When Astrid returned home, thunder and lightning made their way in the rainstorm. As Astrid put down her basket and took off her cloak, Stormfly nudged Astrid with her snout. Astrid smiled at her Deadly Nadder and petted her on the head.

"Hey, Stormfly. Have you looked after the others while I was gone?"

Stormfly nodded her head and looked over towards Astrid's family gesturing that Astrid should go over to them. Astrid scratched Stormfly's snout before heading over to her parents and younger siblings.

"Thanks, girl."

Once Astrid was close to her family, she came to her mom's side who was standing over her brother and sister lying on their beds.

"Hey, mom. How are Elijah and JennyNora?"

Astrid's mom pulled a blanket over JennyNora's red nose and brushed Elijah's bangs out of his eyes. Then she turned toward Astrid.

"They'll be fine, Astrid. They just need to rest now."

"Where's dad?"

"He went to get some water for your brother and sister."

"Oh."

"Is something the matter, Astrid?"

Astrid didn't answer her mom immediately. Rather she approached her younger siblings. She looked at her ten year old brother and six year old sister. They looked so frail to her even though her mom just told her that they would be okay. Astrid couldn't help but think how precious life was when she was thinking how vulnerable her siblings were and how sick Hiccup was. She could see a little bit of a sick and weak Hiccup in her ill siblings. The people she held closest to her heart aside from her parents were in ill-health. She pondered why the people she cared the most had to face the brunt of life's ugliest side. Astrid played with a stray bang on Elijah's forehead.

"I was just thinking, mom."

"About what, Astrid?"

Astrid turned around and stepped toward her mom.

"I'm just scared for them."

"For who? Your brother and sister? I told you they'll be fine."

"I'm not just worried about JennyNora and Elijah. I'm worried about him too."

"Hiccup? Stoick's son?"

"Yes, mom…"

"What about him?"

"You know he's sick. His dad told us so and you sent me to take care of him."

"Yes, I did. And you took care of him, didn't you?"

"Yes, but that's not the point."

"Then what is, Astrid?"

"I don't know…I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm afraid that there may come a day when all three of them are in danger and I won't able to be around to help them."

"So, you're afraid that if either JennyNora, Elijah, or Hiccup get severely injured or ill that they may…pass on and leave you behind so to speak. Is that what you're afraid of?"

"More or less. But I don't want anybody to die and leave my life. I need all of you guys in my life. And, mom, you know this is one of the worst rainstorms we've had in a long time."

"You're right about that, Astrid. We haven't had a rainstorm like this one in a long time, but there is no reason to get worried. Astrid I know you get scared sometimes and that's okay, but I know you're also a brave girl when you have to be. So, stay brave because things will get better. The rain will have to stop at some point. Right?"

"Right."

Just then, Astrid's dad came over to her mom with a small jug if water.

"Molly, I got the water."

Molly Hofferson turned around to face her husband.

"Oh, good timing, Achelous."

Achelous Hofferson handed his wife, Molly, the jug of water so she could give the water to their two youngest children. Molly walked toward her younger daughter and gave her water to drink from. Astrid moved out of the way as to give her mom space letting her siblings drink from the water jug. Once JennyNora and Elijah had sufficient water in their system, their little heads slumped down on their pillows and were knocked out. While they softly snored, Astrid and her parents back away and sat down on a bench. Astrid sat between her parents. Achelous looked down at his first-born daughter and gave her a warm smile.

"So, Astrid, how was it being a healer to your little boyfriend?"

Astrid had a violent blush across her face.

"He's not my boyfriend! He's just….a close friend of mine."

Molly couldn't resist adding to the level of embarrassment onto her oldest child.

"Who you occasionally kiss, scorn support and care for as if he actually was your life partner."

Astrid's blush turned from a red streak to a full-blown blush that took up all of her face.

"But he's not my boyfriend. We…"

"You two can't admit how you feel about each other to one another and especially in front of your friends."

Astrid looked over at her dad who had just further embarrassed her.

"Dad!"

"Your father's right, Astrid."

Astrid switched her attention back her mom.

"Mom!"

"I'm just saying, you and Hiccup seem to like each other a lot and care for each other, it's just that you two seem a bit awkward around each other when you two are close to showing public displays of affection in front of others."

"Why does this even matter to you two? It's not it's the Viking tradition to care about what people feel about other people who are special to them. The Viking tradition is for a suitor to come talk to the father of the girl and make a bargain with him before he marries his daughter. It's not the Viking marriage tradition to care about true love and the union of two people who are in love with each other. Besides, if I was going to married to some guy, I would have had two options if I couldn't stand him: either marry him anyway or become a nun. And I don't want either choice if I had my way."

