"This is just like when he was little," Gobber mumbled under his breath. "Always worrying everyone and a liability to the entire village. I told Stoick to teach him not to do this, told him Hiccup was going to cost someone their life. And what do you know... it finally happened."

"Gohbber, dow is dot a goohd tibe for dis," Johann cautioned.

"I even tried to tell the boy, 'don't act like this. Don't put others in harm's way.' He never listened," Gobber continued, ignoring Johann's plea.

"I behg to differ. Dose drahgods would still be here widout Toodless. I wouldit be alibe."

"What do you mean?"

"I bean, if Hiccub hadit tried to brihg dowd a Dight Fury, 'accidedtahlly' riskihg udder libes, you'd still be fightihg drahgod raids today. You'd still hab Speed Stihgers id Berk," Johann explained.

Although Johann was a couple days removed from being frostbitten on his nose, he actually looked and sounded worse than yesterday, and it had no effect whatsoever on him being loquacious.

If I could have gotten a word in edgewise, I had no idea what I would have said. I knew I didn't want to listen to them arguing about me while I was ten feet away.

Toothless was still out there, somewhere in the forest. If he was alive, I'd give anything to return him to Berk safely. And if he was dying, I was going to stay there with him so he wouldn't have to die cold and alone.

I should have listened for Toothless' heart beating. Mentally, I kicked myself for being so stupid and dense in the moment. But panic had already set in my mind, and that little voice of reason had been drowned out.

I stood slowly, my knees and hips creaking slightly from the effort. I walked as quietly as I could toward the door and opened it, which let in a blast of frigid air. I knew Gobber and Johann would notice, and they'd chase after me, trying to prevent a repeat of what happened only hours ago.

The sky above us was still mostly dark except for a sliver of orange in the east. Dawn was on its way.

"Hiccup!" Gobber shouted in exasperation.

I had already jumped outside and shut the door without acknowledging him. I began speed-hopping toward the armory, thankful it wasn't far from his house. There, I had find a stash of snow plates.

As soon as I reached the armory door, a nagging thought burst into my head. This would be the first place Gobber would look because he knew where I frequented. It didn't help that the armory and forge were close to his house.

I dashed into the armory, slamming the door shut on purpose. As I passed by my study, I briefly thought about grabbing a snow plate and heading toward Toothless but decided against it. That was too much time I didn't have.

Moving quietly and quickly, I stepped toward the back entrance of the armory, avoiding the slush pile that was growing larger every day.

For a second or two, I thought the slush mound to my right was big enough to hide Toothless.

Wouldn't that be ironic if he was ready to pounce on me in here? I wondered.

The slush never moved as I skirted my way past it and opened the back door to the armory. I snuck out and closed the door, taking an extra second to keep it quiet. The door closed with a soft thump, and I took a deep breath.

I knew there was one small depression nearby that looked like it was part of the cliff from Berk. Once it could be seen up close, it actually was a gentler slope that led about halfway down the coast, then dropped off into oblivion.

Turning around, I began walking backwards as straight as I could possibly go without losing my balance. My neck started to ache slightly, but I kept looking behind me, hugging the armory wall. Once I reached the corner, I glanced to my left and saw the gentle slope I was looking for. Turning my back toward the cliff, I took the steps backward, hoping to fool Gobber or anyone else that I had been walking toward the armory.

I intermittently checked the area in front of me to make sure nobody was looking. People were still shuttered in their homes, trying to avoid the cold weather. Gobber and Johann were nowhere to be seen.

I turned my gaze backwards again and continued walking, trying not to lose my balance.

After about thirty feet, there was a very brief lag when my right foot didn't hit the ground when I thought it would. I paused, flexing my knees to maintain my balance, and then continued in reverse down the slope.

Walking backwards on a downslope was much more difficult that I had imagined. Each step I took felt like I was going to topple over because it took just a fraction longer for my feet to hit the ground. I knew I had to move slowly to make sure I didn't kill myself, but it didn't help that Gobber was probably on his way to the armory.

As if on cue, Gobber's muttering voice met my ears from a distance, followed by the front entrance to the armory opening. He cursed under his breath as he closed the door behind himself.

I continued backing down the slope, keeping my head turned to see where I was stepping. Each step had only one chance because if I reset my foot or peg, it would be obvious to a blind man that something wasn't right about my tracks.

"HICCUP!"

