Astrid's P.O.V.

"Berk doesn't have room for failures," Hiccup said, making me pause.

"...So you gotta show them that's not what you are. It's been years. You haven't tried," I say to him.

"Don't quote me back to me. That's just lazy," he says.

"It might be lazy, but it applies to both of us," I say.

"Thing is, I am a failure. You have potential that Berk needs to see," he tells me.

"Failure? Hiccup Haddock a failure? You saved me from a burning hut, and a day later, you save me from a Timberjack! You lead raids to free dragons, and you call yourself a failure?! I couldn't even say hi to my parents for the last 5 years," I say.

"Um...Astrid can I tell you something?" he asked nervously.

"What?"

"Uh...that time you set the alarm for a Nightfury, after I left..?" It clicked in my brain and I punched his arm to have him cry out in pain.

"Are you kidding me?! I actually saw one, and I've been holding back extreme Stoick rage for five years for nothing?!" I scream before falling on my back in defeat.

"I'm sorry, he was supposed to stay in the cove," Hiccup says apologetically before we fly up to a stone structure.

"What is this?" I ask, sitting up.

"Were we live," he answers as Toothless flies into a cave and goes down a tunnel. "You've been here before. That night of the fire."

"Are you taking me back to the cave?" I ask.

"Oh no. That was the healing cave. Meant only for injured or sick dragons," he says. Toothless flies into a giant cavern where there are dragons hanging from the walls and ceiling, if they weren't on the ground or in the air. They see him and let out welcoming roars. I was shocked when he roared back, his voice strong and full of authority.

"Should I even ask?" I ask as we leave the cavern.

"I'll explain it later," he says before we land in a cave and dismount.

"So are you going to justify your reason for kidnapping me, or should I fight my way to freedom now?" I ask.

"Admit it, Astrid. I got you to talk more today than you have in the last 5 collective years," he says.

"Maybe you did, maybe you didn't," I say grudgingly.

"And aren't you glad that I did? Now your voice is getting some exercise," he says.

"He's got a point."

"Shut up, everyone always has a point with you. I'm like the only one that never does," I mutter.

"Hello, Emerald," Hiccup says.

"Goodbye," I say, walking toward a tunnel.

"Oh, come on, I was just greeting your mind," Hiccup said, jogging after me.

"My mind is supposed to stay in my head, no one else is supposed to know about it," I say, not breaking stride.

"But it's a little wild, isn't it? Need help...taming your thoughts?" he asks, making me pause.

"What are you getting at?" I asked.

"If you can train a dragon, it won't be much harder to learn to control Emerald," he says.

"Me? Train a dragon?" I repeat in shock.

"Remember the Nadders I carved on your crutches? I think one would suit you just fine," he says, holding his chin in thought.

"Stop thinking," I order, "Just...stop thinking. And take me back to Berk."

"Sorry, M'Lady. No can do," he says before going down a separate tunnel. "Might wanna follow, it's easy to get lost in here," he calls, his voice echoing on the walls. Suddenly, something nudged me after him from behind and I turned to see Toothless, looking at me with what I hoped was a smile. I froze before yelping as he threw me onto his back and ran down the tunnel after his rider. "Whoa, didn't think I'd find you on a dragon that soon," Hiccup joked as the Nightfury came to his side. I reached for the handle of my ax only for my hand to close on thin air.

"Where's my-" I cut off as I saw it resting on Hiccup's shoulder.

"Oh, I'm sorry, looking for something?" he asks casually.

"I suddenly remember why I hated you," I growl.

"You didn't hate me these last few weeks," he says.

"Because you had a mask! People always act differently when their face is covered!" I snap.

"So if you left Berk for a while, and came back with a mask, would you talk to people?"

"Yes."

"Don't you dare answer for me, I can do that on my own!" I shout.

"Then why don't you?"

"Why do you think?!" I question.

"Because you're scared of-" I clamped my hands over my mouth before she could finish.

Why do I talk when I know it's him?

"Because you were overwhelmed by realization, and everything you wanted to say, over the last 5 years, came pouring out."

"Let me know when your done talking to Ember. Toothless will do the walking for you," Hiccup says as we continue down the tunnel.

"See how considerate he is?! How can you not trust him?"

Because for all I know, he could have created a network of sex slaves since he left!

"You trusted Ryder to run his hands up and down your leg. And you were wounded prey."

'Wounded prey', what are you, a caveman?

"Do you even have a reason for not trusting him?"

I never said I didn't!

"I'm your thoughts, I know who you don't trust."

Then you should know why I don't trust him.

"I want you to say it so you can hear how ridiculous it sounds."

Because he's Hiccup! Ring leader of the youth of Berk!

"Former leader. He resigned when he left."

Oh, my gosh! Why does it matter?!

"Ask him why he's doing this."

No. I know why he's doing this. He is making fun of me in his head as we speak.

"No, not why he's letting us talk, why he brought you here."

"Why did you bring me here?" I ask Hiccup.

"Training," is all he says.

What does that mean?

"DON'T ASK ME! I AM YOU, IF YOU DON'T KNOW, I DON'T KNOW!"

You should know! You know how to tell me what to do in a raid but you don't know what he means by training?!

She screamed and I joined her before something snapped, the last thing I see being the ground hurtling toward my face.