Once a week, Viggo would ride along the outside of the wall surrounding Sinkbek to ensure it held steady and no monsters, missed by the guards, had tried penetrating it. The ride was his favourite part of the week, as he would always bring Audun along, giving them more than just a moment together away from others.

"I got a report earlier today that Eastsund was attacked by lake vipers. Apparently all of Eastlake was full of them," Viggo told Audun as they rode along the left hand side of the wall.

"How did they fare?" Audun asked in a neutral voice, though the flicker of his eyes from straight ahead to Viggo was enough for the latter to know that was far from how he felt.

"Quite a few casualties and they've evacuated to smaller villages until they are certain the lake is safe again."

"Have they asked for help?"

"From Kiru and Lulea," Viggo nodded and noticed Audun's shoulders relaxed a bit. "Since the threat is mostly dealt with, they are in no need of any more assistance."

"That's good then."

Viggo hummed in agreement, but then sighed. "Attacks have been growing in numbers. There's no denying that."

"Do you believe someone is behind it." Though phrased as a question, the tone clearly made it into a statement.

"Someone or simply something. It could be as easy as something happening in Vander which is driving them into Ranriki."

Vander, the land neighbouring their kingdom Ranriki which was infested with monsters. Though there had always been various creatures roaming Ranriki, most were contained to Vander. But with the growing attacks something was clearly making them leave Vander more than before. The biggest question was if something was happening to the land, making it inhabitable for the monsters, or if someone was pushing them out. Whichever was the cause, though, Viggo felt certain it was only a matter of time until the King would call on all to deal with the threat.

"Winter is coming soon," Audun pointed out. "Nothing major should happen until after winter."

"If someone nearby is attacked, we will have to go and assist."

Audun pulled his horse so the two men rode closer to one another, then stretched his hand out to have it rest on Viggo's arm.

The simple gesture caused a smile on Viggo's lips. Audun always knew better than anyone else how he felt, and knew now that the idea of having to leave Sinkbek to fight stirred annoyance in him. No matter the threat, Viggo wasn't afraid. Even if there was someone orchestrating the attacks, it didn't worry him. He had never met a danger his sword and recklessness hadn't been able to concur. But the thought of having to leave Sinkbek again, leave the steady rhythm of everyday life, annoyed him. Though life here was far from perfect, it was peaceful.

Audun withdrew his hands from Viggo and gave him a smirk.

"Race until the end of the wall?" he asked before urging his horse to go faster.

Viggo shook his head and smiled as he gave Audun a few seconds headstart. Then he leaned down a bit on Luna and whispered to her, "Let them believe they'll win until the very last second."

Luna gave off a quiet neigh before she galloped to catch up. With ease they came up to ride side by side with Audun and his horse again. The wind hitting their faces, making everything feel lighter and freer. Then, with only a few metres left until the mountain wall, Luna picked up her speed and they reached it first with only a second to spare.

"Will you ever let me win?" Audun huffed as they halted by the mountain.

"It's not me you need to convince of that, but Luna," Viggo promptly blamed his horse. "I would give you anything, but you know how she is."

Audun shook his head with a glint in his eyes. "Sure."

Viggo steered Luna closer to him, and leaned in. A gentle kiss passed between them before they both straightened again and began moving back along the wall.

"How is she settling in?" Audun asked. His gaze was straightforward, and he had tension in both his hold on the reins and voice.

Viggo didn't need to ask to know who she was.

"She seems to be finding her footing. I'm just worried she's overexerting herself," Viggo answered and watched the other man carefully. Saga was, and would continue to be for the foreseeable future, a big part of his life. She was someone he wanted to be able to talk with Audun about, to share the worries he had regarding her. But the topic always made the air between them feel harder to breathe. They could talk openly and honestly about everything, apart from her.

Audun nodded, not showing any indication of wanting to continue the conversation, that his question had been more of one asked out of feeling obligated than a desire to know.

Viggo held back his sigh. He knew it would take time, but he hoped that one day Audun would be able to see Saga the way he did. As a little sister he wanted to care for, instead of a woman taking his love away from him.

"If you got to know her better, it might be easier for you," Viggo suggested and watched as the muscles in Audun's jaw tightened.

"I'm doing what I can already," he snapped.

"You barely even meet her eyes during dinner."

"Would you rather I tell her what's passing through my mind? Because that's the alternative," Audun scoffed and then urged his horse to go a bit faster so he ended up before Viggo.

Luna made to pick up speed as well, but Viggo spoke to her before she had time. "He needs a bit of distance."

Only a few minutes later, Audun stopped his horse so Viggo could catch up.

"I know you're simply trying to make the best out of an awful situation. But I am doing my best, and you trying to push me into speaking more with her won't help," Audun said with his eyes firmly on Viggo's. Anger and hurt mixing together into a stormy cloud in them.

"I'm sorry," Viggo said and reached his hand out toward Audun, but stopped half-way there. After a moment, Audun's hand closed the distance, and their fingers intertwined. They stayed like that, looking at each other in silence, letting the quiet speak everything they lacked words for. Until the sound of hooves against the ground pulled their attention forward.

