Hello, darlings! First off, I have to apologize for the delay. Even though I had this chapter written already, I was at work all the time, and ff has been acting up for me for the past few days.
Secondly I am amazed that so many of you liked this story! Thank you all for leaving comments and following/favoriting, Hell, even viewing my story and sacrificing your time for my little thing. Even though I've been in this fandom since the very beginning, this is the first story I'm publishing, because I find it to be the most fun to write, and because I've always wanted to make my Hiccstrid!Runaways story. So thank you for caring.
Now, off to the comments! I am not used to ff very much, I usually publish on ao3, so I'm not sure if I should send you an answer in the PM, but most of the time I see people answering here, so I will follow the lead of the wiser.
CaptainEMP : Thank you so much! I hope what comes next won't disappoint you!
Manacaym : Thank you for your kind comment!
CajunBear73: Yes, we will definitely get to see that in the following chapter. She definitely deserves it, and Astrid wouldn't disappoint her. Yeah, we will definitely go back to the two dragons that played parts in that scene!
ClassicCartoon27 : Go big or go home, ey?
Guest123: Thank you so much! I'm the only one overlooking the story befre I publish it (even my gf doesn't get to read it), but I am glad to know it's not as bad! I would like to think it does follow the trend, the beginning will be in the familiar waters, but we will move somewhere else afterwards.
nandjferon : I definitely will! It's literally the only thing I feel like writing these days
cosmicblader12: Thank you so much, cutie!
Guest: Aw, you make me smile!
Guest: Thank you for taking the time to read it!
IcyForest: Thank you so much! I am very insecure about my english, so it warms my heart to hear it. We will scratch the surface of what happened in this short chapter, but we will definitely dig deeper later. But I can promise you that the funeral will happen.
lilit-di: Muchas Gracias! Hopefully, you will like this, too.
Anonymous Noob the 2nd : Thank you so much!
Ben113 : Thank you for commenting!
DeathSong1993: Aww!
Astrid was pacing in front of their modest house. She had her hands folded on her chest and her eyebrows furrowed, nibbing at her bottom lip so hard she drew out blood. Her mother was in labour for way too long for her liking, and her screams of pain were hurting her ears and her heart. She knew her mother was too old to be giving birth. But the contraception didn't work, and she was far too in to interrupt it. So now, her mother was risking her life for some stupid baby she didn't even want.
She hated the baby. She hated the baby for endangering her mother's life. Whenever she saw her mom sitting in the chair and lovingly holding her belly, rubbing it like it was the centre of her whole world, she felt so much anger inside her she had to roll her hands into fists. And now, her mom was hurting, screaming out in agony, and maybe she won't live to see the morning.
Astrid swallowed heavily and blinked to force away tears and leaned her head back to look at the sky. It was exceptionally clear tonight, unusual for the cloudy island of Berk. Even the wind wasn't as chilly as usual, blowing around her cheeks carefully and ruffling her hair. So, she took in a deep breath, smelling the summer and sun and grass in the air, and watched the stars glistening above her. She never understood how high they can be. If she was high enough, could she touch them? Would they burn to touch, or would they be colder than icicles?
The stars started falling. Settling the sky aflame with their cold light, they were falling, faster than dragons, and she let herself relax watching them. They always made her feel like she wasn't alone, like someone was up there, watching out for her.
Suddenly, her mom stopped screaming, and instead, baby cries came from their house. Astrid's heart stopped, and she turned sharply to the door when it opened, revealing Gothi and her father, holding a small bundle covered in blankets.
"Mom is alright," her father said before she could ask, knowing his daughter worried too much, "Astrid, meet Alvilda, your little sister."
Gothi met her in the middle, and carefully laid the baby in Astrid's arms. She wanted to protest and put the baby back, but then she laid her eyes on her. There was still blood on her face, but she was screaming and crying, and she was beautiful.
