Warning: Depictions of violence and some sexual content in this chapter.
Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or the characters, they belong to Eiichiro Oda.
Preparation
Nami made her way into the main hall for the morning meal under the heavy weight of Gunda's and Kalifa's scowls. She had no doubt their disapproval had to do with where she chose to sleep the night before, but the lateness of the hour surely made it worse.
She had slept soundly, and after the vision waking her the previous night, she was all too content to remain in bed well after the sun had risen. That was unlike her. Usually she was one of the first up, often tasked with rousing the men for their morning chores before she went about helping with the meal. But she had needed the rest, just as Kid said. Now she could look at her day and what was to come with a clear mind.
She knew she had slept late, but she was surprised to see many of the men trickling out, already finished with their meals and ready to go about their tasks for the day. She didn't think it that late, but it had been a chore extracting herself from Kid's arm when she decided to get out of bed. He was still asleep, happily snoring in his furs without a care in the world, and if he had his way, she would have been stuck in bed with him. That man had an ironclad hold, even in sleep. It was a miracle she wasn't smothered nights she shared a bed with him, and even more a miracle that she managed to escape at all.
"Did you sleep well, Lady Nami?" Gunda asked as she took a seat beside her.
"Yes, far better than the night before," Nami chirped. She could see that her shieldmaiden wanted to lecture her - Kalifa, too - but they both held their tongues. It wasn't a crime for her to share a bed with a man. She was unmarried, as was he. Even if they did more than sleep, they had no right to shame her for it. And since all they did was sleep, they had even less right to say anything on the matter. "I was actually able to clear my head," she continued, "and I think I have an answer to some of my worries."
Both women leaned forward expectantly.
"I've trained in combat since I was child, but I've rarely made use of it. I think it might be beneficial if I had some practice before we left for England," Nami said. Gunda and Kalifa shared a look, the former concerned, the latter confused. "While I trust that the camp will remain safe, it isn't uncommon to come under attack while the others are away. I want to feel confident in my ability to fight if I need to. I can't run away all the time, and it's unfair to expect all of you to fight and die while I cower in some tent."
"Lady Nami," Gunda said, leaning in to speak at a hush, "Jarl Eustass might not be pleased with that. He's sworn all of us to oaths to protect you. If we let you put yourself in danger by fighting alongside the rest… I don't want to imagine his anger should you get hurt."
"I don't care what he thinks," Nami said frankly, head held high. "If I'm backed into a corner and there is no one else there to defend me, then what? Should I just accept my death right then and there? I refuse to be dead weight to all of you. If we're attacked, I have to be able to protect myself."
Gunda sighed and looked prepared to argue further, but Nami brushed her off and searched the room. She spotted Killer near the door chatting with Wire and Axel, and called for them to give their opinion.
"Killer," Nami began as soon as the men stood beside their table, "you're Kid's closest friend and confidant, know him better than any of us, so maybe you can speak for him on this." Killer frowned as he glanced between the women, but nodded for her to explain. "I want to practice my combat skills before we leave for England. I was trained to fight with either an axe or a spear as a child, but I haven't used them in too long. If we run into trouble in England, I don't want to be out of practice and clumsy in defending myself. Gunda is worried that Kid would disapprove."
Killer's frown pursed and he looked toward the hall leading to the guest chambers. Nami waited patiently as he thought. After a minute, he sighed and turned back to her.
"He would not be happy if you were needlessly put in harm's way and injured because of it, but you make a valid point. If worse comes to worst, you may need to fight your own battles. Kid would be even less pleased if you were taken or killed without any fight at all, so if you can at least defend yourself until more warriors come to your aid, then that would be best." Killer paused to smile. "And, knowing Kid as I do, he might enjoy seeing what you're capable of. Not to mention, if a woman wants to pick up a shield, he would never think to stop them. Even if that woman is you, Lady Nami."
Nami gloated openly while Gunda relented with a heavy sigh.
"It seems I am overruled on this matter," the shieldmaiden said. "I would be happy to spend the day training with you, then."
"As would I," Kalifa chimed in. "You need practice with as many opponents as you can find."
"And I would very much enjoy watching this," Axel said with a sly grin angled at Kalifa. "I expect you to get my revenge for me, Lady Nami."
Nami laughed.
"Seeing that our ships are prepared, I'll round up some of the other men," Wire said. "We can all use the exercise before we go. It'll be advantageous to have you practice with them, too. You won't be fighting women in Britain, after all."
"And I suppose I'll wake Kid," Killer said, sighing. "He won't want to miss this."
Nami snickered as she watched Killer head off toward Kid's room. She didn't envy his task. Waking Kid could be deadly if not done with care.
She finished her meal quickly while the men went off to gather the others. She then went with Gunda to change into trousers and tunic. As she donned the leather armor they crafted for her in Drafn, she commended the foresight of her decision to bring it along. The thick leather fit snug over her torso and shoulders, but allowed her to move freely enough to wield a weapon. It was lighter than the armor most of the men wore, lacking the chainmail or metal pieces to further defend against edged weapons. Chainmail was costly and time consuming to make, and if she was not going to run headlong into battle with the men, there was no real need to make such elaborate armor for her. The leather would do well to take some of the force, but she would need to avoid any reckless fights.
Gunda and Kalifa helped cinch her into the leathers, while she did the same for them with their armor. The other two women donned lighter leather, though she knew Gunda had a vest partially lined with mail for battle. Since they were only sparring with her, they felt no need to wear more protection. Gunda wore her sword, Kalifa her whip and a small knife, while Nami left her own weapons behind. The men would have better weapons meant for training so she wouldn't have to damage her mother's axe. She would prefer to save that for a real battle.
Once they were ready, they found Killer waiting outside. He led them down the hill, through the narrow alleys between the men's quarters, to a square overlooking the strait. Kid's men had already gathered, with a few doing drills under Wire's command.
