#astrid: hey how did you befriend this dragon

[headfullof-ideas]

Ahhh, thank you! I dunno, it’s just a lot of practice, and a lot of doodling in the margins of homework and on napkins from work. Aghdnghhh I’m so giddy that you like it so much! I apparently woke up my brother from cackling so hard while drawing this.

Oi. so

Reverse Httyd where Toothless bites/rips off Hiccup's leg at the start of the movie. Hiccup then falls into the cove and is trapped there, or maybe he already was in the cove from the struggle during the dragon attack, but... he can't get out. And he is like actively dying from the blood loss, the pain, possible infection, exposure.

He hasn't got long. No one finds him, it's so deeply in the woods.

It's Toothless who has to decide to nurse Hiccup back to health/bring him back to his people, but it's Hiccup so he'll somehow still put up a fight against his deadly dragon enemy. Toothless is gonna have to earn this scrawny and injured human's trust.

[a-fluffer-nutter]

Wasn't Thought Out

A/N - Fic 1 for the Hear Me Out Cake event held by the lovely @tickly-trashcan! This fic is for Astrid and Hiccup from How To Train Your Dragon suggested by two different anons! I haven't written for these characters in forever, but I love them deeply. Please enjoy!

Word Count: 724

            The ocean and the sky were almost matching hues of crystalline blue when Astrid stepped outside, her interest piqued by a curious noise resonating from the back of her home. A soft smile settled onto her face once she saw the perpetrator of the pitchy sound that had grabbed her attention. There in the yard, covered in a fine layer of pollen, was her boyfriend and his dragon best friend. Despite being the chieftain of Berk, the man was pinned to the ground, child-like expression of joy and good humor adorn his face as he laughed, playfully batting at the top of the dragon’s head while the Night Fury licked him furiously. Astrid stood off to the side, hands on her hips as she watched the scene unfold before her.

            “Toothless!” Hiccup’s tone was higher than his normal one, pitch rising and falling between short bursts of unstifled laughter. When Hiccup was younger, back when he first encountered and befriended Toothless, he was anxious about his laugh, hiding it from the rest of the world. Toothless was the first individual he didn’t hide his face with, allowing the dragon to see his goofy smile and hear his full laugh. Astrid was next, having first witnessed it in a moment similar to this one. After Hiccup became aware of her presence and that she found his laugh adorable and charming, he became less restrained around her. Now, years later, after countless moments of mirth, many would forget how the boy would hide his joy behind his clasped hands.

            Wagging his tail with great delight, Toothless switched tactics to gently paw against his rider’s belly, eliciting a cackling laugh which vastly differed from the prior squeaky laughter. Ears up and tongue lolling out the side of his mouth, Toothless radiated with a giddy aura, renunciant of a child on their birthday. The dragon must have sensed an air of negativity coming from Hiccup earlier, Astrid figured, as this was something Toothless often did with Hiccup when the young man was feeling down. Luckily for everyone, Hiccup never seemed to mind these playful attacks committed by his friend. Nor did he mind it when Astrid was struck by the same mischievousness that Toothless had been inflicted with and joined in on the fun.

            “Where did you come from?” Hiccup let out a gasp as Astrid tackled him, rolling him away from Toothless. Respite from Toothless’ attack was short as Astrid made quick work of getting into a comfortable position, then resumed where Toothless left off. “He-hey! Noho fair!”

            “You two having fun without me was unfair,” Astrid teased, taking her long braid in her hand to run the loose end beneath Hiccup’s chin, provoking the stream of giggles Astrid heard often before they laid down to sleep.

            “This all wasn’t really thought out ahead of time,” Hiccup stated in such a way that Astrid had to laugh. Of course he had to keep stating the obvious, it was the most Hiccup thing to do at any moment, but as luck would have it, Astrid always found this quirk charming.

            “Wasn’t it now?” cooing, Astrid began to dance her fingers along Hiccup’s sides, delighted by the change of his laughter’s pitch. Wriggling around beneath her, Hiccup smacked the ground repeatedly, long blades of grass caressing his fingers with each movement.

            “Noho!” laugh as contagious as ever, Hiccup’s head was thrown back as Astrid laughed along with her boyfriend. “This wasn’t either though.”

            Out of the blue, Hiccup’s brain managed to rewire itself into committing an act of retaliation. Reaching out quickly so Astrid could not take advantage of this new opening, Hiccup’s hands latched onto Astrid’s hips and began to knead into the sensitive spot.

            “Hehey,” she yelped in surprise, though maintained her focus to keep her fingers latched onto Hiccup’s torso, her fingers migrating down to the center of his belly.

            Tail wagging ferociously, Toothless smiled his typical gummy grin as he watched his best friend use all his strength to flip them both over. Before he could get her pinned, Astrid counter attacked by dragging his legs into her lap as Hiccup was on his belly. Without any way to fight it, Hiccup slipped into hysterics as Astrid dug into the back of his ribs, knowing she was not going to hold back with her revenge.

[jellylollie]

Astrid’s Road To Becoming A Helpless Mary Sue

Before I start, I just wanted to say that I love Astrid as a character, and this is coming from a place where I fell out of love with writing her but am still trying to figure out how to properly portray her in my stories.

We are introduced to Astrid as the badass girl Hiccup, our talking fishbone protagonist, has a crush on. There’s also the name bias playing a role from the get-go: While most of the characters have hideous names, here we have Astrid, whose name means something like “beautiful goddess”. The movie tells us from the very first scene that Astrid is different from the others, and Hiccup can’t help but fall in love with her. I mean, honestly, who wouldn’t fall in love with her?

Her first line is “No turning back.” during dragon training. Astrid is a strong, confident, fierce leader–the complete opposite of Hiccup. She’s a warrior with a strong sense of duty who works hard and hides her true self behind a cold exterior. Astrid is arrogant, prideful, and even mean at Hiccup’s half-assed training attempts. I do, however, think that she cares about Hiccup (she’s the first to notice that Hiccup keeps disappearing and acting weird–well, weirder!). If circumstances were different, and they weren’t at war, they could probably naturally have become friends. BUT. She also takes a passive stand when the rest of the gang (and even the rest of Berk) bullies Hiccup. As they say, neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim.

Like any other Berkian, Astrid is prejudiced. Misguided. And stubborn. Everything changes when she has that beautiful “A whole new world” moment riding Toothless. She smiles for the first time; she’s amazed, and we have a glimpse of what she really looks like behind the strong and resolute warrior image. But I’m gonna say it right now: Astrid’s Mary Sue path is set in stone as soon as she hooks up with Hiccup. Which I will loosely call the “That’s for the kidnapping, and that’s for everything else” moment.

Now, Astrid is still her own person, her loyalties have just shifted from her tribe to Hiccup. That moment after they discover the nest, and she mocks him for wanting to protect his pet, Hiccup stands up to her for the first time. Hiccup mofo Haddock, Berk’s pariah, defies her. That’s when she realizes how serious he is. That’s when she starts to respect him. Astrid’s the first one to really trust him, and she chooses to trust him over everything she has known until that point. And that becomes the basis for a really strong and beautiful relationship. But it also makes Astrid’s main role to support the hero. Let’s not kid ourselves, our girl is no damsel in distress. Astrid is still the strong warrior we know she is. She saves Hiccup in the arena, putting herself in harm’s way, and even when he tries to get to Toothless, she stops him before things can get messier. She’s the one who holds him accountable and calls him out on his bullshit when he tries to escape his problems. She talks to him face to face. On the same level. As equals.

I’m a hardcore Hiccstrid shipper, but the more I thought about it, the more I saw Astrid as Hiccup’s prize for saving the world. “Too bad you lost your leg, but hey, at least you got the girl!”

And now the second movie.

Astrid is still the strongest Viking. She’s reliable, talented, and as badass as she was in the first movie. And that’s it. Don’t get me wrong, she still mocks him, she still calls out on his crap, she’s still Hiccup’s confidant and right hand, but Astrid’s main role is to chase after Hiccup. Like, literally.

Her only flaw (if it can be called one) is her unwavering loyalty to him. Because she trusts Hiccup so much, she becomes reckless and breaks rules if it means helping him. Even when she questions his choices or disagrees with them, she still rolls with it because she trusts Hiccup to always do (or try to do) the right thing. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

From a companionship perspective, their bond is commendable. Their trust for each other is very strong, they know what the other is thinking or feeling without needing words, and they are there for each other no matter the situation. They love each other with their hearts and souls. Their relationship is truly beautiful, I just wish we could see more of her than that.

The only part of the movie when Astrid acts on her own (sans Hiccup) is when she kidnaps Eret. There, we can see that she’s still a leader, and she’s still a feisty and sassy queen. Astrid makes it her mission to rescue those dragons from Drago, even when she realized that Hiccup was not captured by the enemy. That has everything to do with Astrid’s own morals and wanting to do what she sees as right.

Astrid knows her place. She’s Hiccup’s second in command, and she’s fine with it. Even after Valka comes back, she knows there is a line between what she can do as Hiccup’s closest ally and the presence of his mother. There are boundaries, and she knows where she stands. Like when Hiccup tries to stop Drago’s control on Toothless right after Stoick dies, Valka stops him just like Astrid did in the first movie.

Movie 3.

Yet again, Astrid is the only competent warrior (Valka being an exception) in the group. It really is beautiful to see how far Hiccup and Astrid’s teamwork has come. There’s a specific scene that’s very dear to me, and it’s when Hiccup is building Toothless’ tail and Astrid helps him. It’s very domestic and he doesn’t need to tell her what to do, she just knows and helps him because she’s still his number one supporter.

The third movie is pretty much a repetition of the other ones. Hiccup being insecure and not believing in himself, Astrid being his emotional support and confidant. They fly somewhere together and discover things that move the plot forward. They fight the World’s Greatest Dragon Master Bad Guy Of The Week. Movie makes us believe they are never gonna see their dragons again. Syke! Hiccup and Astrid get married and have cute babies. The end.

I’m not gonna analyze the specials or the TV series, because it’s been a while since I watched those, and ain’t nobody got time for that (writing this whole thing is already being a pain). Besides, the midquels came after the movies, and any character development we see in the series is reset when the next movie starts. I will give a shout out to some of the things I can remember off the top of my head though: Astrid befriending another alpha female (and plotting with her behind Hiccup’s back); Astrid still being prideful and stubborn; Astrid learning to work with the other riders, Snotlout in special. And also Ruffnut caring about her brother just because.

I still think Astrid is a flawed character, and I still think she has her own personality and exists beyond the “trophy wife” category. But I wish we could’ve seen more of her than just that.

The only thing Astrid doesn’t do that saves her from being a complete Mary Sue is that she doesn’t overshadow Hiccup. The How To Train Your Dragon franchise is very much Hiccup and Toothless’ adventures. Minor characters not having any depth can also be attributed to that fact. And I get it. Limited screen time and all that, minor plots must meet the chopping board. I just wish DreamWorks didn’t do her dirty like that. Did you know that none of the movies pass the Bechdel-Wallace test?

Anyway, if you disagree with me or have anything to add, please do so. I really do love Astrid and all I want is to do her character justice.

[pure-bakusass]

Kiribaku AU Month: Day 8: 🐲 HTTYD AU 🐲

Today I did some sketches that serve as illustrations to the drabble I wrote (killing it with the writing! 💚 they say practice makes perfect).

Basically Kirishima is Hiccup based and Bakugou is Astrid based 💙 Bakugou meets Kirishima when he's still an insecure mess, but he falls in love with him and believes in him. Together they hunt down the Night Fury, but it escapes and Kirishima finds it on his own later and tries to befriend it. Kirishima is the sunshine boy that wants to befriend dragons. Bakugou despises them and wants to kill them, but his love for Kirishima makes him slowly change his approach. There are situations I pictured with them that I couldn't include in the drabble so there they are, here:

Kiri trains the dragon in Bakugou's presence, and Bakugou is standing in the safe distance angrily like "Iook im not going to tell the rest but keep that disgusting thing away from me" while he eventually slowly grows to love the dragon as much as Kiri does.

Kirishima: Look, this is Bakugou. I know both of you started off pretty badly but Bakugou means no harm. There is no need to be afraid of Bakugou. See? Bakugou put the knife down.

One day the dragon licks Bakugou's face and it's hilarious.

Kirishima: See? He loves you!

Bakugou: *grumpily wipes his face* It's a fucking one-sided love then.

Remember the moment when Hiccup took Astrid to that wild ride on Toothless? Kirishima does the same to Bakugou to prove a point. Bakugou just stubbornly refuses to accept the concept of riding dragons and Kirishima had no other choice than to get to him like this.

Kirishima: Let me just show you something, that's all! And then I'll put you down!

Bakugou: *clinging to dragon's tail for life and screaming* Fuck no, you better put me the fuck down now!

Bakugou ends up enjoying the ride, but he's lowkey scared being this high for the first time in his life, so he clinged to Kirishima's back and held him tight.

Bakugou: *hits Kirishima* That's for forcing me to ride the fucking dragon.

Bakugou: *kisses Kirishima* And that's for...the rest.

@kiribakumonth2019

Now for the ✨drabble✨ You can read it under the cut!

"Fuck!"

Bakugou's scream suddenly broke the peaceful, calm silence of the forest. Both him and Kirishima were wandering around the place for quite a time, and while it was completely understandable for Bakugou to get frustrated, Kirishima genuinly enjoyed it. If it wasn't for the reason why they were here, he would consider it just a nice walk, a date even. But Kirishima knew that today they meant business, and he shouldn't let his thoughts get away from it too much. If he wanted Bakugou not to be angry with him, that is.

"That shitty dragon really couldn't have found itself a better place than a fucking forest to crash, huh?" Bakugou snarled as he vented his frustration by kicking the nearest rock. Kirishima smiled at him. At this point he was so used to Bakugou's outbursts that he found them amusing, in a way.

"Dude, there's hardly even anything else here apart from forests, what did you expect? Hey, c'mon. Don't worry so much about that. I'm sure we'll find it."

Bakugou didn't feel like calming down at all, although he did have to admit that Kirishima's warm smile was probably the only thing in the entire world that would ever come this near to soothing his nerves. He rolled his eyes in response, but the tone of his voice did calm significantly.

"I'm not worried, idiot. I'm sure we'll find it, because I am not leaving the damn place without a dragon. I will tear down every fucking tree if that's what it takes to bring the bastard to the village."

"Yeah, right, that's what I'm talking about! I can't wait to see their faces when we show them that we actually DID take a real Night Fury down! I'm so excited just thinking about it. Aren't you excited Katsuki?"

Bakugou laughed. He couldn't help it that Kirishima's excitement was getting through to him.

"Fuck, you bet I am. Those idiots kept laughing at me for saying I shot this stupid Night Fury bullshit down with my own hands. But now that you're going to kill it, we'll make them all choke on those words."

"Oh damn right we- wait, what? Me?"

Kirishima stopped and blinked in surprise, not quite believing what he has just heard. All of a sudden, his enthusiasm faded away, leaving him visibly nervous.

"Since when it's me who is supposed to kill the dragon, Katsuki? I mean it was you who shot it so wouldn't it be fair for you to, uh, finish the work you started?

Bakugou raised his eyebrow. Such a sudden change in Kirishima's behavior seemed suspicious and unusual for him. He didn't like it.

"What are you even saying, shithead? Of course the fuck not! We're a team. I did my part of the job which means now is your turn. That is what I call fair. Besides, I already killed my first dragon, and you didn't. If this keeps up those idiots out there in the village will eat you alive."

"Are you saying that they still talk about me behind my back...? About the not-killing-a-dragon thing?"

Bakugou sighed. Now he understood exactly what the sudden change of attitude was about. How could he not get it before? He knew too well about Kirishima's biggest insecurity and mentioning the villagers was one fast way to trigger it even more. Bakugou felt like he was the actual idiot here and he hated that. He looked Kirishima in the eyes, dead serious.

"Not when i beat the goddamn shit out of them when they do so. Listen, you don't deserve to be put down like that. You're strong and manly, and totally capable of killing dragons. I'm sure of that. And you know it too. It's just the rest that don't know. Wouldn't it be thrilling to prove them wrong?"

Kirishima didn't look convinced. In fact he looked like he was having a hard time processing the situation. Bakugou reflected on his words and tried again with different approach.

"...Look, I-

...I may have used the wrong words for it. It doesn't fucking matter at all what others think about you, as long as you yourself know your own worth. But what matters is that killing a dragon is a powerful experience. It really makes you feel like you have enormous strenght, like you're some kind of a god. I want you to be able to experience it and be as satisfied and fulfilled as me. Only a fool would reject the opportunity to kill a dragon that is basically served to him on a silver plate. Listen, if you don't want to kill the dragon for yourself, do it for me. Do it for us, Ei."

The thing was that no matter how bad Kirishima's doubts were, he couldn't deny that he was madly in love with Bakugou, and therefore extremely weak for all those moments when he spoke to him in [that] voice he was using on him right now. The soft, loving, encouraging, lower toned kind of voice Bakugou wouldn't use on anyone else except Kirishima.

"I guess you do have a point here Katsuki."

Bakugou responded with a satisfied, fierce smile, one of those that Kirishima really enjoyed seeing. He gave in completely as Bakugou pulled him closer for a nice, deep kiss.

"There you go... There's my brave, unbreakable Eijirou. I think I might have something just for the occasion."

Bakugou reached to his belt and grabbed a knife he then gave to Kirishima. But that was no ordinary knife. Kirishima's eyes went open wide as he realised what he was holding. It was Katsuki's lucky knife, the exact one he killed his first dragon with. Kirishima was still amazed everytime he remembered that fight. To take down a dragon having only a knife on you for many seemed impossible. But for Katsuki, there was no such thing as impossible. That's why he admired him so much and still found it hard to believe that someone like Bakugou would consider someone like him his equal.

"What, why so surprised? You need it more than I do. Keep it. Make a good use of it and make me proud. No, make yourself proud."

Now that Kirishima thought about it, he has never actually seen Bakugou allowing anyone to touch it, ever, let alone make any use of it. The fact he was gifted such a meaningful thing filled Kirishima's heart with sudden wave of courage and will to act. Will to be strong and to prove himself that there is no such thing he's not capable of. The big, bright smile came back to Kirishima's face.

"Thank you, Katsuki. Thank you so much."

As they continued to search through the woods, Kirishima's excitement was in the right place. Even though he still felt nervous, he decided not to let it control him. At some point he reached for another kiss but Bakugou pushed him away and pointed to the ground with visible satisfaction.

"Ei, look! You see those traces here? I bet that's where the dragon fell. It was too weak to fly away, it's most probably very near. Fuck, we've found it!"

Next thing they saw when they looked around the place was a familiar net, and under it, a big, black pile of something that was most probably their dragon. Sparks of excitement appeared in Bakugou's eyes as he gave Kirishima a push forward.

"Go get it."

"Right!"

Kirishima took a deep breath as he began carefully approaching the dragon. He could do it. He totally could. "I have Katsu's lucky knife and a taste of his lips on mine, what could possibly go wrong?" he mumbled to himself as he was getting close to the infamous Night Fury. Bakugou decided to watch him from the distance.

First thing that Kirishima did as soon as he reached the dragon was to kneel down beside it and gently place his hand on it, then move it across its smooth, black scales. For a brief second he thought that maybe the dragon was already dead? That would certainly spare him a lot of trouble. But then he felt his hand being gently lifted as the dragon inhaled. He gasped in surprise and quickly took his hand back. The dragon was very much alive. Kirishima felt absolutely terrified, yet absolutely amazed at the same time. Not only it was his first time seing a dragon this close, but also seeing a dragon that nobody has ever seen before at all. This felt like enough of a thrilling experience for Kirishima. When he remembered what he was supposed to do, it brought up a weird feeling of sadness in him. The dragon was so...beautiful. It looked so peaceful and vulnerable while it was asleep like this. Kirishima sighed heavily.

"How am I supposed to take your life away while you can't even fight me back...?"

"What the fuck is taking you so long, shitty hair?!"

