Guess we'll find out who Wheel's 100th reviewer is in the next chapter? Only two more reviews until we reach that special one!
Sorry this is so late. My dad's birthday was on Friday, so I spent much of the week preparing for that. I took him to see How To Train Your Dragon 2 (along with the rest of my family). That kinda…didn't work, not as a birthday gift for my dad, that is. If you've seen the movie, you probably understand.
Review Replies:
Jesusfreak (anonymous): I don't like that either, but I'm glad it was fairly subtle in the movie. Many probably wouldn't have even picked up on it.
kitty.0: I never thought of that! …and neither did Hiccup, but I don't think he's going to have enough paper to do that now!
MHJohn64th: They may or may not get off the island soon…but there's no guarantee that they'll be heading back to Berk if they do. Yep, this is Astrid's chapter. The chapters in this story alternate (odd chapters—Hiccup and even chapters—Astrid). Good luck with school.
ChibiFelicia: I did not know that leather could be made from fish skin! It'd probably stink pretty badly, though. We'll have to check back in with Hiccup next chapter and see if he's made any progress.
aaquater: Yep, definitely a different emotion! That is a good question…and one that Hiccup is going to have to found out soon.
lorde (anonymous): Thank you very much! I'm glad that my story's keeping you excited.
Guest (anonymous): Yeah…lots of depression. Things should brighten up eventually for one or both of them. Hopefully. As for the new heir business, Stoick's still a bit unsure if he wants to go through with that, but that sub-plot will return again at the start of Arc 3. That's when the official decision will be made.
Next chapter starts…now!
Chapter 24: No Future Without Hiccup
Here Without You
Astrid knew that Berk was moving on and that it was, perhaps, in her best interest to change too. Yet, she continued to push them away; she didn't want their support or their "encouraging" words, words that did little to dull the pain and longing for Hiccup that resided permanently within her heart.
Evening was approaching. Another day without Hiccup had almost passed. How many more such days could Astrid take? With each passing day, she could feel the pain tugging at her from deep within her heart. This was harder than she had ever expected.
She took her time walking home. Her friends had already gone on ahead to the Great Hall for dinner, but Astrid did not feel like joining them tonight. Instead, she decided to walk slowly back to her house for a meal with her family. There was no one else walking through the village tonight and Astrid was grateful. Even though the darkness was beginning to fall, it was still light enough that she would have clearly seen the looks from passing tribe members...and she just was not in the mood to deal with that right now.
They all wondered, Astrid knew it to be true. The villagers' looks said it all. "How could Astrid Hofferson still believe that Hiccup could be safe and that he would return back to Berk?" What choice did Astrid really have? She refused to just turn her back on the one boy she'd ever truly cared for, the only one she would have ever considered calling "boyfriend". It was not a very "Viking-like thing to do", Astrid knew, but sometimes she felt it necessary to shed her tough Viking exterior and just be a teenage girl. Such times were rare, but they did sometimes exist. At times, Astrid would just sit and think back on other times, such as her first romantic flight with Hiccup, when she had let down her guard for just a few brief moments. No, Astrid would not stop believing. There was no evidence yet to disprove her hopes. Until she had certain proof, Astrid would continue to believe and support her absent boyfriend.
Deep in her stomach, Astrid could feel her hunger stirring. Lately, she had been eating less than usual and it was starting to show. Her parents, noticing that their daughter had become a little less muscular that she'd once been, had sat down with Astrid recently and they'd had a family talk. During that talk, Astrid had learned that her parents feared the depression that their daughter was falling into lately. That, they had told her then, was the reason why they wanted Astrid to, at least, try to move on. All Astrid could do during that talk was merely shake her head and continue to express how that would never happen. The thunderstorm deep in her heart would rage on forever, until she could see Hiccup again.
Deep in her thoughts, Astrid had let her feet guide her home by memory. She had walked these paths many times and did not need to think the way from the Academy to her house. Nearly home, Astrid passed by one of the Viking youths of the village: a boy aged six. He was alone and Astrid felt a small pang of sadness in her heart. That boy could've been Hiccup ten years ago. Though Astrid was certain that this boy had to have friends, it still hurt Astrid to remember how she and her friends had turned Hiccup away countless times; she had never stopped to think how alone and unwanted he must've felt back then. The young boy noticed Astrid's presence and paused to smile and wave at her. "Hi, Astrid!"
