I wake up before the sun the next morning. For a long while after I wake, I simply lay on my back on top of the bed and stare at the ceiling of my room. I've always loved this time of the morning. How the world seems to be still and quiet. It's almost as if the rest of the world is still sleeping. This is usually the time I come up with my brilliant ideas and plans.

Today, however, I seem to be drawing the biggest blank of my entire life. I don't know how to confront the topic of Night Furies with Gobber. I don't know how I'm going to survive the next few days of training when it was a miracle and sheer luck, not mention Gobber's prosthetic arm, that I managed to survive yesterday. I also don't know how to feel about Asher.

Much to my annoyance, Asher has been running through my mind lately. Our small encounter yesterday made me feel more confused than hopeful. Why is he being somewhat kind to me all of the sudden? Sure, we were friends when we were little, but we were never even close at that time. I was always quiet, and he was always reserved, so we never spoke much. The fact that he's always been Berk's up and coming best dragon killer doesn't help me in any way at all. Who would want to be seen at any given time, by anyone, with me?

Think positive, Hicca, I remind myself. Sometimes being positive is way harder than it sounds, but sulking won't help any more than having a good outlook on things.

Outside, birds are singing as the sun climbs higher in the sky. I push back the covers and sit up. After changing and eating an apple, I grab my axe and head out the door. The walk to the arena is silent, I don't run into any of the other recruits. Arriving early to the ring, I find no one else there. Once I walk closer to the entrance, I start to feel a bit hesitant. It's not the fact that no one else is there that I'm worried about. It's what's inside the arena.

Tall, makeshift wooden walls are set up in a maze-like pattern all along the ring floor. No, not a maze, just set up in a way that makes it harder to maneuver through the arena. Whatever Gobber has planned out for us today can't be good.

"Gobber?" I call out into the arena, hoping to ask about the Night Fury page before everyone else gets here.

"Oi, lass, up here." I hear his voice above me and look up. He's standing in the viewing section of the arena and leaning against the metal bars above the ring.

"Mornin', Hicca. I trust you slept well."

"Actually, Gobber, I wanted to-" I'm cut off mid-sentence by hollering and yelling behind me. I turn around and see the other teens walking towards the entrance. Tuffnut's voice is heard amongst the others.

"Yeah! Let's go kill some-" he cuts himself off when he sees the walls. "What are those big wooden things doing in the training arena?"

"Wait," Ruffnut speaks up. She holds her arms out with her palms facing downwards as if signaling someone to stop. "I think we're going to be using them during training."

Snotlout deadpans at them while Asher brings the palm of his hand up to his forehead. Gods they can be stupid sometimes. But they're the Thorston twins, what else would be expected?

"Now," everyone turns their heads to look up at Gobber, who spoke loudly to get their attention. "If you would all step inside the arena." Seeing as I was already inside, I took a few steps further in to make room for the rest to walk in. As they walked past me, Snotlout bumps me on the shoulder. Now I'm not saying that I'm weak, because I'm not, but when a tiny person like me gets pushed by someone larger than them, or any person for that matter, most likely they are going to fall down. Which is exactly what happened to me.

I yelped in surprise as my body fell forward. My axe clattered to the ground next to me and I used the palms of my hands break my fall. Once I stopped falling I looked up and glared at a laughing Snotlout and chortling twins. One of these days I am really going to have to do something about this.

"Was that really necessary, Snotlout?"

Still on the ground, I'm shocked when I hear Asher address Snotlout while entering the ring.

"Yeah," Snotlout says while still sniggering. "It really was."

Asher simply crossed his arms and looked at Snotlout in response, who got slightly nervous at that. Not many people disagree with Snotlout, but even fewer disagree with Asher. Everyone is intimidated by him, even Snotlout is. Though he'll never admit it. Fishlegs and the twins watch intently, wanting to see what will happen next in this encounter. I watch too, but from my seat on the floor.

"Oh come on!" Snotlout says after a few moments of tense silence. "You've gotta admit that was funny."

"No." Asher crosses over to where I am on the floor and helps me back to my feet. "It really wasn't funny." His tone is firm as he stares at Snotlout, who rolls his eyes and turns to walk further into the arena, the others following him soon after.

I'm suddenly aware that Asher still has his hand on my arm. Stepping away from his grasp, I turn my head slightly so my hair covers my slightly red face. Gods help me, am I blushing?

"Um, thanks," I say to Asher, still looking away. "I guess."

I turn when I hear him bend down to pick up my axe. He then holds it out to me and I take it from him.

"You're welcome," he says with a small smile on his face. "I guess." And with that he turns and follows the group.

Well, that just happened.

Ugh, get it together Hicca. I shake my head and walk towards the group. Why was I getting smitten over this? Honestly, the only thing he did was help me off the floor again. It wouldn't be the first time someone's had to help me off of my rear. I'm not exactly what you would call graceful.

But he stood up for you. A small voice nags at the back of my mind. He did stand up for me. That's the first time he, or anyone else for that matter, has ever helped me like that. I can't help but wonder why he's being so helpful all of the sudden. Usually he's quiet and somewhat expressionless, only speaking when absolutely necessary. But, I can't say that it isn't nice to have a sort of acquaintance. Or whatever the heck Asher and I are.

I sigh. Maybe later I can think more about this, but right now, I have to focus on not getting myself killed today.

"So Gobber? What exactly are the walls for?" Fishlegs inquires in a hesitant voice. Like me, he must feel that whatever Gobber has planned is going to be as crazy and endangering as yesterday's training session.

