A/N: Well guys, I really want to finish this story soon because I would like to get started on the sequel. But it's also because I'll be starting University in late August. I'll be in Florida, Daytona Beach. Anyone there?

Yeah, so ... I wanted to tell you guys that I myself want to finish this story soon since I don't know much time I'll have in Uni to dedicate to this site. So I'll try my best to update as soon as possible.

"Quit giving me that look"

Hiccup was annoyed that ever since they turned on the path that leads up to the prison, Toothless was flashing him an all too smug grin.

"Then what were you two doing in her cave? I heard the moans and what ever creaking noise up there ... so I'll know if you lie"

Hiccup silently cursed to himself about a dragon's incredible hearing. Why couldn't he just let the topic drop? It was, after all, just between him and Astrid. Plus, dragons are a lot more straight forward. If two dragons find each other attractive, they mate and get it over with. There was no way he could explain that human emotions were a lot more complicated than theirs. And he has to add in other obstacles, such as laws and ... horrible consequences. Not to mention that Vikings, like all humans, have impulses which seem good in a sense, but are generally frowned upon by the rest of society.

"We weren't doing anything!" he sighed. He feels like he's had this conversation a million times.

"Hiccup, I could smell each of your hormones and by their smell, you two clearly wanted to mate. Why didn't you?" he asked.

"Because I'll get my head chopped off if we do!" he yelled but quickly brought his hand to his mouth, checking around to see if anyone was there. Luckily, there wasn't a soul on the streets of the village. "Look, we kissed, okay? But that's it. We can't mate like you and a female dragon would. We have laws, rules and consequences if we mate outside wedlock, which is marriage. There will be repercussions for the both of us, and I don't want to put her through ridicule, shame and humiliation" Hiccup explained.

The prison was in sight now. There were a few lanterns lit outside; most likely by Gobber. There might even be a blanket if he's lucky.

Toothless just shook his head in frustration. "Why do you humans create laws to hold you back from what you want?"

"Otherwise there'd be a lot more chaos in the world we live in. We implement those laws for our own protection and the people around us" he said, but Toothless still didn't seem convinced. "Look ... I hate the rules myself. You don't know how hard it is to hold myself back when both she and I want to do it. The problem is if people find out and they always find out, one way or another, and if that happens ... I'll be put to death, and Astrid will have to carry the shame of having sex with a branded criminal. And I can't put her through that" Hiccup explained.

All he wanted to do was pull down her leggings, flip her over with her back to him and take her ... but he couldn't, at least not yet.

"So then what's this talk of you challenging someone by the name of ... Snotlout, isn't it?" Toothless asked, changing the subject somewhat.

"He's my cousin, and the person Astrid has to marry" Hiccup filled in.

"So he's the reason you and her can't mate? Have they mated already?"

"Oh, Gods no. Their wedding is in a month's time and she, and her family, will be shamed for life if anyone finds out we 'mated'. I'm not going to risk that" he stated. "By challenging him for Astrid's hand, and if I win, she won't have to marry him and we can settle into Berk here"

"Well, it's not as nice as our last place but it'll do" said Toothless. The prison was right in front of them, about one hundred feet away, but Toothless stepped in front of Hiccup, blocking his path, teeth fully bared and looking to the shadows that hugged the walls of the prison.

"Toothless, what is it?" Hiccup asked.

"There are people watching us" he informed, getting his body in an attack position. However, just as his tail was moving to get Hiccup behind him, he was hit with about three or four bags that burst right in his face. He shook his head vigorously to get his attention back at the now present threat but soon found himself unable to move and falling to the ground before he could even tell Hiccup to run.

Hiccup, meanwhile, watched his best friend fall to the ground unconscious. "Toothless!" He rushed to the dragon's side, but his fears dissipated quickly when he realized that there were grass particles in the air around him, falling to the ground. He grabbed a handful from the air and as soon as he laid his eyes upon it, knew exactly what it was.

"Dragon nip" he muttered, brushing his hand against his armour to wipe away the grass. He looked towards the shadows that Toothless warned him about, coming to the conclusion that was where the bags were thrown from. "Come on out!" he yelled.

"Well ... that's a first" said an all too familiar voice he loathed. He saw his cousin along with four other tormentors of his youth walk out of the shadows; all with smiles on their faces, except for Snotlout.

"Really Snotlout? You hang out with them now? And just when I thought you couldn't get any lower" Hiccup said, shaking his head and casting his cousin a sad look.

"That's no way to speak to the future Chief, runt" Snorre said, as they surrounded him. Hiccup had never moved away from Toothless' side, just in case he could wake up at any moment and scare them away.

"Key word in that sentence is future. He isn't Chief yet. Which means I don't have to listen to him" Hiccup replied. He wasn't going to run - he would have been caught and tossed to the ground like before. He's learned from his past, and he wasn't going to run anymore. He was done running from anything.

"Look at that ... the runt has an attitude now" Magnus spoke, getting a laugh from the others.

"Why do you insist on calling me runt when I'm taller than four of you?" he asked, effectively shutting their mouths. He was now 6'1. Only Snorre was taller than him by two inches.

"Because that's what you'll always be to us ... to this village, a runt. A runt who never deserved to survive his first winter. I consider it a miracle you did, and sometimes, happy that you did. Otherwise we wouldn't have had the fun of humiliating you every time you stepped outside" Snorre said, gesturing to the others around him who smiled at Hiccup. He knew all too well what they were remembering. Days where he would be shoved into mud faced first. Days where he would be tied up to a tree while they practiced their aim on him. Days where he would be humiliated in front of his own father and the others.

