Hiccup and the Snoggletog Gifts 9

Astrid's Snoggletog present to Hiccup in tonight's installment of the HTTYD short story Hiccup and the Snoggletog Gifts.


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Hiccup and the Snoggletog Gifts: Part 9

Music I created for this scene: [link]



Narrator: Astrid handed over the rolled paper to a very surprised Hiccup. With a touch of hesitation, he gingerly undid the twine that sealed the parchment …...

…. but then stopped before fully unrolling it.



:”You know, I think that Fishlegs liked his portrait.”

:”Uh --- Yeah, he did. He ran around the Great Hall showing it to everybody and blabbering about how it ‘captured his true viking likeness.’”



Narrator: With a gentle tap to the parchment in his hands, Astrid hinted for Hiccup to open it.



:”Snotlout gave me a hefty punch in the shoulder at the feast, so I thinking that meant he liked his as well.”

:”Oh he did …. He showed the portrait to me at the feast and he had written at the bottom, ‘Snodloud, the next vilage chef ---’”

:”Chef?!”

:”Yes! …. GADS his spelling is atrocious!”



Narrator: Once again Astrid conspicuously nudged the scroll.



:”I KNOW that Ruffnut liked hers, because she came up to me while I was standing in line to get food and gave me a little kiss on the cheek ----“

(incensed):”SHE DID WHAT?!?”

:”… gave me a ki ---“

:”That ------- ! ------ I mean, …. I need to have a talk with that viking ‘sister’ of mine.”



Narrator: Hiccup looked back down at Astrid’s present and started to unroll it …. before halting once more.



(sighing):”Toothless mistook his portrait for a fish, and promptly swallowed it before I could even unroll it! AND THEN …. he coughed half of it back up!”

(tapping the parchment):”But Toothless is a DRAGON, Hiccup. That’s the kind of things dragons do. Stormfly would’ve set hers on fire!”


Narrator: Throwing his arms up in the air, Hiccup sighed,


:”I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the villagers use their portraits as kindling to start fires ….. or worse.”


Narrator: Gently taking the rolled parchment out of Hiccup’s hands and then presenting it to him again, Astrid said,


:”Hiccup, you did a very good-hearted and memorable thing for the people of the village, and if they don’t appreciate it, that’s their problem. But put all of that aside. HERE ..... Happy Snoggletog from me to you!"



Narrator: Grasping the yellowed paper again, Hiccup finally unwound the scroll, and he smiled at what he saw!


:"HEY!!"


TO BE CONTINUED

To go back to Part 8: [link]


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Artist's Note: Watercolor on Watercolor Paper