AN: Ayyyyy everyone. I got some really interesting ideas from reviewers and great responses for this story. Thank you for all of the support and the ideas.
First off: yes, this will be a harem, but it will take awhile to develop. They are still teens who have yet to find their place in the world. Hicca is still very much a shy girl whose crush on Norulf is seen as a fantasy, a far off dream that she indulges in, but fears will never come true. Astrid has her mind on things other than romance and courtship. Her family's financial and social status has practically guaranteed her place as a shieldmaiden, given how expensive a dowry could be for someone of Astrid's capabilities.
Second, from the guest reviewer Kaiju Avenger (cool name, btw) I'm gonna be honest, I was having a lot of trouble deciding a dragon for Naruto. There just isn't a dragon that would be very suitable for him. But then this reader gave me the idea of using dragons from other franchises, like Safi'jiiva from Monster Hunter. I definitely gave it some thought and I have to say... it's very tempting XD
Will I use Safi'jiiva? Probably not. Too large and spiky with a fire breath. Doesn't make too much sense for someone like Norulf. Every dragon in the story matches their rider in some aspects. For Hiccup and Toothless in canon, they are kindred spirits, the outcasts and loners of their respective worlds. Astrid and Stormfly are prideful reflections of one another. So on and so forth. But I definitely like where your head is at, so I will use a dragon from the Monster Hunter series. Not telling you what it is yet. I gotta leave some sense of mystery. Like, come on. (But if you really think about it, there's really only one or two dragon species that would fit Norulf... just sayin'.)
Last, but not least, I wanted to thank everyone who reads this story. I was surprised out of my mind when I got reviews from people across the freaking ocean who read my story. I got a review from a native German speaker, I got a review from someone from Brazil. It-It blows my mind that there are so many of you guys out there who read my stories and like them, be it for the humor, the characters or whatever else it may be that keeps you guys here, reading and coming back for more. Thank you so much.
Okay, enough with the mushy gushy shit. You came here to see that between Norulf and the girls, not from me.
4. Old Books and Familiar Faces
"I. Hate. You."
Hicca never thought she would say those words to anyone, much less her crush and best friend. She punctuated every word with a poke against his chest, her finger doing little more than pressing against the firm brick that is his pectoral muscle.
"Damn it, girl! Swoon later! Angry now!"
"I. Hate. You."
"I'm sorry, Hicca."
Bastard didn't look apologetic at all! In fact, he was grinning and scratching the back of his head. He was enjoying this!
"Of all the people in the world, I thought my best friend would know better than to throw me to the wolves like that." She kept her glare on him, even crossing her arms and jutting out her hip.
"But I thought you wanted to celebrate being successful in dragon training with your old man?"
"Yes! But not in front of the entire village!" she yelled, causing the blond teen to back up.
"Yeesh. Sorry. I didn't know." The downcast expression she saw on his face melted the glare right off of her face. Damn. He had her wrapped around his pinky finger and he didn't even know it.
"Norulf." She placed a gentle hand on his forearm. Damn it's firm. "I know you meant well, but I'd rather just have a quiet celebration with my dad. You know I don't do well with crowds. They don't exactly hold the best memories for me."
For the longest time, the gathering of any crowd had been a bad omen for the thin girl. They were gatherings that had only one purpose: to witness her failures. Her small frame and tiny stature is little more than a physical representation of her shortcomings as a viking. A truly pathetic stature for a truly pathetic viking. Hel, she was hesitant to even call herself a viking.
Her self-deprecating thoughts were shelved when Norulf embraced her. His arms encircled her smaller frame with ease, resting his head on top of hers. For a few selfish moments, Hicca pretended they were more than just friends, that he knew how she felt about him. Her arms wrapped themselves around his lithe waist. She took in several deep breaths, memorizing the smell of forest pine, smoke, and iron.
She never understood how he could be so understanding of her position in life. She never understood how he could be so damn sweet. He knows she is the pariah. He knows she is deemed a nuisance, if not hated, by practically everyone in the village. Yet, he has been there with her every step of the way. She cried on his shoulders. She aspired to be like him. He inspired her to do better, to be better.
How could she not have fallen for him?
But… how could he ever love her?
It seemed like such a cruel twist of fate, a tragic story woven by the Norns and immortalized by Kvasir, the Nordic Muse. The black sheep of their society falling in love with the golden boy. A match made in nowhere.
"Thank you, Norulf." She bit back the whimper that threatened to escape her lips. "Can we… can we stay like this? Just for a little bit longer?"
"Yea. Of course."
She nestled herself deeper into his embrace, smiling as Norulf tightened his arms around her. He may be dense, but he always seemed to know the right thing to do. Not always the right thing to say, but always the right thing to do.
