Chapter 23: Signs

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Outskirts of Berk, 11:21am

It had taken a few minutes for Hiccup and Astrid to calm the dragon down after my off-handed comment. I had known that sticking around would likely only force me into a situation of endless questioning for what I had said, and couple that with Toothless' deluge of excited thoughts that went unheard for all except my unfortunate mind I took the first opportunity I had to slip out the door. I still knew I'd eventually have to explain what happened, but I had the benefit of having a good day or so to come up with an excuse that didn't make me sound like a complete lunatic.

Or that I was hiding what was likely very important information from people who trusted me.

After leaving the home for the second time that morning I found myself with Gobber at his forge for a few hours. During my time with the smith, I had asked if it was possible for him to craft some of the materials I needed for my plan of powering the radio's battery with a broken engine, homemade kerosene, and scraps of the craft. The list had grown from just some copper wire to a few tools I'd need to take apart pieces of the aircraft, some form of insulating material, and a support frame to allow easy access to the engine while I dismantled it.

I hadn't told him that exact reasons for why I needed the tools, of course, and dodged any questions about it by simply saying Hiccup would tell him if he asked. I only felt a little guilty doing that, but I was sure he could handle someone he knew better than I did.

It wasn't all that late into the morning when I left him to his work. I would have stayed with him at the Forge longer, but due to the constant movement of my hands whilst helping move a few things around the workshop, the burn on my wrist had grown agitated to the point of being impossible to ignore. Why the burn had taken almost a day to finally feel like one I could only sum up to thing the burn surrounded, and I thought it best to get it treated before it got any worse. Last thing I needed was to catch an infection and end up losing a hand, or worse.

If only I still had my emergency kit that just so happened to have medical supplies. I had internally complained while making my way through the bustling village.

It was nearing a quarter after eleven when I arrived at the small mountain a good few minutes' walk outside the village that Gothi lived atop. After a short climb up and reaching the small porch area of her home, I found the door of the hut already opening and revealing the small frame of the village's elder. I was slightly taken aback by her apparent clairvoyance in knowing I was coming, but after seeing her own surprised expression it was clear it was only coincidence.

That didn't stop her from quickly putting on a face that feigned foresight at my arrival.

"Morning, Ma'am." I greeted as I approached the door. "Enjoying your Friday morning?"

She returned a puzzled look as she lent on her cane before seeming to understand what I meant. She shrugged and have an 'eh' expression before moving back into the home to let me in.

I entered, nearly bumping my head into a low hanging jar of herbs that I had on previous occasions been unable to avoid, and followed her over to the only table in the small central living area. She gestured for me to sit, which I complied in doing as she wandered off into what looked like a work area and grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil.

'If you have come to ask again about the research, I do actually have some information this time around.' she had quickly written shortly after sitting down across from me. It was always surprising to me at how quickly and effectively she wrote for someone of her age.

Then again, I don't actually know how old she is…

While I hadn't planned on asking if she'd learned anything new, I felt relieved to know she had found something at all after a week of nothing. "I actually hadn't, but I hope it's good news." I said with a small smile.

She, however, did not seem as cheerful as I was at the news. In fact, she almost looked guilty about something, which didn't bode well to me. 'Not particularly, no.'

The small sense of hopefulness that had filled me quickly left, and I was left once again feeling the reluctant acceptance that had slowly built up over the course of several days. "Oh." I said simply, doing my best to cover my disappointment, "What did you find, then?"

She let out a small sigh and began writing. 'To put it simply, I found a chart that has predicted dates of future heavenly events; things that you would likely need if you wanted to cross the Veil again. I don't know how he managed to gain the knowledge of the Gods on such dates, even with magic, but I trust in its accuracy.'

"Let me guess, the next one isn't anytime soon." I remarked dryly, interrupting her writing.

What counted as a 'heavenly event' I didn't know, but I guessed it included things such as solar and lunar eclipses and maybe meteor showers or comets. Such things were easily predictable by scientist back home, so if one of them were supposed have been occurring in the near future I likely would've heard about it before ending up on Berk on the news or social media.

