The Calm Before the Storm

You...Adopted?

"So how are you enjoying Berk so far?" Astrid asked Storm as the newcomer bit hungrily into a boar sausage.

"Pretty well if I do say so myself." Storm said after she swallowed the food. "I think Smokey is gonna like it here too, Aurum as well."

"That's great!" Astrid said beaming happily. "I can't wait to introduce you to the gang, they're gonna love you!"

"Quick question, since he's been staying here has Eret been seeing anyone?" Storm asked. "Just being curious and all, because if he is I don't want the girl to start attacking me and accuse me of trying to steal him."

"Eret's only been here for a month, he hasn't even tried dating anyone. The only girl he won't stop going nonstop about was you."

"Me?!"

"Yeah! Tuffnut actually asked if you were his girlfriend and when he said no all the guys gave a loud groan of frustration!" 

Storm felt her cheeks grow warm and turned her head away in embarrassment.

"You like him don't you?" Astrid asked.

"We're just friends...." Storm mumbled.

"I think it's more than that."

Storm gave a weary sigh and looked at Astrid.

"Okay fine, I do like him. But I don't know if he wants to move on from being friends." She admitted.

"Well you've both been friends for twenty-five years! The same thing happened to me and Hiccup, and last year we started going out!"

"Well I haven't seen Eret in seven years Astrid, we've grown apart. I don't even know if during that time he was going out with other women during the time he was gone."

"Well maybe he'll tell you. But you have to tell him Storm before it's too late." Astrid said putting a hand on Storm's. "And Eret has something going on at the moment and I think he'll need your help as well."

"What does he have going on?" Storm asked, her curiosity perking.

"Why don't you ask him?" Astrid suggested, pointing over at the doors.

Storm turned to see her friend walking in and holding the hand of a young girl. She looked back at Astrid who motioned for her to go. With a groan, Storm got to her feet and made her way over to Eret. The small child, who looked about eight years old with soft red hair, freckles and bright green eyes had attached herself to Eret's leg and was giggling wildly as Storm approached them.

"Come on now, let go so we can sit down." Eret said to her.

"No!" The girl giggled.

"Eret?"

Eret looked up to see Storm coming over to them. he gave the child another shake of the leg but she refused to let go.

"Now come on, you're making a scene." Eret scolded the child.

"Who's this?" Storm asked pointing to the kid.

"I'm his daughter." The girl said narrowing her green eyes at Storm and clutched Eret's leg tightly.

"Adopted." Eret added hastily.

"You...adopted?" Storm asked looking at the eight year year old who was wrapped around Eret's leg.

"Well her father had died during the battle of the Bewilderbeast and I felt like she needed someone to care for her." Eret explained, deciding to give up on shaking the child off.

"Are you my daddy's girlfriend?" The child asked glaring at Storm with her acid green eyes.

"N-no, I'm his friend." Storm said feeling her cheeks grow hot.

"My dead daddy had a girl who was his 'friend' but I could always hear them making gross noises when she came over to our home."

"That's a whore not a friend sweetie, I knew Eret since we were kids." Storm said, kneeling down to the girl's level.

"Storm don't use words like that in front of her!" Eret scolded.

"It's the truth." Storm answered with a shrug. "Besides I'm staying with the chief's girlfriend till your dad gets his home a bit more organized."

"Daddy keeps saying he'll get it fixed but he's too busy."

"Then maybe tomorrow you and I can give your papa a hand and help him get the place fixed up?" Storm suggested. "We can get to know each other and do a little bonding before I soon have to settle in."

"Are you gonna share a bed with papa?"

"Nah, last time I ever shared a bed with him was when we were kids and waiting for our father's to come home."

"Aren't you gonna tell her your name missie?" Eret asked.

"No."

"Her name is Brynhild."

"Seems to suit her." Storm chuckled and reached forward to ruffle her head, but Brynhild immediately released Eret's leg and bolted away. "Wow...and here I thought I was good with kids."

"Give her time, her father's girlfriend used to hit her." Eret said as Storm stood up.

"Well she should know that I'm not your girlfriend, just your friend." Storm said and remembered what Astrid said. "But...it would at least be nice to give her a father with a girlfriend who treated her right."

"I don't have a girlfriend though." Eret said looking away embarrassed.

"DUDE THERE IS ONE RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU!" Storm looked behind Eret to see two men with annoyed expressions on their faces.

One was tall and lanky with his blonde hair done in dreadlocks with a helmet on his head and messy looking clothes. The other was shorter and more stout with short black hair and a black fur cape tossed over both shoulders and wore a helmet with curled sheep horns.

"Dude if you want my sister to quit bugging you, go out with your friend!" The blonde said pointing at Storm who covered her face. "Besides, she seems more like your type anyways!"

"Tuffnut please do not say that in front of my friend." Eret groaned. "You know how Brynhild gets when any of you talk like that."

"Dude, Brynhild needs a good mom. And this chick should be it, look how your kid loves her wolf!" The shorter man said pointing to where Brynhild was scratching Smokey's belly and feeding him pieces of a fallen chicken leg she either found or snatched.

"Smokey, up!" Storm barked. Smokey's black ears twitched and jumped to all fours before scrambling over to his mistress. "Sit." The wolf sat himself on his haunches and waited.

"Brynhild come here." Eret said. The child hurried over, her eyes looking at Storm warily as she approached her father.

"I think it's time for bed." Storm said with a yawn.

"I'm not tired." Brynhild said stubbornly and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Bedtime." Eret said scooping her up and tucked her under his arm and started to walk away.

"But daaaaddy! I hadn't had dinner yet!" Brynhild whined. Eret stopped and walked back to Storm.

"Uh would you...care to join us?" He asked looking slightly embarrassed.

"Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt. We have a lot to catch up on anyways." Storm said with a chuckle. "Besides, Smokey really likes his new friend." She added as the wolf walked over to the girl and was licking her face and making her giggle and laughed.

"Dinner for four it is then." Eret said with a grin.