to be wielded by mortal hands for it could corrupt their minds and drive them to madness or death.

"She returned to the chieftain to tell of her decision, while meaning to forewarn him that this pursuit may cost him his life and thus bring sorrow to her daughter. Before she could speak of the warning, though, he pulled out his knife and drew it over the palm of his hand. He took the amber he collected from the stream and held it tight, squeezing until the stone was bathed red in his blood. He swore his life to Freyja and said she may take him to Folkvangr to join her warriors once Hnoss was freed.

"With his oath spoken and his sacrifice made, Freyja cast her seidr to gift him with the strength of her brother who had only need of an antler when he slayed the giant Belí. She then wove the amber with her hair and hung it around his neck as she kissed his brow. The amber was enchanted to gift him with sight so he might see where the giant was hiding and what attacks he would make so he might avoid them.

"The chieftain set out to Jotunheim where he found the giant drinking beneath the glacier Hnoss had been trapped in. Amber stones flowed from the ice where it melted, for upon laying eyes on her lover, Hnoss began to weep even more. She had seen a vision of the sacrifice he made to free her and she knew that he would be lost to her for eternity as he fought an endless war in Freyja's fields.

"The chieftain and the giant fought a bloody battle. Freyja's gifts were enough to allow the man to fight on equal ground at first, but the longer the battle went on, the more his mind became lost to him. The strength was addictive, intoxicating, far beyond anything he had known before. Foresight made him forget what was past, what was present, what was future, as they spun and bled together. But still he fought on, refusing to let his mortal weaknesses be his undoing.

"A moment came where he lost his senses and the giant gained the advantage and sunk his blade deep into the chieftain's side, cutting out his entrails. The chieftain fell and the ice rumbled with Hnoss's screams. So loud were her wails that the glacier cracked and shattered, spraying the giant with shards and daggers of ice, cutting him down while the chieftain clung to what little life he had left and stumbled to his feet. He was bleeding out, on the verge of death, but he would not give up.

"Hnoss, freed from the ice, ran to catch him before he could fall and held him up as he plunged his rusting and crumbling sword straight through the fallen giant's heart, killing his foe with his very last breath. She sank to the ground, cradling him in her arms, and cried and screamed and begged for him to come back to her. She sat rocking him as she would a child until Freyja came to collect his spirit and take him to Folkvangr as promised.

"Hnoss pleaded for her mother to leave him be, to let him live, but Freyja refused. She had no choice, for if she allowed a dead man to live, it would anger the gods and Norns, and when the chieftain died again, his soul would not be allowed to reside in any of their halls. He would be dragged to Hel where he would suffer an eternity in ice.

"But Freyja felt remorse for the role she might have played in deciding their fate, for if she had not separated the lovers, her daughter might not have tried to run away in the first place. As a gift to her daughter, she took the amber the chieftain wore around his neck, still bathed in his blood, and bound a fragment of his life and seed within the stone. She then pushed the amber into her daughter's womb, for if she could not have her lover, then at least she might have his child.

"Freyja knew that the child would likely carry power unlike any other mortal descended from the gods, for the stone was not only enchanted with her magic, further strengthened by Hnoss's own gifts of foresight, but bore the selfless and devoted love of the chieftain. But even she had not foreseen the potential that child would bear until she came into the world, nor the curse that would end her life so soon, as well as the lives of each daughter born from the amber thereafter."

As Nami's story came to an end, Kid let out a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes. She still stood behind him as she combed her fingers through his hair. He tried to find a response as the whole truth finally sank in. So much had begun to make sense to him. Nami's easy ability to enchant his men into fawning over her. She was from a line born of a goddess of lust and desire, and a grandmother who embodied beauty and love and sex. Nami was born to be an enchantress of men's basest desires.

And then there was her magic. Hnoss was known to be a seer, one capable of guiding souls to their destiny. If Nami only had the mother's gifts, that would be enough, but she also held Freyja's magic through the enchantment cast upon the amber her line was born from. She very well could carry a potential to shape a soul's destiny if she could find a way to harness and control it, before it drove her mad just as it had done to the father of her lineage.