Killer led them to one side where their extra shields waited. He gestured for them to help themselves and stepped back to watch, trusting Gunda and Kalifa to oversee her training.
Initially she worked with Gunda on her stance with a shield. Arlong had trained her merely for the sake of self-defense, and preferred her to use weapons that kept her at a distance from enemies. He didn't train her to fight in a shield wall alongside his brothers, so felt no need to have her practice with a shield more than necessary. The added weight was cumbersome for her. She was used to fighting without being laden down with too many weapons. Her axe was small, useful when her opponent came too close. Her fighting then was quick and agile, her strikes aimed to knock an opponent down and away, allowing her to escape behind larger warriors sworn to defend her. But now she was trying to learn a new technique so she wouldn't have to rely on Kid's men as her only shield. She hadn't cared if Arlong's warriors died for her. She spent every night for eight years praying that they would all die in the next battle they fought; she would shed no tears for them, not like she would for Kid and his men.
When she trained with an axe, Arlong set either Kuroobi or Hachi against her. The former she hated training with the most. He was relentless and brutal, refused to hold back as he took a dull sword or axe and beat at her weapon until she was flat on her back, pleading for him to stop. It took everything she had to deflect his blows. She was always exhausted and sore after only a short time with Kuroobi. He left her in the dirt once she couldn't take anymore, grumbling about how weak she was. He once told her that she had Arlong to thank for her life. That if it were up to him, she would have been dead a long time ago. He didn't trust her, nor did he think she was the daughter of Rán that Arlong believed her to be, which meant they were better off putting her in the ground.
Hachi wasn't nearly as bad. He at least tried to make a game of it most of the time. He would take an apple and get down on his knees, then tell her that if she knocked the apple from his head, they would be done training for the day. It was far more difficult than it seemed the first time he came up with the game. Hachi might not have forced her into defensive stances or beat her into the mud, but he was quick to block each and every one of her blows, all while sitting on the ground. If she let her guard down for a second, he gave her a light tap to a shoulder, or the back, or a leg, and declared that she had lost a leg or an arm or her head. Sometimes he made her hobble on one leg or attack with an arm behind her back if he got enough strikes in. It was the closest she knew of fun with Arlong's men, and when she turned thirteen and finally knocked the apple from Hachi's head, he stole her a cup of honey-wine and a piece of Arlong's favorite herring as a reward.
Training with Gunda and Kalifa was something else entirely. It wasn't fun like it could be with Hachi, but she didn't fear for her life like she had so many times with Kuroobi. It was tempered and slow at first, with Gunda enforcing her stance, sharply correcting her every time she let her shield drop too low, or she held it too far out, leaving her open to a strike. Kalifa acted as the offense, attacking with her own axe, but her strikes weren't too hard in the beginning as she gave Nami the chance to practice her stance first. Once Nami seemed confident, Kalifa began to make a greater effort to disarm her or get by her defense. At one point she had Nami retreating more than advancing, but she managed to keep to her feet and waited for the chance to counter one of Kalifa's strikes.
Patience was always her strong suit. When fighting against an opponent like Kuroobi, she had to learn how to use her environment to her advantage. If she couldn't outfight them, she could at least outwit them. So while Kalifa began to relax her stance as Nami ran around the square in her escape, Nami finally found her opening to make a quick strike. There was one patch of ground that had softened beneath Nami's foot as she made another pivot away from Kalifa's strike. She held her stance, but as she danced around the square, she steadily led the other woman to the spot and sure enough Kalifa lost her footing for a brief second, leaving Nami open to slash her axe away and then shove her to the ground with her shield.
She heard Axel cheer somewhere on the other side of the yard, but her whole attention was on Kalifa's irate scowl.
Kalifa tossed away her shield and jumped back to her feet. Nami took measured steps back, but threw her shield away as she watched the woman stretch her neck. The look on her face said it wasn't going to be a friendly spar any longer, so Nami prepared herself for the worst. If she could handle the relentless assaults of an ill-tempered giant, surely she could stand against the attacks of a single mortal woman's.
Kalifa lunged toward her with a slash. Nami reacted on instinct, raised her axe, and caught the blade to spin and deflect it away. She came back quickly while Nami was open, and forced her to jump back before the dull blade could cut at her stomach. Nami spun away from another strike, and then another. Batted at the low arc of another swing and took the chance to counter, only to have her wrist captured and used to yank her in close to the other woman. She ducked Kalifa's next swing, twisted her arm to force her to release her wrist, and then kicked the woman in the side to regain some distance.
Nami only had a split second to catch her breath before she had to dodge another wild slash. Just as before, she was stuck on defense, running and blocking and dodging. Her lungs burned with the effort, but Kalifa didn't look ready to stand down yet. At one point their axe-heads tangled and stuck, and Nami heard the first splinter of the shaft breaking, but she was more concerned with fighting Kalifa's strong pull as she used their grappled axes to drag Nami in.
She cried out at the sharp pull Kalifa gave to her hair, but stubbornly refused to plead for mercy as she tried to untangle herself. She managed to shove the other woman's axe away and was about to strike the handle of her own into the woman's stomach, but Kalifa twisted until she was behind her and Nami had to quickly raise her weapon to block the blade coming dangerously close to her throat.
"Yield," Kalifa said flatly. "I am obviously more skilled. I could have killed you three times over by now."
Nami growled and reacted without thinking. She ignored the pulse of pain that came as she crashed the back of her head into Kalifa's face, and shoved her way down and out of the woman's hold as she caught her bearings from the unexpected strike. A lull came to their battle then as Kalifa lifted a hand to her bleeding nose, and Nami tossed her now broken axe to the side.
She circled the yard as Kalifa examined her own weapon and determined it was in no shape to continue. Kalifa tossed the axe away and ripped a sword from one of the men's hands. It was then Nami noticed they had all ceased their drills to watch, backing away to give them space. Nami scampered back to Wire and took the staff he held. It was weighted at one end to balance as a spear would, but lacked the sharp point so as not to accidentally impale anyone. They weren't trying to kill each other out there, merely practice. Though, looking at Kalifa's angry scowl and bloody face, it was hard to tell if she remembered that they were training.