She gave a solemn nod before writing out her thoughts. 'The next event, a solar eclipse, will occur next summer.'

I shouldn't really have been so disheartened by the news as I already had a hunch I'd been stuck on the island for an extended period of time, but to have it confirmed that my next reliable chance at getting home would be nearly half a year away was just another hard reality check. There was also a foreboding feeling at knowing it as it meant I'd be there on the island if what a certain dragon had predicted was really true.

Remembering that detail brought me out of my melancholy as it reminded me about why I had come in the first place.

"Thanks for telling me," I managed slowly while attempting to segue off the topic, "but I actually came here to ask for something else. I might have gotten a slight injury that I was hoping you could get some medicine for."

The subtle nod towards my wrist was enough to cue her in on what I was referring to, but judging by the serious expression she put on I thought she might have been assuming the worse. She held a hand out, prompting me to outstretch my own for her to look at.

"It's nothing terrible, just a slight burn." I clarified as she rolled back my sleeve to examine the afflicted area.

Her initial response to the sight of the burn was a professional look that one would expect a doctor to have when examining an injury, but the expression turned confused the longer she looked. She traced some of the spiraled patterned burns lightly with her hand before they wandered over the Talisman at the center of it all. The fingers recoiled back slightly before she pulled them away completely. Her brows furrowed, and a pensive look came about her before she began writing.

'Its seal has been broken; violently so. How did this happen?'

I felt my jaw go slack for a moment in shock at what she'd said. I pulled my arm back slightly as I tried to get out a response.

"I… I don't know what—," I tried to play the ignorant card, but I soon realized that it would be pointless lying to her. I had a feeling she'd see right through it if I tried. "How did you know about the seal?" I asked in resigned disbelief.

She grinned. 'I didn't. I had a hunch, but wasn't sure. But thank you for confirming it.'

I held back a groan while feeling the distinct heavy weight of guilt that came about from being caught red-headed. "You're a very smart for your age, I'll give you that." I sighed out eventually as I rubbed my mouth.

Her grin remained, although it seemed a tad smugger. 'Don't feel bad. It wasn't all that difficult to figure out. I started to suspect something when three days passed, and the Talisman didn't even shimmer once in that time.' she wrote out before pausing for a moment and allowing a more serious expression show. 'What I don't know, however, is who created the seal. You surely could not have done it, and unless I'm finally going senile, I don't recall doing it either.'

The same panicked feeling I had experienced when confronted by the twins came back, though it was less burdensome than it had been before seeing as I was talking to someone I actually trusted. With what had happened nearly a day prior, the feeling of responsibility in keeping the secret also didn't have the same weight as it had when confronted by the twins, but it was still present all the same. That only furthered proved my suspicions that I still harbored some level of trust towards the dragon; a trust formed because one party trusted the other, forcing the reluctant side to reciprocate the feeling out of their own moral obligation.

But would I really rather lie to Gothi just to keep to a promise that technically shouldn't apply anymore? I thought. It was a tough decision for me to make. Rating her out, after all, would likely cause her to leave, and though that idea seemed to appease my anxiety it also made me feel like a hypocrite; I'd be betraying her trust after going off on her for doing the same.

"Sorry…" I said after my momentary lapse into silence. "I promised not to say."

Gothi's eyes narrowed, seeming to bore into my being to find any deception in my words, before the closed and she let out a sigh.

'If that is how they want it to be, then so be it. I must be honest, however, and say that I feel uncomfortable knowing there's a secret magic user on the island. I understand their reluctance to be known about though, and I see no immediate problem in what they do as long as it is to help you.'

I nodded slightly while avoiding her stare. Yeah, helping me.

'That is what they are doing, no?' she wrote after seeming to notice my conflicted look.

"…Yeah, they are." I replied after a second of hesitation.

'Then why do you seem so reluctant about thinking about them?' she inquired further.

