Aiyanna didn't see Dagny again for the next five years. When she saw Aiyanna, she was about eight years old. Aiyanna raised an eyebrow and jumped off Cheveyo when she saw the girl, having just come back from gathering stones to replenish the powders for her pouches. "Ah, I was wondering when I'd see you again child. So how have you been? Have any news about the men?" she asked.
Dagny gave her a bright smile. "Hei Aiyanna! The men are really friendly! Their countries' names are Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland but they said I could call them Mathias, Lucas, Berwald, and Tino. Berwald is the tall and kinda scary looking one but he's actually really nice! Sometimes, when the others are too busy to play with me, he picks me up and gives me piggy back rides! And Tino said I can call him Uncle Tino whenever I want!" she said excitedly.
Aiyanna nodded before sitting down against Cheveyo, making sure her spear was within reach in case of ambush. "Why are they here? Did they ever tell you?" she asked. Dagny's beemed. "They're here to start a settlement! A small village where their people can have some of the resources they don't have in their own homes! That's why I exist!" she said before doing a cartwheel. Aiyanna smiled a bit at the cartwheel, being reminded of how restless Shawnee was as a child, always feeling the need to move around.
"Is that so? You mean their lands are different than ours here? What resources do we have that they don't have access to?" she asked. Dagny landed on her back and peered up from the ground, cheeks rosey with cheer. She shrugs. "I don't know, but they seem happy about the grape vines here. Especially Mathias. They also said that there were animals here that were different than where they were from. Tino said they were cute! He was happy when I showed him a bever dam where the mama had had babies!" she said.
Aiyanna frowned. "So they're only here because there's only a few plants and animals that they don't have in their own homes? Do you have any other siblings besides the four men?" she asked. Dagny nodded, rolling onto her stomach. "Only two, an older brother that lives in some island far away called Iceland. The other one is an older sister in someplace called Greenland. Apparently the three of us look similar," she said.
"And how far away is this Greenland?" asked Aiyanna. "Close...I can feel them..well, Greenland especially. They're about my age, though Big Brother Lukas says I'm aging faster than them for some reason. They only look about four or five," she said, shrugging. Aiyanna raises an eyebrow. "Is that so? Then it's not normal for lands from their part of the world to age so fast either?" she asked.
Dagny blinked in surprise before looking up at Aiyanna fearfully. "What does that mean? Is that a bad thing?" she asked. Aiyanna blinked before looking over the child slowly. "I cannot be sure. Have you always aged so fast before?" she asked. Dagny shook her head. "It started happening a few years ago. I forget. Do you know what it could be?" she asked. Aiyanna sighs at the fear in the girl's eyes.
"I suppose I could ask the spirits to see if they know what it could be. Luckily, I have already restocked on the various stones I need. I just need to grind them into powder," she said. Dagny frowned slightly. "Contact spirits…." Her eyes widened. "You have magic too?!" she asked, jumping up. Aiyanna blinked. "What do you mean magic?" she asked. "Your connection to me and the other realm is commonly referred to as magic by other lands," said Mother Earth, using a wind to whisper into Aiyanna's ear.
Aiyanna nodded. "Yes. I have magic. You have magic too?" she asked. Dagny nodded excitedly. "Ja! Lukas is teaching me how to use it! Right now, I can't do any of the big stuff he's able to do but I'm learning how to read runes!" she said. Aiyanna looked at her, her interest piqued. "Runes? I haven't heard of runes before. Could you show me how it works?" she asked. Dagny nodded. "Give me a second! I put my bag of runes in one of the trees here! I need to go find them!" she said.
A branch drapped over Dagny's head, holding the bag. Dagny blinked before taking the bag. "T-Takk (Thanks)," she murmers, surprised. There was a chuckle. "Don't be so surprised child. You're welcome," she said. Dagny broke into a grin before patting the ground happily. She then sat down in front of Aiyanna and gave her a sheepish look. "I'm not as good as Lukas...but I'll try my best. I'm going to have to ask you and the buffalo to try to keep quiet so I can concentrate," she said. Cheveyo grunted and patted the top of her head with his chin before laying next to Aiyanna.
