She was aware of the sharp taste of copper first, and immediately reached for her sword, but found her hands were secured tightly behind her with some kind of rope. She opened her eyes and struggled to sit up, but could not remove herself from the ground. She peered into the damp darkness, her eyes slowly adjusting. She was in a cave of sorts. Outside she could hear the rain falling down with rage. Her sword and belongings were not nearby.
She closed her eyes, the headache plaguing her since she woke making it difficult to think. She had been fighting some beast—some creature she had never come across before, and she was struck from behind before she could land the killing blow. Something—or someone—had prevented her from killing the creature.
She heard a soft yowl from a little ways away, echoing in the chamber-like cave. A voice was heard then, speaking softly and urgently. Was this the man the victims were speaking of last night? Or was it longer ago? She had no concept of time in this dark lightless cave. She heard footsteps, and stilled, closing her eyes and steadying her breathing.
A hand brushed hair away from her face, touching her forehead gently.
"She doesn't have a fever, at least," the soft, somewhat nasal, voice said from above her.
There was a soft warble, and Astrid flinched.
The hand drew away quickly, and then the voice said, after a moment's hesitation, "Are you awake?"
Realizing that he would soon discover that she was no longer unconscious, she opened her eyes and looked up, the angle difficult to discern who was kneeling above her. She could glimpse pale skin, freckles, messy brown hair, and bright green eyes. He was holding a torch that cast a yellow gold glow upon him.
"Who are you…" she asked quietly.
"Who are you?" he returned.
She closed her mouth into a thin line. "I asked you first."
"Well, you're not in a position to be making demands," he said, shifting to a crouching position. "But my name is Hiccup."
"Hiccup?" the name was familiar—but where could she have heard it before? She ignored the nagging feeling that she should know this name—or at least, this boy, and said, "My name is Astrid. Now untie me."
"Why should I do that?" Hiccup asked, "When you could just attack Toothless again."
"Toothless?" she looked past the boy to a large crouching figure of the creature. Black scales like skin, a set of large wings, and four clawed feet. There was no mistaking it. This was the creature that had attacked her last night. "Is it really a dragon?" she asked.
"Of course," the boy answered, as if this was a silly question to ask.
"Dragons are extinct," she said matter-of-factly.
"Toothless, slow flame," the boy ordered, and the dragon opened its mouth, a flame forming between its jaws, causing yet another glow to fall upon them. After a moment, the creature, Toothless, though even from her position Astrid could clearly see it was certainly not toothless, closed its jaws.
"Alright," she relented, "It certainly appears to be a dragon. Now will you untie me? I don't have my sword, and I won't attack either of you knowing that I probably won't survive."
The boy glanced at the dragon, and they shared a thoughtful look. "Fine," Hiccup said finally, leaning his torch against the side of the cave and taking a knife from his belt, cutting her ropes. She felt her body relax for a moment as it was freed from its binds, and tensed again as the boy helped her into a sitting position. She slapped his hands away, leaning against the rock wall. "What is this place?" she asked him.
"A cave," the boy said simply, looking at her seriously.
"I can see that," she said. "Why did you bring me here?"
"Well, I couldn't just leave you out in the storm," Hiccup said. "You'd be half dead by morning."
"I feel half dead now," she muttered, rubbing the back of her head.
"Ah, yeah, well, I had to act quickly," the boy said apologetically, "I couldn't let you kill Toothless after you attacked him."
"He attacked me first."
"He thought you were there to kill us," Hiccup said. "You can't blame him for being defensive."
"I was making sure no one else got hurt," Astrid replied tartly.
"Hurt?" Hiccup frowned. "What are you talking about?"
"I was at an inn, a little ways from here, when two travelers came in, claiming a dragon that turns into a man attacked them. They were close to death." She eyed them. "I assumed that was you two."
"Well, clearly we are two separate beings," Hiccup said, amused, before he frowned. "But I'm afraid it wasn't us. We appear to be tracking the same beast, you see."
"You were…" it was her turn to frown. "You were tracking it? How do I know you aren't lying?" she demanded suspiciously.
Hiccup shrugged. "We're not the type to attack random travelers. Unless they attack us," he admitted, nodding in her direction. "Would you like some water?"
"Water?" she glanced down to see that a bowl was lying on the ground next to him, filled was fresh water. She licked her dry lips automatically, suddenly realizing how parched she was, and the boy smiled, handing her it. She took it and sniffed.
"It's not poisoned," he said. "I have no reason to poison you."
"You tied me up," she reminded him.
"I wanted to make sure you couldn't get the drop on us. Like I said, we don't make a habit of attacking strangers."
She eyed him, and took a sip. It was fresh, clear rain water. Not poisoned that she could tell. She drank the rest quickly, her mouth and throat still parched. "What are you doing here?" she asked.
