Sweden—Näcken [Conquest of Finland, ca. 1150]
Don't go alone, they said to him, but Finland was small, and curious, and he was so mesmerized by that doe and her fawn that he followed them without realizing he had left the village behind.
He was distracted by music, coming from the waterfall. He cautiously approached, hidden among the bushes, to see the musician in action. Someone had come to sit by the water to play the rebec.
It was a boy he had never seen before, protected from the cold with some thick fur coat, who played with his eyes on the cascade, sat on a big rock.
Those eyes...
There was something about those eyes...So fascinatingly deep and cold...
It was irresistible for little Finland. He had to come out of the bushes and interrupt.
"Hello." He said with a friendly voice and his arms behind his back.
The boy stopped playing and stared.
"I'm Suomi, who are you?"
No response. The boy kept on staring at him—with those deep, beautiful and out-of-this-world eyes.
You play so well, Finland wanted to say, when the boy suddenly turned his head to his right and ran away, into some space behind the waterfall. Finland unsuccessfully tried to stop him. His chief came running to his encounter.
"Where have you been? I told you not to leave the village on your own! They have claimed this territory! It's dangerous! They could come and get you, the monsters that came from the water!"
He grabbed his hand and made him follow him but Finland turned his head and had the feeling that those sharp blue eyes were still around, looking.
How could a boy like him be dangerous?
Don't go alone, they said to him, but Finland was a teenager, something inside drove him to explore and do things on his own, and he also grew hair in strange places, his voice cracked awkwardly, felt gross, hated everyone, so he didn't listen to anyone's advice and went strolling alone.
He still believed in spirits and found that particular one, in the same spot.
He had changed as well. He was taller and his hair was longer, in a bun, and was trying to grow a beard, though it would take him long and didn't look good on him, at least for the moment. A wooden cross hanged from his neck. He was still playing the rebec with virtuosity.
Nobody would get between them now, Finland said to himself, and approached.
"You play even better now", he complimented the boy with a smile.
Instead of thanking the compliment, he left the instrument aside, stood up and caressed his cheek, his supernatural eyes on him. A shiver ran down Finland's spine, his lips parted, unsure of what to feel or say. He didn't have the time to react before the other grabbed him with sudden violence.
Nobody would get between them now, yes.
Finland screamed for help, but the boy covered his mouth and dragged him away, to the waterfall he came from, where his kin lived and he would, too, from then on.
Because there's no difference if the Näcken falls in love with you—you drown anyways.