Symphony of Shadows

23. Healer

Astrid's parents burst through the door of Gothi's hut—red-faced and panting from the rushed hike up the winding peak. It was late in the afternoon, and they had just now discovered that their daughter had nearly died sacrificing herself for their village. At least, that was what Gothi had gleaned from the rather strange interaction with the boy they called Svikari.

His genuine concern for young Astrid made her question whether this feared dragon rider was as cold and calculated as he made them all believe. There had to be something else at play. She knew now that he was just a reckless boy trying to play war, but rather than anger her, it saddened the village elder. She couldn't help but wonder what the young man's upbringing had been like—surely amongst barbarians. Perhaps he'd been abandoned and raised by the dragons themselves. It was pure speculation; she would likely never know.

On another note, she couldn't believe that it had taken the poor girl's parents so long to realize something had gone very wrong, but she couldn't blame them either. Gothi herself hadn't expected Astrid to return so quickly. Stoick had told everyone she was scouting a new market, but she knew it was just a cover for something more important.

Gothi pointed over to where the still unconscious girl lay, and her parents walked over cautiously, as if the loudest whisper would cause her death. Gothi had never seen Greta, Astrid's mother, so distraught, and it wildly unnerved her.

Over the years, the village elder had watched the once-spirited young Greta shut herself down after a near-death experience that had occurred shortly after Astrid was born. Asger, Astrid's father, had broken down and become mentally and emotionally unstable after hearing the precarious state his beloved wife was in, causing the newborn baby Astrid to be left in the care of Gothi.

The Hoffersons had tried to wash away any remembrance of that dark time for fear it would weaken their family name, but Gothi would never forget Asger's ashen face and hoarse scream when he heard that the possibility of his wife living to see their daughter grow up was slim. Greta had suffered a range of severe injuries that the healer spent months treating, including a broken hip bone, collarbone, and arm, as well as a nasty head injury. No one at the time knew who or what had caused the traumatic accident, and when Greta finally came to, she refused to reveal the nature of her injuries.

She was never the same after that.

Her once-vibrant blue eyes had dulled to a mute grey as time passed, and everyone in the village knew she rarely left the house, yet no one dared to say a thing. However, when Astrid showed early signs of being a striking warrior, soon all the attention that surrounded the family turned to her instead. Gothi knew Astrid was oblivious to the fact that her mother suffered such trauma, and she suspected that the Hoffersons had never told the girl.

A wide-eyed Greta knelt by Astrid's side and patted her daughter's body, searching for any sign of imminent death, such as open wounds or broken bones. Gothi had treated the girl with burn salves after replacing her destroyed clothing with a long nightgown the elder usually kept for patients. She shuffled over to where the family now stood and peeled back the blanket she had placed over the girl to shield her from the icy archipelago mornings. Pointing to the girl's most prominent injury, she heard a loud gasp that came from Greta, which led to sobbing as she realized the extent of the damage done to her daughter. But there was still a chance Astrid would make it out alive. Asger shed a tear and placed a hand on his wife's shoulder to stabilize the both of them as their world came crashing down.

"What did I...miss?"

A heaving Gobber hobbled into the room, clearly winded from the hike. Gothi shot him a look but motioned for him to come over and translate her assessment of Astrid's condition, along with what had happened to the young fighter. She'd contemplated all morning and afternoon what she would tell the others about Astrid's situation, whether she should tell the truth or lie to conceal the curious actions of the dragon rider so many of the village loathed. She drew what had happened and how the mysterious rider had saved young Astrid from a fiery death and a savage Monstrous Nightmare. Gobber was gobsmacked as he realized what had happened and struggled to put his words together.