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Chapter Text

The salt-stained boat scraped against the rocky shore of Berk with a grinding sound that echoed across the harbor. Dawn was breaking over the jagged cliffs, painting the sky in shades of copper and steel—colors that reminded Sigrid too much of dragonfire and blood. He steadied himself against the boat's weathered hull, muscles aching from days of drifting at the mercy of northern currents.

Just a month.

He told himself, the same lie he'd been repeating for decades since he'd lost any place he could call home. I've lived for over a thousand years, but I've never been this lonely. One month among humans, then I'll leave immediately.

The harbor was already stirring with activity. Burly Vikings hauled nets heavy with fish, their voices carrying the particular cadence of people who lived with danger as a constant companion. Dragon raids had a way of sharpening a community's edges, making them wary of anything—or anyone—that didn't belong.

Cover art from yabiiiii

Sigrid pulled his weathered cloak tighter around his shoulders, ensuring every inch of inhuman features remained hidden. No horns protruding from above his head, no scales visible on his neck or the back of his hands, no ancient power crackling around him like lightning. To these people, he was just another storm-tossed wanderer seeking shelter.

"You there!" The voice cracked like a whip across the morning air.

"State your business!"

A group of Vikings approached, hands resting meaningfully on axe handles. Their leader was a broad-shouldered man with suspicious eyes and the kind of scars that spoke of too many dragon encounters. Behind him, others gathered—fishermen abandoning their nets, blacksmiths emerging from forges, all drawn by the prospect of confronting an outsider.

Sigrid raised his hands in the universal gesture of peace, careful to keep his movements slow and human-normal. "I'm just a traveler," he said, letting exhaustion color his voice. It wasn't entirely false—he was tired, bone-deep weary in ways that had nothing to do with physical fatigue.

"My boat was caught in the storm. I was hoping to find shelter, perhaps trade my skills for supplies."

"Skills?" The leader's eyes narrowed further. "What kind of skills does a stranger offer on Berk?"

Before Sigrid could answer, commotion erupted from the village above. Shouts echoed off stone walls, and the acrid smell of smoke began to drift down toward the harbor. A woman came running down the wooden steps, her face pale with panic.

"Bjorn! Thank the gods—we need help at the healing hut! The Monstrous Nightmare attack last night—Ragnor's burns have gone septic, and old Helga says she can't—" The woman stopped abruptly as she noticed Sigrid, wariness replacing urgency in her expression.

Sigrid's enhanced hearing caught fragments of conversation from the village above.

'Healer's dead... dragon fire took the hut... don't know what to do...'

His stomach twisted. Even here, even among humans he'd never met, the endless cycle of violence between dragons and Vikings continued to claim lives.

"You said skills," Bjorn repeated, but his tone had shifted slightly.

"You wouldn't happen to know anything about healing, would you, stranger?"

The irony was almost enough to make Sigrid laugh, if the situation weren't so desperate. An Ancient Dragon—a creature these people would kill on sight—being asked to save lives that dragon fire had threatened. But he'd lived too long, seen too much suffering, to let pride stand in the way of helping.

"I've... picked up some knowledge over the years," he said carefully. "Traveling leaves you with all sorts of skills."

The woman stepped forward, desperation overriding caution.

"Please. Ragnor has a family—three children. And there are others injured from last night's raid. Our healer..." She swallowed hard. "Our healer didn't make it."

Before anyone could respond, heavy footsteps echoed down the harbor steps. The crowd parted instinctively, revealing a young man who commanded attention despite his obvious youth. Auburn hair caught the morning light, and green eyes surveyed the scene with the weight of recent responsibility. This had to be Stoick—the chief Sigrid had heard whispered about during his approach to the island.

"What's happening here?" Stoick's voice carried authority beyond his years, but Sigrid could sense the uncertainty beneath. New leadership, still finding its footing in a world where dragon attacks could destroy everything in a single night.

Bjorn straightened. "Stranger washed up on our shores, Chief. Claims he might have healing knowledge. Given what happened to Ingrid last night..."

Stoick's gaze fixed on Sigrid, measuring. Those green eyes held pain—recent loss, the burden of leadership thrust upon young shoulders, the weight of protecting people who looked to him for answers he didn't have. Sigrid recognized the look. He'd worn it himself, centuries ago, when he'd been the last of his kind tasked with protecting something precious.

"What's your name, stranger?"

"Sigrid," he replied simply. "Just Sigrid."

"And where do you come from, Just Sigrid?"

The question hung in the salt-tinged air. Around them, Vikings waited with the particular stillness of people accustomed to violence, ready to defend their home against any threat. Sigrid could feel their suspicion like a physical weight, could hear the way hands shifted toward weapons, could smell the lingering smoke and fear from the previous night's attack.

"From a place that no longer exists," he said quietly. "Fire and war have a way of erasing history."

Something shifted in Stoick's expression—a flicker of recognition, perhaps even sympathy. Here was a young chief who'd inherited a war he didn't start, responsible for people whose lives hung in the balance of decisions he had to make without guidance. The burden of leadership was written in the tension of his shoulders, the careful way he held himself.

"Bjorn," Stoick said finally, "Escort our guest to the healing hut. If he can help Ragnor and the others..." He paused, then addressed Sigrid directly.

"If you can save lives today, stranger, Berk will remember. But understand this—we've learned to be cautious with outsiders. These are dangerous times."

As if summoned by his words, a distant roar echoed across the morning sky. Every Viking present tensed, hands moving to weapons with practiced ease. But the sound faded without the telltale whistle of approaching wings, and gradually, the crowd began to disperse.

Sigrid followed Bjorn up the winding path toward the village, acutely aware of the eyes tracking his movement. With each step, he felt the weight of deception settling around his shoulders like a familiar cloak. These people needed a healer, and he could provide that service without revealing what he truly was.

One month.

He reminded himself again, even as something in Stoick's earnest green eyes suggested that leaving might prove more complicated than he'd planned.

Behind him, the harbor waves whispered against the shore with the sound of secrets yet to be revealed.

Chapter Text

The healing hut felt smaller than it should have, tucked between the armory and the grain stores like an afterthought. Sigrid had claimed it first days ago—if claiming was the right word for accepting Stoick's gruff offer of temporary shelter. The late healer's belongings still lingered in corners: clay pots with herbs he couldn't identify, tools whose purposes remained mysteries, and the lingering scent of someone else's life.

One month, he reminded himself, arranging his meager supplies on the worn wooden shelves. Just one month, and then I'll move on.

The dragon raids had been particularly vicious lately, Stoick had mentioned. They needed a healer, and Sigrid had appeared at precisely the right moment—a wandering healer with steady hands and knowledge of wounds that ran deeper than most Vikings cared to admit. It was convenient, almost suspiciously so, but Sigrid had learned long ago that humans rarely questioned good fortune when it arrived on their doorstep.

He kept the shutters half-closed during those first days, working by lamplight even when the sun blazed overhead. The less he saw of Berk's daily life, the easier it would be to leave. The less they saw of him, the fewer questions they'd ask.

But Berk, as he was beginning to discover, was not a place that allowed for isolation.

"You're the new healer, then?"

The voice belonged to a woman with graying braids and arms thick as tree trunks. She'd appeared in his doorway without warning, carrying a child whose arm hung at an odd angle.

"I am," Sigrid replied, his hands already moving to examine the injury. A clean break, easily set. "What happened?"

"Fell from the watchtower. Boys will be boys, even when there are dragons about." She watched him work with sharp eyes. "I'm Roskva. This is my grandson, Thuger."

Sigrid nodded, focusing on the bone beneath his fingers. It was always easier to heal than to make conversation. "The break is clean. He'll be fine in a few weeks."

"That's what I told his mother." Roskva's voice carried the weight of someone who'd seen too many injuries to count. "She's been fretting like a mother hen."

As Sigrid worked, he found himself listening despite his better judgment. Helga spoke of her daughter's worries, of her own aching joints that predicted storms better than any weathervane, of the way young Thuger reminded her of her late husband at that age. Her words painted pictures of lives intertwined across generations, of a community that knew each other's stories as well as their own names.

One month, he reminded himself again, but the words felt less solid than before.

The boy, Thuger, watched him with wide eyes as Sigrid wrapped the splint.

"Does it hurt much to be a healer?" he asked, with the blunt curiosity of the very young.

"Sometimes," Sigrid answered honestly. "But helping people heal... that makes it worthwhile."

Helga left with her grandson, pressing a small jar of honey into Sigrid's hands despite his protests. "For your kindness," she said, and there was something in her tone that suggested she saw more than just a wandering healer.

The honey sat on his shelf for three days before he finally tasted it. It was sweeter than he remembered honey being, with notes of wildflowers he couldn't name. It tasted like belonging, which was a dangerous thing for someone planning to leave.

By the end of the first week, Sigrid had learned the names of injuries rather than people. The blacksmith's apprentice with the burned palm was simply "the burn." The fisherman's wife with the infected cut was "the wound that won't close." The elderly man with the persistent cough was "the chest ailment."

It was safer that way. Names created connections, and connections created obligations he couldn't afford.

But names had a way of creeping in despite his best efforts.

"Morning, Healer," called out Spitelout as he passed by the healing hut, his voice carrying the particular brand of cheerfulness that came from surviving another night without dragon raids.

Sigrid nodded from his doorway, where he'd been hanging herbs to dry. The morning air was crisp, carrying the scent of sea salt and the ever-present smell of smoke from the forges.

"Lovely day for it," Spitelout continued, seemingly unbothered by Sigrid's minimal response. "Gobber's been wondering if you might take a look at his shoulder. Says it's been giving him trouble."

"Tell him to come by this afternoon," Sigrid replied, then paused. "After the forge cools down. The heat won't help with inflammation."

Spitelout's grin widened. "I'll tell him. Good thinking, that."

It was a small exchange, barely worth noting, but as Spitelout walked away, Sigrid realized he'd offered advice without being asked. The kind of advice that suggested he cared about the outcome, about Gobber's comfort and recovery.

Gobber, he thought. 'the blacksmith.' Gobber.

The second week brought new challenges. A fishing accident resulted in three men with various injuries, and suddenly Sigrid's quiet healing hut became the center of worried activity. Wives and children crowded into the small space, their voices rising and falling like waves against the shore.

"Will he be all right?" asked a young woman with terror in her eyes, clutching a baby to her chest while her husband lay unconscious on Sigrid's table.

"The head injury is serious, but not fatal," Sigrid assured her, his hands steady as he cleaned the wound. "He'll need rest, and someone to watch him for signs of confusion when he wakes."

"I'll watch him," she said immediately. "I'll not leave his side."

"What's your name?" The question slipped out before Sigrid could stop it.

"Ingrid." she whispered. "And this is our second son, Olaf. And my husband is—"

"Bjorn." Sigrid finished, surprising himself. He'd heard the name called out during the commotion, had filed it away without thinking. "He's strong. He'll recover."

Ingrid's relief was palpable, and when Bjorn did wake the next morning with nothing worse than a headache and a spectacular bruise, she brought Sigrid a loaf of bread still warm from the oven.

"Thank you," she said simply, and Sigrid found himself accepting the gift without his usual protests.

The bread was gone by evening, shared with old Gothi when she'd stopped by to check on his supplies. The ancient woman said nothing, but her knowing look suggested she understood more than she let on.

Sigrid was beginning to feel anxious as the one-month mark approached. The island was still overflowing with patients, and over the past three weeks, he had grown too close to the people of this island. The plan to leave with a light heart now seemed nearly impossible.

"You're settling in well," Stoick observed one evening, appearing in the doorway with two wooden cups of ale and the easy confidence of a man used to being welcome everywhere.

Sigrid accepted the offered drink, though he remained standing. "The work keeps me busy."

"Aye, that it does." Stoick settled onto the bench Sigrid had built for waiting patients. "The village is grateful. We've been without a proper healer for too long."

"I'm not—" Sigrid began, then stopped. He'd been about to say he wasn't staying, but the words felt like a lie even before they left his tongue.

"You're not what?" Stoick prompted gently.

"Nothing," Sigrid muttered, taking a sip of ale. It was good—dark and rich with a hint of honey. "Just... nothing."

Stoick studied him with those keen green eyes that seemed to see too much. "You know, when I first became chief, I thought leadership meant standing apart. Keeping distance. Making the hard choices alone."

"And now?"

"Now I know that distance is a luxury a leader can't afford. Community isn't built on walls, lad. It's built on bridges."

Sigrid didn't respond, but something in his chest tightened at the words. Stoick finished his ale in comfortable silence, then stood to leave.

"The offer stands, you know," he said at the doorway. "If you decide to stay beyond your month. Berk could use a healer like you."

After Stoick left, Sigrid sat alone in the healing hut, surrounded by the tools of his trade and the lingering scent of herbs and healing. Outside, he could hear the sounds of Berk settling into evening—children being called in for supper, the last of the fishing boats returning to harbor, the eternal sound of Gobber's hammer ringing against metal.

He'd been here three weeks, and already the rhythm of the village had become familiar. He knew that Thuger's arm was healing well, that Bjorn had returned to his boat with no lasting effects from his injury, that Gobber's shoulder felt better since he'd started using the salve Sigrid had prepared.

He knew their names now, and their stories. He knew that Helga made the best honey cakes on the island, that Spitelout's cheerful exterior hid a sharp tactical mind, that Stoick carried the weight of every decision like stones in his chest.

One month, he thought again, but the words had lost their power.

Outside, a dragon's roar echoed across the water—distant and harmless, as they'd been since his arrival. His dragon heart responded with a flutter of recognition, but he pushed the feeling down. Whatever was keeping the dragons away, it was working. Berk was safe, at least for now.

Maybe he could stay just a little longer.

The thought should have terrified him. Instead, as he banked the fire and prepared for sleep, Sigrid found himself planning what herbs he'd need to gather tomorrow, which patients he should check on, how he might expand the healing hut's storage space.

For the first time in longer than he cared to remember, he was thinking about the future instead of just surviving the present.

And for the first time in centuries, that future included other people.

Maybe, he thought as sleep took him, one month was never going to be enough.

Chapter Text

Four months.

Sigrid had been telling himself it was still temporary for four months, even as he'd expanded the healing hut's herb garden and started planning where to build proper storage for winter supplies. Even as the villagers had stopped calling him "the healer" and started using his name in casual conversation.

Even as Stoick had begun stopping by in the evenings, not for medical attention, but simply to talk.

Four months of peace. Four months without a single dragon raid.

It couldn't last forever.

The attack came without warning, shattering the calm of an ordinary evening like a stone through glass. Sigrid was grinding herbs by lamplight when the first roar split the air, followed immediately by the crash of splintering wood and the acrid smell of burning thatch.

"DRAGON RAID!"

The cry went up from the watchtowers, echoing through the village as Vikings poured from their homes, weapons in hand.
The viking's defenses sprang into action with practiced efficiency. Catapults swiveled on their platforms as Vikings cranked the massive arms back, loading boulders and flaming projectiles. The distinctive thunk-whir of ballistas filled the air as iron-tipped bolts streaked toward the diving dragons. Watchtower horns blared in coordinated patterns, directing the defense crews to focus their fire on the largest threats.

Sigrid's dragon heart lurched in his chest, a painful reminder of what he was, what he'd been hiding. For four months, he'd kept the wild dragons at bay through subtle influence, gentle redirections that sent them away from Berk's shores.

But tonight was different. Tonight, the call that drove them forward was stronger than his quiet suggestions, more insistent than his careful manipulations. The Queen's voice, distant but undeniable, overrode his attempts at deterrence.

They can't refuse her, he realized with growing dread. Not when she commands them directly.

Outside, chaos erupted. A Monstrous Nightmare crashed through the roof of the granary, sending Vikings scattering as flames licked at the wooden supports. A pack of Deadly Nadders swooped low over the main square, their tail spines glinting in the firelight as they dove toward fleeing villagers. A Gronkles are snatched sheeps and fly away.

Sigrid grabbed his healer's satchel out of instinct, then stopped. Tonight, bandages and salves wouldn't be enough. Tonight, people were going to die unless—

A scream cut through his thoughts. Through his window, he could see Ingrid stumbling through the smoke, baby Olaf clutched to her chest, a Zippleback bearing down on her with jaws agape.

The decision made itself.

Sigrid burst from the healing hut, not with the careful steps of a non-combatant, but with the fluid grace of a predator. He snatched up a shield from where it leaned against the wall—not a sword, never a sword, he couldn't bring himself to wield a blade against his own kind—and sprinted toward the danger.

"Ingrid!" he shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos. "This way!"

The Zippleback's heads swiveled toward him, momentarily distracted from their original target. Sigrid raised the shield as gas hissed from one mouth, then struck hard against the dragon's snout as it lunged forward. The blow sent it reeling back, confused but unharmed, and it took wing again with an affronted shriek.

"The Great Hall!" Sigrid called to Ingrid, helping her to her feet. "Get to the Great Hall"

She nodded, tears streaming down her soot-stained face, and ran toward the stone building where other villagers were taking shelter.

All around him, Berk burned. Vikings fought with desperate courage against creatures that had haunted their nightmares for generations, while Sigrid moved through the battlefield like a ghost, appearing wherever the need was greatest. He pulled Gothi from the path of a diving Gronckle, used his shield to deflect the tail spike of a Nadder that had cornered young Thuger, and somehow managed to guide a confused Terror away from the armory before it could ignite the weapons cache.

A roar of pain drew his attention across the square, where Stoick was locked in combat with a massive Nightmare. The chief's sword blazed with reflected fire as he parried the dragon's claws, but Sigrid could see the exhaustion in his movements, the way his shield arm trembled under repeated impacts.

Behind Stoick, unseen and unheard over the chaos of battle, another dragon descended. A Deadly Nadder, its yellow eyes fixed on the chief's unprotected back, tail cocked and ready to strike.

Time slowed.

Sigrid saw the trajectory, calculated the distance, knew with crystal clarity that he wouldn't make it in time. Not as a human. Not with human speed and human strength.

But he wasn't human.

"STOICK!"

The name tore from his throat as his legs shifted for just an instant, muscles coiling with inhuman power. He shift to half-dragon.—only legs— He launched himself forward in a single, impossible leap that carried him across the distance faster than any human could run, his legs returning to normal even before he landed.

The Nadder's tail spike whistled through the air just as Sigrid's shield connected with its skull. The impact sent shockwaves up his arm, but the dragon crumpled, stunned, and slid across the cobblestones before shaking its head and taking wing once more.

Stoick spun around, his sword raised, then stopped as he recognized the figure behind him.

"Sigrid?" he panted, his face a mask of soot and sweat. "How did you—"

But there was no time for questions. The Nightmare that had been fighting Stoick let out a frustrated roar and launched itself skyward, followed by the rest of its pack. Across the village, the other dragons were retreating as well, disappearing into the night as suddenly as they'd arrived.

The Queen's call had ended. Whatever had driven them to attack so fiercely had released its hold, and the wild dragons were free to flee.

Silence fell over Berk like a blanket, broken only by the crackle of flames and the groans of the wounded. Sigrid let his heartbeat slow to a more human rhythm, grateful that the chaos and smoke had hidden his moment of transformation.

"That was..." Stoick began, then trailed off, staring at the spot where the Nadder had fallen.

"How did you move so fast?"

Sigrid's heart hammered against his ribs.

"Fear does strange things to a man."

It wasn't entirely a lie. Fear had driven him—fear of losing the first real home he'd known in centuries, fear of watching good people die when he had the power to save them.

Stoick nodded slowly, though something in his eyes suggested he wasn't entirely convinced. "Aye, that it does." He clapped a heavy hand on Sigrid's shoulder.

"Thank you, lad. That dragon would have taken my head clean off."

"You'd have done the same for me," Sigrid replied, and meant it.

Stoick's grip tightened slightly.

"You could have stayed in the healing hut. Could have hidden until it was over. No one would have blamed a healer for avoiding the fight."

Sigrid met his gaze steadily. "These people are under my care. All of them. I couldn't just hide while they suffered."

Something shifted in Stoick's expression then, a recognition of shared values, shared purpose. "No," he said quietly. "I don't suppose you could."

The rest of the night passed in a blur of tending wounds and assessing damage. The granary was a total loss, and several homes would need extensive repairs, but miraculously, no one had died. A few serious injuries, many minor burns and cuts, but every soul in Berk was still breathing.

As dawn broke over the devastated village, Sigrid found himself sitting on the steps of the healing hut, exhaustion weighing down his limbs like lead. His dragon heart had finally stopped racing, but the memory of the transformation lingered—the moment when instinct had overridden caution, when protecting Stoick had mattered more than protecting his secret.

"Couldn't sleep either?"

Stoick's voice came from the shadows, and a moment later the chief emerged, two wooden cups of ale in his hands despite the early hour.

"Too much to think about," Sigrid admitted, accepting the offered drink.

Stoick settled beside him on the steps.

"That was some fight you put up last night. For a healer."

There it was—the question that had been hanging in the air since the battle ended. Sigrid chose his words carefully.

"I've traveled widely. Seen things. Learned things. Not all healers live quiet lives."

"No," Stoick agreed. "I suppose they don't." He was quiet for a long moment, staring out at the smoke still rising from the damaged buildings. "I've been thinking about what you said. About these people being under your care."

"And?"

"A healer who thinks like that—who puts himself in danger to protect his patients—that's not someone passing through. That's someone who's found his place."

Sigrid's throat tightened. "Stoick—"

"I'm not asking you to make any declarations," the chief continued gently. "I'm just saying... if you wanted to stay, if you wanted to make this permanent, you'd be welcome. More than welcome."

The morning sun painted the sky in shades of gold and rose, casting long shadows across the battle-scarred village. Somewhere in the distance, a rooster crowed, and the normal sounds of daily life began to reassert themselves. Berk was wounded, but it would heal. It would rebuild.

And maybe, just maybe, Sigrid could help it do both.

"One month," he said quietly, remembering his original plan.

Stoick chuckled. "Aye, you said that. Four months ago."

"I did." Sigrid took a sip of ale, tasting the complexity of flavors that had become familiar over these months. It was strange how something could taste like... not quite home, but like the possibility of home. Like the memory of places he'd once belonged, long ago. "But look at this place now. You'll need all the help you can get to rebuild."

"That we will."

"So perhaps..." Sigrid chose his words carefully, as if speaking them too boldly might shatter the fragile hope growing in his chest. "Perhaps I could stay a bit longer. Until things are back to normal."

Stoick's hand found his shoulder again, warm and solid and reassuring. "And how long might that be, do you think?"

Sigrid looked out over the village—not quite his village, not yet, but a place where he was needed, where he was wanted. Where people knew his name and trusted him with their lives. It had been so long since he'd had that. So long since he'd found somewhere that felt like it could become home again.

"I suppose we'll find out," he said simply.

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

It had been fourteen years since Sigrid first settled on Berk. The morning brought with it the familiar rhythm of another day, and Sigrid had almost managed to convince himself that his evening resolution would hold stronger this time when Valka appeared at his door. There was something different about her today - a lightness in her step, a brightness in her eyes that hadn't been there the night before, though she moved with a careful deliberation that immediately caught his attention.

"Sigrid," she called out, her voice carrying an odd note of barely contained excitement mixed with something that might have been nervousness. "Are you taking patients yet? I'm feeling a bit... off this morning."

The smile on her face was radiant despite her words, and Sigrid felt his healer's instincts sharpen immediately. In all the years he'd known Valka, she'd rarely complained of illness - the woman was as hardy as the rest of Berk's inhabitants, weathering dragon raids and harsh winters with equal stoicism.

"Of course," he said, stepping aside to let her enter. "Come in, sit down. What sort of 'off' are we talking about?"

Valka settled onto the familiar wooden stool, but there was something almost... careful about the way she moved, as if she were protecting something precious. Her hands, Sigrid noticed, kept drifting to her midsection in an unconscious gesture that made his enhanced senses suddenly focus with laser-like intensity.

"Nothing serious," she said, still wearing that strange, secretive smile. "Just... queasy in the mornings, tired more than usual. You know how it is."

But Sigrid didn't know, because Valka was never queasy, never tired without good reason. His healer's training kicked in automatically as he moved closer, reaching for her wrist to check her pulse. "Let me have a proper look at you."

The moment his fingers found the pulse point on her wrist, Sigrid felt the world shift around him. The rhythm beneath his fingertips was slightly faster than normal, but it was the quality of it that made his Ancient Dragon senses suddenly snap to full attention. There was something different, something...

And then he heard it.

His enhanced hearing, so carefully controlled and suppressed in his daily life among humans, caught something that no mortal healer would have detected. Beneath Valka's steady heartbeat, faint but unmistakable, was another rhythm. Smaller, faster, the rapid flutter of a heart that was barely formed but undeniably there.

The sound struck him like a physical blow, and he jerked back from her wrist as if it had burned him, his blue eyes wide with shock.

"You're pregnant?" The words burst out of him in a voice pitched higher than usual, loud enough for anyone passing by the hut to hear clearly. "Valka, you're with child!"

Valka's delighted laughter filled the small space, bright and joyful as spring after a long winter. "So you can tell already! I thought you might - you always did have an uncanny ability to diagnose things before the rest of us even knew what to look for."

If only you knew why, Sigrid thought, his mind reeling. He sank down onto his own stool, staring at her with a mixture of wonder and something that felt uncomfortably like panic. A baby. Valka and Stoick were going to have a baby.

"How long?" he managed to ask, his voice still not quite steady.

"Gothi was actually the first to suspect," Valka said with a fond smile. "You know how she is - nothing gets past her. She pulled me aside three days ago and shared her observations. I wasn't entirely certain until yesterday, but..." She placed both hands over her still-flat stomach with infinite tenderness. "But yes. Stoick and I are finally going to be parents."

The joy in her voice was infectious, and despite the turmoil in his own chest, Sigrid found himself smiling. "That's... that's wonderful news, Valka. Truly. Stoick must be over the moon."

"He nearly fainted when I told him," she laughed. "You'd think after fourteen years of marriage and all his talk about wanting an heir, he'd be better prepared for the actual news. But he just stood there opening and closing his mouth like a landed fish until I thought I'd have to fetch you to revive him."

Sigrid could picture it perfectly - the great chief of Berk, terror of dragons and scourge of raiders, brought to his knees by the simple announcement that he was going to be a father. The image was both amusing and oddly touching.

"There is something else," Valka continued, her voice growing softer, more serious. "Something Stoick and I discussed, and we're both in agreement about."

Something in her tone made Sigrid's enhanced senses pick up the subtle change in her heart rate, the slight tension that crept into her posture. "What is it?"

"We want you to be the baby's fosterer."

The words hung in the air between them like a physical presence, and Sigrid felt as though the ground had suddenly shifted beneath his feet. Fosterer. They wanted him - a dragon hiding among humans, a creature whose very nature was antithetical to everything Vikings stood for - to be fosterer to their child.

"I..." he started, then stopped, his throat suddenly tight. The honor they were offering him was immense, the trust implicit in the request almost overwhelming. But the guilt... Thor's hammer, the guilt was like a living thing clawing at his insides.

How could he accept such a role when every moment of his presence in their lives was built on deception? How could he promise to guide and protect their child when his very existence among them was a lie that could shatter everything they believed about him?

"Sigrid?" Valka's voice was gentle, concerned. "You've gone very quiet."

He looked up to find her watching him with those sharp, intelligent eyes that saw far too much. There was understanding there, and patience, but also a quiet certainty that told him she'd already made up her mind about what she wanted his answer to be.

"It's a great honor," he said carefully, choosing his words like a man walking across thin ice. "I'm not sure I'm the right choice for such an important role. Surely there are others who would be more suitable - other Vikings who could offer the child more than a wandering healer..."

"Sigrid," Valka said firmly. "You've been our closest friend for fourteen years. You've saved more lives in this village than anyone can count, and you've done it with a kindness and dedication that puts the rest of us to shame. There is no one - no one - that Stoick and I would trust more with our child's welfare."

The conviction in her voice was absolute, brooking no argument. "Besides," she added with a return of her earlier smile, "you're the only person I know who can out-stubborn Stoick when it comes to doing what's right. This child is going to need someone like that in their corner."

Someone like that. If only she knew what he really was, would she still think he was someone worth having in her child's corner? Would she still trust him with something so precious if she knew that the gentle hands she praised could sprout claws capable of tearing through stone, or that the eyes looking at her with such apparent warmth could shift to the predatory slits of an Ancient Dragon?

But looking at her now, seeing the hope and trust shining in her face, Sigrid found he couldn't voice any of those doubts. This woman had become more than a friend over the years - she was family in every way that mattered. And she was asking him to be family to her child as well.

"Valka," he said quietly, his voice rough with emotion he couldn't quite hide, "are you absolutely certain? This is... this isn't a decision to be made lightly."

"I've never been more certain of anything in my life," she replied without hesitation. "And neither has Stoick. We want you to be part of this child's life from the very beginning. We want them to know they have an uncle who will always be there for them, no matter what."

Uncle. The word settled into his chest like a warm ember, both comforting and terrifying in its implications. He thought of all the ways this could go wrong, all the dangers his presence might bring to an innocent child. But he also thought of the joy he'd felt watching Stoick and Valka's relationship blossom over the years, the deep contentment he'd found in being part of their lives.

Perhaps... perhaps it was selfish, but he couldn't bring himself to say no. Not when Valka was looking at him like that, not when she was offering him something he'd never dared to hope for - the chance to be truly part of a family.

"Yes." he said finally, his voice barely above a whisper. "Yes, I would be honored to be your child's fosterer."

Valka's face lit up like the sun breaking through storm clouds, and before Sigrid could react, she was on her feet and wrapping him in a fierce embrace that took him completely by surprise.

"Thank you." she whispered against his shoulder. "Thank you, Sigrid. This means everything to us."

As he carefully returned the embrace, mindful of his inhuman strength, Sigrid closed his eyes and tried to push down the part of him that whispered this was a mistake. For now, he would allow himself this moment of pure joy, this glimpse of what it might be like to truly belong.

The child growing beneath Valka's heart would be loved, protected, and cherished - and whatever else he was, whatever secrets he carried, Sigrid would make sure of that.

Even if it meant staying on Berk far longer than he'd ever intended.

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

A few months later, Valka safely gave birth to Hiccup, and she also recovered her health over the following weeks, returning to her perfect pre-pregnancy condition. Then one day, the night sky blazed with dragon fire, turning Berk into a hellscape of smoke and flame. Sigrid moved through the chaos with practiced efficiency, tending to the wounded with hands that remained steady despite the carnage around him. This was far from the first raid he'd weathered on this island, but something about tonight felt different - more desperate, more vicious than usual.

The warning bells had been ringing for what felt like hours when he heard it - Stoick's voice rising above the din, raw with a terror Sigrid had never heard from the chief before.

"VALKA!"

The name cut through the battle noise like an axe through woods, and Sigrid's blood turned to ice in his veins. He spun toward the sound, his enhanced vision piercing through the smoke and darkness to find the source of Stoick's anguish.

There, silhouetted against the flames, was a massive Stormcutter - one of the largest dragons Sigrid had ever seen. And clutched in its powerful talons, struggling but very much alive, was Valka.

The great beast was already lifting off, its four wings beating with powerful strokes that carried it higher into the night sky with each passing second. On the ground below, Stoick stood frozen in helpless horror, watching his wife disappear into the darkness.

Sigrid didn't think. There was no time for thought, no moment for the careful consideration that had kept his secret safe for fourteen long years. There was only Valka - his friend, the woman carrying the child he'd sworn to protect - being carried away by a dragon that could crush her without even trying.

The shift ripped through him like wildfire.

The shift swept through him in seconds. Massive wings erupted from his shoulder blades, dark membrane stretching between elongated finger bones that could span the width of a longhouse. Curved horns burst from his skull, marking him unmistakably as something far older and more dangerous than any dragon the Vikings of Berk had ever faced. His eyes blazed with an inner fire, pupils contracting to predatory slits that could track prey across vast distances.

With a powerful leap that cracked the stone beneath his feet, Sigrid launched himself into the night sky. Luckily, no one had seen him shift. The chaos of the raid and his rapid ascent into the darkness had hidden everything from prying eyes.

The wind sang through his wings as he climbed, his hybrid form cutting through the air with deadly grace. Below him, the sounds of battle faded to distant echoes as he focused every fiber of his being on the retreating Stormcutter.

The word tore from his throat in the ancient tongue of dragons, a sound that resonated with the authority of eons and the fury of a storm given voice. "DROP THE HUMAN! NOW!"

The effect was immediate and absolute. The Stormcutter's wings faltered mid-beat, its massive body shuddering as instincts older than memory compelled it to obey. The command hit the dragon like a physical force. Ancient Dragons didn't make requests - they gave orders that couldn't be refused.

The great beast wheeled in the air, descending rapidly toward a high cliff that jutted out from Berk's northern coast. It landed with surprising gentleness, setting Valka down on the rocky surface before backing away with its head lowered in submission.

Sigrid touched down moments later, his clawed feet scraping against stone as he folded his wings. The transformation had left him partially shifted - still recognizably humanoid but unmistakably draconic, caught between two worlds in a way that made his dual nature impossible to deny.

For a long moment, the only sound was the distant roar of flames from the village below and the harsh breathing of three very different beings trying to process what had just occurred.

Valka stared at him with eyes wide as full moons, her face pale as moonlight. The horns curving from his skull caught the moonlight, casting jagged shadows across his features, while the massive black wings spread behind him seemed to swallow the night sky itself. His eyes - still that familiar blue she'd known for fourteen years - now blazed with an inner fire, the pupils contracted to predatory slits that seemed to pierce straight through her soul. He could hear her heart hammering against her ribs, could smell the fear-sweat that had broken out across her skin. Her mouth opened and closed several times, no sound emerging as her mind struggled to reconcile the man she'd known for fourteen years with the magnificent, terrifying creature before her.

When she finally spoke, her voice was barely a whisper, trembling like a leaf in a storm.

"Sigrid?"

The sound of his name on her lips made him flinch as if she'd struck him. He couldn't meet her eyes, couldn't bear to see the moment when recognition turned to revulsion, when fourteen years of friendship curdled into disgust.

"Yes, Valka," he said quietly, his voice rougher than usual due to the partial transformation.

She took a shaky step backward, her hand instinctively moving to her belly where new life grew. "I don't understand..." The question came out broken, barely audible. "This whole time... you..."

"Yes." The words came out flat, emotionless. "From the moment I washed up on your shores."

Valka's legs seemed to give out beneath her, and she sank to her knees on the rocky cliff, staring up at him with a mixture of fear, bewilderment, and something else he couldn't quite identify. Her breathing came in short, rapid gasps.

"Fourteen years," she whispered, more to herself than to him. "Fourteen years, you've been... you've been..."

"Lying to you. To everyone." Sigrid's voice was hollow, resigned. "I understand if you—"

"Let me think!" The words burst from her with unexpected force, cutting through his self-deprecation. She pressed her palms against her temples, eyes squeezed shut. "Just... let me think."

The silence stretched between them like a chasm. Sigrid remained motionless, afraid that even the slightest movement might shatter whatever fragile thread still connected them. He watched as she worked through it all—every shared meal, every conversation, every moment of trust and friendship, now viewed through this new, impossible lens.

When she finally opened her eyes and looked at him again, the raw terror had faded, replaced by something more complex. She studied his draconic features—the curved horns, the membrane wings, the predatory eyes—as if seeing them for the first time.

"You saved me," she said slowly, her voice growing steadier. "Just now, you saved me from that dragon."

"Yes."

"And before... all those times during raids when you seemed to know exactly where the dragons would strike, when you could guide people to safety..." Understanding dawned in her eyes. "You weren't just lucky, were you?"

"No," he admitted. "I could sense them. And I guide them, away from the village or back to their nests"

Valka pushed herself back to her feet, though her legs still trembled slightly. She took a tentative step toward him, and Sigrid had to fight every instinct not to retreat.

"The day you first arrived.. during that your first dragon raid," she continued, her voice gaining strength as the pieces fell into place. "Stoick said you came running through the middle of the dragon attack, straight to him. No ordinary human could have done that, could they?"

"They recognized what I was," Sigrid said quietly. "Ancient Dragons command respect from lesser dragonkind."

"And all this time, you've been protecting us. Not just as a healer, but as..." She gestured at his shifted state, still struggling with the words.

"As what I truly am."

For another long moment, she simply looked at him. Then, to his utter amazement, she took another step closer.

"By Thor's beard," she breathed, and now there was wonder creeping into her voice alongside the lingering shock. "You're magnificent."

The simple acceptance in those words nearly undid him. This woman—this incredible, impossible woman—was looking at him as he truly was and finding not a monster, but something beautiful.

Sigrid's head snapped up in shock, just in time to see Valka reach out and touch the membrane of his left wing with gentle, reverent fingers. The sensation sent a shiver through his entire frame - no one had ever touched his dragon form with anything but violence.

"You... you're not mad at me?" The words came out broken, uncertain, as if he'd forgotten how to speak properly.

"Mad?" Valka laughed, the sound bright and clear in the night air. "No. I'm very, very surprised. That's all."

The simple acceptance in her voice nearly undid him. This woman - this incredible, impossible woman - was looking at him as he truly was and finding nothing to fear.

"I suppose," he said, his voice growing stronger, "proper introductions are in order." He drew himself up to his full height and folded his wings formally against his back, executing a bow that would have been appropriate in the courts of ancient dragon lords. "I am Sigrid the Stormwing, an Ancient Dragon. I'm sorry I lied to you all this time."

Valka's face lit up with delight. "An Ancient Dragon! I knew there was something special about you, but this..." She gestured at his transformed state with something approaching reverence. "This explains so much."

They stood in comfortable silence for a moment, the weight of revelation settling between them like a bridge finally built across a long-standing chasm. But reality intruded soon enough, as it always did.

"We should return," Sigrid said reluctantly. "Stoick will be beside himself with worry, and the village—"

"No." Valka's voice was firm, decisive. "I can't go back, Sigrid. Not yet."

He tilted his head, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Look around you," she gestured toward the Stormcutter, who was still waiting in respectful submission nearby. "This dragon didn't attack me. It could have killed me a dozen times over, but it didn't. And you... you commanded it to stop, and it obeyed. There's something happening here that I don't understand, something about the dragons that we've been getting wrong all these years."

Sigrid followed her gaze to the magnificent creature, seeing the intelligence in its eyes, the careful way it held itself to appear non-threatening. "You're right," he admitted. "Most dragons aren't the mindless beasts your people believe them to be."

"Then I need to understand why they keep attacking us," Valka said with growing determination. "There has to be a reason, something that's driving them to raid our village over and over again. And if there's a way to stop it without all the bloodshed..."

Sigrid was quiet for a long moment, wrestling with something internal. When he finally spoke, his voice was heavy with reluctance. "There is a reason. Far from here, in the northern ice, there's a nest. A massive one, ruled by a dragon queen who commands all others. The raids... they're not random. They're ordered."

Valka's eyes widened. "You knew? All this time, you knew why they were attacking us?"

"Yes," he said quietly, unable to meet her gaze.

"Then why didn't you stop it? Why didn't you—"

"Because I couldn't." The words came out sharp, pained. "There are... oaths. Ancient ones. I swore long ago not to interfere directly in the affairs between dragons and humans. To maintain the balance."

"Balance?" Valka's voice rose with disbelief. "People are dying, Sigrid! Children are losing their parents, families are being torn apart, and you call that balance?"

"You think I don't know that?" Sigrid's composure cracked, revealing the anguish beneath. "You think I don't feel every death, every loss? But breaking that oath would bring consequences far worse than what you've seen."

Valka stared at him for a long moment, processing this revelation. When she spoke again, her voice was quieter but no less determined. "Then I'll go myself. I'll find this queen and—"

"No." Sigrid's response was immediate and firm. "Going alone would kill you. The cold, the distance, the other dragons that guard the approaches... It's far too dangerous to go alone. No human could make it there alive."

Valka's jaw set stubbornly. "Then what? We just accept this? Let it continue forever?"

"There might be another way," Sigrid said slowly, as if the words were being dragged from him against his will. "But it would still mean leaving Berk."

"Tell me."

"There are other dragons. Free ones, who don't answer to the queen's call. They gather in a place called Dragon Mountain, far to the northwest. Centuries ago, I knew the alpha there— noble and kind. If he still lives, if his descendants still rule there..." Sigrid paused, his expression troubled. "They might be willing to offer sanctuary to dragons fleeing the queen's tyranny. And if enough of them gathered there, it could weaken her hold on the raids."

"Then that's where I need to go," Valka said without hesitation.

"Valka, it's been hundreds of years since I last had contact with Dragon Mountain. I don't even know if it still exists, if the alpha line survived, if—"

"It's a chance," she interrupted. "The first real chance we've had to end this cycle of violence. I have to try."

Sigrid's expression grew pained. "And Hiccup? You would leave your newborn son? And Stoick... Valka, he'll be destroyed. He thinks he's already lost you tonight."

The question hit her like a physical blow, and for the first time since making her decision, doubt flickered across her features. Her hand moved instinctively to her heart, as if she could feel the invisible cord connecting her to her child, to her husband.

"Do you think this is easy for me?" she whispered, tears gathering in her eyes. "Do you think any mother wants to leave her baby? Any wife wants to abandon her husband? But Sigrid... I can't bear the thought of raising Hiccup in a world where he has to live in constant fear. Where he might grow up to become a killer like his father, or worse, be killed himself in some pointless raid."

She paused, her voice breaking slightly. "And Stoick... he's a good man, but he'll never see dragons as anything other than monsters to be slain. If I stay, I'll have to watch him teach our son the same hatred, the same endless cycle of violence."

She turned to look out over the burning village below, where the sounds of mourning were already beginning to replace the sounds of battle.

"I want to give him a better world," she continued, her voice growing stronger. "A world where dragons and humans don't have to be enemies. If there's even a chance I can help make that happen, then the temporary pain of separation is worth it. For both of them."

Sigrid studied her face, seeing the resolution there alongside the grief. "And if you fail? If Dragon Mountain is gone, or if they won't help?"

"Then at least I'll have tried. And I'll come home to my son and my husband knowing I did everything I could." She looked at him with desperate hope. "You'll watch over them both, won't you? You'll make sure Hiccup knows I love him, and that Stoick... that Stoick doesn't lose himself in grief?"

"The chief is stronger than you think," Sigrid said gently. "But yes, I'll be there for both of them. Stoick will need someone to help him raise Hiccup, and that boy will need to know his mother was a hero, not a victim."

"Valka..." Sigrid's voice was soft with understanding and sorrow. "Of course I will. I swore to be his fosterer, and that oath I will never break."

She nodded, wiping away a tear that had escaped down her cheek. "Then it's settled." She turned to the Stormcutter, who had been listening to their entire conversation with intelligent eyes. "Don't tell anyone where I'm going. If you do, you'll end up having to reveal your true identity to Stoick, and I know exactly how my husband would handle that."

Sigrid's continued influence, the great dragon had grown completely docile, its earlier aggression replaced by an almost protective demeanor.

"Well then, big dragon." Valka said, approaching the dragon with only slight hesitation. "It seems we're going on an adventure."

As Sigrid watched Valka climb onto the Stormcutter's back, he felt his heart clench with a mixture of pride and sorrow. She was choosing the harder path, the uncertain one, but it was also the path of hope. In seeking to understand dragons rather than simply kill them, she might indeed be the key to ending the centuries of conflict that had defined Viking life.

"Send word when you can," he called up to her as the Stormcutter prepared for takeoff. "And Valka? Be careful. The world beyond Berk is vast and full of dangers even I don't fully understand."

"I will," she promised. "Thank you. Sigrid. For everything. For trusting me with the truth."

With that, the Stormcutter launched itself into the night sky, carrying Valka toward an uncertain but hopeful future. Sigrid watched until they disappeared into the darkness, then slowly began the shift back to his human form.

By the time he returned to Berk, the raid was over and the fires were being doused. He would tell Stoick that he'd searched but found no trace of Valka or her captor. It was a lie that tasted like ash in his mouth, but it was necessary.

After all, he had a promise to keep, and a godchild to protect. And somewhere out there in the vast northern wilderness, Valka was beginning a journey that might change everything.

Chapter Text

Sigrid stumbled through the smoky ruins, his shoulder throbbing beneath the cloth bandage he'd hastily wrapped around his self-inflicted wound. The deliberate injury was his excuse for vanishing during the dragon attack and reappearing now. As he limped forward, he could hear a voice calling his name with increasing desperation. His keen senses picked up the familiar scent even through the acrid air. Stoick, somewhere near the burning remains of the healing hut, and with him...

"SIGRID! SIGRID, WHERE ARE YOU?"

The raw panic in his voice made his chest tighten. He quickened his pace, ignoring the very real pain radiating from his shoulder wound. As he rounded a collapsed wall, he saw him—massive frame silhouetted against the orange glow of flames, baby Hiccup clutched protectively against his chest with one arm while the other gestured frantically at the search parties.

"Chief! The healing hut is completely destroyed—if he was inside—"

"He wasn't," Stoick's voice cracked slightly. "He couldn't have been. Not... not both of them."

Sigrid's keen hearing caught the whispered words that followed. "Please, not both of them."

His all-too-human heart—shattered a little more. This was a man who had just lost his wife, clutching his newborn son, and his greatest fear was that he'd lost his closest friend as well. The friend who had been lying to him for fifteen years. The friend who could have saved his wife but chose to maintain his cover instead.

The friend who was the creature he'd spent his entire life fighting against.

"Stoick!" he called out, his voice hoarse from smoke and emotion. "Stoick, I'm here!"

The relief that flooded his features as he turned toward his voice was almost too much to bear. His massive frame seemed to sag as the tension left his shoulders, and when their eyes met across the destruction, something unspoken passed between them.

"Sigrid," he breathed, and then louder, "He's here! I found him!"

Stoick was moving toward him now, careful of the baby in his arms, stepping over debris with surprising grace for such a large man. As he drew closer, his sharp eyes immediately focused on Sigrid's wounded shoulder. Sigrid recognized that keen, assessing look—the same one that had made Stoick such an effective chief.

"You're hurt." It wasn't a question. Already, his chief's instincts were taking over—the same ones he'd seen him use countless times during raids and emergencies. "How bad is it? We need to get you looked at—" He stopped abruptly, the irony of his words hitting them both simultaneously.

He was the healer. There was no one else to "look at" his injuries. Just like there had been no one else when the previous healer had died in a dragon raid fifteen years ago, creating the perfect chance for a desperate Ancient Dragon to blend into human society

"I'm fine," he said quietly, "The healing hut collapsed while I was inside. Once I got out, I had to help get the women and children safely to the Great Hall. I'm sorry I couldn't get here sooner."

The guilt was real, even if the explanation wasn't. While he'd been chasing dragons across the sky, people had been searching for him, fearing the worst. Stoick had been calling his name in desperation, thinking he'd lost both his wife and his closest friend in one terrible night.

The wound would heal within hours thanks to his draconic nature, but he couldn't tell him that.

Stoick shifted Hiccup to his other arm and gently examined his shoulder wound, his touch careful despite his massive hands. "This needs proper cleaning and binding. The medicines—"

"Gone," he confirmed. "All of it. But I can manage with what we can scrounge up. I always do."

Another lie. I heal faster than any human—barely need medicine at all. I could probably sleep this off and be fine by morning.

"Sigrid." Stoick's voice was quiet now, almost lost beneath the sounds of the the work of clearing wreckage around them. "I thought... when I couldn't find you, I thought I'd lost you both." His voice broke slightly. "The dragon took Valka. I saw it carry her off into the storm."

"Stoick, I'm so sorry." The words carried all the guilt he couldn't confess—sorry for Valka's loss, sorry for his lies, sorry for the deception that would destroy their friendship if revealed "I'm not going anywhere though. There are too many people here who need me."

That, at least, isn't a lie. Even if it should be.

He nodded, seemingly satisfied, and he caught the way his grip on baby Hiccup tightened protectively. The infant was sleeping despite the chaos around them, his tiny fist curled against his father's tunic. Sigrid's enhanced vision could pick out details that no human would notice—the subtle point to the baby's ears that hinted at Valka's bloodline, the way his breathing was already deeper and stronger than most newborns.

This child would grow up without his mother. Would grow up in a world where dragons were the enemy, never knowing that his fosterer—the man who would help raise him, teach him, protect him—was the very thing his people had sworn to destroy.

"Is he okay?" he said softly, reaching out to gently touch one tiny hand. Hiccup's fingers instinctively curled around his index finger, and he marveled at the strength in such a small grip. "He's going to be strong. Like his parents."

"Aye," Stoick agreed, his voice thick with emotion. "He'll need to be."

As they stood there in the aftermath of destruction, surrounded by the acrid smell of smoke and the distant sounds of debris falling, Sigrid made a silent promise to the sleeping infant. He would stay. He would protect him, guide him, be the steady presence he would need growing up without a mother. He would continue the lie that had already cost him so much, because this—this family, this responsibility—had become more important than his own truth.

But as he looked down at Hiccup's peaceful face, he couldn't shake the knowledge that Valka was out there somewhere, learning truths about dragons that could change everything.

Chapter Text

The healing hut had been rebuilt quickly after the dragon raids—less than a week, thanks to the village builders who had worked on it first. Sigrid had restocked his herbs and medicines, and now, six months later, the hut looked much as it had before. But it had become something different entirely, more nursery than healing place.

Sigrid adjusted the small cradle, carved from driftwood by the village woodworkers at his asking—nothing fancy, but sturdy enough to rock the perpetually fussy infant who seemed determined to catch every ailment that drifted through Berk's harsh winds.

"There we go, little one." he murmured, settling the whimpering baby into the cradle with practiced ease. At barely six months old, Hiccup was still worryingly small for his age, thin and delicate in a way that made Sigrid more careful with his movements.

The door creaked open, and Stoick's massive frame filled the doorway. Snow dusted his shoulders, and exhaustion lined his face—another long day of chief's duties that kept him from his son until well past sunset.

"How is he?" Stoick asked quietly, his voice rough with fatigue and something that might have been guilt.

"Feverish, but it's breaking." Sigrid replied, not looking up from where he was mixing a mild willow bark tea. "I've been giving him small amounts throughout the day. He should sleep better tonight."

Stoick approached the cradle, his heavy boots silent on the wooden floor despite their size. He gazed down at his son with an expression that was equal parts love and helplessness. "I should be the one doing this. Taking care of him."

"You're doing what you need to do." Sigrid said firmly, though his tone was gentle. "Berk needs its chief. And Hiccup... Hiccup needs someone who can be here when he's sick."

Stoick's shoulders sagged slightly. "I scarcely know him. He cries whenever I hold him."

"He's not used to you." Sigrid admitted, then softened his words. "But he will be. You just need to spend time with him when he's well, not just when you're worried."

The baby stirred, letting out a soft whimper that quickly escalated into a full wail. Sigrid immediately began rocking the cradle with one hand while continuing to stir the tea with the other. When that didn't work, he lifted Hiccup carefully, supporting the tiny head against his shoulder.

"Shh, little one." he whispered, the endearment slipping out before he could stop it. Stoick raised an eyebrow at the unusual term, but Sigrid was already swaying gently, his voice dropping to a low, melodic hum.

The sound was deeper than any human voice, resonant in a way that seemed almost otherworldly. The melody carried something wild. A sense of open sky and distant places.

Hiccup's crying ceased almost immediately. His tiny body relaxed against Sigrid's chest, and his breathing evened out into the peaceful rhythm of sleep.

"What was that?" Stoick asked in a hushed voice, almost afraid to break the lingering magic in the air.

Sigrid's expression grew distant, as if he were seeing something far beyond the walls of the infirmary. "An old lullaby. From... from a place I used to know."

"I've never heard anything like it."

"You wouldn't have." The response was quiet, weighted with meaning Stoick couldn't quite grasp. "It's very old. Older than Berk, older than any of the songs your people sing."

Stoick watched as Sigrid carefully placed the now-sleeping Hiccup back in the cradle. There was something about the way his friend moved, a grace that seemed almost otherworldly, especially in moments like these when he was so focused he didn’t notice the world around him.

"He trusts you." Stoick observed. "More than he trusts me."

"Trust is earned through presence." Sigrid replied, tucking a small fur blanket around Hiccup's sleeping form. "You'll earn it too, Stoick. When the time is right."

The chief nodded, though doubt still clouded his features. He reached out to touch his son's tiny hand, and for a moment, his expression softened completely. "Valka would have known what to do. She always did."

The mention of Valka made Sigrid's jaw tighten slightly, though his expression remained otherwise unchanged. If only Stoick knew how much Valka had trusted him, how she had accepted his true nature without question...

"She would be proud of you." Sigrid said quietly. "And she would be proud of him."

Four months ago, a Terrible Terror had arrived with a message tied to its neck—just a few lines in Valka's careful script, letting him know she had reached the dragon mountain safely. Stoick never knew about the letter, and Sigrid intended to keep it that way.

They stood in comfortable silence for a few moments, watching Hiccup sleep. The baby's breathing was easier now, his fever finally breaking as the willow bark tea did its work.

"I should go." Stoick said finally. "Gathering of elders early tomorrow."

"Of course. I'll watch him tonight."

Stoick paused at the door. "Sigrid?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you. For everything. I don't know what I would have done without you these past months."

After Stoick left, Sigrid settled into the chair beside the cradle, his vigil beginning once again. He hummed softly under his breath—another ancient melody, this one a song of protection and strength.

As he watched over the sleeping child, he found himself thinking of Valka's words before she'd left. You're more important to him than you know.

She'd been right, of course. But she couldn't have known how complicated, or how much it would cost him to maintain the deception that kept them all safe.

In the soft glow of the hearth, Sigrid continued his quiet vigil, humming softly as he watched over the sleeping child.

Chapter Text

The healing hut had become their world.

Sigrid knelt on the worn wooden floor, arms outstretched toward the wobbling toddler who stood uncertainly by the far wall. At nearly three years old, Hiccup was still small for his age, all knobby knees and oversized green eyes, but he was finally steady enough on his feet to take more than a few steps at a time.

"Come on, little dragon." Sigrid encouraged, his voice warm with affection. "Just a few more steps to me."

The afternoon sun streamed through the healing hut windows, casting golden light across the spacious room that had long since been cleared of most furniture to give Hiccup room to practice. With Stoick away on another raid—the third this month—they had the place entirely to themselves.

Hiccup took a tentative step forward, then another, his small hands stretched out for balance. His face was scrunched in concentration, tongue poking out slightly as he focused on the monumental task of crossing the room.

"That's it." Sigrid murmured, and without thinking, let his guard down completely. His pupils dilated and shifted, the round human irises elongating into the sharp, reptilian slits of his true nature. The change was subtle but unmistakable—predator's eyes in a human face, ancient and knowing.

Hiccup didn't flinch. If anything, he seemed more determined, as if those draconic eyes were exactly what he'd been waiting to see.

"Sig!" Hiccup called out, the nickname he'd given his fosterer when "Sigrid" had proven too difficult for his developing speech. Three more wobbly steps brought him close enough to tumble forward into Sigrid's waiting arms.

"Well done!" Sigrid caught him easily, lifting the giggling child up and spinning him around. "You walked all the way across the room!"

"Did it! Did it!" Hiccup clapped his hands together, delighted with his accomplishment.

Sigrid set him down gently, but Hiccup immediately grabbed onto his hand, tugging him toward the herb shelves that lined one wall of the healing hut. This had become their routine—walking practice followed by what Hiccup called "plant time."

"Alright, little one. What do you remember from yesterday?"

Hiccup's eyes lit up as he pointed to various jars and bundles of dried plants. His pronunciation was still clumsy, but his memory was sharp. "Wil-low! For... for hurt heads!"

"Willow bark, yes. Very good. And this one?" Sigrid lifted a jar of dried leaves, holding it where Hiccup could see.

"Chammy... chammy-mile? For tummy owies!"

"Chamomile. Perfect." Sigrid's eyes remained shifted, the draconic pupils tracking Hiccup's movements, though his expression was nothing but fond. "You're getting so much better at this."

They moved along the shelves, Hiccup naming each herb he could remember while Sigrid gently corrected his pronunciation. The child seemed to absorb information like dry moss drinking water, his curiosity endless and his determination to please his fosterer absolute. As Hiccup turned three and his vocabulary expanded, the number of questions he asked exploded along with it.

Hiccup tugged on Sigrid's sleeve, his small face scrunched in concentration as if working up the courage for an important question. "Sig?"

"Yes, Hiccup?"

"Have you ever seen a dragon? A real one?"

Sigrid's hand stilled on the jar of chamomile he'd been reaching for. The question hung in the air between them, innocent and devastating. He could feel his pulse quicken, the careful control he maintained over his human form wavering for just a moment. 

"Why do you ask?" he managed, his voice carefully neutral.

"In my dreams, they're so big and pretty. But Papa says they're bad." Hiccup's green eyes were wide with curiosity, completely unaware of the turmoil his simple question had caused. "Have you seen one, Sig?"

Sigrid crouched down to the child's level, buying himself time. How could he answer truthfully without revealing everything? How could he lie to those trusting eyes?

"I've... seen them in the distance." he said finally, the words feeling like stones in his throat. "Flying over the sea."

"Were they scary?"

"No." Sigrid whispered, and for once, it was the complete truth. "No, they weren't scary at all."

Hiccup seemed satisfied with this answer, but his expression remained thoughtful. After a moment, he tugged on Sigrid's trouser leg, looking up with those wide green eyes. "Why Papa gone so much?"

The question hit harder than Sigrid had expected. His expression grew serious. 'Your papa has to keep Berk safe, and you too. That's what chiefs do.

"You keep me safe."

"I do." The words came out softer than intended, weighted with more meaning than a three-year-old could understand. "And I always will."

Hiccup seemed to consider this, then nodded with the grave acceptance of a child who had learned not to question the way things were. "Okay. Can we do more plant time?"

"Of course."

They spent the next hour going through the herb collection, Hiccup's small hands carefully touching each container as Sigrid explained their uses. The child showed a remarkable ability to remember not just the names but the purposes of each plant, often connecting them to times when he'd been sick and Sigrid had treated him.

But as they worked, Hiccup grew quieter, more thoughtful. Finally, he set down the jar he'd been examining and looked up at Sigrid with those too-perceptive green eyes.

"Sig?" His voice was small, uncertain. "Why Papa say dragons are scary?"

Sigrid's arms tightened involuntarily around the child. This was dangerous territory—too close to the heart of everything he was trying to protect Hiccup from, too close to the truth about what Berk really was.

"People fear what they don't understand." he said carefully. "And sometimes... sometimes people get hurt, and they remember that hurt more than anything else."

"But you understand them?"

The question was so quietly asked, so full of innocent trust, that Sigrid felt his breath catch. Hiccup was looking up at him with those too-perceptive green eyes, and for a moment, Sigrid was certain the child could see right through him.

"I think." he said slowly, "That dragons are just trying to survive, like everyone else. They have families to protect, homes to defend. That doesn't make them evil."

"Like you protect me?"

"Yes." Sigrid whispered, his voice rougher than he intended. "Like I protect you."

Hiccup seemed satisfied with this answer, but his next words sent a chill through Sigrid's heart.

"When I'm big, will I have to be scared of dragons too?"

"I don't know. But... I wish you weren't be scared of dragons." Sigrid said quietly.

After a brief silence, Sigrid spoke again in a deliberately lighter tone, pointing to one of the bottles.

"Do you remember what's in this bottle?"

"This one tastes not good." Hiccup announced, pointing to a jar of ground willow bark, seemingly moving on from the heavy topic with the easy distraction of a child.

"It does," Sigrid agreed with a chuckle, grateful for the reprieve. "But it makes you feel better when you're sick."

"Like when I had the coughing?"

"Exactly like that."

As the afternoon wore on, Hiccup's energy began to flag. He leaned more heavily against Sigrid's leg, his eyelids growing heavy despite his best efforts to stay alert.

"Tired, Hiccup?"

"No." Hiccup mumbled, even as he rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. "Not tired."

"Of course not." Sigrid said solemnly, scooping the child up with easy grace. "But maybe we should rest for a few minutes. Just in case."

He settled into the large chair by the window, Hiccup curled against his chest like a small cat seeking warmth. The late afternoon sun painted everything in golden hues, and the healing hut was peaceful in a way that felt almost sacred.

"Sig?" Hiccup's voice was muffled against his tunic.

"Hmm?"

The question came as Hiccup was settling into his arms, his small body relaxed and trusting. It was asked with the sleepy innocence of a child, but it hit Sigrid like a physical blow.

"You'll stay with me forever, right?"

Sigrid's hand stilled in its gentle stroking of Hiccup's hair. The child's breathing was already evening out, but his eyes were still open, looking up with absolute faith that Sigrid would give him the answer he wanted to hear.

"I..." Sigrid began, then stopped. How could he promise forever when he didn't even know what tomorrow would bring? When Stoick's raids were growing longer, when the dragon raids were becoming more frequent, when Hiccup was growing older and more observant every day?

"I will stay as long as I can." he said finally, his voice barely above a whisper. "As long as you need me."

"Promise?"

The word was barely breathed, but it struck Sigrid's heart like a hammer blow. He looked down at this small, trusting child—Stoick's son, Valka's boy, the center of his carefully constructed world—and felt the weight of all his lies and half-truths pressing down on him.

"I promise." he said, and hoped it wasn't a lie.

After a moment of comfortable silence, Hiccup's voice came again, softer now.

And Hiccup looked up, meeting Sigrid's eyes as he spoke. "I like your eyes Sig."

Sigrid's breath caught. He'd been so relaxed, so comfortable in their solitude, that he'd forgotten to maintain his human form. But Hiccup's tone held no fear, only sleepy admiration.

"Are they?" he asked carefully.

"Mmhmm. Like... like the shiny rocks in the tide pools."

"You think so?"

"Yeah." Hiccup shifted to look up at him, those green eyes serious despite his exhaustion. "They're dragon eyes."

The words sent a chill down Sigrid's spine, but Hiccup continued without pause, as if he'd simply commented on the weather.

"I like dragons." the child added matter of factly. "They're good. And kind."

"How do you know that?" Sigrid asked, his voice carefully neutral despite the hammering of his heart.

"Dreams." Hiccup said, already half-asleep. "Big dragons in my dreams. They sing pretty songs, like you do."

Before Sigrid could respond, the child had drifted off completely, his breathing evening out into the peaceful rhythm of sleep. But his words echoed in the quiet room, raising questions that Sigrid wasn't sure he was prepared to answer.

He looked down at the sleeping child in his arms—this small, fragile boy who somehow saw dragons in dreams and found comfort in predator's eyes. Stoick's son, Valka's child, and the center of Sigrid's carefully constructed world.

"What are you going to become, little Hiccup?" he whispered, his voice carrying harmonics that no human throat should have been able to produce. "And what am I going to do when you're old enough to remember?"

Outside, the first stars were beginning to appear in the darkening sky, and somewhere in the distance, a dragon's call echoed across the water. It was the evening of another peaceful day.

Chapter Text

Sigrid was grinding herbs when sound of footsteps on the cobblestone path. His hands stilled on the mortar and pestle, and he quickly softened his features, letting his true nature slip away. His pupils rounded and the subtle shimmer of scales at his nape vanished in an instant.

Three months. Stoick had been gone for three months on this long-distance raid, the longest yet. It was because they had come to the conclusion that if they eliminated the dragons before they could reach Berk, fewer dragons would come to the island. And in that time, Hiccup had transformed from a wobbly toddler into a chattering, running little boy who seemed to learn something new every day.

"Hey, Sig!" Hiccup called from where he was carefully arranging dried herbs by color—a task Sigrid had given him to keep those quick hands occupied. "Look! I made rainbow plants!"

"Very good, little dragon." Sigrid replied automatically, then caught himself. The endearment had become too natural, too easy. He needed to be more careful now that Hiccup was old enough to remember things.

The door swung open wider, and Stoick's massive frame filled the entrance. The chief looked weathered and tired, his beard longer and more unkempt than when he'd left, but his eyes immediately sought out his son.

What happened next left Stoick frozen in place.

"PAPA!"

Hiccup's delighted shriek echoed through the healing hut as the child abandoned his herb-sorting and launched himself across the room. Not stumbled, not toddled—ran. With confident, steady steps that spoke of weeks of practice and growing strength.

"Papa! Papa! You came back!" Hiccup threw himself at his father's legs, small arms wrapping around them in an enthusiastic embrace.

Stoick stared down at his son in complete shock. When he'd left, Hiccup had barely been able to string two words together and needed to hold onto furniture to walk across a room. Now here he was, speaking in full sentences and moving with the confident energy of a child who had found his footing in the world.

"Hiccup?" Stoick's voice was rough with emotion as he knelt down to catch his son properly. "Look at you. You're so... you're so big."

"I learned lots!" Hiccup announced proudly, pulling back to look at his father with bright green eyes. "Sig taught me about plants and walking and words and—and I can count! Watch! One, two, three, four, five!"

"He's been very excited to show you." Sigrid said quietly, moving closer but keeping a respectful distance. The guilt was there again, sharp and familiar. This should have been Stoick's moment to witness, these milestones should have been shared between father and son.

Stoick lifted Hiccup easily, and the child immediately began chattering about everything he'd learned, his words tumbling over each other in his excitement. "—and the yellow flower is for tummy hurts and the green one is for sleeping and Sig says I'm really good at remembering and I walked ALL the way across the room by myself and—"

"Slow down, son," Stoick said with a laugh, but his eyes remained wide with amazement. He looked over Hiccup's head at Sigrid. "How long has he been talking like this?"

"The past month, mostly. His speech... grew strong quite rapidly." Sigrid chose his words carefully. In truth, he wasn't sure if this was normal for human children. His only experience with young beings was with dragon hatchlings, who developed much differently. "Children grow quickly at this age."

But even as he said it, Sigrid wondered if that was entirely true. Sometimes, watching Hiccup absorb information with startling intensity, he questioned whether the child's development was entirely typical. Sometimes Hiccup seemed to understand things in a way that surprised Sigrid, grasping ideas that felt beyond what most children his age could manage.

"Papa, look what I can do!" Hiccup wiggled in his father's arms until Stoick set him down, then carefully walked to the herb shelf. He pointed to various jars with the solemnity of a wise man sharing knowledge. "This is wil-low bark for headaches, and this is chamomile for upset stomachs, and this one—" he pointed to a jar of dried mint "—is for when you can't breathe good."

Stoick's mouth fell open. "He knows all of these?"

"Most of them." Sigrid confirmed. "He has an excellent memory."

"I'm gonna be a healer like Sig!" Hiccup declared, beaming up at both adults. "Right, Sig? You said I could!"

"If that's what you want." Sigrid said gently, though something twisted in his chest at the adoration in the child's voice.

Stoick was quiet for a long moment, watching his son chatter excitedly about plants and herbs. When he finally spoke, his voice was thick with emotion.

"Thank you." he said to Sigrid. "I don't... I don't know how to thank you for this. For him."

"There's no need—"

"There is." Stoick's tone was firm. "I've missed so much. His first real words, his first steps without help, watching him learn..." He trailed off, guilt evident in his expression. "I should have been here."

"You're here now." Sigrid said quietly. "That's what matters. Besides, we're friends. This is what friends do for each other."

But as he watched Stoick kneel down to listen to more of Hiccup's excited chatter, Sigrid felt the familiar weight of his deception settling heavier on his shoulders. The child was growing so quickly, becoming more observant with each passing day. How long before those sharp green eyes noticed things they shouldn't? How long before innocent questions became dangerous ones?

Sig, tell Papa what you told me about dragons" Hiccup suddenly piped up, tugging on Sigrid's shirt. "About how they're good!"

Sigrid's blood went cold. "I don't think—"

"What about dragons? Stoick asked, curiosity replacing the melancholy in his expression.

"Sig says dragons aren't really bad." Hiccup explained matter-of-factly. "He says they're just... just scared and protect family, like people!"

"Scared and protect family?" Stoick raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah! And he says if we were nice to them, maybe they'd be nice back!"

The words hung in the air like a challenge. Stoick's expression shifted, concern creeping in as he looked between his son and his friend.

"He said that?" he asked carefully.

"Uh-huh! And that they have feelings too, just like us! Right, Sig?"

Sigrid felt his carefully constructed world teetering on the edge of collapse. But before he could formulate a response, Hiccup had already moved on to something else, his child's attention span saving them all from a conversation that could have destroyed everything.

"Papa, are you gonna stay now? I missed you lots."

"I missed you too, son. More than you know."

As father and son reunited, Sigrid stepped back into the shadows, watching the family moment he had helped preserve but could never truly be part of. The child was growing too fast, becoming too aware. Soon, he would have to make some difficult choices about how much truth a young boy could handle, and how much deception a guilty heart could bear.

But for now, in this moment, it was enough to see Hiccup safe and happy in his father's arms, chattering away about everything he had learned while his father was gone. Even if those lessons had come from a source more dangerous than either of them could imagine.

Chapter Text

Hours after Stoick had taken Hiccup away, night had completely fallen. The healing hut felt different at night. Quieter, more intimate, with only the soft glow of the hearth casting long shadows across the familiar space. Sigrid was sorting his herb supplies when the door opened, revealing Stoick's silhouette against the darkness outside.

"Night," Stoick said quietly, closing the door behind him with care. "Hope I'm not disturbing you."

"Never." Sigrid replied, setting down the bundle of dried mint he'd been examining. "How did bedtime go?"

"Better than expected." Stoick moved to one of the chairs near the fire, settling into it with a sigh that spoke of more than just weariness. "He wanted three stories, and kept asking when  you'll visit tomorrow."

"I'll stop by in the morning." Sigrid promised, then tilted his head as he took in his friend's posture. Stoick was slumped deep in the chair, his usual commanding presence replaced by something more vulnerable. "You look like you need tending. Physical or otherwise?"

The attempt at levity earned him a weak smile, but it faded quickly. Stoick's expression grew serious, his hands clasping together as he leaned forward.

"Actually, there is something I need to discuss with you."

Sigrid felt his stomach drop. He had been expecting this to some degree—it would be about what happened this morning. But now that the moment had actually arrived, anxiety was creeping in. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, exactly. It's just..." Stoick ran a hand through his beard, clearly hesitating with how to begin. "I know you're not a warrior, Sigrid. You're a healer, and a very good one. I also know that you've been the best fosterer in Hiccup's life since... since Valka."

The mention of Valka sent a familiar pang of guilt through Sigrid's chest, but he kept his expression neutral. "He's a good boy. Easy to care for."

"He is. But that's part of what concerns me." Stoick's voice grew heavier. "This is Berk, Sigrid. We live under constant threat of dragon attacks. Every raid, every attack, our people die. Our children grow up knowing that dragons are the enemy. They must be strong enough to fight them or clever enough to avoid them."

Sigrid's throat felt dry. "I know that."

"Do you?" Stoick's eyes were intense now, boring into his. "Because my son talks about dragons like they're good creatures to coexist with, not deadly beasts to be feared. He mentions dreams about 'gentle dragons' and tells your stories. When I tell him about dragon raids or the devastation they cause, he asks more questions about why dragons attack and why we attack dragons than he does about the damage they inflict."

Each word hit Sigrid like a physical blow. He had known this conversation would come eventually, but hearing it spelled out so plainly made the reality unavoidable.

"Children are naturally curious—" he began.

"This isn't natural curiosity." Stoick's tone was firm but not unkind. "This is... something else. No other child his age talk about dragons like this. And I know it comes from spending so much time with you."

The accusation hung in the air between them. Sigrid found himself shrinking back in his chair, anxiety crawling up his spine.

"What are you saying, Stoick?"

"I'm saying that Hiccup is going to be a Viking whether he likes it or not. He's going to have to live in this world, with these threats. And right now, he's developing ideas that could get him killed." Stoick leaned back in his chair. 

"I'm not blaming you. You've done more for him than I had any right to ask. But he can't be raised thinking dragons are anything other than what they are—dangerous enemies that want to destroy everything we've built."

Sigrid stared into the fire, watching the flames dance and flicker. The irony was so bitter it was almost absurd. Here was Stoick, worried that his son was developing sympathy for dragons, while the boy's fosterer was the very thing Stoick feared most.

"You want me to... what? Tell him dragons are monsters?"

"I want you to stop encouraging his fascination with them." Stoick said quietly. "No more stories that make them sound mystical or wonderful. No more allowing him to see wonder in creatures that kill our people."

The words cut deep. How could he comply with such a request when every fiber of his being rebelled against it? How could he teach a child to hate what he himself was?

"And if I refuse?" The question slipped out before he could stop it.

Stoick's expression hardened slightly. "I'm not giving you a choice, Sigrid. I'm telling you what needs to happen. Hiccup is my son, and I will not have him grow up unprepared for the world he lives in."

The threat was subtle but unmistakable. Comply, or lose access to the child who had become the center of his world.

Sigrid nodded slowly, not trusting his voice to remain steady. "I understand."

"Good." Stoick rose from his chair, some of the tension leaving his shoulders. "I know this isn't easy for Hiccup. But it's necessary."

"I'm sorry, Sigrid. I know how much you care for Hiccup, but I worry about my boy too." Stoick gripped Sigrid's shoulder firmly. It seemed like comfort, yet somehow carried an unspoken meaning.

"It's okay, Stoick. I think I may have gone too far. Have a good night." Stoick nodded briefly. The wooden floors creaked beneath his feet as he made his way to the door and left the healing hut. Sigrid remained seated in his chair, watching him go.

The door closed with a soft thud, leaving Sigrid alone with only the crackling fire for company. He remained by the fire long into the night, staring at the flames and thinking about the dilemma he'd been placed in. How could he make a child fear what he himself was? How could he teach lies when he knew the truth?

The fire burned low as Sigrid wrestled with questions that had no good answers, each cutting deeper than the last. Outside, dragon calls echoed in the wind. They were free creatures who didn't have to hide their nature.

For the first time since arriving on Berk, Sigrid wondered if it might have been better for Hiccup and Stoick if he had kept his distance.

Chapter Text

The morning mist clung to Berk's harbor like a cloak, and Stoick could feel the familiar weight of departure settling on his shoulders. Three weeks had passed since that conversation in the healing hut—three weeks of carefully avoided glances and conversations that never quite found their footing. The words he'd spoken that night echoed in his mind, growing heavier with each passing day.

'This is Berk, and the dragon threat is very real here. I will not have him grow up unprepared for the world he lives in.'

The memory of Sigrid's expression—that flash of something wounded in his eyes—had haunted him since. He'd replayed the moment multiple times, each time making him feel the weight of his conscience. He was his closest friend and advisor, had been for eighteen years now, and he'd spoken to him like he was just another viking to be commanded.

Stoick adjusted his grip on the small hand tucked into his own. Hiccup looked up at him with those wide green eyes that were becoming more curious by the day, chattering away in his mixture of clear words and toddler babble.

"Papa, Sigrid teach me about..." Hiccup paused, his small face scrunching in concentration as he searched for the word. "Green... green leaves that smell good!"

"Herbs." Stoick answered, his heart clenching at the pride in his son's voice. In the months he'd been gone, Hiccup had transformed from a stumbling toddler into this bright, chattering little person. And Sigrid had been there for all of it.

They reached the healing hut, and Stoick hesitated at the door. Through the window, he could see Sigrid sorting his herbs with efficient, practiced movements. He'd been Berk's only healer for eighteen years now, had saved many lives, and Stoick had been too harsh with him simply because he worried about his son.

"Sig!" Hiccup let go of his father's hand and ran to the healer, his face bright with excitement.

"Good morning, Hiccup." Sigrid caught him easily, lifting him up with a smile that reached his eyes. "Ready for another day of learning?"

"Papa says he going away again." Hiccup announced, and Stoick watched Sigrid's smile falter almost imperceptibly.

Sigrid set Hiccup down and looked up at him, his expression carefully neutral. "Another raid?"

"Patrol." Stoick corrected, stepping fully into the hut. The space felt smaller somehow, charged with the weight of their unfinished tension. "We've had reports of more frequent dragon stirring to the southeast. Need to see before it becomes a problem."

Sigrid nodded, already moving to prepare Hiccup's usual spot near his workbench. "How long this time?"

"Two weeks." Stoick said quickly, perhaps too quickly. "No more than that. I'll be back before the new moon."

There was something in the way he moved—a careful precision that spoke of suppressed words and some unease. Stoick had known him long enough to read the subtle signs. The slight tension in his shoulders, the way he kept his hands busy with unnecessary tasks.

Hiccup had already settled into his familiar routine, picking up a small wooden toy dragon and sheep that Stoick recognized as one of Sigrid's carvings. His son playing with a toy version of the very thing he was supposed to fear. But for now, he didn't mention it.

"Sigrid." he began, then stopped. The words wouldn't come easily. He had never been particularly skilled at conversations like this.

Sigrid stopped tidying his already clean workbench and turned around. For the first time in three weeks, his pale blue eyes met Stoick's properly. "Yes?"

"About what I said before—"

"You don't need to explain yourself, Stoick." His voice was gentle but firm, cutting through his fumbling attempt at an apology. "You're his father, and you're the chief. I know what you meant."

That wasn't what he'd expected. He'd prepared for defensiveness, maybe even anger. Instead, he was offering him an out, a way to preserve his pride while avoiding the messy business of actually addressing what had happened between them. Like Stoick, Sigrid also tended to avoid difficult emotional conversations.

But that was exactly the problem. They'd been avoiding difficult emotional conversations for years. They had been like this even before Valka's disappearance. When Valka was there, she had served as an excellent bridge between them, but after she was gone, this way of theirs only grew worse.

But this time, Stoick took a different approach. He hesitated before speaking up. "No, I was a bit... harsh in my words. I'm sorry about that, Sigrid."

The silence hung heavy between them. Both had plenty they wanted to say, but as always, neither spoke first. This situation had continued for three years now.

"I remember what you said." Sigrid said finally, his voice soft. "And I know why you said it. So watch your back, and come back in one piece."

Sigrid was offering him the space to leave without the burden of their unresolved tension, and Stoick felt something tight in his chest begin to loosen.

"I'll bring something back," he said, trying to escape the uncomfortable atmosphere. "For Hiccup. Maybe something for you too."

A small smile touched the corners of Sigrid's mouth, and for a moment he looked like the young man who had first arrived in Berk all those years ago—mysterious and determined and somehow fragile.

"Just bring yourself back," he said. "That's enough."

Stoick nodded, suddenly aware of how much time had passed since he'd entered the hut. His men would be waiting at the docks, and the tide wouldn't wait for a chief who was struggling with words he should have said weeks ago.

He knelt down beside Hiccup, who was now playing some incomprehensible game with his wooden dragon and sheep.

"Be good for Sigrid," he said, pressing a kiss to the top of his son's head. "I'll be back before you know it."

"Bring me a dragon tooth!" Hiccup announced, and Stoick heard Sigrid chuckle quietly.

"Hiccup," he said gently, "dragon teeth are very dangerous. Maybe your papa could do something else for you instead?"

"Like what?"

"Like..." Sigrid glanced at Stoick, and he saw a flicker of something in his expression—mischief, maybe, or challenge. 

"How about asking your papa to show you how to sail a ship when he comes back?" Stoick remembered how Hiccup had once said he wanted to try it himself after watching Vikings sailing a ship, but Stoick had refused, saying he was too young. Stoick looked at Sigrid with troubled eyes, but Sigrid only looked back with mischievous ones.

Stoick found himself smiling despite everything. "Alright, I'll take you on the ship when I come back."

They stood for a moment, looking at each other. Eighteen years of friendship, the comfort that only people who truly knew each other could share. They had weathered Valka's loss together. Stoick firmly believed there could be no secrets between Sigrid and himself.

"Two weeks." he said again.

"I'll be waiting." Sigrid agreed.

Stoick walked to the door, then paused. "Sigrid?"

"Yes?"

"Take care of yourself."

Sigrid nodded. "Safe patrols, Stoick."

As he left them there, Hiccup was already talking about what had happened in the meantime, and Sigrid was responding to what he said. His voice was warm and patient in the way that had always made him grateful that his son had Sigrid's constant presence in his life.

The harbor was bustling with activity when he arrived, his men loading the last of their provisions onto the ship. The two-week patrol was beginning.

Chapter Text

The heavy wooden door of the healing hut closed with a soft thud behind Stoick. Only the lingering scent of sea salt and leather remained in his wake. Sigrid stood motionless for a moment, listening to the chief's retreating footsteps as they grew fainter against the stone path. The weight of their conversation still hung in the air like smoke from the hearth—thick, suffocating, and impossible to ignore.

He turned his attention to Hiccup. The child was sitting on the floor near the workbench, chattering away about the things that had happened, his stories flowing endlessly. The boy's carefree chatter and boundless energy seemed especially precious now. Hiccup's auburn hair caught the soft glow of the morning sunlight streaming through the window. Sigrid let out a small sigh as he thought about the things he would soon have to tell Hiccup. A sense of uncertainty and reluctance washed over him, but he forced himself to suppress those feelings.

"Hiccup." he called softly, his voice carrying its usual warmth.

Hiccup immediately stopped talking, green eyes bright and trusting. "Yes, Uncle Sig?"

Hiccup had been learning a new title for the past three weeks. No longer just 'Sig,' but 'uncle.' And true to the way children obsess over new things they've learned, Hiccup used that title whenever he happened to remember it. But every time Sigrid heard that title, he felt uncomfortable deep inside. The title itself didn't bother him. He simply felt unworthy of it. Hiccup and his father trusted him, but Sigrid was nothing more than a lie pretending to be human.

"Come here, Hiccup. We need to talk."

The weight in his voice made Hiccup pause for a moment. Hiccup had a tendency to react sensitively to other people's moods. He slowly stood up and approached Sigrid. Sigrid sat Hiccup on the wooden chair and knelt down to meet the child's eye level.

"Hiccup." Sigrid began, then stopped. How could he tell the child that everything he had taught him so far wasn't true? Sigrid couldn't bear the situation where he had to speak as if it were fact, knowing it was a lie.

The boy waited patiently, small hands folded in his lap.

"From now on," Sigrid said carefully, "when you're with your papa, you mustn't talk about dragons the way we do here."

Hiccup's brow furrowed in confusion. "Why not?"

Sigrid looked at Hiccup with an embarrassed expression for a moment. Of course Hiccup would ask why. He never just accepted things without question. That was both the reason Sigrid loved him and the reason he had to be careful with him. He knew that such curiosity could be fatal someday for him.

Sigrid drew in a deep breath. The familiar weight of deception and resignation settled over his shoulders like a well-worn cloak. "Because," he said, his voice heavy with something that might have been regret, "Berk is a place that's attacked by dragons nearly every day. Your papa—Chief Stoick—he has to protect our people. To do that, he has to fight the dragons."

"But dragons aren't bad," Hiccup protested, his voice small but firm. "You said they're just scared and—"

"That's true." Sigrid began to speak slowly. "I told you that, but actually the people of Berk and your papa see dragons in a much worse light. But dragons can indeed be dangerous. Haven't they recently stolen sheep and burned down houses? Many people were hurt in the process. They can be good, but they can also be bad, Hiccup. Not all dragons are good.

In the end, Sigrid couldn't bring himself to tell a complete lie. Instead, he decided to approach it differently. He wanted Hiccup to understand Stoick's reality while still knowing some degree of truth. Sigrid didn't want to lie about anything in front of Hiccup except for hiding his true nature. 

"But Sig... if not all dragons are good, then we have to keep fighting like this. Papa and everyone else will keep fighting dragons and they'll all keep getting hurt. What should we do?" 

Sigrid closed his eyes briefly, then opened them. He had no answer to give to this question either. Even before Sigrid had arrived on Berk, all he had seen was the endless fighting between humans and dragons. How could he answer when he didn't know the solution himself?

"I'm sorry, Hiccup. I don't know the answer to that either." he whispered in reply. 

"I have seen and learned many things, but I have yet to find the answer to that question." He was choosing his next words carefully. 

"Hiccup, you will one day become a Viking like your papa. Maybe you will become a chief someday. A chief must protect his people. If that happens, there will come a day when you too must fight dragons." 

Hiccup hesitated before beginning to speak. "I don't want to fight dragons. And I would like to be a healer like you, Sig, not a chief like papa." 

Those words struck deep into Sigrid's heart. Though he himself wished to agree with Hiccup's words without question. But for the Hiccup's safety and the harsh truth of the world, there were things that must be done even when unwanted. It was a truth he had learned himself through long years of living.

"Sometimes," Sigrid said, reaching out to place a gentle hand on Hiccup's small shoulder, "we have to do things we don't want to do. That's what it means to grow up, to take responsibility for others. Your papa doesn't enjoy fighting dragons, but he does it because he has to. Because if he doesn't, people get hurt. Good people. People we care about."

Hiccup was quiet for a long moment, processing this information with the seriousness of someone much older than his years. When he finally spoke, his voice was small and lost.

"Will I have to kill dragons when I grow up? Like my papa?"

That question made the air between them heavy. Sigrid could not answer immediately. But he thought he could at least give this answer. 

"No one knows the future, Hiccup," Sigrid said soothingly. "Even if you become chief, you might not have to kill dragons. Or perhaps a future may come where other people also learn that not all dragons are bad." 

Hiccup's slumped shoulders rose slightly. For the first time in their long conversation, a glimmer of hope appeared in Hiccup's eyes. 

"What I want to say is, do not worry too much, little one. I told you this because I care about you. Your papa does too. You need to understand what reality is like. Can you understand that?" 

"I... understand." Hiccup said quietly but clearly. He was confused right now because he had suddenly learned too much all at once, but soon he would be able to sort through his thoughts in his own way. Sigrid smiled slightly and stroked Hiccup's hair.

"Come here," he said softly, opening his arms.

Hiccup slid down from the chair and stepped into the embrace. Sigrid held him close, breathing in the scent of herbs and innocence that still clung to the boy's hair, holding this moment before it was lost forever.

"I'm sorry for bringing up such difficult matters." Sigrid said softly. This wouldn't make Hiccup hate dragons as Stoick had wanted. Perhaps if Stoick were to know, he would be angry again or entrust Hiccup to someone else—but he didn't care about that now. For now, this was enough. The truth, not lies. It would be up to Hiccup how he accepted this story. 

"It's alright, Uncle Sig. I won't talk about dragons in front of papa." Hiccup said with a smile. Sigrid hugged him tighter. 

Even as he did so, he was inwardly berating himself. How did it come to this? How did I come to love this child and this island? Life as a wandering drifter would have been easier on the heart. Long ago, he had called his own kind foolish for falling in love with humans, yet now he had become just that himself. There was no one left now—but if his kin were to see this sight, they would laugh until they wept. But right now, the child in his arms was what mattered. Though neither blood kin nor the same kind, this child was his family.

"Hiccup," he said, pulling back slightly so he could look into those green eyes again. "Listen to me carefully."

"I need you to understand something very important." Sigrid continued, his voice low and serious. "No matter what anyone else tells you about what you should be or what you should do—even your papa—if you truly don't want to do it, and you want to run away because of it I will stand by you. Do you understand? I will be on your side, always."

Hiccup's eyes widened slightly. "Even if Papa gets angry?"

"Even if the whole world gets angry." Sigrid said firmly. "You're my family, Hiccup. That means I care more about who you really are than who others think you should be."

A small smile tugged at the corners of Hiccup's mouth. "Really?"

"Really." Sigrid ruffled the boy's hair gently. "But for now, I want you to remember well what I've said and think about it. And what I told you must remain a secret from your papa. You understand?" Sigrid asked. Hiccup nodded solemnly.

"Now then," Sigrid said, standing and brushing off his knees, "I think it's time we started teaching you some new things. You know all the herbs and their uses now, probably better than half the healers I've known. But perhaps it's time you learned a bit about shields as well."

"You're going to teach me to fight?" Hiccup asked, perking up with interest.

"I'm going to teach you to defend yourself." Sigrid corrected. "There's a difference. And not because I think you should become a Viking, but because knowing how to protect yourself and others is never a bad thing to learn."

It was true enough, even if the full truth was more complicated. Sigrid had lived for over a thousand years, had seen kingdoms rise and fall, had learned the arts of war long before he'd ever set foot on Berk. He was no healer-turned-warrior; he was an Ancient Dragon who had spent centuries perfecting skills that would have made the most legendary Vikings look like children playing with sticks. But Hiccup didn't need to know that. What he needed was defense first. 

"Will you teach me to be as good as you?" Hiccup asked, and there was something in his voice—a note of admiration that made Sigrid's heart skip.

"As good as me?" Sigrid repeated, trying to keep his expression neutral. If only the boy knew what he was really asking.

"You're the best healer on Berk." Hiccup said matter-of-factly. "And you always seem so... so strong. Like nothing could really hurt you."

Sigrid felt a bitter laugh catch in his throat. That was actually true. He wasn't human, after all. He thought he had been hiding it well, but if even Hiccup could notice, he thought that Stoick and the other Vikings probably had some idea as well.

"I'll teach you everything I can." he said instead, and meant it. "Come on, little dragon. Let's build your skills to the point where your papa will be amazed when he returns."

In the bright midday sun streaming into the healing hut, an Ancient Dragon make a promise to a human child. He would love him, protect him, and stand by him no matter what the future held. Even if it meant standing against their entire world.

Though it might mean standing against himself one day.

Chapter Text

"HICCUP HORRENDOUS HADDOCK THE THIRD!"

The shout echoed across the village square. A few people in the square startled at the sound, but soon began going their separate ways as if accustomed to it. Sigrid had heard from someone that they'd seen Hiccup heading into the forge again, and that he was sure to cause trouble this time too. Sigrid's voice was usually calm and kind. But now his voice carried a hint of irritation after being fed up with Hiccup's mischief during the past three years when Hiccup had practically lived at Gobber's forge.

From somewhere behind Gobber's forge came the sound of something metallic clattering to the ground, followed by an explosion and the crash of something piled up collapsing.

"Not again..." Sigrid muttered to himself, jogging toward the source of the commotion while thinking about which herbs he would need for burn treatment this time.

He rounded the corner of the smithy just in time to see a skinny ten-year-old with wild auburn hair crawling out from behind a pile of scrap metal, his face streaked with soot and his tunic singed at the edges. In his small hands, he clutched what appeared to be some sort of thing made of metal pieces and what looked suspiciously like dragon scales. He probably gathered them up and hid them when the dragons last attacked.

"Uncle Sigrid..?" Hiccup glanced up at Sigrid nervously. Sigrid knew that whenever Hiccup looked nervous like this, he had definitely gotten into some kind of trouble. "Um, I haven't broken anything yet. I was just thinking maybe I could figure out what this might be useful for—"

"I heard the explosion," Sigrid said, reaching out to help Hiccup up. "What did you blow up this time?" though something fond and exasperated flickered in his eyes despite the soot-covered chaos before him.

"Nothing..? Well, almost nothing. Just Gobber's bellows, but I can fix that!" Hiccup carefully hid the metal pieces and dragon scales behind his back and took his hand. "I didn't expect this to happen either. I didn't think putting two of them together at once would suddenly explode..."

"Hiccup." Sigrid's voice was gentle but firm as he took Hiccup's hand and helped him up. "What have we talked about regarding testing things near open flames?"

"You said Gobber absolutely has to be there," Hiccup said with a sheepish grin. "But Gobber was going to be gone for a while, and I thought this much would be okay to do by myself..."

Sigrid let out a small sigh but didn't scold Hiccup any further. He took Hiccup's hand and began heading toward the healing hut. Three years ago, when Hiccup had started showing interest in Gobber's forge instead of the healing hut's work, Hiccup had begun creating many things and causing many accidents. When Stoick had asked why he'd become interested in the forge, Hiccup had answered that it was to catch dragons, but both Stoick and Sigrid knew this was just an excuse. Most of what he made had nothing to do with defeating dragons in the first place.

"Right then," Sigrid said, brushing the soot from Hiccup's tunic. "Let's get you cleaned up and see about fixing whatever you've done to Gobber's tools before he decides to use you as hammer practice."

As they walked back toward the healing hut, Hiccup chattering excitedly about his ideas on what had caused the explosion, Sigrid found himself thinking about how much Hiccup had changed over the past three years. Gone was the quiet child who had obediently sorted herbs and accompanied him on gathering trips until the age of seven, replaced by a whirlwind of energy and ideas. This was wonderful, but it meant that Hiccup's interests were drifting ever further from Viking dragon training.

That evening, Sigrid was cleaning up the healing hut after treating Hiccup's latest burns and scrapes. He heard familiar heavy footsteps approaching his door. He didn't need to look up to know it was Stoick—the chief's gait was as distinctive as his voice, and both carried the weight of leadership and growing worry.

"Evening, Sigrid," Stoick said as he entered, carrying two tankards of ale. "Thought you might need this after today's... excitement."

"You heard about the explosion, I take it?" Sigrid accepted the ale gratefully and gestured for Stoick to take a seat.

"Half of Berk heard it." Stoick replied with a weary chuckle. "Gobber's already working on replacing them, muttering something about 'genius kid' and 'too smart for their own good.'"

They fell into silence for a moment. It had been twenty-five years since they first met. They too had aged from young men to middle-aged without realizing it. After spending so much time together, Sigrid could sense the tension in Stoick's shoulders, the way his fingers drummed against his tankard—signs that something was weighing heavily on his mind.

"Something on your mind?" Sigrid asked quietly.

Stoick was quiet for a long moment, staring into his ale as if it might contain answers to questions he wasn't sure how to ask. When he finally spoke, his voice carried the weight of parental concern.

"It's been seven years, Sigrid. Seven years since we talked about... about Hiccup's future. About what he needs to learn to survive here."

Sigrid felt his stomach tighten. He'd been dreading this conversation, knowing it would come eventually. "That's right. And ever since then, Hiccup hasn't been interested in dragons anymore. And rather than wanting to become a healer, he's been practically living at the forge, saying he'll create things that can actually catch dragons."

"I know that too. And I know that ever since you started teaching Hiccup how to handle a shield, his shield work is at least on par with the other kids." Stoick let out a heavy sigh. "But you've noticed it too, haven't you? Hiccup had absolutely no interest in actually fighting dragons. Sometimes he talked about dragon training like the other kids did, and discussed his first dragon kill, but that's all it is. He's just pretending to be interested in killing dragons. Anyone on Berk can tell that he's not interested in dragon training."

There was pain in Stoick's voice, the kind that came from loving someone whose path seemed destined to lead them away from everything you believed they needed.

"He's still young," Sigrid said, though the words felt hollow even to his own ears.

"All the ten-year-olds on Berk want to join in dragon training. Snotlout goes around saying every day that he'll become a Viking who kills many dragons, and those twins cause trouble like Hiccup does, but it's all dragon-related. Astrid—well, she's born to be a Viking so I'll let that slide—but even Fishlegs learns dragons' weaknesses meaning to kill them. But Hiccup is nothing like that." Stoick's voice was full of worry. He looked deeply concerned about Hiccup's future.

"Hiccup is different." Sigrid said firmly. "His mind works differently than the others, but that doesn't make him weak."

"I know Hiccup is different, Sigrid." Stoick's voice rose slightly before lowering again. 

"That's what makes this so difficult. He's going to be a Viking of Berk someday, and if the current situation continues and he fails at a truly critical moment—" 

The words died in his throat. Hiccup wouldn't survive—he seemed unable to bring himself to say that. Stoick's worry was growing worse. Ever since Valka had been dragged away before his eyes, his anxiety about dragons had only grown worse with each passing year.

"Maybe," Sigrid said carefully, "you're being overly anxious, Stoick. In the past ten years, you can count on one hand the number of people who've died from dragon attacks. The truly deadly dragon attacks were almost twenty years ago. You seem to fear dragons too much."

Stoick's eyes turned to him—sharp and wary. "What do you mean?"

Sigrid's heart began to beat harder. This was a sensitive topic for both of them. They had avoided this conversation for years, but he felt the time had come to speak. Considering his friend's growing anxiety and Hiccup's future, he had to take the risk.

"I mean," he said slowly, "there might be other ways now besides killing and hunting dragons. Maybe the children—including Hiccup—could find a way to live in peace without having to kill dragons."

"Other ways?" Stoick's voice sharpened. "Sigrid, we've fought dragons for generations. It's kill or be killed. There is no other way."

"Is there really no other way?" Sigrid leaned forward slightly. "Now that dragon attacks are becoming less frequent and less threatening, isn't this the perfect time to find another way?"

"The attacks are decreasing and becoming less threatening because we regularly go on raids and patrols to kill dragons first." Stoick said firmly. "Without that, we'd just go back to twenty years ago. Every Viking knows this."

Both Sigrid and Stoick fell silent for a while. Sigrid was watching Stoick, observing what reaction he might have. But when Stoick spoke again, even Sigrid hadn't expected what came out.

"You sound like Valka..." Stoick's voice was heavy with sadness and resignation, each word weighted with old grief. Something twisted in Sigrid's chest at the unexpected words, the pain raw and immediate.

It had been ten years since Valka left Berk. During that time, a few letters had arrived through a Terrible Terror. Sometimes once every few months, sometimes only one every few years. The small collection of letters was all kept in a box, hidden somewhere in the healing hut. During those ten years when Sigrid had been receiving Valka's letters, Stoick must have been alone, consumed by the grief of believing his wife was dead. The moment he realized this fact, Sigrid's chest ached. But he had no choice but to pretend otherwise.

"...Sorry, Stoick. I brought up something I shouldn't have." Sigrid leaned back in his chair and looked at the dim firelight. "I just... I don't want you to harm yourself by worrying about everything and taking care of everyone."

He could feel Stoick's gaze on him, but Sigrid didn't meet his eyes. He couldn't bring himself to.

"No, Sigrid. Thank you for worrying about me. It's late, I have to go. See you tomorrow." Stoick paused at the doorway, his shoulders carrying the weight of a thousand unspoken fears, before stepping out into the night.

Sigrid sat alone, staring blankly at the flames and thinking. As Hiccup grew older, Stoick's anxiety about dragons had only increased. The safety of Berk was at stake, along with Hiccup's safety. But compared to that, dragon attacks had been steadily decreasing. This was because Sigrid himself spent time redirecting dragons whenever he saw signs of an impending attack, briefly disrupting the control of the distant queen.

When Hiccup turned fifteen, he would be pressured to become a more proper Viking than he was now. Stoick would probably be at the center of that pressure. It was easy to predict. Whether Hiccup liked it or not, he would end up joining in dragon training. Having taught Hiccup shield work directly, Sigrid knew how skilled Hiccup was with a shield. He would probably be the best among his peers when it came to shield work.

Thinking about Hiccup brought a slight smile, but thinking about Stoick only brought worry. Even after living for so long, the future remained unknown and uncertain. Sigrid drew back momentarily at the approaching sense of unease. The night was growing deeper.

Chapter Text

Two years had passed since that conversation in the healing hut. During that time, the friendship between Stoick and Sigrid had grown increasingly strained. As always, they avoided discussing what truly mattered, speaking only of surface concerns. Sometimes Sigrid wondered how long they could continue this.

Late afternoon shadows stretched across the village as Sigrid headed toward Gobber's forge, a small pouch of salts in hand. Gobber's shoulders had been troubling him again, and Sigrid thought it best to deliver the remedy personally. Besides, with Hiccup working at the forge for nearly a year now, he was curious to see how the boy was doing.

What he found was unexpected—the forge alive with voices and movement.

The boy had grown in the past year. Twelve now, he was taller but carried a new wariness in his movements. He worked the bellows with practiced skill while Gobber shaped red-hot iron. Sweat beaded on Hiccup's forehead from the heat, but his attention never wavered from his task, adjusting the wind with steady hands that spoke of long practice.

"That's it, lad," Gobber called out over the ring of hammer on metal. "Steady now, just like that."

Hiccup nodded, and a small smile crossed his face at the praise. Such a simple thing, but it made something warm settle in his chest. Here, at least, the boy seemed to have found his place.

The moment didn't last.

"Oi, Gobber!" Snotlout's voice rang out as he and the twins pushed through the forge entrance. "Is my axe ready yet? Dad said you'd have it done by today."

"Aye, it's ready," Gobber put down his hammer, wiping his hands on his leather apron. "Hiccup, fetch Snotlout's axe from the rack there."

The boy moved to comply, but as he lifted the newly sharpened weapon, Tuffnut began gesticulating wildly while recounting some story to Ruffnut. His elbow caught Hiccup's arm, sending him stumbling slightly. The axe remained secure in his grip—thank Thor—though the near miss was enough to make everyone freeze.

"Watch it, Fishbone!" Snotlout snapped, snatching the axe from Hiccup's hands. "You could have taken someone's head off!"

"Sorry," Hiccup mumbled, though it clearly hadn't been his fault. "I should have been more careful."

"Yeah, you should have," Tuffnut agreed cheerfully, apparently oblivious to his own role in the near-accident. "Maybe next time announce yourself or something. 'Deadly axe coming through!'"

The twins burst into laughter at this, Snotlout joining in. They weren't being deliberately cruel—if anything, they seemed to think their suggestions helpful. Yet there was something dismissive in their easy laughter, careless words that cut deeper than malice. They spoke to Hiccup as they never would to each other.

"Right then," Gobber interjected, clearly trying to ease the mood. "Anything else you lads need, or can we get back to work?"

"Actually," Snotlout said, hefting his axe to test its balance, "I might need this adjusted. The weight feels off."

Gobber frowned, moving to examine the weapon. "Feels fine to me. Hiccup balanced it himself—he's got a good eye for that sort of thing."

"Well, maybe his eye isn't as sharp as everyone claims." Snotlout shrugged. "Can you make it right?"

Such casual dismissal of genuine skill cut deeper than any deliberate insult. Sigrid could see it in the way Gobber's frown deepened. This was the kind of thoughtless cruelty that came from simply not considering someone worth taking seriously.

Hiccup's shoulders hunched slightly, though he said nothing. He simply moved back to the bellows and resumed his work, his movements perhaps a little more mechanical than before.

"The balance is perfect," Gobber said firmly. "If you're having trouble with it, might be you need more practice, not a different axe."

Snotlout's face flushed slightly at the rebuke, but before he could respond, Astrid appeared in the doorway.

"Are you three finished wasting time?" she asked coolly. "Some of us actually want to get some training done today."

"Coming, coming." Snotlout muttered as he strode away with his axe. He glanced once in Hiccup's direction, nothing more. He had tried to tease Hiccup, but with no reaction forthcoming, there was no fun in it.

As the group trooped out, their voices fading in the distance, an uncomfortable silence settled over the forge. Gobber resumed his work, but Sigrid could see the tension in his shoulders, the way his hammer strikes had become just a little more forceful than necessary.

"Uncle Sigrid?"

The voice drew his attention back to Hiccup. He had put down the bellows and was looking up at him with uncertain eyes.

"I didn't know you were there," the boy continued, a faint flush coloring his cheeks. "Did you need something?"

"Just brought some salts for Gobber's shoulders." Sigrid forced his voice to remain casual. "You're really good at forge work. How long have you been at this?"

"About a year now," Hiccup said, glancing toward Gobber, who was still pointedly focused on his work. "Gobber's been teaching me. I'm getting better at not blowing things up."

Pride colored his voice—carefully restrained but real nonetheless. When Gobber looked up to catch his eye, the blacksmith's nod of approval was real.

"Aye, the lad's got real talent," Gobber said. "Never seen anyone pick up the craft so quickly. Got an instinct for it, he does."

For a moment, Hiccup's face lit up at the praise, and he looked like the bright, curious child Sigrid remembered from years past. Then his expression grew cautious again. Ever since children his age began participating in dragon training, comparisons had grown harsher, and the boy had become increasingly uncertain and careful. Sigrid could see Hiccup being crushed by the expectations around him—especially Stoick's.

"Could I..." Hiccup hesitated, then seemed to gather his courage. "Could you look at my shoulder later? I think I might have pulled it working the bellows."

The request was quiet and seemed almost apologetic. The change struck Sigrid like a blow. The boy had never been so hesitant before, never asked for help as though it were a favor he didn't deserve. This new wariness, this fear of being a burden—it made something twist painfully in Sigrid's chest.

"Of course," Sigrid said firmly. "Come by the healing hut when you're finished here."

"Thank you," Hiccup murmured, relief evident in his voice.

As Sigrid handed the salts to Gobber and made his way back to the healing hut, worry settled on him. Hiccup had certainly grown considerably over the past two years, becoming more skilled and capable. Yet his confidence had weakened, replaced only by desperate efforts not to burden others and constant attempts to prove himself. Sigrid could guess all too well why the boy had become like this.

That evening, Sigrid sat in his usual chair, staring at the dying fire and thinking. His mind was filled with worries about Hiccup and concerns from Valka's most recent letter—about the growing power of dragon hunters. 

Lost in thought, he startled when he heard familiar footsteps approaching. He snapped out of his reverie as the sound grew closer. Soon there was a knock. The door opened, and Stoick appeared. The chief's expression was grim—completely opposite to the face he showed when appearing before other Vikings.

"Mind if I sit?" Stoick asked, though he was already moving toward the chair across from Sigrid.

"Of course," Sigrid gestured to the seat, noting how his friend seemed to carry the weight of the entire village on his shoulders tonight. "Rough day?"

"Aren't they all, lately?" Stoick settled heavily into the chair, running a hand through his hair. Stoick seemed to carry twice the load these days. Tribe conflicts and the dragon problem demanded his constant attention. "I stopped by the training grounds this afternoon. Heard about what happened at the forge."

Sigrid felt something tighten in his chest. "What did you hear?"

"Snotlout said that Hiccup could never join in dragon training. He said Hiccup was too weak and couldn't even hold an axe properly." Stoick's voice was flat. "Then he added with a bragging tone: 'Someone like me could at least protect someone like Hiccup.'"

"Well, Snotlout bragging like that isn't exactly new," Sigrid said. The boy had always been that way, even as a child. Snotlout was Hiccup's cousin, and when they were younger, the boys had often played together. Hiccup would hold a shield while Snotlout wielded a wooden sword. As they grew older, they drifted apart. Their conversations became rare, replaced by Snotlout's one-sided teasing disguised as playful banter. Though Snotlout didn't seem to realize how dismissive he had become. Though Sigrid wasn't sure what Hiccup thought about it.

"But isn't Hiccup excellent at forge work?" Sigrid met Stoick's eyes. "Gobber says he's never seen such natural talent. If Hiccup had become a healer, that talent would never have been discovered." Sigrid deliberately spoke more lightly, as Stoick's grim mood hadn't lifted.

"I know that," Stoick's response came sharp. "I know, Sigrid. But forge work alone won't make him a chief. He needs to earn people's respect, and the way he is now won't work for that. Hiccup needs to change everything."

"Why?" The word came out harder than Sigrid meant it to. "There's no reason Hiccup has to become chief, Stoick. You know that too, don't you? And why does Hiccup have to change everything about himself? Why must he meet your expectations and everyone else's? Do you think Hiccup would be happy if he changed that way?"

A tense silence fell between them. Stoick's jaw tightened, and Sigrid saw a flash of something like impatience in his friend's eyes.

"Right, he doesn't need to become chief," Stoick began to speak slowly. "But Hiccup needs to become a Viking. A warrior, I mean. Even Gobber was a warrior before he became a blacksmith. At least he knows how to defend himself in battle. But Hiccup? He can't do any of that properly." His voice took on the tone of someone explaining something obvious.

"He already knows how to defend himself," Sigrid countered. "Do you really know Hiccup's abilities, Stoick? His defense is the best among kids his age." Sigrid felt strength entering his voice. He was barely controlling it. If their voices got any louder, they would end up in a real fight.

"I know Hiccup's abilities well enough," Stoick's voice grew cold. "You're a healer, not a Viking, so you probably think Hiccup's skills are good. But that kid is lacking. He's still far from enough. Hiccup's differences make him weak, Sigrid. That kid is weak."

The words hit Sigrid deeply. His temper, controlled for years, began to slip.

"Weak?" he repeated in a voice that suppressed anger. "Hiccup always trying his best, working hard not to disappoint the expectations around him. He even does what's asked of him perfectly. How is that weak?"

"What good does trying your best do? Best effort without strength is just useless." Stoick shouted, then immediately lowered his tone with a regretful expression. Both men were trying not to fight. It was pointless—they were already half-fighting.

"I've been watching Hiccup, Sigrid. I already know how he shrinks when kids his age mock him, how he apologizes for things that aren't his fault. That's not courage—that's defeat."

"Why do you see everything as a fight to win or lose?" Sigrid said, fighting to keep his voice level. "Stoick, Hiccup isn't in the middle of a battle right now. Why don't you understand that?"

The silence that followed was deafening. Both men stared at each other, catching their breath. Despite their earlier efforts, they looked like they had just quarreled.

"He doesn't need to be fixed, Stoick," Sigrid said finally, his voice barely above a whisper. "He needs to be understood."

"Understanding doesn't save anyone," Stoick replied. The earlier anger had cooled. "Understanding doesn't help us in our fights against dragons either."

"So you'd rather change him into someone completely different than try to understand him? Even if Hiccup doesn't want it? Even if that would make Hiccup unhappy?"

"I want my son to at least live until he takes a wife, Sigrid." The words came out raw, painful. "For that to happen, Hiccup has to... become someone different from who he is now. There's no other way."

Sigrid felt his anger drain away, replaced by something sadder but no less profound. 

Stoick was quiet for a long moment, staring at his hands. When he looked up, his eyes were tired, defeated.

"I don't know why my conversations with you keep ending like this lately, Sigrid," he said quietly. "Sorry about today too. It's late, so I'll be going."

He rose slowly, moving toward the door with the heavy gait of a man carrying impossible burdens.

"He's my son, Sigrid," he said without turning around. "Whatever else he might become... he's my son. I have to do what I think will keep him alive. Even if it hurts him."

The door closed, leaving Sigrid alone. Sigrid knew they both wanted what was best for Hiccup. Their methods were simply too different. Friction was inevitable.

Outside, he could hear the sound of storm clouds gathering with rain approaching. It seemed the weather always turned bad after their arguments. Sigrid laughed bitterly at himself. More than a thousand years of existence, and here he was, losing control of his emotions over a mere quarrel with a single mortal. What a fool he was.

Sigrid could feel cracks forming in this friendship. In fact, it was inevitable. Twenty-seven years of deception had led to this. This slow destruction of their friendship—it was all his fault.

Chapter Text

The morning sun cast long shadows across Berk as fifteen-year-old Hiccup slipped quietly through the back door of the healing hut. His shoulders were hunched under the weight of another argument with his father. It had been weeks since Hiccup started sneaking into Sigrid's healing hut to avoid Stoick. As Hiccup turned fifteen, his once passive nature had changed as well. A mix of typical teenage rebellion and self-deprecating resignation had led to frequent arguments with his father.

"You're early today," came Sigrid's gentle voice from behind the herb shelf. The healer emerged with an armful of dried plants, his expression softening when he saw the exhaustion written across Hiccup's face. "Rough night?"

Hiccup collapsed into the familiar chair by the window—the same one he'd sat in as a child while Sigrid taught him the names of healing herbs. Fifteen years had worn the chair down, but it still served its purpose. "Dad's getting worse," he mumbled, running his hands through his disheveled hair to tidy it roughly. "He keeps saying I need to 'change,' telling me to join dragon training. Says it's more important than forge work. I'm half-dead from running away every day."

Sigrid's hands stilled for just a moment as he sorted through the herbs. Over the past few years, Sigrid and Stoick's friendship had grown cold. They shared only brief, shallow words. When they did speak at length, their talks always ended in raised voices and bitter arguments. Eventually, the two stopped having long-lasting talks altogether. They still politely nodded and greeted each other when they met in the village, and occasionally spoke briefly of their condition when they crossed paths, but the comfortable friendship they had once shared had transformed into something distant and different. And Hiccup, caught between them, bore the weight of that tension like a physical burden.

"Your father loves you," Sigrid said carefully, "Your father thinks that's what's best for you."

"But you don't think killing dragons is what's best for me." It wasn't a question but a certainty. Hiccup had realized two years ago that Sigrid was skeptical about killing dragons. He had probably known it unconsciously for a long time—but what made him certain was the massive fight between Sigrid and Stoick over dragon raid. That day, both Sigrid and Stoick hadn't been careful about raising their voices, and as a result, everyone on Berk had been walking on eggshells around Sigrid and Stoick for a while. Sigrid still regretted not restraining himself that day.

Sigrid let out a small sigh and turned to face him fully. Sigrid's pale blue eyes met Hiccup's. Lately, Hiccup had felt a strange sense of familiarity whenever he looked into Sigrid's eyes. He couldn't quite remember, but there was definitely a feeling that there was something more.

"I think," Sigrid said slowly, "going the path you want is what's best for you. Whatever that may be."

"Really?" Hiccup said with a smile. The talk with Sigrid put Hiccup's mind at ease. He had the vague feeling that whatever he chose, he would receive unconditional support. Such encouragement was something his father had never offered.

"I've been thinking about what you told me before," Hiccup said. "When I was little, probably when Dad was away more often on dragon raids... You said dragons were just like any other animal. That they were just scared. That there were good dragons and bad dragons."

Though it wasn't noticeable, Sigrid was clearly surprised. Hiccup had been only three when Sigrid told him that story. He'd hoped the boy might remember it vaguely, but never expected such clear recollection after twelve years.

"I said that quite a while ago, but you still remember it," Sigrid said quietly. "Yes, I did say that."

"I hope that's true," Hiccup continued. "I know I'm not the son Dad wanted. But the things Dad wants are too impossible for me. I probably can never become a warrior. I guess I'm a terrible Viking and a terrible son."

A moment of silence passed between them. Dried herbs rustled softly in the wind, and faint sounds of people drifted from the distance. Sigrid seemed to think for a moment, then looked back into Hiccup's eyes.

"You're not terrible," he said. "You're... just different. You have more skill at forge work than killing dragons. And you enjoy it more too. Forge work isn't worse than killing dragons, Hiccup."

He looked at Hiccup. Hiccup seemed flustered by Sigrid's words but also didn't know how to respond. He knew that Hiccup had been quite troubled by Stoick lately, and it seemed like he had never heard this kind of support from his father before.

"Did you know, Sigrid? Dragon attacks have been getting worse recently," Hiccup changed the subject, unable to find the right words to respond. "More frequent... and they're stealing more things too."

Sigrid nodded. Sigrid was the person who knew in advance that dragon raids would become more frequent. Over the past year, the queen's orders controlling the dragons from afar had been growing stronger. Her greed was beginning to cross the line. Now even the surrounding dragons were no longer listening to Sigrid. Though Sigrid was communicating to his limit, his efforts were proving less effective.

"Dad's planning something big," Hiccup continued. "I can tell. He's been meeting with the other warriors more often, making plans. I think he's going to try to find the dragon nest."

This time, Sigrid couldn't hide his reaction. He suddenly looked up, his eyes wide.

"Find the nest?" he repeated, his voice carefully controlled.

"To end the raids once and for all," Hiccup said. "That's what he keeps saying. That if we can just find where they're coming from, we can stop this war."

Sigrid was quiet for a long moment, his mind racing. The queen dragon had probably lived for a very long time, though not as long as Sigrid, and if she could command hundreds of dragons to bring her food, she must be enormously large. What Sigrid had pretended not to know for thirty years was coming back to them all. There would definitely be limits to humans hunting such a dragon. Finding the nest would be difficult, but if they discovered the nest and went there... no one would be able to return.

"Hiccup," he said finally, "promise me something."

"What?"

"If... your father says he's found the nest, could you let me know? You know how things are between your father and me these days."

Hiccup looked at him with those bright green eyes, so much like his mother's, and nodded slowly. "I promise."

Sigrid smiled slightly. "Thank you, Hiccup. You've had a hard time being caught between us." Sigrid leaned slightly against the workbench behind him. "If your father bothers you about dragon-related things—how about trying this excuse? You're inventing something to catch dragons needed for dragon training. If you say that, even Stoick should leave you alone for a while."

Hiccup thought for a moment, then his eyes lit up. "That's a good idea! I was actually working on something with a similar purpose but stopped. I really hope Dad believes an excuse like that."

"If it fails, come back here. I can hide at least one of you," Sigrid said jestingly.

This time Hiccup burst into laughter too. The morning wore on.

Chapter Text

The dragon raid alarm shattered the peaceful dawn air with a tremendous roar.

Hiccup jolted upright from his sleep at home. As the deep, resonant horn and the frantic clanging of someone beating the raid alarm bell echoed across Berk, his heart immediately began racing. Lately, dragons had been attacking at all hours without warning. Each time it happened, Berk became a sea of flames with buildings collapsing everywhere.

"Oh, come on..." Hiccup groaned, dragging his tired body to open the door, only to slam it shut again when he saw massive flames bearing down on him. His drowsiness vanished instantly. He waited until the heat from outside subsided, then burst through the door and sprinted toward the forge at full speed.

Whenever a raid occurred, the forge was packed with people, and Gobber couldn't handle them all alone. The place only functioned properly when Hiccup was there, so he ran despite nearly tripping several times.

"Good morning, Hiccup!" Ack called out, wielding his axe as he chased a dragon, pausing to greet Hiccup. "Mornin'!" Hiccup replied frantically as he ran past. These dawn raids had become so frequent lately that everyone seemed used to them. "Hiccup! Gobber's about to lose his mind—get over there fast!" someone shouted as they watched Hiccup race toward the forge. This time, Hiccup couldn't even respond.

"Gobber! I'm... here!" Hiccup panted, stumbling a few times but expertly tying on his leather apron. As expected, the forge was packed with people demanding spare weapons or asking to have their blades sharpened. "Ah! Nice of you to join the party! I thought you'd been carried off!" Gobber said cheerfully while tossing a bola to one of the Vikings.

"Hey! I ran here the moment I heard the raid alarm!" Hiccup protested, pumping the grindstone pedal as he sharpened an axe blade. Taking down dragons was other Vikings' job. If he just focused on grinding stones here, the raid would be over before he knew it, which would be perfect. He watched Viking teens ran around carrying water buckets. 'Good thing I'm not in that inferno,' Hiccup thought to himself. If he were in the middle of that fire pit, he'd be roasted in less than ten seconds.

While he was concentrating on the grindstone, Gobber suddenly clapped him on the shoulder. "Hiccup, that thing you made. Isn't it about time you tried it out? You made it but never used it once! Now's a good opportunity." Gobber's prosthetic pointed to a cloth-covered wooden machine. It was the bola launcher Hiccup had built following Sigrid's advice. Though originally intended for catching fish, its purpose had changed to catching dragons.

"What? I'm busy with forge work—when would I have time to take that thing out? If I drag something that big outside, I'll get trampled by dragons or something," Hiccup protested. "Hiccup! You lack Viking-ness! Don't you want to catch dragons? This is the perfect opportunity. Your father would be so pleased to know you're hiding in here again. Go on, take that thing out!" Gobber snatched the axe from Hiccup's hands and pushed him toward the wooden machine. Hiccup looked openly reluctant, but under Gobber's pressure, he had no choice but to grab the wooden machine and start pushing it.

"I know your skills better than anyone, Hiccup. With that thing you made, you could catch anything. Good luck!" Gobber said cheerfully, turning his back to deal with the crowded Vikings. Hiccup sighed and began pulling the cart at a run. When Gobber got like this, there was no choice. This bola launcher lacked durability to begin with. Even if he was lucky enough to hit a dragon, it would more likely break the rope quickly. Hiccup resolved to go to some hilltop where no dragons were visible and just fire it off randomly.

As Hiccup ran toward the hill, he encountered Sigrid leading a group of people. Seeing the cart Hiccup was pulling, Sigrid smiled and asked, "Going dragon hunting?" Hiccup looked dismayed. "Oh please, Sigrid. You know I don't want to do this. Gobber made me. I'm just going to shoot anywhere and go back to the forge." Sigrid chuckled. "Alright, be careful. You never know where a dragon might appear." With that, Sigrid disappeared back into the flames. Hiccup always wondered how he could move so calmly and slowly in a battlefield where dragons were breathing fire.

As soon as he reached the quiet, empty hilltop, Hiccup began setting up his bola catapult. "Shoot quickly, get back quickly," he muttered. Aiming at the empty night sky, he fired without hesitation. The moment he shot, a black shadow suddenly passed across the starlight, got hit by Hiccup's bola, and crashed into the forest.

"Oh no. No no no!!" Hiccup screamed. He'd had absolutely no intention of actually hitting a dragon. Hiccup's mind went blank from the surge of guilt and slight panic. As he tried to think with his back to the night sky, he heard the distinctive sound of a dragon behind him. Turning around, he saw a Monstrous Nightmare climbing up from the cliff.

"AHHHHH!" Hiccup shrieked in terror, leaping forward. Stimulated by the sound, the Nightmare also gave chase. The more he looked back, the closer the Nightmare got. Threatened for his life, Hiccup instinctively grabbed a half-burned shield lying on the ground and hurled it with all his might at the Nightmare's head. The shield struck the Nightmare's jaw directly, and the stunned dragon hesitated momentarily. In that gap, Hiccup hid behind a torch pole, but the Nightmare soon spotted him. Enormous flames swept over the pillar where Hiccup was hiding.

"I'm dead..." Just as Hiccup froze, Stoick punched the Nightmare down. The Nightmare tried to breathe fire, but either it had used all its shots or nothing more came out. "You're all out," Stoick said, striking its head once more, and the Nightmare fled instantly. A moment later, the burning torch pole collapsed, destroying the nets that held captured dragons. As the trapped Nadders flew into the sky, Hiccup began watching his father's expression nervously.

"Sorry, Dad," Hiccup said as Stoick dragged him away by the back of his shirt. "I was trying to stay put in the forge! But Gobber..." He'd never caused such a massive disaster during a raid before—he'd always been safely stuck inside the forge. Despite Hiccup's desperate excuses, Stoick didn't respond. His expression was completely unreadable to Hiccup.

On their way home, they encountered Sigrid. Despite the tremendous fire, there didn't seem to be a single soot mark on his clothes. "Stoick, you weren't hurt during the raid, were you?" Sigrid asked quietly. His tone was warm, but somehow cold. Hiccup always got stressed being caught between these two. He'd told them to reconcile many times. But these two had been like this for years. Years.

"No. I'm fine. This one's the problem now." Stoick finally released the back of Hiccup's shirt. Hiccup staggered but managed to regain his balance. "Why did Gobber have to say such useless things... Sigrid, would you take Hiccup home? I need to clean up the square."

With that, Stoick headed down the path. After a moment, Sigrid looked at Hiccup and asked quietly, "So, was the dragon hunting successful?" Hiccup avoided Sigrid's eyes and stammered, "Uh... no? I.. I just shot into empty air. Then I got chased by a dragon and caused a complete disaster." He felt that telling Sigrid, who didn't hate dragons like everyone else, that he'd caught a dragon would somehow disappoint him. Hiccup reflexively lied, trying not to get caught somehow.

Sigrid's eyes narrowed in an unreadable way. "Really? I see. Your father told me to take you home. I'll walk you home. I need to go treat the injured after that." Hiccup said urgently, "Actually, I can go alone from here. We're almost home anyway. The injured people are more important, so you should go quickly, Sigrid. I'll stay inside. I won't cause any more trouble."

"Alright. You seem in a hurry to get home. Go the rest of the way yourself." Sigrid smiled meaningfully. Whenever Sigrid smiled like this, Hiccup felt inexplicably terrified. "Yes, yes! Go quickly. See you later!" Hiccup ran quickly despite stumbling.

As soon as he got home, Hiccup quickly grabbed the dagger from his desk and ran out the back door toward the forest. "Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry!" Hiccup planned to rush into the forest immediately and free the dragon he'd shot down and crashed this morning. At that location where it fell, someone might discover it, or it might die. Freeing a captured dragon was an incredibly dangerous and crazy idea, but he couldn't just leave it there. Hiccup ran with all his might. He had to get back home before his father finished everything and came home.

Chapter Text

"I think it was around here somewhere..." Hiccup muttered as he made his way through the forest, searching for traces of the dragon's crash.

His heart was racing. He desperately hoped the dragon would be small enough or belong to a less threatening species. If it was a Nadder, he'd get spiked before he could even free it. If it was a Zippleback, he wouldn't dare attempt to release it. He could only hope it was a less threatening Gronckle. Since he hadn't been paying close attention to the night sky at the time, he had no idea what he'd actually hit.

'I should have aimed at the sea, not the sky...' Hiccup cursed his own foolishness as he muttered under his breath.

And then he finally found it. Broken trees and deeply gouged earth, and beyond that, something pitch black lying bound in bola ropes.

"Oh gods... please don't tell me that's a Night Fury." Hiccup gasped.

This was truly the worst situation. A Night Fury—which no one had ever seen or caught—was right there before Hiccup's eyes, though bound in bola ropes. The moment he freed it, that dragon would surely kill him.

"Okay, that's... that's definitely not going to work. Not even close." As Hiccup had this thought and stepped backward, he accidentally stepped on a branch underfoot, making a noise.

Crack

The moment the sound rang out, the Night Fury's eyes snapped open and fixed directly on Hiccup. In that instant, Hiccup realized he was making eye contact with the most terrifying thing in the world. Green eyes pierced right through him. The moment their eyes met, Hiccup collapsed backward.

'This is it. This is how I die. Because I was stupid enough to get this close to the most dangerous dragon.' The thought crashed through his mind as he squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the end, expecting to be hit by the Night Fury's blast.

But it was different from what he expected. When nothing happened even after time passed, Hiccup opened his eyes just a crack, then wider. The dragon wasn't roaring or preparing to attack. It just... looked tired. Hopeless. Even with Hiccup right in front of it, it showed no aggressive reaction.

The Night Fury glanced at the dagger Hiccup was holding, made a sound like giving up, and closed its eyes again. As if accepting its fate. Something about that sight bothered him. Hiccup sensed something familiar in that dragon. Finally, Hiccup got up from where he sat and approached the dragon. His hands were shaking, but he couldn't hesitate any longer.

"Please don't kill me..." Hiccup muttered rapidly as he began cutting through the ropes binding the Night Fury one by one. No matter how he thought about it, this was insane. But he did this. He couldn't leave this dragon to die abandoned in these woods. Something prevented him from stopping. Hiccup himself couldn't understand what this emotion was.

Soon, feeling the loosened ropes, the Night Fury sprang up and knocked Hiccup down. Then it roared right in Hiccup's face before flying away lopsidedly. Terror coursed through his veins like ice water, leaving him breathless and shaking, but he wasn't hurt. And soon after, Hiccup fainted on the spot.

It was already late at night when Hiccup returned home. His plan to get back before Stoick returned had already failed. He tried to sneak upstairs without being caught by Stoick, but Stoick noticed.

"Hiccup."

"Dad! Uh... I went somewhere for a bit, Dad." Hiccup stopped halfway up the stairs.

"I need to speak with you too, son." Stoick turned his body toward Hiccup.

Hiccup became anxious. Whenever his father acted like this, it was never good news. This time, he had no idea what they would talk about. The massive accident from this morning? His lack of Viking-ness? Not knowing what the topic would be made him even more anxious.

"I think it's time you learn to fight dragons." Stoick spoke as if it was already decided, regardless of whatever answer Hiccup might give.

"What? Why? I told you before that I have no talent for fighting dragons. That's not my thing, you know?"

"What happened this morning convinced me. Even if you have no talent for fighting, you need to know the basics. The lack of basics is what caused such a massive accident this morning. Isn't that right, son?"

"I don't want to fight dragons! Dad, I can't kill dragons." Hiccup had a feeling that no matter how much he insisted he couldn't do it, his father would never listen.

"It's time, Hiccup. You start in the morning."

"Can you not hear me?!" Hiccup was truly frustrated. It was like talking to a wall.

"This is serious, son! As you grow up, there will be many challenges ahead, and this can't continue any longer. No more of... this."

"You just gestured to all of me."

"Deal?"

"This conversation is feeling very one-sided."

"DEAL?!"

"Fine, I get it! Deal!"

"Good. Train hard. I'll be back. Probably." With those words, Stoick packed his things and left. Hiccup felt so frustrated he thought he might die. This was a moment when he desperately needed Sigrid's unconditional support and understanding.

Morning came. Hiccup had barely been able to sleep. All night long, those green eyes of the Night Fury had haunted his thoughts. And starting today, he had to do dragon training. He wanted to run away, but if he did, Gobber would probably chase after him and throw him into the Dragon Training Arena anyway. Rather than that, it was better to go there on his own feet. Hiccup's steps toward the Dragon Training Arena were painfully slow. A snail could have moved faster.

"Welcome to Dragon Training!" Gobber's excited voice could be heard.

The kids walking ahead were already excited, talking about scars and such. They'd done things similar to dragon training before, but this was their first real dragon training, and everyone seemed thrilled about it. Hiccup didn't feel excited at all. He just wanted to go home right now.

"Yeah, no kidding, right? Pain. Love it." Hiccup responded sarcastically to the talk about serious burn scars and such. Then everyone who had been walking ahead turned toward Hiccup.

"Ugh, seriously? What's he doing here?" Ruffnut said. Hiccup didn't bother to answer that comment. Training would start soon anyway.

Behind the firmly locked doors were five dragons. Hiccup didn't want to meet any of those dragons. But Gobber opened the door where the Gronckle had been confined, and everyone panicked and started running away. Everyone except Astrid.

"Today is about survival. If you get blasted... you're dead!" Gobber shouted. Hiccup reflexively threw the axe he was holding in one hand to the ground and gripped his shield tightly with his left hand. He hoped what Sigrid had taught him would help. The arena situation was pure chaos. The twins got knocked out fighting over a shield, and Fishlegs and Snotlout also got eliminated. Now only Astrid and Hiccup remained.

"So, I guess it's just you and me, huh?" Hiccup said as he approached Astrid, but she didn't even look his way.

"Nope, just you." And she ran away, leaving Hiccup behind.

The Gronckle breathed fire at Hiccup once more. The moment Hiccup felt the fireball about to hit his shield, he angled the shield diagonally as Sigrid had taught him and swung it hard. The molten stone bounced off the shield and hit the Gronckle in the face. The Gronckle descended slightly from the air.

"Well done, Hiccup! Don't forget there's one shot left!" Gobber shouted, but Hiccup couldn't hear him. Due to that earlier attack, the Gronckle's target had completely shifted to Hiccup. And Hiccup ended up tripping and falling while trying to escape. Before the Gronckle could hit him with its shot, Gobber quickly tugged it away. And the struggling Gronckle was eventually forced back into its cage.

"Everyone! Remember! A dragon will always, always go for the kill. Today's training is over! Everyone go back!"

Hiccup was completely exhausted. His legs trembled like a baby lamb's when he walked, and his left hand, which had deflected the Gronckle's shot, ached as if he'd sprained it. He wanted to check if yesterday's Night Fury had properly escaped, but before going back into those woods, he felt he should visit Sigrid.

Hiccup knocked on the door of Sigrid's healing hut. "Come in." Upon hearing Sigrid's voice, he opened the wooden door and entered. This place always put his mind at ease whenever he came. The familiar blend of dried meadowsweet and pine needles filled his lungs. The warm air relaxed Hiccup's tense shoulders. Sigrid gave him a knowing smile and gestured to a chair.

"Today was terrible." Hiccup said as he practically collapsed into the chair, extending his left wrist. Sigrid took Hiccup's hand and brought it close to examine his wrist properly. For a moment, Sigrid paused. Rather than examining, it felt more like observing, which made Hiccup look up at Sigrid with curious eyes.

"Is my wrist in that bad a condition? You're staring at it really intently."

Then Sigrid released Hiccup's hand. "No, it's just a simple sprain. Nothing else." Sigrid took some ointment made from Arnica from the herb basket and applied it to Hiccup's wrist. Soon, along with a cool sensation, the pain in his wrist seemed to disappear. The treatment was completely finished after Sigrid wrapped clean bandages around it.

"Training's over, so what are you planning to do now?" Sigrid asked casually while organizing the basket.

"Just... wandering around and passing time. Later this evening, everyone else are supposed to meet up." Hiccup explained casually. This wasn't entirely a lie. It was definitely true, just missing the purpose of looking for that dragon he'd seen yesterday. But somehow, lying to Sigrid felt difficult.

"Is that so? Have a good time. Be careful not to get lost."

"I'm not a 10-year-old anymore, Sigrid. I'm 15." Hiccup grumbled a bit but left the healing hut with a smile.

Now it was time to enter the forest and look for the dragon.

Sigrid's POV

Berk, with most of the Vikings gone, was quieter than ever. Stoick had left for Helheim's Gate, leading a group of Vikings. It was expected that this time too, they would return in a few weeks without even getting close to the dragon's nest, but Sigrid said nothing to Stoick.
Because he knew that whatever he said to Stoick wouldn't be heard. It was always like this these days.

And today was the day Hiccup would be joining dragon training for the first time. With Gobber there, he probably wouldn't die, but Sigrid was worried about him getting hurt. Sigrid still couldn't understand the idea of teaching young children how to fight dragons. After all, many people had been seriously injured in that training over the past 30 years.

Around midday, Hiccup knocked on the door of the healing hut. He said he'd sprained his left wrist from improperly wielding his shield. The moment Sigrid lifted Hiccup's wrist to eye level with both hands to examine it properly, he detected something.

Something foreign, not human... the scent of a dragon.

Had it gotten on him during dragon training? But it wasn't the scent of the five dragons confined in the Arena. The traces left on Hiccup were too faint to identify precisely. Something more seemed to be there...

"Is my wrist in that bad a condition? You're staring at it really intently." Hiccup's voice brought him back to reality. He'd apparently been looking too long, as Hiccup seemed worried.

"No, it's just a simple sprain. Nothing else." He released Hiccup's wrist and wrapped bandages around it. Hiccup said he would wander around and spend time, but it was obvious he was hiding his real purpose. For a human who had only lived 15 years, it was far too difficult to deceive a dragon.

Sigrid watched until Hiccup disappeared, heading toward the forest. He didn't know exactly what Hiccup was up to, but he had a instinct that something important was happening.

Something was beginning to change.

Chapter Text

Hiccup was trekking through the forest again, making his way toward the spot where he had discovered the dragon yesterday. The broken bola ropes, the wrecked forest, and the claw marks high up on the trees where the dragon had crashed during its escape attempt were all still clearly visible. Hiccup looked up and began following those traces. Soon, he spotted the familiar entrance to the cove. Beyond this point lay a large lake—a place he had often visited with Sigrid to gather herbs.

The lake was as quiet as usual. Only the sound of a water bird flying by could be heard, it seemed completely empty.

"Well, this was stupid," Hiccup muttered as he turned to leave. Just then, he noticed some shiny black dragon scales scattered on the ground. As he bent down to pick them up, something flashed past his eyes like lightning.

Hiccup froze in shock. Soon he could see that the creature soaring into the sky was a Night Fury. But something was wrong. The Night Fury kept trying to rise into the air, only to lose its balance and crash back to the ground repeatedly.

Hiccup quickly hid among the bushes and pulled out his sketchbook. The Night Fury made several more attempts at flight before finally giving up and starting to fish in the lake. However, it failed to catch a single fish properly.

"So dragons eat fish too..." Hiccup observed the Night Fury closely and discovered that one of its tail fins was completely missing. As he moved his arm to correct his sketch, the pencil slipped from his hand and clattered down onto the rocks.

The Night Fury immediately turned its head toward Hiccup. Sharp green eyes locked onto him. Then it vanished from sight in an instant.

The next day's training was just as terrible. He had to navigate the maze-like arena while dodging a Nadder. This time he didn't even get a chance to attack the dragon. Somehow he collided with Astrid and fell, causing her axe to embed deeply in his shield.

When training ended, Astrid stormed over to him. "Is this some kind of a joke to you?!" Fury blazed in her blue eyes. Hiccup thought that he and Astrid would never get along.

After training, Hiccup took the fish he had hidden and went to find the Night Fury again, bringing his shield along. He stepped carefully into the cove. He held fish in one hand and his shield in the other, but his trembling hands made it difficult to grip them properly. The entrance was too narrow, and his shield got stuck between the rocks. After a moment of hesitation, Hiccup decided to leave the shield behind and go in. He didn't think a shield would help him against a Night Fury anyway.

The Night Fury growled low as soon as it saw Hiccup. Though frightened, Hiccup held up the fish.

"This... you want to eat this?"

The Night Fury sniffed the fish and cautiously approached step by step. But when it spotted the small dagger at Hiccup's waist, it backed away warily. Hiccup immediately understood. He drew the dagger and threw it into the lake, then held out the fish again.

The Night Fury hesitated for a moment before lowering its body and opening its mouth. Hiccup stared. Where were all the teeth?

"Huh. Toothless. I could've sworn you had..." Suddenly, white teeth shot out from the gums and snatched the fish. "...teeth."

From that day on, Hiccup called the Night Fury Toothless.

Every day after training, Hiccup would pack fish in a basket and go to meet Toothless. He made up all sorts of excuses: "I need to repair my shield at the forge," "I promised to help Sigrid," and other such lies just to get away quickly.

As the time spent with Toothless increased, the time with Sigrid decreased. Whenever they occasionally crossed paths, Sigrid always seemed lost in deep thought. Whatever was on his mind, he always seemed troubled.

The time with Toothless was truly helpful. Understanding dragon behavior and weaknesses allowed him to excel in training as well. But the more Hiccup distinguished himself, the colder Astrid became toward him, and it became increasingly difficult to sneak away after training as other kids began crowding around him.

Time passed, but Toothless still couldn't fly, and Hiccup hadn't yet found the cause. So he carefully asked Sigrid, who knew more than anyone else he knew.

"I was wondering... are there dragons that become unable to fly? You know, after they could fly normally?"

Sigrid considered this for a moment before answering, "Usually if their wings are badly injured or they've lost a tail fin, dragons can't fly. Why are you asking about this?"

"Oh, just... I thought it might be useful for dragon training." Hiccup mumbled evasively and quickly left the healing hut. That night, Hiccup stayed up all night making a new tail fin.

The day he attached the newly made tail fin to Toothless was half success, half failure. At least he could fly, but he couldn't last even ten seconds before crashing into the lake with him. He looked like a drowned rat, but Hiccup couldn't hide his joy. There had been progress.

