It was a normal morning at Dragon's Edge. The leader Hiccup with Toothless was on patrol with Fishlegs and his Gronckle Meatlug, oversaw if everything was safe and in their places.

They flew for hours in order to make sure that everything was quiet and clean, no danger around. But when they turned toward home from the treetops, frightened birds rose into the sky.

Hiccup looked at Fishlegs and they both nodded. The geen-eyed boy with auburn hair flew first and behind his back was a boy with a Gronckle. The closer they were to the beach, the more they could hear the sounds.

"Hm. I've never seen those colors before." Hiccup said as Fishlegs landed next to him. "But I have seen that insignia. It was-" But Fishlegs cut him off, completing the sentence himself.

"-on the Reaper..." He gasped and turned to the Night Fury's rider.

"Those are Dragon Hunters." Hiccup said unhappily. "Come on, bud, let's get a better look." He patted his left cheek.

Fishlegs wanted to follow him, but Hiccup said that he had to stay here and watch from the highland because if anything bad happens, he could report to others.

Hiccup and Toothless landed in front of a large stone, which they could hide. All the dragons were closed in cages and transported to ships. But Hiccup's attention was on the young girl, the same age as he, with as blue as the ocean eyes, blonde hair, braided into a single braid and a wooden bow with several arrows on her back. She stood near one of the cages and watched as one of the monstrous nightmares looked at her with sad eyes and growled a little like asking for freedom.

"Quiet down, you useless lizard!" Shouted one of the men and hit the cage with a life preserver.

"He just wants to be free like all of them." Came a beautiful voice behind man and in Hiccup's surprise that voice belonged to the owner of the blue eyes. "If you with them acted nicely, they also would treat you differently."

"Pfft. With dragons? Nicely? They are nothing but benefits!" The blonde frowned and wanted to argue with him, but a rough man voice stopped her.

"What are you doing here?" With each a step, he raised his voice. "Didn't I tell you to stay on board??" Now he was glaring at her. "Why do you always don't listen to what others are saying?!" And we are screaming... "If here would be my will to deal with, you long ago would be overboard and dead." Her face was without emotion. All others instead of her now placed in the legs, but not she. The blue-eyed girl has been living for eighteen years with that, and she got used. All these deaths, hunting, blood, and shouting... her poses no feelings, no excitement. Not anymore. She steeled herself and never showed his weaknesses. She had become a strong person outside, but no one knew how vulnerable this girl was inside.

The man who cried on her was none other but Ryker. Ryker Grimborn. They are like a dog with a cat, always arguing, fighting and have arguments. In the past, when the blonde was still a little girl, she was afraid of him, because he has never been kind and all those years, he looked at her as if she would be a mistake in this world. And everything was just because she was different from other.

Sure, she could easily kill the dragon, but in that point she didn't see any sense. What's the point to kill dragons; she never understood and will never understand. She doesn't like them but also doesn't feel any hatred. Blue-eyed girl sees them as dangerous, wild animals and nothing more.

That's why Ryker didn't like her and didn't recognize. According to him, Dragon Hunters must be brutal and ruthless and she wasn't, she was merciful. Over the years, her fear for him was gone and never returned, because he, head of the dragon hunters didn't allow anyone to hurt her, even Ryker, his older brother couldn't, well... except himself. Only he could hurt her, the only head of the dragon hunters could.

Meanwhile, Hiccup was angry not only because of the mistreatment with dragons, but how the man has spoken with that girl. For an unknown reason he wanted to protect her, be next to her and he didn't like it because she was one of them, but for the same reason, the same time she was different from them like he was five years ago.

"Go back to the ship!" Ryker yelled and looked at her in disgust, but she didn't move out of his place, just watched as his anger grew. "Now!!" But she simply, without any concern answered 'No'.

"What did you say?!" Ryker frowned and clenched his fists.

"If you hadn't heard, I said no." This only more angered him, because no one dares disobey him and this girl just did it. But knowing that he couldn't hurt her just killed him. If he harms her, head of the dragon hunters harm him.

"Astrid." He grunted. "Go to the ship, now." His voice remained calm, but his eyes were full of anger and have already killed her inside twice.