Molly placed an understanding hand on Astrid's tense shoulder.

"I know, Astrid, but your father and I were fortunate enough to marry out of love. Maybe our traditions on marriage will change along with many other traditions once you and Hiccup get married and run the village together."

Astrid could feel her ears burning. She turned away from her mom out of denial and crossed her arms across her chest.

"Who said I would marry Hiccup? It's not like I have to marry the chief's son. Besides, I probably wouldn't be able to marry him. If he had to marry the heir of the Bog-Burglars to keep peace between our tribes then he would have no choice but to marry her."

It was Achelous' turn to place a tender hand on his daughter's shoulder.

"I doubt that would happen Astrid. And besides, even if it would be an honor just to be married to the village's next chief, Astrid, you would be truly happy just for the fact that you got marry Hiccup out of love."

"No, I wouldn't."

"Astrid, don't lie to us or yourself, especially not to yourself, Astrid. We know you would like to marry Hiccup someday."

"Why do you guys care so much?"

"We just want you to hold onto hope that you will get marry the man of your choice just as we were fortunate enough to marry each other. Do you honestly think we'd have you and your siblings out of obligation?"

Astrid just blinked at her father.

"No. We had you three out of love."

Astrid's mom pitched in.

"That's right, Astrid. If we had you and your siblings out of obligation for the tradition of the tribe, we would have stopped after your brother, so there would a boy to carry on the family name. We chose to have your little sister."

Astrid shrugged her shoulders, but uncrossed her arms.

"Even if that is true, why are you two asking me about my feelings toward Hiccup?"

"We're just to make you feel better since you're worried about your sibling's and Hiccup's health. We want you to know they will get better and they will continue to be a part of your life. So, stop worrying and be happy,"

"You mom is right, Astrid. Maybe to help get your mind off of things, think of what'll make you happy. Maybe you can think of what to do with Hiccup once he gets better. Maybe you two should go have a friendly race in the sky with your dragons like you always do."

"Maybe…."

"You should do that, Astrid."

"Okay, mom. Thanks you guys."

Then Astrid hugged her parents individually starting with her mom and ending with her dad. Afterwards, she got up from the bench.

"Good night you guys."

"Good night, Astrid."

Astrid called for Stormfly and beckoned the female Deadly Nadder to follow her to her bedroom. Molly and Achelous watched their daughter, Astrid leave the main room to go to bed. Once she was out of sight, they turned to each other.

"Achelous, do you think we did the right thing?"

"What do you mean?"

"Telling her that things would turn out okay."

"With what?"

"Stoick's son."

"Why? Do you think something bad is going to happen to him?"

"It's not I don't have faith in Astrid skills as a healer, which I do, it's just that we don't know what could happen with Hiccup."

"I see what you're saying, Molly. Whenever something bad happens to Hiccup, they are bad things that are unpredictable."

"Just like him. I'm just worried that if Astrid got her hopes up too high that she might be very disappointed when she may find out that either Hiccup died or did have to marry the heir of the Bog-Burglars to keep peace. And if either one of those things happened, Astrid would had been better off marrying a man who was interested in her so, possibly, she would find some comfort in the Viking tradition when it comes to marriage and sort of move on with her life."

"Molly, you're just like your daughter. You're worrying about nothing. Hiccup may be a runt now, but he's strong on the inside and has a good fighting spirit for a Viking. He'll pull through and so will Astrid. And so should you."

"I guess there really is nothing to worry about."

"Of course not. Now let's go to bed before it gets too late. We'll need all the energy we can get before we go back to tending to Elijah and JennyNora."

"You're right, Achelous."

"All right. Let's go."

Molly and Achelous get up from the bench they were sitting on and go to their bedroom.

In the hush of the night just a few hours of the whole Hofferson family went to sleep, the rain fell in a soft shower and wind whistled. In the shelter of the shadows of Astrid's bedroom stood Savage and a colleague. They stayed as quiet as mouse and snuck up to the window and leaped over it without a sound. They crept around the bed and were careful not to disturb either Astrid or her Deadly Nadder. As they neared the sleeping form of Astrid Hofferson, Stormfly stirred in her sleep. Savage and his colleague stood still until the dragon settled down again in her sleep. Then the two Outcast men continued with their task. Savage covered Astrid's mouth with his hand and as soon as her eyes popped open from terror his colleague knocked her on the head with a club. Astrid fell unconscious and her body went limp. Savage picked up Astrid's body and whispered congratulations to his colleague. Then he took out a knife and thrusted it into the center of Astrid's bed and led the two of them out the window.

To Be Continued…