Chapter Five: The tribunal
Moving through the village Adryk did his best to keep pace with his escorts. However he couldn't help but to pause now and again as he stared at something things ranging from the damaged buildings to even the people themselves. It seemed he was just as curious about them as they were of him. However these respites from the forced march were unceremoniously ended with a light-handed shove to his shoulder from behind.
While they walked Adryk he did his best to learn the way they were taking from the healer's home. There was a simple reason for this. Should anything come to pass that caused him to flee he would need find refuge and the closest thing to that was with Birna. So it only made sense to be able to memorize the path.
After treading along the winding path and up several of the ramps they reached the top tier of the village. There were still quite a few dwellings up here but being on open ground allowed them to be more spaced out. It was as they approached the village edge he noticed that there was a fork in the road up ahead.
While the main path carried on beyond the village leading up the mountain and the massive set of steps before it. The smaller branch on the right didn't go as far. Instead the path snaked its way along almost perpendicular to the main coming to a stop at the base of a short hill. On the hill a much shorter set of steps led up to a single house that sat alone. The house being alone seemed somewhat odd when compared to the closeness the others experienced. Whoever lived there must like their privacy.
After what seemed like hours of silent marching the group reached the foot of the massive staircase.
Standing at the base Adryk stared up at the stone footpath. It was atleast two hundred feet long and separated into two halves by a short but level break at about the midpoint. As his gaze traveled along the cobblestone steps it wasn't long before his eyes fell upon the large stone statues atop their pedestals. They loomed over all like a pair of eternally silent guardians, ever ready at their posts to defend the village.
'Guess these guys don't do subtlety' was the teen's thoughts on the impressive sights before him.
The respite from the long walk was brief as when his guides had felt refreshed they were on the move once more. Higher and higher they climbed with each stone step.
Adryk knew they were closing in on their final destination and as they drew nearer his anxiety began to mount within him. Atleast it wasn't bad though, this higher elevation did allow for a beautiful view over the village below and the surrounding area. At half way up he noticed that even out here his presence had attracted a crowd. Whilst the crowds of the village had been composed of either young children or the resident adults. This group looked to be mostly made up of the village teenagers.
The local adolescents were gathered about the base of the left statue. Perhaps they didn't want to deal with the crowds he'd attracted in the village streets and chose to wait for him further down the line.
In any instance it didn't really matter.
They definitely took notice of him as some jostled about with one another to get a better view. Before long they moved from the statue base to line the stairs. That is all but one girl who never moved from her chosen place on the stairs. As Adryk looked her over he didn't know which was more intimidating, the large axe her right hand rested upon or the fact that the girl probably knew how to use such a thing.
The female only moved to make way when the front escort motioned for her to do so. Striding passed her Adryk turned his head slightly to better examine this daunting figure. For a scant moment their eyes met and he noticed that hers were a blue that could rival the sky above.
When he'd passed his attention was back to the front. Now it was drawn to the gap in the mountain's face. And through the shadows nestled within he could see a pair of gigantic doors that just about dwarfed everything else in the village. The doors were old, their weathered surface was worn smooth from their time exposed to the elements. Yet still ornate engravings were still cleanly visible stenciled acrossed them, protected by how deeply they have been carved into the wood.
So entrancing were they that he didn't bother trying see the details instead he gaped at their sheer size.
'They're huge.'
At the top of the stairs Adryk was halted when the man that had been leading the way suddenly stopped.
He turned sharply placing his palm against the lad's chest. "Wait here," he spoke earning a nod from the teen. Lifting his gaze he looked to his cohorts "You two keep an eye on him. I'll speak with the council."
Pivoting he strode away and towards the pair of massive doors. Then to Adryk's utter amazement the man was able to easily part them with nothing more than but a light push on his end. After they had opened enough he disappeared into the darkened interior as the doors were closed behind him.
With nothing left to do but wait his other two escorts moved off to stand at the corner of the staircase and proceeded to strike up a conversation.
Adryk took the moment to let his legs relax. It seemed that not using them for four days had taken a bit of a toll. Not knowing when the other would return and his curiosity still niggling at him. Adryk turned away from the entrance and made his way to the stairs. The guards watched him carefully but made no move to restrain him.
