(song above dedicated to the undiscovered growing threat of this story's main antagonist(s)...)

Hey guys sorry it's been so long since I updated any of my stories. My baking, social media role plays, and family stuff have reluctantly taken up all my time! I promise I'll get back into it though. For anyone who stuck around and is still reading this, thank you so much! I really appreciate it, I really love this story and it means a lot to me! Thanks for being patient!

https://youtu.be/e2LLS33eQvk

(track: "Growing up in Londinium" by Daniel Pemberton)

"You've trained your whole life in the ways of brute force. Now I will teach you how to fight in the ways of the shade," Valka said to the four companions—Snotlout, the twins, and Fishlegs—as she circled around them.

"Psh I already know how to—Ah!" Tuffnut was cut off when she used her staff to hook around his ankle and knock him over.

"Vigilance is key. Always expect everything at all times," she sassed him back as he got up, pouting.

She walked over to where Astrid was standing, all of them locked inside the arena that they now used for sparing instead of dragon killing. "Today, you will fight Astrid and I," she added as she stopped and turned around at Astrid's side to face them. Astrid was in her stealth gear for this and she was beginning to like it. There was something satisfying about throwing blades and slitting throats without being seen. She was starting to enjoy the speed as well.

The four of them sort of snickered to each other because of how much they outnumbered the two.

"Each of us has three lives. If someone is able to deliver a fatal blow, you lose one life. Last team standing wins. Astrid?" She looked over at her daughter-in-law.

Astrid took out a bomb from her side and initiated it, sending the whole inside of the arena in Zippleback gas, something the four of them were not expecting. That made them nervous.

And that's when they realized Valka and Astrid were no longer there.

Let battle commence.

Hiccup was close enough to observe and speak to them but not in range to get hurt, sitting in the chief's watching chair overlooking the whole arena. He sat there with his hand on his chin. He hoped his friends would learn something at least... maybe even get better at fighting...

They'll see...

Astrid had disappeared into the gas and could see her friends turning around frantically.

"You guys have to try and find us. If you stand there—" she began to say and all of the sudden Snotlout was tripped. She disappeared back into the gas after she had done that with a swipe of her leg. "You would be easy targets... and then dead," she finished saying as she hid in the thick fog.

"Well this isn't fair, we can't see you," Ruffnut stated as they all had their weapons out and looking around.

"That's the point. You won't always see your opponent. Just like when we fought with those Imperials last night," Astrid said with a roll of her eyes.

"You'll have to stay on your toes!" Valka told them before leaping out of the fog at Ruffnut, swinging her staff and catching Ruff's halberd. She swung around and Ruff had to whirl in order to block her next attack. But when she turned again the woman was gone.

"Okay stay together. If we stay together and all face the outside then they can't get us," Fishlegs said as they all formed a circle together facing out.

"Yeah, but if we're all together then won't they able to find us super easy?" Tuff added.

"They'll also he able to find us if we're talking..." his twin replied.

"You know it's funny, but when you said that, you were also talking."

"Guys wait... What if they're in this circle?" Snotlout said with concern like he was a genius.

Ruff looked over at him with a scowl of confusion and disbelief that he was that stupid.

That's when Valka leapt in and knocked Tuffnut over the same way she did before.

He let out an, "Ah! Would you stop doing that?!"

Hiccup smacked his forehead in disappointment.

https://youtu.be/ppkXdOJkqkU

(track: "Unstoppable Now" by The Phantoms)

Astrid came out of the fog and hit Fishlegs with the hilt of her weapon. She then disappeared again as he rubbed his head.

"You guys are too easy if you're in a circle," she said and popped out knocking over Snotlout again, him letting out a surprised grunt and hitting the ground.

The gas began to clear and when it did, she stood in front of them. "You guys aren't even trying," she said with frustration.

"We are trying. You're just not making it easy," Ruffnut said sticking her tongue out.

Astrid sighed and grit her teeth. "It isn't supposed to be easy," she said and clicked the bomb in her hand, throwing it down to let gas fill the air again. She wanted their friends to try at least, they were sitting ducks.

They all looked around and squinted their eyes to try and see if they could see anything in the cloud of poison again.

"Alright fine, let's split up!" Snotlout decided and they all scattered.

"Keep vigilant. Your opponent could be anywhere at any time," Valka told them. "You must be ready for anything. Expect the unexpected."

"So you want me to expect pigs to fall out of the sky?" Tuffnut joked, chuckling afterwards.

But he was interrupted when Valka used her staff to hit him on the back and knock him down. "No. I want you to be able to avoid that," she said down to him. "That's one life gone."

"Yahh!" Ruffnut ran to defend her brother with a battle cry and threw down her blunted weapon upon Valka. But she twisted and blocked it easily. "No shouting! And no lunging!" She said as she blocked some more hits and then kicked the girl in the stomach. They weren't doing well so far.

She stretched her weapon down to show her she could have delivered a lethal blow. "One life down." But then the woman disappeared.

"Way to go, hogsmead," Tuff told her.

"I was defending you!" she yelled back in offense.

"I don't need you dying for me, that's just embarrassing." He scowled at her as they both stood up.

Hiccup shook his head with a sigh. He was able to see everyone's shadows and hear from his chair... unfortunately.

Astrid heard Valka talk to the twins and she came out from behind a rock, knocking over Snotlout and hitting him to where it was a 'lethal blow'. "One life gone for you," she said and disappeared.

Snotlout grumbled angry as he got up and looked around with frustration, holding his weapon to be sure and be ready this time.

"The enemy won't always come at you from where you can see. You have to think ahead as much as you can," Astrid said as she moved around quietly in the gas.

The twins looked around. "There!" Tuff said and they lunged for a shadow, hitting Snotlout instead and knocking him over, all three of them on the ground.

"That's me you idiot!" he told them.

"Oh whoops, sorry, you look like Astrid," Ruff said as she got up.

"You know I take that as an insult," Astrid said, coming out to hook her foot under Ruff's halberd and kicking it up, the weapon smacking the twin in the face and causing her to let out a painful grunt and fall back. Astrid spun and dodged the attack of Tuffnut when he swung at her, her hand grabbing his weapon before she sliced her blade almost across his face, scoring another point before she kicked him back, taking his weapon. She did a flip, landing her foot down on Snotlout and pointing the spear at his back, getting another life off him. "You're all down to one life," said as she tossed the twin his weapon back and disappeared again.

