''FIRE! '' Hiccup yelled, flying Toothless closer to the Berserker ships. The Night Fury shot a powerful plasma blast, creating a large hole in the wooden ship's deck. Men jumped overboard, swimming towards the nearest ship in their sight as the last sank.
The battle wasn't going very well... dragon riders against Berserkers. Unfortunately, Dagur's fleet had grown bigger and stronger with powerful weaponry. He had over twenty ships, each of them carrying at least a dozen men.
Astrid was with the twins. Barf released explosive gas over many ships at a time, and Stormfly lighted it with her magnesium fire. Every soldier onboard jumped overboard and into the freezing cold water. The green cloud burned, creating a huge explosion as it set the ships on fire.
Fishlegs and Snotlout were high above the fleet, covering the other riders as they burned down Dagur's ships. But it wasn't going as fast as they hoped it to be.
The air was really cold. Hiccup especially, who was flying pretty fast to avoid the arrows, boulders, nets and bolas was freezing.
There was a glacier near, being the cause of the cold...
They hadn't expected to see him... At least not any time soon. They were just supposed to get back to Berk, and pick up some necessities back to Dragon's Edge... Unfortunately, who did they ran into? Dagur!
The men placed boulders in the baskets of the catapults, charging toward Hiccup and Toothless.
''Wait for it, wait for it... NOW! '' Dagur yelled, and the boulders were thrown towards the young heir and the Night Fury. Toothless managed to avoid them all. Dagur's soldiers charged their canons and crossbows, and fired at the boy, missing him every single time.
''Ahhhahhahh...! '' Dagur yelled, growing tired of his soldiers always missing that little runt. He pushed one overboard and glared at another who immediately threw himself, afraid of his leader. He quickly grabbed a crossbow and placed an arrow ready to be fired, aiming at Hiccup, and the sharp end pointing towards the dragon rider. He closed one eye, grinning evilly, and pressed on the trigger, releasing the arrow. It twirled towards Hiccup, spinning through the air, and hitting its target in the left leg, just above the knee.
Hiccup cried out the pain as the arrow cut through his skin, blood coming out of the new wound almost instantly.
''HICCUP!'' a feminine voice called. Astrid quickly flew Stormfly towards him, grabbing him as he was about to fall off Toothless, and Stormfly grabbing her friend Night Fury between her claws, directing herself towards the glacier, being the closest island in sight. Astrid wasn't sure about this, but they had no choice. She flew her Nadder towards the glacier, landing at the entrance of an ice cave.
She dismounted, and helped Hiccup do the same. She grabbed him by his arms and shook him to wake up.
''Hiccup, hey'' she waved a hand in front of his face. ''Hiccup look at me'' she continued to shake him - perhaps a little too hard... Toothless ran to his rider, whining worriedly. The Night Fury nuzzled his rider's auburn hair, pleading him to wake up.
Astrid looked back towards the battle, and what she saw shocked her. The whole fleet was coming towards the glacier, towards them... Her eyes round with fear, she stared at the horizon.
Astrid held Hiccup close to her, and looked back at the ice cave and back at the fleet. She made her decision, and indicated Stormfly and Toothless to follow her as she entered the cave, a trace of blood being left behind in the snow. It was freezing, but they had no choice. If they stayed outside, they'd be spotted too easily, and then probably captured...
The ice cave wasn't very large or deep... But it was better that way.
Suddenly, something loud was heard at the entrance. Hiccup, who was getting back consciousness, asked what was happening. Unfortunately, Astrid couldn't answer him because she neither knew what was going on...
She walked out of the cave with precaution, but at the second she was out, a boulder came flying down at her. She quickly ran back inside, and the giant rock hit the ice above the cave's mouth, big chunks of ice and snow falling down, collapsing in front of the cave, and leaving the two teens and dragons in the dark with no way out.
It took a moment for Astrid to get back up. She felt dazed, and every noise echoed in her head.
''A-as-strid...?'' a trembling voice asked deeper in the cave.
''Hiccup..?'' she called.
''O-ovv- er, h-here...'' he said. ''Astri-d, I-I'm freez-zing...''
They had never felt so cold their entire life.
Astrid thought. She needed some light or some sort, but she knew that she couldn't ask Toothless or Stormfly to produce fire for the whole ceiling would collapse on them if they did. She also couldn't take the risk of melting the snow blocking the exit. So all they could do right now was waiting for someone to find and get them out from this freezing hell...
Astrid followed Hiccup's shaky voice, and sat beside him, holding him straight.
Hiccup was growing tired, and slowly lied down on his side, shivering violently.
''I t-think I'm just g-gonna lie down... '' Hiccup said as he did what he said.
''No, no no... Hiccup, don't lie down!'' she insisted, ''Hiccup? Hiccup!?'' she began panicking when he didn't answered her back. She could hear Toothless and Stormfly cooing behind them.
Suddenly, she heard voices. They were coming from outside the cave. She feared it would be Dagur and the Berserkers, but luckily, it was Snotlout and the others.
''Hiccup, Astrid? Are you in there guys?'' Snotlout called.
''SNOTLOUT!'' she yelled, hoping he heard her.
''ASTRID?'' he called, much louder than needed. ''WHERE'S HICCUP?''
Astrid held Hiccup's shoulder closely.
''H-he's with me...'' she said.
