renegades, httyd

x. Adventure Awaits

renegades
chapter ten

    "I don't think you should go."

    Astrid didn't mean to be mean in her words. She never did unless she did, but you can always tell the difference. Like, for example, whenever she chats to Snotlout. Here, she was unintentionally harsh to hide how she really felt about things. She was a closed-off person (far more closed-off than me; something that didn't help in trying to have a good friendship as sisters, because we never let either of us in close enough).

     I frowned, plugging the lid of my water basin in with a harsh thunk. "You don't think I can handle it?"

     "No, not really," Astrid mumbled and my gaze fell. Okay, that hurt just a little. "That's not me saying I don't think you will one day," she quickly corrected, helping me wrap up the provisions anyway. "But right now? Es, you've never done this before. You don't have a fully-grown dragon. Winglash is just as inexperienced as you are. Hiccup is making a mistake having you go with him."

    "Maybe he just sees something in me you don't," I muttered moodily. "And besides, I think I should go. I found this baby dragon. I━I feel like it's my responsibility to make sure he gets home. Wherever that is."

    "Well, then, just let me and Stormfly come with you," Astrid tried, sounding a lot more desperate than she had before. For a second, I could see just how worried she was over me. It made that anger diminish a little.

    "I'll be fine," I told her. "I can take care of myself. Just because I'm new at this dragon riding doesn't mean I'm not new at fighting. I beat you once, remember?"

    She still didn't look sure. She tied the cloth around the bread with a small shake of her fingers. It made me reach out and grab them. I squeezed my sister's hands and she met my gaze. Blue meeting grey: show that we really weren't of blood. And if someone really looked, they could see the different shape of our noses, or our ears, or the shape of our faces. I had come to learn all the differences between us since I was told when I was eleven, and maybe that was when our relationship really started to stray.

    Astrid pursed her lips. Then, she did something I didn't expect. Letting go of my hands, she reached her arms out and pulled me into a tight hug. I awkwardly held her back, not used to the feeling from her.

    "Remember to trust your insticts," she told me. "And look out for anything. And keep warm. I put furs in your bag for you. And just━just be careful, okay? Also, look after Hiccup. He needs it sometimes."

    "I━I will," I closed my eyes and let myself be warmed up in my sisters embrace. "We'll be there in no time, and we'll send you guys Terror Mail, all right?"

    There was a squawk to our side, breaking us apart. Winglash was balking her wings at the baby Groncicle. I had to name him, but I didn't know what. (I was terrible at naming anything. I named my axe when I was younger Jaggy because the hilt was jagged). He whined in reply, scurrying away.