After many trials and errors, on the day he completed a saddle for Toothless, Hiccup visited Sigrid's healing hut for the first time in a while. He had been spending time with Toothless every day and hadn't stopped by for quite some time.

"You don't seem busy today?" Sigrid said with a smile while organizing his herb supplies. "If you're not busy, could you help me? We're out of watercress."

"Oh, um... sorry, I'm busy again today. I'll... I'll get some for you later." Though he felt bad about it, today he had to attach the saddle to Toothless. He was becoming impatient as the day when he could fly through the sky with Toothless was drawing near.

"Alright then. I guess I'll have to make a trip to the forest myself today." Sigrid prepared for the forest trip, taking out an empty basket and a small hoe.

"Alright, I'll help you later!" With those words, Hiccup left the healing hut and ran home. He grabbed the saddle he had made and began running toward the cove where Toothless was.

The saddle test was also half successful. Except for the part where he crashed again because he couldn't sit properly. But he felt he was really close now. He had roughly figured out how to control the tail fin, and there were far fewer problems to solve.

"Alright, bud. We're almost there. Tomorrow it'll be perfect." Hiccup lay on the soft grass by the lake with Toothless. After crashing several times and swimming in the water, he was completely exhausted. Flight training with Toothless was always tiring, but it was equally rewarding.

As he lay peacefully feeling the late evening breeze, Toothless suddenly jumped up. He seemed to be on guard against something.

"What's wrong, bud? What do you hear?"

Soon Hiccup heard it too. The sound of someone approaching. Grass rustling and small branches breaking underfoot. Hiccup panicked.

"Who would come all the way here...? No one would come to such a remote place... except me and Si... Oh."

The midday conversation came back to him. Sigrid had said he was going to the forest to gather watercress. And watercress was an herb that grew near water. This was a waterside with a large lake, and it was a place he had often come to gather herbs with Sigrid when he was young.

"How could I forget this! Hide right now, bud, quickly!" 

Hiccup whispered urgently. He tried to push Toothless, who was already on guard, to hide him somehow. The approaching sound grew louder, and though Toothless was wary, he eventually followed Hiccup's push and crouched obediently in the shadows below the cliff. Just as Toothless grumbled and curled up, the approaching sound stopped. When Hiccup looked up, he locked eyes with Sigrid, who was looking down at him.

"Oh. I'm dead."

Hiccup's heart sank. This was a disaster.

Sigrid POV

Hiccup had been acting very suspicious lately.

First of all, he no longer came to the healing hut after dragon training ended. He kept making excuses, but Sigrid knew Hiccup wasn't really that busy. Hiccup's only real responsibilities were at the forge, and even that only happened when there were dragon raids.

And most importantly—Hiccup was definitely spending time with some dragon. The dragon scent was getting stronger and stronger. It was strong enough that even someone without Sigrid's sharp senses could definitely detect it. Probably all the dragons in the training arena knew about it. This might be why the arena dragons attacked Hiccup less. Moreover, he'd heard Hiccup was getting good in dragon training lately. Gobber had joyfully shared this news, which surprised Sigrid too.

The dragon scent from Hiccup was from a species he hadn't smelled for quite a long time, so it took him a while to identify what kind it was, but he had recently figured it out. Night Fury. Over the past few years, this dragon had shown up during every raid. He couldn't tell if it was the same one each time, but it probably was. It had been a destructive dragon that never took anything—just smashed whatever it could see. Why it was now spending time with Hiccup was a mystery. As soon as he realized it was a Night Fury, he became seriously worried about Hiccup's safety. But if the scent was this strong, the two must have already been rolling around together, and since Hiccup was still alive, their relationship probably wasn't bad. Interfering might make things worse. Sigrid decided to watch from the sidelines, as he always had.

Honestly, watching Hiccup try to hide something was enjoyable. The way he struggled with excuses was adorable to Sigrid. Even though Hiccup had grown older, he still seemed like a child to him. Hiccup's nervous fidgeting always amused him.

Several weeks passed, and Sigrid became completely accustomed to the Night Fury scent from Hiccup. While organizing his herbs, Hiccup visited the healing hut for a long time. He'd probably been visiting the Night Fury every day after training, but today he seemed to have some free time.

"Hiccup, it's been a while. You don't seem busy today?" Sigrid said with a smile. He could see Hiccup looking guilty and nervous. Since they were out of watercress, he thought they might be able to gather herbs together for the first time in a while.

"If you're not busy, could you help me? We're out of watercress."

Watercress was an herb that grew near water. Hiccup smelled of fresh water lately, he seemed to end up in water a lot. Since there was no salt smell, it was probably a lake or stream. There was only one lake on this island large enough for a person to fall into. Even though he'd decided to stay out of it, he was curious about Hiccup's new friend. He was really curious now.

"Uh... sorry, Sigrid. I'm busy today too. I'll look for some separately later," Hiccup answered. Disappointing, but no matter—he planned to see Hiccup's new friend today. Hiccup would probably think it was all coincidence.

After Hiccup left the healing hut, Sigrid gathered his basket and hoe and headed for the forest. His plan was to collect some watercress first, then head to the lake. Hiccup would think it was weird if his basket was empty. Hiccup was sharp in some ways, though completely oblivious in others.

As evening approached, Sigrid began heading toward the lakeside with his half-filled basket. He deliberately stepped on small branches so Hiccup could hear him approaching. Getting closer, he started to hear Hiccup's voice.

"Hide right now, bud, quickly!"

Along with Hiccup's urgent voice, he could hear the disgruntled rumbling of a dragon. There was also the sound of something heavy being pushed. The thought of Hiccup panicking amused him.

Soon he reached the edge of the bushes. Before him lay a wide lake and a cave. Looking down, he could see Hiccup looking extremely anxious.

Sigrid smiled slightly. He'd waited long enough. Time to see what Hiccup was hiding.

Chapter Text

When their eyes met, Sigrid smiled and began making his way down to Hiccup.

"Hiccup? There you are. Did you come to gather herbs too?" In an instant, Sigrid stood before Hiccup. Toothless was hidden in the cliff's shadow behind Sigrid. Hiccup desperately hoped he would stay perfectly still. If Toothless moved even slightly now, Sigrid would surely discover him. Sigrid might be accepting of dragons, but a Night Fury appearing right in front of him would be a disaster.

"Oh... I just got here too! But there isn't much Watercress around, so I was about to head back." It was a pathetic excuse. The truth was, Watercress grew abundantly around the lake. With no one coming to gather it for so long, it had flourished even more. There was so much that Hiccup could see it just by glancing to the side, and it would be even more obvious to Sigrid. His clumsy lie only made Sigrid's gaze grow more suspicious.

To make matters worse, Toothless seemed to have reached his limit of patience. The stranger's sudden arrival didn't sit well with him, and he began shifting restlessly. Hiccup wanted to gesture for Toothless to stay back, but with Sigrid watching him from the front, he couldn't do anything. All he could do was glance nervously between Sigrid and Toothless, helplessly waiting for disaster to strike.

Finally, Toothless, who had been sneaking closer, stepped on a small fallen leaf. The sound of the leaf crunching was quiet, but to Hiccup, it sounded as loud as thunder. Just as Sigrid was about to turn his head, Hiccup quickly interrupted.

"Now! Now... the sun seems to be setting, shall we head back together, Sigrid?" Anyone could tell his tone and behavior were unnatural. Fortunately, Sigrid didn't turn around, but Toothless was already dangerously close. There were no signs of aggression, but he seemed to be stretching his head forward, trying to catch Sigrid's scent. If Sigrid stepped back even slightly, he would bump into Toothless.

"You're acting really strange today, Hiccup. Is something wrong?" Sigrid asked with a chuckle. He seemed unusually cheerful today. In complete contrast to Sigrid, Hiccup felt like he was dying inside. Now Toothless was starting to rise on his hind legs. As Toothless lifted his body, a long shadow fell across the ground. Seeing the sudden shadow, Sigrid finally turned around. This time, there was no way for Hiccup to stop him.

The moment Sigrid turned around, he came face to face with Toothless. Since Hiccup could only see Sigrid's back, he had no idea what expression Sigrid was wearing. That made him even more anxious. Even Toothless was standing on his hind legs, quietly looking down at Sigrid. It wasn't the wary, defensive look he'd had when first meeting Hiccup. He seemed to be gazing with simple curiosity. Hiccup felt like he was about to lose his mind.

After what felt like an eternity, there was finally movement. Toothless slowly lowered his front paws to the ground, standing on all fours, while Sigrid took a step back. Then, amazingly, Sigrid began gently petting Toothless's head with his free hand.

"So this is what you've been hiding with all those excuses?" Sigrid's voice was filled with joy. Hiccup couldn't understand what he meant for a moment and was slow to respond.

"That... uh... isn't there anything else? There's a dragon right in front of us, you know? Are you... are you okay?" Hiccup looked shocked by what he was seeing. He wanted to say more, but this whole situation was driving him insane. Finally, Hiccup moved closer to get a better look at Sigrid's reaction.

Sigrid was smiling peacefully. There was no sign of surprise or fear. Right now, he was naturally petting the Night Fury as if it were a gentle lamb. It made no sense at all.

"I have plenty of questions, but you look overwhelmed. Would you like to explain everything from the beginning?" Sigrid withdrew his hand from Toothless and set down his herb basket. Toothless's attention immediately turned to the basket. Watching Toothless stick his snout into the basket and sniff around, Hiccup was completely speechless. He had never imagined such a situation, not even in his dreams. Everything was too confusing.

When Hiccup slumped down onto a large rock nearby, Sigrid sat down beside him. When Hiccup looked up, Sigrid was smiling warmly, as if patiently waiting. Hiccup looked down at his hands for a moment, gathering his scattered thoughts.

"That... well... you know that day, the day of the dragon raid. The bola I fired accidentally hit Toothless. So..." Hiccup began speaking cautiously in a mumble. The thought of having to explain everything felt overwhelming.

"You call him Toothless." Sigrid said slowly. "Take your time. Tell me what happened."

"Toothless crashed straight into the forest. I was worried he might still be there, still tied up, so I went to the forest and... he really was there. Still bound. So I freed him, but Toothless didn't attack me. He just flew away." Hiccup slightly raised his gaze from the ground. Realizing there was no fish in the herb basket, Toothless had now lost interest and plopped down on the ground.

"But then... I kept wondering. I wondered if he was still there, so I went back, and Toothless really was there. He didn't fly away. And he didn't attack me when he saw me either. So somehow... we became friends. Toothless has never attacked me. He's a good dragon." Hiccup added defensively. Even though he knew Sigrid wouldn't think badly of it, he was anxious that Sigrid might view Toothless badly.

"I noticed that one of his tail fins was made of leather. Did you make that?"

"Yes, well. Actually, when I first met him, Toothless was missing one tail fin. That's why he couldn't fly, I think. All those things I asked you about were because of Toothless." Hiccup hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "And recently... we've been practicing flying together. We're improving every day, and I think tomorrow we'll finally get it right."

After finishing those words, Hiccup turned his gaze toward Sigrid. He couldn't predict what kind of reaction Sigrid would show. But Sigrid's face showed far more positive emotions than negative ones. The moment Hiccup saw that expression, he felt the tension that had built up in his chest slowly melting away.

"I see. Thank you for explaining everything, Hiccup. You've done something incredible." Sigrid patted his shoulder warmly. For the first time, Hiccup's smile was genuine.

Things seemed to be working out well. But questions still remained. Why hadn't Sigrid been surprised to see Toothless? When Sigrid turned around, Toothless had been really close. There was barely any distance between them. An ordinary person would have been shocked enough to faint or scream, but Sigrid had been so calm. Strangely calm.

"Um... Sigrid. When you first saw Toothless earlier, why were you so calm? I thought you'd be surprised or scream... but you were so composed." Hiccup asked carefully. Sigrid seemed lost in thought for a moment.

"I was quite surprised. So surprised that I froze." Though he answered that way, Hiccup wasn't so sure. Sigrid wasn't the type to get startled easily. He had never seen Sigrid freeze from shock. Hiccup had some doubts about Sigrid's explanation, but there was no way to verify it.

Meanwhile, Toothless seemed to have completely let his guard down. He was lying openly in front of Sigrid and Hiccup, sweeping the grass with his tail or rolling around. Hiccup found this sight amazing. It had taken him several days to get Toothless to completely lower his guard, but with Sigrid, whom he'd just met, Toothless had immediately opened up. 'Is there something special about Sigrid?' Hiccup wondered.

"So..." Sigrid's sudden words pulled Hiccup from his thoughts.

"You said you're doing a test drive tomorrow? Could I be there too? You never know, you might fall and get hurt. It's dangerous."

Hiccup thought for a moment, but having Sigrid there seemed like a good idea. He had actually been getting minor injuries frequently during practice lately. They weren't serious wounds, but just in case something happened, having Sigrid there would put his mind at ease.

"That sounds good. Tomorrow after training ends, I'll start from the cliff overlooking the sea. I'll come to the healing hut when training is over." Hiccup's voice became much lighter. Just sharing the secret he had kept to himself all this time made him feel like a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders.

"Sounds good. I'm excited to see what you can do up there." Sigrid said with a bright smile as he stood up. Seeing this, Toothless also jumped up and began rubbing his head against Sigrid's leg. Watching this scene, Hiccup felt somewhat jealous.

"Great, now you like him better than me?" When Hiccup playfully bonked Toothless's head, Toothless glared at him once before swishing his tail to hit Hiccup's head in the same way. 

Watching the two of them play around, Sigrid picked up his herb basket and spoke.

"Let's go now. The sun is setting. If you want to fly tomorrow, you should head back now."

Hiccup began following behind Sigrid as he walked ahead. With his heart feeling lighter, his steps naturally became lighter.

Sigrid POV

Sigrid slowly descended while watching Hiccup's expression change moment by moment. From the presence he sensed behind him, there was definitely a Night Fury hiding in the shadows. Seeing Hiccup say he had just arrived but was planning to leave because there wasn't much Watercress, Sigrid glanced at the nearby lakeside. Watercress was growing abundantly there. With no one visiting this place for so long, it was naturally lush. When he turned his gaze back to Hiccup, the boy couldn't even make proper eye contact. He seemed to know how nonsensical his excuse was.

The presence behind was getting closer and closer. It seemed to be trying to move quietly, but Sigrid could hear every little sound. When he heard the sound of a leaf being stepped on, he almost turned around for a moment, but stopped at Hiccup's urgent words. It was still more fun to tease Hiccup a little longer.

That Night Fury had come really close. Hiccup's face was growing paler by the moment, and the powerful presence behind him was becoming impossible to ignore. Soon the Night Fury's long shadow fell across the ground, and Sigrid finally turned to face the Night Fury directly.

The Night Fury's large, clear green eyes met Sigrid's pale blue ones. Sure that Hiccup couldn't see from behind, Sigrid shifted his eyes into dragon eyes. Since Hiccup had grown up requiring him to be much more careful, he had rarely been in this state in recent years. Now dragon eyes were looking at each other.

The Night Fury immediately recognized what kind of being Sigrid was. The only remaining Ancient Dragon in this world. A being in the same situation as himself. The last remaining Ancient Dragon and Night Fury in this world.

Sigrid could also read the Night Fury's heart to some extent. The sadness of being left alone, deep fear, suppressed anger... He couldn't understand everything perfectly, but he could comprehend this much. The two had a long wordless conversation. They could share many things through each other's eyes.

After a while, the Night Fury lowered his front paws and sat on the ground. Sigrid raised his free hand and gently petted the Night Fury's head. Though still a young dragon, he had been through so much. Along with sympathy, he also felt wonder. The Night Fury slightly closed his eyes and accepted his touch. Seeing this, Sigrid couldn't help but smile naturally.

"So this is what you've been hiding with all those excuses?" Sigrid said with a warm smile. He was very proud that Hiccup had made such an amazing friend, more than he had expected. He could directly see how the stories he had told in childhood had influenced Hiccup so greatly.

Hiccup seemed very confused by the completely different reaction than expected. At times like this, rather than asking questions, it would be better to first let him explain everything himself, which would help organize his emotions. Sigrid set down his herb basket and neatly folded his hands in front of him.

"I have plenty of questions, but you look overwhelmed. Would you like to explain everything from the beginning?"

Hiccup sat down on a large rock nearby. His thoughts were probably very complicated. It would be better to wait until he was ready to organize his thoughts and speak. Sigrid also sat down next to Hiccup and waited patiently. The Night Fury was sticking his snout into the herb basket that Sigrid had set down and sniffing around. The action looked familiar - Hiccup had probably often brought him things in baskets.

Soon Hiccup began telling everything. How he really had hit a dragon that day, how he couldn't kill it, and how they had become friends. Even how he called the Night Fury 'Toothless.'

Now Toothless was lying completely relaxed on the ground. It was extremely rare for Sigrid to see a wild dragon let its guard down this much in front of humans. He didn't know what method Hiccup had used, but he had clearly formed a deep bond with Toothless. He never realized Hiccup had this kind of ability.

Hiccup had even made and attached a tail fin for Toothless, who couldn't fly without one. And they were even practicing flying together - it was all so hard to believe. He could now understand the source of the hammering sounds that had been coming from the forge recently, and the fresh water scent he could sometimes detect from Hiccup.

Listening to the story, Sigrid found himself wanting to see Hiccup's actual flight. It had been 15 years since Sigrid had last flown. The only time he'd flown was when Valka was taken by dragons. Other than that day, he'd never flown freely. There was the risk of being discovered, and he didn't have the time for it either. But he really wanted to see Hiccup and Toothless soaring freely through the sky. Since tomorrow was supposed to be a test drive, if he asked, Hiccup probably wouldn't refuse.

"You said you're doing a test drive tomorrow? Could I be there too? You never know, you might fall and get hurt. It's dangerous."

In case he might be refused, he added a reasonable justification. There really was a possibility of danger.

"That sounds good. Tomorrow after training ends, I'll start from the cliff overlooking the sea. I'll come to the healing hut when training is over."

Hiccup's voice was light. He seemed excited about tomorrow's flight. Though he always said he was grown up, he was still a child.

When he stood up, Toothless came over and rubbed his head against Sigrid's leg. To Toothless, Sigrid felt like a protector. The time Toothless had spent with a real guardian was far too short, and he must have been so lonely.

Sigrid felt a surge of emotion rise from deep in his chest as he watched Hiccup and Toothless play with each other. The sight of human and dragon living as true friends. It was something Sigrid himself had always dreamed of, and especially the scene that Valka had so desperately wanted to see.

'How happy would Valka be to see this sight?' 

Then Stoick naturally came to mind as well. Whatever reaction Stoick would show if he witnessed this scene, it certainly wouldn't be good. He would try to kill Toothless or use him. Something bad would definitely happen to Hiccup too. They had hidden it well so far, but no one knew when or how it might be discovered. He could only hope the worst wouldn't happen.

Chapter Text

The next day, as soon as training ended, Hiccup rushed to Sigrid's healing hut. His heart was racing with excitement, making it harder than usual to concentrate during training. The thought that he could finally fly properly with Toothless made him reach Sigrid's healing hut faster than ever.

"Sigrid! I'm here!" Hiccup panted as he threw open the door to the healing hut. Sigrid was already prepared and waiting. He had placed simple herbs and bandages in a basket and was wearing his cloak.

"You're early." Sigrid stood up, picked up the basket, and approached Hiccup. "Shall we go?"

As they walked toward where Toothless was waiting, Hiccup kept looking down at his cheat sheet. He was still a bit concerned that he hadn't memorized it properly yet, but he reasoned he could always check it while flying. Sigrid followed behind him, occasionally catching Hiccup whenever he nearly tripped from not watching where he was going.

Soon they arrived where Toothless was waiting. Toothless couldn't hide his excitement. Hiccup tried to calm him down while Toothless bounced excitedly into the air.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm excited too, Toothless. I know you're looking forward to this." Once Toothless finally calmed down, he put all four paws on the ground. After glancing back at Sigrid, Toothless began running toward the cliff where they always practiced flying. Hiccup quickly chased after him.

Finally reaching the cliff, they could see the open sea stretching out before them. Sea stacks stood scattered throughout the water. This time, they planned to fly all the way to where those sea stacks were. Their practice flights had always been low and close to the ground, so this would be their first long-distance flight. Hiccup did a final check of Toothless's saddle and made sure the connection between the saddle and his safety cord was secure. Finally, he tucked the cheat sheet into Toothless's saddle, and all preparations were complete.

"Take care, Hiccup. Some injuries are beyond even my skills." Sigrid looked up at Hiccup as he spoke. Usually, Sigrid was much taller than Hiccup, so he always had to look up at him, but now Hiccup could look down at Sigrid. The new viewpoint thrilled him.

"Got it. I'll be back!" With those words, Toothless leaped off the cliff. Cool, strong wind rushed past Hiccup's face. The fall was brief—soon Toothless spread his wings and soared up into the sky. Unlike last time, there was no sudden crashing down or falling off the saddle. It was a perfectly stable flight.

"Okay there, bud, we're gonna take this nice and slow." Toothless glided smoothly, riding the wind currents. "Here we go. Here we go... position three, no, four." When Hiccup got confused looking at his cheat sheet, Toothless shook his head slightly as if telling him to get it right.

"Okay, sorry. Now then... now!" At Hiccup's signal, the tail fin position changed. Toothless naturally soared upward with smooth wingbeats. It was perfect. "Yes, it worked!" Hiccup cheered.

Still, he was inexperienced. As he changed positions several more times while looking at his cheat sheet instead of watching ahead, Toothless kept heading straight for the sea stacks.

"Sorry!" After crashing into a sea stack, and then a few seconds later crashing into another one, "That was my fault." Finally, an annoyed Toothless smacked him with his ear.

"Alright, alright, I'll focus. Again, position four, uh, three." Toothless, who had climbed high, now descended as if falling downward. It was a moment that proved the tail fin was working perfectly. "Yeah! Perfect! The wind in my..." At that moment, the wind blew away his cheat sheet.

"CHEAT SHEET! STOP!!" Hiccup reached out to grab the flying cheat sheet, but his safety cord came unhooked and he began to fall. He tried to grab onto the saddle, but Toothless's tail whipped around in panic and hit him.

"Toothless!! You gotta kind angle yourself! Come back down towards me!"

After several attempts and failures, Hiccup finally pulled himself back into the saddle. Sigrid must be watching this, and though he had promised to ride safely, he hadn't been able to keep that promise properly. Sigrid would definitely have words with him about this. Hiccup was surprised at himself for thinking about other things even while falling.

Though he had pulled himself back onto the saddle, his cheat sheet had already flown far away. And the sea was much closer now. Finally, Hiccup decided to stop thinking and follow his instincts. Just before hitting the water's surface, Hiccup changed the tail position, and Toothless barely managed to soar back up before impact.

"YEEAHHH!" Just as Hiccup felt the joy of being alive, Toothless shot a blast of fire and flew through it. "Ah, come on!" Hiccup coughed heavily. It was time to head back.

The moment he turned Toothless around to return, Toothless's tail struck a nearby sea stack. He thought he had left enough distance, but Hiccup had misjudged the distance. To make matters worse, the central rod holding Toothless's tail fin together snapped in half. In this condition, they couldn't even glide and would have to crash straight down. The moment he realized this, Toothless started falling fast.

"AAAAHHHHH!!" Hiccup and Toothless were in real crisis this time. They couldn't fly again, and there was no other option. Worse yet, there were only rocks below, so there was no hope of crashing into water. Hiccup watched the rocks getting closer and closer until he finally closed his eyes.

Hiccup expected his legs to take the brunt of the impact, but it was his chest that got hit. It felt like he had been grabbed by something. He wondered if he was lucky enough to have his clothes caught on a protruding part of a sea stack, but he was still falling. However, this feeling was different from falling. The speed was slowing, and instead of falling in a straight line, it felt like he was descending in a slow curve, like when landing with Toothless.

Hiccup opened his eyes and looked down. The rocks below were getting closer and closer. Something was definitely gripping his shirt as they dropped. Somehow, he thought this must be Toothless gliding—that in his panic, Toothless had grabbed him with his feet, allowing them to descend safely. But something black was swaying to his left. When he looked down more carefully, he saw Toothless dangling there, looking confused. Something was gripping Toothless's saddle tightly. It was similar in color to Toothless's, but more slender... it was a dragon's foot.

'Are we being carried by a dragon?' As Hiccup's thoughts reached that point, he urgently looked up. Whatever kind it was, being carried away by a dragon was definitely not a good thing. He had to escape immediately. But when he looked up, it wasn't a dragon he saw. It was Sigrid. Hiccup froze instantly. Sigrid glided all the way to the ground without once looking down at where Hiccup was. Hiccup was held in Sigrid's right hand, and Toothless was gripped by Sigrid's feet. Hiccup couldn't understand this situation at all. His thoughts simply stopped.

The moment Hiccup's feet touched the ground, his legs gave out and he collapsed. While Hiccup was panicked, Toothless was completely peaceful. As soon as he was set down, he simply sprawled on the ground as if tired, paying no attention to Sigrid's presence at all.

Standing before Hiccup was Sigrid, but not the Sigrid he knew. The eyes looking down at him were completely different from usual. A pale blue with a piercing coldness. Perhaps it was because Sigrid's face was unreadable, but there was one major difference. The unmistakable slit pupils of a dragon. It was like staring at a complete stranger. Behind him were enormous black dragon wings. Similar to Toothless, but larger than Toothless. Toothless was the only black dragon Hiccup knew, but beyond color, they had nothing in common.

His cloak was gone, and his torn tunic flapped in the fierce sea wind. His legs were dragon legs, just like what he'd seen when they gripped Toothless's saddle. Even the parts that still looked human showed hints of black scales underneath. To Hiccup's eyes, Sigrid looked like a human who had half-shifted into a dragon. He'd never seen anything like this before, yet it was Sigrid—someone he'd known forever. The contradiction was bewildering. Both Sigrid and Hiccup remained silent for a while.

Hiccup could barely process what he was seeing. Seeing Sigrid's cold, distant expression for the first time, and all of this... it was all becoming too much to handle. Then Sigrid moved first. Sigrid crouched down and looked directly at Hiccup. His emotionless expression gave way to the concerned face Hiccup knew so well.

"...Hiccup, are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?" The dragon eyes looked at Hiccup with concern. Hiccup felt something familiar in those eyes. The oppressive atmosphere from before had been suffocating, but now that the Sigrid he knew was back, he could finally relax.

When Sigrid reached out his hand, Hiccup was momentarily startled. Just as guilt filled Sigrid's face and he was about to pull his hand back, Hiccup called out as if shouting.

"Oh, ah! I'm... I'm fine, I'm fine..." Hiccup's words stuck in his throat. Where should he start? How should he ask? What should he ask? Why was he half-dragon? What was that just now? How did he get from that distant cliff to here?

Even without words, Sigrid had an understanding expression on his face. Sigrid sighed deeply and sat down in front of Hiccup. Then he ran one hand over his face and exhaled even more deeply. Soon, the dragon features visible on Sigrid began to disappear. The massive wings, the dragon legs, and other elements. In the blink of an eye, Sigrid returned to the appearance Hiccup knew. Though the back of his tunic was badly ripped, and he was barefoot.

"I... I suppose I need to explain some things, Hiccup." Sigrid spoke in a voice that sounded very tired. Hiccup was ready to listen to whatever he had to say. Anything, if it could help him understand this situation.

Sigrid's POV

The sun was beginning to rise toward the middle of the sky. It would soon be time for Hiccup to arrive. After going home in such an excited state yesterday, he would surely come running when he arrived here. Thinking that Hiccup would want to leave quickly, Sigrid began packing simple herbs and bandages into a basket to prepare everything in advance. The sea wind was quite cold, so he should bring his cloak as well. He didn't wear it much when the weather was warm, but since Berk's climate was always somewhat cool, he usually wore his cloak. Most dragons were vulnerable to cold. There were exceptions, but most were like that. Despite his human appearance, Sigrid's dragon nature made him sensitive to cold.

From far away, he could hear the sound of someone running. That must be Hiccup. The moment Sigrid turned toward the door, Hiccup burst through the door with a flushed, excited expression, nearly colliding with Sigrid. Just as expected, he was breathing hard from running at full speed, but he didn't seem tired at all. Instead, he looked completely filled with excitement.

On the way to the forest where Toothless was waiting, Hiccup was staring intently at some kind of paper. Sigrid couldn't see clearly what it was, but it seemed important. Otherwise, he wouldn't keep holding onto it while constantly stumbling. Sigrid occasionally caught Hiccup when he was about to trip. Without Sigrid there, he would have fallen several times already.

Toothless was no different, bouncing with uncontainable excitement. Once Toothless finally calmed down, he glanced back at Sigrid. His face was full of confidence and joy. It was obvious he wanted to show off his flying. What an adorable kid. Sigrid thought to himself with a smile. Hiccup and Toothless really were alike.

Soon the forest ended and the open sea came into view. Sea stacks scattered throughout the water. While he worried about the dangerous sea stacks, Hiccup and Toothless had already finished preparing. He looked up at Hiccup sitting atop Toothless.

"Take care, Hiccup. Some injuries are beyond even my skills."

With a quick answer, Hiccup and Toothless launched themselves off the cliff. The scene that unfolded was absolutely breathtaking. The sight of dragon and human cooperating to fly through the sky looked utterly free. Sigrid sat at the cliff's edge and watched Hiccup's flight. Though he crashed into sea stacks twice along the way, after that he seemed to be flying steadily.

However, something went wrong and Hiccup began falling from Toothless's saddle, crashing down together. Sigrid bolted upright. Should he step in? But he hesitated. If he stepped in to help, his secret would inevitably be revealed. While he was hesitating, fortunately, Hiccup figured it out on his own. He felt relieved, but was also disappointed in himself for hesitating when Hiccup could have been in real danger.

Soon Hiccup and Toothless seemed to be returning to this cliff, but after Toothless's tail struck a sea stack, they began falling again. This time something was different. Toothless couldn't maintain his balance, and neither could Hiccup. Moreover, there were solid rocks below them. If they crashed there, they wouldn't survive. At that thought, Sigrid hesitated no longer.

He ripped off his cloak, threw it to the ground, and instantly leaped off the cliff. Massive wings suddenly burst forth with the sound of his tunic tearing at the back. It had been too long since he'd flown, and his senses were slow to return. Urgency pounded in his chest, but his body wouldn't move fast enough. His stiffened wing muscles ached from the strain of forcing them to move, but he ignored the pain. This wasn't the time for that.

He could catch Hiccup with one hand, but catching Toothless by hand would be difficult. After thinking quickly, Sigrid shifted his legs into dragon legs as well. As his feet became dragon claws, his leather shoes split and fell away into the water.

Through such desperate flying, Sigrid barely managed to catch Hiccup and Toothless as they were halfway through their fall. Without his sharp eyesight, he might have failed. The moment Sigrid caught him, Toothless instinctively curled up and stayed still. It was the same posture young animals instinctively took when being carried by their parents. Sigrid could feel Hiccup looking up and instantly freezing in shock. However, he deliberately didn't look down. His flight was already unstable, and if he made eye contact with Hiccup, he might become distracted and crash.

After gliding like that, he set Hiccup and Toothless down on the ground. Both seemed to release their tension as they immediately collapsed to the ground. Seeing Hiccup looking up at him, Sigrid's mind went into overdrive. It seemed Hiccup was seriously frightened. He couldn't help it. Sigrid looked like a half-dragon monster right now. He had no idea what to do or what to say. He hadn't wanted to be discovered like this. He'd wanted to talk properly and naturally... No, actually, he'd never even thought about telling him. Sigrid had wanted to remain just human to Hiccup.

Suddenly Sigrid heard Hiccup's heavy breathing. He'd been lost in his own thoughts for too long. Hiccup might be injured. Sigrid crouched down and looked directly at Hiccup. Only now did he notice Hiccup's pale face. He should have looked at Hiccup first, and he was disappointed in himself once again for not doing so.

"...Hiccup, are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?" He folded his massive wings and pressed them as close to the ground as possible while examining Hiccup. His face was so pale that when Sigrid reached out to check his condition, Hiccup flinched. Hiccup was clearly afraid of him. Though he'd known this would happen, seeing the reaction directly didn't feel good. When Sigrid was about to pull his hand back, Hiccup called out urgently.

"Oh, ah! I'm... I'm fine, I'm fine..." Though he said so, he still hadn't recovered from the shock. The trembling in his eyes and his ragged breathing—though improved from before—along with visible cold sweats, all showed his shock.

Sigrid sat down on the ground. Taking a deep breath, he began to arrange his appearance. The hasty shift had made a complete mess of his clothes. He'd torn clothes or shoes a few times before when shifting this urgently. Of course, back then it was during dragon raids, so no one noticed, and even if they did, it could be naturally explained away. Soon the draconic features completely disappeared from Sigrid's appearance. The sea wind coming through tears in his tunic and the cold temperature of the rocks touching his bare feet began to chill Sigrid's body. But that wasn't important right now. Calming Hiccup in front of him came first.

"I... I suppose I need to explain some things, Hiccup." His voice came out unexpectedly tired. His mind was racing with conflicting emotions. The Norns must be laughing at him for teasing Hiccup too much yesterday. Sigrid was in quite a difficult situation himself right now. The sea wind blew his long hair, occasionally obscuring his vision. Through it, Hiccup was staring intently at Sigrid. Sigrid was completely at a loss. 

How could he possibly begin to explain this?

Chapter Text

Sigrid gazed out at the distant sea for a moment, gathering his thoughts. When Sigrid finally turned toward Hiccup, he noticed Hiccup had calmed down considerably.

"Hiccup, you know I'm not from this island, right? That I'm an outsider who arrived here thirty years ago." Sigrid began cautiously. Hiccup listened without saying a word, staring intently at Sigrid.

"First... I'm sorry for deceiving you. I didn't want you to find out this way. The situation has... gotten complicated." Sigrid let out another deep sigh.

"I'm not human, Hiccup. I'm a dragon. A very old... ancient dragon."

At those words, Hiccup's eyes widened. But there were no questions. He seemed willing to wait until Sigrid finished speaking.

"Originally, I hadn't planned to stay this long. But once I was here... time passed so quickly. Thirty years went by in the blink of an eye. During that time, I became close with many people, including your father." Sigrid met Hiccup's eyes. "I need you to understand something, Hiccup. I would never hurt anyone. Ever. Not once have I ever even thought about harming the people of Berk."

Upon hearing this, Hiccup quickly responded with surprise. "I...! I've never thought of you as dangerous..." Hearing those words, Sigrid felt warmth spreading through his heart. Even after seeing his half-dragon form, Hiccup still trusted him.

"Thank you for believing in me." Sigrid smiled.

"I never meant to reveal this form. The people of this island are hostile toward dragons, and there was nothing I could do about that. But... your safety was more important than keeping this secret, Hiccup. Saving you came first. That's how much you mean to me."

Sigrid finished speaking. He hadn't shared everything, but he thought he'd explained enough for Hiccup to understand. Now all that remained was the question of how Hiccup would accept him. Sigrid was even considering leaving Berk for real if Hiccup said he couldn't trust him anymore. After a long while, Hiccup spoke.

"So you have been hiding the truth all this time."

"Yes."

"And you've been deceiving everyone."

"I'm sorry about that."

With those words, Hiccup fell silent again. Sigrid's heart grew heavy. Along with the uncomfortable atmosphere, the cold sea breeze felt even more biting. In this cold wind, Toothless must be freezing too. He glanced toward where Toothless had been, but Toothless had disappeared somewhere. Before he could worry too much about the missing Toothless, Hiccup spoke again.

"But... you're still the Sigrid I know. Nothing's changed. You've been a dragon from the beginning until now, but you still care about me. Right?"

"Yes, that's right."

"I think... then nothing really needs to change. I've just learned one new fact. Just because I know you are a dragon doesn't mean you will stop caring about me."

"That's true. But Hiccup... are you really okay with this? I've been pretending to be human and deceiving everyone. don't you disappointed in me?" Sigrid asked quietly. After all, living as a human among dragon hunters while secretly being a dragon was quite deceptive.

"I'm not sure. There have been problems caused by dragon attacks several times, but Sigrid always helped during those times. I've never seen many people die because of dragon attacks. I've never lost anyone important because of dragons either." Hiccup paused and looked down. This time, he seemed to be thinking for quite a while.

"And you've been with me all this time. I mean, discovering you're a dragon after all these years is definitely a shock... but other than that, nothing seems to change. Right?" As Hiccup finished speaking, he looked into Sigrid's eyes again. The shock and fear from earlier had disappeared, replaced by certainty. Sigrid felt relief wash over him and was finally able to release the tension.

"You seemed so frightened earlier, Hiccup. I hesitated because I thought anything I said might seem threatening to you, so I couldn't do anything. I'm sorry." When Sigrid apologized, Hiccup shook his head.

"No, I was scared because you seemed... different from usual. You didn't look like the Sigrid I know. You were expressionless, unreadable, really dragon-like. I mean, you are a dragon, but... in a different way."

"I was panicking then too. I'm sorry for frightening you, Hiccup." Sigrid gently grasped Hiccup's shoulder and smiled. "Thank you for understanding. I'm truly grateful."

When his shoulder was touched, Hiccup moved closer to Sigrid and hugged him. Sigrid was momentarily surprised by Hiccup's action. Ever since Hiccup had grown up, he rarely showed such affection. But hugging Hiccup after so long felt truly warm. He had grown so much since the last time they'd embraced.

"It's okay, Sigrid. You're like family to me, Sigrid. I was really surprised, but I'm fine now." Hiccup hugged Sigrid tighter. Then Hiccup pulled away and spoke urgently.

"Sigrid, your body is incredibly cold. Is this okay? You feel like ice."

At those words, Sigrid finally realized that his body temperature had dropped significantly. Being barefoot and with his clothes half-torn, he had lost more body heat than expected. Just as Sigrid was trying to figure out what to do, Toothless popped up from the sea out of nowhere. His mouth was full of fish, and he looked very pleased with himself. Seeing this, both Sigrid and Hiccup couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Right, let's move somewhere else. It would be better to go back to that cliff."

Since Toothless couldn't fly at all, Sigrid would have to handle it again. Standing before Sigrid's spread enormous wings, Hiccup looked up with an extremely excited expression. Unlike earlier, this time his face was filled only with curiosity and wonder.

"I have so many questions. You'd better be prepared to answer all of them." Hiccup said playfully as he was embraced by Sigrid.

"Of course, I'll answer as many of your questions as I can, Hiccup."

With a gentle flap of his wings, Sigrid's body rose into the air. He carefully gripped Toothless's saddle and soared into the sky. Midway through, he felt a tearing pain in his right shoulder and wavered in the air for a moment, but he endured it. It seemed he had properly injured himself by forcing movement from stiffened muscles. After walking around for about fifteen years, his flying skills had deteriorated to that of a hatchling, but he was gradually regaining his touch, so it would be fine.

Upon reaching the cliff, Sigrid carefully set down Hiccup and Toothless. The moment his feet touched the ground, Toothless spat out all the fish he had been carrying in his mouth. Of course he was hungry after a flight like that. After Sigrid retracted all his draconic features, he gathered small twigs scattered around the area into a small pile and snapped his fingers near the wood. Something like a small bolt of lightning flashed from Sigrid's hand, and soon the twigs caught fire.

"Wow, that's amazing, Sigrid! How did you do that?" Hiccup, who had been watching Sigrid's actions, was startled. To Hiccup's eyes, it must have looked like pure magic.

"Let me warm up first, then rest, and after that I'll answer all your questions. You can take your time with the questions. I'll answer them all."

When Sigrid sat by the fire, Hiccup sat beside him. He seemed to be sorting through his questions. Sigrid hoped Hiccup would stick to lighter questions as much as possible. Heavy questions would be difficult to answer. Since Hiccup was very curious, answering all his questions would take quite a while. Sigrid waited for Hiccup's questions while feeling his body temperature gradually warming up again.

He recalled how Hiccup had accepted the fact that he was a dragon. That reaction was very similar to Valka's. Even without any memory of Valka, Hiccup somehow acted exactly like her. He truly was Valka's son. The last letter he'd received from Valka was already two years ago. He was starting to worry, but knowing Valka, she was probably doing just fine. After staring at the small campfire for a long time, Hiccup finally raised his head. Now Hiccup's questioning would begin.

"So... how old is Sigrid really? Dad said you and he were the same age."

Sigrid was momentarily at a loss for words. It had been so long since he'd stopped counting that he couldn't remember his exact age.

"...I don't remember exactly, but it's probably over a thousand years. I forgot to keep track of my age..." When Sigrid laughed awkwardly, Hiccup began speaking with an even more excited voice.

"That's amazing! Then you must know so many things!" Hiccup stared at Sigrid with fascination before asking again. "So what kind of dragon are you? I couldn't find anything similar among the dragons in the Dragon Manual. Though I only saw your wings and legs."

This was another quite difficult question. There were things better left unsaid if he wanted to keep the mood light.

"Well... there aren't many of us left to study. Actually, there's just me now. My species were always few in number. Even if there were any records of us, they would be so ancient that they've been lost to time. And there probably weren't many people left to make records anyway." Sigrid seemed to think for a moment.

"Honestly, I don't know what name humans would give us. Among ourselves, we were known as Ancient Dragons—it simply means 'very old dragons'."

"Oh... so where did you live before coming to Berk? Did you live alone?" Hiccup's tone became more careful.

"Yes, I lived alone. I lived on an island very far from Berk."

"That sounds lonely," Hiccup glanced at him cautiously. "How many years was it? Living alone?"

"It wasn't that long. I wasn't that lonely."

This was a lie. Sigrid had lived alone for several hundred years since the last Ancient Dragon he'd been with died. It had been a very lonely time, and time had passed slowly. Exhausted by that long period, Sigrid had eventually taken human form and lived among humans. When other Ancient Dragons were still alive, he never understood why they cared about humans—such brief, vulnerable creatures. But loneliness had worn Sigrid down—he didn't care if they were human. He just needed someone, anyone, to talk to.

"So... can you talk to dragons? Since you're a dragon too." Hiccup perked up again after his brief moment of sadness.

"Well... not in the same way I'm talking with you, but it's possible. It's more like making requests than having conversations. Being the oldest dragon alive, most others tend to listen to me."

If he wanted to, he could force them to obey. But that would break his oath. Whether human or dragon, Sigrid could not interfere. Forcing obedience would be too much interference.

"Now I understand why Toothless liked you when he first saw you. You like... an elder, right?" Hiccup asked. Meanwhile, Toothless lay on the ground drowsily, his belly full.

"Something like that. Because I was a dragon, Toothless didn't guard against me. The fact that he let his guard down around you, a human, is truly remarkable. When I first caught Toothless's scent on you, I was quite surprised." Sigrid laughed.

Hearing this, Hiccup seemed to catch on to something, thought for a moment, then opened his eyes wide as if realizing something.

"Wait. You knew from the beginning?"

Sigrid hesitated briefly, then smiled and spoke.

"When you first met Toothless... I knew you had encountered some dragon. Finding out it was a Night Fury came later. My senses are quite sharp." Sigrid's smile was full of mischief.

"So when you first met Toothless, you knew he was right there behind you? And you pretended not to know anything? That's terrible! Do you know how freaked out I was?" Hiccup shouted indignantly. Given how confused he'd been back then, his outrage was completely understandable.

"Sorry, your reactions were so amusing I couldn't help myself. Now that you know my secret too, think of it as revenge, how about that?" Sigrid laughed.

Hiccup calmed down seeing Sigrid's laughter. Though they'd only answered a few questions, the sun was already setting. Terrible Terrors were gradually gathering around, eyeing the fish Toothless had left behind. A Terrible Terror failed to steal Toothless's fish and tried to attack him. Toothless fired into its open mouth, making it inflate briefly before collapsing.

"Not so fireproof on the inside, are you?" Hiccup laughed and threw a fish to the Terror, who gobbled it up and then flew over to Sigrid's lap. Then it purred and acted cute like a kitten.

"Hiccup, I'm so glad you're not the kind of Viking who hates dragons without question." Sigrid said while gently petting the Terrible Terror.

"Even before coming to Berk, the relationship between dragons and humans wasn't good. Most of what I've seen has always been fighting. Of course, I haven't left this island in thirty years, so I don't know how the world might have changed... but it probably hasn't changed much." Sigrid looked at Hiccup while watching the Terrible Terror. Pride was visible in his eyes.

"I'm so glad you're who you've become. You've shown me a world where humans and dragons can be friends." With those words, Sigrid gave a warm smile. Hiccup looked down bashfully.

"It's nothing. Sigrid taught me that way. If it hadn't been for Sigrid, I would have been similar to Dad."

The two sat quietly for a moment. Sigrid, who was petting the Terrible Terror, heard a very faint sound. The bustling murmur of people. It seemed Stoick had finally returned.

"Hiccup, it seems your father has returned. We should head back now." Sigrid moved the Terrible Terror aside and stood up. He picked up his fallen cloak and put it on, covering his torn clothes. As for his missing shoes... he'd have to come up with some excuse. Or better yet, avoid running into anyone at all.

"How did you know? You can hear that?" Hiccup asked in surprise, standing up as well. Toothless, who had been sleeping, also woke with a start.

"I can hear quite a lot of things. I just don't mention it."

Hiccup stared at Sigrid in amazement before cautiously speaking up.

"Dad must never find out, right? Dad hates dragons enough to kill them all. And you are a dragon, so..." Hiccup stopped speaking and looked at Sigrid. A shadow crossed Sigrid's face.

"That's right. He absolutely must not find out... Our relationship isn't good as it is, and I don't want to make it worse." Sigrid gave Hiccup's back a gentle push, signaling it was time to go. The path home was growing darker, but with Sigrid's help, they wouldn't get lost.

When they arrived in front of Hiccup's house, Sigrid spoke. "The final test is tomorrow, isn't it? Do your best. I'll wish you luck."

Hiccup looked as if he had completely forgotten about tomorrow's events. He looked dismayed for a moment, but quickly brightened up.

"Astrid will probably win tomorrow. I'll probably just keep running away."

"Whatever you do, safety comes first. Hang in there."

With those words, Sigrid said goodbye to Hiccup and walked toward the healing hut. On the way, he nearly ran into Stoick, but since he didn't want an awkward greeting, he deliberately took a long detour to avoid him. Sigrid walked barefoot on the cold stone path, feeling more tired with every step. It had been a day with far too many events. The pain in his right shoulder was getting worse, and his body was starting to get cold again. If he was going to watch tomorrow's final test, he needed to rest right now. It had been a long time since he'd been this tired, but his heart felt much lighter. He was deeply moved that Hiccup had understood him. It felt like one heavy burden had been lifted from his mind.

Chapter Text

The next day, Hiccup won the final test.

Hiccup took down the Gronckle in one swift move. When Gothi selected Hiccup as the final winner, thunderous cheers erupted throughout the arena. Hiccup was immediately dragged away by his excited friends. Meanwhile, Astrid stormed out of the arena with pure rage written across her face.

"Ha, ha! That's my boy!" Stoick's delighted voice rang out. It had been ages since anyone had seen Stoick this happy. Sigrid watched the scene from a distance before quietly slipping out of the arena. Yesterday's exhaustion still hadn't completely faded, leaving him feeling quite tired even now. Still, he needed to check on Hiccup, who was probably panicking after his unexpected win. Tomorrow, he would have to kill a dragon in front of everyone.

On his way to find Hiccup, he spotted Snotlout, the twins, and Fishlegs walking toward him. Unlike when they had dragged Hiccup away earlier, Hiccup was nowhere to be seen. He had assumed he would be with his friends. Now that Hiccup was doing well in dragon training, he got along much better with them. Though Hiccup didn't spend much time with them because of Toothless, at least they weren't ignoring him anymore.

"Snotlout, where did Hiccup go? I saw him with you guys earlier," Sigrid asked.

"Hiccup said he was late for something urgent and headed to the forest. He's probably with Astrid by now. She headed that way earlier too."

Watching Snotlout disappear with his friends after answering, Sigrid felt a hint of worry. Hiccup only went to the forest for Toothless. And Hiccup wouldn't notice if he was being followed. Given how furious Astrid had looked earlier, she had definitely followed Hiccup. Just as Sigrid was about to head to the forest, concerned that Hiccup might be in trouble, someone called his name from behind.

"Sigrid, it's been a while. Could we talk for a moment?"

It was Stoick. Stoick seemed unusually animated as he approached, probably still riding high from Hiccup's performance. Sigrid startled for a moment but turned around casually. Getting lost in thought and tuning out what was happening around him was one of Sigrid's bad habits. Their last real conversation had been months ago. They'd been avoiding each other lately, sharing only small talk and steering clear of real conversation. So for Stoick to make the first move meant he was in a good mood.

"It's been a while. I saw Hiccup at the arena earlier. He did well." Sigrid brought up a light topic. He didn't want to ruin the conversation before it had even properly started. Besides, they were in the middle of the street. If they started yelling and fighting like before, it would be a disaster. As Stoick and Sigrid began talking, passing Vikings glanced at them sideways. Everyone on Berk knew that Stoick and Sigrid's relationship had been very strained recently. Sigrid felt somehow embarrassed by their stares.

"After all that worry, he really is my son. He took down that dragon in one go, didn't he? I'm looking forward to tomorrow." Stoick laughed heartily. Meanwhile, Hiccup was probably feeling very anxious about tomorrow. Despite being his own son, Stoick knew almost nothing about Hiccup. Sigrid was beginning to worry about Hiccup more and more. He might have encountered Astrid by now.

"So... what did you want to talk about? Is something wrong? If you need help with an injury, it might be better to go to my healing hut," Sigrid said, looking up at Stoick. He seemed fine from what he could see, but he couldn't understand why he had approached him.

"No, it's not about healing. It's just... we haven't had a conversation like this recently. You know how it is. Things between us haven't been great lately." Stoick smiled awkwardly.

Sigrid was inwardly surprised. They'd always had this unspoken understanding—wait a few days, skip the apologies, and act like nothing happened. They rarely apologized after fights. They were both awful at expressing feelings, and every time they tried to make up, it would turn into a fight. Stoick approaching him first was pretty unusual. 

"...That's right. We couldn't exactly say we were getting along." Sigrid looked away. These situations were always awkward. Still, since this was a proper conversation after so long, he didn't want to ruin it.

"I've been worried about Hiccup for a while now. Hiccup was always... lacking as a Viking." Stoick stroked his beard and paused briefly. "But after seeing what Hiccup did today, I think I was worrying for nothing. You always told me Hiccup was fine just as he was. I was probably too tough on him."

Sigrid sensed that something was very wrong. Hiccup hadn't actually fought the dragon—he had settled it down peacefully. This wasn't the kind of Viking behavior Stoick wanted from Hiccup. If he knew this fact, Stoick would be deeply disappointed. And this conversation wouldn't end well either. Sigrid bit his tongue rather than argue with Stoick.

"That's... right. Hiccup is doing well enough. He'll be fine tomorrow." He felt guilty, as though he were deceiving him, but he had only spoken his own truth. These words were right, at least.

"I'm looking forward to seeing Hiccup kill his first dragon tomorrow. I haven't been watching his training, so I don't know how he fights, but he's my boy—he's probably like me. He even took down a dragon with his bare hands earlier." Stoick spoke with pride. He could sense things getting complicated, but there was nothing he could do about it right now.

"Tomorrow, we just need to trust Hiccup completely. Even if it's not in the way we expected, we should trust that Hiccup can handle it. I think it's important to have faith and watch over him." Hiccup probably wouldn't kill the dragon tomorrow. He didn't know how he would handle it, but killing was definitely not an option. If Hiccup had decided not to kill, that action would take place in front of all the Vikings. He hoped Stoick would trust and watch over him until the end.

"You're right, we should trust Hiccup. That boy will handle it well." Stoick looked down at Sigrid, then gripped his shoulder firmly before letting go. It was a familiar gesture they hadn't shared in ages. "Well, I'll be going then. Tomorrow we'll have to throw a big feast. I'll see you at the arena tomorrow." With those words, Stoick and Sigrid parted ways.

He should have gone to the forest long ago, but the conversation with Stoick had made him quite late. Late as he was, he went to where Toothless usually was, but the place was empty—no Toothless, no Hiccup. He couldn't find Astrid in the forest or the village, even though she'd apparently headed there. Hoping Hiccup would work things out, Sigrid returned to his healing hut. Too tired to stay awake, he dozed off in the chair by the fireplace and woke to find night had fallen.

"By Thor... did I really sleep that long?" Sigrid stretched his stiff joints while looking out the window. The sky was now full of stars. Hadn't Hiccup returned yet? As he frowned from a slight headache and began rekindling the fire, the door burst open. Hiccup appeared in the doorway with a conflicted look.

"Astrid knows about Toothless now. And we found the dragons' nest." Hiccup blurted this out as he entered the healing hut and slumped into a chair. It seemed like a lot had happened while he was asleep. Sigrid began filling a small pot with water to make tea for Hiccup.

"Could you tell me slowly from the beginning? That's a lot of information all at once." He hung the pot over the fireplace and sat down across from Hiccup. Hiccup slowly began his explanation.

"Well... I went to see Toothless, but Astrid was following me. She discovered Toothless and... then ran away, but we couldn't risk getting caught, Toothless and I... kidnapped Astrid."

That was unexpected, but Sigrid nodded for him to keep going.

"Then... we all flew together. Toothless was being stubborn, but... in the end Astrid realized that Toothless isn't dangerous."

When the water finished boiling, Sigrid put dried herb leaves in a cup and poured the water over them. When he handed over the warm tea, Hiccup's tension just melted away.

"Thank you. Once Astrid realized Toothless wasn't dangerous, I tried to go home. But Toothless was acting strange. It felt like... he was being drawn to something. Even when I told him to go back, he stubbornly flew off somewhere. And at the end of that flight... we found the dragons' nest. I saw thousands of dragons flying around with food."

"I see. Did you go inside?" Sigrid listened carefully to Hiccup's words.

"Yes. It turned out there was a huge dragon inside. The reason dragons have been attacking the village all this time was to bring food to that dragon. They were forced to follow orders. That dragon even ate other dragons. Can you believe that?" Hiccup finished speaking and drank his warm tea. He seemed shocked by what he had witnessed.

"Her greed has gotten out of hand lately. Eating her own kind... that's truly disturbing." Sigrid said quietly. Her greed had truly crossed the line. He could see a future where she would be consumed by her own greed.

"...You knew this whole time? Why didn't you do anything to stop it?" Hiccup asked. He couldn't understand why Sigrid had done nothing.

"I.. can't interfere too much with what happens here. There's an oath. An oath that binds those like me. That oath... severely limits what I'm allowed to do. Most of the time, I can only stand by and watch." Sigrid hadn't planned to talk about this oath, but the situation left him no choice.

"Still, I did what I could within my allowed limits. By turning back dragons heading for Berk... I hope you'll understand that I wasn't just standing by and watching."

"Well... honestly, I have a lot of questions about that oath right now, but tomorrow is the big day, and I have too much on my mind. Can I ask again after tomorrow's over?" Hiccup still seemed unsatisfied with the answer, but his thoughts were clearly focused on tomorrow.

"Yes, about tomorrow... what will you do tomorrow? Whatever you do, I'll support you." Sigrid encouraged Hiccup.

"I don't know exactly yet. But I've definitely decided what to do tomorrow. I want to show my father that dragons aren't dangerous." Hiccup's voice was full of conviction. He seemed confident about his actions.

"I understand. I'll do my best to keep your father from doing anything rash. He's bound to lose his temper when he finds out what you're doing." Sigrid said with a smile. Though he spoke this way, he was truly worried about Stoick tomorrow. He could only hope that he would trust Hiccup and watch quietly.

"Yes, see you tomorrow. I'll come find you right after it's over, so please wait for me!"

Sigrid watched Hiccup leave for home. He just hoped tomorrow would go okay—peacefully, without anything going wrong.

Chapter Text

Morning had broken.

Many people were already up and heading to the arena to watch Hiccup kill a dragon. Sigrid sensed that today would be a very long day. His instincts were almost always right. Sigrid sighed, grabbed the cloak hanging on the wall, and stepped outside.

"Morning, Sigrid! You're going to the arena too, right?" Torrad cheerfully greeted him as he passed by.

"Yes, today is Hiccup's day. I can't miss it." Sigrid forced his usual grin, trying to appear casual. Inside, he was filled with anxiety.

As expected, the arena was packed with people. Nearly everyone in Berk had come. The stands were so packed that people could barely find a place to stand. However, Sigrid was able to get a spot closest to Stoick. Others had urged Sigrid to attend, and he needed to be ready to prevent Stoick from reacting rashly to Hiccup's behavior. While Sigrid waited awkwardly below the platform, Stoick looked up from his speech preparations and greeted him.

"Sigrid! There you are! Hiccup's going to do great today, don't you think?" Stoick laughed heartily and gripped Sigrid's shoulder firmly. Sigrid could only nod silently with a smile.

Soon Stoick stepped onto the platform and began his speech. It was a long speech about how Hiccup had struggled in the past, but now he could finally become a true Viking. Everyone cheered as they listened to the speech, but Sigrid barely heard it. He was looking down, watching Hiccup and Astrid talking. They seemed to have suddenly become close since yesterday, and he thought something must have happened.

When the speech ended, Stoick took his seat on the stone chair. Gobber stood on the right, and Sigrid naturally took his place on the left. He hadn't stood behind like this for years since his relationship with Stoick had been strained, but back when things were good with Stoick, he had always naturally stood to Stoick's left like this. Valka used to be on the right.

Hiccup entered the arena. He wore a helmet on his head that looked somehow familiar.

"That helmet, isn't it Valka's armor?" Sigrid quietly asked Stoick.

"That's right, it's half of her breastplate. You recognize it?" Stoick said proudly. "I always hoped my son would wear that helmet. Hiccup becoming a true Viking while wearing that helmet."

As Hiccup entered the arena, everyone cheered. Hiccup picked a dagger and shield, taking a ready stance.

"I would've gone for the hammer," Stoick whispered.

"I'm ready."

As Hiccup spoke, the lock on the Monstrous Nightmare's cage began to open. Even before the lock was fully released, the flame-covered Monstrous Nightmare burst out. It was furious and terrified. The Monstrous Nightmare made one lap around the arena, blasted fire at the spectator stands, then scrambled up to the metal netting looking for a way out. Sigrid could feel the Monstrous Nightmare's overwhelming terror. After thirty years of witnessing this scene again and again, it still remained difficult to watch.

Realizing there was no escape, the Monstrous Nightmare descended from the metal netting and faced Hiccup. As the Monstrous Nightmare approached, Hiccup slowly backed away, dropping his dagger and shield. Then he slowly raised his hand, trying to calm the Monstrous Nightmare. 

"What is he doing?" Stoick sensed something was wrong. Sigrid watched Stoick, waiting for the right moment to intervene.

"It's okay. It's okay." Hiccup slowly calmed the Monstrous Nightmare. Then he removed his helmet and briefly looked up. Seeing Stoick's expression, his eyes wavered for a moment. He wasn't sure if he was doing the right thing, but soon he looked up to meet Sigrid's eyes. Sigrid gave a small nod. Hiccup seemed to regain his resolve, confidence returning to his eyes. He nodded slightly to Sigrid in response, then focused again on the dragon before him.

"I'm not one of them." Hiccup threw his helmet to the ground. All the Vikings watching were shocked. Stoick rose from his seat and walked forward.

"Stop the fight." Stoick said, his voice thick with anger.

"Stoick, we agreed to trust Hiccup and see what he can do. This is how he fights. We need to trust him and watch." Sigrid intervened, placing himself between Stoick and the arena. He had expected this, so now Sigrid had to find a way to hold Stoick back until Hiccup succeeded.

"Move, Sigrid. There's no time for this." Stoick glared at Sigrid and spoke firmly. Behind them, Hiccup and the Monstrous Nightmare were getting closer.

"No, Stoick. You need to listen to me. Hiccup has his own way, and you need to understand that—like I told you yesterday. This is his moment." Sigrid raised his right hand to block Stoick.

"I need you all to see this. They're not what we think they are." Hiccup's hand was getting closer to the Monstrous Nightmare. The now-docile Monstrous Nightmare seemed to be waiting for Hiccup's touch. "We don't have to kill them."

"Enough! Move, Sigrid. Now!" Finally, Stoick roughly pushed Sigrid aside. The unexpected blow caught Sigrid off guard, sending him stumbling to the side. Heads turned in surprise at the sudden scuffle. A Viking standing behind Sigrid caught him just as he was about to fall.

"I SAID STOP THE FIGHT!" Stoick swung his hammer hard, striking the arena railings. An enormous sound echoed through the arena.

The calm Monstrous Nightmare was startled by the sudden noise and started thrashing around frantically. It blasted fire and charged around the arena frantically, desperately seeking escape. Stoick was already rushing down into the arena. Sigrid tried to follow, but there were too many people to quickly catch up.

"HICCUP!" Astrid's shout could be heard from below. Everything was chaotic, filled with all kinds of noise. Whether from the shock of being pushed by Stoick or the situation itself, the sounds around him became overwhelming. The sound was so intense that it drowned out everything else, and his vision began to narrow. While Sigrid struggled with confusion, a powerful blast suddenly erupted toward the arena's railing with a thunderous sound. The sudden loud noise made everything instantly quiet. Soon after, Toothless jumped into the arena.

"Night Fury!" Gobber's shout could be heard. Toothless began attacking the Monstrous Nightmare fiercely. The terrified dragon quickly ran away. During this chaos, Sigrid was finally able to calm down. The confusion from before was beginning to fade. Hiccup seemed to be moving toward Toothless, saying something.

Then armed Vikings began jumping down between the arena railings. Their target was clearly Toothless.

"No, Dad, he won't hurt you!" Hiccup shouted, but no one listened. Toothless now seemed to view even the approaching Vikings as enemies threatening Hiccup, attacking anyone who came too close. Eventually, Toothless pounced on Stoick, ready to attack, but he listened to Hiccup's command. Instead of attacking Stoick, he ended up being captured.

Toothless was dragged away by a group of Vikings, while Hiccup was similarly dragged off by Stoick. The arena was complete chaos, but now a heavy silence had settled over everything. There was no one around Sigrid anymore. They had either gone to lock up Toothless or had already left for elsewhere.

He had promised Hiccup he would try to stop Stoick, but he had failed to keep that promise and had instead made things worse. Sigrid covered his face with his hands and sighed deeply. He finally forced himself to focus, needing to understand what was happening around him. Toothless seemed extremely furious, probably from being caged. He could hear sounds of roaring and threatening the Vikings approaching him. At least Toothless didn't seem like he would die immediately.

Sigrid left the arena and began walking toward Hiccup's house. The closer he got, the clearer their argument became.

"AND WE'VE KILLED THOUSANDS OF THEM!" This was Hiccup shouting. They seemed to be fighting intensely about dragons. Because Sigrid's mind was racing, he couldn't focus on listening and was only picking up fragments. This sometimes happened when his mental state was unstable, and it seemed like one of those times. Sigrid frowned and tried to concentrate.

"How did you find it?!" This was Stoick's angry voice. Apparently, he'd discovered that Hiccup had found the nest. This was an even bigger problem. Sigrid quickened his pace up the hill. Stoick would surely set out to raid the nest immediately. He had to somehow stop him before that.

"Sigrid knows about this too—the dragons, the nest. You wouldn't have kept this from Sigrid. You follow him." Now his name was being mentioned. The situation was really going badly. He was almost at Hiccup's house. Just a little further.

"FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE, WOULD YOU PLEASE JUST LISTEN TO ME!" After this shout, he heard something falling. Had he just pushed Hiccup? Sigrid stopped briefly and focused on the sounds. The door was half-open, making the sounds even clearer.

"You've thrown your lot in with them. You're not a Viking." Hiccup's heavy breathing and Stoick's furious voice.

"You're not my son."

Sigrid was deeply shocked. That was too harsh. Those were words that should never be said. Anger began rising within him. How could he say such a thing? Sigrid's emotions surged.

"READY THE SHIPS!" Stoick shouted loudly and opened the door. Stoick's expression seemed to waver for a moment, but when he met Sigrid's eyes, his face turned furious again.

"You knew. About all of this." Stoick strode forward and stood in front of Sigrid. The height difference was quite intimidating, but Sigrid didn't back down. Instead, he looked directly into Stoick's eyes. Sigrid's eyes were also full of anger.

"I did. I knew." Sigrid said, his voice tight with suppressed anger. "Why couldn't you trust Hiccup? Why did you interfere?"

"Because Hiccup was in danger!" Stoick shouted. "That boy was standing in front of a dragon without weapons, and if he had stayed a little longer, he would have been attacked by that dragon. And you let that situation happen. You even stopped me from trying to prevent it. What were you thinking? Hiccup could have died!"

"No, Hiccup wasn't in danger. Didn't you see that dragon? That dragon was completely calm. You provoked the dragon and put Hiccup in danger. You should have trusted Hiccup!"

"That wasn't calm. That was an attacking stance. Don't you think I can recognize that? I've seen the savagery of dragons for years, and I know exactly how dangerous these creatures are! Dragons are monsters. They're not creatures that can be calmed!!"

"Don't think what you know is everything, Stoick. That boy, young as he is, he might know more than you do. Why can't you trust Hiccup?!"

"Because he's my son!! I know my son best, Sigrid. You were just his fosterer, nothing more. I know Hiccup better than you do."

"What?"

Sigrid's face turned ice-cold. His fury vanished, replaced by a complete emptiness. Sigrid's sudden change made even Stoick flinch. Sigrid's expression had turned stone-cold, and a chill seemed to fill the air around him. His eyes seemed to glow particularly blue.

"I heard what you said earlier.  'You're not my son?' How can you say such a thing? And yet you think you know Hiccup better than I do?"

Rage began to flicker in Sigrid's eyes once more.

"Hiccup is my son too, Stoick! I practically raised him myself. I've spent more time with him than you have. How can you pretend to know Hiccup? Do you actually understand anything about him at all? Tell me, Stoick. You've never had a meaningful conversation with him, so how can you be so confident?!"

"Watch your words, Sigrid. You're crossing a line." Stoick growled.

"Have you ever actually listened to a word Hiccup says? Never! Not even once! You don't know what he wants to say, and you don't even try to find out! That's why Valka too..."

Before he could finish, Stoick's hands shot out, gripping Sigrid's shoulders in fury. A sharp pain shot through Sigrid's right shoulder, cutting his words short. Swept away by anger, he had almost said that Valka had left. Fortunately, he hadn't said that much, but Stoick's anger had now turned to rage.

thanks for my friends DeNoire!

"Stop. That's enough. Bringing up Valka crosses the line, Sigrid." Stoick was furious. Suppression could be felt in his voice. The grip on his shoulders was getting tighter. If it had been an ordinary Viking, he might have struck him, but since it was Sigrid, he seemed to be restraining himself with his last bit of patience.

"I trusted you too much. That's why Hiccup turned out this way. Believing in absurd things, and because of that belief, endangering not only himself but everyone."

"Stoick..." Sigrid's face began to contort. The pain in his right shoulder was becoming impossible to ignore.

"We know how much trouble dragons have caused us, and it was even dragons that made us lose Valka. You heard from Hiccup about the location of that nest but didn't tell me. Hiccup is young, so he might do that, but you shouldn't have, Sigrid. You betrayed us."

After a brief silence, Stoick spoke, almost half-growling.

"I never should have let you near Hiccup. From the very beginning. No—it was my mistake to trust you. I shouldn't have trusted you. Thirty years, and I still don't know who you really are. You're still just... a stranger."

With those words, Stoick pushed him aside and left without another word. Even after his footsteps faded, Sigrid couldn't move. His cloak whipped around him in Berk's harsh wind. The last words hurt more than the pounding pain in his shoulder. Stranger. After thirty years, that's what he remained. Sigrid had always considered Stoick a friend. Though their relationship hadn't been good recently. Their fights had always been born of caring too much, never too little. For thirty years on Berk, Stoick had been his closest friend, and they shared much. Shared struggles, shared meals, shared laughter... But now those last words revealed a painful truth. Through all those years, Stoick had never stopped seeing him as an outsider. To Stoick, their bond had never been what Sigrid believed it to be. The realization pierced him like a blade.

"...grid, Sigrid? Uncle Sigrid!"

Suddenly called by name, he snapped back to attention. Turning his head, he saw Hiccup. His eyes were red from crying, but he looked somehow startled.

"Are you okay? I called you several times, but you didn't answer, so I was worried. Are you hurt anywhere...?"

"No, I'm fine. I was just... thinking." Sigrid turned toward Hiccup. He didn't seem seriously injured from the arena. Just some scratches and a few bruises.

"Earlier... I heard you arguing with Dad. You're really okay, right...?" Hiccup looked at Sigrid with concern. This was the first time he had seen Sigrid fight so seriously with Stoick in front of him. This time it wasn't just an argument but almost a physical fight. No wonder Hiccup looked surprised.

"I'm fine. Really. You don't need to worry."

As Sigrid reassured Hiccup, voices of Vikings could be heard in the distance. The ships seemed about to depart soon.

"Go on, Hiccup. If you go to the docks now, you'll be able to see the ships. We'll think about how to resolve this situation afterward." Sigrid gave Hiccup a gentle push. After hesitating, Hiccup soon began running at full speed toward the docks.

Sigrid followed slowly behind. At the docks, people who weren't participating in the expedition had gathered. Everyone seemed surprised by the sudden departure. Even the departing Vikings seemed to question whether this was really the right thing to do. Toothless was tied up and loaded onto Stoick's ship.

"Set sail! We head for Helheim's Gate."

As Stoick's voice echoed, all the ships began to move. Stoick, who had been looking up at the cliff briefly, turned his gaze to look at the docks. Sigrid and Stoick's eyes met for a moment, but Stoick looked away.

Sigrid continued to stand there until all the ships disappeared from view. Then he looked up at the cliff where Hiccup was. There, Hiccup and Astrid were having some kind of conversation.

He's really become close with Astrid, Sigrid thought. Right now, Astrid would be more help to Hiccup than he could be. Instead of heading up to the cliff, Sigrid headed to the arena. Probably the only way to resolve this situation would be to use the dragons. All the ships from the island had departed. Sigrid sat on a small chair in the corner of the arena and began to wait. The sun was gradually setting. After all that had happened, the day still wasn't over. The day felt endless.

Chapter Text

Stoick slammed the door shut as he stepped outside.

"READY THE SHIPS!"

As the cold outside air hit his face, he realized what he had just said. You're not my son. The words had slipped out in anger, but they were words he should never have said to Hiccup. Stoick felt a flash of guilt, but when he spotted Sigrid a few steps ahead, anger flared within him again. Sigrid had known about all of this and hadn't said a single word to him, putting Hiccup in danger. The thought made Stoick's steps even more forceful.

"You knew. About all of this." Stoick strode forward and stopped right in front of Sigrid. Though Stoick glared at him, Sigrid didn't back down. Sigrid's defiance only made Stoick angrier.

"I did. I knew." There was suppressed anger in Sigrid's voice. Stoick couldn't believe that Sigrid was the one getting angry when he had every right to be furious. "Why couldn't you trust Hiccup? Why did you interfere?"

Why couldn't he trust Hiccup? The question was stupid. That dragon was clearly about to strike. Hiccup could have died. Sigrid claimed to care for Hiccup, but he'd stood by and watched when the boy was in real danger. This fact only intensified Stoick's rage.

The argument exploded, voices rising on both sides. Sigrid argued that Hiccup had been put in danger because Stoick hadn't trusted him, but Stoick couldn't understand it at all. That dragon wasn't calm—it was about to attack. Dragons were monsters, nothing more. Stoick had never seen a good dragon or one that didn't attack humans. The people killed by dragon attacks, all the devastation, and Valka too. Stoick could never believe what Sigrid was saying.

Then Sigrid's expression suddenly went cold. Stoick had only said that Sigrid was just Hiccup's fosterer—that he knew his son better—but Sigrid's face went completely blank. Stoick had never seen Sigrid like this before. Sigrid had always worn at least a slight smile,  always easy to approach. But this—this was different. Even during their past arguments, he had never been like this. Now Sigrid was truly different. Stoick even had the illusion that Sigrid's eyes were glowing pale blue.

"I heard what you said earlier. 'You're not my son?' How can you say such a thing? And yet you think you know Hiccup better than I do?"

Sigrid's cold voice gradually burned with anger again. The frozen atmosphere from before disappeared. As Sigrid shot back sharp words, Stoick's surprise turned to fury.

"Have you ever actually listened to a word Hiccup says? Never! Not even once! You don't know what he wants to say, and you don't even try to find out! That's why Valka too..."

The moment Valka's name was mentioned, Stoick lost all self-control. Rage flared and Stoick almost lashed out. Stoick almost struck him, but caught himself just in time. Instead, he grabbed Sigrid's shoulders tightly with both hands. The moment his shoulders were gripped, Sigrid's face contorted in pain. Sigrid's sharp intake of breath went unheard—Stoick was lost in his fury.

"Stop. That's enough. Bringing up Valka crosses the line, Sigrid." Stoick was practically growling. His self-control was wearing thin. Now his thoughts came spilling out. Harsh accusations flew at Sigrid.

"I never should have let you near Hiccup. From the very beginning. No—it was my mistake to trust you. I shouldn't have trusted you. Thirty years, and I still don't know who you really are. You're still just... a stranger."

The moment he said these words, Sigrid's eyes wavered. His mouth, which had been opening to say something, closed firmly. He could only look up at Stoick with deeply wounded eyes. That look stopped Stoick's thoughts completely. He seemed to have been about to say something more, but he could no longer remember what it was. Stoick pushed Sigrid aside and left the spot. It was basically running away.

As Stoick walked down the hill and his anger cooled, the terrible words he had just spoken came flooding back. The argument had nearly escalated to a physical fight, and he'd said things to Sigrid that he could never take back. Stranger. I shouldn't have trusted you. Such words must have deeply wounded Sigrid. The realization hit him—how had those words come from his mouth? In thirty years of friendship with Sigrid, he had never once thought such things. Those thirty years had not only brought them closer together but had also taught them what words would hurt each other the most. His footsteps came to a halt.

"What have I done..." Just as Stoick was about to fall into regret, a Viking shouted loudly. "Chief! The ships are all ready! You can come aboard!"

Stoick didn't even have time for regret. He was the chief, he had to lead his people, and he had to keep them safe. To do that, he had to destroy the dragons' nest immediately. Other matters could be resolved after this was complete.

When Stoick arrived at the docks, he could see Vikings confused about the sudden departure. After boarding the ship, Stoick ordered the Vikings.

"Set sail! We head for Helheim's Gate." The bound Night Fury was struggling, trying desperately to break free. After looking at the Night Fury, he glanced up at the cliff. Stoick could see Hiccup. His earlier words weighed on him, but this raid was more important now. When he turned his gaze to the docks, his eyes met Sigrid's among the crowd. Apologizing to Sigrid would have to wait. Stoick couldn't face him now. The vast sea stretched before them. Looking down at the Night Fury, he thought to himself. This dragon had put people in danger more times than he could count. The unholy offspring of lightning and death itself. Hiccup said this dragon wasn't dangerous, but Stoick knew the truth.

"Lead us home, Devil."

Hours later, fog filled the air so thickly they could barely see. They had entered Helheim's Gate.

"Sound your positions. Stay within earshot." The fog-obscured visibility and sharp rocks had caused countless failures before, but today was different. As expected, the Night Fury guided the way, and following its path, they were able to reach an island. As soon as they arrived, Stoick ordered the Vikings to prepare for battle. Catapults were set up and Vikings were in full armor. There would be dragons inside that mountain.

"When we crack this mountain open, all hell is going to break loose."

After confirming that all catapults were loaded and the Vikings were ready, Stoick gave the signal. The catapults' massive stones blasted a hole in the mountain. Inside the hole was pitch black, nothing visible. Stoick gave another signal. This time, a flaming ball of straw was thrown into the hole. Thousands of dragons could be seen inside. Seeing all those vile creatures crammed together disgusted him.

When Stoick gave a battle cry and charged inside, it seemed like the dragons would swarm him. But not a single dragon attacked Stoick. They were frantically flying out of the hole, as if terrified of something. Dragons crashed into each other, tumbling and writhing in complete chaos. Through all of this, not a single dragon even looked at Stoick. They all fled.

"Is that it?" Gobber said.

"We've done it!" Spitelout cheered, and the Vikings began celebrating victory.

Why didn't they attack? It was too easy. Then suddenly the ground started shaking. Something massive seemed to be moving. Regaining his balance, Stoick bellowed at the Vikings.

"This isn't over. Form your ranks! Hold together!"

With a tremendous roar, the mountain began to crumble. A massive dragon burst from the mountain, crushing everything in its path. It was the largest dragon Stoick had ever seen. The dragon's massive size filled Stoick with terror. The dragon was so massive that Stoick couldn't tell how far away it was. The size was unimaginable.

"Odin, help us."

The Vikings fired catapults at the massive dragon, but they couldn't inflict any damage on its hide. The dragon smashed every catapult to pieces. Other Vikings tried to reach their ships, but it was already too late. That dragon seemed to understand the situation perfectly. A massive burst of flame destroyed all the ships — every last hope of escape vanished.

"I was a fool." Stoick shook off his despair and did what a chief must do—protect his people. Many Vikings had already lost their lives or been seriously injured by falling rocks and fire blasts. He couldn't let anyone else die. Stoick shouted to Spitelout.

"Lead the men to the far side of the island!"

While Spitelout led the fleeing Vikings to safety, Stoick tried to draw the dragon's attention. After throwing stones and making loud noises with Gobber, they finally managed to get the dragon's attention. The massive dragon's mouth opened and gas began pouring out. So this is how I die. Stoick felt death closing in.

Then suddenly, a fire blast struck the enormous dragon's head. Startled by the sudden attack, he looked up to see several dragons flying in the sky. Not only dragons, but people riding on them. It was Berk's teenagers. And on a Deadly Nadder, Astrid and Hiccup were riding together. Though they were too far away to hear clearly, Hiccup was giving orders from dragonback.

"What the..." He was shocked speechless. Nothing could have prepared him for this.

Chapter Text

Sigrid's POV

After a while, sounds of commotion drifted in from outside the arena. Hiccup entered the arena leading all the Berk teenagers. As Hiccup led the kids deeper into the arena, he glanced around, finally spotting Sigrid, giving him a wave. The other kids looked puzzled as to why he was there.

"Hey Hiccup, is the reason you dragged us here because of him?" Snotlout asked, looking at Hiccup suspiciously.

Sigrid stood up from his chair and approached the group. He wanted to hear up close what Hiccup was going to say. Sigrid's silence seemed to convince the kids that he had no idea what was going on. All attention focused on Hiccup.

"You were wise to seek help from the world's most deadly weapon. That's me," Tuffnut said, stepping forward dramatically.

"Uh..."

"I love this plan!" Snotlout pushed Ruffnut aside and interrupted. Of course, Hiccup hadn't even properly explained his plan yet.

"I didn't..."

"You're crazy! I like that..." Ruffnut shoved Snotlout aside and began approaching Hiccup. Astrid grabbed Ruffnut's helmet with an annoyed expression and pushed her to the side.

"Um..."

When Hiccup still couldn't get a word in, Sigrid finally decided to calm the kids down. While Hiccup should be taking action, it was clear he could use some support right now.

"Kids, if Hiccup is going to speak, you need to be quiet for a moment. Could you calm down and listen to what Hiccup has to say?" Sigrid said quietly, placing his hands lightly on the shoulders of Tuffnut and Snotlout, who were still scuffling.

At his words, the chaotic situation calmed down. The same teenagers who challenged every adult on Berk immediately quieted when Sigrid spoke. This was because Sigrid had been taking care of them since they couldn't even walk yet. Though he hadn't been with them for as long as Hiccup, it had been enough time for the children to grow attached to Sigrid. Even those twins didn't play harsh pranks on Sigrid. The bond was mutual—Sigrid loved the children dearly, and they trusted him completely.

"First, I have something to show you. Don't run away, everyone. Watch carefully what I do." Taking advantage of the quiet moment, Hiccup immediately spoke up. Everyone seemed to focus on his unexpected words.

Hiccup began opening the dragon cages one by one. Gronckle, Nadder, Zippleback. The three dragons remained very calm even after coming out of their cages. All the kids except Astrid backed away in fear, but Sigrid calmed them down.

"It's alright. Trust Hiccup."

When even Snotlout—the most terrified among them—stood his ground, Hiccup finally released the Monstrous Nightmare. The Monstrous Nightmare, its earlier fury from the arena now calmed, slowly walked forward. Following Hiccup's gestures as it walked out, the Monstrous Nightmare made eye contact with Sigrid standing behind them. Sigrid gave the slightest of nods. The Monstrous Nightmare returned the greeting and waited for Snotlout's hand to touch its snout as Hiccup guided.

"Wow..." Snotlout exclaimed with a smile. The fearsome Monstrous Nightmare was not only calm but actually seemed to enjoy his touch.

While Snotlout focused on touching the Monstrous Nightmare's head, Hiccup went to the weapons box behind them, found something, gripped it in his hand, and returned.

"With this rope, you won't fall off no matter how much the dragon moves. You just have to trust it." Hiccup held out the rope and called to the other dragons. The three dragons came slowly forward.

"Fall off? From where?" Fishlegs asked. He couldn't even conceive of the idea of riding a dragon.

"We're going to ride the dragons. Our destination is the dragons' nest where Dad went."

"What? Why? We don't need to go there! Besides, riding dragons is ridiculous! Your dad left with the best warriors. We wouldn't be any help even if we went!" Snotlout sputtered in panic.

The kids didn't agree with Hiccup's words since they still didn't know what the dragon's nest was like. To get them to come along, he would need to convince them. Sigrid sat back to see how Hiccup would win them over.

"Astrid and I have been to the dragons' nest riding Toothless—the Night Fury. There's an incredibly huge dragon there. The biggest dragon we've ever seen. It gives orders to other dragons, making them attack our island. It's impossible to kill such an enormous dragon with the weapons we have. Astrid would agree with me." Hiccup looked at Astrid.

Astrid nodded in agreement and moved beside Hiccup to help persuade them.

"Hiccup's right. Their weapons will never work against that dragon. Catapults might be effective, but they need more catapults than they took with them. They don't have enough weapons. We're going to save our families. If things go wrong, not a single Viking will return from there."

Heavy silence fell as Astrid's words sank in. Some of the teenagers actually had family among the Vikings who had left with Stoick. When everyone fell silent, Hiccup spoke up once more.

"We're going to prevent that from happening. They need help. And we'll use the dragons. We can do it with the dragons. Is anyone willing to come with me?"

Hiccup finished speaking. Astrid and Hiccup looked at them anxiously. They appeared confident, but inwardly seemed worried that no one would join them.

"I want to go too. We should help the adults, and I've always wanted to ride a dragon."

Fishlegs stepped forward first. Since Fishlegs had always loved dragons, his decision seemed easy.

"We're going too. We can't let Hiccup have all the fun by himself," Ruffnut said.

"What? I never said I was going!" Tuffnut exclaimed in surprise, hitting Ruffnut's shoulder. Ruffnut glared at Tuffnut and then headbutted him.

"So you're not going? Oh, come on! Don't be such a wimp!"

"...I never said I wasn't going either!" The twins wore wicked-looking smiles at the same time.

Snotlout remained silent until the very end. He seemed to be torn between fear and the feeling that this was something he had to do. While everyone waited for Snotlout's answer, the Monstrous Nightmare behind them nudged Snotlout with its snout. Snotlout looked down at the dragon and seemed to make up his mind. Something had clicked between him and the dragon.

"I'll go too. Without me, no one will be able to do this properly, right? You need a true Viking like me for things to work out." Snotlout said boastfully. Surprisingly, this time no one argued back and just laughed.

And so everyone would leave for that island riding dragons. As Hiccup worked with the kids on their dragon riding techniques, Sigrid quietly walked over and called to him.

"Hiccup. Could we talk privately for a moment?"

Hiccup was helping Fishlegs, who kept sliding off the Gronckle's back, maintain his balance when he turned toward Sigrid. Though he looked puzzled at being called aside, he followed Sigrid. They walked to the opposite side of the arena. Once they were far enough away, Sigrid knelt down and whispered to Hiccup.

"Hiccup, I'm going to come with you this time."

"Huh? But there are no more dragons to... Oh." Just as Hiccup was about to say there was no dragon for Sigrid to ride so there was no way for him to follow, Hiccup realized something. Sigrid didn't need a dragon to ride. Sigrid was a dragon.

"That's right, I'll fly high so the other kids can't see me and follow you. When you arrive at the dragons' nest, I'll be above the clouds. If anything happens or you need my help, come up above the clouds. I'll help you."

Sigrid smiled slightly. Hiccup seemed genuinely pleased by this unexpected help. Hiccup was an exceptional dragon rider, but Sigrid couldn't let him face such a monstrous queen alone.

"I'll always be behind you. Don't worry and do your best."

At those words, Hiccup nodded slightly and then ran back to where the kids were. Soon everyone was ready. No one was sliding around or sitting unsteadily anymore. They were all sitting stably. The dragons also seemed comfortable with humans riding on their backs.

"Now we're going to depart. Everyone hold on tight!" Hiccup shouted, and all the dragons took ready positions.

"Everyone, have a safe trip. Safety comes first. Be careful."

The instant Sigrid's words faded, all the dragons launched into the sky as one.

Sigrid waited until the dragons were far enough away. When the dragons looked like small dots, massive black wings slowly spread from behind Sigrid's back. Unlike before, because he spread them slowly, his clothes remained intact and his muscles weren't injured. When Sigrid flapped his wings powerfully, he left the arena at an incredible speed and soared high into the sky. Sigrid flew above the kids' heads, quietly tracking them.

The closer they got to the dragon nest, the more troubling the situation became. Sounds of things breaking, massive roars, and Vikings' screams could be heard. It seemed the Vikings had finally provoked the queen, forcing her to emerge from her nest. The situation was even worse than he'd expected. Hiccup and the dragons were attacking the queen to divert her attention. Sigrid watched it all from high above.

He watched as Hiccup failed trying to rescue Toothless from the burning ship, and Stoick dove into the water to save Toothless. Stoick and Hiccup seemed to have some conversation, probably reconciling with each other. Since this was a good thing, Sigrid smiled slightly. Soon Hiccup, riding Toothless, was rising into the sky, leading the queen upward. Now it was time for Sigrid to help Hiccup.

 Hiccup's POV

Flying toward the dragon nest, Hiccup was curious about Sigrid following overhead. But he forced himself not to look up. If he looked up, someone else might look up too, and then Sigrid could be discovered.

When they arrived at the dragon nest, he could see that the situation was really bad. All the ships were on fire, and all the catapults were destroyed. And that enormous dragon's attention was focused on Dad and Gobber. He had to divert that dragon's attention right now.

"Astrid! Aim for the head!"

When Astrid gave the order to the Nadder, it shot a fire blast. The dragon, struck by the massive fireball, finally turned its attention their way. Now they needed the others to join the fight.

"Ruff, Tuff, watch your backs! Move, Fishlegs!" 

He began flying rapidly around the dragon to completely draw its attention to them.

"Up, let's move it!"

Soon, listening to Fishlegs' words, he could identify the dragon's weakness. After ordering the other kids to attack the dragon's weak points, Hiccup began looking for Toothless.

Toothless was tied up on a burning ship. After jumping down to that ship, he tried to free Toothless, but Toothless was tied too tightly. While desperately trying to free him, the dragon's massive tail struck them hard. Toothless and Hiccup fell into the water together. In the water, there was no way he could save Toothless. Just as Hiccup's breath was running out, he was suddenly pulled up to the surface. When Hiccup coughed and barely opened his eyes, he saw his Dad.

"Dad?"

Immediately, Stoick dove into the water and soon emerged with Toothless. Toothless shook his wet head and urged them to hurry.

"You got it, bud."

Hiccup jumped onto Toothless's saddle and got into position. As he fastened the safety cords to his belt, Stoick grabbed Hiccup's arm.

"Hiccup. I'm sorry... for, for everything."

"Yeah, me too."

"You don't have to go up there."

"We're Vikings. It's an occupational hazard."

"I'm proud to call you my son."

With these words, Stoick clasped Hiccup's hand with both of his and then let go. The gesture comforted Hiccup, but there was one thing that bothered him. Hiccup wasn't the only one Stoick owed an apology.

"Thanks, Dad. And one more thing. Promise me you'll apologize to Sigrid when you get back."

Stoick looked flustered. However, he soon looked Hiccup in the eye again and said firmly.

"Yes, I understand, son. I promise."

Then Hiccup took off. The moment he saw Astrid in danger, he made a sharp turn in mid-air and fired a blast into the dragon's mouth. Toothless gracefully caught the falling Astrid. With Astrid grounded safely, he needed to figure out how to provoke the dragon into chasing them. Then Toothless and Hiccup charged at full speed, firing blasts to provoke the dragon.

"Do you think that did it?"

The provocation was successful. The dragon spread its wings and took off to chase them. Hiccup looked up at the sky filled with dark storm clouds. Sigrid would be up there.

"Toothless, we need to go find Uncle Sigrid. Ready?"

Toothless ascended into the sky at blazing speed. The massive dragon chasing from behind swayed under its own weight but persistently followed them. He could hear the dragon preparing to shoot a fire blast from behind.

"Here it comes!"

After narrowly avoiding the fire blast, they were finally able to rise completely above the clouds. Dark storm clouds surrounded them on all sides, and Sigrid was nowhere to be seen. While looking around, Sigrid's voice was heard right next to him.

"Well done. I was watching everything from above."

Sigrid appeared to be floating almost in mid-air. Behind him, massive wings beat slowly.

"Whoa, you startled me."

Hiccup was momentarily surprised but quickly calmed down. That massive dragon would be firing blasts here and there looking for Hiccup.

"Sigrid, I need help. To kill that dragon, we have to use the dragon's own weight against it. I saw earlier that it was swaying because it couldn't bear its own weight when taking off. Toothless is going to fire blasts at the dragon's wing membranes, and when most of the wing membranes are torn, can you stop that dragon from flapping its wings for a moment?"

Hiccup spoke rapidly. Fortunately, Sigrid seemed to understand what Hiccup was saying.

"Alright, I'll try. I'll hide among the clouds, so give me a signal."

"Okay! I'm on it!"

Sigrid disappeared among the clouds, and Toothless and Hiccup prepared to charge.

"Ready, bud? Let's do this properly."

They launched blast after blast at the dragon, which was frantically searching for Hiccup. Unaware that its wing membranes were gradually tearing, the dragon began spewing massive flames in all directions. When those flames grazed Toothless's tail fin, it instantly caught fire.

"Watch out!"

Seeing Toothless's tail fin burning, Hiccup became anxious. They hadn't torn enough of the membrane yet, but if Toothless's tail fin burned completely, he wouldn't be able to fly anymore and would crash. The dragon's wings weren't damaged enough, but they couldn't wait any longer. It was time to call Sigrid.

"Sigrid!! Now!!"

Soon Sigrid appeared above the dragon's head. Lightning began to crackle and gather around Sigrid. Crackling white-blue lightning began flowing through Sigrid's body, but Sigrid looked completely unaffected. When Sigrid slowly raised his hand and lightly snapped his fingers, powerful lightning struck the dragon. Struck by the massive bolt, the dragon seized up completely, its wings locking as it dropped like a stone.

"By Thor, Toothless... I've never seen Sigrid look so terrifying..."

Toothless whimpered softly in agreement.

Hiccup watched the dragon fall, then looked up for Sigrid. But Sigrid had vanished. Where had he gone? Before he could figure out where Sigrid had gone, the dragon's roar echoed from below. It was still alive. The massive dragon's head rose again through the storm clouds. Because the membrane wasn't torn enough, it could still fly.

"Toothless, fly faster! We need to get out of here right now!"

Toothless's tail fin was now almost completely burned, making steering nearly impossible. When Hiccup glanced back, the dragon was already opening its massive jaws for another blast.

"Okay, Toothless. This is really the last chance. Let's see if this works!!"

When the dragon opened its mouth as wide as possible and gas was spewing from deep inside, Hiccup made Toothless execute a sharp turn and then ordered.

"Now, Toothless! Fire!!"

Toothless's fire blast hit directly inside the dragon's mouth. It met with the gas that filled its mouth and caused a massive explosion. The dragon couldn't put out the flames burning inside it. It thrashed its wings desperately, only tearing them further with each frantic beat. The dragon was now falling head-first. As Hiccup watched the dragon fall, he failed to notice its massive tail swinging toward them.

"No! NO!"

The massive tail struck Hiccup, and everything went black. The last thing Hiccup saw was the massive tail, flames, and Toothless.

Sigrid's POV

Soon Hiccup emerged completely above the clouds. The Queen seemed unable to see anything as clouds obscured everything around her. Sigrid carefully approached Hiccup's side.

"Well done. I was watching everything from above."

Hiccup was startled. Hiccup must have been on edge. Maybe approaching from the side was a mistake, and Sigrid immediately regretted his choice.

Hiccup's request was simple. Disable the Queen when signaled—a straightforward request. But Sigrid knew it was crossing a line he'd tried to avoid. It meant he would be interfering too much. However, he couldn't refuse Hiccup's request. Hiccup could die in this situation. Telling himself it was just striking lightning in the air a few times, he concealed himself among the clouds and waited for Hiccup's signal.

"Sigrid!! Now!!"

When Hiccup's signal came, Sigrid emerged from the clouds and began calling down lightning. Since he was surrounded by storm clouds, the electricity gathered much faster than when there was nothing. He could feel the lightning flowing through his body. He felt slightly pleased by this sensation he hadn't experienced in a long time. When enough lightning had gathered, he raised his hand and aimed at the Queen, striking her with lightning. Lightning coursed through the Queen's massive frame, instantly paralyzing her. She crashed from the sky. Perfect—just as Hiccup had hoped. The moment Sigrid thought this, fierce pain seized his heart.

"Argh... I knew this would happen..."

Sigrid pressed his hand to his chest and slipped back among the clouds. The pain was quite severe, so he couldn't focus on anything else for a while. It felt like his heart was being crushed and mangled. It was truly the worst pain.

Meanwhile, the Queen he'd thought was dead suddenly rose again. She attacked Hiccup, but he fought back brilliantly and sent her crashing down. He heard the crash and explosion as she hit the ground, so there was no way she could take off again. As the pain began to fade, Sigrid emerged from the clouds. The sight made his blood run cold—Hiccup falling unconscious, struck down by the Queen's massive tail.

"By the gods...!"

Sigrid quickly dove into the flames. The fierce flames seared his skin, but he kept diving through the inferno, desperate to find Hiccup. Through the flames, Toothless appeared before Sigrid. Toothless was biting down hard on Hiccup's left leg and pulling him. After pulling him free, he cradled Hiccup in his arms and wrapped his wings around him. The moment he saw Toothless had saved Hiccup, Sigrid soared away in the opposite direction. Not only could he no longer breathe in the hot air, but if he went down there, other people might discover him.

He landed on a distant cliff, almost colliding with it. Breathing the fiery air had left his throat burning, and dark scorch marks marred his clothing and exposed skin. If he had been in dragon form, he wouldn't have suffered burns, but he hadn't even thought of that. Breathing in the cold air, he looked towards the shore. He could see Hiccup and Toothless, and surviving Vikings, kids, and dragons. It seemed like Hiccup and Toothless were alright. Now it was time for Sigrid to return as well.

He stood up unsteadily. After confirming that the edges of his clothes were burned black, he thought he should change into new clothes as soon as he returned. Sigrid had to continue appearing as someone who had been waiting on Berk. When the tension somewhat relaxed, he felt a stinging pain in his wrist. His wrist had probably been exposed to fire longer than other places. This was also something he would need to take care of when he arrived on Berk. Sigrid took off again and headed toward Berk at full speed.

After reaching a remote cliff on Berk, Sigrid ducked into the healing hut. He changed into fresh clothes and carefully bandaged his wrist. At that moment, a group of people was running toward the healing hut. The door slammed open so hard it nearly tore off its hinges.

"Sigrid! We need help!"

It was Stoick. In his arms was Hiccup. He was badly singed, scratched, and most importantly... his left leg was missing.

"His leg is... it's gone, Sigrid. I don't know if... can you help him?"

There was something uncertain in Stoick's words. It was probably awkward since this was the first time they were meeting after such a terrible argument.

"I understand. Just put him down right here. I need to focus, so please wait outside—I'll call for you as soon as I'm done."

Stoick turned and left the hut. One by one, the Vikings and kids gathered outside also walked away. Sigrid began the treatment. Toothless was probably also badly injured, so he would need to check on Toothless after finishing Hiccup's treatment.

He cleanly treated all of Hiccup's wounds, and the amputation site of the missing left leg was also made very clean. The leg wouldn't grow back, but at least the wounds wouldn't become infected. As he went to call Stoick, he pulled on the door handle. It wouldn't open—something was blocking it. When he looked down, he found Toothless sprawled across the doorway.

"Toothless, there you are. Are you worried about Hiccup?"

At Sigrid's gentle words, Toothless's eyes filled with moisture. Toothless slowly entered the healing hut, looked at Hiccup's bandaged leg, and rubbed his head against it. He seemed to think it was his fault.

"It's not your fault, Toothless. If it weren't for you, Hiccup wouldn't be here."

Sigrid ran his hand soothingly over Toothless's head. Toothless whimpered and crooned, clearly trying to tell him something important.

"Yes, I know. Hiccup's father is grateful to you too. And he's sorry to you as well."

Toothless purred softly and nestled against Sigrid.

"Good job, Toothless. You're such a good boy. You can stay here as long as you want."

When Sigrid sat on the floor, Toothless laid his head on Sigrid's lap. It must have been an exhausting day for Toothless as well.

The night passed quietly. Dawn was breaking, and their long, exhausting day was finally coming to an end.

Chapter Text

Two days had passed since Hiccup lost his leg. He still hadn't woken up and had been moved from Sigrid's healing hut to his own home. Sigrid didn't worry much about him. It was just deep sleep, not anything serious. But Stoick was deeply worried about his son. Each time, Sigrid calmed him down, saying Hiccup would wake up soon.

The immediate danger was over, but their relationship remained awkward. In fact, the number of conversations they'd had since that day could be counted on one hand. Reporting Hiccup's condition to Stoick. Telling him not to worry too much on the first and second day when Hiccup hadn't woken up, saying he would wake soon. Those three conversations were all they'd shared.

Of course, there was a reason for this. After the battle with the Red Death (the name the teenagers had given the dragon), Berk had suffered tremendous damage. Two-thirds of the Vikings didn't make it back from that nest. At least the survivors weren't badly hurt, though everyone was now working to repair the damaged ships and catapults. Stoick spent most of his time reorganizing and rebuilding everything.

Sigrid was busy in his own way too. The battle had left many wounded. No one was fatally injured, but everyone who went to the nest had been wounded. So many patients meant his herb stockpile ran out fast. To replenish them, Sigrid spent most of his time in the forest. The rest of his time went to checking on Hiccup and treating patients. Both were too busy to focus on anything else.

While walking through the plaza, Astrid approached Sigrid. Not like her usual self, she seemed anxious.

"Um, Sigrid. Are you busy? I have something I want to ask..."

"No, I'm fine right now. What did you want to ask? You seem different today."

Astrid hesitated before speaking in an uncertain voice. Sigrid had never heard Astrid sound so uncertain before.

"Well... it's about Hiccup. He's been unconscious for two days now. Is there any chance he might never wake up...?"

Sigrid immediately understood why Astrid looked this way. He had told Stoick that Hiccup would wake up soon, but he had never said anything to Hiccup's friends. No matter how busy he'd been, he should have reassured them too. Instead, he had left the teens worried and anxious. He could see other teens hiding behind a house in the distance, watching them. They seemed worried about Hiccup. Sigrid smiled gently and crouched down to Astrid's eye level.

"No. Hiccup will wake up soon. He used up too much energy fighting the Red Death. He should wake up tomorrow or the day after."

Astrid's face brightened at Sigrid's words.

"I knew it! I believed he would wake up soon. I only got anxious because of those idiots who didn't believe it."

When Astrid shot them a withering look, the teens stumbled over each other trying to hide.

"Don't worry. Hiccup is going to be just fine."

Sigrid looked at Astrid for a moment. It seemed like there was something special between Hiccup and Astrid. Sigrid was the quickest to notice such subtle emotions.

"Astrid, you seem to have become very close to Hiccup recently. How did you two become friends?"

"Well, just... he did something stupid first. I liked that about him."

Astrid grinned. Sigrid smiled softly at her rather bold answer. It seemed like interesting things would happen once Hiccup woke up. Then they heard heavy footsteps behind them. When they turned around, Astrid's dragon was slowly walking toward them.

"Stormfly! Where have you been?"

Astrid hugged Stormfly's head and greeted her warmly.

After everyone returned from the nest, the teens' dragons had made Berk their home. The villagers were gradually getting used to the dragons and seemed less frightened.

Stormfly purred happily, then ducked her head under Sigrid's arm and began nuzzling him. Sigrid scratched under Stormfly's chin.

"The dragons seem to follow you well. We still don't know our dragons very well, but you seem to understand dragons perfectly. How do you do it?"

"I've seen and heard things from the outside world. And I've lived much longer than you, so there are things I know without having to learn them."

Astrid looked slightly puzzled at Sigrid's answer but soon showed understanding. While Sigrid's dragon identity certainly explained his knowledge and the dragons' loyalty, he also had much wisdom gained from living long. So it wasn't entirely a lie.

"When Hiccup wakes up, he's going to be overwhelmed by how much Berk has changed. You'll need to help him a lot."

Sigrid withdrew his hand from Stormfly and clasped them in front of him. The brief rest was over, and it was time to return to his work as a healer.

"Of course. Hiccup will be completely lost. See you later!"

Stormfly and Astrid headed toward the back of the house where the teens had been hiding. They seemed to want to share their earlier conversation. Wouldn't it have been easier if they'd just asked him directly instead of hiding? Well, teens' thoughts were impossible to understand.

After that, he went into the forest and gathered herbs until just before sunset. The forest couldn't keep up with his constant harvesting—herbs were becoming harder to find. The most serious shortage was willow bark—he had stripped every willow tree bare, leaving nothing left to gather. He was beginning to feel the need to visit islands other than Berk. Carrying his herb basket, he emerged from the forest and headed toward Hiccup's house. Probably only Hiccup and Toothless would be there now.

Actually, he wasn't just busy—he was deliberately avoiding Stoick. There had been plenty of opportunities to talk. He could have gone to see Hiccup in the evening like now and waited until Stoick arrived. But Sigrid didn't want to do that. It was too awkward, he didn't know what to say, and most importantly, Stoick's words to him still bothered him.

Stoick no longer trusted him and thought of him as a stranger. He even regretted having trusted him until now. For now, Stoick's attention was entirely on Hiccup's recovery and rebuilding Berk. But once everything was settled, Stoick might ask him to leave Berk. Wouldn't it be better to leave first? While Sigrid was lost in these deep thoughts, he arrived at Hiccup's house.

When he opened the door, Toothless burst out and rushed at him. He almost dropped his herb basket but managed to catch it again and hugged Toothless.

"Hello, Toothless. Have you been well? How's Hiccup?"

Toothless finished his greeting and bounded back to Hiccup's bed. Hiccup looked much better than yesterday. At this rate, he should be able to wake up tomorrow. Thank Odin that Hiccup was recovering so quickly.

"Hiccup is healthy. Tomorrow he'll be able to get up and fly through the sky with you again."

At Sigrid's words, Toothless jumped excitedly. When the shield hanging on the wall fell and dust started falling from the ceiling, Sigrid calmed Toothless down.

"Calm down. If you jump around like that, Hiccup might not wake up tomorrow."

Toothless was startled and sat down quietly. Since Toothless reacted like this every time Sigrid teased him, Sigrid found it amusing.

Now that he'd checked on Hiccup, it was time to head back to the healing hut. Stoick might come soon. Just as he picked up his herb basket to leave, the door opened. Sigrid's pulse spiked thinking it was Stoick, then settled when he recognized Gobber. He was holding something in his hands.

"Sigrid, there you are! How's Hiccup doing?"

Gobber approached Sigrid with a smile.

"Hiccup should wake up sometime tomorrow. His recovery is very fast. Nothing to worry about."

"Really? That's good news. Stoick will be so relieved."

He went to Hiccup's bed, pulled back the blanket, and held what he had brought against Hiccup's missing left leg. Looking closely, it was a prosthetic leg made of iron and wood.

"It's a prosthetic leg. He'll need this to fly with that dragon. I took a look at that dragon's tail fin—it's expertly crafted. Of course, I taught him. His skills are definitely solid."

The prosthetic leg matched the length of Hiccup's intact right leg perfectly. The craftsmanship was flawless—an excellent prosthetic.

"This is amazing. Hiccup will be so surprised when he wakes up tomorrow."

After covering Hiccup with the blanket again, Gobber walked toward Sigrid. He seemed to have something to say to him.

"So, are you heading back to the healing hut now? You've been working hard lately."

"Not at all. You've been working harder than me. You've been repairing all those broken things every night."

"Well, that's true. But listen..." 

He paused and twirled his beard with the hook attached to his left arm.

"Have you talked to Stoick at all?"

The unexpected question made Sigrid freeze for a moment. Gobber looked up at Sigrid with an expression that said he'd expected as much.

"I knew you hadn't! Come tomorrow, Stoick should be free from all the emergency work. Maybe it's time for you two to sit down and talk properly."

Sigrid hesitated. He still didn't want to talk to Stoick. He was afraid they might fight again, or worse—that Stoick might ask him to leave.

"Well... I don't know, Gobber... He might not want to talk to me. That would just make things awkward between us. You know how it is."

Seeing Sigrid's hesitation, Gobber let out a frustrated sigh.

"Who says he doesn't want to talk? Stoick? That guy has been acting strange for two days. I've watched him march to your hut door, peek inside, then walk away when it's empty. I've been watching that pathetic routine for two days. It would be good for both of you to talk as soon as possible."

Sigrid became seriously anxious now. He had no idea what Stoick wanted to say to him. Sigrid wanted to continue the conversation, but Stoick could return any moment—he quickly cut the conversation short. With Gobber watching suspiciously, Sigrid ran down the hillside. When he reached the healing hut and set down his herb basket, he could finally breathe.

From what Gobber had said, it seemed he couldn't avoid Stoick forever. Someday they would have to face each other. But Sigrid wanted to put off that moment for as long as possible. It was ridiculous, really. A massive, ancient dragon who could command lightning was afraid of talking to one human. Ridiculous or not, that was his reality right now.

Chapter Text

The next day, Hiccup woke up.

Sigrid wasn't there to see Hiccup wake up. He only heard about it from a distance. When Hiccup woke up, Sigrid was busy crafting healing draughts in the healing hut. Hiccup was stunned to see dragons wandering freely around Berk, but he quickly came to terms with the new reality. Now he was soaring through the skies with the other kids, after Gobber had gifted Toothless a new tail fin.

Just then, the healing hut door creaked open, and an elderly man shuffled in, his staff tapping a familiar rhythm.

"Good morning, Mildew. It's been longer than usual since you've stopped by."

It was Mildew. The old man infamous for having the worst temper in all of Berk. Since none of the Berkians particularly welcomed Mildew, his house sat alone in the most remote part of the island. Mildew was a regular visitor to Sigrid's healing hut. He'd always complain about his aching joints or back troubles, then settle in for hours of one-sided conversation. Sigrid didn't mind the old man's visits.  No matter how old he was, he had only lived for a few decades. Compared to Sigrid, he was no different from a child.

"The chief's son has awakened," Mildew grumbled as he sat down on a chair. His sheep, Fungus, naturally settled beside him. "My back's acting up again. Give me those herbs you gave me last time."

With practiced ease, Sigrid located the herbs from his cabinet, portioned them into a small pouch, and handed it across to Mildew. Mildew snatched the pouch.

"I heard they destroyed the dragon's nest. So now we can hunt the remaining dragons. We should wipe them out completely."

"Well, I suppose Stoick will decide that. Honestly, the war against dragons was too draining. Maybe it's time to consider a different approach."

Mildew struck his staff on the ground as if the idea was absurd. The sleeping sheep jumped in surprise.

"Nonsense! All dragons must die. That's the only way to be safe!" The dragon teeth hanging from Mildew's staff rattled and shook.

"Well, there are five dragons in Berk right now. They're well-behaved." Sigrid turned away from Mildew with practiced ease and returned to his work. Mildew's rants could go on forever, so the trick was knowing when to tune him out.

"Who knows when they'll turn violent! We should kill them before that happens. Dragons are nothing but terrible beasts!"

"The teens would be sad to hear that. Those kids are deeply attached to their dragons."

"That's exactly the problem! What's next—adopting dragons because we ran out of sheep to tend? Absolutely ridiculous!"

Sigrid smiled and said nothing. Years of dealing with Mildew had taught him that the old man's tirades were best handled like a fire—starve them of fuel and they'd burn themselves out.

"Mildew, my friend, you know I'm hardly the dragon-slaying type. If you're looking for support, you've come to the wrong person." Sigrid replied smoothly.

"I'm not your friend!" Mildew folded his arms with a disgruntled huff. "But at least you listen to me. You don't ignore me like the others. That means my words are getting through to you."

After that, Mildew continued pouring out complaints tirelessly. Most were about dragons, but occasionally he'd gossip about other people, complain about the chief's poor leadership, or grumble about Hiccup bringing a dragon. Sigrid truly couldn't understand where all these complaints came from.

It was their usual routine: Mildew unleashing his frustrations while Sigrid provided just enough encouragement to keep the floodgates open. After exactly two hours, the storm passed. Mildew looked like a new man, his annual emotional cleansing now complete.

"I'll be going now. Good talk today. I'll come again next time."

"Right, right. Take care on your way back. Don't forget Fungus!" Sigrid lifted the still-sleeping Fungus from the floor and handed him to Mildew. Mildew tucked Fungus under one arm and left the healing hut. The sudden silence was a relief to Sigrid's mind.

He needed to check the forest once more today. There probably wasn't anything left to gather, but he wanted to confirm it one last time. If there truly were no more herbs, he would have to go to another island. A deserted island. Flying would be the most convenient way to get there, but he might be discovered. Taking a boat might be safer. But boats took too long and were inefficient. Sigrid found himself in a dilemma.

Suddenly, the healing hut door burst open. Who was it? He couldn't identify who it was since he hadn't heard any sounds from outside. He spun around to find Hiccup stepping through the doorway. Toothless was with him too.

"Hiccup! You look healthy! I'm glad you're awake." Sigrid pulled Hiccup into a warm embrace while reaching over to ruffle Toothless's head.

"I'm fine. But Berk has changed a lot. I never thought I'd see dragons roaming around! How did Dad allow this?"

"Well... he never officially allowed it. After the Red Death battle, there was so much chaos to deal with that the dragon situation just fell through the cracks. Everyone gradually adapted to the well-behaved dragons, so they ended up staying here."

"Red Death? You mean that massive dragon?" Hiccup tilted his head at the unfamiliar name.

"Yes. Your friends gave that dragon a name. How about recording the Red Death in that book? The Book of Dragons, I mean. You can add a new species now."

When the book was mentioned, Hiccup's eyes widened as if he hadn't thought of that. Hiccup had loved drawing and recording things since he was young. Hidden away in this healing hut were Valka's letters, carefully preserved next to the herb guides that a young Hiccup had once written. Sigrid had carefully preserved them, knowing that if Valka ever returned, these would be the perfect way to show her who Hiccup had become.

"That's a great idea, thank you!" Hiccup pulled a chair from near the fireplace and placed it next to Sigrid's workbench chair. As he sat down, he seemed to have something on his mind.

"Um, I have something to ask. Is that okay?"

"Of course. I just finished what I was working on anyway." Sigrid tidied up his workbench while waiting to hear what Hiccup wanted to say.

"Have you talked to my dad?"

This was unexpected. Sigrid had thought Hiccup would ask about his identity, his oath, or something similar. That was not what he'd been expecting to hear. Sigrid's movements suddenly froze.

"You haven't, have you? I thought so. I heard I woke up after just three days. How could you not have said a single word during all that time?"

"It's not that we didn't talk at all. We did talk, at least."

"Sure you did. Except for the important thing." Hiccup's pointed words left Sigrid speechless.

"Gobber told me. He said you kept avoiding Dad, and Dad kept failing to meet with you. Why are you avoiding him?"

It was an extremely awkward question. Sigrid's thoughts became complicated. It might be better to lie rather than tell the truth. Being honest might turn out... poorly.

"I wasn't avoiding him. The timing just didn't work out. I've been using herbs faster than I can replace them, so I'm always out foraging these days. Your dad probably came looking for me during those times."

"Gobber said you came to my house yesterday and left almost like you were running away. You were avoiding him, weren't you?" Hiccup assumed the classic 'I-don't-believe-you' pose—arms crossed, eyebrow raised—while Toothless sat beside him, mimicking Hiccup's expression. It was truly an awkward situation.

"...Yes, I was avoiding him. But I had no choice! I was trying to put off that conversation for as long as I could." Sigrid finally admitted the truth. Hiccup looked completely puzzled about the reason.

"Why were you avoiding him? Are you still angry with Dad?"

"No, it's not that... I'm not angry..." Sigrid looked away, avoiding Hiccup's gaze.

"I just... I had no idea how your dad would react. It seems like he doesn't trust me anymore... I was afraid he'd tell me to leave Berk."

Hiccup gave him an 'are you serious?' look. But Sigrid truly believed this with all his heart. He was convinced that any conversation with Stoick would end in disaster.

"Did you hear that? Solve this yourselves."

Hiccup suddenly shouted. It wasn't directed at Sigrid. When the startled Sigrid looked at Hiccup, the healing hut door slowly opened and someone entered. It was Stoick.

"How... how did you...? I didn't even hear you coming..." Sigrid was thrown into complete confusion. He truly hadn't heard any sound. This situation was completely unexpected for Sigrid.

"I told him on purpose. I said 'no footsteps, no creaking doors, nothing.' Since Sigrid didn't hear anything, he must have done well." Hiccup got to his feet with the expression of someone who'd just pulled off the perfect plan, turning to face Sigrid. "I knew that if you two tried to solve this problem alone, it would never be resolved until one of you died of old age. So I set this whole thing up. Don't be too hard on me. This was partly Gobber's idea too."

With that, Hiccup quickly left the healing hut with Toothless. With just the two of them left alone, the healing hut fell into an incredibly uncomfortable silence. The terribly oppressive atmosphere made it feel impossible to breathe. Only the occasional sound of wood crackling in the fireplace could be heard. Both Stoick and Sigrid stood stiffly like they were nailed in place.

After what felt like an eternity, Stoick was the first to sit in a chair.

"You should sit too. Why are you standing there?" At Stoick's words, Sigrid carefully sat in a chair. His gaze remained stubbornly focused on the wooden planks beneath his feet. He had no idea what words would come.

They remained in silence for several more minutes while seated. If Hiccup or Gobber had been there to witness this torture, they would have intervened immediately. Fortunately or unfortunately, they were nowhere near the healing hut. Someone had to start the conversation.

Finally, at the end of the hellish silence, Sigrid was the first to speak.

"...Stoick, I know what you want to say. You can't trust me anymore. I know that. So..."

"No, I need to speak first this time. Hearing what you're saying, I need to speak first. Would that be alright?"

Stoick couldn't wait any longer—he interrupted Sigrid mid-sentence, unable to hold back. Stoick's urgent need to speak first only made Sigrid's anxiety worse. Did he not want to hear even what I had to say? Though overwhelmed by anxiety, he nodded. Seeing this, Stoick sighed deeply and ran his hand over his face.

"I'm sorry. I said things back then... Things I had no right to say. Even though I lost my mind to anger, I shouldn't have said such things to you. I'm truly sorry."

Sigrid slowly lifted his gaze from the floor to meet Stoick's eyes. His eyes showed great surprise. Stoick met those eyes and continued speaking.

"I need you to know—in all these years, I've never once questioned your place here or my trust in you. I know it might be hard to believe, but I need you to believe me. Even I couldn't understand where those words came from. But please know this one thing. In thirty years, I have never once thought of you as a stranger, and I've never regretted trusting you. And I'm grateful that you're the closest to Hiccup. I... I should have listened to your words much earlier. Because of my stubbornness and prejudices... I was so set in my ways that I refused to see the truth you were showing me. This is all my fault. I'm sorry."

Stoick's words were surprising. This level of honest words and behavior was almost a first. Stoick was truly apologizing with all his heart. This fact gradually dissolved Sigrid's anxiety. He wondered what had happened to make Stoick speak with such vulnerability.

"...You're quite honest. I'm a bit surprised. I never thought I'd hear such words." When Sigrid spoke quietly, Stoick flinched. His face was still full of guilt.

"This has been weighing on my mind ever since the moment I handed Hiccup over to you after the nest. Even after I said such harsh things, you put Hiccup first. And even after that, you didn't get angry with me. That actually made me more anxious. I wanted to meet you and apologize, but you were never there. When this repeated for three days, it seemed like you were really avoiding me. I was terrified that you'd disappear before I could make things right."

"I thought you were going to tell me to leave." Sigrid said, absently rubbing his thumb against his fingers. "That's why I kept avoiding you. I used to know what you'd say, but after that fight... I couldn't guess anymore. The last thing I heard was that you couldn't trust me anymore. I thought if I left first, at least I could avoid hearing you say you didn't want me here anymore." When he finished speaking, Stoick looked even more restless. He realized that if Hiccup hadn't forced this conversation, Sigrid might have quietly disappeared forever.

"From now on... I promise to hear what you're really saying. Looking back, the things you told me were really helpful advice. You've never been one to speak up unless it really mattered. I keep asking myself why I was so stubborn, why I refused to really hear what you were saying."

Sigrid looked steadily at Stoick. The tables had turned—now Stoick was the one avoiding eye contact. These weren't empty words. This level of vulnerability from Stoick could only mean one thing—he was truly sorry. Only then could Sigrid smile a little. Sigrid had never been angry with Stoick. He had been angry about what Stoick said to Hiccup, but he wasn't angry about the words directed at himself. Those words had simply been very hurtful. That was really all.

"Stoick, I understand what you're saying. Berk is still my home. Right?" At those words, the surprised Stoick looked at Sigrid's face. On that face was the familiar smile that Stoick had often seen. That smile left Stoick speechless.

"I was never angry. What made me angry was what you said to Hiccup, not what you said to me. Those words were just... quite hurtful." Sigrid paused briefly before continuing. "I'll accept your apology. I did some things wrong too. After everything we've been through—all the arguments and misunderstandings—I still want us to be close. You feel the same way, don't you?"

Stoick's relief was as deep and warm as sitting by a warm campfire. Something loosened in his chest—the fear of losing his friend was finally gone. Stoick couldn't speak for a moment. He could only look at Sigrid while controlling the flood of emotions.

"...Of course. You've been in Berk for thirty years and helped me so much. These past fifteen years especially... I've leaned on you more than I probably should have. After Valka was gone... it was really hard. I was crushed between grief and the responsibilities of being chief. You cared about Valka just as much as I did, and you must have been hurting too... but I was so wrapped up in my own grief that I never stopped to think about yours."

The words made Sigrid's chest tighten with guilt. The truly selfish one was Sigrid himself. Knowing that Valka was alive, he hadn't told Stoick. Because of this, he had made his closest friend live in sorrow for fifteen years. Sigrid wondered if he should tell Stoick that Valka was actually alive, even now. But he couldn't. That wasn't what Valka wanted. Sigrid had to keep his promise.

And if he was being completely honest, there was a more selfish reason too. Finally, his relationship with Stoick had improved. And, there was a chance to return to the same relationship they had fifteen years ago. If he revealed that Valka was alive now, this relationship would definitely fall apart. Sigrid didn't want that and kept his mouth shut. The guilt felt like a knife piercing his heart. When Stoick looked at him with concern at his sudden silence, Sigrid pushed the thoughts deep into his mind. He could think about this later. Right now, he needed to end this conversation well.

"No. I'm fine. I spent that time with Hiccup. You were the one carrying all the responsibility alone—that must have been so much harder. I can understand that."

Saying this, Sigrid reached out and placed his hand on top of Stoick's. It had been ages since Sigrid had reached out to him like this. Stoick's eyes widened at this fact.

"I'm glad we can get along well again. I hope you won't carry all the chief's duties by yourself. Ask for help from those around you. You can ask me too. And trust Hiccup a little more. He's stronger than you think."

Sigrid's warm voice melted Stoick's tension. The misunderstandings and emotions that had built up over time dissolved away. He realized they'd both been dancing around something that could have been fixed with one honest conversation. They both knew it, without having to say so.

"I'm truly sorry, Sigrid. I think I was... unfairly blaming you for things that weren't your fault. I won't do that again. You're like a brother to me." With those words, Stoick wrapped his free arm around Sigrid, pulling him into a fierce embrace. Sigrid was startled for a moment but soon relaxed and hugged back. They had both missed this—the easy comfort of an old friendship.

"By the way, we should make sure Gobber doesn't hear about you calling me 'like a brother'. He might feel quite hurt." Just when the moment was getting too serious, Sigrid lightened the mood with a joke. The joke caught them both off guard, and they burst into laughter. They could finally feel that they had returned to their old relationship.

"Remember what I said. Even a chief can rely on his friends. Don't try to carry everything alone. Talk to me. I'll help you." Sigrid gave Stoick's shoulder a friendly punch and released his embrace. The healing hut began to fill with a light atmosphere rather than heavy air.

"I understand. I'll remember that. I don't know what I'd do without you. I really don't."

They fell back into their old rhythm, talking like the close friends they'd always been. Not the kind of conversation where they shouted over each other, but gentle talk about small daily happenings and everyday life. Hours passed without either of them noticing, caught up in the joy of simply being friends again.

Chapter Text

A week had passed since that conversation with Stoick.

Many things had changed over the past week. The most important change was Stoick's attitude. He no longer tried to solve everything by himself. He had started asking Sigrid for help. He wasn't asking for much help yet, but even this small change was meaningful enough.

However, not all changes were good ones. The dragons had brought new problems to Berk. The dragons were no longer acting violently since humans had stopped attacking them. But they were causing different problems instead. The dragons didn't understand human rules, so they followed their wild instincts. This turned them into a major headache for everyone in Berk. More and more villagers were demanding that the dragons be driven off the island.

"Complaints about the dragons were increasing every day. This is giving me a real headache." Stoick roughly threw off his helmet and slumped into his chair. The stress from the dragon problems was clearly visible.

"Everyone's saying the dragons need to go. We probably need some kind of solution. You know Hiccup will be against it if we kick out all the dragons, right?" Sigrid smiled and offered Stoick a wooden cup. Stoick mindlessly drank it all in one gulp, then nearly spat it out in surprise.

"That was scalding hot! This isn't ale!"

"I know you drink ale every day. At least when you're with me, could you stop drinking for a while?" Sigrid looked at Stoick with a playful smile. Stoick glared at Sigrid once and set the empty wooden cup aside.

"We've got countless problems because of these dragons. Wild dragons keep getting into trouble—causing accidents, scaring livestock, even stealing our food. A blizzard would arrive soon. If this continues, we won't be able to survive the winter."

Stoick looked serious. If this problem wasn't solved, the dragons would inevitably be driven from Berk. Of course, Sigrid could solve this problem in an instant. After the Red Death's death, the dragons listened to Sigrid more than ever. But Sigrid purposely chose not to intervene.

Sigrid saw a possibility. The possibility that Berk could achieve true coexistence with dragons. For this possibility to become reality, they had to solve the problem themselves. He could easily solve it for them, but that would take away their chance to learn and grow. This was something they had to handle on their own.

"Hiccup knows dragons better than anyone. Why don't you ask him?" When Sigrid suggested this, Stoick made an expression that said it was ridiculous.

"Hiccup? He's too young. He doesn't know much about the world yet, and he doesn't know much about Viking matters either. What could he possibly do?"

"I've told you before—stop treating Hiccup like a child. How can you know he can't do it well without even trying? He might surprise you." Sigrid's words gave Stoick pause. With so much work already on his plate, letting Hiccup handle the dragon problem would be a huge relief.

"Fine. I'll give it a try. I'll let him try once, and if he can't do it properly, then I'll have to solve it myself."

"Good. You have to try to know how it'll go. Don't be too certain about things."

So from the next day, Stoick entrusted Hiccup with the dragon problem. Mildew demanded the dragons be banished, but Stoick stood his ground and Mildew finally gave up. At first, Hiccup seemed to have trouble getting the dragons under control. But soon he showed remarkable progress, using dragons to quickly finish fishing and farming. Seeing that Hiccup could handle the dragon problems, Stoick put him in charge of a dragon training academy to deal with the rest.

Sigrid found Hiccup with his friends in the arena. Hiccup's face lit up with happiness over Stoick's approval and the chance to keep Toothless.

"Hiccup, congratulations. A dragon training academy, that's really impressive." When Sigrid's voice reached him, Hiccup turned around with a bright smile.

"Dad said I could handle the dragon problems! And I think I know how to deal with dragons now." Hiccup's eyes were full of confidence and joy. Sigrid felt proud watching him.

"Hiccup, would you help me gather herbs again today? I'm sorry to interrupt when you're with your friends. Toothless makes it easy to reach far-off islands quickly." 

"Of course! I can go right now!" Hiccup said goodbye to his friends and approached him.

"Thank you. Winter is coming soon, so it's good to gather as many herbs as we can while we still have the chance." Hiccup called for Toothless. Toothless bounced over and approached Sigrid.

"Good. Let's go then." Sigrid led Hiccup and Toothless out of the arena.

Hiccup was still excited as they walked through the forest to the cliff above the sea. Getting recognized by Stoick had obviously made his day. Once they reached the cliff, Hiccup smoothly climbed onto Toothless and they took to the sky. This cliff was deep in the forest, surrounded by dense woods where hardly anyone came, so they didn't have to worry about being seen. It was a perfect secluded spot.

When Toothless and Hiccup had flown high enough, Sigrid slowly spread his wings too. He could have ridden on Toothless's back, but Sigrid chose to fly on his own. His flying skills had gotten rusty, and he wanted to sharpen them again. Sigrid had been flying alone in the empty night skies lately. And sometimes he flew with Hiccup like this. With one powerful beat of his wings, Sigrid shot up to Hiccup's level in an instant. Meanwhile, it took Toothless three wingbeats to climb that high.

"That's amazing." Hiccup said, looking at Sigrid from Toothless's back. "I'd love to race you sometime. I'm really curious to see your top speed."

"We can try it someday. I'm not in condition to fly at full speed right now. I'll show you my top speed when I'm in peak condition." Sigrid smiled as he flew alongside Hiccup.

They were heading to a small uninhabited island not far from Berk. Sigrid had discovered it a five days ago while flying with Hiccup. It was so small that neither people nor dragons lived there. Since no one lived there to harvest them, herbs grew abundantly everywhere. The first major blizzard of winter would arrive within weeks. They had to gather as much as possible before that storm arrived.

"There it is!" Hiccup pointed and shouted. The small island floated peacefully on the blue sea.

"Yes, I can see it too." As Sigrid slowly descended, Hiccup descended with him. "Thank you for helping me again today. You must be busy with other things, so I feel bad for dragging you into my work."

"Not at all. I really enjoy flying with you like this. Toothless likes it too." Toothless turned toward Sigrid with a cheerful chirp.

Soon Toothless and Sigrid landed on the island's small beach. Hiccup got off Toothless and stretched.

"I feel great every time I come to this island. It has a different charm than Berk." Hiccup said, taking in the view with a satisfied smile.

"It's hard to get this feeling in Berk. There's something magical about untouched islands." Sigrid was already heading toward where the herbs grew. He pulled a spare bag from his herb pouch and threw it over to Hiccup. Hiccup almost dropped it but caught it properly. "Well, shall we start today's work?"

Hiccup and Sigrid scattered in different directions and began gathering herbs. Toothless lounged nearby, lazily chasing butterflies when they caught his eye.

"Sigrid!" After a while, Hiccup called to him. "Isn't this a herb that's hard to find in Berk? I think this is the right one." When Hiccup showed him the plant in his hand, Sigrid nodded.

"That's right. It's a rare herb in Berk. Perfect timing—I actually needed some."

Hiccup carefully put the herb in his bag with a proud expression. Then he hesitated for a moment and approached Sigrid.

"Sigrid, may I... ask you something?" There was slight tension in Hiccup's voice.

"Of course. What is it?"

"You said before that I should record the Red Death in the Book of Dragons. You told me to record it because it was a species that had never been recorded. So I was thinking..." Hiccup seemed unusually hesitant. Sigrid waited for his words. 

"Could I also record something about you in this book? I wouldn't write it directly in the book, just on other paper that only I would see... Come to think of it, you're also a dragon I'd never seen before—one that's not in this book either. And what you told me before... that there would be hardly any records left about Ancient Dragons. So I want to create that record. What do you think?"

Sigrid looked at Hiccup's serious expression and fell into thought for a moment. He thought about saying no—what if someone else found out? But Hiccup's eyes were full of pure curiosity and an intense desire to learn. It was risky, but it didn't seem bad. Honestly, Sigrid was curious about how Hiccup would write about him. When he'd looked through the Book of Dragons before, the accuracy had impressed him. Writing about his kind in this way could awaken memories he'd thought were lost forever. And Sigrid wanted his species to be remembered, not forgotten in the passage of time. Even after he was gone, he hoped someone would remember that his kind had once existed.

"Well... I think that would be fine. But it stays between us, got it?" When Sigrid answered with a smile, Hiccup's face lit up brightly.

"Really? Wow, thank you! I promise I'll do a really good job!" Hiccup paused and looked around. Toothless was still playing in the distance. Hiccup seemed to have something more he wanted to say.

"Could I... see your complete dragon form? Actually, I'm writing a record about Night Furies by observing Toothless right now. You know what that book's like—full body drawings of dragons with all the specific details. I've only seen parts of you as a dragon—never your complete form. I want to see that and draw it accurately."

Sigrid's expression became a little darker. He thought about how large his true form was. It was certainly bigger than the Red Death. It might be as big as the island where the Red Death had lived. Maybe even bigger. Even when he lived alone, he hadn't stayed in his complete dragon form because of his enormous size. He'd partially shifted into human form to maintain a smaller size. If he shifted here right now, Hiccup and Toothless could be in danger.

"Sorry, Hiccup. That might be... dangerous."

"Dangerous? How would it be dangerous?"

"My dragon form is much bigger than the Red Death. I could accidentally injure you or Toothless, and this island is too small. I don't want to see you get crushed under my foot." Sigrid felt sorry seeing Hiccup's disappointed expression. It seemed better to give him hope rather than saying there was no chance at all. "But later, when there's an opportunity... I could show you in a safe place. Someday."

Hiccup nodded in understanding, despite his disappointment. "I understand. Safety is most important. Someday will be perfect—I can wait."

"Thank you, Hiccup. For understanding." Sigrid put his hand on Hiccup's shoulder and gave him a warm smile. "If you have any questions while writing that record, ask me anytime. I'll answer whenever you want."

"Really? That's more than enough to make me happy!" Hiccup's voice brightened up again. "Actually, I hesitated a bit. Even though you're a dragon, somehow... I thought you might feel bad if I said I wanted to record you in that book. It seemed like I'd be looking at you as a dragon first, not as... you know, you."

Sigrid understood what Hiccup meant. But to him, this wasn't a big deal at all. He actually was a dragon, not a human.

"Ah, I understand what you mean. But Hiccup, I'm a dragon, not a human. That fact doesn't change. I'm definitely a dragon. Besides, I'm really interested to see what you'll say about me. So feel free to do what you want. I'll be looking forward to it." When he finished speaking, Hiccup nodded happily.

The two of them continued talking constantly while gathering herbs. Hiccup seemed to want to completely finish recording the Red Death, as he kept asking Sigrid about the Red Death. Toothless also occasionally came to them, showing interest and joining in.

When the sun began to set, they started returning to Berk with baskets full of herbs. The air was cold, as if winter was gradually approaching. Sigrid fastened his cloak. Berk's winters seemed to get colder every year.

"I'll find some time to sketch you properly someday. You'll help me out, right?" Hiccup turned his head toward Sigrid while riding Toothless. Sigrid nodded in response.

Back at the cliff where they'd taken off, Sigrid tucked his wings away. Hiccup stared in amazement as the massive wings vanished in the blink of an eye.

"How do you do that exactly? I really don't understand how they disappear." Sigrid and Hiccup began walking slowly toward the village. The forest was completely dark, but Hiccup knew that as long as he stayed next to Sigrid, he wouldn't stumble or get lost.

"Well, it's just something my kind can do. I don't really know how it works either. I just do it because I can. Do you consciously think about walking or breathing? It's like that." Hiccup became quiet. He seemed to be thinking about something, so Sigrid didn't say more. Soon the village lights began to appear, and Sigrid asked Hiccup the question he'd been curious about.

"You seem to have many problems to solve. Living with dragons isn't easy. Don't you regret it?" At Sigrid's question, Hiccup thought for a moment. After a few minutes, Hiccup began speaking carefully.

"It's definitely not easy. Dragons don't listen, and people get angry if I don't solve problems quickly. Sometimes it drives me crazy. But I don't regret it. Dragons are truly amazing creatures. With dragons, we could do so much more. It's hard right now, but I believe it will get better and better. I'm certain of that."

Sigrid was deeply moved by Hiccup's words. Hiccup was still young and could have regretted working with dragons, but he didn't. It truly felt like Hiccup could bring Sigrid's long-held dream to life. A world where dragons and humans truly coexisted. A peaceful world where they no longer killed each other.

From now on, Sigrid would respect Hiccup's decisions, no matter what. He would stay out of it for the most part. Only when there was absolutely no other choice.

Chapter Text

A few weeks later, the wind patterns suddenly changed. The wind began blowing from the north, and the air grew sharply colder. Each dawn brought a thicker fog. The forest grew quiet as the wild animals disappeared and leaves fell more heavily each day. These were signs that winter storms would arrive earlier than last year. Sigrid pulled out a thicker cloak than the one he usually wore. The time had come to put it on.

He was crossing the plaza to tell Stoick the news when he encountered Gothi. She was Berk's oldest shaman, and she had a peculiar way of staring at him that made Sigrid quite uncomfortable. Gothi looked at him silently before nodding in greeting.

"Hello, Gothi. Good morning." When Sigrid offered his usual greeting, Gothi responded with a wordless smile. This was always the most awkward moment for Sigrid. Despite thirty years of encounters with Gothi, the awkwardness remained unchanged. After a moment's thought, he decided to warn her about the approaching storm and early winter.

"This winter seems like it will start early. You might already know, but the wind patterns are unusual. Please be careful." Gothi listened to Sigrid's words, paused thoughtfully for a moment, then nodded. She then walked past Sigrid in the opposite direction. Sigrid let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. Conversations with Gothi were always tense.

Stoick was probably at the mountain barn. Lately, the livestock had been terrified of the dragons and weren't producing anything. As a result, Stoick was trying to fix the problem. On his way up the mountain, Sigrid heard Bucket's faint screaming. Bucket's predictions were accurate again this year. A few years back, Bucket had suffered a severe head injury that Sigrid treated. His intelligence never fully returned after the accident. However, he'd somehow gained the ability to predict storms. Everyone else thought it was nonsense, but Sigrid had his own weather sense and knew Bucket was almost always right.

When he reached the barn, he found Stoick getting ready to head somewhere else. Stoick looked at Sigrid with surprise, not expecting him there.

"Well, this is a surprise. What brings you up here?"

Sigrid looked up at him.

"Nothing's wrong with the barn. I was looking for you, actually. I need to tell you something."

"Really? What's up? You wouldn't come all this way unless it was serious," Stoick said. Bucket and Mulch focused their attention on Sigrid.

"A storm is coming. Sooner than expected. We need to prepare for winter." The moment Sigrid finished, Bucket and Mulch shot Stoick knowing looks that clearly said 'we told you so.' Stoick looked shocked that even Sigrid was telling him this.

"Bucket just said the same thing. That's why I was heading to Gothi to confirm if it's real. How does everyone else seem to know about the weather while I'm completely in the dark?" He looked genuinely frustrated. Clearly, he had just finished arguing about the storm with Bucket and Mulch.

"If you can't believe it, why don't we visit Gothi? You can trust her," Sigrid suggested.

Eventually, Stoick headed to Gothi's house with Sigrid. Since Bucket and Mulch remained at the barn, the two of them went alone. Gothi's house was already prepared for the storm. Windows boarded up with planks, sandbags piled high. The preparations were unmistakable—Stoick had to admit the storm would arrive early.

"Gothi, how do you know the storm's coming early? Got some special way of reading the signs?" Gothi then pointed her staff at Sigrid. This was an action that needed no words to understand.

As they left Gothi's house, Stoick appeared deep in thought. The storm was arriving sooner than expected, and once it hit, no one would be able to leave the Great Hall until it passed. They needed more preparation to endure that time, but now time was running short.

"How many days do you think we have before the storm arrives?"

"Two days. Three at most," Sigrid replied. Stoick's sigh deepened at Sigrid's answer.

"What's the most important problem right now?" Sigrid asked. "Let's start with that. If we take things one at a time, we should be able to handle everything before the storm arrives."

"The livestock problem. The animals aren't producing anything because they're terrified of the dragons. No milk or eggs at all. And recently, dragons stole our food stores, so we're running low on supplies too. They're both critical, and we need to deal with them together."

Sigrid thought for a moment. Both problems would be too much for Stoick to handle alone, so maybe they should give Hiccup another chance, like before. Since Hiccup had solved the previous problem, Sigrid believed he could handle this one too.

"I think I can help solve the food problem. How about having Hiccup deal with the livestock issue? He might know how to prevent dragons from frightening the animals."

Stoick clearly wasn't happy with the idea, but realized this was the only option. He seemed to think that even if Hiccup failed, they could somehow manage to solve it anyway.

"I'll talk to Hiccup about it. But I'm not sure about this time. That boy knows dragons well, but he doesn't know much about other animals."

"Let's just give him a try. Kids get better by trying things out," Sigrid said. 

