Here's the next chapter! ENJOY!

The battle was over and Astrid collapsed from exhaustion. Her head injury finally took hold and the loss of blood made her muscles hard to move. Ruff and Tuff, who weren't as injured, had decided to take her to their house and let her sleep while they cleaned her wounds. They wrapped up her side and cleaned her head. They then cleaned their own wounds then collapsed next to her. The rest of the village had been busy with cleaning up after their victory and soon they were sitting or lying down in exhaustion.

It was midday when Astrid woke up with a start remembering that Dragon needed her. Her sudden movements jolted Ruff and Tuff awake and almost knocked her back down. Her head spinned and she felt sick. She held onto the wall until the world stopped spinning.

"Five more minutes mom," Tuff mumbled.

"Astrid. What's the rush?" Ruff asked drowsily.

"Dragon. He's still out there dying. I can't believe I slept this late."

"Who's Dragon?" Tuff asked half asleep.

"Never mind," Ruff shushed.

"Oh, gods. I can't believe it. I've never done this before," Astrid stressed as she tried to get to the door.

"Well you did just fight a long battle," Tuff mumbled.

"And took several injuries but he's got a point. Nonetheless, someone needs to be by his side. He's helped us several times, it's the least we can do."

"Who helped us several times?" Tuff asked.

"None of your business!" Ruff snapped. Then she said softly, "Yet."

"Thanks. I'm stopping by Gobber's to let him know that I'm alright then I'm heading over."

"Alright. I'll meet up later. I want to see him one more time."

Astrid nodded and headed out of the door still completely exhausted and doing her best to keep the world from spinning.

Ruff watched her friend head towards Gobber's house and was about to shut the door when movement caught her eye. She looked and saw a large tired mob headed toward Gobber's house as well with Dagur in the lead. He had a grim but mischievous grin on his face which put a shiver down her spine.

He's up to something.

"Tuff! Wake up!" Ruff said as she kicked her brother who had fallen back asleep.

"No." Tuff mumbled.

"Yes! We need to get the others." Ruff put on her boots and walked to the door.

"Why?" Tuff asked as he forced himself up.

"Dagur's up to something deranged and uncool."

"Gobber?" Astrid asked as she entered his house. If he was asleep, she didn't want to wake him. She could always leave a note. She walked in a little farther, closing the door behind her. As she looked around the corner, she watched as he got up.

"Astrid?" she heard him ask in relief. "Oh, I thought something had happened. I couldn't even find the twins." He walked up to her quickly and embraced her in a huge Viking hug. Astrid was a bit surprised but she didn't fight it. She suddenly realized how much she missed hugs and how amazing they felt when given by someone who loved you. She loved Dragon's hugs but it was a different feeling when it's your own species giving you one.

Astrid melted into the hug as she said, "The twins must have taken me to their house after the battle. I don't even remember going there."

"Well thank Thor that you're alright." He put her down and suddenly had a serious expression on his face. "You're hurt."

"What do you mean?"

Gobber led her to a shiny piece of metal and showed Astrid her reflection. She lifted her hand to her head to touch the bandage that encompassed her head. "Oh. That explains why the world keeps spinning."

"At least the twins bandaged you and that you're alive."

"Yeah." She then turned to see that his wounds were still uncared for. "But yours aren't. Let me." She led him over to a chair and got the things she needed to clean his wounds and wrap them. She looked up and saw another grim expression on his face. "What?"

"Dragon was here."

"Yes I know."

"You did?"

"Yeah. He saved my life. Alvin was about to throw me off the cliff and Dragon blasted him off the cliff instead."

"So Alvin's dead?" Gobber asked with a hint of hope in his voice.

"No. I saw him swim to his ship."

"Darn." His face dropped in disappointment then contorted into confusion. "How did Dragon know you were in trouble?"

"I have no idea. He just appeared out of nowhere. Maybe he followed me the moment I left. He seemed just as concerned when the horn went off."

"Is he getting any better? I didn't get a chance to get a good look at him."

Astrid's shoulder's dropped and she lowered her eyes. "Dragon isn't sick. He's dying Gobber."

"What?" Gobber was shocked. "That's even stranger than the sudden sickness. How do you know?"

"The light in his eyes are fading and his scales are fading to a dark auburn. Not to mention the impossible temperature of his scales."

"But how-" Gobber was interrupted by a pounding on his door. Astrid stopped her nursing as she rose to get the door. Gobber put his hand out to stop her. "I can get it." He went to answer it and found Dagur with most of the village behind him. "What can I do for you?"

"You're being accused of treason," a voice called out.

"What? By whom?" Gobber asked astonished.

"By me," Dagur sneered.

"What's the charge?" Gobber asked. Astrid had come closer to the door to hear better.

"I heard you the other day, Gobber, say that you befriended a dragon."

Gobber scoffed at the idea. "Yea sure. What proof do you have?"

The rest of the villagers nodded at Gobber's question. They didn't believe Dagur's accusations and wanted to the truth for themselves. Besides they were too tired to get into a deep investigation.

"For one, you've been acting suspicious lately. Sneaking off into the woods."

