Helheim's Gate
Chapter Seven
The first thing I notice is how warm and dry it is. It's a nice feeling, and I turn and curl up under the covers before it registers: I'm home. I sit up. There's a fire going. The window's shut.
"Dad?" I ask.
No response.
"Toothless?" I call out.
Nothing.
I don't have a good feeling about this. I quickly make my way through the door and outside. It's overcast. The dim gray sky almost reminds me of Helheim.
"Hiccup!" the twins call out. They're standing near the front of the house. They stare at me with their mouths open.
"Hey," I say tentatively. "Why do you two look so surprised?"
"She said you were dying," Ruffnut says, "The Elder told your dad..."
"Wait," I say, holding my hand up, "Where's Toothless?"
The twins look at each other. "All of the dragons who didn't fly away are at the arena," Tuffnut says. "Toothless was still out, so they took him on a wagon."
"You really need to talk to your dad," Ruffnut says. "He thinks... We all thought-"
"What are they doing?" I yell out as I do my best to hurry toward the arena. The twins flank me on each side. "Didn't you tell your parents about Helheim?"
"We did," Ruffnut says.
"What about the Elder?"
"She tried her best, too," Ruffnut goes on, "But with you dying and stuff? Your dad went crazy. In a bad way."
"Hiccup!" Fishlegs calls out. He joins us, walking beside Ruffnut. "Are you okay?"
"I'll be fine once I find Toothless," I tell him.
"So we're going to arena?" Fishlegs asks.
"Looks like it," I reply. "Where's Snotlout? Is he okay?"
"He's with the Elder," Fishlegs tells me.
"What about Astrid?"
"She's... with your dad," Fishlegs says in a quieter voice.
"She isn't... on his side...?" I say.
"Even with Astrid's reasoning advantage," Fishlegs says, "trying to reason with your dad hasn't exactly been a successful method of averting chaos."
"Toothless better be okay," I mutter.
Everyone else walks with me silently until Tuffnut decides to say something: "So, how was Helheim?"
"It's kind of a long story," I reply. "Don't really want to get into it right now."
"Did you find Toothless's mom?" Fishlegs asks.
"We found her," I say, "We definitely found her. She is not going to be happy if she finds out my dad hurt him. I'm not going to be happy either, for that matter."
"So you're planning on going back?" Fishlegs asks in awe.
"Guess I am," I say. "If I have a dragon to bring back."
We're only halfway to the arena when I start feeling awful. I have to stop and prop my hands on my knees as I try to regain my breath.
"Maybe you should go back to bed," Ruffnut says, "You were dying."
"I have to show my dad I'm not dying," I gasp out. "I have to save the dragons. How long have I been out anyway?"
"We just went to Helheim this morning," Fishlegs says.
"Is it past half-day?"
"Barely," Ruffnut says. "You really don't look so good, Hiccup." She touches my shoulder.
"Oh no," I say as I straighten up. "I'm not giving up after everything I've been through. Garm had six heads. Six. I had to swear an oath to the gods, and I got shoved into the river."
The three of them stare at me like I've grown a dragon tail. On my chest.
"This will make more sense when I tell the whole story. Which I will do," I say as I start walking again. "As soon as I make sure everyone is okay."
"Sure," Tuffnut says. He gives Ruffnut an uncertain look.
"If any of you say I'm crazy..." I start. But I don't get to finish. I can hear the frantic cries of the dragons.
"Dad!" I yell. "Dad, stop whatever you're doing!"
"We're not there yet," Ruffnut says.
"I know he can hear me," I reply as I charge forward on the bridge. "Dad!"
"Hiccup?" Astrid yells.
"Astrid?" I forget to raise my voice. I clear my throat. "Astrid!"
Astrid runs toward us. I make it halfway to her, then I have to stop again to rest. I shut my eyes and hold my head in my hands as my sight goes spotty.