After Sigrid's convincing words, Stoick agreed. After telling the passing twins to bring Hiccup home, Stoick left for his house.

Now that he'd promised to help Stoick, Sigrid needed to find a dragon to assist. He'd seen Hiccup use dragons to herd the fish together several times before. Since Sigrid couldn't do this himself, he needed another dragon's help. The teens' dragons would be busy, so one or two wild dragons should be enough.

Sigrid went near the smokehouse where wild dragons often gathered. They were always drawn by the smell of smoked fish. The eel barrier Hiccup suggested had stopped the stealing, though dragons still gathered just for the smell.

Fortunately, no one was inside the smokehouse. With no people nearby either, he could be comfortable without worrying about being watched. As soon as Sigrid approached, the dragons crouched down and began purring affectionately. Sigrid stroked the nearest Nadder's head as he spoke to the group.

"I need help. I'd like one of you to herd fish together in one place. Once you're done helping me, I can let you eat as many fish as you want. Any dragons willing to help?"

As soon as Sigrid finished speaking, all the dragons rushed toward him. It wasn't about the fish—they genuinely seemed excited to help him. It was rare for an Ancient Dragon to ask for help. Since all the dragons rushing forward created quite a chaotic and noisy scene, Sigrid quickly calmed them down before anyone noticed. He eventually selected only two Nadders that could chase fish most quickly. The other dragons were either too large, too slow, or too small. After gently explaining to the disappointed dragons, he headed to the docks with the two wild Nadders.

"Stoick will be quite surprised. He'd never expect you two to be there." When Sigrid chuckled, both Nadders turned to look at him at the same time. Though they didn't seem to understand, they made sounds as if trying to laugh along.

They arrived at the docks just as the fishermen were returning from sea. Due to the approaching storm, the fish had already moved far out to sea and were hard to catch. The sight of wild Nadders on the dock made the fishermen freeze, until they noticed Sigrid standing beside them—then they relaxed and came ashore.

"Well, look at that—you've got yourself some dragons!" Laughing in that loud, cheerful way Vikings had, the fishermen hauled their nets onto their shoulders. Wild dragons were frightening creatures, but if Sigrid was comfortable around these two, they must be safe. Sigrid smiled and greeted them without saying anything. As the fishermen's laughter faded into the distance, Sigrid sat beside the Nadders to wait for Stoick.

"You know, winter's almost here. Maybe it's time for a trip south where it's nice and warm. Dragons hate the cold, and honestly, so do I."

While sitting on the empty dock chatting with the Nadders (though it was more like talking to himself), he heard Stoick approaching. Sigrid stood up, brushed the dust off his cloak, and turned toward where Stoick was coming from. As expected, Stoick looked surprised to see two wild Nadders there.

"What are these wild dragons doing here? Didn't you say they'd help with fishing?"

"I saw Hiccup use dragons to catch lots of fish at once before. Since I can't borrow the other teens dragons, I brought wild ones. Don't worry about them, they're gentle as lambs. They won't eat the fish on their own. Just give them a few fish when the work is done." Even while Sigrid was explaining to Stoick, the Nadders kept nuzzling their heads against him, asking to be petted.

"I don't know how you did it, but food comes first. The storm's coming, so we'd better hurry."

Stoick pushed the fishing boat into the water and set off. The Nadders flew slowly above the boat, following them. Stoick watched the Nadders warily at first, but when they stayed calm, he focused on steering. Soon they reached deeper waters teeming with fish. The schools here hadn't migrated yet.

"This is all on you now. I still don't know much about dragons. Those creatures won't listen to my commands."

When Stoick lowered the large net, Sigrid signaled to the Nadders. The Nadders flew close to the water's surface, herding the fish, and many fish were caught in the net at once. After repeating this process several times, they soon filled the boat with fish.

"This should be enough, right? I think we can head back." At Sigrid's words, Stoick hauled in the net. They'd definitely caught far more fish,  and much more quickly than if they'd been fishing alone.

The return went smoothly. Calm Nadders and a boat loaded with fish. When they returned to their starting dock, Stoick gathered people to help unload the fish. Sigrid gathered fish for the Nadders in a separate bucket and stepped off the boat. In a corner of the dock, the two Nadders waited patiently for Sigrid to return.

"Good job. Can I ask for your help again tomorrow?" When he poured the fish onto the ground, both Nadders chirped excitedly and nuzzled their heads against Sigrid's in gratitude. The process of catching fish together seemed quite enjoyable for them.

Many people gathered to move all the fish from the boat, and Stoick pulled the boat onto land. The sun was nearly setting.

"Come to think of it, I haven't asked about Hiccup. Did he agree to do it?" 

"Yes, he agreed. He's probably trying something with his friends in the arena right now." Soon after pulling the boat completely ashore, Stoick brushed rope fibers from his hands. "Can I ask you to do this work tomorrow too? I know we have three days at most, but storms build gradually, don't they? As the weather worsens each day, we'll reach a point where it's too dangerous to put boats in the water. If we want to gather food, tomorrow is our only chance."

"Of course. Those dragons will come again tomorrow too." At Sigrid's words, Stoick glanced at a corner of the dock. The two Nadders were happily eating fish.

"It's amazing every time I see it. Dragons being so gentle."

"That's understandable. You've only ever seen aggressive dragons your entire life. Maybe it's time to get used to this."

They walked to the plaza with such casual conversation. They went their separate ways with a simple farewell, planning to meet at the dock the next day.

The next day brought more of the same. They spent all day fishing with dragons and returned late in the evening. Thanks to the dragons, the food problem seemed somewhat resolved. However, the livestock problem remained unsolved.

"It looks like Hiccup isn't going to be able to solve the livestock problem. The animals could freeze to death, but we'll have to move them all to the mountain barn." Stoick sighed as he spoke. The livestock still feared the dragons and produced nothing.

Sigrid looked up at the sky. Thick clouds hung heavily, and it looked like snow would fall by nightfall. Sigrid would have loved to clear those clouds and delay the storm, but he didn't have that kind of power. There had been an Ancient Dragon among those alive long ago who could change weather... but it was so long ago he couldn't even remember who it was.

"We still have one day left. Let's wait until the end, and if it doesn't work out, we'll do that."

Walking through the plaza with Stoick, he slowly looked around. Windows boarded with planks and an empty plaza. By tomorrow, all the house doors would be boarded up too. In the cold wind that blew, Sigrid gripped his cloak more tightly. The cold was really unwelcome.

"You've always been sensitive to cold. I don't know how you've lived in Berk for thirty years. Berk is mostly winter, isn't it?" Stoick teased, watching Sigrid clutch his cloak tightly. Everyone in Berk knew about Sigrid's sensitivity to cold and his habit of always wearing a cloak.

"Somehow I made it through. We'd all pile into the Great Hall during the brutal cold spells, remember? Put enough of those together and before you know it, three decades have passed." At Sigrid's words, both of them laughed this time.

"By tomorrow night, everyone needs to be in the Great Hall. Make sure you've got everything packed before. Got it?"

Once Stoick left, the biting cold began to freeze Sigrid's fingertips, sending him hurrying to the warmth of the healing hut.

The morning the storm finally arrived, howling winds and menacing clouds engulfed Berk from dawn. Realizing how serious the situation was, Stoick hurried people toward the Great Hall. Sigrid grabbed his stuff and headed to the Great Hall with everyone else.

After placing his stuff in a corner of the Great Hall, Sigrid looked around. Gobber and the kids were nowhere to be seen.

"Hey, Stoick! I don't see Gobber and the kids. Where are they?" Sigrid called out to Stoick, who was busy directing the people.

"Gobber went to get the kids! He'll put the animals in the barn and come back with them!"

Snow had already started falling outside. Seeing the snow fall faster and the wind grow stronger, this storm felt particularly severe. As cold wind gusted into the Great Hall, they decided to shut the doors for now and open them again when Gobber and the kids returned.

The wind was so strong it could blow open even the Great Hall's large doors. An hour had passed since the doors closed, but Gobber still hadn't arrived with the kids. In this worrying situation, Sigrid rose from his place by the hearth and approached Stoick. Stoick waited near the door for Gobber to arrive. Suddenly, the doors burst open with a bang. Gobber had arrived, but without the kids. The barn had collapsed, and the animals had fled in terror of the dragons, with the kids chasing after them.

As soon as Stoick heard what Gobber had to say, he headed for the door. He intended to bring the kids back. Worried about sending Stoick into the blizzard alone, Sigrid moved to his side.

"Stoick, I'll come with you. I'll help find the kids too."

"You? It's a full blizzard out there right now. You don't handle cold well, and you might get in danger too. Just wait here." Stoick clearly had no intention of letting Sigrid come with him. Expecting this reaction, he suggested his best reasoning.

"Those kids are riding dragons right now. It would take forever to chase after dragons. It's more dangerous too. I know dragons well, so I can figure out where they went more quickly. It won't take that long." Sigrid's words made Stoick pause for a moment. Outside was indeed a blizzard with zero visibility, and since dragons could fly, tracking them without footprints would be nearly impossible.

"Alright. But stay close to me. Things could get dangerous out there," he warned. Sigrid nodded. The two soon stepped out into the snowstorm.

The outside was much colder than expected. Against the freezing wind, Sigrid pulled his cloak tighter around himself. He kept moving forward, watching Stoick's back ahead of him. He strained all his senses, hoping to hear sounds from Hiccup or the kids in the distance. Though the wind was too strong to hear properly, he could faintly detect plasma blast sounds and kids shouting.

"Stoick, keep going straight ahead. I think they're in that direction."

Stoick seemed to want to ask how he could be so certain, but walked forward in silence. Finding them in this blizzard came first; questions could come later.

Sigrid's body temperature was dropping rapidly. At this rate, he would completely freeze and become unable to move, so Sigrid discreetly cupped his hands and created lightning within them. It was just a small flash, but it was warm. Since Stoick was ahead, he didn't notice, and the wind provided cover, making things easier. After repeating this several times, he found himself very close to where the kids were. Looking up, he could see Barf and Belch, the twins' dragon. Sigrid called to the dragon to look this way.

"What's the matter? We should be going forward, not looking back!" The confused voices of the twins could be heard. Barf and Belch ignored the twins' words and landed on the ground. Thanks to this, the twins could discover Stoick and Sigrid.

"Sigrid? What are you doing here? Why aren't you in the Great Hall?" When Ruffnut saw Sigrid, she got off her dragon. Her face was filled with worry.

"You guys weren't coming back. I was worried, so I came looking for you all. Why didn't you return?"

"All the animals ran away. We were trying to catch them." Tuffnut answered. In the distance, Stoick was scolding Hiccup. Anyway, now that they'd found all the kids, they had to return. Sigrid turned around to figure out the direction back to the Great Hall. However, the snowstorm had grown even fiercer, making it impossible to see any direction.

"Stoick, we're in trouble. I can't get any sense of direction to the Great Hall."

The kids began shivering from the cold. The dragons also seemed freezing, huddling close to the ground. Realizing that moving in these conditions would be too dangerous, Stoick called the kids together.

"Everyone, come together." When the kids gathered close, Stoick tried to huddle them from the outside to keep them warm.

Sigrid also positioned himself outside the group, trying to keep the kids as warm as possible. However, his own body temperature had dropped too low to be very effective. As his body temperature dropped, drowsiness began to set in. Seeing Sigrid swaying unsteadily,  Stoick placed his hand over Sigrid's, which was resting on Fishlegs' shoulder. Stoick looked alarmed when he felt how completely cold Sigrid's hand was.

"Are you alright? You look really bad." 

Sigrid responded to Stoick's words a moment too late.

"Ah, I'm... I'm fine. Just cold. That's all." He claimed to be fine, but obviously wasn't—everyone could see it. Even in the dim light, his face under the hood was pale as snow.

As everyone worried, Toothless rose from where he'd been lying low to avoid the wind. One by one, the other dragons rose and approached the kids, extending their wings to create a windbreak. When the dragons gathered in a circle and spread their wings, the wind was blocked and it felt less cold. Stoick looked surprised at this sight.

"What are they doing?"

"They're protecting us."

"It's their natural instinct." Hiccup and Astrid said.

Soon they breathed fire and lava around them to create warmth. As his frozen body began to thaw, Sigrid's consciousness gradually returned. Just moments before, he had been half-asleep. As the pallor faded from Sigrid's face, everyone felt relieved. Soon Toothless called the livestock that had been scattered far away, making it even warmer. As the surrounding snow melted from the heat, patches of bare ground became visible. The kids sat on the exposed ground, leaning against sheep or dragons as they began to fall asleep.

"You look much better now. I really thought something terrible was going to happen back there." Watching over the sleeping kids, Stoick spoke in hushed tones to avoid waking them.

"Sorry for worrying you. But thanks to me, you found them much faster, right? Without me, you would have wandered around in the snow alone and turned into a block of ice," Sigrid said with a grin.

"That's true, but we wouldn't have been in that situation in the first place. Do you realize you looked like a corpse? You were even nodding off while standing! If you had collapsed, the kids would have panicked and it would have been complete chaos."

"You're right. I didn't realize how bad off I was. Next time I'll let you know before it gets that serious."

At some point, the wind died down and the snow stopped. The dawn snowstorm had passed and it seemed time for the sun to rise. Storms were always worst at night and calmed during the day. Without wind and snow, the direction to the Great Hall would be clearly visible.

"It finally stopped. We should wake the kids." When Sigrid spoke, Stoick stood up, brushing snow from his helmet and shoulders. Then he held out his hand to Sigrid.

"You should stay by the fire for a while. You don't look like you have the strength to stand up."

"I'm not a newborn lamb. I have enough strength to stand up." Though he said this, his legs truly had no strength, so Sigrid took Stoick's hand and stood up. Meanwhile, the sun rose higher and the kids began to wake one by one in the sunlight.

"Hiccup, the animals no longer fear the dragons. You've succeeded after all." At Sigrid's words, Hiccup looked very happy. It was time to return.

On the way back, he rode on Toothless's back. Riding a dragon was faster. Even on the return, staying awake was very difficult. Once they got back to the Great Hall, he'd definitely need sleep. The cold and sleep deprivation had drained him completely. But at least the kids were safe.

When they safely arrived at the Great Hall, Sigrid quickly settled against the spot closest to the hearth. He surrendered to the overwhelming drowsiness and fell into an extremely deep sleep.

Chapter Text

The long and harsh winter was finally coming to an end. Ever since the blizzard incident, Sigrid hadn't been allowed to set foot outside the Great Hall while it was snowing. Despite complaints that this was an overreaction, Stoick refused to change his mind. So Sigrid spent his time in the Great Hall, tending to patients and caring for young children.

After two months of continuous snowfall, it finally stopped. He'd only been allowed outside during clear mornings, but with the snow finally gone, no one could stop him. For the first time in ages, Sigrid felt truly free. He stretched and gazed up at the sky. For two months, he had been trapped in the Great Hall, unable to fly. It felt like his flying skills had grown rusty.

"The storm's over, right? I'm so glad we can finally get out of the Great Hall. It was so suffocating in there."

Hiccup emerged from the Great Hall, stretching just as Sigrid had. Toothless was behind him. Two months without flying—he had to be going out of his mind. Now that the long blizzard was finally over, he seemed excited at the thought of being able to fly again.

"Yes. The storms won't come anymore. It's just cold winter now."

"Well, that's fine. The best thing is that we can finally go home."

Hiccup and Sigrid walked down the stairs to the plaza, chatting as they went. The blizzard had been particularly long and harsh, leaving the surrounding landscape completely white. It would take time to clear all this snow.

"Hiccup, clear the snow around your house. I'll come get you after I finish clearing the snow at the healing hut. How about we take a little flight? I feel like my skills have gotten rusty from being cooped up for so long."

Hiccup's eyes widened at Sigrid's words. However, Toothless seemed even more excited. Upon hearing Sigrid's words, he jumped up and nearly slipped on the ice. Hiccup burst out laughing at Toothless, who promptly whacked him with his tail.

"Sounds great! I'll be waiting. I've been waiting for this forever!"

With those words, Hiccup quickly disappeared. He hadn't chosen to run off—an overexcited Toothless had simply scooped him up and taken off. Hiccup's screams for him to stop quickly faded into the distance. Sigrid chuckled softly and headed toward the healing hut.

The healing hut, which he hadn't seen in so long, was completely buried in snow. Although he had occasionally gone out to sweep snow off the roof during brief breaks in the storm, it clearly hadn't been enough. The hut was so buried in snow that he couldn't even tell where the door was.

"Oh god... how am I ever going to clear all this?" Sigrid roughly brushed away snow where he thought the door might be. After repeatedly clearing away the snow, he could see a door blocked by wooden planks.

After clearing almost all the snow with his bare hands, Sigrid gripped the wooden planks with both hands. Anyone else would need a hammer for this job, but not Sigrid. He exerted some force and tore the planks away. One by one, the planks disappeared, and soon the entire door was revealed. As he pushed open the door and entered, clouds of dust billowed up around him. There was a lot of dust but no snow, which was fortunate.

He pulled a glove from a box under the bed and slipped it on. He needed to keep his hands from going numb in the cold. Taking a broom from the corner, he began clearing snow from the roof and front yard. After half an hour of non-stop sweeping, the hut and yard were back in decent shape. Sigrid pulled off his left glove and brushed back his disheveled hair. He hadn't cut his hair in ages, and it now hung well past his shoulder blades.

After leaning the broom against the fence in front of the healing hut, he headed toward Hiccup's house. If he made them wait too long, Toothless would probably lose patience and drag Hiccup over. The plaza was beginning to overflow with people again. Everyone seemed busy sweeping away snow. As he walked, Sigrid nodded and waved to the villagers he met along the way, until finally Hiccup's house appeared ahead.

He could see the house in the distance. Toothless was sweeping the yard's snow by swishing his tail left and right. Toothless didn't like the cold either, but he was sweeping snow with his whole body. Clearly, he was desperate to fly again.

"Hiccup! Have you finished clearing the snow?" When Sigrid called out, Toothless bounded over. Hiccup had a broom in his left hand.

"Almost done! I think this is good enough. Can we go now?"

Looking around at Hiccup's words, Sigrid could see the reasonably cleared surroundings. It wasn't completely clean, and some snow remained here and there. Still, this could be considered cleared.

"Yes, that looks fine. Where's your father? I didn't see him in the plaza earlier."

"Dad went to the docks with Gobber. He said he needed to check the ships or something like that."

Hiccup answered while leaning the broom against the side of the house and preparing to leave. His prosthetic leg suddenly slipped on some leftover snow, nearly sending him tumbling. Fortunately, Sigrid caught him before he fell completely. Hiccup gave an embarrassed smile.

"Thanks. Shall we go now? The usual cliff, right?"

"Yes. That cliff is the best. It's close too."

At Sigrid's signal to go, Toothless bounded ahead. The snow-muffled forest was peaceful until Toothless burst through, his heavy steps crushing twigs and branches. Soon they arrived at the cliff, and Hiccup quickly sat in Toothless's saddle. The moment Hiccup's feet found the stirrups, Toothless leaped off the cliff. With powerful wing beats, Toothless and Hiccup soared rapidly into the sky.

Free at last to fly again, Hiccup and Toothless twisted and dove through the air in elaborate stunts. Watching them, Sigrid also carefully took to the air. As he spread his wings and leaped from the cliff, familiar sensations he'd missed for months rushed through him. Cold wind filled his wings, and the weightless feeling of flight brought him back to life. Sigrid's heart began to beat violently. With powerful wing beats, he climbed higher, breaking through the cloud layer. The moment he broke through the white cloud layer, a completely different world opened up before him. Above an endless sea of cotton-like clouds stretched a deep blue sky. Brilliant sunlight turned the cloud surfaces to silver.

Sigrid took a deep, long breath. The cold, pure air filled his lungs and made him feel completely alive. It had been two months since he'd felt such freedom. Sigrid had been waiting for this moment.

Soon Toothless and Hiccup also came up above the clouds. Seeing Sigrid, who had arrived first, Hiccup shouted.

"How about a race? See that huge cloud? First one there wins!" Hiccup's voice was full of excitement.

This was Sigrid's first flight in months as well, and his joy was impossible to hide. He had to accept Hiccup's challenge.

"You're on. Let's find out who's faster—Toothless or me."

After Hiccup flew up beside Sigrid, he gave a signal. When the starting signal came, Sigrid flapped his wings once powerfully. He flew several meters in an instant. It wasn't so much flying as being shot forward like a catapult stone. Toothless and Hiccup immediately gave chase, refusing to fall behind. When they got close to Sigrid, he gave his wings another powerful stroke. This time something was different. Instead of flying with his wings spread, he pressed his wings close to his body. By tucking his wings close to his body, he shot forward much faster than before. In the end, Sigrid reached the finish line first.

"Whoa, how did you do that? You weren't even flapping your wings—how were you flying?"

Hiccup fired off question after question in his excitement. Sigrid was slightly winded from his first serious flight in months, but he quickly caught his breath, smoothed down his messy hair, and replied.

"Rather than flying, I was just falling. If I'd kept that up much longer, I would have crashed. But right before you crash, your speed peaks because there's less wind resistance."

At Sigrid's answer, Hiccup looked almost shocked. Soon he caught Toothless's eye and tried to mimic exactly what Sigrid had done. The first several tries didn't generate enough speed—they simply dropped like stones. After Sigrid gave some advice several times, they were quickly able to mimic it exactly. Despite only being able to use it for short bursts, Hiccup and Toothless were excited about their new speed technique.

They flew for nearly an hour before finally landing on a small sea stack in the middle of the ocean. After all that energetic flying, Toothless looked exhausted and immediately collapsed onto the rocky ground. Sigrid also sat on the ground and was about to fold his wings.

"Sigrid, wait a moment. Could you show me your wings a little more? I want to draw them." Hiccup took out a notebook and a piece of charcoal from his pocket. It seemed he was going to make the record he had mentioned before.

"Sure, take a look if you want. Is it okay if I spread them out like this?"

Sigrid spread his right wing fully so Hiccup could observe better. Without saying anything, Hiccup began drawing the wing in his notebook. Sigrid looked at the distant horizon and waited for Hiccup to finish his drawing.

"Thanks! Now could you fold it once? I want to draw that too." Sigrid folded his wing, but it was so long that the tip dragged on the ground. Sigrid stood up and turned his back to Hiccup. This way, Hiccup would be able to see clearly how the wing folded.

"Now that I think about it... you hate the cold. Is that an Ancient Dragon thing, or just something specific to you?"

"It's probably just me. I wasn't always this sensitive to cold either. I disliked it, but not to this extent. It's because I'm in human form. The human body is so fragile that it gets cold quickly, even with brief exposure."

"Could your kind also shift into humans? Did they look similar to you?"

Sigrid thought for a moment. What was it like before? The memory was too faint to recall clearly. He had the feeling something was there, but the memory wouldn't come to him right away. While searching through his memories, a memory suddenly came to mind. One of his own kind who had remained by his side until the very end. That was the last time he'd ever see another Ancient Dragon.

"They could shift too. I once lived with an Ancient Dragon—we were both in human form."

At Sigrid's answer, Hiccup made an interested sound. Soon he said he had finished drawing and that it was okay to sit down, so Sigrid sat down facing Hiccup. His unwieldy wings folded away completely, vanishing from view.

"Who was that dragon? Can you tell me about them?"

"Could you give me a moment? I need to think back—I can't remember right now. Is there anything else you'd like to sketch while I try to recall?"

"Then your leg. I saw it before, and it looked a bit different from Toothless's."

At Hiccup's request, Sigrid took off his right boot and shifted his right leg. Soon a dragon's leg covered in sleek black scales was revealed. It wasn't the complete form, but sized to match his human leg. After Hiccup observed for a moment, he began drawing in his notebook again. In the meantime, Sigrid recalled past events.

There was almost nothing he could remember about the dragon who had been with him until the end. All he could remember was sitting on a cliff on some island with that dragon, watching the sunset. When he turned his head to the side, she was there... Ah. At a suddenly surfacing fragment of memory, Sigrid raised his head. Not everything, but a memory had come back.

"That dragon's name was Freya. She was truly beautiful. She was the last Ancient Dragon I ever knew."

Freya. He couldn't believe he had forgotten her name until now. Once he recalled the memory, other fragments began to surface slowly. Sigrid had been a very young dragon back then. Unlike now, he had disliked humans. His kind were dying then—using too much power, breaking their oath, all because of humans. Back then, he really couldn't understand it. Why sacrifice themselves for creatures that lived only a few decades?

"Freya. That's a pretty name. Was she like you? Did she have lightning powers too?" Hiccup asked.

"No. She could control the sea. She could make waves calm or raise them high."

Sigrid remembered making childish demands of Freya, who had stayed with him until the end. He remembered sitting together on a cliff at sunset, having some conversation. Back then, Sigrid had asked Freya to stay with him. If Freya died as well, Sigrid would be utterly alone—the last of his kind. He couldn't remember what answer Freya had given then. He just hadn't thought she would grant Sigrid's request. Freya had sacrificed her life to save a human city from devastating tidal waves. Only that fact remained in his memory.

"Wow, that's amazing. Could I possibly meet her? Is she traveling somewhere in the world, or maybe living among humans like you? Since you said you lived alone, maybe even you don't know where she is?"

At Hiccup's question, Sigrid hesitated for a moment. But it felt right to answer this honestly.

"Well... actually, I'm the only Ancient Dragon left in this world. You can't find other Ancient Dragons anymore. I'm the last one."

At Sigrid's words, Hiccup put down his piece of charcoal and looked at Sigrid. He must have believed they were still alive since Sigrid had been so unclear when talking about them.

"Wait, why? Didn't you say Ancient Dragons live for thousands of years? You said you've lived for over a thousand years too. Why did they all..." Hiccup trailed off.

Sigrid wondered how to answer this question. Should he deflect the question? Or should he tell the truth? But looking at Hiccup's expression, avoiding the question wasn't going to work. He would probably keep asking until he was satisfied. Finally, Sigrid decided to tell him the truth.

"We Ancient Dragons are extremely powerful, and we live for thousands of years. Those two things together meant trouble whenever we got too mixed up in human or dragon business. So we made an oath as a species to avoid those problems—we could watch what happened, but the moment we interfered, there would be consequences." 

Sigrid's words caught Hiccup's full attention. Even Toothless, who had been sprawled on the rocky surface, perked up and fixed his gaze on them.

"That oath is bound to our hearts. The more severely you break the oath, the harsher the consequences become. The worst consequence is death. Because of this oath, I'm the only one left in this world." Hiccup looked extremely shocked. It seemed difficult for him to understand right now.

"They did that even knowing that breaking the oath meant death? That's not an oath—that's a curse, isn't it?"

"It must have been something important enough to risk breaking the oath. They all... loved humans too much. Whether it's an oath or a curse, I honestly don't know. I only heard about it secondhand. I have no idea which dragon originally created the oath." At Sigrid's answer, Hiccup was silent for a long time.

"What counts as interference? You helped me before. Does that mean that wasn't allowed either?" Anxiety showed in Hiccup's voice. He seemed worried that his request might have nearly killed Sigrid.

"What you asked me before was fine. You don't need to worry." Sigrid lied. There was no need to frighten Hiccup unnecessarily. "I would have refused requests that weren't allowed. I can choose for myself, so don't worry."

Hiccup looked relieved, but having just learned about the oath, he also seemed very confused. As he listened, Hiccup was scribbling notes in his book—this story would likely become part of his records too.

"Sigrid, you know... would it be okay to write about the oath too? It seems like a very difficult matter." Hiccup asked carefully.

"Of course. It's fine. Since that oath concerns our species, it would be helpful if you could write it as accurately and thoroughly as possible."

When Sigrid gave permission, Hiccup immediately began scribbling something more in his notebook. While waiting for Hiccup to finish writing, Sigrid looked again at the distant horizon. This sea was a vivid blue—nothing like the orange-burning waters he remembered.

Thanks to Hiccup, he had been able to recall memories he had forgotten long ago. As time passed, events from the past were gradually forgotten and faded to gray. Sigrid had once been terrified of his failing memory, unable to recall what he'd lost. Now, even the memory of that fear had vanished. Sigrid lived only in the present, his past memories having faded away. However, his mind felt peaceful for a moment, comforted by the long-forgotten memory he had finally recalled. If he could remember something that old, his memory was probably fine.

Feeling grateful to Hiccup once more, Sigrid turned his gaze to the distant sea.

Chapter Text

The dragons suddenly started causing trouble.

Hookfang had destroyed Mildew's roof. Mildew exploded through the healing hut door, his fury spilling over into an endless stream of complaints. Through his ranting, Sigrid learned this was the second time his roof had been destroyed.

"We must banish every dragon from Berk! Can you believe how often this happens? TWICE! It's happened twice!"

Mildew shrieked, bouncing up and down like an agitated dragon. Sigrid quietly smiled and gave him a cup of warm tea. Only after accepting the tea could Mildew finally calm down.

"Mildew, they're still teenagers. They're bound to make a few mistakes."

"Nonsense! This isn't a problem with the kids—it's a dragon problem! My house would be fine if it weren't for dragons!"

"Didn't your house get damaged often even when there were no dragons? Nine times out of ten, it was the twins and their pranks."

At Sigrid's words, Mildew fell silent for a moment. With or without dragons, Mildew's house had always been in chaos. The grumpiest old man in Berk was bound to be a target for pranksters. However, Mildew quickly resumed his complaints.

"No! They all must leave! I won't rest until every dragon is gone from Berk!"

With that declaration, Mildew seemed to have a brilliant idea. He handed his half-empty cup to Sigrid and quickly rushed out of the healing hut.

"Don't do anything reckless! You could seriously hurt yourself!"

Sigrid called out, but Mildew was probably already too far away to hear.

"That man is always like that..."

Sigrid chuckled to himself and placed his boots outside. Tonight was Boot Night. It wasn't nighttime yet, but he put them out early in case he forgot later.

The next day, all the boots in Berk had disappeared. Confused, he grabbed a different pair of boots and stepped outside. Everyone was confused about their missing boots. That's when Mildew pointed to footprints in the snow, claiming they were made by dragons. And there they were—piles of boots scattered around Barf and Belch as they slept peacefully in the arena.

Sigrid shot Mildew a suspicious glance as he gloated about being right and demanded all dragons be banished. If these were really dragon footprints, they should have been much deeper. These weren't dragon tracks.

After that incident, Hiccup and the teens formed a new group, promising to keep watch over the dragons. But the name was... quite ridiculous.

"Hello, Hiccup. Night watch duty? Good for you. But that name of yours..."

"I know. Pretty silly, right? D.U.M.B."

Sigrid chuckled as he passed by Hiccup and Toothless. Despite the teenagers' night patrols, the Great Hall was found in shambles. Mildew claimed this mess was also Hookfang's doing. There were indeed dragon claw marks, clearly from a Monstrous Nightmare. But this wasn't the dragons' work either. Monstrous Nightmares burst into flames when angry. Yet this Great Hall was too clean. There was no doubt—this was Mildew's work.

"Mildew, you're up to something. Don't try to hide it."

Sigrid questioned Mildew directly as he made another visit to the healing hut. Mildew stopped mid-ramble, having just been celebrating how the dragons' troublemaking would finally get them all kicked out of Berk.

"What am I doing? I haven't done anything," Mildew said defiantly.

"I know everything. Just don't go too far. Really. You'll end up hurting yourself."

Mildew barely listened to Sigrid's advice. Stubborn old men never listen to anyone. They only learn the hard way.

The next day, the weapons storage suddenly exploded. Startled by the explosion, Sigrid rushed toward the sound. He found Toothless trembling near the weapons storage, terrified. Everyone who had been sleeping rushed out to put out the fire. Someone pointed at Toothless, claiming he'd started the fire. Hiccup appeared to be getting scolded by Stoick.

"Toothless, did you really do this?"

When Sigrid asked, Toothless gave an indignant whine and hopped up defensively. This was undoubtedly Mildew's doing again. Blowing up the armory while Toothless was nearby could have killed him. If anyone had been near, it could have been a major accident. This was probably exactly what Mildew wanted—a serious incident that would justify expelling every dragon from the island.

Sigrid caught fragments of Hiccup and Stoick's conversation, and the tone sounded serious. A chain of accidents this serious would force even Stoick's hand—the dragons would have to go. It seemed Stoick had decided to send all dragons to Dragon Island.

Early in the morning, the teens left with Stoick to take the dragons to Dragon Island. Mildew couldn't contain his glee as he rattled on to Sigrid about every detail of how serene Berk was without its dragon 'problem.' But this time, Sigrid had something to say. Yesterday's explosion had crossed the line.

"Yesterday's explosion was too much. What if someone had been nearby?"

Under Sigrid's questioning, Mildew averted his gaze like a guilty child. But when Sigrid seemed to know everything, he started being honest.

"I checked that no one was around! And there was only that dragon inside!"

"Toothless saved Berk. Don't you remember? And he caused the least trouble. Just because you don't like dragons doesn't mean you had to do that."

"What are you talking about?! Those creatures all need to die! I should've wiped them out with my own hands!"

Mildew grew more furious by the minute, likely because he knew Sigrid was right. Destroying the whole armory had been completely over the line.

"I know you lost all three wives to dragon attacks. I understand that's why your hatred runs so deep. But what you did last night crossed every line, and you know it."

"I hardly cared about those women! I just hate those horrible monsters!"

After several arguments, Mildew stormed out of the healing hut in a huff. Sigrid briefly considered telling Stoick about this, but decided against it. It would be better to let Hiccup handle the dragon problems.

Later that afternoon, Stoick and the teens came back by boat. The teens looked miserable—leaving their dragons had clearly broken their hearts. Stoick wanted to quickly restore the lost weapons since they had all burned up. This urgency was probably because of the Outcasts. The Outcasts always attacked when Berk was vulnerable. They would probably do so again this time.

"You know the Outcasts never miss a chance like this, don't you?" Sigrid walked alongside Stoick as he headed to Gobber's forge.

"Yes. They never miss opportunities like this. This time is worse. We've been short on weapons before, but we've never been completely without them."

While examining the new weapons Gobber had made in his forge, Hiccup and Astrid came running urgently. Breathless and panicked, they announced that Outcast ships were closing in on Berk. Stoick immediately became serious and hurried to the Great Hall, gathering people. They needed to gather everyone fast.

"This is no time to panic! That's what the Outcasts are counting on!" Stoick tried to calm them, but the fear was too overwhelming. They'd never faced the Outcasts in such a defenseless state.

However, Stoick quickly gave orders to get the panicked people moving somehow. First, they needed to separate those who could fight from those who couldn't.

"Sigrid, gather the elders and the children. Get them to Thor's Beach. They'll be safe in the caves there."

"Got it. Be careful not to get hurt."

Sigrid quickly began leading the elders and children down to the beach. Mulch and Bucket guided the way in front, while Sigrid stayed at the back to ensure no one fell behind. Then, a little girl broke away from the line and started walking backward.

"What's wrong? You should go forward, not backward." When Sigrid gently asked what was wrong, the little girl sniffled and started to explain.

"I can't find Lamby... I was holding him tight, but he's gone now... I think I dropped him somewhere..." At the girl's answer, Sigrid stroked her head soothingly.

"It's okay. I'll find it for you. Go back to the line."

At Sigrid's words, the girl stopped crying and returned to the group. Sigrid turned back and retraced their path, focusing on the ground. Soon he found the lamb doll that had fallen among the bushes and picked it up.

"Here it was." Sigrid brushed the dirt off the doll. The moment he turned around to go back, Sigrid felt something.

His instincts told him not to move. He didn't know why he suddenly felt this, but it seemed he shouldn't move. He crouched down immediately, alert to everything around him. Someone was hiding behind the trees in front of him. About two people. Neither were from Berk. They were Outcasts. Sigrid quietly stepped backward, without making a sound. All his senses focused on detecting the Outcasts ahead. But Sigrid soon had to stop. He felt the bite of cold metal against his neck—someone had gotten behind him without a sound.

"Ah, my favorite healer from Berk! Still alert as ever, I see—unusual trait for your profession. It's been too long since our last chat. No friendly greeting?" Alvin chuckled darkly,  the cold steel pressed firmly against Sigrid's neck. Sigrid let out a sharp tsk and slowly rose from his crouch. Stealth was pointless now—he'd been caught.

"Alvin. What business do you have in Berk? Wasn't getting beaten last time enough? Did you come back for more?" At Sigrid's words, Alvin's response was to press the steel harder against Sigrid's neck, pushing him backward.

"Our target isn't Berk. It's the Dragon Conqueror. You know who that is, don't you? You know everyone in Berk. Annoyingly well."

"Well, I don't know. Why don't you find out yourself?"

When Sigrid showed no intention of answering, Alvin stopped asking. The blade remained at Sigrid's neck, forcing him to keep moving forward. When they finally reached the beach, the people gathered there were shocked to see this scene. As Astrid charged ahead in rage, Sigrid raised his hand to stop her. Alvin withdrew his blade and pushed Sigrid among the people. He apparently had no real intention of killing anyone.

"I want the Dragon Conqueror. Where is the Dragon Conqueror?" When Alvin climbed onto a high rock and shouted loudly, Mildew seemed about to say something and tried to call out Alvin's name. Astrid knocked Mildew out with a single blow, stopping him mid-sentence.

Astrid threw a hatchet at Alvin, but it was useless. Catching the hatchet in mid-air, Alvin threatened Astrid and approached her. Sigrid grabbed Astrid's shoulder and pulled her behind him. Seeing Sigrid trying to protect Astrid, Alvin stepped closer to Sigrid even more threateningly.

"Still as soft-hearted as ever, I see. Same old Sigrid—Do you think you can protect that girl like that? You honestly believe a simple village healer can stand against Alvin the Treacherous?"

"Why? Did the great Alvin the Treacherous walk all the way down here just to threaten one girl?"

At Sigrid's words, Alvin became quite angry. His fist grabbed in Sigrid's hair, yanking his head back with enough force to make him look up at him. Astrid gasped in shock behind Sigrid. Sigrid met Alvin's gaze with unflinching defiance. He was considering the risks of fighting back when a voice suddenly rang out behind them.

"I'm the Dragon Conqueror!  Leave him alone!"

Alvin turned around and released Sigrid's hair. The brute force behind that grip became clear as pain shot through Sigrid's head, making him flinch.

"You? Stoick's little embarrassment?" Alvin scoffed, but Hiccup continued speaking. Apparently convinced by Hiccup's claim, Alvin decided to take him to Dragon Island by boat.

Sigrid thought it would be very dangerous for Hiccup to board a boat alone with those dangerous Outcasts. Outcasts were always violent and unpredictable. If Hiccup said something wrong while on the boat, they might suddenly attack him. Finally, Sigrid blocked Alvin's path as he was taking Hiccup away.

"I'm going with you. I can't let a kid go alone with you guys."

At Sigrid's sudden action, Hiccup gestured frantically in surprise. He seemed to be trying to signal that he could handle it alone. But Sigrid couldn't back down on this.

"You want to come along? Fine. What threat could a simple village healer pose?"

Alvin seized Sigrid by the front of his cloak and pushed him toward the boat. He almost fell but somehow managed to keep his balance. Soon Hiccup stood beside Sigrid. As soon as Alvin boarded the boat, it departed quickly.

"Why did you come here! I could have handled it myself!" Hiccup whispered. He looked very flustered.

"I have plenty to say to you too. What kind of people do you think the Outcasts are? They're people who were banished from Berk for committing serious crimes. Do you even know what crimes?"

The gravity in Sigrid's voice made Hiccup freeze. You could see the realization hitting him—he'd been dangerously naive.

"Hey there! What are you whispering about! Guide us properly to Dragon Island!" From his position at the stern, where he'd been watching for the island, Alvin's voice cut through the air. Then he approached where Hiccup and Sigrid were standing.

"I'm sure your father's told you plenty about your island's most feared enemy." Alvin spoke to Hiccup. From his attitude, he didn't seem intent on attacking.

"Wh-who's that? Oh, right, uh, you. No. Not so much."

Indeed, Hiccup probably knew almost nothing about Alvin. He only knew that Outcasts sometimes raided Berk's coastline to stir up trouble, or attacked villagers whenever Stoick was absent. He wouldn't have known there was someone named Alvin. Neither Stoick nor Sigrid had deliberately told him. There was no need to.

"Really? Not a word?" Alvin seemed somewhat shocked that Hiccup didn't know him. Alvin was, without question, the most infamous Outcast—every adult in Berk knew his name and feared it. It was strange not to know him.

"Sigrid, you really didn't tell this kid about me?" Alvin looked at Sigrid.

"No. There was no need to. Was there any reason to mention it?"

At Sigrid's words, Alvin seemed even more irritated. Ignoring Hiccup, Sigrid and Alvin continued their heated exchange. Most of it was a series of provocations and counter-provocations. During their conversation, Dragon Island soon came into view.

The moment Hiccup set foot on the island, Toothless burst from the cave, alerted by familiar sounds. Alvin seemed very surprised to see Toothless.

"Odin's Ghost! Is that a...?"

"Night Fury! The unholy offspring of lightning and death itself!"

Sigrid immediately understood Hiccup's plan from his tone. In situations like this, it was better not to interfere but simply observe. Sigrid soon found himself witnessing the awkward performance between Toothless and Hiccup. Hiccup pretended to fight Toothless while putting on the saddle. Soon, sensing something was wrong, Alvin shouted at Hiccup.

"Hey, what are you doing with that dragon?!"

"By the way, it's not really 'Dragon Conqueror,' it's 'Dragon Trainer'!" Hiccup, mounted on Toothless, made eye contact with Sigrid.

"Sigrid! Now!"

Toothless soared into the sky and charged toward Sigrid. The Outcasts standing around fell aside to avoid the charging Toothless. Sigrid stretched his hand up so Toothless could grab him. As the dragon swept Sigrid up into the sky, Alvin bellowed from the ground in rage.

"Fire! Bring them down!" But nothing could hit Toothless.

Soon Stoick and Gobber arrived by boat, followed by the dragon-riding teens. Astrid was captured and nearly in danger at one point, but Hiccup solved the situation by using dragon fire to evaporate seawater and create fog. The battle ended when Stoick defeated Alvin, sending him into the sea, while dragons torched the Outcast boat.

After the situation ended, Hiccup landed Toothless on the boat where Stoick was. Stoick, looking somewhat angry, approached Hiccup.

"Hiccup, what were you thinking?"

"I was thinking... all I needed to do was to get to Toothless. And together, we'd be able to make things right." Hiccup looked like he'd screwed up again.

"Don't be so angry. I was with him. It wasn't a dangerous situation." Sigrid briefly intervened between them for Hiccup's sake. Stoick looked at Sigrid, sighed, and spoke again.

"You should be grateful he was there. If you had gone alone, it would have been truly dangerous." With those words, Stoick went to steer the boat.

"Thank you. Without you, it really could have been a disaster." Hiccup quietly spoke to Sigrid.

"Of course, when you're in danger. Your safety is always my priority. Just promise me you'll be more careful next time." At Sigrid's words, Hiccup nodded.

Since they'd helped save Berk from the Outcasts, the dragons were allowed to live on the island again. Mildew wasn't happy at all, but everyone ignored him. Sigrid decided to keep a close eye on Mildew's actions from now on. All these incidents had happened because Mildew had blown up the weapons storage. Now he had one more thing to worry about.

Chapter Text

Lately, Stoick had looked completely worn out. He seemed overwhelmed by his duties as chief, unable to concentrate on any single task. This had been going on for a week, yet Stoick had never once asked Sigrid for help. When wild dragon attacks destroyed their boat for the second time, Stoick's fatigue seemed to reach its peak. Finally, Sigrid spoke up first.

"The second time already, isn't it? That wild dragon."

Stoick turned from the broken boat at the dock when Sigrid spoke. His face looked utterly tired.

"Exactly. That damned beast is making my life miserable. Our fishing is ruined. I chase after it again and again, but I'm never fast enough. Gods, if I could just catch up to it!"

"There's a limit to chasing it with a boat." Sigrid looked up at Stoick. "Isn't there something faster? Like a dragon?"

At Sigrid's words, Stoick let out a deep sigh.

"You sound just like Hiccup. He keeps telling me to ride a dragon. I'm the chief of Berk. If I chose that path, where would the chief's dignity go?"

Sigrid stared at Stoick intently.

"Well, wouldn't flying on a dragon make you look even more commanding? You could protect Berk from threats we can't even reach on foot."

Stoick seemed to consider Sigrid's words.

"That does make sense. Alvin has been constantly trying to invade Berk again lately. Handling all these problems one by one... I'd need ten of myself to keep up."

Stoick finally agreed. The rest could be left to Hiccup.

"Go ask Hiccup about dragons. While you learn about dragons from Hiccup, I can take care of your chief duties. What can I do to help?"

Stoick considered Sigrid's words. Part of him insisted that a chief must handle everything alone, while another part believed that it would be fine for just a little while. Stoick finally decided to entrust some of his duties as chief to Sigrid temporarily.

"Alright then. If there's anyone I trust, it's you. Start with the simple duties - announcing new births, settling disputes between villagers. Sorry to throw all this at you."

"That's not too difficult. Make sure to learn from Hiccup. And think about what kind of dragon would suit you best."

With those words, Stoick left to find Hiccup. Now Sigrid had taken on some of the chief's duties and needed to do them well. First, he had to introduce a newborn child to the tribe. Sigrid headed to the Great Hall.

A number of people had gathered, and a young couple holding a newborn baby. They exchanged worried glances when Stoick failed to appear, but the news that Sigrid was serving as acting chief put them at ease, and they carefully placed the baby in his arms.

"Whosoever brings this child forth into the Hooligan tribe, let he be known." Sigrid spoke gently, holding the child in one arm as he read the declaration and looked at the baby's face. The child wasn't particularly pretty, but he definitely had distinctive features. Based on the strong jawline and broad forehead, Sigrid assumed it was a boy.

"And pronounce the name to be..." As he read the declaration and looked at the child's parents, they whispered the name.

'Hildegard.' Ah, it was a girl. Though his guess was wrong, Sigrid didn't show any surprise or hesitation but continued the declaration.

"Hildegard. In place of Stoick the Vast, I bestow blessings upon this child." When the declaration and simple blessing ceremony ended, the child's parents joyfully took their baby back. One duty finished, several more to go.

Next was the fight between Bucket and Mulch. It seemed Mulch had bought Bucket's sheep but hadn't paid the proper price.

"Mulch, you bought that sheep. Now pay Bucket what you owe him."

"I never bought a sheep!" While Mulch made his excuses, a sheep trotted by as if on cue. Anyone could see it was a newly bought sheep.

"Don't lie. Trust between people is important. If you keep not paying like this, no one will want to trade with you. Please give Bucket the payment for the sheep in front of me."

At Sigrid's persuasion, Mulch finally took out the sheep's payment from a hidden box and gave it to Bucket. Another problem was solved.

After a full day of walking through the village, listening to complaints and settling disputes, he noticed the sun was already setting. Just as he was about to head to the arena, curious about what Hiccup might have taught Stoick, something caught his eye. Toothless was flying in from far away in the sky. Not only was Hiccup on him - Stoick was sitting there too.

Soon they landed perfectly near Sigrid. Far from his usual dragon-hating self, Stoick appeared to have actually enjoyed the ride.

"Stoick, that was a great flight. Did you like flying with the dragon?" Sigrid approached with a smile. Toothless looked particularly tired, perhaps from carrying a heavier load than usual.

"Yes. Dragon flying is much more efficient and impressive than I thought. I'll probably have to take Toothless with me to work tomorrow too. Thank you for handling my duties today, Sigrid."

At Stoick's words, Toothless and Hiccup were surprised. Toothless apparently didn't want to carry such a heavy person again tomorrow. Toothless tried to hide behind Hiccup, then ended up hiding behind Sigrid.

"Dad, Toothless is my dragon. How about finding your own dragon?" Hiccup suggested, looking pitifully at the hiding Toothless.

"I think that's right too. Toothless is Hiccup's dragon. Find another dragon that fits the chief's dignity."

"Tomorrow I'll introduce you to the other dragons at the Dragon Academy. Choose a dragon that suits you from the academy, then we'll find a wild dragon of that species to train."

At Hiccup's words, Stoick seemed to think that was better. Toothless was certainly majestic enough for a chief, but he was clearly exhausted, and the tail fin required too much constant attention. Stoick said he would visit the arena tomorrow, then left to handle the rest of his chief duties.

"Do you really think Dad will be satisfied with the dragons in the arena?" Hiccup asked quietly. He probably had a bad feeling about this.

"A Monstrous Nightmare might satisfy him. But knowing your father..." At Sigrid's words, Hiccup ran his hand over his face. He seemed to have a lot on his mind.

The next day, Stoick was nowhere to be seen early in the morning, having apparently headed to the arena. No sign of Hiccup or Gobber either - they must be at the arena with him. Sigrid spent time as he always did - examining patients who came to the healing hut, listening to some of Mildew's complaints, and gathering herbs in the forest.

When the sun was high overhead, Sigrid suddenly heard the tremendous roar of a massive dragon. Startled, he rose from his chair in the clinic and stepped outside to see where the sound had come from. It came from the arena, but it wasn't the familiar sound of their trained dragons - this was a wild dragon.

"Hiccup, did you find a wild dragon?" As he spoke and entered the arena, Sigrid found Stoick pinning down a muzzled wild dragon. The sight of Stoick wrestling a massive wild dragon with his bare hands was utterly ridiculous.

"...What's going on here?" Sigrid asked.

"We got news that a wild dragon broke another boat, so we went out to sea on Toothless. We encountered that dragon there, and Dad said he wanted to ride it and brought it back. By the way, we're going to call that dragon a Thunderdrum."

Even while Hiccup explained, Stoick and the Thunderdrum wrestled with each other. Within moments, the battle was over. Stoick had wrestled the beast into submission.

"Dad, you can't train dragons that way. This is not bonding." Hiccup looked up at Stoick, who had forcibly mounted the Thunderdrum. But Stoick didn't even pretend to listen.

"You have to crush them with force! Dragons always submit to strength! You got to show these beasts who's boss!" In the end, Stoick forced the dragon back into its cage. Hiccup looked frustrated that Stoick wouldn't even pretend to listen to him.

Walking home from the arena, Hiccup and Sigrid walked together. Suddenly, Hiccup spoke up.

"I talk to him, but my dad just doesn't listen! Why won't he listen to me?"

"Well, I've known Stoick for years. He may act like he's not listening, but trust me, he hears everything. That's just his way."

"I don't know. Every time Dad does that, it drives me absolutely crazy."

Sigrid didn't answer Hiccup's words and just smiled quietly.

Since Hiccup said he was going to Gobber's forge, they parted ways in the middle of the road. When he saw that wild dragon earlier, he could feel its desperation. The dragon seemed to have something it needed to protect. Unless that problem was solved, Stoick wouldn't be able to ride that dragon.

Not only Hiccup but Stoick needed to learn something too. Every time Stoick took a step toward accepting dragons, his old prejudices would resurface and undo the progress. Stoick's thinking needed to change too.

Once again at the healing hut, Sigrid received another visit from Mildew. This time he looked suspiciously excited. Whenever Mildew looked this excited, something bad always happened.

"Mildew, you're back. You look happy this time. What's going on?" When Sigrid asked, Mildew began speaking rapidly in an excited voice.

"I asked Trader Johann for something special. When I last saw him, I asked for something, and I heard Johann is coming in a few days!"

"What is it? A new staff?"

"Something even better! Something really good. When it arrives, I'll share some with you. You'll like it." Mildew smiled suspiciously and left the healing hut again. Watching Mildew's back as he left after saying only what he wanted to say was absurd, but Sigrid didn't bother calling him back.

Seeing Mildew's attitude, it seemed he should pay attention to Johann's visit in a few days. Looking out the window, he noticed the sunset was already coming. Curious about how Stoick's dragon training had gone, he went outside to see them.

Surprisingly, Stoick was flying in the sky riding the Thunderdrum. He had even brought another Thunderdrum down in front of the healing hut.

"Sigrid, this must be his mate. She's wounded - can you heal her?" Stoick looked down from atop the Thunderdrum and spoke to Sigrid.

"Wow, look at you. You finally trained that one? Very impressive." Sigrid looked up at him. The aggression and desperation had vanished from the Thunderdrum. "I'll take care of this dragon. Don't worry."

With a hearty laugh, Stoick circled the healing hut once in triumph before flying away to his next task. Sigrid checked the condition of the other Thunderdrum in front of him. Except for torn wings and being thin from hunger, there seemed to be no other problems. When Sigrid gently petted the Thunderdrum's head, it seemed relieved and relaxed its body.

"Easy there, little one. You'll be good as new soon enough."

Stoick had finally let go of his old ways. Without that change of heart, none of this would have been possible. Sigrid smiled and headed into the healing hut to get herbs. Now that even Stoick was riding dragons, this would surely be a positive influence on Berk.

Chapter Text

Today was the day Trader Johann would visit Berk. He was a merchant who could find almost anything unavailable on Berk. Sigrid had turned to Johann for help many times before, requesting herbs and tools that couldn't be found on Berk.

"Johann, it's been a while. What did you bring today?"

"Oh, Sigrid! I've got quite a lot today. There's cloves from the east, and pretty glass bottles from distant lands. Everything you could want is right here, so go ahead and take a look around!" Johann gestured toward a corner of his ship.

"Thank you. You always remember what I need. That's why you're my favorite trader." Sigrid smiled and headed for the pile of goods in the corner. Johann watched him for a moment, then turned to hawk his wares to the gathering Vikings.

"Whatever it is you're looking for, I can assure you you'll find it here!"

Sigrid knelt down to get a closer look at the items. There were various bundles of dried herbs, intricately crafted glass bottles containing different powders and silver liquids, and packages wrapped in leather cloth. Sigrid unwrapped one package to see what was inside. It contained a very small, sharp knife in its sheath. The blade gleamed black, so it seemed to be made of obsidian.

"Johann, what's this knife? It's very well made." When Sigrid asked, Johann turned around to see what was in Sigrid's hands.

"Ah, that's a knife made by the same craftsmen who created those glass bottles. It's very small and sharp—perfect for delicate work. "I've heard that healers in that country use such knives, though I'm not sure exactly how."

Sigrid took the knife in his right hand and examined it more closely. It resembled a miniature dagger. Sharp as it was, it could be useful for removing embedded objects, or he could just carry it around normally. Sigrid put the knife back in its sheath and wrapped it in the leather cloth again. Then he picked up a bundle of rare dried herbs.

"I'll take these. What will you take in trade?" When Sigrid spoke to Johann, Johann looked at what was in Sigrid's hands and said casually.

"I'll exchange them for your herbs and whatever remedies you whip up. People love them because they really do the job."

This seemed like a fair trade. Sigrid smiled and nodded.

"By the way, aren't you interested in that silver liquid? I've heard tales of an eastern king who drinks it and has achieved immortality."

"No thanks. I have no idea what that stuff actually is. Never wise to use something when you don't know what it does, right?" Johann nodded at Sigrid's wisdom and moved on to assist other customers.

As Sigrid paused at the docks to organize his things, Stoick came by. He was with Thornado. Stoick was planning to buy a gift for his meeting with the Chief of the Shivering Shores. Johann continued to be amazed by Berk's recent shift from fighting dragons to living alongside them. After buying his gift, Stoick gave Sigrid a friendly nod and took off on Thornado.

"Ah, men riding dragons. What a magnificent sight." Johann muttered to himself as he watched Stoick leave on Thornado.

As Sigrid was leaving the docks, he spotted Mildew heading toward Johann. Mildew probably wanted to see what the trader had brought too. A few days ago, Mildew had said he was waiting for Johann to come, but Sigrid wondered what he had requested that made him look so excited.

After dropping off his goods at the healing hut and gathering what Johann needed, Sigrid made his way back to the docks. Returning to the docks, he saw Mildew again. This time he saw Mildew carrying a very large basket somewhere. The basket was so big it completely covered Mildew's face. Sigrid looked at Mildew briefly but didn't stop him. Delivering the items to Johann came first.

When he reached Johann at the docks, Sigrid handed over the items and asked a question.

"I just saw Mildew carrying a large basket. What did he take?"

Johann checked what he received from Sigrid, then carefully put them in a box as he answered.

"Some kind of plants, I think. Seems like he wants to farm something new. I'm not sure what though." Hearing Johann's answer, Sigrid didn't suspect anything further. Mildew might want to farm something other than cabbages.

The next day, Mildew came to the healing hut early in the morning. This time he had something in his hands. It was a small basket full of flowers.

"Flowers, Mildew? That's unexpected. What brings you here with them? They even look like flowers that aren't found on Berk." Sigrid looked at the flowers Mildew brought. They seemed familiar, but he couldn't remember what kind they were.

"I got them from Johann yesterday. Can you check if these can be used for healing?" Mildew held out the basket to Sigrid. Sigrid accepted it.

"I'll check. But don't get your hopes up. Flowers can rarely be used as remedies." Though Mildew appeared completely unbothered by Sigrid's answer, Sigrid couldn't understand why Mildew was acting this way.

"In all the years I've known you, you've never once asked about remedies. Now suddenly you want me to test these? It's suspicious."

"Well, I can ask if I want to! Don't overthink it—just do what I'm asking!" Mildew left the healing hut. Now that the hut was finally quiet, it was time to examine the flowers Mildew had brought.

Sigrid picked up one flower. It wasn't just the flower, but the stem, leaves, and roots were all intact. Johann's ability to keep them fresh in this condition was impressive. The vivid blue flowers were quite striking. Testing for poison usually required multiple steps, but as a dragon, Sigrid could handle most minor toxins with nothing worse than a stomachache. Assuming this would be no different, he raised a flower to his lips just as someone entered the healing hut. A boy had been hit by a runaway cart in the plaza. Sigrid put the flower back in the basket and rushed to the plaza.

After that, Sigrid couldn't sit still in the healing hut even once. That day, people kept getting hurt and accidents happened frequently. He could only go to the healing hut to get bandages or remedies, and there was no time to sit and do anything. By the time everything quieted down, the sun was setting. After running around all day, Sigrid finally returned to the healing hut, exhausted.

"What a hectic day. One emergency after another..." Sigrid slumped into the chair in front of his workbench. The flowers in the small basket were still there as he had left them in the morning.

"I should have tested this earlier..."

Sigrid pulled off one petal from the flower and bit it. As soon as he bit down, an overwhelmingly bitter taste flooded his mouth, making him  frown. Few plants were this bitter—at this level of bitterness, the taste alone was practically toxic. He managed to swallow it down and quickly reached for water, but the bitter aftertaste lingered stubbornly.

"The taste is really awful. Even without poison, it would be hard to use as remedies..."

Sigrid set the basket aside and put out the fire. All that running around had left him with a foggy mind and a pounding headache. Knowing that rest was the best remedy when he felt this way, he called it an early night.

The next morning, he felt absolutely dreadful. He kept coughing as if he had a cold, and he had a slight fever and terrible headache. It really seemed like he had caught a cold. It was ridiculous to catch a cold when it wasn't even winter. Chalking it up to bad luck, he decided to remain in the healing hut for the day. If Mildew or others came, he'd have to send them away today.

Since he was getting cold, he took out a thick cloak and sat in front of the fireplace. If it was a cold, he'd probably be fine by tomorrow. Serious illness was rare for Sigrid. His dragon heritage granted him rapid healing abilities. While he was sitting in front of the fireplace and dozing, Sigrid was startled awake by a sudden loud knock.

"I'm sorry. I'm not feeling well today, so I might not be much help with treatments..." Sigrid began to explain, but stopped short when Hiccup burst through the door looking frantic.

"Hiccup? What's wrong?"

"Oh... You're not feeling well today? Then I'll come back later." When Hiccup turned to go, Sigrid called him back.

"Don't worry about it. What's wrong? You look worried."

"The dragons are acting strange. They can't fly properly and keep coughing. It seems like a health problem, so I came to find you."

"I'll take a look. Lead the way."

Sigrid followed behind Hiccup. Even in the fresh air, he still felt terrible. As he coughed several times while following Hiccup, Hiccup kept looking back worriedly. Sigrid gestured that he was okay each time.

When they reached the spot Hiccup had led him to, the dragons were lying flat on the ground. They all looked weak and very sick. With all the dragons showing identical symptoms, this couldn't be a normal disease. Dragons couldn't all get sick the same way at the same time, so treating them individually wouldn't work—they needed to remove whatever was causing it. However, Sigrid couldn't identify the cause either. He tried to search his memory for similar incidents, but his foggy mind and poor condition made it impossible to concentrate.

Passing by, Gobber saw them all staring worriedly at the sick dragons. When he suggested asking Gothi, the group headed for Gothi's house.

"Honestly, I'm scared of Gothi. She can tell when you'll die just by looking at your fingernails." Fishlegs said trembling on the way to Gothi's house. The other kids seemed to think the same.

"That's just an old wives' tale. Even if Gothi really knew such things, she wouldn't tell you directly." Sigrid grabbed Fishlegs' shoulder and calmed him down.

Once inside, Sigrid approached Gothi while the others stayed behind him.

"Gothi, the dragons in the village are acting strange, but I examined them and can't find the cause. Can you tell what's causing it?"

When Sigrid's cough-roughened voice broke the silence, Gothi's piercing gaze locked onto him. Only after looking at him silently for a very long time did Gothi begin drawing something on a stone. A ship, the sea, and a dragon. The ship and the sea had always been there. Nothing had changed. After thinking for a moment, Sigrid realized this boat was Johann's ship.

"She says the problem is something brought in from Johann. There must be something bad for dragons in it." At Sigrid's explanation, the others gasped in surprise.

"There are a lot of new things on the island. Trader Johann was just here." Astrid said. Then Gothi began drawing something more.

"She says to get rid of everything. Or it will get worse." Gothi drew a dragon and then drew an X over it. It seemed like it could get more serious. It looked best to get rid of everything as quickly as possible.

Before Sigrid had even finished speaking, they rushed outside, determined to get rid of everything without delay. Just as Sigrid moved to follow them, Gothi caught hold of his cloak. She seemed to have more to say.

"Do you have something else to tell me?"

Gothi pointed at Sigrid with her staff. Then she tapped the X-marked dragon with the end of her staff. Then she just stared at Sigrid without saying anything. He didn't know why she was acting this way, but somehow he felt like he'd been found out. Perhaps Gothi was simply telling him to watch over the dragons.

"Take good care of the dragons? I understand. I'll try my best." Sigrid answered, but Gothi still looked like she hadn't heard the answer she wanted and just kept watching. Once more, she tapped the X-marked dragon with the end of her staff. Her gesture clearly meant for him to be cautious. Sigrid nodded once and left Gothi's house.

A little later, the kids ran around shouting to throw all the items bought from Johann off the cliff. Everyone threw their items off the cliff. Sigrid threw his herbs and knife off the cliff as well. Hoping it would help the dragons recover, he called it an early night again.

However, his condition got worse. His head hurt like it would split, and he even felt dizzy. This was no ordinary cold. But he couldn't figure out the cause. The only thing he had done before getting sick was running around all day. And before bed, he had eaten one petal from the flower Mildew had brought him. Right when he thought nothing was wrong, Sigrid's gaze turned to the small basket. No matter how much he thought about it, that was the only possible cause.

Sigrid fetched the basket and subjected the flower to closer scrutiny. A gentle shake released clouds of fine pollen into the surrounding air. The moment they became airborne, nausea hit him and his condition deteriorated rapidly. That had to be it. 

Suddenly, the memory struck him. This was a flower that was deadly poison to dragons. He remembered one of the Ancient Dragons had warned him about this flower long ago. Dragons like him would only become very sick if they ate it, but ordinary dragons would die.

"Mildew..." 

As Sigrid stepped outside to dispose of the basket, he realized something. Since yesterday, these flowers had been planted here and there in the plaza. The dragons were probably sick because of those too. As a dragon himself, Sigrid would have been affected. Only Sigrid's natural poison resistance had saved him from worse symptoms. The dragons wouldn't have been so fortunate—eating these flowers would have killed them instantly. He needed to get to Hiccup immediately with this information.

When he went to Hiccup's house, Stoick and Hiccup were having some conversation outside the house. Next to them lay Toothless and Thornado in poor condition. Thornado was clearly affected as well by these flowers.

"Sigrid? You look quite sick. Are you alright?" Stoick took one look at Sigrid's condition and approached worriedly. Hiccup also looked worried.

"I'm fine. Hiccup, I found the reason the dragons are sick. It's because of these flowers. These flowers seem to be poisonous to dragons." When Sigrid showed the flowers in the basket, Hiccup was surprised.

"Aren't those blooming in the plaza? I should go check right away!" Hiccup ran to the plaza. Though Sigrid wanted to follow, severe dizziness made running impossible. Stoick caught his arm as he stumbled, supporting him from the side.

"You seemed perfectly fine when I left for the meeting, but this sudden change is clearly troubling." Stoick looked quite worried and walked to the plaza, supporting Sigrid.

When they arrived at the plaza, the kids were there. Fishlegs seemed to have remembered this plant in a botany book he recently bought from Johann. And as expected, this plant, Blue Oleander, was indeed poisonous to dragons. The moment he learned this, Hiccup immediately turned to Sigrid with extremely worried eyes. Noticing Hiccup's concerned gaze fixed on Sigrid, Astrid spoke up in confusion.

"Wait a minute—you've been unwell ever since these flowers appeared, haven't you? If this only harms dragons, what's making you sick?" At this, everyone looked at Sigrid.

"I... actually ate one. Mildew asked me to test whether these flowers had any medicinal properties. I figured I'd be alright since I'm usually resistant to most toxins, but apparently I was wrong. Turns out humans are just as vulnerable." Everyone was horrified at Sigrid's words. Hiccup was especially shocked. If Sigrid had been an ordinary dragon, he could have died.

"So all this started because of Mildew. We need to find that old man." Stoick said in an angry voice. Before heading to Mildew's, Stoick asked Sigrid to stay here. Normally he would have joined them, but given how unwell he was, Sigrid agreed to wait.

Sigrid sat on a nearby bench and waited for them to come back. Fishlegs ran off saying he'd find the botany book he'd thrown off the cliff, so it seemed fine to wait for that too. Shortly after, Fishlegs brought both the botany book and the Book of Dragons.

"You found the book. Is there anything more written in it?" When Sigrid asked this, Fishlegs looked through the botany book once more, but there didn't seem to be any way to detoxify the poison. But he must have brought the Book of Dragons for some reason.

"I remember reading about a dragon that eats Blue Oleander in the Book of Dragons. It's called a Scauldron, and there's a theory that its venom might serve as an antidote. But this isn't confirmed, so I don't know if it's right..." Fishlegs said in an anxious voice.

Fishlegs looked unusually anxious and couldn't calm down. It seemed like too much anxiety just from worrying about the dragons. Sigrid sat Fishlegs next to him and spoke to calm him down.

"Fishlegs, calm down. Why are you so anxious? Worried the dragons will be hurt? The dragons didn't eat the flowers, they only had problems with the pollen, so they won't die. Maybe if we get rid of all those flowers, they'll gradually get better. Don't worry." Despite Sigrid's words, Fishlegs couldn't calm down. Fishlegs looked at him with anxious eyes.

"I am worried about the dragons, but there's something else too. You said you ate Blue Oleander! That might really need an antidote. And this book only talks about reptiles and doesn't say what happens when humans eat it, so I really don't know. What if you actually die from this?"

Sigrid understood where Fishlegs' anxiety came from. Fishlegs seemed extremely worried because Sigrid had eaten the flower. Since Fishlegs looked like he was about to cry, Sigrid patted his back to calm him down.

"It's okay, I won't die. I didn't eat that much of it. I only ate one petal. I'll be fine soon. Don't be so anxious."

Sigrid felt so unwell because he'd both eaten the flower and breathed in its pollen. Both of these reasons were because Sigrid was a dragon, which he couldn't tell Fishlegs. Sigrid's reassuring words finally helped Fishlegs settle down. The now-calm Fishlegs pulled something from his pocket. It was the knife Sigrid had thrown off the cliff. It was perfectly intact, just as it had been when he threw it.
"This is your knife, right? I found it while looking for the book." Fishlegs handed over the knife.

"Thank you. I was disappointed that I never got to use it. I really appreciate you finding it for me."

While they were talking, the three who had gone to Mildew's house returned. Fishlegs repeated to them exactly what he had told Sigrid earlier.

When Fishlegs finished speaking, Hiccup and Stoick left to get Scauldron poison. Gobber joined them and decided to go together. They appeared to be dragging Mildew along too, but Sigrid didn't intervene. Since Mildew had caused this whole mess, he figured the old man deserved whatever was coming to him. Sigrid decided to go back to the healing hut and rest until they returned.

Before leaving, Stoick stopped by the healing hut to see Sigrid.

"I'll be back soon. I've rarely seen you this unwell before—it has me quite concerned." Stoick said to Sigrid, who was sitting on the bed.

"Don't worry. I'm fine. Be careful and don't get hurt. It's dark outside." At this, Stoick nodded and left the healing hut. Sigrid closed his eyes to get some sleep until Stoick returned.

Sigrid opened his eyes as someone shook him awake. It was Stoick. He was holding a small wooden cup.

"We succeeded in getting Scauldron poison. They say to give this to dragons, but I'm not sure if humans can drink it. Isn't this also poison?" Stoick hesitated. If a human drank this, they would definitely die. But since he was a dragon, it would be fine.

"It should be fine. Even if something goes wrong, I'm a healer, so I can handle it." Sigrid accepted the wooden cup from Stoick and drank it down without hesitation. He could taste the bitter flavor of poison, but it was better than the bitter taste of Blue Oleander. As soon as he drank the poison, his condition quickly improved. Watching color return to Sigrid's face, Stoick also seemed relieved.

"How did you get the poison? It must have been very difficult to get it from a wild dragon."

"Actually, we couldn't get it directly. Old Mildew got bitten by that dragon—on his butt, no less. Gobber just extracted the poison from the old man's butt. He was screaming in pain." Stoick said, clearly amused. Mildew's misfortune was obviously satisfying to watch.

"Gobber did that? It would have hurt less if he'd asked me."

"I made sure Gobber handled it—wanted to make it as painful as possible." Both men burst into laughter at Stoick's words.

If not for Mildew, this situation wouldn't have happened. Despite having suspected Mildew might be up to something, Sigrid felt disappointed that he hadn't been able to prevent the crisis. Sigrid promised himself to watch more carefully and be more suspicious next time.

Chapter Text

It was the day after the Blue Oleander incident. That day was unusually quiet. Come to think of it, Mildew hadn't come to the healing hut. He used to visit the healing hut every day without exception, but today, though noon had come and gone, he still hadn't appeared. Since Mildew's absence meant Sigrid could enjoy more peace, he welcomed the brief respite. Then he heard the clinking of metal and a knock at the door.

"Hiccup, is that you? Come in." When Sigrid called out, Hiccup opened the door and entered. His face was bright with excitement.

"Good afternoon! I have something I want to show you. Could you come with me? If you're busy, I'll wait until you're finished."

"No, it's fine. What do you want to show me?" Hiccup came closer and whispered in Sigrid's ear.

"Remember that record I mentioned? I finished copying it all today. I'd love to show it to you, but I left it at home in case someone accidentally found it. Let's go to my house!"

Sigrid smiled and nodded. As they stepped out, Toothless immediately stood from his post by the door and dropped low, ready for riders. Hiccup's house was close enough to walk, but seeing his impatience, flying seemed better. Sigrid gathered his cloak and sat behind Hiccup. Soon Toothless took off swiftly and flew to Hiccup's house instantly.

No one was home. Stoick was busy outside with his duties as chief. Sigrid followed Hiccup and Toothless upstairs. Hiccup was almost completely crawling under the bed. When Sigrid bent down to look under the bed, he saw Hiccup lifting the floorboard. Inside was a small scroll. This appeared to be the record he had mentioned earlier.

"You hid it well. No one would find it like that." Sigrid gently brushed the dust from Hiccup's hair as he crawled out from under the bed with the scroll.

"Of course. I worked so hard to keep this from being discovered. Dad would be really angry if he knew I removed the floorboard."

Hiccup untied the string binding the scroll and handed the paper to Sigrid. It was about half the size of a page from the Book of Dragons, with a total of two sheets. One sheet was filled with sketches Hiccup had drawn. The sketches showed parts of Sigrid's body. Sigrid wasn't explicitly depicted, yet the figure—part human, part dragon—was unmistakably him to anyone who looked carefully.

"Wow, you drew this really well. Your drawing skills get better every day." Sigrid's praise brought a shy smile to Hiccup's face. Sigrid sat on Hiccup's bed to examine it more closely. Hiccup sat right beside Sigrid, and Toothless settled onto his stone bed.

These were very detailed sketches of things like wing shapes when Sigrid turned around, their spread form, and how dragon wings attached to a human body. How did he capture all this detail so quickly? he was amazed as he looked at the drawings. After seeing all the finely drawn elements like Sigrid's eyes, scales faintly visible on his face, and legs, he turned to the next page.

The pages contained not only what Sigrid had told Hiccup, but also his own speculations and questions to ask later. Where the previous page had been carefully organized, this one looked rushed and messy.

"I'm still working on it. While copying from my notebook, I kept wondering about things I didn't know enough about to write properly, so I made notes of all my questions."

Sigrid carefully read through the page: his species, age, and all the little details he'd told Hiccup. And below those were many questions Hiccup had written. Sigrid began reading some of the questions.

'What exactly is his oath?', 'What are the rules?', 'He seems to struggle with memory—could this also be the oath's effect?', 'Are there dragons other than Ancient Dragons that can turn into humans?'

Sigrid was somewhat surprised as he read what Hiccup had written. There were quite a few unexpected questions. Hiccup had noticed the problems Sigrid had with remembering whenever he talked about the past. When Sigrid's gaze fixed on the questions at the end of the paper, Hiccup spoke to him.

"Could you answer the questions I wrote at the bottom? If they're sensitive questions, you don't have to answer them."

When Hiccup looked up at Sigrid, he hesitated briefly but then agreed readily. This much would be fine to talk about.

"First... let me tell you about this. 'What is the oath, what are the rules.'" When Sigrid began speaking, Hiccup quickly ran to his desk to get a pencil. Then he prepared to take notes next to where the questions were written.

"I don't really know what the oath is either. It's been binding all Ancient Dragons since long before I was born. I don't even know if there's a way to break it. Everyone simply accepted it." Hiccup began scribbling down Sigrid's words quickly.

"The rules are simple—just watch, don't interfere. Small things like saving one human are okay. But when the scale gets bigger, I can't do anything. Saving an entire city from giant waves, or trying to forcibly control other dragons—in cases like that, I'd be breaking the oath." When Hiccup finished taking notes, he looked up at Sigrid.

"Then... what exactly happens when you break the oath? I know you could die, but what if you didn't break it that severely?"

"Like I told you before, the oath is bound to my heart. The more severely I break it, the more strain it puts on me. It's like that."

Hiccup still looked confused, but he wrote down everything Sigrid said. Before Hiccup could ask the next question, Sigrid answered first.

"Oh, and the memory problem is purely my own issue. Maybe because I've lived too long, I can't remember most of my past. I don't try to remember on purpose, so it's even worse."

"Why don't you try to remember? When you talked about Freya before, you looked so happy. Wouldn't it be too lonely without those kinds of memories?"

Sigrid thought for a moment. In the past, he lived in constant fear of forgetting and desperately tried to remember. But some things were impossible to recall, and when he realized certain memories could never be recovered, it became mentally exhausting. To avoid going through that again, Sigrid had decided long ago to simply let his memories fade away. But that didn't mean he forgot even very recent things. The memories Sigrid had forgotten were at least from 100 years ago. He had most memories from the past 100 years. But he couldn't remember anything from before that.

"You might not understand since you're still young, but some things are better left forgotten. I just let them fade away." Hiccup looked unsatisfied with Sigrid's vague answer and naturally moved on to the next question.

"What if you were to meet someone from your past again? Perhaps someone who'd lived as long as you had, or a dragon that can shift into a human?"

"Probably not. I've never seen any dragon live that long, or any human either. Then again, maybe I have and just forgot." Sigrid said the last part with a joking laugh, but Hiccup looked serious. It might have been a joke, but it didn't seem funny to Hiccup.

"Now I'm really starting to worry that you might forget me someday." Hiccup finished his notes and rolled up the paper, tying it with string. Will you forget all about me one day? About Berk?"

Sigrid laughed. No matter how much he'd forgotten, he couldn't forget about Berk and Hiccup. This was the first time he'd lived so closely with humans.

"No, that won't happen. This is the first time I've lived among humans like this. It makes the memories more vivid. Don't worry." When Sigrid playfully ruffled Hiccup's hair, Hiccup smiled and tried to fix the mess.

"Maybe you've lived like this before but forgot about it. You can't forget me! Promise me you won't!"

Sigrid laughed and hugged Hiccup. After Hiccup briefly hugged Sigrid back, he went back under the bed to hide the scroll. He covered the floorboard and placed the Book of Dragons on top. The book was thick and heavy, so it was perfect for holding something down. When he placed the book on top, it completely covered the slightly raised floorboard.

"Thanks for showing me. Show me again when you've organized it more." Sigrid got up from the bed. "Where will you go now? The sun is still up in the sky."

"I'm going to ride dragons with my friends and fly around the island once. And we're seeing who's the fastest today. Toothless and I are definitely going to win!" Hiccup looked very confident. Something suddenly occurred to him, and he turned to Sigrid with his question.

"Did you happen to meet my dad yesterday? After... after we went to get poison from the dragon." When Hiccup asked this unexpected question, Sigrid tilted his head slightly in confusion.

"Yes, I met him. He actually brought it to me directly."

"Dad went crazy when we saw Mildew yesterday. He was yelling about how you almost died from the poison and that it was all Mildew's fault. I've never seen Mildew that frightened."

"Really? He didn't say anything when I saw him..." So that was why Mildew hadn't come to the healing hut today? Just as Sigrid was about to get lost in thought, he realized the kids would be waiting, so it would be better to send Hiccup off first.

"Well then, work hard. Be careful not to get hurt."

"You say that every day. I'll be careful!" With those words, when Hiccup gestured to Toothless, Toothless jumped out of Hiccup's window. Soon through the window, Sigrid could see Hiccup riding Toothless toward the arena.

Before leaving the house, Sigrid took a look at Hiccup's desk. The walls were covered with saddle designs and drawings of Toothless, and the desk was also full of sketches. Perhaps from always drawing, Hiccup's ink bottle was almost empty.

"I should get him a new one." After shaking the empty ink bottle a few times, he put it back down. He thought he should ask Johann to bring plenty of ink bottles next time he came, then Sigrid went downstairs.

When he was almost down the stairs, someone opened the door and entered. Sigrid stopped awkwardly mid-descent to see who had entered. Looking at the door, he saw Stoick had stopped in the middle of opening the door and entering. Both were flustered by the unexpected encounter, but soon they laughed and relaxed.

"Why are you here? You startled me! I thought you were a thief for a second." Stoick firmly gripped Sigrid's shoulder and released it.

"Hiccup said he had something to show me, I was just leaving."

Stoick had just stopped by to pick up an axe he'd left at home for repairs. After a brief chat with Sigrid, they went their separate ways. Time to return to the pile of work that kept mounting.

Around sunset, the sound of several footsteps was noisily running from a distance. When there were this many footsteps, it usually meant several people were running together from the same place, so it was probably either the young riders or the shipyard workers. When Sigrid opened the door to the healing hut, he saw the rider kids. But this time there weren't just six of them—there was an unfamiliar black-haired girl among them.

"Sigrid! Can you take a look at her? Her name is Heather." Hiccup pulled the girl who had been at the very back to the front and positioned her in front of Sigrid. She was small, thin, and seemed somehow anxious. Sigrid made eye contact with Heather and spoke gently.

"Hello, Heather. Where did you come from? Are you hurt somewhere?" When Sigrid spoke to her, Heather hesitated.  Snotlout, standing behind her, quickly answered instead of her.

"Her family's ship was attacked by pirates! Her parents were captured and Heather escaped, but the ship was wrecked and she washed up on Berk's shore with the wreckage. I was worried, so I suggested we come to you first. Right, Heather?" When Snotlout spoke in that bragging tone of his, the other boys—except Hiccup—glared at him.

"That's not true! I suggested it first!" Tuffnut pushed Snotlout. When things quickly got noisy, Heather became more anxious. Finally, Sigrid had to quiet the kids.

"Kids. I know you're worried about Heather, but how about letting just the two of us be here? Heather looks very tired." When Sigrid spoke, the kids reluctantly but obediently stepped back.

Finally alone with Heather, Sigrid guided her inside the healing hut. When Heather sat in the healing hut chair, Sigrid looked at her while brewing warm tea. For someone who had supposedly been attacked by pirates, she didn't have a single visible wound. Her clothes were also quite clean. However, Heather was constantly anxious. She repeatedly nervously scratched her fingernails with trembling hands and shot fearful glances in every direction. Her face was ghostly pale. Sigrid handed the tea to Heather. Even with Sigrid's gesture, Heather jumped slightly but then pretended nothing had happened. She was clearly hiding something. Sigrid sat in the chair in front of Heather and looked at her.

"I'm Sigrid. I'm Berk's only healer. I've worked as a healer for 30 years, so you can trust my skills. Are you hurt anywhere?" When Sigrid spoke in his gentle voice, Heather made eye contact with him. But anxiety was still visible.

"No... I'm not. I was really fine, but those kids kept saying I had to go... Sorry for bothering you. I'll be going now." Heather set down the tea she had barely touched on the side table and tried to leave. Sigrid reached out to Heather to stop her briefly. Heather froze for a moment.

"Sit for a moment. I'm worried about you. Can I check if you're really okay? Even if you are hurt, you might not realize it right now. It could become serious later. Let me take a look." Sigrid extended his hand toward Heather. She hesitated nervously before finally, reluctantly, placing her hand in his.

Though she extended her hand, Heather looked away, clearly uncomfortable with the situation. Sigrid took Heather's hand and slightly rolled up her sleeve to the wrist. When he rolled up the wrist, a deep blue bruise was visible. But the shape was somewhat strange. It wasn't a bruise from bumping into something. When he rolled the sleeve up further, the overall appearance of the bruise became visible. This was a handprint. It was caused by an adult man gripping Heather's wrist very hard. Sigrid frowned. This wasn't a typical bruise.

Sigrid carefully placed his finger on her wrist to check her pulse. It was a very rapid, irregular pulse. Heather was feeling fear in this situation. He didn't know why, but it seemed better to stop here. Sigrid pulled down Heather's sleeve and released her hand. Surprised it ended so quickly, Heather turned back toward Sigrid.

"You can go now. I just had something to check." When Sigrid finished speaking, Heather got down from the chair and walked quickly to the door.

"Heather. If you ever need to tell me something, you can come to me anytime. I understand how difficult it must be to trust a stranger. But seeking help is better than shouldering everything alone. Do you understand?"

When Sigrid finished speaking, Heather looked back and seemed to hesitate about something, but then simply said goodbye and left the healing hut. It would be better to tell Stoick about this matter. Sigrid took his cloak and went outside the healing hut.

When he knocked on Hiccup's house, Stoick opened the door. Looking inside, Heather and Hiccup were eating dinner together. When Heather made eye contact with Sigrid, she began choking on what she was eating and coughed. It would be difficult to talk with Heather inside.

"Stoick, let's talk for a moment. Could you come outside? Sorry to interrupt your meal."

"No, it's fine. Is it urgent? Hiccup, keep eating with Heather for a while. I'll be right back." Stoick came outside and closed the door. Sigrid led Stoick quite far from the house.

"Why did you bring me here? This doesn't look like it's just casual talk."

"If this were just normal talk, I would've gone inside. It's about the girl who arrived in Berk today. Heather, who's staying at your place." At the unexpected name, Stoick's eyebrows rose.

"Heather? What about that girl?"

"The girl has bruises on her wrist shaped like a man's handprints. There's definitely more to this than she's telling us." When Sigrid said this, Stoick straightened his posture. He could tell this was serious.

"Didn't she say she was captured by pirates? It could be pirates."

"Exactly. But for that to be true, she's way too nervous. She jumps when I get near her, and she's clearly anxious all the time. Instead of escaping pirates, it seems like someone's threatening her. Since she claims her parents are still captured by pirates, maybe there's a connection."

Stoick started thinking. With the recent threat from Alvin and the Outcasts, tensions were running high. Every stranger—no matter who—had to be treated as a potential threat.

"Then should we... send that kid away?" Stoick said very hesitantly. Driving her away was the right thing to do, but Heather was too young.

"No. If we turn her away now, there's no telling what could happen. She's just a kid. We should allow her to remain in Berk, but keep an eye on her activities." When Sigrid said this, Stoick nodded.

"She's planning to stay at our house for a while, so I'll keep a close eye on her. Thanks for telling me."

"Don't pressure Heather too much just because we suspect her. She's already terrified, and if we pressure her more, there's no telling how she might react."

After their conversation, Sigrid went back to the healing hut. He hoped they could stop whatever Heather was planning.

The next day, Sigrid went out to the plaza. There, Hiccup and Heather were walking together, having a friendly conversation. They had become quite close in just one day. When Hiccup spotted Sigrid, he shouted his name and rushed over, pulling Heather with him. Though Heather was obviously unwilling, she acted as if nothing was wrong.

"What are you doing out here? Aren't you usually in the healing hut at this time?"

"I came out to check on something. You two look like you've become good friends. Are you heading to the arena together?" When Sigrid looked at Heather, she smiled awkwardly and looked down at the ground.

"I'm gonna let Heather try riding Toothless. She's really into dragons, you know? I'm just glad she's not scared of them."

"I see. Ride carefully. Don't get hurt."

Hiccup nodded in understanding and got on Toothless. When Heather got on behind him, they quickly flew up into the sky. Heather was interested in dragons? People outside Berk were still afraid of dragons. Even for a kid, getting comfortable with dragons so fast seemed strange.

The following day, Sigrid saw Heather pumping Snotlout for information about Hookfang in a corner of the village. When Heather made eye contact with Sigrid, she quickly ended her conversation with Snotlout. Then she tried to rush away, but tripped over her own feet and hit the ground hard. Seeing what happened, Sigrid immediately went to them. Snotlout was panicked but visibly relieved when Sigrid appeared.

"Are you okay? You fell pretty hard." Sigrid went to where Heather had fallen and offered his hand. Too embarrassed to look up, Heather nevertheless accepted his help and got to her feet.

"I'm fine. I'm perfectly okay." Heather deliberately spoke in a voice trying to sound more okay and brushed the dust off her clothes. However, since she had fallen quite hard, she had wounds on her palms, knees, and chin. The wound on her chin was bleeding and needed treatment.

"Heather, your chin is bleeding. Could you come with me for a moment? The healing hut is nearby." When Sigrid said this, Heather brought the back of her hand to her chin. When she noticed blood had rubbed off on the back of her hand, she quietly followed Sigrid.

"Sorry, you don't have to do this. I'm really fine." Heather said quietly from behind. Strangely, she always seemed nervous around Sigrid. It wasn't like he had been scary or anything.

"How can you say you're fine when you're bleeding? It'll be over quickly." After arriving at the healing hut, he seated Heather in a chair and began searching through the cabinet for ointment. Because blood kept seeping out, Sigrid handed Heather one of his handkerchiefs.

"Heather, I have something to ask you. Will you answer me honestly?"

"Yes? Oh, yes. Of course." Heather was so startled she almost fell off the chair.

"Do I scare you? If I have, I'm sorry. I keep making you jump."

When Sigrid said this, Heather's eyes widened. It was a very flustered and very surprised face.

"No, no, it's not that. It's not scary, it's... it's just... That's not... I mean..." She was stammering in confusion. It seemed better to calm her down. But if Sigrid reached out his hand this time as well, she would surely be startled, so he had to try a different approach. Sigrid placed the ointment bottle next to Heather. At the sudden action, Heather stopped talking and looked at the ointment bottle beside her. She looked at Sigrid again, more confused than before, like she had no idea what was going on.

"The ointment will make it heal quickly. Rather than having me do it, I figured you'd be more comfortable applying it yourself. Think you can handle it?" Heather nodded stiffly. As she applied the ointment to her wounds herself, she was slowly calming down.

Even when Heather rolled up her pants to apply ointment to her knee, large and small bruises were visible on her knee and other parts. He wanted to ask about them, but this wasn't the right time. After Heather finished applying all the ointment, she put the bottle back beside her.

"You're fine now. You can go." At Sigrid's words, Heather got up and headed for the door. But she grabbed the doorknob and hesitated for a moment, then turned back toward Sigrid.

"I'm sorry. I think I overreacted quite a bit. You've been so kind to me... I'm really sorry."

"It's okay. I understand. I said before too, but if you need me for anything, come find me anytime."

Heather left the healing hut. Sigrid cleaned up while thinking. He needed to wait until Heather let her guard down.

A few hours after Heather left, Astrid came looking for Sigrid, fuming with anger about Heather.

"Hiccup is so stupid I can't stand watching! Anyone can see Heather is suspicious, but he believes her!" Astrid fumed.

"Suspicious? In what way is she suspicious?"

"First of all. There were no signs of attack on the ship she came on. It was too clean! And she keeps asking suspicious questions about dragons, and she was caught secretly looking at the Book of Dragons! But Hiccup still stupidly likes that girl!"

Astrid was angry that she was the only one suspecting Heather. But listening to her, there was something else she was angrier about. Astrid kept saying Hiccup, so she was angry about him too.

"You're angry about being the only one who distrusts Heather, and you're also jealous of the interest Hiccup is showing in her. Right?" Astrid stopped talking. She tried to argue back but couldn't think of anything to say.

"Hiccup is a real total idiot. Really."

"Hiccup has always been quick to trust others. You must be incredibly frustrated, Astrid. But as long as you're by his side, he won't be fooled by suspicious people, right?" When Sigrid said this, Astrid's expression brightened a little.

"That's true. If I'm not there, who would take care of that idiot? I'm going to go find that idiot. Thanks!" Astrid rushed out. When the kids from Berk had serious worries, they would always come to Sigrid. Sigrid also liked giving advice to the kids, so he always welcomed their visits.

Sigrid hoped that since today had been quiet, tomorrow would be peaceful as well.

However, the next day, the Book of Dragons and Heather had disappeared. The kids left on dragons to find Heather. They returned with Heather late that evening, but she was immediately imprisoned. It turned out Heather had betrayed them by stealing the Book of Dragons and delivering it to Alvin. Heather tried to escape once, but was quickly caught and imprisoned again.

Sigrid headed to the prison where Heather was held when no one was around, to check on Heather's condition. Heather was pacing constantly in the dark prison, looking anxious. Her breathing sounded ragged, as if she had been crying. When Sigrid approached the prison, Heather saw Sigrid and desperately pressed against the prison bars.

"Sigrid... please... I can't... I need help. Please, I don’t want to see my parents die!"

Heather cried and reached out her hands. She needed Sigrid's help.

Chapter Text

Heather's POV

Heather was being dragged somewhere by one of the Outcasts, his rough hand gripping her wrist. She had been traveling by boat with her parents when they were captured by the Outcasts. No matter how hard Heather struggled, she couldn't overpower the Outcasts. Her parents were still trapped in prison while she was being pulled away alone—she was terrified.

"Let me go! Get off me!" When Heather thrashed violently, the Outcast's patience finally snapped. He yanked her wrist, forcing her to stand in front of him, then leaned his face close and growled.

"If you don't stay still, your parents will all die. Understand?" Heather felt like crying but barely held back. When she quieted down, the Outcast eased his grip. He brought her before Alvin, the Outcast chief.

"So you're the girl. How old did you say you were?" Alvin asked, looking at Heather standing before him. Heather was too frightened to say anything. Then Alvin, having lost all patience, slammed an axe into the ground before her. Heather jumped back in terror before finally answering.

"Fif... fifteen years old." Her voice trembled terribly. When Heather answered, Alvin leaned back in his chair again.

"There's something you need to do. If you do well, I'll release you with your parents. But if you fail, your parents die. Understand?" Alvin spoke threateningly.

Heather was terrified of this situation. Her parents' lives depended on her. She froze, unable to move, but she could barely manage to nod. Alvin sneered at her and continued speaking.

"You will go to Berk. The people there have tamed dragons and ride them. Find out everything about these dragons and report back to me."

She didn't understand what he meant right now, but she had no choice but to nod. If she hesitated or answered late, something bad would surely happen.

"There's a boy named Hiccup on Berk. He's Chief Stoick's son. He was the first to tame a dragon. You know about Night Furies, right? Get close to him and gather information. The more you learn, the better your parents will fare. The less you bring back... well, I'm sure you understand."

Her parents' safety depended on how much information she could provide. When she realized this, her body began trembling even more. Under extreme pressure and tension, her legs wouldn't obey her.

"You must not get caught. And you can't ask for help either. You mustn't try to tell anyone about this. Tell anyone, and your parents are dead. It's that simple."

"I... I understand. I won't get caught... Please don't hurt my parents..." When Heather spoke through her tears, Alvin burst into delighted laughter.

"Good. Do your best. The Berkians are all stupid so you don't need to worry much, but there are some you need to be especially careful of. Chief Stoick and the healer Sigrid. These two are particularly sharp. Stay away from both of them. Stoick might not suspect a child like you, but Sigrid—that man sees danger in shadows. Be careful."

Alvin rose and moved to Heather, his grip on her shoulder tight enough to make her gasp. When Heather just trembled, Alvin smiled and told someone to take her to the shore, then left for elsewhere.

The Outcast's rough hands pulled Heather along again. Outside, the bright sky made her blink. She had been kept underground the entire time, with no way to tell how many hours had passed. After being forced onto some boat, the Outcast spoke to Heather.

"I'll come to Berk's cliff shore in two nights. Tell me all the information you've gathered by then. You know what will happen to your parents if you have nothing." Heather nodded. Soon the Outcast pushed the boat and it headed toward the sea. The waves were calm and there was no wind. If she continued like this, Berk would come into view.

She arrived at Berk's shore around sunset. Heather beached the boat, found a sturdy log to use as a lever, and barely managed to turn it over. Then she crouched underneath it and waited. Someone would probably discover her this way.

After waiting for some time, someone really did find the overturned boat. She heard several people's voices along with heavy footsteps. Tamed or not, dragons remained the stuff of nightmares in Heather's mind. But right now she had to act unconscious. If she didn't do it properly, her parents would be in danger.

When someone touched her hand, Heather deliberately acted more startled. In front of her eyes were six kids. Before she could figure out which one was Hiccup, a blonde girl called the leading boy by that name. While they were talking, suddenly a large black dragon's head pushed through next to them. 'A Night Fury.' Heather was momentarily shocked and shrank back. But the Night Fury wasn't aggressive. It even obediently stepped back when Hiccup spoke to it. He had really tamed the Night Fury.

When she came out from under the boat, she could see even more dragons. When the girl asked what happened, she gave the excuse she had prepared. She was attacked by pirates and her parents were captured. It was a hasty excuse she had made up while coming by boat, but the kids fell for it easily.

"You look really pale. And you're shaking a little. Are you hurt?" Hiccup spoke to Heather.

"No, I'm fine. I'm just a little scared I guess. I'll be okay now." When Heather was making excuses, Snotlout interrupted.

"Maybe you should see Sigrid, just to be safe? He's the best healer on our island. And he's a friend of mine." Snotlout boasted.

Sigrid. The Berk healer Alvin had warned her about. Heather absolutely didn't want to meet him. But no matter how much she said she was fine, the kids wouldn't listen. Heather had to follow the kids, lagging behind reluctantly. Soon she could see a small hut in the distance. And without even knocking, the door opened as if someone knew they were coming. When the kids saw Sigrid, their faces lit up with genuine smiles. He was obviously well-loved by all of them.

"Sigrid! Can you take a look at her? Her name is Heather." Hiccup pulled Heather, hiding at the very back, and placed her in front of Sigrid. The wrist Hiccup grabbed was where she had been bruised from being gripped hard by the Outcast earlier. It hurt a lot, but she had to act like nothing was wrong. Heather looked up at Sigrid. Pale blue eyes gazed at her from a kindly face. As he bent down to meet her eyes, his long black hair cascaded over his shoulder.

"Hello, Heather. Where did you come from? Are you hurt somewhere?" Sigrid's gentle voice was enough to make her lower her guard momentarily. Based on Alvin's words, she had expected someone terrifying, but this man seemed utterly harmless. Heather forced herself to stay alert again. She hadn't said anything all this time, but Snotlout answered for her so it didn't make her seem suspicious.

When the kids' chatter behind them grew loud, Heather began to get a slight headache. Then Sigrid asked the kids to leave them alone. The kids, who had been fighting and chattering loudly, immediately fell silent and scattered at his single word. Either they were exceptionally well-behaved, or he was special—one of the two.

"Come in, dear. Take the chair by the fireplace—it's the warmest spot" Following Sigrid's words, Heather entered the healing hut.

Inside the healing hut was really warm. The warm air surrounded Heather, heavy with the scent of dried herbs. Sigrid was taking something from a cabinet to make tea. While briefly watching his back, she looked around. There was a bed in the back and a workbench in front. Herbs hung from the walls and ceiling. It was quiet and cozy. Despite every instinct telling her to trust this place, Heather steeled herself against the comfort.

"I'm Sigrid. I'm Berk's only healer. I've worked as a healer for 30 years, so you can trust my skills. Are you hurt anywhere?" Sigrid asked, handing Heather some tea. She stared intently at the tea. She had no idea what was in it, so drinking it seemed like a bad idea. She couldn't risk it containing anything that might loosen her tongue.

"No... I'm not. I was really fine, but those kids kept saying I had to go... Sorry for bothering you. I'll be going now." 

Heather answered quickly and placed the tea on the side table. This comforting atmosphere was slowly breaking down her defenses, but she couldn't forget Alvin's warnings about this man. Alvin had warned her about his keen instincts—she had to get out before he sensed something suspicious. However, before Heather could even stand up from the chair, suddenly a hand appeared. Startled, Heather squeezed her eyes shut and shrank back. At Heather's reaction, Sigrid immediately withdrew his hand.

"Sit for a moment. I'm worried about you. Can I check if you're really okay? Even if you are hurt, you might not realize it right now. It could become serious later. Let me take a look." Speaking like this, Sigrid held out his right hand. Heather hesitated for a moment, then placed her left hand on top of his. She figured a little cooperation would help to avoid suspicion.

Heather looked down at the floor to avoid meeting Sigrid's eyes. Meanwhile, Sigrid rolled up her right sleeve and took her pulse. Less than 30 seconds had passed when the sleeve was lowered and he let go of her arm. She had thought it would take longer, but it ended faster than expected. When Heather looked at Sigrid, he was looking at her with a gentle smile.

"You can go now. I just had something to check." At this, Heather quickly got down from the chair and headed for the door. Just as she was about to open the door to leave, suddenly she heard Sigrid's voice from behind.

"Heather. If you ever need to tell me something, you can come to me anytime. I understand how difficult it must be to trust a stranger. But seeking help is better than shouldering everything alone. Do you understand?"

"...Okay. I understand. Good bye."

Heather slipped outside and pressed her back against the door. The urge to release a shuddering breath was overwhelming—the conversation with Sigrid had wound her nerves tight. Now she had to find Hiccup. She needed to get close to Hiccup, gather as much information about other dragons as possible, then meet with the Outcasts coming in two nights. She suddenly looked at her right sleeve. The bruise was visible beyond her sleeve. Heather's stomach dropped. He'd rolled up her sleeve and looked right at the bruised skin. Sigrid's sharp eyes couldn't have missed it. Heather panicked but barely calmed down. She could only hope Sigrid hadn't noticed. Right now she had to find Hiccup.

While Heather was standing in the middle of the plaza looking around, Hiccup and Toothless approached from a distance. He suggested that if she had nowhere to go for the time being, she should stay at his house. For Heather, this was a very good opportunity, so she accepted immediately. While walking to the house with Hiccup and thinking about her future plans, Hiccup spoke to her.

"So... what did Sigrid say? Are you okay?"

"Yeah. He said I'm fine. Thanks for worrying about me. He's a kind person."

"Right. Very kind.  I think he's the best healer I know." Hiccup said with a smile. He looked very happy.

"Is he a native? There's something about him that sets him apart from the other Berkians. His... aura, I guess?"

"No, he came to Berk 30 years ago. He's been close friends with my dad since then."

"That's amazing. That's why his healing skills are good."

A 30-year friend of the chief? Someone like Sigrid would naturally have high standing here. Being both a skilled healer and the chief's friend made him invaluable to Berk.

When they arrived at Hiccup's house, Stoick was inside. When Hiccup told his father what had happened, Stoick welcomed her into their home without hesitation. While they were having dinner together, someone knocked on the door. When Stoick opened it, Sigrid in a cloak stood there. At this unexpected person, Heather momentarily choked on what she was eating and coughed. Sigrid seemed to want to call Stoick outside to say something. She wanted to follow and hear what they were saying, but she couldn't leave with Hiccup sitting next to her. Heather was too anxious to eat anything.

A few minutes later, Stoick returned. He showed no signs of suspicion when he came back, yet Heather couldn't shake her anxiety about their private conversation. Finally, when dinner ended and just before going to sleep, Heather spoke to Hiccup.

"That thing earlier, where your dad and Sigrid went outside to talk—is that normal?" Hiccup thought for a moment before answering.

"Well, not really? He usually just comes inside. If he goes out like that, it must be something important."

"I see? Thanks. Sleep well and see you tomorrow." Hiccup went downstairs with Toothless.

Late at night, Heather secretly went outside through the window. It was to gather information about dragons. She hadn't gathered any useful information yet, but at least she'd managed to earn Hiccup's trust.

While exploring the village, she saw Astrid feeding chicken to a Nadder. The Nadder appeared to really love chicken. After confirming this, she ran back to Hiccup's house. It looked like Astrid had caught her, but she kept running away.

The next day, Heather asked Hiccup about dragons. When Hiccup suggested visiting the Dragon Academy at the arena, he even offered to let her ride with him on Toothless. This was exactly what she needed, so Heather headed to the plaza alongside Hiccup and Toothless. And Sigrid was there, talking to people. Heather wanted to just pretend not to see him and pass by, but Hiccup didn't. Heather stood awkwardly behind Hiccup with a forced smile.

Sigrid didn't speak to Heather, but he kept looking at her. Heather waited until their conversation ended, and soon when it ended, she could ride behind Toothless and quickly escape the place.

After circling the Dragon Academy arena a few times, they landed inside. While Astrid berated Hiccup for standing her up, she looked around and saw Fishlegs holding a thick book.

"What's that book? It looks really thick." When Heather pointed at the book, Fishlegs began talking excitedly.

"It's the Book of Dragons. Everything about us is in here. I'm kind of the Log Keeper. Log Master, really."

"He writes down what Hiccup tells him to."

"I give it my own spin, thank you."

"Can I see it?" When Heather reached for the book, Fishlegs was about to hand it over without any suspicion. But before Heather could grab the book, Astrid snatched it away.

After that, Heather went around asking the boys about dragons. She found out about Gronckles and Zipplebacks, and now she only needed to learn about Monstrous Nightmares. While she and Snotlout were talking, a familiar silhouette emerged from the shadowy alley. It was him. Desperate to avoid Sigrid, Heather rushed to wrap up her conversation with Snotlout and escape. At that moment, her legs tangled with each other and she fell hard to the ground. Sharp pain hit her hands, knees, and chin.

"Are you okay? You fell pretty hard." A voice came from right in front of her. Flustered by the fall and the sharp pain, Heather instinctively grabbed the offered hand and pulled herself up. After standing up, she realized the hand she had grabbed was Sigrid's.

"I'm fine. I'm perfectly okay." Heather deliberately answered in a voice that sounded more okay. But when she looked up, Sigrid had a worried expression and said her chin was bleeding, suggesting they go to the healing hut together. When she put the back of her hand to her chin, there really was blood. She had no choice but to follow Sigrid.

Arriving at Sigrid's healing hut, she sat in the chair by the fireplace and waited. Sigrid appeared to be looking for something in the cabinet. He handed Heather a clean white handkerchief and headed back to the cabinet. While Heather was using the handkerchief to stop the bleeding under her chin, Sigrid spoke to her.

"Heather, I have something to ask you. Will you answer me honestly?"

"Yes? Oh, yes. Of course." Since it was a sudden question, Heather was very startled.

"Do I scare you? If I have, I'm sorry. I keep making you jump."

Sigrid's words were enough to make Heather panic and become flustered. All her efforts to appear calm had been useless—terror was written all over her face.  If he figured out why she kept trying to avoid him, she'd be in serious trouble. Heather's mind wasn't working properly.

"No, no, it's not that. It's not scary, it's... it's just... That's not... I mean..." 

Heather tried to make excuses somehow, but the words wouldn't come out properly. She couldn't even tell what Sigrid's expression looked like. While she was rambling like this, a small bottle was suddenly placed next to Heather. What is this? She stopped talking momentarily to understand this situation. Then she looked up at Sigrid. Sigrid wasn't angry or serious—he had the same smile as when she first saw him.

"The ointment will make it heal quickly. Rather than having me do it, I figured you'd be more comfortable applying it yourself. Think you can handle it?"

Heather nodded stiffly. When she opened the bottle cap, the scent of herbs wafted out. As she concentrated on carefully applying the ointment to her wounds, her panic began to slowly fade away. After applying ointment to all the wounds and closing the cap, she placed it on the side table. 

When she looked up at Sigrid, he said she could go now. He didn't ask anything more and didn't come closer. Even though he clearly had something to ask, he said nothing. Heather grabbed the doorknob but hesitated. She had to at least say thank you. Heather turned around and looked at Sigrid.

"I'm sorry. I think I overreacted quite a bit. You've been so kind to me... I'm really sorry."

"It's okay. I understand. I said before too, but if you need me for anything, come find me anytime."

With those words, Heather left the healing hut, still confused. Why hadn't he asked anything more? She couldn't understand what he was thinking. As she wandered back to Hiccup's house in a fog, she spotted him outside working on something with Toothless. If no one was home, now would be the opportunity. She had to find the Book of Dragons. She secretly entered the house and searched Hiccup's desk and bag. But she found nothing. Heather became increasingly anxious.

"Where is it..." she muttered while looking under the bed, when she saw the Book of Dragons. "Gotcha. The Book of Dragons."

Heather knelt down and pulled the book out. When she completely pulled out the book, one floorboard lifted slightly. Other places didn't lift, but only that part did. Something was suspicious. Maybe there was something hidden underneath. When she lifted the floorboard, she saw a small paper scroll tied with string. Heather took out the scroll, sat down, and untied the string.

"What is this? Could it be something important?"

When she unrolled the scroll, paper full of writing fell to the bottom. She didn't drop the part with only drawings, so she decided to look at this first. It was paper filled with drawings of dragon parts, not whole dragons. But something was strange. The dragon parts were drawn as if attached to humans. Where dragon wings were drawn, a person's silhouette appeared alongside them, and the eyes depicted seemed distinctly human rather than draconic. And these eyes and back view looked very familiar.

"Wait... is that Sigrid...?"

Why was Sigrid drawn here? It made no sense, but it was definitely him. As far as Heather knew, Sigrid was the only one on Berk with such long black hair. Why did he draw such pictures? Needing to know more, Heather gathered up the fallen papers. When she started reading the first line, a voice suddenly came from behind.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Heather jumped and instinctively shoved the papers under the bed. When Astrid came next to Heather, only the Book of Dragons was beside her. Astrid thought Heather was secretly reading the Book of Dragons. Soon Hiccup came in and asked what was happening, and Heather lied about secretly looking at the Book of Dragons. He'd hidden this for a reason—it had to be important. If he discovered she'd read it, she'd be in serious trouble. She successfully defused the situation, watching as Hiccup and Astrid left together, the Book of Dragons now sitting on the desk. Heather quickly returned the scroll to its original state and covered it with the floorboard to hide it.

"Ancient Dragon... what kind of dragon is that?"

Heather had only read the first sentence and couldn't get proper information. But this much seemed enough to tell the Outcasts coming tonight. Then Heather's parents would be safe too.

When night came, Heather tried to tame Astrid's Nadder by giving it chicken, but failed because she couldn't read the Book of Dragons. And as promised, Heather waited for the Outcasts at Berk's cliff shore. She hadn't brought the Book of Dragons yet. They might just take the book and not release her parents. It was best to give them the book when things became more certain.

Before long, the Outcasts' boat came into view, and Savage stepped ashore with another Outcast. Heather held back her trembling body and waited for them to come closer.

"What have you learned about the dragons?"

"I've learned a lot, Savage. But there's something else. Something that's going to make Alvin very happy." Heather's voice trembled, but she continued speaking. Savage was listening to Heather.

"They have a book. A Book of Dragons. It's got everything in it. Everything Alvin could hope to learn about controlling dragons."

"Where is this book?"

"I don't have it. But, I will! I promise. I just, I just need a little more time. And I need you to promise me you'll keep your word." At Heather's words, Savage laughed mockingly.

"Not enough information, is it? We clearly said you should bring enough information on the second day. Did you forget?" Heather panicked. Fear for her parents' safety overwhelmed her, and she desperately told them the most important-looking information.

"I discovered something about a dragon they're keeping secret—an Ancient Dragon. It's unlike anything else. I couldn't read all the details without risking exposure, but they wouldn't hide it so carefully unless it was important. I'll definitely bring that information too. So please just keep your promise..."

As Heather began to weep, Savage and the Outcast laughed at her. They said Alvin would hear everything and left on their boat. As the tension finally broke, Heather collapsed on the sandy beach. When she told Savage about the Ancient Dragon earlier, it would have been more interesting if she had also mentioned Sigrid's name. But Heather couldn't say his name. She didn't know why herself. Strange as it was, she felt a sense of relief that she hadn't said it. 

The next day, early in the morning, Heather stole the Book of Dragons and ran away. During her escape, she quickly recalled what she'd learned about Nadders and managed to tame and mount Astrid's dragon. She had also brought that scroll from under the floorboard. The scroll was hidden deep inside Heather's vest. If giving up the book wasn't enough to save her parents, the scroll would be her final hope.

But Heather didn't make it. The rider kids chased after Heather and tried to take the book away. She resisted fiercely but it was useless. In the end, the book fell to the Outcast island, and Heather was captured by them. After being caught and imprisoned, she tried to escape once but was caught again. Heather felt really anxious. If they just got the book, they had no reason to release her parents. By now, Heather's parents might already be dead.

"Astrid, please! I have to get back to Outcast Island! Alvin has my parents!"

"Oh, yeah? What happened to the 'pirates'?"

"There were never any pirates. I made it all up. But, I had to. I needed you to trust me."

"Well, guess what? We don't. Not anymore."

With those words, Astrid left the prison. Anxiety crushed her chest, making each breath a struggle. Her tears flowed like water from a broken dam while her hands shook violently, unable to find peace. Then she suddenly felt someone's presence outside the prison. When she turned her head, Sigrid was looking at her with worried eyes. Heather was desperate now. She wanted anyone to help her save her parents. Heather reached outside the prison and grabbed Sigrid's cloak.

"Sigrid... please... I can't... I need help. Please, I don't want to see my parents die!"

With tears blurring her vision, Heather cried out to Sigrid for help. She really needed help.

Chapter Text

                                                                                                            amazing art from @Beocm21!!

Sigrid was flustered when Heather grabbed his cloak tightly and began to cry. Heather might have betrayed them by stealing the book, but she was still just a frightened child, and he couldn't walk away. Sigrid gently removed her hands from his cloak. When Heather's eyes wavered for a moment, Sigrid spoke softly.

"Wait here for a moment. I'll go inside." Sigrid walked to the side of the prison and picked up the keys hanging on the wall. When he opened the door to Heather's cell and entered, she looked frightened but kept trying to say something.

"You said you didn't want your parents to die. Can you tell me what you mean by that?"

Sigrid asked her, but she couldn't breathe properly. Her breathing came in quick, shallow gasps—a full panic attack—and though she opened her mouth to speak, no words came. When the words wouldn't come out, she panicked more, and her breathing became even more erratic. Sigrid could see Heather was in trouble. After thinking for a moment, he held up two fingers in front of her. Heather looked up at Sigrid as if she didn't understand what this meant.

"Heather, can you try grabbing my right finger with your right hand?" Heather looked confused but did as Sigrid said.

"That's right. Now grab this one with your other hand." Heather grabbed Sigrid's other finger.

"Now, can you touch your thumbs to mine?" Heather touched Sigrid's thumbs with both of her thumbs.

"Now your little fingers." Heather began to focus on Sigrid's words.

Left hand, other side, right, left, other side, right. As she focused on Sigrid's words, Heather's breathing stabilized and she was calming down. When Sigrid finished speaking, Heather was in a much more stable state. Sigrid confirmed that her condition had improved and smiled.

"You've calmed down. It was a bit dangerous earlier. Are you ready to answer my question now?" Heather nodded.

"My parents are being held by Alvin. He told me he wouldn't release my parents unless I got him information about Berk's dragons. That's why I stole the book..." Heather wiped her face with her sleeve. "But the book fell onto the Outcasts' island. Now that they have the book, he has no reason to keep my parents alive. I have to go to that island right now. Can you help me...?" Heather's voice grew smaller and smaller.

"Yes, I'll help you. Here, wipe your eyes and we'll go out together. I'll take care of talking to the kids—you don't need to worry about that." When Sigrid reached out his hand, Heather took it.

Holding Heather's hand, he slowly walked to the arena. Since the sun was already setting, Heather was getting anxious about how much time had passed. They arrived at the arena, but no one was there. Normally they should have been there, but it was different from what he expected.

"They're not at the arena. Let's check the plaza." Sigrid went to the plaza with Heather. But the kids weren't visible there either. Sigrid caught the attention of a passerby and asked where the kids were.

"Bjalfi, have you seen the rider kids? They weren't at the arena either." He glanced at Heather holding Sigrid's hand. Heather shrank back and hid behind Sigrid.

"No. Last I saw them, they were heading down to the shore. They probably flew off somewhere on their dragons." Hearing this, they went down to the shore but could only see footprints. It looked like they had gone to the Outcasts' island to retrieve the book.

"Those kids must have gone to the Outcasts' island. What do we do now...?"

When Heather said this, Sigrid thought. The Outcasts' island was very far by boat. By the time they arrived, it would be too late. So the fastest way would be to ride a dragon. Sigrid called any dragon that was closest. Soon a purple and yellow Nadder emerged from the rocks by the shore. The wild dragon's sudden appearance made Heather flinch, but she calmed down when she watched it gently nuzzle against Sigrid.

"Is that your dragon?"

"No, it's just a wild dragon. This one will help us. Let's ride it to the Outcasts' island." Sigrid said while scratching the Nadder's chin. Soon the Nadder lowered its posture, and Sigrid climbed on top.

"Hold my hand. It'll be very uncomfortable without a saddle. You might fall, so hold tight to my waist." When Sigrid reached out his hand, she grabbed it and climbed onto the Nadder.

Soon, the Nadder began flying through the sky. She almost slipped for a moment, so Heather hugged Sigrid's waist tightly. Unlike riding behind Hiccup on Toothless, it was more slippery and unstable without a saddle. However, since Sigrid was sitting stably, it seemed safe as long as she held onto Sigrid.

Time passed as they flew through the sky. The sky was now completely dark and everywhere was ocean. Sigrid was looking ahead silently. The Outcasts' island was still far away. The Nadder's speed was fast enough, but they needed more time to arrive. While worrying about the kids' safety, Heather broke her silence.

"Actually, my parents aren't my real parents. They're both adoptive parents." It was the first thing she had said since getting on the Nadder and heading toward the Outcasts' island.

"Adoptive parents, I see."

"Aren't you going to ask why I care so much about saving them when they're not even my real parents?" When Heather asked this, Sigrid smiled. Heather probably couldn't see it from behind.

"Because I can see how much you love them. Blood doesn't make a family—love does. And it's clear you love them deeply." When Sigrid said this, Heather became silent.

"There are many people in this world. Blood can mean nothing, and strangers can mean everything. Family isn't always about who gave birth to you." Sigrid said gently. "If they feel like your parents to you, then they are your parents. That's what matters, isn't it?"

"Yes, that's right. They are my parents. I love them." Heather smiled softly and rested her head on Sigrid's back.

"Do you have parents too? Real ones or adoptive ones?" Heather asked. Sigrid had to think for a long time to answer the question.

"I probably had them. I mean, everyone has parents, right?" At his vague answer, Heather laughed. She probably thought his words were a joke.

"What's that supposed to mean? Tell me. I told you, so you should tell me too."

"Well... actually I don't remember well. It might be because it was too long ago. But I have family now. We may not share blood, but they're family to me." When Sigrid said this, Heather became quiet again. Then after a moment, she spoke.

"I'm sorry. I touched on a sensitive topic. You mean Hiccup and his father, don't you? Hiccup told me you've known Chief Stoick for 30 years. You must be very close?"

"Well, we were. Back when we weren't so friendly with dragons, Stoick let me stay at his place when my hut collapsed. And whenever there were tribal meetings or councils in Berk, we always went together. We're very close."

"Being friends for 30 years sounds amazing. Didn't you two fight?" When Heather asked this, Sigrid laughed awkwardly.

"We did fight. Our friendship has only improved recently. About 10 years ago, we started arguing more and more. The last few years were absolutely terrible."

"So what changed? If things were that terrible between you, how did you become friends again?"

"We talked it out. If you care about someone and want things to get better, even after all that fighting, you'll find a way to fix it. The key is not running away from the problem."

"That's quite philosophical. I'll remember that."

After that, they flew in silence for a long time. When they weren't far from the Outcasts' island, Heather spoke up.

"Actually, when I first saw you, I was very scared. Alvin had warned me about you."

"Alvin did? What did he say about me?"

"He said you don't trust easily and you're really smart. According to him, you notice things faster than Chief Stoick, so I should watch out. I expected someone scary. But when it was different from my expectations, I was very surprised."

"It's surprising that Alvin said that. So do you still think I'm scary now?" At Sigrid's question, Heather shook her head.

"No. I'm not scared anymore. You've been kind to me from the beginning until now, you got me out of prison, and you're helping me now."

"I'm glad you came to me. If you'd tried to handle this on your own, things could have gone much worse. Thank you for trusting me."

After flying nonstop, the Outcasts' island finally came into view. The Nadder needed rest after the long flight from Berk, so they landed in a small cave on the edge of the Outcasts' island. It was just before dawn, so it was very dark and nothing was visible. Sigrid took Heather's hand and walked without hesitation. His eyes had already changed to the long, slit pupils of a dragon.

They walked until they reached the island's center. Every entrance was heavily guarded with no openings in sight. Sigrid had never been to this island before, so he didn't know his way around.

"Heather, do you know this place? Any idea where they're keeping your parents?" Sigrid asked, but Heather couldn't answer.

"No... I'm not sure. I was underground the whole time and was dragged out. I don't know what's where. I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay. We'll have to find somewhere on this island to wait until Alvin shows up. Will that be alright?" When Heather nodded, Sigrid climbed up to a high place on the island. A building that looked just like Berk's dragon arena stood out clearly. When dawn came, they would probably emerge from there.

"Rest for a while. I'll be watching. You need your strength for tomorrow. We don't know what we'll be facing." Sigrid took off his cloak and laid it on the ground. Heather held back for a moment, but Sigrid's patient coaxing won her over. The moment her head touched the ground, she was out—clearly she'd been running on empty. Sigrid sat next to Heather and continued watching the arena.

When the sun rose, there was movement in the arena. Too distant to identify, but he could see a dark-haired girl holding a book—someone around Heather's size. They unleashed a wild Monstrous Nightmare into the arena. Within moments, the girl had it under control and directed it to attack the crowd overhead. When two people emerged from the gathered crowd above, the girl stopped her attack. The girl was dragged outside with the newcomers. They should follow those people.

"Heather, wake up. We need to move." Sigrid shook the sleeping Heather awake while starting to call the Nadder they had ridden yesterday. By the time the Nadder arrived, Heather had fully awakened. They got on the Nadder and began following a group of people moving outside. Heather looked down and pointed somewhere.

"There! My parents are there. Those people are my parents." They were the people who had entered the arena earlier.

"I'm not sure where they're going, but let's keep following them. If things get strange, I'll intervene, so be prepared."

The group of Outcasts placed the black-haired girl and Heather's parents at the edge of the cliff and left. They were hiding behind nearby rocks. Soon the girl waved her hand and Hiccup came flying on Toothless from somewhere. It was Astrid—she had dyed her hair black. As Hiccup got off Toothless, the hidden Outcasts all rushed out. Hiccup had some conversation with Alvin, then attacked the Outcasts. The other rider kids also came out from where they were hiding.

However, the situation didn't go well. There were too many Outcasts, and the kids started getting overwhelmed. Sigrid swooped down on the Nadder, directing its flames at the axe-wielding Outcasts closing in on Heather's parents. The Outcasts screamed and collapsed as the flames hit them.

"Sigrid? And Heather? What are you doing here?" When the startled Hiccup looked up at the wild Nadder that had suddenly appeared, Sigrid and Heather were there. Sigrid removed the net covering Fishlegs and cut the ropes binding the Zippleback before landing the Nadder.

"Heather asked for help. We came to save her parents."

"That was dangerous earlier, but thanks for helping. How did you get here without even a saddle?" Hiccup asked in a surprised voice.

"I'll explain later, but right now we need to get out of here. I'll handle Heather's parents. Hiccup, get your team and let's go."

Hiccup nodded and shouted to the kids to leave. Since Heather was riding behind Astrid, Sigrid only needed to take care of Heather's parents. When he told the Nadder to grab those two people with its feet, it grabbed their clothes tightly and lifted them successfully. Looking back, the other kids were also following well on their dragons.

But suddenly Astrid was grazed by a stone from an Outcast catapult and crashed into a tree. Alvin tried to throw her off the cliff, but Hiccup and Snotlout's teamwork saved her. While everyone was distracted, Astrid quickly retrieved the Book of Dragons.

A few hours later, they were able to arrive at Berk's dock. Sigrid petted the wild Nadder that had worked hard and brought it fish as a reward. Meanwhile, Heather was having a conversation with Hiccup and Astrid. Astrid's anger toward Heather had clearly melted away. Sigrid watched their conversation from a distance. Stoick was talking with Heather's father. He was likely offering them one of Berk's boats. While watching Stoick, Heather ran toward where Sigrid was.

"Thank you so much for helping me. And for bringing me back to my parents."

"No. I'm glad you met your parents. Be careful when you leave." When Sigrid smiled, Heather hesitated about something. Then she took out a scroll from her vest. That familiar scroll was the one Hiccup had written about Ancient Dragons.

"I... I saw this. I didn't read the whole thing, just looked at the pictures. And there... you were in one of the drawings." Heather watched Sigrid's reaction. Sigrid was very surprised but waited until Heather finished speaking.

"I have to ask... what are you? Human or dragon?" Sigrid considered his options, then decided on honesty. He knelt down and whispered to Heather.

"I'm a dragon, not a human. Will that change how you see me?" When Sigrid answered, Heather looked surprised. But she wasn't scared or disappointed.

"No. I'm not. I was kind of expecting it. I was expecting something like a cursed human or something similar... but it's still okay." Heather carefully handed the scroll to Sigrid. Sigrid took the scroll and put it in a pocket inside his cloak.

"I have to confess—I'd already seen this scroll, both in prison and before you saved my parents. I just couldn't bring myself to tell you. I was scared you wouldn't help me if you knew. I'm so sorry for keeping it from you."

"No, it's fine. Even if you had said you read this scroll, I would have helped you. You were just a child missing your parents. I understand completely." When Sigrid said this, Heather smiled faintly. But soon her face changed to one showing some guilt.

"Actually, there's one more thing I need to tell you. I... I also told Savage that there's a dragon called an Ancient Dragon. You know, that paper covered in writing. I couldn't read the whole thing, just the first word of the first line. So Alvin probably knows about it too. I'm sorry for causing trouble... Of course, I'll never tell anyone again, even if it's my parents. I promise."

"Understood. You have my trust. I'll take care of Alvin myself. Go to your parents now. You have a long way to go, don't you?" Sigrid gestured toward Heather's parents waiting on the boat. Heather soon ran to her parents' side and got on the boat.

"See you next time, Sigrid! Thank you for helping me!" When Heather waved, Sigrid also waved back slightly.

Heather's problem was solved, but another problem arose. Alvin had learned the name Ancient Dragon. With just a name, there wouldn't be anything he could find out. Thousands of years of near-extinction had erased all traces of Ancient Dragons—no written records, no tales, no folklores survived. If any records survived at all, they'd be hidden away in places far beyond Berk's reach. But Alvin would keep digging until he finds something. Ancient Dragons would become his new obsession regarding Berk.

Already feeling a headache coming on, Sigrid decided to stop thinking for now. The first priority was to hide this scroll again. He should tell Hiccup and suggest moving it to a different location. Best not to mention that Alvin knew about it. If he said it, Hiccup would obviously blame himself. Heather had promised not to tell anyone, so he had no choice but to trust she would keep her promise.

Just thinking about the problems that would arise in the future made things complicated. Time brought more problems, and one by one, his carefully guarded secrets were being revealed. The number was still small, but the consequences were impossible to predict. Like a single spark that could ignite an entire forest.

Chapter Text

Every year, Berk held the Thawfest. It was a competition to determine the strongest Berkian, and all residents of Berk could participate—from young children to the elderly. This was the 30th Thawfest since Sigrid had arrived on Berk. Through every single one, he had watched from the sidelines. Although Stoick had invited him to participate several times, he had always declined, insisting he was a healer, not a Viking. Sigrid preferred watching other people's battles.

As Thawfest approached, Spitelout began pushing Snotlout as he always did. From the moment Snotlout turned five and could compete in Thawfest, Spitelout never stopped talking about how his son must win. Spitelout always won Thawfest. Since Stoick was the chief of Berk, he couldn't participate in Thawfest. Perhaps if he could have competed, he would have won every time. However, since Spitelout was the second strongest after Stoick, he always won. And Spitelout didn't want Snotlout to break this winning streak. So whenever Thawfest season came around, Snotlout's stress levels always peaked.

"I'm actually dying here. Dad's gone full Thawfest mode again. Every time he spots me, it's the same thing: 'You absolutely have to win!'" Snotlout complained as he sat in the healing hut. Sigrid smiled and sat across from Snotlout.

"Your dad is too obsessed with winning. He's always been like that."

"Even if Dad didn't pressure me so much, I'd win anyway, so why does he keep doing this? It just makes me more anxious. Especially since they added a new event to this year's Thawfest. Did you know about that?" Snotlout slumped in his chair.

"I know. Dragons. Sounds fun, doesn't it?" Snotlout made a strange noise and practically slid off his chair.

"That's the problem! Hookfang and I are incredibly skilled riders, and I know that very well. But Hiccup rides a Night Fury! The fastest dragon in the world! Even though I know I'll win, I keep getting anxious."

Sigrid knew Snotlout's anxiety grew more and more as Thawfest approached. By now, coming to Sigrid each time to chatter and ease his anxiety had become routine. Seeing him visit the healing hut with two weeks still left until Thawfest, Sigrid could tell he was very anxious about the newly added dragon event.

"You know you're the best. So how about believing in yourself? I know your father's words can feel heavy, but try to ignore them and let them roll off your back." Snotlout straightened up and sat properly in his chair. His crooked helmet also straightened back into place.

"Well, Dad's always like that. He says if you don't come in first, you're not a Jorgenson. He always says it like a joke, but sometimes I really think he'd actually kick me out if I don't get first place. Dad really seems like he would do that." Snotlout's shoulders fell. He might act all tough and strong with the other kids, but with Sigrid, he always let his guard down.

"Your dad's always been that way. Honestly, I think he's pushing too hard. You're doing perfectly well on your own." With Sigrid's words, Snotlout's face brightened slightly.

"You're right! I'm already the best. Now I just need to train harder with Hookfang to show Hiccup who's boss in the dragon event. See you later!" After saying this energetically, Snotlout rushed outside. Sigrid smiled as he watched the kid disappear.

Around two hours later, Stoick appeared at the door. With all the Thawfest preparations keeping him busy, his visit surely meant something important.

"Stoick? Aren't you busy with Thawfest preparations? What brings you here?" Stoick took off his helmet and sat in a chair. He looked very tired.

"I came to rest for a moment. Between Thawfest preparations and all my other duties, I'm completely worn out. If it weren't for Thornado, I wouldn't be able to get half of these things done." Sigrid handed Stoick some water. Not ale. Stoick looked at Sigrid for a moment, but seeing Sigrid's warning smile, he drank without complaint.

"I heard dragons are participating in Thawfest this year too. Did everyone else agree to this?" Sigrid leaned against the workbench and looked at Stoick.

"Everyone agreed. Except for a few people like Mildew. Everyone's very interested in dragons."

"Hiccup must be happy. He's always wanted to win at Thawfest. Isn't this his chance?"

"I'm looking forward to it too. I hope that boy can actually win. I'm tired of listening to Spitelout's bragging." Sigrid chuckled at those words.

"I know that too well. Spitelout even comes to me to talk about it, even though I don't even participate in Thawfest."

"By the way, why don't you participate in Thawfest? Almost everyone in Berk participates. Even old Knut, who has done nothing but farm his whole life, says he absolutely must participate in Thawfest. He's obviously much weaker than you." Stoick leaned forward. He was trying to persuade Sigrid again.

"I'm a healer. My role is to heal people injured in Thawfest, not to go beat someone up in Thawfest. Why do you keep trying to put me in there? I don't even know how to fight!" Stoick grinned. Sigrid didn't like the look of it.

"You keep insisting you're only a healer with no fighting skills, but I've seen the truth. A few months after you came to Berk, there was a dragon attack and you properly smacked a dragon's head with a shield. When I saw it, I realized something. You can fight, but you choose not to. I'd like to see those skills put to good use sometime."

Sigrid pressed his temples. That was almost 30 years ago, and it didn't make sense that Stoick would still remember it. Stoick really remembered useless things well. Seeing Sigrid's troubled expression, Stoick laughed as if amused.

"That was just a reflex. I'm just a healer, Stoick. Any Viking on Berk could defeat me easily. I don't want to enter that arena already knowing the outcome. Unlike the kids' matches, the adults' competitions are extremely wild. You really want to throw me into that?"

The kids' matches were relatively safe and easy. They weren't adults yet, and because children as young as five could participate, the challenges were designed for very young competitors. The adult competitions were another matter entirely. They used actual swords and battled until someone collapsed, lost consciousness, or gave up. When Thawfest ended, there were always many Vikings coming to the healing hut with injuries. Even so, they enjoyed these matches.

"I feel like you'd never be serious unless you're faced with such a situation. Wouldn't it be more fun with a bit of danger?"

"No thanks. I don't want to enter that chaos. The Vikings would be embarrassed to fight me, wouldn't they? They'd probably complain that fighting a healer is beneath them."

"I understand. But know this. I will definitely get you to participate in Thawfest someday. Look forward to it." With these words, Stoick went outside again to do his chief duties. Sigrid hoped that 'someday' would never come. His human form was actually quite weak. He was slightly stronger than an ordinary human, but the Vikings on this island weren't ordinary. It seemed better to just hide during the next Thawfest.

A week passed, leaving just one week until Thawfest. The Berkians were preparing for the event more enthusiastically than ever. Some rumor must have spread among the people, because from morning, people kept coming asking for herbs to make them stronger or ointment to build muscle. Every time, Sigrid would remind them that he was a healer, not a magician, and that they should visit Gothi for such requests, repeatedly sending people away.

After several days of this routine, just when people finally stopped visiting, Hiccup showed up. Hiccup looked unusually tired. He was preparing hard for Thawfest too. Hiccup complained that Stoick kept telling him 'it would be nice if you won Thawfest,' while Snotlout kept bragging about how he was going to win.

"Dad's a problem, but Snotlout's the biggest issue! Every time he sees me, he calls me a loser. This time I'm really going to win somehow," Hiccup said angrily.

"I heard there's a dragon event this time too? Try your best. Just don't get hurt trying too hard."

"I can definitely win this time. This time I'll definitely stop Snotlout from winning. He gets even more annoying during Thawfest season. All my friends can't stand Snotlout either. I wish Thawfest would start soon."

"Snotlout probably has his own problems. You know his father is pretty extreme, don't you?" Hiccup didn't look very convinced.

"Him? No way. He's just like his dad, so he's probably not thinking about anything serious. There's only a week left now, so I need to train harder with Toothless. I'll see you later!"

It looked like there would be many incidents at this Thawfest. During Thawfest season, everyone was always more aggressive than usual, but this time it was worse. Just thinking about how many injuries there would be in the adults' competitions at this Thawfest gave him a headache. He had to make more bandages and wound ointment in preparation for that day.

After such an incredibly busy week had passed, Thawfest finally began. The crowd roared when Stoick declared Thawfest officially begun. The stands above the arena were packed with people, but there was relatively more space where Stoick was seated, so Sigrid sat next to him. The first and second days were the kids' matches. Watching 5 and 6-year-old children running around dragging sheep was really cute. Then came the turn of the rider kids. As always, Snotlout took first place in all three matches.

"Why don't you just give us the metal now Stoick? Save your boy the embarrassment?"

"Why don't you take a seat, Spitelout."

Once again, Spitelout bragged, but then sat back down quietly when Stoick spoke. Stoick rubbed his face with his hand.

"That guy's at it again. Really, sometimes I want to punch him."

"If only you weren't the chief, you could have done it on the third day. Too bad."

When all the matches of the first day ended, Stoick announced to the people in the arena the matches were over. Looking forward to how Hiccup would perform in tomorrow's matches, Sigrid quickly returned to the healing hut. It was to prepare for the third day.

The second day of Thawfest began. In the first match, hurdle jumping, Hiccup took first place. Stoick was extremely happy watching this.

"Did you see my boy out there? I knew he'd be brilliant at the dragon events!"

"Yes, Hiccup has real talent for dragon riding. I'm looking forward to the other matches as well."

Hiccup received the highest scores in the second and third matches as well. However, in the third match, an incident occurred when Snotlout couldn't control Hookfang and briefly turned the arena into a sea of fire. Thus, both Hiccup and Snotlout received 3 points, resulting in the first tie in Thawfest history. Eventually, they postponed the next day's adult competition and moved the final one-on-one match to tomorrow.

Due to the sudden schedule change, Sigrid also had more time. While frantically making ointment, someone knocked on the door. Looking out the window, he saw Snotlout. He looked more dejected and listless than usual when he visited.

"What's wrong at this late hour? Are you hurt somewhere?" Sigrid opened the door and looked down at Snotlout. Snotlout shook his head.

"No, just... I'm so anxious. What if I lose tomorrow's fight? Dad just said no Jorgenson has ever been defeated at Thawfest and I shouldn't be the first. I have absolutely no confidence."

Spitelout was always like this. He put too much pressure on Snotlout, and if Snotlout performed well under pressure, he would claim it was because of that very pressure. Snotlout was crushed by pressure and suffered a lot of stress. He covered this up by acting like he didn't care and even bragging. Since he really did look like he was going to lose this time, Spitelout had been putting even more pressure on him.

"Snotlout. Haven't you been practicing your best so far? Have confidence in yourself. Don't think about what your dad says, just do your best."

"But what if I lose to Hiccup even though I did my best? Wouldn't it be too unfair? If I lose to Hiccup, Dad will think I didn't do my best. Even though I tried hard!"

"I know you've worked hard. And there will be other people who have seen you practice. What if I talked to your dad? Would that help?" He mumbled under his breath that his dad was the one who needed to know, not Sigrid, though he seemed somewhat comforted by Sigrid's words.

"You'd better get to bed early tonight to prepare for tomorrow. I'll be there watching your match, so try not to worry. And remember, even if you don't win, it's perfectly fine. Understand?" Only then did Snotlout start heading back to his house. Though he hesitated and looked back several times, he eventually made his way home. Depending on tomorrow's match results, it seemed better for Sigrid to approach Spitelout first.

The next day, the race began. Snotlout was ahead from the beginning, but suddenly Hiccup started gaining speed. It appeared he had modified his tail fin. Just as Hiccup was about to overtake Snotlout and win, Toothless suddenly started staggering and crash-landed in the forest below. Thus, the winner of this year's Thawfest was once again Snotlout.

"Snotlout! Snotlout! Oi! Oi! Oi!"

Hearing the familiar sound, Sigrid prepared to return to the healing hut. Just then, Stoick began making other announcements.

"Tomorrow we'll have the adults' Thawfest competition. I think you all know this, and those participating should gather at the arena starting tomorrow morning. Today's Thawfest is now over!"

When Stoick finished speaking, the adult Vikings began cheering. Sigrid could already predict tomorrow's situation.

The next day, the adults' Thawfest was held. Inside the arena was already chaos. If they were going to fight, it would be better for them to use wooden weapons, but he couldn't understand why they insisted on using real ones. Thanks to this, there were already plenty of injured people. It was good he had made lots of bandages and ointment in advance.

As he moved through the stands treating the wounded, Spitelout was battling another Viking with axes in the arena below. During this, Spitelout struck his challenger's axe hard, causing it to bounce off and fly away. The axe flew straight toward the stands, and no one knew who it might hit. And the axe was flying directly toward Sigrid in the stands.

Sensing something approaching rapidly, Sigrid reflexively avoided the incoming axe. The axe embedded itself deeply in the wooden pillar behind Sigrid. A hush fell over the crowd as everyone turned to stare at Sigrid. In the arena below, Spitelout froze mid-battle and looked up. Everyone appeared stunned as heavy silence fell over the once-loud arena. Under all those staring eyes, Sigrid smiled nervously.

"Be careful! That almost hit someone!" Sigrid deliberately called out loudly to Spitelout in the arena, then quickly made his way down from the stands. Being the center of attention was awkward, especially in this situation.

When Sigrid came down to the arena, Stoick followed him down. Stoick also appeared surprised by what just happened.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?"

"I'm fine. You saw me avoid it, didn't you? I handled it well, so there's nothing to worry about." Once Stoick knew Sigrid's condition was fine, his expression changed. It was an expression of great interest.