"If you've noticed, I'm not that boy anymore. I've been living on my own for the past year, and I know I don't need to repeat what I went through at the hands of the Romans. But the other major lesson I learned on my time away, was to never give a dragon's arse about people like you. All you do is take pleasure in seeing other people suffer; especially if it's by your own doing. I don't see you guys as a threat anymore. Not since I've learned that none of you are worth the trouble" he lectured with a sad expression. He honestly thought that it was sad to know that there were people like Snorre, Magnus and even Snotlout out there in the world. Luckily he's had over ten years of experience to know how to deal with them.

His thoughts about them had a growing effect on Snorre, though. Once he was done, he made an attempt to move forward and plant one on Hiccup's face. The young Dragon Rider was prepared to take the hit, but was surprised when he saw his cousin block Snorre's path.

"What are you doing!? I thought we were going to teach this little shit a lesson" Snorre hissed.

"We are" Snotlout said in a calmer tone, pushing his friend back.

"Really? Teach me a lesson? Huh ... I guess it'll be like old times for you guys. Is that why you put my dragon asleep?" Hiccup asked.

"We needed him out of the way. So there'd be no one for you to cower behind" said Magnus.

"I never hide behind my friend. He protects me. There's a difference"

"You won't be talking back so smart once we're done with you" Ivar said.

"Nice to know you're using what I taught you against me, Snotlout" Hiccup said, shifting his gaze. "Do you have no honour and respect for what I have shown you?" He really wants to know. It was foolish for him to think that he and Snotlout might actually be friends. But he was hoping, in some small way, that helping him train his own dragon might actually help them mend their relationship and start anew.

"We needed him out of the way. It was the dragon nip or tying him down with a net" Snotlout said in his defense.

"He would have freed himself if you used the nest"

"Which is why we decided to go with the grass. Since that's more guaranteed at keeping him down longer" Snorre said. He was glad Snotlout didn't hold back on the information that he was taught.

"What is this about anyway? I haven't done anything to provoke any of you" Hiccup said with a tired sigh.

"Oh yes you did" said Snotlout, and Hiccup immediately recognized in the drop of his tone to a deadly one.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"Don't play dumb with me Hiccup. You don't think I know?" he asked, taking steps towards his cousin.

"Know what?" Hiccup was still lost on what his cousin was referring to.

"How, in the name of Asgard, did you get Astrid? Hmm?" Hiccup immediately looked at Snotlout dead in the eyes. If it was any other person, his eyes would have widened in shock, but he had to keep his cool. He didn't know if Snotlout was trying to bluff him or just give an excuse to beat him up ... or what if he really did know.

"Snotlout ... what are you..."

"I saw you, Hiccup. You were in Astrid's house no more than ten minutes ago. You were with her, in bed, and half naked, planting kisses down her neck!" he said, in a dangerously hostile tone.

"I don't know what you've been drinking, Snotlout, but you should really quit while you're ahead" Hiccup said calmly; which was the exact opposite of what he was feeling on the inside. He did a quick check of his surroundings - Toothless was still knocked out, but he noticed that the others had taken two steps forward, making sure that he didn't have any space to run if he tried.

"I don't know what you did to get her to notice you, but here's a friendly warning ... Back. The. Fuck. Off. She's mine, Hiccup. And if any of us see you anywhere near her again, we'll make sure you realize the consequences" he threatened. He would have heeded his threat five years ago ... but not anymore. He could have simply nodded his head in understanding, but no. He was mad.

"What makes her yours, Snotlout?" he asked, his own tone rising. "Just because she's forced into marriage with you? I can bet my life that she doesn't want to marry you. And who could blame her? All you've done is take whatever you want, no matter who it belongs to. In fact, why did you pick Astrid? Is it just because of her beauty? That she could be a trophy wife? Something to show off to visiting dignitaries and other chiefs?" he asked. He had even taken steps towards him, that now, his and Snotlout's faces were only inches apart.

"You don't even love her. All you care about is getting her into bed and taking her for yourself, forcing yourself upon her if need be. But rest assured that I know she won't even let you touch her, not in a thousand years" he said, finally pulling his face away.

"Now I know that you two have something going on" Snotlout spoke, forcing a smug across his face, to tell Hiccup that he won. "I saw you on top of her. I heard her moaning your name. And I heard you two laughing, like it was only yourselves in this world. This whole confrontation, Hiccup, is a damn warning to you to back off if you know what's good for you" Snotlout repeated again. Hiccup looked around and saw that the others were cracking their knuckles to emphasize his threat.

"Wow Snotlout. You've reached a new low. Spying on her in her own bedroom? What will she think of it when I tell her?" It was Snotlout's turn to take a step back.

"You won't be telling her ... that is, if you want this little affair to reach the ears of the entire village" Snotlout threatened, a smug smile plastered across his face.

"You can't use that threat on me, Snotlout" Hiccup said confidently.

"How can I not, Hiccup? If word of your affair gets out, you'll be banished for your having an affair with the future chiefs' wife"

"You won't tell because just imagine what they'll think when Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, branded traitor of Berk, and the Astrid Hofferson are found to be in an affair. The Astrid Hofferson who is supposed to marry Snotlout Jorgenson, the future Chief of Berk. What will the people think of you when they hear that Astrid prefers me over you? In fact, what if the news travels to other tribes? That Snotlout Jorgenson lost "his" woman to a traitor?" Hiccup shot back.

