(Ok, here's chapter 3! It's a little short but I felt it was a good place to end. :) Hope you enjoy!)

"Astrid m'dear! Come out!" Astrid heard her father bellow.

Astrid sighed as she tucked her bangs behind her ear. What could he possibly want now? Hiking up her long trail, Astrid stumbled out her bedroom door.

"ACK! How do you walk in these things?" She grumbled loudly as she fell against the door frame, tripping over her dress.

At the strange silence, Astrid looked up, bangs falling back into her face which was now beat red in embarrassment. Her parents and Edgar were all staring at her in shock. Astrid stood in shock herself a moment before she straightened herself and smoothed out her dress.

"Ah…haha…hi!" She laughed nervously.

Edgar raised an eyebrow at her but couldn't help the grin that was cracking on his face. She was so different from the women at his village. She was rough around the edges but still had this beautiful, soft aura about her. She was hard to figure out…Edgar wondered if all the women here were like this.

Meanwhile, Astrid's parents covered their faces in horror.

"I do apologize fer meh daughter…she's been out in the sun a bit too much t'day." Grath explained.

Astrid frowned, insulted at her father's words.

"No, I just can't walk—" Astrid was interrupted by her mother loudly clearing her throat, advising her daughter to silence herself.

Astrid narrowed her eyes at her parents.

"Really?" She snapped aloud.

"Astrid!" Her mother hissed.

Next to her, Astrid heard chuckling. She turned on Edgar, fists clenched. Was he LAUGHING at her?

"What are YOU laughing at?" She snapped.

"ASTRID HOFFERSON!" Both her parents snapped before grabbing her arms and began to drag her towards the front door.

"I am so sorry!" Her father said apologetically and in embarrassment. "Maybe if the chief has a word with her…"

"No, that's fine…" Edgar spoke for the first time. "Why don't I talk with her?"

Astrid glared at the boy, fire in her eyes as her parents let go of her arms. Her mother moved her out of sight and looked down at her.

"Astrid please…our village needs this…" She said softly so no one else could hear as she moved her daughter's bangs out of her face.

"What about what I need…" Astrid grumbled softly back.

"You need this too honey…besides…it isn't like you've found anybody here…" When Astrid's eyes widened before turning away to look out the window her mother straightened, a horrified look on her face.

"Oh Odin..you have, haven't you?" She whispered.

Astrid looked at her mother in shock.

"What? No…I…just…this is all just so sudden!" She stuttered.

Her mother eyed her, unbelieving.

"Astrid…"

Astrid shook her head. She hadn't found anybody! She hadn't! There was no one here that she wanted! Astrid's heart clenched painfully and an image of Hiccup flashed through her mind. Why did that keep happening? She shook her head desperately. No. Hiccup was a FRIEND. She loved him…but not like THAT. What Ruffnut said was just ox-shit…

…Right…?

"Honey…" Her mother's voice brought her back from her horrid thoughts. "Are you in love with Stoick's boy?"

"EEP! NO!" She shouted in surprise, causing Edgar and Grath to look over in surprise.

Her mother was about to say something when Grath grabbed his daughter's shoulder and pushed her towards Edgar, a large grin on his face.

"You two have a little chat! But be sure to be back by dusk! The celebration will be at our Chief's hall right at dusk!"

Edgar smiled warmly at Astrid, who just looked away and began to walk out the door, Edgar following behind. As they left, Grath hugged his wife's shoulder's happily.

"This'll be a beautiful weddin'!" He exclaimed.

"Grath…she's in love…"

Grath pulled away and clapped his hands joyously.

"By Odin that's GREAT! I KNEW this would work! I—"

"No." His wife stopped him, still staring after her daughter. "Not with Edgar…she's in love with someone else…"

Grath lowered his hands slowly in shock, brows furrowed.

"Who…?" He questioned.

His wife shook his head. "I'm not sure…I think it might be Stoick's boy…"

"HIM? Did she say this?" Grath exclaimed, not horrified but in shock.

"No…but I…I just have this feeling that she isn't being just our typical stubborn Astrid about this…I think there truly is a reason behind this behavior…an emotional reason…"

Grath laughed.

"Oh darlin'! If she did not say such a thing then I wouldn't be-a worryin'!"

With that, Grath went off to his Chief's homestead to begin the preparations. Unsure, his wife followed.

(~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)

Astrid walked next to Edgar, stomping her feet and hunching her shoulders, fists clenched. This was so stupid! Why did SHE have to get married? Why couldn't one of the other women on this island get married off?

"Your thoughts are troubling you…" Came a rough voice.

Startled, Astrid glanced at the boy next to her. He had stopped and was leaning against a tree, eyebrow raised. She stopped as well and stared at him, studied him. Her mind began to subconsciously compare him to Hiccup. They were so different. This boy had black hair that lay low down his back. Hiccup had short thick brown hair with strands of auburn throughout it. The boy before her had charcoal colored eyes where Hiccup had beautiful green eyes with flecks of hazel dancing in them. This boy towered over her in height and had bulging muscles. Hiccup was just a head taller than herself, perfect enough so that she only had to cock her head slightly to meet his gaze. As for muscles, Hiccup was no Hercules but he was well built. He had grown in the past year and she had noticed the slight rippling beneath his shirt as he moved with his dragon. There was just enough that when he held her she felt safe…Astrid blushed madly as she realized ho she was comparing Edgar to…and the strange feelings she was getting from thinking about him…

Astrid shook her head and narrowed her eyes at Edgar.

"How do you know what I'm thinking?" She snapped. "You know nothing about me!"

He grinned as he eyed her up and down.

"I know enough…and besides, your face doesn't hide much…" He teased.

Astrid clenched her fists, instinctively reaching for her ax which wasn't there. She rolled her eyes. Stupid dress…

Astrid grumbled as she began to walk again. She was, however, stopped by Edgar's words.

"You know this is just as much of a shock for me as it is for you…"

Slowly, Astrid turned around.

"What…?" She asked, unbelieving.

Edgar stepped away from the tree and took a step towards her, sighing as he did so.

"You think I was prepared for this? It was sprung on me too…"

Astrid crossed her arms across her chest, eyebrow raised, urging him to continue. He smiled at her.

"But you know as well as I do that there is no way out of this…so why don't we…we just have to work through this…"

Astrid stared at him for a long moment before sighing, her shoulder's slouching.

Edgar reached out a hand towards her.

"Come, it is almost dusk…show me to your Chief's hall…"

Astrid looked at the hand as if it were acid. Grumbling, she brushed past him.

"Fine…but I don't need to take your hand when society isn't watching…" She mumbled as she urged him to follow her, a small smile on her face as she tried to open herself for friendship.

Edgar dropped his hand and followed her.

(~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(

(WALAH! Ok, now to start Chapter 4!)