A/N: Well guys ... seeing as this story is doing so well, I will plan on making a sequel once it's done. Great news right!? :D
But it does come at a cost. You know my other story, Rider Vs. Conqueror? I'll be taking that one down because the sequel will be the second movie basically, but with some slight differences and other characters, and that's what Rider Vs. Conqueror is. Ripper and Heather will carry on into the sequel as well for those who were wondering.
The reason I'm thinking about this is, well, this story is doing extremely well THANKS to YOU GUYS ... and it deserves a sequel. But because it'll be similar to my other HTTYD story, it makes Rider Vs. Conqueror redundant ... in my opinion.
I just wanted to know what you guys think about that. If that's the case, I will be taking those chapters (not copying them) but changing the lines and ideas a bit.
So what do you guys think? I'm still thinking about it and am not completely sure of it. But if I were to make a sequel, it would involve being along the lines of the second HTTYD 2. Also since Rider Vs. Conqueror is a bit off from HTTYD 2 and some of my representations of the characters aren't that exact.
So please PM me or leave your answer in the review.
Also guys, I want to warn you that I won't be updating from July 5th - July 18th because I'll be on vacation. Sorry about the inconvenience.
This was a sight she never expected to see in her lifetime. A Night Fury sitting by the hearth like an overgrown dog and a branded traitor and outcast, as well as secret lover, talking with her mother in the kitchen. And to top it all off, her father, an extremely overprotective man of his family, a respected dragon killer, and a stickler for traditions, was allowing this to happen right in front of her.
"Am I in the right house?" she asked, gesturing to everything happening in front of her. If she thought she was speechless, she couldn't even begin to imagine what her two younger brothers were thinking. They were busy peeking out at her sides, terrified to show themselves to the dragon that was eyeing them curiously. In their minds, they thought he was thinking of ways to take them down and eat them.
"Yes dear, you are. Boys, the dragon won't attack you" their father said, getting up and walking towards them. Astrid shook her head a few times and went inside, walking to the kitchen to see her mother and Hiccup. The boys were at first scared that their only cover against the dragon walked away but quickly took refuge in front of their father, who was blocking Toothless' view of them.
"He won't you" their father comforted, walking behind them and giving them a slight push inside the house, closing the door swiftly behind him.
"But what if he wants to eat us?" Rolof asked, still staying close to his father. Toothless snorted, disgusted at the thought as he turned away his head from them.
"Humans are relatively disgusting to eat ... I just know that from a few other dragons, not from first hand"
"Whispering Deaths?" Hiccup asked.
"Yeah"
"Who are you talking to?" asked Ingrid.
"To Toothless, and before you ask, yes I can talk to dragons" Hiccup replied. He couldn't help but be amused at the faces all the Hoffersons adorned, except for Astrid. He would never get tired of saying that to people.
"And what about the Whispering Deaths?" asked Astrid, standing by Hiccup and her mother.
"When your brother asked if he would eat them, he said that humans are disgusting as a food source ... and immediately said that he heard it from other dragons and that he has and never will try to eat a human" Hiccup replied.
"Too bad ... I was wondering how to get rid of my brothers" Astrid said, casting an evil glance to her pale brothers, who even paled more after she said that since, to them, she clearly had some sort of relationship with Hiccup. "Wait, doesn't Ripper have a Whispering Death?" she asked, while looking at her brothers.
"Oh yeah, he does ... funny story actually, Whispering Deaths love to have their mouth and teeth cleaned, so the first time Ripper did it, he found a skeleton of forearm in his mouth, lodged between a few teeth. When I said that 'Looks like Whispering Deaths have a taste for human flesh' and only then did we realize we were standing in front of Bladewing, his dragon, and we couldn't help but feel terrified when we looked into his opaque eyes, knowing he had eaten a person before" Hiccup said laughing. Astrid laughed a bit as well, imagining that memory right now.
"Here that guys ... I don't think Ripper's dragon will mind having another human or two" she said sweetly and her brothers further hid themselves behind their father. Hiccup didn't really understand the effect he was having on the young boys until he turned and saw them, pulling their father along as they moved away from Toothless. That's when he realized they weren't like Astrid and didn't understand dragons.
