This idea floated around in my head for a couple of days and I hit a point in chapter three of Until the Ends of This Earth where I just felt like my mind needed a simple break. To be honest I've been wanting to write an HTTYD story within the Lord of The Rings universe or at least have a LOTR-inspired story. I've got another one of these stories cooking but that won't be until I finish Until the Ends.
I feel like Astrid is a bit OOC in this one but I didn't know how else to write her. Having Berk within the Kingdom of Rohan solves the issue of what the dragons are in this universe. It also allows me to keep most of Berk's culture intact and simply just let me have fun with another one of my favorite franchises.
Berk was a tiny village on the edge of the Kingdom of Rohan. The Horse People as the kingdom was so affectionately called, was no more evident than in the streets of Berk. The horses that were bred and rode in Berk were some of the best across Middle Earth, even King Theoden's war horse came from Berk.
As the War of the Ring broke out Rohan was forced to take up arms and defend herself from the invading forces of Isengard, a realm led by the corrupted wizard Saruman and his armies of Uruk-Hai. Some of the men from Berk took up arms to defend their kingdom from the invading forces and followed their King to the Hornburg. With no news from the fronts, life continued as normal.
Today was no different than any day in the past few weeks for Hiccup Haddock, son of Stoick. Though small in stature Hiccup made up for it with his brains, wit, and charming personality, not to mention the fact that Hiccup was also an acclaimed horse rider as well as a blacksmith. The young man found himself working hard in the forge his sort of Uncle ran, smithing new horseshoes for his noble steed Toothless.
As Hiccup hammered away Astrid Hofferson, a long-time friend of Hiccup's (and crush), walked into the forge. Unbeknownst to Hiccup, Astrid had grown to like Hiccup more than just a friend and did her best to spend every waking moment with him. She especially liked watching him work, if Hiccup thought he was alone he would take off his shirt giving Astrid a show of a lifetime. Unfortunately for her Hiccup was still wearing his shirt but still seeing the boy hard at work was good enough for her.
"Hey Hiccup," Astrid greeted.
"Astrid!" Hiccup shouted in surprise, dropping the glowing pair of horseshoes from his tongs.
Astrid suppressed a laugh and covered her mouth with her hand. Hiccup muttered a bunch of curses as he picked up the project he had been working on off the ground.
"Clumsy Haddock strikes again," Astrid laughed as she picked up a fallen pair of gloves and placed them back on Hiccup's workbench.
"Ha, ha, ha, Astrid so funny," Hiccup replied sarcastically.
"Busy today?" Astrid asked.
"Yeah, Not So Silent Sven ordered a new pair of shoes for Windbreaker. Then I have to finish a new plow for Mulch which means I also need to make one for Bucket and-"
"A simple yes would have been fine," Astrid said cutting him off.
Hiccup smirked and returned to his work. "So what brings you by today Milady? Here to distract me from work once again?"
"And have Gobber on my case for the next week, I think not!" Astrid answered dramatically.
"There ye do distractin' ma apprentice again," Hiccup said, imitating his mentor.
Astrid couldn't contain her laughter at Hiccup's impression and began cackling like a madwoman. Even Hiccup started laughing at his joke. After their shared laughter, Astrid finally calmed down enough to start talking again.
"Well if it means anything to you Hiccup, I was on my to the Hall and wanted to know if you wanted to join me for lunch?"
"I guess I can take a break," Hiccup responded, putting down his tongs.
Astrid smiled and playfully punched his arm.
"Ow! Why- What-"
"That's for being busy the past week."
Before Hiccup could even respond, Astrid kissed his cheek and giggled at Hiccup's shocked expression.
"And that's for everything else, now come on!" Astrid said, grabbing Hiccup's hand.
The two of them made their way through the streets of Berk. Though some of the men were gone, the streets were as lively as ever. As they reached the hall, Hiccup and Astrid ran into Gobber and Stoick, Hiccup's Father.
"Oi, what did I tell ye about stealing Hiccup from the forge!" shouted Gobber, playfully.
Hiccup and Astrid shared a laugh, confusing Gobber.
"I don't wanna know," Gobber muttered.
