Fate of the Dragons

by ReclusiveShadows

With Hiccup's role of 'Chief' on the horizon and a new tension between Berk and several nearby tribes stuck in their old ways, Hiccup, Toothless, and Astrid already have enough problems on their hands. But when a spy from an enemy island 'accidentally' turns Astrid into a Night Fury, things are bound to get a lot more interesting!

21. The Secrets

Hello, everyone! I'm back!

Very, very sorry for the delay, I've been quite busy lately, what with the end of school and all. Another quick housekeeping note - yes, I spell "Hel" differently in this chapter. When it's used as a swear, I've decided, I'll use the spelling "Hell," whereas the specific goddess or place will use its actual Norse spelling. Is it historically accurate? Probably not, but this makes a lot more sense naturally, in my opinion. Sue me.

Some other things, partially to make up for my tardiness - the keen reader will notice that I've updated the cover image, and changed the summary up slightly, too. I'm pretty happy with each of them now, though, and so I doubt they'll be changing anytime soon, but… there ya' go. Anyway, many thanks to all you continued readers (the number seems to go up every day!) and remember to follow for updates and review!

I don't own How to Train Your Dragon.

---

A Few Days Earlier

"Your Dad wants to see you," Syl blurted, interrupting the short moment of tranquility as she remembered his request. "He, uh… He said he needed to talk to you about something."

Hiccup sighed. "Great. That's definitely a good sign."

He looked around quickly, before turning back to her. "Meet me back at your house. I'll be there in a few minutes… Probably."

Syl nodded, and he moved around her, toward the warm light emanating from the cracks of the door. He opened it and slipped inside as quietly as he could, just able to hear Syl curse Stormfly's breed as he drew it shut behind him.

The Hall hadn't changed much. The night had drawn darker, and many of the Vikings filling the room before had long-since stumbled back to their beds, likely to regret their late-night drinking deeply the next morning. His Dad was still there, though, along with a few of his friends, and Snotlout's father. The dim light of the golden dragon cast his shadow high and deep on the wall behind him, the horns of his helm making him appear as some ancient beast of legend. Still, he was in good spirits, or at least appeared to be. He took that as a good sign, though he still slowed his approach as he reached him.

He kept his mouth shut as he walked up to them. If he was lucky, his father would forget whatever he wanted to talk to him about, and shoo him away. That would be the best-case scenario, of course…

"Hiccup!" He winced as his father caught sight of him, beckoning him into his group. Pinning his arms to his sides, he shuffled up to him.

"I see Astrid passed along my message. I trust your flight out with her went smoothly?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

Before he could respond, one of the more drunken of his father's friends called out, "The boy's got 'imself a girl! More than I could say for myself, at that age. Not tha' I ever trained a dragon, either. Your son's really got a lot goin' for him, Stoick! He'd best make sure not to get 'imself in too much trouble with her, though. Hear me, Hiccup?"

Some of the Vikings chuckled, and Hiccup blushed, glancing around first to make sure Astrid's father hadn't heard him. Luckily, he seemed to have gone home - or never been there in the first place.

"Aye, you're right," Stoick said, smiling down at him. "The boy's done a lot for this tribe, and for me, already. He deserves respect, and someday, he'll take my place at the table," there were some murmurs of agreement from the others.

It would've been laughter a few years ago, he thought to himself.

He didn't like this - not a bit. The looming figures of each of his father's friends made him uneasy at best, but it was his father's words that scared him. The last time they'd had a talk like this, his father had put him in charge of all dragon-related duties on Berk. The time before that had been dragon training on the day he met Toothless. A bad feeling had been sitting in the pit of his stomach since he had walked into the room, and things weren't looking up.

"Uh, thanks, Dad," he mumbled, forcing a smile on his face. Once again, he was reminded of how much he would've given for his father to say things like this to him before the war had ended. Yet here he was, wanting to slink out of there as soon as he could. He never did well as the center of attention.

"You've proven you can handle dragons, Hiccup. That much is clear, to all of us," he said, gesturing around to his friends with his mug of ale. "But there's more to being a Chief than that. Not so much 'as changed, and yet, many things have as well. It's a problem ye' can imagine I've been dealing with for a while now."

He frowned. His father was never this talkative, or this honest - especially when it came to his own position. He shifted on his feet.

"But, what would you know, a solution's come to me just today. I think it took you disappearing a few days straight for me to realize it," he explained, with a chuckle at the end. "A way to combine your know-how of dragons, and your lessons in becoming a Chief, hands-on."

His spirits brightened a bit, at this. It sounded great - or at least much better than their awkward nightly lessons in learning to run the Village. Of course, with his father, it was never that simple.

His tone grew deathly serious as he continued, "As you know, Hiccup… We're at war. Or we will be, soon enough. Now, I know you wish to avoid that. Believe me, we all do. Vikings or not, we don't want any more blood spilled on this island, dragon or otherwise."

Hiccup swallowed hard. He really didn't like where this was going.

"But if tensions keep rising with the Veiklaðar tribe, that may well be the case. If so, we need to be prepared. They're not the only ones who disagree with your new way of life, Hiccup. They have friends, and so, we have enemies. If they were able to enlist Dagur's help in all this, as well… The point is, we need to have more friends than they do when the time comes. That's where you come in."

He paused. Hiccup sucked in his breath.

"I've decided to relaunch the diplomacy missions," he said, with an air of splendor only Stoick the Vast could pull off while talking about politics. "And I want you to lead them."

Hiccup stuttered, "I… W-what?"

"The first trips were important," his father went on, ignoring him. "We got to know which of those were willing to take in dragons, and which weren't. The Veiklaðars, we've learned, were among the latter. But there were also many left undecided, as you'll remember."

