Author's Notes: Hello everyone and here is another great chapter of my beloved story; (corny I know). I have a few big announcements today: first I have successfully passed my exams for my course and will be graduating on December sixteenth, after that I will take a certification exam in January which will allow me to become a full fledged Central Sterile Supply Technician, with that certification I will be able to get a job in any hospital anywhere in the world. Though sadly I have not been able to get a job interview as of yet and if you could send me a prayer or two, I would be most thankful. Secondly, today is my birthday; 12/12. I am a whole year older, wiser and that's about it. Thirdly, Hiccup is fifteen and Elsa is sixteen in this chapter; they are getting older and their hormones will start to play a key role in future chapters. Thus I am announcing that I intend to change this story from a T-rating to an M-rating within the next few chapters. Oh yes, get ready for the fluff and make out scenes. So I must ask that whoever is reading this story from the selections of other stories that they change the filter to "All" instead of the default of "K-T", so they don't miss out on any future chapters. I would highly suggest that you add this site to your bookmarks or follow this story and receive alerts.
I would like to thank all of you who added this to his or her alert/favorite section and to those of you who gave a "review", I would like to give a shout out to those readers. Fantasylover4evr, Cloud4012, KtyouVsWriting, the-unknown-guardian, ravenx1988, supersandman86, orca3553, RiptideIsAwesome199, octaviangradius, parker and last but certainly not least Noctus Fury. And concerning reviews made by Wixeron and RandomReader7; we have worked out our differences and there is peace between us; just in time for the holidays. As for Criticzar, I have yet to offer a olive branch because of studying for my exams, so I apologize for that; expect one in the future. Whether you choose to accept it however is up to you.
Now onto my longest chapter yet, this will be the average size of my chapters henceforth. So here it is the chapter you all have been waiting for, the one with Hiccups leg.
Disclaimer: I don't own Disney's: Frozen or DreamWorks: How To Train Your Dragon.
Chapter 7
Confidence and Loss
He had shot down a Night Fury, he couldn't believe it, not only that but he had trained it and become friends with it. He had accomplished so much in just a few short weeks. Tomorrow was the qualification round to see who would be allowed to kill a dragon to become a true Viking. He grimaced at the thought of killing a dragon. What he had done was a major accomplishment, but he couldn't tell anyone, because they would most likely kill Toothless and then banish him or worse. If he was banished, he would hope that Elsa and Agdar would allow him to live in Arendelle.
As he settled into his chair and looked out the skylight of his room he noticed it was a full moon which gave him almost enough light to begin his letter, so to make up the difference he pulled a candle out of his drawer and lit it. The flame's light brightened the once darkened room and even gave a small feeling of warmth to the cool air around him. He grabbed his new graphite pencils which were a gift from Elsa from his last birthday. He remembered receiving the package and unfurling it on his bed. The canvas bag and the new paper and pencils neatly aligned next to each other. And next to the paper was a letter from Elsa asking him how everything was and how he was doing. Smiling at the memory he connected the pencil with the parchment and started to write.
"Dear Elsa, I can't believe it has been over a year since I last saw you and so much has happened to me in a good way. I shot down a dragon, but then released it because I saw myself in the dragon; scared and uncertain of its future and I could not kill it. It sounds weird I know, but if you were there you would understand. I have learned so much about dragons and they can be tamed and taught! We don't have to kill dragons survive; we can use them and co-exist with them.
I hope one day I can show you Toothless, he is amazing. He can fly to places Vikings have never gone before; we have flown through the clouds and even under the water's surface for a few seconds. I rigged up a harness and suit so I can steer him with my feet. I discovered that half of his tail was torn off when I shot him down, I felt horrible. I basically prevented him from flying, thus making him an easy target for my fellow Vikings or predators. I feel like I have found my true purpose in life and that is to educate people about dragons and to train them, the only problem is that no one else knows about Toothless and what I can do with them, well except you now. Over the last few weeks I used my knowledge of what I learned from Toothless to excel in dragon training, one could say I cheated, but I don't think I did. Everyone is so impressed with me and even Astrid took notice, either that or she is actually mad that the attention is not on her for once." Hiccup chuckled at the thought of Astrid looking flustered at him upstaging her in the arena. It felt amazing to be noticed and praised by his own people instead of blamed and ridiculed. "My father even gave me a real Viking helmet, horns and all. I feel like he is actually proud of me and loves me. Tomorrow though is the qualifier to see who gets to kill a dragon, now I will try and intentionally throw the match so Astrid can win. I would never be able to kill a dragon, not after having Toothless as a friend. If by the off chance that I win, I will most likely leave Berk and hope that you will allow me and Toothless to live with you permanently. I know your father might not be too keen with having a dragon around as a pet, but I will show him all the benefits and hopefully in time take you on a flight with him through the clouds.
I hope to see you soon if things work out that way, but in case my father accepts my idea which is a very long shot, and then I will see you later on. Well time to go to bed, I will need all the energy I can get for tomorrow's match. By the time you get this letter though, I will either be flying on Toothless to live with you or another letter will arrive confirming my father has gone with my idea. Till next time Elsa. Your Friend, Hiccup"
Hiccup looked the letter over and when he was satisfied with his work he prepared the letter for travel and made sure to give it to Trader Johann when it was dark and Snotlout was not around. After doing just that, he made his way to his room and prepared a basket for travel just in case he had to leave in a hurry. He took his journal, his most important tools to maintain the harness for Toothless, clothing, some old keep sakes and some dried food for the trip. Finally, he fell back onto his old wooden bed, let his eyes shut and let his mind wander to a world where dragons and man co-existed in peace.