Stoick beamed at his son and brought him into a hug.
"He's been working hard Gobber, let him have a break."
"He can have a break as soon as his work is done."
Stoick chuckled and began following the two up the steps of the hall. "I'm proud of you Hiccup, growing into the man I'd always known you'd become. Just think soon you'll be taking over for me."
"Dad that's all well and good but I don't think I'm ready just-"
"You'll be ready Hiccup, you'll be even greater than I ever-"
Before Stoick could finish a horn blasted from across the village. The leader of the village quickly made his way to the top of the steps and looked out into the plains that surrounded Berk. In the distance he could make out a rider and in his hand was the banner of King Theoden.
The rider roared through the gates and charged down the streets, reaching the center of the village. Nervous onlookers began forming a circle around him as Stoick, Gobber, and the two teens approached him.
"Hark rider!" Stoick shouted.
"I bring word from King Theoden!" the rider yelled. "The Hornburg has stood strong against the tides of Isengard. Saruman is dead, killed by Wormtounge himself."
Cheers erupted from all around the plaza but the rider wasn't finished.
"Gondor though calls for aid, the beacons of Minas Tirith have been lit."
The cheering quickly died out and murmurs of concern began to spread.
"King Theoden has decreed that we are to muster the Rohirrum. Every able-bodied man is to pick up arms and ride for his king. Gondor has called for aid and we will answer. Those who can fight, meet your king at Dunharrow!"
With that, the Rider reared his horse and rode from the town. Eyes fell upon Stoick who had not moved since the man had left.
"Stoick we can't just-" Gobber began.
"No, we can't Gobber," Stoick interjected with a sigh. "Men of Berk!" Stoick shouted. "Never in my forty years did I think I'd have to ask this of you. But our King has called for riders and we cannot ignore him. Those who can ride and those who can fight must rally to the King's banner."
As Stoick finished his eyes met Hiccup's and Hiccup immediately knew what his Father was asking. Hiccup wanted to argue, wanted to beg his father to let him stay but images of Sauron's forces marching on Berk, destroying its people played in his mind. That was a future Hiccup wanted to prevent. Begrudgingly Hiccup nodded to his Father and left without saying a word leaving behind Astrid whose eyes went wide at Hiccup's departure.
Night had fallen over Berk and the once lively town had grown quiet. Mothers were saying goodbye to their sons and husbands, young men were eating their last meals at home, and elders were praying for a safe return to their families.
For Hiccup, his final night in Berk found him in the stables with his friend and trusted steed. Toothless was a horse like no other, he was smart, had a personality that of a human, and was Hiccup's greatest friend. Hiccup always took care of the horse he raised since he was a foal and tonight was no different. The young man was brushing Toothless' coat and already had the armor for him made and placed to the side.
Hiccup's nerves were running high, the thought of battle scared him, and death even more so. Though Hiccup kept reminding himself that this was for the best. If he didn't ride out to meet his king, well at worst Berk and the rest of Middle Earth would be destroyed. Hiccup couldn't allow that to happen and neither could the rest of Berk.
"Hiccup?" a soft voice called out from behind him.
Hiccup turned around and saw Astrid who was standing in the doorway that led to the Haddock family stable. The young man smiled at his friend before resuming brushing Toothless.
"What are you doing here Astrid, shouldn't you be with your father and uncle?" Hiccup asked.
"They're not going, both my father and Uncle Finn are too old," Astrid answered.
Hiccup nodded and continued to brush Toothless.
"You're not going… Are you?" Astrid questioned.
Hiccup didn't immediately answer, instead, he stopped brushing his horse and refused to look at Astrid.
"Hiccup, please tell me you're not going, that you're gonna stay here," Astrid quickly demanded.
Hiccup's throat began to tighten up, Toothless let out a whine answering Astrid for Hiccup.
"Hiccup!" Astrid shouted, running towards her best friend. Astrid crashed into Hiccup's back and began sobbing into his tunic. "Please don't go Hiccup, please!" Astrid sobbed.
