AUTHOR'S NOTE:
• I do not own How To Train Your Dragon. HTTYD belongs to Dreamworks and Cressida Cowell.
• I do not own Kingdom Hearts. KH belongs to Tetsuya Nomunra and Square Enix.
❝ Whatever you say, say it with conviction. ❞
- Mark Twain
This.
Totally.
Sucked.
Being sick wasn't completely uncommon. Being young when an illness overcame you was even more so. But not her. Nuh - uh. Astrid Hofferson did not do sick and was by far one of the most stubborn members of her generation. She continued her daily training regiment even when under the weather. Astrid had a stellar bill of health and her track record was hardly marred. But she was only mortal and feeling less than her usual self was bound to happen at some point down the road.
And when she got a bug in her system, Astrid was downright miserable.
It had started out as nothing major. Just a slight fever and some aching joints. Her mother hadn't seemed too bothered by the small spike in body temperature and her dad just smacked her on the back as was the Viking equivalent of encouragement. Birdbrain, on the other hand, would have none of it. The Nadder took two sniffs before all but shoving Astrid back into the house with her nose. Ever since, Birdbrain had remained on duty to make sure the blond didn't sneak out of the house. Even now, Astrid could hear the turquoise dragon adjust her position on the roof above her head. Since the front door still hadn't been enlarged to accommodate the latest member of the Hofferson family, Birdbrain had settled for taking up roost on top of the house. She would have likely built a nest up there if Phlegma wasn't so against the idea. Both of her parents were still trying to get used to the beast being there and likely wished the Nadder would stay with the other dragons in their designated vertical nests dotting Berk.
Astrid groaned into the pillow as she flipped herself onto her right side. Her fever had gotten worse and her back felt really sore. She curled up into a ball, wrapping herself up in her parents' bed quilts to form a cloth cocoon. The blond had moved to her parents' room some time ago since it was the warmest place in the house and their large bed gave her more options to try and find a comfortable position. Its sturdy oaken frame was almost tall enough to reach Astrid's shoulders. The mattress was thicker than her own too. She had to literally pull herself up onto their mattress using her arm strength alone. Such a task was easy on normal days. But on a day when her elbows, shoulders, and wrists were sore and radiating heat, Astrid needed a bit of a bounce to give her the added boost to make the small climb. Whenever her parents returned home, they might be shocked to see their only child swaddled up on their bed and would be met with her adamant refusal to move. Astrid had all but claimed the bed as her own today. She had inherited her mother's stubbornness after all. Knowing her dad, he would let her have his side of the bed tonight even if Phlegma was against the idea.
She'd made sure to remove her boots before climbing into the bed so she didn't risk soiling her parents' mattress with whatever dirt clung to her footwear. Both of her metal pauldrons had been discarded on the floor along with her spiked skirt. She had on her dark blue trousers and patterned green shirt. Her tan wraps on her hands and forearms had been left on. But she had made an amendment in her attire before crawling under the covers. One her parents would surely find strange. The idea had come as a last minute idea and Astrid wasn't even sure where it came from. But it persisted and eventually Astrid caved after convincing herself it was merely to have another layer on. The thicker garment still felt strange against her skin, but for some reason she felt a bit more at ease with it on. She wasn't even sure why she still had the darn thing when she should have given it back a while ago. If Hiccup even knew she still had his shirt, he never gave an indication that he wanted it back. The dark green tunic was baggy on her torso and arms. It hung off of her collar bone even if she pulled the strings as tight as possible. Astrid vaguely remembered Hiccup saying it was a little big on him and now she believed him with how much it swallowed her thin frame. She found it nothing short of a miracle that the sleeves weren't so long they covered her hands.
She sincerely hoped nobody found her like this. Her parents already knew about her illness and that was two people too many. She doubted either of them or Birdbrain would rat her out. The twins would never let her hear the end of it if either of them found out that Astrid Hofferson was like everybody else when it came to having a randomly faulty immunity system. She doubted anything would change if Fishlegs were to find out, but she still didn't like the idea of the big blubbering oaf discovered her illness fluke. Astrid didn't even want to imagine what Snotlout would do if he discovered that she was feeling under the weather. He'd probably dote on her and make her feel useless with how little he would let her do on her own. There was the chance Sora might find out, but the little goofball had the potential of trying alien concoctions on her and claim they always made him feel better. The brunette seemed more concerned about the well being of others than his own. And then there was the possibility that Hiccup could find out about it and Astrid couldn't even begin to fathom how the scrawnier Viking would take to the new development. And she was wearing one of his shirts on top of it. That one would be a pain to explain away and Hiccup would be too curious for his own good until he got an explanation that he was satisfied with. And said explanation would be hard to come by since even Astrid had no idea why she was wearing it.
