Of the Northmost Winds and Skies

Chapter 38: Everything goes well for a little bit

"This might be a weird question," Jamie said, "but have you ever considered decorating a real tree?"

Brant gave him a look as if the question really had been unreasonable. He glanced up at the halfway constructed Christmas- No, Snoggletog tree, and then held up the wooden shield he was painting. "What would we do with these then?" he asked back.

Jamie nodded slowly. "I guess... you have a point," he said reluctantly.

Hildur turned her shield around. It was covered in dark brown and purple, with no specific pattern or motive – though the streaks reminded Jamie ominously of blood splatter. She grinned. "What do you think?"

"Artistic," Jamie said.

Hildur got up and walked over to Astrid. Astrid was, with so much enthusiasm Jamie almost didn't recognize her, constructing the Snoggletog tree with the help of her mother Leikny and Stormfly. Jamie, Brant, Hildur, Undis and a few other kids sat nearby painting the tree's decoration. Hildur handed Astrid the shield, and Astrid jumped onto Stormfly, who flew up so that Astrid could hammer the shield onto the green planks.

It was a lovely tradition. Jamie liked it. But he also couldn't help but miss Christmas – even if it was, in his mind, still months too early to celebrate it.

"What are you painting?" Undis asked, looking over his shoulder. "What are those? Fishing hooks?"

"Candy canes," Jamie mumbled, looking at his artwork with some dismay. Painting them just reminded him how long it had been since he'd tasted anything sweet. "It's a kind of food that we have back home."

Undis made a face. "Looks poisonous," she informed him seriously.

Jamie had gotten sick from eating too many candy canes before, so he guessed she wasn't too far off.

"Jamie."

Jamie turned around to see Hiccup walking towards him, the limp in his step just a little more prominent than it used to be. Jamie pretended not to notice, and instead frowned at what Hiccup was holding his hand.

"Here," he said, handing Jamie a horned helmet. "Thought you should have this. Odin will need somewhere to put your presents."

Jamie put the shield down and gingerly took the helmet from him. It felt as if he was holding history, though it had yet to become that. He looked up at Hiccup. "O- Odin delivers the presents?" was the first thing he thought to ask.

"As opposed to who?" Hiccup asked with a small laugh – probably at the way Jamie's mouth hung open.

Jamie didn't know how to answer that. Instead, he hugged Hiccup around his chest before putting the helmet on his head. "This is so cool," he said, grinning up at him. "Thank you so much!"

Hiccup's eyes shifted bashfully. "No problem," he said. "Er- I was actually wondering if I could talk to you for a moment. Privately."

Brant, Undis and Hildur were all following their conversation. None of them were very good at hiding the suspicion in their eyes. Jamie hadn't told them exactly how much Hiccup knew, but they knew he knew something.

"Sure," Jamie said, giving the trio a hard look before turning to Hiccup again. "What's up?"

They walked around the tree, and Hiccup checked their surroundings as if he was expecting to be followed. "I was just... Not that I don't trust you—" he started.

"I haven't told him anything," Jamie said.

Hiccup blinked. "You haven't?" he asked. "But why—"

"I'd say things would be a lot easier if you just told him, though," Jamie interrupted again, and couldn't help feeling a bit smug from how bewildered Hiccup looked. "I won't say anything, so you don't have to worry about that. It's your problem, not mine."