After Astrid had helped Hiccup escape and he'd flown off, potentially never to return, she had gone home. It felt wrong, but there was nothing else to do. She'd snuck past her parents, both completely oblivious to her outing, and crawled back into bed. There, sleep eluded her. How was she supposed to sleep after what Hiccup had said? Putting an end to the war… after hundreds of years, was it even possible? How did he plan on doing it? Whatever plan he concocted, it would surely be dangerous, and while he may have a Night Fury on his side, he's still Hiccup. She can't help but imagine all the trouble he could get himself into.
Astrid lies there, staring at the ceiling, until the sun rises and her mother calls her down for breakfast. As soon as her bowl is empty, she excuses herself and goes to find Fishlegs. It doesn't take long – she runs into him on the way to his house. It seems he'd been coming to find her as well.
"Stoick is not happy." Fishlegs says immediately. "My mom saw him go past this morning with Gobber. She couldn't hear what he was saying, but there was definitely yelling."
"They must have realized Hiccup is gone," Astrid replies. When Silent Sven brought Hiccup's breakfast and discovered him missing, he'd surely gone straight to Stoick. She can only imagine the shouting Sven must have endured when delivering the news.
Fishlegs twists his hands together nervously. "You don't think anyone will suspect us, do you?"
Astrid frowns, thinking it over. She doubts anyone would suspect Fishlegs. His timid nature doesn't exactly scream prison break. Her own parents are convinced that she can't sneak out without waking them, so should anyone ask, they'll insist she was in bed all night.
"I doubt it," she says. "But it anyone figures out I was involved, I won't mention you."
Fishlegs exhales in relief and nods. After another breath, he asks, "Do you think Hiccup is alright? I mean, did he say where he was going?"
Astrid shakes her head. After all, saying he was going to end the war didn't give her a location, and telling Fishlegs would only make him fret. "I have no idea, but wherever they go, Toothless will keep him safe." She hopes having the Night Fury with him will be enough.
Fishlegs nods, seeming reassured by her words. "I should go; my parents are expecting me back to help with some chores. If I hear anything else, I'll let you know."
Astrid thanks him, but she doesn't plan on getting anymore news secondhand. Vikings aren't usually known for their stealth, but she's gotten pretty good at it. Creeping around the village, she keeps her distance and stays out of sight as she trails after Gobber and the Chief. The pair visits the houses down the street from the prison cells, going door to door and asking if anyone saw anything, but they never mention Hiccup specifically. Does Stoick even care that Hiccup is missing? It wouldn't surprise her if Stoick thought of his disappearance as a blessing, a free pass from having to deal with his son anymore. His anger might just be from the fact that someone dared to betray him by setting Hiccup free.
No one in any of the houses can provide them with information, so they retreat to the Chief's house. By lunchtime, they haven't emerged. The persistent growling of her stomach leads Astrid to abandon her watch and head to the Great Hall in search of food. Lunch is a quiet affair. No one is acting any different than normal, so the news of Hiccup's disappearance must not have gotten out yet. She eats as much as she can manage before calling it quits – she's too distracted and worried to stomach a normal amount of food.
It's on her way out of the Great Hall that something catches her attention. Gobber is hurrying past as Gothi rushes behind him, desperately trying to keep pace due to her shorter stride. Her kit is slung over her shoulder, bouncing against her leg she goes. That kit means one thing – she has a patient – and if they can't go to her, it's because their injuries are too severe.
Astrid follows, keeping far enough back to avoid being seen, but Gobber and Gothi are so focused on their emergency, they probably wouldn't notice if she was right behind them. They head right back to the Chief's house, rushing directly inside and pulling the door shut behind them.
Astrid hurries onto the porch the second the door is closed and presses her ear to it, trying to listen in. The words are muffled by low tones and the thickness of the wood. She can't make anything out. This continues for a moment before a sharp cry of pain comes from inside, and her heart rate jumps, knowing instantly who it belongs to. She reaches for the handle of the door, but it won't budge, so she settles for pounding her fist against it instead.
