Chapter Text
Fit and Pac had spent the night deciphering the map of Rusla. At least they could have spent the night if they hadn't ended up falling asleep in the main room, only to be woken at dawn by seismic tremors. Nothing strong enough to scare them, but intense enough to wake them from their sleep.
Eventually, they still hadn't managed to decipher the map, but they were going to stick to their original plan of going to Herjólfsdalur together after making a detour to the museum to talk to the museum curator about the earthquake. They needed to know whether or not they were entering a race against time.
The seismographs had begun to detect a small increase in the frequency of tremors beneath the volcano. Knowing that these slight earthquakes are due to the rise of magma in the volcanic chimney, the increase in frequency is linked to the risk of eruptions. At least, the GPS data did not yet seem to indicate any swelling of the ground on the volcano's slopes, which indicated that the volcano's system was not yet under pressure.
This was good news. The team still had time to continue their research, although everything could change overnight. The team couldn't waste any more time.
While the pairs explored the island's coastline, Fit and Pac went to Herjólfsdalur to follow the trail of the first traces of civilisation on the island. If Rusla's crew had indeed been on Heimaey, they had no doubt found refuge in this part of the island.
The area was a good tourist attraction, with reproductions of 10th century stone houses and wax figures dressed as they were in the Middle Ages. This place had so many tourists that it was almost impossible to get any clues.
This reproduction was at the very bottom of the natural amphitheatre and, if the two men wanted to get to the ridge, they would have to take a steep hike.
Fit wrinkled his nose as he imagined trudging to the top of the ridge. He loved climbing, but this time it was just a hike with a huge positive elevation.
Beside him, Pac seemed to have got used to the idea and was checking that he had the necessary equipment in his rucksack.
“Ready when you are, querido.” the adventurer announced.
“Aren’t we going to be wasting time climbing this ridge ? Shouldn't we try and concentrate on the Rusla map ?”
A small, teasing smile appeared on Pac's face and Fit was already regretting having spoken.
“We've already spent several hours of the night trying to decipher the map. We need to get some perspective on things, Fit. Literally. So tie your shoelaces, take the time to mentally prepare and let's get going. We don't need to go fast. The goal isn't for us to exhaust ourselves. Have you got enough water on you ?”
Fit nodded. Clearly there was nothing he could say that would change Pac's mind. The adventurer had even put on his sports prosthesis, so he was ready for any eventuality.
Daylight lasted only a few hours in November, so the two men had to hurry if they didn't want to find themselves in the complete darkness of the night, as the footpath was not lit. Fortunately for them, the sun had decided to keep them company for the next few hours, chasing away the rain clouds and probably promising a night covered in stars.
A small path had been created by the passage of people over the years and small steps had been made for the steeper passages, making the climb easier. Although the word ‘easy’ wasn't really appropriate.
Pac was walking ahead and turned to notice that Fit was struggling to keep up with him. The archaeologist was climbing the umpteenth small staircase of their ascent and Pac held out his hand to him, wanting to help him as the last step was damaged. Fit gladly accepted and Pac offered him a smile to encourage him, but the lack of sleep was taking its toll.
The adventurer admired the view for a moment and invited Fit to turn and look at it too. They were lucky that the weather was clear : they could see a large part of the island. No doubt that once they reached the top of the ridge, they would really be able to see the whole island. It was good motivation to keep going.
“Do you remember when we went to see the archaeological excavation site in Norway when they discovered the remains of that Viking temple in 2020 ? You were called in urgently, as a specialist, and I found you there. I remember how hard it was for you to hide your excitement.” Pac said.
“Are you trying to distract me with old memories so I don't focus on the arduousness of the climb ?” Fit asked.
“Is it working ?”
“Not really. But I'd like to go back and see that excavation site. It was a wonderful find.”
“We've been on some nice trips together. You always end up taking me on treasure hunts. I can pretend I'm the Brazilian Indiana Jones. I hope you'll continue to always think of me when you find leads like that.”
