So...this is my FIRST update today. I won't be doing too many today (maybe two or three at the most?) but it's really hard to know for sure, so yeah. :D I would like to thank all of you awesome readers. I wouldn't be anywhere without you guys, and...thanks! XD!

Berserk. Not really what anyone was really hoping or expecting Astrid would suggest, but it was really one of their only options. If that flower was on Berserk, they would find it no matter what happened; no matter what it took.

The riders and their dragons flew to Berserk just as the sun was setting, leaving just a smallest trace of sunlight as it sank behind a wall seemingly created by the ocean. It was rather hard to explain, but Astrid didn't admire the view.

For some reason, the beautiful view made her think of Hiccup. All those evenings when she and he would watch the sun set while racing each other on their dragons, laughing as they sped through the air, not caring who won or lost, not caring that they probably looked like weirdos to the other villagers. Just enjoying the moment. Enjoying each other's company.

And then they would gaze at the stars, Astrid and Hiccup both as their dragons steered them through the night sky. At those moments, Astrid felt truly...what was the right word...? Happy? It was more than that. She remembered Hiccup counting constellations, trying to teach her some, although she didn't listen too much. She was just more fascinated that he remembered all of them without hardly a problem.

If Astrid failed, she would never see that again. Never. She would never race another time with Hiccup, watch another sun set with Hiccup, help him in the forge, watch him blow something up when one of his inventions went south...she would never do anything that involved Hiccup ever again if they failed.

For some reason, all her best memories with Hiccup finally decided to show themselves. All the little things she had been certain she had forgotten, along with obvious things she could never forget no matter how hard she tried. Like that time they went snowboarding on their dragons and ended up in an avalanche. Or that time they went out to look for the treasure of Hamich the Second, and everything in between.

"-strategy," she heard Snotlout say. Had he been talking the whole time?

"What?" said Astrid.

"I said," said Snotlout, sounding exasperated, "if we're going to find the flower on Berserk, we're going to need a strategy. Any ideas?"

"I've got one!" said Tuffnut. "How about we go down there and blow something up!?"

Silence. The others stared at him with deadpan expressions.

"What?" said Tuffnut. "It would work, wouldn't it?"

"No," said Astrid. "We need to find the flower without blasting it out of existance on the way. We'll have to sneak in, look for the flower, and get it if we find it, and then get out before we're spotted. Anyone disagree?"

They shook their heads.

"Good," said Astrid. "Then let's find that flower."

Turning their dragons, they flew straight over Berserk, waiting until the sun set fully before landing.

They landed in one of the forests to keep themselves hidden from view. Then, they dismounted and approached each other.

"We'll have to split up," said Astrid. "Just like we did all the other times. Only this time, we have to find that flower. It's the only chance Hiccup has. Any questions?"

"Yeah," said Snotlout. "I think it might be better if we leave the dragons here, that way, we can get around easier and search more thoroughly."

Astrid was about to reject the idea, but then thought that maybe, just maybe, for once in his life, Snotlout made a good point. It would be easier to sneak around without the dragons, and besides, the dragons could hide themselves pretty well at night anyway. They couldn't risk getting captured.

"Alright," said Astrid. "Do what Snotlout said. Don't get caught or seen by any Berserker at all. And if you do...perform the call of your dragon, race back to this spot, and we'll leave. No questions asked, we'll leave."

"Alright," said Fishlegs. "What do we do?"

"Fishlegs, you search around here in the forest," said Astrid. "Ruffnut and Tuffnut, you two head closer to the Berserker village. Snotlout, you come with me. Find any trace of the flower, come back here and stay here. We'll all meet here in another hour no matter what. Go."

They rna off, their dragons hiding in the shadows, to their assigned locations. Snotlout followed Astrid closely, drawing his dagger in case they came up on a Berserker.

"Where are we looking?" Snotlout questioned, ducking to keep from running into a tree branch. "You didn't really say where exactly."

"Some of the caves," said Astrid in reply. "I saw some on our way in, so really, you never know."

"How far are they away from here?" Snotlout asked.

"Not too far," said Astrid. "We should come up on them any minute now."

They continued walking for a little while longer, hiding whenever they heard a Berserker, although in truth, Astrid wanted to fight them. She wanted to make each of them pay for following Dagur, who gave the poison to Johann to give to a Berkian. She wanted each of them in prison for the rest of their lives.

But, they couldn't do that at that exact time. This was for Hiccup. They could deal with Berserkers at a later date; another day. When Hiccup was cured and there with them to help them with their plans and strategies.

"I think I see something," Snotlout interrupted Astrid's train of thought. "Looks like a cave to me."

Astrid looked ahead and saw what Snotlout was talking about. It was a cave, darkened with night, probably impossible to see in without some light source.

"Okay, so we found it," said Astrid. "Now we just need to find a way to see inside of it." She didn't have any ideas. They didn't have a lantern or anything, nor even a torch.

"What if we light a stick on fire?" Snotlout suggested. "I mean...I don't have a better idea, do you?"

"No," Astrid admitted. She looked around the forest for a little bit before she found a suitable branch that would work. Bringing it back to Snotlout, she tried to find a way to light it.

She handed the unlit "torch" to Snotlout and then looked for some flint. After finding some, she moved back over and clapped them together over the stick. Sparks flew, and eventually lit the wood.

"Whoa," said Snotlout. "That worked."

Astrid took the "torch" and then walked in the cave. Snotlout had no choice but to follow.