"Hiccup," Astrid says beside me. "What are you doing-"
"Where's Toothless?" I manage as I force my eyes open. "Where's my dad? Ugh..."
"Hiccup!" Astrid yells into my ear.
"I can-I can hear you fine," I murmur.
"Hiccup!" That is not Astrid. I brace myself.
"Dad?" I reply.
"Odin's beard," Dad says. He's right beside me now.
"Dad, whatever you're doing to the dragons-"
"Hiccup, you're ill." He puts a hand on my shoulder. "You four, get him back to the house."
"No," I say, "No... Dad. Please, would you just listen to me?"
He responds, but I don't know what he's saying. I can hardly hear anything anymore. I feel like I'm falling again, just like I did at Helheim's gate, but this time, two large hands catch me. I shut my eyes for what feels like a few seconds, but by the time I open them again, I'm surrounded by Vikings.
"Where are we?" I ask. I'm propped against a wall and leaning against Astrid. I barely have the strength to turn around and look through the crowd on their feet.
"We're in the arena," Astrid explains. "Toothless is here." She gently holds my head and turns it in his direction.
"Toothless," I breathe. I can see him past a sea of legs. I look up. There are more Vikings standing around the outside of the arena.
The adults are using eels to keep the dragons trapped in the arena. Toothless is at the front, baring his teeth, though he looks horrified.
"Dad?" I call out. "This needs to stop!" I start to stand.
"Oh no," Astrid says, pushing down on my shoulders, "You're staying down this time."
"Ow!" My shoulders throb. "But the dragons," I tell her, "They don't deserve this."
"What are you going to do, Hiccup?" Astrid whispers, "I think even you've had enough crazy for one day."
"I'm not crazy," I say, "I have proof."
"What kind of proof?" Astrid asks. "Not that feather..."
"Not the feather," I reply. "Dad!" I yell into the arena. "I saw Mom in Helheim."
"No!" Astrid hisses, shaking me, "You were muttering while you were unconscious. You saw your mom in your dream."
"No, I saw her. In Helheim, remember? It wasn't a dream," I tell her, "It was real. And you saved me. Again. Help me, Astrid." I start to stand.
"Hiccup!" Astrid tackles me and we land on the ground.
"Oof!" I don't have the strength to get up, so I lay there with my head turned toward the adults' backs. I can hear Toothless roaring just beyond them. Then a pair of familiar boots walk into view right in front of my face. "... Dad."
"I was just trying to stop him," Astrid explains above me.
I turn my head and lift my gaze as far up as it can go. I can see Dad out of the corner of my eye. "Mom didn't die fighting," I tell him.
A chorus of "oh!"s travels through the crowd. Everyone turns to look back at us.
Dad watches me a moment. Then he turns to look at everyone. "Who told him?"
"Mom told me," I say. "She told you to tell me she went to Valhalla so I wouldn't worry."
"Who told him?" Dad yells out.
"Ask the Elder, Dad," I tell him. I manage to push myself up on my elbow. "She knows all about this Helheim thing. Ask Astrid or Ruffnut or Tuffnut or Fishlegs. Even Snotlout. This is real, Dad. It happened."
"The dragon tried to kill you," Dad replies, "Again. They're not safe to have in the village."
"What are you going to do, then?" I ask him. "Are you going to try to kill them?"
"They'll stay here until we work out how to keep them away for good," Dad replies matter-of-factly. "We'll line our houses with eels if we have to."
"He's alive!" the Elder cries out from somewhere behind me. "He has returned from Helheim!"
Dad exhales heavily. "Gothi, we've been through this," he says.
"I left Mom for you!" I yell at Dad. "I wanted to go to Valhalla so I could be like you! Is this what I left her for?"
Astrid lays her hand on my back as she kneels beside me.
Dad shakes his head. Then he turns around and steps through the crowd. "We need more eels!" he yells.
I can hear the Elder's footsteps pattering toward me. "Boy," she says, leaning over me, "Did you find what you were looking for?"
