A/N: You all have waited long enough. For anyone who is interested; I was actually not home. I don't know if I mentioned it before :P Now, finally being back, I am capable of working on this story again.
So firstly, and most importantly: a GREAT BIG THANK YOU to all of you who have faved, alerted and ESPECIALLY reviewed. I do like to remind you that it warms my heart and is the the main reason I want to continue with this story; because you prove your appreciation through a word or two, maybe, if you want to bless me, with more. And I take the time each of you spend to heart, seriously. So please, keep it up, make me smile so I can make you smile too :)
Thus, hoping you all had a great Christmas (if you celebrate such) and a wonderful start into the new year: ENJOY THIS CHAPTER!
P.S.: Loved to read all your speculations on the "intruder" - some of you guessed right! Read on to find out ;)
Perspectives
Hiccup froze completely; every organ and muscle in his body refusing to work. Toothless grew deadly still, too, large eyes forming slits.
The rider turned around with gradual, jittering movements, jade eyes searching in the gloom until they found a certain blonde Viking. She appeared anything but pleased; her eyes glowering, piercing his skin like indigo-dipped daggers.
Silence fell between them in which she gazed, rather sternly, not in shock, and he just waited for her to react towards the presence of Toothless. He expected a scream, an enlargement of the oculars, a stumble backwards; anything.
It did not come.
Instead, she continued with her disapproving scowl, arms crossed in front of her chest, "Are you practising or something? In the dark?" She frowned, lips turning into a sneer.
It dawned on Hiccup then that she could not actually see Toothless within the obscurity of the forest. Being a Night Fury, he was concealed. Never had Hiccup been more glad for the lack of strength in human senses than now; despite every childhood wish to hear, see and feel the world like a dragon.
"Oh, hey, Astrid! Hi, Astrid, hi...!" He bit his lips together, shaking his head innocently as he shrugged, "Erm..yeah! I-I was..training!" With his left palm, he pushed Toothless back, giving him a secret hand signal to sneak away before Astrid approached and actually realised Hiccup was standing in front of a Night Fury.
He knew for sure that she did not know what one of them looked like, but still. Running risks now was unwise. He was evidently a dragon, after all.
Toothless was anything but happy with the twist in events. To suddenly be driven back by his beloved rider just because some strange blonde approached; ugh. He knew though that there would be quite a tumult if he did not oblige, thus, with feline grace he slithered away and dashed through the forest.
"And who were you talking to?" She had an expression on her face as if she were observing two fish dressed like Vikings talking with each other.
"M-Myself!" He swung his arms leisurely, turning his body so that it now faced the warrior opposite of him. He internally sighed with relief when Toothless escaped unnoticed. Seemed the girl's sharp instincts were not quite as acute as she made them out to be, during training.
"Yourself?" She took a step closer.
"Yeah...I...talk to myself to remind me...of my training...techniques." He swung his hand around in the air as he explained himself.
Irked, Astrid imitated the gesture, "Training techniques?" There was a hint of mockery in her tone.
Hiccup nodded, feeling more nervous as the minutes ticked by. He knew he was shovelling his own grave; "What the Hel? Training techniques? For what? Seeing in the dark? Actually, that does not sound too stupid."
"Trying to hear it when dragons approach." Okay, that did not sound very intelligent, either.
Astrid shook her head, deciding she did not want to know what crazy antics this guy possessed, "Alright, well, that's not why I'm here."
The auburn-haired man nodded, awaiting for her to continue.
"What the hell was that at the academy? With the Nadder?" She got closer to him, a hand now resting on her hip as she tilted her body, accentuating her curves within the light of the fading sun. Hiccup gulped audibly.
She looked so terribly alluring then; her emphasized, smooth curves, toned stomach and nimble limbs, as well as those plump lips, forming a critical sneer, eyes so bright the sun would get jealous. Blonde hair wound itself like a halo around her head, framing it's soft shape.
"O-Oh that...that was just...you know. Dragon training." Once more, he gesticulated with his hands, shrugging and fumbling on his feet.
"And where did you learn that?" She was evidently sceptical of his testimony.