It swings open seconds later, but before she can force her way inside, Gobber is stepping out and closing the door behind him. He takes a breath to speak, but Astrid cuts him off before he can get any words out.
"Don't even try lying to me Gobber. I know Hiccup is in there and I know he's hurt. I need to see him," she demands.
Gobber sighs. "Lass, I'm not gonna lie to you – Hiccup is inside and he's in a bad way, but Gothi is taking care of him. The best thing we can do for Hiccup is give Gothi room to work. So, no visitors at the moment."
"And how am I supposed to know he's okay if I can't see him?" She asks, crossing her arms.
"I just told you, Gothi is going to make sure-"
"It's not Gothi I'm worried about," Astrid interrupts.
Gobber frowns, the corners of his mouth weighed down by the heaviness of the situation. "I hope you're not insinuatin' what I think you are. Stoick is his father; he'll make sure Hiccup's alright."
Astrid grips her biceps so tightly she won't be surprised if they bruise later. "Well excuse me for having doubts. After all, this is the same father that threw his own son in jail. I believe I've earned the right to be skeptical."
"I do understand Astrid," Gobber says sadly, "even if I wish I didn't." Rubbing a hand over his face, the blacksmith lets his shoulders drop for just a moment before collecting himself. "I'll be in here with them, and I'll fetch you the moment he's cleared for visitors. He'll need some friends around to help him heal."
After a curt nod from her, Gobber heads back inside and Astrid hurries off. If she can't be inside with Hiccup, she won't sit outside and listen to his pain when there's nothing she can do about it. She feels so useless right now. Everyone has always praised her for her battle skills, talking of how she'd one day be a skilled warrior that would fight for the good of Berk, but none of that is helpful right now. There's nothing she can fight to make things better. She should have insisted on going with Hiccup last night, helped him face whatever trouble he'd gotten into. Then maybe they wouldn't be in this situation. But instead, after she'd broken him out of jail, she just stood there and watched him fly off on Toothless.
She stops suddenly, stumbling physically as her mind reaches a new thought. Maybe she can be useful. When Hiccup and Toothless left last night, they flew away from the island. But since Hiccup is back, that means Toothless must be back too, and since Hiccup is injured, Toothless might also be. Astrid breaks into a run, heading home to grab her axe before leaving town for the woods.
The Night Fury must have left Hiccup somewhere he knew people would find him and get him help, and then retreated into the woods to avoid being discovered. With any luck, he'll have gone back to the cove and she can check up on him there. Astrid moves swiftly, not really needing to think about where she's going as muscle memory guides her feet on the familiar journey. As the upper edge of the cove comes into view, she runs right up to the edge, skidding to an abrupt stop and sending a few small rocks skittering down the ledge. Her eyes scan the space below, making sure to look twice at the shadowed spots, but she knows almost immediately – Toothless isn't here.
That's fine. She tries not to let her thoughts rush to a worst-case scenario, and thinks of the next most likely place he would be. Knowing Hiccup was injured and at home, Toothless probably wouldn't want to be too far from the boy. Maybe he was simply lurking in the woods behind the Chief's house – far enough away to avoid being seen but close enough to Hiccup for peace of mind.
Except when Astrid gets there, the Night Fury is still nowhere to be found. It makes no sense! She knows how close Hiccup and Toothless are; he should be here. She just needs to look harder.
It takes a while because she's not exactly sure what she's looking for, but eventually she finds something – Night Fury sized footprints. She'd be ecstatic if it weren't for the other footprints she finds. They're bigger than Toothless', and she doesn't need Fishlegs' dragon knowledge to know that the mystery dragon has massive claws. Astrid grips her axe tighter and beings following the tracks. Hiccup may be injured right now, but she'll be damned if he wakes to find something happened to Toothless – not on her watch.
Astrid is not as skilled in tracking as she is in combat, but she is dedicated. Toothless' footprints are pretty clear, indicating he was walking and not running from the other dragon. It provides some comfort. She supposes that there is a chance the other dragon is stalking Toothless, but she doubts that could happen without the Night Fury noticing.
