SUMMARY: Astrid finds out why Tuffnut came to her house.
CHAPTER 8
Tuffnut was about to walk from the Hofferson residence when he saw Astrid retreat into the space of her window. Why couldn't he simply admit it, that he wanted to talk with Astrid because somehow she made him feel less alone. She had understood him before, and he thought speaking with her about his feelings of uselessness in the village would help ease some of the pain of dealing with th alone. Astrid called out to Tuffnut in a medium voice when he had started two steps away from her front gate. He noticed Astrid had braided her hair in a pigtail and had replaced her nightgown with a tunic that was two sizes too big. She wore worn trousers and dirty boots. It appeared she had dressed herself for an entire day of gardening.
"I know why you're here," Astrid said to Tuffnut. She regarded his slow blinks of shame, and then smiled at him softly. "Actually, I'm glad you're here, because I'm feeling the same things since...you know," Astrid said in reference to the end of their adventures on Dragon's Edge.
Returning to the village had made th see how mundane their home really was, and especially how much they both missed feeling a part of a team. If they spent too much time alone in their own heads, their sorrow could spiral into a mental low that could prevent th from believing there was anything more to their lives. Astrid finished, "it looks like we both could use some time not cooped up in the house all day. It will make us feel better."
"There's nothin' to do here," Tuffnut mentioned, tossing his stick aside into the dirt path at his boots. He warmed up to Astrid's offer, but knew he was right. Berk, even with its dragons, was still a secluded archipelago in the middle of a giant sea. With no immediate neighbors, Berk was very much set in its ways as a farming and hunting village full of traditional Vikings and pty of anything fun to do. 'Sides, Tuffnut thought, most of the villagers are busy at the dock markets.
Then, he had a sudden interest in what he could find at the markets. There was no telling what ships could have visited Berk. There was a chance they could see a tribe he and Astrid had met during their time on Dragon's Edge. It would be nice to see some familiar faces again. "We could say hi to your parents at the docks, and look around and see what's there?" Tuffnut made up his mind and motioned to walk ahead. He added, "Maybe I'll find you something." He did have some spare coins in his pocket to spend.
"Okay," Astrid agreed, following him. She felt some relief at being invited to do an activity with a friend to spend some time outside of her own mind. A weight of loneliness started to dissolve away the closer they both came to the bustling docks of Berk.
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