"Alright that's not fair. I feel like everyone should be invisible!" Tuff complained while standing up and securing his helmet.

"Use your training! All of you! I know you can do better than this!" Valka said.

"Split up again!" Snotlout told them and they all scattered in different directions, running until they met up with... themselves all again.

"...Wait what?" Tuffnut scratched his head in confusion.

"Over there!" Ruffnut said when Valka made herself visible to them. The girl ran and stabbed her halberd into the stone ground and flung herself through the air over Valka, a move the woman taught her. She landed behind her and swung her blade, Valka ducking from the blow and whirling her own staff up to block the next strike

Ruffnut spun her weapon and stabbed it down to use it as leverage, throwing her body up so she could kick her across the face. But Valka hooked her halberd after ducking from the kick and the girl fell on her back. "Good! But always land on your feet," she corrected.

Ruffnut glared but blocked the woman's next attack.

"This is outrageous," Snotlout whispered to Tuffnut beside him as they looked around. "They think I need this? I mean it's not like the people we're fighting are some kind of—DEMONS!" he shrieked and ducked, and was able to block Astrid's blow when she came back on him just barely.

"Away demon!" Tuffnut said and was able to get a life from her when he almost struck her side. "Haha!" he shouted.

He was elbowed in the face immediately and staggered back.

"Nice but don't get too confident. You're out," she told him and then took a swing at Snotlout, the two of them quarreling.

Fishlegs had spotted where the rest were fighting and he carefully crept up behind Valka to attempt at a sneak attack while she fought Ruffnut.

She and Valka locked weapons. "Don't give the enemy time to think of their next strike!" she said to the girl before shifting her staff and hitting Ruff in the face, knocking her over. She then spun and blocked Fishlegs before he could attack. "And when you are making a sneak attack, do it quick. And don't be so timid!" she shoved his sword off her staff and kicked him off his legs.

Ruffnut was complaining as she walked from the fight.

"Let's try something else," Valka decided. 

Tuffnut groans loudly.

https://youtu.be/1576Xz8zsRM

(track: "Becoming the Hood" by Joseph Trapanese)

"Aim! Focus!" she shouted to them as she walked down the line of her pupils, each of them handling either a bow, throwing blades, or a crossbow of Hiccup's design.

The targets they aimed for were moving constantly, thanks to another training contraption that Hiccup made for the people of his tribe and for he and Astrid.

Ruffnut threw a blade that hit the concrete.

Valka hit her on the side of the head lightly and she let out an, "Ow!"

"Higher," the woman said to her. "Your goal is to kill him, not make him dance."

Astrid was beside Hiccup (who now sat inside the circle with them, watching and occasionally shouting advice) as they trained. "Well, I think we're transforming them from 'terrible' into 'only-kind-of-terrible'," she said to him with a smirk and a sigh.

"They're moving too fast." Snotlout complained as he shot a crossbow and the arrow missed it by a long shot.

"Can't they move slower?" Tuffnut asked her.

Hiccup sighed. As he sat there, his mind went to the previous fight they had with that strange arbiter guy and the group of Imperials. His friends almost died... He thought that after the vigorous training that Hiccup did after the Battle of the Red Death, that his friends would do the same, knowing they were a part of their parents' wars now. But it seemed like when the war with the dragons ended, they just spent years goofing off. The Battle of Berk proved that they were skilled riders, but without their dragons, they weren't good fighters, or smart ones, he should say. He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I just hope this actually works; that they improve," he said quietly.

https://youtu.be/4l4bgX3qY9g

(track: "Valar Morghulis" by Ramin Djawadi)

"Well you and I were always the ones to train them before and they didn't listen to us. Maybe your mom can knock some sense into them. I always lost my patience." She smirked and leaned on her arm on the back of his chair.

Just as she said this, Valka smacked Snotlout in the arm and corrected something he was doing wrong. She was tough on them. Maybe that's what they needed.

Hiccup nodded in agreement. "Yeah I know. So did I, they were frustrating to teach. I know they can—well hope that they can become stronger. But they're not too bright," he said and watched as they continued to try and hit the moving targets. A few weapons every now and then would hit a target but they seemed to miss more than hit. "She is tough I will say that but she's a good teacher," Hiccup added.

"...I'm really glad she came back..." Astrid said quietly, still I shock about her being alive...

Hiccup nodded slowly in agreement. "Me too... She was hesitant at first it seemed. But I think it's because my father came after us that she was more willing," he said as he watched.

She observed him without his knowing as he looked at the others. She couldn't imagine how he felt throughout everything that had just recently happened. She remembered being torn apart that she couldn't just take away his pain during it all. Seeing him go through the death of his father, and being hurt so bad by it, broke her heart into pieces so small they could be passed through the eye of a needle. She realized just how much she loved him and once he was chief and it was time for them to marry, she agreed. She didn't know why she was so hesitant towards it before that. Deep down she was unknowingly afraid; of intimacy and of being with someone like that constantly. Like Hiccup, she had been so used to being alone for so long and pushing away everyone, that it took her a bit to come back from that habit. Now she wished she'd have married him the day she first kissed him. He was probably ready to marry her long before then.

Thinking of that first kiss made her smile a little and she looked down, biting her lip. That was so long ago... and before he knew what he was doing. He was much better at it now. Her fingers were playing with his hair idly as she thought about this.

He watched their friends train with his mother. They seemed to be getting better. His mind was everywhere, though. Thinking about training, how to deal with the new threat, the memory of losing his father. Everything was just sort of going around and around in his head. It made it a little difficult to focus on any one thing. But he could always focus when he had Astrid around. She helped him more than she probably knew. He sat there and his eyes closed for a moment feeling fingers play with his hair.

He was happy to have finally married her. He had liked her for so long but he was the weakling of the village so he never thought she would want to be with him. Probably introducing her to toothless helped get her to start liking him. He turned his head looking up at her and smiled, her mirroring his expression and gaze before she messed up jus hair and kissed his head. He smirked with a hint of a chuckle then looked back at their friends who seemed to be improving. A few weapons would hit the targets which was a big improvement compared to earlier when they were struggling.

https://youtu.be/gIH2t1GcALQ

(track: "The Nightingale (extended)" by Percival)

"There you go! Just focus!" Astrid told them.

"Aye. And trust your reflexes. Not your eyes," Valka added.

Fishlegs was focusing too hard when he was shooting and she struck him just as he shot, missing the target. "But always be ready for distractions," she said to him.

He groaned, none of them feeling like this training was fair. But it was time they grew up.

