The dragon riders were heading themselves toward their houses, all exhausted from the day they just had.

''Hiccup!'' yelled Astrid as she ran toward her friend, who was walking across the plaza, heading himself home.

''Astrid? Is everything alright?'' he asked her.

''Oh me? Yeah, I'm fine, I'm fine... Look, I just wanted to let you know that tomorrow morning I won't be there for the exercices.'' she told him, catching up her breath.

''Why?'' Hiccup asked her confused.

''Ah, you know... I have to fix the hole in the roof of my house that somebody, and I won't mention who, made earlier...'' she said, glaring at the twins who were on their way

''Well, okay then, see you tomorrow..!'' Hiccup said, waving goodbye at his friend. He was feeling kind of awkward about all this... Like something was up...

He walked to his house, entering, and closing the heavy wooden door behind.

''Everything alright, Son?'' Stoick asked him. Hiccup came in and just stared at his father for a long empty moment. ''Hiccup?'' he asked for the second time.

''Ah, yeah, yeah, every... everything's fine..!'' he said, waving his hands back and forth. Hiccup sighed, walking toward the table in front of his father, where he usually sat on a little chair adapted for his frame. ''It's just...I don't know, Astrid just told me outside, that she'd be absent tomorrow and...'' he sighed again, ''I have a bad feeling...'' he said.

''Don't worry about it, Son...'' he said looking down at Hiccup. For a long moment, they stood there, staring at each other, when Hiccup finally broke the silence by yawning on purpose.

''Well... I think I should... get to bed. '' he said. And without losing a second, he climbed up the stairs leading to his room

Toothless, who was resting peacefully got up, stretched his forepaws, his butt in the air, and followed his rider up to his room, turning in circles as breathed bright glowing fire on his lava bed, placed at the corner of the room. Making his way to his bed, Hiccup smiled at his dragon and lifted up the cover, slidding himself under, blowing the, almost completely melted candle on his desk, at the side of his wooden bed, leaving the room in complete darkness, only the light from the fire pit downstairs entering ans illuminating a small part of the floor close to him.

...

Hiccup opened his heavy eyeslids, only to see Toothless who was staring at him with his big glowing green eyes. He sat on the ledge of his bed and stretched his arms, and robbed his eyes.

''Well hello mister Bossy..!'' he said looking at his dragon who gave him a happy growl, licking his scaly lips as to say that he was hungry.

The two made their way downstairs, not minding to leave the blanket on the floor. He took a icelandic cod from the basket of smoked fishes, and gaves it to his dragon. Toothless suddenly began to do some weird noises coming down his throat, and half of the smoked fish was regurgitated. ''Euh... No thanks Buddy, I'm good...'' he said disgusted, eyeing the cod's head on the table. ''No need to share... Keep it for yourself... Please.'' He took the small bone sticking out of it, the head following, and threw it in the air for his Night Fury to catch back.

He opened the heavy front door, pulling on the handle, only for a big, glowing sun rising to blind him. He placed his leather saddle on his dragon's neck, and climbed on it, rapidly taking off, and into the morning sky. They made their way to the academy, where he usually joined the rest of the gang. Everybody was there ready for the every day exercices. ''Top of the morning class!'' Hiccup said, every dragon rider standing next to their dragons. They asked him where Astrid was, but he reassured them that she was fixing her roof from some damage for the morning...

Everything was going fine until Toothless began sneezing, shooting a plasma blast in Snotlout's direction.

''Hey! Didn't you ever teached your dragon to cover his nose when he sneezes?!'' Snotlout shouted at his cousin. Hiccup looked down at his best friend worried, placing both hands under his dragon's chin.

''I'm going to get the Book of Dragons to see what's wrong with him.'' Hiccup said, walking out of the arena. Fishlegs watched his friend walk out of the arena, and took a look at the sick Night Fury, placing a calm hand on the dragon's scaly black head.

...

Hiccup ran toward his house, where he kept the book, passing near Astrid's house, only to see the broken roof and nobody around. He stopped in front, and went knocking at the front door, only for no one to answer.

Mhh... weird. Maybe she's in the woods, throwing her axe to blow off steem... he thought.

So he went after his missing friend, entering the woods, and following the trail.

Once he got to the training ground where Astrid usually trained, throwing her axe in trees, he realized that she wasn't here either...

''What in Thor's name is going on..?'' he asked himself whispering.

As he still looked around, he noticed two medium rocks on one another (which isn't normal in nature). Walking closer to take a look, he saw a little paper placed between the two. He lifted the rock on the top, took the note, and read what was wrote on the piece of paper.

Hiccup...

You've been smart enough to find my note,

I have a little friend of yours...

If you want her back, you have to deliver yourself quietly and alone, at The Long Beach...

If you don't... Well, you know the rest of what will happen to your precious little girlfriend...

A.T

Hiccup's eyes were opened wide, staring at the note, his chest rising and falling as he breathed fast. To be honest, he was afraid... But he swallowed that fear, and rose his head.

''Don't worry Astrid, I'll get you back... No matter what it takes...''