The view was absolutely breath taking for someone who had grown used to cramped urban living and dreary city skylines.
He gazed out at the ocean as it dominated the horizon. The sunlight gleamed off the many wave crests as they made their way to shore. Yet the real eye catcher was the enormous rock outcroppings a scant mile or so from the coast. Created by countless millennia of erosion they looked like some ancient stone pillars but whatever they once held up was long since gone. In the sky above them seabirds glided about as they went about their daily scavenging. But Adryk's eyes didn't linger on them for long as he soon turned his attention green fields that surrounded the hamlet.
And milling around in the meadows were small herds of livestock. Judging by the shapes and colors it was easily enough to tell the large brown figures were probably cattle while the smaller white ones were probably sheep or goats.
As tranquil as it was to watch the fields Adryk soon turned his attention back to the village.
Repairs were still going on down in the village. Men stood upon propped ladders as they patched roofs while others worked to mend other bits of damage. Even from a distance the teen could make out a few bare wood frames of new buildings being put together. But even with this apparent damage and the work being done there was a certain beauty to it.
It all was a drastic change from the brick and mortar used in the modern structures he was so used to seeing. Whereas a modern city had a hard artificial look about it that set it apart from its environment. It was quite the opposite for this little hamlet. From the rustic look of the log cabin styled buildings to the green fields and fresh air that was so abundant. The village and the environment weren't separate. No, it didn't try to plow under and replace what was already there. Instead it was at peace with the natural world as the traits of the village and that of its surroundings combined into a picturesque sort of splendor.
It was in the peace of the moment that as he gazed out on the landscape. That Adryk felt the tension he had bottled up inside him seemingly melt away as the cool sea breeze wafted over him.
Exhaling softly he opened his eyes again. Looking out at the horizon a movement from his right caught his attention. It was quite subtle. Someone was standing by the base of the statue on his left had shifted their footing.
Inclining his head Adryk looked over the lone individual. He looked to be another village youth, who for some reason or another had chosen to stand apart from his fellow teens rather than with them. He had shaggy brown hair and a lanky build. From the distance Adryk could make few details of his face other than he seemed like any other teen. The green of his long sleeve shirt was a contrast to the beep brown of his furred vest and his pants looked almost like a pair of faded jeans.
Adryk turned at the creak of the old metal hinges as the doors behind him swung open.
-x-X-x-
The village teens milled about, their many eyes still gathered upon a single target.
They had watched closely as the foreign teen was made to march passed them. Each examined him, taking in his features as if to compare them with their fellows. The foreigner seemed to pay little attention to them as he passed and he stood gazing out from the top of the stairs. The Viking teens still remained but huddled together as they went back to discussing the previous topics.
"He doesn't look all that impressive" Snotlout commented "Rather scrawny, I bet I could take him."
"Yeah" Tuffnut jeered "That foreigner doesn't seem so tough. No challenge for the ultimate weapon."
Ruffnut rolled her eyes with her sibling's remark. "Ultimate weapon my butt. You could barely handle wrangling those sheep."
"That's only because you got in my way" the twin responded. And with those words the brother-sister duo descended into their typical routine of arguing. It wasn't too long before their simple argument escalated and the two were sent tumbling and rolling about the grassy hill as they wrestled.
Such childish antics earned many a head shake while others merely rolled their eyes.
The group's de facto leader spared them but a brief glance before returning her gaze to the stranger. From her perch Astrid had probably the best view of him as she looked him over in detail.
The first thing she took notice of was the unusual clothing he sported. While the style and color of his tunic wasn't all that different from what they possessed, yet his pants were another matter. The strange mix of forested colors dappled acrossed them in blotches of various size and shape. Below them were his boots. The only trait they shared with those of the village was general shape such as the same mid-shin height. But that was it. While their boots were rough, earth toned and fur lined for insulation, the foreigners were smooth and black as pitch yet they possessed a bit of a shine to them like sunlight glinting on water.
But his clothes were only a part of the examination.
