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❛ sᴛᴏʀᴍʙᴏʀɴ​​​​​​​​​​. ❜ ° . ༄
- ͙۪۪˚   ▎❛ 𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍 ❜   ▎˚ ͙۪۪̥◌
»»————- ꒰ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴜɴᴋɴᴏᴡɴ ꒱


❝ WHAT MY DAD WOULDN'T
GIVE TO FIND THIS ❞

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Needless to say, Astrid's introduction to the dragons didn't go very well. Hiccup thought it might have gone better if the two girls hadn't threatened to kill each other— something he was still surprised about, from Dany's side at least, since even when he'd first met her, she hadn't been so hostile.

Toothless glided through the forest as they followed the blonde's escape, swooping down to catch her by the arm. Dany flew in lazy circles high above them on Drogon as she waited for him to smooth things out with Astrid, who was currently screaming due to her impromptu flight. They dropped her at the tip of a very tall tree so that her legs dangled hundreds of feet above the forest floor. The Night Fury's weight caused the tree to bend dangerously, (unintentionally) scaring her further.

"Hiccup, get me down from here!" the blonde demanded furiously.

"You have to give me a chance to explain," he begged, willing to risk inciting her anger further.

"I am not listening to anything you have to say!"

"Then I won't speak. Just let me show you." There was a pause before added, "please, Astrid."

She pulled herself up on the branch and he held a hand out to her— one that she predictably slapped away. Although Toothless was still clearly annoyed with her, he let her climb onto his back. She wasted no time in demanding, "now, get me down."

"Toothless, down. Gently."

While he fully intended to not make her any more uncomfortable than she already was, the Night Fury seemed to have other ideas. He snorted in what would soon be disagreement,  spreading his wings as the tree slowly straightened out. Hiccup turned to the girl reassuringly. "See? Nothing to be afraid of."

Then, Toothless took off from the branch with a hard flap of his wings, sending them soaring up towards Drogon. He gripped tightly to the dragon's back while Astrid, who was taken by surprise, went back to screaming.

"Toothless! What is wrong with you? Bad dragon!" he called over the rush of the wind. The blonde scrambled to anchor herself to him— a thought that would have thrilled him a month ago, but was now only a hindrance. "He's not usually like this!"

They leveled out at Drogon's height and Dany looked over at them with amusement. "It's about time. I thought you'd never join us!" Then, she got that mischievous look on her face— the one that reminded him of the twins— and his stomach sank. He heard her say clearly: "Drogon, dive!"

The large dragon folded his wings in and angled himself downward to plummet towards the ocean. Always eager to join his friend, Toothless followed suit, which prompted more screaming from the girl behind him. When they reached the water below, Drogon spread out his wings so he and Dany sailed just above the water, while Toothless happily leapt through the waves.

"Toothless, what are you doing?" Hiccup snapped, leaning towards his dragon's head. "We need her to like us!"

The Night Fury, deciding he had finished with the water, shot back into the air and started spinning again, this time more aggressively. Below, Drogon rumbled as if he was laughing at the other dragon's antics. Hiccup was quite certain that he even heard a very human laugh that got lost amongst the sound of the ocean.

"And now the spinning," he narrated with a sigh. Astrid's grip was iron-strong around his middle as she continued to scream his ear off— he'd probably go deaf if this lasted much longer. "Thank you for nothing, you useless reptile."

Toothless went spinning back towards the sea where Drogon was still gliding, a picture of serenity compared to their chaotic flight. This was apparently the last straw for Astrid, who gripped him even tighter and exclaimed, "okay! I'm sorry. I'm sorry! Just get me off this thing."

Suddenly— thank Gods— they stopped falling. Toothless' wings spread out and their descent slowed. All at once, everything was still and quiet except for the rush of the wind around them. The Night Fury angled himself upwards towards the sky and Drogon fell into place below them. Astrid's arms were still tight around his middle, but not as much as they had been. It took a few moments for her to become comfortable, but eventually she was able to open her eyes and stare in awe at the scene around them.

The setting sun had thrown its colors over the sky, turning it the softest of golds and pinks. The clouds surrounded them like ocean waves, but with far gentler ripples in their currents. Astrid gazed around them in astonishment, her breath catching in her throat at the beautiful sight. She lifted her hand up to touch one of the clouds as they passed under it, half-expecting it to be as solid and fluffy as wool. Instead, a light mist coated her fingers and caused them to sparkle with the refracted rays of the sun. They arched backwards in a calm loop, so different from the hectic spinning Toothless had started out their ride with.

But, while Astrid was captivated by the sights around them, Hiccup peered over Toothless' side to catch a glimpse of Dany far below. She was overshadowed by Drogon's vastness, a mere speck of silvery-blonde on the back of her dragon. He wondered about her reception of the blonde behind him; her hostility made him confused as he'd thought that— once Astrid had become accustomed to dragons— the two girls would get along. Dany had said that she wished she had more friends, so their first meeting had gone much better in his mind than what it had in real life. As he felt Astrid relax behind him, he couldn't help but wish that she was a different blonde riding Toothless with him.

