A/N: Sorry for the slow update. I have lots of things to work on lately. I also confirmed the previous few chapters so that no plot holes occurred. Thank you to the readers who are still patiently waiting for the latest update, I'm really sorry it took so long. This chapter will feature Astrid and Karalyn's interactions. Karalyn is an important character in this story, so I wanted to make the two of them at least respect each other. Happy reading!
The birds singing and the gentle wind in the woods, calmed Astrid's mind. The Berk Forest is her favorite place. Calm and peaceful, always a place of recovery from activities and heavy thoughts. Although many trees have been cut down over the past few years, Berk's forests are still beautiful. Astrid is not the type of person who likes to be alone, it's just that she always needs time to get away from everything that exists. She needed time to rest herself from all the activities, study the heir and calm her mind. The Berk forest also led him to remember Hiccup.
Inevitably, she recalled her actions 10 years ago. She saw Hiccup befriending the dragon and ran to Chief Stoick without a second thought. She always wondered what would happen if she let Hiccup explain to her about his Night Fury. Perhaps as well, Astrid could restore their relationship that she had damaged. With her able to understand the reason for Hiccup's friendship with the dragon, they also have time to find a solution to the dragon problem, so it doesn't cause a scene. However, what happened was that she got Hiccup banished from the tribe, indirectly. Astrid always wondered how Hiccup would be like now if he were still here. Tall like Tuffnut? Most likely. Big and Fat like Fishlegs? That's barely possible. Or short and muscular like Snotlout? Astrid felt herself sick at the thought of Snotlout.
Astrid has now arrived at a cove. Raven Point cove. Her favorite place and became her secret meeting place with Stormfly. The water in the lake is still clear and natural, showing the fish in the lake, which can tempt the dragons at first glance. Tall trees cover the area. Astrid entered the Lake area, after passing some mossy rocks, she looked around looking for her dragon friend. She saw Stormfly eating some of the fish it had just caught. When he saw Astrid, Nadder squeaked excitedly as she ran towards her, having finished her fish.
"Hey girl," Astrid greeted as she stroked Stormfly's muzzle, feeling her warm scales from her cold hands. "How are you?"
Stormfly was squawking excitedly again as she stroked the side of Astrid's head lovingly. Astrid just smiled. Her parents sometimes had a hard time understanding her, her friends too, but Stormfly was always there for her. The Nadder seems to be able to read the emotions and thoughts of her human friend, so she can comfort him in various ways.
Stormfly squawked as if to say, 'I'm fine, how about you Astrid?'
"I'm fine Stormfly," Astrid said with a smile, sitting on one of the tree trunks which was positioned to sleep. "I'm just thinking about Hiccup."
Stormfly lay beside Astrid looking at her sympathetically. So far, Astrid has never shared her worries and guilt about Hiccup with anyone, whether it's her mother or Ruffnut. Instead, she always tells Stormfly his problems. Stormfly was silent the entire time Astrid spoke, only a few times squawking or gently stroking the side of her head. Perhaps people would think that he was crazy talking to a dragon, like deliberating how she would die from being devoured by a beast. But one thing people don't know is that dragons are sentient beings who care for others, who show no hostility.
"I feel so guilty about what I did to him," Astrid said sadly, hugging her legs. Stormfly looked at her sadly. "I'm so mean. She trusted me, but I betrayed him. He loves me too, but I hurt his feelings. Oh, I'm really terrible, Stormfly."
Stormfly nuzzled her head against Astrid's side, squawking softly in sympathy. She was sad to see her human friend sad like that. The Nadder was thinking of comforting Astrid. The dragon rose quickly, which startled Astrid slightly, then ducked a little closer to her.
"What the-" Astrid said as she stood up. She was confused by her dragon friend's actions, until realization hit her. "Y-you want me to ride you?"
Astrid was not afraid. She was just nervous... and worried. During her friendship with Stormfly, she has not once attempted to fly with it. Flying does look fun, but the risks when flying are also high. She and Stormfly were spotted by the residents, which created a furore that there were still dragons on Berk. She could have crashed or unknowingly overwhelmed Stormfly in flight. However, Stormfly doesn't seem to mind that. The dragon squawked again as it cast its gaze down its scaly back.
