Well, we've crossed the 200 follower mark now. Thank you so much everyone for the support. It means a great deal to me. The most exciting part of my day is getting to read all of the reviews after posting a new chapter. Usually I get them all at once as I'm coming down the hill from work after a 14 hour shift, and it just blows my mind how many people are enjoying or having feelings for this story. You guys are all amazing!
This chapter was originally one very long one, but it has now been split in two. Not to torture you guys, but simply because it felt too long and too busy to throw at you all at once. Lol
Yubel578: Yes, it really was able to go either way, and I'm glad you liked it. Stoick never did know his son very well...
CB73: Fishlegs is a very smart man, but I do thoroughly enjoy the fact that everyone thinks Hiccup is basically a zombie soldier. It just seemed like that would probably be their go-to suspicion under the circumstances, since it was a very superstitious world we used to live in. He does act quite a bit like a draugr, aside from the murdering of innocent villagers part...lol. You're right about Hiccup not really using his magic on Astrid. Good thing too. She honestly would punch the living ELF out of him if she found out that he was (I laughed so hard at that). I think they are just two lovebirds caught in a tangled web of desire and magic beyond both of their control. I'm glad you picked up the hint about her axe. Things are about to start happening and yes, Stormheart is a piece of shit for many reasons...
DeathBerryHime: I know, right! To be fair, I'd probably just fudge him too...lol (I seriously stan murderous sexy darkcup). Yes, Hiccup's restraint slipped a little as Astrid pushed him and he is definitely brooding about it. She might be wise to be a little more careful, though she doesn't feel the sense of danger that she probably should around him. Can I say that it is a little bit scary how in my head you are...are you sure I didn't send you a draft of the story before hand?..lol. You'll see why...
Andria Rainbolt: Haha, thank you for the review. Everything will come out in time, I'm sure ;)
Guest: I'm glad you liked it.
Draconic king: Wow, thank you so much! That is an incredibly nice thing to say.
Rainnnn: Oh they are definitely on the hunt for answers, and they are likely going to get them soon enough.
Guest: Troodontius: Thanks for the review. I'm glad you like the story so much. As for the characters, Astrid is the only one that knows Hiccup is an elf and she isn't going to tell anyone any time soon. Still, believing in the nine realms does not mean you would instantly figure out that your boyfriend works for basically the god of gods. Just because Hiccup is an elf does not mean that he is allowed in Asgard. Also, don't forget that Svartelfheim is on the same level as Midgard, so there is no reason for Astrid to believe that he left the middle level at all. According to Norse mythology, they believed that if they travelled far enough, they could sail to the other worlds on the middle level. As for Fishlegs, he does suspect that Hiccup is not from this realm, though he thinks he is from Nilfheim instead of Alfheim. Despite this, I doubt that Fish would ever be brave enough to tell Ruffnut that she wasn't allowed to do something...lol. Do you? It is also worth noting that neither of the riders have done anything to come across as inherently dangerous to the villagers, so Fish wouldn't need to warn Ruffnut to stay away. Which I'm sure he is quite relieved about. Besides, Ruff would just like the riders even more for being dangerous...
_
As the new recruits began their training, the group from Berk started looking forward to a bit of a break. Unfortunately the riders had other plans for them. Instead of sitting back and watching the others suffer through the same gruelling routine they just had, the Hooligans were now expected to train the Allies. "The best way to learn is to teach your knowledge to another," Ilweran told them all cheerily over the sound of the twins' loud complaints. He and Hiccup laughing quietly together while Astrid and her friends contemplated the horrible prospect.
When Hiccup showed up with the weighted packs for the new recruits though, Astrid actually found herself chuckling too at the looks on the Vikings' faces. All of them glaring daggers when they felt the weight and saw the rocks inside. Once again, they went through the display of Ilweran shouldering his own pack easily as the recruits shot judging looks at the riders. The group from Berk struggling to keep the mirth from their faces as they watched Scáth offer his own pack to this new batch of disbelievers. Then the five of them were finally laughing openly as one after another struggled to even move the absurdly heavy thing that the dark rider seemed to barely notice.
