"I Do.... NOT!!"

Chapter 9: Busted

                  .....Astrid's POV......

"Oh my Thor! You scared me. How long have you been standing there!" I yelped, my heart pounding. "I just walked up like 2 seconds ago?" Snotlout replied. "Well what do you want," I replied. "You know I've wanted to marry you for as long as I knew you... now I've got some competition.

      The Berserker chief and his son are coming to propose a match between you two, since you haven't chosen anyone," Snotlout said, a smug look on his face. "What? You expecting me to beg? You think im scared of some berserker loser? I'm not marrying either of you. No one can make me. No chief's son or lousy excuse for a viking gets my hand in marriage. In case you didn't hear, I'm competing for my own hand. Stoick said I could."

     Snotlout gaped at me, clearly shocked and confused at my response. "Wait what? But stoick told me to tell you you'd have to choose one of us. He said it would cause a war if you didn't. Look. You hate me. I get it. But you have to pretend to like me tomorrow or the Berserker chief will have Stoick's head!" I shook my head in disbelief.

     "Oh no. I talked to him about this months ago... something must have changed." I stammered, fear rising inside me. I knew berserkers and berkians had many wars in their history. Stoick's father was the first to make peace with them, and Stoick had kept the truce going brilliantly.

     "Uh yeah. While you've been training to beat me out for chief in wating, I've had to sit through council meetings and hear all about the drama with the other tribes. The berserkers are desperate for good leadership. Apparently they've had one bad luck after another, they're looking everywhere for help. I guess they think an alliance tied by marriage will force Berk to help them indefinitely." I sighed and leaned my head on my knuckles. "Why can't they just ask for help. Stoick is a good chief. He will look after Berk first and then do all he can to help others." I said.

     "Thats just it. The berserkers want to ensure they will get just as much help as Berk. Don't you see? You're a pawn in their game and this could've been avoided if you just married me before this happened!" Snotlout said,  his voic escalating to a yell at the last few words.

     I flinched and backed up. He ought to get a slap for that- but my healing leg couldn't take a fight right now. Snotlout was stupid, but he was a somewhat formidable opponent. I mean he probably wouldn't fight back, but I wouldn't take my chances. "No need to yell. I get it. I'll talk to Stoick." I said, defeated. "Fine. Sorry it had to come to this... I gotta take the next dragon watch shift." Snotlout grumbled. I watched him leave and then slowly walked myself home, tears leaking from my eyes. Maybe snotlout was right... maybe Berserkers wouldn't have come demanding things from us if we were already married.

     "Ah know what ya gonna say lass. It's not fair. Ahm goin' back on my word. Well ah know a little about unfairness in life. I'm widowed and sonless... all because of those dragon brutes. Astrid... Berk needs ya. Winter's settin' in soon and we need to focus on feeding a village, not starting a war." I nodded, blinking back tears. It was clear to me what I needed to do for my village.

     But that meant I'd never see Toothless again. Berserkers were infamous for killing dragons and wearing their hides and bones. " I know. This is no fun for either of us. But... please let me handle this. Just don't force me to marry anyone right away. I'll come up with something that will help Berk and Berserker Island." I told Stoick. "I have no doubt ya will. If any viking can better this situation , it's you." Stoick replied. I smiled wanly at the compliment, knowing I had no idea what I was going to do.

-- Hours later--

     "NIGHT FURY!! GET DOWN!!" rang the warning in my ears. I gasped and whipped around. I was halfway up the cliff to catch some star gazing, hoping for some inspiration. I turned around and ran back to the watch tower, dread rising in my heart. The whistling sound was my Toothless, divebombing unwillingly from the sky. I hid behind the closest woodpile and watched as Toothless hit the ground hard. He had to be out after that hit. What was he doing so close to Berk?! I watched them drag Toothless back to the arena cages and realized I had maybe one more day to rescue him before he was killed in some kind of game. I leaned my head against the wood and sighed, my mind racing. On a happy note, I realized my leg hardly stung. It was clearly making an almost perfect recovery. I had Toothless to thank for that, and I wasn't going to let him die at the hands of my village.

     "Where have you been all day? Some exciting news I've been waiting to share," My mother said as I walked in the door. I sighed and turned to her. "I know mom. The Beserkers are coming tomorrow." I said, and quickly went to my room. "Astrid. That's not the only news. Get back here!" My mother yelled. I grumbled and dragged myself back out to see her. "Snotlout shot down a night fury. He will have the honor of killing it in the ring tomorrow, however he has graciously proposed that you be the one to kill the night fury. If you do, you will choose who to marry- the berserker chief's son or snotlout. Such an act would force the Berserkers to recognize your abilities and respect your choice to marry snotlout. This way, we won't have to worry about another islands well being, we can focus on our own... Mark my words young lady. There will be war if we don't play the cards this way." My mother said.

     I shook my head in disbelief. "Don't tell me what to do. Don't plan my life for me! I'm sick of being used as a pawn! I'll marry who I want to. I don't want to talk about this again!!" I screamed, my anger flaring. I raced past her and out the door, I'd go deep into the forest. She couldn't make me come talk about this horrible choice then. As I was passing the arena, a different idea hit me. Toothless was probably very scared and hungry right now. I'd go catch a basket of fish for him and find the leaves he showed me for wounds. I was up all night making preparations, cooking up a plan to bust toothless out and delay the Beserkers. By the early morning light I was ready with a plan.

     In the mist of the morning I crept into the arena, I used my axe and a few other tools to weaken parts of the arena. Then I snuck into the cage area and looked through all the feeding holes. Finally I spotted my friend in the center hole. I carefully opened the doors and then snuck inside to check on Toothless. He was still out, but at least he was breathing. I tucked a note I'd written for him under his paw and some lemon grass under his nose. The smell was very calming and might distract him until I could care for his wounds. I snuck out again and headed out to Berk's dock. Time to sink some ships and cause some havock. I finally finished preparations and booby traps as the sun reached its height in the morning. I trudged back wet and exhausted to ask stoick if I could feed the night fury. "Where you been!! I took down a whole 4 dragons! There's gonna be great fun in the arena today! Hey- didn't your mom tell you? You get to kill the night fury!" Snotlout blabbed at me as I walked passed. I rolled my eyes and continued past him.

     I soon spotted stoick at the arena with my fish and supplies in tow, and hurried to speak with him.