"That and more," I reply.
"You met gods?" she asks, her expression hopeful as she steps in front of me.
"Several," I tell her. "Not that it matters."
"Did any of them touch you?"
"No," I say, smirking. Then I stop and blink. "Wait. Yes. Two of them..."
"Where?" she asks.
"My shoulders."
She tugs on the hem of my shirt and pulls it up.
"Wha-?" My shirt is in my face. I sit up and tug my arms free from the sleeves and she pulls it off the rest of the way.
"Whoa," Astrid breathes. "Hiccup, what happened to you? Did I do that?"
I look down at my shoulders. They're covered with blotches of deep purple and blue.
"He's been touched by the gods!" the Elder announces.
Everyone turns back to look at me. I cross my arms over my chest and give them a short wave. "It's kind of cold," I say to the Elder, "can I have that back?"
She leaves the shirt in my lap.
Dad walks slowly out of the crowd. "Who did this to you?" he demands.
"Night Fury!" someone shouts. "Get down!"
Everyone in the crowd cowers as Toothless leaps over them. He lands in front of Spitelout, who peers at Toothless through his fingers. Toothless snuffles and looks unimpressed. Then he trots over to where I'm sitting. The Elder moves out of his way. Toothless sniffs my ear before turning his head and growling at Dad.
"It's okay, Toothless," I say gently.
Toothless licks my shoulder.
"O-Ow!" I cry out as it starts to burn.
"Don't touch him!" Dad yells, charging forward.
Then I start laughing.
Dad stops, confused. "... Hiccup?" he asks.
"It-it tickles!" I let out through guffaws.
Toothless stops licking my shoulder and looks at me.
As my laughter subsides, I look down at my slobber-covered shoulder. The bruising looks better. Lighter. The purple doesn't look so bad now. "... Huh."
"It helps," Astrid says in awe. "It helps when he licks you."
"It... helped?" Dad says.
"They can heal us," the Elder says, raising her voice, "The dragons can heal us when they lick our wounds. They must be allowed to stay."
Several members of the crowd sound like they agree.
Dad looks back at them with a scowl. Then he turns to the Elder. "They're still dangerous," he insists.
"We're Vikings," the Elder says, "It's an occupational hazard."
Gobber emerges from the crowd. "I think the Elder has a point, Stoick," he says. "And your son..."
"What about him?" Dad says defensively.
"He might have several points to make as well," Gobber says. "Maybe we ought to give them a listen."
Dad turns to me. He doesn't look like he wants to register any of this. "Son, what really happened to your shoulders?"
I press my lips together. "Dad, if I told you... If I trusted you... Would you believe me?"
Dad steps toward me.
Toothless growls and keeps his head between us.
"This has to work both ways," Dad says. "I'll trust you if you trust me."
"I can live with that," I say.
Toothless stops growling and but keeps his eyes thinned as he moves out of the way.
Dad drops down to his knee and grabs me up in a hug. He's so big and my face is in his beard, it's like trying to hold a hairy mountain.
"I'm sorry, Dad," I say.
"None of this is your fault," he says.
"I. I turned my back on Mom. I didn't want to stay with her in Helheim."
Dad takes a deep breath, then pulls away. He lifts my chin with his finger and looks me in the eye. "Why don't you start from the beginning?"
#
"What are you doing here?" Gobber asks me as I step into the weapons stall. He's carrying an armful of spears.
I open my arms to take some from him.
"Thank you," he says. "But you're going right back to your house after you set those over here."
He dumps the spears in a box.
"I need something to do," I tell him. I dump the spears in with the rest.
"Why don't you try recovering?"
I sit on a stool and prop my right heel up on the seat. "I've been in bed all day," I say as I hug my knee. "Again. I'm pretty sure I'm recovered by now."
"You're still pale."
"You can tell that by firelight?"
"You're practically glowing," he says.
"I'm fine," I assure him. "I just needed to get out."
