Sorry that I haven't posted for so long, again, I am an A-level student studying music. However, now it is the Christmas holiday so I hope to be able to post a bit more regularly.
I finally followed IcyForest's recommendation, and posted this story on AO3, so you can find this story there too.
Thank you to all commenters, and everyone who is joining me on this journey of writing my first proper story.
Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter!
Chapter 5
Astrid went to dagmal the next morning, looking as sour and glum as before. She sat mostly alone; Snotlout still hadn't found the courage to face her since his humiliation, instead choosing to wallow in his own misfortune by himself, out of the way of everyone else who now picked on him mercilessly. Picking at her food, she didn't react when a wooden bowl was placed on the table, and Heather sat down next to her.
Heather didn't talk: she just ate her food with much more vigour than Astrid was. Sighing with exasperation, Astrid put down her wooden spoon, and pointedly looked at Heather, waiting for an explanation.
"Still gloomy, Astrid?"
The blonde scowled, eyes narrowing in annoyance. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"Well, for one, Snotlout isn't bothering you anymore. I saw him avoiding a bunch of Berserkers earlier; they were recalling his accomplishments in the duel against Nameless."
Heather could clearly see Astrid turn red in anger at the mention of his name, but she had to push forwards, even through the unreasonable wall of undeserved rage that was presented to her. However, Astrid didn't respond, so Heather continued, her tone soft and gentle. "You know he was only trying to help you, right? He could not foresee that his plan would not work, and he was also upset when his plan was in vain, even more so when you rejected his apology."
Astrid seemed to ignore Heather's words. "What does he want with me? Why does he care so much about me and my thoughts about him?"
Heather sighed, and tried to explain logically. "Nameless… he cares for us all, and why he seems to care specifically for you, I cannot say. But I do know that he means no ill towards you, and was simply trying to help."
Astrid didn't respond, instead choosing to pick up the spoon once more and continuing to eat lethargically. Heather stood up, for she had finished. "At least try to talk to him. He was only trying to help you." With that, she left Astrid alone.
Astrid had calmed down slightly over the last couple of days since the reannouncement of her betrothal with Snotlout, though she was still slightly resentful. She understood, at least to a certain degree, what Heather had said. But, at the same time, Nameless had given her a taste of hope, before it all came crashing down once more.
However, Nameless confused Astrid more than anything else. From what Heather had said at dagmal, there clearly was a reason for Nameless to favour Astrid, and to try and help her, though she wouldn't say it, despite Astrid fully believing that Heather knew the reason.
Currently, she was sat at the great hall for natmal with everyone else, watching the celebrations of the marriage. Everyone looked jolly, thoroughly enjoying themselves with the drinking and dancing.
Astrid felt like she was the only unhappy one there. That was the case, until she heard once again the rhythmic metallic clinks approach. Turning slightly, she saw Nameless, who was currently wearing a tunic and a pair of trousers and boots, beside the leather helmet. His head was bowed, and she watched him approach the table, before grabbing a plate and putting some food on it, before he turned to leave the hall. Astrid assumed he was going to eat in private, for he had to take his helm off to eat. His head remained bowed as he left the building, shoulders hunched. He avoided all conversation thrown his way; the only way he responded to his surroundings was a quick tilt of his head to dodge a loaf of badly-aimed bread. Ignoring the man who was now bombarding him with apologies, Nameless' sullen form was gone from her sight. She turned back to her own food, mind whirring through the events that had taken place during her stay on the island.
That's when Astrid suddenly paused, sitting upright, arms frozen in place holding a spoon in her mouth. She mentally kicked herself again and again, now feeling thoroughly embarrassed by her actions. Face turning red, she quickly finished her meal and made her way out of the hall.
Astrid suddenly felt ashamed – an emotion she wasn't used to, and she didn't like it. She was a warrior, and a damn fine one at that. To think that she had been sitting round moping for two days, drowning in self-pity! The situation hadn't even changed for good or ill; she was merely back at where she started. And she could at least try to do something about that, rather than being resentful that someone else had failed to solve her own problems for her.
