A/N: So I guess I'm gonna have to put up a notice that this trilogy is before HTTYD 2. Which is a great movie, of course, by the way. But no, I won't adapt anything, naturally. It wouldn't make sense. So if there are similarities, they are a simple coincidence. I've been debating making another series after this one is over off of that one, but I'm not sure. Whatever seems right, I suppose. I would love to rant about the movie, especially one key aspect of it. But I won't, for all of those out there who haven't had the chance to go out and see it yet.

This is Hiccup

This is Astrid

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

Toothless raced as fast as he could, eyes wide and dilated with fright as he streamed over the grass, barely touching it. The other dragons rushed to keep up with the Night Fury, stumbling over themselves with hushed gasps every so often. Blood roared in the dragon's ears, and the male could hardly breathe, he could hardly do anything but race back towards Raven's Point as fast as he could. Fear and worry was etched all over the dragon, and it was painfully apparent to those around him, it seemed.

Those that were closest to him were making far too much noise - a fact Toothless would have normally snapped out, but he couldn't bring himself to. He could only keep racing, ears almost deaf to what Leap, Brightsky, and the mother and daughter were yelping. Puffing with the effort of matching the Night Fury's pace, the mother was fighting to keep a tight hold on her daughter, eyes fixed desperately onto Toothless as she yelled over her bundle's scales. "I'm so sorry!" She panted, for the millionth time it seemed. Toothless didn't look at her, frantically pushing himself to go even faster. "I'm so sorry - I didn't mean for any of this to happen!" The daughter was stunned silent, eyes big as moons as she was limp in the mother's grasp.

Brightsky and Leap flanked his other side, adding their own apologies into the mix as they too shared a guilty expression. "I didn't mean to make so much noise!" Leap squeaked, ears flat against her ears. She was Shadowclaw and Leafdapple's age, only coming up to Toothless' chin as she was a bit shorter. "I'm so used to the cave- there isn't as much undergrowth in there! And I-I just couldn't fit into the hiding spot! I didn't mean to cause so much, I promise! I swear!"

Toothless didn't reply, heart sinking low to his claws as he could see the Cove rising up over the rocks and hills. What could he tell Mistyeyes? How could he let Hiccup have gone off on his own? He could answer his own question, of course: he had to take care of the other Night Furies. But the explanation would stick in his throat, he knew. The Night Fury felt a wave of desperation as he remembered the way he had sat and watched in horror as Hiccup suddenly shot out of the bushes, running the opposite direction in order to draw the Vikings away from their hiding spots. And how he had been frozen, torn between the responsibility of keeping the other dragons safe and the loyalty he felt to the boy. And how he had immediately started sprinting back to Mistyeyes and Nightflight as he had heard a sudden scream. Hiccup's scream. One of pain. He had to get back to him. Whatever it took.

Gradually, the others realized that there was no consoling the dragon; they dropped behind with the rest of the assembly, exchanging guilty and frightened looks every now and then as they struggled to keep up with Toothless. Hiccup couldn't be hurt, not again. The very thought of it was enough to curl the dragon's scales. It was rotten luck to be caught by such a random search party when they were that close to village. They were so close to scoping it out, to seeing what was the matter with it, how much it had changed, and what they had to do. Now Hiccup was left to find out all of that by himself, and there was no room for error in such a thick as he had gotten himself into.

They must have been making more noise than Toothless had first registered. As if he registered anything other than what had just happened, that is. Because a few yards from the entrance of the cove, Mistyeyes suddenly burst forward, eyes blazing and claws extended as she bared her teeth into a defensive snarl. She straightened with shock as she realized who it was, ears perking as she immediately dropped her guard. She didn't say anything, standing stock still as she waited for the group to meet her instead. Her blue eyes scanned the group repeatedly, and by the time that they had finally reached her, she had come to her own conclusion.

She was still, limbs locked together with horror and fright as her gaze clashed with Toothless' own. "What happened?" Mistyeyes demanded not a moment before he skidded to a halt. Her tail and wings quivered, showing signs of distress already. But as Toothless opened his mouth to reply, she shook her head quickly. "Not here." She said flatly, turning to scan the woods around them suspiciously before beckoning them down into the clearing. "Down there you'll be better protected. Then you can tell Nightflight too."

