From One Misunderstanding
Chapter 2
Author: Carla, aka cali-chan
Rating: PG-13 because making out.
Genre: Adventure/Comedy/Romance.
Pairings: Hiccup/Astrid, of course.
Canon/timeline: Canon divergence, but it follows the general plot of the first movie. The deviation point is Hiccup and Astrid's "romantic flight"— namely, it takes a bit too long, and things just go downhill from there.
Disclaimer: I don't own How To Train Your Dragon but I really wish I could. I also wish I could own a real, live dragon. I mean, how COOL would that be, y'all?! :D
Author's note: I'm not planning on actually typing out the Scottish accents phonetically. I don't want William Wallace to rise up from his grave to finish me off for desecrating such a crucial element of his culture. You'll have to use your imaginations, sorry.
Author's note 2: This chapter starts right where the last one left off!
Summary: What could be worse than being forced into marriage because of a misunderstanding? Well, having a Night Fury crash your wedding, perhaps. Canon deviation, HxA.
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There was silence for a minute as Stoick allowed for anyone who wished so to raise any objections, but it was supposed to be more ceremonial than anyone else. He was about to begin speaking again when Spitelout intervened. "Don't take this as an objection, but I'd be remiss, as Stoick's right-hand-man," he pointed out with a puff of his chest, and obviously they all knew where Snotlout got that annoying habit from, "not to make certain that you feel you're making the right choice in uniting your families in this way."
He now had the attention of everyone in the room, some of them looking apprehensive at the fact that he dared speak, and the rest frowning at him for the same reason. It was virtually unheard of for witnesses to raise concerns about a marriage contract. Usually when the arrangement reached this point, the families were ready to go through with the ceremony; it was only due to monetary concerns or disagreements that the negotiations were ever halted. "And why would we not be?" Stoick raised the question, being one of those looking at Spitelout with wariness.
Spitelout gave a half-shrug. "Just wondering if we're giving too much credit to the people spreading these rumors. Seems like too harsh a punishment for something that may or may not have happened." The burly Viking crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, and if Astrid weren't completely sure he was only objecting to this arrangement because he wanted her to marry his own son, she could've kissed him.
"It didn't happen!" Hiccup interjected beside her, and Astrid nodded emphatically to support his claim. "Nothing happened. See, uncle Spitelout is right, this whole thing is completely unnecessary..."
"Marriage is not a punishment!" Astrid's mother exclaimed in indignation.
"It sure sounds like you intend for my family's honor to remain tainted, Spitelout," Astrid's father input, and she could recognize an edge of warning in his tone. However jovial her father might normally be, he, like the rest of the Hofferson clan, took their family honor very seriously, and it was clear he did not find Spitelout's suggestion acceptable.
Spitelout, however, didn't seem to notice he was threading on thin ice. "It's the opposite, Asvald. I'm saying that rumors may be circulating around town, but no one in their right mind would believe such a ridiculous thing really happened." Once again she and Hiccup expressed their agreement. "Berk is a small village, and we all know each other here. From what I've heard from my son, Astrid has always been completely dedicated to perfecting her warrior skills, and Hiccup... well, he's Hiccup. Is anyone really going to believe my nephew seduced this girl into improper relations? Please!"
...And that's as far as their agreement went. "Thank you, uncle, for summing that up," she heard Hiccup mutter under his breath in a deadpan tone. Astrid simply shook her head. Clearly, people in this town did not have one ounce of faith in Hiccup. Not that she wanted them to think Hiccup seduced her, mind you, but it made her angry that everybody thought it was okay to treat him like he was second-rate. No one should be treated that way, no matter how many mistakes they made.
"There's no way to know what every single person in the village thinks about this, so what they believe is irrelevant," Astrid's father argued.
"Come off it, Asvald," Spitelout scoffed. "Do you really want to trap your daughter like this now, when there are such bright prospects out there for her?"
