"Toothless!" Hiccup called out, running down the path to throw his arms around the dragon. Toothless almost purred in his happiness of being reunited. "Thank the gods," Eret said, as Astrid embraced him. "I thought something might have happened to you two. Are either of you injured?"

"No," Astrid said, glancing at Hiccup, who was preoccupied with rough housing with Toothless. "I'm glad the two of you are alright," She told Eret. "We were really worried about you, too."

"Well, we were fine," Eret said. "Luckily we weren't caught in that rock slide—and we managed to find a cave to hide out in."

"Same," Hiccup said, breaking free of Toothless' grip but staying near the dragon. "I don't know what I would have done if I had lost you, Bud," he told Toothless, giving him a comforting rub on the head. Toothless warbled again, nudging Hiccup's chest with his head. "I promise, nothing will happen to you. Ever."

"Bold promise," Eret said, somewhat amused.

"One I intend to keep," Hiccup replied. "Well," he took in a deep breath, and Astrid could tell that he was, at the moment, the closest to 'happy' that he had been in weeks. She smiled, glad that Hiccup and Toothless' reunion was able to lift his spirits so much. "We should probably get going. We have a long way to go until we reach The North."

"Right," Astrid and Eret said in unison. They walked off, down the rocky path, together.


"Do you feel that?" Hiccup asked, frowning.

"Feel what?" Astrid asked, crossing her arms and staring at him like he had gone mad. "Do you hear something?"

"What? No… I mean… I don't think so?" Hiccup paused, cocking his head. What was this feeling? It was something familiar? And yet… so different. He felt as though his name was being called—but he could not hear any such voice. Not with his ears, at least.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Eret asked.

Toothless nudged Hiccup's elbow, whirring worriedly.

"I'm fine, Bud," Hiccup said, placing an absentminded hand on Toothless' head. "I'm just… I don't know. Something not right. I feel…." he walked forward, heading towards a clearing just ahead. "I feel like there's something up ahead here."

"Wait!" Astrid said, "What if it's a trap?"

"A trap?" Hiccup paused, turning to look at her in confusion.

"The fairies might have figured out we're on a quest to The North," Astrid said. "I wouldn't put it past their scheming to deter us somehow. Be careful…"

Hiccup paused, a slow, ache in his chest at these words. Scheming. It was no secret Astrid despised fairies. Even Eret did as well. Everyone did. Fairies were despicable creatures. They lied and cheated and caused chaos. They were selfish and cruel, and had no empathy or sympathy for others.

If Eret and Astrid knew that he was half…

He shook his head, nodding to them, and turned and walked towards the clearing, the other following carefully. They reached the clearing, and Hiccup found that the sun seemed to be brighter here than it should have been.

"Look!" Astrid said, surprised and pointing ahead.

Hiccup looked to the center of the clearing, where the sun shone the brightest, and saw, to his surprise, a large solitary stone. But that was not the only thing that surprised him. It was the hilt of a sword emerging from the stone.

"A sword… in a stone?" Eret asked, confounded. "How did it even get in there?"

"That's not just a sword…" Astrid said breathlessly. "That's the sword."

"What sword?" Eret and Hiccup asked her.

"You don't…" Astrid scowled. "You can't have gone your whole lives without hearing the legend."

"Well… clearly," Hiccup said.

Astrid rolled her eyes. "It's the sword of the King."

"Which king?" Eret asked.

"The King,"was Astrid's tart reply.

Hiccup rolled his eyes, "You need to specify—Nine kingdoms… lots of kings."

"No, no—the King. The King of the Wilderwest. It must be his sword," Astrid said.

"You mean… the man who used to rule all the lands?" Hiccup asked her, frowning.

"Yes," Astrid said, approaching the sword. "When he died, his nine sons fought for his crown, and ended up dividing the kingdom into nine parts. Legend says that he was murdered by them. Legend also says that 'they who can unsheathe the sword from its resting place is his true successor'."

"You mean—that's not…" Hiccup frowned. "How do you even know this is the right sword?"

"Well, for starters, it says so right here," Astrid pointed at the stone.

Hiccup, Eret and Toothless approached, peering at the stone. "It does," Eret said, musing. "But how do we know it's legit? How do we know it's not a trick of the fairies?"

"Well, I suppose we don't," Astrid replied.

They were all silent for a moment, before Eret said, "Someone should try to take it out."

"Astrid, you're of noble birth—you could be the King's successor," Hiccup said.

