Chapter 5 - The Promise (1/2) Original Chapter
The Mandalorian sat in silence, staring emptily out at the well of hyperspace that surrounded the Razorcrest, as it zipped across the galaxy. He had clearly heard the Viking's question, however he chose to ignore it. He was too outraged at her actions prior to their departure to even consider answering her question. That was until she piped up and asked him again.
"So… Din? Din… Djarin, was it?," asked Signe once again, eager to know why he had kept his name hidden from her.
Din huffed softly and shook his head, before turning to the right slightly in order to somewhat humour her question.
"Forget it. That name means nothing to me anymore. You weren't supposed to hear that."
Signe frowned softly. She could sense a degree of regret and shame in his voice as he opened up, somewhat reluctantly to her. It wasn't enough for her to go off in terms of finding out more about him, but she silently appreciated the fact that she had learned something minor about her Beskar-clad companion.
"I don't understand why you couldn't have just told me your name before… It's not like -"
Din raised his right hand in an authoritative manner, with his index finger raised, interrupting Signe as she spoke softly to him.
"You already know enough about me. You don't need to know anymore. Anonymity is the strength of the Mandalorians, and I've let it slip before. Let's just concentrate on getting you home so you can fix your weapon and get these thugs off my ship,"
Signe's frown grew stronger with Mando's reply. She couldn't understand his issue.
"You mean the thugs that have held their end of a bargain, saved me from a group of mercenaries and haven't ratted us out to the guild? Those thugs? Or are there some other ones on board that you haven't told me about? Seeing as you're so secretive I wouldn't be surprised,"
In a swift rage, Din slammed his hand against the control panel, before turning completely in his chair to face the now angered young woman.
"You let a droid on board my ship! You undermined me! I could've worked out another way to find your world but instead you opted for the one option you knew I'd have a problem with," yelled Din.
Signe sat in shock at the sight of Din yelling. She had seen his rage and fury when in combat, but had not yet witnessed aggression through his voice. It startled her somewhat, but nowhere near as much as it did to the kid, who quickly slid off of her lap and ran out of the cockpit, crying. The young woman's face dropped to a glare before she unbuckled her belt and stood up, slightly bent due to the cockpit's low ceiling. She snarled at The Mandalorian, who sat back slowly in his seat, ashamed at what he had just done.
Signe leant down towards him.
"Now you listen here, Mandalorian. I don't care what you have seen from this, or any other droid before. But you drop this grudge right now. Make peace with it until we are done, and then you never have to see those two again. We are here for one thing. Let's try to get it done without scaring the kid or getting ourselves killed,"
The Mandalorian stared blankly back at her, without saying a word. He held his focus for a few moments, before turning back to look out the window. Signe tutted and turned for the door. She stopped in the doorway and turned back to face Din.
"Oh, and Mandalorian… Don't ever raise your voice to me again," She declared, before walking out of the cockpit for good, with the door sliding shut, leaving the Mandalorian behind.
Signe let out a soft, sombre sigh, before placing her feet on the ladder and making her way down into the hull of the ship, where 4-LOM sat, plugged into the navicomputer outlet via a small port in his back. He turned to look at the young woman, as she finished her descent down the ladder, standing in front of him.
"I thought I'd come and check you're all good down here," she announced whilst smiling softly at the droid,
"Your concern for my well-being is both surprising and humbling, human," he quipped.
Signe walked slowly over to him and took a knee beside the droid. 4-LOM turned his head to his left to speak to the Viking.
"My calculations estimate an elapsed journey time of 18 hours. I suggest you seek some form of comfort for the duration of the trip. We will be here for a while,"
The young woman stood up.
"Yeah, I think you're right,"
The droid watched her with intent as she raised herself from the ground. He tilted his head slightly, as he ran diagnostics of the Viking.
"You seem unsettled. May I be of some assistance?" quizzed LOM politely.
Signe sighed, looking down at the droid who sat still in his seat.
"It's okay. Just old misery guts up there giving me grief as usual. He'll be fine, he just needs to come round,"
LOM looked up at her, staring directly at her as she looked back to him, before lowering his head once again.