It had been days since I last had a conversation with the elder, and in that time I had somehow managed to forget how easy it was for her to read me like an open book. She knew that something was troubling me and that it related back to the person helping me just by going off my expression and reluctance. It was almost unnerving knowing it was near impossible to hide anything from her. Then again, she couldn't tell I was actually afraid of the person in question, so I supposed it wasn't that she could read minds but instead was simply experienced in reading faces.

"It's complicated." I said, opting to be honest but also vague as to not elicit worry from the elder.

She didn't seemed satisfied with the answer, but she didn't press further either. 'I wish I could be the one to help you through all this, but unfortunately the book I have been refencing has most its pages pertaining to actual spells missing. Only historical excerpts remain which has little information on how to help you. I am glad, though, there is someone who does have the knowledge to.' she wrote and have a small, reassuring smile before writing more.

'I suppose I should help treat the burn now. Don't want it getting infected.' She stood slowly and ambled off to her work area, taking one of the many hanging jars from where it hung and brining it with her.

I watched from the table as she mixed herbs together and grounded them into a paste, all the while feeling relieved at having dodged another potential problem and also feeling all the more confident in my assumption that the people on the island were some of the kindest people I'd met.

She returned with a bowl of what she called 'salve' and I extended my arm out for her to apply it. After doing so, and wrapping the area in bandages, she went to return her supplies. As she did so, though, I had the sudden idea to ask her about something that had been nagging me since earlier in the morning. If anyone else might have known whether or not Lehaun was correct in thinking the Veil was collapsing, it would likely be Gothi.

So I took the chance to ask. "Hey, Gothi, you wouldn't happen to know anything new about the Veil, would you?"

She stopped in her walking and turned to me with a puzzled look that told be to elaborate.

"You know, like, that there might be something… wrong with it?" I clarified with an unsure look.

She remained standing where she stopped and looked off at something for a few seconds, the hand in which she held the bowl going slightly slack as she did so. When her gaze came back to me, there was something dark within her eyes; a look that told me enough of what her answer was. She then turned and proceeded back to her workplace before slowly making her way back to the table. Instead of sitting back down, though, she came up next to me, her short stature making it so that she was at eye level with me even though I was sitting.

She put a hand on my shoulder, her expression sympathetic but also showing hints of her own worry, before she gave a slight, slow nod.

I let out a sigh, feeling a small sense of dread fill me at her confirmation, and nodded myself. "That's what she told me too." I said listlessly.

I had already known it to be true when hearing the dragon tell it, but there still existed a small doubt that maybe it was an over exaggeration or maybe even a simple lie. But the dark look Gothi had shown told me that not only was it true, but that the situation was also just as grave as the dragon has described. Gothi also seemed to understand my role in it all going off her show of support and sympathy.

The only thing left undecided in my mind at the point was when I would be willing to face the dragon again and deal with whatever it was the future had been preparing to throw my way.

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Berk's Market, Noon

What had started out as an unusual morning had slowly turned back into an average day by the time noon rolled around. Unfortunately, that meant that the most exciting part of my day had occurred in the early morning when I could barely enjoy it in my tired state, and after I was left constantly keeping an eye out for a certain someone who was at the center of it all. I hadn't seen a trace of Christopher since he left not long after his strange comment, though, and all I knew was that he was at the Forge sometime late in the morning and had left without saying where he was heading.

It's not fair of him to do that. I found myself thinking after hearing from Gobber about his whereabouts. Pulling a stunt like that and just disappearing; he must've known the earful he'd get from me.

I had questions to ask for obvious reasons. Somehow, he had managed to say something he shouldn't have been able to know. I made sure to ask everyone I knew who might've told him about it all but none of them had.

How did he know about my guilt, and more importantly, why did he seem so sure about what he had said?

It left me feeling uneasy. The only people who knew about my harbored feeling about what I had done all those years ago where close friends and family; and while I did consider Christopher a friend, we hadn't known each other long enough for that topic to have come up. The most logical idea I had was that someone, most likely my mother, had told him and purposefully had him say that to mess with me.