Hiccup nodded slowly. After the war had ended, the voyages to other tribes had seemed necessary, if only to prove their claims were true. While it took some convincing for most tribes to believe Vikings and dragons could work alongside one another, some eventually agreed to at least give it a try. Though a few did it out of curiosity or understanding, the majority were simply old friends of Stoick, and were more than happy that their homes were no longer being raided anymore. As he remembered one Chief telling Stoick with a laugh, "Hell, if it means my children won't be wakin' up in the middle of the night to find their house is on fire, I'll invite these dragons in for supper right now!"

And that they did - or so it seemed. The letters or messengers that reached them in the weeks afterward had promising news - Chiefs and Vikings sent word back to him and his father of children and adults alike learning to bond with dragons in the same way Berk did, and live amongst them. Some even suggested new ways for them to work and live together that even Hiccup hadn't thought of.

Not all the tribes were quite so enthusiastic, however. Those opposed to the idea would almost all unflinchingly turn them away as soon as they began to explain the dragons on their boats and ships; some refused to even let them come ashore. Either way, the accusations were the same - they were an insult to all Vikings, mad men. Befriending the dragons was a decision that would get them all killed, they claimed. They would never have their support. At least those Vikings had prepared him to deal with people like Syl, if nothing else.

And then, of course, there were the unknowns. A portion of the islands they visited - mainly the smaller ones - responded with wary confusion and uncertainty. Almost all of them simply told them they would discuss amongst themselves and decide, though, at the very least, they told them they would end the generations-old "kill-on-sight" rule with wild dragons. Still, most simply turned them away, too afraid and astounded to do anything else. He could understand that - to reason with people, he had to see from another point of view. It was as much tradition to them as it was to Berk, only they didn't have a Queen dragon the size of a mountain to change their minds. It just wasn't going to be that simple. Nonetheless, he still hoped he would eventually get word back from them heralding peace with the dragons, or any word at all. And from how his father made it sound, it seemed like he would be getting his wish...

"First you'd speak to the clans that we're already allied with. We 'ave treaties with them now, but we'll just need a signed declaration of fealty from them - I have the papers all written up, all you'd need to do is give 'em to them. Make sure ye' get a handshake on it, as well. Besides, it's a good thing if they start seeing you as the face of Berk anyway, the way I see it," he smiled as though he thought this was the best idea he had ever come up with - and he probably did.

"As for the others... Well, I figure those that never got back to us might need a little convincing. A Night Fury might do it, I think."

Hiccup's eyes widened. His father, seeing his alarm, continued, "Now, I know what you're thinking. I'm not telling you to threaten them. What I mean is that seeing my son riding a Night Fury, the very offspring of Lightning and Death… Might convince them to change their ways, along with your reasoning. Not that you're not the kind that they would expect on a Night Fury, of course. You're just, eh…" He waved a hand at him.

Hiccup sighed. "You just gestured to all of me."

"Yes, well, you know what I mean," his father said. "So… What do you say?"

Once again, he swallowed. If any of his father's friends had been distracted before, they certainly weren't then - each of their faces seemed to loom over him like the Norse gods themselves. Not to mention Stoick himself - his smile was so big that to break it seemed like a good way to earn himself a one-way trip to eternal punishment in Hel's realm.

"Gee, Dad," he started, shuffling backward. "You, uh… You've really given me a lot to think about. Maybe I should just, uh… Take some time to, y'know…" With one last smile at his father, he turned and speed-walked to the door as quickly as he dared, not stopping until the main doors were shut behind him. It was then that he realized why Syl had seemed so happy to be out of there.

What the hell am I going to do? He wondered, slinking back down against the door.

---

"And that's where I went to find Syl and Toothless," Hiccup finished, gesturing to the girl and Night Fury in question.

It was the second time he had told the story that day. Syl, of course, had demanded to know what it was as soon as his father and Gobber left. Grudgingly, he agreed, after asking for a confirmation of what he already suspected she had done in return.

Then, of course, he had to tell Astrid… But he was prepared for that. At least, he thought he was. He knew the day would come when he would have to explain himself, and he was done keeping secrets from her... Or almost done, anyway.

Astrid stared at him, and he bit his lip. For some reason, she looked to be quite drained. He wasn't sure what it was - perhaps it was the way her blinks took a few seconds longer than usual, or she stumbled around a bit and groaned whenever she had to stand up. It was hard to tell when a dragon was tired, especially when it came to Night Furies. Toothless would often try to hide his fatigue from him on long trips, and would fly or walk wherever they were going until he passed out. Without any sweating or general loss in dexterity, it was nearly impossible to tell; Hiccup had to learn to moderate their time on his own. Sometimes, it seemed, the dragons' fierce and unflinching loyalty came with a price of its own.

But by all accounts, Astrid seemed exhausted. He couldn't imagine why, but he had noticed a set of slippery tracks leading down the mudslide that stopped halfway down on the flight in, as well as a few conspicuous gray scales scattered on the ledges and boulders below one of the cliffs. Toothless, who had eventually found him in the Village with Syl, had snorted derisively when he brought it up in his own personal mumbling before they landed, further perplexing him. He would have to ask Astrid about it later.

Nevertheless, she managed the ever-confident gaze he loved her for, and would have loved to see on any day… Except for this one.

YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME

He wanted her to be angry. He wanted her to scream, to yell, to punch him and rip him to shreds like she was always promising she would do. That was normal - that was right. It was just her way of communicating. That aspect of her personality he had to learn to love, but… he was more than willing.

But what she gave him was ten times worse. It wasn't anger or hatred. It was just…

Disappointment.

He rarely saw her wield it, yet it suited her more than an axe when she did. And when she did, it could be just as deadly.

His heart sank. He hadn't wanted this. He never wanted this - but he deserved it. For as long as they had been friends, Hiccup and Astrid had had an unspoken pact, a truce. After she found Toothless in the woods, it seemed only natural that they would confide almost everything in one another from then on - Astrid had never been one to keep many secrets, at least as far as he knew, and so that hadn't been much of a problem for him. Not that he expected her to share everything with him, of course... But it was an assumption he hoped was true.