"Just...by watching other tribes fight dragons." Yikes. He bit his tongue. Other tribes?
Astrid must have read his thoughts, "Other tribes?"
"Yeah, Skeggi used to take me around sometimes when he ran errands here and there."
"The blacksmith?"
Hiccup nodded meekly.
"Alright...I get that you are a rather strange person. You don't want to tell me exactly where you learnt that...that...whatever it was you did at the academy. But heed my words, lanky boy," And finally she fully decreased the distance between their bodies as she raised herself on her toes to glance him in the face, stern and disapproving "I'm watching you."
Widening her eyes to strengthen her declaration, pupils shrinking, Astrid stepped down, spinning on her heel and marching off in the most Viking of manners.
As her silhouette faded within the distance, Hiccup audibly sighed in relief.
"That went...well."
Astrid's nerves were on the verge of exploding. She was sure they would shower the entire academy in her blood and boiling anger.
Well, was it anger?
The joke-of-a-Viking with his charming smirk and even more appealing complexions (forget you ever thought that, Astrid. That was just...sarcasm) stood there, his hand raised in front of him as he had the Gronckle wrapped around his tiny finger. Metaphorically speaking. It followed the hand, as if hypnotized, before falling to the ground, immobile.
He had been doing this all week long.
When she released the Terrible Terrors, two biting students into their noses, he had skipped to her side, stole her shield and knelt in front of the guys. Using the right angle of sunlight, he cast a shiny metal reflection onto the ground, guiding the creatures back into their cage.
When the Zippleback looked like it would shower Hiccup in gas and sparks, he pulled something long out of his leathery armour, dangling it in front of the being. Astrid could not exactly pinpoint what it had been due to the fog created by the Zippleback miasma; yet it caused the creature to hiss and cower backwards into its cage willingly.
Suddenly, Hiccup chucked a slimy fish at her feet; an eel.
"Eels. They don't like those." He nudged his nose towards said animal, before he left once more that day.
It had been pretty similar with the Hotburple, the Timberjack and even the Raincutter Astrid had so arduously captured not even five days ago during her beach treks. She had battled with everything she owned; trying to stay within the blind-spot, avoiding its attacks with athletic jolts and twists before she finally, finally had it ensnared with her bolas and could drag it back to Berk.
And this, this toothpick stood there, waving his hands like a maniac, stepping around the being with measured precision before it completely surrendered to him. During their evening sessions at the Great Hall, where Fishlegs spread his knowledge about dragons proudly with the help of his beloved Book Of Dragons, Hiccup proved no less pain up the backside.
"Whispering Deaths always hunt underground" Fishlegs explained as the other warriors concentrated on the depictions of said dragon in the book, "They have many rows of razor sharp teeth and are extremely lethal. They have a great sight, too, for they can-"
"They don't." Hiccup interrupted, standing at the back of the hall, sliding across the surface of a piece of wood with a dagger.
Fishlegs ceased his talk abruptly, frowning at Hiccup, "I beg your pardon?"
Astrid, who was next to Fishlegs, frowned too.
He righted himself, stepping into the candle-light, "They have bad sight, actually. That's why they keep underground. They hate the light." He leaned over a fellow Looting Liar, pointing to the picture of a Whispering Death, "Use a shield, reflect the light of the sun, like with Terrible Terrors. But instead, direct it onto them. They'll hiss and fly away."
He smirked; mainly at Astrid, for he, and she knew with certainty, enjoyed the fact that he astounded her with his unexpected, detailed knowledge.
She ground her teeth, growling in displeasure. Fishlegs was equally miffed, eyebrows furrowed as he leaned towards Astrid, "He seems like a know-it-all, doesn't he?" The boy uttered for only her ears to hear.
"Yeah...and I'm asking myself where he's got all the information from." She really wanted to know.
Especially after the Changewing incident.
"Changewings can camouflage into the background, hiding them from human eyes. You won't see them coming as they sneak around silently. And they spit acid." Astrid elaborated before she opened the gate and released their invisible foe.
The fighters scrambled about nervously, raising their shield and weapons and glancing around with increased apprehension. Every hiss and grumble made them jolt into the air.