"Hello, little one," Astrid whispered, all the anger at the baby leaving her. How could she hate something so pure? Out of nowhere, the baby, her sister, stopped screaming, and looked up at her, reaching her hands out. Astrid took her soft hand, and the baby curled her tiny fingers around her, and Astrid's heart was soaring fast. She smiled,, kissing the baby's forehead.
"Now, remember something, Alvilda," she said quietly, and the baby seemed to actually listen to her words, "I'm Astrid, your big sister, and I will never, never let you go."
The baby almost smiled, and before Astrid could do anything, it started vanishing from her hands, turning to dust.
She woke up with a scream. A scream that made her head hurt, and she could feel her blood pulsating through her whole body. She had no idea for how long she slept, and what happened, but it felt like ages. Her legs were sore, and she stood up to stretch them, when she realised she isn't in her room. She wasn't even in the great Hall, or in Gothi's house, or at some of her friend's. In fact, she had a suspicion she isn't in Berk at all.
She was surrounded by ice. The bluest ice she has ever seen was covering, or better, creating walls and ceiling all around her, but she wasn't cold. She could smell fire in the air, and her skin was comfortably warm. The ice seemed to create some pattern, like small bubbles and pebbles were frozen inside it, as if a wave froze over her and she was underneath the surface, reflecting turquoise and deep blue and green, but she was sitting on fresh, green grass, cut short, decorated by the brightest flowers, towering above the grass like purple towers. She was pretty sure Phlegma would know the name of the magical flower.
The place felt damp, when she touched the ground, and ran her fingers through the grass full of sparkling mist. Small, twinkling drops were falling from the ceiling and forming puddles, interrupting the silence around her with rhythmic echoing of the water falling to the cave floor. Right in front of her towered a tall rocky wall, cascading in thin, vertical bricks which reminded her of ancient columns, and down on the ground stood a comfortably looking four post bed with woollen sheets and an iron roof, a small table full of papers and a huge, smooth rock.
It was one of the most beautiful places she has ever seen, and as she was letting her eyes take the whole room in, she could smell and hear water. Just then did she notice a tiny stream separating the room in two parts, so naturally, she followed it, even though her legs felt incredibly weak and her head was pounding.
The stream kept getting wider and wider, and instead of grass, deep black pebbles framed the flowing water, and tall icicles were hanging from the high ceiling. The flowers got taller and taller, and finally, she found a way out, and her breath got stuck in her throat.
The water finally reached its widest point, creating a small lake in the middle of the rocks, and right behind it, was the most monumental waterfall she has ever seen, flowing through sharp rocks, falling to another, much bigger lake the small one was overlooking. It was breathtaking, and she reached the edge of the rock, and it was incredible.
But what was even more weird was the wooden staircase on her left. She started descending, gripping tightly onto the iron railing someone installed here, and suddenly, she found herself in another cave, with one lake another staircase led in, the water crystal clear and azure and green, just begging Astrid to swim in it. Further down, were steams of hot pools, and on the right side, in the wall, was another room. She was about to investigate it, her curiosity getting the best of her, when someone touched her shoulder and she yelped. Usually, she would be ready to take an enemy down anytime, no matter how distracted she was. The twins once decided to paint her face when she was sleeping, and it ended up with both having cast on their arms for weeks. But somehow, she felt out of it, her reflexes slow and her instincts shaken from the core.
She turned around and immediately started backing away. A tall figure, towering maybe a hand higher than her was standing before her, dressed all black, a mask on its face. It couldn't be very strong, for it was sort of thin, lanky, but wide in the shoulders, and judging by the figure it cut in the afternoon light, she supposed it was a male. It wasn't really its physique that scared her, it was its reputation that preceded it.
It was the dragon rider, in all its glory, standing in front of her with his leather covered arms outstretched. She heard stories about him, of course. He first appeared a year ago. Before, they only got one report, from people far south, claiming they saw a man on a dragon, but they waved it off. The southern people have never even seen a dragon, so no one could believe their claims. But then the Lurking Liars tribe sent a report of a dragon rider attacking them. He was always fierce, always sharp and fast, never missed and always riding the deadliest dragon of them all; a Night Fury.