She was more confident with a spear than an axe. She could keep her distance with the weapon, and it also played to her agility better. Arlong supplied her with a light weight spear, short and easy to lash and strike with. She couldn't cause extensive damage with her slashes, but she could do enough to disarm or trip up an enemy. She had an easier time knocking the apple from Hachi's head with the spear, too. Though fighting Kuroobi wasn't any better.
With her new weapon in hand, she continued to circle her opponent. This time when Kalifa swung at her with her sword, Nami snapped her spear out to bat it away, and then lunged forward to strike at Kalifa's stomach. Her opponent dodged, and Nami had to dance away from another swing. They went back and forth, each getting a small strike in, then blocking the next. Nami got a hard hit to Kalifa's wrist, forced her to drop her sword, and then leap away as Nami thrust her spear out. Nami almost thought it over then, but Kalifa surprised her as she drew the whip she always kept at her side.
Nami cried out as it lashed at her hands while wrapping around her spear. They each tugged on the other; Nami fighting to free her weapon, Kalifa fighting to bring her in close for a hit. Kalifa won that battle as she wound her whip around her arms. Once Nami was in reach, she threw a hard elbow into her jaw. But she made the mistake of letting Nami get in close enough for her own hit, and soon she was doubled over after Nami rammed the end of her spear into her gut. Her hold on the whip loosened enough for Nami to get free, and she moved fast while Kalifa gasped for a breath.
She went low, swung her spear at the backs of Kalifa's knees and upended her. The woman crashed flat on her back again and raised her arms to block the strike of Nami's spear that would have killed her if it had it's point, or knocked her unconscious if Nami hadn't stopped her hit just above Kalifa's face.
Nami's breaths came short and fast as she pulled back and stepped away. Her lungs burned and she was soaked in sweat. A metallic taste filled her mouth, and she wiped at her lips with the back of her hand. She found her skin stained with blood, and couldn't help but laugh.
Kid's men were shouting and hollering around her, she heard some whistle, but she hardly even noticed as she stepped back toward Kalifa who lay panting on the ground. The blood around her nose had begun to clot and dry, but her simmering anger hardly waned in her cold blue eyes.
"Sorry," she said as she held out a hand to help the woman up. "I didn't mean to hit you so hard."
Kalifa scowled at her, but went to take her hand. Nami belatedly realized she shouldn't have let her guard down and quickly found herself pulled down and flipped onto her back. She just barely got her hands up to grab Kalifa's wrist, blocking the knife poised at her throat.
She forgot about her knife.
"Never apologize to your enemy," the woman hissed from atop her.
"I don't remember making you my enemy," Nami said, straining against the woman as she pushed down. "But if that's what you want…" She growled as she held tight to Kalifa's wrist, thrust her hips up, and spun her off to the side. While Kalifa scrambled to get to her feet, Nami rolled toward her lost spear, snatched it up, and had it pointed up at the woman who barely stopped short of impaling herself on the end.
"I've killed you twice now," Nami said, gasping for air but refusing to drop her weapon. "I think we can call an end to this."
Kalifa sneered and looked ready to lunge despite Nami's insistence that it was over, but Wire jumped in before she could.
"You're done," he insisted as he gently pushed Kalifa away. "I don't think you'll want to face my jarl if you give her more than a cut lip."
Wire pointed off toward the hill, and Nami angled her head back to see Kid watching where he sat alone. He held an apple in one hand, knife in the other, but his whole attention was set on Kalifa as his lip curled into a sneer. Even sitting, he looked tense and ready to race down the slope to interfere if Kalifa tried to attack again, and the woman knew it. Nami turned back when she heard Kalifa huff, watched her take a breath, and then relax her shoulders. She tossed away her knife once she had completely calmed, and Nami dropped her own weapon when the woman smiled apologetically.
She didn't say anything, but held out her hand, offering to help Nami off the ground. She eyed the hand warily before taking it. As she was hauled to her feet, the men around them clapped and whistled again.
"I think you will be fine in Britain," Kalifa said, giving her a firm pat on her shoulder.
Nami winced at the touch. As the adrenaline of the fight wore off, every single ache and pain began to scream for attention. She felt like one big bruise.
"Yeah, I doubt the Saxons are as tough as you," Nami joked as she hunched over to suck in deep gulps of air. "I hope they aren't."
Kalifa chuckled while draping Nami's arm around her shoulder. "I think you've earned a rest."
"Just a rest?" she whined, but let the woman help her over to the edge of the square so they could sit on the ground out of the way. Every muscle seemed to cramp as she lowered herself onto the dirt. Her joints felt stiff and achy. She could do with a very long, hot bath. And a comfortable bed. She might need to sleep in again the next morning.
"You were far too rough," Gunda lectured Kalifa as she swooped in with linen cloths. She tossed one at Kalifa, a second she pressed to Nami's lip like a worried mother, ignoring Nami's hiss when it stung. "You were supposed to be helping an ally train, not killing each other."
Nami and Kalifa muttered their apologies for worrying her.
"I'll see that a bath is drawn for you, Lady Nami," Gunda continued, prompting Nami to grin at her. "Would you like to have it Jarl Eustass's quarters, or will you be returning to Lady Kalifa's?"
"I'll remain with Kid until we leave," Nami decided, giggling. "He might sulk if I don't. And see about finding a really strong brew. I think I might need it tonight to ease my pain."
"I will see what Jarl Iceburg has stored," Gunda said just as Heat made his way over with a bag slung over his shoulder. The shieldmaiden let Nami take the cloth to hold to her lip, leaving her for the healer to tend.
