Part 1: Astrid
Astrid woke up to screaming. Blood-curling, pained cries. In a panic, she shot out of bed and looked around. The bed was empty.
"Oh gods. Where's Hiccup?" she thought. Her breathing became heavy and panicked. Frantically, she grabbed two small daggers on the desks. As she took a hurried step towards the tent's opening, the ground beneath her tilted violently to the right. Astrid crashed into wooden crates, hitting the side of her head. She groaned and put her hand to her now bloody forehead. She looked down to see the ground beneath her turn into dark, splintery wooden boards. Her surroundings faded away.
"No." she tightly shut eyes, "No. You're not here. This is a nightmare. This is a nightmare. You're aslee-"
A roar cut off her thoughts. There was another explosion, the wood under her feet shifted harshly to the left. Astrid was thrown into a metal cage. The gate slammed shut, locking her in.
Her ears were ringing. More blood spilling from her head. Her breathing started becoming heavy and staggered.
Hot, orange fire erupted around her. There were dragons roaring and flying above her. She could make out a Nadder and a Monstrous Nightmare swiping at some figures. A large Grimson Goregutter dove down and rammed its horns into the hull of the ship. Astrid stumbled onto her knees. Pieces of wood flew everywhere. A sharpened piece flew towards Astrid and lodged itself in her leg. She let out a strangled cry as blood began to seep out of her wound. Her vision blurred. The roaring of the fire began to blend with the screeches and roars of dragons. A whistling sound pierced through the air, a sound Astrid knew. She snapped her head up, vision clearing.
"Hiccup."
Astrid's eyes widened as he saw Hiccup on Toothless swiftly dodging and swerving to avoid the large Death Grippers snapping and swiping their pincers at them. One of them grabbed Toothless in its talons. The other Death Grippers began to grip onto Toothless, holding him still.
"NO!"
Astrid yelled. She gripped the piece of wood protruding from her leg and swiftly pulled it out, biting her lip to hold in a cry. She shakily stood up and leaned against the side of the cage, limping towards the cage's gate. The boat roughly shifted again, throwing her to the opposite side. Her back slammed against the hot metal. The fire blew towards her body, burning her shoulder. She cried out in pain. Another movement of the boat threw her to the middle of the cage. New pain blossomed in back of her as her knees slammed on the floor. Everything went white, black, colors blurred, the world was spinning, spinning..
Suddenly, the screeching of dragons disappeared. Head throbbing and ears bleeding, Astrid looked up slowly and tried to focus. All around her dragons faded to dust. They threw their head back and roared as they faded away.
"What's happening?"
A crack of lightning shook the boat. Astrid looked up at the gray sky. Death Grippers were falling towards the ocean, smoke trailing behind them. Hiccup and Toothless were nowhere to be seen. Astrid began to hyperventilate and swallowed back a scream. "Where are they?" She opened her mouth to cry out. A dragon's screech cut through the air.
"To-toothless?" Astrid's breath shook as she heard the familiar Night Fury whistle. She could make out a white dragon flying towards the cliffs. There was a person-Grimmel?- on its back.
"Is that the Light Fury?"
Suddenly, out of thin air, a roaring Toothless appeared in front of the Light Fury. Hiccup leaped from his back. Grimmel swiftly pulled a crossbow from his back and aimed it at Hiccup. Astrid let out a strangled cry and threw herself against the metal cage. Grimmel pulled the string and let the arrow fly. Hiccup dodged but the arrow stayed on its straight path and hit Toothless's neck. The dragon began to fall.
Astrid yelled, pulling at the lock. She stabbed it with the daggers. Sparks flew. The gate wouldn't budge. Next to her, the fire roared even louder. The ship groaned and tilted into the ocean. The cage began to slide down the crumbling deck. Astrid kept her eyes to the sky above her.
Hiccup crashed into Grimmel, knocking him off balance. Grimmel lost his grip on the Light Fury and slipped from its back. He grabbed Hiccup's leg. Hiccup's arms were around the Light Fury's neck, his eyes were on Toothless's unmoving body as it continued falling.
