Author's Notes:

Before this continues any longer lol I had to do quite a bit of research. For once I wanted a fic where 1: Russia wasn't the villain and 2: utilize the idea of England's dark magic. I realize the English pirates didn't start sailing until a full century or so after the Viking age, I just smooshed the ages together. I looked at maps and studied on Swedish, Finnish and other Nordic histories just to get a feel for the times. I regretfully failed to understand what their daily lives were like but as this story is like a fairytale, I ask you to keep an open mind. There is a little history in it, but it's also fiction as well. Also this story is in no way written to be offensive towards Scandinavia! I would rather love to go live in Sweden and learn the language if I had the ability! Please enjoy!

Chapter 1

Bright and cheerful was the morning. The sounds of sea birds calling into the sky echoed as they flew over the open water. Violet eyes blinked open and teared with a long yawn as the eyes' owner sat up with a stretch. Swinging his legs over the edge of his bed he ran out the door very nearly tripping on his face as he raced around his room to get dressed. His shoes, his pole, the bait, all of it was accounted for as a large grin spread across his face.

"Time to gooo-"

"Tino!" A voice called.

His shoulders slumped, head hanging with a soft groan as he turned to face the source of the voice with a pout. "Yes mother…"

"You have not started your chores. You know you cannot play until you have completed your duties."

"Just for today?" He begged, holding onto his fishing pole feebly.

"The animals must be fed!" Her hands rested on her hips as she frowned in disapproval. Tino looked at his hands where his fishing pole remained then out towards the back of his house where he could certainly hear animals braying. "Well?"

"Yes mama." He pouted setting his pole and bait aside. She nodded in approval at last and turned to go back into the kitchen. Tino swore she had eyes in the back of her head sometimes. Defeated he sighed heavily and made his way to the back of the house looking out at their animals. Just a few necessary beasts. Cow for milk, chickens for eggs, this and that. They didn't have much, just enough to live on. He picked up the bucket beside the empty trough and proceeded to fetch the food.

He watched each animal make complete, well, animals of themselves as they ate their morning meals. Now for the water. A couple trips later he panted as each respected pen had their share of troughfulls of water. Tino watched in annoyance as the pigs just dirtied theirs, taking hungry gulps with their muddied snouts. That was nice indeed. It made no difference though because his morning chores were complete! With a grin he padded quietly back into the house gathering his pole and bait once again on a mission to head down to the docks a mere couple yards away.

Happily running, Tino could have just kicked his heels together. He trotted past awakening homes and greeted the folk on his way to the harbor. When he got there he spun around to get another look at the town under the soft baby blue haze of a serene waking sky and smiled as he saw the smoke billow up from a chimney. There was the ironsmith getting ready for work. He finished his work now time for something productive! Well somewhat.

Tino found himself a nice secluded spot beneath the docks as he baited a hook and threw out the line into the water. And now to play the waiting game. He reclined back and closed his eyes sighing in satisfaction. It didn't get better than this. Soft sounds of the birds cawing out over the water, the conversations of the folk in town hushed by the distance, the sounds of splashing around the docks. Splashing? Were the waters rough this morning? He took a peek at the water, nothing. Eh. Relaxing back on the sand he took a deep breath and let it out. "Woah!" He jumped feeling the tug on his pole. "Already?!" The grin plastered across his face was testament to his patience as he began pulling on his pole. "Th-This is a big one." The Finn grunted as he tugged harder and harder. If he tugged any harder he'd break his pole! "What is…that…"

His words died in his throat as he saw just what had snagged his line. On shore came a coughing and sputtering creature with his line wrapped all around his form. Weak growls and other soft sounds came from its snout.

"Th-Th-Th-That's a-a bear!" Tino backed away gasping and spun around to go right back home when he heard the pained gurgle from the poor creature. He stopped and turned back around watching it try to use its paws to tug free from the line. The bear even looked waterlogged. Sea weeds clung onto its clumped up fur. Bear or not, dangerous or not he couldn't just leave it. His conscience wouldn't let him live with himself. With a big swallow he slowly trudged back over to where the bear struggled when he managed to catch the creature's attention once again. It seemed to glare as it struggled, like it knew it was Tino's fault that it was tangled up in fishing line. "D-Don't look at me like that like it's my fault." Tino stuttered. "What are bears doing in the water anyway? Oh I have gone mad I'm talking to a bear."

"It is your fault."

"Who said that?!" Tino spun around looking behind him, up at the docks thinking one of the fishermen were watching but he was the only one out here. Save for the bear…the bear? He looked slowly back down at the now quiet but still tangled bear. "Wh-What?"

"I said it is your fault." The bear deadpanned.

"TALKING BEAR! IT TALKS!" Tino stumbled back nearly losing his balance. The bear just frowned harder in annoyance and frustration.

"You threw your line right at me." It grumbled, tugging at the line some more in indication.

"I-I didn't mean to!" Tino gasped before grabbing at his hair with both hands. "I'm talking to a bear!"

"Are you going to release me or not?" The bear, obviously male snapped in escalating annoyance.

"H-Huh?...Y-You're not going to eat me?..."

"What?"

"E-Eat me. You won't?..." Tino muttered as he sidled closer.

"I won't eat you! Just get me out of this!" He growled and resorted to biting futilely at the fishing wire and getting nowhere.

"You have to stop thrashing!" Tino's hands squirmed in place as he tried to pick out a wire to grab but the beast's struggling made it hard to focus. In a daring move he snapped his hand out, pushing fur out of the way tugging the line over a paw releasing it. When the bear saw that at least the boy knew what he was doing, he tried his very best to remain still as Tino walked all around him tugging the lines free until no more restricted him. "There…" He tossed the line aside but gasped as the bear stood up on his hind legs. He was taller than him! He gulped and backed away. "Y-You said you wouldn't eat me!"

