Recovering

" hey calm down miss, your still injured and we got you this far, don't want you to hurt yourself more"

The woman holds her hands out before slowly walking torward me, I start to back away but a shooting pain comes from my leg and I hiss in pain.

" woah, just wait now, let me look at your leg now, i just need to make shure its stealing and not infected again can I do that?"

I look to her and then the silent man in the doorway hesitantly before nodding at her.

" w-where am I?"

The woman quickly gets to work on my leg unwrapping the cloth bandages and wiping the marks left by the dragons teeth with a cloth and herb mix that sat nearby.

" you are in Borg village, the men and I heard your screams near the beach so we armed ourself and went to your aid, we managed to get there before it finished you off, but you were already quite injured. How did you get out there lass?"

The man says and I breath deeply thinking on what and how to tell them, they take it as me reliving the moment, after a beat I answer nervousness and fear audibly seeping into my voice at the thought of being chased by the mindless beings.

" I was in my village and it was night, I didn't have much fear because we haven't had any dragons attack in quite a long time, there was a older man and he had two dragons and he was with another woman, I must have been in the wrong place at the wrong time because he noticed I was there and sent the Desmond after me. His dragons...... they caught me and they were not like the others, they were mindless and he said that not even the alpha, or the mother dragon could control them. He told them to get rid of me and that I had heard too much."

Taking a deep breath I close my eyes clenching my fists before continuing,

" the dragons took off and we flew all night occasionally one would fly below and to get at me with their claws or teeth, I was terrified the one carrying me dropped me off here and- the outher kept flying for some reason I-I'm not sure why, I tried to run and hide but he grasped my leg with his teeth and dragged me back and started to nip and scratch at me I- I passed out after that from the fear and pain. I'm guessing that's when you found me."

We all sit in silence untill the woman finished wrapping my leg and checking the rest of the bandages only haveing to replace the one on the side of my face when she stands again is when she speaks again. Yeah "Well, I'm glad that your alive, my name is Thora Siggedottur and this is my husband Ebbe Oveson. What's your name? And what village are you from?"

"My name is alayah Gudridrsdottur, I live in the hooligan village on the isle Burk my with chief hiccup horrendous haddock the third, and I really need to get back to the village as soon as I can"

They both look at me in shock their eyes wide, Ebbe is the first one to speak,

"I'm sorry but Burk is at least half a moon cycle away by boat the dragons that took you, they would have to fly Very fast to get out here in one night, I understand that you have to get back home but you are in no condition to go on a journey like that, you have to heal Alayah."

" WHAT! no no no I have to get back they need me there oh dear everyone must be freaking out at this point, the outhers will have sent out the riders to find me and- and the man he was going to do something to Burk everyone's in trouble, he was going to harm the dragon mothers children, I was supposed to be protecting them YOU DONT UNDERSTAND PLEASE I NEED TO GET BACK TO BURK!- "

My breathing starts up and soon I can't breath tears come to my eyes I try to reach out to my dragon counterpart in comfort but she's as hurt as I am and I can't change back because I'm in a village and I can't fly and Burke's in danger- I start to panic more as I feel hands on me and I my vision gets narrow. I feel someone pull me in and soon I start to rock back and forth I clutch onto the person before starting to sob into their shoulder shuddering and sobbing, the last time I cried this hard was when I thought both my children again.

" I can't loose them again, thora I won't be able to live"

We stay like that for quite some time, Ebbe had left quite some time ago when I started to break down. And now it's just me and Thora, after I've cried myself out she finally pulls away brushing a few stray tears away and smoothing my dirty hair.

" I'm going to get you something to eat and drink are you ok to stay here for a bit? Or I can send someone else in while you wait, the whole village had been worried and excited to meet you since you came."

" no, I don't think I should meet anyone new yet I'm still processing everything, thank you though for healing and comforting me Thora."

" don't worry about it, it's my job as a healer and it's about time we get some excitement in this village for once"

She smiles and leaves me to my thoughts and I lay back down, looking out at the window across the room watching the occasional villager or animal pass, it's quite odd to see no dragons or contraptions hung to smother bits of fire, or the screech and chatter of the dragons talking to each other. It's too... quiet compared to home.

I must have spent too long in my thoughts because Thora came in and handed me a stew with some bread and water for us. She sat on the bed with me as we ate silently I loved the soup eating quickly after realizing how hungry I was after being unconscious for so long. Thora and I stayed in each others company for awhile afterward she told me mostly about herself and the village as I was not much for talking at the moment. When the sun set she took the bowls and left me to get some rest telling me that she would check on me in the morning.

Over the course of the next few days I healed and now Thora finally trusted me to walk around a bit after she had given me some of her clothes to use. I was still unsteady and had to use a staff to help myself when walking, I couldn't move very fast or far without straining myself but i kept buisy by sitting at the window or helping Thora around the house. I haven't made it outside yet and I could tell that people were getting curious the looks from the men and women I would get as I sat near the window folding or washing clothes was enough. That was untill one night at the table Ebbe had a proposition,

" alayah, I think it's time you get out of this house now, and see the village everyone's been a bit curious and since your awake the questions have only increased. Our Cheif has requested that you join him and his family for dinner, Thora and I will be with you but we can't say much."

" we tried to postpone this meeting as much as we can but he is getting impatient and won't take no for an answer much longer, we figured that if you are seen around the village over the next few days you will get used to everyone by time the dinner is, is that ok?"

looking between the two though they look the same age as me I can tell that they see me as a freind and almost as a daughter because I've seen that look before in many a woman's eyes and there's no stopping them. Takeing a deep breath I nod once before speaking.

" yes, I do think it's time I get out of the hut, and I've dealt with many Cheifs before so you shouldn't worry about me, and I've been starting to itch to go outside lately as well."

I say with a smile and we all continue our conversations untill we finish eating, normally we would be in a great hall eating with the whole village but due to my condition we haven't been able to go, Thora reminds me that tomorrow my cheek has healed almost completely and she can take the cloth off, though it will scar my chest as well, though my arms and leg will take a lot longer as they took most of the impact of the dragons teeth and claws, I agree and ask if it's ok that she takes it off before we go out tomorrow.

" wouldn't you want to cover your scars? I can style your hair so it may not me noticeable or leave the cloth on untill later?"

" no, I am a Viking, we honor scars and battle wounds as something that should be honored not hidden they are to be shown openly and without fear as a sign you survived, and surviving a dragon attack is no easy fate in this time and age dear Thora."

She smiles softly and nods, as she picked up our bowls and moves away Ebbe speaks.

" you are a strong woman Alayah, I've had this made by a freind of mine you can decorate it as such but it might do you better then that old walking stick we had"

He pulls out a staff (picture above) it had a intricate design unlike one I've seen before, he hands it to me and I give him the walking staff back holding my new one in my hand gauging the weight the handle the bottom charred so it wouldn't mold or die after a long use a thin coat of hardened sap covers the staff. I'm pulled out of my awe by Ebbe again.

" ahem and if you look at the top loop of the staff we put something there for you that you might like"

Looking at the top loop I see carved into the top four names. Ebbe+Thora, Eret+Helena. I brush my fingers over the names stopping at Helena's tears in my eyes looking over to ebbe and Thora who is now standing next to her husband I let out a shaky breath before standing and crossing over to them pulling them both into a big hug.

" thank you, you have no idea how much this means to me"

" now you have someone with you no matter where you go Alayah"

We stand hugging for awhile before going to our separate beds and sleep until the next morning.