Hiccup had enough time to remind himself not to breathe in as he fell. It was the only thing he remembered.

He hit the water hard, the force of gravity and the height of his fall forcing him under, and the impact and shock of the cold water drove the air from his lungs. Exhaling sharply, but having enough strength of mind to clamp his mouth quickly shut, Hiccup struggled under the freezing sea. The cold seeped into his bones, making him feel like he was burning cold, and the salt seeped into his wounds, adding a different kind of burn to his back and his leg. The impact from hitting the water only helped to make him ache all over.

As it was, Hiccup was lucky he had oriented himself properly in the tumultuous water, breaking the surface shortly after he had been submerged for a much needed breath of air. Gasping as much oxygen as he could, the dragon rider's break was short lived as the rocky waves, his aching body, and the cold currents forced him under once more.

This time he was quicker to right himself, gasping for another breath. 'Swim,' he told himself, his mind a jumble of pain and confusion. 'I need to swim.' He couldn't remember why his need was so urgent. His body did as he commanded it though, managing to keep his head above the waves even as numbness spread through him, his body adjusting to the cold.

Some part of him knew he wasn't adjusting; it was too cold for that. This wasn't simply getting used to the temperature, his body was shutting down. He needed to get out of the water. But why was he in the water in the first place? Where was he? He had left Berk with… with Toothless. Toothless!

Struggling to glance upward, Hiccup recognized his dragon's shriek as he let loose the lightening within him. Everything rushed back to him, the flowers, his father, and the subsequent battle. A second shriek echoed the first, pulling him back to the present, and Hiccup could see just enough to recognize the Nightmare's cry as it fled. A dark shape dove – Toothless coming for him – but Hiccup could feel himself being lifted out of the water even as he kept Toothless in view.

One of the Nadders was still around, lifting him out of the water – a prize for the Red Death to kill herself. The Whispering Death had recovered from Toothless' earlier shot as well, attacking the Night Fury to cover for the Nadder.

Hiccup watched through a haze as the shadowy form of his friend battled the slender dragon, slowly getting smaller as the Nadder flew away. He ached all over; he could barely feel his feet or hands, and his leg and back were killing him. Not to mention that the Nadder was holding him quite uncomfortably by his upper arms, his shoulders aching in their sockets. But he had to do something. He wasn't going to die here. Not now.

Fumbling with his numb fingers – how long had he been in the water anyway? It was impossible to tell – Hiccup reached around until he got a better grip on the Nadder's legs. He knew dragons. He knew Nadders. He could do this. Reaching around with one hand he ran a finger lightly down the back of one of the legs, a sort of ticklish spot for Nadders. Sure enough the dragon released its claws and growled loudly, dropping one arm and allowing Hiccup to adjust his grip on the other leg.

No longer trapped by the dragon's claws, the dragon rider considered his options. He had seconds before the Nadder reacted badly. He could jump off – risk the icy water again and hope that Toothless got to him before the Nadder. Or he could try to climb the dragon, and hold it off until Toothless got there. The second option seemed to have a better chance of survival so, as the Nadder adjusted its legs, trying to dislodge him, he jumped, fumbling for a grip on the outstretched wing.

His weight pulled the Nadder downward momentarily, but that only afforded him the ability to climb up, making his way onto the dragon's back. Now he just had to stay there.

Clinging to the Nadder's neck, Hiccup tried to get the enemy dragon to turn around, to make things easier for Toothless to find him, but he couldn't quite manage it. Toothless was managing on his own just fine though, with only one dragon left to handle, and quickly raced after the Nadder.

Seeing his dragon coming, Hiccup lost his death grip on the Nadder's neck. If it had been any other situation, any other dragon, Hiccup would have hesitated. But this was Toothless. He jumped again, plummeting once more toward the frozen sea, and landed comfortably on the Night Fury's back. With a burst of speed they were gone, racing through the stacks briefly as they lost the last dragon behind them.

There was no time for celebration though. Caught up in the fight earlier, Hiccup had ignored the strong wind and the falling snow. Now, no longer dripping wet as the water on him began to freeze, it was all he could think about it. His mind was muddled with pain and numbness and, as he hunkered down on Toothless, he realized that he had been shaking for some time.

Hiccup wasn't an idiot. He lived in Berk; he knew the dangers of the cold weather, and in being wet when out during winter. He needed to find shelter. Now.

Thankfully Toothless was in tune with his rider's needs, and was in need of shelter himself. He made his way as quickly as he could to the island where Fishlegs was waiting, hordes of dragons milling about in the darkness, and landed near the fire that the young Viking had started.

"Hiccup!"

The boy in question frowned, shaking his head as he stumbled off the back of his friend. He could have sworn he had heard his name. But dragons didn't speak Norse.

"Hiccup!"