That didn't explain Toothless' reaction, though. He was ecstatic after Christopher had said it; almost as if the man had told me exactly what Toothless wanted me to know, which meant that either he had made a lucky guess, or, somehow, he was told by the dragon himself what to say.

But that was impossible. I wasn't doubting his intelligence, but after yearsof trying the only thing I could conclude about Toothless was that he could understand me for the most part. If he had the ability to speak a language, I would likely have figured it out in all the time we spent together.

Then again, I never really tried asking him if he could or couldn't.

The simple fact was that I didn't know. I had to ask one of them, but neither could be found anywhere.

"Eh, Hiccup?"

I was pulled out of my thoughts by Gobber's rather loud voice. "Sorry, what?" I responded before turning to meet the man's confused gaze.

He rolled his eyes. "You know, it isn't very Chief like to get lost in his own head after a simple question."

I took me moment to remember what he'd asked before I zoned out. He had approached me while I was in the market and had asked me about what the project I had been working on was.

"For the last time, Gobber, I can't tell you!" I replied with a small laugh and pretending as if I hadn't gone unresponsive for likely an unusual amount of time. "It's not a secret project if I go around telling everyone what it is."

The old blacksmith groaned, his head falling back as he raised his fist into the air. "You two can't keep doing this to me!" he said in exaggerated despair, "He keeps coming up with this strange request that have me dying to know what they're for!"

I shrugged. "I'm sorry but I just can't say."

"You could at least tell me when you plan on finishing; you two got me constantly thinking about whatever it might be, I'd like to at least know when my suffering will end." he replied, returning to his usual sarcasm.

I hesitated to respond. It wasn't as if I actually had a date to give him; there was no actual project after all. It was all a simple coverup for Christopher's presence that would last until he was able to leave. A time that none of us knew.

"Oh, well, I'm not actually sure exactly when—,"

"Hiccup! I got some letters for you!" Snotlout loudly interrupted me as he approached me from behind, pushing through the crowd.

I let out a relieved sigh, thankful for once towards Snotlout for giving me an excuse to drop Gobber and I's conversation. I turned and clasped my hands together, greeting the man with a smile. "Snotlout! Perfect timing!"

I heard Gobber try to get my attention back but Snotlout was quick to cut him off as well. "Ah, well, you know me. Always there when people need me." he said with a smug smile before he handed me the handful of letters. "Fresh off the Terrors."

I took them from him and began sorting through the various scrolls. Most where from scouts positioned on other islands and lookout points, a few were from traders, and a letter from Mala, who rarely sent out letters besides the monthly updates of the waters near her island, caught my eye at its unusual timing. But it was what wasn't in the pile that had most of my attention.

"Still nothing from Fishlegs?" I asked out loud, hoping that Snotlout had merely forgotten to pick it up. I had been waiting almost two weeks to hear back from him, but there hadn't been a single letter from Berserker Island in that time. It wasn't like him to have sent nothing back, especially when considering he knew the task I gave him was important.

Snotlout scratched at his neck, his eyes wandering off into the crowds around us. "Not in this batch." he said, lacking much interest. "The last thing I saw from him was a letter about plants he sent a few days ago."

I returned a flat stare. "And why am I just now hearing about this?"

He looked back to me, his brows furrowed in confusion before he seemed to put the pieces together. "Oh don't pin this one on me!" he said defensively. "He sent it with the general mail, not with your private mail, so how was I supposed to know you were expecting a message from him? Especially when it's marked as being about plants!"

I shook my head and sighed. "Do you still have it or not?" I replied, not thinking it worthwhile to bother explaining to him that he shouldn't ignore any letter sent to me.

"Nope." he said bluntly before he seemed to realize something after a moment. "Oh, wait, actually I do." He padded around his vest before feeling something and then proceeding to pull out a folded-up letter and handing it to me.

I slowly took it, not breaking my confused stare with him. "And why, exactly, was it in your vest?"

He shrugged. "I was having some trouble sleeping that day and thought that reading a letter from Fishlegs might knock me out, but before I could even take it out to read I passed out and forgot about it."

I kept my stare on him, though this time there was a bit more amusement in it.