At the time, Hiccup hidden behind a stone watched everything and tried to remain unnoticed. The feeling to defend that girl, Astrid, hadn't gone away, only become stronger. When the man was shouting at her, she didn't show any fear or sadness, but in her eyes, Hiccup did saw that his words hurt her, she just hid it.

She reminded him of himself when he was fifteen. Stubborn, not listen to anything that is being said, good-hearted, merciful and distinctively. All of these features lie deep in her heart, and he somehow knew it, he just didn't understand why.

The auburn male looked to Toothless, which had large eyes, full of curiosity and anxiety. He sighed and gazed at the girl, but this time his heart stopped.

His eyes met a pair of ocean-blue eyes. Astrid saw him.

First, he had hoped that she will tell others about what she saw and was already ready to leave, but she didn't do anything, nor shouted, neither told others, just stood there and stared at his forest-green eyes as he did at hers. Astrid's face softened and her cheeks became gently red. Hiccup noticed, and for him, it was very adorable.

Looking straight into her eyes, he felt something in his heart. He didn't know what it was or how that feeling was called, but it was something sincere and warm. But despite all this, it's fretted him. Not only because it was new to him, but also because of the fact that she is one of the dragon hunters and he didn't even know her.

But Astrid was not the only one who noticed Hiccup with Toothless, after a while, her looking at the other side caught Ryker, he followed her gaze to the front and when he saw what she was staring at, his face changed into a grin.

"A Night Fury!" He yelled and pointed to the dragon with his human on his back, but all the men stood as if nailed to the ground without being able to stop wondering at, but it's completely understandable, after all, not every day you can see the Night Fury. "What are you waiting for?! Grab that dragon!!"

"Ok, bud, time to disappear." Hiccup said and they shot into the sky, and after them - arrows.

Astrid was aiming directly into the boy with the dragon, like all the other hunters, but between her and the men were one different thing. She was a professional archer, one of the best, always hit the target and never missed, while others couldn't even hit the still objects. She only had to concentrate, aim and...

Boom!

The Night Fury's rider lost his balance and fell right into the water, while his dragon was bound on the ship's deck and growling in pain.

Astrid stood on the ship's wooden floor with wide-eyed and stared at the poor dragon. Her bow fell from her hand, together with the only, not fired arrow. No, not she released the arrow; Ryker did it for her because she couldn't. All this time she watched the auburn male, watched the change in his face, the feelings and the last minute she saw how his eyes lit up with fear and worry, that's why she hadn't fired the arrow. She couldn't because in his eyes she saw her reflection. Here she was only an observer.

Her eyes went down the dragon's body and locked at the point where hit the arrow. His front leg was slightly bent and around the wound was a little blood. He kept his eyes tightly closed and mouth slightly opened. She sighed deeply and slowly, not wanting cause any sudden movements, Astrid knelt beside the weak Night Fury's body. The blonde gently touched his injured paw and carefully pulled out the arrow. From her touch, the dragon picked up from the ground his head and with his big, green eyes looked at the next to him kneeling female. She quickly retreated a little from the fright, but not leaving his green eyes. And all she could see in his eyes smelled fear.

"Move out!" Ryker yelled to one of the men and snapped Astrid out of her thoughts. She stood up and ran to the edge of the ship to see if the boy was still in the water. And her surprise he was, all confused and pale from what had just happened here. 'We can't just leave him there.' The blue-eyed girl thought.

"What about the boy??" Astrid asked, almost shouting.

"Never mind! We have something more valuable than a boy, and the boss will be very happy." Ryker said roughly and turned away from her.

"But..." She started but got cut off by his angry voice.

"No buts! It would only cause unnecessary troubles." He glared and took a few steps closer to her so that he would stand face to face with her. "Unless..." An evil grin covered his face. "...you want to kill him yourself." Astrid's eyes widened.

"Wha... No! Of course not-" But, as once again he cut her off.

"So shove off of my eyes!!" He shouted directly into her face and pointed at her so-called 'room'. She sighed in defeat and walked toward her cabin.

The Night Fury had been already disappeared, probably was locked in one of the cages. She picked up from the wooden floor his bow with the arrow and put them on her back.

