Stoick jumped over a fallen tree and sighed. He had been looking for Ingrid all day and not a sign of her anywhere was to been seen. He had asked around, but no one had seen her until Frida had told him to check the woods because apparently that's where Ingrid had been since the chief told Berk about the new location of where the war was going to be.

Stoick had asked Frida why Ingrid was in the forest. Frida had shrugged and said that Ingrid hadn't told her why, but she had drawn a conclusion that Ingrid wanted to get out of the village as much as possible, because of all the dragons being around. He had understood that, but not how he didn't notice.

Ingrid had come to the forge three times a day just to see what everyone was up to. She then went back to her little room in the stables and did whatever she wanted. Stoick had come and visit her a few times, but often the room was empty and he thought that maybe she had found something else to keep her occupied.

When he asked her about it later, she said she was helping Gothi with the medicines and everything they needed to the battle. Stoick hadn't question it. He knew Ingrid was going to be one of the healers that would help the wounded from the war and he was proud of her for doing it, even if he wanted her to stay here on Berk where he knew she would be safe.

She had immediately told him off when he brought it up. Saying that they would need every healer they can get and she was willing to help. That was the least she could do.

And now Stoick was walking in the forest, searching for his betrothed while Egil was searching from the sky. He looked up to his blue friend and hoped he would spot her from up there.

He continued walking and suddenly Egil flew down and landed beside his rider.

"What? Did you find her?" Stoick asked and got his answer when Ingrid came running out from the trees.

"Stoick!" she halted from her run and he couldn't help but smile.

"Wow! Take it easy Ingrid, or you might fall down and hurt yourself." he grabbed her upper arms and she giggled.

"What are you doing here?" she asked and ignored what he just said.

"Looking for you. Frida said you would be here, in the forest, doing… what are you doing here?" he raised an eyebrow at her at the question.

Ingrid bit her lip. "I kind of have... made a friend."

Heavy footsteps was heard and from the same way Ingrid came from, now came a deadly nadder. Looking playful at Ingrid and let go of the stick the dragon had in the mouth.

Ingrid sighed and took up the stick from the ground. "Seriously? I won't take you with me to the village." The nadder tilted its head in confusing. "We can be friends but I'm not your rider or anything like that."

The dragon lowered its head and cooed.

"I think you hurt its feelings." Stoick chimed in.

Ingrid rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry, girl but I am not ready to bond with another dragon yet."

The nadder rumbled sadly and looked at her with pleading eyes. Ingrid laid a hand on the dragons snout and rubbed it gently.

"I'll come back tomorrow." she said.

The nadder squawked and flew away, leaving Ingrid, Stoick and Egil behind.

Ingrid watched the nadder fly away and she realized she needed to explain the dragon to Stoick.

"So," Stoick began and she turned around to him, "this new friend of yours, when did you two meet?"

Ingrid took a deep breath and clasped her hands together, "Actually I only meet her today. Yeah, she came to me out of nowhere and… probably saw how sad I was so she got a stick for me to throw for her," Stoick narrowed his eyes and Ingrid continued in a rushed voice, "You know how nadders are; if you play with them once, they want you to play with them forever and fetch is a thing they love, so…."

"Uh uh, and way where you sitting in the forest all by yourself being sad?" he questioned her and unfolded her hands from holding them together so he could hold them.

Ingrid avoided his eyes and shrugged, "I just… I didn't... " she closed her eyes and let a breath out before slowly looking at Stoick. "I was thinking of how this war could change, everything."

Stoick tilted his head and wrinkled his brow. "Change how?"

She bit the inside of her cheek and shook her head slightly. "What if… what if something happens to… you, my mum, dad, brothers, our friends or…" her eyes turned to Egil, "What if you lose Egil like I lost Kyria." tears came to her eyes and Stoick pulled her into a hug.

"Oh Ingrid. Nothing will happen with me, your parents, your brothers or… anyone. I can't promise we won't get hurt, but we won't die if that's what you're worried about." he felt Ingrid hug him back and he placed a hand on her head and gently stroke her hair in comfort.

"Promise me, that we won't meet in Valhalla after the war." Ingrid murmured into his shoulder and let her tears run free down her cheeks into his shirt. "Promise me, Stoick."

Stoick let her go of the embrace so he could hold her face between his hands. He gently stroke the tears away from her cheeks when he said; "I promise. We will not meet in Valhalla after the war."

Ingrid didn't let him continue to speak as she crashed her lips on his.

Astrid once again woke up in the middle of the night to an empty bed. It's was going to be the fourth day since the meeting with Grimmel they had and ever since that day, Hiccup had barely slept.

She let him be the first and second night, just so he could get his mind set faster. The third time she found him by the fire downstairs. Astrid had sat down beside him and she hadn't even said anything before he had falling asleep on her shoulder.

Now she hoped that would happen again.

The bed made a small crack when she stood up and the floor wasn't really silent either. It was a wooden house so what would you expect?

She grabbed the fur blanket and wrapped it around herself as she walked out of the room and down the stairs.

The fireplace was burnt out, making the room black. She found a candle and light it up for her to see in the dark.