"Waiting for the storm to pass," he said. "What are you doing here?"
"Apparently the same," she said, handing him back the bowl.
"I mean before you came out to kill us," Hiccup said.
"My business is my own," she answered, shivering slightly.
Hiccup frowned, eyeing her body. He must have noticed that she wore enough clothes to keep warm, but she was missing her cloak. "I'll be right back," he said, standing. "Toothless, keep an eye on her."
The dragon gave a small, non-threatening growl as the boy walked away and out of sight, taking the torch with him. Astrid was plunged into darkness, and as her eyes adjusted she could see the eyes of the dragon watching her carefully, and beyond him, the exit to the outside. Her hand itched for her sword. She would make a break for it, if she could get past the dragon, but she could not leave her sword.
Hiccup returned with her cloak. "I dried it," he said, tossing it onto her. "Well, Toothless did." She grabbed it and pulled it tightly around her.
"Are you coming down with something?" he asked her, looking down at her with mild concern.
"I'm just cold," she said.
"You were out in the rain," he agreed.
She decided not to correct him on the real reason she was always chilled, and stood shakily.
"Easy," he was at her side in an instant, holding her steady, and she realized that he was taller than her by quite a few inches. He must stand over six feet, and his clothes hid the muscles that she could feel now, but had missed when she had looked at him from a distance.
"Let go of me," she said, pushing away from him.
"I must have hit you harder than I thought," Hiccup said as she swayed, his hands trying to catch hold of her again.
"I'm good," she muttered, leaning against the cave wall.
"You need food," he said. "Although you may throw it up. Rest would be good for you. And there's still a storm outside. If you leave, you may die."
This gained her attention, and she sat back down, cradling her head in her hands. "So," she said, once her mind cleared. "You're tracking this beast too?"
"Yes," Hiccup said. "It attacked my village, killing quite a few. So I've been tracking it for the past few months. It's… very elusive."
"Elusive?" she looked at him, then at the dragon. "You couldn't catch up to it?"
"Let's just say that I'm not even sure what it looks like, as I've only caught glimpses of it. It could be dragon, or some other creature."
"Tell me," she said, "How could dragons exist and I not know anything about it?"
Hiccup shrugged. "You seem like a well-educated girl, but even the well-educated cannot know everything. Dragons don't want to be found. So they're not. They're very elusive."
"Sounds like this beast is a dragon," she noted. "What village are you from?"
"Ragged Cove," he replied.
She looked at him in surprise. "That's in the province of Berk, is it not?" she asked.
"Yes," he said. "Are you from Berk?"
"I am," was her reply. "I hail from the capitol."
"The capitol?" he raised his eyebrows. "Are you nobility?"
"Don't be ridiculous," she muttered, rubbing the back of her head again.
"Well, you can deny it all you want, I can already tell. You keep yourself cleaner than most people—you smell nicer, and you have very nice clothes. Plus the sword…"
"Where is my sword?" she demanded, launching to her feet and taking a menacing step towards him. He took a hasty step backwards as Toothless growled a warning.
"It's…" he glanced over to where he had disappeared earlier. "I can go get it, if you promise not to attack us."
"I promise," she said quickly.
"Alright," he said, "I'll be right back."
He left, and she leaned against the cave wall again.
He returned shortly, carrying her sword and many of her belongings. He placed them at her feet, and she grabbed the sword, pulling it out of its sheath, checking it, before sighing in relief. She counted and checked the rest of her things, and was relieved to find that they were all there.
"You don't usually find a female warrior," he noted, "Especially not one traveling alone. Unless you're not traveling alone…."
"No, I am," she said.
"Why?"
"Why are you traveling alone?" she countered.
"I'm not," he said, "I have Toothless."
"Ah yes, the very toothy dragon," she said, re-attaching some of the items taken from her. "Well, thank you for getting me away from the weather, but I must be on my way."
"You're not quite up for gallivanting," he said, "And besides, the storm is still going pretty strong out there. And you're already getting sick," he added.
"I'm not sick," she said.
"You're shivering."
"It's cold," she replied.
"Well, we'll make a fire," he said, turning to look at Toothless, before standing and walking away for a third time. When he returned, he had some wood in his hands. He placed it on the ground, preparing it with the expertise that a common man would have, and with a quick blast Toothless lit it.
The warmth from the sudden flame did little to warm her, but the comfort of the light and heat was welcome.
"So, you come from the capitol," he said, "What are you doing way out here in the middle of nowhere? You can't be tracking the same beast."
"I'm not," she said. "I'm on a quest."
He sat down, raising his eyebrows. "A quest?"
"Yes."
"What kind of quest?"
"The private kind."
He gave her a long look. "That's not really fair," he said. "I told you why we were out here."
