Chapter 12:

AN: Just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone who has reviewed / followed so far! Really keeps me going. Any feedback positive / negative or any questions you have are welcome, and I'll try to respond as quickly as I can when time allows. I'm just getting started with this one, so you better believe there's more on the way! On to chapter 12…

Arkyn arrived back to his home just as the sun was beginning to set that evening. He walked in slowly, eyeing the modest dwelling, eventually putting his trunk away and taking a seat on the bed. It compressed lightly under his weight. The boy then rested his chin on a pair of folded hands and simply sat, quietly. The curtains were drawn over the few windows to allow for minimum distractions.

As he sat, Arkyn began to reflect on the events of the day. It was an understatement to say that a lot had happened. His dragon had stayed with him, he got to punch Snotlout, and it had ended with yet another cliff side meet with Astrid. Although that was unplanned, Arkyn had still enjoyed it. The girl was quickly becoming his favorite among the group, although Hiccup was still a close second. Arkyn was still curious about the stunt Astrid had pulled yesterday at the arena, but as soon as he had seen her face on top of the hill he knew shutting up was the way to go. The girl clearly had way more going on that he did not know about. It did discourage him, however, that Astrid was so closed off about what happened to her, telling Arkyn very little in regards to why she ended up on the cliff in the first place. He supposed it wasn't his business to worry unless Astrid made it so.

Feeling quite drowsy after his early morning, Arkyn kicked off his boots and laid back on the bed, wondering what tomorrow would bring. As he settled his head on the pillow, his eyes drooped involuntarily and it wasn't long before he was resting comfortably in his new house for the first time, visions of time spent with Stinger filling his head.

—

Astrid exited the forest as she walked back towards her own house. This is crazy. She thought. I barely know this guy. This shouldn't be happening. Astrid still had chilling images in her mind of Arkyn laying motionless in the boat he arrived in, mere inches from death after his journey across the sea. Before Hiccup had confirmed he was alive. That was only 11 days ago…much too soon to be catching feelings, so what was the big deal? That he was someone new? That he wasn't afraid to live for himself? That he could tame a dragon no one else could? That so far Arkyn was still largely a mystery? Astrid could not figure it out for the life of her.

She decided that no matter what it was, it was too soon for her- no way about it. But Astrid soon realized that just trying to turn off something that was happening inside her head was going to be way easier said than done, and when things got to that point, the only one who seemed to know what to do was Astrid's mom. She finally turned down the street her house sat on, making a note to speak with her mom once she actually got there.

Freya Hofferson, Astrid's mom, worked as a seamstress at one of the dress shops in the market. She had made most of Astrid's clothes over the years and all of the dresses specifically-which Astrid hated wearing as she was much more comfortable in her more practical battle gear. More important than her sewing abilities, however, was that she was the most important female role model in Astrid's life, and Astrid went to her for everything because of her great advice. No one seemed to understand her better than her own mother, and so their bond had become incredibly strong throughout the girl's past 15 years. Even Astrid's trademark axe had once belonged to her mom. If anyone knew what to do, it was Freya.

A short walk down the road later Astrid stepped into her house to find Freya tending to a tea kettle positioned over the fire. The woman heard the sound of the door opening and looked up to find her daughter. "Well hello dear! You've been out a while." She commented.

"Yeah, I know. I spent most of the day with my friends." Astrid told her.

"As long as you're back alive, you know that's all I care about." Freya smiled.

"Where's dad?" Astrid asked, not noticing her father in either the kitchen or small sitting room.

"Your father turned in early tonight. He was in some town meetings with the chief earlier and is pretty tired." Her mom explained.

Good. Thought Astrid. This was not something he needed to hear about just yet. "Ah, that's ok. I do have something to talk about with just you though, if that's alright?"

"Of course sweetheart. Let me get the tea off and we can chat in the sitting room." Freya suggested, picking up the kettle and pouring two cups of the hot liquid. Both girls sat down in preparation for the discussion. "So, what is it you wanted to talk about?" The woman questioned.

"Do you remember how I told you that my friends and I found another boy our age washed up in a boat on the eastern shores?" Astrid started. She had already informed her mom of Arkyn's existence closer to when he had actually arrived, but Freya didn't know anything about him past that.

"I do." Freya confirmed.