"And you thought a weapons stall would be a relaxing jaunt?"
"It's like a second home to me," I say, "Oh, the memories. Pricking my fingers on sharpened swords, falling over from the weight of hammers, tripping over bolas..."
"All right, all right," he says opening his hands to me. "You can stay." He turns to examine a sword's blade with his eye.
I take a deep breath. "I wanted to thank you, Gobber."
"I didn't do anything for you," he says lightly, without looking up.
"You got my dad to listen," I say. "That's more than some people can get from him. And by some people, I mean me."
"Well..." he says, shrugging. "You and the Elder worked on him quite a bit before I got a word in."
"I can't believe he believes me. I can't believe you believe me."
"It's quite a story," Gobber says, "But I can't doubt what I saw your dragon do to your shoulder."
"And the whole thing with Helheim?"
"The bruises got there somehow..." Gobber sets the sword down and looks at me. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine," I say, "Why?"
"Hiccup!" Astrid says behind me. She runs to the entrance of the stall, then looks between me and Gobber.
"I'll just go check on something in the back," Gobber says, somehow making a swift getaway.
"Hiccup, are you okay?" Astrid asks me.
"I'm okay," I say.
"Good," she says. Then she steps forward and smacks my face with her hand.
"Ow! Geez!"
"That's for scaring me!" she declares.
I rub my cheek. "We're going to have to work on this part of our relationsh-"
She yanks on the front of my shirt and shoves her mouth against mine.
"Mmf." When she pulls back, I let out a breath. "Huh," I say, "That part's fine."
"Well, that's for everything else," she says softly, releasing my shirt.
"You saved my life, Astrid," I tell her. Our faces are so close together. "I owe you."
"You know it," she replies. She steps back and crosses her arms. "So, this hero of the gods thing. Do you think you have to do it alone?"
"I... don't know," I say. "I guess we'll just have to see."
"Well, you know where to find me," she says.
"I do. Thanks." A strong gust of wind blows into the stall. I shiver, but I welcome it. "That's nothing compared to Helheim."
"This must feel like a good summer day compared to that place."
"This is home. That's good enough for me."
Astrid and I look into each other's eyes for a few seconds, then she looks down. "I hit you a lot."
"Not really," I reply. "I'll survive."
"I mean, when we pulled you out of the water. I kept hitting you and yelling at you, but you wouldn't wake up."
"That helped me. Thank you."
"You just lay there, and there wasn't anything else to do-"
"Astrid."
"We just left you in mid-air, I thought for sure-"
"Astrid." I reach out and grab her arm.
She looks up at me. Her expression makes my chest hurt.
"Why are you so sad?" I whisper. I lift my hand from her arm to touch her cheek. "You trusted me. You saved me. Any other Viking would be lucky to have you as..."
She tilts her head and lifts her eyebrow. "As...?"
"As a friend," I finish, dropping my arm.
Astrid uncrosses her arms as anger crosses her expression. She steps forward and I can't help flinching. She presses her lips against mine, just for a second. Then she pulls her face back an inch.
"What's that for?" I ask softly.
"For being an idiot," she replies. The corners of her mouth twitch. Then she wraps her arms around my neck, and pulls me to her chest. She props her chin on top of my head as she holds me.
I wrap my arms around her; I barely register that it isn't like holding a rock at all. It's like holding someone soft and warm. It's how I imagine it should be.
Astrid lets out one soft sob, then she doesn't emit any sound at all.
#
Author's Notes
Just an epilogue to go! Questions will be answered and possibly raised so stay tuned for it.
Thanks to everyone who has left comments/reviews so far. I can't reply to some of them but they are appreciated.
Of course special thanks to my beta reader, Backroads, who makes life right. =)
And... I'm trying to work on a sequel, but it's been difficult lately. I'm hoping to keep posting every weekend. We'll see how things go!
Disclaimer
This world and these characters are pretty much not mine. I just like to play with them.