Toothless complied blindly. Hiccup had left him in charge of their group, but he found himself suddenly unable as he staggered down the rock ledges to the grass below. Mistyeyes seemed to realized this, offering smiles and encouraging nudges to the Night Furies as they filed after him. She took the mother's burden for her, seeing how exhausted the female seemed to be. And she only followed once everyone was safely in front of her, looping down the rocks with ease and handing back the youngling with a kind look. The mother sighed softly, dipping her head in gratitude. And then, glancing at Toothless wearily, backed away with the others.

"Go ahead and rest." Mistyeyes said, turning and pointing down to where the other dragons were clustered. Before she had shot outside to see what was causing such a fuss, Mistyeyes had been sitting at the head with Nightflight, engaging in quiet conversation with all those around them. At first it had been harmless chatting, which then developed into stories about how their group had come to be, then changed into stories about Berk, which eventually led to possible back-up plans. All in all, the time had flown by until Toothless had returned. And the Night Furies were still trained fixedly onto her; there wouldn't be much hiding this conversation, she figured. Which was probably easier since that meant they wouldn't have to explain things twice.

Nightflight had been sitting beside Clearsky, the pair mumbling back and forth with each other previously. But the dragoness had fallen silent a long time ago, and now she stood and excused herself from the male, winding her way carefully over to where Toothless and Mistyeyes were standing. "What's this all about?" She asked, clouded eyes narrowing a bit as her tail lashed. "You've caused a scene." Her words weren't spiked with anger or accusation, just plain truth as she pointed out the way that they had a clear audience now.

Mistyeyes shrugged. "There isn't much helping it, now is there?" She returned just as fairly. The other dragons had settled by now, all eyes onto them. Toothless sighed, sitting down and ducking his head close to his chest as he heaved in the air he had lost control of during his run. Mistyeyes and Nightflight waited as long as they could for him to manage doing so, but they didn't pause for very long. After all, it wasn't as if they had a lot of time. "So what happened, Toothless?" Mistyeyes pressed again. Her voice was collected, or more collected than Toothless' was sure to be. But her tail and wings betrayed her as they flicked so often, her eyes wide and trained intently on his answer.

Toothless shook his head. "We were almost spotted. All of us." He began tensely, his own fear, anger, worry, and concern alive in each syllable he spoke. Mistyeyes and Nightflight stiffened in sync, but neither of them made a move to interrupt him. So he shook his head in an attempt to clear it and went on. "There was a search party out, and they knew where we were hiding. Hiccup threw them off by running towards Berk. And it worked. They followed him." His voice held no satisfaction or victory as he said this. "He told me to take them back to you, to make sure that they were safe. He didn't even give me room to object to him leaving."

Mistyeyes and Nightflight were silent. Neither of them would step forward to offer words or encouragement, or even a simple reply. They just stared openly, looking more and more distressed as the seconds passed. Toothless shook his head. "I couldn't go after him, even though I wanted to. I heard him scream. Something went wrong." The pair went rigid at this, and he pressed forward more fervently. "I have to go and make sure that he's alright. I have to know what's going on. Now." He stood, ready to bolt out as soon as he could. But Mistyeyes stepped forward to intercede, reaching out and barring his path with her tail.

"Wait." She said intently, blue eyes wide but focused now. "We have to think this through." She still looked confused and scared, but she took in a slow breath, very clearly leveling herself before going on. "Hiccup can take care of himself, if only for a little bit, he's shown that much so far if nothing else." Nightflight's ears flickered back and forth at this, a begrudging agreement. "He is in trouble out there." Mistyeyes continued. "But we need to think clearly with the weight of everything."

"The weight of everything?" Toothless repeated incredulously. He was near trembling now, trying to push past Mistyeyes. But the female would have none of it as she stepped to the side again, blocking his path. He huffed, wanting to get angry with her but knowing that it would be pointless to do so. "Hiccup is the backbone of this entire thing." He snapped instead, ears flat against his head. "Not only that, but he's my friend. I can't let him be in danger like this! I have to go back and help him! He would do the same if it were me! Or even you, for that matter!"

Mistyeyes winced a bit, shifting. But she shook her head. "Hiccup knew the risks, didn't he?" She asked. Toothless paused a moment, frowning as he drew back. "He knew the risks when he left you like that, so he would know what might happen to him. And they won't kill him- they can't. Not now at least." Toothless flared at this; it wasn't such a helpful thought. Nightflight seemed to share this mindset as she gave a small snort. But Mistyeyes only went off from it. "We have to make sure that these dragons here won't be caught before he can manage to explain."

