Hiccup fell back asleep a second later, easing the strain on his wounds. Astrid couldn't have felt more horrible, not being able to keep Hiccup from getting hurt, and now not even having a way to get back home.
Astrid laid down herself beside Hiccup, taking the spare blanket and draping it over herself, worried about what the next day would hold. She was afraid of falling asleep; afraid that she would wake up, having something terrible happen to Hiccup, but she was losing the battle against her eyelids quickly. She looked at Toothless, Stormfly, and Hiccup one last time before her eyelids finally won, sleep overcoming her.
...
When she woke up, it was dark. Not only that, it was warm. She sat up, looking around, but saw nothing but darkness. She reached her hand out, and she felt it brush against something slick and smooth.
She suddenly sighed with relief.
"Toothless," she said.
Astrid looked up, realizing that Toothless had her and Hiccup both wrapped in his wings. At the mention of his name, the Night Fury unfolded his jet-black wings, allowing the sunlight to pour through.
Astrid squinted against the sunlight that shone through the cave. It was cloudy, the clouds still pulsing snow, but it was also bright. Astrid stood up and took a little look around. She saw Stormfly curled up beside Toothless, sleeping soundly. Astrid strode over to her dragon and pet her muzzle.
"Hey, girl," Astrid whispered. The Nadder perked up, still looking drowsy as ever. Astrid had hoped the previous night that she would wake up, back on Berk, and learn that everything that had happened had just been a horrid nightmare.
But no such luck. She woke up in the cave. Same cave. Same island. Same danger. Same worry. Same fret. Same everything.
Her mind went first to her arm. She gently unraveled the bandages and revealed a gash. But it was looking better than the day before, not having a slight scab formed on it. Satisfied with that, she re-wrapped it with the same bandage, not feeling the need to get a fresh one.
Her mind went second to Hiccup. She looked back, seeing Toothless had draped his wing back over his rider. The dragon looked at Astrid, obviously worried. Astrid went over to him and kneeled down in front of him, gently patting his head.
"As soon as we can," said Astrid. "We're getting back to Berk. Okay?"
Toothless nodded, and Astrid was sure he would have been celebrating had Hiccup's condition been any different. Astrid offered a small smile before standing.
"Will you stay with him, Toothless?" asked Astrid. Toothless nodded eagerly, wanting to do everything he could to help. "Okay then," said Astrid. "Stormfly and I are going to go see if we can catch some breakfast. We'll bring some back for you and Hiccup. Come on, Stormfly." Astrid gestured with her hand to her Nadder and then the mouth of the cave. Stormfly stood, allowing Astrid to mount.
"We'll be back soon," said Astrid. "If Hiccup wakes up, roar as loud as you can into the wind, okay Toothless?"
Part of Astrid thought roaring was dangerous, and would just lead to attracting Changewings, but the Changewings probably wouldn't come out with the intense snowy conditions, and that relieved her to no end.
"Be right back," Astrid assured the Night Fury as Stormfly ran out of the cave and jumped, becoming airborne. Stormfly flew until they reached the ocean, and then she dived.
About ten minutes later, Stormfly had her saddlebag nearly filled with fish. Satisfied with that, Astrid turned the dragon around and headed back towards the cave they had taken shelter in.
As she neared the cave, however, just as it came in sight, she heard Toothless roar uncontrollably.
Astrid landed Stormfly as fast as she could and jumped off, running into the cave, Stormfly following closely behind. When she was inside, she was greeted by seeing Hiccup, laying on one of Toothless' wings, his eyes opened, although full of pain.
It's no wonder, really, Astrid thought as she neared his side. Changewings are dangerous creatures...and they also have sharp talons, and they also-
"Hey," Hiccup said, his voice cracking. Astrid was yanked out of her thoughts so suddenly it almost hurt her head. "Where'd you go?"
"I went out to catch some fish," Astrid answered, standing up and opening Stormfly's saddlebag. "You hungry?"
"No," said Hiccup. "But I'm sure Toothless is."
Toothless looked to his rider, and Hiccup nodded. Astrid gently helped Hiccup back onto the blanket she had spread out the night before, and then tossed some fish to Toothless.
"He's so protective," Hiccup said, propping himself up on his elbows, wincing at the movement. Astrid strode back over and helped him sit up, leaning him up against the wall of the cave before sitting down next to him. Astrid was relieved. He looked so much more focused and aware of his surroundings than he had the previous day.
"Obviously," said Astrid, tossing a fish to Stormfly. "I mean, isn't everyone protective of you, Hiccup?"
"I don't know," said Hiccup. "Should they be?"
"Hiccup," Astrid groaned. "First you just barely escape death while battling the Red Death, then you get yourself struck by lightning, and now this, amongst other things. Have you given them reason not to be protective of you?"
"I guess not," said Hiccup. "It seems kind of pathetic when you put it that way, actually."
Astrid nodded, smirking slightly.
"But I guess Toothless is the most protective," said Hiccup.
