A/N:
Well everyone, this is it ... the LAST Chapter. I have to say it's been a Hel of a ride with this story. Actually, it's my first completed story here on Fanfiction. That is an achievement I'm actually proud of.
I just want to give a shout out to all the readers who have stuck with this story to its very end. I'd like to give a shout out to all the reviewers as well for writing your thoughts on each chapter. It's always nice to see and read what you, the readers and critics, have said about my story. It's not perfect; they're spelling errors here and there and I sometimes forget the vocabulary for certain situations. But you guys put all of that aside and still read.
Anyway, without further-ado, here's the last chapter of TPDTF.
Astrid sat by his bed once again in the Chief's house this time, refusing to leave his side even after her parents had repeatedly urged her to have her wounds properly checked by Gothi. She only responded with the same reply, "Hiccup had it worse than me." The injuries he had sustained in his fight against Snotlout would take longer to heal now. And his leg was a whole other story. Now his left leg ended where his knee should have been; the stump covered in medicinal linens coated with a special herbal paste to hasten the healing process. Despite his promising outlook, it pained her every second seeing his eyes filled with pain they were stitching up his wound and applying the herbal paste that seemed to burning his wound even further. All she could do was lower her head, block out everything else in his sight and whisper comforting words to calm him down. Her actions did have dramatic effects as he only focused on her eyes and tried to block out everything else.
After his condition had been stabilized, Gothi had him drink a strong sedative to help him sleep easier and rest. She estimated that a week or two in bed with constant scheduled bandage changes before he was ready to walk again. Provided that Gobber had his new prosthetic ready by then. After Gothi was sure he was asleep, she had turned her attention to Astrid. Knowing that the young shield-maiden wouldn't leave her beloved's side, she had one of her apprentices bring the necessary medical items to treat her wounds.
She only had to treat a few cuts and bruises. Nothing out of the ordinary in terms of injuries for a Viking. Her parents had brought her a change of clothes and some food for her as well. They told her how worried they were; how they were praying to Odin and all the Gods to bring her back alive. Her mother was in tears when she enveloped her in a hug; her father on the brink of them. Her brothers also rushed to her, hugging her around her waist and stomach and not letting go, both bawling over how close they thought they were to losing their big sister. Despite her concern for Hiccup, she couldn't help the overwhelming tears of joy escape her eyes as she was reunited with her family.
It was most likely, the only occasion where everyone saw the entire Hofferson family in tears.
However, as they moved Hiccup from Gothi's hut to the Chief's house, she could see that the Chief couldn't share her family's exact emotions. Of course he was glad his son was alive, but at a huge cost. His leg. He had only seen Vikings sustain such injuries in their late thirties, forties, even fifties for that matter ... never at such a young age. And to his own son. She had an idea of what the Chief would have been feeling.
Anger. Regret. Sorrow. Emotions all directed towards himself. She, along with the whole village, was there to hear his words when he asked Hiccup for forgiveness and promised that he would be a better father from then on. She knew he'd be cursing himself for not being able to protect his own son. He dropped by every chance he had; every time there was a niche open in his busy schedule, to check up on his condition. And she was there every time he came, along with Toothless, who had his head placed where Hiccup's left leg should have been.
And every time the Chief dropped by, he always brought her something to eat. He even brought fish for Toothless, knowing the dragon wouldn't venture more than ten feet from his rider. It was on one of these drop-by's that he had an interesting talk with her.
"How's her doing?"
"He's still out. He wakes every now and then, only asking for water or food, but he's too groggy to realize it who it is before he goes back to sleep" she said softly as she chewed on her mother's homemade smoked cod. He nodded silently, and she could tell by the look on his face that he was thinking of something else to say.
"Ye' two have ... grown quite close" he stated, more so for his realization.
"Yeah."
"He, uh ... he's really lucky to have a girl like you, Astrid."
She couldn't help but blush under his comment. "If anyone's lucky here, it's me. I don't deserve a man like him."
"I may not know much about love, Astrid ... but I do know that not many people find their true opposite self" he started. "I've had to conduct and attend countless number of marriages, on and off Berk. And I can tell you now that a good chunk of them involved people getting married for power or money; hardly out of love. Apparently I've learned you have to fight for what and whom you love. However, on most occasions, people lose. But ... there are those two individuals, who do not care about what others think, about the rules, about traditions ... and take matters into their own hands" he stopped, making eye contact with her as she listened intently.
"They always choose to stick by the ones they love, till death do them part ... Promise me, you'll take care of my son" he said, and she knew that apart from indirectly accepting her love for his son, was giving her his blessing.
