What's in a Name?

Loss and Gifts

(AN: *The animals' thoughts will be in italics.* *Astrid's replies will be bold and italics.*)

It's been a wild several months after regaining my strength from being sick. "Sadly, your sight is permanently gone, Astrid," states Völva Hlif. "I can teach you how to tell herbs apart from each other, when they grow, and what they do."

"Yes, please teach me everything that you can. I still want to be a healing Völva just like you," I reply eagerly with a smile on my face. "I want to be of some use to the village. I don't want to become a burden for my family or village."

"You'll have to learn to use your other senses to smell out infection in a wound or feel how a limb was broken, so you'll know how to set the bones. There's plenty you can learn," replies the kind Völva. "You'll still be able to stitch wounds or sew. Once we figure out the best way, you'll still be able to weave that beautiful cloth that everyone wants."

*You might want to ask her if she can teach you how to control your gifts,* Ericik says in my mind. I gently put my hand on his head and scratched behind his ear.

"Völva Hlif, you work with magic and other things besides the healing, correct?" I ask softly with my head tilted down towards my wolf. "Yes... Why do you ask?" she replies. "Would it be a bad or evil thing if someone could talk to animals and they talk back to them?" I ask.

"We all talk to animals Astrid, and we like to think that they talk to us in their own way. Whether it's a cat meowing or a dog barking," she says. "But I don't think it's bad or evil to be able to speak and understand animals. There have been rare few that are blessed by the gods and goddesses who could do those things. Why do you ask this?"

"Well, Ericik, Ebbe, and Aksel can speak to me in my head," I say softly and hesitantly. "At times, if I really concentrate, I can see through their eyes."

Völva Hlif sits down with a look of awe upon her face, "Can you ask Ericik what I've just done?" I nod, "Do you want me to ask him out loud or in my head?"

"You can ask in your head as well as out loud?" I nod again, "Yes, is that a bad thing?" A little worried. "Oh no, Astrid, that's a very good thing," she replies with a smile. "You can ask him either way, for I shall know if you speak true or not."

*Ericik, what did Völva Hlif do?* I think to Ericik. *Well, she sat down with a strange look upon her face, and then she smiled,* he replied. "Ericik says that you sat down with a strange look upon your face, and then you smiled," I tell her.

"Well, Little Astrid, it seems that you have been blessed by the gods and goddesses. For now, I think it best that we keep this to ourselves until you get this under control," Völva Hlif states.

So for the next 3 years, Völva Hlif taught me how to tell how herbs by smell and feel, how to dry and package them so that just by feeling the knots on the package I can tell which herb is in the package. How to smell out infections, how to set broken bones, and how to stitch up wounds. (She was a hard task master, but she helped me grow and learn how to deal with my blindness)

She also taught me how to control my gifts of animal speech and how to ask animals for aid (she taught me to always ask for aid and never demand the animals to help me), how to see through Ericik's, Ebbe and Aksel's eyes when needed (Never depend on their sight for I can do things without it). That's when we found out I could see through all animals' eyes (Boy, was that confusing, I had accidently seen through a whole herd of reindeer eyes)

On the morning of my 11th birthday, Ivan had gifted me an otter skin pouch that he created by cutting part of the neck and removing the insides, then drying it with the head, feet, and tail still attached. Once it had dried, Ivan carved a wooden clasp which mother attached to the head and just below the neck opening so it can be fastened shut plus mother added a belt loop, so I can always carry herbs with me without the fear of them getting wet and ruined. Aksel gifted me a slim, sharp knife for cutting cloth, stitches, and anything else I might need to cut. Ebbe gifted me a sturdy leather belt to carry my pouch and knife on. I decided to wrap a length of folded cloth that I wove for bandages around the belt, so I'll have cloth with me. Mother's gift was 3 powdered dyes, crimson (Madder), indigo (Woad), and yellow (Tansy), and 7 undyed skeins of wool, Völva Hlif gave me a gift as well, the gift of being Hannasburg's Völva.

I went out to gather the last of the herbs before winter set in, I heard a soft, terrified voice in my head. *Help me, please, my wing is hurting* *Hold on, I'm coming to help. Where are you?* *I'm near the stream next to the willow tree* *I know exactly where you're at hang on* "Ericik please take me to the willow tree near the steam," I ask. Ericik gently leans into my left leg and starts to walk to the area in question. *It's a young, snowy owl. It looks like she's just leaving the nest.* Aksel pipes up.

That's one thing I've never learned, that's keeping my 3 friends out of my mind, they can always hear what's said and can always find me no matter where I am, Völva Hlif called this a lifebond.

Once Ericik and I get to the willow tree, I kneel down. "It's safe to come out," I call to the owl. "Ericik won't hurt you. Even though he can be scary," I say with humor. *I'm only scary to my meals,* Ericik replies with a snap of his jaws. I start laughing. "Oh yes, so scary." I hear the owl slowly making her way out of cover and over to me. *He doesn't scare me,* she replies, clicking her beak.

"May I check your wing?" I ask softly. *Yes* comes the soft reply. I gently feel along her wing and breastbone to "see" where the break is. "It seems like you've just got a break in your wing only. Your breastbone is fine."

"Ebbe and Aksel, can you please find me two thin sticks that are the length of her wing," I ask as I point to the section of wing I need the sticks for. *We're on it, Astrid* they reply as they go scampering off. I feel the owl again to measure out how much cloth I'll need. I undo some cloth then cut it with my new knife, "I love my brothers thoughtfulness for such useful gifts this year," I say with love in my voice. *They were trying to figure out what the best gifts would be. It was funny listening to them talk. The hardest part was not telling you,* Ericik says.

The twin ermines showed up each dragging a stick. *Will these work?* I pick up both sticks and feel them, then line them up to the owls wing. "These are perfect, thank you." I wrap the sticks with some of the cloth then lay them in my lap. "This part is going to hurt. I need to set the break and splint it," I tell her. *I'm ready,* she replies. I gently take the wing in my hands and set the break. The young owl screeches out in pain. "I'm so sorry, little one, but the worst is over now," I say as I start to splint the wing. "If it's ok with you, I'd like to take you home and take care of you while you heal," I tell her. *I would love to come to your home, the wolf and ermines have talked me into staying with you,* she says. "Well then, you'll need a name," I say as I wrap the wing to her body, "How about Frida? After my sister"

*Yes, I love that name,* she replies.

@)--'-- @)--'--@)--'--@)--'--@)--'--

Thank you for reading my story. I'll be done with Astrid's back story soon.