Still shaking her head at the display, Astrid hoisted her own weighted pack onto her back with practiced ease. Then she noted the sudden press of silence around her, and glanced up to meet the startled faces of the newcomers. To her surprise, they were all staring at her with the same shock she had felt when Hiccup had first donned his heavy bag. It was at that moment she realized that he had been right again. What had seemed a burden too heavy to fathom before was now simply an accustomed weight, and she hadn't even really noticed it happening. There had just been too many other things to think about.
Smiling at their expressions, Astrid took it upon herself to lead the group. It seemed to just come naturally to her. Hiccup and Ilweran stepping back to allow her this authority. Simply standing by to ensure that everything was progressing properly now. Taking charge also served as a convenient way of keeping Fishlegs and his questions at bay. The large blonde man had been trying to corner her all morning, and Astrid was sure he wanted to ask her about Scáth and his swords. Unfortunately she was still too confused herself to come up with believable excuses right now.
To her surprise, and literally no one else's, Astrid was just as tough a task master as the riders had been. Pushing the new recruits as hard as she reasonably could. As she led the first hike up the mountain, it came as a shock just how many times they needed to stop for rest. She was barely even feeling the exertion yet. Surely the Hooligans hadn't been this out of shape when they'd started.
Hiccup chuckled quietly beside her as she sighed impatiently at the exhausted Vikings. She shot him a quick look, and he simply shrugged and chuckled again. Once again proving how uncannily in tune with her thoughts he was. "Yes, you lot were just as out of shape when you started, mi'lady. Though I will say that you have been the most impressive recruit that we have ever trained. As I knew you would be." He met her gaze and there was a smile in his eyes.
"I'll take that as a compliment, even if I may have had a bit of an unfair advantage," she quipped. Grinning at him when he allowed that with a shrug, before turning back to the scattered group of trainees. When she felt they had rested long enough, Astrid ordered them all to their feet again. Everyone groaned and grumbled, but stood and began to grudgingly follow her. After a few minutes however, Hiccup called the group to a stop. Everyone looked at him in confusion, but he and Ilweran simply walked quietly up to one of the new recruits.
"May I see your pack, please," Hiccup asked politely as he held out his hand. The boy was small and nervous looking, with mouse brown hair and a pointed face. Astrid didn't recognize him, so she assumed that he had to be quite young. Though she was still pretty sure he was from the Slugguts Tribe. The boy blushed bright red and stammered awkwardly for a moment before finally beginning to remove his bag. Just the way he was holding it giving Astrid the nagging suspicion that it looked lighter. She made her way over to the trio then and Hiccup calmly passed it over to her instead.
Immediately realizing that the pack was indeed conspicuously emptier now, Astrid shot the boy a disapproving look. "Bile, is it," she asked as she suddenly remembered his name. "Where are the rest of the rocks that should be in this pack?" When he didn't answer her right away, she took a menacing step towards him. Blanching, he pointed a shaking finger down the trail, towards the spot they had just rested at.
Astrid glanced over at the riders again and Hiccup nodded once in understanding. "I shall be right back," he said before walking away. Returning a few moments later with his arms full of stones. He placed them at Astrid's feet before standing and meeting her eyes. His had a smile in them and she knew that he would back her in whatever decision she made right now. Then he stepped back to flank her, his arms crossed. Ilweran moving around to flank her other side as both riders faced down the small boy who had tried to cheat. The rest of the Hooligans coming closer to join the group as well.
Bile was practically trembling in his terror. Everyone else hovering just outside the main group as they all watched anxiously to see what would happen now. Was Astrid going to punish the young boy? Were the terrifying riders going to let her? Just what was the punishment for something like this?
Smirking inwardly at how impressive she must look while flanked by these two behemoth men, Astrid glanced over her shoulder at Ilweran. Spotting the faintest ghost of a smile dancing on his lips as well, and he met her gaze with a cheeky wink and a nod of support. Smirking wider in thanks, Astrid turned back to the boy now as she quickly schooled her expression back to serious and raised her voice so everyone could hear. "You have tried to cheat by casting away part of your burden," she scolded him. "Unfortunately, this is not a burden that can simply be shirked off or reduced. It's the weight of a human life and it must be carried by someone."
