Scorch Marks, Broken Doors and Other Mishaps…
Author's Notes: This is me again, these are just some snippets of the time between when the Vikings get back to Berk and when Hiccup wakes up. Again, please note I know that grammar isn't my strong suit so if you're just going to review to say that…don't please. No Flames Accepted!
This one features Astrid and her Nadder
Chapter 3: Cold Shower_
Astrid glanced out her window as she readied for the day- it was time, she was going to fly a dragon today, she was going to try at least.
Astrid dressed quickly and all but bolted from the house. She headed down to the village center where all the dragons seemed to meet every morning. Once the scorching stopped everyone was more comfortable with the dragons becoming permanent residents and yet no one had yet to try taking a ride on any of them- it seemed that Hiccup was still deemed the only one who could "tame" a dragon. Astrid snorted at that- that would change soon, her and the other teens had become somewhat addicted even though they all had only flown once- they had already discussed trying to fly again they just hadn't implemented actually doing it yet, Astrid would be the first to try.
She neared where the dragons were eating lunch and was both surprised and pleased to see Toothless there eating his share; the dragon had seemingly been glued to Hiccup's beside waiting anxiously for him to wake, but he had to be getting bored and stiff, but her pleas to go out had always fallen on deaf dragon ears.
"Hey Toothless, how is he doing this morning?" Astrid greeted scratching his neck, laughing at the deep purr that rumbled from him to her hand.
"I'm going to try and fly today, you think I can convince the Nadder to let me"
She wasn't really asking but Toothless cocked his head nonetheless and looked around as though thinking.
She laughed and stepped away calling out, "Wish me luck"
Toothless watched and snorted in amusement- he didn't see why flying was such a huge event, after all didn't Hiccup do it regularly everyone knew by now? With a shrug Toothless finished off his portion of fish and decided to run around the village- he needed to stretch and he couldn't fly so that had to be the next best thing for now.
Astrid found the Nadder she had ridden during the battle easily and the dragon perked up when she called her, coming close. Astrid smiled but was still a little nervous the one time she had ridden a dragon was with Hiccup who the dragons seemed to genuinely get along with Bragr still seemed a little wary of her.
"Hey Bragr, its me, you know me right?" Astrid stepped closer and watched carefully for signs of fear or irritation but the Nadder stood calmly.
"You want to try flying together today girl?" Astrid asked as though the dragon understood- maybe she did, after all wasn't Toothless smart?
The Nadder surprised her by actually stepping forward and leaning down, offering a easy way to get on, though she could feel the tense muscles- they were both nervous about doing this it had only been done by someone else or under their direction to keep both parties from getting killed.
"Easy Astrid, don't spook, no need to worry… it'll be ok." The Nadder went to the edge of the island and paused there as though fighting its own internal battle between shying back and making this huge step. Astrid knew the dragon had to make this decision- she couldn't force Bragr to do her will that wasn't how it worked.
Hiccup had spoken to her that day before they went chasing after their parents, she had been trying to get on the same Nadder who was shying away and clucking unhappily And Generally annoying her until Hiccup had come over and gently grabbed her arm backing her away,
"Astrid you can't just make her." He warned.
"Why not?" She had huffed, mostly out of impatience.
"They are living things with a mind and a will, if you force them it won't be any different than before, we have to cooperate with them, let them have a say so to speak- it's the only way this will work." Hiccup told her.
"What of you and Toothless?" Astrid had asked, almost sullen.
"We understand each other, I let him lead if he wants and he lets me lead because he knows I won't make any stupid decisions to send us both crashing to the sea- we've had to rely on each other."
She hadn't forgotten that conversation and had tried to put it to practice with getting to know the Nadder she now called Bragr.
Suddenly the dragon shifted and moved forward to the edge of the cliff but this time it was Astrid who hesitated pulling back on the reigns, and the Nadder backed away letting the human take the lead.
"Alright- you were going to kill them now you have to learn to ride them, you can do this…Hiccup did it." Astrid repeated this to herself as the Nadder toed the edge of the cliff. Then just before she could brace herself the dragon took off, and Astrid barely held in a scream. She was in the air, soaring among the clouds- she'd only done this behind hiccup on Toothless. The feeling was amazing!
Her and her dragon took higher to the sky and Astrid got to look again upon Berk from above as though she was a bird- she couldn't believe how small the island looked from the height she was at. They neared the island again and Astrid could see Fishlegs and the other teens, the dragons on the island and there at the crest of the hill she could see her chief's house where Hiccup lay. She yelped suddenly as Bragr dipped to the left and she nearly slid off the dragons back, gripping tight with her legs. "This would be why Hiccup had a saddle!" she grumbled to herself as she got righted again on the dragon back. Her dragon swung wide around the back of the island going between large pillars of rock that had Astrid clinging to back and hoping to Thor that they wouldn't hit any of them. She heaved a sigh of relief when Bragr finally got clear. They went out over the open water and Bragr dove low over the water and Astrid leaned back to let the spray hit her and dampen her hair, relishing the feel of the cool crisp water at her fingertips. She was laughing until she realized that they were getting even closer to the water, to the point when the waves were just barely grazing her feet.
"Bragr!" Astrid shouted pulling back on the reigns hoping to gain some altitude. But she only felt the dragon go deeper as her boots got wet. It was then that she noticed that the Nadder was staying so low because she was looking at her reflection in the water and as such wasn't paying attention to how low she was getting to the water's surface.
"Bragr! C'mon girl go higher! I don't want to get wet today!" Astrid tried pulling on the reigns again but the dragon shook her head, disregarding the commands and went even closer until Astrid only had time to yelp as the dragon got too close and sent them both into the drink!
"Gasp!" she broke the surface sputtering and gasping for breath in the cold water. Bragr came to the surface beside her squawking in outrage at the state of things.
"Well its your fault you crazy dragon!" Astrid shouted back splashing Bragr for good measure making the dragon squawk again in displeasure.
"How we get out of the water?" Astrid wondered.
Bragr squawked again and Astrid splashed her with water,
"You have any brilliant ideas now would be the time for them!" Astrid exclaimed as they both floated in the seas around Berk.