"Sorry! Sorry guys! I didn't mean it like that ... only a few dragons would even think about eating a person. Ripper's dragon doesn't do that anymore. He said he only did it once and he was starving and I mean starving ... turned out it was the worst decision of his life since it gave him indigestion" he chuckled, along with Astrid.
Seeing the two boys still hiding behind Arnbjorn, he sighed and walked up to them. He knelt down, peeking around the legs of their father, "Guys he won't harm you ... trust me" he said reaching a hand out.
"No! Why should we trust you?" said Gaulder.
"Yeah, you're a traitor and outcast of Berk" said Rolof.
"Boys!" Arnbjorn yelled, grabbing the attention of everyone. Hiccup looked around and saw Mr. Hofferson might have beaten Astrid to the scolding, although he suspected his scolding wouldn't involve any fists.
"We do not use or direct that kind of language to any guest who enters this house, understand!?" he yelled, turning to face them.
"Mr. Hofferson, it's quite alright. They didn't mean anything by it" Hiccup tried to persuade him. He didn't like seeing children punished or scolded.
"With all do respect, Hiccup ... I do not tolerate that kind of behaviour in this house and especially from my kids" he said sternly, turning his gaze back to his sons. "Apologize to Mr. Haddock and mean it" he said. Astrid knew that tone, granted she was hardly on the receiving end of it but she knew he wouldn't continue unless what he demanded was done. Given this situation and what her brothers said, she couldn't agree more. It's not like she doesn't like to see her brothers in trouble, which she actually does, she couldn't believe they said that to Hiccup, even when her parents were treating him kindly and all that sentence and punishment nonsense was forgotten.
"I'm waiting" he said, tapping his foot and folding his arms. Hiccup looked from Arnbjorn to the two boys were desperately trying not meet his gaze.
"I'm sorry" Rolof mumbled.
"What was that?" his father asked again, raising an eyebrow.
"I'm sorry Hiccup ... I shouldn't have said that" he repeated loudly this time, for everyone to hear. Hiccup smiled kindly at him, placing a hand on the small boy's shoulder.
"It's quite alright, actually. You wouldn't believe what others were saying during my travels" he said, getting a small laugh out of the ten year old as well.
"Gaulder" Arnbjorn said, waiting for his eldest son to apologize.
"I'm sorry too, okay? I didn't mean anything by it" he said, looking at Hiccup and then his father. Hiccup nodded in reply, even though he didn't like being put under the spotlight. They're just children and are still growing up in a society of dragon killers and have absorbed what their parents and their friends have said about dragons. It'll take time for them to trust dragons completely.
"Good, I hope I won't hear or see behaviour like that again" said Arnbjorn, walking to the kitchen.
"If it helps them I'll go back out, I don't mind" Toothless growled, surprising the boys a bit who darted for the kitchen.
"What did he say?" Astrid asked, joining Hiccup.
"He said he could go out if it makes your brothers feel more comfortable"
Arnbjorn looked at Hiccup rubbing the dragon's snout and saw the Night Fury purring and pushing against Hiccup, obviously asking for more attention. He still found it hard to believe that Hiccup could talk to dragons, but decided to believe it for now until further proof could be gathered. "No, like you, he's a guest in this house ... and I can't believe I just said that" he muttered while laughing, as were the others.
"You're already rubbing off on my dad" Astrid whispered.
"Your brothers don't seem to like me very much" he said as he sat down on one of the large chairs in the room, only enough for two people to sit on.
"It's quite odd ... they're usually ecstatic to meet someone new and show them a hard time" she said, sitting down beside him. "By the way, I'm sorry they said that to you. My parents definitely taught them better than that."
"It's quite alright. Besides, it isn't like some of the names people have called me over the years like 'Ye son of a whore' and" he whispered the rest to her in her ear and she couldn't help her eyes nearly double in size at the names they called him.
"If they called me any of those, I would have cut their tongue off faster than a Speed Stinger could run" she said pulling back.
"Well, I had around fifteen years to build up a tolerance to names so it wasn't much of a big deal ... besides, it was fun making them angry" he said with a laugh.
"Well no offense, but you can be annoying"
"Well it's a trait I'm proud to have" he said, leaning back on the couch, stretching his arms and then allowing them to fall against the top of the backboard.
"That's going to be a problem living with" she said, also settling into the couch.
