Author's Note ~
Welcome HTTYD fans! This is our first HTTYD book in a while! If you like this, maybe we can turn this one shot into a full-on book. Of course, a Hiccstrid and Hiccup!Whump book, especially after there were so many possibilities in RTTE
Please enjoy!
Summary: A What-if* During the events of Team Astrid. Astrid vowed to protect Berk and it's residence after a strange attack from Dagur. Lying and purposely failing the A-Team to remain on Berk, afraid to admit the truth about why she stayed, she watches the Riders depart back to the Edge. However, she must overcome her feelings and race to the Edge as the one she had sworn to protect with her life, had been shot. Hiccup!Whump
Characters: Hiccup, Stoick, Astrid, Fishlegs, Snotlout, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Dagur
Rating: T (for Blood and Gore)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Friendship
A Warrior's Guilt
Hiccup was wrong.
That was all Astrid could think of as she stormed away from the training arena, fists clenched as her head hung, eyes staring at the grassy path and not daring to look up. She had left moments ago, waiting until Hiccup had left the building before she even moved an inch and decided it was a better idea to ignore the whistle of the Night Fury as the ferocious dragon took to the air, the rest of the riders who followed after.
They were heading back to the Edge and without her.
It was her choice anyway, so being offended by their departure hadn't bothered her too much. She had chosen to stay to train the Auxiliary Riders after Dagur had attacked Berk and fled, leaving it a burning mess, including Astrid's house. That could not happen again, she was so close to losing her parents and feared leaving them alone once more.
Even though they were quite capable of taking care of themselves, that thought was quickly pushed away the minute it arrived.
So, after all the guilt and shame that had weighed on her shoulders and receiving advice from Stoick the Vast, she vowed to never leave Berk undefended again. She had spent the next couple of days, training new recruits while Hiccup watched off to the side. Astrid could hear his comments but never paid any mind to them, focused on the group in front of her, doing anything to forgive herself as if she were the reason for the attack.
However, something must have clicked in that boy as he felt the need to confront her. This is where Astrid had a problem.
Hiccup had automatically assumed she had been rough on them for no reason, just so she could stay, which obviously, Astrid fought back. She needed to be hard on them, they would be nothing but easy targets if she hadn't. Yet, Hiccup didn't stop, speaking the main thought on his mind.
"You want them to fail. That way you have an excuse to stay on Berk."
She scoffed, that was not true! She was only trying to do what was best for the village while he blindly searched for Dagur, taking the riders, the most valuable defense with him! If anything, she was doing the right thing.
"You want to stay on Berk and protect your family. But you can't be there every second of every day for the rest of their lives."
She couldn't say anything after that, eyes showing her every emotion so she kept her back turned to him. But, as the memory replayed, Astrid almost shivered, she could still feel as if he was reaching out to her, ready to touch her, but he never did. She only listened to the sound of him stepping away, leaving her to sulk in the arena. She shouldn't have to sulk, he was wrong! She wasn't doing anything like he had accused her of!
She kicked a stray rock, folding her hands across her chest as if to hold herself in comfort. So, why was she so affected by his words?
After all, learning about her family nearly dying, she couldn't rest, finding herself struggling with a feeling that she despised. She was a warrior, a protector of those she loved, and even Stoick had understood.
Yet, she was too afraid to show those feelings, using the inexperienced Vikings to be her reason to hide behind the truth. The truth on why she really stayed. She wanted to do everything in her power to never feel the guilt again, so, she needed to watch over her parents.
She stopped, staggering slightly as the thought process shocked her.
Astrid hadn't meant to admit it, she was in denial. But, she was here, only to watch over her parents as if they were fragile, to forgive herself for letting her parents get in harm's way. She was trying to let herself forgive her own actions.
Something they all knew was never her fault.
She lifted her head, peering at the village she had finally made it to, watching the Vikings repair the damaged homes. Her eyes fell onto the shambles of her parents' house, watching as they cleared the debris, leaving nothing but an open patch of grass.