"I understand his concern. The lack of trust he shows towards me is not unjustified. I am indeed now programmed to kill, and I have done. Many times. However what your Mandalorian friend fails to realise, is that I am not as erratic and dysfunctional as other droids. I will not harm you or The Child. You are in my protection for the entirety of this endeavour,"
The warrior knelt down once again, this time directly in front of the droid. Her heart sank a little, as she could tell this wasn't the first time LOM had been met with some form of prejudice against him, and it saddened her. She looked down at the ground and smiled, before placing her left hand on 4-LOM's right shoulder.
"I know," she spoke softly, before standing and approaching the sleeping chamber.
The door opened slowly, releasing a strange odour that filled the chamber like a thin mist. What met her was surprising and wholesome at the same time.
Zuckuss sat on the bed, with his back against the wall, feet up and legs straight. The Child was sitting on his lap, facing him - tugging at the tubes which made their way from the back of his head, into the pouch on the small of his back. The sound of the door opening caused The Child to turn his head to face Signe, with an open mouth and pointed ears. He gurgled before facing back towards the Gand, who looked at Signe and chirped.
The young blonde backed out of the chamber slowly whilst grinning awkwardly at the pair of aliens, allowing the door to once again close.
"I think it's taken," she joked, whilst looking over at 4-LOM who had entered low power mode. He was unresponsive.
The Viking walked towards the back of the hull and sat cross legged. She sighed in a melancholy fashion and gently lay herself on her back, staring up at the ceiling. The whirring of the navicomputer and the low hum of the Razorcrest's engines helped to relax her, as she imagined the feeling of the luscious grass of the Urgard plains against her bare feet, that she used to play in as a child. The mild warmth of Malitily Prime's embrace, beating down on her fair skin as she'd lay listening to the running water of the streams that bled their way through the Durgg Valley. Not a day went by where she didn't think of her home and how much she missed it. She never thought she'd manage to see it again, especially with her new-found profession.
The heavenly image of her stunning homeworld filled the young woman with warmth, as she put her hands behind her head as a pillow, arching her left leg, before drifting off to sleep on the cold floor.
Signe awoke from her peaceful slumber at the sensation of her body being shaken gently. She moved from side to side limply before she fully began to wake up, slowly opening her eyes to see The Mandalorian kneeling in front of her. She frowned gently at the sight of him before looking over to 4-LOM who was now no longer plugged into the navicomputer.
"Hey. Time to wake up. I think there's something you may want to see,"
Din offered her a hand to help her up, which she took as he hoisted her off the ground. The Mandalorian made his way up the ladder, looking down at her before signalling for her to follow. She turned to LOM, who stood watching her. She nodded at him, to which he did the same, as she made her way up the ladder, past Zuckuss who was now slouched against the wall, and into the cockpit. The dark, empty void of space was not as dark as it once had been before. A bright light shone into the cockpit, suggesting the reflection from a planet's atmosphere. With a flurry of energy and excitement, the young woman bundled into the cockpit and sat in Din's seat, whilst he crouched behind her.
There she was. Vicingi.
The decade-long exile from her home world was finally over. The beautiful cyan oceans, enormous green continents spanning thousands of miles across the surface, were wrapped gently in a thin blanket of swirling clouds, whilst snow-capped monolithic mountains pierced through some of the clouds, visible from hundred of kilometres away. It was right there in front of her. So, so close. Tears filled The Viking's eyes as the curvature of the planet took up almost all of the cockpit window. She turned back to Mando and smiled slightly. Even though he had irritated her, she couldn't help but let the moment consume her. It was all down there. Her village, her loved ones; her memories.
Mando stepped forward, the green tint of the light from the planet below casting onto his Beskar.
"So… this is Vicingi then?"
Signe was transfixed on the enormous planet and simply nodded in response to his question.
"It's… It's beautiful," murmured the Mandalorian, as he took in the astonishing view below them.
She turned her head back to him.
"It's home,"
The two bounty hunters stared at each other in a brief moment of silence, both completely overwhelmed by what they had just witnessed. Her eyes were locked firmly where his would be, and his were locked to hers. However, the moment was cut short by 4-LOM, who stood in the cockpit doorway, staring at them.
