The ending of the autumn didn't promise to be very pleasing - the wind didn't pity any being, yanked as if being the ghost of the dead itself, the reaper that gathered the soules before the most murderous season even began. Notwithstanding the lack of snow, the cold wasn't very merciful either, swallowing each creature at the sight, bullying them into shelters, and those, who failed to do so, awaited no less vicious consequences.
All that was the brutal reality for many, well, maybe outside of Toothless, who outright ignored the occurrences, sat underneath the dying oak, motionlessly and indifferently, or maybe on the contrary, he'd frozen, already. Either way, he'd been still, watched the disheveled leaves of neighboring trees, which shimmered with shades of yellow and red, having his head tightly pressed into the tree's bark behind, his legs extended in front.
One would've said, that he'd not sensed any nerves, must've been trembling, yet he hadn't as he'd felt each of his limbs in the way, which he'd not ever wished, or maybe on the contrary, wished to feel always, now. Hence, he'd felt the warmth of a woman's thighs at his knees, grazing his own, he'd felt the hastened heartbeat by his chest, mimicking his own, he'd felt the sweet lips at his, eating him as an animal he'd desired to be again, an animal he would be, if it wasn't for what he'd said.
Just as he'd admitted before, he'd not regretted his confession, however, what he'd regretted was the moment, which he'd chosen for it, he'd regretted not waiting enough, regretted not enjoying the moment enough. At that point, honestly, he'd dreamed of going back in time, waiting just an hour more, a minute more, a second before speaking his mind - he'd have more of the best time in his life.
Such thoughts shrouded his head then, and they'd continue to expand themselves, if it weren't for a matter of sudden presence - the Terrible Terror, rather of ordinary, small size, wrapped by the greenish scales, who landed beside man, casually. Afterward, Toothless narrowed his eyes at the creature, then grimaced, disgusted, as the male licked his own eyeball, returning the stare, and finally, he'd ignore him, if it wasn't for how the dragon approached him, without reason.
"What?" he queried, not really moving an inch, yet rather intriguing the Terror, who panted, currently. "Never seen the man denied of love, really?"
Obviously, the male hadn't replied, however, he'd tilted his head at the man, as if actually trying to comprehend the meaning of his words, whereas Toothless mimicked, wondering over the justification for the dragon's unusual fearlessness. Maybe, he'd never seen a human before, he assumed, hence, disregarded the male's further gaze, and looked away, returning his stare to the chaotic leaves, whilst the dragon, bored by the man's stillness, walked away.
It'd appeared, that Toothless wouldn't bother with the dragon afterward, however, as the creature stopped suddenly, minded by what's between the grass, the curiosity caught the man, and he found himself standing up, soon.
"What you've got there, weirdo?" he asked, approaching the tiny creature, and then, narrowed his eyes at the dragon's main focus. "Flower, really?"
At that point, he'd rolled his eyes, after scanning the yellow petals of the minor plant, was about to return to the previous seating, however, changed his mind as he'd taken into focus a few, rather important, matters. Thus, he couldn't take the thought, that he'd known the place, off his head, and suddenly, he'd recognized it as the spot he'd once worked the land on, therefore, the flower he'd looked at was, indeed, of his creation, about to be eaten by wide-mouthed Terror.
"Hey, leave it! Damn you, you glutton," he shouted, cursing the creature, whose tail he'd grabbed, tossing him away from the plant, at which he'd stared, focused on, now. "Huh, who would've expected I'd actually grow, something," he joked, chuckling a little, before hardening his expression over nothing, then glared into the blank point and burst, suddenly, "I don't want to get rid of curse, anymore."
Later on, the Terrible Terror, rather very much surprised, didn't even bother, only scratched his neck, hence, the man scowled at him, visibly offended by the dragon's disregard, yet continued, for any motive.
"There's a girl, a very extraordinary girl. We've been cursed, become our greatest enemies," he explained, didn't even bring himself to gaze at the male, thus stared at the flower, constantly. "We'd been supposed to free ourselves together, from that hex, but I've changed my mind, apparently. The point is, I-,"
He'd not finished that thought then, paused whilst sitting down on the dirt, having his knee bend, so as to lean his cheek at it, his eyes never leaving the plump, brown center of the bloom, not very aware of the Terror's attention at himself.