Maybe just as much as me, thought Astrid, but she didn't say anything.
"I guess protecting me is what you do, huh, bud?" said Hiccup to Toothless. Toothless looked to his rider, made a noise in his throat, and spat a piece of fish out in front of Hiccup. Hiccup stuck his tongue out in disgust.
"And then you do that," said Hiccup. "Frankly, Toothless, it's disgusting. Sorry, no offense, buddy. Take it back?"
Toothless ate the fish (now a second time) and then looked back to Stormfly. Hiccup looked to Astrid, still having that disgusted look written across his face. Astrid actually laughed at it. Hiccup's facial expression changed from "Eww, gross" to "What did I miss that was so funny?".
"Sorry," said Astrid. "Just...your face was hilarious."
"It was not!" Hiccup retarded.
Astrid imitated Hiccup's face (possibly exaggerating).
"I don't look like that!" shouted Hiccup. "Oh please stop! That's awful!"
"What did it look like?" asked Astrid, dropping out of character.
"It looked like you were trying to eat your head!" said Hiccup. "It was creepy!"
"You wanna see it again?" asked Astrid with enthusiasm.
"NO I don't wanna see it again!" exclaimed Hiccup, not missing a beat.
Astrid actually laughed. Hiccup looked at her as if she had just told him Stormfly was a Gronckle, and that only made Astrid laugh harder.
"WHAT!?" shouted Hiccup. "What did I do now!?"
"Nothing," Astrid got out, her laughing calming. "Sorry you had to see that."
"Yeah, me too," said Hiccup, scooting about an inch away from her. He suddenly hissed through clenched teeth, his eyes shutting tightly as if the harder he closed them the more pain ebbed away.
"Hiccup!" Astrid cried, not really thinking about how she shouted. She quickly grasped his shoulder to keep him from falling over, the other hand intertwining with his. "Are you okay?"
"No," said Hiccup. "I don't know what I am."
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"Everything just started spinning," said Hiccup. "And it won't stop...agh! Make it stop!" he shouted suddenly, holding his head in his hands.
"Hiccup! Calm down!" shouted Astrid. Toothless growled when she raised her voice. Why was she always doing that? She would have to do better at keeping calm.
"I'm not freaking out!" said Hiccup, suddenly dropping his hands back to his side. "I'm not freaking out, are you freaking out?"
"DUH!" said Astrid. "What do you think!?"
She and Hiccup suddenly locked eyes, both of them feeling ashamed. Hiccup, just because he always felt like everything was his fault, and Astrid because she had yelled at him.
"I'm sorry," they both said at the same exact time. Then they both looked at each other again. "You don't have to be sorry," they both answered each other, once again in unison.
"Monstrous Nightmare," said Astrid.
"Why'd you say that?" asked Hiccup.
"To make sure you didn't say the same thing I did again," said Astrid. "Now, Hiccup, please don't freak out. And don't say you're not freaking out because clearly you're just as much panicked as I am."
He opened his mouth to say something, but then shut it again.
"Now hold still," she said. "I have to change your bandages."
"Can't you knock me out and then do it?" asked Hiccup in a pleading tone.
"Of course not!" shouted Astrid. She didn't want to injure him further, but she knew that he would be in pain the entire time she was changing the wrapping around his entire torso. "Just let me do it, please, Hiccup? I couldn't hurt you if I tried."
"You can punch me a fair few times," said Hiccup.
"I told you, Hiccup, it's not violence, it's communication," said Astrid.
"It still hurts," said Hiccup.
"Fine," said Astrid. "I couldn't knock you out just because you requested it. Better?"
"Better."
Astrid gently leaned Hiccup forward, supporting him entirely, since he couldn't sit up by himself because of the tremendous amount of pain. Astrid was careful in unwrapping the old bandages, and even more careful while wrapping the fresh ones. Hiccup winced and groaned through the entire process, squeezing Astrid's hand he still held in his own.
"Sorry," said Astrid, feeling that she was the one who had hurt Hiccup.
"Is'mkay," said Hiccup, his voice suddenly stuttering. "But...what's that sound?"
Astrid turned and looked towards the mouth of the cave. Seeing nothing besides snow and the noonday sun, she turned back to Hiccup. His face had paled dramatically, which worried Astrid to no end, but she knew it was probably normal.
She gently helped him lay down again. Instantly, he closed his eyes and his breathing evened out, and Astrid knew he was asleep.
She stood up. Hiccup had heard something, and so had the dragons. Toothless and Stormfly were both focused on the mouth of the cave, their ears flipped forward, a snarl forming on their faces.
Astrid walked over to the mouth of the cave to investigate. When she took one step outside, she felt something wrap around her leg, and hoist her, upside-down, into the air.
She screamed, unable to keep herself from doing so. When she faced her attacker, dread filled her.
It was a Changewing. And behind that one Changewing were four more.
The Changewings had gotten reinforcements.
And Astrid had gotten her doom.