Caught in the Raen's Embrace

"Ragnar! Isn't it time you retired? I'm getting worried about you out there alone, old dog." I laughed and slapped a hand down on the gunwale of his boat. "Hekla, always a pleasure seeing your pretty face in the morning," Ragnar said and laughed before putting down the net he was untangling. "Isn't it time you found a man, settled down, and had a couple of babes?" It wasn't the first time I'd heard that. The lads often gave me shit for being the only woman on the island to own a fishing vessel, and likely the only one not married, but mostly it was friendly banter, and they treated me fairly.

"I tried that, - at least the man part. Didn't work out too well now did it?" I winked at him and looked over the deck of his boat. "Any luck out there?" Ragnar shook his head. "Just got back from inspectin' the nets. Not much, a couple of halibuts an' a haddock. Not like it used to be. You headin' out?"

"A girl's gotta eat. Figured I'd take a gander over at the far side of Selkie's Reef. I spotted some pilot whales going past there the other day. Might as well check to see if they've been kind enough to chase some fish into my nets." Ragnar raised his brow and gave me a look. "I still don't think it's wise of ye to go so far out. That there's always been a bad spot for trouble and you know it."

"Don't you worry about me, Ragnar. The sea and I have got a deal. I take care of it, it takes care of me. There'll be no trouble today, or any other day. I'll see you when I get back. Keep a seat warm for me at the pub, will ya?" I gave him a wave before I walked off and hopped onboard The Draugr, my heavy boots hitting the deck with a loud thump.

After casting off, I checked over my equipment. I had been out the day before yesterday and knew everything was in perfect order. I'm meticulous about my ship and my gear, but it never hurts to double-check. The ocean and I might have a deal, but the ocean is a fickle friend, and many a seaman - or seawoman, have gotten in trouble in the rough waters of the North Sea.

The spot I was headed for was known for its temperamental undercurrents and Ragnar was right in telling me to be careful. As far as I know, I'm the only fisherman on the island to cast my nets on that side of Selkie's Reef. So far, it's served me well, and my willingness to fish out there has been the main reason my catches are usually larger than most of what the others bring in.

Gazing off at the horizon, I looked at the weather report again. This time of year, we were prone to get the occasional storm. Sometimes they would come crashing in without warning, and you never wanted to get caught in a bad spot. According to the report, it would be windy, but nothing the ship and I couldn't handle. Standing at the helm, I gave Ragnar one last wave before the ship's engine kicked in and took me smoothly out of the harbor.

-

Being out there, I felt free. I was in my element, so to speak. My father was a fisherman, and his father before him, and his father before him. It was my grandfather's ship I was steering out towards Selkie's Reef. He'd be turning in his grave if he knew I risked The Draugr coming out here to fish. My father, on the other hand, would approve, I'm sure of it. He was always a risk-taker. Although, perhaps knowing he'd approve should have been warning enough. He did end his days at the bottom of the sea. Not that I would mind dying at sea, being embraced by my fickle friend until the end of time - but I wasn't quite ready just yet. 32 was no time to pull in one's ores and go to Davy Jones's locker.

Looking up, I spotted a flock of Kittiwakes flying ahead of me. I took it as a good omen, that there would be fish in my nets. The birds settled in the sea ahead of me, bobbing on the grey and white waves. I always loved how the ocean looked in wintertime. Water the color of steel, with white tips like snow-covered mountains. No way to tell what was down there, the ocean keeping her secrets close to her heart. The wind was picking up, but I wasn't worried. I didn't quite like the look of those dark clouds that were gathering on the horizon, but they were far enough away that even if they did carry a storm on their backs I'd be well on my way back to harbor before it caught up to me.

It took me about an hour and a half to make my way to Selkie's Reef. By then the light had changed, the steel of the ocean taking on a darker, more sinister hue. I'd have to hurry if I was going to get my nets out of the water and turn back in time. I spotted my floats and maneuvered The Draugr towards them. I'd done this a million times. Hooking the nets and attaching them to the net puller was no harder than putting on my boots in the morning. I flipped the switch, and the winch started winding the nets onto the boat. I watched intensely as the net emerged from the deep, and a flush of relief hit me when I saw I had been rewarded. I sent a silent thanks to the pilot whales, the ocean, and the kittiwakes, for blessing me with a good catch.

