Bittersweet Memories

Chapter 1

Chaos reigned in the Great Hall as Astrid entered through the large entrance doors

"This is a disgrace!" she heard one lady say.

"Absolutely!" was the reply. "Imagine not even turning up. This naming ceremony was booked two months ago by my nephew and I know he spoke to the chief only yesterday about it, making the final arrangements. Now he doesn't even show!"

Astrid walked up the centre aisle past all the grumbling people and turned to stand on the dais facing the crowd.

"May I please have your attention!" she bellowed. The room was immediately silent. "On behalf of the Chief of Berk, I apologise for the delay."

"Outrage!" someone called out.

"A complete dishonour to our family!" chimed another.

"Please!" Astrid continued. "We are not certain why the chief has not yet arrived but please bear with us and we will continue with the ceremony shortly. In the meantime may I ask kindly that you all remain seated and enjoy some light entertainment provided by the Thorston twins Ruffnut and Tuffnut?"

"Now ladies and gentle-Vikings!" announced Tuffnut, stepping forward. "My sister and I would like to recite to you a selection of poems we have concocted. Our first piece is named "A Young Viking":

"There was a young Viking from Berk,
"Who was a big, ugly jerk!"

There was a great amount of grumbling and sneering as she left the hall. Astrid kept her head high and once the doors were closed tight behind her she breathed a big sigh of relief. She turned, walked towards Hiccup's hut and rapped on the door. Valka answered.

"Hello Astrid. What can I do for you?"

"Have you seen Hiccup? He hasn't turned up at the naming ceremony this morning and the Trout family are pretty narked off."

"No dear. I didn't hear him come home last night and his bed hasn't been slept in."

"Oh no. Not again. Thank you, Valka, I think I know where to find him now."

"No problem."

Astrid ran down the steps and back across the grounds towards the old blacksmith shop which was now the one-stop dragon service centre. As she entered she saw a large bulk of a man with his head stuffed inside a dragon's mouth. "Hello Gobber. You haven't seen Hiccup today have you?"

"Oh, hi lass. No. I haven't seen him all morning. There ya go mate," he said to the dragon decanting an over-sized damaged tooth into a bowl. "Good as new." Gobber wiped his hands with a cloth. "When you do happen to see him could you tell him I still need that spoon drill he promised me. I only need to borrow it quickly and I've been asking him for it for a week now."

"I'll remind him."

A big, black creature with large wings and an even larger grin came bounding up to Astrid, nearly knocking her over.

"Hello Toothless. Sorry, I can't fly you just yet, I'm looking for Hiccup. Do you know where he is, boy?" She followed Toothless through the inner door of the building into Hiccup's private workstation area.

He was sitting at his desk hunched right over fast asleep.

"Oh Hiccup," she sighed. She crept up to him and gently shook his shoulder. "Hiccup." He didn't stir. "Hiccup, wake up. I'm sorry but you need to wake up."

"Nnnnnnuh," he groaned but didn't wake.

Toothless came up to him and gave Hiccup a big wet lick over his face.