I laid low for a couple of days, coming out of the cave only just long enough to catch food for the dragons, or gather firewood. I also found some berry bushes with fruit. Oh, it tasted so good after a steady diet of fish and dandelion greens!

As I was busy gathering firewood, three days after talking to the twins, I was startled by a footstep behind me. I whirled around, ready to use a branch I was holding as a club.

"Astrid! You've got to stop doing that," I exclaimed. "I could've hurt you."

Astrid smirked. "I'm not too worried," she said. "You may be powerful on a dragon, but on the ground, I've still got you beat." She grabbed my arm and twisted it behind my back, pinning me to a tree.

"Ow, ow, okay, okay, I get the point," I said, wincing. If only my growth spurt would come along someday. Maybe then I'd have muscle.

Astrid released me. "Where have you been?" she asked. "I've been looking all over for you."

"I've been hiding out in the caves," I said. "I had a little run-in with the twins a few days back."

She nodded. "Well, that explains it. The two of them have been whispering to each other all the time these past couple days. They're driving the rest of us insane!" She thought about her words. "Well, more than they usually do."

I chuckled softly. My eyes opened wide in wonder.

"What is it?" Astrid asked.

"It's… it's just that I haven't laughed in a long time now. It feels… really nice."

Her eyes clouded in concern. "Hiccup… I'm worried about you. This isn't you. You always were ready to smile, to laugh, even when the rest of us were being jerks to you. But now, you're different. You seem dispirited. It shows in your eyes. You can't keep fighting with the Outcasts forever."

"No… no I can't. But for now, what else can I do? The dragons mean no harm, and I can't let the Red Death hurt the people of Berk. I'm doing this for everyone."

I looked up. Astrid had tears forming in her eyes. She was always the brave one, the tough one. Nothing ever cracked her. Now, she just looked sad. My heart ached to make her feel better.

"I… I have to do this. For now," I said, swallowing hard. "But not forever." I noticed that the sun was beginning to sink lower in the sky. The Outcasts were planning another attack tonight; I had to meet them soon.

"I have to go and… and take care of business." I started toward the caves.

"Hiccup…" Astrid began. I turned toward her. "Be careful," she whispered. I nodded gravely, then turned and went on my way.

–

The dragons and I slipped off and flew to Outcast Island. Toothless held himself back; if he went his full speed, he would leave the others far behind.

We landed on the Outcast ship just as it left port.

"Ah, you decided to join us," Alvin said. "I was starting to wonder if you'd abandoned us."

"I'm here," I stated. "What's our target?"

"Our target," said Alvin, "is nothing other than the Great Hall of Berk!"

I gasped. "You'll kill people!"

"Relax, boy! No one will be inside. And we won't bring the place down, just a little bit of fire on the outside, no harm done."

"Then what's the point? What's your real plan?"

"We'll hit Stoick where it hurts. He'll be so angry at us, well… he might just focus on the Outcasts instead of the dragons."

"Why would you want him to do that? That doesn't make sense."
"Sure it does. When the boy on the Night Fury won't let me strike on my terms, we'll draw them into battle one of these days. Fair and square, eh?"

I sat there, thinking about it.

"Come on; they turned you away. There's nothing you can do now. Yer one of us now."

I squared my shoulders. He was right. Of course he was. I was cast out… an Outcast.