Welcome Back
Astrid was atop Stormfly as she enjoyed an afternoon ride. The day was mostly pleasant with the average everyday chill permeating the air. Her thoughts wandered as her mount did the work, casually flying on their way back to Berk. As they so often were, they were about Hiccup. She expected he and his father were on their way back by now. If everything had gone smoothly, that is.
If they had he could arrive as early as that day, perhaps the next. She was eagerly anticipating his return. She glanced down at her hands that were gripping Stormfly's saddle. Several of her fingers and the majority of her left hand were wrapped in bandages. Even portions of her arms were wrapped, concealing burn marks. All of which were inflicted during a number of her mother's arduous lessons on cooking and sewing.
Her mother had given her a crash course in some of the duties that would be expected of her as a wife. She was a bit surprised to learn how lacking she was in the more stereotypical tasks, having never practiced them in her diligence to be the best dragon killer of her generation and then studying dragons and learning to adapt to live alongside them.
But Astrid was no quitter and had the all familiar Viking stubbornness to persevere. Even when she nicked a finger cutting a fish or chopping vegetables. Or when she burned her arm against a boiling pot while she prepared a stew. Or stabbed herself a frustrating amount of times with a sewing needle that had her cursing a swearing at everything until her mother rebuked her and told her to focus on the task at hand whilst imparting a token of wifely wisdom.
Still, through it all Astrid felt she was acquiring a fundamental level of skills she (gods willing) would better serve her as a partner. She was eager for Hiccup to get back and start putting them to the test.
Eventually she came to the village and landed. She removed Stormfly's saddle and led her to a feeding station to get her something to eat. She stood there with arms crossed and a relaxed expression as she watched the village going on idly about their business.
Suddenly there was a commotion. She turned her head curiously as people began making for the docks. She followed them, pushing through the crows as she spied an approaching ship. She raised a hand up to block out the excess light and peered into the distance. A smile immediately adorned her face as she spied her chieftain's pennant, signaling his return.
And of course Hiccup's as well.
As the ship approached slowly and a few of the village riders went out on dragons to guide them in, Astrid fidgeted with nervous excitement. She looked herself over, brushing lint and imaginary dust from her clothes before running a finger through her locks. She found a sword lying around and quickly used its reflection to check her appearance. With a smile at herself on the blade surface she deemed herself in sufficient condition to see him and waited alongside the crowd of villagers.
The ship docked and the crew departed. Stoick departed first with Hiccup following shortly behind. They were greeted by the screams of the villagers welcoming them back. Stoick looked up and smiled, glad to be home to his people. Hiccup looked at the group and gave a small smile at the warm reception. He couldn't deny it felt good to be welcomed back.
He searched the crowd before his eyes found Astrid. Their gazes met and his smile grew. Astrid smiled back with a blush. Father and son climbed the steps to the dock before being bombarded by questions and inquiries from the villagers.
"Alright! Alright! Settle down!" Stoick bellowed out to silence the crowd.
"How'd it go Stoick?"
"What do the chiefs say?"
"Did you run into any of those damned Vandals?"
A few villagers asked in quick succession. Hiccup came to stand by his father's side and waited silently for him to explain. All the while he and Astrid were exchanging glances, excited to see each other again and eager to break away from everyone else so they could talk in private.
"We encountered no trouble on our voyage! Now everyone, gather at the Great Hall because I have a few announcements to make!" Stoick called out. Heeding his orders the village made for the Great Hall while parting for their chieftain.
Hiccup hung back, as did Astrid. Now alone they stared at each other in silence, both waiting for the other to make the first move. Hiccup took a step forward and her heart gave a skip. He opened his mouth to greet her when a loud yowl broke the atmosphere.
"Night Fury!" some called out.
"Get down!" someone else shouted in warning.
A shadow passed overhead and descended on Hiccup. He gave a startled yelp before the black mass that was his partner had him sprawled out on the floor. Astrid and a few other villagers watched and laughed with mirth as the Night Fury happily gurgled and licked at his rider.
Hiccup laughed while shoving his mount's head away. He managed to get himself to his feet only for the black scaled dragon to insistently press his nose into his middle in a demand for attention.
"Yeah I know. I missed you too bud," Hiccup said to his partner as he wrapped his arms around his neck for a hug. He then made to give his partner some good scratches that had him crooning and leaning into him.
Hiccup gave a chuckle before looking back to Astrid. "So how was he? Good I hope?" he inquired.
She nodded in confirmation. "He was very good. And I made sure to feed him just like you said and that he got his flying time just like you wanted."
