This story is for GIRLS ONLY! JK, Guys can read it too if they want to but maybe I think they would prefer to remain oblivious about these kinda problems some us girls face, lol. This is based on Viking women not being allowed to remove any body hair! Since I relate so much to Heather, I wrote from her POV.
There is a reason why Heather wears long sleeves as opposed to bare-armed tunics like her fellow female riders.
When Astrid and Ruffnut invited her over to bathe with them, she always made up excuses for why she couldn't, why she rather bathe by herself instead of in company.
There was a very specific reason for that.
Having jet black hair was cool, especially since it was very, very unusual amongst female vikings living in the north, almost unheard of. But with every blessing came a curse.
Heather knew everyone had body hair. It was impossible not to have any. But she also knew those who were fair-haired had less and theirs was so light, it was barely ever noticeable.
The hairs on Heather's arm, legs and thighs weren't very thick but since they were black, they looked very prominent. The length of the hairs also made it look like they were tightly compact.
Heather had never shaved since it was against the rules of viking women to remove body hair. Shaving was for men. Women could pluck their brows and dye their hair but that was it. They weren't allowed to do much more than that. It went against the viking way.
So Heather kept herself fully covered up, always wore long-sleeved shirts. She however plucked her brows daily, and she knew Astrid did it too since Astrid's eyebrows were pretty dark as well. Ruffnut was blessed with perfect brows though.
One day, Heather was on her way for a swim in the more private side of the Edge when Astrid and Ruffnut decided to join her out of the blue.
Heather had already taken of her clothes and was forced to jump into the water right away to find cover.
Astrid and Ruffnut unabashedly stripped of all all their layers if haste, even their undergarments. Heather didn't meant to but she stared at them, searching for flaws.
Neither of them were very hairy if at all but what Heather did notice was that Ruffnut had no curves and was dusted in freckles. Astrid had a perfect hour-glass figure but interestingly enough, the hair that covered her private area below the waistline was as dark as her eyebrows. It was definitely not as light and delicate as Ruffnut's. Ruffnut was almost completely hairless.
Both of the girls joined Heather quickly and relaxed beside her. It didn't seem like they were even looking at her, granted her body was out of view in the water.
Astrid stared at her nails and pouted. "I wish my nails were as pretty yours."
Heather raised an unexpected eyebrow at her. "You like my nails?"
Astrid nodded dreamily. "And your hair. It's so long and unique."
Heather snorted, shaking her head. "Trust me, you don't want my hair."
"Why not?" Ruffnut joined in. "If I could switch heads with you, I would do it in a heartbeat!"
Heather sighed to herself. "Well then you would also have to put up with this!" she raised her arms into the air.
Ruffnut stared at her confused. "I don't get it?"
"Ugh," Heather grunted. "I meant the ugly hairs on my arms! You don't want those!"
"Oh," Ruffnut said. "I don't mind, if I could have a body like yours, I wouldn't mind a little hair here and there."
"It's not just a little hair!" Heather spat. "Why do you guys think I avoid bathing with you?! It's because of this and this and this!" She raised herself up from the water and pointed over her various parts of her body.
"Still don't see the problem," Ruffnut shrugged after a while.
"Ugh!" Heather turned to Astrid who shrank back a little. "Hey, I have body hair too!" she said defensively.
"Yeah, right!" Heather scoffed. "It's barely even visible. But tell me one thing, how come your hair down there be so dark?"
Astrid shrugged. "Maybe because both my parents have dark hair?"
"They do?" Heather asked in surprise.
"Yeah. And as I get older, the hair on my head will turn a little darker."
Heather looked at the roots in Astrid's hair and they were indeed a dark shade of blonde.
"So does that mean your body hair will turn dark too?" Heather asked hopefully.
"Maybe, I don't know. It never did for my grandmother. I kinda got my hair color from her." Heather pushed her with a playful scoff. "I hate you."
"Why? Because I have less body hair than you?" Astrid frowned. "In that case, I hate you for your perfect thick eyebrows and long eyelashes. Mine never grow out that much. You also don't have to deal with freckles whenever you are out in the sun. These don't even go away."
Heather laughed but then turned quite.
"You know if it bothers you so much, you could always bleach it?" Ruffnut interrupted causally. "My mother bleaches hers."
Heather turned to Ruffnut in surprise. "Bleach it? That's something us viking women do?"
Astrid nodded along. "I might have to do that to the hair of my head after I have kids since the pregnancy could turn my hair darker, and I doubt being a brunette would suit me."
Heather laughed to herself. "The only thing I have learned since I was little girl was that us women don't shave. I had no idea we could bleach ourselves," she mused. "I guess since I have been living on my own for so long, I must have missed it. I didn't really have a mother to tell me these things."
"But you have us now and we will help your out," Ruffnut attacked her with a hug. Heather patted her back awkwardly since they were both pretty naked. Astrid joined in. The girls broke into a water fight, their concerns forgotten.
In the end Heather realized that everyone had shortcomings. Heather's hairy problem wasn't so hairy after all. She wasn't the only one with problems. No girl is ever happy with herself, and it's okay to communicate with each other about it. That way we can help one another out.
Maybe some day in the future, women shaving their bodies wouldn't be such a stigma anymore.