The Forgotten Warrior

Halfway There

Hiccup

  "The training isn't much of a bad idea, but I can't depend on Berk for all the supplies I need and I would need some people to help me run and take care of the island.  I need to raid another island." I explained.

"You have an entire island that warships you! Why do you need to raid?!"

  "I could barrow some supplies and recipes, but two islands won't cover it. I'm going to need a lot of supplies. When we get back, you and Heather can go back to Berk, while I go on a couple of raids. "

  "I don't understand why you need to go raid innocent islands! What have they ever done to you?!" She asked, taking affence.

  "Tried to kill me, take my dragon, injure my other dragons, put a bounty on my head, which I still have, tried to sell Heather-" She cuts me off.

   "Ok, but did you go on with your entire island of dragons with the intention of raiding?"

   "No! I have come to every island with just Toothless and I with the intention of making alliences."

  "Hiccup," I winced at my name, "riding in on a Night Fury doesn't necessarily scream peace. They found you intimidating and vikings don't like feeling intimidated. You came to them as a threat."

  "I tried to explain it to them, but just like everyone else they didn't listen and instead took Toothless from me and put me on trial. Every single time, so now I raid them."

  "So that's an excuse to raid them?!"

   "Yeah, that's the most reasonable excuse ever!"

   "How could you be so.... so, cold?" she asks, hurt.

   "Astrid, you have no idea what it's like out here. Living alone. I don't have an entire village to rely on." I sighed, "What it's like to face the people that have shunned you your entire life, to live knowing everyone thinks I'm dead, to not be able to have a complete conversation with a living person,  to try to bring peace to an entire world of war,  and train hundreds of dragons. I am hated for saving thousands of lives!"

  She looked at me with wide eyes at my sudden outburst...or maybe all the things I just said.

  After a long moment of silence and me avoiding her eye contact, she finally spoke up, " Then show me...."

   Immediately my eyes met with hers.

Was she really willing to give up her village?

Her family?

Her titles?

Her friends?

Her home?

Her identity?

Even if it was just for a short time?

It doesn't matter. There's no way in hell I'm bringing her into this crazy world.

  I looked away as soon as I made my decision, "No."

Astrid

  After my last statement, he just looked at me, lost in thought. I watched him, trying to read his thoughts through his eyes. Nothing.

  He had clearly been through a lot. It changed him, yet at the same time it didn't. It damaged him, yet at the same time it built him up. It tore the innocence from him, yet he somehow was still so hopeful.

  The world. It taught him how to fight, defend himself, survive, plan, lead, be bold, read people, and thousands of other things it takes vikings a lifetime to learn. Yet there's still so much more.

  His stern voice snapped me from my thoughts, "No."

  A frown stretched across my lips, "No?"

  "Yes." was all he said, keeping his sharp gaze ahead of him.

  "Why?"

  "Because I won't allow it."

  "What?! Why?!"

  "Because."

  "Why, Hiccup!? You tell me I have no idea what it's like, but you won't show me?!?"

  "Yes!"

  "WHY?!"

   "ASTRID, ARE YOU REALLY WILLING TO GIVE UP EVERYTHING?!? YOU HOME?! YOUR FRIENDS?! YOUR TITLES THAT YOU'VE WORKED SO HARD TO GET?!? YOUR IDENTITY?!?" He took a quick breath and looked down, "Your family?"

  As he was talking, I was really willing to give it all up. My home was empty and filled with bad memeries, my friends would do just fine without me, the titles I had got would live on forever, I was almost excited at the thought of earning new ones, and my identity was only a mere reminder of the things I had lost. My family.

  My parents packed their things and sailed away. Only leaving me a note saying that they'd be back by morning, but never showed. Leaving me alone in a village who thought I was going crazy and a broken cheif.

  "My family's gone and my home empty. I am willing to give up titles and earn new ones. The village thinks I'm going crazy and when it comes down to it, I know my friends would turn their backs on me, leaving my name in the dirt. So yes, I'm willing to give up the crappie life I have to start a new one."

  The Enemy then started laughing. Not at all what I expected.

  "What's so funny?" I asked, affended.

  "I'm sorry....I'm sorry.....I shouldn't be laughing." He said between outbursts.
 
   "Then why are you?"

   "The fact that you think your life is crappie you think it is now, you have no idea what your getting yourself into."

   "Wow... I never thought I'd see the day you pittied yourself." I said.

  He chuckled, "And you're not?"

  His statement made me second guess myself.

Was I really pitting myself?

  I thought about all the things I had said and when I finally came to the conclusion that he was right, I looked away. Crossing my arms.

  "We should camp there for tonight. We didn't make it as far as I planned so this is not a place I had ready. We're on our own." The Enemy pointed to an upcoming island that was covered in snow.

Great.