The smile on his cousin's face faded immediately, and Hiccup couldn't help the smile that crossed his face. "And what about her parents? Do you think that they'll let you go unpunished for trying to spy on their daughter?" He watched his cousin trip over his own words in his mouth. He knew his cousin couldn't do anything without having his own life on the line in this matter.

"You're the one who has his life on the line here, Snotlout. Me? I've got nothing to lose. I don't look to own her or show her off like you do. I love her unconditionally and you couldn't even possibly understand the bond we have now; ever since she found me in a land far in the East" when his cousin didn't make a reply to his small lecture, he continued. "In fact, if Astrid finds out that you attempted to spy on her, just imagine the world of pain you'd be in. And just imagine if she tells everyone about it ... Snotlout Jorgenson caught invading the privacy of his bride before the marriage" he exclaimed.

"And that is why you're not going to tell anyone about this. You'll have to keep it among your friends here and not breathe a word about it" Hiccup spoke, pulling back from his cousin's face and taking a few steps back. He could see the frustration and anger consuming his cousin, even if he was doing an excellent job at not showing it. He really did see that it was his turn to call the shots against Snotlout. He knew if he wanted to keep his reputation in the village, he wouldn't tell anyone about what his and Astrid's secret affair. Gone were the days where he let them beat him up, or even listening to his cousin's taunts about he wasn't a real Viking.

Before he left, Snotlout made it his mission to humiliate Hiccup in front of the village and what better way to do that by beating him up, since a real Viking could always defend himself and not submit. That's why people never took him seriously and saw him as weak - just because he didn't fight back. Technically, he was doing Snotlout a favour by advising him not to breathe a word about it for his own sake. People might not believe him, but it would definitely ruin his authority. But the main reason Hiccup warned him, was to see his cousin defeated for the first time ... and boy did he have that image in his mind; a moment he would treasure. The moment where he left his cousin speechless and helpless to do anything.

He turned around to see if Toothless had started to come around, but was met with a fist, and before he knew it, he was laying face-flat on the ground, feeling the taste of blood against his lips. "You really have grown a spine and a pair" he heard Snorre comment.

"All Snotlout has to do is tell his father once he gets back from hunting the dragon scourge, and we all know how Spitelout gets when his son's future is jeopardized, especially if it's by a traitor" he said, cracking his knuckles as he walked around Hiccup.

"Your father might have grown a soft spot for you ... but he's still the Chief, and as Chief, he'll have to bestow the punishment of having you executed for sleeping with the future Chieftess of Berk."

Hiccup slowly got back to his feet, holding the side of his face where Snorre landed one on him. It was sure to be bruised by the morning. "And have a public trial? You'll just be sealing his fate on the pyre if you have me trialed" Hiccup said, pointing to Snotlout. "Because Astrid will have my back in the say and there it will be known that she always preferred me over him."

"I know. That's why we have to get rid of you" he said, before charging at him. Hiccup made a quick side move, while bringing his elbow to the back of Snorre's back, not hitting him at full force, but having him fall to the ground due to his earlier charge.

"Is that all you got?" Hiccup asked, getting into a fighting stance. He wasn't going to back down, even if it was the smarter choice. He wasn't going to back down from his other tormentors. Snorre picked himself up and faced him, emanating a snarl before lunging at him again. He made a swipe at his head but Hiccup managed to parry it away, grabbed his arm and pulled him forward, right past him and regaining his fighting stance.

"A coward's strategy. Afraid of landing any hard strikes ... that is if you could, anyway" Snorre said, turning around.

"Hey, it's my strategy and it works for me. You don't try and fix something if ain't broken" Hiccup informed, a smile gracing his lips.

"Well then, I think it's time for me to use my main strategy" he spoke, before kicking a cloud full of dust right at Hiccup, temporarily blinding him. He had pulled back and for about four seconds, tried to wipe the dust away; but that was all the time Snorre needed. Hiccup soon felt a punch to the right side of his face, before he felt Snorre's hands grab his head and felt something crash against it. He could only assume that Snorre headbutted him. It was like having a boulder hit you square on your forehead. Reeling back from the headbutt, Snorre sent him a kick which had him flying for five feet and into the ground.

He coughed up a bit of blood, or what he thought was blood since he was quite dazed from the headbutt. "See Hiccup, you'll always be the little runt who can't defend himself" he heard Snorre say, and saw him about to kick him right in his chest before...

"Stop!"

"What do you mean stop!?" he heard Snorre ask angrily. "I'm trying to teach this dragon-shit a lesson but..."

"You've already taught him a lesson. We can go now before his dragon wakes up and we're all in for it" he heard the distinct voice of his cousin say. He heard some sort of harsh disagreement from Snorre, but saw him and the other three of his group walking away back into the streets of the village. At the same time, all he could feel was a pounding sensation against his skull and a sharp pain running rampant in his chest, that left him troubling to stand up.

"Five years and you still can't hold on your own" Snotlout said, looking down upon his cousin, and with a shake of his head, began to walk away.