A thought occurred to him as he pondered the tale and he laughed. Nami stopped playing with his hair to lean over him.

"What?" she asked, ire in her tone at the thought he found any part of her tale amusing.

"The madness inflicting all the fathers, it's the same madness that took the chieftain."

"And?"

"I don't believe Freyja is the source of that curse," he explained. "The amber you and your foremothers were born from carries a piece of the father's soul, his love for your mother, and thus for the children born from his sacrifice. I might not know much about magic, but I do know that if I were him, I would see that any man unworthy of my daughter was driven straight to his death if he tried to claim her by force, just as the giant attempted with Hnoss. And since he was a mortal, unpracticed in the magic he had been given, and in the throes of his own madness, he likely failed to consider the effects of such a curse on the daughters who carried it."

Nami gaped down at him. "That… actually makes sense." She blinked, stunned at the perspective he provided. "I never thought of that."

He grinned up at her. "And it seems that trouble with giants is a common family trait. I've heard many tales of Freyja being desired as a wife by giants, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that her daughter would face the same problem. Now her granddaughter, too."

Nami glared, unamused. "That isn't something to joke about."

"What? It's kind of funny. In a twisted sort of way," he insisted as he sat straight and turned to face her.

"If you had seen what I have seen regarding your death, you wouldn't find it funny," she said flatly.

He supposed that was true. He still found it amusing that he was destined to fall at the feet of a giant in battle for her freedom.

"Speaking of those visions," he said as he stood. "Do you want to stay with me tonight?"

Nami chewed on her lip as she looked toward the door. She was uncertain like the night before. He understood why she didn't want to rely on his presence, especially since she couldn't always have him there. But he didn't understand why she wouldn't take advantage of him when she knew it helped.

"We could both do with a good night's sleep," he suggested. "We set sail in a few days for Britain. We'll both want to be at full strength before then."

Nami pursed her lips and finally nodded. "I need to go back to Kalifa's for something to sleep in."

"Just wear one of mine," he said, pointing toward his chest. "It'll save you from hearing the women lecture you about sharing a bed with me."

She laughed. "They'll still lecture me come the morning."

"I'll tell them off." He turned for the bed, kicking his boots off along the way. "Gunda should know better than to lecture you, anyway."

"I think it's just because she's still nervous," Nami said as she pulled a thin white tunic from his chest. He climbed into bed and watched as she turned her back to him. "No peeking, or you'll owe me more gold."

He chuckled. "I really should have guessed you were related to Freyja. Only woman who could love gold more than Rán."

As she laughed, he settled under the blankets and rolled to face away from her. He shut his eyes as he listened to the rustle of fabric, the gentle clatter of her brooches as she set them on the table, and then yet more fabric shifting. Temptation pulled at him as his mind conjured images of her dress slipping down her shoulders, revealing the silky skin of her back. He wondered if she had more freckles than those that sprinkled her shoulders, and the thought teased his fingertips with the urge to trace over each and every blemish he could find.

He had once joked of making her a bed slave as punishment for stealing from him. He had seen her beauty even beneath her ragged appearance and fevered state. But since she had come into his home and protection as a free woman, he put all those thoughts aside. He couldn't see her beauty as anything but another feature, one that drove him insane as it turned his men into her serving boys.

But there, alone in his bedchambers with her, knowing that her beauty was not of mortal origin, he wanted nothing more than to cast one look at her. As slowly and silently as he could, he turned his head and opened his eyes. All the breath left his lungs in a quiet rush at the sight that greeted him.

The gentle flicker of the candles' flames cast over her pale skin, making her glow in the amber light. Shadows traced over the dip of her waist and curve of her spine, making every movement seem a sensuous dance as her blue shift fell down her body to rest at her hips.

She had a freckle beneath her left shoulder blade, another near the small of her back. He licked his dry lips as tendrils of lust fluttered in his gut.

The spell broke when she glanced over her shoulder. He quickly turned away from her tight frown and pretended that he hadn't just been caught. She didn't reprimand him as she hurriedly finished changing behind him, while he clung to his pillow to resist the urge to peek again.

