First off, I'm so sorry about the delay. The semester has started, and school is really picking up again. Nevertheless though, I missed this story, and so I'm dying to update it accordingly (and hopefully, more frequently :P)

Secondly, I finally downloaded a trial version of Paint Tool Sai just to see what all the fuss was about... well, that fuss is very much well deserved, because I LOVE it :D

Enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: The How to Train Your Dragon series is owned by Cressida Cowell/Dreamworks.

It was a surprisingly nice day on the island of Berk. Surprisingly meaning that for once, it wasn't snowing, hailing, or covered in a thick fog. On a day like today, the villagers didn't have to worry so much about miscellaneous objects dropping out of the sky or causing them any sort of discomfort.

Well, everyone but Hiccup, that is.

"AAAAAAAHHHH!" Came the yell of the young Viking as his Night Fury suddenly dove under the water and came back up again. Coughing, Hiccup wiped at his face and eyes with his sleeve before proceeding to glare at the dragon.

"What did you do that for?!" He asked the beast which he had named Toothless. In response, the boy received a slap on the side of his head from one of the Night Fury's head fins, as if to say,

YOU'RE the one driving, Hiccup, not me! Focus, would you?

He was right, of course. For the entire morning, Hiccup had been utterly distracted by Odin-knows-what, and his flying had been a bit off as a result.

The problem?

He was in love.

It wasn't a problem for Hiccup of course, not in the least. He adored thinking about his girlfriend, a beautiful Viking warrior named Astrid, whenever he possibly could. Well, when he wasn't thinking about flying with Toothless, that is. And inventing new objects in his workshop. And exploring the islands and areas surrounding Berk. And training new dragons at the Academy. And –

Well, in short, Hiccup was a busy guy. He really had to be, since a lot of things had changed in his life. The dragons were slowly becoming more and more integrated into society, and of course, there were still more to be found and trained. Hiccup was also changing too. At seventeen years old, he had grown much taller, his limbs had lengthened quite a bit, and he was gaining a lot more muscle than he had before. Astrid had teasingly pointed out that last observation the day before, when they had gone to the cove together.

"No wonder all the girls giggle when you walk by." She laughed.

Hiccup had rolled his eyes at that. Ever since he had defeated the Red Death, some of the older girls in the village acted really strange around him. They would walk by in large groups and giggle like Astrid said whenever he walked by. When it first happened, he found it flattering. Lately, though, it was just annoying.

Besides, in the grand scheme of things, he only had eyes for Astrid. He told her that right before he leaned in and kissed her on the lips…

As Hiccup became lost in yet another reverie involving his beloved, his dragon had the final straw. Traveling just a bit closer to the ground and towards the place where Hiccup had discovered him, Toothless swooped down and landed headfirst into the chilly water.

Sputtering up for air, Hiccup turned to stare at Toothless, who was now wearing a smirk the size of the entire bloody island.

"Honestly, bud?" The Viking boy sighed.

Toothless gave him a dragon smile in reply, his adorable grin without teeth, filled with about as much love and playfulness as the Night Fury could muster. Hiccup chuckled and wrapped his arms around his friend's scaly neck.

"I just can't stay angry at you, now can I?" He mused aloud, then turned to Toothless. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry buddy. In case you haven't noticed, I've got a lot on my mind today."

Toothless made a motion as if he were rolling his eyes, but nonetheless allowed his best friend to climb upon his back once more.

"Why don't we head on over to the forge?" asked Hiccup. "I've got some nice fish waiting for you there. Would you like that?"

Toothless, excited by the prospect of lunch, permitted Hiccup to start the journey home. The fact that it was nearly noon and that he was starving must have helped some, for Toothless was pretty stubborn when he wanted to be. Sometimes he and Hiccup could be very similar.

Once they got back to the village, Hiccup led his dragon towards the forge and got him the fish he promised, while he went off to repair one of his father's axes. He had been working rather studiously for about fifteen minutes, when he suddenly heard footsteps outside.