"Elsa, you received a letter from Hiccup" Agdar announced at lunch and then handed her the letter with a small smile. Elsa took the rolled up parchment delicately and set it aside, not wanting her parents to think she couldn't live without Hiccup. She had to show her independence, she knew if she and Hiccup did get together in the end, she would have to live on her own without him for several months since he would have to go back and forth between Berk and Arendelle. She smiled at the thought of being married to Hiccup; she would finally have someone to share everything with without fear that she would hurt him.
After lunch was concluded she made her way to her room, once she closed the door and sat down at her desk she opened the letter and began reading, "Dear Elsa, I can't believe it has been over a year since I last saw you and so much has happened to me in a good way. I shot down a dragon, but then released it because I saw myself in the dragon and I could not kill it. It sounds weird I know, but if you were there you would understand. I have learned so much about dragons … Well time to go to bed, I will need all the energy I can get for tomorrow's match. By the time you get this letter though, I will either be flying on Toothless to live with you or another letter will arrive confirming my father has gone with my idea. Till next time Elsa. Your Friend, Hiccup"
Elsa smiled at the thought of Hiccup living with her permanently; she wouldn't have to think about that Astrid girl being near Hiccup. It seemed that no matter what, the odds were in her favor for once. If she didn't receive a letter Hiccup would be living with her and if she did, then Hiccup would be happy and she could visit him finally. "Not only that but he seems to have more confidence in himself, maybe he would be open to starting a courtship with me." Elsa thought.
All she had to do was wait for a few days, either she would see a dragon flying through the skies or another letter indicating Stoick made peace with the dragons. For the first time in a while Elsa felt happy and almost worry free. Then she heard a knock at the door.
"Yes?" She asked towards the door.
"It's me, Ms. Hornsby; would you like to continue your language sessions today?"
Tucking the letter away into one of her drawers, she hastily walked to the door and opened it to reveal Ms. Hornsby. She had gotten older of course and now her hair had started to grey.
"Yes, I would like that, please come in."
She moved out of the way to allow her greying teacher into the room.
"Thank you, your Royal Highness. Now you have done extremely well in speaking and writing the different languages, now you must identify and respond back to me in a quick manner." Ms. Hornsby replied taking out the desk chair and placing it in front of the bed. Elsa sat down at the end of the bed and watched as her tutor sat down in the chair and pulled out a book then opened it.
"I will ask a question in one language then you answer that question in the same language, then I will change the language and so on and so forth, understand?" She asked
"Yes, I am ready" Elsa answered back, flexing her hands nervously.
"Hur mår du idag Elsa?"
"Sverige." Elsa thought. "Jag mår bra tack." Elsa replied with ease.
"Very good Ms. Elsa, let us continue."
And so in a few hours of back and forth questions Elsa had correctly demonstrated that she could speak the native languages of the Kingdoms of Sverige, the Southern Isles, Suomi, Weselton and the Deutscher Bund nearly perfectly. All these countries were doing regular trading with Arendelle and when she would become Queen, she would have to keep up these ties with those countries, lest she wanted to embarrass or insult them by a fouled up word or two. Thus over the next few days she would have to learn everything from politics and having diplomatic relations to economics and basically running a country. Sure she had been learning this for over three years now, but for some reason the sessions became harder and longer.
"I really hope to see or hear from Hiccup soon."
The fog over the island had lifted revealing a wasteland of broken ships, catapults, and a now dormant volcano with one whole side caved in. It had been an entire day since their battle with the Red Death and there was much work left to do.
"Stoick, how is yer boy doin?" Gobber asked while looking down at the sleeping form of his student.
"He's alive, thank Odin." Stoick said as he stoked the fire, he heard hammers hit metal and wood being put into place to construct a ship to get off the island to go back to Berk. He looked down at his son, then to his amputated leg, grimacing at the thought of his son losing an appendage at such a young age. He, himself had been very lucky in that he never lost any legs or arms, not even a pinky. Now his son whom he had neglected over the years had saved them all from death and he did so without thinking about his safety. He and nearly everyone else felt ashamed for either ignoring or bullying him.
"Odin, if you let me son live, I promise to be a better father to him. I'm sorry for ignoring him for the sake of the village, I will make any atonement for my sins. Please, I beg ye." Stoick thought as he looked at his son, tears coming to his eyes at the thought of losing his only son. He knew just because he had survived the amputation didn't mean he couldn't die from an infection or something. The sooner they had fixed the fleet the sooner they could get Hiccup to Gothi to be taken care of. Now Snotlout had suggested that they take the dragons back and be ferried over one at a time. That could work, but the idea of leaving his people on an island alone, while he flew a dragon was unsettling. Even though the dragons had saved them from certain death, that did not erase the hundreds of years of warfare the two had done to each other. He did not trust them fully just yet. He will not get on a dragon until he believed them could be truly trusted. Trust cannot be earned from one single action, but only from multiple flowing actions and time in-between can it begin to heal the transgressions of the past.
Wiping a tear from his eye Gobber stroked his mustache and looked at his old friend. "Ye know ye should let his new friends come take a look at him, especially Astrid. She has been asking me questions about em for several hours and they are getting annoying, if ye ask me." Gobber said then moved to turn around.
"Friends? Oh Odin, what to tell Elsa! Her future husband is lying near death next to a camp fire and she has no idea. I must dispatch a letter as soon as possible to Agdar, but whom to send? Gobber? No, he would be needed to make a prosthetic limb for the boy. What about Spitelout? Can I trust him? Yes, he will do." Stoick thought.
"Gobber, how are the ships coming along?" Stoick asked jumping to his feet with renewed vigor.
Gobber stopped his turning and looked at his lifelong friend with a wide eye "where did this energy come from?" he wondered.
"Well, four will be done in about an hour and one is ready now, but only one person can fit on it since it was built with the leftover wood that was only partially burnt. Why?"
"It will have to do. Bring me Spitelout if you can, I need to have a word with him."
