A/N: for all of you who read "Where No One Goes" - I know I promised an update a bit earlier here, but you wouldn't believe how much has happened in like, a week. So much stuff is going on in my life I barely know what to do first and last. But now I finally found time to go over this chapter and hand it to you!
I really, REALLY enjoyed reading your theories about to how Astrid will react when she discovers Hiccup's secret. I have written a rough draft of that scene, which ended up super long, which I still have to work over. I will say some of you speculated quite accurately - as in, the way I would/will make her respond. It will have a lot of feels for sure. Tense feels.
In this chapter we really have a build-up of tension between Hiccup and Astrid. Things are getting pricklier. I am probably teasing you all and you might be annoyed by the end of this chapter - buuut, I like build-up, so please bear with me! Things are going to change drastically soon!
Until then, enjoy!
Hide And Seek
The cove was a beautiful little stretch of glistening, heaven-dyed water in form of a pond, dotted with mossy boulders and some grassy and muddy landscape. A few trees protruded from the earth, fish sprang around blissfully, birds chirred as if the world could not get any better. It was tranquil and elegant, especially devoid of human presence, which meant it was the perfect hiding spot.
In many ways, it reminded Hiccup of the cove where he had rediscovered Toothless after he had shot him down, and the being had burnt off his leg. Only was it bigger – far bigger.
Green stalks of grass crunched underneath his boot and prosthetic as he clambered down into the serene setting. Viridian eyes scanned the surrounding, listening to a lullaby of chirping birds more intensely as he tried to pinpoint if his dragon was anywhere near, without said being announcing himself.
Suddenly, his retinas detected a large lump of charcoal hanging by a tree like a curled up bat in a cave. Chartreuse oculars opened up wide, wings spreading lethargically as one very tired Night Fury peeked over towards Hiccup. He cooed at the sight.
"Hey there bud." He smiled in return, and before he realised it, Toothless slid down the tree, landing on his paws before he bolted over towards Hiccup.
Calloused fingers came to stroke smooth scales, scratching Toothless underneath his chin just the way he adored. The dragon warbled merrily, delicately flapping his wings.
"Alright, let's go take you on your well-deserved evening flight." The auburn-haired boy clambered onto his saddle, positioning his prosthetic just in time as the reptile launched into the air. A good ten feet later and he flapped his wings, tail-fin adjusted to catch the drift and allow both rider and dragon to rise with the current.
It never grew old; the thrill of splashing winds that assaulted skin and eyes and hair and tore at him, as if desiring nothing but to hinder the boy from accelerating. The whole challenge of fighting against the forces that pull one down, and the gusts that push one back, made flying a competition.
Not a strenuous competition; a livening one. Usually, Hiccup hated competition, but not even he could deny the joyous feeling of winning against the powers of nature. It allowed for surges of adrenaline to course through him, causing spots to temporarily dance in front of his vision and for the air to pierce his lungs, crisp and clear.
He felt alive and free. Nothing could hurt him up here, except an enemy dragon with an especially antagonistic blast of flames or whatnot, maybe. But even that had a driving-force of its own. It tickled Hiccup's stomach, prickling across his skin, crawling past his nape, making every sense more acute.
Toothless glided across the tree-tops, swerving right and left every now and then. Hiccup tilted with him, perfectly balanced, pressing the pedal down whenever necessary so they both did not plummet into misery. Soon, the endless expanse of water known as the sea outstretched in front of them. New air, smelling of aquatic animals and salt and freedom intoxicated his nostrils. Toothless stooped, dipping low, before ascending again with a nice swerve. The sudden movement made Hiccup yell elatedly.
"Let's try the flight suite again, bud." Hiccup now interjected, plucking his helmet from a saddle at the side and gliding it over his face. Toothless evidently rolled his eyes, slitted pupils anything but amused by the idea. He felt a rumble underneath him, "Oh come on, baby-boo, don't be a spoil sport!" Swinging his left lobe up, he smacked his rider into the biceps, "Alright alright! Fly closer to land, that way you'll be sure I won't drown."