Astrid gave him a playful grin, before taking in a deep breath and grasping the handle of the sword. She grunted and pulled with all her might, until at last she gave up, dropping her arms to her side. "No good," she said, shrugging. "Looks like I'm not cut out to be a King."

"Well, I'll give it a go," Eret said, approaching and pulling as hard as he could. Finally, he too, gave up. "It's impossible," he said. He looked at Hiccup, "Well, are you going to give it a try?"

"Me?" Hiccup laughed. "If the two of you couldn't pull it out, what makes you think I could?"

"The elf, she did prophesize that you would be the next King of the Wilderwest," Astrid pointed out.

"Yeah but… I think we can all agree those two didn't have their hinges attached right," Hiccup said. "I think she was just having a bout of madness, or if not that, then definitely just pulling our legs."

"Just give it a go!" Astrid laughed, grabbing his hands and placing them on the handle. "What are you so afraid of? Go on. We gave it a try, you've got to as well."

"Alright," Hiccup said, "One forever-stuck-in-a-stone sword coming straight up…"

He made a show of taking in a deep breath, squaring his shoulders, setting one foot on the stone. "Get ready for something amazing guys," he joked, and he hoisted up with all his might.

He let out a yelp as the sword slid out of the stone as easily as a knife through butter in the summer. He stumbled backwards, the sword falling out of his hand, and he landed unceremoniously on his backside.

He stared at the sword, now lying on the ground, in shock. He looked up to see Eret and Astrid staring at him, then at the sword, then back at him, mouths wide-open and giving them a fish-like look.

Toothless bounded over and sniffed the sword, before warbling amusedly and licking Hiccup's face. "What just happened?" Hiccup asked.

"Looks like you're… but that's impossible," Astrid said, a little breathlessly. "You're not of noble birth… are you?"

"No," Hiccup said. "I mean… I don't…" he suddenly remembered Valka. The fairy. The fairy with a connection to him he was not willing to accept yet. The fairy who had been married to the king of Berk. "I don't think so," he finally said firmly.

"Well," Astrid said, "I guess some fairy is playing a trick on us, then."

"I guess so," Hiccup said, accepting Eret's hand and letting the man help him to his feet.

Astrid picked up the sword, gazing at it before swinging it through the air. "It's a good sword," she said, awed. "I've never seen the like before. I wonder if it was made by the fairies."

"I don't want it, in that case," Hiccup said.

"Don't be ridiculous," Astrid said, "This is a fine sword, no matter who made it. And it clearly chose you, no matter the circumstances. Keep it. I'll teach you how to use it."

"You will?" Hiccup asked.

"I'm a master at the sword," she said smugly, handing the sword to him, hilt first. "I can teach you in no time."

Hiccup accepted the sword, gazing at it. It seemed to be made of a dark colored iron. It was heavy—much heavier than he had expected. He was thankful he spent years as a smithy apprentice. He may not look it, but he had enough muscle to wield such a weapon. He hoped.

"I can teach you some too," Eret said. "I might not fight with this type of sword, but I can at least offer you some sparring."

Toothless warbled again, nudging Hiccup's elbow. He laughed, rubbing the dragon's head. "Alright," he said.

Astrid stared at him, cocking her head for a moment.

"What is it?" he asked, his face heating up slightly under her scrutinizing gaze.

"Are you sure you're not of noble birth?" she asked. "You were an orphan—abandoned. Your parents could have been without you even knowing."

Hiccup hesitated, and said, "I don't think so, Astrid."

Astrid narrowed her eyes, before nodding. "Well," she said. "The first thing you need to learn is how to hold a sword. You're doing it all wrong."

"There's a wrong way to hold a sword?" Hiccup asked, raising an eyebrow.

Astrid narrowed her eyes again. "I'll pretend I didn't hear that," she said, in a low, dangerous tone. "We can't risk losing time and distance, so we'll practice on our way to The North."

"Well," Eret said, "You can't train on an empty stomach. Let's stop for lunch, practice a little, and then head on our way."

"Good plan," Hiccup said, sticking the pointy end of the sword into the ground. He removed his pack from his back and started unpacking their food, while Astrid and Eret collected firewood.


Hiccup dreamt of the fairy he saw in the The Dark Forest. She was standing before him, wearing nothing but a gown of sheer blue. She was smiling at him. Laughing sweetly at him. But there was no goodness in her—for her eyes were cold and cruel. She blew him a kiss, her large, luscious red lips puckering comically.