"Well," Gobber begins, picking his teeth with his hooked prosthetic. "You'll find out soon enough. But first, who can tell me what methods would be best when dealing with a Deadly Nadder?"

Fishlegs raises his hand and practically jumps up and down. "Anyone other than Fishlegs?" Gobber asks while ignoring the bouncing recruit. I don't say anything and neither do the others, not wanting to be wrong.

"No one?" Gobber raises an eyebrow, but we remain silent and curious. "Then I guess you're about to find out. Release the Nadder!"

Oh boy, here we go.

Even though we can't see it due to the tall walls, we hear the Nadder burst from its cage. What we do see is the dragon nimbly jumping to the tops of the walls. Spotting us, it roars and begins to hop along the walls. We all run in different directions, scattering so we can avoid the dragon.

I slow down as I come closer to where Gobber is standing. It's now or never, so I choose to ask him about the Night Fury page.

"So I noticed that the book doesn't have anything on Night Furies. Is there a sequel or a Night Fury pamphlet that-"

The blade of my axe being burned off by the Deadly Nadder's white-hot fire cuts me off mid sentence.

"Focus, Hicca!"

I turn and find the Nadder coming towards me. I yelp and run behind one of the walls on my right. I've lost it for now, but I have no idea where it is. Though I can hear the others yelling and running.

"Today is all about attack!" I can barely hear Gobber over the sound of my feet hitting the ground and my heart thumping in my chest. If I didn't die yesterday, I'm definitely dead today.

"Nadders are quick and light on their feet! Your job is to be quicker and lighter!"

This would be so much easier if I wasn't such a clutz. I'm running as fast as I can away from the sounds I can hear the dragon making, but the shield I'm hold in my left arm doesn't seem to help my cause at all.

Though I can't see him, Fishlegs' scream is heard. "I'm really beginning to question your teaching methods!"

Gobber responds by saying something about a dragon's blindspot. Or something like that. I'm more interested in trying to get back to where I can ask Gobber about the Night Fury. And staying alive of course. After running and turning more corners, I manage to get back to where I was before.

"So how exactly would one sneak up on a Night Fury?" I question as the other recruits shove past me to get farther from the Nadder. It might be a crazy question at a crazy time but the only way I'm getting anywhere near that Night Fury is if I sneak up on it.

Gobber rolls his eyes. Apparently he's getting tired of all my questions. "No one's ever met one and lived to tell the tale. Now get in there!" He points into the rows of wall behind me.

"I know, I know. But hypothetically-"

"Hicca!" I hear an urgent whisper and turn around to see Asher and Snotlout crouched against one of the walls. "Get down." It was Asher that spoke again. I crouch behind Snotlout as they both check around the edge of the wall. The Nadder is on the other side facing the opposite of the opening we need to get across.

Taking his chance, Asher rolls to the other side and Snotlout follows. Taking a deep breath I follow after the both of them. Normally I would be able to roll across with ease, but seeing as I have a shield to hold while rolling, it was a bit more difficult. And by a bit more difficult I mean that the weight of the shield stopped me mid roll right in the middle of the opening.

"Oof." I'm not sure if it was sound I made or the shield hitting the ground, but either way the Nadder heard me.

"Oh Thor." I get out of the way just in time before the spot I was in merely a second ago was blasted by the dragon's fire. As I run away the inside of the arena is complete mayhem. The Nadder has jumped on top of the walls again and is hopping across them,only this time, the walls start to fall due to the dragon's weight. I stand watching as the they fall. Then I see Asher jump on top of the walls as well, try to get away from the dragon.

My feet are glued to the floor even though my head is screaming at me to move. What happens next is a blur. I hear my name being called as Asher jumps off the last standing wall and falls in my direction. His arms grab me and pull me down with him so he won't completely crash into me. As I fall back he turns his body so that his back hits the floor instead of mine. We had hit the floor already, and realizing that my eyes were closed I lifted my head and opened them. What I saw was a pair of blue eyes staring back at me.

"Ooh, love on the battlefield." It was Tuffnut. Oh gods.

Once again I'm frozen in place, but not out of fear. The moment is short-lived and almost non-existent. The Nadder roars, and Asher and I turn to see the dragon barreling towards us. He pushes me off of him and reaches for his axe, but it had fallen from his grasp when he crashed into me. Somehow, my shield was still on my arm. Seeing the shield, he quickly grabbed it and turned just in time to hit the dragon across its snout. The hurt dragon flinches, obviously hurt, and flies back to its cage.

I'm on the floor still, breathing heavily. We're all breathing heavily by now. Asher turns to me, and he's not exactly happy, but not completely angry.

"Hicca," he begins. It's obvious he's trying to keep his cool. "This isn't a joke. Our parents' war is about to become ours." He speaks slowly as he walks over and, for the second time in a day, helps me to my feet. I rub my arm awkwardly as he leaves in silence. The rest follow him after giving me a short glance. I keep my head down.

"Our parents' war is about to become ours."

He's right. Soon, we'll be old enough to be considered true vikings. And true vikings are meant to kill dragons. But I can't kill them, I know that much now. Sooner or later, I'll have to figure out which side I'm on.

A/N

I can't even begin to say how sorry I am for making you guys wait two weeks for an update. I'm so sorry! Things have been really busy around here. But I hope you all had a happy New Year. I know some of you guys might be a little concerned that Asher isn't exactly like Astrid in the sense that he's not completely ignoring Hicca. I'll just say that I'm writing his character like that for a reason that will be explained more in depth later on in the story. No need to fret my dears! Thanks to everyone who has followed, favorited, reviewed, or even just read this story so far. You guys are amazing and I love hearing from you! Until next time friends!

With love,

Estelle