(( Welcome. This chapter is not very important, I just wanted to get something out there for you awesome guys. I got some good responses from my last "chapter" when I finish this story (which won't happen for a while) I will write the "Two clans" story. Though I would like more comments on it, do you guys really want to read that, and if not, do you have any suggestions? Now, enough ramble. Have a good read.))

Chapter 36

Getting a new shape.

The warms air of the summer evening was intense. At least for the boys and girls who was forced to battle in the arena. Astrid sat on a pile of crates and watched over the fighting pre-teens. She shouted commands and complimented the students every time they did an exceptional good work.

It had passed two months now since her hunt, and her stomach seemed to grow bigger by the day. It was a tough job to train the younglings, and she felt how she soon wouldn't be able to perform even the easiest lesson without risk of hurting herself or the child.

It had been an awfully warm summer, and the warmth still lingered on, even as they approached the early autumn. The summers on Berk was short and intense, much as the people who lived there.

She looked down at the kids again and shouted.

-Shield wall!

Half the group gathered in the middle, some of them hunched down and put up their shield in defense, some stood up and did the same.

-Anne! You're in charge. Make the wall hold.

The small blonde girl nodded at Astrid and waved her sword around and ordered to close the gaps in the wall.

Astrid looked over at the rest of the group, those who did not have a shield as their first weapon of choice.

-Torvald! You're in command of the stormers, make the wall break.

The black-haired boy nodded at her and gathered his forces around him, the ones who wielded heavy, two-handed weapons was put in the front and the ones who had for example two smaller axes stood behind.

-The group who does the best job will get rewarded. Begin whenever you're ready.' She said and clapped her hands.

Torvald raised his axe and shouted a fierce battlecry. The stormers started running towards the wall.

-Hold tight! Hold it!' Anne shouted from the front of the wall.

When the stormers was about two yards away they jumped and threw themselves at the wall. They chopped with their axes at the wooden shields and tried to rip it apart.

-Swords!' Anne yelled and all the students in the shield wall pointed their blunted weapons out between the gaps in the wall. They struck with their swords at anyone who came close enough, but they never left enough space for the attackers to hit back.

Anne looked up at Astrid and smiled, and Astrid smiled back.

Lower!' she shouted and the ones who stood hunched struck out with their shields in the height of the stormer's knees. Many of the fell to the ground with surprised grunts and was "killed" by the ones in the wall.

-Forward!' she shouted again and the wall started to advance forward, "cutting" down their enemies.

-Torvald did not give up though, he himself was a skilled fighter for his young age, he managed to get the edge of his axe around one's shield and ripped him to the ground. Then he struck at another, and though the axe was blunt he still left a deep crack in the wood. Those who had two weapons started to mangle the shields with rapid blows and managed to "kill" a few.

Anne gathered her fighters and every time someone fell he or she was immediately replaced with another. At last, after about twenty minutes the numbers of stormers had decreased dramatically and Astrid blew the fight over.

She jumped down from her crate and walked over to Anne, she took hold of her wrist and raised it into the air.

-The shield wall have been victorious!

All the students applauded, even the ones who lay on the ground with hurting limbs and bodies.

-May I have a word with you after lesson?' she whispered into the girl's ear.

-Yes mistress.

-So, you are dismissed, have some rest and we'll see each other tomorrow.

-Yes lady Astrid!' the kids shouted in unison.

Anne stayed as the others left. When they were alone Astrid took tone.

-You're a very talented leader, your performance of the shield wall was superior anything the other students have shown.

-Thank you milady, I want to be just like you when I grow up, so I train extra hard.

-That shows! I recon you and the others in the wall have practiced after lessons too? It's not just to give a single-word-order and the get it at once.

-No milady, I gathered them every evening for a week, just to get this right.

-Do you know what wins battles?

-Strenght… and stamina.

-No, battles are won with your mind, you need to think, and you need discipline. Since you were the last to act leader, and the best at it too, I will hereby make you the official leader of the wall, you have all the others under your command, but you will still follow my orders without hesitation. Are you okay with that?

The girl's eyes was shining, she looked very happy. She dropped her sword and shield at the ground and hugged Astrid.

-Thank you milady, I will not disappoint you.

-I look forward to fight with you in a real battle, just think of it. When you and the others are of age we will sail vest, to the mainland, and we will raid along the coasts and stroke fear in the heart of the inhabitants.

-You can't fight anymore… you are having a baby, you will be a mother.

-You don't think I will fight?' Astrid said surprised and raised an eyebrow at the girl.

-No, you're far too precious, you will be chieftess, and you will have to take care of the child.

Astrid chuckled a little.

-Hiccup will have to be the mother in our relationship, I won't stay home when everyone else goes out raiding…

-But he's going to be chief…

-And I'm his wife, but I'm also Astrid Hofferson the fearless. Nothing is going to take that away from me, even if I'll be forever pregnant I will find a way.' Astrid said and flinched her hair over her shoulder with a nonchalant gesture which made Anne giggle.

-Now, dear student. Get home and eat something, you're almost as skinny as my useless husband…

-Haha, thank you milady. See you tomorrow.

Anne ran out of the arena with her shield and sword and squinted happily as she turned around the corner.

-Who did you call useless, love!?' Hiccup shouted from the bleachers around the arena.

Astrid looked up and smiled happily.

-My future chief, I think he's a real prick!' she shouted back with a happy voice.

-Oh, why so, my love?

-He makes me fat…' she said and gestured at her stomach.

Hiccup walked through the gate and embraced her. He smelled of coal and iron and sweat.

-How was your day darling?

-Well, me and Bran had a long discussion about girls, he thinks I'm some kind of master at the subject… for some reason.' He said and pulled her closer.

-Was it you or Bran who started the conversation?

-He, actually.

-Who's the lucky one?' she said and nudged him in the side.

-I don't know, he said she's in the shield wall, and she may have blonde hair…

Astrid laughed and started to walk around the arena to pick up leftover shields and weapons that the sloppy students had left behind.

-The gods plays a little game at our island, the story repeats itself.

-Huh?

-I think the red-haired boy means Anne, the best warrior of her age. Don't you recognize the pattern?

Hiccup stood there thinking for a second then he smiled at her when he got it.

-Haha, ye, it's exactly the same…

-Haddock you lazy bugger, help me clean up here, I want to get home.

-You're a Haddock too, how many times do I have to remind you?

-Forever dear, forever.

(( Thanks for reading, expect a new chapter soon. Stay tuned!))