"Watch what you're saying, Spitelout," Stoick warned him, finally having enough of his so-called right-hand-man's deceptive comments. The Chief might (unfairly) consider Hiccup a disappointment most of the time, Astrid figured, but at least it was good to know he wouldn't let anyone talk ill of his son. It was... heartening? Kind of? Not really?
"Marriage is not a trap!" Astrid's mother exclaimed with even more indignation than before. As the witnesses erupted in murmurs, Astrid could see that this whole thing was quickly going to Hel in a hand basket. She just hoped it didn't devolve into a fist fight, though she wouldn't mind smacking a few of these stubborn, stubborn people around a bit.
Before the situation could erupt into a physical confrontation, though, Hiccup rushed closer to the main table, trying to get people to look at him. "No, no, no! Actually, uncle Spitelout makes a good point. Just- everyone, could you please listen? Hey!" It took a bit of waving his arms around, but finally he got everybody's attention. "It really isn't necessary to take this so far. Not- not that I'm saying the affront on your honor shouldn't be addressed, Mr. Hofferson," he said hurriedly to Astrid's father, who looked about to protest again. "But we've told you already that nothing happened last night."
"It's true," Astrid intervened, moving to stand beside Hiccup, where everybody else could see her. If he'd suddenly thought of a plan to get them out of this, there was nothing for her to do but to jump on it. It was better than standing back and doing nothing, which is what Viking tradition would have her do. She was allowed to be present in this meeting and she damn well would make herself heard. She wasn't about to go down without a fight. "There was nothing inappropriate happening, I swear. We were talking and we didn't notice it was so late."
"Yes, and it's all my fault."
What? Astrid snapped her head to the right to look at Hiccup. What did he mean, his fault? Where was he going with this?
She already felt herself start to frown again just as soon as he continued speaking. "I, I- I was feeling nervous about the face-off with the nightmare today," he started, stumbling a bit in the beginning but finding his groove soon enough. "I went into the forest because... actually, I was thinking of running away," he confessed with a resigned shrug. It was the truth, or as close to it as he could admit without revealing Toothless' existence. But she knew it had to be hard for him, because he didn't want his father to be disappointed in him, not when his so-called "prowess" in the ring had finally earned him a taste of what it would be to have Stoick be proud of him.
"And Astrid tracked me down and- and okay, at the beginning she was kind of pissed off at me-" A snort came from the back of the room and Astrid glared suspiciously at her father. "But somehow, I don't know exactly why or how, she changed her mind from seeing me as the bane of her existence." Now Astrid thought she might snort, because the way he put it was pretty much the exact way things had gone in her mind. She remembered thinking that the little twerp was ruining everything for her, and now she couldn't help but recognize that she was being a tad overdramatic. She was her mother's daughter, after all. But it all seemed so long ago now; it had been just the day before, but it felt like an eternity ago.
Hiccup sighed, and lowered his gaze down to look at the wooden table in front of him. "And she... she helped me. She helped me a lot. She probably doesn't know this, but it was thanks to her that I learned... that I can't run away from the big things. There are some things you just... have to face head on."
He raised his eyes to look sideways at her, and she couldn't help but look back at him. It was something of a breathless moment, as his green irises fixed on her face. Had she ever noticed before that his eyes were green? She should've. Maybe she would have, last night when they came back to the cove after their flight, but it was too dark for her to distinguish the color properly.
If he was telling the truth- and the fervor in his expression told her that he was- well, she didn't know if she had really taught him anything during their escapade the night before, or if she'd just helped him unlock a part of himself he didn't know he had in him. She certainly did not teach him to stand up for what he believed in; no, that was all him. And she felt the weight of that, the weight of pleasant surprise and pride, as his gaze met hers.
"It was my fault that we were out so late." His eyes stayed on her for one second too long as he continued speaking, before he looked down again. "It was me, with my problems and my fears, it was late when I finally got it through my head that I should come back home, and she only stayed out so late because she wanted to make sure I would." He closed his eyes and shook his head. "So please, please, take this out on me, be mad at me, but don't... ruin Astrid's life like this."