Fit turned his head towards Pac, trying to find out if there was an innuendo in his sentence. Pac didn't stop and continued walking towards the top of the ridge but Fit wasn't going to let him get away with it that easily
“Are you referring to the expedition I went on this spring to Greenland to follow in Erik the Red's footsteps ? Did it upset you that I went on that mission without you, Pac ?”
Fit crossed his arms over his chest, slightly amused by the situation as Pac let out a small sarcastic snort.
“Upset ? Fit, I'm not fifteen. It’s just that you decided to pick a direct competitor and my professional pride took a hit, that's all.”
“Ah so you were jealous ? You know that Etoiles is a very good guide. He's a great adventurer, too.”
“Yes, he's also the only guy, apart from you, that I used to openly flirt with. It was interesting to see you together in the photos. It was when I saw the articles you relayed on social media. that I was made aware of your little expedition. Oh well, I hope it was fun. I hope you were able to write lots of papers on your research work. Besides, why didn't you ask him to do this mission with you instead of me ? You did very well without me for a year. I suppose it's because he was already busy elsewhere ? I'm your second choice, Fit ?”
The archaeologist shook his head in disappointment. Pac was really making a jealousy scene in the middle of their hike.
“You haven't tried to contact me for a year either. You've been going on expeditions without me for the last few months. Does that mean I'm making a scene ? No.”
The adventurer stopped in the walk and turned back to Fit, crossing his arms over his chest, clearly on the defensive.
Neither man had noticed that they had reached the top of the ridge in the meantime. They were too focused on their argument.
“Do you really want to know why I didn't call you back after leaving in the middle of the night ? Because I didn't take responsibility for what I did. Because I still don't. Because it was easier for me to run away than to try a direct confrontation. I knew you'd move on, anyway.”
“But that doesn't explain why you left in the first place. I mean…” Fit ran his hand over the back of his own neck. “If what happened that night displeased you so much, we could have talked about it like adults instead of acting like cowards.”
“Displeased ?” Pac couldn't believe what he was hearing. “Fit, no. On the contrary ! What we experienced was one of the most passionate and intense things I have experienced in my life.. Far beyond the craziest missions I've ever been on. And I freaked out ! I got scared because I didn't understand what was happening to me. And once again, it was easier for me to run away rather than…” he hesitated. “Rather than assume that what we were building could have been the best thing that could have happened in my life. At least from my point of view.”
Fit's gaze wandered for a moment and he nodded slightly.
“It was. When I went to sleep that night, I was the happiest man alive. And when I woke up alone in that bed, I was devastated. I was so sure of myself, of us. You quickly brought me back down to earth. So yes, maybe I called Etoiles on purpose during that year because I knew there was also this little platonic thing between you two. It was just my pitiful little revenge. I could have been the more mature of the two of us and chosen to call you. But I didn't. I also preferred to run away from the confrontation.”
The two men glared at each other. Neither knew how to behave towards the other after these confessions.
Fit turned to the landscape. The sun was already setting and the first stars were appearing in the night sky, which was beginning to cloud over. Eventually, they might not escape the rain. But that didn't take anything away from the breathtaking scenery. He could even see the Eldfell volcano in the distance to the east. Heimaey was a beautiful island.
“It's beautiful.” Fit murmured.
Pac, for his part, was only looking at Fit. He admired his silhouette from the back, which was enhanced by the orange glow of the sunset. The prosthesis that replaced Fit's left arm reflected the last rays of sunlight. The play of light and shadow created flattered Fit's physique and made him even more handsome.
“Yes. That's true.” Pac replied.
They weren't talking about the same thing.
Fit finally took off the rucksack he was carrying and sat down on the grass to get more comfortable looking at the scenery. For the first time in weeks, he didn't feel like thinking about his mission. He just wanted to take a minute to enjoy the surroundings.
Pac silently followed.
The conversation they'd just had was going to change their relationship completely. It was up to them to decide how it would evolve based on what they had said to each other.
