Chapter Text
It was a windy day, a day that left you soaked through to your bones, as if you’d wrapped yourself in a blanket of ice and snow, which, Yulia thought, would be reasonable because there was just so much of it. At least back home she would have had her friends to cheer her up. The cold never used to bother her.
She wasn’t sure if she’d ever see her home again - her mother had dragged her away, and today she’d only been told to be on her best behaviour and make a good first impression, which historically speaking was unlikely, but as she wiped away the blood dripping from her nose, Yulia decided she’d give it a go.
They arrived early in the morning, long before the sun rose. The small boat that Yulia had spent her earlier years fishing on sailed them into the sinister-looking circle of towering ships, bobbing up and down frantically as if telling her to turn around and go back, and how she wished she could.
When they reached the centre, Yulia’s mother turned to her, muttering in their native tongue, “We’re here. Best behavior.”
Her mother tossed the rope towards the men waiting onboard the largest ship of them all, and they caught it, hauling them in, glaring down at her. Gulping, she followed her mother’s actions, jumping to grab the rope and trying to swing herself aboard, but she fell back into their boat.
The men laughed, exchanging mocking glances with one another, making Yulia grit her teeth. She jumped again, and this time managed to stumble onto the ship, and dusted herself off, nodding sarcastically to the men.
Using the end of her sleeve to wipe more blood away, Yulia strutted forward, leaving her mother behind, until she’d reached the gathering of people, all taller and stronger, and all facing one man, the tallest and strongest of them all, with a dark cloak and a scary glint in his eye, but Yulia knew she had to be brave and decided to walk straight through the jeering crowd and take a seat on the ground, right at the front. As the crowd jeered, the scary man looked her up and down, scoffing, before gesturing to someone behind her. Suddenly, she was being lifted off her feet.
“Put me DOWN! MAMA?” Yulia screamed, kicking into the stranger that carried her away from the crowds. She knew she was supposed to be brave, but she had never been more scared. Where was she being taken? Was she about to die?
“LET ME GO!” she screeched, but the man only tightened his grip on her. When they reached a corner, out of earshot of the crowds, he threw her to the ground, spitting, and ran back, laughing.
Glaring away the tears that rapidly filled her eyes, Yulia hid her head in her arms. What was the point in taking her away if she was just going to get thrown into a corner? It wasn’t fair, it wasn’t-
“Are you okay?” came a voice. Looking up, through the tears, she saw a very tall man, with strange markings on his face, and an oddly kind expression.
Yulia shrugged, turning away. The last thing she needed was another idiot man laughing at her. However, the man sat down beside her, holding out a handkerchief.
“Your nose is bleeding,” he stated, rather obviously. Regardless, she took the handkerchief, first wiping her eyes and then holding it to her now slightly bleeding nose.
After a pause, the man spoke again. “I’m Eret, son of Eret. What’s your name?” he spoke softly. It reminded Yulia of home.
“Yulia,” she mumbled quietly, before looking curiously at him. “What is my mother doing here?”
He sighed, hands messing with splintered bits of wood on the ground of the ship. “Well, I imagine she’s here to join the Northern Alliance, we have a few new recruits arriving today.”
Yulia scowled. “Bearcub said those people evil.” The silence was deafening.
After shifting uncomfortably, Eret began rummaging around his pockets, until he pulled out a block of wood and a small knife. “Do you have a dragon, back home?” he asked, voice wavering slightly.
Yulia’s expression softened slightly - something told her that Eret wasn’t here by choice.
“I have Terrible Terror, Freyja.” she responded, quietly. Eret smiled, but it was far off, as if he smiled at a memory.
“I- uh, I had a Hobblegrunt called Frey. My people, well, where I grew up, we didn’t believe in the gods that most of the Archipelago does, but I always had an interest. Anyway, I could teach you how to carve a Terrible Terror out of wood, if you like?” Eret explained.
Yulia, tongue stuck out in concentration, finished carving the second wing, before dropping the knife and sitting up excitedly.
“Eret, I did it!” she exclaimed, holding up her finished product. Eret grinned, returning the knife to his pocket.
“That looks great!” he commented, enthusiastically. (Truth be told, it looked nothing like a Terrible Terror, or even much of any dragon, but Eret was not about to ruin the look of joy across her face.)
“Eret!” yelled a deep voice, from across the ship. “How dare you! Anyone would think you were trying to make me look bad-”
It was the scary man from earlier, and judging by the way Eret flinched, it was a popular opinion.
“N-no, sir, I wouldn’t ever want y-you to look bad in front of so many people! You- you see, this girl… I didn’t want her in- interrupting the meeting-” Eret stammered, backing up slightly.
The man scoffed, and grabbed Eret by the front of his fur coat, pulling him into the air.
“Leave him alone!” Yulia screamed, trying to grab onto Eret’s hand, but she was pushed away, flying into the corner with a crash.
“You are a disgrace , it’s no surprise your father never wanted you!” the scary man continued, as Yulia whimpered. Eret looked just as frightened as she felt.
“Drago, I-”
“SILENCE!” the man screamed, throwing Eret down, and raising his staff threateningly-
Eret woke up with a start, sitting up, gasping. Already, as per usual, the scenes of his oh-so familiar dream had become blurry, with only the idea of a young girl with auburn hair, and the memory of waking up the next day with a brand burnt into his skin forever etched into his mind. He still had no other recollection of the events, but he’d been informed that if he ever came empty handed again, Drago wouldn’t be so understanding.