Chapter 08
A rooster crowed in the distance.
As per the usual routine, Stoick was the first to wake. Sitting up he paused for a moment, though he should be used to it after all these years he could but wish for something rather unpleasant to happen to that particular fowl that roused him.
Climbing from his bed he stood. Raising his arms above his head he stretched out his limbs soothing any kinks that had been accumulated in his muscles. The feeling of joints popping was quickly followed by the feeling of relief as they reset themselves. Done with his stretches Stoick moved to the wardrobe where he gathered his clothes and dress for the day. Slipping on his boots the Viking left his room behind and proceeded down the short hallway.
Taking a moment he paused by the only other door on the second floor.
Giving a light knock he heard the movements of the room's occupant as he went about readying himself for the day. Satisfied he continued striding down the hall and the staircase that sat at its end.
The downstairs was just as it had always been with but one exception, which would be the blonde teen lying on his bedroll still asleep.
Stoick moved to stand over the young man, "Wake up lad" he spoke prodding the bedroll with his right foot.
In a typical teenage manner Adryk merely groaned in protest and rolled over. This caused Stoick to only prod a little harder succeeding in rousing the teen. With a yawn he stretched before moving to sit up.
"You best be getting used to this, days tend to start early around here" Stoick commented as he peered down at the teen before moving off.
Still rather groggy Adryk had remained unresponsive to the Viking's words. Pivoting he groped blindly for his boots with one hand while the other rubbed at his eyes. Retrieving them he pulled his socks from the boots and slipped them over his feet. The socks were quickly followed by the black leather boots in covering his feet.
Moving to his knees Adryk began rolling the bedroll back up before cinching the buckles tight on it. Standing up he approached Stoick with it who gestured for him to return it to the trunk it had come from.
Depositing the bundle he was met with the sounds of footsteps as the young Viking descended the stairs.
Closing the lid the blonde teen turned to greet the other "Hey."
Hiccup paused momentarily before remembering why this teen was there, "Oh yeah good morning."
The pair crossed the room together taking their seats on the benches to watch Stoick cook. The Viking paid close attention to the contents of the pan as it sizzled away every now and again adding something else to it. It smelled delicious as it wafted up the three humans even causing their stomachs to rumble in anticipation.
Shifting his attention from his preoccupied father, Hiccup observed the other teen. The blonde teen wore a rather blank expression on his face while his gaze was focused on the fire in front of him. However, the look in his eyes made him seem distant as if his mind wasn't really there.
His assumption proved correct as the remnants of last night's disturbing dream continued to plague the teen hanging on at the edge of his conscious mind.
"Alright lads eat up" Stoick interrupted his hands offering up plates of roasted pork similar to very thick bacon.
Stoick's words combined with appetizing smell coming from the plate on offer brought Adryk back to reality. Taking the plate in his hands he soon joined the other two in devouring the morning meal. His left over appetite from the three fast made him approach the meal with gusto, it didn't hurt that bacon was one of his favorite foods.
"Birna said you might have a strong appetite" Stoick commented as he and his son watched the foreign teen quickly gobble down the meal.
Finishing off the last morsel Adryk glanced about the back of the room looking for where to put the plate. The Viking chief took notice and with a slight nod indicated the washbasin with a rag hanging over the rim sitting on the floor.
Striding over he submerged the plate in the oversized bucket. Taking the rag in hand he cleaned off the plate as best he could before setting the plate aside to dry and wringing out the rag. He was about the return the rag to its previous resting place when he noticed the two Vikings approach. Handing over the damp cloth they mimicked his actions as they went the process of cleansing their plates.
Leaving the basin behind the pair moved to door, with a quick jerking nod Stoick indicated Adryk should follow.
Exiting the house the teens stood looking out the village that awaited below. "Now," Stoick addressed the teens closing the door behind him "I want you the both of you to head straight to Gobber's workshop." Shifting his gaze he looked to the blonde teen, "Once you're there he'll give your instructions for the day."