Tears began falling down Hiccup's cheeks as he turned to face the girl. Astrid looked into Hiccup's eyes and she quickly latched onto him, refusing to let him go. Hiccup shakily snaked his arms around Astrid and pulled her closer. He could feel Astrid's tears through his shirt and he was trying his best to prevent his tears from spilling onto Astrid's head.
"Don't go Hic-Hic Hiccup," Astrid murmured through a hiccup.
"I have to Astrid," Hiccup whispered back.
"No, you don't Hiccup. You have to stay here you'll get killed. The Orcs… they'll-"
"Astrid if I don't go, that's one less man to stop the forces of evil from consuming everything that we hold dear. If I don't go, Berk could fall and the same thing that might happen to me could happen to you, or Ruffnut, or Heather."
"Then I'll go with you, I'll dress up like a man and-"
"Astrid…" Hiccup groaned.
"I'm not letting you go without taking me with you," Astrid told him.
Hiccup pulled away from the hug and looked Astrid in her eyes.
"You can't come, Astrid. I couldn't bear the thought of you getting killed in battle let alone following me into one. I know you're capable Astrid, gods Astrid you're stronger than me. As much as I'd love you to have my back like always, Berk needs you here, I need you here."
"Hiccup…"
"Please Astrid, stay here for me. I promise you I will come home to you."
Astrid's teary-eyed sapphires bore into Hiccup's eyes before she sighed.
"Promise?" Astrid asked.
"I promise Astrid. One way or another I will come home."
"Don't say it like that…" Astrid groaned softly.
Hiccup simply nodded and pulled her into another hug. Astrid quickly wrapped her arms around Hiccup's neck and cried softly into his tunic once more. The two of them remained like that for what felt like hours. Suddenly Astrid pulled away and whipped her tears away with her arm. Hiccup opened his mouth to say something but was quickly silenced when he felt something warm on his mouth.
Astrid's lips were firmly pressed against his and Hiccup felt like he was king of the world. He quickly leaned into the kiss and kissed her back earning him a moan from Astrid. Eventually, the two found themselves needing air and reluctantly pulled away.
"Astrid I-"
"Save it please," Astrid interrupted him breathlessly. "Let me have this night with you. If you go away and don't come back I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I didn't show you how much I love you."
"Astrid, I'll come back. We can do whatever you want then," Hiccup replied.
"No," came Astrid's quick response. "There is a chance you won't come back. Please Hiccup, if you ever loved me as a friend or something more, let me love you."
"Astrid I love you more than anything in the world. There is nothing more I'd love to do than love you and I promise you I will once I come back… but I know you better than anybody. If you want something you won't stop until you get what you want. If you want this, then I won't stop you," Hiccup whispered.
Astrid smiled at Hiccup and leaned in to kiss Hiccup once more. Before she could, Hiccup held her back. Confused, Astrid was about to ask Hiccup what was wrong before he gave her the answer.
"Toothless, bud, can you leave us for a bit? Go hang out with Skullcrusher," Hiccup told the black stallion.
The horse simply snorted and trotted away. Hiccup flashed a sly smile at Astrid before hungrily meeting Astrid's lips with his.
The ride to Minas Tirith was a quiet one. No one spoke a word, not even questioning the orders given to them by Hiccup. In total one hundred and fifty men had followed Hiccup from Berk and since Hiccup was the son of Stoick, it was only natural Hiccup was put in charge of the small company.
As they rode Hiccup couldn't help but replay that night with Astrid over and over in head. Waking up with her in his arms, the lazy morning sex they shared before begrudgingly leaving the stables. Hiccup wanted nothing more than to return to her and love her as she did him for the rest of their lives. That was why he was here though, so they could have that future, a future free from the shackles of Mordor, no longer living in fear of an orc army marching past the Black Gate. If they were lucky they would fight a warpath to Mordor.
The army made good pace to Minas Tirith. As the sun rose over Pelennor Fields, the sounds of battle grew louder and louder. King Theoden was the first to crest the hill, motioning for the horns of war to be blown. The army came to rest on top of that hillcrest as King Theoden looked down at the army of Orcs besieging the White City. They had taken notice of the army of the Rohirrum and began turning to face them.
