Start the song. It's Svitjod by Forndom.

Tyler tried really hard to sleep in the room that had been provided to him on his first night here. He really did. There was just something about the cold night that made tears burn at his eyes and his hands began to shake. Before the tears had even spilled over, the door opened.

The amount of relief Tyler felt when he saw Josva couldn't be compared to anything he'd ever felt before. He didn't know how Josva had known he needed him, but he was here.

"Not sleep?" Josva asked softly.

Tyler shook his head, sniffling pathetically. "No."

The Viking hummed his understanding. "Come."

Tyler climbed out of bed instantly, still shaking all over. "I'm sorry," he told Josva as the tears became too much, and one spilled down his cheek.

"No cry, little one. Josva protect you," he told Tyler gently as he picked him up.

It should've embarrassed Tyler how easy it was for Josva to lift him, but it didn't. He was just grateful that he wasn't going to have to sleep alone. Josva sang quietly to him in Danish as he carried him to his bedroom. The rumble of his voice made Tyler's eyelids droop.

Jenna was already fast asleep, her pale nightgown a stark contrast to her dark eyelashes. Josva laid Tyler down beside her before climbing into bed as well. Instantly, he wrapped his arms protectively around both of them. Tyler was facing Josva, and he couldn't help studying the large tattoo that covered the whole of Josva's arm. Before he knew what he was doing, he reached out and traced the branches of the great tree with his fingertips.

Josva watched him for a moment before saying, "Is Yggdrasil."

"What's that?" Tyler asked him quietly, so as not to wake Jenna.

"Yggdrasil is great ash tree. Branches reach up to heavens, where gods meet for the thing. Yggdrasil place gods touch earth," Josva told him seriously. "Nine worlds touch in Yggdrasil: Asgard, Álfheimr, Niðavellir, Midgard, Jötunnheimr, Vanaheimr, Niflheim, Muspelheim, and Helheimr."

"What are those?" Tyler asked, eyes wide with interest.

"Agard home of Æsir-old gods. Álfheimr home of Ljósálfar-light elves. Niðavellir home of dwarves. Midgard Earth. Jötunnheimr little one knows. Vanaheimr home of Vanir-new gods. Niflheim ice and snow. Muspelheim fire and lava. Helheimr place for dead not in Valhalla," Josva explained.

"So you don't just have Heaven and Hell. There's more," Tyler deduced.

"Always more, little one. Old gods not simple. Old gods human. Gods travel many journey to many land." Josva stroked Tyler's cheek softly. "Gods visit us in many cloaks. Gods walk Midgard, protecting and bring trouble."

Tyler didn't even realize he was scooting closer to Josva in interest. "Have you ever seen a god?"

Josva smiled. "Yes. On first raid to England, sea become angry. Sky spit saltwater and Thor beat his anvil, making sparks in sky. Josva ship fill with water and become heavy. We make sacrifice. Throw one man into sea for Thor. In the sky, the clouds smile at us, and the storm stop. We clear out water, and go to England. Thor see us that day, and we see his smile."

Tyler listened with rapt attention as Josva told his story. Never in his life had he heard anything like that. His own god was distant, only showing Himself in subtle ways. Never before had he seen anything like Josva said.

"How can a god be human?" Tyler asked, intrigue dripping from his tongue with every word.

"Not human really. Mortal. Gods die. Odin hanged from tree and rise again, like your god. Baldr died by Loki, but he come back. One day, Ragnarok comes, and all gods die. All die: Asgard, Álfheimr, Niðavellir, Midgard, Jötunnheimr, Vanaheimr, Niflheim, Muspelheim, Helheimr."

The feeling of Josva's fingers sliding through his hair combined with the story were making Tyler's consciousness waver, but he didn't want to sleep. He wanted to hear more.

"All gods die?" He asked in a whisper.

"All," Josva confirmed.

The Norseman's eyes were tired, and Tyler knew he was only staying awake and telling Tyler these stories so that he would not be scared to sleep. He wasn't scared of sleep right now though. He just craved more stories.

Jenna stirred in her sleep, but calmed when Josva trailed his fingertips along her side. She smiled then, murmuring, "Josva," before continuing to sleep peacefully.

"How does Jenna know my language?" Tyler asked Josh curiously.

Josva smiled. "Jenna love engelsk. Jenna mama live in England until raids start. Jenna papa find her and keep her. She teach engelsk to Jenna, and Jenna teach babies."

