Before anyone asks, Eret is like 10 years older than Astrid in this fic.

—

Astrid returned home early morning, exhausted. Her father was kept in the hospital for observation, and the rest of her family checked into a hotel. So now, she was to return home alone.

This was an utter catastrophe.

"I want you to pack up your things and come home right away. That place is too dangerous for you to stay," her mother had stated.

Astrid had protested, and pleaded, saying she was an adult, and could make her own decisions. But the worry and disappointment on her mother's face was hard to argue with. The distant stare in her father's eyes was even harder.

Now, she didn't know what to do. She couldn't rent the rooms out. Not with whatever menace laid within the castle. Who knows what could happen when someone else tried to enter?

When she returned, Hiccup was waiting for her in the lobby. The burned fireplaces and been cleaned of soot, and the castle looked pristine once again. But it lacked the magical luster it had the day before.

"Welcome home, Astrid." He smiled at her. "How's your father?"

Astrid couldn't meet his eyes. "Physically…he'll be fine. But what ever he saw down in the tower…it really messed him up."

"I'm really sorry, Astrid." She could see the guilt in his eyes.

She shook her head, "I don't know what else to do. My mom wants me to leave, but I don't know."

Hiccup was quiet as she thought.

"I think it's best if all the vikings return to the tower. Just for now."

He was still as a grave, his inner turmoil raging within his breast. But as much as it hurt, Hiccup nodded in agreement. "Then, I'll go find everyone."

It was heartbreaking to watch the friends she had made shuffle back into the tower. Though they only spared smiles for her, she saw the hopelessness in their eyes. She wasn't being fair, she knew. But what else could she do? Everything was unfair.

Hiccup stood in the doorway, his impossibly green eyes searching hers. There were no words to say. Hiccup reached his hand up and brushed her cheek, both of them feeling the touch in this realm. It made her shudder, but she did not pull away.

"Thank you…for all your kindness." He whispered. Then he leaned in and kissed her cheek.

She couldn't say anything in return. Not a thank you, not an apology, nothing. She opted to turn away and close the door. After a moment of great regret, she locked it as well, before she turned and fled the barren hall, then locked that door too.

Why was she crying? She barely knew him, right? He was dead after all this time. So why did her heart ache so much?

Eret stood not far from her, a knowing look on his face. "You locked them away, didn't you?"

"What choice did I have?" Her voice broke.

He stepped up and held her arms, in a brotherly way. "Not many, I know. But this was the hardest."

She nodded. "I want to solve the curse. I know that's the solution, but I don't have a clue how to."

"Did you finish reading Finn's journals?"

"Not yet…"

"Then why don't you start there? I'll help."

She nodded, and let him lead her to the library.

—

An hour passed, and as the entries moved forward in time, they became more sparse. Sometimes skipping a year between them. Then finally, and with great horror, she reached the final page.

November 9, 2000

My brother visited and brought his son and his family with him from Michigan. My grand niece, Astrid, is such a beauty. She has long flaxen hair, like my mother once had, and huge blue eyes. For being so young, she's so smart and clever. She listens to my ramblings of my studies and seems to hang onto every word. I have already decided to leave the castle to her when I leave this world. I truly believe she will care for my home the way it should be.

But, this decision did not come easy. I almost changed my mind. A week ago, I was awakened in my chamber by a child's cries. I ran downstairs, only to find my dear little Astrid making the acquaintance of Hiccup. Despite his normally friendly disposition, he foolishly decided to approach her in the East Tower stairs where his form was skeletal. This obviously upset her, and she cried for what seemed like hours in my arms. Since that night, I could see Hiccup watching her from the shadows. It is with great sadness that I find he has imprinted on her and despite my warnings, he is adamant to seek her out. I know she will not return to the castle again for a few more years, but his insistence on seeing her has me worried.

My want to free my friends will always come second to the obligation to keep my family safe. And so, I must draw the line here. I told Stoick earlier today my decision…and he was not pleased. It was only by Hiccup that I was not run out of my own home.

So now, my life's mission to break an unbreakable curse has come to a close. I'm 74 years old, and it's about time I stopped clinging to these youthful fantasies. This is my last entry.

Finn Hofferson

Astrid ran to the bookshelf and pilfered thought the gathered texts, desperately looking for another journal. "That can't be the end! There has to be more!"

