Symphony of Shadows

48. Ripple

A/N: The next chapter will be released Wednesday at 8pm ET! Thank you again for keeping up with this story:)

The wind pulled at her cheeks, and stray strands of her hair caught in her mouth as Astrid dove through the clouds with Stormfly. They weaved in and out of cloud formations, and she marveled at how delicious the sun felt on her bare arms. The cluster of clouds to her left suddenly parted, revealing Toothless bursting forth along with Hiccup. They did a loop around her and Stormfly before hovering at her side.

Hiccup lifted the visor of his helmet—a very sexy helmet, some might say—and his eyes crinkled as he smiled.

"How's that saddle holding up?"

She traced her favorite part—the carving. It was such a heartfelt detail, she couldn't help but smile every time it caught her eye. 

"It's amazing. Thank you, babe."

Astrid nudged Stormfly, and they flew up above Toothless before flipping upside down, giving Astrid the perfect opportunity to press a kiss on Hiccup's cheek. He was in his full suit, and now that she wasn't fearful of the damage he might cause, she could admit that it was pretty hot. The black scales made him look intimidating, but knowing the man she loved was under the helmet drew a different appreciation for the armor. 

Stormfly settled back next to Toothless, and Astrid fought unsuccessfully to tame her hair. 

"I think I might need my own helmet next. This is getting annoying."

Hiccup nodded.

"I'll get right to work, m'lady."

Astrid grinned, knowing that he would make anything for her if she simply asked. She loved that he could create things with his hands. He was so creative and talented. Who else would think of dragon scale armor? Brilliant.

In the distance, she could spot a row of sea stacks perfect for obstacles. Flying over the open ocean was alright, but she loved the excitement of racing between rocks. One wrong move and she was going down. Stormfly would never let that happen, but Astrid liked the adrenaline rush she got from knowing danger was close.

"Last one to reach the farthest sea stack has to cook dinner!"

Astrid challenged Hiccup before taking off at neck-breaking speed. She crouched low in her saddle as Stormfly dove in between two sea stacks before blasting a piece of rock blocking the opening. Little pieces of limestone flew, and Astrid ducked her head before looking back and watching Hiccup getting pelted by pebbles.

She giggled and scratched Stormfly's neck. 

"Good job, girl. Let's go, we're almost there."

They jerked right, then left, as they dodged more rock. Astrid felt water spray her, and she gasped as she looked down to see Toothless directly below them, skimming the sea surface, gaining on Stormfly. Hiccup looked up and blew her a kiss, causing her to blush and shake her head at his corniness—but she loved his clichés. 

The last sea stack was so close, and she pushed Stormfly to go just a little faster.

"Come on, come on, come on."

Safe to say, Astrid was competitive. Her dragon didn't seem to mind because they shot forward—just barely in the lead. The thrill of racing had her smiling widely, and she couldn't remember the last time she'd had this much fun back at Berk. She hadn't realized how isolating the pressure of being Vordr was until recently, being away with Hiccup and all. In Berk, she was more of a mythical figment than a real person. The only people who saw her for her were Ruff and her parents. Even Ingrid tended to build her up into something she wasn't. She loved her mentor, but it was stifling at times. She was only twenty years old; it was unfair that the entirety of Berk depended on her.