"Alright, spit it out. You look like you're going to spontaneously combust if you wait any longer."
Hiccup cast his eyes around the forge once more, ensuring that they were alone. The streets of Berk were quiet for the night; they had been steadily emptying out as he finished wrapping up Gobber's workload. Regardless, he wasn't willing to take any chances.
"Come on," he urged, nodding towards the back room. "I don't want any eavesdroppers."
Astrid raised an eyebrow but didn't protest, following him back into the more secluded space. As soon as she'd cleared the threshold, Hiccup yanked the door shut. In a fluid motion, he flipped the latch, locking them inside.
"What are you…" Her voice trailed off as he continued to assess the door.
His eyes darted towards an old chair that was shoved into the corner, and he nodded to himself. Grabbing it, he pulled it towards the door and wedged it tightly underneath the knob. It felt more secure than the latch alone, and should prevent anyone from barging in unexpectedly.
Well…anyone except, perhaps, his father. When the chief set his mind to something, he continued to defy Hiccup's expectations. The man's impressive strength was hard to gauge sometimes, especially when he was particularly motivated.
"Should I be concerned?" joked Astrid when he finally turned around, eyes shining with amusement. "I mean, trapping me in here with all these weapons…"
Hiccup snorted at the implication. "Congrats, you've uncovered my master plan," he said dryly, "Never mind that you're literally the one training me to fight."
"Can't say I've done much training – we've only had one session."
"Exactly!" He agreed, grinning at her. "I'd never stand a chance."
Astrid pulled the bench out from underneath his desk, sighing when she uncovered a mess of papers scattered all across it. "You really need to organize this place," she chastised, pulling the mix of charcoal drawings and schematics into a neat pile before depositing it on the table.
"Why would I do that? I know where everything is," snarked Hiccup with a crooked smile. In truth, he only had a rough idea of where half of his work lived in the clutter of the shop. No matter how many times he cleaned his workspace, it never lasted long.
When inspiration struck, he had a tendency to shove everything out of the way as quickly as possible – even if that meant placing things in less conventional spaces. Like the time he'd put a set of Gobber's instructions under a candlestick…only for the dripping wax to melt all over the paper, ruining it. He'd been too embarrassed to admit to his mistake, faking his way through the assignment using the few words he could still read.
Mercifully, he'd never repeated that mistake.
Astrid took a seat on one end of the bench, gesturing for him to join her on the other end. He dropped down unceremoniously, crossing his legs and sitting sideways so that he could face her directly.
"Ok," he started, frantically trying to organize his thoughts. "Where to begin?"
"The beginning?" Astrid asked, giving the same suggestion that she had back when he'd struggled to share his secret with her the first time. Judging by her wry grin, the reference was intentional.
"Iwenttotheicefortress!" He blurted out, words slurring from the speed of the declaration.
"You wanna try that again?"
"The ice fortress," he clarified, this time much more slowly and carefully. "I, uh…went to check it out."
"And?"
"Well, it's definitely not a glacier! It's a massive dragon's nest," explained Hiccup, using his arms to try and illustrate the size. "The ice is like a shell, but the inside of the island is completely alive! There have got to be hundreds of dragons living in there–"
Astrid's eyes widened.
"–and there's this creature in the center of it! I'd guess it's even bigger than the Red Death!"
"Another queen?" Astrid asked with dread, face draining of color. "So close to Berk?"
Hiccup shook his head, "No, I don't think so – at least, there was no mental pull that I could feel there. I think this might be something different entirely. Astrid, it breathes ice ! Ice, can you believe it? I'm honestly not even sure it is a dragon."
"What else could it be?"
Hiccup shrugged, hating that he didn't have a better explanation to offer. That strange aura he'd felt in its presence had been unlike anything he'd experienced before – powerful, immense and distinctly ancient. "I don't know," he admitted with reluctance. "All I can say is it's like nothing we've ever seen or learned about in Berk."
Astrid bit her lip, eyes lighting up with interest. "That's something. So what, did you stay there all night trying to figure it out? It probably would be good to know what we're dealing with, just in case it ever leaves that nest, but that's still pretty reckless…even for you."
Hiccup shook his head, "No, I only saw it for a few minutes – and honestly? I tried not to get its attention."
"Smart."
"I do have my moments," he said, allowing some mock indignation to leak into his voice for a moment before becoming serious once more. "There's more."
