Hiccup wasted no time in getting to work on the Dragon Races, spending a good deal of time after the party working out some ideas for the Dragon Race with me before we finally ended up going to bed, comfortably in each other's arms. It was early morning when we both woke up with a goal in mind, heading towards the Academy on our dragons to lay Hiccups plan into motion before the sun had even crested the horizon.
The idea stood strong, there would be three tiers of races: casual, intermediate and expert. That being said, we adapted some of his ideas and expanded on them. To be eligible to be a Berg Guard Rider for either the Auxiliary or Tertiary Teams, you had to win the Expert level races which would include riders like myself, Hiccup, Snotlout and the other experienced riders. It would still be a capture the sheep idea, but there would also be certain routes a rider had to take that required a certain level of expertise.
The casual level was meant to help anyone looking to learn proper riding and coordination with their dragon; there would be a winner here, but the casual level was in good sport. This was solely capturing the sheep around the main peak of Berk and the town, no real danger zones or risk.
The intermediate level would be used to help get people more in tune and experience more complicated races, like going through a forest or the sea stacks. This level had two categories, capture the sheep and speed racing. This would be more competitive but still allow a bridge for casual riders to learn and gain more experience.
"I think this may work, Astrid." Hiccup says, walking up to me, outlining several different paths around the island.
"Me too, think we can get one organized today? I think it'd do everyone really well. We can keep it just with the riders and try out the Expert course. Sven should still have the locations for the sheep launchers with Gobber, and Bucket and Mulch love announcing them." I say, placing a hand on his shoulder as he nods. The sun was just starting to rise, and we had gotten so much done. I think this was as much for him as it was for the people, and that was okay.
"Yeah, I do." Hiccup answers, pecking me lightly on the lips as I hold his vest when he pulls away.
"One thing, this time, Hiccup." I say, narrowing my eyes with my lips curling into a smile.
"Just the one?" Hiccup teases as I roll my eyes and laugh.
"For now. This race, I want you to give it all you've got; for you. Beat me, if you think you can." I playfully say, pressing my finger to his chest as he lets me push him back.
"Oh, ho, ho. I see, the mighty Astrid thinks she can keep up with Toothless and Hiccup at our fastest." Hiccup retorts playfully as he taps his finger against mine. "Are you sure you want to go this way, milady?" He asks slyly and I bite my lip, nodding.
"Absolutely." I answer softly, smiling.
"And what are the stakes of this private wager?" He asks and I shrug, smiling.
"I'll tell you when I beat you." I retort and he smiles, nodding slowly.
"So be it, I look forward to it." He answers, pecking me on the lips again. "That said, let's go spread the word. We've got a big day today, let's make it our most epic race yet." Hiccup says and I nod.
Together, we both break away and head in varying directions around the city. Hiccup rounded up Sven, Gobber, Mulch and Bucket. Giving them the full low down and using them to spread the word while I rounded up the riders and gave them the information. The race was going to start before high noon and was going to be a big one. It didn't take much to get everyone excited about it and before long we all found ourselves back at the Academy where the rafters had been built.
"Alright, gang. Here's what we're looking at. Eight total laps with the first seven being the build. A total of eighteen sheep will be grabbable during these laps, all worth one point. Only Sven's sheep, which are all marked. No other sheep, no changing their dye." Hiccup begins as I follow his gaze towards the twins.
"Why does it seem like he is staring at us?" Tuffnut quietly asks Ruffnut who shrugs.
"The eighth lap will launch the Black Sheep, which is worth ten points. Once the black sheep is bagged, Race is over. Course takes us through the surrounding sea stacks, the glaciers, the forest and the whispering death tunnels below. This is the expert level course of the races, and will be the first line to what we consider qualifications to become a member of the Berk Dragon Guard. Any questions?" Hiccup asks as Tuffnut nods.
"Yes, question. Will there be explosions?" Tuffnut asks as I sigh.
"No, Tuff." Hiccup answers, shaking his head as Tuffnut gasps.
"Why in Thor's name not? There should be explosions. How many explosions do we dodge on a daily basis? What about harpoons? Nets? Boolas?! Let's make this Expert Level course worthy of the name; Expert!" Tuffnut exclaims as Ruffnut nods.
"Uh huh, I concur! There should also be catapults and arrows… with paint, of course. Dragonroot wouldn't make an effective race…" Ruffnut adds as I think on it briefly.