"I will" she replied strongly. Just as he demonstrated that he was willing to die for her, she would also die for him in an instant. That conversation happened two days ago and it only seemed the bond between the two had grown even stronger with that small favour from him. It height of the afternoon now; three days since they had returned from their ordeal and Hiccup had to realize that she was there. Granted he had remained asleep the whole day yesterday. Astrid was sitting faithfully by his side, reading looking over his journal and reading the adventures he had been through since the day he left Berk. She herself had thirst adventure, and Hiccup had been living it for the last five years. From the way he wrote he recollections, she could easily picture every colour, every atmosphere, every building, person, child, item - you name it.
"You should really get into writing" she said softly. She hoped that he could hear her.
"Drawing's more of his thing" she heard a voice. Toothless looked up while she turned around to see Ripper leaning against the door frame. "How's he doing?"
"He's recovering well. Still hasn't completely woken up yet" she said, turning back to look at him.
"Where'd you get his journal?"
"I found it while gathering some of the things he brought to the forge here. Figured I might read through his many adventures. You two have had quite a lot of them, despite your claim of a peaceful life on Sharkslane" she smirked.
"If you were worried about the trouble we got in, don't worry. I made sure that we found them" he chuckled. He was glad to see her laugh at that as well.
"I'm glad this whole ordeal is over" she said, letting her hand fall on his while she lightly stroked it.
"I honestly should have suspected Dagur and Alvin from the start" Ripper said, shaking his head.
"You know it's not your fault. Don't beat yourself up for it" she tried to convince him.
"It's just that ... they did attack Sharkslane a few times, always threatening him or me to help them locate Dragon Island, or train dragons for that matter. I should have realized that's what they were after the moment you two were discovered to be missing."
"And what happened to Alvin?"
"He's about to be trialed by Stoick and the Council" he replied.
"In the end, if it wasn't for him, Hiccup and I could be Thor knows where" she reminded him.
"I know that. So does the Chief. But, he still has to pay for whatever crimes he has committed against Berk, plus the aiding in the kidnapping of you and Hiccup."
"I know. It's just..." she didn't know where to go. Sure Alvin had kidnapped them and attacked Berk when they first arrived, but if it wasn't for him turning against the Berserkers having his men release Toothless, Ripper and the others might not have made it in time. "All I'm saying is he does deserve some leniency. After all, nearly all of his men died when he decided to turn against them."
"Maybe you're right. Also, I'm sure Stoick has factored that in so they might take it easy on him. I'll let you know the details" he said. Ripper knew she wouldn't leave Hiccup's side, so he might as well keep her updated with the news going around the village.
"What about Snorre and his gang? What punishments do they receive?" She honestly hoped it was banishment. In fact, she wondered why she was asking in the first place.
"Well, Snorre has been banished since it was his decision to interfere in the match and wished for harm on Hiccup. The others will be in in the cells for a month ... at least."
"When is he supposed to leave?"
"When Hiccup regains consciousness and is able to walk, or limp with a crutches. Stoick wanted to make sure he sees him leave Berk. And of course, the punishment is death if he's seen anywhere near or on Berk" Ripper said with a smile.
"Serves the bastard right" she said with no remorse. To bully someone was one thing. But to constantly hold hatred for no apparent reason for so long and to even as to steep so low of spiking someone's drink so that he would lose the match? She actually wanted to know why he hated Hiccup so much so that she could beat every bit of common sense into him to show him how wrong he is.
"But you shouldn't be thanking me, it's Snotlout who found out their little secret and came to the Chief about it" he mentioned. "If he didn't, then all our previous assumptions of you and Hiccup disappearing for good would have been true."
"I'll make sure to thank him the next time I see him" she replied. She flipped a page of the journal and landed on a drawing of her. Her eyes couldn't help but widen at the highly intricate and detailed drawing of her. She smiled at the setting. It appeared she was in some sort of cove sitting, on a slab of flat rock, just admiring the beauty of the pond, or small lake, she was looking at in the sketch. Large trees surrounded her and a few small birds were dotted about the page, with what looked like to be sunlight streaming in on her in the clearing. However, this sketch only had a view from afar. When she turned to the next page, it was safe to say that her breath had been stolen.
It was almost as if she was looking in a mirror. The image was a closeup of her. Her attire was nearly the same as what she was wearing. Her braid was present, but not in the design she had it now; more of her old original braid when she was fifteen. Although the drawing seemed to portray her as probably eighteen, or nineteen years old, definitely not when she was sixteen or fifteen. That she was sure of. Her facial features were nearly identical - same oval shaped face, the same intensity of her eyes, same nose, same cheeks and her lips were a bit more puffy in this but not enough to draw on ridicule or embarrassment. That was the only feature that was different from the living her, and yet it was still such a minor detail that he didn't get quite right. She looked around the page, to see if there was some sort of evidence as to when the image had been drawn. When she found the numbers, they didn't correspond to the time she found him. They dated back an entire year.
