After a very late night here it is. And before I get on with the story, a quick note that was brought to my attention by a review. There are, as of now, two things out in the snow that mean our friends no good. This chapter, we'll get up close and personal with our smaller shadow in the snow, and run into the bigger thing sometime later. I apologize for any confusion this may have caused. As always enjoy, and only the plot and things in the snow storm are mine.

If they hadn't been tumbling out of control in a blizzard with a vengeful hunter nearby, Hiccup would have almost been amused. How many times had this happened now? As it was, he gritted his teeth and hung onto his dragon with all the muscle he had. Toothless had flared his wings back hard, in an attempt to control the spinning and was slowly but surely gaining some vestige of control over the descent. Though his head was still spinning painfully, Hiccup slowly began to relax when something slammed into them painfully hard and sent them spinning again.

A roar of victory echoed in his ears and as he shut his eyes again to help negate some of the awful spinning feeling he guessed that the shadowy beast was enjoying the sudden change in fortune. Before he could process that they were being played with by the beast instead of killed outright there when yet another jarring collision occurred. Still spinning, Toothless tried a guesswork fireball, which missed cleanly.

"Fly first, fight second Toothless. I don't know how close we are to-" His words were cut off suddenly, as with a immense 'Whump' the two hit snow hard. Dazed, Hiccup hung limp from his harness, not awake enough to realize that they'd somehow gotten lucky enough to land upright. For a long moment there was nothing but the wind and the snow again before Hiccup opened his eyes with a tremendous effort. Slowly he sat upright and dismounted, aware that there wouldn't be any more flying done today.

"Toothless, you alright?" The question was half shouted into the driving winds that were prevalent near the ground and it was with bated breath that Hiccup waited for his words to be received. Finally after what seemed an age, the dragon stirred, folding his wings slowly before rising to his feet. Relief ran through Hiccup and he took a step forward so as to speak with Toothless. As he did so, his fake leg sank through the span and a half of snow that had fallen in the past two days and he fell forward into the snow. He felt himself get picked back up an instant later by the back of his shirt and reaching out a hand, skin met dragonhide.

Looking up, he saw that Toothless was alert and worried, glancing at him to make sure he was ok before returning to scanning the surroundings, and then going back to him again. The dragon rumbled loudly and jerked his head back to the saddle. Hiccup nodded, even if he didn't like what the Nightfury was saying.

"Alright, just a second bud." Setting his weight on his real leg, Hiccup pulled the fake out of the snow. As he did so, his real leg sank slightly, but held long enough for him to place the fake in the stirrup and mount Toothless. As he swung up, it struck him he'd neglected to bring snowshoes of any kind- essential for any kind of travel out here and for him more than most. Now mounted he leaned forward again. "Shelter, Toothless. Anything out of the wind and away from 'that' will do." He saw Toothless nod once before the dragon leapt forward. No wings spread like he was used to and together they bounded through the snow, knowing fair well that the beast would be looking for them again.

It was a far different ride than he was used to, and Hiccup took a long moment to settle into his dragon's stride. Then, once he was able to stay on without concentrating, he let his eyes search into the deep white snow that encompassed the land, looking for any sign that would mean they'd been found. Time passed as they plodded on, their backs to the driving wind. It was the quickest way to get anywhere, as lost as they were. Still alert Hiccup could only wonder why the beast hadn't struck again. Surely she hadn't lost their scent? Finally he settled on the idea that she was still playing with them and would strike just before shelter came into reach. He was getting cold now, despite the layers of clothing, and he Toothless must be feeling the weather as well. At least the dragon was keeping somewhat warm by merit of his half running pace, and constant motion. Still more time passed and Hiccup began to cautiously hope. The snow was driving harder than ever, but the wind had died down, gusting only occasionally. They spotted it at the same time, something standing tall against the elements in the distance and needing no encouragement, Toothless turned slightly to head towards it, grateful of whatever protection it might provide.

Not so far away, the huntress was furious. He'd gotten away, they both had! How they'd managed to do it, she'd never know. Still searching, the creature was in a foul temper now, and inwardly knew it wasn't helping her chances of reclaiming the most excellent meal that was probably getting away. Setting down a moment to think, the huntress knew her opponent was cunning. There had been a moment in the chase earlier where he'd gained an advantage before suddenly giving it away again. It was unlike him, and she supposed the human had something to do with it.

