Heyyyyyyyyyyyyy! Whoop Whoop! Sequel time!:) I'm so excited for this story. I know the tittle sounds quite daunting but this first chapter is quite relaxed and cheery… well except for the end bit. And I suppose the start is kind of 'non cheery' as well. The middle bit is cheery though. There will be some Hicstrid fluff in this story as well: sorry if it's not that good- I'm so bad at romance. I imagined Hiccup at around 17 years old in this fanfic and in the first one he was around 16. This story is set about 6 months from the first one. Lots of time for Dagur to create the ultimate plan 'evil laugh'. Anyway, enough of my usual ramble….
Chapter 1- Breathless
I shot up drenched in sweat.
My breathing coming in short gasps. I swung my head round multiple times; Dagur's shadow haunting me from every corner. Looking across the room I saw Toothless' eyes locked on me; concern embedded in his emerald orbs.
"Nothing bud- I'm ok. Go back to sleep." My voice sounds eerie in the silence of night. It has been like this since he left that hall six months ago. It wasn't unusual for me to wake up from nightmares. Dagur's like a constant weight pushing down on my head, my heart. Dagur's voice haunting me from the moment he left. His words: Good luck Hiccup. I shivered at the memory. What did he mean 'good luck'? I couldn't seem to shake the feeling he hadn't meant good luck with saving Astrid. No, his words went deeper. Deeper into his wicked plans.
I lie back on my pillow and try to let sleep indulge me but it's no use. Toothless falls back into his hidden slumber while I toss and turn and eventually, when I can see the first signs of dawn appearing, give up on going to sleep. I make my way, as silently as I person with a peg leg can, down the stairs and out the house.
The cool morning air of autumn brushes across my face and I sigh. Toothless will be angry when he realises I'm not there to greet him when he wakes up for his morning flight but I'm not bothered. I have higher priorities on my list.
The terrible terrors have started to screech their morning 'song' when I reached her house at the far end of the village. She has always been an early riser and so has the rest of her family so I knew she'd be awake when I knocked on the door.
And sure enough the door opened to non-other than Astrid Hofferson herself.
"Hey," I said.
"Hey," she replied. "I hope you're not here to apologise because you broke my axe again like last time when I gave it to you to fix."
I can feel my face burning red in the cool air. She raises her eyebrows. "No. I haven't broken it," I pause for a moment. "And I only broke it last time because you were staring at me from across the room and I, er."
Her eyebrows only increase their journey to the top of her head. "Because I, was, erm, distracted. I, er can't work under pressure, of erm eyes."
"Took your time," She says bossily or wait, is that a slight smile tugging at the corners of her lips? "Or was it just because I looked so 'hot' as I overheard you saying to Gobber, that you couldn't take your eyes of me?"
I can feel my face heating up even further. "Er… Of course not. I mean, why would I say that?" I find my hands being instantly drawn to the back of my neck and I scratch, looking down at the floor; trying to conceal my boiling with embarrassment face…
It was only a week ago on the first Saturday of September. At the end of every season we Vikings have a seasonal dance; a kind of celebration to mark the end of each season. It was evening and the square was slowly filling up. I had dressed myself all up in smart trousers and a clean shirt trying to look as smart as possible for my dad, and of course, Astrid.
I was just trying to fix Astrid's axe that she had left for me earlier in the day. Stormfly, her Deadly Nadder, had accidently while in training set fire to the axe, causing it to heat up, and then when Astrid threw the axe it bended- therefore my job was to straighten it out. I had wanted to fix it quickly so it would be ready when she got to the village square for the dance. I had it straightened and was just sharpening her axe. Only then she walked in leaving me utterly breathless. Well more like helpless.
Her hair was pulled back in a loose braided bun. Wisps of golden hair hung around her glowing cheeks. I couldn't take my eyes of her. She was wearing a sapphire dress which in no way at all hid her stunning curves. Sequins shone from the dress and highlighted her crystal eyes. Her lips blushed a rosy beauty.
Then the axe slipped.
"Ahh!" I slipped with the axe and crashed into the ground. But it wasn't just the ground I hit. It was the machine we used for sharpening tools and er, I had gone and put so much pressure on the axe as I fell that it had split in two. Opps! And another one bites the dust! Well that night really did work out for me. I tried to please Astrid, and she almost killed me. I won't go into details but after she'd had her rage and rant about the axe and left, I whispered to Gobber that 'Thor- she looked like the devil herself in that dress- she looked hot.' To be honest I didn't really process the thought of saying it- it just slipped out; like the axe slipped. I did not, under any circumstance, think that she'd overheard. Only now I know she had. My life just gets better and better.
I can feel her slender fingers cupping my chin as she pulls me back into reality. She's smiling. Then she steps closer. I mean she's really close. Close enough to feel her breath tickling my face. Why is she so close? Oh Thor. "Why wouldn't you." Her whisper sends delightful shivers speeding down my spine. I have grown during the past few months and am now a few inches taller than her- thank Thor. But she still has that effect on me. The effect that makes me want to scream and cry and laugh; all at the same time. The effect that makes me stop and stumble for a moment. The effect that makes me breathless.
I close the gap.
