Searching For You

Chapter 30: Sisterly Advice

The gang stayed close together while they explored the island, following Hiccup's lead. While they would have ordinarily branched off to follow what they each found interesting, they were in a new place, surrounded by people who weren't entirely fond of their presence there. Whether through survival instincts or respect, they stayed in their small group.

Since their meeting with the king, Hiccup had been noticeably quiet. He would speak up to point something out to the riders, or to say 'hi' to a passing friend. But, other than that he hardly said a word. Astrid had also been quiet. She stuck near the back of the group, distancing herself from a certain dragon boy. She had never been good at interpreting her feelings. She couldn't pinpoint why she felt the need to linger away from him. But, she couldn't bring herself to stand by his side. Ruffnut had noticed, much to her dismay.

She sneakily took her hand from Snotlout's and shifted to Astrid's side.

She was looking around for a moment, trying to be as casual as possible, until she finally turned to Astrid. "What's going on with you?"

Astrid tried to act surprised by the question like she had no idea where it was coming from. She forced a smile on her face before saying, "What do you mean? I'm doing just fine, nothing wrong here," she crossed her arms, "Just takin' in the scenery." She lied. Ruffnut only gave her a look of disbelief in return, causing Astrid to sigh deeply, facing defeat.

Ruffnut couldn't help but grin as she got closer to her friend. "You wanna tell me what's wrong now that you got that out of your system?"

Astrid thought for a moment. "I don't know, Ruff. I can't put my finger on it. I'm probably just overreacting. Nothing should be wrong."

Ruffnut gave her a look" That doesn't mean something isn't wrong."

Astrid looked at her defensively. "Well, it does this time. Nothing is wrong. Everything is okay. I'm okay," She said firmly."

Is this about what happened in the caves?"

Suddenly, Astrid's firm look was gone. Her eyes widened and a slight red flush came to her cheeks. "W-why would that have anything to do with it?" she stammered. Ruffnut knew she had hit the right spot. She shrugged calmly. "It just seemed like you were put off back there. And, now you're being all weird and hanging at the back of the pack. Do you wanna talk about it?"

Astrid sighed as the redness in her checks dissipated. "I mean it bothered me a little, I guess. But, really, it's not a big deal. I'm just blowing it out of proportion." She said trying to end the conversation. Ruffnut just rolled her eyes. "You know you can't shake me off that easily. We're girl pals now, we help each other out. And clearly, you need it. I'm gonna hang back here with you until you talk to me. You aren't gettin' rid of me until you tell me what's going on." Ruffnut said, clearly taking her role as Astrid's 'girl pal' very seriously. Understanding Ruffnut's seriousness, Astrid huffed.

"I guess what happened in the caves did bother me a little bit. Or a lot," she confessed, "I just felt... angry.., upset.., hurt? I don't know how to put it. But, when Hiccup said that, I just felt so... betrayed. I know he probably didn't mean it that way, but that was all I could think. And of course, that idiot didn't realize," she grumbled. Ruffnut smirked as she said, "Well, he's your idiot."

Astrid slowed down a bit. "Was, Ruffnut. Was," she said with a hint of sorrow.

Ruffnut cringed a bit as she tried to redirect the conversation. "Well, either way, you know how Hiccup can be. Sometimes he just says stuff without really thinking about it first. He's really smart but also really stupid." Astrid couldn't help but give a small smile.

"If this is bothering you so much, why not just say something to him?" Ruffnut suggested.

"How can I? He had good reasons for what he did. If I say something it'll just seem like I'm overreacting and making a problem out of nothing." Astrid explained.

Ruffnut groaned, knowing she wasn't going to get much farther with the shieldmaiden. "Well, you can do whatever you want to. But, I would suggest at least mentioning it. Hiccup probably doesn't realize how bothered you are. You both have good reasons for how you feel. Don't just sit back and let it boil over. You'll probably feel better if you at least try to say something." Ruffnut suggested.

Astrid took a breath and smiled, appreciating her friend's advice, even if she didn't know if she would use it. "Thanks, Ruff. I'll think about talking to him later." Ruffnut smiled, feeling satisfied with her work. She lingered near Astrid, explaining everything HIccup had pointed out since she knew Astrid hadn't been listening.

Unbeknownst to the gang, two young women watched them as they passed through.

"Well, look at that Taka, Hiccup really did bring humans to the island." One said, laughing as she looked at the younger one at her side. "Well damn, guess all that whispering around the towns wasn't total nonsense." The two looked on as the large group walked farther away, led by their friend. The older one smirked, "So, are you gonna tell Astir you saw them?" Taka punched her in the arm playfully. "Oh shut it, Rasa, you know what he'll say-", Rasa cut her off, "Oh, Taka, my dearest little sister. You must stay away from those awful humans. They are clearly up to no good." She said in a mimicking voice before nearly doubling over in laughter.

Taka couldn't help but laugh as well. "You think it's funny now. But, it won't be so funny when he throws me into some lockdown in my own house," she looked knowingly at her friend, "You know he would. He can't help but treat me like a baby sometimes, even though I'm a grown ass woman," she huffed.

Rasa looked at her reassuringly, "Ah, don't worry about it too much. I'm pretty sure it's just a big brother thing. Besides, I'm sure he already knows about those guys being here. He trusts you, even if he has a hard time showing it." Taka gave him a thankful look.

"What do you think about them being here?" She asked curiously.

Rasa sighed before giving her answer. "To be honest, I don't know how to feel about it. It's definitely not my favorite thing. But, if Hiccup's the one who brought them here, it can't be too bad, right? I mean he seems to have a pretty good judge of character, and he wouldn't needlessly put us in danger. It just takes some getting used to." Taka nodded, "I guess I feel the same. Part of me is really curious. Like, I want to go and talk to them, but something is keeping me away. Probably just instinct. Can't say I've ever met a good human," Taka chuckled as she thought, "Astir's probably pissed about it. You know how he gets," she stood up tall and did her best impression of her brother, "The safety of this island and its inhabitants is my top priority." Both she and Rasa were laughing by the end of her demonstration.

When the laughing subsided Rasa looked to Taka once more. "You know, if you want to go talk to them we can do it together." Taka's eyes lit up. "Really?" Rasa nodded as the two made a move to follow the group of visitors.