"Hiccup, don't-" she started, wanting to tell him that he shouldn't take this all on himself, but she didn't know what to say. Once again he took words she herself had used before (how did he know?), and just to hear them out of his mouth, they sounded so... wrong.
"For the last time, marriage does not ruin people's..." her mother interjected again, but only got so far before Hiccup turned to her lifting both hands in her direction to try and appease her womanly ire.
"Yes, Mrs. Hofferson, you are completely right. Marriage is a wonderful thing, if it's right, and of course any man would be lucky to marry a woman like Astrid," he added, resolutely not looking at her by that point. "But this, happening this way, is not right. This- this doesn't need to happen. She was only being a good person, a good friend. It was my fault. I'll take the responsibility."
Astrid shook her head, but she didn't really know which part of everything he'd just said she was refuting. "Hiccup..." she tried again, her tone somewhat sharper. She couldn't let him do this. What was he thinking, taking the blame for everything? She could've very well left earlier if she'd wanted to! She didn't need him to exculpate her when she didn't ask him to.
He didn't seem to hear her. "I'll make up for any loss of face you feel you have incurred, if you'd like. I- I'll pay any amount you consider fair compensation with my work." He was really getting into his little tirade now, his tone growing more and more exalted as he went on. "I can fix your weapons, work on repairs around the house, even do chores if that's what you need. Hel, I'll even let Mr. Hofferson beat me up, if you feel that's what it takes to restore your family's good reputation."
That last one alarmed her more than anything. "Hiccup, what are you doing?" she all but hissed at him, itching to punch him in the arm again. That would be one way to shut him up, at least. And hadn't she just told him either both of them got off or neither of them did? They weren't even properly engaged yet and he was already being a terrible husband!
He only looked at her for half a second before proceeding with his impassioned speech directed at the rest of the occupants of the room. "If there's one thing uncle Spitelout got right, it's that Astrid has a bright future ahead of her." He was so determined; Astrid felt that funny, heavy feeling bubbling in her chest with every word he said. Not that she wasn't angry anymore, because she was... she didn't ask him to do this and he shouldn't have done this. But somehow he made her want to strangle him and simply hang onto his every word at the same time. She didn't know how that was possible.
"She could be a dedicated wife and mother," he continued. "She could be the best, fiercest shieldmaiden Berk has ever seen. [1] She could be all of those combined. She could be anything she wants to be, she... she's amazing. She's an amazing girl." He let out a breath that seemed to have carried him through his entire appeal to his fellow Vikings. He looked up at her parents, and at his father, finally, after trying every argument he had, resigned to leaving the matter in their hands. He only had one last thing to say.
"Please, don't force her to be stuck with me for the rest of her life."
There was silence after that, and she wondered if it was because everyone's throats had gone dry, as hers had. Did he really think that? That he was something she'd be "stuck" to, that he would only weigh her down? All of a sudden she wanted to tell him he shouldn't think that way, that she was glad to have him as a friend. But after that speech, everything she could think of to say sounded silly. Did he... did he truly think she was... amazing?
Hiccup deflated once he finished speaking, and it didn't take long for him to grow uncomfortable and fidgety under the completely astounded eyes of every Viking in the room. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, and by Odin, if he came out with some sort of witty quip about how it was someone else's turn to speak now, Astrid swore she would punch him.
It was Stoick who finally broke the stillness, standing up and clearing his throat. "Son," he started, his tone still tinged with something that sounded to Astrid like disbelief, and maybe... pride? Hiccup had just shown them all that he could command the attention of an entire room of the fiercest Viking warriors, not with a large stature and a booming voice, but with determination and words that made sense. She hoped Stoick could see that. She hoped Hiccup could see that his father saw that.
