Vekst (Growth)
Disclaimer: This time I have to give the credits to Minna Sundberg and her webcomic Stand Still Stay Silent which is beyond since you are here you already know this.
Author's Note: I normally don't write fanfics to other fandoms then Star Trek, but this story bugged me so much in my head for the last several days. It needs to get out. Full. Stop. Sigrun became my favorite character the moment I laid eyes on her. This story sets out to explore her relationship with Mikkel and a bit how Norwegian society works in these days.
I must add, that English is not my native tongue. So, if you find any errors in grammar, word choice or syntax that impairs your reading experience, please tell me. I'd be glad to improve.
How this story works: I am not a nice person when it comes to characters. Expect awkward situations, meanness, hurt. I try to capture the characters and I hope I succeed. Even if you are not the general Sigrun/Mikkel shipper, I hope to catch your interest with this. There is so much more going on than just your usual fluffstory.
Thanks and dedications: This is dedicated to all the loyal fans and fanfiction writers out there who keep the fandom alive. And to you dear reader.
Summary: This story is about growth, as stated in the title: individual, interpersonal, biological. During their mission in the Silent World it is Sigrun's job to keep the team together and alive. To achieve this goal, she makes a mistake that costs her dearly.
Chapter 1 – What lurks in the darkness…
It had snowed overnight. The ruins of a settlement which used to be called Købnhavn a long time ago were covered in pure white cotton giving the scenery an air of beauty. Two sets of footprints however disturbed this image of serenity and solitude. Two lonesome persons made their way through the ruins seemingly knowing exactly where they went. One was a tall redhead the other a young man with blond hair.
"This snow. I'm not sure I like it." Sigrun looked around, watching every corner around her with equal suspicion.
"What do you mean? Didn't you yourself tell us that the trolls hate the cold." Suddenly Emil mirrored her moves albeit with more nervousness.
"Yeah, I suppose I said that. Still, it's easy for them to hide beneath the snow. They can creep up on us and before we realize it it's over. BAM! Just like that." She tried to illustrate the situation by slamming her fist in the palm of her other hand.
"Thanks for telling me now." Emil stopped midway. "Suddenly I don't feel the urge to continue."
"Nah, we'll probably be fine. The sun is up and it is really, really cold. We just need to be careful is all." She stopped next to him and pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket. "Now what did this little pipsqueak say?" She squinted to read the paper a bit better. It was a crude map she had drawn after Tuuri's translations. Emil joined her looking at the map. It showed their immediate surroundings. With a gloved finger, he pointed where he thought they were standing now.
"I suppose we are here now. It's a bit hard to tell."
"It is", Sigrun agreed. "But we shouldn't be very far from this building he told us about. The one with the millions of books."
"Is it really millions?" Emil had a skeptical tone in his voice.
Sigrun shrugged. "That's what Tuuri said he said. As if it mattered. We can only carry a few as it is anyway. Even if we came back several times. Personally, I wouldn't mind if there were fewer. Makes it easier to pick the right ones. You should have heard Mikkel the last time."
"You know, I did hear him."
Sigrun shrugged again and put the map away. "I don't get it. Who cares what's in them as long as we get paid nicely for them?"
"Mikkel cares," Emil replied and regretted it immediately when she cast him an annoyed glance.
"Alright let's go!" she urged and he trotted behind her still hoping that nothing would creep up on them under the snow.
The building they were looking for was a large brick building. It seemed stable enough in comparison to other buildings they had the honor of visiting although the upper floors looked collapsed. In addition, its doors and windows were destroyed and the letters above its entrance were barely readable. A few were missing completely others were hanging lopsidedly. Sigrun and Emil watched the writing with curiosity.
"I suppose it used to say Bibliotekshuset", commented Emil after a while.
"Are you sure? Well, that makes sense, I guess. A library. I still cannot get my head around the concept that you would build a house simply for books. What a waste when people need a roof over their head."
"Things surely were a lot different back then." For a moment Emil wondered what it was that Sigrun had deciphered while reading the letters. It was probably better if he didn't ask.