"I didn't know you had such good reflexes. And you still say you don't know how to fight?"

"I was just lucky. I really don't know how to fight. I'm busy, so you should go back to the arena. I need to go." Sigrid hurriedly finished speaking and headed toward the healing hut at almost a run. Fortunately, Stoick didn't try to stop him.

Halfway there, Sigrid slowed his pace. He really wanted to avoid fighting. He was reluctant to fight against the people of Berk. He simply didn't want to do it. While sighing and heading to the healing hut, suddenly he felt vibrations from underground. Sigrid placed his palm on the ground. The vibrations followed a disturbing pattern: long tremors, sudden stillness, then tremors again. It seemed like a wild Whispering Death had tunneled into Berk.

Whispering Deaths had been gone from Berk for a long time. Probably, if they didn't provoke it, it would pass through this island and go somewhere else. Thinking that preparing for the patients who would come later was more important than dealing with one wild Whispering Death right now, Sigrid pushed thoughts about the dragon from his mind.

He had no idea what consequences this would bring.

Chapter Text

About three days after Thawfest ended, a giant hole appeared in the middle of the village. The noise drew Sigrid out of the healing hut, and he saw people crowding around the hole. It looked like a hole made by a Whispering Death that had been underground. If it were a wild dragon passing through, it would have escaped to the forest or moved to another island, but Sigrid couldn't understand why it was still here.

"Stoick, how long has this hole been here? I just stepped out of the healing hut, so I'm not sure what's going on."

"I don't know either. It probably appeared last night. Do you know what caused it?"

While they spoke, the ground shook violently and a massive Whispering Death burst from the hole. The crowd scattered in panic while the rider kids and Stoick rushed to get their dragons. Sigrid tried to calm the Whispering Death, but the moment it spotted Toothless, it ignored him completely. The dragon resisted his commands so violently that Sigrid felt a sharp headache and stumbled. Just then, Toothless lunged at the Whispering Death.

As the Whispering Death and Toothless clashed fiercely, Gobber launched a catapult shot at the Whispering Death. And it ran away underground to hide. When the situation calmed down, Sigrid looked around briefly to check if there were any injured. During this time, he saw Toothless ignoring Hiccup's words and running up the mountain alone to find the Whispering Death. There must be some kind of bad blood between the Whispering Death and Toothless.

Sigrid stopped Hiccup from going up the mountain to find Toothless. He thought it was better for dragons to handle dragon matters among themselves.

"I think you should wait here until Toothless comes back." Hiccup didn't understand Sigrid's words.

"Toothless is in danger! He can't fly on his own, but he still went after the Whispering Death. He wouldn't even listen to me."

"Toothless wants to face the Whispering Death alone. Toothless is your partner. You should listen to him." Eventually, Hiccup gave up on going after Toothless and helped clean up the debris from the chaotic village.

The next day, Hiccup showed up at the healing hut with a big smile, saying he had resolved the problem between the Whispering Death and Toothless. According to Hiccup, the Whispering Death had been seeking revenge against Toothless. And Toothless wanted to handle it alone, but they solved it as a team in the end.

"I never imagined Toothless had made such enemy. That wound on the Whispering Death was old—years old—yet its hatred burned as fiercely as ever." Hiccup leaned on the armrest, chin in his hand. He was shocked to learn about Toothless's past this way—a past he'd never known existed.

"Old grudges die hard. Toothless isn't even that old, but look at the hatred that dragon still carries. After all, such things don't fade easily with time—that's simply how memory works." Sigrid spoke as he cleaned the herb-grinding tools with a handkerchief.

"You've been around much longer than Toothless and I have. Do you have that kind of relationship with someone? You know, a nemesis?" Hiccup began to focus on Sigrid, curious to know. "Don't tell me you're going to say you don't remember again. You were the one who said these things don't fade easily."

"Well... I'm sorry to disappoint you again, but I don't remember. Even if there was someone, they're probably gone by now. I've never encountered anyone—human or dragon—who came looking for me claiming to know me."

He sensed there might have been someone like that in his past, or perhaps not—he truly couldn't tell. Even if there had been, they would all be dead by now, so it probably didn't matter. Sigrid's body was covered with many scars, both large and small. No one had seen them yet, but if they did, they would be utterly shocked. He couldn't remember how he'd gotten these scars, but if they were severe enough to leave such marks, he must have fought someone in a life-or-death battle. He just couldn't remember.

"I figured as much. Most of the old stories you tell are like that. Either you don't remember, or you're not sure. I expected it." Hiccup looked at the herb bundles on the workbench and remembered something.

"Last time you told me to hide that scroll somewhere else. Somewhere no one could find it. So I hid it in the cove. I put it in a box and placed it between the rocks. No one would know about it there. But why did you suddenly want to change the location? We were never caught, right?"

"Your father said he was going to repair the house. He would touch under your bed too, so I was sure it would be discovered. That place would really have no risk of being found. You did well." Sigrid answered with a slight lie. Now that the scroll had been moved there, there was no need to worry.

As time passed, Stoick came to the healing hut. The annual treaty signing with the Berserker tribe was coming soon. Stoick wanted to go over the treaty once more before the ceremony, so Sigrid walked with him to his house.

"I'll meet Chief Oswald the Agreeable again this time. Meeting with that chief was always fine. Except for the chief's son." Sigrid spoke with a slight joke. Stoick agreed with this.

"That crazy boy? I agree. That kid was always strange. He was the complete opposite of his father. Every time he came here, he tried to bully Hiccup. If you hadn't kept stopping him, Hiccup would be somewhere in the ocean by now."

"Would he? Dagur probably hates me a lot. I stopped that kid from doing everything he wanted, every single time. I can't imagine what he'll do this time. Last year, he tried to throw an axe at Hiccup, but I stopped him. You should have seen him raging like a crazy yak." Stoick laughed at Sigrid's words.

"The Berserker tribe's only worry is probably that son. Once Chief Oswald the Agreeable retires, Dagur will take over as chief, but I honestly can't picture that wild kid doing the job right."

They exchanged a few words along the way and arrived at Stoick's house. Inside, there was a parchment scroll with the treaty written on it. The treaty content was almost the same as last year: 'Do not attack each other. Do not destroy merchant ships. Send reinforcements if the other tribe goes to war with another tribe.' This was sufficient.

"This should be enough. It's the same content as last year. The only thing that's changed since last year is we have dragons now. What are you going to do about that?" Sigrid rolled up the scroll again and tied it with string.

"We have to hide the dragons. The peace treaty with the Berserker tribe has lasted for 15 years because of the balance of power. The Berserker tribe and our tribe have almost equal strength. But if they find out that we've tamed dragons and ride them, that balance will be broken. It's better to hide them completely."

"You're right. I should tell Hiccup to keep the dragons hidden. The Berserkers will arrive soon, so you'll need to wear the ceremonial belt. Does that belt still fit?" 

Sigrid pointed to the ceremonial belt hanging on the wall with a playful smile. That belt had been worn by Stoick since he was in his twenties. With age, it had likely become increasingly tight, and now it might not fit him at all.

"Of course it fits. I'm still maintaining my body from my twenties. I've gained just a little weight." Stoick confidently tried to put the belt around his waist, but as expected, it wouldn't fit. Sigrid almost collapsed laughing and stepped behind him.

"Can you still say you're maintaining it after seeing this? Give me the belt. I'll help you." Just as Sigrid grabbed the belt and pulled it tight to make it fit, Hiccup pushed open the door and entered.

"Ah, the ceremonial belt. Is it that time again?"

"Yep, tomorrow's the annual treaty signing with the Berserker tribe."

"The Berserker tribe coming means Dagur is coming too. Are you ready to meet that kid?" At Sigrid's words, Hiccup shuddered.

"That crazy kid? Oh, come on. Every time he shows up, I nearly get killed, you know!"

"And he's always stopped Dagur before. He'll do it again, so trust him." Stoick smiled and pointed at Sigrid. Hiccup looked unhappy but gave in.

"And Hiccup, you need to do something important. You get to hide all the dragons."

"From Oswald the Agreeable? Why?"

"The dragons could be seen as a sign of aggression. Better blissful than bloody I always say."

"The balance of power between tribes is quite difficult to maintain. Even if we don't plan to attack the Berserker tribe, the mere presence of dragons is threatening enough. The Berserker tribe's ships will arrive soon, so can you do it quickly?" When Sigrid and Stoick finished speaking, Hiccup immediately flew away on Toothless. They hoped Hiccup would succeed in hiding all the dragons before the Berserker tribe arrived.

A few hours later, several ships of the Berserker tribe appeared at Berk's coastline. Sigrid stood behind Stoick's right side as usual. Hiccup rushed over from far away and quickly positioned himself to Stoick's left. He looked like he had something to say, but since the Berserker tribe's ships would arrive soon, he had no choice but to wait quietly.

"Presenting the high Chief of the Berserker Tribe, the cracker of skulls, slayer of beasts, the great and fearsome... Dagur the Deranged!"

An unfamiliar name came from the Berserker Herald's mouth. Dagur the Deranged? It wasn't Oswald the Agreeable. They couldn't figure out why only the son had come instead of the chief. Stoick looked just as confused about the whole situation. Dagur came down from the ship with a wicked grin and a low chuckle. Without warning, he flung a knife straight at Hiccup. Sigrid swiftly pulled Hiccup aside, the blade missing by inches.

"Oh, perfect." Hiccup moved closer to Sigrid. Dagur didn't even look at Sigrid and just sneered at Hiccup.

"Dagur, where's your father?" Stoick asked Dagur, but Dagur's response was utterly disrespectful.

"My father has been... retired. He lost his taste for blood. I, on the other hand, am starving."

Dagur had become crazier than he was a year ago. They hadn't heard news of Oswald the Agreeable's retirement from anywhere. Either Dagur had kept the news from getting out, or Oswald the Agreeable's 'retirement' had occurred recently. Stoick frowned. If Dagur was the new chief of the Berserker Tribe, he had to treat him as a chief.

"So, where are you hiding them, Stoick? I want to see them right now." Dagur smiled unpleasantly.

"Hiding what, Dagur?"

"Do I look stupid to you? We both know what's going on here. I have it on excellent authority that you're amassing an army of dragons." 

Dagur spoke while threateningly tossing his axe in the air. This was absolutely not appropriate behavior in front of another tribe's chief. Stoick's patience was gradually wearing thin due to such rudeness. Since this was a conversation between chiefs, Sigrid didn't interfere, but he remained tense, knowing either one might act impulsively at any moment.

"Excellent authority? And who would that be, Dagur?"

"Never mind. Just know that if I find it to be true, then my armada will attack with the force of fifty thousand brave Berserker soldiers."

"Stand down, Dagur. There won't be any need for the armada." 

Stoick gathered his remaining patience. He recommended that Dagur move for the treaty, but Dagur wanted to tour Berk: the armory, the Great Hall, and even the arena. These were things Oswald the Agreeable had never requested when he was chief.

"Your father never found the tour necessary." Alliance or not, wanting to tour their facilities was clearly inappropriate. Stoick tried to warn Dagur, but Dagur wasn't listening at all.

"As you can see, I'm not my father. Am I?" A tense atmosphere flowed between Dagur and Stoick. Finally, when Stoick couldn't stand it and put his hand on his sword hilt, Sigrid grabbed his hand and prevented him from drawing the sword.

"Stoick. We need to make a treaty now. Don't forget that what's in front of us is a 15-year-old chief."

When Sigrid spoke, Stoick barely calmed down. He lowered his hand from the sword hilt and guided Dagur into the village. Dagur gave Sigrid an unreadable look, then quietly followed Stoick without a word. Hiccup had disappeared at some point, and it appeared there was a problem with the dragons. This treaty was important, so if dragons were still in the village, Sigrid might have to step in directly.

Sigrid quietly followed behind Stoick and Dagur as they headed to the food storage. Dagur had no interest in the food storage and only wanted to see dragon-killing things. It was impossible to understand how such a personality had developed. Oswald the Agreeable's personality was the complete opposite of Dagur's.

They visited the armory second, but even there, Dagur only talked about killing dragons. He swung swords from the armory recklessly, acting completely manic.

"Oh, you want some of this, Gronckle? How 'bout you, Nadder? Hyah! That's right plead, plead for your pathetic dragon life!"

"I don't get how that lunatic became chief. Don't you think so?" Sigrid whispered to Stoick.

"I'm ready to make him eat this sword." Stoick drew his sword but resheathed it at Sigrid's intervention.

"If he just signs, that kid will leave immediately. Let's just go along with him for now. Once we get through this time, we won't have to see him again for another year." After answering Stoick, Sigrid approached Dagur. As Sigrid drew near, Dagur's manic chatter ceased, and he looked up at Sigrid with a serious expression. Dagur had been acting strangely toward Sigrid since the dock. He either ignored him completely or wouldn't speak to him.

"Why don't we see to signing that treaty now? You must be busy with your tribe's affairs too." When Sigrid spoke, Dagur sneered.

"Sounds like my father. 'Sign the treaty, Dagur.' 'Leave that chicken alone, Dagur!' 'Put down that axe, Dagur!'" When Dagur mocked his father, Stoick finally couldn't stand it and stepped forward.

"Your father is a great man! And I'll not have you disrespect him!"

"My father was a coward. I intend to return the Berserkers to their former glory. Something he was incapable of doing." Dagur's voice contained hatred when speaking about his father. It didn't seem like he was talking about his father. It was more like how he'd treat an enemy.

During their conversation, a Zippleback ran past the half-open armory door. And Hiccup was chasing the Zippleback. Stoick was shocked but had to go find Hiccup to handle this situation.

"Dagur. There's a villager outside, so I'll be back in a moment. Stay with Sigrid for a while. I think you know who Sigrid is. I'll be back soon." Stoick exchanged a quick glance with Sigrid before leaving the armory and closing the door behind him. He closed it to avoid being seen catching the Zippleback. Thus, only Sigrid and Dagur remained in the dimly lit armory.

Even though they were alone, Dagur said nothing. Last year, he had thrown a massive tantrum at Sigrid for stopping him from bullying Hiccup, but now his behavior was completely different. Outside, Stoick and Hiccup could be heard talking quietly. It sounded like they had failed to catch the Zippleback. As he mentally guided the Zippleback away toward the forest, Sigrid felt he should probably say something to Dagur.

"So Dagur, when did you become chief? We didn't hear news that the Berserker Tribe's chief had changed." Sigrid brought up the topic, but Dagur didn't answer. He turned his back to Sigrid and touched the sword tip with his thumb, as if testing the sharpness of the blade.

Since Dagur wouldn't answer, Sigrid didn't talk to him anymore either. While focusing on the sounds outside, Dagur suddenly began to speak.

"You know what? I first came here when I was 5 years old. And I met you for the first time. I tried to throw Hiccup into the sea, but you stopped me." It was totally out of nowhere, but Sigrid answered briefly.

"And every year, the same way—you always stopped me. No matter how hard I tried, it was useless. I could never beat you, and you always stopped me and looked down on me. With that particular look in your eyes."

Sigrid didn't understand what Dagur was talking about.

"What do you mean? I don't really understand." When Sigrid said this, Dagur's mood suddenly changed. The face that turned toward Sigrid was filled with murderous intent.

"Even now, you're still looking at me with those same eyes. Those eyes like you're looking at something completely worthless. As if I'm nothing at all!" Dagur raised the sword and pointed its tip straight at Sigrid. He didn't know why Dagur was suddenly acting this way, but he had to stop Dagur's actions.

"Dagur. Put the sword down. I don't really understand what you're talking about."

But Dagur grew more frenzied at Sigrid's words. Madness began to spin in his eyes.

"You were always like this. You always acted strangely. As if you weren't human. As if you weren't even human. Like you were above everyone else. You thought I was too stupid to see it, but I knew from the beginning. But now everything's changed. I'm chief of the Berserkers now, and I have real power. Now I'm the one who's superior. I can beat YOU."

All Sigrid had ever done to Dagur was stop him from bullying Hiccup, restrain him when he got violent, and think it was cute when young Dagur threw tantrums in frustration. That was really all there was, but Dagur thought of Sigrid like a lifelong enemy.

While Sigrid was looking down at Dagur without knowing what to say, the armory door suddenly opened. When Stoick entered, Dagur quickly lowered his sword and acted as if nothing had happened. Sigrid was speechless.

While walking to the Great Hall with Dagur, Sigrid fell back to have a brief conversation with Stoick. According to Stoick, the twins' Zippleback had caused chaos in the village, but suddenly flew away to the forest by itself. When Stoick asked if there had been any trouble while they were alone, Sigrid told him everything was fine.

On the way, Dagur and Hiccup met each other. Dagur asked Hiccup to teach him how to train dragons, but Hiccup kept pretending not to know until the end. When Hiccup looked at Sigrid and sent a signal for help, Sigrid again told Dagur to go to the Great Hall first. Dagur glared at Sigrid once but didn't show the same aggression as before.

When they all arrived at the Great Hall, a feast was being held to celebrate the treaty signing. Hiccup wanted to sit as far away from Dagur as possible, but he had no choice but to sit to Stoick's right as always. Dagur sat in the chief's chair, with Sigrid to his right. During the meal, Dagur suddenly raised his wooden cup and shouted.

"A toast! To death in battle!"

When other Vikings shouted "To your father! To Oswald!" Dagur looked very dissatisfied.

"Fine, whatever! 'To Oswald! To Oswald! To Oswald!' Bladady, Bladady, Blah! Ugh!" Dagur almost angrily stabbed his knife into the table. It would be best to make him sign as quickly as possible and send him away.

"Dagur. This is the treaty you need to sign. Can you read it and sign it?"

"Great idea! Let's sign that treaty. Bring us the dragon's blood!" Dagur didn't even look at the scroll with the treaty written on it. However, demanding dragon's blood for signing was unexpected. Berk had never once used dragon's blood when signing treaties between tribes.

"Don't be ridiculous, Dagur. Your father and I haven't signed the treaty in dragon's blood for years." Stoick spoke as if it was absurd, but Dagur just sneered at his answer.

"Why would that be a problem, Stoick? Unless, of course, you don't kill dragons anymore."

"We still kill dragons."

"Then show me proof. That you still kill dragons."

While Stoick and Dagur stood up from their seats and faced each other, something suddenly came running from afar. It was the twins' Zippleback he'd sent to the forest. Sigrid urgently commanded it to go back again, but it was already too late. After ramming into the door once, Barf and Belch could only turn around and run away. The sudden situation began to cause another headache. It was so sudden that he had given commands in the form of controlling dragons, causing unintended consequences. Dagur, sitting beside him, went absolutely berserk with excitement at the sight of the Zippleback, eager to slaughter it.

"It's going to be amazing! Tonight, we hunt dragon!" When Dagur shouted excitedly, the Berserkers went outside to chase the escaped Zippleback.

The situation suddenly became complicated. Hiccup went out to find the Zippleback before the Berserkers could find it first, and Stoick failed in trying to calm Dagur. Sigrid stood up from his chair, fighting through the throbbing headache. Since he had commanded it to run as far away as possible, they wouldn't find it quickly.

"Stoick, you should chase after them too. If we go together, we can at least prevent them from killing it right on the spot." Sigrid spoke while pressing his forehead.

"Alright. I'll chase after them. You stay here and sort out the situation. Take care of the scroll with the treaty too."

When Stoick quickly chased after Dagur, Sigrid lifted up one overturned chair and sat on it. He couldn't tell if his head hurt from the stress of this situation, or if the side effects from earlier were still lingering. What was certain was Sigrid really didn't want to face Dagur again. How could someone become even more insane in just one year? Sigrid rolled up the paper again, tied it with string, put it in the pocket inside his cloak, and then cleaned up the chaotic Great Hall.

By morning, the noise outside drew him out to find Berserkers dragging the tied-up Zippleback toward the arena. It looked like they had succeeded in catching it. When Sigrid sprinted to the arena, he saw Hiccup being attacked by Toothless. In fact, all the dragon riders, including Hiccup, were being attacked by their own dragons.

Dagur was scared by the dragons' attacks and was escaping from the arena. Using this moment, Sigrid unfolded the treaty scroll and showed it to Dagur.

"Dagur. You need to sign this before leaving. Are you in a big hurry?" Dagur looked at Sigrid's face and was about to get angry again, but was startled by dragon fire from somewhere and ran off once more.

"Consider it signed!" With those words, Dagur boarded his ship and fled far away. This nightmare was finally at an end.

Sigrid tied the scroll with string again and handed it to Stoick. Stoick also looked very happy about Dagur's disappearance.

"That crazy kid finally left. I don't want to see him again."

"Me too. Now we don't have to see him for a year. That's definitely worth celebrating."

Stoick bumped Sigrid's shoulder with his fist. It was his way of saying he agreed too. Sigrid smiled and looked at the Berserker tribe's ships disappearing in the distance. But for some reason, he had an ominous feeling that they would meet again soon.

Chapter Text

In the deep dawn, Sigrid woke to the feeling of someone touching him. Having just awakened from sleep, his vision wasn't clear yet, but something felt heavy on his chest. He pressed his eyes with his hand and when his vision cleared, he found a Terrible Terror perched on his chest. A small scroll was tied to the Terror's leg. It was a letter from Valka. His heart lifted—it had been two years since he'd received her last letter.

"Oh, You brought me a letter from Valka. Thank you. I hope you weren't waiting long." 

Sigrid smiled as he untied the scroll from the Terrible Terror's leg and petted its head. There was a time when he'd have sensed danger before it even arrived, but now he slept through visitors perching on his very chest. Three decades of peaceful living had probably made him soft.

Sigrid unrolled the scroll. It was too dark to see the writing, so he had to light the candle on the side table. Sigrid leaned forward and held his hand near the candle wick, then snapped his fingers once. Instantly, a bright light illuminated the room and the wick caught fire. Sigrid focused on the letter again. The letter was written in charcoal, not ink, with smudged black marks and rough handwriting. But he could read every word.

The letter was simple:

'Sorry I couldn't send a letter for two years. Dragon hunter activity has increased dramatically lately. They're using blast-proof metal and some kind of herb that affects dragons. You be careful too. How's Berk these days? Is it the same as when I left? I hope things are still good between you and Stoick. Please tell me about Hiccup when you write back. I'm always grateful to you. Keep your secret safe. I'll write again soon.'

Limited by the small paper, the message was short, but the blunt, essential-only style was classic Valka. The previous letter also mentioned dragon hunters, and seeing it again this time, the outside situation appeared serious. They hadn't reached Berk's archipelago yet, but it was only a matter of time. He decided to fly further afield tomorrow—herb gathering would be the perfect cover.

Sigrid took out a piece of paper from the drawer. He dipped his quill and paused, thinking what to tell Valka. Updates on Hiccup, what had changed in Berk, and that he'd patched things up with Stoick. He might also remind her to write more often. His pen moved quickly across the paper. After finishing the letter, he read it over from start to finish.

'Thank you for the letter. I don't know you're okay. Write about that in your next letter as well. Send letters often. I'll be careful about the dragon hunters. They'll probably reach this archipelago soon anyway. Berk has changed a lot. We no longer fight dragons but coexist with them. Wouldn't it be okay for you to come now? Hiccup rides dragons now. There was a bit of an accident, but you don't need to worry. Hiccup now reaches my shoulder. He's grown a lot. And things with Stoick are fine. I miss you—come visit when it's safe. Keep yourself well, Valka.'

After checking the content once more, Sigrid rolled up the letter and dropped candle wax to seal it. Then he looked to the side to tie the letter to the Terrible Terror's leg. The Terrible Terror was sleeping on Sigrid's bed. It looked exhausted from the long flight, so he let it sleep. He carefully tied the letter to the sleeping Terror's leg without waking it, blew out the candle, and lay down next to the Terror. This way, when the Terror woke up, it could fly away on its own.

The rooster's crow announcing morning was heard. He got up to check if the Terrible Terror was still there, but it had already left. It appeared to have left before Sigrid woke up. Today he had to go out early. The purpose was to go outside the archipelago and check if dragon hunters had reached here. He'd rather find empty seas, but if hunters were lurking, he needed to know. Being prepared beat being surprised.

After quickly finishing breakfast, Sigrid stood outside the healing hut door and called for a dragon. Soon a blue Gronckle flew quickly and landed in front of him. The plan was simple: the Gronckle would take him far enough from Berk so that no one could see him, then he'd fly alone.

"Just give me a ride for a little while. We won't be long." When Sigrid scratched under the Gronckle's chin, the Gronckle closed its eyes as if pleased. Then he heard footsteps from the front. Looking up, Stoick was there. Stoick gave the Gronckle a quick look, then fixed his gaze on Sigrid as though this was perfectly normal.

"So who's this? Another wild dragon? Every time I see you, there's a different dragon by your side." When Stoick said this, Sigrid smiled awkwardly. He hadn't expected Stoick to visit this early in the morning.

"It's a wild dragon. I need herbs from another island, and flying is much faster than sailing."

"If it's something like that, you should have asked me. Isn't Thornado faster than that Gronckle? You could come with me." When Stoick said this, Sigrid became more troubled. It was ironic, really—talking about speed and then picking a Gronckle, the slowest dragon of all.

"No, it's fine. You're busy with chief duties. Herb gathering isn't something that ends quickly either. If I leave now, I'll return late in the evening. I can't hold you up for that long." At Sigrid's words, Stoick looked slightly disappointed.

"I understand. Still, you only have to ask—I'd be happy to come along. Truth is, I could use an excuse to escape the chief's responsibilities. Promise me we'll go together next time." Stoick lightly patted Sigrid's shoulder with his palm.

"Alright. Let's go together next time. See you later."

After exchanging quick farewells with Stoick, Sigrid glanced up at the sky. Dark clouds filled the sky, and it looked like rain would fall soon. Cloud cover this thick was ideal—he could fly above it without being seen. Sigrid packed an herb bag, slung it over his shoulder, and climbed onto the Gronckle. At Sigrid's signal, the Gronckle quickly ascended. Soon they broke through the clouds and arrived above them. Unlike the dark area below the clouds, it was a very clear and blue sky. Just in case, he rode the Gronckle a bit further forward. When he thought they had gone far enough, Sigrid stopped the Gronckle. It was now a distance where he could fly alone.

Still riding the Gronckle, he removed his cloak, folded it carefully, and tucked it into his bag. He removed his belt, tucked it away with the cloak, then started spreading his wings. As the bottom of the tunic lifted up, the massive dragon wings unfolded. He couldn't cut holes in his tunic without raising obvious questions, so spreading his wings always left his waist exposed. Shivering slightly at the cold wind touching his bare skin, Sigrid jumped off the Gronckle.

"Well done. You can head back now. Thanks for the lift." Sigrid patted the Gronckle's head and watched it fly back home. From here, a long flight awaited. Fortunately, Sigrid was an exceptionally fast flier. Routes that took other dragons hours, he could cover in half the time.

As Sigrid picked up speed, the wind rushing past grew faster and faster. Flying with Hiccup had clearly helped—his once-shaky flying had returned to its former precision. After maintaining a steady, high-speed flight, he dipped below the cloud cover to see where he was. Below was an unfamiliar sea, not the familiar one. He had left the archipelago where Berk was located.

There wasn't a single ship around, and not even roaming dragons were visible. Sigrid decided to make a large circle around this area. He planned to fly just below the clouds to look for what might be there. However, even after flying for several hours, no ships or people were ever seen.

Sigrid landed on a nearby island for a moment. He wanted a brief rest, and he'd need some real herbs to back up his excuse. After flying for such a long time for the first time in a while, his shoulders were starting to ache. Sigrid tucked his wings out of sight and walked into the forest, rolling his stiff shoulders. Today he had continued south from the archipelago, so next time he thought he should circle around to the north. The further south he traveled, the warmer it got, which was pleasant enough, but the area was completely deserted—no dragons, no people, nothing. Rather than scouting everything himself, he could always buy information from Johann. The trader got around to countless places and picked up news everywhere he went.

After some herb gathering, Sigrid spread his wings again and took flight. Now it was time to return to Berk. With every wingbeat, his tunic would slide upward, creating a constant distraction during his ascent. He really had to improve this problem somehow. As he followed his flight path home, the rumble of an approaching storm grew stronger with each mile toward Berk. A storm was blowing near Berk. To avoid getting caught in the storm, Sigrid deliberately went back further and arrived above Berk.

To avoid being spotted, he flew around to Berk's far side. The shoreline there looked completely deserted from above, so Sigrid made a careful landing. A Nadder lying on the beach showed interest and approached. Sigrid carefully moved the overly interested Nadder aside, retrieved his belt from among the herbs, strapped it on, and pulled his cloak around his shoulders.

The far coastline offered privacy but meant crossing most of the island to get home. When Sigrid looked at the Nadder, the Nadder understood what he meant and lowered its upper body. Thanks to this, Sigrid could return to the village comfortably. Once they arrived at the village edge, Sigrid climbed down and took a quick walk with the Nadder to fetch some fish as a reward. The sky was full of dark clouds, just like when he left. Looking at the sea, he could see the rider kids returning to the village on dragons. However, this time Hiccup and Snotlout were nowhere to be seen. He walked toward where the kids would land to find out what the situation was.

Stoick and the kids were already there having a conversation. As Sigrid approached, the twins' attention immediately locked onto the wild Nadder beside him. 

"Where are Hiccup and Snotlout? Are they coming a bit late?" When Sigrid asked Astrid, she answered with a somewhat worried expression.

"He'll come with Snotlout. He fell behind a bit. He'll come today."

"Really? With this storm coming... I'm concerned. Go on inside, kids." Sigrid said as he approached Stoick to talk with him. "And Ruff and Tuff. The Nadder doesn't like that. Please stop."

After speaking to the twins who were bothering the wild Nadder's tail, Sigrid turned his attention to Stoick. Stoick looked very worried too.

"Don't worry. He'll come soon. I'm worried about the storm, but... he'll be back in a bit, won't he?"

"He will. I was worried because they've never come separately like this."

Stoick said, then left again with Gobber to move carts. When the next day arrived, Hiccup was still missing. Only Hookfang had come home—without Snotlout.

"There seems to be a problem. Get your dragons ready. We need to go look for Hiccup and Snotlout." When Stoick spoke, all the rider kids climbed onto their dragons. Sigrid also climbed onto Hookfang. If Hookfang detected Snotlout's scent, it would guide them to where Hiccup and Snotlout were.

The storm-swept seas created challenging flight conditions with unpredictable wind patterns. While following Hookfang, Fishlegs discovered something on the sea. Astrid picked it up for a closer look and recognized it as Toothless's tail fin. Something had clearly gone wrong—either the storm caught them or an accident that made Toothless unable to fly.

While continuing their flight, they met Hiccup and Snotlout riding Toothless halfway. Fortunately, both were safe and uninjured. As soon as Snotlout saw Hookfang, he was delighted and immediately climbed onto Hookfang. Sigrid moved back so Snotlout could sit in the saddle.

"Snotlout, what happened? You had us worried when you stayed out so long." When Sigrid asked, Snotlout looked up at Sigrid.

"We crashed on Outcast Island, but Hiccup and I totally kicked butt while we were there. Amazing, right?"

"Amazing. It's fortunate you weren't hurt. It was quite a dangerous place, but you escaped well."

Snotlout clearly enjoyed the praise, but Sigrid became serious. Outcast Island was a considerably dangerous place. Returning safely was extremely lucky. He would have to ask Hiccup for details later. Once they reached Berk, Stoick caught Sigrid's eye and nodded toward the house. No words needed—they both knew what had to be discussed.

Stoick let Hiccup and Sigrid inside and closed the door. Since they'd witnessed the island's defenses directly, it was an opportunity to accurately grasp what they had. When Hiccup sat in a chair, Stoick began questioning Hiccup seriously. Hiccup also became tense with the heavy atmosphere.

"Hiccup. What did you see when you went to that island? Tell me everything you can remember, no matter how small."

"Well... I didn't see much. To escape, I had to fix Toothless's tail, and to do that, I had to go to the forge. I was so focused on the forge that I didn't see anything else. I'm sorry." Hiccup's shoulders sagged a little. He looked disappointed that he couldn't offer more help.

"No, it's fine. It would be good enough just to know what was in the forge. Tell us what you remember." Sigrid came up behind Hiccup and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. The simple gesture seemed to restore Hiccup's confidence.

"The forge was just ordinary. There were far more weapons than Berk's forge though. I was trying to fix Toothless's connecting rod there when the Outcasts caught me. And I was just caught and... dragged away." At Hiccup's words, Stoick and Sigrid exchanged a hard look.

"Dragged away? How?" Stoick said in a hardened voice.

"They just... grabbed both my arms and dragged me off. Savage said Alvin was waiting for me. I guess Alvin's target is me. While being dragged away like that, Snotlout came with Toothless and we escaped. That's really all there is."

"Thanks for sharing. Do your arms hurt where they held you? Can I take a look?" When Sigrid asked, Hiccup insisted he was fine, but when Sigrid held out his hand, Hiccup reluctantly offered his arm. When Sigrid rolled up the sleeve, there were bruises bad enough to tell where he had been grabbed. Both Sigrid and Stoick frowned at this sight.

"You said it was fine even with this? You need to come with me." When Sigrid spoke, Hiccup got up from his seat. After a quick glance at Stoick, Sigrid guided Hiccup to the healing hut. Outcasts or not, this was no way to treat a child. He felt anger flare up inside him but forced it back down.

Soon arriving at the healing hut, Sigrid took out ointment and applied it to Hiccup's arm. Despite his claims that it didn't hurt, Hiccup winced every time Sigrid touched the area—clearly it was painful.

"The situation must have been difficult, but it's fortunate you escaped safely with Snotlout too. You could have been seriously injured. You were lucky."

"I honestly wanted to abandon Snotlout on that island, but I'm glad I didn't. He got me out of that mess."

"That's it, you're all set. It's been a rough day—go get some sleep."

Even after Hiccup left the healing hut, Sigrid had many worries. There was the dragon hunter problem Valka mentioned, and the Outcast problem was also growing. It would be nice if problems came one at a time, but they always seemed to pile on all at once. There was one bright spot—Johann would be arriving any day now. If he could get information about dragon hunters from Johann, at least that problem could be set aside temporarily.

With a heavy sigh, Sigrid settled back in his chair and allowed his eyes to close. Exhaustion had been his constant companion lately—he needed rest as much as anyone.

Chapter Text

This is the best drawing my friend made for me! It's very similar to the Sigrid I imagined.

On the day Johann was supposed to arrive, Stoick couldn't seem to sit still. Even after completing most of his chief's duties, he couldn't settle down. He wandered around constantly, eyes fixed on the horizon. One of Sigrid's patients mentioned the chief's strange restlessness. Worried by this strange behavior, Sigrid made his way to the docks to check on Stoick. Sure enough, there he was, pacing back and forth along the pier.

"Stoick? What are you doing here? Are you waiting for something?" When Sigrid called out, Stoick startled and turned around.

"Yes, I'm waiting for Johann's ship. He has something important for me." Stoick smiled broadly and resumed his watch over the sea. Sigrid took his place beside him.

"Something important? What is it?"

"You'll know soon enough. Hiccup will absolutely love it."  Stoick fell silent, which was unusual for him. Sigrid waited patiently for him to continue.

"Do you remember? When Valka was still with us, just before Hiccup was born? She wanted to make a toy for the baby." When Stoick said this, Sigrid frowned slightly, trying to recall the memory. Fortunately, this memory remained.

"Ah, yes. I remember Valka sitting there with her thread and needle, trying so hard to create something special. But honestly, she had absolutely no sewing ability—the result looked more like a rag than a toy."

"Right. Her sewing skills were truly terrible. You ended up helping her. I still remember when you touched that mess and somehow turned it from a pile of rags into an actual animal." Stoick laughed heartily. His voice held a mixture of joy, longing, and deep sadness.

"But the last touches were all hers. She lovingly stitched Hiccup's name onto the toy's side with her own hands. It was a very cute toy. Why bring this up now? Hiccup lost that toy when you took him fishing years ago. We had such a difficult time consoling him afterward."

"Actually, the toy recently got caught in another tribe's fishing nets. Johann said he'd bring it back."

Stoick's words surprised Sigrid. It was amazing that a toy lost 10 years ago was still intact. Given this news, Stoick's behavior suddenly made perfect sense. For him, this would be like recovering a precious piece of Valka's memory. When Sigrid stayed quiet for several moments, Stoick's face showed confusion. Sigrid quickly gathered his thoughts to prevent any awkward misunderstanding.

"That's amazing. Hiccup will be so happy to have that toy back. Even without the memories, he'll treasure anything his mother touched."

"Exactly. It'll have such meaning. Seeing that toy again will bring back so many memories for me. For you as well, I'm sure. We had such fun making that toy, didn't we? The three of us full of excitement about the baby—I really miss those times."

"Me too. I miss those times."

Sigrid glanced sideways at Stoick, still gazing at the distant sea. Stoick's face was heavy with sadness. Sigrid really hated these moments. Sigrid had received a letter from Valka a few days ago and knew she was alive. But Stoick didn't. He missed Valka more than anyone but didn't know she was alive. Sigrid was hiding too many things from Stoick. Stoick trusted him with everything, while Sigrid lived behind a mask of lies. The weight of this betrayal pressed down on him like a crushing burden.

Lost in thought while gazing at the sea, Sigrid felt something was wrong. Johann should have arrived long ago, but he hadn't come. The worry was written all over Stoick's face as well. At last, Stoick could wait no longer.

"It seems Johann has run into trouble. I should go look for him myself. Can you help me? Two is better than one."

"Alright. Take Thornado and come here. I need to find a dragon too."

While Stoick briefly left to find Thornado, Sigrid looked around for a nearby dragon. He turned to see a Monstrous Nightmare raiding the smokehouse, its head completely buried inside. When he called to the dragon, it quickly pulled its head out of the smokehouse and ran straight toward Sigrid.

Sigrid petted the Nightmare while thinking. It felt like constantly riding different wild dragons might make anyone suspicious. It might be better to keep calling one specific dragon instead of random wild ones. Just then, he heard something crashing behind the house in front. Going closer, he found the twins tangled up and fallen.

"What are you doing here? How long have you two been here?"

"We just got here. We slipped from the roof. Because of stupid Ruffnut." Tuffnut rubbed his aching head, then Ruffnut hit Tuffnut's head.

"It's your fault! You lost your balance first and fell toward me!" As the twins were about to fight again, Sigrid calmly placed a hand on each of them and gently pulled them apart.

"Be careful. If you break a bone, you'll have to lie down for a long time. You won't be able to ride Barf and Belch either, so be cautious." With Sigrid's intervention, the twins fell silent. At the sound of Thornado's wingbeats, he quickly returned to his Nightmare and flew to Stoick's side.

Sigrid and Stoick searched all the seas around Berk but couldn't see Johann. Johann's ship had been delayed by weather or dragons many times, but never this late. When Johann last visited Berk, he had definitely said he would come today. While flying over the sea, Hiccup came flying with Toothless.

"What are you doing here? Are you looking for something?"

"We're looking for Johann. Seeing how late he is, something must have happened." When Stoick said this, Hiccup paused thoughtfully and exchanged a wordless look with Toothless.

"I'll help search too! I'll shout if I find anything!" Then he quickly disappeared in the opposite direction.

Stoick watched the direction Hiccup disappeared for a moment, then turned Thornado around to land at the dock. It looked like he planned to let Hiccup handle finding Johann. Even though Stoick had handled most of his duties that morning, a chief's work was never-ending. Much as he worried about Johann, his hands were tied.

"Thanks for helping. I can't put off my work any longer. Hiccup said he'd search for him, so I have to trust him. You should return to your place too."

Even after Stoick left, Sigrid gazed at the horizon for a while. Sigrid also needed Johann, and these accidents always seemed to happen when he was needed most. Feeling uneasy about leaving everything to Hiccup, Sigrid glanced at the Nightmare he had ridden and whispered softly.

"If there's a human collapsed near this sea or calling for help, bring him to me. Please." After Sigrid finished speaking, the Nightmare quickly flew toward the sea.

On his way back to the healing hut, Sigrid noticed a figure standing in front of the door up ahead. As expected, it was Mildew. He hadn't shown up at the healing hut for a while, but now he had come again so suddenly.

"Mildew, you haven't visited in a while, so what brings you here now? The door was closed—were you waiting for me?"

"I urgently need to ask you something. A question only you can answer." Mildew's face looked unusually urgent and anxious. Something seemed off.

"What is it? Are you curious about herbs or treatment methods?" When Sigrid asked, Mildew's voice became quieter, as if he didn't want to be overheard by anyone.

"Are there any herbs that affect dragons? Something they're drawn to, or something that could make them lose their senses?"

The question was highly suspicious. Given that Mildew always wanted to drive dragons away, answering such a question honestly would be dangerous.

"Well, I'm a healer for humans, not dragons. If it's about dragons, you should ask Hiccup. He knows far more than I do." When Sigrid answered, Mildew looked frustrated but soon moved to another question.

"Then let me ask something else. That Night Fury with Hiccup—do they live in some hidden place? I've never seen any other Night Fury except that one."

"Probably so. Dragons usually live in groups. Why are you asking about this?" Sigrid answered casually but still found Mildew suspicious. As Sigrid's gaze grew sharper, Mildew seemed to decide he'd heard enough and quickly disappeared, almost as if he were running away. Sigrid felt he should warn Hiccup to be careful of Mildew.

As Sigrid worked in the healing hut, he saw through the window the Nightmare he'd sent out returning to land outside. When Sigrid opened the door and went out, Johann was sitting on the Nightmare's neck. Johann looked exhausted and angry. But as soon as he saw Sigrid, he broke into a happy smile, jumped down from the Nightmare's neck, and hugged Sigrid tightly. The hug was quite forceful, but Sigrid didn't try to break free.

"Mr. Sigrid! You sent this dragon to me! Thank you so much! If it weren't for you, I would have been abandoned in the middle of the sea and died!"

"I'm relieved you're okay. I searched for you but couldn't find you. Did you see Hiccup? He was looking for you too." At the mention of Hiccup, Johann became angry again.

"Those kids! The twins and that Jorgenson boy left me stranded on an island in the middle of the sea! Master Hiccup said he'd look for my ship with the others, but leaving me with those troublemakers was too much!"Johann fumed, then released Sigrid from his embrace, straightened his disheveled clothes and beard, and once presentable again, politely bowed. "Mr. Sigrid saved me. I express my gratitude once again."

"No, it's nothing. By the way, what happened to your ship? If the ship disappeared, what about the things inside?" When Sigrid asked this, Johann looked troubled.

"Actually, my departure was very delayed, so I tried to take a shortcut. But the shortcut took me right by Breakneck Bog. Thick fog swallowed my ship whole, and suddenly everything had vanished! Master Hiccup has gone to search for the ship. The goods are either still there or all gone—one of the two..." Johann suddenly became depressed. He was someone with mood swings more extreme than storm-tossed waves.

"I understand. I need to inform Stoick that you've made it back to Berk. He's been expecting something from your ship. I should tell him not to expect too much since it may have been lost."

"Ah, you mean the chest with the Berk crest on it. I put it deep in the ship. Since it was for Chief Stoick, so that particular item might be difficult to find. Could you please speak to Chief Stoick? You know how scary he can be."

"Alright. I'll tell him." Sigrid smiled and guided Johann into the healing hut. It felt rude to keep him standing outside, and Sigrid had a favor to ask. Once Johann had taken a seat, Sigrid sat across from him and looked at Johann.

"Johann, can I ask you for a favor? If a favor won't work, we can make a trade." When Sigrid said this, Johann's eyes lit up. As a trader, he obviously loved business talk.

"Of course, Mr. Sigrid. I'd be happy to do you a favor! My principle is never to make a losing trade, but you saved me and you've been a regular customer for over 10 years." Johann leaned forward, interested in this conversation.

"I'd like you to bring me some information. It's information that hasn't reached here yet, and I can't get it directly. But you trade outside this archipelago, right? You must hear all sorts of things."

"Of course! There's absolutely no information I don't have! Even if I don't have it now, it will definitely come to my attention later. So tell me—what kind of information are you looking for, Mr. Sigrid, that you're willing to trade for it?"

"Do you know about dragon hunters? What I want is information about dragon hunters currently active outside this archipelago. Have you ever heard of them, Johann?"

As soon as Sigrid said 'dragon hunters,' Johann's face changed completely. Surprise, confusion, shock, various emotions he couldn't identify. Sigrid had never seen Johann with such an expression before. Typically, his face showed either cheerfulness or fear, so it was quite surprising to witness this different side of him. Based on Johann's reaction, he clearly knew something about dragon hunters. He couldn't have reacted that way without some kind of knowledge.

"Mr. Sigrid. How did you even know about dragon hunters? It's really... surprising that you'd want such unexpected information." Johann lowered his voice. Such information obviously demanded careful handling.

"I came across the information by chance. From your reaction, you know something about dragon hunters. Can you tell me what you know?"

When Sigrid asked this, Johann hesitated. But he soon opened his mouth again.

"I don't know much either. They're very dangerous and hunt dragons. That's all I know. They don't want their information getting out. So if they find out you're seeking information about them or are aware of them, it's deadly serious. They could kill you without hesitation. Dragons aren't their only prey. They hunt humans too." Johann lowered his voice to barely a whisper. He clearly didn't want anyone to overhear.

"You mean you could also be in danger trying to get this information. I understand." When Sigrid said this, Johann nodded. It felt like he should give up asking Johann for information. He couldn't put a trader in danger to get information.

"Thanks for telling me. Can you keep it secret that I asked about this? I'm the only one who knows about dragon hunters for now. I don't want to give Stoick a headache by mentioning problems that haven't even arrived yet."

"Of course. Keeping secrets is second nature to a trader. If related information comes my way, I'll tell you. But I won't actively seek information. I want to live long and get rich." At Johann's words, Sigrid chuckled quietly. Now that he had heard what he wanted from Johann, it was time to tell Stoick that Johann was here.

"Shall we go find Stoick now? I need to tell him you're alive and about that chest. I'll speak well of you, so don't worry too much."

When Sigrid stood up, Johann also rose from his chair. Johann's face remained tense and rigid. Was asking about dragon hunters really such a serious matter? During the walk to find Stoick, Johann didn't say a single word and seemed lost in thought. If the usually talkative Johann was this quiet, it must be a truly serious matter. But Johann's serious mood vanished the moment he saw Stoick. This meant Stoick had no reason to be suspicious.

Stoick was quite disappointed to hear the ship had completely disappeared, but he wasn't angry with Johann. Though Johann was somewhat at fault, the ship disappearing entirely was something that couldn't be helped. However, when evening came and Hiccup and the other riders returned, there was a chest tucked under Hiccup's arm. It looked like they couldn't recover the other goods, but they were able to bring back at least one chest. Smothering Smokebreath dragons that loved metal were the cause. Johann was upset about losing his ship and goods, but he didn't seem bitter. He felt lucky just to be alive and back here.

Sigrid headed to Hiccup's house with Stoick. Stoick suggested it would be good if he was there when Hiccup checked what was in the chest. When Hiccup placed the chest on the table and looked at Stoick, he smiled gently.

"Go ahead, open it!"

When Stoick said this, Hiccup opened the chest and there was a very familiar toy inside. The small dragon toy made with Valka. When she made this, Valka explained to Stoick that she made it hoping Hiccup would grow up to be someone unafraid of dragons. But she had given Sigrid a different explanation. Valka said she made it hoping Hiccup wouldn't fear dragons and would become friends with them, just like this toy. Valka's eyes were full of expectation and hope when she said this. Just seeing the toy brought old memories vividly back instantly. Stoick felt the same as Sigrid, silently gazing at the toy.

"I remember this." Hiccup slowly lifted the toy to his eye level. Sigrid thought Hiccup wouldn't remember since he lost it when he was too young, but Hiccup remembered.

"Aye. You should. Your mother made that for you before you were even born. Well, to be honest, Sigrid made most of it. Your mother's sewing skills really weren't good." Stoick looked at Sigrid and smiled. Hiccup turned toward Sigrid in surprise, holding the toy and looking up.

"Really? Mom and you made this?"

"Yes. Your mother stitched your name onto the side of the toy. I didn't touch that part."

Sigrid looked down at Hiccup looking up at him. Even when Hiccup was little, he always looked up at him while holding the toy just like this. Though much time had passed since then, to Sigrid, Hiccup still looked exactly the same as he had back then.

"How did you find it? I lost this when I was very little."

"When you and I went fishing, you dropped it in the sea. You cried so much that Sigrid and I were quite flustered. Usually when Sigrid hugged you, you stopped crying quickly, but you cried for almost an hour straight."

When Hiccup was little, Stoick was often away from Berk due to dragon raids, and even when he stayed, it was for very short periods. During one of those brief times, they went fishing together, but they came back having lost his most precious toy, so Sigrid was quite flustered as well. Back then, Sigrid really didn't know what to do, but thinking about it now, even that has become a good memory.

"It got caught in another tribe's fishing net. Trader Johann heard the news and contacted me. That's how we found it." When Stoick finished speaking, Hiccup quietly looked at the toy again. Hiccup also seemed lost in thought.

"I was so little when Mom... You know... I was starting to get afraid that I'd forget her." Hiccup paused and looked at the toy. What had once filled little Hiccup's entire embrace could now be held in his two hands—he was 15 years old now. "But now... I love it."

"Oh, Hiccup... It would make your mother very, very happy to finally hear that." Stoick's eyes warmed. He felt happy that Hiccup could remember Valka this way. Stoick put his arm around Hiccup's shoulders and stayed like that for a while.

Sigrid quietly watched from behind. It was a quiet moment between father and son, so it was better not to intrude. Someday Valka and Hiccup would meet again, even if she had to hide her identity. Valka always wondered about Hiccup, and Sigrid always briefly told Valka about Hiccup. But Sigrid couldn't be sure if Valka would meet Stoick. The last time he met Valka, she was quite disappointed in Stoick. But Stoick had changed a lot now and still missed Valka. If they didn't meet, he thought he should somehow make them meet at least once. If they met, their relationship would improve quickly.

But when such a moment came, Stoick would surely be disappointed in him. Not just disappointment, but anger and distrust as well. Sigrid knew exactly how much Stoick suffered emotionally from Valka's death. Having always been by his side, he naturally witnessed everything. Having seen all this yet staying silent wasn't something friends should do. And also about his own secret. When the day came that all truths were revealed, Sigrid would no longer be able to remain by his side.

Sigrid hoped the day would never come, or come as late as possible. Stoick and Hiccup meant everything to him. He couldn't bear the thought of leaving them.

Chapter Text

The Week of Bork was approaching. The whole village buzzed with excitement for the festival honoring Bork, author of the Book of Dragons. Sigrid was standing in the plaza, watching Gobber set up a statue. This year, for the first time, dragons could join in the Bork week celebrations too. However, someone clearly wasn't happy about this. Mildew walked up to Gobber, who was working on the statue, and spoke to him. Mildew was probably complaining to Gobber, judging by Gobber's sour expression. The people who had been watching Gobber work also moved away when Mildew's complaints began.

Just as Sigrid turned to leave unnoticed, he saw Hiccup walking by with the other rider kids. Having something to discuss, he called out to Hiccup.

"Happy Bork week, Hiccup. Are you ready to enjoy it?"

"Of course. Actually, Dad asked me to do something. He wants the Dragon Academy to perform a dragon air parade. I was on my way to practice for that."

"I need to talk to you about something. Could you come over here for a moment? It's a delicate matter." When Sigrid said this, Hiccup nodded. After telling the kids to wait for a moment, he followed Sigrid to a place a bit farther away.

"What needs to be said in private? Is this about that... problem?" Hiccup whispered. He likely assumed it concerned the Ancient Dragon matter. Sigrid smiled and shook his head.

"No. There's something you need to be cautious about." At these words, Hiccup tilted his head.

"Mildew's been asking me odd questions about dragons lately—suspicious ones. If you're ever alone with him, be careful and don't trust him entirely. It probably won't happen, but just in case."

"I understand. You're telling me to keep being careful, right? I'll be cautious. Thank you." When Hiccup answered, Sigrid lightly patted Hiccup's shoulder and told him he could return to his friends. After hearing this, Hiccup ran back to where the kids were. Since they're planning a dragon air parade, it should be worth looking forward to.

Bork week meant winter was approaching soon. Bork week was a festival marking the beginning of autumn. He had fallen leaves and withering herbs in the garden to clean up. As Sigrid was sweeping and tidying the front yard, Stoick came to visit. Stoick also seemed to be in a good mood, looking forward to Bork week.

"Happy Bork week, Sigrid! Are you busy by any chance? I have something I'd like to ask you." At Stoick's words, Sigrid set down his broom for a moment.

"Happy Bork week. I'm free right now. What do you want to ask?"

"Is there a chest of dragon archives in your hut?  Bork's life's work, I mean. I think I put it somewhere, but I can't remember where. I already asked Gobber, so I thought I'd check here."

"A chest? I don't think there's anything like that in my healing hut... Let me see. I'll look for it."

Sigrid entered the healing hut and immediately spotted the chests stacked high on the shelf overhead. That's where all the hut's supplies were stored. Unfortunately, the shelf was way above his head, so he had to drag over a chair to reach it. He climbed onto the chair and searched through all the chests, but came up empty. They all contained the usual healing supplies: herbs, bandages, and small glass bottles. Unable to locate the chest, Sigrid began climbing down from the chair to report back to Stoick. But the chair suddenly shifted beneath him, causing him to lose his balance and fall backward. One of the chair legs must have been shorter than the others. Sigrid shut his eyes tight, preparing for the crash, but instead of falling, he felt a firm grip around his waist stopping his descent.

Looking down, Sigrid saw that Stoick had caught him. Instead of waiting outside, Stoick had come inside to wait. Thanks to him, a serious accident had been avoided.

"By Thor, Stoick. Thank you for catching me." As Sigrid let out a sigh of relief, Stoick released his hold on Sigrid's waist.

"What were you thinking, using a chair with uneven legs? Lucky I was here to catch you. So, any luck with the chest?"

"No, it wasn't there. By the way, why are you looking for it? To display it?" Sigrid got down from the chair and stood in front of Stoick.

"I want to give it to Hiccup. Now that he's involved with dragons, something like that could really expand what he's able to do."

"Hiccup would really like that, wouldn't he? Bork's life's work has so much content not even in the Book of Dragons. He'll be busy reading it for a while."

"That kid will read it all at once as soon as he gets it. He definitely won't read it bit by bit." When Stoick said this, both of them laughed. Just then, someone knocked on the healing hut door. When he opened the door, Seamus was there. He said Gobber had found the chest, and if Stoick was here, he should come to the Great Hall, then left again. Hearing this, Stoick immediately left for the Great Hall.

Time passed, and that evening, Hiccup opened the healing hut door in an extremely excited state. Some papers were clutched in his hands.

"Did you see this?! There's an island where only Night Furies live! I found it in Bork's hidden notes! If we go here, Toothless's family will be there! Did you know about this?" Hiccup handed the papers to Sigrid. Sigrid took them and examined them carefully. There was a brief description of Night Furies, and a map showing the route to the Night Fury island. As Sigrid examined the map closely, Hiccup continued speaking.

"That map wasn't there originally, but it was drawn on the wall of Bork's cave. I guess he wanted to hide the location of the Island of Night. It's not even that far from here. Flying on Toothless, I should be able to reach it in just a few hours!"

Sigrid examined the map more closely. Something seemed strange. When he had flown around this area before, he had never spotted any Night Furies. If there was an island where only Night Furies lived, he would have found it long ago. Moreover, Night Furies had never once responded to Sigrid's call and approached him. If this map was real, there was a high possibility that Night Furies no longer lived on that island.

"Hiccup, I don't want to disappoint you, but I think Night Furies probably don't live on this island anymore. When I called out to dragons, not a single Night Fury responded, and when I flew over the sea, I never spotted one. Wasn't it almost 100 years ago when Bork was alive? Too much time has passed."

"Ah... Is that so? Actually, I was happy thinking I could help Toothless find his family... If they've already left the island, there's nothing we can do..." Hiccup showed a very disappointed expression. He seemed to have always been worried about Toothless being alone. Seeing Hiccup's disappointment made Sigrid feel uneasy.

"There might not be any Night Furies on that island anymore, but there could still be some left. My call isn't forceful - they can refuse it. I don't want to raise expectations, but shall we go to that island together? If there are any Night Furies there, I can confirm it for you." At Sigrid's words, Hiccup's face brightened instantly. Even though he said not to expect much, Hiccup already seemed to be expecting it.

"Really? That's fantastic! Actually, Astrid suggested we all go together earlier, but I told her Night Furies aren't very friendly toward other dragons. So I was planning to go alone... but if it's you, Night Furies would probably like you too. I've never seen a dragon that doesn't like you. Thank you so much!" Hiccup hugged Sigrid tightly. Sigrid smiled and hugged him back, gently patting his back.

"How about we leave tomorrow? What time were you thinking of starting?"

"Actually... I was planning to leave at dawn tomorrow. If Astrid found out I went alone, she'd kill me."

"Then let's leave at dawn tomorrow. Since it might take a long time, you should leave a note before going. Stoick might worry. When you're ready, meet me in front of the healing hut. We'll head out from there." Hiccup released his arms from hugging Sigrid and nodded enthusiastically.

After Hiccup left, Sigrid took out ink and paper. He planned to write Stoick a note in advance. Knowing Hiccup, he'd probably forget to leave one. He wrote down a quick note explaining that he and Hiccup were heading to the supposed Night Fury island, noted its location, and tacked it to the wall by the workbench. This way, Stoick would know where they had gone.

At dawn, Hiccup arrived with Toothless. The early morning air was quite cold, giving him a slight chill, but it would warm up quickly once they took flight. Hiccup and Toothless looked excited at the thought of seeing other Night Furies.

"Hiccup, did you leave a note saying where you were going before leaving home?" At this question, Hiccup couldn't answer immediately. As expected, he hadn't left any note.

"Thought so. That's why I wrote a note beforehand, so we should be good. Ready to go to the Island of Night?" Sigrid climbed on behind Hiccup. Since it was dawn, no one would see them, but just in case, it was better to be very careful until they were far enough from Berk.

When they were far enough from Berk, Sigrid jumped off Toothless. It had been a very long time since he had flown with Hiccup at night. Fortunately, there was no storm today and it was a bright night with a full moon. There were no problems with flying at all. Hiccup also flew quickly beside Sigrid, heading toward the Island of Night. A few hours later, when the sun had completely risen, they arrived at the island.

"This is the Island of Night. Unless the map is wrong, Night Furies should live here. Can you find them?"

"Sure. Just a second—I need to fix my clothes real quick." 

After fixing his rumpled tunic and pulling on his cloak, Sigrid called to the nearby dragons. To Hiccup's eyes, it would have looked like he was just standing there, looking at empty air. However, no dragon came in response to Sigrid's call. There wasn't a single dragon responding on this island. This was strange. When Sigrid frowned, Hiccup looked confused.

"Did you call them? Are there Night Furies on this island?"

"I called them, but... no one is responding. It's not just Night Furies—there aren't even common dragons like Nadders or Gronckles. This island feels completely empty." When Sigrid said this, Hiccup was slightly disappointed.

"Ah. That's too bad... Maybe the Night Furies deliberately didn't respond. Could I try calling them? I worked on my dragon call yesterday."

"Sure, let's head to a valley where our voices will echo better. Just don't expect much. If they ignored my call, they'll probably ignore yours too."

"I understand. I'll just try once and then we'll go straight back to Berk."

When Sigrid climbed back on behind Hiccup, Toothless ran forward. Soon they discovered a large valley surrounded by rocks. After Hiccup got off Toothless and made a dragon call, nothing could be heard. Just as Hiccup confirmed that nothing could be heard and turned Toothless around to leave, a howling sound echoed from between the valleys.

"Did you hear that? That's Night Fury howling!" When Hiccup made another dragon call, this time the sound was heard even closer.

"Go get 'em, Toothless. It's your family!" Hiccup excitedly sent Toothless down into the valley.

Something about this felt off to Sigrid, though. Night Furies were fiercely territorial—they should have attacked the moment they sensed intruders in their domain. But making only howling sounds without showing themselves was definitely a strange situation. It would be better to get Toothless back and get out of this place.

"Hiccup, something's not right. We need to get Toothless back." With Sigrid's serious tone, Hiccup urgently called Toothless.

"Toothless, come back!" But it was already too late. As Toothless was returning, a bola flew from somewhere and tied up Toothless's legs. Toothless fell to the ground and couldn't get up.

"Toothless, no!" As Hiccup ran toward Toothless, Sigrid tried to stop Hiccup. Suddenly, figures emerged from behind, seized Sigrid's arms, forcing him down and making him kneel on the ground. Looking ahead, Hiccup was in the same state as himself. An Outcast had Hiccup completely pinned face down on the ground.

This had been a trap by the Outcasts. More Outcasts kept emerging from somewhere, tying up and restraining Toothless. Among them, a familiar face was visible. Alvin stood in front of them with a sneer. Behind him, Savage held up a large horn. So that's how he had been imitating the dragon sounds.

"Let him go. What exactly do you want?"

Sigrid growled, but Alvin only glanced at Sigrid and didn't answer. Alvin's interest was focused on Hiccup. Sigrid tried to break free from the Outcasts' grip, but couldn't overpower them. He could shift his arms into dragon form and break free effortlessly, but doing so might put Hiccup at risk. He had no choice but to wait and see what happened next.

"What do you want?" Hiccup said to Alvin. Alvin didn't seem threatened at all by Hiccup's angry voice.

"I want me own dragon trainer. For that, I need you. Son of Chief Stoick. And I never thought I'd also capture Berk's Healer, but hey, good things are good things, right?" Alvin laughed as if pleased.

"I am not going to train your dragons, Alvin. Never!" When Hiccup shouted, Alvin laughed as if it was funny, then suddenly became serious.

"Oh, I think you will. And once you have, I'll use 'em to destroy Berk. Take him!" Under Alvin's command, Hiccup was dragged away by an Outcast's hands. Sigrid tried to stand up, but the Outcast's brutal force threatened to wrench his arms. While struggling like this, a huge shadow appeared in front of him. Looking up, Alvin was looking down at Sigrid. His expression was truly evil.

"If anything happens to Hiccup, I'll make you pay." Sigrid glared at Alvin and growled. But Alvin just sneered down at Sigrid.

"You'll make me pay? A powerless healer like you? That's rich. Give it your best shot. I'm right here." Alvin squatted down in front of Sigrid.

"I won't kill that boy. I need something from him first. If he refuses to cooperate... let's just say I have ways of changing his mind. His comfort depends entirely on how reasonable he chooses to be."

At Alvin's words, Sigrid's anger exploded. He wanted to tear apart the human in front of him right now, but he had to endure it. Killing a human would break his oath. If he killed someone here, he wouldn't be able to protect Hiccup afterward. But Sigrid's patience was reaching its breaking point. He didn't know how much more he could endure. Alvin smiled at the angry Sigrid and mockingly tapped his cheek lightly.

"Relax. You're coming with us too. Stoick treasures his son, but he cares about you as well, right? You may not know much worth telling, but you're valuable alive. I'll spare you for now. Consider yourself lucky. Take him too!"

Sigrid's wrists were tied with rope and he was dragged away by the Outcasts. Soon they reached the coast and Sigrid was thrown into some boat. Hitting the boat's deck hard, he let out a pained groan, and someone approached him. Hiccup was also looking down at Sigrid with concern, his wrists bound. Toothless was also there behind him.

"Sigrid, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?"

"I'm fine. I'm more worried about you than myself. Are you okay?" While Sigrid was examining Hiccup, Hiccup pointed behind Sigrid with his eyes. Turning around, Mildew was there. For a moment, he couldn't understand why this human was here, but he realized he had betrayed them.

"Mildew... How could you do this? Was betraying Berk really worth it?" When Sigrid spoke to Mildew angrily, Mildew stepped forward boldly.

"Ah, Sigrid. You weren't part of the original plan, I'm afraid. I only meant to capture Hiccup. Such a pity you're mixed up in this mess. Still, I do appreciate all our little chats over the years."

"Let's end the talk here. Raise the sails! We're headed home. To Outcast island." Sigrid opened his mouth to reply, but Alvin's command cut him off as the vessel lurched into motion. They were bound for Outcast Island. In the chaos of departure, Sigrid edged toward Hiccup and spoke in hushed tones.

"Hiccup, try not to be too frightened and stay calm. If Stoick finds the note I left, he'll come looking for us. And seeing the evidence the Outcasts left behind, he'll track us to their island. Even if they don't come, don't worry. I'll find a way to get you out of here." When Sigrid said this, Hiccup became more flustered.

"No. If it means breaking your oath, absolutely don't do it. I'll figure out an escape plan somehow, so don't take any unnecessary risks."

Hiccup was worried that Sigrid might actually break his oath and die. Just as Sigrid was about to reassure him that everything would be okay, Alvin spotted them talking and forcibly pulled them apart. Now Sigrid and Hiccup were separated at opposite ends of the ship. Sigrid couldn't say a word to Hiccup until they reached the Outcasts' island. 

The moment they arrived at the Outcasts' island, Hiccup was dragged away separately by Alvin and Savage. All he could do was watch them take Hiccup away. The Outcasts dragged Sigrid to an underground prison deep below. They opened the prison door and pushed him inside to imprison him. At least he was locked up, but now his wrists were free. The rope had been tied so tightly that it left marks where it had chafed his skin. Sigrid rolled up his sleeves to check the wounds, then rolled them back down. He had to rescue Hiccup.

Looking outside his cell, he saw that the surrounding area was filled with identical prison cells. The cells either held captive dragons or were completely empty. Right in front of him, a Whispering Death was tied up. The Whispering Death was extremely agitated, attempting to burrow underground to escape, but the chains prevented it from breaking free. 

The instant the Whispering Death spotted Sigrid, it suddenly stopped moving. Its weak vision couldn't make out details, but it clearly felt the unmistakable presence of an Ancient Dragon.

"A dirt floor? This... might actually work." When Sigrid put his hand on the prison floor and brushed it, dirt came off. The fact that they had imprisoned a Whispering Death but didn't make the floor iron made escape very easy. The moment he fixed his gaze on the Whispering Death and tried to concentrate, footsteps were suddenly heard. Sigrid quickly stepped back from the prison bars.

"Sigrid, is your new home comfortable? I hope you've been well." Alvin smiled and struck the bars with his axe. The head-piercing noise caused a severe headache. The dragons around were also suffering from the noise in the same way. When Sigrid winced and stumbled slightly, Alvin struck a few more times as if enjoying it.

"Enjoying yourself? Where's Hiccup? I'm warning you one last time—if you hurt him, you'll regret it." There was murder in Sigrid's voice. Alvin snorted at Sigrid's words. Savage beside Alvin had the same reaction.

"Do those threats mean anything when you're caged like an animal? Hiccup has his uses. You do too. Step out of line, and neither of you will like what happens next. I'll be writing to Stoick shortly. The message will be simple—I have his boy and his beloved friend, and only his complete surrender will secure their release. I wonder what his answer will be?"

Sigrid angrily punched the bars. Alvin didn't even flinch.

"But knowing Stoick, he'll probably write you both off to save his precious village. That's what good chiefs do, right? I'll check in later—something to look forward to."

Alvin's mocking laughter and footsteps faded away. Sigrid drew a deep breath and swept his hand through his hair, brushing it away from his face. Now that Alvin was gone, it was time to concentrate again. Since there was no one around, it seemed okay to give direct commands. Of course, there would be side effects, but it would be better than being trapped here. Sigrid made a slight sound to catch the Whispering Death's attention.

"Hello dear. Will you listen to me? I can get you out of there." The Whispering Death looked at Sigrid. It was ready to listen to commands.

"Break through the wall. Dig into the part where the chains are connected. There are two in total, so you'll need to do it twice. You can break through stone as well, this should be no problem for you." As soon as Sigrid finished speaking, the Whispering Death put its mouth to the wall and dug in. It failed several times, but eventually succeeded and broke free from the chains.

"Now go underground. And dig a hole to the prison where I am." Following Sigrid's command, the Whispering Death immediately went underground. A short while later, vibrations shook the ground, and a large hole appeared in the floor of Sigrid's prison cell.

"Well done. Now dig a hole wherever you want to go. I'll follow right behind you." The Whispering Death disappeared back down the tunnel. A headache began to build, making him wince, but he couldn't afford to delay. Sigrid immediately jumped into the hole. Right ahead, a large tunnel that the Whispering Death had dug was visible. Following this path, he could get out somewhere. He was very worried about Hiccup, so he walked as fast as possible.

Soon he began to feel the outside wind. The Whispering Death had gone above ground. Going outside the hole, there was nothing around. It seemed like he had come out to the outer side of the island. Since there were many wild dragons on this island, he could find Hiccup faster with their help. Sigrid quickly approached a wild Nadder and climbed on top of it. Soaring through the sky, he searched the area below.

After flying around the area for a while, he heard a familiar voice. Looking down, Hiccup and Mildew were approaching a wild dragon. Sigrid quickly made the Nadder descend downward. When the Nadder landed, Hiccup turned around, and seeing Sigrid there, his face brightened. But Mildew's expression quickly darkened.

"Hiccup! Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?" Though Mildew was important too, Hiccup's safety had to come first. Fortunately, Hiccup was fine except for rope marks on his wrists. Having seen enough, Sigrid stormed toward Mildew, fury blazing in his eyes. He seized Mildew's collar and let out a low, threatening growl.

"You. How dare you put Hiccup in danger? Allying yourself with the Outcasts and turning against your own people?" With Sigrid's anger, Mildew became pale with fear. Hiccup was startled by Sigrid's aggressive behavior and quickly intervened.

"Sigrid, stop it! I don't want to admit it, but Mildew saved me. Right now we need to calm down and find Toothless!" When Hiccup stopped him, Sigrid tried to calm down and let go of Mildew's collar. Then he asked Hiccup what he was doing here. Hiccup explained he was trying to tame a wild dragon here to fly away.

"I see. It looks like one Nadder won't be enough for three people to ride. We'll need one more. Wait a moment."

If Hiccup tamed a dragon, Mildew would see the entire process. If Mildew continued his betrayal, Alvin would discover how to control dragons. To prevent this, it would be better for Sigrid to tame them himself, even if it risked exposing his true nature. The way Sigrid tamed dragons was utterly impossible for regular humans to replicate.

When Sigrid called a wild Nadder far away, the Nadder approached without hesitation. To Mildew, it would have appeared that the Nadder suddenly approached even though Sigrid hadn't said a word. When Sigrid's hand touched the completely tamed Nadder, he gestured to Hiccup. As Hiccup climbed onto the Nadder, Mildew's face darkened with displeasure. His expression showed clear disappointment, as though he'd expected to see something entirely different.

"Mildew, get on behind me. Hiccup. Let's go find Toothless. He's probably trapped in the Dragon Arena." Mildew was very reluctant to sit behind Sigrid, but had no choice but to get on behind him. Sigrid intentionally made the Nadder's flight as bumpy as possible. Mildew looked ready to collapse from motion sickness behind him.

When they arrived at the Dragon Arena, Toothless was nowhere to be found. After using the Nadder's blast to free all the trapped dragons, they quickly flew back to the coastal cliff. After landing briefly on the coastal cliff to think about where to search, something was flying from far away in the sky. It was Stoick and the rider kids.

"Hiccup! Oh, thank Thor you're all right." Stoick quickly flew here, landed, and checked Hiccup's condition. Soon he caught Sigrid's eye behind him and felt a wave of relief. However, upon seeing Mildew beside him, Stoick's expression quickly shifted to anger. Just as Stoick approached Mildew to punch him, Hiccup stopped Stoick.

"Dad! He helped me escape. And right now Toothless is in trouble. We need to find Toothless before dealing with Mildew's problem!"

"Or bring him to you. Try using your dragon call. At least we can find out where he is." Astrid suggested to Hiccup. Hiccup accepted the suggestion and made a dragon call. Soon Toothless's howling was heard from far away. They quickly rode dragons and flew to where Toothless's howling had been heard. At the bottom of the cliff, Toothless was there.

"Are you okay, bud? Oh, I am so sorry, Toothless. This was all my fault." When Hiccup ran to Toothless, Toothless joyfully ran to Hiccup. But soon Toothless suddenly growled. He had detected an enemy.

"Hey there! Boy! You weren't gonna leave before we finished our business, were you?" Alvin appeared on top of the cliff. It looked like he was trying to provoke Hiccup into mounting Toothless and flying up to confront him. Sigrid stopped Hiccup just before he got on Toothless. Right now, escaping was more important than falling for such obvious bait.

"Hiccup, we need to leave. Fighting Alvin here now would be reckless. Your friends could be in danger too." When Sigrid said this, Hiccup hesitated but soon nodded and climbed on Toothless.

"Everyone get on your dragons! We're returning to Berk!" With Stoick's shout, everyone climbed on their dragons and began to take off. However, on the way back, Mildew tumbled off the Nadder and was abandoned on Outcast Island. Hiccup wanted to go back for Mildew, but Sigrid and Stoick held him back. Attempting a rescue would be far too dangerous.

Returning to Berk, he felt the tension release. Sigrid was very tired. Rubbing his tired eyes and getting off the Nadder, Stoick walked over to Sigrid. He wanted to know what had happened on that island. After sending the wild Nadder back, he returned to the healing hut with Stoick. He needed to drink something to speak properly.

Sigrid grabbed dried rosemary and fresh mint leaves from the shelf. He tossed the rosemary into a pot of water to steep while chewing on the mint leaves. As the familiar bitter flavor spread across his tongue, his exhausted mind started to clear slightly. Stoick was watching Sigrid's actions. When his mind had cleared a bit, Sigrid sat down across from Stoick. He took a deep breath and ran his fingers through his disheveled hair before meeting Stoick's gaze.

"Are you alright? You look very tired."

"I'm tired. I've been awake continuously since yesterday without sleeping. I hope you'll understand if I don't speak well."

"Absolutely. I apologize for disturbing your rest. I couldn't bring this up with Hiccup. The boy is still feeling guilty about leaving Mildew behind on the island. So I just sent him home first." When all the water had boiled, Sigrid poured tea into two wooden cups. He handed one cup to Stoick.

"Hiccup needs rest as well. So much has happened today" Sigrid took a drink of the warm tea, his raw throat felt better and his dull headache started to fade.

"Here's the critical point—Alvin is going to tame dragons. I intervened before he could see everything, but Mildew probably caught enough of Hiccup's dragon training methods." When Sigrid said this, Stoick's expression became serious.

"I was trapped in an underground prison. When I looked around then, there were several prisons. It looks like they're trying to capture and train dragons. There's a high probability of failure, but if even one succeeds, it could be dangerous. We should be careful of Alvin's invasion."

"I see. Have you seen anything else besides dragons? Things that might be helpful."

"I'm not sure. When I escaped from prison, I used the Whispering Death's tunnel. When I came out, it was the outskirts of the island. I don't think I saw anything helpful." When Sigrid finished speaking, Stoick nodded as if he understood.

"I understand. This is enough. I should go now—please get some sleep. You're looking quite pale, and that concerns me. Rest up and we'll talk again soon."

After Stoick left the healing hut, Sigrid got up from the chair and hung his cloak on the chair. He untied the tie closure of his tunic, sat on the edge of the bed, and took off his boots. Now he really had to rest. The moment he lay down on the bed, overwhelming drowsiness washed over him. He could deal with future concerns after he woke up. Sigrid simply closed his eyes and let sleep take him.

Chapter Text

One morning, Astrid stopped by the arena early to set up practice targets for Stormfly's spine shots. She heard someone talking inside the arena. Given that almost no one came here this early in the morning, Astrid assumed it must be Hiccup and went inside.

"Hiccup! Good morn-- Wait, what are you two doing?" Astrid's tone changed from joy to confusion. There in the arena sat the twins, hugging a basket between them and munching on something.

"Oh, Astrid. We're trying to be sheep right now." Tuffnut reached into the basket and pulled something out. Looking closely, it was a basket full of flowers.

"We were watching sheep graze in the meadow and thought, 'Wait, why aren't we eating grass?' I mean, what's stopping us, right?" Ruffnut said, making Astrid furrow her brow in disbelief.

"I'll never understand you two. Eating flowers this morning? They can't taste good."

"They taste better than grass. That was too tough," Ruffnut said, popping a yellow flower into her mouth and chewing while she spoke.

"Right. And the colors are pretty. They smell nice too." Tuffnut picked up a blue flower and showed it to Astrid. Astrid felt like she had seen this flower somewhere before.

"Wait. I've seen this somewhere..." Astrid snatched the flower from Tuffnut's hand and examined it closely. Five petals, long stem. The moment Astrid picked up the flower, Stormfly immediately retreated behind her. This was Blue Oleander.

"Are you out of your minds?! This is Blue Oleander! It's poisonous to humans!" Astrid shouted, snatching the basket away from the twins. The twins' faces immediately darkened.

"What? We thought this was just a wildflower."

"Me too! Are we in big trouble?" Astrid felt a headache coming on at the twins' reaction.

"You saw what happened to Sigrid when he ate this before! We need Scauldron venom to treat it! How long have you been eating this? No—how much did you eat? Tell me you didn't eat much! He got seriously sick from just eating one petal, and he's got resistance to most poisons as a healer!"

The twins rolled their eyes as if thinking, then Tuffnut spoke as if he finally remembered.

"We filled this basket up. We started with the yellow flowers because they were easy to see, but the further we went into the forest, the more blue flowers we came across. I think we've only been eating blue ones for a while now."

It was the worst answer possible. If they had eaten that much, the twins would soon die from the poison. Astrid thought this was beyond even Sigrid's abilities to treat. But strangely, the twins looked perfectly fine. They weren't showing any symptoms of poisoning—no pale skin, no dizziness, nothing at all.

"Did you really keep eating Blue Oleander? You don't look sick at all."

"Probably? We just grabbed whatever we could find and ate it. Those flowers didn't taste bitter at all. Really!" Ruffnut said defensively.

Astrid looked at the twins suspiciously. If they'd eaten all that Blue Oleander and were still okay, then either this wasn't Blue Oleander, or the twins had some special immunity. Astrid couldn't understand this situation. Still, it seemed like a good idea to go see Sigrid once. Even if they weren't sick right now, they might get sick later. While she was thinking about this, she heard someone enter the arena. It was Fishlegs riding Meatlug.

"Hey guys! Good morning. What are you doing from this early?" Fishlegs landed near Astrid on Meatlug. He soon saw the Blue Oleander in her hand and was shocked.

"Blue Oleander? Why are you holding something so dangerous? Didn't we pull them all out and burn them last time?"

"Maybe they reproduced in that short time. These two have been eating them continuously." At Astrid's gesture toward the twins, Fishlegs' face turned white.

"What?! Isn't that poisonous to humans too? We need to take them to Sigrid right now!"

"Wait, calm down. According to the twins, they've been eating these for hours. But seeing how fine they are right now, something seems off. This is definitely Blue Oleander, so maybe the twins have some kind of immunity or something."

At Astrid's words, Fishlegs calmed down and examined the twins' condition. They certainly showed none of the same symptoms as Sigrid before.

"Is that right? But still, if they ate tons of it, they'd have problems even with immunity... This is really weird." While Astrid and Fishlegs went silent, thinking it over, Tuffnut suddenly had a thought. Maybe it wasn't the flowers that were the problem—maybe it was Sigrid.

"I was thinking, maybe Sigrid's just... different. You know? Like, remember when we planted all those flowers and the dragons got sick? Everyone was fine—me, you guys, everybody—but he was the only one who felt awful. See what I mean?" At Tuffnut's words, Astrid's face first showed 'don't say ridiculous things,' but then suddenly changed dawning realization.

"That's true. We had those flowers planted for three days, and of everyone, only Sigrid got sick. He seemed kind of weird right from the first day they were planted. He told me afterward that he ate a petal on day two."

At Astrid's words, the kids all fell silent. Once they realized that fact, every part became suspicious. While they were all quiet, lost in thought, Snotlout's loud voice broke the silence. Snotlout bounded into the arena excitedly, but stopped short when he saw all the kids sitting in a circle in the center.

"What are you doing? Sitting in the middle of the arena from this morning."

Snotlout got off Hookfang and naturally squeezed between Astrid and Ruffnut. Astrid glared at Snotlout for a moment but didn't push him away.

"We were just talking. About... Sigrid." At the mention of Sigrid's name, Snotlout looked even more confused.

"Sigrid? Why? Are you planning a prank? Loki Day is still far away."

"Nah, that's not what's happening. The twins ate a whole basket full of Blue Oleander, but they're totally fine. Somehow we ended up thinking Sigrid's the weird one here." When Fishlegs said this, Snotlout just looked more confused than ever. Finally, Astrid explained the whole situation from beginning to end. Only then did Snotlout look like he understood.

"That's definitely weird. But calling it suspicious? Come on. Maybe he is just really sensitive to Blue Oleander." Snotlout objected. Since Snotlout liked and looked up to Sigrid, he couldn't bring himself to be suspicious.

"That may be true, but honestly, aren't there many other suspicious things?" 

"Exactly! And don't you think it's weird how wild dragons just fall in line with Sigrid? We always have to get Hiccup to tame them! And even Hiccup needs to do 'something' to tame them. But he just walks up and boom—wild dragons turn into puppies." Ruffnut said.

"That's definitely suspicious." Fishlegs added. "Whenever I see Sigrid on a dragon, it's always a different dragon. One day it's a Nadder, the next it's a Gronckle, or maybe a Monstrous Nightmare. And get this—he sends them away after one ride! He doesn't bond with them and keep them like we do."

"Remember when we all secretly watched Sigrid tame that Nightmare?" Tuffnut put his arm around Ruffnut's shoulder.

"Yes! he just glanced at the Nightmare once, and all of a sudden the dragon came right over to him. He didn't say a single word!"

Snotlout, sensing the situation was turning strange, looked a bit anxious.

"Um, guys...? Don't you think Sigrid would be really hurt if he found out we were talking like this...?" But no one listened to Snotlout's words.

"It's true he often leaves the healing hut these days. I went looking for him last time and he wasn't there. Come to think of it, we don't know where he goes when he leaves the healing hut. Aren't you curious where he goes?" When Astrid spoke up, everyone showed interest. Except Snotlout.

"Exactly! I want to know too. We know everybody's business in Berk. Now that I think about it, we hardly know anything about Sigrid," Ruffnut declared proudly. Astrid winced at that word.

"I don't want to know how you know that." At Astrid's words, the twins laughed.

"Plus, there's how Sigrid hears everything. He always knows when someone's coming over without even checking outside. There's way more than one weird thing here." Fishlegs also added a comment.

"How about we follow Sigrid once? Secretly. We're all curious about what he does, right?" At Astrid's suggestion, the twins were the most excited. Fishlegs was hesitant but curious, and Snotlout looked very opposed.

"Won't Sigrid get angry at us if he finds out? I don't think it's a good idea."

"Snotlout! Why are you being so unlike yourself? We're not pranking Sigrid! We're just going to secretly follow him around all day." When Ruffnut spoke, Snotlout was conflicted. He knew this didn't feel right, but he couldn't help looking interested.

"We absolutely can't let Hiccup know about this. You guys all know that Sigrid is like... a second father to Hiccup. Hiccup would totally rat us out." When Tuffnut said this, everyone nodded. Right after finishing speaking, Hiccup entered the arena with perfect timing.

"Hey, guys? What's going on?"

"Nothing! By the way, Hiccup, can we skip training today? We all have something busy to do." At this, Hiccup was confused. The twins always wanted to skip training, but this was the first time Astrid and Fishlegs were doing this.

"Well... sure, you can. Let's just skip today. But what's everyone up to that you'd rather skip training?"

"It's personal, Hiccup! We've got to go!" Tuffnut shouted loudly and left the arena. The other kids followed him out. In the suddenly empty arena, only Hiccup and Toothless remained.

"That's really odd. Should we take the day off too, Toothless? How about some flying practice?" Toothless chirped softly in agreement.

The kids left the arena and immediately sent their dragons elsewhere. The dragons were too big and noisy for this kind of work. Normally they would argue and not listen to each other, but their teamwork was always good for things like this. They were now hiding behind bushes far from the healing hut, observing Sigrid through the window with the spyglass that Ruffnut had secretly stolen.

"Astrid. What is he doing now?" Fishlegs whispered quietly.

"Hold on. He's been at the work table the whole time. He hasn't moved once."

They sat in the bushes for about three hours more, but nothing special was visible. He kept sitting in front of the workbench, occasionally giving herbs or medicine to people when they visited, or examining them. That was all he did. They began to feel bored.

"I'm bored. Does he only work all the time? I thought we'd see something suspicious, but that wasn't it either." Ruffnut and Tuffnut were lying on top of each other. They were taking turns observing with the spyglass, but nothing unusual was visible.

But then, Sigrid began to move. He put on his cloak, grabbed a small bag, and came out of the healing hut. When Sigrid started moving, Astrid quietly called to the others. They all began to quietly follow behind Sigrid.

Sigrid headed toward the plaza. In the plaza, he only greeted people he met and didn't do anything more.

"Is he going for a walk or something?" Snotlout whispered quietly while hiding behind a house.

Then Sigrid met Stoick, who was making his rounds through the village. They couldn't hear what they were talking about from the distance, but it was quite a long conversation. The kids all watched. When Stoick turned to look at them, they all hurriedly ducked for cover and collapsed in a tangle.

After the conversation with Stoick ended, Sigrid headed to Gobber's forge. They spied with the spyglass to see what he was getting from Gobber - it was repaired herb-gathering tools. He was probably going to collect herbs.

"He's probably going into the forest. Can we hide well there...?" Fishlegs said anxiously.

They quietly followed behind Sigrid. He walked without hesitation, as if he had regular gathering spots. The kids tiptoed after him, trying hard not to crunch any fallen leaves underfoot. But they were soon shocked. Sigrid was climbing very easily up what looked like a steep rocky cliff. Seeing him put things into his bag from time to time, it appeared to be a place where herbs grew.

"You've got to be kidding me... We have to climb that thing...?" Snotlout said, his voice full of disbelief.

"I never knew he could do things like this... How does he climb so easily...?"

"He has worked as a healer for 30 years. He must have developed these skills from gathering herbs. We need to follow him, so let's climb up quickly too!" When Fishlegs said this, Astrid replied and immediately began climbing the cliff. They climbed the cliff with considerable difficulty.

However, the path Sigrid took was very rough. It was extremely steep, cliffy, or slippery. They were exhausted, but Sigrid showed no signs of fatigue at all. They struggled to follow him, but there was nothing strange at all. After collecting all the herbs, Sigrid quietly returned to the healing hut. They collapsed completely exhausted behind the bushes where they had been. They didn't even have the energy to observe Sigrid.

"I'm really tired... Does he take that path every day?" Tuffnut lay face down on the ground.

"I guess so... That's impressive..." Astrid also sat on the ground, exhausted. Looking up at the sky, she saw wild dragons flying around. And those dragons landed in front of Sigrid's healing hut.

"Hey, guys, look at that. Dragons are in front of the healing hut." 

At the first unusual thing they'd seen in hours, the kids quickly got up from where they were lying. There was a brief struggle over the spyglass, but Astrid eventually claimed it. Astrid put her eye to the spyglass and checked what was happening.

"What? What's happening?" Ruffnut said urgently.

"Wait, I'm looking. He's now... petting the wild Nadders. Those dragons are wild, right?" When Astrid asked this, Fishlegs took the spyglass and observed the dragons.

"They're wild. They have scars on their bodies and very sharp claws. They're definitely wild dragons." After Fishlegs confirmed this fact, he passed the spyglass back to Astrid.

"And he appears to be speaking to something... I can't hear properly. What is he saying?" Astrid leaned out further from behind the bushes, and a heavy branch split with a loud crack. Sigrid looked directly toward where the kids were. Astrid's stomach dropped. She quickly ducked back into the bushes, but she'd probably been spotted.

"He saw me. I think we got caught." At her words, everyone froze. Especially Snotlout the most.

"Oh no. If he sees us... he's going to be so mad..." Snotlout dropped flat to the ground, trying to make himself even smaller. However, no matter how long they waited, Sigrid didn't come this way. When they carefully looked beyond the bushes, the wild Nadders had already disappeared, and Sigrid had gone back inside the healing hut.

"That was close. We nearly got spotted. He probably didn't see us." Everyone sighed in relief and relaxed. Astrid passed the spyglass to Snotlout. "Do you want to take a look too? There's not much to see, though." Snotlout hesitated but took the spyglass and looked toward the healing hut.

"Yeah, you're right. Nothing weird going on. He's just... standing there by the window. Looks like he's got a headache or something. He's pressing his forehead with his hand."

"He's been doing that a lot recently. He drinks tea all the time. I know this because he always gives me that tea when I have a headache." Fishlegs said.

"Maybe it's because winter's coming? He's always been bad with cold. He even puts on extra stuff over his clothes in summer. You know, like a robe." Tuffnut said, picking up fallen leaves from the ground and throwing them into the air.

"That's probably it. Sigrid literally just works all day long. Now I remember why we never paid attention to him. All he does is work every day." Ruffnut rested her chin in her hand, looking bored. She'd completely lost interest.

"Should we go now? I feel bad, like we're doing something wrong." The moment Snotlout took the spyglass away from his eye and turned around, then fell backward in surprise. When everyone turned around at his reaction, Hiccup and Toothless were there.

"What are you guys doing here? And that's my spyglass!" Hiccup snatched the spyglass from Snotlout's hand. Everyone gave awkward smiles, but it didn't help.

"We were... observing Sigrid. That's all!" Fishlegs made an excuse, but Hiccup crossed his arms and looked more suspiciously.

"Why? Was there a reason to do that? There doesn't seem to be one."

"We just... we were curious about how Sigrid always manages to tame wild dragons so well."

"So you were spying on him like this? Why didn't you just ask directly?" At Hiccup's words, everyone avoided his gaze. As Hiccup glared at them, his eyes suddenly moved past the bushes. When the kids turned to see what he was looking at, Sigrid was standing there, peering down at them over the bushes. Everyone panicked.

"What are you all doing here? I kept hearing sounds coming from over here. So it was you guys." When Sigrid spoke in his gentle tone, the kids' faces immediately filled with guilt.

"We... we're sorry. We were spying on you. We're really sorry." When Astrid spoke honestly, Sigrid looked surprised.

"I didn't want to spy on you! But everyone kept saying you were acting suspicious...!" Snotlout shouted defensively. At the mention of 'suspicious,' Sigrid's face showed even deeper confusion.

"Suspicious? What kind?"

None of the kids spoke first. After a long silence, Tuffnut finally spoke first.

"Me and Ruffnut ate loads of Blue Oleander. But we weren't nearly as sick as you got, so we figured something was weird, and then we started talking about other stuff. Like how you're really good with wild dragons. You know, things like that."

They were all looking at the ground. They looked scared they would be scolded by Sigrid or hear he was disappointed. But contrary to all expectations, he didn't get angry.

"I see. If it was about something like this, you should have just come to me directly. Then you wouldn't have had to stay outside for so long." Sigrid laughed like he thought it was funny. His laughter right away made the kids feel less tense.

"By the way, you two ate Blue Oleander? You should be careful with things like this. The reason I got severely sick was... because I'm particularly weak to Blue Oleander. You two might have been fine. But don't eat it on purpose. You never know what problems it might cause." When Sigrid said this, the twins smiled awkwardly.

"Then what about the wild dragons? Sorry for spying, but we saw wild Nadders landing in front of the healing hut earlier." Fishlegs asked carefully.

"Those dragons are just ones I feed occasionally. They drop by every now and then looking for food. And I'm probably good with wild dragons because of all the herbs I deal with. There's often dragon nip mixed in with them. Does that answer what you were wondering about?" When Sigrid answered, everyone's expressions brightened. Except for Hiccup.

"The reason you guys skipped training today was all because of this? Really?" Hiccup crossed his arms and glared at the kids. Sigrid laughed lightly at that sight.

"Now that you know what you wanted to find out, you can go back. As you've seen, I'm always either at the healing hut or out collecting herbs. There's nothing worth spying on here. Next time, come ask me directly instead of hiding and watching. Understood?" Following Sigrid's instruction, everyone made their way back to the village. Sigrid and Hiccup stood watching them leave. As they did, Hiccup suddenly broke the silence.

"You don't have dragon nip or anything like that. Right?"

"I guess not. I'm vulnerable to things like that. I become dizzy whenever dragon nip is around. It's also difficult to handle with my bare hands." Sigrid looked at Hiccup. His eyes had changed to dragon-like slit eyes. Sigrid always looked like this when he was alone with just Hiccup.

"For something you just made up on the spot, that wasn't bad. When did you know they were following?"

"Almost from the beginning. I could hear whispering coming from outside. I realized they were tailing me even at the plaza. Your father spotted them as well. When I headed out to gather herbs, I purposely chose a harder route. It was pretty entertaining watching them try to keep up."

"Why did you call the dragons? According to them, there were quite a few of them."

"I was going to ask them to patrol the surrounding islands briefly. We need to prevent outcasts from invading, and your father can't cover all areas by himself. They might have gotten suspicious, but with this excuse, they won't suspect anything." After Sigrid's explanation, Hiccup nodded as if that made sense.

"By the way, that Blue Oleander situation was a bit risky. It's fortunate the kids didn't even consider that you're not human. That flower is only poisonous to dragons."

"Right. I'll have to be careful for a while. If your friends are this suspicious, I need to be even more cautious with your father."

"Dad... doesn't seem to suspect anything. You know how he is. He's incredibly sharp about certain things, but completely dense about others." At Hiccup's words, Sigrid smiled softly.

"Yes, I know. Anyway, you go do your work now too. I still have a lot of work to do."

"Got it. See you later!" Hiccup flew into the sky on Toothless. Sigrid looked up briefly, then returned to the healing hut.

He hadn't expected the dragon rider kids to be suspicious of him. He thought he should be more careful and rubbed his aching head. Maybe it was because he'd been giving dragons too many orders lately, but his headaches just wouldn't go away. It would've been okay if he took breaks now and then. But doing it nonstop without any rest meant the headaches were now too severe to ignore. Sigrid sighed and sat back down at the workbench. 

Sigrid recalled the scene he'd witnessed under the bushes earlier. Their eyes met and everyone was startled and froze. The sight was very amusing and delightful. They were adorable kids. Sigrid smiled softly and picked up the mortar and pestle again. It was time to return to work.

Chapter Text

With each passing week, the outcasts' raids had become more frequent. They were now striking boldly at Berk's shores, launching multiple attacks before vanishing into the mist. The attacks seemed to be taking their toll—more wounded Vikings were arriving at the healing hut than usual. This was unusual, given that Vikings prided themselves on weathering pain and trusting their bodies to heal with nothing more than a night's sleep. But when they did come, it meant their injuries were severe. Over the past week alone, Sigrid had treated deep cuts, poisoned arrow wounds, burns, and broken bones. The Rider kids seemed eager to help,  but Stoick insisted the situation wasn't serious enough to require their involvement. The kids hadn't faced the outcasts yet. Stoick believed the children should stay safe. He didn't want them to be involved in their war.

At least Sigrid had commanded the Nadder flocks to nest along the coastline, making it difficult for the outcasts to approach. The nesting Nadders turned savage at the approach of strangers. This meant that the outcasts couldn't land on the shore and had no choice but to retreat entirely. As a result, Sigrid's headache had worsened lately, but it was manageable.

He'd just put the pot on for tea to ease his headache when he heard someone running toward him urgently. Another injured person had arrived. Sigrid sighed and opened the healing hut door. However, there was someone he hadn't expected. Hiccup was racing toward him on Toothless at full speed. Hiccup looked quite urgent.

"Sigrid! It's urgent! Please come quickly!" Hiccup shouted.

"What's going on? Has someone been badly hurt?"

"It's my dad! He got shot by arrows from the outcasts! More than one!" When Hiccup said this, Sigrid's expression became serious. Just as he climbed onto Toothless behind Hiccup, a shadow appeared in the sky. Looking up, he saw Thornado. Stoick was riding it with arrows stuck in his shoulder.

"Dad? I told you to stay still! What are you doing here?" Hiccup shouted in shock, but Stoick didn't seem bothered at all.

"Don't make such a fuss over a couple of arrows. They're not poisoned or anything, so what's all the panic about? It's easier for me to ride here than to have him come all the way to me." Stoick got off his dragon and walked over to Sigrid. His reckless behaviour was giving Sigrid yet another headache.

"Stoick! I've told you countless times not to move when you get hit by arrows. It's harder to remove them when they dig deeper. I've said this every time, but you never listen." Sigrid crossed his arms and glared at Stoick. Stoick avoided his gaze.

"But I got hit in the shoulder, not the leg! My legs are fine, so why should you come to me? I can come by myself." Hearing Stoick's excuse, Sigrid sighed deeply Sigrid gave up arguing and let Stoick into the healing hut. Hiccup followed him inside. The dragons were waiting in the front yard of the healing hut.

"Take off your armor, you stubborn Viking."

Hearing Sigrid's irritated tone, Stoick immediately removed his armor. When he took it off, he could not lift his arm properly, showing that the arrows had gone deep into his muscles. Sigrid took some soapwort from the cabinet, soaked it in water, and shook it. After shaking it until it foamed, he rolled up his sleeves and washed his hands in the soapy water. Hiccup watched from the side.

He poured hot water from the pot into a bowl and soaked the small knife he had bought from Johann in it. Afterwards, he picked up a pair of large pliers and walked behind Stoick. There were two arrows were lodged in the back of his left shoulder, and one in the front. Three in total. Sigrid cut the arrow shafts as short as possible with the pliers. If the shafts were left too long, there was a risk of them being struck or pushed, which would drive them deeper into the wound.

Once all the arrows had been shortened, Stoick finally removed his tunic. With the tunic off, it was clear how deeply the arrowheads were lodged. Most of them weren't embedded very deeply. Sigrid took out the knife that had been soaking in hot water and wiped it dry with a cloth. Then he slowly and carefully began to dig out the arrowheads. The arrows used by the outcasts had barbs that made them easy to penetrate but difficult to remove. Simply pulling them out would create larger wounds, which is why he had to use a knife.

When he carefully inserted the knife between the arrowhead and the embedded muscle, blood flowed down. Stoick appeared unbothered, but Hiccup, who was watching, looked more pained than anyone else. It must have been hard for a 15-year-old to watch. However, it would be useful for Hiccup to know how to remove arrowheads in future, so Sigrid let him continue watching.

"Hiccup, could you wet a cloth from my workbench and bring it to me? I need to clean up this blood." When Sigrid called him, Hiccup was startled for a moment but quickly brought the wet cloth. After wiping away the blood, he managed to remove two arrowheads. Now only one arrowhead lodged at the front remained.

"How did you get hit when you were wearing armor?" Sigrid asked, as he dipped his hands in the soapwort water again to clean off the blood. The knife was also soaking in hot water as before.

"I let my guard down for a moment. Either there's a skilled archer among the outcasts, or the guy who shot it got lucky." Stoick started to shrug his shoulders but stopped halfway. It obviously still hurt.

"Be grateful they weren't poisoned arrows. Treating poison takes much longer. Be more careful next time, will you?" After Sigrid had finished washing and drying his hands, he dragged a chair in front of Stoick. The arrowhead stuck in the front was a bit tricky to handle while standing.

"Well, even if something like that happens, you'll deal with it, won't you? I'm counting on you." When Stoick said this, Sigrid glared at him and kicked his shin. Stoick was about to protest, but soon fell silent again.

"I'm not a god, Stoick. No matter how skilled I am, there are poisons I can't treat. You know that." Sigrid bent down and approached the wound where the arrowhead was embedded. Soon he began digging out the arrowhead, and blood dripped to the floor.

"I know. But I still trust you. I'm always grateful to you, you know?"

"If you're grateful, then don't get hurt. I'm already struggling to treat so many injured people these days." 

After concentrating on the arrowhead for a while, Sigrid finally pulled out the embedded arrowhead. The wound wasn't too deep or too big, so it probably didn't need stitching. All that remained was to apply medicine and bandage it up.

Sigrid thoroughly cleaned the wound with a wet cloth, then carefully applied ointment to help it heal. Bandaging the shoulder would be awkward, but it needed to be kept still to heal properly. Sigrid wrapped the bandages extra tightly to prevent any movement of the left arm.

"Isn't this wrapped too tight? I can't move my left arm at all."

"The more you move, the slower it will heal. Wouldn't it be better to stay still for a few days and heal quickly?" After securing all the bandages firmly in place, the treatment was complete.

"Done. Now you can put on your clothes on and go out. Try not to move your left arm if possible. Got it?"

"Got it. I understand perfectly. See you later." After putting on his clothes and armor again, Stoick went outside the healing hut. Sigrid watched him walk away for a moment before turning back to clean up the healing hut. Hiccup was there, too — he thought he had followed Stoick out.

"Oh, Hiccup. You were still here. Don't you need to go and see your friends?" When Sigrid asked him, Hiccup smiled awkwardly.

"No, it's just... seeing you work as a healer feels kind of strange. I've always seen you working as a healer, but you've always asked me to leave when there have been serious injuries like this. I think this is the first time I've seen it."

Sigrid always made Hiccup leave the healing hut when people with serious injuries. Despite being Vikings, he believed there were things children shouldn't witness at such a young age. However, Hiccup was now fifteen years old and had recently visited the outcasts' island. It was time for him to see and learn these things.

"That's right. I thought you were old enough to see this now. There might be times when you or your friends get injuries like this. In case I'm not around, it would be good for you to know how to treat them. You saw the proper treatment process - do you have any questions?" At Sigrid's words, Hiccup thought for a moment, then pointed to the bowl containing soapwort.

"Before, when you put that plant in water and shook it around, it made foam. Why did you use that water to wash your hands?" When Hiccup asked this, Sigrid took some soapwort from the cabinet and handed it to him. Hiccup examined the soapwort closely.

"This is something I learned through years of experience. Without washing my hands in this plant water, wounds often got worse despite treatment. I'm not sure why, but when I use this water, most wounds heal properly. That's why I do it." When Sigrid said this, Hiccup pointed to the bowl containing the knife.

"Did you put the knife in hot water earlier for the same reason?"

"Right. Heating the knife prevents wounds from getting worse. But heating the knife until it's red hot would cause burns. So I used hot water instead." After he finished speaking, Hiccup immediately took out a notebook and a piece of charcoal out of his pocket and began taking notes.

"Got it. If something like that happens, I'll definitely follow those steps."

"No matter how careful you are, there will definitely be situations where you get hurt. The important thing is to stay calm and not panic. If you're not calm, things can go wrong. You need to think before you act. Your father acts without thinking — that's his problem. He hasn't changed since I first met him." Sigrid said with a smile. He grabbed a dry cloth, wet it with water, and wiped up the blood that had spilled onto the floor of the healing hut.

"Has Dad ever been seriously injured before? Worse than arrow wounds?"

"Absolutely. How could there not have been? We've had wars with other tribes and endless battles with dragons. Your father rarely gets injured, but whenever he does, it's severe. You've seen all those scars on your father's body, haven't you? I treated every single one of those wounds." Hiccup was slightly surprised when Sigrid said this. It was hard to imagine Stoick being seriously injured.

"Wow, that's amazing. I had trouble even watching you remove those arrowheads earlier."

"You'll get used to it the more you see. It's good to get used to these things. One day, if you get hurt and there's nobody around, you'll need to be able to patch yourself up. It's better to learn now." Hiccup fell into deep thought again. He seemed to have something he wanted to say.

"When no one's around, you have to do it yourself. But when someone is there, always ask for help. Your father got told off by me many times for trying to handle everything alone. That's why he comes to me on his own now — he doesn't want to hear my nagging." When Sigrid said this, Hiccup laughed.

"I can imagine that. You've just finished nagging Dad, haven't you?" Hiccup watched Sigrid clean the healing hut.

"Sigrid. Since we started flying together, I've wanted to ask you something... is it okay if I ask?"

"Of course. Why are you being so hesitant? That's not like you." Whenever Hiccup asked questions like this, they were always unexpected. Sigrid felt a little nervous about what was coming, but he gave his approval anyway. Hiccup paused for a moment.

"When you're flying, your tunic rides up a little. I can see part of your back. Just a little, but there are quite a few scars. How did you get those?"

"Well... I think I probably got them from fighting dragons. I can't remember them clearly, so they probably weren't that important. Why are you asking? I didn't think there were that many. I thought they wouldn't be visible." When Sigrid laughed awkwardly, Hiccup crossed his arms.

"You always smile like that when I ask difficult questions."

"It's nothing special. After living as long as I have, these are just minor cuts that have built up over the years. Are you asking this out of concern for me? I didn't realise you were thinking about it." Sigrid was lying, of course. After living in Berk for thirty years, his lying skills had improved considerably.

"Yes, I was worried it might still hurt. Dad sometimes said his scars hurt."

"It's really no problem. I'm okay." Sigrid smiled at him. "By the way, I can teach you more about treating injuries later. If you want to learn, anyway. Since you're probably going to get into fights, it'd be really useful for you to know this stuff. What do you think?" At Sigrid's suggestion, Hiccup's eyes lit up with interest at Sigrid's suggestion.

"Yes, I'd really like that! Lately, everyone's been getting all kinds of burns and cuts from dragon riding. It would be great if you could teach me how to make medicine too."

Seeing Hiccup's happiness, Sigrid smiled too. It would be good to teach him how to make burn ointment. Since he was already an expert at identifying medicinal herbs, he could learn quickly with just a little instruction.

"Hiccup, there's one thing you need to remember. It's extremely important — something you must never forget. Can you promise to remember it?" Hiccup nodded when Sigrid said this.

"Some things in this world simply cannot be healed. No matter how hard you try, there will always be people and dragons that you won't be able to save. It's never your responsibility or your fault." Hearing Sigrid speak so seriously, Hiccup became serious too.

"You need to know when to let go. Even when you don't want to let them go, if you truly care for someone, you must let them go. Sometimes, it's better to help them find peace quickly than to let them suffer for a long time. Those decisions will be painfully difficult, but as time goes by, you'll realise that it was the right thing to do. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"But... what if I didn't do my best at the time, and I could have saved them but failed because of my mistakes? How can I know exactly when it's time to let go?" When Hiccup asked this, Sigrid thought for a moment. This was an issue he had wrestled with as well. He couldn't offer a perfect answer, but he could share the best one he knew. Sigrid gently took Hiccup's hand and gazed softly into his eyes.

"When that time comes, your heart will know. If you're uncertain, others will help you see. This is all the guidance I can give. Don't burden yourself with too much blame, and don't let that moment define you. Grieve deeply, mourn fully, and then find the strength to let go. It will feel impossible, but somehow things will get better. Time heals everything."

Hiccup didn't fully understand Sigrid's words, but he nodded as if he understood. The things he couldn't understand now would become clearer as Hiccup grew older.

"No one can change the laws of nature. These laws cannot be avoided. I hope you remember that. Maybe this was too hear to understand, but it was necessary. Living a life close to battle means you'll definitely face death."

"I don't entirely understand yet... But I'll do my best." Sigrid smiled and patted his head.

"Good. Now go to your friends. Come to my healing hut whenever you're free, and I'll show you how to treat injuries and make remedies. And be sure to tell me if your dad tries to use his left arm. See you later then."

After Sigrid said goodbye, Hiccup quickly left with Toothless. Sigrid wished that Hiccup could avoid a life filled with battle if at all possible. A world of violence where people kill and die didn't suit Hiccup. But if he had no choice but to live such a life, Sigrid wanted to prepare him as much as possible beforehand. At least he would be mentally prepared.

Human lifespans were far too short. They could barely live for a few decades, and they lived even less than that because they spent their time fighting each other. From Sigrid's perspective, these were truly meaningless things. Sigrid didn't want Hiccup or Stoick to die early. He had to protect them. Even if it meant he might die, Sigrid was willing to accept that. Sigrid had already lived for a very long time. He had lived more than enough. They hadn't even lived a single century. 

His life had been too long. So long that it was exhausting. However, he hadn't felt weary from his endless existence recently because they were there with him. That's exactly why Sigrid had to protect them all the more.

Chapter Text

Thanks for art!

The rider kids had been visibly unhappy lately. Stoick had grounded all dragons after the Outcasts started their raids on Berk with their own trained dragons. Despite being temporary, the ban shocked everyone—flying had never been forbidden on Berk. The kids called it ridiculous and protested bitterly, but when the chief gives an order, there's no arguing. With flying banned, Hiccup had been staying only in the forge for a while. On the second day of the flight ban, Sigrid visited the forge briefly to see what Hiccup was up to.

"Good morning. Are you busy?" Hiccup looked up from hammering the side of a shield when he heard Sigrid's voice. Black soot was smeared on his face from the forge work.

"Good morning. I'm not busy—just bored out of my mind. Can't believe I can't even fly with Toothless anymore." Hiccup pointed at Toothless lying beside him with his hammer. Toothless lay on the floor, wiggling his legs as if extremely bored.

"I know, I can't help it either. Your dad will lift the ban once he feels it's safe again, right? Just be patient for a while."

"When he thinks it's safe? Will that day ever come? At this rate, I'll be waiting ten years!" Hiccup sighed and started hammering the shield's side again. Looking at the shield briefly, it appeared to be a regular wooden shield reinforced with iron.

"That might be true. Your father is quite cautious. By the way, what are you making? Just a shield?"

"Well, it's not just a shield."

Hiccup examined the shield's side and pressed a hidden switch. The shield's center opened, and a small mini bola popped out. The rope shot forward, wrapping around Sigrid as he stood in front of Hiccup. The pull was too strong—Hiccup was dragged helplessly toward him until they collided, bodies pressed together.

"...Quite surprising. You added this function too." When Sigrid looked down at Hiccup and burst into laughter after being startled for a moment, Hiccup's face turned red.

"Sorry. I'm not used to the function yet." Hiccup released the catch, winding the bola back into the shield.

"If we can't ride dragons, we have to defend ourselves, somehow."

"It would be good if you could defend yourself. But you need strength to use that shield properly. Pull the bound enemy to you—don't let them drag you around—or it won't work as defense." When Sigrid spoke teasingly, Hiccup looked away embarrassed.

"Earlier was just because I wasn't ready for it. Next time I shoot, it'll be fine."

As Hiccup was talking, Toothless suddenly stood up from where he'd been sitting on the floor. He squeezed between Sigrid and Hiccup, then started tapping Hiccup's head with his tail, insisting on something. He appeared tired of waiting any longer.

"He's been bothering me about flying together since yesterday. Could you get through to him that it's not allowed? He completely ignores everything I say." Hiccup grumbled while pushing away Toothless's tail with one hand as it kept blocking his view.

"I'm not sure he'd pay attention to me either. I could force him to stay grounded, but I don't think you'd like that approach."

"It's not that. I just... I really hope Dad lifts the flying ban soon. If he doesn't, I might end up sneaking out at night to fly."

"I could just go and tell your father you're planning to sneak out flying at night. Are you really okay with letting me know about this?" When Sigrid spoke, Hiccup panicked for a moment.

"Uh... I'll trust you won't do that? You're not really planning to tell my dad, are you?" 

Hiccup glanced at Sigrid nervously while setting the shield down on the workbench in front of him. Sigrid never got tired of watching Hiccup fall for his teasing, no matter how often he pulled the same tricks. He felt his mischievous nature only grew stronger with age.

"I won't tell if it's not dangerous. I think the complete flight ban was a bit much too." Sigrid's words made Hiccup relax instantly.

"I guess I'll have to sneak out flying tonight. If Toothless stays grounded any longer, he'll really get angry." Hiccup reached out to pat Toothless's head, but quickly withdrew his hand at Toothless's irritation. "I'll have to stay here until nightfall. I need to work on my shield some more."

"Be careful since it's dark at night. Won't you tell your friends? They want to fly too."

"Uh... probably not? If it's just me, I won't get caught, but if I go with them, we'll definitely get caught. I'll just fly alone secretly for a bit and come right back."

"Astrid will be quite disappointed if she finds out. Do your best. I'll be going now."

Sigrid waved briefly at Hiccup and returned to the plaza. While making his way back to the plaza, he came across Gobber and asked him to take a look at the cauldron in his healing hut. After long use, the handle part had become loose and could no longer be hung over the fire. Gobber checked the cauldron's condition and told him to come back the next morning.

That night, Sigrid woke up from the sound of something soaring past quickly. Looking out the window at the sky, he could see Toothless flying rapidly through the air. Toothless seemed thrilled, probably because he hadn't flown in so long, but flying out in the open like that would almost certainly get him spotted. Sure enough, Stormfly appeared, following the exact same route Toothless had flown. Hiccup was definitely going to get an earful from Astrid when she caught up. Sigrid lay back down in bed and closed his eyes. It was a quiet night except for the occasional sound of soaring.

When morning came, Sigrid visited Gobber's forge to pick up the cauldron from yesterday. He needed the cauldron he'd left the day before to make the medicines due today. But no one was at the forge. Only the shield Hiccup had been making yesterday was on the workbench. Sigrid went inside the forge to look for his cauldron. While digging through piles of metal scraps and half-completed weapons, he paused at the sound of distant shouting.

"Gobber! Are you here? I came to get my saddle!" Stoick looked into the forge, his eyebrows lifting in surprise when he found Sigrid there instead of Gobber.

"Gobber's not here. I came looking for him too, but he's not around. But why the saddle?" Sigrid stood up, dusting off the dirt and metal shavings from his hands.

"I asked Gobber for some adjustments. To improve maneuverability."

"But you can't ride Thornado right now, can you? You said no flying." Sigrid's comment made Stoick's eyes roll toward the ceiling, as if the perfect excuse might be written somewhere up there.

"That's true, but I'm the chief. Someone's got to patrol the island. Might as well be me."

"Ah, so the chief gets a pass? Hiccup would have a lot to say about that if he found out." Sigrid looked up at Stoick with a smile. Stoick looked quite uncomfortable.

"Don't say anything to Hiccup. he's already giving me dirty looks every time he sees me."

"Alright. But seriously, when are you going to lift that flying ban? I think it was pretty harsh too. Isn't it about time to call it off?"

"Well, I'm not sure when to lift it either. The outcasts have been getting bolder lately. If they actually come riding dragons, the kids will be in danger. Until now, they've only brought dragons to use as threats, but we don't know when they'll actually start riding them into battle." Stoick continued speaking while eyeing the shield on the workbench with curiosity. "Could you check if my saddle is there?"

"I'll look for it. The Outcasts are a problem, sure, but if you keep grounding them like this, someone's going to get hurt flying in secret. You know what these kids are like—they won't just sit still." Sigrid turned around and started looking for something resembling a saddle among the chaos. But no matter how carefully he searched, he couldn't see any saddle.

"You're probably right. Actually, I've been thinking it might be better for them to make trouble where I can see them rather than sneak around and end up having a serious accident." Stoick picked up the shield and began inspecting it from different angles. "What kind of shield is this? It has too much stuff on the back to be just a shield."

"Lifting the flight ban quickly seems right. If you don't, the twins' little accidents could escalate into something catastrophic." Sigrid gave up looking for the saddle and turned back toward Stoick. When he saw Stoick touching the shield, he urgently called out.

"You probably shouldn't touch that carelessly. That shield shoots a bola from the center... Whoa!"

Before he could finish speaking, Stoick pressed the shield's switch and a bola suddenly popped out from the shield's center. It wrapped Sigrid, who was right in front, and pulled him strongly toward the shield. Caught off balance, Sigrid couldn't withstand the powerful tug and was dragged straight into Stoick. When Sigrid glanced up at Stoick, they both stared at each other in speechless surprise.

"Oh my Thor... I should have told you this before, but it slipped my mind. I was about to warn you not to touch it since Hiccup made it, but it was too late." Sigrid burst into laughter, clearly amused by the situation. Yesterday Hiccup got pulled, and today he got pulled - it looked like Hiccup would really need a lot of strength to handle this shield properly.

"Uh... sorry about that. How was I supposed to know it would shoot something from there?" Stoick spoke awkwardly while trying to unwind the rope. "Do you know how to unwind this? I'm not good with these things."

"Try pressing the switch you pressed again. I saw it for the first time yesterday too, so I don't know it well either." Stoick continued inspecting the shield until the rope finally loosened and fell away. Sigrid stepped back and tugged his robe back into place.

"No Gobber, and neither of us found what we were looking for. Where the heck did that guy go?" Stoick grumbled while returning the shield to the workbench. Then Gobber's voice could be heard in the distance.

"Stoick! You were with Sigrid! I got your saddle done and already put it on Thornado, but you weren't around, so I've been searching everywhere for you. By the way, Sigrid, your cauldron is back there behind the workbench!" Gobber walked toward the forge, laughing heartily. 

Sigrid bent down behind the workbench. What he'd thought was just a pile of scrap metal actually contained his repaired cauldron buried underneath. Sigrid laughed dryly as he reached in and pulled the cauldron out.

"Come on, Gobber, try to be a little neater, would you? The way things are going, someone's going to accidentally throw my cauldron away with all that scrap pile."

"Cleaning? To my eyes, this is a very neat and well-organized forge! If you found everything you were looking for, get out quickly. The already narrow forge has become even narrower." With Gobber's words telling them to leave, the two came out of the forge almost as if they were being kicked out. They walked to the plaza and started a brief conversation.

"Please tell me you're lifting the flight ban today. The village is unnaturally quiet, and that's never a good sign. Lift it quickly before the kids do something drastic." Normally, the village would have been noisy from the twins' pranks by this time, but it was very quiet. They had to be hiding somewhere, planning something troublesome.

"Alright, one patrol round. You know, you don't want the kids in battles any more than I do, but you always seem to take their side. Don't you think you're going too easy on them?"

"Well... I probably am too easy on them, but you know these kids—they're not going to listen when you tell them to stay out of it. If they're going to jump into battles to help you regardless, shouldn't we make sure they know what they're doing? You can't keep them out of battles forever."

When Sigrid said this, Stoick went quiet, lost in thought. Protecting them made sense, of course, but they couldn't be protected forever. They needed to know how to protect themselves and fight back, so they could be safer later. When they reached the plaza, Stoick stopped and whistled with his fingers. After waiting briefly after whistling, Thornado flew over and landed on the ground. Stoick climbed on and looked down at Sigrid.

"I'm going back out on patrol. If nothing happens today, lifting the flight ban tomorrow seems right. I'll be back then."

As soon as he finished speaking, Stoick flew into the sky with Thornado. Sigrid looked up at the sky and headed to the healing hut. Now that the cauldron was fixed, he had to work. He needed to mass-produce medicine now to prevent future shortages. With all the Outcast problems recently, he already had enough on his plate—he wanted to at least not worry about his work as a healer.

Sigrid was dozing while boiling medicine until late into the night. He couldn't fall completely asleep because he had to boil it as long as possible and stir it to prevent it from sticking to the bottom. During this, he was startled by a sudden explosion sound and jumped up from the chair he'd been sitting on. He quickly went outside to check what happened, looking toward where the sound came from.

There were several outcast ships with dragons attacking them. Stoick and other rider kids were cooperating to drive away the ships. This incident would probably help Stoick realize the kids were actually helpful. He thought he might see Stoick teaching the kids how to fight or asking for their help in the future. Sigrid watched the outcast ships slowly move away, then went back inside the healing hut.

The outcasts were crowding into a large cave on Berk's coast. The cave was newly created by a Whispering Death attack, so very few people were aware of its existence. The Outcasts could use this advantage to sneak into Berk undetected. However, there were too many wild Nadders around the coast area, making it impossible to reach here without anyone getting hurt. Multiple Outcasts had already been wounded badly—pierced by Nadder spines, mauled by dragon teeth, or slammed into walls hard enough to break bones.

"Mildew, this is different from what you said. Why didn't you warn us about so many Nadders living on Berk's coast?" Savage held his sword threateningly at Mildew while whispering quietly. Mildew panicked and gripped his staff defensively, trying to move away from Savage's sword tip.

"I didn't know either! When I left Berk, these reptiles definitely weren't there. Something's strange." Behind Savage and Mildew, outcasts carrying large boxes passed by. Savage slid his sword back into its sheath and walked over to examine the boxes, leaving Mildew behind. Mildew dropped heavily to the ground, his legs giving way beneath him.

"Open the box." Following Savage's command, the outcasts opened the box. Inside were several Whispering Death eggs.

"Will this really be enough to bring down Berk?" Savage grabbed one egg and gave it a suspicious look.

"Of course. These Whispering Deaths will undermine Berk's entire foundation. Living on an island full of holes would be impossible." Mildew crept closer to Savage, releasing a grating laugh. Savage looked disgusted by his approach and quickly put distance between them.

When the outcasts started placing Whispering Death eggs on the ground, Mildew laughed more as if pleased. Savage gave Mildew a look of disgust. After confirming that all the Outcasts had placed their eggs on the ground, he moved toward their boat. Even during their departure, three more people were injured by wild Nadder attacks. Even in that chaos, Mildew somehow avoided everything without a single injury. He was the first to quickly board the boat and even urged them to depart quickly.

As they drifted away from the coast, Mildew continued his disagreeable chuckling, lost in fantasies of Berk crumbling to pieces. Finally, when Savage couldn't stand it and pointed his sword at him, he became quiet. After riding the boat quietly for a while, Savage asked Mildew a question.

"Hey old man. You're a Berkian, so why do you hate it so much? Your hatred runs even deeper than ours." When Savage asked, Mildew giggled.

"I never liked Berk! I never liked the people there either! I hate how they dare to keep dragons as pets—and dragons are what I despise most of all. Every dragon should be dead. That's why we need to take down Berk first. If we don't stop the Berkians, more people will want to ride dragons just like them. I can't stand to see that!" 

Mildew gave an impassioned speech, but no one really listened. The few Outcasts who bothered to listen, including Savage, simply looked revolted and shook their heads dismissively. They figured listening to the old fool was nothing but a waste of time.

Their boat disappeared into the fog like that. No one noticed that a small boat had come to the coast.

Chapter Text

For a time, various incidents and accidents continued to happen. While periodic invasions by outcasts had ceased to be a problem, accidents between dragons and kids still occurred regularly. However, the most notable incident was Meatlug's problem. One day, all the metal in the village suddenly chased Meatlug, causing her to panic. She flew frantically around the village center in continuous circles, trying to escape the metals. Sigrid's metal belongings were pulled toward Meatlug's body and whisked away by the panicked dragon, but Hiccup somehow figured out how to fix the problem and returned the items to him.

Later, when he heard the story, Fishlegs had fed her random rocks trying to get Gronckle Iron, which caused the whole situation. He said that Fishlegs had been looking for the recipe for Gronckle Iron. Hiccup said he had fully reinforced the shield he had been working on, using the metal he had obtained previously. He wanted to show how to use it, so Sigrid walked with Hiccup to the forge.

"There won't be an accident like last time, right? I don't want to get all tied up again."

"Oh come on! That was really a mistake!" Hiccup grumbled as if he felt wronged. Sigrid burst out laughing at his reaction.

They soon reached the forge, where Hiccup gripped the shield in his left hand. He touched the side of the shield, aimed at a tree branch overhead, and fired a bola. The rope pulled him upward. Once the rope had fully retracted, Hiccup looked down and said with pride:

"See? This is how it was supposed to be used. It works well now." He pressed a switch with his right hand, and the coiled rope was released, lowering Hiccup back to the ground.

"Nice. Are there other functions?"

"Of course. Look at this." When Hiccup pressed another switch, the shield split in half to reveal an arrow launcher inside. "This way you can use it as a crossbow. How is it?"

"Pretty impressive. No one would expect a shield to be used this way. You really are amazing." Hiccup smiled happily at Sigrid's praise.

"I was thinking of using Astrid's idea for tomorrow's training mission, so I want to give it a try then. You know how brutal Astrid's training missions are, right? They're incredibly hard."

"I saw you guys rolling around the arena earlier, dodging Stormfly's spines. Was that Astrid's idea?" When Sigrid spoke, Hiccup grimaced as if remembering that time and shuddered.

"That's right. Astrid's training is incredibly tough and dangerous, but worth it in the end. Tomorrow we're going to Dragon Island. She said we'll have to survive the night there without camping gear or dragons."

"Without dragons? Pretty bold. There are many wild dragons on Dragon Island, aren't there?"

"I know. Astrid probably wants us to either train wild dragons or practice sneaking around them. Well, we'll figure it out somehow." Hiccup folded the opened shield back into shield form.

"Yeah, work hard at training tomorrow. You're sure it's just you guys on that island, right? You checked that no one else is there?"

"I... think so? Who would enter an island full of wild dragons? There won't be anyone but us." Hiccup tilted his head with uncertainty, but quickly shrugged it off as if it didn't matter.

"It'd be dangerous if there's someone else there, so be careful. See you the day after tomorrow." Sigrid gently patted Hiccup's shoulder.

Sigrid watched Hiccup fly away on Toothless. This was the first time the kids would spend a night together on an island other than Berk. He could only hope they would return safely without any incidents.

Late at night, Hiccup and the gang landed on the shore of Dragon Island on their dragons. Astrid's training mission was simple. Cross from the East side of this island through caves to the West side of the island. Without dragons or camping gear. Hiccup thought it was pretty good training, but the other gang members didn't seem to think so. Snotlout especially hated doing it the most.

"I still don't understand. Why do we have to walk around instead of riding dragons? At least my Hookfang would never leave my side!"

"I told you, we need to work on our stealth skills and our Wild Dragon Defense. We need to know how to survive without dragons. How do you know what situation might come?"

"She's right. We need to know how to defend and survive without dragons. Stop talking now and let's move." When Hiccup spoke, Snotlout grumbled but headed toward the shore cave. They had to leave all the dragons here.

"Alright. So, who's going to watch the dragons?" The moment Hiccup brought it up, Tuffnut shot his hand up and started jumping up and down.

"Me! I volunteer!"

"But-But I have way more dragon knowledge!" Fishlegs protested. He clearly didn't want to explore Dragon Island in the dark at all. However, Tuffnut completely dismissed Fishlegs' worries and enthusiastically declared he wanted to go.

"I can't believe I'm going to say this, but it's better to leave it to Tuffnut this time, Fishlegs. No one can argue with your dragon knowledge, but if Alvin attacks with wild dragons, we need to be able to face them. You must find a way to defend. Do you understand?" Fishlegs finally nodded after Hiccup's persuasion. Even so, terror was written all over his face.

Now that they decided who would watch the dragons, it was time to depart. Hiccup said goodbye to Toothless, then grabbed a lantern and went outside. However, Toothless tried to follow Hiccup.

"No-no-no-no-no, Toothless. You have to go with Tuffnut. We have to be apart for a while. Stay well with Tuffnut. He's the boss!"

Toothless whined in dissatisfaction but soon gave up going with Hiccup and went into the cave. Hiccup confirmed that everyone else was ready with lanterns.

"Remember, this is about stealth, not speed. It doesn't matter how fast you get there. What's important is how you handle a wild dragon if ever you come across one. Understand? Alright. Good luck, everybody. I'll see you back at the cave." When Hiccup finished speaking, everyone scattered in different directions. However, Fishlegs' legs were stiff and he couldn't move.

"Fishlegs, you can do this."

"But I'm worried about Meatlug! She can't sleep and gets anxious when I'm not by her side!" When Fishlegs spoke, Hiccup turned his head to look at Meatlug. Meatlug was sleeping very comfortably.

"Move, Fishlegs! The faster you go, the faster it ends!" Fishlegs quickly disappeared into the forest.

"Good. Now I can move too."

Hiccup moved quietly. Shield in his left hand, lantern in his right hand, he focused on the surrounding sounds. Sigrid had told him a few times before. 'When you can't tell what's around you, or when you can't see anything, you should hold your breath as much as possible and focus on sounds.' Hiccup dropped into a low crouch, briefly held his breath, then concentrated deeply. In the forest, where only the occasional rustle of wind through leaves disturbed the quiet, many sounds suddenly became audible. According to the sounds, there appeared to be Gronckles ahead. Hiccup moved carefully and looked over the bushes ahead. As expected, a group of Gronckles were sleeping.

"I knew it would be Gronckles. I don't want to wake them, so I need to go around."

Hiccup began making his way around the sleeping Gronckles. However, soon he spotted some light in the distance. When he looked closely, it was a campfire.

"Are you- Campfire?! Really?! How is this stealthy?"

He told them to be so careful, but apparently someone didn't listen. It must be Snotlout or Ruffnut. Hiccup started walking toward the campfire to find the owner. However, when he arrived at the campfire, something was strange. There wasn't a single person, and only weapons were stuck all around. When they came to this island, everyone brought one weapon each, but they didn't bring this many.

"Is anyone here? Snotlout? If anyone's there, please answer-" Hiccup was unexpectedly tackled by someone. He opened his eyes and there was Dagur pinning him down. They looked at each other silently for a while.

"Dagur?!" Hiccup was flustered, but Dagur looked happy instead. That sight made Hiccup feel a bit creeped out.

"Hiccup, Old Friend!! You're alive!!" Dagur smiled and picked up Hiccup and hugged him tightly. Hiccup smiled awkwardly.

"It's the first time since you saved me from that dragon attack! You fought the Night Fury for me!" Dagur's intense gaze made Hiccup more uncomfortable.

"Oh. Right. Yes, the dragon attack!" When Dagur visited Berk, they had faked a dragon attack to protect Barf and Belch from him. Since then, he had almost forgotten all about it, thinking they wouldn't see each other for a while, but he hadn't expected to meet him this way. When Dagur released his arms from hugging Hiccup, Hiccup rubbed his sore arm.

"So... what are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here?" Dagur muttered something creepily to himself, then suddenly smiled and looked at Hiccup.

"For the same reason as you! You also came here to hunt dragons, right? Me too!"

"Uh... that's right! I also came here to hunt dragons. Why else would I come here?" Hiccup made an awkward excuse. He couldn't let Dagur find out that he trained dragons. That could break the treaty with the Berserker tribe.

"I knew it! But by the way..." Suddenly, all of Dagur's excitement drained away. Hiccup felt a chill run down his spine at the sudden change. "Did he come here too? If you're here, he must have come too, right?" Dagur stepped closer to Hiccup and pushed his face right up to his.

"He... who? I don't know who he is. I came here alone." When Hiccup answered, Dagur stared at him suspiciously, but soon pulled back and laughed loudly.

"Of course! A brave Viking like you would come to hunt dragons alone." Dagur's maniacal laughter caused Hiccup to join in with an awkward chuckle. "But it's a bit disappointing. It would've been awesome if he'd shown up. He should have seen me slash a dragon's neck with an axe all by myself!"

"I... really don't know, so I'm asking, but who are you talking about exactly? Do you mean my dad?" The moment Hiccup asked, Dagur's laughter vanished entirely. Hiccup was emotionally drained by the entire situation. Dagur's madness was absolutely unpredictable.

"Your dad? Chief Stoick? Ah no. Not that guy - the one who was practically glued to you every day. You really have no idea?" Dagur giggled as if it was fun. Hiccup thought for a moment, but no matter how much he thought, there was only one person always by his side every day.

"Do you mean Sigrid? But Sigrid's not a Viking like you. He's just a healer—" Before Hiccup could finish, Dagur suddenly whipped his axe at a log beside the campfire. Hiccup startled at the sudden movement.

"Ah, my friend. You're too naive. He's not just a healer. He's a very annoying human. You really didn't notice even after being together for that long? It looks like my friend is too naive to survive in this world. But don't worry. I'm right by your side. My... brother."

"Brother?!" Hiccup was surprised. It was a term he never thought would come out of Dagur's mouth.

"That's right! You and me. I'll tell you all about him. How he constantly looks down on people, always acts like he's better than me, like he's something special—" As Dagur began raving madly, Hiccup quickly tried to calm him. He couldn't understand what Dagur was rambling about, but if left like this, disaster would surely strike.

"Wait, wait. You might have the wrong idea, right? Look, Sigrid is just an ordinary healer. He would never look down on you, right?" When Hiccup spoke, Dagur looked down at Hiccup with incomprehensible eyes.

"Brother. As I said before, you're too naive. The ones closest to you are often the most dangerous. You need to make the first move before they do something. Either keep them under control so they can't turn on you, or remove them entirely. You still seem too... soft to do that. Right?" Dagur looked Hiccup up and down. "But don't worry. Since you're my brother, I can do that for you instead. Aren't you grateful?"

Hiccup's mouth opened in shock. He truly had no idea what Sigrid could have done to trigger Dagur like this. Hiccup quickly searched through his memories, but nothing important came up. The things that happened when Dagur and Sigrid met were really nothing special. Either stopping Dagur from killing him, or saying something to Dagur. It had to be one of those two things. But Dagur's hostility seemed far too intense for such simple reasons.

"Uh... I don't know... But anyway! Weren't we talking about dragon hunting? I like dragon stories. Could you tell me about what dragons you caught?" Hiccup quickly changed the topic of conversation. Fortunately, Dagur excitedly bragged about dragons while showing dragon skulls. He seemed to have completely forgotten the earlier talk about Sigrid. Hiccup responded appropriately while trying to process his tangled thoughts.

"Actually, now that I think about it, Hiccup—you said you hunt dragons, but you don't have any weapons with you? Just that shield?" Dagur's sudden question surprised Hiccup. Hiccup smiled awkwardly and lifted his shield to show Dagur.

"Right. It's just an old shield. This one is enough for me."

"That's... awesome. I should give dragon hunting a try with just a shield too. Hold the shield and keep smashing their heads!" While Dagur was speaking, suddenly a dragon's roar was heard. Dagur became serious and then grabbed the axe that had been thrown and stuck in the log earlier.

"Is it a Night Fury? I knew it would be on this island!"

"No, it sounds too big."

When the dragon's roar got closer, Dagur grabbed Hiccup's wrist and pulled him behind him. Looking at the sky, a Monstrous Nightmare was flying while breathing fire. Dagur seemed disappointed it wasn't a Night Fury.

"You're right. I'm taking him down anyway, just for fun." When Dagur aimed his crossbow at the flying Nightmare, Hiccup knocked the crossbow so he couldn't shoot.

"How DARE you?!"

"I had to! The Night Fury ... would've ... smelled it." Hiccup made a quick excuse at Dagur's anger. Dagur quickly calmed down at Hiccup's words.

"They can do that?"

"Ohh, yes. Ohh, excellent sense of smell. It would've sensed danger and fled."

"That's my brother! You know more than me! If we stick together like this, we can hunt every dragon there is. Right?" Dagur put his hand on Hiccup's shoulder. Hiccup smiled nervously.

"Then let's move. There's definitely a Night Fury on this island. My instincts are telling me!"

Dagur grabbed Hiccup by the wrist. Now he had no choice but to be dragged around wherever Dagur took him.

Hiccup ended up touring Dragon Island with Dagur. As they wandered around, they inevitably bumped into the gang. Snotlout first, then Fishlegs. He'd definitely told Dagur he was there alone, but with people constantly showing up, Dagur was getting suspicious.

"Are you really sure you came alone?"

"Uh... I guess they all secretly followed when I said I was going dragon hunting. Right?" Hiccup purposely raised his voice when saying 'dragon hunting.' The two then seemed to get the hint and avoided mentioning dragons altogether.

Dagur didn't seem to care even when the number of people increased. He kept advancing while aiming his crossbow. Hiccup wanted to believe that Tuffnut was watching the dragons well. If Toothless popped out here, it would really be a disaster.

"You know, we're a lot alike, Hiccup."

"Really? How-How-How's that?" Hiccup was flustered at the unexpected words.

"Well, we're both born leaders. And Sons of chiefs..."

"Yeah! That's true."

"...who had to be ELIMINATED, so we could gain control!!"

"Yes. Wait-what?! No. No! My-My Dad hasn't been ... eliminated from anything!" Dagur laughed as if Hiccup's words were funny.

"But he could! Well, your father can't seem to tell who to trust and who to stay away from either. Right? The moment I became chief, I got good at picking the right people. When you become chief, I could help you with that!"

"Uh... yeah. I'm grateful for that, but I think..."

While Hiccup was answering, the bushes ahead moved. When Dagur gestured, everyone lowered their postures and waited for whatever was behind the bushes to come out. But no matter how long they waited, nothing came out, so the moment Dagur dropped his guard and lowered the crossbow, a plasma blast hit right where he was standing. Toothless was behind the bushes. Dagur aimed his crossbow at him again. While Hiccup debated knocking the weapon away or telling Toothless to attack, Terrible Terrors suddenly swarmed Dagur. In the confusion, Hiccup gestured for Toothless to flee.

"What's wrong with you?! I almost had those Terrible Terrors. They were right in my hands!!" Astrid walked out from the left. The Terrible Terrors were apparently sent by Astrid.

"Terrors-Schmerrors. We're hunting a Night Fury here!!" Dagur yelled irritably. "How many people came from Berk?!" Hiccup could only make an awkward laugh.

When Dagur took the lead and walked forward, Astrid whispered to Hiccup.

"Did he say... 'hunting a Night Fury'?"

"Yep. That's exactly what he said."

"But Toothless is-"

"I know, and if he's loose, then so are the other dragons." Hiccup looked back briefly. He confirmed that Snotlout and Fishlegs were walking behind. "You guys need to find Ruff and Tuff, grab your dragons, and get out of here." The gang exchanged glances with each other and then quietly slipped away on another path. Only Hiccup and Dagur remained again.

"Dagur! The others said they were going to hunt dragons somewhere else. They figured if they stuck with you since you're so good at it, they'd never get a chance to hunt." Dagur laughed happily at Hiccup's words.

"Haha! I knew it! The only person to be with me is you, brother." At that moment, Toothless burst from the bushes up ahead. Dagur spotted him immediately and chased him.  Hiccup quickly followed, chasing after Dagur.

"I don't get it! Why doesn't it just fly away?!"

"Maybe it... wants us to follow."

"You mean a trap?!"

"Exactly! Maybe we should go back." Dagur spoke as if Hiccup's words were ridiculous.

"Go back? We can't do that! This is the only chance to hunt a Night Fury!"

"But it's hard for the two of us to hunt a Night Fury! You know that too, don't you?"

