A/N: I have returned! It's been 10 months after the previous update, I know. I've had a rough year. But I am determined to finish this. I have spend the past months thinking about where this story was going, and what the characters need to grow up. So I decided to add a bit more of an overarching plot to these one-shots. I realized there are… issues that won't be solved in a couple days. So, even though things might look grim now, they will get better eventually.

I also want to start updating more reliably. At least once every two weeks. Feel free to send me angry messages if I don't post enough :p. I hope people are still interested. If you have any suggestions, thoughts, complaints or queries, post a review or send me a PM!


"Okay gang, we all know why we're here, so let's get to it," Hiccup said as they landed their dragons in a clearing.

"We do?" Tuffnut asked loudly.

"I didn't hear anything," Ruffnut added. Hiccup shook his head as he carefully dismounted Toothless. He didn't want to slip on the unfamiliar ground. His bad leg was already aching, he didn't want to hurt it more.

"I told you guys three times already! Remember this morning? At the Academy?" he tried. Although he couldn't see their faces, he could sense them shaking their heads.

"I've got nothing," Tuffnut said, and Hiccup sighed.

"Right... Well, are you going to listen this time?" he asked, sighing in relief when they made affirmative noises.

"Johann told us yesterday that several islands he sailed past are damaged. Cliffs are collapsing, and he saw huge tunnels. The mining expedition to Granite Island saw tunnels and fissures as well. Something is tearing up nearby islands," Hiccup explained slowly. He wished he could see their faces to see if they were actually listening.

"Did you understand that?" he asked after a moment of silence, and Snotlout produced an angry sound.

"We get it! Big tunnels, islands disappearing, Johann telling crazy stories again! Now get to the point!" he yelled. A moment later there was a punching sound, and the boy groaned in pain.

"No need to yell, Snot," Astrid said, and Hiccup smiled, hoping she could see how grateful he was.

"Okay, the point is, if whatever is digging these tunnels comes to Berk, it could cause immense damage to the village. It could make houses collapse, destroy the water system, and more!" he said, hoping they could get to the scouting now.

"So... why is that a bad thing?" Ruffnut asked.

"Yeah, sounds like what we do, except BIG!" Tuffnut added gleefully, and not for the first time Hiccup wondered why he let these two join time and time again.

"Oh, for the love of... Do you want your house to fall into the sea?" he asked. Next to him, he sensed Astrid getting tense. He wished he could hold her hand, but they had agreed to not do that as much on Academy missions. It led to too much teasing.

"Well... maybe. If it's the will of Loki. This Great Destroyer sounds like a servant of Loki, and who are we to get in his way?" Tuffnut asked. Before Hiccup could come up with a response, Astrid spoke up.

"Didn't you used to say Hiccup was a prophet of Loki? Then why aren't you obeying him?"

"We decided we were wrong. He's too lame to be a prophet of the great trickster," Ruffnut chuckled. Hiccup felt his stump throb again at the mention of 'lame'. He knew the twins didn't mean it like that. The double meaning probably went way over their heads. But it still hurt.

"Fine, I'm not a prophet of Loki. But we're going to try and find this 'servant'. Don't you want to meet him?" he tried.

"Okay, but if the Destroyer treats us nicer than you do, we're totally joining him," Tuffnut said.

"It's a deal! Now let's go look at these tunnels before we lose all our daylight," he said, unsure of how much light they had left. To him it didn't matter, but the other riders were more concerned with the darkness.

They walked through the thick forest in relative silence for a while, searching for a tunnel. Hiccup's stump started to hurt more and more, and he wondered if the others noticed. If they did, they didn't say anything, just like they didn't joke about the constant tap-tap-tap of his cane as he checked for obstacles.

Just when the pain threatened to overwhelm him, Astrid took his hand in hers. At once his heart slowed down and the pain lessened. Weird how much of that pain was just in his head. They didn't need to say anything, his fingers signing to her that he'd be okay.

Suddenly Toothless growled loudly and ran ahead. The other dragons followed, causing the riders to shout and run as well. Hiccup and Astrid fell behind, and once again Hiccup cursed his inability to run without tripping or falling.

