A/N: HEY GUYS NEW STORY HAHAHAH
I just really wanted to flesh out an OC I designed earlier that was inspired by the School Of Dragons game. And I suppose this is my attempt at it!
Sidenote: In this story, the Hairy Hooligans gang are young adults. I picture Hiccup as being like the older Hiccup in the recent HTTYD2 trailers. So, keep that in mind as you're reading! These kids aren't kids anymore, they're adults and teachers!
I hope everyone enjoys it, and thanks for reading! :D
"You're making me go to dragon school?!"
"Not me, Locust; it's an order from Stoick. He's announced that from now on, all young Vikings are to be enrolled for the School Of Dragons at the age of thirteen. And you, my dear, are fifteen."
"All young Vikings? So it's compulsory now?!"
"I'm afraid it is, my pet."
"That's – that's not fair! You're making me do this – that's not fair! You're horrible!"
The girl's lip trembled; despite her clenched fists and furious brown eyes, it was clear to Nettle that her young daughter was afraid.
She sighed and held her arms out. Locust bowed her head and trudged into Nettle's embrace. Thin shoulders shook as the girl struggled to contain her emotions.
Nettle's heart ached. She loved the little terror with all her heart; despite the sullen exterior, she knew her daughter had a good heart, and so she bore the yelling and temper tantrums quietly. She didn't want to make it harder on her tough, angry little girl.
Her daughter put on the angry front because she was scared, and Nettle understood that.
Which made it all the more difficult to tell Locust that this had to happen. It wasn't her decision; it was the collective whole of the island, led by Stoick and his fledgling heir, that had deemed the new rule necessary.
She knew why it was needed; their new life alongside the dragons demanded it. If the Vikings and the dragons were to coexist peacefully, the two species had to learn to understand each other and bond with each other. The young of the dragons and the young of the humans had to grow together to ensure a relationship of caring and nurturing. To prevent... accidents.
To live together, the two species had to learn not to hurt each other, and Nettle understood that all too well.
Her fiery little girl, however, didn't comprehend it so well. She was still angry, too angry and afraid to see yet.
Which was probably why this was a good thing. Perhaps the school would allow Locust to let go of her anger, to move on. Perhaps she would finally grow and laugh again. Nettle longed to see her smile; Locust's pale freckled face was too forlorn these days.. Maybe this situation, difficult as it was, was exactly what Locust needed. A little tough love, so to speak.
It didn't mean it would be easy, though, and it pained Nettle that her daughter would have to go through some hardship before she could get better. She thought about some of the more difficult lessons, and her chest simply ached. She didn't want to make her daughter go through any of that. She wanted to hug her child to her chest and hold her and comfort her and make the sadness and anger go away. But that just couldn't happen. She had to let go. As much as it hurt, she knew it had to be done.
She stroked her daughter's shorn head, and gently tugged at the black braids either side of her ears. Locust didn't smile.
"It'll be alright," Nettle said, trying to hide the lump in her throat that threatened to crack her words. "The teachers.. they're good teachers, I heard. They can help you. And who knows, you might even have fun!"
Locust snorted. "Yeah, right," she muttered, chewing her lip. She sighed.
"Alright, I'll go," she said. "Since it's compulsory and all. But.. if I want to come back... you'll make them take me home, right?"
"Of course, child," Nettle said, planting a kiss on the girl's head. "I will. But... give it a month for me, will you? Even if you don't like it? One month is all I ask, if you still hate it then I'll bring you home. But do try to do one month for me? Please?"
Locust frowned. "That's such a long time," she mumbled.
"I know, I know," Nettle murmured. "I'm sorry. But.. with these things you've got to give it time. You may not like it immediately, it may take time before you like it. That's why I ask. So.. please?"
"Alright," Locust relented. "One month. But no longer than that!"
"Of course, my dear," Nettle said, smiling and kissing the top of her daughter's head again. "No longer than that."