"Pardon me for interrupting, however the coordinates can only bring us this far. A manual re-entry to Vicingi will need to be performed,"
Both bounty hunters jumped in fright as the droid's poor timing startled them. Din looked down at the floor in annoyance, before turning to the left to look at the protocol droid.
"Yeah, you think? I could've told you that before we got here. Why have you come up here to tell me something I already know?"
"Unfortunately for you, I must be present in the cockpit for re entry. The warrior will guide us and I will give readings of the ship. Re-entry into a planet that one has not been to before is precarious. It will require your piloting skills, as well as my knowledge of the ship's structural integrity,"
The Mandalorian went to dismiss the droid, before turning to Signe who nodded with a frown. He huffed and pointed to the spare seat in the cockpit without saying a word. 4-LOM took his place, as did Signe. She sat herself down in her seat and turned to LOM, winking at him. Din sat in the pilot's chair, before beginning the descent.
"My initial readings of the planet suggests that there are four continental plates, all of which are inhabited and suitable for landing,"
A small map of the planet formed on the control panel screen, highlighting rough outlines of the continents and oceans.
"We want to head here; Dealfi. That's where my family and fellow clan are from. In a small village at the base of Mount Resturg, in the Pillad Lowlands. It's the highest point on the continent… you can't miss it," instructed Signe with evident excitement.
LOM and Signe looked to each other.
"Running schematics and setting flight plans for Dealfi,"
The young vikng smiled to herself, as the Razorcrest began to shake. Entering the atmosphere was a struggle, but the ship managed to hold its own for the four minute descent through the planet's Meso, Strato and Tropospheres. Signe would have been lying if she said she wasn't ever so slightly panicked, but with 4-LOM's precise measurements and structural understanding of the Razorcrest, she trusted that they would reach Dealfi in one piece.
The gunship broke free of its re-entry struggle, bursting through a thick layer of grey cloud that loomed over the valleys below, revealing a luscious, green landscape, peppered with dense woodland and the occasional large lake. Waters of the valley glistened with the faint reflection of Malitily Prime, whilst enormous shadows of the Yoskall mountain chain cast over the majority of the lowlands. Small settlements hugged the shores of the rivers on the tundra and in the grasslands, with the smoke from their primitive fires twirling in the air. The world below was so quaint, and filled the Mandalorian with intrigue.
Signe leant forward in her seat, pointing towards the highest peak of the mountain range, whose base bled into the valley below.
"There! That's Mount Resturg. My village is at the base on the West side. Just keep following the river whilst descending,"
Mando turned back to her and nodded. "Copy."
The Razorcrest dropped a few thousand feet more until it was flying at roughly one thousand feet above the ground. It's twin engines roared through the tranquil tundra air, interrupting the gentle swoosh of the breeze through the long grass. A herd of Hoskards galloped through the grasslands, away from the low-hanging gunship. As the ship made its way over the land, Signe jolted in excitement at the sight of her village longhouse, which dominated the small and limited skyline of the settlement. She could make out the crop fields and taverns that the village folk would often gather in.
"There, there! Land there!" yelped the young woman in excitement. However, Mando ignored her request and headed towards a dense forest, a kilometer-or-so away.
The Viking tapped him on the shoulder furiously.
"What are you doing?"
Din shrugged her hand off of his shoulder and turned back.
"You know what happened the last time I left my ship in plain sight of primitive folk. They tore my ship apart and stripped it bare. That isn't happening again,"
Signe huffed, taking slight offence to what The Mandalorian had just said.
"My people may live in a primitive way, but we aren't Jawas. If they dealt in scrap metal they may be interested in this hunk of junk, but they deal in pure Vicingian Silver, so I think you'll be fine," Snapped Signe as she mocked a smile before sitting back in her seat, petulantly.
"This hunk of junk got you from one side of the galaxy, through the middle and out the other side into absolute nothingness. Besides, we are well hidden in the forests. It's not a bad idea to stay hidden when you can help it, these days,"
The ash-blonde rolled her eyes as Mando brought the ship down to land in a small forest clearing. The plants and thin-stumped trees swayed with the power of the engines, as the ship lowered to the ground, eventually silencing and coming to a full stop.