At that moment, she straightened her posture. She was doing what needed to be done, to protect. She didn't care that Hiccup was right, this was something she had to do. She needed to save those she cared for.
She swallowed the feeling, moving towards the Vikings who threw the charred wood into a slowly growing pile, and giving them a small smile.
"You guys need some help?" She asked, all while she forgot about a certain auburn-haired boy.
_ . _ . _
Hiccup cascaded through the air, night setting as he neared Dragon's Edge. He had been silent for most of the ride, thankful that the other riders had a good few minutes ahead of him. He had told Toothless to slow, needing a moment to himself to clear his head.
He began to wonder if what he said to Astrid was too harsh. She was going through a lot, he understood she was hurting.
It was a fearful thought, almost losing your parents when you weren't even aware until the damage had been done. She was pressuring herself, he knew it, and the guilt of how he spoke to her had run through him, making a lump in his throat that was hard to swallow.
Yet, all he wanted was for her to not blame herself, to realize that no matter what, she shouldn't blame herself for something out of her control.
But how could he?
He sighed, rounding a sea stack and facing the base, ready to land after such a mentally tiring flight.
That was until Toothless had jerked to a stop, growling lowly as a fleet of ships had surrounded the base, the familiar laugh of a deranged maniac being heard. Rocks and arrows had been constantly launched from below, striking the sealed arena where Snotlout had just made it in, hiding from the attack.
Hiccup let out a surprised gasp, Dagur had found their base. He tried not to dwell on how it was possible but instead focused on his friends who were currently taking refuge within the dome. He needed to get to them, to plan, and to chase Dagur away.
"Come on, bud." Hiccup mumbled, his dragon instantly understanding the memo as he dove over the ships, blasting a stray bola launcher.
They weaved through the mess of arrows that flooded the air, Hiccup pressing close to his dragon as they cut the distance between them and safety.
Almost there.
Hiccup let a look of determination cross his face, not daring to look back as he heard Dagur's harsh command to fire. The sound of nearly a dozen arrows being fired had surprised Hiccup but he didn't let it falter him, continuing to push through the air.
However, as he neared the entrance, a strong burst of pain had flooded his body, stemming from his left side.
In an instant reaction, his body tensed, his hands tightening on the handles of the saddle. The pain throbbed and pulsed, as his eyes nearly rolled back into his head. He leaned forward, pressing his already sweating forehead against Toothless' neck, trying to labor his breathing as the pain swelled.
The dragon crooned softly, and despite how close they were, it felt as if Toothless had been miles away. He could hear his own heartbeat thudding loudly in his ears as it was accompanied by ringing causing his eyes to screw shut.
Bile seemed to run up his throat suddenly and he tried his best not to let it out, his throat feeling raw even though he remained silent, his head spun, and while his eyes had been closed, the dizziness only seemed to be growing.
Unaware and unfocused, Hiccup's foot began to slip from the petal, Toothless staggering in the sky, roaring in a slight panic. Hiccup suddenly lifted himself, jamming his prosthetic back in the pedal and his dragon finally leveled out.
The pain flared in his side as it was moved and Hiccup didn't even have to glance down to know what had happened, blood staining the dark scales of his friend.
Toothless let out a roar, using a strong pump of his wings to fly into the cavern, missing a large net that had been cutting through the air and toward them.
Hiccup could barely process where they were, every time his eyes peeled open, black spots filled his vision. His body seemed to grow numb and the feeling of floating was the only thing he could process.
He tried to open his eyes again, to guide his dragon to safety, but everything was a blur, the wall seemed to fade into nothing but brown splotches.
He closed them once again, his body feeling as if all the weight had diminished, moments of nothing but floating before a strong, stabbing pain coursed through his head. Hiccup moaned, trying to stay awake but it seemed so hard.
Hiccup.
He gasped, the soft voice calling for him as his hands moved but he wasn't sure where.
Hiccup!
He opened his eyes, staring at a mix of colors, nothing coming into focus.
Stay awake!
