Hilda couldn't believe she was seventeen and she also couldn't believe that her parents weren't letting her into dragon training either! Their excuse was based on the past repeating itself and they wanted her as far away from the dragons as possible, because ever since she was eight and almost carried off by a Deadly Nadder until saved by Astrid, they had sheltered her and became very over protective. Hilda hated it, she didn't have any freedom anymore. She wasn't even allowed out to help with fires! Just stuck in the forge with Gobber while everyone else got to be out doing something useful. How was she ever supposed to become a great dragon killer and avenge her older brother if they didn't even give her a chance!? It infuriated her to no end, also her parents refused to listen to any form of reason about the matter.

Any single time she tried, they just told her to let it go because it wasn't happening. Hilda would find a way to prove to them she could do it, she was determined to prove herself to them and she would the next chance she got. Gobber always got busy during raids and wasn't paying attention to her so she could sneak out the back door if he was in the middle of hammering or sharpening. Hilda being older now wore black leggings, red skirt with a small belt that draped spike pieces over it, dark gray boots, a dark gray top with shoulder armor. Hilda also carried around two daggers in her bigger belt that still showed the crest of the Hairy Hooligan Tribe, another addition was that Hilda had a a single head ax stapped to her back. The stupulation to that was only of Gobber taught her how to use it to defend herself and get away, never to fight or kill with.

Unfair, but she agreed and had Astrid teaching her how to use it. Astrid and Hilda were the best of friends and practically sisters, Hilda even kept her hair in a braid going down her back as Astrid did. Except Astrid put her braid over her left shoulder. Both girls wore Kransens, Hilda's was just a brown belt around her head with a silver piece in the front. Astrid's was a brown belt with several silver spots all around it. The rule with girls unmarried were to wear the Kransen to symbolize their purity and unmarried status. Also, only the husband could remove it just as the newly married could was to make love. It was an old tradition, but followed none the less.

Hilda would show them all that she could fight just like the rest of them, she just needed a chance to get out there and take down one dragon and they'd see she could do it. Next raid, she would prove she had what it took to be in dragon training and to be a dragon killer like the rest of the Tribe.

"Hil!" Astrid called to her, Hilda turned and looked at her now. "We're headed to lunch, wanna come too?"

"Yeah, that sounds good..." Hilda replied with a soft smile to her friend. The age difference didn't matter to them, ever since Astrid saved her from the Nadder, they had become closer. Astrid was top of her dragon training class, she won the honor of killing her first dragon, a Monstrous Nightmare in front of the entire village. A lot of people referred to her as the Shield Maiden of Berk. Hilda wanted to be just like her, a warrior who could defend the village from danger no matter what and be fearless while doing it. Hilda walked with Astrid and the others to the Great Hall for lunch.

"Are you okay?" Ruffnut asked.

"I'm fine, just wish my parents would stop thinking I'm gonna get taken by a dragon if they let me out into a raid..." Hilda mumbled.

"They are just trying to protect you, Hilda. It really hurt them when Hiccup was taken, he was just a baby. The first time you did go out into a raid, a Nadder grabbed you." Fishlegs said.

"I just wasn't paying attention. If they'd let me into dragon training, I could be better prepared to avoid that. One incident shouldn't decide the rest of my life!" Hilda stated harshly.

"But it was an incident that almost got you taken, Hilda." came her mother's voice.

"It was nine years ago, I was just a kid!" Hilda argued.

"Hilda, that's enough. Your mother and I are not changing our minds. You're the Heiress to the throne of Berk, we can't have anything happening to you." Stoick said firmly now.

"You expect me to run the island when you won't even let me out of the house without an escort!" Hilda threw her fists down angrily.

"When you become of age, you will learn how to run the village." Valka reminded.

"And what? When there's a dragon raid, I'm gonna hide out in the forge while everyone else I'm supposed to protect is fighting for their lives?! That's not being a ruler, it's being a coward and I refuse to be one. I'll fight with my village!" Hilda stated.

"Sweetheart, please try to understand..." Valka tried now.