But him… With each passing year, secrets seemed to become a larger part of his life, and it kept getting easier for him to lie and make them up. This, however, was a step too far. He only hoped she could forgive him, though she had no reason to.

Syl, on the other hand, had appeared rather impassive when he told her. If anything, she seemed almost… proud. Or at least impressed.

"Hah! So you've got secrets of your own," he recalled her saying. "Good to see the future Chief of Berk actually has a pair, or grew one, at least. Can't say Astrid will be quite so pleased when she finds out her lover boy was planning on running away behind her back, though. If you want, you can practice telling her you lied with me, and I can scream at you to help get you ready."

Hiccup had politely declined, though he was beginning to regret it - it would've been nice to have the chance to say it out loud first, at the very least.

"Astrid, I…" He curled his hands into tiny balls. "I couldn't tell you. I couldn't bring myself to… to worry you like that. I didn't think it would ever really happen, that I would ever be going. My Dad, he… he makes a lot of talk about things like that, and I didn't think… I didn't think. The point is, I'm really, really sorry. You're absolutely right. I should have told you."

Glaring at him for a few moments more in silence, she whipped her head back around to Syl. He winced - the gesture spoke for itself.

WHERE DID YOU GET THE DECOY?

"I made it," she said, grinning like a child presenting their fresh mud pie to a parent. Astrid frowned, unconvinced as always.

YES, BUT YOU COULDN'T HAVE

WRITTEN A BOOK IN A SINGLE NIGHT

WHERE DID YOU GET IT?

WHERE IS IT NOW?

"Stop being such a worry wart, Astrid," she teased, "But if you must know, I dropped it over the ocean. Couldn't have it just lying around the Village - somebody might pick it up, and figure out what we did. Besides, what matters," - she walked over to Stormfly's saddle, and opened a pack strapped onto it - "is that we have this."

She pulled out the Compendium, making a grand show of it, as she did with everything else. Hiccup sighed as she offered it up to him, and he looked back at her.

"I should get back to Goth-" he began, before Syl waved him off.

"Ugh, no! You can't be serious," she shook her head at him. "Before, I could understand it - you were pressed for time, whatever. But look, you have this book now. All yours - thanks to me. You're heading out tomorrow anyway, right?"

Astrid gave out a small shriek of protest.

WAIT

YOU'RE HEADING OUT TOMORROW?

HICCUP, YOU NEVER TOLD ME IT WAS

TOMORROW

"You may as well use this opportunity to read it. You do want to read it, don't you?" She asked, ignoring her.

He shot Astrid a look that he hoped said we'll talk later, before turning back to Syl. "Even if we could, we don't have the mixture for the fire, or the ink, for that matter."

"Maybe not," Syl said, giving a shrug that made Hiccup slightly wary. "But we do have the recipes to make those things."

Astrid narrowed her eyes.

WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?

"Well, let's just say I was busy last night," she explained, before pulling out a piece of parchment that had been tucked into her skirt band.

"It says we need, ah, about half a cup of water, sulfur, salt-"

HOW DID YOU GET THAT?

She sighed. "You really can't wait, can you, Astrid? I stopped by Gothi's place last night and picked this up from her," she said. "Listen, I already got most of the stuff on here in the Village, and I have a few bowls and mortars for us to mix everything in. I figured we could find what's left here if you want. But, if you insist, you two have the final word."

Astrid stepped back, looking surprised, but still unsure. As to Hiccup...

"Well, uh," he started, eyes darting back and forth between the two of them, "I… have been wanting to read the book. Though me, reading a book on magic and potions? I'm not really sure how wise that is…"

Syl rolled her eyes. "It's simple! It has to be. Look," she pointed at the list, "I used to mess around with this kind of stuff back on the island all the time. It's pure chance that I didn't make this stuff already. In fact, I probably did. It's not super-advanced magic, it's just… Chemistry."

"Chem…" He frowned. "I still don't know, Syl. Unless you can explain what happened to Astrid with 'chemistry,' or your voice, for that matter…"

"Fine!" She said. "You chicken out on me if you like. I'm going to find some place dark, and get the rest of this stuff. Stay down here and talk about your feelings with Astrid. And I," -she waved the book in his face- "will be taking this for when you change your mind. And I thought you'd actually gotten some courage…"

Hiccup sighed as she began walking back toward Stormfly, though Astrid's eyes widened. They stared at her back for a moment, cold and calculating, probably analyzing all the ways she could take her down, before she turned to him.

HICCUP

YOU NEED TO DO IT

"W-wait… What?" He blinked. "A few moments ago you-"

I KNOW WHAT I SAID

BUT YOU CAN'T LET HER LEAVE WITH THAT BOOK

AND I KNOW YOU WON'T

USE ANY FORCE TO TAKE IT BACK.

I WOULD BE GLAD TO

BUT I KNOW YOU DON'T WANT THAT EITHER

EITHER WAY

WE CAN'T TRUST HER WITH THAT, WHATEVER IT IS

JUST LOOK AT WHAT SHE DID TO ME BY ACCIDENT

IMAGINE WHAT SHE COULD DO

IF SHE ACTUALLY TRIED SOMETHING IN THAT BOOK

"I don't think she plans on…" he groaned. "Alright… Syl! Wait up! I… I'll help you find what you need."

She stopped in her tracks as if on cue, and for a moment, Hiccup wondered if she had planned it all out. The recipes, the book, Astrid's reaction… It seemed to work out in her favor, though he couldn't imagine why she would do any of it, apart from making Astrid even more agitated than she normally was around her. He dismissed the thought immediately, of course... But the smirk on her lips as she turned around seemed to suggest otherwise.

---

The sun was well into its descent over the horizon by the time they'd finished gathering the materials for the concoctions.

It was all the same, anyway - Hiccup had suggested they wait until dark, as to ensure there would be as little outside light as possible. Even so, he still wanted to find some way to keep the book under cover - he wasn't willing to take any chances. That was, of course, if it even worked to begin with.

"Trust me, it will. It's her recipe," she had assured him as he scrutinized a very normal-looking flower.