He raised a finger a pointed at me. "Hey! Don't you judge me! How about next time you tell Fishface to use the proper seal and mail line with his letters, so I know it's important!" He then turned and began walking away, muttering something to himself as he disappeared into the nearby crowd.

"It's always a treat, that one." Gobber commented amusedly from next to me.

"He's gotten better, at least." I replied with a small chuckle before taking the letter into both hands, taking a brief moment to appreciate the false title of the letter 'Rare Beserker Plants' and unfolding it.

Hiccup,

Sorry for not writing sooner. I've been busy with this assignment and lost track time. I'm sure you're busy so I'll keep this brief.

After days of combing the library's countless shelves of books and scrolls, I found nothing but what looked like incomplete documents that may be related to magic. Vague mentions abnormal happenings, strange forces, powerful individuals, but nothing specific. I have learned, though, that there is a secret storage area on the island that contains old tribal documents. As you know, it is forbidden to alter those papers, so if there's any history of magic on Berserk, it will be on those documents. I managed to convince Dagur to help, but he's having trouble convincing the elders to allow him and I access, which is strange considering he's Chief; probably don't trust him and his tendency of 'unhingedness' being around ancient scrolls. My current cover story is that there's an unknown disease infecting our dragons and that the older documents might have useful information, so hopefully they are convinced with that.

I do have good news, though. REALLY good news. While I was searching through the library, I admit I may have become a little distracted and tried reading a book on different rock types I had stumbled across in the back. What was strange though was that in the book was a ripped-out page from another book wedged inside, seemingly put there to hide away. The God's must have been on my side that day, or else I would never have found it.

To put it bluntly, your mother was right. There IS a history of magic with dragons. What's written on that single piece of paper, if true, COMPLETELY changes how we view dragons and also confirms that MAGIC was at least a real thing in the past! I don't want to ruin it, so I'll let you read it yourself. I sent the paper along with this letter.

I'll hopefully be in contact again soon, and I hope you don't mind me staying for a little while longer to see if I can dig up any other information.

On a separate note, if your mother is still teaching my class, please inform her that they should begin learning about the different types of herbs and substances that are both harmful and beneficial to dragons, and that they are to NOT begin flying until I return.

-Fishlegs Ingerman

Mom was right? I thought as I tried to remember my own cover story I had told Fishlegs. Wait, did my made-up reasoning actually end up being true?

I folded the letter slightly to get a view of the other included paper I hadn't noticed before. At first glance it seemed like any other page one would find in a scholarly book; long paragraphs spaced tightly together along with what seemed to be illustrations further down the page that were obscured by the main note. I didn't think much of it at first, still going over in my head what Fishlegs had written, until I actually read the title of the torn-out page.

'Dragon Involvement in the Shaping of Human Magic'

I felt my eyes widen. Dragons shaping human magic? Would that mean—

"So, what'd he say? That he's finally getting married?" Gobber teased, interrupting my thought as he tried to get a view of the paper.

I was about to respond, writing it off as a simple letter informing me that he'd be staying off island for a little while longer, when I was interrupted by a small tremor in the ground. It felt as if several large dragons had just landed nearby, but a quick glance proved that to be wrong. I knew I hadn't imagined it either as most of the people and dragons that I had seen near us came to a stop, all looking around in shared confusion.

After a few moments of stillness, everyone seemed to shrug it off and continued about their day. The dragons nearby, however, remained still; most of them seeming on guard about something, some even beginning to urge their owners to either hurry along on to mount them. A few even seemed visibly agitated, but thankfully made no aggressive moves that would have signal another fight.

Huh. I thought, briefly sharing a look with Gobber. Must've been a dragon underground or some—

There was a loud and deep crack from somewhere deep beneath the ground we stood on. Immediately after the ground lurched downward causing everyone who hadn't been snatched up by their dragons to fall or, for the sturdier, stumble. It was almost as if the earth we stood upon had been ripped out from under us, and there was a brief moment of calmness that gave me time to process what was happening.

The dragons must've sensed it. But what would possibly have caused that?

