"To the Jarlsrealm!"

"To the Jarlsrealm!" a chorus of voices agreed cheerfully before they clicked their mugs together.

Four went on to drink from their wine while one just set his back down.

Kari stared down at his hands, folded in his lap. The dark fabric of his hood teased the corners of his vision and hid his face from the busy pub they had stopped at. A small smile rested on his lips as he mulled over the future.

What waited for them now? The hard times were over. Gudrun was gone, locked away. The others would no doubt find their own peaceful and happy endings, spending the rest of their days with their spouses and little children. But about him? Among his friends, he would always be the outsider, the Snow-walker living in a human settlement. Who would possibly want him for a husband?

The sorcerer tried not to glance at Jessa. How silly was he to even dream about her wanting him. He didn't have the right to even consider it, to even consider forcing himself into her life when there were so many good human men who deserved her so much more.

Meanwhile, as he drowned in his angst, his friends chatted amongst themselves, oblivious. They shared and swapped stories and tales, while he remained silent. He jumped soon enough, though, when Brochael suddenly slung a huge arm over his frail shoulders and grinned down at him warmly.

"And to think, a little over ten years ago, Kari here was as helpless as a newborn lamb..." he mused fondly with a strong hint of fatherly pride.

Kari suddenly felt the burn of embarrassment heat his pale face. "Brochael!" he yelped.

His keeper only grinned more. "Aw, come on. You had to figure you would have to go through this sooner or later..." He winked.

The ravenmaster hung his head and let out a quiet groan of torment. Unfazed, his friends continued their conversation.

"Oh, do you remember when I first came to Thrasirshall?" Skapti inquired. He then laughed. "That was one of the most awkward moments I have ever been in..."

"Oh no..." Kari murmured to himself, knowing well what the skald was digging up.

"Oh yeah! That was so hilarious! Well, now it is..."

"Not to me..." his charge muttered under his breath.

Brochael nudged him lovingly. "Oh, come on. Everyone runs around naked when they're little, at least once."

This time, Kari's face practically caught fire and he jerked his head up. "Brochael!"

But it was too late. Hakon and Jessa had became interested.

"Oooh, do tell..." the young woman urged mischievously.

The gruff man shifted in his seat a little, getting more comfortable while Kari watched helplessly at his side. He knew there was no stopping a proud parent when they were telling tales of their child.

A deep growl of a chuckle escaped Brochael before he began. "It was a couple days after we first arrived, and I had decided to give Kari a bath. Trust me, after spending six years in that filthy cell, he needed it."

Kari groaned again, but let his head hit the table in his overwhelming embarrassment. There, he hid it in his arms, trying not to listen.

Skapti took over. "Apparently, when Brochael turned away for a minute, Kari had slipped out, without his clothes, mind you. I had bad timing. Shortly after Brochael had started looking for the little prince, I had walked in. 'Oh, Skapti! Have you seen a naked little boy running around?' Trust me, that was definitely an odd thing to hear."

Hakon and Jessa cracked up. Kari heard the warrior nearly fall out of his seat, blinded by his tears.

"Kari, are you alright?" Jessa asked between her laughs. "You're blushing. I can see it even at the tip of your ears..."

Kari refused to answer. And luckily for him, the skald was sympathetic.

"Oh, but Jessa...Kari wasn't the only one who liked prancing around in the nude."

Kari peeked out from his makeshift fortress to catch the Valkyrie turn as red as he had.

"Wha- what do you mean?"

The poet leaned back in his chair, his boots resting on the support of the table. "I seem to recall your father chasing after you among the lambs, as you ran through them giggling when your mother hadn't been quick enough to finish changing your clothes."

This time, Hakon didn't fail to fall out of his chair in laughter, practically dying from it. On the other hand, Jessa built her own fortress in embarrassment. Kari smirked next to her.

"Nice of you to join me..."

"...Shut up..."

"Oh my gods...my stomach!" Hakon squealed as he continued his cracking up on the floor, earning stares from those around them.

Brochael wasn't as amused. The humor had left, drained up by the rolling body on the floor. With a sigh, he snatched the back of Hakon's shirt and the boy it was attached to gave a yelp as he was yanked roughly back into his seat.

"Enough of that, lad. It was funny, but there's no need to die over it."

Skapti folded his long arms. "Precisely. It is fun to remember the innocent days, but the future is all that matters, and our future is bright now. We've done well for our people."

His words were enough to coax Jessa and Kari back out of their shells. They lifted their heads, faces still a little red, but they felt safe now that the conversation was directed away from their childhood. They nodded in agreement, Jessa smiling broadly while Kari's was more shy as he leaned back, arms crossed like the skald's.

Hakon had recovered. "Yeah! It's going to be smooth sailing from now on! We'll be treated like kings, I bet! Look out, ladies! I'm coming!"

Jessa snickered. "Don't worry. They'll be looking out alright, out for you so they know when to start running," she remarked.
"Hey!" the warrior yelped, looking injured.

Jessa nudged him playfully. "You know I'm kidding. You'll find the perfect girl in no time."

This time, the boy blushed. "You really think so?"

The Valkyrie nodded with certainty."Of course. You're a warrior; the girls will be crawling over each other for the chance to marry you."

"Oooh! I can't wait!"

Skapti patted him on the shoulder. "Hold your horses. You can't be too hasty, now. Take it slow, and you'll end up with a girl we'll be happy to wake up to every morning." he advised slyly.

"Fine..." Hakon pouted.

Kari stood without warning and left their table. His friends paused and glanced at him, suddenly uneasy.

"Kari? Is everything alright?" Jessa asked gently.

Kari gave her a small, doubtful smile. "Yeah...I'm just...going for a walk..."

