Chapter 19

Finland did not like waiting. He sat in the dining hall for over an hour before Louhi, Avar, Ludwig, and Natalia showed up. He drummed his fingers on the wooden surface, tapping a rhythm that didn't make much sense. Lovino was in the infirmary, and the best doctors were working on removing the bullets in his legs. One of the nurses had visited him to tell him that Lovino had acquired a fever that could days to break, and that he would have to stay overnight in the infirmary rather than in a room like Natalia and Ludwig. It would take longer for him to test the trio than he planned. Lovino would not be up for any kind of work or questions, and he needed to be in order to properly pass. Natalia and LUdwig would just have to live here for a while and be watched over to make sure they were not here to spy.

If they do anything to try and destroy what I have worked so hard to create, I will torture them in ways they can't even imagine before leaving them to the wolves. Finland thought. His eyes narrowed as he swished around a glass of water. e would not go up and get his dinner from the cafeteria until the two nations joined them. Then he would relieve Louhi and Avar from their duties for the evening and have a chat with the two nations alone. He wanted to know which ones if any of them were actually still nations hiding under human names or if they had all lost their title and were in fact simply looking for a home for only them. Then we would consider keeping them, but if not, and they passed, he would take them across the border and send them off to Norwegian lands. He had no idea if Norway was still alive; no one had seen him in years, but the people were still holding on by a thread, and the lands were more habitable than the rest of Europe.

Before Ludwig and Natalia arrived in the hall, a young child ran up to FInland.

"Mr. Finland?" The boy asked.

Finland looked up from his water. "What is it?"

"I was sent to bring you word from across the border."

"Which one?"

"The western border, sir," the boy replied.

"What is it?"

"There is activity of moving forces of Danish refugees planning to attack Oslo. There is word of living nations over there."

"Nations?" Finland asked, emphasising the "S."

"Yes. Two, I believe is what they said."

"Two…" Finland trailed off, thinking. Then he said to the boy, "Run along now, and thank you for the message."

Without another word, the boy scampered off. Finland picked up his glass of water and took a sip. If what the boy said was true, a nordic other than Norway and himself was alive, but who? Iceland didn't make it past the war, and Denmark was completely submerged… Then again the forces were Danish. But why would Denmark ever start something against Norway, the nordic he was obsessed with more than the others, the nation that let his people in and could have very well saved his ass? FInland shook his head and returned to tapping the table.

Natalia and Ludwig found him like that, drumming his fingers against the table. "Why are you doing that?" Natalia asked as she sat down across from him on the bench. Ludwig sat next to him.

"It's nothing you need to know," Finland snapped, then added, "Follow me and we can get dinner in the cafeteria."

"Alright," The two nations followed him to the food line, where very few people were left getting food, as it was approaching a late hour. Most of his people were preparing to sleep, but a few were still up, eating and enjoying the subsiding cool air from the cold front several hours earlier that no one had seen coming. Finland only took a roll and some fish, but Natalia and Ludwig respectively filled their plates. The three of them sat far away from people and ate their food.

"Are you three still nations?" FInland asked a few minutes into the feast.

Ludwig shook his head. "Lovino and I are not."

"And you?" he looked at Natalia.

"Yes, but my people are not fond of me and we had to run. That is why Lovino has three bullet wounds," Belarus explained.

Finland nodded. "Okay, thank you for telling me. Will your people be hostile and try to cross the border?"

"They shouldn't. I have known where your border is, and I taught them not to cross it. We take more of Russia's lands if we need it," Belarus said.

"Good. I hope you are telling the truth," Finland turned to Ludwig. "What brings you and Lovino so far north? Together?"

"I lost much of my land and all of my people, so I headed north to find a better place to live. I was caught by Russia and forced to live in his cave and hunt for him. Lovino found the cave, and we left early in the morning the next morning while Russia was still asleep. He is losing more of his sanity, and I did not want to be there to witness his final break from sanity."

"Where is Lovino's brother?"

"We do not know. He ran away from Lovino farther south to look for me, but he never made it to me. Lovino found me, thinking his brother would be with me."

"Was Lovino travelling with anyone else?"

"Yes. He was with Hungary and Sadik. He left them, and we have not seen them since. They were headed north in this direction as well, Lovino told me."

"But they are not a threat?"

"No. Hungary was looking for empty lands in Russia to bring her people, and Sadik is looking for a home. They do not mean to hurt or attack your people. They don't even know how good of a place it is here," Ludwig looked around the room.

"This is not good. It is only survival. I am making sure my people are safe after all the tortures you and the rest of the world has put humanity through. This is the least I can do," FInland shook his head. "Go to bed now. I will test your loyalties once Lovino is better, but if he does not get a fever, he should be fine in a few days. Do not take advantage of your time here. I will be watching you to make sure you do not try to sabotage what I have pulled together to continue the human race," Finland stood and brushed his pants off. He motioned for Louhi and Avar to walk over from across the cafeteria, and they hurried over.

"What do you need?" Avar asked.

Finland replied, "Take them to their rooms and make sure they do not cause trouble."

The two humans nodded and led Belarus and Ludwig out of the cafeteria and to their rooms. For several minutes, no one spoke. Then Belarus finally said, "He is different."

Everyone nodded.

She continued: "He used to be much nicer. I always knew this hardness was in him from the Viking days, but I did not know it could become him completely."
"We did not know him well before this. We only knew of him," Louhi responded.

"And where is Sweden? The two are always together and I never heard anything about him."

Louhi and Avar nodded but did not say anything.

"Did he die? I knew he was bombed, but news was not reaching me anymore."

More nods.

"Is anyone listening?"

Vigorous nodding.

"Damn, my brother listened more than you and he ran at the mention of my existence!"

"We don't know."

"What?" Belarus huffed.

Louhi repeated: "We do not know where Sweden is. Never say anything about him in front of Finland. We could both get in trouble now."

"Oh…" the group lapsed into silence as they trekked the rest of the way to the houses. Avar led Ludwig to one room in the largest building, and Louhi led Belarus to a room in the same building a level up from Ludwig. The two never had the chance to talk again until the morning, but they did not speak of Sweden again after that.