"What did I ever do to you, Snotlout?" Hiccup yelled as he struggled to stand up. His question, however, did stop Snotlout's walk. "I never did anything to you. Never humiliated you. Never stole your spotlight. Never beat you up ... not that I could. I never took anything from you and I never made you feel worthless. What do you have against me?!" he asked. He was now standing up, relatively straight; clutching his side where he was sure he had a bruised rib or two.

"Is it just because I had the life you wanted? That you thought I was undeserving of the role as Chief? Well here's the news ... I didn't want to be Chief. My father didn't want me to be Chief. No one wanted me to be Chief. I wasn't strong like you ... I wasn't the perfect Viking protégé. I was a nobody. And still you made sure to dedicate time towards making my life more miserable than it was. Why!?"

"Because you had Astrid!" he yelled back, turning around to face him.

"What do you mean I had Astrid? She didn't pay any attention to me!"

"That's where you're wrong, Hiccup" he said, taking deep breaths to calm himself down. "She always had something for you ... you just never saw it. Some days, when you would be working in the forge, and before I would have come in and teased you, she always stopped me, telling me you weren't worth it. That was her mouth speaking, but I saw the look in her eyes. She didn't want to see you beat up or teased. That look she had in her eyes, was interest in you ... something close to a crush. She was the one thing that I wanted but it angered me to see that you, of all people, caught her eye" he explained.

"You don't know that for sure. She never talked to me. She always made sure to keep her distance from me, otherwise she would have come under scrutiny for being friends with a social outcast. How could she have possibly been interested in me then?"

"Believe what you want now, Hiccup. But answering all of those questions, that's why I did what I did" he said, turning around and walking back to the village.

"So over ten years of my youth was torture just because you were jealous? Are you serious? When I didn't even have the person you wanted, you still blamed me?" Hiccup asked, an incredulous expression on his face. But then he realized the kind of person his cousin really was. "You're just a spoiled brat, you know that?" he called, causing a cease in Snotlout's walk.

"You got everything you wanted and you weren't happy just because the girl you wanted kept glancing at me from time to time with meaningless looks. Way to justify ten years of humiliation, Jorgenson." This was the first time Hiccup called Snotlout by his last name.

"It goes much deeper than that, Hiccup. I'm just not going to tell you now. Stay away from her, otherwise I won't help you"

"Help me? How on Midgard did you help me!?"

"I stopped him from going further, Hiccup. Be thankful for that" said Snotlout, before he continued his walk and turned the corner, out of sight.

Hiccup couldn't believe what he heard. Did his cousin actually hate him for being in Astrid's eyes all that time? All that humiliation just because she didn't give yak's arse about him? No. There had to be more behind it. But he'd find that out another day. Although, he couldn't dismiss the fact that Snotlout did stop Snorre, and potentially the others, from hurting him further. He didn't know why he stopped them, but he was glad that he did.

"Ugh" he heard Toothless stir. "What ... what happened?" he asked, getting up and stretching his wings and limbs. He even gave his neck a few good turns and stretches but once he laid eyes upon Hiccup, his calm demeanor gave way for uncontrolled anger. "Who did this to you?! I swear, when I find them ... I'll"

"Toothless!" Hiccup yelled, stopping his friend from carrying out serious threats. He knew, as personal witness, that Toothless always followed through on the threats he made; especially if they were for people who had hurt him. "Just let it go" he said softly.

"What do you mean let it go? They attacked you when you did nothing to aggravate them. They..."

"Snotlout knows about me and Astrid now, bud. And because she's bound by contract ... that technically means that she's off limits to any man except Snotlout" he explained. He saw the disbelief in Toothless' eyes, asking him why he was letting this go. "We can tell my dad as soon as he gets back, but I don't know what that'll mean since Snotlout will tell his father as well. I should have been more careful" Hiccup grumbled to himself, turning around and walking to the prison.

"You're really blaming yourself?" Toothless asked, trailing after him.

"I should have pulled back, Toothless. I shouldn't have let that simple kiss escalate into a full make-out session. The only reason Snotlout won't tell everyone is because he has his own reputation at stake here - and no, I'm not going to explain it to you now" Hiccup spoke as he reached his cell. The gate was unlocked and he saw some blankets on the bed and a jug of water if he got thirsty. He didn't bother closing the gate since Toothless was already blocking the only entrance into the prison.

"Instead of ignoring your hormones, Hiccup, you should let them control you. And yes you're going to tell me that 'no, it's against tradition'. But you want it ... she wants it. Just do it one day" Toothless grumbled as he laid down, but didn't close his eyes. He would stay awake tonight to make sure he wasn't taken by surprise again and that no one would try and hurt Hiccup again.

"I know bud ... I know" he said with a sigh as he pulled the blankets back over him as he begun to settle in for a well deserved rest.

000

Astrid probably had the second best night of sleep in her life. Sure it was awkward when her mother found them; even more awkward when her mother was casting her knowing smirks all throughout breakfast, making her father curious as to why she was and her brothers more annoying than usual. Thankfully, her mother hadn't told her father since no dad would like to know that his daughter ... only daughter ... was making out with a guy in his own house without his knowledge. She already had answers prepared in case her father asked, but Thor knows she was glad when she exited that house for another day of Dragon Training.

It was mid-morning with the sun's ways just peaking through the clouds. Summer was just round the corner; the month of her wedding, but it summer in Berk only lasted about three weeks - a month if they were lucky. She was looking forward to this summer. Definitely not because of the wedding, but because there was a chance that she and Hiccup would be together by then. She had all the confidence in him that he could win the fight against Snotlout once he challenged him.

