Royally Not Ready(18)

“Fine,” he shoots back at me. “You set the pace . . . a running pace.”

I tap the side of my head. “Smart man, adding running in there because I would’ve walked.”

“I figured.”

I set out in a comfortable jog. I’m sure it’s more of a bounce up and down for Keller, but he can deal, and together, side by side, we say nothing as we exercise.

Timmy wouldn’t believe his eyes if he saw me now. Running around in a field with what I can only assume is a Viking next to me, not talking, but sweating enough to look like one of my wet T-shirt contestants.

After what feels like forever, Keller asks, “How are you feeling?”

“Like death,” I answer as I slow to a walk and put my hands over my head. “Can you tell . . . by my . . . lack of breath?”

In an untaxed voice, as if he’s been out for a leisurely stroll, he says, “Your breathing seems labored.”

“It is. How far have we gone?”

“Half a mile.”

“What?” I grip his arm, his very stiff, muscular arm. “Half . . . a mile? How is that . . . possible?” I ask, still catching my breath.

Half a mile? No freaking way. Easily two miles by now.

“Would you like to turn around?”

“Yes,” I pant out, still gripping his arm. “But walk. Let’s walk.”

Sighing, Keller turns me around, and we walk back down the path we came from, the castle in the far distance. Huh, maybe it has been only half a mile.

Once I feel like there’s sufficient air in my lungs, I ask, “How come there isn’t a single tree around here? That seems really odd. I mean, it’s green everywhere, but no trees.”

“The Vikings stripped the land when they first found Torskethorpe. They used the wood for boats, houses, fuel—they used trees for everything. When they left, a few settlers stayed and developed the country from the rubble left behind. Those settlers found that the soil wasn’t rich enough to support tree growth due to the lava fields.”

“Seriously?” I ask. “But things can be grown here?”

“Yes. Ash from the volcanoes has actually enriched some of the soil. On the western side, it’s rich with moss. Fields and fields of it.”

“Huh, interesting. Are there active volcanoes on the island right now?”

He nods. “Yes, Loki is constantly flowing with lava.”

“Loki, as in . . . the biological son to the frost giants in the Marvel movies?”

“No. Loki, as in Norse Mythology, a god of fire.”

“Well, look at that, you learn something new every day. Here I’m thinking Torskethorpe has been inundated with Marvel fans. So, we could go see this active volcano if we wanted to?”

“Yes, we could.”

“That seems fascinating. I’ve never seen a volcano before, in real life, that is. You always see them bubbling on shows and you wonder how much of it is real—”

“It’s real. Very real.”

“Fascinating. So, there’s an active volcano on the island of Torskethorpe. What else is there? Is it inhabited by animals? Should I be concerned about a bear lurking around the corner?”

“The only native land animal on the island is a Nordic fox.”

“Wait.” I pause on our walk. “You’re telling me there’s nothing else on this island besides Nordic foxes?”

“Key word being native,” he says, continuing to walk. “There are wild reindeer that you can spot every now and then.”

“Wow, so I shouldn’t expect a rabid puma to spring from the moss and claw my eyes out?”

“No.”

“No alligators waiting to snatch your leg when you’re least expecting it?”

“No.”

“What about a snake waiting to scare the ever-loving shit out of you when you leave your house?”

“There’s not one single snake on the island.”

“Now that’s something I can get on board with. Florida has trained me to be on the lookout at all times for snappy alligators, sneaky snakes, and jumping lizards. Not to mention the bugs. What about whales, do you see them a lot on the coast?”

“Marine life is a different story. You’ll probably see more mammals in the ocean than you’re prepared for.”

“That seems fun. I like the ocean.” I nudge his shoulder with mine. “See, look at us having a conversation without arguing. I’m proud of us.”

“I’m sure it won’t last long.”

“Not with that kind of attitude. Now, tell me, what is the island food here? Anything special I should try?”

I see the smallest of smiles tug on the corner of his lip. “Yes, Torskethorpe is quite known for one thing in particular. It’s their pride and joy. The island is actually named after its main ingredient.”

“Torskethorpe means something?”

He nods. “Yes. Torske means cod and Thorpe means settlement.”

“This beautiful island is named cod settlement? As in, the fish?”

“Correct. We are surrounded by cod, and with fishing sanctions implemented in our water space, we’ll never have a shortage.”

“Well, cod is . . . nice. Dare I ask what the delicacy is?”