The room was empty. No Hiccup in sight.

Maybe he was out flying with Toothless?

She open the door by the stairs and went out to the cold, wishing she had put her boots on.

"Astrid?"

She turned and saw her husband sitting in front of Toothless, having the dragon as a backrest.

"Hiccup."

He looked at her up and down and saw her shivering. With her feet bare and just in a tunic and a blanket, she must be cold.

"Come here." He said and held his arms up in front of him for her to come in his embrace.

Astrid looked at the door and back to his welcoming arms before closing the door and put the candle fire out.

"I could just get my boots and my clothes on." She muttered as she walked up to him and settle in his lap.

Hiccup held her by her waist and legs as she snuggled up to him. "Yes, but I can make you warm you know."

She laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. Feeling the warmth that was coming from him, melting her cold away.

"What are you even doing here is the middle of the night." she asked and could feel his heart beat under his shirt.

"Thinking."

"You should be a sleep."

"Not when my mind won't let me sleep."

Then try to think about something else so you can get some sleep. You haven't had a good night sleep for weeks and you need every rest you can get before the war begins, is what she would have said if she hadn't told him that yesterday. He had ignored her and told her that he was fine. He just needed to think.

"What are you thinking about?" she settle with this time.

"Grimmels offer."

"Hiccup..." she sighed and open her eyes to look at him.

"It's a good offer, Astrid. No war means everyone will be safe."

"And Toothless?" she asked and gestured to the dragon who open a eye at his name. He at least was trying to sleep, unlike his rider.

Hiccup was silence for a while and laid a hand on Toothless head."He can live in the hidden world. That's what we've been doing for the past hour. Talking about letting each other go." Astrid was about to argue with him, but he continued. "He belongs there. He would be surrounded by light fury's, like dragons of his own kind and he would be safe. He's the alpha and he should be leading and protecting his own as I'm protecting Berk. I want to fight for the dragons. Keeping them safe has always been one of my priorities in life, but now when my children, our children are in danger, I don't want this war to happen. I don't want them go into war at this age, at any age if possible. When Drago came here two years ago, I knew I couldn't stop them to participate in that battle, but now the war is taking place on another island and they can stay behind here on Berk where they will be safe."

"I don't want them to be on the battlefield either," Astrid began and sat up straight, "but we can't stop them and they know how to fight. They know how to defend themselves and they are old enough to decide on their own if they want to fight or not."

Hiccup knew that and it made him feel old. Wasn't it yesterday they came into their bed at night and they somehow slept six people in one bed? "I know. Magnhild hasn't stopped training for a day."

"Stoick has barely left the forge because of all the weapons that needs to be ready." Astrid smiled and settle back down in his arms.

"Finn is natural warrior and he can become invisible with Lyrke." Hiccup pointed out and remember when Finn had showed him his new armor. A armor made of Lyrkes scales and when Finn touched the changewing and he camouflage, Finn did too. Lyrkes' saddle was made by changewing skin that had been shaded by Lyrke and a few other changes wings, so Lyrke could camouflage at all time.

"And Vylma is a queen and will be protected by her people." Astrid ended.

"They'd grown up, haven't they?" Hiccup said and drew Astrid closer to him.

"Way to fast." Astrid mumbled wondering where the time had gone. Where had those days gone where the boys ran around the house while she and Hiccup tried to feed the one year old girls? Those nights when they thought the kids were asleep and as soon she and Hiccup had closed their eyes to sleep as well, they heard tiny footsteps walking in the corridor. The night were long and tiresome, but it was worth it. They were worth it.

"Remember when we said we wanted three children?" Hiccup asked, putting Astrid out of her thoughts.

She raised her eyebrows at that question. "Yes, especially after getting Stoick and Finn." Astrid answered and wasn't sure where he was going with this.

"The God's has a funny way to get what we want." Hiccup simple said

Astrid frowned. "What do you mean?"

Hiccup looked down at her and she looked up to him. "We got twins, twice. I actually still can't believe that, but we got four amazing children when we wanted three."

Astrid looked down in though. "We were going to have three kids, remember? Sometimes it feels like the gods tried to give us three kids but fate wanted us to have four."

Hiccup remembered that day. He had come home from a long day off running around the village with duties and came home to a crying Astrid sitting in the bathtub, filled with red water. They had lost their third child.

"It feels like we got twins because we lost one almost a year before they were born."

"Do you believe it was a girl? The one we lost?" Astrid puzzled asked.

"I don't know," Hiccup began. "I still think about it. Would we have three boys or two boys and a girl?"

Astrid swifted closer to Hiccup to get more warm and she hugged him, burying her face in his shoulder. The smell of dragon, wood and the forge hit her. To her, a welcoming smell she loved.

"I am happy with the two boys and two girls I have gotten and I am also happy with the amazing father they have and who is an amazing husband."

She kissed his shoulder. "I love you, Hiccup Haddock and I don't want you to lose Toothless, but whatever you do. I support you.."

Hiccup smiled at her and stroke her cheek lovely. "I love you too, Astrid Haddock and thank you. I can't imagine a world without you in it."

Astrid chuckled. "I can't imagine a world without you in it either."