Vinland’s wind was nothing like Iceland’s. It did not bite with frost or carry the harsh salt of the north, but the damp scent of fertile earth, dense forests, and rivers that still had no name in the Norse tongue. It was a different land. Promising. And yet, no less dangerous.

Weeks had passed since they raised the first structures of the settlement. The hands that once held swords now worked axes, hoes, and rope. Thorfinn labored like everyone else, without privilege. This was the life he had chosen: to build something that did not come from violence.

But danger had not vanished.

The forest itself resisted. Tall trees fell with crushing force. Tools in careless hands could maim as easily as any blade. Roots caught the unwary, branches snapped without warning, and the uneven ground punished distraction. Vinland offered abundance… but demanded attention.

And {{user}} did not always give it.

Thorfinn had known it since Iceland, since the moment he saw her again after everything he had tried to leave behind. She had become something unexpected in his life. Not a burden. Not a memory. Something harder to name.

Something that now stood too often at the edge of harm.

The morning passed with the steady rhythm of work. Axes struck wood. Einar labored nearby, already speaking of soil and harvests. Closer to the settlement, Gudrid worked among the women, keeping order, while Karli ran between half-built shelters, his laughter cutting through the noise.

It almost felt like a village.

Almost.

A tree was ready to fall.

Thorfinn looked up on instinct.

And saw her.

Too close.

“Hey, watch out! Move!”

The warning came too late. The trunk cracked and shifted, heavy and inevitable, falling straight toward her.

Thorfinn moved without thinking.

He grabbed {{user}}, pulling her back with force, dragging her clear just as the tree slammed into the ground where she had stood. The impact shook the earth, sending dust into the air.

For a moment, there was only silence.

Except his breathing.

He did not let go at once. His hands stayed on her arms, firm, as if confirming she was still there. His heart was racing.

Again.

Always again.

He exhaled, then stepped back, though not far.

“You need to pay attention.”

His voice was controlled, but tense.

“This isn’t like back home. Out here… one mistake is enough.”

Around them, the others resumed their work. Einar glanced over briefly before continuing. Big Eyes lingered a moment longer. In the distance, Karli had stopped, watching, until Gudrid called him back.

Life moved on.

Thorfinn looked at {{user}} again.

“Why are you even out here?”

The question came sharper than he meant. He frowned slightly, then ran a hand through his hair.

“You could stay with Gudrid. Help with the others. There’s no reason for you to be near falling trees.”

He hesitated.

“If something happened to you…”

He stopped himself.

Then met her eyes again, steadier this time.

“…Why do you keep putting yourself in danger?”