AN: For those wondering if I gave up on this story: I have not. This semester is being incredibly short so uni swallowed up all my time and energy. Even though this chapter has been ready since mid-August, I haven't had the time or the energy to remember and post it here until now. I know it's not fair, not after I promised to not take longer than a month, but I had not expected my third bimester to be so rushed, to the point that my routine became eating-sleeping-studying, with no room for anything else. That said, I can't promise things are back to normal, so, please, bear with me.

Review response:

LunarCatNinja: I bet that you wouldn't say now that cliffhanger was nice, considering you had to wait three months to learn what became of it. Anyway, I'm glad I still make cliffhangers good enough for you to like them.

MarauderPrime12: Thanks. I hope you'll like this one as well.

OechsnerC: It's alright. My updates do have been sporadic

AngryHenry: Ooh la la indeed.

Green223: I haven't plotted that far yet. But, given what I already have plotted, I don't find Hiccstrid very viable at the moment. But we'll see...

NPWall: Thanks

Noctus Fury: Thank you so much for liking it. This part of the story is one I feel very proud of writing. As for Hiccup telling Elsa his stories, I disagree a bit with you. Even though most of the tribe ostracised him, he probably has a couple of good stories with Gobber, and maybe even some with his father. I find hard to believe that his life was 100% miserable all the time there.

thearizona: Much improvement, many wows, wow :P and you do have to admit that the title was fitting with how Elsa's situation ended up.

Andrew: Sooner than you think. I actually have that part drafted, and I hope that, when I publish it, you'll enjoy it.

V01dsw0rd: Thanks for the correction. At some point she will, but not for now.

DeathCrawler: Thanks, I hope you'll continue enjoying it.

ToxicGentleman: I feel honoured to see that not only people are reading this story (which is, let's admit, in a very small fandom), but are also rereading it. Thank you so much.

Amadi328: So I left you dying for three months. Sorry about that. I hope this chapter will bring you back to life.

Guest: Some identification is always welcome. I like addressing each of my readers. And thanks, I'm doing well-ish; as well as anyone can be when utterly overwhelmed. And of course there will be more; this story hasn't even reached half of its length.

Without further ado:

"Order! I will have order!" The booming voice of Stoick the Vast echoed through the Hall, making all Vikings go silent. He nodded, pleased that he had their attention. "Now, you were saying?"

Astrid's eyes snapped to him. "Yes, sir." She looked down at the map she had on the table. "As I was saying we received reports of villages near us that they are also seeing signs of struggles between dragons. I believe this confirms Fishlegs' theory that a second nest has been formed."

Murmurs rose among the Vikings. "A second nest? What will we do?"

"We are barely managing to hold off the first one."

"What will happen if they decide to band together?"

"We should attack it before it grows powerful like the other one."

"Silence!" he boomed. "We are here exactly to discuss our next course of action. And since it is because of Astrid and Fishlegs that we have this knowledge, we'll hear them out."

"Thank you," she said before she motioned for Fishlegs to come forth. As he was not a social person he walked forward with tiny, shy steps, and didn't look at anyone in the eye. "Fishlegs has been keeping a record of all infighting among the dragons that he noticed, or that someone reported to him. We theorised that this nest is made of dragons that were from the original nest. Based on that we can affirm that they won't join forces, as it seems that actually the original nest we've been fighting is actually splitting."

"How is that good news?" a voice from the crowd said.

"It means that they are focusing more on each other and less on us. Any of you know that is harder to fight two enemies than one. We can use that to our advantage and make easier to drive them away." She couldn't say killing them. Not after meeting Toothless.

Not after the four dragons she had to kill. The scales in her arm were a reminder of that.

Many thought she was trying to keep a score. Some commended the action while others told her to drop it, lest she end up completely covered by scales in a decade. Some even were disappointed that, three months after graduating from Dragon Training she only had managed to kill four dragons. But they hardly voiced out such thoughts since no one wanted to face an angry Astrid.

"So what do we do?"

"We keep our line of defence. And if we see a duel we injure one of the dragons. It'll notice us and hopefully flee once it realises that it is outnumbered. Once the first dragon fled the other may realise the same and flee as well."

"Why not just kill them?"

A lump rose on her throat. She wanted to tell them that they shouldn't die because they were as human as the next Viking. No, I can't throw it all away. Hiccup is counting on me. I need to do my best without risking either of us.

Fortunately, and oddly, Fishlegs answered the anonymous Viking. "We've noticed that this pattern works. We don't know if killing will make the other dragon flee or just go in a rampage."

When no one spoke back, Stoick nodded. "Then it's settled. We'll build a defence plan for the next raid." He let out a sigh. "For now, let's rest. This meeting is finished."

Slowly the densely packed Vikings left the Hall, whereas only a handful remained behind. Astrid felt a hand land on her shoulder and turned around to find Stoick looking at her. "You did well lass." He wore a smile that she had rarely seen.