"No, because this doesn't have anything to do with me! It's about the fact you lost Hiccup nineteen years ago and are scared it'll happen to me. I get it. Me being grabbed by a Nadder scared you, and I understood your reasoning for wanting me safe when I was younger. But I'm seventeen now, the others got to do their dragon training at fifteen! You won't even give me a chance!" Hilda stomped her foot.

"This is not about your brother..." Stoick sighed.

"YES IT IS! It's all about him! For Thor's sake, you have a picture of him after he was taken mounted on the wall over there as the constant reminder he was taken and will always be the fallen and lost Heir. I know the stories, you had trouble conceiving Hiccup and he was born early. You never wanted another child after having him, you only had me because you needed an Heir with him gone!" Hilda screamed at them. "You can't even deny the fact that I look just like him, I hear the comments. That I'm his twin minus the age difference and gender. I'm sick of people not seeing me!"

"Hilda, that not-" Valka started.

"And I'm sick of living in his shadow! I'm a constant reminder to you that your son was taken! And he's my constant reminder that I wouldn't be here if he still was! How do you think that makes me feel!" Hilda cried now, "But whatever, right? You aren't listening to me, you're just gonna tell me to let it go and that is final. I'm so thrilled you can just dismiss your replacement child and not even care how she feels! Forget it, I'm not even hungry anymore. Just leave me alone, I'll go back to the house and live the rest of my sheltered, over protected life in my room!" Hilda stormed off after that and exited the hall.

"I'll go talk to her, chief and chieftess..." Astrid offered.

"No...it's alright, Astrid. Let her calm down, I suppose we are being a little unfair to her." Valka said.

"Val, you can't be serious..." Stoick replied.

"We are, Stoick. Hilda's right, we expect her to take over as chieftess when she's twenty-one but we don't even let her outside for raids and we didn't let her train at fifteen like the others did. There has been no end to the raids for us and they won't stop when she becomes the ruler, we can't...protect her forever. We have to prepare her to survive on her own," Valka explained.

"You're saying we should let her into dragon training?" Stoick sighed.

"Yes, we should. We can't be unfair to her and shield her from this world. Yes, losing Hiccup will always hurt and always be there. But we can't bring him back, and we have to protect the child we do have." Valka put her hand on his arm now.

"We'll discuss it later," Stoick closed his eyes in defeat. As much as he hated to admit it, his wife was right. They couldn't expect Hilda to be chieftess of Berk if they weren't going to teach her how to defend and run it. For now, they needed to let her calm down and they would talk to her later on.

(Elsewhere)

So much time had passed for Henrik, he couldn't even begin to grasp he was twenty now. Many things had happened to him, some good and some bad. For starters, he could fly Toothless perfectly. He mastered every flying technique Reynir had taught him in the course of a year. By twelve he had been able to fly on Toothless whether sitting, laying flat, leaning forward, and even standing on him and moving as needed. Henrik still used the saddle though, it was his creation and he was proud of it. More interestingly, when Henrik was fifteen on one of his flights with Toothless, he came across a girl. Selby Hansen, fifteen like himself. Selby had brown hair and hazel eyes, she was beautiful to Henrik. When he found her, she was alone in a cave riding out a storm that he was as well.

The two of them got to talking after Henrik told her that Toothless wouldn't hurt her and she understood, even showing him that she had a dragon of her own. A Razorwhip named Windstrike, female of course. Henrik listened as Selby told him that mother died in childbirth and her father had passed away before she was born from illness. Selby's grandmother raised her until she passed away when Selby was only thirteen, and one night during a raid, Windstrike grabbed her and took her away from the island. Selby saw the truth of dragons, and decided not to return. Henrik told her that he'd been raised with his father in a nest of dragons not far from them and if she wanted to have some company that they could come back with them.

Selby accepted the offer and when the storm broke, Henrik showed her how to ride Windstrike so they could get back to the ice nest and then they were off. Returning to the nest, Henrik explained to Reynir about Selby and of course he invited her to stay with them. They fell in love and the two began dating just two months later, engaged nine months after that, and were married a month after engagement when they turned sixteen. Married by Reynir himself and with rings that Henrik made in the forge. Henrik taught Selby how to fly Windstrike fully, and how to speak Dragonese. Reynir loved seeing how happy they were together, it warned his heart to know Henrik found love and was now married.

