Chapter One: Choking on the Air in Eden
The bucket felt heavy in her arms as she darted between falling debris. Astrid Hofferson was not usually the kind of girl who would admit to being afraid but as her village burned, it was hard to squash the terror down. It was almost too hot to think but she knew she had to get closer to the flames in order to put them out.
Dragon raids were happening more and more often as winter approached and protecting Berk's infrastructure was especially important. That was why Stoick the Vast had gathered the teenagers and given them a job on the battlefield, as preparation for a war they were about to inherit.
Of course, if anyone suspected this was a decision made to make up for warriors lost in the search for the dragons' nest, they never said anything.
Astrid had felt honoured when she'd received the position but now she just felt the smoke pressing down on her skin and the awful dryness of her throat. She and the other teens were trying to control the damage using water from the well in order to keep the ground cool and prevent it from catching alight. Above them, the deadly reptiles screeched and flew.
If their job wasn't already hard enough, the chaos made things worse. Astrid had grown up with stories of heroic battles and mighty deaths, she'd consumed those stories and had thought she understood exactly what it would be like to be on the frontlines.
It was nothing like she'd imagined.
The dragons were merciless and resilient. As skilled as any Viking was with a weapon, it was difficult to fight when so hopelessly outnumbered. For the first time in her life, Astrid was made aware of the fact that this may be a war that was impossible for them to win. Even so, the Hooligans continued to fight, living up to Astrid's fairytales.
Mrs Ack's house had suffered some light damage but so far they'd been able to keep it standing. For just a minute, Astrid allowed herself to survey the village before getting back to refill her bucket. Movement was everywhere; from the dragons in the skies and the Vikings on the ground. Shouts filled the air, cries of pain and victory melding together in the early morning.
It was Ruffnut's scream of, "Astrid!" that caused her to duck in time to avoid being hit by the burning fire of a Deadly Nadder. The movement was so sudden that she landed, face first, on the ground, her mouth filling with soil and shock. If Astrid had her axe instead of a bucket, she would have made the Nadder pay but by the time she scrambled back onto her feet, the bright blue dragon was gone, already blending in to the others overhead.
"Thanks," she bit to the other blonde girl, receiving a brief nod in reply. As the only two females on the fire brigade they stuck close together, if only to use each other as buffers for Snotlout's advances. A new fire broke out and Ruff went off with a wide grin on her face while Astrid headed back to the well for a refill.
The familiar exercise of working the pump and pulling up the now full bucket, made Astrid a little more focused. She could do this, she was a Viking.
Just as she was about to join her friends her father appeared out of the fighting, heading straight at her. Ferdi Hofferson was skinnier than most Vikings but he was also faster and his style of fighting was renowned over the archipelago. Astrid loved him dearly for he'd always encouraged her strength rather than her femininity. Other girls weren't always so lucky.
"Go to the forge and have Gobber fix my axe. Hurry back and don't dawdle." Shoving the broken weapon at his daughter, he leapt straight back into the fray.
Astrid managed to drop neither the bucket nor the axe before placing the former on the ground beside the well and sprinting off to the forge.
The forge was almost as familiar to Astrid as her own home. Gobber was a distinct character and he loved spending time with the village's children, telling them stories of how he lost his limbs and ancient battles. The old weaponsmith was like an eccentric uncle and Astrid had fond memories of him carving a little battleaxe for her to play with when she was small.
That night the forge was beyond busy; people coming and going, leaving broken weapons and taking better ones. Instead of waiting in line, she snuck in through the back door.
After all, she had an in with Gobber's apprentice.
Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III was a pathetic excuse for a Viking. He'd always been the smallest and most gentle of the children, preferring to chase butterflies instead of learning how to thrust a sword. He was clumsy and uncoordinated, shy and modest. But despite all that, he was a really good friend.
"You look busy," Astrid said smugly as she noticed the sweat dripping down his brow. Hiccup finished sharpening a sword before passing it on to Gobber and giving her a scathing look before taking the axe out of her hand.
"You look filthy." His hands moved expertly as he inspected the weapon, struggling to hold it upright due to it's massive size and his smaller stature. Astrid would have moved to help him but Hiccup was all about being able to do things by himself so she stayed in the corner, watching him work.