Astrid stared ahead at the wall across from her. There were no pictures on the wall. Cameras and photographs hadn't been invented yet and wouldn't be for a few hundred years. There were no trophies of felled dragons decorating the wooden barriers. Most were either in the living room or removed from the house completely after the coming of the dragons. However there was the pelt of a large cat hanging above the bed's headboard that Astrid didn't recognize that her mother said she'd slain on one of her voyages. It was a rich orange color, lined in fine white fur, and decorated with intricate black stripe patterns. It's massive head was filled with sharp teeth and trapped in a perpetual snarl. Phelgma had once called if a "tiger" if Astrid's memory served her correctly.
People were still debating on what to call the events that had transpired at the hands of Berk's most unlikely Viking. Honestly, Astrid didn't care to partake in the deliberation. She didn't care if her name was put down in history as one of the original dragon riders. Astrid just wanted to live her life. To be remembered by those who knew her and not by some exaggerated myth was enough. And as pathetic as it made her sound, Astrid just wanted to spend the rest of her life with Hiccup.
Biting back a second groan, Astrid rolled onto her left side. Part of her was glad nobody would find her for another couple of hours. While she enjoyed garnering some attention, it had to be because she had accomplished something. Worrying other people - especially those most important to her - put the blond on edge. And being under house arrest was probably one of the worst ways to spend the day. What made it even more terrible was that she was likely the only person in all of Berk who couldn't be outside to make the most out of one of the last days of good weather before the ice and snow set in. Meaning while everybody else was out and being productive, Astrid was left alone to feel miserable. She normally reveled in the feeling of solitude but now she almost wished she was anywhere else but here. Birdbrain likely wished to be inside, but there was no way they'd be able to squeeze the massive beast inside the front door.
"Eg veit eit sted oppe i mellan asen."
It came in a quiet tone. Each carefully pronounced syllable hung in the stale air while it waited on the others to join them. It was nowhere near the famed esteem of a Valkyrie, but it wasn't anywhere near horrible either. Astrid had never been one for singing and never gave anyone the chance to hear her normally sharp tongue change into a hushed lullaby. Unsure of where she was going with this or why she was even allowing herself to shame the Old Norse words on her cracked notes and sore throat, Astrid took a shaky breath and closed her eyes.
She couldn't remember for the life of her where she remembered hearing the words she sang and wasn't exactly sure of their true meaning. But Astrid could recall someone singing the words to her when she was much smaller. She highly doubted her mother would ever utter such softly spoken lyrics and when her father sang, it sounded more like shouting and it was always some traditional war song.
A small smile began to pull at her lips.
"Kor masene mjuk og trea kaster skugge."
Astrid could have sworn she could hear the late summer gulls crying out as they flew over the ocean. She sprawled herself on her back beneath the heavy quilts and fancied she could smell the thick pine wafting down over Berk from the forest.
Here she stopped in her singing to slowly sit upright, letting the fleece covering pool around her.
Her house suddenly felt cold. How Astrid could feel the torrential shivers traveling down her spine when she was running such a high fever must have been some trick of the gods. The blond pulled her parents' quilts closer to her quaking form, but they did little to battle against the chill. Astrid pulled some of them over her head so that only her face remained uncovered. Yet she continued to silently shudder. The quaking in her bones only seemed to increase with each passing minute.
Growing a little scared, Astrid tried to think of warm thoughts as a way to mentally trick her nerves. She thought of the sun, of fire, and she even allowed herself to fancy the idea of hugging Hiccup. Realizing what she was daydreaming, Astrid's eyes widened before she furiously shook her head, causing the blanket to fall to her shoulders. Just what the heck was wrong with her! A few months ago and the idea of sharing the same breathing space as him would have annoyed her to no end and now Astrid was imagining squeezing him as a sign of affection! Her cheeks flushed a bright shade of pink as the heat from her head rushed down and flooded her entire body.