His frown deepened. "I don't know… None of it seems very… magical, I guess. What if nothing happens? What if there's some missing ingredient?"

"If only we had a book that could explain how magic works," she replied, mocking him. "Look, it's worth the risk, and I doubt she would purposefully leave anything out of a recipe. That's kind of the whole point of having it written down in the first place,"

He nodded slowly, trying to accept what she was telling him. "And Gothi would've told you, right?"

"Uh, yeah," she'd smiled. "Of course."

He had raised an eyebrow at that, but had decided against questioning her further. She had done enough for them lately, and so he had decided he had no right to question her actions - or most of them, anyway. He doubted she wanted to return to the night before, either, but someday, he knew, it would come up again, and he would get a better answer from her if it killed him. Or at least a clearer one. Until then, he would just have to wait.

"Right, I think that's everything," he stated, staring down at the various flowers, pickings, and leaves laid out below them, though it wasn't much - to the casual onlooker, it looked about the same as any other piece of ground in the forest, if a bit more diverse. Still, based on his minor knowledge of botany, it was hard to believe the combined elements would create anything useful at all, much less otherworldly. A flower almost blew away with a sudden gust of wind, and he stepped on it with his foot. It was almost a miracle in itself that they'd managed to find everything they had that late in the season, though Berk plants, like everything else, were tough - they would cling to the ground through the cold and storms until they were buried under three feet of snow.

"Or at least, everything except, ah…" His voice faded as Astrid padded into the clearing, spitting out a bunch of orange-red aspen leaves as she approached them. She scraped her tongue along her teeth as he picked them up and shook off the slime.

APPARENTLY

I CAN ONLY TASTE FISH

AND INEDIBLE PLANTS

THIS HAD BETTER WORK HICCUP

"Well, they're not necessarily poisonous, or dangerous at all, for that matter…" he murmured. "Though I can't understand why you would be able to taste those - I didn't really know they had any taste at all, actually. Maybe it's because, uh… Sorry, I'm getting off topic again," he finished at Astrid's sharp glare.

"It will work," Syl told her. "Have a little faith. This is a chance at getting your life back, remember?"

Astrid grumbled, but didn't reply.

"Okay… So what do we do first?" Hiccup asked after a few seconds of silence had passed.

"Just... mix them all together, I guess," she shrugged, leading to another round of grumbling from Astrid.

"Well, there is a specific order…" He took the papers out of Syl's hands after peering at them over her shoulder for a moment. "And we'll have to mix them separately for the fire and the ink. Syl, how about you start working on the fire recipe. Make sure you follow it to a point - I don't want to be dealing with any explosions out here, or any other, uh…" at this, he shot a nervous glance at Astrid.

"... Unforeseen circumstances. Can you do that?"

Syl snorted. "Sure thing, Chief."

Ignoring her, Hiccup went on, "I'll start working on the ink - you said you brought the normal mix with you, right? If not, I have some I keep for my notebook just in case. Astrid, you can, um…"

She raised an eyebrow.

LOOK FOR A DARK PLACE TO READ IT?

"Yes!" He said, snapping a finger. "And if you could ask Toothless to light a fire there… Gods, where has he gone off to, now? Well, he must still be in the cove somewhere, and I'm sure you know your way around by now…"

She nodded.

I'LL FIND HIM

"Uh, yeah, thanks," he ended, his energy and fortitude from a moment before quickly fading as he picked up a mortar and pestle Syl had brought with them. Still, Astrid couldn't help but smile as she stalked off into the woods to find the Night Fury - it wasn't often that she got to see Hiccup like that, and she couldn't help but feel a swell of pride, as well as something else she didn't quite understand, when she did.

It took her longer than she'd expected to find the dragon. To be fair, he had spent just as much time as she had living down there, and more - but the cove was only so big. She had nearly turned back to enlist their help when she heard a low growl come from somewhere far to her right - and even with many of the deciduous trees having shed their leaves, it took Astrid another five minutes until he, quite literally, interrupted her thoughts.

"What are you doing here?" She nearly jumped, but immediately started searching for him, listening, even smelling for him when neither of those worked. She could tell that he must've been close - his thoughts were usually stronger when he was, and they were clear as glass in her mind, now - but other than that, he could've been anywhere around her.

"I came to find you, actually," she said, trying to coax him into talking again.

She heard a snort from somewhere behind her. "You shouldn't have."

She turned around as fast as she dared, wincing as her tail hit the side of a tree. Still, she saw nothing, except…

On a hunch, she walked up to one of the larger trees in the forest. One of the major branches of the conifer had cracked and fallen off at some point, but the base was still leaning against the tree. It must have been fresh - the needles were still green, and created a covered lean-to against the tree, almost like a tent. The back end was enclosed completely, blocking the view from where she was standing, and must have created an almost cave-like space inside. Big enough for two or three people, perhaps, but she was willing to bet that it could also just fit a…

"The real question is…" she stepped up to the opening. "What are you doing here?"

Night Fury.

Sure enough, Toothless had somehow managed to fit his body inside, curling his tail around himself and tucking his wings tightly against his chest. Though she could see little more than his green eyes and snout in the darkness, it was obvious he was beyond cramped. She had seen Vikings with limbs torn off in combat that looked more comfortable than he did.

"I, ah," he grimaced. "You need someplace dark for the book, right? I… found one."

She tried to look past him, into the dark space, though his bulk took up most of it.

"Maybe… if we were trying to burn the whole forest down. These limbs are dry as sand; they would catch in an instant. But you already know that, Toothless. I know you know that. And what the hell are you doing inside of it, anyway? I'll ask you one more time: what are you…"

The thought faded as she further observed the space. The ground had a series of scratch marks on it, enough to indicate that some sort of struggle had taken place. But Toothless was the only one there…

"Toothless…"

He refused to meet her eyes. "Go away."

