Chapter Sixteen – A Day at the Hot spring*

Finally! I know you've been asking me to add to the story so that it wouldn't be the same as the movie. It was a challenge because, I mean, what do you add to the original story, which I personally rate 10 out of 10? But, I thought a lot about it, and it's finally here! So, I hope you enjoy. If not, well, I don't blame you for liking the original movie more. (Heck, I do! I was just doing this as a creative prompt.) So yeah, enjoy! ;D

P.S. You can thank my friend, Marie, for helping me finish this chapter!

Moro sat on her rock, bathing in the early morning sun, silent in contemplation, her eyes closed. Her ears twitched as she listened to the soft murmurings of the wind. Today, the forest was quiet. She didn't hear much trampling of hooves. It seemed Okkoto would wait just one more day before attacking. She could also hear the humans in their village, setting out for their camp further upriver.

Everything would change come dawn tomorrow.

The wolf goddess knew she wasn't long for this world. The ache in her chest grew by the hour. She wasn't afraid of death. But with her gone, she wondered what would become of her tribe. What would become of her children? Especially Astrid.

Soft feet padded on the ground, approaching her, followed by a heavy drag. She didn't need to turn to know who it was.

Her elder two sons worked together to drag the remains of an ox in front of her. Finally plopping it down at her paws, they bowed their heads and she inclined her head to them in thanks. Astrid stood to the side, frowning.

She was worried, Moro could tell. Despite the girl's blank stare, her face and body language always betrayed a bit of her emotions. Her eyes watched every bite Moro took of the offered meat. It was clear she noticed the goddess wasn't having much of an appetite anymore.

Moro nodded for her sons to leave.

"Stay with me, daughter?" she asked.

Astrid approached obediently and knelt down beside her. They sat in silence for a while before Moro spoke.

"How are you?" she asked.

Astrid blinked. For as long as she'd known her mother, Moro didn't seem very concerned with sentiments. Chores were to be done, boarders protected, disagreements among the spirits quelled. There just never was really time for letting emotions get in the way. But now that her mother was asking her on the spot, Astrid struggled to feel any worry at all.

"Me? I'm fine! Just fine," she answered, a little flustered.

"You've grown a lot from that babe I found in the woods," the goddess said.

Astrid felt a blush of pride color her cheeks. Moro rarely gave praise. She never expressed favoritism at all. But as a child, Astrid was determined to keep up with her new family.

It was obvious the girl would never be able to run as fast as her brothers, or have teeth as sharp as theirs, or the strength and endurance to travel for miles without rest. But Astrid was a quick learner and picked up on their wolfish techniques with a zeal.

But aside from their tribe, Moro doubted the thought even crossed the girl's mind if she ever wanted something… more in her life.

Despite how Astrid chose to identify herself, she was inevitably human. She would have needs that the spirits of the forest simply did not. Even if the girl would adamantly insist that she didn't want those human needs appeased.

Well, the choice was up to her.

"Did you want something, mother?" Astrid asked.

Moro seemed to smirk. "I want you to spend some time with the boy."

Astrid looked up at her in surprise and confusion. "What? Why?"

The wolf nodded. "I want you to learn from him. He seems to trust you."

"Learn what exactly?" Astrid asked.

Her mother smirked but didn't answer. Sensing a greater lesson at play, Astrid didn't push for one.

The girl buried her face in her fur, nodding obediently. "Yes, mother. Just get better, okay?"

Moro sighed contentedly, "That's my girl."

…

"Where are we going?" Hiccup asked, following her deeper in the forest.

Astrid pushed aside more branches in their way, at first ignoring him before answering, "You were complaining about an ache in your chest. Well, it's not as powerful as the Forest Spirit's water, but it's still a good place for healing."

She looked back and realized he'd stopped to wave to a few kodamas. Astrid rolled her eyes and waved impatiently for him to keep up.

"Then the sooner you're healed, the sooner you get out of my hair," she muttered.

She didn't seem or notice or care when she let go of a branch and it smacked Hiccup in the eye.

Soon enough, the path opened up and she waved her hand.

"We're finally here," she said.

Sure enough, out of the steam appeared frothing pools of water. A thick layer of steam curling in the air, with an interesting smell that Hiccup couldn't place.

He was about to ask Astrid, but he froze and gawked at her.

Without a word, she suddenly started peeling off her clothes, her movements nothing but methodical. Hiccup quickly turned away, hiding his bright red face.

"Why are you looking away?" she asked, her feet dipping in the pool.

Hiccup still didn't look. He didn't want to replay in his mind how much of her well-toned skin he'd just seen. "No reason. Thought I heard something," he said as an excuse, pretending to be on alert.

Astrid rolled her eyes and huffed, "Humans are so weird."

Once he heard her dip fully into the water, Hiccup felt more comfortable taking sidelong glances at her, trying to resume polite eye contact.