Everything was dark, Hiccup wanted to frantically look around, yet, he couldn't see. Who was crying so desperately?
That's it! You can do it, please!
His eyes had opened, not even realizing he had closed them. He stared at the vast figure leaning over him, the outline growing messy but he could see their eyes staring down at him with worry as a warm feeling ran down Hiccup's cheeks.
Was the figure above him crying? What was happening? Why couldn't he remember how he got here?
"You're going to be okay." The voice said, his hearing seemed to clear from the loud thudding of his frantic heartbeat. Hiccup instantly recognized the voice as Fishlegs. He tried to say his name but it came out in a groan, the boy above him trying to keep his composure.
Hiccup lowered his gaze, realizing he was lying on his side as he eyed the concrete, the world unforgivingly spinning once again. He tried to regain his composure, breathing quickly as he tried to swallow whatever was in his throat.
As the spinning never ceased, Hiccup shut his eyes, sucking in a heavy breath as the world faded rather quickly, his body no longer in his command, darkness swallowing him, his consciousness going with him.
Above him, Fishlegs turned to face the frozen teens with panic. The medical supplies had been lying in the clubhouse, unreachable, causing Fishlegs to work with what he had. Which had been very limited.
He eyed the form of Hiccup who was facing Fishlegs, curled into himself, and lay on his uninjured side, eyes closed once again and the arrow sticking out from him.
"We need to act fast, Ruffnut, grab me the blanket from inside Meatlug's saddle bag, rip it." The female twin nodded, doing so with no argument.
"What about us?" Snotlout asked. That usual temperamental attitude had left when Hiccup came crashing in, the boy nearly stuck the landing but lost his footing and caused Toothless to crash into the floor, knocking Hiccup from the saddle.
When he saw the arrow and the blood blossoming, Snotlout had noted that the only one to act had been Fishlegs, cradling Hiccup's head after it smacked against the ground.
"I need you and Tuffnut to hold him down, keep him on his side. This is going to hurt." Snotlout hadn't argued and Fishlegs would have made a joke about it if the situation hadn't been so dire. He watched as Snotlout took hold of Hiccup's knees while Tuffnut pressed his weight against Hiccup's shoulders.
Fishlegs pulled a small dagger from his side, gently cutting at the clothing around the wound. He sucked in a couple of breaths, trying to calm the shakiness that rushed through him. Granted, he had studied medical processes, but doing it on his best friend was rather frightening.
"Okay, on the count of three, I'll pull it out, Ruffnut once it is out, use a piece of blanket to cover it, and use as much pressure as you can," Fishlegs said, turning to face the twin who nodded, a piece ready as she hovered over them.
Sucking in one last breath, Fishlegs cut the clothing a little more before he dug the dagger into the wound, working quickly to remove it.
Hiccup jerked, doing his best to shove off the teens who were pinning him down, and while unconscious, his screams and strength were beginning to affect those around him.
"Hold him down!" Fishlegs yelled.
"We're trying, hurry up! He's stronger than I thought!" Snotlout responded in a panic.
"Almost there!" He pulled the arrow from Hiccup's skin, the boy suddenly jerking as the pain flared.
Fishlegs eyed the arrow, noticing the jagged sides on the end of the tip, causing him to gasp and toss it to the side.
The blood flow seemed to seep out faster as the arrow was discarded. Ruffnut acted quickly, dropping to her knees and keeping as much pressure as she could as she pressed the fabric against the wound. All the while Toothless paced to the side, blasting the arrow angrily.
"Okay, Snotlout you need to send a Terror Mail to Berk. We are completely outnumbered and with Hiccup in this condition, we could be captured if we wait too long."
"Way to go, if you two had kept the Night Terrors on their perches…" Snotlout started, facing the twins.
"Oh, so now we are pointing fingers." Tuffnut started, "It was useful training."
"Teaching them to fetch is not useful!" Snotlout cried as Fishlegs glared, standing between the two.
"We have no time for this, you know what Dagur would do to get his hands on us, especially Hiccup. We need to keep them from reaching this dome while we wait for backup. I'll stay with Hiccup, send the Terror Mail, and get out there!"