Astrid was throwing her body violently at the gate now, trying to escape, trying to reach Hiccup. A corner of the cage was already in the ocean. The cold water was at Astrid's knee.
All of a sudden, everything stilled around her. Time slowed. Astrid froze. Her movements remained the same. Muffled echoes of the fires and the ship shrieked into her bleeding ears. Her staggered breathing was the only clear sound she heard. Another Astrid's eyes widened and she looked again to the sky. Hiccup's voice boomed in the air.
"Save him."
Hiccup let go of the Light Fury. He let go.
Astrid screamed.
The cage was fully immersed in the ocean. Astrid's head was barely staying above the water. Sobs and pained cries were spilling out of her mouth as she saw Hiccup plummet from the sky. Grimmel was pulling him down further. He clawed at his armor, ripping off pieces of dragon scales and cloth. Hiccup was grabbing Grimmel's hands, trying to get free of him. Grimmel hung onto him, scratching and digging his nails into Hiccup's back. Hiccup cried out in pain and ripped Grimmel off of him. They both slammed into the water below.
"NO! HICCUP!"
Astrid screamed. Her salty tears fell into the dark ocean. The water went over her head. She yelled into the dark water. She gripped the cage doors, pulling and tugging, trying to get out. She kicked the metal over and over again. She was suffocating. Her angry, hot tears continued, mixing with the freezing water. She was choking. Her vision was going black. Lungs began to fill with the chilling water. She breathed in more, her voice whispering in her mind.
"Hiccup."
"HICCUP!"
Astrid woke up yelling, gasping and breathing heavily. Her entire body was shaking. Her hair was matted to her sweaty skin. and her vision blurred with tears. Her ears were still ringing. Sitting up, she hugged herself tightly.
"It was just a nightmare. It was just a nightmare."
As she steadied her breathing, her eyes scanned the room. It was still dark. She wasn't in her tent. There were some papers hastily tossed on a desk. Her armor was neatly folded on the corner. There were two daggers on the table. Astrid recognized them. She moved to get off the bed. She froze. Astrid looked down. There was an arm wrapped around her waist. Soft, heavy breathing replaced the harsh ringing in her ears. She watched Hiccup's bare chest rise and fall in steady rhythm. His auburn hair was tangled and flattened against the pillow. Astrid stopped shaking, her breath began to mirror that of Hiccup's.
"Why did I sleep here? In Hiccup's bed?"
Astrid's eyes were still wet. Even though her body had begun to relax from the sudden awakening, her mind couldn't remember. She slowly laced her fingers through Hiccup's calloused hand and gently lifted it from her stomach. Astrid held onto it. Her eyes skimmed around the room again.
"What happened?"
Astrid's eyes caught on a small, black object resting on the soft grass. A dragon scale.
"Where's Toothle-"
Astrid's breath caught. The memories from the previous day flashed in her mind. The dragons... No
She slowly turned to Hiccup. The brown furs had shifted on his body. Astrid gulped as her eyes traveled down his chest. Her eyes counted every cut and bruise on his chest and stomach before her gaze rested on the bandages wrapped tightly around his lower abdomen. Her breath turned shaky once again. She began to repeat her mantra.
"It was just a nightmare. It was just a night-" Hiccup mumbled something in his sleep and turned on his side. Astrid leaned slightly and forced herself to look at Hiccup's backside. Her breath caught again and gasp escaped her throat. She slapped a shaky hand over her disobedient mouth. His back was covered in scratches and cuts, there were purple and red bruises forming.
"It wasn't a nightmare."
Hiccup stirred again and moved onto his back. Astrid remained still, careful not to wake him, but he otherwise didn't stir again. She gently lifted herself and quickly slipped out of bed. As Astrid made her way to the tent opening, she swiftly grabbed the two daggers from the table. Keeping her footsteps light, she stepped outside. Astrid knelt down and took deep, staggered breaths. When they became less heavy, she rose.
The sun had slowly crept up far enough in the sky to shine a very faint light of morning. Pinks, golds, and warm oranges illuminated the earth. The crisp morning mist began to descend into the trees. Small, wet droplets were beginning to form on the blades of grass. The air was piercing cold and stung Astrid's skin. It smelled vaguely of the salty ocean and sharp pine.