"Oh come on, I'm funny 'annoying', not irritating 'annoying'" she said, emphasizing with his hands.
"You have to refrain from shaking your hands and shoulders"
"Why?"
"Because you look like this" and proceeded to imitate him, shaking and bouncing her shoulders, the her metal shoulder guards clanging around and her fur hood bouncing about as well.
"I do not look like that when I talk and make gestures" he complained.
"You just did!" she said, struggling to hold back her laughter.
"Toothless, do I look like that when I talk or make gestures?" he asked, and Astrid did them once more to make her point.
"It's like looking in a mirror"
"He said that I don't look like that" he replied, folding his arms. Toothless snorted in disagreement and looked away.
"Okay, even I can tell he disagrees with you" she laughed, punching him lightly in the shoulder.
"So much for dragon loyalty" he muttered under his breath, furthering Astrid's laugh attack and even getting, what seemed like laughing, out of Toothless. Meanwhile, Arnbjorn and Ingrid were watching the two of them with interest as they set up the table.
"He makes her laugh ... a genuine laugh at that" she whispered. "He also seems to understand how she acts and goes along with it and I know you've been paying attention to one specific action he hasn't even done"
"What?" he asked.
"Not once has he had his eyes on her body ... not 'checking her out' as the teens these days call it. He's always maintained eye contact and gives her his full attention, and you've observed that as well" she said.
"It's clear to me that you want Hiccup to marry her."
"Maybe, Arnbjorn, maybe ... the only reason I think that is because I want a man who treats our daughter with respect, always pays his full attention to her when she needs it and most importantly, a man she will not regret waking up to every single morning for the rest of her life."
"At least we've taught her to beat the crap out of anyone who tries and take any advantage of her" he remarked, placing the dish which held the four smoked cod, with some vegetables placed around them, and a separate bowl for the honey glazed vegetables.
"And Hiccup marrying Astrid might be better for Snotlout himself ... poor lad won't be able to sleep in the same bed as her, she'll make that clear from day one" she said, laughing a bit, but then her expression turned serious. "But do you want that happening every single day with Snotlout? Or never with Hiccup?" her question left him pondering.
He didn't have much time though as she had set the six plates for them and called them in for dinner. Rolof and Gaulder rushed right in, taking their seats at the table, next to each other while Astrid took Hiccup's arm and led him over. They both sat opposite to her brothers while her parents sat the ends of the table.
"Now before we get started, remember we have to say the blessing" Arnbjorn said. "It's your turn today Astrid" he said. Hiccup was aware of the customs and blessings, although this was the first time he's seen a family from Berk do that. But he wasn't as surprised since it was the Hofferson family as they are extremely devout people. They all bowed their heads, crossed their hands, letting them rest on the edge of the table and closed their eyes, waiting for Astrid to speak.
"Lord Odin and Lady Freya, We give our greetings to thee. Please Bless this bounty set here before us And enjoy this good food with us As we do enjoy it. Hail and love to Thee"
All: "Hail and Love to Thee"
"Hiccup has the pleasure of starting off since he's our guest" Ingrid said, moving the cod dish closer to him.
"Thank you ... wow, it smells incredible Mrs. Hofferson" he said, taking in a deep breath of the home cooked meal. She smiled at the excitement in his eyes as he cut out a decent size chunk from the first fish and placed it on his plate. He then slid the dish over to Astrid for her pick and he received the bowl of the honey glazed vegetables.
"Been a while since you had some home cooked food?" she asked.
"You could say that ... it was mostly either plane meals, or a fish on a spit cooking over a fire. It's been a good year since the last time I had a meal like this" said Hiccup, cutting up his fish and taking the first bite. He couldn't help but smile heavenly as he felt all the flavours of the herbs and spices Mrs. Hofferson used, the smokey texture of the meat and the way the fish seemed to melt in his mouth.
"I take it you like it?" Ingrid asked, amused by his reaction to her cooking.
"Like is an understatement ... I've never had fish like this" he said, hungrily taking a second bite. Ingrid smiled in reply. She'd never met anyone who patronized her cooking.
"Luckily Ingrid over here cooked an extra fish" Arnbjorn laughed as he served himself a huge piece.
"What did you eat normally?" Rolof asked, with his mouthful and the bits of chewed fish partly visible.
