Hi to all of you! A new chapter, I loved writing this one, I really hope you'll enjoy it! Thank you for the reviews, support, it means a lot. I can't believe that some of you, like Dot or lorde, try sometimes to read it in French, it's impressive, I mean it, you guys rock!
Quarter, Dot, Felix, lorde, Heli, Gues, Jo, thank you so much for your reviews, you are the best readers ever !
Please review if you like it! Take care of you!
XXX
It was a flight nothing more than usual, as every night, they ended the day with a long flight around the island before landing in their cove for a moment just the two of them. Since their wedding, a few months earlier, the moments where they could meet for a one-on-one were rare. Hiccup was busy from dawn to sunset with his duties as the Chief of Berk, even if he was helped by his mother and Gobber, and Astrid somehow managed the Academy, assisted by Fishlegs.
The days flew, and as soon as they were together, once at night, they felt as if they had been holding their breath all day long before finally breathe into each other arms.
But tonight, Harold was worried. He had noticed that Astrid was paler than usual, that morning, she had trouble getting up, while usually, she was the one who forced him to wake up. Then she had barely touched her breakfast, Hiccup had put his arm around her waist from behind.
"Something wrong Milady?"
Astrid had lifted the head to lean against him, her eyes closed.
"I just feel a little bit sick, I probably ate something that I wouldn't have eaten…"
Hiccup had turned her so that she was facing him. Her eyes had black circles under them, she looked exhausted, he frowned, worried.
"You look ill…"
"Thank you…" she said dryly.
"Astrid, you know what I mean, you should rest, Fishlegs will handle with the Academy today..."
"No Hiccup, we have to pass the exams today for the new students, I'm fine, I promise!"
He shook his head.
"Ecoute, I'd really feel better if you..."
Astrid suddenly pulled away from his embrace, Hiccup glared at her, surprised.
"Hiccup, you're my husband, not my father, then leave me alone!"
She left the house like a storm, leaving a stunned Hiccup. What just happened? He only wanted to make sure that she was fine, and now, his concern was going to increase even more. He sighed and stroked the head of Toothless, who purred, eying his rider with a quizzical look. He hadn't seen her of the day, he went to their rendezvous point, uncertain, almost sure of not seeing her there. Yet she was there, looking sicker than in the morning, she had barely looked at him, but without a word, they took off together.
And after a few minutes, a worried cry from Stormfly alerted them. He then saw that Astrid was almost slumped on her dragon, her face had turned to a green shade, her eyes were closed and she was weakly gripping Stormfly.
"Astrid!" cried Hiccup as Toothless approached them. Astrid didn't answer, her lips pursed. Hiccup tried to ignore the wave of panic that he felt, he looked at Stormfly.
"It's ok Stormfly, we have to land, here, on this beach!" he said pointing the finger at a pebble beach which was at the west of the island. Stormfly obeyed, followed closely by Toothless and Hiccup, who stood by in case Astrid fell.
When they were close to the ground, Hiccup jumped and rushed to Astrid. He helped her to get off, Astrid lurched, took a few steps, and then collapsed to vomit. Hiccup, his eyes wide with fear, pushed her hair from her face moist with sweat, and waited until she had finished. When she straightened, her eyes half closed, as white as a sheet, he felt his throat tighten. Astrid was never sick, no worse than a cold, but he had never seen her in that state, and he was terrified.
"Hiccup..." she whispered, standing with his help.
"Hey, it's okay, we are going to Gothi's house, and everything will be fine" Hiccup said gently, wrapping an arm around her waist to support her.
She rested her head against his shoulder.
"About this morning, I... I'm sorry..."
"Shhh, it's okay, everything is fine, you are sick and... Astrid? Astrid!"
The young woman's body became heavy and he caught her before she could fall.
"Astrid! Astrid!"