She wouldn't force her child to stay any longer than what she had to. As much as she prayed to the gods – everyone, from Hlín for healing, to Vör for wisdom and even Magni for strength – that the school could help her unhappy child, she was desperately afraid that it would make things even worse. It was a fine balance between helping Locust, and further cementing her problems and making them even worse, and she feared that no prayers or offerings to any god or goddess would keep her daughter safe so she could heal.
For Locust was desperately afraid of dragons.
From the moment Locust awoke, she'd been churning with a deep dread. It saturated every fibre of her being, filling her with an absolute unwillingness to do anything that involved facing the inevitable of going to the School Of Dragons.
She'd actually woken up while it was still dark, before she was meant to. She'd opened her eyes and remembered what day it was; that before the sun reached the high point in the sky, she'd have left Berk.
She'd be on an island, far from her home, far from her mother and everything that was familiar to her. An island infested with dragons.
The very thought made her shudder. Dragons. Of all the creatures she'd have to deal with!
She'd rolled over and buried her head in her arms, dreading the moment her mother would approach her bed to wake her. Dreading taking the bags she'd reluctantly packed the day before; dreading walking down to the docks to board the boat; dreading the boat ride, the arrival at the island, the school, all of it.
"Locust, dearie! Time to wake up, pet, you don't want to be late."
Her mother's hand gently pressed against her shoulder. "Come on, child. It's nearly time to go."
The pair quietly ate a meal of bread and fish, Locust pulled on her boots and picked up one of her bags. Her mother picked up the other bags, and the two set off for the docks.
As they walked, Locust couldn't help but look at her mother every so often. It baffled her that this would be the last time she'd see her mother for a month. A whole month! Her mother had been an ever-constant presence in her whole life, and Locust could hardly imagine life without returning home to Nettle.
She'd miss her, everything about her. Nettle was your average beefy Viking woman, with strong shoulders and arms and a bosom that acted as a pillow whenever Nettle gathered you up in those tree-trunk-like arms of hers.
Yet despite her tough appearance, Nettle was as gentle as a lamb, with a soft voice and mild laughter and a tendency to tear up over the more romantic Norse legends. She braided her long blonde hair every morning, and her brown eyes crinkled when she smiled. She was the gentlest Viking Locust knew, and she knew she'd miss her terribly.
When they reached the docks, Locust found herself herded onto the boat by Gobber along with the other Viking children; she barely had a moment to farewell her mother. Nettle stood on the jetty, smiling and waving, but Locust could see the tears in her eyes.
The other children laughed and talked with one another, but Locust didn't bother trying to communicate with anyone. There was no use; the others had avoided her since her fear of dragons had become well-known. A look of dismay flashed in the eyes of anyone who saw she was on the boat, and she heard the whispers: "Locust's on the boat", "Thor Almighty, they got her on after all!", "Bet your week's supply of fish that Locust won't last a day!", "Does that mean we're gonna have her dragging us down the whole time? What a pain!".
She wanted to curl up into a ball, jump off the boat, but the boat was too tightly packed and she could barely move. She took a deep breath, looked down at her boots, and tried to ignore it.
A Viking who was scared of dragons. It was pitiful; a joke. No wonder the others were disappointed she'd made it, she couldn't blame them. That didn't stop the swell of fear growing in her stomach at the increasing dark looks and whispers, however.
Great; a whole month of dealing with dragons and an island of teenagers that wanted nothing to do with her. This was going to be fun.
The boat ride was agonising. It must have taken four hours; at least, that's how long it felt, standing on the boat and staring at her boots. But soon, cries of "land!" "I see the school!" reached Locust's ears, and even she was curious enough to lift her head to look.
The island was impressive. It loomed up over the boat, a great craggy hulk of rock. It seemed unbelievable that anything could live there, let alone a school be run on the island.
And then the boat floated through a hidden opening in the rocky surface, and it became clear – the rocky exterior was a wall.