"Oh wow!" Snotlout shouted through the forest, and when Hiccup and Astrid caught up with them they heard the other riders talk enthusiastically as well.

"The destruction... it's real! Praise Loki!" Tuffnut said while Fishlegs started babbling about dragon statistics. Astrid started whispering in his ear.

"There's a huge cave on the side of the mountain. And we can see several tunnels even higher up. They're like twenty feet wide!" she said, barely audible over Toothless' loud growling.

"Easy, bud. It's probably just a dragon. No need to get worked up," Hiccup told the Night Fury while reaching out to pet him. Suddenly Toothless shook his hand off and sprang forward again, and Hiccup stumbled. Toothless had never done anything like that before.

"Let's go in, see if we can find what did this," he told the group, ignoring Fishlegs' worried rambling about how dangerous the dragon had to be. Astrid led him forward, towards the sound of Toothless' stomping and growling. The grass under his feet quickly made way for dirt and sand, and any sound they made produced echoes.

"Come on, bud. Settle down. Let's stay calm, okay?" Hiccup told his friend when they reached him again. This time the dragon accepted his petting, though Hiccup could feel the tension in his body.

"It's getting dark. Did anyone bring torches?" Astrid asked, and Fishlegs replied by digging in his bag. They paused for a moment, Hiccup listening to the sounds of Stormfly breathing, followed by the rustle of fire.

"Okay, Fish, stay in the middle with the torch. We'll cover you," Astrid said, before leading Hiccup forward again.

He couldn't see it, but Hiccup was fairly sure that he and Astrid were in front, with Fishlegs behind them. The twins giggled from beside the torchbearer, while Snotlout muttered unhappily in the rear. Their dragons surrounded them, silent except for the occasional grunt.

They walked for what felt like hours, though it was probably closer to five minutes. The twins occasionally awed over 'the power of Loki', while Snotlout muttered about getting lost in the maze of tunnels. Hiccup wasn't too worried. They had gone almost completely straight the entire time, so they should be able to find the exit easily.

"Fishlegs, what do you think made these tunnels?" Hiccup asked after a while.

"Uhm… circular digging, dirt seems to have been eaten rather than moved… Definitely something from the Boulder Class. Not a Gronkle. It must be a-" Fishlegs was suddenly interrupted by a loud roar from Toothless. Hiccup sensed the other riders turning around.

"Whispering Death…" Fishlegs whispered, and a second later Toothless jumped away from Hiccup and ran around the group, towards the way they came. Then another dragon roared.

"Okay, definitely a Whispering Death!" Fishlegs shouted.

"There! To the left! It's moving around us!" Astrid shouted as she released his hand to grab her axe.

"No, it's to the right!"

"Yeah, because you're looking the other way!"

"Wait, it's in front of us now!"

"Where did it go?"

The other riders were shouting as they moved their backs together. The dragons were growling softly, except for Toothless who was hissing while running around them.

"Stay calm!" Astrid shouted, while Hiccup gave up on trying to figure out what was going on. This was very different from the combat training he and Astrid had practiced.

Suddenly Fishlegs screamed loudly, and Hiccup felt something hot graze his leg. At the same time the sound of a tunnel collapse reached his ears. Toothless roared angrily.

"What the… What happened?"

"Are we dead?"

"Fool of an Ingerman! Set yourself on fire next time and rid us of your stupidity!"

"Shut up and focus! He wants us confused. We gotta move back the way we came. We need to get to light," Astrid said.

"But that thing just blocked the exit!"

"Stay calm. What happened?" Hiccup asked.

"We lost the light, and that… thing just blocked the way we came. It… It seems to have left now," Astrid said. Hiccup felt her search for his hand, and he grabbed hers. It was shaking slightly.

"Okay, that's not so bad," he said, trying to remain positive.

"Maybe not for you! We need light to see!" Snotlout shouted. Hiccup sighed deeply.

"Look, there must be other exits. We just have to find them. Stay together," he slowly said, trying not to show how nervous he was.

Toothless' roars died down, and he suddenly bumped against Hiccup's hand.

