By the Light of Dawn. how to train your dragon

Growing up, Astrid had always looked forward to the summer months. While the warmer weather was a welcome reprieve from Berk's frigid winters, it was the longer days that had truly meant the most in her eyes.

Throughout her youth, those extended days were a ticket to freedom. They gave her the opportunity to fit in extra training sessions or to explore the labyrinth of woods that surrounded the village. No matter how high her chores piled up for the day, there still always seemed to be some time that was hers to control.

When she'd gotten a bit older and chores evolved into more serious responsibilities within the tribe, she'd grown to see those longer days in a new light. Shorter nights meant the window for potential dragon raids shrank significantly. This added a layer of safety and security, knowing there was less time to be spent worrying that her family would be harmed by an attack.

She'd grown to equate the sun with all of the good things in her life, cherishing every extra hour that it would shine above. On more than one occasion, she'd caught herself idly wishing that it would never disappear beyond the horizon.

Things had changed greatly in the last year.

The sun was no longer a beacon of safety, nor a ticket to youthful adventures. If anything, it now served as a barrier of sorts. Each day, she felt her impatience grow as she waited for it to slip away at last. The longer the day stretched on, the more irritated she became – not that she'd ever admit it.

Astrid did not hate the day by any means, but she'd come to look forward to nightfall so much more. Skies that were once prone to raging dragon fire now gave way to peaceful stretches of starlight as far as the eye could see. Any shouts that broke out in the streets were those of vikings out socializing throughout the village – no longer those of warriors yelling warnings of impending attacks to their tribesmen.

Night now brought bonfires and social gatherings within the town's bustling hall. It brought laughter and leisure and a general sense of calm throughout the village. It brought magic – both figuratively and in the most literal sense.

Astrid took her time weaving up the pathway towards Berk's highest lookout point. It was becoming second-nature to make the ascent, having become a set part of her daily routine. The sun was low on the horizon, painting the sky in a warm swath of color.

She could feel the satisfying strain of her day's training with each stride, muscles still burning from the effort. Though dragon raids were now a thing of the past, Berk's warriors still trained for battle – though the focus had shifted towards defense strategies against other tribes. Fighting men required a different skill set than fighting dragons.

Her trusty battle axe hung against her back, the weight both familiar and comforting. It would need a good sharpening sooner rather than later, but she'd been putting off asking the blacksmith to sharpen it. Though she trusted Gobber to complete the task well, she had her heart set on watching his apprentice take on the challenge.

As she rounded the corner of the lookout point, she was surprised to find it empty. Squinting out at the horizon, she scanned the skies for any sign of movement. Sure enough, a black shape began to grow in the distance.

As the shape drew nearer, she was better able to pick out the dragon's silhouette. A familiar whistle tore through the air, the telltale sign of a Night Fury approaching at rapid speed.

Astrid stepped to the side, attempting to clear as much space as she could for an easy landing. Her brows drew together as she glanced between the setting sun and the dragon.

"He's not going to make it…"

As if sensing her fear, the whistle intensified and the Night Fury picked up speed. The distance between them was shrinking quickly, but Astrid still worried the efforts would not be enough. Her muscles locked with tension, jaw clenching as she watched. She'd seen him fall from the sky once before and had hoped to never see it happen again.

Just as the sun dipped below the horizon, the Night Fury reached the overlook. He did not slow, momentum forcing the dragon tumbling forward into a somersault as he hit the ground. As he rolled, the dragon was engulfed in a bright purple flame. It flared and burned away until a much smaller shape remained.

The dragon's snarls cut off, replaced by a young man's yelp as the new arrival skidded a few more yards through the grass before coming to a stop.

Astrid let out the breath she'd been holding, heart still pounding in her chest.

He made it.

"Cutting it a bit close there, don't you think?" she called out, keeping her voice carefully even.

The man groaned in response, pushing himself up to his knees. He heaved his weight onto his right leg as he stood, not shifting onto his prosthetic left limb until quickly assessing it was securely in place. Seemingly satisfied, he turned to look at her, offering a toothy grin.

"Hey, I totally had that under control," he drawled, "I made it, didn't I?"

Astrid snorted, "You were about two seconds away from falling into the sea."

Hiccup laughed, brushing the grass from his clothes. The tumble he'd taken had left him looking rather disheveled. He had a few blades sticking out of his messy auburn hair and there were noticeable grass stains on his tunic. "Worried about me?"

She had been, but he didn't need to know that. Instead, Astrid rolled her eyes and moved to help free the debris from his hair. "You look ridiculous."

"Gee, thanks."

"So?" Astrid prompted once she was sure she removed the last of the foliage. "What did you find this time?"

Hiccup's face lit up, "A few more islands to the east – I didn't have time to explore them too much, but definitely bigger than the ones I found last week! I'm going to add them to the map tonight."

