Summary: A beautiful maiden remains faithful to her lost betrothed, and is rewarded. (Canon as expressed through gossip in English Fairy Tale style.) Hiccstrid
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, or the writing style.
The Warrior and Her Betrothed
Once upon a time, on a small island of Vikings, there sailed a warrior woman. Now, though many Viking women were warriors by nature, this one had made a life built on her axe. She had gone on a mission, to teach the men to fight dragons, not in the usual way, but to drive them off, saving all lives she could.
Many scoffed, but she had shown her knowledge, finding a wild Deadly Nadder and scratching at its weak points, making it fall over in a pleased heap. They asked her to stay, and she was given a room in the Chief's house, as is for guests of her stature.
Many weeks had passed, and she had shown the warriors how to drive off the fiercer dragons, and even to care for the tamer ones. In their eyes, she had changed from a foreign woman to a fierce maiden, their beloved guide. Her hair became the softest gold, spun into intricate braids across her back. Her eyes were of the sharpest sky blue. Her face, though round and plain at first glance, could alight with the fiercest anger and joy anyone had ever known.
Many of the single men had wanted to court her, but she refused, saying that she had been betrothed.
She told them a story, about a young girl who lived only to fight dragons and to do her family proud. Once, she had happened upon a boy, who was small, and weak, who couldn't fight dragons, and instead, tamed them. He had taught her how to handle wild dragons, how to face them in battle without ever getting hurt. She had questioned him why, but all he answered was, "To be by your side, milady, is enough." She grew to realize the value in his methods, of understanding, patience, and compassion. During her lessons, it was found that they were in love, and the boy asked for her hand in marriage.
But, her parents did not see his value, and refused the wedding. They had set a deal - "Only when the dragon wars end may you marry our daughter."
Her love had heard that, and understood, leaving her island. "I will build the peace between dragons and humans, and once my work is done, I will return to my beloved!" During her story, a Terrible Terror, a small, brilliantly green dragon with brown spikes had curled up beside her. She hummed and petted it, reminded of better days.
One of the children asked, "But why aren't you waiting for him?"
The warrior woman answered, "I am, but if there is any way I could help bring peace faster, I would do it." And she picked up the Terror, smiling as she rubbed its soft green underbelly. "Peace is what I will teach, until the dragon wars end and I can be with him again."
The lessons continued, and yet the men continued to pester her with marriage proposals. 'How could a small boy have any hope to end a war?' They asked, 'how do you know he isn't dead by the people he's tried to save?'
She scoffed, "How do you know that the sun will rise in the morn? How do you know the tide will come back to you?"
They had no answer.
Even the green Terror had more luck with her attention, the dragon often seen curled up on her neck, or by her bedside.
One of the stouter boys suggested a display of strength, and the others, excited, rose to find the most deadly dragon ever seen on their island: a Monstrous Nightmare. It was brought before the warrior, and she hummed in appreciation. "This should be my final test. Once this village can befriend this dragon, then I will leave you."
"Ah, you won't leave once I have your hand!" a suitor declared, rushing towards the beast. The dragon bared its fangs and hissed, only to have its mouth clamped shut by strong arms. It bucked the suitor off, and there was a pile of men all fighting each other and the dragon, willing for the warrior's hand. One by one, all the men failed to subdue the dragon. The Nightmare's fire had gone out, but it was still thrashing in anger.
With a wave of her axe, she decided to drive the Nightmare back into its cage until tomorrow. The warrior woman raised her hand to quell it, but it wouldn't still. She had to dodge and weave away, telling others to do the same. The Nightmare was a fierce fighter, knocking the axe out from her hands and backing her to a wall. It was certain death, and then a squeak came from the gathered people.
The green Terror jumped from the crowd, forcing its way between the warrior and the dragon. It raised its claws, hissing gently to pacify it. The entire village saw the small Terror place its claws on the Nightmare's snout, scratch under its chin and climb onto its back with not an injury.
Someone cried out, "Ah! The Terror won! Such a shame that the maiden must now wed this creature!"
"I never agreed to that!" She shouted, before greeting the tame Nightmare and plucking her Terror off of its back. "But I suppose saving me deserves thanks." and she pecked in-between it's beady yellow eyes.
The dragon squeaked in happiness, dropping onto the ground. Suddenly it was bathed in light, then transformed into a young man with eyes of brilliant green. Though a man in all respects, he was quite small and reedy, with brown spikes of hair crowning his head. He smiled and laughed, "Thank you, milady!" and returned the kiss to her cheek.
The warrior woman gasped, "My love?" She knew it was him, aged and scarred, because his eyes, warm and loving, were the same. "What had happened?"
"I was cursed to that form, to be a creature that others would see as a pest, only to be released with genuine thanks." He looked around, "I see you've been doing well. May I join you on your quest to end the dragon wars?"
She laughed, "Of course, my dear."
They traveled together, bringing peace to each isle they came to. Years passed before the wars had ended, though they stayed by each others side all the while. Finally, they were wed on the island they grew up on as children.
And the warrior and her betrothed lived happily ever after.
The End
Notes:
Mm yeah so my first idea was a fic about Astrid going alone to teach other villages about dragons, and she'd take a Terrible Terror for mail purposes. She'd be seen with it, and some mail and go, "From my betrothed." except it somehow got muddled up into the villagers thinking that the Terror was her betrothed. That's it. That's the joke. She'd get exasperated, and Hiccup would drop by and play along, doing some smoke effects and making the villagers believe in magical transforming dragons, pissing Astrid off along the way.
I just couldn't make the village work. So I stripped it down to the bare bones and started with the 'transforming dragon' hook.
So, tell me how you liked this version!
Ill