Gasps and cries of wonderment filled the air as the boat made its way into a hidden beach, and came to a halt beside a small jetty. The children filed off the boat and onto the beach, and Gobber led them up a rickety set of wooden stairs built haphazardly up the side of the wall. The children reached the top of the stairs, and gathered on top of a stone platform. Wooden bridges connected the platform to the grassy top of the cliff, and beyond the grass great longhouses were visible – the school. Despite herself, Locust's heart fluttered at the sight. It was truly spectacular.
"Now if you'll all follow me to the Great Hall, your headmaster and first-year teacher Hiccup should be arriving soon," Gobber was calling above the excited voices of the students. He waved comically. "Hey! Follow me to the Great Hall, y'hear? Come on, you lot!"
The group had just reached the grassy area when excitement broke out among the children again.
"Dragon!" a skinny boy shrieked frantically. "Dragon, up there! There! I think it's Toothless!"
More children looked up to see the dragon, and whoops of delight filled the air. "Yes, it's Toothless! TOOTHLESS!"
As the group slowed to a halt while the children pointed and cried out and Gobber tried vainly to get them under control, Locust felt fear sinking cold and paralyzing into her belly. Dragon. Sweet Odin, they'd only been here five minutes and already dragons were everywhere.
Eventually, Toothless landed and the children erupted into cheering and excitement – Toothless and Hiccup, the legends of Berk, had arrived.
Locust looked up, and although her heart hammered at the sight of Toothless – gosh, it was a huge dragon – she was overcome by curiosity about the headmaster and local legend, the great Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III.
He was much smaller than she'd imagined. A bit weedy, even. He pulled off the metallic helmet, pushing stray brown strands of hair out of his face, and set it on the ground. Surely he was not much taller than Locust, and she was only fifteen. But he grinned confidently and waved out to the crowd of children, casually patting the great dragon beside him. Locust shuddered at the indifferent, fearless way Hiccup moved about the reptilian beast. Just the sight of the sharp talons and flicking tail was enough to root her to the ground in fear, yet Hiccup was entirely unafraid of the creature. She couldn't believe it.
"Hey, fellas!" he called out to the group. "Are you excited for your first day at Dragon School?"
More cheers and whoops erupted throughout the crowd, and Hiccup grinned. He held his hands up, and the group fell silent. Locust couldn't help but smile at Gobber staring aghast as Hiccup easily commanded the rabble of kids he'd earlier struggled to control.
"Alright, we got one latecomer over here..." Hiccup turned back to the dragon, and helped a figure about his size off the dragon. A sullen-faced boy with long blonde hair.
"How was your first ride on a dragon, buddy?" Hiccup asked.
The boy shrugged. "Not bad," he said, and Hiccup smiled.
Whispers poured forth. "How come he got to have a ride on Toothless?" "Aww, why does he get special treatment?" "No fair!"
"Alright, alright, settle down!" Hiccup called out. "Not his fault he was late. And you'll all get to go for a ride on a dragon by the end of your time here, don't you worry! Now how about we all head up to the Great Hall and we can get started on getting our eggs, hey?"
Excitement bubbled up again at the prospect of receiving eggs, kids whispering animatedly about what species they hoped to get and what their dragons would be like.
Locust despaired at the prospect of getting a dragon. What would she even do? How was she supposed to raise a dragon when she could barely stand to look at one?
Odin help me, I hope I don't get a Monstrous Nightmare. Anything but a Monstrous Nightmare. Maybe I'll get a Terrible Terror? They're not as scary. Much smaller. Plus then I won't have to worry about learning to ride or fly.
Someone bumped into her from behind. "Watch it," someone muttered roughly. Locust turned to glare, only to recognise the sullen boy who'd ridden with Hiccup.
He glared right back. He was tough-looking, but his long blonde hair pulled back into a braid spoiled the illusion of big-scary-Viking somewhat. She wondered why on earth he kept it so long, when he clearly wanted to look as intimidating as possible.
He shoved past her and disappeared into the crowd. Locust glared after him, annoyed. Why does everyone here have to be so rude?
