The pounding at Hiccup's door at only eight in the morning was not expected. Even though his household was already up and going (Valka was with the council, Elsa was sewing some clothes that had gotten ripped, and Ophie was sitting in the living room with two females she'd acquired as friends) it was not a usual time to come knocking, unless someone was dying.
Dying wasn't uncommon, and whoever it was, the person was on the way to knocking down the door entirely, so he got up. Camacazi nearly hit him in the face before she realized the door had been opened. And she looked…frazzled.
"Camacazi!" He jolted back as she pushed her way inside, "Would you like to come in?" He added sarcastically under his breath.
"I can't, I can't. I wont. I refuse. I am not fucking sleeping with him tonight." Camacazi kicked a chair.
"Camacazi!" Elsa scolded, and Camacazi turned to see three little girls staring at her with very wide eyes.
"Hi?" Camacazi's face blushed, "You all…awe, shit. Forget what I said. And what I said after." She amended hastily. Elsa gave a long sigh. Hiccup opened the door.
"Girls…why don't you go out and keep Toothless company. I'm sure he'd love for you to climb all over him." Correction; he'd hate it, but he wouldn't hurt them. It was the only thing that Hiccup could think of to shoo them away, because clearly Camacazi was in an explosive mood. The girls got up, eyes never leaving Camacazi who as pacing frantically, and slowly made their way outside.
When the girls were gone, Hiccup went to get a glass and some water. "Hell, Hiccup. Give me something much stronger." She moaned sourly, and Hiccup backtracked to find her something that would burn when she drank it. She slugged it in one gulp.
"It's today, and I won't do it." She said again, and Hiccup checked the days. By Odin, it seemed he'd almost forgotten it was Camacazi's chief ceremony today! It had almost snuck up on him, like a panther, and now he almost felt horrible that he'd forgotten. Almost. One is a little less sympathetic when someone breaks a chair and swears around children, no matter the situation.
"You have to." Hiccup reminded her firmly.
"I'd rather die." She moaned.
"Don't be ridiculous," It was Elsa who sharply reprimanded her, "Now I'm not looking forward to my ceremony any more than you are yours, but to be so careless to say something like that!" She shook her head angrily.
"Seriously, you're going to go and kill yourself over becoming chief?" Hiccup prompted. She shot a nasty glare.
"Oh, like you were dying to take over Hiccup," She teased angrily, "You wanted nothing more than to see the day when your father handed you the city."
"True, but I'm still here, aren't I?" He questioned, and Camacazi snorted, flipping her hair.
Elsa and Hiccup exchanged looks. "What's really wrong? You were…well, okay with it the last time we talked?" Elsa prodded.
"Nothing. I just won't do it." Camacazi at first said. She then saw the two dubious looks from her friends and her shoulders sagged, "Is it okay to admit I'm terrified?" She asked so softly it was hard to hear.
"You think I'm not?" Hiccup asked, rubbing her arm.
"I don't think anymore was more afraid than I was when I took over my kingdom," Elsa added, shuddering at her fear and solitude.
"What if I screw everything up within a week. My mother, she just knows everything. And I've spent my whole life preparing, I guess, but I feel like I need more time!" She said.
Elsa took over swiftly, "You always feel that way. You could spend an eternity watching her and never feel ready. But your fear is a good sign, really. It means you have empathy and can realize that things may gone wrong, that it is impossible to be an infallible leader. Those that insist they are ready to rule are not ready at all." Elsa assured her, and Camacazi seemed to relax a bit. Hiccup was glad she said what she did, because he was positive he would have attempted to deliver the same message much more sloppily and ended up failing at it.
"Okay, so I might be an okay ruler." Camacazi agreed, running her fingernails through the ruts in the table, "But how do they expect me do go through with this? With him?"
"Same way the expect everyone to do it." Hiccup said. He wasn't gong to give her false hope and tell her that Elsa was looking for a way out of it, because there was not enough time for her, and Elsa's plea might not even make it past a plea. Therefore, although it hurt, he told her what he'd told everyone else that had come crying to him previously.
"But what if he's horrible, not in bed, but to me? What if it hurts more than it should? What if I regret that the child is his?" She began to hyperventilate, and Elsa grabbed both of her shoulders.
"We picked Jari because he is a kind man, a good man." She reminded her friend, "He will not hurt you, but will revere you. We both know that. Right, Hiccup? Jari wouldn't hurt her."
Both girls' eyes flashed toward him. One pleading, one threatening. Since he wasn't helping much else, he nodded vigorously.
"Yeah, Jari's nice. Good choice. Good job." He mumbled, trying to sound supportive, and Camacazi now just looked…small. She was almost crunched up, sitting beside them on that stool, her fragility and unusually slim body highlighted by a clear worried shake.
He hoped Elsa would not be so…heartbreaking to look at on their wedding day. Somehow, he couldn't imagine Elsa so venerable. Then again, that was a word that he would have never associated with Camacazi either.
