Once a Berserker Always a Berserker
When I woke up, I had no idea where I was. I slowly sat up and tried to focus on my surroundings. My head was groggy. I slowly made out my ax in the corner of the room. Wait, it was my room. Okay, I was in my room.
"I thought I heard you stirring!"
I looked up and saw my brother walk in with a steaming mug of something that smelled awful.
"What happened?" I asked. I groaned and rubbed my head. I had a horrid headache.
"Oh, you just had a bit too much to drink last night. We said goodbye to the dragons, remember?" Dagur asked.
I groaned and laid back down in my bed, covering my face with a pillow.
"I have my specialty drink for you! The one that cures hangovers!" Dagur said, holding out the foul smelling cup to me.
"Yeah, it cures hangovers but causes about thirty other diseases while it's at it," I muttered.
"Very funny, sister," Dagur groaned. He shoved the cup into my hands.
"Thanks," I muttered.
"How are you feeling? I know yesterday was rough," Dagur said.
I just shrugged. I had had to say goodbye to my best friend. How do you think I was feeling?
I rarely ever drank, if I did it was just at a party or something with everyone else. I never got drunk. But yesterday… I don't know everything just kind of happened.
"We need to go to Berk. Maybe Hiccup knows why they all left," I muttered as I took another sip of my brother's strange drink. It actually was starting to make me feel better.
"I can get the ships ready," Dagur said.
"Hey, on our way there, we should probably check on Mala and my niece and nephew, make sure their Eruptadon is still there," I suggested.
Dagur sighed. Things had gotten complicated between him and Mala. But he nodded nevertheless and told me he'd have the crew set up courses there.
He was about to leave when I said, "Hey, brother?"
He turned to look at me from the doorway.
"Thanks for the drink," I said, smiling and holding the drink up.
He chuckled. "Of course, sister. Now, get out of bed and get dressed," he instructed with fake strictness.
"What's in it anyway?" I called after him.
I heard him laugh from down the corridor. "You don't want to know, sister!"
I sighed and stretched my arms before climbing out of bed.
My clothes had been hung on the back of the chair at my desk. I smiled slightly, realizing Dagur had been so careful and neat with them. After about ten minutes I was dressed and my hair was pulled back the way I usually did it. My ax was slung over my back.
Berserker Island was a loud place. I walked out of our house and went to the docks. There were people laughing, talking, arguing, shouting, and whispering. There was not a single person that wasn't making some kind of sound. But that's just how Berserkers were. Children ran around and had fun, most of the time without much supervision, but they were always fine. I like to think it made them tougher. Several people stopped what they were doing as I walked by so they could say hello and ask how I was doing. I guess most of the town knew about my uncharacteristically dark night. I just responded with my greetings and told them I was doing fine. I didn't want them to know that inside I was dying.
I saw the mop of bright red hair by the docks and made my way towards it. My brother was one of the only redheads on the island, certainly the only one with red so bright.
"Dagur, are the ships in place?" I asked.
"Sister! So glad to see you up and about. You and I will be taking a ship ourselves. Just an old trade ship we no longer use," he explained, pointing to a ship that had definitely seen better days, but it would serve its purpose.
"When do we leave?" I questioned, looking over the ship.
"As soon as you are ready to go. I have already packed my things and I have some of our people loading the ship up with supplies," he answered.
A young viking woman approached us and bowed slightly. "Chieftess, the ship is ready, just as your second in command asked," she said.
I smiled and thanked her. When she walked away the smile quickly left my face. I didn't feel like smiling. WindShear was gone.
"I am ready to go when you are," I said, turning towards my brother.
"Then let's go, chief," he teased. He knew I hated being called chief. I mean that is what I was, but it sounded like too big a title for me. It made me feel like I needed to be 100 times better than what I am.
"Shut up, brother," I responded, shaking my head slightly.
Dagur laughed and boarded the ship, heading towards the wheel.
"Okay, my trusty navigator, set a course for the island of the Defenders of the Wing!" He laughed, gesturing for some men on the docks to untether the ship.
I quickly jumped on the ship and went to get our maps. First stop, Mala. Second stop, Berk.