The Hero's Return

Chapter 2 - The Unite of Archipelago

"Why? Why? Why did you?" Astrid yelled louder and louder as her axe went deeper and deeper into the helpless tree in front of her. With every strike, her eyes swelled up and her heart beat faster. In its company was the image of the skinny boy, his auburn hair and his emerald eyes forever haunted her. In her sleep, in her daily life and clearest of all, was in the morning. "Why did you have to die?"

Astrid's broken question was to no one else but herself. She had forgotten how many time she has asked it, but no matter what, she just hoped and prayed to Thor that she could see it again, that captivating eyes once again.

Normally, she could just shake it off and walk away from the forest contented. But not today, not this time.

Out of the days, the last meeting of the tribes has to take place here and now, on Berk, on the day that Hiccup gave his life away to defeat the Red Death and change all of their life forever. It was on this day of every year, Astrid just broke down crying, cursing at the world around her and as always,  Snoutlout, Fishlegs, Tuffnut, Ruffnut and the rest of the island can do was pretend that they heard nothing nor knew where Astrid would disappear to for hours on end.

"Astrid?" Ruffnut asked timidly as she and Heather walked slowly into the forest, hoping not angering 'The Fearless Hofferson' like the last time and was almost cut in haft by the blonde's flying axe. "The other tribes are coming... So we need our shield maiden to present herself to the council."

"I can't, I can't... Not today at least." Astrid answered dejectedly behind a distant tree.

"Sit down and tell us all about it. It has been long enough, right?" Heather suggested while patting the empty spot on a nearby tree, which Astrid had taken down not long ago, between her and Ruffnut.

"It has been seven years and I still see him every day, every time that I closed my eyes. It just gets too much sometimes." Astrid just flopped down where she was asked to.

"I know that it is hard for you, he is that special someone to you and no one can replace that. Heck, you are just a couple month away from becoming a full-fletch shieldmaiden."

"Yeah." Ruffnut joined in. "Gothi said that this is your last challenge, the final hurdle to shield maidenhood. If you finish the challenge, then you will find peace and be the best shield maiden ever."

"The challenge is easy, not falling to the lies that the countless suitors are as easy as knocking Snoutlout out." Astrid said bluntly before let out a long and exhausted sigh. "What hard is the fact that I can't stop thinking about him... I don't think that I will ever find peace Ruff. Losing him was the one thing that had haunted me for so long."

"You know, he wouldn't be happy if he sees you like this. He had done what he needed to do in order to save the tribe, save his father and most important of all, saving you."

"I guess you're right, Heather."

"Of course I am, not like the other girl." Heather said with a wink at Astrid.

"Which other girl?" Ruffnut asked questionably.

"Oh, you know, the only other girl here."

"Okay, th... Wait a minute, you are talking about me aren't you?"

"It takes her less than ten seconds this time." Heather answers with a fake gasp, causing Ruffnut to jump on top of her as the two of them roll on the forest bed.

Astrid, on the other hand, could not help but chuckle at the chaos that always resulted from their little banter.

"Alright, break it up you two, we still have a council to meet." Astrid stood up with so much confidence, that she looked like a different person when compared with the hush that sat their seconds ago. "After that, you can fight and punch each other all you want, I will even be the judge if that makes you two happy."