"That's good," he said with a nod. He held her gaze, "I knew I was right to entrust him to you."
She blushed at his praise, knowing how high it was considering what the two meant to each other. "Glad I met your expectations," she said in acceptance.
"Hiccup!" came Stoick's shout from the door to the Great Hall.
"Coming dad!" Hiccup called back. "Sorry bud, you'll have to give me a minute," he said as he held the dragon's chin in his hands and stared into his eyes. The dragon gave a coo and blinked. Hiccup dropped his hands and led himself and Astrid to the Great Hall where the majority of the village gathered.
Inside Stoick stood upon the Great Hall's elevated stage with Hiccup and Astrid off to the side.
"In response to the threat of the Vandals the Hooligans, Meathead, Uglithugs, and Bog Burglars have agreed to strengthen our alliances! To stand as a united front against these raiders!" Stoick bellowed.
There were whispers of shock and awe as the villagers spoke among themselves of the pressing developments. There'd never been a threat deemed dire enough to band together with the other tribes. Not even their war with the dragons.
"This means that our dragon riders will be allowed to patrol our ally's waters. In return I've managed to renegotiate our previous trade arrangements with the other tribes," he revealed to his village. They all cheered at the latter news and applauded their leader.
"However!" Stoick interjected sharply. The crowd grew silent. "This arrangement will only work if we can prove that the dragons will do more good than harm to our alliance. In five days time representatives from the Bogs and Meatheads will arrive to see firsthand that the dragons can and will benefit our efforts to repell the Vandal threat."
"So I want this village in top shape before they arrive! That means any repairs anyone has been putting off I want done! Let's show them our Hooligan pride!" he declared loudly with pride. There were shouts of confirmation and Stoick gave a nod. "Good. Now get to it!"
With his orders clear the crowd dispersed. Stoick turned his attention to Hiccup and Astrid and approached them. "I want the dragons on their best behavior," he said firmly.
"Got it dad," Hiccup replied with a nod.
"Yes sir," Astrid said at his side.
"Good. Good. And absolutely no funny business by the twins," he added seriously.
The pair grimaced uneasily. "Well...that's a bit of a tall ord-" Hiccup started, only to be stopped as he saw his father's eyes narrow and brow become knitted. "Yes sir," he finished.
"Good," Stoick said in acceptance. "Son. Astrid," he said to both before taking his leave.
They watched him go before looking at each other. "Dragons should be easy," Astrid said to break the silence.
"Yeah. It's more the twins I'm worried about," Hiccup expressed.
Astrid smiled darkly and raised a clenched fist. "Don't worry. I've been dealing with them for years. I'll have a little chat with them and I'm sure we'll come to an understanding," she said ominously.
Hiccup felt assured that Astrid could keep the twins in line. They left the Great Hall together as they discussed a plan to ensure the dragons wouldn't be an issue in five days' time. Astrid also inquired about the details of his voyage.
She saw his eyes light up, obviously eager to recount the events. But as they exited the Great Hall they found Toothless waiting just outside at the bottom of the steps. At his feet were his tailfin and saddle. He gave a huff as his eyes flicked down toward the riding gear. He gave it a small nudge toward Hiccup to emphasize his point.
Hiccup gave a small sigh before looking at Astrid. "Sorry Astrid, I really want to tell you everything about the gathering, but-"
"It's fine Hiccup," Astrid interrupted. She motioned with her head toward Toothless. "How about you and Toothless take a nice long flight. Then afterwards you can meet me at my house and you can tell me all about it? Over dinner?" she suggested.
"Thanks for understanding," he said gratefully. He made his way toward his partner and saddled him up before jumping onto his back. He could feel Toothless trembling with excitement, eager to fly together with him again. Hiccup felt the same, having been longing for the feeling of soaring above the clouds that he'd become accustomed to.
Before he gave Toothless the signal to fly he looked to Astrid. "So, your place? Two hours?"
Astrid hummed before checking the position of the sun and doing some internal math. "Make it three," she countered.
"Alright, three hours. See you then," he said with a nod. With that he gave Toothless the go ahead. The Night Fury leapt straight up and with a few flaps of his wings he was gone. Astrid watched the pair disappear before smiling excitedly and dashing off. First she went and collected Stormfly and stabled her.
With her mount stabled she ran to her house before bursting in the front door. Her mother jumped with a yelp, folded linen in hand as she stared bewildered at her daughter.
"Mom, Hiccup is back and I've invited him to dinner in a few hours!" she declared.