"I know. That's why I have a plan too." Dagur lit his arrow and fired it into the sky. Since he aimed at nothing, it hit nothing.

"What was that?"

"To be honest, Hiccup, I didn't exactly come here alone either." Soon several fire arrows flew across the night sky. This was unexpected, but if only that number came, it still looked manageable.

"Dagur, Night Furies are very lethal. A few more men won't make a difference."

"Really? You think so? Lucky for us, I brought the armada along and like a bazillion armed Berserkers!" Hundreds of arrows crossed the night sky. Some even flew to where Hiccup was, so Hiccup had to hold up his shield to block the flying arrows.

"Yeah, that might actually make a difference."

"Right? Now let's go kill that dragon! When I kill that Night Fury, I might give my brother the fangs as something special. They'd be perfect for a necklace, right? I'm thinking of making a helmet out of its skull!"

Dagur rushed forward and kept driving Toothless to the edge of the cliff. When Toothless had nowhere else to go, he looked around anxiously and looked at Hiccup. No matter what the treaty with the Berserkers was worth, he wouldn't put Toothless at risk. At last, Hiccup decided to drop the act with Dagur.

"Okay, that's it. I am NOT going to let you kill that dragon!"

"What? Why all of a sudden? We're with armed Berserkers now! There's nothing to fear at all!"

While Dagur was focusing on Toothless, Hiccup called Toothless. Dagur turned around in confusion at Hiccup's dragon call and looked at Hiccup. Toothless ran to Hiccup and stood by his side, growling threateningly. While observing Toothless, his gaze locked onto the saddle.

"Is that a—"

"Saddle? Yes, Dagur. That's exactly what it is."

"So, I was—"

"Right, Dagur. We do not hunt dragons on Berk. We ride them." Hiccup mounted Toothless. After securely fastening his prosthetic leg to the saddle pedal, he turned Toothless around toward Dagur.

"What?! You... YOU lied to me!"

"I was trying to keep the peace between our tribes. But I can't keep up this act anymore."

When Dagur angrily raised his axe, Toothless shot a blast at his feet. Dagur fell backward from the impact and also dropped his axe. Hiccup took that opportunity to fly up into the sky. Now it was time to escape from this island.

"You could've been my brother, Hiccup! Now, you're my enemy." Dagur shouted, but Hiccup ignored him. Since he had confirmed that so many Berserkers were in this place, staying here longer would only become dangerous.

Hiccup tried to join the other dragons in the air, but when Dagur's bola caught Toothless's tail, they tumbled back down to the ground. After several battles with Dagur, Hiccup fired his shield's grappling hook to snap the tree branch overhead, bringing it crashing down on Dagur. That way they were able to escape from Dragon Island.

"Wow, that was close. Right bud?" Hiccup said while scratching Toothless's head. "Guys, I think we should head back to Berk fast. Since the Berserkers discovered we're dragon riders, the treaty's bound to fall apart. We need to tell my dad quickly." Everyone urged their dragons at Hiccup's words.

When they arrived at Berk, the sun was rising. Hiccup rushed back to his house and explained everything to his dad. Stoick became serious about the Berserker tribe finding out they rode dragons, but he didn't blame Hiccup.

And Hiccup had one more place to go. It was Sigrid's healing hut. Hiccup flew on Toothless and landed in front of Sigrid's healing hut. Sigrid was sweeping the healing hut yard with a broom.

"Sigrid! I have something to ask you. It's... urgent." When Hiccup spoke, Sigrid put down his broom.

"What's wrong? Did you find something on Dragon Island?"

"No... I encountered Dagur on that island. And Dagur also found out that we ride dragons. But that's not the important thing!" Hiccup's words tumbled out in a frantic rush. 

"What on earth happened with Dagur to make him act like that? He was talking about you like you were his mortal enemy. What did you do?" Hiccup's words left Sigrid looking confused.

"To be honest, I have no idea either. He acted the same way when he came for the treaty last time. But I never did anything special to him... There must be some kind of misunderstanding."

"It was more than a misunderstanding. Be careful not to meet Dagur.  From what I heard him say, it honestly seemed like he'd throw an axe at you the moment he sees you." When Hiccup looked up at Sigrid with worried eyes, Sigrid patted his shoulder reassuringly.

"Thanks for telling me. I'll take care of this myself. I rarely go off the island, so I probably won't encounter him. But you should be more careful. Okay?" Hiccup nodded at Sigrid's words.

After the conversation with Sigrid ended, Hiccup returned home with Toothless. They would face many battles against Dagur as enemies in the days ahead. Since the hard-won treaty with the Berserker tribe would inevitably be broken, he couldn't help feeling guilty. However, if he hadn't acted when he did, Toothless might have died, so Hiccup had no regrets about his decision.

Chapter Text

Every morning, Sigrid always draws water from the well. He takes a lot in one go to avoid having to return to the well repeatedly during the day. Since they had recently dug a new well, the water level was quite high. However, when Sigrid threw the bucket down to draw water, something felt wrong. Even though he had thrown the bucket down, he couldn't hear the sound of it hitting water. When no splash came, no matter how long he waited, Sigrid finally looked into the well.

And there was nothing there. All the water in the well had disappeared. The well that had been perfectly fine just yesterday now showed its bare bottom.

"This is strange. Why did the well suddenly dry up?" Sigrid straightened his body after leaning over to look into the well. This problem didn't appear to be ordinary. He had to tell Stoick.

Sigrid walked toward Stoick's house. Looking up at the sky, it was full of clouds. Without sunlight, a cool wind blew frequently. Sigrid pulled his cloak tighter around himself. With the bad weather and the well drying up, he felt uneasy. Sigrid's instincts warned him that something was wrong. When he knocked on Stoick's door, a voice from inside told him to come in. Sigrid opened the door and went inside. Stoick sat in a chair without his helmet on, sharpening his axe.

"Good morning, Stoick. I found something strange this morning and came to tell you."

"Good morning. Something strange? Did all the dragons on the island disappear or something?" Stoick put down the axe he had been sharpening and gave his full attention to Sigrid.

"Something did disappear. Not dragons, though." Sigrid walked closer to Stoick. "We haven't had the new well very long. But now there's no water in it. I know there was water yesterday, but today there's nothing left. Something's wrong."

Stoick looked confused at Sigrid's words. He picked up his helmet, put it on, gripped his axe, and stood up.

"Let's go check it out ourselves. Follow me."

Sigrid arrived at the well with Stoick. When Stoick confirmed that all the water in the well had dried up, he became serious. The current absence of drinking water was quite concerning. Without water for the people of Berk, many difficulties would surely follow.

"This is really bad. We need to find out why the well water keeps disappearing, but right now we've got to get water for everyone. To carry water from the mountain streams, we'll need dragons."

"How about asking the kids? They'd be a big help bringing water. If Hiccup knows about this, he'll try to find the cause too. Don't you think?" When Sigrid spoke, Stoick thought for a moment and nodded.

"You're right. First thing, I need to let Hiccup know. Water delivery is top priority. Could you help out too? With your... wild dragons, I mean."

"Of course. I'll bring as many as I can."

As soon as they finished talking, both quickly moved to tackle the problem. Sigrid walked toward the arena while gathering dragons from nearby. Fortunately, all of Berk's dragons never refused his requests. Since he didn't force them, he didn't get a headache either. He brought the gathered dragons into the arena and fastened containers onto their backs. With just one container per dragon, they would have enough water.

While fastening containers to the dragons' backs, Hiccup and the kids entered the arena. As soon as they all came in, they stopped in surprise at seeing the arena bustling with wild dragons.

"Hiccup! Did your father explain the situation? I came to help." Sigrid finished fastening a container firmly to a Gronckle's back and headed over to Hiccup. The kids stared in disbelief as the dragons with fastened containers left the arena on their own. Hiccup ran up to Sigrid and whispered quietly.

"Doesn't this situation look suspicious to anyone?! They're obviously wild dragons!" Hiccup appeared worried that the other kids might become suspicious again.

"Don't worry. These are all dragons that I've fed at least once. Your friends probably know that too. And there aren't that many. This should be fine."

"You think six wild dragons aren't many?" Hiccup glared at Sigrid. "You didn't overdo it calling these dragons, did you? I'm really worried, so please take it easy."

"I didn't force them with commands. They all listened to my request. I didn't overdo it. I'll get water from the mountain streams. You need to tell your friends what to do, right?"

Hiccup nodded at Sigrid's words. A moment later, Hiccup began telling the kids what they needed to do. Snotlout and Astrid would head to the mountain streams to fill their canteens with water, while the twins would go to Lars Lake to fill their containers. He asked Fishlegs to go down into the well, but when Fishlegs said he hated tight, dark places, he decided he'd go into the well himself.

"All right, kids. Let's do this together. Working together, we'll wrap this up quickly." Sigrid walked toward Snotlout and Astrid, who were bickering with each other. Astrid laughed as she knocked Snotlout to the ground, then climbed onto Stormfly. Snotlout grabbed Sigrid's hand to help himself up, fixed his lopsided helmet, and got on Hookfang's back.

They arrived at the mountain streams and began drawing water. Sigrid threw large wooden containers into the water. When they filled with water, he sealed the lids tightly and had the dragons carry them back to the village. Astrid and Snotlout forgot about drawing water and watched the scene.

"Wow, that's really amazing. How do you make them do that? It's just like Hiccup." Astrid asked admiringly.

"Well, since I basically raised Hiccup, maybe he gets it from me?" Sigrid smiled and rolled the last container to a Nadder. The Nadder grabbed the container with one foot and flew away lightly. "You could do this too if you fed wild dragons every day like me. It would be quite difficult though." Sigrid lightly brushed the dust from his hands and walked over to where they were.

"I've got my hands full with just Stormfly. Taking care of one dragon is plenty of work. How would I manage that many dragons?"

"That's why I don't really manage them. Those dragons just take food from me and help out with small tasks. There's no close bond like you and Stormfly have." Sigrid took empty canteens from a basket and dipped them in the water.

"I have a really strong bond with Hookfang too! Hookfang couldn't even live without me!" Snotlout squeezed between Sigrid and Astrid, speaking boastfully. But Hookfang looked annoyed and bumped Snotlout with his snout, knocking him into the water.

"Hey! How could you do this to me?!" Astrid was laughing so hard at what she saw that she almost rolled on the ground. Even Sigrid couldn't help but laugh a little. When even Sigrid laughed softly, Snotlout looked betrayed.

"Hookfang may act like that, but he likes you. He plays pranks like that because he likes you." Sigrid reached out his hand to Snotlout, who was waist-deep in water, and pulled him out. Though Snotlout said he couldn't believe it, he appeared pleased by Sigrid's words.

While they continued filling empty canteens with water, Astrid spoke up.

"By the way, Sigrid. Do you know what Snotlout said earlier in the arena? You'd be really surprised if you heard it." Astrid looked at Sigrid with a mischievous smile. Snotlout beside her became visibly anxious.

"What did I say before? Didn't I mention I'd be happy to help folks, you know, being good and all?"

"Well, from what I heard, didn't you say you'd sell this water to people to make money? I told you to cut the nonsense. You still want to keep going with that?"

When Astrid finished speaking, Sigrid turned his head and looked at Snotlout with amused eyes. Snotlout smiled awkwardly and avoided Sigrid's gaze.

"I don't remember saying anything like that. Seriously! I... I would never say anything like that!" Snotlout sputtered in panic.

"Did you really never say such a thing?" When Sigrid kept staring at Snotlout, he finally confessed the truth.

"Fine! I did say that! But it was a joke, and I don't think that way now!" Snotlout shouted indignantly.

"If he weren't around, you totally would've done just what you said. You think I don't know how you are?" Astrid teased Snotlout while giggling. Snotlout's face went bright red, but he didn't say a word. Sigrid chuckled softly and patted Snotlout's back.

"You can say stuff, but the important thing is not doing it. I'll believe you when you say it was just a joke." 

Chatting while filling water, they soon had all the canteens they brought filled with water. During the flight back to the village, Sigrid rode behind Snotlout on Hookfang. Once they landed in the village, people had gathered, waiting for water. However, while distributing water, the ground suddenly began shaking violently.

"Ahhh! What's happening!" Snotlout panicked and fell to the ground. Soon the earth began cracking. The ground where little Gustav was standing split in half, and a Whispering Death emerged from it. Everyone froze in shock.

Sigrid observed the Whispering Death that had emerged. It wasn't the same Whispering Death that had fought Toothless before. This was a hatchling. Smaller, more impulsive, and completely out of control—a hatchling that wouldn't listen to anyone properly. Gustav was frozen in fear and couldn't escape from the Whispering Death. As the Whispering Death reared back to breathe fire, Sigrid launched himself forward to knock Gustav out of the Whispering Death's attack range.

"Gustav! Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?" Sigrid urgently checked on Gustav, who was pinned beneath him. After confirming there were no serious injuries except for a few scrapes, he quickly pushed Gustav toward safety. Gustav ran away quickly without looking back.

Having lost its target, the Whispering Death began to rampage. Leaving it alone would surely cause more accidents. Sigrid focused on the Whispering Death and commanded forcefully.

'Back off. Now!'

The Whispering Death that heard the command quickly dug into the ground and disappeared. Instantly, the worst headache struck Sigrid. Tremendous ringing pierced through his head, and he couldn't stand properly. He could barely maintain his balance and stay standing just before collapsing, but his vision was too dizzy. While struggling, he felt someone grab his arm.

"Sigrid! You okay? What's going on?!" Snotlout was holding Sigrid in a panicked state. Sigrid wanted to tell Snotlout he was fine, but he couldn't speak at all. If he opened his mouth, he would feel like throwing up, so he had to bear it.

However, the situation got even worse. There wasn't just one Whispering Death. Though Sigrid had driven away one, three hatchlings were flying around in Berk's sky. The hatchlings flew around destroying everything in sight. The sound of low horn blowing came from the distance, signaling a warning. Even where they stood wasn't safe. They had to move right now.

"Quickly, everyone form a defensive line in the middle of town!" Hearing Stoick's shout, Sigrid barely managed to bring his blurry vision back into focus. Vibrations could be felt underfoot. A Whispering Death would soon break through here and come up.

"Snotlout. Call Hookfang. Quickly!" Though Snotlout was severely panicked, he called Hookfang as Sigrid instructed.

"Hookfang, help! Hurry!" When Snotlout shouted, Hookfang swooped down, seized them in his claws, and shot up into the air. The moment Hookfang grabbed them, the ground collapsed and a Whispering Death emerged. Snotlout screamed in terror. The Whispering Death that emerged charged at Sigrid and Snotlout caught in Hookfang's feet, but with Astrid's help, they avoided being caught.

Soon Hookfang set them down on relatively safe-looking ground. The lingering headache nearly drove Sigrid to unconsciousness. Even though he'd only made one unruly hatchling back down, the cost was too high. The consequences were unbearable since he'd been unprepared for them.

"Are you hurt badly? Please say something! I'm freaking out!!" Snotlout screamed in panic. No matter how severe the pain, he had to endure it for now. Berk was still under attack by three hatchlings. Sigrid took a deep breath, cleared his throat, and tried to sound as normal as possible.

"I'm fine. I'm okay, so go—take Hookfang and help the other kids. It's getting dangerous out there, so they really need you right now." He wanted to sound as normal as possible, but to anyone listening, it was clearly not a normal voice. Snotlout hesitated, but after Sigrid kept pushing him, he finally got on Hookfang and headed toward the others.

As soon as Snotlout left, Sigrid immediately sat down on the ground. He couldn't stand properly—everything had been spinning for a while. Sigrid rubbed his aching head with one hand and looked up at the sky. The three hatchlings repeatedly hid underground to avoid the attacks. 

If his condition had been fine, or if those dragons had been fully grown, Sigrid would have been able to do something. But unfortunately, it was the worst possible situation. As he wondered what to do, he heard someone shouting Sigrid's name. Turning his gaze, he saw Hiccup and Toothless flying over.

"Sigrid! What are you doing here? Are you okay?" Hiccup jumped off before Toothless even landed on the ground.

"I'm okay. Looks like those dragons won't listen to me, Hiccup. They're hatchlings. They don't listen to anybody and just run wild." Hiccup's expression became serious at Sigrid's words. Then he ran quickly backward. Looking behind, there was the forge. He hadn't noticed what was behind him because of all the chaos.

"Toothless! Don't let the Whispering Death through!" Hiccup shouted while searching for something inside the forge. Soon, a Whispering Death appeared. While Toothless fought the Whispering Death, reflected light hit the Whispering Death's head, causing it to flee underground. Hiccup was holding his shield, reflecting light.

"I can handle this. Unless it gets really dangerous, you don't need to help me! Stay put!"

Hiccup climbed onto Toothless and began driving away the remaining Whispering Deaths. Using light reflected from his shield, he drove the dragons away and successfully forced them out of Berk. However, an earthquake much more violent than before began rumbling from the ground. Sigrid quickly stood up from where he had been sitting. He could feel some giant dragon trying to emerge from where the kids were.

Soon, a pure white, massive dragon came up from the ground. It was an albino Whispering Death. As soon as the albino emerged above ground, it faced the dragons the kids were riding. The dragon unleashed a deafening, terrifying roar. The thunderous noise came on top of his splitting headache. Sigrid pressed his palms against his ears and fought to shut out the sound.

Hiccup and the kids tried to make the albino dragon leave Berk somehow, but even with the kids' attacks, the albino dragon took no damage at all. The moment Toothless fired, the albino dragon's powerful tail struck him and sent him crashing down. Sigrid bolted toward where Hiccup was falling. Leaving him defenseless like that would guarantee he'd be attacked.

Hiccup fell from Toothless and couldn't move from the impact of hitting the ground. The albino dragon was targeting Hiccup. Sigrid sprinted at top speed and barely managed to reach Hiccup. Then he roared at the albino dragon just before it could breathe fire.

"STAND DOWN!"

Fire was about to burst from the albino dragon's mouth but suddenly stopped. When the albino dragon unnaturally stopped moving, Stoick's Thornado attacked the dragon. The attacked albino dragon roared and began fleeing from Thornado. That was fortunate, but now Sigrid had a very big problem.

It felt like his head had been hit hard with a hammer. Sigrid realized he was face down on the ground. He appeared to have collapsed without even realizing he was falling. All sounds around him were muffled. Everything looked blurry because his focus wasn't working properly. And suddenly he felt strong pain from his heart. The moment he became aware of that pain, it felt as if all his senses were focused on it. He could no longer feel his headache. Maybe the pain in his heart was too overwhelming.

Sigrid clawed at the tunic over his chest while choking for air and hacking violently. The albino dragon's will had probably been too strong. With an ordinary dragon, it wouldn't have been able to move for a while in that state, but Sigrid's command was broken just from one hit by Thornado. That dragon had a very powerful purpose and will. Trying to break that will resulted in such severe side effects. While suffering in pain for a while, he finally began to hear sounds around him. After one wave of pain passed, he felt like he could breathe again.

Focusing on the surrounding sounds, he heard someone's shouts. Concentrating more, he recognized them as familiar voices. They were probably Hiccup and Stoick.

"—rid! Sigrid! Are you alright?! Hiccup, why is he like this?"

"The Screaming Death attacked him earlier! We've got to get him out of here quickly!"

Both were shouting at each other in panicked voices. They were calling that albino dragon a Screaming Death. Even in such a serious situation, Sigrid's thoughts were quite calm. Though there was still pain, it was bearable now. Blinking several times brought his focus back. Sigrid relaxed the strength in his right hand that had been gripping his clothes tightly. He must have gripped too hard without realizing it—his hand had gone numb. Then he carefully placed his hand on the ground and raised his upper body. When Sigrid moved, both Stoick and Hiccup stopped talking.

"I'm alright, so go deal with that dragon first." Sigrid coughed and pressed his palms against his head. However, neither of them looked like they were going to chase that dragon.

"Seriously? Do you know how bad off you were just now?" Hiccup shouted as if it was absolutely unacceptable.

"I'm getting you out of here first, then I'll take care of it. How did you get this hurt?!" Stoick tried to grab Sigrid's arm to help him up, but Sigrid gently pushed Stoick's hand away.

"I'm fine, like I said. With that dragon around, nowhere's safe anyway. The kids can't deal with it on their own. You have to help people. Go quickly." At Sigrid's urging, the two reluctantly mounted their dragons.

"Don't go anywhere and stay here as much as possible! We'll be back soon!" Hiccup shouted as he flew toward where the Screaming Death was. Even if he wanted to move, he couldn't. He had no choice but to watch from here.

The dragons poured attacks on the Screaming Death, then began luring it toward the sea stacks outside Berk. When the Screaming Death moved away, Berk became quiet instantly. In the sudden stillness, the ringing that had been hidden beneath the noise became clear. Sigrid winced.

"Ugh, my head... It hurts like hel..." Sigrid groaned while pressing his forehead with his hand. The pain in his heart continued along with his head. Sigrid looked down to check himself over. His tunic, which had been fine before, was now severely wrinkled from how hard he'd been gripping it. Sigrid tried to smooth out the wrinkled tunic several times, but no matter how much he smoothed it with his hands, it remained wrinkled.

This was probably the first time Sigrid had properly broken his oath. He had never felt such terrible pain before. If he had, he would have remembered it. All he had done was force one unruly dragon to stop moving, but the cost on him was enormous. At this level, he could understand why his kind died when they broke their oaths. It wouldn't have been metaphorical pain—like their heart was bursting—but literal pain that could genuinely burst their heart.

Sigrid let out a bitter laugh. He finally understood what it felt like to want to protect something even while enduring such pain. Why Freya had made such a choice too. The more he thought about it, Berk and everyone here, especially Hiccup and Stoick... they were all worth protecting. Freya must have thought the same way. After all that time had passed, Sigrid could finally understand Freya.

Sigrid lay back down on the ground. If faced with such a situation again, he absolutely shouldn't break his oath repeatedly. Being completely out of action like this meant he couldn't handle what came next. Being unable to move or defend was too risky. Sigrid closed his eyes briefly. It would be better to rest until everyone returned. Sleeping for a bit would improve his condition.

Sigrid opened his eyes to noisy sounds. Opening his eyes, he saw the kids and Stoick gathered around him. When he sat up, the surroundings became quiet instantly. Although he was still dizzy, getting some sleep had certainly helped reduce the dizziness. Blinking several times to focus properly, he looked up at the kids looking down at him. It was somewhat awkward that they all said nothing.

"Um. Guys. Why aren't you saying anything?" As soon as Sigrid finished speaking, the kids rushed toward him. Though quite flustered, he hugged the kids for now. Sigrid spoke to Stoick with a confused expression.

"Stoick. Why are they acting like this? Did something happen?"

"You're the only one who doesn't know what happened. When we got back, you were out cold on the ground, and we kept calling you but you wouldn't wake up." Stoick looked down at Sigrid with worried eyes. He hadn't realized they had called him several times.

"We thought you were dead!" Astrid gazed up at Sigrid through her sniffles as she hugged him tightly. Looking around, he could see that most of the kids were barely holding back tears.

"I wasn't dead, sweetheart, just resting on the ground. You were worried about me?" When he softly ran his hand through Astrid's hair, she buried her face completely against his chest.

"We were so worried. You heal everyone, but who heals the healer? That really scared us." Tuffnut sniffled. He had apparently worried the kids too much. He needed to comfort them quickly.

"I'm so sorry I scared you guys. I'm truly fine now, so you don't need to worry anymore. As the healer, I know my own condition better than anyone. Let's wipe away those tears and stand up, shall we?" When Sigrid spoke gently, the kids stood up. They were all crying a little. A pang of guilt and regret pierced Sigrid's heart.

"Stoick, could you help me up? I don't have any strength in my body." When Sigrid reached toward him, Stoick caught his hand and slowly lifted him up. Though Sigrid wavered slightly, he was able to stand. Stoick winced at the condition his friend was in.

"Are you really okay? It doesn't look like it at all."

"Like I said, I'm fine. All I need is a bit more sleep and I'll be back to normal. Please don't worry so much—you need to clean up the mess in the village. And I need to check on the injured." Stoick looked at Sigrid suspiciously but didn't say more. He had duties as chief.

"Alright. We'll definitely talk about this later, so keep that in mind. Kids, get on your dragons and follow me. Help clean up the village." At Stoick's words, the kids began riding their dragons. However, Hiccup didn't get on Toothless alone. Stoick glanced at Hiccup briefly but didn't tell him to follow. Thus, only Sigrid and Hiccup remained there.

Hiccup had been keeping his head down the whole time. He stayed there like that without saying anything. Sigrid was worried about Hiccup.

"Hiccup, are you okay? You've been quiet this whole time. Why won't you look up? Did you get hurt somewhere?" When Sigrid put his hand on Hiccup's shoulder, Hiccup took a breath as if to say something.

"Why... why did you do that earlier?" Hiccup's voice was choked with tears. Though his head was down so his face wasn't visible, he was definitely crying. Sigrid let out a silent sigh. What Hiccup had witnessed earlier had clearly been deeply traumatic for him. Sigrid moved closer and pulled Hiccup into his arms. When Sigrid hugged him, Hiccup also hugged Sigrid tightly.

"You were in danger earlier. That's the only reason I did it. I'm sorry you had to see something so frightening. I didn't know it would hurt me that badly either." Sigrid tried to comfort him by stroking Hiccup's back.

"You could've died. I know about oaths too. You've never hurt that badly before. You almost died, and it's my fault." 

"No, Hiccup. I wasn't close to dying. I promise. And I didn't get hurt because of you. It happened because of the choice I made. You're not to blame for any of this." No matter how much Sigrid tried to comfort him, Hiccup wasn't comforted at all. He was still crying.

"I promise I'll be more careful next time. Okay? Come on, look up. I'm truly sorry, Hiccup." Only after Sigrid comforted him for a long time did Hiccup raise his head. Tear stains covered his face. Sigrid smiled warmly and carefully wiped away Hiccup's tears with his thumb.

"Don't you dare do that again. Ever. If you do it one more time, I swear I'll never forgive you." Hiccup glared at Sigrid with tear-filled eyes.

"Alright. I'll try my best. I didn't realize it would affect you this much."

"Don't try, promise me." Hiccup said while wiping his face with his sleeve. He finally appeared to be calming down. 

"Do you know how you looked earlier? You suddenly collapsed on the ground, then tried to tear your clothes while in terrible pain. I kept calling out to you, but you didn't answer and acted like you couldn't even hear me. Do you know how scared I was?"

"I'm sorry. I was wrong. I really didn't expect it either, so I won't do it again next time."

Sigrid waited until Hiccup caught his breath and completely calmed down. When Hiccup was fine, Sigrid spoke to him.

"How about we ride on Toothless and go find your father and the others? I've got to check on anyone who got hurt, so let's go together. You'll share a ride with me, right?"

"You're the one who got injured. Do you really have to keep working in your condition?" Though Hiccup glared at him, he didn't refuse. Sigrid climbed on behind Hiccup and flew up into the sky.

The story about the Screaming Death could wait until later. What Sigrid really needed to worry about was the conversation with Stoick later. Just thinking about what excuse might convince Stoick was already giving him a headache. Based on Stoick's reaction earlier, he certainly wouldn't let this go easily. The thought of future complications made him sigh deeply, but he decided to deal with the present first.

Chapter Text

It took two full days to clean up the chaos the Screaming Death had left behind on Berk. During that time, the young riders and Stoick worked tirelessly to clear debris and restore the village. Sigrid had spent the entire time treating injured villagers. The collapsed houses had left most people with broken bones and bruises, so nothing was particularly difficult to handle.

Three days after the Screaming Death incident, Berk had returned to its original state. The carpenters of Berk had become skilled at quickly restoring buildings due to all the dragon attacks they'd endured in the past. No more patients came to Sigrid either. Before he could even enjoy the peace, Sigrid faced another problem: a conversation with Stoick.

Sigrid looked at Stoick with troubled eyes as he sat down in a chair at the healing hut. Stoick's eyes burned with determination. He wasn't leaving until he had the full truth about that day. Sigrid had planned to go to bed early today, expecting Stoick's visit, but the moment he sat on his bed, Stoick knocked on the healing hut door. Eventually, Sigrid gave up on sending Stoick away and pulled a chair to sit across from him.

"You know why I'm here, don't you? Tell me exactly what happened that day." Stoick crossed his arms and looked at Sigrid.

"I just... got hit in the chest by that dragon's tail. That's all." Sigrid gave the excuse he had prepared, but Stoick didn't look convinced.

"You were in that much pain from just getting hit by a tail? That's hard to believe."

"Vikings like you can take a beating without flinching, but I'm not built that way—one hit and I'm down. You know that, don't you?" When Sigrid argued back, Stoick's suspicious gaze faded slightly. However, Stoick's doubts weren't over yet.

"I heard from Snotlout. He said you were acting strange right after the Whispering Deaths appeared. Staggering around, couldn't even stand properly."

"That was just... the shaking ground caught me off guard, and then I fell. It's really not that unusual." Sigrid smiled awkwardly.

"I've been watching you lately, you know that? Do you really think I don't notice you fighting off headaches all the time? So how can you say nothing's wrong?" There was anger in Stoick's voice. Not anger at Sigrid, but worry about his condition.

"How did you know..." The words died in his throat as Stoick's fierce glare silenced him. It looked like tonight's conversation would be very long.

"I went to the kids first and asked them about you. They're all worried about you—every one of them. And they all had different reasons why." When Stoick spoke, Sigrid looked away uncomfortably. He hadn't expected Stoick to ask the kids.

"Fishlegs said that tea you drink almost daily—like it's water—is medicine for headaches. He's worried because every time he sees you, you have that tea in your hand." Sigrid listened to Stoick's words without any response.

"Snotlout said he thought you were about to faint during the Whispering Death incident. He tried talking to you several times, but you couldn't respond and went pale. Is that true?" Sigrid nodded.

"The twins said they saw you stumble several times while walking. And Astrid witnessed it a few times too." Stoick's glare intensified as he watched Sigrid's uncomfortable reaction, clearly displeased.

"You're one of the best healers I know. But when I see you struggling like this day after day, I can't stop worrying. Be honest with me, Sigrid. What exactly are you hiding?"

Sigrid pressed his forehead with his hand, deep in thought. Revealing his true identity to Stoick was absolutely forbidden. Everything else was fine, but he had no idea how to excuse this situation. The longer Sigrid's silence stretched, the more Stoick's expression hardened. It might cause some misunderstanding, but this was the only excuse he could think of. Sigrid lowered his hand from his forehead and looked at Stoick.

"Well, it looks like you're finally ready to talk. What's the reason?"

"Well... I have been feeling a bit off lately. It's not anything serious—just terrible headaches. I didn't think it was worth mentioning. Sorry." Though it was a hastily made excuse, Stoick seemed somewhat convinced. His hardened expression instantly melted into worry. A bit of guilt stabbed at Sigrid, but he continued speaking.

"Don't worry, it's not contagious. Just seems to be the colder weather affecting me. I kept quiet about it so you wouldn't stress. But I really have been feeling better lately." When Sigrid finished speaking, Stoick uncrossed his arms. He leaned forward toward Sigrid with a worried look.

"Why didn't you tell me? I knew nothing about this."

"I can treat it myself. I'm a healer—I know what I'm doing. It wasn't worth worrying you over."

"Even so, that's not right. You get angry when I hide my injuries from you, but then you hide things from me? This isn't very fair." Stoick's voice gained some strength. Sigrid tried to avoid Stoick's gaze but couldn't.

"I'm... sorry about that. But you're always getting hurt physically, so it's not the same thing. This is just a minor headache."

"I didn't even know my friend was ill. According to the kids, this has been going on for ages. Do you have any idea how it feels to be the last to know?"

When Sigrid couldn't answer easily and hesitated for a long time, Stoick sighed. He already understood Sigrid's discomfort and guilt well. Stoick leaned back against his chair.

"I understand you didn't want to worry me. But I'd like you to be honest with me. We're best friends, aren't we? Sometimes it feels like you're hiding too much from me." Stoick's words made Sigrid's conscience ache.

"...Sorry. I'll try not to do that next time." When Sigrid apologized again, some of the hardness left Stoick's expression. Sigrid couldn't help but feel relieved by the change.

"Okay, apology accepted. But tell me honestly—are you really better now? You just collapsed and looked like you were in incredible pain. I've never seen Hiccup so scared in his life."

"I'm feeling a little better. I hate that Hiccup saw me like that. He looked pretty shaken up—is he okay?"

"I think he's okay. Though he's been having nightmares and waking up startled. I was so afraid we were going to lose you. I've never been that frightened." Stoick took off his helmet and placed it on his lap. He looked very tired from continuously directing Berk's restoration work.

"Was it that bad? Actually, I barely remember that time... I don't really know what I looked like." When Sigrid spoke, Stoick's eyebrows rose again. Seeing this, Sigrid quickly changed the subject. "You look very tired too, and I need to sleep, so how about you head back? Let's talk about the rest later."

Stoick agreed and left the healing hut, riding Thornado back to his house. Somehow, Sigrid had managed to convince Stoick with his explanations. He made a mental note never to let anyone see him in that state again. As long as it remained hidden, there would be no issues. Having overcome a major worry, Sigrid's mind felt at peace. It seemed like he could go about his daily routine more comfortably starting tomorrow.

However, the next day, the kids started acting strangely around Sigrid. First, they started being cautious whenever they encountered Sigrid. They all looked at him with extremely worried eyes, then immediately ran away when Sigrid tried to ask why. What's more, someone kept leaving herbs at the healing hut's doorway. When he heard footsteps, it was definitely the kids. Thanks to them, Sigrid didn't need to go herb gathering for a while, but it felt odd.

Things got worse when Sigrid was carrying home some supplies he'd bought from Johann. The twins suddenly showed up from somewhere, insisting they'd help carry the load, and before Sigrid could react, they took all the items and rushed off to the healing hut. By the third day of this strange behavior, Sigrid went looking for Hiccup. He tried to ask the other kids what was going on, but they kept running away from him.

"Hiccup, what's wrong with your friends? They've been really strange lately." Hiccup was repairing Toothless's tail fin at the forge. He put down his hammer and looked up at Sigrid.

"Well, if I tell you, they'll all call me a traitor." Hiccup answered briefly, then picked up his hammer again to continue repairs. It was clear that Hiccup hadn't completely forgiven Sigrid. The exchange was uncomfortable, but Sigrid nodded in understanding and made his way back to the healing hut.

However, he quickly got an answer about the kids' behavior. When Gobber stopped by the healing hut, he explained everything.

"So the kids are acting strange now because they think I'm sick?" When Sigrid asked in disbelief, Gobber nodded.

"Right! You probably figured you'd only spoken to Stoick, but you know how fast rumors fly around here. The kids got the wrong idea completely—they think you're really sick. Like, seriously sick." When Gobber answered, Sigrid pressed his forehead. Seeing this, Gobber laughed heartily.

"How did you find out? When I tried to ask them, they immediately ran away."

"Those kids have been doing combat training with me since yesterday." Gobber's answer was quite surprising. Sigrid hadn't known they were receiving combat training from Gobber, not dragon training.

"Combat training? Not dragon training? Why are they suddenly doing that?"

"Yesterday, the kids all rushed into my forge asking for help. They said they couldn't protect anybody without dragons, so they needed my assistance. They kept saying they wanted to protect people, but I knew better. Those kids are trying to protect you. Pretty cute, huh?"

Gobber's words made Sigrid's eyes widen. The kids' determination was both impressive and heartwarming, yet it left him feeling uneasy. Sigrid should be protecting the kids, but this was the opposite.

"That's really nice, but... I just want to clear up this whole misunderstanding. Could you tell them for me? That I'm all better now?" When Sigrid spoke, Gobber chuckled.

"Me? Those kids would never believe it. Not until they see for themselves." Gobber looked at Sigrid meaningfully.

"I need to train them tomorrow too, but I have busy work that came up. Could you take over their training? If you do well there, the kids will believe you're fine."

Gobber obviously just wanted to pass off the training duties to Sigrid because he couldn't be bothered, but it was still a good opportunity. Sigrid also had some knowledge and practical experience in combat. Sigrid accepted Gobber's proposal. Tomorrow, Sigrid would need to be at the arena early in the morning.

The next morning, Sigrid arrived at the arena early. Since the combat training was real, the arena was filled with all sorts of weapons in boxes. Sigrid picked up an iron sword to test its feel. He felt a quiet pleasure at the weight of a weapon in his grip after so long without one. Sigrid wasn't the type to fight with weapons. He preferred hand-to-hand combat. His dragon arms and legs were weapons in themselves. Fighting barehanded was much more comfortable.

While holding the sword and swinging it through the air a few times, the rider kids arrived at the arena all together. Hiccup, at the front, froze mid-step when he caught sight of Sigrid. Snotlout, right behind him, walked straight into Hiccup's back and was about to complain when he too saw Sigrid and stopped cold. Sigrid put the sword back in the box and turned toward the kids. They all looked confused.

"Good morning, kids. Why aren't you coming in?" When Sigrid smiled and spoke to them, the kids finally entered the arena. But they still looked confused.

"What exactly... are you doing here? Where's Gobber?" When Snotlout asked, everyone nodded. 

"Gobber's really busy with work today. So he asked me to step in and teach you guys. I'll be running your training session today. Does that sound good?" The kids became even more confused by Sigrid's words. Eventually, the twins asked Sigrid first.

"But you're a healer! Not a Viking."

"And weren't you really sick? You shouldn't even be here." The twins spoke back and forth, both wearing expressions of deep worry.

"First, I'm not sick anymore. I'm completely fine and healthy. Second, I am a healer, but I still know how to fight. If you can't believe it, want to test it?"

Sigrid looked over the kids once. Then he gestured for Tuffnut, who was holding a mace, to come to the center of the arena. Tuffnut hesitated but came to the arena center as Sigrid said and stood in front of him.

"Good. Try taking a swing at me with that mace. The way you did with Gobber yesterday. Let's do some sparring." Even with Sigrid's words, Tuffnut couldn't swing his mace. He looked worried that Sigrid might get hit if he couldn't dodge.

"What if I hit you when I swing! Can you really dodge it?"

"If I weren't sure I could handle it, I wouldn't have agreed to help Gobber. I'm perfectly fine, so just attack me already. Come on!"

Only after Sigrid said he was okay several times did Tuffnut finally grip his mace with both hands. After taking a breath, he yelled and charged at Sigrid. The kids behind watched this scene with extreme worry. They were all ready to jump out in case of any emergency.

Tuffnut swung his mace at Sigrid while closing his eyes tightly. However, shortly after, Tuffnut was on the ground. Since he had his eyes closed, Tuffnut thought he couldn't aim properly and fell down swinging at nothing but air. But the kids watching everything were surprised. Tuffnut had swung his mace properly, but Sigrid didn't dodge the mace. Instead, he placed his hand blade against the mace handle and deflected the attack outward in a flowing motion. The movement was remarkably agile and quick.

"Tuffnut. You need to keep your eyes open when attacking. And your movements are too big. Since you're yelling, I can see exactly how you'll attack. Try again."

When Sigrid spoke, Tuffnut swung his mace again. This time he kept his eyes open properly and didn't yell. However, Tuffnut fell to the ground once more. As Sigrid grasped Tuffnut's wrist and pulled him along with his own momentum, Tuffnut lost his balance immediately and hit the ground. Having fallen to the ground twice the same way, Tuffnut got competitive and now properly attacked Sigrid like he did with Gobber. But every attempt ended with him hitting the ground, and eventually the exhausted Tuffnut just gave up. Sigrid didn't look tired at all.

"You did well keeping your eyes open and not yelling, but your movements are still too big. You also lack balance, and you don't have enough arm strength. A mace is a heavy, blunt weapon. If you're not strong enough, the weapon will control you instead of you controlling it. Keep that in mind." Sigrid helped the fallen Tuffnut up and brushed the dust off his clothes. The kids watching all this were shocked and couldn't say a word. Sigrid fought much better than expected.

"There, you see? I'm completely fine. I'll face each of you one by one and explain what needs correcting and what needs building up. Who'd like to go next?" As soon as Sigrid finished speaking, Astrid enthusiastically raised her hand. Sigrid called Astrid out.

"Yes, Astrid. You use an axe, right? Give it a try."

"But... aren't you going to hold a weapon? Gobber at least used a shield."

"It's fine. I don't think I need a shield. Come at me with everything you've got." Astrid hesitated but gained confidence after seeing the sparring with Tuffnut and immediately charged.

Astrid tried to raise her axe high to strike down. But as Sigrid swiftly dodged to the side and gave Astrid's back a gentle push, she briefly staggered forward, carried by the weight of her own axe. However, Astrid quickly caught her balance, pulled the stuck axe free from the ground, took hold of it with both hands, and swung it at Sigrid. But again, Sigrid dodged to Astrid's back. When he lightly nudged her leg with his foot, Astrid lost her balance and fell. After that, Astrid kept falling and missing her mark, but stubbornly continued attacking Sigrid.

During this, Sigrid suddenly reached toward Astrid's face. As Astrid reflexively raised her axe in defense, startled by the sudden movement, Sigrid's hand grabbed the axe handle. Astrid's axe was taken by Sigrid. With her axe suddenly gone, Astrid immediately gave up. Astrid looked very tired and was breathing heavily.

"Very good, Astrid. You have great persistence, good strength, and plenty of endurance. But there are some things to improve. You felt it yourself—your lower body strength is lacking. You also startle too easily when attacks come near your face. Being surprised is fine, but losing control of your weapon isn't. Remember this, never let anyone take your weapon away, no matter what." Sigrid handed the axe back to Astrid and called the next person.

Much time passed, and soon the arena was filled with the kids' heavy breathing. Except for Hiccup, everyone was very tired and sitting or lying on the ground. Hiccup came forward nervously with an iron sword at Sigrid's gesture. Even though he'd faced five people, Sigrid didn't look tired at all. This made Hiccup shudder.

"Wow, Sigrid, that's no joke. You fight really well." Hiccup pointed his sword and spoke to Sigrid.

"It's not really fighting—I'm just good at dodging attacks. Ready? Try attacking me." As soon as Sigrid finished speaking, Hiccup immediately charged at Sigrid.

But he couldn't even attempt a proper attack before falling to the ground. As soon as Sigrid hit Hiccup's wrist, his hand went numb and his sword clattered to the ground. Then, when his prosthetic leg was knocked aside, he tumbled awkwardly to the ground.

"You're still weak in strength. And you have the weakness of a prosthetic leg. You might think it's unfair, but enemies outside are always unfair. You need to build much more overall strength. Understand?" Hiccup took Sigrid's offered hand and got to his feet. Sigrid looked very pleased.

"That's the end of today's training. Did I do as well as Gobber?"

"As well as Gobber? You're harder than him!!" Snotlout, lying on the ground, shouted. He looked completely exhausted from falling and tumbling so much in his sparring with Sigrid.

"But it's better than Gobber, I think. Gobber tells us to all attack at once." Astrid laughed pleasantly while sitting on the ground. She looked happy to immediately understand her weaknesses.

"Well, that's good then. Since my lesson is over, I'll head back. Good work, kids." As Sigrid turned to leave the arena, someone was entering through the arena entrance. Thinking it would be Gobber, he looked again and saw it was actually Stoick. There was something unsettling about his smile. He was heading directly for Sigrid.

"Sigrid! I heard everything from Gobber. You trained the kids? How did it go?" Stoick's tone was strangely excited.

"It's all finished now. But why are you here...?" At Sigrid's anxious tone, Stoick laughed heartily and pulled out two iron swords from the weapon box.

"I wanted to get some training in with you as well. Mind if I join in?" Stoick threw one of the two swords to Sigrid. Though surprised by the sudden throw, Sigrid caught it perfectly.

"Are you crazy? You want to kill me through training?" Sigrid stared at Stoick in disbelief, but Stoick just kept smiling."

"I told you, it's training. I was watching you teach from outside the arena earlier. If Gobber hadn't filled me in, I would've missed this opportunity. I really owe Gobber one for this." Sigrid wanted to end this situation somehow, but Stoick didn't look like he would back down. Even the kids lying on the ground were now all sitting and watching this situation with interest. There was no escape.

"Can't we use wooden swords instead? Am I the only one who's worried about this situation?"

"Berk doesn't have wooden swords. Even the babies swing real swords around—why would we have such things?" Stoick laughed. "Don't worry. I won't go really serious. I know better than anyone that you're just a healer. Don't you trust me?"

"I don't trust you. Really." Sigrid saw Stoick take a ready stance and sighed deeply. "Please, take it easy on me." Sigrid tightened his grip on his sword with his right hand. If there was no way out of this, he'd have to fight.

Sigrid held his sword in his right hand, aiming it at Stoick, and raised his left hand to chest height in a fighting stance. This wasn't the basic stance they taught on Berk, but something very unusual. Seeing this, Stoick smiled more deeply as if this would be more interesting. After a brief standoff, Stoick charged at Sigrid first. The second Stoick's sword hit Sigrid's blade, Sigrid flicked his wrist and deflected the strike. But Stoick didn't lose his balance and quickly came at him again.

Sigrid was busy just defending. He couldn't attack Stoick first. His oath didn't allow attacking humans first either. Strictly speaking, this situation counted as being attacked, but since Stoick's attacks hadn't hurt him yet, it wasn't really being attacked. Moreover, Stoick's attacks were extremely fast. He obviously wasn't going easy on him.

"Are you serious?! This is going easy?!" When Sigrid shouted, Stoick laughed and shouted back.

"You're only defending! Try attacking!"

Sigrid felt deeply uneasy but successfully blocked every attack that came his way. However, looking at Stoick's determination, he clearly wouldn't call it quits unless Sigrid attacked first. Finally, Sigrid readied himself for what was coming. The moment Stoick's sword stabbed toward his face, he lowered his sword and deliberately took the attack. He didn't deflect it completely—steel bit into the flesh below his eye. Sharp pain awakened Sigrid's nerves. It was a pain he knew well. At last, he could fight for real.

As Sigrid suddenly let his guard down, Stoick panicked and jerked his sword to the side. Even if Stoick hadn't redirected the blow, Sigrid would have moved out of the way, but Stoick was clearly disturbed by the blood flowing down Sigrid's face.

However, Stoick's panic soon disappeared. Sigrid launched the first attack. The moment the blade drew blood, he brought his sword down hard in a vertical slash. As Stoick met the attack with his blade, metal smashed against metal creating a thunderous noise. It was different from before. It showed just how powerfully Sigrid had attacked. Upon taking Sigrid's blow, Stoick's face lit up with excitement once more.

"If you knew how to fight like that, why didn't you earlier! Now we're talking!"

After that, it was complete chaos. Stoick swung his weapon with tremendous power, and Sigrid danced around the attacks while going for his back. Sigrid had good strength too, but not as much as Stoick. This was the limit for a human body. But both their skill levels looked quite similar. Sigrid's original plan was to attack a few times then intentionally drop his sword, but fighting seriously for the first time in ages, he found himself getting more and more drawn into the battle.

While clashing swords several times, Sigrid's sword began making strange sounds when it struck Stoick's sword hard. And when Stoick swung once more, striking Sigrid's blade, Sigrid's sword shattered into pieces. The force of the sword shattering knocked the hilt from Sigrid's grip. As Stoick's sword drove toward Sigrid's throat, it halted mere inches away. The arena that had echoed with the ring of steel on steel suddenly went quiet.

cover art for chapter 49

Sigrid instinctively reached out to block Stoick's sword. But since Stoick stopped in time, it was fine. Once the sparring was over, Sigrid felt completely drained. It was partly from using his body so intensively after such a long break, and it had just been incredibly tough. Sigrid sat down and looked up at Stoick.

"I'm never doing this with you again. Never." After all that vigorous movement, his once-tidy hair was now a complete mess, and his robe had started slipping off his shoulders. "This is going easy? This? Are you out of your mind?"

"Well, you were so impressive that I lost control... Is your face okay?" Stoick dropped to one knee before Sigrid and carefully cupped his chin,  turning it to the side to examine the wound. Blood was flowing from the rather deep cut.

"It's fine. This isn't even a bad cut. It's your own fault for fighting so seriously against a healer." Actually, Sigrid had deliberately let the sword cut him, but he didn't mention that fact.

Sigrid took Stoick's hand and stood up from the ground. While he brushed the dust from his clothes and fixed his robe, the kids watching the sparring suddenly swarmed around him. Their faces were all lit up with excitement.

"Wow, Sigrid, that was so awesome! How did you do that?!" Snotlout asked with sparkling eyes. The other kids had mostly the same questions.

"You guys could do this just as well. I just... picked up a little swordplay for self-defense."

"That swordplay just now wasn't from Berk. You've got to teach me later too!" Astrid was excited. Sigrid roughly answered that he'd teach her later, then said he needed to treat his wound and left the arena. As soon as he mentioned treating his wound, the children immediately made way.

On his way to the healing hut, Stoick was following behind him. He still felt sorry for being too serious in the sparring.

"How long are you going to follow me? Don't you have work?" When Sigrid turned around, Stoick smiled awkwardly.

"I just... feel sorry. I didn't know I'd go this far." Stoick coughed awkwardly several times. Sigrid glared at him briefly but soon relaxed his expression.

"Well, it's fine. It felt pretty good to move like that after so long. Don't feel too bad about it." Stoick's face brightened at Sigrid's words.

"Good to know. I saw your skills earlier—it was pretty impressive. If your sword hadn't given out, you could've done a lot more. Where'd you learn all that?"

"I learned it before I got to Berk. My fighting style is all about deflecting attacks, so it wouldn't really work on you. I don't have that kind of brute strength you've got."

"Haha! That's true. Anyway, that sparring earlier really put my mind at rest. I can tell you're totally healthy, and even if you got stuck somewhere by yourself, you'd probably be fine." Stoick laughed and firmly gripped Sigrid's shoulder. Sigrid smiled back similarly, then stopped at a stinging sensation.

"I'm not that weak. It's just that Berk's Vikings are ridiculously strong. I'll head to the healing hut. I need to treat this wound quickly."

After parting with Stoick, Sigrid returned to the healing hut alone. He soaked a handkerchief in warm water and wiped away the blood that had flowed down. He was still riding the high from such an enjoyable battle after so much time. Though he'd taken some minor damage because of his oath, compared to his old fighting style, this was practically nothing. Sigrid's oath meant he had to be attacked before he could fight back. Because of this, whenever he got into a fight, he always had to take a hit or two first. It was inefficient and dangerous, but it was the only way he could fight. His fighting style was extremely draining and self-destructive.

So back then, when Sigrid sometimes wanted to fight someone, he deliberately let them hit him to get wounded. This left many scars on his body. In those days, his nature was so twisted that he deliberately endured attacks and then savagely beat people up merely because he disliked them or they had initiated conflict. Most were humans, it seemed. When Sigrid lived alone, humans would scream 'monster' when they saw him and attack. In his scattered remaining memories, they were all humans. Thinking back to the old days, Sigrid smiled to himself. At that time, it felt like he was furious with the entire world. 

Today's sparring with Stoick was pretty good. Even if not regularly, sparring with Stoick now and then might not be a bad thing. Maybe he'd suggest it to Stoick later.

Chapter Text

"Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo! Snotlout! Snotlout! Oi! Oi! Oi!" 

Sigrid looked up at the sky when he heard the shouting. Hookfang and Snotlout were flying quickly through the air. Lately, Snotlout had been training harder than ever. He flew more often and pushed Hookfang relentlessly. The poor dragon was visibly exhausted, always tired and barely able to walk after each training.

"Snotlout! Come down for a moment!" Sigrid called out loudly. Snotlout turned Hookfang's head and flew toward Sigrid. As soon as Hookfang's feet touched the ground, he immediately collapsed on the floor. Snotlout didn't seem to care.

"Why? I'm busy with training!" Snotlout looked restless, as if he was being chased by something. This was rather strange.

"Hookfang doesn't look very good. How about giving him a rest? Let me examine him."

"Him? He's completely fine! Hookfang doesn't need rest. He's a warrior. Like Dad said, warriors should never rest. Rest is for the weak!" Snotlout repeatedly pet Hookfang's head as the dragon lay exhausted on the ground, then mounted his saddle again.Hookfang barely managed to lift his head.

"But Snotlout, Hookfang is—"

"Really, he's fine! We're busy with training, so we'll be going now. See you later!" Snotlout quickly cut off Sigrid's words and flew away on Hookfang. This wasn't like the usual Snotlout. Snotlout could be quite rude to others, but he had never treated Sigrid with such disrespect.

Since Snotlout had brought up his father earlier, Spitelout was probably the cause. Sigrid turned around and headed toward where Spitelout would likely be. Around this time, he was always training near his house.

As expected, Spitelout was swinging his axe at a wooden post stuck in his yard. He had swung the axe so many times that the wooden post was almost ready to split into several pieces. Spitelout was so focused on swinging his axe that he didn't notice someone approaching. Sigrid lightly tapped the wooden fence nearby a few times to make a sound. Spitelout lowered his raised axe and turned around.

"Sigrid! To what do I owe the pleasure? Let me guess—my son's in trouble? It's always about that boy when you come looking for me." Spitelout hurled his axe to the side, where it stuck in the ground, then strode toward Sigrid.

"Snotlout didn't cause any trouble. I just have something to ask about him. Are you busy?"

"Not busy! Well, I might be busy later, but not right now. So, what do you want to ask?"

"Snotlout's been training hard lately—both combat and dragon riding at once. Did you know?" Spitelout looked clueless when Sigrid said this, but then smiled with obvious pride.

"Really? That's my son! He's perfect at all kinds of training. That's good news."

"It's a good thing. But I'm worried he's working too hard lately. Do you know why Snotlout is doing this?" When Sigrid asked the question, Spitelout looked totally confused and rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"I haven't been around the house much lately, so I couldn't tell you why. But it's good he's doing well, right? We Jorgensons must dominate in everything we do. I'm satisfied that boy isn't bringing dishonor to our name." Spitelout chuckled with amusement, but Sigrid remained stone-faced. Spitelout had a habit of belittling Snotlout in public. Such behavior disgusted Sigrid.

"Even so, do you have any thoughts? Perhaps you said something to motivate Snotlout?" It was then that Spitelout's eyes widened, as though something had come back to him.

"Oh yeah! I told my son that if he doesn't become the top warrior, he's not worthy of the Jorgenson name. If someone like that showed up in our family, I'd kick them out myself, even my own son. Great motivation, huh?"

That was clearly the cause. Snotlout was probably afraid Spitelout would kick him out. That's why he kept pushing Hookfang even though the dragon didn't look well. Spitelout didn't even notice Sigrid's serious expression and continued talking.

"Warriors don't need rest, you know. Maybe you wouldn't understand since you're not a warrior. Anyway, rest is only for the weak. Seeing my son working so hard without taking breaks means he won't disappoint me. Honestly, my son before he got his dragon was very disappointing. He couldn't do anything right and was quite stupid. He was a disgrace to the family." Spitelout let out a hearty laugh, as though he'd just shared the most amusing tale.

"You're too easy on the kids. You always hid my son away whenever he came running to you. Maybe part of why my son is so weak is your fault? Sometimes it seems like my son cares more about you than me. Haha!"

Sigrid couldn't laugh at Spitelout's words. His head already hurt, and Spitelout's ridiculous babbling made it worse. But Sigrid wouldn't argue with Spitelout's words. Arguing would just make this stupidity last longer. Sigrid had no plans to fix Spitelout's behavior or thoughts. Sigrid's interest and care were selective. Spitelout wasn't worth his attention.

"I understand. Thanks for letting me know. Sorry for taking up your time. Train hard, and goodbye." Sigrid ended the conversation with finality, turned his back, and walked away. Spitelout looked a bit awkward but brushed it off easily.

Sigrid was now very worried about Hookfang's condition. When he met him earlier, Hookfang had lost color compared to usual and looked very tired. Sigrid knew what it meant when a Monstrous Nightmare lost color. Either it was old and dying, or so exhausted it was near death. He should have warned Snotlout earlier but didn't. Sigrid walked faster.

Racing to where he could see the horizon and scanning the distance, where he could see Hookfang being carried by other dragons. It looked like the worst situation had come where he couldn't even fly anymore. If Hookfang was in that state, the kids would ask Sigrid to check his condition, so Sigrid changed his destination to the healing hut.

As expected, Hookfang was brought down in front of Sigrid's healing hut. The kids were puzzled by Sigrid's slightly breathless state from running. Sigrid immediately walked straight to Hookfang, knelt down, and observed his condition. Rapid breathing, cold skin, and body color almost gray. The situation was very serious. Sigrid looked up at Snotlout. Snotlout looked extremely anxious.

"Snotlout, I'll ask a few questions. Can Hookfang make fires?" When Sigrid asked urgently, Snotlout hesitated and answered, stammering.

"N-no. He can't make fires." Sigrid reached up and brushed his fingers against Hookfang's scales. They immediately started peeling away like thin bark.

"Hookfang, could you open your mouth?" When Sigrid asked, Hookfang barely managed to open his mouth. Hookfang's tongue had turned gray. After confirming this, Sigrid stood up and faced Snotlout. Snotlout's anxiety worsened due to Sigrid's serious expression.

"How's Hookfang? He's okay, right?" Snotlout's voice was trembling.

"Snotlout, I'm sorry, but Hookfang's condition is severe. Very, very serious." All the kids gasped in surprise at Sigrid's words. Sigrid deliberately spoke honestly about the current situation. Only then could the kids understand the seriousness of this situation. And if the worst happened to Hookfang, it would help prepare them for what was to come.

"Why is Hookfang like this? What's the reason?" Hiccup looked at Hookfang, then back up at Sigrid.

"Hookfang has lost his ability to generate flame right now. This is a very serious problem for a Monstrous Nightmare." Sigrid looked down at Hookfang. Hookfang had closed his eyes completely and was breathing rapidly. "There are various reasons. Aging, injury, and severe fatigue. Hookfang is a young dragon and hasn't been injured, so I think fatigue is the problem."

Snotlout's face turned pale at Sigrid's words. He looked like he was realizing what he had done. Snotlout's body began to tremble, and panic was visible.

"Then what happens next? If he loses the ability to make fire, then what...?" Sigrid weighed his words carefully. Direct honesty about Hookfang's condition might be too much for Snotlout to handle right now. So Sigrid decided to speak somewhat indirectly for now.

"Hookfang is in... considerable danger right now. Since the cause is accumulated fatigue, not aging or injury, he might recover if we let him rest. But..." When Sigrid hesitated, Snotlout's face filled with shock.

"If he doesn't get better, he dies, right? It's because of me that Hookfang is dying, isn't it?"

Snotlout's eyes widened in alarm, and his breathing grew rapid and shallow. He was taking sharp, desperate breaths without releasing them. If no one intervened, a panic attack was inevitable. Sigrid seized Snotlout's shoulders, gathered him against his chest, and softly rubbed his back in calming circles. The last thing they needed was for him to collapse from hyperventilation.

"Calm down, Snotlout. It's not that serious yet. Breathe slowly, and exhale.From now on, you need to take very good care of Hookfang. Let him rest well until tomorrow, and if his condition hasn't improved by tomorrow morning, I'll come to you. Understood?" Snotlout's breathing gradually calmed down at Sigrid's gentle voice. He was still pale, but better than before. Sigrid turned toward where the kids were standing.

"Kids, could you help move Hookfang to Snotlout's house? Hookfang probably doesn't have the strength to walk right now." The kids nodded at Sigrid's words and all climbed onto their dragons. Hookfang was carried to Snotlout's house by four dragons. Snotlout just watched silently.

"Keep Hookfang warm. Warmth is important right now.  And keep giving him water too. Okay?" Snotlout nodded blankly at Sigrid's words. He looked somewhat dazed. After staring up at the sky for a while without saying anything, Snotlout suddenly spoke.

"I should've listened to you earlier. Hookfang's in so much pain because of me. I think I was too hard on him." Snotlout dropped his head down. Since no one else was around and he was mentally overwhelmed right now, his guard was finally down.

"You can fix the mistake you made. There's still a chance. Don't blame yourself too much." Sigrid patted Snotlout comfortingly. But Snotlout's mood didn't improve.

"But what if I can't fix this? What if tomorrow Hookfang is just... dead? There won't be any second chances. I'd be the one who killed him!" Tears were streaming down Snotlout's face. He was now consumed by the fear that his best friend would die because of him. Sigrid sighed inwardly. This kind of fear didn't fade easily.

"Snotlout, it's not helpful to decide what will happen before it does. That kind of thinking will only prevent you from focusing on what you need to do right now. You want Hookfang to get better, right?" Sigrid lowered himself to Snotlout's level. Snotlout nodded as he wept.

"He's your only friend. Nothing can replace him, so from now on, do your best to try hard. Don't think about later, just focus on Hookfang right now. Can you do that?" Sigrid wiped Snotlout's face with his sleeve. Snotlout hadn't completely calmed down, but he understood what he needed to do.

"That's right, now get yourself together and go to Hookfang. He needs you right now. Wait for me." When Sigrid finished speaking, Snotlout ran to his house.

Sigrid watched Snotlout's retreating figure for a moment, then entered the healing hut and began searching for something. He was looking for a copy of the dragon habitat map that Hiccup had left here before. Hookfang's condition was very bad. One day of rest wouldn't make him better. For Hookfang to recover, he had to find the Fireworm Queen. Only the queen's flame could bring a Monstrous Nightmare back to life.

"Ah! There it is!" Sigrid pulled the map copy from among the rolled parchments heaped on one shelf. He spread the map on the workbench to find Fireworm Island, but Fireworm Island wasn't written there. It looked like they hadn't discovered this island yet.

It was a difficult situation, but there was still a solution. He could find it himself. It would take some time, but he could find it at night. Sigrid looked out the window. The sun was still far from setting. To fly in the sky without being noticed by others, he had to wait until deep night. Sigrid felt anxious, but there was nothing he could do except wait.

Snotlout looked down worriedly at Hookfang lying weakly. Just seeing Hookfang like this made him want to cry, but now wasn't the time. Like Sigrid said, he had to focus only on Hookfang right now. Snotlout filled a bowl with water and brought it in front of Hookfang. But Hookfang was too weak to drink on his own, so he had to give him water directly.

"Hookfang, you're going to be okay. You're very strong. Get better soon so we can fly together like we used to. Right?" Snotlout knelt down and scooped water from the bowl to put directly into Hookfang's mouth. Then Hookfang finally started drinking water alone. Just as he was feeling relieved at this sight, suddenly the door opened with a loud noise. Snotlout was startled and reflexively stood up.

"Snotlout!" It was Snotlout's father, Spitelout. Spitelout's eyes flicked to Hookfang lying on the ground, then swept the room as if hunting for something, showing little concern. "Have you seen my spare bludgeon? We're having a contest to see whose skull is strongest."

"Um... I haven't seen it. Want to borrow mine?" When Snotlout pointed to his own bludgeon hanging on the wall, Spitelout picked it up. He swung it experimentally a few times before speaking to Snotlout.

"Troubles with the lizard, son?" Snotlout flinched at Spitelout's question.

"What? Him? Um... he's fine. He's just resting." Snotlout made up excuses, lying instinctively. If he told the truth about Hookfang being sick, he was certain Spitelout would say something hurtful.

"You know what I say about rest? Rest is for the weak. You remember this, right?"

"Of course! Hookfang is just... very sleepy. Really." But upon seeing Hookfang lying weakly on the floor, Spitelout simply stared down at him in silence. Snotlout's anxiety intensified with each passing moment. Then Spitelout turned and headed for the door wordlessly. Just when Snotlout dared to hope he'd escaped unscathed, Spitelout's voice cut through the air.

"You know, boy-o, as Viking warriors, if our swords are not cutting properly, we sharpen them." Spitelout took out an iron sword stuck by the door and examined it as if checking its condition.

"But if our sword cannot be sharpened any longer..." Suddenly, Spitelout brought the sword down on his knee and broke it. Snotlout froze in surprise at this sight. "We get a new sword."

"Dad... Hookfang isn't like a sword..." Snotlout objected in a small voice, but Spitelout didn't even pretend to listen.

"There are many dragons out there, including really strong ones. You have to ride those to be called the strongest. You need to ride those if you want to be called the strongest. To get to the top, you always have to give up something. Your dragon can be replaced." Snotlout was angry at Spitelout calling Hookfang replaceable, but he couldn't argue back. Still, he managed to summon all his courage to speak up about one thing.

"Hookfang can't be replaced, Dad. Hookfang is my friend. Sigrid also agrees with me—" Snotlout's words were cut off by the sound of Spitelout hitting the door frame hard. Snotlout froze for a moment at Spitelout's angry face. Fear began to consume his body.

"Sigrid is no warrior, son. He's nothing but a healer. His only skill is patching up others. Ignore his words, boy-o." Snotlout had no choice but to nod weakly. He had many things he wanted to argue back with, but none of them could come out of his mouth.

When Snotlout nodded, Spitelout returned to his smiling face. With words of thanks for borrowing the bludgeon, he quickly closed the door and disappeared. Snotlout slumped to the floor. Hookfang tried to push his head closer worriedly, but lacking strength, he just dropped his head to the floor. Snotlout really wanted to cry. His father's words were always harsh and overwhelming. Snotlout watched over Hookfang all night, waiting for Sigrid to come as he'd promised. He couldn't bring himself to sleep, terrified he might wake to find his best friend gone forever.

In the darkest hours before dawn, Sigrid slipped outside without a sound. The cold morning air washed over him. There wasn't a moment to lose. He had to locate Fireworm Island before morning arrived. The quickest route was to go straight to the Fireworms and ask for directions.

Going deep into the forest, Sigrid took off his boots for a moment and put them in the bag he brought. The Fireworms living in Berk lived in the deeper forest. It would take quite a while to get there, but Sigrid had no time to waste. Sigrid shifted his legs. His vision of the dark forest sharpened, his bare feet shifted, becoming dragon claws that gripped the earth. They were dragon legs, much thicker and stronger than human legs. Sigrid bent his upper body, caught his breath for a moment, then ran at full speed. The ground under his feet was scratched by his claws, leaving marks. Running at very high speed, Sigrid was able to reach the Fireworm habitat.

"My dear, could you guide me to your queen? I must meet your queen." When Sigrid spoke quietly to the Fireworms, one or two Fireworms lifted their heads, tilted them a few times, then soon flew up into the air. They were willing to guide Sigrid.

Sigrid took off his cloak and put it in his bag. From now on, he had to fly. Huge wings slowly spread from his back. The Fireworms on the ground all lifted their heads to look at Sigrid as if watching a show. When Sigrid's wings were fully spread, the guiding Fireworms shot up into the sky as if they had been waiting. Sigrid also flapped his wings once powerfully and instantly lifted into the air. The wind from his wingbeats sent the nearby Fireworms tumbling across the ground.

After that, Sigrid followed behind the Fireworms. Though it was quite slow compared to Sigrid's speed, he had to follow their guidance. After several hours, they finally arrived at a rocky island. He had memorized the entire route here. Sigrid followed the Fireworms heading toward a cave between cliffs. The rocks on the ground were scratched by Sigrid's claws, leaving faint scratches.

The deeper into the cave, the stronger light became visible. At the end of the cave, there was a huge nest. A huge Fireworm Queen was making her rounds among the wall-embedded firecombs, packed tightly together, checking on each one with care. When the two small Fireworms guiding Sigrid chirped to summon their queen, she turned her massive head in Sigrid's direction. The queen discovered Sigrid standing at the nest entrance and immediately came down below. She wasn't aggressive, but looked full of questions.

"Hello, dear one. I've come because I have a favor to request of you. Might you consider granting it?" As Sigrid spoke softly, the queen blinked slowly, seemingly willing to hear him out. She appeared to welcome Sigrid as a guest within her nest.

"A Monstrous Nightmare I know is dying, unable to make fire. I want to borrow your fire to save him.  Could you help me?" The queen paused for a moment as if thinking, but soon blinked her eyes in agreement.

"I should mention so you're prepared—that dragon has a human companion. A human may need to enter your nest. But please don't be concerned. That human means no harm to your nest or to you. Would that be acceptable?" The queen visibly recoiled at the mention of humans but relented when she saw Sigrid's sincere demeanor. Her actions revealed a tentative trust in Sigrid. Most dragons instinctively trusted and followed Ancient Dragons, with only a few exceptions.

"Thank you. I'll come back a little later. If you ever want my help, come find me. You can send your children to me too. I'll come help you right away." Sigrid inclined his head slightly as a gesture of respect. In response, the queen lowered her own head toward Sigrid, showing mutual respect.

Because the queen was cooperative, things went well. Sigrid looked up at the sky with relief as he came out of the cave. The sky was already beginning to brighten slightly from the edge of the sea. From now on, he had to fly back to Berk at full speed. Sigrid flew high into the sky again. After glancing once at Fireworm Island behind him, he flew straight toward Berk. If he arrived too late, someone might discover him.

After flying at top speed without rest, he barely managed to arrive before the sun rose completely. Sigrid quickly landed somewhere in the forest and concealed all his draconic features. When his bare feet touched the cold dirt, chills came up. Sigrid quickly took his boots out of his bag, put them on, and headed toward Snotlout's house. His clothes were a bit disheveled from flying, but he couldn't worry about that right now.

By the time he reached Snotlout's house, dawn had given way to full daylight. Roosters crowed from every direction, and villagers were already moving about their morning routines. When Sigrid knocked on the door, it opened wide as if someone had been waiting. Snotlout looked very tired and anxious. The heavy dark bags beneath his eyes revealed he hadn't gotten any sleep at all.

"Is Hookfang okay? Has he gotten better?" When Sigrid asked, Snotlout shook his head. Hookfang behind him was grayer than yesterday.

"Do you think Hookfang can fly? We need to fly quite far." Snotlout looked back to check Hookfang's condition.

"I don't think so. He could fly, but... he'd probably lose strength halfway." 

"I see. Then we need to get Hiccup. So he can help if Hookfang loses strength along the way." At Sigrid's words, Snotlout quickly brought Hookfang outside. Hookfang was weak but still walking with all his might. When they arrived at Hiccup's house and quickly explained the situation, Hiccup readily agreed to help. When Hiccup climbed onto Toothless's back, Sigrid also climbed behind him.

"We're riding together today? You always rode wild dragons." Hiccup asked curiously.

"We're going into another dragon's territory. We should bring as few unfamiliar dragons as possible to that island. Let's go." At Sigrid's departure signal, Hookfang and Toothless took to the sky.

Hookfang looked tired but was flying well for now. Sigrid quietly guided them toward Fireworm Island, pointing the way to Hiccup. Halfway through, Hookfang's strength gave out and his altitude dropped, but with Toothless's help, he could regain altitude. They arrived safely at Fireworm Island.

As soon as Hookfang arrived at Fireworm Island, he collapsed. He looked really weak now. Snotlout grew increasingly anxious watching Hookfang's condition.

"Hiccup, could you come into that cave with me? Toothless too. Snotlout, you stay here with Hookfang. I'll be right back."

They went into the cave together. Hiccup seemed to have a lot to say. Sigrid looked at Hiccup once and kept walking.

"Sorry Hiccup, but I'm going to have to use you a bit." Hiccup's eyebrows shot up at the unexpected words.

"Use me? In what way?"

"This island is a Fireworm island. To treat a Monstrous Nightmare, I need the Fireworm Queen's fire. So I found this island last night and asked the queen. To help Hookfang." Hiccup looked surprised at Sigrid's brief explanation.

"Last night?! Why didn't you say anything? I would have helped!"

"Shh, keep your voice down. Yesterday... it was fastest for me to find it alone. Hookfang's condition was really bad. I departed before dawn and only just made it back by daylight.

"That's why you looked a bit disheveled. You don't have your usual cloak, and your tunic is completely wrinkled now. It's lucky Snotlout was too distracted to notice."

Sigrid smiled awkwardly at Hiccup's words. Soon the end of the cave became visible, and bright light poured out.

"If Snotlout asks about this, just tell him you trained the queen. Please." Hiccup nodded at Sigrid's words. Soon the huge nest became visible, and the queen was sitting in front of it. She looked like she had been waiting for Sigrid to come.

"Hello, Queen. Thank you for granting my request once again." Sigrid greeted her with a gentle tone. The queen looked at Hiccup and Toothless next to Sigrid and narrowed her eyes briefly, but soon accepted Sigrid's greeting. She was convinced the human beside him had no hostile intentions.

"The dragon is outside. Could you follow me for a moment?" When Sigrid turned around and headed back the way they came, the queen also followed behind. Hiccup stuck close to Sigrid's side and looked at the queen with great fascination.

"It's so amazing whenever I see this. It's like you can communicate. Like you're having conversations with each other."

"I'm also a dragon, and the queen is also a dragon. It's right that we can communicate." Sigrid laughed lightly and answered Hiccup's words. Soon the bright light of the surface became visible, and they could see collapsed Hookfang and Snotlout in front of them.

Snotlout saw the huge dragon behind them and nearly screamed, but Sigrid's gesture stopped him. Soon the queen approached near Hookfang, wrapped her tail around Hookfang's neck, and lifted him up. Then she extended her tongue and touched it to where Hookfang's heart was. Hookfang seemed confused for a moment, then abruptly rose and burst into flames across his entire body. He was healthy again.

"Hookfang, you're back!" Snotlout hugged Hookfang's snout joyfully. After confirming the dragon was alive again, the queen returned to her nest. After exchanging light greetings with Sigrid, she quickly disappeared into the cave.

On the flight back to Berk, Snotlout was singing happily about Hookfang's renewed health. Mid-song, he suddenly turned to Sigrid.

"Sigrid! Thanks for healing Hookfang, but I have to ask—how did you know about this island? And how on earth did you get that giant dragon to heal Hookfang?"

"I knew the location of this island by looking at Hiccup's map, and Hiccup trained that dragon. Right, Hiccup?" Hiccup nodded awkwardly at Sigrid's words.

"Ah, I thought so. Thank you so much. Thank you too, Hiccup." Hiccup gave an embarrassed scratch to the back of his head at Snotlout's words. As Snotlout pulled ahead with excitement, Hiccup leaned over to Sigrid.

"It's a bit embarrassing to receive thanks when I didn't do anything."

"You did something. You became my excuse." Hiccup playfully nudged Sigrid with his elbow at Sigrid's joking words.

"You're pushing yourself way too hard these days. You're not going to collapse again like last time, are you? I'm here to help too. Don't try to handle everything alone."

"But you're still a kid. You might get into danger too. Still, I'll tell you first next time."

Berk was still far away. When the cold sea breeze hit him, Sigrid suddenly realized he still wasn't wearing his cloak. Taking his cloak out of his bag and putting it on made him a bit warmer. He was a bit tired from not sleeping. He wanted to rest a bit when he got to Berk, but now he had to do healer work. Deciding to make up for the lack of sleep later, Sigrid quietly thought about what he needed to do when he arrived at Berk.

Chapter Text

In the aftermath of Aurvandil's Fire, Sigrid kept a careful watch on Hiccup as he moved among the kids. His prosthetic left leg gave him an awkward, unsteady limp. Sigrid's eyes narrowed. His left leg was obviously bothering him, but Sigrid couldn't tell if Hiccup didn't notice or was just pretending everything was fine. Rather than waiting forever for Hiccup to admit something was wrong, Sigrid decided to approach him first.

"Hiccup, are you busy? Could you come with me for a moment?" When Sigrid spoke to Hiccup, the kids' chatter instantly fell silent.

"Looks like our Hiccup got into some kind of trouble?" Ruffnut nudged Tuffnut's shoulder and laughed.

"I didn't get into any trouble. You guys are being noisy." Hiccup ignored the twins' laughter and turned toward Sigrid. "I'm not busy. I can follow you." Hiccup stepped out from among the kids and stood beside Sigrid. Sigrid gave the kids a brief wave and led Hiccup toward the healing hut.

"Hiccup, how has your left leg been feeling lately? Any discomfort or pain?" Hiccup looked surprised at Sigrid's words.

"How did you know?! It's not really painful, just uncomfortable. I didn't think it was serious enough for treatment, so I've been trying to ignore it..."

"Your walk looked a bit different than usual. If it's uncomfortable, you should come to me right away instead of ignoring it." Hiccup smiled sheepishly at Sigrid's gentle scolding.

"It wasn't that bad. You also looked busy these days..."

"I may be busy, but you're more important. Once we're inside, sit in the chair and take off your prosthetic so I can take a look." When they reached the healing hut door, Sigrid opened it for Hiccup. Hiccup sat in the chair and pulled off his prosthetic leg, revealing his left leg stump.

Sigrid knelt in front of Hiccup and carefully lifted the stump. Just as he thought—the skin where the prosthetic rubbed was red and raw, with some swelling. Sigrid looked up at Hiccup.

"There's swelling and some wounds. What exactly did you do when Aurvandil's Fire passed? I know you were chasing the Flightmare." Sigrid thought about what happened when Aurvandil's Fire came. The kids and Hiccup had said the Flightmare wouldn't come near the village anymore, and there was that incident about restoring Finn Hofferson's honor—Astrid's uncle.

"Uh... I ran a lot then. I fell down too. I think that's probably why." 

"Hiccup, if you keep ignoring this, it could become a much bigger problem down the road. Come to me as soon as it starts hurting." Sigrid focused on Hiccup's left leg again. The battle with the Red Death had been six months ago. During this time, Hiccup's wounds had healed quickly and well. Although he had struggled with left leg pain occasionally, he had overcome it each time. Sigrid carefully applied pressure to part of Hiccup's limb. Hiccup winced at the touch.

"Does it hurt a lot when I do this?" Sigrid pressed various parts of the limb while observing Hiccup's reactions. Although Hiccup flinched, he didn't appear to be in significant pain.

"It doesn't hurt at all—just tickles. When the prosthetic's on, everything's fine, but touching it directly makes it ticklish."

"Your left leg isn't bothering you? Like, do you ever feel pain where the leg used to be?" When Hiccup's left leg had just been lost, he sometimes struggled with phantom pain. Six months later, the episodes had almost completely vanished. Unless he had been hiding them from Sigrid.

"That doesn't happen anymore. Very occasionally it does, but... it's okay now." After hearing Hiccup's answer, Sigrid got up and opened a cabinet near the workbench. He took out an ointment for wounds and knelt in front of Hiccup again.

"I'll apply this for you, so take it easy for a while. It should be better by tomorrow, so just bear with it for now." When the ointment touched Hiccup's stump, Hiccup grimaced as if it was cold. Sigrid carefully applied the ointment and then wrapped it with bandages. He made sure not to wrap it too thick so the prosthetic would still fit.

After the treatment was finished, Hiccup put his prosthetic back on and stood up from the chair. But something still looked wrong. Hiccup was standing with a strange tilt, his left side noticeably lower than his right. The prosthetic wasn't the right length.

"Have you grown taller lately, Hiccup? The prosthetic length seems off compared to your other leg." At Sigrid's words, Hiccup tilted his head. Then he sat back in the chair, adjusted the prosthetic, and extended its length. When he stood on both feet again, the length matched perfectly.

"How's that? When Gobber built this, he told me he made it adjustable. Said I was still at a growing age."

Sigrid looked at Hiccup again. He definitely appeared a little taller than six months ago. He used to come up to Sigrid's shoulders, but now he was a bit taller than that. If he could grow this much in half a year, he'd probably shoot up a lot more over the next few years. Sigrid smiled.

"At this rate, you're going to be taller than me before long. You're shooting up so quickly." Both of Hiccup's parents were tall. Stoick certainly was, and Valka was also similar in height to Sigrid. Despite this, Sigrid couldn't quite imagine being the shorter one someday.

"Absolutely. I'm definitely going to be taller than you. Though I'll never be as tall as Dad." Hiccup looked up at Sigrid and smiled, then suddenly looked like he remembered something.

"Actually, I wanted to ask you something. Could you teach me how to fight?" Sigrid raised an eyebrow at the unexpected request.

"I thought you were already learning combat from Gobber. Why do you want me to teach you instead?"

"To be honest, I'm not as strong or fit as the other kids, so the regular training doesn't really work for me. I can't even keep hold of my weapon for long. That's why I want to train with you one-on-one. And don't tell me you're not skilled enough—I know roughly what you're capable of doing." Sigrid considered it briefly, then nodded. Despite his recent exhaustion from constant work, Sigrid couldn't bring himself to refuse Hiccup. When the boy approached him this way, he had to help.

"I'm much better at fighting without weapons than with them. If you're interested in learning hand-to-hand combat instead, I'll teach you." Hiccup's face brightened at Sigrid's words.

"Great! That's fine with me. When will you start teaching me?"

"First, let's work on your stamina. How about climbing the mountain behind your house once a day without riding Toothless? Or you could run around the island—that would work too. I'd recommend doing this for at least a week. I'll start teaching you after that. It might be a bit risky to train on Berk, so let's find another island. Sound good?" 

The moment Sigrid finished speaking, Hiccup nodded eagerly and rushed outside. Given his enthusiasm, it was clear he wanted to start immediately. Sigrid was about to tell him not to run, but Hiccup was already gone. With a smile, Sigrid was lost in thought.

He never expected to be teaching Hiccup how to fight. Sigrid briefly recalled how he used to fight in the past. It had been total chaos, blood everywhere, and it wasn't real combat—just savage, dirty fighting. Sigrid frowned. He couldn't teach that kind of brawling. That style of fighting was something only Sigrid could handle. Sigrid concentrated more to find more useful memories.

Nearly all his memories were savage fights. He'd fight dirty against multiple humans, covering everything around him in blood. Just as Sigrid was about to sigh and give up, some memory flashed through his mind. This time there wasn't a crowd of enemies, only a single figure before him. They fought with the intensity of actual combat, but he had no clue who it was.

Although it felt unsettling, he could vaguely recall something he might be able to teach Hiccup. With a week to prepare, he could develop it further based on those memories.

From that day forward, Hiccup faithfully followed Sigrid's instructions. Since Sigrid's hut sat on a hill overlooking the sea, he could watch Hiccup running along the coastline with Toothless every evening. On the first day, there were only Hiccup and Toothless, but from the second day, a small Terrible Terror was with them too. Was the Terrible Terror living with them now? Toothless would probably be quite jealous, but surprisingly, he didn't seem to mind.

When he went out to the plaza in the morning, all the rider kids had one Terrible Terror each. Sigrid walked toward Astrid. Her Terrible Terror appeared less trained and kept trying to bite Astrid.

"Good morning, Astrid. Why are you holding a Terrible Terror?" Astrid gripped the scruff of the Terrible Terror, which kept trying to bite her.

"This is... a kind of competition. About who can train dragons better. The loser has to clean the winner's stall for a month."

"Ah, I see. Well, work hard then. Just be extra careful while you're training it. Wild Terrible Terrors go after everyone, so don't let it bite anyone else, okay?" Astrid nodded and left.

For almost a week after that, nothing happened on Berk. There had been regular visits from people injured by Terrible Terrors, but by the fifth day, these incidents had become much rarer. The kids had probably made some progress in training their Terrible Terrors. A wild Nadder showed up at the healing hut that evening. It was the one that lived over on the other side of Berk. Sigrid went outside, looked around to see if anyone was there, and quietly spoke to it.

"Why did you come, my dear? Is something wrong?" When Sigrid gently stroked the Nadder's head, it grabbed his sleeve and pulled, clearly wanting to show him something. Sigrid climbed onto the dragon's back as the Nadder wanted. As soon as Sigrid mounted, the Nadder quickly flew toward the back of Berk.

When they reached the back of Berk, what looked like battle wreckage was scattered everywhere. Broken boats, shattered spears, and fragments of shields were strewn all around. All these traces led to a huge cave pierced in the cliff. Sigrid carefully went inside. Several Nadders were resting inside. Every Nadder showed signs of injury, wounds still fresh on their scales. Since the cave's interior was too dark to see clearly, Sigrid shifted his eyes to dragon-like slits. After concentrating for a moment, he could see inside the cave perfectly.

Holes covered the cave walls and ceiling. The Whispering Deaths and Screaming Deaths that had attacked Berk had obviously tunneled out from here. The cave provided a direct route into Berk's heart. Judging by the wreckage they'd seen outside, the outcasts had clearly tried to breach this entrance but were driven back by the wild dragons defending it. While the Nadders provided temporary protection, it was only a matter of time before another invasion. Sigrid couldn't delay—Stoick had to know about this hidden threat, and those tunnels needed to be blocked before it was too late.

Right as he was about to make his way back to the village, the unmistakable sound of sand being dragged and pushed by a heavy mass filled the air. The Nadders that had been sitting and licking their wounds instantly jumped up. Their pupils shrank to razor-thin lines as they crouched low, hissing menacingly at something outside the cave. 

Sigrid prevented the Nadders from going outside the cave yet. The Nadders were injured now, and if they fought again, there was a risk of serious injury. While the Nadders hesitated between listening to him and rushing out to defend their territory, bright light suddenly flooded the cave. As brilliant light flooded the dark space, Sigrid instinctively threw his arms up to protect his eyes. With his pupils still contracted in their draconic state, the sudden brightness was painfully intense.

Sigrid shifted his eyes and then lowered his arms to check who was there. Savage and Alvin stood there, weapons raised and ready, with Mildew crouching behind them for cover. The sudden confrontation left everyone speechless for a tense moment. Then suddenly, when one Nadder couldn't bear it and made a threatening sound, Savage reflexively tried to swing his sword at the Nadder. Sigrid quickly called that Nadder back.

"Come back. Don't attack." The moment Sigrid spoke, the two Nadders ceased their threatening display and retreated to stand protectively beside him, despite their clear hostility toward the outcasts. 

There were a total of four wild Nadders in this cave. With numbers on their side, the outcasts could take their time instead of rushing in. Alvin's gaze lingered on the protective Nadders at Sigrid's sides, clearly fascinated by the display of loyalty. Soon he ordered Savage to lower his weapon and lowered his own sword downward.

"Well, well, Sigrid. It's been quite a while, hasn't it? Never thought I'd run into you here. It looks like you also know how to train dragons, just like Stoick's son?" Alvin laughed with an unpleasant laugh. "You're a lot like that kid, you know. But you've got more composure and you read the room better than he does. Maybe we should've just taken you to our island from the start. What do you think, Mildew?"

Alvin seized Mildew's staff and hauled the cowering man forward with such force it looked like he was hurling him. Suddenly Mildew was thrust to the front line, face-to-face with Sigrid. Mildew fidgeted restlessly, then gripped his staff defensively and smiled awkwardly. Sigrid just glared at Mildew. He rested his hands on the heads of the two most hostile Nadders, soothing them whenever they attempted to charge at the intruders.

"Mildew. Your betrayal has killed any respect I once held for you. There is nothing more between us—nothing worth saying." At Sigrid's cold words, Alvin laughed heartily and pulled Mildew back behind him again.

"Alvin, what exactly are you trying to do here? It would be better to leave quietly. Unless you're planning to fight wild dragons with just two men." Even when Sigrid threatened him, Alvin just observed the situation. He was carefully examining the Nadders near Sigrid.

"Come now, if you really meant to drive us off, you'd let those dragons loose. But those Nadders are badly hurt, aren't they? That's the real reason you're stopping them. They can't handle another battle." At Alvin's pointed words, Sigrid frowned slightly. Alvin had always been quick-witted and observant in battle.

"You're right. But they're not weak enough to lose against just two outcasts. While I'm not sure about you, I can certainly handle your ally there." Sigrid glared at Alvin and also glared at Savage beside him. Taking the words as a challenge, Savage lifted his weapon once more, only to lower it when Alvin held him back.

"Relax. We haven't even started anything yet, but such a cold welcome is a bit harsh, isn't it? We haven't seen each other in ages. Let's at least have a conversation." When Alvin tried to take a step closer, the Nadders growled threateningly. 

"Don't give me that nonsense. We never had the kind of relationship where we sit around and chat. Shut up and get out of here right now. Unless you want these Nadders to turn you into ash." At Sigrid's firm stance, Alvin made a subtle hand gesture to Savage. Soon Savage dragged Mildew out of the cave. Now only the two of them remained. Just Sigrid and Alvin facing each other across a distance of nearly five meters.

"Still here? Don't you have somewhere to be?" But Alvin remained standing there.

"Well, it's just me and four banged-up dragons in here right now. I think I can hang around a little longer, don't you? You've got real dragon training abilities, and that's exactly what our outcast island needs. That kid you care so much about didn't do us any favors last time. We're still grounded." Alvin raised the subject like he was probing for Sigrid's response. Sigrid wrestled with whether to engage or dismiss the comment, finally choosing to take the bait.

"Well, that's a relief. If you guys were flying around on dragons, that'd be a whole other headache."

"Mildew says you disrupted his attempts to show Hiccup proper dragon handling. According to him, wild dragons mysteriously became as tame as house pets. How did you do it?" Alvin showed no signs of leaving this place quietly.

"You'll get nothing from me. Ask whatever you want—the result won't change."

"I suppose there's no chance you'd abandon Berk to join us. You're nothing but Stoick's faithful hound. That's how you've always been, from the very beginning. Am I wrong?" Alvin was speaking in a provocative tone.

"Shut up, Alvin. Why is Stoick suddenly being mentioned here?"

"I doubt Stoick knows about this side of you, does he? You've got a soft spot. How about showing me some of that instead of giving me the cold shoulder?" Sigrid was growing increasingly infuriated and fed up by this pointless drivel from Alvin. Everything about this was aggravating and insufferable, and he desperately wanted to end this goddamn conversation.

"What's your damn point, Alvin? I don't know what sick game you're playing, but you can go to hell before I tell you anything. So get lost before I make you regret staying." Sigrid's last word mixed with a slight draconic growl.  He'd lost control for a moment—a dangerous mistake. 'ᚠᚢᚲ,' he cursed internally. He prayed Alvin would assume it was just one of the Nadders making noise.

"Okay, okay. Take it easy. Those dragons of yours look like they're about to attack. I'll withdraw for now. But don't even think about following us on dragons. Our fleet is armed and ready to shoot down flying targets." After Alvin said this, he turned around and walked out to where Savage and Mildew were. They got on the boat they had come in and moved across the sea. Soon, a medium-sized outcast ship appeared from behind a sea stack and disappeared into the fog.

Sigrid rubbed his throbbing temples and worked to settle the agitated dragons once more. Since he had driven them off, they probably wouldn't return for a while. Right now, the priority was to fill the Whispering Death tunnels connected to this cave. Sigrid briefly considered whether to tell Stoick about meeting Alvin, but decided not to. If they just filled the tunnels, they wouldn't come back here anyway. 

Sigrid found himself losing his temper more frequently these days. The endless stress and nagging headaches were pushing him to his breaking point. Fortunately, he could vent this temper only on enemies like Alvin and control himself around the kids and Berkians. Sigrid sighed deeply, then got on one of the Nadders and left the cave. It was time to go to Stoick.

When Sigrid briefly explained, Stoick immediately said he'd gather people to fill the village tunnels. He was worried about Sigrid's condition, but Sigrid said he was fine and returned to the healing hut on the Nadder. When he entered the empty space, the tension that had built up was released. Sigrid sat in the chair, almost lying back. He needed to cool his head immediately. Otherwise, he would definitely make more mistakes like the one earlier.

Sigrid pressed the back of his hand against his eyes, blocking out light. Once the confrontation with the outcasts was finally resolved, he might be able to get some rest. Until then, he had to endure. His rage, which had lain quiet for hundreds of years, was now stirring to life. Either Alvin possessed an exceptional gift for provocation, or Sigrid's defenses were dangerously weakened by fatigue. He had to calm his mind and find peace. He couldn't let mistakes expose his identity.

Chapter Text

After encountering Alvin in the cave, surprisingly, nothing happened for a whole week. There were no attacks from the Outcasts, and no dragon-related accidents occurred. Because of this, Sigrid was in very good condition these days. His headaches had finally subsided, and without any stressful incidents to worry about, Sigrid could concentrate on teaching Hiccup hand-to-hand combat. Since he had promised to teach him after building up his stamina for a week, today was the first day of hand-to-hand combat training.

Sigrid and Hiccup landed on an island a bit away from Berk. Here, no one would discover them even if Sigrid was in his half-dragon state. Thanks to this, Sigrid could be in a comfortable state for the first time in a while. Maintaining a perfect human form always required a lot of concentration. Recently, he had managed to spend the past thirty years in human form—his best record yet. When Sigrid had lived alone, he normally stayed in a form that mixed human and dragon features.

However, he had to keep his arms and legs in human form. Fighting in hand-to-hand combat with Hiccup could be dangerous. Even the slightest pressure could crack Hiccup's bones. Sigrid's eyes narrowed into dragon-like slits, and scales began to emerge on the skin around his eyes and neck. Sigrid stood facing Hiccup at a slight distance. Then he gestured for Hiccup to attack him.

"Can I just attack like this? I thought you'd teach me something first." Though Hiccup seemed puzzled, he shifted into an attack position. To Sigrid, the stance looked amateurish—sloppy and vulnerable at every angle.

"First, I need to see how you fight so I can know what to teach you. Try doing whatever you want once." When Sigrid spoke, Hiccup rushed forward with his left fist raised without hesitation.

But Hiccup's punches never hit Sigrid even once. His movements were too slow and clumsy—it would be hard to get hit even deliberately. When Hiccup finally dropped his guard after ten minutes, sweat beaded his forehead and his breathing came in ragged gasps. His stamina had definitely improved since their last session at the arena, but it still wasn't good enough. Sigrid smiled and looked down at Hiccup, slumped on the ground.

"Good work. Your stamina has definitely improved. It's still not great, but I can see potential for development." Sigrid extended his hand and helped Hiccup stand up.

"So... did you see... my problems...?" Hiccup gasped while looking up at Sigrid.

"I did. First, you're too slow, and you make too many unnecessary movements. If you're going to throw a punch, just throw it. Don't do other actions." Sigrid raised his right hand with his palm facing Hiccup. "Try punching right here—as fast and accurately as you can."

Hiccup raised his right hand and drew his arm back as far as possible before throwing the punch, trying to hit as hard as he could. Despite the maximum effort he put in, the punch carried hardly any force. Sigrid's amused smile—as if he was watching something adorable—made Hiccup's face bright red.

"Was it that terrible?"

"I smiled because I could see potential for improvement. If you do well, you'll get better quickly."  Sigrid placed his hands on Hiccup's shoulders and back, correcting his form. The difference in Hiccup's stance was immediate and noticeable.

"You don't need that huge windup to hit hard. Keep it tight and fast instead. The key is instant force—like a whip crack. When you pull back that far, you're actually losing power and showing me exactly what you're planning. It's all about momentum. Ready to try again?"

Sigrid held out his hand like before. Hiccup tried his best to follow Sigrid's advice and threw another punch. It was much faster and more powerful than before.

"Amazing! I didn't expect you'd improve this much in one try." Hiccup smiled happily at Sigrid's praise.

Sigrid taught Hiccup hand-to-hand combat for about two hours.For the first hour or so, Hiccup struggled to understand the techniques and often got his feet tangled, which caused him to stumble, but he gradually began to show improvement. Honestly, Sigrid hadn't expected Hiccup to get this good from the start. Usually, learning to fight required some natural ability. But if he could improve this much with just minimal instruction, the effort was definitely worth it. He still lacked stamina and strength, but these would gradually improve.

When Sigrid lightly dodged Hiccup's punch and tripped him, Hiccup fell to the ground. Now completely at his stamina limit, Sigrid laughed while watching Hiccup lying face down. This was enough for today.

"Let's stop here for now, shall we? You put in great effort for your first day. I may have been a bit too demanding for starting so early—you're going to be sore tomorrow." Sigrid sat beside Hiccup. "Do you have any plans for the rest of the day? There's still a lot of today left."

"Later, I'm supposed to patrol the area with Astrid... in case there might be Outcasts or Berserker tribe members around..." Hiccup mumbled while lying face down.

"If Astrid finds out about our private training, she'll have plenty to say about it, so keep this between us. We'll do this again in two days, so practice well until then."

Hiccup couldn't get up from his spot for a while, but after about fifteen minutes, he could finally stand up. Hiccup brushed the dirt off his clothes and tried to climb onto Toothless. His leg strength seemed drained as he slipped several times, so Sigrid had to help him get on. Sigrid also climbed on behind Hiccup and they returned to Berk together. As soon as they returned to Berk, Astrid came looking for them, so Hiccup had to fly away again without even touching the ground.

The kids showed up again a few hours later. When Sigrid saw them carrying huge chunks of ice toward the arena, he wandered over to see what they were up to.

In the center of the arena was a massive chunk of ice. And there was something inside it. Looking closely, it was a Skrill. When Meatlug had shot lava, the ice had melted halfway. Melting that wouldn't be a good idea. Sigrid thought as he quickly made his way through the group of kids.

"Kids, what is this? Where did you get it from?"

"We were out on patrol when Dagur was going after Bucket and Mulch, so we stepped in to help them and discovered this. There was a dragon stuck between some icebergs. We decided to bring it back with us." 

Sigrid stared quietly at the Skrill in the ice. He didn't know exactly how long this Skrill had been trapped in the ice, but if it was ice this large, it must have been trapped for quite a long time. And that much anger would have built up. The moment this dragon got out of the ice, it would definitely rampage with fury and attack someone.

"Hiccup, you need to inform your father immediately that we've discovered a Skrill. These dragons are sacred to the Berserker tribe. Keeping it here on Berk will inevitably lead to conflict with them." Hiccup nodded and left the arena with Astrid.

The other kids remaining in the arena wanted to melt the Skrill's ice. But it was too dangerous now. The ice had already melted halfway due to Meatlug's lava earlier. There was no telling when the Skrill could escape, so they needed to stay on high alert.

"Kids, stay away from the ice and come back immediately. Skrills are extremely dangerous—you need to keep your distance." When Sigrid spoke, the children gathered around the ice quickly moved behind him.

The Skrill's abilities were remarkably similar to Sigrid's own powers. Both had deep connections to lightning. Because of this, it would be extremely dangerous for the kids to get close. Sigrid was immune to lightning and electricity. Such attacks didn't work on him. Sigrid told the kids to stay here quietly, then carefully approached the Skrill.

When he placed his hand on the ice, he felt a cold sensation. If it was trapped in ice this solid, he could estimate it had been trapped for about ten years. Sigrid pressed closer to the ice and examined the Skrill. With the ice nearly half-dissolved, the dragon's tail and wings were beginning to break free. As Sigrid studied the Skrill, their eyes met—and the dragon's gaze immediately locked onto him. Then it instantly generated lightning throughout its body. With blinding light, the ice burst apart in an instant.

The Skrill burst out of the ice. Sigrid quickly stepped back and moved away from the Skrill. The kids behind him appeared startled and were frozen in place. Sigrid glanced back and shouted to the kids.

"Get against the arena walls right now!" When Sigrid spoke, the kids panicked but quickly fled to the walls. Then, without warning, a heavy blow struck Sigrid's shoulder. The instant he spun around and his attention wavered from the Skrill, the Skrill had rushed at him.

Sigrid momentarily lost his balance and fell to the ground. The Skrill struck in that instant, clamping both claws down on Sigrid's shoulders and arms to pin him helplessly beneath its weight. Then it roared toward the sky as if trying to summon lightning. Soon lightning began striking the dark sky. This Skrill appeared unable to recognize what was in front of it due to anger. If it had recognized him, it would have just passed by and escaped outside the arena.

For now, Sigrid decided not to provoke the Skrill further. The creature was currently in a state where it couldn't process any communication. When he turned his head, he saw the kids commanding their dragons to attack the Skrill. He had to stop that immediately. Further provocation would lead to disaster.

"Calm down and stay still. I'm fine, so don't needlessly provoke the Skrill. It could become more dangerous." When Sigrid shouted, the kids stopped their dragons.

Now the arena entrance was very noisy. Hiccup appeared to have returned. Since he was being stepped on by the Skrill, he couldn't see exactly who was there, but from the voices he could hear, Stoick seemed to be there. And as expected, an axe was thrown straight at the Skrill. The Skrill got hit in the head by the axe and became even more frenzied. With all the dragons in the arena pressuring the Skrill, and more humans starting to enter, the Skrill now tried to escape. It successfully squeezed between people and flew out of the arena.

"Sigrid! Are you okay? What happened?" Hiccup quickly ran over. Sigrid had no problems except for being stepped on. Except for his shoulder aching a bit. If a huge dragon like a Skrill had stepped on an ordinary human, bones could have been broken.

"I'm fine. But the Skrill escaped. Too much ice melted—I couldn't hold it." Sigrid looked around and then met eyes with Stoick approaching from behind. Stoick had a look mixed with worry and anxiety. He appeared very concerned about the escaped Skrill.

"I think we're going to have some problems with the Berserker tribe. What do you think?" When Sigrid spoke, Stoick's expression became heavier.

"We have no choice. We must find a way to prevent the Berserker tribe from capturing the Skrill." When Stoick stroked his beard and fell into thought, Hiccup approached from the side.

"Dad, what happens if the Berserker tribe captures the Skrill?"

"When I was a lad, my father's father used to sit me on his knee and tell me stories. Berserker fleets attacking behind harnessed dragons that brought down lightning from the sky and destroyed everything in their path." Hiccup became serious at Stoick's grave tone.

"Right. If it were the old Berserker tribe, it would have been fine, but now Dagur is the chief. If they get the Skrill, there's bound to be tribal war. We have to find it before Dagur does." When Sigrid chimed in, Hiccup nodded.

"We'll find it, I promise."

Hiccup and the rider kids immediately climbed onto their dragons and flew into the sky. They appeared to be going to search for the Skrill. When the arena became empty, Sigrid was about to leave the arena too, but Stoick spoke to him.

"Are you really okay after being pinned down by that dragon? A dragon of that size could have easily broken your bones."

"I'm okay. The real concern should be the potential clash with the Berserkers, not my injuries. The risk of tribal war is extremely high. Given our existing tensions with the Outcasts, an alliance between them would be disaster for us." When Sigrid spoke, Stoick sighed deeply. He looked very worried.

"I know. The damned Outcasts have been dead quiet for a whole week, and it's got me spooked. When they're raising hell, I worry about the damage, and when they vanish, I worry about their next move. I'm really losing my mind."

"I think it's time to check our weapons once. War always breaks out suddenly." Sigrid encouraged Stoick.

"Right. I'll go first. I should tell Gobber to maintain our weapons."

After Stoick left the arena, Sigrid looked up at the sky. The dark sky filled with clouds had lightning continuously striking down. Sigrid hoped the kids could find the Skrill quickly.

When night fell again, the kids had failed to track down the Skrill. More troubling, the twins had disappeared completely for far too long. The other kids had returned to Berk to let their dragons rest briefly, but Hiccup still hadn't given up and was still circling the sky. Moreover, the lightning was increasing, making Hiccup and Toothless look dangerous. Sigrid decided to lend them a hand briefly. Simply intercepting the lightning aimed at Hiccup would significantly reduce the danger. Sigrid quietly spread his wings where no one was around and soared into the sky.

When he flew up beside Hiccup, Hiccup looked surprised as if he hadn't expected it. The shock grew even greater when lightning crashed into Sigrid's spread wings, sending electrical energy cascading across the entire wing surface.

"Are you okay?! You just took a direct lightning hit!" Hiccup shouted. Toothless also looked surprised with wide eyes.

"Forget the Red Death already? I'm a dragon with power over lightning, Hiccup. Electricity can't harm me—it's part of my nature. You seemed to be struggling, so I intervened briefly. Are you out here searching for the twins?"

"Oh right! It looks like the Skrill and the twins ended up on the Outcasts' island. When we attacked the Skrill, it crashed near the Outcasts' territory. So we're heading over there!" 

Sigrid flew directly above Hiccup. He caught the lightning attracted to Hiccup's prosthetic leg or Toothless's tail fin in the middle, protecting them from lightning. Soon the Outcasts' island came into view. Hiccup and Sigrid quietly landed on a small cliff where no people were. It was a cliff where the Outcasts' arena was clearly visible. While Sigrid folded his wings, Hiccup hid behind a rock and looked closely at the arena.

"That's a lot of Outcasts. What are you up to, Alvin?"

"All I know is he's planning something big with that Skrill."

Suddenly, a voice other than Hiccup's was heard from behind a tree. Ruffnut was right here. Hiccup and Sigrid were so startled they nearly lost their balance. Sigrid had only just folded away his wings, leaving the possibility that she'd caught sight of them. They couldn't speak, worried Ruffnut saw everything, but luckily she seemed clueless.

"My god, Ruff. You nearly gave me a heart attack just now. What are you doing here? Where's Tuff?"

"Oh, hello Sigrid. What are you doing here?" Ruffnut now noticed Sigrid was there. Sigrid smiled awkwardly. When Hiccup asked about Tuffnut again, Ruffnut turned her gaze back to Hiccup. "He didn't make it, Hiccup."

"What?!"

"Kidding! He's right behind you." When Hiccup turned around, there was only a tree there. And at that moment, a voice came from inside the tree.

"What's up, Hiccup? Cool disguise, huh? Ha. It's kinda itchy. And Sigrid is here too? Hello, Sigrid." Hiccup looked exasperated and rubbed his face.

"What are you both doing here? It's dangerous here, so you should go back quickly." Sigrid spoke to Ruffnut while trying to steady his still-pounding heart from the shock. He had nearly been exposed without warning.

"Then why are you here? We came here to find the Skrill. You look more dangerous than us, don't you?"

"I happened to end up riding with Hiccup. I was trying to find you two. By the way, you said Alvin is planning something with the Skrill? Do you know what kind of plan?" Ruffnut thought for a moment, then shrugged.

"I don't know. I just know he's planning something." As Ruffnut concluded, Hiccup lowered his spyglass from the arena and turned his attention to them.

"Alvin and the Skrill are in the arena anyway. And Mildew too. I'm not sure what they're trying to do, but I think we need to keep watching." Then he looked back into the arena with the spyglass.

"That's weird. Those look like Berserker soldiers." Hiccup leaned forward more to get a closer look. "Dagur? Dagur and Alvin together. With the Skrill? Really not good."

The Berserker tribe and Outcasts seemed to have formed an alliance. An alliance between these two tribes made them exponentially more dangerous. And now the Skrill had also fallen into the Berserker tribe's hands. Berk could no longer avoid war.

"Okay. Alvin and Dagur are leaving the arena. Let's move now. Tuff. You need to go down there and get as much info as you can without being seen. Sigrid and I can't because the other Outcasts already know us. Can you do it?"

"Way ahead of you. I'll move like the wind. They won't even see me coming!" After Tuffnut spoke confidently, he immediately jumped down the cliff. He fell and slid down on the way, but he looked fine.

"Can he do it well? It would be good if he just doesn't get caught in the middle." Hiccup looked down the cliff where Tuffnut had gone with a worried expression.

"We have to trust him. Let's wait here until he comes back."

They waited a long time. Nothing happened. It was quiet except for some lightning. Then Tuffnut came back. He looked okay and had lots of information.

"Okay Tuff, what information did you bring?"

"First, Dagur won't be able to have the Skrill right away. Alvin refused to just give the Skrill to Dagur. I think they have trust issues. They're trying to form an alliance but it's not going well."

"Really? Then where is the Skrill?"

"Well, maybe it's still in the arena?"

"If the alliance is being formed because of the Skrill, we just need to release the Skrill. Without the Skrill, no alliance will be formed between the Berserker tribe and the Outcasts. What do you guys think?" Everyone agreed with Hiccup's words. Sigrid decided to follow Hiccup's orders exactly. Ruffnut would stay here to watch the situation, and Hiccup and Sigrid had to go to the arena to find the Skrill. Tuffnut would distract the Outcast Guards.

While Tuffnut distracted the Outcast Guards, Sigrid quietly entered the arena with Hiccup. But there wasn't a single dragon there.

"It's not here. Where on earth did it go?" Hiccup held a broken rope in his hand. Someone had taken the Skrill.

"I don't know either. There's also the possibility it escaped by itself, right?"

Tuffnut, who had gotten past the Outcast Guards and entered the arena, was also confused seeing the broken rope. At that moment, they heard a guard's shout saying the Skrill was missing and to sound the alarm. Hiccup quickly gave instructions to Tuffnut.

"Tuff, you go get Ruff. We're gonna try and find that Skrill before Dagur does." When Hiccup climbed onto Toothless, Sigrid also quickly sat behind Hiccup. Sigrid had come along because there was a chance that if the Skrill spotted him again, it could become submissive or obedient to him. Hiccup soared upward and started scouring the area for the Skrill.

Soon they discovered Berserker tribe members and Outcasts battling each other in nearby waters. Alvin and Dagur fought on the ship, then Dagur, holding the rope connected to the Skrill, used the Skrill to attack Alvin. Alvin jumped into the water to avoid the lightning, and the Skrill's lightning struck that water. They waited for a while, but Alvin didn't come up from the water. Hiccup grimaced after watching it all.

"Is Alvin... dead?"

"I don't know either. For now, let's focus on taking the Skrill. Looking now, it seems the Outcasts have moved to the Berserker tribe side." Below where Sigrid pointed, most of the Outcasts including Savage were moving to the Berserker tribe's side. Following the death of their leader Alvin, the Outcasts had been incorporated into the Berserker tribe.

"You're right. That's not good. We need to come up with a new plan. Do you know anything about the Skrill's weaknesses? Anything at all?" When Hiccup asked, Sigrid thought for a moment.

"Skrills can't shoot lightning underwater. I'm completely immune to lightning, but the Skrill itself gets electrocuted when it touches water. Same goes for anyone connected to the Skrill. We need to either drop Dagur into the water or make him touch water." At Sigrid's words, Hiccup directed Toothless toward Dagur. Dagur was talking with Savage.

"The fleet is ready to sail to Berk, sir." Savage's tone when speaking to Dagur showed he had completely become part of the Berserker tribe. It was a quick betrayal considering how long he had been with Alvin.

"Excellent! Now that this whole Alvin thing is behind us, we can lure Hiccup and his Night Fury into battle!" Dagur grinned with madness. Hiccup flew behind him and shouted loudly.

"Why wait?! I'm right here, Dagur. Me and my Night Fury." Dagur slowly turned around and looked up to where they were. Before long, Dagur's gaze found Sigrid's. Upon making eye contact, Dagur broke into a truly unsettling, radiant smile.

"Hiccup. And Sigrid. Am I dreaming right now?" Dagur kept his gaze fixed on Sigrid while taking out the axe from behind his back and aiming it. Savage next to him tried to stop Dagur, but Dagur wouldn't listen.

"Oh yes, Night Fury. And Hiccup and Sigrid. How wonderful. You should fight my Skrill. When my Skrill beats your Night Fury in an instant and shows my power, that time has come. Don't you think?" Dagur jumped toward the Skrill and grabbed the rope connected to the Skrill, pulling it hard. Dagur made the Skrill fire at Hiccup and Toothless multiple times but they dodged while flying away.

Dagur chased in the direction Toothless was flying, continuously pulling the Skrill. Dodging the lightning shots from behind, Toothless jumped to the opposite cliff. Since it was a coastal cliff, there was a puddle at the bottom. The same was true for the cliff where Dagur stood. Dagur clutched the Skrill's rope in both fists and stood in open challenge on the opposing cliff edge.

"Oh, ho, ho, ho! Want to see superior warrior-ness? Just keep watching!" Dagur shot lightning at their location several times as if showing off, but all were blocked by Toothless's fires. When the attacks didn't work, Dagur got annoyed.

"Are you just going to stand on the opposite cliff and do nothing? How boring." Dagur took one step forward. His left foot was touching a puddle. Now if his right foot also touched, Dagur would be hit by his own attack. "Sigrid! Do something! Are you not going to do anything? Really?" Dagur shouted, but Sigrid didn't bother to react.

"Come on, Dagur. You have the Skrill but that's all you can do?" When Hiccup provoked him, Dagur took another step closer. Now both feet were inside the puddle.

"Shut up, Hiccup. Of course I can do much more. I'll show you an attack so tremendous that no one will ever ignore me again. Right now!!" Dagur's violent tug on the Skrill's rope triggered an immediate response—lightning struck down. The lightning went straight down the rope and electrocuted Dagur. When the rope was completely burned, the freed Skrill immediately escaped into the sky above. Hiccup ordered Toothless to chase the Skrill.

Sigrid turned around for a quick look at Dagur's condition. He appeared to have survived. Dagur was seated on the ground, staring up at them as they retreated. It seemed their eyes met briefly, but Sigrid immediately turned his gaze away. He could hear Dagur shouting from behind, but it gradually grew distant.

"Sigrid, I think we need to freeze the Skrill in ice again. That dragon won't even listen to you, and it's incredibly violent. Can you get it to follow us? Don't ever try to command the Skrill!" Hiccup shouted repeatedly as if absolutely forbidding it. Sigrid replied that he understood. If he forcibly commanded the Skrill here, he might end up being carried to Berk unconscious. Sigrid looked around the sky to see where the Skrill was.

He aimed his finger at the Skrill and gave a quick snap. The sound triggered a lightning strike that hit the Skrill directly. Though unharmed, the dragon immediately identified Sigrid as its attacker and launched into a frenzied chase. He had planned to strike it with lightning several times if this provocation failed, but he hadn't expected it to become this angry with just one attack. Hiccup confirmed the Skrill was following and flew at full speed toward where the ice was.

Soon a massive glacier came into view, and Hiccup quickly entered through a gap in the glacier. 

"Sigrid! Duck as low as possible!"

Sigrid held Hiccup's waist tightly and ducked. Hiccup passed through gaps barely wide enough for Toothless to squeeze through, luring the Skrill deeper inside. They quickly flew into an enormous ice chamber, where Hiccup positioned them to create a reflection on the glacial surface. Chasing the false image, the Skrill collided violently with the ice barrier and crumpled to the ground, unconscious. When they came outside, the twins were there riding Barf and Belch. They exploded the ice gap to freeze it again, ensuring the Skrill was trapped in ice once more. Once again, the Skrill was completely trapped in ice.

On the way back to Berk, Sigrid was lost in thought. They probably wouldn't have to worry about the Outcasts anymore. The Outcasts had been absorbed into the Berserker tribe as a whole. The Berserker tribe's army was already large, but now their numbers had doubled. From now on, they had to prepare for frequent conflicts and fights with the Berserker tribe. While one worry disappeared, the remaining worries had multiplied several times. When Stoick heard this news, he would react exactly like Sigrid. Sigrid sighed and held Hiccup's waist tightly. Peaceful days were still far from coming.

Chapter Text

Berk was enduring the most brutal freeze it had ever known. Though winter hadn't even begun, the cold already surpassed the fiercest winter storms. Solid ice stretched where the sea once flowed. Touch any iron surface with bare skin, and it would burn like fire. Ten minutes in that cold was enough to freeze hair and beards solid—reason enough for everyone to stay inside. Since this terrible freeze had begun, Sigrid hadn't been able to set foot outside.

Sigrid couldn't last five minutes outside in weather like this. He was completely trapped indoors. He was worried about his herb supplies since he couldn't go herb gathering, but Trader Johann would be arriving soon, so he could buy some herbs from Johann. He couldn't go outside himself, but he could ask Hiccup or the other kids to bring them for him.

Sigrid rubbed his slightly numb fingertips and added more wood to the fireplace. The insane cold prevented the cabin's temperature from rising, no matter how much wood he burned. He couldn't tell whether the firewood he had stocked would last until this cold snap ended. By now he should have heard the bell announcing Trader Johann's arrival, but still no such sound came. Sigrid moved toward the window to look outside, but the cold wind seeping through forced him to step back. Just as he gave up and settled into the chair by the fireplace, he heard a loud knock.

Sigrid hadn't heard anyone approaching over the sound of the blizzard outside. When he said to come in, the door opened and an incredibly cold wind rushed into the healing hut. It was Stoick, covered in snow. When Sigrid pulled his cloak tighter, Stoick quickly closed the door.

"Stoick? What brings you here?" Sigrid threw more wood onto the fire, which was dying in the cold wind.

"Trader Johann didn't come to port. He's probably trapped in this snowstorm. He won't be able to survive the night cold, so I asked Hiccup to find him. I thought you might be waiting for Johann, so I came to let you know." Stoick walked closer to the fireplace to thaw his frozen beard and sat in front of it. "I've never seen weather this cold before. You must be stuck inside completely."

"Yes. I've been trapped in the house for three days now. If I go out, I'll freeze to death immediately." Sigrid laughed playfully and handed him warm tea. It was tea he had brewed for his headache, but it should be fine for Stoick to drink. Stoick accepted the tea and drank it all at once.

"Do you need me to buy anything when Johann gets here? Hiccup went to fetch him, so they'll probably be back soon."

"Johann's dried herbs—buy as many as he'll sell. I'm nearly out of herbs since I can't go gathering. Can you handle that for me?" When Sigrid asked, Stoick nodded.

"Got it. I'll bring some firewood too when I come. Looking at the amount stacked by the fireplace, it looks like you'll run out today." Stoick pointed to the firewood stacked by the fireplace. Only a few logs remained.

"Thanks. How are the other people? Are they unable to go outside like me?"

"No. You're the only one who can't manage it. Others are just pushing through the cold and going out anyway. You're probably the most cold-sensitive person in all of Berk." Stoick laughed teasingly.

"Hey! It's not like I chose to be this cold-sensitive." Sigrid objected to Stoick's words. "What about food supplies? With the sea frozen solid, there's no fishing. After three days—aren't the stocks getting dangerously low?"

"That's right. No fishing for three days, and our food is going fast. I'm worried about Hiccup getting Johann back in time. We really need to figure out how to get Johann's ship here." Stoick looked troubled but soon got up and headed for the door. "I'd better go. I'm going to do a village check with Gobber. With this much snow piling up, roofs might give way—we need to spot any problems early."

"See you later. Be careful."

Stoick opened the healing hut door just enough for him to pass through and carefully closed it. Because of this, almost no cold air entered the healing hut. Sigrid sat in his chair and quietly thought while touching the edge of his cloak. Usually, inside the healing hut or before winter arrived, he always wore only light robes, but now he had to wear a thick winter cloak even indoors. However, even wearing this cloak, he was still cold, so he'd probably need to make an even thicker cloak. If it got any thicker, it would become a blanket rather than a cloak. Sigrid laughed softly at the silly thought.

Being trapped here for the third day, he really had nothing to do. He'd ground all the herbs that needed grinding on day one of his confinement, and finished portioning them on day two. Sigrid, looking for something to do, finally decided to tackle the sewing he had been putting off. He pulled out a box hidden under the bed and opened it to find several torn tunics. They were all clothes torn from hastily spreading wings or making mistakes during flight practice. They'd be good as new with some careful mending, but he'd kept avoiding it because it felt like such a chore. Now the time had really come.

Sigrid sat in the chair in front of the fireplace and slowly began sewing. Sitting in front of the warmest place, he didn't feel the cold and his fingertips moved well. Maybe I should ask the carpenters to make a rocking chair? Sigrid thought while mending the torn parts. He'd always seen village elders sitting in those chairs, knitting or sewing, and now he could appreciate why rocking chairs were perfect for needlework. The chair he was sitting in now was old and worn from being made long ago, so replacing it wouldn't be bad either. Even as many thoughts flowed through his mind, his hands didn't stop sewing.

When Sigrid had almost finished sewing, suddenly someone's scream came through the blizzard sounds from outside. Sigrid jumped up from his chair in surprise. He put what was in his hands on the workbench and approached the window to check the outside situation. However, the blizzard was too severe to see anything, and all he could hear was people's screams and the loud sounds of things collapsing.

Sigrid hesitated for a moment but soon walked to the front door of the healing hut. Whatever was happening, they were under some kind of attack. He'd have to face the cold no matter what. The door swung open—and chaos erupted. Wind and snow roared inside, killing the fire instantly and flooding the room with arctic cold. He pulled up his hood—it helped against the wind, but he was losing body heat fast.

Barely outside the healing hut, something shot toward Sigrid's ankle like a bullet. Sigrid twisted away just in time. But there was nothing visible there. Small animal footprints remained in the snow. Sigrid instinctively knew what kind of animal this was. Speed Stingers. Dragons living on an island somewhat distant from Berk. Apparently, when the sea froze, they had run across it to reach Berk.

The Speed Stingers appeared to be attacking everyone in Berk following their pack leader. But this Berk already had dragons claiming territory first. Trespassing on his territory and attacking his people was crossing the line. Sigrid's canine teeth began extending and sharpening as his eyes slowly narrowed into draconic slits. A clearly threatening dragon's low growl came from his throat. When the growl was heard, the Speed Stinger about to attack Sigrid froze mid-charge. The growl of a far superior dragon had paralyzed it with fear.

The Speed Stinger that had stopped in front of Sigrid finally raised its head to identify what kind of being was before it. Orders were orders: attack anything human-shaped. But this was no human—this was an Ancient Dragon. The Speed Stinger's threatening posture crumbled, its tail falling in defeat. Attacking an Ancient Dragon without orders? Unthinkable. The Speed Stinger seemed to realize this, bowing low in apology as Sigrid's threatening sounds faded away.

"Take this message to your leader: My territory, my rules. Leave now or face the consequences. Three options—retreat, surrender, or war. Choose wisely." The moment Sigrid finished, the Speed Stinger bolted away faster than the eye could follow.

When the standoff with the dragon ended, the cold he had momentarily forgotten hit him instantly. His hands were already losing sensation, and so were his feet. However, he was worried about the village people being attacked by Speed Stingers. Sigrid barely walked toward the village through the snow and wind. As he made his way toward the village, he discovered wild dragons strewn across the ground, completely paralyzed. They could freeze to death if left here, but other dragons were trying to move the paralyzed dragons to safety, so he probably didn't need to help.

As he walked toward the village, all the villagers were moving somewhere together. Carts were loaded with paralyzed people. Sigrid grabbed one of the fleeing villagers and asked urgently.

"Where are you going now? What's happening?" The person Sigrid grabbed looked panicked but answered his question.

"To the cove! Stoick ordered all the villagers to go to the cove! If you don't want to get paralyzed, you need to run quickly. You should come this way too!"

"I'll be there soon. Go ahead!" Sigrid headed in the opposite direction from where people were going. Apparently Stoick had remained in the village to deal with the Speed Stingers. A paralyzed human in this weather meant certain death—Sigrid had to move fast.

As expected, Stoick was paralyzed in the middle of the plaza with his sword raised. There was no one else in the village, and moving the paralyzed Stoick would require considerable effort. Sigrid sighed heavily. He could see only two possible outcomes: either he'd collapse from the cold while moving him, or they'd both freeze to death. While briefly considering, something moved quickly behind Sigrid. The Speed Stingers appeared to be attacking.

Sigrid turned around and made hissing sounds to warn the dragons. Instantly, six Speed Stingers froze mid-attack behind him. Speed Stingers tended to blindly follow their leader's commands. Sigrid wasn't immune to these dragons' paralyzing venom either. This poison worked on dragons too. Sigrid was immune to poisons that worked on humans, but not to poisons that worked on dragons. He had resistance, but it was still only resistance. If Sigrid's warning was even slightly late, there would definitely be problems.

When Sigrid glared at the dragons, the Speed Stingers talked among themselves and then disappeared instantly. They probably wanted to report what they'd seen back to their pack. Sigrid hoped this message would be relayed quickly and the Speed Stingers would stop attacking him. The sound of the blizzard made it hard to hear surrounding sounds, and wearing a hood made it even harder to hear. Only after concentrating on his surroundings for a while and determining there were no Speed Stingers did Sigrid go out to the plaza.

The Speed Stingers' poison was slowly wearing off. Right after being hit by the poison, one probably couldn't speak or move their eyes. Sigrid slowly approached the frozen Stoick. It would have been more comfortable if he had his eyes closed, but unfortunately they were open. He probably couldn't speak but would be seeing everything. At least his gaze remained fixed.

Sigrid stood in front of Stoick and looked around. He'd been out in the cold too long—drowsiness was setting in. Sigrid found one cart that had fallen on its side on the ground, pushed it sideways to set it upright, then moved it behind Stoick. Using a cart would be more convenient. He secured the cart properly, positioned himself in front of Stoick, and pushed hard. The frozen Stoick toppled backward like a statue into the cart.

Sigrid coughed lightly and bent down to look into the cart to check Stoick's condition. He looked fine. Whatever Stoick was thinking inside, moving him was the priority. Sigrid took hold of the cart handle and pulled hard, but it wouldn't shift an inch. Even when he applied more force, it didn't move at all. The cart was too heavy for Sigrid to move.

"My Odin... Why do you have to be so heavy? You're not making this easy for me." Sigrid spoke as if Stoick could hear him, though he wasn't sure if he could. At this rate, they'd both be trapped in the cold indefinitely. Sigrid's cough worsened dramatically. The icy air felt like daggers piercing his lungs.

Anyway, all these people had evacuated to the cove, and no one was watching. Even Stoick behind him was frozen stiff and could only see the sky, so it was right to act now even if it was dangerous. Sigrid quietly shifted his arms. Human arms shifted immediately into sturdier dragon arms. Since Sigrid normally walked on four legs, these were technically legs, but the partial shift was very similar to human arms. They just became more dragon-like.

Sigrid grabbed the cart handle again. When he applied a strong force, he heard the cart handle cracking under his hands. When he pulled hard, the cart finally began to move slowly. It would've been simpler to shift his legs too, but then he couldn't conceal what he was if villagers returned from the cove and discovered him. He could pull it with just arm strength, so it would be fine. Sigrid slowly made his way toward the cove.

The weather was insanely cold. Walking toward the cove, Sigrid kept cursing his weak constitution. His human form was extremely weak to cold, and unfortunately Berk was a northern island with hardly any warm days. When he first came to Berk and experienced Berk's winter for the first time, he nearly froze to death. The healing hut was still in an unfinished state of repair, and honestly, he had somewhat underestimated winter. So he spent that winter at Stoick's house for a while. He remembered Stoick's booming laughter as he said, 'I told you so, but you wouldn't listen! Maybe next time you'll listen to what I say.' 

The path to the cove wasn't far now. The worst thing was that his legs no longer obeyed him. Sigrid stopped walking for a moment and caught his breath. Every time he inhaled, the inside of his body felt cold, going beyond cooling to freezing. His condition was now truly at a dangerous level. Sigrid exhaled deeply and looked up at the sky. Gray skies and leafless tree branches filled his view. Snow continued falling but more slowly than before.

Sigrid briefly looked back. Stoick might have fallen to the ground while being moved. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Stoick disappearing under the relentless snow. The situation was desperate, yet somehow darkly comic. Sigrid burst into weak laughter. While wondering whether to clear the snow off or not, he heard something running urgently ahead. It was human footsteps. His arms shifted back to human form the instant someone appeared from the white chaos. Gobber came running and was shocked to see Sigrid and the cart.

"Sigrid?! There you are! I searched everywhere for you—I was so worried! What are you doing out here?  Hold on—is that Stoick? Did you actually drag him all this way from the village?!" Gobber shouted and ran to Sigrid's side. Then he checked Sigrid's condition and was even more shocked. "Are you alright? Get in the cart for now. I'll pull it from here. Your face is the same color as the snow falling now. We need to get you to a fire quickly."

Sigrid hesitated briefly but sat on the cart. He worried whether Gobber could pull a cart with both Stoick's weight and his own, but Gobber pulled the cart very easily. He had forgotten that Gobber was a Viking who'd once fought dragons barehanded. Of course he'd be incredibly strong. Sigrid stared at Gobber in disbelief for a moment before exhaustion forced out a weary sigh. Thanks to Gobber, his worry was resolved. Sigrid crouched in the remaining space on the cart and lay down. He felt like he could close his eyes and rest briefly. Gobber would let him know when they arrived.

Sigrid slowly opened his eyes, feeling suspiciously stuffy and warm. A massive bonfire suddenly appeared before his eyes. For a moment, he couldn't make sense of what he was seeing. Just moments ago he had seen the cart's side, but now he couldn't understand why he was seeing fire. He tried to lift his hand to clear his unfocused eyes, but it was stuck somehow and wouldn't move. Looking down, his body was tightly wrapped in blankets. It was almost like being packaged. He really didn't understand what was happening, but he tried to somehow sit up. After much effort, he finally unwrapped the blankets and managed to sit up.

Looking around, this was the cove. Holding his throbbing head, he tried to remember what had happened, but he had no memory after lying down in the cart. He probably fell asleep, and Gobber didn't wake him but left him here. Thanks to this, his cold body had warmed up again. Sigrid looked around more carefully. Paralyzed people were gathered in one place, while the healthy ones moved luggage aside or crowded around the fire. Sigrid was alone, with no one around him. As he glanced about, Gobber looked up from checking supplies and their eyes met. Gobber looked noticeably happy and walked toward Sigrid.

"Finally awake! You slept so long I thought something was wrong. Oh, and Stoick's right over there. Chief's got to have the best view, you know? So we set him up nice and high." Looking where Gobber pointed, Stoick was standing on a rock. He really looked like a statue, which was somewhat funny. Thornado was sitting beside Stoick.

"Did you move me here? You should have woken me when we arrived."

"No big deal. You were way easier to move than that big guy over there. Knowing how you are with cold, I made sure to pile extra blankets on you. Feeling warmer now?"

"Yes, thank you. I got better quickly thanks to you. Are the rider kids here too? I can't see them well."

Gobber looked around and pointed to various places. "Snotlout is frozen and standing over there between them, and Astrid is helping people move supplies. The twins are busy playing pranks on the frozen people. Fishlegs... I don't see him."

While Sigrid and Gobber were talking, new people entered the cove. Hiccup, Fishlegs, and Johann. The cart they brought also had frozen Meatlug. While Fishlegs moved Meatlug elsewhere, Hiccup and Johann walked to the bonfire where Gobber and Sigrid were. Johann was nearly exhausted from fatigue.

"Johann, good to see you. Things are pretty rough outside, aren't they?" When Sigrid asked with a smile, Johann sat down beside him.

"Mister Sigrid, the outside situation is truly catastrophic. A catastrophically cold winter! Goddess Skathi must be angry!" Johann acted exaggeratedly and was about to complain when he looked at Sigrid's face and appeared somewhat surprised. "Your face is pale as ice! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. You know I'm a bit weak to cold. It's the same thing every year, so don't worry too much." Sigrid answered lightly, then briefly watched Hiccup and Gobber conversing near Stoick. "Johann, when you were outside earlier, did you see Speed Stingers? Are they still remaining in Berk?"

"Master Hiccup's friend said they disappear in the morning and reappear at night. So even if they were there now, you wouldn't have seen them."

Johann's answer deepened Sigrid's concern. Surely the Speed Stingers had conveyed to their leader that this island was his territory. If they still hadn't left the island despite this, it meant the leader was looking down on him. The Speed Stingers' leader appeared quite arrogant, with strong pride in his leadership. He had to respond to this challenge.

"Mister Sigrid, what are you thinking about that makes you so serious?" Johann's sudden words made Sigrid look at him in surprise.

"Nothing. I was probably thinking that if Speed Stingers are still here, we'll have to drive them out."

"Actually, I have something else to tell you." Johann lowered his voice very quietly and leaned close to Sigrid to whisper. "It's information about Dragon Hunters. I have something new."

Johann looked around briefly, being cautious, then spoke even more quietly.

"Recently, hunters have been active in a place very far north of Berk. Some brothers are leading the hunters as leaders. Rumors say the northern market is becoming dangerous. Traders like me are also being threatened by hunters, my Trader brothers told me. The north is dangerous, Mister Sigrid." After Johann finished speaking seriously, he instantly acted as if nothing had happened.

"I understand. Thank you for telling me." When Sigrid answered briefly, Johann got up and walked elsewhere.

Sigrid took his gaze off Johann and turned toward where Hiccup was. Hiccup was talking with the kids together. He probably planned to drive out the Speed Stingers with the rider kids. Sigrid gestured for Hiccup to come here briefly when Hiccup looked at him. Hiccup walked to Sigrid carrying a shield.

"Sigrid, I heard from Gobber. You moved Dad all the way here? How did you do it?" Hiccup sat beside Sigrid near the bonfire.

"I was a bit short on strength, but I managed somehow. Fortunately, no one saw me." When Sigrid spoke, Hiccup nodded as if understanding how he had moved him.

"We decided to drive the Speed Stingers out of Berk. You'll stay here, right?"

"Probably. I still haven't fully recovered my strength. I told the Speed Stingers to tell their leader to leave this place. If dragons are still on Berk, it means their leader ignored my warning, so don't go easy on them—drive them out however you can. I should go myself, but... as you know, I'm not in any condition for that yet."

"Of course. Rest up, and we'll be back soon!" Hiccup gestured to the kids, and soon all the kids took off flying on dragons.

With the sky this dark, it was hard to tell, but he guessed it was just afternoon. Since it was still far from night, it would be good to rest more now. Johann was talking with other people, and Gobber appeared to be saying something beside still-frozen Stoick. The paralyzing poison would probably be completely gone in a little more time. Sigrid rested his head on the rolled-up blanket and covered himself completely with another blanket. He planned to sleep just a little longer.

And that plan completely failed. Gentle shaking pulled him from sleep, and found that everything around him was pitch black. It was Stoick doing the shaking, finally recovered from the paralytic venom. He had planned to sleep just an hour or two but slept for more than half a day.

"You were completely worn out. You've been sleeping nonstop from this afternoon until now—didn't stir once. Hiccup reported that he chased off the Speed Stingers, so I thought I should wake you. Time to return to the village." Sigrid grabbed Stoick's hand and stood up. Perhaps because he had lain down too long, he felt slightly dizzy. Looking around, no more frozen people were visible. Everyone was packing their belongings and slowly returning to the village.

"I meant to sleep just an hour or two, but that completely failed." Sigrid stretched his stiff body. "Are you alright? You were frozen almost all day."

"I'm fine. I had to listen to Gobber's chatter all day while frozen. That was the most terrible thing." As Stoick fixed Gobber with a stern glare, Gobber sauntered by them pretending to know nothing about it. "Anyway, thank you for moving me. I was worried you'd collapse on the way. Even in that frozen state, I could hear sounds."

"Ah, you could hear. I didn't know you could hear." Sigrid laughed awkwardly. "If you had stayed there, you might have frozen to death. I'm glad everything worked out somehow."

"You were in danger too, but you took unnecessary risks. Next time, ask for help. What if the cart wouldn't move?"

"Okay. I'll keep that in mind." Sigrid smiled gently and looked up at Stoick. "Now go help other people move their luggage. That cart over there is stuck and won't move." When Sigrid pointed to people having trouble with a cart stuck and not moving, Stoick headed there.

While looking around to see if anyone was left behind, Sigrid spotted Johann standing in a corner of the cave, apparently deep in thought. It looked strange for him to remain there when everyone was leaving, so Sigrid walked over there.

"Johann, what are you doing here? Everyone's leaving, shouldn't you be going out too?" Johann was startled by Sigrid's words. He was too overly surprised, like someone caught doing something he shouldn't be.

"Ah. Ah! Mr. Sigrid! Just thinking about trade possibilities. Since this freeze is ending, I can bring my ship up now!" Johann took a step back and put some distance between himself and Sigrid. This unexpected caution around Sigrid was confusing.

"Is that so? I see. If you stay here alone, you might get lost, so let's go together. You've never been this far in, have you?"

"Right. Yes. Let's go. We should go." Johann spoke confusedly and walked ahead first. Then he suddenly turned around and looked up at Sigrid. Sigrid stopped walking at this sudden action.

"Mr. Sigrid. About the flower I delivered to Old Mildew last time. Was that really a poisonous plant?" Johann asked the unexpected question very seriously. Sigrid found it strange but decided to answer.

"Yes, it was poisonous. A poisonous plant that could kill dragons."

"But... I heard rumors that you also ate it and got sick. Is that right?"

"I seem to be particularly vulnerable to that flower. Some people have resistance to it, but it appears to be poisonous to humans as well, so don't eat it. But why are you asking about this now?" When Sigrid asked, Johann appeared very flustered.

"No, well. Recently someone asked me to get it because they wanted to use it as medicinal herbs! But thinking about it, I thought it was a poisonous plant, so I asked you. That's all." Sigrid looked at Johann warily, but his suspicions soon faded. As a traveling trader, Johann would be used to handling strange requests. Confirming whether something was poisonous or not was important.

"I understand. If you have no more questions, shall we go quickly? The last cart just exited the entrance." Now only these two remained in the cove. When Johann quickly ran out, Sigrid followed behind.

Returning to the village, bright sunlight was shining. People were all beginning restoration work on the damaged village. Johann approached Hiccup to request being taken back to his ship, and flew off to sea on Toothless.

After sitting and waiting briefly in the village, he noticed the damaged areas had been mostly cleaned up.

Even though the Speed Stingers couldn't fly and were unaware of Sigrid's claim, staying after his warning was clear territorial defiance. Sigrid wasn't a dragon obsessed with territory, so he didn't prevent dragons from coming and going on this island, but attacking the people living here was unacceptable. He'd probably need to mark his territory more explicitly. Only then could he prevent the Speed Stingers from coming to this island again.

Sigrid looked up at the clear sky visible after a long time. For a moment, everything was peaceful.

Chapter Text

The village was quite chaotic today. The rider kids were training within the village to prepare for a potential Screaming Death attack. It was the first day of training, and it was a mess. The kids had no coordination at all, so dragons kept crashing into each other and accidents kept happening.

Sigrid looked down at Stormfly's spine piercing through his robe, the sharp point having torn a clean hole in the fabric. Snotlout had thrown a fish and hit Astrid, causing her to accidentally fire Stormfly's spines. Fortunately, Sigrid wasn't hit, but his robe was perfectly punctured.

"Sigrid, I'm sorry! Snotlout, quit fooling around! You could have hit him!"

"YOU misfired, so how is this MY fault?! You should have been more careful!" Snotlout shouted and flew off in the opposite direction. Astrid tried to chase Snotlout but collided mid-air and crashed into the Great Hall. Hiccup, observing the entire spectacle, looked quite troubled.

"Oh, great. I can see my dad's face already." When Hiccup dismounted from Toothless, Sigrid walked over to him.

"Do those two always go at it like this, Hiccup? They clearly don't get along."

"Yes, constantly. They can't agree on anything—they're total opposites. Please, will you stick by me when Dad scolds us later? He goes easier on me when you're there. Please." Hiccup looked up with puppy eyes.