Receiving a nod the Viking chief strode passed the two only to pause on the stone steps. "Remember the Elder chose you for this responsibility" the teen's father spoke "Don't disappoint her." With those final words he turned and continued on down steps.
'Right no pressure' the brown haired thought 'It's only the risk of alienating the person who could decide my future. What could go wrong?'
-xxx-
The smithery was perhaps the easiest building to locate in the village with its wisps of white smoke rising from the forge.
As the duo drew nearer they could hear the clanking of metal and see the light showers of sparks that traveled through the air of the shaded interior. Stepping through the threshold Adryk's eyes were drawn to the large Viking currently hammering a red hot piece metal in to shape on the anvil.
At their entrance the Viking smith paused in mid-strike. Letting go of the iron billet het set the tongs aside, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the use of his forearm. "Ah welcome laddi" Gobber greeted Adryk "You look a might better shape than what Hiccup found you in. Good to see you up and moving instead of, well, you know."
Gobber's stature was much like Stoick. Fairly tall, barrel chested with thick muscular arms honed from all the time spent working in the smithery maintaining the village's iron works. Though bald he possessed a set of bushy eyebrows that were so thick they had seemingly grown together. Beneath them his bright blue eyes had a impish twinkle. The bridge of his nose was bent at an odd angle as a result of being hit one too many times, while a long braided mustache hung underneath.
The blacksmith's baldness was concealed beneath his helmet with its long horns. Covering his torso a goldenrod colored sleeveless shirt with a lace up "V" neck, the vest he wore over that seemed a bit too small for one his size. His pants were brown with stripes of light tan running vertically through them.
"Thanks…" Adryk trailed off his attention being pulled to the missing portions of the man's arm and leg. From the elbow down of his left arm was missing instead it was capped with a metal dome from which a hammer was mounted. While on the opposite side of his body it was the lower portion of his right leg that had been replaced with a wooden peg.
So entrancing the sight he couldn't help but stare.
It was a fact not lost on Gobber, but this was something the older Viking was rather used when meeting people for the first time. Still though it did occasionally annoy the smith but this time he merely shrugged it off.
Opening his mouth to speak Gobber quickly found himself grasping for a name, "Uh what was your name again?"
"Adryk, sir" the blonde adolescent replied.
"Ah right, well let's get to work shall we" Gobber turned hobbling his way to the bellows "Now over here is where you will be working."
Giving a glance to Hiccup, Adryk strode passed him to stand by the older Viking "What is it exactly I'll be doing?"
"Nothing to it, lad" the smith chuckled. "First ya take some of that ore from the crate and place in the bucket. Then set the bucket on the coals, once the ore turns molten you add more ore until it reaches this line" Gobber demonstrated freely. "Then ya just take hold here and move it up and down" laying his remaining hand on the long bellows handle he gave it a push downwards. There was hiss of air being moved in the forge as the coals flared up growing brighter with the sudden rush of fresh air.
Gobber relinquished the position, "Now you give it a go."
As Adryk moved to follow the instructions Hiccup spoke up "What about me?"
"Well since we only need one on the bellows. You'll be assisting me on the anvils" Gobber answered as he strode back to the large anvil "Go grab a hammer."
Surprised Hiccup was quick to grab a hammer from its pegs on the wall. Then taking his place at the second anvil he set about following his mentor's lead in shaping the raw metal into its intended form.
Adryk watched at the two Vikings set about mending, and shaping before he returned his focus to his appointed task. Putting his hands on the handle replicated Gobber's demonstration.
Unfortunately, the teen's chosen pace was working against him as the physical exertion was quickly starting to wear him down.
"No, no, no lad" Gobber interjected waving his arms "You're going about this all wrong. If you keep going like that you won't last the hour let alone the day." Taking a few steps closer the Viking smith mimed the movements of the bellows "Keep it slow and steady, okay?"