Astrid's mother flinched and blinked in surprise before a smile alighted her face. "Well then let's get some dinner ready," her mother replied eagerly. With a nod mother and daughter began to plan, deciding what to make to best show off Astrid's new skills.
A few hours later the sun had fallen and night descended on Berk. Hiccup had finished up his flight before returning home and taking a rest to kill some time before meeting up with Astrid. After enough time had elapsed he made his way to her parents' home. He walked up the steps and knocked.
After a few moments Astrid answered the door. She greeted him with a smile. "Hello Hiccup," she said brightly.
"Astrid," Hiccup replied with a grin. She ushered him inside. Hiccup entered and looked for her parents to greet them. "Are your parents home?" he asked.
"They're at my aunt's," Astrid revealed.
"I see. Well, should we head to the Great Hall then?"
"Actually I thought we could eat here," Astrid revealed. "Dinner's already prepared. Have a seat."
"Alright," Hiccup said in acceptance. He went to the kitchen table and removed his swords from his belt before placing them against the table and taking a seat.
"One sec," Astrid said before heading to the kitchen. He watched her go, curious. Her parents must have really trusted her. An unmarried man and woman spending an evening alone in a home could be seen as a little scandalous. What's more, Astrid was wearing her hair down. Even her metal shoulder guards were gone. It was a look he wasn't used to, but he couldn't deny he liked seeing this side of her.
He watched as she came to him with a plate in each hand. She placed it in front of him before putting the other across from him in her seat. Then she went back to the kitchen before returning with a flagon and two mugs in hand. She filled both mugs and placed each in their spots before taking a seat.
He smiled gratefully before taking a look at his plate. It was a simple meal. Two large slices of cooked yak flank steaks and some boiled vegetables. A much welcome change from the ship rations of dried meat and bread he'd subsisted off of for the last few days.
"Looks good," Hiccup commented as he reached for his cutlery.
"Thanks," Astrid responded.
"Your mom made it?" he said as he cut into his yak steak and stabbed a portion.
"No...I did," Astrid revealed. She watched as the hand that'd been about to shovel the yak into his mouth stopped. His eyes widened as they looked at the yak meat in wariness.
He lowered the morsel to the plate and cleared his throat awkwardly. "You know what, I'm actually not that hungry. Had my fill of ship rations on the way in. Yeah, you know...lots of bread and stuff," he muttered quietly.
Astrid's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. But she smoothed her features quickly before taking a breath. The old her would have demanded he eat while calling him ungrateful and threatening to shove it down his throat if he didn't. But her mother had taught her some things. More than just cooking and sewing.
Communication.
Flashback
"Dear, you'll need to adjust the way you...'communicate' with Hiccup. Especially if he's to be your husband," her mother told her.
Astrid looked at her mother from across the kitchen table. Mother and daughter were seated and having a discussion concerning some ways Astrid could improve as a future partner.
"In what way?" Astrid asked with a cocked head.
"I mean with less violence and hitting dear," her mother clarified. Astrid opened her mouth to offer a counterpoint but the older woman continued. "If Hiccup is going to be the chief one day you'll have to show a certain level of deference as both his wife and a member of this village. Imagine how it would look to the other tribes if his own wife beats him?" She knew her daughter had a short fuse. She'd witnessed countless times when her daughter would assault her friends to get them in line. Or force the Jorgenson boy to adjust his behavior.
"But what if he deserves it?" Astrid finally countered. Her mother glowered in disapproval. "I mean like really deserves it?" she tried to emphasize.
"Astrid dear, I know you have a temper. And you're used to being in charge when it comes to your friends, but you can't treat your husband like that and expect to sustain a healthy relationship," her mother rebutted.
"Take me and your father for instance. Sure we argue now and then, but have you ever seen either of us raise a hand at each other?"
Astrid pursed her lips and thought back. "No. I guess not," she conceded after a beat of silence.
"Precisely," her mother continued. "Of course not all husbands are as honorable as your father and Hiccup." It was just a reality that some women weren't as fortunate in the husband lottery as others and would be subject to violence. Physical or otherwise.
Astrid's eyes narrowed and shone dangerously. "If Hiccup ever raised a hand to me outside of a sparring session I'd castrate him," she said darkly.
Though she knew making such a threat of a future chief should be frowned upon, she couldn't help but smile in pride at the fierceness of her daughter. She prayed dearly that her daughter would never be subject to abuse by any future husband she found herself wed to. And for the man's own well being if he dared to try.