Astrid judged him to be fairly tall, though the difference in elevations made it hard to get a good sense to scale. His dark blonde hair was closely cropped in a style she hadn't seen before as most Vikings tended to just keep it long but some kept it trimmed. Another thing that seemed to set him apart was his lean and lanky build. A form that reminded Astrid oddly enough of the lad, Hiccup, yet on closer inspection he did posses more muscular definition that of the other teen. Overall in the looks department he was nothing particular special. It was thin with a strong jaw line, but not gauntly, which made his cheek bones more prominent.
However, there was one feature that stood out. The boy's eyes.
The pale blue made them seem harsh and desolate like the vast icy snowdrifts of the northern sea. Indeed it looked as perhaps they had been carved from that frozen glacial ice. Gazing up at him, there was a brief moment when his eyes had met with hers. During the instant a small chill traveled along her spine. To the girl it felt as though she had just been plunged deep into the frigid waters of winter. Such intensity made Astrid think that had she held his gaze much longer then perhaps ice would have formed upon her.
'Those eyes, they're so cold' she remarked.
She had little time to dwell on it as movement above garnered her attention. The foreigner had turned as one of his escorts returned from the depths of the Great Hall before he strode out of sight following the man.
Around her Astrid was aware of the sounds of shuffling footsteps through the grass. Turning to her left she was greeted with the sight of Fishlegs whom had moved to apparently get a better look for himself. He stood but a few feet away, a book held in his hands now held up close to his chest.
"So what do you think will happen now?" his question aimed indirectly at her.
"I don't know" Astrid replied "It's up to whatever the Council decides to do."
-x-X-x-
Passing through the threshold it took Adryk's eyes a moment to adjust to the darkened interior. Once able to see again he paused momentarily to look around but soon continued onwards for fear of another rough shove.
The interior was as vast as the massive doors would lead one to believe. The ceiling was high enough above to rival the height of a six story building while between the doors and the farthest wall one could seemingly fit a football field. Dotting the room were thick pillars that were probably carved from the stone that once occupied the cavernous room. Each pillar had a ring of four torches providing equal lighting. And the most incredible fact that swept Adryk's mind away was the fact all this had been done with simple hand tools.
In between the columns long tables were strewn about in orderly rows and alongside each a long well-worn bench. Their tops were scattered with goblets gathered about large pitchers, two full sets on either half of the table.
But the real attraction was what covered the walls.
Much of the wall was covered in a wide assortment of decorations. Pairs of swords and axes hung a X pattern, their blades polished to a mirror sheen. A variety of animal pelts with some large and some small and most were common deer or bear but there some Adryk couldn't identify. His gaze didn't linger on them for long before moving to the large colorful tapestries that occupied the most space on the walls. Every one of them was different from the last with a different story behind the image. Like the one of a group of Vikings in a longboat battling against a storm swept sea, or a lone warrior standing upon a rocky outcropping with a shield in one hand and a sword in the other. Poised to do battle with some mist shrouded creature, while above him and back left a valkyries sat atop a winged horse with her own sword held aloft and mouth agape as if sounding the battle cry.
In a place of wonders it wasn't long before something new stole his attention.
In the center of the room was a fire pit, gathered around which was a number of others, but it was what hung overhead that he stared at. A huge golden figurine of a dragon like creature with a sword thrust up through its belly hung by thick iron chains. The tip of the silvery blade was topped with crimson paint to create the illusion of fresh blood dripping along the blade's length. The chains were threaded through a loop on the ceiling then down to a winch on the wall. Probably to allow it to be lowered for cleaning.
When his guide came to a stop about ten foot from the Hall's fire pit, Adryk in his distracted movements barely had time to stop before crashing into his back.
The room was silent as the assemblage of tribesmen stood opposite the pair. All their eyes locked upon the oddly dressed lad who continued to gawk at his surroundings for a scant moment before attempting to compose himself.
"Leave us" a firm commanding voice spoke up from one of the group.
Acting on the command the attendant bowed briefly and without a word turned on his heels headed for the door. Adryk could hear the doors creak and just like that he was alone with this group of villagers. This Council was a near equal mix of genders, with a few more males than females, and despite their higher station they were dressed much like any other he had seen in this strange place.