As tired and sore as fighting with Kalifa had left her, Nami hoped it would be enough to get her to move when she needed to. She felt confident that she could pull it off, but only time would tell if she could change the fate she had foreseen.
Kid had been torn over Nami's idea to train with her shieldmaiden. He couldn't begrudge her desire to fight for herself and help protect those she had grown to care for, but she was brought to him so that he and his men could keep her safe, fight the battles she couldn't, and, if need be, die for her. He didn't want her to needlessly put herself at risk. He could respect her determination, though, and he was curious of how well she could fight.
He had settled on the hill with a perfect vantage of the square his men had taken over for their exercise. He watched Gunda instruct Nami with her shield, teaching her defensive skills she obviously lacked. She still left herself open on one side, and hesitated in her attacks, but she had decent survival instincts that kept her moving away from Kalifa's strikes. She was smart enough to take advantage of her opponent's faltered steps. That kind of foresight and awareness would keep her alive long enough for someone stronger to come in if she couldn't fight on equal footing.
He would have to lecture her later for not finishing Kalifa off the first time she knocked her down. It didn't matter that it was a friendly spar. She didn't have to hurt the woman, but at least show that she could follow through when the advantage swung her way. All it would have taken was one blow to the skull or neck, and her opponent wouldn't get up to come after her again. Granted, she did at least follow through on the spear strikes that would have killed Kalifa if it were a real battle, but he could tell that she was fighting on pure instinct at that point. And she still let her guard down, giving Kalifa the perfect opportunity to attack again.
That woman was starting to piss him off. Even if Nami needed the practice, she was going too hard on her and there were points he began to question if she would actually try to kill Nami. The only thing that kept him in place was the fact his men were watching the fight closely. One wrong move on Kalifa's end, and she would have been subdued in an instant.
When Wire stepped in to finally end the battle, Kid was on edge, ready to run down there and rip the woman away from Nami. His barely restrained anger must have carried enough weight from a distance. The moment he caught Kalifa's gaze, she bowed her head and backed down. As soon as Nami was up off the ground, he sank back in the grass and breathed a heavy sigh of relief. A battle between allies shouldn't be so stressful for spectators.
With the women resting, Kid turned to the apple he had grabbed for a late breakfast. He had overslept far longer than he typically did. He had been exhausted and needed the rest, though even he didn't like waking well after the meal had been cleared with nothing to spare for him. It took a lot of growling to get a servant to bring him an apple. It would hardly tide him over until supper.
He decided to blame Nami for it. It was her fault for keeping him awake so long the previous night, and then waking him early the next morning. And then he couldn't seem to find sleep with her in his bed, not after the story she told him, and especially not after the enticing peek he got as she undressed. It was impossible to fall asleep with the images plaguing his mind, all of them involving Nami naked beneath him. He had even contemplated jumping into the sea for a late-night swim in the hopes the cold water would douse his arousal, but if Nami woke while he was gone, she would likely ask more questions than he cared to answer.
He had shared a bed with her before without any problems, and it wasn't like he was blind to her beauty those times. He couldn't understand what might have changed to make him so aware of her body pressed close to his, or so eager to trace over every inch of skin he could touch. Maybe it was just the early rush of excitement over the battles he was sure to face in Britain. Maybe his body was just looking for an outlet to satisfy him until their raids. That had to be it. He would just have to force his mind away from whatever desire he had for her. Maybe if he joined the men for some exercise he would feel better.
"She didn't look too bad," Killer said as he climbed up the hill. He threw himself onto the grass to recline beside him. "What do you think?"
"She could use more practice with that shield, but she ought to hold up well enough in an attack." Kid cut away a sliver of tart apple and ate it off the end of his knife. "She's smart enough to find a way to stay alive, took advantage where she could. Probably good that woman was relentless in assaulting her. She won't see any mercy or relief in a real battle, might as well get practice under similar conditions."
"I'm surprised to hear you say that considering you looked ready to rip Kalifa's throat out for it," Killer mused.
"It ticked me off to watch, but if she didn't take it too far, then I guess it's fine. Nami's not too beat up, is she?"
"Cut lip. Probably some bruises. Heat's looking at her now. If her usurper jarl trained her in combat, then I'm sure she can handle a few aches."
Kid grunted and ate another apple slice.
"Do you really believe our camp will be ambushed?" Killer asked.
"Nami dreamed it," Kid said.
"Are you certain that it was foretelling? She's seen your death, but you're still here. Maybe she's dreaming of another journey to Britain, further in the future," Killer reasoned.
"She seemed certain it would be this time. She's still getting a handle on her visions. This will be a test to see how accurate they are. Anyway, better to be prepared for the worst, then caught completely off guard."
"If she's foreseen it, though, then it doesn't matter how prepared we are. We can't change it."
Kid pursed his lips, uncertain how much he should share with Killer. He trusted him without question, but Nami had been furious when he told Iceburg and Franky about her visions. Killer knew more than them already, and he was perceptive enough to figure it out on his own. But she had shared a lot with him in confidence, and he promised to keep her secrets. Though, she had only made him swear not to tell Killer who her matriarch was. There was no such promise regarding her foremother's prophecy.
"Nami thinks she can," he said quietly. "She isn't sure, but the Norns visited her in one dream, and that sea witch was babbling on about what her family was capable of. Our destinies aren't entirely certain, they're not set in stone. She can follow a different branch to alter the outcome, or at least delay it. She can reweave the Norns' tapestry. She doesn't know how, but she's determined to find a way."
Killer grunted and gave a short nod. He understood well enough without Kid having to share more. He really wished he could, though.
He snorted to himself. Killer glanced at him from the corner of his eye, a brow arched in silent question. Kid grinned slyly.
"I know who she's descended from," he sang. He snagged another sliver of apple from his knife, pointedly refusing to say more. If he couldn't share what he knew, he could at least get a kick out of taunting everyone with the fact that he did know more than them.
