Symphony of Shadows

13. Promise

In the darkness of the alcove, Astrid could only make out the general outline of the intruder, tall and lean with plenty of hair, the complete opposite of any normal viking except for the last attribute. Vikings were known to be pretty hairy. Wait, could it be the dragon rider? Quickly, her eyes darted down to the telltale sign that would ensure her conclusion but was proved wrong at the sight of his perfectly normal two legs. Rats. How much of her attack had he seen? Maybe it wouldn't be too late to play the victim, she thought.

Lowering her mask to form a convincing pout and gave a fake sob, her aim to draw out any underlying sympathy that would allow him to turn back around without loose lips and give Astrid the opportunity to finish her previous goal of making the grizzly viking suffer.
"Oh thank you so much for coming to rescue me! I thought no one had heard me scream, I was so terrified, you see, I was lost and he tried to take advantage of me-"
The young viking chuckled and she almost yelled at him for not believing her clever acting skills.
"Looks like you had it sorted yourself, can I ask what a warrior like you is doing out in the Eastern Markets? Surely you're a mercenary, but what brings you to this part of the archipelago?"
Mercenary? Ingrid had told her stories of the soulless fighters who valued a couple of gold coins over morals. Was he trying to insult her?

But he had called Astrid a warrior, a compliment she could deny had always yearned for. Not many men, especially younger vikings, believed that a woman could be a warrior. Hells, it had taken over a year to be accepted into the Berk Guard with several council meetings plus months of tests and training. Her blood had boiled when Snotlout and Gordeson had been admitted in half the amount of time with less than half of her talent. The birth rate had been slowing down at Berk in the recent years which placed more pressure on younger women to marry off and have at least six children. Astrid didn't hold any resentment for her friends that chose the domestic life, but she just couldn't choose a life where she was given such a limited range of interests. Sewing, nursing, housekeeping, farming, shopping, gossiping, and dear Odin, cooking. Cooking had never been her forte which she had learned the hard way after nearly burning down Berk trying to bake a loaf of bread for a get together at Ruff's to celebrate Snoggletog. After the incident, she was more than happy to remain the old spinster fighter than be the shame of Berk for not being able to cook a five course meal like every other doting wife.

Now that he had called her bluff, Astrid dropped the sniffling act. She scoffed at his questions and cocked her hip indignantly. Who would ever have the audacity to compare her to the notorious soul snatchers?
"I'm no mercenary and it's none of your business what I am or not doing. Do you want to be next? If not, I advise you to turn right around and pretend all is right with the world."
She gestured to the large viking heap on the floor with her knife, clearly showing that she intended to make good on her threats.

However, the threat had the opposite effect when the curious viking only continued with his intrusion.
"I would gladly be flayed by you, milady, but it would have to be another time. I can't in good conscience let you slip away until you tell me what happened."
"Are you this meddlesome everyday or am I just lucky today?"
"I typically stick to myself until I hear blood curdling screams in the middle of an empty square."
"So you're the brave hero for every damsel in distress?"
"Well you certainly aren't in need of my help, but if you entertain my question I'll go. Simple as that."
"And why do you want to know so badly?"
"It's not every day you see a woman take down a man of twice her size. Why can't I know more about her?"
Astrid groaned at his persistence. "If I tell you, will you promise to leave me?"
"I promise."

She peered over his shoulder to make sure no one else was around eavesdropping on their conversation.
"Fine. I'm here looking for the so-called Leader of Dragons. Satisfied?"
The man was quiet for a moment then replied in a hushed tone, "He's very dangerous, you know. I've heard he can gut ten vikings with the swing of his sword."
Astrid snorted. "Yeah and my great grandmother hated yak rat soup. I told you why I'm here, now leave. I have other things to deal with."
She crouched and started to unbuckle the unconscious viking's pants.

"Woah, I didn't know you were into necrophilia, so much for your moral code."
She looked up to find the stubborn man leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, judging her actions bemusedly.
"No you muttonhead, but you can watch as I cut him if you wish..."
"What? You're going to castrate him?"
"I was thinking more of the entire thing, teach him a real lesson."
Even in the absence of proper lighting, she could see his widened eyes and slacked jaw at her reply. Good. Let him know what she is capable of and run away with his tail between his legs.
"Don't think of stopping me because I assure you, you can't. Do you know how many women have suffered at the hands of this monster? How many more will? I can't let it happen. So, I'll take away his manhood and make him suffer until he dies."
The man audibly gulped but to his credit didn't run away screaming.

"Do you want any help?"
Astrid froze and looked up in confusion.
"You want go help me cut away this vikings manhood?"
"Well, no-no not that...part...but you surely need help hiding his body? He seems pretty heavy and I know the most abandoned part in the square at this time but we he wakes up it'll be crowded. He'll endure a public humiliation like he deserves."
She was more than puzzled at his offer. She had never met a viking who would choose a woman over his male counterpart, so this man was truly an anomaly. He was right that the monster deserved public humiliation, but could she trust him?

"I'll have to pass on the tempting offer, the last man that offered to help me, well, didn't have the purest of intentions."
"Here you can take all of my dragon scales as bail. I even have all of the goods I purchased outside if you want to keep them until we part? If I give you any ill indication, you can flee and leave me penniless."
Astrid pondered the offer and decided she would be a fool not to accept, she could even make herself richer if things went sour.
"Alright, lead the way. But if you cross me, you're getting an axe to the back of your head."
The man raised his hands in mock surrender and walked backwards out of the alcove into the light. She rose and went to follow him while scrutinizing his features she could now see. He had chestnut brown hair that couldn't decide which direction it should stand in, a strong jaw with peppered brown scruff, and freckles that were sprinkled about his face like individual constellations. He was handsome but not in the rugged way that typical vikings were, in a softer sense that this man was a safe and welcoming presence.

However, when she looked at his eyes, the very same green of Berk's richest forest in the summer, her heart stopped. The same eyes that had almost always been downcast and discontent, the same eyes that haunted her in her dreams and in her nightmares, the same eyes that she had once wanted to gouge out.

"Hi-hiccup?"