Hiccup swooped low over Reaven Point, searching for Astrid's little sister. He didn't tell Astrid, but he had made a promise to both her and Avril; he would protect them both, no matter what it took him.
And that was a promise he intended to keep for as long as he lived.
So when he found Avril, laying on the ground in the woods, unconscious, he nearly panicked.
He directed Toothless to land, and then jumped off his dragon's back probably sooner than he should have. He stumbled and almost fell, catching himself by running a few extra steps before he raced over to the girl. He knelt down next to her as Toothless raced up behind him, and then listened for a heartbeat. She was alive, and besides the fact that she was unconscious, looked unharmed.
Hiccup was so relieved he could have laughed out loud. A boom of thunder and strike of lightning told him indirectly that the storm was dangerous, and already there. And then it started raining. So, as quickly as he could have, he picked Avril up, and mounted Toothless once more. Just as he did, though, a shadow loomed over him, shaking the ground as it stepped down.
Hiccup turned around, and then gasped.
"Toothless, we have to get out of here," he said. The Night Fury growled, roared, and shot into the air. Just as he did, though, searing white hot pain shot into Hiccup's abdomen. He screamed and clutched it with one hand, holding Avril securely in the other. They had to get back to Berk.
...
Astrid had just about lost her mind. First her little sister, and now Hiccup? Avril missing, Hiccup going out to look for her in the middle of a freak lightning storm. Who knew what that would bring?
She waited outside the Great Hall, refusing every conversation her friends tried to start with her. Her eyes remained glued to the sky, looking and waiting for Hiccup, Toothless and Avril to return, presumably safely.
She refused to move from her spot in the rain, despite the howling thunder and crashing, booming lightning that lit up the sky like fireworks, going off at random times, each strike sounding and looking more horrific than the one before.
Fishlegs tried to cheer her up, but the only thing she said was "I'm not in the mood", and then went straight back to what she was doing only moments before. She stood there at the bottom step, waiting and looking frantically, expecting Toothless to show up at any given moment in the world.
Snotlout tried to talk to her; he even offered to stand out with her. Of course, he was probably just as worried as Astrid was; Hiccup was his cousin, after all, but Astrid said no. She wanted to be alone. At least until Hiccup and her sister made it back safely.
Ruffnut and Tuffnut watched Astrid from a distance, wanting so desperately to say something, but at the same time, not knowing what to say. She shunned and tuned everyone out when they tried to talk to her; why would their insight be taken any differently?
Astrid waited. She waited and waited and waited until her legs became unable to hold her weight. And when that happened, she simply sank to the ground, bringing her knees to her chest, and continued waiting. She refused to eat, sleep, or even so much as take a break until she knew that Avril and Hiccup were safe. It was nearing midnight when...
...THERE. The tell-tale screech and roar of a certain Night Fury, the silhouette of the mighty dragon against another strike of lightning and roll of thunder to follow along. Astrid shot to her feet and raced forward as the dragon landed in front of her.
Everyone who had once been inside the Great Hall were outside; they had all heard the Night Fury cry, and had come to make sure that their heir and Avril and the dragon had all made it back safely.
They had made it back. But Astrid wasn't quite sure about the "safely" part just yet.
Hiccup was carrying three-year-old Avril in one arm, his other arm wrapped around Toothless' neck for support. Toothless appeared to be fine, but neither of the riders did. Avril looked unconscious, and Hiccup looked aware, but ready to collapse.
Astrid shrieked and ran forward, taking her sister from Hiccup's arms and looking at her intently. She was unconscious, but other than that, looked unharmed. Ruffnut came behind Astrid and looked at the child.
"Here," she offered, "I'll take her to Gothi's for you, and then she can look her over." As reluctant as she was to give her sister up when having just got her back, Astrid nodded and handed her to Ruffnut, who, with surprising gentleness, headed off to Gothi's. Astrid decided that she would go check on her as soon as she personally thanked Hiccup for saving her.
She faced the eighteen-year-old dragon rider, and then hugged him before she could think about doing anything else. On any other day, Hiccup would have reacted; maybe he would have even hugged her back. But not this day, no, not by a long shot. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stay awake. He slumped forward, his consciousness finally leaving him.
"Hiccup...Hiccup!" Astrid shouted as soon as he went limp. She lowered him to the ground the rest of the way while other villagers raced over. She felt her breath quicken. First Avril, and now Hiccup. The two people whom Astrid cared about more than anything else in the world. She couldn't lose either one of them.
With shaking hands, Astrid gulped and lifted Hiccup's shirt just slightly. Then, she gasped. Across his stomach was a long, deep, heavily bleeding gash that looked infected, red, and horribly life-threatening.
"Someone get a healer, NOW!" one of the villagers shouted in place of Astrid, who found herself unable to find her voice.
As more people raced forward, Astrid felt tears streak down her face. She couldn't lose Avril. She couldn't lose Hiccup.
Not now.
Not ever.