Dagny pulled out some stones with strange markings on each one. Aiyanna looked on curiously as the girl cupped the stones, breathe a question to them, and tossed them onto the ground before her. Dagny wrinkled her nose as she looked over the stones. "They either are saying something about stinky feet or a prophecy. Neither one makes sense to me though," she said. Dagny looked at Aiyanna sheepishly. "Sorry...Like I said, I'm still learning," she said.
Aiyanna nodded, not really paying attention. Could this be related to the prophecy? She stood up. "Well, since you showed me your...magic, I'll show you mine. First we need to get something that the spirit might want. The Fox usually loves crushed flowers. Hmm, I believe Snake enjoys music. I have a small set of pipes on me," she said. Dagny jumped up after picking up her stones. "I can sing! There's a song that I heard in the village he might like!" she said.
Aiyanna thinks about it. "I suppose the Snake hasn't heard your language before, he's known to be a bit picky. Alright. Let's try it. It'll at least pique his interest," she said. Dagny grinned. "What do we do first?" she asked, close to hopping from one foot to the other. "We need to fine a safe place to burn a fire. Then you can start singing on my cue," Aiyanna told her. Dagny nodded, looking at Cheveyo with wide eyes. "Am I going to ride him there?" she asked.
Aiyanna turned to Cheveyo. "Is it alright with you big guy?" she asked. Cheveyo nodded, nuzzling Vinland happily. "That's a yes. Do you need help getting on?" she asked. Dagny shook her head and somehow managed to climb onto the buffalo. Aiyana climbed on after her. "Make sure you hang on. Cheveyo sometimes forgets how fast he's running," she said. Dagny nodded and changed her grip so she had a better hold onto the buffalo.
After a few minutes, they found a safe clearing with kindling, already piled up by Mother Earth, waiting for them. Aiyanna jumped off the buffalo and patted the ground before walking over to the fire. "Once I start chanting, you can start singing. Stay back from the fire though. I don't want you falling in it or getting burnt. Also, don't interrupt the spirit. Sometimes they are quicker to anger than they should be," she said.
Dagny nods. "Okay...I will do my best to be quiet," she said. Aiyanna nodded and pulled out her flint rocks, striking them together until she was able to spark a fire. "Go ahead and start singing," she said before starting to chant. Dagny nodded, hesitating a little before singing what Aiyanna thought was a lulluaby, despite the strange language it was being sung in. Dagny started off singing softly, barely audible.
"Child, you're doing just fine. Sing a little louder so we can hear that lovely voice of yours," said Mother Earth, appearing in a tree. Dagny flinches before singing a bit louder. Aiyanna nods and adds a powder to the fire, causing it to hiss and sizzle. Dagny starts to sing a bit louder when she spotted Aiyanna nodding at her to do so. After a few minutes, the smoke began to wrap around fire before taking the form of a snake.
"Well Aiyanna, who is this? She has a pretty voice, a pretty face, and a pretty language. Why haven't you introduced your friend to me before?" asked the snake, uncoiling and 'standing' straight so it looked like it was coming out of the fire. Aiyanna nodded and put a hand on Dagny's shoulder. "This is Dagny, otherwise known as Vinland. She's more of an...aquaintance," she said.
The Snake stuck out it's tongue at this before leaning forward and getting a closer look at the settlement. "Vinland you say? And what is your story dear girl?" he hissed. Aiyanna opened her mouth but the Snake shook his head. "I want to hear it in her words. After all, she is the reason you've called for me isn't it?" he asked. Aiyanna blinked before swallowing and nodding to Dagny, feeling sympathetic at the girl's nervous eyes.