"I've come fond of that life, the cursed, human life. Lately, it's all just become bearable, it's become easier, a-and happier. All the more, that I'm not alone with it," he confessed, streaming his forehead to his leg, pressing it, along with the eyes, into his pants. "And now, w-what if she'd been right, earlier? We'll stay together, after it ends, manage to cope without words, really? I ain't want to risk everything I've got, only because I'd been an asshole, because I've pushed for something, I ain't need, now."
Just then, he'd finally dared himself to gaze at the dragon, surprise stealing his face when discovered the male's been just beside his feet the whole while, although, afterward, loosened, and stared at the creature, maintaining his chin at his knees.
"What you'd do, in my spot? Probably, you'd be just honest, right?" he questioned, his eyes fixed on the hazel eyes of the dragon, and sniggered, pathetically. "Recently, I've been terrible at honesty, 'though it couldn't get any worse, could it?"
Eventually, until he'd acknowledged it, the male had been approaching him, closer and closer, and at last, he'd reached the man's hand, under which he'd snuggled, his snout glued to Toothless's fingers, catnapping quietly. Catching the sight of so, he'd not done much, merely inhaled, as if actually being staggered, nevertheless alleviated, then rubbed the blueish ridge of the dragon's back whilst he'd purred, pleasured.
"Yeah, I know just the spot, I've got one, myself," he chuckled, his pointing finger scratching the scales behind the brown horn, zealously. "Would you look at that, Hiccup? I'm making friends with a Terror, and only, because of you."
Sooner than later, without feeling any tension in himself, he'd exhaled, his fingers constantly grazing the dragon's scales, and eventually, his eyes traveled back to the soil, to where the niche had the particular plant. When having his eyes on the flower, specifically on the brown spots, that swatched the bloom's petals, a weak smile crept onto his face, and he'd finally eased, he'd finally breathed, evenly.
It was then, that he'd heard that - the scream.
The leaves rustled around whereas the green needles flew as if knocked off by force, the two obscuring the trodden trail, which appointed the way through the forest, and which Hiccup followed, slowly. If said anything about her, it'd be that she'd looked better than in the morning, rotating the glistening ring on her finger, maintaining the gloomy expression, yet wearing hope on her face, more and more with each step made forth.
It could've been of this hope, that she'd been so unfocused, and so, jumped in fear when encountering the flying knife, which stabbed into the point by her head, hence, bestowing her with the reflection of her own exhausted, yet startled eyes inside the blade. After quieting her racing heart, eventually, she decided to gaze at the culprit, the owner of said blade, thus locked her eyes on the woman, whose expression was too relaxed to be taken for real.
Wearing a red shirt, separated from the bottom by the silver belt, matching the metal add-ons by her shoulders and neckline, Astrid drilled her eyes into the peer, her smile having a rather alarming overtone. Ultimately, the only that Hiccup could've done, was straighten, grab the corners of her wide, emerald sleeves, and sustain her stare at the woman, whichever it'd been anxious or uncomfortable to.
"Hey, Astrid," Hiccup greeted at last, only then the other woman's grin fading, being replaced by a grave grimace. "What ye're doin' here?"
"Nothing much," Astrid answered, running her finger along the edge of her axe, which she'd gripped, firmly. "Just keepin' my promise."
Barely had Hiccup oriented then, when Astrid pounced at her, slamming her elbow into her chest, then kind of retrieved her arm back to herself, yet managing to graze her axe's razor against Hiccup's neck, quickly. Frozen, Hiccup hadn't done much, however, in all the rush, she'd stumbled back, currently clasping her neck, the white trace on it, much aware that if it wasn't for that step, she would've been bleeding out.
Accordingly, she'd looked at Astrid for answers, although as the woman didn't show any signs of remorse, Hiccup stated, "Ya could've-, ya could've killed me," and widened her eyes, when she snorted, only.
"Ain't say, really?" Astrid ironized, then corrected her hold on the axe, and closed her expression up. "That was my intent."
Immediately after, panic roared inside Hiccup's scull, and she'd gaped at Astrid as if, for the very first time, recognizing the actions she'd been capable of doing, hence, rather at once, she'd thrown herself into a run. Unfortunately, the stronger woman wouldn't allow Hiccup to escape so effortlessly - she'd flung her weaponry, which would've severed Hiccup's head if she'd not stopped mid-step, and just then, lunged at her, again.