With a quick, silent glance, Snotlout grabbed a letter, scribbling as much as he could in a short amount of time before attaching it to a Terror that had also taken cover in the dome. Once the Terror snuck out, Fishlegs thanked Ruffnut before taking her place, replacing the stained blanket piece.
The twins and Snotlout moved to their respective dragons, mounting them and diving through the crack of the floor, following after the smaller dragon, but to fight. Fishlegs peeled his eyes from their departure, glancing down at a pale Hiccup, hand still heavily resting on the wound.
"We got this Hiccup, I promise."
_ . _ . _
Astrid paced the arena, staring down those who dared to be a Dragon Rider. The harsh tone constantly rolled off her tongue as she barked orders at the group, their fear and desperation to prove to her was well-known, but she didn't pay any mind to it.
She dared not to think of the group, who had vanished yesterday afternoon, leaving her to do her work. Especially the words that Hiccup had spoken to her before his departure. She tried to keep her posture, yet, the thought of him that burned in the back of her mind seemed to grow stronger, moving through her like a tidal wave, crashing into her stomach and seeming to make it drop to her toes.
Almost as if something was wrong, as if she needed to be beside him, the dreaded feeling seeming to never end despite how much she tried to push it away.
She tried to numb the feeling but the regret kept growing, her voice nearly cracking as she quickly recovered herself from the slip-up, her students, fortunately, not catching such a weak moment. However, it wouldn't leave.
Her moves faltered, head facing the floor of the arena as she held her stomach, the dreaded feeling constantly moving. Almost making her feel sick to her stomach.
She didn't bother to glance at the students around her, trying to understand why the guilt feeling was growing stronger by the passing minute, she was protecting her parents, and she was doing the right thing.
So what was so wrong?
Her eyes snapped in the direction of frantic yelling, a vast Rumblehorn landing within the middle of the arena, and as Astrid glanced towards its rider, a lump formed in her throat as she noticed Gobber perched behind Stoick in the saddle.
But that wasn't what had frightened her so much, it was the chief.
A pale Stoick stood before her as he clenched a note within his hand, so tight that his hand had already lost its color. Knowing the all-familiar broken look that was rarely worn by Stoick, it seemed the feeling had dissipated from her body, her legs struggling to hold her as he eyed her. The world around her seemed to stop, time slowing as she could note the red eyes of her chief.
"We have to go," Stoick's voice tremored. "It's Hiccup." She didn't need another explanation, the feeling she had been so unsure about had finally pieced together, the fear within her bubbling as she knew exactly what he meant.
No.
No.
Not him. Not him.
Please.
_ . _ . _
"We can't hold them for much longer!" Snotlout cried out as he dodged another burst of arrows, "There's too many of them!"
"I know, usually this is fun for us!" Ruffnut yelled as they ducked an oncoming boulder. The fight had been going rather easily, only for a matter of seconds before it turned for the worse, Dagur shouting commands as he laughed wickedly.
Snotlout had wanted to kill the man right then and there. He could hear the haunting laugh, Dagur knew what he had done and was clearly taking advantage of it. It caused Snotlout to want to land on the ship and rip the man to shreds, his heart hammering as he constantly replayed the moment Hiccup had crashed into the arena.
Toothless let out a cry as he collided with the edge of the crevice, barely missing it and knocking an unconscious Hiccup from his back. Snotlout watched with an eye full of fear as the boy coursed through the air and bounced off the stone, the arrow digging into the wound deeper as it was aggravated.
The cry of pain that Hiccup let loose had caused Snotlout to falter, and as the blood pooled and stained the stone beneath Hiccup, the moment became a blur, Fishlegs' frantic figure turning into nothing but a blob as he charged to his wounded friend.
Snotlout shook his head, this was no time. He couldn't let Dagur win, no matter how much it seemed the chances of winning the fight were dwindling quite rapidly.