"You big, lovable idiot."
What she didn't see was the soft smile that graced his face. Norulf couldn't explain it, but he felt content holding his best friend. At first, he hugged her because he thought she was feeling down. Now, he didn't want to let go. She smelt of soap, pine and charcoal, no doubt a result of her presence in her personal drawing room.
It was… nice.
"Alright, you two. If yer gonna be doin' that sort of stuff, take it somewhere else. The forge is not the place fer it."
The two teens jerked away from each other as if the other was a Nadder's tail, blushing to the roots of their hair. Hicca understood her embarrassment all too well. She just gave Gobber plenty of blackmail material. Norulf, however, didn't. It was normal for friends to hug so why was he embarrassed?
"Sorry, Gobber." Hicca walked past the burly man with haste. "I-I gotta go! Bye, Norulf! Bye, Gobber!"
"Tha' lass." Gobber shook his head. "Her head always thinkin' faster than her body could keep up." The double amputee turned looked up Norulf, his eyes strangely bright. "Good going, Norulf."
"Huh?" Norulf blinked in confusion. "Oh! You mean for dragon training."
The bald viking nearly slapped the boy upside the head with his prosthetic. How anyone could be so dense, yet attract girls like dragons to a barn full of sheep is beyond him.
"Sure." He palmed his face, rubbing his eyes. "Yer done with yer workload then?"
"Yea. Hicca and I are done."
"Good. Now get out o' here." Gobber watched the teen walk away before sighing to himself. "And 'ere I thought they were finally gettin' together. Wishful thinkin'."
x-x-x-x-x
Splat!
The sound of a slimy fish smacking against the ground would have been more entertaining were it not for the grave situation she found herself in. Hicca peeked up over her shield, watching and waiting for any visible reaction from her target.
Nothing.
Inching her way forward and out of the stony entrance into the cove, her crappy luck struck a few moments later. Her shield wedged itself between the two boulders that led into the cove. In her anxiety, she had pushed forward without thought, leaving her only form of defense stuck and useless. Ducking underneath and glancing around in search of the Night Fury, she gave the shield a tug from the other side.
It didn't even budge.
"Fuck. My. Life."
Having come so far, she refused to turn back. Hooking her fingers into the slimy gills of the cod, she lifted it up and carried it with her as she looked for the dragon. What she didn't notice was the black shape that lay hunched over a stone pillar, watching her every move with rapt attention. A low, rumbling growl sent a shiver of fear down her spine, a frightful sound that marked her as prey.
Standing ramrod straight, she hugged the fish to her chest - gross! - and turned around slowly, careful to not make any sudden movements. A swishing black tail blurred into her field of view, hidden by a rocky pillar. Following the movement, her eyes met the stalking dragon's, gasping in surprise and pulling the fish even closer to herself.
Wide eyed and scared out of her wits, she could only stand in place and watch the black dragon slink from its perch, stalking across the ground with soundless steps and serpentine grace. Upon closer inspection, she could see the small flaps around its head open up as it sniffed in her direction, seemingly just as curious as she was.
Until it let out another growl, louder and slightly more menacing than the last one.
Remembering the fish that was meant to bait out the dragon, she held out the fish towards the dragon with her arm completely outstretched. What was once bait became a peace offering. The dragon's pupils, which had been slitted before, slightly widened, becoming more docile in appearance. It approached her in a strange, sideways shuffle that looked equal parts graceful, yet ungainly.
Just as it came closer, almost close enough to touch the fish, it pulled away, tucking into itself with the same warning growl as before. This time, its eyes were slitted and narrowed, staring directly at her waist.
Her knife!
Pulling the fish back to her chest, she pulled aside her fur vest - assuming she survived the encounter, she'll have to wash it later. The dragon's eyes narrowed even further as it stared at the weapon that had nearly taken its life. When her fingers came close to the handle, its front paws twitched to its side, widening its stance into a pouncing position. A snarling growl rattled her nerves as much as it did her bones.
Her hand pulled away, splaying her fingers in hopes of showing that she meant no harm. Her deft fingers pinched the pommel of her knife, dangling it out to her side before dropping it unceremoniously on the ground. That wasn't enough for the dragon. It gave another growl, not as menacing as the last few, and gestured with its head towards the water, its eyes still locked on the weapon.
She didn't have to speak dragon to get the gist of the message.
"Get rid of it."
Flicking the knife onto the top of her boot with dexterity she didn't know she had, she gave the knife a moment to settle before tossing it directly into the pond. As soon as the knife splashed into the water, the dragon's eyes came back to hers. Its posture relaxed, planting its rear back on the ground. Its eyes widened, reassuming that curious, wide eyed look.
