The Gift Of Power | Wattys 2020 (Dance of Power Trilogy: Book 1)

Mercenary For Hire

It was late in the evening by the time Hiccup and Toothless made it back to the village. Leaving Toothless at the forge, Hiccup practically ran to the home he had shared with the Eret family for nearly a year. Eret the younger greeting him jovially as he entered. "Scáth! You made it! We wondered if perhaps you had fallen off that dragon of yours and we needed to come rescue you out of a bog."

Laughing, Hiccup greeted Mrs. Eretson before joining the men by the fire with a tankard of mead. Without hestitation, he began to fill them in about the fight he had just seen and his intervention, followed by the proposition from the commander. Both men listened intently. When he had finished with his story, Hiccup asked seriously, "what do you think? Was I right to accept his offer?"

Eret the elder scratched his chin thoughtfully for a moment. "He told you the truth young Scáth. We ourselves have traded goods with the Romans beyond the wall. They are mostly peaceable men sent to protect and oversee the trade at the border and represent the empire. The empire itself is supposed to be incredibly vast and drowning in wealth. I have only witnessed this wealth in some of the goods I have received from them. I can show you."

With that he got up and left the room. Returning promptly with a small, ornately carved wooden box. He handed it to Hiccup, who took a moment to appreciate the skill that had gone into crafting the box alone before opening the lid. Inside it was a pair of earrings and a necklace made with some sort of iridescent stone that shone rainbow colours in the fire light. Beside those was a small glass bottle of liquid. He looked up questioningly at Eret senior and asked, "What are these things? Where did they come from?"

"I traded two very fine saddles for them with a man across the wall and brought them home for my wife. The jewelry is made from a substance they call mother-of-pearl which is apparently harvested from inside the shells of oysters. The bottle contains a substance called perfume, which comes in many different fragrances and is used by the wearer to give themselves an appealing aroma. This particular perfume comes from an oil procured from the petals of a flower they call a rose. According to the trader, the empire has scores of products like this available everywhere. It seems to be an extravagant waste of effort and resources to us."

Hiccup picked up the bottle and removed the stopper. Lifting it to his nose, he inhaled the delicate scent of fresh flowers. It was a divine and intoxicating smell unlike anything he had ever experienced. He longed to know how it was made. Did the women of Rome really smell like this? It must be terribly distracting for the men if that was the case. Toothless chuckled through their connection at the direction his thoughts had taken. Stupid, judgemental reptile! Picking up the necklace, Hiccup held it up to the fire's glow and watched the beautiful rainbow patterns glisten and dance over the surface. If these were the common man's trade items, what other incredible knowledge did these Romans possess?

Hiccup could sense Toothless' approval through their bond as he made his decision. They would offer their services to this emperor if he proved to be an honest enough man. This should gain Hiccup access to the wonders and knowledge of the empire without him having to swear fealty to anyone and renounce his ties to his homeland. Both the Eret's agreed with him. Eret the Younger even went so far as to say that if he wasn't needed to help support his family here, he would gladly assist Hiccup on this venture.

"You will have to send word to us with Sharpshot and let us know if the tales about the empire are true," Eret the Elder joked. As they prepared to turn in for the night Hiccup sent one last thought to Toothless through the connection. He had an idea of a way to repay the Eretson family for their hospitality and kindness towards a young man with very little to offer.

"Should be an interesting adventure. I suggest we arrive better prepared this time though. Otherwise you can find a way to get there yourself." Toothless' grumbled reply left him laughing. The dragon undeniable had a point too. Hiccup would have to think up some way to protect his brother this time around. The perfect solution came to him just before he drifted off to sleep.