Between Waves and Clouds

26 - Hearts in the shadows

When she saw Nuffink and Frost leaving the Mead Hall, laughing and holding hands, she saw red. She frowned and clenched her fists with fuming anger. Igvid had been in love with the son's chief for a few years, now. They knew each other since childhood and had been friends since the beginning.

Even if the fierce brunette had fought back these feelings at first and had neatly hidden it, partly because she was a bit ashamed to love the scrawniest viking of the village, she had ended up getting used to it. During teenage, she had hesitated to confess it to Nuffink, but it also was the time he had found out about himself and had come out as loving boys. It had upset her, but it wasn't enough for her to forget about him and move on.

So when there had been this episode with Avock, she had seen just how much it had hurt the blond, and she had blown up with anger. If it hadn't been for Sneezelout and Firestorm holding her back, she would have murdered Avock and Gritta. Then Nuffink had depressed and it had felt like she had been stabbed in the heart. The guy she loved, usually a smily, teasing and defying guy, had shut himself from the rest of the world and had not smiled for months.

She had helped him as best as she could, certain they had grown closer. However, the day he had seemed better and she had finally gathered the guts to confess her love, nothing had went like she had expected. He didn't love her back and didn't want to get in another relationship. They had fought and parted angry and resentful. And she had hold back tears on the following day, when he had publically said he was leaving Berk for exploration.

The two following years had been a mixture of torture and bliss for the Jorgenson daughter, because missing the one she loved was unbearable, but each time he was coming back on good old New Berk, she was always struck with a wave of happiness seeing him again. Every, single, time. They had reconciled with some time, they had slowly grown back to the friends they used to be, but still Igvid couldn't move on from her feelings. She couldn't help but hope that, one day, he would love her back.

Her hopes had been crushed once again, the day he had brought back a boy from the frozen lands of the north. She had tried to convince herself otherwise, but she had instantly felt there was something between the two. She had tried to convince herself it was only friendship, that it was because the boy was open and friendly and that eveyone liked him, including her. She almost convinced herself, until a week ago, when Nuffink made their couple official.

Somehow, she had wanted to be happy about it, she even managed to smile seeing her friend smile, it had been so long since the last time she had seen a true smile on his sunkissed, freckles dotted face. She had so missed his smile, that truly happy smile. It was obvious Nuffink was happy, and that was why it hurt Igvid so much. Because she knew she wasn't the one who had made Nuffink smile again. It was Frost.

Starting from that day, she had began to hate to white-haired boy, but having to work with him at the Academy couldn't help her hide it. She could bare him when he was not with Nuffink, that allowed her to think they were only friends, but once she was seeing them, her open wound and her growing hatred were crawling back to her.

So, when she saw them leaving the party to run away in the night, picturing what they could possibly do together, alone... it was the worst for her. It stole any appetite or party mood from her, so she left too. Some fresh air would certainly help her cool down. The night was chilly, breath would turn into fog and bodies would shiver. Igvid dragged her feet towards the family hutt, mourning and sulking.

Yet, while she was walking, she stopped as she heard sobs. Normally, she wouldn't pay attention nor even care, but she heard a second voice. And this voice, just hearing it was enough to give her murderous tendencies, even three years after the events. She sneaked around the hutt she was passing by and spotted, behind it, sat on a bench, Avock and Selina.