He didn't wait for a response. He just walked out of the pub, ignoring the curious eyes that followed him as he went, especially those who had heard his name and spotted the silver hairs that dangled out of his hood.

Skapti and Hakon shrugged and turned back to their wine. Brochael and Jessa on the other hand knew something was up.

"Is he alright, Brochael?" Jessa asked quietly, eying the door.

"I'm not sure. Times are changing, lass. And Kari doesn't exactly belong here, and he knows it. To him, the future isn't as exciting..."

"Whatever it is, I'm going with him. I don't trust the people here..."

With that, Jessa hurried outside. The sea breeze instantly caught her long hair and caressed her face lightly. She took a moment to inhale the salty air before she glanced around for Kari. The Snow-walker was strolling along the edge of the surf, the wind playing with his silver hair and the setting sun lighting his thin face. He seemed very deep in thought, his gray eyes far away.

Jessa ran to catch up, trying not to get her boots stuck in the damp shingles. She was slightly out of breath by the time she finally slowed to walk at his side.

"There you are..." she panted.

Kari jumped and turned his gaze to her quickly in surprise. "Jessa? What are you doing out here?"

She giggled and shyly played with the stray strands of her hair, stroking and tucking them behind her ear. "I was worried about you. Brochael is too. Is everything okay?"

Kari averted his frosted gaze, glancing at the sand at his feet before looking off towards the horizon. His eyes gained an eerie orange hue, filled with mysterious emotion she wondered if she would ever understand.

"Yeah..." he answered absently. The sorcerer seemed lost in thought once more. "I just came out to get some fresh air, and to think..."

Jessa hesitated to push. Her eyes found the ground too, but for a longer moment. Then she gathered the courage to ask, jerking up her head to watch Kari's expression for any hints or warnings.

"About what?"

The pale boy stopped in his tracks suddenly, but didn't appear irritated by her curiosity. His eyes had yet to leave the sunset, but when they did, they were intense with inner turmoil as they locked with hers.

"Jessa...did I make the right decision?"

"Huh?" At first, he had lost her, but then she figured it out and a chill seized her. He was having second thoughts? "Of course you did! How could you even be questioning what you did for us?"

Kari's gaze left hers once more. "I know it was the right thing to do, in a moral sense anyway. But just because evil has been dealt with...does that mean everyone will be happy in the end?"

The Valkyrie could only stare, engulfed in the deepness of his question. Was this what had been bugging him? Brochael was right, as would be expected. She didn't know how to react. Kari just continued to stare off into the distance, waiting for her to give him the answer.

"Um..." she stammered at first, overcome by the uncertainty. But when Kari glanced back at her, his eyes so trusting and lonely, she knew just which answer to give, one that was both truthful and hopeful. She grasped his hands gently. "I don't know everything, nor can I see the future. But I assure you, as long as I still live, I will always be here, by your side..."

The sorcerer's eyes widened with surprise. She knew that he was not one to expect such loyalty from anyone other then Brochael. But then his gaze softened, a look of peace settling within it, one that made Jessa want to smile with her own happiness. Somehow, if he was at ease, she was as well.

"I could never understand how you always had such faith in me. Whatever the reason, though, I thank you," he murmured softly, his manners growing slightly shy. "I couldn't have done it without you. And I can't help but believe now that, no matter what the future holds, everything will be alright."

This time, she couldn't keep the smile from her face. This felt so right, them together, offering each other strength and courage to go on. Now, she wasn't talking to some Snow-walker, or to Gudrun's son. She was talking to Kari, and to her, Kari was just...Kari, no one else other then the person standing before her, seeking her for the confidence to face another uncertain day, then the boy who it seemed she would do anything for.

And suddenly, she was entranced by the sight of the young prince bathed in the light of the dying sun, his lank, silver hair drifting in the ocean's breath. His gentle smile warmed her heart as she felt herself almost drowning in those haunting eyes.

And from the look within them, as they stared wide back at her with awe, he was probably noticing her own beauty just as abruptly. He appeared ready to be knocked over with the slightest gust of wind and she wanted to gush with adoration about how adorable and innocent he looked right then.

So much so, she experienced the sudden urge to do something outrageous. They both felt like the beauty of those last moments of the day had cast some spell over them, for, as if bewitched, they felt as drawn to each other as the sun to the horizon.

Ever so slowly, the distance between them shrunk, and Jessa could barely fight off a shiver of delight when Kari reached up to stroke her pretty face lovingly, his eyes as dreamy as hers. It seemed nothing could break the hold this moment had over them.

That was, until, some possessed bird squawked as loud as it could above their heads. Jessa jumped and stumbled back, unintentionally taking Kari with her. Twin yelps of surprise left them as they collapsed down into the surf with a splash. Drenched by the cold sea, they were suddenly wide awake and blinking, and what had almost occurred felt like a dream. Even still, they knew with all their hearts it was real. They glanced at each only once before color tinged their faces.

Kari stood quickly, the most flustered. "Um...We should head back inside...The others are probably wondering where we are..."

Like before, he didn't wait for her answer. By the time she managed to climb to her feet, he was already starting back up the beach. At first, she felt disappointed, and even rejected. Didn't Kari want what had almost happened between them? If it was up to her, a little surprise like that would've only postponed it for a moment. But Kari had chosen to take the opportunity to escape from it.

Dripping wet, she sighed to herself, remembering who she was thinking about. This was Kari, the one who barely knew what it was like to be loved. He was just being shy, she was sure. A surge of hope filled her heart and she took off after him.

And as she caught up to him once again, and captured his hand in hers, she vowed to one day show him the true extent of her love...

A.N:Partial credits goes to Crusnik02 for her bath idea. It was originally for a drabble I was going to write but didn't. I hope you enjoyed this One-Shot. Please review and let me know. And please check out my other Snow Walker fic.