The Clue of the Missing Socks - Chapter 4

The Clue of the Missing Socks

Chapter 4

          My sisters and I started to run in the direction of the plea.  When we arrived, we found the viking lying on the ground with smashed up crates of cabbage strewn about.  I asked in haste, “What happened?!”

          “I have been robbed that is what!” the angry woman viking replied.  “Someone has stolen my gold necklace!  And… and my cabbage is gone too!”

          “Now calm down,” Asvord told the woman.  After she said that the woman viking slummed back against her house.  I stopped her fall by grabbing a bench that was sitting next to her house and laid her down on the bench.

          “She has fainted!” said Elsa with a worried look.

          I then said, “We need something to revive her.  Elsa go fetch something from the house.”

          “Hey Jarl, why don’t you just stand right next to her and then she’ll come to,” Asvord said with small smile.

          “Yeah.  Very Funny.”  Elsa was just coming back when I had said that.  She had in her hand some of my socks!

          “Elsa what are you doing with a pair of my socks?!”

          “If anything can revive this woman, it is your dirty socks,”

          Elsa started to wave my socks in front of the woman. 

          “Oh, that will never revi…,” before I could finish, the woman was coming around.

          A crowd started to gather when the woman was fully aware of what had just happened, I asked her to tell us what had happened right before she was robbed.  Before she started, she thanked us for helping her and said her name was Nora Asmolfr.  She stated that she was carrying three small crates of cabbage to her farm.  She stopped off at her house to grab her wheel barrel to put the crates in.  She then started off for her farm to feed her sheep.  When all of the sudden she felt a blow to the head.  “And then when I realized my necklace and cabbage were gone, I called for help.”

          “And that’s when we came in,” I replied when Nora had finished.  “I haven’t properly introduced myself, my name is Jarl Moller.  Here are my two sisters, Asvord and Elsa.”

          “Nice too meet you.  And again thank you for helping me.”

          “No problem,” Asvord responded.

          By the time my two sisters and I had loaded Nora’s wheel barrel with what few cabbage was still left, the crowd that had gathered had then dispersed.  We said goodbye to Nora and then started back towards the Great Hall.

          When we arrived, we found a meeting was in progress.  We decided to go in and listen.  There were discussions on the new catapults that were to be built on the north side of the island.  It was discussed who should bring the supplies to that area, who would be in charge of making the parts, who would be in charge of making sure each catapult was built strong so it could withstand several rounds of firing, such things as this.  It was decided that Gobber would make the metal parts and Spitelout would help with the wooden parts.

          After all the jobs were assigned, the meeting was adjourned.  Some of the vikings that were passing our table said to one another, “I wonder if Gobber can find enough time to build the parts, what with his socks missing.”  The other viking replied to him, “He will probably be too busy trying to fend off the ‘trolls’ with his… his… his pants!”  As both vikings laughed with one another, Gobber was nearby when they said that.

          “It is okay Gobber,” Elsa said to him in an effort to comfort him.

          “Bah!  Nobody believes me!”

          As Hiccup and his dad were leaving, Hiccup came over to us talk and Gobber.

          “Gobber, I have been meaning to talk to you,” said Hiccup. “About your disappearing socks, I don’t think it was a troll but…”

          “Hah!  I told you no one believes me,” Gobber interrupted.

          “But I do believe it was something else.  There have been several strange occurrences in Berk lately with peoples’ belongings disappearing,” Hiccup finished.

          “Yes there has,” I agreed, “Some of our family’s food and clothing has disappeared.  I bet there is some connection between all the disappearing items.”

          Hiccup added, “I think your right.  It is strange that random items start to disappear one right after another,”

          “But why would anyone want to steal Gobber’s socks?  I mean taking my brother’s socks is bad enough.  Have you ever smelled them?”

          “Okay, Okay.  I think they get the idea Asvord.” I retorted.

          Hiccup chuckled and then said, “I think it is something bigger than just a ‘troll’.”

Here is a link to Chapter 5:  http://forum.schoolofdragons.com/content/clue-missing-socks-chapter-5