"Alright. I'll stay by your side. But honestly, I don't think it'll help much."

As expected, Stoick gathered the kids and began scolding them. As punishment for wrecking the village, they had to clean up Mildew's old cabbage patch. Snotlout and Astrid continued fighting endlessly even on their way to Mildew's cabbage patch.

When Sigrid's eyes met Stoick's, Stoick smiled and gave a small nod before heading back to the healing hut. Cleaning up Mildew's cabbage patch was relatively light punishment. With the dragons' help, they could finish it within two days. Later that evening, Hiccup appeared at the healing hut, holding an ice block against his head. Clearly, something had gone very wrong.

"Astrid and Snotlout fought again, right?" When Sigrid offered him the tea he had brewed, Hiccup accepted it.

"Yeah. Suddenly Hookfang and Stormfly went at it like crazy. We couldn't even break them up. I think dragons mirror their riders or something."

"That's probably right. Dragons are sensitive to emotions. If Snotlout and Astrid can't stand each other, their dragons would naturally start disliking each other too." Hiccup sighed deeply.

"I asked my dad about it, and he suggested three options. Give them axes and let them fight until the end, give them maces, or trick them. He said to pick one and go with it."

"Sounds just like Stoick. So which one will you go with?"

"Tricking them. I'll make sure each one thinks the other won't show up tomorrow. That way they won't start fighting right away." Sigrid smiled and nodded. Just then, Hiccup stared at the robe spread across the workbench, where he'd been repairing the tear from Stormfly's spine.

"Oh, that. I've finished fixing it now. Stormfly's spines are sharper than I thought. Astrid must be taking good care of Stormfly's health."

"I'm sorry. I should have been a better leader, but the kids just won't listen to me. I wish I could be like my dad—someone people naturally follow, but..." Hiccup's shoulders drooped.

"You're still young. Your dad has been chief for thirty years already. It'll get better soon. Have confidence." Sigrid encouraged Hiccup. From Sigrid's perspective, Hiccup was already leading well. He already had the qualities of a leader. Making people follow is one of the hardest things to do, so of course he was still learning.

"Do you really think so? I hope you're right. It's late, so I'd better get going. See you tomorrow!" 

The next day, Stormfly and Hookfang fought again. Eventually, Hiccup made Astrid and Snotlout switch dragons for that day. Now Snotlout would ride Stormfly, and Astrid would ride Hookfang. Both looked very dissatisfied, and as always, they came looking for Sigrid. Astrid arrived first, fuming with anger.

"Snotlout is the biggest problem! If only he would do well, everything would be fine!" Astrid exploded with anger. "Nothing works because of him! I'm doing fine, but he keeps getting in my way!"

"Easy, Astrid. Slow down a bit. You were speaking too quickly for me to follow." Sigrid offered her a gentle smile and passed her a wooden cup. Taking a deep breath, Astrid composed herself and tried again.

"It's Snotlout. Every time he shows up, something goes wrong. He won't listen to Hiccup at all. I really don't get it."

"I see. I heard from Hiccup about you two constantly fighting. Now you have to ride Hookfang?"

"Right. Now he's riding Stormfly. It's really annoying." Astrid was about to lose her temper again, but Sigrid's calming gesture helped her settle down. "Anyway, I'm going to prove to Hiccup that there's nothing wrong with me. Once he realizes I'm not the problem, he'll kick Snotlout out."

"Well, Hookfang is pretty difficult to handle, so good luck. Maybe riding Hookfang will help you understand Snotlout's position?"

"His position? I'm not sure what you mean. I'll just be able to show that he's the issue. Thanks for hearing me out. I always feel better after talking to you." Astrid left the healing hut. Ten minutes later, Snotlout came in.

"Astrid is driving me crazy! She thinks she's the best in the world!" It was the same complaint Sigrid had heard before. He couldn't help but chuckle at how predictable this was.

"I see. Tell me about it. Does Astrid ignore what you say?" When Sigrid spoke, Snotlout's eyes widened as if asking how he knew.

"Exactly! How did you know? Now I have to ride Stormfly. A girl dragon!"

"What's wrong with Stormfly? She's a very fast, fierce, and magnificent dragon." Snotlout fell silent for a moment, apparently at a loss for words.

"Even so, she's not better than Hookfang. Hiccup wants Astrid and me to work things out, but I refuse to make up until she says sorry first." Snotlout crossed his arms.

"Still, maybe riding Stormfly will help you understand Astrid's perspective?" Sigrid said gently. "Riders and dragons tend to become very similar. Stormfly and Astrid might be quite alike."

"I don't really know. I just hope Stormfly isn't slower than Hookfang. I hate being frustrated." Snotlout stood up from his chair. "I should go try riding Stormfly now. If Hiccup sees there's no problem with me riding her, he'll let me have Hookfang back."

"Alright, work hard."

Sigrid watched Snotlout's actions through the window. As soon as he mounted Stormfly, she refused to listen and suddenly flew high into the sky. Hookfang probably wasn't listening well to Astrid either. Even so, this might be a chance to improve Astrid and Snotlout's relationship. When riders bond with each other's dragons, it's hard to stay on bad terms with the original rider. While Sigrid was looking outside, he saw Hiccup and Toothless landing in front of the healing hut. Apparently, the healing hut had many visitors today.

"I didn't expect you to come here too. What's going on?" Sigrid opened the door and walked toward Hiccup.

"It's odd how the dragons keep fighting, but only at Mildew's patch. Could you check if there's something only dragons can sense? I'm worried Toothless might go wild like Stormfly and Hookfang if he tries to check it out."

"Alright, I'll check. I think it's more of an emotional issue between those two affecting the dragons, rather than something in the patch."

Sigrid climbed onto Toothless behind Hiccup and headed to Mildew's patch. No one was there yet. Only Stormfly and Hookfang's tracks and the kids' footprints were scattered messily throughout the patch.

"I told Ruff and Tuff to clean this place, but they're not here. I knew this would happen." Hiccup put his hand on his hip and sighed. "Could you just have a quick look? If there's nothing weird going on, Toothless and I should probably clean this up."

Sigrid looked around the patch. Nothing unusual was visible in the patch full of stones. Even walking around the edges of the patch, he felt nothing. It seemed to be an emotional problem rather than a physical issue with the patch. Sigrid sharpened his senses. The instant he stepped toward the center of the patch, an ominous feeling washed over him. Sigrid quickly scanned his surroundings, but saw nothing. As he tried to go deeper, his legs suddenly gave out and he collapsed.

It was as if someone had injected liquid fire into his veins—a potent, mind-bending poison. The patch tilted and warped around him, his pulse thundered like war drums, and oxygen seemed to flee from his lungs. Each breath came harshly, and maintaining human form felt like trying to hold water in his hands. Sigrid's fingernails—now more like talons—raked frantically through the soil, leaving jagged scars. Waves of scorching heat rolled through him, melting his consciousness into a fevered haze. Sigrid had to call for Hiccup somehow.

"Hiccup...! Could you help me...?" When Sigrid called out for Hiccup, Hiccup looked up from clearing stones behind a pile of dirt. Immediately realizing something was wrong with Sigrid's condition, Hiccup rushed over, grabbed him, and helped him get as far away as possible.

As they moved away from that place, Sigrid could feel his condition rapidly improving. He sat on the ground and gasped, trying to catch his breath. He didn't know what he had been exposed to, but something very bad was buried under that ground. Although Sigrid might have reacted more severely because he had sharpened his senses more than usual to find something, this level of reaction explained why the other dragons had become so violent. What was buried down there was like a drug to dragons.

Sigrid slowly checked his condition. His fingertips had turned black into dragon claws. Scales had appeared on his arms and neck, and judging by his unusually sharp and clear vision, his eyes had probably shifted unconsciously as well. Sigrid raised his head to look up at Hiccup. Hiccup looked very worried.

"Hiccup, how bad do I look right now? I lost it for a second there, so I'm guessing I don't look totally human anymore." When Sigrid spoke, Hiccup examined him from top to bottom.

"Well... you're pretty obviously not human right now. It's lucky no one else is around. It would've been a disaster if someone had seen this."

Sigrid took in Hiccup's words as he gradually steadied his breathing and shifted back to his human form. His hair and clothes were somewhat disheveled and covered with dirt, but it didn't matter. When Sigrid appeared completely normal again, Hiccup's tension eased. He immediately moved to the area where Sigrid had experienced the strange reaction and started digging up the dirt.

"Sigrid! There's something here! This definitely looks like Dragon Root!" Hiccup called out. If it was Dragon Root, Sigrid's reaction and the dragons' violent responses made sense. There really was a dragon drug buried down there.

"Can you pull it out? Toothless and I can't get close to it." At Sigrid's words, Hiccup tried several times to pull it out, but it was buried too deep for him to pull with his strength alone.

"This isn't working! It's too deep and stuck too tight! I think we need to get someone else." Hiccup gave up, dusted the dirt from his hands, and approached Sigrid. Just then, Fishlegs arrived near the patch riding Meatlug. Seeing the hole Hiccup had dug, Fishlegs tried to land Meatlug next to it.

"Fishlegs! Wait! Don't land Meatlug there!" Hiccup tried urgently to stop him, but Meatlug had already landed right in front of the Dragon Root. However, Meatlug didn't become violent. Instead, she just ate the rocks nearby.

"Why all of a sudden? What's in here?" Fishlegs looked into the hole and screamed in shock. "This is Dragon Root! That's why Stormfly and Hookfang were fighting each other! But Meatlug seems fine...?"

"Maybe Meatlug's rock diet makes her immune to the Dragon Root's effect." When Hiccup spoke, Fishlegs nodded in understanding.

"Fishlegs, could you pull out that Dragon Root and throw it into the sea? We couldn't pull it out with our strength." Hiccup gestured toward himself and Sigrid, who was sitting on the ground. Fishlegs nodded and mounted Meatlug, ordering her to pull out the Dragon Root. But even with Meatlug's strength, it wouldn't come out easily.

"Come on girl! You can do it!" Meatlug pulled harder, but nothing happened. Finally, Hiccup used a shovel under the Dragon Root as a lever. After they all struggled for a while, the Dragon Root was finally extracted.

"Got it! Now I'll go throw it away. I'll go throw it as far out to sea as possible." When Fishlegs moved Meatlug toward where Sigrid was sitting, Hiccup jumped up.

"Fishlegs! How about throwing it the opposite way? There are... plenty of wild dragons in that area. You know?" Fishlegs readily agreed to Hiccup's sudden excuse. After Fishlegs flew very far out to sea and dropped the Dragon Root into the ocean, completely getting rid of it, there would be no more fighting between dragons when they came to this patch.

"Dragon Root was growing in this patch. Was Mildew secretly growing this?" After returning, Fishlegs peered down into the hole. It was incredibly deep.

"I don't think so. We've flown around near this patch with dragons many times. This never happened before. It doesn't make sense that he was secretly growing it." Hiccup thought for a moment. "And It also doesn't make sense that such a large Dragon Root grew overnight. Someone secretly buried this in the patch. Isn't that possible?" Fishlegs' face paled at Hiccup's words.

"So someone from outside Berk snuck in and buried this...? But who in the world...?"

"I don't know. Right now, I need to tell my dad about this. If someone from the Berserker tribe, or someone else, slipped onto our island, that's a huge problem."

"Right, the security of this island is concerning. We blocked all the Whispering Death tunnels last time, but there seems to be another way to get in besides that. I'll come with you two." Sigrid, who had been sitting, approached the kids. After a period of peace, he hadn't expected external threats to surface like this.

He could feel war with other tribes getting closer. During the thirty years since he began living on Berk, there had been many wars with other tribes, but dragons had never been involved. Dragons would definitely change the outcome of any war dramatically.

Chapter Text

Berk was currently experiencing its first outbreak of eel pox in ten years. Most of the people on Berk had caught eel pox and were in quite poor condition. Those with mild cases only coughed or felt dizzy, but the severely ill couldn't even get out of bed. The first case had appeared three days earlier, and the numbers kept rising until it became impossible to control. The problem was that eel pox had behaved like a common cold for the past decade—contagious but harmless—leaving Sigrid completely unprepared for such a severe outbreak. He had to start making medicine immediately.

Sigrid moved constantly around the village with a white cloth covering his nose and mouth. Eel pox was a disease dragons could catch too, so Sigrid had to be especially careful. Those with milder symptoms lay in their homes, but the seriously ill were gathered in the Great Hall. Gothi was treating the most critical cases in the Great Hall. Though Sigrid had offered to take over since Gothi was also at risk of catching eel pox, she had firmly refused.

Sigrid was heading to the arena, carrying a scroll that listed the medicine ingredients. He would have preferred to gather everything himself, but there simply wasn't time. He could only leave Berk because Gothi had agreed to look after the other patients for now. Fortunately, the rider kids hadn't caught eel pox and could help Sigrid. He needed to gather the ingredients as quickly as possible.

"Sorry to burden you with this difficult task, kids. Are you ready to go?" When Sigrid entered the arena, everyone had their noses and mouths covered with cloth just like him. He had insisted two days ago that they never take off their masks, worried they might catch eel pox. He wished he could protect the dragons the same way, but unfortunately, it wasn't possible.

"Ready to leave Berk during an outbreak of eel pox? Of course. It's better to help you by leaving for Healer's Island than staying here," Snotlout said, constantly scratching around his mask as if it bothered him.

"I was already worried about how serious the situation had become, so making medicine quickly would be good for everyone." Hiccup said as he received the scroll from Sigrid. Everyone was slightly overwhelmed by how incredibly long it was.

"We can gather everything quickly if we work together. Unfortunately, all the ingredients needed to make eel pox medicine are completely unavailable right now. It's always been a disease that passed quickly like a cold, so I didn't prepare anything at all," Sigrid said with an embarrassed smile.

"None of us saw this coming either. The disease has spread to everyone on Berk except us! It's even affecting the wild dragons!" Astrid said in a worried tone while stroking Stormfly. The wild dragons on Berk were also afflicted with eel pox, clearly suffering from the disease.

"Don't worry—once we have the medicine, everyone will be fine." Sigrid lowered his mask, and whistled with his fingers. A wild Nadder flew into the arena. He could have called the dragon without any whistle, but with the kids so close, he needed to make it look like a normal dragon call. Just as everyone mounted their dragons and prepared to leave, someone coughed loudly and called for Hiccup.

"Hiccup!"

It was Stoick, severely ill with eel pox. Sigrid had definitely put him in the Great Hall and told him to never move and rest in bed, but he apparently hadn't listened. Sigrid dismounted from the wild Nadder and walked toward Stoick with a frown.

"Stoick, I told you not to leave the Great Hall and to rest there. Why are you here?" Stoick coughed and avoided eye contact at Sigrid's stern voice.

"Oh, I didn't realize you were here... But you know a chief can't just hide in bed when his people need him, even with eel pox, right?"

"This isn't just eel pox. It's a serious outbreak that hasn't happened in ten years. Don't you realize that everyone on Berk except these kids is bedridden with this disease? Go back to the Great Hall before you end up the same way." Stoick's stubbornness weakened slightly at Sigrid's firm words. The kids were enjoying watching Stoick's awkward situation from behind.

"Ah, I just love it whenever Stoick the Vast looks like that. Don't you?" Ruffnut whispered quietly from behind, giggling.

"Me too. Everyone's afraid of him, but he's always like this around Sigrid," Tuffnut giggled, but the moment his eyes locked with Stoick's icy glare, he quickly put on an innocent face.

"I'm going to gather medicine ingredients now. I should have done it yesterday, but I'm already running late. I'll be back soon, so go to the Great Hall. If you're still outside when I return, you'll really hear it from me. Understand?" Stoick hesitated briefly at Sigrid's words but soon turned around to head back to the Great Hall.

"Alright. I'll go to the Great Hall. Be safe, Hiccup. And you too, Sigrid."

Once Stoick left, Sigrid climbed back onto the wild Nadder. Their destination was Healer's Island. It was an island Sigrid had been visiting once a month. All the plants growing on the island could be used as medicinal herbs. The place was too far for regular visits, but given the current crisis, he had no choice but to make the journey. Sigrid and the rider gang took off and headed for the island.

Upon reaching the island, Hiccup unrolled the scroll again to check what ingredients they needed. Hiccup frowned slightly at the scroll's length—it was almost as long as his torso—but quickly refocused and gathered the kids together.

"Okay, gang, we've got a lot of ground to cover. Let's get to work," Hiccup said, reading the scroll and instructing the kids on what ingredients to gather.

"If you're unsure which herbs are the right ones, just bring them all to me. I'll sort them out for you. All the plants on this island are medicinal herbs, so you don't need to worry about poison. But try to avoid touching the mushrooms if possible, please." When he finished speaking, the kids scattered all over the island. Sigrid also began moving to gather herbs.

Sigrid stood at the bottom of a high cliff and looked up. Wild daga plants were growing between the middle and top of the cliff. The cliff was quite slippery, steep, and high, making it too dangerous to ask the kids to climb. Trees grew tall and densely everywhere, making it difficult to fly up on a dragon. Sigrid had to handle places like this himself.

Sigrid took off his robe and hung it on a nearby branch, then looked for a route to climb up. After figuring out how to ascend, he began climbing the cliff without hesitation. It was quite difficult to do with bare hands, so while no one was looking, he used a little cheat. By shifting just his fingertips, he could grip even smooth rock faces that had no handholds. He climbed high up the cliff and was able to collect the wild daga plant.

Going down was easier than going up. Just fall and claw into the wall at the right moment to slow down with friction. One moment Sigrid was scaling down the cliff; the next, he was on solid ground, casually dusting off his hands as if nothing had happened—until he noticed Snotlout standing there, jaw practically unhinged with shock. His arms were full of herbs. It seemed he had been collecting the herbs conscientiously and responsibly, staying focused on the task. Sigrid looked at Snotlout awkwardly, frozen in position with an awkward smile. Fortunately, his hands were perfectly human.

"What in Thor's name was that?! Are your hands okay?!" Snotlout put down the herbs he'd been carrying and rushed to Sigrid. Snotlout immediately grabbed Sigrid's hands, turning them over and checking every finger, but as expected, they were fine. This made Snotlout even more confused.

"Ah, well. That was... a method I use often. Don't try to copy it," Sigrid made excuses, but Snotlout was suspicious. Recently, there had been too many near-discoveries—moments when he almost got caught. He wasn't sure whether his guard was dropping or if he was simply becoming less careful. When Sigrid smiled as if he was really fine, Snotlout released his hands and picked up the fallen herbs again.

"Sometimes I think you're not really human. Seriously, what was that?" Snotlout asked, carrying the herbs and walking beside Sigrid. Sigrid felt slightly stung by Snotlout's words. He definitely needed to be more careful.

"Just a skill from herb gathering. That's all," Sigrid said with a small laugh as he walked toward the beach. They had agreed to meet there once they finished collecting herbs. "Saw the herbs earlier—you picked them perfectly. All correct. Have I even taught you how to recognize different herbs? That must have been quite confusing."

Snotlout smiled pleasantly at Sigrid's praise.

"You used to tell me things in passing, remember? I kept all of that in mind. And when I was little, I used to hide in your healing hut every day. There was a lot you could see and hear from under the workbench."

"Ah, you have a really good memory. Well done." Sigrid patted Snotlout's head with his free hand. "By the way, how are things between you and Astrid? You looked pretty good earlier."

"We made up. I like Stormfly, she likes Hookfang, so we can't fight. I get why I fought with Astrid before. We hardly fight anymore these days. We do have arguments sometimes, though."

It seemed Astrid and Snotlout's relationship had finally improved. Teenagers usually became closer by fighting with each other anyway. It was fortunate their fight ended quickly.

While chatting about various small things, they had already arrived at the beach. Everyone except Sigrid and Snotlout was already gathered there. Sigrid examined the herbs on the ground one by one to check if they were correct. He lightly roasted some roots or picked out mushrooms secretly mixed among the plants. The owner of these mushrooms was definitely the twins. When he finished checking everything, Sigrid stood up. He put all the ingredients in his bag and handed it to Astrid, who was right next to him.

"Good job, kids. I just need to gather one more ingredient. You guys take the ingredients and return to Berk. I'll gather it alone."

"What could be missing that you're going alone? We could go together," Astrid asked curiously. The other kids had similar reactions.

"The most important ingredient is Bloodvein Eel. And those only live on Eel Island. Dragons hate eels, right? That's why I'm going alone." As soon as Sigrid mentioned eels, all the dragons around looked disgusted.

"But you ride a dragon too. A wild dragon would run away as soon as it meets an eel, wouldn't it?" Fishlegs asked carefully.

"Exactly. We should take Toothless and go together. Toothless is the fastest dragon we have. Even if we encounter an eel, he won't run away."

Hiccup suggested. Sigrid considered this. Since Toothless was the fastest dragon, it wouldn't matter if they went together. Actually, he'd planned to jump off the wild Nadder before reaching the eel island and fly there himself, but refusing this suggestion would look suspicious. Sigrid had no choice but to accept Hiccup's suggestion.

"Alright, I'll bother you guys just a little more. Head back to Berk with that bag and drop it off at my healing hut. I'll be back soon—wait for me. Keep your masks on!" Sigrid listed various precautions even while mounting Toothless. The kids exchanged knowing smiles, completely tuning out his warnings as if this was just another typical lecture they'd heard a hundred times. Sigrid's worried nagging was quite normal.

While flying through the air on Toothless, Hiccup suddenly asked a question.

"Come to think of it, you're a dragon too. Do you hate eels?"

"Well... I do dislike them. I wouldn't want to eat or touch them on purpose. But I'm not terrified of them the way Toothless and other dragons are."

Sigrid wasn't the type of dragon to be frightened of eels like other dragons. He disliked them, but that was all. However, he had to be especially careful with Bloodvein Eels. He had memories of terrible hallucinations occurring when he accidentally ate them or their fluids entered his mouth. When catching Bloodvein Eels from this island, he shouldn't let Toothless get close. While Sigrid would only experience hallucinations, ordinary dragons like Toothless could panic.

When they arrived above the river on Eel Island, Bloodvein Eels were indeed swimming in the river below. Toothless looked disgusted as soon as he saw the eels, but calmed down when Hiccup soothed him. Hiccup took out his shield and aimed at a Bloodvein Eel. Since Bloodvein Eels were quite strong and Hiccup might get dragged away, Sigrid tried to stop him.

"Hiccup, don't do that. I'll catch it myself. You might get dragged—" Before he could finish speaking, Hiccup fired the winch, and he was immediately dragged into the river. When Toothless's tail fin folded closed, he immediately lost stability and went spiraling down through the air. Sigrid quickly spread the tail fin fully and jumped into the river.

The river was much deeper than expected. Looking down from above, he hadn't realized how deep it was. The water was about five times Sigrid's height deep. In front of him, Hiccup was being attacked by eels. Sigrid swam quickly toward Hiccup, but a Bloodvein Eel wrapped around his leg and slowed his movement. Eventually, Sigrid seized the eel's head firmly with his right hand. While pulling it, he shifted his hand and tore the head clean off. In his urgency, his actions became violent.

However, swimming was still slow. He had to swim against the current, so he still didn't have enough strength. Sigrid quickly read the situation and, for the first time in ages, shifted his tail—a part of himself he'd almost forgotten. A single powerful thrust of his tail sent him rocketing through the water. At the same moment, Toothless's jaws bit the eel wrapped around Hiccup's throat, and just like that, Hiccup was no longer being dragged toward the depths. Sigrid grabbed Hiccup's collar with his right hand and threw him straight out of the water. It was quite rough, but it was the fastest method.

A few more violent sweeps of his tail sent the remaining eels fleeing, and then Sigrid broke through the surface, the headless Bloodvein Eel still clutched tightly in his left hand. His clothes were completely soaked, making his body heavy. Stepping onto dry land, he felt the strange sensation of his long tail scraping against the ground—a feeling he'd almost forgotten. Hiccup looked fine, but Toothless was strange. Since he had eaten a Bloodvein Eel, hallucination symptoms would begin, and he would start panicking. Sigrid pulled Hiccup away from Toothless.

"Sigrid? What's wrong? Toothless looks a bit strange. I think he ate an eel earlier."

Water dripped from Sigrid's soaked form as he silently watched over Toothless's condition. Toothless heaved several times, looked up at Hiccup and Sigrid with fearful eyes, then turned and ran away in absolute terror. Hiccup tried to chase Toothless, but Sigrid briefly stopped him. Approaching now would be dangerous.

"We have to go after Toothless! I need to see what's wrong!" Hiccup shouted, but Sigrid still held his shoulder to prevent him from running out.

"I know. But we have to wait now. When dragons eat Bloodvein Eel, they experience hallucinations. If we approach carelessly, we might get attacked. We need to wait for the Bloodvein Eel to digest, or make him vomit it up." Hiccup finally calmed down at Sigrid's explanation and stopped trying to run out. Seeing this, Sigrid released his grip on Hiccup's shoulder and began wringing out his soaked clothes.

While wringing water from his robe, Sigrid briefly checked his clothing condition. He had worried that his clothes might have torn when he suddenly shifted his tail, but fortunately, they hadn't ripped. If they had, it would have been really troublesome. While Sigrid focused on wringing out water, Hiccup kept staring intently. More precisely, his gaze was fixed on the tail dragging on the ground.

"So... you do have a tail?" Hiccup walked behind Sigrid and crouched near the tail. "I'd never seen it before, so I thought you didn't have one."

"Are there dragons without tails? Maybe if they lost them somehow, but I've never shown mine because I didn't need to. Come to think of it, it's probably been decades since I last used my tail." Sigrid lightly moved the tip of his tail to tap Hiccup's forehead. Hiccup fell backward but kept watching with fascination.

"It's pretty cool. You don't have tail fins like Toothless. Did you never have them originally?"

"Right, I never had them originally. Now stop staring and let's go find Toothless. He's probably terrified because of that eel." Sigrid pulled on his robe—still damp yet noticeably drier—and made his tail disappear. Hiccup also got up and began walking in the direction Toothless had disappeared.

While walking through the forest, a red plasma shot was visible somewhere in the woods. Heading in that direction, they found Toothless in the middle of a clearing, looking utterly confused. Hiccup held up his shield and slowly approached, calling to Toothless.

"Hey, bud." Toothless growled and showed his teeth at Hiccup's voice. "It's okay, bud. I can help you."

"Be careful, Hiccup. You might get attacked," Sigrid watched the situation worriedly from behind. Sigrid kept his distance, recognizing that Toothless was too vulnerable right now. Only Hiccup could approach safely—anyone else would probably just make things worse.

Toothless was panicking and continuously firing shots randomly into the air. Hiccup was waiting for Toothless's limit of six shots. But Sigrid felt like he had forgotten something important. Dragons that eat Bloodvein Eel experience hallucinations. But there seemed to be something more than that.

Toothless fired his sixth shot into the air. Only then did Hiccup lower his shield slightly and approach Toothless. But a seventh shot was coming from Toothless's mouth. Caught off guard by the unexpected attack, Hiccup dropped his shield and became completely defenseless.

"Seven shots? Are you kidding me?"

The glow was already building in Toothless's throat as he targeted the defenseless Hiccup. In those final heartbeats before the blast, Hiccup could only squeeze his eyes shut and curl his arms around his head. Toothless's shot hit something like a wall with a dull sound. Hiccup wasn't hit by the shot, and the growl of another dragon was heard very nearby. When he carefully opened his eyes, Sigrid was beside Hiccup. And in front of Hiccup, Sigrid's massive wing was blocking everything.

As soon as Sigrid confirmed Hiccup was defenseless, he immediately ran from behind. Just before Toothless's shot reached Hiccup, he spread his huge wings to protect him. The direct hit from Toothless's plasma blast at such close range sent searing pain through Sigrid's wing, though he could absorb this degree of damage. Toothless refused to back down even after his blast was blocked, leaving Sigrid no choice but to bare his teeth and growl a clear warning. Hearing the low threatening sound, Toothless immediately became frightened and turned to flee. When Toothless completely escaped into the forest, Sigrid lowered the wing that had protected Hiccup.

"Holy Thor! Are you alright? You just took a direct hit from Toothless!" For a moment, Hiccup was too stunned to speak, then quickly rushed to examine Sigrid's wing.

"I'm fine except for a slight sting. I can handle being hit by Toothless's attacks once or twice." Sigrid moved his wing up and down slightly. It was fine except for a slight ache. "But Toothless has escaped deeper into the forest. How should we catch him?"

Hiccup stood up and thought, then took out a net from his bag. He pulled a string from the center of his shield, attached it to a tree, and began setting up a net trap.

"This won't hold him for long. If we catch him like this, can you make Toothless vomit up the eel?"

"Um... it might be a somewhat rough method, but it's possible. Will you be alright?" Sigrid asked, watching Hiccup set up the net trap.

"It's fine. Just don't knock him unconscious. We need to ride Toothless back to Berk." After finishing the net trap setup, Hiccup gathered fallen leaves and scattered them over the net. "Now we just have to get him to come this way. Toothless won't like it, but we don't have a choice." Hiccup picked up a large stone from the ground.

He began walking around the forest, hitting his shield hard with the stone to make noise. The sound was quite grating and unpleasant even to Sigrid's ears. Toothless reacted the same way, running from the sound until he stepped into Hiccup's trap and got caught. Toothless's resistance was so intense that the net trap looked ready to break at any moment. To make Toothless vomit, they had to act quickly.

"Now, Sigrid! Make Toothless vomit!"

Sigrid quickly ran to Toothless. Toothless was panicking and struggling desperately to escape the net. To make him vomit, he needed to stay still, but with all this movement, it was impossible. Sigrid made an even louder, more threatening sound than before. Toothless's body instantly froze in fear. He seemed to instinctively realize a strong dragon was right in front of him. 

Taking advantage of Toothless staying still, Sigrid quickly pressed hard on the area below Toothless's neck with his right hand. Toothless coughed several times and vomited up half the eel he had eaten. He was completely back to normal, but somehow Toothless had become very timid. As soon as he was freed from the net, he hid behind Hiccup. It seemed Toothless now disliked him.

"Now Toothless will never let me ride on his back again," Sigrid looked down at Toothless, who was hiding behind Hiccup and trembling. Toothless was clearly afraid of Sigrid.

"Oh, come on. You were trying to help Toothless. Right, bud?" However, despite Hiccup's persuasion, Toothless absolutely refused to go anywhere near Sigrid. It seemed it would take some time for their relationship to improve again.

"Now that Toothless is fine too, let's return to Berk. One eel is enough. I have no idea what kind of chaos Berk might be in, so let's go as quickly as possible." Sigrid spread his wings and instantly soared into the sky. Hiccup also mounted Toothless and rose into the air. However, since Toothless wanted to maintain a certain distance from Sigrid, they couldn't fly side by side.

When they arrived at Berk, the situation was complete chaos. People's conditions had become strange due to severe fever. The most dramatic case was Gobber, who was now convinced he was Auntie Rose and kept chasing people around trying to give them kisses. Fortunately, the kids had listened to Sigrid and hadn't removed their masks. If they had, they would have been talking nonsense just like Gobber.

Sigrid hurried into the healing hut and began making medicine. A few hours later, the eel pox medicine was completed, and all the villagers recovered completely. The ten-year eel pox outbreak was over.

Sigrid went to bed early that day. He had been moving constantly for three straight days, and had even fallen into water and swum just a few hours ago. As soon as he lay in bed, exhaustion swept through his entire body. Tomorrow he planned to go apologize to Toothless. He had expected this moment, but the reality of Toothless being afraid of him was heartbreaking. He closed his eyes, hoping fish gifts might reduce Toothless's fear somewhat.

Chapter Text

Stoick had been more on edge than usual lately. He'd grown more nervous since the Berserker armada's recent attack on Berk, and it got worse after Thornado left. Stoick had recently parted ways with Thornado. The Thunderdrum's hatchlings couldn't survive alone in the wild, so he had no choice but to let them go. When three Thunderdrum hatchlings arrived on Berk, they remained completely wild and caused nothing but trouble. Sigrid could calm the hatchlings, but after nearly three days without sleep from his unexpected childcare duties, Stoick made his decision.

Stoick now rode a different Nadder Sigrid had introduced him to instead of Thornado. But it didn't suit him as well as Thornado had, so he rarely rode it except for work. He was probably missing the dragon so soon after their parting.

Sigrid was heading to Berk's forest with Gobber when they encountered Stoick. He was walking around without riding his dragon. Stoick's gaze fixed on the catapults behind them. Bucket and Mulch were pushing massive catapults from behind.

"Where are you going? And what are those catapults for?"

"We're going to help the kids exercise. They want to practice dodging catapults while riding their dragons." Gobber pointed to one of the catapults. "The more shooters we have, the better, so I called Sigrid as well."

"Want to come with us? You could watch the kids practice." When Sigrid suggested this, Stoick hesitated briefly but shook his head.

"No, it's fine. The coastal watchtowers and weapons need checking—we never know when the Berserker tribe might invade again."

"Always worried about the Berserker tribe. Good luck, Stoick."

After their conversation ended, each went their separate ways. Sigrid and Gobber soon reached the clearing Hiccup had requested and secured the catapults to the ground. After waiting a while, they could see the kids approaching on their dragons from the horizon. Bucket and Mulch loaded large stones and finished preparing to fire.

"Nothing like starting the morning with a good ambush." Gobber raised his hand to shield his eyes from the light and checked how close the kids were. "Catapult, fire!"

At Gobber's signal, the catapults launched their stones. The fired stones either fell after being hit by Toothless's blast or were swallowed by Meatlug. The dragons that couldn't break or knock down the stones nimbly dodged them on their riders' command. After repeating the process of loading stones and firing about four times, the kids started heading back. It looked like exercise was over.

"Already finished? That was quick." Gobber sounded disappointed as he told Bucket and Mulch to stop loading stones. Then Bucket accidentally dropped the stone he was holding right onto the catapult. The sudden impact caused one catapult to misfire, sending a large stone flying toward the retreating kids.

The stone whizzed past Hookfang, nearly clipped Toothless before he barrel-rolled out of the way, then scraped along Stormfly's side. Startled, Stormfly twisted her body, and Astrid instantly fell downward. He watched her fall, but the tall trees blocked his view of where she landed. Sigrid rushed to where Astrid had likely crashed.

Fortunately, Hiccup had caught Astrid just before she hit the ground, so she lay unconscious on the ground. The kids and dragons were all gathered around the unconscious Astrid, looking worried, when they saw Sigrid approaching and their faces brightened. Sigrid approached Astrid, knelt down, and checked her condition.

Her exposed arms were covered in bruises and cuts from hitting tree branches during the fall. But no broken parts were visible. Since there might be internal injuries not visible to the eye, Sigrid carefully tapped Astrid to wake her up. Shaking her might not have been good. Soon Astrid began stirring and regaining consciousness.

"What...? What happened?" As Astrid tried to sit up, she made a pained sound and clutched her left arm with her right hand. Though it wasn't visibly obvious, her arm appeared to have a fracture.

"You fell from Stormfly and hit the tree branches pretty hard. Are you hurt anywhere else besides your arm? Like your head?" Sigrid carefully held Astrid's left arm with both hands and lifted it. Fortunately, her shoulder wasn't injured.

"My head seems fine. Though I'm a bit dizzy." Astrid sighed while holding her head. "Ugh. I can't believe I fell off Stormfly. Are you okay girl?" When Astrid called out to Stormfly, the dragon chirped back to indicate she was okay.

"Mistakes can happen. Stormfly's perfectly fine. Now, can you look this way for a moment?" As Astrid turned to look up, Sigrid gently cupped her chin and examined her eyes. Fortunately, she showed no signs of concussion. "Your head seems fine too. Come on, let's get to the healing hut. That bone looks fractured—I'll need to splint it for now."

Sigrid stood up and extended his hand to Astrid. Astrid grabbed Sigrid's hand with her right hand and stood up, but still looked uncomfortable.

"But I'm supposed to patrol the nearby sea after this practice ends. It's just a small fracture—couldn't I skip the splint?" 

"Astrid, a fracture means the bone could break easily. If that happens, you won't just miss today's patrol—you'll be unable to ride Stormfly until it completely heals. Are you sure that's worth risking?" Astrid's stubbornness wavered slightly at Sigrid's words, but her worry about not being able to do her duties was clearly visible. Then Snotlout spoke up.

"I can handle that much. So we're good, right?" All the kids gaped at Snotlout in surprise. They looked like they couldn't believe what they'd just heard.

"That's... really unexpected. Why are you offering to take my place?" Astrid's eyes widened. Snotlout had rarely said such things before. When he did, it was only when it benefited him.

"I don't have anything else to do later. Why is everyone reacting this way?" Snotlout seemed uncomfortable with their strange looks. "Fine, I won't do it for you!" 

"No, it's just that I've never seen you act like this. Thanks for offering to take over. Really." When Astrid thanked him, Snotlout turned his head away in embarrassment.

"I'm thinking about Stormfly. After you get treated, you'll ride her on patrol, right? She got hit by the stone too, and I'm worried about her." When Snotlout explained, Hookfang headbutted him with his snout. Snotlout got angry, but Hookfang only made a laughing sound.

"I'll help out next time too. Thank you." After Astrid finished speaking, Snotlout quickly flew away on Hookfang. It was as if he wanted to escape the awkwardness. When Snotlout left, the kids were amazed by what had just happened.

"Wow, I've never seen him act like that before. He's changed since the last time he rode Stormfly." Fishlegs looked at Stormfly.

"You're right. He hasn't been arguing with you like that since your big blowout. What did you say to him to make him act this way?" When Hiccup asked Astrid, she hesitated briefly.

"We... had a long talk. There were a lot of misunderstandings between us, and we talked about what we'd done to hurt each other. Since I've been working on not doing those things anymore, Snotlout has stopped doing the things that bother me too." Astrid said sheepishly.

"Hard to believe that actually worked. I thought you two would fight again," Tuffnut said disappointedly. Astrid glared at him.

"It's good that you're getting along better, but we can't stand in this forest forever, can we? We need to go to the healing hut, so let's head there first." As the conversation grew lengthy, Sigrid stepped in to end it. Astrid attempted to mount Stormfly but Sigrid stopped her.

"Can you hold on properly with an injured arm? I'll ride Stormfly." Astrid hesitated but let Sigrid mount first. Then she climbed on behind him.

"Are you sure you'll be okay riding Stormfly? She can be pretty difficult to handle." Astrid nervously wrapped her right arm tightly around Sigrid's waist. "She throws people off if she doesn't like them. Snotlout told me. He got thrown to the ground several times."

"We're just flying to the healing hut—surely she won't act up." Sigrid gently stroked Stormfly's head. Stormfly made a purring sound, apparently pleased. When Sigrid gave the takeoff signal, Stormfly flew up and delivered them very smoothly and safely to the healing hut.

Sigrid dismounted Stormfly and gently stroked her chin, causing the dragon to make a high-pitched cry. 

"Amazing. I've never seen Stormfly make that sound with anyone except me."

"Stormfly seems to like me. Come on, let's get you inside the healing hut. This won't take long."

Sigrid treated all of Astrid's wounds. He applied ointment to the scratches and wrapped a splint around her fractured left arm. Astrid lifted her splinted left arm several times and smiled.

"It feels just like before I got hurt. Can I ride Stormfly now?"

"Well, can you properly grip the saddle with just your right hand? If you're confident, then sure." Astrid looked slightly disappointed again at Sigrid's words.

"When can this heal? Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow's too soon—wait about three days. Don't swing weapons with your left hand during that time. If you really want to ride Stormfly, I recommend strapping yourself to the saddle like Hiccup does. Got it?" 

Astrid nodded and went outside. She naturally climbed onto Stormfly but nearly slipped off the saddle when Stormfly moved, unable to maintain her balance. Astrid regained her balance properly, and flew away.

Sigrid didn't leave the healing hut until evening. While catching up on his backlog of work, he noticed it was unusually noisy outside. Hearing many people murmuring, Sigrid briefly headed to the plaza. There he found someone unexpected. And on the ground lay Snotlout, unconscious.

"Alvin." Sigrid called out to the person in front of him, his voice laced with threat. Alvin smiled briefly when he saw Sigrid.

"Sigrid. Long time no see. Do you know this boy?" When Alvin pointed to Snotlout lying on the ground, Sigrid's expression grew more menacing. The crowds stared silently, feeling the hostile atmosphere and tension between them.

"What did you do to him? And how dare you show up on Berk alone, unarmed and without backup?"

"Oh, I didn't kill him—he just passed out. I never even touched him. In fact, I saved him from a white Whispering Death's attack. You should be thanking me."

"Stop talking nonsense." While Sigrid and Alvin glared at each other, someone pushed through the gathered crowd and approached.

"What's going on here? Who is..." Stoick and Hiccup pushed through the crowd toward the center. When Stoick encountered Alvin, his face turned grim. "Alvin?"

"Ah, Stoick. My old friend. Both of my old friends are here—quite touching, isn't it?"

Before Alvin finished speaking, Stoick suddenly rushed at him and punched him in the face. Caught off guard by the sudden attack, Alvin nearly fell backward but managed to keep his balance.

"After all these years apart, this is the greeting I get?" Alvin sneered, but Stoick didn't listen.

"Shut up. You're going straight to the Great Hall. You need to pay for crawling back into Berk as an outcast."

When Stoick dragged Alvin away, the crowd followed behind them. Sigrid checked on Snotlout's condition. As Alvin had said, Snotlout was completely uninjured. At Sigrid's gentle awakening touch, Snotlout's eyes snapped open and he immediately jumped up.

"Where am I?! Where's Alvin?" Snotlout looked around, not fully grasping the situation, then met Sigrid's eyes and quickly calmed down.

"Alvin says he brought you here after you were attacked by a Screaming Death. Is that true?"

"Yeah. I found an abandoned ship on some island, so I went to check it out and got attacked by a Screaming Death. Alvin saved me though. Where is he now?"

"He's in the Great Hall. He's probably on trial by now—want to go see?" At Sigrid's words, Snotlout immediately ran to the Great Hall. Sigrid followed behind him.

"—pted treachery, premeditated treachery, conspiracy to commit treachery, and... well, you get the idea!" When they opened the Great Hall door, they could hear Gobber's voice. The trial had apparently already begun to some extent. Snotlout had already pushed into the crowd and made his way to the front, so they couldn't see him anymore. Sigrid passed through the people to stand at the very front to see the situation more clearly.

The voices of people demanding Alvin's death were extremely loud. While Sigrid's head ached from all the noise, Stoick quieted everyone down.

"Settle down, everyone." Once the Great Hall was quiet, Stoick began speaking again. "Alvin the Treacherous, you will be remanded to our jail until a proper sentence can be handed down."

"Is this how you treat a man who saved a valuable life?" Alvin shouted as if he'd been wronged. From the sound of metal clinking, he'd apparently already been handcuffed.

"I know you, Alvin. You didn't do this for Snotlout. You did it for yourself." Stoick shouted angrily, but Alvin argued back.

"What could I possibly have to gain from coming here? I did it for us both, Stoick." Stoick appeared even more furious at Alvin's words.

"I don't want to hear it, and I don't care. You'll rot in Berk's prison forever." Stoick turned and commanded, "Take him to prison!"

As Alvin was being dragged to prison, he briefly met Sigrid's eyes. He looked at him with a very meaningful gaze before being dragged away. Sigrid didn't like Alvin, but wanted to know why he'd come to Berk. Stoick would never visit Alvin first, so he'd have to go himself. Sigrid headed to the prison where Alvin was held.

What had been evening was now complete night. Sigrid approached the door of the prison where Alvin was held. Since the prison was empty, only the two of them were there. When Alvin saw Sigrid at the door, he walked closer. With the prison door between them, they were very close together.

"Well, Sigrid. I knew you'd come here. You must be curious why I came here, right?"

"We were only together for five years—don't act like you know me so well. It's annoying." Sigrid crossed his arms and shot Alvin a fierce glare. Alvin just laughed as if he found the situation amusing.

"What I know for certain about you is that you'd do anything for Berk. Because Stoick would do anything for Berk. Right?"

"Shut up. Just tell me what you want." Sigrid shot back.

"Okay, okay, calm down. You're hardly a threat anyway." Alvin sneered before becoming serious. "I want revenge on the Berserker tribe. Berk doesn't matter to me anymore. The Berserker tribe is my target. They're also Berk's biggest threat, aren't they? So let's cooperate. I only need their chief. What do you think?"

"Don't talk nonsense. You think I'd believe that?" Sigrid's tone grew menacing. "You'll never get out of there. No one will ever accept that proposal." Upon hearing Sigrid's words, Alvin smirked and struck the prison bars forcefully. The sudden, deafening clang of metal made Sigrid stumble backward for a moment. Alvin laughed even louder at this sight.

"What the fu—What exactly are you doing?" Sigrid glared at Alvin. This behavior was nothing more or less than provocation.

"Even if not you, there are many people who'll listen. That kid you care about would certainly listen to me. Wouldn't he?"

"Don't talk to Hiccup. Before I actually kill you." Sigrid suppressed his rising anger. Getting angry here wouldn't do any good. He barely held onto his shortening patience. Exploding here might cause him to make a mistake like last time.

"Your words aren't worth listening to. Rot and die in there forever." Sigrid quickly ended the conversation and left the prison. The cold night air cooled his boiling temper. Sigrid headed straight to the healing hut.

Late into the night, Sigrid couldn't fall asleep. However he looked at it, Alvin's sudden appearance seemed suspicious. While sitting in front of the fireplace lost in thought, he heard knocking. When he opened the door, Hiccup was there. Hiccup also looked very confused.

"Sigrid. I came because I have something to ask. I asked my dad, but he won't answer." At Hiccup's words, Sigrid first told him to come inside. Hiccup sat in his usual chair and waited for Sigrid.

"I asked Dad exactly what Alvin did to get cast out. But he got angry and wouldn't tell me. You know the reason, right?"

"Yes, I remember. Alvin was cast out five years after I arrived here."

"Can you tell me? They say there's always a reason when someone gets banished, but I feel like I should know what happened by now."

Sigrid briefly considered Hiccup's words. But he decided to tell him, thinking Hiccup needed to know the reason so he wouldn't get close to Alvin.

"When I arrived on this island, your father was fifteen years old. He'd just become chief that year. Stoick's father died quite early, so Stoick became chief very young. So back then, hardly anyone followed his orders." Hiccup began paying attention to Sigrid's words.

"Your father and Alvin were very close friends. They'd never been apart since birth. Alvin was the one who mainly got people to listen to Stoick. I remember when I first arrived, Stoick would tell Alvin what needed to be done, and Alvin would relay the message to everyone."

"But as Stoick grew older, he no longer needed Alvin's help. He developed leadership skills, and people began respecting him. That's when it started—the conflict between Alvin and Stoick." Sigrid paused to recall the past.

"Alvin and Stoick had different political visions. Alvin wanted wars of conquest and dragon hunting to strengthen Berk, while Stoick preferred just dragon hunting without the warfare. This began in my third year here. Your father and I grew close as his relationship with Alvin started falling apart."

"So... the treachery charge mentioned in the Great Hall earlier...?" Hiccup asked cautiously.

"Exactly. Finally, five years after Stoick became chief, Alvin disobeyed direct orders. Many people were killed and wounded because of it. That's when Stoick cast him out for treason. Stoick might have overlooked the disobedience, but he couldn't forgive the deaths."

"Now I get why Dad gets mad whenever someone brings up Alvin. Of course they'd be enemies." Hiccup nodded understandingly, then looked at Sigrid. "I understand about Dad, but what's between you and Alvin? Things looked pretty intense between you guys when I saw you."

"Well... Alvin and I never got along from the start. He was against allowing me—an outsider—into Berk. And then when Stoick began listening to me more than to him... that probably made things worse. I also couldn't stand Alvin's push for warfare alongside dragon hunting."

"I see... Then you could never trust Alvin's words? Even if he said he wouldn't fight us?" At Hiccup's words, Sigrid immediately became serious.

"Of course. You mustn't listen to him. He always lies." Hiccup tensed and nodded at Sigrid's reaction.

Then suddenly, they heard loud dragon roars. The sound was loud enough for Hiccup to hear too. There was definitely trouble with the dragons in the arena. Hiccup and Sigrid simultaneously left the healing hut and climbed onto Toothless. They had to get to the arena quickly.

Snotlout was now sneaking into the prison without anyone knowing. He wanted to know why Alvin had saved him earlier. When Alvin saw Snotlout approaching, he smiled and walked close to the bars. Snotlout was slightly scared and stepped back. Alvin laughed at his reaction and grabbed the prison bars with his hands.

"The boy I saved earlier. Did you come to break me out?"

"Break you out? Don't be ridiculous. I just wanted to know why you saved me." When Snotlout spoke in a scared tone, Alvin looked down at him dismissively.

"I figured I needed at least the excuse of having saved someone to get anyone to hear me out—Sigrid or Stoick, you know. But I was wrong about that, which is disappointing."

"You know Sigrid? I heard you two talking earlier." When Snotlout showed interest, Alvin smiled. It was as if he'd taken the bait.

"I thought you were out cold, but I guess not entirely. Yeah, we know each other. He seemed pretty worried about you when I saw him earlier. Are you close?"

"Well... yes. Sigrid and I are quite close."

"Then that's fortunate. If I'd brought back your corpse, Sigrid might have ended me. Well, probably not. He's more violent than you'd think, so you should be careful." At Alvin's words, Snotlout's expression changed to disbelief.

"Violent? Sigrid? No way. Sigrid looks like he couldn't kill anyone." At Snotlout's words, Alvin was about to laugh in disbelief and respond. But suddenly the warning signal and the sound of people urgently running somewhere interrupted their conversation.

"Eh? What's that?" Alvin wondered. Snotlout rushed outside to check what was happening.

"Snotlout, come on!" Astrid stopped while running and shouted.

"What? What's going on?"

"It's Dagur! He's been spotted by the arena, and the dragons are in trouble." After finishing those words, Astrid quickly ran off. Just as Snotlout was about to leave, Alvin shouted.

"No, wait! Snotlout! I can help! Dagur hasn't come alone. You need me." When Snotlout hesitated, Alvin pushed harder. "If the dragons are in trouble, Sigrid will definitely be there too. Can you protect him on your own?" At Alvin's last words, Snotlout finally opened the prison door. Alvin smirked and came out of the prison.

"Good job, kid. Now let's go there." The two began running to the arena together.

Flying above the arena on Toothless, they saw dragons fighting each other fiercely. In the center of the arena was Dragon Root. As soon as he spotted the Dragon Root, Hiccup turned around to look at Sigrid worriedly. With that there, Sigrid would be affected too, and the dragons definitely wouldn't obey Sigrid's commands easily. Hiccup landed near the arena and thought about how to handle this situation. Soon the other kids arrived too. Among them, Snotlout looked particularly anxious.

"Hiccup, listen, I need to tell you something." Snotlout spoke up, but Hiccup didn't have time to listen.

"Snotlout, not now." Hiccup looked at the situation inside the arena and began giving instructions to the kids. "Fishlegs. Take Meatlug and get that root out of there. And the rest of you go inside and distract your dragons. Got it? Let's move!"

After Hiccup's instructions ended, they all began entering the arena. Snotlout nervously kept looking around but eventually went inside the arena.

But before Fishlegs could bring out the Dragon Root, the Berserkers closed the door first. Hiccup rode Toothless and threatened them to move aside. But Sigrid sensed more presences from above. And among them, several had killing intent. Sigrid immediately rushed toward Hiccup.

"Hiccup, get down!"

When Sigrid grabbed Hiccup's head and pushed it down, an arrow barely missed them. It grazed Sigrid's arm slightly but didn't hit. Above them were Berserkers with axes and crossbows. They were completely surrounded. When Dagur saw Sigrid, he made a maniacally joyful laugh.

"Dagur, what do you want?" Hiccup shouted, but Dagur kept laughing.

"What do I want? Me?" Dagur laughed breathlessly, then suddenly stopped. "Your dragon and the person next to you. Hand them over and I'll leave peacefully." Dagur pointed at Toothless and Sigrid with his finger. Hiccup's face scowled further.

"What? You think I'd hand them over?"

"That's your choice, your dragon and him or your friends. Isn't this exciting?" Dagur looked down at Hiccup and laughed. Then he threw his arms around dramatically and yelled, "What will he choose, ladies and gentlemen?"

The arena looked like someone would get hurt any moment. Meatlug and Fishlegs with the Dragon Root were being chased by dragons, and the kids kept failing to stop those dragons. Hiccup glanced worriedly at the arena, watching his friends. Dagur appeared to enjoy Hiccup's reaction.

"So, Hiccup, what's your answer?" Dagur asked, but the answer didn't come from Hiccup.

"The answer is, we run you through and open the gate ourselves." Stoick had brought the village Vikings.

At one gesture from Stoick, Berk's Vikings and the Berserker tribe began fighting. In the midst of the chaos, Stoick grabbed the chain connected to the arena door to open it. Then an attacker moved to strike him from behind. Before Sigrid could warn Stoick, someone else shouted his name first.

"Stoick!"

It was Alvin, who had escaped from prison. Alvin pushed through the Berserkers with pure strength and knocked down the Berserker trying to ambush Stoick. Stoick hesitated briefly but picked up a fallen sword and threw it to Alvin. They apparently decided to cooperate for now. Sigrid stood a step away from the chaos. He couldn't attack humans recklessly.

When the door opened, Fishlegs quickly flew out to sea with the Dragon Root. The dragon threat immediately disappeared, but now humans were the problem.

Sigrid's attention was completely focused on the sound of metal clashing against metal. It was complete chaos, but he had to keep watching. When he saw someone about to swing an axe behind Stoick's back and was about to warn him, he heard something being swung behind him. He instinctively turned, but it was already too late. Someone had struck Sigrid's head with a weapon.

His vision went black instantly, his body betraying him completely. He nearly collapsed face-first from the sudden attack but barely maintained his balance by folding at the waist. Sigrid's instincts roared a fatal warning. He instinctively knew what had happened—someone had struck him down. He had to fight back now or die.

He'd turned to avoid the attack, so he wasn't hit directly, but there was damage. Bright red blood covered Sigrid's right field of vision. Sigrid pressed his right hand to his face to stem the flowing blood, then turned his head to look behind to see who had attacked him. There stood Savage with a hammer, and Dagur behind him.

Sigrid looked at them silently, but Savage's expression was strange. He looked pale as if he'd seen something terrifying and even dropped his hammer. Dagur behind him had the same reaction.

"Mon... monster..."

Savage backed away and ran off. Dagur had the same reaction. But when Sigrid collapsed to the ground, unable to overcome his dizziness, Dagur looked away from him and scanned the battlefield around them. The Berserkers were losing. They needed to retreat now. But Dagur spotted Stoick lying dazed on the ground. He'd fallen victim to the surprise attack from behind that Sigrid had attempted to warn him about—the axe had struck his helmet, leaving him dazed and helpless.

Dagur had to make a choice. Should he take Sigrid now, or take Berk's chief? Taking Berk's chief was more rational, but Dagur wanted to take Sigrid. However, Dagur showed surprising restraint. He had to be patient for now. If he took the chief, Sigrid would obviously follow anyway. Dagur ordered two nearby Berserkers to bring the chief.

Sigrid still hadn't regained consciousness. The flowing blood and the thought of being attacked made his instincts keep trying to emerge. Judging from Savage and Dagur's reactions earlier, some dragon feature had clearly appeared and been discovered somewhere on his face. But he couldn't figure out where.

While Sigrid stared at the ground in confusion, Hiccup ran toward him and knelt beside him. Hiccup seemed to be saying something, but his words were inaudible. However, he could hear Dagur yelling from across the battlefield. When Sigrid raised his head, Stoick stood captive among the Berserkers on a distant cliff.

"Nobody make a move." Dagur pressed his blade to Stoick's throat. A distinctly draconic growl escaped from Sigrid's throat. It was a purely instinctive action. Hearing the sound, Hiccup grabbed Sigrid's shoulder in alarm.

"We'll be leaving now, and if I see one dragon following us, rider or not, you're gonna be looking for a new chief." Dagur made a chilling laugh. "See you later, Sigrid. By the time we meet again, you might need a new chief. Haha!"

Provoked by Dagur, Sigrid bared his fangs in a menacing snarl. He absolutely hated it when someone threatened his people. His protective instincts were kicking in. The sudden injury and the smell of blood were draining his self-control. Hiccup also wanted to chase Dagur, but stopping Sigrid's reaction took priority. There were too many people around.

"Sigrid. Calm down! There are too many people here. You might be discovered!" Sigrid turned to him. The menacing growl faded and his fangs retracted, but his draconic eyes stayed. Blood streamed steadily from the gaping wound, pooling on the ground below. But Sigrid didn't seem to care about that at all.

"Sigrid. Your eyes. They're still..." When Hiccup pointed to his eyes, Sigrid rapidly blinked several times. When they didn't change easily, he tried several more times before finally returning to human eyes. The kids and people were gathering around Sigrid and Hiccup, who were sitting on the ground. He would have been completely discovered if he had been even a little later.

When Sigrid lifted his head, the kids stood frozen before him, with their jaws dropped in shock. With half his face covered in blood, their reaction was completely understandable. Astrid quickly pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and handed it to Sigrid. Sigrid pressed the handkerchief firmly against the torn wound and stood up. Even Alvin looked somewhat surprised at this sight.

After the situation was sorted out, Alvin was temporarily confined in the arena's dragon cage. Surprisingly, he went inside without any resistance. The kids were worried, but when Sigrid repeatedly said he was fine, they returned to their homes. Sigrid declined Gobber's offer to escort him and slowly returned to the healing hut alone. Berk was now without a chief. If this became known, Berk would fall into chaos.

But Sigrid had his own separate problem. Savage and Dagur had discovered his secret. Savage, who'd been closest, had definitely found out. After being attacked and briefly losing control, his eyes had apparently changed. As for Dagur—he'd been much further back than Savage. Hard to say if he'd seen anything. It looked like he had, but the distance was considerable, so maybe not.

Even if they knew, the fact that Sigrid was a dragon wouldn't be easily concluded. No one could have predicted that a dragon would turn out to be a human. However, they'd clearly realized he wasn't completely human. Savage had already called Sigrid a monster. He considered telling Hiccup about this, but he already looked overwhelmed just by his father being taken. Sigrid's heart sank knowing that his true nature had been exposed to exactly the type of humans he'd least wanted to encounter.

Sigrid hoped that at least Dagur hadn't properly seen his eyes.

Chapter Text

A few hours later, when morning had fully arrived, Berk was in chaos. The Berserker tribe's invasion the day before and Chief Stoick's capture had everyone in a panic. Without their chief, Berk was completely defenseless. The villagers had crowded into the Great Hall, shouting for answers about what to do with this situation. Gobber couldn't control the crowd.

Sigrid stood in a corner of the Great Hall. A bandage wrapped around his forehead covered a wound he had received a few hours earlier. The injury was worse than expected and required bandaging. His black robe didn't show bloodstains easily, but traces of blood were visible on his shoulder and sleeves of the tunic underneath.

When Hiccup rushed into the Great Hall, Gobber spotted him and ran over. Sigrid also walked toward Hiccup.

"What is going on?" Hiccup looked confused at the packed Great Hall.

"Everyone wants an explanation, Hiccup. They're all on edge without their chief. You need to go up there instead of me. With your father gone, you're the acting chief now." Gobber's urgent tone made Hiccup even more anxious. He lacked confidence.

"It's alright, Hiccup. I'll be right behind you out there. Don't worry. Just look my way if you need help." Sigrid caught Hiccup's eye and spoke gently. Hiccup noticed the bandage around Sigrid's forehead with concern, but stepped forward to face the crowd.

Hiccup stood on the platform with Sigrid behind him. Usually, when Sigrid stood in this position, Stoick would be in front of him, but now there was only tiny Hiccup. Hiccup looked even smaller than usual standing before so many people. Sigrid folded his hands quietly before him and waited for Hiccup to speak.

"What are we gonna do?"

"Where's Stoick?" People shouted anxiously at Hiccup. Hiccup hesitated briefly but began to answer.

"My father was captured by the Berserker tribe. But don't worry. I'll figure something out." Hiccup spoke with a trembling but clear voice. However, the people didn't seem convinced and kept shouting. When the flustered Hiccup finally turned to Sigrid, Hiccup's eyes screamed for help. Sigrid quietly stepped forward and stood before the crowd. The shouting people fell silent instantly.

"I was in the middle of yesterday's battle and have been by Stoick's side for a very long time, so I know something about a chief's duties. I'm not the chief, but please listen to what I have to say." Sigrid's low, clear voice filled and echoed through the Great Hall. It wasn't even a loud voice, but it was clear enough to instantly capture everyone's attention.

"We are currently without a chief, that's true. However, the Berserker tribe won't attack right away. They obviously want something from us, and they'll wait for our response before making any moves. We don't need to panic at this point." Sigrid paused to observe the people's reactions before continuing.

"For the time being, everyone should go back to their normal routines. Any duties that require the chief's attention will have to wait. If we face combat, You're all seasoned warriors—far more experienced than I am. Gobber has fought beside Stoick countless times and can take charge if necessary. Isn't that right, Gobber?" When Sigrid looked at Gobber, he nodded.

"We have dragons, defenses, and all the preparations we've made so far, so we won't be in danger. That's all I have to say. Are there any questions?" After Sigrid finished speaking, no one was shouting or agitated anymore. Then someone raised their hand.

"Do you have a plan to rescue the captured chief? We're worried because we don't know what demands the Berserkers might make." When this question came up, Hiccup, who had been watching the entire time, stepped forward. Sigrid stepped back, leaving the answer to Hiccup.

"If the conditions are too unreasonable, we plan to take dragons and go to where the Berserker tribe is. So don't worry too much and leave it to me. I can do this." This time, no one shouted at Hiccup's words. As people's anxiety eased, they began leaving the Great Hall one by one. Soon, only the rider kids, Gobber, and Sigrid remained in the Great Hall.

Hiccup took a deep breath as his tension eased. The pressure was overwhelming for him. Astrid approached and patted Hiccup's back comfortingly. Gobber walked over to Sigrid and spoke quietly.

"Have you checked on Alvin? Did he escape?"

"I came straight here when day broke, so I haven't checked. But I don't think he escaped. There was something Alvin wanted."

"Something he wanted? What's that?"

"The Berserker chief. He has a grudge against Dagur. That's why he helped us yesterday as well." When Sigrid spoke, Gobber's concern deepened.

"So Alvin isn't a worry, but Stoick is. We don't know what kind of situation he's in."

"Once the Berserker tribe sends its demands, we'll know what situation he's in. They'll probably ask for something outrageous, so we need to prepare." Sigrid looked at the rider kids gathered together talking among themselves. "I might need to go with them too, so please look after Berk. Is that alright, Gobber?"

"Of course. Just don't be too late. I've been by Stoick's side for a long time too, not as much as you, but I won't mess things up." Gobber thumped his chest with his right hand as if to say 'trust me.' Sigrid smiled slightly at the gesture.

After leaving the Great Hall and briefly looking out at the sea, he saw a small Berserker boat approaching the beach. Sigrid quickly called a dragon and flew down to where the boat was. The Berserker who disembarked was terrified to see Sigrid mounted on a dragon, but hastily delivered a scroll before fleeing like his life was in danger. It was a scroll containing the Berserker tribe's demands.

Sigrid unrolled the scroll and began reading. The scroll said:

'Hand over the Night Fury and Berk's healer by tonight. Otherwise, Chief Stoick will be thrown into the sea. And the Berserker armada will attack Berk and turn it to ashes.'

The scroll was full of nonsense. Sigrid couldn't understand why Dagur was so obsessed with him. He wanted to find out the reason, but couldn't even begin to guess, which only gave him a headache. Sigrid gripped the paper tightly, crumpling it slightly. Hiccup needed to see these demands too, so the paper couldn't be crumpled. Sigrid rolled up the paper again and headed toward Hiccup.

Hiccup was talking with Fishlegs and Astrid. He landed the dragon nearby, gave brief thanks, and sent it away. The kids approached where Sigrid was. Their eyes fixed on the scroll in his hand.

"Is that...?" When Hiccup pointed at the scroll, Sigrid handed it to him.

"That's right. Dagur's demands. The entire scroll was nothing but nonsense, but I thought you should see it."

Hiccup unrolled the scroll and read it; his face darkened with rage as he crumpled the paper and hurled it away. The kids didn't see the contents but could guess what the demands were like from Hiccup's reaction.

"I will never hand Toothless over to Dagur. You either." When Hiccup spoke, the kids looked at Sigrid with some surprise.

"We're really in trouble. The Screaming Death is getting closer to Berk, and your father is captured too..." When Fishlegs spoke anxiously, Hiccup thought for a moment and gave instructions to the kids.

"Okay, listen, you guys get Snotlout and the twins." Then he looked at Astrid. "You tell them to be ready for the Screaming Death."

"What about your father? What are you going to do about that?"

"I'll handle that."

After finishing his words, Hiccup glanced briefly at Sigrid but said nothing more. From Sigrid's experience watching Hiccup so far, Hiccup was clearly planning to go find Dagur alone, leaving Sigrid behind. And he would most likely go to Alvin. When the kids left to find Snotlout and the twins, Hiccup also started heading somewhere. Sigrid briefly called out to stop Hiccup.

"Hiccup, where are you going? You said you'd handle it, but how exactly?" Hiccup hesitated briefly at Sigrid's question.

"I'm going to think about it. I'm not going anywhere yet. I'm just going home." 

But Hiccup was currently heading in the complete opposite direction from his house. Hiccup was still not skilled at lying. Sigrid knew everything but deliberately didn't say anything. He was likely lying because he feared Sigrid would be put in danger if they went together. But Sigrid wasn't about to let Hiccup search for Dagur alone, especially with Alvin involved.

Sigrid carefully followed behind Hiccup. When they separated earlier, he pretended to leave for somewhere else, and Hiccup never suspected a thing. Now, peering carefully into the arena, he watched Hiccup unlock the cage door where Alvin was being held. Hiccup asked Alvin to ride a dragon with him and guide them to Outcast Island. When their conversation was nearly over, Sigrid entered the arena.

"Ah, I knew you'd come. Good to see you, Sigrid." When Alvin spoke, Hiccup turned around in surprise. Hiccup looked dismayed.

"Did you honestly think you could sneak away without me, Hiccup? You have much to learn before you can fool me." Sigrid smiled warmly and came to stand at Hiccup's side. Hiccup looked anywhere but at him.

"But it's dangerous! Dagur wants you too. What if you get captured?" When Hiccup worried, Sigrid gently placed his hand on Hiccup's shoulder.

"I won't be in danger. Don't worry. You'll need my help when we get to that island. Besides, I absolutely won't let you be alone with Alvin." Sigrid glared at Alvin. Alvin shrugged.

"Well... okay. Let's go together. Hold on a second though, Since Alvin and I will be riding Toothless together—"

"No, Alvin will ride with me. I'm a bit worried about letting him ride with you." A wild Nadder that often responded to Sigrid's calls suddenly flew into the arena. Alvin looked quite impressed seeing that dragon.

As Hiccup climbed onto Toothless, Alvin spoke quietly to Sigrid.

"The Berserker chief's brat wants you? You're quite popular." Alvin's voice was full of mischief and mockery.

"Shut up. Just be quiet and climb on." When Sigrid climbed onto the Nadder, Alvin also climbed on behind him. The Nadder grumbled at the sudden increase in weight, but quickly calmed down when Sigrid soothed it.

"Still popular even at this age, completely unchanged from back then. Including that temper." When Alvin tightly grabbed Sigrid's waist, Sigrid frowned and jabbed Alvin hard in the ribs with his elbow.

"The problem is you're still acting like a child at your age. Just shut up." When Hiccup and Toothless flew out of the arena, Sigrid also launched the Nadder. The Nadder passed through the arena door quickly and accurately, flying alongside Toothless.

While flying together to Outcast Island, Alvin lost his balance and staggered whenever the Nadder changed direction, grabbing Sigrid's waist tightly. Each time this happened, Sigrid glared back at Alvin but said nothing. During the quiet flight, Hiccup was the first to speak to Alvin.

"Sigrid told me that you and my father used to be best friends."

"Yeah. That was a long time ago. Now it's hard to even call our relationship a friendship." Alvin looked at Hiccup and thought for a moment. "If he told you that, you probably also know why we're not friends anymore. How much did he tell you?" Alvin looked down at Sigrid.

"Almost everything. Including that you disobeyed orders and quite a few people died and got hurt." Sigrid had told Hiccup this, but now he looked straight ahead without glancing at Alvin.

"That's really almost everything then. So kid, do you have any questions?" When Alvin asked, Hiccup glanced slightly at Sigrid before speaking.

"Sigrid said you and he didn't get along from day one and still don't. But there has to be more to it than that, right?" At this unexpected question, Sigrid looked at Hiccup. Hiccup awkwardly avoided Sigrid's gaze and waited for Alvin's answer.

"Ha! That's an unexpected question. What do you think? Should I tell the truth?" Alvin laughed and poked Sigrid playfully.

"What truth is there to tell? We only lived together on Berk for five years." Sigrid's words were full of discomfort and annoyance.

"Well, if you put it like that." Alvin turned to look at Hiccup. "Actually, it's not really true that we clashed from day one. I was the one who hadn't liked him. This guy probably didn't have any feelings about me at first, did you?"

"I didn't hear about that. Go on." Hiccup answered as if interested.

"Relationships are tricky. Sometimes you can get along fine with people you don't even like. That's exactly what we had. Right?" When Alvin asked Sigrid but got no response, he laughed. "No matter how much we'd argued in the morning, when I returned wounded from dragon attacks or tribal wars, he'd always patch me up. Well, we argued during treatment too."

"That's because you never stopped talking." Sigrid added a comment.

"Our relationship became really terrible when Stoick began listening to him instead of me on important issues. We probably had every possible fight back then, right? And now we're like this. He hates me, and I hate him." 

"But... if you two really hate each other, you're getting along pretty well right now. Like me and Snotlout." The moment Hiccup said this, he saw Sigrid's face twist with absolute disgust. "Uh, never mind. Forget I said anything."

Soon, Outcast Island began to appear before them. Due to the sharply protruding rocks, they could no longer fly low. When they stopped the dragons, Alvin pointed to the bottom of the sea.

"There's a tunnel down there. If you go through it, you'll come out underground on the island."

"Are you sure it's really there? I can't believe it."

"If it's not there, we'll all drown together! Stop being suspicious and just dive!" Despite Sigrid's doubts, when Alvin yelled for them to dive, Sigrid commanded the Nadder to plunge down first. The Nadder immediately leaped into the water, with Toothless and Hiccup following close behind.

As Alvin had said, there was indeed a tunnel between the rock crevices. Going through it, they could really come up above the water surface. A tunnel stretched before them, leading directly to the heart of the island. As Sigrid climbed out the water, shook off the wetness, and calmed the Nadders, Hiccup was talking with Alvin.

"Wait. How do you know Dagur hasn't found this tunnel?"

"Because I got a man on the inside who assures me that it's clean." At Alvin's words, everyone began walking into the tunnel.

And at the end of that tunnel was an unexpected person. Mildew was feeding a chained Whispering Death. When Mildew turned around at the sound of footsteps and met eyes with Sigrid and Hiccup, he was so surprised he dropped his basket.

"Mildew? This traitor is your man on the inside?" Hiccup shouted incredulously. Sigrid had similar thoughts to Hiccup.

"Well, he's always been faithful to me." Alvin defended Mildew, but Hiccup and Sigrid didn't believe it at all.

Looking around, there were Whispering Deaths trapped in prisons and dragon eggs on the floor. The source of those eggs that had been placed underground in Berk appeared to be here. When Sigrid approached closely, a sleeping Whispering Death opened its eyes and came near. This Whispering Deaths had been imprisoned here for ages, laying eggs only to have them repeatedly stolen from her, leaving her heartbroken and despondent. When Sigrid comfortingly placed his hand on the Whispering Death's head, it quietly closed its eyes. This dragon was searching for her missing hatchling.

"Hiccup, I think I know why the Screaming Death keeps destroying the island. This dragon appears to be the mother." When Sigrid told Hiccup, Hiccup pulled a small piece of paper from his pocket and began writing something. Then he picked up a Terrible Terror lying on the floor and tied the letter to its leg.

"What are you doing?"

"Sending a message home." When Alvin asked, Hiccup answered while finishing tying the letter. "Sigrid. Can you tell this dragon to go to Berk?" Hiccup handed the Terrible Terror to Sigrid.

Sigrid took the Terrible Terror and lifted it to his eye level. The Terrible Terror began focusing on Sigrid. This dragon already knew the way to Berk. After Sigrid made a brief request and let go, the Terrible Terror began flying away on its own.

"Impressive. Did you know how to do this too?" Alvin asked with interest. Hiccup and Sigrid had momentarily forgotten that Alvin and Mildew were there and acted too naturally in an unusual way.

"Well, yes. You saw something similar in the cave before, didn't you?" When Sigrid made a slight excuse, Alvin nodded without thinking deeply about it. It was handled well.

"Good. Now I've made a plan, so listen." When Hiccup began speaking, everyone focused. "We release the Whispering Deaths here and have them break through the arena floor to get off the island. Then no matter how many people are in the arena, there won't be a floor to stand on, so it'll be useless. How about it?"

"The plan is good, but is there a guarantee that those dragons will break through exactly the arena floor? Those things break into anywhere."

"Well..." Hiccup glanced at Sigrid and looked at Alvin again. "Toothless can guide them. We can leave that to Toothless. When Sigrid and I go up, you guys immediately release the Whispering Deaths. Got it?"

"What if those things attack me while I'm releasing them?!" Mildew shouted in a frightened voice, but no one answered.

"Then I'm counting on you. You must release them." Hiccup found a tunnel leading out of this underground area and climbed onto Toothless. Before climbing onto the dragon, Sigrid quietly spoke to the Whispering Deaths. Fortunately, the dragons readily agreed to Sigrid's words.

When they went outside, Berserker warriors were wandering everywhere. Since Sigrid couldn't intervene directly, Toothless and Hiccup knocked out most of the surrounding guards. Once all the Berserkers were unconscious, Sigrid and Hiccup carefully entered the arena. The moment they let their guard down in the empty arena, bolas came flying from all directions.

Hiccup deflected the bolas with his shield, and Toothless dodged them while moving too far forward. At that instant, a cage hanging above dropped onto Toothless. He was trapped inside the cage. As soon as Toothless was caged, hidden Berserkers all jumped out. Just the two of them couldn't handle this many people. When a sword was pressed to Sigrid's throat, he had no choice but to raise both hands.

The moment Sigrid surrendered, rough hands seized his wrists and wrenched them behind his back. Hiccup faced the same situation. His shield was taken and he was captured by Berserkers. The trapped Toothless screamed and banged his head against the cage trying to get out, but it was useless. Soon Savage appeared and walked toward them.

"Welcome back to Outcast island, Hiccup." He had more scars and injuries than the last time they saw him. When Savage approached and locked eyes with Sigrid, his face went pale, and he completely ignored him, walking straight past. Following behind Savage, Dagur appeared. He walked confidently, glanced once at the caged Toothless, then stood directly in front of Sigrid.

"Finally we meet! How about it, did you see my armada? Pretty big, right?" Dagur spoke, but Sigrid just looked down at him without saying anything. When Sigrid didn't respond, Dagur's expression twisted and he gestured to the soldiers holding Sigrid.

The soldiers clamped onto Sigrid's shoulders, pressed down brutally, and kicked hard behind his knees. When they forced him to the ground, Sigrid frowned but didn't resist. Now Dagur was looking down at Sigrid, and Sigrid was looking up at Dagur. Hiccup shouted and protested from the side, but it was useless.

"Finally! This is much better! I couldn't stand the way you always looked down on me. How do you feel now? Not so superior anymore, are you?" No matter how much Dagur rambled on in front of him, Sigrid really couldn't understand. He had to ask what he meant.

"I really don't understand why you're doing this. What did I do to you?" The moment Sigrid spoke, Dagur's laughter died completely. Then he just stared down at Sigrid with an unreadable expression for a long time. The silence was quite uncomfortable.

When Dagur's words and laughter abruptly ceased, a crushing silence descended on the arena. Even the Berserker soldiers behind them and Savage held their breath and just watched Dagur. Sigrid also stared into Dagur's eyes for a while, then opened his mouth to try to say something. Suddenly, Dagur's hand shot out and seized Sigrid by the throat. Caught off guard, Sigrid instinctively tried to jerk backward, but the soldiers' grip prevented any movement.

"You don't understand? You don't know? You? How dare you say that?" The hold on Sigrid's throat slowly tightened, restricting his breathing. However, it remained tolerable. When Sigrid attempted to speak, the pressure on his throat prevented any words from coming out. Hiccup was struggling again beside them.

"Let him go, Dagur! What are you doing!" Hiccup shouted, but Dagur didn't even turn to look at him. He was staring only at Sigrid with frightening concentration.

"You always looked down on me while pretending you didn't? You can't get away with that. I remember everything." Dagur's grip was crushing Sigrid's throat. Sigrid was nearing his breaking point too. He struggled desperately to escape, but the hand choking him refused to release its hold.

"You always looked down on me, always made me feel worthless! Well, LOOK AT ME NOW! I'M THE BERSERKER CHIEF! Still think I'm nothing?! STILL THINK I'M PATHETIC?!"

Eventually, Sigrid's vision began to blur. He had no idea where this misunderstanding had started. Sigrid could have shifted his arm or legs to escape this danger, but he had to stay still because of the risk to Hiccup's safety and his true nature being discovered. Sigrid opened his mouth to barely manage one word despite his blocked breathing.

"I... do,n't know... what you're talk,ing about..."

At those words, Dagur's expression turned vicious and he began choking with both hands. Dagur appeared to be shouting something, but it wasn't clearly audible. Now his vision was completely blurred from lack of oxygen and pressure, with the edges turning black. Just before his vision went completely dark, the hands choking his throat suddenly released him. 

As air suddenly crashed into his nearly collapsed lungs, Sigrid erupted into uncontrollable coughing, his body heaving as he clawed for each precious breath. He must have let go just before fainting. Without any strength in his body, he would have collapsed forward if he hadn't been held up.

When his breathing finally stabilized, Sigrid looked ahead. Dagur was acting as if nothing had happened. Then he stood in front of Hiccup, who was completely pinned down and pressed to the ground. Sigrid hadn't even noticed when Hiccup had been subdued like that. Dagur looked down at Hiccup and ordered a soldier.

"Put him with his father. We'll dispose of them later." Then he turned toward Toothless's cage. "Take this dragon and that guy to the ship together. Get them ready." With those words, Dagur briefly left the area. Sigrid felt himself being tied with rope but didn't resist. He didn't even have the strength to do so. 

After being tied with rope, the soldiers no longer held Sigrid down. They just watched from behind. Hiccup was similarly tied and under watch. He wanted to go near Sigrid, but every time he tried to move, soldiers blocked him and he had to stay where he was. After waiting briefly, Stoick and Dagur walked out together. Stoick was tied with rope. His expression was very serious, as if he had heard something from Dagur. His expression grew even more grave when he saw Hiccup tied up and Sigrid sitting on the ground.

Stoick had been placed next to Hiccup. Similarly, he wasn't in a spot where he could comfortably talk to Sigrid. Hiccup and Stoick appeared to be having a whispered discussion. Sigrid sat looking at the ground, lost in thought. By now, the Whispering Deaths that Alvin had released would be digging tunnels under the arena. When he had asked the dragons earlier, he told them to dig as many tunnels as possible before coming up. That way the ground would completely collapse and no one would be able to stand.

But it was taking longer than expected. He thought they would have come up by now, but he still couldn't feel any vibrations. Up ahead, Dagur was pacing restlessly in front of the cage holding Toothless was trapped. Sigrid looked at the ground again and tried to send a silent message to the dragons. While telling them to come up quickly, someone suddenly stood in front of Sigrid. When he tried to lift his head, someone seized his hair and yanked it back, forcing him to look upward.

And this violent action was, of course, Dagur's doing. His earlier frenzy had vanished, and now he was smiling normally again. Sigrid wondered how a person could become this insane.

"You and that dragon are going to Berserker Island together. Your precious Hiccup and the chief will be thrown into the sea. How about that?"

Sigrid didn't answer Dagur's words either. The Whispering Deaths would be coming up here soon anyway. Sigrid's sensitive hearing could detect the underground noise getting closer. But when Sigrid didn't answer, Dagur, thinking he was being ignored, scowled and brought his mouth close to Sigrid's ear to whisper.

"I know your secret. You're cursed, aren't you? You're under some kind of curse. I saw it all before. Only someone cursed could have eyes like that—dragon. Should I tell those two what I know?" 

At Dagur's words, Sigrid frowned. Hiccup would be fine, but Stoick was the problem. This wasn't true, but if he found out, he would certainly ask about it. Having finally gotten the reaction he wanted, Dagur began giggling and laughing again.

"Ah, so this is your weakness. I should thank Savage. I beat him up quite a bit yesterday. You nearly died, right? You can't die yet. Apologize first, then face your punishment." While Dagur was speaking, the ground suddenly began shaking violently. Finally, the moment Sigrid had been waiting for had come.

"Wha... what's going on? What is this?" Dagur panicked and began trying to understand the situation. But suddenly the arena floor cracked down the middle, and two Whispering Deaths exploded up from below. Alvin and Mildew were hanging from the Whispering Deaths' tails.

As soon as Mildew fell from the Whispering Death's tail, he opened Toothless's cage. Toothless shook himself off, growled, and immediately ran to Hiccup. Alvin was untying the ropes binding Stoick and Hiccup. Sigrid also quickly got up and stood properly. From now on, they had to move fast.

Sigrid made a small clicking sound with his tongue to call one of the Whispering Deaths. When Sigrid pointed with his eyes at the rope binding him, the Whispering Death swung its tail and cut the rope. If the two Whispering Deaths had continuously dug through the ground below, the floor would completely collapse soon. They had to escape outside the arena.

At Sigrid's signal, Toothless looked at him briefly, then immediately bounded over to Hiccup and scooped him up onto his back. Then he quickly ran out of the arena. Sigrid followed behind. Stoick and Alvin, who had been fighting Berserker soldiers, also saw Sigrid and Hiccup and chased after them.

But just before getting out of the arena, the ground shook once more and the floor completely collapsed. The Berserker soldiers and Dagur on top began falling underground. Fortunately, they were at the edge of the collapsing ground. Everyone was able to climb up to safe, uncollapsed ground.

The Berserkers were trapped underground and couldn't come up, while they were above. Sigrid silently called the Whispering Deaths who had been attacking the Berserkers to come up. The Whispering Deaths flew near Sigrid. The mother Whispering Death, who had been nesting underground with her eggs, let out a thunderous roar, calling for her hatchling. Then an even bigger vibration than before occurred.

The Screaming Death that Hiccup had said he entrusted to the other kids came up through the bottom of the nearby sea. And in the distance, Fishlegs and Meatlug could be seen holding Dragon Root. They had apparently been using Dragon Root to guide the Screaming Death partway, but it seemed the Screaming Death had rushed ahead first upon hearing its mother's voice. The Whispering Death and Screaming Death peacefully left for elsewhere. The other Whispering Deaths also departed toward wherever they wanted to go. Now it was time for them to escape this island.

Sigrid raised his hand and whistled with his fingers. Then the Nadder he had ridden earlier flew over along with another dragon. They could escape by riding these dragons. Sigrid climbed onto the Nadder and shouted to Stoick.

"Stoick!" The moment he raised his voice, it came out terribly cracked. His throat appeared to be slightly injured from being choked earlier. Stoick's expression became serious again. Sigrid cleared his throat and shouted again. "Ride that dragon. Let's get out quickly." Stoick climbed onto the dragon with an expression that said he had a lot to say.

Just as they were about to leave, Dagur somehow climbed up and appeared with a weapon. He rushed forward recklessly, screaming, but Alvin instantly struck Dagur and dropped him with a single punch. Alvin tied the unconscious Dagur very tightly with nearby rope, then ordered Mildew to put him in prison. When Alvin mounted the dragon behind Sigrid, his face showed unmistakable satisfaction. Dagur's threat was over with this.

Seeing people riding dragons coming this way, Fishlegs dropped the Dragon Root into the sea and began returning the way he came. He looked very curious about what had happened. But no one spoke until everyone returned to Berk. It was too long a story to begin.

When they arrived at Berk, Alvin and Stoick were having a very long conversation separately. It was the first proper conversation they'd had in almost 25 years, so they would have a lot to say. Sigrid sat in the distance behind them, watching their conversation. Then Hiccup and Toothless sat beside Sigrid. Hiccup appeared to have just been freed after being caught by the kids until now. He looked tired from having a very long conversation, but happy that the danger was over.

"It's really over now. Dagur is locked in prison, and the Berserker tribe won't attack anymore either."

"That's right. Now there's nothing to be worried about. I can finally get some rest myself. I'd been continuously commanding dragons to guard the coastline, so I always had a headache." 

Sigrid's voice was still somewhat hoarse. But thanks to his rapid healing ability, it had improved considerably. The bruises on his neck would still take some time to heal.

"You promised you wouldn't overdo it, but you were overdoing it. I can't trust you anymore then." When Hiccup glared at Sigrid slightly, Sigrid just smiled. In the distance, Alvin and Stoick were shaking hands and briefly embracing. The conversation appeared to have gone well.

"It's great that Dad and Alvin made peace. Now the Outcasts won't be a threat to Berk anymore."

"Yes. Now Berk has one more allied tribe. Other tribes won't be able to attack easily either." Sigrid said quietly.

"Now that things have calmed down, you can train me in hand-to-hand combat more regularly, right? We've both been too busy recently to train properly."

"Of course. I'll teach you harder than before, so be prepared." At Sigrid's joking words, Hiccup laughed happily.

"Thank you for helping me this morning. I don't think I'll ever be able to become chief. It's hard enough getting people to listen to me—how could I possibly lead them?" Hiccup said with a slightly sad voice.

"But everyone heard your last words. You'll keep getting better. And when you're old enough to take over as chief, I'll be right behind you. I live for a very, very long time." At Sigrid's gentle words, Hiccup smiled softly.

"You know, I was really freaked out earlier. I thought you were gonna faint completely. You were getting strangled, but that's not an attack? Even though you almost died?" Hiccup asked, peering at Sigrid's neck.

"It was an attack, but there were too many people watching, and you were in danger. So I just stayed still. I don't die that easily..." At Sigrid's response, Hiccup lightly smacked Sigrid's arm.

"That's reckless! You tell me not to do dangerous things, but you do the most dangerous things and get hurt the most." At Hiccup's words, Sigrid could only give an awkward smile, unable to respond.

Looking ahead, Alvin and Stoick were approaching them. It looked like they had something to discuss. Hiccup said he wouldn't interrupt the adults' conversation and flew away on Toothless. When Stoick and Alvin came close, Sigrid also stood up from his seat.

"Are you two finished talking? It took quite a while."

"Well, it ended not badly. At least we didn't fight." Alvin laughed heartily and slapped Stoick's shoulder with his hand. Stoick didn't say anything about that action either.

"The Outcasts and Berk are going to be allies. We won't fight each other anymore like we used to. Pretty good news, right?" Stoick shrugged. Sigrid smiled softly.

"Since I've made peace with Stoick, I think I should do the same with you. We've never gotten along, but let's try to do better from now on. How about it?" Alvin extended his hand to Sigrid. Sigrid smiled and shook hands with him.

"I'll see how you do." At Sigrid's words, Alvin burst out laughing.

"Oh yeah, there's that other kid—the one I brought to Berk. He really likes you, so take care of him. The moment I mentioned your name, he opened the prison door right up. You're quite the hit with the little ones." Alvin left with these joyful final words.

Then Alvin took a boat borrowed from Berk and left for Outcast Island. The number of Outcasts had decreased significantly because of the Berserker tribe, and the island was completely ruined, so there would be much to do. The rest were problems for Alvin to handle on his own.

When only Stoick and he remained, Stoick turned toward Sigrid. He appeared to have some things left to say. Sigrid also looked up at Stoick.

"Is your neck okay? I heard most of it from Hiccup earlier. And that brat Dagur said a few things too." Stoick carefully brushed aside Sigrid's hair to examine his neck. The handprint bruises were still there, looking as bad as ever.

"My neck is fine. It'll heal completely after one night's sleep. But what did he say? You looked upset when you walked over with Dagur earlier." At Sigrid's question, Stoick's expression hardened again.

"Well... all sorts of provocative things. Just childish nonsense that wouldn't be good for you to hear. I'm so glad you weren't seriously hurt. I was quite worried, actually—when they were dragging me away, I was too far away to see everything, but I could see you were bleeding. I was really worried about you."

"Oh, that. I got grazed, so it's fine. It just bled a little." Then a thought crossed Sigrid's mind. He worried that Dagur might have said something about his identity. "Stoick. Did Dagur... say something about me earlier? Like I was hiding something."

At Sigrid's question, Stoick thought briefly but shook his head. "No. That brat did say nonsense about knowing you better than I do. Why, are you hiding something from me?"

"Nothing like that. I just asked because I didn't know what he might have said." Sigrid felt slightly guilty but soon laughed it off. "You worked hard too. You can finally rest a bit. The external threats have finally disappeared."

"That's right. I should sleep early today. I have to announce tomorrow that the Berserker threat is over and we've allied with the Outcasts. I'm going now—you should rest too."

With those words, Stoick headed to his house. Sigrid turned once more to gaze at the boundless horizon. Sunset was approaching, and a light breeze drifted by, carrying a refreshing coolness.

Sigrid took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Everything was finally over. Peace had settled upon them at last.

Chapter Text

I received this really amazing art!!!! The great thing about writing is that everyone imagines Sigrid differently!!

Go to Luna's Tumblr blog for more arts! There are lots of really wonderful things here!

https://www. /luna711m/792269308078243840?source=share

Three months had gone by since they imprisoned Dagur on Outcast Island, and now the Snoggletog Festival was approaching. A year filled with countless events was finally coming to an end. It amazed him how much had happened when less than a year had passed. When he lived alone, it felt like decades passed in the blink of an eye, but time moved differently on Berk.

Sigrid stood outside the healing hut wearing his cloak, gazing out at the night sea. Tomorrow, everyone would be busy preparing for the Snoggletog. Sigrid needed to prepare gifts for the villagers too. He consistently gave the same gift every year: bundles of herbs for treating common injuries and illnesses. For particularly close friends like Stoick, Hiccup, Gobber, and the kids, he prepared different gifts. While watching the quiet night sea, Sigrid spotted a dark shape flying toward him.A Terrible Terror was heading straight for him—the one that delivered Valka's letters.

Sigrid stretched out his hand welcomingly, and the Terrible Terror perched on his arm. He untied the letter from the dragon's leg and went back inside the healing hut. It had been a while since Valka's letters arrived this quickly. After receiving and sending a letter, he expected to wait at least a year or two for the next one. He had never expected a reply to come so soon—within just a few months. He was glad he had asked her to write more often in his reply, and Sigrid smiled softly.

After letting the Terrible Terror rest on his bed, Sigrid pulled up a chair and sat at his workbench. He snapped his fingers to light the candle and began reading the letter.

'Coexisting with dragons? Hard to believe. That Stoick would never come to like dragons. I'm amazed Hiccup has grown so much. He was so small when I last saw him. I'm doing well. I'm very healthy, so don't worry. I recently moved to a different location. It's far north and quite cold. The Alpha's ice makes it even colder. Winter has hit Berk as well, hasn't it? I worry about you because you've never been good with cold weather. I wanted to send this letter sooner, but I didn't have time. Sorry. Take care of yourself.'

As expected, Valka couldn't believe Berk had come to coexist with dragons. Sigrid had expected this reaction. He took some paper from a drawer and considered what to write. Then a thought struck him. Now that all the threats were gone, wouldn't it be safe to leave for a while and visit Valka?

Sigrid and Valka hadn't seen each other for fifteen years. Valka was very far away—even for Sigrid, it would take a full day to reach her. Moreover, Berk had been in constant danger during those years, his relationship with Stoick had deteriorated, and he'd had to care for Hiccup. But now Hiccup was nearly grown (though still young in Sigrid's eyes), his relationship with Stoick was good again, and Berk was safe. This might be his only chance to visit Valka. As soon as he finished thinking, Sigrid began writing.

'Valka, I've been thinking—would it be alright if I came to visit you? We haven't seen each other for fifteen years. Things are quite stable in Berk now. I don't think anything dangerous would happen if I left for a couple of days. You can say no if it's a problem. But I really do want to see you. I want to see my old friend too. Would that be okay? I have so many things I want to talk about when we meet.'

After finishing the letter, he rolled up the paper and sealed it with candle wax. Looking over, the Terrible Terror wasn't sleeping. It sat on the bed, eyes fixed on the letter, even extending its leg as if urging him to tie the message quickly. Sigrid chuckled at the sight.

"Aren't you tired? Why don't you rest a bit and leave tomorrow?" Sigrid gently stroked the Terrible Terror's head. The dragon purred affectionately but didn't appear interested in resting. Instead, it looked eager to depart immediately.

After securely tying the letter to its leg, the Terrible Terror rubbed its head against Sigrid's hand before flying swiftly toward the sea. Though he didn't know how it had been trained, its changed attitude from before made Sigrid laugh. The letter would arrive quickly at this rate. At the Terrible Terror's speed, it would probably reach Valka in two or three days. Sigrid pinched the burning wick with his fingers to extinguish the flame and lay down on his bed. Tomorrow, he needed to focus on bundling herbs and making other gifts.

This Snoggletog held considerable meaning for Sigrid. It was the first time in years he would celebrate while on good terms with Stoick. Last year's Snoggletog had been terrible. They were so awkward with each other that they barely spoke or tried to avoid encountering each other during the celebration. They had had a huge argument the day before Snoggletog began. Despite their argument, they still exchanged gifts. When Sigrid returned to the healing hut after asking Hiccup to deliver his gift to Stoick, he discovered an unexpected present by the fireplace. In hindsight, they had both acted too childishly.

When dawn broke, Sigrid began taking herbs from prepared baskets and tying them with string. These herb bundles would be gifts for each household—one bundle per family. After concentrating on the task for a few hours, he quickly finished tying them all. He placed the completed herb bundles in a separate basket beside his workbench. As Sigrid stretched his stiff shoulders and neck, someone knocked. Opening the door, he found Hiccup holding a basket full of clothes.

"Hiccup, what brings you here? And what's that basket for?" When Sigrid looked at the clothes basket, Hiccup turned his gaze elsewhere.

"Oh, this. Hilde asked me to collect people's clothes. She said she'd wash everything since Snoggletog is almost here."

"Really? Well... it is that time for Hilde, but I do my own laundry, you know." Sigrid asked with a slightly puzzled tone.

Of all the people who handled laundry on Berk, Hilde was especially determined to wash every single garment during this time of year. She would go house to house with baskets, collecting people's clothes, saying she couldn't let anyone celebrate Snoggletog in dirty garments. But she never came to Sigrid's. He always kept himself clean and did his own laundry. Given this fact, it was strange that Hiccup had come.

"I know that, but... Hilde insisted I bring something over." Hiccup looked suspiciously flustered. There seemed to be something more, but Sigrid put one tunic he had set aside for washing into the basket. Hiccup's expression immediately brightened.

"Have you never helped Hilde with her work before? Why are you suddenly helping her?" Sigrid asked with a slight smile. Hiccup was definitely hiding something. He didn't need to find out what, but he wanted to tease Hiccup a little.

"What? Oh, well. It's faster when I ride Toothless. That's why." As expected, Hiccup became more flustered and began making excuses. Sigrid almost burst out laughing but held back.

"I understand. Good luck helping her. Snoggletog is next week, isn't it? You must be excited about it." When Sigrid changed the subject, Hiccup looked up at him with relief.

"Exactly! It's gonna be our first Snoggletog with dragons. I mean, how could I not be excited?" Hiccup smiled as he climbed onto Toothless. "I'll get going then! I still have many houses to visit!"

Sigrid looked up at the sky with a gentle smile. He didn't know what they were planning, but seeing Hiccup's bright smile made him feel it didn't matter. Only recently, after everything had ended, had Hiccup finally begun doing things typical for kids his age. Playing around with friends or flying through the sky with Toothless. Sigrid could now fly with Hiccup more often too.

With about a week left until Snoggletog, he wondered what gifts to give others. He considered dragon-related gifts for the kids, but those weren't really for them, so he needed to think of something else. Every year when Snoggletog came around, this was always the most difficult decision.

As he walked toward the plaza, he could see the massive wooden tower constructed from planks that was built every Snoggletog. It was a tradition that had existed long before Sigrid arrived. They used many green-painted planks and added beautifully painted shields throughout. On clear days, it was quite beautiful. Stoick was directing people in the middle of the plaza.

"Stoick, you've already put up the pillar? I thought we'd have to wait a bit longer."

"We should start preparing soon. In the past, we couldn't set it up early because of dragon attacks—we'd build it only to watch it burn down immediately. But now that we don't have to worry about dragon attacks, we can safely set it up early." Stoick appeared to be in quite good spirits. He looked forward to Snoggletog too.

"That's true. Last time we set it up the day before Snoggletog, and it burned down a few hours later because of a dragon attack. When was that?" Sigrid thought for a moment. He remembered the entire village being depressed together for a while because of that incident.

"Last year, probably. Last year's Snoggletog was quite awful." At Stoick's words, Sigrid smiled awkwardly as the memory suddenly returned.

After their terrible argument, he had gone outside for a walk when suddenly dragon attacks turned the village into a sea of flames. Back then, Sigrid hadn't controlled his emotions well, so he couldn't send away dragons in time. No one was hurt, and unexpected rain clouds with lightning quickly extinguished the fires, but Snoggletog was completely ruined. Stoick was also smiling awkwardly, probably remembering last year's argument.

"Oh, was it really? This year won't have incidents like last year's, so that's a relief. Work hard on the preparations, then." Sigrid left quickly without bringing up last year again. His relationship with Stoick had only recently improved, so past topics always made things uncomfortable.

Four days before Snoggletog arrived, Sigrid had perfectly decided what gifts to give. On his way to the plaza, several wild dragons were gathering and preparing to leave Berk. They planned to head to warmer southern islands to lay eggs and briefly care for their hatchlings before returning. The kids' dragons were no exception, so he needed to tell them in advance. If all the dragons left Berk, the kids would definitely worry.

When Sigrid approached the wild dragons, they welcomed him by lightly stomping their feet. Sigrid hugged the head of a dragon that nuzzled into his chest and whispered softly.

"Have a safe trip. When do you plan to return?" At Sigrid's question, one dragon blinked slowly. It meant they would return soon. When Sigrid gave a small goodbye, the dragons took flight and headed south.

Sigrid headed to the plaza to find Hiccup and saw him with his friends. Hiccup's hands were quite scratched up. Several small bandages were visible.

"Hiccup, I came to find you because I have something to tell you—and it's perfect that you're all here. But what happened to your hands? They're covered in scratches." When Sigrid carefully took Hiccup's hand and lifted it, Hiccup quickly pulled it away.

"Oh, my hands. I just rolled on the ground for a bit. It's nothing!" Hiccup spoke quickly and hid his hands behind his back. "You said you had something to tell us. What is it?"

Sigrid looked at Hiccup silently for a moment, noting his secretive behavior, but didn't press further. At this age, it was natural to have secrets, but it was slightly disappointing that he was hiding things from Sigrid as well.

"The dragons will temporarily leave for the warm southern islands to lay eggs and care for their babies. Your dragons will go too, so I'm telling you now. They'll be back soon, so don't worry." Everyone nodded at Sigrid's words.

Afterward, the kids whispered among themselves and quickly left for somewhere else. They were definitely planning something together. As Sigrid watched them go, he heard the bell announcing Trader Johann's arrival. He had things to buy from Johann, so Sigrid headed to where Johann's ship was docked.

The ship had just arrived, so there weren't many people around yet. Johann was busily laying out items from inside. When Sigrid entered Johann's ship, Johann was startled.

"Ah, Mister Sigrid! What brings you to my humble ship so early? Must be something pressing you need!" Johann greeted Sigrid with exaggerated gestures.

"You're right. These are things only you have. Where do you have the books stored?" At Sigrid's question, Johann pointed to a corner of the ship. The opened wooden crate was packed with books of all sizes.

"Books don't move much. Not many folks can read around here. But I keep some on hand since once in a while someone asks for them. Go ahead and look through them! I've got books from everywhere in there!" Johann finished speaking and turned to another customer. Sigrid sat on a nearby crate and examined what books were available.

Johann's claim about having books from everywhere appeared to be true—there were books in quite diverse languages. Sigrid knew many languages. He used to know more, but unfortunately, he had forgotten some by now. Sigrid roughly looked at what was written on the covers.

Books on myths and legends, botanical guides, animal dictionaries, copies of legal codes. What was a legal code doing here? From the writing, it appeared to be a copy of a Roman legal code from far away. Sigrid laughed in disbelief and put it back in the crate. After examining the crate for a while, he found a book that he wanted. 

A dragon dictionary. It was written in a foreign language, but he could read it. Checking the contents, he found it contained Eastern dragons never seen in these parts. It was probably a book brought by an Eastern merchant that had passed through many other merchants' hands. The text was written in remarkably varied languages.

"Johann, I'll buy this one. What would you like in return?" At Sigrid's call, Johann examined the book and thought for a moment.

"The usual payment. A few bottles of medicine should do. No one could read this, so it was at the very bottom of the crate. Can you read it?"

"Yes, to some extent. I'll get medicine from the healing hut. Anything else you'd recommend?" Johann rummaged through a crate at Sigrid's question and pulled out a small glass bottle filled with unidentifiable green liquid.

"I got this from a northern merchant! He said if you throw this at a dragon, even the largest dragon will faint instantly. How about trying it when you encounter a dangerous dragon?" Johann opened the bottle, and an intense, strong smell wafted out. Sigrid staggered back briefly. From the smell, it contained Dragon Root.

"Oh, that's alright. We won't need Dragon Root on Berk."

"Dragon Root? How did you know just from looking at it?" Johann asked curiously as he closed the bottle and put it back in the crate.

"I can smell it. Anyway, I'll bring the medicine right away. Thanks for the book." Sigrid said goodbye and quickly headed to the healing hut.

The book was a gift for Fishlegs. Despite being written in a foreign language, Sigrid could translate it and write English translations in small letters beneath each line. The book wasn't too thick, so it would probably be finished in about a day. If he gave this book to Fishlegs, the boy would definitely share it with Hiccup. Sigrid smiled softly as he imagined the kids' reactions. He had already chosen gifts for the other kids as well, so he could get them quickly.

The day before Snoggletog arrived. On Berk, gifts were exchanged the night before Snoggletog. Sigrid also went around the village with a basket, giving herb bundles to each household. Soon the basket was empty, and it was time to give personal gifts to the kids. Sigrid refilled the basket with gifts he had prepared in advance.

First, Sigrid knocked on Fishlegs' door. When Fishlegs came out, Sigrid took the book from the basket and handed it to him. Fishlegs looked puzzled at the foreign writing on the book cover.

"What kind of book is this? I have no idea what language this is written in..."

"It's a book about foreign dragons. If you open it, you'll find Eastern dragons inside. None of the dragons from around here are in it, but then again, you'd never see Eastern dragons in this region. I translated the foreign writing and added the meanings underneath." Upon hearing this, Fishlegs eagerly flipped open the book. The sight of unfamiliar dragons and Sigrid's careful translations beneath the dense foreign script made his face instantly brighten with pure delight.

"Thor's hammer! Thank you so much! You translated all of this just for me?"

"Of course. I knew you would love it. I'm so glad you're happy with it." As soon as Sigrid finished speaking, Fishlegs immediately hugged him tightly. Sigrid also smiled and hugged Fishlegs with one arm.

After leaving Fishlegs' house, Sigrid headed to Astrid's house. When he knocked, Astrid came out. Sigrid took a wooden necklace and a dagger from the basket and handed them to her. This dagger had been made with Gobber's help.

"Wow, thank you. But what's this necklace?" Astrid lifted the necklace and examined it closely. The wooden pendant had Stormfly's image precisely carved into it. "This is Stormfly?! Amazing! Did you carve this yourself?" Astrid was absolutely delighted.

"Yes, I carved it myself. I'm glad you like it. That dagger was made by mixing a tiny bit of remaining Gronckle Iron with regular iron. So it's a bit small, but it should be good for self-defense. How is it?"

"How is it? I love it so much! Thank you so much, Sigrid!" Astrid spread her arms and hugged Sigrid. Sigrid hugged her back and patted her gently. Sigrid felt very happy whenever the kids did this.

Next were the twins. Knowing they had grown to dislike sharing things with each other, he deliberately prepared different gifts this time. For Tuffnut, he had handmade Barf and Belch stuffed animals, and for Ruffnut, a new pair of boots. He knew Tuffnut still liked stuffed animals, and Ruffnut had been running around so much recently that her boots were completely worn out.

The twins seemed delighted that their gifts were different from each other. They had always gotten matching presents simply because they were twins, but this time was special. Sigrid was hugged by the twins again and hugged them back equally.

As he approached Snotlout's house, he could hear Snotlout and Spitelout talking. It sounded like Snotlout had received a new axe as a gift from Spitelout. He overheard talk about practicing hard with the axe until it broke and becoming someone the Jorgenson family could be proud of. Shortly after, he saw Snotlout come outside, gripping the axe with both hands and sighing heavily. The axe appeared to be a burden to him. But when he spotted Sigrid nearby, his expression immediately brightened.

"Sigrid! What are you doing here? Were you giving out gifts?"

"Yes, I came to bring you your gift. How lucky to meet you like this." Sigrid took a pouch from the basket and handed it over. Snotlout received it with his free hand.

"What is this? It feels kind of light." Snotlout shook the pouch lightly.

"It's a blend of herbs for reducing tension. You can dry them and steep them into tea. I made this hoping it would help you relax more. I see how hard you work all the time, but rest is important too." At Sigrid's words, Snotlout's expression wavered slightly.

"Thank you so much, but... it might cause problems at home. I'm afraid Dad wouldn't like it..."

"Come to my hut anytime. You don't have to drink it alone, right? You can rest and talk with me for a while. You're always welcome." At Sigrid's words, Snotlout's expression brightened and he nodded several times.

"That's great! My dad actually gave me this earlier and told me to work hard, but... well, you know, it feels a bit overwhelming. I'm really happy you thought to give me something like this. Thanks, Sigrid." Snotlout hugged Sigrid tightly. Sigrid hugged him back.

On his way to Hiccup's house, Sigrid encountered Gobber. Sigrid handed Gobber a pouch full of medicinal salt. Since he always came to the healing hut looking for this, it would be better to give him the whole thing. Gobber thanked him and told him to stop by the forge later. He said to come get something he had prepared.

Sigrid knocked on Hiccup's door, but Stoick answered instead. Hiccup was out. Since he had something for Stoick too, Sigrid went inside briefly. He took a large bottle from his basket and handed it to him.

"This helps with fatigue. You've looked pretty tired recently. Being chief is great, but don't forget about your health. You're 45 already, you know." When Sigrid said this with a warm smile, Stoick couldn't help but smile back.

"Oh, thanks! I've got something for you too. Hang on just a second." Then Stoick brought something huge from somewhere. Looking closely, it was a yak fur cloak, large and thick. "I know you're always cold, so I requested they make this for you. How does it look?"

When Stoick handed the cloak to Sigrid, Sigrid almost dropped it due to the unexpected weight. This wasn't really at the level of a cloak—it was basically a blanket.

"Thank you, but can this actually be worn? It looks like only you could wear it." Sigrid laughed heartily. "But thank you for the gift. I really did need it."

"I'm happy you like it. Actually... last year's Snoggletog was such a disaster, so I was a little worried. You seemed to remember it too. I'm so grateful we're back to being friends." Stoick smiled and firmly grasped Sigrid's shoulder. Sigrid smiled the same way.

"I feel the same way. I wasn't comfortable whenever we argued either." After a brief silence, Sigrid spoke first. "When Hiccup returns, could you tell him to come to the healing hut briefly? I have something for him."

"I will. See you tomorrow. Tomorrow is finally Snoggletog day. We should hold a feast." Ending the conversation, Sigrid went outside. The cloak made his hands heavy, but his heart was light.

Late that night, Hiccup came to Sigrid's healing hut. Hiccup was holding something in his hands. After hesitating briefly, Hiccup handed what he was holding to Sigrid. It was a neatly folded white tunic.

"This... I made it myself. Would you like to take a look?"

Sigrid began unfolding and examining the tunic. The front was like an ordinary tunic, but the back was different. The back part had vertical slits where the shoulder blades would be. Strings were laced in a crisscross pattern, like a tunic collar, connecting the divided sections. At the bottom of the tunic, the connected strings were tied in a bow.

"What is this? You made this entirely by yourself? When did you become so skilled at sewing?" When Sigrid was amazed, Hiccup scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"I've been working on it for a week. You know, every time you fly, your clothes ride up and you get uncomfortable. So I tried designing something. This way, your clothes won't ride up even when you spread your wings. You can tie the bottom strings while your wings are spread, and it shouldn't get in your way. How does it look...?"

As soon as Hiccup finished speaking, Sigrid smiled very brightly. It was an unexpected gift. Sigrid pulled Hiccup into a very tight embrace. Hiccup was startled momentarily but soon smiled and hugged Sigrid back.

"I absolutely love it. So that's why you took my clothes. And your scratched-up hands were from all that sewing, weren't they? You must have put so much effort into this. Excellent work." At Sigrid's words, Hiccup smiled bashfully.

"I'm so glad you like it. I had quite a bit of trouble making this in secret without Dad knowing. It would have been a real problem if Dad had discovered it."

"You worked so hard on this. And you made it beautifully. It's as good as the tailor Kadlin's work, honestly."

"I did get some help from her. But I made most of it myself." 

When Hiccup spoke proudly, Sigrid ruffled his hair. Then he turned and opened a drawer. He took out something hidden deep inside the drawer and handed it to Hiccup. Hiccup was confused for a moment, but soon realized what it was and his eyes widened in surprise.

"It's my scale—probably the largest I can give right now. An Ancient Dragon scent is easily detected by other dragons. When you come across hostile wild dragons, this scale will make them hesitate before attacking. And most dragons might act submissively toward you. It's a gift."

Hiccup lifted the pitch-black, shimmering scale and inspected it carefully. The sleek, firm scale felt unlike those of other dragons.

"Wow, this is really... I really didn't expect this. Thank you so much. Really." Hiccup seemed deeply touched. "I'll turn it into a necklace and wear it always. I'll make absolutely certain it never leaves my body." Despite Hiccup's serious tone, Sigrid found him rather endearing. Sigrid stroked Hiccup's hair.

"Yes, do as you wish. I want you to stay safe. While I can't shield you from human threats, I hope this will at least protect you from dragon attacks." Sigrid gently hugged Hiccup. "When did you grow up so much? You still seem so young to me. Human children grow up in the blink of an eye."

"Baby dragons grow up in only five years too. I'm already fifteen, and I'll be sixteen soon." Hiccup laughed cheerfully. Sigrid felt truly happy in this moment.

And there was one more gift Sigrid hadn't expected. Late at night, Valka's Terrible Terror flew to Sigrid again. The letter contained only a map with Valka's location marked on it. Valka had agreed. After fifteen years, Sigrid would finally be able to see Valka. It was a very good Snoggletog gift.

Chapter Text

Three days after the Snoggletog, Sigrid prepared to depart. He was ready to go when several things came up that he had to handle first. But finally, the right time came. He was packing a simple bag when Hiccup entered. Hiccup looked slightly surprised to see Sigrid packing.

"Where are you going? That bag looks bigger than usual."

"Yeah, I'll be away for a while. About... three days?" As Sigrid spoke, Hiccup's eyes widened.

"Three days? Where are you planning to go that takes three full days? You've never been gone from Berk longer than a day before."

"Well... I can't really explain the details, but it has to do with dragon matters. It's nothing to worry about. I'll return in three days." Sigrid smiled slightly. Since he couldn't tell Hiccup the truth, he had no choice but to give evasive answers.

"Even if I said I wanted to come with you, you wouldn't let me, would you?" Hiccup stepped closer to Sigrid. "Three days, then. What are you going to tell Dad?"

"I was planning to go see Stoick after I finish packing. Want to come with me?"

"No, it's okay. You two should talk alone. When you get back, make sure you tell me what happened." Hiccup hugged Sigrid around the waist before heading outside. Sigrid smiled softly and finished packing his bag. He didn't need much. He could reach that place in a day. After slinging his bag across his shoulder, he went out to find Stoick.

Finding Stoick was easy. At this time, he was always in the Great Hall listening to people's complaints and requests. When he went to the Great Hall, people were lined up. Sigrid didn't want to interrupt his work, so he waited until everyone had left. After waiting for some time, all the waiting people disappeared. When Sigrid entered, he saw Stoick looking very tired as he reviewed documents. Judging by the mountain of papers stacked in front of him, there was a lot of work to do this time as well.

Stoick didn't even notice Sigrid had entered and kept looking at the documents. When Sigrid lightly tapped on the Great Hall's massive stone table, Stoick looked up in surprise.

"Sigrid! Are you here with a request as well? That's unusual." Stoick placed the document he was holding on top of the pile of papers.

"No request here. I just have something to tell you. What's going on with all these papers though? Why are there so many?"

"After the Berserker tribe fell apart and we allied with the Outcasts, we've been getting floods of letters from other tribes. It's going to take me days to work through this mess." Stoick removed his helmet and sighed deeply.

"I wish I could help, but I have some business to take care of too." Sigrid smiled slightly. "I need to leave Berk for about three days. Gothi can handle the healing duties, so I'll leave my work with her. Is that okay?"

Stoick looked quite surprised by Sigrid's words. It was completely unexpected, and Stoick straightened his posture.

"Three whole days? So suddenly? You've never left Berk for more than a day since you arrived here, have you? Is something wrong?"

Sigrid had never left Berk for long since arriving thirty years ago. He always returned within half a day and had never spent the night anywhere other than Berk. Knowing this, Stoick's reaction wasn't surprising. So if he was going to make an excuse, it had to be very convincing.

"Nothing's wrong, really. It's just that there's this herb that only grows in some faraway place, and I want to go get it. I found out about it in a book when I was looking through Johann's ship. I'll ride a dragon, so don't worry." Even after Sigrid's explanation, Stoick still looked worried.

"Even so... I'm still a bit worried about you going alone. How about taking my brother with you? Spitelout, I mean."

"It's okay, I can go alone. Did you forget that I matched you pretty well in our last fight? I'm not that weak." Sigrid smiled while convincing Stoick. "I'll be back in three days. No later than that. You don't need to worry so much."

When Sigrid spoke, Stoick looked at him for a moment, then nodded as if he understood. He still looked worried but appeared convinced by Sigrid's words.

"Alright. Always be careful. There are many pirates out there. Are you sure you'll be okay alone?" Stoick asked once more, showing his concern.

"I'm fine. I'm not a child, Stoick. I can take care of myself. Well then, I'll be going. See you in three days." With a soft smile, Sigrid said his goodbyes and stepped out of the Great Hall. Now it was really time to depart.

While Sigrid was coming down from the Great Hall, he met Gothi. Since he had told her yesterday, he didn't need to ask her again. Gothi looked at Sigrid and smiled gently, then began writing something on the ground with her staff. Sigrid went to Gothi's side to watch what she was writing.

"'I'm glad you're meeting someone you want to see'? Uh... what are you talking about, Gothi? I'm just going to gather herbs." Gothi was spot-on, but Sigrid acted like he had no idea what she was talking about. Then Gothi looked at him meaningfully and erased what she had written. She bowed her head slightly as if to say goodbye and left. Sigrid was flustered but kept walking.

When Sigrid arrived near the healing hut, somehow a wild Nadder was waiting for him. Lately, Sigrid had been riding this Nadder most of the time. He hadn't specifically called this Nadder, but it arrived and waited faster than any other dragon. Sigrid smiled and climbed onto the Nadder's back. At Sigrid's signal, the Nadder flew toward the sea.

When they were far enough away, Sigrid asked to fly above the clouds. Now there was no risk of being caught by anyone. Sigrid took off his robe and put it in his bag. The northern region where Valka was located was so cold that he needed a cloak, but cold only affected his human form. In his half-dragon form, he wasn't vulnerable to the cold.

Today Sigrid wore the tunic Hiccup had made for him. This was the first time spreading his wings while wearing it. Sigrid reached behind his back and grabbed the knot, pulling it. The string quickly loosened, allowing three strips of fabric to flutter freely in the wind. The gaps were perfectly aligned, extending right up to the wing bones. As he slowly spread his wings, they fully extended through the fabric. Sigrid reached behind his back again, grabbed the ends of the fluttering fabric, and tied them together with string. Then it returned to the appearance of an ordinary tunic.

He flapped his wings lightly several times, but the fabric didn't come loose or roll up. It was definitely very comfortable. Sigrid smiled with joy. He should probably alter all his tunics this way. Sigrid took off his boots, put them in his bag, and jumped off the Nadder. Instantly, Sigrid's appearance changed. It was his most comfortable form—half-human, half-dragon, perfectly balanced.

His hands and feet shifted into dragon claws, horns emerged from his head, and a tail unfurled behind him. Being in this familiar form again after so long, the underlying tension and concentration he'd been holding finally released all at once. When Sigrid flapped his wings once powerfully up and down, a very strong wind blew. It was a feeling he'd almost forgotten.

"Thank you, my dear. Go home now. I'll call you again if I need help later." Sigrid lightly hugged the Nadder's head and sent it away. From now on, it was his time alone. Sigrid began flying at great speed.

The further north he went, the sky turned ashen and the wind touching his face began to grow cold. But he didn't feel the cold. Seeing his white breath with every exhale, it would have been very difficult to come this far in human form. While Sigrid was flying, he met a group of Terrible Terrors moving in a flock. When the Terrible Terrors saw Sigrid, they immediately stopped in mid-air. They even moved aside, not wanting to obstruct Sigrid's path.

"Hello, dear. Could you tell me which direction the Alpha's nest is from here? I'm trying to find my way there." When Sigrid spoke to what appeared to be the flock's leader, the Terrible Terror looked ahead. Sigrid appeared to be going the right way. When Sigrid thanked them with a greeting, the leader slowly blinked as if greeting back.

As the place where the Alpha's nest was located drew near, he sensed a familiar presence. The Alpha dragon was very close. It was an old friend Sigrid had met about a hundred years ago. Sigrid smiled and finally descended lower. He would soon be meeting with Valka.

Soon, he saw a mountain covered with huge icebergs. Countless dragons were circling around it. When the dragons sensed Sigrid's presence, they all immediately stopped flying and landed on the ground nearby. When Sigrid landed at the entrance to the nest, the dragons bowed their bodies low in greeting. Having not experienced such respect from dragons in ages, Sigrid gave an awkward smile and returned a small bow.

When Sigrid entered the entrance, a small, one-eyed Razorwhip approached his side as if to guide him. It seemed he could meet the Alpha and Valka by following this dragon. As he went further inside, he saw a huge space. He never imagined there would be such a massive green space inside an iceberg. When Sigrid had last seen this place, it wasn't this huge. The Alpha must have expanded the space over time.

When the Razorwhip growled out loudly, the space filled with dragons' cries immediately became quiet. Soon, the Alpha raised his body from the giant lake below. Then he looked straight at Sigrid. The Alpha was much larger than Sigrid remembered, bearing more scars and showing his age. Sigrid too had changed over the years—his hair had grown long, he had aged, and he had found inner peace. Sigrid and the Alpha just looked at each other for a long time, as if observing each other.

"My dearest. It's been so long. I'm so glad you're still alive." Sigrid reached out his hand, placed it on the Alpha's head, and pressed their foreheads together. The Alpha responded with a low rumble and closed his eyes in the same way.

While they had such a wordless conversation for a while, sounds came from behind. Not the footsteps of dragons, but the sound of a human walking on two feet. Looking back, he saw Valka with a Stormcutter. She had aged more since he last saw her, but appeared more alive than before. The moment Valka spotted Sigrid, her face lit up with a bright smile, she let her staff fall, and rushed toward him.

When Valka ran and hugged Sigrid, he momentarily lost his balance and fell backward. Both were surprised by what happened so suddenly, but soon burst into laughter and hugged each other tightly again. Sigrid was controlling his strength slightly so Valka wouldn't get hurt, but Valka appeared to be hugging with all her might. After hugging like that for a while, Valka finally let go. Valka's face was full of joy.

"Sigrid! I really missed you! Wow, you've changed so much!" Valka looked down at Sigrid's face. Sigrid also smiled and slowly sat up. Valka moved back slightly and sat in front of Sigrid.

"You've changed a lot too, Valka. In a good way." And once again they looked at each other for a while. Around them, dragons including the Alpha were quietly watching this scene.

"I sent you a letter, but you didn't come, so I thought I would have to wait even longer. When did you get here?" Valka asked in an excited voice.

"I just got here. The last time I came, it wasn't nearly this large, so I was quite surprised. I was just talking with my friend." When Sigrid looked gently at the Alpha, the Alpha purred lowly.

"I'm just so happy to see you after all these years. I had so much I wanted to ask you about, but now that we're actually together, I can't think of anything to say."

"Think slowly. I told Stoick I'd return in three days. I can stay here for about a day." At the mention of Stoick's name, Valka's bright expression momentarily dimmed.

"Oh, Stoick. Right. You said things got better between you two? That's wonderful. Come on, let's go somewhere more comfortable where we can really talk." Valka stood up and reached out her hand to Sigrid. Being careful not to hurt Valka with his claws, Sigrid gently reached out and took her hand.

Valka led Sigrid to a small space in a darker area. Judging by the various objects and maps attached to the walls, this appeared to be where Valka stayed. In the center was a small campfire. When Sigrid sat on a log in front of the campfire, Valka also sat opposite him. Valka appeared to have many things she wanted to say and took a moment to think. Sigrid waited without disturbing her thoughts.

His wings relaxed and drooped to the floor as he propped his chin up to gaze peacefully at the small fire. Small dragons were gathering around. They appeared to be coming to see the Ancient Dragon out of curiosity. Meanwhile, one small dragon gathered courage and approached Sigrid, tapping his knee with its front paw. When Sigrid smiled and made room, the dragon immediately sat on Sigrid's lap. While Sigrid smiled and petted the dragon's body, Valka finally finished thinking and began to speak.

"Alright, let me start over, Sigrid. It's so wonderful to see you again. I was just too excited earlier and got carried away."

"It's okay, I liked it very much too. Have you figured out what to say?" Sigrid smiled gently and waited for Valka's words.

"I'm done. Not perfectly yet though." Valka nodded. "First, what I'm most curious about is this. How is Hiccup?"

"I knew you'd ask that. Hiccup is doing very well. You won't believe this—he's friends with a Night Fury named Toothless. Thanks to him, Berk can now live peacefully with dragons. Hard to believe, right?" Valka's expression filled with amazement. Sigrid continued.

"Hiccup discovered the dragons' nest, which ended the attacks on Berk. All his friends have become dragon riders just like him. Even Stoick rode a dragon, though he doesn't ride much anymore since his dragon departed for elsewhere."

"Wait, Stoick on a dragon? How did that happen? I mean, Berk coexisting with dragons was already hard to imagine, but this is just incredible." Valka's eyes grew very wide.

"Stoick has changed a lot too. Actually, he changed this much in just one year... but anyway, he changed for the better." Valka nodded as Sigrid explained. After a moment's hesitation, she continued with her questioning.

"Actually, in the letters you sent me, you wrote about arguing with Stoick quite often after I left. I was really worried about that. What caused you two to fight so much?" Sigrid hesitated at this question. Whether to speak honestly or deflect somewhat.

"Well... it was mostly about Hiccup. I didn't want him growing up with hatred toward dragons. Stoick didn't like my methods. That's why."

"I understand. Your letters rarely mentioned how you were doing. Just stories about Berk, Hiccup, and Stoick. So I was always worried. Things are okay now, right?"

"Of course. Things are very good now. We're close again. You don't need to worry." Sigrid smiled while speaking, and Valka smiled gently too.

"Then... nobody knows you're a dragon yet, right? You haven't been discovered by anyone?"

"Well... the truth is, one person found out what I really am. A dragon."

"What?! Who?!" As soon as Sigrid said this, Valka leaped to her feet. Sigrid burst into laughter and gestured for Valka to calm down.

"Hiccup. He alone knows who I really am. We don't need to worry about him, do we?" Hearing Sigrid speak, Valka's tension eased and she sat down again. "This tunic, you know. Hiccup made it for me. This tunic can be worn properly even when I spread my wings. Want to see?"

Sigrid turned around to show the back of his tunic. When Valka saw the shape of the back panel, she was very surprised.

"Hiccup made this? That's amazing. I guess his sewing skills take after you. Mine are awful." Sigrid couldn't help but laugh at what Valka said.

"I guess so. Your sewing is really the worst." Hearing Sigrid's teasing tone, Valka laughed delightedly. "Stoick still has no idea. I don't want him to find out either. I want him to believe I'm human for the rest of his life."

"But Stoick is accepting of dragons now. Haven't you considered telling him?" Valka asked carefully.

"No. Accepting dragons and discovering that I am one are entirely different matters. I've been lying to him for thirty years about so many things. If he found out I was a dragon... I think our friendship would be over. I just want to keep living this way." Hearing Sigrid speak, Valka nodded quietly, saying nothing.

For a while, they were silent. The dragon sitting on Sigrid's lap had long since fallen asleep. Sigrid unconsciously stroked the dragon slowly while thinking. Then he brought up something he had wanted to say for a long time.

"Valka, have you thought about going back to Berk? Things have changed—dragons aren't hunted there anymore. Stoick never stopped missing you. Whenever he drinks, he always ends up talking about you. Hiccup should have the chance to know his mother, shouldn't he?" Sigrid's gentle question made Valka pause and think. After a long moment, she gave her answer.

"I... I can't decide. Like you, I lied to Stoick for a long time. And Hiccup... he doesn't remember me at all. I'd be a complete stranger to him. I'm doing well here, Sigrid. Plus, with dragon hunters still around, I should stay here to protect this place. My place is here."

"But... don't you want to see Hiccup? Hiccup has become such an impressive young man." Valka hesitated at Sigrid's words, then shook her head.

"It's okay. I don't deserve to see Hiccup. I didn't raise him. You're more of a mother to him, Sigrid. Not me." Sigrid's heart grew heavier as he listened to Valka's words. He wanted Valka to return to Berk and live like in the old days, but Valka didn't seem to have such thoughts. With her mind so firmly made up, Sigrid couldn't push the matter any further.

"Alright. I won't urge you anymore. If that's your will." Sigrid thought for a moment. "But when I go back, could you come with me? Berk has changed quite a lot now. I'd like you to see it."

"I'll think about it. Thanks for the suggestion." Valka smiled softly.

Then for a while they chatted about other things. About forming an alliance with the Outcasts, about the Berserker tribe's problems. Throughout their talk, Sigrid deliberately avoided mentioning his injuries or Dagur's disturbing obsession. He didn't want to add to Valka's concerns. When Sigrid talked about Hiccup's leg injury and Toothless's tail fin, Valka looked quite surprised. She had an expression of not understanding how he could have bonded with an injured Night Fury.

After having chatted for a while, it was already getting dark. After fifteen years apart, they had countless things they wanted to share with each other, but for now, it was time to rest. Sigrid lay down in the space Valka had made ready, curling his body into a comfortable position. He closed his eyes, tucked his tail close, and drew his wings over his face like a blanket. It was a posture similar to how other dragons, especially Toothless, slept. It was a position he hadn't taken in a long time.

Sigrid opened his eyes to the sensation of someone lifting his wing. When he opened his eyes, several baby dragons were trying to get under Sigrid's wing. When they made eye contact with Sigrid, the baby dragons hurriedly tried to run away. When Sigrid saw them slip while moving too hastily, he burst into laughter and sat up.

It was already bright daylight. Valka seemed to have gone out for a short while. Sigrid rose and walked toward the paper-covered wall. Most of the papers were maps with many areas marked on them. As Sigrid was examining the map, Valka returned carrying a basket of fish.

"Morning! I brought breakfast over. I'm terrible at cooking, so I just roast everything whole." Valka put the basket on the floor and walked over to Sigrid's side.

"What's this map? There are quite a lot of marked areas."

"Oh, this? These are dragon hunter bases. The circled ones are still active, and the X-marked ones show those I've destroyed. But even when I eliminate them, new ones keep popping up. It's such a headache." As Valka said, there were as many circle marks as X marks. He was surprised there were so many dragon hunters.

"There are quite a lot. Isn't it dangerous trying to do all this alone?"

"Alone? I have Cloudjumper with me. The other dragons listen to me as well. I've never been captured, so don't worry about me." Valka gently pushed back a dragon that was trying to poke its snout into the fish basket. Behind it, Cloudjumper was wagging his tail at other dragons, telling them not to come closer.

"I see. I'm glad you have the dragons with you. I've always worried about whether you'd be okay on your own. But you've been doing fine. Now I can return with peace of mind."

"Of course. You have nothing to worry about. It'll take a while for the fish to cook, so how about going to see other places? You said it's become much bigger than you remembered." At Valka's suggestion, Sigrid smiled and nodded. He was certainly curious to see more.

The moment he took a step to go outside the small space, Sigrid's horns hit the ceiling above the entrance. He had forgotten how long they were after keeping his horns hidden for so long. The sight made Valka burst out laughing. Sigrid gave an embarrassed smile and ducked his head to get through the doorway.

It was really a magnificent sight to see again. Sigrid spread his wings and flew to the wider space below. When he glided smoothly, dragons flying around began following Sigrid. Upon landing at the great lakeside below, the Alpha lifted his head slightly, appearing to have been waiting for him. Sigrid smiled and sat down. It was time for a conversation with his other old friend.

"My dearest. Do you have something to tell me?" Sigrid quietly looked into the Alpha's eyes. The Alpha's eyes were full of worry. It was probably about the oath binding Sigrid.

"Ah, I'm fine. I broke it a few times recently, but I'm still here, right? That's enough." After Sigrid's casual response, the Alpha narrowed his eyes disapprovingly. His concern was obvious.

"Don't look at me like that. I have something I want to protect too. For that, I don't mind if I become dangerous. Our kind has always been this way. We always die because we care for humans too deeply. I never understood it before, but now I do. I guess I'm getting too old." 

At Sigrid's chuckling response, the Alpha submerged his head slightly, then raised it and splashed water in Sigrid's direction. It meant stop talking nonsense. He was instantly soaked, but Sigrid just kept laughing as if he didn't care.

"I'm doing fine. I'm not lonely anymore, either. I'm really okay, so please don't worry about me."

Long ago, Sigrid had stayed briefly at the Alpha's nest. Those memories were now faint, but he remembered some things. He had helped this dragon when it had just become an Alpha. In those days, Sigrid was constantly depressed and had shared everything with the Alpha. The Alpha knew Sigrid's darkest thoughts too well. That explained his worry. Hearing Sigrid speak, the Alpha gave what looked like a sigh, though that was his only response. He also looked somewhat comforted by how Sigrid appeared.

"You're not young anymore either. What are you thinking about regarding the Alpha position? Do you have any plans?" At Sigrid's words, the Alpha made a low, deep sound.

"You still don't have any. There are so few of your kind left. You must worry about so many things."

In this way, they chatted for a while. Sigrid was the only one talking, yet it was definitely a conversation. Dragon conversations always worked this way—only he spoke—but it didn't bother him. Around them, dragons staying in the nest were densely gathered. The Alpha looked toward the crowd of dragons and let out a quiet rumble to Sigrid. Sigrid instantly grasped what the Alpha was asking of him, but hesitated.

"You want me to do that? Now? Well..." Sigrid tried to refuse with a troubled tone, but the Alpha roared with a louder voice. It was a demand to do it. Reluctantly, Sigrid stood up.

"Isn't this a bit... embarrassing for me? Am I not too old for such things?"

Despite Sigrid's reluctance, the Alpha's purpose was unmistakable. He wanted Sigrid to greet the other dragons. However, it had been ages since he'd performed this ritual, and these greetings were typically reserved for young dragons, so he was extremely reluctant. But the Alpha insisted. Eventually, Sigrid climbed onto a nearby rock. It was extremely embarrassing for him, so he looked at the Alpha once more, but seeing the clear look meaning 'do it,' he finally had no choice.

The Alpha knew why he was asking him to do this. He was the only Ancient Dragon left in this world, and most dragons didn't even know he existed. Receiving a greeting from the one remaining Ancient Dragon was quite a rare thing. But embarrassing was embarrassing.

Sigrid looked up. Not a single dragon was flying, all perched somewhere, looking at Sigrid. He felt the weight of everyone's expectant gaze. After taking a deep breath and exhaling, he let out a loud roar. The low, resonant sound was unmistakably that of an ancient dragon. As the roar faded, every dragon lowered its head in a respectful bow. The peaceful silence shattered as excited dragon voices filled the air. Sigrid climbed down from the rock, his face burning with embarrassment. The Alpha rumbled with amusement at Sigrid's obvious discomfort.

After glaring at the Alpha once and flying back up to the space where Valka was, Valka looked quite surprised. She appeared to have seen that scene too. Sigrid wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear.

"What was that just now? It was absolutely magnificent." Valka offered Sigrid a perfectly grilled fish skewer. Sigrid's ears and neck flushed red.

"It's like... a dragon's greeting. Only young dragons do it, but the Alpha forced me to do it." Valka burst into laughter upon seeing Sigrid's embarrassment.

Time passed quickly, and it was time for Sigrid to leave. Valka accepted Sigrid's suggestion to visit Berk once. The flight with Cloudjumper would take a while, but they could reach Berk at first light. The village lay in peaceful silence.

"Wow, it's been so long. It looks similar to when I left, but also different." Since they might be discovered, they could only watch from a distance, but Valka appeared satisfied with just that. Sigrid pointed in one direction.

"See over there? Those are dragons nesting on Berk. There are more if you go to the forest. Now can you believe Berk coexists with dragons?" Where Sigrid pointed, dragons were huddled together sleeping. Valka's expression brightened further. Seeing Berk's change with her own eyes made it feel real.

"I can believe it. Berk is now really... changed."

"It's different now. This is the Berk you hoped for. Dragons are no longer hunted or killed. If you've realized that, it's enough." Sigrid smiled gently.

"If we say goodbye like this... when will we ever meet again?" Valka looked at Sigrid. He could see longing and slight sadness in her eyes.

"We'll definitely meet again someday. If you ever miss me, just send a letter. I'll come to you." Sigrid approached Valka and hugged her. Valka also hugged Sigrid's neck. "Take care. I hope we'll see each other again soon."

Thus they parted. Sigrid then landed on a cliff on the opposite side of the island to prepare for his return to the village. He tucked his wings and prepared for the shift. With familiar tension, Sigrid shifted back into his full-human form. No longer protected by dragon scales, he shivered in the cool dawn breeze and reached for his robe and boots.

It was time to return to living as a human.

Chapter Text

Sigrid was currently fighting Hiccup with bare hands. In the forest clearing of an island distant from Berk, he parried each of Hiccup's punches and struck back. Three years had passed since the alliance with the Outcasts and Dagur's imprisonment. At eighteen, Hiccup had shed nearly all traces of the frail boy he'd been three years ago. Three years ago, he couldn't even properly block Sigrid's attacks, but now he was blocking and even counterattacking. Sigrid's grin widened as Hiccup's punch barely scraped his jaw, and he struck back instantly. Sharp dragon eyes keenly tracked Hiccup's movements.

After three years of sparring and combat instruction, Hiccup could hold his own in a fight. There was no hesitation in Hiccup's punches, and he fought with instinct rather than thought. It was exactly as Sigrid had taught him. Even though Sigrid had taught combat similar to humans, he was still a dragon, so it was slightly different from ordinary human fighting techniques. Sigrid's heart swelled with pride even as his competitive instincts flared. Almost no one had ever challenged him this effectively.

In one fluid motion, Sigrid circled behind Hiccup, his hand slicing through the air toward the vulnerable spot at the back of his neck. Hiccup ducked under the blow and, without even turning around, drove his fist back toward where he knew Sigrid's solar plexus would be. Sigrid reacted a bit too late. Since he almost got hit, he stepped back two paces to observe Hiccup's reaction. Even after sparring for quite a long time, Hiccup didn't look tired at all. His stamina had definitely improved significantly.

When Hiccup threw his punch, Sigrid didn't dodge this time. As Sigrid blocked the punch with his hand, he felt considerable pressure from the force. He hadn't expected this much power even from a right-handed punch. As Sigrid hesitated in surprise for a moment, Hiccup's leg swept Sigrid's legs. Sigrid fell to the ground. In an instant, Sigrid found himself sitting on the ground, looking up at Hiccup.

"I won! Finally!" Hiccup looked down at Sigrid, breathing heavily and laughing. For the first time, Hiccup had knocked Sigrid down. He hadn't won even once in three years, but today he finally did it.

"That's right, your victory. You actually beat me for the first time. Impressive work, don't you think?" Sigrid burst into laughter and extended his hand to Hiccup. Hiccup firmly grasped the hand and helped Sigrid up. Hiccup's hand was very firm and rough. It had also grown larger than three years ago.

Getting to his feet, Sigrid straightened his clothes and ran a hand through his hair to clear his vision. Three years had allowed his hair to grow from shoulder-blade length to cascade down his back. Since it had been very peaceful for three years, he hadn't felt the need to cut his hair. Sigrid looked up at Hiccup and smiled. It struck Sigrid how much Hiccup had grown. The young man who once reached only his shoulders now stood tall enough that Sigrid had to tilt his head back to meet his eyes. It was still an unfamiliar eye level.

"Now you can graduate from this training. You can fight most enemies with bare hands. That should be enough." At Sigrid's praise, Hiccup smiled and picked up the robe lying on the ground. As Hiccup gently placed the robe around Sigrid's shoulders, Sigrid looked up and thanked Hiccup.