"There you are, bud. Why were you so angry?" he whispered while the other dragons talked with their riders.

"Maybe the dragons can give us light?" Ruffnut asked.

"Not for long. They can only breathe fire for a couple seconds, and there's nothing flammable," Fishlegs said.

"We can set Ruffnut on fire," Tuffnut said. The next moment a punching sound echoed through the cave.

Toothless perked up under Hiccup's hand, before producing a strange screech-like roar. The dragon repeated the roar several times while moving around them, before walking away from the group.

"I… I think Toothless wants us to follow him. Maybe he knows a way out. Come on, stay close together. Hold hands," he said. For once the other riders didn't complain. He could sense Snotlout briefly hesitate before grabbing Hiccup's other hand while muttering something he couldn't hear, but he didn't complain out loud.

Slowly the group followed Toothless. The Night Fury kept producing screeches and leading them through different tunnels. Thankfully the Whispering Death didn't seem interested in fighting them again.

"There! Light!" Fishlegs shouted after a few minutes, and the other riders sighed in relief when the ground made way for grass again.

While the gang took in heavy gulps of the fresh forest air Hiccup moved to Toothless.

"How'd you do that, bud?" he asked, and the dragon responded by moving back and forth between the cave and the outside, screeching as he went. It took a minute, but then it clicked.

"Seeing with sound, eh? Clever guy," he whispered.


Waves crashed against the high cliffs as a cold wind blew heavy gray clouds across the sky. The cliffside seemed deserted, not even the nimblest wildlife daring to traverse the treacherous hills, caves and crevices. Silence reigned, except for the endless rhythmic splashing of the waves as they advanced and retreated.

As Astrid looked at the ocean attacking the mountainside, she was reminded of her mother's stories of Njordr, the god of the sea, and his wife Skathi, goddess of the mountains. Their marriage was not a happy one, arranged by the other gods. They fought often, mostly over whether their house should be at the shore or on the mountaintop.

Astrid wondered if the violent waves were the manifestation of yet another argument.

Stormfly squawked, alerting Astrid to a black shape resting on the cliffside. They landed a few dozen yards away, not wanting to frighten the boys who were so close to falling over the edge. Their dangerous location made Astrid anxious, and not for the first time she wondered if her boyfriend was slightly insane.

"Hey!" she shouted between the sounds of two waves, and Hiccup waved in her direction. Toothless perked up when Stormfly squawked loudly, and the two dragons ran off to play.

"Your dad is looking for you," Astrid said as she walked up to Hiccup, nervous about his legs dangling over the edge. One push and he'd fall a hundred feet into the rocks and water below. She wondered if he even realized how high it was.

"Did he say why?" Hiccup asked as she carefully lowered herself to sit next to him. She didn't dare to lean over the edge, a fear Hiccup evidently didn't share as he energetically swung his legs back and forth.

"He said he was worried about you. Apparently you left before dawn, and he hadn't seen you all day," she said, and Hiccup groaned.

"I'm fine. He shouldn't worry so much. I just want to be alone sometimes, you know?" he said, and she nodded. Hiccup was so distant lately, disappearing during the night and returning at odd hours. She supposed night and day didn't matter much when you're in permanent darkness, but that didn't mean he should just let everybody who cared about him worry. It was something he was doing more and more.

"I can sympathize. Sometimes I get sick of my mother too," she said as she put her arm around his shoulders and kissed his cheek, making him smile. Astrid wondered what he was thinking about. If she didn't know better she might have thought he was admiring the view. The wild water, reflecting sunlight piercing the gray clouds, created an amazing image, making her feel small as she was confronted with the incredible power of the gods. But his blindfold disproved that possibility. It didn't matter to Hiccup if it was sunny or cloudy, or if the waves were calm or restless.

They sat in comfortable silence for a while, no words needed as they rested at the end of the world.

"So what do you do out here all day?" she eventually asked. Hiccup pulled himself back from the cliff and stood up, retrieving his cane lying in the grass a few feet away. She followed, curious.

"Remember how Toothless got us out of that cave a few weeks ago? I figured out how he did it. He used sound to sense where obstacles were. Like… Wait, let me show you," he said as he walked away from the cliff towards the mountain, the waves making him hard to hear.

