"The final resting place of the Champion of Dragons…" Johann sneered, pricking the tip of his poison-tipped spear almost carelessly. "… resides in the King of Dragon's birthnest. Sheer poetry."

Hiccup barely heard his words, so concentrated was he on the humming of wind beneath him, the cold, slipping grip he had on his sword and prosthetic- the latter of which barely had any grip in the smooth, teal ice. His ribs ached with a passion, arms screaming for relief, stump burning against the ice as he struggled to push himself up a little and take the burden off his arms. If his hands, already nearly numb, slipped…

But he did see the spear. Hiccup felt his lungs contract as he watched. The light, coming in from some far-up skylight and filtering through hundreds of layers of ice, glinted in an almost watery fashion against the steel of the blade. Hiccup watched the shifting shadows with a sharp interest- time had seemed to slow enough for him to watch as it made its descent, to see the green slime coating the tip…

And to realize he should probably do something about it.

Hiccup pushed off with his amputated leg, groaning in shock and pain as he managed to throw himself to one side, sending his prosthetic hurtling down into the abyss. He didn't wait for it to hit the bottom, instead bracing himself as the spear cut to the side, slamming the flat end against his jaw and temple. The huge cavern began to spin around him as pain exploded in his head, something sticky coating the side of his face and matting in his hair. Whether it was blood or slime, Hiccup didn't care to tell. What mattered now was staying alive.

The spear came down again. Hiccup managed to swing himself out almost perpendicular to the wall. His right arm, carrying almost all the weight, shook violently, and for a moment he thought his fingers would slip. But then the tip retreated again-

Bam! Pain exploded in Hiccup's left shoulder and he jerked it instinctively, letting out a pained cry. A burning rush of heat flooded his arm as he felt a sharp twist and tug- a bloody spear tip met his vision.

Time seemed to slow. The howling sound beneath him increased. Hiccup's blood rushed past his ears, heart pounding in his skull. The world narrowed.

I've been stabbed.

There had been poison on that arrow.

How much of it had gotten into him?

Hiccup fought through the fog, even as the world seemed to fade out around him. Everything was several shades darker than it had been before… but was the howling getting louder?

Whoosh.

Yeah. Definitely.

Hiccup felt a pressure on his consciousness- hold on, he seemed to think. Instinctively he obeyed, shifting his grip with his one remaining arm and pressing himself tight against the frigid ice. Just in time, too, for just then a shadowy horned figure, several hundred boat-lengths long, rose it's massive head and breathed a snowy vapor. That vapor filled the cavern, covering everything it touched in a thick, thick coat of solid ice.

The only thing in the cavern that wasn't frozen was Hiccup.

Vaguely aware of this fact, Hiccup allowed himself a short sigh. He was, after all, still very much in danger. This… whatever it was- Dragon seems too common- was not in any way on his side. I'm not gonna try to train that thing. Hiccup decided, risking a glance up and seeing nothing but blackish stone and ice. I really hope Toothless comes soon.

Moments passed, Hiccup swaying by his sword, the room still starting to darken around him. Everything seemed like a daze, like it wasn't quite real- but he knew it was. Oh, Thor, he knew it was. One wrong move and I break my neck. And probably every other bone in my body.

His pinkie slipped. A shudder rippled through his body.

Then his ring finger. Hiccup panted, terror peeling back some of the blurring. The room came into sharp focus around him. He shifted, tried to bring his other arm up- pain exploded in his shoulder. His arm dropped again, without his consent, and the jarring motion pried his middle finger from the sword. Fear jolted through him, and he was very much aware of his heart pounding at a rate much faster than normal. His remaining two fingers, the only thing tethering him to Midgard, shook and burned. The muscles in them were close to tearing. And yet, Hiccup watched with a feeling of dread as his pointer finger inched closer and closer to the edge of the hilt…

I'm gonna die.