Kirishima twitched. Bakugou's yelling brought him down to earth yet once again.

"Katsu, I-...I don't think I can do it!"

That was most probably the worst possible way to express what he was feeling right now. He regretted those words the moment he spoke. Bakugou approached him quickly and angrily.

"What the fuck is your problem again?! You want to back away now that we're so close? After I gave you the knife and did my fucking best to make you feel better about yourself, even though I can't comfort others for shit and you know it? Listen here, you-"

"No, no, I'm not going to back away, please let me explain!" Kirishima interrupted Bakugou halfway through his outburst, hoping it wouldn't last. "I mean just look at him. He seems so vulnerable lying helplessly like this on the ground like he's already defeated. All I'm saying is that...you know, is there really a pride to be taken in butchering an unconcious dragon? I mean, it's no effort, there's not even a fight. That's not very manly nor thrilling if you ask me."

For a second Bakugou looked like he was about to lose his shit and explode again, but as soon as Kirishima spoke, his face expression changed. Now he was smiling, and it was one of those sly, fierce grins of his that always meant trouble.

"Right, sure. Of course you want a fight. That's understandable. Should have just said exactly that, babe. Let's rile the beast up then."

Bakugou got down on his knees and started cutting the strings of the net that was tangled around the dragon's limbs.

"Wait, no, that's not what I-"

Before Kirishima could say anything more, he was interrupted with the sound of a loud hit of Bakugou's hand on the dragon's hard scaled back. The Night Fury's eyes opened up right away and its pupils narrowed in a sign of hostility.

"this is bad-"

The dragon stood up on all fours, spreading its wings and roaring loudly and terrifyingly right in Bakugou and Kirishima's face. Kirishima's heart stopped, but Bakugou? Bakugou yelled back.

"That's right, that's more like it! Bring it on, fucker! They don't call you the Night Fury for no fucking reason, do they?!"

That's when it all went down to shit.

***

what a terrible way to finish a drabble XDDDD but thats all, thank you for attention <3

[coneygoil]

The Home We Built Together, part 23

Two young Vikings. An arranged marriage. Hiccup always wanted to win the girl of his dreams, but not like this. Now he and Astrid must learn to live together and maybe one day, learn to love…

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9| Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22

Writer’s note:  Hi everyone! Thank you for all the comments and kudos! This is the first fic I've ever hit 40k word count on and it's such a huge accomplishment for me! All of you have been great at giving me the motivation to keep going and make this my longest fic ever :)

Also, mentioning that this part is NSFW-ish. 

“You’re turn.”

Astrid’s brows disappeared into her bangs. “What?”

Her and Hiccup had worked with the Monstrous Nightmare the day before. It was hard to believe they were interacting with a dragon who only days before was trying to kill you in the training ring. She was astounded at how docile the fatal dragon could be, and even more astounded that a twig of a boy could tame such a beast with the offering of a gentle hand.

Hiccup swept an arm around. “Pick a dragon to train.”

“Oh no,” Astrid shook her head, not noticing the small step back she took, “You’re the dragon whisperer, not me.”

Hiccup grabbed her hand and pulled her to his side before she could inched away. “You can do it. I’ll be right here if you need me.”

Standing there with an axe in her grip and ready to fight a seething dragon to the death seemed far easier than standing in front of one to befriend it. She knew Hiccup wouldn’t let her back out of this and resolved to his request.

Astrid pondered her decision carefully. The Gronkle was cumbersome and slobbery. Not really her type. The Hideous Zippleback had two heads to train. Double trouble. That fact turned her away instantly. Which left the Deadly Nadder. Sharp. Swift. Primed. Proper. Now that Astrid thought about it, her and Nadders had a lot in common; something she could work with.

She grabbed a chicken leg from the feeding basket and approached the cage. “Let the Nadder loose.”

Hiccup gave her a side-look, nodding approvingly. “I can see it.”

She narrowed her eyes at him, figuring he’d put two and two together as well. Astrid raised her chin and stood tall as Hiccup opened the cage. If Hiccup could tame the beasts, she could too…right? Astrid pushed any doubt away.

The blue Nadder squawked threateningly at her, its wings spread wide. “It’s okay,” Astrid reassured, trying to keep her voice steady. The Nadder remained in its defensive position. “You hungry?” It sniffed the offered chicken leg from its spot and crowed sounds of interest.

“Here you go.” Astrid tossed the chicken towards the Nadder, and it caught the food with an eager snap. Once the food was eaten, it turned its head to the side to get a better look at Astrid.

Astrid took one small step after another towards the dragon, palm held out in front of her just as Hiccup instructed her to do. “I’m sorry for all the times I hurt you in the ring. I want to make it up to you, if you’ll let me.”

For a split second, Astrid was hit by the surrealness of her current situation. She’d hurt this dragon more than once in the training ring. It had every right to rip her to pieces, but it only watched her cautiously as she slowly approached.

Astrid stopped, keeping her hand extended in front of her. “I won’t hurt you,” she barely said over a whisper, as if any louder would destroy the delicate moment.

Her breath caught in her throat as the Nadder leaned its beak forward and pressed it to her palm. Astrid’s mouth formed a surprised ‘O’ as her lungs filled with air again. She rubbed the Nadder’s horn, its heated breath fanning over her arm.

She glanced over her shoulder to find Hiccup watching from the cage entrance wearing the warmest smile she’d ever seen cross his lips. Right there, at that very second as they gazed at each other, something new had taken hold of her and Astrid wanted more.

***

As they worked with the dragons that morning, new desires stirred in Astrid that had barely been ignited before. She yearned to be closer with Hiccup in ways she wasn’t sure how to acquire and needs she didn’t realize she had until recently.

They went through their evening routine of sitting by the firepit. Astrid had scooted her bench closer to Hiccup’s and rested a hand on his knee. Her cheeks flushed in delight as his arm curled around her waist.

Astrid made sure to get to the bedroom first, leaving Hiccup to wash the mugs and douse the fire. Rummaging through her trunk, she pulled out the sheer nightgown that was gifted to her by the married women of the tribe. She was told to use it to seduce her husband. At the time, the idea sounded preposterous. She never imagined desiring Hiccup in such a way. But now, the thought sent shivery sparks along her skin where she longed for Hiccup’s touch.

Astrid quickly changed into the nightgown and crawled onto the bed. She tucked her legs underneath her, the coolness of the air clinging to the nearly transparent material and causing chill bumps on her skin. The rhythmic pumping of her heart carried extra blood to her cheeks and ears. She was a blushing bride if there ever was one!

Her heart leapt into her throat at Hiccup’s footfalls on the stairs. Astrid fiddled with her loose hair, twisting it over one shoulder, making sure the flowing locks weren’t covering her delectable places.

“Hey Astrid, I was thinking—”

Hiccup nearly stumbled over his own feet as the top half of him came to a screeching halt. Astrid shifted her shoulders, trying to look as pleasing as possible. She was lost as to what to do with her face in an affair like this. She found her bottom lip and nibbled on it, her nerves tingling throughout her body.

The trance Hiccup had fallen into broke, and he averted his eyes to the floor. “You’re uh…you’re…” His words stuck in his throat.

It was apparent by his immobility that he wasn’t going to make the first move. Astrid left the safe zone of the bed and closed the distance between them. She tried to steady her breathing. This was uncharted terrain; a step in the direction she’d never entertained.

Her mother had given her several lessons on the subject of the “marriage bed”. The biology behind it was the first lesson taught. How both the man’s and the woman’s bodies were to react to each other and how it was to all play out. The points were basic, and to Astrid the whole matter was like two giant puzzle pieces fitting together. That part seemed simple enough, but she didn’t count on the desires being this strong or this complicated or this confusing. That lesson was hardly covered.

Hiccup’s gaze was careful to stay fixed on her face, their eyes locked in a strange battle of wanton and heavy blushing. Astrid took the lead, leaning in to press tingling lips to her husband’s. Hiccup’s breath was heavy on her face as she closes the space between them.

Astrid wasn’t sure if this was how these matters were supposed to play out, but her natural instincts aided her limbs to move on their own accord. It took a hesitant moment for Hiccup to respond, but as Astrid worked her lips on his, his startled state began to melt away.

Hiccup grasped her hands in his, holding tight as if she were his lifeline from drifting out to sea. A shiver coursed through her and Astrid knew exactly what she wanted. She guided Hiccup’s left hand to the soft mound awaiting to be touched.

She swallowed Hiccup’s gasp. He wanted to pull away, but this was a barrier they needed to break down and Astrid knew she had to be the stronger one to do it.

Astrid held his hand in place, his palm covering her breast. Cupping the outside of his palm, she worked his hand to squeeze the mound of skin through the sheer nightgown that left nothing to the imagination. She can feel the trembles that shook up his arm, and the reaction did the same to her.

Astrid wrapped nimble fingers around his waist, drawing Hiccup flush against her. Her mind was hazy, and her vision was seeing stars at the newly founded needs.

Astrid paused at the feel of something hard on her thigh. Her recollection of what was happening all came to her. She wasn’t sure what it looked like, but she did know the man was supposed to become hard down there during intimate endeavors. She wondered if her touch would feel just as good to him down there as Hiccup’s ministrations were on her breast.

Astrid slipped a hand between them, cupping the hardness in his pants. Hiccup’s hips suddenly jerked and he hissed as if burned.

“Does that feel good or bad?” Astrid asked uncertainly, inches his lips.

“Good,” Hiccup choked out. His eyes screwed shut as his jaw clinched.

She pressed into the bulge one again. Hiccup groaned deep in his throat.

Astrid wasn’t sure what should happen next. They both needed to be unrobed for the puzzle pieces to fit together. There was an uncertainty inside her whether she wanted to get to that part yet. There was so much more exploring to be done, so much more mapping out of both their bodies.

The squeeze of his hand on her breast elicited excitement inside her, like when Hiccup held her waist as they fell asleep at night. Astrid wondered how he’d react if she slid her palm up the length in his pants. With unabated curiosity, she did just that.

Hiccup’s bulge spasmed under her stroke. He whimpered and groaned and made noises Astrid didn’t think he could produce. He doubled over, pressing his forehead into her crook of her neck. One hand gripped her forearm as the other needled fingertips into the curve of her waist.

He looked as if he were more in pain than he was in pleasure. Astrid hoped that Hiccup would tell her if something was wrong.

Dampness had somehow seeped through the material of Hiccup’s pants, and Astrid removed her hand at the unexpected liquid.

“Did you wet your pants?” she asked, afraid she’d pushed him too far too soon.

Hiccup’s eyes shot open in horror as he jerked his head up. “Oh no,” he panted, out of breath. “I gotta—” He glanced down at the state of his pants. “Oh my Thor—I gotta go—”

“Hiccup?” Astrid called out as she watched him make a quick beeline out of the bedroom. “Where are you going?”

“I’ll be back!” echoed from down the stairs.

Astrid huffed as she stood there, abandoned and bewildered at what in Thor’s name had happened.

tags: @martabm90 @chiefhiccstrid @drchee5e @celtictreemuffin @ hey-its-laura-again 

[foreverandalwayshttyd]

happy first Mother’s Day to Astrid! Since no official account posted about her it’s up to the fandom to celebrate her because clearly she loves her little beans more than life itself. So enjoy this fluffy haddock family/momstrid drabble that was so pure and fun to wright.

A Playful Mom is the Best Mom

Hiccup ran his calloused hands through his rustled auburn hair. He huffed in exasperation as he flipped through his notes. Peace treaty. Trade routes. Building plans. The list went on, and the little candle on his desk started to flicker in the dark room. He moaned in exhaustion as he massaged his temple. "Dad, I don't know how you did it....."

He looked up at a little drawing Zephyr had made for him a couple of weeks ago, pinned up on the wall above his desk. He smiled. It was a rough sketch of their family, all of their heads looked a little misshaped, but other than that he was proud to say that she was improving on the bodies. The lopsided grins they wore in the sketch made him chuckle. There was an orange glow against the rough paper, and his thoughts shifted from work to his family. Astrid should've put the kids to bed by now, and he wondered why she hadn't come downstairs yet.

He hoisted himself up out of his chair, and made his way to the staircase that led upstairs. His prosthetic clicked with each step he took, and he finally ascended to the second floor. He quietly walked over to Zephyr's room, as that's where they would usually get ready for bed and then Nuffink would trot off to his room.

He creaked the door open slowly just in case they were asleep. He was surprised when his eyes met an empty bed and a dark room which the moonlight shone through the little crevices in the walls. He pursed his lips and cocked his brow in confusion. He scurried over to Nuffink's room but found it to be empty as well. He stroked his beard in puzzlement, the worst possible situations coming to mind. What if they were kidnapped? What if he was so caught up with his chiefly duties he didn't even notice them leave? What if-

His racing thoughts were interrupted by a tiny giggle that came from him and Astrid's room. He mentally slapped himself as he realized that was the one room he hadn't checked, and it'd make sense that they'd be in there. He swiftly rushed to the door of their room, and turned the knob slightly, just to have a little peek into the room.

"Then what happened Momma!" Zephyr urged her mother to continue with her big blue wondrous eyes. She was nestled beside her mother in bed, her mother's arm draped around her. "Yeah wha' happen Momma!" Nuffink bounced excitedly next to his mother, making the bed creak when he made any sudden movement.

Astrid chuckled and rustled her son's hair, getting him to calm down a little. "I'll tell you on one condition. You two need to go to bed after this, okay? It's way past your bedtime." She said playfully tapping Zephyr's nose earning a little giggle from her. "We will! Tell us what happened!" She looked up at her mother with pleading eyes. Nuffink nestled into her side and Astrid pulled him closer.

"There we were, face to face with the most ferocious looking dragon ever! It's hot breath made my skin prickle with goosebumps!" If only she could mentally lodge in her brain forever what their little faces looked liked as she retold her encounter with a dragon she and Hiccup had been trapped with. Their eyes sparkled with wonder, and their tiny plump lips were parted slightly. "We were trapped, no where to run to, and Toothless had already been captured, like I already mentioned. The only thing we could do was try and tame the dragon....

"So daddy reached out his hand, like this...." Astrid placed her hand on Nuffink's forehead as she closed her eyes and Nuffink started to squeal hysterically. Zephyr couldn't control her giggles because of how silly her mom looked, and how her brother almost doubled over with laughs. Astrid tried to remain serious to show just how serious their situation was, but she couldn't help but smile a little through her closed eyes. "Hey! This is serious you two!" She started to tickle Nuffink who squirmed uncontrollably on the bed, and Zephyr climbed on top of her mother, her shoulders shaking with high pitched squeals.

"Momma! Stop it!" Nuffink managed to get out, curled up into a little ball and trying to shield himself from his mother's tickles. "Not until you two pay attention to the story!" She laughed as Zephyr fell next to Nuffink, and now she was tickling both of her children. Squeals and squirms lasted for about a good five minutes and Astrid finally sighed dramatically and collapsed against the bed frame, the two children gasping for air with ceasing giggles.

They both crawled on either sighed of their slightly panting mother, and slipped under the furs. Astrid eyed them both mischievously. "No more interruptions?"

They both nodded quickly with tiny smiles and bright eyes. "Okay, where was I? Ah yes..."

"I held my breath as I watched your father's face turn away from the dragon, his eyes shut with anticipation. I watched stunned as the dragon leaned into his touch and immediately befriend him. We quickly got on the dragon and tried to escape but then....BAM!" She threw her arms up so suddenly in the air, it caused both Zephyr and Nuffink to gasp fearfully and duck under the covers more. They peeked up at their mother, and she chuckled softly, gently stroking her son's blonde hair.

"Dragon hunters quickly filed into the cave, but the dragon was quicker. He took off into the air and we were finally able to track down Toothless and Stormfly. We just barely managed to escape, but we learned a very important lesson that day." She told her kids quietly as she hugged Zephyr closer. "What did you and daddy learn?" She asked, her wide eyes full with curiosity. Nuffink stifled a little yawn.

"We learned that all dragons, no matter how big or small, could be trusted if they earned our trust. It's kind of like that with people too," She added with a smile. Both of her children's eyes started to droop, and she rolled her eyes playfully. "Alright, I think it's time for bed you two."

Nuffink didn't need to be told twice, as he had already drifted off to sleep next to his mother, Zephyr just barely following behind. She rested her head against her mother's side, and yawned sleepily, and finally shut her eyes in exhaustion. "Love you momma...." She mumbled sleepily as Astrid pressed a kiss against her daughter's hair. Now the real question was, how was she supposed to transfer them to their own beds.

She figured it couldn't hurt to let them sleep in their bed for the night. She relaxed a bit, pressed a kiss to Nuffink's forehead, and then rested her head on top of Zephyr's. Sleep slowly crept in, and she drifted off into a deep rest, a faint smile still remained in her face.

Hiccup's heart almost burst. His smile could light up any pitch black room, and during the whole scene he couldn't stop staring at Astrid. The way she would tell the stories to the children made his heart melt, as she was so enthusiastic about it. Even if his smile couldn't be seen, the smile in his eyes said enough. This was his whole world and he wouldn't give them up for anything. Astrid loved their kids more than life itself, and for that he was grateful. He closed the door quietly and quickly rushed downstairs to his study.

He sat in his chair and pushed all of his work papers and notes away, and fished out for his sketchbook which was under a pile of other papers. He opened it, and flipped through the pages. Old Toothless drawings flashed through his mind, but he kept flipping. He finally found a blank page, and smoothed it out with his forearm on the desk. He relit the dying candle, and grabbed his charcoal pencil from inside his desk drawer.

He looked up at Zephyr's drawing once with a warm smile, and then began to doodle away.

It took Hiccup hours, but he finally finished it. He wiped his glistening forehead with his rolled back sleeves and admired his newest creation. He hadn't drawn something for the first time on his own in years. Not counting the times he had taught Zephyr how to draw.

He blew off the specks of charcoal on his sketch, and smiled proudly. He pinned it up next to Zephyr's and took it all in. The sketch was of Astrid sitting in bed, with Nuffink and Zephyr huddled around her, her eyes wide with enthusiasm, and the kids drawn into her story. Zephyr was huddled into her mother's side while looking up at her, and Nuffink was sitting on top of her with an expression that told he was in the middle of laughing. For the first time in months, Hiccup felt proud of something he had accomplished.

He slumped his shoulders in exhaustion, and blew out the little flickering candle. He made his way upstairs ever so slightly, and smiled at his snoozing family. He crawled into bed next to Nuffink, who he just barely picked up and put him closer to Astrid so he could have room on the bed as well. Astrid stirred a bit and just barely opened her eyes to look at Hiccup. She smiled.

"Hey babe. I hope you don't mind the extra company tonight." She whispered over the dozing children who slept against their mother, and Hiccup chuckled. "You're such a good mom, Astrid." He pressed a sweet kiss against her temple, and she smiled tiredly. "Goodnight." She whispered softly, resting her head on top of Zephyr's once more before drifting off to sleep.

Hiccup beamed in the moonlight. He adjusted more comfortably in the bed, and looked at his family one last time before drifting off to sleep.

Who knew that his life long crush since fifteen years old, would end up being the mother of his children.

[fan-writer02]

Far Away

Hiccup sat on the cliff-side, the quiet sounds of evening in the village behind him. He was far enough to be alone, but still close enough to hear the distant chatter of the villagers.

He sighed heavily, staring off into the distance. There was nothing to be seen for miles, just the empty, peaceful blue of the ocean.

He tried to keep from doing things like this. Sitting. Doing nothing. Letting his mind wander. Because most times, when such a thing happened, he’d crumble into a bunch of broken pieces that would take days to pick up again.

But somehow, tonight, Hiccup felt... crowded. Almost claustrophobic. He’d kept up his busy rampant for almost a month now- and it hadn’t been hard to do. There were a million things to be done. But that cooped up feeling was threatening to overtake him, and he feared that if he didn’t do something about it he might very well explode in someones face. And no one needed that.