"And you. She taught you?" Tyler asked, realising he was tracing the branches on the Norseman's arm again.

The Viking chuckled warmly. "She try. Engelsk not easy. Danish simple. Josva not smart like Jenna. Babies smart like Jenna, beautiful like Jenna, kind like Jenna. Babies lucky."

Tyler smiled slightly at that. "You have to be smart to be king, don't you?"

Josva shrugged. "Clever. Not smart. Josva not born king. Josva take it. Josva born karl. Josva farm and have animals. Vikings never satisfied, little one. Vikings hungry always. Odin lead Josva, and Josva take throne."

"How did you do that?" Tyler asked, his fingertips travelling to trace the scar that split part of Josva's tattoo before running across his chest.

"Josva kill earl who not care for people. Josva win fair, and make earl's family free. Not slaves. Josva kill king that hide gold from tribe. Odin guide Josva to find tribe that need help. Josva help," he explained.

No wonder Josva's tribe looked at him the way they did. They not only respected him, but they loved him for rescuing them. Granted, Tyler didn't approve of the methods, but Scandinavia was a much harsher world than England.

"How old are you, Joshua?" Tyler asked curiously.

"Otteogtyve," Josva replied.

"Do you know how to say that in English?" Tyler asked hopefully.

Josva thought about it, his eyes tired. "Two eight."

"Twenty-eight?" Tyler asked.

Josva nodded. "Ja."

"You're a lot older than me," Tyler told Josva, making him smile.

"You are little one." Josva kissed his forehead softly. "Sleep, little one. No cry. No more stories. Sleep."

"I don't want to sleep," Tyler said, making Josva chuckle.

The Viking kissed his forehead once again. "Sleep. Dreams is how gods visit us."

"May I ask one more thing?" Tyler asked hopefully.

Josva chuckled, pulling Tyler close against his chest before soothing his fingers through Jenna's hair. "One."

"If I belong to Jenna, why is it that I seem to belong to you as well?" Tyler asked curiously.

"Jenna want to share little one. Little one need Josva protect him. Tyler too small for Scandinavia. Always snow and ice. Little one need Jenna and Josva," he tried to explain.

It took a moment for Tyler to absorb that. He wasn't just Jenna's stand-in husband. He belonged to her real husband as well. What did that make him?

"Sleep, little one. Gods watch over you. Freya heal little one hurting heart," Josva told him sleepily as his eyelids slipped shut.

Of all the ways the Vikings had tried to comfort him, those broken words helped most. He smiled, surprising Josva when he kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Joshua."

Josva smiled lazily. "Mmhm."

There was a moment of quiet, in which Josva nearly fell asleep before Tyler blurted out, "Will you teach me Danish?"

Josva's tired eyes opened again. He smiled. "Yes."

"I'll help you to learn English in return. That way you can communicate better with Englishmen during raids. Maybe you won't have to be as violent then," Tyler told Josva. The Viking looked confused, and Tyler realized he had no idea what Tyler had just said. "I will teach you...um...engelsk?"

The Norseman's eyes lit up. "Ja?" He asked excitedly.

"Of course. Maybe if Jenna and I work together, we can teach you," Tyler told him.

Josva smiled. "Okay," he said, his accent making the word sound almost humorous.

"Sleep now?" Tyler asked, making Josva chuckle again.

"Sleep now," Josva confirmed. "Godnat, little one."

"Godnat," Tyler repeated, making the Viking smile.

"You talk funny," Josva said with a smirk, quoting Einar from that morning.

Tyler laughed, making Josva have to cover his mouth to keep him from waking Jenna. He chuckled with Tyler.

"Well excuse me! Your accent is difficult to emulate," Tyler told Josva with a grin.

"Emulate," Josva mumbled back slowly. "That is funny word," he said with a smirk. "Em-u-late."

Tyler smiled. A twenty-eight year old barbarian who'd killed his way into power should not remind Tyler of a little boy as he tried to sound out words. It was cute though.

"Goodnight, Joshua," Tyler said quietly.

He found himself smiling when the large man hugged him tightly, peppering kisses across his face. "Sov godt, little one." [Sleep well.]

Tyler was nearly asleep when he heard Josva mutter, "Emulate." The man chuckled again.

"Go to sleep," Tyler chuckled out.

"Okay, little one. Josva sleep."