Chapter 7: Forest Training
Ashalla was packing the last stuff she knew she'd need on her training when her sister came in.
"Why did you volunteer?" Astrid asked, leaning against the wall.
Ashalla looked around and sighed. "I want to make sure that none of us will be married off to a Berserker." she replied. "Dagur is very deranged, and if you took a good look at Ingrid, you know you're no match for her."
"Are those all your intentions?" Astrid asked, her eyes narrowing in suspiciousness.
'If I'd tell you, you'd say I'm crazy.' Ashalla thought. "I just want us all to be free from a forced marriage." she said.
"And what if you fail?" Astrid asked.
Ashalla looked at her 'sister'. "I have some last minute options to prevent failure. I won't fail, I promise you." she said.
Astrid huffed. "Of course." she grunted.
Ashalla rolled with her eyes, picked up her bag and passed Astrid before going downstairs.
Her 'uncle' and her 'mother' gave her proud looks before she left the house.
Asger was already standing outside with his bag packed.
"You were waiting for me?" Ashalla asked.
"We're supposed to go in the forests together." Asgard said. "Well, that's at least what my father told me."
"We go in together, but we'll split up there." Ashalla said. "I want to train in complete privacy without anyone around me."
"I can understand." Asgard said as they made their ways to the edge of the forest where half the village was standing.
Dagur and Ingrid were also there.
Chief Stoick looked at both of them. "Both of you are brave to take the title of Tribute, I hope you'll survive 6 days in the forest training and hunting. After those 6 days, you'll come out and a boat will sail you to the doomed Island of Dragons." he said.
Ashalla didn't quite listen. All she wanted now was go to the cove, get the Night Fury away and train with her father.
After Chief Stoick's speech, they were gifted weapons.
Ingrid was the one to have first pick, choosing the largest sword there was.
Ashalla was next and grabbed the hammer she had made during those years at the smithy when she was free.
Dagur choose the crossbow and Asgard picked a long sword.
After that, they went into the forest.
Ashalla went after 27 feet straight towards the cove, watching if none followed her, and if they did, they'll die eventually.
The Night Fury was waiting for her there.
"Ready to go off?" she asked, jumping on the Night Fury's back.
"Ready!" the Night Fury roared and shot high into the sky towards the clouds.
Ashalla experienced her first flight, on the back of a dragon. She felt weightless in the wind and stood up.
"How does it feel?" the Night Fury asked.
"It's totally amazing!" Ashalla exclaimed. "I wish I'd known before."
"You're a child of the Sky, you're invulnerable here." the Night Fury went on. "Once you're starting to train, the Power of Flight will be gifted to you."
"Power of Flight? Does that mean wings?" Ashalla asked.
"Not for you." the Night Fury replied. "It just means that you'll be able to fly when you want to with just leaping one time. Just like your father."
"Whoa!" Ashalla exclaimed, sitting back on the Night Fury's back.
They landed on a small island not far from Berk, but far enough for the villagers.
"I'll be back later for you, otherwise my friend will." Ashalla said before she dove into the water to swim away.
"Wait!" the Night Fury called out, but Ashalla was already to far away.
He dropped his wings, staring after the divine girl with his mouth wide open.
'She swims fast! Like... just like a Thunderdrum.' he Night Fury thought. 'But she's a daughter of the Sky! How is this possible!'
Ashalla was back on the shores of Berk just 9 minutes later, and she hadn't stopped swimming.
"Whoa... how come that I swim this quick?" Ashalla asked herself as she came out of the water. "Is this a power dad didn't tell me about?"
Then suddenly, her clothes dried up, and she felt stronger than before.
Ashalla started thinking while walking to the highest mountain top on the island of Berk. She was careful not to engage the other Tributes and avoid them at all cost. Ashalla had to reach that top before she could enter the training grounds within Asgard.
She ran though the forest she knew so well, crossed the one river the island had and climbed a few rocky parts of the highest mountain on Berk.
Ashalla decided to try out this Power of Flight when she saw she had to climb a very unstable stone wall with pointy rocks.
"Well, let's do this." she said and leaped.
But instead of just jumping a small meter up the wall, she flew up and hovered for a moment before she landed with her feet on top of the wall.
"It seems I'm discovering more and more divine powers that I seem to have... I wonder what other powers I have dad didn't tell me about." Ashalla said as she looked at her dirty hands before looking down the stone wall. "Well, these powers will however come to handy once I have to face the other tribe's Tributes in the Games, which is in 5 days. I hope Hiccup will have my new hammer and armour ready to use."
Hiccup looked at the designs Ashalla left for him the day she left, like she already expected the Games.
The designs of the hammer had loads of Old Norse runes carved in the handle, and the hammer itself had loads of decorations with the materials Ashalla had found during their trips into the forest. And the armour had some divine decorations, like Ashalla wanted the Gods to be with her during the upcoming Games.
It suggested more and more that Ashalla wanted to protect all the other girls on Berk by offering herself up. Ashalla seemed to be prepared for everything that was coming.
Hiccup knew that this order wouldn't be easy, but he knew he couldn't let Ashalla down.
The hammer and armour had to be ready before Ashalla came back from training in the forest. And she would come back in 5 days.
Hiccup went back to work, he had to do this even though it would be a challenge, even for him and Gobber.
Thanks for reading this chapter! I hope you all liked it.
Sorry if I didn't update soon enough, but school stands in the way once again. I might not update again until Christmas!
Loads of love,
AlaikaSkywalkerAntilles1