Acceptance (A Httyd Fanfiction)

Chapter 2: Meeting Saxons

(Normal pov)

Astrid wanted to. But she couldn't.

She tried to leave the grove the night before, to tell Stoick what she'd found, but the girl simply couldn't bring herself to do it. Astrid had failed Hiccup. She had failed him miserably. He was there for her when her Uncle Finn was killed, and she returned that kindness with hatred, scorn and mockery.

"I'm sorry Hiccup." She moaned, tears freely flowing down her face as she clutched the petty dagger in her trembling hands. Astrid couldn't care less about her fearless reputation, or what everyone thought of Hiccup. His death was on her, and there was nothing she could do to take it back. The shield-maiden could feel the morning sun on the back of her neck— she hadn't slept at all last night. The addition of sunlight gave her a much better of the awful scene around her, revealing things she hadn't noticed earlier that night. The grass several yards away was littered with pieces of torn cloth— yet another thing once owned by Hiccup. Astrid choked back the few tears she had left, picking up the cloth and scrunching it in her hands. She also couldn't help but notice several smooth black objects next to the fabric. Astrid assumed they were Night Fury scales. The trembling Viking picked several of the scales and pocketed them, along with the torn cloth. She had to tell the chief about this, but how would she break it to him?

'Is there an easy way to explain how your son was killed' she thought, crawling under the shield and leaving the Thor-forsaken grove and preparing for the confrontation with her village. Astrid took a deep breath, as she climbed back up the pathway, thinking of how she would tell Stoick. 'I will not break down, not in front of the chief.' She told herself, before an image of Hiccup entered her mind. She saw his eyes— a deep shade of green, staring right at her with that hateful, saddened, and heartbroken look he gave her when she joined Snotlout and twins in beating him to a bloody pulp and yesterday night when he burst in on her, the chief and handfuls of others speak horrible things behind his back. Astrid's vision blurred once more, tears clouding her sight and emotion crushing her insides.

'Odin, give me strength'

(Great Hall)

Dagmal was always Gobber's favorite of the two meals of the day. He was certain there was nothing better than a huge bowl of food after a long night's rest, and it seemed that most of Berk agreed with the peg-legged man. The Great Hall was practically silent, with the only sound being the clinking of glasses and the complaining of Mr and Mrs Hofferson.

"We haven't seen her since last night. Stoick, someone told me they last saw her head into the forest!" Ansgar Hofferson pleaded, clearly worried. "Chief, what happened if she ran off after Hiccup? What if a dragon attacked here and we weren't there to save her?"

"You need not worry, my friend." Stoick laughed. "Your daughter is one of the fiercest warriors Berk has ever seen. Anything she runs into down there will regret meeting her!" The concerned man's brown furrowed, not yet convinced. "Okay, look. My son obviously couldn't have gotten far last night, if Astrid isn't home by the time she is, I'll send out a search party."

"Thank you Stoick." He nodded, relieved to have a plan in case his girl didn't show up. He and his wife returned to their seats, leaving Stoick and Gobber to themselves.

"Ya think she's all right?" Gobber asked, curious as to why the shield-maiden hadn't returned home that last night.

"The girl's been gone for half a day. I'm sure she's fine." The chief replied, looking at the teenagers quietly talking several tables away.

"Uh, not sure if you guys know this, but Gobber has offered us a few extra training sessions in the Kill Ring." Fishlegs said with a mouth full of mutton.