"Don't just stand there," she huffed, rolling her eyes before dunking her head under water.

Sighing, Hiccup turned and slowly undressed, both to ease his aching muscles and be discreet. When he finally stepped into the water on his side of the pool, he almost felt like melting into it.

"Oh, wow. That's… That's good," he moaned in satisfaction.

"Right?" Astrid smiled.

They sat in peaceful silence, taking the moment to relax. They stayed mostly on opposite sides of the pool.

His eyes grew a little wider as he took in the scars that crisscrossed over her skin.

She caught him staring but didn't seem to mind. She smirked a little. "Most of them were my brothers' faults. We used to wrestle a lot as pups."

"Did they hurt you?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Only to help me get better," Astrid answered. She seemed to smile at a distant memory. "I was always the slowest one… It was hard to keep up sometimes, but mother was always patient. Strict but patient…"

Her eyes seemed to drift, and he caught her staring at his dark bruised arm. Hiccup asked, "Does my arm bother you?"

She quickly looked up at him and furrowed her brow. "No! Just… I was wondering… does it hurt?" she asked.

Hiccup shook his head. "Not really. Sometimes, my arm seemed to get a mind of its own and feel like its burning. But ever since I used it last time in Iron Town, it hurts less. I don't know if that's a good sign or a bad one…"

They relaxed in peaceful silence for a while, listening to the sounds of the forest. At some point, Astrid had drifted closer to him.

"What's that?" she asked, pointing.

Hiccup looked down at his chest, then remembered the necklace still hanging there.

"Oh. That's my sister's. Well, was my sister's," he answered, holding it out of the water. "I made it for her birthday."

"You made this?" Astrid asked, astonished. She swam a little closer.

"It was supposed to keep her safe…" Hiccup said with a frown, looking at it and his broken reflection in its surface, crestfallen. "She gave it back to me when I left."

Astrid didn't fill the silence with an apology or condolences. After a while, she spoke again.

"Do you miss her?" she asked.

Hiccup nodded, solemnly. "Of course, I do. I miss my mom, Gothi, even my old friend, Fishlegs. But with this curse, I would be a danger to them…"

Astrid pursed her lips. "If the curse was gone, would you return to them?" she asked.

Hiccup dipped his head in the water, slicking back his hair, then sat back and sighed heavily. "I don't know. I've only really thought about braving the odds of finding a cure. But even if I did go back, I'd still technically be a criminal. I broke one of our most sacred laws; never slay a god. And there's no erasing that from my conscience..."

Astrid frowned. Just for a flash, there was a glint of deep sympathy in her eyes. But it was gone before Hiccup was sure.

Astrid bit her lip and changed topic.

"You could have a home among those people," she muttered, although Hiccup couldn't tell if there was inflection in her voice or not. "You could probably have any share of the women there."

Hiccup almost spat out the water filling his mouth. Thumping his chest, he harshly swallowed it down. "Yes, well… While they are lovely people, but I don't think Ruffnut or her friends are really my type."

She cocked her head to the side. "Oh? So what is your 'type'?"

Hiccup frowned. "Beautiful. Intelligent. Fierce… Inhuman…"

And totally unobtainable…

He shook his head, pushing the thoughts away.

"Why the interest in my people?" he asked.

Astrid shrugged. "Just curious. I've never met a group of humans like yours before."

Hiccup glanced at the elk as Toothless shrugged. "Yeah, well, my village is supposed to stay a secret to the rest of the world, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone."

She nodded. "Understandable."

Just then, Hiccup suddenly felt a chill in his blood. His arm suddenly pulsed. There was a faint rustle, just behind them. Yellow eyes watching them…

Hiccup's heart suddenly leapt in his throat. "Look out!"

A long green shape leapt out of the brush and snapped its jaws on the spot they used to be. It hissed and flickered a forked tongue, narrowing sharp yellow eyes.

"What is that?!" Hiccup cried.

Astrid didn't answer him. She crawled out of the water and ran to get her spear where she left it, but the snake blocked her path, hissing at her.

It thrust and jabbed toward Astrid, narrowly missing her, making the girl dodge and summersault away.

For a moment, the two locked eyes with each other, glaring. But then it flickered its tongue and glanced at Hiccup, still in the water. Hiccup had no feeling in his limbs. He was frozen, but his thoughts ran rampant.

Was this another god? Or a demon? Would attacking only make things worse? Was this fate coming to claim him?

But there was no time to think. In the blink of an eye, the giant snake leapt at him, opening its wide jaws. A black hole awaiting him.

But this time, Astrid was faster. She made a wild jump in the air and grabbed the snake by the tail, pulling it just inches away from Hiccup's face. In fury, it whirled around, intent on biting her. Moving fast, Astrid grabbed it by the throat and wrestled it down. As they both struggled, they fell into the pool. The snake writhed in the water, splashing hot water and blinding Hiccup.