His fingers kept tangling around the worn stuffed animal in his hands. It was one of the few things that he still had left from his childhood. It acted as a stress reliever, to hold it, to have something for his hands to jiggle about and move, without him doing any physical labor. A distraction. 

He heard a creak, and glanced over his shoulder. He expected to see Astrid or his Mom, but to his great surprise, it was actually Gobber, hobbling up the hill.

He looked away. “Hey Gobber.” 

“Aye, lad.” The old man slowly lowered himself down to sit beside him, his joints -both real and fake- creaking. “Ohhh, Odin, one of these days I’m gonna ge’ stuck.” 

Hiccup smiled softly, but didn’t look at him. He continued toying with the stuffed animal.

Gobber gestured with his wooden hand. “I remember tha’ thing. Ya used ta tote it around with ya where every ya went.” He nodded, his mustache flapping. “I remember when Valka was makin’ it. Said ya had a hard time sleeping at nigh’.” 

Hiccup wasn’t sure where Gobber was going with this conversation. Or if he was going anywhere with it at all. Sometimes Gobber just rambled senseless nonsense that didn’t really make any sense, or hold any meaning. 

Yet, he listened anyhow. 

Gobber chuckled, waving at the ocean. “You were a cheeky little bugger! Always sneekin’ off and gettin’ into trouble!” He slapped his knee. “I remember- one special occasion when ya tottled off inta the woods- nearly gave yer father a heart attach mind ya- and we all feared ya’d been gobbled up by dragons. Two days later- yes, two days- you waddled back out, mud on your face and clothes, but you wore a smile a mile wide. I remember, yer father and I were sittin’ in his hut, looking over maps tryin’ to figure out where in Valhalla ya could be- and suddenly, ya just walked in. Calm as a cucumber. Ya walked in, sat on the chair, and dropped a handful of berries on the table.” 

“Yer father was gobsmacked. Didn’t say a word, and all you did was smile up at him with those big green eyes of yours. Finally, ya said, ‘Hi Dad’.” 

Hiccup furrowed his brow and gave a little confused smile at his companion. He had no recollection of the event, he must’ve been very young. “What did he do?” 

“First, he picked you up and hugged ya tight. Ya squealed and gave all that childish nonsense about ‘Dad yer squooshin’ me’, then, after the relief wore off, ya got a good pummeling on yer rear with strong instructions to never run off again.” 

Hiccup asked, “So did I?” 

“Not for a few weeks. Then ya wandered off again, but this time yer father didn’t worry quite as much. Ya returned later that day carrying a Terrible Terror in your arms, as if he were a pet. Like a puppy dog or something.” Gobber guffawed and scratched his chin. “Yer father though, he calmly pried the thing from yer arms and told ya ‘Hiccup, we don’t play with dragons. They’re dangerous.’“ Gobber mimicked Stoick’s deep voice in a pitiful excuse for an impression. “You just looked on with these wide eyes as Stoick took the beast away. I still wonder why he didn’t kill it outright, in front of ye. I think he always sorta sensed that ye had a softer heart then the others, no matter how much he tried to convince himself otherwise.” 

Hiccup stared down at the stuffed animal in his hands. He looked at it’s face, his thoughts far far away from that cliff over the ocean. 

He wondered what his Dad would say if he could see him now. Saw what had happened and how far the Hooligan tribe had come. He supposed, he’d never gotten over his wanderlust. They’d moved Berk, for crying out loud. What would his Dad say? Would he be proud or ashamed? 

“It’s been over a year now, Gobber.” Hiccup murmured. He glanced up at the man, but he wasn’t look at him. His gaze was fixed on the ocean. “You’d think I’d be... over it. That I should think of him with joy because he’s in Valhalla now but- I can’t help but... I can’t help thinking that if he was here, he would've handled it better. Toothless might be here, right now, if Dad was still alive. And it all boils down to me, because I ran off when Dad told me not to. He was killed because of me. Heck, I’m the one who befriended the dragons in the first place.” He wiped his nose with the back of his hand. It was then he noticed how his hand shook. “Sometimes I wonder if it would’ve been better to have never met Toothless. He’d still be free and wild, and Dad... Dad would still be alive.” 

Unlike Hiccup thought (and hoped) Gobber remained silent. He waited some more, wishing he’d say something like, “It’s all right, Hiccup. It wasn’t your fault.” or something along that line. But, rather, Gobber just nodded his head, his bushy eyebrows lowering over his eyes.

“Yeah, I reckon yer right.” He said slowly. Hiccup’s chest ached, because as much as he himself had thought it, no one else had actually confirmed his fears. The guilt pressed against his chest like an invisible weight.

“But, at the same... who’s ta say yer father would still be alive? At this point, he very well could’ve died from a dragon attack. Toothless might be dead as well. If he was tha’ close tha’ night... he would’ve gotten closer. Someone woulda seen. Someone woulda fired.” Gobber shrugged. “Heck, for all we know, ya might not be sitting here beside me today. You coulda gotten toasted- or eaten.”

Hiccup sniffled loudly, squeezing the stuffed animal tighter. His throat was so clogged with emotions he couldn’t speak.

“Well, I guess what I’m tryna say is... things happen fer a reason Hiccup. Worse things coulda happened another way, or what has happened now coulda happened way sooner. But lemme just say it doesn’t matter how many bad things have happened. It only matters if ye’ tried yer best to do what was right.” He grunted and shifted positions, so his leg and peg were dangling over the edge. “And might I jest say, I think you’ve done yer very best.” 

Hiccup was silent, but he had tears streaming down his face in torrents. His shoulders gave a sharp hitch. “Gobber... did I do the right thing?” He whispered. He crushed the animal against his chest, trying to keep himself together in a somewhat dignified matter. He didn't need to sob out here in the open where anyone could see him.

“I do, Hiccup.” Gobber clapped Hiccup’s shoulder with his prosthetic. “I truly do.”

[inhonoredglory]

I think Snotlout should have died in HTTYD3. He's been there from the beginning, losing him would be a reminder what's at stake, if they keep fighting. As a character, in the movies at least, he was never entirely redeemed from that competetive bully he was in the first movie, and I think having him die saving Hiccup, would sement him both as a hero and as a painful loss, to drive home how dangerous this war is, and that having dragons stay with the vikings will only cause more pain for all.

Hey anon! This is an interesting proposition. Lots of folks in the fandom were speculating heavily that he might be killed in the third film (especially since he sacrifices himself for Hiccup in the book series). I get what you’re saying about how it might drive home the magnitude of the war and of Grimmel’s threat. Some of us have been postulating that the film needed more of that development in order for the evacuation to feel more relevant, and for the drastic choice of leaving their dragons to feel more necessary in the context of the world.

I want to answer your question in two phases: one about Snotlout’s development, and one about the implications to the film his death might have provided.

The Redemption of Snotlout in the HTTYD Films

First off, I do believe Snotlout did redeem himself, even just within the context of the films.

Of course, outside the films, we get lots of development and growth for him: him growing into a mutual respect and understanding of Hiccup regarding their father’s expectations (Not Lout), his staying in danger to save Hiccup rather than leave him (Sandbusted). He might complain and object to many of Hiccup’s ideas, but in the end of the series, he’s shown to be a loyal warrior who shares a mutual support and respect for Hiccup.

Now, of course the thrust of this question is what’s Snotlout’s arc in the film trilogy. Again, I believe Snotlout does demonstrate significant change from his identity as a bully in the first film: In the beginning of the first film, he’s pretty vicious to Hiccup, getting up in his personal space and making a huge deal out of his jabs at him. He’s doing it because he wants to impress Astrid, he’s doing it to make up for the fact that he (a model Viking) isn’t going to be one leading the village when they grow up, he’s doing it to make up for his own insecurities (with his parental expectations). He’s actually a pretty sensitive, emotional boy––and he makes a marked change in the film from being a bully to being one of Hiccup’s most enthusiastic fans. Once Hiccup begins to demonstrate his skill with dragons in the training ring, we see Snotlout actively trying to buddy up with Hiccup, not undermine him with insults and jeers:

In the end, we see Hiccup basically forgive Snotlout for everything he’s done to him by choosing him to be the first of the teens to befriend a dragon. I don’t think it’s lost on Hiccup that Snotlout, the Viking who wanted the most to be the tough and “Vikinglike” ideal of his culture (and who was most insecure about it, unlike Astrid, who had confidence in her abilities)… I don’t think all this was lost on Hiccup when he chose him to be the one to train the dragon (a Monstrous Nightmare) each one of the gang saw as the most ferocious, most unattainable, most dangerous of dragons (the prize dragon they all wanted a chance to kill at the end of training). By giving Snotlout the honor of befriending this dragon, Hiccup is allowing Snotlout to win––for once, in a reputable, sincere way he can be proud of.

True, Snotlout was a bully. He wanted approval and attention. He attacked Hiccup in order to raise himself up. And when Hiccup became skilled and popular, Snotlout allied with him in order to get close to where the wave of popularity flowed. But when Hiccup let him train Hookfang, it was more than just getting close to the popular kid: Snotlout had to put his trust in Hiccup for a moment, he had to actively show vulnerability to Hiccup. The scene is the pinnacling contrast between where Hiccup and Snotlout have come in the course of the film––now Hiccup is the powerful individual, and Snoltout, the one afraid and undone. But again, this is Hiccup not lording it over Snotlout, like Snotlout has done in all his insults. Hiccup is instead offering a truce, an equality with Snotlout:

So when Hiccup is thought dead, Snotlout reacts with horror and shock and ultimately, when they find him to be alive, tears of joy. This support of Hiccup actually continues in the second film, and while unfortunately we don’t get a lot of action between him and Hiccup, we do get a few significant moments: Snotlout sheds the same earnest tears for Hiccup and Stoick as he did at the end of the first film.

And when Hiccup is made chief at the end, where Snotlout is as happy and thrilled to see Hiccup succeed––this is a direct parallel to his reaction when Hiccup fought the Red Death.

So IMO the films are telling the same story as the series, that Snotlout the bully is actually sensitive and redeemable through the challenging but ultimately successful relationship with Hiccup, his adversary.

Which leads me into the third film.

Sacrificing Snotlout to Weigh the Severity of the Threat in THW

To be frank, I am slightly confused by in terms of their choice of plot for Snotlout. I adore the book allusions of his designs for the chieftainship, but I’m not sure if this particular need of Snotlout was resolved very much for him in the end. I believe his insistence on closeness with Valka is a reaction partly to Stoick dying a year before, seeing how Stoick was a much more reasonable and sympathetic father figure to Snotlout than Spitelout ever was. He didn’t demonstrate any disappointment in Hiccup becoming chief (HTTYD2) and over the series, he’s been ultimately supportive of Hiccup’s future position of leadership. The bitterness in the third film might be a reaction to the vacuum in his life upon the loss of both a place of tribal importance and Ruffnut’s affections (total speculation territory for that one), and especially the threat of masculine dominance with the introduction of Eret to the tribe. Knocking on Hiccup has been his go-to in the first film, and that weakness crops up again in the third film. In the end, he gains Valka’s approval and Tuffnut’s friendship––perhaps a meta on their shared loneliness in their own individual perceived failings in the “Vikingness”/masculinity department (re: Tuffnut’s beard anxiety).

Snotlout, for all the growth he’s done over the series and even over the films, isn’t really given much of a “place” in the tribe in the third film. Valka’s approval of him in the end (him having “the brains” between him and Eret) feels more like a consolation rather than a genuine praise, despite Snotlout taking it at face value. Honestly, I feel that Snotlout is still looking for something, and we’re not sure where exactly he’ll end up in the post-HTTYD3 world.

Which is why a scenario where Snotlout instead dies at the end of Act 2 is actually really attractive. It wouldn’t really be to redeem him from his first movie self, but to give his arc somewhere important to go with his conflict with Hiccup and his belief in Hiccup’s leadership––to continue his arc and bring it full circle in a positive, rather than negative, way. If he had sacrificed himself for the good of tribe, it would more be a continuation of what we’ve seen of him in the series (both films and TV shows), rather than a redemption. It would allow him to pour his long-seen bravado and ambition for greatness into something definite and concrete, a moment where all that growth leads up to. And yes, I’d agree with you here: it would cement him as a hero.

And it would definitely drive the threat home. It was Stoick’s death, after all, that made the Bewilderbeast and Drago’s control of him so powerful and shocking. I’ve said before that the threat in THW needed to be made real on both the personal and global scale. Snotlout sacrificing himself could provide the personal stakes that make the threat feel real, and it would have been a good allusion to the sacrifice of the dragons that must occur later in the film.

However, I can see why DeBlois and Co. didn’t choose this path. Stoick already died in the second film and it’s hard to give that kind of significance to another character’s death, especially when he’s a supporting character and there’s already so much emotional time and energy used on the goodbye between the dragons and humans. I’m not saying it’s impossible, but it’s certainly difficult to pull off.

Additionally, we already have a major sacrifice moment in the third film, with Hiccup letting go of the Light Fury to save Toothless. That moment is important for the emotional heart of the film and having one similar with Snotlout would have been too close a beat in so short a time. Again, it’s not impossible to resolve but it would make it challenging.

You can probably still pull the same themes for Snotlout we’ve been discussing here with him nearly dying in the film. A greater impact of the threat on the lives of any of the gang would make for higher stakes and a feeling that the impact of Grimmel is upon individuals other than Hiccup (so thus we can surmise, the world).

You’ve made me super curious to contemplate a version of THW where this happens and how it might make the overall narrative feel. (*adds to things I may add in my fix-it fic*)

Thanks for the question! I spent hours on it I hope it’s relevant LOL.

[raflovestuffs]

The Mature Age: Chapter one

Like I said, I’ll leave you with this chapter. Hope you’ll enjoy it anyway. There’s still good Hiccstrid scenes in it.

I would like to thanks @hiccstridsource , @astridthevalkyrie, @alexskiles and @icelandiceel for helping me with some scenes ;)

Also a big thanks to @megtoons ,@JoyOfBerK and @wolfie-dragon-rider for helping me in the translation and the correction ;)

The sun was not yet up when we landed silently on one of the hunter’s ships. Toothless and I hid ourselves in the shadows. I thought back to how I missed breakfast this morning. I barely had time to eat some bread before my mother burst into my hut.

“Hurry up Hiccup!” she told me. “We’re going on a raid this morning. It will be an opportunity to see if my teaching skills have paid off!”

And did I listen to her? Of course. Why would I be here otherwise? I watched Toothless; he was on the lookout for the slightest sound, unlike myself. I sighed. I really need to start concentrating a bit more.

Suddenly, footsteps were heard. A hunter was crossing a bridge. He zigzagged his way between dozens of cages on the ship. He stopped in front of one of the cages and demanded one of the dragons to be quiet. This was too much for me, it was time to take action. I lit my fire sword to catch him by surprise. With Toothless’ help we ignited some nearby wooden crates and we advanced through the flames. The tightness of the new armour that I had made for the gang from the scales of our dragons allowed us this kind of fantasy. Impressed or rather trembling in fear, he asked:

“What are you?”

The only response I gave was by putting a finger in front of my lips while saying “Shhh”. The hunter then started the fight by attacking me first. A small fencing duel therefore took place between us. My sword against his, I could anticipate his blows without taking blows myself. Toothless positioned himself behind the hunter to surprise him. He was about to attack when Snotlout and Hookfang arrived all in flames before landing very brutally on the deck of the ship.

“I am the god of FIRE!” exclaimed Snotlout.

Then, noticing his burning rear end, he began running in all directions screaming that there were still some adjustments to be made for his armour. He ran near the twins who had just appeared in the fog, followed by Barf and Belch.

“Behold your worst nightmare...” declared Tuffnut..

Beside him, his sister had begun to pronounce this same phrase:

“Behold…”

Tuff looked at her, visibly irritated.

“My annoying sister who insisted on coming.”

“That‘s my intro?” she asked, confused.

Having watched the whole scene, I went towards them.

“Guys! Too soon! You always come in too soon!” I said, embarrassed.

That’s when Fishlegs came out of nowhere screaming before he crashed to the ground.

“Sorry, still getting the hold of my wings.”

In his front pocket, a baby Gronckle waddled, emitting what sounded like shouts of joy. It was Meatlug’s baby.

“Fishlegs, again with the baby? This is a raid!” I exclaimed, annoyed by his behaviour.

“I couldn’t find a sitter!” shouted Fishlegs, when I pointed to him and his baby with my flaming blade.

With all this, I had completely forgotten to take care of the hunter who ran off before he started shouting: “We’re under attack!”. I went after him to try to stop him, but Astrid beat me to it, preventing him from going further.

“Astrid I had him right where I wanted him!” I assured her.

She smiled at me before answering:

“And now he‘s right where I wanted him, let‘s get to work.”

So we started to liberate the dragons locked in the cages onboard the boat. Fishlegs approached the cage of a large dragon who seemed to immediately befriend Meatlug’s baby. While the Twins, on their side, fell in front of the cage of a tiny purple and yellow dragon.

“I bet he’s super dumb!” exclaimed Ruffnut before approaching the cage to try to open it. “Ugh, why can’t I get this cage open?”

Astrid came to her to show her how to open it.

“It slides...” she informed her before sliding the lock to open the cage.

“Obviously…”  Ruffnut whispered,  feeling a little silly not to have thought about it earlier.

However, new hunters came from all sides to surround us.

“Get the rescues out of here!” I shouted to the others.

With the gang, I engaged myself in single combat against the dragon hunters. Although Inferno was proving to be effective, I was far from being out of the woods either. Their number had doubled in the span of a few moments and I tried somehow to follow the movement of their blades. Fortunately Toothless was there; I do not know what I would do without him. Thanks to Toothless, I could better anticipate the movements of my opponent while thinking of a way to disarm. The other dragon riders seemed to be in the same position as me; the fight for dominance remained fragile but we fought all together. Seeing that I finally managed to fend for myself, I sent Toothless to find the rest of the dragons to save. Leaving me alone, I found myself fighting back to back beside my girlfriend. Our complicity allowed us to synchronise our gestures.

“I thought this was supposed to be a stealth mission?” she asked me.

“Yeah, they always start that way!”

We continued fighting before finally defeating the hunters in front of us. When we looked up to see what was happening to the others, it was a beaten-up Snotlout that we found. It was at this moment that my mother, who had stayed behind to observe how we managed without her, finally intervened. She was a nightmare to the hunter that had wronged Snotlout. We had the situation under control so far, so I was a little disappointed that she decided to intervene anyway.

“Uh Valka, I‘ve got it under control, you can go back up with the man,” said Tuffnut most seriously after having sat down on one of the hunters that he had vanquished.

I sighed, Tuff was really incorrigible.

“Rescue Team, move out, we got them all!” I shouted after several seconds to the attention of the dragons riders.

Everyone  then ran to join their dragon and fly away, leaving Toothless and me behind.

“Toothless, let’s go!” I told him while I was finishing up the fight with these last few remaining hunters.

Shortly, other reinforcements arrived and I soon found myself helpless against all these hunters.

“Oh, hey guys…” I tried as an approach.

I was finished. It was at this moment when Toothless decided to attack. He fired on the hunters before taking me on his back. As we flew away, I laughed.

“Haha, you always have my back bud!”

...

The sun had finally risen when we arrived at Berk. I watched my native island in detail: Berk had changed drastically in the past year. Multiple installations had been built as a result of increasingly frequent rescue raids. We brought back all the dragons we saved here. The stables were no longer sufficient, which quickly led to the construction of small housing specially designed for the dragons. There would soon be more of those dragon huts than human houses at this rate. Their increasingly important presence on the island had even pushed me to create dragon disguises for the sheep.

I ended up landing at the same time as the other dragon riders. We were cheered on by the crowd of berkians who were in the village square, chanting our name and congratulating us on the mission. I greeted them with a quick wave of the hand before descending from my dragon to remove my helmet.

My people.

I smiled at them before entering my hut to put on a more practical outfit to walk around the village in. We had an appointment in the Great Hall for breakfast. When I finally arrived in the hall with Toothless, Gobber grabbed me by the arm before lecturing me:

“Ah there you are! I have some things to tell you!” he shouted.

