Chapter 34: Close Your Eyes
Astrid was not a morning person…unless she had to be. And today- as it seemed- she had to be.
It was still dark outside when she forced herself to crawl out of bed. The only saving grace for her mood was the fact that she was able to get to sleep relatively early the previous evening, and even then, there were very few people she'd willingly do this for. Arkyn just so happened to be on the short list. As tired as she felt in the moment, that idiot was worth it (at least to her), and when he made plans, Astrid made sure she showed up.
She threw on a new outfit, untangled the knots in her bed head, and tied a new braid in almost no time at all, finally grabbing her axe and jaunting out the door on foot in the direction of the forest as requested. Astrid had no idea what to expect upon her arrival and the anticipation was admittedly killing her. Arkyn hadn't been very descriptive when they'd discussed it before, which stirred the girl's curiosity a great deal.
It occurred to her while she was walking that the boy had been acting quite strange in general since they ran off the Flightmare. Their night in the arena was nice, but it had ended with Arkyn asking her a random question almost out of nowhere. He may have well been a ghost for the next 4 days, only to resurface with a spontaneous plan. Something was up, Astrid just didn't know what. Her parents certainly didn't know either…surely they would have said something to her? These thoughts had to be put on hold when Astrid found Arkyn already waiting for her by the edge of the forest. She figured her questions would be answered soon enough anyway…
"Am I late?" She asked, smiling awkwardly.
Arkyn shook his head. "Not even close. I just over-prepared and ended up being early."
Even in the near blackout lighting, Astrid still observed two things: The first was that Arkyn had with him a sizable trunk, different from the ones she'd seen before, and the second was that he wasn't wearing his gloves. It was only the fourth time she'd seen him without them on and just the first time that they'd already been absent before the day had begun, rather than Arkyn taking them off mid way through an interaction. This piqued her interest specifically because it meant Arkyn was evidently in his most comfortable state, and seeing as it was just the two of them, it was a notion that gave Astrid an extra sense of fondness for their relationship.
"Aren't you going to tell me what that's for?" Astrid inquired, pointing to the trunk. It was still too dark to make out its details.
"Being nosy again, are we? Patience, Astrid. I'll get there." He chuckled, a hint of nervousness in his mannerisms. "Now then, we should get going."
"You're really stringing me along here." She rolled her eyes playfully as they began the hike up to the cliffs.
"It'll all come together…in some way or another."
"Can you at least tell me why this had to be done so early in the morning?"
Arkyn could sense he was losing her enthusiasm. "Gods, Astrid, don't you trust me at all?" He joked sarcastically, feigning offense. "You sound just as annoyed with me as you did the first time I made you walk up here."
"I do not…"
"You do too. Don't think I've forgotten the look you gave me that night… I have chills to this day."
"Well I didn't even know who you were back then. Excuse me for being a little cautious."
"You're excused." Arkyn winked smoothly, earning himself a slap on the arm.
There was a short pause of silence after this, which Astrid broke. "I guess we found a way around that, huh?" She made a point of grabbing his free hand with her own, cherishing the feeling of his bare skin on her fingers.
Arkyn glanced down at her and smiled knowingly. "I guess we did."
The time flew by as they talked, and before they knew it, the two were approaching the clearing at the top of the hill.
"Well? Here we are…" Arkyn gestured, leading Astrid to the spot they'd visited so many times before. He set the trunk out of the way for now as they sat down in the soft grass beside each other. "Now we can relax for a little while."
The sun was just beginning to rise and the first hints of orange color started to spread across the sky, reflecting beautifully off of the clouds that were lazily floating past. Astrid took in the developing view, nestling into Arkyn as she did so. With each passing moment, more and more of the village below was revealed by the incoming light. A thin haze provided by the chilly morning added to the spectacular scene.
"It- it really is quite something to see…" Astrid remarked.
"I had hoped so." Arkyn replied, some relief in his voice.
The girl then spoke softly, as if she were apologetic. "Thank you for making me get up early for this."
Arkyn tilted his head, his mouth curled in a slight smile. "Words I didn't think I'd ever hear from you." He laughed. "Although it has been noted that we both would typically prefer to be night owls…"
"Ya know, as much as I love this view…" Astrid began after a spell of silence, "…something tells me that it isn't the only reason we're up here…?"
Arkyn sighed. "I guess it's been long enough." He said, nervousness now very obviously infecting his words.
He spoke slowly, thinking about each sentence before it left his mouth, trying his best to say exactly what he meant. "Astrid…I am aware that I have not always been the most emotionally available partner to you, and I want you to hear me say sorry for that before I go on. I wish…I wish I could be better. I'm trying to be better, at least, and you're helping me with that more than you may realize."
