That Snoggletog Gift

Summary: Years prior to the peace between Vikings and Dragons, little Hiccup gives a Snoggletog gift to someone who'll be very important to him when he grows up. The first gift of many to come.

I had this idea after seeing some pictures of the Art Book with young Hiccup and Astrid in winter clothes, so maybe they planned on featuring Astrid in one of the flashbacks...

Just so you know, yeah, I'm aware the title is not very creative, sorry... I'm not good at titles... lol

"Mom, please!" Astrid said for what felt to be the hundredth time that week. "You promised I'd be able to get one when I turn eight!"

Both were stomping through the snow that covered the ground basically all the time in this time of the year.

"I know, Astrid, but you're still so young to have a blade... I know you're good at your training-"

"I'm the best my age!"

"Don't interrupt me." She said sternly. The girl lowered her head.

"Sorry, mom..."

Her tone switched to a more motherly one. "I know you are one of the best, but you know how dangerous it is? Start training with blades is not an easy task. You need to train a bit more before I give you a blade. You could get cut, hurt, or even lose a finger or a limb."

"I am ready, mom. I know I am..." She whined to make her point and then remembered seeing someone her age that recently started wearing a weapon hanging from his belt. "I mean, even Hiccup has one now! I saw him with a dagger."

"That's probably because he works in the forge, Sweetie." Hilda explained understanding. Astrid crossed her arms and pouted. "Speaking of him, why don't you go talk to him? You could ask him to see his dagger."

Astrid shook her head. No one wanted to get close to the boy...

"Why not? He's a good boy."

It was not only the fact that he was the smallest Viking his age; he was weird, clumsy and could 'help' dragons raiding... Even Fishlegs, his friend was starting to avoid him, especially after Hiccup distracted Sven who was about to throw an axe at a dragon last raid. Sven missed the target and the axe ended up falling onto ropes that was holding another dragon and so the reptile escaped; both dragons took off with a sheep and a yak. All because of Hiccup...

The boy was a mess...

"You know why, mom..." She sighed and then her eyes found the boy in question just a little ahead and just in ear range, his attention on them, maybe for a long time, or at least long enough for he looked down and turned to change his path, moving as far away as he could from the two. Astrid looked up at her mother, but Hilda was waving at someone, so she didn't even see the boy.

Astrid didn't like it that he heard it; she didn't want him to feel even worse than he was already probably feeling... Of course, that didn't mean she wanted to go talk to him, they were just too polar opposites to be friends.

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Hiccup's new dagger shined under the sunlight as he moved it in front of him. It was the first weapon he did by himself, with Gobber's supervision and occasionally assistance. The boy's been in the forge since he could remember and he asked to do it alone as he felt it was about time for him to do something by himself.

He had observed Astrid training many times, when he could skip his work in the forge for a few minutes or when he tried to practice as well. He admired her skills. Astrid was right; she was ready for an upgrade on her combat training. Besides, if he not only had permission to have a dagger but also worked in a forge, surrounded by fire and molten steal all day – being the clumsy mess that he was – she could have a blade. She was Astrid, after all!