Innieminnie - wow. you have no idea what that means to me! thank you! I'd be super excited to read what you make! I had no idea I was anyone's favorite anything, especially considering my updating schedule. I guess to return the favor I have to remind you that you're my favorite reader. You review nearly every one of my chapters. And you review them nearly an hour after they go up (even after 8 months of silence), it's amazing.
Raegan was reminded of the school cafeteria. The loud sounds of children talking and eating for the entire period. It was one of her favorite parts of school, spending time with her friends right before heading out for recess where she could run and play.
Now she could hardly remember their faces.
The Great Hall was a stark contrast to those feelings. Even surrounded by the rowdy and happy vikings, drinking their cares away for a special meal celebrating the Scauldron being scared off, (a very unusual scenario which also lead the rider's to learn that Fishleg's had never been allergic to Meatlug in the first place and was instead allergic to the wax Gobber used on his saddles) Raegan still felt isolated.
The noise made it hard to concentrate on any one person's voice, which made translating very frustrating to her (wasn't it always?).
Instead she settled for admiring the artwork hanging on the walls, portraits of different men and their sons painted on the backs of shields. There was even one of a younger Hiccup and his father.
Raegan had long abandoned her meal, settling for moving the meat around on her plate indifferently as her eyes drifted across the enormous meeting hall.
She knew she should be glad and happy, being surrounded by other people.
But she still felt alone.
Just as her mind began to wander again, focusing intently on the portrait just across from her that featured a short blond boy puffing out his chest, she felt a light tap tap on her shoulder.
She turned at once and was very surprised to see the old wrinkly face of Berk's elder, Gothi. The old face made her nervous. Something about the old woman's eyes, the fact that she had seen far more than Raegan ever believed she would.
It's not like she could even talk to Gothi, the old woman's voice didn't seem to work and wrote in strange squiggles that even the rest of the village had trouble deciphering.
She stuttered for a moment, barely managing to get out her greeting, "Yes?"
Gothi simply tilted her head back, pointing her staff to the far end of the hall where the massive doors stood, and then began to walk.
Raegan shifted uncomfortably, lifting one leg over so she was straddling the bench she sat on, but still not sure whether to follow the old woman or not.
Gothi made it nearly halfway before glancing back with a look that all but pushed Raegan from her seat, nearly running after her.
In the back of her mind, Raegen considered the fact that she was just leaving her plate, all of her food out. All of the ingrained manners in her, long dormant from her time running wild and feral, told her it was rude. But there wasn't really anything else she could do.
With the rowdy way the vikings acted during the feast, she was sure someone would take care of it and eat all of her leftovers.
Raegan slipped through the doors with the old woman, holding them open for her as the ancient healer passed through. The blast of chill air felt nice on her skin, a stark contrast from the warmth she felt in the Hall.
Still, she stayed quiet, following the elder down the stairs until the reached the bottom, where Gothi stopped.
Raegan stopped too.
The older woman turned to look at her, eyes nearly squinting, creating even more wrinkles than she had to begin with. Raegan felt a sort of deer in the headlights look wash over her, maintaining eye contact as the elder looked her over. Thin and bony hands on her chin, head tilted just so.
It had been a very long time since Raegan had met someone as old as Gothi. This did not bring her any comfort, Raegan very seriously doubted a weak woman would be able to make it to Gothi's age.
After what seemed like an eternity, Gothi's face softened, something like a cool acceptance washing over as she gave Raegan another one of her gummy smiles.
They continued on their walk.
Raegan did not say anything. She did not feel there was much of a point, given that Gothi couldn't communicate back.
The young woman followed her elder through the village until they came to the bottom stairs leading to her isolated hut. Raegan absently wondered where her companion had wandered, watching as a few Gronckles passed her heading the opposite way. The sudden itch to fly, reached her as she followed the old woman up the thousand wooden steps to her nest.
Raegan could feel the butterflies in her stomach flutter around in a whirlwind.
What did Gothi want? What did she need?