"Didn't you learn to keep your mouth closed while eating?" Astrid asked. Rolof quickly shut his mouth and resumed chewing.
"Wow, that 's a first" she said, looking over her brother as if he wasn't the same.
"What is it?" asked Hiccup.
"He actually listened to me ... we should have you here more often for him to behave" she said, giving him a glance before taking a bite from her piece. Her comment got everyone at the table, except for Rolof, laughing.
"Answering your question, Rolof ... I never had anything like this. On Sharkslane I usually had my meals from their Meade Hall and only on a few occasions did I accept people's invitations to join them for dinner. I usually had those dinners with Chief Treeroot, his wife, daughter and Ripper. But apart from those few days, I usually had my meals in the Hall. And when I left them a year ago to go ... exploring" he looked to Astrid she could tell by his eyes that he didn't want to give the real reason why he left and she understood completely "...and during that whole year I was content with just roasting a fish over a spit, cooking meat without garnishing herbs or spices on it ... just normal food to keep my hunger satisfied ... nothing like this" he said gesturing to the fish and vegetables in front of him.
"You lived on your own for a whole year?" asked Arnbjorn.
"Yeah, I traveled to a far land east from here, near the Last Frontier village. It was only accessible by dragon and I built my house in a Cove that's bigger than Raven Point here on Berk. I visited the village only when I needed supplies and I traded a few items I crafted for food and money. It was extremely peaceful" he said.
"How big was your new home?" asked Gaulder.
"Was it like Chief Stoick's house or much much bigger?" Rolof asked.
"It was nearly three times bigger" he answered. Rolof and Gaulder's mouths hit the table while Arnbjorn and Ingrid stopped eating and stared at him with shocked expressions. Astrid was the only one who didn't react and they couldn't help but giggle like children seeing their expressions.
"Nearly three times bigger? And you lived all alone in that house?" Arnbjorn asked.
"Well, I had Toothless there with me, and he was the main reason why I made the house extremely big. So he could jump about on the rafters, have his own personal room, although he always slept near me ... but I made one room my personal forge. It would get extremely hot so I had build a lot windows in that room to cool it, plus it took me a good week to construct the room with large rocks since wood would not be suitable."
"Were there any dragons in the area?" Ingrid asked.
"There were tonnes ... species that I've never seen before" Astrid exclaimed. "It all looked so ... peaceful and serene, to be honest. The time I was there, Hiccup introduced me to the dragons. They were wary at first, but soon trusted me"
"Well ... all except one dragon" Hiccup mentioned and she nodded her head, both their gazes saddening at Aremdis' predicament.
"What dragon?" asked Rolof. "Was it scary, big, dangerous?"
"You know how big, dangerous and scary a Whispering Death is right?" Both the boys nodded. "Well, try a dragon that's the same shape as them except about five times bigger." This time, the news even got Arnbjorn and Ingrid slack-jawed. However, Arnbjorn noticed at that moment, Hiccup reached his hand over his heart and guessed that that dragon was the cause of that humongous scar across his chest and abdomen.
"That dragon gave you that scar?" he asked, gesturing to where his hand was.
"Yeah ... although I don't really blame him" he said sadly.
"Why wouldn't you blame him!? He tried to kill you! Did you kill it for trying to kill you?" Gaulder asked, but he was immediately silenced by Astrid's gaze. She then glanced back to Hiccup who, she could tell, was remembering the reason behind it, and she felt the same emotions as well.
"It's called a Screaming Death. It's a ... mutated form of Whispering Death, except it doesn't have any weaknesses. It's bigger, stronger and doesn't have the weaknesses a Whispering Death has; it's also incredibly fast for a dragon its size. It tried to kill me because it has a deep hatred of Vikings"
"Why's that?" Ingrid asked.
"I'm sure you all know the story of the White Death?" they all nodded.
"Astrid kept telling us that story when we were younger and we annoyed her. She had so much fun in telling us that if we kept behaving like we did it come and get us" Rolof said. Hiccup glanced at Astrid with an amused smirk and she directed her gaze away, grinning mischievously.
"Well, that dragon is behind that tale"
"So, what happened in that village ... it's all true" Arnbjorn muttered.
"Every single detail" Hiccup nodded solemnly.