Gobber went off in search for Spitelout who should have been working on helping repair the ships. As Gobber did that, Stoick picked up a piece of paper, wood and a pencil that had fallen out of his son's vest. He needed to write the letter to give to Spitelout, to tell the King what happened and what he could do to help.
After nearly ten minutes he looked up to see his second in command walking his way.
"You needed to see me Chief?" Spitelout asked coming to stand in front of his chief.
"Spitelout I have a special mission for you. You are to take that small one-man ship and deliver this letter to the King of Arendelle. From there you are to escort Princess Elsa to Berk if that is what the King chooses. Understand?" Stoick asked in a commanding voice.
Spitelout looked at his Chief in disbelief, but did not speak his doubts about the mission. It was about time he went on a mission; it was getting boring from lack of battles. This would do him some good.
"Understood Chief" he said while holding out his hand.
Stoick gave the letter to Spitelout and patted him on the shoulder, "May Odin grant ye great speed. Now go!"
They walked over to the small boat which consisted of a simple sail and a wooden oar to steer, nothing fancy.
Spitelout nodded, boarded the smaller ship and rigged the sail. Stoick pushed the ship out into the sea and waved sending out his second command on this important journey. He should reach Arendelle in four days if he had good winds. Walking back to the camp fire he saw Astrid kneeling over Hiccup and inspecting him, not only her but the rest of the youths.
"Aye, what is this?" He asked aloud.
Startled the teens moved away from Hiccup all except for Astrid who stayed at his side.
"How is he Chief?" Astrid asked shyly.
"He's alive that much is certain, whether he stays like that is up to the Gods."
Nothing was said for a moment as Stoick's words sunk into the teens minds.
"Is there anything we can do Chief?" Fishlegs asked before kicking some sand pebbles off of the mat that they were standing on. Toothless perked up at the sound of movement, he looked at the pebbles then to Fishlegs. Fishlegs only waved his hand and stood completely rigid before taking a step back. Toothless' nose flared before going back to sleep near Hiccup.
"Yes, you and Astrid look after him and if he wakes up come get me immediately. You three come with me, we will help on the ships." He said pointing to Snotlout and the twins who naturally groaned at the idea of working.
After early afternoon, the ships were ready to sail. It would be a tight fit, but he believed he could get everyone home in one go.
"Now, be very careful movin me son!" Stoick yelled to the teens that were moving Hiccup on to the ship.
"Yes, Sir" they yelled back, in between their groans.
After securing the makeshift stretcher in place, the sails were cast and a strong wind was able to pull them off the shore and into the open sea with the amazement of everyone on board, "thank you Njörðr" Stoick whispered into the wind. Toothless bounced up onto the ship and curled around Hiccup, trying to protect his friend from the cold. The other dragons flew over the ships in a loose formation.
By nightfall they had reached Berk and Stoick carried Hiccup directly to Gothi who set upon preventing infection and cleaning the stump.
Gobber took measurements and started work on building a prosthetic limb and new tail for Toothless that would work with Hiccups new leg.
As Stoick looked down at his son who only groaned to let him know he was alive, he thought
"I hope Elsa is able to cope with all these changes, mercy I hope she can be calm around dragons."
Said dragons were perching on top of every building in sight, from the forge to his own home. "I hope I don't have to clean up dragon droppings tomorrow, Odin knows it was bad enough having the houses burn down, now it will smell like dead fish mixed with vomit. Trade one evil for another I suppose, at least this evil can't kill me." He said as he saw a sheep walk over to a dropping where he sniffed it and immediately fainted. "At least I don't think it can."
"Your Majesty? There is an emissary from the Isle of Berk with a letter addressed to you." A Royal Guard announced after knocking on the door to the royal bed chambers of the King and Queen. It was after ten o'clock at night, Spitelout had made the trip in four days. He was exhausted but did not show it, he was a Viking. Vikings could go without sleep for days and food for weeks to complete a mission. Surely this was not the hardest mission he had ever been sent on, but it was the most boring. Being on a small ship for four days straight with nothing to do but sail to a port was mind numbing. He wanted to read the letter to break up the hours of lone sea but his honor got in the way, he would never read a letter that was not addressed to him. Now he was about to possibly talk to a King and Queen who could order the destruction of his homeland with ease. Now they might not have had the best army in the land, but he knew Arendelle was more advanced than Berk, surely they had some sort of secret weapon. Looking down to make sure he looked presentable, he stood in a rigid pose to make it less obvious that he was near collapse from lack of food, water and sleep.
"One moment" he heard Agdar say through the door.
And true to his word a moment later Agdar and Idun came out in their thick robes made of fine green, yellow and purple fabrics. The King walked calmly over to him and looked him up and down as if seeing that he was exhausted from the trip.
"What is your name Viking?"
"Spitelout your majesty." He replied in a respectful tone while giving a small bow. "Stoick sent me four days ago to give you this important letter; I implore you to read it now." Spitelout said while offering him the letter.
Agdar took it gently and nodded his head in thanks; he unfurled the letter and began to read. Idun took a look at the Viking who seemed to have trouble standing straight. She turned to the Guard who stood nearby, "Take Mr. Spitelout to the kitchen and have one of the servants make something for him, then give him a room to sleep in." She said in a gentle tone.
"Yes, my Queen." The Guard said before directing the Viking to follow him toward the kitchen.
Once she saw the Viking had gone she turned back to her husband, whose face had turned white with horrow. "Dear, what is wrong?" she asked alarmed coming to his side and putting a loving hand on his shoulder.
When Agdar felt his wife's hand on his shoulder he whipped his head to her startled. He tried to form words but failed, finally after two tries his voice came back to him. "Something horrible has happened to Hiccup." The King then gave his wife the letter as he took a seat in one of the chairs that lined the dimly lit hallway. After a few moments she too came to sit by his side, tears visibly streaming down he cheeks. "My God, how…how do we tell Elsa? She will be devastated. He's alive, but he will always walk with a limp." The Queen stated, her voice trembling.