How could Hiccup have had any clue as to how she looked, and her slight change in clothing as well? He made sure of himself to avoid coming to Berk, unless he lied about coming just to see her, but that assumption she even closed with the hatred he had for anyone from Berk at that time. She was so caught up in the drawing that she didn't notice Ripper walk up to peer over her shoulder at what had left her so flabbergasted.
"He never stopped loving you, you know" he brought her out of her thoughts. She turned to look at him as he continued. "He tried to get over you. Immersing himself in projects in the forge, dragging me along on his many adventures, even randomly talking about how much he hated Berk and you" she couldn't help but look down at the last bit Ripper mentioned. "But, I could see it in his eyes the longing for you. Even when we came upon picturesque settings, he would always comment under his breath about how it didn't compare to you, or how you might have loved to see it with your own eyes. In fact, despite trying to convince himself that he left you and Berk behind, he never truly left you out of his thoughts. He didn't know but I did see his drawings of you. He didn't do them frequently, but he did do them enough that anyone with a brain could have figured he was still in love with you. Now, he would have called people like that - me in fact - idiots for thinking such things. But as a close friend, I could see he was lying."
She broke eye contact with him to look back at Hiccup, who was sleeping peacefully in front of her, and she couldn't help the thankful and proud smile adorning her lips. "He really is a one of a kind person, isn't he?" she asked, the question directed at herself though, and not Ripper.
"He's already shown he's willing to die for you. As a friend, and you could say elder brother, don't screw this up" Ripper warned her. She only chuckled in reply. She always saw Ripper looking out for Hiccup even when they were just youngsters. Snotlout, Snorre and his gang would just immediately stop their bullying or teasing when Ripper showed up, full aware of the fact that he could turn physical if they were harming Hiccup too much. He was always there to help him look at the bright side of life. He would go into the woods with him to help him hunt for trolls, tried to teach him how to fish and even taught him a few sparring lessons, much to Hiccup's displeasure. He was the big brother that Hiccup deserved. Astrid even saw him as a big brother. He never did try and hit on her when they were fifteen or fourteen. He was always trying to steer her to Hiccup, in a discreet way. Now she understood why he always did try to pair her up with him.
"I'll never disappoint him again. I swear by my life" she said to him. A groan from the bed interrupted their conversation. Toothless, who was smiling on the inside, hearing their conversation, shot his head up immediately and looked over his rider. Astrid and pushed her chair forward so that she would be in his view when he opened his eyes and Ripper also walked to the end of the bed.
They watched him reach up with his hands to rub away the tiredness from his eyes as he opened them slowly, gazing at the three pairs of eyes that were on him. He looked from Toothless to Ripper and finally to Astrid, who was staring at him with most concern. However, the words he uttered from his mouth were enough to dispel any concerns she had.
"We have got to stop meeting like this" he rasped, with a toothy grin. Astrid only hung her head, shaking it, trying to hold back a laugh. Ripper wasn't afraid to do so as his laughter echoed through the room while Toothless warbled happily that his rider was alright.
"You idiot" she muttered as she hugged him carefully.
"I'll go get the others" Ripper said, leaving the three of them to briefly catch up before Hiccup would be swarmed with attention from the rest of the gang.
000 (2 Weeks Later)
"How's the new leg?" he heard an angelic voice ask him. He looked up from his work desk in his private room and saw Astrid leaning against the door frame.
"Well, Gobber did a decent job at it, but I'm working on making a few tweaks to it" he said as she walked in, coming up behind him, and hugging him from the back, giving the top of his head a gentle kiss before resting her chin on his shoulder. As soon as Ripper had spread the word that Hiccup and fully awoken, his father, Gobber and the rest of the gang rushed to the house, to see how he was doing and commend him for his bravery in a life-threatening situation. Even Astrid's parents arrived, both of them thanking him for protecting their daughter. It was also there that Hiccup learned he would have to learn to walk with a prosthetic. The fake leg would make up for what missing beneath his knee.
The news was hard at first; to learn to walk again. However, it didn't bother him as much as they thought it would. He knew it would be difficult and pain-staking, but there was no other option. Other Vikings had missing arms and legs, and they didn't complain about it. They just adapted without them. Gobber had to make due with two missing limbs! So if Vikings could get on with their lives, why couldn't he?
Gobber had brought the leg four days after he woke up. With the time lapse, he would have had enough time to regain enough strength and have enough rest to prepare for the grueling task of learning to walk. And Astrid was with him through every step of his recovery. She always pushed him on when he needed it and always told him to take it easy, not to exert himself too much since he was still recovering from the rest of his injuries.
"So what did you have in mind?" she asked, as she looked over his designs for a new leg.
"Well, it's going to be made of metal this time, and not wood" he gestured down to it. "I'm going to try and make different bases for walking, so that I can handle any terrain without having trouble and make it more suited to my weight. Don't get me wrong, Gobber did an excellent job, but it doesn't quite suit me" he looked at her.
