Heir and Pride

Chapter Twenty Nine

Hiccup stared at his friend, his eyes wide with hurt and betrayal. "Jail? For going flying on her dragon?" he gasped. He backed off a pace, shaking his head. Fishlegs shook his head and his eyes were embarrassed.

"He thought she may know where you were-and he was shouting with rage," he reported in a wavering voice. "She-she's been forbidden to speak with you, you know!" Hiccup pulled back, his face suddenly angry.

"I-I know!" he said coldly. "I know exactly what my Dad is trying to do!"

"Is-is it true?" Fishlegs asked him in a shocked voice. "Did Astrid really...attack you?" Hiccup slowly straightened up and turned to stare at the window. He gave a small nod.

"Yeah," he admitted quietly. He rubbed the back of his neck. "But she wasn't alone, Fish. It was the only time she hurt me but it felt far worse because...because I had always dreamed about Astrid and..." His voice trailed to a halt.

"Oh," Fishlegs said in a shocked voice. "Really? YOU and Astrid? I never..." Hiccup shrugged.

"Never happened," he sighed, "and I doubt it ever will now. But she doesn't deserve what's happening because she is being made to take the whole blame for the whole village's treatment of me." Fishlegs stared at the boy, recalling how badly Hiccup had been treated. The daily sight of the boy being beaten or slapped or taunted by the other teens or the villagers. The almost daily spectacle of Stoick tearing his son to pieces verbally before the village. "Why is she being singled out? Is Snotlout in jail? Or the twins? Or even my Dad? If not, then this whole thing is hypocritical and unfair." Fishlegs slowly got to his feet and walked to stand by his friend as Meatlug gave a friendly little rumble and Hiccup rubbed her head absently.

"What are you going to do?" he asked softly. Hiccup gave a shrug.

"Something stupid, crazy and suicidal," he murmured. "Wait and see."

oOo

Astrid was sitting on the bed in her cell, her knees pulled up against her chest and face buried in her knees. She wrapped her arms tighter around her legs, trying not to think that she was in jail and utterly at the mercy of Stoick.

She had been frightened as she was grabbed just before she had been about to fly out to meet with Hiccup. Only the little croak from Stormfly had alerted her. Stoick had grasped her arm and screamed in her face, hauling her along like a rag doll. She had squirmed and stared at her dragon, shouting for Stormfly to go, hoping that she would go to Hiccup and he would at least be able to escape before his father caught him.

She had been dragged to the cells and when she had been thrown in, she had expected just to be left there to rot, but Stoick had followed her into the cell, his enormous bulk looming over her. Her eyes had widened and she backed away until her back hit the far wall. "How does it feel to be frightened and trapped by someone bigger and stronger than you?" the Chief had sneered at her and she had found herself cringing away. His expression was vicious, terrifying. She had guessed he could beat, torture or kill her and no one would lift a finger-not even her parents. "ANSWER ME!" he had roared and she had flinched.

"It-it feels horrible," she had admitted in a shaking voice. He had loomed over her.

"So now you know what my son feels," he had snarled, his fists clenching into huge weapons that she feared. Everyone feared Stoick the Vast. "How dare you attack my son!"

"It is an action I regret every minute of every day," she told him, her eyes shining with shame, "but I am trying to atone. And why am I the only one to be blamed for everything Hiccup suffered?" He had pressed her back against the wall and grasped her face in one huge hand.