Theoden was not deterred, quickly turning his horse to ride towards Eomir. He shouted orders to him before continuing down the line of leaders until he reached Hiccup.
"Hiccup, take your men and follow my banner!" he ordered.
Hiccup nodded and quickly rode back to sit in front of his people.
Once Hiccup took his place, he closed his eyes and tried not to think of the ensuing chaos. Beside him, Fishlegs was muttering a prayer. Behind him, Tuffnut and Snotlout exchanged looks of concern, regret, and mutual respect. All around him, his people were readying for the worst.
"Forth and fear no darkness!' King Theoden shouted. "Arise, arise riders of Theoden! Spears shall be shaken, shields shall be splintered! A sword day, a red day, ere the sun rises!"
The riders of Rohan lowered their spears and the horses under them prepared for the hell they were about to go through. In front of them, the army of Orcs also readied themselves for the coming attack, lowering their spears to meet the army. The final prayers were said, brothers looked to each other for comfort, and an eerie silence fell over the army.
That silence was broken when King Theoden began riding down the line of horsemen, his sword raised and knocking the spears that were presented towards their enemy. "Ride now! Ride now! Ride!" he shouted as he passed the Berkians. "Ride for ruin and the world's ending!"
Theoden came to a stop and faced his enemy. "Death!"
"Death!" the army chanted back.
"Death!"
"Death!" they responded a little louder this time.
"Death!"
"Death!" Hiccup shouted at the top of his lungs along with every other warrior around him.
"Forth Eorlingas!" King Theoden yelled.
The war horns sounded once more and slowly Theoden began to ride forward. The King's banner quickly followed behind him and soon came the rest of the army. The sounds of hooves stomping the ground, the sounds of the brutal battle being fought within the walls of Minas Tirith were drowned out by the sound of the yelling riders.
Their charge was slow at first but quickly gained speed as they charged down the slope. Theoden took the lead and Hiccup and the rest of Berk followed even as the arrows began raining down upon them. Around him men were being shot off their horses, horses were being shot out from underneath their riders. Hiccup paid them no heed as much as it pained him. There was only one thought on his mind as the riders came ever closer to the pike wall in front of them.
"Death!" he shouted once more.
The arrows came down ever faster as they neared the Orcs. However, their tenacity and willingness to die must have scared the Orcs. For as soon as the first horses reached the line of spears, their enemy seemed to splinter into pieces.
Berk was a quiet place in the weeks that followed the departure of the men. The married women gathered in close-knit groups and all hoped for the safe returns of their husbands. Mothers wept every day praying for their children who had gone off to war. Fathers and the elderly were stoic as they all took glances toward the horizon.
Astrid ignored the groups of women and buried herself in chores to distract her from the wallowing fear in her heart. Every task was designed to keep her from the gatehouse, joining the men in staring at the horizon. Though as the weeks carried on Astrid was starting to lose hope the Hiccup was coming back.
It had been three weeks to the day that they had last seen or heard from the warriors that had set out. The day started like normal for Astrid, go to the market, eat at the hall, help her mother with chores, and whatever else that needed doing. It was a washday so Astrid found herself at one of the streams that trickled its way through Berk. The gossiping women were quiet, focused on their laundry and Astrid was glad for that. She wished Hiccup were there, so she could get away from her responsibilities and hold her like he did the night he left.
A sound of a horn brought Astrid from her thoughts and all the women around her dropped their baskets and began running towards town. Astrid was one of the first to reach the center of town and her eyes went wide, the men had come home! Wives, Mothers, and sisters began crying, hugging their relatives close. Husbands embraced their wives and fathers scooped up the kids running into their arms.
"Fishlegs!" shouted Heather as she charged past Astrid to hug the large boy. Fishlegs had no time to even get off Meatlug before being showered with kisses from the brunette.
Astrid watched as both Snotlout and Tuffnut hopped off their respective horses and were both met with Ruffnut who hugged them close. The blonde smiled at the sight but an evil feeling of dread began to creep up on her. There were noticeably fewer men than when they had left.
"Hiccup!" Astrid shouted.