"So? I could be working on a project for Stoick." The villagers nodded in acceptance of that answer.

"How about your sudden interest in all of the dragon manuals and Bork's notes?"

The villagers went silent to this and waited for the defense to this new accusation. There had been no need to read them since the dragons had stopped attacking. Gobber thought quickly as Astrid began to panic. "One of the twins asked me a question about a dragon I couldn't remember. I went to research it."

The villagers nodded once again in acceptance while Astrid released the breath she was holding. Dagur on the other hand smiled evilly.

"Very well, I guess I could have been mistaken." He turned to leave but then stopped and asked slyly. "What about the dragon I saw you talking to during last night's battle?"

Everyone went into an eerie silence. In the house, Astrid's eyes went wide with fear and her breathing quickened. The village looked at Gobber and Gobber began to panic. He'd been caught and there was no way to get out of this. Astrid began to panic and tried to find some way to protect him.

"It's true?" one villager whispered and soon the entire mob was in an uproar. They couldn't believe that the chief's best friend would do something so evil and vile.

"Arrest him!" one said.

"He's betrayed us!" a woman shouted.

Several of the larger Vikings came forward and grabbed Gobber who fought them and tried to explain. "You don't understand. That dragon isn't like the ones we used-"

"It doesn't matter," Dagur said. "You betrayed the village."

In the corner of his eye, Gobber saw the twins, Snotlout, Fishlegs, Camicazi, and Heather join the crowd. But what really made his heart race was the voice that began to defend him from behind.

"Stop it! He's not a traitor!" Astrid yelled as she stepped out of the house.

The mob and Dagur looked at her in surprise. They had no idea that she was in the house yet there she stood with a bandage around her head. She took it off to be taken a bit more seriously and starred them down aggressively.

Dagur smiled a pitiful smile and approached her.

"Oh dear Astrid. You're adoptive parent and friend is in a big mess isn't he?" He then turned to where only Astrid could hear him and said. "I can clear up this little mess if you just answer me correctly."

"What is it? What do I have to answer correctly?" Astrid spat already knowing what it would be.

"Say you'll marry me and be mine and let me do with you like I wish and I will convince the village that I may have been seeing things."

"What?"

"One little word will save him from being delivered to Valhalla sooner than anticipated."

Astrid thought about it for a second. I don't want Gobber to die for my treachery. But befriending someone isn't a crime. Dragon is innocent and kind. I don't want to lose Dragon or Gobber but at the same time I don't want Dagur to touch me. He's got me between a rock and a hard place. She looked around Dagur at Gobber and looked at him. She expected fear and worry but instead she saw denial and knowing.

Gobber saw the dilemma in her eyes. He knew exactly what Dagur had whispered to Astrid and he wouldn't let her do what she was thinking of doing. He hollered. "I will defend Dragon even if it means my death Astrid. Don't give up your freedom for me."

Astrid looked back at Dagur and thought about Dragon. About all that he'd done for her and the village. She narrowed her eyes and looked at Dagur in the eyes and firmly said, "No."

She then pushed him aside and announced the village. "Gobber is not the traitor. I am." The village gasped in horror. Their most promising young Viking had sided with the dragons as well as the chief's friend. Astrid continued when the murmuring died down a little. "Dragon saved my life in the forest a few weeks ago. I couldn't repay that good act by killing him."

"How did he save your life?" a villager asked. Dagur furled his eyebrows in concern at what was about to be said. Gobber and Ruffnut, on the other hand, smiled knowing that what he was about to get the same treatment he tried to dish to Gobber.

"I was being attacked in the forest by-"

"What does it matter?" Dagur interrupted. "She's in league with Gobber. They protected the beast together. Gobber lied for her when asked of her whereabouts. They could use it this monster to attack Berk! It was here last night! It was probably watching our weaknesses and figuring out when it was best to strike."

"No! That's not true!" Astrid protested. "He wouldn't do that! He's kind and protective of-"

"You. You're its mistress. It'll come after us in the middle of the night."

"No! He'll never do something like that. He's gentle and safe and comforting."

"You sound as if you have deep feelings for this ugly creature!"

"He's not the creature who's ugly, Dagur. You are!" Astrid spat back. The village murmured in shock. Astrid had insulted the most popular young man in the village. He was strong, good looking and an excellent fighter. Her friends, on the other hand, were smiling with approval and silently cheered.

Dagur began to lose his temper. "This is a dragon people! He roams in our forest where our little ones play, where our herds roam and graze. This beast could take your children." Parents gasped and held onto the little ones nearby.

"He could burn our town in our sleep. Destroy our food storage. Destroy our armory so that we can't fight back. Burn our ships so that we can't escape. It's a dragon and a big one with large claws and enormous teeth. A tail that can decapitate you and wings that can smother you."

"He's dangerous!" one Viking said.

"We're not safe till it's dead!" another shouted.

"I want its head mounted on the Great Hall wall!" shouted another.

"We must defend Berk!"

"Protect our children!" a woman hollered.

"Protect our families!"

