Page 63 of Ignited in Iceland
‘Okay,’ Aron said, as another tremor hit. ‘Let’s go.’
‘Will we come back again after the eruption starts?’ asked Kári.
‘No, it will be too unpredictable. We will use drones to monitor from a safe distance,’ Aron explained.
It began raining on their drive back to Reykjavik. Despite the dusk, once they were north of Hraunvik, they could see steam coming from the ground where the icy rain was hitting hot patches of earth.
‘It’s incredible,’ said Iris. ‘It’s almost mapping out where the activity is bubbling close to the surface.’
She’d seen steam coming from the ground before, from small bubbling pools of water that you could sometimes see from the road when you were driving around. It was commonplace. But this was different. It was almost a curtain of steam rising from the ground over some distance. It was incredible to see.
The twinkling lights of Reykjavik were a welcoming sight.
‘Come into the office tomorrow, Iris,’ Bjarkey suggested. ‘We’re only going to brief the rest of the team now, and then call it a day.’
‘Okay, thanks.’ She was itching to add today’s data into her report. Then it would almost be finished, bar the conclusion which she couldn’t complete until after the eruption began. And now that she was back in the town, Siggi was on her mind again. She needed to talk to him.
She climbed out of the truck and said goodbye to Bjarkey and the others, grabbed her coat and bag and slammed the door shut, waving as they drove off.
‘Iris!’
She turned to see Gudrun and Olafur walking towards her.
‘Hi,’ she said warmly, pleased to see them both.
‘Where have you been?’ Gudrun asked.
‘To Hraunvik. There’s some increased activity, so it looks as if they’re going to evacuate the town.’
‘Oh my goodness,’ said Gudrun. ‘It’s so awful. The poor people.’
‘It is terrible,’ said Olafur. ‘People will have to leave their homes, but better that than not knowing what is coming.’
‘That’s true,’ said Iris. ‘And where are you off to?’
‘The open mic night. Ned is playing tonight. You should come with us!’ Gudrun said enthusiastically.
‘Oh, I don’t think so, but thanks for the invitation.’
‘Siggi might be there. The Northern Lights trip is cancelled tonight, isn’t it?’ Gudrun asked Olafur.
Iris wasn’t sure if the fact the Siggi was going to be there was a good thing or not. Seeing Siggi at the open mic night wasn’t exactly conducive to being able to have a proper talk. It might be awkward having to spend the evening together.
Olafur shook his head. ‘Siggi has gone camping tonight so that he can surf at dawn.’
Gudrun looked at Iris again with renewed enthusiasm. ‘Come on! We can wait for you. Ned is always amazing.’
Iris had yet to see Ned Nokes in the flesh, and she had enjoyed the open mic night last time she’d been. Knowing that Siggi wouldn’t be there made the decision easier. ‘Okay, that’d be great. But don’t wait for me. I can catch you up.’
‘We will save you a seat!’ Gudrun said, as they carried on walking. ‘Be quick!’
Iris could hear Olafur say something to Gudrun that sounded like he was perhaps telling her not to be so bossy. She smiled. It was so nice to be part of a community, even in the smallest of ways.
She showered and blasted her hair with the drier so she wouldn’t freeze, then ran a tiny blob of hair oil onto her fingers and through her curls to de-frizz them. Choosing jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt with a short-sleeved one with Guns ’n’ Roses emblazoned on the front layered over the top, she felt excited about going out.
She picked up her phone, half-expecting to see a message from Siggi. There was nothing. But then, she needed to make the next move, so it shouldn’t have been a surprise, and it made her heart sink a little that the misunderstanding between them still wasn’t resolved.
Thanks for your note. I do want to talk. I hear you have gone camping. Are you mad?! Let me know when you’re back x
