How to Train Your Dragon: Journey Beyond Berk

Chapter Thirteen - The Return of the Dragon Army

Astrid's POV:

 It's been two days since Hiccup and the group left Berk to gather up the dragons back at the Sanctuary. My mind was racing, I kept telling myself they are with men on boat and it takes longer to sail back than it would on their dragons. I shook my head, trying to get out of my thoughts. Gobber sat across from me at the table inside the hall, going through the list of changes to come that was discussed at the meeting a few days prior. I looked down and started to pick at the food that sat in front of me and scribbled in my notebook to help busy my mind. I started off with a few lines here and there and continued going into more detail, my head tilted when I realized I was sketching Hiccup. I slammed the book and got up and grabbed my drink, making my way towards the fire in the center of the room.  

"You good chief?" Gobber finally said, setting down the list on the table and looking up at me.

"Yeah," I responded, looking at the drink in my hand, "I just keep having this weird feeling somethings wrong."

 He let out a laugh, "of course somethings wrong, we are about to be an island overpopulated by Dragons!"

"You know that's not what I meant, Gobber" I responded letting out a soft chuckle, thankful that he even got me to laugh. 

"I know," he sighed before reassuring me, "they'll be fine, they have a Nightfury of all dragons!"

 I nodded my head before walking around the room and making my way back to the table before adding, "it's just a lot going on at once..." A sigh escaped my lips as I sat down, moving the notebook off to the side and resting my face on the palm of my hand. 

 Gobber looked at me and smiled and then tilted his head, "indeed it is, all part of being Chief. Doesn't mean you have to go about it yourself..." He nodded towards the notebook and then looked back at me. 

 My head shook as I began to respond, "What do you mean?" 

 His shoulders shrugged as he leaned back in his chair and grabbed the list from the table, "just a comment Chief!" he said, "I may be old but I'm not blind Astrid, anyone in their right mind can see how you feel even if you don't fully see it yet." 

 I opened my mouth to respond and cleared my throat, my cheeks started to fill with color from embarrassment, "like I said Gobber, there's a lot going on... I'm not ready for any commitments like that especially with someone I basically just met." 

"You've known him since you two were babes, trained together and everything. Seems as if fate brought you two together if you ask me!" He held up his drink before bringing it back down to take a sip. 

"We were children, I didn't speak with him." I responded sternly, "we were training against each other if you recall, and might I add I wanted to slit his throat most days back then!" 

 Gobber laughed as he stood up from his chair, making his way towards me and opening the notebook to the sketch I just made of hiccup, "that's how it all starts isn't it?" 

 And with that he exited the hall. I turned back to him as the doors closed behind him letting in a small gust of wind, causing shivers to run down my spine. I looked around the hall and back at my notebook before tracing the sketch, a smiled made its way across my face before I finally closed the book. I grabbed my things and the list that was sat where Gobber was and made my way out of the hall. The second the door opened I could feel the wind picking up as I covered my face from the remaining snow that fell from being blown into my sight. Luckily it wasn't a long walk to my house, I thought to myself. The sky above was filled with the stars of the night sky and snowflakes from the earlier snow fall being blown by the wind. Many Vikings from far off lands think we are crazy to live in a climate like this one, but it's always been home. Us Berkians were just built different, and soon enough we'll be the talk of the century when they see us traveling amongst the wild beast known as dragons. When I opened the door to my house, I was greeted with the warmth from the fire causing the rest of the house to illuminate from the burning fire. I began to walk to the table and set down the lists we've created and gone over what seems like a hundred times already since the day of the meeting, alongside it I set down my drink and my notebook before turning to the closet to change into clean clothes for the night.