"She's right," Hiccup chimed in. "There can be anything that can be a distraction. They can sneak up on you."

The twins mumbled something under their breath but continued to use the weapons to hit the targets.

Valka walked by Tuff who was using a recurve. "The strength comes from your back. Not your arms," she corrected with a tap of her staff on his back. "Lower your elbow."

He did so and his arrow hit the target near the center.

"It's going to be a long day. But I will teach you how to be hunters," she told them.

"When you're better, we should take a whack at it. I bet I can beat your record," Astrid said quietly to her husband with her arms crossed. Hiccup was always better with projectiles than she was. Her thing was brute force and close combat. But she's naturally the most competitive person on probably the whole island.

Hiccup looked at Astrid and chuckled. "Hey we can go at it now if you want. I'm strong enough trust me," he said to try and get out of the chair, he didn't like just sitting there.

"No, don't even. You're just as stubborn as I am, aren't you?" she said and pushed him back down before he could stand.

Hiccup frowned giving a small grunt when he was pushed back down to his seat. He sighed and shrugged a little. "I don't know. I still think you're worse."

She flicked his temple.

"Agh," he complained. "Well whatever I just wanted up out of the chair. I wanted to do some practicing. I'm well enough to."

She almost giggled a little. "You'll be well faster if you keep still. Don't make me tie you to that chair," she pointed at him with her brows raised.

He sighed and lifted his hands, giving up. "Alright alright you win. I'll just sit on my butt all day," he said in a humorous way.

She ruffled his hair again.

"Ah, stop it!" he complained and she started laughing.

"No more of that," he said with a small laugh as he fixed his hair. Though naturally it always looked messy. But he still hated when people did that and she knew that.

She giggled. "You started it," she said like they were kids again. She remembered doing that to his hair when they were fifteen and he hated it then too, but blushed nonetheless. She couldn't help it. His hair was fun to mess with.

"What did I start? You started it all, missy," he laughed and sat there after attempting to fix his hair.

She grinned at him, falling more in love with her adorkable hot mess every day.

Hiccup smiled at Astrid and kissed her hand.

She was about to say something but just then an arrow flew at them and hit the rock wall behind them, way too close to Hiccup's head.

"My bad!" Tuffnut shouted.

Astrid put her palm to her face with a groan. "We have a long way to go..."

"Too long of a way to go," Hiccup added with a sigh.

https://youtu.be/96NgGuKQcmo

(track: "Forbidden Friendship" by John Powell)

"Well that went as well as I expected," Astrid said when the day was over and she and Hiccup shut the door to their home once they were inside.

The day took forever it was exhausting. "Yeah well at least we got them to be a little better," he said and Toothless came down from the rafters above. "Hey buddy." He said petting the dragon who nudged them both, smiling.

"Oh, no, no, not again," she laughed and pet him lovingly. "Dragons sleep outside," she said to him sternly with a smile. Toothless began to seem more like their child than their pet these days. But she loved that big lizard nonetheless.

Hiccup chuckled as Toothless looked at Astrid with his green eyes. Essentially giving her a 'puppy dog' look. He seemed adamant about keeping the look at Astrid.

Hiccup took off his coat and hanging it up, watching the two with a smile. He knew that Astrid liked Toothless, he was quite the adorable family member..

"Don't look at me like that. That won't work with me... ... ... not again," she clarified.

Toothless continued to give her the puppy dog eyes. He got closer and nudged her again and again. Hiccup laughed and shook his head.

"Nooo," she giggled a bit and looked away from his irresistible face. "Stop." She looked at her husband. "Babe, you're the dragon trainer here. Tell him," she motioned to Toothless with an amused smile.

Toothless continued with his eyes and moving towards her with a smile.

Hiccup chuckled and shook his head. "No I'm not the only dragon trainer. You know he won't give up," he laughed.

"You're just scared he'll target you instead," she threw her hands up.

"No actually he won't," he chuckled as he grabbed an apple to eat. "Toothless already knows I don't mind him inside," he said as he watched toothless move towards her still with big eyes, begging her to change her mind.

She glared at the dragon, knowing it wasn't like she could physically stop him. "Ugh. Fine. But he's not allowed in the bedroom. I don't want another 'date night' incident again," she raised a brow, her hands on her hips.

Hiccup laughed as he swallowed his bite of the apple. "Hey he just wanted to cuddle," he joked and took another bite...

Toothless felt triumphant and licked Astrid.

"Okay, okay!" she laughed as he licked her. "Yuck." She wiped her wave with her sleeve. "Why don't we stick to hugging instead of the licking?" she said with amusement.

Hiccup chuckled as he leaned against a table watching them. Toothless smiled and watched her before standing up a little and gave her a hug.

"Oof—" She let out a breath as she was strangled by a huge Night Fury. 

"Careful what you ask for Astrid. He will do it," Hiccup chuckled.

"Okay... okay this feels more like a punishment than a reward," she managed to say without much breath.

Toothless held onto her and made a noise that sounded like his laugh.

"Alright buddy let her go. We don't need her passing out," Hiccup said with humor, walking over and patting Toothless to push him down.

The dragon stood on all fours and then sat down, happy.

Hiccup scratched his friend's head, smiling. "You can thank Toothless now that your lungs are the size of mustard seeds."

"Thank you, Toothless," she said with the same attitude when she was able to breathe again. She fixed her hair from her eyes. "Look at that. You're such a pushover. You gonna be like this with our kids? Something tells me I'm gonna have to be the one to discipline them," she said with amusement and gave him a look.

https://youtu.be/isC9-OOwPPs

(track: "The Tree When We Sat Once" by Mikolai Stroinski)

Hiccup continued to scratch Toothless, now on his side as the Night Fury laid down. He glanced at Astrid and shook his head with a chuckle. "No I'm not a pushover. I just know not to challenge him. You remember what he did to our chimney last time," he said as he slowly stood up, Toothless remaining on the floor with contentment.

She helped him up to make sure he didn't move his abdomen too much. "Alright, peacekeeper. Let's get you in bed. Part of me wishes I could just sedate you with my new crossbow," she teased with her arm around him, her hand resting on his hip.

There was still the slight pain he felt from the wounds but he tried not to pay mind to it. Toothless noticed his slight cringe and got worried. "I'm okay you two," Hiccup then said after she put her arm around him.

Toothless watched them walk back to their room.

"Besides you wouldn't shoot me anyways," Hiccup joked with a small laugh.

