Author's Note: I always wondered how each of the dragon riders bonded with their individual dragon. And it's no secret that I ship Hiccstrid like my name is FedEx. So, I decided to take matters into my own hands. Should I have been working on my lesson planning? Yes. Was this more fun? Also, yes.
Once again, a large shout-out to the illustrious Faye M.A. for editing this one-shot!
Disclaimer: I do not own How to Train Your Dragon – I suppose if I did, I wouldn't be stuck figuring out how to pay for graduate school.
Wishes and Nadder Scales
A How to Train Your Dragon Fanfiction by Riley Pickett
The thick smoke threatened to consume everything. She feared that it actually had; the dense cloud had swallowed up both rider and dragon together, and, from her vantage point, she couldn't see either of them. Astrid's eyes stung as she blinked. As the dust settled, she began to make out two darkly silhouetted shapes on the horizon - one of a large black reptile, the other of a strong, burly man brought to his knees.
The throng pushed forward, encroaching on chief and beast. Astrid felt her heart rate increase. No one dared speak, for fear that they would bring the awful truth to fruition. Astrid impatiently shoved herself past Spitelout and Gobber, bursting through the crush of Vikings to the front of the crowd. Her eyes widened. Hiccup was nowhere to be found. A gasp escaped from her lips.
Her eyes darted to Toothless, breathing heavily and lying on his side. The large dragon had his wings folded against himself, eyes closed and head tucked to shut out the invading world. A twisted, convoluted series of metal rods ran their way parallel down his tail. The saddle that Hiccup had so carefully crafted was now ripped and shredded pieces of leather. Astrid felt her heart beating against her ribcage, the pounding increasing in intensity.
He's gone… he's gone… he's gone… he's gone…
With each breath that scraped into her lungs, she realized the absurdity of the situation. Hiccup was never quite hers to begin with. There was no reason she should feel this way. No reason that she should feel so utterly and completely betrayed by a cruel twist of fate - like the gods had stolen something from between her fingertips. She blinked again, the burning sensation continuing to build behind her eyes. She swallowed hard, shutting out the emotions rolling in her very being like the waves on the undulating sea. Vikings did not cry; warriors did not show any emotion.
He's gone. He's gone, and there's nothing I can do about it.
Toothless' eyes opened, and Astrid marveled as he and Stoick considered each other for a very long moment. The silence roared around them for what seemed like a temporary eternity. Finally, Toothless opened his expansive wings. Astrid gasped as she caught a glimpse of a pale, limp form safely clutched in the protective arms of his dragon. Stoick took his son's body in his arms and pressed his ear to his chest.
"He's alive! You brought him back alive!"
The energy in the crowd changed dramatically. A sound of pure joy rang throughout the air. Astrid felt as though she could burst. Ruffnut enthusiastically punched her in the arm, a gesture of genuine happiness.
"We did it!" Ruffnut exclaimed, punching her again.
Gobber had knelt beside Stoick, who was overcome with joy for his son's safe return. Astrid moved forward, hoping to be there when Hiccup opened his eyes. For what reason, she wasn't quite sure. Her happiness shattered in an instant when Gobber broke the rejoicing among the group.
"Well, most of him," Gobber began, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. Stoick's smile clouded, his eyes searching Hiccup's body. Astrid felt the pit of her stomach clench.
"Get the healer," Stoick ordered in a measured tone. Astrid walked forward on stiff legs, eyes wide. Gobber gently patted her shoulder as he walked past.
"You might not want to be seeing this, lass," he cautioned, never slowing his pace.
Astrid felt as though she had been held under water too long as everything within her ached. Her mind raced as she took in the sight of Hiccup's mangled leg, ending in a charred and burned stump just above the ankle. Ripped and torn fabric was bloodied and stained, the extreme edges of his pant leg burned black from fire. The stench of dead flesh assaulted her. She stumbled forward, the gravel and stones of the earth digging into her palms and knees as she pitched toward the ground. Scrambling, she pulled herself ever closer to Stoick's side. She blanched when she saw the shattered white bone where Hiccup's foot should have been.