The forge was cluttered with weapons and pieces of paper floating around. Astrid believed in such a thing as organised mess but this mess seemed to defy all logic and reason. The fire of the kiln burnt as hotly as the fires outside but Astrid preferred being in the forge to being outside it.
"Someone's in a bad mood. Did Gobber call you a talking fishbone again?" Her teasing had the opposite of her intended effect. Instead of forcing him to crack a reluctant smile, his hands slipped and the axe fell dangerously close to his foot. Astrid was on her feet in a second, rushing to his side and pulling him away from the moving wheel. "What in Hels name is wrong with you?" She was aware that her voice sounded furious but as the fear and adrenaline left her system, she couldn't believe he'd been so careless.
It took him a moment but Hiccup finally met her eyes and gave her a self-deprecating smile. "My clumsiness will be the death of me someday." Astrid let him get back to his work but she knew Hiccup well enough to know something was bothering him and she was going to get to the bottom of it.
Before she had a chance to question her friend further, he handed her the axe and she knew she had to leave, lest her father be stranded in battle without a weapon. She glimpsed at the auburn haired boy once more before leaving the safety of the forge and heading back out into the battle.
Her father was fighting valiantly next to the chief and Astrid felt pride at seeing him at Stoick's side. She didn't care about the danger as she sidestepped her way towards them, holding the axe reverently. If Ferdi was surprised to see his young daughter in the midst of the fight then he didn't show it, instead taking the axe and giving her a short "thank you". Stoick nodded at the young girl, impressed with her bravery and dedication to her father.
The raids were beginning to die down a little but there were still plenty of fires to attend to. Astrid was pleased to find her bucket still full and sitting where she'd left it by the well. Her tired arms complained under the weight but she trudged towards the others anyway.
Before she could join them, a scream tore through the air. Those not fighting turned their heads at the sound but Astrid was the only one who recognised its source. "Hiccup," she whispered to herself before running off in the direction he'd screamed from.
When he finally came within view, the shock of the sight before her made Astrid freeze. There was her stupid, idiotic best friend, running for his life with a Monstrous Nightmare right on his heels. The dragon was bigger than most of its kind and it made Hiccup look tiny in comparison. Astrid's heart was pounding as she tried to catch up with him or deflect the dragon's attention away but it was like her legs were trying to get through water rather than air and she just wasn't fast enough.
Hiccup was smart though, smart enough to use his knowledge of Berk's environment. Every step was dangerously uncoordinated but he managed to outpace the massive beast until he got to the edge of the village.
Finally Astrid was close enough to see Hiccup's face clearly. He looked terrified but there was something else there; a desperation for something she couldn't name but it seemed to be something that might just keep him alive.
Picking up a large stick from the ground (possibly the broken handle of a mace, it was difficult to tell in the dark) she flung it at the dragon, hitting it in the middle of its forehead. Momentarily distracted from the skinny prey it had been chasing, it turned its giant head towards the creature that threw the stick.
Astrid would be the first person to admit that she didn't really have a solid plan. Her first thought had been to distract the Nightmare away from Hiccup but she didn't know what to do now that it's attention was on her. Up close the Nightmare was definitely living up to its name. Red scales were covered with some kind of sticky resin and its horns were almost as big as she was. She could hear a low growl, nestled in the dragon's throat and she was worried that at any moment that growl could turn into a roar of fire.
In the background, Astrid could also hear gasps. She hoped someone had seen and was coming to help but she knew any sudden movements and she'd be burnt to a crisp.
And then Hiccup was there, trying to do for her what she'd done for him, making noise and trying to distract the Nightmare and give her time. Astrid suddenly felt a great surge of affection for the boy.
The dragon couldn't seem to choose which of the teens he wanted to go after and that moment of indecision allowed them to get away. They were too far apart to go in the same direction; Hiccup hid behind a torch pole and Astrid ran back into the crowd that couldn't help but was watching the Nightmare with concerned and frustrated expressions.
Her father came to the front of the crowd, wrapping his arms around her tightly and whispering sentiments into her hair. Astrid was able to turn her head around enough to see the Nightmare going after Hiccup and she wanted to scream at the people around her to do something but she felt completely paralyzed.
