Merry (late) Christmas, everyone! Got some stuff to say, but first, the story!
How long have they been here?
Hiccup made his way up the catapult tower where Gobber and the other trainees were. He could hear the voices of everyone but Frieda, and he couldn't help but wonder whether she was even up there or not. After taking a few more steps, Hiccup saw that she was indeed there, just being incredibly quiet. He was about to turn back when he heard Gobber call his name.
"Hey, Hiccup, where have you been?! Do you know how long I've been holding onto this for ya?"
Snotlout and the twins moaned in disappointment at the mention of his name, causing a sour look to come on Gobber's face.
"Hey, none of that now. The point of being up here was to get you all ready for tomorrow. You're going to need to watch each other's backs, that Zippleback is a sneaky little devil…"
"Fine." Snotlout gave another moan.
"Whatever…" Tuffnut mutters just before being hit in the shoulder by his sister, causing the two to pummel one another as their food begins to burn. Fishlegs, clearly wishing for things to turn back to how they were before Hiccup showed up, decided to speak up.
"So, Gobber, how did you lose your hand, again? It was a dragon that tore it off, right?"
"Eh? Oh, yes. The dragon took my hand clean off with one nasty bite. And I could tell, by the look on its face, that it was the best hand it'd ever tasted. Must've spread the word to its friends, because it was barely a month before another took my leg. In hindsight, I did have a clean shot for the wing. Woulda been an eye for an eye."
"Oh, yeah, that's right, you damage the wings, and they can't fly away anymore!"
Gobber hummed in agreement before saying, "If it's downed, it's dead."
This got Hiccup's attention, though he tried to not make it apparent. His thoughts drifted back to Astrid, he realized that one of her wings was clearly broken.
How didn't I notice that before?
After a moment of mentally scolding himself, he decided that since he was the one who hurt her, he was going to help her. As the night went on, Hiccup planned what he needed to do, and once the group dispersed, he headed to the forge to get to work.
Waking up to the starry night sky, Toothless quickly spread his wings and took off to start his search for his sister. The dragon had some ideas where his kin could be, though he'd hope she wasn't on one particular island.
If she is, though, I hope that the humans haven't found her.
He started his search amongst a sea of great pillars of stone. Astrid might have been there the whole time, catching a meal or two, as the pillars provide a great hunting ground, as well as plenty of spots to eat. After a great deal of thorough searching here, however, Toothless found nothing.
Toothless, starting to worry a bit more, decided continue his search on the next island. This one reminded the dragon of the moon during some nights. Now, though, the island's appearance wasn't important, whether his sister was there was. The hunt for Astrid turned up only a couple of Rock-eaters, though, and with the sun beginning to peak over the horizon, Toothless decided it'd be best to continue the search the following evening.
Did I come out here for nothing?
Hiccup had expected to find Astrid near the same spot she was yesterday, but it appeared that she was nowhere to be found. He did say he'd see her again today, didn't he? Either way, he felt a bit foolish for carrying a large and heavy basket with him, among other things. Still, with that broken wing, she couldn't have gone far.
"Astrid? Astrid, where are you?!"
Hiccup started to look around when he heard something rustling in the bushes. He turned to see what was causing it, and was surprised to see that it was Astrid, reluctant to see him.
"Why were you hiding?"
"To see if… you had a blade."
"I can barely even carry a dagger at this point."
Hiccup dropped the basket from his back, and with his now free hand, opened the top to reveal the basket's contents.
"Fresh fish, straight from the harbor!"
Upon hearing this, the dragon girl made her way over to the basket and shifted through some of its contents a bit before turning to look back at Hiccup.
"Thank you…"
"No problem, Astrid."
The dragon girl turned her attention back to the basket, and started digging through its contents.
"What… did you bring?"
"Uh, I wasn't sure what you liked, exactly, so I brought a few things. There's some tuna, a fresh salmon… oh, and a whole smoked…"
Astrid interrupted him with a shriek, backing away from the basket as quickly as she could. After hastily setting the bag in his hand down, he checked the basket for anything wrong, only to see the smoked eel atop the other fish.
Is this what she was scared of?
Hiccup slowly lifted the eel out to gauge Astrid's reaction, she took another step back as her already frantic breathes became faster.