A year later, Henrik and Selby welcomed their first child. A daughter they named Emma Andarsen. Sadly, a month after her birth, Reynir passed away at eighty-three years old. The loss his Henrik hard, his final words to his son was to spread the peace and show everyone the truth about dragons also, that he loved him very much hoped one day he would find his former home. Henrik had been told at age thirteen that Cloud Jumper took him from a Viking village because he was alone and in an unsafe building, Henrik knew he was adopted but nothing of his life before being taken. Reynir said he always hoped Henrik would find his way back home to his real parents.

More bad continued to happen, something that hurt more than losing the man who raised him. Selby was killed by a madman who went by the name of Drago Bludvist, a man who was seeking to control dragons in order to control people or get rid of the ones who didn't follow him. Emma was only two years old when Drago came to the nest to storm it for the dragons there, Emma was hidden inside with the dragons while Selby and Henrik fought Drago. Two hours into the battle, Selby got hurt and Drago put a sword in her chest. Henrik lost it with rage as he summoned every dragon in the nest to push Drago and his men back. He was victorious and then Henrik lost is wife in his arms, then he had to bury her alongside Reynir's grave while he and Emma said goodbye to her.

Now it was a year later, Henrik being twenty and Emma being three. The two lived at the nest still with the Bewilderbeast and other dragons. Windstrike was Emma's protector now, as was the dragon she bonded with just six months ago. A Triple Stryke who was named by Emma as Stingwhip. Cloud Jumper still acted as protector of Henrik, as did Toothless. Henrik did his best to take care of Emma, it was hard for both of them without Selby around and Emma never got to meet Reynir. Henrik missed his wife and father, he didn't know what he'd do if he lost Emma, that little girl was his whole world now.

"Papa, papa!" Emma's voice cried out with worry, Henrik was on his feet instantly and emerging from the forge as Emma rushed right into his arms.

"What's wrong baby girl?" Henrik asked her quickly.

"There's ships coming towards the nest. I-I was playing outside with Stingwhip and Windstrike and saw them with the spyglass you gave me. The sail is a red fist encased with fire," Emma explained.

"Dragon Hunters..." Henrik whispered. People who captured dragons and sold them or killed them for their features, Henrik despised people like them.

"Papa, I'm scared!" Emma whined against him.

"Ssh now, it's going to be okay. Remember that bag I made for in and told you to keep packed in case we ever needed to get away for a while?" Henrik asked her, she nodded. "I need you to go get it and make sure it has five days worth of clothes, extra boots, your blanket and favorite toy. Okay? We're going to have to leave for a bit until it's safe to return,"

"Will da dwagons be okay, papa?" Emma asked.

"They will don't worry. Go on and get your bag," Henrik smiled at her as he then put her down and she hurried to her room to do as asked. Henrik rushed over to the main part of the nest where Icefire was.

"Not to worry young master, we will defend the nest. You take the little one and get safe. I'll send for you when to return," Icefire informed.

"Are you certain you can stay them off, Icefire?" Henrik asked quickly.

"Yes. I will send Cloud Jumper to you when the nest is safe to return to. You must leave and protect your daughter, it was your wife's last wishes that she live a long, happy life. As was your father's wishes for you to live on and make these humans see the truth. You're the only one left who can, Henrik. Go now, we will be fine. Fly Southwest and within the Archipelago boundaries, you should be safe there..." Icefire informed.

"Papa! I got my bag ready! Clothes, boots, blankey and toy Mama gave me." Emma said as she ran out to him.

"Good girl, stay right here. I'll be back in a moment..." Henrik said as Emma nodded and he hurried to start putting things away, he returned with two saddles as well Windstrike, Stingwhip, and Toothless following him. "Icefire, after we leave, seal off the home so they don't think humans live her," Henrik told him.

"I will, Henrik. You must hurry," Icefire responded. Henrik got a seat like saddle on Stingwhip first, making sure it was secure before he picked Emma up and placed her in the cushioned with fur seat. Henrik pulled the leather straps over her shoulders and connected them to one that ran between her legs. Finally, another strap across her waist and secured with a lock he designed to clip everything together. All this was in case Stingwhip had to get Emma to safety, Windstrike would follow them and then report back to Henrik on their location. Henrik got Toothless's saddle on him before attaching his shield to the straps on the saddle.