"Hmm don't be too sure. Those chess games can get pretty competitive," she replied and helped him through the door. She remembered when he first lost his leg, and for a few days he needed help walking. She felt so bad for him. That whole... part of their lives that lead up to the Red Death and even a bit after were very traumatic and changed who they were.

He chuckled at her reply and sat on the bed after she shut the door. He refrained from bending so Astrid was the one to kneel down and unhook his prosthetic leg. As she did that he  looked at it, thinking. He remembered when he woke up all those years ago and saw it the first time. He was confused and slightly horrified, of course. He didn't know what had happened at all considering he was unconscious for it. It definitely changed their lives, but yet for the better.

When she got the metal leg off she kept her hand on what remained of his calf... thinking about him while he sat there with his gaze on his missing leg, assuming he may have been thinking about what it was once like to have that leg back... That hurt her a bit to think about, it was a bigger battle scar than she ever got... But she loved it. She loved every part of him, especially his scars and flaws. Her thumb rubbed the cloth that was wrapped around the nub idly.

But she was brought from her thoughts when he spoke. "So what's on the agenda tomorrow?"

She blinked a couple times and stood up, setting the leg aside. "Well... we will get your mother and Eret and general Bjorn together to strategize on what our next move should be..." she said as she unbuckled her belt and sheath for her weapons, eager to get out of this stuffy armor.

He watched Astrid as he sat there on the bed. "Hopefully we can come up with something that stops the Imperial's movements... and stops whatever that guy is planning. And that dragon he had... it sounds dangerous yet interesting." He mumbled almost to himself the last part.

She shook her head a little in thought. "Just feels like sometimes this army is getting bigger and bigger..."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "What do you mean?"

"Think about it. When we were kids this was just a group of thugs and now... I don't know what they're after but for some reason they are determined to capture every dragon they find. I guess I understand if they want to take them into battle to help their conquest but it feels like just capturing them is their main focus... They haven't sieged anyone in months." She pulled her leg from her armor but tripped when she did and fell lightly on her bum with a little yelp.

She didn't like how hard this armor was to take off.

He let out a chuckle and stood up to go help her back to her feet. "Do you need different armor?"

She yanked off her boots and got the armor off. "I'm just not used to something so fitted," she rejected his help and got up on her own. She didn't want to stress his wound and was mad he even got out of bed. She was only in some tight fabric that covered her chest and another that covered her lower region.  She kicked the armor to the side of the room and pointed to the bed. "Get back in bed, dragon boy."

He threw up his arms and made an obedient look before got sat back down on the mattress but said, "Hey fitted armor helps keep a little more protection—wait did you say 'dragon boy'?" He asked with a chuckle and an amused frown.

She laughed lightly. "Well I could call you 'rider boy' but that just sounds... you know," she clarified with a look as she took her hair down.

He laughed and shook his head. "How does either of those even sound remotely normal?" he asked with an arm gesture. asked her with a chuckle as he pulled the blankets down so he could get in the bed all the way.

"Oh I'm sorry I'm not a poet!" She threw up her arms in defeat. "What clever nickname would you give me?" She said with humor in her voice, running her fingers through her loose hair to untangle it.

Hiccup laughed a little as he carefully laid down, watching her when he replied, "Well I would give you..." he thought for a moment, "Miss Loud and Violent." He made an amused smirk.

"Oh wow, so clever. I'm truly impressed," she said with obvious sarcasm as she stripped bare and went to open the chest to get her loose linen dress she sleeps in. She never really used sarcasm at all until it rubbed off on her from Hiccup. His level of sass was so high she had to step up her game to be able to keep up. She liked that about him; so much personality. The other dull idiots in their tribe had nothing on him. Hiccup himself wasn't sure where he got it. Perhaps his parents.

He laughed. "I think it is," he jested as he laid down under the blankets on their bed.

https://youtu.be/pWGEOpAwMQg

(track: "Wind Guide You" by Jeremy Soule)

She slipped on her dress and put out the candles before hopping into bed, resisting the urge to just land on top of him and hold onto him like a stuffed bear instead. But she was careful to not hurt him and nestled under the covers at his side, enjoying the warmth. It always got so cold at night and they hadn't been home long enough to let the house get warm with a fire. Thank the gods for their wool blankets. She snuggled up against him happily, Hiccup smiling and putting his arm around her.

She had been so used to sleeping alone for so long but then when they married, she liked having him there always. She felt warm and comforted and content. Her home was by his side.

He had never felt it to be weird at all, not even at first. It just felt meant to be to him.

She rested her head against his chest and sighed. "Do you think this world could ever live without a war?"

He listened to her question and put his opposite arm behind his head. "Well I would hope so. But I think there's too many people fueled by hate and greed to allow that to just go away," he told her.

"I suppose it was a foolish question..." she realized, knowing evil will always exist on earth while good did. "I just miss the peace we had for five years after the Red Death... seems like a paradise now." Her fingers played with the fabric of his tunic.

He looked at her slightly turning his head to do so. "No it wasn't a foolish question," he told her and kissed her head. He sighed and nodded. "Yeah I miss it too, it was great to have that. But maybe we can have peace again soon. We just need to stop these people that have all of a sudden risen into such power and conquest," he said as he looked at the ceiling of their home.

She smiled a little and put her chin on his chest to look at him. "Imagine me being the optimistic one and you being the war driven stiff," she said with slight humor.

Hiccup chuckled and looked at her with his head propped up from his arm behind it. "Hey sometimes it's fun to switch places. I won't wear a dress, though," he jested plainly.

She laughed. "Aw but you'd style it so well!"

"Take that back."

She laughed again and he did the same. "But seriously. I don't feel at all like the self righteous angry whirlwind of steel I was before. And you can now manage to put on your shoes without dislocating your shoulder," she added.

He chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Shoe," he corrected to her as he kissed her head again. "I only have one foot remember? So therefore only need to put on one shoe. I mean unless you count my prosthetic a shoe." He shrugged his shoulders like he usually would and laughed.

She giggled a bit and leaned forward to kiss him lovingly. She wanted to cherish these moments while they lasted. Who knows what was in store before the end. When she parted she looked down at his abdomen. "Wish you weren't injured. We could enjoy some time together before tomorrow." Her hand traveled up his chest and she smiled at him.

He looked at her and sighed slightly. "I'm sorry. But hey I should be healed or rather fine in a few days," he told her, thinking for a moment. "Tomorrow won't be that bad," he added, a smirk on his face.

