9/25/10

A/N: Jumping on the bandwagon of posting multiple one-shot vignettes; these will be snapshots from the continuity I established in "Fair Trade," though it probably won't be necessary to have read it to enjoy them. The chapters will be completely random, in no particular order or theme. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions, feel free to send them on.

On that note, I am also seriously contemplating a straight sequel to "Fair Trade" as well. I have an initial idea, and right now it is in a plotting phase, so I can't offer a time table on when it will be going up, but it is tentatively titled, "A Matter of Diplomacy."

Disclaimer: Do not own, no infringement intended.

Race You - After a lonely summer of waiting for Hiccup to return home, Astrid and Toothless have a friendly competition.

))((

Astrid wasn't a girl to gaze lazily off into the horizon. She could appreciate beauty where she found it, but in a more perfunctory manner: notice, acknowledge, move on. Sitting and pondering about how the vast sea met the infinite sky just wasn't something she was prone to do.

Yet here she sat, as she had every afternoon since early summer. The waves rolled endlessly and the clouds drifted along the wind, and she sighed deeply in both longing and disgust. Numerous other more important activities demanded her attention, but she could not pull herself away from this cliff, which was out of sight of the rest of the village and had the most optimum viewing of the ocean beyond as well as any vessels approaching the small island. She had spent so much time here she'd begun to think of it as her own personal place: Astrid's Waiting Spot. There was a bite in the air and the leaves on the trees that surrounded her had begun the yearly ritual of changing colors, a sign that snow would be falling soon. That made her smile, not because she enjoyed the season particularly, but because it meant that the ship that had sailed in the early spring should be home any time, barring any unforeseen complications, which she wouldn't even allow herself to consider.

She could barely acknowledge the ache in her chest at the thought that Hiccup had been gone for six months. Casually she fingered the strip of leather that encircled her left wrist without looking down. It was a promise. He'd given it to her after she'd finally accepted his proposal only to realize it meant having to wait a year to be wed. "Wear this and know that I'll always be with you," he had said. Sentimental foolishness, she thought even as she craved to look at his face again, comb her fingers through his hair, and feel his hands on her back.

She closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against her knees. He'd done the proper thing and secured her parents' permission first, and they had gladly accepted, but only on the condition that she agreed. Agreed to be married - bound body and soul to a man. From early childhood Astrid had always assumed she'd take the role of shield maiden, a female warrior ready to fight at all times in defense of her tribe, forsaking home and hearth for battle and glory. She'd never wanted to weave or cook or run a household, and her parents had encouraged her ambitions; they knew she would bristle at the very hint of matrimony – or would have if anyone else had asked.

And of course he had to ask. He had to look into her eyes with his own soft green ones and tell her that he wanted a future with her, to share a home. He wanted them to grow old together. Have children. All the things she'd been so eager to forsake for duty now offered to her in unconditional love.

It had taken three days for her to decide. She had secluded herself deep in the island to be alone, to think, to pray to Frigga for guidance.

Now as she sat waiting by the rolling sea, her reminiscence was interrupted by a visitor. He had started showing up periodically late in the summer, but by now he was her constant companion on these vigils. The sleek black dragon was nearly as quiet on land as he was in the sky, and there was barely a rustle of grass as he laid down next to her, head resting on his forepaws. She smiled at his arrival, but said nothing as he let out a sigh just as forlorn as hers had been. Though she had made sure Toothless was well fed these past six months, she knew he was hungry for something far greater than food. It was the utmost tragedy that a creature born to fly was now cursed to the ground without assistance. She had offered to fly with him, but though he bore her no ill will and would gladly take all the fish she had, he would not have her as his sole rider. It was the boy or nothing.

She sympathized with him. Flicking the leather band again she remembered returning to the village after her three days of self-reflection and realizing the answer had been in her heart all along: marriage to any other man would have been intolerable, but not marrying Hiccup would have been unbearable. It was the boy or nothing.

Yet they had hardly announced their engagement when Stoick decided that Hiccup needed to start training to be chieftain in earnest. Astrid had had a suspicion that Stoick had never intended Hiccup to follow in his footsteps as a child; no one on the island ever expected the cause of so much trouble to ever become their leader. But now it was a different Berk – and a different Hiccup – and Stoick did not want the distractions of being a newlywed to interfere with his son's preparation to become chief and so had exacted a promise to postpone the wedding a year. Astrid had been devastated at the delay realizing that once she'd decided to give herself to Hiccup she wanted their life together to start as soon as possible.

