Chapter 10:
"Let's start with the basics." Hiccup suggested, grabbing a box of fish from one of the stalls. "You need to learn how to call your dragon and get it to follow instructions. Here, take this:" he said, handing Arkyn a cod and leading him away from the waiting Triplestryke. "Now hold it out, and say his name."
"Stinger? You want breakfast?" Arkyn spoke. Not wanting to go hungry, Stinger obliged and followed the sound of his rider-to-be's voice, stopping in front of the fish when he smelled it. "Good job." Arkyn encouraged, feeding his dragon and patting it on the snout. Sensing new movement, Stinger began to sniff the air and lifted his head to look around the arena. It was only now that the twins and Snotlout showed up with their dragons.
Stinger squawked loudly at them, as if letting them know he didn't want to be bothered right now. "No no no, it's alright. They're your friends now." Arkyn quickly interjected. "What took you muttonheads so long anyway?"
"We had an early morning tussle in the boar pit." Tuffnut replied casually.
Everyone else cringed, not wanting to know any more details.
"You morons missed the naming." Astrid scolded them.
Snotlout smirked. "And what name would that be?"
"Stinger." Arkyn told him.
"Seriously?!" Ruff exclaimed. "It has 3 of those. That's an obvious choice. You really couldn't come up with anything more original?"
Arkyn wore a blank expression. "Thank you for your continued support, as always."
"Anytime." The girl smiled sarcastically.
"Ooooookay, now if you 3 are done being annoying," Hiccup gestured to the latecomers. "the rest of us have something to get back to."
"Wait, you're not including us?" Snotlout asked. "But everyone knows I'm the best dragon rider."
"Seems pretty unfair to me." Tuffnut agreed.
Arkyn was silently hoping Hiccup would make them go away. The 3 of them had been more than unhelpful lately, especially the previous evening with Ruffnut's poorly timed love joke.
"If you wanted to share these moments with us, you should have proven you really care by being punctual. This is a special time. Besides, new dragons can't afford to be distracted by all…this, when learning basic commands." Hiccup waved his arms at them as he spoke. "We will meet you in the Great Hall for lunch."
The 3 Vikings looked offended, but Snotlout wore an especially nasty expression. "Says who?" He countered.
"Says me." Hiccup stood his ground.
Snotlout began to advance on him. "Listen, you may be the chief's son and my cousin and the king of the dragons and whatever, but I'm still stronger than you, and I can go where I want." Rather close to Hiccup now, Snotlout raised his fist to make his point even more clear.
"No!" Astrid yelled, and she began running towards the large Viking in Hiccup's defense, but she wasn't fast enough.
Snotlout recoiled his fist, now just an arms length from his cousin, and then:
WHAAAM!
Astrid blinked as she heard a dull thud and the clatter of a helmet on the arena floor, but what surprised her the most was that it wasn't Hiccup sprawled out in the dirt, it was Snotlout. Arkyn had socked him right on the nose, knocking him down just before he had made contact with Hiccup's face. Damn he was stronger than he looked. Thought Astrid, relieved Hiccup remained in one piece.
"What the-" Snotlout whined, holding his nose, but Arkyn cut him off before he could finish his sentence.
"Leave." Was the only word he uttered, standing over the downed aggressor. Snotlout quickly got up and gave Arkyn a worried look before walking towards the arena's exit. Arkyn moved his gaze to the twins. "You had better follow him." He said.
Ruffnut added one more comment ahead of continuing after Snotlout. "Well, you can't hit a lady, but even I'm not dumb enough to miss the message." And off they went.
"Good riddance." Muttered Fishlegs, remembering his own fair share of poor memories associated with the departing party. "That was awesome Arkyn!"
"Y- yeah…thanks…" Hiccup added in a shaky voice. It had been a while since Snotlout had last beat him up, and he was thankful he wouldn't have to relive it today.