Any thought of the dragon being cute in its current state was far from her mind at the moment, the vivid memory of it pouncing on her and pinning her down not a couple days ago still fresh on her mind. She held out the cod with both hands, only for the dragon to narrow its eyes suspiciously at the offering.
"Oh, come on! If I wanted to poison you, I would've just tossed the fish in and let you eat it when you were starving!" She was already panicking being in the presence of one of the most fearsome dragons vikings had ever named. She didn't need the extra suspicion coming from the judgy dragon.
Once again, the dragon approached her with that same ungainly motion, twisting its back end forward before moving its front limbs. Its spine arched and moved in ways that would leave a human broken and paralyzed for life. Slowly, its jaws opened wide, revealing a set of pink gums and absolutely no teeth.
"Toothless?" she whispered. "Didn't you have-"
"Teeth" went unsaid as a set of sharp, pearly whites snapped out from underneath its gums. The sharp, triangular teeth dug into the fish faster than she could blink. Hicca squeaked as she pulled away, closing her eyes and clenching her fists. Slowly, she opened her eyes and counted every finger, making sure every single one was still attached.
Thankfully, they were.
With a lick of its chops, the dragon turned its attention back on her, approaching her with obvious intent. What that intention was, she didn't want to find out.
"I - uh - it's - I-" Hicca stammered as she backed up, away from the approaching dragon. In her haste, she fell onto her butt before using her arms to pull herself away. Her frantic attempts to put distance between herself and the dragon ended when her back pressed up against a boulder. "Please," she pleaded, "I don't have anymore." Her eyes shut themselves as the dragon's head came unbearably close, close enough that she could feel its hot breath against her skin.
"Norulf, if I survive this, I'm kissing you on the fucking lips!"
She took a peek as the dragon began making a strange sound, akin to that of working bellows. The dragon's stomach and chest undulated, as if it was exaggeratedly working something down its stomach.
Splat!
Or up its stomach.
The dragon's maw had opened up and deposited the partially eaten half of the cod she had given it. Directly on her vest and lap.
"Ew," she muttered. "It's official: I'm burning the vest."
The Night Fury back itself up by a couple of steps before sitting back on its tail and haunches, something that looked like a human's sitting posture. Hicca took in a few deep breaths, trying to calm her nerves while ignoring the smell of half-digested fish and dragon slime. She swallowed the lump in her throat, keeping her eyes on the dragon as she held the fish in her hands.
A few awkward moments of staring followed as neither human nor dragon moved. Finally, the Night Fury's gaze turned from her eyes to the fish in her lap before snapping back towards her eyes.
"Wait…"
Her eyes followed the movement of its head, the gears turning in her head as she finally made the connection. With a sigh of resignation and a glance at the dragon, she gave the underside a small bite, closing her eyes and pushing past the taste and texture.
"Don't think about the slime, don't think about the slime, don't think about the slime. Annnd you're thinking about the slime."
After she swallowed, the chunk of fish threatened to come back up with reinforcements. Through sheer willpower, she managed to down the slimy piece of fish with a nauseating gulp. Her body shuddered in revulsion as she could feel the chunk of fish slide down her throat.
"Never ever doing this again in my life."
She cracked open her eyes again, her cheeks somewhat pale. She looked away from the dragon, still trying to think about anything but the fish that she was swallowed. The slimy fish was offered back up to the dragon, Hicca still keeping her eyes on anything but the fish, fearing that if she looked at it, its missing piece would come back up. With far less suspicion than before, the Night Fury took the remaining half, swallowing it in one big gulp. The two resumed their previous positions, sitting in awkward silence as Hicca focused on keeping her nausea to a minimum while the Night Fury looked over her, still as curious as ever.
The silence was not to last, however, as the rumble of thunder echoed across the sky. The Night Fury's strange flaps flattened against its head, its pupils narrowing before darting off, headed for the cavernous expanse of tree roots beneath the massive tree on the other side of the cove. On unsteady legs and a turning stomach, Hicca took off, headed towards home in hopes of making it there before the distant storm hit.
"Ugh. I hope you don't mind me kissing you with fish breath, Norulf." Imagining the face Norulf would make upon getting a kiss from her in her current state almost made her forget about her own nausea.
Almost.
x-x-x-x-x
The storm came a lot sooner than Norulf thought it would, leaving him in the Great Hall alongside his friends as Gobber lectured them about their performance that day. Just then, he heard the massive doors open and shut as a rain-soaked Hicca walked in. The other vikings had already hunkered down in their homes for the night, hidden away from the thunder and rain outside. Even if it was only a drizzle now, it could turn into a downpour in the blink of an eye.
"Hicca!" He hurried over to her side, brushing the girls soaked bangs out of her eyes. "You're drenched!"