"I think it's an amazing idea, and I won't be surprised if he expected to add your own changes. It is you after-all."
"I'm not sure to take that as an offense or complement" he said jokingly.
"A complement" she replied, turning to look at him and planted a soft kiss on his lips.
"I guess I'll have to get used to walking in on these" they heard an all too familiar voice.
"You know, I'm starting to think you just love to tease me more than the rest of the world" Hiccup replied, as the two turned their gazes to the door to see Ripper standing with Heather, who appeared to be holding in a giggle.
"I'm your big brother. It's my job to embarrass you" he said as Heather moved to give Astrid a hug.
"How are you doing?" she asked.
"The baby and I are fine, although it's still a bit too early for the baby to have major effects on me" Heather replied.
"How are you holding up?" asked Ripper.
"The leg's not bad. It's still getting used to it" Hiccup replied.
"I wasn't talking about the leg."
"Oh" Hiccup deadpanned. They knew what he was referring to. Three days ago, Snorre had been officially banished. He was asked to pack up his belongings and leave on the boat that they had prepared for him. They were waiting for him at the docks, glad to see him off. Hiccup, though, was more disappointed than glad. He truly did want to patch things up with Snorre, move past whatever had happened in the past between them. However, it seemed that the hatred Snorre had for him ran deeper than history. Before he set off though, he left Berk with a clear warning - that he would have his revenge, and he would do it through any means necessary. Not only on Berk, but Sharkslane as well.
"The guy had it coming. I just hope the seas have swallowed him up and left no trace behind" Astrid huffed, crossing her arms. It would be good riddance to a helpless being.
"He's too good a sailor for that to happen" Ripper noted. "One thing is for sure is that we will see him again in the future. We all have to be wary of whom we meet from this day on."
"Couldn't agree more" Hiccup replied. "How's Alvin doing?"
"He's alright. He'll be leaving back to Outcast Island two days from now" Astrid replied.
"It'll be good for Berk to have allies like the Outcasts" Ripper said, looking at the bright side of it. "Just hope the 'Treacherous' part of his name can be dropped from his title."
"Either way, my dad will be careful around him. Doesn't hurt to be" said Hiccup.
"Anyway, what brings you two by?" Astrid asked.
"Oh, we've come to tell you that we'll be leaving tomorrow back to Sharkslane" Heather replied.
"We've been here long enough. And it's about to time to leave. I still have to continue my training under Treeroot to be the next Chief. Something that you'll have to start soon, Hiccup." Said main groaned in response, turning back to his desk and burying his face in his hands.
"I forgot I'm the heir to Berk" he muttered, getting a few laughs from the others.
"Yeah, you'll have a lot of arguments, land disputes, council sit-ins and laws to memorize. Have fun with that" Ripper said, patting him on the shoulder which only resulted in another groan.
"I'm assuming there's going to be a farewell feast tonight for you two?" Astrid asked.
"Yeah. Wouldn't be Vikings if we missed the chance for free food or mead now, would we?" he replied.
"Remember, you promised not to have any" Heather slapped his shoulder, to which he only grumbled in response.
"Why can't you have any?" Hiccup asked.
"Because since I can't have any alcohol due to a growing child inside of me, he promised that he wouldn't either" Heather said, looking at her husband. Hiccup never felt so bad for his friend, however, he couldn't stop the laughter that erupted from him to see his friend clearly in distress.
"I'm sorry" he rubbed away a tear, "but you have no one to blame but yourself, mate" he said.
"Just wait until she's carrying your child" he gestured to Astrid. "I would pay a shipload of gold to watch those nine months."
Astrid and Hiccup only blushed from his retort, avoiding eye contact with each other. They hadn't crossed the baby topic yet and weren't hoping to for probably another good six to ten months.
"Anyway, everyone will be gathering in the Hall by dusk. We'll see you two there" Heather bid them goodbye, pushing her husband out of the room.
000 (3 Months Later)
Captain Markus stared in what could only be described as horror at the site around him. Half of his fleet was ripped apart, with no survivors from the ships and the waters surrounding the remaining fleet was stained took on a reddish colour, with bodies floating at the surface. Shouts could be heard from the remaining ships as the winged beasts took turns making runs to carry off men and tear them apart in their claws or jaw, or leaving a trail of fire on the main deck, burning alive whoever was caught in the flames. He had his men prepare for dragon attacks on their voyage up to the north. He had catapults, archers and metal nets to trap them and hopefully condemn them to a watery grave. What he didn't expect was to be raided by more Dragon Riders who were just as ruthless as the beasts they were on.