Seemingly more pleased with that idea than the other, Toothless spiralled through a cottony display of clouds, moisture stroking his skin with loving coolness. They made a mad dash for the forests where they just came from, and suddenly Hiccup shuffled, now standing on top of the saddle.
With a jolt, he was airborne; a funny contraption activated at his chest, causing dragon-like wings to pop out underneath his elbows and a fin at his back.
The boy found himself gliding in front of the Night Fury, who shot plasma blasts underneath his body to allow the heat which emitted to pull him up.
"This is the feeling!" Hiccup roared, so much energy streaming through his system that it was dazzling and dizzying and suddenly all of it felt like it could not last long enough as he descended gradually.
The tree-tops approached, gaining in size, leaves and pines becoming all the more definable. "Okay...oookay..." Hiccup realised that landing would be a subject not worth considering, for it would go anything but smooth and he could not evade that fate. The first few branches scratched his leather suite, tickling his face as his velocity increased, "Toothless!"
The dragon, whose tail-fin the boy had adjusted to automatic, warbled after him, flapping vehemently to get to his rider and protect him from the onslaughter of bark and chlorophyll. Yet his timing lacked; Hiccup sunk with a sudden drop, a splintering cacophony of wood and human resonating through the forests as he crashed to the ground rather pathetically.
Hiccup tried to catch himself with a roll, allowing for his body to stay intact, minus a few scratches here and there. Toothless landed afterwards, roaring with worry, pouncing towards his rider.
"Don't worry, bud, it's okay." He shook leaves from his hair and flapped his makeshift wings to get rid of the grime. Patting his trousers and knocking on his chest, he seemed as good as fixed.
"Hiccup!" Oh shit.
"Toothless, go!" The Night Fury glowered in his reptilian way once more as he retreated begrudgingly. What was it with the blonde and her knack for his rider, anyway?
Hiccup had but time to right himself as she stood opposite him, her trademark frown etched into her face, indigo eyes scowling critically, "What are you doing out here!? I heard you yelp and...crash or something."
Said boy grimaced. Yelp? Not the most manly of terms, "I was...just...messing about."
Obviously he was. When did he not?
"You missed the dragon training earlier. I thought you'd want to throw in your dispensable comments as per usual." She spoke with dryness.
Hiccup shrugged, "Nah, thought I'd give you a rest from me for once. Cannot always correct your mistakes, milady." He grinned, and she creased her eyebrows all the more.
He really did wonder if she knew what a smile looked like, and if she had ever tried it.
"Milady?" Astrid seethed.
"Well, you are a lady, right?" Any other woman would have found it complimentary, but Hiccup forgot that Astrid was far from any other woman.
"Listen, you-" She cut herself off after she inched closer, noticing the peculiar leather flaps at his armpits as well as the fin sticking out of his back, "What..." She stepped right up to him, one brow now cocked in mystification, "Is that?" Her fingers tugged at the fabric, testing its sturdiness.
Hiccup groaned inwardly, lamenting his idiotic predicament. He should have listened to Toothless, or his mother, who told him that flying was for the dragons and the birds, not for the humans.
"Just...an experiment."
Her highly sceptical mind added a thought to it, and she could not help but word it out loud, "You are weird. I mean, weirder."
"I guess..." A flush crept along his cheeks, making him scratch the nape of his neck sheepishly, "Just...dragon stuff."
"It's always dragon stuff with you. I want answers, Toothpick. Stop running away like a coward." Astrid spat.
At this he glared, "I'm not a coward, but unlike with you, the answer to every question is not my axe." He bit his tongue. Had he really just said that to Astrid Hofferson!?
He was in for Hel. And that from the girl he would rather kiss senseless right now. After all, her lips...