Their gathered eyes roamed over him, each studying him. Adryk could feel it as good as if they were standing beside him and prodding at him with their fingers.
In turn the teen looked at them and found the one seemingly gazing at him most intently was the man in the middle. He was a large intimidating man with a ginger colored hair and a bushy beard. He wore a green sleeveless tunic that showed off his heavily muscular arms.
"Step closer boy" the man signaled with a wave of his hand. The man's voice held a distinctive accent and Adryk obeyed. Moving closer until he stood at the at the edge of the waist high circular table that surrounded the central fire pit. "What is your name, lad?"
"Adryk Sigurd," the teen spoke "Who are you?"
His brazen reply seemed to cause a bit of a stir as some amongst them began to mutter. Their quiet mutterings were ended with a quick glance from the original speaker "I am Stoick the Vast, chief of this tribe." As if to emphasize his words he gave his chest a hearty pat with a closed fist.
Adryk looked him over just like he had done to him. Stoick was a large man, tall and barrel chested with arms that were more akin to tree trunks with the thick muscle. His thick red beard had several braids to it and hung down to his chest. A set of bushy eyebrows sat above his stern looking face, his strong features and flat expression spoke of strict authority and a no nonsense attitude. Yet his eyes were tempered with a hint of compassion. Atop his head he wore a horned helm and a long brown furred cape hung from his broad shoulders, on his waist a wide belt with an insignia probably a family crest was etched on the buckle.
His expression relaxed some "There are some questions that need some answers." Stoick paused "How…"
"How did you get here?" a dark haired man to Stoick's left blurted out.
The sudden outburst earned him a harsh glare from his chief. This appeared to be all that was needed to put him back in his place. And yet none the less the question was still a valid one.
As the group stood waiting for an answer Adryk was on the verge of a panic attack. 'Oh shit. Think, what do I say? There's no way I can tell them the truth, these people don't look like even know what electricity is let alone an airplane.' Anxiety began to mount in the teen as a slight tremble passed through his frame. 'And if I did they'll think I'm crazy or something and who knows what they'll do. But I have to say something.'
The room had gone deathly quiet with only the crackling of the fire and the steady thump of his racing heartbeat to be heard. Seconds ticked by and the Council looked to him expectantly as they patiently waited for his answer. However, judging some of their changing expression that patience may have been reaching its limits.
Adryk's mouth ran dry and his throat suddenly felt parched. "I-I don't really know how I got here" he croaked out before clearing his throat with a cough "The last thing I can recall was being in the water and swimming ashore. Then I awoke here."
Again the group turned to one another and the muttering whispers returned. As the gathered spoke amongst themselves Adryk could only cross his fingers hoping that they wouldn't call his bluff and instead buy his lie. For a moment he felt they had seen through his words as the hushed tones grew in volume and their movements seemed to indicate frustration.
"So then where do you hail from?"
The words brought a sense of relief with them but a part of Adryk knew that the issue was probably far from dead. And now he had the same problem and a new lie to fashion for their ears. Thinking Adryk decided the first place that came to mind. "Cimmeria" a location that had been gleamed from the contents of his extensive knowledge of fantasy works. 'Thank you, Conan.'
"Hmmph, never heard of such a place" a gruff reply came from a man with a long ponytail. He smirked at the lad "I think you're lying to us. There's no proof of how you came to our shores and your words feel hallow. For all we know you could be from another tribe sent here as a scout."
"Oh enough, Boddi" a fiery red haired woman spouted, crossing her arms in annoyance. "Even before this meetin' we heard your thoughts on the matter and now you blather on. Look at the lad, he isn't a scout. To send one as young as he, in the midst of a storm would be pure lunacy and lest we forget if not for Stoick's boy he would probably be dead by now."
The woman's words seemed to quiet him down for a moment, "Oh aye, Aldis. Be ye one now to know how an enemy thinks?" His snide retort was met with an aggravated groan. "Be he enemy or not I still say we should be rid of it. He could bring ill fortune to the village."
It was like someone had opened a floodgate as others added their voice to the growing argument. Stoick stood in the middle of the half circle, he groaned dragging his right hand down the length of his face as those around him descended into chaos. Their loud voices carried throughout the room to echo off the walls and return as distorted noise. All the while Adryk stood quiet as a mouse around a cat looking on in bewilderment.
