The End of the Beginning (Hiccup x OC) [COMPLETED]

Chapter 6

The next few days passed quickly with more tricks from Hiccup that continually stunned everyone. I watched in amazement as he controlled a Gronckle, knocked out a Nadder and made the Terrible Terror retreat into its cage.

His popularity among the other recruits also grew because of his magic tricks. He never sat alone at meals anymore and he was always surrounded with questions on how the miracles were performed. Each time he gave an excuse and disappeared. But each night, a light came from the blacksmith stall and each evening I sat and watched.

I watched that night from my house, as usual, sitting with Wooly in my lap and eating an apple. Hiccup walked to the again toward stall, greeting a Viking as they passed and went inside. I leaned my head back against the wall of my house, watching.

Suddenly, a commotion of clanging came from the stall and I jerked my head up to see. Wooly stirred in my lap. The noise stopped, but I soon saw Astrid walk up to the stall.

"Hiccup?" she asked, approaching the building. "Are you in there?" I quickly set Wooly down on the grass and went behind the house, running silently in the shadows behind other houses to reach the blacksmith stall from behind.

"Astrid," Hiccup's voice reached my ears. I was halfway there, slowing my speed a little so as not to be heard. "Hey! Hi, Astrid. Hi, Astrid. Hi, Astrid." Okay, well you're obviously playing it cool . . .

"I normally don't care what people do, but you're acting weird." She paused a moment. "Well, weirder." I reached my destination and slowed, prepared to cover for him when needed. I didn't know what he was doing, but I knew one thing: I didn't like Astrid and I wasn't going to let her ruin Hiccup's plan, whatever it was.

The sound of shudders closing loudly broke the silence and I decided to make my move. I casually walked up to Astrid who was looking through the shudders. "Hey, Astrid."

She jumped in surprise and turned around, the shudders closing loudly behind her. "Hey . . ." She searched for my name.

"Marish," I filled in the blank for her.

"Right. Marish." She looked right and left as she spoke. "Hey, have you seen Hiccup anywhere? He was just here a second ago and then disappeared."

"Not really, no."

"He's up to something, I can feel it." Her eyes squinted, darting everywhere at once. Without saying anything more, she walked away to her house in her irritated way.

I rolled my eyes and imitated her quietly as I walked back to my own house. "I'm Astrid," I said in a high pitched voice, swinging my hips as I walked. "I'm all tough and can swing an axe. Those basket weavers and farmers are losers because they can't fight. I know Hiccup's up to something and I'm gonna find out what." I flipped my hair back with a swing of my head and walked into the house, going upstairs. "She really irks me." I mumbled as I got into bed and fell asleep.