Hiccup's POV

"Come on Toothless, keep tracking," I mutter.

My dragon makes a disapproving noise, looking back at me. I sigh, running a hand through my hair as I look over the dark sea.

"I know, I know. I just...what if she gets attacked again? I can't lose her," I say.

Toothless shrugs as we keep flying. Out of nowhere, an absolutely huge amount of wind starts whooshing all around us, knocking Toothless off course. My Night Fury growls, beating his wings furiously as he searches for a place to land.

He growls as he makes one final burst into the shelter of a cave, surrounding me with his wings as the wind keeps blowing.

The wind stops, leaving a deafening silence. I get up, looking down towards the back of the cave. To my surprise, it's more of a long passage. The faint sound of crying echoes along the dark path, instantly causing me to break into a run down the dank corridor.

As I round a corner, a heavy form smacks against me and pins me to the ground. Nightstar hold me down, her blue eyes fierce and her mouth set in a snarl. As soon as she realizes it's me, she gets off, making a small sound in her throat.

"I forgive you," I say, scratching her neck.

Nightstar brushes past me towards Toothless and they start growling and making noises to each other. I smile, then glance at the small amount of light in the room.

Thora sits on the ground next to a pile of dust, her body shaking. I go up behind her, resting a hand on her shoulder. She gasps and jumps up, readying her sword and aiming it at me. Her face slackens when she sees me.

"Thora?" I whisper.

"Hiccup? What are you doing here?" she demands, a sort of crazed look in her eyes.

"I followed you," I answer curtly. "What happened? Are you alright?" I switch the subject, reaching my hands up to touch her tear-streaked face.

"Why would you follow me? I can take care of myself!" she snaps, slapping my hands away.

"I couldn't stand the thought of you being alone and getting attacked again!" I say, my voice raised. "If you got hurt again and it was too late to save you...I can't lose you, Thora. Berk can't lose you."

More tears come to her eyes and she presses her face into her hands, her shoulders quivering. I react automatically, pulling her into my arms and pressing my lips against her forehead.

She cries into my shoulder as I rub her arms and back, calming her down as best I can. I feel powerless. Thora isn't often an emotional person, so seeing her this broken up is foreign and off. I just want her to be okay, to not have to deal with all the demons surrounding her, both literally and metaphorically.

"There was an old man," she whispers, her voice thick. "He said that he had waited to meet me and that the time that Valhalla gave him to come to me was fleeting..."

"You're trusting a strange man you found in a cave?"

"He knew my name and he knew my parents' names," she defends. "He turned to dust after he warned me. He told me the demons are coming. We have to prepare."

Honestly, this girl gets weirder every day. I kind of like it though. She makes me feel young.

I nod to her and we turn to our Night Furies, trying not to look at the pile of dust that was once the man Thora speaks of.

"Let's go get ready for the battle of our lives," I mutter.