The loft was a medium-sized, a rectangular shape, with three walls made of wood and one of stacked hay bales. On one side of the room was a stack of various small, haphazardly placed furs that littered the floor, presumably a bed of some sort. On the wall beside it lay a hand-drawn map, underneath which a few pieces of charcoal and a few large leaves lay, some filled with designs and some blank. 

A few pieces of what he assumed were the Alpha's clothing or maybe even a few blankets (it was almost impossible to tell the difference considering the Alpha's immense size) lay piled in a heap in the other corner, and the farthest corner contained nothing other than a basic, wooden pail that Vali instantly recognized as a chamber pot.

The dimly-lit space was sparse, but not bad, really. In fact Vali might even go as far as to consider that it was better than his own previous living situation, which consisted of a hay bale for a bed in an empty stall in the horse house. 

Who is he? Vali wondered as his eyes shifted around the room for a second time, lingering as if trying to pull a story from the walls.

Unfortunately, the walls did not talk back, but Vali found a fright when someone else did.

"For you."

His skin tingled with the static of a startle as his head snapped up, eyes widening at the man who towered above him like a great oak. His body looked significantly more cleansed than it did earlier, what with most of the blood, sweat, and grime wiped away and his bearskin draped over a rusty nail embedded in the wall by the door. One would think that the removal of the massive fur would serve to make the large man seem a little smaller, but if anything it only revealed more of the powerful muscle and brawn that was previously hidden beneath. 

The Alpha's hair fell to his shoulders in damp plaits, as if he'd recently dipped the blonde tresses in a stream, and Vali found himself puzzled by just how long he must have been sitting there on the floor, zoning out the rest of the world and rendering his ears deaf to the giant's arrival.

In an outstretched hand sat a wooden bowl that seemed to disappear into the Alpha's massive palm, steam curling little spirals into the air at the mouth of it. An offering.

Vali blinked and his stomach gurgled. 

The small Omega was hungry, famished even after surviving such a strenuous trek. But even so, something kept his arms glued around his knees, unable to gather the courage to accept it.

Silence stretched between them, and the Alpha felt his soul deflate as yet another moment passed with his Omega having yet to acknowledge the bowl of duck stew that he'd presented.

Eventually, when it became all too clear that the small man did not intend to move a muscle in his direction, Einar sighed, heart filling up with stones as it attempted to cope with such clear rejection.

Instead, he lumbered over to his bed of furs, floorboards creaking with every step as if they struggled to support his weight. Halfway there, however, he gently set down the bowl on the ground, hoping that placing it there was enough to show that he respected his Omega's personal space while also keeping it far enough from himself that the small man would not feel as threatened by his presence.

Silence returned, settling heavily on both of their drooping shoulders as Einar sank down into the soft furs. He pressed his back against the wall, hunching over in an attempt to melt into the wallboards and make his body seem less intimidating.

Einar knew that he frightened most people with his presence; if not for his gigantism, for the countless scars that littered his body, or the blood and flesh that often lingered, tattoed onto his skin and caked underneath his nails after a raid. But, having known no other life, being perceived as an object of terror had become second nature to him. Never before had it bothered him so to know that he was feared.

He knew that most would scorn him for overlooking his Alphan instincts that summoned him to claim his Omega, in favor of silently cowering against a wall. But still, his heart wavered, unwilling to upset his mate any more than he already had.

Fists clenching, Einar stared at the dust tucked between the floorboards. 

This was wrong. How could he have let himself act so impetuously? He'd dragged his fated back to such a dangerous place, a bloodstained part of the earth that had caused so much of his own pain and sorrow, and all without a single regard for how he felt about the circumstances. 

The truth of his sinful selfishness burned a hole through his chest, and for a moment, Einar wondered if he was no better than his own, wicked master. 

He pressed the heels of his palms to his eyes as he felt them dampen, throat constricting. He should have just left him there, hidden him in the stables until the raid party passed through, giving him the autonomy to live as he pleased, to have a chance at marrying, at having children, at life. But now, he was forced to exist as a shadow, hidden like a mouse in the hay loft of a man who didn't even possess the autonomy to choose when he ate, drank, or slept.

But knowing this truth didn't quiet the racuous cry of joy that his soul vibrated with at the knowledge that his fated mate – his Omega – was really here, in his territory, filling up the loft with that distinct, mouthwatering scent of saltwater caramel and hay. He had never been so grateful for Guiscard's proudness, as it kept him far away from the stables, or any other place in the village that he deemed 'beneath him.'

"I... have nothing to offer in return."

Einar's head snapped up, eyes wide with shock at the airy whisper that emanated from the dark side of the room. He could make out the edges of his Omega's figure with the help of the flickering torch, the soft curves of his face and body highlighted like a masterful painting. He instantly loosened his jaw to respond, low voice quaking through the air between them.

