Chapter 8: No Turning Back
Happy Holiday Peoples! I know that it's been a little while since the last chapter, but I been busy with other stories and just life in general. I'm back now and I here with one last chapter before the end of 2016.
I would like thank everyone that reviewed this story. I appreciate it when people give there 100% honest opinion, so long as it's not flaming. Your input helps me with my writing.
However I would also like to give a special thanks to reviewers: Anonymous Noob the 2nd, LordEngineer, and RedHawkdude. It's always a pleasure to see check my notifications and see you guys follow, favorite, or posted a review for this story. I hope to hear more from you guys in the future.
Without further wait, here's chapter eight!
Disclaimer: I do NOT own anything from How to Train your Dragon. DreamWorks owns the right to it. This was made strictly for fun and NOT for profit.
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(Cleave POV)
I sighed as it watched the sun rise. Today's the 1st trials for the suitors and I'm fascinated in how this is going to turn out. Toothless, on the other hand, is both excited to see Hiccup in action and a little nervous from something going wrong. However, I have confidence in Hiccup. Out of all the beings that I've taken under my wings (whether it was a human or dragon), he's always been able to take whatever life throws at them. Not to mention, Hiccup carries the blood of one of the strongest dragon tamers that I've ever met.
Toothless and I woke up in the stables early and transformed into our human forms to make sure Hiccup woke up on time. We were on our way to the east wing of the castle where the suitors & other lingering guest were staying, but we were delayed because I had to calm down a particularly excited & jumpy Toothless
"Come on Cleave! We need to get Hiccup up for the suitors' 1st trial." Toothless walked faster and started walking backwards to face Cleave better. "Don't you want Hiccup to impress that girl he liked so much?" He said as he crossed his arms.
"Of course, Hiccup's safety and happiness as always the first in my mind. But it's just sunrise, we can take our time. Our perimeter check and from last night was good and well, but I just want to make sure Hiccup is okay. Watch out for that armor by the way."
It was too late for Toothless as he turned around, he got a face full of pristinely shined silver to the face. Being a dragon-morph he would get hurt as an easily, but his pride is going to need some patching up. Toothless calmed a lot after that.
When we arrived at Hiccup's room we showed the guards the security crest that Hiccup came up with to identify us as his personal guards. We looked around as we entered his room. It was defiantly larger than any of the rooms back home. Finely shined shields decorated the walls and there was also a small selection of blunt edged weapons in the far corner, most likely future decorations for the rest of the castle. While I was examining the room, Toothless was figuring out the best way to wake up Hiccup.
At first, he did a simple nudge to see if he would wake up. When Hiccup didn't budge he started grabbed the heavy furs and pulled them from the bed. Hiccup curled up from the cold, but still asleep. Seeing that he was determined to stay asleep, Toothless gave Hiccup a sharp jab to the chest. That seemed to do the trick as Hiccup rolled to the other side of the bed and emitted a faint groan, whether it was from tiredness or pain, I couldn't tell.
"Why would you do that?"
"You wouldn't wake up." Toothless said as he got up from the bed to up Hiccup up. "Plus, I would think that you would like to start the day with a bang." He nudged me in the same spot where he punched me.
"And why did you let him do it?" Hiccup said as he turned to me.
"Oh, your fine. You get worse than that when you train. Now go get dressed you don't want to be late."
As Hiccup went to get dressed, I turned to Toothless for a split second. "Hey, punch my arm like you did to Hiccup." Toothless punched my arm and I found that it was a little stronger than it looked. "Yeah, that's a little rough. Remind me to give you some restraint training later."
Once Hiccup was dressed (*1) we exited the room with Cleave leading and Toothless following behind me. I would have liked to walk regularly, but we had to keep image as we head to the castle's arena.
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(Hiccup POV)
We were almost to the arena when I saw her again.
We were passing by what I could only assume was the training room from all the dummy part scattered on the floor. Astrid had just split a dummy in half when we passed. "Whoa." I stumbled in my walk while from trying to look a little longer. By Toothless righted me and pushed me to keep walking.