He held her limp body against him and for the first time, he felt fear take control over him, and he didn't know what to do. He was terrified, he couldn't lose her, what if she was dying, or if she was already... No, she was breathing! He had to think, he should think, but his head was full of the image of Astrid unconscious in his arms. The worried complaints from Stormfly and Toothless get him out of his panic.
"Toothless, quick, take us to Gothi!"
He jumped up and settled on the back of his dragon, Astrid in his arms.
Gothi didn't let him stay with her, he had to wait for what seemed like an eternity before she finally got out, looking serious. He became Livid and his heart seemed to stop.
"It… Is it bad? Oh gods, it's bad… I... I can't lose her, is there an antidote?"
Gothi shook her head and Hiccup, his eyes full of tears, had rushed inside. Astrid was conscious and smiled weakly when she saw him. He took one of her hands and smiled back, hardly. She could die, and this thought made him sick, he couldn't live without her...
"Astrid... I... I'm going to find something, I'll never give up, okay, I'm going to save you, you can't die... I... I need you, okay? I am nothing without you, I... Why are you smiling?"
Astrid was staring at him, confused and amused.
"Hiccup, I'm not going to die, anyhow, I'm not supposed to die, if everything goes well..."
"But…What? But Gothi said that she hadn't any antidote!"
Astrid raised her eyebrows, her cheeks blushed suddenly, she seemed almost shy and nervous.
"So… She doesn't tell you anything?"
HIccup began to feel dizzy, his nerves were cracking. He passed a hand in his hair, without pulling his eyes away from her.
"Tell me what? Astrid, what happens? I'm going crazy with worry there! Tell me that you're fine, I beg you, please, tell me you're not dying!"
"Oh Hiccup..." she said, tenderly taking his hands." Hiccup, I'm fine... I'm more than fine actually... I'm pregnant..."
Relief, joy, shock, no word was strong enough to describe what Hiccup felt at this very moment. Astrid's eyes were shinning with a new joy, Hiccup fell on his knees and put trembling hands on her abdomen, looking at her with a petition on his face, as if he couldn't believe it. She nodded with a huge smile on her face. He took her in his arms, hugging her tightly against him, leaving tears of joys flow freely down his cheeks and then in the neck of his wife. She retained hardly her own tears, hugging him back. He laid his hands on her cheeks and kissed her passionately. Then he put his forehead against hers.
"We're going to have a baby..." he whispered.
Astrid, her throat knotted with emotion, nodded weakly. Hiccup closed his eyes, then reopened them. He was searching in her eyes, looking at her with such love that she was happy to be already sit.
"I was so afraid... I love you, I love you so much..."
"I love you too Hiccup, more than anything..."
"Astrid, I'm nothing without you, promise me that you'll never leave me…"
"Even to go fishing or training?" she teased.
"Just… Just promise me to always come back to me then…"
He seemed so serious that she felt her heart tighten.
"I promise…"
Hiccup opened his eyes. This memory was both painful and filled with joy. His life had so many times changed, in such a short time, he had been through every feeling, the visceral fear of losing Astrid the day of the birth, the joy of fatherhood, the confusion and extreme sadness of not knowing if he would see Astrid again someday... He sighed and looked down on his hands. He had always liked his hands, they drew, forged, manufactured, invented, tamed dragons, they were as an extension of his imagination and his soul. And today, they had nearly become those of a murderer. Snotlout had told him to get out while he was questioning the mercenary with the help of Tuffnut, but Hiccup had refused, he wanted answers, he wanted to know where Astrid was.
And then this man, this Boromir, had continued ranting about what he had done to Astrid, Toothless was grumbling, ready to shoot, and Hiccup eventually pounced on him to hit him repeatedly, until Snotlout and Tuffnut managed to pull him out of the room. They were, however, stronger than him, but in this state of anger, they had struggled to master it. He looked at the back of his hands. His knuckles were purplish, he does even not realized that he was hurt, as if anger anesthetized any pain. But he didn't want to heal his hands, the pain was there for him to remember who he was and who he refused to become. He had always claimed to be a man of peace, a man who refused violence, a man who favored dialogue, he had jumped on this man, whose hands were tied, to hit him in the face, he had completely lost control of himself, and he felt like soiled by his own cowardice.