Toothless stumbled a bit, shaking with despair and regret. "But Hiccup can't explain if they've hurt him. I-….I-" He said, voice a bit weak now as he ducked his head lower. The dragons watching shifted, Clearsky frowning with sadness at the male's new tone. They exchanged glances, once again being subtly reminded of the bond that humans and dragons shared her. Or…once shared. Would it be like that again? Was it even possible for them to have such a close relationship anymore? It was question burning on every scale, but no Night Fury voiced it aloud. They merely stood and watched with open distress, looking conceded and worried for a number of reasons piling up more and more around them like the walls of the very cove they sat in.

"I….I don't want to do this anymore." Toothless blurted out. Mistyeyes hissed with surprise, stiffening. Nightflight didn't seem surprised, but she ducked away from the male's words anyway. Before Mistyeyes could try and get out whatever she was struggling with, the Night Fury went on, eyes closed as his shoulders hunched. His voice dropped to a small mumble, as if he didn't want to those watching to hear. But it was a pointless effort; they were all ears now. "I don't want to keep doing this. I've hurt Hiccup enough. Before this I would have done anything for him. I would have died for him. I still would. But….after this….it's too hard." He opened his eyes to be half-lidded as he looked to barely meet Mistyeyes' gaze. "I don't want Hiccup to get hurt anymore. I'm tired of seeing everyone get hurt."

"Toothless, you don't know what you're saying." Nightflight was the one to speak this time. She had gotten to her feet, taking a few steps forward to get closer to the both of them. The male turned sharply at this, seeming to be put on-edge by the comment. But if the female noticed this, she didn't pause long enough to show it. "You're just upset." She pressed with a weary expression. "We all are. But we can't just stop now. We have to keep going. Hiccup would have wanted us to-"

"I just want things to be the way they used to be!" Toothless roared suddenly, not even caring about how loud he was anymore. Nightflight flinched backwards, wincing as she snapped her jaws closed. Mistyeyes grimaced a bit at the tone as well, and Toothless lowered it as much as he could. He knew he was being ridiculous. He was complaining like a youngling. But he couldn't stop; everything bottled back was now rushing forward. "I want to go back to the time where I didn't have nightmares about nearly killing my best friend!" Nightflight cringed backwards at this, as though he had slapped her. "I want to go back to the time where things weren't complicated! Where I could know what I was doing and be happy with Hiccup! Not look at him and see him bleeding from me or see - see the way he looks now!" Mistyeyes was stone faced now, not having the heart to cut him off.

"I want to go back and not have all of this on our shoulders! Or in between me and Hiccup! It's too complicated now! It's- It's too hard!" He shook his head thickly. "But…that's not what I mean." He revised a little weakly. "I just….I want things to be the way they used to be." He shut his eyes tightly, hunching his shoulders with a small sigh through his nose. "I want them to be better. I don't want this. I don't want any of this anymore."

Mistyeyes glanced back at the crowd behind them, giving them apologetic looks. They stared back, owl-eyed and unsure. How else could you look when you were seeing one of your leaders started to crumble? Some shifted a bit, opening their mouths as if to say something. But Mistyeyes shook her head as a small signal that they didn't have to. Instead, she turned and wrapped herself comfortingly around Toothless. "It'll be okay." She murmured, the male shutting his eyes tighter at her soft voice. She pressed her nose tightly into his neck, ears flat as she rasped her tongue softly over his scales. "It will get better again. That's what we're trying to do here, Toothless. And it will work."

Toothless shook his head stiffly. "You can't know that." He whispered emptily.

Nightflight turned, tail dragging in the grass as she headed for the group to the side of them, trying to gather herself enough to give orders. They could retreat back to Leafdapple and Shadowclaw, maybe. She would ask Mistyeyes once she was finished trying to build Toothless back up. But it seemed like the best thing to do. To retreat back to where all the others were, in the spot where a search party was least likely to go out and find them hiding away. But it wouldn't be easy. No. It couldn't be, she guessed.

Mistyeyes opened her mouth to reply to Toothless.

But suddenly she couldn't bring herself to.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

The shackle was made to lock onto the leg of a Zippleback. It was made for the sole purpose of holding back a jerking, spitting, furious dragon, and now it was being used for quite the opposite. It was now clamped tightly around the stomach of a young Viking, who had spent the last five minutes straining and pulling against the chains to the best of his ability. But the chain had remained unbroken by the dragon before him, and the boy certainly stood no chance against its grip.