Dagur smiled at the chaos that he now created. "Grab you axes, your hammers, your swords, you spears, and your arrows. Grab the bolas, the ropes, and catapults. We're going to find this beast and destroy it."

"NO!" Gobber yelled as he fought to get out of his entrapment. "You can't do this! He's harmless! He can't fight back! He's sick!"

"Oh, too bad. Lock him up!"

"You're a monster! You can't do this! I won't let you! He's my friend!" Astrid yelled as she went to help release Gobber. She was grabbed by two large Vikings before she could get any closer.

"Lock her up as well! We don't want them to go and warn the dragon."

Astrid and Gobber were dragged to the prison cells while fighting and protesting the entire way. They were thrown into separate cells and the doors slammed in their faces.

"Let us out! I'm going to tear you apart!" Astrid yelled.

"Then why would I let you out?" one of the Vikings said. The others laughed with him as they exited the prison.

Astrid began to throw herself against the bars of the cell hoping that they would break as Dagur began to lead the mob into the forest. From her cell, Astrid could hear Dagur yell, "If you find any other dragons, which I'm sure there are, kill them. But remember. The black one's mine!"

As the mob began to get out of control and ugly against Astrid and Gobber, Ruff pulled the rest of her friends away and into a room. She knew that she couldn't do anything for them and trying to come to their defense would only get her into the same situation as them. She figured she could help them better if she didn't get involved.

"I just can't believe Astrid or Gobber," Snotlout said.

"It just doesn't seem like them," Fishlegs said.

"I never thought that they would betray us like that," Camicazi said.

"But there must have been a reason why they did though," Heather thought out loud.

"There is no reason when it comes to dragons," Snotlout scoffed.

"Well, at least Astrid and Ruff's conversations make a bit more sense now," Tuff shrugged.

"What?" Camicazi asked and the others looked at him with shock.

"Come to think of it. Didn't you and Astrid say something about a dragon during the battle last night?" Fishlegs asked Ruffnut as he broke out of his shock. Everyone now looked at her with anticipation.

"Yes we did Fish. Yes, I knew about the dragon. Yes, I kept it a secret too."

"Why?" Heather asked. "You also committed treason."

"Look. Gobber and I caught Astrid with Dragon and we were going to report it but she changed our minds."

"How?" Snotlout asked.

"She told us what Dragon had done for her."

"And what was that?" Camicazi asked.

Ruff sighed. I hope you will forgive me Astrid. "Dagur attacked her in the forest and tried to rape her…"

"What?!" They all asked together, cutting Ruff off.

"I'm going to kill him!" Snotlout shouted. "No one hurts my friend."

"That's just wrong!" Fishlegs exclaimed. "That's not a respectable Viking."

"Dragon scarred him off before he could hurt her anymore. He even brought her supplies to temporarily deal with her injuries. He then brought her back to Berk," Ruff finished.

"That was kind of him," Heather said.

"But dragons aren't kind," Camicazi said. "They're vial, brutal, careless creatures."

"Not so!" Ruff said. "Dragon didn't attack Gobber and I when we caught him with Astrid. In fact he ran from us."

"Ok. But that still doesn't tell us why we should risk treason," Snotlout stated. As he crossed his arms over his chest. The others nodded in agreement.

"Next you'll be saying that he secretly saved Berk," Tuff said.

"Well, he did. Twice."

"What?" they all exclaimed together.

"How?" Fishlegs asked.

"When?" asked Camicazi.

"When the fish suddenly appeared, when the snow was melted away and when the crops we sown overnight."

The group thought about it for a minute and silently came to an agreement. Those things couldn't have been done by any human and the thought of dragons doing it made more sense than any of their other theories.

"Ok. We believe you. If this dragon is what you say he is and converts three very good Vikings to his side, maybe we're seeing in the wrong light," Snotlout said. The others nodded in agreement.

"I'm willing to commit treason if it's the right thing to do," Heather said.

"Here here!" The others cheered.

"Wait," Tuff called. "Didn't Gobber and you say something about this Dragon being sick?" He pointed to Ruff in confusion.

"No. Astrid said he was dying!" Fishlegs corrected.

They all turned to Ruff again for answers. "Yes. Apparently, Dragon just woke up and started dying. Astrid is hurting because of it."

"How is she hurting?" Camicazi asked.

"Dragon had not only saved her physically but also emotionally. He helped her get over the past five years of pain she had for her parent's death and other things she had been bottling up. He's a source of comfort for her. Ever since she's been with him, she began to smile and laugh again."

"What?!" Snotlout asked for everyone who's mouths were agape.

"Well, I suggest that we hurry," Tuff said.

"Let's go," Camicazi said as she was about to sprint toward the forest.

"Wait!" Ruff stopped her. "We need to get Astrid and Gobber out of jail so that they can help us. They know more about this than I do."

"So we split up?" Fishlegs asked.

"Yes!" Ruff nodded. "Fish, Lout, and Tuff. You'll come with me to try and delay the mob. Cami and Heather, you break them out. Astrid knows the way to the cove."

"Alright! Let's go!" Tuff jumped up and down in excitement.

The teens split up to stop a horrible event from occurring and to help their friends, new and old.