She watched the young boy pale even further as she waved the other new recruits closer. "If you do not bear it, your fellow riders will be forced to pick up the slack," she proclaimed pointedly. Hiccup, Ilweran, and those from Berk all starting to divide the pile of rocks up between the packs of the remaining fourteen recruits as she spoke. "We can only function as a team when we can trust each other to pull our own weight. Burdens are lighter when they are shared equally." Everyone was now glaring and muttering in Bile's direction as their already heavy packs had more rocks added to them. He looked about to burst into tears.
After meeting the eyes of every angry recruit, Astrid returned her gaze to Bile. "Perhaps next time you decide your burden is unfairly heavy, you will remember this moment." He nodded shakily and she looked back out at the group. "The same goes for all of you. A good soldier does not pass his burdens off for his brothers and sisters to carry. We are all in this together and if the weight is too heavy for one of you, it is likely just as heavy for the others. Ask for assistance, and support each other instead." Then she turned and began hiking up the trail again.
As everyone else fell into step behind her, Ilweran gave her a discreet thumbs up when she caught his eye, and Astrid flashed him a brief smile in return. Hiccup coming to walk beside her at the front of the group instead. "You handled that very well," he offered quietly. "I am proud of you."
She looked at him in surprise for a minute, then allowed a soft chuckle. "I guess all your stupid training has actually paid off," she admitted blandly. "Don't let it go to your head though. I still hate your guts for the debate practice."
Hiccup actually laughed out loud at that. "Oh, I know," he teased. "At least you will get to be on the less frustrating side of that practice this time around. You will likely find that it is much less difficult to ask the questions than it is to answer them." Then he moved away to walk with Ilweran again. Astrid followed him with her eyes before noticing Fishlegs staring questioningly at her. She just shrugged in return before quickly looking away.
The Berk riders had decided to divide up the other training tasks between them. Astrid took the exercise routine. Since Eret no longer accompanied them now their number was an even twenty now, much to Ruffnut's displeasure, the twins and Snotlout opted to share the workload for the sparring portions. Ruff and Tuff leading the hand-to-hand training while Snot instructed the weapons portion, with plenty of help from Astrid of course. She did really enjoy every single time she got to hit him with the weighted sparring axe. Only now did they really notice how much their skills had improved under the riders' tutelage, as they easily beat the new recruits in every match.
Naturally, Fishlegs had decided to lead the debate and strategy practices, as well as sharing what dragon knowledge they had gained so far. Astrid soon realized that, once again, Hiccup had been right. It was much more enjoyable to be on the winning side of the debates all the time. Though she could now understand what he meant by it being designed to have the other person lose. No matter the topic, the recruits always struggled to answer her questions. Eventually getting frustrated and angry as she backed them easily into a corner every single time. Astrid noting with interest that this would be a very effective method of mediation between warring clans. Certainly better than the old 'give them each a mace and let them fight it out' method.
Ever since the Allies had arrived, the village had been hosting far more communal meals in the Hall. At first, Astrid hadn't been sure how they were going to feed so many extra mouths when their stores were already so depleted. Fortunately, Hiccup had a plan for that too. One day, a fleet of foreign ships arrived at the docks. Each one loaded down with huge quantities of fruits, vegetables, grains, and spices from all around, as well as caskets of mead and ale. Leaving Stoick actually stunned into silence when the Captain of the fleet informed him that the dark rider had already paid for all of the goods.
Not only that, but the riders also began showing up at the Mead Hall in the mornings with hefty quantities of wild game and fish. Filling the communal larder until it was packed to the brim. Most of the women were now spending their afternoons preserving much of the new stock to get the village through the winter. It wasn't even midway through summer yet and they were already comfortably supplied for the hard seasons. Astrid had no idea how Hiccup and Ilweran were managing it, but it had certainly helped to ease the tension in the rest of the village. The Hooligans now going out of their way to dote on the allied visitors.