The thought struck him, somehow stabbing worse than the various aches and pains coloring his skin and spreading bloody blossoms through his tunic. "I'm gonna die." He repeated aloud. How much he ached for a glass of water in that moment. "I'm gonna die, and I'm never gonna see Astrid again, or find out if Dad's gonna be OK, or see the twins joke off, or watch Snotlout try to impress any of the village's girls, or help Fishlegs write letters to Heather, or watch her and her brother bond… or play fetch or wrestle with Toothless… or cook for them… or spend hours on the sea stacks around the Edge with my family, teaching Astrid to draw and watching the sunset, mapping out new territories…"

A tear dripped down his face, cold and wet and salty, and somehow it gave him the strength to hold on just a little longer. His lungs ached, his arm burned, head spun… but deep inside was a determination, burning hotter than a watch fire.

It lasted him just long enough. Just as Hiccup was about to come to terms with his fate, close his eyes, wait for that last finger to give out- a mass of darker-than-night scales hit the ice next to him with a thump-clack. Hiccup glanced over to see a very familiar tailgear waving on the ice next to him, and following the curved dorsal fins up and around, a pair of rounded ears. Below them, a smiling draconic face with wide green eyes and a gaping maw containing none other than the King of Dragon's egg.

"Toothless!" Hiccup screamed, lurching towards the tail with what remaining strength he had. His arm burned with the jerking and his stomach dropped in the moment he was suspended freely over the drop, but then his hand was clenched around a cold, sleek dorsal fin and up he was going, up the ice wall and over the sloped edge to safety. Hiccup lurched forward, collapsing in the thin layer of snow.

At length, he flipped himself over, groaning with exertion and hissing when his injured arm collided with the ground. The rock ceiling met him- and something else.

Johann's frozen corpse. His back was closest to Hiccup, hunched in an unnatural manner as he raised his ice-encased spear to deliver another, quite possibly killing blow. Everything seemed to still around the statue of ice.

Hiccup stared at it for a long time, sharp green eyes drinking in the horror of the fate that had befallen one of his greatest foes. The one who had tricked him for years, gotten him to trust him, befriended him. A strange obligation rose in Hiccup, pulling him to unsteady feet- or, foot.

He hobble-jumped to where he could see the man's face, forever frozen in a snarl all too fitting of the man Hiccup had come to know him as. A brisk nod preceded Hiccup's heavy-laden words- "Good game, Johann. You almost had us."

Silence filled the chamber; not even the King rustled beneath them. It was in that silence that Hiccup found within himself a great longing to find his friends. He'd left them in the midst of the battle of the century, after all, severely outmatched and outnumbered! Worry overtook the young Viking, who leapt atop Toothless and pounded off, trusting the dragon to know the way. But not before reverently placing the Egg in his bag.

I don't think the King will mind if we keep it safe.

Somehow, he thought it knew their intentions.

His panic increased the farther they went along those cold, damp, narrowly burrowed tunnels. All sorts of horrific scenarios played through his mind- what if I come out and they've lost? Surrounded? Trapped? Injured, or even worse? Gruesome images filled his mind, ones that would haunt his dreams for weeks to come. "Oh, gods. Toothless, hurry!"

"Hiccup, is that you?" Echoed a distant voice down the hallway. Relief hit him like a gust of wind hits a sapling. That's Astrid! Oh, thank Thor. "Astrid?"

"Hiccup! You did it! Guys, he's headed our way!"

Moments later Toothless pounded down one last turn, the dull thumps of claws burying themselves in snow echoing down the tunnel, and emerged all of a sudden into bright daylight. A joyous roar escaped the Night Fury. He'd done it. His rider was safe.

Hiccup practically leapt off Toothless, crashing into Astrid's arms. At her warmth he could finally make sense of the past few hours, thoughts coming with sharp clarity. He drew back only long enough to ask- "Is everyone OK? Did you drive them off?"

She nodded and his hold tightened again, one arm around her back and the other around her waist as he buried his face in her braid, relishing the feel of her. The long, coarse blonde hair tickling his nose and cheeks, the way her arms, thin yet just as strong as his, looped around his waist after just a moment of hesitation, the way her head fit perfectly in the crook between his neck and shoulder…

He was at peace.

"Astrid…" He murmured, never wanting to let go.

"I know. I know." She replied, simply. For the two shared a connection that went far deeper than words, even as her legs spread at a strange angle to keep them both upright. Worry and love and panic and fear and happiness and joy and warmth all bundled into three simple words-

"I love you." He whispered, directly into her ear so that no one else would hear. A smile split her face, warming his heart. "I love you too, Hiccup."