"Okay, Ruff, Tuff. You guys need to keep the guards at bay, they're trying to reach the dome by land, I'll draw the arrows fire!"
"Yeah! Snotman, look at you, you're growing up so fast!" Tuffnut joked lightly as they soared on Barf and Belch, heading back to the dome and firing at any fleeing Hunter. Snotlout took a deep breath, gently commanding his dragon to push forward.
It seemed like a suicide run, the amount of arrows that had already been launched was much harder to weave through.
"Keep firing! We push through!" Dagur yelled from the spot on his ship, Snotlout glaring deeply in the direction but barely having the space to fit through and annihilate the deranged man. Trying to regain control of the sky, Snotlout had stayed rooted, only weaving through the mess of arrows when able to.
It wasn't looking good for him.
Snotlout glanced up as another command of fire was heard, and instant dread had filled him. The catapult of arrows had finally reloaded, he could barely handle the archers alone.
He watched as the arrows closed the distance towards him, each arrowhead coated with a stream of fire and Snotlout paled.
Closing his eyes, preparing for the nasty blow, Snotlout had to accept the predicament as his dragon was desperate to find an exit as arrows came flooding in from every direction.
However, there was a strong burst of heat, the light shining through the closed eyelids of Snotlout, his eyes peeling open to spot the dying flame, the arrows were nothing but ash. His head snapped in the direction, Stormfly speeding passed him as he stared in awe.
"Astrid!" He yelled out, quickly following behind her as a grin stretched on his face. Thank the Gods she had arrived.
Astrid paid no mind to his cry, turning to face Stoick and the Auxiliary Riders. "Alright, let's get them off our shores. We need to clear a path so Gothi can find Hiccup."
"You heard the lass! Fire at the ships! Take out the catapults and archers!" Stoick's voice boomed.
Astrid's eyes narrowed as she studied the formation of the ships, it was tight but not impossible. If they could break through, she could ransack those ships until she found the coward and damned him to Helhiem.
Perhaps it was the strong feeling of guilt that pushed through, the bitter insults resting on the tip of her tongue. But she didn't want to remind herself of the constant blame that she insisted she deserved. She knew she deserved it, she knew that the guilt weighing on her was fitting.
Astrid had been so concerned about her family's safety, forcing herself on Berk to forgive herself. Only to remember Hiccup's words, knowing he was right and she had been too stubborn to admit it.
Now, the person she was bound to protect, the one she couldn't lose had suffered due to her actions. The mere thought of it had caused her guilt but she swallowed the vile thoughts, knowing she could still have the possibility of saving him.
And that started with defeating Dagur.
She soared to the ships, a simple command to fire had her dragon scorch the wood. She watched as the Hunters yelped, leaping from the harsh heat, some diving into the water, lowering Dagur's numbers.
With a grin, she patted her dragon's back, weaving through the arrows and nets that threatened to take her down, but none had touched her. They wouldn't touch her.
She twirled through the army of ships, blasting any Hunter who dared to slow her down from finding Hiccup.
When she arrived, Snotlout and the twins were struggling, circling in one place as they tried to dodge any incoming projectiles. Thankfully, the others had arrived at the right time, giving them the boost they needed.
It seemed as if the battle was going in their favor, Snotlout covering Astrid as she drifted through, all while the Auxiliary Riders (which she had been against the idea of them joining until the thought of Hiccup needing her had crossed her mind) had been destroying any catapult in sight.
However, too focused on winning the fight, she and the others were unaware of the figure moving swiftly through the shadows of the night, heading straight toward the dome.
_ . _ . _
Fishlegs was panicking, having a hard time staying still even though he was seated, his eyes were red, threatening to spill with tears as his hands stained red from replacing the soiled bandage. He had discarded Hiccup's armor once the twins and Snotlout had left, trying to locate the full wound, but the sight had made him sick.
The minute he lifted Hiccup's shirt, the wound showed its ugly head, the harsh bruising that barely peeked out from the amount of smeared blood, and the size of the wound, while it was an arrowhead, the length of it was normal, but the depth of the wound was more worrisome.
