learning to fly, how to train your dragon

003. axe to grind

chapter three
003. axe to grind!

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   FREYA WAS up at dawn the next morning. She sat with her mother, alone in their small home without her father, to thank the gods to bless them with a peaceful sunrise. As she prayed, she also asked Freyja to give her strength for the day ahead. For if she was named after the goddess, she sure expected her to give her some much needed attention and favouritism. Her mother always spoke about the omen Freyja gave her the moment she was born. The only child her mother could ever sire▬a miracle that had entered this world on a spring day where the snow had thawed and the flowers had bloomed. Freyja was the goddess of fertility, and so it was only fair to assume she was the reason for such a blessing onto their family.

   Keeping to the promise she made, Freya followed her mother around that early morning with her chin held up high. She plastered a smile on her face as she carried buckets of apples from the farm wagon towards the storehouse. The dragons had taken quite a few of their stock for the upcoming winter, and so they were trying their very best to refill it with whatever they had. Apples, grain, cheese, beans and other vegetables they can easily store and then stew over an open fire.

    She did as she was asked, helping out the farmers carry all they could manage down the slopes. But her mind was wandering. She kept glancing up at the rising sun, her heart in her throat and her breath hitched with excitement as she waited for it to get closer and closer to when her Dragon Training would begin.

    Freya couldn't stop herself from imagining how she will fight every dragon she might come across. All of the amazing moves she will conduct with her axe that will turn heads and make people gasp with awe. She will impress Vikings, and impressing Vikings was a very hard thing to do, indeed.

    She will have to work harder than everyone else, she knew that. She will have to swing harder and run faster. She would have to jump to reach and heave her shield up. But she will do it. She will prove that she was just as much of a Viking as anybody else here was. She may be small, and she may not have much strength▬she may seem dainty and held a little axe in her little palm, but Freya will get what she wanted. She will achieve what she came to do. She refused to be underestimated.

    When it became apparent that her mind was elsewhere, and her excitement was distracting her, Hilda sighed and let her head off with a warm heart. She smiled, watching her daughter race up the slope towards where Toke was sharpening his sword at a tree stump surrounded by the other teens. All of them ready to begin their initiations with grinning faces and courageous breaths.

    Freya took a bite of her apple once she reached them, "Hey!" she called with her mouth full. "Hey▬wait up! I'll come and train with you guys!"

    She passed Toke her second apple she had brought, happily coming to stand beside him with her axe sheathed on her back. She watched the Twins share a confused glance.

    "Uh ..." Ruffnut made a face at her. "Since when?"

    "Yeah," Tuffnut went on slowly. "You never train with us."

    Freya chucked her apple up in the palm of her hand, "Well, I am now!" she said smugly. "Because I am joining Dragon Training!" She set her other hand on her hip, jotting it out with her head held up high and a proud gleam in her eye.

    The Twins sized her up and down before breaking out into snickers. Her grin faltered.

    "That's good, Freya!" said Fishlegs kindly, happy for her. "I think you will do great!" Ruffnut and Tuffnut Thorston only broke out into more quiet chuckles at his words. Freya chose to ignore them, grinning again and puffing out her chest to make herself look bigger than she actually was.