"Graduation? But you've never fought at full strength. I should beat you at full strength to truly graduate." Hiccup smiled as he took out a water bottle from the bag attached to Toothless's saddle. After taking a drink, he tossed the water bottle to Sigrid.

"My full strength? You'd get hurt, and you think I'd do that to you? I can barely control myself in that form. I could break your bones without meaning to." Catching the water bottle in mid-air, Sigrid took a long drink, then wiped the excess water from his lips with the back of his hand. "Isn't beating me in this state satisfying enough?"

"Well, I'm not satisfied yet." Hiccup grinned mischievously. "But you'll continue sparring with me, right? My skills will get rusty if we don't."

"Sure, I'll do it. I have nothing to do these days anyway. I'm getting a bit bored too." Sigrid called softly to Toothless. Toothless sprang up from where he'd been lying and padded over to Sigrid's side. It was time to return to Berk.

Hiccup mounted Toothless's saddle, and Sigrid slid on behind him, wrapping his arms around Hiccup's waist for stability. The cool wind whipped past them as they took flight. Hiccup landed Toothless in front of Sigrid's healing hut. Sigrid dismounted from Toothless and looked up at Hiccup.

"Thanks for the ride. Where will you go now? The usual search for new dragons?"

"Yeah, well... I guess so. I'll have to do it alone though." Hiccup smiled sheepishly. "But um... your eyes are still... the same?"

When Hiccup pointed to Sigrid's eyes, Sigrid was startled and closed his eyes for a long time before opening them again. The narrow dragon pupils widened into human ones. As Sigrid's eyes returned to normal, Hiccup looked at him with worried eyes.

"You know you keep forgetting to shift them back lately? I'm really starting to worry about you."

"I just simply forget. No need to worry. Have a safe trip." When Sigrid answered with a gentle smile, Hiccup hesitated a bit but soon flew away on Toothless. As Hiccup flew far away, Sigrid sighed deeply.

Hiccup was right—lately, Sigrid had been struggling to control his appearance. He couldn't tell whether it was from staying in this form too long or if something was wrong with him personally. So recently, Sigrid had bought a small desk mirror from Johann. He'd realized his eyes kept shifting to dragon eyes without his awareness. The mirror now sat on his healing hut workbench as a constant reminder to check, but rather than reassuring him, it only fed his growing anxiety.

Since it was still midday, it seemed a waste of time and rather boring to stay inside the healing hut. Sigrid decided to go to the Great Hall where Stoick would be. He was surely buried in mountains of papers to process today as well.

On his way to the Great Hall, Sigrid stopped by the armory. Snotlout was now working at the armory. When Sigrid opened the armory door and peeked inside, he could see Snotlout checking weapons. Snotlout looked up at the light, saw Sigrid watching him, and immediately put his sword aside to approach him.

"Sigrid! Good to see you! Do you need something?"

"No, I was just on my way to the Great Hall and thought of you. How's work going?" At Sigrid's gentle voice, Snotlout smiled.

"Of course it's going well. I just finished checking all the weapons. Now I need to go to Gobber and ask him to make what we're short of."

"You're really putting in the effort. Nice to see you being so focused." Snotlout's face turned a bit red at the compliment.

"Thanks. Oh, by the way, my dad wanted me to tell you he wants to see you about something. But between you and me, I'd skip it. Half the stuff that comes out of his mouth isn't worth your time." Snotlout said with a laugh.

Snotlout's personality had changed a lot over the three years. He had become more thoughtful and careful. The biggest change was that he'd stopped trying to win his father's approval. He listened to Sigrid's advice more often and mostly ignored what Spitelout said. Everyone liked this change, but only Spitelout absolutely hated it. Lately, things between Spitelout and Sigrid had become quite uncomfortable. Snotlout understood this tension and tried to avoid situations where they'd meet alone.

"I know, but if he's going on about something, I guess I should see him eventually. Thanks for telling me. I'll go see him later." At Sigrid's words, Snotlout looked a bit worried.

"Are you sure you'll be okay? I'm a bit worried."

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. I've clashed with your uncle plenty of times—your father can't be worse than that." Snotlout understood at once. The whole village had witnessed the intense arguments between Sigrid and Stoick over the years.

After parting with Snotlout, Sigrid headed to the Great Hall. When he walked in, Stoick appeared genuinely burdened by the matters before him. But as soon as Sigrid settled next to him, his face showed unmistakable relief. Stoick showed every one of those three years. He looked more worn, his hair increasingly gray with the burden of leadership. Sigrid, however, looked exactly the same as he had three years ago—though no one would have noticed.

"I came to help out. I have time on my hands anyway." Sigrid took up a quill, dipped it in the inkwell, and drew a document from the seemingly endless stack of papers. Stoick was visibly relieved to have Sigrid's support.

"Perfect timing. I've been battling this paperwork for a week, but it feels never-ending. There were documents I simply couldn't figure out. With your help, I can finish it very quickly."

"Didn't I help you yesterday and the day before? The amount definitely doesn't seem to be decreasing." Sigrid chuckled as he carefully examined the document's contents. As Sigrid focused on the document, Stoick resumed his work as well.

Sigrid rarely needed to consult Stoick about decision-making. The choices he made were almost always aligned with Stoick's own judgment. He only asked about unclear matters and could handle everything else on his own. Sigrid quickly read through the documents. Alliance proposals, inter-tribal war support, new trade routes, dragon problems... The subjects were as diverse as the amount of accumulated documents. Sigrid moved his quill, quickly writing decisions on the documents.

As they worked side by side, reducing the mountain of papers by nearly half, someone crashed through the Great Hall doors. The crash startled Sigrid so badly that he pressed his quill through the paper. Frustrated by the ruined document, he looked up to discover the twins holding up Johann, Hiccup entering behind them.

"Johann! What happened to you?" Stoick was shocked and got up from his seat, approaching Johann. Johann looked very exhausted and tired.

"Ooh... Dagur!" Johann groaned as he barely managed to speak.

"Dagur? Why is that name suddenly coming up?" When Sigrid asked Johann, Johann suddenly opened his eyes wide and began to speak.

"He's out! He's more Berserk than ever!" Johann's voice was filled with complete terror. "He stole my ship and fled Outcast Island! He's probably already gathering his Berserker army again. Three years in prison have twisted his mind completely! He massacred five guards on his way out—he didn't even hesitate!"

"Calm down, Johann. When did he escape?" Stoick's face became serious. If Dagur had escaped, his target would naturally be Berk.

"About two days ago, maybe three. I was peacefully sailing when that maniac suddenly showed up and pushed me right off my own ship! I could have died out there in the middle of nowhere!" Johann trembled all over as if the thought was terrifying.

"I understand, Johann. You should get some rest. Hiccup, help Johann get settled somewhere quiet." After directing Hiccup, Stoick sighed and walked away from the entrance, deeper into the Great Hall. He was probably planning to hold a council. The twins left Johann with Hiccup and departed. Just as Hiccup was about to take Johann away, Johann grabbed Sigrid's arm.

"Mister Sigrid. I have something to tell you. And to Master Hiccup too." At Johann's sudden words, both Hiccup and Sigrid stopped. "Dagur's hunting for both of you. He says you're at the top of his revenge list. He mentioned wanting Master Hiccup's Night Fury as well, but his main target is you, Mister Sigrid."

At Johann's words, Sigrid was flustered. The obsession they believed Dagur had shed was still very much present. It appeared to have developed into something more dangerous than before. Hiccup seemed just as shocked by Johann's words.

"Did you hear anything else from Dagur? About me or Sigrid?" Hiccup asked, but Johann shook his head as if he couldn't remember anything more.

"No. That's all I got. I only heard this much while desperately clutching the rail before falling off the ship. But you two seriously need to watch yourselves. Dagur's madness has escalated to something truly horrifying." Johann finished what he had to say while trembling, then released Sigrid's arm that he had been holding. Hiccup then took Johann to another place.

As Sigrid looked back into the hall, Stoick had already moved all the paperwork out of the way and was setting up for an emergency council. Sigrid could see Stoick gripping the large horn to call for an emergency council. His face was heavy with the weight of this serious problem that had come back to haunt them after three peaceful years.

"I'd like you to attend too. This Berserker tribe problem is pretty tricky to handle. Are you okay with that?"

"Of course. I've hardly ever missed these councils anyway." At Sigrid's casual response, Stoick nodded and stepped outside the Great Hall to blow the horn. A low, loud sound echoed throughout Berk. If they waited a little, people would gather.

With Stoick in the central chair and Sigrid seated to his right, they settled in to wait. It wasn't long before people started streaming in. Village elders and prominent Vikings like Spitelout filed in and took their places. Spitelout, seated to Stoick's left, ended up staring straight at Sigrid. Spitelout's clearly displeased gaze was fixed on Sigrid, but Sigrid naturally ignored it.

Soon, when there were no empty seats left, the person sitting closest to the door closed it. The council had begun.

"I have summoned you all here today because we have received disturbing news—Dagur, the Berserker chief, has broken out of Outcast Island." As Stoick began speaking, everyone was agitated. The atmosphere became chaotic. "As a result, the Berserker threat has reemerged and will surely endanger Berk. I want everyone informed so we can work together on a solution. What do you think we should do?"

As soon as Stoick finished speaking, Spitelout immediately raised his hand. His remarks were invariably hostile and hardly ever useful, so Stoick sighed inwardly but resolved to hear what Spitelout had to say first.

"I say we attack the Berserkers before they attack us. They've been without a chief for three years, right? We wipe out their entire homeland while we have the chance. Then when their chief shows up, there'll be nothing for him to command. Simple enough?" While Spitelout's heated argument gained support from several agreeing Vikings, this approach was deeply flawed. Sigrid calmly raised his hand to address the council.

"Attack innocent people who have no ability or desire to fight? That would be handing Dagur exactly the excuse he needs to assault Berk. And the people still living on Berserker Island aren't even soldiers, are they? They're just peaceful civilians—fishermen and farmers." Spitelout's face darkened at Sigrid's rebuttal.

"Who cares? We attack first or Dagur attacks us. Civilian or not, they belong to the Berserker tribe. We need to eliminate them all so Dagur has nothing left to come back to."

"If we do that, Berk's reputation will be completely ruined. If a real war with the Berserker tribe breaks out, we'll need help from other tribes, but if we're known for slaughtering defenseless civilians, who would support us?" With each of Sigrid's rebuttals, Spitelout's anger visibly mounted until he finally snapped. Spitelout slammed his fist down hard on the stone table.

"You want us to wait for the Berserkers to make the first move? When we know damn well they're coming for us? Just stand around doing nothing!? Why are we taking advice from a healer who doesn't know the first thing about war?!" 

As Spitelout raised his voice, Stoick held up his hand in front of him, signaling for him to calm down. Spitelout's aggressive behavior immediately ceased, but his furious gaze stayed locked on Sigrid.

"It's not about standing around doing nothing. We need to be prepared. Rather than attacking first and providing them with justification for war, we should ensure that Dagur appears as the clear aggressor against Berk. Don't you think this is the wiser path?" As Sigrid strongly argued, other people also nodded. These people didn't want unnecessary wars or fights.

"A preemptive assault is dangerously reckless. We could be sailing straight into an ambush just by getting close to their island." Someone spoke up in agreement with Sigrid's argument. War always becomes a test of endurance, which is why most wise leaders try to avoid it. Just as Spitelout was about to argue, Stoick began speaking.

"Enough, I've heard your opinions clearly. Sigrid's judgment is sound. Attacking first would severely compromise Berk's honor among the tribes. While most already distrust Dagur, we won't give him the moral high ground. We focus on defensive measures. Dismissed." At Stoick's words, the council ended. Most people were convinced and quickly left, but Spitelout and a few followers glared at Sigrid for a while before leaving.

"Thanks. I'm glad you spoke against it too. Spitelout's idea was terrible. What good comes from attacking helpless civilians? It would only bring us shame." Stoick leaned back comfortably in his chair and took off his helmet, setting it down in front of him.

"I don't want pointless battles either. And knowing Dagur, once the fighting begins, we'll lose too many people. I don't want to see that happen." 

Both let out deep sighs. Both Stoick and Sigrid had many worries. Until this morning, they had no worries, but suddenly this situation arose, making it quite difficult. Looking outside the Great Hall door, it had become night. Sigrid stood up to ask Johann again. Stoick also seemed to want to follow Sigrid and got up from his seat.

When Sigrid and Stoick went together to the hut where Johann was recovering, Johann told them that Hiccup and the kids had gone to a graveyard of ships. That place lay outside the Archipelago, and they had all set off together to chase after Dagur, who was heading in that direction. When they learned the kids had sneaked off to such a dangerous place, both Sigrid and Stoick groaned and covered their faces in frustration. The ship graveyard was to the northwest and was quite a dangerous location.

"Johann, when did the kids leave?"

"Around when the sun started to set. They left quite a while ago. Should I have stopped them...?"

"No. It's the kids' fault for leaving without telling anyone..." Sigrid sighed deeply. Since they left then and hadn't returned by now, something had definitely gone wrong.

Leaving the hut, Sigrid decided to wait for Hiccup with Stoick at his house. To avoid missing each other, they decided to wait until the next morning. If Hiccup still wasn't back, they'd go search for him themselves. As Sigrid sat before the fire in Stoick's home, gazing absently into the flames, Stoick appeared beside him with a wooden cup containing some kind of drink. Looking inside, it was full of mead.

"Let's have a drink while we wait. It's still a long way until morning." Stoick smiled as he sat across from Sigrid.

"A drink? You and I both know you'll have more than one, regardless of what you say." Sigrid's grin was playful, but he didn't refuse. They clinked cups softly and enjoyed the mead together. Sigrid's mood improved slightly—it had been a long time since he'd had a drink.

"Thinking about it, I've never seen you get drunk. Do you just hold your liquor well, or don't you drink that much?"

"Well, have a guess. It'd be pretty tough to get me drunk." At Sigrid's lighthearted words, they both started laughing. While laughing, Sigrid released a soft sigh.

"Just because he's grown up a bit, he keeps doing dangerous things. Without a word to anyone."

"When was he not like that? He always did dangerous things."

"He's always been honest with me. Well, there were a couple of times he wasn't... but still."

Sigrid cupped his chin and stared mesmerized at the dancing fire. Watching flames had a way of making his worries fade into the background.

"Hiccup is eighteen. Two more years and he'll be completely grown up. It's time he learned to stand on his own." Stoick said with a smile, but he seemed a bit worried inside too.

"I can't believe Hiccup is eighteen already. It seems like just yesterday he was taking his first steps." Sigrid breathed a heavy sigh and finished off his mead completely. When Stoick silently offered to take the empty cup, Sigrid handed it over. A moment later, it was returned to him, filled to the brim.

"Time just flies, doesn't it? We met when we were fifteen, and now look—we're forty-eight already. We've aged as much as anyone could expect."

"Ah, right. Forty-three..." Sigrid muttered the age he claimed to be, which he had momentarily forgotten. "Thirty-three years with you... Hard to believe."

"You have many unbelievable things. So do I." Sigrid smiled softly at Stoick's words.

"Time is too fast... really way too fast..." 

Sigrid whispered softly. Time passes differently for humans and dragons. Especially in Sigrid's case, it flows very differently. What seemed like just a fleeting moment to Sigrid was, in hindsight, decades—enough time for entire human lives to unfold from birth to death. Remembering this fact again made him suddenly feel depressed.

They continued talking in this way until the morning sun rose. After drinking mead for what felt like hours—enough to drain half of the oak barrel—Hiccup finally appeared in the doorway. Hiccup seemed momentarily caught off guard seeing them there, but quickly held out a cylinder for them to examine. Sigrid felt an odd sense of familiarity looking at it. But before examining what this was, they needed to know in detail what had happened to Hiccup.

Chapter Text

Hiccup was heading to the Ship Graveyard with the gang, following Johann's directions. He felt a bit guilty about going this far without telling Sigrid, but Hiccup was almost an adult now. He thought it would be okay not to mention it. Since they left around evening, it was completely dark by the time they approached the Ship Graveyard. The only light visible was moonlight. Soon, a cluster of shipwrecks came into view.

"This must be a graveyard of ships. Where did all these wrecks come from?" As Hiccup looked around, Astrid pointed somewhere and shouted.

"Some of these ships, I've never seen anything like them before." The weathered sail of the ship Astrid gestured toward displayed a mysterious painted symbol.

"Okay, everybody fan out! If anyone sees any signs of Dagur, sound the signal." At Hiccup's command, everyone scattered in different directions. Because everyone had been tied up with their own business lately, this rare opportunity to come together had them all a little thrilled.

Hiccup recalled Johann's words. Johann had warned them to be careful of The Reaper, the most dangerous ship among the wreckage gathered here. There was a treasure hidden there, but the ship was full of traps. No one had ever come out after entering it. If Dagur had come here, he must have been after that ship's treasure. Hiccup began looking around for The Reaper. The Reaper was in the middle of the shipwrecks. But there were no signs of people there either.

A little later, the gang gathered on one of the shipwrecks, having found nothing. They had flown around on dragons searching, but couldn't see any sign of people. Right as someone suggested exploring inside the vessels instead of just flying overhead, a powerful vibration rattled the area, followed by loud hissing, as if something had rammed into the wreckage. Hiccup quickly looked outside the ship and saw a giant eel there.

"Eels! Everybody get to your dragons before they get spooked and take off!"

Hiccup shouted urgently, but except for Toothless, everyone's dragons flew away. To make matters worse, the eels attacked the shipwreck the gang was standing on. A hole was ripped through its side, sending the ship tilting and sinking stern-first into the water. With the ship tilting at an impossible angle, everyone went sliding helplessly toward the sea. In the dark water, giant eels floated with their massive jaws hanging open.

"Fishlegs! Grab my foot!" Snotlout barely managed to grab the mast and shouted to Fishlegs. Fishlegs grabbed Snotlout's foot, and the other gang members grabbed Fishlegs' foot. Snotlout almost lost his grip on the mast but barely held on. "Hiccup! Do something!"

At Snotlout's shout, Hiccup mounted Toothless and fired blasts at the giant eels. After several attacks, all the eels finally disappeared. Once the eels had left, the gang made their dragon calls, and only then did the dragons that had fled return to save their riders.

"You useless reptile. Abandoning me like that?" At Snotlout's scolding, Hookfang lowered his eyes with obvious guilt.

Hiccup made sure everyone was safely mounted on their dragons, then directed the gang to land on a specific ship. It was The Reaper. Astrid's face darkened slightly when she recognized what vessel this was.

"Hiccup, this ship..."

"I know. It's the ship Johann warned us about. But if Dagur came here, this is the only place he'd go. I have no choice but to go in."

"While you explore this ship, we'll take a closer look around the area. Is that okay?" At Snotlout's suggestion, Hiccup nodded. Astrid glanced at Hiccup with slight worry but soon flew away on Stormfly. Toothless didn't seem to like this ship, but he stayed by Hiccup's side.

"Come on, bud, I'm scared too." Calming the uneasy Toothless, he made his way down the ladder into the vessel. The moment he stepped his left leg on the floor, a bear trap hidden under the ladder clamped down on Hiccup's prosthetic leg. "Wow, that would have been horrible with a real leg. This ship is full of traps."

Hiccup took a lantern hanging on the wall and brought it to Toothless. Toothless clicked his teeth and lit it. As they ventured deeper into the long corridor leading into the ship's interior, an unpleasant smell became stronger. Soon they entered a wide space full of cages, and the unpleasant smell became stronger. Hiccup raised his left hand holding the shield to cover his nose. Looking around, he saw dragon bones inside heavily rusted iron cages. This seemed to be the source of the unpleasant smell.

"Dragon bones. I'm sorry you had to see this, bud." Hiccup looked at Toothless. Toothless clearly didn't like this situation. "Whoever commanded this ship was certainly no friend of dragons."

When Hiccup reached out as far as he could while holding the lantern forward, he could barely make out the door to the captain's quarters ahead. As soon as Hiccup took a step toward the door, the plank beneath his foot triggered, sending arrows flying from the walls. Hiccup protected himself with his shield and ran at full speed toward the door.

"Seriously, how many traps are there on this thing?!" Hiccup caught his breath and looked down at Toothless. Toothless shook himself irritably.

Inside the captain's quarters, a skeleton was holding something cylinder-shaped. He took it from the skeleton's hands and examined it closely. It looked extremely old. It was a cylinder decorated with a carved dragon's head, but centuries had left it partially decayed and weathered. It seemed amazing that it even maintained its shape.

Taking this as the ship's prize, he quickly moved to escape the trap-filled vessel with Toothless. Even while coming out, he triggered traps and had to exit very urgently. Before he could catch his breath on the deck, Hiccup encountered someone unexpected. It was Dagur, standing with two Berserkers. Toothless reflexively tried to fire a blast, but Hiccup had to stop him. Behind Dagur, the gang was trapped in cages. Dagur looked at Hiccup with a mad smile.

"Hiccup! Did you miss me? 'Cause I sure missed you. Every day for three years, I thought about you." Dagur broke into a mad giggle and tacked on another comment, like a lunatic who'd just remembered something amusing. "Oh, and him too. You know who I mean, right?"

Dagur's comment made Hiccup's face darken. He wanted to strike against Dagur immediately. Astrid pressed close to the iron bars and looked at Hiccup.

"Sorry, Hiccup. He got the drop on us while we were searching..."

"Uh, quiet! Can't you see my brother and I are having a moment?" Dagur irritably cut off Astrid's words.

"I'm not your brother and we are definitely not having a moment." Hiccup moved slowly closer to Dagur. Dagur laughed with astonishment as he looked up slightly to meet Hiccup's eyes.

"Oh, well, I was. Look at you, all grown up! Now he's the one looking up at you, isn't he?"

"Dagur, what do you want?" 

Hiccup ignored Dagur's comments completely. Dagur continued bringing up stories about Sigrid to provoke Hiccup. Whether Dagur was attempting to rile him up or was genuinely curious, Hiccup had no intention of sharing anything about Sigrid.

"Hiccup, ignore him. He's completely out of his mind." When Snotlout shouted from inside the cage, one of the Berserkers standing next to the cage threatened him with a spear to be quiet. Snotlout immediately quieted down but still glared at Dagur.

"You're still hanging around with these guys? They haven't changed at all. Have they? Well, anyway." Dagur glanced at the gang trapped in the cage and turned back to Hiccup. "That thing in your hand. Give it to me. Come on, hand it over like a good boy."

Dagur held out his right hand to Hiccup and shook it as if asking for it. Hiccup hesitated but handed the cylinder to Dagur. Dagur didn't seem to know what the thing was, but he was overjoyed to have it as his prize.

"Ah, it's nice that you listen so well. You really are my brother." When Dagur patted Hiccup's shoulder, Toothless growled. Hiccup tried to calm Toothless, but he wouldn't calm down easily.

"Oh my, your pet doesn't listen to you. You'll have to train him better." Dagur looked down at Toothless and giggled. "Now, if you'll excuse me. I've got people to see, an army to build, revenge to plot. Ooh, so much to do and so little time!"

"If you're going, just go. Cut the garbage."  Hiccup's cold hostility seemed to delight Dagur, who erupted in laughter.

"Hiccup! You've really changed completely! Alright, I'm leaving now. Oh, and give him my regards—tell him I'll be coming for him soon. You know exactly who I mean, don't you?" Dagur threw the cylinder in the air and caught it again, whispering quietly to Hiccup. "Make sure he understands that in three years, there hasn't been a moment I haven't thought about him. He must be dying to see me too, right?"

Dagur's last comment pushed Hiccup over the edge, and he lunged forward to strike, but he knew that fighting Dagur now would endanger the gang trapped in the cage. He exercised maximum patience and refused to take the bait. Dagur looked at Hiccup and let out a mad laugh loudly before boarding his ship and leaving.

As soon as Dagur boarded his ship, Hiccup rode Toothless and began attacking Dagur's ship. But the catapult blast Dagur fired had punctured The Reaper, and it began sinking. Hiccup had no choice but to give up chasing Dagur and rescue the gang instead.

The giant eels returned, and when the gang's dragons wouldn't come despite being called, Hiccup had to use Toothless's blasts to drive them off again. Having made sure everyone was safely on their dragons, Hiccup raced after Dagur's ship once more. Fortunately, the fog was preventing Dagur from making a quick escape. Taking advantage of this, Hiccup rode Toothless and quickly stole the cylinder from Dagur's hands. He could hear Dagur screaming, but Hiccup didn't look back.

On the way back to Berk, Hiccup discussed with the gang what they should call this mysterious cylinder. Looking at the dragon head carved on the cylinder, only the dragon's eyes were made of red glowing gems. Hiccup decided to call this cylinder the Dragon Eye.

When they arrived at Berk, the sun was already rising. Sigrid was probably very worried. He landed in front of Sigrid's healing hut, but the healing hut was empty. He was momentarily confused, but remembered that when Sigrid wasn't here, he was usually at his house, so he flew to his home again.

He opened the door and stepped inside, where Sigrid and Stoick sat talking. He was somewhat puzzled to see them talking beside a large oak barrel of mead, but neither of them seemed drunk. The moment Sigrid spotted Hiccup, his expression immediately turned stern. Hiccup prepared himself to hear Sigrid's scolding.

Sigrid looked at Hiccup and tapped the seat next to him with his palm. Seeing this, Hiccup quietly sat in the seat next to Sigrid. His guilty expression showed he was well aware of his wrongdoing.

"You went to a very dangerous place without telling me, Hiccup." At Sigrid's low voice, Hiccup nodded stiffly. "You left yesterday and you're back today, which means trouble. Tell me exactly what happened, and don't hide a single detail."

In response to Sigrid's words, Hiccup nervously stammered out everything that had happened. When he mentioned entering the ship Johann had warned them against and even encountering Dagur, both Sigrid's and Stoick's faces darkened with worry. Hiccup glanced nervously at Sigrid and handed him something he'd been holding.

"Um... we're calling it the Dragon Eye. I discovered this thing. Do you have any idea what it might be...?"

He was clearly trying to change the subject because he didn't want to face Sigrid's scolding. Sigrid accepted the Dragon Eye but was still looking at Hiccup. Hiccup glanced around nervously and sent Stoick a look asking for help. But Stoick couldn't help Hiccup.

"Hiccup, you may be eighteen, but you're still not a grown man. What were you thinking going to such a dangerous place with your friends? You might not have made it back." Hearing Sigrid's words, Hiccup's eyes showed clear remorse. "You didn't just put yourself in danger—you endangered your friends as well. Please give us advance notice next time. We were both surprised when we found you weren't here."

"Yes... I'll make sure to tell you next time. I was wrong." Seeing Hiccup's genuinely sorry expression, Sigrid let out a quiet sigh. That was enough scolding, so now it was time to examine the Dragon Eye Hiccup had given him.

When Sigrid sighed and looked down at the Dragon Eye in his hand, Hiccup's face noticeably brightened. Sigrid regarded Hiccup thoughtfully, still questioning whether his remorse was genuine, but didn't say more. Sigrid held the Dragon Eye up to eye level and examined it closely. It was too dark in the house to see well. Sigrid said he needed to see it in a brighter place and went outside. Stoick didn't seem particularly interested, so he stayed inside. Sigrid and Hiccup stood in the place with the best sunlight and observed the Dragon Eye.

"Do you know what this is? I couldn't figure anything out." Hiccup looked at Sigrid's face.

"Hmm... It seems familiar... but I can't remember where I've seen it or what it was for."

Sigrid frowned slightly and turned the side of the Dragon Eye a bit. Suddenly a panel opened and launched a dart straight at Sigrid's face. With quick reflexes, Sigrid jerked his head aside, causing the dart to miss and pierce the wall behind them.

"Woah! What was that?"

"Looks like some kind of trap? I think there might have been another mechanism here..." When Sigrid rotated the tip slightly, green gas spewed out this time. Fortunately, Sigrid had turned the gas outlet in the opposite direction from them, so the gas quickly dispersed in the wind and vanished.

"You really don't remember what this is? I mean, looking at how well you know these mechanisms... haven't you had one of these before?" Hiccup looked at him expectantly. But Sigrid really couldn't remember anything.

"Well... I honestly can't remember anything. But look at this hole here. It probably needs some kind of key." Sigrid pointed to a groove that was carved into three sections. It definitely looked like a keyhole.

"That's right. But when I found this, there was no key around it. Is it hidden somewhere?"

While Hiccup was lost in thought, Sigrid discovered a single letter carved small under the keyhole. It was a very old language. A dead language that no one used anymore, but Sigrid could read it. Looking closely, it said Snow Wraith. This key was either a Snow Wraith's tooth or claw. The hole was too small for a claw, so it must be a tooth.

"Hiccup, I think the key might be a Snow Wraith's tooth. Look, it says 'Snow Wraith' right here underneath." Hiccup looked where Sigrid pointed, but since it was written in a language he couldn't read, he tilted his head.

"Can't read it from here, but I believe you. Snow Wraiths live in freezing cold areas, right? They're in the Book of Dragons, but that's about all the information we have on them." Hiccup thought for a moment and carefully asked Sigrid. "Would you... would you come with me to the northern snow mountains? I know you're weak to cold, but... since it's a wild dragon with almost no information, I'm not sure I can do this alone."

At Hiccup's careful request, Sigrid thought for a moment and nodded. The snow mountains in the far north were certainly extremely cold, and Sigrid wouldn't be able to endure for long. But no humans lived in those cold mountains, which meant there was no need to maintain human form. As soon as they arrived at the mountains, he could shift halfway to dragon form and be fine.

Sigrid had barely finished agreeing when Hiccup eagerly proposed they head out right away. He probably hadn't slept last night, but he didn't look tired at all. Sigrid glanced down at his robes—not exactly cold-weather gear compared to his cloak—but it probably wouldn't matter anyway. He mounted Toothless behind Hiccup. Hiccup headed toward their destination without hesitation.

Halfway north, the weather became unbearably cold. Sigrid coughed and asked Hiccup to stop for a moment. When Toothless stopped in mid-air, Sigrid quickly shifted. Large wings appeared through the gaps in his tunic, and his hands also left human form. Even without a full shift, this partial shift was manageable. Hiccup waited for Sigrid to finish preparing before flying the rest of the way to the snow mountains.

When they arrived at the snow mountains, fierce snow winds struck them. If Sigrid had come here in human form, he would have fainted or collapsed within minutes. They looked around for a Snow Wraith but couldn't see anything.

"Sigrid! Do you see anything! I can't see anything!" Hiccup shouted loudly because of the noisy blizzard.

"No! I'll try calling for it! It might not be on this mountain!" 

Sigrid concentrated for a moment, then called to all dragons in the area. A moment passed before a single dragon responded. From under a mound of snow beyond them, a Snow Wraith slowly revealed itself. Despite its enormous size, it remained perfectly calm.

"Hiccup, don't make any sudden moves and stay perfectly still. We've entered this one's territory." At Sigrid's words, Hiccup calmed Toothless and quietly watched the situation. Sigrid lightly greeted the Snow Wraith that approached. The Snow Wraith bowed its head to accept the greeting.

"My dear. I'm truly sorry for barging into your territory like this. Would you be willing to hear me out for a moment?"

In response to Sigrid's gentle tone, the Snow Wraith blinked slowly. Soon the Snow Wraith roared once loudly. The fierce blizzard that had been raging became calm. This blizzard seemed to have been created by the Snow Wraith to protect its territory. In the suddenly quiet snowfield, Sigrid no longer needed to raise his voice.

"I'm in need of a tooth from you—nothing big, just a small one would do. Perhaps you have some that are naturally loose or have shed recently? I'd be deeply thankful if you could help me."

Understanding Sigrid's request, the Snow Wraith willingly opened its great mouth. Among the giant teeth, at the very back, were three small canines that looked similar to the Dragon Eye's keyhole. Sigrid bent down and put his upper body into the Snow Wraith's mouth. Then he reached out and lightly touched those teeth. Perhaps they were teeth about to fall out anyway, because they came out easily with just a light touch. Sigrid held those teeth in his hand and emerged from the mouth.

"Thank you. You've been a great help." As Sigrid tenderly stroked its head, the Snow Wraith made a small sound—somewhere between a sigh and a whimper. "I may come back to visit you again someday. Could you remember this human here? He would never harm you."

When Sigrid pointed to Hiccup and Toothless, the Snow Wraith put its snout close to Hiccup's body and sniffed. Soon it did the same to Toothless and stepped back. The Snow Wraith politely greeted Sigrid before flying into the sky and disappearing beyond the snow mountains.

"Got them. Can we go back now? This form doesn't make me completely immune to the cold, and I'm starting to freeze." Sigrid's words seemed to wake Hiccup from his thoughts—he nodded earnestly and mounted Toothless. Since he had to ride on Toothless when returning to Berk anyway, Sigrid also climbed on behind Hiccup.

After arriving back at Berk, Sigrid and Hiccup eagerly inserted the Snow Wraith's tooth into the Dragon Eye. But there was no change. Sigrid couldn't figure out what came next either.

"I'm sorry, Hiccup, but I have no idea what comes next. I've tried everything I can, but there's no change. Something else seems to be needed." When Sigrid handed back the Dragon Eye, Hiccup seemed disappointed.

"It's okay. I'll take it home and examine it more carefully. Thank you for today!" Hiccup took the Dragon Eye and flew home with Toothless.

Sigrid sat on the chair in the healing hut for a moment. He was sure he'd seen it somewhere before, but couldn't remember where. Only the thought that it was something he'd seen long ago remained to torment Sigrid. But he had no memory of the most important thing—how to use it.

While Sigrid was lost in thoughts of the past, someone suddenly opened the healing hut door forcefully. Startled, he looked at the door to see Hiccup with an excited face, holding the Dragon Eye. A faint purple light was glowing from the Dragon Eye.

"I found out how to use it! It's dragon breath light! When I passed the light from Toothless's mouth through it, maps appeared!" Hiccup pointed the glowing part of the Dragon Eye toward the darkest wall in the healing hut. Maps suddenly appeared on the wall. When Sigrid looked at Hiccup in surprise, Hiccup grinned.

"Sigrid, this changes... everything."

Chapter Text

Sigrid and Hiccup were now in Hiccup's room with the kids. They had moved here to look at the map revealed by the Dragon Eye together. Sigrid's healing hut was too small for seven people, so they had to relocate. When Toothless lights up the Dragon Eye with a plasma ray, the previously faded map glowed more clearly. All the kids were amazed by the sight.

"Amazing! Definitely worth getting up for." Fishlegs pressed his palm against what looked like a sketched dragon and leaned in for a closer look. "They're parts of maps and symbols. Nothing I've seen before and there is writing but it is in a language I've never read before."

"He can read that language for you. Please, could you help us?" When Hiccup looked at Sigrid, Sigrid moved closer to the wall. The letters were so small that Sigrid had to squint and strain to read them.

"Nothing important. Just tribal names and whoever wrote this, I think. The important part is written in a language you can read." Everyone felt slightly disappointed by Sigrid's words but soon turned their attention to other parts.

They were all fascinated to see tribal crests and the locations of dragons beyond the boundaries of the archipelago. Once they had read all the text on the map, a thoughtful silence settled over the group.

"So what's our next move?" Astrid asked. Hiccup held the Dragon Eye and pondered briefly.

"We have to tell them this. We need to convince them. You'll come with me, won't you?" Sigrid gave Hiccup a reassuring smile and nod.

When Hiccup and Sigrid went to the Great Hall, there were already several people there, including Stoick, Spitelout, and Gobber. They appeared to be discussing Berk's defense system, as a map of Berk was spread out in their center. Hiccup placed the Dragon Eye at the end of the table and stepped forward. Toothless fired a plasma blast, and the map once again illuminated the walls of the Great Hall.

"There's something I'd like to tell everyone. Could you take a look at this?" Hiccup pointed to the map. Sigrid watched Hiccup from beside Toothless.

"Look at this. There are maps we have never seen, writing we can't read, dragons that we don't recognize. It's incredible." Hiccup's voice grew louder. "This Dragon Eye, this is proof that there is a whole other world down there, a world that must be explored."

Hiccup finished speaking, but no one responded. The news was sudden, and they seemed to be taking in what they'd heard. Then Spitelout broke the silence.

"We've been at peace for three years, best years on Berk I can remember. I think you know as well as I do, when you go looking for trouble, you usually find it." Spitelout was firmly against venturing into unknown lands. Several others voiced their support for his cautious approach.

"I'm with Spitelout, if that Dragon Eye leads to unknown places and new wild dragons then no good will come from any of that." Someone who shared Spitelout's opinion supported his words. Hiccup looked confused.

"I completely disagree. Look around you. How-how can you say that no good can come from discovering new species of dragons. Now if they're out there, we have to find them."

"If there is anything you and the other riders should be doing is hunting down Dagur and putting him back in jail, where he belongs." Spitelout's voice was mocking—a tone that made it clear he thought Hiccup's argument was utter nonsense.

"Another reason to go. Dagur was heading beyond our borders. He thinks we won't go past them. But that's where we'll find him."

"Dagur will come here anyway, won't he? Stop these strange ideas and stick to the old ways. Time to quit this childish dragon talk, don't you think?" Spitelout's words made Hiccup frown. Sigrid's expression darkened as well. As Sigrid was about to confront Spitelout, Stoick cut in.

"You're right, Spitelout, you're absolutely right. These have been some of our best years. Nothing is more important than peace, peace among us, peace with our neighbors."

Hiccup's shoulders sagged as Stoick began, already expecting his father's dismissal. Sigrid caught his attention with a gesture, silently signaling him to wait. Hiccup held back and let Stoick continue.

"And peace with our dragons. Having said that, let me ask you this Spitelout. When you and I first had Alvin in our sights and everyone was trying to tell us to leave well enough alone, what did we do?"

"We chased him all the way. You said that's what you wanted." Sigrid's soft words answered Stoick's question. Stoick's brief nod said 'thank you' without words.

"Thank you, Sigrid. And when Valka was taken, and I went in search for her, could anyone have stopped me?"

Actually, it was Sigrid who had stopped Stoick. Stoick's obsessive search for Valka was consuming him—he wouldn't rest, wouldn't quit. Sigrid had to pull him away and convinced him it was time to stop. Gobber and Sigrid exchanged a brief glance—both understanding the unspoken truth. Sigrid's quiet smile said everything without words.

"Think of the most important thing in the world to each of you. Ask your selves honestly, how far would you be willing to go to get it, what would you risk." Stoick's eyes moved from Spitelout to his son, his hand coming to rest protectively on Hiccup's shoulder. "The boy's life has been dragons. His life is dragons. And will continue to be. We can't stop him from going if we wanted to." Stoick was prepared to stand behind Hiccup. The moment Hiccup grasped this, his whole face brightened with relief.

Stoick placed his strong hands on either side of Hiccup's shoulders, his eyes soft with paternal warmth as he looked down at him. "Go lad, find whatever it is out there that's pulling on you. And when you find it, Berk will be right here waiting for you."

As soon as Stoick gave his approval, Hiccup broke into a wide smile. He snatched the Dragon Eye and bolted for the door. At Hiccup's whistle, Toothless bounded after him, but Stoick's voice stopped the dragon.

"You take care of my boy, dragon." After a slow, understanding blink at Stoick's words, Toothless dashed outside. Sigrid was right behind him.

Just as Toothless was about to leave the Great Hall, Sigrid's soft voice stopped him. The dragon froze mid-stride, one paw raised, and turned his head at Sigrid questioningly. This spot was hidden behind a wall, where people couldn't see Sigrid and Toothless. As Sigrid crouched down to meet Toothless at eye level, the dragon drew close with trust. Sigrid's right hand cradled Toothless's chin while his left hand tenderly stroked the sleek head. Sigrid looked into Toothless's large green eyes.

"Toothless, I think Hiccup will be spending a lot of time away from me from now on. There's something I need you to do for me." Sigrid's voice was barely above a whisper. Toothless tilted his head and pricked his ears, straining to catch every soft word.

"Whatever comes, promise me you'll keep Hiccup safe? If someone attacks him, don't let them succeed. Hiccup's become so much stronger, but I can't help worrying about him. I know you'll be there for him." Whispering softly, Sigrid brought his forehead to rest against the dragon's, sharing a moment of deep connection. "If Hiccup is keeping something dangerous from me, send a dragon to find me. I'll know what it means."

Toothless made a low rumbling sound in his throat with his eyes closed, as if he understood. Sigrid's hands fell away from Toothless's head in a gesture that clearly meant 'go to him now.' The Night Fury's tail swished with delight as he sprinted outside after his rider.

Sigrid's gaze lingered on the bright doorway before he slowly returned to the Great Hall. The council meeting had paused, and Stoick sat alone in thoughtful silence. Sigrid sat down beside Stoick and studied his face. Stoick looked troubled. Though he had given Hiccup permission to leave, his concern was unmistakable.

"I'll be honest—I'm quite surprised. I didn't expect you to agree to this." Stoick responded to Sigrid's words with a weary sigh, his eyes finding Sigrid's.

"Of course I considered denying him. But you know our boy—stubborn as they come. He'd have slipped away regardless of what I said. Better to send him with my blessing than have him sneak off."

"That's our Hiccup. But are you really alright with this? He'll come back to Berk, but he'll be spending more time away than here."

"I believe my boy will find his way. I worry, yes, but all I can do is trust him." Stoick's expression softened as he smiled at Sigrid. "But you—I suspect you worry about him as much as any parent would."

The look that crossed Sigrid's face told Stoick he'd hit the nail on the head. Stoick laughed as if he knew it. Sigrid's concern for Hiccup ran incredibly deep. Every instinct told him to follow, but he held himself back to give Hiccup space to grow. After all, he couldn't protect Hiccup forever. For Hiccup's safety, he had spent nearly three years teaching him combat skills. But deep down, Sigrid still felt uneasy.

"You're right. I'm very worried about him. He's never left Berk before. If anything happens, I won't know fast enough..." Sigrid sighed deeply. "I hope he's careful. I can barely remember what's out there beyond our islands. I just hope he doesn't do anything reckless."

Hearing the worry in Sigrid's voice, Stoick gently patted his back. It was meant to comfort him, but Sigrid's anxiety wasn't the kind that would fade with a simple gesture.

"Try not to worry for now. A letter arrived from Alvin. He wants you to come to Outcast Island."

At the rather unexpected news, Sigrid looked up at Stoick in surprise. Stoick rifled through the pile of papers, extracted one, and passed it to Sigrid. The letter was penned in remarkably refined script. Alvin had clearly gotten someone literate to pen this for him. The content explained that Outcast Island also needed a healer and someone to teach the basics of medicine. Based on what the letter said, there was no particular reason to refuse.

"It's a simple request. Outcast Island seems to have gotten quite organized over these past three years. I'll go visit them tomorrow." Setting the letter aside on the table, Sigrid reflected on recent history. Alvin had become quite a regular visitor to Berk over the past three years. Each time he came, he would exchange or trade for supplies needed to rebuild Outcast Island.

"Are you alright going by yourself? Should I come along?"

"I can go by myself. We're allied with them now. If they're writing letters like this, it's safe enough. I'll go in the morning and come back that evening."

With this unexpected addition to his schedule, Sigrid mentally organized his plans for tomorrow. He would need to depart for Outcast Island first thing in the morning.

Hiccup was in a very serious situation. Once Stoick gave his approval, Hiccup immediately set off with Toothless toward the location revealed by the Dragon Eye. Somehow, the gang managed to follow and they all ended up traveling together. He had originally intended to go solo, but somehow they found out and followed him. Since Hiccup figured traveling together would be both safer and more fun than going alone, they all set off beyond the archipelago as a group.

After several grueling hours of flight through fierce storms and past the archipelago's edge, they noticed their dragons were showing signs of fatigue. Seeing how weary their dragons had become, the group chose to land on a small island for a much-needed rest. After sleeping there overnight and waking up, the riders' dragons had disappeared. Since the dragons had never left their sides without notice before, the gang all wandered around the forest looking for the dragons.

"Hookfang! Hookfang, where are you!"

"Stormfly! Answer me!"

The gang walked around loudly calling for the dragons, but not a single roar could be heard. Just as their anxiety peaked, Toothless came crashing through the bush. Hiccup's face lit up and he spread his arms wide in greeting, but Toothless continued making agitated noises as though he had something important to tell him.

"W-what is it bud. Is it the other dragons?"

Hiccup didn't get what Toothless meant. Toothless kept making noise, but Hiccup couldn't understand. Just as he was wishing Sigrid were there to help, Toothless suddenly pushed his head between Hiccup's legs and forced him to climb on. Toothless appeared to be guiding him somewhere.

"You guys stay here in case they come back. Toothless and I are gonna look for them from above."

When they flew into the sky on Toothless, the faint sound of dragons crying could be heard from somewhere. Toothless wanted to go toward where that sound was coming from. However, looking below, a Thunderdrum was heading toward where the gang was. When Hiccup pointed to that location, Toothless hesitated for a moment but then immediately fired a blast at the Thunderdrum. The Thunderdrum quickly fled.

"Good job bud. Let's go back to where everyone is. I think it's better if we go together." Hiccup stroked Toothless's head while turning him toward the ground. When they arrived back where the gang was, Hiccup got off Toothless.

"I think we should go together. There are quite a lot of wild dragons here."

"I think so too. We're dragonless and defenseless right now. How about just asking Toothless to guide us on foot?" At Snotlout's suggestion, Hiccup looked at Toothless. Though Toothless looked displeased, he soon walked quickly somewhere. The gang hurried to follow behind Toothless.

The deeper they went into the forest, the thicker the fog began to get. While following Toothless, they also saw a huge grave made of dragon bones. The gang all tensed up and began drawing their weapons. Then the roar of a dragon was heard from somewhere. Everyone quickly ran toward where the sound was coming from.

Throughout the canyon, countless dragons were captured in strange stone prisons. Some lay weakly after being imprisoned for a long time, while others struggled to break free, having been recently captured. While Hiccup and the gang were looking around this area, one huge dragon landed on a nearby cliff. The dragon made a sound that attracted a Terrible Terror. It spat amber-like stuff at the Terror, caught it in its mouth, and disappeared.

"It's the sound—that's what draws the dragons in." Toothless also wanted to follow that sound, constantly trying to go after it. While Hiccup was holding onto Toothless, Fishlegs spoke.

"Songwing."

"What?" Astrid suddenly said as if asking what he was talking about.

"Now? Really? You want to name it now?"

"We need to call it something." Fishlegs answered in a timid voice at Hiccup's scolding.

"Yeah, I'm thinking Death Song might be more appropriate. You know, 'cause you hear the song, you're dead." Tuffnut shouted from behind. But rather than naming the dragon, they needed to find the gang's dragons. If they didn't find them quickly, that dragon might come back and eat their dragons.

As the gang quickly scattered to examine the dragons, they found their own dragons trapped in amber. They tried to get the dragons out, but even hitting with swords or axes wouldn't break it at all. At that moment, the dragon that had left returned. The dragon roared loudly at the gang and shot amber at them, apparently angry at the humans touching its food. Everyone except Hiccup got trapped inside amber. Hiccup tried to retreat briefly, but even Toothless got trapped in amber.

"Toothless! No!" Hiccup charged toward Toothless, shield raised, and began smashing at the amber cocoon. The amber had transformed into something harder than stone, resisting every blow. Through the sound of metal striking amber, Astrid's urgent warning pierced the chaos.

"Hiccup, it's come for you!"

Looking back, the dragon was flying toward Hiccup. Hiccup quickly raised his shield over his head, preparing for impact from the expected attack. But no matter how long he waited, no attack came. When he cautiously lowered his shield, the dragon was standing on the ground, staring menacingly at Hiccup. The attack had stopped suddenly. The dragon stood there, testing the air.

The dragon sniffed the air and tilted its head, then thrust its snout close to Hiccup to smell more carefully. Toothless made threatening sounds from the side, but the dragon continued smelling. Suddenly, its pupils constricted sharply, as if in shock. The dragon hastily scrambled backward, emitting confused, distressed cries before releasing a final thunderous roar in Hiccup's direction and shooting up into the air to disappear. Everyone was confused by the sudden situation.

"Hiccup, what just happened? What did you do?" Fishlegs called out, but Hiccup was just as clueless."

Then he suddenly remembered. Before departing, he had taken the necklace made from Sigrid's scales from home, put it around his neck, and tucked it safely inside his leather vest. He had brought it thinking it might help when encountering wild dragons, and it really worked. It was even more effective than Sigrid had promised—strong enough to send an enraged wild dragon retreating in an instant.

Hiccup quickly put down his shield and thought. If it was amber that became as hard as stone when hardened, then melting it would surely allow escape. Hiccup urgently looked around. Snotlout's bag was dropped nearby. He opened the bag and began spreading Monstrous Nightmare gel on all the amber.

"What are you doing, Hiccup?" Snotlout asked in an anxious voice.

"Just trust me, Snotlout."

"I want to trust you, but is there any guarantee the fire won't reach me?"

"Well, I'd rather take a little burn than stay trapped in this amber permanently." Snotlout couldn't help but laugh at Hiccup's dark humor.

Soon Monstrous Nightmare gel was spread over all the amber. When he gestured to Toothless, Toothless shot a blast at the Monstrous Nightmare gel. Instantly fire ignited over the gel, and the stone-hard amber immediately cracked.

"All clear, gang! Time to leave! We have no idea when that Death Song will return!" Hiccup yelled, mounted Toothless, and immediately took to the skies. This was definitely an island they should never visit again.

Once they got as far from the island as possible, the gang breathed sighs of relief. Then they began asking about what had happened earlier.

"Okay, Hiccup, I need to know—how did you get that Death Song to bolt like that? Did you do something to frighten it?" As expected, Fishlegs—always eager to learn about dragons—came forward first with his inquiry, notebook and charcoal in hand for taking notes.

"Well... you could say that. I just glared at it and it fled." Hiccup's eyes darted away nervously as he gave his unconvincing excuse. That response drew Snotlout's attention immediately.

"The way it was sniffing around you earlier was weird. You've got something on you that dragons hate, don't you? Like eels or whatever?" As soon as Snotlout mentioned eels, the dragons immediately recoiled. Everyone quickly tried to calm the dragons.

"Calm down, bud. There are no eels here." Hiccup stroked Toothless's head. "Uh, something like that. Something with an E... uh... that sort of thing."

At Hiccup's words, Fishlegs immediately scribbled something quickly in his notebook. He felt sorry for recording wrong information, but he couldn't tell the truth. Anyway, the Death Song would probably hate eels too. While they continued flying forward without a destination, Astrid made a suggestion. The round trip from Berk to here would take too much time, so they should find an island to use as a base.

With everyone's approval, their mission was clear. The immediate priority became finding an island that would work well as their base.

Chapter Text

When the morning air still held a chill, Sigrid finished his preparations and stepped out of the healing hut with his satchel slung across his shoulder. Though winter had long passed, Berk's mornings and evenings remained cold. The sudden loss of warmth made him shiver slightly as he pulled his cloak tighter. The flight to Outcast Island would still require several hours, even by dragon. He'd be faster alone, but the risk of being discovered meant he needed to ride a dragon this time.

Sigrid quietly called for a dragon, and a Nadder flew over. He stroked the familiar purple Nadder. This Nadder had made its home near Sigrid's house and started living there. Though Sigrid had never saddled this Nadder, the dragon was always eager to carry him. The Nadder purred softly and lowered itself. Once Sigrid climbed on, the Nadder immediately began flapping its wings.

Instead of heading straight to Outcast Island, Sigrid needed to check Berk's coastline first, so he directed the Nadder toward the shore. Dagur had escaped, and with new external threats emerging, they needed to strengthen the coastal defenses. From that day forward, Sigrid had wild dragons nest along the coastline, just as he had done before. This brought back the familiar headache, though it wasn't as severe as before. Three years of rest had greatly improved his condition.

Upon reaching the coastline, several dragons came into view. Tiny dragon hatchlings, having broken free from their eggs in the mild weather, were now tottering about near the water. After a curious hatchling toddled up to him, Sigrid gently picked it up and made his way over to a nearby wild dragon. Not all the dragons were injured. There hadn't been any attacks from the Berserker tribe yet.

"Have you seen any suspicious humans? Or ships?" When Sigrid asked, the wild Monstrous Nightmare rumbled softly. "Nothing yet, I see. If you spot anything, come to me right away. Or make a loud noise to alert me. I'm sorry for asking this difficult favor when you could be nesting safely in the forest."

The Monstrous Nightmare slowly blinked its eyes at Sigrid's apology, as if to say it was fine. Sigrid felt bad about placing the dragons in such an exposed position where they could be vulnerable to attack. However, the wild dragons appeared genuinely comfortable with the situation. Not a single dragon attack had occurred in three years on Berk. Sigrid had claimed all of Berk as his territory, marking its boundaries so definitively that no dragon dared approach with violent intentions.

Word had spread across the archipelago that this island was under an Ancient Dragon's protection. Unless a dragon had a death wish and wanted to confront an Ancient Dragon, none would even think of attacking this island. So the dragons didn't worry much. The Ancient Dragon would protect them and their hatchlings.

Once he confirmed that every dragon was well, Sigrid tenderly returned the hatchling to the ground and climbed onto the waiting Nadder. Maintaining such a heightened state of alertness gave him a dull headache, but he ignored it. Once Sigrid gave the Nadder directions to Outcast Island, the dragon launched into the air and flew straight there without hesitation. Though it was his first time making this journey in three years, he had been there once before.

The area around Outcast Island was almost always overcast and cloudy. The surrounding sharp sea stacks made it dangerous even for ships. When the Nadder hesitated among the pointed sea stacks, Sigrid gently patted its neck.

"Careful, my dear, it might be risky down there, so let's gain some altitude. We should be able to fly over the island from up here."

The Nadder remembered going underwater before and thought that was the route. Understanding Sigrid's explanation immediately, the Nadder soared high into the sky and flew straight ahead. Soon, Outcast Island came into view. A new village had been built on the opposite side of the land that had been completely ruined by the Screaming Deaths. Sigrid landed the Nadder near the village entrance. As soon as he dismounted, two guards approached.

"State your purpose and identity."

When the guard approached with his spear, the Nadder thought he was a threat and growled softly. Sigrid calmed the Nadder, then whispered for it to wait here. In response to his gentle tone, the Nadder's alert, constricted pupils gradually opened wide, and its aggressive stance melted into peaceful submission. The guards also lowered their spear points they had been pointing defensively.

"I received a letter from Chief Alvin. I'm Sigrid, the healer from Berk." Sigrid pulled Alvin's letter from his bag and handed it to one of the guards. The guard looked at Alvin's seal on the letter and handed it back to Sigrid.

"Confirmed. I'll escort you to the Chief."

One guard gestured as if to guide him. When Sigrid began following the guard, the Nadder stayed close behind. Realizing that entering the village center with a dragon might create complications, Sigrid stopped the guard.

"Just checking—is the dragon welcome inside, or should I leave him out here? I don't want to create any complications." At Sigrid's words, the guard stopped and turned to examine the Nadder. The Nadder tilted its head docilely, looking puzzled about why they weren't moving forward. Seeing that the Nadder showed no aggressive behavior, the guard nodded

"Well... if it's not aggressive, it's okay. Bring it."

With the guard's permission, Sigrid continued following him. The Nadder carefully followed behind. Upon entering the village, several people were visible. Everyone stared curiously at Sigrid, the outsider, then looked even more curiously at the dragon following him.

Three years ago, the Outcasts who hadn't obeyed Alvin's orders had all been absorbed into the Berserker tribe, and most of the Outcasts who hadn't followed Dagur had been eliminated. Outcast Island had suffered greatly from a shortage of people for a while, but now there were quite a few people visible. Outcasts from other tribes also lived on this island.

Sigrid briefly shivered in the cold weather and looked ahead. In the distance, a massive door was attached to a huge cliff face. It looked like something similar to Berk's Great Hall. On Outcast Island, they had carved caves into the stone mountain. Upon reaching the door, guards were stationed there too. The guard escorting Sigrid said something quietly to them, then they opened the door. The door was so large that a dragon could enter without lowering its head.

Going inside, a long, dark corridor came into view. Torches lined the path at regular distances, preventing total darkness but leaving the area only dimly illuminated. Unlike most caves, the air here wasn't oppressive or stale, indicating that fresh air was flowing in from some unseen opening. The stillness of the corridor was broken only by the echo of two pairs of boots and the distinctive sounds of the Nadder—his claws tapping against stone and his tail occasionally brushing the walls. The guard escorting Sigrid exchanged brief greetings with other guards they encountered in the corridor. The guards glanced at Sigrid and the Nadder but didn't speak to them.

Soon they reached the door at the end of the corridor, and the guard stopped walking. Such an elaborately decorated entrance could only belong to the chief—this had to be Alvin's quarters. The guard knocked on the door and waited briefly. Alvin's voice came from inside.

"Come in."

Before the guard opened the door, Sigrid turned briefly toward the Nadder behind him. It would be difficult for the dragon to enter Alvin's quarters. Sigrid gave the Nadder a meaningful look, wordlessly conveying what he needed. Thankfully, the dragon complied and settled into a sitting position. One of the guards stared down in confusion as the Nadder's tail came to rest on his boot. Sigrid chuckled softly and silently asked the Nadder to move its tail elsewhere. The Nadder looked over her shoulder and politely lifted his tail off the poor guard's foot.

"Please, go ahead inside. I'll stay out here." Hearing the guard, Sigrid spun around to find that the door had been thrown wide open during his silent exchange with the Nadder.

"Thanks for the escort. This one will wait here with you. He's gentle, so you don't need to be too cautious around him." Sigrid smiled gently as he spoke. The guard stood next to the Nadder sitting on the floor. Sigrid entered Alvin's quarters.

The quarters looked more like a proper study than he had expected. The bookshelf was filled with books, stacks of various documents covered the surfaces, and maps were plastered all over the walls. The scene was quite different from what Sigrid had imagined. Alvin was sitting at his desk. Alvin sat at his desk, proving he had been Stoick's longtime friend, his demeanor while reviewing documents strongly resembled Stoick's. Alvin saw Sigrid and set down the document he was holding.

"Ah, Sigrid. It's been a long time. Please, have a seat." Sigrid sat in the chair placed in front of Alvin. Sigrid looked at Alvin with a slight smile.

"Well, this is a surprise. Didn't think you'd have a place like this. Different than I imagined." Sigrid's casual tone made Alvin laugh dismissively.

"So what did you think? A typical Viking's messy quarters?"

"More or less. It's nice and warm in here. It was quite cold outside." Sigrid took off his cloak and carefully placed it on his lap. The warmth from the fireplace in the quarters loosened the tension in his body slightly.

"Outcast Island is always like that. The weather is worse than Berk's and colder. That's why there are quite a few sick people too. It's also why I called you here."

"Isn't there anyone here who was a healer? When I came here, I saw quite a few people."

"Very few. Most of our people are refugees whose homes were wiped out by tribal warfare, or those who simply had no other place to go. They're mostly just common fishermen and farmers trying to rebuild their lives." Alvin stroked his beard thoughtfully. "This island is ambiguous for both fishing and farming. This island isn't ideal for either fishing or farming. The waters are too rough for fish to thrive, and the soil is too poor for crops to grow."

Sigrid briefly recalled what Outcast Island was like. This was an island made of stone. Everything was stone, with hardly any soil. What little soil there was couldn't support plant growth. There were hardly any forests either. The few trees that existed were bare trees without leaves. In many ways, it was an island where people couldn't live.

"How did you manage to survive before allying with Berk? It's impressive that the population has actually expanded despite these harsh conditions lasting three years."

"Before the alliance, we lived by raiding and fighting wars. Now it's mercenary contracts. Our Vikings travel to work as hired warriors for different tribes. We're managing to survive on the payments we receive. Trade with Berk has helped somewhat too. You know, Stoick has been quite generous in supporting our island."

Alvin's words were true. Stoick was trading with Outcast Island while getting almost nothing worthwhile in return. Though he received weapons and metals, Berk could easily produce those same items. Stoick was deliberately engaging in such trade to help Alvin. Other people were somewhat unhappy about it, but they had to accept it because of his unwavering stance.

"That's right. Several people were unhappy with the trade arrangements you had, but Stoick dismissed all their complaints." Sigrid leaned back comfortably in his seat. "Still, three years of trade weren't entirely wasted. Now it actually looks like a place where people can live. Did you decide to abandon the completely unusable areas? It looks much the same as when I last visited."

"Ah, yes, the destroyed arena. It's completely unusable now. Those dragons were incredibly thorough in their tunneling—so clever that we simply cannot construct anything above their work. We're unable to block the passages, so we've accepted defeat and left it as is."

At Alvin's words, Sigrid felt somewhat sorry. He had told the Whispering Deaths to dig as many tunnels as possible while coming up, and it appeared they had dug far more than Sigrid had anticipated. Sigrid briefly looked down to think, then looked back up at Alvin.

"So, what exactly do you need from me? I understand there's no healer on your island, but I can't become this island's permanent healer."

Alvin burst into laughter at Sigrid's words. It was as if he had heard something he hadn't expected at all.

"I never expected you to become this island's healer. It's practically impossible for you to leave Berk anyway. With Stoick there, where else would you go? Right?" Sigrid responded to Alvin's mischievous tone with a laugh of disbelief.

"Alright, enough joking around. If it's not about me staying, then what is it? Is there something I can actually help with?"

"First, I'd like you to check whether any medicinal herbs could grow in this island's soil. Even though the land is in poor condition, something might still be able to take root." Alvin thoughtfully tapped the table with his finger a few times. "Give me advice as a healer, including about wild dragons. Mildew said you handle wild dragons well. There are too many wild dragons on this island causing trouble. They keep coming down to the village and creating dangerous situations."

"Alright. If that's the request. Need to check the whole island, so we'll need dragons to ride."

When Sigrid stood up, Alvin also rose from his seat. The ceiling was quite high, but when Alvin stood, he almost reached it. Sigrid drew his cloak around his shoulders once more and ran his fingers through his long hair to tidy it. Alvin watched this and, almost without thinking, caught the trailing ends of Sigrid's long hair between his fingers, lifting them delicately. 

The sudden contact prompted Sigrid to raise his eyes to Alvin's face with evident confusion. With Alvin being considerably taller than Stoick, Sigrid was forced to arch his neck back at an uncomfortable angle.

"Your hair's grown quite a bit. Don't you get it cut?"

"I didn't expect you to notice that. Surprisingly observant." Sigrid chuckled. "I've been ignoring it out of sheer laziness, to be honest. I didn't have much movement for three years. I should cut it someday." Hearing this, Alvin released the strands he'd been holding.

Going outside the door, he saw the half-sleeping Nadder and guards gathered around it. The Nadder was purring, melting under the guards' petting hands. Many people were seeing a docile dragon for the first time, so they had all gathered around the Nadder, touching it somewhere. Sigrid laughed softly at the sight.

At Sigrid's laughter, the Nadder opened its eyes wide and immediately stood up. The guards all jumped in surprise and stiffly turned around. Alvin was genuinely amused by this moment and allowed a slight smile to play across his features. Unfortunately, the guards seemed to misread his look entirely and became rigid with tension. When Sigrid called out, the Nadder trotted over to his side. The guards maintained their rigid stance, clearly conditioned not to act without explicit orders from Alvin. Sigrid playfully elbowed Alvin and commented.

"Are you going to keep them standing like that? They're waiting for orders."

"Pretty funny how all the guards bunched up just to stare at one dragon. Can't blame them for wanting to get a good look." Alvin's casual tone only made the guards freeze up even more. Shortly after, Alvin erupted in genuine laughter and made a dismissive gesture, prompting everyone to scatter back to their assigned positions. Only the guard who had escorted Sigrid remained in front.

"I've decided to take a brief look around this island. It would be better for you to return to your duties too." At Sigrid's words, the guard nodded in understanding. When the guard stepped aside, the Nadder brought its snout close to him. They had become friendly in that short time.

As they moved forward together, the Nadder quietly followed in their wake. Alvin observed the dragon's calm, submissive behavior before shifting his attention to Sigrid.

"Is this your dragon? It's quite adorable. Much more gentle than that boy's Night Fury."

"Not really my dragon, just one that often gives me rides. We flew together last time as well." Hearing this, Alvin glanced back at the dragon and realized it was the same one from that previous time."

"Don't you plan to teach me how to ride dragons? It looks like you could give me lessons right now." Alvin grinned as he asked Sigrid. He still had that desire to ride a dragon.

"Well, we'll see how you manage. I'm not sure if there's a dragon that would take a liking to you." Sigrid's mischievous comment made Alvin burst into laughter. Soon, they could exit the massive door. As soon as they stepped outside, the cold wind blew. Sigrid pulled his cloak tighter and climbed onto the Nadder. When he gestured for Alvin to climb on too, Alvin also got on behind him.

When the Nadder flew up into the sky, most of Outcast Island was visible. It really wasn't a good environment for growing anything. The entire visible landscape was either stone or withered trees.

"Alvin, where's the place with the most soil here? I need to take a look." Alvin pointed somewhere with his hand. After the Nadder carried them to the spot and landed, Sigrid climbed down and immediately knelt to get a closer look at the soil. Touching the soil, it had no moisture at all and was hard and dry, almost like stone powder. This was almost like sand.

"What do you think? Do you think anything might be able to grow in this soil?"

"No, this is almost like sand. I don't think we can grow anything here." Sigrid stood up and dusted off his hands. "To grow anything here, you need to bring in proper soil from elsewhere. Or relocate the entire island. Even if something managed to grow, it would likely be worthless."

At Sigrid's words, Alvin sighed as if he had many worries. For three years, he had tried to turn the island into a livable place, but it was essentially proof that it had been of no use.

"Moving everyone isn't realistic. Dagur took most ships, so we lack transport. Need multiple trips for all these people, and the seas are rough and dangerous. We have to stay and survive here somehow."

Sigrid nodded at those words and climbed back onto the Nadder. Judging by the sounds, there were wild dragons nearby. It was nearby, and since he had mentioned that wild dragon problem was serious, they should go check it out. Making sure Alvin was properly positioned behind him and had a firm grip on his waist, he signaled the Nadder to take them to the location.

During his previous visit, he'd been too busy to take a proper look, but now he could see that the dragons here were also in rather poor health. While Gronckles could live well on an island of only stone, other dragons had to fight fiercely for food. That's why they kept coming down to the village where people lived. 

Upon Sigrid's gradual approach, the dragons immediately abandoned their fish-fighting and fell silent. When he extended his hand, one dragon respectfully brought its head forward to meet his palm. Without the distraction of food competition, they showed their naturally gentle temperament.

"Dragons have your same problem—not enough food on the island, so they come to the village. If this issue could be resolved, they wouldn't cause any trouble... but as long as they remain on this island, problems will continue to occur."

"You figured all that out from one look? Amazing. The dragons that were fighting savagely just moments ago immediately became lambs." Alvin approached closely and looked down at the dragon with its head against Sigrid's hand. He tried to reach out his hand to pet its head like Sigrid had done, but immediately pulled back his hand when the dragon bared its teeth and growled.

"Seems like you don't have the dragon touch. She rejected you on sight." Sigrid broke into delighted laughter.

Apart from that, Sigrid could see a way to solve this situation. It was the most rational and efficient method, but the problem was whether Alvin would agree to this method or not. Sigrid thought silently for a while, then looked up at Alvin. It would be better to mention it first.

"If there were a way to move your people safely to a better island, would you take that chance?" Sigrid's words left Alvin speechless for a while. There were many factors to consider. Only after a long pause did Alvin finally respond.

"Yes, moving would be the better option. The people living on this island are no longer what they used to be. They're not the type who would initiate raids or wars anymore. There are still some capable of such things, but they're too few in number. Relocation is the right choice."

"Then... I have a suggestion for you. Would you like to hear it?" Alvin immediately focused his attention on Sigrid's words. "I'll teach you how to train dragons. You can transport people and cargo using dragons. What do you think?"

"Will that work? All the people living on this island are terrified of dragons, and the dragons are quite aggressive as well."

"Looking at the guards earlier, they didn't appear particularly frightened. The reason these dragons are aggressive is simply because they're starving."

At Sigrid's words, Alvin fell into deep contemplation again. His position as leader meant considering countless variables. However, this represented an opportunity for island relocation—it would be wasteful to dismiss it.

"Your suggestion seems quite good. There will definitely be people who oppose it, but I'll have to convince them. I think I'll need a considerable amount of help from you. Would that be alright?"

"Berk and the Outcasts are allies. Your strength is our strength too. I'll tell Stoick about it. You should prepare the people in advance. I'll come to teach dragon training starting tomorrow. While I'm here, gather the sick people too. I'll examine them once."

Alvin looked pretty surprised, like he wasn't expecting Sigrid's words. "Even examinations? Would that really be okay?"

"What couldn't be okay? You said this island had been without a healer for three years. It would be better for me to properly examine them once. I'll bring some things tomorrow. See you again tomorrow."

"Yeah, it's been... pretty helpful. I didn't expect this. Thank you." At Alvin's words, Sigrid smiled. It was quite a friendly smile.

"We can do this much between allies. You just need to focus on persuading the people. You can do it since you're the chief, right?"

"Yeah, I can do that. I'll trust only you." Alvin gave Sigrid a friendly pat on the back. It was quite hard, so Sigrid swore a bit, but Alvin found even that amusing and laughed heartily.

When Sigrid got back to Berk and told Stoick that Alvin was planning to move the island and would use dragons in the process.  Meaning he'd have to travel back and forth to Outcast Island for a while, Stoick was a bit worried, but said he understood. Moving an island was a large-scale undertaking that could be dangerous, but using dragons would make it safer.

That day, Sigrid spent the next three days traveling between Outcast Island and Berk, teaching how to train dragons and treating people. During that time, he also met Mildew, among other things. Mildew's personality had changed somewhat over the three years, and he looked a bit sorry for Sigrid.

On the evening of the third day, when tired Sigrid returned to Berk, a Terrible Terror carrying a letter written by Hiccup was sitting inside the healing hut. Opening the letter, it said they'd decided to set up a base on one of the islands outside the archipelago and call it Dragon's Edge. He'd like to invite Sigrid to the opening party, which he's planning to hold as soon as construction is finished. As a postscript, it also said that Sigrid's scales had worked really well.

It looked like Hiccup was doing really well outside Berk. Sigrid smiled softly and put the letter in a drawer for safekeeping. He was really looking forward to Hiccup's next visit.

Chapter Text

A few days after the letter arrived, the kids returned to Berk with Johann's ship. As they had only been apart for a week, their reunion was especially joyful. When Sigrid smiled brightly and opened his arms wide, Hiccup ran over and embraced him. Sigrid wasn't the only one feeling the longing after just a week apart.

"Sigrid! I missed you. Did anything happen while I was gone?" Hiccup gently pulled away from the embrace and looked down at Sigrid with eyes full of joy.

"No, nothing much happened. Berk was peaceful as always." Sigrid met his gaze and smiled, fixing his dishevelled hair. "What happened there? The letter only mentioned building a new base."

"It's a really long story. I'll go to my dad first, and then I'll tell you everything." Having said this, Hiccup hugged Sigrid once more before quickly flying away on Toothless. Given his sense of urgency, it seemed that many events had occurred.

Sigrid turned his head toward the direction Toothless had flown. Someone approached his side. When he turned around, Snotlout was there, having waited quietly for their greeting. Sigrid's warm smile and open arms made Snotlout hesitate only briefly before moving forward to embrace him. Sigrid patted Snotlout on the back.

"Snotlout, I've missed you. How has life been since you left Berk?" 

"It's been really hectic. So many things happened. But honestly, it was amazing. Really fun." Snotlout answered Sigrid in a slightly excited voice.

"I'm glad you had fun. But please, just be careful and don't get yourself hurt, alright?" When Sigrid looked down at him with a smile, Snotlout looked away, slightly embarrassed. Sigrid chuckled softly at his shyness and stepped back from the embrace.

"Yeah, we got into some trouble here and there, but it all worked out. Hiccup is really amazing with dragons." 

"Really? Well, Hiccup's always been great with dragons. What happened?" Snotlout hesitated briefly. He wasn't sure whether he should tell me everything.

"Well... we accidentally flew into the territory of a dragon that uses crying sounds to lure other dragons. We named it the Death Song." 

Sigrid nodded at Snotlout's words. Aside from the dragons listed in the Book of Dragons, Sigrid had no way of knowing how humans had named the different species of dragon. It was helpful to learn this way. Dragons themselves don't think in terms of species names. They simply recognise each other by appearance, having no need for specific labels or terms.

"I see. If it lures dragons, then your dragons must have been in danger too. Were you all okay?" 

"Actually... our dragons all got lured in too. All except Toothless. The Death Song spat out something like amber, and we all got trapped us all inside. It was pretty dangerous.' Snotlout was intentionally downplaying the danger they had faced. He knew that if he told Sigrid the full truth, he would worry endlessly, and that was the last thing Snotlout wanted.

"That sounds incredibly dangerous. If you'd arrived even a moment later, you could have been devoured by that dragon with no chance to fight back." Hearing the worry in Sigrid's voice, Snotlout quickly spoke up.

"But Hiccup handled it well! The Death Song suddenly caught Hiccup's scent and ran away. So nobody got hurt." 

"I see. As long as nobody was hurt, that's good." Sigrid smiled slightly. "By the way, Snotlout, shouldn't you go see your father? You've been gone for a week now—he's probably wondering how you are."

Snotlout scrunched up his face at Sigrid's words. It was clear that he didn't want to go.

"My dad? Yeah, right. He probably hasn't even noticed I've been missing for a week. Why would I want to ruin my mood by seeing him unnecessarily?" 

"Still, you should really see him at least once. Just let him know you've returned safely, even if it's only temporarily. You won't be here long anyway, will you? Please, just go and see him once." Under Sigrid's caring insistence, Snotlout reluctantly made his way towards his house.

After Snotlout left, everything went quiet. The other kids had each gone to see their parents. While Snotlout only needed to see Spitelout, he disliked the idea of even that brief visit. Though Sigrid understood his reluctance, he still felt it would be appropriate for Snotlout to greet his father at least once, so he had gently pushed him to go.

While waiting for the Hiccup to return, Sigrid decided to look around Johann's ship. Since it was morning, there were no people around. Johann looked unusually relaxed. When Sigrid approached, he jumped up from where he was sitting to greet Sigrid.

"Mister Sigrid! Are you finished with the greetings?" 

"Yes, I thought I'd have a look at some goods while I wait for them to return. Do you have anything new?" Johann lifted a cloth to look inside and handed over a pouch.

"Seeds of eastern herbs! They say you can grow them if you plant these." Sigrid briefly opened the pouch. It was filled with black seeds.

"Do you know what kind of herbs these will grow into? I'm a bit worried they might spread like weeds if I plant them without thinking it through." Sigrid smiled as he closed the pouch and handing it back to Johann. Johann looked slightly disappointed when Sigrid declined to buy them.

"I'll definitely find out by next time! By the way, Mister Sigrid, if you don't mind me asking, are there any particular places where you gather herbs? One of my customers was asking about places to gather herbs, and you're the only healer I know." Johann's words reminded Sigrid of his regular herb collecting sites. In fact, he was planning to visit one of them in just a few days—a small island known for its broad meadows and dense reed beds.

"There's one island I visit about once a month. It's a small place with reed beds and wide meadows, but the waters around it are rough, so it would be difficult to reach by ship. Where does your customer live?" 

"Ah, I think I know the place. One of my brothers mentioned it once before. My customer lives at the edge of the archipelago. It's around here somewhere." Johann unfolded a map and pointed somewhere. Sigrid looked at the spot Johann indicated and tilted his head slightly. In Sigrid's memory, nobody lived there. It was an island filled only with dragons.

"Hmm... This area probably has lots of wild dragons. It might be dangerous. Perhaps I should check it out sometime?" Johann grew uneasy at Sigrid's suggestion and quickly rolled up the map.

"Ah, it's fine! I don't want to cause you any unnecessary trouble! Thank you for letting me know." Johann threw the rolled-up map into a box. "When are you planning to visit that reed bed island you mentioned? This month is nearly over."

"I'll probably go sometime next week. If there's anything you need from there, I can bring some back for you." 

"Whatever you can gather from there would be great! I'd like to trade for it next time." 

Sigrid smiled and nodded at Johann's request. Just as Johann had finished talking, Hiccup came flying in on Toothless. Sigrid asked Johann to tell Snotlout to come to the healing hut when he arrived, then climbed onto Toothless. They reached the healing hut quickly.

Hiccup entered the healing hut and sat in his familiar chair. Since it was too small for Toothless to enter, he always waited outside. As soon as Sigrid sat down opposite Hiccup, he pulled something out of his clothes. Looking closely, it was Sigrid's scale connected to a necklace cord.

"This scale is really incredible! Wild dragons would either flee immediately or become completely calm. Even Fishlegs found it strange." Hiccup's voice was full of excitement.

"I'm glad it worked well with the dragons. I couldn't really predict how far it would work either." 

"It's honestly the best gift I've ever received. I can't imagine ever taking it off." Hiccup smiled warmly and slipped the necklace back beneath his clothes.

"Happy you like it. So what happened? I heard about the Death Song from Snotlout, but I'd like to hear more details about Dragon's Edge from you." 

"Dragon's Edge is this base we set up outside our usual territory to help us find new dragon species more easily. Right now it's still being built, so it's total chaos. That's why we came back to Berk—to grab supplies we need. We'll be leaving again pretty soon." 

"Any idea when you'll be done building? I'd really like to check it out. I'm also curious about the distance between here and Dragon's Edge. Do you have any plans to invite me sometime?" Hiccup thought for a long time at Sigrid's words mixed with laughter. He appeared to be calculating when the construction would be completed.

"I think it'll take at least another month. Right now we've only roughly built some huts. Once they're finished, I'll invite you. Just wait one more week." 

"Alright. Could you also tell me about landing spots where I won't be noticed? I can't be discovered." 

"Got it. By the way, did something happened on Berk? You look a little tired." 

"Not much has happened here on Berk. I asked the dragons to increase their coastal patrols. And..." 

"And?" 

"Alvin has moved his tribe. The old Outcast Island isn't their base anymore—a large island near Berk has become the new Outcast Island."

"Alvin moved islands? Why?" Hiccup's eyes widened as if he had heard something completely unexpected.

"Three years of work, and he still couldn't make that island livable for people. I checked it out myself last week. No one could survive there now." 

"Then how did he move the people? The waves around Outcast Island are incredibly strong. And there weren't many seaworthy ships."

"I taught them how to train dragons. For a week, I travelled back and forth between Berk and Outcast Island. The final relocation was completed yesterday." Hearing this, Hiccup looked at Sigrid worriedly. Setting up comprehensive dragon surveillance along Berk's coastline and directing wild dragons to handle cargo transportation must have been exhausting for him.

"You're not overexerting yourself, are you? You don't have headaches like before, do you?" Hiccup's keen insight quickly recognised what Sigrid was going through. The relentless exhaustion and throbbing headache that came with staying constantly alert had returned with a vengeance. But he couldn't tell the truth about it.

"It's not that bad. I'm not overexerting myself enough for you to worry. You're the one who should be more careful. Starting from scratch on a completely empty island isn't easy." 

"Well, that's true, but it's manageable. Snotlout has been quite helpful. He fights with Astrid less and helps out with the work." 

"Snotlout told me about it too. He said he's really enjoying the work out there. It makes me happy to see you both becoming good friends again, like before." At Sigrid's gentle smile, Hiccup gave an awkward laugh.

Hiccup and Snotlout used to spend a lot of time together at Sigrid's healing hut when they were young. For Hiccup, the healing hut was home, while for Snotlout it was a refuge. They got on really well back then, but they grew apart over time. After the battle with the Red Death, however, they became friends again. Sigrid was very pleased that the two of them had a good relationship.

While continuing his conversation with Hiccup, Snotlout opened the door to the healing hut. He looked pretty annoyed, clearly having just been on the receiving end of another one of Spitelout's tirades. As soon as Sigrid brought over another chair and positioned it beside Hiccup's, Snotlout began to rant about Spitelout. Sigrid and Hiccup exchanged amused smiles as they listened, occasionally chiming in. The conversation flowed so naturally that they lost track of time until it was time for them to leave.

Five days after the kids left for Dragon's Edge, Sigrid arrived alone at the island in the reeds. As there were quite a few inhabited islands nearby, there was a risk of being spotted, so he deliberately rode a dragon. He left his Nadder on the beach for the time being and roamed the island gathering herbs. This island had few visitors due to the high waves, so there was plenty to gather.

After passing through the forest, a vast reed bed came into view. A reed bed of this size didn't exist on Berk. Reed roots were effective fever reducers, so it was best to gather as much as possible in on this trip. Sigrid headed towards the centre of the reed bed. The edges were too moist to be suitable for use. It was troublesome, but he had to gather from the inside.

Sigrid took off his herb bag and placed it temporarily on a rock beside the reed bed. The weather was warm and the air was pleasant. Smiling contentedly under the clear skies and in the perfect temperature, he knelt down, pushed up his robe sleeves, and began gathering. For a while, he concentrated on collecting reeds.

Then he heard a strange sound. He instinctively raised his head and immediately stood up. Although he couldn't hear clearly, he knew there was definitely something nearby. He had been so focused on gathering that he had noticed the sound late. Sigrid put all his senses on edge. His sharp hearing flooded him with every sound in the area.

The reeds whispered against each other, water gurgled in a nearby stream and, from where the reed bed met the deep, dark forest in the distance, came the unmistakable sound of breathing. Someone was here. Judging by the fact that they were hiding, they were definitely not ordinary people. Sigrid carefully stepped backwards. They could be pirates, so he decided it would be best to leave this spot quickly.

However, it wasn't just one person who was hiding. Suddenly, a bolt flew rapidly towards Sigrid's shoulder. Thanks to his heightened senses, he managed to dodge it without getting hit, but the attack didn't end there. The bolts deliberately avoided vital points, instead focusing on the shoulders and legs to restrict movement. Sigrid crouched down into the reeds. If they couldn't see him, they couldn't shoot bolts at him either. He needed time to think.

As expected, when Sigrid crouched and hid temporarily, the hidden people came out. There were five of them in total, and judging by their helmets, they were members of the Berserker tribe. If this many people had arrived, Sigrid would definitely have noticed, but he hadn't, so they must have been here already. These people had been here before Sigrid arrived. Their target was definitely Sigrid.

Sigrid thought briefly. He had to face five humans barehanded. Manageable enough. This thought quickly flashed through Sigrid's mind. There were no humans to protect here, only enemies. This was definitely manageable. It would be strange if he couldn't handle it. Sigrid grinned. Even if he couldn't kill them, he could still subdue them. Injuries were bound to happen, but his current priority was to eliminate the enemies in front of him. Sigrid stood up from within the reed bed.

The Berserker soldiers flinched in surprise when Sigrid suddenly appeared but immediately aimed their crossbows. Sigrid didn't hesitate and charged straight at the soldier in front of him. The soldier shouted that he would shoot if Sigrid didn't stop, but this situation was exactly what Sigrid needed. 

Unable to endure the tension any longer, the soldier fired, and the bolt punched straight into Sigrid's left shoulder. Sigrid's grin widened as he grabbed the protruding shaft and wrenched it out in one savage motion. Sharp pain shot through his left shoulder, but Sigrid didn't care. Since he had been attacked, it was time to return the favor.

When Sigrid whipped the bolt through the air, drops of red blood streaked across the golden reed field. The soldier in front froze, unable to move. There were rarely people who could walk normally after being shot with an bolt, so it was natural. Sigrid lunged at the soldier and slammed his fist into his jaw. The bone snapped with an audible crack, and the soldier dropped unconscious to the ground.

After confirming that the soldier was definitely unconscious, Sigrid turned around to face the remaining four soldiers. Blood flowed from his shoulder, running down his left arm and falling in steady drops that traced red paths through the reeds. Briefly frozen at the sight, the soldiers finally grasped the situation and began attacking while shouting. Three threw away their crossbows and drew axes or spears, while the soldier on Sigrid's right fired his crossbow reflexively.

The bolt buried itself in the back of Sigrid's left shoulder. Due to the awkward angle, it was impossible to pull it out, so Sigrid left it there. Instead, Sigrid rushed at the soldier and grabbed his collar firmly with his right hand. He hauled the soldier backward and sent him sprawling, then stomped down hard on the man's ankle. A blood-curdling scream shattered the silence of the reed bed. Sigrid's smile became something cold and menacing as he relished the long-forgotten feeling. The soldier collapsed unconscious, with his ankle crushed beyond recognition.

A large axe swung towards Sigrid's back. Sigrid dodged the attack while deliberately extending one arm so that it would graze him. Though he called it grazing, quite a deep wound formed on his right arm. Sigrid used the body's momentum to punch strongly towards the soldier's face. Blood spurted from the soldier's face as he fell backwards. Now there were two left.

The remaining soldiers stared in horror at Sigrid, who was bleeding profusely but seemed utterly indifferent to his wounds. Terror seized their hearts. Their instructions had been simple enough: hide on this island and wait to capture an ordinary healer. A week later, faced with this monster bleeding and grinning before them, they could never have imagined that things would turn out like this. The golden reed bed looked like a canvas accidentally splattered with red paint. The middle-aged healer confronting them was bleeding more profusely than any of their fallen men, yet he acted as though he felt nothing at all.

With the bolt still buried in his back, he moved towards them like a predator stalking prey. Just as the soldiers recoiled in dread from his nightmarish calm, the sharp sound of clapping cut through the tension behind them. A man was standing behind the soldiers, leading more Berserker soldiers at the front. It was Dagur, the chief of the Berserker tribe.

"Well, well, Sigrid! I had absolutely no idea you could fight like this! So that's the little secret behind that unusually relaxed appearance you always put on?" Dagur clapped while laughing in a chilling, maniacal voice. Sigrid stopped briefly and to confront Dagur. The soldiers in front of Sigrid disappeared behind Dagur as if fleeing.

"How did you know I'd be here? There was no guarantee I would even come." Sigrid's voice was dangerously low, and Dagur responded with an amused giggle.

"Ha! I have my ways of finding out whatever I want, but I'm keeping that to myself! Where would be the thrill if I just spilled everything?" 

Dagur examined Sigrid's appearance slowly. Blood flowed from both of his arms and his robe was torn in several places. His messy hair and the arrow shaft sticking out of his back—he was completely indifferent to it all. Dagur laughed with genuine delight. In this moment, Sigrid looked far more deranged than Dagur himself. This wild version of Sigrid, in stark contrast to his typically immaculate demeanor, brought him such twisted pleasure that he couldn't contain his explosive laughter any longer.

"What's so amusing? What do you want from all this?" Sigrid asked sharply, but Dagur was laughing too hard to give him an answer. Sigrid heard several people moving quickly behind him. They seemed to be planning an ambush, but Sigrid had no intention of avoiding the attack. He needed the ambush to happen so he could make his next move.

"Ah, sorry, what did you say? I missed that completely. Mind saying it again?" Dagur waved his hands dramatically while openly mocking Sigrid. Sigrid winced at his unhinged performance. Johann's warning about Dagur had been right. He had become more insane during his three years of imprisonment. The current Dagur, sporting a large scar across his right cheek, had gone beyond mere madness.

"What I'm after is top secret as well! I'm keeping that to myself—especially from you. Not until we have ourselves a nice, proper talk." The instant he stopped speaking, Dagur whistled a sharp command. Without hesitation, the two soldiers hiding behind Sigrid attacked with their spears.

Sigrid reflexively turned around and barely dodged the attacks. They grazed his left thigh and neck. Sigrid reached out and grabbed the spear the soldier was holding. As he pulled the spear towards him with both hands, he kicked the soldier in the chest. The unexpected impact caused the soldier to let go of the spear.

Sigrid hammered the soldiers' skulls with the wooden handles of their own spears. Metal screeched against metal as their helmets buckled, and the two men dropped like stones. Something hissed through the air behind Sigrid. The sound suggested an incoming bolt. He made no attempt to dodge it, raising his arm to meet the bolt head-on. But the impact felt strange — lighter and different. Glancing down, he saw that it wasn't a bolt after all, but a needle-thin dart from a blowpipe.

It was clearly poisoned because the instant it hit, his head began to spin and his stance became unsteady. Despite the dizziness, he fought to remain in control. Just as he stabbed the spear into the soil to steady himself, another dart flew through the air and buried itself in his chest. Disorientation and sleepiness crashed over him like a wave.

Sigrid's left hand trembled as he grasped the dart in his chest and pulled it free with his remaining strength, but the spinning wouldn't stop. Through his failing vision, he saw Dagur's blurred figure shouting orders and pointing in his direction. Something else hit his shoulder, and then... nothing. Only darkness.

Dagur approached Sigrid, collapsed among the reed beds. Even after taking two shots of a sleeping drug potent enough to knock out a dragon, Sigrid had somehow still tried to rise, which shocked him into ordering another dart immediately. Three shots of this to a human could be fatal. But Dagur thought Sigrid would be fine since he was a cursed human.

A few days ago, Dagur had obtained information about Berk's healer from a fairly reliable informant. So Dagur had waited for whole weeks. Since he didn't know when Sigrid would arrive, he had to wait in this area. He was quite surprised when he saw Sigrid notice something and become alert from afar, even though nobody had made a sound. Now he knew exactly what Alvin, the former Outcast leader he'd briefly teamed up with, had meant by calling Sigrid 'pretty sharp for a healer.'

He had always seen Sigrid as nothing more than a mild-mannered healer and had never suspected the savage, berserker nature that lurking beneath. Dagur burst into hysterical laughter and lifted the unconscious Sigrid. He couldn't be allowed to die—not yet. They needed to transport him to the ship for treatment. At last, his most desired trophy was finally within his clutches.

Leaving the bloodstained reed bed behind, Dagur returned to the ship with the Berserker soldiers. Blood drops fell from Sigrid's fingertips, marking their path.

After Sigrid was taken away, time passed. A purple Nadder, concerned about Sigrid's prolonged absence, followed his scent to the reed bed. The moment it entered the reed bed, the overwhelming smell of blood hit its nostrils. Seeing the empty, blood-stained area, the Nadder's pupils narrowed to slits. 

Instinctively sensing that its master was in danger, the Nadder crossed the reed bed while sniffing for clues. Soon Nadder found Sigrid's blood-stained bag lying on the ground, immediately grabbed it in its mouth, and flew back to Berk. The dragon was intelligent enough to know which humans could help in this situation.

Chapter Text

The Nadder ran at full speed and slammed his head into the door of Berk's Great Hall. The door exploded open, causing Stoick to leap from his chair in alarm. The Nadder skidded wildly as it barreled through, smashing half the Great Hall's wooden table to pieces before sliding to a halt. When the Nadder shook off the wooden fragments stuck to its head, Stoick lowered the axe he had raised, having thought it was an attack.

This was the purple Nadder that Sigrid often rode. He usually stayed around Sigrid's house and rarely wandered elsewhere, so there had to be an urgent reason for him to come here like this. The Nadder paced restlessly, stamping its feet and whipping its tail against the floor in agitation.

"Easy there, lad. What's going on? Where's Sigrid?"

When Stoick spoke Sigrid's name, the Nadder's reaction was instant—it expelled something from its mouth onto the stone floor. Stoick knelt and carefully lifted the object. His breath caught. It was Sigrid's herb bag, the same brown leather pouch that never left his friend's side, still bearing the emblem of Berk.

Upon closer inspection, there were stains on the bag he hadn't seen before. The brown leather made them hard to spot at first, but there was no denying what they were—bloodstains, aged to a deep brown and covering about a quarter of the bag. The blood on the bag told Stoick everything: Sigrid was in danger. The Nadder sensed his urgency, roaring and dropping into takeoff position. In one fluid motion, Stoick grabbed his axe, mounted the dragon, and they launched skyward like lightning.

The Nadder flew at full speed to an island with a reed bed. The moment they landed in the reeds, a thick smell of blood hit them. Stoick frowned as he got off the Nadder and examined the reed bed. What he couldn't see from above was now clear up close—blood was splattered all over the reeds. There were several crossbow bolts on the ground, some blood-stained.

A battered helmet lay in the dirt, surrounded by chaotic footprints and scattered weapons. All pointed to one thing—Berserkers. The trail of footprints carved a muddy path straight to the beach. If they'd dragged Sigrid to their ships, time was running out.

"You can trace his path, can't you? There wasn't a moment to lose."

Stoick's voice was a low growl of barely restrained wrath. He couldn't forgive Dagur's actions—hurting his friend and kidnapping him. The Nadder took off as soon as Stoick climbed on, following the faint scent of blood that remained. The ocean's salt and winds made tracking imperfect, but they could somehow follow the trail. They had to catch up before the scent disappeared completely. The enraged dragon and Viking began gliding swiftly over the sea.

Sigrid slowly opened his eyes, feeling cold air and a hard floor. He frowned at the blurry vision and slight headache, then slowly pressed his hands to the ground and sat up. The last thing he remembered was fighting Berserker soldiers, encountering Dagur, being struck by something, then a sudden blow and darkness. Everything after that was blank. Sigrid exhaled heavily and ran his hands over his face. The surroundings were dark and empty. He needed to assess the situation.

First, he checked his shoulder where the bolt had hit. Looking over his shoulder, the embedded bolt was gone. His shoulder was bandaged, and there were also bandages around his neck where a blade had grazed him. Someone here had treated his wounds, though the bandaging was quite sloppy. Sigrid lightly touched the loose neck bandage and checked his thigh, which had been slightly injured. Sure enough, bandages were loosely wrapped there as well.

Time had passed—how much, he couldn't say—but his wounds had begun to mend. The moment Sigrid tried to move his leg, he felt something heavy on his left foot, followed by the sound of chains scraping against each other. A rusty shackle was clasped around Sigrid's left ankle. His boots were nowhere to be seen, leaving him barefoot. The chain was quite short—not long enough for him to walk properly. As the cold iron touched his foot, Sigrid frowned slightly and pulled his leg to the side to avoid contact with the chain.

Looking behind him, he saw bars. The surroundings were made of wooden planks, and the slight swaying suggested this was inside a ship. It was probably a prison below Dagur's ship. He looked around for anything else, but there was really nothing here. It looked more like a cage than a typical prison.

The drug from the dart still lingered, making him slightly dizzy, but it was bearable. Fortunately, the shackle binding Sigrid's ankle was ordinary rusted iron. He could break this with his shifted hand. The wooden hull could be breached if he called for a dragon to strike from outside. As he worked through the escape plan in his head, he heard footsteps approaching from above.

When Sigrid turned around, he saw Dagur with a lantern, Savage, and several Berserker soldiers. Dagur's face immediately brightened when he saw Sigrid awake. Dagur seized the iron bars in his fists and loomed over Sigrid.

"You're awake! Faster than I expected. I thought I'd have to wait at least a day or two. You took three doses of sleeping drug strong enough to knock out dragons, but you woke up in half a day. Impressive." When Dagur held the lantern closer, Sigrid raised his hand to block the bright light. The sudden brightness hurt his eyes. Dagur enjoyed Sigrid's reaction.

"Where is..." Sigrid's voice came out hoarse. After clearing his throat slightly, he spoke again. "Where is this? It feels like we're on a ship."

"Welcome to my ship. Cozy little prison down here, isn't it? Sleep well?"

"Hardly." As his eyes adjusted to the dim light, Sigrid dropped his hand and fixed Dagur with a cold stare. "What do you want with me? Where are we going?"

"What I want? Well, let's take our time with that, shall we? Let's have ourselves a proper chat! You do enjoy talking, don't you?" Dagur giggled. "The destination is a secret. You'll know when we arrive. We're almost there." The key scraped against metal as Dagur unlocked the cell door. He dismissed his guards with a silent hand motion, clearly preferring to handle this alone. But Savage hesitated to leave.

"Chief, it's dangerous to be alone. You know as well as I do that this guy is..."

"Shut it! I don't need your help. You think I'm some helpless fool? Keep your mouth shut and get out—now!" Dagur's fingers closed around Savage's throat like a vice, his eyes promising pain. Savage retreated hastily, dragging the other soldiers with him. Now only Dagur and Sigrid remained. Dagur grinned as he entered the prison. He came just close enough that Sigrid's chain wouldn't reach him and sat down.

"You're covered in scars, aren't you? I've got nothing compared to you. What kind of life leaves a man looking like that?"

Dagur smiled wickedly as he spoke to Sigrid, but Sigrid didn't bother to answer. When Sigrid didn't respond, Dagur simply placed the lantern beside him and stared intently at Sigrid. This very awkward situation of just staring without saying anything felt familiar. It reminded Sigrid of three years ago, when Dagur had first arrived at Berk as the new chief. It was similar to this. Sigrid couldn't tell if Dagur was trying to study him or simply staring.

"Are we going to sit here all day? Say what you want or release me." Sigrid's voice cut through the oppressive quiet. The lantern's flame danced, throwing wavering shadows over Dagur's features.

"Release you? Not happening. Do you have any idea how long it took me to catch you?" Dagur's voice was surprisingly calm—almost disturbingly so. After years of hearing nothing but manic laughter and wild shouting, this composed tone felt more unsettling than his usual madness. "Oh, you're just dying to speak, aren't you? Perfect, because I've been saving up some choice words for you too. Let's settle in for a cozy little conversation."

"Fine. I want that too. I really need to understand why you're doing all this." Dagur's expression darkened momentarily at Sigrid's demand, but he forced himself to breathe slowly, smoothing his features back into that unsettling calm.

"Reasons? Oh, I have plenty. And they're all perfectly rational." He emphasized the word 'rational' with deliberate precision. "How about we start with the very first time we met? I was seven years old. Hiccup was what, five? Do you remember what we were like back then?"

Sigrid's mind drifted back to that day. Dagur had stood beside Chief Oswald the Agreeable, while five-year-old Hiccup hid behind Sigrid's legs. It was Sigrid's first time seeing Oswald's son, so he'd smiled and extended his hand in greeting. After Stoick and Oswald left for the Great Hall to draft their treaty, only Sigrid, Hiccup, and Dagur remained. Up until that point, Dagur had been remarkably well-behaved.

"You were different back then. More... controllable. Smaller, quieter," Sigrid said, choosing his words with care. "Nothing unusual happened that day, right? At least, that's what I remember."

"Oh, please. That's all you remember? Try harder, my friend. I know there was more."

The memory came flooding back. During that first meeting, Dagur had held Sigrid's left hand while Hiccup clung to his right. They'd toured the village together, eventually wandering into the woods where the boys could run free. Even timid little Hiccup had overcome his shyness around Dagur, and soon the two were playing like old friends while Sigrid kept a gentle watch.

Then, while they were playing by the stream, Dagur had suddenly called Hiccup over and shoved the boy's head underwater. Dagur pinned the flailing Hiccup down, his laughter cruel and sharp. Sigrid bolted to the scene and yanked Dagur off by force. For some reason he couldn't fathom, Dagur had looked absolutely devastated—hurt and indignant, as if Sigrid had wronged him somehow.

"You were bullying Hiccup, so I stopped you. Was there something else?"

"That's all? Nothing else? Really?" Dagur's tone grew heavier with each word, rage bleeding through his facade of control. "Fine. Let me explain it to you. If you truly don't understand, then I guess I'll have to spell it out."

Sigrid stared at him intently. Finally, he might understand the root of this lunatic's obsession.

"You know what? Everyone in the Berserker tribe ignored me. Even my own father. No one thought I'd amount to anything. When I was young, I was pathetic—a runt, just like your precious Hiccup. So everyone ignored me, dismissed me, expected nothing of me—treated me like I was less than... nothing."

Dagur paused to take a breath.

"But that day was different. The first time I came to Berk for that pathetic peace treaty. Then you came over—you and that weak little boy hiding behind you. But you actually saw me. You spoke to me like I mattered, and I was... surprised. It was the first time anyone had treated me that way. So I... I liked you. I really did."

"Then why are you doing this to me now? If you liked me, why did you do this to me?"

"Don't interrupt—I'm not finished." Dagur's voice turned sharp. "Anyway, I tried my best that day. You cared about that runt, so I thought I'd be nice to him too. But then you stopped me. With one hand."

"Nice? You were trying to drown Hiccup!"

Dagur continued as if Sigrid hadn't spoken. "I was being nice—in my own way. But you didn't understand that. You only cared about protecting him. That's when it hit me, what could that pathetic fish bone possibly have that I didn't? I was stronger, smarter, more worthy in every conceivable way! But you chose him over me. It was... insulting."

His voice began to crack slightly. "So I thought, I'll make you see me. Every time we met after that, I tried to show you that I was more useful than your precious little boy. But the more I tried, the more you started ignoring me. For eight years, Sigrid. Eight years of watching you look right through me every single time."

"Can't you see that your behavior was the real problem? You were constantly trying to kill Hiccup—naturally I had to intervene! And I wasn't ignoring you—I was protecting him!" Sigrid's voice rose in frustration, but Dagur was deaf to his words. The absurdity of it all was giving him a headache.

"Deny it all you like, but I know the truth. You used to see me—really see me. And then gradually, you stopped. Isn't that right?" Dagur's grin turned menacing, showing too many teeth. 

"At fourteen, something inside me snapped. I could no longer endure being nothing to everyone—my tribe, my father, and especially you... you who had stopped merely ignoring me. You were dismissing me entirely. The solution was obvious—claim the chief's seat and force everyone to see my worth. And I did exactly that. Using thoroughly... gentle methods."

Sigrid's expression grew more troubled with every sentence. The explanation was collapsing into pure madness before his eyes. The beginning had been twisted but understandable—now it was just madness. How did a mind reach such deranged conclusions? But Dagur seemed blind to his listener's bewilderment, continuing his fevered explanation.

"So I returned to Berk as a chief. I thought surely, even you couldn't ignore a chief. But you were exactly the same! To you, I was still just... nobody. Isn't that hilarious? I was no longer that weak little boy, I was the leader of an entire tribe, and yet!"

His voice cracked with mounting rage before he suddenly forced himself to calm down again. "That's when I realized I needed to show you exactly who I am. You'd have to see me up close to finally acknowledge me. If I crushed Berk beneath my heel and forced you to watch as I displayed my absolute power, then perhaps—finally—you would see me for who I truly am. That's why I've wanted you all this time. Do you understand now?"

Sigrid understood absolutely nothing. He'd given up trying to follow Dagur's logic halfway through. It appeared Dagur's inherent madness and extreme personality had created this entire situation. Even accounting for the chronic neglect and harsh environment, this was far beyond any reasonable response.

The most disturbing part wasn't just the twisted reasoning—it was that Dagur truly, deeply believed every word of it.

"Well, anyway. We've almost reached our destination. First time visiting Berserker Island? Your little Hiccup or Berk's chief won't be able to find this place. My island has very strong defenses. Not a single dragon comes here. You'll have to get used to your new home for a while."

At Dagur's words, Sigrid's expression grew serious. Berserker Island was far from Berk. He'd never made the trip himself, but the memory of Stoick requiring an overnight stay during his visit was proof enough of the considerable distance. Plus, Dagur's mention of no dragons meant he'd have to fly out on his own when escaping. He wasn't sure if he could fly away without being spotted.

"Once we arrive, we'll have plenty of time to talk. About that 'curse' of yours as well. It's always puzzled me. What kind of curse would give someone such... unusual eyes? My curiosity has been eating at me for years." Just as Dagur giggled while looking at Sigrid's stern face, chaos erupted outside. Dragon sounds could be heard faintly in the distance, along with soldiers moving quickly and shouting. Moments later, Savage hurried below deck.

"Chief! We're under attack! A dragon and Berk's chief have caught up! The ship is being attacked by dragons right now!" At Savage's urgent words, Dagur's face contorted as he immediately stood up, locked the cell door again, and quickly went upstairs. This was the perfect chance to escape.

Sigrid immediately shifted his right hand into a dragon's claw. He grabbed the chain connected to the floor and applied force, shattering the chain in his grip. The shackle around his ankle remained, but he could break that later. He stood up right away, grabbed the cage door, and pushed with force. With a creaking sound, the door fell along with its hinges.

After shifting back to human hands, Sigrid left the cage and called for a dragon to identify which one it was. After a moment, a familiar response came back. It was the Nadder who often carried Sigrid. Sigrid grinned and immediately went up to the deck. It appeared the Nadder had brought Stoick.

The deck erupted into chaos before his eyes—flames consuming the ship while soldiers scattered in panic. Among the soldiers, Stoick carved through enemies with his axe as the Nadder launched deadly spikes, impaling anyone who dared approach. When Sigrid called to the Nadder, he immediately lifted his head and rushed toward Sigrid.

Sigrid was happy to see the Nadder, but time was urgent. According to Dagur, they would soon arrive at Berserker Island, and escape would be nearly impossible once they reached there. Sigrid climbed onto the Nadder's back, and the dragon shot a spike into an approaching soldier's leg and immediately took flight.

When Sigrid pointed to Stoick, who was swinging his axe frantically among the soldiers, the Nadder flew there. The moment Sigrid shouted Stoick's name and their eyes met, the Nadder grabbed Stoick's shoulder and flew into the sky. Behind them, they could hear catapult stones flying, but not a single one hit them. They had finally escaped.

When they thought they'd reached a safe distance, Sigrid exhaled deeply and landed with the Nadder on a small island visible below. He couldn't keep traveling with Stoick hanging from the Nadder's legs. As soon as Stoick's feet touched the ground, he looked up at Sigrid and extended his hand. Sigrid took that hand and got off the Nadder.

"By Thor, Sigrid—are you all right? Are you hurt anywhere?" Stoick urgently examined Sigrid's condition and frowned when he saw the bandage around his neck. "Who did this? I need an explanation."

The sloppily wrapped bandage had loosened during the sudden movement, unraveling to expose the wound beneath. As Stoick's large hands worked carefully to rewrap it, Sigrid began explaining.

"It was Dagur. He was waiting for me on the island I regularly visit. Someone must have told him my routine. I don't know who. He didn't intend to kill me—otherwise, why treat my wounds? Though the medical skill was poor." Sigrid spoke somewhat jokingly, but Stoick remained serious. "I'm glad you came to rescue me though. How did you follow me? It wouldn't have been easy to find my location in the middle of the sea."

"That lad brought back your bag. When I told him to follow your scent, he flew straight here. We got lost partway through, but I remembered there was a Berserker island in the area, so we came this way. Luckily my instincts were right."

"Perfect timing. Thank you, Stoick. If I'd reached Berserker Island, it really would have been impossible to escape."

"You're not going anywhere alone anymore. I won't hear any arguments about handling things yourself. I should have seen this coming—I knew you were Dagur's target, but I underestimated his obsession."

"How is this your fault? It was my fault for being careless. If I hadn't let my guard down, this wouldn't have happened. You didn't need to worry so much." Sigrid's protests fell on deaf ears—Stoick's resolve was iron-clad. There was no point in arguing when his friend was this determined, so Sigrid chose to bide his time. Once he proved later that traveling alone was safe, everything would return to normal.

After a brief rest, both climbed back onto the Nadder. At least everything had worked out well, which was fortunate. Overjoyed at finding Sigrid, the Nadder took off with reckless enthusiasm, flying so erratically that Stoick, seated behind, nearly tumbled from its back. When Sigrid laughed loudly and told him to hold on properly, Stoick smiled awkwardly and grabbed Sigrid's waist securely.

The tension he'd maintained began to ease, allowing his body to relax. The wounds would heal completely if he rested and slept for a few more days. Since Dagur's threat would continue for a while, it would be best not to leave Berk for some time. He needed to find out how Dagur knew he would be on that island—where that information had leaked from. He couldn't know for certain now, but he had to find out somehow.

The passing sea breeze was cold and refreshing. It was enough to briefly clear his head of troubling thoughts.

Chapter Text

Sigrid was in a rather frustrating state right now. First, he hadn't been able to leave Berk for two weeks. He had thought Stoick's new rule about only going outside together would disappear after about three days. But it didn't. The reason Sigrid ventured out alone—even when Johann could provide the herbs he needed—was simple: only in the wilderness, away from all humans, could he at least release some of the strain from holding his human form. If Stoick came along, there was no point in going. He would have to be more careful and more tense, so there was nothing good about it.

And Sigrid was confident he wouldn't fall for such an attack again. He had been dragged away because he was too careless. Now that he knew Dagur's methods, he wouldn't fall for the same attack. But no matter how much he tried to convince Stoick that it would be fine, it was useless. Stoick was very firm. Either go with him or just stay here.

Stoick's temper had gotten much worse lately. His patience ran out easily and he got angry quickly. Things had been steadily worsening for two weeks, and recently had become quite serious. The people of Berk now walked on eggshells around Stoick. Sigrid was the only person on Berk who could rein in Stoick's temper, if only for a moment. So naturally, desperate villagers flocked to his healing hut, pleading with him to do something about their chief.

Because of this, Sigrid had to stick by Stoick's side almost all day long. He'd only just managed to stop Stoick from tearing into Sven about the weapons being out of place. Poor Sven shot Sigrid a desperate look of gratitude and practically fled. This was the fifth time just this week that Stoick had berated Sven over weapon organization. Worse yet, Stoick himself had taught him how to organize them, but now he kept insisting it was all wrong. Something was definitely off.

"What's going on with you, Stoick? Yesterday—I heard you myself—you told Sven to organize by length, not deadliness. You've been on his case about this all week. Don't you see the problem here?" When Sigrid crossed his arms and glared up at Stoick, Stoick looked embarrassed and couldn't answer.

"Did I... do that? I can't remember."

"Stoick, you've been snapping at everyone for two weeks straight. When are you going to tell me what's wrong? People are literally coming to me asking if I can do something about your mood."

Stoick coughed a few times and put down the mace he was holding. He looked quite embarrassed.

"It's just... the Berserkers won't leave us alone. They keep circling Berk like vultures, never attacking but always there. And after what happened to you... there's so much to worry about."

As Stoick said, the Berserker tribe's ships had been approaching Berk's coast lately. They didn't come very close, just close enough to be visible, then left after a while. The tension had everyone wound tight: the dragons along the coast, Stoick, and Sigrid as well. The dragons' constant alarm calls and the general commotion were giving Sigrid splitting headaches.

Walking outside the armory with Stoick, no villagers were visible, probably to avoid Stoick's anger. As Sigrid trudged along with a heavy sigh, Gobber came up to them. Having been picked apart by Stoick over ridiculous things these past few days, Gobber was now walking on eggshells around him.

"Hey Stoick, Sigrid. I'm going to check on the kids for a while. They said they need my help."

"Dragon Edge? What are you going there for? I heard construction isn't finished yet."

Contrary to Hiccup's promise to wait just one more week, construction at Dragon Edge was being delayed considerably. It seemed like there were things Hiccup couldn't handle on his own and needed Gobber's help. As Sigrid expected, Gobber said he was going because they needed to build something at Dragon Edge. The thought of a temporary reprieve from this minefield that Berk had become—where triggering Stoick's temper meant facing his wrath—clearly pleased Gobber.

According to the map Hiccup had drawn, it would take Gobber more than a day to get there by ship. Sigrid thought for a moment, then made a small clicking sound with his tongue. Soon, a Gronckle flew over and sat next to Sigrid.

"Gobber, how about riding this one? It would take a full day by ship. I'll tell this one the route, so you just need to sit and go."

"Is that actually possible? That would be amazing if it works. It's such a long journey by ship. This dragon won't just drop me into the ocean halfway there, right?"

"Absolutely not. If you can find a spare Gronckle saddle, use that—it'll be much more comfortable. Make sure to tell me all about Dragon's Edge when you return. I'd love to visit, but Hiccup never invites me."

"Alright, got it. I'll be back soon. And Sigrid..." Gobber came close to Sigrid and whispered enough that Stoick couldn't hear. "Please help control that guy's temper. You must be having a hard time too." Sigrid smiled as if resigned at his words.

Watching Gobber's retreating figure heading to the forge with the Gronckle, Sigrid sighed deeply to himself. Even though Gronckles were a bit slow, they could reach Edge in half a day. Gobber would definitely tell Hiccup about Stoick's strange condition, and Hiccup would surely come to Berk. Sigrid thought one of the reasons for Stoick's fiery temper was Hiccup, who hadn't visited Berk in two weeks. It would be fortunate if Hiccup's visit improved things, but it would also be problematic if things stayed the same even after his visit.

"Well then, shall we get back to work? Don't you need to return to the healing hut? You've been shadowing me constantly these days." Sigrid silently answered the question. 'I can't go back. Because of you.' Sigrid swallowed the words that had risen to his throat.

"It's fine. No one's been coming to the healing hut lately. I'll just help with your work."

And Sigrid stopped him from yelling at Gothi about why she had plowed the field like that, about the sheep and yaks being in one place in the pasture, and basically from getting angry and nitpicking about all sorts of things. It would be better not to work at all than to do this. Eventually, Sigrid dragged Stoick to the empty arena.

After Hiccup and the kids left, the arena was barely used by anyone. It had become mostly Stoick's space, with maintained Thornado's saddles on one side and weapons Stoick had used for training scattered around. It seemed better to bring him here so he wouldn't encounter anyone.

"Stoick, why do you keep snapping at everyone? Maybe you should blow off some steam here with the axes before heading back to work. People are walking on eggshells because of your outbursts." Following Sigrid's criticism, Stoick snatched up a hand axe and threw it at the target. It missed completely.

"I'm frustrated as hell. Nothing's working out for me lately. Those bloody Berserkers are driving me insane. Sure, it's good that we have dragons protecting our shores, but they're going to attack eventually. Since we can't make the first move, all we can do is wait and watch." Stoick threw the second axe with force. This one also missed.

"That doesn't mean you should yell at innocent people. I'm frustrated too, but I'm just enduring it. Speaking of frustration, when will I finally be able to go outside Berk alone? I told you I'm really fine."

"How many times do I have to tell you? That's absolutely not allowed. You're welcome to accompany me, so why this obsession with going solo? Dagur clearly has you in his sights." Stoick answered in a hard voice and threw the third axe. It missed spectacularly.

"Why can't I go alone? I was careless that time, and I said I'm confident I can handle it next time. Don't you trust me?"

"Look, I trust you with my life—that's not what this is about. I'm just... I'm worried, okay? I remember how well you handled yourself when we sparred—you're definitely stronger than I expected. But that's impressive by healer standards, not Viking ones."

Sigrid rubbed the back of his neck in this truly frustrating situation. It seemed like he would have to show Stoick through actions, not words, to convince him. Sigrid took off his robe and hung it on the weapon rack, then tied his hair with a string from his robe pocket. If he showed again that he was quite strong, that stubborn attitude would break.

"How about we make a bet then? Let's spar again—just you and me. If I can beat you, that proves I'm strong enough to handle myself out there. Deal?" Sigrid snatched up two iron swords as he had done previously and offered one to Stoick. Stoick's eyebrows shot up at the sudden sparring proposal, but a grin soon spread across his face.

"You actually believe you can defeat me? You failed last time, remember?" Stoick moved to a cleared area with plenty of room. "You lose, the deal's off. Are we clear?"

"Last time the sword broke. This time I'll go to the end even if it breaks, so be prepared." Thanks to recent fights with Berserker soldiers, Sigrid's senses were sharper than before. It would be good to win decisively now using a little trickery for later.

As Sigrid assumed his fighting stance, Stoick raised his sword in response. After a tense moment of sizing each other up, Sigrid made the first move with an aggressive downward strike. Feeling the fierce intensity of Sigrid's improved attacks, Stoick abandoned any pretense of holding back. He might have been the slower fighter, but his counterstrikes hit like a sledgehammer.

But there was one problem here. For Sigrid to attack Stoick more aggressively, at least one attack needed to graze him, but perhaps because of the injury from their previous duel, Stoick's sword was only striking Sigrid's sword. There was no timing for an attack to graze anywhere. After clashing swords a few more times, Sigrid frowned and stepped back momentarily.

"Why aren't you attacking? I know you're only aiming for my sword right now." Sigrid caught his breath and looked at Stoick.

"You're not attacking me either! Right?"

"When have you ever held back in a fight before? You and Spitelout used to go at each other like your lives depended on it, so why the kid gloves with me? Fight me for real!" At Sigrid's words, Stoick hesitated briefly, then nodded as if he understood. Finally, it looked like there would be a decent fight.

A blade quickly flew toward Sigrid's left arm. Sigrid quickly brought his sword there to block the attack. To avoid Stoick's suspicion, he needed to naturally take one attack. During their sword fight, finally one attack grazed Sigrid's arm. With slight pain, Sigrid smiled darkly. Now he had a chance to win.

Sigrid grabbed his sword with both hands and brought it crashing down on Stoick's blade. Knowing he couldn't match Stoick's brute force, he used the clash as cover to circle around behind him. Then he kicked the back of Stoick's knee. Hand-to-hand combat was more comfortable for Sigrid than this kind of sword fighting. At the unexpected blow, Stoick's posture momentarily faltered.

"What?! Since when do you kick in a sword fight?!" Stoick yelled, bewildered.

"We should fight like it's real, shouldn't we?" Sigrid continued swinging his sword without giving Stoick time to regain his collapsed posture. It was a bit unfair, but it couldn't be helped. Fighting was originally unfair anyway.

After more heated combat, as Stoick wavered on unsteady legs, Sigrid hooked his foot behind Stoick's ankle and sent him crashing down. With his blade hovering over the downed chief, Sigrid gasped for air and smiled triumphantly. The win wasn't pretty, but it counted.

"I did it, right? I won our bet—proved I'm strong enough. You have to admit it." Sigrid panted heavily, staring down at the fallen chief. Stoick just gaped up at him, apparently speechless.

"A bet? What bet exactly?" Suddenly, a third party's voice was heard. Both Sigrid and Stoick were surprised and looked to the side to see Hiccup and Toothless watching. They hadn't even noticed when they had come in to watch.

"Hiccup?! What—how long have you been here? When did you arrive?" Sigrid was startled and put his sword on the ground before approaching Hiccup. Stoick also got up and walked toward them.

"Uh... right about when you guys were, well, really getting into it...? I didn't want to butt in, so I just stood here. But seriously, what bet was worth dueling over?"

"It's... nothing much. But why are you here? Weren't you busy with Dragon Edge construction? You even called Gobber."

Sigrid didn't really want to tell Hiccup about being dragged away by the Berserker tribe. It had happened because he was careless, and it wouldn't happen again. Because Sigrid didn't explain, Hiccup looked at Stoick, but since Stoick didn't say anything either, he gave up on getting an answer.

"Truth is, I need your help, not Gobber's. There's this aggressive Rumblehorn at the Dragon's Edge building site that keeps attacking us and chasing off our dragons. Could you help me?"

"Of course I can help with that. Then why did you call Gobber instead of me from the beginning?"

"Well... I wanted to show you what it looked like when things were more organized. Right now the Rumblehorn has destroyed everything we built, so it's a mess. It might be more disappointing than you expected." When Hiccup spoke hesitantly, Sigrid smiled as if it was fine.

"It's okay. Whatever I see will be very exciting. Let's go together." 

As Sigrid prepared to accompany Hiccup, he paused with sudden realization. If he left Stoick alone in his current explosive mood and disappeared to Dragon's Edge, the village would probably be in flames when he got back. There was only one solution—Stoick would have to join them. 

"How about your father joins us, Hiccup? He's been so stressed and on edge recently—maybe exploring Dragon's Edge together would give him some peace of mind."

"What? Me? I'm too busy with work! I don't have time to go."

"Stop making excuses and just come with us. We're not talking about being away for days. You need a break—it'll help you work better when you get back."

Sigrid whistled long to call a Nadder. After the Nadder's constant courtship, Sigrid now only called the purple Nadder. The Nadder quickly flew into the arena and lowered its posture. Before mounting, Sigrid slipped his robe back on and untying his hair. Sigrid got on top, and Stoick got on behind him. Since it was his first time going to see Edge, Sigrid's heart was excited.

The appearance of Edge they arrived at was quite messy. Debris was scattered everywhere, and on one side a huge wall was built with stones and pillars. The kids seemed happy to see Sigrid after a long time, but they all looked quite tired somewhere.

"Kids, long time no see. Was the dragon problem Hiccup told me about quite serious?"

"That's right. It's been two weeks of this nonsense, and we haven't been able to build a thing. And to make matters worse, there was a bit of an... accident when Gobber showed up earlier." Astrid pointed to a corner of the bushes. There, Gobber was chasing a chicken, looking somewhat out of it. "Earlier, the Rumblehorn rammed into the wall and some stones fell. Gobber's been like that since one of them hit his head."

"Ah, I see. Hiccup, the dragon thing can wait a bit. Let me look after Gobber first—head injuries are nothing to mess around with. You two go have a look around together."

At Sigrid's words, Hiccup and Stoick got on Toothless and flew away. Looking around, there were many half-built structures. Sigrid caught Gobber by the shoulder while he was stumbling chaotically through the bushes and helped him sit down beneath a half-finished building. Looking carefully, it was just a simple concussion. At this level, he would be completely fine when he woke up after a nap. After confirming no one was watching, Sigrid lightly touched Gobber's neck with his finger and created electricity. Looking at Gobber, who instantly fainted, Sigrid smiled.

"So kids, do you know why this dragon is acting like this? You've been watching for two weeks."

"Not at all. We didn't even know that dragon was here. Hiccup tried to train it many times, but it really wouldn't listen. At first it only tried to chase away the dragons, but now it's doing the same to us." Snotlout rubbed his tired face as he spoke.

As Sigrid was thinking, a very faint vibration was felt from the ground. The source of the vibration was from very far under the sea. Sigrid suddenly lifted his head, his eyes scanning the far horizon. His dragon instincts picked up something threatening. He had the unsettling feeling that an earthquake was coming. If it's an earthquake starting from that far out at sea, the waves will be very high. Like those waves from back then.

Forgotten memories flashed through Sigrid's mind in an instant. They were too fast to know what they were, but only the emotions he had felt then overwhelmed Sigrid. As he stared blankly at the distant sea, lost in memories, someone grabbed his shoulder. Sigrid flinched and roughly pulled away from the grip on his shoulder. When he looked over, Snotlout was gaping at him in complete surprise. For a brief moment, panic flickered through Sigrid.

"S-Snotlout? I'm so sorry. Did I hurt you?" Sigrid gently grasped the hand he had just shoved away and inspected it for any injury. If he'd lost control of his strength from being startled, he could have broken bones. "Sorry, you startled me. I didn’t mean to hurt you."

"No, I'm fine... you suddenly went quiet and stared out at the sea like you'd seen something. I was just checking if everything was alright. I'm perfectly fine, by the way."

The kids nearby also turned to look, surprised by Sigrid's sudden reaction. While Sigrid was apologizing, Stoick and Hiccup returned. They looked a bit battered, leaving everyone to wonder what they had run into.

"What's wrong? Why is everyone acting so strange? Did I miss something?" Hiccup slid off Toothless and looked around at the group, but they all just stared at Snotlout and Sigrid.

"Nothing much happened. I was just looking at the sea." Snotlout casually pulled his hand back and said, "So, did you find that dragon? You seemed to be looking around for quite a while."

"We found it. Dad even fought with the Rumblehorn. But we weren't chasing that dragon; we were being chased." Hiccup pointed to Stoick getting down from Toothless. Stoick looked a bit tired but very pleased.

"That dragon’s strength is tremendous. I like it" Stoick laughed heartily.

Sigrid motioned for Hiccup to speak with him in private. A moment later, Hiccup slipped away, and Sigrid silently followed. He needed to tell Hiccup what he had discovered.

"Hiccup, I think a huge wave is coming. I think it will cover this island. We should either leave here for a while, or think of a way to block the wave." When Sigrid spoke quietly, Hiccup came close to Sigrid. "The dragon was probably trying to warn everyone about this danger too. If it only realized humans had started building here two weeks ago, and became territorial then, it's probably just being protective, not murderous. If it really wanted to hurt someone, it would have done so immediately."

"Ah, I get it now. That explains why your scales didn’t hold." Hiccup thought for a moment. "The wall Gobber built earlier would be perfect for blocking waves. We should check its condition just in case."

As they talked, another tremor shook the ground. This time the vibration was strong enough for Hiccup to feel too. At that moment, the Rumblehorn burst out of the forest and roared. Everyone turned toward the Rumblehorn. When the Rumblehorn stopped roaring after making eye contact with Sigrid, it closed its mouth. Taking advantage of this, Hiccup shouted to everyone.

"Everybody, mount up!" At Hiccup's command, everyone got on dragons and rose into the sky. Sigrid also quickly got on the Nadder and had the Nadder grab the unconscious Gobber.

"Look over there! A huge wave is coming! The Rumblehorn wanted to warn about that! It was trying to protect us!" At Hiccup's words, the Rumblehorn made a sound as if agreeing.

Gobber’s wall stood there, but the wave was higher than expected. At the sight, Stoick suddenly leapt off Toothless and onto the Rumblehorn’s back. The Rumblehorn was briefly confused, but as soon as it confirmed it was Stoick on its back, it became docile. When they said they had fought earlier, there must have been some kind of connection.

Stoick made the Rumblehorn blast the base of a nearby sea stack, then ram it to raise the wall’s height. Fortunately, the high waves didn't come over the wall. Sigrid watched from above as the massive wave crashed against the Edge’s wall. He felt uneasy, but when nothing happened, he let out a quiet sigh.

After everything was over, Stoick decided to return to Berk with that Rumblehorn. The Rumblehorn didn't refuse the decision either. The Rumblehorn got a new name: Skullcrusher.

Stoick’s quick temper had eased. He had found something to focus on besides his duties, reunited with the son he longed to see, and—having missed Thornado—had bonded with a new dragon. Now if he returned to Berk in this state, he wouldn't yell at just anyone. It was fortunate that peace had returned.If he returned to Berk like this, he wouldn’t yell at just anyone. Thankfully, peace had returned.

Chapter Text

"Hiccup, is the Dragon's Edge construction finished? When are you going to officially invite me?" Sigrid asked with a smile as he watched Hiccup pack his belongings. Hiccup and the kids were gathering what they needed to take from Berk. Once they finished packing, they would return to the Edge.

"Trust me, Sigrid. Really, there's not much left. You'll get an official invitation soon." Hiccup said as he packed tools into Toothless's saddlebag. He then moved closer and lowered his voice to a whisper. "And I secretly built a small cabin on the far side of the island. You can land there first when you come—nobody will suspect anything."

"Thanks. I'll check it out the next time I go by myself." Sigrid smiled warmly and shifted his gaze toward Fishlegs. "Fishlegs! That's way too much for Meatlug to handle alone. Why don't you take just one basket this time?"

Fishlegs had strapped two baskets full of rocks onto Meatlug. When Sigrid spoke, Fishlegs smiled sheepishly and untied one of the baskets. While talking with the kids, Stoick, Bucket, and Mulch walked over from the distance. Stoick looked angry for some reason.

"Which one of the usual suspects was out sinking boats on their dragon this morning? I have my suspicions." Stoick crossed his arms and asked in an angry tone. His words left everyone confused.

"Sinking boats?"

"Bucket and Mulch saw the whole thing. And don't try convincing me that there's anyone else in the archipelago who could pull something like this off!" Stoick glared at each of the kids with piercing eyes. "Well? I'm waiting."

"Stoick, what do you mean? These kids have been with me the whole time, along with their dragons." When Sigrid defended them, the kids nodded with wronged expressions. Stoick's face grew more serious at Sigrid's words.

"Well then. If you're telling the truth, we've got an even more serious issue on our hands. There's another dragon rider somewhere—someone we don't know about."

"Not good, not good at all." Fishlegs muttered anxiously. An unknown dragon rider was bad enough, but an aggressive rider attacking ships was even worse.

"No. We just need to find out who is it that rider. Since we ride dragons too, we should be able to find them quickly." Hiccup mounted Toothless in one smooth motion. "Okay, gang, let's spread out!" At Hiccup's words, everyone mounted their dragons and scattered.

"This worries me. A new dragon rider could mean we're facing another aggressive force." Upon hearing Sigrid's words, Stoick let out a weary sigh and rubbed his temples.

"Exactly. It seems like enemies keep piling up while our allies disappear one by one. Truly problematic." Stoick's expression grew heavy with concern.

Hiccup soared through the skies with his gang, scouring the area for the ship struck by the rogue dragon rider. The wrecked vessel and debris scattered everywhere showed how violent the attack had been. Tracing his fingers along the deep gashes, Hiccup shouted.

"Look at this deep gash. Any thoughts on what made it?"

"This dragon is extremely powerful. It has the slashing attack of a Speed Stinger yet from the depth of the strikes it appears to be as strong as a Typhoomerang. Yeah..." Fishlegs spoke at breakneck speed. He was clearly nervous about the situation.

"Let's hope that dragon rider has nothing to do with the Berserker tribe. That would make things so much worse." Hiccup looked up at the twins, Snotlout, and Astrid who were examining the stern of the vessel. "You guys, have you found anything else?"

"This ship has been stripped of everything valuable." Astrid kicked the remains of a wooden crate rolling on the floor.

"I found something, but Tuffnut's hiding it behind his back." When Snotlout ratted him out, both Tuffnut and Ruffnut gave him death stares. Hiccup extended his left hand with a serious look, and Tuffnut reluctantly revealed what he'd been hiding.

"A barb!" Fishlegs gasped in shock. In Tuffnut's palm lay a spike like Stormfly's, but this one shimmered with a silver gleam. Hiccup reached for the spike to take it from Tuffnut, but Tuffnut gripped it tightly.

"Tuff."

"Alright, fine, but just look at it and then give it back, okay?" Tuffnut giggled and finally let go.

Hiccup was able to study the spike in detail. It gleamed in the sunlight like polished metal. The point was extremely sharp—even a slight touch could draw blood. If riding a Sharp Class dragon like Stormfly and firing spikes like these for attacks, it would be very dangerous. Hiccup passed the spike back to Tuffnut. Tuffnut leaped about joyfully, spike in hand, and almost turned Ruffnut into a pincushion.

"Alright, guys. Let's head back to Berk. We might be able to figure out what kind of dragon this is from the Book of Dragons or the Dragon Eye. And Fishlegs, since Bucket and Mulch saw the dragon, could you draw it based on their description?" Fishlegs nodded in agreement.

Hiccup and his gang returned to Berk, gathering in the Great Hall. Soon, Fishlegs came with a drawing based on Bucket's description. The dragon painted on the shield showed a dragon unlike any they'd seen before.

"I've never seen anything like this in Book of Dragons or Bork's papers." Fishlegs observed while studying the shield intently. The wooden table was cluttered with the Book of Dragons and scattered papers.

"Yeah, I guess we'll have to use this." Hiccup held up the Dragon Eye. "So, I'm thinking, since Stormfly is also a Sharp Class..."

"Her magnesium blast could possibly illuminate some information about this new dragon."

Hiccup piled up several books to angle the Dragon Eye so its light would cast clearly on the wall. But when it wouldn't stay put and kept shifting around, Astrid swept the books aside and drove two daggers into the floor, resting the Dragon Eye on top of them. Now it was perfectly stable.

"Stormfly, easy now. Just enough to light it up." As Stormfly's orange fire lit the Dragon Eye, detailed patterns and drawings appeared clearly on the Great Hall walls.

Hiccup turned the Dragon Eye's lens, searching for a dragon similar to the drawing they'd seen. After the Deadly Nadder and Speed Stinger, an image of the dragon they were looking for appeared.

"That's it! It's called a Razorwhip." Hiccup pointed excitedly at the images on the wall. "Okay, Fishlegs, do your thing."

"Okay. Razorwhip. Sharp Class dragon. Long, spiny, barbed tail." Fishlegs walked to the wall and began speaking enthusiastically. "Very aggressive. Very dangerous."

"Yeah, yeah we already know that. Tell us something new." Ruffnut groaned from where she lay on the floor behind them, clearly bored out of her mind. Fishlegs looked over at her briefly and pressed on.

"Continuing on, this symbol indicates that it can use its tail to wrap around a victim and literally squeeze the life out of them. Unless it's in a hurry. Then it just slices you in half."

"Fishlegs, is there anything about this dragon that won't kill us?"

"What about going for its eyes? I mean, there can't be any dragon without vulnerable eyes." Snotlout suggested, but Fishlegs shook his head.

"No. Poisonous tears."

"Poisonous! I love it!" Tuffnut shouted excitedly from behind.

"Yeah. Poison's fantastic." Hiccup glanced slightly at Tuffnut. "Fishlegs, is there anything that might help us locate it?"

"Top speed, mating rituals, oral hygiene, feeding habits..."

"Wow, wow, wow, wait. Go back to that one."

"Oral hygiene?"

"No! Feeding habits. If we can figure out what this thing eats, then we might figure out where it eats." At Hiccup's words, Fishlegs read that section more carefully and let out an exclamation.

"Sea slugs! It eats sea slugs."

"We've come across a few islands out there that are just crawling with sea slugs. Hopefully, our Razorwhip's feeling hungry."

"And hungry for sea slugs, not Vikings." Astrid looked worried as she petted Stormfly.

"Fishlegs, is there any language you can't read? If so, I'll call Sigrid." At Hiccup's words, Fishlegs stepped back two paces and examined everything once more, carefully.

"Nah, nothing like that. There are some parts I don't understand the meaning of, but they don't seem very important. Good thing I learned this language before." 

"I see. Then let's get going quickly. The sooner we find it, the better!" Hiccup packed the Dragon Eye into Toothless's saddlebag and they all rushed outside together.

Hiccup and his gang searched the islands inhabited by sea slugs, but found no sign of the dragon or rider.After five failed attempts, they headed toward their sixth new island. While everyone was getting tired from the continued failures, Fishlegs deliberately raised his voice and shouted.

"I have a good feeling about this island."

"You know that's the fifth time you've said that?"

"It's not my fault." At Fishlegs' disgruntled voice, Snotlout giggled.

"Hiccup, what's our plan when we actually find this rider? If they're hostile enough to attack vessels, we could be their next target."

"Well, we'll have to meet them to know. You never know? Maybe they'll be friendly to fellow riders."

"What if Dagur's riding it?" At Astrid's words, Hiccup thought briefly. 

"We'll have to attack if necessary. We can't just let ourselves be attacked."

Hiccup pulled out his spyglass and looked at the island. Smoke was rising from somewhere on the island. It was clearly a sign of human presence. "Guys, look! Smoke!"

"It's a campfire. There's definitely someone there!" The group sped up and flew to the island.

When they reached where the smoke was rising, they found an extinguished campfire and several wooden crates. Landing their dragons and getting closer, they saw the rocks nearby had the same deep scratches they'd seen on the ship. The dragon and rider were definitely staying here.

"Alright, gang, let's split up and search the island for our rogue rider and his Razorwhip. Fishlegs, you and Meatlug stay here, signal if they come back."

"You got it. Be careful exploring. I don't want to see my friends slice in half." Fishlegs hugged Meatlug worriedly.

While exploring the island after splitting up with his gang, Hiccup entered a high valley. Then suddenly, Toothless stopped as if something was ahead.

"What is it, bud?" When Hiccup petted Toothless's head and looked ahead, he found what they were looking for.A Razorwhip with someone in a hood on its back—he couldn't tell who it was. "Nice work, Toothless! Let's get them"

Moving slowly and silently, Hiccup and Toothless went unnoticed—until the Razorwhip spotted them and roared with fury. Realizing from the noise that someone was nearby, the rider bolted away at full speed in the opposite direction. 

The Razorwhip whipped its barbed tail, knocking down trees and sending debris tumbling through the valley. Broken branches and rocks rained down, leaving no room to breathe. Toothless twisted mid-air, dodging the falling hazards and firing bursts of plasma to block the tumbling debris.

"Wow, that dragon's speed is incredible! The rider's skills are high-level too." Hiccup shouted, narrowly avoiding a flying boulder. The Razorwhip veered sharply, slamming into a cliffside to hurl more rocks toward them. "But we need to show we can do better. Right, bud?" Toothless roared loudly in agreement.

As they weaved through the narrow stone cliffs, the Razorwhip whipped its tail viciously, sending boulders crashing down toward them. Toothless twisted midair, narrowly dodging jagged rocks while keeping the chase relentless. For a fleeting moment, the Razorwhip vanished around a sharp bend—only to double back and barrel straight toward them. Hiccup barely registered the hooded rider before noticing a massive tree, wrapped tightly in the Razorwhip’s tail, hurtling directly at them.

"Toothless, look out!" Hiccup shouted. 

In perfect sync, Toothless folded his wings, rolled his body mid-spin, and fired a rapid burst of blast shots. The tree shattered into pieces, fortunately not hitting them. "Wow, good thing We learned this from Sigrid before." Hiccup grinned through the adrenaline. "Let's go again, bud. We need to keep chasing."

Hiccup and Toothless changed direction and continued chasing the Razorwhip and rider. They fired several blast shots to threaten rogue rider. Hiccup waited for the perfect moment, then signaled Toothless. The plasma shot ricocheted off a cliff face, striking the Razorwhip with precision. The rider was thrown violently from the saddle, hitting the ground hard and lying still for a tense moment, dazed from the impact. Taking advantage of this gap, Hiccup quickly descended.

The rider hurried to climb onto the Razorwhip's back to escape, while Toothless landed nearby and bared his teeth in warning.

"Hey! I wouldn't do that if I were you."

At Hiccup's threat, the rider hesitated while trying to mount and finally gave up. The Razorwhip wrapped the rider with its tail protectively, growling and making threatening sounds.

"I wouldn't, either," a girl's voice said, surprising Hiccup. The rider slowly calmed the Razorwhip, then turned and pulled back the hood—revealing a very familiar face.

"Heather?" Hiccup walked toward Heather in surprise. The Razorwhip growled threateningly from behind as Hiccup stepped forward, but Heather gently stroked its snout to calm it.

"It's okay. This is the friend I told you about before. He's not dangerous." After calming the Razorwhip again, Heather looked at Hiccup. "This dragon's name is Windshear. Want to say hello?" Heather extended her hand as if asking for Hiccup's hand.

"Wow, really magnificent. Looks like it's wearing armor." When Hiccup offered his left hand, Heather took it and placed it on Windshear's snout. Unlike Toothless, it felt colder.

