Sick Day With Aunt Grey

Part 1
(Takes place in 1079 on Peaceable Country, a week after Havelock and Dagny are married.)
Seasick: The weather on Peaceable Country had never been more perfect. The sun was shining and warm, and there was a light breeze. The birds were chirping, the dragons squawking, and the villagers chatting away. It really was peaceful.
But not for everyone.
17-year old Skari, the youngest son of Seasick, was sick once again. He was always sick. And being sick meant that he had to remain indoors on beautiful days. The night had been difficult for him, as he tossed and turned at every hour. Try as he might, Skari could not fall asleep, being too congested and slightly feverish. As he rolled over once again, his eyes fell upon the small figurine on his windowsill. 
It was a small wooden carving that was made by his aunt Grey. He had never been to Haligan Island, being too sick to travel such a far distance, and so he often received little gifts from Grey that represented the island. She had carved the wooden figurine into the shape of a viking warrior, to not only represent the people of Haligan Island, but to represent Skari as well. Aunt Grey always said he was a fighter.
He smiled at the thought of her. Perhaps she would come and visit him today. Skari knew that she was a busy woman, but she was staying on Peaceable Country for a few weeks. Surely she could find time for him…
Grey: Fifty-five year old Chief Grey of Haligan Island walked through Seasick and Ellidi’s house to get to her nephew Skari’s room. Seasick had told him that he was sick yet again, and of course, she could not resist the temptation to keep him some company for a while. She hadn’t seen him since she’d given him the wooden carving when she first arrived for Dagny and Havelock’s wedding. 
She finally arrived at the door and knocked gently in case Skari was sleeping. “Skari, honey, are you awake?” she asked as she opened the door a crack. 
S: At the sound of Grey’s voice, Skari rolled over and smiled weakly up at her. “Aunt Grey! Perfect timing!” He sniffled. “I’m afraid I’m not feeling very well again.” 
G: “Yeah, I know,” Grey said gently trying not to sound shock at how formal he was for someone of his age. “Your mom told me.” She walked into the room and closed the door behind her. “I’m sorry you have to be cooped up in here again, honey. I figured my favorite nephew could use some company.” 
S: “I’d love it!” Skari smiled, leaning up against the headboard of his bed. “I haven’t been outside since the wedding. I fear it was too much excitement for me. I’ve been ill ever since.” 
His smile faded as he looked out the window. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky. 
“Do you mind telling me more stories about Haligan Island?” He asked Grey in a hoarse voice, gesturing her to sit in a chair next to the bed. “You’re a wonderful storyteller.”
G: “Of course, I won’t mind,” she said as she walked to the chair and sat down next to Skari’s bed. Despite her smile, her heart broke at the sight of Skari. He looked paler than usual and flushed. He looked so tired and weak as well. The Chief gently ran a hand through his damp hair. “Hmm…let’s see…I’ve told you so many. Any special preferences?”
S: “What was your wedding to Uncle Brandt like?” Skari asked simply. “I didn’t stay out long for Havelock’s wedding, and so I missed most of the festivities. I imagine yours was quite a lot of fun?” 
G: Grey smiled as the memories of her and Brandt’s wedding came flooding back into her mind. “Oh it certainly was,” she said. “I can remember like it was yesterday. Uncle Brandt and I had to spend the night apart the night before the wedding, and I could hardly get any sleep knowing that I was about to be a married woman the very next day. When I woke up, it was a day like today actually.” She looked out the window. “The island was quiet. The sun was rising in the east making the sky a beautiful shade of orange.”
S: Skari closed his eyes as he tried to envision Haligan Island on Grey’s wedding day. It sounded lovely. “Everything was perfect I assume?” Skari asked. “Did mom and dad attend? I don’t believe I’ve ever heard them speak about it.”
G: “Well, actually, buddy, they didn’t,” Grey replied. “By the time my wedding came around, your mother was pregnant with one of your older siblings, so she wasn’t able to travel to the island. Besides, not having her and Dad with us, everything was perfect. It was such a beautiful day, thank Gods, so we had the ceremony outside in the village plaza.”
S: “Oh, I see.” Skari said, slightly disappointed in hearing that his parents were absent for Grey’s wedding. “You had the ceremony outside in the main plaza, so did all the villagers wear their best clothes? Everyone must have looked fantastic!”
G: “Oh they sure did!” Grey said excitedly. “Most of the outfits were pretty similar to what we had worn at my wedding. King Haddock and his family had such elegant clothing fit for royalty. My mother, Warren, and Asha each wore beautiful dresses. Greg wore his formal suit with his short black fur cape. I had a long white dress on with my fur cape and a flower crown in my hair, and Uncle Brandt…oh he was so handsome. He wore a green shirt and brown pants with a fur cape with shoulder pads with the tribal crest on it.”
S: Skari pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, listening intently to Grey’s story. Oh how he wished he wasn’t constantly sick. He hated always staying indoors, unable to fully enjoy life. 
“It sounds like it was really wonderful.” Skari said. “You even had the Wilderwest Royal family attend. That’s quite an honor.”
G: Grey nodded sadly at the mention of her late best friend and King. It would be ten years next April since he had been taken from them, but the pain was still there when she remembered. “It truly was an honor. I can tell you that,” she said, “but King Haddock and I were actually very good friends ever since the rebellion. So, he always made an effort to be there for me just as I would for him.”