Astrid met his eyes with an expression that mixed worry and affection, listening intently. She didn't yet know where he was going with this.
The boy continued. "I'll be honest, Astrid…it didn't take me long after I first arrived here to notice how beautiful you are, but at the time, it was only a thought in the back of my mind. It wasn't until later that I learned my feelings were stronger than I originally believed. For a while…my life only truly existed on those islands of time when I looked up and found you with me. Everything in between was just…filler- an ocean of wasted days and empty space. I finally figured out why on the night of that big party…and, well, you know how that went. Ever since that night I've been different, although it's a little hard to explain…"
"So that brings me to this spot. Why are we here?" Arkyn asked rhetorically. "Well I- I arrived on Berk a stranger, and on day 1 I was introduced to 6 more strangers whom I knew nothing about, until I came up here. It was in this exact spot where we're sitting now that we were able to get to really know each other. It was in this spot that my notion of you being a cold soul was corrected. It was in this spot that I learned you're far more complex than you may have first appeared. It was in this spot that I learned you rely upon your extraordinary capabilities rather than your looks, however stunning they may be, to get by in your life. And that's what really made me fall for you. Anyone can look pretty…but strength? Maturity? Humility? Empathy? Resilience? Those are acquired traits that aren't easy to find, and you amaze me with them everyday, and I never would have discovered any of that if it weren't for this spot. It's somewhere only we know."
Astrid was blushing hard, but didn't dare interrupt the speech. It was difficult to even look Arkyn in the eyes anymore, and the girl found herself diverting her bashful gaze away from him as he spoke, feeling undeserving of his words.
"You know quite well how little I had when I showed up in that wooden boat, but what I've told you much less about is how small I felt back then. I'd just lost everything I'd known…and then some time passed and before I knew what was going on, you were standing in my living room in a dress telling me that you wanted to be with me and I felt found. I can't imagine things ever going back to the way they were before that night when we danced. I was in a strange place mentally that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. You hauled me out of it like one of Odin's angels from above, and you'll never know how grateful I am…"
A single tear rolled down Astrid's cheek, but Arkyn quickly wiped it away with his thumb and gently kissed the side of her head, at last grabbing the trunk that sat next to him before presenting it to the girl by placing it in front of her.
"You've apparently been dying to know what this is. Obviously it's for you…gods, I hope you're not disappointed…" Arkyn trailed off. "When you're ready then, you may open it." He placed a small brass key in one of her hands.
Astrid took a few moments to study the case itself first. It was quite ornate with polished silver latches and lining while black leather adorned the rest of its rectangular surfaces, matching Arkyn's suit. A modest, yet smart looking name plate rested above the lock, simply reading: Astrid Hofferson. It too was polished silver and reflected stylishly in the sunrise.
"Arkyn, I- I don't know what to say." Astrid almost whispered. She had butterflies in her stomach trying to anticipate what the gift meant, whatever it may be.
He held up a hand and smiled. "Don't say anything yet. Just look inside." All of his careful planning had led up to this moment.
The girl smiled back as she inserted the key into the lock, turning it with a satisfying click. She carefully unclasped the two latches, excited to see the case's contents as she lifted the lid. Inside lay a single-bladed battle axe which rested in blue felt, this time matching Astrid's trademark tunic. The blade itself was so shiny that Astrid could see her own eyes staring back at her from its edge. It was mounted to a handle of comparable length to her mother's axe, but this one was far more decorated. Two bands of fabric (the color of which Astrid also quickly noticed matched that of her eyes in the reflection) ran down in a shallow spiral from tip to tail, inset into the beautifully stained brown wood that composed the rest of the shaft. The grip was of soft leather, also black, which was securely studded around the handle with silver pins. An iron disk capped off the end.
Astrid couldn't help but let her mouth fall open slightly at the sight of it, but she barely had time to take it all in before Arkyn nudged her again.
"Don't just stare at it, silly. Pick it up! Please?"
The girl tenderly reached out and lifted the axe from the case by the leather grip, gasping slightly as she found it to be perfectly balanced. After years of use, even her mother's was starting to lean to one side by now. Upon further inspection, Astrid discovered that an inscription had been made in the end cap. 'A+A' For Astrid and Arkyn… she mused, once again admiring the impeccable craftsmanship. Arkyn's sword had been cool when he'd first revealed it to her all those weeks ago, and it of course still was cool, but this creation blew it straight out of the water. It was incredible, and the case made it even better.
Speaking of the case, Arkyn pointed out one final feature of the object which Astrid had embarrassingly overlooked since she'd been so captivated by the weapon itself. Underneath the lid was mounted a brass plate, a short poem engraved on its surface. The words could be read upright when the lid was open, and Astrid's eyes quickly began fleeting over the paragraph.