Henrik pulled his bag on his back, then put Emma's on her before mounting Toothless. "Stay right behind me, Stingwhip," Henrik said.

"Of course, Henrik," Stingwhip answered him, Henrik then nodded as he looked back at Icefire with worry.

"Go now, I will take care of the nest. You protect your family," Icefire insisted. Henrik took a deep breath as he patted Toothless's neck and the dragon lifted off the ground, Stingwhip and Windstrike following suit as they shot out the back of the nest and took to the sky to avoid being seen by the hunters. Henrik looked back at it once sadly as he continued Southwest of the nest with Stingwhip right behind and Windstrike bringing up the rear.

"Papa?" Emma asked. "Where we goin'?"

"I don't know yet, Em. But don't worry, we'll be safe and get to go home soon. Try to relax, we're going to be flying a while to get some distance between us and them," Henrik told her, Emma nodded as she held her toy close to her chest and sat back in the seat comfortably. Henrik designed it so she could sit upright or lay it back a bit more in order to lay down. It was a lever on the side she could operate to adjust the back of the seat, also it adjusted the straps so they wouldn't be tight on her. It was going to be a long trip, he wanted her to be comfortable.

(Early Morning)

As the hours continued, the distance between them and the nest grew larger. Henrik stopped them around dinner time to eat and then when he saw ships again, regardless of who they belonged to, Henrik got them loaded up and back in the air to keep going towards the Archipelago boundary. They'd been flying all night, Henrik was getting tired and Emma was asleep in her saddle with a blanket and her toy. He was glad she could sleep through anything, it was almost sunrise now and they would need to stop again to give the dragons a break. Thankfully, all three of the dragons had big wingspans and could mainly glide rather than flap their wings and tire out faster.

"Alright, Toothless...find us a place to crash for a while buddy," Henrik told him gently.

"You got it my friend," Toothless replied and continued flying.

(Berk)

Another raid that Hilda was trapped in the forge for, but tonight, she was going to prove she could fight like them. Hilda had it all planned out and she knew to be aware of everything around her this time. Hilda was determined to do this, she'd make them see she belonged out there with them. Hilda watched as Gobber got flooded with orders of weapon repair or needing a new one to fight with as she snuck out the back and made it outside with her ax drawn and ready for anything. Hilda looked all around and up at what was flying overhead so she didn't get taken by surprise again. That's when she spotted an all black dragon overhead, then two more close by and following it.

'Is that...a Night Fury?!' Hilda exclaimed quickly, the most legendary dragon known to Vikings. It was elusive and rumored to never miss a target or let its victims live! Hilda would surely prove her worth as a dragon killing Viking if she took it down. Hilda grabbed a bola from behind her and span it around before letting it fly through the air towards the dragon going over them.

Henrik hadn't even seen it coming, Toothless warned him they were over a Viking village that was suffering a raid but he never expected one to attack him and Toothless. Henrik couldn't react until it was too late, the bola shot forward and took Toothless left tail fin off and they began to lose altitude, falling fast. Toothless threw Henrik off his back and wrapped him in his wings as the plummeted into the village and landing hard. Hilda hadn't seen anything other than her taking down a dragon, a Night Fury!

"Hilda Haddock! What are you doing out!?" Stoick exclaimed quickly.

"Dad, wait before you yell at me. I took down a Night Fury! Look, look! It's right there!" Hilda exclaimed pointed to the dragon lying on its side, wings still wrapped around itself. Stoick glanced over and saw it, his eyes widened in shock as his wife came beside him.

"How did-" Valka started.

"I threw a bola at it, it took its tail fin off and then it crashed down right there! See, I told you I could fight dragons! I took down a Night Fury!" Hilda cheered happily. Stoick and Valka looked at one another in surprise, she really had done it. Hilda took down a Night Fury, no one would believe it if the truth weren't right there in front of them.

"PAPA!" cried out a young voice from above, everyone looked up to see another dragon hovering above. One they'd never seen before and there was a little girl on it's back, everyone in the village gasped at the sight.