The dragon was toying with him now, making Hiccup think it would attack from the left when it was really coming in from the right. Then when it was done and ready to move in for the kill strike, it opened its great mouth and released a stream of fire directly at the pole Hiccup was leaning against.
Astrid was terrified for her friend. She couldn't see him anymore and a part of her was bracing for the thought that she might never seen him again.
Then Stoick the Vast arrived, eager for vengeance on the beast that dared to go after his son.
The battle was over quickly, the Nightmare running out of strikes and Stoick's experience with beasts made it an easy fight. Astrid's relief felt like a physical thing when the dragon was being led away and Hiccup's head peeked out from behind the charred pole.
It was then that Stoick's anger turned on him.
"What were you doing out! You were supposed to stay in the forge!" Stoick was awful in his anger and Astrid felt a new sense of appreciation for her father who was still clutching her, grateful for her life. She thought Hiccup was brave for withstanding the yelling without cowering.
"I know dad, and I swear I would have stayed in the forge but the thing is, I hit a Night Fury!" Exasperated sighs ran through the crowd; this was not the first time Hiccup had made such a claim. "It isn't like the last few times, I had a clear shot and I just had to go for it. It landed somewhere near Raven's Point, we need to send out a search-"
"Enough!" Stoick was firm as he interrupted his son. He cast a glance at the gathered crowd before turning back to Hiccup. "I don't have time for this. Winter is almost here and I have an entire village to feed!"
"I think the village could do with a little less feeding, if you know what I mean." Well it was good to know Hiccup's warped sense of humour had survived the encounter. The rest of the villagers didn't seem to appreciate that as much as Astrid.
"Quiet, Hiccup. You're just lucky Astrid was there to help you." And with that the chief nodded to Gobber who came forward and dragged Hiccup away, in the direction of his house.
Astrid felt her Dad trying to lead her away too but she turned to him and said, "I'm fine Dad. Can I," she gestured towards the chief's son, "have a minute?" He nodded and leant forward to kiss her forehead.
"You've made me proud today, my little Valkyrie."
Her legs were beginning to feel the strain of the night and it took so much energy to catch up. She had never been more grateful for Gobber's lack of leg. Eventually she found them though, Hiccup being lectured on how to communicate with his father or something equally as personal that Astrid felt very awkward at overhearing.
"Hiccup!" she called and he turned around to face her. He looked awful; light burns and scratches almost as numerous as his freckles covered his skin. Not only that but he looked exhausted, like the wind was strong enough to knock him to the ground. Astrid understood because she felt exactly the same way.
There was something so completely vulnerable about him that she broke cover and grabbed him into a hug. He seemed so surprised by it that it took him a few moments to respond and wrap his arms around her. The whole thing barely lasted a minute but it was enough to say what it need to say. I'm glad you're alive. Thank you for saving me.
"If you ever do something so stupid again, you're going to wish I'd let that Monstrous Nightmare eat you." He blanched at the threat, which gave Astrid a little bit of an ego boost.
"I really did hit a Night Fury, Astrid. I used a weapon I made myself and I saw it go down. You have to believe me." He looked so genuine and she wanted to believe him but Night Furies were the single most deadly species of dragons that the Hooligans knew about and Hiccup was the least Viking-like person she knew.
How could he down a Night Fury?
She didn't know what to say. Astrid was, by nature, a very blunt person who had no problem telling the truth but she didn't want to hurt Hiccup. She settled for saying, "I don't know what to believe. I'm just happy we're both ok."
Hiccup didn't seem too thrilled by her answer but he accepted it before turning away and heading back to Gobber who had watched the whole exchange eagerly which caused a slight heat to come to Astrid's cheeks.
She knew Hiccup wasn't going to let the whole Night Fury thing go and she was worried about the next time it got him into trouble. As Astrid walked back to where her father was waiting, she hoped she'd be there to help him when that next time happened.
This is the first chapter of my new multi-chap fic. I've been wanting to explore this AU for a while and I have some really great scenes mapped out. I'm aiming for each chapter to be around 2500-3000 words but I'll see how I go. I'm also planning to update weekly so watch out for a new chapter next Sunday.
The title of the fic is from the song 'Boy' by Birds of Tokyo which is awesome and the title of the chapter is from 'Eden' by Sara Bareilles.
Please let me know what you think.