Her soft lips are tender and sweet on my own. She deepens the kiss and I smile into her lips. Oh Thor. I am kissing Astrid Hofferson on the lips! Like a proper kiss! I just broke her axe! This can't be right. Felling brave, my hand finds its own way to her head and I cradle it; her fingers cascading down the side of my face.
"HICCUP!"
I jump back startled, Astrid's paradise taste still lingering on my lips, to find my father marching across the square. This can't be good. He reaches us and towers over me. I guess growing a few inches doesn't really help in these situations. "1)," He starts, "Instead of running off to play kissing, deal with your dragon! He's been jumping around the house and causing all kinds of havoc to my stressed morning brain! Take him on a flight for Thors sake!" I look behind him to see Toothless stealing from a barrel of fish. Now, I don't think, is a good time to be telling him that Toothless' havoc has arrived in town.
"And two?" I ask.
"And 2) I know you're seventeen but that does NOT mean that you can wake up at the crack of dawn to go and kiss your girlfriend! You're setting a bad example and as the chiefs son I expect better of you! Now go and take Toothless for a flight before he does my head in!" He turns on his heel and storms of.
He. Just. Called. Astrid. My. Girlfriend.
"Well that went down like a treat!" I say trying to cover up his words, my eyes still glued to my father's retreating form.
"It sure did." Astrid answers, smirking slightly. "I guess you better go get Toothless before he eats the whole of Berks fish supply."
"You're right about that. I'll see you later." Holding on to my lucky string I peck Astrid on the cheek before racing off to get Toothless; my spirits soaring high.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Free. That is the only word to describe being up here. In the sky flying through the clouds that's swirl around you. You feel invincible. Flying never fails to take my breath away. I lay back; the clouds floating past; the suns reflections painting them different colours: Scarlet read, amber orange, buttercup yellow, emerald greens, a sapphire blue, a dusky indigo and a violet petal.
Toothless' warble brings me back into reality. "I know bud. We should get back soon." Toothless is like my clock. He always knows when it's time to get back and however much he hates ending a flight he always warns me when we've been out for too long. Mainly so I don't freeze to death up here. Even with leather gloves that go up to my elbows, my hands still get so cold I can barely move sometimes.
Sitting up I switch Toothless' tail and we swoop down out of the clouds and glide along the surface of the water. I smile as the cool spray refreshes my face. Then I regret flying so close to the water when it starts to freeze in icy droplets on my skin- I have to make a flight prof helmet at some point. Especially while flying at speeds like this.
The sun is already high in the sky when we land in the village square. Villagers are busy going about their business. I can't see Astrid anywhere. Oh well, I'll find her later. I see my father talking to Gobber across the square and start toward the blacksmiths store; my head full of ideas for a helmet. It will have to be water prof- that's for certain. And tight fitting- It can't fall off while I'm high in the sky.
"Where have you been Hiccup!" I hear Gobber shouting inches from my ear as I reach the door.
"Ahh! Do you have to be so loud?!" I yell back.
Gobber shrugs. "Well, where have you been? Your father's been looking for you all morning."
I raise my eyebrows at my dad who's standing just behind Gobber looking at me with a half angry half fed-up expression. "Really? Well it can't have been all morning because I distinctly remember him saying 'go and take Toothless for a flight before he does my head in.'"
"You know what I mean Hiccup. By flight I mean a few laps around the island to quieten your dragon down." He says.
"I guess our meanings of 'flight' are very different."
He sighs. "Yes they are." Then he smiles. "I got something to show you Hiccup."
"Er, you have?"
He beckons me further into Gobber's sea. I stand there for a moment and am just about to follow him when her voice, full of utter panic, storms into my ear.
"Hiccup!" I whip my head round and race back out the store. She's running toward me; tears coating her face; my drop of heaven.
I wrap my arms around her as she reaches me; with no thought to the fact that I'm hugging Astrid Hofferson; actually hugging her. "Shh, shh. What is it? Are you ok? Did someone hurt you?" Just the thought of someone touching Astrid makes my head boil up with rage and brings the memories swooping back to my present to haunt me again.
"It's Stormfly." She sobs into my chest.
"What happened, did she get hurt?"
Astrid shakes her head. She never cries- what could have happened to make her so traumatized? My fingers find their way to Astrid's soft golden braid. I turn my head round to see my father staring down at me with a quizzical look. I shake my head in bewilderment and turn back to Astrid, out the corner of my eye I see a few villagers eyeing each-other and looking at me and Astrid, some with mild concern others with worry. I try to ignore the audience.
I pull back from her- however much it pains me- and rest my hands on her shoulders. She lifts her tear stained face and her sapphire eyes entwine with my own.
"What happened?" I ask almost in a whisper.
Astrid sniffs and I brush the fresh tears from her face.
"I was just feeding Stormfly when-," She stops for a second.
"When?" I ask again, trying to keep my words gentle and not press her with my desire to know what had happened to make Astrid so distressed and what had happened to Stormfly.
"They came."
"Who came Astrid? Who were they?"
"Berserkers." She whispers.
Oh no! Berserkers! Yes my friends we are getting straight to the drama! And Dagur and evilness! Oh my god evilness is a word! A red squiggly line didn't come up! I actually never knew evilness was a word. Well you know what they say- you learn something new every day. Don't forget to review! Was the Hicstrid ok?