Agdar took her hands in his and looked at Idun, "Do you want to tell her?" He asked. "I want to have a ship immediately prepared for the trip to Berk, I will also have Aaron, the castles physician and Gerda accompany Elsa to the island for support."
"Yes, I will tell her." Her husband took her into his arms and hugged her "Elsa, will manage, she is strong." He stated, "Yes, she is. She will have to be in the days and weeks to come." She replied.
They released their hold on one another and set about their work. Agdar going to the Guards garrison and ordering a ship be made ready for the trip, while Idun walked to her eldest daughter's room. When she arrived at Elsa's room, her closed hand hovered above the door, sucking in one deep breath before knocking then releasing. She heard a tired 'yes' before entering.
She slowly made her way into the room, sitting down on the bed before reaching over and lighting the gas lamp on the bedside table.
Elsa sat up and rubbed her eyes, her hair was down and she herself was wearing a light blue night gown. "Mother, what is it? It is really late for a bed time story."
The Queen took Elsa's hands in her own and smiled at her eldest daughter, "Elsa we have received a letter from Stoick concerning Hiccup." She stated trying to look strong.
"Letter? Oh, the letter! This must mean Stoick has made peace with the Dragons." Elsa thought happily.
She was about to ask about the letter when she looked at her mother, she noticed dried tears, alarmed she asked "Mother, why were you crying?"
"Elsa, something has happened to Hiccup." Her mother responded as a stray tear got past her defenses and slid down her cheek.
Thinking the worst Elsa started to lose control of her emotions and powers; her hands clutched the sheets and in response to the fear of Hiccup being dead the bed became ice, "Elsa! Elsa, calm down, Hiccup is alive." Her mother yelled at her, "but, you said something happened." Elsa replied tearfully.
"Yes, something did happen. Hiccup was involved in a dragon battle and he lost part of his left leg from the knee down. He will be forced to wear a prosthetic limb from now on. We are preparing a ship to take you to Berk in case you want to see Hiccup. Do you?" Her mother asked her while putting a soft hand on her shoulder for comfort.
Elsa took a moment to regain control of her emotions and senses, slowly the ice rescinded and she was able to look at her mother. "Yes, I want to go. When will I leave?" She said moving off the bed toward her closet, bringing out a large trunk. She began to fill said trunk with different winter related dresses and coats.
"Elsa, do you want me to go with you?" Idun asked as she was putting a scarf into the trunk. Elsa stopped and looked at her mother, "No, I must do this on my own. I need to prove to myself that I can take care of him." She replied before turning back to her trunk and moving some unmentionables into the inner side. Once she was satisfied that she had everything she needed, Elsa started to drag the trunk toward the door, until her mother put a hand back onto her shoulder.
"Elsa the ship is not leaving for many hours, try and get some sleep. I know it will be hard, but try and reserve your strength and your emotions for the next battle."
Elsa looked at her mother strangely "Battle?" She asked cocking her head to the side.
Idun led Elsa to a nearby chair where she sat down, "yes, when Hiccup wakes up he will be in a lot of pain, he will most likely go through a range of emotions from losing his leg. Going from having a leg one day and losing it the next will put a lot of strain on his mind and he will most likely lash out at you or berate himself, so you must prepare yourself for that." Idun said to her inexperienced daughter.
Her mother was right Elsa had no idea how Hiccup would react to the amputation, she doubted that he would wake up and just accept it.
"Your right, I must be able to control my emotions when Hiccup sees that his leg is gone and reacts to the situation." Elsa replied as she stood back up and moved back to her bed, getting under the covers. Idun kissed her on the forehead and blew the flame out turning the room dark. "Try and sleep, tomorrow and the days following it will be strenuous and tiring."
"I will try mom" Elsa replied before closing her eyes.
The Queen took one last look at her daughter before closing the door and moving toward her chambers to wait for her husband to work out the details of the trip.
At eight o'clock the bells chimed and Elsa got up with a start instantly remembering what today was. After getting out of bed, she moved her trunk to the side of the wall near the door before retreating into the closet to prepare herself for the trip. Elsa picked out a dark purple corset and dress that was heavy on the fabric so that it would be able to stand the Northern climate, the fur around the collar would help immensely. She did her hair up in a short bun and set out on getting her boots on. As she moved towards the door she stopped and turned around moving toward her dresser. She pulled the top drawer open to reveal the gloves Hiccup gave her the last time he was here. Elsa pulled on the gloves and flexed her hands, after everything was secure she started her trek toward the commons room, surely her parents would be there she thought.
And sure enough they were; Gerda the castle's head maid, Aaron the physician and ten Royal Guards with a Sergeant she could see forming outside through an open window.
"What is all this mother?" Elsa asked gesturing to the packages the physician was inspecting.
The physician bowed at being recognized by the princess, "Ah Princess Elsa, I am Aaron. I will be coming with you on the trip to Berk. I was told that your friend Hiccup has received a serious leg wound and I will see to his recovery from said wound." Aaron said while recovering from the bow. "As for Gerda, she is coming to take care of you and help you in any way and as for the Royal Guards; they are coming to make sure we all come back safe from the trip." Aaron replied with a smile before speaking again. "It will be good to see Hiccup again, though it is sad that we keep meeting under these circumstances."
"Oh, thank you for the explanation that explains a lot." Elsa said to the old doctor with a kind smile.
Agdar and Idun approached Elsa with sad, but hopeful smiles on their faces, "Are you sure you don't want us to come?" her mother asked as she grasped her daughters hands.
"I'm sure mother. But thank you for having all this sent for Hiccups aid." Elsa said as she motioned to the doctor and his supplies, which measured nearly four feet tall and she could see the weight of all the packages was creating creases in the rugs.
