The Monsters In Us All

Shelter Building for Dummies

I could feel the hot sticky air the second I walked outside in the morning. There definitely was going to be a storm today. It made my clothes feel damp and my skin saggy. I hate summer storms on Berk. Though, I don't like winter ones either, mainly because those usually result in snow or hale.

The walk to the Great Hall seems longer than normal, and I yearn for the rush of cool air the moment I open the large double doors. I stare at the Chief's sad, quiet house as I pass. His wife is pouring out a bucket of water into the grass. I feel bad for her. She was such a beautiful woman, but now over come with wrinkles and lines and deep creases from over work and self guilt for not being able to offer up a son for the chief to in order to carry on the line. After Stoick, it will be passed down to the Jorgenson line of men. She glances up, feeling eyes on her, waving slightly. I raise my hand before carrying on, up the steps of the Hall.

The voices echo off the walls reminding me of rolling thunder. My friends are at our usual table in the middle of the room. I sit down beside Fishlegs, laying my sword on the table.

"Where's your axe, Astrid?" he asks, watching me grab an apple from a bowl in the center of the table.

I take a bite, my teeth sinking into the sweet fruit. "I lost it in the woods," I say, wiping my mouth on my arm.

"I could get Gobber to make you a new one, my Devine Beauty," Snotlout suggests, making what he thinks is an attractive face.

"No thanks. I only use the one my mother gave me," I say, stowing a few apples in my satchel. "Ruff, are you coming?" I ask, getting up, wanting to get a head start on guard duty. She nods, smacking her brother in the back of the head as she gets up.

***

"It's gonna be a pretty bad storm," she tells me, examining the sky as we walk. I follow her eyes, staring at the dark grey clouds, the windmills turning furiously in a fast circle, the trees swaying, leaves detaching and blowing across the breeze. "It's gonna be nasty."

I nod, sighing. By the looks of things, the wild man that has consumed my mind since yesterday, probably wont survive the night with that crummy shelter he built. I thought dragons lived in caves? I guess after his Night Fury friend got hurt, they stumbled across the cove, thinking it was a safe place to hide, also being near a plentiful water source. And oddly enough, I feel sorry for them, being out in the sweltering heat and all. "You know what, I just remembered my father wanted me to visit the forge to pick up his mace, so you just keep going. I'll see you later," I say, turning around.

"Oh, alright. See you later!" she calls after me, confused as usual.

I hurry back to my empty house, scrambling up the stairs to my dresser. I pull the bottom drawer out, searching through old scrap pieces of cloth. I find a large piece from when my mother made my under skirt, and I stuff it in my satchel. I make sure I have my dagger in my boot, and run out of the house.

I sprint through the square, passers-by having to jump out of the way. I reach the forge out of breath. I go to the right side where Snotlout works, wanting to avoid Gobber. "Hey, Snotlout," I say, leaning in through the window. He looks up at me eagerly, thinking I'm here to visit him. Not.

"Why, hello, Astrid. How may I be of service?" he asks, leaning down on the counter in front of me.

"Yeah, um, do you have any large sheets of metal, a hammer, and nails I could use for a while?" I ask, hopeful, adding a smile at the end, trying to charm him.

His eyes shine at the request, proud that I came to him for help. He leans back, making sure Gobber isn't close by. "I'll see what I can do," he says, and hurries off to another corner of the stall. I tap my nails impatiently, leaning inside to watch for Gobber every now and then. "One hammer, two handfuls of nails, and four sheets of metal. I even put holes at the top and looped ropes through so you can drag them."