With nimble hands I untangled the fish, quickly inspecting them, bleeding the ones I tossed on ice for storage, and gently releasing the ones I deemed too small, or not worth keeping. Before I knew it, my ice chests were overflowing with fish. I had my hopes for a large catch, but I never expected there'd be enough for me to run out of storage. I was about to flick the switch to pause the winch, giving me some time to carry off the full ice chests before I continued pulling in the net when suddenly the ship tilted. The motion threw me towards the gunwale, almost knocking the air out of me. I rushed towards the control panel to shut off the winch. The net seemed to be caught on something.

"Fuck!" I brushed the hair from my face and tried to look into the water, but it was too dark to make out anything. I've had this happen once before, and the only solution then, and now, was to go into the water. I knew other fishermen might cut tangled nets, discarding them in the ocean, but there was no way I would do that. I'd seen the suffering these ghost nets could cause. I could never live with myself, leaving my net like that. I quickly carried my ice chests into storage and dropped my anchor. I deduced from my sonar equipment that the net must have gotten stuck in a relatively shallow part of the ocean. I'm an excellent swimmer, having spent most of my life in or on the ocean. Even with the temperatures as low as now, I should be able to make it down and back up - probably, most likely. Right?

The wind kept picking up and there was no longer any doubt that the clouds rapidly closing in on me were carrying a storm. I quickly kicked off my boots and removed my rain gear. Underneath, I wore several layers of wool. The wool would keep me warm even if it was wet, so I kept most of it on, only removing my heavy knitted sweater so it wouldn't weigh me down. Without my rain clothes, the wind was freezing. The only comfort was that the water would probably feel warm with the air being so cold. A very small comfort, but still. "This is fucking crazy," I said to myself.

I grabbed a belt and fastened it around my waist to secure my waterproof flashlight and the knife I'd used for bleeding the fish. I tried telling myself it would be easy. Jump in, swim down, loosen the net, or cut whatever end of it was stuck, swim up and get the fuck out of the water, head home. Easy peasy. I'd be warm and dry in the pub in under two hours, with Ragnar telling me I'm mad, and that I could have died. It'll be fine. Perfectly fine.

The water hit me and sent a shock through my body, temporarily disorienting me. I surfaced and gasped. The rough sea quickly tried to pull me away from the boat, but I grabbed onto the net to steady myself. I pulled on the mask and turned on the flashlight. I'd need both hands to get down, but if I angled it in my belt, I should be able to see where I was going. My best bet was to pull myself down, holding on to the net, following it to where it was stuck to the bottom. I took a deep breath, filled my lungs, and dove under. Even though it was still daytime, the dark clouds and rough sea made it almost pitch black as I descended. Pulling myself down, I could make out a formation of jagged rocks where it seemed my net had gotten tangled. I grabbed my knife and cut the net as close to the rocks as possible. Thank Njord, I always kept my knives sharp. The net was loose in no time, and I quickly ascended.

In the mere seconds I was underwater, the storm had picked up. Waves knocked me painfully into the hull of the boat and I barely managed to grab onto the ladder to pull myself back on deck. There was no time to rest. I had to get the net onboard and get the fuck out of there before both The Draugr and I ended up shattered on the jagged rocks of Selkie's Reef. I pulled myself up and ran for the switch, turning the net puller on full speed. There didn't seem to be any fish in the part that had been stuck, thankfully. I didn't want to waste time untangling them and tossing them back in the water, but leaving them on the deck to drown in the air wasn't an option either.

The only thing left was pulling up the anchor. I made my way towards the helm. The winds had reached gale force and the rain was whipping all around me. I could barely see where I was going. A wave crashed over the starboard side, sweeping me off my feet and pulling me crashing towards the gunwale. The pain blinded me. I tried to pull myself up when another wave tilted the boat and something slammed into it, knocking me over the gunwale and into the freezing sea. The rain was coming down hard, waves crashed over me, sending me tumbling under the surface. I breached the water, only to see myself getting swept further from my ship. I swam as hard as I could, and I could just about make out the ladder and the lights at the stern of the boat when the undercurrent grabbed me and pulled me under into the dark depths. There was no way to tell what was up or down. I felt my lungs burn, aching for a breath. I swam in panic and felt the last bubbles of air leave my mouth.