"It is nothing; we must show our support to our allies whenever they are in trouble or harmed." The King replied loud enough so Spitelout could hear; said Viking walked over to the Royal Family.
"Princess Elsa, my name is Spitelout; I am Hiccup's Godfather of sorts." He said while in mid bow.
Elsa nodded to the tall Viking and then gave her family a hug, before beginning to walk toward the main door, but then stopping. "What will you tell Anna?" she asked after she noticed that Anna was not present. Perhaps she was still sleeping, Anna did have a tendency to sleep in till mid-day.
"The truth, Hiccup was hurt and you are taking care of him. She will understand. Be sure to take care of yourself and give our love to Hiccup." The Queen replied then waved goodbye to her daughter. Agdar moved forward and gave Elsa a letter, "what is this?" Elsa asked.
"This is a letter for Hiccup, give it to him after he wakes. It will help him cope." He said then hugged Elsa. Elsa nodded and returned the hug while grasping the letter.
The Royal Guards helped move the vast amount of supplies, food and other needs onto the clipper ship. As Elsa watched the loading process she noted that there was at least fifteen hundred pounds of food: dried and perishable, two hundred pounds of medical supplies, her trunk, various barrels of water and wine, fuel for the lanterns and lamps, and of course various types of weapons; just in case. She also saw the Captain of the ship, who was a middle aged man with grey hair and a tall build ask Spitelout various questions while pointing to a map. Less than an hour later the ship was passing the entrance to the fjord breaking into the North Sea. She heard the trip with good winds would take four to five days; Aaron the doctor had given her some books to read, he said that these books would help her understand what Hiccup will be going through.
The first night was mild with a cool wind blowing Northward, half of the crew was above maintaining the masts while the other half slept below the top deck. Elsa had been given a private cabin in the rear of the ship, she was currently watching the sea waves crest and fall on top of each other again and again. She had nearly read one book before she was served her dinner, roast duck with potatoes and tea. The one drink she loved more than any other was tea. It calmed her down and made her feel contented, she drank it so much that the servants knew that every day at four she would ring the bell for tea time. After two years of this, they showed up before she even had to ring the bell, much to her delight. Her favorite was mint or chamomile by Twinings, the English tea maker definitely knew how to make good tea.
Once her meal was finished, she continued reading till she fell asleep in her chair the book resting on her lap. It wasn't until she heard the changing of the crews at nine bells did she finally wake up. Elsa looked out of the window to see no land mass on the horizon and only open ocean behind the ship.
There was a knock at the door, "yes?" Elsa asked.
"Princess Elsa the doctor has asked that you come to his cabin, he wants to teach you something." Gerda said through the door.
"Okay, thank you Gerda" she replied.
She quickly changed into leisure attire which consisted of a purple blouse and skirt and made her way to the doctor's cabin two doors down. Knocking twice she waited for a reply, a moment later she heard a soft 'enter', she turned the handle to reveal Aaron standing behind a make shift operating table with what appeared to be a whole lamb leg.
"You asked for me Doctor?" Elsa asked.
"Ah, yes Princess Elsa. Please come stand in front of the table." He asked as he waved her over.
Elsa did as she was told coming to stand a foot from the table, "Now, Ms. Elsa when you arrive at Berk in a few days you will see firsthand the aftermath of a foot amputation. I have been asked to show you how to treat and take care of a person with such an injury." He said in a cautious tone "What you are about to see will not be settling as to why I asked that you come here before breakfast. Are you ready to learn?" he asked then offered her a seat to which she refused.
The doctor began by sawing in half the lamb's leg below the knee to show what Hiccups leg might look like. Blood, muscle and tendons oozed out of the cut and onto the table. Elsa having never seen such a sight had to look away from the leg for a moment before catching her breath. The doctor pointed out the veins, arteries, bones and muscles that made up the leg. He then sowed the wound shut with excess skin to make a stump.
"Now, this is what the stump will look like in general, but his will be a few days older. He will probably have pain in his limb for several days; we have brought morphine to help him cope with the excess pain. But know this, morphine is highly addictive, you must not give it to him whenever he wants. If you do he will become dependent upon it, he must be able to withstand all but the harshest of pains. Do you understand?" He asked while showing Elsa a vile of morphine.
Elsa looked at the harmless looking clear liquid; unconvinced that such a liquid could change lives "yes, I understand."
The doctor brought out a book and laid it next to the leg, "Now, he may also have a feeling that his limb is still there. This is called phantom pains; he may want to itch his foot even though it is gone. Now most importantly he will also feel sad, angry, frustrated and depressed. All of these feelings are normal. What you must be prepared for is that some of his frustrations will be directed at you simply because you are there. Do not let his anger affect you, do not get upset or talk back, show only love and support." The doctor said while handing Elsa a book labeled "How to cope."
With the passage of the next couple of hours Elsa learned how to dress a stump, properly wash around the wound, what kind of activities were allowed to help accelerate growth of muscles and what not to do when taking care of the leg. It felt good to do work with her hands other than write or turn pages of books. She felt like she was actually doing some good.
By the time she was finished it was nearly three in the afternoon and she was starved. Returning to her cabin she found steaming potatoes, asparagus, and a salad prepared for her. She was silently grateful that there wasn't any meat; she wouldn't be able to stand the look of charred animal for at least few days. After her meal, she went up onto the quarterdeck to have a look around. She found the Royal Guards studying a map of Berk, probably learning how to protect her from harm if the need occurred. Spitelout was talking to the Captain of the clipper about navigation and shipping techniques. She just took a seat near the railing and thought of Hiccup before the sun set and she retired for the night. Climbing into the soft sheets and mattress, she fell asleep to the sounds of the ocean. The next day and night had the same routines: wake up, read, learn new things from the doctor in terms of care, eat, read, talk to Gerda about what to expect emotionally and then sleep some more.