"That's actually not all bad." Hiccup admits. I agree for the most part. "Alright, we'll revisit that idea later, for now. No, no explosions, arrows or anything like that." Hiccup answers.
"Okay, if the Twinidiots are done with whatever that was, I've got a question. Are you going to race, and if you do, are you going to actually race for yourself?" Snotlout asks Hiccup directly as I glance to Hiccup with a smile. His gaze finds mine and his lips curl into their own smile as we both slightly nod.
"Yes, indeed. Snotlout. I will be both racing and scoring my own points." Hiccup answers and I smile.
"Uh, oh. Trouble in Hiccstrid land?" Snotlout says sarcastically, standing aback and glancing at me as I shake my head and groan.
"Not even remotely, Snotlout." I say through a sigh, though I withhold my growing desire to punch him in the gut.
"Okay, okay. Back up, it's just some friendly competition between betrothed. It happens all the time before Viking Unions, come on, guys." Fishlegs adds as Hiccup and I shrug in unison, our gazes still softly on one another.
"Alright, head to your pens, that'll be the set-up areas. Set up your paint and be ready." Hiccup says and everyone nods, heading towards their given dragon pens in the academy. I can already see people starting to filter in as Bucket and Mulch and their Zippleback have already found their way to the announcer's chair. As I make my way to Stormfly's pen, I hadn't noticed Hiccup followed me with his own bucket of paint until I turned around.
"Hope you don't mind sharing?" He asks softly, setting the bucket down and walking up to me, kissing me lightly on the lips as I smile, shaking my head.
"Not at all. What's mine is yours. Here, let me help you." I say quietly, dipping my fingers into his red paint and running it across his cheek in his customary, simply, double lines. He smiles as I finish the second cheek and nods.
"Let me help you." He whispers, and taking my own paint, glides his finger across my face, helping outline the design he had memorized. While doing so, I noticed a dagger on his left forearm gauntlet, the same one that I had made for him. It made me smile seeing it incorporated into his suit. I wore mine in my boot. When he finished the design, I took his hand and leaned up, kissing him softly under the safety of the dragon pen.
"Good luck." I whisper against his lips as he smiles.
"To you, as well." He answers before pressing his lips to mine. We linger a moment before parting and during towards our dragons. We spend the next while painting our dragons in a comfortable, passive talk with each other about the day and race to come. Before long, we hear the first bell and as I peer out, I can see the rafters have filled with hundreds of Vikings and even more perched dragons. This was going to be a race to remember.
I can feel the rush of blood through my body as we all stand on our dragons, ready for the bell to be told and the race to start. The sound of the chanting Vikings and roar of the countless Dragons perched as they watch their Alpha and other riders' race. It was a different sort of rush as I glanced to Astrid who knowingly returned the gaze to me right before the bell told. There was a thunderous cheer echoing around as all of our dragons kicked off.
To no one's great surprise, Astrid and I were in the lead, bolting off with a speed unmatched by any other dragon. Stormfly was doing well to keep up with Toothless, though she was struggling. Snotlout, having the fastest dragon next, was not far behind with the twins and Fishlegs trailing. Ultimately, Astrid and I both knew this race was between us. A little friendly competition to get the blood pumping in a way that wasn't related to physical contact. I welcomed the challenge she put forth and intended to give it my all.
Darting down from the Academy, we maneuver through the sea stacks as we see where the first sheep had been placed by Sven. Up on top of a sea stack narrow bridge. Impossible to land near and challenging to fly around with the gusts. Bring slightly in the lead, Toothless and I darted towards it and did one of our customary moves. Locking his tail, I leapt off his back and snatched the sheep mid-flight as Toothless flew underneath the bridge. The momentum carried me all the way to the other side as I soon found myself back on Toothless again, though in the moment without swift tail control, Astrid had taken the lead.
Circling back around towards the forests, the next sheep was apparently in a tree, and with Astrid in the lead, she was poised to take it. Leaping off of Stormfly, she grabbed a vine and swung through the branches, grabbing the sheep and landing back on her dragon and granting me a playful gaze. We were one in one. Much like the first sheep, her brief departure from her dragon was enough for me to retake the lead. The first lap only having the two sheep. The second, fourth, fifth and seventh laps having a third sheep. We made our first pass and dropped our sheep into our respective nets, starting the second lap.