Astrid wanted to be annoyed. She wanted to become frustrated and proclaim that she was being downright stupid. But why should she? It's not like anybody could see or hear her from her parents' bedroom. So she took a deep breath instead. All too quickly the warmth drained from her body. Almost instantly Astrid found herself pining for the thermal embrace all over again. And, once again, Astrid cursed herself and tried to force her mind to think of something else that would thaw her freezing limbs.
If there was one thing Astrid had learned from the past couple of months it was that one of the warmest experiences short of setting a part of yourself on fire was to lean against a full dragon's belly. Birdbrain would often sit on the ground after having a meal, her long and powerful legs sprawled out before her with a pleased croon forming in the turquoise and yellow scaled dragon's long neck. It was therapeutic on her aching muscles after a long day of training. The vibrations from Birdbrain's pleased humming massaged Astrid's aching joints. It warmed her entire being, from her skin down to her very core, and continued to give a steady amount of heat for several hours. Whether it was because dragons were fire-breathers and a full stomach meant more fuel or because of something else entirely, Astrid really didn't care. Just thinking about it made the blond wish Birdbrain could fit in the house. She made a mental note to pester Hiccup into helping her convince her parents to enlarge the front door. He'd promised to help her when the subject was brought up again after all.
And, just like that, Astrid's mind was back on the brunette.
Muttering an oath to herself, Astrid took a breath and decided to try and lose herself in her lullaby.
"Eg veit ein gut, den stautaste ta alle."
She paused after vocalizing the next line as she tried to recall the meaning of the words. Her memory was fuzzy, but when Astrid was finally able to call forth the word's meaning, she groaned and flopped back onto her parents' bed. Her right eye twitched in annoyance. If there was a god of irony, they must have been rolling on the floor with laughter at the blond's blunder.
Unwittingly, Astrid found herself oddly warm again. She blamed the delusion she was feeling onto her illness. Her body curled in on itself as the blond's head disappeared beneath the covers. Both arms wrapped around her gut as she brought her knees up to her chin. Her stomach felt funny. Astrid chalked that one up to having blown chunks shortly after eating breakfast when a wave of nausea overwhelmed her. Her entire face felt like it was on fire, to which Astrid related it to being a delayed result of her fever.
When the sensation didn't lessen after several prolonged minutes, Astrid began to chew on her lower lip. Unsure of where to go from here, she allowed herself a breath of warm air. The bed had an odd sent that she was all too unfamiliar with. Even as a little girl she equated the stench to her parents and found some small sort of comfort in their quilts. But now that conciliation wasn't as helpful as it had been when she was barely nine years old.
So Astrid did the only thing she could think of.
She closed her eyes and continued to sing.
"Auge ljose i morkret, "Vil du staden sja?"
The word's meaning didn't take as long for her to recall. This time the desire to be out and about, enjoying the last of the sunny weather for the year returned. And if Astrid wanted to get out, she was gonna have to somehow sneak past Birdbrain. Even if she was able to bypass the alert dragon, there was still the matter of avoiding her parents and anyone they might have discussed their daughter's illness with. At the most they might have informed the village healer or maybe even the Elder. Hopefully they knew better than to let their child's peers know about her current condition.
Maybe she would have better luck sneaking out since the sun starting to go down. Astrid hadn't realized just how late the in the day it was since she'd been sitting around at home all afternoon. Most of the day had been wasted on naps though. She should have foreseen this since the days grew shorter with winter fast approaching. Human eyesight could only distinguish so much in the dimly lit night. Birdbrain would still present a problem with her keen sense of smell and she always seemed to have a strong inkling toward the mischief of the youthful. There was a small chance Astrid could bribe the Nadder into letting her pass while she was distracted by a meal. Birdbrain would be furious once she realized she'd been duped.
Astrid suddenly bolted upright and flung her parents quilts off of her. And just as quickly wave of nausea swam over her. She doubled over and held her stomach. By the gods, just what had she done to be cursed with suck an illness? A few shivers traveled up her spine in rapid precession. Astrid didn't feel cold, but she knew she was going to need to find a bucket soon else she might upchuck all over her parents clean sheets. The blond took several deep, slow breaths to quell her temperamental stomach. It did her little good.
