Fire in our veins

Let's get burn, my dear

He didn't remember exactly when he returned to his cabin. Erik had already managed to change the night watch twice before this, so there wasn't much time left until dawn. He closed the door behind him with a quiet click, then moved towards his bed only to sit down at his desk at the last moment. He took the wine tankard in his hand and drank at least half of it before pausing to take a breath. He felt the wine slowly run down his chin and neck soaking the front of his tunic. He looked down at the bed, from which a quiet moan came. He should at least try to sleep, but instead all his attention was focused on Eira.

When he had first heard of her, Ryker had mentioned her, though he hadn't said much, and neither had the dragon riders. He felt an unpleasant bitterness rise in his throat at the mere thought of those snot-nosed men destroying his ships. He took a few more sips until the cask was completely empty. He used the palm of his hand to wipe off what was left on his lips and chin.

The unpleasant feeling passed when he looked at Eira again. He had to admit that despite his dislike for her brother, this woman could make things interesting. More reports came in fairly regularly. He had learned more about his new adversary, but had incorrectly assumed that he was Hiccup. Of course, the young Viking was quite inept, but still the leader of this whole group of dragon lovers. Plus, he had tamed Night Fury, which in itself said quite a lot about him. However, when it came to cunning and tactics... Hiccup let him lead him around by the nose, which was quite amusing at first. Until, of course. When Eira fell into his hands, he felt like he had been given a gift from the gods. Without a healer or someone who could actually use their brain, the dragon riders became as vulnerable as children.

He looked at the bed when Eira moaned once again. She was lying on her side hugging the rolled up blanket to her chest. Thinking little, he grabbed his blanket and placed it over her, making sure it wouldn't fall off. Satisfied with the result, he returned to his chair. He started looking through some of the documents Erik had brought him. It didn't take long, however, before his head fell back on the tabletop and everything went black.

He was awakened by the sound of the door closing. He sat up abruptly and regretted it quite quickly when his numb muscles gave out. With a quiet sigh he stood up, feeling something soft fall from his shoulders. He turned around to see the red blanket that now lay carelessly on the chair. He involuntarily raised an eyebrow and looked at the bed, which was empty. He picked up the soft material and looked at it and the bed for a moment. He put the blanket back in place and left the room.

Eira woke up even before sunrise. She was trying to fall asleep again when she noticed the red blanket. She didn't remember taking an extra one, the night seemed unusually warm to her. Another surprise was that the other half of the bed was empty. The first thing she did was look towards the desk. As she had expected she found Viggo there, but the man was not working as she had thought. His hands and head were resting on the tabletop in a rather uncomfortable position. Slowly she got out of bed, taking the red blanket with her. She placed it over the sleeping man, and when she had made sure that the material would not fall off, she left the cabin.

It was quite chilly, as it usually was before dawn. The horizon line was beginning to brighten, which slightly improved visibility. The deck was lit by numerous lanterns and a specially protected hearth in the middle. When she noticed Erik and two other hunters she didn't yet know sitting around it, she decided to sit with them. When Erik saw her, he wordlessly shifted on the bench, making place for her.

- Is Viggo asleep? - Erik lowered his voice before asking her the question. When she answered in the affirmative, he looked at the two hunters who had stood up and gone below deck.

- Is something wrong? - The man was acting strangely.

- We have a problem, quite a big one at that. - He sighed, then also got up and told her to follow him.