"O-okay, I will," Astrid said, slowly climbing on Stormfly's back. She had never been afraid to try something new before, either way wield an axe, practice fighting dragons in the past and other things. But riding a dragon is an extraordinary one. As soon as she sat atop the Stormfly, she felt the dragon's rough and warm scales. Adjusting her sitting position, she said, "Is something like this okay for you?"
Stormfly cackled excitedly, which meant she was fine. The dragon adjusted its foot position as it spread its wide wings. Astrid took a deep breath as Stormfly took a swing. Stormfly flew as fast as the speed of the wind, startling Astrid half to death.
"Stormfly, Stormfly!" cried Astrid in shock, half frightened. She readjusted her seat which had tilted due to the sudden movement of his dragon friend, trying not to look down. "Please slow down, girl!"
The Nadder looked at Astrid, slowly slowing down her flight rate while squawking apologetically. Astrid, who was initially scared, now relaxed because Stormfly flew more relaxed. It's no one's fault that Nadder flew so excited. Balancing in her sitting position, Astrid felt the rush of a cold but soothing wind. She slowly spread her arms while looking at the vast blue sky. She couldn't believe what she was doing. She has flown! Granted, Hiccup has previously flown with his Night Fury in the past, but still, not many Vikings would even think of flying on dragons. She had now completely betrayed 300 years of Viking tradition, she had even trampled on the pride of a true Viking. She has bonded with the enemies of the Vikings, she has betrayed everything she learned as a child, she has bonded with a dragon, and she has placed her trust in Nadder.
Astrid looked up at the vast sky. As if there were no boundaries, the blue sky crossed the horizon. From afar, Astrid could see several islands, but the one that stood out the most was the island shrouded in a very thick fog, the Helheim Gate. Astrid was a little moved to go to the island, because she had never been there, she really wanted to see how the Queen of Dragons looked like mentioned by the Vikings Berkian. She had always been curious to see the dragon, because the Berkian Vikings who went on the expedition refused to talk about it.
"Is it alright if you take me to go to the island, Stormfly?" Astrid asked, stroking the side of Nadder's head. Stormfly immediately understood the purpose of her human friend. Although slightly uncomfortable due to the bad memories of being the Dragon Queen's slave, Stormfly still flies to the dragon island.
Astrid and Stormfly flew into the island's fog. Several pieces of crushed rock floated in the ocean around the island. Astrid felt her skin crawl when she touched the mist. The mist felt hot, but cold at the same time. The smell of blood and smoke can be felt as soon as you approach this island. Some distant sounds could be heard, but Astrid's focus immediately fell on the dead dragon lying on the edge of the island. According to the words of Chief Stoick and the Vikings who went here, this dragon is huge. The four huge legs it used to support its enormous body, and the club's incredibly strong tail, but Astrid saw that the dragon's head had disappeared around the neck. Of course, this giant dragon has been attacked by something, but it is certain that the Viking attack will not have such a big impact. In fact, he doubts that the Viking tribe can defend against this Dragon Queen. Staying on top of Stormfly, Astrid continued to stare in awe of this giant dragon. Whoever did this job, it was clear they were strong and incredibly reckless people.
Stormfly squawked uncomfortably, clearly loathing even more to see the Dragon Queen's cruelty, even if only her corpse was left. Seeing Stormfly's discomfort, Astrid decided to return to Berk. Hoping that the residents would not notice that there were dragons flying during the day, Astrid requested that Stormfly return to Raven Point cove without exposing herself too clearly. Dragons were indeed very rare to see nowadays, however, seeing a dragon in the daytime was a strange and astonishing sight.
They finally arrived at the cove. Being away from settlements, allows them to land safely. As Stormfly dived, Astrid quickly returned to holding her dragon friend, still not used to Stormfly's dive. She was grateful that Raven Point bay was still safe and quiet. While getting off Stormfly, Astrid kept thinking about who had subdued the Dragon Queen. The Dragon Queen is definitely very strong and formidable, hard to beat just like that. But it seems that every dragon has its weaknesses, and the one person she thinks knows dragon secrets is Hiccup. Hiccup Haddock, former heir to the throne of Berk, her former childhood best friend, and the first dragon rider? When remembering Hiccup, Astrid again felt the sadness in her heart, which had previously been cured by flying with Stormfly.