Gobber's voice shattered the air around me, even though it was muffled from inside the armory.

I continued backing away from the armory. Gobber would have to actually catch me if he wanted to keep me "safe." And even if he did, both of us knew I'd simply try to get out again.

Toothless was that important.

Once I lost sight of the armory, I had maybe twenty feet before this little path abruptly ended well above the coastline. There was nothing to hide in, so I simply crouched at the edge of the cliff and waited.

The rear entrance to the armory opened for a few seconds, but I didn't hear anything else. It soon closed, and that was that.

I stayed low, counting the seconds away as the wind buffeted me from my left side, forcing me to curl a little tighter. After maybe two minutes, I sat down in the snow, figuring a cold and wet rear would be better than jelly legs. I pulled my coat over my left side, trying to use it as a shield from the wind.

Five minutes went by in my head.

At least double it, I thought. Let Gobber and Johann look somewhere else.

I started counting the seconds again.

About five minutes later, I stood and trudged up the slope toward the village. Peeking above the wall in front of me, I glanced throughout town, trying to notice if anyone was actively looking for me. It didn't seem like Gobber or Johann was nearby, so I lunged up the path and walked into the armory like nothing was wrong.

Both candles were lit, but there was no sign of anyone nearby. Ducking into my study, I grabbed a snow plate and attached it to my peg, grimacing once again when my fingers made contact with the iron.

I exited the armory through the back entrance and began walking a roundabout path toward the forest on the opposite side of the village. I kept my gait even, like I was trying to go somewhere but there was no hurry.

After a few minutes, the pine trees marking the edge of the forest were within reach. My breaths were coming and going somewhat heavily, but I felt like the cold surrounding me wasn't as bad. Energized, I continued striding into the forest when I heard it.

"BASTER HICCUB!"

Everything in my mind told me to stop. Johann had let the entire world know I was heading toward the forest.

I paused slightly but forced myself to continue looking forward. After a split second, I simply picked up the pace, hoping I could reach Toothless before Gobber or Johann could reach me.

"BASTER HICCUB! STOHP!" Johann shouted again. His voice was somewhat muffled due to the snow-covered trees around us, but it didn't matter for the situation at-hand. Gobber was probably a few steps behind Johann.

I reached a pine tree that had no snow covering it and vaguely remembered something about this area. I had made a signal of some kind. My eyes darted around the tree until they settled on what I had almost forgotten. A small pine branch was sticking vertically out of the snow, and there was another branch, stripped of its leaves. The leaves were laid end-to-end to make an arrow.

It was telling me which direction I thought Toothless was headed. I was pretty sure I had passed out soon after making this.

"Come on, buddy, show me something," I pleaded under my breath as I started walking again.

"HICCUP!" a voice shouted from behind me. It was Gobber. Johann had probably let him know he was on my trail. I only hoped both of them would be slowed by their legs – Gobber with his peg, and Johann with his injury.

Less than a minute later, I was certain I had found the spot. There was a shallow, roughly circular depression in the snow, and near one end was a light red splotch.

I shivered, not from cold, but from fear. Toothless had bitten through the lead Speed Stinger's throat and killed several other dragons. It didn't matter if he had murdered the entire pack of dragons. The horrifying sound of Toothless crushing the lead dragon's neck was still palpable to me.

Once you hear a sound like that, you don't forget it.

Toothless had had Speed Stinger blood on his mouth, just like I was wearing Speed Stinger blood on my yakskin coat and trousers. Based on that red spot, I was certain this is where I had passed out. I was certain this is where he found me and kept me warm until Gobber and Johann arrived.

I wished I could have been certain he was still alive.

"GOTCHA!" Gobber shouted, grabbing my shoulder.

I jumped with a shout, but it didn't do anything to release the pressure from his hand.

"Hiccup, I don't care what's going through your mind. You're Chief, you need to be helping Vikings right now. Keep their fires stoked if they can't move, because the last thing you want on your hands is your own people to die from the cold."

Before I could think of anything else, the words tumbled from my lips. I nearly whispered them, but they shattered the air between us.

"Where did he go?" I asked.

"Who? Johann?" he asked, almost mockingly. "What kind of question is that!? He hasn't gone anywh-"

"No," I interrupted. "Toothless."

Both of us froze. Toothless wasn't here. Both Gobber and Johann were acting like he was dead when they dragged me away from him.

He had to be alive. He just had to be.