One was particularly insane, jumping off his dragon and onto the deck of one of the ships, cutting down every man that stood in his way, screaming in joy as he heard the pleas from his victims to be spared. At this time, Markus wasn't concerned by that single man. He was concerned by the sword his accomplice was holding to his neck. "W-who are you?" he asked. His helmet had long been dislodged when his attacked too him by surprise. The fight was short. He was out maneuvered by the Viking in a matter of seconds. Any of his men who attempted to aid him were cut down by the man in front of him, or carried off by the two Dragon Riders in the air.
"Shut-up" the man said as he signaled to his comrades that the leader had been brought down. The two other dragons in the air, a Monstrous Nightmare and Rumblehorn landed on the deck of the ship, the remaining men cowering back in fear of the beasts, and the dragons they rode.
"You did well, Cutthroat" the man who rode the Rumblehorn said.
"It was pretty easy actually" he replied.
"Dabria, make sure his cousin is under control. We need all the men we can get" he ordered the female rider.
"At once Cadman" she replied, taking off on her Nightmare to the other ship.
"Captain Markus, may I introduce myself. My name is Cadman Arken, and I would like to graciously extend an offer for you and your men to join us and our cause."
Markus looked around him. The sword at his throat, his men huddled to one corner of the ship by the man's dragon, and the other two dragons flying in the sky, one a deep purple colour and staring at them with disdain, the other a huge dragon with a round head and snake like body.
"How about if I'm on my two feet, then we can chat?" he asked. Cutthroat looked at Cadman for an order. He nodded his head, and he took a few steps back, sheathing his sword. Markus stood up slowly, eyeing the man who was prepared to offer him a deal.
"I heard you once had captured a Dragon Rider" he started.
"Look, if he's one of yours, I am deeply sorry for the treatment he was..."
"He was not one of us" Cadman said. "In fact, he can be considered as our enemy. He rode a dragon as black as night, didn't he?" Markus nodded. "That dragon was a Night Fury. One of the rarest and most impressive creatures that the Gods ever let roam this world-"
"What exactly are you here for?" Markus interrupted him. "You destroyed half my fleet, slaughtered over half my men and now what?"
"We want someone like you to join us" Cadman replied calmly.
"And why would I want to join you?"
"For starters, we won't kill you and the rest of your men. But the other reasons, you will have revenge on that man who escaped you. We can even give you your own dragon. We could give all your men dragons and train all of you. And when the time comes for you to depart, you all could take your dragons back to Rome, and what do you think of the welcome you'll receive?" he smiled. Markus couldn't help but picture that himself. If he was seen riding on dragons, the enemies of Rome would be annihilated in a heartbeat. The politicians would undoubtedly reward him a place in the Senate. He could appointed the right hand man of the Emperor. He would be the most successful Captain, most likely even General, of the Roman Army.
"How do I know that you won't turn back on your word?" he asked.
"These aren't the terms I'm setting. I'm simply relaying the terms my superior asked me to convey. And if you can't take his word, then your other choice is death, to be put simply" he said.
"And who is this superior of yours? Shouldn't a man lead his men from the front?"
"He is a man who has no parallel in this world. You'd be considered fortunate to work under him. And he does reward his men well for their loyalty."
"What does he strive for in this world?"
"A man usually tried to control the things around him - his life, family, job, every little thing. But few men have the power to do so. He can control dragons by a simple wave of his bull-hook. He can instill fear in the hearts of beasts and men alike. So if you choose not to work for him, I will kill you where you stand, Captain Markus."
"If he desires power, what's to stop him from attempting to capture Rome and her territories?" he asked.
"I do not know what goes on inside his head, Captain. I'm simply one of his Generals. I only carry out what he orders me to. Now, if you're done with your questions, what say you?"
The Roman Captain took one more look around him - the destruction and death brought upon by these beasts, coupled with only four humans. If he followed this superiors' command, if he commanded his own squad of Dragon Riders, and if he returned to Rome with them, Rome would have no rival for the rest of her days. And if this superior could attack his home, he would have the means of defending it. Not to mention the knowledge he'd bring with himself and his men once they return to Rome. And most of all, he could have his revenge on that boy and his dragon for the humiliation they caused him.
He extended his hand towards the General, and Cadman reached out and grabbed hold of his.
"We have an accord."
000 (Same Time Period)
Astrid directed Stormfly to a group of isolated, small islands grouped together - Hiccup called it Valkyrie's Island, after her. He told her he found it on one of his mapping flights; a four hour flight south of Berk, where the weather was warmer and the seas were calmer. He had told her wouldn't be participating in the Dragon Race that day because he wanted to explore the islands a bit further. He had wanted her to join him as well, but knowing her competitive nature and unbeaten record in the sport that was started only two moons ago, he told her to meet him there after her race. He had given her a map of how to get there and with a quick peck on the cheek was off on Toothless to her island.
