Here you go with chapter 6.
Hope you enjoy.
-Clary Chase
As they got more far away from the town the wheather started to get colder.
Astrid could hear her friends' teeth chattering faintly at her sides.
She wrapped the furs tightly around her body and leaned in a little bit more, trying to take some of the warmth Stormfly's body radiated.
"Damn scottish cold" Tuffnut muttered.
"It's cold in Berk as well, you idiot" Ruffnut made him notice.
He opened his mouth and blinked stupidly "But... well, this is a different kind of cold, okay?"
"Why can you only say idiocies?" Snotlout said.
"Wait"
They all stopped upon hearing Astrid's voice "For once, Tuff is right"
Tuffnut stuck his tongue out at his sister who snorted.
"Maybe it has something to do with what I saw at the village that was attacked" Fishlegs blurted out.
Astrid turned to him with a frown "What do you mean?"
The big blonde scratched the back of his neck "Oh, well. None of you were really looking but... there were no signs of burns or fire attacks. Sure the houses were destroyed but no ashes on the ground, only something icy blue"
"Icy? Is there a dragon that breathes ice?"
"I don't know. At least, I've never heard of it, but we don't know every single species"
Astrid felt a shiver along her spine.
What could she say?
Hiccup would have known what to say. He was the leader when it came to dragons, the one with most of the answers.
"Mh" she bit her lip "I say we go on and see what we find. We can't come back at the castle with nothing in our hands"
The others nodded.
They always obeyd to her. She didn't see herself as a leader.
Stoick always said she was a born leader.
Hiccup would always say that once chief, he would've made her his second in command.
She would laugh, saying she couldn't be his wife and second in command at the same time and he would respond she could as long as it was the chief who ordered that.
It was almost half an hour after and they found themselves in what looked like a wild land.
It was all gray, no woods or houses, just lands of dead grass.
No, not dead. Iced.
"This doesn't look well" Snotlout mumbled.
"No, it certaintly doesn't" Astrid agreed.
"Look!" Ruff exclaimed pointing at something on the ground beneath them.
Astrid looked better and she could finally see a Monstrous Nightmare.
"What is he doing?" Tuff asked.
The poor beast was moving in circles, almost like it had a kind of tick.
His moves were frantic.
"Maybe he has a problem"
With a silent agreement they descended and got off their dragons.
"I'll handle him" she said.
No one objected.
"Hey, buddy" she called taking careful steps towards the dragon with her hand held up.
The dragon's big head snapped in her direction and she almost gasped.
His eyes were thin lines, but they weren't like when dragons were angry.
They were empty, abnormal.
She bit her lip.
"Astrid" Ruffnut whispered "Maybe this is not a good idea"
Astrid shook her head.
"She's right" Fishlegs said "Come on, Astrid. This isn't normal, let's go back"
"No, I can do this"
She was resoluted. She could do it without anyone's help.
"Hey, it's okay" she said in a soothing tone "We're here to help you"
The dragon growled and bared his teeth.
"Astrid, come back here!"
She turned to her friends and the dragon grabbed her arm with his claws.
"ASTRID!"
Astrid screamed as the Nightmare lifted her into the air and took flight.
She could hear her friends' panicked screams and she saw Stormfly hissing and launching herself in the air, following the dragon.
Some of her spines flew in the air and managed to dig in the Nightmare's skin.
They were flying at the speed of the light and soon she came into view of a massive cave in the middle of nowhere.
Packs of ice covered it.
The Nightmare introduced itself in a very well hidden hole and Stormfly did as well.
'They'll never find me here' she thought bitterly.
The dragon's claws were digging in her bare skin making it bleed.
They finally reached the inside of the cave. It was dark and empty.
The Nightmare threw her to the ground and Astrid hit her head, hard.
She whined and the dragon hit her leg with its tail, cutting deep through her leggins.
She screamed in pain and tears started to fill her eyes.
Why was that dragon acting that way?
Just before it could hit her again Stormfly jumped in front of her and roared, hiding Astrid protectively beetween her big legs.
The Nightmare opened its mouth and just then it was thrown to the ground by two enourmous wings.
No, they weren't two. They were four.
A dragon with four wings?
A shadow got off the big dragon that had suddenly appeared.
It was a human-like shadow and Astrid gripped Stormfly's leg to keep herself from falling.