Open your mind
Leave everything behind
Fly towards your future
Don't let your past be your ruler
Even if you fall from the sky
This is where your heart lies
Close your eyes, Soul Searcher
You needn't look any further
You found me.
-Arkyn Stryerson
Just as Astrid finished reading the poem, Arkyn guided the axe back into its felt trough and then grabbed her free hand in both of his, finally arriving at the ultimate reason for the early meeting. The time was right. It was now or never.
"Listen…you are the first thing I look forward to when I wake up every morning and the last person I think about before I drift to sleep every night. I wouldn't want to live in a world without you in it. I want to experience every second of my life from this point onward knowing that we will be together forever. No matter what. So…Astrid Hofferson?" He paused for a moment, observing the exact frame in time that the girl next to him figured out what was going on. Her eyes were welling up with anticipation, an indescribable feeling filling the deepest pits of her stomach. "Will you be my betrothed…?"
There it was.
He'd said it.
Astrid felt time freeze as these words met her ears. A year ago they would have been blasphemy- rejected on the spot- but so much had changed. Arkyn's kind brown eyes nervously looked in her direction, but behind the suspense held in the expression, unspeakable levels of care flowed from his features. It had been a crazy few months filled with many ups and downs, but when thinking back through it all, Astrid realized that the happiest memories from this time that rose to the surface of her mind first all involved the boy who had just popped the question. She then thought about that morning specifically. The cliffs, the sunrise, the axe…everything was all so perfect. It just felt…correct, like everything was exactly how it should be. This made her decision quite easy.
More tears began to helplessly fall from Astrid's eyes, but by no means were they tears of sadness. It took the girl a few more seconds to reprocess what was even happening, where she was, and who she was with, before she finally leaned forward and wrapped Arkyn in a tight embrace, burying her face in his neck. "Of- of course I will…" she whispered, nearly choking.
The weight of the world was suddenly lifted from Arkyn's shoulders, and he slowly reached up to gently hug Astrid in return, feeling his neck getting damp. "Hey…hey. It's ok… I didn't mean for this to make you cry…" He'd have been lying if he'd said similar emotions weren't running through his own brain right then, yet Arkyn's underlying stubbornness still wouldn't allow him to express them in the same way.
"I know…it's just so sweet." She breathed, pulling back. "The axe is gorgeous. I- I don't deserve it though..." Astrid said sadly.
"Why would you say something like that?" Arkyn questioned, confused, trying his best to help calm the other teen down. "You deserve a matching set of daggers and perhaps a shield too…but I didn't have the time…"
"Because I don't have anything for you! I wouldn't even know where to start…"
"Astrid…" the boy shook his head. "The last thing I want is for this relationship to become transactional. You couldn't have known I was going to do this today. You still said yes. That's all I'll ever need in return. Besides…your name is already on the case. I can't exactly regift it to Ruffnut, can I?"
Astrid laughed between her dissipating sobs, doing her best to put on a smile as she began admiring the weapon once more.
Arkyn spoke again. "I know how much you love your mother's old axe, and I promise that my intention wasn't for this one to be a replacement. I will still be perfectly satisfied if it never sees any real use, but I thought you would at least enjoy having it."
The girl smiled. "Oh it's far too immaculate to remain a mere shelf queen. I can't wait to test it out…maybe show it off?" As she said this, something occurred to her. "Wait a minute, my parents do know about this, don't they?"
"Relax, Astrid. I went and got their permission yesterday morning."
"So that's why you wanted to know when I was cleaning Stormfly…"
Arkyn nodded, looking adorably guilty. "Well it's not like I could've had you around for that part. On that subject though, there is…one catch…" he muttered hesitantly.
Astrid's mind ran wild. "W- what is it?" Knowing her parents, more specifically her father, 'one catch' could mean any number of annoying obstacles.
The boy's face fell. "I have no one to sign my side of our betrothal certificate. We…can't be legal. Not for 2 more years…" There was a shameful tone to his voice, as if this would be a deal breaker for Astrid.
Astrid looked at Arkyn and could plainly see he was uncomfortable admitting his situation to her. She was nothing if not sympathetic, however, and tried her best to make him feel better. "I'll happily wait." She said adamantly. "We know what we have, and I know my parents won't ruin it. It's a dumb law anyway…" She was relieved to find out it wasn't something her parents had enacted themselves.
"It's an obscure law, that's for sure." Arkyn replied. "For our sakes, I think it's best we keep the legality of everything under the table. Not many people would be any wiser to begin with. Other than that, I don't see a problem with sharing the news…if you want to, of course."