"Toothless," she continued. "We know you have a… an illness, of some kind. Hiccup's trying to find something to cure-"

"I said," he snarled, baring his teeth, eyes narrowing to slits, "go AWAY!"

He snapped out at her, and she just had time to pull back as his teeth slammed shut in front of her.

At that moment, any sane person might have taken his advice and left. But Astrid was a Viking - and just then, her inner sense of stubbornness chose to kick in, and she found herself rooted to the spot. "No."

He growled again, and she took a moment to analyze the situation. She had thought about fighting Toothless in the past, of course - she had thought about fighting everybody. As much as she hated the thought, she knew where his weak spots were, and if it came down to it, she would do what she needed to. That was, if she could even pull it off. As a human, she might've stood more of a chance - she could be fast, and nimble. Even with her newfound scaly hide, however, she was still a Night Fury, and Toothless had been one much longer than she had. He was more experienced in combat, and she had no doubt there were some weak spots he had discovered that she didn't know about, either.

But whatever he planned on doing next, Astrid would never find out, as he suddenly collapsed back down onto the ground in pain, clutching at his head with his claws and only just suppressing a growl. His eyes snapped shut. Grimacing, she watched on in horrid curiosity. As painful as it was, she knew it was about time she saw one of these 'attacks' Hiccup kept going on about. She needed to know what was wrong with his best friend.

The seconds must have felt like hours to him, she knew - pain of the level he seemed to be experiencing always lasted forever. Still, it felt like an eternity had gone by for her before Astrid decided she needed to do something.

She wasn't going to risk stepping out in front of him - no, that was too dangerous, and she wasn't willing to put her life on the line. She could go back to get Hiccup - and she would soon if he didn't find them first - but she was afraid it would be over by the time she found him. To be fair, it didn't appear to be getting any better for Toothless - in fact, if the increase of high-pitched shrieks and scratching were any indication, it was getting worse. But that was just all the more reason to stay and watch over him.

Finally, she came to a decision; she was going to reach out to him. It had occurred to her before, but she had been too afraid it might make it even worse. Now, though, it seemed like her only real option.

"Tooth-" though there was no visible reaction from him, she was nearly sent back reeling as her thoughts were met by a thrashing of angered torment. It was unlike any time she had spoken with him before - normally, it was one-way, one speaking directly to the other, and nothing more. Now, though, it was like a connection had opened up between them, nearly linking together their thoughts, her sheer will being the only thing keeping her from being sucked into the chaotic maelstrom. If this was what he had to go through every time…

She ripped her mind away, relieved to be back in the comfort of her own self when she thought she might lose it not a moment before. Too afraid to do anything else, she sat there and watched on as the attack grew worse and worse, as his claws nearly dug through the top of his head and scales, until it finally began to die down. A few minutes later and he had collapsed in complete exhaustion on the ground, panting and shaking as if he had just been through the fight of his life. As far as Astrid could tell, he had.

It brought back a haunting memory of a man she had once seen having what Hiccup called a 'seizure.' She was young at the time, and the old Viking had since died, but the memory was one she would never forget. The poor man had just been walking through town, when he suddenly fell to the ground, convulsing and writhing in pain. Fearful, she had run straight to her parents' house, nearly in tears. But what her mother told her was even more frightening.

"There's nothing we can do, child," she said.

"B-but… He's in pain…"

"Shhh," she whispered. "Believe me, we all wish we could help him… but the best we can do is make him comfortable in these last few years of his life."

The last years of his life. Did that mean that Toothless was…?

No. She refused to believe it. This wasn't quite like that, anyway - although he was obviously in pain, he still seemed to be in control of most of his body. It was something in his head that was bothering him, though 'bothering' was still a massive understatement. Hiccup had already told her it couldn't be head mites of any kind, and now she saw why. It was a disease of the mind - though of what kind, she was unsure.

She waited on in silence as he slowly returned to the living world. She only risked another message when she thought the time was right.

"Toothless?" she said. Though he didn't respond, he opened his eyes, and for the first time since she had found him, stared straight back into her own. While she was glad to see them again, there was only one emotion they held, and it worried her. Frightened her. It was undeniable - she had seen it time and time again.

Fear.

She waited a tick. Then another.

"Is… Is it like that every time?"

When he raised his neck and shook his head, it looked like the hardest thing in the world. "No… It's… It's different. Each time is different, somehow."

She nodded. Worse, you mean, she thought, deciding against sending it to him. He had gone through enough already.

He kept staring at her. In any other situation, those eyes might have made her uncomfortable, wary. But just then, she would've done anything she could to help him.

"You can't tell Hiccup."

Except that.

"Toothless, I," she frowned. "I have to. He's… he's my mate. Wouldn't you do the same for yours?"

The Night Fury chuckled at the word 'mate,' as if it amused him. Not for the first time, she wondered how dragons viewed Viking relationships - and theirs was especially complicated, even by human standards.

"Perhaps. But all the same, you cannot tell him," he replied.

She narrowed her eyes. "Are you forbidding me from telling Hiccup?"

He smiled again, though not a Toothless smile - something wistful, and bitter. "I can't forbid you from doing anything, Astrid. Especially when I can't even understand your runes. I'm asking you to do this as... as a close friend. A friend that I trust."

The thoughts she was about to send died out before she could. Something was wrong with Toothless - other than the seizures. His ever-present sureness and arrogance simply weren't there anymore. He was still a Night Fury, of course - but the look in his eyes betrayed his terror. Terror... that he was incapable, helpless… Weak.

"Astrid…" he went on, "If he found out about this… He would never let me leave your nest again. We might never fly… And how could I be there for him? How would I know that he was alright, or protect him?"

A thought came to her mind - one that she realized must have tormented him, angered him to no end. She thought against speaking it, but then decided it needed to be said, sooner or later.

"You're putting him in just as much danger with the state you're in."

He grimaced, unresponding. Then, "I know."

When it became clear that she wasn't going to respond, he began to pull himself out of the cover of the branch, groaning. She assumed it was because of the ache of his limbs, but she realized why a moment later.