"Thanks. I didn't notice."
"Oh hush, you." He took her hand and pulled her with him towards one of the tables by the massive fire pit. He took her soaked vest off of her and replaced it with his heavier fur cloak, something his mother forced him to take upon seeing the thunderheads in the distance. He took her hands into his own, rubbing them together to help her warm up by the fire, not knowing the effect he was having on the girl.
"And where did Norulf go wrong in the ring today?"
"Uh… nowhere?" Ruffnut drawled. "Dude got the dragon back into its cage, remember?"
"He spent too much time looking over Hicca," Astrid coldly answered.
"Thank you, Astrid." Gobber rewarded the older twin with a smack on the back of her head, ignoring the "ow" that followed. "You can't always be around to protect yer friends. They will eventually 'ave to learn to protect themselves."
Norulf said nothing in response. Gobber is right, but that doesn't mean he won't try his damned hardest to protect his best friend. Speaking of whom, she seemed… off, like her mind was weighed down with something.
"Hicca? Are you alright?"
"Yea… I'm fine."
"Liar." He breathed onto her hands, using his breath to keep her warm. "You can tell me, ya know."
This time, Hicca stayed silent, still looking at the fire pit. When she refused to speak, he took the hint and took her soaked vest, draping it by the fire, close enough to dry it, but far enough to prevent any burning.
"Are you hungry?" Hicca shook her head, still looking at the fire. Norulf took that as his cue to stay quiet and lend her his presence like his mother had mentioned before. Sometimes, what a person really needs is to just know that someone is there for them. In the silence, he kept an ear out for what Gobber might be saying.
"Now, wit' the storm 'ere, there won't be any attacks tonight. Take the time to read up on what you will be facin' in the ring." A loud thump and the clatter of plates followed. "The Dragon Manual: it holds everything we know about every dragon we know of."
At the mention of the book, Hicca perked up. Was her problem… dragon related? Meanwhile, at the other table, the face of almost every teen changed from boredom into shock and disbelief.
"What? You mean read..." Tuffnut couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"While we're still alive?" Ruffnut continued. They may - both figuratively and literally - butt heads, but man do they think alike.
"Why read words when you can just kill the stuff the words tell you stuff about?" Snotlout argued. He slammed his fist on the table, getting the bare chicken bones he'd eaten to do an interesting jig.
Neat trick.
"Oh! I've read it like, seven times." Of course, Fishlegs was one of the three teens who didn't show any aversion to the idea of reading a book. He either didn't care or didn't seem to notice the annoyed, incredulous looks the others, aside from Astrid, were giving him. "There's this water dragon that sprays boiling water at your face! And-and there's this other one that buries itself for like a week-"
"Yea!" Tuff cuts him off, miming with his hand in front of Fishlegs' face, as if actually sealing the boy's lips shut. "That sounds great. There was a chance I was gonna read that…"
"But now…" his sister continued, leaving the statement hanging in the air.
"You guys read, I'll go kill stuff," Snotlout boasted, walking away with the rest of the group in tow. Only Astrid remained seated, still looking over at Norulf and Hicca with an unreadable expression.
"Hicca? Do you want to read The Dragon Manual?"
"Yea. I do." She looked up at him, green eyes sparkling with curiosity. "Will you read it with me?"
"Sure," he shrugged. "Hey, Astrid! Do you wanna read The Dragon Manual with us?"
"... sure."
Astrid didn't know why she agreed. She had already read the book once before and practically memorized all of the relevant information. Strengths, weaknesses and relative habitats. Anything else was extraneous information. Her rash decision must have something to do with the bond between Norulf and Hicca.
It must be nice knowing there's someone you can trust to always have your back. She was jealous of the brunette. People like Norulf are hard to find.
She gave Norulf a smile as he picked up his plate of chicken and The Dragon Manual. He was the only tolerable male in their age group, which is surprising in and of itself. You'd think on an island full of people, there would be some kids around their age who are at least decent.
Nope.
Astrid sat down alongside the duo, keeping Norulf between herself and Hicca. She was close enough to read the book without straining but far enough away from her fellow blond to not invade his personal space.
"The Dragon Manual," Norulf started. "Dragon Classifications. Strike class. Fear class. Mystery class." Norulf blinked, looking up from the book in confusion. "Then what does a Nightmare belong under? Mystery? Oooh~! It spits sticky goo and sets the goo and itself on fire. Ooooh~ such a big mystery." Norulf held up his fingers, wiggling them as if he were some spooky draugr come back to haunt the living.
"I think the manual needs some updating," giggled Hicca, sitting close to Norulf to keep herself warm. And that's what she'll tell anyone who asks. They can't prove otherwise.