The stables were empty and void of all life or movement. The only sound that reached Hiccup's ears was the roar of the rain outside, the hammering of raindrops against the roof overhead. The boy was sprawled on the ground, a metal vice tight over his middle as he looked almost blankly over to the door. He was put in the farthest end of the hold, and while it kept him from getting wet or damp like the first few stalls were, it also kept him from seeing outside. He had no idea if anyone was there, if he was being guarded, or if the entire island was empty as Vikings went out to hunt down the Night Furies. Hunt them down and kill them. His stomach churned with a violent pull.

He stood up again, steadying himself briefly before pulling on the chain again. He should know the weak links, he should know how to handle these things. He had helped to make them once upon a time, didn't he? But he couldn't see in the dim light that surrounded him, and it wouldn't have helped anyway. He knew there was no chances of him breaking this by pure wit. And he couldn't get free by brawn….he wasn't sure he even had any brawn. No, he needed a weapon. And he certainly wasn't going to get that.

He felt a rush of desperation. He needed to get out. He needed to talk to his father, ask him for help. Beg him if he had to. He would do most anything by now. Or he needed to get back to the others and make sure they were okay. He needed to go out and stop the Vikings before they could hurt any of the Night Furies. Or stop any of the Night Furies if they started to attack out of fear. He needed to do something. He needed to do more than just stayed penned up in here.

Panic started to bubble up at his throat, and his hands started to shake as he tugged hard at the chain connecting him to the wall for the millionth time. He needed to get back to Toothless. To Mistyeyes, to Nightflight. To Shadowclaw and Leafdapple. To all of them. He yanked harder and harder, twisting in an attempt to help himself. But it was useless. He shut his eyes tightly, gritting his teeth and putting his back into it, backing up more and more as he grew frustrated and angry in his movements. He had to leave. He had to get out. He had people counting on him.

He couldn't let them down. He had already let Astrid down. He had let his father down too. He couldn't let down anyone else. He imagined the other Night Furies. Talon, Leap, Clearsky, Amber….all of them with stricken looks of disappointment. Or worse. He shut his eyes tightly, shouting out a loud curse that bounced off the wall. Losing track of his temper, he spun around, breaking into a sudden run as he sprinted rashly for the door.

But just like he should have anticipated, the chain didn't offer any slack. It tightened as he ran its length, going taunt and pulling his feet out from under him. He found himself smacking back down to the ground on his back, head spinning as he let out a groan of pain. He curled up tightly, wincing as both his wounded ankle and his stomach stung with pain. He reached up to try and wriggle out of the steel clamp on him, but it was useless. It was too tight and he was too weak at the moment to try anything more and have it be effective.

Hiccup let out a shaky sigh, closing his eyes and curling up close to himself. He held his injured leg with a grimace, locking his jaw backwards and trying to subside the waves of frustration and self-pity that were threatening to flood him. He was stuck here. It was pointless to try anything more. He could only hope that Toothless could get back to the others safely, and that they would know what to do from there. He could only hope that things wouldn't blow up in their faces, and that all of this wasn't for nothing.

He could only hope….

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

It was warm. It was cozy. It was nice. The girl stood still in the middle of the room, hands wrapped tightly around the bundle in her arms as she surveyed the room. She had a bed against the left wall. A writing desk on the opposite. And she had what looked like a target range on the center wall. Knives and axes were piled on one side, and she tried to recollect memories. She reached out and smoothed her hand along her blankets. She sat at her desk and looked over the papers that were scattered along its surface. She toed the weapons gently with her boot and tried to see whether or not they invoked anything inside of her. Whether anything invoked a feeling other than apathy into her.

But she was a blank slate.

Astrid sighed softly through her nose. The blonde paced back and forth, as she had been doing for a while. She'd been holed up inside her room for hours it felt like, but that was probably mostly due to her mounting frustration she was putting onto herself. She couldn't feel anything. She couldn't look at the things around her and drag up fond memories or stories connected to the trinkets or supposed mementos. She didn't know what the story was behind the medal that claimed her to be the best axe-fighter in Berk. She couldn't bask in the memory of what came with the wilted flower on her bedside table. They were foreign to her. And suddenly she was steaming with the fact that she couldn't remember a single thing about herself other than what had been told to her.

"This is so stupid." She whispered softly underneath her breath. She looked down, eyes weighted down as she looked at the bundle she held tightly in her arms. Ludi rested there neatly; the cat had been quiet and still for a long time. At first the teenager thought that she was sleeping, but the thing's eyes were open. But then again, the cat had always been rather quiet or reserved. At least what Astrid could remember her being. She frowned at this. The cat didn't seem important at all. Why had Hiccup made it seem so important that she take her and keep her safe? She could understand liking a pet it seemed a bit much for an animal that didn't do much except lie there….

