One Month Later

Bark flew off the tree when the blade of my axe impaled it, sinking itself deep within the wooden flesh. I stomp my way over to it and angrily take hold of the handle, easily ripping it out before I quickly repeated the action I had been doing for the past hour. I had hoped that within the first few minutes I would cool off, but I had only seemed to get more fired up the more I threw my axe. If Hiccup or Valka were here they would have noticed the increase of my anger in the force of my throw that kept sinking my axe deeper and deeper into the trees that it would impale, along with the few growls that had escaped my throat.

They're not here though because they're back at the Sanctuary sleeping. I had left an hour before dawn, and with the sun now up Hiccup should be awake. He's an early riser. The only reason why I was awake before him and why I left the Sanctuary is because I couldn't sleep and needed to clear my head. I hadn't slept at all. Tossed and turned the whole night until I had finally decided to move around. Which leads me to where I'm at now. Outside the Sanctuary, deep within the woods, so I can get all my anger and frustration out on the poor trees. I would have stayed within the Sanctuary's woods, but some of the dragons are still traumatized by weapons, and knowing how loud my angered cries can get, I didn't want to wake anyone.

Not only because I didn't want to disturb anyone's sleep, but also because I didn't want to be confronted by Hiccup or Valka. I want to be left alone, I've been wanting that for the last fews days since we've returned to the Sanctuary for a short "break".

We've been searching for the Light Fury for an entire month and every place we've been to has no sign of her. We don't even know what signs to look for. We've literally just been flying island to island looking for a white dragon. We have no leads, and I don't think we ever will. I'm honestly starting to think that maybe she's not my Soul Bonded dragon after all. Maybe that indescribable feeling I had when she woke me up and locked eyes with me was just a feeling of awe. It was simply nothing but fear and wonder. Our souls didn't connect. They didn't bond. If they did, why haven't we found each other yet?

It didn't take Hiccup long at all to find Toothless again after he shot him down and let him go. When he found his dragon again in the cove all those years ago, it had only been a day or two after their first encounter. It's been a month for me. And Valka? Ha! Her Soul Dragon took her. If the Light Fury wants to kidnap me then I'll gladly oblige. It's happened to me twice before, first with Hiccup and second with his mother. I can handle a third kidnapping.

I'm just...so tired and annoyed and pathetically jealous of Hiccup and Valka. I want to be able to ride my own dragon. I mean, I like flying with Hiccup, but I feel bad for Toothless since he has to carry my extra weight. I know he's frustrated too at not finding his crush. It'd be a shame if she already has a mate and children. Oh my gods...what if that's why we haven't found her? What if she has kids?!

A roar snaps me from my thoughts at the exact moment I yank my axe out of a tree again. I look up just in time to see a black figure fly overhead. Usually, I would smile at the sight, but this time I'm in no mood for company. I want to be left alone. It's the whole reason why I left the Sanctuary's boundaries.

"Good morning, milady," Hiccup says from the tree Toothless had just landed on. "Why are you awake so early? More importantly, why are you out here?"

I lift my axe up to rest it against my shoulder, holding on to the handle tightly as I ignored the itch to throw it again. I hadn't realized how much my hand was throbbing until now. My other hand was placed on my hip and as I looked up at him I say, "I couldn't sleep so I came out here an hour before dawn to clear my head. Didn't want to disturb anyone in the Sanctuary, so the outerwoods was my only option. I want to be left alone, so...bye."

Another reason why I left the Sanctuary was because I had thought it would take Hiccup or Valka longer to find me. Obviously, I was wrong. He must have had Toothless catch my scent. I turn to walk away, but Hiccup calls out to me, which stops me. "Hey, wait," he says, "what's wrong?"

I roll my eyes and say, "Nothing's wrong. I'm just tired and want to be alone for awhile, okay?" I turn back around and continued walking, expecting him to call out to me again.

He doesn't.

Instead, I hear the whooshing of Toothless's wings and the rattle of the leaves on the tree branches when he takes off. A part of me is relieved, but another part of me is annoyed. Wow, he really put up a fight there, didn't he? I can't complain too much though. Hiccup respects my wishes, which is rare to find in human males.

I haven't had time for myself in a month. It's nice to have once in awhile. With Valka, I was able to have as much alone time as I wanted, but with Hiccup? I want to be around him, and I'm pretty sure he wants to be around me. He hasn't given me any hints that he doesn't. Because knowing Hiccup, he isn't going to say it straight up. He's going to give hints. We've been inseparable since our reunion a month ago, so being alone right now is weird but it's definitely nice too. I like being with him better, but when you're in a mood it's best to be alone.