Astrid slowly opened his cabin door and went inside. Her so-called 'room' wasn't very big; in fact, it was small and cozy, unremarkable. Near the small, round window to the ocean, stood bed, beside the bed was a night table, on it kerosene lamp, Astrid's notebook and her mother's portrait.

Astrid never met her mother and never had the chance to know her better. Her mother died just a few minutes after giving birth to a healthy girl. Her last words were that she's so beautiful and then... She passed out. Everyone said that Astrid's mother was a good, caring and sincere person. Very beautiful and intelligent woman, Astrid believed it, because she was very similar to her both inside and out.

All these years she grew up with her father next, he took care of her, but was never as gentle with her as she wanted to, he was always rude, cold with her, he had never given her enough love as much as was necessary for a small child and mostly through her life she felt lonely. But sometimes were and beautiful moments, when she felt happy as the day when she received a gift from the tree inflicted a bow.

°* Flashback °*

"Daddy, daddy, do you know what day is today?!" Shouted from happiness blonde girl named Astrid, she opened the door to her father's cabin- almost broke it- and invaded inside. He sat at the table and wrote something on the sheet.

"It seems to me it's now early Saturday morning." He glanced at the little girl standing before him, and then again in the sheet.

"I know, but this day is special!" The little girl said with a smile from ear to ear, but it quickly fell as her father couldn't remember what day was today. "It's my birthday, dad."

"I thought that your birthday was last year." Astrid's father said and raised one eyebrow.

"Well yeah, but you see, birthdays have the habit to repeat every year. Last year I was six, this year - seven, next year - eight, and so on." Her eyes lit up with happiness again. "Dad, I am a seven-year-old girl! Soon I will be all woman!" He laughed.

"Alright, soon-becoming-woman, now go for breakfast, and then to me." Her father took a pen and began to write something. The blonde nodded her head and turned toward the door.

"Oh and, Astrid?"

"Yes." She turned to him.

"Ask Mr. Ryker to accompany you." He said not looking into her. Astrid's eyes widened.

"But he scares me, dad."

"Don't worry, just ask him. Ok?" Her father gave her that if-you-don't-do-it,-there-will-be-no-birthday look.

"Fine." She sighed in defeat.

°*°*

"Daddy, where are we going?" Astrid asked a little bit scared and firmly pinched her father's arm.

They walked a narrow forest path because her father said she must learn to something in here, what will need in life and it will be her birthday gift. But she didn't want to go into the forest because it was full of wild and dangerous dragons, who can eat you instantly and then bye-bye life.

"We've come." He said and let go of her small hand. She looked around and noticed on a tree target.

"A... target?" Astrid asked surprised, but before her father was able to answer the question, from nowhere bushes began to move. She quickly stood up behind his dad and with thin arms hugged his leg. "A dragon..." The blonde muttered. "I knew that to come here was a bad idea, now we're gonna die. Great..." She firmly closed his eyes as her dad slowly started to pull the sword from the back. But... Out of the bush jumped...

...A bunny?

Seriously?

Astrid's father rolled his eyes and sighed in relief; puting the sword back. Astrid slowly opened one eye to see what was going on, then the next one, and finally became convinced that there's no danger, she released his leg.

"Ha ha... Bunny... I-I knew it." She laughed nervously and rubbed the back of her small neck.

But in a second, something changed.

From somewhere released arrow shot right into the bunny. The seven-year-old girl covered her mouth with her small hands as tears started to accumulate in the corner of her eyes.

"Correction, dead bunny." Came a rough voice behind the tree. "Our dinner." He said with a smile.

"Se-see, daddy," Astrid paused and took a few steps toward Ryker, looked straight into his eyes. "He is-isn't a bad p-person, he's a mo-monster!" Ryker's smile faded and anger covered his face. He raised his hand to slap her and blue-eyed girl widened her eyes, raising her hands in defend. When Ryker was about to slap her, a hand stopped him.

"Don't you dare slap my daughter!!" Yelled a furious father. Ryker clenched his fist in anger and just glared at Astrid. Her father breathed a few times to suppress fury.

"Give Astrid her birthday gift." He said to Ryker. "And then get out of here."