A sudden calm made me still, and I felt myself floating like someone held me in their arms. Like being rocked to sleep by the sea.

------

I woke to the sound of waves crashing to find I was lying on stone. Looking around I saw I was in a cavern. Water came in through a large crevice, creating a small pool a couple of feet from where I was lying. I sat up and could see the storm was still raging outside. My heart sank thinking of my ship out there. I never got the chance to pull up anchor, so there was a small chance The Draugr would survive the storm. I didn't want to lose her.

"I'm surprised you're still alive, woman", a deep voice sounded from behind me. I turned to look at my savior, but the sight made me blink my eyes rapidly and pinch myself to check if I was dreaming. I must have hit my head going under, there was no other explanation for what was standing in front of me. He walked slowly towards me and reached out a hand. "I fished you out of the sea. If I wanted to harm you I would have left you there", he said. I took his hand and pulled myself up. His skin was warm to the touch, not like touching a creature of the sea at all, even though that was exactly what he looked like.

My mind couldn't quite comprehend what I was seeing. In front of me stood a man, who wasn't a man at all, but still man...ly? It was hard to fathom. He was tall, much taller than me and I was as tall as most men in my village. I let my eyes trail over him from top to bottom. His skin was different shades of blue. From pale as the sky at dawn, to as dark as the deepest ocean. His face resembled that of a man. High cheekbones, a strong jaw, a distinctive nose, and piercing blue eyes. His upper body was also man-like. Not that I had ever seen a man like that in the flesh. It struck me that he looked like one of the guys in that raunchy fireman's calendar I had hanging in the cabin of The Draugr.

His most prominent feature was what told me he was not a man at all. Where a regular ol' human man's legs should have been, this guy had thick, muscular tentacles instead. I had never seen anything like it. They looked strong, holding him up upright like a man. They seemed to live a life of their own, moving constantly. I couldn't stop looking at them.

I opened my mouth. What I should have said was 'Thank you for saving my life.' But what came out was: "So, are you supposed to be some kind of mermaid?" I didn't know if octopus men had a sense of humor or if I had just insulted the man who saved me. For a second he did look offended, but then he laughed. A loud, booming laugh. I found myself liking the sound of it.

"I would have thought a seafaring woman as yourself would know a Kraken when she saw one", he said.

"What? Like the giant I'll-wreck-your-ship kind of Kraken?", I replied.

He laughed again and said "Distant cousins. My kind don't do much ship wrecking I'm afraid."

"I, - I have so many questions," I said. Not knowing where to even begin.

"I suppose I would too, if I were you." He said. "There will be plenty of time to ask your questions, woman. The storm out there is only growing in strength. I will bring you to your ship once it settles, but it may take a day or more until it is safe."

I looked towards the cavern entrance, glimpsing the crashing waves out there. "So, we just sit here until it's over?"

"Well, we could, if that's what you prefer. But I had somewhere more comfortable in mind. If you'd follow me, please." He turned and walked towards the back of the cavern, before disappearing around a bend I hadn't noticed before. I quickly scrambled to follow him. I turned the corner just in time to see him ascend a flight of winding stone stairs, the path upwards lit by torches. I can tell you now it was pretty weird watching a two-meter-tall octopus walk up stairs. Reaching the top we walked in silence through a stone-carved corridor, passing several smaller doors. We reached the end, and he paused in front of a large wooden door. It looked like it had been crafted out of driftwood, carved with an intricate design.

"Most of my kind choose to live underwater," he said. "But I've always preferred it up here." He opened the doors to reveal a large circular room. The walls were made of massive stone, and several windows let me see we were high up above the ocean, the wind howling outside. It looked like we were in a sort of tower. The only thing I could think of was that it reminded me of a scene from some medieval fantasy movie. There was a large open fireplace and a massive luxurious bed that looked like it belonged in a king's castle.

"This is the only room with heating," he said, gesturing to the fireplace. "I only light it during the harshest winter months, but I'll get a fire going now so you can get dry." He moved towards it and started stacking wooden logs to build a fire. I didn't know what to say, so I just kept standing by the door, looking around the room. "You should take those off," he said, pointing at my clothes. "Hang them over there and they'll be dry in no time."