The children all filed into the Great Hall and took seats at the long tables. Hiccup walked right up to the front of the hall, where a raised platform had been built, and stepped up to face them.
Locust peered around the other students, trying to get a good look. She wondered if Hiccup really did have only one foot. Did he have a peg leg like Gobber?
Finally, she caught a glimpse. He really did have just one foot! But his other foot wasn't replaced by a stump of wood; in its place was a sophisticated metal prosthetic, a cleverly designed piece of machinery.
Wow. He wasn't big or tough, but he was still pretty impressive.
Hiccup clapped his hands to settle the students, and cleared his throat.
"Alright!" he called out. "Now, in a minute we're gonna head to the Hatchery to grab ourselves some eggs. But first, I need to talk to you about what's gonna happen and how everything works around here.
"First off, once you get your eggs, you can take your stuff to the dorms. You'll all get your own rooms, where you can sleep and study and bond with your hatchlings. After you've settled in and placed your eggs in the designated incubators in each of your rooms, you start lessons. You'll all head down to the forest where Gobber will begin teaching you some of the basics of surviving in the wild – so, fishing, shelter-building, fire-building, so on and so forth.
"Once you've completed your first lessons, it's back to the Hall at sundown for dinner. Then back to your dorms to get some sleep.
"Side note; it'll take a few days for your eggs to hatch. In that time, you'll be expected to take good care of your eggs. That means no dropping them, no juggling, no leaving them out in the cold. Your eggs have to be either in the incubators or with you, so they can keep warm, and you need to be gentle with them so they don't crack.
"Once you see your egg beginning to hatch, take it straight back up to the Hatchery. We can supervise the hatching there and make sure you and your fledgling bond properly.
"Alright, now before we go the the Hatchery, I'm gonna come around and meet all of you individually. This is firstly so I can get to know each of you, and secondly so I can decide which species of dragon you get. Until you get called, feel free to stay here and talk! I'll be with you pretty soon.
"That's all from me for now, and of course, welcome to the School Of Dragons!"
The Hall erupted into cheering and applause; Hiccup smiled and stepped down bashfully from the platform. Locust watched him talk with Gobber and a blonde woman for a moment, before turning to glance at the people around her on the table.
She was surrounded by brawny Viking teenagers. She looked at each of their faces, but none of them made eye contact with her; they were careful to ignore her. She sighed and stared back down at the table.
Eventually, someone nudged at her shoulder. She looked up, hoping that perhaps the girl beside her with red braids wanted to say hello. Instead, she saw Gobber.
"Your turn, lassie!" he said cheerfully. "What was your name, then? Licker? Lilybutt?"
"Locust," she replied, standing up and following him to the front of the Hall. "Locust Olaffson."
"Olaffson," Gobber said. He turned to glance at her, the grin on his face gone. "Yer Spiker and Nettle's girl, then."
"Yeah," Locust mumbled.
He didn't say much after that. He directed her to a small doorway in the side of the building next to the platform, and followed her inside.
Inside, Hiccup was sitting at a small table. He looked up and smiled as she walked in.
Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, the legendary dragon trainer and first of the Vikings to control a dragon. Ever.
Her heart thumped with unexpected excitement; she'd never actually met the chief's son before. She'd seen him plenty of times around Berk; he was a constant presence. But he'd still remained at a distance, and Locust had never spoken to him before. To finally meet the legend in the flesh was a bit perplexing.
"Hey there," he said. "What's your name, bud?"
"Locust Olaffson," Locust said. Hiccup stood up to shake her hand. "Locust," Hiccup said. He glanced at Gobber, who shrugged.
"Alright, Locust, why don't you take a seat?" Hiccup sat down again, and Locust sat down opposite him.
"So, how did you feel about coming to Dragon School?" Hiccup said, a small smile on his face.
"I didn't really want to come," Locust admitted. She stared at the table. "I think you should know, I don't like dragons."
"No? Ahh.. well then. Hopefully some time here will help you warm up to them."
