Chapter 4: For the Dancing and Dreaming
Don't lie, some of you got excited when you saw the chapter name. I did, too, when the inspiration hit. This is a chapter I personally have been waiting to wait and excited for, and I hope you guys enjoy reading it as much as I love writing it! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything of the HTTYD universe or it's affiliated shows and games.
Based on a real conversation…
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die.
Lord Alfred Tennyson
Astrid woke up about a half hour before her alarm clock, sleepy eyes opening slowly and timidly. Her mind was slow starting up, but once she remembered the day it was, her eyes shot open quicker than a bolt of lightning. She leaped out of bed, hurrying to the shower to wash off and then fix her hair. Questions raced through her mind, things that normally she would have never thought of, like would my hair look ok in the usual ponytail, does my face look clear of pimples, is there too much hair on my arms?
"AAAAARRRRHHHHH!" She yelled in frustration, never having experienced this kind of stress and pressure to impress someone. Well, that was a lie, but it was never with her looks, always her fighting skills, speed, agility, fencing, boxing and when she was with the Hofferson family, hunting. Never before had she put so much effort into her looks. She needed some advice.
She needed Heather.
Throwing her hair into a quick ponytail and throwing on the nearest clothes she had, which unfortunately happened to be her pajamas, she put her shoes on and ran outside. Remembering Heather's address and knowing it was only 2 blocks away, she knew could sprint there in only a couple of minutes. She just hoped Heather was awake, otherwise it would be harder to wake her up.
Upon reaching her hotel, Astrid waltzed inside to the bellhop. She didn't particular admire the bellhop's expression of disgust, and gave him a trademark Astrid Hofferson glare before asking, "Can you please direct me to Heather Heineken's room? It's urgent." Lacing venom in her voice like an assassin laces drinks with arsenic seemed to do the trick as the bellhop directed her to a room on the second floor, 4 doors down, right side. She thanked him curtly before walking with a pep in her step up the stairs, following the directions to the letter.
How do I knock? She hesitated, before deciding that Heather could just go back to sleep after she was done. It was only quarter till 7, she'd be fine.
"Heather! Are you up? It's Astrid, and I kind of need you for a bit! It's a little urgent!" Punctuating her words with knocking, she waited for a response. Just when she was about to begin knocking again, a lock clicked, and the door swung open to reveal Heather, frayed hair, dark circles under her eyes and a look that clearly would have made any sane person sheepish and leave.
Not Astrid. She wasn't crazy, she saw Heather was mad, she was just desperate. "Someone better be dying, Astrid, I wanted to get one more morning of sleeping in."
"No one's dying yet, but I might out of embarrassment if I don't get ready for my…uhhh…date with Hiccup," she said sheepishly, hoping it was good enough to earn Heather's help.
"Ugh, Astrid, it's..." she paused to look at the clock, "6:47 in the morning, Astrid."
"I know, but I wouldn't be coming to you if it wasn't urgent and really important. Please, Heather, I really, really need help." Astrid did her best pleading face and puppy eyes she could, feeling rather disgusted at herself for having to beg for help. But, as Heather's face relaxed, she felt better. "Ok, so can we go back to my hotel and then can you help me with my hair and picking out what I need to wear?"
"Yeah, but just so you know, if you start dating Hiccup, I'm going to need him to refer me to all of his friends, even though I'll only be here a day longer. Come on in." She held the door open wide enough to let Astrid in before walking to grab a few of her things and touch up a few things before heading out. "I got my assignment, looks like I'll be going somewhere exotic to kick things off. They're sending me to the Middle Eastern Frontline, and…"
"Wait, you're going there, too?"
"Wait, you got the same thing?"
"Yeah, I got a letter yesterday about how I am to report to some weirdly named hospital for more details about it, I just don't remember what it's cal-"
"Hôtel-Dieu de Paris?"
"Uhhhh…yeah that sounds like it?"
"It's ok, Astrid, I wouldn't expect a foreigner like you to understand," laughing at Astrid's hurt face.
"Ok, one, I can get by in speaking French, I just can't read it, ok? And two, you call me a foreigner? You're from Germany!"
"Yeah, but I've been to almost every country in Europe and can speak most of the languages, unlike you, wannabe European." Heather finished brushing her hair, and turned around, walking out with Astrid.
"HA! Wannabe European? You think I want to be roped in with you lot? All you do is fight, drink, fight and then sleep!"
"Haha! All you do is colonize other people's land!"
"Ha, no that's the English, I'm Scottish. We're the ones that only go outside when we are called to war because the English got us into a war."
"Joking aside, is that really how it works?" Heather's curiosity could be seen in her eyes, as she came from the military capital of the world, Prussia, where it seemed like everyone wanted to be a military officer.
"Kind of, but not really. Scotland is part of Great Britain, the main islands, and when we get into a war, we have to fight and we also use soldiers from the other realms of the Empire."
" 'Realms of the Empire'. That sounds so monarchic."
"I can't help it, I didn't build it. I'm just a lowly subject of the King, God Save Him," switching to her Queen's English, knowing how much Heather loved it. They both shared a laugh at it, and exited the building onto the streets, walking together towards her hotel. It was a little amusing to Astrid to see the shocked expressions of the Parisians. Here were the people of Paris, out dressed and showing the world that even in war time with rations and all, they are still a fashion force to rival Rome, Milan, Florence and Barcelona, and even London. And here these foreigners were, walking around the street in their pajamas and nightclothes. Let them think what they want, British blood is being continuously spilled on French soil and she's foregoing her golden years for this, she thought, glaring at any passerby that looked at her the wrong way. It was already 7:00 by the time they reached her hotel, and while they never set a time for their "kind of date", Astrid guessed it would be by 8:30. She hoped.
She needed to be ready by then.
With Heather finally at her hotel room, the duo got started on figuring out what to wear. Heather decided that somehow Astrid's hair looked good in a ponytail no matter what outfit she wore, but Astrid insisted on something more formal, so it was decided to do a French braid over her side (like from RTTE) after the outfit. Several factors were considered for the outfit. They weren't officially dating, it was only breakfast, there might be plans afterward but unsure, etc.
They only had about 30 minutes to pick an outfit, and then Astrid needed to start getting ready. Hiccup is so lucky, if only he could see the amount of effort I'm putting into getting ready for this thing.
"What do you think, bud? Green uniform? Khaki uniform? Medals or no medals?" Toothless blinked his eyes in obvious annoyance, wondering why his human was asking him all of these questions. "Don't look at me like that, this is kind of important here, bud."
Hiccup had woken at up 5 am, mainly since he was so used to the schedule of waking up before first light in the trenches. Except, this time that was helpful, because he needed to get ready for eating with Astrid.
And he needed to look his absolute best. Or, at least the best that British Army uniforms would allow him to look.
What's worse? He only had two options, and they were both equally ugly. "Oh, the gods hate me. Some people don't know what restaurants to go to on dates, some people don't have the most romantic cities or their dates aren't what they thought. No, not me, I manage to get a Valkyrie in Paris during the summer and I'm stuck with two ugly uniforms to wear."
He hated the British Army and their stupid regulations.
Eventually, he opted for the green uniform, since that was the one he wore last time, and decided to keep the medals and ribbons on. He could always take them off on the walk over and stuff them in his pocket, but then people would probably wonder why a decorated soldier would want to hide his commendations, and that wouldn't look good for the British Army. "Remember lads, while yar in country, you lot are representin' the entire British Empire, so don' even think about doin anytin stupid," imitating his former sergeant, back when Hiccup was just a lowly, greenhorn private. Now, he was counted among the veterans, the seasoned, gritty, old men who had fought in the previous wars of the Empire. He was only 18 years old, and just barely at that. Maybe it was his height, since he didn't seem to be able to stop growing, as he was now 182 cm tall, probably going to hit 185 by the end of the year. He knew he was probably one of the tallest men on the field, but it didn't matter too much.
What mattered was his date with Astrid, and how he was going to tell her he was getting deployed again, after they cut his break short. On the one hand, Hiccup was kind of glad they cut it short. He would go back to the trenches, and while he hated it, it was the only place he felt like he could be right now, the only place where he felt he made a difference. The only place that, scarily enough, felt like home. He couldn't stand the normalcy here in Paris, the cabin fever of staying in a hotel room and being expected to just walk around the city, finding things to do. It isn't easy trying to relax while you read the papers and see the casualty lists from the doomed offensives each side launches on fortified positions, men with families, men that Hiccup could have saved…
On the other hand, Hiccup was disappointed to be leaving so soon after seeing Astrid and things going well enough between them. He supposed he could write to her, but who knows how long letters take to send from the Middle East. And after that, he figured he'd be back on the frontline here, but he'd have no idea where she was. It'd be difficult, but they could catch up after the war, but that was only if she had the same feelings for him as he did her. It was a tough call, but they'd make that only if things went well today.
He finished lacing his boots up and debated whether or not he should take Toothless with him. Their date was never specified, but Hiccup figured that it wouldn't be until around 9:00 and it was only 8:00, he could take Toothless on a nice walk, bring him back and still have time to make it for breakfast. "Come on, bud, let's go for a little stroll, waddya say?" Toothless' ears perked up at the mention of a walk, and he bounded happily off the bed, padding on up to Hiccup and following him out the door.
