Chapter 22

Astrid grimaced as she felt something poking her cheek and ear. She slowly cracked open an eyelid but quickly shut it as the light in the room was too bright. Her left side hurt and she couldn't stifle the whimper it produced. No sooner had she uttered the painful noise when a shout of "GET YER CHICKEN OFF MY PATIENT!" Was uttered. Astrid winced at the loud noise and fully opened her eyes but she would wish she didn't. The lights in the stark white room were still too bright. It hurt her eyes and the next thing she noticed was the head of a chicken leaning over her. The chicken was promptly removed and Astrid tried to sit up only to have a hand on her right shoulder push her back down.

"No, you've lost a lot of blood." She recognized the voice as Ruffnut's and slowly calmed down. "There is no way you are moving anytime soon." Ruffnut continued to say, apparently in full doctor mode.

Astrid turned her head slightly and she could just make out a man that looked near-identical to Ruffnut sitting on a stool cradling a chicken. She turned her head the other way and noticed the good doctor glaring at the man previously mentioned. "How many times have I told you to keep that damn chicken out of my space!" Ruffnut could be heard saying. "The next time I am making chicken stew and there is nothing you can do to stop me!"

The man opposite Astrid let out a gasp and she could hear the clucking of the chicken as he held the animal close and shouted "How dare you threaten Chicken you fish head!"

"Fish head! Fish head! You're one to talk you lard for brains!"

"Dragondung shoveler!"

"Mushroom head!"

"Worm!"

"Crow!"

"Dandelion!"

"Bride of Grendel!" The man shouted back while Ruffnut pulled up her sleeves in what could only become a full out brawl.

"Say that to me again you butt elf!" Ruffnut growled but luckily the upcoming brawl was stopped by none other than Camicazi who marched into the room. Astrid noted Snotlout trailing behind her while looking rather uncomfortable.

"Really now!" Camicazi said as she placed her hands on her hips. "Is this any way to act?!" The twins quieted down and as Tuffnut was about to say something he got shot down by her glare. Only the 'bhak bhak' of the chicken could be heard as the woman then rounded on Astrid.

"And you!" Camicazi said while pointing an accusing finger at her. "You leave for a couple of hours and I have to find out from your ladies-in-waiting that not only did you participate in a duel, you also ended up bleeding all over the place!"

"That's… an exaggeration," Astrid muttered as she didn't really have the strength to stand up yet and the look Cami gave her was so obvious.

"Yeah, she only bled out in the fountain," Ruffnut stated. "And I patched her all up."

"You. Got. Stabbed!" Cami punctuated each word as she stared Astrid down. "Do you have any idea how worried we were?! It may not look it but Ruffnut hasn't slept for two days now!"

"Hey! Don't go telling her that!" Ruffnut grumbled.

"Two days?!" Astrid said in shock. "I've been unconscious for two days?!"

"Well…" Ruffnut said as a blush graced her cheeks. "You did wake up briefly while I was patching you up."

"Why are you blushing?" Astrid asked with a frown. "Ruffnut, why are you blushing?! Oh my Thor! Just tell me already!" She added when Ruffnut looked away briefly as her cheeks turned from pink to full-on red.

"Oh Oh Oh! I can tell you!" The man holding the chicken said. "I'm Tuffnut by the way and this is Chicken," Chicken was held up slightly when introduced and the bird gave a few clucks of shock at being suddenly jostled from her comfortable position. "So when my sister was tending to you, you woke up and muttered a lot of things. And I do mean a lot! The stuff my sister uses to numb pain must be really good," he absentmindedly commented as he kept talking. "Now at first, you were mumbling about taking your axe and slicing up some… uhm…. Let's just redact the colorful words for now," Tuffnut stated. "Chicken's ears are sensitive."

