The next day was rainy, cold, and windy. Everyone in the castle was fortunate to be able to sit down next to a warm fire. The troops outside though, and the Vikings that were scouting and waiting to raise the alarm for the inevitable dragon attack, were freezing. Halfway through breakfast, Astrid and Tuffnut stumbled in, blowing on their hands and dripping droplets of rainwater onto the floor. Snotlout and Ruffnut stood up reluctantly and left, their shift starting.

"No sign?" Hiccup asked Astrid as she sat down. She accepted a warm, bear-skin blanket from a servant and wrapped it around her shaking shoulders.

"Everything's quiet." She swallowed some tea and leaned back against her chair, blowing out slowly. "The stupid lizards will be here anytime, though."

Merida walked in then. She had been outside, too, looking at the rows of soldiers' tents. A few more people had flooded in through the night, a few had left. They now had around 250 people, give or take. Not a lot considering that they were fighting an army of enormous invisible dragons. To make it worse, Fishlegs had only been able to make a tiny bit of potion, enough for 50 people. Some wouldn't even work. He kept on groaing about it, despite everybody continuously telling him that it wasn't his fault.
"

Hey dad," Merida said, pulling the hood of her cloak down and letting her curls escape. A few raindrops clung to her eyelashes. Hiccup remembered what had happened last night and looked away.

At least they were on better terms. As in, she would acknowledge him.

Phillip walked in, pale and shaking slightly. "I'm a bit nervous," he explained to everyone. The only people at the table were Hiccup, Astrid, Tuffnut, Fishlegs, Fergus, Phillip, and Merida. Elinor was talking to Stoick and Gobber, while everybody else was either scouting or sleeping.

"Merida," Fergus said, nodding. He looked at what she was wearing. Deer skin leggings, a thick, wooly vest, and a cloak on top. "Ready for batt;e, I see.

"Mhmm." She sat down next to Hiccup and picked up a soft, fluffy muffin. "Can't have my dress blowing up and revealing everything, right?'

Fergus chuckled and finished off his ham.

"I'm going to go for a walk," Hiccup announced. "I need to think about all of this."

Gobber walked in right then. "Pre-battle jitters?"

Hicucp nodded and managed a shaky smile. "This is worse than the Red Death."

Gobber chuckled. "We're all feelin' it, Hiccup. But go for a walk. Should clear your mind up a bit."
Hiccup nodded and left, Merida following a few seconds later.

"Hiccup?" She asked timidly, when they had left the dining room. "You okay?"

He stopped walking, but didn't face her. "Yeah, just, you know."

"Butterflies," she sighed knowingly. "I have those, too."

He nodded, still not turning around. "I-"

"Hiccup?" Elinor said, walking out after them. "I need to talk to you and Merida. Are you ready to go? You need to be prepared to go at any second."

They both nodded and followed her into a seperate room. Hiccup knew they were about to be told something important. His mind flashed again to the night before, his hands gripping hers so tightly before turning away quickly, face flushing red and his eyes full of pain.

"Sit," Elinor directedm not unkindly. She gestured towards to armchairs. Merida glanced at Hiccup, a look that clearly said. are we in trouble?

Hiccup just shrugged, wondering the same thing himself. Stoick and Fergus appeared, both looking happy.

"Good," Fergus said, looking at them. "We're all here."

'What's going on?" Merida asked, bewildered. She leaned forward nervously, eyes flitting to everybody in the room. "Are we in trouble? Did we do something?

"No, no," Stoick said, his chest rumbling with a laugh. "You're fine. Everything's fine."

"Then what's wrong?" Hiccup asked, almost annoyed. "I was trying to get less nervous, not worry about you guys yelling at us or something."

"We're not going to yell at you," Elinor reassured. "We just have some news."

She sat down, primly smoothing out her skirt. "Hiccup, your father and I had a discussion last night, concerning your future." She looked at Merida. "And my daughter's."

Hiccup nodded. "And? Is Phillip having second thoughts or something?" He grinned. Merida glared at him before sighing and leaning back, finally convinced that they were not in trouble. It was very possible if Hiccup was around.

"No," Fergus said. "We said it's about you, remember? We've decided that maybe Phillip isn't the best match for Merida." Merida, a little more in tune with her father, realized what he was going to say before the words left his lips. "And that, perhaps, you would better suit her."

Hiccup stared at them, the words not quite hitting him. "Wha-" Realization dawned in his eyes. "Oh."

It was quiet for a moment, before Elinor ushered the two men out of the study, leaving Hiccup and Merida alone.

"H-Hiccup?" Merida whispered. "Did they really just say that?" She stood up slowly. "We..."

Hiccup looked up at her, a smile spreading across her face. "I can't bel-"

"Hiccup!" Someone shrieked. "Merida!" The dragons, they're coming!" A bell began to ring, it's tolls echoing around the castle and filling Hiccup's ears. He clutched at them, glancing at Merida. Her face went pale, the white outlining her freckles.

"They're coming," she whispered. Hiccup grabbed her hand, squeezed it, and then dragged her out of the room, leading both of them down a set of stairs, through a few hallways, and out into the courtyard where all the dragons were already saddled up.

"I need to go get Angus!" Merida shouted. Hiccup leaned towards her, trying to plant a kiss on her cheek, but a soldier knocked him away, not thinking about where his huge meaty arm was going as he rushed by, and they didnt have time to try again.

Hiccup hopped up on Toothless, checking his pockets for the vial of potion. Around him, the Vikings were doing the same, all looking pale and nervous. Snotlout and Ruffnut circled above. They had raised the alarm. A harsh wind ripped through everyone's clothes, rain smaking against them, half ice, half liquid. Stoick raised out into the courtyard, wielding an enormous hammer, not unlike the God, Thor.