I didn't have much more time to think before the ground began violently shaking to the point of making it impossible to stand. Cries of both human and dragon filled the air from all over the village, and soon their voices were joined by the sounds of wood splintering and stone cracking.

The sheer magnitude of the quake, its roar filling my ears and its violence causing even my vision to shake, left me thinking that the very island itself was about to collapse into the sea.

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Outskirts of Berk, 12:13pm

The dizziness had begun to wear off, and though my body was aching all over I unsteadily propped myself up off the ground and surveyed my surroundings.

I was still on the path that lead between the village and Gothi's home, but it had changed in mere seconds due to the quake. The path looked like it had been lifted up into the air and then allowed to fall; the ground cracked and uneven for as far as I could see. The adjacent forest had spilled onto the path as well. Countless of the towering pine trees had fallen onto the dirt road, and after a few more seconds of looking around in a half daze I realized one of the trees, possibly the largest to be found in the immediate area, had narrowly missed crushing me. One of its branches, however, had managed to hit me on its way down and had come to pin me to the ground and must've been the reason for my aching body.

I pulled myself out of the branches embrace and got to my feet, and though I felt as if I might pass out from standing so quickly I managed to keep my footing. As I stood there, still only half-aware of everything, I felt something drip down between my eyes. I quick wipe of the area revealed the liquid to be blood.

Must've hit my head on the ground when the tree came down on me. I guessed as my mind began to clear, and with it my recollection of what had happened mere minutes before.

I had been returning to Berk after getting the burn treated when a strange feeling came over me. It almost felt as if my perception of the world grew in both size and magnitude for a brief moment before the feeling left and was replaced with light-headedness. Soon after the ground had jolted from beneath me and sent be falling onto my knees. Then the full force of the earthquake hit as I had gotten up. It had been the first time I had ever experience one and thus had no idea what I was supposed to do other than to try and keep my footing. I remembered hearing the snapping of bark off behind me, and then everything going black.

I glanced off to the mountain a far distance off behind me. I was afraid of seeing Gothi's small home missing from it's peak—the small hut was only supported by a few wooden beams after all, but peering upwards I could still spot the structure. Somehow it had withstood the very earth rocking beneath it, and the only noticeable damage I could spot from the that far of a distance was that it appeared to be slightly leaning on weakened supports.

The sight left me feeling relieved, and though I had the urge to go back and make sure she was fine, another worrying thought entered my head.

What happened to Berk?

With its towering buildings being the most prominent detail about the rustic village, the first though I had was that they had all surely collapsed. A morbid curiosity fueled me to turn back around and amble down the pathway. With my sore body protesting and the numerous obstacles on the path, the walk back took longer than usual, but soon the village came into view. I was surprised to see many of the taller structures standing, a few of them leanings as well, but I could tell several were missing. And though there were no fires, a light cloud of dust hung over the area hinting at the likely numerous collapsed buildings.

I recall being stopped by a few people as I made my way closer to the village, most of them concerned over my head injury, but I waved most of them off. I was set on seeing the damage and finding Hiccup to make sure he didn't start tearing what was left the town down looking for me.

It wasn't long before I found him. Well, he actually found me stumbling down the streets in a half daze. He called my name, a sound that sounded further away than he actually was, and I turned to see him mounted on his dragon. His face had patches of dirt and dust covering it and his hair was filled with rubble that he seemed to not notice, and the dragon he sat on was covered in dust do the point he was more gray than black.

"Christopher!" Hiccup called out as he dismounted Toothless and jogged over, the dragon following close behind. "You're bleeding, are you alright?" Both of them had coincidently asked the same thing simultaneously; the combination doing no favors for my concussed mind.

"Just a concussion." I replied, though I found it difficult to talk. "What happened?" Though it was a dumb question to ask, for all I knew it wasn't an earthquake and had instead been some crazy incident involving dragons.

Hiccup seemed just as lost as I was as he looked around at the damage surrounding us; houses in shambles, streets ripped apart, entire towers of homes now rubble blocking pathways, and swarms of people already getting to work at moving debris and helping the injured.

