Beyond Berk

Chapter One: Beyond Berk

Melody Haddock trampled down the stairs, eager to leave the house. Helena and Mel were going to the market during school. The mere thought of ditching the Academy of Boring Dragons had Mel itching in anticipation.

"Morning mom," Mel greeted Astrid, her mom. Without looking, Astrid gave Mel her eggs and milk. Astrid had gotten skilled in the kitchen, well, at multitasking in general.

"How was your slee-? Mel! What on Thor's rocky mountain are you wearing?" Mel looked down at her crop top. She made it last night.

"Mom, its a crop top! Helena wears one," Mel argued. She forgot to mention that Helena's was a dare from Mala on their last sleepover a year ago. It hasn't been touched since.

"I hope not!" Astrid replied. "Hiccup!" Astrid called for her husband. Hiccup came in, all the more ready to fuse the latest mother daughter spat. Let's just say it happened often.

"What dear?" He asked.

"Please tell your daughter that she is not allowed to wear a crop top in public, or anywhere for that matter," Astrid said.

"My daughter?" Hiccup asked. He seemed slightly offended.

"Yes, your daughter," Astrid replied, annoyed with his lack of dispatch.

"Why isn't she yours?"

"Because she's misbehaving," Astrid replied. Mel didn't wait to hear the end of the conversation. She bolted towards the door. She saw the opportunity to leave, so she took it.  Little did she know, her parents weren't really fighting. It was just a tactic to get Mel to think she had one.

Even fifteen years later they still worked as a really good team.

Astrid quickly grabbed Mel's arm, and slipped the small shirt over Mel's head. Astrid then replaced it with a much longer one, almost a size too big. "And this," Astrid gestured to the crop top, "is going right here." Mel watched as her shirt burned in the kitchen fire pit.

"Mom! How could you do that?" Mel asked. She worked on it for a good five minutes.

"Don't worry. Fishlegs did the exact same thing when he found Helena's. Oh, yeah, your father is heading classes today at the Acedemy. Someone spilled you would be ditching school today," Astrid notified her daughter. Mel just stood in horror. How did they find out?

"Who?" Was it the cousin's?" Mel asked. Astrid shook her head and smiled. She loved making Mal guess

"Snorelout?" Mel asked. Again, Astrid shook her head. Snotlout's son wasn't oblivious, like his father. He knows how to stay out of trouble with the ladies.

"No, not him either."

"Then, oh no."

"Helena," Astrid finished Mel's sentence.

"When?" Mel demanded.

"This morning. It was Fishlegs who told us, and Helena who told Fishlegs," Astrid answered. She grabbed her axe from the wall. "I'll walk with you to school."

"Why mom? I can take care of my self."

"Well, you do childish things, we treat you like a child. That's how this works," Astrid replied. She threw water on the fire pit, coals now glowing red.

"What are you gonna do, hold my hand?" Mel asked sarcastically

"I could if you wish," Astrid replied. She smiled that motherly smile that drove Mel up the wall.

"No mom, I'm quite alright. In fact, I bet I can beat you to school," Mel said. She raced out the door as fast as she could. There's no way mom can beat me.... I'm the fastest in school.

"Oh no you don't," Astrid said. And, she was gone. Both Haddock women, the envied women of the town, were racing each other all the way to the Academy.

"No Mel?" Hiccup asked as Astrid arrived. Hot on her trail was Mel.

"Mom, how did you beat me?" Mel asked.

"Your mom's the fastest on Berk," Merida said. She and Astrid came to be great friends.

"Yeah, and your father's the second fastest," Snotlout said.

"No, I'd say Toothless is the fastest of us all," Fishlegs replied.

Toothless looked up at the sound of his name. He was trying to figure out how to catch Nightfire's tail without tearing it.

"We're not talking dragons, Fishlegs. Of course Toothless is the fastest," Merida replied. 

"If we could get back to roll call," Hiccup said. Everyone turned to the stone board in front of Hiccup. "Well, since everyone is here, we can get started."

"When do we get to kill a dragon?" Malanut, Ruff and Throk's daughter asked.

"Yeah!" Duffnut added. He was Tuff and Nora's son. Nora was Astrid's older sister. Astrid never did understand why her sister would marry a Nut.

"We do not kill dragons anymore," Hiccup said. 

"Why not?" Mel asked.

"Because, umm," Hiccup stuttered. He looked to Astrid.

"Well, dragons are such sweet creatures. We couldn't kill them," Astrid covered.

"Mom, the only thing you think is cute is dad. Not even Nightfire gets the title cute. She gets the title destructive," Mel said.

"Told you dragons are dangerous," Duff told his cousin Mala.

"No! I told you that!" Mala argued. They were tiny versions of Ruff and Tuff.

"Ugh, you two! Just quit it, will you?" Helena asked. She was busy trying to look at schematics for cunning edge technology for an axe. They came by Terror Mail the day before. She had inherited her father's love for figuring things out. It also came from many years of working in the forge with Mel.

"Hal's right. Shut it," Mel said. She leaned back in her seat.

"Mel," her mother warned. Heather just snickered.

"Remind you of anyone?"

"Nope," Astrid answered.

"Funny, cause she reminds me of someone."

"Girls, is there something you would like to share?" Hiccup asked. He waited patiently for their response.

"Uh, no," Astrid answered. The class all burst out in laughter.

"Hey, we already learned this stuff," Heather told the kids. They all shut up.

"Hey dad, I have a question," Melody said.

"Yes?" Hiccup answered.

"There is all this talk about other dragons, so where are they?" Mel asked.

"Um," Hiccup said.

"What is Beyond Berk?"