"And I'm guessing you know why" he said.
"When I went exploring the new land, I unknowingly wandered into his territory. He attacked me on sight. He came right at me; I managed to jump out of the way, but one of his razor sharp teeth left that scar along my chest and his tail slapped me for a good one hundred yards, maybe more. When I recovered from that hit, which I believe is a miracle, I saw him coming to finish the job. I couldn't move at all; the grazes and cuts from hitting branches and the ground, the huge gash he left in my chest and I was pretty sure I broke a bone or two ... but then Toothless jumped right in front of me. He stopped his charge and looked in bewilderment at Toothless' actions. He convinced him not to hurt me, that I was different. It took a while, but he finally managed to convince him, and then he told us his story, how about twenty years ago, his mate and hatchlings were slaughtered by the villagers he lived close to. They never bothered them and here, all of a sudden, his mate and hatchlings were covered in their own blood. Out of pure rage he attacked the village and killed every single one of them. After that, he migrated with his last hatchling to the place I discovered and settled down there. He said that he would let me live, but to never cross into his territory again ... and I never did" he gave them the short story, not going too much into detail.
Both Arnbjorn and Ingrid glanced at each other and then back to Hiccup, who had taken a break from his meal. They figured since he was revisiting an emotional event, he needed a moment.
"See? Dragons care and hurt as we do ... this is what Hiccup showed me during my week stay" Astrid said.
"What do you mean stay?" her mother asked.
"After I told Hiccup we needed his help, I left him to think about it and went exploring that same land and I also wandered into his territory" she said carefully. After hearing what Armedis did to Hiccup, they would be beyond petrified if something happened to their daughter.
"She didn't know about him before that ... I should have warned her" said Hiccup, looking quite guilty right now.
"It wasn't your fault. You needed some space to think and I went out on my own which was a dumb decision. Don't beat yourself up for my careless choices" she said, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"What happened? Did you come face to face with the Screaming Death?" asked Gaulder.
"I did actually, and I knew from his look he wasn't going to let me live, so I bolted back the way I came. I turned behind me to see he was still coming, so I called for help. Luckily Toothless and Hiccup heard me, but it wasn't before Armedis slapped me with his trunk of a tail and I went right into a ravine, falling on a few branches along the way that broke my fall, but then a huge branch landed on my ankle and I was trapped. I saw Armedis look down at me and I was ... I was never so scared in my life as in that moment and I closed ... my eyes, waiting for the end" she shook visibly, clutching her sides at the same time as if a cold chill suddenly descended upon them. Hiccup gently placed his hand on the small of her back, shooting her a smile, encouraging her to finish.
"Then Toothless jumped in and got in front of me; and long after Hiccup also descended the ravine and talked Armedis out of killing m-us ... us right then" she said.
"When Armedis left, rather reluctantly, I found that she had sprained her ankle quite badly when the large branch fell on her. We wouldn't be able to fly since Toothless is a tough dragon to fly with the speed he travels, so I took care of her for a week."
"And that's when he showed me all the new dragon species, their habitats, helped me bond with some of them and ... we, admittedly, grew close" she said, slightly blushing. She was happy to know that she wasn't the only one when she looked over at Hiccup.
"Believe me, she wasn't the easiest patient" he suddenly said, the pink fading from his cheeks and a devious smirk spread across it. "She would never stay still in one place. I gave her strict orders to stay in bed and keep off her bad foot but she always tried to sneak out. Luckily I had Toothless there to keep an eye on her, but that never stopped her during the night either" he said, and the whole table laughed heartily, leaving an even more embarrassed Astrid.
"I can vouch for that, Hiccup. Once when she came down with a fever, she put up a remarkable act of pretending to not have a fever that was burning her alive. Oh, she was sweating through every place - hands, forehead, neck, legs, pits..."
"Mama!" Astrid yelled, a ridiculous shade of red right now.
"Yeah, she looked like she had been under a waterfall without even going under one" Gaulder said, smiling evilly at his sister.
"And the smell ... I mean whoo!" Rolof said, pinching his nose together, closing his eyes and waving his hand about to clear the air away. Arnbjorn banged his fist on the table, trying to breathe in air, Hiccup was also in the same situation. Gaulder had all but toppled over onto the floor clutching his side and Ingrid was laughing as well, looking at her daughter; who had crossed her arms over her chest and was as red as a beetroot - in anger and embarrassment.