Hiccup started tapping the ground as he usually did when he walked, but now he also moved the other end of the cane to hit his knife in every swing, creating melodic sounds. Unsure of what he was doing, Astrid followed close behind, keeping an eye on where Hiccup walked to make sure he wouldn't fall down a fissure or something.

"Do you hear it? The difference?" he eagerly asked as he walked past a cave opening, hitting his knife all the while.

"Just the sound of metal on metal," she said, frowning.

"Don't listen to the initial sound. Listen to the echo. Can you hear it? There's a different echo based on my surroundings!" he said. But no matter how hard she strained her ears, she couldn't hear the difference.

"I can't… I'm not hearing it," she said, and Hiccup looked a bit dejected, before raising his head and hitting the knife even harder as he walked back and forth between the inside and outside of the cave. Eventually she sort of heard a difference between the cave and the open field, but it was so subtle that she barely noticed.

"Sort of? It's hard to hear, especially with the waves crashing," she eventually said, and Hiccup shrugged.

"I use the waves here to time it. They're regular and repetitive, so I use them to count how long it takes for an echo to return. The further away an obstacle is, the longer the echo takes," Hiccup explained, and Astrid wasn't really sure what to say. His hearing was much sharper than hers, but even then it seemed so subtle and vague that it was probably useless. Not to mention the fact that the continuous ringing sounds made her head hurt.

"And… you can use this to navigate?" she hesitantly asked, feeling very doubtful of this technique.

"I think so! Like, I can tell whether I'm in the cave or not, without having to feel the walls. And I think I can tell where the cave's mouth is if I'm in it. I also noticed that trees sound different from stone, but I have to practice that more," he said, and she sighed. Hiccup had a tendency to become overly enthusiastic of things that turned out to be useless, as his long list of abandoned inventions showed. Astrid couldn't help but think this was another one of those. Though usually he wouldn't spend this much time on a failing project.

"So if I dumped you in the forest right now, could you use it to find your way back without running into anything? Can you use it to navigate the village?" she asked, and Hiccup frowned.

"Uh… I don't think so… but maybe with more practice I can sort of figure out where trees are…" he said, and she sighed deeply. There was more going on here than him just trying out something cool. He was avoiding everyone, and this seemed to be just an excuse.

"Hiccup… What are you doing out here? And don't say practicing this… trick," she added when he opened his mouth. "Why are you really out here? What's wrong?" she softly asked, putting her hand on his shoulder. He flinched away, not at all what she had expected.

"What's wrong, what's wrong?! That's what everybody asks! All day, every day!" Hiccup shouted, and the ferocity of his words made Astrid take a step back as the sound echoed through the cave. "What's wrong, are you hurt, can I help you, are you lost, are you sure you should do that, you're blind after all!" he continued in a sarcastic childlike tone.

"And I'm just… I'm so sick of it. Of everyone treating me like I'm made of glass, like I'm going to shatter at the tiniest struggle, like I can't do anything by myself. And I just… I want to get away from that. Out here it's quiet and there's no one to worry about me and tell me I shouldn't be doing something because I'm too damn weak to walk through the village by myself! Like… Even at the Dragon Academy everyone treats me like that. Don't think I don't notice it. You're all going out of your way to make it easier for me. And I don't want that. Just treat me like one of your own," he said as he turned away from her, moving back towards the shore.

"Hiccup… I don't want that. You are special and different, whether you like it or not. And… I thought you liked that. Liked having people notice you and care about you. Aren't you happy that people are treating you nicely now?" she asked as she walked up behind him, reaching out to take his hand in hers. He reluctantly returned her grasp, and his fingers showed signs of pain and frustration.

"I… I was at first. But… not like this. I don't want pity. I don't want them to keep moving the goalposts and have this stupid… fake sympathy and… acting like I'm so pathetic that they're impressed if I can walk through the village by myself. I want to be part of Berk, but everyone seems determined to make it clear that I'm not like them. Not like you," he slowly said, and she sighed.

