Night Rider

What?!

"Night Rider?" I asked, shocked. I backed up and snatched my boots off the ground, "Will you ever leave me alone?"

"Not after what happened the first time I left you." Said Night Rider, "please just call me Rider." He didn't step towards me. There it was again - the kindness of Fishlegs. I couldn't help but feel as if I had met Rider before, probably just because he spoke about us in the past tense with all of his: 'you are still very beautiful' and 'Not what happened after the first time I left you'. Who is he?

"Who are you?" I asked sternly. I could see a pair of emerald green eyes peering at me through the trees - Toothless. I could never forget the feeling that Toothless belonged to Hiccup, and this person killed Hiccup, but he seemed so nice, there... there must be an explanation. Mustn't there? Or maybe it is just a coincidence that there are two Night Furys with green eyes and who are the same size and have the same name?

"Come with me, Ast--" He started to say, before he fell sideways. Toothless shot out of the trees and caught Rider before he hit the ground. Toothless then pushed him back up and Rider patted him on the head in a comforting way that made the dragon look like her was in Valhalla. "Astrid..." He mumbled before falling sideways onto Toothless again, who cooed lightly.

"Rider?" I questioned when he didn't get up. "Rider!" Toothless was trying to make him stand by pushing his nose up so Rider was standing, but whenever Toothless let him go, he just fell down again. I was frozen in my place. Rider had his eyes closed, and looked... unconscious. Should I do something? Or run? "Rider?"

--Rider's POV--

I awoke in a cave. In a cave? I shot up with a start, only to find someone push me back down gently again onto my back. I tilted my head to the side to stare at the wall.

"Ahh!" I screamed, scrambling in the fur blankets to try and escape. I heard a giggle and slowly looked at the frightening thing again. "Toothless?" I asked, "You didn't need to sit that close to my face!" I wacked him over the head with my arm and he moved back. "That's better." I said. Toothless seemed as lively as ever. Wait. Did someone push me back down earlier? Did someone giggle?

I turned my head to look in the other direction. A girl stood there, her blonde hair tied in a braid trailing down over her shoulder. She wore a headband and the most beautiful metal-studded belt. Her skirt was studded with metal spikes and she wore thick fur boots with black leggings. Her top was also striped with red and she smirked at me when she noticed I was staring - not that I meant to, obviously, I was just so confused.

"Astrid?" I asked. She smiled at me and went back to tending to my one good-ish leg.

"Why are you here?" I asked.

"You came to talk to me." She started. "You fell and became unconscious so I brought you here and I am cleaning up your arrow wound. Toothless here wouldn't let me remove your helmet though." She concluded. "Can you take it off?" She asked. "You look, kinda scary." She chuckled and continue to bandage my leg.

"When I feel that it is the right time." I answered. I couldn't let her know who I was yet. Not just yet. I saw disappointment spread across her face. "Thanks Toothless." I said, moving my arm to tickle behind his ears. He purred softly.

"How did you do it? Train a dragon?" She asked, putting a bandage around my leg. "I used to know a boy. I knew him a little anyway... he trained a dragon. A Night Fury, just like your's." She said.

"Who was this boy? What happened to him?" I asked. I wasn't sure if I wanted to know the answer.

"Hiccup. He died." She said plainly. Through my helmet, I could see tears build up in her eyes. I didn't want her to cry...

"How?" I asked carefully, my heart racing. I needed to know the answers, but at the same time I didn't want to hurt her.

"Seriously injured by a Monsterous Nightmare. Taken by the Night Fury. Everyone thinks the dragon ate him." She said, cutting the bandage so she could tie it off.

"What do you think happened to him?" I questioned, more curious that before.

"I don't know..." She answered. I continued to look at her because I knew that she did have a theory on this, and I wanted to know. Eventually, she gave in, "I think he died of his wounds. He taught me that... dragons aren't evil, so the Night Fury who saved him couldn't have harmed him. He taught me that they are just misunderstood animals, not that much different from us humans. He taught me so many things which made me who I am today. But most of all - he taught me that I can not kill a dragon. I... I really miss him..." She concluded. She knelt beside my legs, her back to me and wept silently. I could see a few tears splash to the floor and I heard her sobbing delicately into her hands. Did I do this? I asked myself.

I slowly and silently took off my helmet, my auburn hair falling down my neck and shaping my face. Toothless looked at me curiously. I nodded to him and he didn't stop me from what I did next. I slowly and quietly slipped out of the blankets, my metal leg clanking slightly on the ground as I did so. I hobbled over to her and knelt down behind her.

I rested my head on her shoulder and she gasped and immediatly stopped crying. She didn't try to see my face, even though she could now, instead she gazed at the far wall.

"I can tell you." I started, "That Hiccup never stopped thinking about you. He wished so badly to return, but Toothless would be killed if they did, Hiccup was terrified of his father, and it just didn't feel right - living in Berk. He was injured by the Nightmare, and that Night Fury didn't take him, it saved him. I healed of my wounds. I know dragons aren't evil. You taught me many things, like I taught you many things. I can never kill a dragon... I missed you too Astrid." I concluded. I lifted my head from her shoulder and stood up. She wiped her face with her hand. Slowly, she turned her head towards me. Her eyes went wide as she saw me. She stood up cautiously. She only said one word:

"Hiccup?"

You all thought that he was dead. (Well, especially in the first chapter) I read all of your comments in the first chapter, you were all very angry. 😈😈 My secret all along...

A/n - I am editing again and I realised how obvious it was that it was Hiccup... meh.