Beside him, Toothless had been whining, curled in a ball next to Hiccup's legs, big green eyes never pulling away from his rider's face.
"I can't tell if the bleeding is slowing, Toothless. I'm getting worried, and I have nothing to clean it with. I really hope the others are here, I don't know how much longer Hiccup can last."
"He won't be lasting for long," another voice added, Fishlegs' head whipping up and gasping at the sight. Toothless stood, eyes narrowing as he growled, stepping over Hiccup's legs and trying his best to cover the boy. Meatlug was quick to react as well, standing beside her rider and growling.
"Dagur," Fishlegs' hissed as he eyed the six armed men beside him. Fishlegs didn't dare to stand up, needing to keep Hiccup out of Dagur's reach, so, he moved his arms around Hiccup, pushing him close to his chest, doing his best to shield him. "You're not going to win this."
"Oh? I don't see why I'm not, I mean look at my dear brother there, all bruised and bloodied, just waiting for me to end his life."
"You're a sick monster, I'm not going to let that happen."
"Oh, yeah? How? With that tiny butter knife in your belt?" Dagur hissed, pointing at the said weapon. While Fishlegs knew it was small in comparison to regular Viking weapons, he could still use it well. "And don't even think about using any blasts from your dragons, one shot, and my men will fill you all with arrows, I'm talking to you, Night Fury."
Fishlegs glanced at Toothless who was building up a blast, but the boy knew they were in a cramped place, there was no way to avoid a plasma blast when fired, it could take them all out. It also didn't help the situation that the archers had pointed their loaded weapons at the sight.
"Hold off, Toothless," Fishlegs mentioned and the dragon gave a confused look to the boy. "Not here, it won't do any good." Understanding, Toothless simply growled once he faced Dagur again.
"Oh, goody. You're learning. Now, hand over my brother and the Night Fury and maybe I will let you live."
Fishlegs swallowed, pulling Hiccup's limp body closer to his, trying to hide his friend from Dagur's view, being careful of the wound that still seemed to bleed but thankfully slowed slightly.
Dagur glared, "I guess we're doing this the hard way."
_ . _ . _
Astrid stared at the burning and sinking ships, feeling overwhelmed with joy as the army that once was docked at the island had diminished into nothing. Both Snotlout and the twins looked relieved at the sight, which Astrid could understand, after being outnumbered for so long, they finally had the upper hand.
"Thank Thor!" Snotlout yelled as he joined the Auxiliary riders and Astrid, hovering over the damaged ships.
"Where is my son?" Stoick's worried voice boomed as looked at Snotlout.
"He's in the training dome with Fishlegs, we've— and he's already gone," Snotlout mentioned as Skullcrusher raced passed, followed closely behind Astrid and Gothi. Snotlout stayed silent, following after with the twins right behind him.
However, when he was inside the dome, he noticed how those in front of him had landed and froze. Across the dome, Fishlegs had been on the floor, cornered by two armed men while four other men had cornered Toothless and Meatlug.
What was worse, was Dagur standing above a barely conscious Hiccup, sword pointed at the downed rider's throat, laughing manically. However, the deranged man's eyes lifted upward, finding Stoick and the others glaring madly at him.
"Oh, a little late to the party, are we?" Dagur asked with a mocking tone. "I already warned them that one little move and I will not hesitate to put this sword in my brother's neck."
"He's not your brother," Astrid hissed.
"You are outnumbered, Dagur. Step away from my son and leave before I run you through," Stoick mentioned, hand reaching for his axe.
"Nuh-uh," Dagur warned, the tip of his sword gently grazing the exposed neck of Hiccup. "Make one move, I'll be much quicker. Since I have all of you here, I might as well enjoy my victory, especially after the plan I had, attacking Berk to find your cute little dragon base, and who knew, the strongest warrior stayed behind."
Astrid glared as he looked at her, laughing. "You'll be sorry for what you did."
