It all started when Astrid noticed something about Hiccup. Beyond the obvious fact that Hiccup loved dragons and dragons loved Hiccup, they did not know the first thing about the hero of Berk. No one did, not Fishlegs, not Stoick, not even the girl who had come the closest to him besides Toothless. Astrid who had come to like the part of him she had once glimpsed resolved to find out if there was more, and draw him out of hiding

When the dragons first came to Berk after the death of the queen on dragon island, it was as if some god had drawn an invisible line between viking and dragon kind. Each side sat there quietly looking across the gap, not attacking but not retreating either. To Astrid, it seemed as though the different sides were remembering all the grievances that had passed between them, and as the time passed on without movement, the tension mounted. It was the newest trainees in dragon training that made the first move. Well, it was Astrid. She stepped forward, boldly, but non-threateningly, and crossed the line onto the side of the dragons.

Several people were ready to rush forward to defend when a sky blue Nadder pushed its way out of the mass of dragons advancing swiftly toward the girl, only to stop, chatter happily and press its horned snout under the girl's hand like an affectionate dog. The ice continued to break away as the rest of the teens joined her, greeting the dragons that had carried them into battle not a week before. After that, the vikings did as they had always done, jump in head first and hope for the best. It did not take long for the dragons to become common place in Berk, and were treated less like pets and more like trusted friends.

From there, it did not seem like such a stretch, that when Hiccup woke up from his wounds, that he would be accepted into the village as easily or more so yet than the dragons. Wounds given in the heat of battle, afterward are easily forgiven. However, the wounds Hiccup had received were not given to him in the middle of a melee, but rather during times that should have been safe and were not. Those are the wounds that are the hardest to forgive. Astrid would learn this as she slowly regained the trust that was lost ever since Hiccup was dismissed as just what his name implied.

Astrid leaned over her mug, slowly nursing the hot bitter tea that was there mainly to warm her hands. She took a sip and winced, tempted to spit it back out. But it was warm, and precious little else on Berk was, so she swallowed it. Her attention turned halfheartedly towards the group she sat with. Snotlout was talking and that alone tempted her to shut her ears to whatever fool thing was spilling from his mouth.

"And then he was like, 'Have you seen my paint brush?' That's when he stood up. I'm the one who found it of course. He'd been sitting on it the whole time and this guy had yellow paint all over his but!"

There was a smattering of chuckles from the twins.

"Dude!" Ruffnut exclaimed. "I'm gonna have to keep this in mind for my sister. That's awesome!"

Tuffnut responded by punching her twin on the shoulder hard enough to knock him off his seat. "Not if I get you first!" she countered. "Or- no. I've got an even better idea! Lets get the Useless with this one and then see how long it takes for him to notice!"

Astrid muttered an oath under her breath and stood up gaining the group's undivided attention. Even Fishlegs glanced up from his book.

"What is it gonna take for you guys to learn?" she demanded angrily. "Who do you think got us all here today, huh? If it weren't for 'that useless Hiccup' we'd all be dragon fodder right now, and this is how you repay him? You guys had better wise up about him soon, or I will do it for you!"

Snotlout glanced at her, completely unphased by her outburst. "What's got you so upset?" he asked nonchalantly. "Its not like you really know him or anything. So whats it to you if we have a little fun with him now and then?"

Astrid hesitated as his words hit home in an entirely different spot than Snotlout had intended to hit. It was true. She didn't really know much at all about the quiet, sarcastic boy who had saved their village. She didn't even know what his favorite color was. Strange. For so long, he'd been the village's biggest screw up, and yet, how did he stay so well hidden? The thought prompted her to look around. He was nowhere in sight.

"Where is he anyway?" she asked.

"Who cares?" Snotlout asked. "He's wherever he goes to be useless."

Astrid blinked with a sudden epiphany. That's how he stayed hidden, she thought. It was simply that no one had ever cared to look before. Well that was going to change. Now she just had to find him. She smiled, it would be about as hard as finding a big black dragon.