He took off the bow from his back and went to a dead bunny, pulled out the arrow, which tip was covered with blood. Ryker roughly filed bow with several arrows to Astrid's father and throw a dead bunny over his one shoulder and went toward the ship.

Blonde girl's father sighed deeply and turned to his seven-year-old daughter with had a few tears rolling down her cheeks.

"You shouldn't have to talk to him like this." He scolded her. "You behaved disrespectfully and get consequences." He raised his voice a little. "But he also acted recklessly before your eyes shooting the animal." Her father sighed. "But you still need to get used to. There will come a time when you kill too."

"W-what?" She widened her eyes and wiped the tears from her pink cheeks. "But, dad, I don't want to kill, I didn't-" But he cut her off.

"But you will!" He said with a raised voice, causing her to flinch. He sighed. "But now, you just have to learn how to defend yourself." The blonde's father stretched out the bow with arrows at the girl. "We'll start from this." Astrid looked at his father, then the bow, without knowing what he has in mind. "Come on, take it." He moved his hands and she carefully took from his hands a wooden bow, which was almost the same size as she. Then the next, with his left hand, she took one arrow with a silver tip, and the other dropped somewhere on the ground. She looked at him with interested eyes.

"You see the target?" He said, pointing to the round shape with the dappled middle, hanging on the tree. She nodded. "The aim is to hit it."

He knelt on one knee beside her and took a bow into his hands, showed how to correctly hold it.

"Come on, give me one arrow." Astrid picked up arrow from the soft ground and gave it to her dad. "First of all, it must be inserted, it is easy, forward sheltered by the wood, and the end of arrow put in here. Strained rubber, you see, as I do." She nodded. "Always remember, most importantly you need to concentrate your focusing on the target. Aim. And shoot." Released arrow like a bullet shot hit in the center. "Got that?" The blue-eyed girl nodded again. "Okay then. Your turn."

Together they learned how to shoot for an hour until the little Astrid was able to hit the target.

Her father stood behind her, his one hand on her thin waist, and the other on the left shoulder.

She fired an arrow into the freedom, and it instantly stuck into the red target middle.

"I hit the target! I hit the target!" The blonde rejoiced and with a broad smile turned to his father. "Dad, have you seen?! Right in the middle, near your arrow!" He smiled back and tapped her nose with his finger, she giggled.

"Good girl." He said quietly, but proud of her.

Astrid wrapped her small arms around his neck and put her head into the crook of his neck. He embraced her as well and put his head on her shoulder.

"I love you, daddy." The seven-year-old girl said and pinched him.

After seconds of silence Astrid's father gently replied:

"Happy birthday, my little girl."

°* End of flashback °*

Moments like this over time eventually disappeared forever. To be honest, she missed it. She missed her father, missed ti spend time with him and be together.

Astrid picked up his mother's portrait and sat on the edge of the bed. With her two-finger, she touched her mother's face and a single tear rolled down her cheek.

"Why did you have to leave me? Why did you leave me and dad?" She quietly sobbed and gently sheltered the portrait at her chest. Astrid slowly lied back on the bed and not keeping the tears to herself, she allowed them to fall down her cheeks. "Why..?" The blonde whispered and closed her blue eyes.

°*°*

"Toothless! No!" Hiccup shouted loudly and watched a ship moving away. "I'll find you!" He groaned, and the ship remained just a small speck. He lowered his head between the hands, which was on a floating log and firmly closed his eyes.

"Hiccup!" The voice called him. He raised his head and saw Fishlegs on Meatlug's back. The auburn male eyes brightened. "I saw what happened and-"

"I know, Fishlegs, so we need to get Toothless back until something bad happened to him!" Hiccup said as he took a friend's outstretched hand and sat on the dragon's back.

"Hiccup, calm down." He said over his shoulder with worry in his voice. "We can't right now. We need the rest of the gang and a good plan." The auburn male sighed in defeat, he knew that Fishlegs was right. "We'll get him back until something bad happened. After all, he is Toothless, the one and only Night Fury are we talking about, Hiccup. He'll be fine." The auburn male sighed again.

"Back to the Dragon's Edge." The blonde guy nodded.