Hiccup sighed. Another customer? Today? The forge was busy enough as it was. Winter was coming, meaning there was a lot of preparation to be done. Preparation involving the touchup of various weapons, it seemed. That, plus the usual dragon-riding equipment that the village required, made Hiccup an extremely busy guy.

Just as Hiccup looked up to tell the person that sorry, the forge was closed for now, his heart leaped inside his chest.

"Oh!" Said the young Viking with a smile. "Hey Astrid!"

Astrid chuckled. "Hey Hiccup," she said. "You busy?"

"Nah, not at all." Hiccup replied. It wasn't a lie. Whenever Astrid came around, Hiccup always made time just for her. Running a hand through his shaggy auburn hair, he watched as Astrid took a quick look around his workshop.

"Wow," she commented, surveying the variety of weapons and projects that were scattered about. "It looks like you're booked solid."

"Yep." Said Hiccup. "The villagers have been making lots of requests to tune up weapons and make things for the dragons, but they seem to forget that even with Gobber helping out, I'm only one person." He gave an exasperated sigh. "I can't be everywhere at once."

Coming up from behind him, Astrid wrapped her arms around Hiccup's waist and leaned her head on his shoulder, just the way she had during their first flight together on Toothless."You don't have to be." She responded. "You'll get everything done on time, I know you will."

Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "You think so?"

"I know so." Astrid replied, kissing his cheek.

Hiccup couldn't help but smile back at his girlfriend. "What would I do without you?"

Spinning Astrid around, he planted a kiss upon her waiting lips. She responded vigorously, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling his body closer. A little whine from outside the window immediately caused the pair to break apart.

"Toothless!" cried Astrid, seeing a pair of big, soft eyes gazing through the window.

Hiccup laughed. "Don't worry, bud," he said, going over to gently pet the beast. "We didn't forget you." The dragon responded by flashing his version of a smile.

Astrid then turned towards Hiccup. "You should get home." She said. "Gobber said that your father is looking for you."

"Really?" Hiccup mused. "I wonder why."

"I don't know," replied Astrid. "It wasn't my business to ask."

"Alright," Hiccup said. "I suppose I should go do that. By the way," His lips quirked into a sly smile. "Did you want to meet up later?"

Astrid gave him a knowing smile back. "I would love to."

"Alrighty then," said Hiccup. "I'll see you later, milady."

"Bye, Hiccup." Astrid kissed him lightly on the cheek, before turning around and exiting the forge. After she had gone, Hiccup went about putting away supplies and closing up the forge, all while wearing a goofy, euphoric smile upon his face. He always loved going to the cove with Astrid…

Once he was done, Hiccup went outside with Toothless and began the long walk back to his home. His metal leg slipped slightly as he caught a rock, and he frowned. Although it had been nearly two years since he had battled the Red Death, Hiccup couldn't deny that his leg still bothered him sometimes.

I wonder what my dad wants. He thought. Despite the fact that his father definitely understood and listened to his son a bit more than he before, Hiccup had still learned to dread whenever Stoick requested his attention. If he didn't have something else to add to Hiccup's ever-growing to do list, then he wanted to talk to him about being chief. In any case, he hoped his father wouldn't take too long. Hiccup did have plans tonight, after all.

When Hiccup finally arrived home, he let Toothless stay outside to play by himself. Going inside, he found Stoick slumped in his favorite chair by the fireplace, his head cradled in his hands. On the little table next to him, there lay a piece of parchment with writing on it, obviously forgotten.

Hiccup's eyes widened. It wasn't like his dad to be in such a forlorn state. Stoick rarely ever let things get to him in such a manner, even when times were dire. If he was this close to a breakdown, then something must really be wrong.

Hiccup hesitantly went over and knelt beside his father. "Dad?" He asked softly. "Is everything alright?"

Stoick sighed and lifted his head, allowing Hiccup to see the immense pain behind his eyes. "Sit down, my son." He said at last. "I'm afraid I've just received some very bad news..."

To be continued! Reviews are always welcome :)

-Liz