After Astrid and Gobber had reprimanded Hiccup for insinuating running away they sat down and went back to watching the movie.

[Scene cuts to a pan around the Dragon Training Arena]

Gobber: Welcome to Dragon Training!

Astrid: No turning back.

Tuffnut: I hope I get some serious burns!

Ruffnut: I'm hoping for some mauling, like on my shoulder or lower back.

Astrid: Yeah, it's only fun if you get a scar out of it

Hiccup looked at Astrid weirdly but she just shrugged. He went back to watching muttering about how complicated she was. Astrid heard him and punched him in the arm.

"Sorry!" whined Hiccup quietly.

Astrid smirked and went back to looking at the screen.

Hiccup: [Sarcastically] Yeah, no kidding, right? Pain. Love it.

Tuffnut: Oh, great. Who let him in?

Gobber: Let's get started! The recruit who does best will win the honor of killing his first dragon in front of the entire village.

Snotlout: Hiccup already killed a Night Fury, so, does that disqualify him or...?

Tuffnut: Can I transfer to the class with the cool Vikings?

Gobber: [to Hiccup] Don't worry. You're small and you're weak. That'll make you less of a target! They'll see you as sick or insane and go after the more Viking-like teens instead.

"I don't know" mused Astrid "I think Vikings would look better if they were more toned instead of robust"

All the teen boys turned to look at Astrid. Meanwhile, all the men turned to their wives who were nodding in agreement.

Gobber (cont.): Behind these doors are just a few of the many species you will learn to fight! The Deadly Nadder!

Fishlegs: Speed: eight; Armor: sixteen.

Gobber: The Hideous Zippleback!

Fishlegs: Plus eleven stealth times two.

Gobber: The Monstrous Nightmare!

Fishlegs: Firepower: fifteen.

Gobber: The Terrible Terror!

Fishlegs: Attack: eight; Venom: twelve!

Gobber: CAN YOU STOP THAT?! And... the Gronckle!

Fishlegs: [whispering] Jaw strength: eight.

Snotlout snorted and turned to Fishlegs "Knowing all that is for nothing, stupid"

Astrid heard him and addressed Snotlout "Yeah?"

Snotlout grinned "YEAH"

"Then how would you know what to do against a dragon. Would you just charge and pray not to die?"

Hiccup snorted and Snotlout glared at him before turning back to Astrid "A true Viking would kill a dragon no matter which one it is"

Stoick decided to partake in the conversation "From m experience Snotlout knowing your enemy is the only way you can kill them"

Astrid looked at Snotlout triumphantly.

Snotlout: Whoa, whoa, wait! Aren't you gonna teach us first?

Gobber: I believe in learning on the job.[releases Gronckle]

Gobber (cont.): Today is about survival. If you get blasted... you're dead! Quick! What's the first thing you're going to need?

Hiccup: A doctor?

The room laughed at Hiccup's answer.

Fishlegs: Plus five speed?

Astrid: A shield!

Gobber: Shields! Go! Your most important piece of equipment is your shield! If you must make a choice between a sword or a shield, take the shield!

Stoick looked at Astrid. She and Hiccup had been getting along during these scenes and she was a very capable woman and Viking. "She would make a good bride for my son," he thought.

[All the recruits head for the shields]

Tuffnut: Get your hands off my shield!

Ruffnut: There's like a million shields!

Tuffnut: Take that one, it has a flower on it. Girls like flowers.

[Ruffnut takes the shield and slams it onto Tuffnut's head.]

Ruffnut: Oops, now this one has blood on it.

[The Gronckle flies towards the Twins and blasts their shield with a fireball, leaving them dazed on the ground.]

Gobber: Tuffnut, Ruffnut, you're out!

Ruffnut and Tuffnut: [Dazed] What?รง

Everyone laughs.

Gobber: Those shields are good for another thing: noise! Make lots of it to throw off a dragon's aim!

[The remaining teens begin hitting their weapons against their shields, making the Gronckle shake its head, confused.]

Gobber (cont.): All dragons have a limited number of shots. How many does a Gronckle have?

Snotlout: Five?

Fishlegs: No, six!

Gobber: Correct, six! That's one for each of you!

[Fishlegs' shield gets blasted out of his hand.]

Gobber (cont.): Fishlegs, out. [to Hiccup hiding behind a plank] Hiccup, get in there!

Snotlout: [to Astrid] So, anyway I'm moving into my parents' basement. You should come by sometime to work out. You look like you work out!

Astris shudders at the thought of going to Snotlouts basement and Hiccup laughs at her reaction.

[The Gronckle fires at Snotlout]

Gobber: Snotlout! You're done!

Hiccup: So, I guess it's just you and me, huh?

Astrid: Nope, just you.