°*°*

"And when the arrow hit Toothless he was so out of control, I've never seen him acting like this before." Hiccup told them what happened and turned away from the gang, leaned against the wall and watched the horizon. He felt guilty for what happened to his dragon and he will never forgive himself if Toothless gets hurt. "Then he was caught." He clenched his fist a little.

"Hiccup, everything will be fine, you just need to believe," Heather said and put her hand on his shoulder to calm him down, but he quickly pushed her hand and went away. She sighed and looked at the others. "Alright, gang, we need a plan. Any thoughts?" All of them shook their heads to indicate 'no'.

"Divine beauty..." From nowhere Hiccup whispered.

"Eh... excuse me, what?" Snotlout asked confused.

"It's her name meaning." The auburn male explained, but no one understood what he was talking about.

"Ah, guys, are you sure you're fully confident that he hasn't received any head injury by falling?" Asked Tuffnut.

"I'm not a wacky, Tuff!" Hiccup glared at him.

"We'll see, or not..." Tuffnut whispered and flapped his hands before his face. "How many fingers I'm showing?!" Hiccup just rolled his eyes and pushed him away.

"So... what's the mysterious girl that you peered?" Asked Heather interested and then smirked. Hiccup blushed slightly.

"Her name's Astrid." He said remember how she looks. "The blonde, blue-eyed, slim, our year-"

"Do I only seem that... are you seriously talking about a girl who shot down Toothless??" Fishlegs cut him off.

"Not she fired." Hiccup said almost angry voice. "She just watched everything-"

"Wait, wait, and wait. So now that your 'girl'-" Tuffnut raised two hands in the air and showed quotes. "-is one of the Dragon Hunters?! Now I do not understand anything! I thought that they were our enemies!" He shouted.

"For the love of Thor, can you all don't interrupt me! Then I could explain everything!" Now Hiccup shouted. After some time he spoke again. "Thanks. She did not let the arrow; she just watched me and Toothless. It was done by a man, who was stood behind her." He clenched his fists as remembered how the man spoke with her. "I think he is their leader, but something is higher than he, someone who owns everything." The auburn male briefly stopped. "That girl, Astrid, is related to it, and I have a plan to recover my dragon." He said with a little smile. "So the plan is..."

°*°*

It was now evening, all the Dragon Hunters rested on board or had their assigned works, some were on duty on the ship's deck, and cleaned it. Most of the hunters were near dragons and watched them that all would be in places. Ryker was at the helm, and the two men on either side, like his guards.

Meanwhile, Astrid was washing the dishes after dinner. As the only woman on board, she also had some works, like produce food or sew. Blue-eyed had hard-working hands and could without any hassle sewn pants or do something like this which requires gentle feminine hands.

In cooking, she wasn't really sparkled, but for a special occasion or when she was in a good mood she could produce really tasty and forced men to lick their fingers. Astrid commonly used to make breakfast and dinner, as at lunch she usually went to train or had to talk with her father about the future.

She wiped the last dish and put it in its place. She sighed and thought about what she is going to do next, the blonde looked around and quickly took a baked fish, which was her dinner and went to the place where was locked all the dragons.

She opened the door to the dragons' prison. {Prison of the dragons? Hm. I really don't know how else that room or cabin called. So... Let there be dragons' prison.} Close in cages dragons were weak, some even injured, and their eyes were slightly wet. Several hunters with weapons, almost sleeping stood by them. But why Astrid came here, she could not find. The Night Fury was not here with all the other dragons, he probably locked the other door.

The blonde slowly took a few steps forwards next door and wanted to open them, but one of the men stood in her way, she lifted her head and frowned.

"Shouldn't you be in your bed and sleep right now?" He asked and crossed his arms.

"No, I shouldn't. I have affairs, so now, get out of my way." But he didn't let her.

"Don't, Astrid, there closed very dangerous dragon, which can a girl like you, kill instantly." The man said with a grin, absolutely crossed the line and angered her.

"Don't you dare call me weak again, because the next time you can miss your tongue," Astrid said very seriously as she pulled out a knife from the boot and put it to his throat. He immediately lifted his hands in the air and swallowed saliva. In his eyes she could see a little bit of fear, she smirked and lowered the knife. "Now, I watch over the 'monster' that he wouldn't kill a man like you." He nodded, and let her in.