Soon, the women got into a fistfight, and if Hiccup could've said anything about it, she'd say that it'd not been like the one, which she'd with Toothless, during which he'd made everything, undoubtedly easy for her. Here and now, each block of Astrid's fists pained, each kick was accurate, unbearable, and she'd found herself at the limit of durability, unable to keep pace with dodging another and another of the woman's attacks.
At one point, having enough, Hiccup forced herself to strike, and so, finally, she'd thrown a punch into Astrid's chin, to which the woman, instantly, reacted, whacking her fist against Hiccup's diaphragm, vigorously. Afterward, the piercing pain went through the thinner woman's body, who winced, drew away whilst being bent in half, and fortunately, Astrid allowed her for so, stepped away, rather satisfied with the fight's outcome.
Subsequently, she'd eyed the mangled body of her heavily gasping opponent, having magenta bruises on her cheek as well as along her arms and legs, emerging from beyond the ripped fabric of her cloth. In the meantime, when finding the strength to, Hiccup gazed at Astrid, who looked flawlessly, as if the combat itself hadn't had a place, the only exhibit of its existence being the scarlet hand's imprint on her jaw.
"Astrid, please-," Hiccup mumbled when having taken a breath for so, her lungs aching as if on fire, gazing at Astrid, beggingly. "Let's just talk-,"
"Yeah, let's talk," Astrid agreed, yet her tone didn't seem any warm, only accusive. "Let's talk about how ye've, again, deprived me of my prize! My fuckin' Monstrous Nightmare!"
Suddenly, everything made sense, the woman's entire fury, and Hiccup cursed her father's name, before explaining, "Astrid, I've never wanted it. My father forced the fight on me!" and shouting, when she sniggered in return, only.
"Seriously, ye're expectin' me to believe that?!" Astrid yelled and walked to the side, both knowing for what, exactly - the axe, stranded in between the grass, just off. "I'm to believe that Stoic, the man, who always treated me with great respect, greater than ya'll ever receive, would turn on me like that?! Ye've persuaded him into this!"
"Ye're insane, Astrid?! I ain't even killin', so for what fuck would I do this?! Maybe, because I'm jealous of ya?!" Hiccup argued, putting the ironic tone into the last sentence, and tensed when Astrid picked her weapon up, snappily. "'s my dad, who went mad, laughs at both of us-!"
"Fool me once, Hiccup, shame on ya," Astrid interrupted, and while approaching the other, Hiccup could've limped backward, therefore, they'd ended up just by themselves, eventually. "Fool me twice… I won't let ya fool me twice."
Abruptly then, Astrid booted Hiccup's chest, knocking her down into the dirt, and although she'd attempted to flee, sliding rearward through the grass, Astrid wouldn't let her for so, pressing the sharp blade into her stomach, immobilizing her. Sooner than later, the blond woman leaned over her, her arm crushing Hiccup's shoulder whereas the other gripped the axe's wooden handle, gradually burying the edging into the younger woman's skin.
Consequently, the attacked girl couldn't do much, other than grasp Astrid's forearm and try to remove the razor from herself, unfortunately to no avail, due to Astrid's dominating strength, which resisted her own. As a result, overwhelmed by the pain, also the fright that teemed in her veins, Hiccup screamed, the loudest she'd ever allowed herself to, her paining, drowning eyes staring at Astrid's, which widened, for some reason.
Strangely, Astrid's previously confident expression converted into an uncertain one, her breath hastened, and her firm, intense clasp at her weapon lessened - witnessing it all, Hiccup used the circumstances, quickly. Having the adrenaline driving her, she'd bounced off Astrid's stomach with her feet, thus lunging her away as well as herself, then backed away, again sliding through the overgrowth, halting when meeting the tree's bark.
Thereafter, whilst plastering her back to it, she'd panted, gaping at the blurred image in front of herself, until finally, she'd managed to gaze downright, at the fresh wound, that materialized by her torso. Bloody massacre - that's how she could've named it when viewing the narrow, yet deep injury, lengthened across her ribcage and abdomen, being able to only hope that her organs avoided the harm, now.
Subsequently, she'd glanced at Astrid, was stunned by what she'd seen, precisely the woman, gaping at the bloodstained edge of her axe, her face being rather an interesting blend of anxiety, doubt, and dread, even. Ultimately, at some point, their gazes met, and while they'd only stared at each other at first, suddenly, strange determination clouded Astrid's face, and so, she'd lifted her axe, as if readied for the hurl in Hiccup's direction.
