It's been five days now since the children were sent away...
The waves of the open sea rocked the boat on which the seven-year-old boy was. The wind blew gently on the sail, but fierce enough to make the vessel move on the surface of the wild waters. The guardian had lost sight of the two other ships carrying the little boy and the little girl. Each was heading in its own direction - all different destinations. They had their separate path. The three children would grow up individually in hope for them to never find each other...
The young boy's guardian raised his head at sudden rumbling noise from above his head. The sky was turning from cloudy white to a menacing grey, lightning already sighted. A heavy wind rose as well, blowing of the small vessel sailing in the middle of the ocean. It didn't take so long for the single man to lose control of keeping the ship in good state to deliver the child to his new family: a family who'll love him with all their hearts.
Rain began pouring down on them and beneath the loud roaring thunder, lightning and wind, the ship rocked violently, closing in on a fierce territory.
The ocean's bottom came visible where the ship was located, and its wooden bottom rubbed the sand beneath, bringing the boat to a rough stop as the storm kept blowing on the white sail above, tearing at its mast as the ship's body refused to move, stuck there in the sand and rocks.
If things couldn't get any worse, it was at this specific moment the young lad woke up inside the tent, confused and disoriented. He felt the vessel on which he was, rocking wildly, and his first reaction was to put his nose out of the tent to know what exactly was going on and why he was here. The instant his eyes landed on the outside, he couldn't help but gasp as the storm raged all around him.
''Boy!'' called the man on the deck, pulling on ropes, trying to bring the sail back up so the wind wouldn't be able to blow on it and risk of breaking the mast. ''Get back inside! It's not safe for you out here!''
''Where am I?!'' he demanded, shouting so his voice wouldn't get carried away by the wind.
The man only gave him a look that somehow hid guilt and sadness. He opened his mouth to say his next words, but a huge wave rose above them and crashed on the deck, filling it with water.
The young lad hadn't had the chance to get a grip on something and neither had the guardian. The water carried them both off the vessel and into the shallow waters of the close island. The boy sank down to the bottom, thankfully having got at least enough time to take in a deep breath, and when he balanced himself again in the raging water, he shot upwards and broke the surface. He inhaled loudly and pushed his red hair out of his eyes, searching for the man that was with him a second ago. But as he scanned around, no sign of life came in his sight and slowly the storm was settling down. The brutal waves calmed down just as did the wind. The sky quit shooting lightning bolts through the dark clouds and the roaring was long gone. The kid hadn't noticed how weak he felt until now. He felt his abdomen with a hand as the other grabbed a log from the ship and held on for dear life. He was incredibly skinny but he hadn't the head there to figure out why. He held on to the wood as it rocked on the tranquil surface, unaware where the waves where carrying him. As he felt his feet rub the sand floor, he couldn't help but shut his eyes and let go of the log as he went limp under the water, the gentle current carrying him to the shores of the island. His body was pushed on the wet sand on the shore line of the island by the sea, as if it didn't want of him and was kicking him out.
The boy laid on the sand like dead weight, his front against the ground as his head was turned on the side so he could breathe. He never got the answer of what he was doing all the way out here... and he wasn't sure he would ever get it. Right now, there was nothing he could do, even if he wanted to. Exhaustion had carried him away and he was left there on the beach of this unknown island... at least to him. The island was well inhabited by a fierce tribe; Berserkers.
...
It was dawn when the baby girl's boat hit shores of a friendly island. The sand was white, the rising sun's colors of gold and orange reflecting on the diamond-shining-like sand. Fortunately for this baby, no storm had risen for her, and the man carried her to the village on the island. He hadn't come by the docks... the people would ask who he was and where he came from, and he simply couldn't give away his identity.
Inside the basket the little green-eyed baby girl was gently being rocked as she was brought to her new family. The town was still asleep by the looks of no smoke rising up in the sky by the chimneys. The space was still and quiet, the golden beams of the sun casting shadows of the houses on the ground.
The man carried the sleeping infant to a hut he found inhabited by a childless couple and placed the basked in front of their door.
When wake came, the two Vikings heard the noise of what sounded like a baby crying.
''Do you hear that?'' asked the women to her husband as they both held their breaths for a second.
They opened the door only to find a basket at their porch.
''Oh. Where did it come from?'' said the women as she kneeled down to take a look at the basket.
''Somebody must have dropped it -'' said the man. ''Dear, what are you doing?'' he asked when the black-haired women loosen the ribbon around it.
''What do you expect me to do?'' she asked, taking the baby in her arms. ''Leaving a poor thing without a family?''
The man looked down at the baby in her wife's arms and smiled when it opened its toothless mouth, those barely baby-blue eyes digging in her new parents'.
''She's beautiful.'' stated the women.
''Yeah.'' agreed her husband.
''Can we keep her?'' asked the women. ''She's only a babe and she needs our help.''
The cool morning wind suddenly blew off a torch at the entrance of the house by the doorway and the baby girl - with a smooth mouvement of a hand - re-lighted it, the glowing white flame turning yellowish just like it had been a second before.
The women, eyes locked on her hadn't noticed, but the man had. The instant the sound of the flame fading away met his ears, he had turned around, ready to go light it up again, but when he was about to make a move to do so, he saw the baby's hand, a slight glow in her palm, the same he was seeing at the tip of the torch.
He turned around in shock, looking at the baby from head to toe, wondering if she was normal or not after what he had just seen.
''She did that.'' he stated in disbelief, his eyes locked on the baby as well now. ''She lighted up that torch over there.'' He gestured at the burning torch a small distance away nervously.
''Calm your nerves, dear.'' said his wife, in love with the child's beauty.
''Didn't you see what she did?'' he whispered harshly, quite alarmed and taking a step back. ''She's not like us.''
''Oh, you're right. She's not.'' said the women, rocking the baby with affection. ''She's alone, and we're going to take care of her.''
The baby girl let out a small cry and struggled in the women's arms. At those sounds, the man's fear vanished and he was also carried away by the girl's beauty. They took the child inside and promised her that they would take care of her and love her with all their hearts.
''What shall we call her?'' demanded the new father.
''What about...'' proposed the new mother. ''...Heather?''
...
The third child's destination was the furthest island of the three. His guardian had been given instructions of the island's location. Apparently in words, this place was twelve days North of Hopeless and a few degrees South of Freezing to Death. It was probably one of the smallest islands in the Archipelago.
Berk was its name.