She slowly closed the door behind her and inspected the cabin. No hunters, no weapons and no chains on the dragon. She came close to the cage, and her eyes met pair of green. The Night Fury gaze fell on her hand and from his mouth came a silent snarl. Astrid took a step back and slowly looked at her left hand. Her eyes grew wide as she realized that she was still holding the knife. The blonde picked up a little weapon in his hand and gazed at the dragon, which already showed his teeth.

"Oh... y-you afraid of it." She whispered and quickly intervened knife back into the boot. "I thought... you know n-never mind." Astrid shook her head and looked up from the floor of the dragon. The blonde girl had never in her life see a Night Fury from so close, in fact, she altogether didn't see them at all, and it was new to her, she wanted to touch him again, to feel his warm skin, like last time, when she pulled out of his leg arrow, but on the other side she felt fear, she feared, because he was able at any moment to kill her even did not fire, after all, what hinders him? Metal grilles? That's easy to overcome, remember what are we talking about, he is a dragon and not just any dragon, he's a Night Fury.

Her eyes landed on his body to the ground and caught the dragon patch, which was slightly raised and Astrid could tell why, on one side of his leg was a small, but deep wound.

She stared at him for a few minutes until the blue-eyed remembered what she actually came here. She slowly pulled out from the back fried fish, not wanting to scare dragon, but as always she messed up. The Night Fury showed his teeth and began to growl a bit.

"No, no, no. There is n-nothing to f-fear." She said with a shaky voice. "It is only a fish, my... I mean... this is your dinner." Astrid corrected herself and stretched out his hand. The dragon stopped to growl and on his face was a little smile.

"I do not know if you'll like this fish, but with an empty stomach you can't go to sleep." She smiled as well and through square threw fried fish. The Night Fury caught it in the air, delicious swallowing it and licking the mouth.

"You liked it-" She began a sentence, but never finished it when she heard the large and loud man's steps behind her back. She could feel his hard, but evenly breathing.

The Night Fury emotions also changed. The happy expression changed to angry one. His big green eyes narrowed and from his mouth came a dangerous growl as a dragon showed his white teeth.

Astrid breath stuck in her throat and she begged for Gods, that there would be someone from the men.

With both her hands she grabbed her blue {or purple?} leggings edges and rubbed his sweaty hands on them.

Astrid closed her eyes in fear before turning around and opening them again only to see a tall, black-haired and angry man in front of her.

Her eyes widened with fear, and the voice disappeared somewhere inside. Her pure, ocean blue eyes met angry and brown, almost black man's orbs that can see through you, and without mercy kill you. His wrists were compressed in anger and knuckles were white. It wasn't wrong; it was very, very bad. She was in trouble and will have to answer for what had done. If Ryker would stand here, or anything else, everything would be under control, but in front of her stood not Ryker and none of the men, in front of her stood head of the dragon hunters. There stood a furious Viggo.

Astrid didn't expect to see him here; in fact, she didn't even know what he was doing here. And it very frightened her. The only fear that had never disappeared was fear of him. Viggo was the cruelest man in the entire barbaric archipelago. He was ruthless, without heart, and they all were afraid of him, including his older brother, Ryker. Nobody dared to oppose him, and even if appeared such a daredevil, he immediately disappeared. Viggo lived in the shadows, appeared very rarely and so sudden his appearance here, caused an even greater fear.

Astrid was afraid and didn't even try to hide it because her eyes betrayed everything she felt. And seeing him so angry, her skin stood on end, and the heart started beating faster. Despite the fact that he didn't allow anyone to hurt her, he hurt her, if only she violated the rules. And she just did it.

"D-dad..." Yes, Viggo Grimborn was Astrid's father, her flesh, and blood. She did not look like he, she was her mother's copy, but the blonde had the traits inherited from him. She was intelligent, strong and stubborn, just like her father.

Astrid wanted to say something to him, but he slapped her hard and it left a red handprint on her cheek.

A sharp pain went through her head and she fell on the cold wooden floor of the ship. The blonde put her left hand on her red cheek as hot tears started to build up in her ocean-blue eyes. Astrid did not expect it, she really didn't expect that.