As Stoick shook his head readying to call for silence and an end to the argument a new sound entered the fold. It was a soft sound that to him echoed above the cacophony. The sound of soft footsteps and a light tapping coming closer and closer.
The sound stopped for moment before the tapping grew in strength. Strength enough, for the rest of those gathered to hear over the sounds of their own voices. Slowly they grew quiet as they recognized the meaning of the sound. Turning their heads the tribunal looked off to the space behind them and to the source. As a new stable mood settled over the group the foreign teen was left to wonder just what was the cause for this. Obviously the answer was there, but unfortunately he was unable to see it through the obstructing bodies.
When the room had gone quiet again did the footsteps start again.
Adryk watched, following the moving gaze of the village council. Then to the left a new figure emerged from behind the crowd and leisurely made its way around the parameter of the group.
She was an elderly woman standing perhaps just shy of five foot. Her long hair, having gone silver with age, fell freely about her shoulders. The creases in her brow spoke of a lifetime of experiences that had left their mark. There was also a slight droop in her cheeks despite the smile she wore and her right eye seemed capable of opening just a little further than the left did. It was feature shared by her eyebrows giving her a gently lopsided appearance.
The woman's clothing looked to be some of the finer sets he had seen as they had no doubt been assembled with great care. The cloth had been sewn together on the inside hiding the stitching from view, the materials were also of a finer grade appearing softer and lighter. The fur she wore acrossed her back were also of a high grade with no matting, no balding patches, or threadbare edges. Indeed the fur still had a healthy sheen to it.
She moved at her own comfortable pace seemingly not in a hurry. Each step being supported by the staff she leaned upon to ease the movements. The staff was impressively carved with a detailed figure of some kind decorating the top and though crooked was polished smooth.
It was clear with the response from the others that she was definitely someone important. To Adryk she kinda reminded him of the classic stereotype of the wise old mentor, carrying with her all the wisdom of her collected experiences. But a small glimmer in her eyes held mischievousness of youth.
"Elder…" someone spoke in a hushed tone only to fall quiet again as she held up her hand.
Still undaunted the woman continued forwards till she stood within arm's reach of the island newcomer. She tilted her ever so slightly as she looked him over, from his boots to the top of his head her eyes roamed. Extending her staff the Elder placed the end to the side of Adryk's knee and gave a light tap followed by a soft push. An indication she wanted him to do something but what had the teen puzzled.
As he gazed down at her puzzled the older woman stared back.
Luckily a small movement caught his attention amongst the others. The woman who had been defending him earlier was making a small gesture with her hands. As the teen looked on the meaning of this finally came to him. Slowly Adryk started to turn in place abiding by the older woman's wishes. As his rotation came full circle the Elder's next move came as a surprise. Reaching out the Elder took hold of his shirt and then with the strength of someone not even half her years pulled him down to her eye level.
The sudden yank threw off his balance and he had to fight his natural response would be to pull away and shrug off her hands. However, given the reverence the others were giving her such actions would not be met well with them and find himself joining the other hides mounted on the wall.
As she pulled harder Adryk dropped to one knee, his lower height better suiting her as she released him.
"A long journey lies behind you, young one. And the road ahead is shrouded in mists hiding it from prying eyes" she spoke in a soft yet haunting tone. "Yet there are twists in its path, be careful not to stray from its trail too far." Raising her hands the Elder gently cupped the sides of his face as she locked eyes with him, "I've never seen eyes like yours. So pale and cold like the fresh winter snow" her tone grew lower till not but a whisper "They conceal a great many things, but perhaps in time like the snow they will reveal what lies beneath."
The woman's strange worlds puzzled Adryk as to their meaning. Just what was she referring to? Surely this woman couldn't tell he had been lying?
Her gaze remained for a moment longer as she gave a small smile but no further words. Dropping her hands away from him she turned towards the unflinching faces of the room's other occupants "This one is no threat to us."
Stoick leaned forwards his hands resting on a table top "Are you certain, Elder?"