Astrid began walked quietly between the tents. Her breathing was still staggered and pained. Her bare feet were wet with moisture from the grass.. There were sounds of faint snoring and mumbles from the tents. A sob was heard; Astrid abruptly stopped. She turned towards the sound, carefully watching her step. She came to the front of a tent. Astrid scolded herself; she was invading someone's privacy. She turned to walk away.
"Stoick, what's going to become of him?"
Astrid froze. Valka's soft voice continued whispering.
"He was so young when he met him. He never had a chance to find who he was. When you left, he only depended on him more. And now that Toothless is gone, I-"
Astrid's breath hitched. Her heartbeat was in her throat. Her chest began rising and falling with staggered, shallow breaths once again.
"Now.." Valka's voice faded, "Now, he only has Astrid." her breath quivered. "And I don't think she's enough."
There was a rustle outside. Someone's shadow passed Valka's tent. Valka's hand pulled back the fabric. She looked around. No one was there. Valka shakily sighed and wiped the tears from her eyes, and re-entered her tent.
Astrid burst through her tent. Her vision blurred with hot tears. Panting, she swiftly moved through the tent. Her knee rammed into her wooden chest. It toppled over, opening and letting objects slide out.
"Thor dammit." Astrid hissed as she knelt down to pick up her things. Her entire body was shaking. She began roughly throwing things back in the chest. Her hands suddenly stopped on a small dirty mirror. She brought it up to her face. Her broken reflection stared back at her.
Astrid angrily threw the mirror at her wooden desk. It shattered and broke into tiny, sharp pieces. Glass shards flew and embedded themselves into wooden crates. Tears were still burning down her face as Astrid hastily began to change into her normal clothes. Her movements were rushed and disorderly. She reached for her brush and brought it to her long, tangled hair. Astrid's hand stopped. Breathing heavily, she glanced at the daggers on top of the desk where she had left them. She reached for one and held it for a moment. Her hands began to shake and she tightly wrapped her fist around the blade, drawing blood. She lifted the knife to her hair and sliced.
Astrid stood in front of Hiccup's tent. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Quietly moved the fabric of Hiccup's tent and peeked inside. Hiccup's steady breaths were the only sound. Stepping slowly, she made her way to his desk. Astrid's eyes caught again on the black scale on the grass. She knelt down and gingerly picked it up, wrapping her fingers gently around it.
On Hiccup's desk, her armor was folded carefully and her helmet rested to its side, where she had left it. She put down the daggers on the hard wood and reached for her helmet. She ran her hand over the crown of golden spikes. She remembered watching in amusement when Hiccup tried to quietly sneak behind Stormfly to grab some loose spines from her tail. He would lay pieces of chicken on the floor to distract her as he gently approached her. Astrid remembered dying of laughter and falling on the floor, clutching her stomach and gasping for breath, when Stormfly shot a row of spines, pinning Hiccup to the wall. Even Toothless let out a warbling laugh.
Her hands found the folded armor and brought it closer to her. Astrid held it for a moment. Her fingers delicately traced the grooves and angles of the sky blue and lavender scales. The leather was slightly scuffed from the recent battle. Some beige threads were hanging loosely from shoulders. She gently rolled them between her fingers and softly smiled, remembering Hiccup's fussing over her fitting.
"Come on, Astrid! You need to stand still!" Hiccup laughed from his seat as Astrid stomped around the forge. Her armor was not complete and falling off her body. The sleeves were sliding off her arms. "I still need to stitch some pieces together!"
"No, Hiccup!" Astrid angrily snarled. She attempted to grab the flailing pieces of fabric in her hands but they slipped each time. She angrily huffed and Hiccup snorted. She snapped her head to him and angrily stomped towards him. She stopped in front of the stool and folded her arms.
"You've kept me here for hours, poking me with a needle and not letting me move!" She thrust her finger at his face. Hiccup couldn't help but crack a grin which made her more frustrated "Why is this so funny to you?"
