CHAPTER 11: INTRODUCTION
The horns began to sound just as Hiccup was walking back into the village. He hadn't heard them but he saw villagers rushing for the Great Hall and the armoury. Fearing a dragon raid or an enemy invasion Hiccup began running for the Great Hall himself. That's what he thought anyway since there was no way his father's ship could have made the round trip in a week's time. The lookouts must have thought the same thing.
Then the lookouts sounded the all clear and Hiccup nearly ran into Snotlout who had stopped in his tracks and looked up towards the lookouts with annoyance.
"Can't you goons make up your stupid minds!" Shouted Snot. Then he spotted Hiccup. He grinned like he had so badly missed Hiccup, and then gave him a shove backwards. "Get out of my face fish-bone!" The young Jorgenson laughed as Hiccup fell on his butt. Good thing it had gone partly numb from all his flying practice.
"Same old Snotlout." Grumbled Hiccup as he got up and dusted himself off. Hiccup was famished so he proceeded to the Great Hall to get his evening meal, then head home because he was bushed. In the Great Hall the commotion had settled down, so Hiccup got himself a hefty plate of roast yak, fried onions and potatoes, his favourite. Just as he was sitting down for his dinner Fishlegs joined him with his slate. "Hi Hiccup, where were you all day?"
Hiccup had to think about that. He had to remember what he had written on this morning's note that he left pinned to the door. "I went sailing in a dinghy. I thought of a new sail design I wanted to try."
"How did it go?" scritched down Fishlegs.
"It was a flying success. I'm thinking of introducing it to my dad to see what he thinks about it." Hiccup blatantly lied.
"Did you recognize the ship that came into port when those horns sounded?" Asked Fishlegs.
"I didn't hear any horns, but I figured out from all the people running around it must have been a dragon raid or an enemy vessel."
"Well it was actually your dad's ship."
Hiccup was stunned. He had to read the slate again. "Did you mean my Dad's ship? The Sea Dragon? How is that even possible?"
Fishlegs answered with a shrug and more writing. "I have no idea but he brought back a couple of passengers.
"Really? Must be the old hag of an interpreter he went to get without consulting me first." Hiccup quipped. He was still a little miffed under the collar over his dad's impulsiveness.
Fishlegs slapped his forehead and wiped his hand down across his face.
"My dad is right behind me with his interpreter person isn't he?"
Stoick leaned over Hiccup and took the slate from Fishlegs. "No, just me, is that alright?"
Standing up to look at his father Hiccup tried to cover his fanny. "Dad! Wow! I missed you!" He exclaimed as he hugged his father. "That must have been a heck of voyage. Did you steal my new sail designs? How did you manage to get back so fast?"
Smiling smugly, Stoick wrote down for Hiccup. "That's a story for another night. Come to the head table with me please. I want to introduce you to the old hag of an interpreter I hired for you." So Hiccup dutifully followed his father looking somewhat humiliated. Hiccup took his place beside Stoick the Vast, and gathered at the head table with the other elders of the tribe. Hiccup was actually feeling ashamed of his earlier comments, and just kept his countenance down.
Pounding his empty mead stein on the table like a gavel Stoick bellowed. "Beforre I intrroduce mah guests of honour I wish to announce some disturbin' news. Due to an unexplained and trragic accident, mah son and heirr to the Hooligan Trribe of Berrk has perrmanently lost his hearin'." A hush overtook the hall only to be replaced by the murmurings of a babbling brooke.
"Mah special guests arre who I 'ave invited ta help mah son." Stoick continued. "Please welcome to our trribe, Énjal and her daughterr Astrrid Hofferrson." The Great doors were opened and the two lovely ladies were ushered in. Stoick gestured for Énjal to come stand on his left side, while Astrid took her place in front of and facing the head table. "Énjal here is Astrrid's motherr, and her daughter is an ASL-Norrse interprreter. ASL is shorrt forr Archipelago Sign Language. A language o' the hands, and," He nodded to Astrid in remembrance of his lessons. "facial exprressions forr the deaf and harrd of hearin'. They will be stayin' with us forr at least six moons. It is mah hope that they will find a warrm welcome here and make Berrk their futurre home. Let's feast!" declared Stoick the Vast.
Astrid was busily doing her job interpreting for her mother, wondering where the deaf young man whom she was hired for was. She then saw Stoick place a finger under the chin of a young man on his right to raise it up, and waved to Astrid to approach the table.
Hiccup's expression froze neither in shock or dismay. His breathing however momentarily stopped and perhaps his heart as well. There before him was the very definition of beauty. A loveliness so profound his soul flew to the heavens, and he completely forgot his despair over his lost hearing. Then blurring hands snapped him back to the Earth with a heart-wrenching crash. This was no hag of an interpreter, and he sorely hoped the vision of beauty before him had not heard his earlier, vile comment.
Stoick, through Astrid, formerly introduced Énjal to Hiccup. Énjal leaned forward to take a peek at the Chief's son and puzzled over why he looked so distressed. Hiccup caught her movement out of his peripheral vision and turned to her. She gave him a great warm smile and waved. He simpered back with chagrin and returned her wave. That much Hiccup could understand. Énjal recognized marvellous intelligence in his green eyes and a caring heart in his embarrassed humility. Why would my future son-in-law be so ashamed? She wondered, and she surprised herself with this thought.
Stoick then waved to Astrid to approach the table and sit next to Hiccup. "Hiccup, this is Astrrid Hofferrson. The interprreter I hired." She busied her hands with the introduction which was lost on the boy. Hiccup shamefacedly hunched his shoulders, and not knowing what to do just sheepishly waved and said in a very clear sounding voice, if perhaps a little loud, "Hello. My name is Hiccup."
For Astrid, this just set off a whole bunch of alarm bells. This boy could speak. And not with the consonant missing accent that some deaf or hard of hearing individuals could vocalize with. He was clear, and articulate. She must have misunderstood the chief. Mistaken his son for the deaf young man Stoick had hired her for. Now she spoke, "I'm sorry. My name is Astrid Hofferson, and you are the son of the Chief. Is that correct? Where is the young deaf boy I am supposed to interpret for?" She asked aloud. A blank look met her gaze. "Hello?"
That last word Hiccup could lipread and he finally clued in. "I'm sorry. I didn't hear a word you said. You see, I lost my hearing about a week ago."
Sign of the Chapter - Embarrassed: Using your dominant hand, start with an open claw shaped hand, touching the fingertips to the side of your jaw, squint your eyes as if emotionally pained as you curl your hand into a fist until your knuckles rest on your jaw, as you lightly tilt your jaw into your fist as well. Embarrassed.