With nothing else to pin it down, Astrid opened her mouth wide and bit down on the side of the snake's neck. Blood seeped out, covering her face, but Astrid wouldn't let go.

Eventually, the snake's body stopped coiling in retaliation and was still.

Astrid didn't relax until she was sure it was dead.

Finally, she answered Hiccup, panting slightly, "That… was an uwabami, a giant snake." She wiped away the blood from her mouth, spitting wads of red spit with disgust. "They prey on animals and humans in small isolated groups. I had not seen one in many years… I'll have to tell mother about it later."

He stared at her with amazement that she could talk about an attack so calmly. "How did you survive all these years?"

She chuckled a little, the blood still staining her teeth making her look a little mad. "I learned quickly. Besides, I had a good family to look after me."

Which brought another question to Hiccup's mind.

"When I was with the people of Iron Town, they told me many stories about you."

"Oh?" she said, cleaning off her face. "What did they say?"

He pursed his lips. "They said that the spirits had stolen your soul."

She scrunched her face in annoyance. "Well, that's ridiculous. How can I be alive without a soul? Do they think I'm a ghost?"

"No, I mean…" He bit his lip, choosing his words carefully. "They basically believe that the spirits had brainwashed you, stolen your heart, your humanity... That you're a monster…"

She turned and gave him a long look. "Do I look like a monster?" she asked.

Hiccup swallowed.

Yes, she did. A very frightening, terribly beautiful monster.

He didn't know how to answer, so he said nothing. She didn't press for an answer.

…

It was a while later before they spoke again. To be safe, Astrid disposed of the uwabami's body further in the woods. After she returned, they both cleaned up and redressed, ready to head back.

The sun was setting in the west and casting a sliver of orange and pink on the horizon to a giant purple sky. A few stars winked into existence. The croaks of frogs sang a chorus somewhere, hidden in the dark expanse of the forest.

The two of them walked up a grassy hillside. A few fireflies wafted lazily in the air. Of course, Astrid looked beautiful even in this lighting. But somehow, this only made the weight in Hiccup's chest grow heavy again.

He slowed down in his stride and Astrid noticed. She looked at him curiously.

"Why don't you care about your life?" he asked softly.

Astrid blinked, a bit surprised by his question, but she supposed it wasn't inappropriate.

"Why do you care about my life?" she retorted.

Hiccup frowned in thought. "I just can't believe it's that simple for anyone to choose to throw their life away."

Astrid furrowed her brow. "Wouldn't you sacrifice yourself for your home? Isn't that what you chose to do when you shot Nago? You made a choice and put your home above yourself. How is that different from me and my cause?"

"It isn't," Hiccup answered, "But that's the point. You shouldn't aspire to be like me. Just look at me." He held up his arm in emphasis.

Astrid frowned at his arm, but shook her head. "I told you before, I am not afraid to die. I am willing to do anything. It's what needs to be done."

She moved to step around him when he suddenly reached out and gripped her wrist, squeezing it almost tight enough to form a bruise. The action got a reaction out of her.

"There is always a choice, Astrid. Always," he said, his eyes somehow soft yet sharp. "You don't have to continue a fight your tribe started. You may think that your home is the most important thing, but it's not. Because it's not who you are. Because you're better than this!"

"Better than what?" she huffed.

Better than me! He wanted to shout. But that's not what he said.

"Better than Okkoto. Better than Moro. Better than continuing this senseless fighting!"

Astrid's eyes flashed as she ripped her arm out of his grasp. "If you think I can just 'let it go' then you don't know me at all!"

She seethed as she stomped further up the path, but she slowed down, closed her eyes and took a deep breath, shaking her head.

"Why am I even talking about this with you? You wouldn't understand. You're an idiot," she said.

"You're one to talk," he muttered.

Astrid stiffened and turned.

"Something else you'd like to say?" she asked with a slight growl.

Hiccup felt like growling back. "For a girl who claims to be so wise, you're so willing to throw your life away."

She rolled back her head and groaned, "Why does my life matter to you so much?"

"Because unlike me, you actually have a chance!" he snapped. "A chance to make things right!"

"And what is that, Hiccup?" she yelled. "Run away like a coward? A lot of good that did you!"

"Says the girl willing to make a suicide run," he muttered, spitefully. "Admit it. In Iron Town, you didn't even have a real plan, did you? Even if you did succeed, you knew you'd never make it out of the village alive."

One of her brothers bristled at him in anger, growling threateningly. But the other bristled and shrank back a little, as though startled with shame. Astrid was somewhere in the middle.

She glowered darkly. "You humans are all alike," she spat.

He shook his head. "Maybe I shouldn't have expected the princess of spirits to have a heart."

Just for a moment, Astrid's eyes went big, her face slack with utter betrayal. A gasp hitched in her throat. If she did have a heart, it just broke in two.

Then her face clouded, returning to a wolfish snarl. She narrowed her eyes and glared.

"You're right," she growled, "I don't."