Shockingly, the twins beat us to one of them, while we each took one of the other two. We were so engrossed with the race, I wasn't sure what happened but I am almost willing to bet that Fishlegs and Snotlout are giving Ruffnut their sheep again. Toothless and I were working up our blood pressure by the third lap where the twins grabbed another one, though this time I saw Fishlegs toss Ruffnut his sheep. Internally I laughed at Snotlout's comment as he and Fishlegs were guilty of it themselves.
This second sheep was between Astrid and I and we were both racing towards it. She was pushing Stormfly to her top gear and they, in turn, were pushing Toothless to his max. It made us both feel good to feel the rush of the wind against us as we barreled towards this sheep. Toothless narrowed his wings and went into a high spiral as we nose dived towards the sheep, gaining speed on Stormfly before I swiftly changed positions and he opened his wings quickly, his finds helping us make sharper turns as we dart just barely ahead and snatch the Sheep literally seconds before Stormfly flies past it.
I glance back to Astrid who has a smile on her face as she nods lightly and zips past us. She was playing her own game, and whatever it was, it had less to do with either of us winning I think, though now I finally took the lead.
Rounds four, five and six went fast and I was working up a solid sweat underneath my suit as we chased towards sheep doing daring tricks and questionable maneuvers to get them. Astrid was not letting up and she stayed right with me the whole time. By round seven, she and I were tied at seven each with the twins at four, and Fishlegs and Snotlout at nil each. They had definitely been giving their Sheep to Ruffnut.
The horn for the Black Sheep bellows as Astrid and I glance towards each other. This was it. Either one of us win, or we let the twins beat us. Neither of us were going to let that happen and I had promised her to give it my all so my all I would give it. We darted through the Whispering Death tunnels up to the markets of Berk where the Black Sheep was launched into the air. Toothless and Stormfly neck in neck as we dived towards it, I locked Toothless's tail and leapt off him midflight, propelling myself ahead of him in a dive and springing my wings. I had since made them work independently of my arms, and thankfully, I had a few seconds lead on both dragons and grabbed the sheep quickly before flying back around and landing on Toothless who took off.
Ahead of me was Fishlegs who wanted to introduce Meatlug on Tail-bludgeon that I very narrowly dodged. Astrid was still right on our tail, and this time, ahead, I spotted the twins making a wall of fire that Toothless dived down to avoid only to narrowly avoid Snotlout and Hookfang as they lit up and attempted a hard wing gust to blow us back. The gust ended up hitting the twin's explosive gas, sending them back as I darted around the Nightmare with Astrid still hot on my tail. Though now, I had made it past the other three riders and only had to worry about Astrid as I raced towards the sea stacks. Coming full circle, it'd be the sea stacks to the victory finish. Though Astrid was hot in pursuit, she didn't seem to have a strategy for getting the Black Sheep into her hands with out I flew Toothless; trying to jump on his back was out of the question, and no straight up attacks were sportsmanlike.
I can see the ending and kick Toothless into gear, pulling away from Stormfly. She may have burst, but Toothless could maintain his speed for longer than Stormfly. Gaining a few seconds lead, I see the net and narrow the shot before dropping the Black Sheep down; straight into Astrid's net. She had won, glancing back at her, I can see her smile as she shakes her head, and we land in the Academy as Bucket and Mulch yell their hearts out.
"And you have seen it once again! The mighty, undefeated, Astrid Hofferson wins again! What a show, what a game!"
Astrid lands next to me as I hop down off Toothless while the other flyers come in for a landing. I can see her face riddled with sweat now as she is out of breath. Riding a dragon for competition was no easy feat and it really showed here; especially with all the trick maneuvers we did. She pushed me against Toothless and pressed her lips to mine, our tongues meeting briefly as I feel her heart racing like mine is. I hadn't noticed, but Toothless raised his wing to cover us from prying eyes briefly and as we part, I see that same look in her eye; that look of longing.
"Pens. Ten minutes." She says and walks away with a smile, heading towards Stormfly's pen and leaving me with the others.
"And go figure! Our great leader gives the win to Astrid, Again." Snotlout exclaims, landing near me.
"There is more to life than winning at a race. Besides, I won anyways." I retort and he groans. "Alright gang, we'll be holding another race in two hours. Long enough for everyone to go get food and a brief rest. Be back here in an hour and a half." I state and fly up to Bucket and Mulch, telling them the same thing. They make the announcement and it's met with a cheer as people start filtering out and heading towards the Great Hall. Flying back down to the pens, they were quickly emptied at the promise of food in the Great Hall, and I find Stormfly and Astrid in the pens. It seems she wanted her own intermission fete just between us, and I was all too happy to oblige.