He frowned. "I won't."

"O-Oh then…are you going to reward me? For letting you go free?"

"Like river fae you mean? No. What do I look like to you, you silly boy? And I was tangled up in the first place because of you anyway. Why would I reward you?"

Tino set his jaw, lips pursed together in a thin line. "You look like a bear…and I don't know what bears are doing in the water anyway. Just what were you doing?"

"Fighting for my life." He sighed and looked at his surroundings, nothing looked familiar. "You, boy."

"I have a name…" The violet eyed boy pouted with a mild frown, twisting the toe of his shoe into the sand. "It's Tino."

"Tino then. Where am I?" The bear's eyes scanned all around some more hoping to find something, anything reminiscent.

"Finland." Tino reached down to pick up his pole, sighing forlornly when he thought about how much work it would take to tie the line back together.

"Repeat that?"

"Finland." Tino replied a bit louder. "The fisherman's village right on the border." The bear groaned in anguish sitting back onto the sand. "It's not a bad place you know…there's plenty of fish for you…"

"I don't want fish. I want to go home…" He sighed. "I must. It's in danger."

"Your home? Where do you live?" Tino tipped his head some to the side.

"Sweden."

"A Swedish bear…should have known." The boy rolled his eyes but looked at the ground not meeting the bear's eyes when he felt them on him.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" The bear leaned in, eyes hardening.

"Oh nothing…just how rude and conceited you seem to be, like most Swedish seem to be I mean."

"And the Finnish I suppose are so courageous?"

"W-We are!" Tino huffed. "I freed you, wild and thrashing, from a fishing line did I not?!"

"Right after you were sure I wasn't going to eat you. You know what? I renege my promise, I think I will eat you."

"Ohyahh! Don't!" The Finn scrambled back hands flailing over his head in defense only to sulk and frown when the bear chuckled and stood back up. "What's so funny?! Eating me is not funny!"

"You are. You are certainly an interesting one. No one has spoken to me like you have before."

"I doubt anyone has ever spoken to a bear before…" Crossing his arms Tino surveyed the animal surprised to watch him just up and start to walk off. "W-Wait, where are you going?"

"Home. I must return swiftly. My father will worry and I must warn him of the danger." He looked over his furry shoulder before going about with his business, his legs wobbly as he tried walking on his hind legs.

"You'll scare people like that!" Tino jogged up beside him, trembling lightly at the leer the bear gave him. "Well you will…most bears walk on all fours. I mean, from what tales I hear."

"I am not…like most bears." He uttered, lowering himself down onto his fours as Tino suggested, ears flopped back.

"I understood that the moment you opened your mouth. Look if you need to get to Sweden you need a guide-"

"No."

The Finnish boy gaped, jaw unhinged. "You didn't even listen to my proposal!"

"I don't have to. You don't have to guide me to the border. I know the way. Aside from that I don't want you with me you'll just get in the way. Like most Finnish seem to be I mean." He added in a chiding tone. Tino wasn't about to back down though, cheeks huffing with a pout before his eyes brightened with an idea.

"And what about the hunters and trappers?"

"What?..."

"Mm? Oh nothing." Tino pretended to look at his pole with interest, smiling inside when he could hear the bear seething in impatience.

"You said hunters and trappers!"

"Oh I did?" Violet eyes blinked wide in mock surprise looking up from his blatant faux interest in his fishing pole.

"Don't you toy with me!" He hissed, fur bristling. A slow smile stretched Tino's lips as he put his hands on his hips similar to the fashion his own mother did when he was being scolded by her. "What did you mean when you said hunters and trappers?"

"They are always about on the roads and in the woods looking for a kill…but if I'm with you I can protect you."

"I don't need you. I told you that you would just be in my way!"

"Oh come on, just to the border! It's not far from here!" The grumbling bear just continued to walk forward ignoring the boy. "I can help you! Besides I owe you!"

"Owe or not, you will be of no help to me." Regardless of his disapproval Tino walked beside him along the shoreline walking around the town the salt water lapping against their feet. "You are not listening to me."

"And you are not listening to me." Tino sighed, remaining beside him. Well at least he wasn't displaying a fear of him anymore. The only time he seemed scared was when the bear stared at him. Did he truly look that frightening? For a few more moments they walked in silence until Tino stopped in his tracks. "Excuse me?"

"What is it?" Stopping too, the bear turned to look back.

"Sorry it's just…you never told me your name."

What was he to say? He wouldn't believe him if he told him the truth. He looked up in thought before looking back at the Finn with wide curious eyes. "Behr."

"…Bear? But you are a bear…"

"Not bear. Behr."

"But that's bear!"

"Just-! Behr! Behr is my name! Behr is what you can call me!"

"Oh…alright…" He tucked his arms behind his back deciding to just leave it at that. Another moment of silence passed as they continued to walk until Behr looked up at Tino sighing softly. The Finn wasn't going to go anywhere anytime soon.

"Just to the border and that is as far as you go."

"Yes!" Tino beamed down him. "You won't regret this, I promise!" And he turned to run forward only to trip over a lone piece of driftwood falling face first into the sand.

"Something tells me I might…"

Author's Notes:

There might be some geographical confusion on just where they are. They are on the outer northern edge of the country right on the boundary of the two countries but I have it to where Sweden makes up part of today's Norway so some of that shoreline is Sweden, not Norway. Remember this is a fairytale BASED on actual history yet the events are not accurate of course. Use your imaginations lol