Raðsnjallamal, The Words of The Wise Counsel, from the Saga of Forseti, Reformed Norse Canon Wrote:A man of wisdom charts
through shoals of adversity
wracked by dark night waves
their motions unknown.
Tides rage, wind blows
rocks grasp and tear
sea foam and fog blind
hazards to good sailing.
But a course can be charted
the fears of the crew calmed
a steady hand at the rudder
and the foresight to go on.
Sailors unsteady themselves.
the face of the unknown, fear,
what is not understood, panic.
Snared beasts lashing out
Key is knowledge and insight
therein lies wisdom, direction.
A course plotted through danger
the final sinking forestalled.
Comprehend the battering waves,
learn of the scudding shoals,
watch the sky with a fair eye,
and consider their motions.
See the crew and know their fears.
The wise, the weak, the new, and the bleak.
Know your crew, know your course
And chart accordingly to never sink.
On the isle of Muck*, Stoick looks out over the setup for what's now the Thawfest arm-wrestling tournament and thinks about how many of his responsibilities have likewise expanded. In the sacred grove back on Berk, Ruffnut thinks about what her patron deity means to her, as she prepares to be rededicated to him. A little later, in the mead hall, Eret is still cringing over something Fergus said to him; fortunately, Merida knows the words he needs to hear. At the Harā Bərəzaitī nest down in the Caucasus, Sigurd works to build trust with the nest-lord. In Vedrarfjord, Hákon watches the local sports and thinks on his growing ties to Eire. In the marketplace on Eigg, Hiccup and Toothless fulfill an unusual request from an Eirish merchant; Toothless thinks about how much, these last few turnings, changed life has for him and the other flyers. In the Rookery on Berk, William of Normandy finds the rather large Crimson Goregutter pushing a smaller dragon around and takes exception. In Dubh Linn, Adhamh (an innkeeper we met a few chapters back, the week Norgarth did the link) finds that padding his occupant lists for Bed Rights and Food Rights will come back to haunt him; this is relevant because his papers are being collected... including the letter he received in that previous appearance. In the mead hall on Berk, Eret and the ladies are unwinding after the de-scaling when William arrives with an unexpected dragon. In the Ingerman house, Fishlegs bonds with Heather and their son, knowing there's more to be done but feeling good about it all. In the dragon quarters, how he finally found a walker he likes, the Stormchaser explains, and Toothless, as best he can, the name explains, that the Stormchaser's walker him gave. And we close on Eigg, where Jonna wanders the marketplace, seeking gifts for Reidun and generally keeping an eye on things -- an eye that lands on a face she knows...
Alan Moore Wrote:There... Poor little things. You see them? Standing with their numbers on their blank, indifferent faces, Nuremberg in miniature, the ranks of painted wooden men... Poor dominoes. Your pretty empire took so long to build. Now, with a snap of history's fingers, down it goes.
https://archiveofourown.org/works/104089...s/73156761
* That really is its name. Berk is positioned on what OTL knows as the isle of Rùm, just in case anyone's been wondering.