Signe leapt out of her seat and exited the cockpit before Mando and the droid even had a chance to unbuckle themselves. 4-LOM turned to the Mandalorian.
"You have made the warrior happy. Congratulations," he said, as he left the cockpit, leaving the Mandalorian on his own. He shook his head softly as the droid left him, before exiting himself.
The young woman slid down the ladder, greeted with a nod by Zuckuss who was holding the child. The small green alien extended a hand out to Signe and gurgled, as she grabbed one of his tiny fingers and wiggled it around with her left hand. Moments later 4-LOM lowered himself down into the hull, approaching the switch to the door, but was suddenly halted when Mando descended down the ladder in a hurry.
"Hey! Get away from it," he yelled, as he approached Zuckuss, snatching The Child out of the Gand's grasp and handing him to Signe. The Child kept his hands extended towards Zuckuss as the bounty hunter pulled him away. Din angrily leaned down towards the huntsman and pointed at him.
"You leave him alone, you hear me?" threatened the Mandalorian. Zuckuss simply hissed and then stepped aside, brushing past the Beskar warrior. Signe's eyes followed the Gand as he stood next to her. Mando turned to face the three bounty hunters and the child.
"Now listen. We have come here for one thing, and one thing only. We are fixing (Y/n)'s axe and then leaving. We will take the kid with us. I don't particularly want you coming along, but I also don't want you two staying here, either. Just try not to get into trouble, or kill anyone."
Zuckuss and 4-LOM looked at each other. The Gand shrugged his shoulders and grabbed his gun out of the weapons compartment, slinging it over his shoulder. 4-LOM interjected.
"We will attempt to stay out of trouble. However, when one chooses to travel with a Mandalorian these days, trouble will not necessarily wait for you to find it."
The Mandalorian huffed quizzingly and activated the switch. The side of the ship hissed as the ramp slowly lowered itself down onto the rich soil in the clearing. A sweet, moist air entered the ship, humid but not at all hot. It was a blissful moment for Signe, who placed The Child on the floor before slowly walking down the ramp, unable to believe it was real yet. She dropped to her knees when her boots met the firm ground and took a huge breath in as she inhaled the air of her beloved homeworld for the first time in over a decade. She scooped up the grainy soil in her hands and let it fall between her fingers.. A small tear trickled down her left cheek, as the clear Vicingian summer breeze gently brushed against her face.
The other three grabbed their weapons, whilst Mando gathered the remains of Signe's axe, before stepping down the ramp and onto the soft soil. The Child, now back in his pod, hovered down the ramp too. Din stood and looked around the forest, admiring the towering trees and strange fauna that protruded out from mossy rock mounds, littered around the forest floor. Signe stood up and smiled back at the three bounty hunters, who all stood in a line, with The Child floating in front of Din, poking his head out to survey the area.
"We aren't far from my village, however the tundra here is harsh to walk across. You have our captain to thank for that if any of us get stuck. Just avoid any mud holes like your life depends on it - and if the boulders start to move, DO NOT shoot,"
Din tilted his head.
"And why would I need to fear and shoot a moving boulder, exactly?"
Signe stared back and raised an eyebrow.
"It's not the boulders you've got to worry about. It's what's underneath them. Now let's go,"
The four bounty hunters and The Child made their way out of the forest and onto the tundra. The warm breeze swept across them welcomingly, whilst the gleaming snow-capped mountains dominated the skyline to their left. It was a beautiful sight for them all to behold. The gentle trickling of water from the nearby streams made their walk across the flat, mossy terrain relaxing. After twenty minutes-or-so of walking, the waft of fresh stew filled the air around them. Signe's stomach rumbled, as the smell of traditional Vicingian Olkuut stew entered her nostrils, bringing back a sense of nostalgia from her youth.
The Viking ran quickly towards the opening of the village, which was marked by two wooden huts parallel to each other, both identical in height and shape. They were no bigger than the hull of the Razorcrest, and had thatched roofs with a small window cut into the wall, facing towards the bounty hunters and the tundra beyond. From within either hut, emerged a tall man, both dark-haired with large, untamed beards. One of the men was topless, with just the leather strap of his axe's holster donned against his skin. The other was clad in baggy brown trousers with knee armour, brown sandals and very thin chainmail around his torso. Both of the men boasted enormous biceps and thick hair.