Yep, definitely the eel.
Seeing that Astrid's level of panic was still rising, Hiccup quickly tossed it away. Almost immediately, he could see that she was already calming down.
"You're afraid of eels? Why?"
It took Astrid a moment before she was able to process Hiccup's question, and when she finally did, the dragon girl found that she couldn't answer right away. After another moment, she spoke.
"Brother was… always afraid of them. I… don't know why…"
Astrid stopped as she noticed the bag that Hiccup brought with him.
"What is… in that?"
"Huh?"
Hiccup turned to where Astrid was looking before turning back to her.
"Oh, that. Well…"
The boy moved back to the mysterious bag and pulled out its contents: a pair of metal rods and some leather straps.
"It was my fault that your wing is broken, so I brought these to make a splint for your wing."
"A… splint?"
"Yeah, sort of a brace for a broken limb. Now, if you would…"
Hiccup made a step towards her, but he stopped after she took a step away from him. She saw the look of confusion on his face, and sighed.
"Sorry, but… I don't…"
"...You don't know if you can trust me enough yet, do you?" Hiccup interrupted.
"Yes, that."
Astrid turned her attention downwards, not wanting to see the look of disappointment on Hiccup's face. After a moment, she heard him take a deep breath and sigh.
"Well, even if you don't trust me, you may never be able to fly again if you don't let me help you. Do you really want that?"
Astrid snapped her head towards his and looked into his eyes, just like she did the day before. Just as before, she could see that he meant no harm.
"Okay… put it on."
"Alright. It'd probably be best if you could lay on your side for this."
Slowly, Astrid went into the Viking's suggested position, extending her broken wing as much as she could as Hiccup made his way around her. Her wing hurt, but she was able to bring her wing into its extended position just as it came to rest on the flat ground, and with that done, she waited.
Taking great care not to cause any more pain, Hiccup placed the two rods along the broken bone and began to wrap the wing in leather. After a few moments, Hiccup noticed that Astrid was stiff and silent, with her tail coiled away from him.
She's still uncomfortable with going through with this. Got to get her mind off this.
"Sooooo…" Hiccup saw Astrid react with a jolt, "did you ever think about talking to a Viking before? Don't know why you'd learn to talk if you didn't."
At first, Astrid didn't respond, and Hiccup wondered if he overstepped some bounds. His worries disappeared when she took a deep breath, uncoiling her tail a bit as she did so.
"Yes. Haven't spoke to anyone. Expected… to be killed. Still, hoped."
"Well, I guess you got your wish granted then."
"Wish?"
The dragon girl turned her head to look at him, the look of confusion clear on her face. Hiccup couldn't keep himself from smiling just a bit, there was just something about the way she looked that was amusing in an odd sort of way.
"Yeah, uh, kind of a deep want of something, you know?"
"Oh."
Astrid turned her head away from his, seemingly processing what he just said. It wasn't too long before her attention went back to him.
"What do… people wish for?"
Hiccup scratched his head a bit at this.
"Well...It sort of depends on who the person is. Some people are small and want power to compensate, others already have it, and just want more time with their friends and family..."
"So...you want power? You're small."
"Huh? Oh, no no no, I'm not like that, I was just generalizing... It really does depend on who the person is."
"What… do you wish for, then?"
"I... I'm not sure what I wish for anymore...
"Oh…"
An awkward silence fell between the two, and Hiccup tried to think of something new to talk about. To his surprise, Astrid beat him to it.
"How do you know to… make a splint?"
"Oh… well…"
While this wasn't really much of a tender subject for him, Hiccup worried that telling her how he knew would make her feel uncomfortable. He glanced at her face, saw that curious expression of hers, and ultimately decided to relent.
"Okay, so back in my village, sometimes I try to help out with some of the work that needs to be done. Usually, I try to make something that would help get things done with less work… it doesn't always work out so well, and one time I got my arm broken because of it. Wasn't too bad, got healed up, but I had to wear a splint for awhile, and here we are."
"Oh…"
Hiccup expected her to tense back up. However, she did the opposite, becoming a bit more relaxed.
"That is good to hear."