She was the first one at the ring, no surprise there. She found her dragon up and about, stretching her wings and absorbing the sun's rays to get ready for another day of training. "Morning girl" she said, scratching Stormfly under snout. The dragon gladly nuzzled her in return, asking for more attention. "Had a good sleep?" she asked, and the dragon seemed to nod in reply, getting a smile out of her. "Because I sure did" she said to Stormfly - and not quietly at that.

"Slept with the infamous traitor, did you?" she heard a voice behind her and she quickly turned around, hand at her ax handle, only to see a smug looking Ruffnut by the entrance, with her arms folded. Astrid let her hand drop back to her side as she made a humpf and turned around to resume Stormfly's petting. "Took you long enough" she heard her friend say, and began to hear her footsteps getting closer. "You're not going to spill any details? Like how he was at pleasuring you? How authoritative was he? How large was his..."

"Ruffnut!" Astrid cut her off, a blush creeping her cheeks. She quickly looked around, making sure no one else was within earshot. "We didn't do anything serious. Just another make-out session" she said harmlessly, looking at her.

"Still didn't try and bed you?"

"First off, we were in my house. Second, my mom interrupted us while I was on top of him and..."

"That would have been a sight" Ruff mused.

"You're telling me ... but nothing much happened. I'm serious" Astrid added when Ruff gave her a questioning glance. "So how was your night? Didn't cause any fights in the Hall did you?" Astrid asked, trying to change the subject.

"Well ... Fishlegs almost did." Astrid stopped her petting and turned around completely, staring at her friend with wide eyes.

"Fishlegs? Nearly staring a fight?" she asked, shaking her head and an incredulous look adorning her face.

"Believe it or not, but that man gave Snorre one Hel of a smack-talk" said Ruff, a smile creeping her face at the memory of the event.

"I don't believe it"

"You can ask him if you want to when he shows up. You'll see that he's on edge since he's paranoid that Snorre will try and get him now for talking back to him"

"Did anyone else hear him smack-talking Snorre?"

"Only the table we were at. It would have got really ugly if your dad hadn't showed up. I don't think he heard what happened ... but it certainly saved Fish's life" Ruff spoke. "So will Hiccup be teaching us today or ..."

"I'll be teaching you again. Hiccup's busy with all the repairs so he won't be teaching us until he's finished" Astrid confirmed. She was absolutely fine with teaching them all they had to know, but it wouldn't be the same. When Hiccup taught her, he had this ... spark in his eyes. Something that she only ever saw a few times in their youth. She would sometimes talk to him when she came by the forge - to have her ax sharpened - and she would see the plans of inventions he wanted to build. Yes it wasn't the Viking way of taking down dragons but he was trying; and clearly, back then, he loved what he was doing. But that was during a time when he didn't find himself - now though, it was different.

When he talked, you would listen not because you had to, but because you wanted to. He was patient as well. Despite how many people think that Astrid Hofferson is the definition of perfection, she couldn't get all the lessons bang on the first time; or the second time. But Hiccup always reminded her to take things easy and everything will come along with practice. Humble; that's what he was. Dragon training wasn't only helping her get a better understanding of dragons, it was helping her get a better understanding of the man she loved. Even more so after living with him in his house for a week.

Fishlegs was the next to arrive. His Gronckle tackled him immediately in an onslaught of licks. "Good morning, girl. Did you have a nice sleep?" he baby-talked the dragon as she rolled over to allow him to rub her belly.

"Well, we all know now that Fish will be a lady's magnet" Ruff said, glancing to Astrid and the blonde returned her smirk.

"Sorry guys. Meatlug and I just have this ... thing you know" he said, standing back up and walking towards them.

"Well, girls we definitely know that you're taken ... since you have a 'thing' with someone else" Ruff laughed.

"Anyway, I heard you stood up to Snorre last night" Astrid mentioned. Fishlegs once again became pale as a ghost as he looked around the Arena, and the walkway above it, to make sure he wasn't there.

"Oh yeah ... I forgot to mention not to bring that up since he'll get extremely paranoid" Ruff said.

"Well I have a right to be paranoid! He said I'll pay for smack-talking him in front of everyone!" he whimpered, still looking around.

"Fishlegs, in my opinion, you did the right thing about standing up to Snorre. That mutton-head needs to know that he can't go around pushing people around anymore" said Astrid.

"Like I did with Hiccup?"

"Speak of the devil" Ruff muttered, looking distastefully at the entrance where she saw Snorre and his gang enter the Arena.

"Fishlegs, you and me need a serious talk" he said, pointing at the man who hid behind his Gronckle. Meatlug, sensing something wrong, stood in front of her rider and growled menacingly at the new group. Whoever they were, she knew that no one else in the Ring liked them at all.

"Get of here, Snorre. You're not part of this class" Astrid said, standing by Fishlegs along with Ruffnut.

"Well we thought anyone could sign up for Dragon Training?" Magnus said.

"Yeah, well that list doesn't include assholes. So, we're terribly sorry but we're going to have to ask all of you to leave and never come back" Ruff said, smiling sweetly although her tone gave away what she really felt towards them.

"What would Hiccup think if he knew that you were refusing to teach others about dragons?" asked Ivar.

"He'd be glad that we're not placing intelligent creatures under your horrible care" Astrid replied. "Maybe you're right. Maybe Hiccup would have given you a chance, but me on the other hand - you can say goodbye to any chance of dragon training" she replied turning around.

