Disclaimer: I do not own How To Train Your Dragon or Riders of Berk.


AN - 06/07/2020: I think by this stage, it's become clear that this whole story is undergoing a rewrite. When I first started this, I didn't have a clear plan, and just wrote spontaneously. Now that I have time to look back and rewatch most of the tv series, I realise there is a lot that I could potentially include in this, that doesn't just involve Hiccup wandering around praying for the best. So this is my attempt at a more coherent story with a clearer direction of what I want to do. I hope that anyone still reading enjoys this.


Chapter 1:

Alvin plodded forward. "Well well well. If it isn't the dragon conqueror."

Hiccup rolled his eyes, keeping his facade on. No use panicking now. "How many times must I say it? It's dragon trainer, um, what was it? Al. Right. Al."

There were a few snickers and snorts from both sides of the crowds, and Alvin snarled, keeping everyone quiet. "Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third."

Hiccup faced the Outcast leader, fists clenched at his side at he attempted to keep his expression impassive. Toothless, silently stopped from attacking by a discreet hand motion, growled at the leader and bared his teeth. He was just as confused as Hiccup about why so many things had changed, but he would listen to Hiccup and obey his friend. That would never change.

"What are you doing here, Al?" Hiccup drawled, keeping his eyes narrowed.

"Oh, haven't you heard?" Alvin asked, laughing uproariously. "Berk is my home now - your father was the one who handed it over, after all!"

Hiccup's head snapped to his father, whose head hung in shame. He turned back to Alvin. "What did you do?"

"Nothing that Berk didn't deserve," Alvin gave an almost pitying sigh, "it would have been far less if everyone had just listened to me, but no, they felt the need to fight. Honestly, all I wanted is peace."

Hiccup snorts. "And I'm a Deadly Nadder."

A few scattered chuckles from brave souls, but other than that, the village square remained silent.

That was, until a shriek filled the air - one of a Monstrous Nightmare.

Heads whipped around to the path leading down to the docks, where it was clear that a dragon had somehow escaped captivity. Still drugged out of its mind, said dragon had lit itself on fire and was stumbling almost drunkenly throughout the village, snapping at any soldiers who came close and briefly soaring clear of arrows before it was grounded once more.

But the distraction is caused was enough.

As it smashed into a nearby house, the building toppled forward, narrowly missing the crowd by several feet. Screams sounded as children were herded away, and villagers scrambled over one another to escape the carnage.

"Toothless!"

Hiccup dove onto the Night Fury, locking his foot in and soaring into the air.

"Hiccup!" Alvin roared.

Hiccup didn't pay him another glance; he was busy looking for a familiar head of blonde hair. "There, bud!"

The Night Fury looped around and skimmed close to the ground, easily catching sight of what his partner had found. With a well-placed blast of fire, Toothless twisted, reached out…

And snagged Astrid by the shoulders in an all too familiar move.

Without allowing anyone the time to coordinate themselves, Toothless let out another ferocious shriek, and fired off three consecutive blasts that caused the buildings to topple over one another. One more blast took out the nearest catapult - the nearest threat - and then the two were soaring high into the sky.

Cursing the fact that sunset was still a good few hours out, Hiccup glanced back.

A few dragons were tailing them, but if they could get into the woods and down into the cove past Raven's Point, then they were safe. At least, he hoped so.

Hollering instructions to Toothless, the dragon obeyed and flung Astrid into the air, adjusting himself so that the viking woman could settle behind Hiccup properly.

Any success at that manoeuver abruptly died when Hiccup caught sight of the charred landscape below him, not too far from Berk. "What happened to the woods?" He turns around at her helpless shrug. "What did Alvin do to Berk?"

Astrid sighs and shakes her head.

Thankfully, their cove still seemed intact, so Hiccup dives down into it, allowing Toothless to pull the three of them into the cave by the entrance, hidden out of sight.

He turned to Astrid as they landed, and examined her closely. She looked confident as always, but her skin was paler, hair was shoulder-length, and her face was filthy. Gesturing to the thankfully still clean lake, Astrid smiled in what seemed to be embarrassment as she leant down and started to wash her face off.

"What happened?" Hiccup asked again as she stood up. "What happened to Berk? How did it change so quickly?"