Her fist was raised as she neared, holding it dangerously close, most likely ready to lunge but a coo in the distance distracted her. She halted, listening up, her head swerving to the right.
Was that...?
"Did you hear that?" She whispered.
"N-No...?" Hiccup raised both palms and carefully trudged backwards, already fearing the outcome of his...debacle.
Another silent chunter, mixed with a hiss, "There's something out there." She turned to inspect the depths of the looming forests, concentration all marred on her face.
Knowing that the direction she was headed would lead her towards the cove, Hiccup stepped forward, "Wait!" He called, but she easily ignored his lament.
Daring himself to be as brave, or impulsive, or idiotic, as earlier, the boy flashed in front of Astrid now, determination flaring up, "Stop!" His voice was levelled, yet stern, and something about the authority with which he spoke reminded her briefly of their chief.
"What!?"
"Go back, Astrid." It came as a demand, a premise somewhere hidden underneath it all.
She sneered, however, "And why should I?"
"Because you are not ready yet." Her glower returned, everything about this boy irritating her to a point of no toleration.
"Listen up, Toothpick, I-" But the roar recurred, and Astrid's attention was diverted for long enough that Hiccup managed to escape into the darkness of the surrounding trees without her realising it.
When she wanted to continue her banter, he was simply gone.
It was during their third week on Berk that she nearly caught him.
Nearly.
Sometimes Astrid liked to believe Loki was clinging to her back. It would explain her bout of bad luck lately.
Their training that day involved a very complicated dragon breed; one that was anything but easy to battle, of the tidal class and rather grand in size.
"A Scauldron." Astrid pronounced, a hand sitting on her hip elegantly, causing not only Hiccup to flush with slight apprehension, "These guys, as you know from yesterdays lecture, spit boiling water at their enemy's face. They are malicious, and very hard to battle."
Hiccup snorted, arms crossed in front of his chest as he stood at the upper level of the academy to observe today's training as per usual. It was the first time Astrid involved an aquatic dragon into their training, which somewhat irked the auburn-haired adult. Why only now? After a little more than three weeks of training.
She must have had her reasons, he presumed, shrugging nonchalantly as he kept his watch. The oversized, verdigris being swerved its head around miserably, the sack of frothing water at its throat bobbing around. It was nervous. Hiccup took a closer look and was capable of identifying the creature as a female.
His fellow Vikings took on their usual positions within the arena, skittering around timidly as the Scauldron decided whom to scald first.
This one had been harder on Hiccup, Astrid noted. When the Scauldron swamped the entire academy in steaming liquids, roaring as a warning not to approach it, and he skipped down to magically entrance the monster, he was kicked away rudely by its right wing.
Hiccup crashed to the ground, sliding across its boiling wetness before he finally came to a halt. He grasped the back of his head, groaning in minor pain, "You're feisty, I get it. Most likely have kids that you were separated from." He mumbled, yet Astrid could not detect any of it. She only saw his lips move on their own accord, frowning and wondering what it was he had said.
Deciding to act herself, the blonde Viking hurdled along, her axe raised as a threat towards the turquoise beast, "Show no fear!" Astrid bellowed, swinging the hostile blade towards its neck.
Of course, as had been the case since three weeks, nothing went according to her plan. Hiccup flung himself against Astrid, slamming her towards the ground just in time before seething fluids shot through the arena. He tumble-rolled, much to her surprise seeing as he only had one proper leg, snatching a bucket of water from the side-lines.
Astrid frowned. Was he intending on drowsing the dragon? He did know it was tidal, right? How pathetic, seemed like the grand connoisseur of dragons, Hiccup The Toothpick was not as knowledgeable as he desired to be-
The contents of the bucket were flung above his head, his hair suddenly sticking to his forehead and cheeks as he dripped with freezing water.
Her team-mates would have laughed out loud, she knew. Snotlout would have pointed and hollered, Fishlegs rubbing tears from his eyes and the twins not being patient enough to await his deadly blow. They would all be nearly as astonished as she became within the next second.
