𝐑𝐔𝐍𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐘

Chapter-11

"You know that it's noon, correct? I'm sure your parents would appreciate your presence for a meal." Hiccup asked sarcastically. The two were sat on a rock while Hiccup tinkered with an instrument of his own convention. The sun reflected on his scaly armor, making him appear god-like to the naïve Viking maiden.

"I know." Astrid replied simply.

"Then why have you taken a keen interest in me?" Hiccup asked curiously. He momentarily paused his own musings to look at the girl sitting on his right. Astrid looked towards the dragon resting in front of them before the lake.

"It's because I know things." Astrid stated cocking her head to the side. Glancing down at Hiccup's work she remembered it from one of his designs she had looked at. "Here. Let me try." She extended her hand that was met with Hiccup's contraption and she started to mess with it. Astrid grabbed the tool out of Hiccup's gloved hand, making sure to not damage anything.

"Where did you learn?" Hiccup asked her, watching the maiden work.

"I started to learn from Gobber, trying to make amends for thinking that I was responsible for killing you." Astrid shrugged her shoulders. "Then secretly, at night, I slowly made my armor." The Viking unstrapped one of her forearm armor pieces and handed it to Hiccup. Earlier she had revealed that she had acquired the materials through the trader Johan, who Hiccup realised had obtained the same materials from himself.

Hiccup lulled over her words for a moment before asking, "You thought that you killed me?"

"Uh," Astrid sounded with a small amount of nervousness. "Yeah. I chased you into the woods, and I was too scared to attack a Night Fury." She paused for a minute, coming a realisation. "Even though it turned out that you didn't need the help." Astrid let a small smile escape to her lips. She handed the contraption back to the Dragon Rider.

"Astrid the Fearless, huh?" Hiccup asked sarcastically.

"Shut it, Useless." Astrid joked back to him.

"Oh. Real original, Hofferson."

"Ryder!" Called the other male Dragon Rider that first landed with Hiccup in village square. "I've gotten word from Aevar! The woman has agreed to aid us." The baritone man spoke with happiness, dropping from his Razorwhip's saddle and showing Hiccup the message. "The gods are with us, my friend." His face reflected the joy that he spoke with. Even though he knew the consequences of war, he could not help but feel that they would end up on top of this.

"That is good news!" Hiccup shouted joyously, jumping off the boulder they had been sitting on. Astrid stayed on said boulder, looking at her forearm armor that Hiccup had left in his place. "Kari, it has been too long since we've last had a conversation. How are you?"

"I am all right, I assure you." Astrid sat staring at the two friends now, Hiccup hadn't sounded happier in her memory. "I still haven't managed to find what it was that I'm looking for before I got your message." The Viking maiden soon began to wonder how they were sending messages to each other, it was obviously faster than flying to them himself. Most likely safer, as well.

"I am sorry for that. I wish these were better circumstances." Hiccup apologized, giving his friend a hug. It wasn't all that normal to see two males embracing in the Archipelago, although there were tribes that deemed it necessary for an apology to be given and accepted. It was rather unusual to Astrid, as Berk was of mostly tasteless people.