Symphony of Shadows

4. Defense

Concealed by the night, Hiccup and Toothless perched atop Gothi's hut, surveying the dragons raid the miserable village he once called home.

Hiccup had to admit, he had outdone himself. Berk was in utter chaos and for the first time in his life, he didn't feel like a miserable failure of a Viking. No, he could see now that he wasn't a Viking; he was a dragon, not in body, but in soul. Among the dragons, he never had to hide himself away or mask his natural self. He could be truly free. Free from expectations, tradition, judgment—shame. Hiccup exhaled and relaxed, feeling himself let go of the burden he had carried all his life, taking a look down below and admiring his work. However, his revelry in newfound freedom was cut short by an all too familiar figure. A flash of blonde hair in the midst of chaos.

Astrid?

"Let's take a closer look, bud. But let's be prepared to be on the defensive, you never know what these crazy Vikings will do," Hiccup told Toothless and they dismounted from their perch, taking a smooth dive down and gliding over to where Hiccup had last seen Astrid. It's just curiosity, Hiccup told himself, Of course you want to see the girl you pined over for years. It makes perfect sense...Hiccup shook himself free of his thoughts and refocused on spotting Astrid, which proved to be quite difficult. Mayhem unfolded in every direction—roaring flames, shrieking dragons, and Vikings shouting through the smoke.

Then out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a woman raising an axe, the steel glistening in the light of a flaming Monstrous Nightmare.

"Toothless!" Hiccup alerted his friend and they sprung into action. Hiccup crouched in his saddle to avoid being seen as Toothless dove into the air and blasted one of the giant fire torches, which wreaked even more havoc. In the middle of the chaos, the Monstrous Nightmare managed to escape his gruesome fate and Hiccup let out a shaky sigh.

That was too close...He had grown close to that hot-headed Nightmare as it was one of the four dragons he had helped to escape the night he left Berk. Hiccup snarled in disgust at the ignorance Berkians clung to still, years later.

How could they not be just a little curious? Can anyone in this godsforsaken tribe even think?
Of course not, Hiccup answered himself, they're all Vikings. It's an occupational hazard to NOT think.

He shook his head and chastised himself for having a shred of hope that maybe Astrid had been different, like him, curious and inquisitive. But he'd been wrong, two seconds out of her hut and she'd been ready to slay a sentient being without asking questions. Honestly, that was half the reason why he wasn't too worried about appearing at the raid with Toothless. The day a Berkian put two and two together and said Hiccup was still alive, the one-legged former Viking would gladly give up his other leg.

He couldn't help but gawk as he spotted Astrid continue to launch herself into battle and come out on the winning end. Hiccup had never been as athletic as her and found his strength in his brains, not his brawn. But watching Astrid on the battlefield was clear evidence that she was indeed the best of both. Hels, the woman jumped off a Gronckle that was nearly four Nadders high in the air. It was a ballsy move that paid off in the end, but Hiccup knew he would have rather been carried off by the dragon instead of landing that drop.

He almost laughed—

Serves her right for the little stunt she pulled earlier. But his smirk faded as he realized something was off. She was jogging with a limp. Sobering, Hiccup's humor gave way to guilt. Astrid had been injured by his flock. By his actions.

No, but wait, wasn't she trying to free someone who was caught up in a net? He squinted closer. That shape...too familiar...Fishlegs! He hadn't expected the shy and studious Viking to be on the ground during a raid, but Hiccup knew what false perceptions led people to do.

Just taking a look at the village around him, Hiccup's fury turned into a softer pity. These Vikings would never soar above the clouds, never graze the sun, never touch the sky itself.

They didn't want to.

However, Hiccup knew this was a willful ignorance, not one they had been coerced into. If he, the village runt, had been able to cross the worlds between Vikings and dragons, there was surely no excuse for the Berkians. No, he decided there was no excuse at all. He contemplated as he kept a watch on Astrid, who was currently trying to help a woman he had barely known as a great warrior...something Valson. Hiccup couldn't keep the shock off his face as Astrid immobilized a Zippleback with a forgotten bola and his fury returned with a vicious bite.

He wanted to believe this was restraint. That she saw the dragon, not just a target. Couldn't she see that the poor dragon was just curious? They had practically been playing hide and seek with the sheep, how could she expect the playful dragon not to be inquisitive? Odin above, the dragons were more intellectual than the Vikings at this point.

Hiccup decided he had witnessed enough for the night and gently tapped Toothless' side to signal it was time to leave. He cast one final look at Berk as they launched into the night sky and couldn't help but feel something stir inside him. Then he saw it—Astrid's smile. A rare thing, bright and brief, probably caused by something the older warrior had said. For just a second, he forgot where he was, who he was. Hiccup wasn't proud to admit that he'd nearly fallen off his saddle. Get a grip, Hiccup. It's just a girl, AND she hates everything you stand for.

Yet he couldn't completely lie to himself, he was Hiccup after all and Astrid Hofferson wasn't just any girl.