renegades, httyd

xvi. Tense Waters

renegades
chapter sixteen

    Snotlout and the Twins didn't leave until we were all as sure as we could be that the Speed Stingers wouldn't venture down the slope to attack. They couldn't wait any longer to return to Berk and gather supplies and show Stoick the island once returned since another storm was on the horizon. We spent the next hour as a group with the help of the Archaeologist to set the makeshift camp up for a blizzard (at least, way better than it had been before). Revna offered to go up and check whether Mildew was okay for the storm since she was the only one out of all of us who was nice enough to even bother after Hiccup suggested it. 

    The waters were tense, for sure, between everyone after the argument they all witnessed between Astrid and I. But between us, it was even worse. I don't know who was angrier, but we didn't even glance at each other, or speak a word. Whether Astrid was regretful or not, she of course wouldn't show it, especially in front of everyone. And I wasn't going to show how upset I was. That girl I was in the cave wasn't going to return. I hated feeling vulnerable in that way. It made me feel like a scared little girl again, and remind me that she was still there no matter how much I tried to drown her under walls and walls of ice exterior. 

     In the end, I was paired off with Skulder, which I wasn't sure was a good thing or not. That man annoyed the living Hel out of me. He just never stopped talking. But right now, he didn't seem to hold any voice. I didn't think that would make it worse, but it did. I would much rather he go on about the mysterious treasure he was obsessed with rather than glance at me cautiously. I gestured for Winglash to help the baby Groncicle gather the wood we had cut down, and Skulder was still awkwardly handling his hatchet with loose fingers. His silence screamed more than his words did.

    "All right," I decided to say, snapping. "Can you not do that?"

    The Archaeologist jumped. He looked away immediately. "Do what?"

    "Look at me like I'm some sort of artefact that needs to be handled with care."

     Skulder flushed. "So sorry," he apologised quickly. "I just━it must be rough for you, after what your sister said━"

     "That wasn't an invitation to talk to me about it," I brushed past him, moving onto the next pile of logs and started to chop them up. Splinters flew sideways as my axe hit the wood. I tugged it out rather angrily. "We don't know each other, you annoy me and it's none of your business."

     Skulder swung the axe and dug into the wood. He didn't get even halfway through. He tugged and whined in trying to pull the hatchet back out, only to fall back onto his backside. I stared at him, incredulous.