"Astrid?" Eret looked up from his book on modern ghost stories.

"It's all my fault!" Astrid sank to her knees. "I'm the reason he gave up on them…"

Eret scratched his chin. "He didn't give up on them completely…every once in a while, he'd let them out of the tower to roam around." Then he sighed. "But it was about five years before you came that Finn locked them away for good. He never really answered me when I asked him about it."

Astrid dropped into a settee, dejected.

"And after that, he stopped showing enthusiasm for the things he used to. Then nurses came to take care of him…then he was bed ridden…and then, well. You know."

"Trying to break the curse kept him young." Astrid posed. "In spirit."

Eret had taken the journal from where she dropped it and began to read. Meanwhile, Astrid stood and went to the window, gazing at the dead garden.

"It wasn't your fault." He finally said.

Astrid didn't respond.

"You were a child. Any kid would been scared to see a skeleton. And any grandfather, or Uncle, would have protected that child from their fears. Don't blame yourself."

Neither of them had yet to acknowledge the fact that Hiccup had some sort of obsession with Astrid after all this time. It was disturbing enough to think about.

"Come on, let's go get some fresh air." Eret beckoned.

"Hmm?"

"I need some help in the garden. I think some weeding will clear your head."

She nodded in agreement and followed him out to the garden.

The sun was out, a rare occurrence for the dismal grays of the moors. Astrid had a rake and worked to get the dead leaves out of the area of living plants. Eret was quiet as he worked on a bush. The cool fall air chilled them a bit, but they didn't mind.

"You have to get the weeds early, before the choke out the others." He explained as she watched.

"Can I help?"

"Yeah, but watch for the thistle. It'll prick you."

She kneeled next to the bush and pulled out a dandelion.

Eret stopped her by putting a hand over hers. "We leave the dandelions." At her questioning look, he continued, "This plant has shallow roots, can't get water very well. The dandelions bring it up for it. Also attracts insects for pollination. We get all sorts in the spring, hairstreaks, skippers, and fritillaries. Last year, we had a migration of painted ladies come through. That was amazing."

"Um..and these are…?"

"Butterflies, my one true love." He said it will a wistful smile.

"Wow! Must be amazing!"

"So leave the dandelions alone."

"Yes sir."

"We're getting rid of the milk thistle though, sucks up the water dry."

Astrid nodded with a smile and reached out to the purple flower. Unfortunately, despite his warnings, she pricked herself anyway. She shook her hand out and sucked on the finger.

"It's a pain, ain't it? If you want to help more often, I'll pick you up some gloves for your dainty lady fingers."

Astrid stuck her tongue out in response and took back the rake.

A day away from the castle is just what Astrid needed to get her strength and resolve back. Eret made them sandwiches and they sat in the garden talking.

"So, if you could have any job, what would it be?"

Eret laughed. "I'm a simple man, Astrid. I don't need more than what I already have."

"Oh come on, there had to have been other ideas that crossed your mind."

He shrugged. "Not really. Living in a castle? Already knowing that you'll have a job out of school? Like, the only reason I went to school was to get better at my job. This is my life's work." He gestured to the bleak and gray land around them. "Well, not right now, but you'll see when spring comes!"

"Of course," she snickered.

"Well, what about you? Is this what you want to do for the rest of your life?"

A pensive look crossed her face before she looked down to her feet. "It was. At one point. But now I'm not too sure. Everything is just…kind of messy right now, you know?"

"Yeah." He nodded. "What would you do if you broke the curse?"

"If the castle wasn't haunted anymore?" She crossed her legs, thoughtful. "Gee, I never really thought about it before…You know, I think I could keep renting out the rooms, but I could do something with entertainment. The vikings seem to go for that." Then another thought crossed her mind. "What will happen to them? Will they live again? Or pass on?"

Eret blanched, "I have no idea."

Astrid frowned, not liking that answer. "I guess we'll just have to find out."

He stood up, taking their trash in his hands. "I'm going to go inside for a bit, for some water. Want any?"

"Yes please," she said pleasantly. "I'll keep working, if you don't mind."

"Good luck, I'll be back in a bit." He smiled, and disappeared around the corner.

She continued raking, the fresh earth becoming visible under all the decaying growth. She began to imagine the stone walls covered with ivy, and rich reds and pinks and yellows bursting forth in a palette of warm spring.