"I don't think it's fake. They're just worried. They care. And I'm sorry if I made you feel like that. You know I just want you to be safe, right? I worry. It's hard to forget the times when you were in danger, when you lost your eyes, lost your leg. It's… I don't want you to be in pain. I caused you enough pain," she said, trying to pour her love into those words and explain how much he meant to her.

"I know. I know that I am more vulnerable, but it's… You're strong. Everybody knows you're strong. No one doubts that. But me… No one thinks I'm strong. Even though I feel like I'm stronger or smarter or more capable than they think. No one looks at that. They just… They see Hiccup the Blind, they don't see… me," he said, and she put her other arm around him, pulling his back against her chest.

"I think you're strong. In my mind you're the strongest person on the island. But Hiccup, if you want everyone else to see that and change their behavior, you should show them," she said, and he bowed his head and hunched his back, making him look even smaller in her arms. She gently pulled him down to a sitting position, sitting down beside him, her arms still around his shoulder.

"Can't you talk to them for me?" he softly asked, and she was overcome by a wave of frustration. Why couldn't he see how strong he really was? Why was his confidence so low? Why did she have to hold his hand for everything?!

"No," she said, trying to make it clear that this was not up to discussion. "You're gonna have to do it yourself. I can't help you with everything, and if you want them to respect you, you're gonna have to show them you're worthy of respect. And sending your girlfriend to do it in your place because you're too scared won't do that. They'll say you won't be the real chief, that you're my puppet who is easily manipulated. You're the one who needs to show them they're wrong," Astrid said, and Hiccup flinched in her arms, clearly hurt. A spike of guilt hit her, but she knew he needed to hear this. Hiccup remained silent for a long time.

She suddenly noticed his braids were undone again. His irregular schedule meant that sometimes she didn't have the opportunity to braid him for days at a time. She wondered if it affected him, to have a reminder that she loved him, even when she wasn't there. Astrid decided not to risk it, and moved her hands to add a tiny braid, hoping her soft motions would calm him as he thought.

"Wouldn't they be right? About me being a puppet?" He eventually asked softly, and she could hear so much… defeat in his voice. Before she could answer, he continued. "It's complicated, okay? I just feel so… split. Like, I want to get away but I also want company, and I want them to help me but I also don't want that, and it's… I'm so nervous all the time, and I don't want to anger people or make them fight or… I don't know," he stuttered, and she pulled him a little tighter against her before starting on another braid, hoping her presence would ground him and prevent a dark day.

"You wouldn't be a puppet. You're smart and capable, but just… too shy and humble. But Hiccup… Here's the thing. I can't understand what you're going through, what you're feeling. I can try, but I don't think I can ever understand what it's like to be blind and crip- without a leg, and… I want to help. But I never know quite how. So… I'm glad you're telling me this, and I won't argue with you or tell you that your echo plan is stupid or wrong or something. But you can't run from all these problems forever," she said, stopping for a moment to collect her thoughts as she finished the braid. She had to say this right.

"I don't think this is the way. This echo thing, it's… I don't think it's going to be useful. There are better things you could do with your time. You could do combat training, or spend more time at the Academy, or learn about chiefing with your dad. Spend time interacting with people. That would earn the villagers' respect more than randomly disappearing without telling anyone," she finished. Hiccup was silent for a while, and she added a third braid as she leaned against him, trying to make him feel safe.

"I don't think it's useless. It needs a lot of practice, but I think I can really do great things with this. It'll be useful when I'm out exploring, or in an unfamiliar location, or inside a cave or something," he eventually said, and she stopped braiding for a moment to squeeze his hand.

"I won't say you have to do this or that. You know what being blind is like, and I trust you to know what's most useful. Just… think about what I said. It's great that you're trying to become so independent and strong on your own, but… don't forget about me and the others, or how it makes you look, okay?" she said, and he nodded.

"Okay," he whispered, and she kissed his cheek in reply before tying up the third braid.

"I have to go back now. Look… I won't tell your dad I found you, or where you were. If you want you can stay here for a while. But remember he cares about you. Don't make him worry too much," Astrid said as she stood up and walked back to the cliffside where the dragons were playing.