Hiccup launched into a brief explanation of the stranger he'd found living on the island. He did his best to accurately detail her bond with the dragons of the nest, still marveling over the ease in which she interacted with the different species.
For a moment, he toyed with the idea of downplaying his own encounter, not wanting to get chewed out for letting his recklessness expose his presence…but he couldn't keep it from Astrid. Despite his reservations to share the experience, he forced himself to talk through the close encounter that had ultimately sent him fleeing into the tunnels.
"...and thank the gods I did," he muttered, wringing his hands together. "I wasn't paying any attention to the time. I didn't realize just how late it had gotten! If I hadn't gotten out of there when I did, she might have seen me change."
Astrid brow furrowed in worry. "Are you sure she didn't see anything?"
Hiccup exhaled heavily, bobbing his head. "I took off into the tunnels. If she followed me at all, she gave up pretty quickly."
"If she is some kind of dragon expert, she probably knows that trying to keep up with a Night Fury would be stupid," pointed out Astrid.
Hiccup had other suspicions, but he wasn't sure he wanted to voice them yet. The woman had displayed a strange level of respect for the dragons of the nest. He couldn't shake the feeling that the woman had let him go simply because that was what he had wanted.
Shaking the thoughts away, he pushed himself to share the final confusing moments he'd witnessed: the woman's meeting with the mammoth creature of the nest.
Astrid was silent for a few minutes, contemplating all that he'd shared. He could practically see the gears turning in her mind as she tried to make sense of the world within the ice nest, just as he'd been trying to do all day.
It was a puzzle inside a puzzle, but no matter how much he examined them…the pieces didn't fit together to form any picture that made sense in his mind. Who was the stranger? Why was she there? What was the creature lurking in the depths…and what connection did it all have?
"You said she's bonded with all of the dragons there?"
"From what I saw? Yes."
Astrid stood, starting to pace in the confines of the small room.
Taking advantage of the now empty space on the bench, Hiccup stretched out his legs. He idly toyed with one of the straps securing his prosthetic in place, thoughts whirling. Without looking up he admitted, "...I think she might be the key to understanding dragons."
Astrid halted, weighing his words. "We don't know anything about her."
That was fair enough, he supposed. One day's observation was not enough to get a real picture of who the woman might be. To make assumptions about her abilities so quickly would be foolish.
"You're right," agreed Hiccup with a sigh, "but there is still a small chance that she could be – we can't just ignore that."
"What exactly are you trying to say?"
"I need to go back," he said with more conviction than he felt. "I need more time. If I'm right, there's so much we could learn from her."
Astrid remained skeptical, but she couldn't deny the appeal of the mystery. A viking living in harmony with a nest full of dragons was just unthinkable. Whoever the stranger was, her story had to be extraordinary in order to land her in such a position.
Still, it was best to be cautious.
"I don't want you getting your hopes up," she insisted as she trailed him towards the forest's edge. His long legs and eagerness had widened the gap between them and now he was several paces ahead. "It could have been a fluke! Or, did you consider that maybe she's just crazy?"
Hiccup glanced over his shoulder, pausing to meet her eyes. "She seemed pretty sane to me."
Astrid huffed, finally catching up with him. "Alright fine, let's say that you are right," she said. "What happens then? Even if this woman is the key to understanding dragons, what exactly are you going to do about it?"
She could see the passion blazing in his eyes as he asserted, "I want to bring that knowledge here, to Berk. I mean, Astrid…can you imagine what this place could be like if we were allies or even friends with the dragons?"
It was an ambitious thought, but she could see the value in it. While the dragons were no longer their enemies, their constant presence hadn't become any more comfortable for most of the village. The two species maintained a somewhat tense coexistence on Berk, but they remained two separate factions…each harboring a deep distrust for the other.
If they could break through that, perhaps they could unite the island.
From a more practical perspective, having the dragons on their side could be also strategically useful. Enemy tribes would be less likely to risk an attempt on their shores if they knew an army of fire breathing reptiles guarded the coast.
Not to mention…there was something awe-inspiring about the creatures. On a selfish level, Astrid had to admit that she wanted to learn more about them herself.
"It would be pretty incredible," she said.
Hiccup beamed at her easy agreement, and she felt a spot of warmth rise in her chest at the sight of his crooked smile.
"Still," she continued cautiously. "What if it can't be learned? There might be something special about her that we don't know, something that protects her from the dragons. Maybe that weird creature did something to her, I don't know! It's just…it might not work for anyone else."