Strong hands gripped him tightly, dragging him towards the fire, and Hiccup blinked up at the larger teenager. "Fishlegs?" he tried to say.

Fishlegs didn't get a chance to respond. Before either of the humans could react, Toothless had grabbed his wayward human, tugging him against his stomach and curling around the freezing teen. Hiccup relaxed immediately, soaking in the warmth that emanated from the black dragon, and let his body finally drift off into unconsciousness.

When Hiccup woke it was to darkness, a curtain of black surrounding him on all sides. It took him a moment to realize that the source of the darkness was also the source of the heat behind him. He was wrapped up in Toothless' embrace. A quick knock on the wing in front of him was all it took to alert the dragon that he was awake. Toothless quickly shifted and Hiccup had to shut his eyes and blink rapidly at the blinding light.

The sun was high in the sky, all clouds from the previous days' storm long gone, and a coating of snow reflected the light back upward. Quite a few dragons were still lounging in the snow, tracks everywhere, while others flew high overhead. Thankfully it was dry where he was, a fire still burning in front of him.

The snow, the dragons, Toothless, even the fire – these weren't all that unexpected. The two people tending to the fire on the other hand… Well, Hiccup had to blink a few times to make sure he wasn't imagining things.

Forcing his sore body to sit up, Hiccup quickly held back a wince at the pain as dragons began to surround him. Toothless was at his back, Strangler peeking over the Night Fury worriedly. Ripwing had bounded forward the moment Toothless had shifted, staring down at the rider. The dragons from the arena had all perked up, shifting in front of the fire to study him. And behind all the dragons, standing by the fire, were Astrid and Fishlegs, trying to anxiously see through the dragons that surrounded him.

Hiccup blinked again, grateful for everyone's silence. He wasn't sure he could take all the growls and roars at the moment. "Is everyone all right?" he asked instead, glancing around anxiously. He felt quite small, sitting on the ground as he was, but he also didn't feel like moving at the moment.

There were growls of assent from all around him. A few voices asked how he was doing, Ripwing the loudest among them, and Hiccup finally figured he should take stock of his own injuries. His leg ached slightly, pain was emanating from his back, his throat felt scratched up (from swallowing water?), and he was sore all over. It was then that he realized that not all the blood covering him was his.

Twisting carefully, so as not to aggravate his injuries, Hiccup turned to meet the eyes of his best friend. "Fine," he responded, absentmindedly. "You?"

There were scratches on Toothless' belly, three long lines that were already healing, and Hiccup labeled them as the cause of the Night Fury blood that covered him. He also knew that Toothless' wing would still be bruised from the earlier battle, but he wasn't in the position to search out other injuries, leaning against his dragon as he was.

"Scratched belly, bruised wing, sore tail," Toothless said quickly, staring at Hiccup expectantly.

He and the Night Fury had come to an agreement quite some time ago, because fine didn't always mean fine when it came to Hiccup.

"Scratched back, sore throat, and stiff leg," Hiccup replied, knowing exactly what was expected of him. Toothless would tell him his injuries in exchange for learning about Hiccup's, they would tend to each other's wounds, and then neither of them would mention it again. Things worked best that way, when they weren't nagging each other to stay out of dangerous situations or take it easy for a while. They trusted each other to know their own limits, and they trusted themselves to watch over the other when necessary.

Around him, the dragons relaxed slightly as Hiccup admitted to his non-life threatening injuries. All would be okay.

Toothless himself let out a huff of relief, shifting slightly to help Hiccup stand. With one hand on his faithful friend, the two of them limping along together, Hiccup slowly made his way through the crowd of dragons that had gathered. He checked on their health, reassuring them of his and Toothless' own status. He answered their questions about the queen, and described what had happened to the group as a whole. He asked his own questions, gathering information from the dragons that had fled. All the dragons from the Cove were safe. Ripwing told him where his stuff had been set down. Dragons newly freed from the queen were eager to thank him.

But eventually, Hiccup found himself standing before Fishlegs and Astrid, and the Gronckle and Nadder who rested beside them. The three teens stared at each other for a long moment. Exhausted from holding court and the previous day's events, Hiccup didn't know what to say.

"You're really good at that."

Hiccup blinked, turning to Fishlegs, who had spoken. "What?" he asked, not quite understanding his friend's words.

"Being a leader," Fishlegs clarified, eyes moving over the horde of dragons that stood behind the dragon and rider. "You're really good at it."

Hiccup himself turned, finally taking in just how many dragons had been hounding him for answers. He rarely thought of himself as a leader, but Fishlegs was right. He had been moving among his, well, not his people exactly, but that's what they were. Hiccup had been soothing their fears, reassuring them to sweep away their doubts – the dragons looked to him for guidance.

"Thanks," he managed to respond, somewhat self-conscious.

Fishlegs smiled slightly and silence fell again. Hiccup moved his gaze to Astrid, who was looking at him as though seeing him for the first time.