They drew their weapons slowly, with both men now wielding enormous, battleaxes. They were at least six foot five inches, and their imposing frames made for an intense first encounter.
Signe stopped a few metres away from them and hung a hand out behind her, signalling for the others to stop.
The topless man approached the young blonde, towering over her. He frowned and engaged a small button on the hilt of his weapon, activating a thin, red laser around the curvature of the blade.
"State your business, traveller," he huffed, in a deep, monotonous voice.
"My friends and I seek refuge here. We have travelled far across the galaxy and need food and shelter,"
She stepped aside to allow the guardsman a better look at her counterparts.
The other guard stepped forward, also activating his axe in the same way that his friend did. They whispered to each other, consulting how to respond to the arrival of the strangers. The topless man spoke once again.
"We cannot grant you entry, traveller. No outsiders have been allowed in since… Well - they just haven't been welcomed for a long time. You don the attire of a clansman, but we take no visitors here. I'm sorry,"
Signe sighed, with evident frustration. A sadness consumed her momentarily. She looked up at the two guards, whilst her companions stood behind her.
"I don't think you understand… I'm… My name is Sig-"
A raspy voice from the huts cut off Signe's dialogue.
"Signe… Is… Is that you? I don't believe it!"
The two guards turned around and parted, revealing a male Duros standing between the two wooden buildings, arms wide open. His red eyes squinted, as his wrinkled, teal skin shriveled with a smile. He wore black boots, with dark-green work overalls and brown gloves. Signe sprinted towards him and embraced him with an enormous hug.
"I never thought I'd see you again," whispered Signe as she hugged the alien tightly. Mando and the others stepped forward slowly, only to be met with the guards in their way again. The Duros let go of Signe and approached the two guards, placing a hand on either one of their backs.
"Mikks, Cradthor, please allow these travellers entry to the village,"
The two guards looked at each other before stepping aside to allow the bounty hunters through. Mikks sheathed his axe back into its holster, covering most of his bare back, before turning to the Duros.
"You know this woman?" he questioned.
"I am honoured to say that I do know her, yes. This here is Signe, of clan Bielke. Daughter of Dacia and Hagen,"
The two guards looked at each other in shock, appalled that they didn't realise sooner, before kneeling and bowing their heads to her straight away.
"Please forgive us, we had our suspicions, but you can never be too careful, especially with all the pillaging," groveled the guards as they hung their heads in evident shame. The bounty hunters cleared the bowing guards and stopped behind Signe. The Duros looked them up and down, inspecting them and The Child.
"You know, I wasn't sure what to expect if the day came that I managed to see you again. But it definitely wasn't you returning home with a Gand, a Protocol Droid and… A Mandalorian… Well, what do you know?" he chuckled to himself.
Din stepped forward.
"And you are?" he asked in an unamused fashion.
"My name is Ferrin. I am the merchant around here. I keep Vicingi and her people connected to the rest of the galaxy as much as I can… An astro droid for repairs here, a hologram station there. They name it, I know where to find it and how to get it. It's important to stay connected as best as you can when the rest of your planetary neighbours don't house life… Our nearest friends are Utapau… and even then, I wouldn't trust an Utapauan as far as I could throw one,"
Mando looked dead at him.
"With the amount you travel back and forth from here, it's a surprise nobody else visits. It would've made travelling here a hell of a lot easier if this place was common knowledge," complained the Mandalorian.
Ferrin concurred with a slight nod.
"And that is exactly why we don't give that information away. Vicingi and her people are unique to the galaxy. They possess a might far greater than any race I have known, and have a way of life unlike anything I have witnessed. Why tarnish such a beautiful people, their way of life and the world in which they live? I make bi-monthly visits to the Outer and Mid Rim, but nobody ever knows where I have come from or where I return to. My ship blocks tracking signals, so that I cannot be followed. This is a haven for a people that like to keep themselves to themselves. I'd be damned if I jeopardised that."
