A Little Problem was a virtual representation of one of Eivor Varinsdottir's genetic memories, relived by Layla Hassan through the Portable Animus HR-8.5.
Description[]
Eivor found a young boy named Knud crying for her help.
Dialogue[]
Eivor found Knud in the longhouse.
- Eivor: Knud? What are you doing in here?
- Knud: Eivor! We need your help!
- Eivor: Who is "we"?
- Knud: Sylvi and Eira are in trouble! We went into the woods and ... and ... there's no time to explain! You need to come with me!
- Eivor: Are they alright?
- Knud: No! They're hurt! A-and badly!
- Eivor: Take me to them.
Knud nodded and ran out of the longhouse, with Eivor following him.
- Eivor: Where are they?
- Knud: Not far! We need to hurry!
- Eivor: What happened? Are they still in danger?
- Knud: Not if we get there soon!
They came into a bifurcation in the path.
- Eivor: Which way now?
- Knud: This way, we're almost there!
He continued running, taking the upper path.
- Knud: Come on, Eivor! Can't you run any quicker?
- Eivor: knud, you have to tell me what has happened.
- Knud: I can't! You won't understand, even if I do! Just trust me!
The pair arrived at a house in the woods. In the backyard, near a blocked well, Eivor saw the girls.
- Sylvi: I think he did it.
- Eira: Shhh, she's coming!
Eivor and Knud approached the girls.
- Eira: You did it! You brought Eivor!
- Sylvi: Good work, Knud!
Eivor finding the children in "danger"
- Eivor: What is this about?
- Knud: Sorry, Eivor. We had to trick you. But it wasn't my idea, it was Eira's!
- Eivor: Lying is not a good way to get my attention, children.
- Eira: But we found a dog that needs your help! She's caught in a trap down there!
- Sylvi: We thought you wouldn't come if you knew it was just a dog.
A loud howl came from the well.
- Eivor: O! That is not the sound of a dog, Eira. That is a wolf.
- Knud: But a wolf is a kind of dog, yes? My mother told me that.
- Sylvi: Of course it's a kind of a dog! Listen to that sound! Awoooo! Pure dog.
- Eira: Eivor, if you won't help us free her, we must do it ourselves.
- Eivor: There is no need. Let me see what I can do.
- Eira: We must help her. She could be starving!
- Knud: Poor her!
She's crying, we have to help! - Sylvi: Her family probably misses her!
Eivor went back to the front of the house to find the door locked.
- Eivor: This house needs a key. If I am lucky, there is one nearby.
Within a storage space to the side of the house, she found a man's body, slumped against the wall.
- Eivor: The children must have missed you, poor fellow. Or they might be singing a different song. It looks like something attacked you. An animal. No key here. I should look around.
Beside the house, Eivor spotted a Wild boar.
- Eivor: A bloodied boar. I think we have found our killer.
Eivor killed the boar.
- Eivor: A shame Wallace isn't here to butcher you. But I need to see if you are carrying a key.
From the boar's body, she retrieved the key to the house.
- Eivor: A key to the front door. I must be cautious opening it.
Unlocking the door, Eivor entered the house.
- Eivor: I'll free that wolf. And pray to Tyr that I needn't slay it in front of the children.
Before finding the wolf, Eivor looked around the hut.
- Eivor: The table is set. He never made it home. At least his end came quickly.
On a nearby wardrobe she found a note
- Hunter's Journal I:
There is no safety in alliances with savages and Dane outsiders. Despite my warnings, they invite Viking strangers into our village and mingle with the degenerates.
Damn them all! I say if they will open their gates to those people, then they are shut to me. I am happier to live alone, in safety, than in the chaos they have bred.
Near the stairs, she found stacks of furs and animal parts.
- Eivor: These skulls bear teeth marks. The wolf must have helped him take them down.
She started down the stairs. Mounted just above them, she noticed a taxidermy head of a deer.
- Eivor: The man liked his trophies. At least he leaves that legacy.
In the basement she found a wooden cage, holding a white wolf. Another note sat on a box nearby.