I've never been one to be shy about my body, but it's not every day a tentacled Adonis asks you to undress in front of him. "I, - Uhm, do you have something I could wear while my clothes dry?" I asked. He turned and gave me a puzzled look, thinking for a second before saying "I forget, you humans are so obsessed with covering your bodies. I suppose your frail form needs layers to keep warm." He got up, walked towards the bed, and handed me the bedspread. "Here woman, take this," he said before returning to crouch in front of the fireplace.

"My name's Hekla," I said, "not 'woman'," I grumbled. My 'form' wasn't frail at all. Hadn't I just survived the freezing cold January ocean? I threw the bedspread over a chair and wrenched off my wet clothes before walking stark naked over to the fireplace. I purposely positioned myself as close to him as possible, before stretching to hang up my clothes. He finished lighting the fire and turned towards me. I noticed him pause when he saw the lack of bedspread covering my 'form'. I could see his eyes trailing my body, slowly taking in the shape of my legs, the hair on my mound, the slight roundness of my stomach, my full breasts, nipples hard from the cold air. His eyes made their way to my face and locked onto mine. For a second I saw something there, a hunger. "First time seeing a 'frail form' up close?", I said and laughed.

He rose and stood towering over me. "Hekla." He said my name like he was tasting it. "If I didn't know better I'd accuse you of being a siren." His voice low, a hint of a growl underneath his words. Up close he seemed even taller, massive, dangerous. But I refused to let the fact that he was more than a head taller than me intimidate me. I looked up at him, and grinned before I said, "Are you flirting with me, Mr. Kraken?"

He cracked a smile, his eyes twinkling. "Mr. Kraken is my father. Call me Aegir", he said, "And yes, I suppose I am flirting with you. Does that frighten you?" I laughed. "Typical. You meet a guy who's both funny, and hot, and he just happens to be a squid." He stepped closer to me and one of his tentacles surged towards me, wrapping up one of my legs. I let out a tiny squeak from the sudden touch. "Having tentacles doesn't make me a squid," he said, giving me a stern look. "Something tells me that mouth of yours tends to get you into trouble." He raised one hand to my face and ran his thumb across my lower lip.

More tentacles moved towards me, two of them wrapping around my waist, pulling me closer to him. I could feel heat spreading through my lower stomach. The tentacle around my leg kept slithering higher, caressing the inside of my thigh. I was pretty sure I was already soaking wet. He lifted me up, the tentacles holding me in place.

"Aren't you going to ask me for my consent before manhandling me with those things?" I asked him, wrapping my legs around his waist. He smirked. "Normally I would, but seeing as I can smell you, I don't think that will be necessary.", he said, before leaning in to kiss me. I felt myself blushing. I never blush. His lips were soft. I opened my mouth, and let his tongue explore mine. His hands held onto my face, digging into my hair as he kept kissing me.

He moved me towards the bed and lowered me gently down on it. I spread my legs for him, giving him a full view from where he stood at the edge of the bed. "Touch yourself," he said looking down at me. "I want to see how you make yourself feel good." I let my hand find its way between my legs. I had been right about being wet, my fingers instantly soaked as I touched myself. I circled them over my clit, and let out a soft moan at the sensation. Watching him I could see his eyes follow the movement of my fingers with a glazed look. I bit my lip and locked eyes with him, moving my fingers faster, feeling the tension build in my body. I moved to slide two fingers inside me, but one of his tentacles lashed out and wrapped around my wrist, stopping me. Another rushed at my other hand, and both of them were held firmly in place.

"My turn," he said, giving me a wolfish smile. I felt my cheeks burn from the heat spreading through my body. More tentacles wrapped around my legs, spreading them even wider and locking them in place. Another slithered towards my pussy and I let out a gasp when it touched me. It attached itself to my clit, sucking on it and the most intense sensation I've ever felt surged through me. He climbed on top of me in bed, kissing me hungrily while the tentacle kept sucking on my clit. I whimpered when another pressed against my hole, and slithered inside me. He released my mouth and kissed his way down my neck, towards my breasts. He took one of my nipples into his mouth and let his tongue flick over it before moving on to the next one. Everything he was doing felt amazing, intoxicating. My legs trembled, and just as I could feel an orgasm start to build he pulled away from me. The tentacle inside me retreated, and the one on my clit detached itself.