"That's not good." Astrid breathed through her teeth. She hurried over to where Hiccup had discarded the red tail piece, hurriedly attaching it to Toothless. He sat perfectly still for her, sensing the urgency in her movements.
"You know- It's not that bad- We'll make him see- Won't we bud?" Astrid paused between each phrase, tugging the straps with sharp puffs of air. Toothless warbles, nudging Astrid.
"Thanks, bud." Astrid swings her leg over the dragon's back. "Let's go play some fetch." Toothless takes off, waiting until Astrid opens his tail to coast silently over the treetops, scanning between the branches for the sight of Hiccup. Astrid wipes her face, shaking her head to clear her foggy hurt feelings. Hiccup's words cut deep, but she was determined not to show him how deep.
Toothless grunts, pointing to a blurry figure racing through the forest with his nose.
"Good job." Astrid murmurs. "Just keep on him." Toothless flies in tight circles over Hiccup, the speed of his flight obviously much faster than Hiccup's feverish running.
Astrid racked her brain for a plan on what to do once Toothless picked up the boy. She doesn't come up with one before the Nightfury dives, easily gasping Hiccup by his upper arms with his front feet, flapping hard to rising again.
"Put! Me! Down!" Hiccup hollars, twisting and bucking in the dragon's strong grip. Toothless drops his head and growls at the human in his possession. Astrid laughs at her dragon's antics.
"Oh Thor. Oh Thor." Hiccup mutters, eventually giving up trying to get free as Toothless rises higher and higher. Astrid directs him in a wide loop as she tried to think of what to do.
"Astrid? Astrid! Please!" Hiccup begs.
"There." She tells Toothless, pointing to a massive pine tree, its top narrow, towering above all the other trees around it. Toothless banks right, dropping his wing backs lower, dragging against the air, slowing him down.
"What are you- No! Astrid! No! Tell him no!"
Toothless makes his mock laughing sound, depositing Hiccup on the top of the tree. It sways wildly back and forth, small twigs breaking off and cartwheeling down. Astrid stifles a laugh as she watches Hiccup cling desperately to the thin top of the tunk, leading Toothless in a wide arc around the terrified boy.
A few moments later, she urged Toothless to join Hiccup. The dragon seemed skeptical, but obliged. Hiccup howled in fright as the huge Nightfury came at him, all four feet outstretched to grip the truck beside him.
As Toothless did so, the entire tree bent practically double, drooping down several dozen feet, sending a shower of dead needles down. Astrid giggled. Hiccup glared at her. She swung both legs off Toothless's left side, putting her elbows on her knees and her chin in her hands, gazing at Hiccup with her eyebrows raised expectantly.
He looked at her, still glaring for several moments, before conceding. "Fine. I'm sorry." He looked away, out across the sky.
"O-kay." Astrid said. "I suppose that's a start."
"I am!" Hiccup insisted, growling out the words.
"I think Toothless wants to stretch his wings. We'll be back later." Astrid righted herself in the saddle and her dragon spread his black wings out wide.
"No! Wait!"
"I'm listening."
"I am sorry, Astrid. I lost it back there."
"You think?"
"Are you going to listen or interrupt?" Clearly his anger hadn't worn off, but Astrid had the upper hand here.
"I said I'm listening."
Hiccup sighed frustratedly. Astrid guessed it wasn't very often that he gave an apology. It was several minutes before Hiccup started talking again.
"Look, it's just that, I don't know."
"Huh. Very insightful." Astrid said softly, the bite gone from her voice. Toothless sunned his wings in the yellow light which had emerged full force as the sun was starting its decent It made the top of Astrid's hair warm to the touch.
"I feel so, so torn. I guess." He said. Astrid looked at him. He no longer looked angry. "I don't trust your, um, Toothless. But I trust you, Astrid. I really do. And I suppose if you trust him, I'll learn to."
"I trust Toothless with my life." Astrid breathed, laying flat on her dragon's sun warmed back.
"Hmm." All Hiccup offered was a tight lipped expression. "But, I think you need to come clean to Gobber and the others."
"No way!" Astrid said firmly. "Toothless is my little secret."
"Well, I wouldn't say little."
Astrid scoffed, shaking her head. "But, in all seriousness, do you know what they would do to him?"
Hiccup frowned. "I suppose."
"Just, let me show you what he can do?" Astrid offers her hand to Hiccup. He looks startled.
"He hates me!"
"Well, I think it's just because you were mean to me."
"Oh, sure."
"I'm serious! Toothless would do anything for me."
"Oh yeah?"
"He's already saved my life." The two stare at each other. "Oh! I've wanted to tell you so much about him. And now I can share my stories!"
Toothless rumbles restlessly. Astrid scratches him. "It's now or never."
Hiccup hesitates. "Fine." He mutters. Astrid grins. Hiccup cautiously places one hand on the back of the saddle. Toothless turns his head, his eyes glinting mischievously. Astrid smirks, nodding for him to continue.
Toothless opens his mouth, baring his teeth, and when Hiccup placed his second hand onto his back, he roared, whipping back his head. Hiccup screamed, losing his grip and falling backwards. Astrid laughed as Toothless reached out and snagged the falling boy by the back of his shirt, pulling his back up.
"Not funny!" He yelled, but couldn't not laugh when he saw Astrid cracking up in the saddle. Once Hiccup was settled behind her, gripping the back of the saddle with both hands, Astrid gave Toothless the okay. He turned and checked on his passengers, the look still in his eyes.
"Oh Thor." Astrid murmured, not intending for Hiccup to hear as she tightened her grip.
"Oh Thor? That sounds bad! Astrid are you su- Ahhh!" His sentence was cut off mid way through by a scream of terror and Toothless launched himself straight up. Astrid was forced to follow suit, not wanting him to spin out of control.