Relief and joy swept through him, both at the knowledge that they had won the battle against the Flyers and, that, even though he had already known this to some extent, he now knew she loved him. Simply, plainly, and truthfully. He leaned in, ready to prove to her how much this revelation meant-

But all too soon she straightened, gently pushing her betrothed away and motioning to the others to join them. Hiccup felt an edge in his mind dull as he took them in- Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Fishlegs, and Snotlout, all with their dragons, and Stormfly standing off the side with Toothless, giving each other and their riders knowing glance. Hiccup laughed, steadying himself on his single available leg and motioning to Toothless to come help him stay standing. "Oh, yeah, rub it in, ya big baby boo."

They were all alright, discounting a few minor burns and scrapes. And that was good enough for him.

"Hiccup, did you get the King? Did you defeat Krogan?"

His mind snapped back to the confrontation in the cavern. "You mean you guys don't have Krogan? I thought when Toothless chased him he would…"

"We thought you had him!" Astrid shot back, ocean blue eyes wide. "He went in- you know what, it doesn't matter. The King of Dragons is safe."

"And…" Hiccup fumbled for the bag across Toothless' saddle, laying half-in it to pull out the Egg and finally take the opportunity to examine it. His arm gave a dull ache, reminding him that he was still injured. "It's not a King. It's a Queen."

Fishlegs squealed, rushing forward, the others crowding around as Hiccup held up the Egg for all to see. "Look at the color! It's whiter than a Screaming Death scale! And those spikes, they're so interesting! They're too curved in for self defense, so what do you think their function is? Hiccup? Hiccup?"

"Oh- uh, what?" Hiccup snapped back to the present. It seemed that him feeling his arm had given the rest of his body the permission to voice its complaints. There was a headache building in the back of his skull, and his ribs were surely bruised. His arms were shaking, stump pounding, shoulder begging for relief. But he was alive.

"Are you OK?" Fishlegs asked, taking a step closer. Hiccup leaned a little harder against Toothless in an attempt to forelay his friend's worry. "I'm fine as long as you guys are."

"Uh, no, you're not!" Tuffnut popped in, shoving his way past Fishlegs. "Ah- there it is! Just as I suspected! You, my friend, have a concussion!"

Hiccup groaned under his breath, even as the ground began to sway beneath him. I did get smashed in the face with a spearhead. "And how might you be able to tell that, Nurse Tuffnut?"

"Your pupils are dilated!"

"And he looks like he's gonna tip over like a yak on yak-tipping night." Ruffnut added, popping her head up over the small crowd. "Seriously, Hiccup, sit down or something."

"Wait, Hiccup, what happened to your leg? Where's your prosthetic?" Astrid questioned, eyes shining with worry. But Hiccup barely heard her. As the adrenaline faded, all the blood seemed to rush to his head. His vision tunneled, black spots appearing at the edges of his sightline. He was hardly aware of himself stumbling until strong arms caught him and lowered him into a sitting position on the grass. A soft presence informed him something had slipped behind him, and he leaned against it gratefully, not quite sure what was going on. Everything hurt, that was about it.

"Hiccup." The man's voice came distantly, like through murky water. "What's wrong?"

Fishlegs, he realized, thinking furiously. Memories came back to him in scattered flashes- "Poison." He muttered softly; or was it loudly? A hand gripped his.

"Where?"

Hiccup squeezed his eyes shut as the pandemonium around him caused his headache to reach the breaking point. One hand found its way to his shoulder, fumbling with the straps blindly until a large, strong hand pulled his out of the way and did it for him. "Dragon… root…" He mumbled, eyes still squeezed shut tight. Darkness pressed in on his consciousness. Don't pass out. Don't pass out. Don't pass out.

Those three words became his mantra. "Antidote… my bag…" he mumbled, picturing the vial of clear, viscous liquid he always kept stored in his handbag ever since Astrid had been hit by a stray Dragon Hunter arrow. Those thoughts, like all the others, were swept away in a torrent of confused jumbles almost as soon as they had been formed.