Somehow, after the long lessons followed by hunting for an entire village, Hiccup was still managing to maintain his politely diplomatic persona. He and Ilweran having made a point to interact with each of the clan leaders and council members now residing on Berk. Assessing their strengths, weaknesses, and what aid each group would be most suited to provide in the looming battle. Though they took to Ilweran relatively well, not all of them had been very gracious over suffering the judgement of the strange man with the concealed face. Many didn't trust Scáth, and they were not quiet about it either.
Hiccup handled it shockingly well. Astrid didn't think she would have remained quite so calm when confronted with some of their more colourful protestations. Hiccup just seemed infallible, despite the fact that he had claimed he wasn't. Instead of whipping his swords out at every little insult, he simply exuded a calm sense of carefully controlled power. Like a snake coiled to strike; right before it killed a mouse. He didn't need to use physical weapons.
All of the older and more experienced warriors clearly recognized this aura of danger and smartly steered clear of the dark rider. Unfortunately, many of the arrogant young men were still aggressive and hungry for a fight. Not hardened enough by battle to be wary of it, they tended to be crass and disrespectful towards the riders. In keeping with their relatively placable image, Hiccup and Ilweran simply chose to ignore the obnoxious idiots. Preferring to leave them for the elders of the tribes to deal with.
Astrid's favourite of these elders was Bertha, Chief of the Bog Burglars. She was a large and powerfully built woman that never hesitated to knock down anyone, regardless of who's tribe they belonged to. Bertha's clan was pretty awesome too. They were all women and all extremely skilled warriors. They were also extremely skilled thieves and you had to keep a close watch on anything valuable when they were around.
One of them, a raven haired girl named Heather, quickly became something of a friend and sparring partner to Astrid during dragon training. As they grew to trust each other, Astrid eventually learned that Heather actually wasn't born on Bog. Orphaned as a young child, she had been taken in by the all-female tribe after washing up on their island many years ago, and had been living with Bertha and her daughter Camicazi ever since. Tall, slim, and beautiful, with eyes as brightly green as Hiccup's human ones, Heather caught the unwanted attention of more than one man on the island. Much like Astrid herself though, Heather was far more than just a pretty face, and any man that came too close was soon chased off with threats of bodily harm.
Although intelligent and reserved most of the time, Heather could be as recklessly daring as any of the Hooligan riders when she wanted to be. She also had a devious streak that sometimes put Ruff and Tuff to shame. Trained by the Bog's, she was just as skilled in combat as the rest of them. She never talked about her family, or her life before washing up on Bog Burglar Island though. Sensing that it was probably an uncomfortable topic, Astrid never pressured Heather for information. She was just enjoying having more female friends for a change.
Astrid and Camicazi had also formed a quick friendship. Within hours of meeting each other, they found they had a lot in common. Cami was a buxom blonde with a pretty face and bright blue eyes. At 5'2", she looked delicate, curvy, and feminine. In reality, she was anything but delicate. She was feisty, outgoing, and an excellent fighter. Anyone that thought she was easy prey would be in for a very nasty surprise. With a quick wit and an easy (and often dirty) sense of humour, she was also a more than worthy verbal sparring opponent. Forming a quick camaraderie with Ruffnut too over their equally wicked minds.
The days were growing much longer now as they neared the time of the midnight sun. Those two weeks of summer when the daylight never fully faded, and as such, the training was dragging out longer too. Still, the four ladies could often be found using what free time they had left afterwards to pester Gobber, Scáth, Ilweran, and Eret in the forge. Hoping for one of the beautiful men to start removing clothes in the sweltering heat of the rather crowded little building. Cami was particularly vocal about this desire to see some skin. The petite blonde having taken quite a liking to the handsome white rider, despite Ilweran's best efforts to dissuade her. Something which Astrid admittedly found hilarious.
