Chapter 12
Astrid emerged from her room later that day wearing her new "clothing" that Sara had laid out for her while she was sleeping. Of course clothing was a loose term because the outfit was very similar style to the other girls; breast bindings style top, bare stomach and short skirt with no leggings. The only difference between hers and theirs was hers was a deep red and the other girls were in black.
The benefits of being the Chief's girl I suppose. Astrid thought morosely.
She had no idea of what time it was but seeing the other girls quietly chatting with empty bowls spread out on the single long table told her it was probably sometime around the evening meal. Which meant she had slept most of this horrible day away.
The moment that other girls noticed her presence they instantly became silent. All eyes watching her as she walked over to the large pot at the end of the table hoping that something remained in it. Thankfully there was plenty of stew left for her to grab several bowls.
Astrid sat down at the table, setting the full bowl of stew in front of her which she wasted no time eagerly digging in to. It had been several days since she had an actual meal and the little bit of food that her and Ruff had found while on this island really wasn't enough to sustain a person. She quickly finished her first bowl and went to get another when she noticed the wide eyed stares of the girls had still not left her. All the girls eyes following her every movement.
With another bowl of stew in hand Astrid sat back down but instead of digging straight into the bowl she acknowledged the other women's stares.
Taking a deep breath, "is there something I can help you with?" She asked slightly annoyed that they wouldn't just say whatever was on their minds. A few of the girls looked back and forth at each other before the same raven haired girl from before decided to speak up. Their unofficial spokesperson it seemed.
"Is it true ma'am?" She asked still as hesitant as before.
Astrid cocked an eyebrow up and took a bite of stew, "is what true?"
"Sara…she told us that you ride a dragon and-and your husband is coming...is it true?" Her eyes begging Astrid to say it was.
It still felt strange to call Hiccup her husband but if the lie kept Chief Randolph away than she would keep it up forever. "She's right. I ride a Deadly Nadder named Stormfly and my friend Ruffnut was able to escape on her and she will bring them back here…" Astrid paused still not knowing what time of the day it was, "its evening right?" The girl nodded, "good, so they should be mid day tomorrow."
All the girls stared in shock at what she had said. Not knowing what to ask her about first. So instead Astrid decided to ask a few of her own questions.
"What is your name?" She nodded her head to the raven hair girl.
"Erica Eretson, ma'am."
"How old are you Erica?" A question that had been plaguing her mind about all of the girls here.
"I'm 17. Miss Astrid-" Astrid interrupted her, "just Astrid is fine."
"Ok, Astrid, I was wondering is the rider that rides a four winged dragon part of your group? Astrid stared at her in shock, four winged dragon…another rider?
"Where did you hear about a rider on a four winged dragon, Erica?"
"Well you see my cousin, Eret, he's-well…he's a dragon trapper way up north and he told me not long ago that a person riding a dragon with four wings kept releasing his trapped dragons. I-It's why I believed Sara right away when she told us about you."
Several thoughts ran through Astrid's mind at once, another rider? dragon with four wings? Before her thoughts could get any further the only exit to the room opened and Sara stepped in. She was carrying an empty basket propped on her hip.
"Oh, you're finally awake." She looked happily at Astrid's rested form.
"Yeah, I feel a lot better. Despite what I look like." Gesturing towards her battered body.
Sara set the basket down at the end of the table and as if they had been trained all the girls came over and deposited their bowls and cups inside. Before taking a seat at the table again. All eyes falling back to Astrid.
"So Sara tell me, how is it out there?" Astrid desperately wanted to know the state of the village. She needed to know how prepared they were getting for the arrival of the other riders.
She hesitated, "they…they are getting ready. I doubt we will be seeing any of the men tonight." A sigh of relief left all the girls mouths. Reminding Astrid again exactly who these girls were and why they would be so relieved that the men were busy.
Bastards.
"Ok, well that gives us a couple hours to plan as well, so first–" Astrid was cut off in her speech by the clattering of a soup spoon that Sara had dropped. Her eyes staring wide at Astrid in shock.
"P-plan…what-what do you mean…plan?" Her hesitant voice asked Astrid.
"Exactly as it sounds Sara, we need to come up with a plan on how we will help my husband and friends." Her eyes squinting as she watched the younger girl continue to stare at her wide eyed. "What…did you think I-we would just sit back and be rescued?" Astrid slowly began to stand before sweeping her eyes across the other girls in the room. All looking down, to scared to meet her eyes.
A flash of hot anger swept through Astrid as she looked around the room at the frightened women. All to afraid to fight for their freedom. She of course had sympathy for these woman's situation and the horrors they had been subjected to, but to not fight. It seemed impossible to Astrid.
"That's it huh? You all were just planning to sit behind these walls and wait to see how this all turned out. Wouldn't want to upset Randolph in the case that my friends lose huh?" Her angry eyes swept across the guilty faces of the women again.
"Astrid, please you don't know Chief Randolph as we do. He'll..He'll…"Sara trailed off tears chocking her words.
Letting go of some of her anger Astrid's face softened at the sight of the small girls grey eyes filling with tears. A spark of recognition filled her, wait…grey eyes…
She couldn't be…
"Sara…who is the Chief to you?" Her voice came out hesitant, praying what she thought might be the truth to not be true.
At her question the tears that Sara had been holding back fell down her cheeks. No longer able to stop them.
