Eyarr was right about the market being welcoming. I saw people happily interacting with each other; children were playing in the streets, and people trading, buying, and selling. It genuinely seemed like a good place.
We found a local tavern that had a calm, quiet atmosphere. Patrons were enjoying themselves, drinking mead, and telling stories. A musician in the corner played a stringed instrument and sang tales, occasionally receiving a coin from a patron.
Eyarr and I took a seat at a table in a corner and decided to take a look at the money we had. The money I carried was from Hiccup and Astrid, both of whom told me to spend it wisely since the concept of money was foreign to me, and I was still learning.
Put together, we were both equally surprised to see that we had enough to get some new clothes, food, and supplies.
"This is perfect!" Eyarr announced with a grin.
"What do you suggest we do first?" I asked. He thought about it momentarily, tapping his finger on the table.
"Well… maybe we both need new clothes." He looked down at himself in the tunic he was wearing, making a face of what I guessed was disgust, disappointment, I didn't know. Either way, it was evident he was self-aware now. I raised an eyebrow and chuckled.
"Alright, in that case, let's go look and see what we can find."
We wandered the streets for some time. Eyarr was carefully eyeing the various vendors and what they were selling; meanwhile, I was taking in the sounds and smells. There was so much to be taken in. I heard people talking in all sorts of languages, none except for Norse, that I understood. I could feel stares at me, though. I shouldn't have been so surprised, honestly. There wasn't a single other soul in the market whose skin tone was as dark as mine. That being said, I didn't catch snide or negative remark…
While we were walking, something caught my eye.
A beautiful tunic. A warm blue, reminiscent of the waters of Motunui. And upon closer inspection of the lining, I saw a familiar pattern. The swirl. Just like on my necklace and just like Te Fiti's heart. I grazed my finger over it in fascination. The fabric was soft to the touch, evidence of a talented weaver.
"Ah, you have a good eye! Our seamstress was inspired by the symbol of water." The vendor greeted, announcing her presence. An older woman, close to her eighties perhaps. Wiry white hair, sporadically placed braids around her head, decorated with colorful beads.
"Is that right?" I replied.
"Indeed. Quite the traveler, too. According to her, many places have a similar symbol for water. That swirl. You are interested, yes?" I nodded.
"How much is it?" Surprisingly, she offered a fair price, and I didn't even have to negotiate with her. I happily paid and found Eyarr to show off my purchase.
"Look what I found!" I revealed with the excitement of a child. He seemed impressed.
"Nice find!"
"What about you? Did you find anything?" He nodded with a slight smirk.
"Uh oh, what's with that look?" I questioned. He wordlessly tossed his head in the direction of the camp.
"Let's head back to Cliffire first." After I bought a new pair of leggings, boots, a sash, and a few other things, we headed back to camp. I was curious to see what Eyarr had found.
"Okay, show me what you got." He placed a piece of leather before me, wrapped up securely.
"Something for you." I looked at him in curiosity.
"For me?" He nodded, gesturing for me to open the leather. To my amazement, it was a pair of daggers. They were simple but finely crafted.
"Eyarr, I-"
"When you feel ready, I want to teach you how to fight with daggers." He explained, gesturing to the daggers he already owned.
"What do you mean? What about my club? And I already have a dagger that Astrid gave me."
"That's a great weapon, don't get me wrong. It's very unique, but unfortunately, it won't last very long in a combat scenario. New kinds of weapons made with iron and other metals are being created all the time, and should, Gods forbid, you end up fighting someone with a longsword, that club is not going to last. And you've only used that dagger to threaten me."
"Touche."
Okay, I guess that made sense. Man, when we go back to New Berk, whenever that is, I'll need some more training from Astrid and Zyrah. They've been called two of the archipelago's best warriors. And Ana still promised to train me in archery.
I picked up one of the daggers, getting a feel for it. It was light, and I could easily twirl and toss it around. I moved it around in my hand, trying to find an ideal position to hold it. I knew there were many techniques for handling daggers.
Without much thought, I decided to throw the dagger into a tree. It impaled into the bark with a solid thunk. I removed it without much difficulty. Even though I suppose that was a good throw, I knew I had much to learn.
After playing with the daggers, I changed into my new outfit.
I emerged from behind a large rock wearing my new stuff.
"What do you think?" I asked. Eyarr looked up from eating, giving me a once-over. He nodded with approval, swallowing his food.
"You 'ook good!" He said.
"What about you? Did you find new clothes? You never told me." I replied, sitting down and grabbing a piece of chicken.
"I did. And a new sword."
"You do love your weapons."
"Hey, I'm a Viking. We're born to love weapons." I snorted and rolled my eyes. He quickly finished eating to change. I stoked the fire in the meanwhile, tossing a chicken leg to Cliffire, who gobbled it down.
I don't know how long he was gone, but eventually, Eyarr returned, and he looked like a whole new person. He fixed his hair and even trimmed his beard!
"What, did you give yourself a haircut, too?" I commented. He laughed.
"I decided I needed to fix myself up." His new leather vest was decorated with metal detailing down the front, with stamped patterns on the chest. And he had new arm braces; the one on his right came with a fingerless glove attached instead of both his hands being gloved. I did spy a small scar on the palm of his left hand.
"You look like a different person." He grinned.
"You were right. I needed a change. What do you think, Cliffire?" We glanced at the dragon, who snorted in response, smoke blowing from his nostrils.
"I think he likes it." I chuckled, "as do I." We glanced at each other, and I couldn't help but smile. He was slowly changing before my eyes, and I couldn't be happier for him. And I couldn't help but admire how the firelight caught in his light hazel eyes. Just like I'd seen before, they seemed to glow gold.
"You're the first person I've met with such fascinating eyes," I said, slightly tilting my head. He raised an eyebrow.
"That right?" I nodded.
"Mhm. They're very unique. Everyone else has blue, green, or brown like mine. You're the first with golden."
"Your eyes are quite pretty, too. They have a special warmth to them. Like you." I felt my cheeks heat up.
"Really?" He gave me a gentle smile.
"As I said before, one else has tried to help me like the way you have. You're genuine. And… you've opened my mind a bit, helped me understand the world a little better."
Together we sat in front of the fire, just talking. And enjoying each other's company.
With all the progress he's made, I still couldn't help but feel this was only the beginning.