"Astrid, don't you think you're being a little ridiculous?" Heather had managed to get Astrid in a tunic/skirt combo that looked really nice on her (despite Astrid's protests that it wasn't good enough) and now sighed as Astrid was making Heather redo the braid.
For the 6th time.
"It looks uneven, Heather ok?! And it needs to look good! Oh, who am I kidding, I look like a friggin' mess!"
"Ok, Astrid, sweetie, you're being a biiiiiiiit of a perfectionist, and it's kind of crazy. IT'S ONLY BREAKFAST!"
"Look, I'm sorry! I'm just really nervous about this! What if he thinks I'm weird? What if he thinks I'm overdressed? What if he thinks I'm underdressed? What if he thinks-"
"Astrid, for the love of God, you said he had a crush on you, and chances are it might still be there, I mean, he hasn't had the time to see any other women during the war. You look beautiful, and he's going to think the exact same thing. Ok? Now take some deep breaths. This is the last time I'm helping you with this braid."
"Ok." Heather finished the braid, and Astrid still had a few minutes before she had to leave. "Now, are you ready?"
"Haha, ummm, maybe. Hopefully. We'll see. Uhhhhhh, this is fine. Everything is fine." Astrid took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself down. Why was she nervous? Oh, right, I'm a perfectionist who only expects the absolute best and when I don't think the best is given I freak out. And right now, I'm freaking out because I've never done this before, but I want the end result to be perfect, but I feel like I'm not perfect. Her excessive internal monologue was not helping the situation, so she took a few more breaths before looking Heather in the eye, "I'm ready."
"Ok. Good." They both shared a smile, "Good luck, Astrid, and remember: just be yourself, that's what Hiccup liked about you in the first place, and if you just do that, you'll be fine." Heather turned around opened Astrid's door, ready to leave.
"Ok, and Heather!"
"Hmm?" She turned to face Astrid.
"Thank you. For… for everything. I mean it."
"It's no problem, Astrid. If it helps, just treat it like a battle. Make a plan of attack, fallbacks, and a strategy to win as well as how to retreat if you need to. You'll be fine, nothing has to come of this." And with that, she walked out.
"Thanks, Heather." But why do I feel like so much will come because of this? Following Heather's departure, Astrid twirled her thumbs glanced in the mirror one last time, fixing any stray hairs and making sure her tunic and skirt weren't crooked. She had to admit, she looked pretty great, probably the most prettied up she'd ever been in her life.
And it was all for a guy she used to actively ignore and avoid. Now, it seemed she was vying for his attention. She had to chuckle slightly at that. Freya really turned the tables on me this time. She grabbed her purse and key and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her and walking down to the lobby. She checked the clock and saw that it was 8:15. Good. She had more than enough time to get to the café. She stepped outside, taking deep breaths to calm herself, similar to how she would handle a fighting match. Just act calm, no need to panic, just like you've been telling yourself all morning, you got this, you go- "Oh, hey Astrid!" PANIC! Astrid whipped around to face the speaker.
"AAAHHHH! HICCUP! Ummmm, heyyyy." Just try to play it off Astrid, maybe he didn't notice it.
"Did I startle you there?" He noticed.
"Yeah, um, just a little bit, no no, you're fine," she said, waving it off, "so what brings you over here? Did you want to get something to eat at another café or…?"
"Oh, yeah, no, we can eat at the one near me. I just have to drop off my… Oh where did you go? Toothless!" Just as Hiccup called out a name Astrid wasn't sure she heard properly, a large, black King Shepard came bounding around the corner, and what looked like missing it's lower left foot, as it was replaced by some sort of prosthetic that looked more functional than any she had seen in Berk. She was surprised, dogs were outlawed in Berk and the wild dogs and wolves were a nuisance to the people's livestock. No one had one growing up, and to say it surprised her was the least of it. "Heyyy bud, how are ya? WOAH! TOOTHLESS!" Hiccup had to lunge to keep "Toothless" from jumping on his guest, the dog's tongue lolling out of his mouth, rapid breathing coming from him in quick bursts. Astrid stared, not sure what to think. All the time while we were growing up, we were taught they were a threat, but here Hiccup is with a large dog at his heels like it is a servant.
"It's, uhhhhh… It's… It's a dog. A very large dog." She really didn't know what else to say.
"Ummmm…yeah. He- He is. He's also a pretty good dog. He's been with me since Mons, and I wouldn't want anyone else by my side. He's…He's saved my life a few times."
"I just…I just didn't know the Army used dogs in combat, they can't really carry guns or weapons or even fi-"
"It's not all about fighting, Astrid. He helps me send letters to the other trenches, pull back wounded, find bombs or mines, alerts us when the Germans are near our lines, and occasionally, yes, he helps me fighting by…mauling."
"Oh." It never crossed Astrid's mind that the dogs were good for things other than fighting in the wars, or even that they were good for something other than eating her father's livestock.
"Do you want pet him?"
"Ummmm…not now." She didn't have any intention of making nice with the dog as a species, just yet, but maybe sometime down the road. Just, not yet. She had too much on her mind, and didn't feel like making any friends with former enemies, though she assumed that might change once she started making new and human enemies.
"Oh, come on, Astrid, he won't bite," I doubt that, Hiccup, "and I wouldn't let him." With that, Toothless gave Astrid one of his trademark smiles, ears perked up and mouth pulled back, which gave the appearance of him being…well…toothless. Astrid had to admit, he looked kind of cute. Kind of. Only a little, she would never think that the species and the wolves that made life so hard for her family and the other families of Berk. Never.
"No, Hiccup I trust you, but that…I just…no. I believe you, but I just… I don't know, I just can't…" She struggled getting her words out, and Hiccup's smile gradually faded away, the corners of his mouth falling and oddly enough, the same thing happened with that dog. Toothless, she reminded herself. "Should we, ummm…"
"Yeah, let's go to the café. I'll drop Toothless off, he seems pretty tired anyway." And with that, they both walked towards Hiccup's room, the only sounds between them Toothless' rapid panting, surrounded by the sounds of the Parisian streets. It took them only a couple of minutes to reach the hotel, and Hiccup guided Toothless to the room with Astrid in tow. He opened the door and let Toothless in, inviting Astrid in as he filled bowls with water and food, leaving several out for what only she could guess was for throughout the day in case he was gone longer than he expected. Does the dog know when to eat by itself, she thought, surprised by how intelligent it seemed. Or, maybe that was just what Hiccup thought and it actually just ate all at once. Leaving Hiccup to spread out newspaper over the bathroom, she looked around the room, at once seeing how barren and devoid of expression it was. Clothes were not thrown everywhere like she expected, but instead folded nicely and neatly, and two jackets hanging in the closet. In the darkest corner of the closet, she saw a rifle, one which she recognized as a standard issue Lee-Enfield, and the other one a camouflaged and heavily modified Lee-Enfield with a scope, which she could only assume was used for his 'marksman' missions. Among other things, she saw an entrenching tool, a few knives of varying lengths, and what looked like a piece of armor, made of leather sticking out of a metal box. Her curiosity peaked, since she knew something like that was something not handed out to the normal troops, certainly not someone of Hiccup's rank, at least she thought so. She leaned in for a closer look. Is that armor? Walking towards it, curiosity peaked and eyes squinting at it's unusual appearance, and reached out to open the box, if only just a little bit. It was just a peak, after all.
Opening the box a small bit, she saw a set of leather armor, a mask, and something else. She reached down to grab it-
"Hey, get out of there!" She jumped, immediately letting go of the lid and letting the box slam down on the leather, Hiccup rushing past her and shoving it back in the box and quickly shutting and locking the lid. He looked back at her with not anger, like she expected, but something of fear and remorse, maybe a little bit of disappointment. "You, uhhh, you shouldn't…you shouldn't have seen that."
"I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry, Hiccup, I didn't know, I-I-I didn't mean to intrude-"
"It's ok, it's not your fault." Silence pervaded the room. Astrid could feel it, a cloud that was making it harder and harder to stay, regret slowly making it harder for her to breathe. I just messed everything up. I messed it up. This is ruined. My curiosity ruined everything.
"I-I can go if you want-"
"You don't need to do that, Astrid, it's something that you shouldn't have seen, but I can talk about it with you. I trust you, it's ok. We can still go to the café if you want."
"Ok. Yeah, let's go to the café," relief flooded over her, "but you don't have to talk about it I understand."
"It's ok. We'll talk about some stuff at the café." He turned and lead her out of his room, closing the door behind him. He turned and smiled at her, and she responded in kind with a smile of her own. Relief once again washed over her like a tsunami, happiness returning with its sometimes friend, nerves. Yet, Hiccup's smile relaxed her, made those worried slowly dissipate, and she felt like she was back in Berk. Only if Berk was filled with old, white brick buildings and marble statues, internationally renowned restaurants and a culture that was unique in the world. Also, if Berk was an oasis in the middle of what might be the most deadly and horrific conflict the world has ever known.
They walked down to the café, close together, so close that Astrid could've reached down and grabbed Hiccup's hand if she wanted to. She could've. A small part of her wanted to, but the rest of her did not. It's not a good idea. What if he's just trying to be friendly? The immature child within her was searching for a reason he was so close to her, but the adult in her said to pay no attention to it. Just to focus on the café and be herself. She remembered Heather's words: Nothing has to come of this. Just be yourself.