Hiccup's expression turned guilty before he admitted, "It worked for me."
Astrid blinked, taken aback. "You tested it!?"
Her friend looked away guiltily, resuming his walk towards the woods and studiously avoiding her gaze. "Well, I had some time to kill when I was stuck there all night," he said. "I may have run into a few dragons…"
More like 'gone looking for them', knowing him.
"To be honest, the first time was an accident, but after that…I guess I just had to know. I did my best to copy what I could pick up from her technique, and the dragons all responded the same way. That's gotta mean something!"
"Maybe."
"Oh come on, what do you mean 'maybe?' How else could I get that close to so many wild dragons without so much as a scratch?" Hiccup asked as he veered off the path and deeper into the woods.
Astrid ducked under a low branch, careful not to let it snag on her hair. She hadn't yet asked where he was taking her, but if the brush got any thicker she was going to demand an explanation.
"Hiccup, dragons have let you close to them before, remember? Maybe they just don't see you as a threat, what with…well, you know."
"You just gestured to all of me."
"You know what I mean!" She elbowed him in the side.
Hiccup was quiet for a moment, eyes fixed on the forest floor as he navigated around a fallen tree. "Yeah, I do know what you mean," his voice was softer, less certain. "I'm not exactly normal, am I?"
Astrid felt her chest seize at the words, regret filling her. Hiccup had made a lot of progress in accepting his cursed state, but every now and then she could see a flicker of doubt rise up. Growing up, he'd always been a bit of an outsider to begin with…Astrid suspected the roots of his insecurities stemmed far earlier than the curse.
"No," she agreed, grabbing his arm and pulling him to face her. "You're not normal, but that doesn't make you lesser. If anything, you're more."
That gave Hiccup pause. There was a flicker of real emotion in his eyes for a moment, disappearing just as quickly as he plastered a wooden smile on his face as if everything were fine.
If he didn't want to talk about it, fine.
"Where exactly are you taking me?" Astrid hadn't been this deep in the woods since she was a child. They'd long since passed any landmarks she'd recognize.
He hesitated.
"Spit it out, Haddock."
"Well, I wanted to show you," he admitted, "but if you're right…it won't prove anything."
Show me what–
Oh.
Hiccup wanted to show her the technique he believed was key for earning a dragon's trust. He wanted to give her a window into the revelation that he'd had on the island. He wanted to share this new secret with her.
It was a sweet thought, but one that was quickly soured by the guilt she felt in rocking his confidence.
"Maybe it would," she relented, unable to believe she was about to suggest the idea circling her mind, "if it wasn't you who tried it."
Hiccup blinked, taken aback by the implication. "You?"
"Why not?"
There were a thousand reasons she could think to answer her own question, but she tabled them for now. If Hiccup really believed in this theory, there had to be a reason. She was willing to take a leap of faith for him.
"Are you sure?" He asked, looking doubtful. "You'd have to completely disarm yourself around a dragon – no axe, no hidden daggers. Are you really ready to do that?"
"I've done it before." She crossed her arms with a smirk.
"I'm pretty sure we've already established that I don't count." Hiccup rolled his eyes. "All jokes aside, you'd be putting yourself in a pretty dangerous place if I'm wrong about this. Are you sure you want to do this? I really don't want to be the reason you get hurt."
"Then let's hope you're not wrong," Astrid countered with a look of steel, gesturing for him to lead on. The longer they wasted talking about it, the more her resolve eroded. She needed to get this over with before her nerves caught up with her.
Hiccup's own flights over Berk had given him a good idea of where the island's local dragons tended to dwell. Some preferred to stick to the coast, while others sought out more secluded environments. The Gronckles had completely taken over the far side of the island, turning his old hideout into a haven of sorts. The rocky terrain had proved ideal for their dining habits, and the colony was flourishing.
He'd briefly considered taking Astrid there, but it was a long and grueling walk in the dark. He told himself that was the core reason for his decision and that it had nothing to do with an unwillingness to revisit the place.
After ruling out the Gronckles, he'd scrambled to find another option. His mind kept taking him back to the encounter they'd had with the Nadder on the trail to Berk. Astrid had seemed particularly fascinated with the blue dragon, so it seemed like the most fitting option.
It also didn't hurt that he'd already been successful in approaching the dragon once. Knowing that the dragon wasn't prone to attacking strangers made her much more appealing.