Windshear stared intently at Hiccup, then suddenly pressed her snout against Hiccup's chest. She seemed to be sniffing carefully. It was probably because of the necklace made from Sigrid's scales, so Hiccup smiled at Windshear and looked down. But the necklace he thought was hidden inside his clothes was visible outside. It seemed the necklace had slipped out during the intense flight.

"Oh no." Hiccup panicked slightly and quickly looked at Heather. Heather was staring very closely at the scale hanging around Hiccup's neck.

"I haven't seen that necklace before. Is it made from dragon scales? Can I look closer?" Heather approached and came near Hiccup. It was probably too late to hide it now.

"Uh... you can look. But it's nothing special. Really." Hiccup unfastened the necklace and handed it to Heather. Heather held the scale up to the sunlight and observed it carefully.

"That's not Toothless's scale—the black is deeper, darker, and glossier. Whose scale is this?"

"Well… Sigrid gave it to me, so I don't really know...?" Hiccup mumbled awkwardly, while Heather stared at him, her eyes filled with uncertainty.

"Come to think of it, Hiccup, when I visited Berk last time, I saw the Book of Dragons. All those drawings and descriptions—did you draw them all yourself?" At Heather's sudden question, Hiccup nodded. "Then that scroll that came along with them—it must be your work too, isn't it?"

Hiccup's eyes widened in surprise as he realized which scroll Heather meant. When Heather visited, she saw a scroll about Sigrid and the Ancient Dragons in the same place as the Book of Dragons. The scroll had been relocated, now filled with additional content spanning several pages. If Heather knew about it, she must also know who Sigrid really is.

"You… you mean…?" Hiccup stuttered, and Heather's smile and nod confirmed it.

"Yes. I know Sigrid's secret too—that he's a dragon. This scale… it's his, isn't it?"

Hiccup was shocked by this fact, which probably explains why Sigrid had suddenly suggested moving the scroll to a new hiding spot. Because he'd already been discovered once! When Hiccup couldn't speak from the tremendous shock, Heather looked flustered.

"Hiccup, are you okay? You didn't know? I thought Sigrid would have told you."

"No... I had no idea. Why didn't he tell me?" Hiccup made up his mind to ask Sigrid about it as soon as he got back to Berk.

"By the way, impressive. Your skills seem even sharper than when I saw you three years ago. Well, I didn't really get a proper look back then." When Heather handed the necklace back to Hiccup, he put it around his neck again and hid it well inside his clothes.

"I practiced a lot. By the way, what about the others? My friends came here too." When Hiccup mentioned the others, Heather's expression became awkward.

"Um... actually, I... kind of trapped them. I didn't want to be discovered and didn't want to attack them either... I should let them go now...?" Heather smiled sheepishly, her finger scratching her cheek in a shy little gesture.

"What?! Of course you have to let them go. Astrid's going to be angry again when she sees you." Hiccup laughed and mounted Toothless.

After three years, he met the unexpected person and uncovered truths he hadn't known. Now, the question was why Heather was hiding here, alone with her dragon. But first, he had to free his gang.

Chapter Text

"You rolled me into a river!"

"You trapped me in a cave!"

"You left me dangling in a tree!"

First Snotlout shouted, then Astrid, followed by Fishlegs. Snotlout looked like a drowned rat after his fall into the water, while Astrid appeared as though she'd just crawled out of a dust pit. Though clearly happy to see Heather, all three stood there in complete confusion by what had just happened.

"Come on, guys. Heather must have had her reasons, right?" Hiccup's eyes immediately went to Heather, seeking an explanation.

"Look. I've been living on my own out here for years and I made more than a few enemies. I didn't want you guys to be involved. I needed to send you back to Berk." Heather explained, but the gang's anger remained.

"You couldn't have just, I don't know, said that?"

"Well, I thought it would be easier to just drive you away from here," Heather said with an awkward smile at Snotlout. He let out a disbelieving laugh but said nothing more.

"Heather, whatever problems you have, whatever enemies you've made, we can help. You don't have to be out here alone anymore." Hiccup reached out to place a comforting hand on Heather's shoulder, but she shook her head and brushed it aside.

"It's okay, Hiccup. I can handle this myself. I've been doing it all along."

"Look, we have a base not far from here. Why don't you come back with us? It would be better than staying here alone."

Heather appeared to hesitate, considering the offer. Hiccup moved closer and lowered his voice. "We need to talk about Sigrid too. Why don't you come with us for a bit?"

As expected, Heather's eyes widened when Sigrid's name came up. After a moment, she nodded slightly in agreement.

"Alright, I'll stay for a short while. I'm curious to see what your base looks like anyway." At Heather's response, Astrid smiled and extended her fist. Heather bumped it with her own and laughed.

"Great. Let's head to the Edge as soon as the twins arrive. Where are they anyway?" Hiccup looked around for the twins but couldn't see them. "Toothless, call for Barf and Belch. They'll bring the twins back."

Toothless roared up at the sky, and moments later, Barf and Belch's calls echoed back from somewhere nearby. Shortly after, they arrived carrying a half-unconscious Tuffnut and a perfectly fine Ruffnut in their mouths. 

They all gathered in the Clubhouse and bombarded Heather with endless questions. They asked where she had met Windshear and what she had been doing for the past three years. Heather told them she'd found Windshear barely alive after a Typhoomerang attack and had trained her using the techniques she'd learned on Berk. 

But she hadn't answered the most pressing question. They were still baffled by why she was living alone and had even taken to attacking ships.

After the conversation with the gang ended, silence descended for a moment. Hiccup carefully approached Heather, who was now alone with Windshear. It was time to discuss matters only the two of them knew about.

"Heather? Can we talk for a bit? Somewhere more... private."

Heather immediately caught on to what Hiccup wanted to discuss. She mounted Windshear while Hiccup mounted Toothless. They quietly flew outside to a deserted beach on the island. After confirming no one else was around, they landed on the beach and began walking slowly on the sand while starting their conversation.

"I have to admit, I was caught off guard earlier. You're really different from three years ago. More... intense, I think?"

"You too. You've grown a lot taller, haven't you? You used to be about my height." Heather smiled at Hiccup. "Your friends are different too. Well, some of them are exactly the same. But Snotlout... he's become quite..."

"Mature? Yeah, we know. It's amazing how much he's changed." Heather let out a small laugh at Hiccup's comment. The Snotlout she'd spoken with earlier was completely different from the one she remembered from three years ago. Gone were his boastful and arrogant ways—he'd actually been quite respectful.

"So... what did you want to talk about? I can guess what it is though."

"First, I have to ask—what were you doing out there all this time? We only discovered you because you attacked Berk's ship. And you've been living on that barren rock for years. I'm really worried about you."

"Oh, the ship I attacked was from Berk? I didn't know. If I had known, I wouldn't have touched it. Sorry." Heather looked genuinely sorry for not knowing. But she kept avoiding answering the important question. She clearly wanted to avoid discussing it.

"Heather, you keep avoiding the question. Please, just tell me—what were you really doing out there?" At Hiccup's persistent questioning, Heather finally looked away completely. She clearly didn't want to answer.

"I'm just taking care of business, Hiccup. Nothing you need to worry about."

"Of course I'm worried. The last time I saw you, you weren't this... obsessed."

"Look, Hiccup, a lot has happened in the last few years." Heather sighed deeply and looked into Hiccup's eyes again. Her eyes showed deep fatigue. "We're not kids anymore. Everything's changed."

"I know that too, but you look really tired right now. This doesn't seem like something you can handle alone."

"The last time you saw me, I was young, weak, and couldn't do anything by myself. But now it's different. I can handle this alone." At Heather's defiant voice and unyielding stance, Hiccup realized he had to abandon his attempts at persuasion. Simple words couldn't budge such deeply rooted determination.

"I understand. But whatever it is you're going through, we can help. All of us. There's always another way."

"You're so sweet. Thank you, Hiccup." Heather gave Hiccup a warm smile. Then, as if trying to change the subject, she spoke in a deliberately brighter voice. "By the way, how's Sigrid? I haven't seen him since three years ago."

"Oh, Sigrid. He's fine now... probably. But I've been concerned about him recently. I tell him not to overdo it, but he never listens—always pushing himself beyond his limits."

"Ah... is it because of that? That..." Heather frowned slightly as if struggling to remember. "The oath. It's because of that, isn't it? I've read about it in the scrolls."

"Right, because of that oath, whenever Sigrid tries to do something, it always hurts him. I don't even understand why it's an oath. It's like some kind of curse." Hiccup kicked a stone at his feet in frustration.

"Hurts him? In what way?"

"The last time it looked serious—there was clearly stress on his heart. The pain he was in... I'm genuinely scared for him." At Hiccup's words, worry clouded Heather's face as well.

"You know, when I was undercover in Berk last time, he was such a huge help. I'd definitely call him my benefactor. God, I miss him."

"Should I call for Sigrid then? If he knows you're here, he'll fly over from Berk immediately. He's incredibly fast, so we wouldn't have to wait long. He'd be so happy to see you again." Hiccup was certain Heather would agree without hesitation. But her expression grew uncomfortable, and she gave a slow, reluctant shake of her head.

"No, not now. I need to see him only after I've completed everything I've set out to do. If I see him, I might lose my focus completely. Can you give me some time?"

"That's fine, but... are you sure you'll be okay? You said you missed him a lot."

"I'm okay for now, really. Thank you for the offer though. And... please, don't mention to Sigrid that I'm here. If you do, he'll definitely come looking for me." Hiccup agreed. He couldn't understand what kind of business would make her refuse to see even Sigrid. It seemed he would need to keep a close watch on Heather.

When night fell, Heather quietly slipped out of the guest hut and made her way to the dragon pens. Hiccup and Toothless silently followed behind her, watching what she was doing from the darkness. Heather was breaking the dragon pen locks with her dagger, jamming them so the doors couldn't open. After breaking all the locks, Heather mounted Windshear and flew out to the night sea. Toothless and Hiccup glided silently behind her without making a sound.

Tonight was a full moon, so the bright moonlight made it easy to see where Heather was going. Heather flew to an area with many sea stacks and landed on the bow of a ship hidden among them. Hiccup, hidden behind a nearby sea stack, took out his spyglass to see whom she was meeting. Soon, the person meeting with Heather turned around, revealing Johann's face.

"Okay, this is getting strange."

Soon, Heather received something and quickly left the place on Windshear. Now it was time for Hiccup to question Johann. As Toothless landed on the bow of Johann's ship, the vessel swayed dramatically. Johann, with his back turned, thought it was simply Heather coming back and remained unsuspecting.

"Miss Heather? Did you forget something? Why did you come back..." The moment Johann turned around and saw them, he jumped as if he'd encountered a specter and stumbled backward onto the deck. "BY ODIN'S BEARD! Master Hiccup! How did you get here?"

"I saw everything you were doing with Heather earlier. What kind of deal were you making with her?" When Hiccup moved in closer, Johann grew noticeably more anxious.

"I'm sorry, Master Hiccup, but I've been sworn to secrecy." Johann stood up and looked directly into Hiccup's eyes with a confident tone. "The Chief of the headhunting Asmat tribe from Papua New Guinea couldn't part these lips!"

"Really? How about Stoick the Vast of the Hooligan tribe from Berk? Do you know what trade sanctions are, Johann?" Faced with Hiccup's threatening tone, Johann shrank back in terror.

"Two words that should never be used in the same sentence?" Johann's voice was clearly smaller than before. Meanwhile, when Toothless growled once beside him, Johann was startled and almost fell over. "Right then! Where shall I begin?"

"Let's start with why Heather is out attacking the ships all by herself."

"Alright, Master Hiccup. Your intimidation skills are quite impressive. Chief Stoick and his friend would be surprised to witness this." When Johann began talking about other things, Hiccup glared at him. Seeing that look, Johann immediately cut to the point.

"I suppose it would have something to do with her entire village, including her own family, being decimated by a rather nasty group of undesirables. She's made it her personal mission to avenge her island and her family."

"By sinking and looting ships?"

"She's not looting. She's redistributing back to the victims of those horrible crimes." Johann caught his breath for a moment. "All the ships Heather attacks are vessels that attacked other tribes. The Berk ship was probably a mistake on her part. She wants to return what was taken. Of course, lost loved ones can never be replaced."

"But why? Why now? Why her?"

"Many 'whys', Master Hiccup. None of which I can address at this very moment." Johann's words drew a frustrated grunt from Hiccup, who rubbed his face tiredly. The unconscious gesture was so much like his father it was almost startling.

"Johann, why do we do this?"

"Sorry?"

"You know you're gonna tell me. I know you're gonna tell me. So why not save us both the trouble and just..."

"Ah, but Master Hiccup. I can't tell you all of her personal affairs. For traders like me, trust with customers is important, and I can't just tell anyone..."

"Johann! Where is Heather going?" Finally, when Hiccup shouted loudly and Toothless growled loudly beside him, Johann screamed and stepped back.

"Alright! I'll tell you! She's not heading somewhere, she's hunting a person. Right now, she's tracking the chief of the Berserker tribe!" At Johann's words, Hiccup was momentarily surprised. An unexpected name had come up.

"You mean Dagur? Heather is chasing Dagur right now?"

"That's right. She's been hunting Dagur alone ever since her family and tribe were massacred by him. I think it's been about two years now. What I just gave her was also a map showing where the Berserker tribe might be headed."

If Johann was right, Heather had gone to hunt down Dagur alone. If she went after Dagur solo and he captured her, she'd be in serious trouble. The moment this realization hit Hiccup, he moved closer to Johann.

"Johann, what was on the map you gave Heather? Do you have any idea where she might go?"

"Well, uh, wait a moment. I think I need to look at the map..." Johann backed away and hurried somewhere on the ship to retrieve a map. It was a trading map Johann used, cluttered with all kinds of lines and markings. "It was around here, I think. Berserker tribe ships pass through this area." Johann pointed to somewhere in the sea marked with an X.

"Got it. Thanks for telling me so quickly." Hiccup pulled out his notebook and roughly sketched the map's location. "I need to go now. Thanks, Johann." Hiccup quickly climbed onto Toothless and headed there. There was no time to lose.

Time passed from midnight to dawn. The morning sun had already risen, making the surroundings clearly visible.

"I hope we're not too late. Can you fly faster, bud?" When Hiccup patted Toothless's head, Toothless picked up speed.

When some shapes began to appear ahead, Hiccup looked through the spyglass and saw Windshear and Heather fighting desperately against their chains. Dagur's armada looked to be over ten ships. The heavy chains were pulling Windshear steadily downward. They needed to act fast before she plunged into the ocean below.

"Blast the chains, Toothless, now!" While dodging arrows and chains flying from everywhere, Toothless fired blasts at the chains, but it was useless. The chains were completely intact. "Dragon-proof chains?!"

"Ha-ha! Nice try, Hiccup! You didn't think I'd make it that easy for you, did you?" Dagur's maniacal laughter echoed loudly across the sea wind. Before Hiccup could reply to Dagur, an arrow suddenly streaked past his face, barely missing him.

"Whoa! Okay, that was too close!" Hiccup climbed higher to a height where arrows couldn't reach him. If the chains themselves were too strong to break, he could aim for whatever was anchoring them. Examining the winch, he was relieved to see it looked like common wood. "Blast the winches, Toothless!"

When Toothless shot at the winch, the wooden winch was destroyed. As the pressure from the tightening chains was released, Heather quickly loosened the chains wrapped around Windshear's body. Soon, completely free, Heather flew quickly to Hiccup and Toothless's side.

"Heather, you can't take on Dagur and his fleet all by yourself!"

"I'm not by myself. I have Windshear. I'm too close. I might not get this shot again!" Heather's voice dripped with venom while her face burned with fury. The depth of her resentment toward Dagur was unmistakable.

"But this is suicide!"

"I'm willing to do whatever it takes."

"But are you willing to sacrifice Windshear, too?" At the mention of Windshear, uncertainty flickered across Heather's features for the first time, breaking through the pure rage that had clouded them. "Heather, there will be another time. I promise you!" Eventually, Heather gave up attacking Dagur and turned around, flying far away. They flew high enough that arrows or chains couldn't reach her.

As they flew back to the Edge through the cloud cover, an uncomfortable silence stretched between Hiccup and Heather. Hiccup struggled with what to say, unable to find the right words. Finally, Heather spoke first.

"Blasting the winches, pretty smart."

"Yeah, and a little luck never hurts either." Hiccup smiled slightly and spoke carefully. "I talked to Johann. He told me Dagur wiped out your village... and your family. I'm sorry."

"Then you know why he has to pay."

"I do. But you don't have to do this alone."

"I don't know. It seems that I'm destined to be alone." Heather sighed deeply. "First, when I was a little girl, I got separated from my birth family."

"Your birth family?"

"Yes, but I don't remember much. It was so long ago. Just a few pictures in my mind." Heather paused briefly. After a short silence, she began speaking again. "I remember my father's hands. And the smell of his wooden shield." Then Heather took out a small white object from her bag and showed it to Hiccup. "And this. He gave me this horn. I don't know if it means something, but whenever I look at it, I think of him. I just wish I knew who he was."

Not knowing what to say, Hiccup could only nod awkwardly. His discomfort made Heather burst out laughing—she found his reaction endearing.

"Now that I think about it, your reluctance to see Sigrid right now—that was about Dagur too, wasn't it? You knew about Dagur's obsession with Sigrid." Heather's expression grew puzzled at Hiccup's observation. She obviously had no idea about this. "Uh... you didn't know. Maybe I should have kept my mouth shut."

"WHAT?! Dagur is obsessed with Sigrid? But why?" Heather's voice cracked with shock and fury. Her previously calmed anger was flaring up again.

"I have no idea either, and Sigrid doesn't know either. Every time we run into him, he's always going on about 'acknowledge me' or some such thing... but thankfully, nothing's come of it yet. Sigrid and Dagur haven't encountered each other once in these three years."

"I absolutely have to kill that lunatic with my own hands." Heather snarled, her knuckles white as she clutched Windshear's saddle. "He murdered my family—I won't give him the chance to hurt Sigrid too."

"I agree. Before something happens, we need to act quickly... somehow."

They didn't speak again until they returned to the Edge.

When they returned to the Edge, everyone was waiting for them in the Clubhouse. They were angry about Heather locking up their dragons, but after hearing Heather's story, they understood to some extent.

"I'm really sorry. I just didn't trust that you guys would let me go after Dagur."

"Trust does need to be earned with people and dragons."

"Thanks for understanding, Fishlegs." Heather smiled warmly at Fishlegs.

"If you'd just let us know, we could've backed you up. We have our own issues with Dagur too. Going after him alone is way too risky." As Snotlout expressed his worry, Astrid voiced her agreement as well.

"Right. We're here, so why try to do it alone? If we work together, we could destroy Dagur's entire armada much faster. Don't you think?" When Astrid put her arm around Heather's shoulder and smiled, Heather smiled back. Soon, the two said they wanted some girl time and went outside. The others also headed out to do their own things.

In the now quiet Clubhouse, Hiccup spread out the map and made several X marks. He was drawing in the same X marks from Johann's trading map he had briefly seen earlier. Since all these X marks appeared to be routes the Berserker army had traveled, he had memorized them in that short time. As Hiccup examined the map, he spun around at the sound of suspicious rustling. Toothless was rooting around in Heather's bag with his snout deep inside.

"Toothless, get your head out of that bag. If Heather sees you, she'll get suspicious."

Hiccup pulled Heather's bag away from Toothless's head. As he did so, the small horn Heather had shown him earlier rolled out of the bag. Without thinking, he picked up the horn that had fallen to the floor and examined it closely. In that moment, he saw a familiar symbol.

"Huh. Wait a minute! That's my dad's Chief seal!"

According to Heather, this horn was given to her by her birth father. But this symbol was definitely Berk's Chief seal. This fact suggested the disturbing possibility that Heather's father and his father might be the same person. Hiccup's face grew grave. He might have another family member. But neither his father nor Sigrid had told Hiccup anything about it. Hiccup looked at the horn once more, put it in his bag, and climbed onto Toothless's back.

"Let's go, bud. We're going to ask them directly. I need to find out what this horn actually means."

Chapter Text

Hiccup flew at full speed toward Berk. When he arrived, surprisingly, no one was in sight. He spotted Gobber returning to the forge, so Hiccup landed Toothless nearby.

"Hiccup! Didn't you just visit a few days ago? What brings you back so soon?"

"I need to see my dad or Sigrid right away. Where are they?" Hiccup was in such a hurry that he asked Gobber without even dismounting from Toothless.

"Oh, they're both in the Great Hall. Today's Berk's gripe day, so most of the villagers are there. You can find both of them at the Great Hall. Though you might have to wait a bit."

"Thanks, Gobber. See you later!" Hiccup signaled to Toothless, and they quickly flew to the Great Hall.

When they arrived at the Great Hall, it looked like almost all of Berk was lined up outside. If he waited at the back of that endless line, he wouldn't see Stoick and Sigrid until evening. Hiccup pushed his way to the front of the line. The person he'd cut in front of scowled at him but held back from complaining since Hiccup was the chief's son.

As Hiccup slipped quietly into the Great Hall, he found Stoick was slumped in the massive chief's chair at the center of the room, his weary form supported by one arm propped on the armrest. Sigrid stood behind and to the right of the chair. Sven was talking to them both about something. It seemed like he was complaining about things in his house constantly causing trouble.

"Ugh. That's because they're sheep, Sven. They should be kept outside!" Stoick answered wearily and dismissively, but Sven still looked as though he had more to say.

"Aw, but they do get so lonely," Sven said, hugging a baby sheep. Stoick let out an annoyed grunt and sighed wearily, but behind him, Sigrid's lips curved into a subtle smile.

"Sven, what if you put the sheep out in the pasture? They'd have other animals for company, and they wouldn't be able to knock things over inside." Sigrid's gentle proposal finally seemed to persuade Sven, and he headed outside with the sheep in his arms. After Sven left, Hiccup approached them, and both Stoick and Sigrid looked at him with surprise.

"Hiccup? You're back at Berk already? It feels like it's only been three days since you left." Sigrid came down the stairs happily and walked over to Hiccup's side.

"I actually need to ask you both something. Do you know anything about this?" Hiccup took Heather's horn from his bag. "Since it has Dad's seal on it, Dad definitely knows about it, and if it's related to Dad, then you must know about it too."

The moment Hiccup held out the horn to him, Sigrid's eyes went wide with what looked like recognition. Sigrid held it out to Stoick, who had risen from his chair and was coming toward them. Stoick saw his chief seal carved on the side of the horn and frowned slightly.

"I know what this is. Come with me to the inner room, would you?" Stoick led Hiccup to a small room inside the Great Hall. Sigrid also followed beside Hiccup.

After the small room's door closed completely, Stoick sat in a chair and examined the horn more closely. Hiccup leaned against the back wall, waiting for Stoick to speak.

"Where did you get this?"

"It's Heather's." When Hiccup mentioned Heather's name, Stoick made a confused sound as if he'd never heard it before, but Sigrid's expression immediately brightened. "She's the girl who stole Stormfly a few years back."

"You met Heather? How long has she been there? Why didn't she tell me?" Sigrid asked excitedly, question after question. Heather had told him to never let Sigrid know she was at the Edge, which put him in quite an awkward position. While Hiccup looked uncomfortable and couldn't answer, Stoick began to speak.

"When a Chief has a child, Hiccup, that child receives many gifts from all over. Now when you were born, I asked Gobber to make the smallest axe he'd ever imagined. With a handle tiny enough for a baby to grasp." Stoick turned toward Hiccup and Sigrid as he spoke. "I wanted you to start training the moment you opened your eyes. But your mother and Sigrid were ready to kill me for it, so I couldn't do it." Sigrid chuckled softly at Stoick's words.

"I remember that axe."

"Yeah, you used it as a paperweight."

"About the horn, Dad, Heather told me her father gave it to her. But it has your seal on it." Stoick nodded at Hiccup's words. Hiccup hesitated for a moment but then asked the next question. "Dad, is Heather my sister?"

"Hiccup, you don't have any siblings. You're an only child. And Stoick has never married anyone other than your mother. He's been alone all this time, right?" When Sigrid turned to Stoick for confirmation, he nodded.

"That's right, Hiccup. That girl Heather isn't your sister. This horn is something I gave to the Chief of the Berserker tribe. Oswald the Agreeable. A gift for his newborn daughter. Sigrid did most of the work making this gift, so he'll remember it too."

"There were quite a few incidents when making this gift. Your dad had absolutely no time to pay attention to the gift. So I made it. I carved the chief seal on the side. It seems Heather was Oswald the Agreeable's daughter."

Hiccup was greatly surprised by Sigrid's words. If Heather was Oswald the Agreeable's daughter, there was one thing that troubled him. At this very moment, Heather was hunting Dagur with deadly intent. But if Dagur was Oswald the Agreeable's son, that would make him Heather's own brother.

"Oh no. If that's true, then we're in serious trouble." Hiccup looked up at Sigrid, who tilted his head slightly as if he didn't understand what Hiccup meant. "Dagur murdered Heather's adoptive parents. She's spent the last two years hunting him down for revenge. Now she's trying to kill her own brother without knowing it."

Sigrid showed some surprise at Hiccup's words. Stoick also looked serious, perhaps remembering Heather's adoptive parents whom he had briefly met three years ago. 

It seemed he needed to tell Heather this truth quickly. Only then could they prevent something irreversible from happening.

"I should go back to the Edge. I need to tell Heather this quickly. Thanks for telling me!" As Hiccup rushed toward the exit, Sigrid lightly caught his wrist. The moment Hiccup met his gaze, he understood Sigrid's unspoken request. Sigrid wanted to go with him to where Heather was.

"Hiccup, let me come with you. I'm worried about her."

"Actually... Heather asked me not to tell you she was at the Edge. She said she shouldn't see you until she finished killing Dagur..." At Hiccup's hesitant words, Sigrid tightened his grip on his wrist. It was firm but not painful.

"Weren't you in a hurry to stop Heather from killing Dagur? Then you should take me along even more." At Sigrid's words, Hiccup hesitated, but even if he refused, Sigrid would definitely follow somehow. Eventually, Hiccup had no choice but to agree.

"Fine! We'll go together. Heather's probably going to kill me for this, but I don't know." At that, Sigrid finally loosened his grip on Hiccup's wrist.

"Stoick, handle the complaints by yourself for a while. I'll be back soon." As Sigrid gave Stoick a quick explanation, Stoick raised his hand to show he understood.

Outside the Great Hall, Sigrid's purple Nadder waited next to Toothless. He'd clearly called it during their talk. Hiccup raised an eyebrow at Sigrid, who merely grinned back.

On the way to the Edge, Hiccup briefly looked back at Sigrid following him on his Nadder. He had something to ask Sigrid. He wanted to know why Sigrid hadn't told him that Heather had discovered his identity. Hiccup slightly reduced Toothless's speed to fly alongside Sigrid, and Sigrid turned to look at him.

"Sigrid, Heather found out who you really are, didn't she? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Ah, she told you. I expected she would." Sigrid avoided meeting Hiccup's eyes for a moment. "I was worried you'd beat yourself up over it if I said something back then. Plus, I believed Heather would keep it to herself. But it all turned out okay, didn't it? She appears to have kept quiet about it."

"Do you know how shocked I was when I heard it from Heather? You always seem to tell me everything, but you don't tell me the most important stuff. You're not hiding anything else from me now, are you?" Under Hiccup's glaring eyes, Sigrid smiled awkwardly.

"No, not at all. I'm not hiding anything from you. Oh, look—I can see the Edge already. Is all the construction work done?"

"Yes, construction is complete. You're really not hiding anything? Should I trust you?" Sigrid chuckled briefly at Hiccup's words.

They landed at the clubhouse, but no one was in sight. They also checked the dragon stables, but no one was there. As Hiccup looked around confused, Sigrid found something on the stable wall. Up close, it was a map of Berserker locations, pinned with a dagger.

"Oh no, it looks like we're a bit late."

"Right. I think we need to go right now. We don't know when they left."

Hiccup pointed to an X mark with a circle around it among the X marks. It seemed to indicate they had gone there. "I think we need to go here. Sigrid, just to be safe, please stay back a bit. It wouldn't be good if you accidentally ran into Dagur."

"Alright, I'll watch from behind and come immediately if it looks dangerous."

So they mounted their dragons again and headed to the location marked with an X.

When they reached the location, the situation was already in complete chaos. There were about twelve ships in Dagur's fleet, and about half of them were on fire. Behind them, more ships were approaching. On a ship bearing the Berserker tribe seal on its sail, two dragons and three people could be seen. Heather was pressing an axe to Dagur's throat as he lay collapsed on the deck.

Hiccup immediately flew toward that ship to stop Heather, but Sigrid had to deal with the ships approaching from behind. If those completely approached, the kids could be in danger. But if he directly confronted those ships, he would be breaking his oath and risk exposing his identity.

After hesitating briefly, Sigrid looked up at the sky. The sky was very clear, but there were quite a few clouds scattered around. This approach could work perfectly. Lightning from clear skies would seem suspicious, but if storm clouds rolled in first, nobody would question it. Given how unpredictable ocean weather can be, a sudden darkening of the sky wouldn't be suspicious. Sigrid looked up at the sky, concentrated, and waved his hand slightly in the air. Soon, more clouds gathered.

The clouds that rolled in weren't the usual white puffs, but ominous black storm clouds. The clear blue sky transformed into darkness in seconds, with lightning beginning to crackle among the clouds. The moment Sigrid directed his outstretched hand toward Dagur's approaching armada, a blinding bolt of lightning lanced down from the clouds, striking a ship's mast with tremendous power.

The sail erupted in flames immediately while the mast cracked in two, leaving the vessel dead in the water. There were no casualties, but the ship was completely disabled. The remaining vessels immediately began lowering their sails to escape the lightning strikes. This would keep Dagur's armada immobilized for some time.

Glancing back down at the group below, all of them were staring up at the sky, clearly shocked by the unexpected lightning strike. Even Heather, who had kept her axe pressed against Dagur's throat, glanced up at the sky, briefly diverting her focus from Dagur sprawled below. Since Dagur would likely not miss this opportunity while her attention was diverted, Sigrid urged his Nadder to quickly approach that ship.

As expected, Dagur suddenly moved and kicked Heather hard in the abdomen, knocking her down and escaping from being subdued. When Dagur exerted force, the rope binding his wrists snapped instantly. The moment Dagur seized a fallen axe to strike at Heather, Sigrid commanded his Nadder. The dragon crashed down directly onto Dagur. Pinned beneath the dragon's weight, Dagur let out a strangled gasp from the crushing blow. His ribcage felt squeezed tight, leaving him struggling for breath. After confirming that Dagur was securely pinned underneath, Sigrid lifted his head to look at Heather. Heather was utterly shocked to see Sigrid.

Hiccup flew quickly when he saw Heather about to behead Dagur. Just as Heather raised her axe high, Hiccup shouted.

"Toothless, fire!"

Toothless's blast sent Heather's axe flying from her grip, but she swiftly snatched it out of the air and repositioned it at Dagur's throat. But she didn't seem ready to strike anymore. The unexpected arrival of Hiccup and Toothless had apparently caused her to hesitate in her deadly intent.

"Stop! Heather, stop for a moment and listen to me." Even at Hiccup's words, Heather's anger didn't stop. She was breathing heavily, unable to calm her fury.

"Get out of my way, Hiccup. I'm going to cut this monster's throat and end him right here." Heather glared at Hiccup with a growl, but he didn't back down. There was something he absolutely had to tell her.

"Look. You told me your father gave you this." Hiccup took Heather's horn from his bag. Heather looked puzzled at the sudden appearance of the object.

"He did, but what are you doing?"

"This is my father's Chief Seal."

"Stoick's seal is carved in my horn? What are you saying?" Heather had an expression like she couldn't understand what Hiccup was talking about.

"I'm saying years ago, Stoick gave this horn to the Chief of the Berserker tribe, Oswald the Agreeable, as a gift for his newborn daughter. You were that newborn, Heather." The more Hiccup spoke, the more Heather's face filled with shock. "Oswald the Agreeable is your father. And he is also Dagur's father."

"That can't be true. This lunatic is my...?" While Heather was in shock, suddenly an enormous crash thundered from overhead.

All heads turned skyward in astonishment. The previously clear sky was now choked with dark storm clouds. Lightning began to dance and crackle between them. Everyone was shocked by the dramatically changed weather. The lightning twisted menacingly, growing more powerful before it lashed out and struck. When everyone turned to see where it had hit, one of Dagur's flagship vessels was ablaze, having taken a direct lightning strike.

The mast shattered cleanly in two while the sail was incinerated to shreds in an instant. Panicked soldiers leaped from the burning vessel into the churning waters below, as the advancing ships frantically dropped their sails to avoid becoming the next target. The entire armada came to a sudden halt. Hiccup instantly realized who was responsible for the lightning strike. Sigrid, watching from above, had spotted the approaching vessels from a distance and intentionally called down the lightning.

While everyone was surprised and distracted by the lightning, Dagur suddenly moved and kicked Heather hard in the abdomen. Caught off guard by the sudden attack, Heather fell backward. Before anyone could react, Dagur picked up an axe that had fallen nearby and was about to throw it at Heather. The moment Dagur raised the axe to strike, a powerful force crashed down from overhead, slamming him flat against the deck. His weapon flew from his grip and hit the planks with a metallic clang as the air was driven from his lungs.

It was Sigrid and his Nadder. The Nadder was threateningly clicking its teeth at Dagur. Sigrid looked down at the pinned Dagur with an unreadable expression. Soon, Sigrid lifted his head to look at Heather. Heather looked on the verge of tears, her expression torn between sorrow and bewilderment. Sigrid whispered to his Nadder before climbing down and walking toward Heather. Dagur squirmed frantically beneath the weight, attempting to wriggle free, but when the Nadder increased the force of its grip, he appeared to surrender.

Sigrid lowered himself to kneel before Heather, who had slumped down on the deck. The cold mask from moments before had melted away, replaced by the softest of expressions.

"Heather, what would you like to do? I'll respect your decision." At those simple words, tears began to well up in Heather's eyes. Sigrid didn't rush her for an answer and patiently continued to wait.

"I... I..." Heather's voice wavered with vulnerability. The burning hatred from before had melted away entirely, leaving her lost in a sea of confusion. "I don't know... I don't know what I want to do..."

The moment Heather's words ended, Dagur's deranged shrieking erupted and pierced the quiet. Despite being crushed beneath the Nadder's talons and gasping for air, his voice rang out with startling intensity.

"Ah, Sigrid! What a pleasant surprise to meet again like this after just a few weeks. Where are you planning to drag my dear sister? You realize I'm all the family she has left, don't you?" Even with Dagur's taunting, Sigrid paid him no mind whatsoever. His focus remained entirely on Heather.

"Heather, the choice is entirely yours. This is your battle, your revenge to claim. No one has the right to decide for you." At Sigrid's gentle voice, Heather hesitated and looked at Dagur behind him. Dagur was looking at Heather with maniacal eyes.

"Heather, I'm the only family you've got left. Join me, sister! Don't fight destiny. I know you feel the Berserker blood flowing through your veins." Dagur's crazed shouting had an unexpected effect on Heather's muddled thoughts. Though her confusion had been overwhelming, his words somehow cut through the fog in her mind.

Berserker blood? Being her only family? None of that meant anything to her. What truly mattered was that Heather's family consisted of those she chose for herself. Heather looked up at Sigrid with certainty in her eyes. Tears were still welling up, but there was a different conviction in her eyes than before.

"This isn't the right time to take his life. We're vulnerable here with his fleet potentially closing in from behind. There'll be another opportunity later—I think we should head back." Hearing the conviction in Heather's words, Sigrid smiled slightly. When Sigrid extended his hand to Heather, she firmly took it.

"We'll go back then. As you've decided." Sigrid pulled Heather's hand to help her stand up. Heather picked up her dropped axe from the ground and climbed onto Windshear's back. Seeing this, the other riders also mounted their dragons.

"Sister, you're really going to leave? Going to abandon your one and only family? You'll live to regret this." Dagur giggled as he spoke to Heather. Perhaps because he had been pinned under the Nadder's claws continuously, Dagur's complexion looked very pale.

"Go to hel, you crazy bastard." Heather glared at Dagur and snarled, then quickly took to the sky. After confirming that the other riders had also flown high into the sky, Hiccup and Sigrid also left the ship. Fortunately, no attacks came.

On the way back to the Edge, no one spoke. Everyone seemed to be holding back their words, watching Heather's mood. Luckily, the silence benefited Sigrid too. Without anyone speaking to him or asking questions, he could mask the throbbing pain in his head that felt ready to explode.

Sigrid was flying on his Nadder at the very back of everyone. It seemed that the lightning attack on the ship earlier and having the Nadder pin down Dagur had been somewhat problematic. A severe headache pounded through his skull along with waves of nausea. Even his Nadder could tell something was wrong—the dragon kept glancing back at him with obvious concern. Sigrid clamped his hand over his mouth, struggling not to throw up.

Fortunately, when they arrived at the Edge, those feelings somewhat subsided. His head still hurt, but it was bearable. As soon as they arrived at the Edge, Hiccup immediately approached Sigrid. He seemed to have something to say about the earlier situations. Hiccup came very close and whispered to Sigrid.

"Sigrid, what exactly was that lightning earlier? Are you really okay?"

"Well, as long as no one got hurt or died, it's fine. I'm perfectly okay, so isn't that all right?" At Sigrid's words, Hiccup looked like he was about to get angry but held back. He had an expression like he really wanted to argue about something.

"I've got plenty to say, but now isn't the time. Heather doesn't look too good, so I'm worried. Could you go talk to her? I made some poor word choices in the heat of the moment earlier... so it would be uncomfortable for me to be the one to reach out."

"Alright. I'll go see her. You go check on the others."

Sigrid slowly approached Heather, who was sitting apart. Heather was holding the horn she had received from Hiccup and looking down at it. It seemed she couldn't believe that Dagur was her only blood relative.

"Heather, if you feel like talking, could I have a word with you?" At the sound of Sigrid's voice, Heather flinched and turned to face him. She nodded without speaking. "Good. Shall we walk for a while? Some conversations are better had in private."

Together they walked down the forest trail. Beneath the crimson-painted sky of dusk, they walked on without breaking the quiet between them. Sigrid patiently waited for Heather to break the silence. Knowing she had much to work through mentally, he felt it was better to give her time to collect her thoughts.

Soon, they left the forest. It was a small field with a clear view of the open sea and the sunset. When Heather plopped down in the field facing the setting sun, Sigrid also sat beside her. Heather hugged her knees and stared blankly at the sun for a while, then began to speak.

"Isn't it kind of funny? The only real family I have left is that crazy bastard. The same murderer who killed the people I thought were my parents."

Sigrid listened to Heather's words silently.

"Don’t you think I’m pathetic? One minute I'm burning with the need to kill that lunatic, and the next minute I can't do it just because someone says we share blood. What the hell is blood relation anyway?" Heather irritably ran her hand through her hair. "I really don’t know what to do. Really. I don’t know what I want or how I should move forward." With a weary sigh, she buried her head in her arms. "You’ve lived much longer than me, so… do you know what to do in situations like this?"

Hearing the weight in Heather's voice, Sigrid turned to look at her for a moment. With her face pressed into her knees, her expression remained hidden from view.

"I don't remember much from my past. I only remember things from the last hundred years or so. I've lived too long and forgotten most of the old memories." At Sigrid's quiet words, Heather lifted her head slightly to look at him. There were some tears in her eyes. "But I know this question is important. Heather, do you think Dagur is your family?"

At Sigrid's question, Heather immediately shook her head. Clear disgust showed in her eyes. "No. Absolutely not. You told me before, didn't you? Blood doesn't make a family, love makes a family. Dagur already killed my family. That murderer is absolutely not my family."

"I see. Then that settles it. If your answer to this question is so certain, you know what you should do from now on. You'll figure it out yourself." Sigrid extended his hand and carefully brushed the tears from Heather's cheek with his thumb. "Does that help answer what you were asking? I apologize if my response was unclear."

Sigrid's tender touch seemed to break the dam holding back Heather's emotions. Tears poured from her eyes as if she had been restraining them for too long, and now they wouldn't stop. "No, it was enough of an answer... more than enough." As Heather raised her head to meet Sigrid's eyes, he gently spread his arms slightly. And she fell into his embrace and let the tears continue to flow.

"You must have carried such a heavy burden. I learned from Hiccup that you've been alone all this time, since losing your parents in such a tragic way." Sigrid rubbed her back in slow, comforting circles while speaking in a hushed tone. Heather couldn't contain herself as the sorrow she'd bottled up for two long years finally broke free.

"After my parents died that way, and I was left barely surviving on my own, revenge was the only thing on my mind. If I thought about anything else, I felt like I would break. I missed you so much, Sigrid…" Heather hugged Sigrid tighter. "I missed you terribly, but I was scared that if I came to find you, I wouldn't even be able to get my revenge. I knew you would support me without question, but I felt compelled to carry this burden alone."

"I see. But I’m glad I could help you now. I’ve always wondered how you were doing, too." Sigrid’s gentle pat seemed to calm Heather, her crying gradually fading. "From now on, if you need help, just come to me. Don’t carry the burden alone. You know better than anyone how painful it is to go through things by yourself."

"I will. Thank you, Sigrid, always. Really." Having calmed down a little, Heather loosened her grip on Sigrid. When she lifted her eyes, his slit-pupiled eyes were fixed on her with a warm, gentle gaze. For a brief moment, she was captivated by his appearance, something she had never seen before. His pale blue eyes caught the red sunset light, glowing with an almost otherworldly mystery. "Your eyes... they're amazing. So beautiful."

Seeing Heather staring intently at his eyes, Sigrid smiled slightly.

"Once everything’s settled, we should fly together sometime. I often fly with Hiccup too." As Sigrid wiped the tears from Heather’s face, she finally managed a small smile.

"This is so embarrassing… I feel like I can’t help but cry every time I see you. I wanted to prove that I’ve grown and matured since three years ago, but now it feels like all that effort was for nothing." As her emotions calmed, Heather noticed she’d been crying and holding on like a little child, and her cheeks flushed slightly.

"It’s fine. All humans look like children to me, really. You’ve only been alive for eighteen years—it’s only natural." 

"Eighteen is almost grown-up for humans. Your way of measuring age doesn’t really work for us." Heather said this with a playful laugh. Talking with Sigrid truly lifted her spirits, as if all the burdens she had been carrying alone had vanished.

"You're definitely right. But don't forget that you can always be honest with me. I'll always be waiting for you." Heather nodded at Sigrid's words.

"So what are you going to do now? Will you stay at the Edge?"

"I'm not sure. Whether I should wander around alone chasing Dagur like I used to, or stay here..."

"Is there a reason you have to wander alone? A reason you absolutely must do that?" At Sigrid's question, Heather paused to think for a moment.

"Now that I think about it... There doesn't seem to be any reason anymore. The other riders are also going after Dagur, and I'm tired of being alone. I want to stay here. I'm sick of living by myself now." Heather sighed deeply and spoke in a light voice. "And if I stay here, I can keep seeing you, right? I like that idea better. I want to see you often."

"Yes, you made the right choice. I'd really like to see you often too. I'm glad you don't have to be alone anymore." When Sigrid smiled slightly, Heather smiled back and leaned against his shoulder.

While they remained like that for a moment, suddenly a memory flashed through Heather's mind. When Dagur first saw Sigrid today, he acted like they'd just seen each other a few weeks ago. But that contradicted what Hiccup had told her—that Sigrid hadn't met Dagur in three years. Sigrid was definitely hiding something. As Heather suddenly sat up straight and looked at Sigrid, he seemed slightly confused.

"Sigrid. Earlier Dagur said he met you a few weeks ago. But Hiccup said you hadn't seen Dagur in three years. What's going on? Have you met him?"

At Heather's sharp question, Sigrid became more confused.

"That's a very... Hiccup-like question. You two are very similar." When Sigrid tried to deflect the question, Heather stared at him more intently. Eventually, Sigrid gave a very vague answer. "A few weeks ago... I did meet him. But that's all there is to it. Really."

"You're not lying, right? Hiccup said you've been overdoing it lately. Don't even think about lying." At Sigrid's uncomfortable smile and nod, Heather observed him for a moment before settling back into her previous position.

"I will never allow Dagur to harm those I care about again. Never." Her voice rang with fierce determination. "Thank you for everything. I should go talk to Hiccup now. Do you think he'll be pleased when I tell him I'm staying?"

"Of course. Hiccup will be very pleased. He won't refuse. Go ahead. I'll stay here a bit longer before going."

With that, Heather let out a sharp whistle for Windshear, who came swooping in moments later. She climbed onto her dragon's back and took off toward Hiccup's location.

Sigrid gazed at the burning red sun for a moment. The sunset always made him feel at peace and reminded him of something nostalgic. He felt genuinely pleased that Heather had chosen to remain at the Edge. Solitude was a heavy burden to bear. Having experienced that crushing loneliness firsthand, Sigrid deeply hoped Heather would never have to endure it again. Thankfully, Heather would make the Edge her home, surrounded by friends. She wouldn't be lonely anymore.

Chapter Text

It had been a week since Heather joined the Edge. When Heather said she wanted to stay at the Edge, everyone was delighted, especially Astrid and Hiccup. Heather said she no longer wanted to chase Dagur alone and wanted to be with everyone. Heather's hut was quickly completed in half a day by renovating the guest hut. This meant Hiccup would have to build a new guest hut, but he seemed fine with it.

And now they were doing some kind of game. According to Hiccup, it should have been training, but they always turned their training into games. It made them more competitive and determined. Everyone cheered when Hiccup quickly escaped from the forest and slipped through the gap of the closing dome faster than anyone else. Now it was Snotlout's turn.

"Alright Hooky, let's show them what we can do. We should beat Hiccup and Toothless at least once, right?" Snotlout smiled as he landed Hookfang at the starting point. Soon, the horn sounded to signal the start, and Hookfang and Snotlout began flying rapidly through the forest.

Given that Hookfang was much bigger than Toothless, navigating the tight spaces between trees was more challenging for him. Understanding this limitation, Snotlout refrained from pressuring his dragon. Hookfang was skilled enough to weave through obstacles swiftly without any guidance. Snotlout ducked down as low as he could to dodge the overhanging branches. As they burst from the forest into open air above the sea, he knew this was his moment. A sharp banking turn would take them into the cave opening below the cliff face, and he'd need every bit of speed to overtake Hiccup.

"Hookfang, hard turn!" Snotlout yelled, seizing his dragon's horn and yanking it sharply. Hookfang responded with a perfect 360-degree aerial spin. They flew upside down and rolled to quickly change their flight direction. Since they didn't have a small frame like Toothless to turn horizontally quickly, they turned vertically instead. This was a new technique Snotlout and Hookfang had perfected through trial and error.

Flying into the hole in the cliff leading to the dome, a wall appeared before them. Due to the extremely fast acceleration, they couldn't control their speed for a moment. Hookfang hesitated briefly before going up. Snotlout had a gut feeling they wouldn't make it through the closing dome, but he kept flying. Since they had started, they had to see it through to the end.

As expected, Snotlout and Hookfang barely failed to slip through the gap of the closing dome. But it looked possible with a little more practice, which made Snotlout grin with bittersweet satisfaction. It had been the fastest attempt so far. If they could improve the part where they almost hit the wall due to being unable to control their momentum earlier, they could definitely pass through that gap. When Snotlout laughed loudly and patted Hookfang's head, Hookfang also shook his head regretfully.

"Wow, Snotlout, that was incredibly fast! Up until you flew through the forest and into the gap between the cliffs, it was your personal record!" The dome slowly opened as Hiccup spoke in an excited voice. Everyone else looked amazed too.

"The speed was too fast and I almost hit the wall. That's why I couldn't pass through the dome." Hookfang lowered his head, and Snotlout jumped down from above. "With a few more practice sessions, I can definitely pass through. Right Hooky?" Hookfang roared softly as if it were obvious.

After that, Astrid, Heather, and the twins challenged, but everyone except Heather failed to make it through the dome. Hiccup and Heather, the only ones who had successfully cleared the gap, exchanged triumphant high-fives. Their dragon riding skills were quite similar. And somehow there were things that only the two of them understood. Sometimes the twins would giggle and whisper to each other, looking at Hiccup and Heather and wondering if there was a romantic connection.

Time passed, and around evening, Snotlout headed to the dragon stable with a basket full of fish to give to Hookfang. But Hookfang wasn't there. Usually by this time, he would be waiting in the stable, expecting food. It was strange. Snotlout put down the basket and asked Hiccup, who was feeding Toothless.

"Hiccup, have you seen Hookfang? It's mealtime but I don't see him." At Snotlout's words, Hiccup had no idea.

"Wasn't he with you? Hookfang wasn't here when I came."

"Really? I should look for him. Maybe he got hungry early today and went to eat by himself."

Snotlout left the stable and thought about where Hookfang might have gone. It was probably near the beach, so Snotlout went down to the shore. As expected, Hookfang's footprints were stamped in the sand. Snotlout followed the footprints and called Hookfang's name loudly.

"Hookfang! Hookfang, where are you! It's time to eat!"

Following the footprints, he found Hookfang in front of a cave. Next to Hookfang was a pile of freshly caught fish. It looked like he had been trying to eat first because he was hungry. When Hookfang saw Snotlout, he looked a bit flustered and turned around. It was an unusual reaction for Hookfang.

"Hookfang! Found you! Did you decide to hunt because I was late feeding you? Well, your proper meal is waiting at the Edge, so eat up and let's head home."

However, despite Snotlout's words, Hookfang didn't try to eat the fish. He kept fidgeting restlessly, looking back and forth between the cave behind him and Snotlout. Eventually, Hookfang lowered his head for Snotlout to ride, without even touching the fish he had worked so hard to catch. Snotlout felt puzzled but climbed onto Hookfang. Something looked really strange about his condition.

When they returned to the dragon stable, Snotlout was concerned about Hookfang's dejected appearance, so he offered him his favorite mackerel. But Hookfang turned his head away without eating it. Snotlout was a bit surprised since this was the first time he'd seen Hookfang refuse mackerel. This was definitely a sign that something was wrong.

"Oh no, Hiccup. I think Hookfang is sick somewhere." Hiccup's eyes widened at Snotlout's words, and he quickly moved closer to hear more. Heather and Astrid, who were nearby in the stable, joined them with curious expressions.

"What? Why? What's wrong?"

"Hookfang won't eat mackerel. And he looks a bit downcast. He also looks anxious. This definitely means he's sick somewhere." Snotlout offered the mackerel once more, but Hookfang turned his head away again. Seeing this, the others' expressions became serious.

"He's really refusing it. I should write a letter to Sigrid. If I tell him Hookfang is sick, he'll come running right away. He'll probably arrive tomorrow, so how about we put him in the stable for now? Just in case." At Hiccup's suggestion, Snotlout nodded. If anyone could figure it out, it would be Sigrid. He would definitely know what Hookfang's problem was.

"Hookfang, go into the stable. I'll let you out tomorrow morning, just stay inside until Sigrid comes. You like Sigrid too, right?' After Snotlout guided Hookfang into the stable and closed the door, Hookfang made a weak sound. He really looked unwell, making Snotlout feel anxious.

"Don't worry, Snotlout. Tomorrow when Sigrid comes, everything will be fine. Let's wait a little." When Heather patted Snotlout's shoulder comfortingly, Snotlout sighed softly and nodded. After looking at Hookfang in the stable for a moment, he went outside with the others. Hiccup's Terror Mail message should reach Berk by dawn. Sigrid would likely arrive in the early afternoon and certainly figure out what was wrong with Hookfang. Still, Snotlout couldn't shake his anxiety.

The next day, as soon as morning broke, Snotlout checked the fish trap he had left in the sea. The giant tuna caught only in these waters was Hookfang's absolute favorite. Even if Hookfang had lost his appetite, he would eat this tuna right away. Snotlout smiled and headed to the stable, carrying the tuna.

But Hookfang's stable was empty. The lock and chains that had secured it were broken, and the inside of the stable was a mess, scorched by fire. Snotlout was so shocked that he didn't even notice the tuna falling from his hands. This was the first time Hookfang had ever acted so aggressively. Alerted by Snotlout's outburst, the others quickly gathered around and gasped at the sight of the demolished stable.

"Dear Thor, what happened here? The entire stable is just charcoal now!"

"Right. It looks more like the inside of a Gobber's forge than a dragon stable." The twins, who were used to destruction, were genuinely surprised by the totally incinerated stable interior.

Snotlout barely calmed his surprised heart and thought about what to do. As his heart raced with panic, he knew his mind needed to remain steady. Following Sigrid's earlier advice, Snotlout tried to think calmly. Sigrid was still hours away from arriving, and Hookfang was gone. Therefore, finding Hookfang before Sigrid arrived was the priority. Once his thoughts were organized, Snotlout took deep breaths, inhaling and exhaling slowly. He was still anxious but felt somewhat calmer.

"Guys, can you help me find Hookfang? I want to find him before Sigrid arrives. Hookfang needs to be here for Sigrid to examine his condition." At Snotlout's calm voice, everyone nodded. Since Hookfang wasn't available, Snotlout climbed onto Toothless behind Hiccup.

They flew around the sky looking for traces of Hookfang, but he was still nowhere to be seen. While looking down searching for Hookfang, Hiccup spoke to him.

"Snotlout! Do you have any idea where Hookfang could have gone? We've been searching everywhere, but there's no sign of him!"

"Hookfang never leaves my side—he's never wandered off by himself before! Yesterday was the first time he... Wait!" Snotlout suddenly remembered something and shouted. "The cave! Let's go there. Hookfang was there yesterday. Over there!" Snotlout pointed somewhere, and Hiccup flew Toothless that way.

Upon reaching the location, they discovered Hookfang was actually there. However, he appeared highly stressed and on edge. He even let out a threatening growl when they landed nearby. The moment Snotlout stepped forward, Hookfang displayed his wings threateningly and struck the earth with his feet. This caused Snotlout to pause mid-step.

"Hooky, what's wrong? Are you hurt somewhere?" While Snotlout was speaking, a smaller Monstrous Nightmare emerged from behind Hookfang. Startled by the wild dragon's unexpected presence, Snotlout instinctively stepped backward.

"Look! There's another Monstrous Nightmare!" Astrid was behind them without them knowing when she had arrived. Looking back, Heather, the twins, and Fishlegs were all watching this scene.

"That's not just another Monstrous Nightmare. That's a female Monstrous Nightmare." Hiccup shouted, pointing at the wild dragon. Hookfang was taking a protective stance toward the female dragon.

"A female Monstrous Nightmare? So all of Hookfang's bizarre behavior yesterday was just him being lovestruck? Seriously?" Snotlout spoke in a tone of disbelief and crossed his arms. While he was relieved it wasn't a health problem, he was really annoyed that Hookfang had worried them so much over simple lovesickness.

"It does look like lovesickness. A very serious case of lovesickness." Hiccup glanced at the female dragon once and looked at Hookfang growling at them. "Is he growling at us now? He looks kind of dangerous."

"I think so too. He feels different from the usual." Snotlout carefully moved his steps and slowly approached Hookfang. "Hookfang, if there was a special lady in your life, you could have let me know! If I'd realized what was going on, I never would have penned you up or called Sigrid."

Snotlout spoke and reached out his hand, but Hookfang glared at Snotlout and roared as if telling him not to come closer. He even set his body on fire while threatening him. It was clearly a signal not to approach. Snotlout took several large steps back and went next to Hiccup. If Hookfang refused to this extent, even Snotlout couldn't approach.

"Snotlout, I think we should go back to the Edge. Look at Hookfang, he's wary of all of us now. Even you." At Fishlegs' words, Snotlout looked at Hookfang with mixed emotions. It seemed better to follow Fishlegs' advice, so Snotlout nodded.

They all returned to the Edge, but the atmosphere was very heavy. This was the first time everyone had seen Hookfang reject Snotlout to this extent. Previously, Hookfang had sometimes dismissed Snotlout's commands, but lately he'd been much more responsive. Sure, he'd still pull pranks, but he wouldn't outright ignore his rider. This situation, however, was entirely different. It was like he had returned to being a wild dragon. In the heavy silence that followed, Fishlegs spoke up.

"Snotlout, I have a theory. Would you like to hear it? You might not like it though." At Fishlegs' concerned voice, everyone turned to look at him.

"Go on, you're the dragon expert here," Snotlout said. With his permission, Fishlegs continued.

"Since yesterday, Hookfang hasn't eaten what you gave him, escaped so desperately that he burned the stable to a crisp, and chose that female dragon over listening to you. I think Hookfang has gone back to the wild."

"The wild? What does that mean?"

"It means that meeting this female has reawakened his primal instincts. And he's returning to the wild."

"Wait, so Hookfang dumped Snotlout?" Astrid elbowed Tuffnut for his thoughtless comment. Seeing Snotlout's stricken face, Tuffnut quickly clamped his mouth shut. Snotlout appeared utterly crushed.

"So you're saying... Hookfang will never come back to me? Because he has to stay with the female dragon?" The weight of Snotlout's words hung heavy in the air before Fishlegs gave a sorrowful nod.

"That's right, I think so. Mated dragons become very aggressive and territorial. They'll never leave their chosen territory, and they won't tolerate anyone approaching either. If my theory is correct... it will become difficult to even see Hookfang."

At those devastating words, Snotlout's eyes became hollow and unfocused. Everyone else seemed deeply unsettled. Just the thought of their own dragon abandoning them was terrifying, but for Snotlout it had become reality. Snotlout was silent for a while before finally opening his mouth. His voice was trembling slightly.

"Thanks, Fishlegs. I get what you're saying. But I have to try once more. I can't let things end with Hookfang this way." Having said his piece, Snotlout headed off alone. Everyone watched his solitary figure with heavy hearts, at a loss for words of comfort.

Snotlout really didn't want to give up on Hookfang. Hookfang wasn't just a dragon to Snotlout—he was his best friend, irreplaceably precious. If Hookfang was showing his teeth to protect his mate, then he just needed to become friends with Hookfang's mate. That way, Hookfang wouldn't feel the need to chase him off. Snotlout dragged a heavy basket toward the coastal cave.

Hookfang wasn't there, but the wild female dragon was. The dragon immediately growled and was wary when she saw Snotlout. Snotlout opened the basket and took out a fish, throwing it to the dragon. The dragon watched Snotlout's actions.

"Hello there, you must be Hookfang's new girlfriend. I'm his human friend. I won't hurt you and I just want to see Hookfang. Can't we be friends?" Snotlout attempted to soften his tone, speaking as gently as he could. He was mimicking Sigrid's technique for approaching untamed dragons. Of course, Sigrid rarely needed to rely on words—most dragons became peaceful simply by being near him.

At Snotlout's voice, the wild dragon tilted her head several times and studied him. She looked uncertain about whether she could trust him or not. While they were staring intently at each other, suddenly a loud roar was heard from the sky. And a fireball fell at Snotlout's feet. Snotlout was startled and quickly backed away.

Hookfang, who had been away, had returned. Hookfang saw Snotlout and hesitated for a moment, but soon opened his mouth wide and roared while spreading his wings threateningly. It clearly meant to go away. Snotlout was really hurt.

"Fine, Hookfang. I understand—she means more to you than I do now. I'll get out of your way, but I'm leaving this fish for both of you." Snotlout turned the basket full of fish upside down, spilling all the fish out. Then he turned around and went back to the Edge.

His heart felt really heavy. He had thought Hookfang would remain his friend forever. But Hookfang was now choosing that female dragon over him. While it should be fine as long as Hookfang was happy, it actually wasn't fine at all. Snotlout was selfishly hoping that Hookfang would choose him over that female dragon. If he truly wanted Hookfang's happiness, he shouldn't feel this way. Overwhelmed with disgust at himself, Snotlout trudged into his hut and threw himself down on the bed. A crushing sense of depression settled over him.

While lying face down on the bed for a while, suddenly the hut's door burst open. At the sudden blinding light, Snotlout squinted and looked at the door to find all the other riders there.

"Snotlout, can you come out for a moment? There's something I want to show you." Snotlout hesitated at Hiccup's words. He didn't want to leave, but Hiccup seemed serious. Finally, he went out.

Outside were three Monstrous Nightmares. It looked like they had quickly trained wild Monstrous Nightmares as potential replacements for Hookfang to cheer up Snotlout. Hiccup's ability to train wild Monstrous Nightmares in such a short time was quite impressive and made him chuckle. At that laughter, the others thought Snotlout's mood had improved and their faces brightened slightly.

"Hiccup, thanks but it's okay. I don't need any dragon other than Hookfang. No dragon can replace Hookfang." Snotlout waved his hand, gesturing for the dragons to fly away. All three dragons flew away to other places.

"But... Hookfang is rejecting you right now. If you can't ride Hookfang, what are you going to do?" At Astrid's question, Snotlout's shoulders dropped. He looked very depressed.

"I'm done. I don't want to ride other dragons. I'll quit being a rider and go back to Berk until Hookfang returns. Since Heather is here, you won't be short-handed." Everyone was surprised by Snotlout's defeated words.

"Don't you think you're deciding too quickly? You've always enjoyed being a dragon rider." Hiccup gently placed his hand on Snotlout's shoulder, but Snotlout shook his head.

"I never enjoyed being a dragon rider for its own sake. I loved it because it meant flying with Hookfang. Without him, none of it matters."

"How about we just wait for Sigrid first? He should be arriving shortly. After talking with him, you might find some solution. Right?" Hiccup's proposal finally got through to Snotlout. If Sigrid confirmed there was no hope, then there truly was none. If it was Sigrid's words, he could accept it completely.

So Snotlout waited for Sigrid to come with everyone at the clubhouse. The air became heavy with unspoken tension. Everyone held their breath, watching Snotlout's every move. Even the dragons felt the shift in mood and huddled silently on the ground. The crushing quiet was shattered by approaching footsteps. Everyone's gaze snapped to the clubhouse entrance, relief washing over their faces.

"Hey kids, I'm here... Good gods, what happened? Is Hookfang worse than I thought?" Sigrid's smile faded as he took in the scene. The place felt like a tomb.

"There's more to it than that... something far worse has happened. Hookfang..." Hiccup hesitated, glancing sympathetically at Snotlout. "You should hear it from him directly. We'll leave you two alone, Snotlout." When Hiccup gestured to the others, everyone quickly disappeared like the wind. In an instant, only Sigrid and Snotlout remained in the clubhouse.

Sigrid looked confused for a moment, then gently moved a chair to sit next to Snotlout. Snotlout had been sitting with his head down, chin resting on the table, gazing at nothing in particular. When Sigrid settled beside him, Snotlout's eyes flickered toward him briefly before drifting away again. His thoughts spiraled in endless loops, while the terrifying reality of Hookfang's departure sat like a stone in his chest, blocking out all rational thinking.

"This doesn't seem like a simple case of Hookfang being sick. Something else happened, didn't it? What's going on? Do you want to talk about it?"

"Hookfang chose some female dragon over me and flew away. He's never coming back." The words tumbled out of Snotlout like a confession, followed by a soul-deep sigh. Sigrid's eyes widened in surprise.

"I see what happened. But what makes you so certain he won't come back? You and Hookfang have such a strong bond."

At Sigrid's question, Snotlout let out an even deeper, more labored sigh. Just thinking about it made his chest tighten with pain.

"When I approached Hookfang, he drove me away. He was about to attack me. I think his love for that girl is more important than his friendship with me." Snotlout turned his gaze to look at Sigrid. Sigrid was very worried about him. "Fishlegs said so. He thinks Hookfang's wild instincts have awakened. Since Hookfang likes that girl more, I guess there's nothing I can do."

Sigrid appeared deep in thought after hearing Snotlout's words. Snotlout knew even he couldn't help with this. This wasn't a sickness that could be cured—he was simply following his natural instincts. The final strand of hope that Snotlout had been desperately holding onto snapped. Perhaps it was time to accept reality and go home to Berk with Sigrid.

"Sigrid, when you head back to Berk, I'm coming with you. No other dragon will ever replace Hookfang. I'm going to quit being a rider." Snotlout rose from his seat like he was carrying the weight of the world. "I know you can't solve this. I just hoped... maybe. Sorry you came here for nothing."

Just as Snotlout was about to leave the clubhouse, Sigrid grabbed Snotlout's wrist and stopped him. "Wait a minute—before you give up completely, let's go check together once more. I want to see what's really happening with my own eyes. Then I can tell you if Hookfang has genuinely gone back to being wild."

"Even if you see it yourself, nothing will change. Do we have to go?" Snotlout really didn't want to face Hookfang again. He couldn't bear the thought of seeing his dragon snarl at him and act hostile.

"Yes, I need to see it for myself. There are things I can't judge without looking directly. Would you show me the way? Please." At Sigrid's gentle request, Snotlout finally nodded.

Soon, they arrived at the cave where Hookfang and the female dragon were. But something was off. Hookfang lay weak and battered at the cave entrance, covered in various injuries. The female dragon kept nudging his body with her snout, clearly worried about his condition.

"Hookfang!" When Snotlout shouted, the female dragon immediately growled and was wary of him. Snotlout was about to run to Hookfang right away, but Sigrid stopped him.

"Wait here for a moment. I'll go see first. Wild dragons are dangerous, you know."

Sigrid moved toward the dragons with deliberate stealth, his footsteps so soft they were nearly silent. The female dragon, who had shown nothing but hostility to Snotlout, immediately clamped her threatening mouth shut when Sigrid drew near and lowered her head to observe him. When Sigrid offered his hand, the female dragon's eyes fluttered shut as she tenderly brought her snout to meet his touch. The way she became so peaceful without him saying anything was truly amazing.

Soon, the female dragon started whimpering and growling, trying to tell Sigrid something. She looked into the cave, then back at Sigrid, and pushed Hookfang with her snout. Snotlout couldn't understand what she meant at all, but Sigrid looked like he understood. After standing in front of the female dragon for a while, Sigrid gestured to Snotlout.

"Come here slowly. This girl won't be wary of you anymore. And neither will Hookfang." When Snotlout heard this, he slowly approached where Sigrid was. As Sigrid said, the female dragon no longer watched Snotlout warily. Seeing this, Sigrid pointed inside the cave. There were three dragon eggs placed there.

"Eggs? What are those?"

"Hookfang has been protecting her eggs. She was unable to defend them alone, so he chose to stay and help. When he pushed you away, it wasn't because he didn't want you—he was afraid you'd be in danger." Even with Sigrid's explanation, Snotlout still didn't understand something. He couldn't understand what it meant to be in danger.

"Why would I be in danger? Is there something dangerous?"

Just as Snotlout's voice faded, a ferocious roar split the silence overhead. Above them, an enormous shadow darkened the sky as something massive descended. It was a Titan Wing Monstrous Nightmare—three times larger than Hookfang and infinitely more terrifying.

"A Titan Wing Monstrous Nightmare? What the..." As the enormous dragon landed with a thunderous impact, Hookfang scrambled to stand on shaking legs. The female dragon roared fiercely, trying to establish dominance over the intruder. The Titan Wing remained completely indifferent, moving forward with chilling determination.

The weight of responsibility fell on Snotlout's shoulders—he was the only one fit for combat. Hookfang could barely stay upright, and the female dragon was no match for the Titan Wing's brute strength. And Sigrid—he wasn't built for battling dragons. Snotlout stepped forward to guard Sigrid and gripped his sword handle.

"Sigrid, stay behind me. I'll handle this somehow." Snotlout aimed his sword at the Titan Wing, but the giant dragon rose to its full height on two legs, utterly dismissive of the weapon. The creature's massive frame cast Snotlout into complete darkness. His heart hammered with terror at the overwhelming size, but retreat wasn't an option—falling back would expose Sigrid and Hookfang to certain death.

Snotlout's sword tip trembled, and he wanted to run away right now, but Snotlout didn't retreat. Then suddenly, Sigrid stood in front of Snotlout. Snotlout was flustered by his sudden movement.

"Sigrid, no! What are you doing? You need to get back—this is too dangerous!"

"It's okay, Snotlout. Calm down. Don't worry—just go into the cave with Hookfang and that girl. I can handle this."

Sigrid spoke calmly without looking back. Despite Snotlout's protests that this was absolutely not okay, Sigrid stood firm in his decision. The female dragon clamped her teeth around Snotlout's clothes and hauled him into the cave against his will. Unable to do anything else, Snotlout watched the scene unfold from the cave's entrance with Hookfang and the female dragon.

Sigrid was just quietly doing nothing, only looking up at the Titan Wing. The Titan Wing also stood on two legs and just glared down. After they stared each other down for several tense moments, the Titan Wing suddenly lowered its massive frame back to the ground and took a few deliberate steps backward. For a brief instant, it seemed like the beast might retreat, but instead it opened its jaws wide and unleashed a thunderous roar. The message was unmistakably clear—this was a threat.

The Titan Wing stomped its massive feet and slammed its tail against the ground while spreading its wings to their full span. Snotlout recognized these actions immediately—this was exactly how wild Monstrous Nightmares behaved before attacking. The Titan Wing was clearly challenging Sigrid to a fight. In this extremely dangerous moment, Snotlout tried to rush outside, but Hookfang tackled him to the ground, using his body to hold him back.

"Get off me, Hookfang! Sigrid's about to get killed! The Titan Wing is going to attack!" But Hookfang didn't let Snotlout go. In the end, Snotlout could only watch.

Rather than retreating from the Titan Wing's menacing display, he took a confident step forward. At this unexpected move, the Titan Wing actually stepped backward. The massive dragon appeared genuinely confused. The Titan Wing threateningly bared its teeth and breathed fire in front of Sigrid, but Sigrid kept moving forward. The further Sigrid pressed forward, the more the Titan Wing crumbled before him, its head sinking in defeat. Backed against the trees with nowhere left to flee, the enormous dragon's head was now almost level with the dirt.

Sigrid walked up to the Titan Wing, which was now crouched low to the ground, bent down, and said something to it. But it was too far away and his back was turned, so they couldn't hear what he was saying. When Sigrid took a few steps back, the Titan Wing quickly flew into the sky like it was running away and disappeared. Snotlout could only stare at this sight blankly.

Sigrid finally turned around and began walking back toward them. His usual gentle smile had returned to his face—a calm expression that seemed completely at odds with the dangerous situation that had just unfolded. Only when everything was clearly resolved did Hookfang release Snotlout, who immediately rushed over to Sigrid.

"Sigrid! Are you okay? What was that just now? How did you drive away the Titan Wing?"

"A little skill. I'll teach you later. Right now, treating Hookfang's injuries comes first, doesn't it?" Sigrid smiled and patted Snotlout's shoulder, then walked toward the cave where the two dragons were. "That Titan Wing won't be coming back. She can finally let her guard down, and Hookfang won't have to keep pushing you away to protect everyone."

As Sigrid approached, the female dragon pressed her snout to him in silent thanks. Following a brief, caring embrace, Sigrid moved toward Hookfang. Though Hookfang looked utterly drained, there was a sense of relief in his weary expression.

So they were able to return to the Edge with Hookfang. The others were surprised at Hookfang's condition, but after hearing Sigrid's explanation, they could understand why Hookfang had acted that way. While watching Sigrid treating Hookfang near Snotlout's hut, Sigrid spoke to him.

"I doubted your story from the start. Even if Hookfang loved that female, he had no reason to drive you away so harshly."

"But wouldn't mating have naturally awakened those protective instincts? How could you be so sure that wasn't what was happening here?"

"Because you were already Hookfang's friend. When instincts awaken, dragons become more discerning—they hate their enemies more but love their friends more deeply. You belonged in his trusted circle, so his aggression toward you made no sense. That's why I said I would see for myself."

Snotlout looked down at Hookfang while hearing those words. Hookfang had deliberately acted hostile and driven him away because he didn't want Snotlout to be attacked by the Titan Wing. Completely unaware that Hookfang had been battling the Titan Wing in solitude, Snotlout felt his heart break all over again—this time from guilt at having abandoned faith in his partner. When Snotlout sat next to Hookfang and petted his head, Hookfang purred as if pleased.

"I'm so glad you came. Without you, I would have actually lost Hookfang forever. Thank you so much." At Snotlout's words, Sigrid smiled softly while bandaging Hookfang's leg. "Please make sure to teach me later how you drove away the Titan Wing. I was too far back and couldn't see anything you did."

"I promise I'll teach you these skills later on. For now, just focus on taking good care of Hookfang, okay?" Snotlout smiled softly at Sigrid's words and hugged Hookfang's head close.

Of course, Sigrid had no intention of teaching Snotlout how he did it. To teach him how he did it, he would have to reveal his secret first.

The Titan Wing from earlier had challenged him despite knowing Sigrid was an Ancient Dragon. It probably thought it could win because it was larger and Sigrid had many things to protect behind him. Before accepting the reckless young dragon's challenge, Sigrid wanted to shatter its misplaced confidence. He wanted to show this young dragon that blindly attacking anyone who crossed its path would eventually lead to its downfall.

Sigrid exposed his fangs and let out a threatening growl. He walked toward the Titan Wing like a hunter closing in on prey. The dragon's arrogance shattered piece by piece, replaced by raw terror as Sigrid's dark presence consumed the space between them. Against an Ancient Dragon's predatory menace, the young dragon was like a hatchling before a storm. It must have approached with absolute certainty of triumph, but reality crushed those delusions instantly.

The low, menacing rumble finally crushed the Titan Wing's will completely. The massive dragon lowered its head in full submission. Having lost even the battle of wills, it must have realized it would be utterly defeated if they engaged in direct combat. Sigrid slightly bent at the waist, looked down at the Titan Wing, and whispered.

"You should have studied your enemy before challenging them. You're still young and arrogant. If you fight relying only on size, this is what happens." Beneath Sigrid's human voice, another deeper tone seemed to resonate—something distinctly draconic. Right now, in the Titan Wing's eyes, Sigrid probably appeared as a truly fearsome dragon.

"Don't come to this island again. Not if you're going to behave this rudely. Understood?" After finishing his words, Sigrid stepped back to give the Titan Wing space to fly away. The Titan Wing immediately took flight and disappeared. Having intimidated it so completely, it wouldn't return to this place again. Coming back would mean ignoring Sigrid's warning, and then it would face brutal consequences.

Sigrid thought he needed to mark territory here as he had on Berk. Without markings, dangerous dragons kept coming to threaten them. At least while he was protecting these kids, he couldn't tolerate threats from dragons. He couldn't protect them from humans, but he could protect them from dragons.

Somewhere in the middle of the sea, a large ship bearing the Berserker tribe's Skrill emblem on its sail and another ship displaying an emblem of dragons pierced by arrows and swords were anchored close together. Between those ships was a large plank for people to cross. In the captain's cabin below deck on the ship with the Berserker emblem, a conversation was taking place.

A large, bald man sat facing Dagur across the table. Standing around them were four menacing figures, each heavily armed. Two were Berserker soldiers, the remaining pair belonged to the bald man's entourage.

"Very well, let's go over our conditions one more time. Your demands include Berk's destruction, the elimination of the Dragon Riders, and one specific person. Do I understand correctly?" The bald man checked his written treaty while looking at Dagur.

"Exactly. Those three conditions are non-negotiable, Ryker. The only reason I'm cooperating with Dragon Hunters is for that." Dagur looked at Ryker with a maniacal smile. "So the Dragon Hunters' only condition is the elimination of the Dragon Riders? That's pretty simple. Is there truly nothing else?"

"Yes, that's correct. The only condition my brother specified was exactly that. He said we needed to eliminate potential threats." Ryker looked at the treaty papers in his hand again, checking the details. "What about this specific person? Not enough detail here."

"Oh, that's Berk's healer. I nearly captured him last time but let him slip away by accident. I made sure to write it down specifically in case you might kill him or simply let him escape." Dagur chuckled, then his expression suddenly turned serious. "Don't kill him. Capture him alive and bring him to me. Is that clear?"

At Dagur's threatening words, Ryker frowned and wrote something additional on the treaty. "Then you should have included 'capture alive' as a condition. Seriously." After finishing writing the additions, Ryker stamped the Dragon Hunter tribe's emblem at the bottom of the paper. When he handed the paper to Dagur, Dagur also stamped the Berserker tribe's emblem next to it.

"Excellent, the alliance is sealed. Looking forward to working with you, Rykie." When Dagur grinned and extended his hand, Ryker grimaced at the unwelcome nickname but accepted the handshake. "Speaking of which, where's your brother? Doesn't your brother come to important meetings?"

"Viggo is always tied up with business. We'll probably be meeting regularly from now on, so maybe you'll encounter him eventually. The Dragon Riders have extended their influence way beyond the archipelago, causing us problems too. Since they interfere unpredictably, you Berserkers will have to work harder."

Their handshake was more than a greeting—it was a test of dominance. Each man applied pressure deliberately, measuring the other's mettle before Ryker finally took the treaty and left with his men.

Dagur chuckled with undisguised glee, his satisfaction radiating from every feature. At last, he had the means to apply greater pressure to his brother and Sigrid. When the Dragon Hunters had proposed their alliance, Dagur's acceptance was immediate—mutual goals meant mutual benefit.

From now on, he planned to launch more direct assaults on Berk. He'd recently received word that Sigrid rarely strayed from Berk's borders these days. If Sigrid wouldn't come out, Dagur would have to go to him instead. His wild, uncontrolled laughter echoed off the cabin walls.

Chapter Text

Stoick's nerves had been fraying with each passing day. Dagur's fleets kept drawing closer to Berk's coastline. Previously, they would only come as far as the distant sea stacks before turning back. Now they ventured near the sea stacks closest to Berk before retreating. Though Stoick and Skullcrusher kept pursuing them, it didn't feel like a successful drive-off—more like a calculated withdrawal. Something was wrong.

Sigrid was equally restless these days. Having intruders repeatedly breach his territory went against every draconic instinct. Sigrid wasn't usually territorial, but even he couldn't tolerate the same enemy repeatedly invading his space. The wary cries of dragons living along the coastline only made things worse.

And finally, disaster struck. Usually, the ships approaching the coast numbered between three and five, but today only one came, catching them off guard. This single ship carried five mini catapults and launched a proper assault on Berk. Caught unprepared, Berk was defenseless against the fire and catapult barrage. It was completely unlike Dagur's usual tactics.

Many houses were destroyed and began burning. Of course, Sigrid's healing hut faced the same fate. He had stepped away briefly, and when he returned to the healing hut, half of it lay crushed under a massive stone. The small hut was half demolished—if anyone had been inside, the consequences would have been catastrophic. Sigrid remained frozen for a moment, shocked, gazing at what remained of his healing hut.

"Sigrid! Are you okay? I saw from above that your healing hut was nearly half...  by Thor's Hammer." Stoick, mounted on Skullcrusher after pursuing Dagur's ship, had evidently given up the chase and come back. Upon seeing Sigrid's destroyed healing hut, Stoick grimaced.

"No one was inside. At least that's fortunate. Are the other people's houses okay?" When Sigrid sighed and looked up at Stoick, Stoick wore a grave expression.

"It's a mess. The houses that weren't destroyed are burning from fire arrows. Some houses are completely smashed. Astrid's house doesn't even have a trace left."

"What? Are Astrid's parents all right? Was anyone inside?"

"Yes, fortunately Astrid's parents had gone elsewhere." Stoick turned from Sigrid to examine the ruins of the healing hut. Everything had been flattened except the doorframe. "I was about to ask you to help with the wounded, but... if your supplies are buried under all this rubble, they're no good to anyone. You need to go see Gothi."

"Got it. See you later."

After ending their conversation, the two headed to their respective destinations. Stoick flew off on Skullcrusher to another location. He likely intended to properly assess the village's condition and decide what orders to give the people. Sigrid quickly ran to Gothi's house. Fortunately, Gothi's house was relatively intact.

"Gothi! Are you inside? My healing hut is half destroyed, so I don't have anything usable. I think we need to share supplies." At Sigrid's urgent words, Gothi pointed somewhere with her staff. It was a display case containing some of the herbs and medicines Sigrid usually used.

"Thanks, I'm glad your house is safe." Sigrid exhaled in relief, yet his rumbling mutter promised violence. "Those bastards... how dare they invade my territory..."

Sigrid unknowingly growled softly, his voice mixing with draconic tones. Startled by this, he looked down at Gothi. Gothi just looked at him with eyes that didn't seem particularly surprised. It didn't appear she had heard, so Sigrid acted as if nothing had happened.

"Uh, well, I should get going, Gothi. Take care of yourself." At this, Gothi nodded slightly in understanding.

For a while after that, he busily treated the wounded. There were many people with burns or broken bones from being crushed by falling debris. Fortunately, there didn't appear to be any seriously injured or dead. While he was busy treating people in the plaza, Stoick arrived with the rider kids. Having the kids there would help clean up this chaos much faster.

"Hiccup! Good thing you came. The village is quite a mess right now." After finishing splinting the arm of someone with a broken bone, Sigrid approached the kids. Since his hands were stained with blood from treating injuries, he couldn't hug Hiccup or put his hand on his shoulder as usual.

"Dagur did this? When exactly did they come and attack?"

"About an hour or two ago. The attack didn't last long. Only a single ship came, so we let our guard down." Sigrid then approached Astrid, looking somewhat anxious. "Astrid, I heard your house collapsed from the attack. Your parents are safe — they were elsewhere."

At Sigrid's words, Astrid's face paled as she immediately mounted Stormfly and headed toward her house. Since he had said it was completely destroyed, it would likely be quite a shocking sight. Though Sigrid was somewhat concerned about Astrid, he felt better seeing Heather rush to follow her. Heather would be there to comfort her.

The other riders moved to put out fires that were still burning in other houses. Shortly after, the village fires were completely extinguished. No more wounded requiring Sigrid's treatment appeared. Once the chaos had temporarily subsided, villagers assembled in the plaza to await their chief's commands. Once everyone had assembled, Stoick began to speak.

"All right, now that the fires are out, Sven, you start the wall repairs. Bucket you're in charge of roofs." People began to disperse according to these orders. Then Hiccup gave orders to the rider kids.

"Snotlout, Ruff, Tuff, you ferry whatever supplies they need. Fishlegs, you and Meatlug do the heavy lifting and I'll go looking for Dagur."

This behavior was very similar to Stoick's, and it showed leadership. Stoick looked on with some satisfaction at this sight.

"Hiccup has grown so much. He looked like a little chief just now." Sigrid whispered to Stoick, who smiled with obvious pride.

"Indeed he has. Now I don't have to worry about whether that boy has the qualities of a chief. My son will be a perfect chief."

Hiccup and the kids departed for their respective positions, but Sigrid had one more concern. He had nowhere to return to. The healing hut was now half in ruins. But given how tiny the original structure had been, ‘half-destroyed’ meant only a third was actually left standing. Even if they prioritized repairing the healing hut, it would take over a week. Since there were places more seriously damaged than Sigrid's healing hut, it couldn't be repaired as a priority. While Sigrid was considering what to do, Stoick placed a hand lightly on his shoulder.

"What on earth are you thinking about so intently that you can't hear me calling?" During Sigrid's deep thoughts, Stoick had apparently called his name several times. Sigrid had been completely oblivious.

"Ah, sorry. I was thinking about the healing hut. Since it's gone... I'm trying to work out what to do next." Sigrid smiled apologetically and looked up at Stoick.

"That's the problem? I just figured you'd stay at my place."

"Ah, right. I can stay at your place for a while. It's been so long since something like this happened that I'd completely forgotten."

Sigrid had stayed at Stoick's house quite often before. When he first came to Berk, or when the healing hut had collapsed from dragon attacks he couldn't send back in time, he always temporarily lived at Stoick's house. It was comfortable and convenient for both of them.

Since the healing hut was almost completely destroyed, there wasn't much to pack. It had been years since he'd needed to stay at Stoick's house. There hadn't been incidents serious enough to destroy the healing hut like this in recent years. After Sigrid knocked and opened the door, Stoick was preparing dinner. Hiccup was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's Hiccup? I thought he was supposed to be on Berk today." Sigrid moved like he belonged there, pulling forks from the cupboard and placing them on the table while handing bowls to Stoick. "I was hoping we could all eat together. Please don't tell me he's still out there chasing Dagur."

"It's not that. Hiccup's at the arena with the rest of the kids. They all decided to camp out there together since Astrid's place got hit—you know, for comfort." Stoick ladled the stew he had been cooking into bowls and handed one to Sigrid. Sigrid took it and set it on the table.

"How thoughtful. Astrid will appreciate it." Sigrid smiled softly and sat in a chair at the table. Stoick sat across from him. "I could have helped prepare dinner, but was I too late?"

"No, I just whipped it up quickly. You're... good at everything else, but you're hopeless with seasoning. The food looks fine, but it either has no flavor or it's way too salty—one extreme or the other. Isn't that true?" At Stoick's playful joke, Sigrid chuckled.

This was a problem that arose because Sigrid could eat literally anything. Since Sigrid's palate wasn't particularly discerning—he could even consume poison—he often got the seasoning wrong. Whether he added no salt or too much, it all tasted similar to Sigrid, so he couldn't gauge the proper amount. Sigrid's cooking always had extreme flavors.

"Seasoning is the hardest thing for me. Everything tastes pretty much the same to me." Sigrid grinned and ate a spoonful of stew. It was perfectly warm and satisfying. 

After enjoying dinner together, they decided to go to sleep quickly. Stoick had noticed that Sigrid was quite tired after a full day of events. Stoick's house always had another bed prepared for situations like this. It felt like the first time sleeping in this bed in a long while. Being quite tired, Sigrid fell asleep immediately upon lying down.

Late at night, Stoick woke up. He hadn't really been sleeping properly anyway. If Dagur's attacks had become this bold, more direct assaults would follow. He couldn't fall asleep properly because of this worry. Previously, constant dragon attacks kept tribes too busy for warfare among themselves, but now that the dragon threat had ended, tribal conflicts were increasing.

Stoick ran his hand over his tired face and sighed quietly. Since he wouldn't be able to sleep tonight anyway, it would be better to take a walk around the village. He put his helmet back on, took his axe in one hand, and quietly headed for the door.

With Sigrid sleeping in the house for the first time in ages, Stoick stepped carefully to keep the floorboards quiet. He remembered how lightly his friend slept. He remembered from previous stays how Sigrid would wake up immediately at even the slightest sound. Since Sigrid had looked really tired recently, he didn't want to wake him unnecessarily.

Despite Stoick's careful movements, an unpleasant creaking sound came from the floorboards. Startled for a moment, Stoick froze and listened for any signs that Sigrid had woken up. He heard nothing—no rustling, no movement. The house remained very quiet. Fortunately, Sigrid didn't appear to have stirred.

That guy's getting old too. Stoick had this idle thought as he quietly stepped outside. Those hypersensitive days were from his youth—nowadays it seemed like he didn't wake up from sounds anymore.

As Stoick headed toward the plaza, he spotted Astrid walking alone through the empty plaza. Astrid also appeared to have many concerns.

"Can't sleep, eh?" When Stoick approached from behind and spoke to Astrid, she startled as if she hadn't known anyone was there.

"Not a wink." Astrid's face was filled with guilt and regret. Stoick knew this expression very well. It was the regret of someone unable to protect.

"Can't stop thinking about what you might have done to prevent the attack? There's nothing you could have done, you know that."

"I know that up here, but in my gut—" Despite Stoick's advice, Astrid was still blaming herself. Anyone living as a Viking feels this way at some point. At times like these, good advice and good friends were needed. Fortunately, Astrid had good friends, so Stoick could at least provide some good advice.

"You still blame yourself. I know the feeling. We're warriors, you and I. Sworn to protect. You'll learn how to handle that feeling."

"How do I make this feeling go away?"

"You don't. You can't. So you own it." Astrid looked somewhat disappointed at Stoick's words. "But remember this. Protecting isn't something you can do alone. You need someone there. With proper advice and good friends, you can always shake off such feelings. And you'll know what to do next time too."

"Thanks for the advice, Stoick. I never imagined you struggled like this too... you know, you're such a strong and great chief." At Astrid's words, Stoick smiled softly and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"I was once where you are now—young, inexperienced, overwhelmed by responsibility. But with my friend's help, I overcame those struggles and became stronger. You can grow stronger like I did."

"Thank you. My heart was heavy, but now I know what to do." Astrid's face, previously full of worry, brightened somewhat.

"I'm glad you know what to do now. Come here. Let's go check the docks together." At Stoick's guidance, Astrid headed toward the docks with him.

Sigrid woke to the feeling of morning sunlight streaming through the window. Judging by the birdsong outside, he had slept much later than usual. He had planned to wake up early and take a look around Berk, but he unexpectedly overslept.

Sigrid put on his boots from under the bed and stood up, glancing around briefly. Stoick was gone, and something on the table was covered with a cloth. When he lifted the cloth slightly, he found breakfast that Stoick had prepared. Sigrid smiled softly and ate the late morning meal. His friend had apparently left without waking him.

"Oh well. He could have easily woken me up. So much for my day's plans," Sigrid said with a gentle laugh. Even so, he felt genuinely good—his mind was clearer and lighter than it had been in quite some time.

After finishing breakfast, he went outside to look around at the scenery. People were moving busily, repairing the broken houses. In the center, Gobber was directing people and shouting instructions about repairs. Since he needed to ask about the problem with the broken healing hut, Sigrid walked toward Gobber.

"Good morning, Gobber. Is everything going well?"

"Morning! Of course it's going great! You haven't already forgotten that we're practically professional house-rebuilders by now, have you?" Sigrid smiled appreciatively at Gobber's upbeat attitude.

"Gobber, do you know when my healing hut might be repaired? When it was destroyed... most of the things inside were destroyed too. I checked yesterday and the important items were fine, but I don't have a place to see patients."

"Oh, your healing hut? Yeah, we're already on it. Building it bigger this time around. That old place was way too tight—always a headache. Since it's toast anyway, let's make it larger."

Sigrid's eyes widened at Gobber's unexpected words. He had thought the completely collapsed houses would come first, but construction had already begun.

"Is that alright? Aren't other people's houses more urgent?"

"Not having a healing hut is a bigger problem. Just live at Stoick's house for one more week. We'll have it built in no time." Gobber laughed heartily and patted Sigrid's back several times. Sigrid smiled gratefully.

"Oh, by the way, where'd he get to? He wasn't around when I woke up. I assumed he'd be here, but apparently not."

"Stoick just flew to the arena on his dragon. Hiccup is supposedly heading back to the Edge soon—you should go take a look."

"Really? Thank you for letting me know. Keep up the good work!" After a brief farewell with Gobber, Sigrid whistled long and loud to call Nadder. This was the fastest way to get to the arena quickly.

When he arrived at the arena, Stoick and the rider kids were having some kind of conversation. As he flew into the arena entrance, everyone's gaze fixed on Sigrid.

"Good morning. What's making you all look so serious this early in the morning?" Sigrid dismounted from Nadder and walked toward them.

"Astrid wants to stay here temporarily instead of leaving for the Edge and create new riders. As a backup team," Hiccup explained instead. Astrid's face looked determined, as if she had already made up her mind.

"That's quite a good idea. Defense would be difficult with just Stoick alone. When will you start?"

"Right now. But I'm not sure there will be people willing to join the B-team. There are still many people on Berk who dislike or fear dragons." Sigrid gave Astrid's shoulder a comforting pat as she looked worried.

"I bet more people will be interested than you think. Lots of villagers secretly wish they could fly dragons like you do." Astrid's expression brightened at Sigrid's encouragement.

"Is only Astrid staying here? I suppose the rest will all return to the Edge."

"Actually, Hiccup will stay here for a while. He said he's going on 'patrol.'" Snotlout grinned meaningfully and elbowed Hiccup's arm. Hiccup glared at Snotlout but didn't say anything, as if he felt guilty about something.

"I'm doing this by myself. I told Hiccup absolutely not to help me. You absolutely cannot help me either. Got it?" Astrid grinned mischievously as she looked at Hiccup. Sigrid nodded to Astrid as well.

"Well then, good luck. I'll just watch."

The news that Astrid was creating a new dragon rider team spread quickly throughout Berk. As Sigrid had predicted, more people came than expected. It was less than ten, but for Berk—a place that had despised dragons for generations—it felt like a breakthrough. Even after three years of coexisting with dragons, more people still avoided dragons.

"More than expected, right? Hey, isn't that your father over there?" Fishlegs, watching from above the arena, pointed at Spitelout. Snotlout looked down below and was slightly surprised, then spoke spitefully.

"Oh, my father applied to be a rider? I wonder if he can even pass." Snotlout sneered in an extremely malicious voice. "I wish I was down there alongside Astrid. I'd point out every single mistake and give him hell whenever he messes up. What do you think?"

"Uh... I think Astrid can handle that well enough." All the kids watching were surprised and stared at Snotlout at his malicious words. Sigrid also looked at Snotlout with quite surprised eyes, but Snotlout was laughing as if he was having fun.

Down there, Astrid started figuring out who wasn't actually scared of dragons. After some pretty tough testing, she was left with five people. Spitelout was one of them, which made Snotlout click his tongue in annoyance. Since Astrid's training was quite proper, the kids who had been watching a bit longer left for the Edge. Sigrid also left to replenish his depleted herb supplies, but Hiccup looked like he would continue to stay.

Three days passed like this, staying at Stoick's house and gathering herbs during the day. Astrid's B-team had grown considerably, but Astrid didn't look satisfied. Every time he went past the arena, there was Astrid shouting orders and making people do push-ups for messing up. It appeared that Astrid was intentionally being harder on the B-team, knowing that once she declared them ready, she would have to return to the Edge instead of staying on Berk.

But Sigrid didn't think he needed to point this out. During dinner yesterday evening, Hiccup had mentioned in passing that he felt he should have a conversation with Astrid. It would be better to hear such things from a friend rather than from himself, so Sigrid's advice wasn't necessary.

While sitting at Stoick's house table, sorting and trimming the herbs he had gathered, Hiccup opened the door and entered. Seeing him in leather armor, he was apparently about to leave for the Edge.

"Are you leaving? When do you plan to come back?"

"In a few days. I'm going to check if the Edge's defenses are working well. Snotlout and Heather are probably doing fine, but I'm worried the twins might cause trouble."

"Alright, be careful. Did you talk to Astrid?"

"Yes, I talked to her, but... I'm not sure how she took it. I think she was quite shocked that her parents were in danger when she wasn't there. I should tell her it's okay to stay on Berk for a while even after the B-team is complete."

"Astrid will handle it well. I'll visit the Edge sometime later. See you later."

When Sigrid spoke, Hiccup nodded and climbed onto Toothless before leaving. Sigrid briefly wondered if he should have more directly told Hiccup not to head to the Edge so openly, but he trusted that Hiccup would handle things well on his own and focused on his work again.

The day after Hiccup left for the Edge, a Terrible Terror flew to Sigrid. He thought it might be a letter from Valka, but since it was broad daylight, it was more likely to be a letter from Hiccup. It was strange that he sent a letter when he had only been gone one day. As Sigrid untied and read the letter from the Terrible Terror's leg, his expression quickly became serious. The letter's content was that the Edge was under attack by Dagur's fleet.

At Sigrid's quiet call, Nadder instantly approached his side. Since Sigrid's healing hut had been destroyed, he had been staying near Stoick's house, so he could come quickly.

"My dear, find Stoick." At Sigrid's brief request, Nadder sniffed the air several times and quickly flew somewhere.

Stoick was talking to someone. As Sigrid came down nearby, the guy talking to Stoick was startled by the dragon and took a few steps back. Sigrid held up his hand in a quick apology, then passed the letter to Stoick without dismounting from Nadder.

"Stoick, Dragons Edge is under siege by Dagur's fleet." When Sigrid spoke, Stoick quickly read through the letter.

"Dozens of ships? This is serious trouble. We need to call Astrid." Stoick whistled long and loud to call Skullcrusher. "Are you planning to go too? I think it would be better for you to just stay on Berk."

"With all those ships out there, we need every person we can get. I've heard Astrid's B-team still lacks experience."

Stoick still looked somewhat disapproving but gave in to Sigrid's persuasion. When they told Astrid at the arena about this news, she was also surprised and quickly climbed onto Stormfly. Astrid's B-team heard this and wanted to come along, but they were forced to stay at the arena under Astrid's absolute refusal.

When they reached the Edge, they could see Dagur's fleet attacking the Edge. Some people had even climbed onto the Edge and were attacking. Sigrid sent some signals to the dragons living on the Edge. Only the Night Terrors, driven by their intense territorial nature, answered Sigrid's call willingly. He could call more dragons by force, but then he'd have to deal with the consequences later.

"Stoick! The dragons on this island will attack the ships on the left. Handle the rest of the ships with Astrid!" At Sigrid's shout, Stoick and Astrid flew to the right.

Sigrid flew near the flock of Night Terrors and made small clicking sounds, giving commands about what to do. The white Night Terror appeared to be the leader of the group and led the flock to sweep one of the leftmost ships. Countless Night Terrors swarmed the ship and instantly attacked the crew en masse. Since Night Terrors were small, it was more effective for them to target people rather than the ships themselves. The smell of blood soon wafted through the sea air.

Sigrid also brought Nadder and set fire to the remaining ships. Dodging several shooting arrows, Nadder's flames swept across the deck. One arrow he couldn't dodge stuck in his arm, but it wasn't serious. Sigrid seized the arrow shaft and yanked it out in one swift motion, hurling it into the water. He clamped his free hand over the wound, and the bleeding ceased almost immediately.

After dealing with the four ships on the left, Sigrid checked on Stoick and Astrid's situation. Astrid was too far away to see well, but Stoick was currently in a crisis situation. Skullcrusher was tied up in nets, and he was facing about six people alone. Nadder knew Sigrid's thoughts and flew straight there without being commanded.

"My dear, crush them." Responding to Sigrid's whispered order, Nadder plummeted down and slammed into a soldier creeping up on Stoick from behind. The soldier trapped underneath screamed at the sudden impact. When the other soldiers hesitated in surprise at the sound, Stoick swung his axe and finished dealing with the rest.

"Thanks. What's the situation now?" Stoick said while removing the nets binding Skullcrusher.

"Too many ships. We need all the riders, but there's no time to get them here during the battle." As Sigrid said, quite a few ships still remained. Hiccup was helping from the air, but four people alone weren't enough.

Just then, suddenly dragon attacks came from somewhere. Looking where the attacks came from, Astrid's B-team was there. They had disobeyed Astrid's orders and flown all the way to the Edge to help. Thanks to them, the fight could end quickly, and Dagur retreated, leaving only two ships out of the many that had been there.

"You all disobeyed my direct order. Whose idea was this little mutiny?" When Astrid asked in frustration, they all said they'd been the one to do it. Nobody seemed willing to rat out the actual person, but seeing this made Astrid's anger start to cool down.

Thus, Astrid's B-team was officially recognized and even got a new name: A-team. Since Berk now had a new dragon rider team, Astrid could stay at the Edge with some peace of mind. Once again, they had successfully overcome Dagur's threat.

As Sigrid, Stoick, and the A-Team got closer to Berk, dragons from the coastal areas started gathering and flying out to meet them.

"Stoick, let me check on these guys first. Something's happening down at the coast. You go on ahead."

"Alright, but you'll be back before dinner, right?" Stoick led the A-Team back to the village first. Sigrid headed toward the coast where the dragons lived. The dragons looked anxious.

"So, what's going on? If you're calling me this urgently, it must be pretty serious."

The dragons pointed toward a small rocky islet near Berk and roared. Sigrid moved as close as possible to get a better look at the reef. While staring intently, he spotted movement behind the rocks. It appeared to be an ambush sent by Dagur. Thanks to the dragons, he could detect it early. Sigrid wasn't about to let these intruders escape with their lives. He planned to pin them down there until the dead of night. The dragons would warn him if the trespassers made any attempt to advance.

The night had grown deep. Sigrid carefully climbed out of bed and stood with bare feet on the wooden floor. If these territorial violations kept happening, he would reach his breaking point. Sigrid quietly slipped out of the house without Stoick noticing and headed toward the coast where the dragons waited. Cool grass and soft earth cushioned his bare feet as he stepped outside. The ground was damp with night moisture, pleasantly cool against his skin after the warmth of his bed.

The dragons were all awake, waiting for Sigrid as if they had known he would come. The relentless territorial invasions had left them on edge as well, and they eagerly awaited whatever Sigrid had planned. Sigrid climbed onto a nearby dragon and headed toward the rocky isle. No matter how many people were there, none of them would return.

Sigrid landed on the island with about five dragons. The island appeared quiet and empty, as if no one was there. But Sigrid's keen senses picked up everything. Many people were hiding around the area. Sigrid slipped down from his dragon and stepped onto the sandy shoreline. The beach sand was surprisingly cold, crumbling and sliding beneath his feet as he walked, leaving deep impressions in his wake. Reaching the middle of the beach, Sigrid looked toward the nearest large rock and spoke.

"I know you're there. Stop hiding and just come out." Sigrid's quiet voice drifted across the beach. After a brief moment, a soldier with a Berserker helmet stepped forward from the shadows.

"How did you know to come looking? The healer of Berk." The soldier was on guard due to Sigrid's sudden appearance. The five dragons behind him made it worse.

"Those little dragons gave you away. Hiding right where dragons nest wasn't the smartest move, was it?" Sigrid laughed quietly. "I know you didn't come alone. Save us all some time and bring out your friends."

At Sigrid's words, the soldier frowned and hesitated before gesturing somewhere. All the hidden soldiers emerged at once. There were about four of them. If this many had snuck into the village, the casualties would have been considerable.

"If you're aware we have numbers, why show up by yourself? Looking to surrender?" The soldier addressing Sigrid sneered, emboldened by their overwhelming advantage. They all pointed their weapons at Sigrid. "Five dragons might be difficult to defeat, but we have enough skill to subdue one ordinary healer."

"My little friends won't do anything yet. They're just... preventing anyone from escaping this island. And handling the cleanup afterward." At Sigrid's words, the soldier frowned. "We're done talking. The longer I talk with humans, the combat is… problematic. My nature has softened considerably."

"What the hel are you saying? If you don't want to die, get on your knees and surrender right now." The soldier thrust his spear toward Sigrid threateningly. Something felt very wrong about how calm Sigrid was acting in a situation where most people would be panicking.

"You said it yourself. 'Ordinary healer.'" Sigrid slowly extended his hand and let the spear point pierce his palm as he moved the weapon away from himself. The sharp metal carved a deep gash across his skin, and warm blood trickled down to darken the cool sand beneath his feet. The bright full moon's light made everything appear pale and clear, making the sight quite visible. "Sorry, but I'm not an ordinary healer. You'll have to face the consequences for invading my territory."

Sigrid glared at the soldier before him. When the soldier met Sigrid's stare, raw fear seized him immediately. The overwhelming bloodlust and otherworldly presence of something non-human pressed down on him like a suffocating blanket. Frozen in place by absolute terror, he could only watch helplessly as Sigrid began to shift forms.

Sharp horns burst forth from his head, while his hand clutching the spear shifted into a wickedly curved dragon talon. Something immense took shape behind him—colossal black wings spread wide, eclipsing the moon and plunging the beach into darkness. He had shifted into his half-dragon state.

"A... a monster..." came a horrified whisper from the hidden watchers. Sigrid's lips curved into a gentle smile at the all-too-familiar response. As if echoing his amusement, his dragon tail swished lazily, its tip brushing the sand.

"Precisely. A monster, yes. So tell me—why did you persist in provoking me?" Sigrid's quiet words broke the soldier's trance, and he stumbled backward, wrenching his spear free. Crimson drops fell from the weapon's point, staining the pale sand below.

"Attack that monster! Kill it if necessary—just attack!" They might have received orders from Dagur to capture him alive, but they lost their reason momentarily at the impossible situation before them. Well, that was actually better for Sigrid.

A soldier behind Sigrid let out a desperate yell and lunged forward with his spear aimed at Sigrid's ribs. His hands shook so violently from fear that the weapon only managed a shallow scratch. Sigrid's tail whipped around the soldier's leg, sending him crashing down before Sigrid's draconic-foot came down with brutal force on his shin. Bone snapped like dry wood beneath his heel as the soldier howled in pain. The draconic force hadn't just broken the bone—it had crushed it to fragments. A gentle smile played across Sigrid's lips.

This way, Sigrid brought down three soldiers. Restraining himself from lethal force, he instead focused on permanent damage—cracking bones, using his claws to slice through vital leg muscles. The fighting left Sigrid covered in cuts and gashes, but he didn't seem to notice.

At last, Sigrid's claws punched through the final soldier's breastplate before shredding the flesh beneath. He hurled the choking soldier aside like worthless garbage. Only the soldier who appeared to be their leader remained. The soldier who had briefly conversed with Sigrid.

"How... how are you still standing? With those wounds surely..." The soldier shouted while pointing his spear at the approaching Sigrid. His voice and spear tip trembled with fear.

"Ah, I'm used to it." Sigrid crushed his foot down on the escaping soldier's arm, halting his desperate crawl, then gazed down with cold interest. "Not going to fight back? Shall I go first instead?"

"Stop toying with us! Just finish it, you insane monster!!" The soldier's final war cry echoed as he charged with everything he had left. The spear head found its target, sinking deep into Sigrid's abdomen. A lethal strike against mortal flesh, but barely more than a scratch to Sigrid's draconic form.

A cruel smile played across Sigrid's lips as he grasped the soldier's shoulder and buried his talons in the man's abdomen—returning the favor in exactly the same location. The soldier went down hard, blood streaming from his mouth. Somehow, he was still breathing. Sigrid had been meticulously careful to deliver pain without death.

"So why did you keep invading my territory... My tolerance isn't infinite." Sigrid shook the blood from his hands and whispered under his breath. It was probably unfair to soldiers who'd arrived completely unaware, but Sigrid couldn't bring himself to care. Pain had claimed some soldiers' consciousness, while others trembled at death's approach.

"I'm out of practice—I did far more than needed. Stoick might notice..." Sigrid carefully examined the puncture wound in his abdomen, measuring its depth with his fingers. Then he turned and gestured to the dragons watching behind him. "My dears, do as you please. It's all finished."

At Sigrid's gesture, the dragons approached and attacked the humans crawling on the ground. Since he wasn't allowed to kill them himself, this was how he'd always handled things. Without the dragons, he'd just leave them here wounded until they eventually died. But watching them slowly fade away was mind-numbingly boring, so getting the dragons involved was much better.

Soon, all the humans were gone. The dragons would handle the bodies, dropping them far out at sea. Sigrid cleaned himself up and shifted back to human form. His draconic nature granted him accelerated healing compared to ordinary humans, so the majority of his wounds had already ceased bleeding. A fresh change of clothing would eliminate any lingering smell of blood.

After finally releasing the rage he'd been bottling up for so long, Sigrid felt a weight lift from his shoulders and smiled contentedly as he mounted his dragon for the flight back to Berk. Before going to Stoick's house, he had to change clothes first. Stoick was always sensitive to the smell of blood.

He searched for clean clothes he'd kept hidden in a nearby cave as a precaution, then ordered the dragons to incinerate his bloodstained and torn clothing. Before changing into the clean clothes, he also properly wrapped the bandages he'd stored alongside them around his abdominal wound. The scent of herbs helped mask much of the smell of blood. Afterward, he stealthily slipped back into Stoick's house. Luckily, Stoick was still fast asleep.

All his wounds would heal quickly after sleeping for a few days, except for where the spear had pierced his abdomen. Now that Dagur's entire ambush team had disappeared without a trace, Dagur would certainly send additional forces when he noticed the silence. Since ambush warfare was entirely unlike Dagur's usual methods, he had to assume someone new had appeared at Dagur's side.

Being careful not to reopen his abdominal wound, Sigrid lay down on the bed and closed his eyes. His heart felt light after acting freely for the first time in ages. He drifted off to sleep, already planning to deal with the next ambush in the same brutal manner if they dared to come.

Chapter Text

The dragons discovered Dagur's ambush forces three times, and Sigrid completely destroyed them each time. After that, the ambushes stopped coming. Three weeks had passed since the first massacre, and dragons no longer came to alert about human presence near Berk. Dagur had finally given up on his ambush tactics.

This greatly improved Sigrid's mood. Each time Dagur sent more soldiers, each time he lost them all without a trace. He stopped using hit-and-run tactics altogether. Berk hadn't been attacked by the Berserker tribe recently. Instead, news arrived about increased attacks on the Edge. While Hiccup had sent letters saying he was holding up well against the attacks, this remained a constant worry.

Sigrid's healing hut had been perfectly restored as well. This allowed him to properly treat injuries from dealing with the last ambush without hiding them. The last ambush had been so brutal that the stench of blood couldn't be hidden. Luckily, the healing hut was fully operational again.

Sigrid's healing hut had grown twice as large as before. He was confused and flustered by the oversized house at first, but managed to adapt after just two weeks in his new home. While the larger space meant it took longer to heat the air inside, the expansion made things more comfortable overall. There was also more space to hide things.

Valka's letters were moved to a new location. Even though the healing hut had been nearly destroyed, the most important items had fortunately remained intact in the undamaged sections. A small space beneath the floorboards became the new hiding place.

Since the healing hut had grown so much, there was plenty to fill it with, keeping Sigrid extremely busy lately. Now that Dagur's threat was gone and his focus had shifted to the Edge, it might be safe to venture outside Berk again. Stoick would say no immediately, but enough time had passed that he could be convinced.

While working and thinking about various things, the bell rang announcing Johann's arrival. The timing was perfect. There were things to ask about and quite a lot to buy. Sigrid grabbed a basket and headed to the docks where Johann's ship would be. With so much to buy, buying everything would be faster than gathering it himself.

Many people crowded around Johann's ship. Johann had been entertaining the crowd to attract customers when he caught sight of Sigrid. His face lit up as he quickly pushed through to reach him.

"Mister Sigrid! Perfect timing. I had something to tell you." Johann seized Sigrid's arm at once, tugging him away from the crowd. Though surprised, Sigrid let himself be led to a quiet corner.

"What could be so important that you'd bring me to such a deserted place? Are you sure it's okay to leave your ship unguarded?" When Sigrid asked worriedly, Johann waved his hand dismissively. He looked around, then gestured for Sigrid to come closer. Sigrid bent down and approached Johann.

"Information about dragon hunters," Johann whispered quietly. “I got some new information this trip. But I need something from you too—something I think you'd know about."

"From me? If it's something I know, I'll answer. What do you want to know?" Sigrid tilted his head slightly. Johann rarely asked him questions first. When he did, it was mostly about herbs or healer's knowledge.

"Do you know about the king of dragons? The one that controls all dragons." Johann asked in an almost inaudible voice.

This was quite an unexpected question. It was the first time he'd seen an ordinary human know about the Alpha. The Alpha's existence was widely known only among dragons, and humans had no way of knowing. Even Hiccup didn't know about this yet. Sigrid had chosen not to burden him with this information. If Hiccup learned about this, he'd insist on going to see, and that would mean running into Valka. He had thought Valka was probably the only human who knew about the Alpha, but apparently not.

Johann carefully observed Sigrid's expression during his momentary pause for thought. Something about Johann's piercing stare seemed odd to Sigrid. But the expression vanished so quickly that he wondered if he'd misread it.

Johann was a traveling trader, and as such, he could easily hear rumors circulating worldwide. Johann's knowledge about the Alpha was probably similar in context. While he couldn't explain in detail, it should be fine to give a vague answer that wouldn't arouse suspicion.

"I don't know much about a dragon king, but I've heard rumors of a leader dragon that commands the others. That's about all I know. Where did you pick up that story?" At Sigrid's vague response, Johann frowned briefly before quickly smoothing his expression.

"I heard it at a northern market! According to legend, such a dragon exists. The idea of a king of dragons is so fascinating that I wanted to look into it. Anyway, thank you for telling me what you know, Mister Sigrid." After Johann expressed exaggerated gratitude, he gestured for Sigrid to come closer.

"The dragon hunters are working with the Berserkers now—they've made some kind of alliance. That means twice as many dangerous routes for us traders. Make sure you warn Master Hiccup to watch himself. I've got a long journey ahead to reach the Edge."

Sigrid listened carefully to Johann's words. Sigrid wanted to ask why Johann had come to him about the dragon king, but he missed his chance. It didn't seem important enough to bring up again, though. This must be why Dagur's recent attacks had been so unlike him. Someone exceptionally skilled in strategy appeared to be advising Dagur, likely one of the dragon hunters. If there was someone this clever among the dragon hunters, they needed to prepare accordingly.

"Thanks, Johann. You always bring me information about hunters, but I never have much to offer in return. I'm sorry. How do you get information about hunters anyway? You said even talking about it was dangerous."

"Trade secret. How could I do business if I revealed everything?" Johann grinned playfully. "Speaking of which, do you have a separate herb-gathering spot these days? One of my customers went to the place you mentioned last time, but said all the reeds were already harvested."

"Ah... I don't have one these days. I've been gathering only around Berk. I haven't gone far for a while because of the Berserker tribe problem. At least I've been traveling between the Edge and Berk recently." At Sigrid's words, Johann looked somewhat disappointed.

"I see. Thank you. You brought quite a large basket earlier—you're planning to buy a lot today, aren't you? Follow me, I'll show you the finest goods from around the world!" Johann spoke excitedly while heading toward his ship, and Sigrid followed behind. 

After buying almost all of Johann's dried herbs and leaving them at the healing hut, Sigrid headed to the Great Hall where Stoick would be. He planned to let him know about going to the Edge before leaving. If he left without saying anything, Stoick would surely worry.

"Stoick, are you busy? I'm going to visit the Edge."  Sigrid entered the Great Hall and addressed Stoick, who was hunched over papers scattered across his desk. Stoick glanced up, clearly surprised.

"Right now? Is something wrong?"

"I have something to deliver directly to Hiccup. Terror Mail might be too slow. I'll be back by tomorrow morning at the latest. If there's an urgent patient, send them to Gothi first and send a Terror Mail."

"Understood. Travel safely, and don't fly too close to the water. Watch out for Berserker ships as well."

"You worry too much. I'll be back." After a brief farewell to Stoick, Sigrid departed for the Edge.

Based on his several trips to the Edge, Sigrid realized it was best to travel with Nadder. A few times when he went to the Edge without Nadder, everyone asked where the dragon had gone, creating awkward situations. Since then, even though it was slower, he just flew to the Edge with Nadder. Sigrid and Nadder would fly together or he'd simply ride along.

On the way to the Edge, Sigrid felt moisture gathering heavily in the air. He could feel electrical currents crackling in the air, and the clouds above were darkening and thickening—a storm was brewing. At Sigrid's request, Nadder beat his wings powerfully and climbed above the cloud layer. The sky was choked with dark storm clouds so thick that the ocean beneath had vanished from sight. This storm would be fierce.

Below the clouds, storms and lightning would be raging, but above them was completely peaceful. While flying quietly, something caught Sigrid's senses. He couldn't tell exactly what it was, but his instincts told him to stop immediately. Sigrid quickly halted Nadder and focused on his surroundings again.

Then he heard a very small, faint sound. A human voice calling for help. Some human appeared to be stranded in the middle of the sea during the storm. Sigrid quickly descended below the clouds and faced towering waves and a chaotic storm. It was too dark to clearly see where the human was.

But wanting to rescue the stranded human, Sigrid heightened his senses as much as possible. The overwhelming noise—thunder booming, rain hammering, waves crashing, wind screaming—gave him a headache, but he eventually pinpointed where the voice was coming from. Sigrid pointed somewhere in the sea and directed Nadder to go there.

There was indeed a human there, but it was someone completely unexpected. Astrid was barely hanging onto a log, enduring the fierce waves. Stormfly was nowhere to be seen, and Astrid was nearly at the point of exhaustion. If she fainted, it would be truly dangerous, so Sigrid scooped up Astrid and quickly ordered a rapid ascent above the clouds.

Once above the clouds, all that tremendous noise instantly subsided and only the quiet sound of wind could be heard. His head throbbing from the overwhelming cacophony, he rubbed his temple with his right hand while checking on Astrid in his arms. Her body was extremely cold and she was half-conscious. Hypothermia was a real danger now. Sigrid directed Nadder to press on toward the Edge, then raked his fingers through his windblown hair to clear his sight.

Sigrid glanced skyward and winced as the brilliant sunlight hit his eyes. At that moment, Astrid stirred slightly and let out a soft murmur. Startled, Sigrid's attention snapped back to her.

"Astrid? Are you alright? What happened to Stormfly? Why were you out there by yourself?"

Despite Sigrid's questions, Astrid couldn't fully regain consciousness and remained half-awake. Then she muttered a few words.

"Si...grid...? Stormfly was... hunters..." Astrid mumbled something, then looked up at Sigrid's eyes. "Your eyes... were they always like that...?" With those words, Astrid fell completely unconscious.

"Oh dear."

Sigrid flinched at Astrid's words. That explained why the sun had seemed so blinding. He'd assumed it only appeared bright because he'd come from darkness into sudden daylight. Fortunately, Astrid wasn't fully conscious and even fainted right after, so he could claim she saw wrong. Only when Nadder assured him that these were unmistakably human eyes—not dragon eyes—did Sigrid finally feel at ease.

When they arrived at the Edge, no one was there. It seemed they'd missed each other while searching for Astrid. Before looking for Hiccup and the other kids, taking care of Astrid came first. Staying wet for too long wouldn't be good for her.

Carrying Astrid to her hut, he lit a fire and changed her wet clothes into dry ones, then laid her near the fire to keep her as warm as possible. If Nadder watched over Astrid for a while, it would be safe enough.

Stepping outside the hut, the rain was starting to subside. Sigrid called to a nearby Night Terror. The Night Terror landed on Sigrid's outstretched arm, waiting for orders.

"Find Hiccup and tell him to come back to the Edge. Can you do that for me?" The Night Terror responded to Sigrid's soft voice with several chirps before taking flight toward the ocean.

Since the Night Terror would bring the kids back, Sigrid decided to wait in the clubhouse in the meantime. The kids must have left to search for Astrid while eating dinner, as their half-finished meals still remained on the table.

Since the central fire in the clubhouse had gone out, Sigrid threw a few more logs on it and snapped his fingers to light it anew. If the kids had been wandering around in that storm looking for Astrid, they would definitely be soaked and freezing. In fact, Sigrid himself was quite cold from being properly soaked in the rain.

He took off his wet robe and hung it by the fire, wringing as much water as possible from his clothes. He should put on his robe before the kids got there. The wing slits cut into the back of his tunic had a very distinctive shape.

Sigrid brought out blankets and placed them nearby, then began making stew with ingredients from around the area so they could have something warm to eat. He couldn't guarantee how it would taste, but it seemed better than eating completely cold dinner. He remembered Hiccup once telling him never to touch salt, so he simply didn't season it at all.

Around the time the stew was finished, the sounds of multiple dragons approaching could be heard. The Night Terror seemed to have returned with the kids. Sigrid put on his now mostly dry robe and went outside the clubhouse. The anxiety melted from the kids' faces, replaced by visible relief.

"Sigrid! When did you arrive?" Heather, the first to land at the clubhouse, rushed over and threw her arms around Sigrid. Then her expression suddenly turned worried. "Astrid went missing. We searched everywhere for her, but couldn't find her anywhere. When that Night Terror arrived, we decided to return to the Edge."

"I found Astrid on my way here. She's resting in her hut now. Don't worry." At Sigrid's words, everyone visibly relaxed.

Since they all looked like they'd been completely soaked, Sigrid covered each of their heads with the blankets he'd prepared. Only then did they realize how cold they were, as the twins started shivering.

"Are you cold? Go inside. I made some warm stew for you guys, expecting this might happen." At Sigrid's words, everyone except Heather looked slightly panicked.

"Uh... thank you, but please say you didn't touch any salt while making this?" Sigrid couldn't help but chuckle at Hiccup's nervous question.

"I didn't touch it at all. I just put in ingredients and boiled them. Is that okay?"

"Oh, thank Thor! I was dreading having to choke down salt soup." Ruffnut's shoulders sagged with relief as she hurried into the clubhouse.

"What's this about salt soup? Is he just a terrible cook?" Heather's confused question made Hiccup laugh before he responded.

"No, he's good at cooking, but he can never nail the seasoning. Either it's ridiculously salty or it tastes like nothing. It's because of his... you know what I mean?" At Hiccup's vague words, Heather nodded as if she understood. She definitely seemed to understand it was related to his identity without needing to mention it.

By the time all the rider kids had warmed up, Nadder's cry could be heard. Astrid seemed to have awakened. Sigrid got up and headed to Astrid's hut, with the other kids following him cautiously.

Before Sigrid could even touch the door, it burst open. Astrid appeared with an axe in hand, obviously prepared to charge out at once. When their eyes met, she lowered the axe she'd been holding.

"Astrid, you're in no condition to be moving. You need to rest more." Sigrid tried to settle her, but she shook her head stubbornly.

"Dragon Hunters took Stormfly! I need to get to her right away!" Panic filled Astrid's voice. "All the other dragons are trapped in cages. We have to chase them now, or we'll never see them again!"

"Calm down, Astrid. When was Stormfly captured?" At Sigrid's calm words, Astrid finally caught her breath and settled down.

"This morning... I went out for an early ride with Stormfly just after sunrise. That's when this guy named Ryker and his hunters took Stormfly..." Astrid looked very anxious and restless. But now the sun had set, and moving recklessly would certainly be dangerous. Now wasn't the time to act.

"Astrid, it's almost night now and the sun has completely set. Moving in this state would be dangerous. Right, Hiccup?" Sigrid turned to Hiccup, who had been watching worriedly from the side.

"Astrid, listen to me. The Hunters can't travel at night any more than we can. We'll head to Stormfly's capture site at first light, but you need to rest right now. You know you can't fight effectively when you're this tired." At Hiccup's persuasion, Astrid nodded weakly. She no longer seemed like she would rush out in anger.

"I came here because of the Hunters too, but I arrived too late." Everyone's attention focused on Sigrid at his words. "I've heard that Dagur and the Hunters have allied themselves. Judging from Dagur's fighting patterns lately, there's clearly a skilled strategist working with him. We need to be careful."

"Oh no... That's the worst. An alliance between the Berserker tribe's fleet and Dragon Hunters... the numbers would have increased a lot." Hiccup said quietly.

"Probably so. We still don't understand the Hunters' tactics either. We'll have to be extra cautious when we search for where they took Stormfly tomorrow." Finishing his words, Sigrid looked around at the kids and continued. "All right, everyone needs to get some sleep. We'll be heading out at first light, so you'll need your rest. Go on, get to bed."

At Sigrid's words, everyone returned to their huts. Astrid still stood there looking anxious. Sigrid gently grabbed her shoulder and spoke quietly.

"Everything will be fine. We'll find her tomorrow for sure. You must be hungry—I made stew. Why don't you eat and then try to rest?" At Sigrid's words, Astrid smiled faintly and nodded. It seemed like it would be better for Nadder to sleep here for Astrid's stability. Even if it wasn't Stormfly, it would provide some comfort.

At first light the next morning, they headed to the beach where Stormfly had been taken. There, scrap metal, broken cages, and various parts were scattered everywhere. Nothing useful was visible at first glance.

"Okay, gang, split up and look around. We need to search every corner." At Hiccup's command, everyone scattered to search the beach. But only abandoned items came up, nothing substantial. While searching through the sandy beach, Snotlout picked up something and shouted loudly.

"Hey, over here! It's some kind of arrowhead! There's stuff on the tip!" Everyone rushed over at Snotlout's shout.

In Snotlout's palm was an ordinary arrowhead. The arrowhead itself gleamed with a sharp metallic shine, and something green coated its surface. Astrid took the arrowhead and examined it closely.

"This is a Dragon Hunter arrow." Astrid held it up to the sunlight for a closer look. "Stormfly was hit by one of these before she was caught, I've never seen her act so out of control."

"Interesting."

Upon hearing that Stormfly had been hit and couldn't move properly, Fishlegs took the arrowhead from Astrid. Without hesitation, he tasted the green coating with his tongue.

"That could be poisonous, Fishlegs. Perhaps it's better if I examine such things." Sigrid reached out his hand with concern, gesturing for the arrowhead.

"Oh, I know what this is. This is refined dragon root." At Fishlegs' words, both Sigrid and Hiccup flinched in surprise. Sigrid immediately jerked his hand back. "I've heard that in high concentrations, it can completely overwhelm a dragon's senses, making it almost impossible for them to fly."

"That... that was definitely dangerous." Having narrowly avoided disaster, Sigrid gave a nervous laugh and backed away.

"Just one quiver of these arrows could decimate an entire flock of dragons. Using something like this, the Hunters seem to know a lot about dragons." Fishlegs handed the arrowhead to Hiccup. "Fortunately, it's not poisonous to Gronckles like Meatlug or humans. Gronckles would be best when approaching the Hunters."

"How are we supposed to track down where the Hunters went? There's nothing here—no map, no clues. We have no idea where they're going."

"Maybe not, but we do know where they've been." Hiccup said while examining the arrowhead. There was some kind of symbol stamped on it. "There was a ship with this symbol at the graveyard of ships. Let's go there."

Sigrid flew there on Nadder. He thought the Dragon Hunters' threat would still be far off, but a new threat appearing before Dagur's threat ended wasn't good. While worrying about the coming days, a graveyard of ships finally came into view. It was literally full of wrecked ships.

Hiccup landed on the ship with the same symbol from the arrowhead. The kids all scattered to try to find something. But there was nothing to find on a ship that had been wrecked for so long. Astrid and Hiccup went inside the ship and began searching.

"There's nothing here. Someone totally looted this boat!" When Tuffnut shouted in frustration, Ruffnut beside him was startled.

"Don't shout suddenly! This ship gives me the creeps." When Ruffnut shouted back equally loudly, Tuffnut said teasingly.

"Sunken ship, dragon hunters, the creeps... I bet this thing is crawling with ghosts. And other such spirits planning on dragging us down to the dark Viking underworld where they will torture us by tickling us for eternity!!" At Tuffnut's exaggerated behavior, Ruffnut was disgusted, but Sigrid chuckled softly.

"Tuffnut, ghosts don't exist. I've never seen one." At Sigrid's confident words, Tuffnut tilted his head.

"How can you be so sure? Maybe they exist but you just haven't seen them."

"Well, if they really existed, I surely would have seen one at least once, but I've never encountered one in my entire life." Heather was the only one who nodded quietly, understanding what Sigrid meant. If he hadn't encountered one in thousands of years, they simply weren't real.

"Quit talking and keep searching. This ship creaks with every step we take, and it's making me nervous... AHHH!!!" Snotlout was walking and talking when the deck suddenly buckled under him. He crashed through the weakened boards, closing his eyes and tensing for impact, but felt someone grab his arm before he could fall further.

Looking up, Sigrid was holding Snotlout's arm. Just moments ago he'd been beside the twins, but somehow he'd reached this spot instantaneously. This quick intervention saved Snotlout from crashing into the rotting wooden boxes below, which bristled with rusty nails that could have seriously injured him.

"You alright? Should've been watching your step." Sigrid chuckled as he hauled Snotlout to his feet. "Good thing I caught you. There were quite a few dangerous things below."

"I'm okay, but... how did you get here? I literally just saw you way over there!" Before Snotlout could get an answer, the twins chimed in.

"You should have seen it. He was incredibly fast."

"Right. Like a swimming eel." At Tuffnut's inappropriate comparison, Sigrid and the dragons grimaced.

While they were talking, Hiccup and Astrid came up from below deck. Hiccup was holding something in his hand. It looked like a small lens.

"We found a Dragon Eye lens! Looks like we'll need Changewing acid for it. The place where we found it had Changewing drawings."

"Changewing? Isn't that a dragon you can't train? How are we going to safely get that?" When Snotlout asked, Hiccup thought for a moment.

"Changewings are very skittish, so it would be better if we went to Changewing Island with just a few people. Heather, Sigrid, and I will go together. You guys head back to the Edge first."

"Why Sigrid? Wouldn't it be a bit dangerous?" At Fishlegs' question, Sigrid smiled as if it was fine.

"It seems I'll be needed. There are herbs Changewings dislike, right Hiccup?"

"Oh, yes, right. That's why." When Sigrid offered an excuse, Hiccup nodded awkwardly in agreement. Fortunately, none of the kids suspected anything.

So the three of them arrived at Changewing Island. Now that only those aware of his identity were left, Sigrid could ease his tension. As he stretched and let his guard down, black scales began to show through his skin, and his eyes shifted entirely to their draconic form.

"Should I just ask a Changewing for some acid? What should I put it in to bring it back?"

"Please put it in this metal cup. This should withstand the acid and won't melt." Taking the metal cup from Hiccup, Sigrid entered the forest where many Changewings would likely be.

Entering the forest, Toothless and Windshear looked around warily. Heather and Hiccup were busy calming their dragons. Soon, a small stream appeared, and Sigrid gestured to the kids to wait here.

"They'll probably be cautious around humans. Hide behind these bushes." After seeing Heather and Hiccup completely hidden in the bushes, Sigrid approached the stream.

He then produced a deep, rumbling call that echoed across the landscape. He could have called quietly, but that would take too much time, so he intentionally made a sound that would draw them out. Changewing roars could be heard from here and there in response to Sigrid's call. Soon, a Changewing suddenly revealed itself right in front of Sigrid.

"Hello. I apologize for dropping by unannounced.  Is this our first time meeting?" At Sigrid's calm voice, the Changewing brought its snout close and sniffed. Like a timid dragon, it was very careful and flinched at even small sounds.

"Could you please spit some acid on the ground here? I know it sounds strange, but it would really help me." As Sigrid indicated a spot on the ground and gazed up at the Changewing, the dragon paused uncertainly, then expelled acid and immediately disappeared from sight. Even during that short time, exposing itself seemed very unsettling.

Sigrid scooped up the acid with the metal cup and walked to the bushes where the kids were hiding. Hiccup appeared delighted that they'd obtained the acid so easily, while Heather observed the strange interaction with fascination.

"Thank you, Sigrid. Let's quickly return to the Edge now. Astrid must be very worried." Hiccup took the cup with acid from Sigrid and climbed onto Toothless.

Arriving at the Edge and viewing the Dragon Eye lens with acid, a map appeared similar to what they'd seen before but slightly different. It seemed to be one of the ports the Dragon Hunters had been using continuously. However, some ports had scratches like claw marks, making their positions unclear.

"What are those scratches? Were they there originally?" When Hiccup pointed with his hand, Fishlegs, who was studying the wall closely, examined them more carefully.

"Those look like dragon claw marks. Are those scratches on the lens too?" At Fishlegs' words, Hiccup quickly brought out the lens for a closer look.

"Oh, you're right.. These scratches were made later. They're definitely dragon claw marks, but how could they target just the port locations with such accuracy?"

"Maybe whoever made this was indicating these ports are no longer in use." Fishlegs examined it closely and pointed to a spot. "Wasn't the beach where Stormfly was captured located here?"

"That's the place. According to Astrid, they probably went... around here." Hiccup pointed somewhere between ports. The distance between ports was quite far—it would take several days to get there by ship.

"They couldn't have gone far yet. We need to hurry!" Astrid jumped up from her seat.

"Right, let's hurry. Everyone pack your things and get ready to leave!" At Hiccup's command, everyone moved efficiently. While Sigrid was also preparing to leave, Hiccup spoke to him cautiously.

"Sigrid, I think you should stay here." Hiccup whispered very quietly. "Remember that dragon root arrow from before? We have no idea what it would do to you if it hit. There's no point in all of us taking that risk. Please, just stay here."

"But... wouldn't it be dangerous? Something unexpected might happen..." Sigrid hesitated, but Hiccup's will was firm.

"They're Dragon Hunters, so they won't have tamed dragons with them. Wild dragons won't be a threat either. We know we have to let them strike first before we can retaliate against humans, so please stay here. Besides, Dagur could arrive at the Edge at any time."

Hiccup spoke with both persuasion and stubborn determination. Sigrid hadn't expected to see this particular resemblance to Stoick, but there was no arguing with the situation. At last, he nodded in acceptance. The thought of letting the kids confront the Hunters alone was deeply troubling, but if he were struck by a dragon root arrow, he'd just end up being a burden.

"Alright, get back as quickly as possible. If you don't return today, I'll come looking for you. Understood?" Hiccup nodded his understanding at Sigrid's firm words, then departed with the ready team to hunt down the Hunters' ship.

Left alone at the empty Edge, Sigrid could only wait for the kids to return. But if today passed without them coming back, then Sigrid would go find them himself.

Hiccup and the gang were in an absolute disaster. Their plan, built on the assumption that the dragon hunters wouldn't know Gronckles were immune to Dragon Root, had completely collapsed. Ryker, who seemed to be the hunters' leader, had been pretending all along while fully aware of the truth. They had underestimated the dragon hunters' intelligence and  walked straight into disaster.

Fishlegs and Astrid were tied up with bolas on the deck where Ryker stood, unable to move. The twins had fallen into the sea with Barf and Belch after being hit by Dragon Root arrows, and now they were trapped in nets. Heather had also flown in too close during her attempt to rescue Astrid. An arrow struck Windshear's exposed underbelly, sending the dragon crashing down onto the deck.

Ryker proved to be more than just intelligent and combat-ready—he was an expert archer as well. Hookfang took a direct hit from one of Ryker's arrows and crashed into the churning waters below. Toothless barely managed to catch him. There was no way for them to get close to the ship.

"Hiccup! We need to leave!" Snotlout, clinging desperately to Hookfang, yelled. Even now, Dragon Root arrows kept flying in their direction. "Hiccup!"

Hearing Snotlout's cry, Hiccup was forced to pull back. His heart ached for his friends, but if he and Snotlout were captured too, it would spell disaster for everyone. Worse still, if Sigrid came searching for them when they failed to return and was struck by Dragon Root arrows, the situation would become truly hopeless.

Every scenario Hiccup imagined led to catastrophe. The hopelessness of it all made him swear softly under his breath. His head throbbed with growing pain, but right now, escape was all that mattered. He also needed to monitor how long the Dragon Root's effects would last on Hookfang. Praying for his friends' safety, Hiccup retreated as far as he could get.

Astrid and the gang ended up separated from their dragons and locked together in a prison below deck. They had fought desperately to avoid being captured, but ultimately found themselves imprisoned. The cell they were locked in seemed to be meant for dragons, making it quite spacious for holding people.

Black stains clung to the wooden planks surrounding the walls and floor. Blackened stains had seeped into every wooden surface—walls, floor, everywhere. The sickening metallic odor permeating the room left no doubt—this was dried blood. Astrid lashed out at Ryker with her fist, only to have it stopped by the metal bars.

"Where are our dragons? What have you done to them?" Astrid demanded fiercely, while Ryker simply gazed in with casual indifference.

"Oh, if I were you, I'd worry about yourself." While Ryker was speaking, a familiar figure approached from behind. It was Dagur.

"Surprise! Did ya miss me? Of course you did!" Dagur giggled with laughter, then made eye contact with Heather in the back. "Hey there, little sister. It's been too long. Why don't you abandon those friends of yours and come back to your big brother? I'm all the family you have left, remember?"

"Shut up, Dagur. You're not my family—you never were." Heather's fierce retort made Ryker arch an eyebrow in apparent surprise.

"Your sister's personality is remarkably different from yours. I assumed you'd be similar, coming from the same Berserker bloodline."

"Family members don't always share the same temperament, you know. Your younger brother is practically your complete opposite, isn't he, Rykey?"

"Don't call me by that name." Ryker's glare could have cut steel, but Dagur was utterly unbothered. "Anyway, you'll be stuck here for a while. Maybe forever. We need you guys to catch those two runaways. Don't worry, we won't kill you."

Ryker chuckled darkly, his eyes scanning each member of the group before he turned and left with Dagur. Only two guards remained in the space. Astrid was about to angrily punch the bars when Fishlegs' hand stopped her.

"Astrid, try to stay calm. Hiccup and Snotlout will come for us. Or maybe we can figure out how to get out of here ourselves." Fishlegs' reassurance helped Astrid contain her rage.

Not knowing what was happening to their dragons made her even more frantic and furious. Still, she had to figure out how to get them all out of this mess.

Sigrid sat in front of the empty clubhouse, continuing to wait for the kids. Even when the morning sun rose, they still hadn't come. Since he had clearly told Hiccup he would come looking if they didn't return by today, he went to search for them himself.

Honestly, he was curious to see what dragon hunters would be like. The fact that there were humans using such strategic methods was quite interesting. Sigrid briefly stroked Nadder's head as he approached, then mounted him in one smooth motion.

It was time to go look for the kids who hadn't returned.

Chapter Text

I got fanart!!!!

One of my readers saw my writing and commissioned someone else to create this as a gift for me!! The original artist of this amazing art is @BBine!

"What's Ryker's plan with capturing all of us?" Fishlegs whispered. After confirming that no guards were outside, he finally felt safe enough to speak.

"I don't know either. He even allied himself with that lunatic. Whatever he's after, capturing us was definitely part of his plan." Heather sat in the corner of the cell, gazing up at the small gap where moonlight streamed in. The sun had already set, and it was now the middle of the night. "Sigrid must be really worried about us."

"Sigrid?" The name rolled off the someone's tongue with disturbing enthusiasm. "I really like him too. We should definitely have a chat about him." The unnaturally bright voice sliced through their hushed conversation. Dagur's voice instantly shattered their brief moment of calm. Everyone who had been sitting bolted upright and glared through the bars.

"Why are you doing all this, Dagur? What's your purpose?" Astrid moved close to the bars, glaring threateningly at him.

"Well... it's just ordinary tribal warfare, you know. With a bit of profit on the side. Personal profit too. You know what I mean." Dagur's gaze drifted lazily down to Astrid before he gestured to the guards behind him. The guard immediately opened the cell door, let only Astrid out, and shut the door again. "Since Hiccup isn't here, you're probably the leader of this group, right? You need to have a little chat with Ryker."

"Chat?" Astrid's voice dripped with contempt. "I have nothing to say to him." Her defiant stance lasted only seconds before the guards seized her arms and pinned them behind her back.

"Ha! That's what they all claim at the beginning. But Ryker has such wonderful ways of loosening tongues. Not as much as his little brother though." Dagur giggled and knocked on the door.

"Come in." Ryker's low voice came from inside. The door opened, and only Astrid and Dagur entered. The guards returned to watch the prison.