S: “Mother never speaks about the rebellion.” Skari said. “Even Uncle Furious refuses to talk about it when I ask him. But from the little I’ve heard, King Haddock was quite a leader. I suppose you have to be a great person to lead a rag tag bunch of misfits…”
G: “Well after working so closely with him for a long time, I can certainly tell you that he really was a good person,” Grey said smiling at the memories she and Haddock made over the past 25 years before his unexpected death. “He wanted nothing more than to rid the world of High Central’s power when the Rebellion began and sought to protect his people and his rebels, expecially when most of them were simply teenagers wrongly imprisoned in the Grounded Dungeon.”
S: Skari leaned forward in interest. “This High Central… why were they fighting against the rebellion? They must not be around anymore, since I’ve never heard anyone speak of them. Not even Havelock, who’s been all around.”
G: Grey smiled wider seeing her youngest nephew so interested in the story of the Rebellion’s origins. It felt so refreshing to be able to tell the story again. Her own children, Greg and Warren’s children, and Asha’s daughter had heard a few stories already so many times when they were children. Havelock had heard a little bit about as well, and she never saw Seasick’s kids that much so she never really had time to regale them with the tales. She would tell her two grandsons, Sven’s children, but they were still far too young. It was so refreshing to have Skari to regale the tale to. 
“Well, High Central was a government in the very center of Aidorin, the continent that Haligan Island stands next to,” she said. “Around the time I was 12 before the rebellion even began, the government had become very corrupt and grew afraid of the population of half-breeds, like my friends Warren and Tree. They treated the half-breeds very cruelly. It started with forcing them from their own homes to live in the south, and eventually ended with them imprisoning them and others in dungeons, one of them being the Grounded Dungeon.”
S: “Oh, that’s horrible!” Skari said, suddenly realizing why his mother never spoke about her past. “So, you and my mother went to stop this High Central, correct? That’s very noble of you!”
G: “We certainly did,” she said. “Only, even though, we haven’t met yet, we both thought to start with breaking the prisoners out of the Grounded Dungeon. Your mom actually beat me to the punch and aided the breakout against the Warden that guarded that dungeon. I was going to, but my parents caught me and didn’t want me to be involved at first. I came back a few days later and joined the prisoners’ rebellion after they escaped and made a camp not too far from the dungeon.”
S: “That is amazing!” Skari said, leaning back against the headboard in amazement. His own mother helped people in a rebellion, yet she never spoke about it… “You and my mother did good things in this rebellion, yet you don’t speak about it. I don’t understand why?”
G: “Well, honey, you have to understand that while we did great things in that Rebellion, it wasn’t all giggles and good times,” Grey said gently. “We faced many dangers and awful things while trying to defeat the Warden, bring down one of our own after he went mad for a while, and even fought in Ragnorak. It’s not that we don’t want to speak about it. It’s just…there’s just some things that shouldn’t be shared during storytime. There was only so much I told Sven, Dagny, and Kari when they were little.”
Part 2
S: “Oh, I apologize. Y-you’re right, it’s a private matter…” Skari said, blushing slightly. “But… there must have been some happy moments, right? After all, you met my mother! What was she like back then? I can hardly believe she’d take up a weapon and fight, let alone break out of a prison!”
G: Grey couldn’t help but laugh at her nephew’s eagerness to learn more about his mother during her rebellion days. “Well, your mother and I didn’t interact too much during the beginning of the rebellion,” she began, “but she was a lot different from how she is now. You could say that she was very…headstrong, and when she didn’t like something that happened, she would just drop everything she was doing and come flying to the rescue on Uncle Furious. I remember this one time when I was in danger, and she ran to the scene screaming about how she did not leave the ocean for everything we were going through.”
S: Hearing about his mother’s wild past made Skari laugh. However his laugh soon turned into coughs, causing him great chest pain. 
“Ah. Looks like I’m sick enough that I can’t laugh anymore.” He said weakly,lying back down in bed. “My mother… headstrong… that sounds a lot like Eydis…”
G: Instead of answering, Grey immediately grabbed a nearby basin of water and cloth and dipped the cloth into the cool water before placing it on Skari’s warm forehead gently patting it. “I’m sorry, sweetie,” she said looking down on her ill nephew. “I didn’t mean to make you laugh so hard.”
S: “It’s okay, you don’t have to apologize.” Skari replied, coughing slightly. “I’m usually miserable when I’m sick, so laughing for once is actually rather nice.”
G: “Well, being sick is generally never fun,” she said smiling gently. “I’m glad I could make you laugh for a little.”
S: “it’s okay. I’m just glad you took the time to visit me.” Skari smiled up at his aunt. “Since I rarely travel, I don’t get to see you. That and you’re so busy being chief.”
G: Grey sighed sadly realizing that Skari had a point. She was so busy being Chief, a second-in-command, a mother, a wife, an aunt, and now a grandmother all the time that she rarely had time to travel to visit Seasick and her family, especially Skari. Of course, she always made time to visit him whenever she visited and to bring him gifts from the island as a way to “see” Haligan Island. Still, though, with her being Chief, it was very difficult to do just that. 