She shook her head to clear it. It didn't matter.

Astrid turned, shifting the weight of the cat so that she didn't drop her as she went down the stairs. There was no point in staying in her room. It was lonely up there, and all it did was further her irritation at her inability to know things. Or at least identify them. Not to mention that the girl was suddenly prone to wanting company. The thought of being by herself sent her hopping a bit faster down the stairs, and she felt a strange sense of relief as she found her mother and father standing together in the living room. Wasn't that right? Weren't you supposed to enjoy the feeling you had when you were with your mother and father? She guessed that at least showed that she found the right people to stay with. Which was always a plus to things.

They had been talking in low voices to one another, but as the teenager suddenly made her appearance, they cut off whatever conversation they were holding. They turned and smiled at the sight of their daughter, and Astrid cleared her throat a bit as she stayed on the bottom stair, offering them a small smile. "Hello." She said a little lamely, finding no other words to say in the face of the pair of them. She had already tried to focus on them. They didn't help her to remember things either. "I, uhm….I figured that I should be down here." She went on, as if she found the need to justify her actions. But mostly it was just the need to stay something and cut off the silence hanging over them.

Her mother, Alva, offered a grin at this. "Sure." She said, her eyes bright. Astrid's smile wavered a bit at her happy expression, the girl feeling an odd sense of guilt as she couldn't bring herself to match her eagerness. "Are you hungry? Do you want me to make you something to eat?" The woman went on. Astrid started to reply, when Ludi suddenly wriggled, gathering under herself and reaching for the ground. The teenager glanced down with an odd look, unwinding her arms and letting the cat fall to the ground neatly with a small 'plop.' Immediately, the cat started to flounce away, tail in the air as it sniffed around. Astrid didn't find the harm in it. She let the thing be.

"Sure." Astrid hummed once she tore her gaze away again. She offered another smile. "Sure, that'd be fine." Her mother beamed at this, as if Astrid had given her a prize or something along the lines of that. Then she turned, making for the kitchen. She stopped short as she passed Astrid, turning as the girl caught her eye. Alva turned, stopping and tilting her head with a small frown as she studied at her daughter.

Astrid shifted, looking at her mother's blonde hair and blue eyes. Much like her own. They were related, she knew that. She just didn't know what her mother liked to do for fun, or what she enjoyed to talk about, or what their first fight was over, or anything else like that at all really. Her mother reached out and pressed a sympathetic hand to the girl's cheek, as if she could read her thoughts. "It'll be alright, honey." She cooed softly as she drew away. "It'll all turn out okay."

Then she marched into the kitchen again. Astrid watched quietly, crossing her arms over her chest and sinking back into her hips. Suddenly she wished that Ludi hadn't wandered away. At least with Ludi, the girl had something to do with her hands, something to hold and be comforted with easily. She had grown to quite like the cat, really. It was the only normal thing she'd had back when she was travelling with the dragons. And it was cute, of course. She couldn't forget that it was cute.

"Nasty business, isn't it?" Her mother suddenly spoke up again from the stove. Astrid straightened, jerking out of her thoughts as she turned towards the voice. "The entire village has gone crazy. Just like Aunt Midge did when that storm came through all those years ago, hmm?" Astrid mumbled what she hoped sounded like an agreement. It must have pleased her mother, for she went on. "It's just a mess." Alva sighed, shaking her head. "And a shame. Toothless used to be such a good help around the island. He was the perfect dragon. You would think the rest of the Night Furies would be like that." She clucked her tongue, shaking her head for the millionth time.

Astrid frowned. Opened her mouth. Felt as if she should say something. But closed it.

Her father spoke now, huffing as he looked up from tending to the fire. "They don't seem good, the lot of them. It was enough trouble bringing in one. Hiccup was a fine boy," Astrid blinked, the name immediately snatching and holding her attention. She noticed the past tense. 'Was' a good boy. "before all of this mess started. Now the entire village has gone mad as hares."

"What about those other two Night Furies? They seemed nice when they were here." Her mother quipped.