"It'll be out of a fairytale," she told herself. "I can't wait for spring to come."

Without warning, from behind, someone grabbed her around the waist and covered her mouth with a cloth.

She fought against them, screaming for help, but her cries were left silent as her arms were pinned behind her back. The cloth was stuffed in her mouth, rendering her speechless, before her attacker shoved her onto the ground and clicked handcuffs into place.

"You have the right to remain silent." A sickeningly familiar voice said. "And might I recommend doing just that?"

Astrid tried to turn around to look at her attacker, but he kept his knee on her back and prevented her movement. Then, just as quickly as she went down, she was brought back up to her feet and another cloth was tied around her face. It was soaked in a sweet smelling liquid and made it hard to breathe. As she was pushed around, she kept shaking her head, trying to free herself of the cloth. But it wouldn't budge.

"Fighting will get you nowhere, Hofferson."

It was then that she recognized the voice. She had only heard him a few times, but Officer Viggo Ryker always gave her the creeps.

He shoved her in his trunk, and quickly sped off into the woods. Away from the castle, away from town…away from anyone that would be able to help her.

A few minutes later, the liquid on the cloth, she assumed was chloroform, took it's toll and Astrid passed into unconsciousness.

A couple hours passed. The sudden breath Astrid took filled her lungs with smoke, and she sputtered out coughs. Everything was dark, and she was being stuck with sharp sticks on all sides. Her backside was burning hot, but she couldn't move.

"So, you're awake." She heard Viggo say. "Now the rite can begin!"

She tried to protest, but she was weak and in pain.

Whatever she was laying on lowered to the ground and the heat intensified all around her.

"Oh flaming tongues of old…" Viggo began. "How long you have suffered by the hands of my kind? How you cry out in the darkness for justice, and you plead for your home! Please, oh great Druids of the Earth, hear my prayers and take this offering from me. Grant me release from this immortal body so that I may avenge you and finally die!"

The sticks that surrounded Astrid caught fire and she could finally see. Her prison was a cage made out of tightly woven sticks. Using all of her strength, she fought to sit up.

Then, the most unbelievable thing occurred.

Her cage was blown apart and a stone dragon stood above her.

"…Toothless?" She managed to speak.

"NO! You vile creature!" Viggo screamed, right before he was tackled to the ground by someone else.

Toothless grabbed Astrid and dropped her onto the dewy grass, gently patting her with his paws.

In the distance, she heard fighting. "Hiccup?" She called out, trying to see him. No, that couldn't be right. He was trapped in the North Tower.

Her world seemed to fade in and out as the poison still clung to her system. Her throat was tight with smoke, and she continued to cough. She hadn't noticed that Toothless left until she saw red and blue lights glistening off the trees.

"Astrid? Astrid!" Eret shouted, crouching beside her.

"Eret?"

"Are you alright?"

Again, she tried to sit up, and it was easier this time. Eret took her arm and helped her to sit up.

"Did you find her?" Another unknown voice asked.

"Yeah, she's awake."

A man in a Black uniform knelt in front of her, a light on his lapel illuminating her. She blinked against it. "Astrid Hofferson?"

"Yeah?" She responded, wearily.

"My name is Patrick Dweller, I just have a few questions for you."

"Hmmm…"

"Did you know the man that attacked you?"

"Vaguely. He said his name was Officer Viggo Ryker."

"Okay, and do you know why he attacked you?"

She had an idea it had to do with the curse, since he had mentioned the Druids, but she didn't know for sure. And she didn't want anyone else to know about the secret of the Castle. "No, sir."

The officer nodded, writing down her answers in a notebook. "Would you be willing to testify against him in court at a later date?"

"Yeah, I can do that."

"Alright, thank you for your cooperation."

Then next person to approach her was an EMT. He and Eret helped her over to sit in an ambulance for observation. The world was moving in slow motion and she was having trouble concentrating.

"You are extremely lucky," the EMT was saying. "You only got minor burns, probably because you have such a thick coat on. You did breathe in a lot of smoke, but since it was just wood burning, the risk of infection is a lot lower. Would you like to go to the Hospital?"

Astrid shook her head. That was the last thing she needed right now. "No…I'll be fine."

"Alright. But if you develop a fever, or the coughing continues, make sure you get help immediately."

Astrid nodded before she sat up a little straighter. "I will."