"As long as you're ok…" Arkyn sighed. He rubbed the glove on his right hand. It would be sore for a while, but it would be worth it. At least now they could get back to Stinger in peace. "Well…at least we'll have something interesting to talk about over lunch." He joked.
Everyone chuckled, assuring Arkyn they would make sure Snotlout didn't try anything when they eventually ate together.
"So want to try the call again? How about this time without fish?" Hiccup suggested after things had calmed down a bit. "Fishlegs and Astrid can help you for a while, but as for me, I've got to get started on a saddle for Stinger. You need something to actually ride on when all the ground training is done." He explained, and left shortly after for the forge.
"That was pretty cool of you." Astrid chimed in once Hiccup had gone.
"It was the right thing to do." Arkyn said simply. "Snotface doesn't scare me."
"I'm just glad you did something." Astrid sounded relieved. "I was too far away to have gotten there in time."
"I owe Hiccup way, way too much to be a bystander. Besides, my parents taught be how to fight. It would be a shame for such skills to go wasted in a time of need." Arkyn told her, and he was right. Hiccup had been responsible for at least 80% of Arkyn's livelihood on Berk up to this point. It would take a lot more than a punch to repay what was essentially a new life. "Should we get back to training then?" Arkyn asked.
"Indeed we should." Fishlegs confirmed.
—
Hiccup walked into the forge to find Gobber bent over an axe he was working on. "Oy!" the large man called. "I thought ye' said ye' woudn' be comin' in t'day."
"I didn't know if I would need to. Arkyn found himself a dragon and I had to see if it would stay before I invested the energy in another saddle. So, I'm technically not 'in' to work for you anyway, if that's alright."
"Aye. Ye gave me proper warning. So the new lad 'as a beast o' his own, eh?"
"Yep. Found it yesterday." Hiccup told him.
"Well alright then. I'll leave ye be." Gobber said, returning his focus to the axe.
Hiccup walked into his back workshop and got started drawing a pattern for the saddle's leather. After so much interaction in the past week, and especially in the past hour with Snotlout, Hiccup was happy to be alone for a while doing something he loved.
Hiccup's mind wandered as he worked. Gods his cousin was so arrogant…what makes him think he's the best dragon rider? He can't even control Hookfang sometimes. Hiccup thought back to numerous occasions when the Monstrous Nightmare had gone out of its way to embarrass Snotlout, leading to some pretty entertaining moments among him and his friends.
The truth was, Hiccup did not respect his cousin. He was immature, dull, gross, and until about 3 weeks ago, a bully. The way Snotlout sometimes spoke to Astrid made Hiccup's blood boil, and even after all he had done for him, Snotlout still tried an attack in the arena. Luckily, Arkyn had put a stop to that, for which Hiccup was indeed very grateful. The boy smiled as he remembered the sound that was made when Arkyn's glove connected with his cousin's nose. Not that Hiccup condoned violence, but he was happy that someone put Snotlout in his place, and even happier to make that person a saddle for their new dragon.
Finishing up with the pattern, his thoughts broke as he moved on to actually cutting and shaping the leather. It wasn't until Hiccup was well into this next task that he let his focus waver once again, this time landing on his feelings for Astrid.
They had only grown since he noticed her rushing to his aid against Snotlout earlier. That meant something. It had to. Hiccup decided he needed to talk to Astrid about it later, further hoping to reveal more information about the feelings she had for him, too. He loved her so much…all he wanted was for there to be something shared between them. A mutual affection. But at the same time Hiccup was very scared to think this way, for he feared admitting this fact, both to himself and possibly to Astrid, would lead to a destruction of the delicate balance of good that existed in his life right now.
Feeling a tightness in his stomach, Hiccup decided not to dwell on it any longer. Finishing up the bulk of the leather work, he took a break and waited for the lunch hour, trying to decide on the perfect time to meet up with Astrid.
