19 favourites and 24 followers? Thank you! BUT... I want to see more reviews. Not to be bossy or anything, but reviews let me know if someone is reading my stories, not just views or favourites or followers. Whether it's 'good job', 'you can do better by (etc)', or even an 'I like cupcakes', I will accept reviews. But NO FLAMES, please.

Chapter 7 - The Black Dragon Rider

"Yah!"

Astrid slashed her axe against a Gronckle. Remembering Gobber five years ago saying that they should look for the dragon's 'blind spot', she went out of the Gronckle's vision and then attacked in surprise. Then after a few more slashing and stabbing, the Gronckle crumpled to the floor. There was cheering from some passing Vikings, then she went to help a Viking finish off a Hideous Zippleback. After this, she ran over to Stoick and said, "Chief! What do we do now? This is the third stupid raid in a single night!" Clutching the grip of her battleaxe tighter, she watched as dragons destroyed Bucket and Mulch's home, and they went off to help kill it. It wasn't working.

Stoick the Vast hit a mace at a flaming Monstrous Nightmare, that soon retreated after Stoick growled menacingly at it. Then he turned his attention back at Astrid. "Keep attacking! They're taking our food saved for the freeze!" Astrid nodded, then headed away. Bags were under her eyes, not just because of the dragon raids, but because she had been reading Hiccup's journal and observing his self-portrait up to early morning. Nothing so far... Astrid wondered if this search was in vain.

More dragons, idiot! Move your butt and kill them! Her mind began to shriek. She moved away from her thoughts of Hiccup and continued killing and attacking the dragons. Then finally, a while after dawn, dragons retreated, and they took even more food from the food stocks and the freeze. The youth of the village passed water buckets and continued to extinguish the licking flames. Vikings groaned around Astrid; they were so exhausted, bags under their eyes, but still they had to pitch in to mend the village. Astrid saw Snotlout in a Viking wooden bathtub, probably because his backside was on fire. The twins were fighting over how you play Twenty Questions, and Fishlegs tried to count how many dragons took which food.

Hiccup, if you were able to see this from wherever you are...

Hiccup was appearing more than ever. The day before, she had a hallucination where a blond-haired man, whose hair was almost the colour of Astrid's, but a bit darker, who kept on spinning a strange flat hat and a black-haired man with a black sword and a crystal blue sword. Another hallucination was when she saw a mysterious black dragon in her dreams. But most hallucinations and dreams were of fifteen-year-old smirking and waving Hiccup turning into a tall figure with a strange helmet that covered his face, strange black armour, with his hand outstretched, whispering, "Astrid... Astrid!"

One Viking sounded the horn. Of course - they skipped dinner because that was when the attacks started! Astrid, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Fishlegs and Snotlout made their way to the Great Hall for meals. Gobber greeted them, said, "Well done, well done..." then he looked at Astrid and mouthed, Hiccup's journal.

Astrid mouthed back, Don't worry. I still have it.

She grabbed a plate of fish and made her way to a table, where unfortunately, Snotlout kept on following her, the idiot (Snotlout, not Astrid). Finally, she sat between Fishlegs and Ruffnut, with Snotlout directly in front of her. The other tables were filling up quickly, so sighing in defeat, she grabbed a plate of fish and began to eat silently, while Gobber explained to them all: "Raids are getting more and more tougher by the day. Tuffnut, Ruffnut, you should do more than just fight over ways how to kill a certain dragon and letting all the Vikings finish off the said dragon. Snotlout, good work today with the Monstrous Nightmare. Fishlegs, Astrid - well done for looking for a blind spot on the dragon. We have good youth with us..." Gobber sighed, and Astrid didn't need to read minds to know what Gobber was thinking: Without Hiccup.

"Trader Johann saw a batch of different, strange dragons heading our way," chided Fishlegs.

"Yeah, and we'll kick each and every one of their butts!" grinned Tuffnut.

"Yeh know, there are stories about people who don' kill dragons, yeh know," said Gobber absentmindedly.

"Not kill dragons?!" exclaimed Snotlout. "Why? Dragons are EVIL! EVIL, I TELL YOU!"

"There is a legend," Gobber said softly, "about a man called the Black Dragon Rider."

Astrid's ears turned on to perfect listening mode. Like Astrid, everyone was eager to hear more. Black Dragon Rider? Who in the Nine Worlds was he? Did he ride a dragon? Could he control them?

"Trader Johann told me and Stoick this story," Gobber began. "Far from here, on the edge of the Archipelago, lives the Black Dragon Rider. No-one has ever seen his face; whenever he's out, his face is concealed in a helmet covering his entire head and face, so no-one is completely sure of his appearance. He rides a black dragon and wields a flaming sword- and he is an excellent swordsman, too. He is feared in places; some say he is a servant of the gods; an einherjar of Valhalla come to Midgard. He controls dragons, brings them away to other places. He mostly rides the wind with his dragon in the cover of night, flying faster than Thor's lightning. Some people say he is a shape-shifter - going too far, those people who say he can change into other things - because he was gifted that said power by both the Aesir and the Vanir. But some think he's a servant of Loki, evil, watching humans in Midgard, to help find their main weaknesses so when Ragnarok comes, they'll be easily defeated and Midgard can be easily destroyed. The Black Dragon Rider wears black armour - hence the name."

