The flight was exaggerating, well of course it's a term that Hiccup would describe but for Astrid........It was unlikely between death defying and exciting.

After another round of argument convincing Astrid that it's safe to ride Toothless, the dragon himself also didn't want to give the maiden a ride but the dragon smirked thinking that this was a good payback from five years ago.

The first trial was nerve wrecking. Hiccup suggested she should fly by her own with Toothless. Both Toothless and Astrid eagerly disagree. Once Hiccup had relaxed Toothless he boosted Astrid up to sit and he followed just infront of her. Hiccup guided Toothless, slowly glided and lightly, on top of a tall tree, making it bend because of the weight of the three . The girl behind him had grasp his abdomen so tight even though it was just a light glide, Astrid was not yet pleased flying in the sky but the way they glided had made it clear that the Night Fury wasn't dangerous.

Hiccup then ordered Toothless to gently land and to make sure not to scare the girl riding with them, but the dragon wasn't satisfied just yet, he needed to avenge his bestfriend at all cost. She won't walk away without saying she's convinced and sorry.

Without warning Toothless soared high up away from the sea and the ground. Astrid was screaming for her life while gripped on to Hiccup tightly. Hiccup knew such would happen, he knew Toothless would scare the wits out of her, he knew this was another way to convince her so he pretended he was commanding Toothless to stop. Though he didn't want to stop because he was enjoying this too much.

She did say so she needed a crazy ride.

After the flight

"You could have just warned me earlier" Astrid said as she was hanging her boots on a tree branch above the fire.

Their flying sessions was a success but what she did not fore see was the unexpected crash landing. She was near to death while Hiccup was cheering and whooping saying 'that was awesome'.

"Oh Toothless just needed to practice his landing without me" He replied while he laid his boots and himself beside the fire. Toothless gave out this 'oh really' look before he threw a stone at him.

They thought back to Hiccup's failed free falling.

Just about past an hour ago before they landed, Astrid got a hold of how to ride on Toothless when Hiccup got off. The wind against here skin felt amazing, she had also imagined that she was touching the sky. The sun was setting and was at awe with the view above the grounds. Toothless continued to glide freely for Astrid but was interrupted when Hiccup jumped in front of Astrid and sat once again with them. He changed the stirrup so he could control Toothless's of a ail It was a flight to remember, Astrid reached out to hold the clouds, it was abit cold and moisty but she didn't care, they flew above and below the clouds making a good 360 turn till the night sky was lit with the night lights of the north. The bird's eye view of Berk was beautiful from above especially at night when the villagers light up their tiny houses below. The wind on her skin felt good, the breezy air felt relaxing and she imagined she could touch the sky no wonder how amazing was it to fly. It was amazing. They were amazing. She said out it out loud which the two had heard behind them. She then patted Toothless which the dragon gave her a reassuring gummy smile.

Hiccup was overwhelmed to hear Astrid appreciating the both of them. How could he not thought of taking Astrid on a flight back then? He too enjoyed looking at Astrid enjoying herself flying on a dragon. Who would have thought this tough maiden wanted to fly above the clouds! Just then an idea came to him, he unbuckled his safety belt from Toothless and wore his helmet. Toothless felt Hiccup's buckle loosen in his sides and heard Astrid asking Hiccup 'what are you doing?'

Oh boy not again

Hiccup gave a look to Astrid, smirking under that helmet before saying " If flying on a dragon is fun, how about flying on your own wings?!"

And he slid down from Toothless free falling. Astrid was surprised.

Toothless immediately goes down too because he knew Hiccup hadn't perfected this stunt and he might crash land again. Also, since Hiccup was too busy showing off, his rider forgot to turn his tail to auto-pilot and changing the stirrup for Astrid to control his tail. Boy they are in trouble.

Astrid was panicking and was again screaming, she didn't know to control Toothless without Hiccup changing the stirrup. She screamed his name and Hiccup turned around just to see and realize that he forgot to turn the stirrup to auto-pilot. He opened his wings wide to flat horizontally so the air pressure could easily bring him up. He caught on to Toothless's leg but didn't hang much long. All three of them were now out of control. Astrid concentrated to find something that could save them she looked everywhere around Toothless's body to change the stirrup. A lever was just below Toothless's belly, she didn't hesitate to pull the lever.

Good heavens she found the lever.

Toothless was on auto-pilot and relief flooded on both Astrid and the dragon. Now to find Hiccup, he was falling alright just right passed them. The dove down to catch onto him, the sea water just merely above them. He's about to crash on the water when they caught him but still all three of them landed on the water. Luckily the beach was just nearby.

"Do you mind telling me why you had to make such a fail suicide attempt?" Astrid sarcastically asked finally hanging her now heavy furry hood the last garment she badly needed to dry.

Hiccup noticed the sarcasm she fired. He smirked at this without her looking at it. He didn't answer her, because if he did then it means things between them are getting easy for just short notice.

She realized that too. For a second she thought he was a stranger but turned out to be her childhood neighbor, then she felt guilty but angry once she knew it was him under that ridiculous suit. She was nervous she didn't know what to talk about. She's scared because he's here and why can't she just get it that he heard her say sorry.

True there should be awkwardness between them but why does it happen to mend the gap so quickly for just one flight.