Killer shrugged and turned his attention back to their men. The reaction was disappointing, though Kid supposed he shouldn't be too surprised. Killer wasn't one to rise to that kind of bait.
"It is amazing to think that Hnoss bore a mortal daughter," Killer said.
Kid sat straight and gaped at him. "How did… Who… Nami made me swear not to tell you! How the fuck did you find out? Were you eavesdropping?"
Killer's brow arched again. "I wasn't eavesdropping. You're just not as smart as you think you are."
Kid snarled in his face. "Say that again," he dared.
Killer wasn't intimidated in the least. He never was. "As soon as she said she wasn't related to Rán, all signs pointed to the Vanir. Certainly, Frigg is known for her foresight and knowing the fate of all things, but then only Odin and the Aesir, not Freyja, would be interested in her protection. Nami bears the fur of a great cat, is clad in gold and amber, and plenty of the men like to compare her smile to the most beautiful of treasures, if not the radiant sun. Supposedly Halle and Finn are composing songs for her in a competition to see whose poetry she might favor most. All the men have been bewitched by her beauty, charm, and kindness, and I'm sure they all plan to hand over a sizable portion of their treasures to her when we return to Drafn as some sort of blót, as though she were Freyja, herself."
"But… that doesn't mean her lineage came from Hnoss," Kid growled.
"No, but I suspected that was the most likely case. I've heard many tales of Freyja taking a human lover when she desired one, but none told of her bearing children with them. I merely made a reasonable assertion that she was born from Hnoss, and you confirmed it."
Kid gaped again. If Nami found out that Killer knew, she wouldn't just fine him another chest of gold. He was more than certain she would cut out his tongue, as promised.
"I won't say anything to her about this. She wishes it to remain a secret, understandably, and I'll respect that wish," Killer said. Kid promptly snapped his jaw shut to glare. "And I wouldn't want my favorite cousin to face her wrath should she hear you were talking about her secrets again."
Kid slumped over, grumbling under his breath. "Favorite cousin? I'm your only cousin, bastard."
Killer gave him a firm pat on the back. "Then you know how important you are to me. Her secret is safe with me… As is yours."
"My secret?" He scowled. Killer's expression was a carefully crafted mask to most, but Kid caught the faintest twitch at the corner of his lips. He was laughing. "What are you teasing me about now?"
"Nothing." There was a twitch again, but Killer wasn't going to give anything away.
Kid turned away with a sneer. "I swear, the shit I put up with from you. You're lucky you're family."
"Love you, too," Killer snorted.
He ignored Killer's mockery and focused back on the men training. Axel had broken away from the others to sit with Nami and Kalifa. He grinned at something Nami said and then went to crouch in front of her. Kid glowered as he watched Nami climb onto Axel's back so he could carry her up the hill to Iceburg's hall. She was still turning his men into her serving boys, and they were all too happy to meet her every demand with stupid grins.
"Tsh, that woman," he grumbled
Killer chuckled, but said nothing. Kid had a feeling he was still being teased and turned to growl at him. Killer merely laughed again, grabbed his arm, and stood while hauling him up.
"You can take your jealousy out with a sword," he explained.
"What jealousy? I'm not jealous," he insisted, shrugging off his friend's hold. He still followed him down the hill. He had wanted the exercise, anyway. It would clear those pesky thoughts that kept him up all night. It had nothing to do with jealousy.
"Oi, Finn. Halle," he called to the men as he snatched a shield and blunt sword from Wire. "Get your asses over here. You're both taking me on."
Killer chuckled as the two men shared a wary look.
Whatever he was thinking, he was wrong. He just wanted a challenge. He absolutely wasn't jealous. Not even a little bit.
It was late in the afternoon when Kid made his way back to the hall. He was exhausted, but his mind was finally clear of distraction. Halle and Finn would be too busy rinsing dirt out of their mouths to do any singing that night after their defeat, and after Axel returned from the hall, Kid saw that he would be too tired and sore to carry himself up the hill for supper.
"Bring a bowl of water to my room," he ordered a servant on his way back to his quarters. He wanted to rinse some of the sweat off and comb out his hair before dinner. He could probably do with a bath, but that would take too long to prepare. He'd see to taking one before they left.
"Ah, Jarl Eustass… Lady Nami is-" the servant called after him, but he waved them away with a growl. He just wanted to change out of his tunic and rest, he didn't care what Nami was up to.
He walked into his room before anyone could stop him, and froze right inside the door. He probably should have listened to what the servant had to say.
"Kid!" Nami shrieked at him as she hastily wrapped herself in a linen towel. She had just stepped out of her bath when he walked in. Her wet skin glistened in the candlelight, her amber hair curled and dripped water onto the cloth. The towel clung to her curving hips and allowed him a peek of skin flushed pink from the heat of the bath.
Seeing her undress from behind had been enough torture for his thoughts. After seeing her whole body, in its full glory, there was no chance his mind would know peace again. All he could think about was crossing the room as quickly as he could to rip away her towel and toss her in bed to touch her and taste her and hear what kind of sultry sounds she might make for him. He wanted to wrap his lips around the pulse in her neck, pluck and play with her nipples until she cried out. He wanted to know if she tasted as sweet as she smelled. He wanted to sink into her warmth, and…
A bar of soap smacked between his eyes and snapped him from more depraved thoughts.
"Wipe that lecherous look off your face and get out," Nami yelled.
"It's my room," he shouted back. "What the hell are you doing bathing in my room?"
"I'm staying with you until we leave," she snapped back. "Why wouldn't I bathe in here?"
Nami turned to a table set near the wooden tub. His eyes cast down as she grabbed a pitcher and poured herself a cup of ale. He bit his cheek to restrain a groan as shadows danced over her towel and teased his imagination with the body hidden beneath.
"You could still use that woman's," he grumbled. He couldn't say if he wanted her bathing anywhere else, not when he was given the chance to catch more than a peek. In fact, she was more than welcome to use his quarters as a bathhouse and stroll around naked. Barring she let him stay to watch.
