Chapter Seventeen
A/N: Here we are guys. Last chapter. *sighs* This has been SUCH fun story to write! My first-ever horror fanfic, backed with all your guys' support! It's been amazing. Thanks for everything!
And see you in the SEQUEL! :D
Fire crackles in the fireplace, throwing little embers and flooding the room with warmth. Toothless purrs contently where he lays beside it, his tail flicking as he dreams. Astrid watches Gothi with a worried expression. The elder woman has just finished wrapping Hiccup's arm in several layers of bandages. It's all she can do. That and hope it heals correctly. But Hiccup has been unconscious since he fell, almost three hours ago. He should have woken up by now...
Astrid nearly jumps as a hand touches her shoulder. Gobber offers her a supportive smile and leans down to whisper in her ear.
"He'll be alright, lassy. No need to worry."
She stares at him with a hopeful gleam in her eyes. "Did Gothi tell you anything yet...? Is it only his arm...?" She can't help but also remember how he also nearly drowned and how weird he was acting before all of this. Like he wasn't himself...
Gobber shakes his head. "But I don't need her to tell me everything." He points out. "Hiccup is a tough boy. Tougher than most, actually." He pats her shoulder again. "He'll be just fine."
Regardless of Gobber's attempt at comforting her, Astrid sighs and looks back at Hiccup. There's just something about his face right now... It looks too peaceful, too easy. He's nowhere near waking up, no where near the real world. If he was, his face would show the pain he must surely be feeling.
No. Right now he's far away, hidden in the deepest parts of his mind. And for some reason, that's scarier to Astrid than his broken arm...
A soft, warm wind rustles the grass on the hill. The sky is bright and clear, not a cloud in sight. The sun gleams on Hiccup's face and he sighs comfortably, enjoying the peace and quiet. He's given up trying to remember how he got here. Instead, he lays in the cool grass with his eyes closed, listening to the distant sounds of nature.
That's when he hears the sound of footsteps.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. I was kind of tired after making that shield and had to rest a bit before coming to talk with you."
Hiccup opens his eyes and looks over his shoulder. A little smile touches his healthy, freckled face when he realizes who it is. "Don't worry about it." He says as he sits up. "I didn't remember you were coming until just now."
Hinrik smiles down at him, his hands shoved in the pockets of his loose, grey pants. His hazel eyes shimmer with relief at the sight of his new friend. "That's to be expected, I suppose. You're technically unconscious right now anyway."
Hiccup arcs an eyebrow and sits up, turning to face Hinrik as he sits in the grass across from him. "I am?"
"Yep. After we fell off your dragon, you got pretty badly hurt and passed out. Your friends carried you home."
Hiccup frowns, realizing they must be worried. "Is everyone okay...? Did Toothless land alright...and my dad...he was hurt too!"
Hinrik holds up his hands as if to tell Hiccup to settle down. "They're all fine. Toothless caught himself before he crashed and your dad's injuries weren't as bad as they seemed."
Hiccup sighs in relief and smirks at him. "Good. I don't know what I'd do if any of them got hurt because of me..."
"It wouldn't have been your fault even if they had. My mother forced you into this position. It's her fault all this happened."
"Speaking of which..." Hiccup swallows and watches him nervously. "Where is she...? I mean...she isn't dead...right?"
Hinrik's brow knots and he closes his eyes. "No. She's alive."
For some reason, that thought is both a relief and concerning at the same time... "But the Tether was destroyed so she can't contact the Dark One anymore. She can't cast spells now..."
Hinrik nods. "You're right about that. And what's more is, she probably won't be able to move for quite some time, if ever again. It did a number on her..." Although he doesn't seem very relieved anymore. There's a tightness to his lightly freckled face as he runs a hand through his shaggy, russet hair.
And Hiccup notices. "What's wrong? I thought you'd be happy she's finally going to leave you alone..."
"I am happy about that." Hinrik assures him. "It's just..."
The other teen leans forward, getting the feeling he's about to say something disturbing.
"Don't let your guard down." He says, seriously. "I'd like to believe she's out of the picture forever...but my mother is stubborn. And she doesn't like it when people interfere with her plans...let alone destroy them forever."
Hiccup gulps.
"I'll leave it at this." He reaches out and takes Hiccup's shoulder, a meaningful look in his eyes when he says, "She probably won't be able to do much more harm...but if she manages to find a way to cause chaos...it'll be you she targets. Not me." He sits back, a sad smile on his face. "There's not much more she could do to hurt me, anyway. I'm already dead, twenty times over."
Hiccup bites his lip but forces a smile. "I-I'm not afraid."
But Hinrik only frowns and stands up. "You should be." He turns away from Hiccup so that his back is facing him. Then, before Hiccup's eyes, he begins to fade from sight.
Hiccup jumps to his feet, knowing this is probably the last time he'll ever see him. "Are you sure there's nothing we can do to save you too?! I mean, you're the son of a necromancer! You've done so much stuff that I thought was impossible! Maybe there's a way to bring you back..."
Hinrik chuckles and stuffs his hands back into his pockets, gazing dreamily at the sky. "There's not." He says. "Not many things are permanent, Hiccup. But death is. My mother was cheating fate by reviving me into another's body. Besides..." A soft smile tugs the corner of his mouth. "I think it's time I moved on, found out what lies beyond all this."
Hiccup bites his lip again, fighting the tears that sting his eyes. "Thank you." He says, suddenly. "Thank you for everything."