The first half of the year was tolerable at least; they saw each other regularly most evenings, though it consisted mostly of meals in the Meade Hall surrounded by their rambunctious friends, as the rough winter precluded most outside activities, and privacy was a rare commodity indoors. While she spent her days catching up on her own belated schooling in running a household, Hiccup dutifully followed his father around the village seeing to all the trivial and mundane issues of keeping order in the village. But when spring broke the waterway free, Stoick announced that he and Hiccup would be sailing around to all the neighboring islands, spending time with each tribe as a manner of introduction, and that they were to be gone until the fall. Half a year spent apart, but it may as well have been an eternity.

On her cliff, Astrid raised her arms overhead in a stretch. Toothless looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "We're a pathetic pair," she said to him. He huffed, as if to say, Speak for yourself. "Don't deny it. You miss him just as much as I do." The dragon steadfastly refused to be pressed into an admission, but suddenly raised his head, pupils dilating to almost full circles as he peered towards the horizon, nostrils flaring as he sniffed at the air enthusiastically. "What is it?" she asked.

She followed his gaze but could see nothing out of the ordinary. She was about to dismiss it as just the act of a bored dragon, when a speck finally caught her attention in the water. She blinked trying to make it take a shape. It was just as likely to be a large whale as a boat, but she still unconsciously chewed on her lower lip in anticipation. The world around them ground to a halt as they watched the speck grow larger and larger. The shape of sails became clear and eventually the unmistakable long, thin hull of a Viking vessel dotted with colorful shields. Ships were not an uncommon sight around the waters of Berk and she still refused to allow the kernel of hope in her heart to take hold just yet, though she brought herself up on her knees and leaned forward. The moments ticked by and she had to frequently remind herself to breath. Beside her, Toothless let out a small keen and pawed restlessly at the ground.

Eventually it became apparent that the boat was headed towards their harbor and Astrid rose to her feet, lips slightly parted, which then morphed into a full smile as she recognized Berk's colors flying from the bow. And just beneath was the chief's personal flag.

"They're home," she whispered. "He's home," she said, turning to Toothless who bobbed his head and chattered eagerly. The ship would be docked within the half hour. If she hurried she could get there before it heaved to. She was still looking at Toothless, who was watching her with the particular head-tilt he used when he was contemplating some form of mischief. Their eyes locked and the unspoken question hung in the air: Who would get there first? Feeling overjoyed and heady at the thought of seeing Hiccup again after so long, she broke out into a huge grin. "Last one there is a rotten dragon's egg!" she shouted and pivoted on the ball of her foot, pushing off into a sprint.

She could hear the movement behind her as he took off in pursuit, but the smile on her face faded as the sun was blotted out by a dragon-shaped shadow. "Hey, no fair!" she cried as Toothless glided overhead close enough to touch. As his body sailed past she jumped up and grabbed a hold of his tail, vaulting herself onto his back. She crouched down, feet spread on either side of the sharp ridges down his spine. He looked over his shoulder and grunted in annoyance. "That's what you get for cheating!"

The village was coming up fast and Toothless had lost what little momentum he had left in his glide. Carefully, Astrid took several long strides over his back, and launched herself off the dragon's head. He honked in irritation and the two touched ground at the same time and began racing on foot.

Toothless was taking the most direct approach to the docks leaping over any obstacles in his way, while Astrid took the footpath, which zigzagged down the steep mountain that the village was built on, taking as many shortcuts as she found prudent. She was forced to dodge the various Vikings and dragons moving about their business, offering up breathless apologies when wasn't able to maneuver as quickly as she would have liked. She kept sight of Toothless out of the corner of her eye already realizing the foolishness of her challenge, but she pressed on running as hard as she could, heart pounding in excitement.

"Snotlout, down!" she yelled, as she noticed her friend up ahead. Without thinking about it, the dark-haired boy dropped to his knees. She planted a foot on his back to facilitate a heroic leap onto the rooftop of the house on the next tier down. "Thanks!" she called over her shoulder as she dropped down and continued running.