Hiccup only straightened his back and looked at his father in the eye, ready for any response, but hopeful at the same time. Stoick continued. "I can see that you care about Astrid, that you're trying to do what you think is best for her. But the Hoffersons have stated that they will not demand compensation from us, nor do they wish to settle this matter in battle. Besides, the announcement has already been made. The entire village knows."
Astrid barely heard Stoick's reasons, for it was his expression, rather than his words, which made her come to a realization. There was a softness in the Chief's eyes as he looked at his son, like he'd seen something in Hiccup that triggered both joy and sadness in him. Astrid had never seen him look that way before, and it was such an unusual behavior, that the one phrase was all she heard.
Of course she had known for a while that Hiccup had a crush on her. It was hard not to piece it together from the way he bumbled and babbled whenever he tried to speak to her directly. And it was an everyday thing for her, getting attention from the male teens in Berk. Not that she was conceited, but it was a simple fact. She was pretty, she was smart and capable, a strong warrior, and from a respectable family; those were desirable qualities for a female in their society. But for all of Snotlout's disastrous attempts at flirting with her or Tuffnut's thoughtless innuendo, she had never had anyone admire her for who she was as a person rather than for the qualities that made her a "good catch."
But Hiccup- he'd been willing to take any punishment her family opted to dole out, just to get her out of an arrangement he thought she didn't want. He was willing to take months, maybe years of hard work or even physical harm for this reason, disregarding his own suffering so long as she had her chance to be happy. To save her. Just as he was trying to do for Toothless.
Stoick was right. Hiccup cared for her. Truly cared.
That bubbly feeling made her chest cavity feel tighter than ever.
Hiccup, for his part, heard his father's words loud and clear, and immediately started slumping in defeat. Stoick continued to address him. "I'm sorry, son," the Chief concluded gravely.
The young man ran a hand through his hair, in frustration. "Dad-"
"We shall set the bride-price now," Stoick interrupted him, regaining his more serious composition, before he could raise another argument. "Perhaps it would be better if the two of you went home. We can deal with the financial matters ourselves. We'll call you back for the handsal." [2] And before either of them could protest, Stoick had a beefy hand between their shoulder blades and was gently but strictly pushing them toward the Great Hall doors.
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"Gobber!" Stoick called out to the smith, who just happened to be walking by, pulling a cart full of weapons Hiccup figured he was delivering back to their owners. After the last (failed) expedition to Helheim's Gate, many people had lost their weapons, needed repairs or sharpening. Hiccup did wonder at one point about Gobber being absent from the negotiations- his father would consider him a trusted witness, for sure- but seeing him now, he was reminded of how busy things were at the forge since the warriors returned.
"Stoick!" Gobber exclaimed as he approached them, pulling the cart up the small hill with much less effort than Hiccup would expect for someone with only one leg. He had both of his, and he always struggled with going up when doing the delivery rounds. But of course, he would. "How did it go?"
"Still going," Hiccup's father replied, pushing Hiccup and Astrid toward Gobber before the smith could ask anything else. "Listen, can you make sure these two make it back home? And I mean their separate homes," he added, narrowing his eyes at the two teens like a warning. Hiccup bit back a groan. He heard Astrid scoff beside him.
"Sure," Gobber replied easily. "I'll drop Astrid off at her house and I'll take Hiccup back with me to the forge, if that's fine with you."
"Works for me," Stoick muttered under his breath before ducking back into the Great Hall to continue with the negotiations, leaving the two teenagers in Gobber's care.
"You've been slacking off on me lately anyway," Gobber said to Hiccup as the three of them started to make their way down the hill. "Too much to do these days. You should be the one doing these delivery rounds, you know," he added, waving his hook at him like a mother would wave a finger at a disobedient child.
Hiccup rolled his eyes at his mentor. "I'm so sorry my being forced into marriage has inconvenienced you, Gobber," he said, in his familiar sardonic tone. "Next time I'll try to screw my life up on a weekend instead, so I don't have to miss work."