"I don't know. Hey, do I really need to get a dragon? I don't think I'll be here more than a month."
Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "Only a month, eh? Hmm. Well, it's policy that every new student gets a dragon, including you, I'm afraid. If you really feel you can't stay more than a month, we'll keep your dragon here and you can go home. It won't be good for the dragon, of course, but I'm sure we'll figure it out. That said, though, I don't think it will come to that."
"How can you be so sure I won't leave?"
"I can't be sure." Hiccup smiled. "But I can hope."
He cleared his throat and pulled out a notebook. "Alright, onto the questions!"
The questions seemed to be a personality test of sorts. It seemed odd to Locust that Hiccup would try to get to know his students this way, but she answered them as best she could anyway. When they were done, Hiccup closed his notebook with a snap.
"Alright! That wasn't too bad, was it? Now. Do you have any preferences for dragon species?"
Locust chewed her lip. "Um. A Terrible Terror, maybe."
"Terrible Terror? They're too small to ride, you won't be able to fly."
"That's okay. I just don't want something too big. And definitely not a Monstrous Nightmare."
Hiccup nodded, scribbling into his notebook as she talked. "Alright, no Monstrous Nightmares, got it. Oh, and how are you getting on with the other students?"
"I'm not."
"Excuse me?"
"I mean, I'm not getting on with them. I haven't really talked to anyone." She shrugged. "It's not easy making friends at a dragon school when you're the only Viking who's afraid of dragons. But that's okay. As long as nobody makes a big deal out of it, I think I'll be fine."
Hiccup frowned slightly, but slowly nodded. "Kind of a loner, huh?" he said.
Locust nodded. "Yeah.. I don't know. Just don't really get along with the others that well. Not too much in common."
"Hey, being different isn't a bad thing," Gobber piped up. "Me and Hic have been friends for years, and we're totally different! Besides, he was the most pathetic little fishbone you'd ever seen when he was yer age, and he turned out alright!"
"Yeah, um. Thank you, Gobber," Hiccup mumbled, looking sheepish. "Anyway. So I guess I'll be seeing you at the Hatchery, then, Locust!"
"I guess," Locust said. "Um.. thanks for the talk. Also, it's nice to meet you."
"It's great to meet you too," Hiccup said with a grin. "I'll be looking forward to teaching you, I think you'll do well."
Locust snorted – how could she do well in a school meant for learning about dragons? – but tried to smile anyway. "I'll see you at the Hatchery."
"See you then, Locust!"
Hiccup waved as Locust made her way back to her seat. She watched the group of kids around her empty seat laughing and chatting, and tried to ignore how their enthusiasm dimmed as she sat back down.
Someone tapped her elbow; she turned, and this time it was the girl with the red braids. The girl grinned a mouthful of crooked white teeth at her.
"You're Locust, aren't you? The kid who's scared of dragons?"
"Yeah," Locust said.
The students around them were no longer ignoring Locust now; they stared intently at her. Locust felt nervous.
"How come you're coming to dragon school then?" the redhead asked.
"Because it's compulsory," Locust said. "Everyone has to go."
"Even though you don't like dragons?"
"Yeah."
"Huh, tough luck. Do you think you'll start to like dragons?"
"No."
"Really? Not any dragons?" The girl stared wide-eyed at her.
"Not even a Gronckle?" a small boy piped up. "They're really friendly!"
"Nope," Locust said, shuddering at the thought of a Gronckle's warty skin.
"What about a Deadly Nadder?" a pretty blonde girl asked. "They're so beautiful!"
"Nuh-uh," Locust said, visualising the cruel spines.
They stared at her in confusion. They just didn't understand. They didn't see the cruel sharp teeth or wickedly razor-like talons, the slitted animal eyes. They didn't see any of that, they had no fear. How? How could they not be afraid?
Eventually, the questions slowed, and the others lost interest in her again, talking amongst themselves over which dragons they hoped to get. Since she didn't particularly want a dragon at all, Locust fell silent and dropped out of the conversation. She stared at the table again, waiting, stabs of fear lancing into her stomach at the prospect of having to get a dragon.