It was another victory for her as usual. The only real competition were the Twins, but only because Snotlout and Fishlegs kept giving sheep to Ruffnut in hopes that she'd choose one of them. She only shook her head in annoyance and amusement. First off, that was not a way to a girl's/woman's heart. Second, Ruffnut was a lost cause to them. She had confided to her about how annoying and tiring it was to have the two of them follow her around all day, trying to win her affection. She couldn't really help her friend because she honestly had no clue about what to do with them. Once word had got out that she and Hiccup were an official couple, all her suitors simply ... vanished. Granted there were a few young men who still tried, but she didn't have to do anything anymore. If Stormfly was around, she would threaten the males to leave with her spikes, without Astrid ever lifting a finger to tell her to do so. If Toothless was around, he would simply snarl and fake charge them, warning them to keep their distance.
And if Hiccup was around when they tried to flirt with her, he would usually tell Toothless to do something about it, since his dragon was always with him, or he would come ask her to come help him with something. He never really took the violent approach when it came with those suitors, but she had the fleeting suspicion that he wouldn't really mind showing the protective/jealous side of himself.
The islands were relatively beautiful. Most of them had clumps of trees with thin trunks and weird looking leaves that only branched out from the top. There were other trees as well, more that were native to Berk and its surrounding lands. A few islands were had large, rocky cliffs, while in the center, was what Hiccup described as a semi-dormant volcano. She did a few circles of the islands before finding her man in a picturesque clearing by a clear crystal clear mini lake that swarms of fish teeming in it. It was one of the most beautiful sites she had ever seen.
"Afternoon M'Lady" he called out once he spotted her. Once she had landed, she hopped off and couldn't help but do a few circles, gazing up at the tall trees that surrounded the clearing and listening to the sound of the birds that called the trees their home.
"When did you find this place?" she asked, still looking around.
"A year ago. Came across it as I was leaving Sharkslane. Couldn't really come up with a name until now" he replied.
"Valkyrie's Island?" she mused, shooting him an amused grin as she walked up to where he was sitting. He had laid a blanket out across a low slab of smooth rock that was right on the edge of the shallow lake. She took her seat beside him, immediately starting work on his hair. She had already fixed one braid into it, beginning work on a second. He did voice his displeasure of her fixing braids into his hair, but since he never did anything to remove them, she figured as long as it was from her, he didn't really mind.
"Well it is beautiful, never seen anything like it before. And it did remind me of you back then" he said, glancing at her.
"How long have you been waiting for me?"
"Oh, for about three to four hours or so. I lost track of time when I went in for a dip" he said. She noticed. She really noticed.
He was shirtless when she arrived, and she had a perfect view of his back where his muscles had been molded from years of working in the forge and dragon riding, coupled with his nearly dry hair. "The water's perfect. Why don't you join me for another swim?"
"I didn't bring any swimming garments" she said.
"Underwear's fine" she smacked his shoulder playfully, getting a slight grimace, but a chuckle out of him. They had grown extremely close over the last three months. Now that they were in a relationship, they spent most of their time together, either in Berk or mapping the surrounding areas outside of Berk with only their dragons as companions.
"What? It's not like I haven't seen you without it" he said.
"Stop it. My mom may have found it funny the first time she found us, but my parents are still traditional. I can tell you right now, if my father was the one who found us like that, you would have jumped out the window on your own."
"Come on, your father likes me" he reasoned.
"Yeah ... when you don't have your hands down my leggings or your tongue in my mouth" she laughed. "So your leg could go in the water no problem?"
"Well, this isn't salt water so, yeah. There aren't any minerals or objects that can get lodged into the mechanisms inside."
"That's good. You can finally go for a swim without removing it anymore" she nudged his shoulder.
"Yeah" he looked up to the sky. They had a good two to three hours before it was dusk. There was no rush to reach home fast. Their parents, Astrid's especially, knew that the two never really went overboard with their time alone ... unsupervised. Or if they did find out that they had been up to actions that were tremendously frowned upon, Hiccup could have his head cut clean off the next time her father saw him.
"How's your training coming along?" she asked. Hiccup couldn't help but groan in annoyance, rewarding him a sympathetic smile from her. "It can't be that bad."
"You have no idea how it is sitting in at meetings with a sixty year old men discussing about plans for next year's harvest, or sorting through the petty arguments some of the villagers have with each other. It definitely doesn't help that my time on Toothless has been reduced" he looked at said dragon, watching him talk with Stormfly. Astrid could only nod in agreement. She didn't know what it was like since she spent most of her time training with her parents and siblings, helping around the house with chores spending time with the group, and soon a comfortable silence had descended upon the two.