"Come on, Stormfly, we're going back," she called out to the Nadder, who ran over to her. Toothless followed, and when he noticed his rider was distressed the dragon immediately moved to lick and comfort him.

"Don't stay out too late. It's nearly dinnertime already!" Astrid said as she mounted Stormfly, and Hiccup nodded.

"Thanks for finding me. And listening. I love you, Astrid," he said as he petted Toothless, and she smiled.

"Anytime, Hiccup. I love you too," she called back, and a second later Stormfly flew off. The echoes of Hiccup once again hitting his knife with his cane followed her, and she couldn't help but wonder if he'd rather listen to echoes than to her.


Hiccup tiptoed into the house, hoping he could slip into bed without his father noticing. Normally he'd have flown up to his window and climbed in through there to avoid the creaking stairs. But Toothless had been restless when they neared Berk, and insisted they land earlier, before running off when his rider dismounted. Hiccup thought it was odd, but he was too tired to question it. Maybe Toothless wanted to visit Stormfly or nap outside.

"There you are! Where have you been?" his father's booming voice put an end to any hope of a silent entry. Hiccup cursed softly before turning to the dinner table where Stoick must be sitting. Damn the blindness making it impossible to sneak.

"Oh, you know, here and there, flying… I'm really tired though, so I think I'm gonna go to bed," Hiccup said before faking a yawn, desperately hoping his dad wouldn't start the 'responsibility' speech again.

"Son," the tone of that single word made it clear that the gods still hated him. "We were supposed to go inspect the village together today. But instead you go out flying. Again. Like every day for the past two weeks," Stoick continued, disappointment dripping from every word. Hiccup felt his head drop and his shoulders slouch. He felt small.

"Sorry, Dad. It's just… I've been working on something important with Toothless, and I needed silence for that, and the village, well…" he hoped a joke would help, but then he remembered who he was talking to. Stoick didn't laugh.

"And you don't think inspecting the village is important? You're gonna be chief one day, Hiccup. Act like it. Because frankly I don't think you're taking it seriously at all. You seem to treat it like a joke," Stoick boomed, making Hiccup take a step back. He didn't need to see to know his father's expression right now.

Hiccup wished he could explain that becoming chief was anything but a joke to him. That the prospect terrified him. That he wasn't ready, that he didn't think he would ever be ready. He couldn't even imagine being responsible for an entire village. If they didn't even trust him to walk without hurting himself, then how could they ever trust him to lead the through war or famine?

But if he couldn't explain that to Astrid, couldn't even explain it to himself… Then how could he explain it to his very terrifying father?

So instead of excuses or explanations he decided to take the path of least resistance.

"I'm sorry," he said softly. The apology was followed by a heavy silence, like Stoick hadn't expected that at all.

Eventually his father just sighed deeply. "Very well. Now you're coming with me. No excuses, no early bedtime. It's not even sundown yet. I found something… disturbing during my inspection that I want you to take a look at," he said, and Hiccup decided not to argue. So he just nodded and followed his father's loud footsteps out of the house.

Stoick didn't speak while they walked, and Hiccup was glad that at least he didn't get a longer lecture. Though maybe he'd get it after this trip.

He frowned when he noticed that they were walking towards the outskirts of the village. From what his father said earlier Hiccup had expected them to visit one of the shopkeepers or seamen with a broken tool he had to fix, or a villager whose dragon was sick. But out here was nothing but yak farms and fields of grain.

"Is something wrong with the crops?" he asked, breaking the awkward silence. If there was a fungus or locust infestation it could be disastrous for the harvest.

"Not the crops as such. More… the ground under the crops," Stoick said without slowing down. Suddenly Hiccup's ears picked up on another sound disrupting the wind blowing through the grain. Growling.

"Toothless?" Hiccup asked when he recognized the voice, and he ran ahead to find his friend. The dragon sounded angry.

He only managed to run for a few seconds before he tripped on a root. But before he hit the ground he was yanked back by something grabbing his vest.

"Easy son. Be careful, you nearly fell into what I wanted to show you," Stoick said as he lowered Hiccup back to solid ground. Frowning, Hiccup took his cane and felt in front of him, searching for the thing.

