Blizzard Heart and Soul (Toothless x OC)

34. Warrior's Woe

Nirya's POV

I wiped my forehead, annoyed with the strange thing I've heard Gobber call 'sweat'. It's an odd thing, I've felt my skin perspirate a bit before near open flames... but nothing like this, I'm practically sticky with the gross stuff my own body is producing, somehow. I glared at the sword I was working on, I could have sworn up and down a moment ago an axe was in my hands.

I've not really been in the mood to talk to anyone recently with how my sister is acting. It's not the first time this has happened, and I am horribly stressed and worried over how to fix it since I never had mother's magic touch. Misty just... wallows in the corner, doesn't look at me, if she works on the hut it's with her eyes on the floor and it's... it's killing me to see her so... depressed. She had been doing so well since we moved here to Berk and I was finally starting to hope my sister will have a brighter future... only for her to fall like this.

The stress was simply too much for me to handle, so I threw myself into working on projects to keep from thinking on it. If work wasn't enough, I let anger cloud my worries, and practically bit the idiot male twin's head off when he stopped by wanting to ask about how many explosions I've caused and how. Gobber noticed right way by my lack of talking and expressions that I wasn't right that first day, it was only during Hiccup's rounds that I finally learned the full truth of what happened.

"Toothless is a wreck, he hasn't handled others fearing him very... well in the recent past. I just need to know for his sake, Nirya, is Misty okay?" Hiccup asked. I looked up, finally piecing together what happened, understanding it only too well. Forcing myself to not react with anger, I let some of my worry show through.

"No, Hiccup... Misty has suffered from... flashbacks since she was young. It was one time but... it scarred her enough that she's never been able to escape them since. Mother left the nest for just a few hours while I was learning to speak Norse and Icelandic in a few of the Igloo Colonies up north. Misty was alone in the cave when Simmering Slitherers decided to bully and pick on her, they were going to kill her when my mother finally arrived and killed all of them. But ever since... she's not been able to avoid things triggering her flashbacks. I fear her recent injuries have only made them more frequent." I muttered, controlling my temper which is a lot more flayed recently with my worry. I pounded a sword with a hammer, taking my anger out on bending the sword back into shape just to relieve some of the frustration and stress.

"Might want ta let that sword sit in the forge for a bit there, Lass, if ye determined to pound at it like yer enemy." Gobber said suddenly. I took a deep breath in and out before nodding and shoving the sword into the forge rather violently.

"I'm sorry, Nirya, I wish I knew how to help her, but we don't really have any experience with dragons suffering Warrior's Woe." Hiccup said as I frowned and looked at him, not recognizing the words he was using, though I know their meaning in Norse, but I get the feeling they are meaning more.

"Warrior's Woe?" I said in confusion, showing my lack on knowledge on Viking customs. Hiccup rubbed the back of his neck and looked at Gobber who spoke in a somber tone, very unlike the blacksmith.

"It's a common issue with us older warrior's of the village, when ye have seen one too many battles, lost a part of yerself, or lost someone ye care about it tends ta leave a mark, a mental one. We call it Warrior's Woe, and there is no cure for it, but being alone only makes it worse. We don't give up on our own, so we surround them, friend, family, keeps the daymares away. So ye need to figure out how to keep Misty from locking herself up like that, lass, and get her out among the dragons, and the humans too." Gobber said. I growled angrily, pulling free the heated sword rather violently as I slammed it down on the anvil, hammering away at it agaqin.