"Oh quite sure," the diminutive woman spoke with an amused tone. She cast a glance to the kneeling teen beside her "His arrival was indeed deemed by the spirits, powerful sorcery it was that brought this boy to our lands." The Elder closed her eyes and drew a deep breath, her body relaxing into a meditative state.
"Yet for what purpose the spirits will not say" she remarked as she communed with the spirits "But I feel it was not for ill."
And here at last came the crucible of the moment. Instinct told the teen that his fate would be decided on what the strange woman had to say. Anxiety welled up within as muscles tensed and his posture became much more rigid.
"He shall be allowed to stay in Berk" the Elder spoke after a long moment of silence.
With her words still ringing in their heads the other council members started up again. Finding their voices again some spoke up in disagreement as others tried to overtake them in volume. And yet as they descended into chaos, Adryk felt a sense of relief ease over him. Releasing the air from his pent up lungs he felt the tension leave his body, while he may not know how he came to this strange place something in the back of his head told him he was safe.
"Silence the lot of you" Stoick's mighty voice thundered cutting through the clamor. "The Elder has made her decision and we will honor it" his words emphasized by a fist slamming against the tabletop before him. His harsh tones and actions making it clear to any would-be challengers that he would not tolerate it.
Shocked by the outburst the others quickly fell in line and quieted down, some even taking a step back in trepidation of causing the ire of their leader.
"But where he stay?" someone asked.
"Aye," another spoke in agreement "And besides who would keep watch over him? He can't just wander the village at will."
"I know, I know" Stoick replied as he contemplated this new dilemma. "With the repairs to the village and what with our need to restock supplies for the winter, we have few men to spare for such a task." The Viking chief let out a brief groan, and those he could spare would surely resent such a task. "And I doubt many would be welcoming of having a foreigner staying in their homes."
"Oh I believe fate has already given you its answer" the Elder interrupted again gaining their attention.
"What do you mean, Elder?" Stoick inquired.
"Oh why I believe your son, Hiccup, is a suitable choice to act as the boy's guide" she answered, moving in her usual leisurely pace to retrace her steps.
A collective gasp was heard, some even doing a double take as if to make certain they had heard her words right. "Hiccup?!" the man besides Stoick sputtered, his drink spraying from his pursed lips onto the fire as he coughed to right himself.
"My-my son?" Stoick stuttered, showing that even he was surprised by her words.
The man referred to as Boddi turned to the older woman as she strode passed him. "You cannot be serious about this, Elder" the man's tone thick with disbelief "He's so… I mean this is Hiccup were talking about."
At this the Elder stopped, lifting her gaze to look him in the face. "I am quite serious," she paused to tap his abdomen with the top of her staff. When she spoke again her voice had changed taking on a edge to it "And I don't appreciate the questioning of my judgments."
"Forgive me" the admonished Boddi pleaded. "I meant no disrespect" dropping to his knee he bowed his head and lowered his gaze to the stone floor.
The Elder allowed a brief smirk before she moved on. Continuing she strode passed the others till she stood before Stoick, the burly man still with a look of bewilderment etched on his face. "Elder, my son may not be best suited for such a task" he addressed "What about one of the other teens? Surely they would be better able…"
"Be still your worries, mighty Stoick" the shorter woman's features softened considerably. "A simple guard is not what the boy needs right now" she shook her head "No, I have a feeling that perhaps a friend will do better." She gestured for Stoick to come closer and lowered her voice "Besides with your boy otherwise occupied the less time there will be for him to get up his mischief." She gave a light chuckle at her own plan and a light pat on Stoick's arm "Yes, yes I feel the pair will do well together."
Feeling their discussion had ended Stoick straightened up and watched as she continued on her way. He sighed briefly before allowing himself a small grin, "As you wish." 'She always was a clever one.'
-x-X-x-
It seemed like an eternity had passed since the foreign teen had disappeared within the confines of the Great Hall. And yet the sun overhead had barely moved from its position still casting long shadows acrossed the ground.
At first the amassed group of teens remained about the stairs and the entrance to the Hall. But as boredom set in they had since moved off to mull about the open fields while some had gone back to the village. Growing restless with just standing there Hiccup had followed the others example and moved away from the statue's base. Now he sat astride one of the smooth boulders that lie half-buried in the soft earth of the hillside.