With a weak moan, Astrid flopped back onto the bed, her head falling lifelessly onto her mother's pillow. Her body began to curl up again. Her parents' quilts lay forgotten just out of her reach. It took several minutes before the squeamish feeling in her gut subsided into a tolerable level. Astrid didn't want to test moving around just yet, so she sucked in another breath and attempted to sing another line of the lullaby. "Eg ventar til dag—", she began but was cut off by a series of hoarse coughs and her stomach performing a twisted backflip. She wasn't in any pain, but Astrid wished her abdomen would stop squirming around.
Slowly Astrid brought herself to the edge of the bed and eased her bare feet onto the cold wood planks that made up the flooring material throughout the house. The chilled boards were oddly soothing and Astrid had to fight the urge to bend down and press her cheek against them. With utmost care she pulled herself completely off of her parents' bed to stand up. After that last coughing fit Astrid could use a drink. She pulled one of her parents' smaller quilts off with her, wrapped herself up in the intricately woven fabric, and slowly made her way to the kitchen.
She really didn't want to give the failed line another go over her itchy throat, but Astrid was stubborn and did it anyway.
"Eg ventar til dagen er omme for eg til staden fer."
Astrid paused halfway to the kitchen area after quietly singing the line. The blond looked out of a nearby window to gauge just how late in the day it was. She envied those high up in the clouds on the backs of dragons for one last evening flight. The sun was slowly starting to set in the distance. The vast majority of the villagers were getting ready to head home. The sky was reluctantly changing from a murky blue to a dull black. Her parents would be home before too much longer and by then any chances Astrid had of sneaking out would be lost until tomorrow.
Making an audible swallow, Astrid unlatched the window and pushed it open. The chilly wind that pushed its way inside caused a new wave of shivers to travel down her spine. She did her best to ignore it even as her jaw rapidly opened and closed, causing a soft chattering sound as her teeth gnashed together in quick succession. The hairs on the back of her neck began to rise. Her already pale skin looked bloodless and felt like ice. Instinctively, Astrid pulled her parents quilt as close as possible to her bony frame. She began to regret not pulling her boots back on when she climbed out of her parents' bed. The blond's sporadic body temperature was taking a ninety degree dive southward.
There was no way this was a good idea. There was no way she'd be able to get away with leaving without facing some kind of consequence. Astrid's earlier desire to something to drink was forgotten. She took a shaky breath and through her gnashing teeth, she sang another line.
"Set meg ned pa hella, tru om han kjem?"
Birdbrain must have heard her hushed tune as the turquoise Nadder twittered comfortingly above the young Viking's head. Astrid blinked several times. As carefully as possible, Astrid released her grip on the quilt with one hand to grab the bottom edge of the opened window. She leaned forward to stick her head out and craned her eyes up as far as possible to try and find the dragon. The tip of Birdbrain's beaked nose could be seen peeking over the edge of the roof.
Astrid wanted to call out to the Nadder. But if Birdbrain already knew she was there, then it was up the dragon to approach her. Astrid knew it was going to be risky, but she pulled herself up to sit on the windowsill. She carefully turned herself around so that her feet were dangling outside. The chilly wind bit at her bare feet as goosebumps took up every inch of her skin.
Taking a quick breath, Astrid gave herself to little push she needed and fell.
Her feet were met with cold grass and frozen earth. The second she felt the soil against the soles of her feet, Birdbrain tittered again and jumped down from the roof. The Nadder looked a little miffed and gently butted her nose against Astrid's stomach to try and encourage her to go back inside. One amber eye spotted her bare feet and, if Birdbrain had any feathers, they would have been ruffled up at the sight. Astrid's suppressed a laugh as she reached out and gently messaged the dragon's chin. Birdbrain chortled a happy tune, pressing her noggin closer to Astrid's torso as a sign instigate further attention giving.
This went on for several minutes until Astrid's feet were nearly numb from the cold. She considered climbing back in through the window, but she had already made it this far. It was only a few more yards before she reached her intended destination.
No sooner had she taken a step forward and ceased the scratches did Birdbrain snap to attention and bar her way. Astrid frowned despite the sniffling noise she made thanks to the cold. Again, Birdbrain ignored her and lowered her head to butt Astrid's side with her curved nose. Astrid was preparing herself for a one-sided fight before she realized the dragon was nudging her away from the window. Confused, the blond allowed the dragon to guide her a few feet before the pair came to a stop. They were just far enough that nobody could see them passing by the house unless they were specifically looking for a barefoot "knight" wrapped up in a quilt and her blue "noble" steed.
