Of Axes and Dragons

Friendship

Astrid hadn't really talked to Hiccup, not since before they reached Dun'Broch. She couldn't tell what was going on in that mind of his, and her only true connection was with Eret. The day before, in the midst of battle, Eret had been so scared that he'd die, he made Astrid promise they'll marry as soon as war was over. Their relationship had escalated so quickly she was unsure if she was ready for that commitment, but being the hot blooded woman she was, she agreed to the proposal, and readily enough, both of them survived another day.

It didn't take more than a few hours for the entire clan to know about the bethrothal. Most hoolingans had barely even found out about the breakup between her and Hiccup, so to say this engagement was a surprise is an understatement. As they made camp, scattered in the woods, whispers filled the night. Through insidious gossip Astrid made her way to Hiccup's tent and let herself in, only to find his absence.

What surprised her the most was not that he wasn't there, but that Toothless, his faithful dragon was. The black creature slept calmly, hovering one of his owner's prosthetics. Astrid's instincts warned her of the danger and she ran into the knotty part of the woods, looking for her Chief and old friend.

She saw signs of struggle in the grass and a path formed by some dragging. She feared the worst. The king of the Scots had been killed earlier that week, which meant the enemy fought more fiercefully. The war wouldn't be won until the last leader of each clan was killed. In that, Berk held a disadvantage, counting only on Hiccup and Valka to keep the chief status. Which is why Hiccup's dissappearance made her so anxious. 

She followed the path made by the dragging and found a clearing circled by gigantic rocks, one of them split and fallen over. There was a strange dome around the circle, that looked like half a crystal ball, but made out of a trasluscent and eerie blue light. Her blood froze as she approached the circle, for she noticed her chief talking to some redhead maiden. 

The stranger looked oddly familiar. She was carrying a bow and quiver, her body covered by a black cloak Astrid couldv'e sworn she'd seen before. Although Hiccup and the stranger were no more than a few meters away from her, Astrid could not hear a single word of what they were saying, thanks to the blue dome, she suspected. Before the blonde could try to do anything, she saw a blue ball appear on the opposite side of the circle, and both Hiccup and the misterious maid followed it into the woods. 

As they left, the dome surrounding the rock circle dissappeared. She ran accross the clearing, trying to follow them, but by the time she reached the forest edge, they were nowhere to be seen. Desperate, but trusting of Hiccup's judgement, she returned to the campsite and slept a few hours.

She woke up at dawn to have the usual council meeting in which the strategies were discussed. A huge weight rose from her chest when she saw Hiccup walk into the tent, alive and well. She didn't mention the Chief's dissappearance during the whole meeting, but she did take notice of the strange questions he asked. He seemed awfully invested in the royal family, but not in a way that might suggest he was concerned about the war. Say, instead of asking who were the leaders of the other three clans, he inquired most about the royal family. They had a portrait of the royals amongst the many maps, which is where Astrid recognized the stranger from the night before; the princess of Dun'Broch had been the one to dissappear with Hiccup.

Hiccup seemed pleased to know the name of the princess, something that went over the heads of everyone else but Astrid.

After the meeting ended, she discussed what she saw with Eret.

"I think they might be up to something, the royals, that is" explained the blonde, "If not, why else would the princess talk to Hiccup in the dead of night."

"Maybe you're just too concerned"  Eret suggested, "I find it odd that you think you saw magic blue lights."

"No" Astrid shook her head, "You don't get it. I don't think I saw it, I know I did. And if I have to follow Hiccup around to prove it, then I will."

Eret apologized for not believing in her and offered his support. With that, they headed to the battlefield once more. That day, the leader of clan McIntosh was killed as well, by Snotlout no less, and they were satisfied enough to retreat earlier than usual. Everything seemed to indicate Berk was going to win the war. 

Astrid was no fool. She could discern a real battle from a pretend one. Hiccup was facing whom the Scots called The Greatest Warrior in the Land, but neither of them seemed to be really fighting. She knew for a fact Hiccup liked to make sarcastic remarks during battle, but, whatever he was saying it didn't look like distracting, scattered jokes, but more like a structured conversation. Before she could make way through the battlefield, the two split and she was encountered by an enemy she had to fight.

That night, Hiccup announced how oh so terribly tired he was and asked no one would bother him in his tent. Now, the blonde grew more and more suspicious that something was cooking up between Hiccup and that mysterious princess she saw in the clearing, but having no proof, she retired to her own tent to better think.

She retraced her steps. The clearing, the blue dome, the redhead princess. That redhead was wearing the exact same cloak than the warrior that Hiccup fought earlier, but, then again, they didn't seem to be fighting. Could it be that Hiccup had befriended said girl? In that case, they must make haste before the final ruler of Dun'Broch, lord Dingwall, falls. Astrid pursed her lips, pacing arround her tent. Too caught up in her thoughts, she didn't hear the cloth of the tent ruffle nor notice as Eret entered her space. She was only pulled out of said trance until her fiance placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Did you find out anything about Hiccup?" Asked Eret, as sensibly as he could.

"Not much, but I have plenty of ideas." she admitted, then released a sigh, "I'm starting to think the end of the war is near, but it's not one like we are expecting."

"How so?"

"I believe Hiccup is striking an alliance with the princess of Dun'Broch, but it's too early to tell and they're so secretive about it. Either way, if that girl gets crowned queen, killing off Lord Dingwall would do nothing to guarantee our victory."

"Is that princess you mention, the one from the portrait, also involved in the war?" Asked Eret, carefully following Astrid's train of thought.

"Yes. She's good at hiding it, but I know she's that fierce warrior the scots love so much" Astrid explained, "It adds up. She wore the same cloak the day she kidnapped Hiccup, and it would explain how short she is compared to other highlander warriors."

Eret nodded and said nothing for a few moments, taking in all the information Astrid had provided. Whatever it was Hiccup decided to do, befriending both the heir princess and the most fierce warrior seemed incredibly smart.

"Well, if the war ends with a new alliance, or even colonies in the mainland, Berk will be beneficed either way" Eret pointed out, a small smile forming in his mouth, "Turns out Hiccup wasn't as uninterested as he led us to believe."

Astrid nodded, smiling as well. Contrary to her belief, talking to Eret had been extremely helpful with sorting her thoughts and feelings out, and it felt good to have someone to confide in besides Stormfly. She had been planning to spy Hiccup's tent, suspecting he was to meet the princess that night, but decided to trust him and instead, spent the night with Eret. his calming breathe bade her sleep, much easier than the nights before. Her final thought of the night being, she could get used to this.