Adryk nodded fervently "Yes, sir."
As Gobber returned to his work Adryk implemented his advice slowing his pace considerably. Settling into a more sustainable tempo the three males soon found a routine they could work with. When the bucket was full of molten ore Gobber showed him how to pour it into the billet molds before repeating the process and smelting more ore. With Hiccup freed of the bellows it he and Gobber to have a greater output in their work.
The trio worked diligently paying to no mind to how long they had been there.
An interruption came in the form of some rather displeased yelling. Distracted by the sudden commotion Adryk put too much emphasis on the down stroke which caused the strong gust of air to propel red hot cinders into the air.
"Oww, oww" the teen cried out quickly moving away from the airborne embers. His hands swatted at the air for a moment before taking of the bottom of his shirt and fervently shaking it trying to dislodge any hot embers that may have latched on.
At the pained cry Gobber turned seeing the both the teen and the floating embers, "You alright lad?" The Viking strode over carrying a bucket of water.
"Yeah," Adryk seethed through gritted teeth "Just a little toasty" as he rubbed at the small red spots on his forearms that marked where the embers had made contact with his skin.
Wiping his arms down with the cool rag Gobber examined the markings, "You should be okay, we'll get you an apron tomorrow." Turning the smith glanced at the shadows outside the shop "Okay lads I think that's enough work for today. Let's grab something to eat."
Neither of the teens said a word of disagreement.
As Gobber and Hiccup removed their aprons to return them to their hooks, Adryk took the moment to relax. For the first time he noticed the sweat he had worked up since beginning as he wiped the sweat from his brow with a shirtsleeve. But this heat was something he was defiantly going to have to get used if he was expected to work there, 'Bet everyone wants to work here in the winter.'
The blacksmith strode to the shops exit pausing in front of the blonde teen, "Not bad for your first day's work" he praised giving him a hearty pat on the shoulder. Then much to the teen's surprise Gobber removed the hammer from his lower arm then replaced it with a wooden mug attachment.
-xxx-
The trio left the smithery behind as they found themselves on the road to the Great Hall.
The heavy doors loomed ahead of them. This time though they didn't seem quite as imposing to Adryk as they had on the previous day. As they parted the small group was met with the boisterous racket caused by those already inside as they laughed at jokes and seemed to be making rather merry.
Indeed this was nothing like his previous visit.
Whereas before the room had been vacant filled only with empty seats and the quiet whispers of the Viking council. Now it seemed every seat was occupied by a warm body, the tables were littered with plates many with food still on them, goblets and mugs of various styles and even a few Vikings that appeared to have had a bit too much to drink as they lay hunched over passed out on the table tops.
There were loud conversations, hearty belly laughs and even some singing some of their favorite drinking songs in the background. For the most part the meal time crowd paid the newcomers no real mind instead concentrating on the food and merry making around them.
However, none of this was really the minds of the three newcomers.
Striding through the room they made their way to fire pit and the table encircling it and the food lying atop it. While the two teens moved at a slower pace as both dealt with the uncomfortable feeling of being surrounded by so many villagers Gobber didn't. In the time it took them to finally make it to the table the blacksmith had already selected his favorites and moved off carrying a hefty plate of his own.
The teens paused to look over just what foods were on offer.
Fresh breads sat in baskets their crusts a warm golden brown beside a wheel of cheese and bowls of cottage cheese. A large cauldron sat its contents giving off pouts of steam which on closer inspection it appeared to be a thick stew of some kind. Not far large slabs of roasted meat sat on platters ready for any to carve off as much as they desired. There was also a wide assortment of seafoods from salmon, boiled crabs and prawns to smoke eel and other unidentifiable types of fish.
One of the most noticeable things was the seeming lack of vegetables 'Well they are Vikings after all, guess they never heard of a salad bar.'
By themselves the foods were delicious but together they were irresistible.