"Oh? Is this you trying to redeem yourself? I do recall a certain Nadder not joining the fun, but it did give me the chance to take out Hiccup." Astrid swallowed, trying to keep the guilt from crossing her features, and it was clear that Stoick had picked up on her emotions as he raised his hand in front of her, making sure she hadn't made any sudden movements.
"What do you want from us, Dagur?" Snotlout asked.
"I want you all to surrender, pretty simple I think.
"We aren't surrendering to you," Fishlegs hissed before the arrow jutted closer to him, causing him to squeak in a panic.
"No? Alright, I guess we go with plan b, filling you with arrows." As Dagur spoke, the archers raised their bows, ready to fire. Tuffnut blinked at the small Night Terror that had been in the corner, seeming afraid of the massive weapons. Smiling, the twin boy made a small gesture with his finger, the dragon quickly picking up on the action and diving right for Dagur's sword. In an instant, the sword was plucked from the madman's hands, Dagur letting out a scream as he glared at the Night Terror that circled the dome.
"Shoot that dragon down!" Dagur yelled as the archers aimed their weapons toward the dragon, no longer cornering the riders, allowing the group to pull their weapons and charge. Snotlout, Fishlegs, Stoick, and the twins leaped into action, weapons drawn and ready as they clashed with the remaining forces of Dagur. The sound of metal colliding echoed through the narrow dome as weapons met with crossbows, trying to block any incoming blow in a fierce struggle, a cacophony of battle that reverberated across the dome. Snotlout roared his voice a battle cry that surged with adrenaline, "Snotlout, Snotlout, oi, oi, oi!" He swung his sword wildly, Hookfang using his tail to sweep hunters off their feet. Each swing sent enemies sprawling in all directions, their cries mingling with the clash of steel as they fell before his relentless assault.
Fishlegs, surprisingly nimble for his size, moved with a grace that belied his bulk. He wielded his dagger with precision, each strike calculated and powerful, as he fought back to back with Stoick. The chief's enormous axe sliced through armor effortlessly, cleaving through the ranks of Dagur's men with a ferocity that left no room for doubt about his prowess. Stoick's battle-hardened experience shone through as he barked orders.
The twins reveled in the chaos, their laughter ringing out amidst the clamor of battle. "Is that the best you've got?" Ruffnut jeered, dodging a swing of a sword with a nimble sidestep. Meanwhile, Tuffnut was beside her, ducking arrows as Barf and Belch smacked a guard away with their long necks.
Amidst the turmoil, Astrid focused on her target—Dagur the Deranged, who loomed over Hiccup's still form with a sinister smile that sent a chill down her spine. She would not let Dagur win, he already hurt those she cared about and there was no way he was walking away without bruises.
"I am not walking away without death on my hands!" Dagur cried and moved his hand to his belt, trying to locate his dagger, his hands ghosting over the hilt. "Goodbye, brother." Astrid's eyes flashed with unbridled rage as she lunged at Dagur, her powerful legs propelling her forward until she collided with his chest, sending them both crashing to the ground in a tangle of fury and vengeance.
Dagur let out a surprised grunt as the air was knocked from his lungs, but his shock quickly turned to cruel amusement. "Trying to play hero, after you left him vulnerable. Really, thank you for such an easy target." Dagur taunted, his voice dripping with gleeful malice, Astrid roared in anger, raining down punches upon his smug face.
Each word was like a dagger to Astrid's heart, fueling the inferno of her wrath. Again and again, her fists pummeled Dagur's sneering visage, painting his pale skin with lurid splotches of purple and crimson. Dagur frantically grasped for the dagger at his belt, but Astrid's relentless assault left him no quarter, no chance to retaliate. The world narrowed to nothing but the two combatants locked in their brutal struggle, until suddenly, strong hands grasped Astrid's shoulders and hauled her off of Dagur's prone form.
She twisted in the iron grip, only to find herself face to face with Stoick, his eyes wide with astonishment at the scene of carnage before him, the unconscious guards strewn about like forgotten ragdolls. At that moment, Astrid realized the depths of her own ferocity, a wildfire that had consumed her in the heat of battle, leaving only the bitter ashes of regret in its wake.