"He's there!" one called, stabbing his sword in said direction just to collide with solid rock.
"No, here!" an axe was swung and hit wood, embedding itself deeply so that it took the fellow several seconds to jerk it free.
Astrid sighed, shaking her head. After everything they had taught them this passing fortnight, they still acted like helpless beginners. What had their chief been thinking when he announced the Looting Liars to come and train amongst the Hooligans? Their progress was near to none.
A volley of acid soared through the air, sizzling and gnawing at a crate in the corner. The wannabe-warriors yelped, staggering along the arena.
"Oh my gods, we cannot see them; how do we fight something like that!?" the one who had nearly been hit by the destructive fluids stuttered, arms shaking violently.
Astrid swirled her eyes. These Vikings trusted their sense of sight so much they would run off cliffs were they doomed to blindness. Every Viking warrior of the Hairy Hooligan tribe had learnt to stand still and hark. The slightest chunter was a dead give-away to the exact location of a Changewing. These volatile, aggressive reptiles then only needed a harsh blow to their elongated skulls and they would be done for.
Just as Astrid was about to retort all too smugly, Hiccup interrupted once more. He had a bucket in his hand, moved over towards the centre of the arena, and halted. He stood painstakingly still, nonchalant eyes gazing at the ground. Then, suddenly, surprising even her, he jerked and chucked the content of the bucket to his right.
It had been yellow paint. The dragon that cowered on top of a large wooden wall was now partially doused in the sticky substance, shaking its scales vehemently. Yet the dripping paint was not coming off, and took away its advantage of invisibility.
Hiccup's hand dashed forward, the dragon hissed, Astrid's peripherals enlarged once more, as they now adapted to do these past two weeks. He touched the underside of the dragon's maw before it collapsed at his feet. Yellow fluids soaked the ground.
"W-Wow Hiccup! I didn't know you were so talented!" another Looting Liar now ventured towards the beast, clapping Hiccup on the back.
The irony of it all was that not even Hiccup's fellow Vikings knew of his skill; he was a mystery, even to them. It was somehow unsettling.
"One impressive lad, ey?" Gobber surprised her when he approached from behind, twisting his stone tooth, "Skeggi warned me 'bout 'im, though I didn' wanna believe it. Thought a lad like 'im couldn't be worth much. How deceiving looks can be." He laughed haughtily, shaking his head afterwards, "An' he has quite the fan-club now, too!"
Astrid scowled some more, glancing around only to realise that, indeed, there was a group of younger girls gathered near the audience-area of the arena, giggling and throwing appreciating glances down at the auburn-haired man. He seemed oblivious to their presence.
The woman recognized them as Hairy Hooligans.
"Seems like rumour has spread." She muttered.
"Indeed. Won't be long an' alla Berk will be 'ere to see 'im in action." Gobber grinned, "Who would have thought?" With that, he shrugged and left.
That was it, Astrid decided. He was no longer going to humiliate her and all the other Berkians with his abstract skills and techniques whilst acting all mysterious and cunning about it. She would break through his secret once and for all; if he wanted to or not, was prepared or not.
Astrid was going to find out what cranky game this Hiccup was playing.
He exited the forge a handful of minutes before the dinner horn would resound through Berk. His hands were grimy with soot and dust, cuts decorating the tanned surface of his roughened skin. He scratched the scar underneath his lips as he trudged towards the hall.
Astrid scowled. Had he always missed his left leg? How come she never took notice of it until now? It was not something easily overseen, nor overheard, when metal clanked onto the ground and springs whined with movement. She guessed that due to the normality of Vikings missing a limb here and there that it was, in fact, a rare sight to see anyone without something lacking. Men and women with hook-hands or peg-legs were simply common on Berk. Still, now that her attention was focused on this lanky adult, things like these became a lot more noticeable.
She immediately questioned herself as to where he got the injury from; a dragon, most definitely, it was hardly anything else. Despite it all, she was sure that the story behind the loss of his leg withheld a more substantial, life-changing significance. Astrid wondered if, were she to ask, he would actually answer with honesty.