"I can already picture it right now..." Hiccup said, bringing his head back up but his laugh stopped when he saw Astrid glaring at him. "And the picture is gone" he said quickly.
"Are you two dweebs done?" she asked her brothers.
"Oh not even close" said Gaulder, sitting back down.
"That's enough embarrassment for one night boys" Arnbjorn said, bringing an end to this 'delightful' conversation about Astrid.
"I am so going to feed you two to the Flightmare when it comes again" she said through gritted teeth. Her brothers effectively shut their mouths after that threat.
"Oh, I almost forgot" Hiccup said, reaching into one of his pockets and pulling out his journal. "I wanted to show this to you back in my home but I forgot" he said, flipping through a number of pages and finally placing the journal in the centre of the table for everyone to see. It was a page dedicated to the Flightmare with a drawing on one side, and notes about it on the other.
"I came across another Flightmare near the 'Last Frontier' during my exploration and I found it by a large pond, eating what appeared to be glowing algae ... this was during the night. I cautiously made my way to it and I purposely made a noise so it would know I'm there and it wouldn't have been startled by me. It turned and as soon as it saw me, it growled threateningly, spreading its wings, trying to make itself appear bigger. I told him I wasn't going to hurt him but he didn't reply back. Instead, he sprayed me with this type of mist and within a matter of seconds I couldn't feel myself move ... I was paralyzed" the boys tensed visibly, as if he was telling them a horror story.
"I couldn't blink, move my muscles, speak ... nothing. Fortunately, Toothless was there to save me and before I knew it, I was back in my house. He told me that a Flightmare has this paralyzing venom it sprays in the form of a mist which completely incapacitates the attacker, long enough for the Flightmare to kill it or escape" he said. Arnbjorn's, Ingrid's and Astrid's eyes widened in realization at where Hiccup was going with this news.
"So that means Finn ..." Arnbjorn started.
"Finn Hofferson was truly Fearless. The Flightmare simply sprayed him with its venom, paralyzing him and ... killing him. That was the first thing that came to my mind when I recovered from my encounter" Hiccup finished for him.
Arnbjorn took the journal in his hand and examined the dragon closely ... the beast that killed his brother. This was one of the main reasons why he developed a hatred of dragons, because they took his brother from him. That's why when it appeared ten years later, he kept his whole family inside; he didn't want to lose another loved one to that dragon. It was especially hard on Astrid, Finn's death; when he had 'froze' in pure terror, their family name was shamed. Everyone remembers it to this day, especially the day of Arvin Dale's Fire.
"I just thought you guys should know ... maybe bring some closure on his untimely demise" Hiccup said, glancing to everyone at the table.
"Do you happen to know why that beast killed him?" Arnbjorn asked.
"Believe it or not, the Flightmare was protecting its food source" he said. "The algae they eat glows on a specific day once every ten years"
"Arvin Dale's Fire" Astrid said slowly, realizing the cause of her uncle's death.
"Yes ... the river in Berk that runs through the village carries the algae, which is the Flightmare's main source of food, and it's actually extremely weak, and it only becomes visible on the day of Arvin Dale's Fire, which happens once every ten years. Another reason why it's so hostile is because it doesn't have any sort of armour; an incredibly weak hide, it's only advantages are that it has its paralyzing venom, it's fast, and that it glows to ward off any predators" Hiccup explained.
"So that's why it made sure to scare all of us into our homes that day ... it felt threatened" Astrid said aloud, realizing that the Flightmare didn't kill her uncle just because it was a mindless beast; it did it because it was afraid that he might interfere its food source.
The Flightmare wouldn't become her favourite dragon anytime soon, but at least her family name was restored and that the Flightmare only did it because it was protecting its food source, and not just on a hunt for Vikings.
"But..."
She sighed, there was always a 'but'.
"...If you tell the villagers about this information and if you tell them you got it from me, there is a good chance they'll dismiss it ... since you're trusting the word of a traitor and an outcast" he said sadly. Astrid could see the look on his face, one of irritation and a small hint of anger, and she knew it was because the village wouldn't believe her or her family, if they took his word ... and he's the one who's been living with dragons.