We entered the packed Great Hall. Numerous vikings inside had to play elbows to clear a path between the even more numerous dragons. We ourselves had to avoid a lot of dragons in passing before Gobber continued:

“Point is, you can’t keep bringing Dragons back here! You‘re just asking for trouble. Those trappers are getting closer by the day.”

Not far from us, my mother was occupied in an arm wrestle with Spitelout. She beat him easily under the eyes of his son, Snotlout. We continued to walk before I answered my interlocutor :

“We can handle it! We have the Alpha, isn’t that right, bud?” I said, turning towards Toothless.

We finally arrived near a pot to serve us some soup.

“Gobber, relax, we did it! The first Dragon-Viking Utopia! We made the dream a reality!” I exclaimed.

The old man turned toward me with a doubtful look.

“Your utopia maybe, mine is less crowded and more… AH!” he suddenly exclaimed at the sight of the little dragon whom we had just brought back from the raid, and who was visibly comfortable in the pot full of soup.

“…sanitary” he finished saying.

He pulled away from the pot and continued walking; I followed him.

“Gobber, you‘re not fooling anybody, I know you love them…”

We walked to the table where the gang was sitting; Astrid was finishing her soup.

“You‘re supposed to be the generation that brings us into the future! We need a royal couple to rule this village!” exclaimed Gobber.

I stopped listening to him when Snotlout cried out :

“Haha, foodfight!”

The gang started a food fight, all except for Astrid and myself.

“Gods help us!” sighed Gobber, visibly annoyed.

He turned to me and Astrid.

“Maybe you should stop worrying about problems out there, and start sorting the one right here!” he uttered before taking Astrid and myself into his arms, on either side of him.

He pushed my head up before I could say anything audible as he continued:

“Hang up your saddles and get married!”

All of a sudden, the whole table fell silent. Snotlout, Fishlegs and the Twins stopped momentarily their game to look at Gobber.

“He said the M word!” Tuffnut exclaimed.

“Gross… I’m the only one who can say this forbidden word…” sighed the other twin.

Then the food fight started up again, as if nothing had happened.

“Astrid marry him please, you’re the only one with sense around here! With you wearing the pants, there is still hope!”

Astrid looked up at Gobber before rising from her seat.

“Wow Gobber, not awkward at all!” she replied, looking anxious and embarrassed at the same time, before leaving the Great Hall.

“Astrid, wait!” I insisted before I got up to follow her.

Followed closely by Toothless, I tried in vain to make my way between the villagers and the dragons to try to catch her but when I finally could breathe in the open air, there was no trace of her. So I went looking for her, across the village with Toothless to try to find her, to no avail. She was gone.

This marriage story was really starting to take on huge proportions. Between the conversation I had surprisingly overheard this morning between Gobber and my mother, and now this… I did not even have the chance to tell Astrid about their plans and I had no idea what she thought of all of that… I blew it. I love Astrid and I had the hope that she would marry me one day but I was not sure she was ready for that, although I thought I was on my side.

I stopped a little while to admire the view that was given to me: my village. Berk had change a lot since the time when we still fought against dragons. I saw this little pile of rocks evolved through the years. I saw the dragons attack and steal from my island. I saw my dad fighting against them to protect his people and his family. But I also known him more optimistic. Especially when he told me these old tales about this hidden world that I told about to Astrid last night. I remember him carrying my frail little body on one arm when I was probably around six or seven years old. His words were still echoing in my head…

“This is Berk, son. It’s our home. This was the home of your grandparents and their grandparents before that. It is my job as chief to protect us and one day, when you are all grown up, that job will be passed on to you. But out there, beyond the sunset, lies the home of the Dragons. And I believe, it’s your destiny to one day find this hidden world, so that people and dragons will fight no more…”

He had pronounced those words at the same place, the same spot I was actually standing. Berk had definitely changed since I ended the war between Vikings and Dragons. New installations were created to facilitate our cohabitation. We were far from the village that was in constant reconstruction of the same old huts that were still risking to be destroyed at every new raid. I smiled. Dad, I was almost there. My destiny was about to be accomplished…

Toothless came to rub against me at this rightful moment.

“What?”

He whined pointing my metal leg.

“Oh all right, you know this isn’t a chew toy, don’t you? This is what you’re looking for, this is what you want? You want my leg?”, I said in a hurry before throwing my leg to the cliff.

I unfolded my map that I had on me to study it a little. I searched for clues on this hidden world. I wanted to know if we didn’t neglect an island or something that could indicate us it position, I really started to think  that what my dad told me when I was younger wasn’t just an old myth...

Toothless came back quickly with my leg and he dropped on the ground. Opening his wings widely on the wind, he was floating in the air.

“Getting pretty good at flying on your own bud?”

He pursued his solo flight when I heard the really distinctive sound of a deadly Nadder. Why searching for Astrid when she could just come to me? She landed and, still on the back of her dragon said:

“Oh! So this is where you come to get away from Gobber…”

“Haha, no idea what you’re talking about”, I answered ironically.

She climbed off Stormfly before getting surprised by Toothless who dropped my prosthetic covered in drool into her hands.

“Ugh!” she exclaimed in a disgusted tone.

She throw my leg above the cliff so the night fury can go get it again. Then, she took place by my side by sitting at the edge of the cliff.

“Well, he’s right you know.”

“R-Really?!”, I asked, beautifully surprised. “You think you and I should–”

“Oh gods no! We’re nowhere near ready for that!” , she said , embarrassed.

She was still feeling awkward by the way Gobber brought the thing.

“N-No No, that’s crazy…”, I answered trying to hide my deception by lowering my voice.

“I mean about all this…” , she said by pointing the view we had on Berk.

“It does seem like the whole world knows about us now…” I sighed.

“Yup, and the more dragons we bring back here, the bigger of a target we become…”

Toothless came back by dropping again my leg at her feet.

“Ugh!” , Astrid expressed with disgust.

She turned toward Toothless to throw it again so he can still play with it.

“I just wish there was some way to make them leave us alone!” , she sighed.

“Maybe there is…”

I made a break before Astrid stared at me with doubting eyes.

“Dad used to talk about an old mariner’s myth of a secret land at the edge of the world, where dragons live totally out of reach.”

“Well, sailors are known for tall tales…” , the blond mocked.

“True… but what if it’s real!? It could be the answer to all of our problems!” , I said, full of confidence.

“How? By moving the dragons there?”

“Uh uh. All of us.”

“Seriously? And abandon our home of seven generations!? The home your father left you to protect!” , she said scandalized.

“Uh…” , I uttered, not knowing what to say.

Astrid just cut short all of my fantasies. She seemed more persuasive last night when I mentioned the subject.

“Yeah I think we need a real solution, Hiccup.”

“Well we could just take Gobber’s advice and tie the knot. That should fix everything! But hey! If you’re having doubts about yours truly, I’m pretty sure Snotlout’s available!”

“He only has eyes for your mom!” , she chuckled.

I exaggerate a shocked.

“Woah! Getting dirty now, huh?”

She started to laugh.

“You asked for it!”, she taunted me. “Looks like there might be a wedding after all!” , she exclaimed contemplating an imaginary ring at her finger.

I caught Astrid bringing her to me.

“Oh how dare you! That is a low point- no, no! You are not getting away!”

She started to laugh when she tried to get out of my hold. I fought to keep her against me when she finally twisted my arm, just enough to free herself.

“Okay, okay! You win, you win! You always win!”

Still chuckling, she leaned against my shoulder, smile on her lips.

“You knew what we were getting into…”

“Uh huh. Right,” I acquiesced.

I heard Toothless rush out of the precipice, jumping over it. Then, he rushed to the forest behind us before sinking into it. He had obviously smelled something.

“Uh. Bud?”

He continued his course without worrying about whether or not we were following him.

“Oh yeah, sure! Don’t bother to wait for us!” I exclaimed.

Astrid burst out laughing before going after him.

As for me, I stayed in place, readjusting my metal leg that was dripping with Toothless’ saliva.

“You coming?” the blonde asked me, turning to me when she realized I was not following her.

Astrid’s face contracted, revealing a rift between her two eyebrows. She questioned me with her eyes.

“I-I’m coming!” I stammered hurrying to join her.

When I finally arrived at her side, she smiled and took my hand, pulling me with her into the grove. In the distance, we could distinguish Toothless sniffing the ground, in search of something. I was curious to know what excited him like that.

Astrid and I tried making ourselves as discreet as possible. Night was already falling when we reached the bottom of this thick forest. Toothless would not stop moving forward again and again, going further and further into the woods, now lit by the stars in the night sky.

“Where’s he taking us like this?” Astrid whispered in my ear.

“I don’t know… He must have smelled something, a presence...”

“Even Stormfly is gone!” she exclaimed at once.

The night fury raised his head, and he looked offended at being disturbed from his search, in which he seemed very much involved. I shrugged, looking helpless.

“Not that I’m interested,” she said quietly, “quite the contrary, but still, why would Stormfly leave if there was something interesting at the end?”

“Patience…

“Patience… We’re not at the end of our surprises with him!”

“Maybe…”

“Oh stop, you’re doing it on purpose!”

“Maybe…” she continued, almost humming.

“I’m sure he’ll find a...”

“Maybe…” she said, cutting me off with her chorus.

I turned to her, stopping  to see her face surprised, grabbed both of her hands and I looked into her eyes. She smiled wryly. I returned her smile before leaning towards her.

“Would you marry me?” I asked, with all seriousness.

“Maybe…” she repeated instinctively before realizing my ruse.

She took a step back and exclaimed an “Oh!” of surprise. The blonde looked both suspicious and amused, as if she did not know what to think anymore. She bent her head down, scanning her feet, looking embarrassed before looking up at me to see my mischievous face. Her expression softened then, gratified me with a shy smile. Soon, I received as a reward a magnificent punch to the ribs from the beautiful young lady. It reminded me of the good old days.

“Well done Haddock,” she said, shaking her head, smiling.

I rubbed my sore while looking at her, more in love than ever.

“Does that mean you’re thinking about it?”

She turned towards me.

“I’ll wait for your true proposal for that,” she resorted before kissing me on the cheek.

I took her hand as I approached her to kiss her on the temple. We went on our way, hand in hand, before raising our heads towards Toothless, who was getting further away from us. It was then that he accelerated the pace for no reason, forcing us to press on.

“Hey bud, wait up!” I exclaimed, trying to slow him down.

We arrived at the edge of a cliff from which the night fury did not hesitate a single second to throw itself off of. I carefully approached to watch him from the top of the peak; he looked so tiny.

“Uh… How I am supposed to get down?”

I turned to Astrid; she shrugged.

“I think we’ll have to find another solution.”

“Yeah… Jumping is not an option; I didn’t take my flight suit with me…”

I took Astrid’s hand and raked the edge of the precipice in search of a safer place to go. We finally found what we were looking for, twenty feet away. The ground was lower, although rather steep. So I helped Astrid down to avoid any accident and, my hand still holding hers, we went in pursuit of Toothless who would end up losing us. When we finally reached his level, I was going to come forward to meet him, but then he stopped suddenly and turned his head to one side, before moving once more, slowly. I glanced at Astrid, lost. She motioned me forward and I followed Toothless discreetly. We left a distance between him and us so that we could observe him from a distance without disturbing him. Toothless then seemed to be moving towards something we could not see behind the trees where we had been hiding. We then bent our head aside to see more clearly and it was at that moment that she appeared before our eyes amazed, this white form towards which seemed to approach my dragon. He then showed a great deal of enthusiasm for her. I looked more closely, it was a dragon with piercing blue eyes looking like two drops of water compared to mine, with the exception of her scaly white skin. I realized then that everything I could have imagined in my wildest dreams was coming true, now, before my very eyes. We left our hiding place to observe the scene in more detail.

“Oh my gods… he’s not the only one?” I whispered while in marvel.

Astrid approached to stand beside me, unable to detach her eyes from the spectacle that presented itself to us.

“Another Night Fury…” pronounced Astrid, stupefied.

“It’s more like a Bright… Fury,” I retorted.

“A Light Fury”, Astrid objected.

“Yeah, yours is better, probably,” I agreed.

So we continued to watch the two dragons who were turning around and observing each other. I had never seen Toothless so happy. It had been so long since we were trying to find one of his species that I had come to believe that he was the last of his kind, but the arrival of this light fury put everything into question. However, we obviously had to spend too much time observing them because the new dragon was now aware of our presence; she looked frightened before disappearing into the foliage. Toothless took a few steps to follow her before turning to us, glaring at us, reproaching us.

“Oh, sorry…”

We started running to try to catch her, but she took off before we knew where she was going. Toothless then climbed a tree to better contemplate her when she spat a fiery projectile she flew through and vanished.

“Did she just disappear!?” exclaimed Astrid.

“By the looks of it, yes…” I sighed.

Toothless came down from his tree, sheepishly. I approached my dragon to caress his head.

“Huh bud, talk about a find!”

He let out his tongue as I scratched the top of his head.

“And to say that Astrid thought we would not find anything…” I mocked.

She narrowed her eyes, nodding negatively before crossing her arms over her chest.

“That’s great, bud, you may not be the last of your kind finally! It is imperative that we go in search of this light fury!”

I grabbed Astrid’s hand.

“But before that, we need to inform the others of her existence!”

…

When we returned back to the village, it appeared deserted at first sight. The light from the barns told us that we were moving inside. We then entered the building and it was then when I saw my mother that I understood the reason for which this crowd had gathered. She had trouble moving and seemed lost. She was hurt.

“Mom!” I exclaimed before rushing to her aid before she fell.

She took off her mask to look at me.

“Hiccup…” she said breathlessly.

She began to cough and put her hand to her mouth to muffle the noise.

“What happened!?”

She caught her breath before looking up at me with a dark look.

“I went on a reconnaissance patrol earlier in the day… You know it’s been a few weeks since we suspected someone preparing something, that’s why I took you on a raid this morning. The person who organizes this dragon traffic plans to use them for whatever reason but the facts are there.”

She grabbed my arm.

“Hiccup,” she continued. “There are many tribes who are still not at peace with the dragons. And with all our raids as of late, we are starting to make a name for ourselves… and that does not please everyone.”

My mother looked away.

“I spotted a boat bearing Drago’s symbol…”

The people who were gathered inside the building were terrified at the utterance of that name. My mom motioned them to be quiet and then continued:

“With Cloudjumper, we followed it to an island were I overheard a conversation it had for a few moments with a smuggler; he said he had cargo for people calling themselves ‘War Lords’.”

She turned her attention back to her dragon, which she held so she would not fall. She frowned.

“There is an armada with enough cages for all of our dragons.”

People stifled a cry, me being the first:

“Wait, what!?”

My mother nodded sadly.

“And what happened next?”

“We were spotted and I was hit in the leg  with an arrow.”

I saw the pain on her face; I did not like to see her like that.

“While escaping, they threatened us by saying that Grimmel the Grisly would come for us on Berk…”

“I’ve already heard that name somewhere… and apparently he knows where to find us…” I summed up, somewhat stunned by all this news.

Astrid stepped closer to us, putting a hand on my shoulder.

“He may be one step ahead of us but we will be ready to receive him,” she said with a determined look.

“And we’ll be there to give you a hand,” added Snotlout as he approached, followed closely by Fishlegs and the Twins.

“Yeah, we’ll give him one of those traps! He won’t know what hit him!” exclaimed Tuffnut.

“Thank you gang” I said under my breath, moved.

“It’s nothing,” reassured Fishlegs.

“So what are we waiting for? Let’s get to work!” ordered our general Hofferson.

I directed myself then towards my hut to put in place a ploy to trap our potentially future guest.

…

Everything was now in place. The only left was to find out if dear Grimmel would do us the honor of visiting tonight or later on…

Astrid was sitting at the table where I used to eat with my father; I looked at her with a smile. She was pensive. I approached her gently.

“Hey, you’re okay?”

“Huh? Uh… Yeah, I’m fine.”

“It does not look that way, though” I retorted.

She looked down as if she needed to think before deciding whether or not she should tell me what was bothering her so much.

“It’s just…” she started. “This whole marriage thing… What do you think? Not that I’m into it! But yeah, what do you think?” she finished saying, passing her fingers through her hair.

Her question took me off guard.

What did I think? I repeated to myself.

Her blue eyes were trying to read mine to find an answer. I leaned over and took her hands.

“Astrid, I know Gobber put a little bit of pressure on you with this wedding story, but know that we are not obligated to do anything, okay?”

I gave her a reassuring smile before kissing the back of her hand.

“I love you, Astrid Hofferson and I want to marry you but we are not in a hurry, we will do it when we are ready.”

A wide smile then appeared on her round face that I loved so much.

“Hey lovebirds it’s not all, but maybe you should put yourselves to your positions!” rebelled Snotlout.  

I gave a little laugh.

“Aha, you’re right Snotlout.”

I turned to Astrid and kissed her forehead before she went back to hide with my mother on the floor. I began to read a book while waiting for our enemy to poke his nose inside. It was then that I heard some noise coming from the next room. I entered and it was thus that I discovered him, at ease, comfortably installed in my father’s old throne, beside a vivid red dragon, sipping a glass of I-don’t-know-what. He was a tall man with a long face, gray hair, with a look that would have frozen more than one. He had fired an arrow at Toothless who was in close proximity.  

“Toothless! What did you do to him?!” I shouted, taking my sword out of its holster.

“Nothing that hurt your dragon.”

He looked at me from top to bottom.

“So you’re the new chief. I remember the Chief before you. The Great Stoick the Vast. And now the Great Chief is dead. It was only a matter of time. Your father was a great Dragon Hunter. He hadn’t lied to you. Making his mission to this world to be, so that you could grow up in a better world.”

“He changed his mind.” I retorted.

“And look where that got him… ” he said coldly, followed by a pause. “So let’s get to the point. I am the Night Fury Killer. I’ve hunted every last one but yours. You’re going to give me that dragon or hundreds– ”

“I will never give him up,” I declared, cutting him off.

He then laughed mischievously. The old man then got up from the seat where he had been sitting until then, and started walking near what he always through was Toothless. He then lifted the fabric and discovered an unconscious Fishlegs.

“Now!” I shouted to the others who came out of their hiding places to surround Grimmel.

With my fire sword ignited, I took a step towards him before declaring:

“You think you can come into my home, sit on my father's throne and threaten my dragon? We’ve fought much worse than you and won.”

An insane smile appeared on his face.

“You think you can stop me? I am nothing you have ever faced before.”

It was then that the roof caught fire; a dragon had ignited it and was in pursuit of Astrid who was still up there.

“Astrid!” I shouted.

She ran then rolled on her side before Grimmel’s dragon could reach her. I gave him a relieved look before Grimmel spoke to me one last time:

“You better give me the dragon when I return, or I will destroy everything you love.”

He disappeared into the black smoke created by his dragons. We left the hut and it was with astonishment that we discovered our village in flames. Innumerable huts burned under our terrified eyes. We were in a living nightmare.

[p-artsypants]

No, You Go First (Part 1)

This ones been rolling around for some time. Changed a little bit here and there…kind of thought about making it longer. Maybe someday.

What would happen in the first movie if Stoick listened to his son at a key point?

FF.net | Ao3

—

Hiccup snuck in the door quietly. The run in with the Nightfury had taken much longer than expected, and he only hoped no one noticed he was missing.

Who was he kidding? No one would miss him.

Though, when he entered his house, Stoick was sitting at the fireplace, whittling, and waiting for him. The boy bit his lip and fled to his room, hoping to not be spotted.

“Hiccup?”

“Dad! Hey! Uh…I-I have to talk to you…”

“I have something to say to you too…”

They both spoke at the same time, mashing their sentences in a mess of scrabbled words. Then, “What?”

“You go first,” urged Stoick.

“Okay…” And he took the chance, because when would his father ever listen to him?

“I was thinking, you know we have a surplus of dragon-fighting Vikings, but do we have enough bread-making Vikings, or small home—“

“Get on with it Hiccup.” Stoick said, crossing his arms.