"You owe me nothing." 

In fact, I owe you everything, Einar finished the sentence in his head, unsure how his skittish mate would respond to such an intense remark. 

He only wanted his Omega to eat, to fill his stomach full of nutrients and know that he was safe in doing so. The small man had been through so much today, seen so much carnage. Einar could only pray that what his mate experienced would not injure his psyche forever. He knew all too well what that was like, and he would not wish that life on even his worst of enemies.

"I–" Vali paused, voice still whisper-thin as if he were choosing his words very carefully. "I wish to believe you, but..."

The smaller man gasped, hesitancy cut short as his multicolored fingers dug into the fabric of his tunic, just over his chest. 

Sincerity. Integrity. Truth. The sensations shot through the bond like a skilled archer shot a bow, landing point-first in the core of his being.

"You must be afraid," Einar acknowledged, although the words dragged through his trachea like knives. "I only wish for your well-being. Upon Odin's sword, I swear it." His eyes flickered to the bowl, still steaming in the center of the room. "You have endured a strenuous journey, you must regain your strength. Please, just one bite." He paused, eyes flickering. "I beg of you."

Vali's attention shifted upward, gaze finally locking with that of the Alpha before him. 

Surely he was hallucinating, mind overtaken by exhaustion and fear. Or could it be that what he was hearing was real, that this mighty Alpha was... begging him. Begging him to eat of all things?

It was a supremely odd request, but the gurgling of his stomach had reached a fever pitch now. So, with a shaky huff of determination, Vali began to move. 

He slinked forward carefully, like prey moving carefully around a predator, eyes sharp and trained as he tried to keep track of every little movement of the Alpha's body. If the man was somehow lying, trying to wriggle past the barriers of Vali's trust with false emotions thrusted through their bond and disarming words of kindness, Vali would simply never forgive him. 

His chest still ached where their bond flickered, though.

Vali reached the bowl without the Alpha so much as moving a single muscle, which the Omega took as a positive sign. He settled down in front of it for a moment, breathing in the steam accompanied by the delicious scent of fatty duck meat which emanated from its wide basin. And before he knew it, he was holding the wooden thing to his lips, sipping at the flavorful broth with a hungry fervor. 

He could barely taste it as he slurped, but the hearty bits of meat and vegetable settled deep in his gut, satisfying the pinch of starvation that made his stomach feel as if it might eat itself in desperation.

It was only when that voice, the one whose tone reminded him of the way Sigge's hooves crunched through gravel, graced his ears once more that he was reminded of his manners.

"You are so beautiful." Einar said, the words breathy like he'd voiced them with the last bit of air lingering in his lungs. 

It was a profoundly sincere observation that the Alpha had made the very moment the fog over his brain evaporated and his Omega tumbled right out of the void in that horse house. His beauty was extraordinarily inimitable, what with the varied colors that carved out captivating islands of light and dark throughout his entire body. The Alpha marveled at the view. 

If he kissed him on those lighter patches of skin, would they flush with rose, or remain soft, dewy, and pale like they currently were? Einar ached to find out.

Certainly, his Omega was a result of Odin's inability to decide just how much magnificence to pack inside of such a small figure. In his deliberation, he must have simply chosen to give it all to him, to pack the small man so full of awe-inspiring beauty until every inch of his being burst with it.

Vali jumped, settling the bowl into his lap and wiping at his chin where some of the broth escaped during his startle. His brow furrowed as he stared down at the few chunks of duck that still floated in the dish. 

Now, Vali was sure that this was a farce, some grand plan made to get him comfortable enough to let down his guard so that he could be easily swindled into compliance. 

No one would ever think him physically appealing, let alone beautiful. Not with the way his skin, his hair, his eyes were so obviously the work of demonic forces with their haphazardly placed spots of light brown (or black, when it came to his hair) and stark white. This was certainly a scandal, a ruse, a sleight of hand–

"You killed my friends. Slaughtered and pillaged my village." 

The words fell from Vali's lips like acid as his fingertips dug into the bowl, barely reacting when he felt a splinter sink into his flesh. He could not let this Alpha worm his way into his brain, to plant his unholy, vile plans into his head. Just because he was being fed didn't mean he was safe. In fact, he was likely just being fattened up for slaughter, no better than a hog. 

What he didn't expect, was for the Alpha to agree with his accusation.

"Yes." Einar admitted to his sins at once, unable and unwilling to lie. He'd committed countless atrocities in his life, each one of the souls he'd stolen from this earth following him endlessly like a dark cloud on a stormy night. No matter how much he despised the act of murder, the blood still dripped from his hands.

Vali raised his eyes from his dinner, lifting them back to slot in place with that of his Alpha. It was a challenge. Even though he still felt so, so small in it, he had to stand up for his village. 

Part 3 in Next Episode