Meanwhile Sigrun had prepared her hand lamp and was getting closer to the building. Her whole body showed an alertness and a readiness to strike should the necessity occur. Emil admired her fearlessness in the face of danger. Neither knew what was waiting for them inside, but while Sigrun simply accounted for every possibility with the same nonchalance he found his imagination playing evil tricks on him. Especially after his first contact with the Silent World had ended with him putting a whole building to the torch. Sigrun stood in the entrance now and let the light of her lamp shine into hallway of the building. Despite being midday, the room was surprisingly dark. This was partly due to the weak winter sun but also because of the collapsed floors that cast shadows where none should be. Slowly Sigrun let the light glide throughout the room and when she found nothing suspicious she put the lamp away.
"Looks good enough. Are you ready?"
Emil sighed and simply decided to trust her. She was trained to spot the tiniest oddity. If she didn't catch anything on sight there probably was nothing. But still he couldn't shake this feeling he had each time he entered one of the buildings in the Silent World. Most of the time it had turned out to be nothing so he had decided to keep silent. That didn't mean he was particularly comfortable. Instinctively he felt for his fire accelerants. They had never betrayed him. They surely wouldn't betray him now. He put on a brave face.
"Yep."
She nodded. "So it begins."
"The cellar. It's always the cellar." Emil leaned on the wall and tried to catch his breath while Sigrun was checking whether the way in front of them was clear. Her hand lamp was the only light source now since the sun could not reach this place. They had checked all the upper floors but had found no book that was worth taking. All of them had been rotten or were otherwise destroyed much to their chagrin. The light danced on the walls and illuminated some of the doors that were further down the hallway. The air was moldy and damp and Emil's heart sank. So far, this mission had been a complete waste of time. The smell did not promise any success as he had learnt.
"Shouldn't we turn back now?" he suggested. Since they had come to the cellar his uneasiness had increased. He hated that there was only one way to escape. And he hated even more that they had spent so much time for nothing. Who knew what lurked in the darkness?
Sigrun stopped and turned to face him. For a second he expected her scolding him for his behavior. But she didn't. Instead she put an arm on his shoulder.
"Listen, Golden Boy. I understand how you feel. I hate these cramped environments myself. Too many liabilities. But until now I haven't seen anything that indicated incoming enemy contact. And I'd hate to abort the mission without having checked everything."
"I understand." He nodded and put all his courage together. "Then let's do this and go home."
"That's the spirit!"
They followed Sigrun's light down the hallway where it was stopped by a large metal double wing door. The door had two small windows but it was impossible to see through. The light reflected on the glass. Next to the door was a dirty sign with a few numbers on it. Apart from that it was impossible to read.
"Could you?" Emil nodded in direction to the sign and Sigrun obliged by giving him some light. He rubbed the dirt from the sign and read it. "It says Lesesal. A reading room, we might be in luck."
Sigrun gave him the lamp and opened one of the doors. It was not locked and stable enough not to fall apart. The squeaking noise of the door reverberated in the silence, no matter how careful Sigrun was. She sighed and made sure the door stayed open. After that she retrieved her lamp to check the situation. When the light fell into the room, Emil gasped.
He rubbed his eyes and gasped again. In front of them were shelves and shelves of books. And they seemed in decent condition, too. Near the walls were tables and chairs in various states of decay as well as other items Emil could not identify. In the darkness might even be a dead body or two, but he wasn't too keen on finding out about that.
"Look at that, have you ever seen so many books together?" His eyes lit up and he was tempted to storm in the middle of the room. Sigrun held him back by putting her arm in front of him.
"Definitely haven't." She sneered, but concentrated to the business at hand. "Get the bags ready while I secure the area."
"Understood."
He watched Sigrun walking along the shelves until he could only see her silhouette in the distance and the dancing light. He closed his eyes and inhaled. So far everything had gone well. Maybe too well? He put down his backpack and removed its contents. Before the mission he had suggested to put a few empty bags together for the sake of transport and Sigrun had agreed.
Drip, drip, drip…
He froze and held his breath while listening intently. When he heard nothing for some time he continued with his task.
Drip, drip, drip…
This noise was horribly familiar and now he knew that he wasn't imagining things. Carefully he put the bags back in his backpack and looked for Sigrun and her light. As silently as possible he crossed the room towards her while unsheathing his weapon. She had stopped her movements herself listening intently.