Making her way through the village, Astrid's face turned redder and redder as she thought over her actions. She had always prided herself of being someone of action, to not procrastinate or run from problems but to tackle them head on.
She'd been running from this problem since it had arisen, believing it to be hopeless.
Astrid grabbed her axe before briskly walking towards the forge at the far end of the village, newfound clarity clearing her mind. They were staying another full day after today, and she wasn't going to waste it.
There was always hope.
Light shone through the cracks around the shutters of the forge windows. Heat emanated from the badly insulated forge. Astrid could hear the chimes of hammer against anvil, before she could hear the smith place whatever he was working on back into the fire.
She knew quite a lot about smithing, having watched Hiccup at work when they were much younger, back when they had been friends before growing apart. The chimes of the hammer began again, and Astrid steeled herself before knocking on the door hard.
"Who is it? Come in. Is it you Heather?"
The smith's voice almost sounded familiar, reminding Astrid once more of Hiccup working in the forge. Pausing for a brief moment, she unlatched the door and walked in.
"It's me."
The smith seemed to jump back at the sound of her voice, obviously surprised that it was her. He wore his masked helm, as always, along with a pair of trousers and boots. No shirt donned his body, and Astrid could see that his form was indeed slim, but toned and quite muscular. He turned his head towards her.
"A-Astrid… hi Astrid. Sorry, I wasn't expecting you." His deep green eyes met hers, and they hardened slightly, before they softened. "What are you doing here?"
The way he seemed nervous and unsure of himself again seemed slightly familiar to Astrid, who proceeded to pull her axe from the holster on her back. She held it almost menacingly, and the smith looked like he leant backwards. It confused her: this legendary warrior seemed wary of her, but she didn't think about it.
"When I gave you this axe the other day, you seemed surprised. Do you recognise it? Or do you know the smith that forged it?"
The smith stood up, prosthetic clinking as he walked over to her. Astrid handed him the axe, and he inspected it. When he spoke again, his voice almost seemed shaky, but she could not tell accurately, because of the roaring fires of the forge.
"Yes… I did think the style did look somewhat familiar…" He turned the axe around in his hands, fingers tracing the runes that ran down the haft, until he reached Hiccup's signature, the triple H. "Ah yes, I suspected so. Hiccup Haddock. Of course, he is your absent heir. I should've guessed-"
His voice had been accelerating, but Astrid cut him off. "Do you know him?"
The smith paused before replying. His eyes now seemed to refuse to meet hers. "Not well, but I have seen him from time to time. Rides a dragon, if I recall correctly, but that thing didn't seem dangerous, it looked quite sweet actually if I were to say-"
Astrid cut his rambling off again. "Do you know where he is?"
"Um… I'm not really sure, he doesn't stay in one place, if I remember correctly. If I may, can I ask why you want to know?"
"What business is that of yours?" Astrid asked, rather harshly.
The smith backed up, handing the axe back to its owner. "Of course it is not my business… It's just… he did run away, and I don't know his reasons but I suspect from my few meetings with him that he had good ones."
Astrid suddenly lost her confidence. Nameless obviously knew more than he was letting on, but it seems like she wasn't going to get any real answers that easily. But the fear that Hiccup might not want to return suddenly overwhelmed her, a shadow of darkness upon her previously rekindling hope.
Her head bowed, and when her response came she mumbled softly. "Berk needs him back… I need him back."
Her words seemed to take him back. His eyes widened, meeting hers for a moment before they both looked away. "W-Why?"
"To which?"
"Both."
Astrid paused. She didn't really want to tell him, but she didn't really have a choice if she wanted the answers. Besides, he had tried to help him before, maybe he would understand.
