Nothing to Fear

Chapter Eighteen: Vita Pro Vita

Hiccup felt like he had been let off the hook as the days progressed. The families and friends of those who had died had respectfully declined his offer to perform the funeral and had, instead, made other arrangements. He was proud of his people for doing what they needed to do and for freeing up his time to do some damage control.

But Berk's chief had intentionally put off one sad duty that had fallen to him as chief- Olaf's funeral. Because Olaf's sister lived on Brawn, it took a few days to contact her and even longer for her to come pay her respects. Arnora Larson-Solmund was younger than Olaf by several years and, like her brother, had the gift of putting those around her at ease. Even Erick was acting somewhat normal a few hours after she had arrived.

The funeral itself had been difficult to sit through. Olaf's ship burned so brightly in the moonlight that it resembled the setting sun. No one noticed Adrianna standing in the back, leaning against the side of a house and silently wiping tears from her eyes every few seconds. No one, that is, except Erick. Rather than give her the usual glare, he simply started at her for a few seconds and turned to Magnus again. Adrianna knew it was wishful thinking to assume that she and Erick would be friends again anytime soon but she was at least glad he didn't hate her for being there.

In the wake of a tragedy, sometimes it can be a little bit unnerving how fast life goes back to normal. Within a week since Hiccup and Adrianna had returned, those who had been sick had almost completely recovered. The blizzard had damaged a lot of buildings and it took a few days for the temperature to rise enough that the snow softened, allowing the Berkians to begin repairs. Soon, that became the most important task and all able bodied Hooligans were working on the reconstructions required.

A full week after Hiccup and Adrianna's return, Benen woke up feeling rather odd. It wasn't an unpleasant sensation, or even a physical one at all, but it was sort of a feeling that today was significant. He blinked a few times, staring up at the ceiling of his small house, and found himself deep in thought. It certainly wasn't his birthday or a holiday that he could recall. But today seemed vitally important for some reason and the elderly man wasn't at all sure why. He supposed he would know soon enough.

He rose from his bed a lot earlier than usual and ate breakfast at a leisurely pace, knowing that he wouldn't be needed until much later that morning. His dragon was out hunting and wouldn't be back until that evening so, after getting dressed, he decided to take a walk around and enjoy the crisp morning air. The midwinter chill on Berk was colder than anyplace he'd ever been and he had come to love it because it always reminded him to be thankful for his freedom. This morning was no exception.

Benen's house was close to the leather shop and he was surprised to see someone working in the window. It was certainly too early for the nonessential sort of jobs like healing or standing guard over a public place. Surely the owners of the saddles or outfits that needed repair weren't that impatient.

Benen strolled over and rapped lightly on the window. He could make out Erick so hard at work, one might have thought he was making up for a lot of lost time. The boy lifted his head and furrowed his brow at the sight of Benen in the window. Nonetheless, he walked over and opened it.

"Need something?" he asked dismissively.

Benen took in the Larson boy's haggard appearance. His eyes had dark circles under them, in fact his whole face seemed to droop completely. He was hardly recognizable as the wide eyed teenager who greeted customers with a friendly smile. And he was far from the boy who pretended he wasn't staring at a certain blonde girl every time she passed by.

"Not particularly. But I think you do." Benen said with a small smile. "When is the last time you had some company other than Horst?"

"Why does that matter?" Erick shook his head when his eyelids began to droop.