"How's Berk?" he asked, remembering the task he had set her. Glancing over her and her dragon, neither of them seemed injured, but that didn't mean that Berk hadn't suffered any tragedies.

Much like Hiccup had, Astrid blinked, refocusing her gaze. "Berk is safe," she replied confidently. "Stormfly and I managed to hold off all the dragons that approached."

Hiccup grinned at the hidden meaning to her words. "Stormfly?"

Reaching up to pat the Nadder, Astrid blushed slightly in return, also grinning. "The snow fell pretty hard last night."

The battle seemed to have allowed the two to bond, finally trusting each other, and Hiccup was glad to hear it. One thing still puzzled him though. "Why are you guys here?" he paused, realizing that he sounded far less grateful than he was. "I mean, won't people be wondering where you are?" He pushed down all thoughts that said no one would care where he was. The people, the dragons, who cared were all with him now.

"We can miss one day," Astrid replied, shrugging. "Besides you…" she trailed off, clearly uncertain.

"You were injured," Fishlegs continued for her, glancing nervously at Toothless. "But Toothless, uh, he wouldn't let anyone see you." The Viking sound both admiring and disappointed, as though he had wanted to tend to Hiccup himself but had understood and respected Toothless' decision to not let them near.

Hiccup understood as well. He appreciated Fishlegs and Astrid's friendship, but he still expected them to get bored at any moment, to leave him behind and forget about the outcast who spoke with dragons. But if he had seen someone injured? Well he wouldn't have been able to leave without seeming them for himself either.

He didn't know what to say to the Viking though, so he merely nodded, looking around for a pile of the saddlebags Ripwing had carried for him. The Timberjack had reported that he and Fishlegs had unloaded them and Hiccup quickly located them stacked neatly by the fire. "I've got some bandages in those," he said, pointing, before glancing back at the two Vikings. They didn't look hurt but just to be sure… "Are either of you two injured?"

They both shook their heads and Fishlegs hesitated as he approached the many saddlebags. "I…" he looked back up at Hiccup. "I didn't exactly want to go through your stuff," he said apprehensively.

An emotion filled Hiccup, one that he associated with his first few years of hanging around dragons. He didn't have a name for it but it was definitely a good feeling. It came when Hiccup knew he was being respected. It was the feeling he got when he knew that others valued him, and accepted him for who he was.

Fishlegs had respected his privacy, had trusted that Toothless would look after Hiccup. It brought a faint smile to his face despite his exhaustion.

"It should be that bag," he said, pointing again, "the one with the mismatched thread." He had been experimenting with dyes that day.

Hurrying over with the bag, the two Vikings watched silently as Hiccup pulled out exactly what he needed with practiced ease. The dragons surrounding them began to disperse, returning to their previous activities, but a few remained, either watching Fishlegs and Astrid warily or peering worriedly at Hiccup and Toothless.

Hiccup ignored them all, turning to Toothless and tending to his wounds first. He sat down on the dry but frozen ground, waiting patiently as Toothless lay down beside him, rolling slightly to give the rider access to his wounds. Once the Night Fury had been tended to, he rolled up his pant leg and removed the bandages that had hastily been thrown on earlier. His leg was easy enough to handle, but when it came to his back he knew he couldn't do it himself. These situations were the worst, because as much as they both wanted it, Toothless couldn't help him. But Fishlegs and Astrid could. Hiccup turned reluctantly toward them.

"Could you?" he asked hesitantly, holding up the jar of salve in their direction.

Both of them moved at the same time, but Fishlegs was the one who stepped forward while Astrid only shifted slightly. The larger Viking took the jar from Hiccup and settled on the ground behind him, waiting while the rider removed his shirt.

Hiccup only hesitated for a brief second that time, knowing that there would be no hiding his scars. The scratch from the Bullrougher was practically healed, but that wasn't the only injury he had obtained over the years. Still, there was nothing he could do about it. He removed his shirt and turned his back to Fishlegs, handing him some bandages for once the wound had been treated.

Thankfully Fishlegs seemed to understand Hiccup reluctance and moved quickly but gently. The deed was done and Hiccup and Toothless could rest easy knowing that they were both healing as fast as they were capable.

The rider spent a bit more time going over information with the two humans, but he knew that they would need to return to Berk shortly. Promising to stay on the island and not strain himself, he sent Fishlegs and Astrid back to Berk on Meatlug and Stormfly. They arranged a meeting time and place – noon at the Cove in two days' time – and said their goodbyes.

Finally done with socializing, Hiccup leaned against his dragon and fell asleep once more.

When he woke again he finally felt well rested, even if he was still very sore, and he set to work on some sort of shelter. As warm and as comfortable as Toothless was, he couldn't rely on the Night Fury to protect him from the elements around the clock.

