Astrid spent most of the long flight to Berk in quiet contemplation. Hiccup and Camicazi chattered away about some past adventure or another the whole time - or at least, Camicazi seemed to. Hiccup seemed quieter than usual, although he did smile at the other girl's recounting of the past 8 years of her life a little too often and too warmly for Astrid's comfort. But even with this annoying sight to accompany her for the day-long journey, she was relieved that her ploy to come with Hiccup to Berk had worked. It would have driven her crazy to think about Hiccup and Camicazi being alone together for so long. Especially in light of-

That brought her back to last night's conversation. She'd tried to tell herself to forget it; after all, warriors did not let their thoughts get in the way of duty. But somehow no matter how hard she tried, the words still echoed through her head.

I think if we take things slow and do it right, then we have a really good chance of making things work.

But what did that MEAN!? Astrid wanted to scream in frustration. It was clear he liked Camicazi, from their smiles, laughs, and shared past adventures. And he had been speaking to the other heir last night, in what he thought was a completely private setting. So by "we," wasn't it logical that he meant it literally? Himself, and the person he was present with… Camicazi?

That thought sent a fiery streak through Astrid's belly which was a very unpleasant sensation. She tried to convince herself that she was jumping to conclusions. After all, Camicazi hadn't seemed to realize Hiccup meant her. She kept referring to Hiccup's mysterious "beautiful Viking maiden" in the third person, and had seemed genuinely shocked to hear that there was one. Although…

She doesn't even know, yet.

So whoever Hiccup meant, that person wasn't aware of his interest. Which meant that Camicazi wouldn't have known about it, and would have been surprised to hear that Hiccup had a crush. And although it was a little strange of Hiccup to keep referring to Camicazi as "her" when the girl was right there, it was also like him to not come right out and admit his feelings. He'd want her to think he meant someone else, and casually bring up the subject as a test to find out what she thought about him. But then, Astrid realized, the other girl had directly brought up the subject of her marriage, and Hiccup had laughed it off.

Ridiculous. I mean, would you even leave a husband alive long enough to marry him?

Astrid wished fervently that she'd been able to see his face at the time. She couldn't tell from the words alone whether he'd been honestly amused, or if he was just laughing off the idea to save face. But if Hiccup had been sincere, and if Camicazi really had heard about the crush, albeit a long time ago, perhaps the person Hiccup meant wasn't the Bog-Burglar heir after all. But if not, then who…

We've gotten really close, lately.

Who could Hiccup have gotten close to lately? Unless he did mean Camicazi, and "lately" meant only the past 24 hours, he'd only spent any significant time with the other Riders. He couldn't possibly mean Ruffnut - the idea of them as a couple was so grotesque that Astrid almost giggled out loud. He had gotten closer with Heather "lately," since she'd become a full-time Rider, but Camicazi had only met Heather that day, and it sounded like she'd known about the crush for a while. Not to mention, Astrid thought with a smile, Hiccup would never try to mess up the thing Heather's got going with Fishlegs. But if not Heather, that only left…

And that thought put a shiver through her belly which was just as unpleasant as the angry streak. Hiccup was, of course, her best friend, and she respected him greatly. He cared about everyone's needs before his own, he guided the often difficult personalities of their group with ease and patience, he kept his head in a crisis, he never gave up on anything or anyone, and he was a strong leader who would one day be the best chief Berk had ever seen. And sure, even above the respect, Astrid genuinely enjoyed Hiccup's company. He could always make her laugh with his dry wit and sarcastic comments, he was downright brilliant (probably one of the smartest Vikings ever in the history of Berk), he was a talented artist and appreciated the simple beauty in things, and that lock of auburn hair that always flopped into his eyes was really cute…

No, Astrid quickly pulled back her thoughts. The point was that even if she liked Hiccup as a person, it didn't mean she liked him like that. And even if she did, maybe, a little, Hiccup hadn't been talking about quick innocent kisses last night. He'd been talking about marriage. Astrid had way too many things in her life she wanted to do before she started thinking about marriage. And not just any marriage, but marriage to Hiccup would eventually mean being married to the chief, and all the duties and expectations that came with being the chieftainess. First and foremost being… to ensure the continuation of the bloodline.