He tried to speak, but he could not. He could not move, stuck standing there as she approached him. She was taller than him, but not by much. Her long, slender fingers brushed against his shoulder, running along his upper back. She leaned against him from behind, whispering something in his ear that he could barely hear

"He is mine, now."

Hiccup gave out a gasp, sitting up quickly, drenched in a cold sweat. The fire was still going strong beside him—benefits of having magic—but something was wrong. That dream had been too real—her hands on his body still vividly present. Hiccup looked over at Eret and Astrid, who slept near each other a little ways away. They were still sleeping peacefully, apparently not having had such unnerving dreams as he. He took in a deep breath, and said, out loud, "I'm not sure what came over me, Bud, but that was… strange."

When he gained no reply from Toothless, he looked over to see that the dragon was gone from his side. His eyes widened slightly, looking around wildly. He threw his blanket off of himself and rose to his feet, spinning around as he tried to see where Toothless had gone. "Toothless!?" he shouted into the darkness.

Astrid and Eret were on their feet in an instant, weapons drawn. "What is it?" Astrid demanded, her keen eyes assessing the situation. "Did something happen? Where's Toothless?"

"I… I don't know," Hiccup said, his heart in his throat, his mind racing a mile a minute. Toothless was gone… and he wouldn't just leave.

"Perhaps he went to relieve himself," Eret offered. "Or to find some food."

Hiccup shook his head.

No… he could sense Toothless was nowhere nearby. He was gone—far, far away. Magicked away but some evil force.

"Angharad…" he whispered, clenching his fists.

Astrid's eyes widened. "What are you talking about?" she asked. "Was she here?"

"I dreamt of her," Hiccup said. "She told me 'he belongs to me, now'… she must have been talking about Toothless."

"But that means…" Eret said, his eyes widening.

"That means he's in The North," Astrid said, taking in a deep breath. "Hiccup…"

Hiccup could feel wetness from where his nails, short as they were, cut into his palms. He felt anger that he did not know he was capable of—the fire beside them roared and grew, and both Eret and Astrid glanced at each other and back at the fire, before looking at Hiccup in uncertainty. As quickly as Hiccup's anger had come, it disappeared, replaced by an empty ache. He groaned and crouched down, covering his head with his hands.

He was aware of Eret and Astrid approaching him, crouching down beside him. Two hands rested on his back—one from each of them.

"We'll get him back," Astrid said firmly. "We all have reasons to go to The North. Don't worry. We'll get him back. I promise."

"We will," Eret said, his voice affirming.

Hiccup nodded, standing up. The two beside him rose as well. He took in a deep breath. "I…" he began, not quite sure what to say. There was no doubt in his mind what he had to do. He needed to rescue Toothless. He did not care anymore what happened to him—whether or not he was able to lift this retched curse. He would go to The North for one purpose only.

To save Toothless.

"It's because of me," he whispered, hugging himself slightly, gazing down at the dying fire.

"What are you talking about?" Eret asked him.

"Because of my curse," Hiccup said. "I will never find a happiness. Because of that… Toothless was taken away."

"That's not true," Astrid said, her voice edged. "Toothless was taken away because fairies are vile, evil creatures that cannot find happiness unless others are miserable. It is not your fault that Toothless was taken."

Hiccup stared at the now dead fire. Even the embers had extinguished. He wondered what would happen… if Eret and Astrid knew. Knew who—what—he was. Would they still want him near them? Would they even trust him?

Would Astrid even…

He pushed those thoughts from his mind, shaking his head. "It doesn't matter," he lied. Rolling up his blanket and attaching it to his pack. He slung the pack over his shoulder. "We have to get moving. It's a few days walk before we reach The North. I won't have Toothless held captive there for any longer."

Eret and Astrid glanced at each other, and nodded. As they quickly gathered their things, they set out into the night.


Astrid and Eret walked side by side, Hiccup up ahead. Astrid gazed at Eret for a moment, before nodding in Hiccup's direction. Eret shrugged, and then muttered, "He has a right to be upset. He hasn't exactly been treated well by the fairies as of late."

"Still," Astrid said. "I can't stand all his moping about. Ever since he was cursed—and ever since we ran into Valka… he has been different. Mopey. Moody. Pessimistic. I can't stand it. And now this…" she trialed off for a moment, a bit of shame creeping in. "I mean, I guess I can understand this. I can't explain what it was like when my sister was kidnapped. Even now… I am always wondering if she is even…" she trailed off again. "Anyway, I wish he would just tell us everything that is going on with him. We can't help him if he doesn't tell us anything."

"Perhaps he doesn't know how to say it," Eret offered.