It wasn't until the fourth day did she hear 'land ahoy' shouted by one of the watchmen. She and everyone else immediately went up to the top deck to see the relatively small island of Berk. In front of the island there were two tall rocks that looked like giant Vikings protecting the harbor. There was a giant fire inside the mouth of each. To the left of the village it looked like there was a large cage on the rocks and to the right there was a large forest.
"Ms. Elsa I suggest you get ready to go ashore; I assume you will want to see Hiccup as soon as you get on land. Correct?" Gerda asked as she came up from the lower deck.
"Right, thank you. Come and get me when we have docked." Elsa told her as she walked down to her cabin.
She went into her room and put on her dark long sleeved purple dress, winter boots, a magenta cape that stopped at her ankles and of course the green gloves that Hiccup had made for her. There was a sudden jolt as the ship docked and was secured to the harbor. She could hear various conversations going on through the open port holes. A moment later there was a knock at her cabin door, "Princess Elsa, are you ready?" Gerda asked through the door.
Elsa waited a moment gathering her inner strength not to show anything, one mistake and everyone would know. Letting out a pent up breath she turned and opened the door revealing Gerda, Aaron and a Sergeant of the Royal Guard.
"We are ready for you Princess Elsa" the Guard said to her in full military attire with a sword attached at the hip and a lancer resting against his right shoulder.
She could only nod, butterflies in her stomach made themselves known as she climbed up to the deck and looked out on the beautiful calm day on Berk, the sun was shining and a gentle breeze blew against her face.
She could make out a large man with a copper colored beard, "That must be Stoick the Vast, Hiccups father" she thought as she walked down the gangplank. There were five Guards already on the dock waiting for her and five more bringing up the rear; Gerda and Aaron were right behind her.
As she drew closer and closer to Stoick she saw him smile at her and bow slightly, as she stopped in front of the large Viking she gave a curtsey and tried to give a soft smile to lighten the mood.
"Princess Elsa it is an honor to finally meet ye, I have heard wonderful things about ye from yer parents. I hope they are well?" he asked with his light accent.
"Stoick the Vast thank you for allowing us to come to Berk in this most difficult time and my parents are doing well, thank you." Elsa replied.
Elsa looked around at the dozens of Vikings lining the harbor and dock and staring at her in general. Finally, she brought up the matter that had brought her here. "How is Hiccup? I hope he is doing well?" She asked in earnest.
"Aye, he is alive and recovering. Gothi says that he will pull through with a little bit of scarring and a small limp."
Elsa breathed a sigh of relief, her eyes becoming cloudy with tears from the emotional relief, "that is wonderful news Chief Haddock, I am truly relieved at this news."
The sounds of supplies being unloaded broke the calm atmosphere, she saw Stoick look to this and asked "what is all this?" While motioning to the various boxes.
"We have brought nearly two hundred pounds of medical supplies for Hiccup and your people; I have also brought Aaron our castle's physician and Gerda who is a trained nurse and servant for our family. They will assist Hiccup in any way possible." Elsa replied bringing her hands down to her stomach and linking them together. She had to do something with her hands otherwise Stoick would see how much she was fidgeting.
Elsa looked at Stoick to gage his reaction for the help that was offered to him, she saw him smile and wipe a tear from his eye.
"Thank you Princess Elsa, we are indebted to ye and yer family. Come I will escort ye to Hiccup so ye can see him" Stoick said as he turned and started to walk to the dock entrance that winded up the side of a cliff.
She followed and heard the procession of guards and ship crews follow her while carrying the supplies. She could hear heavy breathing coming from Aaron, the poor white haired old doctor was having trouble making the trip up, but thankfully Gerda helped the doctor to the top of the village entrance.
"Welcome to Berk, Princess Elsa" Stoick called out as he showed Elsa the village. She looked around to see that nearly every building looked new and there were large fire pits in the center of the village with a massive staircase leading to two tall doors nearly as high as the ship that they sailed in on. Behind her she saw a forge which is where Hiccup must have spent most of his time building the gloves for her and other items for her family. She spotted a house to the left of the two tall doors that they were heading towards, "that must be where Hiccup is" Elsa thought.
Sure enough they got to the front door to which Stoick opened to reveal a large room, there was a stair case on the left leading to a second floor landing, various shields and swords on the right wall with supporting columns that supported the middle and a large fire pit in the center with a bed further in. And on the bed laid Hiccup, he was still sleeping from the battle nearly ten days ago. By his side was a chair with a young woman sitting on it, "from Hiccups letters this must be Astrid, she really is beautiful. Remember conceal, don't feel, don't let it show." Elsa said to herself as she tensed up at the thought of her Hiccup being in close proximity to another girl.
Astrid stood up and leaned against the bed post staring at the new visitors.
"Any change Astrid?" Stoick asked the young Viking as he moved to lean against the stair case.
Astrid just shook her head, "no, who are these people Chief?" Elsa heard her ask.
"Astrid, this is Princess Elsa of Arendelle. She will be taking care of Hiccup for the next few weeks." Stoick stated while motioning to Elsa.
Astrid just gave her a once over, narrowing her eyes slightly at her. "Does she think of me as a threat or something?" She thought as she looked back at Hiccups' prone form.
Elsa moved into the room stopping just before Hiccup's bed and standing next to Astrid, she reached out and brushed Hiccup's bangs that lay on his forehead. She retracted her hand and breathed another sigh of relief "he is alive, thank you God."
She then heard more footsteps behind her signaling the procession had moved into the room and setting down various containers along the walls. She saw doctor Aaron move around to the foot of the bed, "may I?" He asked Stoick motioning toward the sheet that covered Hiccup's lower half.
"Go right ahead doctor. I trust ye to take care of me son" he responded.