"Is that Astrid?" Audun said while squinting his eyes.

A hole grew in the pit of Viggo's stomach. Astrid should have been busy with the squires, that she wasn't, had to mean something bad had happened.

He urged Luna forward, galloping toward his third in command.

"Saga collapsed!" Astrid shouted when she was close enough for Viggo to hear.

"What?" He urged Luna to go faster as Astrid turned her horse around so they could ride side by side back.

"She was at the training grounds, watching the squires practise, and then she just collapsed," Astrid explained. "Kai carried her to your bedroom and is with her."

"Hrafen..." Viggo began, but Astrid cut him off.

"Has been called for and should be with her by now."

That was all the information Astrid seemed to have, and knowing he wouldn't know more before he was by Saga's side, Viggo pushed Luna to go even faster, leaving Astrid behind him. They tore through the open gate and galloped through the streets at such a speed the houses were a blur in his peripheral.

As they reached the castle, Viggo jumped off and didn't even see if any of the stable boys took Luna to bring her to the stables. His mind was filled with the need to see Saga and know she would be alright.

Saga. So fragile. So scared of everything. A girl who had managed to grab hold of a piece of him faster than anyone ever had. In some ways, with how he had come to care for her, their interference in each other's lives felt fated. As if everything before had been leading to this.

Kai sat by their bed holding one of Saga's hands while Hrafen had a hand emitting a golden shimmer of magic resting over her forehead when Viggo entered the bedroom.

"How is she?" he asked and hurried forward. Without him having to say anything, Kai vacated the chair he had been seated on and gave both that one and Saga's hand over to Viggo.

He took the seat and tore off his leather gloves before holding her hand. Looking at her, Viggo saw beads of sweat on her forehead. Her face was scrunched up as if she was in pain, and her hand felt far too warm in his.

Hrafen withdrew his hand from Saga's forehead.

"Nothing to worry about. Only a fever," he said and turned to leave.

"Can't you heal her? Make her well again?" Viggo reached out and dried off her sweat with his hand. The contact made her body tremble.

"Heal a fever? You have to be kidding," Hrafen scoffed and turned back.

"Does it look like I'm kidding!" Viggo snapped back. Just seeing her like that, the pain on her face, the sweat which kept forming, the burning heat of her skin, had Viggo's mind in scrabbles.

Protect. He needed to protect her from everything. That was all he knew. Needed to protect her even from a simple illness.

"It's much better for her if her body deals with it on its own," Hrafen pointed out with an eye roll. "If she worsens, you can call for me and I'll heal her if the condition threatens her life. But it's a waste of my energy to heal something her body will deal with naturally in a day or two. I can make some medicine. But that is all."

Viggo wanted to shout more at him, but he knew Hrafen too well, knew there was no point. So he let Hrafen leave and turned his attention back to Saga.

Her eyelids shifted as if her eyes moved around underneath them. He reached out again, brushed his fingers against her cheek, but it seemed to have no effect on her at all.

"She... She will be fine, right?" Kai asked, his voice sounding weaker than Viggo had ever heard it.

He looked up at the boy, who had his eyes locked on Saga. A wrinkle was between his eyes, and his lips quivered.

Viggo took a deep breath to ensure his voice sounded calm as he spoke. "Of course. If Hrafen said she will be then she will be."

Kai swallowed hard and nodded. "She's just so..." His voice died as if he couldn't find the right word. But Viggo didn't need it to understand. Just looking at Kai, it was clear he had come to care a lot about Saga in this short time as well. Possibly close to as much as Viggo cared for her.

"I know," he answered, then turned back to her.

"I'll... I'll let you be alone with her." His voice sounded even smaller than before.

When alone, Viggo didn't know what to do. It was like after the dire wolf attack, he wanted to help her, but he felt completely useless. The only thing he could do was sit there and hold her hand, which didn't help in the slightest. The sweat kept forming. She continued to look as though in pain.

He wasn't sure for how long he had been seated there when the door opened again. Looking up, he saw Audun enter and realised he had left him behind without a second thought as soon as he had heard Saga had collapsed.

Guilt mixed with his feelings of inadequacy.

"Will she be fine?" Audun asked and moved closer. He pulled up a chair by the bed, but twisted it so it faced Viggo instead of Saga.

"Hrafen says she will be," Viggo answered and temporarily let go of Saga's hand to instead take hold of Audun's. "Forgive me for leaving like that."

"Of course. I know and understand why you did it. How are you feeling?" Audun drew circles on the back of Viggo's hands.

"Inadequate," he admitted. "I want to help her, but there's nothing I can do."

"You can't always fix everything. Sometimes things just need to run their course," Audun answered, and Viggo felt sure he was talking about more than Saga's illness.

He turned to look at her again. "Will you stay here with me? Watching over her?"

"I'll stay by your side for as long as you want," Audun said and squeezed his hand.