Hi everyone.
I thought I'd post this a bit early because I am looking forward to seeing what you think of the direction I'm taking. The reviewer Permanent Guest was surprised to see a Discworld reference, so I'm hoping to blow a few minds here. But I suppose this is Fan Fiction so you would expect a little strangeness now and then.
Chapter 13
The fire snapped and popped as the fresh logs Hiccup had just placed on top began to warm up. He sat back in his chair and picked up the dragon notes he had been reading, making a few corrections as he read. Maybe it would be better if he and Astrid could go to the Snoggletogs Eve Feast; but she needed him, and at least he was getting some of his backlogged work done.
At first he did not noticed the subtle change in the air for it happened very gradually, but eventually the sound of Astrid's breathing made him look up from his notes. Could she be getting ill? There was a roughness, a rasp that had previously not been there, and it forced him to hold his own breath and listen intently. Soon Hiccup had heard enough and he knew it was time to look closer. If Astrid was sweating or had a fever, Gothi would have to be told even if it make the young girl upset. Picking up the candle from the table beside him, Hiccup started to cross the room.
Since she still appeared to be sleeping soundly, Hiccup did his best to approach slowly and silently, for he did not want to wake her if it was not necessary. The first thing he checked was Astrids forehead to see if there were any beads of sweat, but what he saw instead made him question how seriously he had taken Astrid's earlier warnings. Hiccup's heart began to beat fasted when he saw the length of her nose had grown. Not only was it longer, but her nostrils were now positioned further forward, and the skin around them grew darker and darker with each passing second.
As if that wasn't strange enough, Astrid's ears also appeared to growing rapidly into sharp points covered in fine grey hair; or could it be fur? Once again Hiccup's heart rate increased as he watched the changes happen before his very eyes. Now he understood why Astrid had been so hesitant to tell him what may happen; if she had described this to him earlier, he would have had trouble believing her.
Hiccup's mind raced as he tried to put what he knew and what he was witnessing into some kind of coherent order. Astrid had told him this was related to her interdimensional journey to the Discworld the previous year; so what exactly had happened there to cause this? She had told him it was because of her exposure to magic, but what else could be responsible? There had been many stories told over feasts in the Great Hall, and during those stories Astrid had mentioned many strange and interesting people, if they could be called people; so it was possible one of them may have a connection.
Of course there was Rincewind the Wizard, he could easily take all of the blame. Then there was Cheery Littlebottom, the first openly female Dwarf in the City Night Watch. Like all Dwarves Cheery had a long luxuriant beard, but what grew on Astrid was definitely no beard. There was Constable Igor and Corporal Nobbs, but even though these two were barely human, Astrid's descriptions bore no resemblance to what Hiccup now saw. There was also Lady Vimes and her dragons, but she had not been at the Unseen University. Hiccup started to panic; the stress of the situation was building so he was finding it hard to remember all the things Astrid had told him after her return. Suddenly Astrid's heavy breathing stopped and a split second later, her eyes sprung open. There it was; the final clue to the puzzle. Instead of their usual bright blue colouring, Astrid's eyes flashed a brilliant yellow.
Captain Angua von Uberwald; the person in charge of the Night Watch team assigned to help Astrid, the person who was almost constantly by her side, the person who had accompanied her to the Unseen University, and a person who was filled with a personal magic of her own.
Captain Angua von Uberwald; Werewolf.
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Okay... yeah... I did it. I turned Astrid into a wolf
I look forward to your angry letters and threats on my person (wink)