In one swift movement, Astrid removed the leather cord at the end of her braid, allowing her hair to loosen. She looped the cord around Hiccup's leg, pulling it as tightly as possible. She grunted as she tried to tighten the cord before tying it off.
"Astrid," Stoick's voice began in a soothing tone, like a parent to an injured child.
"He's already lost a lot of blood," Astrid didn't take her eyes away from her friend's injury. "We have to work quickly to save his leg."
"Astrid," Stoick started again.
"No!" Astrid yelled, attempting and failing to pull the cord ever tighter. Tears began to blur her focus. She became aware of a larger pair of hands engulfing her own, tying off the cord.
"Astrid, this needs to be done," Stoick explained, pulling Astrid's hands away from the makeshift tourniquet. "If you want to help Hiccup, you need to do exactly what you're told. Understand?"
Astrid felt herself nod once, solemnly. Stoick picked up his son in his large arms and carried him away. Spitelout had already been spreading out furs on a more stable, sheltered ground. The three burly men gathered around Hiccup's unmoving body, met by a stern-faced healer. Their larger figures hovered intimidatingly over the much smaller, vulnerable frame. Astrid felt paralyzed, frozen to the ground. Her breath caught in her throat when the glint of an axe blade came into view.
Astrid pressed her hands against her face, hiding from the horrifying image. A soft warble interrupted her thoughts. She lifted her gaze to see that she had pressed herself against Toothless' side. The dragon was still breathing heavily and searched the young woman with bright eyes. Fishlegs carefully crept beside Astrid and spoke quietly.
"Astrid, he's hurt too," Fishlegs began. Astrid nodded, her hand gently resting against the Night Fury's heaving side.
"We should do something for these cuts and burns," Fishlegs muttered. Astrid thought carefully, her mind turning and spinning incessantly.
"Do you think the normal salves would help him?" Her usually strong voice cracked and wavered.
"I don't know," Fishlegs admitted. "No one's really ever been concerned with keeping a dragon alive before…" His voice trailed off. He produced a small leather satchel and opened the top flap, setting it down on the ground. His gentle hands lifted out a small wooden container, engraved with tiny flowers. He set the lid next to the satchel and offered the container to Astrid. She reached in delicately, taking some of the salve to begin applying it to Toothless' injuries. The dragon exhaled sharply as her fingertips made contact with his scales.
"Sorry," Astrid breathed. "It's for the best." The Night Fury seemed to understand and rested his head back on the ground, closing his large eyes. The two Viking teens worked in tandem, gently and carefully applying the medicine to the creature's burns and lacerations. It was almost eerily peaceful for a few moments.
Hiccup screamed.
Astrid shot to her feet, ready to fly into action, the gods-forsaken sound of Helheim itself ringing in her ears. Fishlegs' burly arms ensnared her, pulling her back violently. Astrid clawed and scratched at his them, trying in vain to free herself.
"Let go of me!" she howled, still thrashing violently against Fishlegs' grip.
"Astrid, stop!" he pleaded.
"They're hurting him!" She finally realized no amount of struggling would free her from the larger boy, and she collapsed against his chest, sobbing.
Another inhuman scream ripped through the air. Astrid feverishly prayed to every god she could think of that somehow, Hiccup would be too delirious to remember the pain. From the corner of her eye, Astrid caught sight of Toothless now suddenly on his feet, snarling menacingly. Fishlegs' grip released her arms as he turned quickly.
"No, no, it's okay!" Fishlegs' voice trembled as he waved his arms in a failed attempt to calm the Night Fury. Resolutely, Astrid stepped forward, her palm extended towards the dragon's face, just as Hiccup had done to the other dragons mere hours earlier. Her gaze held the creature's as she breathed deeply.
"Toothless," she murmured. "You did your best to save him."