Mando nodded gently in agreement. It all made perfect sense to him, and it was clear to see that Ferrin was a man of honour and integrity. The Duros turned around and led the way into the village, whilst the group followed behind him. Ferrin placed his fingers in his mouth and whistled, summoning a black and pale-green Astromech Droid.
"R4, inform the people. She has returned," The droid bleeped in excitement, as she turned and sped off in the other direction towards the heart of the village. Ferrin turned to his right, where Signe stood, full of glee.. He smiled back at her softly and placed his right hand on her shoulder.
"Welcome home, Signe,"
Ferrin, Signe and the other Bounty Hunters made their way further into the village, they received stares and whispers from the villagers. I didn't take a genius for them to recognise the ash-blonde woman. Signe couldn't help but feel embarrassed especially when the two guards had bowed to her not too long ago, she wondered what the Mandaolrian was thinking. She quickly glanced behind to check on him. The man was simply admiring the place, which relaxed her somewhat. All was well, as long as he wasn't worrying too much about it yet.
Someone calling her name caused her head to snap forward, the voice sounded familiar but had matured a lot since she had last heard it. A few metres away, she saw a muscular man, around her age with the same ash-blonde hair and green eyes. He had now grown himself a beard and his hair was longer, braided traditionally to a Vicingian hair style. He was wearing a navy tunic with a thick brown belt across his midsection and his legs were covered with black trousers. His accent was much thicker than hers, which wasn't surprising. She had been gone so long that her unique enunciation had almost completely gone. She grinned at the sight of her younger twin brother jogging over to her, recognition shone in his eyes as he grew closer. He took her face into hands, getting a good look at her.
"Edasis, you have blessed us on this day, it really is you! You've grown so much, sister,"
"As have you brother, it's been so long. I missed you so much," Signe pressed her forehead to her brother, in a moment of reconnection.
"Of course, it's been 12 years," At his response, Signe laughed before starting to sob. Her face immediately fell at the realisation of how long she'd been gone. Tears streamed down her face, and her knees weakened. Sigurd caught her, easing her down so they were kneeling on the ground, and brought her into a hug. Din watched from afar, never had he seen the woman show such emotion, she hid the pain well but what stood out the most to him in this wonderful moment was her name. Signe. It suited her.
"Signe, oh dear Erasil!" a woman's voice called out in astonishment and disbelief. Din watched a woman run over to the young Viking, she had hoisted her dress to avoid tripping but when she got to the duo, she landed on her knees with a heavy thud. She ignored the pain that surged her knee caps and wrapped her arms around her daughter tightly, never wanting to let go of her again. "Look at you," she smiled, love and fondness radiating in her eyes. She leaned back to get a look at her first born daughter as she held her face in her hands. "Such a beauty, you've become such a strong woman, my girl," Dacia looked at Signe with pride as she brushed a strand of hair from her face. The ash blonde's eyes moved from her mother to her father, and other brother and sister who were approaching. Dacia and Sigurd turned to look at them, as well. Signe stood up as her younger brother and sister stared at her, not recognising her at all. The young Viking woman simply smiled at their confusion. "Runa, Garth, this is your older sister, Signe." Upon hearing her name, Runa's eyes lit up and her mouth opened in shock. She placed her hand on Signe's biceps.
"It's really you?!" she asked in disbelief, to which Signe nodded. Runa immediately wrapped her arms around the taller woman's torso. Signe looked to Garth who looked like he was about to cry, she smiled, motioning for him to come over and join the hug, which he did. She caressed the back of his head comfortingly.
"Runa has been a big follower of yours ever since we told stories to her about you," Hagen joked, making his youngest daughter whine in embarrassment. He chuckled before Signe moved to hug her father. "Welcome home, my little warrior," Signe smiled hearing the old pet name he gave her when she was younger.