Astrid sighed while shaking her head, trying to get rid of all the negative feelings and thoughts inside her. She had finally seen that the world was indeed vast and extraordinary. Being in the sky with Stormfly, makes it feel like he can hold the world. Islands that would normally be reached in a few hours or days by boat, can be seen while flying with the dragons. That's what it feels like to be a dragon, to feel so free from all the problems that exist.
"That was an extraordinary experience flying Stormfly," Astrid said appreciatively, while stroking Stormfly's muzzle, making Nadder purr comfortably. "The world really is wide, right Stormfly?"
Stormfly gave a soft squawk in return, stroking the side of Astrid's head lovingly. The dragon was happy to entertain her human friend. Nadder had indeed made the right choice in comforting her human friend.
"Stormfly? That's a good name."
Astrid froze for a moment, when she heard a voice behind her. Her body became extremely stiff and her breath caught. Did she get caught?! Wait! If he had been caught red-handed by a Viking who hated dragons, she would have been immediately attacked rather than praised for her choice of name for her dragon friend. Astrid quickly looked back, as her cramped nerves returned to normal. Someone emerged from the bushes, presenting someone he had not expected at all.
"W-w-what are you doing here Karalyn?!" Astrid asked frantically, taking a few steps back, silently praying that the girl wouldn't see Stormfly, looming beside her. The image of a shieldmaid, respected warrior and heiress of Berk vanished, replaced with Astrid Hofferson panicking that she would be arrested for befriending a dragon.
"Just for a walk, I hope I didn't disturb you," replied Karalyn with a smile looking at Stormfly who was doing a slight protective move protecting Astrid. "So I see you're bonded to a dragon?"
"T-that," Astrid stammered.
"Calm down," Karalyn said reassuringly to Astrid, out of pure shock and fear. "I'm not going to tell anyone about this, not even Chief Stoick."
Astrid still couldn't speak. A secluded place that only a few people knew about, that they no longer even cared about, was discovered by one of the last people she was on guard against. Karalyn Bellingson is something else. The chestnut-haired girl remained calm, waiting for Astrid's answer, which never came. Seeing that Astid was still speechless, she resumed her words.
"You see, I've actually watched your meeting several times from a distance," Karalyn said casually, making Astrid's eyes widen in surprise.
"W-what?! How?!"
Astrid didn't feel a presence at all whenever she encountered Stormfly at Raven Point. How had she not sensed someone's presence all this time?!
"That's a good question," Karalyn said with a smile, then she gave a high-pitched whistle, which Astrid didn't understand at all as to the purpose of the action. Moments later, Stormfly notices something in the trees on the cliffs above Raven Point cove. Astrid looked towards the trees, but saw nothing there. However, the leaves on the trees were rustling, which indicated that there was movement of something intangible. Suddenly a dragon appeared in that place. The dragon flew low and landed beside Karalyn, who smiled while stroking the side of her head.
Astrid was very surprised to see that dragon beside Karalyn. The dragon was of medium size, red-orange body, with two horns sticking out on the sides of its head, one horn on its nose, and a long slender tail. With its half tame eyes, the dragon looked alternately at Astrid and Stormfly.
"Changewing," Astrid muttered in amazement as she held her breath. She was still stunned by the dragon in front of her. The reason is, Changewing doesn't appear too often on Berk, like Nadder, Gronckle, Zippleback and Nightmare. They tend to hide from people, using their camouflage abilities, where the Changewing can change their skin color to adapt to their surroundings. "You bonded with her?"
Karalyn smiled as she petted the Changewing again, who was snoring comfortably while closing her eyes. "That's right," she replied simply. "I'm tied to a dragon, just like you."
"How did you find her?" Astrid asked. It was the only question she could think of to overcome this awkwardness. A girl caught her befriending a dragon, then the girl confessed that she was also attached to a dragon and that it was Changewing. "I mean when-? How you bonded with eh-?"
"Celare," answered Karalyn simply. "Her name is Celare,"
"To answer your question earlier," she continued when Celare slowly began to show interaction with Stormfly, who had been still on alert. "I found her in the forest of North Berk 7 years ago."