The Night Fury stared daggers into the young woman. Slowly, the dragon's muscles relaxed. Astrid released the breath she had been holding deep in her lungs. She took another hesitant step forward, hand continually outstretched.
"It's all right, Toothless," she whispered. "I know you'd never let them hurt him." She glanced furtively over her shoulder, looking at two large bodies holding down Hiccup's small one. Gobber looked sadly to Stoick, grim features writ with weariness. The axe in his hand dripped blood onto the Earth below. Astrid's head began to spin.
At that precise moment, the cool feeling of a dragon's snout pressed itself into her open hand. She looked towards Toothless, human and dragon locking eyes. Astrid felt a fresh wave of sadness ensconce her. Time seemed to slow. She reached up her other hand, gently stroking underneath the dragon's chin.
"Mount the dragons; we leave for Berk!" Stoick's voice shattered Astrid's reverie. She bounded forward, closing the distance between herself and her chief quickly. Toothless followed her closely, warbling unappreciatively.
"The dragons?" Astrid questioned, eyebrows knitting closer together.
Stoick turned and surveyed her with a solemn glance. "The boats won't make it in time," he stated, pushing his way through the crowd of people. His eyes locked on a particular dragon.
"Dragons are our best shot, Astrid," Gobber supplied. "The, ah, most critical people will fly back to Berk. The rest will have to settle for sailing."
"What do you mean, most critical?" Astrid snapped. Gobber looked at her as if she'd begun to lose her mind. Certainly, someone would be flying back to Berk, burdened with the task of keeping Hiccup alive long enough to receive real treatment.
Stoick began aggressively waving his arms at the Monstrous Nightmare. The confused dragon opened its mouth wide, moving deftly away from the large man. Before she could help herself, Astrid called out. "Take the Nadder!"
Stoick and Gobber both stared at her incredulously.
"Take the Nadder," Astrid repeated. "It's bound to be quicker. Nadders are known for their speed and agility." She motioned towards the large Deadly Nadder, who had begun encroaching on the smaller human girl. Astrid looked towards the dragon and extended an arm upward. Almost instantly, the reptile lowered its head, resting against Astrid's forearm.
It took less than a minute before the dragon was crouched to the ground, yielding itself to its precious cargo. Cradled gently in the chief's arms was Hiccup's broken and battered body. Astrid glanced over, feeling relief flood through her veins when she saw the gentle rising and falling of his chest. As soon as Stoick had climbed on the dragon's back, the Nadder stood fully, allowing its wings to unfurl completely. Then, the dragon took flight, speeding towards Berk.
As Astrid climbed aboard the Gronckle, clutching Fishlegs' shoulders, she took sight of the Nadder flying further away, now a small speck on the horizon. She closed her eyes tightly and breathed a hopeful prayer.
"Bring him home, girl," Astrid breathed. "I'm counting on you."
It had been almost a full day since they had arrived back on Berk. It was simply amazing how life could change so much in such a short amount of time. Especially when the catalyst was a scrawny fifteen year old boy. Astrid walked through the village, eyes fixated on the worn dirt path beneath her boots. She looked up occasionally, registering whispers and sympathetic glances from men and women who were just too nosy for their own good.
She was riding with them, the dragon riders…
I heard she was riding with Stoick's boy…
It's an awful shame, isn't it?...
Hiccup has just begun to show some potential; what will happen if Stoick loses his only heir?
Astrid wanted to scream. The infuriation of it all crawled just beneath the surface of her skin, and she couldn't make it stop. Yet, she swallowed her pride and her aggression, quickening her steps out of the village and towards the woods. As she approached the chieftain's home, she slowed her pace to see if any noise could be heard coming from within.
"I understand, Gobber," Stoick's voice seemed tense. Astrid could only assume that the chief hadn't slept all night, keeping vigil while Hiccup fought for his life. The primary reason for concern now was whether or not infection would set in.