Birdbrain then turned her head to butt Astrid's stomach to press her closer to the dragon's warm scales. She kept her cranium lowered, giving a soft croon of encouragement. The Nadder nudged Astrid again with the side of her face, unsure if the blond would understand what she was trying to convey in the first place.
It took several minutes of gentle nudges, but Astrid eventually was able to put two and two together despite how fuzzy her mind was starting to feel. She offered a soft smile as she reached out to grasp the Nadder's hooked nasal horn. After giving a happy hooting sound, Birdbrain slowly lifted her head up and curved her neck backwards. With some guided help, Astrid managed to position herself on the dragon's shoulders. Each of her bare feet hung off of the sides of the Nadder's thin neck. It was contradictory of her illness, but it was the best way to secure her position since Birdbrain wasn't wearing her saddle. The turquoise dragon proffered to go bareback anyway. The blond pulled her parents' quilt tightly around her once more and pulled part of fabric over her head to try and conceal her braid and face. So long as nobody recognized the Nadder, then they would be in the clear.
Satisfied, Birdbrain raised herself back up to her full height. She was careful in her steps to not jostle her slightly woozy passenger. Something Astrid was very grateful for. Nadders were not known for being clumsy and Birdbrain seemed to embody this particular trait. And, thankfully, the dragon knew to take the back way to lower the chances of being distinguish from the other Nadders in the village.
With a small smile, Astrid leaned forward to rest against the Nadder's raised neck. She loosely wrapped her arms around the dragon's throat as she pressed her cheek against Birdbrain's cool scales. The dragon's long walking gate didn't bob up and down like one would think from such a long - legged beast. She towered over the heads of your average Viking. Birdbrain was taking care to avoid any sudden dips, sharp turns, or abrupt rises. Having only lived within Berk for a few months, the Nadder had been quick to learn the terrain of the cliffside village from following Astrid around like a mother hen those first few weeks. She didn't know the place like the back of her wing, but it was better here than it had ever been back at the nest.
Everyone seemed like they had better things to do than pay attention to a Nadder passing through. Not too long ago and such a bold sight would have made some heads roll. Especially since said dragon looked as if she owned the very ground she tread upon. Birdbrain walked with her head held high, a confident sway in her step, her bright pigments drastically contrasting with the dull browns and grays of the village, and yet not one spike was raised in agitation or distress. The all too familiar sight would have baffled the mind if somebody discovered time travel and brought the news to the olden days.
The population traversing the village was thinning due to the early evening hours. The sun had started to descend a while ago. While most of the Vikings were used to it, it was still a somber thought to some knowing the sun wouldn't be up in the sky to warm the world as much as it used to. The moon's polar chill was a near constant around this time of the year. Thankfully, it was still too early in the season for the walls of snow and icicles as wide around as a grown man's bicep. Astrid kept her head down regardless. She focused on watching the rocks and beaten pathways Birdbrain chose to saunter in order to pass the time to avoid drawing attention to herself. If anybody found her bare feet strange, nobody tried to stop the Nadder on a mission.
Their destination? The warmest place on Berk. At least that was going to be Astrid's excuse if anyone dared to draw near Birdbrain to question their motives.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a clicking sound. The swift repetition of vibrations beneath her caused Astrid to blink several times and lift her head up to see below the dragon's wide lower jaw. They couldn't have been walking for more than a couple of minutes and they were already reaching the end of their little trek through Berk.
The building up ahead seemed large on the outside compared to the houses that dotted the cliff side, but the inside was crammed full of weapons of varying purposes and odd little nick-knacks that had piled up over long years of experimentation. Parts of the building were made of lumber, but the majority was constructed of stone and possibly metal in places. There was smoke billowing up from a stone chimney, indicating the activity to surely be going on inside. Despite the cold, there were several uncovered openings and a blazing fire roared from within. Just being within a few feet of the structure and the air already felt warmer.
"Eg vert so varm, kjenner kor hjartet banker."
Astrid sat up as they neared the village forge. She had not realized she'd even sung the next line. She'd completely forgotten about the lullaby up until then. Not that anyone would have been able to hear her over the rolling flames that sucked up all the surrounding oxygen. The sound of her own voice nearly startled her, but Astrid was far too concentrated on where they were going to pay it much heed.