Fit took out his notebooks to read them. He couldn't clear his head completely, so, under this starry sky and in front of this magnificent landscape, he thought he could go back to thinking about what Rusla's map might mean. Pac just stared at him in silence.
The archaeologist raised his head and looked up at the night sky. It was only five o'clock in the afternoon, but, in autumn, Iceland doesn't get much sun. In the sky, Fit managed to recognize some famous constellations, such as Cassiopeia and Ursa Major. He had to turn slightly northwards to see Ursa Minor, characterised in particular by the North Star. Fit took a moment to look at this constellation, then turned his attention back to his notes and Rusla's diary. Then he looked at the sky again before standing up and pointing the map at the sky.
“Fit ?” Pac called.
“Hold on.” Fit cut him off.
The adventurer closed his mouth and waited. Fit was obviously checking something important, so he didn't bother him. He'd probably bothered him enough anyway.
Fit took a few steps to look towards the north of the island and suddenly turned to Pac, a shocked expression on his face.
“I think I've got it !”
“Okay, I'm listening.” Pac was getting nervous. That nervousness that was akin to excitement when he was close to a new clue. He was living it through Fit.
“Look at the paper. See those three dots at the top of the page ? Two close dots lined up with a third dot a little further away. Now look at the sky. Don't you think that looks exactly like the outer edge of Major Ursa aligned with the North Star ? It was a well-known landmark for the Vikings ! Now look at the last line. It says ‘Fear Jörmungandr’. In Norse mythology, this is a huge sea serpent ! I thought it was just an intimidating phrase from Rusla's crew but... Get up. Look ! The north of the island !” Pac complied. “From here, don't you think the northern part of Heimaey looks like a giant snake ?”
Pac hesitated for a moment. “Yes ? Yes, now that you mention it, it does look like a snake. Oh. OH !”
“Exactly. You've got it. What if these three dots made an arrow to indicate the north of the island ? What if Odin's Tear was guarded by Jörmungandr ?”
“Fit, I hope you know that's very far-fetched.”
“Of course it is. But it's the only idea I've got at the moment and-”
Fit cut himself off when they heard a thud coming from the east of the island. Pac took out his binoculars and focused his attention on the Eldfell volcano.
“There are landslides on the slopes of the volcano”
Fit sighed. “It means there's swelling under the walls of the volcano. We're running out of time, Pac. They could call for the island to be evacuated at any moment. First I have to see if my hypothesis is correct. We could be very close to finding the relic. If you want to go and find the team, I won't hold you back. But if not... Are you following me, Pac ?”
The man didn't hesitate for a second before answering. “I'll follow you, Fit.”
Without wasting another moment, they picked up their belongings and headed towards the north of the island. More precisely in the direction of the beluga sanctuary, which was bordered by the giant snake.
The rain was starting to fall, which made their expedition a little more risky, as they could slip and get hurt, but they didn't care. They had to act as quickly as possible. Perhaps the rain would save them a little time with the eruption of the volcano, but it would cost them a lot of time walking through the mud.
They had picked up an electromagnetic ground radar and a metal detector from the trunk of the car they had left below. The equipment would be damaged by the rain, but that was a problem for later.
Arriving on the ridge that formed the ‘body of the snake’, the two men began to scan the ground. They were right in front of Eldfell, which was really starting to show signs of an imminent eruption. They were going to be ordered off the island in the next few hours, especially as it had already taken them several hours to reach the ridge. They were soaked, cold and exhausted, but that didn't stop them.
They stared at the machine screens. The ground radar sent electromagnetic waves into the subsoil via an antenna to study the structure and composition of the soil, as well as the depth of burial of a potential structure or object. The data was sent directly and processed by a software that transcribed it into image form. It was a well-known device for non-invasive prospecting of archaeological sites.
However, to find a chest from Viking times, this is not the best solution, as wood is not a conductive material. They could only hope that the amount of metal used in the reinforcements and nails was sufficient and that it wasn't too far underground for the device to detect it.