The Night Fury with worried eyes looked in front of him lying girl and then back to the man who hit her and began to growl at him.

"Never feed them, never befriend with them, and most importantly, never help them," Viggo said angrily and glared at her, but she didn't answer. "Is it clear?!" He yelled.

She nodded his head, but still didn't look up, and it, even more, angered him. Viggo knelt to Astrid and roughly took her chin, forcing her to lift her head from the ground.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you!" He more firmly gripped her chin and she whimpered. The Night Fury growled again. Astrid slowly picked up her teary eyes and looked into his dark brown. "Did you understand?!"

"Y-yes, d-dad." She said in a small voice.

He stood up and looked at his daughter again, but shook his head and gazed at the Night Fury, who was glaring at him.

"And, Astrid, if you do it again, you might not have the next day." Her father said cold and went out.

Astrid slowly sat down and put his back to the wall, near to the cage, where was the Night Fury. She hugged her legs and put her head on folded knees. Hot tears one after another rolling down her cheeks and a quiet sobs left her slightly open mouth. Darkness as black scarf surrounded the entire room, and in the deadly silence, you could only hear two lives breath.

°* The next day °*

"DRAGON RIDERS!!"

Astrid's eyes shot open and she gasped. She slowly stood up from the ground and put his hands on her back.

"Ow. My back..." She tensed up and turned to the Night Fury. He knew what was going on and had sad eyes, which only wanted to be free again.

"I-I can't, my-my father would kill me if I helped you..." She began to walk toward the exit, but turned around and looked at his big green eyes. "I'm sorry..." Astrid whispered, briefly closed her eyes and then left.

All the men were on the deck and fired into the dragon riders, but despite the arrow to hit the dragon, it's simply rebounded, because all dragons were covered with armor.

She heard how Ryker commanded what men have to do, but she didn't pay too much attention to it.

Astrid glanced, looking for the ship, but couldn't find what she was looking. Her father hasn't been in this mess. So... last night he was still here, but today he's gone missing. It looks like him.

Astrid's eyes wandered up and down, she followed released arrows into the air and the men's shouts, but one moment her eyes caught the familiar face, auburn hair, forest-green eyes reflecting softness, freckles and pink lips.

She gasped. There was the same guy from the day when they caught the Night Fury. Astrid felt that he will leave him here to die, but no, he came back for him, showing that the dragon was expensive to him and he would do everything possible to recover him back because real friends don't leave friends in distress.

Astrid widened her eyes and slowly began to move back. She realized what the real friends are, they care, protect and love you, no matter who you are, a human or a dragon, they'll do everything that you would be happy.

Astrid did not even felt as her eyes became wet, but now was not the right time to cry. She rapidly blinked a few times and the tears disappeared. If she don't do anything immediately, the two best friends will lose each other forever and it will be all her fault. The blonde looked around, hoping that no one noticed her and slipped into the interior.

But Hiccup saw everything. He saw the tears in her eyes, saw guilt, sadness, and finally, he saw pain. And all of this was sincere, everything came from the heart.

"Fishlegs?" The auburn male asked suddenly. "I know where Toothless is, come as close as possible to the ship, and until I get back, you all try to survive as long as possible." He said and received a nod. "See you at the top!" He added and jumped on the ship's deck.

Meanwhile, Astrid was looked straight into the Night Fury's eyes, know exactly what she's going to do next, even though she knew that all of this will end her death, but she didn't care, she had nothing to lose, except her life, of course.

She took a few steps closer to the cage door and sighed. Astrid picked up the look of the floor and once again looked him in the eyes.

"I know that you don't like me..." She said gently and the Night Fury crooned softly like saying 'I do like you' but Astrid couldn't understand what he said. "Just please, don't kill me when I'll let you go."

With shaky hands, she grabbed the door and slowly opened them. The Night Fury watched every movement she made and he could see the fear in her eyes. Once the door had been fully opened, the dragon came out of the cold cage and turned his head toward the girl. The blonde's eyes widened and she started to go backward but soon gasped as the wooden wall touched her back. She closed her eyes and waited for the pain. But it never came.