"You heard her girl. I won't bite you," chuckled the Snake. Dagny nods before glancing at Aiyanna for support, who only nodded at her. "Well, my Big Brother Lukas says that I'm a Norse settlement. Some his people will become my people because they're going to live here and hunt and farm. There's animals and plants here that they don't have in their own home. And that's why I'm here!" she said, getting more confident as she spoke.
The Snake smiled. "Ah, so that is why you exist. What do you first remember?" he asked. Aiyanna frowned. Why was Snake asking so many questions about Vinland's short past? What was he getting at? Vinland put a finger on her chin as she tried to think. "Not much...Just waking up and being confused. For the first few days, I ate things the earth told me to and built myself a shelter...Then I saw Aiyanna and started following her," she said.
Aiyanna blinked. Snake smirked. "And why is that child?" he asked. Dagny fidgeted with her hands, whether out of excitement or nerves Aiyanna couldn't tell. "Well...at first it was because she knew which plants she could eat so I ate what she ate...but felt like me. And I saw her playing with some kids at a little camp thing they had over there. ...I thought we could be friends. Ooh, and I thought her buffalo was really cute and wanted to pet it. I actually did pet it a couple of times when she wasn't looking," she giggled. Aiyanna gave Cheveyo a look which he promptly ignored.
The Snake chuckled. "I see. Well what is it that you and Aiyanna came to ask me? And remember, I only take one question per session so please word it carefully," he said. Dagny looked at Aiyanna uncertainly. Aiyanna held up a hand. "Don't worry young one, I will handle this. I told you that, yes?" she said. Dagny nodded and took a step back to let Aiyanna speak. "We wish to know what is the meaning behind Dagny's excelerated aging? She ages slower than a human but faster than any representations of the land either of us know," she said.
The Snake laughed. "That's why all the fuss? Ah, but Aiyanna, you already know the reason. Or at least you've already guessed. Do I really need to spell it out for you?" he chuckled. Aiyanna froze slightly. The Prophecy...It's related to the prophecy. "I know it's related to the prophecy, but beyond that I'm not sure what the cause could be...Could you possibly explain it?" she asked.
The Snake hissed. "You know it's not our policy to explain or break down prophecies. I'm sorry but this is one that you'll have to figure it out your own. The most I can tell you is that when you agreed to hear the prophecy, it set things into motion and out of your hands. This is one of them. She is as much a part of this as you are," he said. Aiyanna frowned. "But you can't tell us why she's aging so fast?" she asked.
The Snake shook his head. "Telling you that would require explaining a part of the prophecy. I'm sorry, but I cannot tell you more," he said. Dagny frowned and looked up at the spirit, slight fear in her eyes. "There's nothing you can do to help or explain?" she said, voice shaking slightly. The Snake's face softened. "I shall give you this one advice child. Consult your runes. Aiyanna is not allowed to know of the prohecy, but you are allowed some details," he said.
Aiyanna frowned. "Wait? She is allowed to know some details of a prophecy that involves her some how, but when I ask details of the same prophecy that I'm also involved in, I'm denied those details?" she asked. The Snake sighed. "Unfortunately, Dagny here is an innocent bystander who had been strung into this by your choices. I'm sorry Aiyanna. I cannot breach this role," he said.
Aiyanna sighed. "I understand…" she lied. The Snake sighed. "Yes well, I'll give you one on the house. Do you have any other questions I could answer?" he asked. Aiyanna shook her head. "No, but I'll summon you when I think of one. Thank you," she said. The Snake sighed and disappeared. The fire quickly extinguisned. Aiyanna stood up before kicking some dirt onto the fire, muttering an apology to her mother.
"I'm sorry I didn't get any of the answers you wanted. I would have thought that he would have been at least a bit more helpful than he actually was. Do you need a ride to wherever you live?" she asked. Dagny nodded, looking thoughtful. Aiyanna nodded. "Well get on the buffalo. I'm sure he won't mind another trip if we get him an extra handful of berries or some extra pets," she said.