When they got to the café, they ordered their food and took a table outside, sitting down with their coffee and breakfast. It was almost 9:00. They sat in silence for a minute or two, before Hiccup smirked and looked up. "Have you heard of hot dogs? That American food?" Astrid looked up in confusion.
"Uhhh, yeah, kind of. It's like some sort of sausage in a bun, right?"
"Yeah, it's a like a cooked sausage that is in a special bun that opens from the top and is pretty long. With that image in your head, I have one question for you."
"Ok, and that is…?" Astrid's confusion was reaching new levels now. Where was Hiccup going with this? Hiccup just grinned.
"Is a hot dog the same thing as a sandwich?" She just stared at him, before she had to crack a smile at the way he looked at her, half-joking and half-expecting an answer because this was something he genuinely wanted to talk about.
"Well, I don't know much about hot dogs, but I would say that it is probably the same as a sandwich."
"Ok, so why do you think that?"
"Well, because it's just a piece of meat, the sausage, between two pieces of bread. That's a sandwich. What a stupid question. It's an easy answer.
"Well, see, you may think that, but actually…" Oh no, he's going to rant, "it's not a sandwich. The people of New York apparently list several reasons of why it's different from the 'boring' sandwich."
"Really? And what do the people of New York have to say?" She was soooo ready to get in on this argument, and she was going to win. Hofferson's only strove to win.
"They say it's different because of the way it's prepared, the type of meat, the way the bread is oriented, and that it's an American thing, not something 'us Europeans' are likely to understand."
"Really? And who said this, these, 'New Yorkers'?"
"Volunteers, from the US, to fight for the French, some in the trenches, others flying the reconnaissance planes and fighters."
"So these Yanks that are over here are telling us that their little street invention is different from a sandwich? How can it be? It's a piece of meat that is between two slices of bread, they can't deny that, it's prepared like any other sandwich, the meat is prepared pretty much like a sausage, and they the bread is oriented doesn't matter! They're just fighting for the sake of fighting!"
"Ahhh, but what if I told you that the way the sausage is prepared is actually different from the way a normal sausage is prepared? And the bread actually is different because of it is not two separate slices of bread, but an incision into a loaf of bread? So, it is actually a piece of meat that is inside a single piece of bread, the you hold with one hand, not two, and you hold it palm facing up, not facing sideways. What if I told you that?" Astrid frowned, and her face started to twist into a grimace.
"Grrrr…Well, I would tell you that even though its an incision on the bread, it's still a sandwich, no matter how the meet is prepared."
This argument between the two went on for about 30 minutes, before Astrid realized Hiccup was only messing with her and this could possibly ruin her image because she was arguing to win, unlike Hiccup, who was arguing to have fun. They finished their food around the same time they stopped their little debate, and Hiccup asked if she wanted to take a little walk with him, much to Astrid's surprise and excitement, saying yes. They walked through the streets, retelling stories of the Berk, as well as Astrid catching Hiccup up on what had happened to Berk since he left, a few months before the war began. "So, yeah, the town hasn't changed much, but we are probably going to have to build some more houses! Gothi thinks that the population has been steadily growing, since there are a lot more young children than there are usually!"
"Wow, that's great! Now, ummm…you don't have to answer this, but umm…since we are obviously getting well together, and I'm starting to trust you…" yes, yes, yes, YES? "can you tell me how my father and Gobber are? I know I left all of guys, and I want to know if they're ok or not. I didn't necessarily leave in the best way, and I know I hurt them both. Just, tell me…are they ok?" Well, now Astrid was caught off guard. In fact, the guard wasn't even on duty. No guards were. This question threw her off so much, it visibly showed, as she went from happy and hopeful to shocked and even a little sad, before going on to understanding and cautious and finally, visibly nervous.
"They're…ummm…well…they're good! Well, they are now, I mean Stoic and Gobber were both pretty torn up after you left, Gobber especially, I mean he wouldn't talk to us for a couple of days, and Stoic shut himself off in his office for a good portion of the season-" she turned and saw Hiccup's sullen face, and immediately chastised herself, "but they're good now. We all thought you went off into the service, mainly because Stoic's old war buddies asked him if he had a son in the service, so they're all proud of you. We're all proud of you, Hiccup." He smiled a little at her acknowledgment, and thanked her with a curt nod of his head, leaving her to wonder, was it too much? Did I leave out too much about how we are all thankful for his service?
They walked on in silence, until they reached the Pont d'Arcole bridge, one of 4 bridges that connected the Île de la Cité to civilization, one of the two natural islands in the Seine River. They walked to the Square Jean XXIII, a mixture between a garden and a park, a place where the two of them could stroll in peace. It surprised Astrid that she wasn't the only woman that was walking around the square with a soldier, but she could take comfort in the fact the she knew the soldier she was with, he was familiar, and also Scottish like her (minor but she liked that he spoke English). They walked around, admiring the flowers and laughing at jokes, mostly Hiccups, which, she had to be honest, where not something she would normally laugh at, but they were cute. Around noon, they sat down on the edge of the banks of the Seine, still in the square, and Hiccup sighed, "Astrid, I-I, um…it's been really…nice having you around. I like that you're here, since, well you're my only friend here, and its been nice these past couple of days being with you." He smiled, and Astrid had never tried so hard not to blush, but she guessed it happened anyway.
"Oh, well…um…t-t-thank you for that. It's been really nice being with you too! Kind of comforting having another Berkian around in these parts, and I'm glad that Berkian was you. You're a great person, Hiccup." She hoped she didn't lay it on too much. Great, what if he thinks I'm a weirdo now? What if he thinks of me only as a friend? Her worries mostly evaporated, though, when she saw the grin on his face widen into a smile, and she returned it, giving him a genuine, happy-Astrid smile.
"You've been great, too. Now, umm…I don't know how to say this, but…umm…" Astrid's heart was beginning to lift, was he going to ask her if they should- "I'm getting redeployed." Her heart dropped, but not as much as it would have if she wasn't about to tell him the very same thing.
"Me too, actually. I've got my assignment, and I'm going to the Middle Eastern frontlines." She saw something in his eyes light up, if only for a moment, before he returned to his normal composure. What was it? Worry? Anger? Sadness? Relief?
Hope? Happiness?
"Oh, well, that should be good. You'll be out of the worst of the fighting in Europe, but I'd try to steer clear of the lines still. Down there, there aren't as many places to build trenches and fortify, so I'd be ready to run once the battle starts if your lines get overrun." Hiccup was not trying to scare her, he was trying to make sure she knew what she was getting into. She appreciated that.
"Ok, thanks. So, where are you being deployed? Back to Belgium? Northern France? Italy? Somewhere in the Middle East, maybe?"
"Umm…yeah, so, I-I, umm, can't disclose with you where I'm going, since you're a civilian and all. You know, too risky because of spies and such. I'm sorry."
"No, no it's ok." She debated on what to ask next. "So, umm, I know earlier you were telling me that you could talk about what was in your closet, and I just wanted to know if, only if you're ok with talking about it, if you wanted-"
"It's ok, Astrid, I can tell you a little bit of what I do. It's probably good for me to talk about these kind of things, after all." He took a deep breath. "So, what you saw in the closet is supposed to remain secret, but I can tell you that what I do sometimes involves going into enemy trenches at night or using the modified rifle to, ummmm…terminate any obstacles that stand in my way. The objective of the raids that I and other handpicked men carry out is to disrupt and endanger enemy morale, although I've only done this on the Western Front. Toothless was a wounded dog I found on one of those raids, out in no man's land, and now he helps me by sniffing out mines and traps in the trenches, as well as alerting me when other soldiers are near. We'd go in at night, the soldiers and I crawling through no man's land, and we'd get to the trench and either take any sensitive information we'd find or kill a soldier or two, with knives. The armor is more for the fear factor, when other Germans see me, because the appearance of a dark, masked figure who moves silently and penetrates their defenses can cripple morale. The same thing applies to me leaving these special coins at the locations I penetrated, to garner more fear."
"So, why leather?"
"It offers reasonable protection against hand to hand attacks, except sometimes with knives, and gives me more range of motion."
"Do you wear it all the time?"
"No, only on the raids. Outside of that, I wear the standard uniform, including when I'm on watch as a marksman."
"So, you're a raider, marksman and normal soldier?"
"I know it sounds weird and very unconventional, but essentially yeah. Most of the time I am a normal soldier, with occasionally going on marksman missions to kill a soldier, and very rarely I'll go on a trench raid, since they're risky."
"Oh. So, earlier when you were talking about your medals, you said you were a liaison to the Canadians. What did you mean by that?"
"I was basically serving as an advisor to them, I just kind of got caught up in the combat."
"Ok. Listen, I'm-I…ummmm…" Deep breath, Astrid "I'm sorry for scaring you or making you mad that first day we saw each other in Paris. I didn't mean to-"
"You didn't do anything wrong, Astrid. It just caught me by surprise is all." He smiled at her, and once again she felt that wave of relief wash over her and clean her, followed by a warming of her chest. She returned the smile.
They continued talking about various things, Astrid listening to Hiccup tell her of all of the places he'd been, the different peoples and languages, which she was surprised to learn that Hiccup was fluent in French, and nearly fluent in German and Italian, even knowing a little of the Arabic languages. I can barely get by in French alone, she thought, amazed that Hiccup was so intelligent with matters outside the machinery and mechanics of Gobber's workshop. Things were going well, until out of the corner of her eye she saw a group of what looked like five high-ranking British officers approaching them. Her nerves kicked in and her smile dropped for a serious expression, and Hiccup seemed to notice. "What's wrong, Astrid?"
