Hey, guys! This is where things get cray-cray! :D WATCH ME HIT THE CRAY BUTTON! *slams hand down on giant, flashing red button*

WAHA! :D :D :D Sorry, I'm so, so, so random over here in random world, derp. :P I hope you guys enjoy chapter 10! :D

"You're not really mad at Astrid, are you, Snotlout?" Fishlegs asked.

Snotlout huffed and crossed his arms. "No, I'm not," he said angrily. "And why's it your business, anyway, Fishface? I can be mad at her if I want. It's not my fault she was hypnotized by Gothi like that."

Fishlegs looked down. "Actually, Snotlout, it kind of is," he said, raising his finger.

Snotlout jerked his head in Fishlegs' direction.

"I mean," Fishlegs went on, "you were the one who...started getting mad at me for being a 'worry wart'. Astrid heard that, and the hypnosis went wrong, and she kind of grew afraid of everything, even when it wasn't scary at all-"

"I know what happened, Fishlegs!" Snotlout snapped. He slammed his fist into his open palm. "I'm just mad at stupid Dagur, alright!?"

Fishlegs looked down again. "You should apologize, Snotlout," he said. "Before, you know...before she takes it too hard. It isn't her fault."

Snotlout sighed. "I'll...I'll...ap-apolo-gize…" He struggled to get the word out. Apologizing was something Snotlout rarely (if ever) did, and he wasn't used to admitting to folly. "I'll do that, after Hookfang and I finish getting these herbs Gothi wanted us to find."

"We'll come with you," Fishlegs offered. Meatlug stepped up beside him and growled in agreement.

"Um, okay, thanks, Fishlegs."

They mounted their dragons and took off towards the forests of Berk, unaware of the Berserker eyes watching from the shadows, and the ears listening to their conversation. Dagur smiled to himself.

"So," he said, "sounds like Hiccup's little girlfriend won't be any help to him, neither." He chuckled darkly. "Who knows. Maybe I'll manage to take out the both of them."

Slowly, ever so slowly, he crept from his hiding place and headed towards the Chief's house.

...

Hiccup was still unresponsive, and it didn't make Astrid feel any better. Her worry increased ten-fold, and there really wasn't anything she could do about it. She was panicking. What if the arrow hit an organ and they just didn't notice it? What if they wouldn't notice it until it was too late? What if by the time they recognized it, Hiccup was dead, or beyond help?

What if the bloodloss was too much? What if his wound somehow reopened, and he lost a fatal amount of blood? What if the stitches Gothi put in were ripped out? What if the arrowhead was poisoned? What if the wound became infected? What if...what if...what if…

There were so many what ifs, and each one of them was more gruesome than the one before. Astrid shook her head, tears rolling down her face as she continued dabbing Hiccup's forehead and holding his hand.

The door was nudged open, and Astrid's head whipped around in that direction. Toothless poked his head through the door, his eyes becoming shocked and wide when he saw Hiccup. He roared and bounded towards them, sniffing Hiccup desperately. He nudged the side of Hiccup's head, and Hiccup didn't even moan.

"C-careful, Toothless," Astrid stuttered helplessly. She really, really hated feeling helpless. She absolutely positively hated it. But she was too scared right now to care. "He's hurt."

It felt stupid, saying that, as Toothless could probably smell Hiccup's wound and his bloodstained bandages, but the dragon didn't seem to mind Astrid repeating a fact he already knew. The Night Fury plopped down beside his rider and rested his head beside Hiccup's on the wooden floorboards, cooing sadly.

"He'll be okay, Toothless," Astrid said, although she didn't know whether or not she was lying. Would Hiccup be okay? She certainly hoped so, although she really didn't know either way, so she couldn't promise anything.

Toothless only growled in concern in response.

Astrid was about to say something else, but before she could even get a word out, the door swung open again. Astrid thought it would be Stoick. She thought it would be Gobber. Maybe Snotlout, Fishlegs, the twins, or Gothi.

But it wasn't any of them.

When she looked towards the door, she saw it was none other than Dagur the Deranged.

She gasped in shock. Toothless sprang to his feet and bared his teeth, standing over Hiccup defensively. But he didn't attack. Astrid thought that maybe, Toothless could smell metal.

A weapon.

Who knew what it was. A sword? An axe? A dagger? A knife? Heck, maybe it wasn an arrow without the crossbow. The point was, Astrid didn't know what Dagur had to defend himself with.