"Still, it's far better to use honey over the hatchet when dealing with your husband," her mother argued.
"And that'll get me what I want?"
"It's not always about that. Sometimes you'll have to back down. But if your a good partner and make your husband happy he'll feel inclined to do the same. That's all most men really want I reckon. To make their wives happy."
As if on cue the front door opened and Astrid's father walked in. "I'm home," he declared before shutting the door behind him and tromping in.
Astrid looked to her mother as the older woman motioned with her head to her spouse. 'Watch,' her mother mouthed. The older woman rose from her seat and smiled at her husband.
"Evening dear. How was your day?"
"Fine," her husband grumbled as he approached the kitchen. "Good haul today," he added as he grabbed a flagon and a mug.
"That's good. Oh dear, I know you just got home but do you think you could run to my sister's real quick and grab my sewing supplies?" her mother asked as the man just finished pouring himself a mug of mead.
"Oh-I just poured this," he said in exasperation as he set the flagon down and gestured to his mug of mead.
She approached her husband and placed her hands on his chest gently while looking up at him through her lashes. "I know dear, but I need those things so I can start mending some of your shirts," she said sweetly.
"Can't it wait till tomorrow?" he groaned.
"Please dear?" she countered with a cocked head and a sugary tone. She ran her hands over his chest soothingly. "You'll come back to a hot meal and a fresh cup of mead. Promise," she offered.
The man looked down at his wife, his heart doing a gentle flutter at her touch before he let out a defeated breath. "Oh alright," he said as he set the mug down.
"Thank you dear," her mother chirped brightly before stealing a quick kiss in thanks and beaming in gratitude.
The man grumbled under his breath and flushed slightly before turning toward the door and leaving, ready to brace the cold of the night to please his beloved. After the door shut behind him the older woman grabbed the mug and slid back into her seat while throwing her daughter a satisfied smirk.
Astrid stared at her in shock. "Whoa. That was...incredible. He didn't want to do it...but he did," she said in wonder.
"Of course he did," she said matter-of-factly as she took a swig of mead. "As I said. He wants to make me happy because I make him happy. No threats. No violence. I got my way and we both win," she summarized.
Astrid was starting to commit her mother's words to heart and decided to give it more consideration in the future when interacting with Hiccup.
Astrid stared at Hiccup while he muttered excuses. She suppressed the urge to snap at him and decided to put her mother's advice into practice.
She smiled and tilted her head ever so slightly. "Look Hiccup, I know the last time I made something for you it didn't turn out so well. But I've been practicing and I really want you to try what I made. I promise its edible this time."
Hiccup still looked unsure as he glanced between the meal on his plate and her. "Please?" she added sweetly as she held his gaze.
Hiccup felt his mind and heart debate. Memories of the horrid fish dish she'd made before haunted his taste buds. But as she stared at him with her big beautiful blue eyes and a gorgeous smile his will faltered. He looked down to his plate with a sigh and reluctantly reach for his cutlery. He stabbed into the meat chunk he'd cut before and raised it to his mouth.
He paused, looking to Astrid to see if she'd spare him. But she simply held her fond gaze. So he bit down onto the chunk and pulled it from the teeth before slowly chewing. Astrid watched him with bated breath, half expecting him to spit it out. But he soon swallowed without issue.
Hiccup's eyes lit up. It had actually been good. A little plain. Nothing extravagant. Just a few herbs. But compared to what he'd been eating at sea it might as well have been a gourmet meal. "Hey! That's pretty good," he said aloud in delighted surprise before going for more of his yak.
"Yeah? It is?" Astrid asked as her pride swelled.
"Oh yeah!" Hiccup said as he dug in.
"I thought you said you weren't hungry," she teased.
"Well I seemed to have found my appetite again," he said as he continued eating with enthusiasm.
Astrid smiled happily as she grabbed her own cutlery and began to partake. She kept stealing glances at him through bites of food, feeling an utter rush of satisfaction as at the little noises of pleasure he made with every mouthful. It was a euphoria she'd only experienced when she won at something, but this felt like a grand victory all its own.
They made small talk as they ate. Hiccup told her about the voyage by sea, which held no major developments. But that changed once they'd arrived on the Shivering Shores. He recounted his reunion with his fellow heirs and then the meeting with the chieftains. Astrid listened with interest, nodding along and taking mental notes.
Hiccup suddenly paused, eyes widening in concern as he lowered his cutlery. Astrid took note of this and cocked her head. "What?" she asked curiously.