Astrid turned to see a soldier telling a young woman that her beloved had not come home. A mother wailed in the streets upon learning of the death of her son. Children began to cry when they were told their Father was no longer with them. All of this was getting to be too much for Astrid but Hiccup had to be there.
"Hiccup!" she called out again.
No one batted her an eye, no soldier was coming up to her.
"Hiccup!" tears were now beginning to build up in Astrid's eyes.
"Hiccup!" the last of the warriors made it past the gatehouse and the wooden doors shut behind them.
Astrid looked around her, tears now flowing freely down her face. Of all the horses that had left for war, only one was black as night. If something were to happen to his ridder, Toothless would not have left his side. None of the horses that had come back were black. Astrid's heart couldn't take it anymore and fled the scene. Her heart was broken just like the promise he had made her.
Astrid ran away as far away from the village as her legs could take her. She ran until Astrid reached a spot only Hiccup and she knew about. It was a small cove that birthed one of the streams that flowed into Berk. Hiccup and Astrid would spend their nights looking up at the stars, wishing they could be up there with them. Now those were just memories, memories of a loved one taken way too soon.
Astrid collapsed upon reaching the shores of the little lake. Her sobs echoed off the rock walls that surrounded her. Oh, how she wished to have followed him, to protect him from the evil creatures that Sauron commanded. It was too late for that now, all she had left of him were memories and the items he left behind. His promise echoed in her head, the one he had failed to fulfill.
"You promised me," Astrid muttered between sobs. "You promised," she whispered.
"I did and I'm sorry," she could hear his voice say. Astrid wished she could hear his voice one more time.
"Astrid?"
Her heart stopped at the voice that uttered her name. The sound of a footstep followed by the sound of metal squeaking filled her ears. Astrid looked up from where she had collapsed and her eyes went wide.
"Are you okay?" Hiccup asked.
"HICCUP!" Astrid shouted.
The blonde girl leaped from the ground and charged the young man, taking them both to the ground. Astrid began crying tears of joy and held onto Hiccup as if he was going to wither away in her arms.
"Woah Astrid I missed you too," Hiccup told her with a smile.
Astrid lifted her head from Hiccup's now-soaked armor and punched him in the arm hard.
"Ow! What was that for!" Hiccup demanded.
"That was for making me think you were dead!" Astrid yelled.
"You know if it's gonna be this way, I'm gonna have to mhmpf-"
Hiccup was quickly silenced by Astrid's kiss. The two remained like that for a while, holding each other in their arms, refusing to let their partner go. Unfortunately, their lungs needed air and the two separated from the passionate kiss.
"I thought you were dead!" Astrid angrily told him.
"I'm sorry we got sidetracked," Hiccup apologized.
"Sidetracked!?" Astrid questioned.
"Yeah sorry, we had to crown a new king of Gondor and then I accompanied King Eomir back to Edoras and-"
"Wait, King Eomir?" Astrid asked confused.
"King Theoden lost his life, though his sacrifice allowed us to kill the Witch King. Oh, and Sauron was destroyed along with the ring," Hiccup began rambling.
"So it's over?" Astrid interrupted again.
"Yes," Hiccup replied with a smile. "It's over."
Astrid smiled back and kissed Hiccup once again.
"I'm glad you didn't break your promise," Astrid muttered into the kiss.
"I am too," Hiccup responded.
The two of them remained like that well into the night.
So…
You like?
Again I just needed a break from the other story and churning this out felt like a good idea. I'm not a huge fan of one-shots cause I like that long-term storytelling but I do enjoy one from time to time. I was also really tempted to write my first lemon but I feel like that should be reserved for Until the Ends, which for those reading that, I have decided on doing.
I'm proud to say my writing has improved since RoaK. Re-reading that made me cringe seven ways from Sunday. Why did I think that was a good idea, was I that blinded by Sabaton? Either way, I don't think I ever could return to that story… unless I do a rewrite but I'm good leaving it as is.
Do you see what I mean when I said Astrid felt OOC? She would have followed Hiccup into battle no matter how many times he told her no. Also sorry for the fake-out death, always wanted to try out one of those.
Until next time friends…