Chapter 8

The next morning, Astrid woke up to find Hiccup up from bed and gone from the house. When she walked out the front door, she was immediately greeted by Toothless. "Hey buddy," she said as she scratched his head. "You know where Hiccup is?" Toothless threw his head toward the center of the town. "Thanks," she said before heading towards the center of the town.

She searched everywhere but couldn't seem to find him anywhere. "Hey babe," Snotlout said from behind her, "What's up?"

"Hey Snotlout," she said, "Have you seen Hiccup?"

"He's out on what's left of the docks," Snotlout answered, "The boats that they sent most of us off on are back."

"Thanks," she said and started running off towards the docks. There, she found Hiccup greeting the Vikings returning to wherever they had been evacuated and directing the repairs of the village. He seemed busy so she hung back with Ruffnut and Tuffnut.

After all the villagers had gotten off the boats, Hiccup started to move back up towards the village. Astrid ran to catch up with him.

"Hey," she said once she had, "Missed you this morning."

"What?" he said as he turned towards her, "Oh yeah. I had to get up early to greet people returning and start repairs because now everyone who has returned needs a new house."

"Right," said Astrid, "So you're going to be busy all day?"

"Probably," he said. They had reached the middle of town where most of the villagers were now waiting for Hiccup and he turned back to her, "I'm sorry. I'll see you tonight. Meet at my place?"

"Okay," Astrid said and nodded. Hiccup smiled, kissed her on the cheek quickly before turning back to the villagers.

"Hey babe," Snotlout said from behind her, "You free today to hang with us then?"

"Yeah sure," she said and followed Snotlout and the rest of the group back up the hill.

Later that night, Astrid sat up waiting for Hiccup for hours, until she finally fell asleep. Hiccup came in well past midnight, so he didn't want to wake Astrid. The next morning when Astrid woke up, Hiccup was gone again.

It went on like this for weeks and the two barely saw each other. Astrid started hanging out more and more with Snotlout. On the off chance that Hiccup would get home early enough that Astrid would still be awake, they mostly argued about how the never spent any time together.

"I'm sorry Astrid, I really am," Hiccup said one night about a month after he had become chief. "But there's nothing I can do! I have to do all this stuff for the tribe! I wish I had more time for you, I really do!"

"You don't have to do everything," she shouted back, "Your father had a whole group of people helping him and you should too! Then you'd have time to still have a life and hang out with me so I wouldn't have to spend all my time with Snotlout!"

"Yeah what is that about?" Hiccup asked suspiciously, "Because he's always liked you Astrid and I really don't like you hanging out alone with him."

"Why?" she shouted, "Do you not trust me?"

"No," Hiccup said, "It just makes me nervous."

"If you trusted me, it wouldn't," Astrid snapped angrily. "This is a ridiculous argument anyway! You being mad about me hanging out with Snotlout is just stupid! The only reason I do is because you're always busy!"

"I can't give up everything that comes along with being chief just to spend more time with you," he shouted. Astrid was silent for a moment and turned back towards him angrily.

"I'm going to go stay at my parents' house tonight," she said and started toward the door.

"You sure you're not going to see Snotlout?" Hiccup shouted after her. She turned to glare at him before slamming the door behind her. Hiccup sighed and threw himself onto his bed. Toothless appeared by his side and nudged his face. "At least I'll always have you," he said. Toothless smiled and curled up on the floor next to Hiccup's bed.

Hiccup was right about one thing, Astrid had not gone back to her parents' house, but to Ruffnut and Tuffnut's house.

"I mean can you believe him?" she shouted at Ruffnut, "he's seriously mad at me for hanging out with Snotlout so much!"

"Well why are you hanging out with Snotlout so much?" Ruffnut asked and Astrid rolled her eyes.

"Hiccup is always busy," she practically yelled at her.

"Yeah…" Ruffnut said, "His father just died, he was made chief while he was still a teenager and now has to completely rebuild the village. And now his girlfriend is hanging out with another guy exclusively. I'm sorry Astrid but I'm on his side for this one."

"Oh what do you know?" she scoffed before leaving.

A few more weeks past like this and Hiccup started to take Astrid's advice and hired others to help him with everyday matters, so he began to have more free time. Astrid however, was spending most of her time with Snotlout.

She was down by the docks with him one morning while Toothless and Hiccup sat up at the top of the hill watching.

"She complains about me never time for her and when I make time for her, she chooses him over me," Hiccup was shouting to Toothless who merely continued to roll around in the grass behind him.

Before he could continue his rant, Gobber approached him, "Hiccup, we have some visitors from a neighbor tribe that would like to speak to you." Hiccup sighed and looked out over at the docks where Astrid still was with Snotlout.

"Fine," he said and followed Gobber down to the center of the village. A small group of foreign Vikings stood. Hiccup couldn't help but notice the attractive young girl in front of them.

"Chief Hiccup," the girl said, "I am chief Dalla. We have come seeking your help in training dragons. We have recently become infested by them as your once were and heard of your skills. We wish you to teach us these ways."

"Um alright," he said. Dalla smiled and Hiccup couldn't help but blush a little.

"Who is that?" Astrid asked Ruffnut off to the side.

"I don't know," she said, "Some foreign chief here to see Hiccup." Astrid also couldn't help but notice how pretty she was and tried to control her anger.

"Great," she said and stalked off.