Chapter 24: Fennir's Request

                                    

                                          
Astrid's POV
                          
The heath from the fire we had put together warmed us as we laughed at yet another one of our silly stories. Stormfly's soothing snoring filled our ears as we burst out in laughter yet again. I had completely lost track of how long I had been on the island with Fennir, but to me it felt like a lifetime. But it wasn't bad lifetime, far from it. Fennir was one of the funniest and greatest guys I had ever met, and for the first time in a very long time, I felt happy.
                          
Fennir grinned wildly at me as his golden eyes shone like a thousand suns. "Astrid?"
                          
I raised a brow at him as I leaned back on the log we sat on. "Yes, Fennir?"
                          
Fennir's grin grew wider as his hands clasped around mine and he sank to his knees, sending a spiral of shock up my spine as my entire life before that moment flashed before my eyes, reminding me of the life that I had abandoned not too long before. "Astrid, this time we've spent together it has been ... well, it has been beyond amazing and I can honestly admit that I have never had a connection quite like this one with any other living creature,"
                          
"Fennir—"
                          
"Which is why I am asking you now, Astrid, if you would like to come back to my island, as my wife, so that we can live happily ever after?" The look on Fennir's face made my heart clench as his face slowly seemed to morph into that of Hiccup, which made my stomach twist and turn as I was torn between hating his guts and missing him like crazy. But Thor was it hard to hate Hiccup as I thought back to the night he proposed to me, as I thought back to how his eyes shone with pure admiration and infinite love, as I thought back to the smile on his face that was so wide I feared he would stretch a muscle. 
                          
I knitted my brows together as I felt my eyes growing wet and turned away from Fennir. "Fennir, I'm so sorry I've led you on like this, but ... I am already married." 
                          
Fennir's brows drew together as his hand slid up to my wrist, raising my arm. He pointed at my ring finger, where my wedding band would have been, had I not thrown it away in a fit of rage. "I don't see a ring here, which tells me that you no longer want anything to do with this so-called 'husband' of yours."
                          
"Fennir, please ... you know I've enjoyed myself just as much as you have, but I need to go back home, to my friends, to my husband." I slid my hand out his grip as I turned to head back into the cave to fetch the sleeping Stormfly. 
                          
"I really didn't want to do this this way, Astrid, but you seem to have given me no choice." Fennir growled as I turned around in confusion, only to be met by a sharp pain in the forehead as the world slowly faded to black around me.
                          
Hiccup's POV
                          
I stirred around in my soup, head resting in my hand as I watched the liquid turn round and round. I cast a glance over at Toothless, who seemed to be enthralled with the swirling soup, and I couldn't help but chuckle at the dragon. But my mood quickly dropped once I laid eyes upon the empty space in the chair where my wife used to sit. 
                          
"This is all my fault, how is it possible that we haven't even gotten the smallest clue to where she could be?" I furrowed my brows as I let out a heavy sigh, my shoulders sinking as I glanced over at Toothless, who cooed at me in response before nuzzling me with his nose. 
                          
I patted the dragon on his head as I gave him a light scratch under the chin. "Thanks, bud, what would I do without you?"
                          
A loud 'thud' could be heard from outside the house, which could only be recognized as the sound of a dragon landing on the soft grass outside. I exchanged a quick, confused look with Toothless before I rose from my chair and walked outside. 
                          
"Skree!" Stormfly exclaimed as she jumped around frantically in circles, looking like a chicken that had just had their head cut off. Stormfly's panic seemed to have triggered something in Toothless as well, seeing as he visibly tensed up before attempting to trip me onto his back. Once again, I furrowed my brows as I looked between the two panicked dragons and that's when the last pieces of the puzzle finally fell into place. 
                          
"Where is she? Where's Astrid, girl?" I asked Stormfly as I got on top of Toothless and secured myself to him. The dragon jumped around in response before flapping her wings in the direction of the setting sun. I rested my hand on the side of Toothless' neck. "Did you get that, bud?"
                          
Toothless replied with a sharp nod, which I took as a signal to activate his tailfin, as we followed Stormfly up into the darkening skies above. As we were rounding the final seastacks that marked the end of Berkian territory, familiar high pitched, raspy voices filled my ears as I felt a heavy sigh build up in my chest.
                          
"Hiccup! What brings you, Stormie and T out at this hour?" Tuffnut asked casually as he and Ruffnut flew up on one side of me. I rubbed my forehead. I was not in the right mental state to deal with my other friends at the moment.
                          
"Don't tell me," Snotlout held up one of his fingers as he and Hookfang rose up on my other side. "You were planning to go find Astrid all on your own!"
                          
I pinched the bridge of my nose as I shut my eyes. "Well, she is my wife after all, it only makes sense that I, her husband go to find her."
                          
"Are you really her husband at the moment, though?" Fishlegs asked, making sure to drag out the 'really', just to spread some salt in the wound. 
                          
"You too, Fishlegs?" I sighed as Toothless shook his head slowly.
                          
Ruffnut clapped her hands together. "Now that we're all gathered here, would you please share your great plan with us, Chief Hiccup?"
                          
I turned towards her with my brows raised. "My plan is to follow Astrid's tracking dragon, all the way to Astrid."
                          
"Wow, we all expected so much more from you, Hiccup Haddock." Tuffnut said as he crossed his arms and shook his head in disappointment. Again, I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the people I had decided to call my friends. Thor, did they annoy the living Hel out of me sometimes. 
                          
"Can we spare the humor for later and actually focus on finding Astrid?" I nearly barked at the gang, who all seemed to have gotten a little surprised by the hostile tone of my voice.
                          
Snotlout crossed his arms and leaned back on Hookfang as he began grumbling to himself. "You're no fun anymore, Hiccup, no fun at all."