"Thank you Chief Haddock and I will do the best I can for your young son." He gently grabbed the sheet and gave Elsa a look before slowly revealing Hiccup's amputated leg. The stump looked healthy with stitching still in place, there was a little swelling and there was a slight discoloration around the end of the leg. The doctor gently examined the leg and then set it back down. "Whomever stitched the leg knew what they were doing, amazing work." He said turning to the chief, "Though I recommend that this bandaging be replaced, it is starting to smell." He told Stoick.
Stoick looked at the red and yellow colored bandages that were once white, "aye, I suppose they do need changing. Do ye wish to change them?" He asked.
"Yes we will change them, excuse me" he replied while going over to a large crate and opening it, reaching in and pulling out various medical supplies including gauze, bandages, pads and a metal clip. He looked up at Elsa as he laid the various bandages on the foot of the bed "do you wish to assist Elsa?" He asked gently. She nodded in return moving to un-wrap the old bandages revealing the stump, after cleaning it and rewrapping it in a clean dressing she set it back down on the flat bed.
Elsa smiled to herself at the small accomplishment "that wasn't so bad, maybe this won't be so hard after all" she thought.
"Chief Stoick has he eaten anything since the battle?" Elsa asked.
"No, he only woke up for a moment three days ago; we quickly had him drink some water before he fell asleep again. I am starting to worry that that he will starve to death. Doctor Aaron is there anything we can do for him regarding that area?" Stoick asked looking down at the old doctor.
Aaron put his hand to his mouth thinking for a moment, "well there is one method but it is a long shot, hardly anyone uses it."
"What is it, doctor?" Elsa asked.
"Well, it's called intravenous therapy; no one uses it because it is still in the development stages. But if it works then it will give him his strength back and will be able to provide his body with the nutrients that it needs. Should I proceed?" He directed the last part to Stoick.
Stoick took a moment before turning back and nodding his head.
The experienced doctor turned to the large procession of Guards and boat crewmen "there are too many people in this room, Sergeant I suggest you have your men go outside to secure the house while the ship's crew goes back to the boat." He said to the group in general.
"Right, you heard the man. Guards go and secure the outside; I want you spaced evenly around the house. I will guard the door; Captain take your crew and bring the rest of the supplies to this location then lock down the clipper and await further orders." The Sergeant said in a commanding tone to the men in the house and on the yard out front.
"Yes, Sir." They replied moving out of the room.
Soon there was only the six of them left, "now that is better, more room to maneuver." Aaron said relieved while he took out the things needed for the procedure.
He took a large needle and inserted it into the underside of Hiccups arm near the elbow, then attached a tube to the needle that flowed to a glass bottle. There was clear vile that showed a steady drip as the clear liquid flowed into Hiccup's arm. "Stoick is there a pole or something that can hold this, it needs to remain stationary." He asked the massive Viking.
"Ah yes, wait one moment" Stoick replied moving to grab a tall looking coat rack.
"Perfect." Aaron said then attached a hook to the top of the bottle to let it hang from the rack, so that is remained level. "Okay, this bag will need to be replaced every couple of hours."
"How will we know it is working?" Astrid asked. Elsa was almost startled; she forgot Astrid was there since she had been so quiet.
Aaron looked at her then the boy, "Once his body starts to return to its normal color and his face is not pale anymore, then we will know it is working." He replied in a quiet voice.
All Elsa could do was look a Hiccup's prone form and hope for the best.
Unbeknownst to her and Astrid, Gerda nudged the doctor and Stoick and motioned for them to leave so Elsa and Astrid could look after Hiccup, they both nodded as they crept quietly away leaving the two women that cared for and possibly loved Hiccup alone with each other in a room filled with various weapons and sharp items.
After a few tense moments of no conversation or movement, only the sounds of breathing from the three occupants could be heard, did Elsa finally make the first move. She turned to Astrid who was on her right, "I do believe we have not been properly introduced, I am Princess Elsa of Arendelle and you are?" Elsa said as she performed a small curtsey, Astrid turned and made a small bow; "I am … Astrid of Berk" she replied slowly for she did not have a title. "How do you know Hiccup?" She asked while looking at the sleeping boy.
"Oh, we have been friends for nearly all of our lives. Hiccup comes to my father's kingdom once every three years for studying and learning of certain traits and languages. You could say it is future training for becoming chief of your village." Elsa paused and a small smile came to her face. "I didn't think it was possible at the beginning but he has become an integral part of my life and when I heard he was hurt; I came as fast as possible to ensure his health." Elsa said softly while looking at Astrid. "Besides it is the least I could do for all that he has done for me over the years." She whispered as she touched the bottom left bed post.
Astrid narrowed her eyes at this possible inclination of romantic feelings for her friend, "what has he done for you in particular?" she asked in a chipper tone, trying to reveal nothing.
Elsa took a seat on the edge of the bed seeing this was going to be a possibly long back and forth conversation, she saw Astrid take a seat on a nearby stool. "Oh, he has been there when I needed him the most, he made me these wonderful gloves" Elsa looked down and flexed her hands "and he gave me a great Valentine's Day celebration including giving me my first romantic kiss on the cheek" Elsa said while giving a small blush as the memory.
Astrid felt anger and jealousy boil in her chest finding out that this 'princess' liked Hiccup in the same manner she did. "I have to win Hiccup over or else he would pay no attention to me and quite possibly leave Berk forever to live with this girl who looks so prim and proper. Ever since that flight he had taken me on I saw the real Hiccup, a nice young man who only wanted the best for those around him. A man who was willing to die so that his friends and family could live in a world without fear; now that is a real Viking. And I want that kind of Viking." Astrid thought to herself.
Astrid crossed her right leg over her left and fixed her skirt, "well I can't disagree with you there, his cheeks are very attractive. I gave him a kiss on the cheek about two weeks ago after he took me on a romantic flight on his dragon, Toothless. That was the best night of my life; we saw things that were so beautiful: the stars, the moon, the sun setting on Berk and to top it all off we flew through the clouds, it was amazing." Astrid replied with a knowing smile; trying to gain back the lead.
