The Rune-Master: Chapter 1
Ruffnut swung her sword towards Astrid, at the last minute turning the blade so the broad side hit the other woman's hands. Astrid swore as the axe fell from her grasp and instinctively dropped to her knees, hoping to grab the sword before Ruff could recover. She stopped as she felt the kiss of cool steel on her neck. Astrid frowned, "You're getting better."
The taller woman smirked, "I know," and pulled Astrid to her feet. Casually Ruffnut balanced her blade on her shoulders, heading towards the exit tunnel. She turned to face Astrid, walking backwards, "And so are you." Astrid wiped at the sweat on her brow with the back of her hand as she jogged to catch up to Ruff. Together the women walked into the cool darkness of the tunnel.
"How're things going with Hiccup?" Ruffnut asked offhandedly.
Astrid's smile dimmed. "They're not."
The taller woman eyed her friend sharply. "You didn't. Again?"
"Yeah. We broke up," Astrid confirmed. They emerged into the bright sunlight. "To tell you the truth, I don't think—." She cut off as an unfamiliar man appeared in front of the two women.
"Excuse me," the man had a strange accent. "May I speak with you?"
Ruff rolled her eyes; this happened all the time. Foreign men would come to Berk and expect the women to be easy. She usually taught these men a lesson they wouldn't soon forget. Ruffnut waved a hand vaguely at Astrid and threw her a look that said, "I'll handle this."
Astrid walked off, tossing over her shoulder, "We'll talk later."
Ruffnut waited until the other woman was out of earshot, then smiled down at the man, who was rather short. "Yes?"
He looked nervous. Good. "I, um, was actually, uh, hoping to speak to both of you…?"
"She's busy," Ruff said ambiguously. "I'm sure I can take care of whatever you need."
"Ah, in—in private?"
"Of course." The words were sickly sweet. She led the man to the far side of the arena, where the land dropped off in a steep cliff. The sound of the waves crashing against the cliff was so loud that anyone who wasn't near would not be able to hear their conversation… or the man's screams. Ruffnut smiled wolfishly. "Is this private enough?"
"Ah, y-yes, this is quite… quite satisfactory," the man had to shout to be heard over the waves. "I noticed that you are quite the accomplished, uh, warrior." Ruff nodded, encouraging him to continue. "I have something of, ah, great importance that needs to be kept… safe."
Ruffnut blinked. This wasn't what she had expected at all. Perhaps this little man was wiser than he appeared. After all, he did pick up that she was a skilled Viking. He removed a cloth-wrapped package from the bag he was carrying and handed it to Ruffnut. "What is this?" she asked with interest. He motioned for her to unwrap it.
She set down her sword., then carefully removed the cloth to find a wooden box. She looked at the short man, who nodded. Easing the lid open Ruffnut was severely disappointed. "Runes," she said flatly.
"The Sanngetall Runes," the man corrected. He looked at her expectantly. She looked back at him blankly. "Sanngetall? Sooth—Odin?"
Finally her eyes lit up in recognition, but then narrowed suspiciously. "Sooth, you mean like, fortune-telling stuff?"
"Yes, yes!" he said excitedly. "These are the sacred Sanngetall Runes, legendary in Norway; they tell the destiny of the one who asks."
Ruffnut closed the lid of the box with a sharp click! "Really now." Sure she believed in the gods, but magic? That was something else entirely. "This isn't Norway, you know. I don't think anyone here would be interested in your… runes."
"Please, please take these runes and keep them safe. I am afraid that task is, ah, beyond me," the man said earnestly. And she could believe that.
She looked down at the man and sighed. "Alright. I'll keep your little runes safe. You have my troth."
The man looked up at her seriously. "I want you to swear it."
Ruffnut rolled her eyes, "Fine then, I swear to protect your runes."
"No," the man said with a force that surprised her, "Swear an oath. On the runes." Ruff raised her eyebrows. He swallowed hard, "On your sword."
The woman sighed, obviously put out. Bending over to take her sword she met the man's eyes and began speaking, the words seeming to come out of her mouth of their own accord, "I, Ruffnut, daughter of Tuffnut the Elder of whom many are the stories, do speak this oath upon mine wound-hoe," she shook her sword, "to protect the Sanngetall Runes from whatever evil may come upon them. And by Frey, and Thor, and Odin, may this sword smite me should I fail to keep this oath."
There followed a profound silence while the man seemed to examine Ruffnut for any falsehood showing in her countenance. She shivered, suddenly feeling naked under his gaze. Gruffly, she barked, "Are you happy now?"
He nodded slowly. "Yes." He considered the woman for another moment, then asked, "Are you?"
Ruffnut passed a hand over her face in exasperation, "What is that even supposed to mean?" But when she opened her eyes, the man was gone.
She bristled with barely-suppressed rage. That little man drags her out to this gods-forsaken point to weigh her down with some runes and swear a life-oath, then disappears? She ground her teeth together, looking down at the box.
Ruffnut slid a single rune out of the box; it looked like a stake with two branches on the right. Fehu, she though, dredging that information of of the recesses of her mind. She would have to ask Fishlegs what it meant, but now she was going to find Snotlout. She could always find a reason to hit Snotlout. Hard.