"Well…I think there's at least a few people that should know, don't you?" Astrid was referring mainly to the other dragon riders. Gods she wanted to see Ruff's reaction…
"I think it would certainly be right to tell them." Arkyn agreed, catching her wavelength. "We hid this from them once before already, but even still, there will always be some things that are just for us…" This was a nod to the night of the party.
"That's nice." Astrid hummed, draping an arm around Arkyn once again. She had one last question on her mind. "Hold on- does this mean you want to get married soon?"
"…I don't think we're quite there yet…" He replied softly, hoping she would be understanding. "But one day…when we're both ready…I promise you'll be the one. There's no reason to rush things when you've got all the time in the world."
The girl let out a relieved sigh. "I like that. I'd make a terrible housewife at this age anyway. I can't cook for shit…" She joked sarcastically. It was common knowledge that this was the future Astrid resented the most.
"We have plenty of years of fun ahead of us before I turn you into one of those." Arkyn quipped back, squeezing her hand.
"Hey now, don't make me rethink this whole thing. I can still back out, legal certificate or not."
"Wouldn't dream of it." He smiled, letting a brief pause fall over them. "There's one last thing that goes along with all of this actually."
Astrid perked up. "Oh? I liked you already, Arkyn. You really don't have to convince me anymore…"
"Well…I suppose not, but I remember things when you say them and when you said 'we need a gods damned vacation' in the arena the other night, I couldn't have agreed more. So we're taking one."
"W- we're going somewhere together?" There was noticeable excitement in the girl's tone, though she tried to downplay it.
Arkyn nodded, giving her an affectionate look. "Tomorrow after lunch, we're going to get on our dragons, we're going to fly away, and we're going to see what the world beyond the archipelago looks like wherever the wind may take us. Your parents' only requirement was that we'd be back by the next evening's dragon races…but I was warned I'd be hanged if that deadline was missed…" He nervously put a hand on the back of his neck, smiling sheepishly. Even so, it was one night they could have to themselves.
"I'm not sure how you managed to get their approval in the first place…that's one hell of a miracle." She laughed. "But there's no one else I'd rather go exploring with than you." Astrid hadn't exactly been confined to Berk forever. At least, not since she'd gotten Stormfly. Of course she'd been to Helheim's Gate to fight the Red Death and the island chain to fight the Screaming Death, but beyond those locations and the occasional sea stack, the girl- similar to the rest of the teens- wasn't very well traveled. It would be nice to visit new territory without the weight of a job to do hanging over her head.
"Trust me, Astrid. I feel the same." Arkyn had had too much of Berk recently. A night away would be the perfect thing to allow him to destress, and returning to the evening of dragon racing was something to look forward to as well.
It was now nearly midday and the sun was hanging high in the sky, although the chilly wintry air still kept it from warming the earth to any significant temperature. Snoggletog was soon approaching, after all. Astrid noticed the changing shadows and surveyed the now bustling village below her, enjoying the removed quiet space she found herself in. "If only we could stay like this forever." She said, knowing they'd unfortunately have to get responsible at some point.
Arkyn was aware of the same harsh reality. "I'm sure a few more minutes won't hurt, but we shouldn't disappear all day…I'll bet your parents are down there somewhere eagerly awaiting to hear what's happened, though you can decide how long you'd like to hold them in suspense." He winked playfully.
"We should probably get going, then." The girl sighed, standing up as Arkyn offered her his hand.
"After you." Arkyn replied, locking the case before picking it up for the trip down the mountain. "And Astrid?" He began to add. The Hofferson turned to face him, slowly walking backwards as he spoke. "I know we've been up here quite a few times, but what we shared this morning will continue to shine like gold in my memories- hopefully until I'm an old soul. I can't thank you enough."
Astrid smiled sheepishly, the butterflies returning to her stomach. "And I can't thank you enough. The same goes for me."
These were the last words they shared in the clearing that day as soon after this the teens departed to make their way back to Berk, a new bond having been formed between them. For the first time in a long time, life was just good- very good- and both dragon riders had a new spring in their step knowing that the other would from now on be with them forever, always, and until the lights went out…
AN: The reason this chapter is coming out so soon is because I went away for a while recently and had some time to write but no opportunities to upload, so this chapter and the previous chapter were already done. On a side note, we're now less than a month away from the one year mark since I posted the very first chapter. Oh how far we've come since then… I'm eternally surprised that I've been following through as much as I have been, but I can't exactly start something and not finish it lol. My plan was to have the story finished in a year, and although I'll be close, it looks like the last 2 or 3 chapters may come after the big day. We'll see how much I get to in the next 2 weeks. Alright, tangent over. If you've read all the way to the end of this note, you're a real one. Thanks for sticking with me this past year, and as always, I hope you've been enjoying it.