He shook his head, his mouth opening but words hesitating to leave. "An earthquake. The likes of which Berk's never seen." he said in a tone the portrayed his utter shock of what had transpired. "Almost a third of the homes in the village are damaged or collapsed, nearly all the walkways are either blocked by debris or simply torn apart, and I'm getting word that the docks have been completely destroyed." There was a subtle rise in his voice that showed how overwhelmed he felt at the disaster.

I felt like I should have responded and tried reassuring him that things could be worse, but I found myself too exhausted to speak. I merely casting my gaze as he did across the damage around us.

"Almost all the wild dragons fled the island for nearby ones. Only those that are close to the villagers stayed behind to aid their humans." Toothless commented, seeming to hope I'd relay the message somehow. One dreary look towards him, though, was enough to tell him I wouldn't.

"I need to find Gothi and make sure she's okay." Hiccup said as he wiped some of the grime of his face. "We're going to need all the healers in the village to treat the injured."

"Her house looked intact." I listlessly replied. As I did, the urge to sit down overwhelmed me and I found myself leaning against what remained of a wall nearby. It felt as if all the strength in my body had been ripped out, and the only thing that had been keeping me up beforehand was merely adrenaline.

I vaguely remember Hiccup helping me down until I was sitting with my back to the damaged wall and him handing me something to cover the wound on my head. He said to stay put and that he'd have someone come check on me before he and his dragon left in the direction of Gothi's home, leaving my alone in a slowly clouding world.

Everything after was a blur with me barely conscious of things going around me; a symptom I, at the time, attributed to the blunt trauma to my head. I was eventually moved from the streets and treated for my wounds, but again I barely retained anything that happened, and the next conscious thought I had was hours later well into the night.

I was lying on the sheets of my cot in the Haddock's home staring blankly towards the ceiling when the fog in my mind lifted. The main area of the home was filled with the warm glow of the central fireplace, its light being orderly parted into shadows by the large pillars supporting the high roof, and unlike most nights the wind outside was either to calm to be heard or was nonexistent; a good thing considering any wind could cause more damaged to the already shaken village.

Though I had no real gauge on how much time had passed during my catatonic state, I felt as if it was late in the night, and seeing as the fire was still lit I assumed someone was still up. My head turned, a slight aching radiating inside it at the sudden move, and as my vision adjusted to the bright flare nearby I could make out two figures by the fire: the lanky figure of the Chief and his dozing dragon nearby.

"What happened?" I asked, my voice grading at my dry throat.

Hiccup lifted his head at my voice and turned to face me, the shadows cast on his face making it difficult to read it from a distance. "Oh, welcome back." he responded jokingly but with noticeable relief.

I found his comment confusing as, though my memory was still fuzzy, I was sure I hadn't been unconscious. "Did I pass out?" I still found it difficult to talk, my tongue feeling twenty times heavier and my lips barely moving, and the mere act of doing so drastically dwindled whatever small amounts of energy I had.

"Well, yes and no." he replied slowly as he stood, picking up the stool he had been resting on and beginning to amble over. As he approached I was able to get a look at his face. He looked mostly exhausted, prominent dark gray bags hanging under his eyes, and the shadows still casted on his face seemed to exaggerate those features. But besides his clear weariness he looked relieved about something. "You were in and out, sometimes awake but seemingly not all there. Gothi said you suffered a pretty nasty hit to the head and that there was a chance you could be stuck in that half-aware state for a little while." He set the stool down and eased onto it, letting out a tired huff as he did so.

My body seemed to catch up with my mind, and the small bit of weariness that seemed to only effect my mouth quickly spread to the rest of my body along with other more painful sensations. "What time is it?" I said, groaning slightly at a flare up of pain in my chest.

He shrugged. "Past mid-night, maybe." He leant over as he peered down at my watch. "Uh, I think it says one… twenty? Oh, so it's past mid-night then."

"You stayed up?" It seemed my mind was unable to get past simple questions, especially with the new feelings of dreariness, which was slightly annoying as I had wanted to know more about what had happened during my catatonic state.