Dimly Hiccup felt something cold splash against the skin of his shoulder and gritted his teeth, panting as he struggled not to cry out at the sudden pain. His hand gripped the other hand so hard he was afraid he'd break it, but the person merely squeezed back. Calm. Reassuring. Darkness pressed in on his mind again, threatening to take his consciousness, but Hiccup clung on. Vikings were stubborn, after all. At long last, the pain faded and Hiccup slumped back against his makeshift backrest, gulping in huge breaths of cold air. The fog slowly began to lift from his mind.

The first thing he was aware of, minutes after the antidote had been administered, was the careful silence around him. The stench of smoke and ashes hit his nose, adding another level of clarity to the scene. He took a shuddering, calming breath, finally fully relaxing.

"Hiccup?"

He was so tired; sleep would've come easily and blissfully. But by now he was aware enough to crack open his eyelids, squinting against the sun. Astrid's worried face appeared in his view, dispelling the last of the dimness.

"Hey." He managed.

She scoffed, threading her fingers through his soot, slime, ice-covered hair. "Hey. You good?"

"I… think so." Hiccup groaned, digging the palm of his free hand into the ground and pushing himself up a bit. "Thanks."

Fishlegs appeared next to him; or had he been there the whole time? "That was scary, Hiccup! You should've told us you were hurt!"

One hand pressed against the side of his skull; that headache hadn't quite left yet. In fact, it seemed to be getting worse. "Sorry, Fish."

"Hiccup!" A new voice called. Hiccup snapped his head up, instantly regretting the motion. Heather and Dagur were soaring in on their respective dragons, and… was that Mala, sitting behind Dagur? He straightened instinctively, ignoring the sharp ache in his lungs. Around the queen he was sharply reminded of his duties as heir of Berk. Astrid stood, slipping her hand out of his and gesturing to the others, who instinctively formed a defensive perimeter around their wounded leader. He met Toothless' gaze, silently asking the dragon to help him stand. He would not look weak in front of a queen and a chief.

Shakily, his hands lodged deep in Toothless' ruff of scales, Hiccup stood as the other trio made their way to them. "Mala, Dagur, Heather." He addressed them.

"Hiccup!" Heather rushed forward to grab him in a quick hug. He fought the urge not to cry out, giving Astrid an apologetic sidelong glance. "Hey, Heather. Did you guys fight off Krogan's army?"

"We kicked some serious butt!" Dagur replied- his face morphed from victory to worry. "Hiccup, you good? You look kinda… well, paler than usual. And that's saying something!"

"Thanks for that, Dagur." Hiccup snarked, motioning to his prosthetic-less leg. "I managed to lose my leg in the cavern, so I'm a bit shaky, yeah. I'm fine. We kept the King of Dragons safe. And-" Hiccup looked around, suddenly aware that he was missing something very important. He'd closed his eyes, stumbled…

Where was the Egg?

Relief bolted through him like lightning when he saw Fishlegs holding the large, ovule prize. "Oh, thank Thor, Fishlegs. I owe you one."

"Is that an egg?" Dagur exclaimed, sauntering over to the burly Viking. "It's so big!"

Hiccup chuckled. "If you think that's big, you should've seen the King."

"You saw the King of Dragons?!" Fishlegs almost dropped his ward in excitement, causing Heather to lunge forward. "What was it like? Was it big?"

"Huge." Hiccup's voice was breathy, finally taking a moment to comprehend the vast size of the creature who'd saved his life. "It saved me. And it froze Johann."

"Solid?"

Hiccup nodded towards his betrothed. "Solid. We won't have to worry about him again."

"Tell me more about the King, Hiccup!" Fishlegs begged- only Mala interrupted.

"I believe you mean Queen, Fishlegs Ingerman? It did, after all, lay an egg."

"I-"

"That's so not fair!" Tuffnut interjected, shoving his way past his sister. "The broskis need some rep in the dragon world!"

"Broskis?"

"Yes, Hiccup. Broskis. Bros? Guys? You get- nah, nevermind. Snotlout gets it."

"Heck yeah I do!" Hiccup rolled his eyes at the two 'broskis' antics, allowing himself to rest more fully against Toothless' side. His ribs hurt. And his head was pounding. But this… this was nice.