Gobber, who clearly was used to his sarcasm, took the comment in stride. "Now, don't be turning this 'round on me, lad," he retorted, making a dismissive motion with his hook. "It's not my fault you went and got caught. That'll teach you to be more discreet about your... dalliances."
"There are no dalliances," Hiccup shot back. The retorts were almost automatic by now. Perhaps that's why no one seemed to believe them? He'd have to work on that. "Nothing happened-"
"Right, right," Gobber said, his tone clearly indicating that he didn't believe Hiccup one bit. And then, to his never-ending embarrassment, he gave them both a very obvious wink. He saw Astrid take a hand to her face, pressing her fingers to the lids of her eyes with a sigh, and he didn't know if the gesture was one of embarrassment or frustration.
He tried again. "No, really, Gobber, it's the truth-"
"Of course," came Gobber's reply, still in the same sing-songy tone that made Hiccup want to shake him. And another wink. Astrid was now looking at the cliffs on the edge of the island, and Hiccup wouldn't blame her if she was contemplating making a run for them. That was an idea. Sure, the abrupt stop at the end would kill them, but it might be the best way to end this painfully awkward conversation.
Really, could the earth just swallow him now? "Seriously, Gobber, you don't have to do the winky thing-"
"Sure, Hiccup." Another wink, and Hiccup just gave up. It was not worth the energy. "See, I know you kids think us adults have just looked like this forever, but I was wee once too, you know? Never had a lass myself, but I know how these things go. You see someone you like, they smile at you, and you get these urges..."
"Oh gods, he said urges," Hiccup all but squawked. Beside him, Astrid was walking very stiffly, and she was red up to the roots of her hair. Yep, those cliffs were looking like a really good option now...
"...And back then the rules were even more strict, you know? No such thing as dating, either. [3] I mean, what was a young man to do when you couldn't even take a stroll with the one you liked in broad daylight without someone thinking you were thinking of doing funny stuff... Like that one time Hoark asked a girl up to the top of the island. Best view of the sunset in all of Berk, I told 'im..." Gobber seemed to be really into his tale, but Hiccup didn't really want or need to know about Hoark's- or any other adult's- romantic activities during their teens. By Odin, if the word "undies" even dared come out of his mouth, Hiccup swore he would kill something.
By that point Astrid was throwing Hiccup a desperate look, clearly communicating Do something! with her wide blue eyes. He floundered for a few seconds before he was finally hit with an idea. "Oh, uh, Gobber, why don't you let me pull the cart instead, since I was supposed to be doing that anyway? That way you don't have to worry about it and can focus on your... really awesome story you're narrating there," he suggested, trying to add a touch of uppity to his voice.
Astrid shook her head emphatically as soon as she heard that Gobber would continue speaking, but Hiccup tried to reassure her with a look and a nod of the head that he knew what he was doing. Gobber seemed to consider the request. "Alright, but only because I haven't gotten to the part where he got caught in his undies. I really have to have both hands free for that one." Both teens cringed. "Make sure you don't drop anything. Actually, no, Astrid, you make sure he doesn't drop anything."
"Sure, Gobber," Astrid said, almost through her teeth.
"Good." Gobber handed the handle of the cart to Hiccup, and continued speaking. "Now, where was I? Ah, yes, so they go up to the top of the island..." He walked on ahead of the two teens, gesticulating wildly with both arms as he talked.
Hiccup signaled for Astrid to walk slowly so that they would lag a few paces behind the man. "That way he'll see we're still following him, but we'll be far enough back that we won't actually hear what he's saying." Astrid, relieved, let him know she thought it was a good idea. "We can actually kill two birds with one stone this way, because I need to talk to you about," he lowered his voice, "the cove, and Gobber can't hear."
