The Voyager and the Rogue

Chapter 66

I was later informed that what I dubbed as the "calling of the council" was actually informally called the Gathering of Chieftains; a meeting that had not occurred in many, many decades. Marking Zephyr's reign with the Gathering of Chieftains was a huge deal, as the forefathers of all the current chieftains had perished in the great fire caused by Drago Bludvist all those years ago.

Chieftains from the farthest reaches of the Archipelago were attending this gathering, as well as their councils.

Gobber, who, even in his frail state, was adamant of attending alongside Hiccup, Astrid, me, and Ana in support of Zephyr and Tannr. Hiccup informed me that while Zephyr was not the first female chieftain in the Archipelago, referencing the Bog-Burglar tribe, she was the first female chieftain in the Haddock line, and never had a chieftain brought their spouse to this meeting. So Zephyr was truly making history, and in a way, so was I.

Oswald II, the son of Dagur the Deranged and Queen Mala of the Defenders, was also attending. He and Zephyr were close friends growing up, and she was excited to see him. Additionally, Oddný, daughter of Camicazi of the Bog-Burglars would also be there; another close friend of Zephyr and Oswald, Oddný would be shadowing her mother, as she was not yet Chieftess.

In the days following the wedding and partying, the Gathering finally came together. I was impressed with how many representatives gathered in the Great Hall at the large table specifically crafted to handle all the people there.

Tannr was excited to see the chief of Firewind, the island that his parents and his uncles came from.

So the chiefs of the Berserker and Defenders of the Wing, the Wingmaidens, the Bog-Burglars, the Outcasts, Northlanders, Meatheads Thunderheads, and Firewind tribes were all in attendance.

The meeting commenced with the blow of a horn, and each chieftain sat in their respective seats, with Zephyr and Tannr at the head. It began with the new generations of chiefs formally introducing themselves to the older chiefs and introducing those who had accompanied them. Once all the others had finished, it was Zephyr's turn to speak. Tannr was sat to her left, and I to her right, as she insisted I sit with them.

With introductions finally out of the way, the topics discussed included what had changed on each island over the past few years, with trade, population, and wide-scale challenges they were facing. It soon became apparent that the majority of the tribes were dealing with an influx of new, foreign traders from the mainland who were stirring up trouble and bringing it with them, leading to skirmishes out at sea.

"The Byzantine Empire has expanded greatly, and we are seeing their influence spread. But the biggest problem the tribes closest to the mainland have been facing is this new religion. "Christianity", they call it. Worship of a "one, true God," that we've heard," Camicazi remarked, resisting the urge to scoff. I raised an eyebrow, as I was familiar with the term, yet I remained silent.

"Yes, I've heard of the followers going wherever they can to spread this new belief of theirs. It has not been received well in many parts of the continent. Yet there is still much we don't know."

"I've heard that the Byzantines are the Christians," the Outcast chief mentioned.

"It seems that there's a lot we don't know quite yet," Tannr spoke up, "perhaps we can look further into it." He offered. A few murmurs of agreement circled the table, which led to Zephyr turning to me.

"Laeli, you've done a great deal of traveling around that area, anything you'd like to add?" All eyes suddenly on me, and I swallowed nervously. I sat up straighter, glancing at the table of faces studying me closely.

"Yes, it is true I have heard word of... Christianity spread throughout the mainland. I didn't hear much, as those I heard it from had fled their homelands. But I can say without a doubt, that the world as we know it is changing, and we must anticipate whatever is coming. We don't know what consequences there will be, but being ready for it is better than nothing." I offered, resisting the urge to shrug to not seem indifferent or uncertain