At first there was silence. Astrid perked, looking from one adult to another. Was this it? Some kind of breakthrough? Astrid hadn't been aware of most things going on when she was back traveling with them, but she could tell that the Night Furies weren't angry or hostile. They were friendly. As friendly as some of the other dragons she had seen in passing around here. She started to open her mouth, as if to point this out. If one kind of dragon was alright, then what was to say the others couldn't be as well? Maybe it was some of her old self bringing up this question from the recesses from her mind; she couldn't really tell. It wasn't as if she could voice this either. To the others, she was supposed to look like she knew nothing about anything.

Her small burst of hope, the small part of herself that oddly wanted the adults to realize what border they were toeing, vanished as her father merely gave an uncommitted shrug. "Hmph." The man hummed, looking back down at the fire. Astrid frowned, the blonde's eyes flashing as she glanced down at the ground. But she tried to shake herself. Why should she care? Hiccup told her not to worry about things anymore. That she should just go back to Berk and stay there. He said that she didn't need to keep fussing over something she didn't remember. …And then….he'd kissed her.

Blush spread over her face at this, stark against her pale complexion. Like a drop of blood spreading in a cup of milk. She fell silent, thinking…wondering….trying to remember what made her react this way. She didn't listen to her mother as the woman started to speak again. It was only that name that caused her straighten again, the single name that caused her to suddenly snap into the present. "…Hiccup." Alva was sighing, starting to whip up something that smelled delicious but which held no interest to Astrid. "Poor thing. I was starting to think, actually: what if he's got what Astrid has?" She glanced back at this, and Astrid watched as her father turned to survey her as well. "He certainly seemed mad enough for it. Raving about something."

"Looked sick." Her father added on, starting to grow interested a bit at this as well.

Astrid frowned.

"If that's the case, Spitelout really shouldn't have treated him so roughly." The comment came with a small sigh. A soft sort of tone that habitually became adopted in a mother's world. Sympathetic and yet distant at the same time. As if she were saying: 'The poor thing is a child just like the one I've got. But they're not my child. So there's no helping things.' The mother confirmed this as she shrugged. "But." She said dismissively. "Maybe Stoick will turn up some time. Clear things up before they can get any worse."

Her father didn't even make a noise at this, like he couldn't be bothered to.

Silence reigned again, and Astrid heaved a small sigh. She turned, going over and taking a seat in one of the chairs in the kitchen. She busied herself with staring at the fire as it was slowly kindled into life. The teenager was jittery; she felt like leaping up to her feet and dashing out of the house. But…to do what? She had nothing to do. The villagers were splitting up to go after the Night Furies and Hiccup was nowhere to be found anymore. He'd been taken away. She hadn't gone out to see. No. But her father had come back with the news. The couple were planning on taking her to someone named 'Gothi' once this whole business died down again. Some medical person, she guessed; they'd said she might be able to help recover whatever she couldn't remember. But that wouldn't be until the people in the clearing left. Now it was teeming with far too much activity as they got in groups and planned their tactics.

Where was Ludi? The cat? As the question crossed her mind, Astrid leaned back in her chair, turning and looking around a bit aimlessly. It could take care of itself obviously - that much was shown from earlier. But still….her hands. She needed something to do with her hands instead of just wringing them together in her lap. She shifted uneasily in her chair, turning back to her mother and speaking a little bit unsteadily. "…Mom?" She asked. How odd, she thought privately. To call someone a mom and not know a single thing about them. "Where's-"

She couldn't finish the sentence. Suddenly there was a loud squawk of alarm, followed shortly by a heavy thud and clattering noise. Everyone jerked with surprise at the sudden clamber, and Astrid jumped to her feet, craning her neck to look where the noise had come from. Sure enough, over near the bookshelf, Ludi was concealed by a few hardcovers, peeking out with a startled look as she meowed loudly. Astrid eyed the thing awkwardly, but her mother only laughed. "That cat is always doing something." She noticed with amusement.

Astrid blinked a few times, pausing before rounding the table and going over to the mess. "She does this a lot?" She asked. Before, she had been under the impression that the cat was the exact opposite. She had been rather quiet prior to this. But Alva made it seem as though the mess was expected. And did that mean she'd had the cat in her house before now? How many times? "That's weird." She said, sighing a bit as she dropped down to her knees. She leaned over and started to stack the books together, looking up to see where they had fallen out of line. Blue eyes searching the shelves, she was feeling blindly for the spines of the fallen books, when suddenly her hand bumped into something much different.

