Night Rider

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I could feel my tears slip from my cheeks and fall with a splash on Hiccup's shoulder. I had never been so glad to see him. I could hear soft footsteps drawing in, and 4 sets of them. I tried to compose myself to stop the tears, but they just kept flowing. I felt protected and safe in Hiccup's arms and he gently stroked my hair, pulling me closer to him. He truely was perfect.

"Astrid?" He questioned, his hand stopping on my braid. I sniffed in a reply. "What happened?"

I really couldn't go through that right now and I snuggled my head into Hiccup's neck again and trying desperately to just sink into nothingness and leave the frightening world which I lived in.

"Shhhh shhhh shhhh" He said comforting me, "You don't have to tell us."

"Thanks Hiccup." I said, lifting my head slightly, my voice still being muffled by his tunic. I smiled to myself and I stopped the tears from falling. I sniffed, then lifted my head just to meet his emerald gaze. He was smiling gently at me, and I returned it as he lifted his hand and wipped the tears from my cheeks, not letting his eyes leave mine. He had an angel-like shine in his, it bouncing and complimenting the grassy green iris; the actual eye itself was round and caring and I lost myself in its depths. It was white like a beautiful beach, and I could image relaxing beside them. The black pupils overwhelmed me and I fell through them, feeling the world leave me - the only thing to bring me back was a deliberate cough from Snotlout.

"When you two have finished oogling at eachother, can we get back to the cave!" He called, increasing in volume with every word. I blinked rapidly and pulled away from his arms which I hadn't realised were on my shoulders. He scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment, and looked at his feet.

"Yeah, okay..." I sighed and turned away from him and back to the group.

"Hey, Ruff!" Whispered Tuff, clearly not wanting anyone to hear him but Ruff - but my hearing was extremely good. "How long do you think it'll be until Hiccup and Astrid have kids? I'm wagering a year."

I waited for Ruff's answer, before I made my move.

"Ahh, good assumption dear brother, but I expect it will be closer to 9 months." She replied. That's it! I could normally rely on Ruff, I kind of felt a stone drop in my stomach. In anger, I stormed past them, making sure my shoulders bashed into theirs, and I stared straight ahead, walking so fast I could feel the air hit my face a little.

"I think she heard you." Whispered Tuff to Ruff.

"She heard you!" Snatched back Ruff.

"It's because you said 9 months! Everyone knows it takes 9 months for a baby to grow, so that means that they have to--" Tuff whispered, before Ruff slapped her hand over her brother's mouth.

"I'm not stupid! I meant 9 months until ya know..." Complained Ruff.

"You didn't say that though..." Tuff pointed out. "So how much do you bet?"

"An eye." Ruff answered.

"I will wager a gall bladder." Replied Tuff. They spat on their hands and shook them together. I sighed.

XxXxXxXx

"They were extremely fast with deadly accurate shooting thorns from their tails and horns." I told the group. "I don't think they flew, instead they climbed trees like cats. They had amazing eye-sight, probably even able to see perfectly in the dark. Also, they had really long claws and teeth - probably for chopping or slicing. It had a scaley body which was green, the same as an oak trees infact, with darker green spots almost the colour of a spruce. It had large, shiny green eyes and a long face, similar to a Monstrous Nightmare's, but more stream-lined and thin. It had small holes for its nostrils and its ears were cleverly camoflauged as leaves. All the way down its back it had a row of frilly... things, identical to birch leaves, in a similar fashion to a Zippleback. Its growl was menacing and torcherous, like a very low dog's growl, but with an edge to it."

"What did it eat?" Asked Fishlegs, making detailed notes in his brown notebook which he carried everwhere with him. I had had to repeat a few points so he could write them down word for word. Some of the details about the dragons were long forgotten, mainly to the fact that I was trying to get out of the forest alive.

"I didn't notice as I was running for my life." I told him.

"Okay, yeh. That makes sense." He told me, an edge of sadness and disappointment in his usually soft voice.

"Toothless seemed to have met them before, he knew exactly how to protect me." I added, scratching under his neck careful not to hit his sweet-spot.

Hiccup had remained extremely quiet. He was very tired, hungry and thirsty and he was just sat staring at the fire from under a yak-skin blanket. He was slowly sipping the water which I risked my neck for and he had a half-eaten fish at his side.

"Moonspines." He silently said. I fell silent, and looked at his slump shape. "Moonspines. Me and Toothless met them about a year ago and studied them. They are nocturnal and can see perfectly in the dark. Impossible to train. They should be no-where near Berk. They can't fly, so the only way that they can get here is if they walked, or someone took them here. " He said, before standing shakily up.

"Hiccup, you need to rest." I said calmly.

"Where was I? Recovering from Fireworm burns because I was stupid and reckless to even go out there. I should have been there with you." He quietly said, leaning against the mouth of the cave staring out of it. It must have been almost midnight now and I was growing sleepy.

"Hiccup. It wasn't you fault." I said to him, standing up. The rest of the group was watching the scene unfold before them. I had properly shouted at the twins due to their snarky comments from before, so they were still a little shaken from that. Fishlegs was still scribbling in his book and Snotlout was relaxing against the cave wall, under a blanket upto his chin.

"It was Astrid. It was my fault. If they had... if they had... had..." He muttered, not turning his gaze off the glistening moon.

"What is it Hiccup?" I asked him. He sighed and looked at me. The whole group was looking at us, interested at what was going to happen.

"If one prick of a thorn had pierced the top layer of your fingernail, if a thorn had pricked the very top layer of skin off your ear... you would be dead in three moons!" He said, his voice rising at the end. He ended up shouting the next phrase: "And where was I? You could have died! And it would be MY FAULT!"

"Hiccup--" I started, stuttering on my own words. What was he thinking? If anyone was to blame - it would be me. I went into the forest unprepared. I went alone. I should have ran earlier.

"I am not worthy of you, Astrid." He said, sighing and clutching the skin between his eyes with his finger and thumb. "Come on, bud."

Toothless walked over unsure that it was a wise decision. Hiccup swung his leg over Toothless and prepared to fly.

"Hiccup." I said clutching his hand with my own. I stared up into his eyes and he reluctantly looked at me. "I am to be blame. It was my fault. I should have been smarter than to go off by myself. Don't blame yourself."

"You deserve someone better. You deserve a strong, smart, protective, handsome, brave, fearless, wise man. I am non of that." He said, turning his head away and trying to get his hand out of my grip, but I fiercely held onto it.

"You are all of that and more." I replied.

"Im not strong." He answered.

"You are mentally strong. A good thinker." I told him.

"I am not protective." He answered.

"You have saved me and gave me more opportunities than I can count!" I answered him. He still didn't look at me. He tried to pull his hand away, and I let him.

"I am nothing." He answered.

"You are everything!" I replied.

"Goodbye, Astrid." He said, as Toothless spred his wings.

"Hiccup Haddock you listen to me right now!" I sternly shouted at him, stomping my foot on the floor.

"I love you, Astrid." He said as they shot out of the cave into the cool night. I stood there in shock - would he come back? Did he truely love me? What was that about?

I finally came to my senses as Fishlegs placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

"I love you too, Hiccup."

Awwww.