His scales were scattered all across the ground, in more numbers than she had ever seen, midnight black and beautiful. The same couldn't be said for himself - if she looked closely, she could see scars running all along his head, arms and body, some fresh, others faded. And though she tried to tell herself it was just her new nose playing tricks on her, she knew better - the stench of blood was in the air.

And suddenly, she understood.

"You can't hide this from him forever, Toothless," she risked, after watching him attempt to stand on shaky legs. "He will find out, eventually. Until then… your secret is safe. But you can't go on like this forever, and we need to know what's going on. We're… We're in the dark, here. But we will find a cure."

He nodded in unspoken thanks, then shook, like a wolf emerging from cold water.

"Why don't we find a dark place for the fire?" she asked.

"Yeah," he nodded again. "Yeah, let's do that."

Some of his pride and posture returned as they stalked off into the forest, she noticed. But the fear... it never left his eyes.

---

The endless silence dragged on for the two of them, as they each carried through with their respective jobs.

Normally, silence was tolerable for Hiccup. Comforting, even. After all, he had spent most of his childhood working along in the blacksmith - the crackling of the fires and CLANG of hot steel had kept him company. He rarely found much need to talk with Toothless, either; their best moments had always been quiet, in the cove, or looking out over the ledges on Berk, him tucked against his side with a book, the dragon purring softly to himself. Any feelings were shared mutually, any words left unsaid - it was just how they worked.

But with people, it was different. In the years prior, if he found himself talking to someone, it was usually because they were angry with him. It made him naturally inclined to shy away from people, especially his peers. Even Fishlegs was impossible to start a conversation with unless it was on something they mutually enjoyed. Once upon a time, people like him had been more than happy to talk to him, or more likely reprimand him. Ever since a certain Night Fury had started padding along as his partner, however, people tended to shy away. On top of that, his frugal attempts at small talk with Vikings almost always led to his involuntary sarcasm. And the few of those who understood it were still mad at him for it, anyway.

Syl was worse - though she didn't seem to mind the silence between them, it grew more awkward for him with every passing second. The questions left unanswered or unspoken, the truth she had been willing to admit to just last night still hanging in the air… It made him skittish. More skittish than he usually was, at least. Eventually, he couldn't take it anymore.

"So…" He started, hating the words as they left his mouth. "About last night. You, uh, said that…"

"I said some things," she finished for him.

There was a pause. "Were they true?"

She didn't respond.

"Because… I know a few people who also lost their families in the war. They-"

"Listen, Hiccup," a perfect replica of Astrid's tone, paired with something she had told him more times than he could count cut him off quickly. "You really want to talk about last night? Fine, let's talk. You're a dawdler."

"A… what?" he asked. "Where do you even get these-"

"A procrastinator. Sluggish. You keep putting it off, but you need to do it, sooner or later."

"What are you talking about?" He frowned.

"You love Astrid," she told him. "You need to tell her that."

His mouth fell open, and he struggled to find words to put in it. "W-why… why should I-"

"Because I know her type," she continued. "She admires strength, and strength alone. Maybe, just maybe, she's trying to look at you in a different way. But at her core, that will always be her founding principle. Taming a Night Fury helps, I think - but she's not easily impressed. Not that I think you should be with her - and don't take that the wrong way, I have no interest in you, either - but if she's the one you're choosing… You've gotta commit."

He stared at her. "But I'm… I can't, and she's…"

"A dragon?" She asked. "That hasn't stopped you so far. Besides, don't you want to know, Hiccup? I know you - it's another question you don't have an answer for, and it's driving you crazy. You're a fool if you don't think people can see that. That she can see that."

"She's not just a dragon…" He sighed. "She's Astrid. It wouldn't just be a rejection, it would be a punch in the face, or worse. She's kind of mastered insult to injury, if you hadn't noticed. Besides, we have a good friendship right now, and with everything that's going on… I don't want to give her even more to think about."

He nodded, as though trying to assure himself of his reasoning. They worked in silence for a moment. Then he frowned again. "You really think she knows?"

"Hiccup," she said. "Your feelings for her are clearer than the ocean is blue. Everyone knows. She's just waiting for you to ask - girls like that sort of thing, though I doubt she'll ever admit to it. As much as I would tell you to avoid her at all costs, if you really love her, you should make a move soon. Preferably before you manage to change her back, and she's open to 'other options.' Like I said, I know her type."

Hiccup's frown deepened as she fell quiet, and they finished working in silence.

Astrid emerged from the forest just as he set the bowl down, looking quite anxious - or at least, more than she usually did.

"Astrid!" He nearly dropped the bowl, eager for an excuse to get out of the awkward situation he had just been in. That was, until he got a closer look at her.

There was something in her eyes - not fear, of course. Astrid rarely showed fear, if ever. But something more along the lines of… Concern. "Astrid? What is it?"

She stared up at him silently.

SOMETHING SEEMED WRONG WITH TOOTHLESS

His heart sank. "Do... Do you think he had another attack? Did you see it?" He asked. Her eyes narrowed as if she was fighting some inner battle with herself, but they straightened a moment later.

NO

HE SEEMED SHAKEN UP, THOUGH

MAYBE HE DID

MAYBE A BRANCH FELL ON HIM

MAYBE HE SAW SOMETHING THAT SCARED HIM

I DON'T KNOW

"Oh… A branch...?" he swallowed. "I see. He's… he's okay, though?"

HE'S FINE

WE FOUND A SPOT

HE'S WAITING THERE FOR YOU

"For the book?" He asked. "Well, at least that's some good news. Show me the way."

Secrets upon secrets, he thought as he followed her into the shade of the trees. I guess everyone has them, now.

The spot was little more than an outcropping of rock off of the cliff, but it would suffice enough for darkness, and the smoke would still be able to crawl along the roof of the stone and out of the cove. Hiccup just hoped that nobody would notice smoke coming from the middle of the forest in Berk that night.