Immediately, Hiccup shut her eyes then, gnashed her teeth, and shrunk herself in fear, and although knowing she could've changed into a dragon, she didn't, aware that wouldn't alter anything, maybe reinforce Astrid's desire to kill, only. For this reason, she'd just waited, readied herself for the last sound, the noise of her scull being shattered in half, however, in the very reality, instead of hearing it, she'd listened to the sudden explosion, only.
Hence, she'd opened her eyes, and the confusion overtook her face when detecting the burned wood in Astrid's hold, also the melted iron by the mud, and the purplish afterglow in the air - she'd not had to wonder over the reason long, because he'd shown up, himself. The glorious Night Fury, out of a sudden, materialized in between the women, his eyes narrowed at Astrid's, his tail circled around the spruce that Hiccup was under, the dangerous growl escaping from his chest.
At once, scanning the beast, Astrid got up on her feet, aware of her vulnerability when lacking the weapon, and so Hiccup too, who sensed the wrath, steaming out of Toothless, hence captured his wing's frame, restraining him from further attack.
"No, Toothless, don't," she breathed out, her expression claimed by the calmness, currently. "Leave her be, please."
And so, though it'd seemed to be the opposite, he'd listened, folded his wings as well as relaxed his muscles, yet remained his glare at Astrid, who could've, at that point, just returned the stare, stood frozen. Eventually, when gathering the necessary calmness, she'd altered her vision from the dragon to Hiccup, then back, then again, disbelieving what she'd looked at, disbelieving the Hiccup's serenity as well as dragon's defensiveness.
At last, her sight stayed on the woman, her eyebrows knitted shortly, before she'd decided and sprinted away, and then, Toothless only bid his farewell by roaring, huffed the steam out through his nose, ultimately. After making himself sure, that they'd been alone here, he'd not waited any longer - he'd transformed, hurried to her side, and kneeled in front of her, cupping the bottom of her neck, relieved when she'd beamed at him, honestly.
"Hey, sunshine, I'm here, okay?" he whispered, his voice being the source of Hiccup's heart melting. "Everything will be fine."
"I know," she replied, her grin never fading, her extended fingers grazing his chest, merely. "There's no other person, I'd ever feel safer with."
"Heh, tell me about being tacky. Now, show the harm, please," he responded, smiling at the first sentence, then hardened his expression, and grimaced when surveying the shown injury. "Fuck, it ain't look best, but we'll take care of it, right away. Try relaxing and let's hope that-,"
His words, even if being said directly to her, became blurry in her ears, likewise, the world around itself, whilst she'd only stared at one point ahead, at the spot, which Astrid occupied, minutes ago. During the while, the questions soaked Hiccup's brain, she'd found herself repeating the experienced scene, wondering about it, and she'd seemed to notice some of the details, which consumed her.
Eventually, even the point clouded inside her eyes, and she'd been detaching from reality, found it hard to keep her eyes open, until finally, being brought back when forced to gaze at the concerned, bright, green eyes.
"-ey, hey! Stay with me here, sunshine," Toothless urged, his palm patting her cheek, gently. "Stay awake."
"I'm awake," she muttered, brightening her grin when so. "'d been a couple of hard days, just tired."
"I know, I know," he murmured and took his eyes off her, stared back at the wound, allowing the rather tense silence to swallow them, before straightening and declaring, "Done, it should be enough for now. I'll patch you better in the cove, either way."
"Thanks," she acknowledged, although not even take a glimpse of his amateur bandage - the gauze and bind - being made of his sleeves, whilst standing up, suddenly. "I must talk with Astrid."
"What?" he asked, his shock betrayed by the dropped jaw, and for a second, he'd only watched her stand, before following her, blocking her way, swiftly. "Where do you think you're going?!"
"I've told ya that, already - to Astrid," she repeated, bypassed him, and, barely sustaining on her feet, hugged her side to some tree's bark, in front. "I must talk with her."
"Hiccup, you hardly walk by yourself," he remarked, staring at her, and stayed still, as if continually shocked, stuck dumb. "Moreover, is there really anything you'd like to talk with her about?"
Regardless of the truth, his truth, she'd determined to ignore it, and, limping ahead, mumbled, "I must-," practically stumbling, yet anyhow, staying straight, her legs crooked.