"Hello father, how are things?" he pulled away, a look of sadness crossed his features. Signe frowned, knowing exactly what that look meant. She looked at Runa and Garth, a deeper sadness filled her body. They had grown so much and she hadn't been there to see it. She felt guilty even though it wasn't her fault. She looked to Din and suddenly she snapped out of her small moment of despair. "Oh Mother, Father, I'd like you to meet some friends of mine, this is Din, 4-LOM, Zuckuss and Sprout," The Child still giggled at the name he had been given. Din was hesitant after hearing her use his actual name, and an unimpressed look crossed his face but he stepped forward and shook their hand. "Din, this is Dacia and Hagen, my mother and father. This is my twin brother Sigurd, my younger sister, Runa and my youngest brother Garth," Sigurd gave the older man a firm handshake.
"So you're the one who has been looking after my sister?"
"Only the past few months, we're still new to the whole friends thing," Din replied, the last sentence came as a shock to Signe herself, he considered her a friend and that made her smile to herself.
"Do we get to see the face of your potential future husband, Signe?" Dacia asked, seeming to see marriage between the two. Signe's face burned a deep red upon hearing her mother's words and she couldn't speak for a moment. Completely flustered by the question. She didn't dare look at Din, knowing full well he was staring at her in disbelief.
"Mother! He's a Mandalorian, it is forbidden for him to take off his helmet. I've never seen his face. I don't even know his eye colour," she said sheepishly avoiding eye contact with everyone, her mother only smiled at daughter, knowing exactly what was going on in that head of hers. Signe quickly composed herself before turning to her father.
"So Osbarn is still attacking the village?" she asked, quickly changing the subject.
"He is, he's taking our food and our possessions," Hearing this, Din stepped forward.
"I'm sorry but who's this Osbarn character?"
"He's a tyrant who has been tormenting the surrounding villages the past 13 years, he's the reason Signe had to escape,"
"You've never mentioned this to me before, why didn't you tell me?" The Mandalorian turned his attention to the young woman, who simply shrugged.
"It wasn't really something I wanted to share with you," she stated straightforwardly, the answer seemed to shock Din as his posture moved away from her slightly. For some reason, he felt somewhat offended. She looked back to her father to question him further. "Would you like me to leave, am I putting you at risk being here?" her father immediately shook his head.
"No, absolutely not, stay a couple days, he won't be here for another few days. We must celebrate your return. He'll never know, he doesn't need to know," Signe stared into her father's old and aging eyes, they told her to trust him but she could see the fear in them. She could sense around the village too. They were glad of her return but they were all on edge. Osbarn was a plague, an evil darkness that needed to be snuffed out. "Come my child, we have a free hut, would you and your friends like to stay there?" Signe nodded.
"Hagen, Dacia. If you don't mind, I will take my leave whilst you show Signe and her guests to the hut. I have a couple of R5's to pick up from Corellia and must be on my way," informed Ferrin, before smiling softly to the group and turning the other way.
"Yes of course we'll take it, just lead the way," Hagen proceeded to guide his long lost daughter and her companions to the hut that was far from the main marketplace of the village. It was tucked away which was probably a good thing. When they had arrived, Hagen gave his daughter a final hug as the other guests made their way into the small wooden hut. "Make sure you see your mother at some point before nightfall, she'll want to dress you for the banquet," Signe chuckled softly and nodded before heading in after the Mandalorian, droid and Gand. She found them admiring the traditional Viking interior. It was cosy. A wooden table stood in one corner with four stools, wooden bowls were set on it, ready for a meal to be contained in them. All kinds of herbs hung from the ceiling, giving off a strong scent but it was comforting. Two beds were separated by a woven fence of thin twigs, the beds had soft pelts and furs that were sure to warm you instantly when snuggled beneath them. Signe noticed a cooking pot and remembered seeing an area to start a fire just outside. She set her weapons to the side of the room and leaned her damaged axe against the wall gently.
Perfect.
She smiled, she loved being back home despite danger that lay outside the walls of the village. Her little daydream was interrupted when she heard Zuckuss chirp something to 4-LOM and soon the droid spoke.
"Signe, would you mind if Zuckuss and I had a look around your village?"
"Not at all, acquaintance yourself with everyone. They may look fierce but they are wonderful people to those they know they can trust," The Droid nodded before he and the Gand left the hut so it was only her, Din and the Child. Signe watched the Child who had been placed in one of the beds, snuggled down in the furs and yawned cutely. Din sat on one of the stools, and just watched his female companion as he fiddled with a string on his glove. She smiled at him. "So what do you think of Vincingi? Is it what you imagined?" He didn't say anything for a moment, just stared, making her uncomfortable slightly.
