Symphony of Shadows

68. Past

A/N: Sorry for the late update, but it's here! Next update will be Sunday at around 10pm American Eastern Standard Time:) 

Pain ignited every nerve in his upper body as Hiccup flickered in and out of consciousness. He was alive—barely. He didn't know where he was, but loud voices surrounded him. The stillness of his body reminded him that he was no longer on Stormfly's back. He'd been able to come to for a few brief moments while in the air before falling back into the darkness.

But he could tell that he was now back on land, and Hiccup wanted to open his eyes to confirm his suspicions. That would take too much energy, though, so all he could do was to stay lying on his side. Cold hands brushed his skin, but he was too exhausted to recoil. He registered that his shirt was no longer on and sucked in a breath as the icy air gave him goosebumps.

Everything felt better when a tender brush of soothing hands touched his face. He strained his hearing to focus on a certain voice.

"It's going to be okay, babe. Deep breaths for me? Yeah, you're doing so good, honey. This will hurt, but we have to get it out. Then we'll start our new life, right? You and me."

The words calmed him, and even if his brain didn't know who they came from, the acceleration in his heart rate told him exactly who it was.

At least Astrid was here. His only saving grace.

Wait, what did she mean by 'this will hurt'?

What is going on—

That was his last thought before unimaginable pain consumed him and everything faded to black.

____________________________________________

Astrid's heart ached as she watched Hiccup's features tense in agony before he went unconscious. Gothi's blood-soaked hands held the bolt that had been stuck in Hiccup's shoulder moments before. They'd had to snap the bolt closer to the entry wound before Gothi retrieved the end with the arrow.

The Berserker healer, Revna, prepared some kind of healing salve to the side while the Meathead healer, Dagny, sterilized Gothi's instruments. Astrid was beyond grateful to the women who worked tirelessly throughout the day and didn't blink at treating the man who they'd once feared.

The fighting was over now, but Astrid felt like she'd just started a new battle. Even though she'd been around the battlefield with dozens of gory wounds, including her own, she felt sick to her stomach watching Gothi dig around Hiccup's open wound. Astrid couldn't bear the fact that he was suffering.

Because of me.

If he hadn't dodged the bolt for her...

Then I'd be dead.

It was a difficult trade. His suffering for her life. She was infuriated that he would do such a thing and put himself in danger.

It was impossible to be mad at him, though. Given the opposite situation, she would've done the same thing for him.

But Astrid couldn't stop herself from thinking the worst. She was no Gothi, but his wound looked terrible. Deadly, even. If she had hesitated on getting him help, he'd be dead.

"Is he going to make it through the night?"

Gothi looked up from where she was finishing fetching all the splinters from Hiccup's torn muscle. It took everything in her to stop herself from screaming at Gothi to stop. The elder softened her eyes at Astrid and tilted her hand in a 'so-so' motion.

So much for reassurance.

She couldn't be upset, however. It was a nasty wound. Astrid should be on her knees thanking the gods that he was even alive.