"Who are those guys coming up behind you? They look serious and I'm hoping not out for either one of us." Hiccup turned around, made eye contact with the five men walking towards them, and he sighed and turned back around, looking dejected.
"No, they're for me, but it's not anything bad." As they neared, he stood up and straightened out, quickly saluting them when they got within conversational range. They all wore mustaches and walked with an air of privilege and pretentiousness, Astrid was sure to note. "Afternoon, sir."
"Afternoon, Corporal. At ease." Hiccup dropped the salute. "Corporal, you are one of the British Army's finest men and one of the most decorated men in this conflict, so it is only fitting that you were invited to attend an officer's ball scheduled for tonight, however, we never received any indication of your interest. I must ask you now, will you attend the ball?"
"Well, sir-I-"
"Keep in mind, Corporal, that the French and British High Command will be in attendance. This could be crucial to the war effort and enhancing cooperation with our allies."
"I will attend, sir. You can count on me to do everything I can."
"For King and country, Corporal."
"For King and country, sir."
"Well, splendid then!" He turned and finally acted like he noticed Astrid. "Our apologies, miss, we seem to have interrupted your time together. Oh, where are our manners? My name is Major General Oliver Morrison, at your service." He extended his hand, and tentatively Astrid accepted it, wincing as he kissed her hand. "Gentlemen, why don't you introduce yourselves to Corporal Haddock's date for tonight?" Astrid missed all of the names of the men as they introduced themselves, as this major general just effectively said she was going to an officer's event, but she didn't have a dress, and she knew that Hiccup did not want to go or drag her along, judging by the look on his face. After they were finished, they talked a little more with Hiccup, before announcing their departure, Hiccup shooting them a salute as they left. "Ok, Hiccup, what was that about?"
"Well, that's what it looks like when a ladder climber uses the so-called achievements of men he's never met under his command in an effort to move himself up the command chain. He's probably going to introduce me to all of the other generals and officers, trying to make it sound like he was responsible for my actions that won me medals. There will probably be a lot of other guys like me there, too."
"You know, we don't have to go if you don't want-"
"No no, its ok. You don't have to come, I know General Morrison kind of forced you into it."
"No, I'll go, I just need a dress. That way, I can make sure you can say the right things." She grinned, "Maybe, if my dress is pretty enough, I can take the attention off of your superior and put it on us, kind of screw up his plans." With a smile, she lightly punched his shoulder, surprised at the muscle there, and he laughed at the contact.
"Alright, if you want to go, I won't stop you. Now, I know where we can get you a dress quick. Come on, follow me!" He grabbed her hand , causing Astrid to blush wildly, and he ran off to a nearby store that he had connections to.
Hiccup was lucky that he saved the life of the son one of France's premier modiste, a dressmaker. Hiccup told the modiste the tight schedule they were on, with Astrid waiting in the lobby, and the modiste expressed his happiness that Astrid was thin but not too thin, her height was just right to fight many of the dresses they already had, so he would not have to make one custom. He took her into the back, Hiccup giving Astrid a thumbs up and smile after noting the nervousness in her eyes, which she returned with her heart-stopping grin. After she was gone, Hiccup sat down in a chair and contemplated how the day went.
Overall, he thought it went pretty good. The encounter with Toothless did not go how he expected, but the café date went really well, same with the walks around the city and the time they spent in the square, up until the part with the major general. Pompous bastard. What kind of asshole just does that? Astrid's acceptance of going to the officer's event surprised Hiccup, as he thought she would be intimidated by it and decline, but he should have remembered she was a Hofferson.
Hofferson's never back down from any task, no matter how difficult.
The question now on Hiccup's mind was how things would work abroad now. It was obvious enough to him that she was one of the nurses assigned to accompany him to Arabia, but over there he was an entirely different person. How would she take it? Would he be able to protect her? He wished they could've spent more time in Paris, maybe enough to start a relationship, but now everything was thrown off his schedule and everything was going to change. He didn't even know if she wanted to date him, for Thor's sake. Well, he would have to see about that tonight.
The wait for Astrid to find her dress was longer than he thought, but the wait was worth it. When she emerged from behind the back curtains, she was wearing a light blue dress, one that was not too long (he assumed she wanted something she could manage a fight in) and was very plain but striking, mostly because he saw it brought out her striking, blue-gray eyes. His heart stopped, the only thing he was thinking was how beautiful she was. "Well, Hiccup, what do you think?"
"I-I-I-I, ummmm…I-I just, ummm, uhhh, just…Wow. You look absolutely, um, beautiful." He hoped his honesty would hit home with her, and judging by the grown blush on her face, it did.
"Thank you, Hiccup, and I swear I'll pay you back for the dress!"
"No no it's ok, I got this." He turned to the modiste, asked him in French how much for the dress. The modiste responded in broken English.
"For you, is free."
"No no, sir, I want to pay for this."
"No. Is free. You save my son life, is a gift!" Knowing he would not take payment, Hiccup just shook the man's hand, smiling, and graciously accepting the man's compliments and gratitude for his service. The modiste turned and complimented Astrid in simple French so she could understand, to which Astrid thanked him for. The duo thanked him one last time before they walked out of the store, Hiccup holding the door for her, and walked to a nearby restaurant for a pre-dinner. Once there and seated, Hiccup instructed her on the proper etiquette for these events.
"Of another officer offers to dance with you, you probably should accept. I know it's weird and creepy, but trust me, it's not worth the trouble you'll face." Hiccup grimaced at her deadly glare she was giving him, before continuing, "You won't really be by my side the entire time, you'll most likely hang out with the wives or dates of the other officers, but I'm guessing you won't want to do that, so I can look for older officers that have served for us to talk with, and you can tell them about your family line, they'll know who your father and uncle are."
"Ok, that sounds nice and all, but what if your superior officer drags you off to talk with other generals?"
"The older generals and officers are treated with respect, so if I'm talking to them, I won't be dragged off, he'll just bring the officers over to me. I'll most likely have to talk with French and Belgian officers, since I was involved in one of their battles and saving French and Belgian lives."
"Ok, but what if it's too much?"
"I can always just find the field officers to talk with, they're also brought on to give reports on the front, but after the beginning we just usually go off and do our own thing."
"Ok, can I accompany you there?"
"I don't see why not." He finished with a smile, which she returned, making his heart flutter and kick in his chest and awakened butterflies in his stomach that had been asleep for years. They finished their dinner, discussing the strategy for tonight, before Hiccup paid for the dinner and lead her to the venue for the ball, which was at the Palais de la Légion d'Honneur, which held France's highest military decoration, given only to the best of the best. No wonder they're holding it there. The walk would take them a little while, and Astrid was not having a nice time in her heels, at one point ready to throw them off and go barefoot, it seemed.
They arrived at the ball, Hiccup already bored and Astrid extremely nervous, but both of them maintaining a fascade of calm and happiness to be invited to such a gathering. There were guards outside, though Hiccup guessed they were honor guards and only knew how to parade about and look fancy, rather than do any real fighting. Jealousy boiled like heated stew within him, thick and unrelenting, at the men who got to sit out such a terrible war while there were men being drafted and sent to their deaths. His face must have betrayed his emotions in the moment, however, because Astrid nudged his elbow. "Are you ok, Hiccup?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." The voice crack didn't seem to reassure her. Nevertheless, she looked ahead and took a few deep breaths. "Ok, so when we walk in, they're going to ask us some questions, just let me do the talking, ok?"
"Ok."
"Alright," Don't do it, Hiccup, "and one last thing."
"What?"
"I need you to not punch me, whatever I do next. Deal?" Not smart, Hiccup.
"What?"
"Deal?"
"Ok, yeah, deal, I guess,-" she didn't have time to finish her sentence as Hiccup took her arm and placed it on his bicep, effectively locking arms with Astrid as they began walking towards the entrance of the building. Hiccup didn't bother looking at her face, he was too nervous to see the reaction and frankly, he was actually feeling pretty good right now since she hadn't punched him yet, though that might be for appearances. Maybe this night wouldn't be so horrible after all.
They walked towards the check-in, and Hiccup told the man (in French, of course) that who he was, and had to coax him a little bit to allow his guest, who was on the list, to go in with him. The man only allowed it out of respect for Hiccup's service, as well as Hiccup's French. The man seemed delighted that a foreigner, for once, spoke his language without a noticeable accent, like Hiccup himself was French. Delightful, Hiccup thought, Astrid only got in because I wanted to learn foreign languages before wanting to travel all over the world. They walked in, and immediately were greeted by a splendor Hiccup had never before seen.
The chandeliers were made of gold and diamond, each shining like its sun, to say nothing of the food and silverware, the draperies and the furnishings as well. The hall had a golden hue, probably from the color of the walls combined with the lights. The silverware was pure silver, the plates were probably some of the finest china, being used to serve some of the most intricate and delicate dishes he had ever seen. The drapes and curtains looked like they had been hand-stitched in Afghanistan or Persia, by people who had ever had this skill passed down and refined for thousands of years. There was an orchestra playing on what looked like a raised stage, set off into the corner of the hall but their music echoing down from the ceiling, like falling rain, each violin note and cello strum heard by all. The attendants were all laughing, everyone enjoying themselves, sampling the food, listening to the music and even a few dancing to the orchestral music echoing throughout the hall.
