For Milady

TWENTY FOUR: Gone

TWENTY FOUR: Gone

Two days had passed on Stippling and one more old man had perished to the disease-but the rest of the village had stabilised. Astrid went round the houses twice a day, doling out cure and water. She had also made a cauldron of fish stew and was delivering small bowls of the food to the ailing villagers. Stormfly was faithfully at her side, concerned as the young woman pushed herself beyond weariness to tend her patients. She barely ate, didn't rest nearly enough and found that Thumper was much quieter than he had been-almost certainly because he, like his mother, was short of food.

On the second day, she perched by the fire and sipped a cup of cold water, wetting her parched lips and slaking her thirst. She was exhausted and her back was aching from too much bending...so she scrambled to a stream and methodically washed her face and arms and then she combed through and rebraided her hair. Stormfly came and sat behind her and she gratefully rested back against the warm, scaly body.

"I know, girl," she sighed, closing her eyes. "But no one has died today and many of them are looking better. Thanks for finding me some willow bark, girl. I've been able to feed them willow bark tea to keep their fever down." And then she sighed. "And we're running out of cure..."

Stormfly crooned and Astrid sighed, closing her eyes. "Just a little nap, girl. I'm really exhausted. Freya, I can remember when I could practice all day and night and still have the energy for a race with Hiccup..." She chewed her lip and her face fell. "And times change," she finished quietly, dropping her hand to her swollen middle, feeling Thumper squirm. "Just a little nap..."

Her eyes snapped open and she realised it was already dusk, the temperature rising and the clouds bunching at the horizon, though the sky appeared to be on fire. She shivered and glanced over, seeing that the fire in the Plaza had all but gone out. Groaning, she scrambled up and grabbed the firewood she had hacked from the trees with the Nadder's help and swiftly rebuild the fire, allowing Stormfly to ignite it, before stirring the cure and doling the remaining amount out into portions. Sighing, she took her dose, grimacing at the flavour and washing it down with another flask of water. Then, wearily, she rose and turned-to come face to face with a stranger.

She shrieked and scrambled back, her hand snatching at her axe and flipping it into her hands, bracing herself and swinging it round to hover inches in front of the man's face.

"Identify yourself!" she yelled and he took a pace back.

"I am Vetle...the Chief's second in command," he rasped. "Who are you?" And then he frowned. "You're the Valkyrie, aren't you." She frowned.

"I am no supernatural creature," she told him fiercely. "I am Astrid Hofferson, Dragon Rider of B...Dragon's Edge! I was sent here by Chief Kjetil of Sniffling to his friend Magnus...but there was already Eel Pox here. I did as any Rider would do-we protect and help where we can." The man frowned and almost stumbled, so she helped him sit by the fire and gave him willow bark tea.

"You made this?" he asked and she nodded, a hint of uncertainty in her brilliant blue eyes.

"Um...yeah..." she admitted. The man smiled, his lined face brightening. His grey eyes glittered.

"It's actually very good," he said. "The honey is a great touch." She shrugged.

"It was how my Mom always makes it," she admitted. "And she wouldn't let me go out and practice with my axe until I learned to make the tea. No matter that I couldn't cook anything else, I had to learn to make her willow bark tea..." The man ran his long fingers through his dishevelled grey hair and sighed.

"I thank Odin for her insistence," he said gratefully, managing a wan smile.

"I'm just going to do my rounds now," she said and he smiled.