Astrid nodded, knowing that he'd be eager to chart his findings. His map – a passion project of sorts, inspired by his more recent hobby of exploring the waters surrounding Berk – was really beginning to take shape. Hiccup had always been an artist, and his rendition of each island, sea stack and obstacle near the Isle had become an item of fascination for many of the villagers.

"Oh!" Hiccup's pitch shot up as he continued, excitement clear in his tone. "And I found this crazy ice formation – couldn't get too close since I knew I needed to head back, but you should have seen it! It was massive – like nothing I've ever seen before."

An ice fortress?

Astrid furrowed her brow. "Like a glacier?"

Hiccup shook his head, "No, no – this was something different! The ice was sticking out at all angles in these giant spikes! It didn't even look natural."

"Hmm."

"Tomorrow, I'm going to try and get closer. If I head straight there, I think I can buy myself an hour or so to explore–"

"Hiccup," she held up a hand to stop him. "You agreed to be at the feast tomorrow, remember?"

His expression faltered, excitement visibly leaking out of his posture. "I'll be there for the end…probably."

"Hiccup, you can't avoid the village forever."

"Avoiding? Me? I'm not avoiding anything," he countered, though his green eyes were no longer meeting her gaze.

They both know it was a lie.

In the six months since his secret had been revealed, he'd been careful to only interact with his tribesmen after nightfall – when he was human. Or, as human as Hiccup could be, considering the black scales that permanently blanketed his left arm.

"Hiccup," she sighed, reaching out and squeezing his forearm. "Everyone already knows you're a dragon, so why are you still sneaking around like it's a secret?"

"Knowing and seeing are two very different things, Astrid."

"Hiccup–"

"I'll try, okay?" He relented, though his tone was anything but convincing. "Can we please just drop it for now?"

Astrid grunted her agreement, knowing she wasn't going to make any further progress tonight. No matter how much she wanted to push him, it was his obstacle to overcome. The Haddocks had always been a stubborn bunch.

She slid her hand down his forearm, twining her fingers in his. "Alright, fine – let's head back," she suggested, lightly tugging him towards the path to town. "I've got a project for you."

"Oh?"

There was a deadly Nadder blocking the path leading from the woods to Berk. The dragon was tall, covered in blue scales and razor-sharp spikes.

It fixed its attention squarely on Hiccup and Astrid as they came around the bend, wings flaring.

Astrid paused, muscles locking in preparation for any potential threat. Though the dragons hadn't been actively raiding their village, they were by no means tame. There was no predicting how the Nadder would react to the sight of two Vikings separated from the crowd.

Hiccup released her hand, taking a slow step towards the dragon.

"Are you crazy? What are you doing?" Astrid hissed, watching with wide eyes. "Leave it alone!"

The Nadder cocked its head at Hiccup as he approached, but did not make any move to retreat or attack.

"She's one of the arena dragons," explained Hiccup, eyes still fixed on Nadder. "I just want to see if she recognizes me."

Astrid looked closer at the dragon, surprised to see that he was right in his observation. There were a few scars that marked evidence of their training sessions, including a slice by the nose that she'd be responsible for herself.

Hiccup extended his left hand slowly, claws glinting in the moonlight. Astrid almost couldn't watch, eyes darting between the dragon and her friend with unease.

The chief's son appeared to share her apprehension, turning his face away as he reached out.

Oh, gods…

The Nadder leaned in to sniff his hand, appearing more curious than cautious. Seemingly satisfied by what she found, the dragon pressed her snout against the scales of Hiccup's palm for a moment, before leaning back in a more relaxed posture.

"Astrid," he whispered, sounding awed. "This is…"

"Incredible," she agreed, stunned that the dragon seemed so comfortable in his presence. In the ring, the Nadder had always been on high alert, aggressive whenever approached by anyone. Now, it seemed so much gentler.

Though her boots felt like lead, Astrid forced herself to follow Hiccup's lead. If this side of dragons existed, she wanted to explore it herself…not just be a witness.

The Nadder caught sight of her movements, squawking loudly and raising her spiked tail in warning.

"Astrid, don't move."

"Wasn't planning on it."

Hiccup redirected the dragon's attention, somehow managing to calm her down with a few soothing words. Though no longer spooked, the Nadder's curiosity appeared to have been sated. With a few strong wingbeats, the dragon was airborne and headed out towards the sea.

"She must be able to sense the dragon in you," remarked Astrid, wondering if that was the key to bonding with dragons. Perhaps they were only receptive to their own kind, putting Hiccup in a truly unique position.

"Or she remembers you taking a swing at her in the ring."

"...right."

She'd done that to all of the arena's inhabitants…including Hiccup. She wouldn't blame them if none could forgive or forget her actions.

As if sensing her distress, Hiccup reached back out for her hand. "Astrid, I'm just kidding," he assured, "I think you're right. She can probably just smell Night Fury."

They could only guess, as contact with the dragons was so limited. Still, Astrid found herself feeling surprisingly disappointed that she hadn't been able to approach the Nadder.

Astrid hummed, allowing the boy to lead her towards town. "I just wish we understood them better."