He would raid villages and fly with the dragons as if he was one of them, yielding a flaming sword rumoured to be from Helheim itself. He never unmounted his dragon, never talked to anyone, and just as fast he and the dragons appeared, that's how fast he was gone. Always wearing a mask. A mask that was right now in front of her face.
Soon, almost all the tribes in the barbaric Archipelago were attacked by him. All but Berk. For some reason, he avoided the most heavily raided island. And because he never showed his face and never spoke, soon started the rumours that he was half a dragon himself, a monstrous hybrid cursed to live between the lives of dragons and men. Some claimed he was terribly disfigured, hiding in fear of rejection. A popular theory was also the one where he was a demon from Helheim.
And now, he was standing in front of her, not moving, still raising his arms. Seeing him from up close, she could make out the small shreds of dragon scales all over his armour, and the multiple gadgets and belts and buckles attached to it. His mask was dark black, just like the night fury he supposedly rode, but it was decorated with brown carvings of dragons she has never seen, and a sign of the strike class dragons. Astrid's breathing got faster, and she was ready to latch at him, when something black landed behind him, and she screamed when she laid her eyes on the dragon.
It was one of the smaller dragons, but it made up for its size by the rest of his appearance. It had the darkest scales she has ever seen, almost matte, and a stripe pattern on its legs. Its head was enormous, with bat-like feel to it, and its piercing green eyes were glued onto her, the slits thinning. When it spread its wing, it was threatening, scary, like a devil himself took a form of a dragon. It was the Night fury everyone spoke of, no doubt. The unholy offspring of lightning and death itself was sneering at her and curling its long tail around its rider as if to protect it, as if he really cared about it. She saw a red tailfin, definitely manmade, and wondered why anyone would help a downed dragon fly again.
She immediately started running away. She took off towards the other side of the cave, running deeper and deeper, occasionally slipping on the wet rocks, her breathing burning in her dry throat. She could hear a very human nasal voice she remembered somehow saying someone named Toothless to leave, and steps could be heard following her. She rounded the corner and entered a huge room full of shields, unfamiliar harnesses reminding her of horse saddles, tailfins, armours and smithery. She was in a dead end.
She immediately grasped the hammer that was lying on the working bench, ready to kill the rider who she now remembered took her from the middle of the battle. He joined her in the room no long afterwards, standing two meters away, his green eyes eying her cautiously from the distance. She wasn't sure if were frenzied mind wasn't just messing with her, but she almost believed those were human eyes, emerald green, human eyes staring back at her with caution. She wondered why she got a feeling she knew those eyes.
"Get the Hel away from me, you vomit-breathing, two headed offspring of a troll!" she hissed at him, and he chuckled, he chuckled at her. No one chuckled at Astrid, besides the twins, who got punched afterwards, and her sister-
It hit her like the Mjolnir. Her sister. The reason why she was here. Out of nowhere, her breath got knocked out of her lungs, and her heart plummeted in her throat, beating like crazy against it. The damned tears rushed to her eyes, but this time, even though everything inside her was fighting, she just held her weapon tighter and almost growled at the male figure.
"It was you. You sent those dragons at us, you killed my sister!" she cried out, and he started walking closer to her. She could barely see over the waterfall of tears escaping her eyes, her whole-body trembling. Her little sister.
"I would never, Astrid," he answered, in a very human voice, and she hoped damn well he bled like any living being. But then she tilted her head, raising the hammer higher, ready to jump him.
