For the record, I do not own any of this, and also I'm not sure if any of these names are traditional names from then, but they just came to me so I figured why not ^^ Please enjoy!
Astrid ran as fast as her legs could take her. She ignored the branches and leaves that scratched her face as she made her way to the village. Breaths becoming uneven, she stopped at the entrance to the forest and tried to catch her breath.
As her ragged breathing began to stabilize, it gave her a chance to process all that had happened. She fell to her knees and looked up at the dreary gray sky. It was the norm here in Berk, but it became endlessly fascinating to Astrid for some reason; a blank canvas to project her thoughts on. Her mind wandered to the red headed boy and the fearsome dragon that had him in his sights.
'I don't understand! Dragons are savages, they kill without hesitation… and so we have to do the same. They steal our livestock and we kill to protect what is ours…right? There is no mercy on either side and one rule remains the same: kill or be killed. No exceptions and no room for mistakes. It's been like this for years, since the first Vikings set foot on this island.'
Astrid clutched her shirt and felt her heart pulsing. The toll of her running nonstop out to the clearing had caused it to beat erratically. Eyes beginning to sting, she recalled her father, Astor the Hammer. His mighty strength was known all throughout Berk and the distant seas. He had made a name for himself by crushing any opponent with his signature double headed hammer. Astor was a close comrade of Stoick's and considered him an equal in terms of fighting ability.
The blonde Viking smiled a bit. She didn't know much about her father's exploits, but she had heard stories. She was named after him of course. When Astrid was growing up, he had taken her under his wing and taught her everything there was to know about dragon slaying. Even at a young age, she was incredibly skilled and was able to handle an axe or fight any boy her age or older. Astrid loved her father with all of her heart, so when she had heard that he was called out to battle with a horde of dragons on the islands east of Berk, it destroyed her.
"Do not worry my sweet child," Astor gave a crying Astrid a hearty grin, "I will return and bring you the head of a mighty beast. I give you my word or may Odin himself strike me down." Astrid gave her father one last hug before wiping her tears away and giving him an equally bright smile, give or take a few missing teeth.
"Stay safe daddy." she then gave him an adorable pout, "You better keep your promise!" She received a nod in return. Astor marched out the door, and never returned.
Astrid was seven when she heard what had happened. During the raid, her father had been killed by a Deadly Nadder. When her mother had heard the news, Astrid was hiding behind a door. She felt nauseous and tears were welling up. Running up to her room, she slammed the door and began to sob violently. After a few hours had passed, she got up and walked towards the family room. Hiccupping softly from all her crying, she grabbed the axe that her father always had hanging up on the wall. She grabbed it and hugged it tightly, tears flowing anew. As she was crying, her mind went back to the last time she saw her father.
'Daddy...why did you lie?'
After that whole incident, Astrid's heart became colder and her hatred for the scaled creatures intensified. No longer was she the little girl who smiled at any attention that her father gave her and laughed after throwing an axe. No, she was a full-fledged Viking, sworn to destroy any dragon that dared cross her tribe. Astrid trained much harder, pushing herself past her limits. She couldn't count the number of times she had cut herself, gotten bruises or collapsed from exhaustion. She had to become stronger by any means necessary.
She became the toughest Viking in her age group on the island, and very few could take her in a fight. Not that most tried, she was very intimidating. Many boys were completely infatuated with her, but she paid them no mind. They were all the same to her. Fighting was the only thing on Astrid's mind. And although she had already healed some of the emotional scars that her father's death left her with, not all wounds could heal with time. Every year on the anniversary of her father's death, she would visit his grave and sit in silence.
Realizing that it was almost pitch black outside, Astrid pushed out any depressing thoughts and scurried home. She burst through the door, scaring the daylights out of her mother, Halldora.
"Astrid Hofferson! Why are you out so late, where have you been young lady?"
"Mom, relax I'm fine. But you won't believe it! I-" Her mother quickly interrupted.
"Honestly, I understand you're anxious about dragon training coming up."
Astrid scoffed, "I am not anxious, I'm more than prepared to-"
"But that is no reason to be coming home at all hours of the night!" Her mother sighed, "I honestly wish you wouldn't push yourself so hard. The world won't end if you took a nap instead of coming home with all these injuries."