The bed shifted as she climbed in behind him. Her hair tickled his bare shoulder. He tensed when her lips teased his ear.

"You owe me three chests of gold now," she whispered.

"Don't know what you're talking about," he grumbled as she settled into bed. "Didn't peek once."

She hummed disbelievingly.

"Only turned my head to stretch my neck," he swore, much to her amusement.

"So if I happen to reach between your legs, I won't find proof claiming otherwise?" she sang before blowing the candles out.

"Nope. You'll find nothing." He curled his legs in to protect the very damning evidence to the contrary.

She snorted. He apparently wasn't very convincing, but she didn't chide him further. And to his great relief, or perhaps disappointment, she didn't make good on her threat to see that he was in fact hard as a rock for her.

Once she had stilled behind him, the room fell into a tense silence. With a long sigh, he rolled to face her and found her back to him. That was probably for the best. His shirt was large on her and allowed her whole shoulder to slip out. Viewing it from the front, he would likely find an even more tempting sight than her back had provided him, especially with how thin the linen was. He could just make out the outline of her body beneath the white fabric, even in the dark.

He forced his gaze to fix on her exposed shoulder and the scar cutting through her tattoo. He found he hated that mark even more than before. Every little thing he learned of her life with Arlong made him hate anything associated with the man, most of all the ink claiming her for the giant. He didn't want to see Nami hurt more, but he wished they could just cut that mark from her skin, perhaps replace it with a new tattoo, one of her own choosing.

Without thinking, he traced a finger over the jagged scar, following it from her shoulder, around to her back. Nami shifted to look back at him.

"Has it grown again?" she asked.

"No," he grunted while his touch followed the ink swirling over her skin, wishing he had the magic to make it disappear.

Nami rolled away again and burrowed into her pillow with a happy sigh. "I was struck with an arrow there in my vision. I thought perhaps it had grown like after my dream of the Norns."

He hummed tiredly and shifted closer, winding his arm around her waist to pull her back into him. Her body was so much softer than his. He could admit to himself he found his own comfort when he had her in his bed.

Nami tensed and let out a quiet squeak when he curled against her back. She arched away from him, but didn't completely pull out of his hold.

"Make that four chests. Large ones. Liar," she hissed.

He groaned as he belatedly realized he was still hard with arousal, something she could clearly feel with him pressed to her backside. Nestling his face into her hair, he pulled his arm from her waist to let his hand return to its gentle examination of her scar and shoulder. She shivered at his touch as he idly traced up her neck to brush away a strand of hair.

"Blame Freyja and Hnoss for making you in their image," he whispered as she relaxed into him with a quiet sigh. "Still don't think you're pretty," he muttered.

Nami snorted, but made no argument. He was telling the truth. He didn't think she was pretty at all.

No, she was utterly breathtaking.

---

A/N: So a very, very long chapter filled with a ton of KidNami bonding and interaction. And Kid is very rapidly falling. He is always going to be the first to fall in a relationship between them, it's just the way he is. This is just the first glimmer of sexual tension from him, too.

And I hadn't planned on revealing Nami's whole heritage this soon, at least her maternal heritage, but I realized it would be too important to her growth in what she could do, so I had to bring it forward. I'll give more hints to the other half of her family as the story goes, but that will definitely remain a secret until the end.

With the gods she is born from - I've talked about Freyja before, and as obvious as the similarities she and Nami share are, I felt it best to have Nami be born from Hnoss, one of Freyja's two daughters. The other, Gersemi, is practically identical to her sister. There's very, very little I could find on both of them, basically just wikipedia and them being mentioned as existing in my book on Norse mythology, but some sources recounting the Eddas only refer to Hnoss, with just one mentioning Gersemi, too. Hnoss means treasure (hnossi), sometimes translated to gem or jewel, and was a goddess of lust and desire, I found some mention of infatuated love, too. She's also been mentioned to be a seer who saw the end of times and grew sad because of it, and so she guides souls to their destiny with a great deal of care.