She made a small noise of confusion, looking down as her eyes narrowed. Amid the chaos of books and papers, Ludi was sitting by a rather out-of-place-looking thing. Placing the books aside, the blonde picked up the new object and surveyed it. It was a piece of wood. Or at least that was what it had used to be. Somebody had carved into it it looked like, old lines and swirls etched into the bark having had transformed the lumber into something entirely different. The lines were fine and careful, a mark of concentrated craftsmanship. Astrid tilted her head to the side, turning it around in her hands and studying every inch of the statue-like thing. A head….some legs….those were hooves, not feet….a tail…?

"A horse?" She asked loudly, not looking away from the thing she held. She reached over, running a gentle finger over the neat saddle and the pointed ears. Designs and swirls covered every inch of the wooden animal, and she had to wonder how long it had taken the maker to transform simple driftwood into something so elegant-looking. Days, she guessed. Or maybe it was a stretch. But nevertheless…the thing was absolutely beautiful.

Her mother turned back to look at her question. Ludi curled her tail neatly over her paws, head tilted cutely to the side as she observed the goings-on. "Oh!" Her mother exclaimed, a patter of footsteps coming up behind her as she looped over to join her daughter. Astrid glanced up to see that there was a large beam on Alva's face now. A smile that obviously meant that whatever she was holding had an important story. "You don't remember that either, I guess?" Astrid didn't reply, finding it pointless to. Her mother went on anyway. "You brought that home with you one day years and years ago. Oh, how old were you? Probably only eight. Or was it seven? I can't remember. You didn't want anything to do with the little thing, you were so angry. You threw it away as soon as you walked inside and wouldn't listen to me when I tried to get you to keep it." Her words were fond though as she said this, not angry. "It was the cutest little thing."

"What's it for?" Astrid asked in puzzlement, eyeing the thing every which way as she tried to figure out its meaning. Who had wooden horses in their house? More importantly why did the wooden horse anger her so much before? It was beautiful- she couldn't see any fault in it that might invoke anger or resentment.

"It was a present to you." Her mother went on rather tenderly, eyes soft as she clasped her hands together. "Hiccup made it a long time ago…I didn't see him give it to you, but you told me all about it. You were absolutely furious. You wanted to carve it in half, I think. I took it out of the trash when you weren't looking - it was too cute to let it go to waste. Hiccup had worked so hard on it. You can see the little engraving there for you on the side. I think it was sometime around Snoggletog that he gave it to you. A present. Of course, that was back when nobody paid any mind to him, so that was probably why you were so repulsed by it…" Alva paused a moment before shaking her head with a little chuckle. "It's a good thing I saved it too." She added on. "You loved it to death later on. It was all you ever played with. Only inside the house of course; you would never take it outside with your friends. But every morning you would have that thing in your hands."

Astrid's forehead creased. She turned it over. Sure enough, in very messing handwriting, her name was scratched in the wood, along with a little note. To: Astrid. Happy Snoggletog. She looked at the handiwork. At the care that so obviously put into it, and the absolute beauty of the little trinket that originated because of that. The blonde studied the designs, the engraving, the thing her mother claimed she had loved dearly. She traced the small lines winding around the statue, blinking quickly as the crease in her forehead got deeper and deeper.

As she followed the lines like a map, a small buzzing noise sounded in her head, getting louder and more defined as she moved her finger over the ridges. A memory. She could only call it one, she supposed. A conversation that dipped back and forth, voices high with youth and innocence. Even though they were rounded with such, though, Astrid did not have to take a second guess at what she was reflecting back to, or who she was hearing speak. So she sat rigidly on the floor, looking down with slightly rounded blue eyes as she stared down at the old gift and listened intently.

Here. What do you want? Uhm…I-I said here. What is this? I-It's a….Happy Snoggletog, Astrid. What is this. It's a horse….This doesn't look like any horse I've ever seen. Oh….well…I tried to make it- Why are you even give me this? I didn't get you anything. Oh! No! Y-You don't have to! That's fine! I was just…I was wondering if you…did you wanna sit together? A-At dinner, I mean? You don't have to, but I was just thinking…. I don't want to. Oh. I don't want this. Take it back. No. I-I mean…I want you to have it. Even if you don't like it all that much. I just wanted to give you a present this year. I made it. For you. See? There's your name. Right…right there. It's yours. …But I didn't get you anything. You didn't have to. I'm not sitting with you at dinner. I know. Well, I'm going to leave now. Okay. 'Bye. Goodbye, Astrid.