She bit her lip and blushed a bit, her fingers playing with the collar of his tunic idly. "Alright. Tomorrow it is then. And I'll go easy on you," she said with amusement and winked.

Hiccup chuckled and kissed her head again. "Like you ever go easy on me, Astrid."

She copied his chuckle. "You have a point." She winked st him.

He smiled as his hand absentmindedly played with her loose hair before tucking it back from her face.

She gazed back at him with contentment in this small moment they could share.

After a minute he then yawned. "Time to get some rest. We have a lot of things tomorrow to do," he said, closing his eyes to fall asleep.

Her expression shifted slowly from a smile... to worry... as she thought about that. She had a feeling inside her that was afraid of what the next day would bring. It reminded her of the night she came back from her first dragon ride with Hiccup. She left him at the cove and went to bed but there was a feeling inside her that the next day would not go as either one planned...

But she rested her head back on her husband and listened to his breathing as she gradually fell asleep...

It took him a bit longer to pass out regardless that he was exhausted and the pain didn't help. His mind was going crazy. Not knowing what the next few days would bring drove him insane. Especially not knowing what the outcome would be if they try and stop their new enemy who was slowly becoming stronger.

But he found rest when he quieted those thoughts and focused on the sleeping angel lying on his chest.

And when he did that, he slept just as soundly as she.

Valka was tending to the dragons who had been wounded from fights and from imprisonment. The early morning was always when she woke. When the sun was up, so was she.

"This has healed nicely, hasn't it Longclaw?" she asked a dragon she was taking care of when she unwrapped his bandages. It was a Grimm Gnasher who belonged to a warrior in their tribe.

"Speak, Gobber," She said without even looking to see who it was who just walked over.

"Oh, um... well there's a problem with the shepherd. He's gone missin' and the sheep on the northern sector have been attacked by something. Maybe wolves."

"Or maybe a stray dragon?" She questioned without looking at him still.

"Maybe... But it's pretty bad."

She stopped and hesitated. "Alright, lead the way."

https://youtu.be/8v17z_nIidA

(track: "Sunrise of Flutes" by Jeremy Soule)

The sun shone beams into the room of Hiccup and Astrid and eventually woke them. He was first to wake and find his wife coiled around him and sleeping peacefully; a position that suggested neediness which is not something Astrid wanted to be seen as for so long...

He looked at her and smiled when he noticed this. He slowly moved, finding the pain on his abdomen minimalized, and was careful not to disturb her. He kissed her head before getting up, swinging his legs over the edge. He put on his prosthetic and walked to a bowl that had water to rinse his face. He then put his usual clothes and armor on before he walked back to the bed. The stiffness of the leather actually helped him keep his back straighter and put less pressure on his wound. Astrid's mother was good with leather work like he was so she was able to mend his armor yesterday.

He watched his sleeping wife and put his hand on her shoulder. "Hey Astrid, it's time to wake up," he said to her shaking her gently as he stood there by the bed.

She reached for him but her hands found nothing and she frowned, not yet opening her eyes. She made a whine and grabbed the pillow instead. "No..." she mumbled into it.

He chuckled watching her as he put his flame sword on his side. "Astrid come on. Don't make me bring Toothless in here," he joked to her.

She grumbled against the pillow angrily. He thought he heard an "okay fine" but it sounded so muffled it was hard to tell.

He raised an eyebrow and put a hand to his ear. "What was that? You want Toothless?".

She growled and threw her pillow at him. "I hate you," she said with some laughter.

He laughed as he caught the pillow and put it back on the bed. "Yeah sure you do," he said sarcastically. "Careful or I will get Toothless if you're not up soon," he added and moved towards the door, chuckling a little.

She sat up and glared at him. "What? No morning kiss?" she asked like she was offended.

He laughed and turned around on his one good foot as he walked over, bending down and kissing her cheek. "There," he said with fake attitude.

She chuckled. "Oh no I don't think so, sexy. Come here." She hooked her finger on his belt to pull him forward as he raised a brow and chuckled.  She stood up on her shins on the mattress and folded her lips around his, holding back a smile.

He kissed her back, setting a hand on her cheek and another on her waist.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kept the kiss captive with passion as he melted into it. She loved his lips being the first thing she tasted in the morning.

His hands both rested against her hips as he enjoyed this more than he thought he would. It seemed like no matter how many things were on his mind she was somehow able to stop time with moments like this.

Afters minute, they both parted. "There you go, now get ready. We need to meet up with the three," he told her still chuckling, hiding how completely lost in that kiss he had just been.

"Aye, aye, my chief," she said with a hand through his hair and kissed him one more time on the cheek before hopping out of bed. As she did, she popped him lightly on his rear. "And I can't wait to see you tonight," she added.

"Are you talking to my butt?"

"Yep."

When they were both dressed and walked from their room, they saw Toothless lying on his back while Hiccup's mother scratched his stomach. Toothless always adored Valka.

Hiccup smiled when he saw her. "Morning mom," he said, walking over and grabbing a loaf for breakfast.

She looked up at the sound of his voice and stopped petting the dragon. "I didn't want to disturb you two," she said standing up. She hesitated, something to say to them.

When Astrid walked in, Hiccup took a bite from his food as he said "No it's fine don't worry, mom." When he turned and locked eyes with her his smile faded.  "What is it?"

Her gaze fell to the floor for a moment... but then she met his. "There is something you need to see..."

Astrid frowned a bit and exchanged a look with her husband.

https://youtu.be/gYPBatbbXN4

(track: "Fire and Blood" by Ramin Djawadi)

She took them up to the platform of grass and earth near the forest edge where the shepherd tended to the sheep, Hiccup keeping a growing worried look as he followed with Toothless at his tail. When they got there they saw there were only a dozen left, bodies of sheep ripped open and scattered across the green grass. The smell was bad but the sight was even worse, blood staining the ground where the animals were killed and appeared eaten to the bone by something...

Hiccup looked around in shock. "W-What happened? When did this happen?" he asked as his eyes scanned about the horrific sight before him. Of course, being a Viking in an era of violence and savage conditions, seeing this stuff wasn't ever enough to make him sick. He was used to it as were the rest. Even the smell he was able to bear just fine. But this was all still weird. "What could have done this?"

"Where's the shepherd?" Astrid asked as well.

"Missing..." Eret said when he stood next to Valka. "Whatever attacked, did it too quick for us to catch... too quick for the shepherd to call for help..."