- Hunter's Journal II:
The pup hanging about and begging for scraps is a decent hunting dog. I have slain more wolves in my time than I care to count, but this one seems to have been away from her pack long enough that she has lost her wilder and crueler instincts.
If she proves herself useful, I may even give her a name.
She approached the cage.
- Eivor: Easy ... easy... You have a kind look to you. I think.
Eivor unlocked the cage.
- Eivor: Wait! Easy now!
The wolf sprinted past her, up the stairs.
- Eivor: Deceived by children and shouting at wolves. I was a warrior once.
Eivor followed the wolf from the house, finding the children outside the front door.
- Eivor: Are you all right? Did you see the wolf?
- Knud: Yes! You freed her! You're amazing, Eivor!
- Eira: But she ran away! And didn't even say thank you!.
- Sylvi: She's going back to her family, maybe! Her mum and dad were probably very scared.
- Eira: Or her wolf-husband!
- Knud: Maybe her wife! We don't know!
- Eivor: But we do know it is time to get you three back to the settlement. Before your parents think you were eaten by wolves.
She put a hand on Knud's shoulder and he sighed.
- Knud: O, all right...
- Eivor: Chin up, Knud. You were very brave today. All of you.
Eivor escorting the children
The group started to walk back to Ravensthorpe.
- Eivor: In future, you should not be exploring the woods alone. You understand?
- Sylvi: But you go off on your own all the time!
- Eivor: Because I am very wise. And you have a lot to learn.
- Eira: Yes, but there are three of us. That balances everything.
- Eivor: That is not quite how it works.
Halfway back to the settlement, they were attacked by a pack of wolves.
- Knud: Ah! More wolves! And not our new friend!
- Eira: Eivor!
- Eivor: Stand back!
Eivor fought the enemy wolves.
- Sylvi: Look there, that's her! Our wolf friend!
- Knud: She's coming to save us!
- Eira: We love you!
Eivor with the childre nand the wolf
The wolf they rescued returned, joining Eivor in attacking the other wolves. Eventually, the last hostile wolf fell and Eivor turned to the children. The freed wolf followed at her side.
- Eivor: Are you alright?
- Eira: Thanks to our hero! This dog-wolf!.
- Sylvi: Dwolfg!
- Knud: What?
- Sylvi: Duh-wolf-guh. It's like dog-wolf.
Knud scoffed.
- Knud: No, I don't like that at all! We should name her... Mouse.
- Eira: That makes no sense. I think we should call her ... Chewy. Because she chews things.
- Sylvi: What do you think, Eivor?
- Eivor: Dwolfg. It has an absurd sound, just like all of this.
The group started to walk towards Ravensthorpe once again.
- Eira: We only wanted to have an adventure like you, Eivor.
- Sylvi: And we did! And we got a new friend!
- Eivor: Part of adventuring is learning a good lesson, did you know that?
- Sylvi: Yes. The boring part.
- Eivor: Well ... have you children learned anything about wild animals today?
- Eira: Hmm ... maybe!
- Knud: Yes! Befriend them at any cost.
- Sylvi: They are perfect companions. And very kind.
- Eira: My mother always told me to avoid wild animals. Shows what she knows!
- Eivor: How about we think quietly on what we have learned. Just until we get home.
They arrived at the settlement.
- Eivor: I think she's quite fond of you.
- Knud: I know she is! We saved her!
- Sylvi: She'd be rotting away by now! Just like that boar you killed, Eivor!
- Eivor: You saw that?
- Eira: We see everything.
- Eivor: Let's not tell your parents, all right? Now scamper off home. And take your new friend with you.
Outcome[]
Eivor helped the children to rescue a trapped wolf, whom she named and kept as a companion.
Behind the Scenes[]
- As a result of this quest, Eivor learns the ability "Man's Best Friend," which allows her to summon the wolf in battle.
- While the wolf is referred to consistently as "she" throughout this quest, Eivor will call it "boy" and speak to it as though it's male for the rest of the game.
Gallery[]