Was Raegan in trouble?
Still she followed obediently, eyes drifting to the sun out in the distance over the sea as it sank deeper into the depths.
It was a beautiful sight.
As they neared the top, Raegan began to hear noises. Sounds of scuffling and shifting. Only a few seconds later, she made it to the top to see a flustered looking Fishlegs completely surrounded by all kinds of different plants and flowers and things.
"Fishlegs?" Raegan's eye furrowed, taking in the absolute mess of a hut. "What are you doing?"
"Raegan!" His eyes snapped up to meet hers, "Oh, uh, just helping Gothi take stock of her herbs."
Raegan could understand why, he had caused quite a mess after being hypnotized. It would not surprise her to learn that Gothi was making him help her in return for the problems he caused.
"What are you doing here?" Fishlegs asked, resting one hand on a thick book in front of him before turning to put away a few stems of dark green leaves.
Raegan just shrugged helplessly, eyes now shifting to the elderly woman who'd passed the Ingerman by to search through one of her other chests. It didn't take long for her to find what she was looking for and rise again. Her limbs shook ever so slightly from her age, holding out an old piece of fabric to the younger woman.
Raegan's hazel eyes flickered between the strip of fabric and the elder's faintly smiling face, before gently taking it in her hands.
It was brown, very faded, and very old. Unfolding it slightly to examine it, Raegan examined the insignia embedded into it. Slightly raised up, circular in shape, with a few lightly curved lines passing over it.
It appeared to be a sleeveless coat, something to wear over her clothes.
Raegan's eyes glanced back up to the elder, why was she giving her this?
Just to the side, Fishlegs let out a gasp, not at all helping Raegan's confusion.
"That's an - - !" He exclaimed.
"A what?" Raegan's head spun as she tried to place the word.
"A - - !" He repeated, "It's when someone offers to teach you their trade."
Raegan's eyes widened, and she looked back to the fabric in her hand. Suddenly it felt like it was worth a lot more, like she shouldn't be holding it.
"I don't . . ." Raegan fumbled a bit as she shifted the coat in her hands, "I don't understand."
"It's an honor!" Fishlegs answered, "I've never heard of Gothi offering to train someone before! She must really see something in you! You get to learn all kinds of herbs and healing tricks!"
Raegan glanced over again at the piles of plants collected all around the hut.
She would get to learn about them all?
That. . sounded very interesting, actually.
Raegan had never had much luck with plants in the past. She never had anyone offer to teach her like that.
Memories of her time at school came flooding back to her. The teachers there never offered to teach her because they 'saw something in her.' It was just their job. If she didn't go to school, her mother would go to jail.
Raegan didn't know how to explain that she was honored by the offer, the best that came out of her mouth was, "I- thank you, Gothi!"
The old woman's expression didn't change much. She only gestured with her hands quickly for Raegan to put the coat on, an order the young one hastily followed.
It was thick, the inside lined with warm and soft fur keeping out a chill that Raegan hadn't even noticed she had. It could easily replace her other coat, which was beginning to wear down, mostly being worn out of a habit if nothing else. Raegan examined the sleeves, just a little bit too long. Built for someone a little larger than her, but not so off that it would hinder her movement. Raegan just marveled at it; the quality was extraordinary.
Once Gothi seemed satisfied with her attire, she strolled over to the far end of the hut, where she kept a thin layer of dirt or sand. Then, using her newly fixed staff, began to write a scribbled message.
Fishlegs stood quickly, and together the two young ones peered over her shoulders.
It just seemed nonsense to Raegan. Some sort of cross between a drawing of a picture and different words mixed in. It was hard to tell what it meant.
Luckily, Fishlegs could translate.
"She says, I expect you to be here at dawn each morning, bring your dragon. . . you start tomorrow."
Innieminnie just to happens to be my favorite reviewer, which is why I wrote this chapter just today. I hope things are starting to become more interesting.
now for my joke
...
how to be cool
A) cool sunglasses emogi
B)