"Ok, guys, whatever! Queen of Dragons, Tuffnut, get used to it!" Fishlegs' slightly frustrated tone snapped Hiccup back to the present. The larger Viking was sending him an eager stare. "Tell us more! What did it look like?"

Hiccup motioned to the Egg. "I didn't see a lot of it, but the scales were like that, only with more red towards the edges. And it had these two massive horns, longer than Toothless' entire body, longer than a boat even, that it used like bludgeons. And it's eyes…" He trailed off for a moment. "It had these beautiful teal eyes that seemed to bore right into your very soul. And… it has a higher level of consciousness than even us humans."

"How'd'ya come up with that one?" Snotlout snarked, pushing his fingers through the belt loops of his trousers. "It's not like you could talk to it!"

Hiccup shuddered, leaning into Astrid as she leaned herself against Toothless' hide. He remembered almost too clearly the strange consciousness that had touched his for just a moment in that cavern. Compelled him to obey. That power… "In a way, I think I did."

"Huh? That's dumb! It's a dragon, it can't-"

"Dragons are incredibly sophisticated creatures, Snotlout Jorgensen." Mala interrupted, sending the brash Viking a stern glare. Dagur seemed confused beside her, but carefully wiped his face of the emotion before she noticed. "It is within the realm of possibility that a dragon, especially one so great and powerful as the Queen of all Dragons, could touch a human mind."

"Thank you, Mala." Hiccup decided to take advantage of Snotlout's current dumbfoundedness to explain himself further. I probably sound like a madman. "We know the Bewilderbeast has the ability to control the minds of other dragons, and… I don't know. When I was there, there was a moment where I was dangling over this cliff and Johann was about to kill me…" Hiccup shuddered, taking refuge in the warmth seeping through his armor from Astrid's right side embrace. His good arm tightened around her upper back. "I felt this, almost… I have no idea how to describe it. But I felt really weirdly compelled to flatten myself against the ice, and the second I did the dragon sent a massive burst of ice over my head. If I hadn't moved I would've been killed right along with Johann." He ruffled Astrid's hair gently, minding her braid, as she intook a strangled breath. I'm OK, he tried to remind her. I'm right here. I'm safe. It's over, we won.

"I guess… I mean, our body systems aren't so different." Fishlegs mused, rubbing his bare chin with a free hand. "It could be that our brains are similar enough to allow for some sort of cross-breaching- Thor, I don't know anything about mind control!"

"I do." All eyes turned to Queen Mala, who strode to the middle of the group. Her gold-lined armor glinted in the setting sun. How long had they been standing there? "We have a legend, among our people, of a great King who conquered this island, long, long ago. It was won back by what is today the Beserker tribe, but during the time we posessed this land, our King tamed a dragon. He was cast out for treachery-" She huffed, the irony of their situation not lost on her. "-but as he was being put out to sea, he swore he knew how to speak with dragons. That they would come for their revenge. That we had committed a great grievance against the dragons in sending him away. Our people questioned him as to how he had learned to converse with dragons, and he told them he'd formed a strange bond with a dragon under the island, a great beast with the mind of a man. Of course-" she huffed again. "-no one believed him. He sounded like a madman!"

Hiccup winced.

"But now I'm beginning to believe he may have been right. Fenris, his name was." Tuffnut and Ruffnut gasped. "Not your uncle, that I am rather sure of. This was thousands of years ago, before the Berkians ever tore through these waters. But as the story goes, the night he was cast off- true to his word, the dragons burned our village to the ground. They had never committed such a heinous act before, and have not since. Legend says their eyes were cut in strange slits that night, like the eyes of cats. Like their eyes weren't theirs."

"Like the Bewilderbeast." Hiccup gasped, picturing the dragon's great ocean eyes. "What if the Bewilderbeast controlled the dragons into doing it? As revenge for your ancestors taking his companion away?"

"Hmm…" Mala rubbed her chin, pacing in thought. "It is quite possible that there is more truth to this legend than farce. I must get to my library. Dagur, come." Without another word to anyone the pair were off, the latter being forcibly dragged by the arm up onto his dragon. This left Heather and their gang.