"Mother…" Astrid calmly stated, "I. Am. Fine. The real issue here is with Hiccup." Halldora stopped at the name. "Mom he was-"
Halldora narrowed her eyes. "You haven't been hanging around that Hiccup boy have you? You know he's trouble...strange child that one. Can you believe he tried to get us to believe he caught a Night Fury? I mean really, a Night Fury! No one has seen that beast and lived to tell the tale!"
"But that's what I'm trying to tell you! I saw him with- wait what, Night Fury?" Astrid tried to recall that particular species of dragon. She was supposed to read the dragon manual for her training, but the lack of physical action held no interest to her. 'That must've been what that dragon was; a Night Fury...it makes sense. I mean NO ONE has ever seen one without dying, so I couldn't have recognized it.'
"Yes, a Night Fury. Haven't you been reading up on your dragons to prepare for training?"
"Of course Mother, almost every other night." Halldora smiled warmly at her daughter. Meanwhile, Astrid was thanking Odin for her ability to lie through her teeth, or for her mother's gullibility; whichever one worked.
"Mother, I have something very important to tell you." Astrid swallowed a lump in her throat. This was now or never. "Hiccup wasn't lying, he actually shot down a Night Fury. I saw it with my own two eyes."
The older woman's eyes widened. Astrid began to smile and nod. 'Yes! She finally gets it!' Suddenly, Halldora puts her hand on her daughter's forehead.
"Are you well? You must be ill if you believe that there's any way that little boy managed to do that, let alone that you witnessed this. The shadows were playing with your eyes, child."
Astrid groaned at her mother's obliviousness. She tore her mother's hand off of her head and ran upstairs to her room. She took off her spiked shoulder pads and skirt and jumped into bed. Sighing loudly into her pillow, she had a scowl on her face.
'She thinks I'm crazy, that's great! Well she'll see, tomorrow I'll tell everyone else, and they'll believe me!' With a defiant turn of her head, she fell asleep.
Soon as bright pink and orange light hit her window, Astrid was up and raring to go. She was naturally an early riser, a trait which her father claimed was an invaluable one. "Early to rise, first to strike." Astrid took this philosophy to heart and made sure to be at the ready by the break of dawn. Sleep was a luxury she could not afford.
After a quick breakfast, Astrid headed out towards the more populated parts of the village in order to share her information. However, every single person gave her the same response her mother did:
"Are ye insane girlie?"
"Uh Hiccup...as in Stoick's boy? Yeh can't be serious..."
"Ayy, you've officially gone crazy, Astrid m'dear."
"...WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Astrid's eye began to twitch; this was not going as planned.
Was it really that unbelievable that Hiccup was able to do something right?Yes, a little voice in the back of her head answered. Astrid stopped. Did she really think that little of a boy she knew nothing about? Feeling an unpleasant feeling rise up from the pit of her stomach, she pushed along the crowds of people walking by. As she told the person next to her in vain about what she had witnessed, she saw Hiccup walking through carrying an armful of papers.
He looked so helpless; it was hard not to laugh. He continued to bump into people, getting knocked around like a twig. Muttering a quick sorry every now and again, he finally disappeared from sight. Astrid giggled a little at the curious boy. She realized what she was doing and gave a disgusted face. 'Astrid Hofferson does not, I repeat NOT giggle!' What was coming over her? Just a few days ago, Hiccup was the last thing on her mind, and now she was giggling at his clumsiness? This was so wrong and twisted.
In all the hustle and bustle, a rather large Viking bumped into Astrid, slamming her into the ground. Picking herself up, she dusted herself off while silently cursing at the idiot who knocked into her. Before fully standing up, she managed to get a glimpse of the chieftain's son running off into the woods. Astrid was dumbstruck, 'This kid almost became an appetizer for a deadly overgrown lizard, and he goes back? Something is seriously wrong here...'
It was then that an idea formed in her head: If she managed to follow Hiccup, she could have all the proof she needed! But this would have to be a secret; she didn't need any more villagers thinking she was crazy. Keeping her eyes on her target, she picked up her pace and followed him.
"Something strange is going on here, and I'm going to find out what. What are you hiding Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III?"
Whoo! That was a doozy! I think I'm getting carpal tunnel from typing all this up on my mobile phone hehe. I know it might not seem like much here, but this many words can seriously be murder on my circulation -_- Hope you enjoyed, and to all you readers who favorited my story and/or put me on their story alert, I absolutely love you! Now just please put reviews too while you're at it! Till later, peace! :D :D