"Does this have to do with how I treated Hiccup all those years ago?" he asked.

"Yes. It does in fact. Treating him like shit for being different? What a way to make your heir feel at home" Astrid said in defense.

"Heir? He was never going to be heir to this tribe. It was always going to be Snotlout and everybody knew it. Also, what about you? You never did anything for him then"

"That's why I'm starting now. So, all of you, please leave" she asked nicely.

"And who's going to make us?" Magnus asked, shooting them a smug grin. Astrid, however, was glad to return one of her own.

"Are you forgetting we're in an Arena with dragons?" she asked. On that cue, Stormfly, Meatlug, Hookfang and Barf and Belch, got behind their riders and snarled threateningly. Hookfang set part of his body on fire while Stormfly unsheathed the spikes on her tail. Meatlug prepared to charge and Belch let loose a few sparks in warning. "You could whine to my dad that the dragons attacked you, but we all know now that dragons don't attack unless provoked. And since my father knows that first-hand now, you won't have a chance if we let our dragons chase you out now" she said, cocking her hip to one side, letting one hand rest on it while the other hung at her side.

Snorre looked at the dragons. They had gone through dragon training but never faced all the dragons at once. Plus they didn't have to fight any other Vikings during those lessons. He looked back to Astrid, loathing the look she gave him. It was her winning look; when the opponent had no other option but to submit. "Come on guys. Let's get outta here" he said, turning to leave. Magnus, Ivar and Knut followed their friend obediently. Once they were at the gate, Snorre turned around, "This isn't over" he warned before following after the others.

"Thanks Astrid" Fishlegs said, shooting her a look of gratefulness.

"Can't let you have all the fun in messing with Snorre now, can I?" she asked in return. It was another five minutes before Tuffnut and Snotlout showed up. They filled them in on what happened. Tuff, of course, was shell-shocked that he couldn't see Snorre's pissed off face and that he couldn't call him certain things. Astrid did notice something weird about Snotlout, though. He didn't give his input in - maybe about he could have taken them on all by himself. But most surprising of all, he didn't make eye contact with her; which was a first in her whole life. It seemed like he had something on his mind but wouldn't talk to her, or the others for that matter, about it.

"Okay guys. Let's get started with a few rounds in the Arena before we head outside for practice" she said. The riders got on their dragons and prepared for another long day of training.

000

Hiccup didn't have a hard time avoiding the people of Berk today. He was glad this was the day when most villagers were needed for the fishing runs. On Berk, you normally learned to fish before you learn how to walk. He remembered his father telling him that he was about five months when he was taken on his first fishing trip out to the sea. Fortunately, that was one of the few times that he didn't cause any trouble. So that meant the village was relatively empty. There were the few vegetable stalls that were open but his work didn't need him anywhere near them. That meant no one would see the cut on his lip or the few bruises on his face. Which meant no questions as to what happened. Not that he thought that the others would even think of asking him what happened.

He had finished a lot of work today. With many of the people gone, that meant there was no one to see Toothless help him. He had finished the two roofs of the animal barns, finished repairing ten of the fourteen houses and fixing five of the seven catapults. He had hoped that Gobber wouldn't be in the forge that day. He knew the man better than most people. So he knew that he wouldn't let up with the questions about what happened to his face and might even threaten to do some bodily harm to the people who were responsible. Luckily for him, Gobber was needed for the fishing runs so he had left him a note to finish his work around the village and that he had left all the materials he'll need at their respective locations.

Other than helping him speed up his work, Toothless kept a watchful eye out for certain people who he knows were responsible for his best friend's injuries. Before he was knocked out by the dragon nip, he had smelt the attackers; which meant he knew their scents and could pick them out. So far today, he didn't smell any of them, which means they didn't come too close, and he was looking to keep it that way for the rest of their stay.

"Hope you don't mind if we stay here bud" Hiccup said. He was in his old room in the forge while Toothless was resting near him in the forge. It was night now, and he was dead tired from the all the heavy lifting he had to do and the careful adjustments Hiccup told him when placing the wooden beams of houses into place.

"No. This makes it easier for me to keep an eye on you" he replied.

"I don't think they'll try it again, bud"

"They definitely won't try if they see me again. I'm supposed to protect you, Hiccup, and I failed. I wasn't on alert as I should have been" Toothless beat himself up for it. Ever since they left Sharkslane village, he made it his duty to protect Hiccup from anything that could harm him.

"It wasn't your fault, bud. You were knocked out and I shouldn't have stayed at Astrid's. If I didn't, none of this would have happened" he said, gesturing to his face.

"Even still. I'm not letting you of my sight"

"What do you say we go get dinner? And I don't mean from the Hall" Hiccup said, turning away from his work and looking at his friend with that glint in his eyes. Toothless brought his head up and matched his rider's look with a smile.

"You know I wouldn't turn down an offer such as that"

"Well then, let's go" Hiccup said, getting up and heading out followed by Toothless.

000

It was another tiring, yet amusing day for a certain Valkyrie in the village. Other than mastering flying on their dragons, the group had to learn a bit of aerial combat. Hiccup had demonstrated the basics back in his house in the mountains and in a few private lessons on Berk when no one was around, or when she had free time. So, she saw it fit to pass on that knowledge to them. She wanted to tell Hiccup all about it, and since she'd be going to the Hall for dinner tonight, she would see him.