He couldn't find anything. Toothless kept growling, now from right beside him.

"Uh… What?" he asked, feeling very confused.

"It's a hole, Hiccup. A tunnel just like the ones Johann mentioned. The ones you found on Granite Island. Not even half a mile from the village," Stoick explained.

"Okay, that's not good," he said, trying not to show his shock. The Whispering Death was on Berk, and already burrowing through the nearby farms.

"Indeed. That's why you should be on Berk, son. I need you and the Dragon Academy to get rid of this dragon. I know we don't hunt them anymore, but we can't allow it to destroy our home," Stoick said, by now barely audible over Toothless' growls. Hiccup could sense the dragon leaning into the hole.

"Okay, but how are we supposed to do that? The last time we tried to fight it it nearly killed us!" Hiccup said, gesturing wildly at the hole with his cane.

"You're the expert, you figure it out. That's part of being chief. Part of being a Viking," his father said clearly, and Hiccup knew there was no point in arguing.

"Fine, let me just get the other riders," he said, reaching out to Toothless. But the moment before he found the saddle there was a rustle beneath them, making the ground shake. Toothless roared loudly, pushing Hiccup's hand away and jumping into the hole. The sudden movement combined with the crumbling ground made Hiccup lose his balance, and before he knew it he was falling a disturbingly deep distance. A moment later he hit the ground hard.

"Toothless?" he groaned as he tried to get back to his feet. Thankfully he didn't seem to have broken anything. But why wasn't Toothless licking him, making sure he was alright?"

"Hiccup! Are you okay?!" Stoick shouted. The voice sounded distorted when the walls around Hiccup caused echoes.

"I'm… I'm fine. But Toothless is gone," he shouted back.

"Stay there! I'm getting Astrid and the other riders! We'll get you out of there!" his father shouted. The words were followed by the sound of fading footsteps.

"Right… The gods still hate me. At least I know that," Hiccup muttered before feeling around. He quickly found his cane. At least that had fallen into the hole with him. He always felt lost without it. Not that he didn't feel lost now. He was in some unknown maze of tunnels, Odin only knew how big it was, and his seeing dragon seemed to have run off. Hiccup didn't really dare to call out. The Whispering Death was nearby, after all.

So he decided to, for once, follow his dad's instructions and sit tight. With a sigh he sat down against the nearest wall and began to count the seconds.

He got to fifty-three when a screech echoed through the tunnels, making him jump to his feet. A loud roar followed, and Hiccup recognized Toothless' voice. Echoes of stomping, running, and growling reached his ears.

Toothless must be fighting this dragon. Hiccup couldn't sit by and let his friend deal with it alone! So, knowing his dad would yell at him later for it, he walked in the direction of the sounds.

Using the cane to feel the walls was slow going. The sounds were becoming more muffled, like the dragons were moving away from him. Deciding he could risk it, Hiccup began to tap his knife with the cane as quietly as he could while still producing echoes.

At once the room layout became clearer. There was a wall right in front of him, and empty space to the left, the same direction as the sounds came from. Hiccup followed the tunnel, occasionally making more echoes whenever he reached a fork. The dragon sounds were getting closer, and now Hiccup could hear plasma blasts as well, followed by the sounds of falling rubble.

Soon after he found several caved-in tunnels. Was Toothless trying to trap the Whispering Death? Hiccup kept walking slowly as the sounds died down. Was the battle over? Did Toothless trap or kill it?

Without warning the wall next to Hiccup exploded as something burst through. Hiccup fell to his feet, raising his cane in a desperate attempt to defend himself from the dragon. He could hear razor-sharp teeth spinning in the mouth, and he was sure he would die any moment now.

Then a loud roar, louder than he had ever heard Toothless before echoed through the cave. The Whispering Death immediately retreated. Toothless ran after it, apparently not even checking on Hiccup.

"Come on, bud! Let me help you! You don't have to do this alone!" he called, before starting to chase the Night Fury. The rest of the tunnel was fairly straight, and Hiccup only stumbled a few times before he felt the dirt under him make way for grass. The sounds of snapping branches and stomping paws filled the air as Toothless chased the Whispering Death.