"These were no men," Valka said darkly, observing the claw marks in the dirt.

Hiccup watched her finger trace the deep ridges in the dirt with a calculated look... He saw how large they were, and he noticed some scratched marks in the ground where his feet were as well. He bent down to observe them carefully. Obviously there was only one creature that could make these. "This was a dragon..."

"Which one would do something like this?" Astrid asked, not aware of any of the previously studied dragons having this kind of feasting habit...

As Hiccup studied the ground and what evidence they had, he could tell from it all that whatever attacked was unnaturally vicious. "...I don't know but... I have this growing bad feeling inside me that is telling me it's those monsters..."

"Wait, you mean the ones we just discovered belonged to the Empire? The ones that took the Western Isles?"

"Are you saying the Western Isles are held by the Empire now?" Eret asked her.

"If we are correct, then yes. And if these things are now in Berk..."

"It could mean the destruction of Berk..." Hiccup said with a frown and his eyes held concern. He stood up and faced them. "We need to find out if there truly are any around here. And if they are, we have to do everything we can to get rid of them," he said and looked at Toothless who nodded in agreement.

"Aye, Toothless I want you to fly above and let us know if you see anything, Eret you go with Astrid and..." Valka continued to strategize.

As they were speaking, something caught Hiccup's eye it was markings that all seemed to lead to one direction... Squinting slightly, he walked over to the forest's edge and then he saw it; a trail of lamb's blood that traveled into the trees...

Without consulting the others he began to follow it, his expression reflecting his immense interest and confusion. Everyone's voices seemed to fade away in the distance as his curiosity and concern took over. He walked through the trees, moving branches and such from his path on the way.

The trail went deeper into the woods as it got darker, the sunlight being smothered by the trees above him. The dark blood spotted and dragged along the ground as if something pulled one of the sheep in its jaws to a hidden place to eat it.

https://youtu.be/o_Ay_iDRAbc

(track: "Mountains" by Hans Zimmer)

'This has to be a dragon... or something like it,' he thought to himself as he continued to follow it.

As he got further along and pushed more branches and ferns out of the way... he began to hear something; a shuffling ahead.

That made him hesitate and walk more cautiously. He had a hand on the handle of his flame sword just in case.

When he crept along, the sound got louder and he could hear breathing and gnawing... when he peered from around a tree... he knew it was right there and he slowly began to see it in a dark place, the glowing cracks that covered the animal's hide, and the tail behind it, but what it was eating wasn't a lamb. Hiccup could see boots on the ground, the rest covered by shadow. It was the shepherd.

Hiccup's eyes widened in horror at what he saw, his skin chilled with fear.

The deep bellow of the monster stopped when it sensed something there. Hiccup saw that this beast appeared like a Changewing, but it was cursed just like the creatures that took the Western Isles and the one he saw at the Empire's fort.

The dragon lifted its head to look around him, blood dripping from its jaw. This made Hiccup's stomach churn and he quickly put his back to the tree he peered around, hiding from the beast before he could be spotted. Had it been an animal, he wouldn't be quite so disgusted but this kind of violence was something he'd not seen in a long time; not from dragons.

He made sure he was back behind the tree all the way and took a deep breath. His hand pulled out his flame sword. But he didn't activate the flames, not yet. It wasn't a good time because he would fully be noticed.

'Why do you always have to be right about this stuff?' He asked himself in his head, frustrated.

Regardless of his stealthy movements, the thing could smell human and it began to skulk around, a deep growl in its throat as it searched for its new prey.

Hiccup could hear it coming around the right side of the tree that he was standing against... the thing's chittering unmissable.

He closed his eyes focusing his breathing, calming it down and making sure it was slow and steady. He could hear the noise get a little louder to the right of him when it got closer. His finger was on the button to his sword, ready to use it if need be.

He could hear the dragon beside him, opening his mouth. He could hear the blood drip down the creature's teeth and onto the leaves beneath him...

drip...

drip...

As the creature opened his mouth in a low growl...

Hiccup finally opened his eyes and readied his sword, turning to... ... but he saw nothing there...

...He lowered his weapon and hesitated, a confused look on his—

A blood curdling roar made his heart skip four beats and suddenly the monster was right on his left, roaring into his face with a mangled disturbing sound like nothing he'd heard before with even all the dragon's roars he has heard in his life.

He jumped and moved quickly, stumbling around backwards to the other side of the tree and clicking his button to turn on the flames to the sword. He took his stance, watching the creature. It was so different. He regretted not bringing his shield but he knew it was too late. He couldn't have predicted this would happen.

The thing roared again in a threatening way as it stalked forward, preparing for a fight. It didn't care at all that Hiccup could create flames, as if wasn't even a dragon anymore. And the only thing on its mind was to kill...

A Changewing was already one of the most deadly dragons to exist with its camouflage ability and acid breath, but cursed like this... it would be death itself.

The dragon spewed that hot acid that Hiccup was able to dodge, the glowing blue liquid melting through the tree it hit instead and the massive wooden pillar began to crack and fall, breaking other tree branches on the way down. But the dragon had already charged right for the boy with the intent to kill.

Hiccup swung his sword to hopefully buy enough time to move. When he struck the dragon, it knocked it aside and the beast screeched loudly. He then grabbed a small smoke bomb on his side and threw it, the thing exploding into a cloud. But Hiccup only had to blink and the dragon was gone...

He watched as the smoke filled the area and he looked around. He couldn't see it, not even a shadow. He took a deep breath holding his weapon and closed his eyes to see if he could hear anything.

There was a distant rustle on his left... ...and then a faint growl on his right... like the dragon was a ghost. He'd fought these types before but somehow it was more like a nightmare now that this one was cursed...

This creature was smart... he will give it that. He gulped and took a few steps back. He then turned his flames on again on his sword engulfing the gas and then decided to make a run for it in a direction. The explosion of fire around him as he ran.

But the sound of fast footsteps behind him made his heart race, and when he looked over his shoulder he saw that nothing was pursuing him.

But then claws slammed into his chest and his back hit the ground, his arm that held his sword pinned to the dirt by the beast's foot, completely helpless now as the empty glowing eyes stared into his with a deadly growl in the monster's throat. He cringed when this happened, the air knocked out of him. And the monster got ready to blast his face with acid but before he could, Hiccup heard the familiar high pitched screech that got louder until a bolt of blue fire decapitated the monster with a single blow, the heat almost burning Hiccup's face because of how close the shot was.

