After the reassurance of their chief and chieftess, the Berkians felt a bit more at ease about the Lady of the Forest and the rumors began to cease. They didn't stop altogether, but at least people had an answer for what they had been seeing.
Sigrunn continued to keep to herself, but it wouldn't be long before Hiccup sent someone to find her again and act as a sort of "ambassador" to help her get used to being around other people again.
A few weeks after meeting the Lady of the Forest, Hiccup decided that the best person to send would be Eret. They had already had more encounters with each other than anyone else, so he figured that was their best chance at building trust with Sigrunn.
The first day Eret was to venture out into the forest, it was a rather warm spring day filled with gentle breezes. He walked through the pines, searching for signs of Sigrunn or Bera, but after an hour he still found nothing.
"She's not an easy one to find, that's for sure." Eret stopped at a river, leaning down to scoop up some of the water to drink and splash over his neck and face to cool down. Standing up straight, he glanced around and sighed. "Where to look next, I wonder..."
Eret crossed the river over the large stones protruding from the water, then followed along the creek that connected to it further into the forest. He walked for a while longer then heard the growing familiarity of an owl's call. He looked up and spotted Bera eyeing him from her perch nearby.
"I'm looking for Sigrunn, can you lead me to her?"
Bera cocked her head back and forth a few times, then took to the sky and flew a few yards before landing on a different branch and looking back at Eret.
Eret got the sense that she was showing him the way so he followed after her. Each time he neared where her perch was, she would take flight once more and fly ahead a ways before landing again- waiting for Eret to catch up. This continued for almost a hundred paces, then Eret noticed that Bera had stopped again but when he caught up to her, she didn't take off again.
"She's here?"
Bera cooed, then started preening her feathers.
Eret looked ahead and spotted what looked like a chimney made of stones sticking up from the crest of a large mossy hill and a small fence of woven branches on either side of the hill. He saw what looked like a curtain of leafy vines woven together hanging over the center of the hill. When he approached the fences, he saw a path of large stones buried partially in the mossy earth.
"Sigrunn? It's Eret," he called out, not wanting to spook her.
When no answer came, though, he stepped over the stones and pushed aside the vines- finding Sigrunn's home within. He looked around, seeing that her home had been built into the hill- some woven baskets and clay pots and jars sat on the left side, a small stone fireplace in the center with a pile of firewood next to it, and herbs and dry-aging meat hanging from the rafters. He looked to the right when he heard a soft rustle and noticed a cloth curtain hung along the rafters. He reached over, pulling it aside slowly, and what he found behind it brought a warmth to his cheeks: Sigrunn laying on her bed, the furs piled around her, half-naked, her ashy blonde hair pooling around her, her fair skin pale against the dark furs.
Eret stepped back and went back outside to wait for Sigrunn to wake- and to clear his head a bit.
Sigrunn stirred, sensing something different in the air of her home, and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She slid out of bed and stretched, then took a peek outside and was surprised to find Eret leaning against a tree.
'What is he doing here?'
She dressed quickly, pulled her hair back, and stepped outside to greet her guest.
"What brings you here?"
Eret looked up and saw that Sigrunn was finally awake- and dressed. He felt a warmth at his cheeks again and cleared his throat. "Chief asked me to come check in on you."
"Oh? Is that all?"
"Well, to be honest, he sent me to be an ambassador of sorts."
"To gain my trust?"
"And to learn from you. You know these lands better than anyone." Eret stepped closer to her, fiddling with the stick in his hand. "The chief was serious about his offer, but he wants to be respectful."
"I see." Sigrunn stretched and ran her fingers through her hair. "Well, what exactly would you like me to teach you? You're clearly a tracker, you carry yourself like a warrior," She gestured to his scars, "and you've seen your fair share of action over the years."
"True, but there is still much that I do not know," Eret replied, bringing his arm across his chest and offering her a small bow. "I leave the decision up to you, Lady of the Forest, and I look forward to learning from you."
Sigrunn felt a warmth creep across her cheeks and her heart began to race in a strange new way. "F-First thing's first, I need to eat." She turned away and started heading back towards her home, then stopped and glanced back at Eret. "Would you like to join me?"
Eret stood upright and offered her a smile. "Sure."
Sigrunn made a simple breakfast of fish, berries, and some nut bread and shared the meal with Eret. Once they had finished eating, Sigrunn took their plates to the creek where it flowed past her hilly home to clean them off and deposited them back in their place, then grabbed her staff and slid the sash over her head.
"So, what's the plan?" Eret had asked as he followed her away from the mossy hill.
"You wish to learn the lay of the land, do you not?" Sigrunn asked, looking back at him for a moment.
Eret nodded, surprised by the smile she gave him at his reply as she gestured for him to follow her.
Sigrunn led the way through the lands of the Monolithic Island, taking Eret over hills and rivers, weaving through the trees as she showed him where some key things were located- like medicinal herbs and stones and other items to use for tools. She showed him which mushrooms were edible, which were poisonous, then showed him some great spots to fish.
Eret took in every bit of information she provided, making note of the key locations that she introduced to him, and watched her as she explained things to him. She was more than happy to answer his questions, but for the most part, he was just content to listen and process the information.
Sigrunn showed Eret the lay of the land surrounding her home, taking him an hour or so each way- going north, west, and south since New Berk lay to the east.
By the time they made it back to her hilly home, the day was shifting towards dusk and Eret needed to get back to New Berk.
"Thank you for showing me around, Sigrunn," Eret said, standing next to the tree that he had been waiting next to earlier in the day.
"You are welcome," Sigrunn replied. "I trust you know your way back?"
Eret nodded. "I'll manage."
"Safe travels, then," Sigrunn said, dipping her head for a moment before turning back towards her home.
Eret waited until she had disappeared inside before he turned and began the long trek back to New Berk.