Until Camacazi calmed down, Elsa pretty much did all the talking. Soon she was sufficiently back to the Camacazi he knew; harsh words, biting attitude, and rough jokes. He heard Toothless barking from the back and took his leave.
"I'm going to go and rescue the girls and apologize profusely to Toothless." He announced, and the girls made little to no sound at his exit.
Camacazi sipped some milk now, a sign of her calmness, and eyed Elsa's gloves. The way she picked at the fingertips, rubbed them together, moved her fingers through the fabric, and she knew.
"So…I'm guessing Hiccup doesn't know…" She said. Elsa didn't pause her movements around the glove.
"Know what?" She asked casually, thinking of completely innocent ideas. Not that Camacazi could possibly know about her powers.
"That you have some sort of magic powers." Camacazi said just as nonchalantly. Elsa had gotten rather good over her ears of hiding things, so she only let a glimmer of fear shine for a millisecond.
"Don't be absurd." She had stopped playing with her hands, "Magic powers? Sure, there's dragons, but I'm just Elsa the Non Viking, remember?"
"The Non Viking with powers." Camacazi added, and Elsa gave a light-hearted laugh.
"Really, powers?" She made a face and shook her head.
"You're good," Camacazi said, "Almost too good, and that's your problem. Now, you don't have to lie to me. I saw you doing something. Fire, water, earth, air…I'm not sure. And for the longest time I could not figure it out, I thought I was delirious. But now I see the way you use your hands, and I'm positive. I've only seen one other person do that, fire, and it was just a guy passing through." She added.
Elsa stared at her for a long time. She was sure her silence had already convinced Camacazi, yet she wanted to be careful, as always. Finally, she realized out of everyone on this group of islands, she could trust Camacazi. Even more so than Hiccup.
"Fine, yes." She sighed wearily, and she quickly checked around. She took off one glove and made a snowflake dance over her palm. Camacazi's eyes widened like a child, and she gasped.
"You gotta tell Hiccup that. He'll love it." Camacazi squealed.
"Not so loud!" Elsa hushed, "Besides…what if he…doesn't?"
"He will." Camacazi rolled her eyes, and narrowed them, "Now…I can see you don't believe me at all. I'm serious; this is huge. I don't know if you could do any damage with this-,"
"I could," Elsa winced.
"Then you need to tell him. The only thing he'll be upset about is not telling him." Elsa was silent, "Seriously. If tomorrow he doesn't come to visit me telling me all about you and your magical powers, I will tell him."
Elsa snapped her head up. "You will not!" She said sharply.
"Oh yes I will."
"You have no right!" Elsa cried in a hushed-whisper, and then made two sharp daggers from her ice, "I could hurt you!" She threatened, but even that sounded weak.
"I'm sure you could. Regardless, I will tell him. I need to get going for my ceremony. Good luck, ya?" She said, and Elsa could tell that it wasn't a prompt for her to give luck to Camacazi, but directed at herself and what she knew she would have to tell him today.
Hiccup came through the door just as Camacazi was leaving.
"Going so soon?" He sounded disappointed.
"Things to do. You'd better visit me tomorrow!" She poked his chest.
"Of course. See you then." Elsa felt a hollow feeling growing in her stomach. She watched as he came over and washed out the glass that Camacazi had left on the table, and seemed to take little notice of Elsa's silence.
"So, Ophelia went off to one of the girl's house, and since I thought I'd be watching them the whole day, looks as though I have a day off." He said, pleased, "Now, not to push, but if there's anything you wanted to do with me- not like that-but maybe we should spend some time together. If not, I'm sure I can find something to order around." He said.
Elsa stood, shaking. "Actually, I have something in mind."
Twenty minuets later, they were on the outskirts of the town, in an abandoned shack that she had seen on her wanderings. Perfect to show someone a well-guarded secret. Hiccup was very confused, to say the least.
"Elsa…this seems a bit…shady." He coughed, embarrassed to have said it. Elsa shot him an annoyed look, so he was pretty sure he was way off target with what they were supposed to be doing here. Yet the idea of him and Elsa doing scandalous things did make him tingle just a bit, and being honest with himself, he was a male. Him and Astrid had had a good sexual life (without the actual sex) together, exploring and all. To say that he hadn't thought about doing such things with Elsa would make him a liar, but he was too respectful to ever suggest that.
"You'll see why." She replied after a moment. She had Hiccup sit down on a bench, and she stood pacing in front of him.
"Okay…" She breathed deeply, "So there's something about me I need to tell you."
"Yes?" He asked, leaning forward, curious.
"Well I can…I've been able to…Sometimes I…When…" She struggled for the right way to begin, and rubbed the bridge of her nose, "I don't know how to say this, Hiccup. I've never old anyone willingly." She admitted softly. Hiccup frowned only a little, and thought.
"Is there another way to say it?" He asked.
Elsa took her gloves off. "It might be better to show. Now, don't…scream…" She closed her eyes. At first nothing seemed to happen. Then it began to snow. It was an usual time for snow this early, Hiccup thought, yet Berk was the center of unexpected weather, so perhaps…
Then he realized that it was coming from the ceiling, and only snowing inside this little cabin. Outside, the ground lay pure and snow-free.