However, the two of them were content in each other's company, no talking, just listening to the sounds of the trees leaves rustling against the wind, the sound of their dragons peacefully sleeping near the trees and the view they had in front of them. It was then when Hiccup turned to look at her, admiring the scene before her. It was at this moment that he truly realized he wouldn't have gotten over if he didn't return to Berk. How could he have? She was one of a kind -beautiful, aspiring, kind, caring, stubborn, respectful, role-model for the younger generation of Vikings - and she chose him. It was at this point that she began to notice his fixed stare on her.
"What?" she asked, bringing him out of his trance.
"I never got over you, you know" he blurted out, and since he didn't look surprised himself after he said it, she knew this would be going somewhere. "I could ... never stop thinking about you. From the day I landed on Sharkslane, to the day you found me."
"How could you? I mean ... I was the one who, uh ... destroyed your chances of showing Berk what dragons really are." He smirked in response.
"That ... and that I would never see you again. I was thankful for it, but half of me wanted to see you. You always brightened up my day when you passed by the forge, or me, for that matter. It gave me a reason to keep giving a hundred percent effort in what I do, the machines I create; in the hopes to impress you and attract your attention. But as you know, the only thing I ever got was a disappointed scowl or a cold shoulder."
"I should have said something encouraging instead of belittling you. You were only trying to fit in. I-I thought that by giving you the tough side of life, maybe you'd..." she frowned, looking away from him. This was the first time that they were touching on this subject in a while, and it was clear before that not all was said and done between them.
"No. You were only doing what you thought would help" his hand grabbed a hold of hers. "Anyway, those four years in Sharkslane and traveling - exploring lands to the east and south - despite all the new flavors, smells, sights, people ... you were always somewhere in the back of my mind."
"Come on. I'm sure they're must have been girls who had taken an interest in you. Especially when you hit your growth spurt" she smirked. And for some reason, the thought of other girls getting with her Hiccup made her blood boil.
"There were. Ever since I hit my growth spurt, girls of seventeen, eighteen - and a bit younger - were flirting with me, wanting to spend time with me, on Sharkslane and the cities and lands I visited. Ripper convinced me that I should let you go since if I kept telling myself there was no hope with you, especially at that time, then I shouldn't be holding on to the past. I took his advice and tried to date a few girls..." he took a slight pause.
"And?" she asked softly.
"Every time I kissed them ..." she closed her eyes and her hands balled into fists as she looked away, quickly trying to dispel the images of other girls kissing her Hiccup "... I always kept imagining you."
Her hands immediately loosened, opening her eyes and looking at him, unsure.
"No matter how hard I tried to forget you ... my heart wasn't willing to let you go. You still had that power over me, although I had left you miles away in Berk. My heart longed for you, but I just wasn't ready ... or afraid, is a better term ... to see you. I was afraid that not the village, or my dad, but you ... would look at me in hatred, anger, disappointment ... and so on. Heather and Ripper getting married shouldn't have angered me, but it did. I was happy for him, honestly. He married the girl of his dreams and they deserved each other ... and it was their happiness - no matter how I sound like a jealous, hateful idiot - of having their special other that was the last straw. I was upset that I couldn't make you like me back then. I was upset that I didn't try hard enough" he sighed.
"It was never you Hiccup. I never simply opened my eyes ... to see the bo - young man you really were. And I missed out on what could have been an amazing five years" she sighed, intertwining their fingers, causing him to gaze into her eyes. "I missed out seeing you grow into the man you are today. I missed out on exploring my feelings for you earlier in life ... and I missed out on making a new friend-" she looked at Stormfly, who appeared to be sleeping in the shade along with Toothless; their past playfulness at an end for the day. Hiccup followed her gaze and smiled at the sight of their dragons.
"We've both made mistakes that I'm sure we'd give anything to go back and change them ... but at the same time, you don't want to. Because it'll take away the meaning, the significance, of what we have right now" she laid her palm over his heart and planted a light, yet loving kiss on his lips which he had no problem returning. Their lips stayed connected for a good twenty or so seconds before Astrid pulled back and slid off the blanket, leaving a pouting Hiccup on it.
"That swim does sound good right about now, actually" she mentioned, looking at the small lake with her back to him, reaching down to remove her boots. She could feel his eyes gliding over her body as he stared at her in a way that warranted a pummeling for any other man who stared at her the same way.
"It's about two to three hours before the sun sets. We should probably head back" he spoke in a coarse whisper, unable to help his eyes wander over her back and rear.
"You know, we could get this done faster if you just help me undress." He could see the seductive playfulness in her eye as she turned her head ever so slightly to see his reaction when she said that. And just like that, his body seemed to move on its own; pushing himself off their little spot and walking towards her. She didn't need to look back to see him. She was preoccupied in loosening her tunic from her skirt. She smiled when she felt his hands move hers away as they wrapped around the base of her tunic and slowly began pulling it upward. She raised her arms as he pulled it over head, letting it fall onto the ground unceremoniously. Without her saying a word, he loosened her skirt, just enough for it to drop to the ground and he wrapped one arm around her waist, pulling her flush against him.