"I have to get back to the village." Heather decided, beckoning for Windshear. "There are hundreds of repairs to be made, and if we don't get the kitchen back up and running before nightfall I'm gonna have a whole lot of hairy, angry Vikings coming after me. Not something I want to deal with right now. But-" She leapt atop her Razorwhip, giving them all a grateful glance. "If you need anything, come find me! You guys are all welcome to stay as long as you need, please. We really appreciate all the help you guys have given us in keeping our island safe."

And with that, she too was flying off into the sunset. Hiccup finally let his guard down moments after the lithe form disappeared, slumping against Toothless with an exhausted sigh. As much as he wanted sleep, his head was spinning with all of the information and events of the day. "Hiccup, you sure you're good?" Was the first thing out of Astrid's mouth.

"Yeah." He grimaced, working his shoulder up and down a bit. "I'm fine. Thanks for patching me up there, Fish. You did a good job." It was true- the part where his shoulder plate had been was now covered in a thick, tight wrapping of cloth. Fishlegs gave him a quick, satisfied smile. "So what now?"

"We go back to the Edge and regroup?" Astrid suggested. "Start patrols tomorrow?"

"Oh- hey!" Tuffnut's voice broke into his thoughts. "Ruff, look! The Wingmaidens are over there!"

His twin's face positively lit up. "Wingnut! Awesome! Hey, guys, I'm gonna go say hi!"

"I'll go with you!" Snotlout volunteered- Hiccup made a mental note to keep track of that. What was the Viking up to this time?

That left only Hiccup, Fishlegs, Astrid, and the trio's dragons. Now Hiccup could fully relax, not worried about what his two closest friends saw of his condition. "Ugh…" He mumbled.

"You need a rest. Maybe we should stay here for the night."

"Astrid, I'm fine." He promised, trying to press back the ache in his head. OK, maybe he cared a little. "It's just a headache. It'll pass."

"It's a concussion, Hiccup."

"Fish, not you too!" Hiccup opened his eyes, blinking determinedly to rid his vision of its blurriness. He stood up straight, slinging his half-leg over Toothless' back and straddling the dragon awkwardly. "Let's let the others have their fun and then we'll go back to the Edge."

"Hiccup-" Astrid strode forward, placing a firm hand on his arm and tugging it down. "You are not flying right now- not that you could! You don't have your prosthetic!"

Hiccup resisted the urge to facepalm. Believe it or not, he'd forgotten that little tidbit of information. Maybe I'm more tired than I thought. "Fine. We'll walk into town and I'll ask if I can use the forge to build myself a new prosthetic."

Astrid sighed, then nodded. Apparently she'd had enough of Hiccup's stubbornness. "Come on then."

Hiccup dismounted Toothless rather awkwardly, trying not to let his stump scrape against the thick leather of the saddle. His good foot hit the grass and he stumbled, mumbling a 'thanks' to Astrid when she shoved herself under his arm to keep him upright. Slowly but surely, she rearranged her limbs so she could walk next to Hiccup, keeping pace with his awkward hopping and having both hands steadying him around the middle. Fishlegs followed suit, as did the dragons.

"Are you sure you're OK?" Astrid asked Hiccup as they picked their way through the briars up to the village. He shook his head numbly. His headache had increased under the heat of the sun, and his stump ached with every jolting step he took. Breathing was a chore in and of itself, and his ribs were surely bruised. But he wasn't about to say any of that. "I'm fine."

"Hiccup, tell the truth." Astrid's voice took an almost motherly tone. "You're not fine."

"Yes, I am." He replied stubbornly, almost tripping over a stray stone. They were almost into the village now, smoking buildings coming up into their view. But even looking up for more than a few moments created a splitting pain in his head. He wasn't sure if he was on the verge of throwing up or passing out.

"Hiccup…"

"Astrid-"

"Hiccup!"

"I'm fine!" He winced as the unintentional shout sent a stab through his head. Astrid's arms wrapped around him tighter as he pitched forward, dark spots swirling around the edge of his vision. What the Hel is wrong with me?!

"Hiccup- hey, Hiccup." Everything was dim, but he managed to discern that he was being half-dragged up a set of stairs. The door to some hut- where were they?- was being kicked open. "Ok, ok, you're fine, Hiccup. You just need to rest."

