Hiccup:

Was it a good idea to tell Astrid where I'm staying? Would she bring anyone with her? Hiccup thought as he and Toothless returned to the cove. Toothless didn't like the idea of Astrid knowing where they were but didn't give Hiccup any death glares, which meant that he wasn't too angry about it. He planned to introduce her to Toothless and hopefully convince her that dragons are not dangerous. It was a great risk, but luckily she doesn't know who he is, and he could fly away on his dragon if things go sideways. It's worth any risks if I can convince at least one person.

Astrid:

That morning Gothi deemed Astrid well enough and sent back home. However, with each step she took, dread started to fill her as she slowly remembered why she was even in the woods in the first place. I almost forgot I need to have my parents call off the wedding!

When she reached her door, Astrid gave a huge sigh. I'm just going to tell them, then, whatever happens, happens. She reached her hand out to grab the door when she heard voices inside. Curiously, she put her ear to the door. Her face contorted in disgust when she heard the voice of Snotlout say her name. She couldn't hear anything else of the conversation, just her name. She stormed into her house and didn't even acknowledge the greetings of her foster mother, foster father, and Snotlout. She immediately went into her room and slammed the door. She sat on her bed and waited until she heard the door open and shut, meaning Snotlout had left. Even then, she waited until she was called, which she knew she was hoping to be.

A few minutes later, Astrid heard a light knock on her door. "Astrid?" The female voice of her mother called. Well, foster mother, her parents died when she was little from a dragon raid (I'll call her foster parents by mom or dad from now on because Foster Mom and Foster dad are a mouthful lol). She let herself inside and sat down at the edge of her bed. "Call off the wedding!" Astrid snapped abruptly. Her mom opened her mouth to respond when Astrid continued more calmly, "mother, I wouldn't be happy with Snotlout. He's rude, mean, and he thinks himself better than everyone else. He's only becoming chief because Hiccup had disappeared!" Her mother winced at the sound of the missing heir's name. "We all would have chosen Hiccup the Useless over Snotlout to be chief, but he possibly isn't even alive. And if he was, he's still an outcast unless Stoick says otherwise. Besides, this wedding is only, so the people get the chief they really want, you". At hearing her mother's words, Astrid seethed again, "then why not come straight out and ask me to be chief! If by some miracle someone appears claiming to be of the same bloodline as Stoick and has more of a chiefly like attitude, I'll happily marry them! Heck! I'd marry Hiccup if I had to!" With that said, Astrid got up and went to the door, "I'm taking a walk! I don't know when I'll be back, and don't bother looking for me". She opened the door to her room and slammed it on her mother, trying to fix what she said. The damage is already done, especially when you didn't call off this ridiculous wedding!

She peered down at the map. The rider drew for her. She followed the trail and passed the landmarks until she found herself looking down into a beautiful cove. She looked back at the map. This should be the place. She thought as she descends.

Hiccup:

She came this early!? Hiccup thought, surprised and nervously, as he heard her footsteps. "Toothless hide, I need her to see me first, so she doesn't just attack. I'll call you when I think she's ready to meet you", Toothless nodded and flew behind a giant boulder. Hiccup quickly put his helmet and cloak on, and just in time too. Astrid came storming towards him, seething mad like someone had just told her that Hiccup placed first in dragon training all over again. He took a few steps back with his hands up and motioned for her to sit on a fallen log. Glad I told Toothless to hide. He thought, relieved. Before he could ask her what was wrong, Astrid started, "I'm arranged to be married to Snotlout!" She threw her ax on the floor and sat in a fetal position. Then buried her head into her legs and started sobbing. Hiccup gulped. He'd never seen Astrid Hofferson cry before. No one has. The next thing she said surprised him even more than her showing a sign of weakness, "I wish Hiccup would come back!" He froze there, unable to process what she had just said. Why would anyone want me... ME, back? Especially Astrid? He was confused and almost asked his question, then stopped himself. Must keep up the appearance of being an outsider, he thought, then decided to take it safely, "who's Hiccup?" She lifted her head and looked at him with those gorgeous blue eyes tainted red from tears. "He was the useless son of the chief-."

Oh, thanks! That makes me want to return home right this very instant! Hiccup thought sarcastically.

"-But despite his faults, his failures, and... even his heresy, he'd be preferable over Snotlout! But we don't even know if he is still alive!"

Oh, nice to know I'm preferable over the least favorite person on Berk... wait, I'm "dead"? Huh, so this is Valhalla. It looks oddly like Berk to me. Okay, on a serious note, would they think this way if I were alive? Or would they prefer Snotlout to be chief? He thought while saying, "can you stop the wedding?" She shook her head and buried it back into her legs. He sat down on the log next to her and started saying, "I loved a girl from my old village. But she never even noticed me until I left". She looked up at Hiccup, expecting him to say more, but he didn't. He didn't mean that to be spoken aloud, but at least she doesn't know how I look, he thought, slapping himself mentally in the head. 

She continued to sob that afternoon until she calmed near sunset. Hiccup had decided to make some hot tea while she was having her moment. When he heard her quiet, he put the tea into a small teacup he got from a  trader in China and gave it to her. "It'll help," he said with a smile. She thanked him and drank the tea. It was green tea, also something he traded for in China. When she sipped it, he heard her sigh as her tense body relaxed.