"His fever's climbing," Gobber stated. Astrid's limbs tightened and she set her jaw. A fever certainly meant infection. She wasn't the smartest when it came to healing, but she did know what blood poisoning was...
"If he keeps this up, he won't make it through the night," Gobber spoke again. Astrid's heart leapt in her throat. Her hands flew up to her mouth and her eyes grew wide with shock.
"You don't know that," Stoick countered. His usually resolute and strong voice trailed off into nothingness.
Astrid had heard enough. She ran as fast as she could, throwing caution to the wind. She didn't stop for anything, crashing through the woods, pushing past tree limbs, stumbling over rocks. Her legs burned and her cheeks stung as tears rained down her face. Finally, when it felt like she just couldn't take it anymore, she stopped, turned on her heel and threw her axe as hard as she could into the nearest tree.
She ran to retrieve the weapon; she yanked it from the thick pine with a grunt and ran back ten paces. Whirling, with a feral cry, she threw the axe harder this time. It lodged even further in the tree, splinters and shards flying into the air. She repeated the process several times, her aim growing shoddier with each throw. After a while, her arms ached. Her heart, even more so. She collapsed to the ground, pulling her legs tightly against her chest, continuing to weep.
She almost hadn't noticed the Deadly Nadder that had followed her into the woods. The large turquoise dragon watched her intently, studying her with its large yellow eyes. She sniffed, wiping her nose on her wrist. The dragon cocked its head to the side and squawked once.
"Go away," Astrid muttered. She turned herself to face away from the creature slightly, throwing a nearby rock. It clattered against a nearby tree and fell to the ground. While trying to ignore the sounds behind her, Astrid heard the dragon take a few steps towards her. Not sure what to make of the whole situation, Astrid clenched her legs ever tighter against her small frame, hoping to send a very disinterested message to the Nadder.
It squawked again. Astrid sighed, anger building in her chest.
"I said, go away," she repeated, louder this time. Absentmindedly, Astrid picked up a small, smooth stone, enjoying the cool feeling of the rock between her fingertips. She gave it a half-hearted toss, watching as the tiny object disappeared into the rippling green blades of the tall grass. A gentle breeze blew, but it contained the slightest edge of cold air. It ripped and gnawed at her bare arms, piercing its way into her chest. She shuddered involuntarily. The gloom only intensified as the deep gray sullen clouds rolled in and obscured the bright summer sunshine. She lost track of time, allowing the swaying motion of the treetops in the wind to dull her senses.
Suddenly, Astrid became keenly aware of the sensation of a gentle thump against her back. She leapt to her feet and gave a small yelp; her shock and frustration mixed deep within her stomach and churned in aggravated discordance. Her wide eyes narrowed as she considered the large animal who nodded towards her once, then lowered its snout to the ground.
Astrid let a violent cry rip from her throat and ring through the air. A few birds in some nearby trees instantly took to the skies to escape the commotion. Still, the Nadder remained unfazed.
"What do you want?!" Astrid shrieked, reaching down to pick up another stone. She threw it as hard as she possibly could, allowing it to hit a large tree trunk with a satisfyingly angry thunk. The wind intensified slightly around her, blowing stray strands of hair into her face. Hastily, Astrid shoved them away from her forehead back behind her ears.
"Just leave!" Astrid continued to yell, allowing the pent-up anger and fear to surge forth. "There's nothing you can do, there's nothing I can do, there's nothing anybody can do to make any of this any better!"
Another rock. Another tree. Another sickeningly satisfying crack as stone met wood.
"He promised! He promised me that it wouldn't go wrong! And look where that got us, that stupid son-of-a-half-troll – it all went wrong!"
She became keenly aware of bright yellow eyes now trained on her small, haggard form. She probably looked a fright – hair disheveled, dirt smudged on her face, tiny scrapes on her face and arms. She turned and faced the Nadder and stared into those unwavering, yet seemingly understanding eyes.