Birdbrain came to gradual stop in front of building next to the open - ended front counter. A lot of the adults would stand outside the wooden workbench to request weapon repairs during the old dragon raids. The Nadder knelt down to give Astrid a better vantage point inside. There was no way Birdbrain was going to allow the barefoot Viking to tread the frigid clay. Astrid attempted to scoot forward and pulled the hood of her parents' quilt back behind her head.
"If ye're look'n for Hiccup, he's not here."
Astrid was somehow able to wrangle back a shriek as she nearly fell off of Birdbrain. The Nadder herself was startled enough to leave her kneeling pose and take a step back. The voice laughed wholeheartedly, giving themselves away with its sheer booming volume. Gobber leaned over the countertop, a smug grin showing on his already lopsided face. Astrid composed herself as quickly as possible. She offered up an annoyed scowl before softening up out of pure curiosity. One caliginous eyebrow rose up to vanish behind her veil of pale blond bangs. Birdbrain seemed just as confused as she cocked her noggin to the side and twittered impatiently.
Gobber gave no indication that cared as he wiped a layer of sweat from his brow with his right forearm. "I'll not have him sneezing around the shop while he's handle'n hot metal," he explained as he switched out the iron tongs of his absent left hand to his empty tankard. "The ingrate thought I wanted to catch his cold and came into work today knowing I was gonna send him home!" Gobber paused in his work to look the pair over. He noted Astrid's appearance and Birdbrain's fairly lax posture. If not for the chilly weather, the two looked like they could have just been out on an evening stroll.
Uttering a tired sigh, Gobber dropped the iron tongs on the counter. He rolled his eyes as if this was a big bother to him. The knowing smirk on his face said otherwise. "Do me a favor would ye?" Not giving time for Astrid to agree or object, Gobber pressed onward as if he was talking to himself. "Go knock some sense into him. I don't care what ch'ye have to do either." The older Viking continued to smirk as if he was trying to hint at some underlying information. Astrid's eyebrow rose further before it dawned on her. All she could do was stare at the man crowing with laughter. "Now shoo! I'm closing up shop early today." Gobber waved her off with his genuine hand as if he had better things to do that enlighten the wayward blond as to just where she should be heading. It was obvious after all.
Taking the initiative, Birdbrain departed from the forge with only the sound of Gobber's laughter to echo behind them. It would have sounded almost demonic now that he was dousing the roaring fires with water. His guffaws weren't harmonized with the hissing of the dying flames, making it all the more creepy. Astrid shook herself to rid the sound from her mind. She had other things to focus on. Like not being recognized by anyone or losing all blood flow to her feet.
Astrid pulled her hood back up and reached down to massage the bottom of her feet in an attempt to regain circulation through them. It was a rather fruitless effort, but it gave a means to pass the time. Unfortunately, given their latest objective, they weren't going to be able to avoid the crowds quite so well. While most of the town was heading toward the Meade Hall for a long night of drinking, telling stories around a fire, scarfing down a hearty meal of meat and bread, and other general pleasantries, Astrid and Birdbrain were heading toward the house off to the side. Everyone knew who resided within the residence and nearly the entire population knew why someone like Astrid would be out on an evening stroll through town in that direction. Hardly anybody could deny her the time and dedication she had willingly put into her relationship with the chief's son, but that didn't mean some wouldn't find it weird or something they would only hear about from a child's storybook.
Birdbrain passed the feeding bowl set out near a center point in town. A few dragons were already sitting around, awaiting a free meal. It was a nice change from scavenging to give the late dragon queen her "free" meals. Some dragons found the sudden change in roles hard to take in and understand while others were relishing in the new treatment. Birdbrain switched between the roles. While she loved an easy meal, the Nadder would hunt for her own meat whenever the opportunity presented itself. She hadn't eaten much of anything today though due to fretting over her ill rider. And while she was hungry, Birdbrain's concern was on the care of her fragile human. Astrid had eaten hardly anything today due to her twisting stomach. And Birdbrain couldn't bring herself to be fussy over an empty stomach when she was fully capable of catching her own food.