She had also noticed many of the other women, Hooligans and Allies alike, starting to loiter outside the smithy as well these days. Gazing in the window or leaning against the front counter. Likely for the same reason as the ladies within the stall, and it always made Astrid chuckle. Still, their little group were the only ones that the men permitted inside the forge with them. Feeling just a wee it smug at this, Astrid made sure to shoot gloating waves and smirks at the other women as she pressed herself against Scáth under the pretence of inspecting his work. Hiccup laughing softly at her antics, even while making a big display of 'showing' her what he was doing in return.
Through the open forge window Astrid also often spotted the brutish troll, Stormheart, still strutting around the village. Looking unreasonably arrogant despite having been kicked out of dragon training. Apparently he was helping with the preparations, but she had yet to see him doing anything useful. He was managing to start quite a few brawls in the Mead Hall though, where he was also spending a good portion of his time making the serving girls rather uncomfortable. The man was a chauvinistic pig, and it was the dearest wish of the four friends to be given the opportunity to try out their new sparring skills on him.
More than once, Astrid had caught sight of him following her and her friends in the evening. Leaving the Hall behind them and maintaining his distance until they were away from the crowded square and into the sheltering shadows of the homes or trees. Then he would slowly start to close the gap. As Hiccup had requested, she had taken to carrying her axe with her at all times again. Now she was practically begging for the opportunity to run Stormheart through with it. Her hands aching to reach back and grab it from its holster. The bastard always seemed to veer off just as he was getting close enough for her to justify attacking him though. Pity…
During meal times Astrid and Ruffnut would often sit around and think up inventive tortures that they would like to inflict on the repulsive man. Everyone else around them joining in with their own ideas. Their usual table in the Mead Hall was getting more crowded now that Cami, Heather, and Eret had joined their group. Ilweran usually spent meal times with Hiccup, but he would occasionally join their table as well. Hiccup, on the other hand, never ate in the Hall. Choosing to maintain his shadowy image through careful distance from the villagers. Never getting too friendly with anyone other than Gobber, Eret, and Ilweran.
After a couple weeks, the new recruits were finally beginning to get into the swing of things, though it was still no contest when it came to sparring. Leaving the Hooligans feeling pretty confident with their skills. Then Hiccup threw a new disruption into their routines. When they arrived at the academy it was to find a new pile of crude sparring weapons waiting for them. Before they left for their customary hike, he told all the recruits to toss their current weapons into the pile. Instructing them to select a new one that they were not familiar with.
When it came time to spar that afternoon, it was now a much closer match up between the Berk riders and the Allies. After they all achieved reasonable proficiency with their new weapons, he made them switch again. And then again. Soon Hiccup had them sparring against multiple opponents while continuously changing weapons. When paired with the typical sleep deprivation caused by 14 days of consecutive daylight, it felt like absolute madness!
Of course Snotlout protested the loudest about this abuse. As much as she hated to admit it, Astrid sort of agreed with him. She had never had a problem she couldn't handle with her axe. Why did she need to train with weapons that she was never going to use? Cami and Heather, on the other hand, thought it was great fun. Apparently the Bog's tended to use a similar method during their training as well. This meant that the Bog ladies were already reasonably comfortable with many of the weapons Hiccup brought them.
No matter how busy her days were, or how tired she was, Astrid still couldn't help but notice that Hiccup had suddenly become strangely distant with her. Ever since the day of the selection in fact. She had tried to ask him about his sword and Stormheart on the way back to the village that night, but Hiccup had been evasive as usual. Using the distraction provided by the appearance of Fishlegs and his questions to make a hasty exit. The following evening she had gone to the cove to pester him again, only to find him gone. Having left Ilweran to give his excuses. When she had tried to coax answers out of Ilweran instead, his refusal had been uncharacteristically blunt.
Now though, Hiccup was all but avoiding her. He would stay for the training and then escape to the forge as soon as it was over. Leaving on Toothless after the men were done for the day. Sometimes staying away for the entire night and only turning up the next morning in time to oversee the lessons. Other times he would disappear for a day or two at a time. Showing up with wild dragons in tow just like before, but without his customary goodbye for her before hand. Practically running from her if she tried to approach him during lessons or afterwards. At least he wasn't shying away from her antics in the forge yet, but he also never encouraged them either.