And that scar? A small, neat cut sliding halfway across his chin. Dark stubble gathered around the perimeter of it, causing the dead tissue to become all the more apparent. A laceration with a dagger, maybe? A stone having been chucked at his visage? A Nadder's quill only slicing by marginally?
Why did she have to speculate? What was it about this boy that had caused her to excoriate him so heavily since the first moment he decided to open his jaw and let mind-poking words exit on their own accord?
Astrid could not help it; within the last few weeks, Hiccup had gained her intrigue; he had secrets bouncing beyond natural Viking behaviour. He did not seem Viking at all.
His auburn tufts of hair glimmered in the evening sun as he took large steps towards the Great Hall. She saw him there, occasionally, munching on food solemnly before leaving with silent steps. He never sat with his fellow citizens; never exchanged words with anyone or seemed in any way social. He kept to himself, his face a single puzzle of thoughts.
Maybe he was contemplating new dragon-fighting strategies; how to immobilize these beings with swift movements of his appendages, not needing to touch them at all. How else he could embarrass Astrid in front of the masses of curious Vikings that now observed her training daily; earning himself equal amounts of zeal and confusion. Not even his own men were aware of how talented he apparently was. What kind of Viking did not share effective battling tactics with his own peers? Was he not interested in the safety and well-being of his tribe?
Suddenly, something about being a fatherless child and coming from gods-know-where crossed her mind in form of Gobber's voice rattling at the back of her conscience.
Just as he was about to ascend the steps towards the bulky wooden doors, Astrid interjected. She came out of her hiding spot behind a large boulder and some bushes and stepped in front of Hiccup, effectively hindering him from continuing on his path.
"Oh, hi Astrid." His lips twitched upwards, forming a genuine smile that, for a millisecond, caught Astrid off-guard. She felt her peripherals straining, heat accumulating in her freckled cheeks and eyebrows darting upwards. The feeling was fleeting, however, and she relaxed quite speedily.
"I need to talk to you." She finally spoke, words harsh and cutting.
"Again? You seem to enjoy hearing my voice." His sarcasm was warming up, she could tell.
"Don't dare flirt with me, Toothpick, it doesn't work."
"I know." Holding up his hands in defeat, the boy stepped back, obviously unperturbed.
"Who taught you how to battle dragons like that?" No point beating around the bush. Her hands flew to her hips, giving her stance a slight fierceness.
"Erm...I told you, some other tribes..." Hiccup began to shrug his shoulders, hands slack against his hips.
"Then how did you lose your left leg?" She cocked an eyebrow as his own oculars grew in size. Smirk; he obviously had not expected such a direct question.
"I...just...it's personal, really." The boy began to scratch at his mop of chestnut hair.
"And the scar?"
He frowned in response, not knowing what she was on about. A swift finger was raised to slide over the white protrusion at his chin. The very curt incidence had instantaneous effects.
Hiccup froze, a spark of electricity jolting through his body and rattling his spine at the contact of warm, subtle skin on his own. Never had he expected for Astrid to initiate physical contact with him. It was something out of a daydream, really, and his mind went wild with all sorts of idiotic, wannabe scenarios.
For Astrid, the tickle of wispy, prickling hair and chiseled jaw on skin had something heart-quickening about it. She could hear the thrumming of her treacherous organ within her ribcage. Her head throbbed with the sound of her pulse.
She chastised herself internally; this was absurd. The touch of male flesh should not arouse her like that. Whenever she touched anyone else this feeling never occurred; despite it being the first time she poked a guy's face. Excluding her father's.
"T-That? Ah, well, you see. It's just...an accident, really."
Her arched brow spoke the inquiry without words.
"Just..." and he decided it was a good time to flash his hands around, as per usual, "Me, a dagger, some practice and a lot of clumsiness." He lied efficiently, yet Astrid saw through it. Anyone else would shrug and accept the predication; but she was not anyone.
His eyes were flicking about restlessly, looking at anything but her. She knew the sheen of liquid coating his skin could be due to the smouldering work at the forge, but it could also be a tell-tale sign of nervousness.
"Why don't I believe you?" She uttered with a cold clarity, ending the sentence with a soft curl of the final word on her tongue.