Astrid followed the boy's gaze where it was focused on their girl below them. She didn't quite know what to make of Daenerys; Berk's horror stories told her to avoid Targaryens at all costs, but she respected the other girl's fierceness. And now, watching her ride her very large (and scary) dragon saddle-less and shoeless, there was something beautifully wild about her. She glanced at Hiccup's dreamy expression, a faint smile forming on her lips. Quietly— so as to not break the peace too much— she murmured, "you really like her, huh?"

That seemed to jerk him out of his daze. Although his face flushed at being caught, he pretended like he didn't know what she was talking about. "Wh-what do you mean? W-who?"

She rolled her eyes. "Daenerys, obviously."

"I don't. . . like her, like her, but she is my friend. She's not so bad once you get to know her, really. She almost killed me the first time we met too, and now look where we are," he replied, grateful that he had the excuse of steering Toothless to avoid meeting Astrid's eyes.

The blonde shook her head slightly. "I still can't see past all of the stories about her family. All of the Vikings are terrified of catching the Targaryen madness. But. . . Daenerys doesn't seem mad, just protective."

"She's not," he confirmed. "Mad, that is. And Drogon isn't as scary as he seems, either. He just puts on a fierce front, especially when his mother is in danger."

"His mother?" Astrid echoed.

"That's a long story."

They fell silent after that. Soon enough, the sky turned dark— but not for long. Brilliant waves of green, blue and purple lit up the sky, bathing their faces in unique shades of colors. The clouds fell away and Berk was revealed: a tiny island with pinpricks of light, standing strong in the middle of the surrounding darkness. Even Toothless seemed to pick up on Astrid's change of heart as he glanced at the pair with a gummy smile, his eyes brightening happily.

"All right, I admit it. This is pretty cool," the blonde allowed. "It's amazing." She looked down to Toothless, daring to pet some of his scaly skin. "He's amazing."

When they became level with the water, Daenerys still kept some distance away from them but matched their speed. Hiccup saw her glance over at them, her expression unreadable in the darkness. Astrid's next question brought him back to the unpleasant circumstances that he was currently facing: "so, what now? Hiccup, your final exam is tomorrow. You know you're gonna have to kill—" She stopped and abruptly lowered her voice due to their present company. "Kill a dragon."

"Don't remind me," he groaned, oblivious to the way Toothless' focus had suddenly shifted. Then, the Night Fury's direction changed without warning, prompting a startled shout from the blonde.

"Toothless, what's happening?" he asked urgently. His shaky flight pattern made Hiccup concerned since the dragon had never acted this erratically before. "What? What is it?"

Dragons appeared out of the fog. Above them, below them, next to them— there must have been hundreds, and they were all carrying something in their claws. He looked down quickly to make sure Drogon was still close by as it was comforting to have a dragon of that size on their side. Sure enough, Dany was still there, following them pace for pace. She was closer to them than she had been, so when he saw how she was leaning against Drogon's back, he hissed, "get down!"

Astrid did as he said, having already been planning on making herself as small as possible. "What's going on?"

"I don't know," Hiccup replied just as quietly. He would've asked Dany, but he didn't want to raise his voice too much. He patted the Night Fury to get his attention. "Toothless, get us out of here, bud." The dragon shook off his hand and ignored him. He glanced anxiously at the Monstrous Nightmare next to them. "It. . . looks like they're hauling in their kill."

"Uh. . . what does that make us?" the blonde asked nervously.

Since he didn't have an answer— or at least one that would help— he stayed quiet as they flew with the other dragons. He glanced down again to reassure himself that they had backup, but was surprised to see that Dany and Drogon had fallen behind them, as if the other dragon was reluctant to be with so many of his species.

They swooped downwards to navigate between the sea-stacks, causing the other pair to vanish almost completely in the mist. Ahead of them, the fog melted away to reveal a dark, formidable mountain that jutted up from the sea. Orange tongues of lava flowed down its sides, providing a dim light. The air grew warmer around them until it was nearly blistering. Hiccup's stomach sank as he realized that the volcano wasn't just an obstacle in their way, but their destination. Astrid's grip around him tightened as they flew through a fissure in the rock, which eventually brightened into a large cavern.

The lighting was orange here as well due to the bubbling lava beneath them. Pillars of rock stood out in sharp relief, providing resting spots for the dragons. As he gazed around at the multitude of dragons, Hiccup began to realize exactly where they were. "What my dad wouldn't give to find this."

As they flew in, each dragon dropped their catch into the great pit below. Luckily, Toothless had different intentions as he took a sharp right to hide amongst the pillars.

"It's satisfying to know all our food has been dumped down a hole," Hiccup commented dryly.

"They're not eating any of it," Astrid added.

A Gronckle flew in last. Its wings buzzed as it lazily made its way over the hole. Unlike the other dragons, its claws were empty, but it opened its mouth to produce a tiny fish, which slid off its tongue and vanished with the rest of the catch. Pleased with its offering, it scratched itself, only to freeze as a low rumble sounded from below. The sound made the humans stiffen as well— nothing good could come from a roar that deep.

