Okay - I'm recovering from the flu and I really wanted to get this update out today. It's taken me most of the day to get what I've got, working through a bit of delirium, so forgive the likely grammar mistakes.
So, onward!
X
Chapter 2
Many on Berk had taken a break from their daily activities to watch the dragon race in progress. Heads leaned out of windows and from beneath stall as the five dragons shook the air above the village. Stoick had ducked out of Gobber's blacksmith stall as Snotlout and Fishlegs fought over the targeted sheep, back and forth, until it was dropped, amid a air-blown wind of curses.
"Watch it!" Gobber called out as the sheep tumbled toward the village's heart, Vikings ducking out of it's way, several dragons racing heedlessly after it.
It was caught inches from the ground by Toothless, a speeding black blur, trailed closely by Stormfly. Blue and black streaked over the housetops, a surge of green followed behind, with the recovered Hookfang and Meatlug closing the distance.
It didn't take long for much of the village to rush to the racing stands to watch the remainder of the impromptu game. Stoick climbed the stairs to his chiefly throne as a lap was made, the sheep being thrown into Hiccup's basket.
Stoick half-laughed as the dragons vanished out of sight, in search of the next sheep, and leaned back in his chair. The crowd's cheers died down and rose again as the dragons came into view. The sound was deafening with each score.
"It's a close one!" Gobber said as he counted point. "Hiccup's leading with four, Astrid's right behind with three, and the twins, Snotlout, and Fishlegs all have one."
Stoick laughed, "Come on, Hiccup."
They all had claimed a victory since the races began. Hiccup and Astrid held the most, followed by Snotlout, the twins, and finally Fishlegs. Hiccup and Astrid traded the lead back and forth, it seemed with every race, in a heating competition that was as much fun to watch as it was to root for.
The dragons dashed back toward the goals, sheep clutched selfishly, thrown at high speed into Astrid's basket. The crowd threw arms into the air with their throat-sore cheers as the dragons darted back out of sight again.
"And Hiccup and Astrid are tied." Gobber said with a knowing nod toward Stoick.
"Hm," Stoick returned the nod. He leaned forward, ready with the rest of the crowd, for the coming thunder.
Vikings were on the edge of their seats, most standing, waiting. The competition that rivaled between Hiccup and Astrid was ripe with fire. As the dragons came around all eyes went to the blue and black blurs with held breaths. A flash of red took advantage of their mid-air argument and gripped the sheep. The cheers were not as vibrant, although still were furiously loud, as the sheep clattered into Snotlout's basket.
Gobber laughed. He was sure that Stoick saw the glare pass between Hiccup and Astrid. If not he didn't want to be the only to point it out to him. "Hiccup and Astrid are tied with four, Snotlout with two, and the twins and Fighlegs with one."
X
Hiccup tucked low as Toothless took a dive toward the sheep. It tried to dodge but the other sheep refused to let it hid. Toothless was within a leg's reach but Stormfly swooped and beat them to it. In a blur of blue and yellow the sheep was gone. Astrid's war cry sounded briefly as they curved around the lap pole and toward the score baskets. She was flying recklessly, going too fast around the turn, almost too tight for Stormfly, with Astrid handing low onto the saddle as to not be thrown off.
Hiccup didn't waste but a half-moment before he was racing off to close the gap between him and Stormfly. He knew why Astrid was playing dangerous today. She'd lost the previous race and she was determined not to lose twice in a row. She hated losing, especially at something she considered herself good at.
They came dangerously close to a rooftop, Stormfly's claws barely above the shingles, the sheep clutched under Astrid's arm. She didn't look at the riders chasing after her, her sheep, but kept her eyes on the prize. Hiccup joined with the others but as the nearest the baskets he had gained on Stormfly. He could take the sheep, score, and take the lead, but as he saw the moment come he let it go.
Astrid threw the sheep down and it landed in her basket with s soft thump. He caught her gaze as she glanced over her shoulder.
The race went on, lap after lap, sheep after sheep, and Hiccup and Astrid traded first place back and forth. Astrid was playing rough, a little dirty, and more than once had angled Stormfly so that the wind from her wings was thrust back onto the dragon trailing her.
"She really doesn't want to lose, Bud." Hiccup patted Toothless as Stormfly's wing wind had knocked their speed down. Toothless grumbled. He looked lack at Hiccup and reflected his desire to snatch up that win for themselves. He considered himself to be good at dragon racing, too.
Hiccup had five and Astrid had four when the black sheep was announced. Toothless had the advantage of space and speed and Hiccup easily grabbed it out of the air, swinging dangerously to the side to miss a desperate lung by Snotlout and Hookfang, and Hiccup clung tight to the saddle and the barrel rolled.
Stormfly and Astrid were quick on their tail. She closed the distance by cutting corners too sharply, angling almost vertically, her eyes narrowed in determination. They fought in the air, neck in neck, the other dragons fighting for the win, the mid-air dramatic act that the entire village held their breaths for.
The finish line was in sight as Fishlegs knocked into Toothless from the side and the sheep fell from his grip. Its eyes went wide as it realized nothing was holding it, keeping it from falling, and nothing was between it was the ocean sparking way below. Hiccup had time to fetch it back but he hesitated and Astrid snatched it.
He was close on her tail, along with Snotlout, Fishlegs, and the twins, as they swung over the finish line as the black sheep landed in Astrid's basket. The crowd dropped their held breaths and exploded into massive cheers as Astrid made a victory lap over the stands, waving to her many fans, soaking in the exalted win.
Hiccup made the final lap with the other riders to ease the leftover energy from the race. Astrid flew in to glide beside him, a less than happy look on her face, and not at all what he'd expected.