It all made Hiccup sick to his stomach. He couldn't stand it. These people, dining and enjoying in luxury he couldn't even dream of while their own young men were out in the trenches, being shelled constantly and eating stew for every meal. He hated it. He hated them. "Hiccup, isn't all of this amazing? Look at all of this! I've never seen so much…so much… wealth in my entire life! Oh my gosh!" At least Astrid seemed to be enjoying it.
"Yeah, yeah, its, uhhh, quite the sight. This is the most opulent one I've been to." He turned to her and gave her a smile, making him ecstatic when she returned it. He guided her over to the food, her hand still clutching hers, and he looked back at her to catch her staring at the back of his head. The second she saw him looking at her, she blushed and turned away.
Weird.
When they got to the food, he watched her mull over the exquisitely decorated desserts, cakes and they even had Turkish delights. She grabbed several delights and put them on a plate, acting as formal as she could. And it took Hiccup by surprise how graceful she was. He noticed how calculated yet smooth every one of her movements were, how delicate they were. She turned around mid-bite of one of the Turkish Delights, and caught his stare. "What, I like them! They're my favorite food!" He smiled, locking his eyes with those sky blue eyes of hers, hypnotizing him until he nearly forgot the entire reason they were there.
Maybe this wasn't going to be such a bad time after all.
To say Astrid was amazed at how the night was going so far would be an understatement. A drastic understatement. A great understatement.
First, she had to say, it was very surprising and sweet when he took her hand and put it around his arm. It was so official and formal, it almost took her by surprise how much he knew about this upper class world she was never allowed entry to, not that she sought entry to it. There really was no upper class in Berk, except for some of the older families, yet no one complained about that gap, since the older families had more time to live on the land and reap the rewards, or take part in adventures throughout the land for treasure. The Haddocks were probably the oldest and the first to lay claim, but the Jorgenson's always fought with them about it.
Still, this was a class beyond what she had ever seen in Berk, maybe even London. Everything was so fine and exact, down to the smallest and most minute details. The food looked amazing, but tasted more so. She did not know the names, and would not even attempt to pronounce them even if she did. Perhaps Hiccup would tell her at a later time, and he could help her speak the language. However, there was one treat that she saw and nearly sprinted to it. It was the very delicacy that her parents always gave her whenever the merchants came through and sold them, the very thing that her uncle Finn would give her whenever he was home, before he went…well, frozen, essentially. Turkish Delights, and she lit up when she saw the waiters put down more.
When she got to it, she started to grab a few, noting how the other people would only take a few at a time and decided to do the same. She turned around and saw Hiccup smiling at her, looking confused at the same time. "What, I like them! They're my favorite!" She smiled at him, and he smiled at her, both of them gazing happily into the eyes of the other, the world around them effectively stopping. It's as if time around them froze, yet they continued to gaze into each other's eyes, she gazing into his forest green eyes, for the first time noting how it consisted of differing shades of green, as there was a light shade of grade that ringed the perimeter of his eyes. It was almost heart stopping.
It was at that moment that a hand clasped Hiccup's shoulder from behind, and she saw the outline of a blue uniform with red and gold trimmings, and Hiccup had a startled look on his face, quickly turning into happiness and he embraced the man, speaking French to him. Confused, Astrid walked over, Turkish Delights still in a little china plate in her hand, their voices growing louder and happier the closer she got. Hiccup turned when she was just behind him, and took her free hand and brought it around to their guest, a man of similar height to Hiccup, maybe a little smaller, with jet black hair and a clean shaven face, with an accent and uniform that clearly denoted he was part of the French Army, not the Belgian Army. "Astrid, I want you to meet a good friend of mine, the French marksman Gabriel Martin, he was with me at the First Battle of the Marne, and saved my life a few times. Gabriel, this is Astrid Hofferson, my date and an old friend of mine."
"Monsieur Hiccup, it is just like you to be humble. If you recall, it was you who saved my life, from that German sniper across the river."
"Well, regardless of, uhhh, who saved who, Astrid, he's a good friend of mine." She stretched out her hand, and accepted the kiss on her hand from Gabriel, even though she did not want other people kissing her hand.
"Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mademoiselle Astrid. You are a lucky women, you have chosen a great man to be your husband." At this, both Hiccup and Astrid started to blush intensely, Astrid turning away from him and Hiccup stuttering, trying to get out a response but his brain just not working.
"We, uhh, ummm, I-I-I-I didn't bring her because-um-Gabriel, i-i-i-it's-"
"We are not married, Gabriel. We aren't dating, Hiccup is just an old friend of mine." Astrid had to finish it for Hiccup, who still couldn't the red out of his face. Then again neither could she.
"Oh, then please accept my apologies. I was mistaken, as Hiccup never…well…spoke of his time here in France with the women, and I assumed it would have been due to a marriage. My apologies."
"It's alright Gabriel," she planned to change the subject next, "your accent isn't very prominent. If you don't mind my asking, where you educated outside of France or are you just very adept at English?"
"I was educated at the University of Oxford, Mademoiselle Hofferson." Hiccup then filled in the blanks for Astrid.
"His father is a prominent politician here and sent his son off to Oxford to get a degree to prepare him for the world of politics, and he was one of the top graduates in their class."
"Wow, that's really impressive." Astrid dreamed of the day she could go to that college and show everyone else up, but that wasn't currently possible for her socially and financially. "So why are you in the army? Wouldn't you want to be in the world of politics right now, I mean, you have the education and the connections for it?"
"While that is true, Mademoiselle, I decided to serve my country during this great hour of need. My father did not agree with this, and he attempted to have me placed as an officer in a non-combatant role, but I instead enlisted as a rifleman. It is not fair that others should die for France and I be spared." He held his chin high and stood with a swelling chest of pride. Astrid could Gabriel did truly care for his country and was willing to lay down his life for it, and admired his desire to serve with the men on the frontlines. It was not something she expected from a foreigner that graduated from Oxford. Hiccup then spoke up to explain further.
"Gabriel here was just a private when I was in at the Marne, and he was one of the men I was instructed to coach marksmanship to. We were on the Western flank, and had to hold the line against German attacks while taxis were reinforcing us. I was knocked out by artillery fire, but while I was unconscious, Gabriel here defended me in the middle of German advance and wouldn't leave me until I started to come to again."
"Well, Monsieur Haddock, I couldn't leave a guest of mine just to stay for the Germans, you were the guest of honor," he said with a chuckle, "and also, Monsieur Haddock, I recall that you saved my life several times during our advance. You should have seen him, Mademoiselle, charging with his rifle and bayonet fixed against a machine gun, throwing grenades as he ran from cover to cover, then charging into the trenches with no help, and when he emerged, he had nine prisoners to take. That machine gun would have killed me and several others, had Monsieur Haddock not destroyed it." Astrid looked at Hiccup incredulously, eyes wide and filled with astonishment, while Hiccup seemed to smile awkwardly and turn a little pink. So, the old skinny Hiccup Haddock from Berk is actually one of the most dangerous and brave soldiers in the war, she thought. She was proud that he was doing this, but then remembered how it was for Hiccup, his shock at combat and her talking with Heather about how her uncle was forever changed after the Boer Wars. Still, his bravery astonished her.
"Yeah, well, Gabriel, someone had to do it, and you guys weren't exactly in the best position in that ditch." Just as Hiccup was about to continue speaking, some men came up from behind and interrupted the conversation. From what Astrid could tell based off their uniforms, they were high ranking British, French and Belgian officers, and they appeared to only want to talk with Hiccup and Gabriel. They introduced themselves, but Astrid was sparsely paying attention, they were not there to talk with a woman, and the group of them conversed about the battles Hiccup and Gabriel were in. Hiccup was the star of the talk, however, and at one point Gabriel took his leave to go grab himself some refreshments, offering Astrid to come with him. She obliged, only because she did not want to eavesdrop on the exchange between Hiccup and the officers. As soon as they were away, Gabriel's smile dropped from his face and he muttered a few curses in French. "What's wrong, Gabriel?" Now Astrid was concerned.
"Those men, those infernal men, are officers that are command the armies Hiccup and I serve. Whenever one of us does something they consider brave or heroic, all they do is take the credit for it and then introduce us like prize ponies to others, saying they were responsible for creating such a fine soldier." He took a breath before continuing, "They are the men who are responsible for the deaths of thousands of Frenchmen and Englishmen, because they just send us forward into artillery fire and machine guns, new tools of death that are being invented every week, new ways of killing us, and yet all they can think of with all of these new weapons is to just march forward." Astrid was speechless. Here was this French soldier, whom she barely knew, telling her of the disdain he held for the officers and men that were in command.
"Isn't there some sort of process you can take to, I don't know, relieve them of their command or make them change their strategy?"
"Mademoiselle, that would be similar to treason," he grabbed two glasses of wine and offered one of them to Astrid, who refused, before downing both of them and then sitting them back on the waiter's tray, face contorting at the sweetness of the alcohol and then relaxing at the feeling as its effects swept over him. Astrid was taken aback by it, it didn't seem official or even appropriate for an event like this. He must have noticed her stare at him, because he said, "It helps me forget the faces of the men I've killed and the horrors I've seen."