Hiccup finally redirected his orbs towards her, inspecting their mesmerizing cerulean hue. She held that aquamarine gaze of his with a tightness, both battling for control and superiority within this conversation.
"I don't know, Astrid, why don't you?" His voice became hushed like hers. The girl wondered what pathetic, mind-deceiving game he was playing.
However, all he could think about was how menacingly close she all of a sudden stood. Had she not noticed how she shuffled forwards with every term he stuttered? Her face was inches apart from his, soft locks of gold twisting over her right eye. Those lips were beckoning him again, just like in his fantasies, glistening with moisture. He imagined a scenario wherein he would swoop down and claim them, pinching their soft texture between his teeth. She would moan in response, of course, and not punch him a step closer towards death like in reality.
"What is it you are hiding?" Her voice was silken, despite all the anger and bluntness she talked with.
"I don't hide anything." Never had he been more thankful that no stutter escaped his mouth this time round.
Another handful of silence ensued, both parties keeping the staring-contest alive and kicking.
The taller Viking fought back the urge to squirm, battling with himself that no, blushing now would not be good. It would be treacherous.
Treacherous to himself, his ordeals interlaced with his ambitions, and to Tooth-
Toothless!
He hearkened, realising that he had forgotten to meet up with the scaly reptile like he usually did at this hour. Alright, gaping-time was over. He had to get away from Astrid.
"Look, I find it more than flattering that a wonderful personality such as yours has taken interest in my being, but I have places to be, and things to do. So if you would please excuse me?" He took a step around her body, ready to dart off into the hall before he would lose her in the masses, just to exit again silently and head towards their hideout (a different one from their original meeting place. Astrid had discovered that one, after all).
"Where does someone like you have to be?" She barked, confused all of a sudden.
Hiccup stiffened, "Well, I have hobbies too you know. Besides dragon...observing and stuff. See you." He darted up the stairs, cursing his prosthetic as it slowed him down.
Astrid spun with a glower, not believing her predicament. She jogged up the stone slabs herself, soon catching him near the entrance. Her hand grasped his shoulder, swivelling him towards her. Withal the sonorous chatter coursing through the room, she spoke as if they were still alone, standing at the bottom of the building where quietude reigned, "Answer me, Hiccup!" She was anything but merry.
"I cannot hear you!" He responded, howbeit he could.
The taller Viking tried to pull himself away, wanting to continue deeper into the crowds but Astrid's grip was firm and relentless. Her scowl said it all.
"Astrid," and he suavely took her hand which was unwaveringly latched onto his shoulder into his, smiling his crooked smile at her. He felt nauseatingly nervous, but bit it back, "I really do appreciate your attention. Nothing is more complimenting than gaining the interest of an as astounding woman as you, but I don't have time." With that, he let her hand go and jogged away, lost between countless numbers of hulking Vikings.
The blonde's expression turned a horrifying shade of crimson, eyes bulging out of their sockets. Had he just...? Yes, he had. And then...? Oh gods, he did. The flustered, fluttering feeling inside her belly dispersed after a long moment of utter shock and twisted into raw, frothing rabidness.
The nerve...
The nerve!
Who did he think he was!?
Well, that was exactly what Astrid was now adamant about revealing. No excuses taken.
A/N: Wahaa! Of course it was Astrid! Mind you, could've been anyone else. But don't we love Astrid and Hiccup interacting like this? ;D Astrid's perspective on Hiccup is gradually...well changing. And Hiccup is being as charming as ever, without really realising it. Nonetheless, Astrid is getting dangerously close to discovering his secret. That much I shall tell you. But what will happen then? Anyone want to guess what'll happen next? Astrid's next move, or if she will find out about Toothless yet, or not? And her reaction? Don't forget, this is TWENTY year old Astrid having grown up all different. In the same kind of scenario, what will her actions and responses be? TELL ME! I'd so love to hear, I really enjoy reading your reviews, it's the most fantastic thing, honestly. I grin like an idiot. So bless me please with some wonderful words from you, and I shall do my best to deliver the next update ASAP.
UNTIL THEN!