There's No Such Thing As Normal (Hiccstrid)

Chapter 11

Astrid's P.O.V.

"Astrid, honey! Will you go to the market please?" Mom called from down stairs. I strapped my ax to my back and jumped off my bed before sliding down the railing of the stairs. "We just need some yak milk. Make sure to get a lot so we can stalk up," she says and I nod before grabbing some money from a vase and going out the door. As I walked through the village, I felt a presence following me. I glanced over my shoulder to see Ryder walking calmly, about a whispering death length away. That's weird. He's usually in the forage at this time. I waited a few more moments before deciding to freak out.

Why is he following me?!

"I don't know, you should ask him!"

But he might just be going the same way!

"Snap around! Catch him in the act!"

I spun around to see Ryder keep calm as he advanced on me. "Hi," he said casually before walking around me. I let out a sigh of relief before turning to continue on my way, only to find that he had only moved in front of me to block my path. We stared at each other for a minute. "Lets take a stroll, M'Lady," he says as he grabs my shoulder and turns me toward the forest. He then kept his arm there, to prevent me from moving backwards, as we walked to the trees. I looked from his hand to him and back again as I wondered what he was doing. When we're in the trees, he takes his arm away and walked with his hands behind his back. I try to move away but he grabs my wrist and pulls me closer. 

"I don't need to worry about you running off, do I?" he asked. "Because there is a new threat to this forest and if you run off... Well, good luck defending against it. Your move," he said as he released my arm to let me think for myself. I decided it was too creepy that he knew that and walked at his side. "There's a good girl," he said, as if praising an animal. Soon, we came to a clearing and he grabbed my shoulders, making me stop, before guiding me to a spot he clearly picked out. Then he went back to the edge of the clearing before my head whipped around in all directions, looking for a trap.

"Now I'm going to need you to relax for this next bit if you don't mind," he said and I turn to look at him before he let out a sharp whistle. I looked around as a screech sounded, followed by a Night Fury jumping out of the undergrowth.

Oh my Thor, he's gonna feed me to a dragon! I stared at the reptile with wide eyes. I looked at Ryder with a pleading look, begging him to call it off, but he just leaned against a tree with crossed arms.

"Careful now, he can smell fear," he said as his dragon slowly stalked toward me.

"We gonna die."

"SHUT UP EMERALD! YOU'RE NOT HELPING!" I found myself screaming at her. Suddenly, a hand snaps over my mouth and Ryder pulls me to his side as he held a hand out to the snarling dragon. When it was calm, he put his lips next to my ear. 

"Now that I know your voice is working, why don't you tell me your name, M'Lady?" he whispered before taking his hand away for me to answer. When I don't he just chuckles. "Wanna go for a fly, then?" he asks and that's the first time I notice a saddle on the dragon's back, hooked to his tail. 

I tried to break away from him but his grip on me tightened as he ushered me to the beast. He lifted me onto the saddle before getting on behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist. I heard a click before the dragon shot into the air. As we cleared the trees, a thought came to me. I saw Hiccup in a cove with a Nightfury before he left. Hiccup was used to me talking to myself and knew about Emerald. This guy didn't seem confused when I screamed at her. Ergo...Hiccup was behind me with his arms around my waist.

"Hiccup!" I screamed, shocking him into releasing me and causing me to slip from the Night Fury's back. The dragon caught me and threw me behind Hiccup before going crazy, flips, spins, free-falls, dives, the works. I screamed in terror as I wrapped my arms and legs around Hiccup to keep from falling off again. When the dragon started twisting and spinning during a fall, I buried my face between Hiccup's shoulder blades.