She nodded, understanding the need for secrecy. This was something that had to be kept only between them, but they weren't likely to be left alone together in the near future, so this was as private as it was going to get for them. Hiccup continued speaking in a low tone. "Last night, I was thinking of ways to get us out of this- the whole wedding thing- but I was also thinking that if all else failed, I might have to find a way to get Toothless out of the island. And I think I may be able to build him a tail rig that will allow him to fly without me." [4] Keyword being may. He already had some schematics running through his head, but he wouldn't know how well they worked until he tried them.
Astrid seemed shocked by this detail. "You can do that? Hiccup, that's amazing!" she exclaimed, her eyebrows raised high under her fringe in her surprise. Her mouth was slightly slack, but she was Astrid Hofferson; on her the expression was beautiful.
From the sudden heat in his cheeks, Hiccup was sure he was blushing. Gods, please don't let him be blushing. "Yeah, well- the thing is, I have to design it and build it. That will take me a good few days on its own, and that's without taking into account that my dad will probably have me swamped with wedding preparations."
That made the girl scoff. "No kidding! Gobber will probably have you make the rings, and most likely my sword and your hammer will fall to you, as well." She started counting with her fingers all the details she figured he would be expected to take on. "You also have to look for an ancestral family sword, and spend time with your dad so he can tell you all the family history behind it." She nodded her head like a thought had just occurred to her. "Oh, and then of course you have to practice using the sword, so you don't end up dooming our future marriage to ruin in front of the entire village..." [5]
He groaned. "Wow, thanks for the vote of confidence!" She gave him a no-nonsense look, clearly stating Let's be serious, here with her eyes. Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Anyway, the problem with all of this is that we have to move Toothless out of the cove as soon as possible, but I don't know any other secluded places we can move him to, and with all of this, I know I won't have the time to look for one."
"I can do it," Astrid said with a nod, immediately understanding what he was asking of her. "I mean, I'm sure I'll have a lot of wedding stuff to do, but at least I don't have to forge anything." Astrid stopped for a second to look in front of them, where Gobber was mimicking what Hiccup could only guess was a gnome doing a jig. He decided he didn't even want to know. Astrid seemed to feel the same way and continued speaking. "I'll look for a place, and then I can move him. I'll let you know where he is so you can set him up with his new tail rig."
He nodded as well, deeming this a good course of action. "Great. Thanks." He paused for a moment, not really sure what else to say. He never really knew what to say to Astrid, and these were hardly normal circumstances. "This means a lot to me, you know," was what he settled for. "You, helping Toothless. Helping me." He shrugged. "You don't have to do it. So... thanks."
She lightly pushed her fringe away from her eyes and looked at him for a second, before fixing her clear blue eyes toward the front. "That's what future wives are for, isn't it?" When the words were out of her mouth she seemed a bit like she hadn't meant to say them, and tried to laugh it off as a joke but her chuckles bounced between them aimlessly until the forced mirth died down. Even he, the expert on self-deprecating humor, had to admit the comment was a bit too awkward.
He felt the common pull of guilt in his gut at the reminder of the mess he'd gotten her into. He looked down at his feet as he walked. "This is weird," he let out, downcast. At her questioning look, he elaborated. "Us, talking about our future marriage. I mean, just... our future marriage. There's three words I never thought I'd ever say."
She wrapped her arms around herself. "It's no weirder than us having a conversation about where best to hide a dragon in the forest," she pointed out. And as usual, she was right. He was glad they were keeping this dialogue secret, because if anyone else were to listen in- and didn't immediately demand him banished for treason- surely this conversation would sound absolutely ludicrous to them.
He conceded the point with a lean of his head and a wave of his hand. "True." The irony of the situation struck him and he couldn't help but snort. "It's so stupid. If any other Viking had to hide a pet from his or her parents, it would probably be something like a cat, or... I don't know, an orphaned... piglet or something. But me? No, I end up with a dragon." He shook his head. "The gods must be having a laugh, watching all this."
She nudged his shoulder with hers- because, yes, they were walking that close to each other- and he tried really hard not to shiver. "Well, you've never been like every other Viking," she said, with a small smile on her face, and it almost stopped his feet from moving.
