I apologize for the extremely long wait. I had a tough start to the year and I was suffering from writers block. Updates will be very slow as I'm in my final year at school and I need to focus on schoolwork.

So here is a very short, filler chapter, which I might edit later on.

CHAPTER 5: Contracts

Astrid stormed through the village from where she had enjoyed a peaceful and relaxing time in the forge until Gobber came and told her about what happened in the council meeting. Her day was going great, this morning she had a hard training leason with her axe in the old kill ring, then she helped Gothi tending to the sick and injured and then she helped Gobber in the forge. Thats when everything went downhill.

Axe in hand, she only had one destination. She couldn't believe this. After everything he's done, that son-of-a-half-troll thought he could get away with this. Doesn't he know that No means No.

Narrowed eyes on her destination she tightened her death grip on her axe handle. Snotlout saw her approaching and took this as his time to start flirting with her. Unsuccessfully. He grinned at her and flexed his muscles, intending to impress her with his 'awesomeness'.

"Hey babe, did you hear the good news. We're getting, ahh" he didn't get to finish as Astrid swong her axe around, stopping just inches from his neck.

"If you think for one second that I will go through with this then you have a big problem." She said sternly. "There is no way that in that dimwidded head of yours that you think I will marry you Snotlout. I hate you and after everything you've done, you think you can go hide behind your daddy because he is the chief. I will not stand for this, so if you don't want me to rip you apart with my axe right now then you better go tell your dad to destroy that contract."

Snotlout visibly cringed backwards as she shouted at him. Just this morning he and father discussed that he would need a wife before he became chief, and he had always had his eyes on the fearless Astrid Hofferson. His father set up the contract as chief and told the council members of his sons arranged marriage to the blonde sheildmaiden.

"No can do babe. I need a wife before I become the chief of Berk and I chose you. Father thinks you are the best female viking so he agreed." he said to her. Astrid gagged at hearing this. She never liked him even before Hiccup disappeared, in fact she could say she hated him more than that old nuisance, Mildew. She always said no to him everytime he asked for her hand and would punch him everytime he even tried coming close to her.

Thinking back to what he did to Hiccup she pulled her axe back and punched him in the face, hearing a satisfying crack from his nose. Dropping to the ground, Snotlout grabbed his broken nose in pain.

"My beautiful nose," he whined. Astrid turned around and stormed back to the forge where she could discuss this with Gobber. After her parents died a few months ago in a raid by pirates Gobber offered her a place in his small hut.

She ignored all the stares she received and made her way into the back of the forge. Gobber was busy rummaging through a stack of scrolls that were piled messily in a back corner away from the hearth, searching for something.

Astrid did not take notice of this as she paced around."I cannot believe this. But what can I expect from a guy whose brain is smaller than my pinky. And to think he can get away with this just because his father is the chief, who I might add is not the rightful chief." Astrid groaned as she swong her axe around in rage.

"Wotch were ye swinging that thing lass. I dinnae wanna die before I can stop this madness." The old blacksmith said while still reading through scroll after scroll.

Astrid stopped with her rage act and looked at Gobber in confusion.

"What do mean? What are you looking for Gobber?" She asked curiously, her rage slightly forgotten for now.

Gobber seemed to find the right scroll as a minute later he turned to her with a big grin on his face.

"Ah 'ere we go, found it." He said, holding out the scroll to her.

"Found what Gobber? I'm kinda busy here," she said exaggerated, eyeing the rolled up piece of paper in the blacksmiths hand, which had the Haddocks signature stamp on it.

"This is what's goin' te get ye out o' this madness," he replied and handed her the scroll.

Taking it hesitantly, Astrid unscrolled it and scanned it's contents. Her eyes growing wider as she reached to the bottom.

"Aye, your parents seemed to be looking out for yer future lass. They knew you wanted te become a sheildmaiden of Berk, could see it in ye when yer where younger, but in case tha' didnae happen they arranged this contract with the chief, Stoick, when you were still young." He explained.

"This is a marriage contract. To Hiccup." Astrid stated surprised. She read through the contents of the contract again and again until she had memorized every world. It had both her parents signatures on and Stoicks, with the words 'If all else fails' written boldly at the bottom.

"Tha' it is lass. They knew ye and the Lad had a special thing," he gestured with his hands as to illustrate what he meant, "goin' on and set out to secure your future as his wife in case you dinnae become a sheildmaiden."

"But he's gone Gobber." she said in worry. "He left after his father died and Spitelout took his place as chief. Doesn't that mean he can overrule this contract?"

She asked. She hoped he couldn't but even if he could there was no way in midgard that she would marry Snotlout. Even the thought alone made her want to pour out her lunch from a few hours ago.

"No he can't. While I think not. The council won't allow it as he is technically only acting chief. He was never made official therefore the council should stand with this contract." Gobber explained and watched as the blonde shieldmaidens eyes filled with hope and joy.

"So then what are we still doing here. We should be giving this to the council members now, before Spitelout can convince them otherwise. Before he marries me off to Snotlout." She said already moving. Gobber watched her with a small smile on his face. How he wished Hiccup was still here. Astrid didn't even seem to mind that she would have had married Hiccup if she did not make it as a sheildmaiden. In fact, she looked joyful at the prospect of being his wife and that made the old blacksmith grin with bubbling happiness like when he drank alot of mead. Because Hiccup was like a son to him, and he wanted the best for him.

As he followed Astrid back to the Great Hall where Spitelout was finishing off the contract for his sons marriage, he could only hope and pray to the gods that Hiccup was safe and would return.

Later that evening Astrid found herself storming through the village once again that day. She just came from the Great hall, where she and Gobber tried their best to convince the council members that she already had been promised to Hiccup. But apparently it was not as easy as they thought it to be and she left with a promise that she would know what their decision is in a few hours.

By the time she left the meeting it was supper time, so she ate with the twins and Fishlegs and then she decided to have a late evening training session in her favourite spot in the forest.

The sound of metal slicing into old wood relaxed her mind as she threw her axe into the trees she used as targets. When Hiccup used to come search for her here, he usually asked her what the trees ever did to her to receive the rage that boiled inside her. She started realising that she missed his little sarcastic comments or his lopsided smiles that only she got to see.

And then she thought back to the contract that their parents had set up for them. When they were younger she always thought that she would end up with Hiccup, even joked about it, but after her uncle banished himself for disgracing his family name, she dedicated herself to being the best so that she can bring honour back to her family. After that she forgot everything about marriage and kept herself busy with training every free minute she had. By then she and Hiccup started to drift apart. Ever since his father died it got even worse…

She stopped herself from going that path again. It was bad enough then, no need to go there again.

Watching as the sky slowly turned dark, Astrid made her way back to the village, where she could see a small dim light glowing through the forges window.

'Gobber must be done,' she thought.

With that thought came a new path of doubt. What if the council agreed with Spitelout? Or if the contract was illigemate because Hiccup left and Stoick was dead? She walked into the forge, she saw Gobber sitting infront of the hearth. He looked up when he saw her, and by the way his shoulders slumped and his downed expression, she knew what her answer was.