It was going to be a long month.
Finally, a horn sounded throughout the Hall. Locust looked to the platform, and saw Gobber blowing into a horn. Hiccup was standing on the platform, smiling.
"Alright, gang!" he called out to the students. "Time to head to the Hatchery!"
Chaos erupted as at least fifty students scrambled out of their seats. Everyone wanted to be first in line to get their egg. Locust, alarmed by the fray, found herself right at the back of the group as the students rushed off to the Hatchery, and so she found herself nearly last in line. She saw she was behind the blonde boy who'd bumped into her earlier.
Funny, she thought. I'd have thought he'd be able to muscle his way to the front easily.
The line moved painfully slowly, the pangs of fear growing steadily stronger as Locust moved forward in the line. She passed through the threshold of the Hatchery, through the cavernous entrance, and was alarmed at the cave inside filled with pools of molten lava and dragons. The blonde woman who'd been talking to Hiccup earlier was standing next to a Deadly Nadder, petting the creature. Other dragons lurked around the cave, watching the students pass with an almost jealous stare. It was as if the dragon trainers standing with them were the only things stopping the monsters from attacking the students to stop them taking their eggs. Locust shuddered.
Eventually, the boy in front of her reached the front of the line, which stopped in front of a large pool of lava filled with eggs. Hiccup standing beside it glanced at the boy, and used a shovel-like tool to scoop one of the eggs from the pool. He set it in front of the boy into a protective basket.
"Congratulations, Hopper!" Hiccup said, beaming proudly. "You've got a Night Fury, there. I'll be personally training you myself with the other Night Fury owners, so I'll be seeing you first thing tomorrow morning."
Cries and whispers of jealousy echoed throughout the cavern; Night Fury eggs were rare and highly coveted. Only a small number of students were selected to own a Night Fury hatchling and train with Hiccup himself.
The boy – Hopper – said nothing, kneeling down to pick up the basket. As he walked away, Locust saw that he was smiling.
"And now for your new friend, Locust!" Hiccup said with a grin, turning to pick up another egg. "I hope you'll like it; I picked this egg out especially for you."
The cavern fell completely silent, and Locust was hotly aware of all the eyes trained on her. What dragon would Hiccup pick for the girl afraid of dragons? What could he pick?
Please be a Terrible Terror, Odin almighty, please let it be a Terrible Terror, Locust prayed.
He scooped out the egg and placed it in the basket in front of Locust. She stared at the egg in her basket.
"Say hello to your new Night Fury, Locust," Hiccup said with a grin.
Locust couldn't believe it. A Night Fury? Like Toothless? Of all the dragons to give her – Night Furies were second-last on her list, just in front of Monstrous Nightmares. They even looked similar to Monstrous Nightmares, ugh. Why on earth made Hiccup think that giving her a Night Fury was a good idea? Was he out of his mind?
Everyone else was obviously thinking the same thing. Locust could actually hear cries of outrage; one boy holding a Gronkle egg yelled out, "Why'd you give her a Night Fury?!"
Locust picked up her basket, holding the egg at arm's length. Great. Not only was she saddled with a Night Fury that she didn't want, but the entire school already appeared to hate her for it. The girl who didn't even like dragons got the most prized dragon of all. She shot a glare at Hiccup, who simply smiled and called out "Outside the Great Hall first thing tomorrow morning, Locust! Don't be late!", and ran out of the hatchery.
She plonked down on the grass, dumping the egg beside her, struggling to process what had just happened. Her vision was beginning to blur with tears, to her horror. No. She couldn't cry.
She glared at the egg beside her. Dumb egg. Dumb dragons. Dumb dragon school. Why in all Hel were they making her go through this?
It was a large egg, probably big enough to fit in her mother's helmet. Completely black, and smooth – most of the dragon eggs had a rough, rocky texture, but Night Fury eggs were more like obsidian.