"Elsa…" He said cautiously, and she smiled. Next she cupped her hands and blew. A flurry of snow flew into his face and he jumped back, and Elsa laughed.
She seemed so happy, he realized, and he hadn't said anything yet.
"I've always been able to do this. I don't know how or why, but…well, this is me." The smile on her face was priceless, but he…he was thinking. After a couple moments, her smile dropped.
"Hiccup? Say something." She feared she'd misread him, and everyone had been wrong. What could he possibly be thinking of saying that took such a silence? The snow stopped.
"No! Don't stop!" His sudden outburst surprised her, "It's incredible, Elsa. Really, I'm just speechless…" He breathed.
"You don't look speechless." She said slowly.
"I'm thinking." He admitted, "Can you…make ice?" He asked. There had been a familiar twinge, deep down in his stomach. He wasn't sure what it was, but the idea of ice made it leap farther.
Elsa gave a shyer smile. "I made an entire house of ice." She said almost proudly. She made a little ice swirl at his feet, and Hiccup felt the feeling even louder resonate all through his body. But for the life of him, he could not think to what that familiar feeling, what it was like when he touched the ice and something was the same, but what?
"It's so…cool." He added, and Elsa came to sit with him.
"It can be quite dangerous, and you don't have the same help I had at home. So I need to warn you."
"Dangerous? But it's so pretty!" He argued.
"You remember how I told you about how I hated not being in control? And other things that happened that I was vague about? Perhaps…the danger should best be told in a story. My story."
Hiccup was at once at attention. She told him the whole ordeal she'd gone through; from her birth to hurting Anna as a child. Being locked away to control it. Everyone finding out. The story was not a short story, it took nearly half-an-hour. But Hiccup never interrupted, he just let her talk. It seemed to help her, Elsa, and she relaxed as she told it.
"…And so I came back. I mean, everyone was sort of okay with it, more understanding. I still had some problems, you know. Not everyone accepted it. But we worked on that."
"They're just fools." Hiccup said, and took her hand. She didn't even flinch, so he ran his thumb over her cold hands, now knowing the reason. And that made her beautiful and unique to him.
"Thank you." Elsa said, and she looked a little drained, "There parts of that story I've never told anyone." She said softly.
"I'm glad you told me." He said.
Elsa sighed, and brought her legs up on the bench. She tented her knees, and leaned sideways, her head resting half-way on his chest. She brought her own hand around with Hiccups so it sat in her lap.
Together they watched the snow gather on the floor into piles, and melt away with the sun.
That night, Hiccup had intense dreams. His father was there, screaming to him or at him. His father yelled a lot, some part reminded him with mirth. Everyone was fighting. Oh, and Astrid was there too! Hiccup had not dreamed of her since she left, so it was almost a kick to the stomach to see her alive and fighting, to feel her hand on his hands and all over too. But it wasn't the same passion that he'd once had, it was more like a distant memory.
Memory! This dream wasn't a dream as much as it was a memory! It was the battle, the big one, where his dad died. Why was he remembering this?
At the revelation, the thick smell of burning flesh and dying men and cawing dragons infiltrated every sense. Those were just sights, sounds, and smells one could never forget. He'd fought in battle and won, but this was more a nightmare than anything else.
The ice structure was behind him and- oh, there was that familiar feeling again. In this memory/dream he could walk around so he went up and touched the ice. It was like the feeling of Elsa's cold hands underneath his, and for a second the giant Bewilderbeast that was protecting them was a gigantic Elsa. In his waking mind, he would laugh at it, but now he watched as the image flickered until it was back to the Bewilderbeast. He felt someone spin him around. It was Gothi, who he was positive was not at that fight, but yet she was here and she opened her mouth to say something and-
Toothless licked him into reality. He battered his hands angrily.
"Toothless! I was on the brink of something really important…" He grouched, and Toothless looked unconcerned. He went back onto the porch and came back with a baby dragon in his mouth.
"You know I agree that they're adorable, but you don't have to bring every new baby dragon to me. I'm sure I'd figure out they're around eventually."
Toothless just thumped his tail on the ground, and looked at the big book in the corner, where Hiccup traditionally logged all the information of dragons. Birth, if applicable, name, owner, death, color, ect. Grudgingly, half wondering if he went back to sleep if Gothi and the dream would re-start, he went over to the log and flipped to the next open slot. He set the baby dragon on the desk in front of him, and gave it a little treat that would momentarily stop it from breathing fire everywhere.
"Kind; Hobblegrunt. Color; tangerine. Sex; female. Mother: assumedly Turnip's." And so it went on as he filled in the information. By now it was dawn and he glared at Toothless.
"Let's take her back to her mother before she freak out." He sighed.
By now it was too late to hope his dream would re-appear. But it was trying to tell him something, he just didn't know what yet. Either way, he was pretty sure he was going back to the battle sight, a place he hadn't been in all the years since his father died. And perhaps, he'd take Elsa with him.