The Nadder favored a spot deep in the heart of the woods. She had built a home within a small cove, tucked safely away from the walking paths. As such, it wasn't the easiest place to get by foot, but it wasn't impossible.
Hiccup was relieved when they finally broke through the trees at the lip of the dropoff. He'd been navigating based on his memories of the terrain from above and was beginning to fear he'd taken them in the wrong direction.
A quick glance of the ledge revealed that the Nadder was there, lazily drinking from the small pond inside. The dragon's back was to them, posture relaxed and unthreatening.
"You remember what I taught you?"
Astrid hummed her agreement.
"Right," he nodded, fingers anxiously tapping against his sides. "Good. I still think I should come down there with you."
She shook her head, dismissing the idea. "If she sees or smells you, it could change everything. You want to test this theory of yours, right? The only way to know for sure if it works is if you stay here."
"But–"
"No," she said firmly, grabbing his arm and forcing him to remain still. "I'm trusting you, now it's your turn to trust me ."
With those parting words, Astrid turned and started making her way down the sloped ravine.
Hiccup sat, resigned to do as she wished. He knew there was no point in arguing once she'd set her mind to something. His eyes tracked her path down into the cove with waring trepidation and anticipation. She turned around a bend in the path, disappearing from sight.
Much as he loathed to admit it – she was right. If his cursed nature was the only reason the dragons were willing to trust him, it wasn't the great discovery that he'd hoped it to be. It was possible that he and the woman of the nest were just outliers, protected by their own strange circumstances.
It needed to be tested by someone else before sharing anything with Berk. It would be irresponsible to put his people's safety at risk over a hunch.
Below, he caught sight of Astrid as she entered the cove. Her blonde hair shone white in the moonlight. She'd listened to him and ditched her axe somewhere along the path down – he only hoped she'd taken his words to heart and left any smaller blades behind too.
The Nadder jolted up, having heard the footsteps approaching. The dragon turned to face the viking girl, raising her wings high in warning.
Astrid did not visibly flinch, but even from the distance he could tell her her posture was rigid. She was on guard, like a bow about to snap.
Slowly, she sank to her knees and turned her head towards the ground, breaking eye contact with the dragon. It was a show of submission, and much more than he'd asked her to do. Then again, Astrid had always been one to push the limits when faced with a challenge.
Hiccup held his breath as he waited for the Nadder to make a move. The dragon hadn't attacked, but she hadn't moved any closer either.
"Come on…"
Astrid lifted a hand, slowly as if not to spook the dragon. Without looking up, she extended it towards the Nadder, fingers outstretched.
The Nadder quirked her head, shuffling forward a step.
"That's it…"
The dragon's curiosity won out, and she closed the distance to where Astrid kneeled. After an exploratory sniff, the dragon bumped her snout into the outstretched palm.
Gods.
"It's true," he breathed, feeling his heart thump away in his chest. He felt equal parts amazed, vindicated and relieved in that moment. "It's really true."
Astrid lifted her head, turning her attention to the Nadder. She slowly pushed to her feet, reaching out and brushing her fingers along the scales of the dragon's jaw.
Seeing the calmness of the interaction, he decided it was time to go join them.
After nearly tripping over a battle axe thrown in the path – thanks for that, Astrid – he made his way into the cove. His presence immediately caught the attention of the Nadder, but after a quick sniff she dismissed him as a potential threat.
"This is amazing," whispered Astrid with near giddiness, " She's amazing."
"Yeah, she is," he agreed, though the sentiment wasn't for the Nadder.
"You were right. If this is just the start…you have to go back."
Hiccup stared at the dark water of the pond, seeing the tension in his own reflection. Though it had been his idea, there were also obstacles involved with going back to the nest. In order to properly shadow the woman, he'd need to be gone longer than a day.
"I can't tell my dad," he stated, knowing the man would have objections. "He'd never allow it."
"If you don't tell him, he'll tear half the village up looking for you," Astrid pointed out, moving to scratch at the dragon's neck. "That doesn't work either."
Hiccup groaned, running his hands through his hair in frustration. They were on the brink of a groundbreaking discovery, but it was just out of reach.
"I'll think of something," he promised, more to himself than Astrid. Casting a glance up at the moon, he frowned. "But, speaking of my dad…I'm beyond late meeting him. I'd better go before he sends out a search party."