Time was neverending as Vali tightened his palm around his mouth, stifling a whimper when the cart jolted over yet another divot along their rocky path, tossing his body underneath the stuffy layers of fabric that concealed him. He had dozed off a few times during the journey, a high dose of exhaustion plaguing him as it crackled through the flimsy bond shared between him and his giant mystery Viking.

The Omega clenched his teeth, willing himself into silence when a whimper threatened to break through the barrier of his shaky hands.

He had considered jumping off of the cart, of attempting to slink away from his vicious captors. But the iron chains of uncertainty held him prisoner, sowing fear even deeper into his veins than it already was. 

Adding flame to the fire, he had no clue what time of day it was, or whether he would be able to use the blanket of night to aid in his escape. And, by the sound of it, the cart in which he rode wasn't the only thing trudging along this endless path. 

If even just a few of the others on the journey were a fraction of the size of the Norseman he'd fought earlier that day, there was absolutely no way in Odin's green pastures that he would succeed. Especially not when four of his hurried steps likely accounted for a single one of theirs. 

Not particularly keen on ruminating in the depressing reality of his unattainable wish of saving himself, Vali tried his best to busy his mind elsewhere.

Where were they going? 

What was to happen to him when they arrived? 

Maybe he was to be used as an indentured? Surely not, considering he was much too scrawny for any true manual labor. But then again, he'd overheard countless stories that wafted from dusty corners of the Longhouse, stories of Omegas being abducted and used as... as... 

'No,' Vali inwardly commanded himself, squeezing his eyelids shut as if they could repress the terror that resided behind them, 'Don't think like that.' 

Certainly, there was no use getting lost in the maze of his mind only to fret endlessly over things that he possessed no control over. Especially not right now, when there was only one thing that he was certain of. 

Wherever this cart was taking him, every rotation of its wheels marked yet another step away from his previous life of simple routines, early mornings, and cuddling with Sigge and Ahren. 

And with it, went his heart, too.

Vali's stomach tangled up into meaty knots that felt like fists, curling in on itself at the uncertainty of it all, and the stench of the garments that protected him only served to make matters so much worse.

Like many other times along the everlasting journey, hot tears began to mottle out his vision. Eventually, though, he must have fallen asleep after an extended period of trying to delude his shaky heart into believing that everything was okay, because the next thing he knew, Vali was jolted awake, blinking blearily as he felt the cart slow to a crawl.

"They're back!" 

A heavily accented voice bellowed, and the roaring, clamorous cheers that immediately followed the announcement left Vali covering his ears and wincing involuntarily when it vibrated his eardrums uncomfortably. 

Another voice spoke up after a long beat of chaos reigning, and the single, high-pitched sound was equally – if not somehow more – irritating to the Omega's ears. 

"Order! I said order, 'ye smimey lot!" The group quieted down at once, as if the person who was speaking were holding a knife to their necks. "I am weary from my travels! Disperse at once and fulfill 'yer post-raid duties, unless 'ye favor me findin' more work for 'ye 'ta do!"

The sound of frightened, scrambling feet was a vast contrast to the excitement of just a few moments prior, and Vali frowned with confusion. Who was this person who could steer so many so effortlessly? Not even the Jarl of his village held such strong command. He couldn't ponder long, though, as that same, high-pitched voice suddenly dominated his senses again, although this time much quieter and much, much closer.

"Einar, my boy."

"Sir." Something deep inside of Vali fluttered at the sound, so husky and sharp, yet filtering past his eardrums like silk nonetheless. 

That voice definitely belonged to his giant, and Vali's heart pulsated quicker at the realization. Indisputably, the unexpected acclivity was due to fear and fear alone, he determined. It was certainly not a result of the way his entire being suddenly felt a little floaty knowing that the large man was so close. 

"Take it and get it to the stables." Vali winced, feeling as if he'd sustained a mild case of whiplash when the voices switched once more. But the distinct sound of horse hooves that shortly followed smoothed out a soft spot in his fearful heart. "Then I'm gonna need 'ye to drop that cart off at my abode. I better not catch 'ye take anything for 'yerself before it gets there, 'ya hear?"