He spent the hours before night fall slowly plodding around the clearing, directing the dragons who were eager to help him and organizing his belongings. He ended up staying up quite some time after the sun had set, his sleeping habits messed up by his injuries, but eventually went to sleep sheltered from the wind by a lean-to that he had managed to construct.

The next day passed slowly for the rider. Forced to remain stationary in order to let both himself and his dragon heal, Hiccup had nothing to do but think. Wandering away from the lean-to and fire pit, looking for a source of fresh water, Hiccup allowed himself to get lost in his own thoughts. He had been too caught up in the danger, in his fear for his friends, for Berk, and for himself. He hadn't had time to think about all that had occurred in one short day. But so much had happened.

He couldn't go back to Berk. He had been banished, by the village. And not just banished, but disowned. For the first time, Hiccup allowed himself to think on the ramifications of his father's actions. He had been disowned. His place in Berk vanished for good – no more time at the forge, no laughing with Gobber, no more… well, actually, there wasn't much in Berk Hiccup would miss. But his place in the Haddock family was gone too. He wasn't a Haddock anymore and he knew, however much they had disagreed, that he would miss his father most of all.

Struggling to hold back tears, Hiccup sank down in the snow and realized the pointlessness of his venture. What did they need water for with all the snow that was around? He put his face into his hands, his father's words replaying in his mind: "You're not a Viking. You're not my son."

It didn't seem real, that he could no longer return to his house in the village – because while it might not have been home, it had mattered to him. His father had raised him, had cared for him, had even tried to protect him in his own misguided way. But Stoick was merely Stoick now – no longer his father, just the chieftain of a village he was forbidden from entering.

Caught up in his own self-pity, Hiccup stiffened as he felt something bump into his back (lightly, ever mindful of his injuries). Before he had even looked up, the rider knew who had found him.

"You're supposed to be healing," he murmured, pulling his face from his hands.

Toothless growled lightly. They hadn't started criticizing each other's injuries yet, the unspoken agreement remaining, and they weren't about to start know.

"I know, I know," Hiccup chirped back, sufficiently chastised, despite his friend's lack of words. "It's just, all finally hitting me." He had already told Toothless what his father had done, but neither of them had had much time to think on it. "Berk was my home for so long, I can't just forget about that."

"Don't," Toothless replied easily, with the understanding that came from being friends for so long. He might have hated what Berk had done to Hiccup, but he also knew that he couldn't forget what Berk had done for Hiccup. It had given Hiccup to him after all. "You can't forget about the past, but you shouldn't live there either," he cautioned. Dragons as a species tended to live in the present, and it was that advice he gave to Hiccup. "Focus on now instead. Right now, we need to focus on getting better, then we can worry about what comes next."

Hiccup nodded, grateful for his friend's words. He stood, only wavering slightly, and rested a hand on his dragon. "Right, time to change your-" at a sharp look from Toothless he quickly corrected himself "I mean our bandages."

They headed back to the clearing together, limping side by side, and as the trees cleared the reveal their new home, Hiccup stopped to take it in. His lean-to was just left of the center, near the smoldering fire pit that Fishlegs and Astrid had arranged, and he wondered at their new found friendship. He had gone so long being ignored by the village that the attention that had been heaped on him recently felt so weird. But he hadn't been ignored by everyone.

His gaze moved to the dragons still there, the young ones frolicking in the snow, the older ones resting near the trees. The reason it felt so weird, he realized, was because he the second half of his life he hadn't been ignored. The dragons had noticed him, had played with him, and respected his abilities.

Life in the village had gone from people disappointed to see him, criticizing his every move, to people ignoring him, not bothering to pay him any mind. He knew part of that was his own fault. He had been rather clumsy before he had met the dragons, he had made a lot of mistakes that wouldn't endear the village to him. And then, slowly, he had started leaving.

Spending more and more time in the Cove, none of the Vikings were witness to his mistakes anymore. They forgot about him as a trouble maker and started to think of him as a shadow – often in the background but completely useless and unable to do anything. No one talked about shadows.

Finding Toothless had been the best thing that could ever have happened to him, but it meant that Hiccup didn't trust the people of Berk. He didn't trust them to be kind to outsiders; he didn't trust them to protect those they mistreated. He didn't trust them to accept him for who he was.

But Fishlegs had spent a couple weeks with Meatlug, and Hiccup had trusted him with the safety of the dragons. Astrid had flown on Stormfly, and Hiccup had trusted her with the safety of the village. Neither of them had betrayed him yet, and just yesterday they had risked their own status in the village merely to see if he would be okay. No human had ever done anything like that for him before. Could he trust them? Did he already trust them?

Hiccup didn't know.

AN: Wow, I updated in less than two weeks! Unfortunately two data points is not enough to make a pattern, but hopefully I'll keep this up. Thanks for all the amazing reviews and please continue to let me know what you think!