Distract me from thinking too much [Hakon]

Hakon was focused. He was hammering out the shape of a large battle-ax, holding it in place on his anvil with tongs held in his left hand, and swinging his hammer forcefully with his right. His tongue stuck out between his lips, brow furrowed, the funny little face he always made when he was really concentrating on something. The blows of his hammer rang out in quick sequence, and he monitored the color of the metal and the way it responded to the blows. It was beginning to cool, and hammering cool metal would make a brittle weapon. He paused, wiping sweat from his face with the inside of his elbow. He needed to put this piece back in the forge. And that was when a loud "hey" from somewhere to his left caught his attention. He jumped, but somehow managed to not drop the hot ax-head to the floor. He set it carefully down on the anvil, followed by his hammer, and nodded when she asked if he had a minute. He jerks his head over toward his workbench, where there's a chair. He pulls his heavy leather apron over his head and sets on the table, then perches on the edge so Freyja can have the chair. "For you, I always have a minute." He's a little more serious than he's been the past few times they've talked, but he's also just been working, focusing very hard, and it can take him some time to switch to the more easygoing way he usually is around her.

"He hasn't told me, I haven't seen him in a bit." Hakon sighs, absentmindedly stretching his muscular shoulders. "She's the reason I gave knives to you and your sisters. Ylva. She was attacked in the street after dark one night." He nods at her, his face very grave. "Of course I'll help out. Is Ylva doing alright?" He's watching her intently, searching her face for any sign that Ylva might be harmed more than she was the last time he saw her. He wondered how the cut on her leg had healed up. It hadn't been deep, but long and jagged, and although Hakon had done his best to tend it, he was no healer. He hoped she was alright, and the news about her father angered him. He felt satisfied, though, knowing that Freyja had taught her father a lesson he wouldn't forget anytime soon. "I hope you made it hurt." There's a hint of something savage in his voice, a hint of darkness that's usually dormant.

He can't hide the surprise on his face when she says she wants to go on the raid, but can't make up her mind. His response is automatic and certain. "You should go. You trained to be a shieldmaiden, but you gave that up once for your sisters. They're old enough now to look after themselves, and they won't grudge you the chance to go raiding." He looks down at her for a moment, and a small smile cracks his serious face. "Before you go, bring your weapons to me. I'll make sure they will not fail you." He doesn't elaborate further. He'll check how they can handle stress, ensure their edges are razor-sharp, and ask Thor to bless them. He'll cut his arms with them so they know the taste of blood and thirst for it, and he'll beg the protection of the gods to whoever wields them. He knows the small magics Vidar taught him to ask the gods to favor a weapon, and he's done them for Haskell's sword, and it's served him well. He can do it for Freyja's, too. He seldom makes use of the full range of the little blessings unless they're requested, or unless it's for someone important to him. But he doesn't tell her any of that.

He was just about to open his mouth to ask her if she would need any more ship fittings soon, but she cut him off. That was rather rude, and he managed to break his serious face to look scandalized. He chuckles, relaxing, when she asks about the snake, and he nods, face brightening. "It likes to lay by the forge, where it's warm. I've named it Sofie, since she's the one who kindly dropped it into my bed while I was sleeping." His gaze slides between the snake and Freyja, and he shrugs, a small smile on his face.

Perched on the edge of his worktable, watching Freyja as she speaks, he has to suppress the urge to run his fingers soothingly through her golden hair. He can tell she's a bit worked up, which is natural given the circumstance, but he misses her smile. He's been spoiled, maybe, because her smile is so lovely and she smiles so often, but this serious side of her is one that he hasn't seen very much. Hakon is generally serious, although he lightens up when he's with her. She's simply easy to be around, but he finds that she's easy to be around when she's serious, too. He notes her smile when she tells him about Ylva saying nice things about him, and he scoffs. "They were lies, probably." He gives her the barest hint of a smile, indicating he's joking, and ducks his head when Freyja says she's glad he was there to help her. He can tell she's being serious, and he isn't quite sure how to handle it. He knows Freyja enjoys his company, he knows she thinks he's a good person, otherwise she wouldn't bother with him. But to hear her say things like this embarrasses him a little, and he lets it slide by without commenting because he isn't sure how to respond.