There could be no other reason why he'd been out of control like that. The Tempest of the Dark was the most skilled flier in all the frozen lands. Unless- Raising her nose she took another deep breath and started walking slowly across the snow. Stopping no longer than a hundred paces later she examined the deep pit in the snow that something had made. It clicked in an instant- the clever Tempest. He'd pulled trick, a very devious trick on her. Abandoning the skies where he must have known she was superior, he'd taken to the ground, knowing he'd gain time while she was confused. Thinking a moment longer the huntress froze. No, this was bad- they could make it to her snack at this distance. No! A furious scream echoed from her throat and she launched skywards again, staying low and flying fast. This would not happen!

Slowly but surely, the distant shape resolved itself into a cliff. As it did, Hiccup grew even more wary than he'd been out in the open. Sure, it was shelter, but it could also be the beast's home. Finally, after what seemed like ages they came under the shelter of the cliff proper and Toothless slowed to a walk, breathing hard. Hiccup wanted to tell his dragon to take a break and relax, but they couldn't until they'd found shelter properly. So they began to walk along the cliff hoping against hope for a cave. A short while later, they found the answer to their prayers- for just visible in the distance a cave opening waited. At a faster pace they headed towards it, beast or no it was shelter. A sudden screaming cry from nearby indicated that the beast had found their scent again along the cliff and Hiccup urged Toothless silently on as they broke into a run once more. Closer and closer they came until Toothless turned sharply and came to screeching halt. Hiccup began to protest when he caught sight of what his dragon was looking at. Leaning against the wall, looking grey with cold, blood all over, and eyes closed was none other than Astrid.

Swinging down from Toothless, he walked over slowly. She didn't stir at all at the noise of a panting dragon and the clinking of rock meeting his fake leg and a knot was suddenly present in his stomach. Carefully kneeling down, Hiccup whispered, almost afraid to disturb the quiet.

"Astrid?" No response, and the knot got a little bigger. Reaching out a hand, he placed it on the girl's neck, and felt for a pulse. It was something he'd learned from the Village Healer when he was still recovering from his own injury. Closing his eyes he concentrated hard, willing to feel movement against his fingers. Finally, after what seemed like ages he felt something. Still not willing to believe he waited again- and there it was! Almost laughing in relief he spoke aloud. "It's a pulse Toothless. We made it." He turned to look for the dragon and was surprised when the Nightfury wasn't looking over his shoulder but rather out the cave, wings partially open and eyes wary. He rumbled warningly and was answered by a roar from outside.

They'd been trapped, but as things had developed, Toothless found he really didn't mind. They were out of the elements, in an easily protected cavern and she had lost. He could tell that she knew it as well, she didn't roar unless angry. Waiting, he knew what came next and sure enough from out of the white sheet came a blast of ice blue rushing towards them. This he could deal with, and responding with a fireball of his own watched as the two elements met, clashed, and dissipated in a wave of colors. There was a scream of fury from outside and he roared his own response, defiant and proud. Another streak of ice blue came towards him and again he responded in kind.

Smugly, he knew he could keep this up all day and well into the night again before feeling remotely drained. And time was now in their favor, the storm would only last so long before dying, and then the rest of his friends would be out hunting for them. He'd be able to use his flame to signal and they'd be found shortly. Yes, she'd lost this battle and he had won, and if she was anything like days in the past, it would infuriate her. Just as him winning always had. Keeping a steady gaze on the exit, Toothless felt a hand on a wing and then his boy was speaking.

"Hold still a moment Toothless, I need to get the supplies off you." Well that made sense, and the dragon hurried his boy- now more of a man after their adventures up to this day, with a soft rumble. Waiting, he felt the weight of the pack leave his back and he resumed his vigilant watch. As he did so another jet of the blue came from a point high in the sky and almost immediately after another from ground level. He met each in turn with flame. She'd stopped screaming at him, which meant she was either on the verge of exhaustion herself, or trying something radically new.