—
Back in the arena, training was continuing at a strong pace. Both Fishlegs and Astrid were very good with dragons, and their expertise, even without Hiccup present, was proving extremely helpful to Arkyn, who knew almost nothing by comparison. After about an hour or two of ground commands, the 3 Vikings took a brief water break, letting Stinger explore his surroundings a bit before they continued.
Arkyn took the opportunity to strike up a conversation. "There's something I've wanted to know ever since I got here." He started.
"Oh? What's that?" Astrid questioned.
"What is it like…to really fly?" Arkyn phrased his query slowly, as if seeking an answer he hoped would make things clear even though he speculated words probably weren't enough.
Fishlegs chimed in first. "It's AMAZING. So cool. You're gonna love it." He said excitedly.
Arkyn gave him a half smile and a small laugh, correctly predicting a response that wasn't what he wanted to hear.
Astrid, on the other hand, gave him a knowing look. She knew what Arkyn was getting at. A long time ago Hiccup had given her the same answer she now had the responsibility of conveying. The answer to a question Astrid didn't know she wanted to ask when she had come across Toothless for the first time in the cove. Although she didn't have the opportunity to give Arkyn the same experience, Astrid took a deep breath and tried to use words anyway.
"Flying…there's nothing else like it. It's an experience comparable to no other. One you have to have before you can fully picture." She paused before choosing her next sentence. "Imagine having the power to be weightless. To live without boundaries. To see things in a perspective that so few get to see. Flying gives that to you. It's a mutual privilege between dragon and rider…and it. Is. Incredible."
"Wow." Fishlegs exclaimed. "That was way deeper than what I said, but she's still right."
This time Arkyn laughed for real, satisfied with what Astrid had told him. He was convinced now that nothing could prepare him for the first flight he would inevitably have to make. It was still nerve wracking, yes, but now that it had been described to him in detail, Arkyn let pure intrigue take over some of those nerves.
"Well, we've done quite a lot today. Why don't you call Stinger in one more time, we'll feed him, and then we can grab Hiccup from the forge and take lunch a little early?" Fishlegs suggested.
The other two agreed, and Arkyn did what he was told. Stinger responded very well to his calls now, and the large Triplestryke needed no further prompting when a large pile of fish was placed in his stable.
The 3 then left the arena with a sense of accomplishment, headed in the direction of the forge, eager to see what progress Hiccup had made so far with the saddle.
—
After Hiccup displayed his handiwork and explained what more needed to be done, the now group of 4 arrived at the Great Hall. They were alarmed to find the twins and Snotlout already there at their normal table. Holding his breath, Arkyn led his friends back to where they were sitting. Snotlout immediately flared up.
"Wha-… wha' is he doin here?!" Strangely, Snotlout slurred his words, much to the worry of the new arrivals. It was then they noticed several things:
1. Snotlout had a bandage over his nose where Arkyn had punched him.
2. There were 5 or 6 empty flasks on the table surrounding the spot where Snotlout sat.
3. The twins were in uncontrollable fits of laughter over the whole situation.
"What. Did. You. Do?" Astrid demanded, turning to Ruff and Tuff.
"Isn't it obvious? Snotface was hurting after the altercation in the arena earlier, in more ways than one, so we got him drunk on mead to make him feel better." Tuff recapped.
"H- hey. Don' call me Thnotface, ya jerk!" Snotlout protested.
"You fucking morons…" Arkyn whispered. Astrid was the only one who heard him, but when she looked over at the boy she could make out a faint smile on his face, clearly amused at the sight. She snickered to herself upon seeing Arkyn's reaction. This was probably the most vulnerable Snotlout had ever been, and it showed. The teens were technically allowed to have mead, but had always been taught to enjoy in moderation. Clearly the twins had convinced Snotlout to do otherwise. Glancing behind her, Astrid noticed both Hiccup and Fishlegs were shaking their heads, viewing it as an act of immaturity, which it was, but that didn't mean they couldn't lighten up a bit.