She returned his look.
"Fine, fine," he shrugged. "Keep your secrets. After this storm you can go on your merry way and Toothless and I can finish off this beast and return home."
"I'm going to finish it off," she said, touching the hilt of her sword.
"What?"
"I already decided—last night, I would take care of this beast before it attacks anyone else," she said.
"Well, then the three of us will be stuck together for a little while longer," he said.
"Which direction has it been going in?" she asked.
"North," he said. "Clearly, I mean… we're North of Berk now."
She glared at him, before sighing. "That's good. That's where I'm headed as well."
"Clearly."
She did not have the energy to glare at him again. "So…" she said, "how long do you think this rain will last?"
"A few hours longer," he said. "It'll be dark soon, so we should wait until morning, if the weather clears up by then."
"Good plan," she agreed.
"Do you think you can eat?" he asked her.
"Eat?" she frowned, "Yeah, I could eat something."
"I'll be right back," he said, standing.
"Let me—"
"No, you rest," he said. "I'll be right back."
He left, taking his torch with him. In the bright light of the fire, Toothless seemed far less threatening. He was looking at her with interest, but she pointedly ignored him. This Hiccup boy, and his strange, formally extinct pet, were oddities she did not expect to find in her travels. This boy… man, she supposed, he could hardly be much younger than her, was different than she was used to. She was still not used to speaking and interacting with common people as if they were her equals. Something about this boy was different… familiar… had she met him before? But she had never been to his village, and she was sure she would remember him. He had a handsome face of sorts; surely one she would remember, and his voice was rather unforgettable, and she definitely would remember a dragon.
He returned shortly, carrying some dried meat. "We couldn't go hunting yesterday," he said, "All the animals were hiding in anticipation of the storm. So have some of this. Traded it from a nearby village."
She accepted it, gazing at it unimpressed.
"It won't break your teeth, if that's what you're worried about," he said.
She took a bite, almost immediately wishing she hadn't, and chewed. She managed to get it all down and gulped down the water Hiccup then handed to her.
"So," Hiccup said, accepting the bowl back. "Astrid's a pretty name."
"Thanks," she said without much gusto.
"How'd you learn to use the sword?" he asked.
"My father always wanted a son," she said. "Instead he got two daughters. And I picked it up faster than my sister."
"You have a sister?"
Her mouth fell into a thin line.
Hiccup watched her bearing change with curiosity. "You don't want to talk about her? What, you two don't get along?"
She looked down at her sword, and said, "That's none of your business. For now, let's just decide our tactics."
"Tactics?"
"How are we going to defeat this beast? And are there any clues to know what kind of beast it is?"
"It could be a dragon I suppose…" Hiccup said, "Although it could also be some other creature. Many sightings claim it can turn into a human—which would disprove the dragon theory."
"What do you think?" she asked.
Hiccup shrugged. "I don't think it's a dragon," he said. "Have you ever heard of a werewolf?"
"Yes…" Astrid said slowly, "They're just a myth."
"So are dragons to the general populace," he reminded her. "But I don't believe in werewolves either. The point is, legend claims there are beasts and creatures that are half human. This beast could the same. Or just cursed," he laughed.
"Curses are real," she said, her voice deadly quiet.
He frowned, "Well, I suppose we won't know until we come upon it. But we should come up with a plan, since you're adding yourself to the party."
"You want me to come along," she informed him. "I'm a good fighter."
"I was able to get the drop on you last night," he reminded her.
"I was distracted," she replied.
"Well, good luck fighting the monster," he said. "It makes Toothless look like a stuffed animal."
"I'll be able to handle myself. Just don't get in my way," she said.
"I won't."
"Good."
They looked at each other, before they both smiled, chuckling.
"Hey, you can smile," he said, grinning at her.
"I smile all the time," she said, unable to prevent herself from doing so in the moment.
"The look suits you," he said.
Her smile faltered slightly, and she heard the rain lessening until she could hear it no longer. "Did the rain stop?"
"Sounds like it," he said. "It's almost night, so we should probably stay in till morning." He paused, "Get some rest," he said, "We'll leave at first light."
She nodded, and Hiccup stood, brushing off his pants. "Sleep well, Astrid," he said. "I'll be right here if you need anything."
"Goodnight," she said softly, watching him and his dragon leave. She pulled her cloak closer around her, shivering slightly despite the roaring fire before her. She knew she did not have time for this detour, this hesitation on her quest. Too much was at stake for her to spend time away from her path. But she found herself desperate for a connection. Something to take away this aching loneliness that was eating away at her. And if they were traveling north, she would not have to go far from her path.
No, this was good. She needed this.
She needed a friend.
Next chapter… will they find the beast?
Thanks for reading! I'd love to hear what you think of the story so far!
See you next time!