So his watch carried on, and behind him he heard the sounds of a fire being built. His rider knew he was busy and the sound of wood on wood became audible as Hiccup got the fire going. While this was occurring he dealt with another single blast from the right and then a short bit later, the left. The crackling of fire proper was now audible and he set his mind to thinking as he watched. What other tricks could she try? He got his answer a moment later as a shape leapt from the right of the cliff to the entrance, roaring as it did, the familiar ice blue erupting out of her mouth in a bolt. He had just enough time to meet it with flame and the result at such close quarters was much more explosive. The two elements met, and his flame flared into an explosion. Such was the force that he was driven back a pace, and she was as well. Hiccup's cry of fright echoed in the cave and for a long moment there was silence as the two dragons eyed each other in a standoff.

From where he huddled over Astrid's limp body to shield her from any further attack, Hiccup didn't have the slightest idea of what was happening once the explosion had faded. Ears still ringing, he glanced up, and what he saw was both awesome and terrifying. Toothless stood in the mouth of the cave, eyes narrowed and wings half spread. Outside, almost mirroring his friend was a dragon, white in color in the exact same pose. They were almost exact twins, and were this a calmer situation he would have asked the two to stand nose to nose so he could compare them. Mind racing many things came to mind then, was this another Nightfury, of a different coloring, a completely different dragon race, or some mixture of the two? An Icefury, maybe, living in the blizzards as opposed to Toothless, who loved the night.

He saw the blue light welling up again and crouched low over Astrid as he knew what was coming. The shock of the explosion hit softer this time for some reason and when he looked up, only Toothless remained. Sitting back he opened his mouth to speak, closed it as the words weren't right, and only opened it again to comment on matters that were fixable.

"Now that that's over, I don't suppose you can relight my fire, without so much of a bang please?" His request was granted and then the Nightfury resumed his vigil. Shaking his head in disbelief, Hiccup turned back to the other matter on hand. Astrid looked so beat up he didn't know where, or how to begin fixing her up. Her trousers were soaked with blood on the right, and her right shoulder was the same. Bruises were everywhere, and she'd picked up more than a few scrapes and cuts as well. Whistling softly in awe of everything she'd taken and still survived Hiccup formulated a plan.

He was no official healer, and furthermore wouldn't know exactly what was wrong until Astrid awoke. Until then, he did have a bottle of cleaning alcohol in the aid kit, and a rag. He'd clean up the cuts as best he could, and if she still wasn't awake give her a bit of water. Then he'd lay down a blanket as padding, with the heavier for warmth and start warming her up. Satisfied that it was as good as a plan as was possible, he moved towards the Aid Kit and was busy rummaging through supplies when a voice broke the silence of the crackling fire.

"Hiccup?" Grabbing a rag and the bottle, he turned without falling for once and saw Astrid was awake, and trying to sit forward. Walking over as quickly as he could, he knelt down and looked the girl in the eye. There was none of the usual spark, only question and a tiny but of confusion.

"Yeah, it's me. Just sit back for now, ok?" He watched as Astrid did as asked, and knew she was hurting bad, to obey without question. The knot in his stomach had eased considerably by this point and hope flourished, even if Astrid was badly hurt, she was awake now. She nodded at his 'ok' and he took that as a sign to proceed. "I'm going to clean you up a little bit, you've got quite the set of scrapes all over."

He got another nod, and biting his lip, went to work. Odin her skin was cold, and she hardly twitched as he worked. Addressing first her arms he knew that she was tough, but the alcohol stung something fierce. It made him work all the faster, and soon the scrapes on her lower arms were taken care of. He moved to touch her right should, to roll up the tattered sleeve and inspect the damage there, but was met but a wince and a wimper of pain. Looking up he asked a one word question.

"Broken?" Astrid nodded, and finding words weakly gestured to her hip.

"That to, hurts like hellfire." Hiccup nodded, and noting what she said continued on with his work. Going back to the right sleeve he gently rolled it up, aware of Astrid's body wincing at the pain. Sleeve now pulled up, Hiccup examined her should with an inexperienced eye. There was a nice gash, but no bone sticking out, for which he was eternally grateful. If it was broken, it wasn't a horrible break. Gingerly cleaning the gash, he decided it was big enough to deserve a bandage of its own. Retrieving the roll of cloth, he wound it around lightly, so as not to cause more undue pain. It still hurt her, he could tell by her breathing and the occasional wince, but it had to be done.