Leaning back he braced his arms behind him on the cool stone. His green eyes gazed out on the village and the sea beyond it. He watched the nearly hypnotic movement of the waves as the sunlight twinkled off their peaks and the fluttering shore birds as they danced amongst the wispy clouds above.
Turning his attention away from this looked about his immediate vicinity.
The other teens were not far off carrying on like usual. The decreased distance afforded Hiccup a much better chance to overhear their conversations.
"Did you see those clothes?" Fishlegs commented "So weird."
"Pffft, not very stylish" Snotlout remarked "How does he hope to impress anyone in those."
"Oh who cares about clothes," one of the girls rebutted "Did you see his face?"
"Handsome Indeed" another spoke giddily "But did you see his eyes?"
"Yeah, they were so…"
"Unnatural" a voice broke in.
At the interruption the other teens turned towards the speaker. Astrid sat on the grass staring out at the sea, her posture rigid with her back held straight and legs crossed. Her right hand rested lightly upon the long handle of the battle-axe at her side.
Ruffnut moved closer leaning over Astrid's shoulder, "Aw what's the matter princess? The foreigner too scary for you?"
Before the Viking teen would reply another stepped forward. It was Snotlout, full of his usual bravado. "Don't worry, Astrid. I shall protect you" he spoke clearly displaying his arrogance "If he tries anything, I'll…" Snotlout's words degraded into little more than a growl.
Astrid spared him little more than a glance and shook her head at a display of such idiocy.
"Well I saw nothing wrong with his eyes," dark haired Svana remarked "I thought they were nice." Her comment attracted the gaze of several others causing her to shrink away a bit from the others.
As the group carried on it was all lost on one Viking teen. Hiccup sat on his rock, his mind tuning out the mindless chatter of the others as it dealt with the thoughts in his head. Surprisingly few had anything to do with the foreign teen, while the rest were of a more personal nature and instead centered around a very different individual.
'Lovely' was all that came to his mind when he looked at Astrid.
Hiccup did his best to keep his interest subtle or undetected. His pale green eyes traced over her form taking note of all the little nuances about her. Like how her fluttered in the breeze framing her face beautifully, how she would scrunch up her ever so slightly when she would concentrate, or how she kept her posture so rigid yet still fidgeted ever so slightly. And most of all the hard stare her eyes usual possessed but sometimes they would soften taking on a tender look.
As he looked on he felt a heat rise to his face and his heart sped up considerably.
"Hiccup!" a booming voice called out from above.
The lad snapped back to reality, his head whirling about to look for the speaker. Rising from his seat he looked to the Hall taking notice of the man who stood waiting at the top of the steps. Not wanting to keep him waiting Hiccup left his rock behind and made his way towards the Hall gaining the attention of the other teens in the process.
Hiccup's steps were slowed by the trepidation he felt creeping over him. 'Why I am being called? What could they possibly want from me?' the teen wondered as he made his way up the stairs. "What is it, Ulfnar?"
The large man shook his head, "I don't know" he responded before motioning to the doors "But you're wanted inside." His message delivered the man turned and moved away, returning to standing guard by the Hall's entrance.
Inside the Hall, Hiccup could clearly see his father and the village council gathered about one side of the central pit. And on the opposite side stood the lone figure of the foreign teen.
Adryk had watched as one of the guards was called over, something spoken to him and being sent off again. Now someone entirely new had entered the room and was making his way over. It was obvious the newcomer was male and his movements showed some bit of hesitation. Not that Adryk could blame him, after all when he had approached this assemblage he had been the same way and even now still felt some anxiety about being here.
After a minute long stroll the brown haired teen came to stand not far from where Adryk stood. The two shared a brief nervous glance before their attention was stolen by other activity.
"Hiccup," Stoick looked up from the quiet conversation of the huddled group. Taking a step back from the table he left the group and made his way around the perimeter following the same pathway as the Elder. The village chief peered down at the pair of lads that stood before him then to his son. "There are some things we have to discuss" he spoke softly then turned, a action mimicked by Hiccup. "This is the foreigner, Adryk."