"Read," Astrid ordered, rolling her eyes at his antics, but smiled nonetheless.
"Aye aye, chieftess!" Norulf turned the page, reading through the information with open interest. "The Thunderdrum. This reclusive dragon inhabits sea caves and dark tide pools. When startled, the Thunderdrum can produce a concussive sound that can kill a man at close range. Extremely dangerous, kill on sight."
The first dragon they saw was a strange creature. Its flat, wide body appeared almost comically mismatched to its thin, triangular wings. Its jaws unhinged to reveal a ribbed, cavernous void that seemed to shake and shimmer in the firelight, as if they could see the concussive sound it was known for.
"The Timberjack. This gigantic creature has razor-sharp wings that can slice through full-grown trees. Extremely dangerous, kill on sight." Norulf skipped through several pages at a time rather than reading through every entry, only staying long enough to read the entries on the ones that he found interesting.
A large set of membranous wings made up the majority of the dragon's size, leaving only a thin, reed-like body in the middle. Its long neck and head made it a strange, but deadly sight.
The door to the Great Hall slammed open as the wind and rain pounded against it, causing the three teens to jerk in fright. Hicca audibly gulped as she pulled herself closer to Norulf. Though Astrid didn't appear frazzled after the thunder had passed, one could see her muscles tense and her eyes dart back and forth along the shadows of the far walls as Norulf read.
"Changeling. Even newly hatched dragons can spray acid. Kill on sight." Norulf muttered, as if he was afraid to be heard beyond the small circle of light provided by their candles and the central fire pit.
A strong gust of wind slammed the doors open once more, blowing deeper into the Great Hall and bringing with it a bone-chilling bite. The frozen gust blew out the torches and caused their candles, protected by Norulf and Astrid, to flicker ominously. The central fire, however, sputtered and dimmed, leaving only a small flame in the wake of the frigid breeze. The massive doors rebounded, the hinges creaking and groaning and they slammed themselves shut.
By now, Astrid had fully backed herself up next to Norulf, keeping herself partially turned to peer into the darkness. In the unsteady firelight, she swore, she could see shapes moving within the darkness, scant inches away from the light. Hicca had latched herself against Norulf's side, rendering his right arm useless beneath the smaller girl's stranglehold.
"The Skrill."
Upon Norulf's gasp of surprise, the girls looked up at him, staring intently at the page. Their eyes followed his line of sight, quick to pick up on what had caused him to gasp. The images on the page, the charcoal sketches of the monstrous creatures shifted, changing with impossible, supernatural movements. Neither could hold back the gasp of fear. As if he was in a trance, Norulf turned the page, over and over again.
"Gronkle. Snaptrapper. The Whispering Death."
The girls on either side of him gulped as their ears picked up a faint, haunting sound, carried upon the wind. None of them could make it out over the sound of the pouring rain and thunder, but it was there, at the edge of their hearing. Whatever it was, it was setting their nerves on edge.
It sounded almost like… whispers.
"Chokes its victims. Burns its victims. Buries its victims. Turns its victims inside out."
Norulf's hand became a blur, flicking through the pages with frantic movements. Every page they glimpsed seemed to come alive. The book's contents almost seemed like it was ready to leap off the page, ready to take revenge against the vikings who hunted them. Finally, the sound of the fluttering pages stopped along with the pouring rain outside, reduced to a steady drizzle.
"Night Fury. Speed, unknown. Size, unknown. The unholy offspring of lightning and death itself. Never engage this dragon. Your only chance: hide and pray it does not find you."
The heavens shook as another lightning bolt arced its way across the sky. The pouring rain resumed once more, marking the teen's imprisonment within the Great Hall, lest they wished to walk out into the freezing rain with nothing more than a single coat between the three of them.
Astrid's hand rested firmly against Norulf's forearm. She is a strong warrior, yes, but therein lay the crux of the problem. Fear. Dread. The feeling of helplessness brought on by something that seemingly moved at the edge of your vision, just in the corner of your eyes. There was nothing she could do about it. Dragons, she could fight with an axe and shield. There was little she could do against horror.
Hicca had buried herself into his side, tucking as much of her small frame into his coat as possible. She was visibly shaking, her hands clutched against Norulf's shirt.
"Please," she whispered. "No more, Norulf."
His hands tightened themselves around the girls', lending them as much of his courage as he could. Astrid's tense shoulders visibly relaxed, her fingers clutched around his like she would her beloved axe. Hicca held onto him for dear life, doing her best to keep her visions of those dragons from coming to life in the potent atmosphere.
