The streets of Berk were bustling with jittering people when I arrived. Everyone seemed to be going someplace, disappearing into the dark depths of a building or running out of sight. Blacksmiths were carrying armfuls of painfully heavy looking weapontry from place to place, bakers were either caught in weapon training or baking enough food for everyone. Weapon masters were sprinting towards the forest for target practice. Every single Berk-ian was up and about and they wouldn't rest until they knew they were going to be safe.

I looked up at Aroth as we stood side by side on our village's outskirts. By then, Astrid had left us to go prepare herself. We were all alone, accompanied by the frenzic pandemonium emanating from the civilization in front of us. My heart thumped violently in my chest and I felt as though I couldn't breathe. The air seemed to thin and tighten around me in an unfamiliar embrace.

I couldn't help but think about many things as my dragon and I stood on that little slope overlooking our village. I thought about my childhood playing with little Nora, I thought about Hiccup and what he was probably feeling. I thought about Aroth and how our lives were on stake. And finally, I thought about Lucan. I wondered what had happened of him, where he was. Oh, how I wished he was okay!

Aroth seemed to feel the tension in the air and barked to catch my attention. When I turned to face him, his golden eye was right in front of my face. He waved his head in the air, signifying that he wanted to leave. My fingers brushed up against his blue scales as I nodded and began to stride towards the bustling village. I don't recall if he had flown off or just walked away, but he wasn't with me as I pushed against the zipping crowd.

I was bounced and pounded up against everyone. Everyone had sweat on their faces, despite the normal temperature. They all looked exhausted, tired, and worried. Some of them even had puffy, red eyes and cheeks. Crying.

It took me a while to get to my house. I had knowingly walked by it several times in a row, but I just couldn't pass over. Mobs of people came from behind, in front, or at my sides, preventing me from getting into my house. After four or five exhausting tries, I managed to wriggle through the mob and into the doorway of my house. Upon entering, I was greeted to the familiar smell of burning wood and warm temperatures. I trailed into my father's work space where I found him working furiously on a big-bladed axe.

He didn't notice me until I stepped more into the room. And more. And more. I was standing by the burning coals that he was working over and he still didn't notice me. I cleared my throat, making sure that I was louder than the deafening pounding of metal. I stepped behind him and wrapped my arms around his thick, sweaty neck. "Dad," I shouted into his ear. I let go when he began to turn towards me and put down his work.

He stared at me with tired eyes. "Frida," he whispered. "Why aren't you training?" I bit the corner of my lip and looked away, "I'm done, dad. Astrid gave me less than an hour to say goodbye.. Besides, Aroth needs some rest, too. He can't fly indefinitely." "Oh," he replied cooly, "I'm kind of busy, sweetie. But I guess I can stop for just a few minutes. Just in case I never see you again."
Those words made me shudder. I didn't like the idea of either of us dying at the bloody hands of Knights. Maybe just the idea of dying didn't sound appealing. I didn't want anyone to die, no matter if they were a Knight or a Viking. But of course, some people were going to. That's just what happens during war. What worried me the most was that anyone could be killed. Father, Aroth, Kirsten, Anton... Anyone. Death frightened me.

We spoke quietly for as long as we could. He told me how he was so proud of me, how he wanted me to know how he was rooting for me. How much he loved me. How much he thought I was like my mother; brave. How much my mother probably missed me. How my mother was looking down at us at the time. It made my heart burn with sorrow. I wanted to cry, but my father was the one who ended up in tears.

When the sharp, high-pitched noise of the alarm bell went off, he wrapped me up in his strong arms. When he let go, he pushed at my back. "Go," he sniffled. When I didn't move, he screamed, "GO! You have a village to protect!" I looked at the depressing, unfinished axe sitting by his side before running out of the door without saying a single word.

At the sound of the alarm, the war bell that reminded everyone that we had merely 5 or 10 minutes left to get ready and in position, everyone was moving faster than they had before. It seemed like millions of people were pouring rapidly out of every open doorway. Everyone rushed towards their designated places along Berk's narrow streets, boundaries, forests, and bridges. Nintey-nine percent of them were carrying heavy, metallic weapons.

I looked at the sky as I sprinted towards an empty area of grass where I could find Aroth. It was a brilliant shade of dark blue, stars twinkling unknowingly in the distance. The moon hovered in the night sky, giving me enough light to see where I was going. I thought I saw the shadowing outline of a dragon zoom through the night sky, but I dismissed the idea as soon as I reached the field.

Everyone else was there. Christian with Viper, Kirsten with Chomper.. Anton with Firroth. Aroth stomped up to me as soon as I entered the area. I patted his narrow nose and jogged up to all of my fellow dragon riders. Everyone looked nervous and antsy. But as I arrived, everyone piled around me in a fit of hugs and sobs. We all ended up crying without any of us saying anything. I didn't know about everyone else, but I felt very much like a baby afterwards.

We didn't say anything, even when we jumped up onto our saddles. We all exchanged sad, worried smiles before we flew off towards our different destinations. We all knew one thing: out fate was going to be coming within a very short amount of time.