The room laughs and Hiccup puts a hand on his heart and looks at Astrid with a dramatic hurtful expression "You hurt me" he taps his chest "Right here"

Astrid laughs and smiles sweetly at him leaving Hiccup breathless for a moment before blushing furiously. Astrid notices and leans closer to him "Good" she breathes.

[The Gronckle fires at them, but misses. Hiccup loses his shield and runs after it, the dragon hot on his heels]

Gobber: One shot left! Hiccup!

[The Gronckle corners Hiccup, taking its aim. Gobber quickly tugs it away and locks it up]

Stoick breathes a sigh of relief after almost watching his son get killed. The realization dawns on him. He was probably going to watch Hiccup in a lot of dangerous situations. It was gonna be a long stay.

Gobber (cont.): And that's six! Go back to bed, ya overgrown sausage! You'll get another chance, don't you worry. [to Hiccup] Remember: a dragon will always - always - go for the kill.

[Scene cuts to Hiccup trekking through the forest again]

Hiccup: [weighing the bola with his hands] So, why didn't you?

[Hiccup enters a cove, surveying its emptiness]

Hiccup (cont.): Well, this was stupid.

[The Night Fury swoops past him, but falls back onto the ground, trying to settle down on the cove. Hiccup hides at the entrance and tries to make a sketch of it]

The room jumps startled.

Hiccup (cont.)

Why don't you just... fly away?

[As he makes a sketch, he notices the missing tail fin and drops his pencil, drawing the Night Fury's attention]

[Scene cuts to the Meade Hall]

Gobber (o.s.): Alright. Where did Astrid go wrong in the ring today?

Astrid: I mistimed my summersault dive. It was sloppy. It threw off my reverse tumble.

Ruffnut: [Sarcastically] Yeah, we noticed.

Snotlout: No, no, you were great. That was so "Astrid".

Gobber: She's right, you have to be tough on yourselves.

Hiccup leans towards Astris "That doesn't mean you have to be perfect all the time, you know?"

Astrid sighs "I know but it's hard to stop trying"

Hiccup smiles "That's okay. Take your time we'll be here if you ever need us"

Astrid smiles and takes his hand "Thanks Hiccup. For everything"

Hiccup squeezes her hand "Of course"

Where did Hiccup go wrong?

Ruffnut: Uh, he showed up?

Tuffnut: He didn't get eaten.

Astrid: He's never where he should be.

Gobber: Thank you, Astrid. You need to live and breathe this stuff. The Dragon Manual. Everything we know about every dragon we know of.

[Thunder roars]

Gobber (cont.): No attacks tonight. Study up.

Tuffnut: Wait, you mean, read?

Ruffnut: While we're still alive?

Everyone in the room facepalms and laughs at the twins.

Snotlout: Why read words when you can just kill the stuff the words tell you stuff about?

"I think the chief explained why pretty well Snotlout" smirks Astrid

Fishlegs: Oh! I've read it like, seven times. There's this water dragon that sprays boiling water at your face. And-And there's this other one that buries itself for like a week-

Tuffnut: Yeah, that sounds great. See, there was a chance I was going to read that...

Ruffnut: ...But, now...

Snotlout: You guys read, I'll go kill stuff.

Fishlegs: Oh, and there's this other one that has these spines that look like trees...

Hiccup: So I guess we'll share?

Astrid: Read it.

Hiccup turns to look at Astrid quizzically "Have you actually read it?"

Astrid nods "A couple of times. It was my favorite book when I was little"

Hiccup: All mine then. Wow, okay. So, I'll see you, uh... [Door slams] tomorrow.

[He flips open the book, reading its contents]

Hiccup: Dragon classifications. Strike Class, Fear Class, Mystery Class.

Hiccup (cont.): Thunderdrum: This reclusive dragon inhabits sea caves and dark tide pools. When startled, the Thunderdrum produces a concussive sound that can kill a man at close range. Extremely dangerous, kill on sight. Timberjack: This gigantic creature has razor-sharp wings that can slice through full-grown trees. Extremely dangerous, kill on sight. Scauldron: Sprays scalding water at its victim. Extremely dangerous. Changewing: Even newly hatched dragons can spray acid. Kill on sight. Gronckle, Zippleback, The Skrill, Boneknapper, Whispering Death. Burns its victims, buries its victims, chokes its victims, turns its victims inside-out. Extremely dangerous, extremely dangerous, kill on sight, kill on sight, kill on sight... [flips to to Night Fury page]

"That was creepy," says Fishlegs

Everyone nods in agreement.

"No kidding," says Gobber.

Night Fury: Speed, unknown. Size, unknown. The unholy offspring of lightning and death itself. Never engage this dragon. Your only chance, hide and pray it does not find you.