The Broken Link

Six

As we begin to pack our things to walk to the castle, I notice an absence from our group.

"Where'd Astrid go?" I ask out loud.

"She went up ahead." Elsa replies, looking nervous. Ah. Right. I slapped Astrid. No wonder Elsa would be nervous of my reaction.

I do feel bad about losing my temper though. So I decide to rush ahead, telling the others not to worry.

It's a bright and sunny day, but that doesn't matter to me. I begin to see why Hiccup and Astrid were curious as to why I insisted wearing a dress. My burrowed dress from Anna keeps getting caught in branches, tripping me occasionally and slowing me down. I hitch up my dress, wondering if Anna would mind if I ripped her dress from the bottom.

I spot Astrid up ahead of me, every so often swinging her axe into a tree and pulling it out. I wonder if she's picturing my face on those trees. The thought freaks me out, but I speed walk to her side.

Astrid gives me a look of pure loathing, and swings her axe into a tree. I awkwardly scratch the back of my neck.

You'll never belong here, the Wisps had taunted me.

No, I think angrily. That's up to me.

"Astrid?" I ask hesitantly. She glares at me, and says nothing. Her cheek is still red. "Astrid, um, I'm sorry. Fer slapping yah."

Astrid remains silent, pulling her axe out of the tree. I carry on blabbering, finding it hard to stop now. "I didn't mean tah. It's just that my 'ead is so filled, and I just needed it tah stop. I know that ain't a good excuse. I don't actually 'ave any." I briefly wonder if this is how Anna feels when she talks non-stop.

Astrid finally looks at me, this time without a glare on her face. "I don't hate you, Merida."

"I find that hard tah believe." I say.

"I don't." Astrid replies. "You just remind me of someone."

"I don't git it."

"I had a friend named Heather." Astrid begins, and the past tense doesn't slip by me unnoticed. "She went missing in action right before Hiccup found you. The day before actually. Her dragon returned to Berk without her."

I nod slowly, still wondering what this has to do with me.

"She was my best friend." Astrid mutters. "Then you showed up. You're exactly like her, you know."

"That's why?" I ask. "Because I'm like 'er?"

"We don't know what happened to her. Then you show up. Exactly like Heather. The world is a cruel place." Astrid says angrily.

"It's cruel, yeah." I mumble.

"It's not fair. We keep losing everyone!" Astrid exclaims, throwing her axe into a tree. "First Stoick, now Heather..."

"Who's Stoick?"

"Hiccups dad. He died." Astrid says quietly. Her shoulders droop a little. "He just found his wife for Pete's sake!"

I don't know what she's rambling about, but I know that her and Hiccup have clearly lost family and friends recently. And I make it worse by being rude and literally attacking them.

"I know it don't mean much coming from meh, but I really am sorry." I say quietly.

"I guess I'm sorry too." Astrid says. She then offers me a small smile. "You're making Hiccup better, too."

This throws me off guard. "Whaddya mean?"

"Hiccup blamed himself for his Stoick's death. He's been more open ever since he met you though. He cut me off entirely. But now it's different." Astrid explains.