Grabbing a plate the Hiccup and Adryk set about making the tough decision of just what they wanted to eat. While Adryk went for a cut of beef, some bread and a couple of slices of cheese; Hiccup had decided on having some of the stew.
With food in hand Adryk followed as Hiccup led the way through the crowded tables to one that was mostly empty on the far side of the room. Even with the apparent abundance of the crowded voices filling the Hall, it seemed to be rather quiet between the two as they took their seats and began to eat.
Placing his mug back on the table Adryk cleared his throat to speak "How long have you been Gobber's apprentice?"
"Ever since I was little" Hiccup replied "Well, littler anyways."
"Are your shift normally that long?" letting go of the cup the blonde teen looked to his sore palms.
"That depends on how much work there is to do, sometimes we hardly get much work" the Viking teen answered. "However, with all the damage from that storm that brought you here things will probably be pretty busy for a while."
"Guess I'll have to get used to it" Adryk sighed returning his attention to his meal.
A few minutes passed as the two continued with their meal passively listening to the conversations around them. Taking a few more spoonfuls of stew Hiccup looked to the other teen, "So where are you from?"
'Guess I couldn't avoid this forever' Adryk hesitated for a moment "I'm from a place called Cimmeria."
"Never heard of that" Hiccup paused to think "What it's like there?"
"It was a lot different from this place."
"Oh" Hiccup arched an eyebrow.
"Well" Adryk fidgeted with his hands "There were a lot more people than here and much more diverse in their looks. All living crammed together in huge towns that stretched outwards for as far as the eye could see, while the buildings were so tall they could block out the sun. With so many people things were often really crowded and while some people were still friendly, most didn't care for anything but themselves. So there weren't feelings of camaraderie like you have here" Adryk answered taking a moment to look over the seemingly jovial masses. "Usually it was just a cramped, dirty and noisy place to live."
"Does everyone dress like that where you're from?" the Viking teen inquired pointing to the other's clothing.
"Not really," Adryk paused "Clothing varies greatly from person to person really. These were typically worn by the warriors and hunters to help them blend in better amongst the wilderness."
Hiccup took a quick drink "So there really aren't any dragons where you're from?"
"Not to my knowledge" the foreign teen spoke, his voice still holding a tone of disbelief "But that didn't matter there were plenty of other dangers present to take their place."
Hiccup listened closely as the foreign teen spoke his homeland. His imagination worked in tandem with each word to paint a picture just what he was describing. The images conjured up were a stark contrast to what he was used in the village and he had to admit it didn't seem all that appealing a place to live.
Putting it out of mind the duo returned to their meals while much of the Vikings around them were beginning to leave. It was a short time later a group of teens entered the Hall, and because of the thinned out crowd the pair had good view of the teens.
Adryk's head turned slowly following their movements as they strode towards the table top feast. As his eyes looked over their faces he recalled seeing them as part of the group that had been standing outside the Hall before his meeting with the Viking Council. He continued to watch as they selected whatever struck their fancy before moving off to sit at one of the many half empty tables.
"Who are they?" the blonde teen asked gesturing to the group seated not far away.
Curious to see whom he was referring to Hiccup swiveled around. Following the other's gaze his own soon landed on the teens in question and he instantly recognized them. "Well the big guy there with the long fur tunic and the book on the table is Fishlegs; he's one of the smartest Vikings around. The one next to him is Glump and acrossed from them is Snotlout and the tall guy besides him is Gagarr."
Adryk examined the teens.
First was the one drawing the most attention to himself with his exaggerated movements, Snotlout.
Snotlout was a teen with a square jaw, thick chest and relatively thick muscular arms. His shaggy shoulder length brown hair was covered by his helmet, which was adorned with a pair of ram horns. But it both did little to hide the fact his ears stuck outwards like a pair of wings. The teen wore a dingy yellow colored tunic covered by a black ram furred vest, a pair of brown burlap pants, and faded brown leather boots.