"Yes, sir." The words were desolate, insentient, and almost mechanical in their delivery. Vali's brow furrowed with confusion.

"Good boy. Git, now. 'Ye get yer rations after yer done."

A startled peep escaped Vali's throat when the cart started up again with a harsh jolt, albeit continuing on at a much slower and somewhat unsteady pace, as if whatever – whoever – was moving it were fighting against mountains of exhaustion with each step. They didn't have to go far this time apparently though, because after only a few minutes of jerky movement, the cart slowed to a stop once more.

The mound of fabric that shrouded Vali's rigid body was tugged away at once, and he could do nothing but gasp as terror struck an icy dagger through him, hold up his hands in defense while he prayed to Odin that whoever it was who discovered just him would find the kindness in their heart to spare him.

Thick fingers rested ever-so-gently on his exposed arm, and it was only then that his mind quieted and his inner Omega not only lulled down, but... purred.

"We must go quickly." 

That voice...

Peeking through trembling fingers, Vali was overcome with a wholly illogical, horribly disorienting wash of both relief and apprehension.

It was him. His kidnapper... a murderer... his fated mate.

Sweat poured from every visible inch of his golden skin, running red in the places where it dripped into splatters of blood that had long dried. Dirty blonde hair mixed in with the grime, plastered down to his face like glue where it escaped the bun piled atop his head, and in the low light of the night, his blue eyes were dark, as if a soul had been extinguished behind them. 

Underneath the bear he wore on his shoulders was a brown leather harness affixed to his enormous chest, one that vaguely reminded Vali of one they would use on Ahren during tilling season.

"We must move, or they will see us... Please." 

Abruptly disengaged from his impromptu observations, Vali sat up straight in the cart as the desperation, the intensity of the request – no, the beg – resonated like a gong through what weak bond they inherently shared. It immediately spurred the Omega into action, although his lingering sense of self-preservation still prayed that in doing so, he would not be taking willing steps toward his own demise.

Vali's legs straightened beneath him, although he kept his body hunched so as not to stand out any more than necessary. Then, he peered over the lip of the horse cart.

Why is it so high off the ground? The Omega questioned with a gulp, the tingling in his stiff legs and the darkness of the night not helping to assure him that he would be able to calculate his trajectory correctly. 

The flare of anxiety must have been much more obvious than he tried to play it off as, because one moment he was standing there, cursing his meager leg length to hell and back, and then he was flying through the air, sturdy, oversized hands tucked underneath his armpits as they lowered him gently to the ground.

Once he could finally feel the earth beneath his feet again, he looked up... and up... and up.

Had the giant somehow grown even more since he'd last seen him? His height seemed entirely impossible, and for a second Vali wondered if he could even touch the clouds.

Gathering up the woven rope that led to the martingale harness of his master's black stallion (the horse that he'd been assigned responsibility for upon their arrival), Einar moved closer to his Omega, attempting to conceal him with that of his own body and the horse. There were only a few feet between where they currently stood and the door of the stables, but to the Alpha, it may as well have been miles.

Unable to tame an overflowing fear of discovery, Einar folded his Omega in close with a hand on his shoulder. His palms burned where the fabric cart ropes rubbed them raw as he towed them back to the village, but thankfully, he was used to numbing out the pain. 

"Stay close." He murmured, eyes flickering as he swiveled his head to briefly scan the area for threat.

During the day-long trek back home, Einar had time to think of a plan. Too much time, truthfully.

His pondering had begun focused and intent, the clarity of his repressed brain a blessing bestowed upon him by his union with his fated. By mile thirty of the trek, and by the good grace of Odin, he'd come up with an idea.

Although he undeniably still lived as a victim to the strict rulings of slave law and the cruel desires of his master, being the prized Berserkr in Guiscard's extensive fleet did come with at least one perk. 

Guiscard's compound contained three large slave dwellings, which were essentially glorified, elongated shacks with no windows and rows of beds made of hard slabs of wood. Lice, rats, and disease ran rampant there due to overcrowding. Einar still remembered the way he could never quite seem to scrub the stench from his nose.

