To Suffer A Witch

A Slow Onset of Madness

Oh boy, has it been a hot minute since I did this... Sorry for the super-duper long wait for this one all. After several deletes and complete rewrites, I just couldn't get the flow to feel right. I have finally decided to split it into 2 chapters (the second of which I will need to add more to before posting), and just bloody post it before I wasted another whole year to endless editing. Apologies for any typos or issues throughout as I'm uploading it before I can change my mind. I will come back and read it through more thoroughly tomorrow. Lol

And thanks again to all those who have stuck around and waited for this thing that was beginning to feel like it would never happen. Rest assured, although I may seem to fall off the edge of the map every now and then, I am still here, and I am still working on all my stories whenever life isn't getting in the way. Even when it does, your comments, votes, and follows always keep me coming back! Love you all and see you in the next one :D

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The next couple days seemed to drag by for Astrid. She felt trapped between a longing to see Hiccup again just to prove she wasn't mad, and a strong urge to just write it all off as a delusion. Perhaps one brought on by some bad grain or curdled milk. Countless times she'd been sure she heard hoofbeats outside, only to have them grow into a roll of thunder the next second. Or she'd catch a glimpse of a dark shadow approaching on the road, only to have it melt from her sight a moment later as if swept away by the driving rain.

Some small part of her was starting to worry she was actually going mad. Her mood darkening as she channeled her other feelings into straight anger so as to help herself deal with it better. It wasn't as if she could really speak of it to anyone, anyway. She was still too confused about it herself.

Resigned to bear this burden alone, Astrid had kept to herself as much as possible while trapped inside. Waiting impatiently for a break in the weather when she could distract herself with repairs outside instead. The Lord knows there was always plenty of work to keep her busy. That, and manual labour was better than wasting time dwelling on... Whatever it was that had occurred here the other night.

Fortunately - or maybe unfortunately - she'd soon discovered that the storm hadn't done anywhere near as much damage as she'd expected given its ferocity. The house, shed, and barn had all weathered fair enough at least. An old tree had toppled near the back of the pasture though. She'd gone out to repair the section of broken fencing yesterday. Her brothers helping her as much as she would allow them to - which mostly meant keeping the opportunistic goats from escaping through the hole while she worked.

It had been while she was winding the last of the rope around the newly set post that Ruffnut had approached her from across the field. Somehow always keyed in to the local to-dos, Tuffnut had heard from one of their other neighbours that some people had started to fall ill in town. The worst of which was little Argh — Mr. and Mrs. Ack's youngest son, who was not yet a full year into this world.

"Gunnar thinks it's because of those witches that Trader Johan was talking about the other day," Ruff stage-whispered over the fence. Her thumb gesturing towards the home on the far side of Mildew's plot as she glanced around, as if to make sure no one else was within earshot.

"I'd be rather foolish to agree," Astrid huffed. "It's likely just been brought on by the rain. We all know that a chill in the air today sets a chill in the bones tomorrow." Looking away from her gossipy neighbour, she dressed the knot as her father had taught her before pulling it good and tight. Then she stood and gave her work a proud once over. Nodding, as if to show her approval to the craftsman.

"Maybe..." Ruffnut's hesitant reply trailed off thoughtfully, and she was chewing on her lip when Astrid at last looked her way again. It was almost as if she had something she wanted to say, but wasn't sure if she should speak it aloud.