NO, Astrid's mind recoiled. If she wanted children it was going to be much, MUCH later. And the idea of having children with Hiccup was enough to make her brain scramble back to convince herself that Hiccup had been talking about Camicazi last night after all.

After being stuck in this loop for several hours, Astrid was more than happy to see Berk emerge from the clouds below them. She gave Stormfly an extra nudge as they sped toward the island.

"You've been quiet," Hiccup noted, also spurring Toothless on a little more quickly. The dragons seemed just as eager to reach land as their riders.

"I'm just hungry," she replied with what she hoped was a convincing grin. To her surprise, Camicazi actually grinned back.

"Just wait 'til you see the feast they've got planned for tonight!" the Bog-Burglar said as they glided in over the harbor. "It's going to be EPIC! Some Vikings are going to have to be rolled home!"

"If they make it home," Hiccup muttered, and Astrid snorted. She knew how these feasts often ended up. But the thought of spending a nice evening of frivolity with Hiccup, then likely slipping out before the mead to catch an evening flight, actually had Astrid smiling as they touched down near the Great Hall.

"There you are, Hiccup!" Stoick's unmistakable voice called out from a small crowd of Vikings who approached as they dismounted. Although "small" could hardly be said of their physical size. Besides Stoick, who was prominently at the front wearing his ceremonial chieftain's belt and robe, Gobber stood to his left as a senior member of the Council. To Stoick's right was the most enormous woman Astrid had ever seen (which really was saying something, considering some of her Berkian neighbors). The woman matched Stoick in height and breadth, and wore her own stylized chieftain's robe. Instead of a helmet, she wore the headband of a shieldmaiden, and matching armored skirt and breastplate over an… expansive... bosom. Though she didn't noticeably resemble her daughter in any other way, the pale blue eyes and blonde hair were a dead ringer for Camicazi's.

"Hey, Dad," Hiccup greeted his father from his dragon's back. Toothless warbled his own hello.

"And Astrid, good to see you, lass," the chief continued with a nod towards her. "Come to visit home?"

She smiled. Astrid had always gotten on well with Hiccup's father. "For some repairs, actually," she said, showing the cinch which had only just stayed intact through the long flight. "Although someone had to come to keep Hiccup in line," she added with a wink. Hiccup spluttered in mid-dismount while Stoick and Gobber laughed big belly laughs.

Camicazi seemed to have contained her excitement as long as she could. "Mom!" she cried, sliding quickly off of Toothless's back and nearly flying over to the large woman. "Mom! Look! We got to ride on Hiccup's dragon! A Night Fury! Isn't he cool? Can I get my own dragon?"

Chief Big-Boobied Bertha laughed a deep, throaty laugh at her daughter's exuberance. Astrid took advantage of the shift in focus to dismount quietly and move off to the side, but still stayed within earshot. She was curious about these Vikings who had been away for so long. "I think you'd have to ask the Hooligans for a little more practice before you get your own dragon, daughter," the Bog-Burglar chief said. Camicazi pouted. "But from what I've heard, you're already well acquainted with the best dragon trainer there is," she added, turning her gaze onto Hiccup. Hiccup's face flushed, as it always did with the least bit of praise.

"I wouldn't say that," he muttered. Stoick coughed, causing Hiccup to look up and catch his eye. With a jerk of the head toward Bertha, Stoick seemed to remind Hiccup of the formalities. He straightened and addressed the foreign chief. "It's good to see you well, Chief Bertha. I'm sorry I wasn't here to welcome you back to Berk."

Chief Bertha smiled kindly. "It is good to be back! I've missed these shores. And you seem to have grown up well," she added, causing Hiccup to turn red again and Gobber to chuckle. "Stoick tells us that the peace and prosperity of Berk is all your doing!"

Astrid smiled at that as Hiccup made a face. "Dad!" he protested. "What did you tell them?"

Stoick shook his head with an unrepentant grin. "Only the truth, son. You were the one who changed Berk for the better."

"An' made this new treaty possible, by stoppin' the dragon war," Gobber added. Hiccup turned even more red as both Stoick and Bertha nodded.

Hiccup tried to protest. "That wasn't, you know, I mean, everyone kinda did some of…" he trailed off as he realized no one was listening. Camicazi elbowed her friend with a wide grin.