“I know, Skari,” she said still patting his forehead with the cloth hoping it will help to bring down his fever. “I wish I could take you to Haligan Island with me, but I think your mother would have my head if I did.”
S: “She definitely would.” Skari replied. “But… maybe when I’m older I won’t be so sick. Perhaps then I can come and visit. I really hope such a day comes…”
G: “I hope so, too,” Grey said smiling gently, “but until then, we can have all sorts of fun in here. I am going to be here for a week after all, and then whenever I decide to retire as Chief, we can spend even more time together.”
S: “A whole week of stories!” Skari smiled. “I definitely look forward to it. Of course, don’t rush into retirement just for me. You’ve got a few years left, don’t you?”
G: “Well, I might, Skari,” the Chief said shrugging, “but I don’t know. I look at Sven now, and he’s married with two boys now. A part of me wonders if he’s just twiddling his thumbs waiting for when I will finally step down. That..and…I am getting old. Eventually, I’m going to want to retire and spend some time with you and my grandchildren and the rest of the family.” She paused. “But don’t worry about it for now. We’ll worry about it when that day comes.”
S: “You’re right. But do forgive me for getting excited over the thought of you being able to visit more.” Skari said. “I mean, it’s not like I don’t mind my own family but… they’re all older than me and have begun their own families, and so I don’t get to see them as often anymore. I suppose… I’m a bit lonely… even though I shouldn’t be…”
G: “I think I know how you feel,” the Chief said nodding as she moved from the chair to sit next to her nephew on his bed. “I don’t know if I ever told you this, but I didn’t really have anyone around my age before I came to the Rebellion. I really only had Shadow aside from a few teens in the village, but they were busy half the time. There were times where I felt lonely, too.”
S: “So… You didn’t have any friends?” Skari asked. “How could the chief’s daughter not have any friends? Especially when you have a night fury, one of the greatest dragons in existence?”
G: “Well, actually, honey, my father was a friend of the Chief’s,” she said laughing slightly, “and it wasn’t that I didn’t have any friends because no one liked me. It was…well…it was mostly because,” her face suddenly fell, “they’re all gone.”
S: “All gone?” Skari tilted his head in confusion. “I don’t follow… were these friends in the rebellion too? And they didn’t make it?”
G: “Well…no,” she said shifting uneasily. “See, these friends were children who were born in the village around the same time I was, and when I was only three years old, an epidemic had struck the village causing me and those children to fall ill. My father, the Chief-my predecessor, and a few other warriors had gone out to search for the ingredients needed to make a cure. The women and my mother stayed behind to take care of us children, but…by the time my father and the others had returned…well…” she sighed, “it was too late for those children. I was the only one to make it through the illness.”
S: “Oh I…” Skari trailed off. he didn’t know what to say, remaining very still. “I’m sorry. You’ve been though a lot…”
G: Grey sighed and wrapped an arm around Skari hugging him close. “It’s alright, honey,” she said. “Sometimes, I feel awful that it happened, but other times, I’m thankful I survived. My father and the Chief agreed that I would be a great leader one day and decided to make me his successor. I never would’ve joined the rebellion and never would’ve met my friends and your mother.”
Part 3
S: “I… I guess so…” Skari replied, still unsure of what to say. “Forgive me for diving into such a private matter. It’s not easy opening up to people… And you have every reason to not tell me these things.”
G: “I know it was a lot,” she said resting her head on Skari’s. “I’m sorry I unloaded so much information on you, honey, but it’s all in the past. I met Shadow, and I got to go to the Rebellion. Everything turned out okay in the end.”
S: “I suppose you’re right.” He replied. “You know, I should thank you before I forget. I really do like having a conversation with you, about all these topics. Mom never speaks about her past, and dad’s tales are rather boring. Even though Eydis is so much older than me, she tells me all about her adventures when she comes home...
G: “No problem, Skari,” she said. “Just think of me as the cool aunt, who tells you all the cool stories, but don’t think less of your mother for not telling you these stories. She’s only trying to protect you. After all you are her last baby, and well…some people would rather just forget some of the dangers we experiences in those dark times for their own sanity."
S: “Mom is always a private person.” Skari said, sniffling a bit. “Sure she may open up to you, but to us kids, we barely know anything about her. I’m almost 18, I can handle the tough, adult subjects, so I don’t know what she could be hiding. Sure the dark rebellion stuff she can skip but anything else… “
Skari let out a long sigh and ended with a cough.“The wild stories that Eydis has told me... They can't be all that different from mother's..”
G: Grey once again took the basin and the cloth dabbing it on the boy’s forehead to bring down his fever. “Well, I don’t know about your sister,” she said, “but your mom…well, it’s not that she doesn’t think that you can handle it. It’s just…you may be 18, but to us mothers, you’re still her baby, who she wishes she can keep safe in her arms forever. And…you know…maybe if you asked her, she’ll tell you some things. Who knows? She might open up.”
S: “Hmm, that isn’t such a bad idea…” Skari said, thinking it over. “Yes, now that Havelock is married and has moved out, there’s a lot less people in this house… perhaps when mom is free I can talk to her about everything. Well, not everything, but things about her… I have some questions…”
G: “Like what, Skari?” Grey asked curiously.