When we got to the Arena, a few guest hung around to watch the trial and the other suitors were already inside the ring, warming up with their weapons. I went in and observed the others as I did a few practice swings with my sword. Ruffnut and Tuffnut had spears, Fishlegs and Eret had hammers, Snotlout and Dagur had maces, and Jack had a sword.
It wasn't long, until I saw someone enter the Arena and the atmosphere shifted. Everyone stopped and looked to see the princess enter with a man that had a rope-like moustache, a hand prosthetic, and a peg leg. The man went into the storage room and pulled out a rack of what I can assume is his own weapon arm attachments and a chair. He changed out his wooden hand attachment with the hook and stripped this sword attachment to his belt. The princess surprisingly took the chair and sat on the sidelines with the same training outfit and ax as before.
"Hey, who's the grandpa with the missing limbs?" Snotlout obnoxiously shouted.
There was a sudden flash of metal and a yelp.
I looked at where the yelp came from and saw Snotlout pinned to the wall by a couple of throwing knives. I looked in the direction that it came from and saw both the prosthetic guy and the princess wore matching glares toward Snotlout and had another throwing knife ready to throw.
"You know damn well who he is." Astrid said with a cold tone. "Now unless, you want me to hate you even more than I already do, I suggest that you shut up and listen to him."
"Thank you for the input Astrid. I take it from here." The prosthetic guys says, as Astrid and he put away their knives turns toward the rest of us. "Now line up. All of you. Now." We all sheathed our weapons and lined up shoulder to shoulder before he continued.
"My name is Gobber Bretton the Belch, member of the Council of Elders and Head of Berk's Weaponry. Before we get started I'm going to explain a few things to you." He started to pace in front of us. "As requested by the Council, there will always be at least 2 members in attendance in the stands." He pointed to the older cape wearing gentlemen in the small audience outside the ring. "The Princess will also be watching and will occasionally be in the ring with us."
"Excuse me, sir." Jack interrupted. "Are you sure that's the best idea?"
Gobber stopped in his pacing, went to stand in front of Jack, and looked him in the eye. "What?"
"I think what my friend meant to say, isn't a bit dangerous someone so important range of getting harmed?" I tried to defend Jack.
Gobber huffed a chuckle. "No need to worry. Astrid is well equipped to defend herself." I glanced toward her to find her examining the sharpness of one of her throwing knives while the handle of her axe was a leaning close her hand. "Now continuing where I left off.
"You will all face 3 trials, one a week, which will award points to help determine who will have Lady Astrid's hand and be heir of Berk. You will receive a point from each trial completed. However the top three in each trial will be awarded additional points. They are as followed: 3rd will gain 2 more points, 2nd will gain 3 more points, and 1st will gain 4 more points. And in addition to the points, those same top three will also have the opportunity to have a date with Lady Astrid during that week."
I heard a groan and caught sight of Astrid rolling her eyes and scoffed. "Don't see the point in that." She mumbled to herself.
"What was that Miss Astrid?" Gobber raised brow toward her.
"The dates. I told you and everyone in the Council that I wasn't and still not interested in dating any of these suitors."
Gobber sigh and walked over to Astrid to talk with her, but it could still faintly hear them. "Now, Astrid. Your father and I decided this so that you can get a better insight of who you'll pick. We would rather you decide now then wait until after your married that you picked the wrong guy."
"I still don't like any of this." She put a hand on her temple.
"It's just one of the things we do for our country. We're just trying to make it as enjoyable as possible."
"I know. Thanks, Gobber." She cracked a small grin at Gobber as he padded her on the shoulder before turning back to us with a harden look that screamed protective parent.
We're going to be in for one Hel of a month.
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(*1) I would picture Hiccup and most of the guys wear their RTTE outfits, but made from better quality materials.
That's it for this year everyone! If you're new to the story, please review and let me know what you think. Enjoy your New Years! Be safe and responsible!