Astrid frowned as Ruffnut's brother was far more talkative than she expected. "So anyway, you were cursing someone for being dishonorable, then you were saying how nice Ruffnut's hair was, then you started trying to fight someone, we had to hold you down then and you hit me!" Tuffnut then said and pointed to the blooming bruise on his cheek and Astrid looked rather sheepish then. But Tuffnut brushed it off with a wave and continued. "So then….. You zone out again and an hour later is when the juicy stuff happens." Here he actually grinned. "So you were more mumbling in your sleep about a certain prince. Let's call him Hiccy for now," Astrid raised a brow since there was really only one prince it could be. "And you said you would like to tie him up and do som-"

"Alright that's enough out of you!" Ruffnut said as she went over and yanked her brother off the stool by his ear.

"Ouch!" Tuffnut said as he clutched his chicken while his sister started yanking him towards the door. "I'm hurt! I'm very much hurt!"

The door shut behind Camicazi and Snotlout and the trio in the room winced collectively when the shouts of "AAAAAAAHHH RUFF!" and "THE CHICKEN IS NOT AMUSED!" floated through from the other side.

When Ruffnut came back even Astrid was bright red as she knew just what Tuffnut was going to imply. She mentally gave her brain a kick for even trying to voice the thoughts aloud.

"No offence but I really don't want to know what goes on in your head around the thoughts of my cousin." Snotlout commented as he tried to hide his blush as well. He was however failing miserably.

"Snotlout, why exactly are you here?" Astrid frowned. She and Camicazi got along fine now that some things had been cleared up. And though she was still a bit salty about being left at the altar she still considered Cami a friend now but Snotlout, well she had heard neither hide nor hair from him after delivering the beating of a lifetime.

Snotlout for his part also looked rather uncomfortable. The shorter man took a deep breath and then said "I know we've had our differences,"

Astrid wanted to snort, differences indeed. "But you did save my cousin not only from that woman but possibly his life as well." Snotlout continued. "I just wanted to say thank you."

Astrid blinked as she hadn't expected that and Snotlout seemed to pick up on it as well. "Look, I know I give my cousin grief at times," the duke-to-be uttered "But it's not like I don't care. He's still family. Whatever it's worth, you two would make a great couple," he added alluding to their upcoming nuptials. "Just don't get stabbed again. Seeing my wife freak out once is more than enough," he ended with a shudder.

Astrid nodded and looked at Snotlout in a new light. At first she had thought him a womanizer, then a coward when he failed to show up for the wedding, then she pondered why she hadn't seen much of him and now she realized that he might have actually been giving her space to process everything and to get over past events. From his words Astrid could hear the sincerity and possibly respect he had for her actions. Maybe, just maybe they could actually get along.

"So what happened while I was unconscious?" She asked while filing certain thoughts away for later. Both Cami and Snotlout looked rather uncertain and Ruffnut who had reentered the room for the last part of the conversation muttered "Just tell her. She'll find out sooner or later."

"Right," Camicazi nodded. "Fishlegs is at the palace treating the prince. We actually came to move you to the palace today once Ruffnut gives us the go-ahead. News came that Fishlegs' dragon was saved but there seemed to have been something else in the missive and King Stoick is being extremely tightlipped about it. There has been a nervous atmosphere throughout the Royal court since last night."

"Why?" Astrid frowned.

"Princess Margarette died last night while in Berkian custody. She was poisoned," Camicazi stated. "As you know due to several treaties in the Archipelago there are certain bylaws as to when a royal dies on foreign soil due to suspicious circumstances." Astrid fisted her blanket, she knew what it meant, and then asked "What's the verdict? Will the Southern Isles declare war?"

AN:
Harry: "You know the Porg is offended right?"
Vala: "Why? I didn't shove him in a preheated oven this time."
Harry: "You didn't add a new AN last chapter,"
Vala: "That's it?! I was enjoying my new Porg-feather pillow."
Harry: "So you were just lazy,"
Vala: "Well unless you wanted the readers to see a naked Porg..." (gestures to the pillow)
Harry: -_-
Vala: -_-
(Porg meeps while wearing a pair of tiny overalls)