I finally fisnished this chapter. Sorry for letting you wait to long but your patience will be rewarded. Shout-outs:

Jasmine Jowett: First: Thank you so much for you review. I already told you but I'm going to say it again: Every single review means the world to me. I didn't take the break on purpose, but honestly, now that it's over, I feel like it was pretty much needed. The idea of giving Hiccup a sibling is probably as old as the fandom, with loads of different authors trying it out, some more successful than others. I'm going to write a sequel, I'm planning to do almost the entire franchise anyway, so the next story is definitely going to be Gift of the Night Fury. I'm still trying to figure Hilja's character out. I've always had problems to understand my characters, but I hope it won't take four years, like it does with another character of mine in a story I'm writing since 2015. But there will be character growth for Hilja for sure.

Here you go, everyone, enjoy!

Chapter 10

I waited a bit before I returned home. Hilja was already asleep, so I too went to bed, instead of talking to her, what I originally wanted to do. Well then, this conversation had to wait until tomorrow.

During breakfast the next morning all three of us remained silent, but this silence wasn't uncomfortable like the months and years before.

Training today was very special because today it would be decided who would be the winner and the contestant of the final exam. It didn't take long and only Hilja, Astrid and me were left. I tried as good as possible to stay out of the way of the Gronckle, but somehow this didn't work. I was just crouched behind a barricade when Astrid appeared next to me. When she noticed me, she flashed at me.

„Stay out of my way! I'm winning this thing."

I'd love nothing more.

„Good. Please, by all means." I stuttered when she vanished again.

I looked over the barricade and saw the Gronckle coming at me. I had no other choice, because neither Astrid nor Hilja were anywhere withing reach of the dragon. Hilja looked at me from the other side of the arena and shook her head.

„You know, what that would mean..." I could read from her lips.

„I have no choice." I whispered back and she nodded frustrated.

I knew how much she would have liked to intervene, but the Gronckle was nearer to me than to her. Und Astrid, who I would have liked to entrust this job, was nowhere in sight.

Spontaneously I charged at the Gronckle and reached out with my hand. Quickly I scratched under his chin and he flopped.

Exactly in this moment Astrid came running, her axe raised. When she saw me she angrily hit her axe on the floor.

„NO! NO! SON OF HALF-TROLL, RAT-EATING MUNGE BUCKET!"

Before she could insult me further, my dad demanded silence.

I used this moment for an attempt to escape …

„So, later."

… which was noticed by Gobber.

„Not so fast!"

I tried to come up with an excuse.

„I'm kinda late for-"

Astrid came at me and held her axe under my chin.

„What?! Late for what, exactly?!"

„Astrid! Stop it!" Hilja shouted and came to me.

In the stands dad started talking again.

„Okay, quiet down. The Elder has decided."

Old Gothi came forward, while Gobber first held his hook above Astrid and then pointed his hand at Hilja. Gothi shook her head both times. Gobber's hand wandered to stop above my head and I tried to make myself as small and invisible as possible. Anxiously I glanced up at Gothi and saw her nodding.

Around me everyone started cheering. Gobber turned to me.

„You've done it! You've done it, Hiccup! You get to kill the dragon!"

In the stands dad was cheering too: „Ha, ha! That's my boy!"

I hesitantly glanced towards Astrid and immediately regretted it. Her face only said one thing: Get lost or you're dead!

Then I looked at Hilja. She looked exactly how I felt right now.

Before I could go to her and say something, Fishlegs hoisted me up on his shoulders. I decided to play along.

„Heh. Oh, yeah! Yes! I can't wait ..."

My cheering was only halfheartedly. But as long as it was convincing I didn't care.

Finally I managed to get free and chased out of the arena. While running towards our house I suddenly felt total despair. When I reached my room I almost collapsed. But I took my decision.

„Hiccup?"

Hilja was standing in the doorframe and looked at me worried.

„What are you doing?"

„I have to disappear. Tonight!"

Her face changed from worried to shocked.

„You can't be serious. Right?"

I nodded and shrugged.

„Do I have another choice? I can't kill that Nightmare. You know that as well as I do!"

„Take me with you. Please! What could I do without you?"

„Cover up for me" was all I managed to say before the last tiny bit of sarcasm left me too.

With tears in her eyes Hilja hugged me as tight as possible.

„Take care, okay?" she whispered before releasing me again.

I nodded and then started packing a few things.

Some time later I was walking through the cove with a basket on my back and called for Toothless.

„We're leaving. Let's pack up. Looks like you and me are taking a little vacation, forever. Ah, man..." I murmured, before crouching down to rummage through the basket.

I just wanted to stand up, when I heard a grinding sound coming from on top the boulder next to me. I looked up to see Astrid sitting there, grinding her axe.

"Aggh! What the- What are you doing here?"

Astrid stood up and walked threateningly towards me.

„I want to know what's going on. No one just gets as good as you do. Especially you. Start talking! Are you training with someone?"

Uh … yes. But I couldn't tell her that. Right?

I began to stutter. As usually when I felt like someone was about to find out about one of my secrets.

Uh... training?"

Astrid wasn't listening. Instead she pointed at my riding vest.

„It better not involve this!"

Just great. How was I supposed to get out of this?

„I know this looks really bad, but you see...this is, uh..."

At the other side of the cove the bushes started rustling. Toothless! No, when he showed up now it was over!

Quickly I tried to distract Astrid.

"You're right! You're right! You're right. I'm through with the lies. I've been making... outfits. So, you got me. It's time everyone knew. Drag me back. Go ahead. Here we go."

I took Astrid's hand and placed it on my shirt. She only had to grasp it and drag me to the village.

Instead the seized my arm and twisted it back with a cracking sound. Afterwards she threw me to the ground.

„OW! Why would you DO that?!"

„That's for the lies. And THAT'S ..."

She dropped the handle of her axe unto my stomach.

„... for everything else." she finished her sentence.

Toothless chose exactly this moment to appear. No wonder, during the last weeks he had developed an incredible protective instinct for me.

Astrid once again pushed me to the ground.

„Get down! RUN! RUN!" she screamed at me and jumped in front of me with her axe raised.

I interupted her before she made a mistake she would regret later.

„NO! No. It's okay! It's okay... she's a friend. It's okay." I tried to calm Toothless. Then I turned to Astrid: "You just scared him."

This completely threw her off.

„I scared him?! Who is "him"?"

„Astrid, Toothless." I turned to my dragon: "Toothless, Astrid."

Astrid turned without a word and ran away.

„Da, da-da! We're dead!"

Toothless too turned away.

„Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Where do you think you're going?!" I called after him, before I started to run.

I decided to follow an update schedule with this story too. When everything works out as planned I'll post a new chapter every friday. I hope to read of you in the reviews. See ya next time!