Until They Can Return in Peace - How to Train Your Dragon

Chapter 47 - Astrid

Everything around me was dark. I was crouched down low upon my saddle. My hands were firmly gripped on the handles.

"Easy girl", I say to my gurgling Nadder.

The cave echoed as if we were in the belly of a beast.

There it is.

The unsettling belly-laugh of a mad man in the distance.

"MWAHAHAHA! Have you come for your turn Astrid Haddock?", the outline of Magnus the Morbid comes into eye-line made from the light of the flames of his torch.

"You will pay for Heather's life!", I scream.

Stormfly roars at him as I pull my axe from the latch on my back.

"You mean for what you did?! Destroying her life with your happiness?", he spits as he nears me.

"Stormfly, spine shot!", I instruct and she throws spikes right by his feet.

"It wasn't my fault. She chose to live the life she did", I say angrily.

"And here you are on your dragon. The one thing that she died trying to get. How fair is that?!", He smirks.

~

I gasp for air as I sit up in my bed.

"Astrid? Babe are you alright?", a sleepy Hiccup rolls over.

"Yes... ugh it's that dream again...", I say holding my forehead.

"Again? Astrid... Do you feel guilty still? It's absolutely not your fault what happened to her. She made her choices and you made yours", he says.

Even half awake he can be as wise and encouraging as ever.

"I know... I just..."

"What love?"

"I guess... if the dragons ever came back... I'd just feel guilty for having something back that she never could..."

I can't help but fall backwards onto my pillow and grunt.

"Astrid... you can't think like that. We have no idea when that will be... but...", he says and I look at him for the rest of his sentence. I furrow my eye brows and shake my head at him impatiently.

"But... I do want to try to visit them soon...", he says.

"What?! How? Wouldn't they try to shoot us away?", I ask.

"Maybe... but maybe not if it's just one ship. And we know that Toothless is guarding the Hidden World from the water fall... maybe he'd recognize us", he says in his curious and hopeful Hiccup tone that I love so much.

I can tell this has been on his mind the last two years.

I'd love to see Stormfly again. Especially after these reoccurring dreams about me riding her.

It's the closest I'll probably ever get...

"Maybe", I smile at him.

"We would just need to wait a little longer. We need Magnus found and behind bars before I dare go in that direction", he says.

"Agreed", I kiss his cheek. My eyes are growing heavy as I curl up against Hiccup's chest.

The last thing I feel, is the warmth I get from hearing his beating heart.

___________________

"Zephyr! Don't forget your books!", I call to my tall girl as she runs off to school.