She released a happy gasp as her rear came in contact with his hips and her back pressed against his firm chest. She sighed when she felt his skin come in contact with hers. She could even feel some of the scars that she had learned to respect and love on him. Instead of horrible memories, she would gaze at them now with admiration. She felt another hand move away her hair, revealing her pristine, pearl-like neck. Without a moment's hesitation he began to leave a gentle trail of kisses, starting from just below her hairline. She couldn't help but lean her head back into his touch, which might have been seen as a silly mistake, as she was reducing the amount of skin he could kiss. But the action opened up her entire neck, and he gladly moved his lips from the back to the sides of her neck.
His other hand trailed up and down her torso while the other pressed her firmly against him. He wanted her to feel and know what she was doing to him. "This is not going to help me get in the water" she sighed from his gentle, yet passionate kisses.
"I had ... other plans, instead" he said swiftly turning her around so she was facing him. Before she could stutter a response, he bent down, grabbed her thighs and lifted her, prompting her to wrap her legs around his waist while he held her by her thighs and the small of her back. With the added elevation, she was now looking down into his eyes, her hair obscuring the midday sun's light from reaching his face, but the added shadows only seemed to define his emerald green eyes even more.
"What did you have in mind?" she asked, cradling his head with one of her hands.
"Shall I show you ... because I really want to..." he muttered, before meeting her lips with his. She tightened her grip on his neck, never wanting to let go. He turned around and walked a few steps to the blanket they were just sitting on and gently laid her down while staying on top; never once breaking lip contact. Her hands began their routine journey of his back. She had pretty much memorized each scar on his back.
She knew which were the whips, the stabs - and which number they were as well. She knew them from the stories he would tell behind each and every one of them, despite they all came during his captivity at the hands of the Romans. But each one had warranted as a punishment for an order he didn't comply with, or a sarcastic remark which the Roman General took as an insult - just to give him an excuse to exact punishment.
"I want you Astrid..." he moaned as he trailed his tongue down her neck and ran his hand suggestively over her thigh.
"I want you too..." she moaned back. "But you know ... how my parents are." He truly did. Her father, especially, wouldn't just sit around when his only daughter was familiarizing herself with her lover's body ... without going too far. However, with the many times they found themselves alone, it was becoming increasingly hard to not go all the way. They were young adults who still didn't know what sex felt like, and probably would not unless Hiccup proposed - and marriage was the last thing the two of them wanted to rush into.
They had been dating for only three or so months; their relationship growing each second they spent in each other's company. Unknown to the village, their friends and parents, they weren't that innocent. They had seen each other's bodies. They had performed other activities other than sex when they were certain no one would walk in on them.
Now though ... a three hour flight away from Berk, a secret island that they only knew about, no one around for miles ... it seemed like the perfect time to finally perform the act they their customs frowned upon outside of wedlock.
"I want nothing more ... than to feel you, Hiccup" she said as his face hovered over hers. Her body was screaming at her to let him do it. Let him take her and put the fire that was burning the moment she realized she had feelings for him. This was their chance.
"No one will know, Astrid. Our friends, our parents, the village ... no one. The only witness will be this place" he didn't need to gesture to their surroundings. She felt his hands trail down her body. She knew their target. The hem of her leggings. She herself, was trailing hers against his stomach to the hem of his pants. If they were to do this, it would never be able to come undone. No one would know of their actions. Not her parents, not their friends, not the village.
Her hands began untying the knot of string that held his pants up, while looking him in the eye.
"Our little secret" she muttered.
"You mean, secrets" he replied as he pulled down her leggings in one swift go, along with the last line of clothing.
000
"Ah!" Stormfly's ears caught the distress in her rider's voice. She shot her head up from the nap she was taking, after tiring herself wrestling over a tree with Toothless. She looked around to see where her rider was. However, when her eyes found her, she didn't know what to feel.
"Toothless!" she nudged the Night Fury with her wing.
"What?" he grumbled, standing up and sitting on his haunches, looking at her with irritation. However, he didn't need more words to tell him what was going on. The smell of pheromones from his rider and his mate were abundant in the air. That and the noises his mate was making. He tilted his head, looking at their ... weird position.
"Well, they're mating" he stated softly.
"Yeah ... but, is it normal for human females to be making noises like that when they mate?" she asked him. He could easily tell his friend was concerned for her rider.
"Relax Stormfly. My rider would never do anything to harm yours. He loves her too much for that. And besides, look on the bright side. They're actually mating. Took them long enough to be honest."
"Alright, but then answer me this question." He was ready for it. "Do you all humans mate like that?"
"Maybe. I'm not compl... oh no. Wait. They're switching. Okay, now they're doing it the right way" he smiled.
"Humans can be weird."