Heir and Pride

Chapter Thirty Five

Head down and hunched under a cloak, Astrid carefully sneaked round the back of Fishlegs' home. She knew she was taking a huge risk but the house was on the edge of the town and it was quiet. It didn't stop all her nerves being on edge or her heart pounding in her chest. Her father's words kept rolling in her head

Stoick won't have any mercy for you. He has fixated on you as the reason his son ran. He believes that his son would have remained here had you not enticed him away.

She ducked back as she heard footsteps and watched the front porch carefully. Her hood was pulled right up over her face and her axe was strapped to her back, but she wasn't risking being seen, hugging the shadows and every sense straining. Gothi had given her Hiccup's leg and had warned her what had happened and Gobber had promised to help as well. Astrid had been given a whole satchel of poultices for Hiccup's leg and herbs for draughts to treat infection and fevers. Gothi had explained (via a large amount of floor scratching and staff whacks) that Hiccup, though he was determined and brave, wasn't physically strong and was prone to chest injections and fevers in the winter-moreso now since he had lost weight and recently suffered such a severe illness.

The door creaked open and a bulky shape scuttled out. Fishlegs didn't move like a big man, his motions timid and still very self-conscious as he beckoned his dragon out. Meatlug trundled out and he gave a loud 'ooo' and hugged her, his face filled with adoration. Astrid glared at him as they idled by the front porch, playing and enjoying the grey afternoon.

"Fishlegs!" she hissed. His blue eyes popped wide open and he spun, staring wildly in the direction of the hiss.

"ASTRID!" he gasped. "What are you doing here?" He was almost squeaking in shock. She beckoned him over and Meatlug followed. Astrid patted the gentle Gronckle automatically.

"Hiding-obviously," she hissed.

"Don't you know what's been going on?" he asked her in an urgent voice. She shook her head. "He's gone back on most of what was agreed. Snotlout and Spitelout have gone to jail-for almost killing Hiccup, not the...other things. You are to be arrested on sight. And Hiccup has come back, so we must all be forgiven..."

"You aren't!" Astrid snapped back, her eyes glittering. "I took him to Gothi last night because his stump was really badly infected. Stoick was watching and snatched Hiccup, capturing Stormfly as well. Toothless is with me. Hiccup didn't want to come back. He was very upset-because he knew that no one-especially Stoick-had yet acknowledged the wrongs they had done."

"But...but Stoick has announced that Hiccup has come back and has forgiven us!" Fishlegs told her in a surprised voice. "He's making Hiccup his Heir this evening!" She gaped in shock.

"This isn't what he wanted!" she told him urgently.

"But...but the Chief said..."

"Speak to Hiccup, not Stoick," she hissed. "The Chief still doesn't think he did anything wrong. So he talks over Hiccup and does what Stoick wants, not what Hiccup does. See Hiccup, PLEASE! Ask him if he wants to be Heir. Look to see if he has his metal leg-or a wooden peg leg. Ask if he's being allowed to fly a dragon or work in the forge. And ask if he is actually happy or feels like a prisoner!"

"Erm...why are you with Toothless?" Fishlegs asked warily. She sighed.

"When Hiccup was in Gothi's his leg was so bad he couldn't work the pedals on Toothless's tail so he asked me to fly him," she explained quickly. "I wanted to take Stormfly to see my Dad-and then leave him here because I thought he would be better off here because he was sick. But he made me take Toothless because he guessed what I was doing...and he begged me not to leave him. He didn't want to stay, Fishlegs. I was willing to go it alone but he insisted...he wanted to come with me." Her eyes suddenly betrayed her worry.