The sun had almost completely finished its descent by the time they arrived, so they didn't have to wait long. The sunset was probably beautiful from the Village, he knew - one of the last they'd have before the long storms of the winter rolled in. He only hoped he could find a solution to this whole mess before then, or else he might have to find somewhere else for Astrid to live…

YOU HAVE EVERYTHING?

"I sure hope so," Hiccup replied. "If not… Well, we'll find out. Syl, you're sure you got the ingredients right?"

"As long as this recipe is right," she replied. "Which it is. Can you say the same for the ink?"

He sighed but nodded. "Well… Let's get started. Toothless?"

The dragon had been rather dormant since he had arrived, responding to his usual "Hey, bud," with little more than a deep, low purr. Other than that, Hiccup couldn't see much wrong with him, though he was holding his ears slightly lower to his head than he was used to. At least the dragon had been keeping himself busy - there was already a small pile of twigs within the shade of the outcropping, ready to be lit.

"D-does he have to do it?" Syl asked, suddenly reaching down to pick up a small pebble on the ground. "We could, uh, strike this with some flint and-"

She yelped as a tiny fireball lit the sticks, followed by another deep purr. "... Or, you could just do that."

"Thanks, bud," he said, ruffling his ears. "Now… Astrid, prepare to be amazed... Maybe. Syl, the fire mixture?"

The girl walked up and, apathetically, chucked it into the fire. This time, it flared up a bright green for a few seconds, before fading again. Astrid seemed mystified and wary, and he might have been pleased if he weren't so worried himself.

"That… wasn't quite like last time. I could've sworn it was blue, before... Syl, you're sure-"

"Yes, I'm sure," she cut him off. "She probably just put some dye in it to make it seem more evil-looking when she did it. Don't worry about it."

He sighed. "Well, let's hope you're right. The measurements are the same, at least. Let's just see if the ink-"

There was a short growl from behind him, and he looked back just as he was lifting up the ink bowl.

WAIT

"What is it, Astrid?" He asked.

THIS IS CRAZY AND ALL

I'LL ADMIT AS MUCH

IN FACT, IT SEEMS A LITTLE TOO CRAZY

DID YOU SAY GOTHI JUST GAVE THESE TO YOU?

"Why do you care?" she asked. "This is to help you, isn't it? I'd expect a little more gratitude, then again, this is you I'm talking to."

ANSWER THE QUESTION

Syl snorted. "Can you believe her, Hiccup? Refuses to have any faith in me, even if it's for her own good."

"Actually," he replied slowly, "she does bring up a good point. Why didn't Gothi just give you the vials instead of the recipes? She's been making them just for these occasions. On top of that, she seemed pretty reluctant to let us look at the book ourselves…"

"What, you too, Hiccup?" She asked. He didn't reply, instead moving to stand beside Astrid. She grimaced. "Fine, fine. She didn't give them to me so much as I… borrowed them from her. But-"

"You stole them," Hiccup stated, incredulous. "You stole the recipes… from the Village Elder."

"Now, hang on," she said. "I left a note on her door-"

Astrid growled loud enough to make them all jump.

YOU TRAITOROUS CUR

I SWEAR TO THE GODS

IF WE DIDN'T NEED YOU HERE

I WOULD

"Oh, shut up," Syl said. "Every damn time it's the same with you, and I'm sick of it. All you have are empty threats."

Astrid let loose another growl, and lunged forward, ready to tackle her, but Syl was ready. She fell back into the trees again, out of the reach of the fire's light. Then she started running.

"Wait, Syl," Hiccup called after her. "Where are you going?!"

"To do something I should've done a long time ago!" And she was gone, Astrid disappearing after her a few moments later.

"I… I can't believe it," Hiccup said to no one in particular. "She… she stole these-"

That was when he realized that he was still holding the recipes, and dropped them like they were burning through his hands. Shaking his head, he picked them up before the wind could sweep them away.

Astrid stepped out from the forest a few moments later.

"You lost her?" It was more of a statement than a question. She looked away.

I COULD HAVE GOTTEN HER

JUST GIVE ME A LITTLE WHILE LONGER

SHE CAN'T HAVE GOTTEN FAR

"Don't, Astrid," he told her. "It's night, and she's in the woods - it's her element. I would be surprised if Toothless could find her, and he can track anybody. She's probably already gone, by now."

She gave a half-hearted growl, and her shoulders seemed to slump.

DO YOU AT LEAST BELIEVE ME NOW?

DO YOU SEE WHY

WE CAN'T TRUST HER?

"I…" he frowned. "She was just trying to help…"

She groaned.

STOP ADVOCATING FOR HER

SHE'S A TRAITOR AND A THIEF

IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME

BEFORE SHE TURNS HER BACK ON US

"I don't believe that," he said. "She's here for a reason, besides having no other choice. She could've left by now, but she hasn't. I think… I think she wants to change."

SHE'S NOT DOING A VERY GOOD JOB OF IT

"I know, I know," he admitted. "But I… I want to help her. To show her that she doesn't need to change. She just… has to understand. That it doesn't always have to be that way - the way it was, or the way it still is on her island, I guess."

She huffed.

HICCUP

SOME PEOPLE

JUST AREN'T WILLING TO STOP LIVING

IN THE PAST

THE SOONER YOU STOP TRYING

THE SOONER YOU CAN ACCEPT

THAT SHE WON'T CHANGE

He grimaced, deciding not to answer. His eyes fell to the two pieces of paper in his hand. "We should get these back to Gothi."

She walked over to look at them, the light of the fire making her scales flicker and shimmer. He spotted Toothless watching them out of the corner of his eye, concealed by the outlying dark.

FOR EVERYTHING THAT I HATE HER FOR

THERE IS ONE THING SHE'S RIGHT ABOUT

YOU SHOULD BE READING THAT BOOK

"As much as I'd love to," he said, "I still haven't gotten back to her since I left her hut in a bit of a hurry. I'm sure she'll find out that I have the book, too - then she'll want it back. And with that note Syl left her - or said she left her - it's only a matter of time, and you know how bad it is to deal with an angry Village Elder."