"Astrid, you've been here for thirty minutes." Hiccup chuckled and grabbed the loose cloth hanging from her shoulder. Astrid grumbled under her breath as he brought her closer. "If you would stop moving, I would be able stitch these pieces together faster and you won't be subjugated to my apparent torture anymore. I haven't even started to sew Stormfly's scales on yet"
"You'd think after all those flashy costumes you have made, you would be better at sewing." Astrid remarked looking down at her hastily hemmed armor. Hiccup dramatically gasped and put his hand over his heart in mock offense.
Hiccup pretended to be mortally wounded, clutching his heart, and exaggeratedly fell to the floor. He shut his eyes but the corners of his eyes were crinkled with amusement. He spoke in a dramatic voice.
"You wound me, milady! Those 'costumes' are sleek dragon riding gear, for your information." He still had a goofy, lopsided smile plastered on his face. Astrid rolled her eyes.
"Well, for your information…" Astrid grinned, as she sassily flicked her hair over the shoulder. She dramatically grabbed the leather hanging from her arm and closely examined it. "These stitches are in the same quality group as my Yaknog."
Hiccup quickly sat up. His grin turned into a serious frown. "Okay, that's taking it too far."
"Oh no, I'm serious!" Astrid started to laugh at Hiccup's ticked expression. She leaned on his work table and pretended to fiddle with the armor judgmentally.
"Take it back!" Hiccup angrily exclaimed as he stood up. His eyes were shining with humor, "Astrid Hofferson, you take that back right now!"
"Nah, I'm good."
Hiccup lifted his eyebrow and a sarcastic smirk appeared on his face. He grabbed Astrid's waist and brought her closer to him. Astrid let out a quick yelp that quickly turned into laughter. She looked at Hiccup's face.
"That really offended you, huh?" Astrid laughed as Hiccup's smirk turned into a pout.
"Anything relatively similar to Yaknog should be burned." Hiccup grumbled under his breath, running his hand through his auburn hair.
"Hey!" Astrid punched Hiccup's chest. His grip on her waist loosed as he yelped.
"Why are you punching me? You were the one offending my sewing ability!" He groaned and clutched his chest.
"Well, you're mocking my cooking skills!"
"What cooking skills?" Astrid raised her fist to Hiccup's chest again. Hiccup quickly raised his arms in surrender, laughing.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I had to." Hiccup shook his head, chuckling as he approached Astrid again. She lowered her clenched knuckles.
"I hate you." Astrid huffed. She felt a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. Hiccup laughed.
"You shouldn't say that to the person who is holding a needle to your arm," He led her back to the stool and sat her down. He grabbed another sewing needle and brought it up to the leather on her upper arm.
"You poke me one more time and I will throw you across the room, Haddock." Astrid couldn't help but grin under her serious expression
Hiccup lifted his hands in defense and chuckled. "Consider me warned, milady. If you do throw me though, please don't grab me by the neck."
Astrid snorted, chuckling and shaking her head. Hiccup laughed, and carefully continued his hemming.
Astrid's smile fell. That laughter seemed so long ago, just a distant echo. Astrid wrapped her arms around the armor and gently hugged it. She let out a shaky breath. Her eyes fell on the daggers on the table. She shakily grabbed them again. Her dried blood stained one. She raised her hand closer to her face; a long cut across the palm was turning pink. Astrid croaked a sad laugh and raised her hand to her hair. She quietly made her way to the tent opening. Before she exited, she turned to Hiccup's sleeping form. His breathing was still heavy and even. Her eyes slowly scanned his body. Astrid made a silent promise in her soul. She brought the Night Fury scale closer to her heart. The heartbreaking realization weighed her down.
"We won't be the same without them, will we?"
A/N: This chapter was longer than I thought it would be. I think it's the longest so far. If you saw the "part 1" on top, that's not a mistake. This chapter was more astrid based and the next will be hiccup centered. That one might take some more time. People will be slightly ooc for a while, but my defense for that is "they have just gone through a trauma and are picking up the pieces that are left"
I know the story is slow-paced as of right now but it will start to pick up as the chapters go on. Pull out your detective hats and magnifying glass cause there's some hidden stuff that will be important later. So pay close attention y'all; it's gonna get angsty ;)