''ARE YOU GUYS OKAY?'' Fishlegs asked, pressing his ear against the cold snow wall.
''I'm fine but Hiccup's not...He...He's freezing to death...'' she answered him, panicking. It wasn't very Astrid-like to panic... but right now, she was.
''JUST, HANG IN THERE GUYS! WE'LL GET YOU OUT!'' Fishlegs yelled. He indicated Meatlug to dig, so did Snotlout with Hookfang and the twins with their Zippleback.
Quicker than she thought, Astrid saw daylight. There, at the entrance of the ice cave stood Snotlout, Fishlegs, Ruffnut and Tuffnut, their dragons by their side. For the first time in her life, she couldn't feel happier to see these four muttonheads.
As soon as the snow was out of the way, the twins rushed up to Astrid, and helped her get to her feet. Fishlegs and Snotlout took care of Hiccup, grabbing him by his upper arms, and forcing him to his feet. Astrid didn't know if he was dead or simply unconscious. His hair was frozen white; his lips were purple and his skin so pale. It didn't take long for her to realize she was in the same state. Less badly, though...
The Night Fury and Nadder ran out of the ice cave, happy to be free once again.
''We need to get Hiccup back to Dragon's Edge and fast.'' informed Fishlegs, studying Hiccup's state.
Astrid didn't ask any question and quickly mounted Stormfly, holding Hiccup tightly. Hookfang took care of bringing Toothless between his claws.
''Uh... Guys..?'' she said, looking back at the burning ships from Dagur's fleet. ''How did you defeat Dagur's entire fleet?''
Fishlegs smiled, so did Snotlout and the twins.
''Well, as soon as Dagur spotted you and Hiccup on the glacier, he turned around and directed his fleet towards you, paying no more attention to us. So we thought that was our way in...'' Fishlegs answered her.
''And... How did you find us..?'' she asked, her eyes never leaving her friend that she held tightly.
''There was a trail blood, tracing towards a snow bank, blocking the entrance of the ice cave you guys were in.'' Snotlout said. ''Is Hiccup hurt?''
''Yes...'' she said almost ashamed.
The voyage back to the Edge wasn't very long since they weren't very far from their base. As soon as Stormfly landed on the platform in front of Hiccup's hut, she jumped down her dragon, still carrying Hiccup, and ran inside. Snotlout, Fishlegs, Ruff and Tuff did the same as soon as their dragons' feet touched the ground, and followed Astrid.
She laid Hiccup down on his bed, and placed the cover over him.
''Fishlegs go get me more blankets!'' she ordered. No questions were asked and Fishlegs ran out of the hut, and went for the blankets.
Snotlout and the twins didn't really know what to do, so they just stood there. But Astrid finally spoke and told them what to do.
''Snotlout, help me with Hiccup, and you two,'' she gestured to the twins who brought all their attention to her. ''You make a fire, but,'' she sighed '' don't and I well said don't burn the whole building, please...'' Ruff and Tuff quickly ran outside to get the wood to place in the fire pit, and as they were on their way, they ran into Fishlegs, who was carrying at least five warm-looking blankets.
Astrid kneeled down at the side of Hiccup's bed, and placed a hand on his forehead, pushing his bangs away. His skin was still white as snow, his lips still purple, and he had dark circles under his closed eyes.
''Snotlout, help me with his armor...'' she said. She got to her feet, and held Hiccup so he was in a sitting position. Snotlout took off his cousin's armor, and placed it on the floor, close to the bed. Astrid laid him back down, gently placing his head back on the pillow, and detached his prosthetic at his injured leg. She had almost forgotten about it, but the wound seemed fine, nothing serious, but they would still have to take care of it later.
Fishlegs came running in, letting drop all the covers on the floor in front of the wooden bed.
''There...'' he said, breathlessly.
Astrid, Snotlout and Fishlegs wrapped Hiccup with the covers, hoping it would warm him up quickly. His body was shivering. Astrid went back to his side, and rubbed his arms, hoping it would warm him up. Thankfully, it was working.
Ruffnut and Tuffnut came in, carrying the dry wood, which they then threw in the fire pit. They were about to call Barf and Belch in to light it up, but Snotlout interrupted them, and said he would take care of it with his Monstrous Nightmare gel.
After some time, the wood in the pit was burning bright, illuminating the hut from inside, and warming the room up. Hiccup was lying in his bed, Astrid by his side, a blanket over her shoulders, sleeping peacefully, resting her head on her arms. Hiccup's skin had come back to its original colour and so did his lips.
It was now night, and everyone but Astrid, Toothless and Stormfly had left the hut.
Hiccup slowly but surely woke up, and looked down at Astrid beside him, watching her breathe in... breathe out. He, with still shaky hands, stroked her cheek with the outside of his hand, accidently waking her up.
''Sorry...'' he whispered. She rubbed her eyes tiredly, and stared up at him.
''You okay?'' she asked yawning, and stretching her arms.
''I'm fine...'' he answered her. It reassured her to see that he was awake and that he had got back his colours.
''Do... do you, need, anything..?'' she asked. But Hiccup only smiled softly.
''No thanks... All I need. Is all I have now.'' he said, making her blush slightly. She settled back down, taking his hand into her own, squeezing it tightly.
Because the only real comfort against the cold, are those you keep close to your heart.
Life at the Edge just got a little warmer.