“I don’t want to fight dragons.”

Stoick stared at his son, blankly, and then laughed. “Come on, yes you do.”

“Rephrase, I can’t kill a dragon.”

Stoick was prepared to rebuttal, but seeing his little son so hunched, so withdrawn…so un-viking, made him hold his tongue. “What was all that bravado about then earlier? You were begging me to let you out there!”

“I know I know…” Hiccup rubbed his arm. “But I…realized something.” He glanced up shyily, wincing all the while. “Promise you won’t get mad?”

Stoick let out a massive sigh doing everything in his power to stay calm. “I promise. I’d rather you not hide things from me.”

Hiccup nodded meekly, still holding his arm. “I…I did shoot down that dragon. So I went down to Raven’s Point to make sure, and maybe finish the job if I needed to. When I got there, I saw him…and I raised my knife, ready to strike…and then I looked into it’s eyes. It was…scared, terrified…I saw myself in it. I couldn’t…I just…I cut it free.” He clenched up, waiting for the onslaught of anger from his dad.

But it never came.

Hiccup peeled his eyes open to see his dad red in the face and a frown on his lips. Then Stoick puffed out air. “So you cut it loose. It didn’t hurt you?”

“He pinned me to the ground and roared in my face. And then he took off.”

“What kind of dragon was it?”

“I think it was a Nightfury…”

“A Nightfury! And you let it go!?”

“I know!” He cried. “I’m sorry! I just…”

A heavy hand fell on his shoulder. “Look, Hiccup.”

He looked up and met Stoick’s eyes.

“Your mother was a lot like you. She was convinced that dragons weren’t as evil as we believed. Even up until the day she was taken.”

“They are still a pest! They do make it hard to live! I just—I just—…” He gestured helplessly.

Stoick steered him over to sit him down at the fire.

“When your mother was here, most of us only used hammers as weapons. We agreed that the beasts weren’t evil, but after she was taken…” He sighed. “Hiccup, I understand where you’re coming from, I really do. But I can’t lose you.”

“Dad…”

“I have to know that you’ll be safe in a raid. But you can’t lift a hammer, you can’t swing a sword…”

“Dad, dad!” Hiccup interrupted. “I’ll stay in the forge.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’ll work. I’ll lift heavy stuff and build up my arms and learn how to use weapons…”

Stoick, who was now calming down, saw the slight tremble in his son and the fear that persisted in his eyes. “Son,” he said softly. “It’s alright. The forge is a good idea.”

“You don’t look 100% sure…”

“It’s not the most honorable. Everyone loves the Blacksmith, but not for a chief. But, you’re only 15. Things may change.”

“Yeah.” Hiccup vocally agreed, but that look in the Nightfury’s eyes had been so haunting, he knew he couldn’t raise a weapon against a dragon ever again. “But…I’ll start to win everyone’s favor by staying out of the way.”

Stoick managed a laugh. “A start it is.”

The little family fell into silence. Stoick continued his whittling while Hiccup sat by. He felt like there was more to be said.

“Dragon training starts tomorrow. I was going to have you start…but while Gobber’s training the new recruits, someone will have to be in the forge.”

Hiccup nodded in agreement, some of the tension coming off his shoulders.

“You’re not a warrior.” Stoick declared, giving him a side eye. “You aren’t bursting with muscle, and weapons are useless in your hands.”

“Thanks…”

“But you have something most of the vikings in this village wish they could have.”

This was news. All his life he had been called useless and a screw up. What could he possibly have that no one else did?

“You have brains, capable of resourcefulness and creativity.”

Hiccup just stared at his dad, open mouthed.

“You couldn’t throw a bola, so you made something to throw it for you. I’ve seen your craftsmanship, I’ve heard your wit. You’re different from all of us, Hiccup.”

Hiccup hunched his shoulders. “I don’t want to be different. No one likes different…”

“Of course they don’t. Because they can’t understand it.” He leaned forward, beckoning Hiccup to look him in the eye. “You won’t be able to lead the tribe like I have, or like my father before me. But you will lead it, one day. You just have to find your niche.”

“Well, what do you want me to do?”

“If you truly believe that the beasts are capable of something more, find a way to make them stop raiding us. A thousand years of fighting hasn’t changed a thing.”

Hiccup considered this thought heavily. His father was putting a lot of trust and faith on his shoulders.

“But son, if you don’t find that solution…one day, you’ll have to put your reservations aside and be like the rest of us. Deal?”

Hiccup glanced to the duffle bag by the door. Stoick was leaving, and this could very well be the last time they saw one another. He nodded. “Deal.”

“Good. Well, keep up the good work. I’ll be back. Probably.”

“And I’ll be here. Maybe.”

—

The next day, Hiccup went down to the training academy, and sat along the upper edge with a notebook.  

“Welcome to dragon training!” Gobber called with gusto.

“I hope I get some serious burns.” Declared Tuffnut.

“I’m hoping for some mauling, like on my shoulder or lower back.” Added his sister.

“Yeah, it's only fun if you get a scar out of it.”

Hiccup chuckled a little as he watched.

“You sure you don’t want to join us, Hiccup?” Called Gobber.

“Pul-lease,” interrupted Snotlout. “He wouldn’t last five seconds in the ring.”

“You’re right Snotlout,” Hiccup called with a smug little grin. Though, no one could see it from that distance. “I’d much rather you be in there.”

Gobber interrupted the little spat. “Let's get started! The recruit who does best will win the honor of killing his first dragon in front of the entire village.”

“Which we all know, is going to be me.” Said Snotlout, with a flourish. “I mean, come on. Who else could it be?”

“Maybe me?” Said Astrid, hand on her hip.

“Yeah maybe, if you weren’t a girl.”

Hiccup had to hold back a laugh at the absolute rage that crossed her face.

Soon, Hiccup realized he had made the smart choice of declining dragon training after all. Since Gobber was merciless in his methods. The Grockle sputtered around the arena, it’s eyes focusing on the shields and the weapons. Gobber hung back by the wall, and the dragon paid him no mind. Neither did it notice little Hiccup who sat above. Hiccup noted this. But knew the solution of just ‘not having weapons’ would be received with a firm kick off of the cliffs.

In the end, Astrid careened the shield into the dragon’s snout disorienting it.

“The dragon will always, always, go for the kill.”

Hiccup wrote this down, and then scratched out ‘always’. “Then why didn’t he…?”

—

The Nightfury was not as free as Hiccup had first thought.

Now that it was trapped in the cove, sans tail fin, he had a chance to double his efforts on observation, and perhaps even befriending the Nightfury. Perish the thought!

But he remembered his father’s words and returned to the cove day after day. Every once in a while, he would go the academy and sit on whatever wisdom Gobber seemed to be preaching.

From the look of things, they weren’t fairing very well. He had always assumed Snotlout would be the winner of the class, but it seemed like his ego was his downfall.

And his lack of common sense didn’t help.

Astrid on the other hand, took training extremely seriously. Almost to the point of alienating herself from the rest of the group. She was trapped in her head, focused, with death on the mind.

It was one night at dinner when he took a look into her head. All the other tables were filled, as he sat at one, sketching some ideas for Toothless’s tail. Nothing too noticeable for the other vikings around.

But he was startled when she sat across from him.

“Uh hi Astrid, hi Astrid.” He stammered. Smooth.

“Mind if I sit here?” She drawled as an afterthought.

“No- not at all, you’re fine. I love you—I’d love to have you! Here. Sitting. Just sitting.” He over corrected, his voice too loud.

She stared at him, wide-eyed as he blushed and covered his face with his hands. Then she snorted. “Now I can see why you’re not training with us. Jumpy little thing, aren’t you?”

“Sorry, words aren’t my friend.”

She hummed in amusement and took his notes closest to her. “So what is the great Hiccup Haddock up to this time? What mess will we have to clean up?”

Hiccup snatched his notes back with a frown. “I’m not up to anything.”

“Right. Why do you keep watching us in the academy?”

“Why do you care?” He didn’t mean to sound harsh, but it came out that way. She had never cared about him before. Not unless he did something stupid. Then she was there with her perfect blue eyes, and rolling them.

Astrid shrugged. “I don’t. I’m just curious.” She picked at her food. “You just seem like the only person around here with any decency is all.”

“Oh…did Snotlout do something?”

“He always does stuff.”

“But he didn’t like…you know…”

“Gods no, Hiccup!”

“Okay! I was just making sure!”

She flipped the switch on him. “Why do you care?”

He smiled, “As future chief, I want to know of any drama before it happens.”

She scoffed, “Future chief?”

“I mean…I am the next in line. The only other option is Snotlout, and who would you rather have?”

“You got me there.”  

He cocked his head to the side. “Why are you talking to me again? Not that I don’t enjoy your company or anything...”

“I mean, you said it. You are the future chief. My parents mentioned that I should be nicer to you.”

He shrugged. “Well, I don’t know if I want you to be my friend just to take advantage of my status.”

She cringed. “Yikes, I really didn’t mean it like that.”

“Then how did you mean it?”

“I meant that I want to support you to be a good chief. If no one is here for you and no one believes in you, how are you supposed to lead us?”

He shrugged. “My dad thinks I still have some time.”

“Maybe...” she acquiesced. “But you know, there’s something about you that’s refreshing.”

“What? That not everything I have to say is about strength and death?” He said with sarcasm.

“Basically.”

He wasn’t expecting that. “Oh.”

“You know, I’m kind of surprised your dad didn’t have you enter dragon training.”

Hiccup scratched his cheek. “He wanted me too...but I didn’t think it was a good idea.”

Astrid nodded in understanding and glanced at his notebook again. “So what are you doing?”

He blushed, prepared with a half truth. “Observing dragon behavior. My dad kind of gave me a task, I’m assuming to keep me busy and out of the way. He wants me to see if I can find another solution to our dragon problem...since fighting isn’t changing things.”

“Did I just hear you say you’re trying to get out of fighting dragons?” Snotlout interrupted, approaching the table. “I saw Astrid sitting with you and I was trying to figure out why she would do something so crazy. Now I get it, she’s worried you’re going to doom us all.”

Hiccup bristled, closing his notes. He prepared to leave, but Astrid held a hand out.

“For your information, I’m sitting with Hiccup because he’s my friend, and he’s not a complete idiot.”

Snotlout scoffed. “Like I actually care...” and he walked off.

“Wow...” said Hiccup, breathlessly. “I’m…I’m not used to people sticking up for me.”

“So you made a few mistakes. But you’ve tried to be helpful. I don’t think you should be ridiculed for it.”

Hiccup swallowed, a lump in his throat. “Thank you, Astrid.”

She spared a smile. “If Stoick gave you this task, then I’ll make sure to help you.”

“It’s...it’s kind of a secret. I’m not sure how the others will take it.”

“Can I see your notebook?”

“Why?”

“Because you’re not always at the academy for classes. I’ve had more up close encounters with dragons than you have.”

He shrugged and handed over the book. Debatably, he had more up close encounters with dragons, since the few times he visited Toothless and learned from him. But she didn’t need to know that.

Astrid opened to a new page and began to write down her observations and thoughts from dragon training. They sat in silence for a while while she scratched away, thought, and then wrote some more.  

“Here,” she had dated the page and titled it ‘Astrid’s thoughts on dragons’. “This is my two cents.” Then she stood with a smile. “Your dad is a really good chief. I’m glad he found a way for you to help in your own way.”

“Yeah.” Hiccup didn’t want to mention that he was the one that had come up with idea in the first place. “And, Astrid?”

“Hmm?”

“Thanks.”

She grinned at him. At him! “See you later, Hiccup.”

—

Over the next few days, something began to form between him and Astrid. Nothing romantic…well, at least not on her part. He was pretty obviously smitten with her, and blushed every time he saw her. But she had the decency to never comment on it.

No, there was something like a feeling of camaraderie between them. A sort of friendship, but without the deep emotional talks.

Those were reserved for Toothless.

At meals, and only then, did Astrid join him at his lonely table and share her wisdom. Likewise, he told her some tricks, like the fact that the dragons didn’t like eels and that if you reflected light off a shield, they’d chase it.

She was doubtful, but filed these tricks away for a later date.

Everyone else in the tribe, on the other hand, were being to be merciless to Hiccup. He was of age, and yet refused to go into dragon training? What a brat. Pathetic. Worthless heir. There was talk of him being a dragon sympathizer as well, curtesy of Snotlout. And since Stoick wasn’t around to set the record straight, things only escalated.

Daily, Hiccup was pushed, tripped, and shooed away from vendors and food carts, and even children.

Hiccup thought he couldn’t be any more lonely. He was wrong. The only kind faces waiting for him were Astrid and Gobber.

Even his work in the forge was becoming a problem. People would come to get their knifes sharpened and refuse to let Hiccup do it. If they picked out a weapon he worked on, they’d drop it like it was still hot from the forge.

“Lad, maybe you should just work in the back for a while. Until this all cools down.”

Hiccup scoffed. Like this would ever get better. If one thing was certain, it was that Vikings were stubborn.

Astrid came in one day, Hiccup could hear her. “Is Hiccup here?”

“Depends, are you here to bully him?”

“No, why would I do that?”

“Because that’s all anyone wants with him these days.” He gestured with his thumb. “‘Es in the back.”

Hiccup stood quickly, however, and stepped outside to hide his secrets. “Hi Astrid, hi, how are you?”

“I should be asking you the same thing.”

His shoulders hunched, “I’m…I’m okay.”

She shook her head, but didn’t argue. “I need my axe sharpened.”

“Uh…couldn’t you just Gobber to do it for you?”

“Nope. I know you’re the one that’s been servicing my blade for the last few years. You’re the one who knows it.” She handed the axe over willingly.

It took a little effort to lift it. Like most things did. Put he held it sturdily. “You sure?”

“Absolutely.”

He smiled broadly at her.

—

There will be a part two. I’m just on vacation and wanted to publish this chunk first.

[kingofthewilderwest]

hey haddock whats your take on why camicazi was cut from the movie? all this time i'd assumed it was bc that name is potentially controversial (kamikaze) and that astrid was intended to replace her role for the most part. the two characters are completely different however, i feel like the movie interpretations of the vikings have been molded a whole lot from books but otherwise do resemble their old selves to a degree (1/2)

however Astrid and Camicazi i cant really compare. i love them both a lot and they’re clearly intended to be counterparts but they’re so starkly different, the presence of camicazi isnt essentially there at all. have you given thought to why she was essentially totally written out of any movie interpretations? (2/2)

I do believe that the inspiration behind Astrid’s character was Camicazi. The writers started with Cami and then built Astrid. These two girls have a lot of common aspects... being fierce warrior blondes who become Hiccup’s closest companion and support and own dragons named Stormfly and things like that. So Astrid would have begun as Camicazi’s shadow when she was first conceptualized, and then grew into a three-dimensional, unique, rather different personality that has a lot to bring to the world of HTTYD.

I feel there are several understandable, logical reasons why Astrid diverged from Camicazi. I talk a little about Astrid’s personality morphing from Camicazi here, and also in a more general sense talk about how the HTTYD movies got derived from the first HTTYD book. In essence, I think these factors shape why Astrid was developed and Camicazi simultaneously disappeared:

Camicazi’s name. I agree with you that Camicazi’s name might have been intentionally unused because it could be uncomfortable to some audience members. It’s probably the same reason why Snotlout’s father got renamed “Spitelout” instead of the eyebrow-raising “Baggybum.”

The first movie takes place on Berk and Berk alone. Camicazi is a Bog-Burglar and a character that does not arrive until the third installment in the novels. Since the first movie takes place just on Berk, Camicazi would never appear. Therefore, the writers might have felt comfortable creating a character that evokes Camicazi’s spirit, but leave out the name, because technically she wouldn’t be there on Berk. Especially since they might not have known how far or in what directions the franchise would go, it makes sense to leave the unaltered Bog-Burglar character out of the picture where she technically doesn’t appear.

A strong female character was still needed for the movie. I think #3 is more of a definite factor than #2. The thing with having no Camicazi in the first movie means that there would be a void of strong female characters. HTTYD would have been a story of just boys. The writers would not have wanted that. They intentionally added girls to Hiccup’s dragon training class by giving Tuffnut, Jr. a twin and bringing in Camicazi/Astrid. The initial drafts of the movie might have had a character almost exactly like Camicazi or named Camicazi... essentially... someone meant to be, in one way or another, Camicazi. They probably initially transplanted Camicazi from the Bog-Burglars to the Hooligans. The writers regardless probably decided to insert a Camicazi-inspired character into the movie to give us gender representation. Maybe also they liked the idea of inserting in “Camicazi” early into the events of the first movie (back when they were only in the stages of planning/making one movie) because she’s so memorable in the stories and “should” be a part of their HTTYD movie adaptation.

When they upped the stakes to make HTTYD better suited for film, the role of the main female lead changed... and with it came the need to change her personality. The original drafts of the HTTYD movie were much closer to the first book by Cressida Cowell. However, as they developed the film, they probably realized the movie would be a lot better with changes. The thing with different storytelling media is that they have different strengths and weaknesses, and different types of stories tend to go better with each medium. The HTTYD books are cute, but the first book as it is is not strong movie material. The writers upped the stakes and action of the DreamWorks production to make it better suited for film. In the process, this meant making the Vikings at complete war with dragons, Toothless being rideable, and Hiccup’s dragon training being about fighting rather than training dragons. This also means that the roles of different characters got altered to adapt to this logical new direction.In order to demonstrate Hiccup’s conflict between wanting to be a proper Viking (like his dad and peers) and wanting to befriend Toothless, the writers adapted the main female personality. As mentioned in the filmmaker’s commentary, Astrid is intentionally created to represent the model Hairy Hooligan Viking. The fact Hiccup can change her mind to protect dragons instead of fighting them is a large deal because of what she represents and first believes. This means that, instead of a ridiculously adventurous, upbeat personality... they chose to alter the main female character into someone more serious and determined to fight dragons. Camicazi’s original role of a disguise artist adventurer would not fit in this new narrative structure, but a butt-kicking fighter like Astrid would deepen the narrative and create a more meaningful, powerful plot.

The focus on Hiccup and Stoick’s relationship meant cutting out book!Hiccup’s friendship circle. There’s another reason why Camicazi’s role in the books would not fit into the movies. In the books, Camicazi and Fishlegs are Hiccup’s circle of friends and support network. However, what the movie focuses on is the disjunct relationship between Hiccup and Stoick. Hiccup feels out of place in the books and wants to have a good relationship with his father; to emphasize this even more in a movie (which has very little time to gets its point across), the writers cut out Hiccup’s friendship circle. This helps us make Hiccup look more out of place and helps us understand why he’s so determined to take down a dragon. It helps us focus on the relationship between Hiccup and Stoick and feel the emotions behind it. If Hiccup had Camicazi and Fishlegs right there beside him, the impacting story of father and son, and of Hiccup’s struggling loyalties, would be less effective in the film form. So the main female lead could not start as Hiccup’s friend. She had to start as someone who didn’t believe in him and didn’t associate with him. Since Hiccup is bullied in the books by his peers, or at least looked upon askance... it makes sense that the newly-formed Astrid would be skeptical - even a little hostile - to Hiccup before they come together.

They decided to add the tropish romance. I’m not saying “tropish” in a negative form. I’m simply acknowledging that they chose to use the trope of “hero gets the girl” - they even say that outright at the end of the filmmaker’s commentary. Since Hiccup is now estranged from the main female character but still respects her abilities, it makes sense for him to idolize her romantically. Now their relationship develops in a romantic route as Hiccup learns who he is and that he is okay for his uniqueness. And the the ideal Hairy Hooligan character falls in love with that uniqueness. This again alters the main female character’s personality... you now are working with a story of “I-don’t-like-you” to “I-love-you.”