He was no stranger to comments such as that one. It had been a constant in his life: there was everybody else, and then there was him. Two separate entities, which did not fit together. But all his life he'd wanted nothing but to be one of them, and it was repeatedly laid down on him that such a thing was simply not possible. And whenever the phrase would pop up, be it himself saying it, or Gobber, or Snotlout, or his own father, it was always a source of pain, of dissatisfaction.
But to hear it come out of Astrid's lips, in that warm tone and framed with that beautiful smile, it made him feel like being different was not such a bad thing after all. That maybe something good could come out of it. That maybe it was something he could be... proud of. It was nothing short of mind blowing.
"And I wouldn't call it stupid, necessarily. A bit crazy, maybe..."
He was aware that he was gaping at her, and in him, he was sure it was a thoroughly unattractive expression. He was just about to say something, anything, when Gobber's voice got both their attentions. "Oy! What are you two chattering about back there?" the man yelled from where he was standing, a few feet ahead of them.
Hiccup shook himself out of his Astrid-induced stupor and tried his best to give his mentor a coherent excuse. "Nothing. Just. Um. Uh... y'know. Wedding. Wedding... stuff." Huh. Did he say coherent? Not his best attempt. Story of his life; that was his brain on Astrid.
Gobber looked at him and for a second Hiccup thought they were in for another round of winks, but the smith instead narrowed his eyes at the pair. "Sure," he said, stretching the syllable enough to make it obvious that he didn't believe that excuse one bit. But he didn't comment further and Hiccup concluded he probably thought they were planning a "dalliance" of some sort. Surely his reaction would've been different if he had any inkling of their real topic of conversation.
"Oh," he heard Astrid say, and he turned to look at her, curious. "We're at my house already," she added, pointing to the cabin they were now standing in front of. Hiccup probably should've noticed that before, as Berk was indeed a small village and it didn't really take more than 10 minutes to get to most places, but he hadn't exactly been paying attention to where they were going.
"That's what I was just about to say," Gobber muttered and, since they were now standing closer to him, they heard it just fine. "Anyway, in you go," he added, signaling for Astrid to go inside the house.
"Right," she started, shifting her weight from foot to foot as if she didn't really want to go. "So... thanks, Gobber?" It came out as a question of sorts, but Hiccup could see why. What exactly did you say to the man your parents had sent to accompany you because they didn't trust you and your new intended not to take advantage of what would normally be a five minute walk through town to run off into the forest and... do... stuff?
Gobber nodded at her, with an "aye, aye" and a signal for her to get going, but she turned to Hiccup instead. She just looked at him for a few seconds, and he was about to ask something really intelligent (probably along the lines of "...what?") when she punched him in the arm. "Ow!" he exclaimed- as usual- and was about to complain about the sudden violence, but thought better of it when he saw her narrow her eyes at him.
"That was for taking all the blame on yourself even though I told you not to do that!" she explained without prompting, hands on her hips. And, okay, maybe he deserved that one, so he couldn't complain. Not that it didn't hurt, though; he was about to raise his hand to rub at the place where she'd hit him when he found himself with an armful of Astrid.
He stiffened as if he'd been burned, although the arms thrown around his shoulders were anything but painful. And after a brief moment of his brain processing nothing but a strikingly familiar mantra (Astrid was hugging him. Astrid was hugging him. Astrid was hugging him...), he tried to muster up words around the knot in his throat and the pack of terrible terrors that were dancing in his stomach. "I, uh- what- what is this for?"
She was silent for a heartbeat, but he felt her move her head, her golden hair brushing against his neck. And when she spoke, it was directly in his ear. "For everything else," she whispered softly, and this time he couldn't contain the shiver than ran down his back.
And then- too soon!- she was out of his arms and walking up the steps to her house. Hiccup could only stare, utterly besotted, at her form as it disappeared into the cabin and out of his sight.