S: “Well, the fact that she’s adopted.” Skari said. “Mom looks nothing like my aunt and uncle, and she’s only mentioned it once. Never going into any detail… It’s not like the truth would make me think any differently about her.”
G: Grey mentally kicked herself for not suspecting that Skari was going to ask this question eventually. At first, she thought that Skari was referring to the fact that she and Seasick didn’t look alike, but he already knew that they were best friends. He had to have been talking about Seasick’s adopted siblings. 
“Well…Skari, it’s not exactly a pleasant story to tell,” Grey said nervously. “I think you would be pretty shocked to hear how your mother was adopted. It took her years to finally tell me, but when she did…I couldn’t believe what I heard.”
S: “But I am an an adult now. I can handle the truth.” Skari argued. “I just can’t stand how she’s so closed off from everyone. Even her own children. Being adopted isn’t something to be ashamed of, it’s not some deep dark secret.”
G: The Chief couldn’t help sigh silently admitting that Skari did have a valid point regarding Seasick being so secretive with her own children. The fact that both Havelock, one of the oldest, and Skari, the baby of the bunch both told her that their mother was so secretive with them…it was very unsettling. She could understand her best friend for not wanting to share some Rebellion stories, but…the fact that she never told them about how she got adopted…well, that was strange. Why was she so closed off over that?
“To be perfectly honest with you, buddy, this isn’t new for your mother,” she said. “She’s always had a hard time opening up to people she trusts.”
S: “And I don’t understand why…” Skari replied, staring up at the ceiling. “I don’t even think I know what her favourite colour is… Why be like that?” 
G: She stared at him for what seemed like hours completely lost as to how to handle this. The boy desperately wanted to understand his mother and her reasons for being secretive about certain things, and she had a feeling as to what those reasons were, especially regarding her adoption. But…could she just flat out tell Skari that his mother was cast out for being born so small until the family he knew found her and raised her to be the good soul that she was today? Wouldn’t that break Seasick’s trust? 
“Well, I m-may have an idea why,” she said, “but I’m not sure if I should tell you.”
S: “Please, will you tell me?” Skari said suddenly, leading up towards Grey. “It’ll be our little secret! And if mom does somehow find out that you told me, I’ll take the blame! Please aunt Grey… I want to understand my mother…”
G: The Chief of Haligan Island didn’t say anything as she stared at her little nephew. Whether he knew it or not, Skari always had this secret power where if he wanted her to do something or to give him something, especially when he didn’t want Seasick to know about it, he would widen his eyes and jut out his lower lip. No matter how many times she told herself, she could not resist it. 
She finally sighed. “Alright, I’ll tell you,” she said, “but only if you promise to keep this between us, okay, sweetie?”
S: “I promise! I promise!” Skari said, leaning even more forward towards Grey, and stifling a cough. His eye widened with excitement, even though it took most of his energy. He wanted to know more about his mother so very badly.
G: She sighed and chuckled at her nephew’s excitement. Even though he was a teenager, he still had a sense of child-like wonder, and she loved seeing it. Perhaps, this could help the bond between him and his mother. 
“Alright, then, yes, your mom was adopted,” she said, “but…the way it happened…” she sighed. “You see where your mother was born, they had a horrible rule about babies, who were considered runts.”
S: Skari’s face suddenly fell at the word “runts. ”I… I was a runt… and my mom was one too?” He asked quietly. “What was this rule?”
G: Grey gently placed her hand on Skari’s cheek feeling her heart break as he clearly realized that his mother was a runt as well. “Well…the law on this particular island stated that any baby, who was considered a runt…” she paused for a moment bracing herself for what she was going to say next, “…were to be cast out of the village in the ocean.”
S: Skari let out a small gasp. “She was… cast out from her home… from her real family… Oh my gods.”
Skari lay back down, taking in what Grey had just said. 
“Wait… this rule applied to Peaceable Country? Why wasn't I cast out?”
G: “Well, thankfully, the rule was changed when the new Chief took over before you were born, so there was nothing to worry about,” Grey replied, “but before that, the new Chief was so stuck on keeping the tradition and all that that your mom’s birth parents had no choice but to obey the law. Your mother was sent adrift in the ocean.”
Part 4
S: “Wow… I had no idea…” Skari said slowly. “I guess grandpa found her, since he was a fisherman too… But why would mom keep that secret from us?”
“Keep what secret from you, dear?” Seasick said, suddenly appearing in the doorway, holding a tray with soup.
G: Grey immediately jumped and turned around only to see her best friend, Seasick standing in the doorway with some soup for Skari. “Uhh…Seasick, I-I didn’t hear you come in,” she said nervously grinning. 
S: “I figured Skari would want some food, since it’s almost lunchtime.” Seasick smiled at her best friend, while walking over and setting the tray down on Skari’s lap. “How are you feeling, sweetie?”
“I.. um… I’m fine…” Skari stuttered, and coughed slightly. “Um we were… just talking…”
G: “Uh…y-yes, yes, we were,” Grey said smiling as she moved back into her seat to give Skari some room to eat. “We were actually talking about Brandt and my wedding, right, sweetie?”
S: “Yes, we were!” Skari said quickly, looking down at his soup. “Aunt Grey has told me a lot about Haligan Island, and it made me want to travel to it one day.”