"How do you know my name? Did Loki tell you? Did he send you to fucking ruin everything that matters to us?" she shouted so loud it resonated in the cave, and he was so close to her, so she screamed and slashed at him, but he took her hands with a surprising strength and locked them in front of her. The hammer fell out of her hands due to the shock of his reaction and all the emotions that were currently running through her. She tried to wiggle out, but she was crying like crazy and her body felt incredibly weak, so she just struggled against his grip and let the tears fall, "You killed her, you killed her and now she's gone, she was so little..."
"I'm so sorry," he whispered way too close to her ear and she pushed him away with everything she had, and he stepped back, unbalanced.
"And who the Hel are you? A demon? Half dragon, just like everyone says? Your mum fucked a dragon and you are the unfortunate result?" she spat in front of herself, "Or just a really fucking ugly man who's afraid to show himself? Why don't you just kill me?" she urged him, her voice cracking, and it seemed to hurt him, judging by the way he hung his armoured shoulders. Suddenly, he was raising his arms to his mask, and slowly, he took it off, and Astrid's world was upside down once again.
She could recognise him everywhere, even though he looked almost incredibly different. In fact, she could remember everyone she couldn't save. His face was wider, gone was the baby fat and his jaw got sharper and stronger, but his eyes were the same. His hair grew in messy curl and shone more copper than reddish, but his eyes were the same. He was standing tall and somehow handsome, but the eyes.
Hiccup Haddock Horrendous the III, a boy that was killed by a wild Nadder six years ago, was standing in front of her, waiting for her reaction with his head lowered, looking from beneath his long lashes, with a black mask in his hand.
"You," she breathed out, her hands falling limp by her sides. She blinked, waiting for him to disappear, but he was still there, his posture straight but his face uncertain, "How're..." she mumbled, unable to find the right words. What do you say when you find your old friend, your old opponent standing in front of you, breathing and healthy, even though the whole village mourned him so many years ago?
"Astrid," he said her name just the way she remembered, just like when they were little and pretending to be dragons, just like when he got his axe ready for her when they were older. Just like when he tried to reach out to her when he suddenly got so damn good at the dragon slaying program. She stepped away, backing into the working bench, and he stopped in his steps, too.
"You died," she told him matter-of-factly, and he slowly shrugged.
"Thank you, I wasn't aware," he chuckled nervously, scratching at his face, and tentatively, he stepped closer.
"You were killed by that Nadder," she declared, and he was inches away from her face, and Gods, how could he have grown so much? How could he be here?
"You only saw me being taken away," he pointed out, and that scene flashed in front of her eyes – Hiccup trying to get a hold of the purple dragon's mighty claws, struggling in its hold and shouting for help as it flew with him away, somewhere behind the horizon, and the whole village watched. She was breathing hard.
"You died, Hiccup," she repeated, his name tasting odd on her tongue, and he sighed, regret flashing in his eyes.
"I'm sorry," he said, and she didn't know what for. For pretending to be dead, for killing her sister or for taking her away from Berk? "I never meant to hurt anyone, I just needed to get away-"
"You killed her," she sneered dangerously, rolling her fists into balls, ready to attack, and he shook his head urgently, his own eyes glassy.
"Astrid, I would never," he said so solemnly she was almost ready to believe him, but perhaps it was just Loki in disguise playing mean games with her, "I was urging the dragons away when I saw it. Stormfly tried to scare him off, but it was too late. Astrid," he said, putting his calloused hand on her wet cheek, "I would never hurt her."
"You idiot!" she hollered, landing punch after punch against his chest armour, bruising her knuckles. He tried to get a hold of her again, but she kicked him away, "You bloody, acid-spitting idiot!" she punched him again, and he let her, and then she suddenly collapsed against him and he reached out for her, crying in his arms so desperately her whole body was spasming in his arms. His grip was somehow comforting when she wept into his chest, letting out shrieks and hiccups and holding onto him so tight she scratched against the leather, and he just held her back against him, his chin resting against the top of her head, caressing her back, "I hate you," she said softly, and he just pulled her closer.
"I know," he said back, and she melted in his arms, finally letting all the pain out.