When Hiccup and I returned to the village, Gobber was already waiting for us, his face stern as he ushered us into the smithy. Without so much as a word, he handed us tools and set us to work, the clang of metal against metal ringing through the air as we went to work—harder, faster, and more intensely than before. This was our punishment for sneaking off without telling anyone, and Gobber wasn't about to let it slide.

I was working on a saddle hook for Toothless, the metal still too hot as I shaped it, when the door swung open, and Astrid stepped inside, a glint of mischief in her eye.

"Hey, Nyx, do you want to train with me?" she asked, twirling an axe casually on her shoulder. The axe caught the light as she spun it, her movements smooth and fluid.

I blinked at her for a moment, surprised by the offer. I was already feeling the weight of the work Gobber had set us to, and the idea of doing something that actually involved my skills and energy—something that wasn't endless coals and hot metal—was appealing. "Better than shoveling coals all day—sure," I shrugged, wiping the sweat from my brow.

Hiccup, who was in the middle of cooling off a saddle piece in a bucket of water, glanced up from his work. His brow furrowed as he took in Astrid's invitation. "Gobber didn't say we could leave, did he? I'm not Nyx, you know that," he said, his voice carrying a hint of his usual concern.

I waved him off, not wanting him to worry too much. "I'll tell Gobber it was my own idea," I said, a grin playing at the corner of my lips. "I wanted to train a bit to get the stiffness out of my muscles anyway."

Hiccup raised an eyebrow, but before he could protest further, I was already walking toward the door, Astrid falling into step beside me. The air outside was crisp, the scents of the village mixing with the promise of the forest. As we walked, I made sure to steer clear of the cove, not wanting Astrid to accidentally stumble upon Toothless.

Astrid was quiet for a moment, but I could feel her curiosity bubbling beneath the surface. "I saw you with Toothless earlier," she said, her voice light but knowing. "You seem to be getting along well."

I nodded, glancing over at her. "He's... different. There's something about him that makes me feel like I can trust him, even when I don't fully understand everything."

Astrid considered this for a moment, then nodded approvingly. "That's the thing with dragons," she said with a grin. "Sometimes, they trust you before you even realize it."

We continued walking through the woods, the rustle of leaves underfoot and the distant calls of birds our only company. The tension in my shoulders began to ease, the thought of training with Astrid distracting me from the complexities swirling in my mind.

After a few minutes, we reached a clearing, and Astrid immediately began warming up with her axe, spinning it with deadly precision. I smiled and grabbed the nearby practice sword, following her lead. The rhythmic clash of weapons filled the air, and I lost myself in the flow of the movement.

Despite the heavy weight of what had happened in the caldera, and the knowledge that there was something far more dangerous lurking beneath the surface of the world, I could momentarily forget it all. Here, in the woods, with the air thick with the smell of pine and the hum of battle, I was just another Viking training alongside her fellow warriors.

But I knew better than to think that would last forever. There was still so much we didn't know about what lay ahead. And whatever it was, I could feel its shadow stretching closer with every passing day.

For now, though, I had my training—and that would have to be enough.

◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥

When Astrid and I returned to the village, we found that the smithy was empty—Gobber and Hiccup had already disappeared. The rhythmic sound of hammering was replaced with silence, the workshop left behind in a quiet, unfinished state. I figured they must have gone off to deal with something, probably to check on the village or handle one of the many tasks that Hiccup's father had for him.

I didn't mind. In fact, the peacefulness felt like a welcome break after the frantic pace of the day.

"Well, I guess that's the end of training for now," Astrid said, twirling her axe with a grin. "But it was fun. See you tomorrow, Nyx."

"Yeah, see you," I replied, giving her a small wave.

I headed back to my hut, my feet dragging slightly in the soft dirt. The day had been long, and my muscles ached from both the smithy work and the training. As I entered my hut, the warmth of the familiar space welcomed me. I kicked off my boots and stretched, feeling the tension melt away as I finally allowed myself to unwind.

Flopping down on my bed, I sighed deeply, pulling the covers over me. My body was exhausted, but my mind raced. The thoughts of the dragon queen, the looming danger in the caldera, and the secrets we were keeping all weighed heavily on me. But for now, I pushed them away.

I smiled softly, the quiet of the hut wrapping around me like a blanket. As my eyes fluttered shut, the last thing I remembered was the steady rhythm of my own breathing.

I drifted off to sleep, the peaceful quiet a temporary balm for the storm I knew was coming.