Unfortunately, I was mistaken.

I hear the rustling of the branches again, and as soon as I look up, I see Hiccup's body coming down, landing right in front of me, and startling me so much that I actually gasp out loud and step back. "For Odin's sake Hiccup! What-"

"You know you can talk to me about anything," he interrupts as he takes a step closer. "Whatever's troubling you...let it trouble me too."

I couldn't help but laugh at that. "Okay, that was the most lamest thing you have ever said to me."

Hiccup, to my surprise, doesn't crack a smile, which he usually does when I laugh. "I'm serious, Astrid-"

"So am I," I interrupt, my amusement gone. "Hiccup, can you just-"

"Leave you alone?" He finishes, eyes narrowed into a serious glare. "No. Whatever has you upset, I want to help cheer you up. If this is about the Light Fury-"

"Of course this is about the Light Fury!" I snap. "When is it never about the Light Fury? It's always about her and I'm getting pissed!" I turn my back to him and stomp towards a nearby tree. I pinned my axed into it and sank to my butt afterwards to sit down. With my butt on the ground and my back against the tree, I bring my knees up to my chest and folded my arms over them to rest my head on.

"We can't find a dragon that doesn't want to be found, Hiccup," I continue, calmer now. "We did nothing but waste time, and by leaving again after our break is over, that's all we're going to be doing. Wasting time. She's not my Soul Bonded dragon, Hiccup, and she most likely already has a mate and children. Toothless will need to move on just as I will."

I stared at the grass the entire time I spoke, and I kept my gaze there as Hiccup came to my side and sat next to me. He didn't say anything for a moment, and I was glad for it. But of course, that moment didn't last long and he's breaking the silence. "What did you do with my Astrid?"

Confused, I snap my head over to him and say, "Excuse me?"

"My Astrid isn't a quitter, so obviously you're an imposter," Hiccup explains and nudges me with his shoulder. "So what did you do with her?"

I scowl as I roll my eyes again and look away from him. "Your Astrid is still here, Hiccup. I'm not an imposter, nor am I a quitter. I'm a realist. I'm logical."

Hiccup hums in thought. "You sound more like a coward to me."

"A coward?!" I repeat, incredulously as I turn my head back to him. "How the Hel am I a coward? I am no coward Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third."

Despite my glare, which I know made him nervous since he leaned back a little, he manages to crack a lopsided smile. "Then prove it. Let's continue searching for her."

"We don't have any leads on her," I declare, trying to knock some sense into him.

"Excuses, excuses," He says, waving me off. "You never gave up on me and you weren't even entirely sure I was alive. Why can't you do the same for the Light Fury?"

His words stun me into silence. Oh my gods...I hadn't thought of it that way.

"Well?" Hiccup urged when I didn't answer right away.

"Because…" I start, feeling a little shy as I thought of my answer, knowing exactly how it might sound to him. "You were more important to me. I don't have to have hope for my dragon because I can live without her. I have for my entire life. But...it was different with you because...I couldn't live with the thought of you being dead. I couldn't give up, I had to have hope for my sanity." I shyly look over at him to see his reaction and just as I had expected, his face is red and he's looking shy too. I'm blushing as well, I can feel the heat in my cheeks, but I swear it's not because I like him.

It's because being sentimental like that is awkward for me. I'm not used to it, especially when my honest yet tender words are spoken towards a boy I know once liked me. I'm afraid he'll get the wrong idea and his feelings will emerge again, if they even left in the first place. I don't want to lead him on, but I'm not going to lie to him either. I never gave up on him as quickly as I had with the Light Fury because he really was more important to me. That's the honest truth. He is more important to me, and I know he has a world to change for the better, which is way more important than helping me find a dragon.

That's another reason why we need to stop searching. We need to focus more on bringing peace to all dragon infested islands with villages. Besides, it's as I said: I've survived all my life without my soul dragon, I can continue to do so.

"W-Well," Hiccup says nervously, clearing his throat afterwards to get rid of his cute stutter, "You have me now. I'm with you for however long you want me. But...it's time we make the Light Fury more important. Because believe it or not, she's your soul dragon. I know she is."

"Hiccup-"

"You might have given up, but Toothless hasn't. Right bud?" He and I both look up and see Toothless hanging upside down from a high tree branch, his wings wrapped around his body as he stared down at us. He smiles, which causes his tongue to droop out from the side of his mouth. I smile at that before sighing in defeat.

"Okay, fine," I agree as I get to my feet. "The search will go on." I extend my hand out for him to take, and he takes it with no hesitation. As soon as he was on his feet, I punch his shoulder, which makes him cry out in pain.