Rest. His brain, while doing a heavy sort of whirl, seemed to catch that single word. "No… Astrid, I just have to-"

"You're hurt, idiot." He found himself being lowered onto a large bed frame- this one had thick blankets and pillows stuffed with yak fur, far nicer than what he and his friends slept on. "This isn't the forge." He managed, struggling to keep his eyes from slipping closed. "You tricked me." Had they ever even been headed for the forge? Probably not, knowing Astrid. So darn stubborn.

But he had to admit, at least in this instance, he was grateful. A warm presence beside him garnered his drifting attention- Astrid, sitting on the edge of the bed and pushing her fingers deep into his matted hair. "Just rest. We can get you a new leg in the morning, and Fishlegs and us can discuss a plan of action."

"I don't mind waiting." The burly Viking added. "Although I would like to hear the rest of your story."

"Are you hurt anywhere else, Hiccup?" Astrid continued. "And don't- say you're fine. I will bash you over the head with Macey."

"That's… noble." Hiccup chuckled, taking refuge in the fact that his head had almost ceased its vicious spinning. His limbs felt heavy, as if weighed down by anchors. "Bash a concussed Viking over the head."

"Hiccup-" A light slap on his good shoulder- his right one- shut his mouth. "Are you hurt anywhere else?"

"Mmm…" Hiccup leaned into her hand, some nagging voice in the back of his mind telling him he should be more careful; Fishlegs was watching. He didn't want to look clingy. "Nah. Just… ribs are sore."

"And why is that?" Astrid's tone was sharp.

"Johann… knocked my sword out of my hand." His cheeks flushed pink in embarrassment. "I ended up on the ground and he took advantage of it."

"Thor, Hiccup." Astrid growled, free hand turning into a claw by her face. She snarled. "I swear if I could get my hands on that half-troll-"

"You can't."

" 'Cause he's dead."

"Yup."

Hiccup suppressed a shudder; he hadn't had much time to process the image burned into his swirling mind. He'd seen a man die. Dead people weren't altogether uncommon in the fiery, dangerous world he lived in, but watching it happen? Seeing the immediate aftereffects?

"Hiccup, do you think anything needs treatment now, or do you want sleep?"

Hiccup paused. The lingering rage in her stare left no room for half-truths. Taking a full assessment of his aches and pains- his armor felt hot and tight, bruises blossoming on his chest, stomach, arms, and the back of his head. His shoulder burned like there were hot coals lodged in it, and his lungs ached. The room still spun slightly, and a pounding headache reverberated in the back of his skull, pain radiating down to a developing bruise on the side of his face. But all of that was surface-level, nothing some water and rest wouldn't fix. Certainly nothing that required treatment. Either way, the thought of undressing and letting himself be examined by some stranger rather than sleep sounded like a horrifying idea…

" 'm OK, really. Nothing a good night's sleep won't fix."

"Maybe a bit more than that, Hiccup." Astrid chuckled, face turning serious a moment later. "You're lucky that spear didn't go any deeper. You could've lost your arm."

Hiccup tried to think of a sassy amputee comeback, he really did. He loved making light of dark situations- it was something he did quite often. A habit by now. But his brain was so slow… his thoughts swirled around jumbled, almost unintelligible. Sleep was the only thing that stayed in his mind for more than a few moments.

Astrid saw her betrothed's eyes slipping shut- his eyelids fluttered as he valiantly tried to fight the oncoming wave of exhaustion. Her fingers wrapped through his, other hand stroking his bangs away from his sweat-and-dirt soaked forehead. He really needs to wash up. But… her gaze traveled to his face- already he looked far older than his age, what with all the scrapes and bruises coating his cheekbones and jaw. His eyes held a certain worn expression, lips firmly pressed in a thin line. Her preening could wait. Decision made, Astrid reached down and pecked her fearless dragon rider on the forehead, ignoring Fishlegs' stifled giggle behind them. "I'll see you in the morning then, dragon boy."

"Mmm…" Hiccup shifted onto his side, giving her a half-mischevious, half-pleading glance. "That sounds nice."