"Just doing my duty sir. Protecting the village comes above all else."

"Aye," he absentmindedly said. "My son chose well. I'm sure he would have been proud of seeing what a good Chieftess you will be."

Astrid felt her throat grow tight as he spoke of Hiccup. I'm sure he would have been indeed. "Don't worry sir. He'll return, and make you feel more proud than I could ever make you feel."

"Aye. Of that, I have no doubt." Despite the proud tone his voice had, there was also a lingering sadness beneath it, barely visible even for the most attentive. "I could have not asked for a better daughter-in-law. If only Val was here…"

Astrid didn't know what to say so she decided to keep quiet. He misses Hiccup as much as I do. That shouldn't be so surprising. If only he had shown this much affection when Hiccup had been around then maybe he would have not left.

"Goodnight lass," Stoick muttered as he left the Hall. She vaguely heard Fishlegs say the same as he left as well, therefore leaving her alone with her thoughts.

The flame flickered as the doors of the Hall were slammed shut. Aside from her, the Hall was deserted, the only signs that numerous Vikings had been there being the mugs thrown around and the tables randomly moved out of place. Astrid sat on the chair in front of the table and looked at the map still spread there.

Am I doing the right thing? Or am I simply twisting the legacy he trusted me to continue? Gods I wish he has here. He was always the thinker. Surely he would have thought of a way to keep the dragons from being harmed. She looked down at her arm, specifically at her painted scales. He would have thought of a way of not killing them…

A noise brought her out of her trail of thoughts, making her instinctively reach out for the knife on her boot as she turned around to face its source. The chair fell down with a clanking noise as Astrid readied herself into a battle stance.

Heather immediately brought up her hands in a surrendering gesture. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I should have known better than to sneak up on you."

Astrid relaxed as she realised she was not in danger. She returned her knife to her hidden place and picked the chair from the ground. "You're getting better, but you still not good enough to sneak up on me." Despite the easy-going tone, Heather could see that her friend was troubled.

She picked a chair and sat next to Astrid. The flame reflected on the blonde's eyes, a sight that made her feel slightly light-headed. I should purge such thoughts. Her heart yearns for someone else. "What's the matter?"

"Oh, it's nothing too important. Just Stoick being unusually tender."

Heather chuckled. "Well, you are his future daughter-in-law. I'd have found odd if he had not become attached to you in a way." Heather looked intensively at her friend. "But this isn't about him, is it?"

Astrid tensed but then decided to drop the pretence. "No it's not," she whispered.

"You miss him." It was not a question.

Despite being seen by many as fearless and tough, Astrid's next words were anything but, "Yes. I miss him dearly."

Heather didn't know what to do. Part of her knew, to an extent, how she felt. But she didn't know how to comfort her, especially since Astrid was not one to share her feelings with other, even her friends. And so she decided to do the only thing that she knew that could cheer up her friend. "You up to get your butt kicked?"

Astrid looked at Heather and narrowed her eyes. "I'd love to see you try."

Before Heather could even ready herself Astrid threw a punch at her stomach, which sent the brunette reeling as she hastily stood up from the chair. She held her pained stomach and coughed while it fell to the ground, clanking as it did so, then she glared at the blonde. "Of everyone you are the one that should have expected a sneak attack," Astrid commented as she readied herself into a battle stance.

Heather took in a deep breath before she fisted her hands. "You won't surprise me again."

"Good. I was expecting to bring you down fair and square." As soon as she finished speaking she threw a jab at Heather, who barely avoided it. Heather then threw a punch at Astrid's face, which the blonde easily parried, and sent Heather stumbling backwards.

She just managed to get her footing back when Astrid came forth with a kick. Heather managed to dodge it and grabbed Astrid's leg to toss her aside. It partially worked, as the blonde managed to roll and then stand up, ready for Heather's advance.

She did not disappoint the Valkyrie as she came down on her with a series of punches, jabs and kicks. Due to her lithe body, Heather was much quicker than the average Viking. Unfortunately for her, so was Astrid, and not only that but Astrid also knew how to fight against someone as agile as her.

Despite her relentless offensive, Heather allowed an opening to appear accidentally, which was all that Astrid needed. With a carefully calculated parry, Astrid managed to send a punch straight into Heather's jaw.

The brunette stumbled backwards, black dots dancing around her vision. She vaguely heard Astrid call out her name. "I'm fine," she whispered, her jaw hurting as she spoke.

Astrid put Heather's arm around her neck and proceeded to help her sit. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have punched you so hard."

The black dots were gone but Heather could still feel her grip on consciousness tethered by only a thin line. "If you had punched me that hard I'd be unconscious by now," she said despite the pain.

Astrid let out a rueful smile. "Do you need some ice? I can go fetch a block for you if you wish."

"I'm good. Just . . . keep me awake?"

