Well it has been awhile... I can't even claim writers block as this has been ready for awhile now, but my already done chapters are fewer and my muse has left me temporarily then there was that tenses thing... hope you like it the mistakes are mine HTTYD is not sadly...
I wake and the first thing I notice is the fact I'm not alone. An arm that is too pale to be mine is supporting my head like a pillow, another arm is possessively holding on to my stomach and my right leg is tangle between two other legs, all and all it is a very comfortable position, instead of freaking out I decide that sleep is a better idea. Waking up some time later I can feel Astrid drawing circles in my back, I blink the sleep from my eyes and giggle softly.
"I could get used to this..." I winch as Astrid lightly taps me on the shoulder.
"It's about time you woke up, come on lets get a move on," she said and I yawn and sit upright, Astrid moves behind me and puts on her boots, I notice my boots on the floor but don't recall taking them off, shrugging I put them on and get up only then noticing the absence of a shirt, I yelp and look around for it. Astrid giggled behind me and handed me a new shirt.
"I went to Stoick's place, found them on the table with a basket full of furs." she explained while I put on the shirt. Smiling she walks out of the backroom and I follow her. As we exit we're met by an odd sight and a familiar voice. My grandmother is sitting on the stool in the forge, a smoking pipe in her mouth unlit, she smiles at us before asking us some questions.
"So please tell me Gobber owes me a silver?" She asked, her tone that of a mischievous child. Astrid gasps and looks confused I produce an interesting look of my own, confused goofy grin.
"Owe you a silver for what grandma?" I shake the expression of my face. Heidrun laughs and her eyes twinkle.
"Well, Gobber and I have a pool going, actually a couple pools going," She says as she rocks herself into a standing position. "Gobber has a silver on her running away, I have a silver on banishment," Astrid blanches.
"Why would I get banished?" she asks, there was very little fear in her voice, I figured that was because she was planning on leaving anyway.
"Oh I don't know deary, but that's what the bones say, I might as well make a silver off it," Heidrun explained with a smile. "The other bet, which I won thank you very much Hiccup, was if you would raid the village or not," She says while beaming at me. "and the last pool was for if you would get her pants off..." Both of us blush beet red. Astrid just shakes her head and I say the first thing that comes into my head.
"How would I get Astrid out of her pants..." I scratched the back of my head "if anything she would be the one getting the pants off me..." which earned me a punch to the shoulder. I rubbed the soon to be bruise. "What I figured that would be included in the locked in the basement strategy," I add, which only earned me a death glare. I figured I would quit while I was only slightly behind. Heidrun laughs through the entire ordeal.
"Well that was my bet, Gobber has money for the other way around." She smiles at Astrids annoyed look. "Well deary It wasn't hard to figure out, Gobber has told me all about your questions, for every question about the forge, you ask three about Hiccup." She sighs contently and then motions for us to follow.
"Well you two are up now, lets get some lunch, and I would like to meet that dragon of yours." Heidrun smiled, before leaving the forge. With the mention to Toothless I take a look to where he was suppose to be, some guard he was. "I think you will find him wandering the village, I noticed some one scratched 'Toothless was here' on the side of your cousins house," Heidrun said and I pale a little, that was one way to let the village know they got raided. We made our way through the village and found Toothless scribbling obscenities on the Thorson house... potty mouthed dragon. We then travel to a familiar door, which I inspect the fire damage caused by a Monstrous Nightmare.
"That was the night it happened wasn't it?" Heidrun asked softly beside me, I simply smile and nod. Opening the door, my grandmother shooed us inside and invited Toothless in. It was a tight fit but the dragon entered and Heidrun takes a good look at Toothless.
"So this is the mighty Night Fury, smaller then I expected," Toothless huffs at this. "Well you are the offspring of lightning and death, I suppose that would help you be fast and silent." She says with a smile. She points out seats and heads into the kitchen, bringing back a loaf of bread, a hunk of cheese and a platter of fish, she then places a raw fish in front of Toothless. We ate in silence and when we finish, I could hardly contain all my questions.
"So why are you here? Isn't dad naming Snotlout his successor? And doesn't that mean you have to give your blessing?" I blurt out quickly, and feel like a four year old bouncing up and down in his chair. Heidrun smiles softly and nods.
"I am here because I live here, and yes he is naming Snotlout his successor," She smiles thoughtfully "And yes normally I would go to the Gathering and give my blessing, IF I agreed with him." she adds, I gave her a bewildered look and she laughs softly. "Stoick is flying solo on this, as he did when he banished you," Both Astrid and I gasp. "Normally he would consult me before making such a decision, he acted rashly and now he gets to sleep in the bed he made." She looks thoughtfully over to Toothless "There was much we could have learned, from both you and your dragon friend, we could have banished you afterward, but your father did not wait for a proper explanation, or consult anyone, he simply acted." She smiles sadly.
"And if the bones are right, he will make someones bed for them as well," she gave a shrug. "But it might all work out in the end." That was the one thing I hated about my grandmother, the cryptic statements. Astrid however put two and two together.
"You mean me don't you?" Astrid asked, an eyebrow cocked "You said the bones told you banishment, and now your saying he will decide something for someone else?" Heidrun smiles lightly.