He passed a hand in his hair. Drago was right, he was going crazy. Not knowing where she was, if she was fine, if Boromir had actually touched her, harmed her… He felt his throat tighten. He wanted to see her, talk to her, he needed her so much. Could he live on? Could he continue without her? He had a duty, for their daughter, for Berk, Berk that he had abandoned while Drago threatened his people. What kind of chief would do that?
"Come back to me, Astrid, please, come back to me..." he whispered.
Toothless wined sadly, dragging his snout under his arm.
"I miss her buddy, you can't imagine how much I miss her…"
Toothless purred with understanding, and then lifted his head. Snotlout came to them, Hiccup's heart missed a beat.
"I think he's finally ready to talk" he announced with a smirk.
Hiccup decided not to ask questions. He preceded Snotlout and entered the room. The man was sitting, leaning against a barrel, breathless, his face bloody and covered with bruises. Hiccup shot a disapproving look to his friends, who smiled proudly, but he didn't make comments. After all, some of these injuries were his fault... The mercenary raised his head. He was unrecognizable, but Hiccup felt no compassion. He knew that this wasn't worthy of the man he wanted to be, but he also knew that once his loved ones were threatened, nothing else mattered. When Alvin had threatened Astrid's life on several occasions during their teenage years, he was ready to do everything to save her.
"So you don't want to do the bad job, do you?" chuckled Boromir, before spitting blood. Snotlout approached and the man couldn't suppress a burst that madeTuffnut laugh with delight.
"Tell us everything you know…" Hiccup asked, stroking Toothless, who was grumbling again.
"She… She had been sold… To this slave trader, to be presented to a man, a certain Nero..."
"Why? Why this man?"
Boromir smirked, but his smile vanished as soon as Toothless began to growl, showing his teeth.
"Drago needs him… This man is crazy, we... Everybody knows that, in Rome, about what he does to his slaves..."
"The Romans are far too mad, even for me" Tuffnut muttered.
"What are Drago's plans for Berk?"
Boromir didn't answer immediately, Snotlout squatted to be at the same level.
"Maybe would you like me to refresh your memory?"
"He wants to attack Berk, he wants to destroy you, I have nothing to do with... with it... He wants the help of Nero... I don't know anything more, I swear!"
Hiccup shared a freaking out look with his friends. If the Romans were going to interfere, their chance of winning decreased dangerously, not to mention that the dragons were a secret kept by the peoples of the North, if the Romans learned that their existence was acknowledged, it would be bad, very bad... Hiccup turned away.
"I'm going outside, I'm going to find this Nero..."
"Alone? I don't think it's a good idea" replied Snotlout. Toothless nodded, looking at Hiccup.
"I'll be fine, it'll be easier for me if I'm alone…"
"And what about me?" moaned the mercenary. Hiccup looked at him with hatred.
"Pl…Please, don't hurt me anymore… I... I have more information! I... I know that today, a man from the island is coming to settle some business, I... I think that they need a blacksmith, he... He asked me if I had one in my merchandise…"
Hiccup frowned, and then his face lighted up. Finally, the gods were with him! Maybe they didn't hate him as much as he thought. Snotlout had an evil smile, while the eyes of Tuffnut went from one to another without understanding.
"Attach him solidly, I think that they have found their blacksmith..."
"Who?" asked Tuffnut, scratching his head.
"You really are an idiot" Snotlout sighed, rolling his eyes.
"Wait! I helped you! You have to release me!"
Hiccup smiled. The mercenary had lost his superb and his arrogance, Toothless often had this effect on people here... He turned his head to look briefly at Boromir.
"You said a very right thing earlier, I'd go to hells to find Astrid, and I wouldn't have any mercy for those who would want to hurt her or to take her from me..."