There was no blood, and the demon fell over and crumbled into ash before his eyes when Toothless landed near him in defense mode...

He caught his breath as his back kept on the ground... and then he slowly got up as his heart rate slowed a bit and set his hand on his friend's side. "Thanks bud, you always come just in time." He said slowly, cringing. "No one followed you I hope," he added.

He then heard footsteps and prepared for anything but was relieved to see it was Valka who ran through the woods until she saw him and her expression was alarmed. "What happened?" she demanded with worry, seeing that he was alright from what she could tell.

"That creatures that attacked the Western Isles attacked the sheep... and killed the shepherd," he said to her grimly.

She made a more puzzled look and then Astrid ran into where they were with a, "Hiccup!" She ran to him and looked him over. "Are you okay?"

Hiccup looked at Astrid. "I'm fine, don't worry. Toothless came just in time like always." He was still recovering from losing his breath and held his abdomen when he spoke.

"So does that mean the Empire is here now?" Valka asked when she held her staff like a walking stick.

"What?" Astrid asked. She didn't see the body of the dragon so she wasn't sure what had happened. She looked at her husband. "You saw one of those demon dragons that Eret was talking about?" she asked with wide eyes.

"Yeah I fought it too. It wasn't easy at all. It was a Changewing and could camouflage like one..." he told them as he stood there. "And once it was blasted by Toothless it just disintegrated."

https://youtu.be/Ha_o4yeai-k

(track: "What Is Dead May Never Die" by Ramin Djawadi)

"Disintegrated?" Astrid asked when she narrowed her eyes.

"Yes it disintegrated into ashes." Hiccup said to Astrid. "I don't know what has happened to make it this way. But they just seem cursed or something." He added.

"These beings are no longer dragons... it's as if it is dark magic itself." Valka crouched down to look at the ashes that the monster became.

"I've never seen anything like this before..." Astrid said quietly.

"And the Empire has control of it," Hiccup said as Valka stood up. "I don't know if this was just a coincidence but I'm not willing to risk our people's lives in case it isn't." He looked at his wife. "Astrid. Tell the others we are on defense mode. No one leaves the island and send out our best scouts. Until we know what they are up to, we cannot open the ports again."

"On it," she nodded and bound offf to relay the orders.

"You should probably tell Spitelout to take a detachment south. Make sure they're not just wandering from the isles," Valka told him as they turned to walk towards the village.

He nodded as he kept his eyes on the ground. "What would you suggest I do if they're not?" he asked.

"I'm not so sure yet. We don't know what we are up against... ..." she kept her eyes on the grass and clutched her staff in thought. "...What would your father do?" she asked herself out loud in a quiet voice.

He looked at his mother while they walked. "...He would keep the people safe. And he would make sure that those Imperial bastards never messed with us... He'd certainly find out what the Hel is going on."

"Perhaps we should too..." She nodded a little.

"What did you have in mind?"

"We can send out our men to scout the area for anything out of the ordinary, as far as three leagues in all directions," she told him as they left the trees, Toothless behind them. "The rest of us will stay and prepare for whatever outcome. I'll have another session with our men to train them as much as I can. And we will let everyone know to conserve the food. If this turns into a situation in which we are surrounded, we won't have much to get us through the winter. And I'll tell Fishlegs to search the archives for any clues about this... strange kind of enemy we have made," she added, referring to the cursed dragons of course.

Hiccup followed beside his mother listening to her ideas. She was always someone who knew what to do and came up with great strategies. He was slowly learning, it really depended on the situation. He was good at the freeing dragons kind of thing. "That may be good but I just worry they'll all get injured. I can always head out on Toothless. We are stealthy enough to not get caught. And he disintegrated that creature," he said wanting to actually feel like he was doing a good job at being chief.

"You'd be surprised at what they can do, riding on Hobblegrunts and Changewings. Besides, Toothless is more of a night scout," she said when they overlooked Berk from the top hillside outside the woods.

He glanced at the dragon and patted his head a little. "Yeah I guess you're right. Then we will head out in the night. Toothless and I will try to see if they do anything at night or whatever." He said

"Be careful..." she put a loving hand on his shoulder. "I already lost one of you. I can't lose another." She touched his cheek gently with her fingers.

He looked at her and nodded. "Don't worry mom, I'll be alright. You won't lose any of us that easily." He told her giving her a small smile.

https://youtu.be/6k3lXntkdNQ

(track: "Home" by Ramin Djawadi)

"I know you said you felt out of place all your life but the truth is, you are more of a Viking than anyone I know," she said with a smile.

He looked at her and matched her grin. He felt out of place for so long because he was essentially the town weakling... the kid who couldn't kill a dragon and always caused trouble or brought it behind him. But that seemed to change when he helped the village get to know dragons. "Thanks mom," he told her and then looked in the distance when she did the same.

"...And you're as stubborn as your father," she added.

He took a deep breath and chuckled a little, looking at the ground. "Well I would say I'm as stubborn as you both."

She let out a small laugh. "Well... I suppose you're right... Perhaps that's why we argued so much when we were first wed," she said with nostalgia.

"Well I think that happens with everyone. Because now you have to live with another person instead of visiting everyday or whatever," he told her.

She raised her brows. "Is that so? Well I hope you and Astrid are getting along alright."

He shrugged his shoulders slightly. "Well... every once in a while we have some disagreements regarding Toothless," he chuckled, petting his dragon's head. "But other than that we are fine."

She copied his chuckle, watching the dragon and gently petting him on the neck. "Well make sure that's sorted out by the time you have actual kids. Nothing is more important than for parents to be a team." She looked back at her son.

Toothless smiled at the attention and Hiccup looked at his mother, giving her a nod. "Yeah I know..." he then looked into the village as he watched Astrid order people around. He always found her chieftess behavior amusing but she did get things done. He loved that about her.... "We're definitely a team..." he said with a small smile of warmth.

https://youtu.be/kngQF9iz5Qo

(track: "Game of Thrones" by Ramin Djawadi)

When they had made their way back to the main part of Berk, everyone seemed to be starting with Astrid's orders.

"Alright, well I will see to the men and to our group of hooligans to get them prepared. You two should speak with the keeper of books and see what he has to say about this," Valka told him and Astrid, referring to Fishlegs who took his place in the records room of their citadel very seriously.

"Thanks mom. Let me know how it goes and how I can help," he told her and walked towards the citadel. "I hope he has something on this creature," he said as Toothless followed behind the two.