"Why the Hel would you do that?!" He said as he rubs the pained spot.

"That's for not leaving me alone, and this," I quickly lean forward to kiss his cheek, "is also for not leaving me alone." I pull away to give us some room, and smile at his surprised expression. His face is redder than what it was a moment before. I hope he's not getting any ideas. It was all platonic. I swear.

"I...um...thank you? I mean, you're welcome. I-"

I quickly turn him around so he's facing Toothless up in the tree and say, "Yeah, yeah. I get it. Now get out of here. I seriously need some me time and Toothless needs to fly."

"Okay, okay," Hiccup says, chuckling. He calls for Toothless, and a few seconds later, he's settled into his saddle, and is waving a me. "So...uh...see you in a bit?"

I nod. "Whatever you say, Chief." I can't exactly fly off anywhere.

Hiccup grimaces at the nickname. "I like Fishbone better."

I nearly laughed out loud, but I did grin. "Get out of here, Chief Fishbone."

Hiccup sighs as he shakes his head, but smiles nonetheless as he takes off without another word. I watch him fly away and made eye contact with him when he looks back at me. I wave and he waves back. I didn't move from my spot until he was no longer in sight, and when that happens, I grabbed my axe and started walking. I didn't throw it, I no longer felt the need to, so for the next twenty or so minutes, I walked and thought about everything that had just happened.

Hiccup had called me a coward, but gave no specific reasons. I know he was teasing, but what if he's right? Am I really a coward? I...I admit that I'm afraid that after all this time I could have been wrong about the bond. And I admit that I'm afraid I could be right. What if she doesn't like me? Just because our souls are bonded (maybe) doesn't mean she's going to like me. And what about the flying part? I'm so excited to learn, but I'm also scared. I've had Valka, and recently Hiccup, to hold onto when we fly, which honestly makes me sound like a child who clings to their caregiver and doesn't want to let go. I am not a child. I want to let go and do it on my own. I don't like relying on others. I can take care of myself, but...what if something goes wrong when we practice? What if I fall and die or what if she gets hurt?

And so, as my thoughts consumed me, I continued to walk and walk and walk until eventually…

I'm dangling in the air.

I let out a startled cry as the net ensnared me. "Great Odin's ghost!" I say as I tried to catch the breath that was stolen from me. I looked around me and saw nothing but rope and tree branches. My legs easily got tangled and as I struggled against the tied rope that made up the net, I went to reach for my axe at the same time, only to realize that it fell out of my belt and was now directly below me. Far away on the ground. Fuck.

I started to panic then and frantically began to jerk my legs everywhere in hopes they'd get untangled. Without my axe, I can't cut myself free. I'm stuck up here. Oh gods, I hope my scent will still be strong enough for Toothless to detect later. He and Hiccup will find me. There's no need to worry. I'd rather not depend on a man and his dragon, but sometimes that happens. I just need to relax until they find me. But how long will that be? I better not be stuck here for longer than six hours, or even worse...a day. Oh gods, I'm probably going to piss myself if I'm here for too long.

Who even set up this trap? The rope is thick enough to hold down a dragon-

And just like that it clicked. Oh no…

Dragon Trappers.

"Well, well, well," a male voice suddenly says from below me. I glance down but didn't see anyone, indicating that they're behind me. "What do I have here? You are definitely not a dragon."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that," I snap as I tightly held onto two strands of rope to keep me from wiggling back and forth. "I've been told that I have the soul of a dragon, and trust me, you son of a bitch, I can be just as deadly."

"It's son of Eret, actually. Not son of a bitch." the man says, confusing me.

"What?"

I hear his footsteps make their way towards the front to where I can see him, the dead grass and leaves crunching with every step he takes, and through the corner of my eyes I see the top of his head first before I see his face and body. He's tall, broad-framed with scarred beefy arms, and has a tattoo on his chin. He has dark brown hair that, unlike Hiccup's, is actually tamed and neat. Two bangs drape in front of his ears, and he wears a beige-white tunic under a thick, sleeveless fur vest with a metal owl brooch pinned in it.

"I said-" The man starts, but I cut him off, not giving a flying fuck.

"Yeah, I don't care," I tell him as I lean back, trying to look comfortable so he could assume that his trap isn't a discomfort. "What I do care about is your name. So who the Hel are you?" I wasn't expecting him to answer me, but he does.

"It's Eret," he says. "Son of Eret."

.

.

.

Yaaaaasssssss things are speeding up. I'm excited. Are you?