He sighed again. "Gothi said someone needed to keep an eye on you. I volunteered."

"Why?" Unless the disaster that had struck the village hadn't actually happened, I assumed he'd be far busier than usual dealing with the clean-up the next day. Staying up late would be doing him no favors.

"I hoped you'd come to a bit sooner, so I could ask you something, but it's too late for that now. I'm barely awake as is, and you look just as tired as I am." he said, a slight influx in his voice telling of his slight disappointment. "Seeing as you're looking okay, I'll probably just head to bed. I'll save my questions for when you're feeling better." he added with a small grin, but I could still sense the small disappointment behind it.

I had a hunch I knew what he meant by asking a question, and I was glad that I hadn't returned to full consciousness earlier. The last thing I wanted to do then was try and explain that morning's events. True to his word, he was soon putting out the fire and heading to his room while his dragon remained immobile on the floor, fast asleep and oblivious to the fact he had left the room.

I was left in the dark quiet of the night, the house creaking slightly in a light wind that had appeared being the only discernable noise. Though I was utterly exhausted, and that my body felt like it had been hit by a truck, I stayed awake a little while longer than what my body demanded. I was too preoccupied with trying to piece together the previous thirteen hours, but I was only able to come up with vague flashes of memories. The missing time was like a drain to my mind, a constant demand of attention, but with little results coming from the effort I was soon nodding off, succumbing to the turmoil of the day.

"I didn't tell him."

I creaked open an eye and was met with those of Toothless who was sitting off by the cot as he usually did in the mornings. Apparently he hadn't really been sleeping; or at least not during the whole conversation with Hiccup. Dreariness overpowered whatever annoyance I might have had, and I simply closed my eyes as I responded.

"About…?" I let out with a sigh.

"About you understanding me." the dragon clarified. "He asked a while ago when it was just the two of us. I… played dumb, though." He didn't sound all to pleased with what he had done, he even whined slightly. "I had a feeling you didn't want him knowing, and it wouldn't be fair of me to force you into that situation. I'll tell him when you're okay with it, but I hope that's soon." He explained before he began padding off in the direction Hiccup had.

"Why?" I found myself asking, confused as to why he would give up an opportunity to do something he'd likely yearned for years to be able to do; to talk to his friend. His simple explanation didn't feel right to me. "What makes my needs more important than yours?"

There was a pause, and then a slight huff from a distance away. "I don't know why." he said, his voice conflicted with confusion and slight annoyance. "Something in my head said it was the best thing to do… and I couldn't disagree."

I could hear the stairs creaking as the dragon made his way up to the second floor. He had sounded almost broken over what he had done, like he had betrayed himself, and I was left feeling guilty for being the cause of it. He had given up something he desired, just to make sure I was forced into something that he a rightly said I didn't want to be involved in. Telling Hiccup I could hear his dragon would open a whole other book of problems for me, and would even go as far as completely uprooting his and the village's entire lifestyles. That fact alone was enough to deter me from revealing it so soon, but it didn't stop me from considering ways of doing so that might lessen the blow for both me and everyone else.

But that didn't help curb my guilt, and I felt that showing my appreciation for his personal sacrifice would be the least I could do at the moment.

"Thanks." I managed to mutter out, and though my eyes were closed, and my mind was quickly fading, I could tell he had heard.

-0-0-0-0-0-

AN:

Hmm, how long has it been? A few months? Oops, sorry about that. This semester hasn't been the kindest in the sense of allowing my free time, and the time I do have I simply either don't have the ability to work on this or am doing other things. So, yeah, sorry again about that.

I don't have all too much to say for this chapter, but if you felt that a certain dragon's decisions in it seemed unrealistic, I assure you there are reasons that will be explained.

In other news, my spring break has been technically extended to three weeks due to corona, and I wanted to take a moment to say I hope all of you reading stay safe and healthy in the coming weeks and months, and to remind you to always wash your hands.

Until next time.

3-14-20 (Happy Pi day as well)