Elsa was taken back at the thought of Hiccup being romantic with anyone besides her, "You have to remember Elsa, Hiccup is on Berk for thirty-five out of thirty-six months. You only have him to yourself for one month and there was always a chance that he would fall in love with this girl during that time." Elsa thought, "I must think of a way to blow this girl out of the water and reclaim the advantage."
Elsa studied the girl in front of her; she had blonde hair with long bangs with a braided ponytail in back. She wore a spiked skirt and spiked shoulder pads "now that is interesting," she was slimmer than her but appeared to have more muscles in her arms and legs, there was even an axe near her stool. "Pride is her weakness."
"Hmm, I am amazed that he would let you near him, let alone ride on his dragon considering the fact that you and your friends abused him so much over the years." Elsa said in a serious tone with a pointed look as she leaned forward on the bed.
Astrid narrowed her eyes at the accusation "How dare she!"
"I have no idea what you are talking about, I have been nothing nice to him over the years," Astrid countered, "well nice is pushing it."
"Nice? That is not what he said in his letters to me. He wrote to me saying that he tried being nice to you but you either threatened him or called him 'useless'. If that is your definition of nice, I can only imagine what being mean to him would imply." She saw Astrid shrink down in her seat at the mention of the word 'useless'. "Even though I can finish her off I will not, I must befriend this girl to make sure she can take care of Hiccup after I leave in a friend-only manner."
"Though he did say that you were not the worst, a boy named Snotlout physically abused him weekly and even went as far as to say he would be killing him in the future." Elsa said in a soft whisper as she gave a concerned look toward Hiccups unconscious body.
"What! I'm going to rip Snotlout's head off and shove it down his…" Astrid brought a hand up to her mouth and cleared her throat, "please excuse my display of unkind words." Astrid said trying to keep her anger in check.
Elsa smiled at the girl who was trying to reign in her emotions, though she was slightly envious that she could show emotions without fear of hurting anyone, physically that is. "Oh, it is quite alright, I feel the same way. This bully must be dealt with, though sadly I cannot do anything for it would be embarrassing for a princess to beat down a young Viking from another kingdom. So I must hope that you will show him your anger and put him in line." Elsa said with a knowing smile to which Astrid returned.
"Oh, you do not have to worry about that. He will get many kicks to his nether region soon enough." She replied while creating a fist and punching her other exposed palm, making a satisfying smacking sound.
Elsa looked to the window noticing the sun had already gone down, "Well it is time for dinner and then onto bed, it was nice talking to you Ms. Astrid." Elsa announced standing up and extending her hand outward.
"Likewise, Princess Elsa the honor was all mine." Astrid replied while shaking the outstretched hand.
Elsa let go of the young Vikings hand and looked from her to Hiccup remembering that someone needed to stay with him. She thought for a moment before turning back to Astrid.
"I have come up with a schedule so Hiccup can be looked after at all hours of the day. May I suggest that you watch over him from the mid-afternoon to the evening or whenever his father gets home? And I will watch him from the morning till your shift." Elsa asked with a small hesitant smile.
"Huh, why those hours?" Astrid countered not liking the time schedule.
Elsa smiled knowing that she would be giving herself the better hours for Hiccup to possibly wake up.
"Well, it's simple. I am the guest, which means I have more spare time than you, plus you have chores you still have to do before you can rest."
Astrid looked at her then down at the floor knowing she had been defeated, she couldn't just shirk off her responsibilities without the Chief's permission, and there was no way he would let her even if she asked.
"I suppose you are right. Fine I will watch him after your shift is done. Goodnight Princess Elsa," she replied before giving a small bow and walking out of the house.
She smiled and turned back toward Hiccup who quietly slept without a care in the world, "you will wake up during my shift or so help me I will lose my mind." Elsa slowly bent down and planted a kiss on his exposed cheek before pulling back and brushing his hair with her hand.
"Goodnight Hiccup, I love you." She whispered into the room.
Elsa turned around and made her way to the door opening with a bit of finesse to reveal Stoick on the porch sitting and chatting cheerily with the Sergeant of the Guards, Gerda and Aaron. As she closed the door with a soft 'thump' all four turned to look at her. "So did you two have a nice chat?" Stoick asked with a small smile and raised eyebrows.
"He set me up." Elsa thought.
She told Stoick about the conversation she had with Astrid leaving out a few pieces of the conversation.
"It's good to hear you two set up a time of who is watching Hiccup and for how long." Gerda chipped in.
"Yes it is" she replied back.
Nothing was said for a moment before she got the hint "Well, I shall take my leave for the night Chief Stoick, and thank you again for letting me come to your island to take care of your son." She said while giving a full curtsey.
"Do not think anything of it Ms. Elsa. Hiccup will be so happy to see you when he wakes up. I have let your guards commandeer three empty houses a few yards down from my house, you will be comfortable there for however long you wish to stay." Stoick said while pointing out the three houses down the hill.
"Thank you for your hospitality and goodnight." Elsa replied then gave a half curtsey. She walked behind Aaron then looked at the prepared house for her, Gerda and Aaron. The other two houses were for the guards. Two of whom were standing outside the front door who bowed as she passed by them.
As she walked inside, it looked almost exactly like Hiccups house, but it felt smaller. The furnishings were all Viking in origin of course, however the rest were things Gerda had brought with them which included sheets, rugs, mattresses and other essentials. She could see two beds had been prepared for Aaron and Gerda which were located on opposite sides of the fire pit and she could only imagine hers was upstairs; more privacy, which she valued highly. After having dinner, she went upstairs to sleep, thinking of what the next few days would entail and what new things she would learn.
