Winter Swan

Kail flew toward her like lightning and pushed Silje out of the way. She fell onto the snow, but she was able to avoid crashing with the middle-aged woman.

"Oh, my head hurts…"

Silje murmured as she touched her head.

Kail saved her again. She could've been hurt very badly, but he saved her.

Was Kail okay? Silje moaned as she tried to stand up. When she turned around, she spotted Kail standing there just fine as the middle-aged woman apologized to him.

"Kail!"

Silje walked to him as fast as she could and said to him in a rough voice, "Kail? Are you okay? Are you hurt? Should we go to the hospital?"

Kail's forehead was bleeding since it had been scratched by his goggles. Calmly, he replied, "Gosh, I got hurt because of somebody, so that somebody should give me a thank-you kiss, don't you think?"

Thank-you kiss?

Standing on the bright snowy slope, Silje looked at him blankly. A small drop of blood started to roll down from his dark hair onto his pale cheek.

Silje wiped it with her finger and asked again, "Are you sure you're okay? Shouldn't we go to the hospital?"

"If I'm not ok, what would you do?"

To his mysterious question, Silje didn't waver. Instead, she answered slowly, "…Then I will apologize since you got hurt because of me."

She saw herself in Kail's eyes. His beautiful green eyes…

As she coolly admitted and accepted her mistake and responsibility, Kail gave her a delicious smile. Silje stared at him, mesmerized by his devilishness.

"I will take responsibility since you got injured because of me."

"As I said already, all I need is a kiss from you."

It was a quiet but demanding voice.

Silje could see the burning desire in him, like a volcano about to erupt. Since she knew him so well now, Silje wasn't surprised when he took her lips.

"…Ah… Ha…"

She moaned as he tasted her lips. After a long kiss, he touched the scratch on his face and smiled.

"Oh, I guess I should be glad to get hurt like this. I got something good out of it."

His voice was ever so sweet as he whispered, "Besides, I would prefer to get hurt myself than see you get injured."

Silje looked at him silently.

She felt warm and it wasn't from the scorching sun. When she didn't say anything, Kail lowered his face for another kiss. He hugged her tight and Silje closed her eyes in peace.

***

On their way back home, the memory of the day still warmed Silje's heart. Just thinking about the kisses they had in the snow made her feel happy.

Kail drove confidently and even as he drove, he didn't let go of her hand. Feeling the warmth of his skin, Silje asked her mystical other half softly, "Are you sure you are okay? It looks like you might end up with a scar on your face."

"If you feel so guilty, then all you have to give me is another date. I will choose the place."

"Alright. Where? Tell me."

Turning towards her with a hungry look in his eyes, he announced, "Fjord. I will take you to see the glacier there, Silje."

***

Just as he promised, Kail took Silje to the fjord. The stunning blue and clear glacier… Silje had been secretly wanting to see this for a very long time.

"I want to see the fjord with you. No one else but you," Kail's whispered to her and his love for her warmed Silje's heart.

"You got hurt because of me, so tell me anything you want."

"Then go see the fjord with me."

She didn't say yes because she felt sorry for what had happened at the ski resort. She agreed to go because Silje truly wanted to. Her heart had opened up for Kail and she was completely his.

The next day after vacation started, Kail arrived at her house. Without a word, Silje got into his car. She told her adoptive mother that she was going out for a little while.

"So you decided you will go with me?"

Turning to her, Kail asked in his smooth voice, "You are sure you want to go with me?"

"Of course. Do you think I got into your car right now just for fun?"

Kail smiled proudly at her confident answer.

"I hope you never change."

After a short silence, Silje turned to look him in the eyes. She said to him honestly, "I got into your car for one reason only. It is the same reason as yours. I want to see the fjord with you. That is why."

Another silence.

Kail leaned towards her and whispered, "Good choice. I promise I will not disappoint you."

They started out early in the morning. Soon, they arrived at a private yacht marina.

"Yacht marina? Are we going to sail there, Kail?"

He answered nonchalantly, "That boat will take us to the fjord."

She looked towards where he was pointing, and there, Silje saw the luxurious Bruntland family yacht.

The perfect giant white yacht had the initials "W.B." carved onto it.

Silje felt like she was dreaming. The water looked calm as a gentle wave greeted her.

"…"

She slowly looked up. Watching the beautiful ocean and the extravagant yacht, she felt free, as if she could go anywhere in the world.

"Now, let's go then."

Kail offered her his hand and Silje looked at him quietly.

He was taking her away. He promised her he would show her the fjord.

She was seduced by the idea. To see the magnificent fjord… To get away from her life for a while…

It was a once in a lifetime opportunity and it felt like a dream.

'I do want to see the fjord and I did say I would go with him… I guess it doesn't matter if we take a public ferry or his private yacht.'

Finally making her decision, Silje got onto his boat. The captain greeted them pleasantly as if he has been waiting for them for a very long time. Without delay, the captain started the boat.

"We will pass by the Sognefjord and return to this marina. Please have a lovely sail."

As silence fell in the boat, Silje breathed slowly. She still couldn't believe this was happening.

The Bruntland yacht was just as luxurious on the inside as the outside. It had a comfortable leather sofa, a fireplace, and dark oak floors. It was spacious with a living room, two bedrooms, a washroom with a shower, and a kitchen.

A fjord was a long, narrow, and deep inlet of the sea between high cliffs usually formed by glaciers. They were headed towards the Sognefjord, which was the largest and deepest fjord in Norway.

As the yacht moved smoothly, Silje sighed deeply and murmured, "Here we go."