"We'll tell them when it's the right time ... but until then, thank you Hiccup ... you have no idea how much this means to us" Arnbjorn said, extending his hand to Hiccup, who was close to him.
Hiccup glanced from Arnbjorn's hand to his face, not believing what he was seeing. Was Arnbjorn Hofferson, Astrid's father, actually willing to shake hands with him just because of some information?
He clasped his hand and they both gave a firm shake. "You have no idea how much this means to us Hiccup ... now our minds can rest in peace that Finn was always Fearless" he said.
Hiccup wore a smile of pride, happy that he was able to ease the minds of his lover and her family. They continued on the rest of their dinner, striking up conversations related to Toothless and what adventures he traveled on during his time away from Berk. Ingrid was showered with compliments from their guest, saying how the Gods would die for to eat what she made.
"I bet it's the same as every other Viking woman makes, Hiccup" she said, standing up to clear the table since they were done.
"Mrs. Hofferson, I've had my share of smoked Icelandic Cod on my travels, and none of them tasted as good as what you made today ... I could eat your cooking every single day" he exclaimed, a genuine smile on his face at the taste and satisfaction the meal gave him. Astrid got up to help her mom clear the table. Hiccup, being Hiccup and not wanting them to exert effort just because he was their guest, cut Astrid off in taking a few plates.
"Hiccup ... you're a guest, you shouldn't be helping to clean up" she remarked, shooting him a smirk.
"Well, you know me, never followed traditions" shooting his own smirk back at her.
"Well, I hope you have room for desserts" Ingrid said as she placed the dishes in the sink to be washed right after. She went to the cupboard that was their "ice-freezer" or the place where you could keep frozen goods or food to cool down for a temporary period of time. It was a pain since the ice did tend to melt a lot, except during devastating winter, but it was worth it when a nice treat was being served and if that treat was best served cold.
"Is that..."
"Mandel-Eplekake"* Ingrid finished Hiccup's sentence. She took the dessert out of the cupboard, while Astrid took a few bowls and both women set them on the table. Again, Arnbjorn offered Hiccup to go first. He took a bowl and fork and served himself a piece of the cake.
"For desserts you all can sit where you wish" Ingrid said.
"Come on!" Astrid said almost immediately, serving herself a piece and pulling Hiccup with her free hand up to her room.
"Toothless, stay and behave!" Hiccup said before the Hoffersons heard Astrid's door slam closed.
"Think they're going to behave themselves?" Arnbjorn asked his wife as he sat in front of the hearth.
"I bet my the whole cake if you or mom walk in and find them smooching" Gaulder said with a grin, sitting next to his father. Toothless rose up and walked to them to smell the dessert. Gaulder shrank back into his father a bit since he wasn't used to having a dragon this close to him. Toothless simply sat back and gave, what was a dragon's version, of a annoying eye roll.
"Fine, I'll stay back here for your sake"
"Gaulder, Hiccup said he's no danger ... look at him" he gestured to the dragon who was sitting in their living room like an obedient dog.
"It's just..."
"He's a dragon and we're taught dragons are killing machines ... I believed that for a long time as well, but from looking at him and Hiccup, that's not the case anymore"
000
"Papa and mama are taking quite a liking to you" she said, sitting down on her bed and digging in to her dessert.
Hiccup was too preoccupied looking around her room to have answer to her statement. Her room was nothing like he fantasized when he was small. He knew she was not your average sort of girl and always had a thing for weapons; he'd been expecting her room to be adorned with different ax blades, different weapons and nothing of that sorts were in her room.
It was ... normal. Her bed was on the far side of the room, close to the window. There was her wardrobe where he expected to find her clothes and undergarments ... Thor forbid. She even had a shelf adorned with a few trophies, one that was the shape of Nadder.
"I got that ... when I killed the dragon that night" she said, noticing where he was looking. He directed his gaze for a moment to her to see her looking sadly into her bowl and the half finished cake. "I almost forgot it was there ... I had so much pride boiling inside me when I first placed it on that shelf five years ago ... now, I can't even look at that damn hunk of metal without having the nerve to throw it outside my window"
"At least it pleases me to know that" Hiccup said, glancing from the trophy to the other trinkets on her shelves. There were older and smaller versions of her shoulder guards, a few pieces of jewelry; such as necklaces and gold bracelets.