Astrid made a face. It irritated her to no end that something—something—was bothering Hiccup to his core, and he wouldn't even tell them anything. She tried to give him space, to give him a chance to gather his thoughts and tell them when he was ready, but her patience was growing thin. He was hesitating to say anything. She did not know what it was, except small slivers of doubt and suspicions—suspicions she was not prepared to face—but she knew that whatever the reasons for his change in mood, it would not change what Eret and she thought of him.

And she was hurt that he may think otherwise.

"Whatever," she shrugged, but she knew that Eret could see though her guise. "When he's ready to tell us—I suppose he'll tell us."

They walked in silence for a short while, before Hiccup said loudly that someone was approaching. Eret and Astrid drew their weapons, although Astrid could not hear or sense anyone nearing them. They paused on the path, until, coming towards them down the path, was an old man. Astrid let out a sigh of relief. Hiccup was still new at using the sword, and since she was right handed, and he left-handed, it took some figuring to teach him proper movements and stances. Of course, he had his arrows—and knife, but she knew he was itching to use his sword.

"Greetings, Travelers!" the old man said, waving a hand at them. He walked up them stopping before them. "How are you this fine day?"

"We are fine," Astrid said, sheathing her sword but still wary. This old man seemed harmless enough, but she also knew that looks were deceiving. And the fairies were treacherous creatures quite capable of deception.

"Where did you come from?" Eret asked the old man.

"Harborshaw," the man pointed behind him. "Just up a ways. Good food," he paused and said, "They had a dragon problem, but it's no problem now."

"Dragon?" Hiccup was upon the man in an instant, until he was a mere foot away, "what kind of dragon?'

"Monstrous Nightmare," the old man said, taking a hasty step away from Hiccup. "Why?"

Hiccup let out a sigh. "Nothing," he said, returning to Astrid and Eret's side.

"What do you mean, the dragon used to be a problem?" Astrid asked him.

"I mean, the dragon was taken away," the old man said. "By the dragon trappers."

Eret started, surprised and shocked. "Dragon trappers?" he asked, surprised. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," the old man said, "Some dragon trappers showed up, trapped the dragon, and carried him off for Drago's army."

"Drago's army?" Hiccup glanced at Astrid. "That's the man Alvin was working for, right?"

"Yes," Astrid said, nodding. "I heard he was amassing an army—but dragons? This is worse than I thought. And if he's collecting dragons in the Wilderwest, he must be close to invading our borders." She frowned, a worried look on her face.

"Well," the old man said, hoisting his pack higher on his back, "Whatever the cause—I'm just glad that dragon is no longer terrorizing those villagers. Well, best be on my way," he waved them a cheerful farewell and walked down the path in the direction they had come. Astrid and Eret watched him go, and turned back to Hiccup. "We should most likely keep going," Hiccup said, but no sooner than he had taken a step, then someone stepped out from around a tree, standing before them.

"Valka!" Astrid said, shocked. Her hand found its way to the hilt of her sword, but she did not draw it. Eret and Hiccup also refrained from drawing their weapons, although Eret was in a ready stance to fight if need be.

"That is troubling news," Valka said, "To think someone would enslave the dragons in such a way…" she shuddered, both in horror and anger.

"You were following us?" Hiccup asked her, eyes narrowed.

She looked at him, her face troubled. "I did it only to make sure you were alright," she said. "With your pow—"

"It doesn't matter why you were following us," Hiccup interrupted.

Valka was silent for a short while, before saying, "I will go to the East to survey the situation with Drago. If he is enslaving dragons for his army, someone needs to keep an eye on him. The people of the Wilderwest would not survive such an attack."

Astrid nodded. "We will be at The North in a few days, at most, and then I will be returning with my sister to Berk, where I can help with the effort to resist Drago."

"Good," Valka said. She gave out a kind of howl, and Cloudjumper appeared in the sky, landing before her. Valka climbed onto the dragon's back with ease that was inhuman. "I will see you again soon," she said, gazing at Hiccup. The dragon took off into the air, leaving them behind.

"This is really bad news," Astrid said, frowning. "If Drago is building an army of dragons, and if he uses that army to attack the Wilderwest… he may just defeat us." She glared down at her gloved hands as she shivered. "We need to reach The North soon, so that I can return and help my people."

"Good," Hiccup said, starting forward again. "Now that we're all motivated, let's get a move on."

They began walking again, heading towards the ever elusive North.


TO BE CONTINUED…

Thanks for reading!

See you soon!