With the docks finally in view she pushed herself even harder. Toothless was headed towards the finish line from the side and she grinned as she gave a last boost of energy in the hopes of reaching the wooden platform first. But just as she closed in, a man carrying a large basket stepped in front of her. Her eyes widened as she realized she wouldn't be able to slow down or dodge him safely, and in a split second decision threw herself to the side, rolling as she hit the ground to regain her feet instantly, but even as she did, she saw Toothless dive onto the dock, his large nails digging into the wood as he skidded to a stop.

Her sides were burning and she gulped down great lungfuls of air as she jogged the remainder of the way, collapsing against his neck. He gave her a self-satisfied smile. "Okay, okay, you win," she conceded. "Lesson learned: never challenge a dragon to race."

As Astrid attempted to catch her breath she watched the boat finally make berth and the crew begin to unload all the merchandise they had gathered on the trade run, supplies and raw materials and certain luxuries they were unable to forage for themselves that would hold them through the harsh winter. When the last of it had been removed, all that remained on the ship were two men in close conversation. Stoick stood with a hand on his son's shoulder, speaking very intently at the younger man, who nodded in understanding every so often. Astrid watched impatiently, tapping her fingers on Toothless' neck, wondering why this talk couldn't have taken place before they docked.

Finally, Stoick gave his son a firm pat on the shoulder, hefted his pack, and disembarked the ship. As he passed by Astrid and Toothless he nodded in greeting. "Hello, sir. Welcome home," she said brightly with a quick wave. He gave her a large smile and a wink in return before continuing on into the village. She frowned slightly in confusion as she turned to watch him walk away.

"Just who I wanted to see waiting for me!" she heard behind her as Hiccup walked towards them, a huge grin on his face. He dropped his pack on the ground and wrapped his right arm around her waist pulling her in close as he used his left hand to scratch Toothless between the eyes.

Astrid threw her arms around his neck and kissed him fully on the mouth. Along with slightly chapped lips, his hair was tousled and his face ruddy from the harsh sea air, and he had a respectable growth of a beard that had finally taken hold giving him a more mature look. The life of a sailor had apparently agreed with him. He grinned at her when she pulled away, and then said, "I guess you must have really missed me."

Shrugging she said casually, "Hardly knew you were gone, actually. Has it been six months already? I was so busy it just flew by." She snapped her fingers together as she caught Toothless' eye, ignoring his sarcastic snort.

"Oooh," Hiccup said just as casually. "Then I guess you won't be interested in getting married next week?"

"Really?" For the first and only time in her life, Astrid actually squealed in excitement and threw herself back into his arms. Hiccup, caught off guard, took several steps back to regain his perilous balance.

"Whoa!" he cried out laughing. "I take it you approve. Good, because my dad's on his way to talk to your parents right now to get all the details in order. By this time next week we'll be…mmph!"

She had grabbed his vest and pulled him into a deep kiss, one hand threading through his hair while the other caressed his neck and face. He eagerly returned the kiss, holding her firmly in his arms. She was vaguely aware of the occasional person that passed by, some making rude or disgusted comments at their very public display of affection. But none of that mattered. All that mattered was that if they had been anywhere near a modicum of privacy their wedding would have become a mere technicality.

She pulled her lips from his but kept her face close, just enjoying the very nearness of him. His hand slid up and down her back lovingly. "I really missed you too," he whispered in her ear.

Impatiently, Toothless pressed his head between them, trilling at Hiccup. "Oh, yes, buddy, I missed you too," Hiccup said, grinning and scratching behind the Night Fury's ears. "Did you guys get to fly while I was gone?" He looked at Astrid, who pursed her lips in remorse and shook her head. "Well, then I guess I owe you a nice long flight, eh?" Toothless responded eagerly, backing up and spinning himself around in place. "You coming with us?" Hiccup asked Astrid.

"No, you two go have fun. I'm going to head home and see what help my mom needs to get this thing going." She actually felt a pang of regret in turning down the offer; there wouldn't be very many good flying days left, but she also knew Hiccup valued his time with Toothless just as highly as the time they spent together, and she made an effort not to impose too often. "I'll see you later," she said to them, giving Hiccup a chaste kiss on the cheek and Toothless an affectionate pat on the head.

"You bet," Hiccup replied, grinning. "Let's go get your rig, Toothless."

She watched the young man and the dragon walk off together, Hiccup already talking rapidly to his friend, no doubt relating tales of his epic journey.

Just one more week. She could handle that.

She flicked the leather band on her wrist and happily walked home.