"Your hands," Hiccup commented. He'd just noticed the bandages on her fingers and forearm.
"Oh," Astrid said as she glanced down at them. "It's nothing," she said non nonchalantly.
"It's not nothing," Hiccup said as he got up from his seat. He came over to her side and took her hands in his. She blushed at his touch as he looked them over. "What happened? Are you ok?"
"It's fine Hiccup. Just had a few...mishaps while you were gone," she explained with an embarrassed flush. She felt telling him she'd sustained all these injuries just from trying to learn how to cook would be mortifying.
He held her hands tenderly. "Must have been a painful mishap," he guessed.
"Well…" she began, pausing. She was a little touched by his w. As a Viking she was no stranger to pain. Most times they were told to simply walk it off or rub some dirt in. But she kind of enjoyed the reaction she was getting from her minor injuries.
"I mean it hurt a little," she admitted a little shyly. Her heart was still fluttering at his touch. She kind of just wanted an excuse for him to keep holding her hands.
"Anything I can do?"
"I'm fine Hiccup. Really. Got Gothie to give me some salve and everything. Let's just finish eating," she said as she gently pulled her hands away.
Hiccup looked into her eyes for a moment but took her suggestion and went back to her seat. She took note of him stealing glances at her hands but she thought it was kind of sweet so felt no need to comment.
Soon enough they both finished their plates. Hiccup washed down his meal with the last of his mead before letting out a satisfied groan. "Oh man! That hit the spot," he declared as he placed a hand on his stomach.
Astrid giggled as she collected their dishes before taking them to a water basin in the kitchen to soak. "I'm glad you enjoyed it."
"Boy did I," he said heartily. "A man could get used to that."
Astrid chuckled before a thought began to come to mind. "Well if you wanted to...we could do this more often?" she proposed.
He looked to her and arched his brow. "Yeah?"
"Yeah. I mean not everyday. I don't know. Once a week maybe?" Astrid wasn't that confident in her cooking skills yet. She felt the proposed schedule could give her time to learn how to cook a few more things in between.
"Only if it's not any trouble," Hiccup countered.
"Not for you," she said without thinking. She flinched at her own words after they'd already left her mouth and felt her cheeks reddening.
Hiccup felt the heat rising to his face. He laughed awkwardly and raised a hand up to rub the back of his neck. Astrid looked away bashfully. There was a bit of tension in the room. But it wasn't a band kind.
"That'd be great," Hiccup finally said in acceptance. He looked toward her and she looked toward him. She gave a small smile and nodded in agreement.
"You wanna go for a late night stroll?" he asked. He didn't want the night to end just yet.
"Sure."
With that Hiccup stood and grabbed his swords. With a bow he gestured toward the door. "After you Milady?" he said to tease her.
She rolled her eyes and snorted but made for the door. He quickly fell into step behind her before walking past her to reach the door first. He opened it and allowed her to go through first. She accepted as she stepped into the chilly night air with him right behind her.
Hiccup came up beside her before making a suggestion. "Docks?"
She nodded and they fell into step. Their hands swung between them. Astrid glanced down, taking note of their proximity. She contemplated grabbing his hand. But she was hesitant, wondering if it was too soon for something like that. Was that being too clingy? Would someone notice and start gossiping? Hadn't her mother said something about letting him take the lead?
A train of thoughts ran through her head as she debated as to whether she should take the initiative. Only for it to be derailed as she felt something grab her hand. She glanced down in surprise to see Hiccup's hand grasping hers.
Hiccup noted this out of the corner of his eyes and stopped in concern. "Sorry. Is this too much?" he asked nervously. The moment had felt right, but didn't want to push her.
She overcame her surprise and shook her head. "No. Its' fine," she answered, smiling giddily and glad it was probably too dark to see the red of her cheeks.
Relief coursed through him as he gave her hand a gentle squeeze and they resumed their trek. They walked by a few patrolmen and other villagers who took note of the couple. They smirked and pointed them out to others, finding the sight adorable.
Soon enough they were at the docks. They took a seat at the edge, fingers still entwined as they stared out over the water of the moonlit night and discussed plans for the coming days. As they spoke something occurred to Astrid. Something she'd neglected and had been interrupted hours prior.
"Hey Hiccup?" she said, interjecting to address her concern.
"Yeah?" he asked curiously.
With a smile and a sparkle in her eyes she leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He froze as she pulled away, eyes shining with fondness. His heart thudded in his chest and his face broke into his crooked grin.
"Welcome back."
new chap.