For the purpose of writing a movie instead of a book... for the purpose of the narrative focuses they needed to emphasize... it makes sense that the main female character Camicazi/Astrid became so changed. It seems likely it was a series of steps that increasingly diverged Camicazi into Astrid. Astrid, with her brave dragon-fighting spirit and later romantic interest, is a lot more conducive to the narrative themes that the writers focused on for the first HTTYD movie. To really get the idea across of Hiccup being an outcast, and of Hiccup wanting to please his father, and of Hiccup being divided between his desire to be accepted and his desire to help Toothless... the original concept of Camicazi was altered.

At some point in time, the writers would have realized that the female character they wrote was no longer “Camicazi.” Then they would have had the freedom to pursue her any which way they liked to make her fit the DreamWorks world best. The writers chose not to equate Camicazi with Astrid, despite the fact Astrid certainly had to have been inspired from the book character. And because of that, their personalities - as you say - are starkly different.

“Now why didn’t they introduce Camicazi into the television series later or something?” someone might ask. “Why develop, for instance, Heather, instead of Cami?” I think that the writers initially did not plan on Heather being such a big role. They meant her to appear in Heather Report Part 1 and Heather Report Part 2 and nothing else. Then, with Race to the Edge being greenlighted, it only made sense to proceed forward with the characters already introduced... Dagur and Savage and Heather and the like. And thus we never have Camicazi (in addition to Astrid) hop into the frame.

So that’s why I believe that Camicazi’s “essence” was almost completely written out of Astrid’s personality. The two characters have diverged to become interesting, different characters, each with their own unique contributions to HTTYD canon.

[wolfie-dragon-rider]

How To Replace A Leg

Last week, @e--wills posted THIS answer to a question about how other riders would react to losing a limb, adding that she’d love to read a fic about Astrid losing a limb. I liked the idea a lot as well, so I wrote this. I hope you like it. 

Summary: Hiccup was not the only one to lose a leg in in the battle against the Red Death. Astrid doesn't let a wooden leg slow her dow,n getting right back to training no matter what. Meanwhile, Hiccup struggles with his own pain. Thankfully, they have each other to lean on when their own legs fail. 

Genre: Hurt/comfort, angst, friendship, Hiccstrid Length: 5323 words Warnings: Some gore, and mild swearing

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Hiccup winced as he took another step with the prosthetic leg. Still a dozen steps to go until he reached the bottom of the stairs of the Great Hall. It had been weeks since the battle, so why did it still hurt so much? A broken limb would have healed by now, and his leg certainly looked healed. Well, if you ignored the fact that about one third was missing, it looked healed.

He gently took another step, swearing softly when a blast of pain raced up from his… stump. Short distances weren't so bad. It would barely hurt. Just the constant ache he always felt. But after a long day of walking and running, or at least attempting to run without stumbling and falling, it felt like his leg was on fire. It made him almost wish for winter to arrive already, just so he could scoop up some snow to cool down the flame that wasn't there.

"Hiccup!" A voice called from behind him, and he swung around, immediately regretting his decision when he lost his balance on the narrow steps.

"Hey Astrid!" he said as he swung his arms around, trying desperately not to fall in front of his… Crush? Girlfriend? He honestly wasn't quite sure. She ran down the steps and grabbed his hand to steady him, and he sighed in relief.

"Thanks. H-How are you today?" he said when he caught his breath, cursing himself for stuttering.

"It's been fine. People keep bothering me, asking if I'm okay, I hate that. Like, why wouldn't I be okay?!" Astrid said loudly as she grabbed his arm to steady him when he took another step.

Hiccup desperately tried to keep his eyes on his own feet, or foot, and not glance at the reason people were worried about Astrid. It was hard, as it was right there.

The peg leg sticking out from under her skirt. The brown oak that was her new right leg was a stark contrast to the gray iron of his left leg.

"Yeah, you're doing great! I, uh, I wish I was doing as well as you," he said, blushing. She giggled as she helped him down the stairs, and he wondered if she thought he was weak. How couldn't she? They had suffered the same injury, yet she was dealing with it much better than he was. She was already running around, training, fighting, all without breaking a sweat. While he could barely walk down some stairs without wanting to lie down because of the pain.

Sure, she wasn't as graceful as she used to be. With her knee gone, she was forced to move a bit odd in order to not have the peg leg scrape on the ground, and she was clearly still getting used to the balance.

But she didn't look like she was struggling. Hiccup couldn't even imagine having to help her down the stairs, even though she lost a bigger part of her leg than he did.

"You will! I had more time to train, remember? You slept a month away, so of course you're not quite as agile! Besides, you're still way better on Toothless than I am on Stormfly," Astrid said as they reached the bottom of the stairs, and Hiccup tried not to let the pain show.

He knew she was right. She hadn't spent a month in a coma. She had stayed conscious, biting through the pain and refusing to give in. She had fought and won.

But Hiccup couldn't help feeling a tinge of jealousy. Before he had met Toothless, Astrid was everything he wanted to be. He wanted to be strong like her, stoic like her, agile like her. And even though befriending Toothless and defeating the Red Death had given him a new, almost heroic status in the village, she was still the better Viking.

"Thanks. I, uh, I guess you're right," he said, unsure of what else to say. Even though he didn't need to look down to walk on flat surfaces, he didn't lift his eyes from his feet. It had only been two weeks since she kissed him, and they hadn't had many chances to talk since then. Should he give her a kiss? Ask her if he could kiss her? Give her a compliment? Were they girlfriend and boyfriend now? Or had it been just a one time thing?

Astrid suddenly moved in front of him, before bending down so her face was in his line of sight. Then, she rose again, and he couldn't help but let his face be drawn up with her.

"Hiccup, you're thinking too much, I can see it! How about you come and train with me for a bit? I'm gonna do some axe throwing in the forest," she asked, keeping her gaze fixed on his, and he couldn't look away. He nearly snorted when he realized she was already doing her old training routine.

Of course she was. He wasn't even really surprised. Astrid couldn't let anyone else overtake her at anything, least of all physical activity.

He wasn't sure if it would be a good idea to join her. He would like to spend more time with her, but his leg felt like it was burning off, and he wanted nothing more than to get a block of ice from his cellar and put it on the stump. Plus, he'd just embarrass herself. She'd run and jump through the forest, while he'd trip over roots and drop the heavy axe.

Like she dropped her axe that day.

The thought came without warning, and his eyes flashed down again, to her wooden leg where her axe had fallen.

"I don't, no, I mean I, uh, I…" he stuttered as he forced his eyes up again and stared over her shoulder, hoping she hadn't noticed.

Of course she had. And now she probably thought he doubted her axe throwing abilities or thought she was weak or something like that.

It was quite the opposite, but how could he explain that? She was so incredibly strong, how could he ever live up to that? Sure, he could fly decently, even with his new leg. But surely soon she'd wonder why he was doing so much worse than she was at everything else.

A warble interrupted his thoughts and stuttering, as his eyes were drawn to Toothless and Stormfly entering the square, playfully batting at each other.

"I, uh, I should go for a flight on Toothless. We haven't flown today, and he gets moody if we don't," Hiccup said, grateful for the excuse.

"Oh. Okay. I'll see you later then," Astrid said, and he thought he saw a flash of hurt on her face. But then she turned around, pivoting gracefully on her wooden leg, and called out to Stormfly.

"Come on, girl! Let's go train!" Stormfly squawked one last time at Toothless before following Astrid when she ran towards the edge of the village. Hiccup couldn't help but stare at her strange, yet somehow powerful new run, moving her wooden leg in a half-circle so it wouldn't hit the ground, instead of bending the knee like he would do.

Toothless warbled as he nudged Hiccup's arm, and when Hiccup looked at him he snorted and pointed his head in the direction of the forest, like he was saying "Why don't you make a move on her already?"

"It's not that easy, bud. Maybe… Maybe when I can run," he softly told the dragon, before climbing into the saddle. At least the cold air would cool his stump during flight. And maybe he could train a bit by himself later.

Astrid may be the best Viking on the island, but Hiccup would very much like to be number two.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Astrid cursed when her axe flew past the tree again. She should be able to hit her target easily! Stormfly squawking happily as she fetched the weapon only made her angrier.

Damn leg. Damn lack of a knee. Damn Red Death.

Damn her own stupidity.

She grunted a thanks to Stormfly when her axe was returned, before preparing herself for another throw. Astrid was surprised by how much harder it was. Running, jumping, ducking, she had expected those to be hard.

Not standing still and throwing an axe.

But it was. She had never paid attention to how she threw before. Now she noticed that she would automatically lean back, bending her right knee for extra momentum. But now she couldn't bend her knee. She had to awkwardly plug the peg leg behind her, dragging it back as she lowered her torso. Or just abandon the leaning part altogether.

But even that was surprisingly hard. Ten years of practice with a functioning leg seemed to have burned the move into her brain. And now she had to force herself to keep standing straight as she moved her right arm back.

Astrid nearly lost her balance when the peg left shifted in a patch of mud, and she swore again. At least no one was here to see her pathetic display. Well, Stormfly was here, but she didn't seem to care. Astrid was beginning to see why Hiccup liked dragons so much. They didn't care about you screwing up a few times.

Focusing very hard on keeping her legs straight, Astrid prepared to throw.

"YAARGH!" she screamed, unleashing her frustrations. The axe left her hand, spinning wildly… before landing in the grass, at least a foot away from the tree. Stormfly chirped happily, running over again and pulling the blade from the muddy ground.

Damn her lack of strength. Damn her lack of momentum. Damn her leg. Damn everything.

"One more try. Just stay calm," she mumbled, taking her axe from Stormfly. Focusing on the target, she lowered her body and moved the axe over her shoulder. But then she lost her balance and stumbled. Astrid braced herself to hit the ground hard, but then something pulled her back up. She looked to her left to see Stormfly lifting her up, holding her by her shoulder guard.

"Thanks, girl," she mumbled, shaken from the unexpected fall. It didn't make sense, she did the same move she had done a million times. She bend her right knee, lowered her body, and moved the axe over her-

Astrid looked down, and sighed when she saw the peg leg. Of course. No knee to bend anymore.

It was so easy to forget somehow. For all the trouble it caused her, the wooden leg didn't feel real. Whenever she wasn't looking at it, it still felt like she had a knee, and an ankle, and a foot.

Like she had a real leg.

She could even move the nonexistent knee and ankle. She'd close her eyes, lift her lower leg, and it would feel like she had lifted it. But then she'd look down and see a wooden leg that was still firmly on the ground. She could even feel the ground under her lost foot, even if the ground didn't conform to what she saw.

Somehow she had managed to learn the new movements she needed to run or jump, but it didn't feel smooth yet. It was like she was using an unbalanced axe or misshapen shield. And even when she moved her peg leg in a weird half-circle shape, it still felt like she was lifting her knee.

Stormfly crooned sadly, pushing her beak into Astrid's arm.

"I'm okay, girl. It's fine. It doesn't even hurt," she whispered. It was true. It didn't hurt. Maybe that was what freaked her out the most. Everyone had told her she should expect horrible phantom pains. Apparently everybody who lost a limb got them, no getting around it.

But they didn't come.

Hiccup got them, she could see that. He tried to hide it, but he was a terrible liar and actor. The way he had gritted his teeth as she helped him down the stairs this morning told her he was in a lot of pain.

And she just… wasn't. There was no pain, no itch, no discomfort. She just felt the original leg, like before. But this wooden stick didn't fit with that. It didn't belong there, even if the real part was gone.

Astrid looked down again, and lifted her lower right leg. It felt like the leg was up in the air, even if the stick remained stubbornly on the ground. She could see a muscle clenching in her thigh, but apparently it wasn't attached to anything anymore.

Except maybe her crazy brain.

She tore her eyes away, feeling sick, and decided to stop training for today. She was getting nowhere. It felt weak, though. Usually she'd train for hours and hours, not stopping until she mastered it. But maybe she just didn't want to master this new leg.

Astrid wanted her old leg back.

"Come on, Stormfly. Let's go for a flight," she said. Still holding her axe in her right hand, she put the other on Stormfly's horns, and pulled herself up and over. Her right leg swung over, and she tried to find the leverage to pull her left foot into the stirrup. Instinctively, she pushed her right knee against the dragon, twisting her right foot so it would hook under Stormfly's belly. Then she jumped with her left leg as she pulled herself up with her left hand.

Astrid realized her mistake a moment after jumping, and she couldn't stop herself from slipping. Thinking fast, she threw her axe away to free her hand, and tried to grab one of the horns. But in that moment Stormfly turned her head around to see what was going on, and Astrid grabbed nothing but air.

With a scream, she fell to the ground. Her left leg could not support her weight, and she fell backward, her head hitting the ground hard enough that she didn't hear the cracking sound when her right leg hit a sharp rock.

"Damn. Damn this leg. Damn everything," she groaned as Stormfly squawked loudly, turning around to examine her.

"I'm okay, girl. I'm not hurt," she said, before trying to pull herself back to her feet. When she put the peg leg on the ground, it suddenly buckled with a crack, making Astrid fall to her knee. Stormfly screeched loudly in panic.

Astrid cursed when she looked down and saw that the thick oaken leg had nearly broken in two. The lower half hang on by just a sliver of wood acting like a sort of hinge.

It almost looked like she had a knee again. The thought made her giggle, and suddenly she couldn't stop laughing hysterically. Stormfly crooned worriedly, poking her with her beak and putting her head under her arms.

"Astrid? Are you okay?" the voice made her freeze, even in her hysterical state. Her head flipped around to see Hiccup standing behind her, Toothless beside him.

"H-Hiccup! What are you doing here?" she managed to ask, trying to hide her broken leg as she jumped up to her left foot.

"We were flying when we heard Stormfly, and she sounded distressed. What happened?" he asked softly. Astrid nearly started laughing again when she remembered her stupidity. Gods, what was happening to her?

"Nothing, I just fell," she said, hoping he'd go home now and not see how terrible she was with her leg.

"Astrid…" Hiccup said as he walked up to her, a flash of pain appearing on his face each time he took a step with his left leg.

"That doesn't look like nothing. Now what happened? Did something go wrong during training? Did you drop your-" Hiccup stopped very suddenly, both of them realizing at the same time he mentioned it.

They hadn't talked about what happened yet. Hiccup hadn't been there when she lost her leg. He had shot down the Red Death, and was trying to escape the firestorm. At the same time, the explosion's shockwave had reached her. She hadn't expected it. She had been running forward, hoping to help Hiccup in some way, when all of a sudden she was pushed back by an enormous blast of hot air.

Astrid wasn't quite sure how it happened, but at some point while she fell she must have thrown her axe up in the air. She did remember the immense pain she felt when it came down, though. Slicing right through her skirt and leggings like it was nothing, before cutting through the flesh underneath.

The healers couldn't do anything but cauterize and stitch up. They found her, barely conscious. Apparently she had been trying to push the leg back where it belonged, even though it was completely torn off. Astrid didn't remember that at all. Her mother said she must have been in shock.

The next hours or days were a blur, as the pain was too bad to sleep, but couldn't stay fully conscious either. When everything was clear again she was in her bed on Berk, a wooden stick attached to her thigh. And she wanted nothing more than for things to go back to the way they were.

"Astrid?" Hiccup asked again when she didn't respond, and she was flung back to the present.

"I just fell. I… I wanted to mount Stormfly, and I… I thought I was stable, but I wasn't," she said, avoiding his gaze as he leaned on her dragon. Hiccup smiled.

"That's okay. I have trouble getting on Toothless sometimes too. It's hard getting the… you-know… in the stirrup just right," he said warmly, and she couldn't help but frown. Hiccup had a much more complicated saddle, designed to work with his prosthetic. But at least he still had knees he could use.

"It's not the same," she snapped, immediately regretting her harsh tone. Hiccup looked hurt, taking a step back.

"It's just… It's hard to do things without… without a knee or ankle. You don't have to change the way you move," she clarified, and Hiccup sighed before nodding.

"Do you need help? I can get you a new… you-know… from the smithy," he offered, and she was grateful he didn't push or argue with her.

"That's not… I've got a spare… at home. I'll ride on Stormfly," she said, turning back to her dragon. But she found it impossible to put the ruined leg over the saddle. Knowing Hiccup was still watching her, she swallowed her pride and turned back to her boyfriend.

"Can you give me a boost?" she asked in a soft voice, wondering if he'd laugh at her. But he just smiled and walked forward. Toothless put his head under her, keeping her steady as she put her left foot on Hiccup's cupped hands. Then, the two boys pushed her up together, and she used the momentum to swing her foot into Stormfly's stirrup.

"Thanks," she said, looking at the horn in front of her instead of Hiccup.

"You're welcome. And… Astrid… You don't have to do this alone, you know? I… I can help," he said, and she nodded.

"I know. But I'm good. Come on, girl," she said, still avoiding his gaze when Stormfly shot into the air. What did Hiccup think of her now? Did he think she was weak? Stupid? Gods, he was so much stronger than her, so much more in control. He just swallowed the pain and accepted his prosthetic, while she ignored hers.

It was only when she was nearly home that she realized she had forgotten her axe. She cursed loudly, making Stormfly croon worriedly. The weapon still lay there in the clearing where she had thrown it. But she didn't want to go back to get it. What if Hiccup was still there?

"It's okay, girl. I just forgot my axe," she said, stroking the horn in front of her. Stormfly suddenly veered around, and Astrid couldn't stop a yelp.

"No, we'll just go home! I don't want to see Hiccup right now," she said, pulling on the dragon's head. Stormfly reluctantly obeyed, though she cawed in a surprised tone, like she was asking why.

"It's… I don't want him to see me like this. Maybe… Maybe when I can throw an axe," she sighed as they landed at her house.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Okay, you can do this. It's easy. Just knock on the door and say what you practiced," Hiccup told himself, pacing in front of the Hofferson house. Toothless rolled his eyes before shoving Hiccup toward the door, clearly sick of his rider's nervous behavior.

"Alright, I'm going. No need to push me!" Hiccup muttered, walking toward the door, using Astrid's axe as a makeshift cane to lean on, while holding the other package in his right hand behind his back.

"Here we go. I can do this. It's just Astrid. She won't kill me, probably. What if she does? She doesn't like it when people touch her weapons. Maybe this is a bad idea. Maybe I should put the axe back in the forest and pretend I didn't take it. This is crazy! And what if she doesn't like the gift? She probably won't, she practiced so hard with her-" Hiccup rambled to himself, before being suddenly interrupted when Toothless shoved him against the door. The dragon punched the door himself twice more for good measure, before drawing back to glare at Hiccup.

"Don't look at me like that. I was just… planning. Covering all possibilities. And you-" Hiccup told Toothless before being interrupted again.

"Hiccup? What are you doing here? Why were you hitting the door that hard?" Astrid asked, and he pivoted around on his prosthetic, thankfully managing to keep his balance this time.

"Oh, uh, hi Astrid, hi Astrid! I was just, uhm, I was just passing by when Toothless…" he glanced around at the dragon, who was now staring at him with big adorable eyes. Stupid dragon. How could he stay angry at him when he looked so cute? And with eyes like that, why would Astrid ever believe the Night Fury would be so mischievous?

Toothless was way too clever for his own good.

"Is that my axe?" Astrid tore Hiccup from his staring contest, and he turned back to her, blushing when he realized he was caught.

"Uh, yeah. You, uh, you left it in the forest yesterday, after… you know, and I figured you'd probably need it for training today. So I took it. And here it is," he awkwardly said as he presented the axe to her. Astrid frowned, before stepping out on her spare peg leg and taking the axe from him.

She examined it for a while, swinging it back and forth and feeling the edge. Hiccup felt sweat dripping down his back as he awaited her verdict. Had he damaged it? He had sharpened it in the forge last night, maybe she didn't like that? What if-

His frantic thoughts were interrupted when she turned to him. Hiccup feared the worst, when suddenly she smiled brightly and said "Thanks! And you sharpened it as well! You didn't have to!"

"Oh, uh… you're welcome. And it was no big deal, I was in the forge anyway…" he said, unsure of how to approach the other reason he was here. The wrapped gift was hidden behind his back for now, but how could he explain it to her?