She was on her way to meet him. She had seen the lamps alight in the forge and a black mass inside, which she assumed could only be Toothless. But when she got closer, she saw the two of them exit the forge and prepare to go for a flight. At first she wondered why he didn't give her a heads up that he's going some where that night, but then, when Hiccup faced the light of the forge, she saw his face. Two, reddish, purple bruises along his jaw and cheek, a cut lip and judging by his slow run, and the few touches he gave his chest, that there was some pain there as well.

She was coming down a street that wasn't well lit, which kept her in the shadows so Hiccup would have had no chance in seeing her. Before she could even break into a run and ask him what happened, he and Toothless took off into the night sky, leaving her wondering what had transpired.

She would speak to him as soon as he got back, so she continued on her path to the Hall. That's when she remembered. Snotlout had been acting weird this morning, not making any eye contact with her and not even trying to flirt with her. She deduced that something must have happened the previous night, involving the two of them. The more she thought about it, the more she wanted to punch her 'future husband'. Which was exactly what she was going to do.

As soon as she opened the doors of the Hall, her eyes wandered for Snotlout. She found him sitting with their normal group, except Snorre and his gang were also there. She was going to have a nice talk with them.

Ruffnut saw Astrid walking towards them. She raised her hand to say hey but then she noticed the fury in her eyes ... and it was directed at Snotlout and Snorre's gang, who had their backs turned to her.

Snorre noticed Ruff had looked past them for someone. So he swung himself around to see Astrid walking directly to Snotlout. "Hey there, Astrid" Snorre said as if their conversation in the morning never took place. Magnus, Ivar, Knut and Snotlout all turned around to see her still marching towards them. She didn't give Snorre a reply as she landed one vicious right hook to Snotlout's jaw, sending him hard onto the floor. This caught the attention of everyone in the Hall, but only for a few seconds before they resumed back to their conversations. It wasn't uncommon for Astrid to punch Snotlout with such force - even publicly for that matter. And they knew better than to stare at her when she was in that mood.

"That has got to hurt!" Tuff said, laughing as he stood on his seat to get a better look at Snotlout squirming on the floor.

"That hit would definitely leave a mark or two" Ruff snickered.

"What ... ow ... was that for?" Snotlout asked, rolling onto his back, holding the left side of his jaw and looking up at the mad Viking.

"Oh ... you don't know? Well then maybe this might jog your memory" and her comment was soon followed by her grabbing him by the collar of his shirt, pulling him up and landing another hook to his face, before pushing him back onto his seat.

"Gods woman! What the..."

"What did you do to Hiccup?" she asked, venom lacing her voice. Snotlout's attention turned from his pain to a look of shock at Astrid.

"Did the little baby run to you and tell you? See, can't even hold his own" Magnus said.

"Oh no. I saw the bruises when I was going to see him. Didn't get a chance to talk about it as he took off with Toothless" she said.

"Can't hold his own and runs away from you. Not the signs of a leader" Snorre commented. Astrid ignored it. She would make him pay later.

"What did you do to him, Snotlout?" she asked again.

"I didn't do anything!" he exclaimed.

"Oh ... don't lie. You've had it in for him the moment he returned. So let me ask this again ... why did you beat him up?" she asked slowly.

"Look. I-I wasn't ... I wasn't even near..."

His explanation drained out as something caught Astrid's eye. Because Snorre was facing her she saw his knuckles, and saw the tell-tale signs that he'd been in a fight. When she looked at Snotlout's knuckles, there were no red marks or small bruising. Snotlout wasn't behind it, but from his reaction when she first asked him, he knew something about it.

"Actually ... hold that thought Snotlout" she said. Snotlout stopped his hasty explanation, terrified of what she might do next. His fears were dismissed when she gave a right hook to Snorre, sending his face onto the table with a loud thud.

"Okay ... that had to hurt way more" Tuff commented as he, Ruff and Fishlegs enjoyed the show.

"Gods! What the fuck you bitch!?" he yelled, holding his nose that had started to bleed when his face hit the table. Fishlegs covered his mouth his hands while everyone else had their jaws hanging. Nobody had ever called Astrid Hofferson a bitch. Of course, she didn't sit well with that. She grabbed him by his collar and brought her face close to his.

"I've noticed that your knuckles carry a few bruises. They didn't come from beating up Hiccup, did they?" she asked.

"You bet they did" he replied, not intimidated by her at all.

"Why?"

"To teach you not to be a slut" he said. The whole table was deathly silent. They were speaking in low tones so that the whole Hall wouldn't hear them. "We know what that runt means to you ... and how far gone the two of you are in your 'affair'" he said. It didn't take long for Astrid to put two and two together.

"You came to my house and spied on me?" she asked. She didn't think there were any people in this village capable of committing such an act.

"I suggested it, and he accepted it" Snorre said, gesturing over to Snotlout. Astrid shot him a glare that could have turned him to ash in a second. He visibly trembled under it, looking away to avoid her silent fury. "He told us what was going on when he came back down, and decided that we should teach Hiccup a lesson. Well, I was surprised when he was only talking to Hiccup, so I decided to take the initiative and give Hiccup a clear warning to stay away from you if he knew what's good for him ... and possibly you."

"Are you threatening me?"