Everyone from the arena grabbed their food and sat down, enjoying an eventful lunch hour full of jokes involving Snotlout, conversation regarding Stinger's training, and what to do once the saddle was finished. The twins ended up leaving early with Snotlout to help him get home, leaving just Fishlegs, Astrid, Hiccup, and Arkyn left at the table. "I'd better get going and move my stuff out of Hiccup's room." Arkyn said.
"Need any help with that?" Hiccup asked.
"Nope. I should be fine. There's not that many things, and my new place isn't that far." Arkyn explained. The other 3 wished him luck before he walked out of the hall, finally going to see his new dwelling for the first time.
Fishlegs was the next to drop. "I should probably go too…my dad wanted me home after lunch so I could help him chop wood. I'll see you guys later." He bid them farewell and headed for the exit himself.
The table came down to just Hiccup and Astrid now. Seeing this as a perfect opportunity for his previously planned discussion with Astrid, Hiccup spoke up before the girl could rush off on her own accord. "Hey, Astrid? I wanted to say thanks for trying to stop Snotlout earlier. I really didn't want to be his punching bag again."
Astrid looked up at him with a smile. Hiccup would only describe the look on her face as nothing short of angelic. "Oh come on, Hiccup. You know I would have kicked the shit out of him if he had gotten to you. I wasn't even the one who really helped, anyway. Arkyn sure did put his ass on the ground." She laughed at this and Hiccup joined her, recounting the incident.
"He sure is something…I'm glad we were able to get him back on his feet." Hiccup mused.
"Well, that was mostly you." Astrid encouraged. "I'm not the one making the saddle."
"And I'm not the one who trained a Triplestryke today." Hiccup mentioned, not wanting to take more credit than he was worth. "Thanks for that too, by the way."
Astrid looked at him and sighed. "Hiccup? You didn't start this conversation just to congratulate me for things I do on a normal day…did you?" She asked.
Shit, why'd she have to be so perceptive? Hiccup thought. But the cat was out of the bag now…no more stalling. "N- no, I didn't. I actually wanted to talk about us." He finally said it aloud.
"…Us…" Astrid repeated. She wasn't expecting this to come up when she awoke this morning, at least not yet. It caught her off guard slightly. "What about us?"
"What are we?" Hiccup asked, hesitating.
Astrid's smile wavered a little and her voice dropped with her next sentence. "Why are you asking me, Hiccup?"
Hiccup did not understand girls. His tone picked up a slight hint of annoyance as he filled her in. "Because, Astrid, you've kissed me three times now, and one of those was in front of the whole village! We haven't talked about any of that since then, and I have no idea what to do. That's why I'm asking you."
"Hiccup!" Astrid exclaimed in a whisper / yell. "I just…don't know what I want yet, ok? I'm sorry! You know I like you, but you also know I planned to stay a maiden my whole life before all of…this." She was referring to pretty much everything that had happened since she met Toothless. "I just need some time to think about everything. I'll know when and what feels right when it actually feels right." At this point Astrid was no longer smiling, and instead she looked down at her hands fiddling in her lap, not wanting to directly meet Hiccup's eyes.
This visual cue was enough for Hiccup to understand that he had messed up. Clearly the girl across from him was in no mood to make a decision about her feelings at the present time. Feeling bad, Hiccup was going to say something to try and calm Astrid down, but before he had the chance to she slowly got up, grabbed her axe which she had leaned against the table, and headed for the door. "Goodbye, Hiccup." were the last words he heard from her.
"No, Astrid, wait! I'm sorry! I didn't mean t-" but she was gone. Off to Thor knows where.
Hiccup now sat alone at his table in the once lively environment, contemplating how in Odin's name he could have screwed that up so badly. He truly hadn't meant to hurt her…
With nothing else to do, he himself now walked home and entered his room, which felt strangely empty now that Arkyn had vacated the space. Spilling onto his bed, Hiccup started thinking long and hard about a way to remedy the situation. This was not going to be easy.