She hesitantly reached out to touch the egg. Her finger brushed the glass-like surface, and she quickly drew her hand back – the egg was hot.
Not too hot, though. She reached out again.
The egg wasn't too hot to hurt her hand. She didn't know if it was still hot from the lava pool, or emanating its own heat. She shuddered and pulled away again.
She looked back at the Hatchery; people were leaving now, carrying their eggs to the dorms. She sighed.
"I suppose I better get you to the incubator, then," she muttered. Ha. She was talking to an egg now.
She picked up the basket and followed the other students to the dorms. This time, they weren't just ignoring her – they were actively glaring at her, staring at the girl who'd gotten the egg she didn't deserve.
Thank Odin we have our own dorms. I don't think I could handle being glared at the whole time.
As she walked, she saw a head of blonde hair, a figure approaching. Oh Odin, she hoped it wasn't some student coming to yell at her about the Night Fury egg.
However, as the figure drew closer, Locust recognised the blonde woman who'd been with the Deadly Nadder running over to her. What? Who was she?
The woman smiled as she got closer. "Hey, Locust – that's your name, isn't it?" she said.
Locust nodded. "Yeah, um. Hi," she said.
The woman beamed and thumped a hand on Locust's shoulder in greeting. "Hi! I'm Astrid, I'm one of the dragon trainers. I train the Nadder owners, but I've had experience with Night Furies too. Well done on getting a Night Fury, by the way! I think you're gonna really owning one."
"What makes you so sure?" Locust demanded.
Astrid shrugged, still smiling. "Hey, let's go for a walk," she said.
"I have class soon, though."
"I don't think Gobber will mind too much if he knows you're with me." Astrid gripped Locust's shoulder firmly, directing her away from the collection of glaring students. They were heading into the wilderness part of the island.
"Alright, now we're out of earshot," Astrid said. "We can talk properly here."
She looked at Locust; her smile was gone, replaced by a look of concern.
"Look, I know you're scared and don't want to be here," she said.
"I don't think that's exactly news to anybody," Locust said.
"Still," Astrid said. "I know how you feel. I used to be scared of dragons too."
"Scared?" Locust snorted. Astrid had been so comfortable with the massive Deadly Nadder. No way had she been afraid.
"Very scared," Astrid continued. "Most of the dragon trainers were! While we were growing up, dragons were still considered an enemy, you know. We were taught to kill dragons, not befriend them."
"I know, I know. I heard the legends like everyone else."
"I'm sure you did. But you don't understand. You have to understand, we genuinely feared and hated them. We thought killing them was the right thing to do."
Astrid's eyes were pleading. "I was terrified of dragons!" she said emphatically. "The first time I rode a dragon, I just about soiled myself. You can ask Hiccup, he was there. I was so scared, I couldn't believe dragons could be anything but evil destructive creatures. Do you understand? I know exactly how you feel."
Locust stared at her. "You don't," she snapped. "Are you kidding? You have no idea!"
Astrid sighed. She looked back at Locust, mouth twisted in an expression of frustration.
"I know what happened. I've lost family to dragons too, you know," she said. "Maybe not quite as many.. and I wasn't there when it happened. But... life was tough before the dragons. It was kill or get killed, you know? And we regularly lost people. Some people won't ever forgive the dragons. But me... I forgot all of that when I bonded with my dragon. Stormfly."
Her eyes softened. "I can't imagine life without her, now," she continued. "She's my best friend. It breaks my heart to remember I used to hunt down her kind... dragons who looked just like her. And now I couldn't live without her. She changed me, helped me get over my fear of dragons for good. And you know, I think that can happen for you too. I think your dragon can help you. It just takes time, and a little patience. You might have to try to be more open-minded. But you can do it. I mean, I did, and Vikings don't come much more stubborn than me!"
She smiled again, rubbing Locust's shoulder reassuringly. "It'll get easier, I promise," she said. "Just... give your dragon a chance, okay? I know you're not too hot on Night Furies, but I think once you bond with it, you'll really love your dragon."
