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Hiccup and Astrid walked through the forest. It was night again, and the moon, almost full, shone down on them through the trees.

Hiccup's head had mostly stopped hurting. The pain was dulled enough that he could walk in an almost straight line and see clearly. Astrid's hand was sore, and almost felt as if an infection was starting to spread, but she didn't mention that to Hiccup.

The two had found signs of Eret and Skullcrusher, Astrid's axe lying around as if it had fallen off Stormfly as well, but no sign of Toothless and Paintsplash.

The forest was silent, peaceful, serene.................and, romantic. Hiccup glanced at Astrid out of the corner of his eye, and resumed staring forward. Then a song popped into his head, and he began to whistle. Astrid jumped slightly, not only because the sound startled her, but because she recognized the song. One from about a week and a half ago. An old courting ballad........by the name of "For the Dancing and the Dreaming".

Hiccup knew the lyrics, for his parents had sung it in front of him and he had excellent memory. Astrid knew the lyrics because her parents sang it around the house sometimes, and she put bits and pieces of murmured excerpts together to make the whole song.

Hiccup began to sing the beginning of the song quietly, having nothing else to do.

"I'll swim and sail on savage seas,

With ne'er a fear of drowning,

And gladly ride the waves of life,

If you would marry me-ee.....

No scorching sun, nor freezing cold,

Will stop me on my journey,

If you will promise me your heart,

And love......"

Then he stopped and looked at the ground as walked. Astrid slipped her hand into his, and there was silence for a few moments.

"And love me for eternity..."

Hiccup looked up as Astrid began to sing as well. She grinned at him, and gave him a look that said, "Aren't you forgetting something?"

The dance that goes with this.......

The dance started out slow, and Astrid resumed singing.

"My dearest one, my darling dear,

Your mighty words astound me.

But I've no need of mighty deeds when I feel your arms around me."

Now it was Hiccup's turn.

"But I would bring you rings of gold

And even sing you poetry,

And I would keep you from all harm,

If you would stay beside me!"

"I have no use for rings of gold,

I care not for your poetry,

And only want your hand to hold-"

"I only want you near me!"

The song and dance increased speed, and both partners started singing together.

"To love, to kiss, to sweetly hold,

For the dancing and the dreaming,

Through all my sorrows and delights,

I'll keep your love inside me!

I'll swim and sail on savage seas,

With ne'er a fear of drowning,

And gladly ride the waves of life,

If you would marry me!"

Then, the two both tripped on a log that was behind them, and Hiccup fell on his back with Astrid on top of him. They both laid there in a laughing, pathetic heap. Astrid looked at Hiccup and grinned from ear to ear.

"Thank you for starting that. It added a lot more fun to this gloomy, hopeless experience."

Hiccup smiled. "My head doesn't hurt anymore," he said, and began to take off his bandage. Astrid, who was lying on top of Hiccup perpendicular to the way he was laying, whipped around so fast that he couldn't even blink and held the bandage down with her finger. She looked down at him, and their noses were touching.

"No," Astrid said fiercely. "You're leaving that on." Then, in a very hypocritic manner, she began to unwrap the bandage from her hand. Hiccup grabbed her hand and grinned smugly.

"No," he said, mocking Astrid in a very high voice. "You're leaving that on." Astrid rolled her eyes.

"Shut up, Hiccup. Fine, I'll leave my bandage on, as long as you leave on yours."

Hiccup laughed. "Anything for you...," he said as he helped Astrid to her feet. Then he bowed in a very gentlemanly way and added in a somewhat British accent, "Madam." Astrid rolled her eyes again and punched Hiccup in the shoulder. He grinned, and they resumed walking through the woods, looking their missing dragons, Eret, and Skullcrusher.