Astrid did not have to force a small smile as she returned the wave. She said nothing, not trusting her voice to speak steadily. The youth of Berk admired and adored her after hearing stories of how she and her friends had defeated the largest and most evil dragon they had ever seen. The village youth especially loved Hiccup. Many times when Astrid had walked with Hiccup through the village, the younger kids would approach them. The kids would crowd around, chattering happily and Hiccup would always entertain, showing off his prosthetic leg and letting the kids pet Toothless's jet-black scales. The lead dragon trainer/rider was so good with children and the scene had always touched Astrid's heart to see Hiccup interact with them. He would've made a great father and that was the title she hoped her future children could've used when they referred to Hiccup.
Dropping her gaze, Astrid silently walked away from the young Viking boy and finished her walk back home. Dinner was already cooked and sitting on the table by the time Astrid entered her house.
"Ah, Astrid, good, you're home. Come eat dinner!" her mother ordered, noticing the arrival of her daughter.
Astrid said nothing, but obliged and took her seat at the table. Her parents sat down not long after. All throughout the meal, Astrid could feel their eyes resting upon her; she was well accustomed to that feeling by now. She said nothing and, instead, pushed her food across her wooden platter with her wooden eating utensils. Occasionally, she would take a small bite before returning to pushing the food around once again. With the food sitting in front of her, Astrid no longer felt as hungry as she had earlier while walking home.
"Astrid…" her mother began, setting down her eating utensils to face her daughter. "You need to eat."
"I'm not hungry," Astrid mumbled back, never taking her eyes off the meal in front of her.
Though Astrid's answer had been mumbled, she knew immediately that her mother had understood. There was a pause and Astrid knew her parents were exchanging glances.
"We…need to talk, Astrid," her mother continued softly and Astrid could just tell that this "talk" wasn't going to end well.
Pushing her plate away, Astrid finally looked up to face her parents. "Go on," she obliged, though her tone did little to conceal her disinterest.
"Astrid, listen," her father began, also temporarily pausing in eating his meal. "We know that you miss Hiccup and that you don't, necessarily, agree that he is…" he trailed off slightly, but picked up again before Astrid could cut in defiantly. "You are depressed, Astrid. It hasn't gone unnoticed. You barely eat anymore and your interests have diminished as well. Astrid, this isn't healthy…and we, your mother and I, are worried about you."
"I…I'm trying to…make it…without him," Astrid admitted, looking down, sad that she was worrying her family. "It's harder than I'd ever expected it to be."
"That's…not the only thing we wanted to talk with you about tonight, though, Astrid. We're worried about your well-being most of all," her father continued, waiting until he had his daughter's attention once again, "but we are also worried about your future."
"My future?" Astrid was confused by this. What could her father mean by that?
"Your 17th birthday is approaching," he reminded her. "It's not too early to start thinking about marriage. By the time many of Berk's Vikings are your age, they are married already."
"Marriage?! That is out of the question! I refuse to marry if my betrothed is anyone other than Hiccup! "
"Astrid," her mother spoke up next, placing a hand on her daughter's shoulder, "you are a pretty girl, one of the best-looking female Vikings Berk has ever had. You'll have no trouble finding a nice young Viking to marry."
Now Astrid was frustrated. Her parents were just as stubborn as the majority of Berk's Vikings, but they clearly did not understand. "Don't you see? I have no future without Hiccup. He is the only one I'd ever want to spend my forever with!" She had heard enough. "I'm going to bed," she finished, standing up. That was all she said; there was no reason to justify her decision. Besides, how could she explain that dreaming, lately, was so much better than being awake? In her dreams, she could see Hiccup and talk to him again…and this was just what she needed right now.
I felt inspired to finish this chapter finally! Seeing How To Train Your Dragon 2 today totally did that. Such a great movie…but now what am I going to get excited for? How To Train Your Dragon 3 won't be out for two more years.
Anyway, no one cares about the ending A/N's so I'll move right on with the rest of the usual chapter closure.
Coming Up Next: The season of harsh snows has finally arrived. Sure, it had already begun, but now the weather has finally caught up. Temperatures during the day are brutal and temperatures at night are harsh. Even with Toothless's warm body near him, Hiccup still shivers uncontrollably. Bright and sunny days are a thing of the past. The frostbite will surely set in soon and, when that happens, all hope might truly be lost.
Next chapter: I'll probably just be safe and say that I'll aim to post chapter 25 next Saturday after 10PM US East Coast time.
Thank you all for reading and supporting Wheel in the Sky!
Posted: June 22, 2014