Drip, drip, drip…
"Sigrun," whispered Emil and she whirled around. Her face was one of intense concentration and alertness.
"I know," she whispered back, "I hear it, too." She let the light glide along the ceiling looking for weak spots she had missed before. After several moments, her face became harder. "Alright, let's get out of here. It's not safe. A fight in this environment would be suicide. And no reward in the world is worth that."
Emil was more than ready to go, but before he did, Sigrun grabbed his arm. "Maybe we can snatch a few books regardless. Just what your hands can hold."
He nodded and started skimming the shelves, stuffing a few books in his backpack while heading for the exit.
The squishing noises behind them became louder and before Emil had reached the door he heard Sigrun scream. He whirled around to find her lamp lying on the floor. She herself was suspended midair. Something had grabbed her right leg and held her upside down. She squirmed and tried to reach for her weapon. While Emil headed for the lamp.
"Run!" she screamed. "Don't get yourself killed because of me!"
She had finally gotten the rifle out and desperately tried to aim while the creature swung her around making it more difficult to get a good shot.
For a second Emil was torn. Then he made is decision.
"No," he simply said and suddenly felt a strange sort of calm. While Sigrun struggled frantically he tried to aim as well and unloaded a shot in the darkness. The troll squealed but apart from that it seemed only the angrier.
"Are you defying my direct order?" Sigrun hissed. "I can take care of myself. You need to get the word out to the crew. I cannot have you dying here."
"I have no intention of dying!" Emil aimed slightly higher and fired another shot. Now he had the troll's attention. The thing was screaming in pain and moving slower than before. Sigrun took her chance and shot directly in the thing's face.
That was when the world exploded. Some red goo was oozing from the thing's wounds and in an effort of pain it hurtled Sigrun across the room. Emil heard an unsettling cracking sound where she had landed but the adrenaline in him compelled him to unload another round in the direction of the troll. It was now hurt enough to retreat in its lair. Emil considered briefly following the monster but then he remembered Sigrun and hurried towards her. She lay on the floor and a spot of fresh blood was clearly visible where she had crashed into the wall.
"Helvete!" he hissed and fell to his knees beside her. With the lamp, he tried to assess the seriousness of her wounds. Her left arm was twisted in an unnatural position, but to his relief she was moving.
"Nnngh."
"Sigrun, can you hear me?" he whispered, trying to put her in a more stable position. There was some blood at the back of her head. Desperation overcame Emil. They couldn't stay here for long and his commanding officer was seriously wounded.
"Nnghh…" she moaned again, but opened her eyes quickly afterward. "The devil sure got me good." She focused on Emil and furrowed her brows. "Didn't I tell you to run?"
"You did."
"Great, another candidate for my mutiny list. Please help me up."
"Can you walk?" Emil sounded worried. Her arm really looked horrible.
"I'm afraid there aren't that many alternatives right now."
Emil nodded and then supported her while she got up. She winced in pain but forced herself to continue. Then she supported herself on the wall.
"Gods, I'm dizzy."
"You have a wound on your head. It might be a concussion."
"Might very well be, but let's Mikkel assess this. For now, I'd say, we get those few books and afterwards we cleanse this place for good."
Emil nodded.
"It's a shame, isn't it? Do destroy all these perfectly preserved books."
She glared at him. "Who cares about books? This is a troll's lair. There's only one sensible course of action!"
Emil looked at her and then he looked at the darkness. And then he agreed.
When they had excited the building Sigrun sank to her knees and tried to catch her breath. Meanwhile Emil did his job and threw a burning match into the ruins of the library. He had prepared this course of action while fleeing and now it was a matter of seconds until the whole building was burning.
"Good job," Sigrun uttered weakly. "Let's go home now."
"One moment!" Emil knelt beside her. "I want to have a look at you first. The best I can do is some preliminary first aid." He reached for her arm but she avoided his touch.
"Don't!" She looked at him intently. "I'm fine enough to walk home. We cannot afford to waste any more time here and you're bound to make matters worse." With a lopsided grin, she added. "I want to leave it to Mikkel to patch me up together."
Not being able to completely hide his dissatisfaction Emil got up and helped her up afterwards. "As you wish," he murmured.