The blacksmiths 'district was just like the image he had of this place. Noisy, dirty, odorous, misty. There was an almost unbearable heat, but Hiccup was used to, even if in Berk, the outdoor cold helped to put the heat into perspective, whereas here, the blazing sun turned the streets in furnace. He was focusing on trying to hear something interesting, trying to grab snippets of conversation. He was beginning to despair when a howling drew his attention. An accident had just happened, a man was badly burned on the arm with the molten metal and he laid, unconscious, on the ground, while other blacksmiths rushed to his rescue. Hiccup rushed inside and quickly analyzed the situation. The post of the injured man had been abandoned, molten metal might be unusable if it wasn't worked immediately, the wounded man seemed well surrounded, it was an opportunity to show his knowhow. He took off his wet coat of sweat, took the anvil and quickly set to work to finish the sword that was being manufactured by the man. He felt as if he was back in the past, to be in the forge, rocked by the chatter of Gobber, by the sound of hammers striking metal to sculpt it, focused on his work and nothing else, until Astrid sneaks behind him. He then had the impression that all of his rage, his sadness, disembogued in every shot he hurled at the metal. It was just like during all these years of solitude, when the forge was one of his shelters, just like all these years keeping silent about his feelings, keeping silent about who he was, while he was trying to be someone else, before the dragons changed his life for the better.
Then he struck, carved, modelled, with aggressiveness and determination, he was going to get Astrid back, at any cost, he was going to find her, and he would never again let anything nor anyone take her from him. He wanted to cry, he was probably crying, his tears mingling with the drops of sweat. He hated Draco with all his soul, with every fiber of his body, he would do anything to protect his family, his island. Every shot that reverberated in the workshop seemed to be the echo of his heart, beating so hard, struggling with fear and sorrow. He wasn't even protected by an apron, he saw sparks flying around him, but he didn't care. If he didn't find a way to discreetly get this Nero's Island, he would go, at night, on the back of Toothless, no matter the risks, he couldn't wait any longer.
The last shot seemed to spread to his arm, his whole body. He watched the sword into his hands, he had never forged such a perfect one, straight, smooth, shiny and sharpened. His anger had never been so effective.
"You may not look it, boy, but you are incredible!"
The wounded man had been taken away, and the others blacksmiths were back to work, while the foreman had remained to watch Hiccup. Never interrupt a man with a hammer and molten metal, it was rule number one in any forge. A rule that Astrid was always strove to ignore.
"Thank you for your help!"
Hiccup shrugged.
"It's nothing, I was just passing, I saw what happened..."
"The gods send you to us! Without you, all the work of this sword would have been lost!The client will be happy... Ah well, here he is!"
The man who approached was accompanied by a dog and they looked as bad as one another.
"Master Titus! Your sword is ready!"
The man muttered something incomprehensible and took the sword from the hands of the blacksmith to observe it. His dog began to sniff Hiccup's prosthesis.
"Well, you outdid yourself!" Titus eventually exclaimed.
"Oh no, no, I didn't do anything, this boy had done everything! The man who worked on your sword had been injured and the boy fell from the sky, sent by the gods! He doesn't even work here!" replied the blacksmith by putting a great slap in the back of Hiccup, who almost fell over backwards. Titus looked at him from feet to head with his little pig eyes, lingering on his prosthesis.
"Are you looking for a job?"
Hiccup, taken aback, didn't know what to answer, until the man added.
"You'll have several slaves under your orders, Nero wants the best blacksmith of the empire, and my sword tells me that you are, even if you are a metic!"
Hiccup's heart made a leap in his chest. Nero? The Nero? Was he finally going to see Astrid? He tried to keep calm, somehow. He cleared his throat.
"Oh… Hum…And...Where does this Nero live?"
"Are you new here?" spat the man with scorn. "He lives in an island off the coast where he owns his own forge!"
Hiccup felt like he was going to explode. He had to keep an impassive face, while his heart was throbbing, beating far much too quickly, and despite his urge to speed up time.
"I take the job…"