About faestrid: How does the whole fairy stuff work exactly? Is there another world where they take the babies to? Could one get there without being taken? How did the dragon integration work when Astrid hadn't been there to stop Hiccup from fleeing?
The short answer is, yes, there is another world.
The long one is that I did some (a lot) of research, and I’m using the traditional levels of existence on the Tree of life in the Norse mythos; with some changes for artistic license. Astrid has been taken by Trolls, who serve under Elfs and Vanir. There are mostly female Elfs, with the Elf King being one of the only males, and considered to be the ‘father’ of all his subjects. Due to this, the Elfs go out and steal human babies - both male and female - who they find beautiful enough to join their ranks.
Astrid isn’t the only changeling either. All of her sisters are taught the ways of Elfs, and share the food of the fae at Vanaheim, and their ‘mother’ is the Elf who sent the Trolls out to recover the baby, with the Elf King acting as all the Changeling’s father. Astrid’s brothers and sister are sent out onto Midgard, to have dealings with other humans and either bring new blood to the Elfs and Vanir, the gods who live in Vanaheim, or just keep those pesky humans under surveillance. Vanaheim is under Freya and her brother’s command, while Asgard is ruled by Odin and Thor, but Astrid and the Elfs mostly deal with Freya and her people.
Through an unfortunate accident, involving Fae laws and rules, Astrid ended up in a strange arrangement with Hiccup - I do have a written chapter about this, which I’ll post next Friday.
Getting to Vanaheim is possible…. on a dragon. :3 Especially if you’re invited - or dared - to go.
And the dragon integration goes down as planned, mostly because while Astrid is absent, two other folks aren’t. Two folks you know well. They’re twins. And they’re trolls in this one.