"Assstriiiddd!" Hiccup yelled, bouncing wildly around, fighting for a grip. Astrid laughed, actually enjoying herself. Toothless clearly was holding a grudge against the boy, and was going to show him.
Breaking through the layer of high clouds to the East, Toothless leveled out, letting Hiccup get his grip back.
"Thank Thor." The boy muttered.
"I wouldn't be so quick to say that." Astrid warned, already knowing what Toothless was about to do. She moved the tail into the right position and Toothless grunted a thank-you.
He started his decent, straight down. Then he started to spin, rolling around and around as the open sea rushed up.
"Do you know how to fly this thing?" Hiccup hollered, the wind stealing his words.
"Of course." Astrid said breezily. "He's just getting his payback because I told him he couldn't plasma blast you!"
Hiccup sighed. "I suppose I deserve this."
"Yep!" Toothless flipped over. Astrid hugged him around the neck as he swooped low, dipping Hiccup's head in the water.
"Not cool!" He yelled, swiping salty water from his face. Toothless warbled, shooting a blast off into the sky.
"Woah." Hiccup breathed, following the arc of the blue blast as it disappeared.
"He's pretty cool, you have to admit." Astrid said.
"Maybe. I'm not convinced yet."
Toothless weaved through the sea stacks, forcing Astrid to abandon her conversation and focus on keeping them in the air. With Toothless constantly changing altitudes and direction, it wasn't a simple task. Astrid could tell Hiccup was watching intently, she could feel him looking over his shoulder to see the red tail fin open and close.
The Nightfury carried them up and down, blowing past small islands on his side, rising up into the clouds and shooting back down. Astrid thoroughly enjoyed it, and after awhile, she could tell that Hiccup did too.
When the sun was low on the horizon, perhaps an hour from sunset, Toothless touched down atop a grassy peak on a small island, pretty far from Berk. He landed gracefully, running a few strides before coming to a halt, lowering his shoulders so Astrid and Hiccup could slid off.
"Okay. You got me." Hiccup said, smiling at Astrid. "He is pretty amazing." Astrid watched as Hiccup reached out his hand to Toothless. The dragon sniffed at it before making a gentle sound and pushing his head into his hand for a brief moment.
"Aw. He forgives you. But he still doesn't like you." Astrid says slyly, wandering to the edge of the island. She sat down slowly, her legs dangling over the edge, her messy loose hairs blowing back, and the waves crashing against the rocks far below.
"I'm so sorry Astrid." Hiccup said, sitting beside her.
"Oh, it's okay. I forgive you. I guess." She sticks her tongue out at him. He laughs and gives her a gentle shove on the shoulder.
A loud roar interrupts them. Toothless races over, shoving Hiccup back, putting himself between Astrid and him. He growls, icy green eyes boring into Hiccup.
"It's okay bud!" Astrid says hurriedly, trying to calm Toothless down. She steps past him and puts her arm around Hiccup. "He's a friend. Remember?" She insists. Toothless huffs, blowing hot air at Hiccup.
"Yeah. He really doesn't like me." Hiccup runs a hand through his windblown hair where the sea water had dried it into salty sticks, a half-frown on his face.
"No! He does!" Astrid says firmly, becoming aware of her arm still around Hiccup's waist. She lets go, sitting back down. "He's just- Protective over me." She plucked a tough clump of weeds from the edge, tossing it down to the waves.
"Hmm."
The two sit calmly as Toothless shakes out his legs, laying down and rolling around in the grass.
"I uh, was wondering…?" Hiccup asks tentatively.
"Huh?"
"About um, what you're going to do?"
"I don't know." Astrids says, continuing to pluck at the grass. "I was thinking about leaving." She says a few seconds later, barely a whisper.
"What?" Hiccup practically shouts, tugging Astrid's arm until she looks at him. "You absolutely cannot do that."
"Why not? It's not like anyone would miss me. Especially not my Father." She smarts crossly, pushing to her feet.
"No, no! Astrid, you've got it wrong."
"Got what wrong? It'd solve so many problems! My Father, Dragon Training, Toothless! I can't risk him! They'd kill him in an instant! I'd have to have chance to explain, no chance to show them, like I showed you! You get it now. Don't you?"
"I do." He says, fidgeting with his hands as Astrid returns to Toothless's side, pressing into him.
"We should get back." Astrid says. Hiccup nods.
Toothless flies calmly, sensing the change in mood. The sun sets in front of them as they head back towards Berk, painting the sky in reds, oranges and pinks.
Astrid sighs at the beauty, surprising herself by relaxing back into Hiccup. He seemed surprised to, unsure what to do with Astrid's back pressed against his chest, her wispy hair blowing on his face. Eventually, he scoots forward, pulling her in closer, wrapping his hands around her, clasping them at her lower stomach. Astrid shivers, unsure of whether from the chill in the air from the sun setting, or from the touch of the attractive boy behind her.
As they came upon Berk in the dark, they both gasped at the sight. No one had ever seen the village from this vantage point, and it was stunning. All of the fires were lit around the docks and streets, casting deep orange shadows around. Soft small light from windows dotted the scene, and a ship's sail billowed bright white against the light.
Hiccup settled his chin on Astrid's shoulder, pressing his cheek against hers. She sighed into the chilly night, feeling at ease for the first time in weeks.
"See, if you leave, how could we do this?" He turned his head, his lips brushing against her ear. The hair on the back of Astrid's neck stood up.
"You're right? How could I go now?" She murmured.
AN_
Halfway point of the story folks! Woot woot. It's also kind of bittersweet though. How Astrid Trains Your Dragon has been an absolute blast to write, and the the reviews I've gotten are just as much fun to read, so thanks!
That's all I have for you tonight, so hoped you enjoyed Chapter 10.
-Birch66724