Okay, because BuieBomb begged me to, and because her profile picture is adoooooorable...voila!
This chapter is really short, but pretty exciting. I love this scene, mostly because Hiccup has amazing wit and Astrid has amazing vocal chords. That, and the amount of responsibility that Hiccup suddenly shows himself to possess. But mostly the first two. :D
Toothless sped through the air like an arrow, spinning this way and that over the coastline. Astrid gripped Hiccup tightly around the waist. "No, no, no, no – agghhh!"
"Toothless, what's the matter with you?" Hiccup cried.
They leveled out, high enough to be soaring through clouds. "You see, he's not usually like this," Hiccup attempted to explain. "Oh no..."
Toothless had banked into a tailspin headed straight for sea-level. Astrid was screaming again, her head burrowed in Hiccup's shoulder. They went violently in and out of waves, sending cold water over all three of them. "Toothless, what are you doing? We need her to like us!" Hiccup said irritatedly.
The enraged dragon shot straight up again, then banked and spun wildly downward. "Aaand now he's spinning..." Hiccup said drily. Astrid had her eyes closed and was clutching on to Hiccup in a way that almost strangled him. "Thank you for nothing, you useless reptile!" Hiccup said loudly.
"Okay, I'm sorry! I'm – I'm sorry! Just...just get me off this thing!" She sounded like she was ready to cry. In fact, she was ready to cry. Hiccup had never seen her so distressed, which only made it worse when he realized it was slightly his fault.
Toothless leveled out suddenly, sending Hiccup face-first into Toothless' neck and Astrid pressing down painfully into his back.
And then that was it. Astrid didn't feel the pull of gravity shifting anymore, and Hiccup's abdominal muscles had relaxed. She didn't open her eyes immediately. Please, please, please don't be dead...
She chanced a look...and was absolutely amazed at what she saw.
They were gliding peacefully through what looked like sunlit clouds; they had a golden touch to them that made them glow gently. Once she had seen that, she lifted her head from the nape of Hiccup's neck, loosened her arms, and unwound a leg that she had involuntarily wrapped around his waist.
And, for once in her life, she really smiled.
Okay, so, uh...yep.