"I got those as gifts on past Snoggletog days ... my parents thought it would help direct me in the role of a lady someday ... or wife"
"Well ... you wouldn't be you if you were confined to a home now, will you?" he asked, shooting her his lopsided grin.
"(chuckle) No I wouldn't" she replied.
But then something caught his eye; an object right at the top where he doubted that Astrid could even reach. He reached up, thanks to his enormous growth spurt and grabbed the object of interest and was surprised it had a dress, fit in the palm of his hand, buttoned eyes and gold strings attached so tightly and magnificently that it flowed down its back in almost the same fashion as he saw Astrid's hair without its braids.
"Never thought you the doll kind of person" he said, turning to face her with the doll in his hand.
"Brenda!" she said quickly, running over to him and snatching the doll out of her hands.
"Having a doll and being protective of it? Who are you and what have you done with the real Astrid?" he teased, earning him a punch on the arm.
"I only had one doll for your information, and this is her ... I left her on the top shelf when I was eleven. I was growing out of that phase" she said, looking at the little person she imagined was alive so many years ago. "I actually forgot about her" she said sadly. Hiccup walked up beside her and eyed her with a new found feeling, one he couldn't describe.
Here she was, treating this small doll as if it were a child ... the very person who would be last to assume even had a doll.
"Mama made her for me ... when I was about five. At first I didn't want her; I was always going on about getting my own ax, but since I was too young, Brenda here was my only toy. At first I hated her since she was just a replacement for an ax ... but then I began to love her since, I had some of my best memories with her" she spoke softly, running her delicate fingers over the soft material of her body and hair.
"You can't tell anyone about this!" she said, turning to face him.
"I would never reveal something like this, Astrid ... I'm not the kind of person who breaks secrets ... also because you'd murder me if I did in the most horrible way known to Vikings" he laughed, emanating the same result from her. She walked by him and placed the doll back on a shelf, one that was within reach of her this time.
"You know ... my mother left me this small dragon toy, shaped like a Nadder. My dad said I was so scared of it that I tried every possible way to get rid of it ... but I'm regretting that I did try that, and leaving it here, since that's the only thing my mother left in memory of her." He sat down on her bed, looking out the window. Astrid saw the guilt in his eyes, so she sat down beside him, pulling her legs up onto the bed and angling them sideways, so her knees were facing him, laying her head on his shoulder.
"Be careful ... wouldn't want your father coming in here and seeing us like this" he said offhandedly, tilting his head a bit to meet her eyes.
"Let him ... he wouldn't mind this. He'd only mind if we were half naked and in a full make-out session on my bed" she stated in a matter-of-fact tone.
"Good to know" he said, wrapping an arm around her waist and planting a soft kiss on her hair.
"I'm actually glad my father decided to have that sword prepared for the wedding"
"Why's that?"
"Because you wouldn't have come to have dinner with us if he didn't" she said, staring into his emerald green gems. "Because my parents wouldn't have had a first glimpse into you ... and we wouldn't have slept tonight with the peace of mind that Uncle Finn was always what Fearless." She let one of her arms run up to the back of his neck, causing him to shiver in delight; he's always been sensitive in that area.
"I have to admit ... it was an incredibly nice time coming here ... and I think that sword got me on your dad's good side."
"Oh please, it's only because of my patronizing attitude towards you that gave you a chance with them" she said, playfully.
"So it had nothing to do with my charm, personality, good-nature and lovable smile?" he asked, leaning his lips towards hers.
"You forgot to mention modesty" she said, before wrapping both her arms around his neck and bringing him, lying down on her bed with him on top.
A/N: Sorry I'm cutting it off there.
Okay, I feel this chapter was rushed but hopefully it still lives up all of you wonderful peoples' expectations. Sorry it took a while longer for me to update this since my one-shot 'Head On' took up a lot of my time. That thought came to me one night and I knew I had to write it down as a story. It's a M-rated story for those who were wondering, and if you do want to read it, be my guests and tell me what you think of it.
Anyway, regarding the questions I asked at the beginning of this chapter, please leave your thoughts in the reviews or PM me.
*Mandel-Eplekake - It's apparently a traditional Almond Cake in Viking culture.