"Oh," was all she could say. He turned and she followed him back to where Hiccup was, surrounded by generals who laughed at his jokes and listened to all of his stories of triumph and heroism, which she knew he likely did not want to be talking about. When he saw her, he smiled a genuine smile and walked over to her, taking her hand and introducing her to the officers around them. She smiled and shook hands and allowed a few of them to kiss her hand, still disliking the intimacy of the practice. Hiccup led her away from the group as they started to talk more to Gabriel, leading her to an old, tall and large man wearing a very decorated uniform with a black beard that looked to be turning grey. He turned and smiled at Hiccup, shaking his hand before turning towards her. "Astrid, I want you to meet an old friend of my father's and my commander for the Western Front, Major General Mogadon Mackendale. General, this is Astrid Hofferson." He outstretched his hand, which she shook graciously, noting the strength in his grip.
"Pleasure to meet ya, lass. Say, yar last name was Hofferson, eh?" She nodded, smiling slightly at the fact he knew their family line. "I knew yar father, back in tha days of tha Boer Wars. Yea, 'e served wit Stoic. Yar uncle, too. Great men, the lot of them. You should be proud of yar family."
"Well, thank you, sir. I'm looking to follow in their steps best I can."
"Astrid here is working for the Red Cross as a nurse and whatever else they will be needing, since she wasn't able to enter the service."
"Aye, tha's an archaic rule tha is. Back in the highlands, I've seen women tha can beat men wit one hand! It's not a popular opinion, but I wouldn't be opposed ta it. Those Russians are said to be thinkin about forming women battalions fer combat!" That caught Astrid's attention.
"Really?"
"Aye, but I don think anything will come of it. Still, yar father and uncle would be proud of you. Especially for finding a man like this one!" He gave Hiccup a friendly slug on the shoulder, giving a hearty laugh while Hiccup winced and rubbed his shoulder.
"Well, thank you, sir. I'm sure Stoic would be proud of his son, too." She put her hands on her hips and cast a sideways grin at Hiccup, almost laughing when he saw how red he turned.
"Aye, tha's true laddie! Never before 'as tha Crown had such a soldier at thar disposal, and 'e came from Scotland of all places! Ha!"
"Well, growing in a town that prided itself on its line of warriors probably helped a little, along with the family line."
"Aye, tha's true. Say, Hiccup," Astrid was astounded that he knew Hiccup's childhood nickname, "would ya mind if I talked ta Astrid alone fer a second? I just want to ask 'er about 'er uncle."
"Whatever you say, sir, take your time." With that, Hiccup turned on his heel and walked towards the other Generals, allowing himself to be introduced by people who he had probably never seen before. After he left, Mogadon turned his head with a serious expression on his face, "First, I want to say I'm sorry about yar uncle, it's a shame that such a fine man was crippled by tha war."
"Oh…well, th-th-thank you, sir, I-"
"Next, keep an eye on 'iccup. Best ya can."
"I'm…sorry, sir?"
"I'm worried about 'im. Yar not supposed to know this, but I'll tell ya because I trusted yar father and uncle, so if yar anything like them, yu'll understand the gravity of it." He turned and led her towards the windows of the hall, away from the crowds and people, off into a corner near the windows. "Keep an eye on 'im."
"I know what you said, sir, but what do you mean?"
"He's…well…Because of his areas of expertise and his unnatural willingness to take part in dangerous missions, putting himself in harm's way, and killing more soldier than most corporals or even officers can think of. E's an asset to tha empire, but I'm worried 'e may get 'imself killed or captured."
"What?"
"Because of 'iccup's skills, he's been summoned by the Secret Service Bureau, which might be formed into something bigger in the coming year, sending 'im on all sorts of missions and all over Europe. 'E's killed many men, and I need ya to make sure 'e's ok in tha head."
"I'm just confused, sir. How am I supposed to help him?"
"Talk ta 'im. Exchange letters, remind 'im thar's a world outside of this. War is terrible, no matter which side is right, and tha's something every soldier learns in combat. War can break men like yar uncle, and while I did not wish this war to happen, I have ta make sure tha lives are saved in every way I can. 'iccup helps wit tha, with his missions, so I need ya to make sure 'e won't be shell shocked."
"Uh-Uh, ok, sir, I can do that." He nodded, and they walked back towards the crowds, smiling as they weaved through the masses, looking for Hiccup. She finally found him, talking with French officers and Belgian officers, except he was not smiling, he was frowning. Astrid's own smile disappeared, and she saw British officers come over to Hiccup and, from what she could see, attempt to defuse the situation, but it looked like Hiccup was already too angry. He turned on a dime and strode out of the hall, fuming as he went. Before she could follow him, a hand grabbed her arm and she whirled around, fist raised, before seeing Gabriel had grabbed it. "Gabriel, what happened?"
"One of the Belgian officers had too much to drink, and in his idiocy, he accused Corporal Haddock of cowardice during the Battle of the Frontiers for retreating from a German advance, leaving wounded Belgian soldiers behind to be captured. Another Belgian officer soberly laid the blame on the Corporal for the atrocities in Dinant, since Hiccup was in the area to reinforce the Belgian lines. He was pulled from Mons to go to Dinant, but again he had to retreat with the Belgians, allowing the Germans to rape and pillage under the orders of their sadistic commander."
"Their commander ordered it?"
"Oui, he is only known as Dagmar Wolff, but the men called him the Deranged. He ordered the executions of over 600 people, saying that the populace was going to engage in guerrilla warfare and that the civilians were dangerous. As commander of the German field army in Belgium, he is responsible for 6,000 executions alone, along with the destruction of countless homes and communities, and thousands of deaths from his trials and expulsions. "
"My gods. Is Hiccup ok? What did he say?"
"Well, he is obviously upset, filled with anger, and most likely will not be coming back to the hall. You see, both of those times, Hiccup was forced to make decisions that he regretted, but he did it to save the rest of the men and himself, and he regrets it every day. The officers laying the blame on him may have enflamed that regret and guilt, so he may now be looking for something to handle that." Gabriel turned around, seeing the two Belgian officers being not only berated by their own superiors, but by British and French officers as well.
"Do you know where he is now? I want to make sure he's ok."
"Mademoiselle, I apologize to say I don't know where he was going when he left. My guess would possibly be a tavern, or a pub, somewhere populated with other British soldiers of the lower ranks, somewhere he may be more comfortable. That is all I can offer."
"Thank you, Gabriel. I'll go find him, you can handle the men here, tell them he was not feeling well and that we went home. They might believe that."
"Oui, mademoiselle. Good luck."
"Thank you Gabriel." She shook his hand, and turned on her heel, confidently striding out of the hall, ignoring the lustful looks of some of the other officers that were perhaps indulging too much in alcohol. When one tried to dance with her, she unforgivingly twisted his hand, kicked his legs out and threw him down, much to the shock of all of the attendants. His cry of shock stopped the music, but Astrid didn't care, and strode over his feeble form and walked out, trying to think of where the bars and pubs where in a French city.
What did those bastards know about real combat? What the hell do they know about determining who lives and dies in that moment? Hiccup nursed what was only his second ale, but after gulping down the first, he decided to take the second a bit more slow so he wouldn't get a hangover tomorrow morning before his flight.
He decided against it, and trying to drown the regret and guilt in his stomach, he downed the second ale, sitting at the bar among other Scottish soldiers. Men like him.
After walking out of the hall, he had walked maybe a minute before running, stopping when he heard the traditional Scottish music and sounds of revelry so common in his hometown, and walked on in. He made friends among the Scots, who were part of the Scottish Highlanders, men of harsh environments and men of violence, like him, drinking and trying to forget the horrors of war and the choices they'd made.
He bought another ale, listening to the laments and songs of his countrymen, the emotion within themselves coming out through their cracking tones and voices. They, like him, were becoming disillusioned with the war. They were fighting because someone was invaded, which only happened because there was another invasion elsewhere, because someone was shot and killed somewhere. They didn't know what, all they knew was that the Crown called upon them to fight and to die for their country. And now, there were officers from the countries he was fighting to protect, telling him that he was a coward.
Hiccup. The man who has easily ended the lives of over 50 men, destroying any family's that belonged to his victims and ensuring that a number of sons will not have a father anymore. What if they were like me, only attempting to do right by their country and their families. And I ended their lives. He put his head down on the bar, trying to block out all of the memories of combat, the running into machine gun fire, the screams of the wounded, the men he killed and the allies he couldn't save. He closed his eyes, trying to shut out the sounds of artillery fire and the concussive blasts from the explosions, trying to make it all go away.
Just then, he felt a hand hit on square on the back and grasp his shoulder. "Oi, lad, you alright?" Hiccup looked up and as his eyes adjusted to the light, he could see it was a dark haired Captain with blue eyes. He looked a little bit older than Hiccup, with weary eyes and a small black beard around the corners of his mouth.
"Yeah, I'm alright, just, you know…"
"Yeah, I get it lad. We all do, no need to talk about it if ya don't want ta."
"Ok. Thanks." The man invited Hiccup to sit with his friends at their table, and Hiccup obliged, being led to a corner table near a piano and small band, who were currently helping the Scottish troops sing the song "Lowlands Away". It was a dreary atmosphere, but it was something Hiccup was accustomed to in Berk. He sat with them at their table, the captain giving him another ale to drink. "Where are ya from lad?"
"Berk, in the Highlands."
"Aye, Berk. Traveled through those parts, I have. Who are'ya with?"