Astrid quickly filled her in on the reasons for Arkyn's voyage and why he ended up on Berk, and soon continued with another recount of her day. "Today all of us ate lunch together in the Great Hall, and everyone had to leave except for me and Hiccup, and so we were sitting alone at the table when he asked me what our relationship was…"

"Oh my." Astrid's mom exclaimed. "Well what did you tell him?"

"He sounded so annoyed with me, and I- I just haven't had time to think things through yet, so I told him I didn't know and that I would let him know when things felt right if they felt right, and then I got my axe and…walked out." Astrid explained.

"Hmm…" Freya remarked, not yet revealing her complete thoughts on that part of the story. "And what happened after that? Or are you just wanting to know what to do with Hiccup?" She asked.

"Well, things get a little more complicated. Do you know about the cliffs that overlook Berk that you have to climb through the forest to get to?"

"Aha! Your father and I used to go up there a long time ago when we were far younger…our parents never knew where we had run off to. I'm afraid we just don't have the energy these days." She said, a hint of sadness in her voice as she reminisced.

Astrid smiled sweetly. She took after her mother even more than she'd realized. "I was frustrated about some things after the Great Hall so I went up to the top of them…and Arkyn was already standing there by himself."

"I don't see why that's such a big problem, dear. What about that makes things so complicated?"

Astrid took a deep breath. "Because yesterday I kind of…kissed him…" she admitted. "At the arena…"

"And why would you do a thing like that?" Freya asked, sarcastically, her lips curled up into the faintest smile. The woman enjoyed teasing her daughter almost every chance she got.

"Uh-…" Astrid thought of the best way to phrase this. "A Triplestryke surprise attacked us in the arena, and Arkyn left the stable we had hidden ourselves in and tamed it so we could all get out."

"He tamed it?" Freya's eyes got very wide. Even she knew the dangers of that particular Strike class dragon, having been living in Berk far longer than Astrid herself while the raids were still going on.

"Yeah…" Astrid confirmed. "We started training it this morning."

"Interesting."

"So, what should I do?" Astrid questioned, still lost with her own feelings.

"Well first thing's first. I believe you owe Hiccup an apology." She suggested.

Astrid sighed. "I know. I feel bad about just leaving. I'll find him tomorrow."

"Good. And as for everything else, I'm afraid I can't offer much advice before I know more about this Arkyn. Do you like him?" Her mom asked, forwardly.

"Uh- uhmmm…I don't know." Astrid said slowly. "I don't dislike him…"

Luckily for her, Astrid's mom seemed to understand this response almost perfectly. "Well dear, I don't know if I can give you an answer, but I will try my hand at advice. Hiccup has been on Berk with you all his life. Valka had him just 2 months after I gave birth to you, but as you tell me, Arkyn has only been here 11 days. That's not a lot of time, if you ask me." She explained.

Astrid opened her mouth to ask another question, but before she could, her mother continued.

"However, you probably remember the story of how your father and I met. He visited on a trading ship many, many years ago, long before he was a warrior, and it only took me one day of knowing him to finally learn how liking someone in that way actually felt. I've experienced first hand that sometimes, love just happens. And it's good. You just have to decide if you're going to let it happen to you, and from whom you're willing to accept it. I know you're a smart girl, Astrid, and I know you'll make the right decision. It's in you…somewhere." Freya finished.

Astrid cried for the second time that day as her mother showered her with the kind of loving words only a mother could provide. Freya put down her tea and hugged her daughter close. "Sweet child, I know it may seem hard now, but you deserve happiness. Always remember that your father and I encourage you to marry for love. Not everyone chooses to, but our lives are better because of it. We want the same for you." She pulled back and kissed Astrid's forehead before breaking the embrace and getting up to finish cleaning the kitchen.

"I love you, mom." Astrid whispered as she stood and headed up the stairs to her bedroom, even more things to consider weighing on her mind after the evening chat. Freya smiled to herself and turned in soon after.

As she collapsed on her bed, Astrid tried to make sense of the noise of thoughts that were bouncing around in her brain. She heard Stormfly shuffling in the grass outside her window, squawking at a small animal she was unable to identify. If only dragons could give advice like Freya… Finally thinking back to her experience on the cliff, Astrid concluded that it was indeed good. A good, respectful, mutual meeting between two friends in need of company. Friends. That's it. That's all it was. And it was good.

At long last, Astrid, satisfied with her assessment of the evening, was able to drift off to sleep herself, the final noise that would enter her brain that night being her dragon's deep huffs of air as Stormfly settled in simultaneously. And things, for the first time in the past 48 hours, were unequivocally good.