"Kalifa needed a bath, too," Nami explained. "And I told the servants to stop you from walking in here."
He grunted, his attention glued to thighs that he wished weren't hidden from his gaze. He probably should have listened to the servant, but then he wouldn't be able to drink in the sight of Nami's wet and flushed skin.
A cup flew into his head, startling him. He shook away his wayward thoughts and forced himself to focus on Nami's scowl.
"It's not like I haven't seen you in only a towel before," he reminded with a snarl as he rubbed his sore forehead. The cup stung a lot more than the soap - probably left a mark, too.
"Five chests of gold," she said, pointing at him in warning. "And I want enough silk to make two new dresses."
"Demanding, greedy witch," he growled under his breath. She made a step toward him with a fist raised as though ready to punch him. He didn't flinch. He blinked, but he would swear that he never flinched in the face of her anger if anyone ever asked. "All right. You're going to keep me in debt to you for the rest of my life at this rate."
Her fist lowered and the tension in her shoulders relaxed. Her mood turned somber for a heartbeat, her sadness gone in a blink of an eye. But he saw it, and he knew what thoughts had come to mind.
"You're not allowed to die until you've paid me, then," she said quietly, her eyes casting away from him. She clutched her towel to her and made her way to her chest of clothes. The servants must have brought it from Kalifa's for her. She crouched down and dug through her things with a scowl. "If you want to clean up, go ahead. The water's still warm."
"Thought you wanted me out?" he asked.
Nami's jaw ticked slightly, her shoulders tensed. "Just don't peek again."
He chuckled. "And what's to stop you from peeking at me, then?"
She snorted a laugh, her frame once more relaxing as she glanced at him. Mischief sparked in her eye and her lips curled in a teasing smile. "It's nothing I haven't seen before."
His brows furrowed in confusion. She laughed again.
"Two weeks ago, you and the men got drunk after supper and decided to go for a swim in the river. You all stripped down to your underclothes in the middle of the hall and then raced through the village to the water." She laughed again as his jaw dropped. He forgot about that night. "And when you returned, you had somehow lost what little clothing you had when you left. I don't think I've ever seen Gunda blush so many shades of pink."
"Oh," he grunted.
She stood with a new dress in hand. "And that's still not the first time I've seen a man naked."
That surprised him. He wasn't sure he liked what that comment implied. "What?"
"There was an assembly and sacrifice at a temple Arlong took me to a few years ago. I walked into the wrong tent and found a number of his men enjoying themselves with two of the women they met there," she explained.
His brows shut up. "And did you..."
He trailed off as her head shot up so she could gape at him. "What? No!" She paused to shudder with obvious revolt. He didn't know why that reaction pleased him, but he didn't dare think on that. "Like I'd ever let those monsters touch me." She shuddered again.
He hadn't realized how tense he had been until he felt it melt out of his shoulders. He stifled his relieved sigh as he idly began to undo his belt, intent on taking the chance to bathe. Nami moved to the bed to lay out her dress and grabbed her comb before sitting. As she drew her hair over her shoulder, he spotted a bruise marring her creamy skin and scowled at it.
"So, have you ever let a man touch you?" he asked as he went to sit beside her to appraise the injury. She winced as his fingers traced the tender purple-red flesh, and his ire deepened. That woman had been too rough.
"Are you asking if I've ever had sex?" she asked flatly, drawing away from his touch. He looked up to see her glowering at him. "I don't see how that's any of your business."
"Curious." He shrugged and went back to examining her injuries. There was a scrape on her ear that pulled another wince from her as he brushed her hair away. "Figure I ought to know if any men were driven mad after a night in your bed since they might come search for you like all those fathers did to your clan's mothers," he reasoned. It was far from why he had asked, but it was the best reason he could come up with, and the one most likely to get an answer.
Nami sighed. "You have nothing to worry about there," she said. "Arlong made it perfectly clear what the consequences would be if I ever took a lover."
"What consequences would those be?" Kid asked lowly. His fingers grazed over her shoulder, down to her arm where he found another small bruise near her elbow. She didn't wince again, much to his relief. Every show of tenderness made him want to lean in and brush his lips over her sores in the hope it would take the pain away.
"He said that he would carve out the eyes of any man who dared look at me. He would cut off their hands if they touched me." Her words were spoken at a hush, beckoning him to lean in closer. Her bath made her smell even sweeter, her clean skin softer. He couldn't find fault in her giant's punishment. He would do the same to anyone else he found in the very position he was in with Nami, even if it was by her choice. "And if he ever caught them in bed with me, he would tear their manhood off, root and stem, with his bare hands, then shove it in their mouth to eat before chopping their head off. And of course, if I had gone to the man willingly, he would make me watch the whole execution so I might think twice before doing it again."
Kid's gaze snapped up from her shoulder. To make her watch a lover's execution, even he felt that was too harsh.
"I knew he wasn't bluffing when he cut out the tongue of a man in another village who had talked of wanting to bed me, before cutting out his eyes," she finished. "So, naturally, I had decided to abstain."
"Now that you're free of Arlong, though, do you still have no intentions of being with a man?" he asked, uncertain why his curiosity wouldn't wane on the subject. He could probably still reason that it had to do with the curse of madness that afflicted men, but as his eyes cast down to the swell of her breasts, he knew that wasn't the only reason he wanted to know.
Nami turned away from him, forcing his gaze away from her breasts as she hid them from his view. He looked up to the side of her face as she idly began to comb her hair. Her expression was carefully blank, her eyes distant.
"I haven't given that any thought," she said quietly, "since I'm not really free of him yet."
He glanced at her tattoo and the scar cutting through it. She was right. She wasn't free of him, not until that mark was gone and Arlong's head was on a pike. Which meant whatever thoughts and desires he might have for her were wasted. If he was meant to die at Arlong's hands, then he was never meant to have her as anything more than a friend.