Hiccup smiled at this, though he was a bit confused as to how what he said was so reassuring. As for the splint, it was almost complete. The teen ultimately decided to ask one last question before finishing the job.
"So… are there any others like you?"
"…I want to say yes, but…"
Hiccup immediately regretted asking the question, and it only got worse after he remembered her mentioning her brother.
Oh gods… She's all alone… she's the last Night Fury…
Hiccup froze after realization hit him. Astrid apparently noticed this, because it wasn't long before she spoke up.
"Hiccup… the splint?"
"Huh? Oh, right."
Though the realization still lingered at the edges of his mind, Hiccup turned his focus back to the strap. After a few more moments of work, he got up to look at the result of his work.
"Alright, that should do it."
Astrid quickly got off her side and took a moment to inspect the newly applied splint. It felt odd on her wing, but it wasn't painful.
"How long will my wing need this?"
"Probably not too long, my arm was fine after a few weeks. I don't know if the same applies to wings, though."
"Hmmmm…"
Astrid turned to ask Hiccup how she'll know when the splint was no longer needed. She stopped when she saw Hiccup pick up the eel and hide it away in his vest, a shiver running down her spine as it disappeared from sight. The Viking then began to head back in the direction she saw him come from.
"Well, I got to get going. See you tomorrow, Astrid."
"Where are you… going?"
Hiccup turned back to her, his face scrunched up in thought.
"Well, I gotta go to dragon training…"
"Dragon… training?"
"Yeah. We're taught how to… um, fight dragons…"
"Oh…"
"We, uh, don't kill any. Well, not until the final exam anyway. Right now, it's more like we're learning how not to get killed."
"Oh. Would… would you mind if I watch, then?"
Hiccup's eyes went wide, clearly surprised by her request.
"You want to watch us fight dragons?"
"Yeah."
"Okay then… Um, I can't really take you into the village for obvious… but I think you may be able to watch from the cliff that overlooks it. The arena should be…" Hiccup turned a bit, trying to figure out which direction it would be, "that way, I think. You'll know if you see something like a big, round cage."
"Thanks…"
"Not a problem. See you tomorrow then…"
Having said his farewell, Hiccup made his way back towards Berk. He was about to head towards the docks to replace the eel in another basket, no sense in getting rid of something someone caught, when Gobber spotted him.
"There you are, lad! Where do you keep disappearing off to? We almost had to start training without ya."
"Uh, could it wait, I gotta-"
"No, it can't wait, Hiccup. Can't keep the dragons waiting, you know?"
Hiccup tried to protest further, but Gobber simply dragged him as he went to the arena.
Though she still wasn't able to fly, Astrid was able to reach the cliff Hiccup mentioned relatively quickly, in part due to the splint he gave her. Taking care to make sure that little of herself could be spotted, Astrid looked over the cliff side to see if she could see what Hiccup described. Sure enough, there was the arena, and it appeared that training hadn't started yet. Focusing a bit, she saw five Vikings in the cage, though none of them looked like Hiccup. It wasn't long until he arrived, though, being dragged by an older Viking.
Ok, let's see how well Hiccup is.
As the two neared the arena, Gobber finally let go of Hiccup, who had stopped resisting a good while ago, before he handed the heir a bucket full of water. Hiccup was briefly puzzled as to why he was handed this, but Gobber interrupted him before he could question him.
"Alright, Hiccup. The others already paired up, so you're being partnered with Snotlout today. Do your best, lad."
With that, Gobber gave Hiccup a pat on the shoulder, before shoving him into the ring, nearly making the teen spill his bucket. Hiccup was able to right himself just as the gate behind him slammed shut, and he headed towards the other teens, lining up next to a clearly displeased Snotlout.
"Hey, don't think just because Gobber made us partners for today that we're buddies. Don't get in the way, or I'll…"
The doors to the Zippleback's cell burst open with a cloud of green gas, causing Snotlout to jump. Moving quickly, the cousins reluctantly covered each other's backs, and Gobber began the day's lessons.
"Today is all about teamwork. Now, a wet dragon head can't light its fire. The Hideous Zippleback is extra tricky. One head breathes gas, the other head lights it. Your job is to know the difference between the two."
