Death of a friend

2

Everyone was distraught.
Fishlegs groaned and cried quietly.
Tuffnut initially thought it was a fake but the solemn looks of the others quickly brought a shadow across his innocent face.
Ruffnut hugged  Fishlegs and and cried loudly in agony.
All the berkians were on their knees, quietly mourning the loss of a great fighter.
Spitelout was crying and groaning in ways that bo human could. Like howls from a screaming death. Tears obscured his face as he kneeled close to the ocean edge. He was incosolable.
His Son.
His Snotlout
His pride and joy. The winner he had raised. The prood, pompous but caring and compettitive boy he knew as his son was now... Gone. Finished. Dead

Who could speak to this man? Who with what heart with what words of wisdom would eaze this man's pain?
    A parent must never have to bury his offsping

Gobber was sitting down. His disfigured body hugging a shocked Eret. Gobber was slowly and tenderly crying too, remembering all his memories of the boy. His mischiefs, his fits of rage, his accomplishments.
        It is only going to get worse, isn't it?
Astrid had lost the earth beneath her feet. She could not believe it. Snotlout is not dead. No it can't be, it just isn't possible. No, no of course, silly Astrid. It is just one of his crazy immature stunts to catch the attention of the girls of the village. Snot can't be dead.-
Can he ?
No No No No
He is Snotlout. Strong durable, unflinching. Always with the courage and willingness to never give up.
A viking through and through
" It can't be." Astrid sobbed quietly.
No!
"It can't be! Hiccup!" Her pained scream echoed across the silent beach.
She had arleady collapsed to Hiccup's arms that instinctively took her in a warm embrace.
Astrid tried to free herself to have a better look at the fallen Snotlout.
"No Hiccup No! Can't you see? He- he is not de- dead.Go someone fetch gothy!"
But nobody moved at this command. It was like everyone had gone deaf. Like statues fashioned of stone. They stood there with empty expressions while the grief was burning in their gut.

Astrid finally gave up and the definitive realisation hit her she felt a cold tickle down her spine, while her legs gave way under the weight of the pain and she unceremoniously fell into Hiccup's hug.
Warm tears were trickling down her neck. Not just Astrid's tears though.

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock ||| had cried 3 times in his life.
1) when his dear father died
2) when Toothless and he parted ways
And now:
He could feel the warm, salty teardrop gracefully carve its way across his contorted face.
Snotlout is dead.
Snotlout Jorgendson, cousin Snotlout, the Snot, snothat or even Snotface..
was dead.
His friend, cousin and godfather to his kids was taken away by death's sharp cleavers.

The pain he felt was totally overwhelming. Breathing became hard and in short insufficient burts. His throat fell sore and scalding hot with every time gulped.
His legs suddenly felt unstable and a small tremour crept at his hands. He felt chilly but also unable to move, anchored in place. Facing Snotlout while covering Astrid so as not to see their friend in such a state. He just stood there paralyzed by the shock.
His head, oh his head, ohh his head was throbbing with unprecedented pain. He felt his skull being torn apart. He felt a headache so severe he thought he would pass out from the pain.

He felt a headache so severe he thought he would pass out from the pain. His thoughts now, rapid as ever, too much for him to handle. Breathing became tiring, thinking was tedious, even existing seemed a chore.
He closed his eyes and pushed his face towards the sky above.
"How did it come to this? Snotlout NO! Come back you pranckster! Come back you immature over- competitive fool! Don't leave."
"Hey  Snotlout, Cousin, Friend, Godfather to my kids, come back, Please! – I am begging you!" His thoughts ringing in his head.
"Don't be dead. Please." His cry of despair was the only sound to be heard  in the last quorter of an hour and it sweeped through the whole village like a violent gush of wind.
"Please Snotlout" he murmured softly,
"I can't lose you too."
Every attempt to regain his posture felt vain and impossible. He finally surrendered to his body and laid Astrid's head on his chest. His head down in the damp ground of the beach, close to his friend.
Memories were flashing before him.
He saw himself glaring scornfully at his cousin when he was pestering a young, 15-year-old Astrid to be his girlfriend
He saw himself being cheered and awed by an over- enthusiastic Snotlout when Hiccup had managed to "vanquish" all the dragons in dragon training.
He remembered with a bittersweet smile the time when he introduced Snotlout to Hookfang.
" Ironic". He thought to himself now. The two arrogant, pompus, explosive and zero- chill bastards had found each other. Stoker had bonded with Stoker resulting in what Hiccup knew all too well was a fiery combination.