A few hours and a couple more cups of tea later, Hiccup felt she was relaxed enough to meet Toothless finally. "You know?" He started to say so she could look at him and not in the direction Toothless was in as he made a whistling sound. Astrid looked at him curiously. He knew she would ask him why he whistled when they both heard a snap of a branch behind her. When she whipped around and gasped in horror at the sight of the night fury, Hiccup jumped up and ran in front of her saying, "I thought you should meet my best friend!"

Awe, I wish I could draw this! Hiccup thought, suppressing his laugh as he saw her jaw drop. Toothless stood inches away from Hiccup, who was a foot away from Astrid. He motioned to Toothless, saying, "Toothless, Astrid," he pointed to Astrid then said, "Astrid, Toothless."

"Toothless is a dragon!" She said in shock. Hmm... I wonder if she'd ever put the pieces together. I did say Toothless's name when I left, right? he thought humored. "We only thought that was a rumor!" She cried, jumping up and backing away. Hiccup frowned at her fear.

Astrid:

Everything said about this rider is true! She thought as she started backing away. "So this is Toothless? Your best friend is a dragon!" She didn't know if she felt more in awe or betrayed. He brought her here to show her a dragon and say their friends. "Those beasts murdered my family!" She yelled. She reached for her ax then remembered that she had thrown it and was now behind Rider and the dragon. "Now wait just a moment," he said angrily, which was surprising to her, "yes. Dragons killed people, but they are not murderous reptiles! They are intelligent, beautiful creatures who could be loyal friends! Possibly even better than any human! Besides, for the hundreds of us they've killed, we've killed a thousand more of them! All they are doing is defending themselves. They are not out for Viking blood!" She quieted. He was storming towards her in a fury. Then Toothless came over and wrapped his wing around Rider. He sighed and rubbed the dragon's head, "thanks, bud." The dragon purred in response. He then looked Astrid dead in the eye and continued more calmly yet with authority, "dragons are not what we think they are. We are like them in many ways, actually. They have tons of personalities and character. Some are smart, while others are not. And like us, some are good while others are evil. Sometimes, it's not the dragon who's bad but whoever, or whatever, controls them. They have misunderstood creatures. I've learned this when I was rejected from my own because of me being, well, me. He was my only friend while my 'fellow' humans made fun of me, ignored me, and bullied me. Where others saw disappointment, he saw the opposite. Where others would see an enemy, I saw a friend". Astrid remained silent. In awe at what he'd said. He would make a good chief if he were to stay anywhere, she thought.

"Show me. I want to see dragons the way you do", she said with a smile.

Hiccup:

Finally! Hiccup thought as he jumped upon Toothless's back. He switched his leg from walking to riding and held out his hand for Astrid, "then let me show you the way we see the world." She grabbed hold of his hand, and he pulled her behind him. Toothless launched into the air and climbed higher and higher into the sky. Though it was a gentler ascent than normal, Astrid still squeezed his waist, buried her face into his back, and screamed like a lunatic. Hiccup and Toothless just looked at each other and rolled their eyes. When they were above the clouds, Hiccup yelled over Astrid's screaming, "You know?! The view is much prettier than my back!" She finally stopped screaming and lifted her face, hesitantly from his back. Just as she did, the aroura started as if greeting her. He heard her gasp, "it's beautiful." Which made him smile. "If you like that, then you would definitely like this view," he said, pointing ahead. She looked and gasped again as she saw Berk with the fires on in every home. She squeezed Hiccup's abdomen tighter and lay her head on his shoulders, smiling. I wish we could be like this forever; he thought to himself. Toothless peaked back at his friend and Astrid and smiled.

It was almost dawn when they arrived back at the cove. Astrid jumped off Toothless excitedly. Despite being up all the previous day and night, he was surprised to see she was energized. Hiccup and Toothless, on the other hand, were beat. Toothless stalked to the corner and made a bed with Hiccup the following suit. "That was amazing!" She said, "we have to tell the villagers-."

"No!" Hiccup yelled, fear lacing his voice. Astrid looked curiously at him, "Rider, what you have just shown me something that can solve a thousand years of needless killing, and you don't want to stop it? Why-".

"Because no one will listen! Not... sigh, Not to me".

"Rider, you don't know that...".

"Firstly, Astrid. They are not, I'll repeat, NOT listen to someone they just barely met, let alone someone they barely met who'd also not show their face. Secondly, even when they do see my face, they'll definitely not listen to me".

"You don't-."

"I do! I do know it! I've,", Hiccup sighed. She needs to know who I am, so she could understand why I can't, "because I've lived with them my entire life."

Astrid:

"Rider, what are you-" she wasn't able to finish her sentence when she saw him reach for his helmet. 'Is he...', her thought trailed as she saw him slowly lift off his helmet. She saw familiar auburn hair and familiar forest green eyes. Then, she saw the all too familiar scare under her lip. "This-,," he said, motioning to his body, "is why no one would listen to me... Astrid?" She wasn't listening to him anymore. She was only seeing him. He's... He's alive! She thought as she choked out a single name. "Hiccup?"