Locust sighed. "Alright," she mumbled. "I'll... I'll try."
Astrid beamed. "That's the spirit I wanna see!" she said. "Now, let's get your egg back to the dorm so you can pop it in an incubator, alright?"
As they walked back to the dorms, Locust tried to gather her thoughts. She'd been surprised by Astrid, and her simultaneously brash-yet-caring character. She wasn't sure what to make of it, but she had noticed that when Astrid had rubbed her shoulder and talked about her dragon, she'd reminded Locust very strongly of Nettle. Astrid was smaller and younger and louder, but the soft-eyed expression she'd worn when talking about Stormfly.. it had reminded Locust of her mother so much.
It made her feel even more homesick, but it also made her like Astrid more.
It was a shame she hadn't got a Deadly Nadder then, really. She'd have liked to have Astrid as a trainer.
"Don't worry about going to Gobber's class, he can catch you up tomorrow," she said as they reached the dorms. "It's mostly just all talking anyway, you won't miss much. Just get yourself settled in, alright? And we'll see you at dinner in the Great Hall! Sundown, remember."
She helped Locust carry her bags into her room – a bare space with a simple bed and desk, a trunk for clothes and belongings, and a lantern for nighttime studying.
"There's a creek at the back of the building for your weekly bathing," Astrid explained. "Here, the girls wash on Thor's days and the boys wash on Tyr's days. As it gets colder, we have a bath-house for you to wash in, so you won't freeze to death in the winter."
She opened a door in the wall to reveal what looked like a small fireplace set into the wall. A slab of metal separated it into two parts – in the top section, a metal basin was welded to the slab. Below, a fire had been stoked. Astrid pointed out an opening in the top section that was the chimney – the opening tunnelled up into the roof to release the smoke.
"This is the incubator, where you keep your egg until it hatches," she explained, placing Locust's egg into the basin and shutting the door. "It doesn't need to be too hot, just keep the wood smouldering so the egg can stay warm. It's paramount that the fire doesn't go out while your dragon is still an egg! Once the egg hatches, it'll make a nifty little fireplace when winter sets in, and you can train your dragon to light the fire for you."
Astrid smiled and stood back. "Alright! Now I'd better get going, I have some errands to run. You just get yourself settled in, alright? And remember, if you need any help or even just someone to talk to, I'm always around. Now you take care, Locust!"
Locust waved as the woman marched cheerfully out the door, watching her disappear over the grassy hilltop. Well, at least she'd found someone nice in this place.
She walked back into her new room, letting the door close behind her. She cracked open the incubator door, staring miserably at her egg.
That egg's got a tiny baby monster in it, and soon it's gonna hatch and make my life hell, she thought. She sighed and closed the incubator door. How do they expect me to raise a dragon when I can barely stand the egg?
She tried to take her mind off it by unpacking – she pulled out the quilt her mother had made her and laid it out over the bed. It still smelled like home. She put away her few clothes, set her belongings about the room, and laid out the new notebook and charcoals her mother had bought her after they'd found out she'd have to go to the school. There was also a heavy leatherbound book on the desk, labelled "Dragon Journal". Locust flipped through it and found that it was filled with notes and information on dragons, as well as survival tips and notes about how a young Viking adventurer could blaze their own path beyond Berk, alongside their dragon.
She sighed and sat down at the desk. If she was to be stuck here for a month, she may as well brush up on the reading material. She was destined to do badly with the dragons, and she wasn't sure her small frame would help her with other physical class tasks, so maybe she would do better with theory work. Assuming she could concentrate on even the first chapter, which was "Bonding With Your Dragon".
Bonding. With a dragon. Locust could have laughed, but she felt too miserable. The fire in the incubator crackled loudly, making her jump; she quickly checked the egg, terrified it was already hatching, but the smooth glassy surface was unmarked.
She flopped back onto the bed and sighed. It was going to be a very long month.