"Well…" Her voice was struck with bitterness. "Snotlout, who you defeated, is heir to the chief, since Hiccup has gone. He can't rule… you saw him, right? Berk would be lost to the dragons; we're already hard pressed enough as it is."
"Yes, he doesn't seem to be fit to rule anything from what I saw." Astrid let out a bitter laugh at that, completely agreeing. "But why do you need him back specifically?"
Astrid took a deep breath. "Snotlout is heir, so he has priority in choosing… a bride over anyone else in the village. If Hiccup were to come back, he would replace Snotlout."
The smith's eyes widened through the slits in the helm, and Astrid stopped. It was obvious he had understood her meaning.
"So wait a minute, lemme get this straight: you want to marry Hiccup?"
Okay, maybe he hadn't completely understood her meaning, but why did he make it sound like that was such a bad thing? After all, pretty much anyone was preferable compared to Snotlout.
"Anyone is better than Snotlout, but no, that wasn't my immediate plan. Hiccup would simply be able to call off the arrangement."
"Oh, okay." Astrid could almost sense longing when he said that.
"Also, why do you make it sound like being betrothed to Hiccup is the end of the world?"
"Well… it's not that, simply…" He paused, apparently searching for words, again looking anywhere but at her. "He simply said that you were part of the reason he left-"
"Oh so he did tell you about why he left, did he?" Astrid cut him off, rather sharply. Her eyes hardened, and she advanced on the smith, who promptly backed up. "How well do you two really know each other?"
The smith seemed scared of her. He shook his head, his eyes widened in fear. Astrid had no idea why he would be afraid of her, being all that he was. Unless Hiccup had bad-mouthed her in some horrific way? But that couldn't have happened, with everything that Hiccup was, he was kind and respectful.
Astrid stood with her arms crossed, eyes glaring at the retreating figure, waiting for more of an answer.
The smith shook his head again. "I will pass it onto him when I next see him. But I don't know when that will be. I don't see him very often."
Relief washed through Astrid, and she nodded, pose dramatically softening.
However, the smith continued, voice sounding testy. "Is what you want Hiccup for though purely to save you from the arrangement with Snotlout?"
Astrid mentally kicked herself. Obviously in her desperation and frustration she'd made it sound like she just wanted to use him for her own gain.
"No, that couldn't be further from the truth. He was once my friend, and I wish for those days to return." Guilt now overcame her. "Please, if nothing else I just want to apologise to him."
The smith nodded, eyes softening.
The guilt didn't leave her. "Thank you."
With that, she turned and left the forge, closing the door behind her gently. Tears threatened to break free from her eyes. For all Hiccup was, with befriending a dragon, and often damaging the village with his contraptions, he didn't deserve to be treated the way he did. That's probably why those things came about anyway. If nothing else he deserved her heartfelt apology and help.
The smith heaved a great sigh, and took off his helm after locking the door. In the moment, he'd given her many clues unintentionally that he was the one they were really speaking about. Luckily she hadn't seemed to pick up on it at all. The leg probably helped. And the lack of a dragon.
In reality, his heart seemed like it wanted to burst with renewed affection for the girl. Of all these years of hard wars against dragons and yet she still seemed more than willing to apologise and accept him, even to reignite their friendship they once had shared.
She had looked so beautiful – braided hair cascading down her shoulders, catching the light of the forge perfectly. Her azure gaze entranced him however she looked at him. And the way her hips moved when she shifted her weight from one leg to the other…
But the most important thing was that he knew now what he must do. The path before him was not completely clear, but the destination was inevitably certain. Astrid had inadvertently given him the answer, and it lay in the mountainous dragon he had named the Red Death.
His five years leave was coming to an end.
So here's Hiccup and Astrid's first real interaction. The dramatic irony ahhhhhhhhhh
Hope you enjoyed this chapter, this is merely nearing the end of the beginning of this story (see what I did there), it should get alot more exciting (and violent in some cases) from here.
Hope you enjoyed, stay tuned for more!