Hinrik nods, his body nothing more than a mere shimmer against the air now. "No, Hiccup. Thank you...for everything."
A sudden wind blows Hiccup's hair into his eyes, causing him to flinch. Once he opens them again...Hinrik is gone. The sky darkens as a ghostly voice floats through his head.
"Be safe, Hiccup. My mother won't forget about you..."
"Hiccup!" Stoick breathes as his son's eyes flutter open. In an instant, he and Astrid are beside him, asking if he's in pain or needs anything. His father cradles the boy's chilled face in his hands, stroking his cheeks affectionately. "Are you alright, son? Can you hear me?"
Hiccup nods slowly, testing himself for injuries. He remembers his broken arm and notices it's now wrapped in a sling. "I'm okay." He assures them, marveling at how clear his head is. Usually after being unconscious, he's groggy and can't think straight. But right now, it's as if he was never asleep.
"How's your arm...?" Astrid wonders.
He looks down at it and grimaces a bit. "Sore. But it's not too bad."
"Gothi gave you some herbs for the pain. Looks like they're working." Stoick tells him, smiling warmly.
"Guess so..." His eyes trail down to the edge of a bandage which is poking out from behind his father's tunic. "Are you okay, Dad? What did she do to you...?"
"Don't worry about me, Hiccup." Stoick scolds him lightly. "It's just a scratch. I've had much worse."
Hiccup grins at the memory of something. "Like the Gronckle bite...?"
Stoick's face reddens a little and he coughs. "Um, yes. That was worse."
"What Gronckle bite?" Astrid asks them, appearing curious.
"N-nevermind!" Stoick shakes his head and stands up. "I'm going to go find Gobber. He wanted me to let him know when you woke up."
Hiccup nods before flashing a knowing look at Astrid and mouthing, 'I'll tell you later'. With that, Stoick exits Gothi's hut, leaving the two teens alone. Immediately, the atmosphere changes...
"I was really worried about you." Astrid admits.
"You were acting so strange...and then this whole thing with Aragwen..." She shakes her head, her voice trembling with what sounds like forced laughter when she says, "You scared me to death, you know that?"
He smiles, softly. "I'm sorry." He wants to tell her about what happened, about Hinrik and how he saved all their lives...but the grogginess is finally setting in and he's finding it hard to keep his eyes open. "I promise I'll explain everything..."
Her expression softens. "Okay. But not right now. You look exhausted..."
"I feel exhausted." He admits.
"Then go to sleep." She absently brushes his bangs from his eyes, hesitating once she realizes what she's doing. "Sorry..." She takes her hand away, blushing a little.
"D-don't be..." He stammers, sheepishly. A long, awkward silence passes between the two of them before Astrid suddenly stands up. Her face is still burning when she says,
"Well, I'll see you later...I'd better go check on Stormfly..." But before she can leave, Hiccup stops her.
"Astrid...!" He mumbles, causing her to look at him again. He, too, is blushing now. "Thanks, by the way..." He says, grinning awkwardly.
She offers him a smirk and says, "Just don't scare me like that ever again. Okay?"
"No promises..." He jokes, shifting as his arm begins to throb.
She rolls her eyes and disappears out the door, leaving Hiccup to get some rest. But as soon as the door shuts, Toothless's head perks up. He jumps to his feet and hurries over his Rider, sniffing Hiccup's forehead and nuzzling him. He's so relieved to have him back.
Hiccup giggles, tiredly and pushes him away. "I'm glad to see you too, bud. Good job landing by yourself."
The dragon coos and nudges him, purring like mad.
"What?" Hiccup laughs, not understanding what the Night Fury wants. "Are you hungry or something? Because I'm not exactly capable of going down to the docks to get you fish right now."
But Toothess persists. He places a big paw on the side of Hiccup's bed and nudges him again, succeeding in shoving the boy a good few inches over. It's a good thing the bed is against the wall or he would have tumbled out.
"T-Toothless!" Hiccup gasps, cringing at the sudden pain in his arm. "Take it easy!" He opens his mouth to say something else...but stops when he notices what Toothless is doing.
The Night Fury somehow manages to crawl onto the bed. He folds his wings and tail around Hiccup's body, pulling him in close to his chest. It's just like when he caught his Rider after they fought the Red Death... Then, he closes his wings all the way, save a few inches for a bit of light to shine in.
Hiccup smirks in understanding and shakes his head. He's so over protective sometimes...but who can blame him after all this? I'd do so the same thing if it were him... Then, with a resigned sigh, he closes his eyes and goes to sleep, lulled by the dragon's infinite body heat. The last thing he says before slipping into a deep, peaceful rest, is "Thanks, buddy."
"This is Berk. Over these past two years, a lot has changed. This place is so different from the 'Berk' I grew up in. We're not fighting dragons anymore. In fact, more often than not, they're coming to our rescue and becoming our friends... Toothless, Astrid and my father saved my life today. Of course, I can't forget Hinrik... Without his help, I never would survived Aragwen's trap long enough for my friends to find me. He saved my life and I'll always remember him. Then again, maybe we'll meet again someday... And as for Aragwen...I just hope Hinrik was wrong and she won't cause anymore trouble. Severed from the Dark One, she has no means for casting spells or possessing bodies. Let's just hope it stays that way..."
A/N: And there you have it folks! 'Bewitched' is now officially done! Keep an eye on my profile for information regarding the sequel. It should be up within the next week (but no promises). Thanks for all the reviews, favorites, follows, etc...! Love you guys!