It takes some time, but eventually she sees a black shape up ahead. A quick scan of the surrounding area tells her there is no other dragon in sight.
"Toothless!" She calls out.
The Night Fury whips his head around. When his eyes fall on her, they widen in excitement and he bounds over to her eagerly. Butting his head up to her chest, he nuzzles against her and practically purrs.
Astrid laughs. "It's good to see you." After stroking at the scales on top of his head for a moment, she sighs. "I just wish you could tell me what happened after you guys flew off last night. I know I'm worried about Hiccup; I can't imagine how worried you must be."
Sensing the shift in her mood and hearing Hiccup's name, Toothless croons sadly. At least Astrid has the promise of being able to see Hiccup as soon as Gothi permits visitors. Who knows how long it will be before Hiccup is well enough to get out and see Toothless?
The sound of leaves shifting behind them has Astrid whirling around instinctively, keeping Toothless behind her. With both hands on her axe handle, she extends it out in front of her, prepared to defend them both. Expecting to come face-to-face with the dragon that created the second set of footprints, she almost falters when she sees an unfamiliar woman standing before her instead.
Vikings have a certain way of carrying themselves – they stand tall, with shoulders back and chest out, trying to project confidence and strength. This woman does none of those things. Instead of standing at her full height, she keeps her shoulders curled forwards and her back and knees slightly bent. It reminds Astrid of a snake, slightly curled to look smaller and more unsuspecting, but poised for quick action.
Her clothes are just as strange as her posture. The thick fur collar that drapes back over her shoulder blades isn't too out of place, just much shorter than a normal fur cloak. But her armor? Thick leather wrappings protect her torso and forearms with significant bulk, and the bracers have spikes protruding off the side. Though she carries no weapon, Astrid is sure those spikes could do some damage if the woman swung correctly.
"Stay back," Astrid warns. "I don't know why you're here, but I'm not letting you get any closer to this dragon."
The woman tilts her head to the side, contemplating Astrid's words for a moment before taking a single step closer.
Astrid raises her axe a little, shifting her stance to be slightly less defensive and more ready to strike. "I mean it! The dragon belongs to my friend."
Narrowing her eyes, the woman frowns. "Belongs?"
Astrid narrows her eyes in return – two can play at this game. "They're best friends, and he's my friend too. So, if you think you can hurt him or take him, you've got another thing coming."
For some reason, this clarification has the woman relaxing. She straightens up some, no longer looking like she's ready to pounce. "It sounds like they have quite the bond." She muses.
"They do." Astrid is still skeptical, but she lowers her axe a bit, willing to try having a conversation with the woman. "But you don't need the details. I want to know what you're doing on Berk, and why you're following Toothless around the forest."
A light laugh escapes her lips. "Toothless? However did he get a name like that?"
"My friend is kind of… unconventional. Also, Night Furies have retractable teeth," she explains.
Toothless looks at the woman and sheaths his teeth before showing her a gummy smile.
"How fascinating," the woman whispers to herself, looking at Toothless with wonder alight in her eyes.
Astrid clears her throat. "You didn't answer my questions."
"No, I suppose I didn't." The woman finally rises to her full height, and Astrid is a little surprised at how tall she suddenly is. "I came to Berk because I knew it was the closest place with a healer."
Looking over her for a moment, Astrid frowns. "You don't look injured."
"I'm not – but your friend is."
Astrid's hands go slack and she drops her axe to rest at her side. "Hiccup? You brought him back here? I thought he'd just flown back on Toothless."
The woman shakes her head. "He wasn't in any condition to fly himself home."
"How… how injured was he?" Astrid asks, swallowing roughly and bracing herself for the worst.
"The Night Fury managed to protect most of him, but he'll have a difficult recovery ahead. I'm just grateful I was able to get him to Gothi so quickly."