FINE THEN

WOULD YOU AT LEAST

MAKE A COPY OF THE RECIPES?

"I guess I could…" He sighed. "But even if I did… Astrid, I don't know if it's a good idea for me to be reading this. I never see my Dad that nervous - especially not over a book. If just the knowledge alone is that dangerous… Why should someone like me be trusted to read it? Besides, what if these recipes don't even work?"

THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY TO FIND OUT

She looked down at his hand, and he followed her gaze. The bowl of ink was still grasped firmly in his palm. The light of the fire played shadows across it, making it appear as though it was rippling.

"I… I don't know," he said. "I still don't like this."

She stared at him.

HICCUP

I'M NOT GOING TO SLEEP TONIGHT

KNOWING THAT I GATHERED

ALL OF THOSE INGREDIENTS

FOR NOTHING

AND ANYWAY

SHE'S ALREADY TURNED ME INTO A DRAGON

WITH THIS MAGIC

WHAT'S THE WORST THAT COULD HAPPEN?

He nodded. "You're right."

Before he could convince himself otherwise, he opened the book to a random page and poured the ink on. Each of them waited there for a moment. Toothless edged closer into the light. Then, the lines filled in as the ink fell into place, and the words reformed. Grinning, Hiccup flipped through the book - the same effect was happening all the way through, and he couldn't help but let loose a "Yeah!" Toothless, suddenly, burst fully into the light, purring happily and lying down behind the rider. Eyes still glued to the book, he sat back down against him, curling into his side as the two fell back into old habits. Astrid had to chuckle a bit.

Still grinning, Hiccup eventually tore his eyes away from the pages to look up at her.

"You were right, Astrid; I should have believed you. I'll get it back to Gothi tomorrow, but for now… Well, I hope you don't mind if I stay here for a little while," as his eyes trailed back down to the book, he added, "and don't worry about Syl, either. We can trust her, and I'm sure she'll come around."

---

Mildew muttered to himself as he fumbled for the key to his home in his satchel.

Another day had passed, gone to waste like all the rest. In his eyes, as long as that boy and his bloody dragons were still on the island, it was impure, tainted and overrun by the creatures of nightmares.

With no light to see by, he used his hands to feel around the large ring of keys - though there were several for his barn, safe, and other things, they all had unique shapes - he had managed to get the blacksmith to make them for him, and had bribed him not to let the boy be any part of it. For all he knew, he could make copies of the things, and have access to whichever of his possessions his and the others' grubby little fingers wanted. Still, the man had refused his money, and Mildew had reluctantly taken Gobber's word for it, instead - it would be his special project. Perhaps he had lied, however - what with The Compendium being stolen, his home had obviously been accessible to more visitors than he would have liked. He would have to get them changed, high-quality as they were - it was the only way he could think of getting into the house, and no thief on Berk was sly enough to pick the lock. Not that there were many thieves on Berk, of course - none of them were smart enough to get away with it. None, except maybe, for him.

He gave little more than a mutter of "bleedin' hell" when his hand grasped the key. That night was particularly dark, as well as cold, and the warm light of the fire he would ignite once inside might almost be enough to make him forget about the past few dreadful days he had been having.

The key slid into the lock with a click, and he pushed… to find that it was already open.

"Hmph," he muttered, brows scrunching down together. "Could've sworn I closed it…"

Nonetheless, he stepped inside, swinging it shut behind him. The dim starlight from the air vent barely illuminated the floor in front of him, but more importantly, his wives.

"Hello, ladies," he said, smirking up at Sven's interpretations of his past, short relationships. "I'm home."

"Gods, you are so weird."

He nearly stumbled face first into his fire pit before he caught himself. A high-pitched whine crawled its way out of his mouth, quickly turning into a growl as he tried to right himself.

"Who's there?" He asked.

"That's not important," the voice replied.

"Hmm…" He croaked. "Indeed. I haven't heard your voice on Berk before… Wait! You're that girl, aren't you? The runaway."

She didn't respond.

"I'll take that as a yes," he decided.

"I suppose Bjarke must have told you about me, then. But not much, I would guess. Not enough to make you see what his 'truths' really are…"

Peering into the darkness, he tried to make out her face, but it was no use - his eyesight was already starting to falter at his age, and that was when he did have light to see by. If only he did now…

"So, tell me. Are you here to kill me? Because that would be quite a waste, let me assure you," grimacing, his hand grasped along the wall, searching for an unlit torch he always kept in a sconce there. Far more youthful eyes or not, there was no way she would be able to see it in that dark - he had an advantage, there.

"Hmm… Tempting, given your connection with Bjarke. Very tempting," she drawled, a certain venom in her voice. "It would send the proper message to him and the rest of the island. Would be easy enough, as well. From what I've heard, I doubt anyone on this island would care."

"That so?" His right hand made contact with the torch, and he grabbed around in his other for a flint and tinder. Gods, I was sure I had one with me… Where did the damn thing get off to?

"Then be done with it, already! Breaking into my house like you did - again, assuming you were the one who stole the book. You must have been, now that I think about it. But from what I hear, Stoick's got it back in his hands, now. So why plant it on the boy?"

He heard her suck in her breath. Something about what he had just said had confused her - or scared her. Either way, it was a bit more leverage that he wasn't about to throw away.

"My intentions are my own," she eventually responded. "And I intend for them to stay that way, unless I choose otherwise. As to how I got into your house? Well, you've got terrible locks. Easy to pick as a chicken bone. Don't worry, though - my intentions are peaceful. Peaceful within these walls, at least. So where to start? Well, my name is Syl..."

There was an audible CLICK, and he stumbled back as the firepit burst to life, flames illuminating every corner of the room. The girl stepped into the light, and he caught a few features - black hair, a deep green tunic - but most prominent were her eyes, green, crystal-clear and devious.

"... And I'd like to make a deal."