"Eugh!" Astrid and Fishlegs both reacted in sync, laughing to themselves. "Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third-"

"I meant to talk, Astrid, gods… lemme sleep, woman…"

Astrid chuckled, pushing the hut door open. This was the guesthouse- she'd used it a number of times herself during visits to Heather. "Sure you did. You might get a kiss too."

"Ooo, bonuses…" Hiccup squinted against the sharp rays of orange light streaming in. This house was situated west, and at the moment he was not very grateful.

"Shush." Astrid stepped outside, boots thumping on the hollow boards of the front porch. Just before the door closed she slipped her fingers between it and the post. "Love you, idiot."

"Love you too, future chieftess." Hiccup half-whispered, head now fully under the covers in a search for relief from the light that was making his headache that much worse.

The door slammed a bit harder than she'd meant it to. Hiccup smirked at the sound, curling himself under the covers more comfortably and wiggling the easier bits of his armor off. Now he was left in his tunic and armored trousers. That was better.

He'd finally won. He'd managed to surprise her. Granted, it was only by an implied proposal that he'd managed to garner some sort of reaction from his beautiful shield maiden, but they had been together for almost three years- counting since she first kissed him, at least. They were eighteen, and engaged, and Viking culture expected them to marry by the time she turned twenty. The thought had given him some measure of undue pressure in the past, but now, as his headache finally faded and his mind slowed… the idea was a welcome one.

The war was over. All they had to do now was figure out what to do with the knowledge of the Bewilderbeast's presence- and the Egg, which Fishlegs was currently watching like a Snaptrapper- but they were safe. For now, at least, Hiccup could turn to more important things.

And so, with jumbled images of rings and gowns and swords flashing through his mind, Hiccup slipped off into a deep, peaceful sleep.

—-

Astrid cracked open the door to the guest hut, grateful that the early morning sun wasn't shining too brightly in. She could see a huddled form under the thick blankets, with a sleeping Night Fury curled protectively around it. How Toothless had gotten in, she had no idea.

"Hiccup…" she called softly, crossing the room. Mindful of how much sound her boots made on the raised floor, she made her way to the large bed in the middle of the living space. Toothless raised his head at her, blinking sleepily and starting a growl in the back of his throat- only to stop as soon as he smelled her Nadder. He seemed to give the dragon rider a draconic nod before settling back in, rolling on his side and flinging one wing off the bed, tail dragging against the floor. His saddle and tail fin were still half-on- it seemed the dragon had attempted to remove it by himself but hadn't been able to work the delicate straps. Astrid pulled the fittings the rest of the way off, setting them in a corner by the wash basin where they were out of the way. Then she returned, gently settling on the layers of blankets next to Hiccup's chest. He was sleeping soundly, only his head poking out from under the blankets. He looked years younger when he was sleeping, Astrid realized. The normal worry lines and pensive expression were gone, leaving him much less of a battle-worn leader and much more of a normal teenager- not that he was anything close. For a moment Astrid was tempted to climb under the covers and appreciate the random moment of peace she'd stumbled into. Thor knew they needed more of it.

But no. That wasn't right. Astrid sighed, forcing her unwilling limbs to hold her weight as she stood, grimacing at the ache between her legs from the hours spent on dragonback yesterday. She'd go find the rest of the gang, then see if Heather needed any help in the kitchens. Hopefully her friend hadn't heard of her yaknog. Astrid grimaced to herself, making her way to the front door. Emerging into the sunlight and stretching, she paused. What was Hiccup dreaming about in there? Thankfully not a nightmare, it seemed. She didn't envy him having to fight Krogan and Johann alone- in fact, she wished with every bone in her body that she'd been there to protect him. Maybe then he wouldn't have been so beat up. Yesterday had been… scary, honestly. He'd almost collapsed twice. To be expected for someone with his wounds- and it could've been much worse- but she still didn't enjoy seeing him hurt.

"Love you, dragon boy." She whispered.

And she could've sworn he smiled, even in his slumber.

A/N: Hey, guys! Look at me uploading on time for once. I have to say, writing Hiccstrid is a breath of fresh air :) I actually finished this one today, and then immediately proofread it, so if it's a little messed up I apologize. I tested positive for COVID, yayyyyyyyyy...

Prologue coming out on Thursday :)

God Bless!

-Grace