Cheveyo whinnied happily, punctuating Aiyanna's point. Dagny giggled. "Okay!" she asked, running over to Cheveyo and once again managing to climb onto his back. Aiyanna smiled and climbed up after her, sitting behind her. Dagny was already giggling and scratching Cheveyo on the head between his horns. Aiyanna smirked at their antics before nudging the buffalo. Cheveyo grunted before starting to run.
Aiyanna put an arm around the girl, making sure not to let her slip or fall off Cheveyo. After a few minutes, Dagny instructed them to start following a trail that looked worn into the ground. Aiyanna blinked. "Are we going to be going into your brother's settlement?" she asked. Dadgny shook her head. "We're going to the little shelter I found when I first woke up. I like to go here when I want to get away from all the people in the settlement," she said. Aiyanna blinked but followed the trail.
After a few seconds, the trail ended at a cliffside with a small cave just barely big enough for one person to squeeze into. Aiyanna could see a small pile of wood in the back of the cave along with a few clay pots and a rolled up blanket. Dagny slid off of Cheveyo and beemed up at her. "This is my cave! I like to go here when I want to think. Maybe you can come and visit me here sometime? The others don't know about this place. I like to keep it secret otherwise Mathias would come and bother me," she said.
Aiyanna nodded before glancing down at Dagny. "It's nice..but I do have a question Dagny. How long have you been watching and following me? Did you follow me to the closest tribe? When?" she asked. Dagny shrank back. "I-It was about two years after I woke up in this cave...I saw you riding Cheveyo through the forest. I watched you two the first few times I saw you but it was the third or fourth time that I saw you that I decided to follow you.
"You led me to the nearest tribe and when I saw you hug a couple of kids when you first entered the camp, I decided to watch you more often. You were the first person I saw since I woke up and you seem really nice," she said. Dagny looked up at Aiyanna, looking guilty and a bit scared. I-I didn't mean to make you mad..I just wanted to make a friend," she said quietly. Aiyanna sighed and knelt on one knee so she could be level with the child.
"I understand why you did it child. When I woke up, I was alone for the longest time with no one but Cheveyo and Mother to keep me company. Then I found my tribe. I admit, it can be a bit of an adjustment from being alone to being with your people. The responsibility and gravity of being their representative certainly don't help with that. But I assure you child, it is best to spend time with your people. That way they get used to the idea of having a personification and so you better understand what they need," she said.
Dagny sighed, thinking about what Aiyanna said. "I guess you're right...You're not mad?" she asked. Aiyanna sighed. "No little one, I can't find fault with your actions so I have no reason to be mad at you," she said. Dagny blinked before giving her a bright smile. "Takk Aiyanna! I'll be sure to keep on visiting you. Do you want anything to eat? I have some smoked salmon we can share!" she said.
Aiyanna shook her head. "No thank you, I need to get back home. I have a child who I need to teach how to make a proper spear, mostly so I could get him to stop pulling pranks on his tribe members," she said. Dagny's face fell but she gave Aiyanna a small smile before giving her an equally shy hug. "I'll see you around then. Thank you for trying to help me figure this out! I should probably walk back to the settlement before Big Brother starts to worry about me," she said.
Aiyanna blinked and patted her back in surprise. Her surprise increased when Dagny promptly released her and ran off into the woods. Aiyanna stared in the direction that she went off into. Cheveyo grunted at her. "I agree...that kid is strange," she said. Cheveyo grunted once more. Aiyanna rolled her eyes. "You only think she's sweet because she gives you extra pats and attention, you spoiled buffalo," she teased.
Cheveyo whinned before nudging her. Aiyanna chuckled. "Alright, alright. I'll get you some berries. I'm sure I have some already picked at the tribe. Perhaps I might have some treats you can enjoy as well," she says. Cheveyo whinnnied and butted her until she laughed and climbed onto him. The buffallo than ran as fast as possible back to camp and wouldn't stop nudging and nuzzling Aiyanna until he got the treats she promised him.
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