He had claimed that he would always be hers, but now it was starting to feel like he was trying to break up with her instead. Their interactions during lessons becoming oddly reserved, as if they really were barely more than strangers. What in Midgard was he so desperate to hide that he was willing to risk losing her over it? All the rage that she had misplaced after making angry love to him that first night was beginning to come back in full force. She didn't want to, but Astrid knew she was likely going to start hitting him again soon if he kept on ignoring her.
When she had confronted Ilweran about it again, he had been slightly more empathetic this time. Though he still had not made her feel as if he supported her arguments in the slightest. Telling her in his infuriatingly calm manner to just give Hiccup time. "What you want to know, it will be just as hard for him to tell you as it will be for you to hear," he offered with a shrug before walking away. She wanted to chase after him and yell at him for siding with Hiccup, but in all fairness, he was Hiccup's friend first.
Even Fishlegs and Ruffnut had noticed this change in Scáth's behaviour. Though they had always thought that the dark rider was a bit terrifying, so they couldn't understand why it bothered Astrid so much. She would spend her evenings at their lodge ranting about it, and Ruff would sit and listen in silence as she rolled her eyes. Fishlegs did vaguely sympathize with Astrid's frustrations at least, as he had also been trying to corner the rider for weeks. Hoping to convince him to explain about his swords, despite Ruff's comments that he should leave well enough alone.
When Astrid had turned up at their lodge the day after the selection, Fish had questioned her relentlessly about Scáth. Wanting to know more about the swords and her axe, and whether or not she knew the strange man. Badgering her about where the riders had come from and how Scáth was able to use magic, until she almost wanted to scream at him too. After Fish realized that she truly was just as clueless as him when it came to the weapons and how they worked, he had eventually given up pestering her. Grudgingly accepting that she wasn't about to reveal much else that she did know about Scáth either.
Fish was of the firm belief that the dark rider was not from this realm, and Astrid had to give him credit for figuring that out. Even if his guesses were off by a couple levels. Though even Fish agreed that the riders did not really seem like monsters, as they were far too gentle and helpful. With a slight chuckle, Astrid had suggested that perhaps they were a rare breed of friendly demons. That had caused Fish and Ruff to both burst out laughing. Admitting defeat at getting anything more out of her, Fish grumbled, but finally let it go.
Now the two of them spent their evenings scheming up ways they might trick the dark rider into telling them the truth about the sword, while Ruff just grumbled sourly at them. "I don't know why you're bothering to fret about this. If he hasn't told you by now, I doubt that he's going to. If you pester him too much, he's probably just going to kill you," she drawled in exasperation one night before shooting a pointed look at Fishlegs. "If he does, I promise I will bring you back simply to say I told you so. Then I will kill you myself for being such an idiot before letting him eat your corpse." Then she cackled evilly at the look of shock on her husband's face.
Unlike everyone else, Astrid knew that Scáth was not really a draugr. She was also pretty certain that Hiccup wouldn't resort to hurting her just to scare her away. He had assured her that he was not dangerous to her, after all, and she had to believe that. The fact that he possessed magical weapons and objects was uncomfortable though. The Hiccup she had known hadn't been able to use magic, and she wasn't sure if elves could. Ilweran had never displayed any tendencies towards magic use. That just brought up new questions. Where had Hiccup gotten these items from if he hadn't made them himself? He had told her that he made her axe years ago, but maybe someone had helped him?..
In her gut she knew that it shouldn't really matter this much, but she just needed to know. It had now been a little over three weeks since the arrival of the Allies, the days were once again beginning to shorten as blissful darkness returned to the night, and Astrid had officially reached her limit. Eventually deciding she would just find a way to force the answers out of Hiccup if she had to. Playing nice wasn't really her style, and he couldn't avoid her forever. With her mind made up, she was already on her way to the cove when Gothi unexpectedly flagged her down at the edge of the village.
