The wind outside howled louder now, the snow pounding against the rock. It sounded worse than before. I swallowed hard, thinking about the others—my friends—assuming I was dead. "They probably think I didn't make it," I murmured. Trying to shift my thoughts, I asked, "How about dragons? Are there still any left?"
Hiccup looked up from his sketchpad, a grin spreading across his face—the kind of cheesy, crooked smile that didn't belong on someone supposedly over a thousand years old. "Yeah," he said, gesturing toward the other side of the cave. "There's one right in front of you."
I rolled my eyes and gave his shoulder a playful shove.
"Hey!" he laughed, rubbing the spot. "That actually hurts, you know."
I smiled, and he continued, "I saw a Nadder about a year ago. It was waiting… probably for the rider it had chosen to be ready."
"Do you think that kind of thing still happens?" I asked, quieter now.
"Yes," he said without hesitation. "Dragons are drawn to people. And people are drawn to the magic that combines them."
I tilted my head. "How do people get drawn to their dragons?"
He paused, his green eyes catching the flicker of firelight. "Dreams," he said at last. "Sometimes dreams of a dragon. Sometimes of another rider. I used to dream about Toothless long before we met. Others I knew dreamed of other riders, or even strange places—anything that could bring them closer to that connection."
As soon as he said it, my whole body froze. Dreams. I'd been having dreams about Hiccup for years. I had just never understood why. "Do these dreams ever tell you that you're a Dragon Rider in them?" I asked quietly. Hiccup looked at me, eyes widening with surprise. "Yes," he said. "Mine did." He gently set his sketchpad down beside him, as if inviting me to continue. His gaze stayed fixed on my face, watching carefully. "It's probably nothing," I muttered, unsure of myself. "But I've had dreams… dreams of my father telling me I'm the next Rider. And you… You've been in one of them."
At the mention of this, Hiccup glanced at Toothless, who stirred from his sleep the moment Hiccup's eyes met his. For a few moments, a silent conversation passed between them—one I wasn't a part of. I knew enough about Riders and their dragons to recognize that they were speaking to each other through their minds.
Hiccup looked back at me, blinking as if surprised. "Is there anything else about the dreams?" he asked softly. I nodded. "In one of them, you were wearing black armour—the same kind you're wearing now. You had the same prosthetic leg. Same eyes. Toothless was there, too. Before I woke up, you told me I was the next Dragon Rider."
Hiccup leaned back slightly, thoughtful. "Most dragons don't bond with people anymore," he said. "But it makes sense if she's been hanging around here."
"She?" I echoed.
Toothless stepped closer to me, his large head low as he sniffed at my coat. Then, without hesitation, he settled beside Hiccup and rested his head in his lap. Hiccup scratched behind his ears, and the Night Fury began to purr like a massive cat.
"When will she bond with me?" I asked, eyes still on the dragon.
"If it's true," Hiccup said, "she'll come to you when she's ready. You can't rush it. A dragon chooses in their own time."
I smiled a little at the thought. A dragon choosing me.
The wind outside howled again, the snowstorm refusing to let up.
"How long do you think the storm will last?" I asked, glancing toward the cave mouth. "My team probably thinks I'm dead."
Hiccup followed my gaze, sighing. "Not sure. Hopefully not much longer."
"Thank you," I said after a beat. "For saving me. How did you even find me?"
"I was heading home," he replied. "Toothless saw you first. We recognized you—you were with a few of the people we've seen searching these mountains. I guess he put the pieces together before I did." Toothless gave a little huff and purred even louder, curling closer to the fire. I leaned back against the cave wall, sore but alive, heart still racing with a thousand unspoken questions.
We sat in comfortable silence for a while, the only sounds being the soft crackle of the fire and the occasional whistle of the storm outside. Hiccup sat cross-legged, focused on his sketchpad, his pencil moving with practiced ease. Every line he drew was deliberate, detailed. The dragon on the page seemed almost alive. "It's beautiful," I said softly. "How long have you been drawing?"
He glanced up, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Thanks. My whole life, technically, which is a long time."
"Can I see the others?"
Without hesitation, he handed me the sketchpad. I flipped through it, page by page. Some were of jagged mountain ranges cloaked in mist, others of dragons. A few pages were filled with drawings of Toothless in various positions. Then I paused on one sketch. It showed a small island village nestled against cliffs.
"That's the village I grew up in," Hiccup said, glancing at the drawing over my shoulder. "Until I was fifteen."
"It looks amazing," I murmured, running my fingers lightly over the edges of the page. He gave a quiet laugh and shook his head. "It was… interesting. Almost as cold as it is here."
I turned a few more pages, letting the weight of his memories settle in. "Do you miss it?" I asked gently. "It must be hard, living out here for so many years." Who would want to live in a cave, after all? He hesitated, then shrugged. "Home? Not really. People, though... yeah, I miss them. I mean, I love Toothless, but he's not exactly great at conversation." There was something in his voice—an ache, subtle but lonely. "You know," I said, closing the sketchpad, "after I leave… we can still be friends."
He looked up, surprised. Then his lips curved into a crooked grin. "You sure? Most people get tired of my sarcasm real quick. You might get sick of it."
I rolled my eyes playfully. "I think I'll survive."
The snow had finally stopped, leaving behind a winter wonderland that stretched as far as the eye could see. Everything was blanketed in white. Hiccup and I stood just outside the cave, the cold air crisp against our faces. "Do you think the others are coming?" I asked, my breath curling in the air like smoke. Hiccup glanced at Toothless, who had his head tilted toward the distant treeline, ears twitching. "Toothless says he hears something," Hiccup replied, his voice quiet and soft. And then I heard it too. The faint whir of rotor blades cutting through the silence. A helicopter. "They're here," I whispered, a mix of relief and sadness tightening in my chest. I turned to Hiccup and pulled him into a hug. "Thank you," I said softly, then, without really thinking, pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. He froze, blinking fast. "O-of c-course," he stammered, cheeks flushing redder than the tips of his frostbitten ears. "We'll meet again soon, right? Next week?" I asked, keeping my voice low. "I'll be there," he promised, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. I gave him a playful punch on the arm. "If you don't show up, I will hunt you down." He laughed, rubbing his arm dramatically. "Good to know."
As the helicopter touched down, snow whipped around in gusts, stirred by the blades. I stepped forward, the cold forgotten in the rush of relief flooding my chest. Heather was the first to reach me, pulling me into a tight hug. "I told them you had to be alive," she whispered fiercely. "You're too strong to go down that easy."
I hugged her back just as tightly. "I found a cave. There was some wood inside, so I started a fire. Got lucky."
The rest of the team approached, each of them looking equally stunned and relieved. Their faces lit up as they saw me—alive.
"You're amazing, Astrid," Heather said, her voice full of pride. I managed a tired smile, then climbed into the helicopter. The warmth inside hit me like a wave, and I collapsed into one of the seats, finally letting my eyes close. My thoughts drifted as the rotors hummed above me. I still couldn't believe it. My father had really met Hiccup. The stories he told me weren't just fairytales. They were memories. Why did he never tell me the full truth?
Becoming a dragon rider… it sounded like a dream. But living in a cave for centuries? That part didn't seem quite so fun. Still, the dreams had to mean something. And somehow, spending more time with Hiccup didn't sound like such a terrible idea. And if I somehow lived forever like him, maybe he wouldn't be the worst company in the world.