Astrid suddenly grinned, and he wondered if she knew all about it. Had she been spying on him? No, of course not, she wouldn't spy on him. She was too busy for that! But maybe she had seen something when passing by the forge. Or Gobber had told her!

"Is there something else?" she asked in a playful voice, and he was frozen in place. Oh gods, what was he supposed to say now? He had practiced this, but why couldn't he remember the words? Oh Thor, he was keeping her waiting, but he couldn't give it to her now, his hands were too sweaty and she'd think it was stupid and-

"Oof" Hiccup exclaimed when Toothless' tail suddenly hit his arm, making him drop the heavy package. He turned around to glare at the dragon. Toothless was curled up, licking under his armpit and looking like he wasn't aware at all of what happened.

Sneaky bastard.

"Hiccup? You okay?" Astrid tentatively asked, and he remembered she was still there. And there was no way she hadn't seen it now.

"Uhm, I made something for you, and I hope you like it, and that it fits, and… Oh gods… Maybe it's better if we go inside," Hiccup managed to say, desperately hoping no one was watching him screw this up.

"Okay, sure," Astrid said, and he managed to smile before picking up the gift and following her inside. Toothless ran around the house to Stormfly's stable, satisfied that his work was done.

"My parents are fishing, so we're alone. So what is it?" she said. Hiccup tried to keep his breathing under control while he put the package on the table.

"It's, uhm, well, it's…" he stuttered, feeling the blood fill his cheeks and making him blush bright red. Suddenly Astrid put her hands on his shoulders.

"Breathe, Hiccup. Relax. I'm not gonna punch you or anything," she said, looking him straight in the eye.

"You won't?" he said without thinking, and she laughed.

"I can control my violent tendencies, if I want to," Astrid said, before gesturing at the package. "Can I open it?"

"S-S-S-" Hiccup started to stutter, before forcing himself to close his eyes and take a few deep breaths. He could do this. He had faced the Red Death, he could face his crush. Thankfully Astrid didn't push, just kept her hands on his shoulders and breathed with him.

"Sure. It's yours now," he eventually said, and she smiled. His breathing was much calmer now, and his muscles weren't all clamped up. His stomach was still filled with butterflies, though. But the gift was there now, and he couldn't stop her from opening it.

She eagerly tore at the ropes, grabbing a small dagger from her remaining boot to cut a stubborn knot, and Hiccup's eyes were drawn to her wooden leg. It looked identical to the one she wore yesterday. Did she like that design? He should have asked her first.

"It's… Oh…" For the first time he could remember, Astrid was speechless when the cloth fell back to reveal a shining prosthetic leg. It was shaped like a normal leg, with screws allowing the knee and ankle to turn.

"Y-You said yesterday that you missed having a knee, and an ankle. So I build this. It's hollow, and there are gears and springs and pulleys inside that will raise the knee and move the ankle if you lift it," he explained. Astrid remained silent, staring at the leg before slowly reaching out and running her fingers over it.

"I, uhm, I used Gobber's measurements of your leg to build this, I hope it fits. It should, I think. It's probably a lot heavier than you're used to, but I figured that you could handle it, you're so strong after all, and-"

"It's amazing," Astrid interrupted his rambling, and he froze. She actually liked it?

"You… You're not angry?" he asked, and she laughed again before suddenly turning towards him.

"Hiccup… Look, I know Berk hasn't been very… accepting of your inventions, but things are different now. I think your inventions are amazing, and you should be more proud of them," she said, and he blushed, before looking down at his feet.

"Thanks," he managed to whisper, and he saw her smile in the edge of his vision.

"Now, I'm gonna try this on," she said, and he smiled as well, before turning away when she reached under her skirt.

"You can turn around now," she said after a minute, and he couldn't help but feel pride when he saw the leg was the perfect length.

"Does it… Does it fit? I can make it tighter or looser," he asked, trying not to look at her skirt too much, and instead focusing on her metal foot standing much steadier than her old peg.

"It's perfect. It feels like… me! I have a knee again! Look at it!" she said happily, raising her leg, and the knee joint turned. The ankle turned along with it, moving the entire leg in a sort of 'Z'-shape, with her foot and upper leg parallel to each other.

"It's heavy, but that's good. The old one felt too light," she continued, and he nodded.

"I, uh, I figured that as well. Like, it broke so easily, so I thought that you'd probably want something that's more durable. You don't want it breaking in battle! It's bronze, so it's sturdy, but doesn't rust like copper or iron would. So you can slide through mud with it, or stay out in the rain," he said as she took a few tentative steps. On her third step she slipped, and he ran forward to catch her.

"Looks like you're helping me now," she said, and he nodded.

"Yeah, now we're even, right? You have to start over, so your head start is gone," Hiccup joked, and she smiled, before glancing at his leg.

"Does it hurt?" she asked, making him sigh. Part of him wanted to lie, but what was the point? She knew, and she was the only one who might understand what he felt.

"It does. It burns. It's always… It's like there's a flame in the… stump, and it never goes out. Sometimes it's more intense than others, but it always hurts," he admitted, and Astrid guided him over to the chairs, leaning heavily on him.

"That sucks. Maybe Gothi has something for that. She gives my mom a potion for her back pain, so maybe that'll help," she suggested, and he nodded as he sat down. He hated the idea of going to Gothi for help, but she was right that it was necessary.

"Does yours hurt?" he asked, glad that they were finally able to talk about it.

"It doesn't. But it… it always feels like it's still there. Like I have a knee and foot and then I look down and… they're gone. That's why I'm so happy with this new leg, it matches what I'm feeling! So thank you!" she said, before leaning over and pulling him into a hug.

"I, uh, I have more ideas for it. I thought about adding a spring in the heel to allow you to jump higher. You might be able to store supplies in the hollow leg. And maybe add some spikes to do damage when you kick an enemy," he said, and she giggled.

"I think I need to get used to the simple version first, but those sound great! You should be proud of yourself," she said, and he felt warm all over.

"Thank you too. For… For not giving up on me," he said when she pulled back. She smiled brightly, before suddenly lifting her arm and punching him hard.

"Ow! What was that for?!" he shouted, and she giggled.

"That was for almost being too nervous to give this to me!" Astrid said, and before he could process it she put her lips on his.

Hiccup was too shocked for the first few seconds to respond, but then he tried moving a little, tilting his head so their noses weren't rubbing against each other.

Finally she pulled back, and the panicky part of his brain, silent during the kiss, was firing up again. Did she like it? Could he do it again? What if his breath was bad? Was his face sweaty?

"And that was for being the boyfriend with the best gifts," she said, putting her hands on his shoulders again. He was her boyfriend? Astrid called him her boyfriend! Oh gods, don't freak out. Don't freak out! Stay cool! Apparently she liked it!

He managed to not pass out, instead producing a goofy grin. She pulled him up out of the chair, and they leaned on each other as they walked to the door.

"So… wanna throw axes with me today? You're going to have to support me while I get used to this," she said, and he couldn't help but nod. There were worse fates than supporting Astrid Hofferson. Especially when she supported him as well.

[coneygoil]

The Home We Built Together, part 20

Two young Vikings. An arranged marriage. Hiccup always wanted to win the girl of his dreams, but not like this. Now he and Astrid must learn to live together and maybe one day, learn to love…

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9| Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19

She knew.

Astrid knew probably the greatest secret to ever slip onto Berk. A Berkian befriending the enemy.

She knew, and somehow, they were still okay.

Nothing could shake the smile off Hiccup’s face as he and Astrid made their way to the cove. Three days had passed since Astrid discovered his secret friendship. He’d worked on helping Astrid and Toothless bonding, which was easier than Hiccup had expected. Both were willing to adjust to each other, and it especially helped that Astrid trusted him enough to let herself be vulnerable around the enemy.

Toothless bounded up to them with an excited gummy smile splitting his wide face. For the first time in years, Hiccup felt wanted. He’d been shunned for so long, people groaning when he walked up or skittering away whenever he strolled by. Even though Gobber treated him like a friend (or maybe more like a son), the blacksmith was technically his boss and needed him for other reasons besides companionship.

Unconditional friendship was different. Toothless’ happy greetings of slobbery licks and nose nudging for scratches made Hiccup’s day. They wrestled and played chase. They were a team in the air, learning to work together as if they were two broken pieces becoming whole when they were fitted together.

On the other side of Hiccup was his young bride. She was more than he could ever dream of asking for. Her unexpected (and miraculous) acceptance of Toothless made his heart soar higher than he’d ever flown on the back of his dragon. He wanted to show her everything. To give Astrid the most amazing experiences a Viking had ever lived to witness.

Hiccup stepped onto the pedal and rounded over Toothless’ back, settling into the saddle. Excitement teemed through him as Astrid took his hand and hopped in behind him. She immediately wrapped around him, and Hiccup glanced down at the lovely arms that adorned his middle.

There was one particular destination Hiccup had in mind, but it could wait. Right now, they were living in the moment.

Toothless launched into the air, hanging low above the spiky tops of the trees. The echo of the sea drew closer and suddenly, Toothless dipped below the trees flying over the sandy shoreline until they were over the choppy waves of the sea. The sea spray coated their faces and exposed skin.  

Toothless glided low until they reached a sea stack. He climbed the length of it, landing with a soft thud atop. The light in Astrid’s blue gaze told Hiccup exactly what she thought about the endless seascape.

“Great view, huh?”

“It’s amazing.”

After a minute of watching the glistening, rippling water, Toothless peeled away from the sea stack and glided onward onto the open waters. Astrid’s arms tightened around Hiccup’s waist at the sight of a pod of Thunderdrums leaping in and out of the sea. He patted her elbow reassuringly.

“They won’t bother us.”

It was jarring the first time him and Toothless flew over the pod of Thunderdrums a few days prior. Toothless didn’t seem worried, as if him and the pod were familiar with each other and knew both weren’t a threat. After the initial concern wore off, Hiccup found delight in watching the wide-bodied dragons leaping happily along the surface. They didn’t seem so fearsome in their natural environment, minding their own business.

“How do you feel about a campfire dinner tonight?”

“Sure.”

Hiccup leaned down and whispered in Toothless’ ear. The dragon warbled in reply and began a diving decent. A gasp followed by laughter reverberated on Hiccup’s back and in his ear, leaving his insides vibrating. Just a few days Astrid hid her face into his back when Toothless made a dive. How things had changed since that first ride.

Toothless skimmed the surface and pulled back up with a pile of fish between his jaws. The island of destination materialized on the horizon. In a minute’s time, they were landing on a rocky shore. The rock formations created stacks and plateaus all around the edge of the island.

Toothless dropped his catch onto the ground and dashed off passed the formations.

“Where’s he going?” Astrid wondered, watching the dragon leave with mild trepidation.

“Gather the firewood closer inland,” Hiccup replied, busying himself with sorting through the pile of fish.

A rounded firepit lined with stones sat close by, and Astrid wandered over to examine it. “I take it you two have been here before.”

“Yep.” Hiccup threw two pollacks over by the firepit before standing and wiping his hands on his vest. “Hope you don’t mind some dinner guests.”

Astrid narrowed her eyes at him as she folded her arms to cup her elbows. “What kind of guest?” she asked, carefully.

Hiccup grinned at his secret. “You’ll see.”

Toothless returned with firewood and soon a roaring fire was ready to cook their meal. It hadn’t been more than a couple minutes since they began cooking that the fast shutter of wings was heard headed their way.

“Terrible Terrors!” Astrid announced. She jumped to her feet and brandished the dagger from her belt.

“It’s okay!” Hiccup moved to stop her before the quickly approaching Terrors made their way up to them. “They’re friends.”

At the growl from Toothless, Astrid held tight to her dagger. “Toothless thinks otherwise.”

Hiccup chuckled at the irony of how quickly Astrid was placing her trust in Toothless. “He’s just a big greedy grump. He only shares food with me. And you now, I guess.” He bent to one knee, grabbing up a fish. “Hey, you hungry, little guys?” Ignoring Toothless’ apprehension, he tossed a fish to each Terror. The little dragons gulped down their dinner, squeaking in satisfaction and licking their chops.

Astrid replaced her dagger and sat back against Toothless’ belly. “I’m guessing you’ve met these dragons before?”

“A little over a week ago.” Hiccup joined her, settling in on the warm belly of his dragon and sticking his fish over the fire. “I wasn’t sure how they’d react to me at first, but then something unexpected happened.”

Astrid looked expectantly at him. “What happened?”

Hiccup grinned. “You’ll see.”

Not even a minute later, one of the green Terrors came scuttling over. He eyed them curiously, sniffing toward Astrid’s way. It gave a little squawk and skittered into the small space between him and Astrid. Astrid shrank away at first, gripping her stick, ready to use it as a weapon if need be. Hiccup raised his hand to calm her. The little dragon curled up into a ball, it’s body cozy touching both their hips.

Hiccup smiled over at Astrid, her astonished expression sending a wave of contentment through him. She hesitantly lowered her free hand, fingertips brushing the Terror’s head between its horns. The little dragon purred happily at the touch.

“First a Night Fury. Now Terrible Terrors.” Astrid let out a breathy, unbelieving laugh. “What are you, Hiccup, some sort of dragon whisperer?”

“No,” Hiccup replied, flat out. This was his chance to voice his opinion to someone who was willing to listen. “I just think everything we know about dragons is wrong.”

***

There had to be a way to show all of Berk that dragons weren’t the ruthless, food-stealing, fire-destroying monsters everyone thought they were. There had to be a way to stop the war and bring peace. These thoughts had been on Hiccup’s mind ever since Astrid discovered Toothless and accepted the dragon in peace. 300 years of war could come to a halt if only he could formulate a plan.

Hiccup sat with his back to the headboard, staring at the wall ahead in the dim light of the bedroom. His mind ablaze with thoughts. He felt Astrid roll over and cup his knee underneath their fur blanket. “What’s on your mind and why aren’t you over there not scratching it out on paper?”

Hiccup chuckled softly. She knew him too well nowadays. “This is something I can’t draw out.”

Astrid propped up on an elbow. “Then what is it?”

Hiccup let out a deep sigh then gestured out toward the window. “If we can show everyone on Berk how dragons really are—”

“What do you plan to do?” A smirk crossed Astrid’s face. “Give everyone on Berk a ride on Toothless like you did for me?”

Hiccup looked at her with indignation, but there was a gleam in his eye. “What if we train the arena dragons? Like I did with Toothless! We can train them and show Berk that dragons aren’t what we thought they were for all these years!”

Doubt crept in Astrid’s voice. “I don’t know, Hiccup. What if Toothless and the Terrible Terrors are just wildcards out of 100,000?”

“I don’t believe they are. I think all dragons can be peaceful if they’re given a chance. We can show Berk that dragons aren’t what they seem then we can stop the war. For good.”

“We’d be taking a huge risk. One that can lead to imprisonment or exile,” Astrid paused, and her next words hung in the air, “or even death. Are you sure you want to take that risk?”

There was no wavering in his mind. The killing needed to end. Peace needed to be an option. Something had to be done and someone had to do it.

Hiccup turned to face her, his jaw set, more serious than he’d ever felt in his life. “Yes.”

Astrid looked taken aback by his tone. “Okay.”

“Do you trust me, Astrid?”

“I do.” She laced her fingers with his, their bond secured like a cord binding them. “I’m with you, Hiccup. Where you go, I go.”

Even in the dim candlelight, his smile shone bright. He wanted to hold her close and show her how much he appreciated her, how much he was truly grateful to have someone on his side and by his side.

“We can’t train any dragons tonight,” Astrid released his hand and Hiccup felt a loss, “let’s get some sleep.”

“We could do something else besides sleep,” he mumbled under his breath. His suggestiveness was not lost on his wife.

“Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III,” she recited his entire name, making Hiccup cringe at the reminder, “are you suggesting what I think you are?”

Hiccup had never felt such a mix of hope and modification all at once. “Oh, you’re taking me seriously?” Panic flared up inside him, his suggestion implying more than he had in mind. “I meant, kissing.” He averted his gaze, wishing the furs atop his legs could make him invisible. “I like kissing you.”

Astrid shifted closer to him, tucked her bangs behind her ear, and reverberated softly, “I like kissing you too.”

His heart throbbed and breath shallowed as Astrid connected their lips in a soft kiss. Hiccup’s previous thought of becoming invisible completely vanished. This wasn’t just a quick smooch like they’d shared before. Astrid tucked her legs under her as Hiccup twisted to a better angle, their lips never parting.

Heat crept up Hiccup’s entire body at the touch of Astrid’s palm sliding along the back of his neck and into his hair, her slight pull deepening the kiss. Hiccup hadn’t realized his hands had cupped her biceps until she disconnected from him for breath.

“I really like kissing you,” he admitted without thinking, their heavy breathing huffing on each other’s faces.

“Then don’t stop,” Astrid murmured onto his lips and dipped back in for more.

***

Writer’s note: Just wanted to leave a little note that all they did after this cutoff was make out XD They still have a long way to go before anything more intimate happens! Anyways, hope this was an enjoyable chapter and thank you for reading! <3

tags: @martabm90 @chiefhiccstrid  @lauracalabresi 

[coneygoil]

 The Home We Built Together, part 17

Two young Vikings. An arranged marriage. Hiccup always wanted to win the girl of his dreams, but not like this. Now he and Astrid must learn to live together and maybe one day, learn to love…

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9| Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16

The fingers of consciousness crept upon him as Hiccup entered the waking world. The break of dawn faintly washed the bedroom with the first beams of sunshine. Hiccup tried to move, but his arm was stuck under something. As the memories from just a few hours ago came tumbling back, his heart sped up its pace.

Astrid had curled up against him and silently prompted him to wrap his arm around her. Resting his palm on her waist was nothing compared to her entire body flush against him. Sure, they’d touched and kissed and (finally!) held hands for longer than a brief moment, but never had they been this close, not even for a simple hug.

As he watched his wife sleeping in the early morning light, Hiccup was caught up in the surreal notion that this was his life. Only four months prior Astrid didn’t even give him a second glance, but now she desired for him to hold her as if they were lovers. They were friends, smitten for one another. One day, they could – they would -- be lovers.

Hiccup’s breath caught and his mouth went dry at the prospect. Before their arranged marriage, he’d reasoned in his young mind that he was in love with Astrid Hofferson. She was everything a Viking could ask for. Hiccup realized that his infatuation was just a crush and that getting to know Astrid as a person was truly what formed the love in his heart for her now.

His thoughts suddenly switched to the day before. The Night Fury. It was crazy to believe that a Viking could befriend a dragon, but there he was sharing a “meal” with the Night Fury and drawing in the sand together. It’d taken a few hours to gain the dragon’s trust, but Hiccup had left the cove with the cool touch of the Night Fury’s nose on his palm.

Gobber’s words from the evening before had propelled his creative mind to build a prosthetic tail for the dragon. He had to save this dragon, and giving him the ability to fly again was the only way. The plan for today was to make the Night Fury happy with a full belly while attaching the new tail. It would be a challenge, but Hiccup wasn’t afraid of trying.

The day would leave him flying or falling, or maybe both.

***

Hiccup had spent his whole life trying to find a way to kill a dragon when he could have just drove them off with…eels. Yep, plain ole’ eels. The Night Fury, who he’d dubbed Toothless after yesterday’s bonding, reared up in terror at the sight of the eel in the basket of fish Hiccup had brought him.

“Having an eel around would of made dragon raids a whole lot easier,” Hiccup muttered as he carefully stepped up to Toothless’ half-tail.

In the last few days, he’d learned more about this one dragon than any book could have taught him. The Book of Dragons was good for one thing: describing how a dragon killed its victims. Spending time with Toothless had been the most educational experience of Hiccup’s short life.

“That’s was a good first try today, huh, buddy?”

The prosthetic tail had worked. Toothless had soared through the air, unceremoniously with Hiccup hanging on for dear life. The only problem was Toothless couldn’t control the tail, but Hiccup’s mind was already cooking up an idea to help with that and it would involve teamwork.

Hiccup was soaring at the prospect of flying with a dragon. His fingers itched to get back to the forge and craft a saddle and rig to control the new tail fin. But all that would have to wait for today. Responsibilities were calling him back to the village, but it could wait a few more minutes.