Honestly, the only reason she was carting her young charge around despite Astrid's illness was because Birdbrain had hoped the girl's male familiar would be able to coax the Viking to take better care of herself. The Nadder couldn't get inside the Hofferson household just yet and there was also the issue of communication barriers. And she had heard the girl's soft singing coupled with her uncomfortable squirming and groaning. Not once since the girl's sire left after checking up on her had Birdbrain heard the familiar clanking of dishes, meaning Astrid had not eaten anything in several hours. It was troubling to think about, but Birdbrain couldn't shove the food down her rider's throat.
While they had their bouts in the past, Birdbrain felt putting Astrid in Hiccup's care would do her some good. She'd seen the way the pair acted around one another. Astrid fussed over him all the time. The boy didn't even have to be present and Astrid would complain about something or another the small human heir had said or done. Astrid was too stubborn to accept help from nearly anyone. And Hiccup had managed to convince the lively blond to assist him on a number of different occasions. Hopefully his persuasion skills (or lack thereof) would work once more.
But with Hiccup supposedly not feeling well, that put a small kink in Birdbrain's plans. Still, if Hiccup was sick, and Astrid was sick, then maybe they could take care of each other. From what Birdbrain had observed and learned from the Night Fury, the boy was just as stubborn as Astrid when it came to being under the weather or facing daunting odds. And when you put the pair together, they helped to balance each other out and could often find a compromise they both could live with. They were the weirdest pair of beings Birdbrain had even met. Even newly hatched dragons quarreled less than those two and yet they got along and worked together better than some of the seasoned adult dragons. It still baffled Birdbrain's mind to think that her young charge and the youthful savior of her race worked out as the others' counterpart. Such a match of personalities just didn't seem to add up. All Birdbrain could assume was it was because they were human, and humans didn't always do what nature intended.
Birdbrain paused at the foot of the stone steps leading toward the front door. She'd been so lost in thought she hadn't realized she'd climbed the hill up to the house. The Nadder cocked her head to the side to look at her passenger. Astrid was looking up at the oaken door, a torn expression on her face. Birdbrain gave a light whistle to gain her attention. The blond blinked several times, shook her head, and pulled the quilt as close to her body as possible.
Was she getting cold feet? Physically, her feet were indeed cold. If she wasn't already sick, she'd be miserable by morning.
But metaphorically speaking?
Was this okay? Was this the right thing to do? If they were both sick, would swinging by for a visit seem desperate for his company or pathetic? Or would they both just catch the others' illness and feel even crummier? Astrid didn't know the answers. She shook all over at the thought of being sent back home. Rejection was not something Astrid had ever experienced. So then why was she so hesitant? Any other time and she would have kicked down his front door if she knew Hiccup was feeling unwell. So then why was this any different? Was her being sick as well really that big of a deal?
Apparently, Birdbrain wasn't going to have put up with any of this second guessing. They hadn't known each other for very long, but even the Nadder knew such mental turmoils were out of Astrid's normal jurisdiction. So she knelt down and tucked her wings in as close to her body as she possibly could, showing clear as day that she wasn't going anywhere until Astrid dismounted.
Sighing, but internally grateful, Astrid eased herself so that both legs were dangling off of the left side of Birdbrain's neck. The Nadder rotated her shoulder as a show of impatience. The mood would have normally put Astrid off, but she also knew what the dragon was trying to convey. So she blew up into her bangs before pushing herself off.
The second her feet touched the ground, Astrid began to regret it. Either her feet had gotten colder or the ground Hiccup's house was built on had once been a block of ice. Her shoulders stiffened and her teeth started to chatter once again. She began to rub her arms and pull the quilt tighter around her torso despite the long sleeve tunic Astrid was still wearing. It only dawned on her then that she was still wearing his shirt. And she was about to try and enter his house? What was she thinking!
She wasn't given a chance to try and remount Birdbrain though. Not only was Birdbrain already standing up again but the door opened.
And Astrid's heart nearly stopped.
Well, that is until she realized who was standing before her.
Sora hadn't noticed her yet since he had his head turned and was yelling something back inside the house. "I know; no eels!" Something was being shouted back at him, but Astrid couldn't make out anything past recognizing it was Hiccup's voice and registering that he sounded more off - key than usual. The news perturbed her as her brow furrowed in a clear sign of concern. Her previous conflicting thoughts were long forgotten.
Sora shut the door behind him before looking ahead. And nearly walking straight into Astrid. The brunette stumbled backwards, nearly slamming his back into the door. Now that he was facing her, Astrid could get a better look at him.