"Scots Guards, 1st Infantry Division, but now I'm just moved around wherever they need me."
"Marksman?"
"Yeah."
"Makes sense." The man took a long draw from a cigarette, offering Hiccup one, and he obliged. Even though Hiccup hated smoking, the only time he could do that is when he was off the line. When he was on the line, his hands needed to be steady, and nicotine seemed to make his heart beat quicker, which meant a less steady hand. He couldn't deal with that on the line. He took a short draw, just enough to get a slight buzz, before setting it down, only intermittently taking small draws of it. The men around him conversed, occasionally asking Hiccup questions about where he was from and what he had done. The conversations started out dull, but as every one of them had more drinks and the alcohol started to take effect, the entire crowd slowly became more lively. By the time it was midnight, Hiccup and the rest of the men had turned into a lively, happy bunch, singing cheerful songs and hooting and hollering like today was the last day on Earth. They were singing loudly, he and few other men, up on the stage where the band also was, to the cheers and jeers of their Scottish audience. They were laughing and smiling, happy and guilt free, having fun when weeks ago they had been killing. This is what youth is supposed to be, Hiccup thought. But no. The War had stolen that from them. Stolen their innocence, their youth, their happiness and hope and optimism in the world, and all that was left was a permanent void in their souls, one that would never be filled or repaired, it would just stay there, long after the War. Hiccup knew this to be true. He saw it in his father's eyes whenever it was late and Hiccup would find him staring at the orange, leaping flames in their fireplace, a stare that went on forever, like a piece of him was left back in South Africa from that dreaded conflict.
And now, a part of Hiccup was dead as well. It had died near that river, during the Battle of Mons, when he had been unable to kill a charging German, watching his superior get bayoneted from behind by the German, no remorse in his eyes. And another piece died in the mountains in Italy, when he had to leave behind a soldier younger than him, mortally wounded and crying for his mother, to avoid capture by the Austro-Hungarians. It happened again in Belgium, leaving those troops behind, in France, remorselessly taking the lives of several Germans when they attempted to surrender, or charging the trenches with the Canadians. There was so much death around the world, how was it that Hiccup found himself still breathing. He still remembered the first day after the Battle of Mons, when he broke down and the new captain of that section, who was in India before the war, told him something Hiccup will always live by:
Ideas, however tempting and seemingly applicable, are never possible. History is unforgiving, violent, cruel, and forgets those who died. History is a record not of the ideas of humanity, but a record of the violence, death and destruction humanity is capable of inflicting upon itself.
Those officers and politicians didn't know what they were talking about.
Just then, a hand tapped Hiccup on the shoulder, and Hiccup nodded at the man who tapped him, reassuring the Captain he was ok. They sang for a little more, before Hiccup decided to try something different. Maybe it was the alcohol in his system, maybe it was the joy he was feeling, or maybe it was the guilt that he had left Astrid at that ball, and how she would never talk to him again, that made him want to sing this song.
"QUIET!" The captain silenced the crowd, allowing Hiccup to speak, although on the border of slurring his words.
"Alright, now, I'm sure everyone here is having a grand and merry time," he waited for the cheers to die down, "but I have a little something I wanted to sing with you all, because tonight, I had a shot with a beautiful girl, someone who really could've changed my life, but I messed up and I now find myself here. I want you guys to just remember the family you have back home, the woman in your life that you write to every day, and keep her close to your heart. You're lucky. Uh, so yeah, you've probably heard it, just join in if you want to. "
Astrid had been around all of the nearby pubs and bars, her feet were aching and blistered, and she had to admit she was both mad and impressed at Hiccup. Impressed because he seemed to be able to run pretty far, mad because he had left her, and she was going to try to confess her feelings to him when she found him, but it didn't look likely. She was about to retire to her hotel, thinking that the opportunity to be with him tonight was completely lost, until a tirade of laughter echoed from an alleyway. Startled, she investigated the alleyway, shoes off, and saw that there was a sign for a back alley pub there, almost like it had been built for soldiers by soldiers. Could he be in there?
She walked carefully up to the door, and gave it a light tap, relieved when it opened slightly. She pushed through the door, following the noise and laughter from the room, only to hear it silenced by a loud man yelling for everyone to be quiet. She came across a second door as she heard someone much quieter talking, and though she couldn't make out what he was saying, she'd figured she might as well see if Hiccup was in here. One last try before completely giving up.
Her hand was on the doorknob, ready to turn it and open it to see a crowd of soldiers glaring at her with either a Hiccup or no Hiccup, but then she heard it. Whistling. Faint, but familiar.
That whistling. She knew it. It was something of a popular song in Berk, her mother used to whistle that same tune to her before bed when Astrid was younger, but it was more than that.
It was Hiccup's favorite song.
She opened the door slowly, trying to avoid the creaking and remain undisturbed, because she had only heard Hiccup sing the song once, but never after that because of what Snotlout and the twins said to him about his singing. Hiccup was so embarrassed, he never sang again, only whistling, but Astrid never told him how she though he had a terrific voice, how she wanted to hear him sing again, and now, how she wanted him to sing to her.
Once the door was open, she saw a stage, with a certain auburn haired soldier holding what looked like some small guitar, his head turned away from her, but his left side facing her. She walked slowly, shoes still off, creeping towards him. She heard him singing:
I'll swim and sail on savage seas,
With never a fear of drowning
And gladly ride the waves of life
If you will be with me.
No scorching sun,
Nor freezing cold,
Will stop me on my journey
If you would promise me your heart…
Time to let him know you're here, Astrid, she thought to herself. She walked out onto the stage, her presence still not known to him, and still barefoot, with butterflies circling so fast in her stomach it was creating a cyclone of nerves. But, she had to do this. And love… she jumped in.
And love me for eternity. She'll never forget the look in his eyes when he spun around, green eyes bright, hair all messed up and unkempt, but a smile stretching from ear to ear. His eyes were lit up like the sky during Guy Fawkes, his hair bright and auburn from the light, but that smile just stole her heart. That damned, toothy smile of his, she thought. She continued, waltzing in a circle around him, her hand on his shoulder and trailing down his back as she continued, with a few cheers from the audience.
My dearest one, my darling dear,
Your mighty words astound me.
But I've no need for mighty deeds,
when I feel your arms around me!
She grabbed his hands, causing to drop the guitar and a small laugh escaped from her, swinging him out of the stool and up on his feet, where he smiled and grabbed her hands before the two began to swing one another in a circle.
But I would bring you rings of gold!
I'd even sing you poetry, (oh would you?)
And I would keep you from all HARM
If you would stand beside me!
The crowd of soldiers were now on their feet, clapping and stomping to the beat, with a few members of the band playing a Gaelic tune to back up the singing. Hiccup spun Astrid away from him, her dress flowing as she spun, and caught her one hand, her other outstretched, giving him the trademark Astrid grin and sang with the stomping of the Scottish troops
I have no use for rings of gold
I care not for your poetry,
I only want your hand to hold,
I only want you near me!
They began singing and swinging one another, the cheers of the soldiers and the hollering providing a festive, fertile soil to the budding of a different relationship between the two. And as Astrid gazed into Hiccup's eyes, she saw someone amazing, someone she could be with, someone she could trust, and normally she would try to bury these feelings, but right now, everything felt so right and comfortable, there was no denying it. Scared or not, she was going to see this one through, because right now, everything felt so perfect. They finished the song together.
To love and kiss to sweetly hold
For the dancing and the dreaming
Through all life's sorrows
And delights
I'll keep your laugh inside me
I'll swim and sail a savage seas
With never a fear of drowning
I'd gladly ride the waves so white
And you will be with me!
Several soldier held out the me for far too long, and the cheers and applause from the crowd caught Astrid by surprise. They had finished the singing and dancing with Astrid slightly bent over Hiccup's right arm, their faces so close their noses were almost touching.
"Kiss him lassie!"
"Go on, kiss him already!"
"What are you waiting for?"
In that moment, that still, perfect moment, something came over Astrid, and she took his face with both hands and gave him a kiss on the lips. She was ecstatic when he returned the kiss as she planted her lips on his lips, and the shouting of the soldiers grew tenfold in volume. They released the kiss, both still having their eyes locked, before Hiccup returned Astrid to her standing position, and the soldiers began to crowd them. Yet, as the soldiers crowded them, Astrid noticed that no matter how many of the soldiers patted Hiccup on the back or embraced him, he never once let go of her hand.
The soldiers, in their excitement and knowing the night was going to come to a close soon, decided to sing more and sang Auld Lang Syne. And throughout the song, she looked into not only Hiccup's eyes, but the eyes of everyone else in the room, the soldiers who were made happy once again by young love. The war weary eyes who had seen so much death now regained, if only temporarily, their youth and vitality through witnessing these two young adults together.
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and auld lang syne*?
For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.
And surely ye'll be your pint-stoup!
and surely I'll be mine!
And we'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.
For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.
We twa hae run about the braes,
and pou'd the gowans fine;
But we've wander'd mony a weary fit,
sin' auld lang syne.
For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.
We twa hae paidl'd in the burn,
frae morning sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae roar'd
sin' auld lang syne.
For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.
And there's a hand, my trusty fiere!
and gie's a hand o' thine!
And we'll tak' a right gude-willie waught,
for auld lang syne.
For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.
Not yet finished, the Scots invited her up on a table, and since Hiccup accompanied her. "QUIET! Now, as you all know, we cannot let newly formed couples leave her witout harassing them, aye?"