Snotlout sat talking and laughing with the others but rather loudly in comparison. So loud in fact that Hiccup and Adryk could clearly hear him over the rest of the room's occupants. During one joke the boy's lips curled into his trademark sneer, however, the teen's missing front tooth disrupted this look making appear rather goofy in Adryk's opinion.
Next came the teen's compatriot, Gagarr.
Gagarr was rather similar in his appearance to Snotlout, perhaps from distant relations. He had the common brown hair but his was slightly longer and was pulled back into a ponytail. The teen was also a good head taller than Snotlout. Unlike his friend he had all his teeth but they were of a color matching the yellow of Snotlout's tunic. Gagarr was wearing a faded brown shirt with dark grey pants, and the leather boots covering his feet had been dyed black as well as lined with black sheep's wool around the top.
He held a tall mug in his hand which he would take gulps from when he wasn't seized by a hearty laugh. At one point he laughed so hard his drink sprayed from his nose, much to the disgust of some the table's other occupants.
Shifting his gaze acrossed the table Adryk looked over Fishlegs. He was dressed in much the same manner as had been outside the Hall the day before. The only difference being today it seemed he had forgone wearing his small helmet.
A thick tome lay splayed open on the table before the large teen, while plate sat off to the side. His eyes darted from side to side as he read through the opened pages. Reaching over he would occasionally take a morsel from the plate and deposit into his mouth all without really looking. Occasionally and somewhat disgustingly he would mouth some of the words whilst chewing. It came rather surprising to Adryk not expecting to see a Viking who liked books so much.
Glump was last.
The teen had short ginger colored hair and a slight pudge to his face. He was as tall as Fishlegs but not as heavyset with a more athletic build. He wore a long sleeved red colored shirt over which he had a patch worked cloth vest. With so many patches covering it there looked to be little of the original vest remaining. The legs of his green pants disappeared into the tops of his boots.
Adryk's attention was soon drawn back to Hiccup as he continued "And just down the table from them is the Twins, Ruffnut and Tuffnut."
Indeed the two lived up the description. The siblings shared many a feature; their faces had similar shape being long and thin with a sharp jaw line, blue-grey eyes and blonde hair that almost matched the color of straw.
But the two also had some differences between them besides the obvious one of gender.
Tuffnut had a larger wider nose when compared to his sister, Ruffnut possessed much more expressive features especially her eyes, while her brother had a more animated face making a variety of faces during the length of his conversation. Then there were their hair styles. Both had the same length stretching down to almost to their elbows, Tuffnut allowed his hair to flow straight and free while Ruffnut's hung in several large braids. Two of which dangled over her shoulder's while a third larger one hung down her back, she also had two smaller ones sticking out just above her ears.
Their clothes were just another point of difference. But even here there were some shared features, the necklaces they wore around their necks with what looked to be a claw dangling from it, and their matching helmets with dual sets of horns mounted on them.
Tuffnut wore a short vest made from a deer pelt over a dark blue tunic and around her waist maroon belt with large metal buckle. A leather skirt with a tattered edge covered the upper portion of her grey pant legs while indigo dyed boots covered her feet. Ruffnut wore a faded blue-green tunic covered by a mossy green colored fur vest and pants that matched the color of his tunic. Around his waist a red dyed slash wrapped around his waist in lieu of a belt like his sister.
Looking on both Hiccup and Adryk couldn't help the slight chuckle as Ruffnut grabbed her sibling by the back of the neck and quickly guided his forehead to meet with the table.
"Who are those two?" Adryk asked pointing to the pair of figures keeping to themselves a little further down the table.
The Viking teen shifted his gaze following the other teen's outstretched hand. When his eyes settled on a familiar female form Hiccup found his mind becoming a little hazy as active thought left his head, and his heart flutter as a warm feeling passed over him.
In lieu of an answer Adryk received unexpected silence. Puzzled by the teen's lack of response he turned to see what was up with Hiccup. The brown haired lad appeared to be for the most part completely zoned out and a daydreamy look had taken over his face.
