AN: Hey guys, I am sorry for not updating for so so long. There is only little I can say but that I was hit by a major writing block. I do hope tho to finally bring this story to an end very soon. Please let me know your thoughts, I always love to hear your feedback. And merry Christmas everyone :)
Astrid couldn't stand seeing Hiccup like this. He was sitting at a table in the great hall, staring down at his untouched bowl of porridge and dark circles under his eyes. He looked like a shadow of himself.
She let her own spoon drop into her bowl. "I'm done. We can't sit around here any longer." she whispered into Ruffnut's direction who was sitting beside her.
"What do you want to do?" Ruffnut whispered back.
"We need to go home, to Berk. We've been gone for too long." Astrid gestured to Hiccup from across the table. "And Hiccup needs to be crowned as chief."
"Do you think he's ready for that?"
"No." Astrid replied, feeling her heart sink at she took her best friend in. "But he has no choice."
Making up her mind, she got up from from her place and walked over to Hiccup. It was hard to tell if he saw her coming or not, either way he didn't bother to look up as she let herself drop onto the bench beside him. His skin was pale and he looked thin, well thinner than usual that is. Astrid cleared her throat.
"Hey."
Hiccup startled and raised his head in surprise. Maybe he hadn't seen her coming after all. "Oh...Astrid...hey..." he muttered.
It pained her to hear how weak his voice was. But there was no way she could ease his pain now, they would all have to let him mourn his father. Still life had to go on and so she decided to come straight to the point. "Hiccup, we've been on hunter island for while now. The war is over, everything is done, and now I think it's time for us to fly home."
"Home?" Hiccup blinked several times, as if he had troubles understanding what she meant.
Astrid frowned in concern. "Yes, Hiccup. Berk deserves to know what happened to Stoick and also...to announce you as our new chief."
Hiccup's eyes widened in shock, he inhaled sharply. "No...no I can't..."
"What do you mean? Of course you can. We need to go home Hiccup, this is important!"
"No, no you don't understand. I can't, Astrid...I can't be your chief. I am not ready..." His chest rose and fell rapidly as he trembled and Astrid watched in horror how tears gathered at the corners of his eyes. "They won't understand...they won't accept..."
"Who, Hiccup?" Astrid asked, getting more worried by the second. "What will they not understand?"
Ruffnut and the rest of the gang gathered around the both of them, watching their leader and best friend with concern. Never before had they seen him this miserable.
A single tear dropped from his eye, but Hiccup hurried to wipe it away and it almost broke Astrid's heart.
"It's my fault...he's dead because of me..." He uttered barely audible.
So that was what weighed him down. He felt guilty for Stoick's death. Astrid shook her head vehemently and placed a hand on Hiccup's shoulder. "No one blames you Hiccup."
She searched her friend's gazes and they all nodded. Snotlout let himself drop onto the place to Hiccup's other side.
"Yeah man, Stoick was a warrior and he died a warrior's death. We all know it's not your fault."
YOU ARE READING
My little Flower (HiccupxOC, part 1 of Grimborn Family AU)
Fanfiction"Grimborn." She let the name roll from her tongue, her forehead creased into a frown. "Who is that?" Raised by dragons from an early age, Lilly had no contact to another human being for thirteen years. Being a wide eyed innocent she has no idea of...
