Home-Bound: Broken Ties

5 - A Little Show

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There was a distinct taste of tension in the air after the Elites settled in. The knowledge that there were—not one—but two Night Furies on the island awoke something new inside the Berkian Villagers. The majority of the old-fashioned citizens slept with their axes at their sides, preparing for a dragon raid at any moment that night. Some lay in bed, hallucinating the whistles of the Furies until the paranoia drove them asleep.

When everyone awoke early the next morning, no raid and nothing amiss, the villagers all let out a collective sigh of relief.

Astrid, always up before the dawn broke, met up with the Elites at the halfway point between the Cove and the edge of the Village. They had asked her to take them to the training center, just so they could maintain their skills while away from their home. Although Astrid was reluctant to take these armed strangers through the center of the town, she eventually agreed.

"Do you do this every morning?" Astrid found herself asking as they finally escaped the reaches of the forest.

"Do what?" The blonde Elite asked. Elise, if Astrid remembered correctly.

"Work out every morning," the warrior clarified, pace slowing down on the paved roads of Berk. She nodded at some of the villagers that stopped to watch the small procession. Astrid didn't blame them. The Elites were good looking, especially without their long capes and hoods that covered their faces. They still had on their armor, however, of varying colors and designs. One of the armor sets was even a silver, like the shiny luster of polished metal. Somehow, the girl who wore it stood up tall and moved easily, as if she wasn't wearing a suit of full metal. But Astrid assumed it wasn't real metal at all, but perhaps some sort of painted imitation. A facade. Much like the Elites themselves seemed to be.

"It's just become a tradition," Luneah grinned, swinging her weird sword handle-rod-thingy and tossing it in the air intermittently. "Training for our warriors begins early every morning on our island. Even after we graduated, we still continued."

"Why here? Why now? You're on another island, in unfamiliar territory. Why should you want to continue it even here?"

Astrid didn't miss the glance that Luneah threw in Chief Hayden's direction. "No reason. Maybe just just to give your villagers a show. I've heard that our fighting style is considerably different than yours."

"How so?"

Luneah shrugged, clipping her sword back into her belt. "Viking fighting style is a bit... forward... You tend to attack now, ask questions later. Isunder style is largely formation-based in groups but in close-quarters, our fighting is fluid. Like a well-practiced dance. And we also don't yell when we charge."

The tall male, Allen, raised an eyebrow and smirked. "You guys yell when you attack? I didn't know Vikings were so—"

"I dare you to finish that statement, Allen," Elise cut him off. "Their fighting techniques may be a little outdated but we are still guests on their island. I implore you to be a bit more sensitive in your words."

"Sorry, Love," Allen conceded.

Astrid turned her head slightly. Now that she was paying attention, the two were standing a bit closer together than everyone else was. Were they a couple? She followed Allen's arm down to his hands. One of his fingers had a golden ring. Elise had a matching one and another ring with a beautifully cut diamond sat on a chain around her neck. The Chief and Chieftess also had rings on their fingers, while the Chieftess had an extra one—a sapphire instead of a diamond. Perhaps it was a marriage custom on Isunder?

With a shake of her head, the warrior cleared her head and picked up the pace a bit. Some of the Vikings were clutching their swords and battle axes as the Elites passed by. Astrid wished all of them would just calm down. The Isunder Elites were definitely dangerous, but the shieldmaiden highly doubted they would attack everyone. And if the rumors were true, Berk could not afford a war with Isunderians. Heightening the tension was making everything more dangerous for Berk, not the Elites.