Gap

There are a lot of things that Astrid wondered. Some gaps she wanted to know. She thought about how he actually defeated the Red Death, how he became Rider, how he managed to build the strength that he possess, that missing leg and the enemies he had made. Then she thought deeper. There was Wolf who lost his wife and tribe because of him. If he was the Dragon Conquerer everybody know that had gained a lot of enemies, why did he let them die, why did he let Heather's island sink into the ocean, why did he broke Wolf's promise to save Cami.

"Hiccup-" she croaked. Hiccup tensed but listened.

Who is she kidding, Did she really think Hiccup would give a straight answer? No of course he was just been discovered earlier and they had an awkward emotional argument and the flying part was her only way for Hiccup not to leave.

But trying won't kill, right?

"You were saying something Astrid?" he spoke breaking her own space and coming back to reality.

Damn what should I say? She wondered, a safe question could work.

"I was wondering about the symbol on a paper your friend aimed at, I haven't seen those symbols around Berk or any neighbouring vikings-"

Hiccup adjusted himself to look at her, worriedly. he lifted his upper body up where he used his hands to support him leaning back, his palms flat on the ground.

"-Hiccup....who are you meeting with?"

Oh no, not actually a good question to ask but it's the only thing she could think of. God she sounded like a stalker.

Hiccup stayed quiet for a minute. It's just a friendly question, besides she knows him anyway.

He sighed "Some men who took care of me way before I became Rider. I was at Rome, I was captured and Toothless couldn't find me anywhere until one day the prison cells exploded and I saw my dragon with hooded men rescuing me."

He sat straight crossing his legs to face Astrid. "I was weak that time, beaten for days-" he bit his lip before continuing "-I couldn't see who they were. I was so tired and hungry then passed out next thing I knew I was in a bed and being nursed."

The fire before them was about to loss its fume, Astrid tossed some logs to the pit stop hen Toothless made it the flames come back to life again.

"So this men aren't harsh and dangerous then?"

They weren't harsh but they are dangerous. They know what to do to kill dirty and unrighteous men. Hiccup didn't answer her, he don't want to let her know right away that his friends are actually assassins. He didn't want to lie either, he didn't feel lying to her right now. He stayed silent till it dawned to Astrid what this silence meant.

'Oh' is all he heard.

They were quiet again for some time, letting alone the fire spark and the purring sleeping dragon make all the small noises. It was too dark for Astrid to go back home and yet too dangerous too without her axe that she left at Hiccup's camp site, though she promised herself that she'd keep an eye on Hiccup.

Keeping an eye for what?

Astrid knew there were things Hiccup didn't want to talk about and she understands completely. It was never meant to be that why and it was only because with her curiosity too.

The wind blew softly against their skin, it was getting cold and they ran our of log to keep the fire going but Hiccup stayed warm against Toothless's back. The maiden across her was shivering but she did't show she was. Of course she won't show her weak sides but he had seen it already. Back at the forge. She was shaking madly now and he thinks it's almost midnight. He stood up, wali g Toothless in the process.

"You need to get back on my camp, it's freezing here, you'll stay warm under my tent with Toothless."

Astrid shot her head up to him "You're not coming?

"I need to see someone, remember?"

"Yeah I knew that but seriously, Toothless won't go with you?" concern filled her words. He nearly smirked at this.

"He'll take you there safely, he needs rest too." he stood up taking his well dried suit and wore them confidently. Astrid too was doing the same but her eyes were on him. He had sprouted from just being a hiccup, he grew tall and she could see a hint of muscles underneath that tunic. Somehow she felt embarrassed from starring that she remembered that Hiccup here was not like the Hiccup before.

Just as Hiccup had strapped his suit on he was about to leave without saying a word to her, she immediately reacted ang tugged his arm. Astrid at first was initially shocked with her actions but she showed no falls reaction.

"Promise me nothing would go wrong" she said and that got Hiccup confused.

She noticed so she immediately followed up "Don't you think I care for your well being, I don't know how to take care of your dragon nor make me clean up your camp"

"Not even in your wildest dreams I'm gonna leave you with Toothless"

"Oh you better be"

He nearly laughed at this insane conversation though she got a point but the tone she had earlier did make him feel a lot better. He guesses she needed to know a few of his life. For keeps that is.

"Hiccup. Are you really sure with this, you might need back up"

He smirked a little "I could defend myself M'lady, like I couldn't lift a spoon without him"

"Well you couldn't save yourself earlier"

"Oh so you're telling me you can take care of yourself without an axe?"

"What!? Of course I-" she paused and thought about that, she can fight without her axe but she wasn't that good like what Hiccup did with Dagur. She was thinking of a way to counter the rant but nothing came. What she only though of was one thing. Him to stay put.

"-train me!!"

"What!?" Now it was his turn to freak out.

"You heard me, train me. If you know so much better with fist combat and self-defense then why don't you show me"

Oh she was wise, too wise for him.

"And what if I don't want to?"

"I'll fly Toothless around Berk and see what goes from there."

Damn she got the nerve to do so, but secretly she won't do it. She just needed him to say yes with the deal.

"Fine, deal"

"And that's a promise"

Let's see who gets the last laugh

"I promise"

"Good boy" She patted his head and smirked before turning her back to let Toothless take her to Hiccup's camp. He saw them flew and glided back to the camp.

After five damn years the same Valkyrie always gets in his way.