Chapter 9

It was already getting dark out when Ruffnut proclaimed that she was done. Hair rollers and various brushes littered Hiccup's desk as she held a mirror for Astrid to see. Hiccup was already dressed in the tuxedo and had asked Astrid if he could accompany her, to which she had happily agreed while Ruffnut had wolf whistled at Hiccup's appearance, making him turn beet red. Toothless couldn't help but snigger mentally.

Hiccup had kept a wide berth from Ruffnut as she worked on Astrid. The others came into the room later to tell them that the guests were arriving and their eyebrows shot up as they looked at Astrid.

"Hubba hubba" Snotlout mumbled as he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"Really Snotlout?!" Fishlegs now asked.

"I can't help it!" Snotlout said in defense, gesturing towards Astrid.

"Hiccup is hubba hubba good?" Astrid asked causing Hiccup to blush more as he nodded.

Astrid stood up and smoothed out her new dress that Ruffnut had provided. "Shall we Hiccup?" she asked as Hiccup quickly nodded and provided his arm.

"I really wish that you guys would be able to come." Hiccup told the others as Ruffnut gleefully shooed them off.

"No worries." Tuffnut then said. "I think we'll find a way to attend." This caused Hiccup to raise a brow and look suspiciously at the twins before he and Astrid headed towards the ballroom.

"Hiccup, I suggest that you turn on the enhanced senses for tonight." Toothless suggested as they walked through the corridor. Hiccup nodded and did as Toothless had thought him in the dreamscape. He gasped as a flurry of sounds and scents assaulted him. Hiccup clutched his head as he needed to adjust to the new environment.

"Hiccup are you alright?" Astrid asked as they stopped walking. Astrid leaned a little closer and Hiccup gasped as he was assaulted by her perfume. It smelled like spring flowers to him and he couldn't help but blush.

Astrid had guessed what was happening and laughed. "Enhanced senses?" She asked lightly and Hiccup cringed as it sounded like someone blew a horn right next to his ears but he nodded nevertheless.

"Maybe I should just use one tonight." He sheepishly mumbled as he mentally asked Toothless to stop the enhanced hearing. He could adjust to the scents.

"I remember when I tried enhanced sight for the first time." Astrid laughed as Hiccup looked at her curiously. "I looked and spotted my very old neighbour undressing. Let's just say I didn't try to use it for a month afterwards." Hiccup snorted as they continued their trek. Soon they came to the doors of the dining room where the formal dinner would take place before everyone adjourned to the ballroom.

People were being seated when they entered and all eyes turned towards them. Hiccup gulped as the rich scents of the foods assaulted him and Toothless was salivating.

Dagur, whose eyebrows looked partially singed, stared openmouthed at Astrid and Hiccup. The Grimborn brothers had also stopped to stare at Astrid's attire.

She wore a long black formal mermaid dress with wide straps to create a sultry off-the-shoulder neckline, showing off her tattoo of Stormfly, which she reasoned would just be seen as a tribal tattoo when Ruffnut wanted to cover it up with concealer. The dress flowed down into a train and accentuated her hips.

Hiccup paid them no heed as he pulled out a chair for Astrid. "What are you doing here?!" Dagur suddenly asked as he pointed at Hiccup. "And what is she wearing?"

"Let's see, accompanying a lady to a ball." Hiccup told the other dryly. "As for what she is wearing, a dress. Maybe you should get your eyesight checked."

Dagur sputtered but Alvin stepped in before he could shout anything out of anger. "Dagur why don't you just take a seat." Alvin suggested as the fuming man sat but continued to glare at Hiccup.

Astrid nudged Hiccup and he turned to see his parents trying to hide their laughter. His father gave him a thumbs up while his mother gave him a wink. 'What is up with them?' Hiccup thought causing Toothless to snort. 'What, is there something I'm missing?' He mentally asked the dragon as the food was being served. People made small talk around the table and some who hadn't seen Astrid yet were trying not to blatantly stare. 'It is obvious even to them.' Toothless told Hiccup as everyone started dinner. Astrid was tasting a bit of the red wine and hummed in approval.

'I fail to see what is so obvious.' Hiccup told the dragon who let out a whine before slapping his face with his paw. 'You're not going to tell me are you?' he asked as he answered Astrid's questions of what types of food there were.

'Nope' Toothless told him smugly. 'You'll have to figure this out yourself. Oh, and think you could save me some of that fillet?'

Dinner went off relatively well and soon everybody adjourned to the ballroom. Astrid once more had her arm around Hiccup's when she asked "Everyone is staring at us."

"Everyone is staring at you." Hiccup corrected. "They probably still haven't gotten over the fact that the revival ritual actually worked."

It was Astrid now who snorted in laughter, she then said as she looked around the ballroom. "Parties here are different." She told Hiccup as several couples started waltzing. "If this was a Viking party then several barrels of mead would have already been consumed, people would be rowdy and upbeat music would be playing."

"Aghem" Came from behind them and Hiccup and Astrid turned to see Eret standing there, dressed in a dark blue tuxedo. "Would it be alright if I asked the lady for a dance?" He asked and Hiccup translated it for Astrid who looked at the man curiously and then at the dancefloor.