"AYE!" they all responded.
"AYE! Now, state your name and hometown."
"Uhh, Astrid Hofferson, Berk."
"Aright, Miss Hofferson," he grabbed a full pint, and held it out to her, "now, you must drink tha pint by tha time we finish tha song, otherwise, you and your new friend over there cannot leave tha bar until closing! Do ya agree to tha terms?" Astrid could feel Hiccup's hesitation, but everyone was smiling, including Hiccup and the Captain holding the drink out to her, so she thought, what the hell? This might be fun.
"Gimme that." The second the drink touched her lips, she heard everyone around start singing:
We like to drink with Astrid,
Cuz Astrid is our mate
And when we drink with Astrid,
She finishes in 8, 7, 6-
By the time they reached six, she had finished the pint, much to the surprise of everyone around them, the cheers of the soldier drowning out all other noise, with thunderous applause. She put her arm around Hiccup, and the two went off to the bar, and they sat down and ordered a drink, as the soldiers behind them began to sing "The Parting Glass", knowing the night was soon to be over. "How did you find me?" Hiccup asked.
"Luck, I guess," she replied, still bouncing from happiness that she kissed Hiccup, assumptions running through her head, like whether or not they were dating, what was the status of the relationship, and how it would work.
"Well, I'm happy you found me." He smiled at her, and Astrid felt her heart lift out of her chest, and just wanted to kiss me so bad. She held back only because she didn't know if he wanted to again, so instead she just smiled at him, giving him the best smile she could muster. They talked for a little bit longer, mostly about their singing and the dancing, before Hiccup asked, "Do you want me to walk you home?"
"Sure! I would love that!" He got up out of his seat, and offered his hand to her, which she gladly took, and they walked out of the pub, the other Scots still singing "the Parting Glass", and they walked out into the warm weather of the Parisian night, under the light of a pale moon and the streetlights.
Walking back to her hotel, her shoes still removed from her feet so she could feel the warm stone underneath her, her hand still clasped in Hiccup's, she turned to him with a smile, which he returned, before continuing, "That was really something back there. You're singing."
"Oh, stop. You're not so bad yourself, you know." She lightly slugged him in the shoulder, and he accepted it with a laugh.
"Ehh, I'm out of practice. But, really, Astrid, I'm glad you came." He looked like he still had something to say, but didn't know how to say it. "Astrid, what-what, um…what are we? Now?"
"Well, umm…I-I-I don't know, exactly. We kissed, and I mean, I like you, but if you don't want to be together we don't have to-"
"No, that's not what I meant. I mean, I, like,…uhhh…it's complicated." He looked away from her, shaking his head down towards the ground in front of him.
"Well, Hiccup," she strode in front of him, putting her hand over his chest, blinking her blue eyes at him and giving him softest look and making her voice as soft as silk, "uncomplicate it then."
"It's just," he hesitated, "You're Astrid Hofferson. You're just so, you know, Astrid. You're beautiful and gorgeous and you get this look in your eye whenever you're determined about something, you put 100% into everything you do and you're never give up, you're strong, passionate, smart, stunning and I just-" He was using his hands to emphasize everything he said, until Astrid couldn't take it anymore.
"Hiccup, stop." He stopped, and looked her in the eye. "I may be all of those things, but you're so much more than that. You're amazing, you're sweet, you're nice, you view me as a person instead of just some conquest, you care about me, but most importantly, you're brave. Much braver than I am, and you care about others. You're just as determined as I am, you're smart, you always were, and while you may not have been much as a kid, you've surely grown out of it now. You don't need to be so hard on yourself, you're a great person, Hiccup Haddock. I truly believe that." She put her hand over his heart, "You are something really special, Hiccup. I want you…I…I want you to be in my life. Somehow. I really like you and if this isn't something you want to hear right now it's ok, but I wanted to tell you that. I think you're spectacular and special."
There was a moment of silence between them, Hiccup still looking down at the ground, and just when Astrid started to think she went too far, he looked up, the moonlight illuminating the grin on his face, and her heart, once again, vacated her chest. "Just so you know, I can be a little annoying sometimes. And clumsy."
"Well, I can be rude and harsh and strict with people."
"I can be too slow to notice things and often find myself forgetting important things."
"I yell at people too much and have been in the past described as too aggressive."
"I tend to go on business trips a lot, exotic locations, meeting nice people, killing them."
"It's ok, I go from place to place putting bandages on people and making them wish they could have a girl like me." They both shared a short little laugh, before Hiccup embraced Astrid in a hug, catching her by surprise, but she quickly caught up and returned it, squeezing him as hard as she could. The hug ended, briefly gazing into one another's eyes before continuing to walk home.
"So, does that mean we you want to be a couple?"
"Oh, Hiccup Haddock," Astrid flipped her eyes, acting as coy and flirtatious as she could, "you are going to have to work harder than that if you want to date the Astrid Hofferson."
"Well, how hard would someone like Hiccup Haddock have to work, then?"
"Well, I would at least have expected a few more dates and a few more kisses, maybe as a start. How romantic are you, Hiccup?" What happened next surprised her and still astonishes her even after it happened.
With that, Hiccup got done leapt right in front of Astrid, got down on one knee, and said, "Astrid Hofferson, you are the most beautiful girl I've ever met, with eyes as bright and wondrous as the night sky above, sparkling and twinkling with more stars than the universe will ever have. You golden locks sway like wheat in a summer breeze, and your smile is brighter than the sun itself. You are sweeter than honeydew, your voice smoother than silk, and your happiness just radiates to everyone around you, and also your determination is really cute." He paused to take a breath, closing his eyes and breathing in, before clasping her hand, opening his eyes, looking thoughtfully at her and saying, "Will you allow me to take you as my girlfriend?"
Astrid could not speak. Never, NEVER had anyone said ANYTHING as romantic as that! It was not even close! Her face was feeling like it was on fire, butterflies swirling like a cyclone in her stomach, heart racing, blood pumping, her throat seizing up and brain just refusing to function. Her face formed the largest smile she had ever had, eyes wide with amazement, before finally being able to function so she could scream, "YES! YES YES YES OH MY GODS, HICCUP, YES!" She jumped into his embrace, his chest becoming her new favorite place to be, and nearly squealed with delight. Hiccup laughed and lifted her up, swinging her in a circle, his laugh echoing around the buildings of the Parisian streets at night, two lovers alone in the most romantic city on Earth. When he finally put her down, the two kissed, a deeper one than they shared at the dance, and in her heart, Astrid knew she was happy. She wondered if everyone else could find someone that made her as happy as Hiccup did, because this was something that she wanted to share with the entire world. It was completely unlike her, but for once, Astrid didn't care. She liked these new feelings, and for once did not want to try to hide them. It would've made her sad to hide them, and she liked being this happy.
The rest of the walk was in silence, they just took in the fact that, whatever they were, they were now together.
They arrived back at Astrid's hotel about 10 minutes later, and she turned to him. "So, is there a chance I'll see you again sometime in the next year?"
"Uhh, yeah, probably, might be before 1915 is out." There was a smile on his face, like he knew something she didn't, but honestly she was tired and sappy, and wanted to go to bed.
"Ok, as long as I see you sometime in the next year. Don't think this'll be an easy relationship because you'll be traveling places. You still gotta write to me."
"Oh, well, I-I-I-I will do that. Yeah, yeah, no yeah, I can do that." He gave her a toothy grin and his stuttering just made him even cuter.
Cuter? Oh boy. "Well, I'll see you soon then, I guess." He turned around, about to let go of her hand. "Wait," he turned back, eyes confused yet patient.
She punched him on the shoulder, hard. "OW! Astrid, why would-why…why would you do that?" He rubbed his shoulder in pain.
"That was for ditching me tonight and not telling me where you went, leaving me to search around for you in barefeet."
"Oh. Listen, Astrid, I'm so so sorry I-" he stopped as she kissed him on the lips. When she pulled away, his eyes were wide and a pale forest green, lit by the moonlight but blazing with passion all on their own. She just couldn't fathom how much she liked Hiccup now. How could she have never have noticed how amazing of a person he was, how mesmerizing his eyes were, how sweet he was, how cute his smile was, how brave and selfless and just…perfect. Astrid could not stop thanking Freya ever since they first kissed.
"That was for tonight. Well, the dancing and the dreaming." She winked at him, and with that, turned and walked back to her hotel, leaving Hiccup grinning on the sidewalk as he watched her walk away.
Well, I have to first start off with an apology for the lateness of the chapter. I had so much stuff to do and exams to study for that it made it really difficult to write this. My week cleared up, and I got inspired enough to add about 6 more pages to it, so I'm hoping you guys like it. This is without a doubt the longest thing I have ever written, so I hope you guys enjoy it and if you want, feedback is always appreciated.
In terms of updates, I now know that my schedule is going to be really crowded, so it will be safe to say updates will be sporadic at best. The next chapter will be out by the end of April, hopefully, but worst case scenario you guys get some filler chapters that are short, since their easier to write than the leviathan these chapters are. I apologize, but know that I will not forget this story, the times between updates might just be really long.
Alright, now, I want to tell everyone thank you for the reviews and the follows/fav! I really appreciate all the things you guys write and offering encouragement. I hope you guys enjoy the chapter, and thank you for reading!
Butters out!
