Um…yep…late again. What else is new? There are only a few chapters left until the Romantic Flight! That's good news, right? Yeah…sorry this is so late. I was having a hard time with Wheel's latest chapter and that was to be updated first.

Review Replies:

warorpeace: Great question! Yes, there will be more reveals in the Hofferson family struggles coming up within the next several chapters. I would never introduce something so significant and then just leave it hanging. The grade level means nothing really. It's more so that I'm interested to know where my chapters stand on the Fleisch-Kincaid scale. There's a section on my profile (Yondaime Namikaze) that details what it means.

Toothless is best: Yes, keep reading first! You don't want to miss the Romantic Flight!

faisyah865: No, it's understandable to be excited. Two more chapters (after this one) until the Romantic Flight.

Guest (anonymous): Well, I haven't yet gotten flames for slow updates on this one, but it has happened on other stories of mine that have been deleted (for this very reason). I promise that neither this nor Wheel will be abandoned (though I do need to eventually outline the next few arcs of Wheel). This one is fully outlined (to an extent) and ready to be written. It will be finished. Some of my other stories though have suffered from the years-long hiatus, but these two will not. That I can say for certain.

Next chapter starts…now!

Chapter 37: The Cove

The cove was quiet and this comforted Astrid. She wanted no part of the loud celebration happening at this very moment in the village. I just need time to think, she tried to convince herself, but it didn't matter; that excuse was so far from the truth. So many thoughts and feelings ran through her mind as she took a seat atop a large boulder near the lake. There was no doubt that her parents had seen every moment. They know the truth now. I can't go back home! They'll question…everything's falling apart and I can't stop it from happening! All of the pressure, the need to be the best and fix all that was messed up; it was all too much and Astrid knew not how she would be able to weather it any longer. She had to, but how?

What am I going to say to my parents when they ask about this? Astrid wondered. There's no doubt that they will ask. Astrid knew that she could make up some elaborate story detailing why Hiccup was suddenly worthy of being deemed the best student by the Elder. Astrid also knew that she could just tell them the truth. Right now, though, the idea of fabricating an elaborate story was sounding much better than the truth. She did not want to know what her parents would say if they were to find out that Astrid was, indeed, inferior to Hiccup…especially in dragon training, something Astrid had been training for almost her whole life!

How Astrid just wished she could return to a more peaceful time when her family was content and their relationship was not so fragile and holding, seemingly, by such a thin thread. She knew that she couldn't though. No, she would just have to return home eventually and face the consequences. What am I going to do? I don't want to see their expressions of disappointment. There must be something! There was nothing.

Astrid knew that she would have to return home to that fateful conversation, but she would savor this moment for just a little while longer. Setting her axe down beside her, Astrid slipped down from the boulder and searched around the lake for a particular type of stone.

Finding a stone that she could work with, Astrid grabbed her axe from where she had set it, handle leaning against the boulder, and climbed back up to her previous location. This will work. I'll sharpen my axe and then return home for that dreaded talk. Hopefully by then my parents will have calmed down a little from today. Astrid planned to continue with this axe sharpening for a few hours because this was not a process that could be rushed. It was a delicate process and Astrid always enjoyed paying attention to the smallest details and making sure that all areas of the blade were perfectly sharp before finishing.

As she scrapped her stone across her axe's blade, Astrid's thoughts turned to her friends. I should have them trialed for treason! Throughout our whole childhood, they teased and harassed Hiccup. Now, he's top of dragon training and they love him as if they've adored him their whole lives…just like everyone else! They all think he's so amazing. Hiccup the Hero! Well, I refuse to believe it! To think that at one time I used to…well, I thought that I…In anger, Astrid applied a little too much pressure to her stone and a glaring permanent scrap shone prominently in the spot where she had pressed down just a little much. I should just concentrate on this for now.

The day passed and evening was quickly approaching; still Astrid was not finished. She continued grinding her whetstone across the blade. The sound of scraping mixed with the typical sounds of the woods calmed her and it wasn't long before Astrid's frustration began to slip away. However, all the frustration and painful memories returned when a new sound started to drift into the peaceful cove. It sounded like muttering and it was coming towards where Astrid sat.

Astrid halted her sharpening and listened, trying to figure out who was entering the cove. She heard snippets of a one-sided conversation. The person was saying something about leaving. Looking closer, Astrid noticed Hiccup's familiar green tunic. Wait? Hiccup is…leaving? Why? He won dragon training. He's top student. This is something he's always wanted. Hold on…is he talking to someone? It doesn't look like he's noticed me, so who is he talking to? Maybe he's talking to himself. This is Hiccup so that's definitely a possibility.

Keeping quiet, Astrid watched as Hiccup entered the cove and set down a large wicker basket. He looked different today. His favorite fur vest was gone and he was wearing some kind of leather harness. She listened as Hiccup continued his "conversation" about a permanent vacation forever.

Astrid's impatience was starting to get to her. She needed answers and by the Gods she would get them. Silently picking up her whetstone (which she had gently and carefully set down on top of the boulder when she'd first noticed Hiccup's approach), Astrid quietly placed it on top of her axe blade. Waiting a moment to see if Hiccup would notice her, Astrid sat stiffly in position. Hiccup was facing Astrid's boulder, but his focus was below it, at the basket which he had opened.

With one scrap of her whetstone across the blade of her axe, Astrid effectively grasped Hiccup's attention. She watched discretely as he startled and tripped over a smaller rock nearby. He then tried ineffectively to make small-talk asking Astrid why she was there. It's as if he's trying to cover up that little one-sided conversation of his, Astrid observed. There's no way I'm letting him down easy, though. Not this time! My axe is plenty sharp enough now to hack this scrawny boy to pieces if it comes to that.

Dropping the whetstone, Astrid lifted her axe, admiring how it glinted in the sun shining behind her. "I want to know what's going on," she began simply. In her mind, though, she rephrased her own words. I will find out what's going on and there's no way you can get out of it this time, Hiccup.

Yep, I totally just ended this chapter in the middle of a scene. If, by chance, anyone has read my one-shot "How I Met Your Dragon", then they'd know I've explored this whole sequence before. In fact, these next few chapters might sound like an extended version of HIMYD. I don't know yet, though, because I haven't started writing them yet.

Well, I'm slowly getting back into a writing schedule. This chapter is only half a week overdue. It's now summer for me, though (meaning I only have one job to worry about) so more time to write!

Coming Up Next: "No one just gets as good as you do. Especially you! Start talking!" A noise sounded from across the cove. A dragon! Why am I protecting Hiccup from this dragon? Before Astrid could think, though, her axe was thrown violently away from her, too far to pick it up again. Wait! Hiccup knows this dragon? I knew there was something very wrong going on with that boy! You are so busted, Hiccup!

Next chapter: I'll probably aim for this coming Sunday evening after 10 PM US East Coast time. Hopefully lots of HTTYD story updates from me as we prepare for next Friday!

Thank you all for reading and supporting Try To Be Brave!

Posted: June 5, 2014
I graduated from high school 5 years ago on this date!
(Class of 2009)