"Alright" Astrid said while nodding. "I wouldn't mind trying out a new dance." Eret smiled and then extended his hand for Astrid to take.

No sooner was Astrid on the dance floor, when Hiccup was surrounded by Society members, each asking questions about Astrid and what the best way was to approach her to gain favor. Hiccup rolled his eyes at them. 'They certainly haven't learned. Of all the nerve.' He thought as he sent them a glare.

Hiccup pushed his way through, not sparing those asking questions a single glance, only to be confronted by Dagur, Viggo and Ryker.

"Oh great, what do you three want?" Hiccup grumbled as they were looking less than pleased.

Meanwhile Astrid was waltzing on the dancefloor with Eret. Stormfly was mentally muttering something about wanting to use him as a pillow but Astrid paid it no mind. As she danced she noticed some people begin to converge on Hiccup. She had no doubt that he could handle himself, if not then Toothless would probably roast them, secrets be damned.

Astrid sighed as she danced. Nothing had apparently changed over the years. Even during the time when she lived all those centuries ago, people converged onto her friends to get close to her, asking various favors. She had no problems with helping war torn families or orphans, but she would gladly throw her axe at those asking for power to conquer. Her hand twitched slightly. She really missed her axe.

"Think Hiccup will be impressed by my axe throwing skills?" She asked Stormfly who could only howl in laughter. Something caught her eye then and she saw Snotlout dressed in a ridiculous outfit with feathers sticking out of the turban he was wearing. "What in Thor's name?" She mumbled under her breath as Eret twirled her.

The waltz ended and Eret escorted her off of the floor. He then gestured for her to wait and went to grab two glasses with champagne from a passing waiter. He handed one to Astrid and clinked their glasses together. Astrid nodded, a toast was familiar to her, and she then sipped the drink. She frowned when she started getting tipsy fast. That never happened before as she knew she could finish off a barrel of mead by herself. Stormfly mentally screamed at her to find Hiccup as something wasn't right.

Astrid took a step in Hiccup's direction but nearly stumbled as Eret caught her in time. "Not used to high heels are you?" Eret joked but Astrid could not understand him as he grabbed her shoulders and started guiding her in the other direction. Stormfly was mentally shrieking but Astrid could barely hear her anymore or move her limbs all that well. She stumbled a couple of times and her vision began to become disoriented.

He led her out of the ballroom and then Eret leered at Astrid as he sat her down in a chair. "This was easier than I thought. That ring will soon be mine." He said to himself as he grinned lifted her chin up to see glassy eyes staring back at him. 'Such a shame to leave such a pretty thing.' He thought and laughed as Astrid tried to lift her arm to smack him.

"You won't be able to move for awhile." Eret laughed. "Why don't we have some fun."

Hiccup, meanwhile, had finally managed to get away from those bloodsuckers as Toothless now dubbed them only to bump into Snotlout, Fishlegs and the twins. He raised his eyebrows when he saw the gaudy costume Snotlout was wearing.

"What in Thor's name?" Hiccup asked as the twins giggled while Fishlegs rolled his eyes. Snotlout didn't seem happy being in the outfit either.

"May I introduce you to the Maharaja of Ishtar." Tuffnut stated dramatically while holding up a large feathered fan. "And his attendants."

"This was your great plan?" Hiccup whispered and then pointed towards the fan. "And where did you even get that?"

"We got in didn't we?" Ruffnut said as the bangles on her arm shook and then she asked "Where is Astrid?"

"Oh she's danci-" Hiccup told them as he turned to point to the dancefloor only to see no sign of Astrid nor Eret.

"Hiccup use your enhanced sense of smell." Toothless directed. "You should still have Astrid's scent in your mind. Just don't make it too obvious what you are doing."

"I'll be right back guys." Hiccup told them as he walked around the dancefloor. Hiccup picked up Astrid's scent but it was faint. However it was getting thicker towards the door leading to the sitting room.

Hiccup opened the door and was about to call Astrid's name when his eyes widened. There in the room lay Astrid, slumped in a chair, as Eret was hovering above her feeling her up.

Hiccup saw red and immediately grabbed the scruff of Eret's jacket, hauling him away from Astrid. Eret crashed against one of the little tables, breaking it.

"What the hell do you think you were doing?!" Hiccup growled out as he noticed that Astrid was drugged.

"Hey whoa!" Eret said before launching himself as Hiccup, knocking him to the floor. "You should have stayed in your little library." Eret growled out as he stood up and gave Hiccup a kick to the ribs before taking the golden ring from Astrid's finger. "Besides I have what I came for." He grinned. "She's useless to me now."

Eret turned around as Hiccup struggled to get up. "Toothless" Hiccup called the dragon mentally.

"This guy needs a lesson in manners." Toothless agreed as he gave Hiccup an extra boost of strength. Hiccup rushed at Eret, catching him by surprise, before kicking him through the door leading to the ballroom.

Eret crashed through the door and skidded onto the dancefloor from the power that Hiccup had put in the kick. Those dancing and all the other guests shouted in surprise as they looked at the scene.

Hiccup stood in the now broken doorway and his eyes widened with surprise as the Dragon ring which was clutched in Eret's hand caught fire spontaneously.