Landing on the island, Merida sighed as she slid from Embers and rubbed her back. "I don't think I have ever been in dat kind of a position for that long before. Me back is sore."

Laughing as he too slid off of Toothless, Hiccup shook his head. "Yeah I hear ya on that one. But I am used to it. In time so will you and it will just be second nature."

"I hope that is soon." She then followed him as he walked away from the beach. "Why aren't we staying on the beach?"

"Because we are closer to Berk now. Closer to home, but also in the waters where Alpha may be with that damn dragon." He then pulled his sword and lit it with fire as they walked. "There is a cave here we can get a few hours' sleep on and let Embers and Toothless rest before we finish the final leg on to Berk."

"Right." Merida was nervous in a way. She wanted to ask him about the kiss a day and a half before that. But she also didn't want to make him angry at her for asking. 'I don't know what to do. Mum! I wish I could ask you what to do.'

Almost methodically from where he would spend time away from home doing the map, Hiccup went through the motions of setting up camp inside the cave. But while he went through the steps his mind wasn't on what he was doing. It was on the kiss. He had never felt that same reaction when he kissed Astrid. Not even the first time that she kissed him after they fought the Red Death. But the second his lips touched hers, it was instant electricity. His heart was racing, his stomach felt like it was trying to come up his throat.

The more he thought about it, the more he tried to say that it was just because of what is going on. He saved her, but with Astrid it was probably just a rebound thing and he didn't want to do that to her at all. being pulled out of his thoughts when he heard a giggle he looked over at Merida with Embers.

She stood there looking at the dragon with a smile as she rubbed her head. When she looked at him and smiled then turned back to the dragon his heart went crazy. 'This has to be something more than a rebound. But I just don't….'

"Hiccup?"

Shaking his head he found Merida was there right in front of him. "Sorry I was spacing out. Still trying to figure out what we are going to do once we find Alpha and the bewilderbeast."

Sitting down next to the fire with him she sighed. He spaced out more since they kissed, but hasn't brought it up. So she figured that it was just a spontaneous thing. 'He couldn't be over a six year relationship that fast. I need to just try and forget that it ever happened.'

Once they were settled in, Hiccup kept his eyes on the fire. Though it took him great effort to do so. Every so often he found himself still looking over at the fiery red head that lay on the opposite side of the fire still sound asleep. He knew he shouldn't, but something kept telling him it was more than a rebound. It was more than just because he has spent so much time with her. "But is it really how I feel or is it just because of the situation?"

Feeling a nose on the back of his head he looked back at Toothless and sighed. "Don't give me that bud. I don't know what to do as it is."

When he got another push to the head he didn't even look back. "Look I need to figure it out for myself right now Toothless. Yes I feel more for her than a friend. But I need to know for sure if it is real or just because of what is going on. I won't do that to her. I can't do that to her." Looking back at her peaceful face he sighed with a half-smile. "I don't want to be the reason she cries like I did. I don't want to hurt her."

X

Sitting in her window, Astrid sighed as she kept her head hung. Four more days. She was told that morning that in four more days she was going to become Spider's wife. She hated the thought. The mere thought of him touching her made her skin crawl. But what could she really do? She already agreed to this. And the one person she could always go to when something was bothering her, probably wouldn't even look at her.

Hearing her door she turned and then glared when Spider was standing in the door. "What do you want? Get out of my room."

Sauntering in, Spider kept his creepy smile. "Don't give me that. In five more nights, your room will be my room. From then on."

Having had enough, Astrid turned and stood up as she crossed her arms. "Alright come on out with it Spider. What in the world would you want with a woman that hates your very existence? I mean come on. You don't really think that after we get married that I am going to change and magically fall in love with you do you? What are you playing at?"

Crossing his arms as he walked in a circle around her, Spider half smiled. He had no intention on marrying her. He just had to get her to leave Hiccup, so that he would go off on his own and she wouldn't run off with him. That way the plan would go off without a hitch. In two more days. Two more days, Astrid, and every other person on this damn island were going to die. "What am I planning at? You will see soon eough."

Stomping her foot she reached out and pushed him as she narrowed her eyes. "What are you planning!?"

Leaning into her face he glared harder at her. "Don't do that again Astrid. Or so help me you will regret it one day. Have I made myself clear?"

"No promises."

"Then you will see."

Astrid watched as he left then sat back down in her window and sighed as she crossed her arms. "I hate him. I absolutely hate him." Looking over at Hiccup's she sighed as her eyes half closed. She still could see the look on Hiccup's face as she flew away from him after telling him that she couldn't marry him.

Feeling a rock hit her side she turned a glare down then sighed. Half expecting to see Spider down there, it was Eret. "What do you want Eret?"

"I would like to talk. If you don't mind."

Rolling her eyes she turned and fell from her window and landed right next to him. "If this is about Spider again get off it."

"I can't." His eyes narrowed as he crossed his arms, Eret sighed. "It isn't too late you know. You got four days. You can turn him away and tell him to get lost and see if you can fix things with Hiccup."

Pushing him Astrid glared. "Don't you think I would if I could? You, and Fishgles and Snotlout and everyone think that I just brushed him off to the side. That I walked away from six years of being with him just because. I didn't. I wish I could work things out with him but I don't know if I will ever be able too."

"If you start by telling that creep to get lost then you might have a shot."

"I can't Eret. I wish that everyone would leave me alone. I don't even know all the details just that Mom and Dad were terrified when they told me. I didn't like seeing them like that." Dropping her head she sighed. "Hell I don't even know what the details of the contract are or who they made it with."

Turning away from her with a sigh Eret shook his head. "At least I tried."

"What was that?"

Stopping and looking over his shoulder he sighed. "I talked to Hiccup the second night he left Astrid. I talked to him about this. He said that had you told him you wanted fight it with him and fight for the love he thought the two of you had, he would have done it. But being able to walk away from him without so much as a fight, he didn't know if he could trust you. We have all tried to get you to stand up and fight along with Stoic and Valka and Hiccup. But you refuse every time. I think he is right. He shouldn't trust you anymore."