Astrid sighs – this is the second person to give her limited information on Hiccup's condition. She understands that they are trying to keep from upsetting her, but this is ridiculous. She's tempted to try trailing Gothi back to her hut later to try and get some informa – wait.
"How do you know Gothi?" Astrid asks, crossing her arms.
The woman's eyes grow sad. "Though you don't know me, I know Berk. A long time ago, it was my home."
That's interesting. Berk is a place where people are born and live out their entire lives. Not many leave to make a home or name for themselves elsewhere unless they are banished.
Before Astrid can ask another question and get more information, the woman holds up a hand. "I'm sure you have more questions now, and I will answer them, but I need to be getting back to my friend."
"Friend?"
The woman raises an amused eyebrow. "You didn't think I got your friend and his Night Fury companion back here all on my own, did you?" She turns and begins to walk away, but pauses after a moment to call over her shoulder. "You should join me. Meeting him will answer some of your questions."
Astrid hesitates. The woman could be leading her into some kind of trap or ambush. But Toothless seems to be at ease around her, and if things take a turn for the worst, she has no doubt the Night Fury will protect her. So, possibly against her better judgment, Astrid follows. The woman leads them through the trees with ease, her body language conveying a lot of confidence and grace. When they reach their destination, Astrid's mouth gapes open. Standing before her is the largest dragon she has ever seen. It towers over Toothless with imposing facial horns and two sets of wings.
"Your friend is a dragon?"
The woman laughs. "Well, I surely didn't get to Berk so quickly by boat. Cloudjumper is a much better form of transportation" She reaches up her hand and the dragon lowers his head so she can pet him. And Astrid suddenly understands.
"This is why you left Berk, isn't it?"
"You're a perceptive one, aren't you?" The woman smiles, but her eyes are tinged with sadness.
Astrid has seen that look on Hiccup before. It comes from the feelings of love and hopelessness churning within. Lately though, a sense of determination had also risen within him. It makes her wonder about the woman.
"Why leave?" She asks. "I mean, Berk was your home. Why not try to change things?"
"You don't think I tried?" The woman shakes her head. "It was hopeless. Time and time again, the dragons would return to steal our livestock or maim our loved-ones. At best, my words were considered stupid or naïve, and at worst they claimed I was insane or delusional. Vikings are stubborn people – I had no chance getting through to them."
"I'm well aware of how stubborn Vikings are. My friend is severely injured because of that defining trait," Astrid points out. "He could have left like you did, but he wanted to try and fix things for everyone."
"Well then your friend is much braver than I."
As the woman lets her shoulders drop in defeat, Astrid is inclined to agree. Her mind wanders back to Hiccup's cries of pain behind the closed door of his house and thinks about how much braver he is going to have to be. She has no idea what happened after he flew off last night, but his quest to end the war is far from over.
"Look," Astrid says, "I need to be getting back to check on my friend, but I also need to know that Toothless is going to be okay. He can't fly on his own, so it can be hard for him to get his own food."
The woman nods. "I noticed the missing tailfin. I'll make sure he has plenty to eat. He might also have a wing sprain, but I'll keep an eye on it."
Astrid hadn't noticed the potential wing injury, but she had considered earlier that if Hiccup was injured, Toothless might not have escaped unscathed. Turning towards him, Astrid looks the Night Fury over and does see some slight swelling at the base of one of his wings. After reaching out to pet him for a moment, Astrid turns back towards the woman.
"I'd feel better if I could check on Toothless and make sure he's okay. There's a cove not far from Raven's Point. It's well hidden and there's fresh water-"
"I can find it," the woman interrupts before Astrid can fully finish her request. "And if I can't, I'm sure Toothless can help us find the way. We will be there when you come looking."
"Thank you," Astrid says. She turns once more to Toothless, leaning her head against his, and whispers, "I'll look after him for you." The Night Fury croons his appreciation.
After nodding in farewell to the woman, Astrid then turns and begins heading back to the village, hoping that she can get some kind of update on Hiccup's condition. She doesn't notice the distraught look on the woman's face as she walks away.