A few soldiers, four men and a woman, rushed through the yard, and then all dived to the side, making way for an enormous horse, a small girl perched on top.

"Merida!" Fergus bellowed. "Don't you dare go out th-"

A huge BOOM riipped through the air, as if the air molecules themselves were being ripped apart. A large mushroom of fire and smoke rose in the distance, about ten trees collapsing at once.

"They're showin' off for us!" Gobber yelled. "Don't let it intimidate you! That's what they're tryin' to do."

"How can it not?" Fishlegs grumbled. He urged his Gronkle into the air, everybody else following. Hiccup did the same, rising above the rest and looking out into the castleyard, where the soldiers were lined up, Stoick and Fergus walking down the line and shouting instructions. Dogs barked, horses whinnied nervously, a clap of thunder rolled over the kingdom. Another mushroom cloud rose into the sky.

"Let's go!" Hiccup yelled, leaning over Toothless. The other dragons flew on either side of him, everyone ready.

The first dragon appeared. It was large, bigger than Toothless, the same purpley gold look about it. Hiccup, with a feeling of dread, heard five simple words whispered into his mind.
'You are going to die.'

The head ache pounded with his heart beat.

He gritted his teeth.

A few more dragons appeared out of the forest, diving at the soldiers below. He saw one grab a man in its mouth, flying him up to his death.

Hiccup took out the potion and swooped high, right into the clouds. He could barely see anything through the swirling mist, but for a moment, everything was quiet. The thunder stopped, the wind died down, the screams of the battle below quieted. Hiccup realized that he was caught up in the moment.
And then he saw it.

A dragon, coming straight at him.
"Come on, bud!" He yelled. "Let's get this thing!" Toothless responded eagerly, taking his owner above the dragon and circling above it. Hiccup yelled happily and dive bombed the dragon, a dagger out and ready. The dragon, though, was not stupid, and swerved away.

"Hey!" Hiccup shouted. "You big, ugly, lizard!" The dragon glanced up, roared with anger, and switched directions. Hiccup smiled and sent Toothless into a nose dive, and then guided him into a series of loops and drops that got him behind the dragon once more. Toothless began to build up his energy, a loud, whistling sound ringing out. On the ground, Merida looked up, seeing the purple-blue glow, the solhouettes of the enemy dragon, Toothless, and Hiccup. Then the energy hit its target, sending the dragon spiralling out of the air, falling to its death to the the soldiers below.
Merida grinned. Angus reared, and then they galloped ahead of everybody. She strung an arrow to her bow, and aimed it at a dragon that was terrorizing a group of soldiers. She breathed in, slowly, and let the arrow fly, sending straight through the dragon's papery wings.

"Good shot, Merida!" Stoick bellowed, sprinting past her. He let out a battlecry and smashed the hammer into a dragon's leg, a reptilian scream ringing out.

"You too!" She yelled. She let Angus stop, the soldiers parting around her, but still running towards Loch Ness. Another whistling sound rang out, another flash and more silhouettes. She saw Hicucp's shadow, his arm raised with a dagger gripped in his hands. The twins terrorized a dragon, throwing rocks and and Fishlegs stuck together, their weapons a blur. Astrid swooped, over and over, aiding soldiers and fighting dragons and shouting encouragemrn.t
Merida felt pride overwhelm all other thoughts. They were a country, no, they were countres, to be reckoned with. Scotland would not be given up without a good, bloody battle.

Catapults went back and forth, back and forth. Everybody was freezing. And then, suddenly, the noise stopped. At least, part of it. The few enemy dragons that were still fighting turned around and flew back towards Loch Ness and the forest, as if told at the same time to retreat. Everyone sighed in unison, relief filling their hearts.

"Get to the warmth!" Stoick bellowed. "Make fires! Change your clothes, do whatever you need to get warm!"

Everybody obeyed quickly, not sure when the dragons would return. Unfortunately, there could be some that were invisible and still hanging around, but Fergus waved it off.

"The Viking dragons would let us know somehow," he told Merida. "We'll know, don't worry." He slung an arm around her shoulder, a gash across his forehead. "Go get something hot to eat."

She nodded and turned Angus, dropping him off at the stables and then shakily walking back to the castle. Every muscle in her body was quivering with fear. SHe had just survived through ten minutes of blood, screams, fear, and violence. She had done it.

Everyone regrouped in the dining room. It wasn't long until everyone realized that someone was missing.

"Where's Hiccup?" Stoick asked.

Merida felt her heart clench in fear.
...

Hiccup didnt realize he had blacked out until he woke up. The ground beneath him was wet, soggy grass, the damp soaking into his clothes. His helmet was on the ground a few feet away. Toothless was standing right above him, looking worriedly into his master's eyes. As soon as Hiccup's fluttered open, the dragon grinned happily.

But Hiccup was not reassured. Where was he? Trees, everywhere. A muffled way about the sounds around him.

He was in the forest.

The very same forest that was literally teeming with enemy dragons, all bigger than Toothless, all able to become invisible.

And somewhere, hiding in the depths of Loch Ness, the biggest one of all waited.

Hiccup felt naked, unprotected, vulnerable. He must have been hit, causing his weapons to be ripped from his body. Judging by the size of the lump on his head, he had hit it. Hard.

And he had no means of protecting himself.

Hey! I'm really sorry I didn't update. Writer's block is a real thing, people. Lack of inspiration+homework=a really badly written chapter that has been redone a lot.

I'll try to do better next time, I promise. I don't know why I had SO MUCH trouble. This chapter sucks.

.. :). Update will be probably within a week. Maybe earlier.