Shoulder dealt with as best he knew how, Hiccup moved onto the other shoulder, cleaning scrapes where needed. Nothing else needed a bandage there, and he studied his friends face a long moment before moving on. No cuts there, but several impressive bruises, one on her left cheek, and another over the right eye. Smiling reassuringly, he turned a moment, and taking another piece of wood they'd brought along, placed it onto the fire.

"Feeling any warmer?"

"Yeah, a little." The words were good news and he decided to give the good and the bad together.

"Alright. Once I'm done, we'll get you wrapped up in a blanket and really warm you up. Before that, I should take a look at your hip though, and at least get the blood off." He locked eyes with her, and after a moment's hesitation she nodded. With permission given, Hiccup leaned and undid the drawstrings to her trousers, and seeking to preserve some form of modesty pulled them down only as far as he needed to examine the damage. Keeping his gaze strictly on the bloody right side of her hip, he bit his lip and frowned. The gash just below her waist was deep enough to need stitches, at the very least. Again, the broken bone was thankfully not sticking out, but as he laid a hand lightly on her leg to begin cleaning, Astrid twitched, not out of embarrassment, but of pain. Hiccup looked up and saw her biting her lip to keep from making noise again.

"I'll be quick as I can, promise." With that, he began cleaning, and occasionally a whimper did slip, despite her best efforts. Finally, after what seemed like ages, the wound was clean and Hiccup knew that it was time for the hard part. He'd done a fair bit of sewing before, and was confident that he could patch Astrid's leg up just fine. The hard part was that he had nothing to relieve pain. Back in the village, the Healer had some sort of cream, which when rubbed on an area made it go numb. Sadly, there was none of that in his aid kit, just the needle and thread. Taking a deep breath he looked the girl in the eye again.

"Almost done, I just have to close the gash, so nothing else gets inside." He saw the nod and thanked the gods silently that she was a tough girl among tough Vikings. Moving slowly back to the aid kit, he withdrew the needle and held it in the fire a long moment to sterilize it. Threading it with the strong sinew that came with the needle he moved back to his friend. He saw her eyes following the needle and as he bent low to his work, she shifted suddenly. Looking up he saw fright in her eyes. It was an entirely new thing and something clicked in his head. Everyone had their own demon, and this he supposed was hers. Still he could do a little to help.

"Toothless, can you come here a minute?" The dragon had been gazing outside for a long time now, but at the words padded over. Hiccup saw the eyes take in the needle, the fear that was escaping Astrid's mask, and the dragon pressed in close. Hiccup saw Astrid throw her good arm around the dragon's neck, and she buried her face in the dark hide. Hiccup wasted no time, but began immediately. Each motion of the needle was accompanied by a flinch or shudder, and occasionally a small cry and he stopped after each so as not to throw off his work. Slowly though, the work drew to an end, and cutting the sinew with his beltknife, he pronounced, "All done."

Toothless moved back, allowing Hiccup to see Astrid and the few tears that had escaped during the operation. Scooting in closer, Hiccup helped his friend pull her pants back up before moving beside Astrid and placing an arm around the girl. Without a word, she leaned her head on his shoulder, hiding the tears once again. Toothless, who had been silently rummaging through things, found the blankets, and dragged them over to where they were sitting against the walk. Hiccup took them, and wrapping the material around the two of them gazed into the fire silently. Words couldn't do anything right now, and so as night came across the land, silence reigned supreme among the watchful dragon and the two young Vikings.

Well, everyone's still alive for now. But we're along way from being home, safe, and warm. As always, reviews make me write faster, and constructive criticism even moreso.

Reviews:

Systemman: Glad you enjoyed, it was fun writing.

Voldyne: It's working out so far, still have to deal with the things in the snow though.

CG: Number three delivered as requested

Lord Anubis: Hope this answered your question. If you're still puzzled shoot me a TG and I can spell it out for you.

Until next weekend my friends and readers.