Symphony of Shadows

5. Nightmare

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Astrid jolted awake, gasping and sweaty. She thought she had rid herself of the nightmares that had plagued her for many years after...after Hiccups death.

It was the same situation every time, she was reverted back to her fifteen year old self and a dragon raid was getting out of hand. She would be dousing the flames that were consuming the houses around her, and then she would see Hiccup, being chased by a gigantic Monstrous Nightmare. She would try to run, but her feet were anchored to the floor. No matter how hard she pushed and thrashed, she was always unable to save him when it mattered the most. Astrid knew what it felt like to be helpless in those nightmares, truly weak and vulnerable.

Maybe that was a reason why she pushed herself just a little harder when she felt she could no longer go on, or maybe she felt guilty. She knew if she analyzed herself for too long nothing good would come of it. So, she calmed herself and went about with preparing herself for the day.

Strapping her favorite dagger to her thigh around her thick leggings, she thought back on how she came to earn it. After a particularly hard training session with Ingrid, she had been pushed off of a cliff by her mentor. Granted it hadn't been the tallest cliff on Berk, but a cliff nonetheless. She remembered bracing for impact and how her wrist had bent at an awkward angle, which made the climb up the cliff rather tricky. Against all odds, she had made it to the top before the sun set, and promptly collapsed from exhaustion in front of Ingrid, who had been waiting all along. She had never been so proud of herself before, never felt that invincible. Her training hadn't just strengthened her body, it had strengthened her mind, and she relished in the fact that she could overcome impossible obstacles with ease.

Finishing hiding the rest of her knives on her person, she strapped on her custom axe holster made from real leather that Gobber had gifted her for her eighteenth birthday. She hadn't been informed that her schedule had changed so she assumed her meeting with Ingrid was still in action. She put on her lighter training boots (knowing Ingrid, everything was a training maneuver) and braided her hair in an easy fashion that would not impede her on the field. She also put on her worn kransen, which she needed to replace but never got around to doing so, and tidied her bed before leaving her house.

Astrid's eyes widened at the destroyed village before her, scorched earth replacing shrubbery, looted sheep pens, and debris all around. The atmosphere was heavy and she felt deep gratitude that her house and her parent's house had been spared.

She was close with her family but sometimes she couldn't help but feel her mother's sadness and regret whenever she visited them. She knew it wasn't on purpose, but it hurt when her mom made it obvious that her current life wasn't what she had originally set out for herself.

"Mom, guess what? I got accepted into the Berk Guard!"
"Oh Astrid, that's amazing honey. Just make sure you keep quiet and aren't too much of a bother, you'll be better off" her mom said, a pained smile painting her face.
"What do you mean keep quiet?" Astrid felt her face scrunch in confusion.
"Well you know honey, you're pretty loud and opinionated and the Guard officers aren't as tolerating as your dad and I, so you should be more reserved. And Astrid, when will you listen to me and be more ladylike? Chin up, chest up, and shoulders back."
Astrid felt her mother's hands mold her posture and wondered when her fighting mother had succumbed to expectations. Where was her fire? A bright flame extinguished by the burdens placed upon her.

Yes, Astrid did have empathy for her mother, but she also respected herself and knew that misery loved company. Astrid loved to laugh loudly, loved to feel strong, and loved to protect others, so she lived her life however she wanted and dared anyone to try and stop her.

So, she walked to the Eastern Forest, Ingrid's favorite training spot. Astrid had plenty of memories training in those woods and knew them like the back of her hand. Hells, she had practiced axe throwing on a good third of the spruce trees in that forest. She trodded along until she spotted a footprint in the woods and crouched down, evaluating the size and depth of the print and concluded it was indeed her mentor. She looked around to see if there were any other indicators of a path and it took her several minutes to find the trodden grass that led towards the western part of the forest which was coincidentally where her infamous cliff was located. Astrid followed the path she knew as well as the grooves on her axe handle, and arrived at the picturesque clearing at the cliff, where she spotted a familiar figure.

"I see you finally decided to join me," smiled Ingrid as she turned to look at Astrid.
"Come, child," Ingrid beckoned and Astrid warmed at the familiarity of her words. They both knew Astrid was no longer a child, yet Ingrid meant it not in age, but in spirit. For only Ingrid truly understood Astrid's fighting nature and matched her word for word. The two were a dynamic pair and Astrid couldn't help but feel as if Ingrid had been more of a mother figure to her than her own mother. She walked over to where her mentor stood, near the cliff's edge. The sun was not quite at mid-sky yet, and Astrid reveled in its warmth, letting herself soak in the comforting heat.

"The Chief's Council created your position because Berk faces a grave danger. We need our fiercest and brightest at the front lines," Ingrid sighed, looking into the distance. Astrid was confused, what dangers were they facing now that they hadn't before? Sure there was the dragon from the last raid, but it was just another dragon, nothing they couldn't handle.
"What do you mean?" She prodded.
"We've received reports from neighboring tribes including the Berserkers, and there is pressing news that is shocking the Archipelago, Astrid."
Astrid grew uneasy, whatever was happening was indeed grave if all of the tribes had a common belief, which wasn't often.

"Do you remember that dragon from last night? The one that blasted one of our torches?"
"How could I forget?"
"Well, according to our reports, the dragon isn't alone."
Oh no...more of those dragons? Berk would need to heighten their defenses immediately, they would need to reinforce the pens, maybe even move them inside-
"It has a rider."
What in the name of Odin?