Hello
Here is the last chapter for this little tale well in time for Christmas.
I don't know if anyone noticed but in the last chapter, Ruffnut's description of the Winter Wolf's fight with the pirates was based on the Itchy and Scratchy theme song from The Simpsons.
Chapter 5
Astrid insisted she could still walk, even so Hiccup still insisted in carrying her for a while.
"And when he gets tired, you get a genuine Ruffnut piggyback!" Ruffnut declared.
"I really can walk you know" Astrid protested "I've only got some sore muscles and a bit of bruising."
"A bit of bruising? Your skin had more splotches than a Snafflefang!" Ruffnut laughed.
"But she is much prettier and nowhere near as heavy" Hiccup added.
"Thank you Babe" Astrid grinned, resting her head on Hiccup's shoulder.
"So um... thanks for now giving us away to my father" Hiccup nodded to Ruffnut.
"I assume you saw everything" Astrid sighed.
"You bet you Nadder I did, and you were fantastic! If I'd know this power was going to come as the result of your interdimensional trip with that strange wizard, I'd have gone too. I may have come back as something cool, like a vampire."
"Or a you may have grown a beard" Astrid smiled "Don't forget I also met a female dwarf on Discworld named Cheery Littlebottom, and her facial hair easily rivalled any man on Berk."
"Hmm... do you think Fishlegs would still love me if I had a beard?" Ruffnut pondered.
"I'd say he would, considering he loves you the way you look now" Astrid grinned cheekily.
"Oh very funny" Ruffnut smirked "especially coming for a girl who sometimes has more chest hair than her boyfriend."
"Hiccup has chest hair!" Astrid protested "At least five."
Up in the great hall there arose such a clatter,
Gobber had dropped his cold mutton platter.
Away to the kitchen he flew like a flash,
For some yak and some chicken, and a pile of mash.
Even though Tuffnut had taken his Snoggletog Poem very seriously, fortunately for him it was still humorous enough to keep the Vikings attention during the Snoggletog Feast. In recent years Astrid had made various excuses to avoid this celebratory meal, fearing she may turn lupine at any moment; but this year she felt oddly safe because of her injuries.
"So it only happens around the time of Snoggletog?" Ruffnut whispered too loudly for Astrids liking.
"Kind of... and keep your voice down."
"Meh" Ruffnut shrugged off the concern "They're all half drunk, some are listening to my brother the poet and some are singing at the top of their lungs. I could stand on the table and shout your secret while holding up cue cards, and nobody would notice."
"Okay but still, please keep it low" Astrid begged "The first year I had no control and I just fought it as best I could manage, but failed for the nights of Snoggletog. Now that I'm used to the whole process, I can change at will, any time of the year; but the urge to become the wolf always seems to be strongest about now."
"Ah yes... THE WOLF!" a rather tipsy Mulch raised his mug and everyone cheered before drinking a toast to the Winter Wolf.
He rather unsteadily leaned forward and smiled.
"Well done Ashtid... taking on the wol... the woluf... the doggy thing... single handed" Mulch slapped her on the back, hitting a rather tender bruise before he fell flat on his face.
"She didn't take on the wolf" Ruffnut said as she helped Mulch to his feet again "she took on the pirates and the wolf protected her."
"THE PIRATES!" Mulch raised his now empty mug and once again, everyone cheered before realising who they were cheering for, and started to boo instead.
They returned to their longships on slow plodding feet,
determined to beat a hasty retreat.
And the Vikings all shouted, as the pirates all fled,
'Attack us at Snoggletog and you'll all end up dead.
The epic poem finally over, Tuffnut took his bows as the crowd roared. The cheering was not so much for the poem, but more for their own bravery at beating off the pirates. For although none of them had actually been there at the time, the poem and the clear affects of all the alcohol consumed made them feel as if they were. While the annual celebration continued, Fishlegs and Hiccup returned to the table, both carrying a plate in each hand.
"Here we go" Hiccup said placing one in front of Astrid "A Snoggletog feast for the hero of Berk."
"And one for my precious" Fishlegs added, giving a plate to Ruffnut.
As the four commenced their repast, two more figures sidled up to their table in the form of Tuffnut and Snotlout.
'What did you think of my poem?" Tuffnut asked, clearly proud of himself "It only took me six minutes to add the extra verses about the pirates."
"Six minutes; sound about right for a work of such quality" Ruffnut declared, her sarcasm lost on her brother.
"Thank you" he beamed.
"But what was that bit about all the Vikings shouting at the pirates? There were only four of us there and Astrid did all the heavy lifting" Ruffnut pointed out.