Astrid's eyes widened in surprise. This Karalyn girl had been attached to the dragon for that long and no one knew about it. She must have understood dragons very well and was fluent in flight. No one would think that this slender girl was a dragon rider. But Hiccup, who at that time was the village dwarf, was also attached to the dragon.
"You see the scratch mark on her left wing right?" Karalyn asked Astrid, pointing at the Changewing's left wing. Astrid saw some of the scratches and nodded her head. Karalyn slowly held the scar and stroked it gently. Astrid could see some emotion in eyes. It is a mixture of compassion and anger. "Celare I found entangled in the ropes of a trap in the forest of Berk. I guess it was a dragon hunter attack. I nursed the wound on her wing until she can recover."
Dragon hunter. They were not Vikings attacking dragons to survive and defend their home, but instead made the act of hunting dragons for money. So you could say it was a job for them. Astrid could understand Karalyn being angry with the hunters. As one of the few who knew the truth about dragons, Astrid was also annoyed by the actions of the dragon hunters. Not that he didn't feel guilty. The reason is, born into a family and village that hates dragons, Astrid has been instilled with a philosophy to hate dragons since childhood. But then, the dragon hunters just disappeared. Astrid didn't know much about dragon hunters. Some people speculated that the dragon hunters had quit their jobs, others speculated that they had been defeated by Dragon Utopia. Astrid couldn't stop thinking why everyone was directing every incident to that nation. The Berkians had clearly not met the nation face to face, so it was not at all good to make such arbitrary accusations.
"How did you get close to her?" Astrid asked Karalyn, as Stormfly and Celare began interacting in their language, which neither of the Berk dragon riders understood at all. "I mean you were small then and surely the Changewing would be wild after being attacked by dragon hunters,"
"At first I was also scared, but I decided to be brave," replied Karalyn. "I can't leave her like that. It's true that he showed aggression at first, but I showed confidence in her. In order to bond with a dragon, you must show your trust in it. Dragons are creatures that are loyal to their riders, so it's no wonder we have to show some trust."
"After all, if Celare suddenly gets aggressive," Karalyn said as she reached into her right pocket, pulling out a handful of green grass Astrid had never seen before. Karalyn showed it to Astrid. "I can use this Dragon Nip."
"Dragon Nip?" asked Astrid confused. She had never seen that thing before. What's the use of fighting a wild dragon? Karalyn just stared at Astrid for a moment with a strange look, which made Astrid feel stupid. Clearing her throat softly, Karalyn said, "Yeah, uh, Dragon Nip. It can be found in the South of Berk, there are quite a lot of Dragon Nip there. I used it several times to pacify wild dragons and it was quite effective."
"Ah, I see." Astrid said while stroking her left hand. She was a little embarrassed for not knowing about that thing. "But how did you know about the use of that thing?"
Karalyn just put her small bag on the ground and picked up a book that Astrid thought was a journal. The book was small and the cover was wrinkled leather. Some of the paper had started to turn yellow, indicating that the book was quite old. Karalyn, hesitated for a moment, but then gave it to Astrid. Astrid took it, then looked back at Karalyn with a questioning look.
"I thought that since you are also bonded to a dragon, I can trust you," said Karalyn. "That book is a journal, it contains a lot of information about dragons. I have read all the information in the book and it has proved useful."
"Where did you get this book?" asked Astrid, looking at the cover of the book. It is empty, but well preserved, because otherwise this book would be full of dust. "And who wrote this book?"
"You will find the answer when you see the first page of the book," Karalyn replied calmly. Astrid slightly frowned but slowly opened the book to the first page. When she opened it, Astrid's eyes widened in surprise. Not because of what, she read the name HHH III written on the book. It's Hiccup's! "I thought you were familiar with that abbreviation."
Astrid just nodded her head while looking at Karalyn, "T-these belong to Hiccup," said Astrid. "How could you-?"
"Found it in Hiccup's room when helping Gobber clean up," Karalyn said cutting off Astrid. "I think he left it there."
(10 years ago, Hiccup: "Damn, I brought the wrong journal.")