"Godsdamnit, woman! Why do you have to be so, the fuck, stubborn?!" he yelled, and soon, bolted to her, clutching her upper arm, henceforth upholding her to Hiccup's resentment. "She'd tried to kill you! Do you really want to talk with your murderer?"
"She hesitated, Toothless," Hiccup remarked, recalling the details, the startle at the woman's endlessly fearless face. "She'd not kill me."
"She'd got her axe targeted at you!"
"She'd not throw it."
"How do you know that?!" he shouted, his eyes traveling to the side, disbelieving Hiccup's hope, then glanced back at her, pressing his lips, hard. "Hiccup, I'd appear seconds later, you could've been dead, already! Do you realize this?!"
"I want to tell her the truth," she confessed, broke free from his hold, and gazed at him, hence observing, how surprise converted his face, suddenly. "All the truth."
Initially, he'd just gaped at her, not being able to pick his words, opening and closing his mouth repeatedly, until he'd just brushed his hair back from his forehead, murmured, "Hiccup, please-," alas, was soon to be interrupted by her.
"Toothless, I'll go, whether you like it or not," she pressed, her expression overtaken by determination, her eyebrows knotted, yet showing signs of vulnerability when adding, "The question is if ya'll go because I'd want ya to. I'd want that ya to go, with me."
The truth was, he could've fought, he could've argued then, yet he didn't, aware that he'd lost, and he'd lost a long, long time ago.
At that exact moment, the forest came off as the cage, in which she'd been locked and bolted, the red-yellow labyrinth lacking the entrance, the inescapable prison that suffocated her lungs, her body. She'd been running, fleeing from the situation that she'd been witness to - the scene, in which Hiccup, whom she'd intended to unalive, was shielded by the dragon, the Night Fury moreover, the scariest of these beasts.
Hence, she'd believed that she'd slept, dreamed the dreadful nightmare, feeling the monster's breath by her neck, as if being haunted, chased by it whilst it'd desired one - vengeance for hurting Hiccup, for any of its reasons. Eventually, the fright had winded out of her body, and she'd realized the absurdity of her thoughts, that she'd, just now, simply abandoned Hiccup with the dragon which killed her, likely - not an attractive outcome, yet, at very least, realistic.
Consequently, Astrid calmed down, breathed when stopping in the path's middle, and would've continued on the way, if she hadn't been barred by the mentioned Night Fury, suddenly making an entrance from the air. When so, the woman tumbled down, much dismayed by circumstances, which were the massive, irritated dragon ahead of her, as well as the voice, getting from over its back, that she'd recognized Hiccup in, shockingly.
"Yeah, I'm fine, I'm fine," she said when the Night Fury gazed at her, its face clouded, anyhow, by concern, then annoyance as she'd added, "Oh, get a grip. I said, I'm fine."
Afterward, as she'd gotten up from her sitting on the dragon's back, being besieged by its body constantly, her eyes landed on Astrid's, and they'd both stared at each other, speechless and tongue-tied. In the meantime, having the back of her body plastered to the dirt, Astrid disbelieved her back luck, the actuality, in which the woman, whom she'd always assumed as weak, tried to kill, stood just over her, the murderous dragon by her side, gently smiling.
"Astrid, let's talk-,"
"No!" Astrid interrupted, yelled whilst sliding away through the grass, just like Hiccup did, a quarter ago, grimacing. "Just do-, do what ya must."
"I ain't goin' to hurt ya, neither will he, I promise," Hiccup swore, leaning her hand at the male's head, who growled at the words, yet loosened under her touch. "I just, need ya to listen."
"I ain't care about what ye've got to say!" Astrid shouted, her expression being a mixture of wrath and fear, her hands grasping the grass, hard. "Ya'd really better just kill me, at this point."
"That's not my intention, and 'll never be," Hiccup declared, even crouched, so as to level the startled woman's eyes. "Look, I know ye're despisin' me, that's why I want ya to be the one to-, to hear the truth."
"The truth?" Astrid inquired, sneaking a peak at the dragon, which turned away, and then, gazed back at Hiccup, perplexed. "What truth?"
"Our truth, the reason for the war, for everything, and how to end it," Hiccup answered, her knitted brows betraying her graveness, before finishing," I'll show ya it all, ya'll just need to trust me, this once," and handing Astrid her hand, which dangled in between them, just like a question.