And she wasn't too keen on finding out.

"Well...well...well…" Dagur said, striding forward casually. He spread his hands. "If it isn't Astrid Hofferson. It's so nice to see you again."

Astrid gasped. Toothless growled.

"Ah, ah, ah, Night Fury," Dagur warned, shaking his finger back and forth. "Back down, or I'll kill all three of you."

Toothless growled.

"And don't even think about using your little plasma blasts, dragon," Dagur went on. "You know they won't do you any good now. I'll kill Hiccup before you even blast it."

Astrid didn't know what to feel. Her first initial emotion was fear, and that was something that came naturally. It was something she couldn't control. She wanted to run. She wanted to get up and run, and never look back until she was safe.

But if she did that, she would be leaving Hiccup at Dagur's mercy, and that was something she simply wasn't willing to do. Part of her wanted to run. She wanted to get up and run to save her life...but oddly enough, she felt something behind her fear. Something that told her to stay where she was and stand up to Dagur.

She didn't know where it came from.

Maybe it was because Hiccup was hurt. Maybe it was because she felt the need to protect him. He did so much for her in the past, of course. She didn't know what she would do if something were to happen to him.

"Oh," Dagur looked to where Hiccup was lying, a devilishly evil smile on his face. "Has someone been hurt?" He took another step forward. Astrid grabbed Hiccup's shoulders and pulled him into her lap, holding him protectively. "Oh, I do believe they have," Dagur said. "And would you take a look at that? It looks like my brother. Hiccup."

Astrid's horrified face slowly, ever so slowly, curved into a glare, if just slightly. She was scared of Dagur, but...she was going to defend Hiccup, whatever it took, even if that meant fighting back.

"It does look serious," Dagur rubbed his hands together. "My poor brother. He must be in so much pain..." Dagur's voice trailed off, and he slowly pulled a knife from his belt. "Shouldn't we put him out of his misery?" Dagur asked.

Toothless growled, and Astrid yelped at the sight of the knife.

"A quick thrust of the knife is all it will take," Dagur said, twirling the blade between his fingers casually. "A knife to the chest...he will die a peaceful, quick death. No time to even think of where that unexpected pain suddenly came from...isn't that merciful of me, Astrid?"

Astrid only stared, terrified and horrified.

Dagur grinned, fingering the tip of his knife. "I feel that the end is near, brother," he grinned, staring straight down at Hiccup. "Your time has finally run out-"

"He's not your brother!" Astrid shouted; her voice came out as a pathetic squeak. "He wasn't ever, and he never will be your brother!"

Dagur shrugged, and took another step forward.

"Don't you dare!" Astrid yelped. There was a feeling burning behind her fear of Dagur. A feeling that told her to attack Dagur where he stood. Attack him, overtake him, and defeat him.

But...her fear…

"You will not touch him!" she hissed.

Dagur chuckled. "Oh, you won't attack me," he said. "Fearless Astrid Hofferson isn't so Fearless anymore, is she? I overheard some of your other dragon riders talking...you know, it was quite enjoyable, not having you come to attack me. I should thank you. If it hadn't been for your absence, I never would have shot Hiccup."

Astrid's glare hardened.

It seemed that at that moment, her eyes were opened. The words repeated in her head: I never would have shot Hiccup. I never would have shot Hiccup. I shot Hiccup. I shot Hiccup. I shot Hiccup.

Dagur shot Hiccup.

It wasn't Astrid's fault, and she saw that now. It wasn't her fault; it was Dagur's. Dagur hurt Hiccup. Not Astrid, not Snotlout, not Fishlegs, and not the twins.

It was Dagur's fault Hiccup was unconscious and wounded.

Dagur's fault.

Any trace of fear she had ever felt vanished instantly, and her fear was replaced with fury just as fast. Slowly, she moved Hiccup back onto the ground and took his knife from his belt. After she was armed, she slowly rose to a stand.

Dagur chuckled. "Oh," he smirked. "Competition, aye?"

Toothless roared. Dagur smiled even wider. "You aren't going to hurt me, Astrid," he said. "I heard what the others said. You were hypnotized, weren't you? And now, you're afraid. Afraid to fight me. Afraid to be brave."

Astrid's glare went from anger to ice-cold hatred and fury. Maybe before, she thought, but certainly not now.

"I'm not afraid to be brave," she said. She looked back down at Hiccup briefly. "Just of losing him."

With that, she lunged.