Motioning for Astrid to join her, the old woman began to head towards Healer's Hill. Figuring that a short detour wouldn't be the end of the world, Astrid changed course to follow the stooped wise woman. The two of them making their slow way up the winding staircase in silence. When they reached the hut however, Gothi got straight to the point. "Sit," she rasped as she pointed to one of the stools by the fire.
Astrid plunked herself down. Startled by the abrupt tone, and watching curiously as Gothi added some dried herbs to a mug before adding water from the kettle kept hot by the fire. Shuffling back, she pushed it roughly at Astrid. "Drink," she ordered.
Astrid gazed warily at the ancient healer as she lifted the warm mug of steaming tea up to her nose. Almost expecting some horrible kind of medicine. Sniffing it once and finding only the pleasant scent of berries and mint mixed with the relaxing scent of lavender, she took a sip. It was delicious and Astrid drank a bit more before asking, "what's this for?"
Gothi settled herself on her own much lower stool before fixing her startlingly clear blue gaze on the younger woman. "It is simply a tea to soothe the nerves. I find it is often better to be calm and relaxed when hearing uncomfortable truths." Astrid looked at her in confusion. Before she could ask Gothi to clarify that, the old woman waved a withered hand to silence her.
"Just listen to me child," Gothi urged calmly. "I know that you have a lot of questions for Hiccup. You are frustrated that he does not seem to want to give you answers, and rightly so. It is rather infuriating to love someone that feels like a stranger to you. I am not saying that you are wrong to want answers from him. I am saying that you need to be careful with your curiosity. Has it ever occurred to you that he is truly keeping secrets to protect you?"
Astrid felt her anger flaring again. "That's what he claims, but he won't even tell me what he's protecting me from! Does he think so little of me that he doesn't think I can protect myself?"
"Drink your tea," Gothi barked at her and Astrid took another obedient sip. Feeling herself relax as her anger immediately abated again. "Good girl. Now, you may be able to protect yourself from most things, but Hiccup's enemies are more powerful than anything you can imagine. They possess the power of the gods and a need for authority that he has denied them thus far. To the more malevolent of his employers, your lover is something of an exceptionally valuable game piece. One that they would do almost anything to gain control over. That would be dangerous for us all, and I think you are clever enough to see that."
She fixed Astrid with her sternest gaze yet as she said, "Hiccup is a smart man and an extremely powerful one at that, with only one real weakness. What do you think would happen if those that seek to use him discovered that the weakest link in his armour was you? Think about the way that Hiccup is able to control your mind at will. Do you really think that you would be able to defend yourself against others with the same power? Especially if they were using it as a weapon, instead of playful bedroom antics?"
Astrid felt her eyes go wide in shock. How in Helheim did Gothi know about THAT?! "You know who he works for, don't you," she shot at Gothi accusingly. Unable to keep the sulky tone out of her voice. "Why can't you just tell me and then we can all carry on with our lives?"
"I could, but I won't," Gothi replied simply. "This is between you two, and Hiccup will tell you when he is ready. Right now, you are shielded by those around you. Mainly him, and to a lesser extent, Ilweran and I. I'm not strong enough to shield you as well as those two can though. Once the boys are gone, the others will be able to see you again, and you'd best believe that they will be looking. If you know too much, you will attract attention. If they focus on you, it will only be a matter of time before they discover that Hiccup loves you."
"What do you mean they will be able to see me? Why would they not be able to see me now? How is Hiccup shielding me?" Astrid had a million questions. Nothing made sense. This nonsense about seeing and shielding. She just kept picturing Hiccup holding a giant wooden shield in front of her as someone tried to peer around the edges, which was an absurd idea and she giggled despite herself.
Clearly hearing her laugh, Gothi was quick to bring her back to reality. "It doesn't really matter how Hiccup is shielding you, only that he is. You are better protected in his presence than you know. He will have to leave to keep you safe, though it will tear him apart to do it. Of course he could provide you with a personal shield for when he's gone, but that would also draw a fair bit of attention. A Rider of the Order simply does not go to great lengths to protect someone if they do not care for them deeply."