Her nose wasn’t quite right, but it was hard to capture any image perfectly when drawing in dirt. Toothless watched over his shoulder, much like he did the day before. A low, questioning rumble hummed from Toothless. Hiccup glanced at the dragon, an affectionate smile tugging at his lips.

“This is my wife, Astrid,” he explained, pointing his stick at the picture in the dirt. At the bewildered gleam in Toothless’ eyes, he reworded to something the dragon might understand better, “Astrid is my mate.” He dropped the stick and laced his fingers. “Me and her. Together. Forever.”

A look of understanding crossed the dragon’s expressive green eyes.

“Do you have a mate? A together forever?” Hiccup asked, curiously. As far as he knew, Toothless was the only Night Fury in the perimeter of Berk.

Toothless gave a little whine as he bowed his head.

Hiccup reached out to pat his friend’s head. “There’s always a chance you’ll find a mate one day, buddy. Trust me, I never thought me and Astrid had a chance, but now,” lovely blue eyes accompanied by a bright smile flashed in his mind’s eyes, “we really have something special.”

***

Today’s training lesson was in teamwork. The goal was to wrangle the Hideous Zippleback into its cage with your teammate. Hiccup inwardly begged Gobber to team him up with Astrid, who’d returned to dragon training the day before. But when Gobber announced, “Hiccup, you’re with Fishlegs,” his whole body deflated. At least he wasn’t teamed up with his meathead cousin.

Speaking of Snotlout, him and Tuffnut were getting their butts blown off at the moment by the Hideous Zippleback.

Astrid’s words from a couple days ago cropped up in his mind as he joined Fishlegs by the railing to watch the epic fail in progress. Maybe Fishlegs would be open to talk to him if Snotlout and the twins weren’t around. Maybe if Hiccup took the first step, they could start a conversation.

“Hey…uh, Fishlegs.”

The larger boy glanced over at him in surprise, his overbite resting on his bottom lip. “Uh…hey, Hiccup.”

The awkwardness was thicker than yak’s milk, but Hiccup was willing to try to make a friend. “So, you like learning about dragons?”

Fishlegs tipped his head and shoulder, nonchalantly. “Yeah.”

Hiccup mentioned the first species from the Book of Dragons that came to mind. “The speed stinger sounds cool - paralyzing its victims with the stinger of its tail. I wonder how long you’d be paralyzed. Or the Scouldron shooting scolding hot water from its mouth. That would definitely hurt.”

Hiccup glanced over at Fishlegs to gage his reaction. The boy’s face was slowly exploding into a wide smile and his eyes gleamed with excitement.

“Finally, someone read the Book of Dragons!” Fishlegs squeed in an outrageously high pitch that caught Hiccup off guard.

That little starter topic opened a flood gate. Hiccup had never seen Fishlegs so animated. It was like a completely different person stood in front of him. They discussed various types of dragons, the concerning screams of Snotlout and Tuffnut from the arena floor muted as they chatted.

It wasn’t long before it was their turn to wrangle the Hideous Zippleback back into its pen. Fishlegs stood with his back to Hiccup, rambling off facts about the Zippleback, as Gobber released the two-headed menace once again.

Hiccup suspected the dragon to be furious with this second go-around. He doubted Fishlegs would be any help wrangling the Zippleback. The scholarly boy didn’t seem to have a slaying bone in his boy. Hiccup could relate.

A popping blast exploded from the cage, and the Zippleback emerged from the smoke. Fishlegs’ screams rang off the stone walls as he and Hiccup dodged the charging dragon.

“Be authoritative with this leather sack!” Gobber’s voice yelled from somewhere in the distance.

“How can you be authoritative when it wants to kill you?!” Fishleg retorted in a panic.

The Zippleback seemed to prefer the terrified boy and continued its pursuit. Fishleg’s short legs were getting slower and clumsier, and it was no surprise when he tripped face down on the hard ground. The Zippleback reared up, flashing its wings and screeching.

Hiccup knew this was his opportunity. He wasn’t 100% sure this would work. Maybe only Night Furies were frightened by eels, but there was no better time than now to test it out.

“Back!” he ordered as he jumped between Fishlegs and the Zippleback. “Back! Back!” The dragon began to recoil, alarmed at the small amount of eel sticking out of Hiccup’s vest.

“Now don’t you make me tell you again! Back into your cage.” Hiccup couldn’t believe this was working! That meant that possibly all dragons were spooked by eels.

“Now think about what you’ve done,” he said casually. The Zippleback shrank against the wall as he tossed the eel into the cage.

Hiccup shut the cage door and turned around to find Gobber and the other teens at the entrance of the arena, staring at him. The sight was a bit comical, really, with wide eyes and mouths hanging slightly agape.

“That was sick!” Snotlout broke the silence, apparently forgetting he was complimenting his cousin.

Fishlegs was the first to rush him. “That was insane, Hiccup! How did you do that?!”

“Yeah, tell us your secret, oh dragon master,” Tuffnut bowed his head as if addressing royalty.

Hiccup wiped his palms on his vest. “Uh, I was being authoritative like Gobber said to be.” He nodded a little too exaggerated to further his point. “Yep, be authoritative. That’s the key.” Thumbing to the side, he added, “So, uh, am I done? I got some things I need to, uh…yep. Gone.”

Hiccup dashed out of the arena before he was questioned any further. He had more pressing matters than caging a dragon…like helping a certain Night Fury break free of his own cage.

@martabm90 @chiefhiccstrid @lauracalabresi

[coneygoil]

Come With Me, part 5

Summary: Astrid decides to leave Berk forever to go into exile with Hiccup and Toothless, but things don’t go as planned…

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Writer’s note: Felt like it took forever to get this part finished! It seems this story keeps wanting to change on me and make itself longer. I guess that’s a good thing XD 

There was no second choice for who would enter the Kill Ring. The Chief avoided the arena after the day he banished his only son. Dragon training continued even though the new recruits had completed their course.

Gobber claimed the recruits needed to sharpen their skills, but he informed Astrid that she needn’t come to practice. Though she wasn’t who Gothi picked for the Kill Ring, her skills and work ethic outshone even some of the hardiest of warriors on Berk. She was ready for when the ugly head of battle roared in

But Astrid had convinced Gobber she needed the extra training. She wished to stick close to the dragons set aside for that purpose. She knew one day they’d all feel the cold hand of death as an ax sliced through their necks. The horrific thought made her shiver and her stomach flip violently. Not that long ago, she’d been happy to lob off the head of one of those dragons. Now she couldn’t imagine hurting any of them.

Appearances needed to be kept in tack. Being violent with the beasts during training happened, but Astrid tried her best to limit it. She tried sneaking in some of Hiccup’s tactics when she could. She’d learned so much from her time around Toothless. It was amazing how much Vikings didn’t know about dragons.

She’d also volunteered to take care of the penned dragons. Her friendship with Toothless made her feel responsible for their wellbeing. The more time she spent with the dragons, the more she longed to set them free and fly off with them. She especially had a soft spot for the Deadly Nadder. The female Nadder would perk up every time she heard Astrid’s voice, and she’d meet her at the bars, squawking in greeting. Astrid would apologize for the treatment from the training sessions. The Nadder would cock her head, crooning as if to say she understood.

It was strange without Hiccup and Toothless around. Astrid had spent a great deal of time with them in the short period of Toothless being shot down into their lives. She’d never had friends as close as them before. Endless training had made her life void of anyone remotely close. The other teens her age had only gravitated towards her because of her status as the most promising young warrior. They never actually tried to get to know her; not like Hiccup had.

She was alone again; left to wait for the days when Hiccup and Toothless would sneak onto the far shores from the village of Berk to spend a few needed hours with her.

Astrid sat on her bed one evening, sharpening her axe and debating whether to ask Gobber to repair the nicks. A scampering of claws on the opening of her window drew her attention, and she raised her axe at the intruder. A green Terrible Terror perched on the sill of her window.

Astrid smiled at the visitor. Hiccup had taken her to an island he’d found where a flock of Terrible Terrors lived. They were friendly little creatures who just wanted to be petted.

“Hey little guy,” she greeted gently so not to spook it. “Did Hiccup send you?”

She looked over the small dragon as she approached it. A tube was tied to its back leg. It allowed Astrid into its personal space as she retrieved a message from the tube to unfurrow it.

“My name is Sharpshot. I will be your Terror Mail carrier. Hiccup has a message for you,” Astrid read out loud at the top of the letter. She chuckled to herself. “Hiccup, you dork.” She turned the parchment over to find the message.

‘Meet me at our secret spot tomorrow. Same time. I really miss you, Astrid.’

Astrid’s cheeks warmed and her heart pumped an extra few beats at the last sentence. This would be their fourth rendezvous since Hiccup had left for exile. This was the first time he’d voiced that he missed her.  She missed him too, more than she ever imagined, though she had yet to make it known.

Sneaking away under the cover of darkness the next night, Astrid found Hiccup and Toothless waiting for her by the cave, a low campfire burning.

“I see Sharpshot found you,” Hiccup commented as she walked up.

“He did.”

Astrid didn’t stop until she’d walked right up to Hiccup, grabbed the ties of his tunic, and planted an unexpected kiss on him. She gazed into his half-lidded eyes as her lips departed from his. “I missed you too.”

***

The quiet of the night surrounded her. She couldn’t sleep, not when her mind was a tangled mess of worry. And surely not while she was trapped in a prison cell with only the hard floor as a bed.

Astrid sagged against the wooden planks of the prison wall. With a defeated sigh, she leaned her head back and closed her eyes. She was a hair’s width away from what she’d longed for for months. There was no regret freeing the captive dragons, but Astrid berated herself for not being more careful.

She’d imagined the adventures her and Hiccup would have. Traversing the Archipelago on the back of Toothless, maybe befriending more dragons and discovering new lands; cuddling by a campfire and keeping each other warm during cold nights. Maybe one day they’d find a nice secluded island, build a house, extend their family.

Astrid looked forward to all of what could be, but now as she was hulled up in the Berk stockade, that future fell far from her grasp.

Astrid snapped out of her hopeless reflecting at the sound of the great horn echoing through the village. “Oh no,” she gasped, knowing exactly what was happening.

She got to her feet. The barred window was slightly higher than her head, and she jumped, catching the bars and hauling herself up to peer out the window. Right at that moment, the silhouette of a dragon swooped down at the village, snatching a sheep as the poor creature bleated for help.

The stirring of voices and commotion awoke throughout the village. Giant torches with growing flames shot into the air, providing much needed light for the battle.

Astrid’s foot gave way on the wall, and she hopped back down to the floor. From her view point, she watched a dragon – most likely a Monstrous Nightmare – set fire to the structure next to the stockade.

Astrid’s heart began to race. If the stockade caught fire, she’d be trapped. She was sure the guard was out fighting the dragons. It’d be nearly impossible to get anyone’s attention in the chaos of battle. She couldn’t sit there and wait for the outcome.

Flipping the single chair in the room over, Astrid stomped down on one of the legs, breaking it off. She wedged it through the bars and hoped the quality wasn’t stout. Astrid pushed the chair leg sideways with all her strength, the leg’s wood creaking at the pressure.     The bars were in no hurry to move, and Astrid threw down the leg with an angry growl, abandoning the only escape plan she could muster.

She jumped to catch the bars once more, peering out at the battle raging on. Fire scorched through the village, lighting the battle in a magnificent display. A dragon suddenly touched down right in front of the window. Astrid dropped to the floor instinctively out of view of the dragon. She knew Toothless and the training dragons, but any wild dragon was deemed untrustworthy until further observation.

A familiar chirp drifted through the bars causing Astrid’s insides to seize up. It couldn’t be, could it? She made her way to the other side of the room, a smile and laugh bursting from her at the Deadly Nadder, its head turned to the side as it stared through the bars at her.

“You found me, girl!”

Astrid jumped back at the sound of the door swinging open. She snatched up the broken chair and hoisted it above her head, ready to fight her way out. She nearly swung out, but stopped at the sight of the last person she expected to see walk through the door.

“Hiccup!” She dropped the chair, and threw her arms around him, relief making her limbs tingle. “How’d you find me?”

Hiccup gave her a quick squeeze before pulling back. “Your Deadly Nadder friend found me and led me here. She must know my scent from being around you and found me at our meeting spot.”

Astrid looked back through the barred window where the Nadder was waiting. “Clever girl!”

“We need to move,” Hiccup said, urgently. They dashed out the stockade, the Nadder meeting them at the door. “We’re riding the Nadder out of here!” He bent over, lacing his fingers together to give Astrid a boost onto the tall beast.

Astrid reached out to take Hiccup’s hand to help him up when a voice boomed toward them like a clap of thunder.

“HICCUP!”

@chiefhiccstrid @alejandrathemexican @howtodrawyourdragon

[coneygoil]

Gracefully Broken, part 10

Three years ago, Hiccup Haddock vanished with only a hastily scribbled note left behind. It isn’t until Astrid is swept up by a dragon and it’s rider that the mystery is finally solved.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9

Writer’s note: This fic is chugging along, but there’s so much more to go! Lots of action to come! 

The charcoal pencil scratched along the paper, Hiccup sketching out an idea as he headed toward the forge for work. He’d recently began his apprenticeship under Gobber, working 3 days a week until he grew older (and grew some muscles, his father hoped). His excitement bubbled over as new ideas cropped up every day and he couldn’t wait to run them by Gobber.

Two hands pushed his back and Hiccup’s face smacked into the ground. Laughter rang out behind him as he raised his head. His notebook had landed several feet away, the pages bent and possibly knocked loose from the impact.

Hiccup brushed his sleeve over his cheek, wiping off the dirt. The inside of his cheek stung. His tongue found the fresh sore where he had bit his mouth. “What do you want, Snotlout?” Hiccup eyed his cousin defiantly as he got to his feet, brushing off grass and dust.

“I noticed you’ve been taking this route to the forge.” Snotlout cracked his knuckles. The sound made Hiccup’s lip curl in disgust, and he wondered how an 9-year old could have such meaty fists already. “I’ll make it a habit to greet you every day.”

“Did you come up with terrorize people minding their own business all on your own or did your dad have to help you with this simple plan?” He knew it was a dumb idea to antagonize his cousin, but he wouldn’t be Hiccup without making a remark, even if it did cause him bodily harm.

Snotlout scrunched his face up, looking rather offended. “I didn’t need my dad’s help! I came up with this all by myself!”

Hiccup laughed humorlessly. “Keep telling yourself that.”

Snotlout snarled. He reared a fist back to maximum damage level. Before he could throw it, he doubled over taking an ax handle to the stomach.

“Picking on the small and weak don’t make you a better Viking, Snotlout!” Hiccup’s rescuer in golden pigtail braids exclaimed fiercely. “If you touch him again, this ax handle will be going places where the sun doesn’t shine, and I will NOT be happy if I have to clean it after that!”

“C’mon, Astrid-” Snotlout tried to reckon with her, but she didn’t let him get another word out. He doubled over again from another blow.

“Now get out of here, muttonhead!”

“Good thing I don’t hit girls!” Snotlout whined as he slunk off to lick his wounded pride.

“Astrid, that was amazing! But why are you helping me?”

Astrid pointed her ax at Hiccup, the weapon remarkably larger than him. He wondered how she even toted it. “I don’t like you, but I don’t like that muttonhead even more. So, if it grounds his yak that I’m helping you, then I’m all for it.”

At least she didn’t want him all to herself to beat up, Hiccup reckoned.

“You disappear into the woods a lot, don’t you?” Astrid asked curiously, watching him closely as he recovered his notebook. “What’s out there that’s so fascinating?”

“Not much. But I like the scenery. It’s quiet and peaceful. And sometimes I go on troll hunts.”

“Really? Troll hunts?”

Hiccup nodded in all seriousness.

Astrid pushed his shoulder, but not in an aggressive way. “You really are a dork. Next time you go wandering off, I’m going with you to keep you from doing something stupid like fall off a cliff or get yourself kidnapped by trolls.”

Hiccup rolled onto his back, the bed creaking under him. He opened his eyes to the rocky ceiling above. He hadn’t thought of that day in years. It was the first time Astrid had stuck up for him to his bully of a cousin. He was never sure of the real reason she chose to do it. Maybe she did hate Snotlout with a passion and wanted to get under his skin by helping Hiccup. Whatever her reason was back then, he was glad she chose to befriend him.

Those few years they hung out together on nature walks held some good memories. But yhe adventures ended as Hiccup began to work at the forge full-time and Astrid dedicated herself to training as a shieldmaiden. They’d talk in passing every now and then, but their lives had taken such wide turns that even the small talk faded into passing glances.

Hiccup wished he would have tried harder to correspond with her. Maybe they could have worked together during dragon killing sessions. Maybe it would have led him to trust Astrid to let her in on his secret hidden in the cove before he flew off to the ends of the world. He assumed that nobody, especially someone as hard bent on killing dragons, would have listened to him. He was wrong.

Hiccup groaned at the thoughts running around in his head. What’s done was done and the past could not be changed. They’d been cooped up in the mountain too long. He craved the wind rushing against him; the freedom of the open air surrounding him; a million twinkling stars close enough to gather from the inky night sky.

He needed an adventure.

He did want to see how Astrid and Stormfly would handle a long flight together. And there was a direction he’d been itching to explore down south.

Hiccup threw the fur blanket aside and grabbed his prosthetic. Toothless warbling at him questioningly. Hiccup smiled at his best friend. “Hey bud, you up for a little adventure?”

“Hiccup?” the voice behind him caught Hiccup off guard and he froze in mid-grab of an apple from pantry. “Are you planning to stay gone the day?” Valka eyed the satchel he was currently stuffing with various food items.

Hiccup continued to raid the shelves. “Probably so,” he replied, trying to sound casual, “or overnight.” The prospect of camping had sneakily wound its way into his plan.

“Where are you going?” his mother asked, her tone concerned that he hadn’t cleared this with her yet. Even though he was 18 years of age, the beginnings of a man and an experienced dragon rider, Valka’s restored motherly care for her reunited son shone through.

Hiccup’s attention focused on his task, unsure of how his mother would accept his plan. “Me and Astrid are going exploring. I want to see how well her and Stormfly do on a long flight. If we fly too far we may make an overnight excursion out of it.”

Valka’s features were unreadable, her mouth slightly open, as she processed the information. Her lips swooped up ever so discreetly. “You and Astrid get along well.”

Hiccup latched the satchel closed, still avoiding his mother’s gaze. “We have known each other our whole lives.”

“Back on Berk, were there feelings for this girl?”

Motion ceased at the unexpected question. Thoughts raced through Hiccup’s mind as he wished to be anywhere else but right there at that moment.

Did he have feelings for her? Of course, he did. He cared about his friend. He was over the moon that she was there learning to be a dragon rider alongside him. But once upon a time, there was something there. Could it still be? He hadn’t processed any emotions yet. How could he verbally speak them if he didn’t know exactly what they were!

“I’m a grown man. I am not having this conversation with my mother.” He slung the satchel over his shoulder, finally acknowledging Valka with a look. He nodded firmly. “I’m going back to my room.”

A hand caught his shoulder. “Be careful, son.”

Hiccup touched his mother’s hand, glancing over his shoulder to offer her a loving smile. “I’ll try,” he replied, because they both knew he couldn’t stay out of trouble for long.

“You and Astrid have fun.” There was a twinkle in Valka’s eye that he didn’t miss.

“And I’m leaving.”

“You ready?”

Astrid inspected the knot holding the blanket and bed roll together. “Are you sure we may stay overnight?”

Hiccup shrugged. “Better to be prepared if we do.”

Astrid scooped up the supplies under her arm, excitement beaming in her eyes and smile. “I’m ready.”

A pressure suddenly encroached Hiccup’s chest and his breath caught. The realization smacked him harder than an out of control dragon wing. Oh no. As he gazed at Astrid’s smiling face, he knew something was there.

@ashleybenlove @howtodrawyourdragon