Found again (HTTYD FF)

★27★

Astrid was brimming with curiosity and enthusiasm as she led Hiccup towards the village. She knew full well that his parents had never quite gotten over his "death" and this should help them see hope again. Hiccup had in fact confided in her about his newfound memories. He remembered his childhood, he remembered her. It warmed her heart to hear it. At that moment she wanted to tell him how she felt about him, but it wasn't the right moment. She had to give him time to process everything properly, time to get clear on where he belonged. She didn't want to throw another pile of stuff at him - even though she had no idea what was really going on in his life.

An awkward silence fell over them as they walked slowly into the village - at least Astrid found it awkward. Hiccup quietly murmured a few words from time to time. She assumed he was talking to the dragons, since they were answering him. She felt a little left out, but she couldn't blame him. Most of his life he had only talked to dragons, it was natural that he kind of ignored her when he didn't expect any danger from her.

Astrid remembered their first encounter, when she had thrown her axe at him for fear that he would run away and she would miss out on a unique catch and discovery. She subtly slowed to walk beside them instead of in front of them. Hiccup had been walking on the edge, so now she walked beside him. The Night Fury shot her a suspicious glance, but otherwise paid her no mind. Unconsciously, she moved closer to Hiccup and he pulled away. Astrid realized what she had done and quickly moved away from his personal space again.

She couldn't help but glance back at his wings. She hadn't had a chance to get a good look at them in all this time, and now she was devouring every last detail. He seemed uncomfortable with the way he pressed them together, as if he didn't like her staring - which he probably didn't. It was his tail - his tail fins - that caught her attention. She thought one would show signs of injury, but instead she saw something completely different. It looked like there was something else on his tail. She frowned and looked away as the Night Fury growled at her again.

"What's that?" she asked Hiccup, pointing in the direction of his tail. 

The Night Fury growled again and bared his teeth at her. "Nothing," Hiccup said quickly, and the black dragon calmed down a little. What was that supposed to mean? Why did it bother the dragon so much, her question?

She decided to let it go. If Hiccup didn't want to say anything, she wouldn't force him to. It was his choice, and Astrid was going to respect it.

She couldn't help another fleeting glance in his direction. It wasn't until that moment that she noticed the slight change in his appearance. Since the last time she had seen him, there were many more scales spreading across his cheeks, his skin a darker shade, but these changes were so subtle that she almost didn't notice them. So subtle that she considered them to be just her imagination. After all, she hadn't known him long enough to be able to tell if he had changed a bit in those few weeks or not.

No, she'd known him all her life, in fact. Years of separation had caused them to be strangers again, and their time together was lost in the past.

She broke the flow of her thoughts the moment she spotted the village through the trees. How do I get him to the village without being noticed? Will he even go there with me? Should I bring Stoick and Valka here? What should I do? I can't just leave him standing here and tell him I'll be back in a minute. What will he think? I'm sure he'll  think it's a trap, disappear and I'll never see him again! Oh Thor, what now?

She paused and turned to Hiccup, who was standing a short distance behind her with a nervous expression. No, he wouldn't just go to the village, she thought. She didn't want to drag the chief into the forest, the rest of the village would be suspicious and privacy would be over. She didn't want that. They had to go somewhere where they wouldn't be disturbed. The only such place was the chief's house, since it was on the edge of the village and coincidentally also the closest to the forest.

"We have to get there," she announced to Hiccup, pointing to the chief's house. It seemed like the best option.

"T-there?"

"It's the only option. It would be better if no one saw you... we need to figure out how to hide you." Hiccup's frightened expression turned thoughtful.

"I might have an idea..." He glanced sideways at the Night Fury, as if unsure if he should even say it.

"And that is?" Astrid had no idea what he meant. How was he going to get to the village undetected?

"I can-" The Night Fury interrupted him with a growl. For a moment, it looked like he was talking to Hiccup. 

Asrid's guess was confirmed when Hiccup answered him. "Oh, come on, Toothless! She's going to find out anyway, why not tell her now?"

Toothless? Why would Night Fury be called Toothless?

Stormfly joined their conversation, earning a murderous glare from the Night Fury. "What? You too?" Hiccup turned his back on them, pretending hurt, facing Astrid.

To her surprise, he walked past her and headed towards the village. What is he doing? She started after him, as he had gotten quite a distance in that short time. She wasn't the first to catch up to him though, Toothless outran her and jumped on Hiccup, stopping him. He growled something in his face.

Hiccup hissed something at Toothless that Astrid couldn't understand, partly because he was speaking too quietly, and partly because there were so many dragon sounds intertwined in his words that she wasn't sure if he was even speaking the same language.

The Night Fury stood motionless for a moment. Finally, he let Hiccup stand up again.

Astrid resolved to grab his shoulder and turn him towards her, but immediately regretted it at the sight of him startled and flinching at her touch. "What are you up to?"

Hiccup put on a nervous expression as he answered. "We're just going to go there. Into the village."