"I always knew you were awesome, Hiccup! Even when we were little, I knew there was something about you," she exclaimed, then with a smirk that told Astrid she only did so to embarrass Hiccup further, gave him a tight hug around the waist (the only part she could reach). The hug had the intended effect on Hiccup, who looked up with a face so red that he looked sunburned. Interestingly, though, Astrid noticed Stoick and Bertha exchange a significant look as their children embraced.

"Thanks a lot, Cami," Hiccup muttered, squirming in her hold. Camicazi giggled and released him with a wink. Hiccup, apparently trying to get his wind back, only rolled his eyes in response. Gobber, however, nudged Stoick with a smirk.

"Seems like tha' part of the deal is goin' ta work out fine, don't it chief?" he told his friend. Stoick frowned and hushed him, but Astrid's senses were already pricked. Something seemed off about this.

Camicazi frowned as well. "What part of the deal? What deal?" she asked, addressing her mother. Bertha ignored her, and instead narrowed her eyes at Stoick.

"I thought we'd agreed to announce this tonight, Stoick," she said pointedly.

Stoick gave Gobber an irritated look. "We did," he agreed. His tone made Gobber shrink back, his face apologetic. By this time, Hiccup had noticed something strange about the turn in conversation too.

"Dad, what's going on?" he asked. Toothless voiced his own inquiring trill from beside his rider. Astrid tried to act as if she wasn't interested by taking a few steps away and opening her saddlebag, but she kept a keen eye and ear on the group from behind Stormfly's wing. Finally, Stoick sighed and relented.

"We were going to keep this quiet until the feast tonight, but…" He stood up straighter and looked Hiccup dead in the eye. "Son, this new alliance is very important. The Bog-Burglars have agreed to a very generous trade treaty in exchange for knowledge and training of the dragons. They want the protection and comfort the dragons can provide, and their business will be a great help toward easing Berk's, er, situation." Hiccup looked toward the ground, abashed. Astrid knew he still considered the "situation" of Berk's lost gold to be his fault. Stoick continued, "Both tribes also have a fair amount of enemies, and the combination of our strength and arms will send a powerful message toward those who mean to do us harm."

"Like Viggo," Hiccup nodded, understanding. "So?"

"So," his father said, with a deep breath. "Especially since we've been at odds for so long, it's important that this treaty shows that our tribes are united in our goals. It needs to create a, er, permanent bond."

"Okay…" Hiccup said, brow furrowed in confusion. "Sure, we can sign a long-term treaty… right?" he added, as Stoick and Bertha exchanged another look. "What?"

Bertha stepped in this time. "We need to show our tribes that we trust each other completely, so they will not be afraid to share what we have with one another. That kind of trust needs more than a signature. It takes time to build, unless we make a great gesture to help it along."

"So you want us to show the tribe that we trust Hiccup and Stoick?" Camicazi asked her mother. "Well that's easy, of course we trust them!" She patted Toothless's snout for emphasis, and he smiled and cooed in response.

Bertha smiled too, almost in relief it seemed to Astrid. "I knew you would agree to do what's best for the tribe. That's why we went ahead and signed the contract this morning."

"Wait, what? You already signed the treaty?" Hiccup said, confused. "I thought this feast tonight was to begin the negotiations."

"No, son," Stoick said, his voice oddly reserved. He didn't quite meet Hiccup's eye as he explained, "The official treaty negotiations start tomorrow. The feast, actually, is for you."

"For me?" Hiccup said, completely lost now. "Why me?"

"And Camicazi," Bertha added, causing Camicazi's gaze to snap toward her.

"What did we do that there needs to be a feast for us?" she asked, eyes narrowed suspiciously. Astrid waited with baited breath as the two chiefs exchanged a look. Finally Stoick spoke up.

"We've decided that you, and Hiccup, are the best ones to solemnize our agreement… with a contract of marriage," he said.

Marriage?!

Time seemed to stop. A weird ringing filled her ears. Astrid thought she might have heard an outraged shout. She might have heard pleading. She might have even heard someone call out her name. It didn't matter. All she could do, all she would allow her mind to think, was to run, run hard and fast, straight to the woods and out of sight. To run far enough that she could get away from the hole in her chest which seemed to have come out of nowhere to swallow her world.