"Nothing is certain, the bones can be wrong, heck even telling you this could change them, or set you on the right path," She gave a whimsical smile. "either way I have a present for you deary, it was Hiccups mothers, I want you to have it." she reached into the folds of her cloak and pulled out a small box and handed it Astrid "Consider it a gift, if the gods are on your side, then it is a gift to two Vikings, and if not then a gift to those I may never speak of..." she finished sadly. We talk for awhile about the events in the village, apparently the guards would not be needed and Astrid had to pull every favor in the village just to remain.
We left Heidruns house three hours past noon and Toothless was pestering me for a flight.
"So, Astrid, would you like to go to the cove with Toothless and I?" I tried for suave, and failed miserably. Astrid giggles and nods.
"I would like that, that way I can show you your present," she said and I clambered onto Toothless, then gave my hand to Astrid to help her climb behind me. She hugs me tightly and I motion for Toothless to take off. After a short flight we enter our cove, and that same feeling of ease washes over me. Astrid leads me to the stone that she used to wait on, so many months ago.
I notice it before we even get close, It was a statue. It stood three feet tall, made out of a black rock. It was the likeness of Toothless and I, Toothless in flight and me with my arms up in celebration. I ran my hand over the statue.
"He did this? How? I didn't think he got this good of a look at him." I asked amazed. Astrid shrugs.
"I think he has the same weird thing you have, either way he carved the entire thing right down to the saddle." She looks at me while I was staring at the statue.
"The big one did this?" Toothless pipes in, I smile before turning to Toothless.
"Yes Toothless, Fishlegs did this." I look over to see Astrids concerned look. "What they didn't tell you he can talk...think?" Astrid gave me a look of disbelief. "Can you try it with her, Toothless, I can tell her what to do." Toothless looked from Astrid to me.
"If she is going to live with us in the future it would be better if we started now," Toothless sat down and waits for me to explain everything to Astrid.
"Astrid we're going to try something, I need you to take big deep breaths and relax," She gives me an annoyed look.
"Okay now your getting creepy even for you, remember I can still beat you up." I flinch and laugh timidly.
"Please Astrid just trust me, Stare at Toothless, breathe deep and relax" She gives me one more annoyed look, shaking her head, she does as I ask. It was a few minutes and then she flinches.
"Ok that was weird..." Toothless snorts, I watch the pair of them. Astrid stands stock still and then broke out laughing.
"Great Odin's ghost he can talk," she calls and Toothless snorts, and I smile. We spent the rest of the day slowly having Astrid chat with Toothless. Before long the day had passed and the weapon remains unfinished.
The raid that was planned to happen within two days turned into a four day raid. Each day Astrid forced me to list off items that would make my life easier, then we would break into the various homes that contained said items. I pointed out that they would notice them missing and Astrid just laughs.
"And what will they say? I will tell them I was in the forge the entire time with the doors closed, its still to cold to have them open, and your grandma? She wouldn't say anything anyway..." Toothless croons in agreement before adding.
"I really, really like her" Toothless nudges his snout into Astrid side. "can we keep her please!" Astrid growls and Toothless licks her face, it was nice to see someone else covered in dragon slobber. I laugh but it quickly turns into a squeal of terror as both Toothless and Astrid turn on me forcing me to flee.
It was the fifth day before the weapon was complete and on the first test it worked perfectly, and only pinched my thumb once. Astrid and I made as many of the small arrows as possible, after about thirty or so we called it quits and spent the last few hours in the backroom talking about the future, which is when Astrid made her declaration.
"Your to pick me up on the first snowfall" she says seriously "That gives me plenty of time to say goodbye, and to gather anything else I can think of." I gave her a thoughtful look and smiled. She fiddled with the box my grandmother gave her.
"What did she give you Astrid?" I ask, my curiosity getting the better of me. Astrid blushes profusely. She opens the box and my eyes bug out. It was my mothers wedding ring, an heirloom passed down for generations. Inscribed on the inside of the box was 'The death of a family line is a terrible thing, I pass this on to you in hopes that this is not the end.' it takes me a few minute but I finally understand what it meant, grandma still saw me as blood, still a Haddock, she just couldn't acknowledge that.
The ring itself was beautiful, in the center was the Haddock seal, A dragon locked in battle with the depiction of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the first. Astrid wore a bright smile.
"Told you, your mine..." she jabs her finger into my chest "...and don't you forget it." Astrid takes the ring out of the box, and places it on her left hand ring finger, my goofy grin appears while looking at her. Astrid kisses me eagerly and I return the affection, pulling back, Astrid smiles.
"I wont wear it all the time, just so no one freaks out on me, but come winter your mine, if you forget about me..." I hold my hands up in protest.
"I know its off to the dungeon with me," I cant help but smile. "so that means your going to be miss Haddock the outcast?" I flinch as Astrid gives me a death glare, which softens into a soft laugh.
"How about miss Haddock of the Island of berk, to hell with the village." she gives me an honest smile. Winter cannot come soon enough.
Muahahahaha, almost to another big change... but that's still later... I was trying to decide how, but I have that chapter, though I still need to add to it...