He stood abruptly and headed for the door.
"Where are you going? I thought you were going to take a bath?" Nami asked, startled by his sudden leave.
"I'll use the men's," he answered flatly as he stomped out of the room.
He didn't wait for her to say anything else, shoved by the servant on the way to his room with the bowl of water he requested, and stormed out of the hall. He walked on down the hill, ignored his men as they greeted him, passed by the bathhouse his men were to use for their stay. He kept walking until he was knee deep in the frigid sea.
He sat down in the water and stifled a groan as cold bit into his arousal. He breathed in deep, shut his eyes, and forced his mind to will away every lewd image of Nami that plagued him since the night before. He had been able to ignore her beauty for the past month; it shouldn't make any difference that she was descended from a goddess renowned for her enchanting looks. She was still Nami. She was still the woman he swore to protect and to free from a giant wishing to claim her.
She was just another woman, like any of the others. It didn't matter that she showed him more warmth than any other woman he had known. That was the kindness of a friend, nothing more.
Water splashed behind him, but he didn't open his eyes.
"Kid?" Killer prompted. "What are you doing?"
"Preparing for battle," he lied.
Killer snorted. "Are you talking about the battle in Britain, or the battle in your pants?"
Kid opened an eye to glare. Killer smiled back where he crouched beside him in the water, endlessly amused by the scene. Kid shut his eye again with a sigh. "She was in the bath," he mumbled.
"And how much did that cost you?"
"Another chest of gold and some silk."
Killer gave his back a solid pat and stood. "I do not envy your suffering."
His cousin sloshed through the water on his way back to shore. Kid scowled as a thought came to him.
"Killer," he called, his voice hard enough to make the man pause. Kid didn't turn to look at him. "I trust you to do what needs to be done if Nami's ever in danger."
"Kid?"
"No matter who it is," he said firmly. "If he's touched with madness, you cut off his head before he can lay a hand on her. Understood?"
Killer remained silent. He knew what Kid meant. Even if the man was a brother to them, even if he was their jarl, Nami's well-being came first.
Kid knew he couldn't have her, but if he couldn't control his own desires, even he didn't know what he might do.
"Understood," Killer said, tone grave, and headed off to relay that message to the rest of his men.
It would serve as a good warning to the others. For if Kid couldn't have her, then no one could.
Hedeby
The earl trotted through the main gates with a handful of men and a dead boar, the fruits of a week-long hunt that would feed them well that night. The earl had already claimed the best cuts for their own table while their stomach growled, eager for the feast to begin.
"Earl," a man called out as he waved them toward the hall. "You have a visitor."
The earl scowled beneath the heavy hood of their cloak, but nodded before kicking their horse to cantor on ahead. The man jogged after to take the reins of the horse once they reached the hall, holding the animal still while they dismounted.
"Who are they?" the earl asked, eyeing a stranger who sat on a bench outside the hall.
"His name is Chew. He says he comes from Svealand at the behest of Jarl Arlong," the man explained.
The earl's brows furrowed, trying to place the name. So many jarls and earls and kings came through Hedeby, it was hard to keep track of them all. Only a few they bothered to remember, those with greater potential, so this jarl likely meant little to them.
"I believe the village was Tingstad. Small, but well positioned on the Kattegat. The previous jarl - Genzo - made regular visits, intended to see his region grow into another trade settlement, but this new jarl seized control eight years ago and squandered whatever progress Genzo made," their man further explained.
The earl had never met this Genzo, either, but that was before their time. It had hardly been three years since they took control from the previous Earl of Hedeby.
"Perhaps they mean to fix that," the earl mused and headed toward the hall. They waved for the man from Svealand to follow as they entered, and shrugged off their cloak to toss to a servant. "Get him some ale. He's a guest," they ordered. "And see that the boar we returned with cooks quickly. I'm hungry."
"Of course, Earl," the servant said, bowing her head before running off to do as told.
The earl went to the front of the main room and settled into their empty chair atop the dais. The man called Chew stood before the fire at the center of the hall, warming his hands as he waited for the earl to get comfortable. It didn't take long before the guest had his ale, as did the earl, along with a plate of salted fish to enjoy as they spoke.
"What brings you to my home?" the earl asked between bites of fish.
"I come on behalf of my jarl - in search of a woman," Chew explained as he took a seat.
"Will any woman do, or are you searching for one in particular?" The earl's brow rose. They had no shortage of men seeking to marry into their house, and if this was another case, he would be kicked out on his ass just as all the others were.
"One in particular," he began to answer. "A woman of eighteen with amber colored hair."
The earl sat back in their chair and propped their chin on a hand. "I've seen a few women with amber hair in my lifetime, but none recently." They turned to the men left to watch the hall while they hunted. "Have you seen any woman like this while I was gone?"
"No, Earl," they all answered, and the earl turned to Chew, shrugging.
"It seems you have looked in the wrong place."
Chew nodded, seemingly unaffected by the news. "I'm not surprised. Jarl Arlong felt that she went north."
The earl glowered at that. "Then why come here?"
"Her sister said she was going to Normandy. A lie, but it did no harm to see if she took a route through Hedeby. He also sent me in search of a Frankish merchant we're friendly with to see if he can aid us. Perhaps you've seen him recently? He's called Nezumi."
The earl's frown deepened. That untrustworthy, greedy, rat-faced bastard was an annoyance, and far from a typical merchant. He was more likely to sell secrets to anyone with the right amount of gold. Rumors abounded that he was actually a nobleman of some lower Frankish house, one that held little loyalty to their king, and merely played the part of merchant to more easily learn the secrets he bartered.
"I believe he stayed in Paris over the winter," the earl said, plucking up another piece of fish. "He will likely pay Hedeby a visit in the coming weeks. You are welcome to wait. I can see to a bed in our barn for you."