"Congratulations!" Hiccup said.
"Hiccup!"
"What?"
"You let me win!"
"I don't know what you're talking about." Hiccup shrugged. But Astrid's grimace did not diminish. He could feel her fiery temper searing down his back like claws on his shoulders.
"Hiccup, it's not a fair win if you let me have it." Astrid glared. "It's like you don't think I can win on my own."
"Of course I think you can win on your own, you do it all the time." Hiccup shrugged.
"Then why didn't you win when you could have?"
"I don't know what you're talking about, Astrid." Hiccup repeated, with a little more tone than he intended. "You won, fair and square."
"Stop it, Hiccup." Astrid said flatly.
"Stop what?"
"Doing that…protective thing. It's annoying. I can take care of myself." Astrid shook her head and urged Stormfly up and away from the others. She was in the air and gone before Hiccup would respond.
Hiccup watched her vanish to the other side of Berk.
X
Astrid took Stormfly to the western forest, her favorite cooling-down spot, and wasted no time in sinking her axe's sharpened blade into the nearest tree. She yanked it out and tossed it again, harder, the effort of her arm and shoulder pushing of a gusty exhale. The wood sliced and the bark cracked. Astrid wrenched the axe from the tree, savoring that splintering thud that followed, and sinking deep into another with a satisfying crunch.
She was tired of Hiccup babying her. He didn't used to. But ever since things got…more serious between them, he's been acting different. He's been overprotective and overbearing. It's smothering and annoying. One of the things that she liked about Hiccup was that he wasn't needy. He didn't constantly shower her in nonsensical compliments.
And he'd let her win. Like…like it had been some kind of compliment, or a romantic endeavor. Like he had done it for her. She wanted to win because he had earned it, not because it had been handed to her. Astrid Hofferson wasn't a loser. She didn't lose. But she didn't take hand-outs either. That was worse than losing. And Hiccup acted like it was his win to give.
She threw her axe into another tree with more force than before. She felt it wrench in her shoulder and stretch down her arm. She felt a sting through her muscles as the axe sunk deep. She put her hand onto her shoulder. It would be sore before sundown. She prodded her shoulder as she walked to fetch the axe. She ignored the sensation and threw it again, and again, and again.
She was focusing on the make-believe battle and slowly her angry subsided. She didn't notice the passing of time that folded the afternoon into evening. Stormfly's nap was cut short. She perked up and chirped at the sky with a friendly posture. Astrid had just released the handle, the axe sunk into the wood, as a black spec flapped closer.
She was conflicted between two feelings, the internal warmth of seeing Hiccup, and the previous anger at him. He retrieved the axe as Toothless landed with a soft thump. Hiccup sat up in the saddle, green eyes on her, mouth open to speak.
"What?" Astrid cut him off.
Hiccup's face dropped. "You've been gone a while. I was-"
"You were checking up on me."
"Yes, I was. Is there something wrong with that?" Hiccup asked.
"I don't need you checking up on me." Astrid stomped.
"What's wrong?" Hiccup asked.
"Nothing is wrong." Astrid said.
"Then why are you mad?" Hiccup asked.
"I'm not mad." Astrid spat.
Hiccup scoffed.
"What?" Astrid shrugged.
"I don't know why you're mad!"
"I'm not mad!"
"You're yelling!"
"Because you're yelling!"
"Because you're infuriating!"
Astrid groaned. "Then why are you here?"
"Because I was worried when you missed dinner!"
"I don't need you to worry about me!" Astrid stomped, swinging the axe into a close by tree, adding another deep gash to the dozens already there.
"Fine, I'll go." Hiccup threw his arms into the air. "Next time I'll try to be more thoughtless."
"I'll appreciate it."
Hiccup nudged Toothless and they were off in a rush of black and brown hair. Quicker than they'd appeared they vanished into the clouds. Astrid grunted as she pulled on the handle, a pain in her shoulder groaning, a stiff sting whining as the axe came loose. Stormfly chirped.
"What?" Astrid asked, less sharply than with Hiccup.
Stormfly cocked her head.
"I don't know why he's been so…clingy lately." Astrid came over to give the dragon a reassuring pat. "I don't know what to do about it."
Stormfly jittered, nudging Astrid's torso, and Astrid realized the low grumbled in her stomach. She hadn't realized the hunger. She fastened the axe back onto the saddle and climbed up after it. Hopefully there would be something warm left to eat.
X
That night when Hiccup returned home his father was settled in his chair by the fire with the evening cup of mead resting of the arm. Toothless slunk up the stairs to curl into sleep. He warbled a goodnight as he vanished to the second floor. Usually after a racing day Hiccup felt soundly, exhausted from the extra exertion, but there was a twisted nerve in his chest that he figured would keep him awake.
"Anything wrong, Son?" Stoick asked passively as Hiccup shut the door.
Hiccup sighed and slumped into the chair across from his father. "Astrid's mad at me and I don't know why."
"Have you tried apologizing?"
"I tried. And then we ended up yelling at each other." Hiccup groaned. "I don't know what happened. I wasn't mad when I got there but when I left I wanted to punch something."
"Aye, sounds like a woman to me." Stoick nodded.
"What do I do?"
Stoick sighed, took a drink from the mug, and set it back down before answering. "Women can be sweet as sugar and wicked as a devil. Hardly a man alive that hasn't been tangled in a woman's web."
"So…what do I do about it?" Hiccup raised a brow. Was that supposed to be advise?
"I wish I knew what to tell you, Son." Stoick shook his head.
Hiccup groaned and ran his hand through his hair.
X