Astrid's mind was positively reeling now. "What's a personal shield? How would that even work," she spouted as she struggled to make sense of the foreign terms. "I don't understand any of this! It just sounds like magic and madness!" Then she narrowed her eyes as she peered at the wise women. Clutching her mug of oddly soothing herbal tea as a new and startling thought crept into her mind. Did Gothi know about magic too?.. "How do you know all of this anyways?"
"I am privy to a great deal of information that most humans will never know," Gothi supplied flippantly before swiftly changing the subject off of herself. "Now, back to the matter at hand. If anyone realized that they could use you to get to Hiccup, they would likely come for you, and none of us are strong enough to stop them. The moment they took you, I'm sure that he would do whatever was needed to save you, including sacrificing his own freedom. Ask yourself child, is your desire to know the truth so desperate that you would risk his life? Because that is what it may come to."
"Risk his life," Astrid exclaimed in shock. "Would me knowing the truth really be that dangerous for him?" A small tremor of fear was finally beginning to take root in Astrids gut. Gothi was certainly not one to mince words and she had never lied to Astrid before. Why would she be lying now? She didn't have a reason to, but the idea that just getting answers to her questions could result in Hiccup's death seemed insane.
Gothi grasped her hand and squeezed it tight. "It could be that dangerous for both of you," she pointed out gently. "The gods are not lenient and they are not kind. They are selfish and spiteful beings, and we are but pawns forced to march along at their command. Only a very few have the power to push back, and one of them is the same man that is currently driving you crazy. He is risking your anger because he is desperate to keep you from becoming the sacrificial player in this epic game of King's Table."
Astrid went to take another gulp of tea, hoping to settle the new sense of unease that was churning inside her. All this talk of gods and power was making her exceedingly uncomfortable. Unfortunately her mug was empty. Sighing, she lowered it back to her lap as she met the healer's wise and ancient eyes. "So what do I do Gothi? I can't just carry on a relationship with someone that I don't know, but I don't want to bring the wrath of the gods down on us either. Why would Hiccup even work for someone powerful enough to do that? Is there no way to make this work?"
Gothi took her mug back from her, gazing distractedly at the tea leaves for a moment. Then she glanced back up at Astrid with a soft smile. "I don't think he or Ilweran had much of a choice when it came to their employment," she supplied with a sigh. "Still, they have both done the best they can, given the circumstances. As for your troubles, there is every way to make this work child. I am certain that everything will come clear soon enough. All you need to do is have patience."
She passed the mug back to Astrid again with a twinkle in her eyes. Taking the proffered item, Astrid glanced at Gothi in confusion before looking into the mug herself. Inside, the soggy remnants of tea had taken the unmistakable shape of someone riding a dragon. Only it was very clearly a deadly nadder, instead of a night fury or monstrous nightmare. "What..." she started to say. Not even knowing where she was going to go with the comment and too bewildered to think straight. Had that been there when she handed the mug to Gothi?
The old wise woman just grinned at her and winked. "Now I know that you were on your way to the cove to confront him. By all means, go. Just don't be surprised if he once again refuses to answer your questions. As for me, I have something else I need to attend to. You run along." With that Gothi retrieved the mug from out of Astrid's numb hands, and shooed her out the door.
Trudging down the stairs and through the forest, Astrid allowed Gothi's words to roll around in her head. Of course she was still going to go to the cove tonight to confront Hiccup. It was just her nature. Gothi's words had succeeded in lessening her conviction though, and Astrid honestly could be sure that she still wanted answers. After all, Gothi was right. If Hiccup's enemies were anywhere near as powerful as him, she wouldn't stand a chance if they came for her. There was something going on here. Something big that she didn't have a hope of understanding, and that frustrated and scared her.
Astrid had never considered herself to be an overly superstitious person. Especially since her mother had come from a far away land where they apparently worshipped different gods. That had made Astrid begin to question the truth of the myths from a fairly young age. How many gods could there really be? Now though, with Gothi's warning and the strange image in the tea leaves fresh in her mind, she was starting to wonder if, just maybe, the crazy stories might actually have a kernel of truth to them.
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Oh Gothi, my number one MVP. Love that crazy old woman