"Shh. It's okay. It's just a book," Norulf muttered. Still, his nerves were rather shaken up. "I think Snotlout had the right idea. About not reading this stupid book." The girls relaxed ever so slightly as he tried to lighten the mood, though the darkness was still suffocating any modicum of positivity. "Come on." He slowly stood up, letting Hicca hold onto him.
Astrid grabbed one of the candles and followed, her hand still locked with Norulf's. He led them to one of the smaller fire pits along the back wall of the chamber, sitting them down with their backs against the wall and the doors in front of them. Astrid used the candle to light the fire, pushing back the darkness around them and bathing the trio in its warmth. Neither girl let go of the blond, keeping their hands firmly locked in place with his.
Odin, it was going to be a long night.
x-x-x-x-x
"Excited to see your boyfriend again?"
The grin that'd split across the teen's face made her cheeks hurt. It's been a long six months since she'd last seen her "boyfriend," as her mother had put it. Such a crude word. What she had with her fellow blond is far beyond the relationship between a boyfriend and a girlfriend, but she'll humor her mother.
"Damn right, momma!"
Standing proudly on the bow of her mother's flagship, she kept her eyes locked on the horizon. They will be nearing the Isle of Berk in the next few hours, and she could not keep her excitement in check. Her foot tapped a jaunty rhythm upon the treated wood of the forward deck, humming to herself in anticipation.
"Chief! There's a storm coming up over the horizon!" Sigrid, her mother's right-hand woman, called out from the stern.
This merchant vessel that they'd "commandeered" from their last trip to the mainland was more than prepared for any storm the Barbaric Archipelago could throw at it. Still, the turbulent weather will make the final leg of the journey both annoying and tedious.
"Man the rows! I want those sails trimmed in the next few minutes!" her mother bellowed across the boat. Damn she has a set of lungs on her. "Looks like you won't get to see your boyfriend until mornin'."
"Ugh! This storm could kiss my-"
Crack! Boom!
"Ass." Her eye twitched as the storm pounded against the sides of the ship. "This storm is ASS!"
In the storm's fury, some of the rigging that kept the sails trimmed have been loosened. While the rest of her tribe could handle it, given a bit of time, she was best suited for the job. Her hands and feet orchestrated the well-rehearsed movements she'd used to scale countless walls and pilfer countless valuables. The sails were tied back up in less than a minute, regardless of the driving rain and frigid wind.
This bitch ass storm will have to do better than that if it wants to keep her from her man!
"Raincutter and Thunderdrums off the port side!"
"That's more like it!" she smirked, jumping from the mast and slid down with the help of a counterweight she'd set up.
"Spears and shields! Keep them off the port side! Get the oars out of the water!" her mother commanded.
A squad of her fellow tribeswomen lined themselves up against port railing, each bearing a shield and spear to go along with their swords and battleaxes. What more does a woman need in life? A spear, a shield, and a sword or an axe. Their shields locked into formation, presenting the sharp blades of their spears to the coming pod. The Raincutters flew overhead with little care for the humans below. The territorial Thunderdrums were another story altogether. The leading dragon blasted the shield formation before diving down below the churning waters. The Thunderdrums who repeated the action until the last of the pod had passed by.
"Keep away from the edges! Do not look over the sides!" her mother roared.
Not a moment later, a snake-like head loomed over the women on deck. She didn't have to see the dragon's eyes to know that it was glaring at them.
"SCAULDRON!"
The shield formation scattered as quickly as it had formed, and not a moment too soon. The Scauldron doused the deck of the ship with a blast of boiling-hot water, cooked by the dragon's internal reactions. Against the Thunderdrums, the shields would break up the shockwaves before it could cause any permanent damage. Against the Scauldron, they were just waiting to be boiled alive.
"GAHH!"
The screech of Solveig, who had been hit by the spray, made the dragon shake its head in annoyance. It returned the woman's screams with a roar of its own before diving back beneath the waters.
"Damn it," the young blond girl hissed. She slammed the door to the lower decks open as two of her peers pulled the injured young woman down below. From the brief glimpse that she saw of Solvieg, she knew the woman would be fine, but permanently scarred. Her right arm and leg were covered in several boils as well as several ashen grey bits of skin.
Once the women passed, she dashed back out to the deck, growling in frustration as the dragons continued their journey eastward. The dragons didn't give a damn about them. They were just in the way.
Out in the open water, there was little they could do against the beasts. They could only grit their teeth and bear their attacks. This is their turf.
x-x-x-x-x
"Oh, what am I going to do with you?" The red-haired vixen straddled him with fake hurt and confusion on her face. "I've known you for all your life, yet here you are, sharing your bed with two cute girls and I wasn't invited."