As for the rest of the 'family'- Odr, Freyja's husband, is a very obscure god, only briefly mentioned in passing. There are some theories that he's Odin, or another aspect of him, or possibly split from the same Germanic god that Norse mythology evolved from, because his name comes from the same root and carries the same meaning (ecstasy, frenzy, etc). There is speculation that Freyja was Odin's second wife or a lover, possibly a union made to join the Aesir and Vanir tribes after the Aesir-Vanir war, but that Odr was created when opinions toward polygyny became less favorable. There is also discourse over whether or not Frigg (Odin's wife) is also Freyja, perhaps they are two embodiments of the same goddess, again split from the proto-goddess their beliefs came from, because of their own similarities. But there are a lot of differences in the stories told, and Freyja and Odr are only mentioned as having the two daughters, while Frigg and Odin have their sons. The debates are endless, it seems, especially since the Norse pantheon is vastly different from other Germanic beliefs because it has these two tribes of gods ruling side by side, with a lot of overlap in their attributes.

I make a reference to Freyja's story of her search for Odr when he vanishes at one point or another in their marriage (he is consistently mentioned as being absent). She does go out to the lands in search of him and takes on different names depending on where is she, so she has a lot of names. Gefn is one of them, it means 'giving'. She also cries tears of gold for him (some say red-gold, i.e. amber), and so one of gold's names in Old Norse is 'Freyja's tears'. Obviously I then gave Hnoss a similar ability to cry amber tears for her lost love. Amber is vaguely associated with Freyja at times because it is considered a precious stone.

I also reference Freyja's father and twin brother in the conversation with Kokoro. Njord is her father, he is associated with the sea, seafaring, wind, fishing, wealth, and crop fertility. Freyr, who is remarked as the King of the light elves in Alfheim (a gift given to him by the gods as a teething present), is associated with kingship, virility, prosperity, fertility, fair weather, sunshine, and is said to give both peace and pleasure to mortals. He is also seen as the ancestor of the Swedish royalty. Specifically, Freyja's attributes are love, beauty, sex, gold, fertility, seidr (magic), war, and death, she possesses the necklace Brisingamen that she is said to have gotten from four dwarves after sleeping with them when they wouldn't take any other payment (*cough*paid-with-her-body*cough*), rides a chariot pulled by two cats, and, like her brother, is associated with boars as she always has the boar Hildisvini by her side. Thus the sacrifice of a boar and a mountain cat in the story. As for connecting Nami's ability to control the weather in canon to Freyja (as opposed to using Ran who does create storms and maelstroms, steals men and their gold to her halls, and whose name is also said to be robber), seidr is said to be powerful enough in the right hands to control the weather, produce storms or bring needed rain or sun, and Nami refers to her abilities as magic and sorcery now, even if it is based in science.

And yes, Freyja is constantly sought after by giants. The story I told of Hnoss and her lover, though, I made up. There really isn't much known of Hnoss (thus making her very convenient for this story). And if you think the way she is impregnated is weird, well... Loki turned himself into a mare and got impregnated by a horse, and later gave birth to Odin's eight-legged horse, Sleipnir, which he is ridiculed for by Njord after Loki tries to demean Freyja for supposedly sleeping with every single god in the room, including her own brother, soooooooo... Mythology is weird. Oh, also Loki got impregnated because he was trying to slow the horse down in its work because the giant who owned it was promised Freyja's hand in marriage if he completed it in a certain amount of time, and when he was getting uncomfortably close to finishing, Odin went 'Oh shit, we can't give him Freyja, she'll be pissed. Loki go fix this.' Loki - he either causes all the trouble, or fixes all the trouble, sometimes both, and usually with Thor coming to help kill a giant in the process. That is his role until the very end when he says fuck all this and gets Ragnarok into motion.

Norse mythology is both confusing and really hilarious when we look closely at the stories.

Anyway, hope you all enjoyed this very, very long and informative chapter. I seem to be able to write a ton of stuff for this fic in one sitting, I don't know how. And thanks for the reviews on the last chapter. Hopefully the darker subjects of this fic haven't gotten you all running yet. :)