She opened her eyes once again and saw that the dragon just stood in front of her and stared at her. He just wanted to thank her for what she did to him. After all, she helped him; a girl pulled out the arrow, gave him her dinner, and now freed him from the cage. The Night Fury knew that this girl had a good heart and he wanted her to trust him, that's all.

"You have to get out of here," Astrid said; her voice shaky. "This isn't the place of dragons, so go." Her voice became bolder with every spoken word. But then something changed. Her entire body felt very weak. Her legs began to wobble, and her vision became blurred.

Then everything went black.

°*°*

Voices, speech, and debate were everything that Astrid could hear, but understand what they're talking - she couldn't because she was too weak. Her head was pounding and her whole body was sore. And what was the worst, she did not know why.

Gradually, the words began to emerge and she slowly began to open her eyes.

"Guys look; I think she's waking up."

Astrid jumped when she saw ten eyes looking at her. She moved her legs closer to her and put her hands on both sides of the bed.

"Oh, Sleeping Beauty woke up." Said blue-eyed boy with brown hair and grinned at her. Astrid's chest began to move even faster.

"Snotface!!" Scolded black-haired girl with green eyes and turned to Astrid. "I am Heather," Heather added and pressed a fake smile. "And that guy-" she pointed to the blue-eyed boy with brown hair. "-is Snotlout. He's not the most pleasant."

"There is Fishlegs." Heather pointed to a big guy with green eyes. "He's a smart guy. Then are twins, Tuffnut and Ruffnut, sometimes really annoying." But Astrid didn't listen to her; she was frightened, surrounded by strangers and in pain. "And finally there's Hiccup, our leader. By the way, where is he?" Just then the door opened and a tall man with green eyes and auburn hair came in. Astrid blinked as if she couldn't believe her eyes.

"Sorry, I'm late, but I was..." Hiccup stopped. His eyes met big, blue orbs full of confusion. He slowly came to the bed, where sat terrified blonde girl, never left her eyes he sat down on the edge of the bed, causing her to flinch.

"Hey, hey, it is okay, you don't have to be afraid of." He said trying to reassure her. "We won't hurt you. We just want to help you."

Astrid's body slowly relaxed and she began to feel much more comfortable than in the previous five minutes. She stretched out one leg and put right hand on her belly. She noticed that she was only with her shirt, leggings and barefoot.

"Can-can I get... water?" Astrid asked with a hoarse voice. Hiccup's eyes widened and he quickly took a cup of cold water on the night table next to the bed.

"Here." He said and gave her a cup with water. "How are you feeling, Astrid?"

Hearing her name, she let out a small cough from almost choking on her water and looked at him in shock.

"How... how did you... w-why am I here?" Astrid stuttered and Hiccup has wanted to open his mouth, but was interrupted when a large and black figure with a bang come running into the room.

"Hey, bud." Hiccup said with a smile and patted his chin. Toothless crooned softly and looked at his human and then to the blonde, which freed him from the cage. He wanted to touch her hand with his nose, but a pair of strong arms stopped him.

Hiccup saw Astrid's facial expression when Toothless tried to get closer to her. Her blue eyes shone with fear again, so he had to stop him and do everything slowly, not to frighten her more.

"Toothless, slow down..." Hiccup said and put Toothless' head into his lap. "She's afraid of you." Toothless looked at her with big sad eyes.

"Give me your hand." The auburn male stretched out his hand as the other rested on Toothless' head. Astrid just looked at him strangely and did nothing. Seeing that she hesitated, looking into her eyes, he gently took her hand and slowly with her fingertips touched the Night Fury's nose. Astrid gasped and wanted to pull her hand away, but he didn't let her.

"He will not hurt you." He whispered and gently sheltered her hand to Toothless' nose. A small smile appeared on her face as she felt the heat under her arm.

Perhaps this is the beginning of her new life, but then what about the old one?

°*°*

{A/N: Hello!

I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. And I have one small question.

Do you want a part two? If so, I can write it, because I have some ideas of what might happen in the next chapter. BUT! The update will be slow...

Why?

Because after a week begins hell- sorry I mean... SCHOOL is gonna start in this place I live in.

And when there's school that means a lot of work...

So, see you soon I hope!}