Norulf could do nothing as she sat directly on his hips, pinning him down beneath her weight. She gave out a throaty moan that left him uncomfortably aroused. Her glowing tails spread themselves around her, bathing the four of them in their ethereal light. That strange, flowing dress that she wore draped itself over him.
"Oh how I've missed seeing you in this position." He blushed at what the beautiful woman was insinuating. "One girl on your right…"
He glanced over, seeing Astrid cuddled up to his side for warmth, her head resting directly on his shoulder. The fire must have gone out some time in the night, leaving her in search of heat.
"One girl on your left…"
His eyebrows shot up to his hairline. He whipped his head over, nearly snapping his own spine right then and there. Hicca laid on his left, snuggling into his side with a smile on her lips. Her arms were wrapped around his, pinning his hand directly between her thighs.
"And one girl on your lap."
He bit his lip to hold the moan that was building in his throat when the sensual woman began gyrating her hips. Her weight and the curve of her rear and thighs pressed sensually against his arousal.
"That's not your thigh I'm sitting on now, is it?" When he refused to meet her gaze, her grin got even wider. "Oh, don't be shy… we've done a lot more than just this, my dear Naruto."
What?
He looked up at her, confusion all too evident on his face.
"Have you already forgotten? The countless nights we've shared. The countless times you've claimed me over and over again." Her cheeks flushed, as if recalling every moment of intimacy they had supposedly shared.
He couldn't ever recall being intimate with anyone, let alone his beloved valkyrie, but he knew her words to be true. They had done… that! But when?! How?!
"Shh," she hushed, a tender, loving sound. She pressed her hands against his chest, her hips still working that same sensual motion against his own. "Ease your worries and silence your questions. All will be revealed... in due time. But for now, enjoy the moment."
Norulf wanted nothing more than to seize his hands upon her shapely hips. But whether it was to cease or aid her in these mind-numbing motions, he didn't know. With Astrid and Hicca pinning him down, there was little he could do anyways.
"That's a good boy," she teased. She was audibly panting now as she worked herself against his length. "I've missed this," she murmured. "I've missed you."
He couldn't answer, that much he already knew. This time, his tongue was tied due to the pleasure he felt from the fox-tailed woman.
Odin, what was she doing to him?!
The pleasure he felt in his body finally collapsed into wave after wave of euphoria, numbing his mind and leaving his body tingling in an indescribable heat. Coming down from the high he'd felt from his first ever orgasm, Norulf's dazed eyes landed on the beautiful woman who has yet to remove herself from his lap. Her crimson eyes glowed with pride and enjoyment, barely hinting at the frustration she felt beneath the surface.
"You'll be paying me back in dividends, beloved." She leaned forward, kissing his lips with such heat that he thought he might combust. "I'll see you tonight," she winked.
Her ethereal form began fading away, starting from the tips of her tails until only her glowing eyes were left. Soon, even those glowing eyes, full of want and desire, were gone, leaving him alone with the girls once more.
"Fuck."
The ascending notes of Berk's ship horn roused Astrid from her sleep.
"Double fuck."
She bolted up in fear of an attack, only to be confused by the darkness that surrounded her. The weight and warmth in her hand immediately drew her eyes to the source, but she could see nothing.
Yesterday's memories came back to her in bits and pieces. Morning warm up. Dragon training. Afternoon chores and odd jobs around the village to help out her family. Meeting with her class in the Great Hall. Reading The Dragon Manual with Norulf and Hicca. Sleeping in the Great Hall.
With Norulf and Hicca.
"Norulf," she whispered, doing her best to hide the panic in her voice. "Norulf." She shook him with her right hand.
"A-Astrid?" The sound of his voice, deepened by sleep and something she couldn't identify sent shivers down her spine.
"Wake up! We have to get out of here before someone catches us!"
His hand unclasped from her own as she made herself presentable, dashing out of the Great Hall with as much stealth as she could muster. Oh, Freya, what were her parents going to say?! She slinked through the darkness, using any shortcuts and hidden pathways she knew of to make it home before anyone saw her out at such a time. Her father was so going to kill her. What what she going to say?
"Hicca! Hicca!"
"W-What? What?" Norulf could feel her shifting and sitting up beside him. "Ugh. It's too early, Norulf. Go back to sleep." She collapsed back against his side, tightening her grip on him.
"But what if people see us sleeping together, Hicca?!" he hissed, somewhat panicked by her nonchalance.
"Then you had better take responsibility," Hicca mumbled.
"What?! Hicca!"
Hicca realized the weight of her words a moment later as she sat up straight, stuttering in embarrassment.
"I-I!" She gave up a second later. Hicca pulled her hands together and hid her face in it. Darkness be damned, it was still embarrassing to say something like that to her crush.