Her eyes were sad, and even now, she seemed hesitant to touch him, as one would a dream. "Hiccup, you fell into the ocean. We all thought you were dead."

Hiccup gave a start. "What? Dead? But I was-it was only-how is-" He looked at Toothless in a mix of confusion and horror. "I was only gone for a couple of hours. I washed up on the beach, and everyone was gone!"

"Hiccup, you have been dead for…nearly sixteen years," Astrid said, shaking her head.

"Sixteen years?" Hiccup repeated numbly. Astrid reached out, and though her hand hovered for a second, she finally held Hiccup's hands in her own.

"You were gone for a really long time," Astrid confirmed softly.

"That's…" Hiccup shook his head. Then he looked down at their joined hands, and he noticed the ring that was gleaming on her left hand. He gave a quiet snort, a small amused smile. "Who's the lucky guy who gets punched every few days?"

Astrid followed his gaze, her expression turning amused. "When you…drowned, Stoick had no choice but to name Snotlout his heir."

"Snotlout?" Hiccup demanded.

Astrid gave him a look and he raised his hands in surrender. "He's not that bad, you know," her voice was still soft. "He grieved with everyone else. And I know he didn't show it a lot, but you were his cousin."

"How is he as leader?" Hiccup asked.

"Honestly, not as bad as you might think." They shared a melancholy chuckle.

"But what about Alvin? The Berserkers?"

Astrid looked away. "Stoick tried his best to groom Snotlout as heir, though Snotlout only really took it seriously after Stoick suffered an illness and collapsed."

"Collapsed?" Hiccup's eyes widened in fear.

"No, don't worry," Astrid tried to console, "he's fine now. Fighting fit. But, well. Snotlout took over full time after that, and he needed someone with a good head on his shoulders. And there I was." She trailed off, looking into the lake. "Alvin and Outcasts then attacked; they had teamed up with the Berserkers after Oswald died and Dagur took over."

"Dagur?" Hiccup repeated. "Dagur the Deranged? The guy who's been using me for shooting practice ever since we knew each other?"

Astrid's smile was bitter. "Yeah. They attacked with dragons."

Hiccup's eyes narrowed. He could put the pieces together easily enough. "Mildew?"

Astrid nodded. "Mildew."

"Why am I not surprised?" Hiccup huffed. Toothless let out a warning growl, and the two riders' heads snapped to the sky, where dragons and soldiers were beginning to scour the ground near the entrance to the cove. "Okay, we need a plan. Astrid, we need to rally the villagers. Maybe we can get their dragons, and if we do-"

"Hiccup," Astrid stopped him right there. "There's no way we're going to be able to do it. Everyone's too scared to rebel, least of all the dragons. Trust me. We've all tried, and we've all failed. And the punishment…" her eyes darkened. "You're our greatest hope now, but no one is going to risk going against Alvin without a firm guarantee."

Hiccup gave a helpless groan. "But how am I going to free Berk then? We don't have dragons, or troops, or anything."

Astrid gave a small shrug, looking just as frustrated as he.

"Okay, okay," Hiccup said as he thought back to what Alvin said. "Alvin said just now, something to do with someone in the north with an army of dragons, right?"

Astrid's brow furrowed and she shook her head slowly. "Hiccup, no. Drago Bludvist is a madman. However many Alvin has killed, Drago has killed more."

"He's our only hope now," Hiccup pressed through stubbornly. "We don't have anyone, Astrid. We need to do something."

"Stoick doesn't want to work with him," Astrid warned. "He said that Drago tried to control dragons or something, and killed all the chiefs in the last chieftain meeting several decades ago."

Hiccup's eyes narrowed. "I can change his mind. If I can change my dad's mind, I can change Drago's. I just need to show him what dragons are capable of when we bond with them."

"This is dangerous, Hiccup," Astrid tried again. "You don't even know where he is."

"I know he's up north," Hiccup said determinedly. "I'll get some food and water, and then head north. If he really does have a dragon army, it shouldn't be difficult to find him. Right, bud?" Toothless warbles an agreement and Hiccup pats him on the head with a grin.

Astrid let out a sigh. "I can't stop you guys."

"Do you know where we can get food?" Hiccup asked. "I think it's going to be a long way up north."

This time, Astrid lets out a grin.