Was she dreaming everything?
The rider smacked a huge staff in the Nightmare's head and its eyes rolled in its head as he fell down.
Astrid's legs felt like jelly.
Her head was spinning and her arm and leg throbbed dangerously.
The rider approached her with cat-like moves.
A hand came into her blurry view. It was clearly a human hand.
It was slender, with long and calloused fingers.
"Are you okay?"
It was a feminine voice.
But was it real?
Or was it her imagination?
After all she had hit her head.
She barely had the strength to shake her head.
The last thing she saw before passing out were green eyes.
Hiccup's eyes.
Stoick was in the front garden with Gobber, Elinor and Fergus.
They were chatting but his mind was somewhere else, along with his riders.
He whished he could object with what the queen decided but he was always reluctant, fearing her reaction.
He had never felt so weak in his life, he wanted to punch something.
"Ah!" Gobber's voice caught his attention "Our kids are back"
He looked up to see the familiar shapes of the dragons nearing the castle.
He made a strangled sound when he saw no silhoutte on Stormfly's back.
"Where's Astrid?"
Gobber shook his head, eyes wide with worry.
As soon as they landed he rushed over.
"Uncle Stoick!" Snotlout yelled, almost panicked.
Stoick went to the Nadder and found Astrid lying on her back.
His heart sank as he took in her appearance.
Her leggins were ripped and a deep cut ran from her left thigh to her ankle.
Her arm was cut as well, it looked like something had dug in her flesh.
A fatherly impulse overwhelmed him as he swept the girl in his arms.
"What happened?" he asked running towards the castle.
"A Nightmare. It was weird, Stoick!" Fishlegs explained.
Elinor gasped and covered her mouth with her hand when he reached them.
"Is she...?"
"No" he deadpanned.
Her heart was still working. He could feel the faint beat.
"We need healers. Good healers. Immediately"
"This way"
Hiccup had no more breath when he barged into the room.
They all turned to him as he crawled to the bed, tears streaming down his face.
He hadn't cried in such a long time.
"Astrid" he chocked out sitting next to her.
Her face was pale and gaunt, her golden locks sprawled on the pillow.
She was still, completely covered, and he could only imagine her wounds under the sheets.
His friends had told him what had happened on his way there but the only thing he could register was the fact that his beloved was badly hurt.
He didn't care he was surrounded by everyone, he placed his head on Astrid's chest and sobbed.
He heard the queen hold her breath, probably indignant by that intimate gesture.
Then he heard his father's voice "Please, leave us"
Steps echoed in the room and when the door was closed he knew they were alone.
"It's all my fault" he cried straightening a bit.
The chair at the side of the bed creaked under his father's weight.
"No, it's my fault" he said "It was my decision in the first place. I should've said no, found another way to make this peace. You two were supposed to get married"
Hiccup shook his head "I don't blame you, dad. Nor does Astrid. It was just... unluck. You did what was best for Berk"
"Family should come before duty"
He bit his lip, not knowing what to say.
He looked down at Astrid's sleeping face.
She was beautiful even wounded and in her sleep.
He brushed blonde bangs out of her closed eyes and rested a hand on the side of her neck.
He felt a lump in his throat and gritted his teeth.
"I should have been there for her"
His father said nothing.
"She's so goddamn stubborn. Why did she have to try and tame that dragon?"
"You influenced her"
Hiccup sighed "I guess this is what she felt like when I was out when I lost my leg"
Stoick patted his shoulder and stood up "Well, we just hope she won't be out for five days like you"
Hiccup took his father's hand and squeezed it "Thanks, dad"
Stoick swallowed and he could read the unspoken words in his green eyes 'What for?'
The chief only nodded "I'll leave you alone with her, I'll talk with the queen"
"Thank you. It means a lot"
"What should I tell... Merida?"
"Oh, nothing. She will understand"
His dad frowned and Hiccup waved his hand dismissively "Trust me"
"Uhm... okay. Call if you need anything. Goodnight, son"
"Night, dad"
When the door was closed once again Hiccup looked out of the window.
It was starting to get dark.
He took off his boots and prosthetic and plopped on the chair.
He reached out and took Astrid's hand.
It was weirdly cold and unmoving but her tapering fingers fit perfectly with his.
He leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.
"Goodnight, milady"
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