"I guess we'll just have to see," his wife replied as they walked.

https://youtu.be/gFx2N27jzXM

(track: "Nottingham Burns" by Marc Streigthenfeld)

Up in the fortress, they went to the room deep inside the cavern that turned into a staircase which lead them into the highest point of their village. It had the top of a tower carved from the stone and holes there that shone white light into the libraries full of books and scrolls.

There in the circular room they saw Fishlegs studying some old text attentively.

Astrid whistled to get his attention and he looked up. "Oh, s-sorry didn't see you. Was deep in this account of some old tales about Thor. Is it pretty late?"

"Uh... it's morning, Fishlegs," Astrid said to him.

He looked surprised and then his gaze went to the windows. "Oh..."

Hiccup kept from chuckling. "How long—...? Uh never mind. Look we need a favor," he said as he stood in front of him. "Do you have anything on a creature—essentially a dragon—that has the appearance and characteristics of known dragons and then when it's hit, disintegrates into ashes?" he asked him hoping he knew something.

"A what?" He seemed confused.

"Like this," Astrid said and took out the sketch that she and Eret drew to hand to him.

He walked down to them and took it to study it. He looked it over for a long moment with a frown. "Well... is this... a Deadly Nadder?" he asked with a puzzled tone.

Hiccup shook his head. "No it isn't a Deadly Nadder," he told him. "I mean not that I know of. I don't know what it is. It definitely isn't, or doesn't act like a dragon anymore."

"What are you saying exactly?"

"It's like someone or something took a dragon and cursed it or... is controlling it somehow," Astrid explained. "Like it used to be a dragon but now..."

"Do you mean something took it? Like a parasite takes host? Oh—or do you mean it's merely a dragon shaped conjuration like a sorcerer of dark magic would summon?" He was definitely intrigued by this.

Hiccup raised an eyebrow at his friend and crossed his arms over his chest. "I honestly don't know. I thought maybe that it used to be a dragon and then was either cursed by dark magic or it had a parasite. I honestly don't know. Do you have anything on it?"

"Well... I don't know of any kind of magic like that on record. It's only been in made up stories and rumors and stuff... I don't remember seeing any kind of dragon like this anywhere..." he said as he studied the picture again. "...However, there was something strange I found today—uh yesterday, that I was meaning to show you... I'm not sure if it's true or not but it's... well... it's major," he said to Hiccup.

He frowned and turned his head sightly with interest, keeping his eyes on Fishlegs. "What is it?" he asked him slowly.

"Come with me," he said.

https://youtu.be/YLrAXNuvzsI

(track: "The Creed" by Jed Kurzel)

Fishlegs led them both down the hall to his study with a torch for light. "We got some... strange old records with our new shipment of scrolls. These came from deep within the Bleakrock Crypts. I guess some plunderers got their hands on the artifacts down there and sold a bunch of stuff..." he lead them into a room with a candle chandelier and one window to let in light. The wooden table was covered in ancient parchment, delicate and faded. The writing on it was old glyphs that not many people could translate. "But my point is... it looks like... well..." He looked over it all and hesitated, "like we weren't the ones who first rode dragons..."

Astrid's eyes widened and she looked at Hiccup who also seemed shocked. "Wait what? How is that possible? How do you know that?" he asked with slightly wide eyes as he looked at the scrolls. "Can you read any of this?"

"I'm a linguist so, luckily I'm probably one of very few who can... these are so odd... it talks about an ancient war and a dragon rider who defeated a king of darkness and brought peace to the world... But the only recorded name that I can find here is someone called 'Domacius Dreki'. Does that mean anything to you?" he asked, hoping it wasn't just a dead end.

Astrid was fumbling through the documents as well until he asked this and looked up to see Hiccup's response.

He put a few fingers to his chin, thinking. "I've never heard that name. Does it say when he was around?" he asked him

"Well... if my calculations are correct... this was... over two thousand years ago," he told him.

Hiccup raised an eyebrow and Astrid was intrigued. "That was before... everything Viking..." she said with thought.

"It was before a lot of things," Fishlegs said.

"That's way before anything that we know of existed," Hiccup added as he looked at the scrolls. "And you're sure this says that whoever this person is used to ride dragons?"

"No... I'm not." He looked it over. "These could just be legends that they believed about their gods. Or stories... I don't see how we would know for sure."

"Do you know if there are any more scrolls? Any scrolls that they kept more of this kind of information?" he asked him, hopeful.

"I couldn't possibly know. These have been dug out of a centuries old crypt and there're probably thousands of more all around the world. But this... something tells me that this information here is... somehow more relevant to us than we know... or maybe I'm just tired..." he looked away.

Hiccup sighed and nodded slowly. "We can look into these scrolls more later. Go get some rest Fishlegs, thank you for letting me know," he said and stood up straight to prepare to leave, Astrid doing the same.

Fishlegs nodded. "Yeah. Maybe I should. I started seeing spots you know where—"

That's when Eret ran in with news and all three stopped to look at him.

He looked at Hiccup, a tad out of breath. "Two Imperial ships are anchored at Bloodstone Rock..."

Hiccup raised an eyebrow.

https://youtu.be/EPnZ6yOECCI

(track: "Arrival at Winterfell" by Ramin Djawadi)

"What? Why? That place is baron, it's only haunted caverns," Astrid said.

"Unless they're looking for something," Hiccup said and ran out.

"Hiccup, wait!" Astrid called and chased after him.

When she was outside and saw him on his dragon she ran over to where they were. "We should talk about this first. What if it's a trap?" she said in a worried voice.

He locked in his prosthetic foot and readied himself to take off but he looked at Astrid just before they did. "Trap or not, there isn't time to waste. Stay here, this is my job as chief; to investigate and keep everyone safe. I'll be fine," he tried to reassure her as he sat there on Toothless who waited for the chance to fly off to investigate.

"Then I'm coming with you," she insisted.

He was about to argue but was cut off by, "And I..." that his mother added when she walked up to them with Cloudjumper. "After all, stealth is my strength."

Hiccup watched as his mother and Astrid seemed to insist on coming with he and Toothless. He sighed, he knew they would follow no matter what. "Alright fine. Let's go." He said and took off up into the sky fast on Toothless and towards Bloodstone Rock.

She and Astrid exchanged a look before they grabbed their weaponry, mounted their own beasts, and rode into the skies following their chief.

Suddenly Astrid wished all their dragons had camouflage abilities...