"Hey, you okay?" Adryk asked trying to break the spell on Hiccup.
"Hmm yeah I'm fine" the Viking teen spoke trying to gather his wits as he turned back to the blonde teen.
Somehow Adryk doubted that giving the teen a quizzical look "So who are they?"
Coming back to the original question Hiccup cast a glance back to the two figures, "Well the girl on the right is Svana and on the opposite side is…Astrid." As he spoke Adryk was quick to pick up on the slight pause and change present in his voice pronouncing the girl's name.
"Ah" the foreign teen replied the quizzical look leaving his face as he looked to the two girls.
She was the most recognizable of the group seeing as he had passed so close to her on his way to the Council meeting. Like Fishlegs she wore an outfit like he had seen her wearing before, but lacking the intimidating battleaxe this time. Astrid sat both hands wrapped around a mug from which she would idly sip from. She seemed as serious as before with her impassive expression. From time to time she would glance in the direction of the others and maybe say a word or two to the other girl, but mostly she just remained silent.
The other girl Adryk didn't recognize from those that were in the group, or at least he didn't remember seeing her.
Svana possessed shoulder length raven hair which she allowed to hang freely. Her bangs hung down obscuring part of the left side of her face from view, one strand had what looked to be beads interwoven on it. Svana's had soft expressive brown eyes instead of the common blue, and combined with her features made her seem more compassionate that Astrid. Around her neck a low hanging necklace with a pendant hanging from it. The tunic she wore was a faded violet long sleeve which came down just above mid-thigh and was held tight around her waist by a green sash. The shirt covered the top of her dark blue pants while a pair of deer hide boots trimmed with white fur covered the bottom.
Overall she seemed to contrast Astrid.
Whereas Astrid was harder to read with her straight-faced expressions and had an air of confidence and strength about her, Svana did not. While Astrid sat up straight with her head held high, Svana sat slightly hunched over her eyes looking more at the table than the others around her as she took the occasional small bite of her meal. With part of her face hidden from view by her hair it only added to the impression of her being shy and more withdrawn.
As Adryk and Hiccup watched the other teens carry on with their lively conversation their attention wasn't on what was approaching.
In the midst of a stupor, a Viking passing close by seemingly tripped over his own two feet. In his unbalanced movements the man stumbled backwards bumping into Adryk. On impact the teen was pushed forward into the table while the liquid contents of his mug sloshed and split.
The majority of the water poured out on the table but some of it found its way onto Adryk's shirt creating large wet splotch.
"Oh," the man grunted regaining his footing. "Sorry about that lad" he offered in apology helping Adryk straighten up, the man wobbled slightly "It seems the draft is a lot stronger than I had thought."
Then another word the Viking turned and continued on making his way to the exit, with a slight swagger.
Adryk shot a glare at the man's back as he retreated. Hands taking hold of his shirt holding it away from his body he stared at the wet spot.
"Here" Hiccup's spoke his outstretched hand offered up a cloth rag.
"Thanks" Adryk responded appreciatively. Taking the cloth he set about doing his best to absorb as much of the liquid from his clothes as he could, "Guess I'm lucky its only water." Sitting back the Viking teen regarded the other teen's remark as he watched him clean up. After setting the rag aside this quickly gained Adryk's attention "Something on your mind?"
"True those are your only set of clothes" Hiccup spoke aloud directing his comment to no one in particular. A few moments of peace passed before he spoke again "Hmm I have an idea. Follow me."
Hiccup quickly rose from his seat and when Adryk did not a quick jerk of his head emphasized his desire for him to follow suit. With a slight nod the foreign did so leaving their plates and mugs on the table the two headed for the exit, ignoring the pairs of eyes that followed them.
Leaving the Great Hall the duo began their descent of the stairs and to the village below.
-xxx-
Clueless as to where they were going Adryk trailed behind the Viking teen who was once again acting as his guide.