"Stop! If you let me ride we can fight it together! What is wrong?" Hiccup shouted, running as fast as he could. He quickly stopped tapping the ground with his cane, feeling for trees with outstretched arms instead.

"Hiccup!" Astrid's voice called out from somewhere above him.

"Astrid! Toothless is chasing the Whispering Death! He won't let me help!" he shouted back, hoping she could hear him over Toothless' running just ahead of him. Suddenly the trees and bushes disappeared. He must have entered a clearing.

"Look out!" Astrid screamed. Hiccup instinctively raised his cane into a defensive position without slowing down, thinking the Whispering Death must be attacking.

Hiccup wasn't proud of the high-pitched scream that escaped his mouth when the ground under his feet suddenly disappeared and he was falling.

"HELP! TOOTHLESS!" he screamed. If he hit the ground at this speed he would be dead, no doubt about it. Somewhere behind him he heard Astrid urge Stormfly to catch him, and the other riders were shouting, but they were all too far away.

Just when he said his final prayers a growl rang out right next to him. Hiccup did not hesitate, reaching out to grab the saddle and putting his foot in the pedal.

"URP!" Toothless roared, Hiccup already on it as he set the fin to the 'up' position.

"Thanks, bud. Thanks. Now let's show that dragon he's not welcome here," he said, catching his breath when they roughly levelled out. Toothless growled in agreement, before giving him flying commands. Astrid was rallying the other riders, and they seemed to be surrounding the Whispering Death.

Toothless didn't hesitate in his commands and actions, circling around while the other riders pinned down the enemy. Suddenly he pounced, diving down and landing on top of the Whispering Death. Then the Night Fury roared and roared and roared, loud enough to make Hiccup's ears hurt.

Just when Hiccup was sure that Toothless would kill it, his friend jumped off. The Whispering Death shuddered, making a soft chirping sound, before flying off in the direction of the cliff and the sea beyond it.

"Should we chase it?" Astrid asked, landing next to him. Hiccup shook his head.

"I think Toothless scared it enough. It probably learned that there's no place for him here," he said, trying not to show how shaken he was as the other riders landed.

"Are you alright?" You… I was scared there, when you fell," she softly said. He nodded, but before he could answer fully the other riders landed.

"Dude, that was awesome! You just jumped off the cliff to get on Toothless!" Tuffnut shouted.

"I didn't mean to-" he said, before being interrupted.

"Yeah, that was badass! But also stupid. If we did something like that, you'd yell at us. Though we're not as close with Barf and Belch as you are with Toothless. You guys like, read each other's minds!" Ruffnut said. Hiccup blushed at their praise, when he recognized the sound of another dragon. A Thunderdrum.

"He should yell at you. And I'm not too happy about that stunt either. Didn't I tell you to wait in that cave?" Stoick boomed, and any pride Hiccup had felt melted away.

"I'm sorry, Dad. But Toothless was fighting the Whispering Death, and I couldn't abandon him, could I?" he said softly, feeling very small.

"Maybe, but that's no reason to run off a cliff! You… You could have died! That was very irresponsible," his father shouted. Hiccup could sense the other riders moving back. He didn't blame them. But he still listened for Astrid, hoping for help from her. Suddenly he remembered her words.

"No. You're gonna have to show them your strength yourself. I can't help you with everything."

He knew she was right, and that this was a good opportunity for that. He tried to gather his courage, to tell his father about the echolocation and that he found his own way out. That he could defend himself with his cane, that he had faith in Toothless to catch him, and that he was stronger than Stoick thought.

But then he heard his dad sigh, and the disappointment he heard there made all his courage disappear. What was the point anyway?

"I… I'm sorry," he mumbled, lowering his head. Stoick sighed again.

"It's alright. But don't do anything like that again. And tomorrow you're not going flying. We're going to inspect the village together," he said, and Hiccup just nodded, before following Thornado when he flew off. He passed Astrid, and he could almost feel her disappointment. He didn't know what to say, and then the moment passed. Hiccup felt her angry gaze on him as he flew away.