A large, gaping maw— even bigger than Drogon's— emerged from the pit. The vastness of the dragon was incomprehensible as it reached higher, snapping at the slow Gronckle. Its teeth clamped down on the much smaller dragon before it vanished from view. . . but not for long. The other dragons pressed closer to the rocks, terrified of being next.

"What. . . is that?" Astrid breathed out.

The dragon— who'd only shown them a fraction of its monstrous size— began to lift itself out of its nest, intent on catching another dragon. Its six eyes rolled around as it looked for its next target. Not wanting to be caught, Hiccup leaned forward to say urgently "Alright, bud. We've gotta get out of here— now!"

Thankfully, Toothless listened to them this time. Just as the queen— for even he knew that was the only explanation for its size— snapped its teeth closed over another dragon, the others took flight in a spiraling, frenzied circle. The Night Fury launched himself upwards with them, barely escaping as a Zippleback became the next sacrifice.

🏹🏹🏹

Astrid's voice was loud and carrying when they landed, filled with excitement now that the fear had worn off. "No, it totally makes sense. It's like a giant beehive. They're the workers, and that's their queen. It controls them."

Dany, who had been waiting for them, crossed her arms as she leaned against Drogon. "Become a dragon expert overnight, have you?" she asked archly.

"You didn't see what we saw," the Hofferson girl said. "Where were you, anyway?"

The blonde shrugged. "I'm not an idiot who goes into the dragon's nest. Besides, Drogon doesn't play well with others. We're a bit alike that way, you see."

Astrid's eyes narrowed, not used to having her intelligence insulted. Her grip on her axe tightened as her adrenaline melted away. "Well if you knew what it was then why didn't you warn us?"

"I didn't think that you wanted me to draw attention to us. Next time I'll be sure to advertise that a human-sized snack is available."

"You would like that, wouldn't you?" Astrid retorted. Any thoughts about Daenerys being 'not so bad'— as Hiccup had put it— vanished as all the other girl seemed to do was incite her anger. "The only thing that your Targaryen-mad mind can comprehend is violence." She turned to Hiccup. "Look, let's find your dad—"

She had been about to say 'and tell him about the Nest and the Targaryen,' but Hiccup cut her off, looking at her pointedly as if to say 'you're not giving her a chance!' He slid off Toothless and chased after her, grabbing onto her arm to stop her movement. "No! No. No, not yet. They'll kill Toothless. They'll. . . I don't know what they'd do to Dany, but we have to think this through carefully."

Dany came to stand in front of Astrid, her eyes steely. "Look, you don't like me— and trust me, the feeling is mutual— but you can't go telling everyone about the Nest. I don't care what they'd do to me, but telling your chief would put Drogon in danger too, and I'm not about to risk either of them. As much as I don't like it, we have to work together for the sake of the dragons."

The other girl's irritation faltered for a moment at the determination on the blonde's face. For the first time since they'd met, she wasn't hostile or aloof, but full of iron-strong will. It was then that she began to comprehend what length Daenerys would go to protect her dragons. She remembered how Hiccup had said that Daenerys wasn't mad like the Viking tales had made the Targaryens out to be— and now she saw it. What Daenerys was wasn't mad; sure, her fervent expression caused her eyes to gleam unsettlingly, and the passion she spoke with was even more so, but that wasn't madness. That was. . . dedication, bravery, stubbornness, love— everything that made up a Viking. Astrid felt those things, too, and she thought that maybe they weren't so different after all; she just had to see it for herself.

And then there was Hiccup, who stood next to the blonde with an equally resolved expression, unwavering even in the face of possibly angering his father and potential exile should anyone find out about Toothless. Growing up, he'd barely crossed her mind except in the way that a buzzing fly in her ear was an annoyance. His penchant for catastrophes had made him a person to avoid and his twig-like limbs and fishbone stature had helped him become an easy target for bullying. But now— now, he stood tall and confident in the face of adversity. He'd had an open mind about dragons and even consorting with Targaryens. He was no longer the little boy who she daydreamed about pushing off a cliff but rather, just like Daenerys, an unconventional Viking.

"Fine," she relented. "We won't put the dragons at risk." She looked between the two of them. "So, what do we do?"

The brunet sighed and his shoulders slumped at the impossible task ahead of him. "Just. . . give me until tomorrow. I'll figure something out."

"Okay," Astrid agreed reluctantly. There was a pause, then she socked the boy in the arm. "That's for kidnapping me."

Hiccup gave her a 'what was that for?' look, which he shared with Toothless, but she had already turned to the blonde. While she knew her biased views against Daenerys wouldn't be resolved overnight, the girl's fortitude had impressed her, so she stretched out her hand. "Truce?"

Daenerys hesitated for a moment before she gave her hand a quick shake and took her own hand away quickly, as if she'd been burned. The blonde wiped her palm on her vest immediately after. She gave them both an uncertain, thin-lipped smile before she ran off into the night.

A/n: the first part of Astrid's and Hiccup's flight where Toothless is basically doing whatever he wants is definitely my favorite scene in all three movies; possibly the entire franchise. I laugh so hard every time I watch it because Hiccup's deadpan commentary is so funny!

Also, did I name this chapter because of a certain song in Frozen II? Yes, yes I did. :)