As they proceeded through the village they passed several of the houses still under construction, and the amount of progress the Vikings had made in the relatively short time since he had last seen it was rather impressive.
As they walked Adryk glanced to the sky. Judging by the position of the sun it was starting to get on late in the afternoon. It would be maybe another hour or two until the sun would begin to set.
Soon enough they found themselves standing in front of a house close to the outskirts of the village.
The house looked to be smaller than the others and its nearest neighbor was a good fifty feet away. An odd thing when compared to the others who typically only had fifteen to twenty feet between them.
Striding up the short staircase Hiccup knocked on the door. At first it seemed like perhaps no one was home but that changed when a muffled voice called out from within "The door is open, come inside."
"Whose house is this?" Adryk asked.
"This house belongs to Haldis, she's the village seamstress" Hiccup answered looking back over his shoulder.
Hearing his answer Adryk began to get the gist of why he had been brought there.
Following Hiccup through the door he looked about the cabin's interior. It was indeed smaller than the other houses he had been in, made to seem all the smaller with the clutter present lit up by light from the fire place and the candles mounted in holders on the walls. There was a fire place in a nook on the right wall, a chair and circular table sat in front of it and to the side a short staircase. Closer to the door was a rack with various rolls of cloth, each a different color. Strips of these cloths littered the ground which struck Adryk as being a bit of a fire hazard.
To the left a large rectangular table pushed up against the wall atop it a great myriad of items. At the center a tall candle sat on its holder, various lengths of different color string, several hides lay atop one another, and several shears which ranged from a small pair no longer than the teen's index finger to pair nearly ten inches long. Straight ahead to the back of the room a rope was strung acrossed the span of the room from which a heavy blanket hung cordoned off the area behind it creating a makeshift wall.
Hiccup looked about the space "Haldis, you in here?"
"No need to be so loud young Hiccup," a woman spoke from the other side of the heavy curtain "I may be old but my hearing is not gone yet." The curtain was drawn back revealing a woman slightly shorter than Hiccup was. Her brown hair pulled back into ponytail had streaks of grey running through it. She wore a green linen dress that fell down to mid-shin, over the dress a khaki colored apron with a large pouch on it. The shoes she wore resembled soft calf skin moccasins.
"So what can I do for you and your friend?" the seamstress asked as she approached.
"Well you see Adryk here is new here" Hiccup moved aside as Haldis stepped between them "And he's in need of some more clothes. As you can see my father's clothes would be too large for him and any of mine would probably be too small for him."
"Yes I see that" the Viking woman murmured.
She moved in a small circle around the blonde teen. Occasionally she'd extend her hand to tug at the teen's clothing before mumbling something inaudible to herself as she went. "Hmm, very well I'll see what I can do." Turning abruptly she strode to the cluttered table again mumbling to herself again as she began to sift through the mess.
"Ah" she spoke with a hint of excitement to her voice at finding what she had been looking for. "Now lad follow me" the older woman motioned as she moved back to the curtain.
Though still unsure he nonetheless obeyed, hesitantly Adryk followed the Viking woman to the back of the room. Ushering him passed the invisible line made by the suspended rope Haldis drew the curtain sequestering the teen and herself with a shroud of privacy.
With the two of them busy Hiccup took a seat as he waited from them to finish.
After making sure the curtain was fully closed Haldis turned to Adryk "Okay lad strip down," she spoke in a casual manner.
Adryk wasn't sure whether it was the casual tone or what she was suggesting that surprised him more. "What? Why?" the teen exclaimed.
"If I am to make clothes for you, I'll need your measurements of course, how else am I to work?" curiosity showed on the woman's face as she spoke 'Surely he's done this before.'
The seamstress's explanation did little to calm the foreign teen's nerves as an uneasy silence settled over the room. Casting his eyes towards the floor Adryk stood motionless trying to decide whether his need for new clothing was really that great. However, Hiccup did have a point these were his only set and if something happened to them just where would that have left him.