"Three" Snotlout corrected "Fishlegs ran away remember?"
"Fishlegs raised the alarm just like he should have" Hiccup replied, obviously annoyed "We succeed by working together and Fishlegs made sure the warriors of Berk were ready to back us up; and then he hurried back to the battle area."
"I agree with Hiccup" Astrid nodded.
"Of course you do" Snotlout mumbled.
"And Tuffnut was right to include the whole village in his poem, because every last one of them would have done the same thing if they had been there" Astrid added.
"Again, thank you" Tuffnut puffed out his chest.
"I still say your poetic licence should be revoked" Ruffnut declared before tearing into a chicken drumstick.
"Well I've had enough of this" Snotlout said with a huff.
Turning towards the centre of the hall, he declared his intention to leave.
"MERRY SNOGGLETOG TO ALL, AND TO ALL... GOODNIGHT!"
As the clearly annoyed you man stormed out of the hall, Tuffnut pondered what he had just heard.
"Hmm... not a bad line; I should have used something like that to end my poem.
The rest of the evening past in the usual raucous manor of a Berkian feast, and a wonderful time was had by all. Astrid too enjoyed herself greatly, even though she ached all over, for deep down she was nothing more than a true romantic and she spent most of her time watching Ruffnut and Fishlegs snuggling together by the fire until Hiccup intervened.
"I think it's about time I put you to bed" he said.
"Well really Mister Hiccup" Astrid smirked "Aren't you the eager one."
"No... no I meant... your injuries and... well..."
"Relax Romeo, I knew what you meant" Astrid punched his arm "but the dragons aren't back with their hatchlings yet."
"You can see them in the morning" Hiccup insisted.
"Assuming my muscles haven't solidified by then" Astrid said, rubbing her shoulder "Can't I stay a little longer?"
"I'll give you a massage" Hiccup offered.
"LET'S GO!" she grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet.
"Well really Miss Astrid; aren't you the eager one" Hiccup grinned and received a second punch to the arm.
Seeing the couple leave gave Ruffnut an idea and before Fishlegs knew what was happening, his girlfriend had grabbed his arm and was dragging him outside.
"Where are we going now?" he asked.
"On a romantic walk in the moonlight" Ruffnut answered with obvious joy in her voice.
"But it's so cold out here Sweetums" Fishlegs protested.
Ruffnut had to admit he was right, but a cosy idea soon came to mind. Once again she surprised Fishlegs by starting to take off his heavy winter coat.
"What are you...?"
"Trust me Fishypooh" she grinned "Just take your left arm out..."
He soon understood as Ruffnut slipped her left arm in the coat and put her right around his waist.
"Two people in one coat" he nodded "This is a good idea."
"Feeling warmer now?" Ruffnut asked.
"Much better... but I'm not sure about your helmet horns."
Rather than blind her man so early in their relationship, Ruffnut turned her helmet sideways in a new fashion style that never really took off on Berk. As the couple walked off down the hill from the Great Hall, an annoyed voice drifted over to them from Astrid's home.
"OWW! My left shoulder hurts too!"
"Right shoulder, left shoulder, neck, back... where doesn't it hurt?" Hiccup frustratedly asked.
"Here!" Astrid tersely replied.
"Okay then, one elbow massage coming right up!"
As they continued on their way, Ruffnut wondered if she should confide in her partner about what she had learned about the Winter Wolf. In the end she decided that although she did not want to start off the relationship with any deception, it was really up to Astrid who she told about her secret life.
"You know Cuddle Bunny, considering how nice it is to be sharing a coat, maybe we should consider sharing a dragon too" Ruffnut suggested.
"Y-you mean I should... ride with you... on Barf and Belch?"
"Tuff could take over on Meatlug, then you and I..."
"I'm sorry Ruffnut, but I'm gonna have to stop you right there! I do love you but I could never give up my precious Meatlug" he insisted.
"So your saying Love me, Love my Gronkle?"
"Just as I love your odd sense of humour" Fishlegs smiled "Deal?"
Ruffnut smiled back, the moonlight reflecting in her eyes as she raised herself up on her toes so their lips could meet.
"Deal" she agreed.
And so we say goodbye to the Dragon Riders for another year, and I get back to my other story, Fire Sky Ruling.
If any of you are looking for another HTTYD story to read, I recommend a story that came to mind recently called The Quest To Save A Nadder by Stripesicles222. She wrote a really fun adventure story and it's more than worth a look.
Merry Christmas (Snoggletog) to you all, and try not to get caught under the Missing Toe.
Love from Marty and BooCat =^..^=