“Oh, well that’s quite nice of you, Grey!” Seasick smiled at her friend. Her smile faded when she looked back at Skari. “So, what’s this about me keeping secrets from you?” 
G: “Uhhh…” Grey stammered trying to think of a good answer to Seasick’s question and looking at Skari before looking back at Seasick, “secrets? We never said anything about secrets! W-We said…” What rhymes with secrets? “Furious? Keeping Furious from Skari?” 
S: Seasick raised an eyebrow in utter confusion. “Grey, what the hell are you talking about?” She asked, looking between Grey and Skari. “Please just tell me what is going on.” 
“Grey told me about you being adopted.” Skari spat out quickly, looking down on his soup and turning bright red.
Seasick took a deep breath and closed her eyes, not moving for several seconds.
G: “O-Okay, Seasick, pal, old friend,” Grey said slowly standing up to be on the same level as the former Bearer of the Keys, “before you get angry, just hear me out, okay? I can explain! Skari was asking some questions, and I–”
S: “I wish you would have asked me first.” Seasick said, glaring at Grey, in a tone of obvious disappointment. “I don’t want Skari to get the wrong impression or side of the story, and then go tell the rest of his siblings.”
“Mother I wasn’t going to tell anyone about it, I promise you!” Skari coughed weakly. “I was just curious about your past, that’s all! You never tell us anything!″
G: “Seasick, I am sorry,” Grey quickly said before she could get into an argument with her son, “but I can assure you that Skari and I were just going to keep this between us. He really wanted to know, and…well…you know I could never rest those big eyes of his.”
S: Seasick let out a sigh of frustration. Sitting down on the end of the bed, she looked down at her sickly son. 
“Why did you want to know about my past?” Seasick asked gently. 
“Because you’re always so secretive.” Skari argued. “Right, aunt Grey?”
G: “Well…uh…” Grey said nervously trying to figure out the best answer to give. She did agree with Skari regarding how it sounded like Seasick had been secretive with her children, but…was it really her place to tell her friend that? “I-I mean…Seasick, it does sound like you don’t tell them much. I mean…the Rebellion I can understand, but…what happened when you were adopted…w-why not tell them something like that?”
S: “I didn’t tell you guys that because I was afraid you’d all run off and try to find my real parents.” Seasick explained. “And I wasn’t far off, seeing how Eydis constantly runs off on her own. Sure she’s not looking for my real parents, but she’s finding real danger, which is what I wanted you all to avoid.”
“Well, it’s just, we know so much about father and his past, yet you haven’t told us much about yours.” Skari said, while taking a sip of his soup. “I think I now know more about aunt Grey’s past than I do yours…”
G: The Chief bit her lower lip as she watched the confrontation between Skari and Seasick clearly uncomfortable with what was happening. “Well, Skari, it’s just…I’m a lot more comfortable telling you some stuff,” she said gently. “Some things…are just…not something to be shared, you know? However, Seasick,” she said looking at her best friend, “your son has a point as well. You need to give your kids more credit when it comes to things like this.”
S: “I never told you about my past… because I never really felt that it was even relevant half the time,” Seasick explained. “That and I was afraid–”
“Afraid that we’d all run off on some wild goose chase to find your real family?” Skari interrupted with a slight laugh. “Really, mother, aside from Eydis, none of us would have done such a thing. We are good kids. And you can trust us with such secrets. It is a part of our family history!”
G: “Seasick, no offense, but..you really need to give them more credit,” Grey finally said. “Our kids are grown up now. A few of them are married now. They’re old enough to handle whatever it is you need to tell them. I’m sure they’ll understand if you tell them not to find your birth parents.”
S: “I suppose you’re both right…” Seasick sighed, looking down at the floor. “But, it’s not fair if I speak about my past without everyone present.”
“Mother, I am sure no one will mind.” Skari said. “You can start with those who are still living at home, and whenever the rest come home to visit, you can tell them then!”
G: “He’s right,” the Chief finally said placing a hand on her best friend’s shoulder. “Although…that still doesn’t excuse me for going behind your back and tell him something without asking. I’m sorry, Seasick.”
S: “It’s fine. There are worse things you could have told him, I suppose.” Seasick said, giving Grey a small smile. “I’ll let you two continue your conversation. Just, try to not give away all my secrets, okay?”
G: “You sure you don’t want to stick around?” Grey asked sitting back down next to Skari relieved that her best friend let her slide despite what she did. 
Part 5
S: “I’m sure.” Seasick said, getting up and heading towards the door. “Besides, someone’s gotta make dinner. Call me if you need anything, okay Skari?”
“Will do, mom.” Skari replied. “Aunt Grey has a lot more to tell me, so I’ll be borrowing her for a little while longer.”
G: “Well, it’s a good thing I’ll be here for a week, then huh?” Grey asked smirking Seasick and wrapping an arm around the teenager in bed. “We’ll get to some so much time together as usual.”
S: “Just remember to not tire yourself out too much, Skari.” Seasick said, and then left the room.
“She worries far too much.” Skari whispered to Grey. “Was she like that during the rebellion days too?”
G: The Chief couldn’t help but chuckle at her nephew’s questions. “Well, in way, yes,” she replied, “but she always had a good reason to be worried. There were many dangers in the Rebellion with the Warden and all that, but she doesn’t worry to ruin someone’s day. It’s only because she cares, and you know that more than anyone.”