Some silence. Until: "Loki? WE DEVOTE OUR LIVES TO HIM!" yelled Tuffnut.

"Wait, what does 'devote' mean?" wondered Ruffnut out loud.

"The Black Dragon Rider..." Fishlegs shuddered. "He isn't real, isn't he?"

"Stoick doesn't think its real," Gobber answered. "'Load of dragon dung', he says. But me, I'm not so sure. I've never seen Johann speak so truthfully before. He kept on saying it was true."

Black Dragon Rider... was the man that Hiccup turned into the Black Dragon Rider? How and why was he haunting her dreams?

"I don't understand why the Black Dragon Rider rides dragons," said Snotlout. "Oh Helheim, maybe he is evil, like all filthy dragons are! If he wants to start Ragnarok, that's evil, right?"

Everyone but Astrid nodded.

"Astrid, what do you think about the Black Dragon Rider?" asked Fishlegs.

Oh gods, she didn't know! There was no way she was saying anything about her dreams or hallucinations, or her investigations, or Hiccup's journal or anything...

"Well, I was thinking that maybe the Black Dragon Rider is a shape-shifter!" Astrid lied. "I mean, if he works for Loki, and he wants to start Ragnarok, he probably gave that gift to the Rider! I mean, he can shape-shift too, right?" She didn't think that, really.

They nodded.

"If I catch a peep of the Dragon Rider, I swear, I'LL CUT HIM INTO BITS!" yelled Snotlout, slashing a mace around the table, making everyone duck to avoid minor or major injuries (like a decapitated head). The twins nodded and said, "And we'll cause death and destruction!"

Astrid's head whirled with thoughts. Did the Black Dragon Rider have anything to do with Hiccup's disappearance/death? Kidnapping? Killing? In her dreams, Hiccup had turned into someone that Astrid was now sure was the Black Dragon Rider. So, they must have something connected. Stupid, Astrid thought, so stupid! Why think about a dead guy five years after his death? What in the Worlds? Idiot! Astrid poked her spoon on untouched fish absentmindedly. She thought that the Black Dragon Rider being an einherjar impossible. Shape-shifting was a no-no, too, according to Astrid.

"Astrid, you're being really quiet tonight," noted Fishlegs. "Don't you want to join our talk about the Black Dragon Rider?"

"Of course!" Astrid fibbed. "I just dozed off..."

"Your eyes were open," said Ruffnut.

"Then maybe I... was sleeping with my eyes open!"

"See?" said Tuffnut, slapping his sister. "Sleeping with your eyes open is possible!"

"Okay," said Gobber, and Astrid thanked him under her breath for saving her, "The Black Dragon Rider could be a myth, you know!"

Astrid heard Fishlegs sigh.

"Ooh, widdle Fishwegs is scared of the fwightening scawy Dwagon Wider, isn't he?" teased Snotlout.

Astrid looked at Fishlegs, and he looked like he was resisting the urge to physically and violently come into contact with him.

"That's the end of dinner," Gobber snapped, and everyone except for himself and Astrid got up and left the table. Gobber looked at Astrid, then he glanced around to see if no-one was at close range. After that, he looked at Astrid and said, "Lass, you learn anything?"

Astrid shook her head. She then explained to Gobber her suspicions of the Black Dragon Rider being connected to Hiccup and his death. However, she still kept the facts that she found out in Hiccup's private room (message, tallies and self-portrait with the negative comments) because she still felt that she should find out their meanings before telling anyone, especially Gobber, his friend, and Stoick, his father (who was away helping to clean up the village). Nodding, Gobber replied, "If the Black Dragon Rider killed Hiccup, I swear to all the Aesir and the Vanir... he'll be dead before someone says 'Freya's cats.' But lass, what do you think?"

"I think that... well, if Hiccup's... death is related to the Rider, I wanna track him down-"

"Don't, lass. Plus, Stoick would go... you know what? I won't say anythin' bad about him. Besides, it would be nuts to go to track him down. He might not be real. And if he is, it's best if we leave him. Did you not hear my story? Johann trembled as he told Stoick and me the story."

"Don't you want to know the truth behind Hiccup's death?" Astrid almost shouted, but then didn't.

"Yes, lass. But you know I don't want the promising young warrior of Berk, the one chosen to kill the Monstrous Nightmare, dying or being captured or anything-"

"I only killed the Monstrous Nightmare because Hiccup died." The words went out of Astrid's mouth before she could stop herself. However, it was true. She had killed the Nightmare; the honour reserved for Hiccup. The only reason why she did it was because Hiccup was first place. She felt a twinge of regret that she had ever felt jealous for Hiccup. She never figured out how he became last to first, but that was no matter.

Gobber glanced at the Great Hall doors. He stood. "Ya know, enough talk tonight. You need rest, Astrid. I am sure there will be another raid tomorrow - well, if tomorrow has arrived, make that today. See you. I've plenty of weapons to fix." Then he left the Great Hall, and Astrid was the only one left, besides Gustav Larson and his mother, and two other Vikings arguing about the best way to kill a Gronckle. Sighing, Astrid touched the self-portrait of Hiccup then left the building.

Tomorrow marked the day that marked five years after Hiccup's disappearance. Stoick would be grieving again. Astrid was there to comfort him, again.

That was when Astrid was going to begin a true investigation.