His normal attire hadn't been altered for the coming winter months yet. Something that was going to likely change sooner rather than later. There was a wicker basket hanging limply off of his right shoulder. It looked like a similar model to the one Astrid had spotted Hiccup totting around shortly before her first confrontation with Toothless. Quite possibly the oddest thing about his outfit was the leather apron hanging off of his neck and tied around his waist. It was smeared with a fluffy off-white substance near the middle of the left side. If memory served Astrid right, it was Hiccup's work apron. It seemed to fit Sora's scrawny physique until the apron reached his puffy shorts. From there down the leather garment seemed too thin for the boy despite his bony calves sticking out from beneath the black fabric. The bottom hem hung just below Sora's knees.
Spitfire's head was sticking out over Sora's left shoulder. Apparently, the dragon had wormed his way beneath Sora's jacket to fight off the evening chill. His tail hung down down Sora's back and wrapped around the boy's ribcage as if the brunette was Spitfire's only lifeline to reality. The tail was beneath the apron, indicating that Spitfire had been ready to go before Sora put the odd garment on. And both of the Terror's wings were neatly tucked in to hang in the hood of jacket.
Confusion must have been written across her face too. Sora chuckled lightly as he lifted the apron up to examine the smear. "I was making mashed potatoes and kinda got carried away." Apparently the boy's innate fear of potatoes was only active when said spuds were in Astrid's hands. Shortly after saying this, however, Sora quirked an eyebrow and a flash of concern consumed his outlandishly blue eyes. "You're gonna catch a cold if you walk around barefoot," he chastised while wagging a finger in front of her nose. Astrid glared at him, but she didn't have the energy to pull off her characteristically fierce demeanor. Sora seemed unfazed as a result. "I'm going out to get more ingredients for dinner. Hiccup's feeling under the weather so I volunteered." The explanation wasn't necessary, but Sora had a reason for saying this. "Can you keep an eye on him with Toothless while I'm out? I'll only be gone a little while and I can pick up enough to feed all of us." After he said this, he looked to Birdbrain. "I'll grab some chicken if I can." How he knew that Nadders preferred poultry over all the other kinds of meat was likely Fishlegs' fault. Sora liked to hang out with the other boy whenever Hiccup and Astrid were too busy to keep him company.
Sora was, like Gobber before him, not going to give Astrid a chance to object. He side - steeped around her and took off running. Dragon and Viking watched him disappear into town as he weaved a ducked past the older folks like he'd been doing it his entire life. Astrid vaguely wondered how Sora intended to get the food, but decided against trying to figure it out and looked back toward the front door.
Birdbrain gently butted her nose against the small of Astrid's back. The blond was a little nervous, but at least now she felt more at ease since somebody other than her dragon knew she was here. And Sora had requested her assistance in wrangling in the stubborn Hiccup. Something she was steadily becoming an expert at. It was almost a frightening thought to consider, but Astrid was fine with it. At least she could say she was paying attention to him. That's more than she could have claimed a few months ago. And while Astrid was still mentally beating herself up over the treatment she'd given Hiccup, she also knew she couldn't change the past. She could only work toward making a better future.
Taking a deep breath, Astrid put her hand to the thick oaken door and prepared herself to walk inside. Thor only knew what state Sora, Hiccup, and the dragons had left the house in. But, right as she was about to push the large structure forward, a thought dawned on her.
She hadn't sung the last line of the lullaby.
Never one to leave a job unfinished, Astrid took a small breath and softly sung the final lyrics as to not be overheard by anyone else. And, as soon as the last syllable was vocalized, Astrid pushed the door open and headed inside.
"Kom, kom hit hja meg, ta meg i den favn."
FOOT NOTES:
• The lyrics for the song are from the song Lokk (Calling) by Storm.
• The English translations for the lyrics are as follows:
I know a place up inbetween the hills
Where the gulls cry and the trees cast shadows
I know a boy, the kindest of them all
Eyes shining in the darkness, "Do you want to see the town?"
I wait till the day is over before I travel towards the town
Sitting down on the stone, I wonder if he comes?
I grow so warm, feeling how the heart beats
Come, come here to me, take me in your embrace
• Oh the fluff. Shoot me in the foot. The right one's already messed up, so shoot that one.[/size][/list][list][list]