S: “And I suppose it’s a part of her being a mother… she has to worry.” Skari said. “But… why was she in the rebellion anyways? I know she was imprisoned and broke out, but what was she doing so far away from home?”
G: Grey thought carefully on this particular question as she thought to her times with Seasick during their Rebellion days. She remembered Seasick explaining to her that she originally helped with the breakout just as she was planning to do before her late father caught her and forced her to come back home. 
“Well, for the same reasons I was there,” she replied. “She heard what was going on and wanted to help those who were being mistreated by High Central and the Warden.”
S: “That’s pretty kind of her, and brave too.” Skari replied. “I know she said she met Uncle Furious on her way there, so she must have sailed to the Wilderwest, or flown on a different dragon until she met him. It’s amazing that she never decided to turn back…”
G: Grey smiled satisfied to see Seasick’s youngest child showing such admiration for her. “In all the years I’ve known your mother,” she said, “she was the bravest and perhaps the chillest person I’ve ever known. And for as long as I’ve known Uncle Furious, he was always your mother’s dragon. They had such a great bond.”
S: “Uncle Furious once told me that he hated humans, but mom made him change his mind.” Skari explained, while finishing his soup. “I’ve never seen Uncle Furious….well, furious, so I can’t imagine what he was like back when my mom first met him, or what he was like in the rebellion.”
G: “Well, I can certainly tell you that I have once or twice,” the Chief replied, “and let me tell you, once he gets angry, you had better start running because it’s usually never pretty to see.” The Chief couldn’t help but giggle at her response. 
S: “I just can’t imagine him angry… I mean, he’s always grumpy, but never angry.” Skari said. “But if what you say is true… then I’m glad I’ve never seen him angry… He’d probably incinerate this entire island in less than a minute in a rage.”
G: “Well, in the few times I’ve seen him angry,” the Chief replied wrapping an arm around Skari holding him close and resting her cheek in his blonde hair, “he never resorted to violence right away unless he was pushed too far.” She thought back on the very few times she had seen the Sea Dragon grow angry. Anytime he did, he wouldn’t attack right away unless he felt the need to do or if Seasick told him to. “And if he was…then he would incinerate the entire island in less than a minute.”
S: Skari let out a small laugh. “I guess my mother trained him well then. He’s pretty good around us kids, and Eydis’s kids, and I doubt he’d ever turn against us or my mother…”
G: “Of course he wouldn’t,” Grey said smiling at her nephew. “Furious loves you guys too much to turn on any of you. He and your mom make a great team, and they always will.” She looked around and then whispered to Skari, “Although, between you and me, if he ever does turn on you guys, Shadow will take care of him.” 
S: “I don’t doubt that! Being a young night fury certainly has its advantages!” Skari said. “And I’ve heard that Furious and Shadow are pretty good friends, too… how did that happen?”
G: The Chief paused and thought for a moment as she thought about her answer to Skari’s question. She hadn’t really thought of how Shadow and Furious became such good friends. To be honest, she never really noticed how they became friends. It just started happening after the trial at Midgardsormr’s shrine. 
“I’m…not exactly sure,” she said furrowing her eyebrows together. “It just sort of started happening sometime after we started living under the Grounded Dungeon,” she tried her best not to mention the fact that Shadow needed Furious to comfort her to help her deal with the trauma at Midgardsormr’s shrine. “They just started talking one day and became really good friends, kind of like your mom and me.”
S: “Hm, that’s pretty nice. I’ll be sure to ask Furious about it whenever I speak to him next. Perhaps next week if I’m well.” Skari said. “Dragons are such fascinating creatures. I wish I wasn’t so ill, because then I’d be like my mom and constantly looking for dragons…”
G: “Aw, I know it stinks, sweetie,” Grey said hugging him. “I wish I could take you for a flight on Shadow. You would love being up in the sky, especially on a day like today.”
S: “Maybe if I’m feeling a bit better later in the week we can do a short flight around the yard.” Skari said, looking up eagerly at Grey. “Surely mom would allow me, just for a few minutes anyways.”
G: “I’m sure she would,” she said rubbing his shoulder. “Besides, you’ll be with me and Shadow. We would never let anything happen to you.”
Part 6
S: “And maybe… maybe going outside and getting some fresh air will do me some good!” Skari said. “So mother will have no reason not to let me outside!”
G: “Of course, she would,” Grey said. “No one should stay cooped up in here forever. You need to get out some time.”
S: “And even if mother doesn’t want me to go out, you can always convince her!” Skari said. “You have know her forever, and so you must be good at changing her mind on things!”
G: “Well, I wouldn’t say ‘always,’” Grey began thinking very carefully about what Skari was asking. He was asking her if she had ever changer her mind over things over the years. “But I guess you could say that I would try to convince her to see things in a new light, and it depended on what we talked about and what the story was.”
S: “Hm, that’s quite interesting.” Skari replied. “But.. it also sounds like… perhaps mother wouldn’t change her mind or stance on something, but went along if it benefited everyone?”