"It's alright, lass. We won. We got them." Astrid sucked in a breath before turning to face Dagur who was struggling to sit up. She stomped toward him, glare hardened as she stared at his battered form.
"I suggest you leave before they decide not to hold me back," she hissed as Dagur pushed himself to his shaky feet, eying the bodies around him before wiping his bloodied lip.
"I'll be back and when I do, you dragon riders will be nothing."
"Yeah, yeah. Hookfang, do you mind?" Snotlout asked, his dragon charged to Dagur, grabbing the man by the shirt and tossing him down the narrow entrance beneath the dome. The group listened as Dagur thudded against the ground, his footsteps echoing till they reached outside, leaving the group in silence.
"My boy," Stoick breathed, reaching his son's side and scooping him off the ground. He came to a stand, rubbing his hand against Hiccup's hair as he cradled him.
"The supplies are in the clubhouse, we need to get him there."
Stoick nodded, "Gothi is around here, find her and meet me at the Clubhouse then." The group nodded, mounting their dragons as they dove into the crack of the floor, finally being able to exit without any danger.
"I'm coming with you, Stoick," Astrid mentioned as she watched the chief climb onto his dragon. He said nothing, nodding to her as Astrid climbed onto Stormfly, watching Stoick leave the dome that the twins had decided to open once they made it out.
There was no way Astrid was leaving Hiccup's side, not now, not ever.
She would die before she would.
_ . _ . _
Hiccup groaned softly, his eyes squeezed shut as he tried to process the strange, numb sensation that pervaded his entire body. It felt as if he was floating, disconnected from his physical form. He shifted slightly, fingers brushing against the familiar texture of his bed, though he had no memory of how he came to be here. Hazy shafts of sunlight streamed through the windows, warming his face and slowly drawing him back to wakefulness.
As he fought to open his heavy eyelids, Hiccup heard Astrid's gentle voice cutting through the fog clouding his mind, asking if he was finally awake. The sound of her words seemed to anchor him, giving him something to focus on. With great effort, he managed to crack his eyes open, blinking rapidly against the bright light.
Astrid's face gradually came into focus above him, her blue eyes shining with relief and her lips curved upwards in an affectionate smile as she gazed down at him. Hiccup tried to speak, but could only produce a raspy exhalation. He swallowed hard, struggling to gather his scattered thoughts and make sense of his current state. The one thing he knew for certain was that Astrid's presence brought him comfort, a lighthouse guiding him back to solid ground as he slowly emerged from the deep, numbing seas of unconsciousness.
"How do you feel, Hiccup?" Astrid asked.
"B-better," he whispered. "What happened?"
Astrid sighed, "Dagur. He found the Edge and attacked. When we got the news, you had been shot by him." Memories seemed to flood Hiccup's mind, the wound seeming to throb as he remembered it was there.
"Oh."
"Thankfully, we got here just in time. And, surprisingly, the twins and their dumb training paid off with the Night Terrors." Hiccup smiled softly as he closed his eyes. Astrid sucked in a breath as she grabbed his hand, squeezing it gently and causing him to open his eyes again. "Look, Hiccup–"
"I know, I'm sorry too," Hiccup mumbled.
"For what? It was my fault."
"But I was too hard on you, you were going through something."
"Yes, but you were right. I can't be there every day and every second watching grown adults. I should have been with you guys, my team. The ones I need to help. If I was, maybe you would have never gotten hurt."
"It's okay. Is my dad here?" Astrid smiled and nodded.
"Yeah, I can get him if you want."
"That would be great," Hiccup mumbled as he rubbed his eyes, trying to wake himself up. Astrid leaned over, pecking his forehead before pushing herself to a stand. She let go of his hand and moved down the stairs toward the door. Before she stepped foot outside, she looked back up to the loft, a smile on her face.
This would never happen again, she knew what she feared and that was losing him. A warrior protects those they love, and she would never let Dagur lay another hand on him again.
And she would make sure of that.