He watches her considering his words and he smiles because he can see that she's realizing the truth of what he's saying. As much as they joke around, as easy as their friendship is, he likes this serious side of her, too. He likes that she takes his advice seriously and he's glad she comes to him for advice. He tilts his head, considering, when she asks if he thinks he'll ever go on anymore raids. He thinks for a moment then shrugs. "Probably. I did like it. It's good for a blacksmith to use his own weapons sometimes." He nods at her words when she continues. "You should just go. They will be fine, and if I'm here while you're gone, I'll keep an eye on them for you." He leans down slightly, reaching forward, his hand resting on her shoulder and squeezing gently. "Not that they'll need it. You've taught them how to defend themselves. Even little Tóra, you should have seen her with that knife. Henrik was here, he taught her a few things." He doesn't smile, remembering something Tóra had said, and makes a note to bring it up in a few minutes. This is about Freyja right now.

He follows her as she walks over to the shelf where Sofie the snake is curled up, basking in the forge's warmth. He hadn't been really paying attention and automatically reached out his hand to rest on her shoulder, stopping himself from running into her. He drops his hand quickly, although he doesn't want to, and nods even though she isn't facing him. "It is friendly. It will crawl up your arm if you let it." He chuckles at the shocked look on her face. "I offended her when she picked up her knife, so she put this snake in my bed while I was sleeping." He shrugs. "She was very angry that I didn't scream, and even angrier when I told her I was keeping it and naming it Sofie. I think it's safe to say her pranks have been backfiring lately."

He's glad when Freyja finally cracks a joke, and he shakes his head in something that might be disbelief when Freyja said Ylva was clearly an exceptional liar. "She said she wished I was her big brother. Given my talent for offending teenage girls and chasing apprentices with hammers, I was shocked. I must be going soft in my old age." He didn't add that the one who called him old was Sofie, Freyja had enough on her mind without him adding that to it. He simply thought she would find Ylva's statement amusing, although he felt strangely protective of the young girl anyway. She was like him, trapped in a bad place and surrounded by people largely indifferent to his plight. He's a fortunate man now, with friends and a home and a forge all his own, and people to remind him just how dangerous indifference can be.

He can see his advice is sinking in, and he's grateful for it. Hakon knows Freyja gave up her dreams to support her family when her father died, and he wants her to be happy. If she wants to raid, he wants to do everything he can to help her raid. If she wants to stay in Skagen and build ships, he wants to help her with that, too. He wants her happiness, wants the joy in her blue eyes and her easy smile. This is bad, this is very bad, because Sofie was right and he hates that, and he hates that now he knows the truth and he isn't going to do anything about it because her friendship is too valuable to him. So if he has to help her be happy, he will, and if he has to someday stand back and watch another man make her happy, he'll try to ignore the way it rips his heart to shreds, and he'll do his best to stay a friend to her. But those are thoughts for another time, and he ducks his head as she thanks him, waving her thanks off with a vague motion of his hand, somewhere between you're welcome and don't mention it. He laughed at her next words, shaking his head. "I'm sure Haskell or Henrik would be up to the task, but obviously they're not as good at it as me." He pauses, his eyes widening in mock horror. "But if all three of you went, who would be mean to me while you were all gone? Ylva will still be here, telling me how great I am, and there will be nobody to tell me otherwise. I'll probably die." He manages to fake a shudder at the horror of the idea.

"Oh, he taught her how to stab someone in the kidney and how to throw a punch. Actually." He hesitates for just a moment, deciding they've discussed Freyja raiding enough that he can burden her with this now. "Has someone been bothering her? She seemed very interested in learning how to discourage attention." He gives her a sheepish smile, shrugging one shoulder. "She kept saying it was just for educational purposes, but after Ylva.... I just thought you should know, even though it was hopefully her just being polite and wanting me to see her learning to use the knife." That hadn't been his instinct, but he hadn't pushed her very hard on the matter, since she didn't seem inclined to talk about it.

He watches as Freyja strokes one finger down the snake's back, and he can't help the smile that crosses his face. Of course Freyja isn't afraid of the snake. He can't remember the last time he's seen Freyja afraid of anything. "Yeah, she said I looked stupid because I had ash on my face, so I told her at least when I look stupid it's only because my face is dirty." He chuckles, clearly pleased with himself. "And that earned me a new pet snake." He watches as Freyja turns back to the snake, nudging her lightly with his shoulder. "Let it crawl up your arm." He urges her with a grin, continuing to jostle her as he speaks. "You'll like it. Its tongue tickles."