"L-Let's just go before someone catches us and tells the chief." Norulf stood up, wincing at the wet heat he felt coming from his briefs.
"So glad mom doesn't do my laundry."
The two friends slipped away from the Great Hall and returned to their homes. Hicca, who no one questioned anything about and was used to the lack of attention, had a much easier time of it. All she had to do was act normal.
Norulf had a bit more trouble, given the uncomfortable situation in his briefs, but he still made it home without being accosted by a fellow viking. Even his mother was absent from their home, likely due to the horn from the docks. Speaking of which, he will head down to check that out.
Right after he changed.
x-x-x-x-x
"Big Bertha!" Chief Stoick boomed, greeting his fellow chief upon the docks. "Prosperous raids and safe sailing, old friend!"
"Fair winters and fertile summers, Stoick."
Bertha Bjerke, dubbed Big Bertha by the vikings of the Barbaric Archipelago for her impressive height of one hundred and ninety-six centimeters, just shy of Stoick's own height of two meters. With broad shoulders and muscles strong enough to put many a viking into submission, Bertha has more than earned her place as the leader of the Bog Burglars. Her epithet, however, didn't just refer to her stature. Big Bertha the largest pair of breasts anyone had ever seen on a woman of her build and height.
Her long blonde hair is braided down the middle of her back. Unlike the horned helmets of the Hairy Hooligans, she opted for a simple wood and leather helmet, covering her head and nose. Bright, piercing blue eyes shone with the light of intelligence and battlelust that would make any lesser being scatter to the winds in fear. A bear's pelt lay draped over her shoulders, much like Stoick's own. Light leather armor protected her chest, forearms and legs, even padding her boots to reduce any noise she would make from walking.
"It has been a long six months, Bertha," Stoick informed, clasping her forearm in greeting.
"Has it?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"Aye. The raids have been getting worse. They've become more frequent than ever before. So long as they don't hit us two hard in the next month or so, we'll have enough food to survive for the coming winter. Otherwise…" Stoick trailed off, leaving the statement to hang ominously.
Bertha frowned. The Hairy Hooligans were their neighbors and their tribes' cooperation has been more than just a relationship of convenience. The Bog Burglars provide crucial trade and assistance to the Hairy Hooligans while the Hooligans acted as the first line of defense against the dragons and provide the Burglars with men to help the Burglars repopulate. If the Hooligans were wiped out, the Burglars would be forced to move or face extermination against the dragon horde.
Neither option was appealing given the rest of the archipelago's less than hospitable environments.
"And what do you plan to do, Stoick?" She already knew the answer. One doesn't become a tribe leader through battle prowess alone.
"Let winter come first. Then we shall try once more for the nests." Stoick shook his head, his immense beard swaying with the motion. "They have been getting greedier with each passing season. At this rate, there will be little left for us to survive the coming winters."
Bertha could provide the chieftain with little more than her sympathy. Those very ships that leave for the mists of Helheim's Gates seldom return with her hulls and crews intact. If they return at all. Their conversation was halted as a blonde blur passed the two adults and darted through the throngs of people, moving to unload the commandeered vessel. The two shook their heads, amused by the girl's enthusiasm.
"And where is the boy?" Bertha questioned, hefting a barrel over her shoulder and aiding her fellow tribeswomen in unloading the ship.
"He'll be here soon enough. You know the boy couldn't stay away from something new and exciting even if he tried," Stoick responded, aiding the woman in unloading the ship. Stoick's words were proven true not a few minutes later when a loud thump echoed across the dock's wooden boards. "And yer daughter's found him."
"Ow," moaned Norulf, rubbing the back of his head as he sat up, noting the weight on his hips. "Please don't let this become a common occurrence."
"Oh, don't tell me you can't handle a little pain, Whiskers."
A mischievous set of steely, grey-blue eyes looked down at him behind a mane of wild blonde. She bore a leather pauldron upon her right shoulder, held in place by a crisscross of leather straps over a leather breastplate. Her crimson shirt could be seen underneath, barely able to contain the petite girl's disproportionate assets. Thankfully, her leather leggings held nothing particularly pointy that might endanger his more vulnerable bits.
"Cami! It's nice to see you again!"
"I bet it is, Whiskers." She climbed off of his lap with a smirk. "I'm looking forward to that rematch later today!"
"You're on!"
Ayyyy. So I took some liberties with the appearance of Big Boobied Bertha (Bertha Bjerke - pronounced B-yerk according to Google Translate and what I have gleaned of the Nordic languages) and Camicazi. If you don't know who they are, they're from the book series by Cressida Cowell. Makes things a little more interesting and broadens the universe of HTTYD to things more than what is seen from the movies and TV show.
You know the drill by now: read, react, review!
Smile and have a nice day!