Casting an awkward glance from the corner of his eyes Adryk could tell by the expression the Viking woman now wore her patience was beginning to wear thin.
Looking back to the ground he took a deep breath and proceeded to do as the Viking woman had instructed. Sighing he untied his boots removing them from his feet and stuffed his socks into the opening before setting them aside. Pulling his shirt from the waist band of his pants it was the next to come off to lay acrossed a chair. Then with much trepidation the final garment, Adryk unbuttoned his pants before allowing the crumple around his ankles.
His face went bright red with his nervousness and embarrassment.
Pulling his feet free the camouflage trousers joined the shirt on the chair. With them gone it left the teen clad in nothing but his undergarments, which clamping his hands together in front of him was fact he tried to hide.
"I need you to stand up straight," Haldis commented on the slouching posture of the teen "Arms at your side."
When he reluctantly did as she requested did Haldis do anything. Turning she retrieved a small stool that sat to the side before making her way to Adryk's side where she set it down. Before stepping up she grabbed a long wooden dowel. Standing on the stool she held the dowel atop his head while rummaging around in the pouch on her apron with the other hand. Withdrawing her hand produced a spool of white thread with a small iron weight affixed to the end of the string.
Haldis slipped the spool on the wooden rod and slid it backwards till it made contact with the teen's forehead. Once in place she allowed the weight to drop to the floor.
The iron bit hit the ground with a thud signaling it had reach as far as it could go. Reaching back into her apron pocket the seamstress withdrew a small set of shears which she used to clip the white thread letting crumple to the ground. Taking the spool from the dowel she tucked it back in the pocket before removing the dowel from the teen's head. Stepping down from the stool Haldis set the wooden rod aside.
Turning her attention back to Adryk once more approached. This time she produced a spool of red thread which she wrapped around the foreign teen's waist line before clipping it to size.
Again and again she repeated the procedure. Measurements in length and width were taken for his neck, torso, chest, arms, legs and feet were taken with each a different color to set it apart. When the seamstress knelt down and began running a length of thread up his inner leg Adryk felt like his face was fire with the sudden rush of blood. To anyone looking he must have looked like cherry red tomato.
"All finished" Haldis spoke much to the relief of the teen, "These should be all I need."
Releasing a sigh of relief Adryk quickly grabbed his garments and began to redress, while the seamstress bent down to gather up the various strings scattered on the floor. It was a good thing Adryk had made sure to dress with such haste as without warning Haldis pulled the curtain back with a sharp yank.
The sudden movement attracted Hiccup's attention as he rose from his seat.
The Viking teen watched as the older woman strode to the table where she laid out the myriad of multicolor strings she had been clutching in her hand. Passed her at the back of the room he could see Adryk was pulling his shirt of his head before tucking it into his waistband.
"Everything go okay?" the Viking teen asked.
Adryk didn't respond but Hiccup could see the light blush on his face as it begun to fade. "Yes, yes everything is fine" Haldis replied as she turned around she brushed passed him as she strode over the rack holding the rolls of cloth. Standing before the rack she ran her hand over the many fabric rolls, "Is there any color you would prefer them to be lad?" she called out her fingers pausing on a roll.
The blonde teen looked up from tying his boots as the seamstress addressed him "Dark colors would be preferable." Finished Adryk stood approaching her "I guess like the ones I am wearing."
Haldis gave a quick shrug turning back to the rolls "As you wish." The Viking woman pulled several rolls from the rack carrying them over to be placed on the table, "Your clothes should be done in two days time. You can return then for them."
"Thank you ma'am" Adryk spoke.
But his words went unaddressed. "Unless you have anything else you would like me to make I have much work to do" Haldis said her attention now focused solely on the task that was laid out before her.
Turning the two teens made for the door where with his face back to normal Adryk cast a glance back to the busy Viking woman before striding out with Hiccup.