"Why didn't you tell me about the Tyrant too, Signe?" he inquired, completely ignoring her question and he used her real name. Hearing him say it sent chills down her spine and she stared wide eyed at him before her eyes flickered to the wall behind him which had shelves with jars of herbs and whatnot in them. She found her temporary escape. She moved to the shelves, Din eyes followed her from under the helmet but he didn't turn around just yet. He heard the jars and vials clink as she inspected them behind him. She still didn't answer, making him stand up and walk to her side, his helmet tilted as if waiting for her to look at him. She didn't. In a last effort, he decided to go beyond both their boundaries, he lifted his right hand and pressed his index finger to her left collar bone. "Was he the one who gave you this?" she immediately slapped his hand away and turned to face him, a look of disbelief on her face as her right hand rested on her hip and her left held her up as she leaned on a tall ceramic pot. He tilted his head again, as if to say, 'Well.. I'm waiting.' she huffed and rolled her eyes before she motioned for him to sit back down, she took the seat next to her. He did so and waited for her to speak. She hesitated before she began her story.
"I was 12 when he first attacked the village, there was no signal, we were taken by surprise. He slaughtered some of our men, took my father's riches and claimed them as his own. He held my father at blade point and told him if he didn't drop his Title as Chieftain and give him that Title, he would slaughter his family and stick our heads on spikes. Runa and Garth were only two and three and Sigurd and I were children. My father wouldn't allow us to die for the sake of his throne. Anyway, a few months into our suffering, and I had come up with the O-so-smart idea to assassinate the bastard in his sleep," Din listened intently to her story, taking in the horrors she had to face. "One night, I snuck into the long house where he slept, and with a dagger… a useless dagger, I crept to his bedside and attempted to stab him in the head but apparently he already knew I was there. He grabbed me by the throat and threw me into the tables in the longhouse, causing a ruckus and of course it woke some of the village up. My family came in escorted by guards and other men of the village. Ferrin was there too. My father begged him to not harm me but he had a short sword in hand and he didn't hesitate to cut me to silence my father… on the spot, he decided I be beheaded the next day for treason and I'd will be set as an example to the rest of the village, if I didn't die from blood loss that is. You step out of line then you welcome the gates of Ifilia, although I'm sure he'd rather we went to Momus... I was taken to one of the cages and left there, he didn't have anyone treat my wounds, I would've died if it wasn't for Sigurd and Ferrin. Apparently, Ferrin had found Sigurd knocking out a nearby guard and helped him carry my dying body on to his Cargo Freighter. It seemed Sigurd had already planned on sneaking me out. I don't know what happened back on Vicingi after that but I assume he thinks I'm dead and we need to keep it that way. Ferrin treated me on the way to Nevarro, you see he knows Greef Karga, that's how I came to be his Ward.. well there you have it, the story you wanted. What have you got to say to that?" The woman leaned back and crossed her right leg over her left and crossed her arms and looked at the Mandalorian expectantly.
"You're an idiot," he stated simply, making Signe scoff.
"Oh shut up, you think I don't know that," she frowned in offence and looked away from him. It was long before she felt a hand move her tunic slightly and a gloved finger traced over her scar. Her eyes softened slightly at his gentleness but when she caught her brother peering in with an odd look, she snapped into her stubborn phase. Again, she slapped Din's hand away, making him jump by her sudden movement. "What is it with you and your bloody fascination for my scar!" she said in a mildly threatening tone as she stood up and walked to her damaged axe. The Sprout waddled up behind her to see why she sounded so upset and tugged at her trouser leg before reaching his arms up to her, asking to be held. She did so, holding him close.
"Are you sure you two aren't secretly married?" Sigurd joked, only to receive a glare from his sister as she passed him in the doorway, nudging his shoulder harshly.
"Shut up Sigurd! Come on Din, we have to go visit Kane the Small,"
"Who's that?"
"Our blacksmith,"