Time was running out and the two men were still not getting any results. However, Fit was not losing his determination. He was almost certain of his lead. Pac, for his part, could only continue to encourage Fit and check that he wasn't putting himself in danger. He also kept an eye on his phone and the volcano.
Fortunately, the situation did not seem to have changed since they had first detected the signs. The adventurer could still hear landslides on the slopes of Eldfell but it was nothing to worry about at the moment.
“Pac !” Fit shouted suddenly, startling the adventurer. “Look ! Several metres of rock are missing from this spot. It's as if a hole had been dug and simply filled in with dirt. And look at the bottom of this hole, there's another electromagnetic anomaly. It matches with metal conductivity. We might have found something !”
“We'll just have to dig, then.”
They were equipped for this, so the two men took the shovels and geologist hammers out of their bags and started digging in the spot indicated by the radar. They were getting more and more exhausted with each hit into the ground and the rain dripping down on their heads wasn't helping. They had no idea how long it was taking them to make this hole, clear the rocks from their path and secure their descent to avoid ending up under a landslide because of the rain. Pac had insisted on being the one to go into the hole, held down with a rope by Fit in case there were any problems.
“I think I've found the object ! It's a wooden box ! I'll try to get it out.”
Fit retrieved the shovel from Pac, who crouched on the ground to free the box with his hands. He tried to go as gently as possible so as not to damage it.
The archaeologist was worried that Pac might damage his prosthetic leg, but the adventurer was used to this and Fit was prepared to carry Pac on his back if necessary.
After several minutes, he managed to pull out a medium-sized chest and the adventurer was surprised at how light it was. Pac managed to get out of the dirt hole with Fit's help and the two men took a minute to breathe. The rain quickly washed the traces of mud from Pac's face and hands, but they both remained dirty and sticky.
They had trouble realising it but they might have found Odin's Tear.
“Are you ready ?” Pac asked.
Fit simply nodded, nervousness preventing him from speaking.
Pac took out a knife and began to break the locks, since they didn't have any keys to open it in the normal way. So they had to use force. The adventurer managed to unlock the lock. All that remained was to open it. They knew there was something inside. They had felt and heard it when they moved the box.
He exchanged another look with Fit and finally opened the box.
They stood stunned for a moment.
Inside was a necklace consisting of a metal chain, rusted by time and the dampness of the climate, and a sapphire pendant, cut in the shape of a teardrop. It wasn't in the best condition, but there it was. It was real.
“We found it,” Fit said after a moment.
“We found it,” Pac repeated to confirm.
As the night was all around them, as the cold and fatigue made them tremble, and as Odin's Tear lay in their hands, nothing seemed to interest them any more. Fit and Pac stared into each other's eyes. The rain hadn't stopped. Their adventure, on the other hand, had come to an end. They had completed their mission, they had found the relic. Everything was going to stop the moment they announced that they had found Odin's Tear.
Fit didn't want it to end.
Pac didn't want it to end.
With a start and silent agreement, the two men kissed. The box of the relic had been left beside them while Pac's hands were on Fit's cheeks and Fit's were lost in Pac's hair and neck.
It was passionate.
It was almost desperate.
But they didn't care.
They wanted to feel each other and only realised how much they had missed each other.
How perfect they were together.
They needed that touch.
They wanted to enjoy and live this moment as if it were their last. And neither of them wanted to let the other go.
Their kisses went on and on without them taking the time to catch their breath and come to their senses. Every second in each other's arms was counted.
But they were interrupted by more tremors followed by thuds. More landslides were taking place on the slopes of the volcano.
Pac turned back to Fit, who turned his attention back to him. They exchanged a small smile and the adventurer rested his forehead against the archaeologist’s.
“We don't have to go now. We've still got time.”
Fit laughed softly and kissed Pac's cheek.
“The team must be worried about us. We need to tell them we've found the relic.”