The Scauldron turned, twisting its head so that it was available for Hiccup to caress, which he did.
"Alright girl...let's get you out of here." He saw the chain that was slung around her little hind leg, tying her tightly to the cage she was doomed to live in until death approached her. Hiccup protruded a small, tuned Snaptrapper tooth – knowing it was extremely sharp, as he began to saw at the chains. With a little patience, the metal cracked and broke, falling apart. The Scauldron was free.
"Go!" He whispered harshly before the dragon roared and jolted into the sky, swinging her wings and gliding away.
Everyone stood once more, paralysed on the spot as they observed the massive behemoth depart.
"What...?" Someone muttered, trailing off.
"Did anyone get bitten?" Hiccup inquired as he turned to look everyone in the eye, including Astrid.
They all shook their heads.
"Good, because contrary to common belief, Scauldrons are poisonous." He shook himself, droplets of cool water spraying everywhere as he made his way out of the academy.
Astrid, who watched as Fishlegs approached with a curious expression, grabbed his buff arm and told him to take over training; let Hiccup believe she was still busy, when, in reality, she was not.
Silent, stealthy steps were taken as her keen eyes focused on the back of his receding figure. She had gained herself a lot of praise due to her mute advances on dragons, assaulting them from behind without them noting she was there. Of course, when enemy Vikings attacked it was even more useful. That was, however, a rarer circumstance. The Outcasts themselves had too many dragon raids to deal with that there seemed simply no time to mind the Berkians.
Hiccup stopped abruptly, glancing left and right before his hand dove into a pocket of his leather trousers. He rummaged for something, protruding a small, rectangular item. He fiddled with it for several seconds before it sprang up and a volley of hideous, fuming gas exited, clouding him.
Astrid jumped up, fearing that the boy had found out she was stalking him. As rapidly as she knew only a Deadly Nadder to fly she sprinted along, hoping to catch him before he was gone.
However, as the strange miasma dispersed she found herself alone in a street between two Viking huts. Her eyes spun around ferociously, concentrating on the tiniest slither of reddish hair to give away Hiccup's presence. Thankfully, the gods were merciful and rewarded her with a glimmer in the distance.
Near the edge of the forest, where he seemed to go a lot for some strange, curious reason, he stood, entering in between the cluster of pines.
Astrid's smirk returned to her lips as she dashed with full force towards the woods. He would not lose her so easily this time.
She had to control her breathing a lot, and make sure she did not overhaul him as he seemed to slow down every now and then. Azure irises were concentrated solemnly on his presence; no matter what disturbance now occurred, she would not, under any circumstance lose track of the Toothpick.
He took a turn, hobbled over a boulder, ducked below some branches and waded trough two bushes and then a tree popped up, him rounding the perimeter when he-
He was gone.
Gone.
Astrid stood, full with puzzlement, on the other side of the tree. She swirled around it several times, eyes flipping madly around, but he was not here. He had magically outdistanced her. As if smoke had gathered around his physique and swallowed him whole. She could not even hear him.
Astrid fumed, roaring like an aggravated Nadder, a fist smacking the innocent bark of the tree as she ground her teeth unforgivably. So close. She had been so close.
For the cove was only a few feet from there.
A/N: So close, Astrid, so close!
I will let you know you that Astrid is soon going to turn the tides, and Hiccup will not be pleased. He will find himself in a seriously difficult predicament. Anyone wanna guess what Astrid will do to "lure Hiccup out" into her trap? I would love to hear in a review!
On that wonderful note I want to thank each and every one of you for your continued support. For all who have freshly joined; WELCOME ABOARD! If you would be so beautiful and leave me a review to show your appreciation and motivate my easily demotivated heart to continue, I'd be eternally thankful! A WORD WOULD DO! It's the act that speaks volumes. Of course, reading your amazing speculations is fantastic. LOVE YOU ALL!