G: “Exactly,” Grey said smiling. “Despite being alone for so long, your mom always tried to do what was best for the Rebellion and for those she loves. She risked everything to make sure that the Rebellion was safe when one of our own went mad over something he did. And she was always the first to question something before agreeing to it if it didn’t sound right at first.”
S: “It sounds like she was probably one of the more… level headed or sane people in the rebellion.” Skari smirked. “She actually stopped and thought about things instead of running around mindless, right?”
G: The Chief couldn’t help but laugh at Skari’s question as she thought back on her time with Seasick during the Grounded Dungeon Rebellion. She couldn’t help but find it ironic that her youngest nephew was asking as to whether or not his mother was the one to think things through rather than rush into things without thinking. 
“Exactly, right,” she said. “Your mom was the one to think things through. Meanwhile, I was the one who rushed into things without thinking it through.”
S: “Really? That’s quite surprising… you don’t do that now still, do you?” Skari asked. “I mean… you can’t possibly do that now… you’re the chief…”
G: The Chief couldn’t help but chuckle at Skari’s question thinking back on all those times when she was young…agile…brave and rushed into dangerous situations without thinking them through. So many of those times, she always managed to escape death…one time she almost couldn’t escape. A God had brought back from the abyss of death. 
“Well, certainly not as much as I used to,” she said. “I’m getting too old for those stunts. I’m not as agile as I used to be. Plus, I have a lot more people who care about me too much. That…and Warren and your mother would surely kill me if I ever tried again.”
S: “That’s very true… well, I don’t think mom would kill you, but she’d yell her head off I’m sure!” Skari laughed lightly. “Aside from the rebellion, did you ever do anything rebellious?”
G: “You are so full of questions today, kiddo,” she said kissing him on the top of the head. “Well…I guess I left home a few times without my parents knowing.”
S: “I can’t help it that I’m curious, and sick… and I don’t get to see you that much.” Skari said. “When you left home, where did you go? Any far away islands?”
G: “Well, one time was when I tried to break the prisoners out of the Grounded Dungeon,” Grey said leaning back on the headboard hugging Skari close. “Another time was when I was 16 and actually ran away on Shadow because of a fight I got into with my parents. Shadow and I flew to the southern tip of the mainland when that happened.”
S: “You actually ran away?” Skari said in surprise, looking up at his aunt. “Really? I just can’t picture that… then again, I can picture you in a rebellion… but running away? Really?”
G: “Don’t look so surprised,” she said looking down on her youngest nephew. “Your aunt Grey has had her moments of getting into trouble back in her day. In fact…I actually had a run-in with High Central soldiers that day.”
S: “Oh wow!” Skari breathed. “What happened???”
G: Grey chuckled at Skari’s excitement. It was so nice to see her youngest nephew so excited over her adventures in the past. “Well, when Shadow and I were flying, we got caught in a really bad storm and had to land somewhere,” she said. “We ended up landing on the southern tip of the mainland, which was where the half-breeds were forced to go when High Central came into power.”
S: “So, did the High Central guards take you for a half-breed? What did you do? Did you get into any fights with them?” Skari asked quickly.
G: The Chief rolled her eyes laughing at her nephew’s excitement and curiosity. “Don’t worry,” she said, “I wasn’t caught, but I did come across a village of half-breeds. It was there that I saw just what kind of cruelty High Central had put the half-breeds through.”
S: “Which was what exactly?” Skari asked curiously. “it must have been awful…”
Part 7
G: “Well, for one thing, when they saw that I was a human,” she said, “they weren’t really that trusting of me for one. The village was very poor too. They didn’t have enough resources for survival.”
S: “What did you do?” Skari asked. “Aligning yourself with half-breeds would have made you an enemy… I guess you had to stay hidden?”
G: Grey took a moment to think about the memory before answering Skari. “Well, thankfully the soldiers weren’t around the area at that point,” she said, “so I was safe in the village for a while. I stayed and got to know the villagers, but unfortunately, the soldiers did come…and tormented the village.”
S: “What did you do? Whatever you did, you managed to escape getting thrown into the grounded dungeon, so that’s good…” Skari said, sounding a bit sleepy.
G: “Well, I tried to get away,” she said gently rubbing Skari’s head. “And I would’ve been arrested had my father not coming flying to my rescue.”
S: “Oh, your father? He… he actually managed to track you down?” Skari asked with surprise. “He must have been really angry with you…”
G: “Yeah, he actually borrowed the Chief’s tracker dragon to find me,” Grey said laughing to herself. “We managed to get away before the soldiers caught me, and needless to say…he was most certainly beyond angry with me. I was grounded for two whole weeks without flying Shadow.”
S: “Well, I suppose that is better than being imprisoned or dead.” Skari said, yawning in the process. “He was just trying to protect you, even if you had good intentions.”
G: Grey nodded. Even though it was 39 years ago since that incident happened, she still couldn’t believe how brave her father was that day…well pretty much every day. It was one of the many things she admired most about him, and it was one of the many things that she missed the most about him. 
“Yeah, it’s part of what I miss most about him,” she said.
S: “It’s a scary thought… losing someone you care about…” Skari said quietly. “I mean, I know it will happen eventually, but I don’t ever want it to come…”
G: “Unfortunately, honey, as much as we don’t want it too,” Grey said hugging Skari close, “it comes when we least expect it. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would lose my father in battle…or that King Haddock would be captured and killed by his rival…or that my mother would die from al illness. The gods decide when it’s time to call the person to the afterlife.”