"Of course," the blonde replied. "What do you say of taking a small walk? Think you can do it?"

Heather rose from the chair, and despite wobbling slightly, she didn't seem concerned by it. "You punched my face, not my legs. A walk it is."

'~•~'

Whether by coincidence or destiny they ended up on the Cove. "This is a beautiful place," Heather remarked. The moon reflected on the pond, casting its dim light around the cove, illuminating the rock walls with a ghostly white.

"It is indeed," Astrid said absentmindedly. Memories of her saying goodbye to Hiccup resurfaced, and it took almost all do her willpower to not just sit down and wish she had done more to keep him from leaving. "Sometimes I come here to think. There's a tranquillity here that I haven't found anywhere else."

Heather hummed as she paid heed to her surroundings. She could only hear the leaves whistling as the wind picked up and a few birds chirping. "Must be. It's so serene." She looked at her friend and noticed how her eyes seemed distant.

Heather sat in front of the pond and motioned for Astrid to join her. The blonde took a moment to realise that the brunette was calling her, and then readily accepted the invitation. She doused the lantern so they'd have enough wax to return to Berk.

Astrid's eyes kept fixed on the moon's reflection as she hugged her legs. Heather found the sight mesmerising; her friend bathed by the moonlight and seeming so serene. I wonder if she feels the same. She probably doesn't, given that she is already engaged.

Heather let out a sigh, which did not go unnoticed by her friend. "So how are you feeling? Are you still feeling dizzy?"

Heather shook her head. "I'm feeling much better. I guess I only needed some fresh air." She glanced at Astrid, who seemed lost in thought. "You met him here often?"

Astrid tensed when she realised that Heather was talking about Hiccup. Despite being close friends for almost two months, she barely spoke of him, especially because she feared that Heather would connect the dots and figure out that he was the Dragon Rider. "To be honest not really, although he introduced me to this place."

"You must love him a lot," she heard her friend say, and noticed there was a lingering sadness hidden beneath it. That bemused Astrid. "I can see in your eyes how much you miss him."

I do, but not for the reasons you think. Can I trust her? She hasn't given me any reason not to these past two months. And, why did she sound sad? Maybe she wishes she would have found someone like I did? "Heather…" Astrid tentatively said, "Can I trust you?" she asked.

Heather's eyes snapped to Astrid. "From the moment that I arrived, you were friendlier than most, even if you didn't fully trust me. Later you took me in when most refused to do so. You gave me a home, you trained me, and you became a dear friend of mine. Everything I have today here on Berk is because of you. If my father was still alive he would have been in your debt. I am in your debt. So the least I can do in return is swear that I will never, ever, break your trust."

Astrid was touched by Heather's speech. She knew that the brunette was thankful that they were friends, considering that most of Berk didn't like much outsiders. Of course, it helped that Heather didn't quite share their opinion on dragons, although she still killed them. But Astrid didn't know that her gratefulness ran far deeper, to the point that the brunette believed she owed everything she had to her.

And so Astrid decided to take a leap of faith. "I'm not sure if I love him. It was all a bit rushed actually. I know I miss him greatly, and that I like him. But I'm not sure if love is the right word."

"What do you mean rushed?" Heather bemusedly asked.

"We went from rivals in Dragon Training to friends in one night," Astrid confessed. "He trusted me with . . . a big secret right before he left, and showed me a side of him that no one had seen before, even his father. I felt that the least I could do to honour him until he returns was to request a marriage contract with his father, so I can do my best to protect the village until he returns."

Heather's eyes widened. "So he doesn't know that he is to marry you?" Astrid hesitated, but then shook her head. "Did you stop to think that maybe he may find someone during his travel?" she tentatively asked.

Astrid felt her heart sink as she realised the truth behind Heather's words. He said he loved me, so I don't think he'll be with someone else. But… she does have a point. It's been three months, and it can be many more until he returns. How long can he love me until the distance wears those feelings out? "Maybe he will. Maybe he won't. I guess I can only hope for the better."

She glanced at Heather, who seemed to hesitate. What is on her mind? It's so odd that she said this, and even more that she seemed upset a few moments ago. "What's on your mind?" she asked, hoping that Heather would be as forthcoming as she had been.

The brunette froze as she realised that Astrid was indirectly questioning her motives. She didn't say she loves him. And she knows he might find someone else. So maybe…? "Can I trust you, Astrid?"

She thought of scoffing at the question but decided that this wasn't the time to be harsh as usual. "Of course. I trusted you, so it's only fair that you can trust me."

She took in a deep breath. It's now or never. "The reason I asked about these things is that I have feelings for… someone..."

Astrid's interest perked up. So she did find someone! But why she seems so hesitant and sad then?

"But unfortunately she is already engaged to someone else."

It took Astrid a moment to fully realise what Heather meant. "What?" she asked in disbelief, making the brunette cringe.

Published on: October 12th, 2018