"See, that's the way to do it," his mentor's voice came from behind him and Hiccup almost jumped three feet in the air as he was startled out of his Astrid-colored daydream. He'd completely forgotten Gobber was there. "A hug here, a kiss there. If people see it's innocent then everybody will stay mum. It's the skulking about at night that's got everyone's undies in a twist." He signaled for Hiccup to follow as he once again began to walk, following his delivery route.
"Gee, thanks, Gobber," Hiccup started, in a tone that was quite obviously too chipper to be sincere. "That's sound advice. If only I had known this yesterday!" He rolled his eyes and started pulling the cart as he followed Gobber down the path to the next household.
"Don't get smart with me now, or I'll have you working past dinner," the smith warned, and Hiccup snorted. It's not like he wouldn't be working past dinner either way; as interesting as it would be to spend all his time in the forge daydreaming about Astrid (something that was not common at all for him... no, really), he had to get started on Toothless' new tail rig as soon as possible. "And don't think I'll let you spend the entire day mooning over the lass like a lost puppy! Now hurry up, those weapons aren't going to deliver themselves, are they?"
Once again wishing that his mentor didn't know him so well, Hiccup sighed, resigning himself to an evening of non-stop teasing, and another sleepless night.
.
.
Author's notes!—
[1] Shieldmaidens were women who chose to fight as warriors, alongside the men. They were probably where the myth of the Valkyries came from. There are a few famous shieldmaidens who actually lived and whose actions were recorded in medieval historical accounts, but by far the most famous shieldmaiden is the Brynhildr of the Volsung saga, who was in love with the mythical Sigurd (aka Siegfried of the Nibelung saga). If you watch the History channel series Vikings, Lagertha is also a legendary example (and she is badass!). Contrary to popular belief, shieldmaidens did not swear any kind of chastity oath, so they were free to get married and have a family just as much as any other Viking warrior did.
[2] The handsal was the formal agreement of the terms of the contract, which basically consisted of clasping the pair's hands together while the groom recited a declaration that the agreement was lawful and sealed and that all the promises stipulated in the contract had to be fulfilled without any sort of trickery. The hand-clasp was done in the presence of witnesses, sort of like a notary witnessing the signing of an official document in modern days.
[3] Viking marriages were pretty much just a business transaction to the benefit of both families, and as such, the concept of "dating" (or really, courtship) was discouraged; if the man and woman were to fall in love, it would have to be after they were married. Attempting to court the woman could be interpreted as the prospective groom taking "too long" to initiate official negotiations and it was considered disrespectful- which, given how fixated on family honor the Vikings were, meant the bride's family was absolutely allowed to kill the suitor. This also meant to discourage pre-marital relations and illegitimate children. Love poems were actually illegal, as they were thought to "ensnare" the women. Just the fact that Hiccup even mentions dating in the movie is already a sign that the HTTYD Vikings are way more progressive than their historical counterparts were. Thank Freyja for artistic license, huh? ;)
[4] You may recognize this one from Gift of the Night Fury.
[5] Viking wedding traditions/rituals are really cool, and really interesting. More on these to come in future chapters!
Hi, everyone! I hope you liked this second chapter; things are finally underway as far as the wedding goes, and Hiccup seems to have a plan for Toothless. We'll see how that goes soon enough. Right now I just wanted to thank anyone who read the first chapter, especially those of you who took the time to comment! I was hoping for a couple more reviews, but either way I'm thrilled that so many of you have left kudos and added this story to your favorites and alerts. I hope that means you'll stick with me for the rest of the ride!
In the next chapter: Oddly-shaped rocks, love nests, and moving a quarter-ton giant lizard through the forest. It's gonna be fun!
If you liked this chapter please leave a review; it's always good to know what aspects of this you like or don't like, and your comments help me a lot with my writing. Hope to hear from all of you. See you next Tuesday, and have a wonderful turn of the year! :)