But as the Alpha grew older and the reality of his unparalleled strength and brawn was revealed, Guiscard became increasingly thwarted by the idea of his prize slave falling ill and spoiling his potential profits. So, at the disconcerting age of thirteen (which was also the age his knees had begun to dangle from the bottom of his bed while sleeping) one of Guiscard's servants woke him before the sun even graced the horizon, giving him two simple directives: gather his things and follow. With nothing to his name but the clothing on his back, Einar simply stood, turned his mind off, and heeded the order.

Staring at the dead, browned-out blades of grass that crunched underneath his thin shoes, the young Alpha had been led to the stables that rested at the very edge of Guiscard's property; a brisk few minutes' walk from the center of the village and tucked at the edge of the forest that surrounded it. The servant then promptly led him inside and gestured to the hay loft that sat above the horse stalls. He was to reside there now, alone and isolated from the other slaves who could – in Guiscard's words – 'tarnish his value with their filth.'

Over time he'd made the place his own, filling the open wall with bales of hay and even hanging a deer hide in front of the opening at the top of the ladder in an effort to create an illusion of privacy that he'd never before known. But despite the unbidden solitude that his isolated quarters afflicted him with, all of this time he'd unknowingly held a refuge in his hands, a glint of hope among an ocean of fear now that his life had been altered so suddenly.

Now that he had his Omega to protect.

Einar held his breath until his Omega finally breached the front door and disappeared from the view of the rest of the camp. The Alpha moved quickly to guide his master's stallion inside as well before promptly shutting the door behind him, shrouding everything in darkness.

The small chirp of fear that rose out of his Omega made Einar bleed with the desire to pull him up into his arms and hold him there forever, capturing them in the moment like an everlasting statue. But beyond even this, the essential need to protect reigned supreme, the mere concept of Guiscard discovering his fated's existence making the Alpha shake with unprecedented rage.

Grabbing the torch that he always left by the door, Einar lit it quickly. It filled the room with an orangey glow that highlighted the high points of his Omega's cheeks and made sparkles dance across his soft, multicolored eyes. The Alpha had never glimpsed a sight so thoroughly captivating in all of his existence.

Protect.

He crowded the small male toward the ladder, gesturing with his free hand as he held the torch far enough away that not a single ember would graze him.

"Climb."

Vali craned his neck, eyeing the soaring height of the loft with big eyes.

"But... what if I fall?" He breathed shakily, the familiar words prompting a strange sense of Deja Vu.

Einar frowned. "I will never let you fall." 

Vali nodded when a brief flicker of profound sincerity flickered through the bond, and he took a deep breath before wrapping a palm around the first wrung that he could reach. 

The wooden ladder was silent at first as Vali began to ascend, but the Omega looked over his shoulder when it began creaking with stress a few moments later, only to witness the massive Alpha hovering just underneath him, one hand still gripping the base of the torch. Their eyes met, and Vali's cheeks blazed at the intensity of the gaze that he was faced with. Needless to say, the Omega scrambled up the rest of the way like the fire of the torch was licking at his heels.

Moving the deer hide out of the way with the back of his hand, Vali finally stepped up and into the loft, backing away from the ladder well and pressing his back against the far wall to make space for the gargantuan Viking who he still hesitated to trust. 

But surprisingly, the large man didn't join him in the loft, opting to remain standing at the top of the ladder as he tucked the torch into a holder near the entrance. Then, he shifted his attention back to Vali.

"Please stay. I will be back."

And with that, his head disappeared underneath the floor of the loft and the deerskin door fell back into place, leaving Vali alone with nothing but himself, a torch, and a wall to support him as he collapsed onto his bottom.

Hiking his knees up to his chest and holding them there with aching arms, Vali tried to focus on one thing at a time. 

He'd never been good at being left alone to his devices. Even at the worst of times, he had Sigge and Ahren to fill the void. But now, in a strange place, with a strange man of whom he still wasn't sure wanted to kill him, Vali shook with worry.

Focus, Val. Focus. He encouraged himself, fingertips bending awkwardly as he pressed them into his crossed elbows with all of the strength he possessed. There is no time for self-pity. Become familiar with your surroundings.

His head lifted slowly from his cavern of woe, and through watery eyes and with the help of the dim light of the torch, he managed to make out a few things. 

Part 2 in Next Episode