Oh Sara, please don't tell me…
"He-he's my…my brother." Her voice barely a whisper. "Randolph k-killed our Fa-Father to-to…" Sobs now racking her body as she dropped to the ground unable to finish.
Astrid stood in shock staring at the small submissive girl on the ground. The same girl she was starting to become very fond of. At first she thought the reason she never fought against the younger girl was because she had shown Ruff and her the first bit of kindness on this terrible island. Then she figured it must have been the fact that Sara was so much smaller than herself. It would be a completely unfair fight. It was only after she woke up from her sleep and had seen that her wounds had been cleaned and her clothing carefully laid out on the table beside her did she realize the real reason she was becoming so attached to Sara.
She reminded her of Hiccup.
Not the Hiccup of today but the one so many years ago; quiet, submissive and would do anything in his power to please others. The Hiccup that everyone looked over as useless and worthless. The same one she had looked over…
Looking down at Sara's hunched form she vowed to not look over Sara just like she had done to Hiccup. The man who saved their village and changed history. If he could do that, she knew Sara was capable of incredible things as well. Much more than the quiet servant she was now.
Kneeling down next to the small girl Astrid gently placed her hand on Sara's back and began rubbing gentle circles until her sobs quieted. Something she would have never done before Hiccup had showed her that caring for others and having them care for you in return did not make you weak.
"Hey, calm down Sara it will be alright. We're going to stop him!." Sara whipped her head up at Astrid's words.
"Don't you see Astrid, there is no way to beat him! He's to evil! My Father exiled him from the island for a reason. He saw the wickedness in my brother and didn't want anything to do with him, he made me the heir." Her hands balled into fists grabbing her skirt tightly. "Then he came back with all those monsters following him and that's when…when…"
"Which is all the more reason to fight him to win back your birth rite! This is your village Sara you-we have to fight to get it back." Astrid stood from the girls side and looked at the other girls in the room.
"I know you're all scared and I can't imagine the horrors you have all had to endure but I beg you, please fight with us. Fight for this village, fight for your freedom…Hel fight just to see those bastards corpses rotting on the ground. Whatever the reason, we need you…all of you." Astrid fixed her gaze back down on Sara's huddled form on the floor and extended her hand out to her.
"So are you with me or not?"
Hiccup stood on the wooden deck staring out into the ocean as the sun set. His Dad should be there anytime.
Another day passed and they're still gone. His heart constricted in his chest at the thought.
After spending several hours the night before sitting with Tuffnut in silence Hiccup went back to his hut and had stayed there the whole day until this evening. He didn't want to talk to anyone other than his Dad at the moment, so here he stood with only Toothless by his side, staring at the horizon desperately hoping to see the outline of Skullcrusher.
After what felt like an eternity he saw three black shadows heading straight for the Edge. For a brief moment for the first time in days Hiccup felt relief.
Help. Finally.
The other riders must have been watching as well from a distance because as soon as the three dragons got closer all the other riders seemed to materialize out of no where. All choosing to stand quietly behind Hiccup as they waited.
Scullcrusher and he accompanying dragons all landed on the deck with a loud thump exhaustion clear on their faces. Hiccup watched as his Father quickly jumped off his dragon and approached him before stopping several steps away. The two men just staring at one another. Stoick's face filled with concern as he looked at the shell of a man that looked like his son.
Stoick was the first to break the silence around them, "we'll find them son, Scullcrusher will find them."
Hiccup's eyes for the first time in several days flashed with the briefest bit of hope. "You promise?"
"Hiccup, I–" Stoick was never able to finish because just then behind Hiccup Fishlegs let out a shriek and began pointing to the horizon.
All eyes quickly swung to where he was pointing, at the large shape heading towards them in a haphazard flight pattern. It dropped in altitude several times, wings flapping hard in obvious distress. All eyes widen as the dragon came into view. A deadly Nader. Stormfly.
"Oh Thor it's them!" Heather yelled elated that her friends were finally back home.
Normally everyone would have jumped onto their dragons and help escort their friends in but the shock of seeing them here after missing for several days kept them all grounded. The most shocked had to have been Hiccup himself. His heart felt like it was going to beat out of his chest with every beat of Stormfly's wings.
Closer and closer she got until she landed on the deck and promptly collapsed onto her side. Rolling her occupants off her back onto the deck hidden from view by her large body. The collapse seemed to shake everyone there of their shock and sent them all running towards the heavily injured dragon.
Hiccup rounded Stormfly first ready to gather Astrid up into his arms and never let her go, when he came to a screeching halt at the sight before him. Ruffnut, who had several injuries as well, was sitting on her knees her hands grasping tightly to the wooden boards beneath her, sobbing.
Hiccup's breath stopped instantly at seeing the solitary rider in so much emotional distress. Solitary. Only she came back, no Astrid in sight.
No…please no…
His mind raced as he tried to think of ways that this didn't end with Ruffnut telling him the love of his life was gone forever. It was then that Ruffnut finally lifted up her face to look him directly in the eyes, tears still streaming down her face.
"I'm so-sorry, I-I'm s-s-sorry…"
Hiccup couldn't hear anymore, letting out a gasp he collapsed to his knees in front of her.
So now that Ruff's back its time for everyone to find out what exactly happened while her and Astrid were on the island. And let me tell you, angry Hiccup is coming.
Also did you like the little nod to Eret, via his cousin Erica?
Thanks as always for the reviews, favs and follows!