"He shouldn't have even been there in the first place! He was Hiccup the Screw-up – no one ever expected him to place first in dragon training… he didn't even want to kill a dragon in the first place! It should have been me! Gods, it should have been me!"
A crack of thunder rumbled through the threatening atmosphere as the first few raindrops begin to fall from heavily leaden skies. Astrid's throat felt like tongues of fire were licking their way up from her lungs from yelling. Her breath came in angry, ragged gasps, and her chest heaved with exhaustion. And there was still this obnoxiously constant Deadly Nadder confronting her in the woods.
"It should have been me…" Astrid repeated ever quieter. The memory of the battle with the Red Death burned in the foreground of her mind. She had been almost certain that she would die – escaping the Queen would have been nearly impossible. And everything had changed the moment a certain Night Fury had come streaking through the sky. And, of course, even after risking his own life and safety, Hiccup had called out to Toothless, 'Did you get her?'
Typical. His idiotic sense of selflessness.
The raindrops came slightly steadier now. Astrid felt her typically sturdy legs begin to wobble beneath her as she sank back down to the ground. She sniffled and wiped her nose unceremoniously with the back of her hand. Blinking fiercely, she tried to focus her ever-blurring vision.
The Nadder squawked a little quieter this time. Astrid looked over her shoulder to see the dragon approach her and crouch closer to the earth. Her breath caught in her throat as the dragon bowed its head and studied her. Someplace deep within her, Astrid could feel a sense of compassion, an inexplicable sense of companionship – though she couldn't exactly explain why.
Her breath caught in her throat as the dragon extended a wing over her head to keep the rain from falling on her. She looked at the Nadder and offered a weak smile.
"Thanks," she offered uncertainly, quietly. She cleared her throat and tried again. "Thanks, girl."
She looked out at the woods and motioned to the scene before the pair. "It's just a summer storm," she began. She wasn't sure if she was talking more for her benefit or the dragon's, but it was comforting to talk about something other than Hiccup and the battle. "They blow over quickly enough. I mean, some can get pretty bad… still, they always pass."
She looked back to the Nadder, who was still gazing at her carefully in an unbroken stare. Astrid sniffed and continued.
"We'll make it through this storm, too, I guess," she sighed. "We'll do it together." She reached a hand up and placed it against the bottom of the dragon's chin, allowing her palm to rest against the cool scales. Perhaps she was imagining things, but Astrid could swear she felt the Nadder relax into her touch.
"We'll be okay… won't we, Stormfly?" Astrid's voice trailed off to almost a whisper. Despite the rushing sound of the rain against the trees, Astrid could swear she could hear the dragon making a purr-like noise of contentment. For the first time in hours, Astrid felt a genuine smile tug at the edges of her lips. She gave a small scratch to the Nadder's chin. In a quick, flashing motion, a few small blueish-gray discs fluttered to the grass below. Carefully, Astrid reached down to retrieve one and held it close for inspection.
A dragon scale. She was actually holding a dragon scale. Her uncle had once told her that any Viking who found themselves in possession of a dragon scale could make a wish for anything their heart desired.
Astrid didn't know if she had outgrown silly children's tales or wishes, but she found herself pressing the scale close to her chest, squeezing her eyes tightly closed, and wishing beyond her wildest hopes for Hiccup's recovery.
She looked back to the dragon, continuing to turn the scale over in her hands again and again. The inner sense of understanding continued to work through her body, until it began to reach through her limbs like a healing balm. She took in a deep breath of the cool air, enjoying the scent of the rain and the protective sensation of her dragon's wing shielding her.
"Thank you, Stormfly," Astrid breathed. "This storm will pass soon enough."
So... what did you think? I had a lot of feelings to vent after a particularly rough day at school that also included a pre-teaching observation conference in which my lesson plan was almost completely re-written. Surprise! Although, that caused a lot of the ending of this story to be written, so I guess I can't complain. Leave me a review and let me know what you think! Thanks so much for the love! :-)