She was completely silent, eyes round and wide as she looked down at the figurine, the voices running through her head almost fuzzily; it was as if she was underwater and listening to people talking above the surface. Gradually, opening her mouth slowly, she asked in a soft voice: "…Hiccup….made me this?" Her voice was quiet in a surprised way, a tinge of guilt lingering around its edges. Ludi blinked owlishly, watching the girl with a sudden interest.

Her mother sighed softly, oblivious to her daughter's distress. "Yes." She said in a content way. "That was a long time ago, though. You tried to give it back to him more recently…after he nearly died from that other Night Fury. But he gave it back a while ago. You weren't home. He just said that he wanted you have it again. I meant to bring it up to you; you'd probably want it in your room rather than just sitting here on the bookshelf. But…" She trailed off briefly. Paused a moment. Then she shook her head. "He was such a good boy." She repeated quietly. And then she turned and walked back to the kitchen, dropping the subject.

It was obvious that whatever her mother saw in the horse was nowhere near what Astrid was looking at. Astrid stared at the thing, at the face, at the tail, at the intricately carved saddle. But she mostly stared at the inscription. To: Astrid. Happy Snoggletog. Hiccup. Hiccup had made this for her. The same person who had pushed her away, all while looking as if he were being stabbed each time he told her: 'No.' Hiccup, the same person that had told her she needed to leave, but kissed her so desperately before she stumbled away. Their words as children flashed in her mind. Well, I'm going to leave now. Okay. 'Bye. Goodbye, Astrid.

And then the brunette's goodbye, which seemed like ages ago, when really it had been only a few hours prior. I love you, Astrid Hofferson. Please don't forget that. Please….please. You need to leave now. She remembered what she had said before.

I need to know who you are.

She looked up, eyes resting on Ludi as the cat sat, still as stone. Oddly enough, for a simple feline, she looked almost expectant as she stared at the girl. Her ears twitched back and forth, and she tilted her head even further to the side if that was possible. Her eyes went from the wooden horse to Astrid, much as Astrid's eyes went from the horse to Ludi. They both seemed to be asking the same question to the other.

"Mom." She said this quietly now, not even bothering to debate inwardly over the concept of her 'mother.' Alva turned at the call, giving an idle hum to show that she was listening. Astrid cleared her throat again, mystified almost. "Where did…where did they take him? Hiccup, I mean?"

"Thor knows." Her mother grumbled. "You father might know. He went out to get more firewood, but he was there when Hiccup rushed in. He might be able to tell you when he comes back."

She looked down again at the horse. At the present. Her present. From Hiccup. And slowly, her emotions grew from utter confusion to slow, albeit unsure determination. She didn't know her childhood memories. She didn't know her mother's maiden name. She didn't know how her father had asked her mother to marry him. She didn't know her story with Hiccup. She didn't know why she used to hate him, supposedly. She didn't know fully what was going on around here in the slightest, either. She didn't know a lot of things.

But she did know that, backstory or not, there was something between her and Hiccup. She did know that whenever she heard his name, she instantly was charged into whatever was going on. She did know that the little boy that gave her this token of friendship so long ago was the same boy that smiled that broken little smile at her every day since she had forgotten everything. She did know that something was pulling her outside, some part of her struggling to return. And she did know that after all of this…all of these words rushing through her head…and all of these things starting to pile together…she could not remain here and do nothing.

She stood up slowly, reaching over and grabbing Ludi close. She juggled the cat and the small horse in her arms, blue eyes set as she turned and looked over to the door. She couldn't stay here and do nothing. Hiccup, Hiccup, Hiccup…. there was something in that name. Something alive, something real. It was exhilarating and scary at the same time. But it was there nonetheless.

And she was determined to find out what it was.

I need to know who you are.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

A/N: And high up above, or down below. When you're too in love to let it go.

But if you never try, you'll never know… Just what you're worth.

Lights will guide you home. And ignite your bones.

And I will try to fix you.

Fix You - Coldplay

A quicker chapter update. Mostly because the new movie fired me up with the certain need to update again. By the way, I've no idea what Astrid's mom's name was. So I just gave her one. And Alva seemed a pretty enough Norse name, so Alva it was.

But I will wait a bit until uploading the next installment. I haven't been getting as many reviews as I normally do, and I'm really missing all the feedback that I normally get. So I'm going to wait to update the next chapter until I get more reviews. So the faster you send in your comments, the faster I'll start writing the next update! :)

I should change my name to: 'She who brings up seemingly-unimportant things from before and makes them important.' Because I feel like I do that a lot.