[Brought about by a conversation on Skype with Nea, my Sweden, Hanna, my Denmark, and I. All of it is Nyotalia, and being Nyotalia they have different personalities, that and they are not in present day. So Norway, now female, will not be as silent, she is actually violent when provoked. We decided to keep magic out of this for the most part. This is the story of how Sweden's vision was ruined.]
During the late 9th century
Three Viking nations sat around a fire in the dead of winter, staring at the popping crackling wood was; Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. All of them looked relatively similar; having blonde hair and blue eyes, though their builds were different they still seemed alike.
The smallest of the three stood, drawing all of their attention to the young Norwegian girl.
"Nor. .?" The Dane questioned.
"Danmark," she sighed, "I am simply going to get more wood." With that the young Nordic turned and walked into the dark forest surrounding them to collect more wood.
"Eh, Dan, why do you worry so much about her?" questioned the tallest of the three, Sweden, as she laid on her back to look up at the stars that seemed to have no end, every night they moved, and every night there were more and more stars.
The Danish woman laughed at her, a grin playing across her features as she spoke, "Sve, obviously you don't see it. Nor's mine. She'll always be."
The Swede said nothing to her, simply gritted her teeth and looked away. She knew the Dane was saying all of this to provoke her. They had already had too many fights over the Norwegian, too many black eyes and too many angry stares from Norway herself.
Originally they had been friends, great friends that met during battle and sided with each other and decided to join together and rule their world. The ocean. All of it.
But funny things happen, nations change, attractions grow, and eventually nations would fall in love. But in the case of the three Nordics, well, there were three. And two fell for one bringing the violent natures of the two out.
But the Danish woman wasn't through with her little 'game', "Oh what is it Sve?" she asked, her tone sounding so light and happy, but the Swede knew that the Dane could flip at any moment.
After a few seconds Denmark stood up, "I asked you a question, Sve. Now ANSWER it."
Sweden turned her head and snarled; "I d'n't see how y'u could think tha' Nor would even think of having a lover like you. Y'u 're cruel an' y'u enjoy others pain. She would n'ver think o' y'u in such a wa'."
Denmark's eyes narrowed, "You stupid bitch!" She screamed as she kicked the embers of the fire.
The Swede's eyes widened as she watched the swirling embers move towards her, she froze for a moment too long before trying to cover her face. The embers reached home, landing on her face, getting into her eyes. Letting out a bloodcurdling scream she began writhing in pain amid the snow and ash, moving dangerously close to the fire.
All the while Denmark stood and watched her, not moving, just grinning, "So, Sweden!" She called to her, "About Norway—"
She was cut off by a scream of anger coming from the Norwegian, who had returned with more wood. Dropping the few dry pieces of wood she had she ran at the Dane, knocking her to the ground with such a force that the Dane lost her breath.
Norway put one knee on Denmark's ribcage, keeping her pinned as she drew the hunting knife from her boot and pointed it down at the woman below her.
Her tone was cold and emotionless, "If you have blinded her, I swear in the name of Odin, I will kill you. I will slit your throat and watch you bleed to death. And then I will cut out your heart. And burn it."
Before moving on to tend to the Swede, who was still crying out and writhing in pain, she delivered a harsh kick to the Danish woman's ribs out of pure spite.
Norway bent over her companion, "I need you to stop moving, Sve," she told her as gently as she could.
Sweden did her best to comply, and Norway smiled the smallest of bits at her, though she knew that the Nordic nation couldn't see her. Lightly, Norway brushed Sweden's long hair out of her face to see how much damage the Dane had done.
Looking down at the burned and now blistered face of her friend made Norway wish to get up and kill the Dane where she lay, still not having moved since she had kicked her.
Around the Swede's eyes were red welts that Norway knew must be cleaned soon, but first she needed to check on her eyes, that was really what she was worried about, wounds and burns could heal but blindness was one thing she had no cure for.
"Sve. . .I need you to open your eyes." She told her quietly, but the Swedish woman shook her head ever so slightly, whimpering as she did so.
"Sweden. Please, you need to open your eyes!"
Again the Swede shook her head, biting her lip hard enough to draw blood, Norway hadn't thought about how much pain she must have been in.
". .Open your mouth."
Sweden complied with her request, gathering a small handful of snow; Norway first tore a piece of her tunic off and cleaned the blood from her lip, then placed the snow into her mouth.
"Stop biting your lip. It will only get worse. I also need to tend to your eyes, and I can't stop every two seconds to fix your lip." She told her, not really caring if she wasn't being listened to.
"Sve. . .If you do not open your eyes, I will be forced to open them for you. Either way it will hurt, so please just open them." Her tone was pleading almost. She hated seeing the strong nation like this.
Sweden did her best to obey, but she only managed to open them a crack before crying out again, Norway sighed and mumbled an apology under her breath before forcing the Swede to open her eyes. They were red and irritated, and in some places they were burned. The Norwegian was about to say something but Sweden spoke first.
". . I-I can't see ya. I-I can fe'l tha' my ey's 're open. . .But I can't see ya."
Norway froze and let the realization wash over her. She was either blind or she would never see the same again.
"I barely opened them, and it is dark. Now be silent." She managed to keep her tone calm and steady, but her hands were trembling. If she could save her vision but messed up now she would never forgive herself.
Pulling out a small bag she kept on her person at all times, Norway began sifting through the herbs and roots in her bag, none of them really being useful, she pulled out a few, and began making a paste out of them.
-Two days later—
Norway sat next to Sweden, adjusting the bandages over her eyes, as snow lightly drifted among the three of them.
"N'rway. . ." Sweden said quietly.
Without looking away from her work, she grunted in response.
"Wha' 're ya goin' ta do with Danm'rk?"
She paused before answering, tying the bandage, and then looking over at the other Nordic sitting as far away as possible while still being warmed by the fire, she responded; "I will do nothing unless I am asked. I do not know what happened before she kicked the embers into your eyes. That is all that I saw. Nothing more, nothing less. And I will not take sides until the extent of your injury is discovered."
And for a while they sat in silence, Norway staring at the dancing flames. They were deadly, she knew it. She had torched village after village with fire without thinking of the threat that it could pose to herself and companions.
Sweden was the one to break the silence.
"Nor. I wan' ta know. . .why di' ya lie ta me wh'n I firs' got th'm flam's in m' ey's?"
Norway stared at her a long time before answering, it was odd to talk to someone who didn't look at you, or if they had their head turned in your direction you could still tell they weren't looking at you.
"Why do you feel the need to ask me such questions? Either way, you should be resting."
Sweden sighed, pulled her well worn cloak, now covered with various scorch marks, around her and laid back.
Norway stared at her for a few moments, moved over and placed the taller girls head in her lap, the movement, small as it may have been, still caused pain for the Swede. As if in apology Norway began brushing her hair free of all the twigs and such that were stuck in it while singing in a soft voice.
"The sky is dark and the hills are white
As the storm-king speeds from the north to-night;
And this is the song the storm-king sings,
As over the world his cloak he flings:
"Sleep, sleep, little one, sleep;"
He rustles his wings and gruffly sings:
"Sleep, little one, sleep."
On yonder mountain-side a vine
Clings at the foot of a mother pine;
The tree bends over the trembling thing,
And only the vine can hear her sing:
"Sleep, sleep, little one, sleep;
What shall you fear when I am here?
Sleep, little one, sleep."
The king may sing in his bitter flight,
The pine may croon to the vine to-night,
But the little snowflake at my breast
Liketh the songIsing the best, -
"Sleep, sleep, little one, sleep;
Weary thou art, anext my heart;
Sleep, little one, sleep."