"Hiccup scanned the increasingly thick haze as best as he could. Snotlout, doing the same, couldn't help but complain about the situation." Soon enough, the arena was nearly dead silent.
A shriek pierced the silence, and Hiccup could tell that it was Fishlegs who made it. A yelp from Tuffnut followed suit, and it wasn't too long before shouts could be heard from the girls. Now, the arena was quiet again.
"Okay Hiccup, here's the plan…"
"What plan?"
"When we see that Zippleback, I'm going hit it with this bucket after soaking its head. And then… there!"
Hiccup turned just in time to see Snotlout toss water at one of the Zippleback's heads that had poked through the wall of gas. He was able to land a hit before the head moved out of Snotlout's reach and spewed gas all over him. A second head appeared from the fog and produced sparks in a menacing manner, causing the Viking to take a step back.
"Uhhhh… Sorry Hiccup, you're on your own!"
With that, Snotlout sped off towards the entrance, leaving Hiccup to fend for himself. The fog began to dissipate, allowing the heir to see the entirety of Zippleback as it approached him. Hiccup attempted to get the sparking head wet, but it was able to evade the attempt.
"Oh come on…"
The Zippleback made its move, advancing quickly and forcing Hiccup to stumble and fall. Gobber was quick to rush to his aid, though likely not quick enough. It didn't seem to matter, though, as Gobber noticed the green dragon suddenly flinch away from Hiccup.
"Alright, back! Don't even think about it!"
The Zippleback was making an attempt to strike at Hiccup again, but was repeatedly repelled by an unknown odor. As Hiccup was pacifying the beast, the rest of the trainees, as well as Gobber, looked on in astonishment, unable to figure out what they were looking at.
"Go on, then, back in the cage now!"
With everyone behind his back, Hiccup slipped out a familiar object. It was the eel that Astrid so feared.
Maybe it's a good thing I didn't get rid of that eel yet.
"Now think about what you've done..."
Having said that, Hiccup then tossed the eel in with the Zippleback just as the cell doors closed. He was about to head home for the day when he saw the shocked expressions on the other Vikings' faces. Frieda looked especially stunned.
"So, if there's nothing else, because I… have to go…
That was close, Hiccup…
Astrid didn't know what she expected to see happen down in the arena, though whatever it was, it wasn't that. In any case, she was glad that Hiccup kept the eel with him.
Did he do that on purpose? May have to ask him tomorrow…
Taking one last look down at the arena, she headed back to where she left the basket of fish Hiccup gave her. On her way there, her mind drifted back to the topic of wishes.
What do I wish for?
Ok, done for the day. Hopefully, I'll be able to make the next chapter a lot sooner.
This chapter, was interesting to say the least. Sooooo many things going on, with dragon training going on, more interactions between Astrid and Hiccup as well, and a bit from Toothless's point of view on the side.
Speaking of which, writing for Toothless was interesting, to say the least. I tried to write him in a different manner than the other characters, and there are numerous ways to take his character. I've seen other writers do everything from making him a glorified dog/cat to making him act like a person in a dragon's body. For this story, I'm trying to do something in between, probably best described as having the computational power of a human, but processes information like an animal. Don't know how well I did on that front, so I'll probably have to practice writing for Toothless on the side.
As always, writing the bits where Astrid and Hiccup speak to each other was a blast! Probably my favorite bit to come out of it was the whole "wish" topic. It wasn't something that was planned originally, but the topic of wishes might play a bit more of role now that I think about it. We'll have to wait and see how that turns out.
Now for Holiday stuff. First off, in addition to helping me with this chapter, Darkenn has also drawn a new pic of Astrid for the festivities. You can find a link in my profile page on this site.
Secondly, when I first set out to do this, I originally planned to do a Snoggletog-related chapter/special, but then... well, I hadn't gotten far enough to do that, so now comes a somewhat difficult choice. I can either wait till next year to do a special, regardless of whether I got far enough in the story, or when the story finally reaches the point to do so, I can write up a Snoggletog chapter, regardless of what time of year it is. I'm hesitant to make a poll for this, so let me know what you think either via PM or in your review for the chapter.
Anyhow, hoped you all enjoyed the holidays, and I wish you all a happy New Year!