"I have no need for your hospitality," he said, tone gruff. "My crew and I have a camp on the western shore of the bay."
"Have it your way." The earl shrugged. "So what is so important about this woman that you would go to these lengths in search of her?"
Chew's lips pursed into a tight frown, his eyes turned wary and mistrusting.
"I'm merely curious. If she's so valuable, I can see that my people keep an eye out for you, in case she did venture this way."
Chew's frown tightened even more. After a moment, he sagged forward with a sigh.
"She is my jarl's most treasured ward," Chew said. "She's been in his household since the age of ten, but as she's gotten older, they've had a number of disagreements that drove her to run off in some rebellious fit. She usually returns after a few days, no more than a week or two at the longest. This time she's been gone for over a month and Jarl Arlong is worried. He's endlessly fond of her, so her extended absence is causing him a great deal of turmoil."
"If he cares so much for her, why is he not here himself? Did he go north to search there?" the Earl asked.
"He remains in Tingstad, in case she returns. He wants to be the first to greet her should she return safely on her own," Chew explained.
The earl frowned, uncertain how much to believe of the tale. If the girl was of such importance, her jarl should have gone to search himself, and not waited for so long to send anyone at all. And then there was the matter of these disagreements, as he called them. What could have happened to send a girl running from her home, apparently more than once, and this time not return?
"Since it's been over a month, I wouldn't be surprised if you found this amber-haired girl dead. Or with some disgusting cretin who got his hands on her. Or perhaps she has a lover elsewhere she's with? She may even be married already. Your search seems futile," the earl said dismissively.
"It may be futile, but Arlong still wants her found. If she married, without his consent, he will see that the matter is rectified. And any man who attempts to take her by force will be dealt with harshly," Chew growled. "She belongs to Arlong and no one else. He will not forgive anyone who means to take her from him."
The earl nodded. Now they had an understanding of the situation. This woman was no mere ward, she was this Arlong's prized possession, likely little better than a captive.
They turned to the man who greeted them upon their return, waving him in close to speak at a hush. "You said this village - Tingstad - once belonged to a man named Genzo who visited us in the past. Did he by any chance come with a little girl matching this description?"
Their man frowned in thought. Chew said the girl had been with them since the age of ten. Eight years was a long time to remember. After a moment their man nodded and the earl waved them away.
"If I see this woman within my territory, I will take her into my house and send word to your jarl of her safety," the earl said. They kept whether they would hand the girl back to this jarl to themselves. That depended on what sent her running in the first place. Arlong might have a right to take his hostage back, but the earl felt little sympathy for the story Chew concocted of their relationship. From what she could tell, she was far better off in Hedeby, or wherever else she ended up, barring it wasn't half dead in a river or turned into some sick man's plaything. "And if Nezumi arrives in the next week, as I suspect him to, I will send word to your camp. If you choose to leave before then, I will tell him your jarl has asked for him and send him off to Tingstad."
They doubted the rat would be any more help to them, but if it was a rat Arlong wanted, then a rat he would get.
"Thank you," Chew said with a subtle nod. Half-hearted gratitude, but it was better than nothing.
The earl waved him off dismissively, giving him leave to go as soon as he finished his ale. Once their guest had seen himself out, the earl sank back in their chair to glower at the open door. Something didn't sit well with them. There was an uneasy roiling in their stomach.
One month? They waited over a whole month before sending out a search party? How frequent were these escapes that they could be so nonchalant about the affair? And what exactly did Jarl Arlong have planned for the poor girl? She obviously wanted nothing to do with him. Understandable if he seized control from her previous jarl.
After a while, the earl turned to their man. "Tell me everything you know about Tingstad and these people who come from there," they demanded. "And where the fuck is my boar? I'm hungry."
A/N: So much is happening, ehehehe. I had to give Nami and Kalifa a proper fight in this chapter. As I said, I really loathe how their fight was handled in canon, so I fixed it a bit in this chapter.
As for the Earl in Hedeby - I am trying to keep their identity a secret until the next time they appear, but I put plenty of hints to who this character is. The last line should honestly be a dead giveaway. I will say, this is a captain, and there is one captain I headcanon as German. Hedeby, while during this time period resides in Danish territory, now falls within Germany. The Earl is actually going to be relatively important later on in my 'Enel arc', and they will make an appearance in my final 'Normandy arc'. And I have connected them to a figure in Norse mythology that works so damn well. I am proud of myself any time I find a figure to connect to a character.
For anyone wondering the sequence of arcs, especially those wanting more Arlong drama, I have this fic now broken up into four major arcs. We're currently nearing the end of the first arc (I'll dub it the 'Raiding arc'). Next will be the Enel arc, which will have a lot of impact on the following arc, which is the Arlong arc. The final arc is the Normandy arc where I actually address Nami's paternal lineage and go into the circumstance behind her biological mother's death. So, please have patience for the Arlong drama to unfold. I am building up to that. A lot of things happen in the next arc that will either majorly impact the Arlong arc, or will just barely begin to hint at things for the Normandy arc. This current Raiding arc is to develop Kid and Nami's relationship since the bond they're forming now is obviously going to be the most important aspect of this fic and influences everything that's to come.
I'm actually really wanting to just work on this fic non-stop right now because I want to get to the Enel arc, because seriously, so much shit happens in that arc. Like... it gets bloody and brutal. Best thing about this AU - I get to write Kid as the extremely violent man that he is. He might not seem it right now, but he's with his friends and family, the people he will never purposefully harm without just cause, the people he would protect even if it cost him his life. He's generally docile with the people he likes. Give him a solid enemy, and oh boy, he turns bloodthirsty. Enel and Arlong, too, of course. But Kid... oh, he's gonna do some pretty fucked up shit in the next arc. I can't wait. XD
My goal is to have everyone screaming for one reason or another during the next arc.
So yeah, friendly reminder if you have problems with graphic violence and gore - there is going to be a lot of it in this fic.