Fire in our veins

Silence before the storm

Now let's add a little spice...

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She stepped ashore with the help of Viggo, who suddenly appeared right behind her carrying a bag she hadn't seen before. She scolded him for giving her another heart attack, which he clearly ignored. As she had expected, the village was much larger than the one on Berk, something she could not see so well from the ship. Viggo grabbed her hand as they made their way through the crowd, who, seeing their leader try to get out of his way.

What never ceased to amaze her was how everything around her seemed normal. Houses, forges, stalls, groups of children playing between adults. Groups of people greeting crew members she recognised. Nowhere she looked did she see a dragon, or even a cage. She had expected something, more like the camps she and her brother had seen together. This village was not like that, which in a way reassured her. Looking at the families greeting the crew, she remembered the time when she herself had waited for her father to return from an expedition. She remembered standing on the cliff since dawn, looking out for ships on the horizon.

The path they walked ended at a large square. It must have been the centre of the village, looking at the number of stalls and the huge building in the middle, which must have been a great hall. There were also many more people standing around them. In the crowd she even spotted Ryker talking to a young man. Unexpectedly, Viggo let go of her hand, which he had been holding the whole time, and started looking around as if he was looking for someone. She wanted to ask him about it, but was interrupted by a rather squeaky voice.

- Viggo! - a short and old woman squeezed through the crowd towards them. She was leaning on a cane similar to the one Gothi had. Surprisingly, she noticed Viggo flinch slightly upon hearing her name.

- Helga. Your things have been taken to..

- Yes, yes I saw them carry the crates. Now, where is she? - she interrupted him by waving her hand. Viggo crossed his arms, at which Helga sighed heavily. - I'm not getting any younger you know? You can't be alone forever, and I want to know before I die that my brother's line won't end with you.

It was probably a conversation she shouldn't have heard. So, recognising that she should give them some privacy, Eira slowly began to back away, while trying to find Erik in the crowd. However, she was interrupted by a small and bony hand that clamped rather tightly around her wrist.

- Oh forgive the old woman, my eyes are not so good anymore. - Helga looked at Viggo with a grimace. - Why didn't you say at once that you had found some? Praise Freya, for that, I was already beginning to think that none would want you.

- Helga, let her go. - Viggo didn't look happy. - Eira is a healer. You wanted me to find you a healer to help you, right? Meet Eira then, she is a healer on Berk.

Helga, looked surprised, then as if she had eaten something sour, followed by a look of genuine interest on her face. She started looking at Eira, even touched one of her braids carefully.

- From Berk you say? Tell me, when did your Gothi pass away? - the old woman grimaced.

- What, no, Gothi is well. I am her student. - That was enough to make Helga beam.

- So the old hag is still alive? Ha! I'll have to visit her after this winter.

- Do you two know each other? - Eira didn't expect Gothi to have friends from other tribes.

- Oh we are distant relatives. The last time I saw her, if I remember correctly, was when your chieftain's wife gave birth to her first child, some twenty springs ago. I really have never seen a child with such red hair in my life. - She paused for a moment and took another look at Eira. - Are you Stoik's daughter? Of course you are. Oh my dear how you have grown. - Helga started to tell the story of her trip to Berk, but stopped abruptly. She turned towards Viggo, who had been standing next to her the whole time. - I hope Stoik has been informed where you are taking his only daughter. He has never been one of the forgiving ones, if you know what I mean.