“Just a few more minutes, please.”
“Pac-”
But Pac's lips landed on Fit's again, cutting him off. The archaeologist relented. They could still enjoy each other's warmth. They didn’t need to be down the minute, after all.
Pac was the first to stop this kiss and he sighed against the lips of the man who made his heart beat a little too fast.
“I don't want to be reasonable, Fit. I want to keep you all to myself. But I know you have to tell the world that you've discovered the relic. It's time others saw you as I see you : brilliant. Even more brilliant than this jewel. I made a mistake once. Let me make it up to you and prove that I'll never let you go again. I'm done running away from you and my feelings.”
Fit smiled at the serious look on Pac's face. The Brazilian man’s statement was so sincere that Fit didn't feel like fighting against his reason, which was screaming at him not to do it again. Oh no. This time, he just wanted to let his heart speak.
“Let's go and show the rest of the world how well we've done.” Fit said.
Pac smiled a little more at this sentence and brought Fit's right hand to his lips before helping him to his feet. The archaeologist picked up the box and made sure the necklace was safe. Then the two men collected their equipment before walking back towards the main town.
The whole team had indeed been worried about Fit and Pac. Especially when they saw the state in which they had returned, but their concern turned to joy when the archaeologist presented their discovery to them. The sapphire was a little damaged by time but it was still proof of Viking know-how. Fit absolutely had to take the relic back to the British Library in London, where it was awaited.
But before that, they had received orders to evacuate the island in the early hours of the morning. So they only had a few hours sleep before they had to catch the ferries that would take them to the main Icelandic island.
Fit and Pac's night had been even shorter but when he woke up the next morning to the sound of his alarm, the first thing Fit saw was Pac's still sleeping face in the bed they had shared. The archaeologist smiled gently and brushed away a few strands of hair from the face of the man he loved, waking him up in the process.
Pac opened one eye and smiled when he saw Fit's face.
“Bom dia, Fitch.”
“Bom dia, Pac.”
The adventurer savoured his lover's caresses, making waking up much softer. He wasn't used to it but he knew he could soon get used to it.
“I didn't know if I was going to find you when I woke up.” Fit admitted.
Pac's heart sank. He'd made a mistake a year ago. It was up to him to fix it, to prove to Fit that he could trust him. The adventurer placed a gentle kiss on Fit's lips.
“I'm not leaving. I won't go away again. I promise.” Pac assured.
“Even though we're going to have to separate from the moment we get to Reykjavik airport.”
“I'm not getting on a plane unless you are getting on with me, Amor. If that's alright with you, I want to come with you to London. I want to see you succeed with my own eyes, not read about it in articles shared on social networks. I want to come with you on every mission, even those that involve teaching a dozen students. Not just as a guide, but as moral and physical support, if you'll accept it.” Pac paused for a moment and his eyes met Fit's. “I don't want to love you from afar any more.”
Fit smiled a little wider and pulled Pac in a hug. “Then let's go away together and take me into your world too. I don't need to settle for just one area of research. You have so much to show me. Be my world, my beloved.”
The adventurer nodded, a little moved, and the two lovers kissed again.
They could have stayed in that bed for hours but, unfortunately, they were called to order by emergency messages sent to their phones. They had to leave Heimaey island. They had to leave but they were leaving together and that was the only thing that mattered to them at that moment.
The Eldfell volcano erupted the day after the evacuation of Heimaey Island, causing no casualties thanks to the efficiency of the authorities. The research team had been lucky that their team leaders had found Rusla's relic in time, but everyone knew that the duo formed by Fit and Pac was the most efficient when it came to finding archaeological relics. And this duo was even stronger after this mission.
When they left the Heimaey island, Fit and Pac had no idea that they would return a few years later for their honeymoon. On the island that had brought them luck and would forever remain a symbol of their love, with both their wedding rings set with a tear-shaped sapphire.
Some would say that Fit and Pac had, in a way, received the blessing of Rusla and Odin.