"There is some information about dragons in the book," said Karalyn. Astrid began to turn the pages of the book trembling. This is Hiccup's journal! Astrid again felt unbearable sadness. He saw several pictures of dragons in the book, such as Nadder, Gronckle, Zippleback and Nightmare. Astrid also saw the Night Fury sketch. The pictures are made with great craftsmanship. Astrid then notices some of Hiccup's handwriting about some of the secrets of dragons, such as 'dragons love Dragon Nip, thrives in the desert of South Berk', 'Dragons love fish, but never give them eels! be comfortable' and 'If you want your dragon to trust you, then you have to trust it too'.
"I think he wrote it when he was friends with Toothless," Karalyn said as she took the book back, when Astrid decided to give it back. "I got a lot of information about dragons from him."
"T-Toothless?" asked Astrid confused to Karalyn. Who is Toothless?
"Toothless is the name of Hiccup's Night Fury best friend," answered Karalyn while putting the journal back into her bag. "I thought you knew, or at least he told you."
"N-no, uh, he didn't say anything to me." Said Astrid sadly while lowering her head. She recalled Hiccup's angry words to her when he was imprisoned that time. Hiccup loved her, and she betrayed him. She tore his heart in two. And now, Astrid realizes that she loves Hiccup. But Hiccup has left Berk. Either he lives or dies. Even if he lived, he must have had a female figure by his side, who was better than her.
Karalyn saw Astrid's gloomy expression. The chestnut-haired girl knows that the heir of her tribe has a crush on Hiccup. She also knows that the relationship between the two of them is very bad. Gobber tells her that Astrid avoided Hiccup after Finn Hofferson's death, leaving Hiccup Haddock friendless while being bullied by the villagers.
"You miss him don't you?" asked Karalyn quietly. Astrid was slightly jumped by the sudden question.
"W-what?!" stammered Astrid.
"You miss him, don't you?" asked Karalyn again, somber. "Hiccup, I mean."
Astrid saw Karalyn's gloomy face. She didn't really know what this blacksmith's apprentice had to do with Hiccup. Astrid recalled Karalyn's hopeful expression when Johann told her about the Dragon Master. But what does that have to do with it?
"Y-yes, I miss him so much," Astrid said quietly, looking at the blue lake water with sad eyes. "I have betrayed him. The last thing he said was he loved me, but I left him. I never thought I could restore our relationship. But now it's too late. He's either alive or not out there."
Astrid kept her eyes on the lake, not seeing Karalyn's face at all. Their dragons are playing in the back. Astrid had no idea what made her pour out her heart to a girl she wasn't close to at all. But, it seemed he could trust her. This girl is very similar to Hiccup. Highly talented at inventions and blacksmithing, considered a dwarf in the village, out of favor in society, and alone with no family to care for them at this point.
"I'm sure he's still alive out there," said Karalyn. Astrid turned towards her and saw her face which had an expression of hope and optimism. "I realized how innocent I used to think when I said that Hiccup would be fine out there, where the outside world was very harsh and dangerous. But I'm sure he's fine for now."
"If you really care about her right now," she continued, looking Astrid straight in the eye. Astrid was slightly taken aback by Karalyn's eyes and tone of voice that she had never seen before. The normally awkward girl, spoke to Astrid with extraordinary seriousness. "Show it by your actions. Mourning the past won't change anything. If you are still stuck in the past, how will you face the future?"
Astrid just stood still, not saying a word. Young girls 10 years younger than her had given her lectures and advice, all of which were true. Karalyn slowly walked back to the village. Celare followed behind her. Astrid felt a touch on her arm. She turned her head and saw Stormfly looking at her gently.
"Already afternoon," said Karalyn as she climbed out of the cove. After interacting briefly with the rider, the Changewing flew away into the forest. Astrid thought the dragon lived nearby. "I think we should head back to the village, head to the Great Hall, and have lunch."
"That's right." Answer Astrid. She then said goodbye to Stormfly, stroking its muzzle affectionately, making the Nadder purr comfortably. "See you later, girl."
Karalyn is right. Astrid could not continue to mourn her past folly. She had to face what was to come. She must work hard so that she can restore her relationship with Hiccup. Hiccup must be alive out there, and when they meet, she won't be such a jerk anymore. Picking up her ax that was lying on the ground, Astrid followed Karalyn back to the village.
A/N: Hope this chapter is good. The next update is Hiccup's life in Dragon Utopia. I will try to finish the next chapter quickly. See ya!