Eret, seeing how weak she still was, scooped her up into his arms. She leaned on his shoulder, not protesting his help in the slightest, though his touch on her burned back stung, and she winced slightly. He carried her over to his truck and set her inside. "We're going home." He assured.

She nodded, closing her eyes as she snuggled into the seat. "How did you find me?"

"Thank Toothless." He replied, starting the car. "Not long after I left you in the garden, I could hear him roaring and shrieking at from outside. Honestly, I had no idea what he was trying to tell me. But when I went outside to get you…and you weren't there, and I figured that someone must have taken you. Since Toothless wakes up whenever there's an intruder. So I got in my truck and Toothless took off flying down the road. I called the police as I hurried after him, and tried to explain the situation to them, while keeping up with him. Sorry it took so long to find you…I got lost a few times in the trees."

She shook her head. "You found me just in time." She coughed a bit. "What did you tell the police?"

"Nothing about Toothless, if you're worried. I just said that I thought my boss was abducted and I was following the car that I assumed took her. I just gave them street names and landmarks as I passed. It wasn't until Viggo's little wooden egg sack went up in smoke that I found you."

"Wait," she sat up straighter. "Wooden egg sack?"

"Yeah, at least that's what it looked like."

"It was a wicker basket!" She nearly shouted, startling Eret.

"Excuse me?"

"The Celtic Druids used to sacrifice humans by burning them alive in wicker baskets! I bet that's what Viggo was trying to do!"

"That's…deplorable." Eret frowned. "Why? And why you?"

Astrid furrowed her brow, thinking back to what he had said. "He said he had to complete a rite. Then…'Oh Druids of the Earth, take this offering from me and grant me release from this immortal body, that I may avenge you and die.'"

"Oh my god!" Eret shouted, nearly driving off the road.

"What is it?!"

"How many vikings were in the tribe when they raided the castle?"

"Uh, I don't know!"

"Come on! You've been reading Finn's journal!"

"Um um um…a hundred and…three. Yeah, a hundred and three."

"Okay, so there's 5 that died before the curse, and their ghosts remain in the castle."

"Right."

"And then there's 95 that are trapped in the tower."

"Right. 100 total in the castle."

"And then the first Hofferson to own the castle, and his wife."

"Yeah…"

"Then where's number 103?"

Astrid looked up to him, staring at him in shock. "The one that was spared."

"What if he was just cursed differently?"

Astrid put her hands to her head. "Oh my god…do you think he figured out how to break the curse? And that's what he was doing?"

Eret shook his head, "there's no way. And besides, if that isn't it, and you…y'know, die. That'll be the end of it. The ghosts will be cursed for eternity."

She breathed a sigh and tried to calm her still swimming head. "Okay, so when we get home, I'll get the others from the North Tower, we'll brief them on the situation, and then…I don't know."

"We could raid the library while you rest. You went through a lot today."

Astrid sighed, rolling her stinging shoulders uncomfortably. "I'll have to sleep on my stomach then."

When they arrived home, Toothless was resting by the door. As soon as she exited the truck, he bounded over and nuzzled her legs.

"Thanks Toothless," she patted him. "I owe you one."

The dragon whined sadly, then jumped back up to the roof of the castle.

With a little aid from Eret, Astrid climbed the stairs in the East Tower, and fetched the key from around her neck. "I hope they won't be too mad at me," she said with woe.

"I think they understand." Eret consoled. "They're probably used to it."

"Yeah, that's what I was afraid of." She unlocked the hallway door, and then made her way down to the Tower. Inside, the air had a bite to it, it was even colder than it was outside.

She locked the tower behind her and trudged up the crumbling stairs. But when she reached the top, there wasn't light pouring out from the chapel door like there used to. Carefully, she pulled open the door, only for her heart to sink.

Inside, one lone candle sat on a table. Gobber sat alone, staring at the flame.

"Gobber?"

He met her eyes, surprised. "Lass…you're alright!"

"Yes…how did—?"

"Hiccup saw the whole thing. He was watching you in the garden, and saw Viggo take you."

"Then, he was the one who sent Toothless…"

"Aye, he was terrified."

"Where is he now? I need to talk to him!"

Gobber looked away, back to the fire, but didn't say a word.

"Where…is everybody else?"

"They're all gone, Astrid. They all left."