Learning to Dance: A Hiccstrid Proposal

Chapter 2: An Axe to Find

The flight back to Berk was a delight. Hiccup relished the quiet time aboard Toothless in the sky, the silence occasionally interrupted with the joyous laughter of his new fiancée. She flew ahead of him, cutting through the clouds, performing feats of aerial acrobatics on Stormfly out of sheer joy.

Astrid arrived first to Berk, several minutes before Hiccup and Toothless. Although he wouldn't have mentioned it at the time, Hiccup allowed her victory. Even as his leg clinked on the rocks following his dismount as he landed on solid Berk ground, he still felt as if he remained in the clouds.

Upon landing, he made the announcement for the village to begin preparations, as the wedding was to take place in three days' time.

The village converged upon the happy couple, bestowing well wishes to the young chief and his soon to be bride. Hiccup lost count after about 50 slaps and punches to his shoulder and chest from large Vikings giving their well wishes in the best way they knew how…with a good ol' punch.

Astrid was soon whisked away. Hiccup suspected that Heather, visiting Berk on a quick resupply visit after a meeting with the Bog Burglers, had grabbed her as soon as she had landed to get the down low on the proposal.

"About time, lad!" shouted Gobber, his eyes alight.

"Thought our beards would go gray just waiting for you to make things official, ol' boy'yo!" added Spitelout.

Fishlegs pushed through the crowd to Hiccup, his normally content visage fraught with a worry. Hiccup had appointed Fishlegs to oversee most of the wedding preparations, knowing that his friend really enjoyed doing those types of activities and would do a splendid job.

"Hiccup…" he started to say as he pulled Hiccup aside, "Do you happen to know where the Haddock family axe is?"

"Of course," answered Hiccup confidently, but wondered why Fishlegs would ask such a random question. Hiccup was relatively familiar with their village's wedding practices and already knew he'd need an axe for the wedding ceremony. "My dad had plenty of family axes."

"No…I mean THE axe." Fishlegs began to rant as Fishlegs always did when he knew way too much about a subject and had to get it off of his chest. "The axe that you'll have delivered to the island of Frigga, chop down your ceremonial birch with, make your marriage with Astrid official…"

"And the axe that the Chief couldn't wait to ask the superior warrior, SNOTLOUT, to be the one to deliver it for him," jeered Snotlout, elbowing Hiccup in the ribs.

"Snot…knowing your track record on that particular subject I think I'll pass on that offer," Hiccup joked back to his cousin.

"Your point is?" Hiccup prodded Fishlegs further.

"You can't use just any axe." Fishlegs explained, "It has to have a significant meaning to your family… the axe your parents used during their wedding. I doubt it was an everyday battle axe that Stoick used."

Hiccup's right hand flew to his forehead, making a loud smack.

"Frigga. Dad never talked about that axe…probably figured I'd never have to use it." Hiccup chuckled to himself, then continued. "I have no idea where it is…"

"Well, you'd better hurry up and figure it out, Chief" cut in Eret, having just returned with the Thorston twins in tow behind him. "Your bride is rather good with an axe…would hate to see her use it on you."

"I wouldn't." reasoned Tuffnut with a grin. Ruffnut chuckled rather loudly in response.

Hiccup looked up the hill, towards his house and the Great Hall, then waved for Toothless to accompany him. "If you'll all excuse me…I'm on a rather tight time schedule and need to go speak with my mother. A quest may be in order!"