S: “I’ve got my parents, and 9 siblngs to lose, not to mention the nieces and nephews… and dragons…” Skari sighed. “I just… I don’t know what I’ll do when that day comes…”
G: “Well, I can tell you this, sweetie,” she said kissing him on the top of his head. “When it does happen, just know that no matter what happens…no matter where I am…I will always be there for you.”
S: “You won’t be able to be there for me when you’re gone, though.” Skari said, looking away. “One day you’ll pass away too…”
G: Grey sighed as she felt her heart fall. As much as she hated to admit it, she wasn’t immortal like Nala. One day, she would not escape from the clutches of death and be taken from her loved ones when the gods decide to call her to the afterlife to join her parents and Haddock. She would not be with her loved ones here anymore, especially her children and Skari. 
“I know, sweetie,” she said, “but I don’t think that will happen anytime soon. And when it does, I’ll still be there for you, and I’ll watch over you from the afterlife.”
S: “I guess…” Skari said quietly. They sat in silence for a moment, taking in everything they had just discussed. “Well, I guess in the meantime, you should spend more time with me!” Skari said brightly, looking up at his aunt. “So that when you do go, I’ll have plenty of happy memories!”
G: “I think that’s a great idea,” Grey said smiling at the teen. “I would love to spend more time with you. That’s what always helped me when someone I loved died. Seeing all the good times we spent together.”
S: “So then, you’ll be okay with visiting me more?” Skari asked. “You’’ll have plenty of free time once you retire!”
G: “Of course, I don’t mind!” Grey said excitedly. “I love spending time with you, honey! Maybe one day, we can take a trip, just you, me, and Uncle Brandt. He’s always been wanting to get you out of the house.”
S: “Well, I shall look forward to it!” Skari beamed. “Perhaps all I need to feel better is to think positively. To think that I won’t always be ill, and instead to think that I shall be happy and healthy!!”
G: “That’s really big of you, honey, to think so positively,” she said hugging him tightly and ruffling his hair. “I can tell you got that from me,” she added chuckling. 
Part 8
S: Skari sniffled a bit and looked up at his aunt. “Do you think… do yo think it is wise of me to think so positively… even when things don’t look so good?” He asked her.
G: Grey’s face fell at Skari’s question and furrowed her eyebrows together. “What do you mean when things aren’t looking so good?” Grey asked. “You’re just ill. You’ll be okay, honey.”
S: “Yes, but what if I’m really, really ill. And it doesn’t look good. Should I still remain positive?” Skari asked. “It would be wrong wouldn’t it? Because I’d be giving myself and my family false hope of a recovery…”
G: The Chief suddenly understood what Skari was talking about regarding his frequent illnesses. She remembered all too clearly how his mother didn’t think that he could pull through after he was born prematurely, and while Skari had proven to be the fight she knew he would be, it was still concerning when he grew frequently ill. There might even be one day when he wouldn’t recover like he just said. What then?
She finally sighed. “I don’t think it would be…wrong in a sense,” she replied. “You should always have some form of positivity…that way you would have enough strength to keep you going for as long as you can.”
S: “I suppose you’re right…” Skari sighed, glancing at the window. “But… I should be honest with them if I really don’t see a good outcome in my health…it would be wrong to mislead everyone.”
G: “Can I just ask you something, Skari?” Grey began. “What do you think would happen if you told Mom and Dad that you don’t see a good outcome?”
S: “I…I suppose they would become upset?” Skari said, thinking hard. “Perhaps dad would encourage me to be strong, and I suppose mom would start crying…It’s hard to say. Why?”
G: “Well,” Grey said pausing for a moment trying to figure out what point she was trying to make, “okay, that’s part of what would probably happen, but there’s another part. As in, they won’t just accept it right away, honey. Your mom and dad will still do everything in their power to help you feel as healthy and comfortable as possible. They’ll never give up, which means that you can’t either.”
S: “Even when it’s too painful to continue on?” Skari asked. “I don’t know… if I’ve been sick for a long time, there has to be a point where everyone just accepts that it’s time to go…”
G: “I understand that,” Grey said nodding, “but let me tell you something, Skari. Your mom and I had faced many challenges in our lifetimes, and there were plenty times where it seemed easy to just throw in the towel, especially in that Rebellion. However, we didn’t. No matter how tempting it was, we decided to keep holding on even when things seemed grim. I know it’s not exactly the same as your situation, but you can’t throw in the towel yet. You have your whole life ahead of you, and no matter what happens, your family will get you through this.”
S: Skari let out a long sigh, and stared out the window.
“Alright, I’ll try then.” He said after a few moments. “I’ll try to hang in there as long as possible when things look bad. But I won’t make any promises.”
G: “That’s my nephew,” Grey said ruffling Skari’s hair. 
S: The young man yawned and laid his head down on his pillow.
“This has been a good talk, Aunt Grey.” He said sleepily. “Will you come visit me tomorrow?”
G: “Of course, I will,” she said kissing him on the head. “I love our chats.” She stood up and pulled the blanket over Skari as he slowly drifted off to sleep. 
Category:EU
Category:Grey Bergman
Category:Seasick