"Not you. Your family. Just imagine the shame added to your name after your uncle froze when he face the Flightmare. Your parents will be disgraced, your brothers will never be looked at the same way and no amount of bravery or sacrifice could possibly rescue your name ... and it's all because you wanted to have an affair with a traitor."

She wanted to break his jaw, cut out his tongue and gouge out his eyes all at the same time. She didn't want to hear him speak; she didn't want him to carry that smug smile around, thinking he could own her. She let go of his collar, pushing him back. "At least there's one bright side if I become Chieftess" she said.

"What's that?" Ruff asked.

"I can convince Snotlout, the Elder Counsel and many others to banish you from Berk" she said, looking at Snorre who's smile vanished for a brief time.

"And you" she pointed to Snotlout. "Those hits were for spying on me" she said before turning around and leaving them. The rest of the villagers didn't really hear the conversations going on at their table. With music playing, laughing, and other conversations, they really couldn't care. It's funny sometimes how conversations happening a table way concern the whole village or even the biggest news of gossip there is.

"And people say life at Berk was boring" Tuff said, trying to lighten the mood, but it wasn't happening. Everyone at that table now knew what was happening. It was obvious what side Fishlegs and Tuff would be on. Ruff had already decided her side when she confronted Astrid about it. Snotlout was the only odd one out but he knew that he had to choose his old group or his new one.

000

"Man that was awesome!" Hiccup said as he and Toothless landed in front of the forge. It was midnight now. The streets were empty, save for the lanterns that lit the streets. Houses had their candles extinguished as people turned in for the night. The only light he remembered was on was the one in his workroom in the forge.

"Felt good to fly again, didn't it?"

"You bet. I forgot what it feels like to be in the clouds, watching you dive into the water, fishing - man we had good memories" he said as he walked inside. Before he left for his night joyride, he was working on plans for the docks and the remaining houses he had to repair. Since the fishing boats would be returning tomorrow with their catch, he wouldn't have Toothless' help like he did today. But it would take him just two more days to get everything done; three at the most.

Toothless made himself comfortable by the fire of the forge that Hiccup had just set up while he had proceeded to his workroom for a long night of planning. What he didn't expect was to see Astrid sitting in his chair by his table waiting for him.

"Ahh ... A-Astrid. Wha-What are y-you doing here?" he asked, quickly turning away so she wouldn't be able to see his face.

"I didn't see you in the Hall tonight? Was there something wrong?"

"What? No ... no. I just had a lot of work today." It wasn't a total lie.

"Had to take Toothless for a night flight?" she asked, gesturing to the dragon outside the room.

"Yeah. He had been asking me for a flight and I was getting stressed as well, so you know ... had to let go of some steam." Hiccup still didn't face her. Astrid never looked away from him; just waiting for him to make a wrong move and look at her, which meant surrendering his face to the candle light and have him explain where the bruises came from. But as of the moment, he wasn't going to tell her if she didn't bring it up.

"Hiccup ... let me see you" she said, standing up and walking towards him.

"I-I don't think that's a good..."

"Hiccup" she said in a tone that just made him listen to her. With a reluctant sigh, he turned to face her, revealing his two bruises and cut lip. She closed the space in between them and laid a hand on his cheek where the bruise was, trailing her soft fingers over it. He did flinch at first, but soon nuzzled her hand, as if her skin alone was taking his mind off the pain from it.

"They know" he murmured.

"I know. I just had a talk with them" she replied, slipping her hands around his waist.

"I can only imagine how that could have gone" he muttered.

"I'll tell you it all tomorrow. I'm tired from waiting all night for you to return" she said, looking up at him. "Snorre threatened me that he'd ruin my family name if I thought about telling anyone else of what he did to you"

"He won't do that. Trust me" Hiccup said. When she gazed up at him, eyebrows arching as to what he meant, he continued, "I threatened Snotlout that his whole reputation would be tarnished if people found out about us" he explained.

"So it's at a stalemate for now" she clarified to which he nodded in response. "I'm just ... so sorry ... that he came to you for what I started" she said, shaking her head and releasing him from her hug, turning away.

"You shouldn't beat yourself for that. You didn't know Snotlout could be a pervert" he said, getting a laugh from her.

"So where does this leave us?" she asked.

"Well, it does make things more complicated. They will warn me to stay away from you and threaten to beat me up..."

"But Toothless won't allow that. I know he won't. And neither will Ruff, Fish or Tuffnut allow that to happen. They're with us on this" Astrid confirmed.

"So they know about us now?" he asked and she nodded. "So much for keeping our love a secret"

"Well, that's what we get when a traitor and future Chieftess have an affair, don't we?" she asked as he circled his arms around her waist while she leaned her hands against his chest.

"They'll never be able to keep you from me, or me from you. We're Vikings. We don't listen to what's best for us" he joked.

"Do I know the truth in that" she said, poking him in the chest.

"They could watching us right now, you know?"

"Let them. They know they're powerless to stop this from happening" she said, giving him a kiss on the lips. "I have to go. Doing nothing for three hours does take its toll" she said, reluctantly pulling away.

"Hopefully I'll have time to spend with you tomorrow" he said, walking her to the forge's exit.

"I hope so too. Goodnight Hiccup"

"Goodnight Astrid"

He watched her walk towards her house, which was thankfully in view from where he was standing. She gave him a small wave before walking inside, and flashing him her smile. A lot of people knew about them now and things definitely got more complicated. But it wasn't anything he wasn't used to. He and her would get through this one way or the other.