Sigrid The Relentless - How to Train your Dragon

8. Chief Deranged

Sigrid was furious as her father pulled her aside in the separate workshop hut. The news of her betrothal hit her like a Cavern Crasher, and when Stoick wanted to talk to her about it, she snapped.

"What did I do to deserve this?" Sigrid cried as she pointed to herself. 

Stoick sighed, this had blown way out of proportion. "You didn't do anything, lass."

"Then why are you sending me away?" Sigrid spat, angry tears sliding down her cheek. "Am I not the Chief you wanted?"

"No. That's not true, Sigrid." Stoick protested. "Listen to me, lass. -"

"Then why?!" Sigrid yelled.

"-I'm doing what's best for our tribe!" Stoick's voice boomed as his own frustrations rose, unable to stop his daughter's tantrum.

Sigrid huffed. "By sending me away? Is that what's best for our tribe?"

She couldn't believe it, she didn't believe anything her father had to say. To her, it sounded like nothing but excuses. Had she really failed her tribe so bad that she wasn't worth keeping? Is that why she was being sold off to a place she didn't know, to be with a boy she didn't even like?

"Right now, yes it is." Stoick's brow furrowed. "I don't know what'll happen in the future, so I'm making sure that our people will be safe, no matter what."

His daughter's face broke his heart in two. Her eyes widened, tear stains glistening on her cheeks, completely crestfallen. 

"And am I not one of those people, am I not a part of the tribe?" Sigrid cried, her voice small. "Don't I deserve your protection?"

Stoick sighed. "I am protecting you, lass."

"No you're not." Sigrid dissagreed. "I'm not safe with him dad. Dagur's a lunatic!"

Stoick's breath halted for a moment, shocked by her proclamation. She'd never shown that she was afraid of the lad, who admittedly was a bit of a Berserker-shaped tornado, but so far she'd never taken any of his nonsense: not afraid to punch him in the face - as shown on multiple occasions - or to threaten him with an axe. But, after all of that, it shouldn't surprise him that she didn't trust Dagur.

"I would not let you leave with someone I believed would put you in danger." Stoick assured. "And I have trust in Oswald that he wouldn't either."

Sigrid huffed, her face scrunching up in disbelief. "Well, in that front Oswald is a little too agreeable, he couldn't control Dagur even if he tries."

Realising he wasn't going to get through to her, her father took a different approach.

"Y'know what, lass." Stoick spoke softly as he kneeled down, putting his hand on his daughter's shoulder. "Give it time. But if I feel at any moment that your safety is at risk, I'll rip that betrothal agreement apart."

Sigrid chuckled, wiping away her tears. She liked the sound of that. "Okay."

The creaking sound of the door opening surprised both vikings. Sigrid quickly recovered herself, hoping her face wasn't nearly as red as she thought, before turning around to face the intruder.

"Hey, bud." Sigrid greeted as she spotted her little brother at the entrance, a shy look on his face as if he knew he interrupted something. "What's up?"

Eight year old Hiccup's green eyes shifted from their father over towards his sister, and back, before he spoke quietly.

"You didn't finish the game with me."