Fear. Anger. Confusion. Worry. All of those feelings were carved into the different colors of blue in her eyes.

"Snotlout is hurt?" Astrid inquired. "Who did this?" She demanded clenching her fists. She stood inside his house near the front door looking tense and ready for a fight.

"I don't know. But we will find out, and we will make them pay." Hiccup said determined.   

"Who found him?" 

"Fishlegs and the search party did this morning."

"What did they do to him?" Her eyebrows began to crease together, like they did when she was furious. "What did they do?!" She demanded again. 

"Astrid, they-" Hiccup could barely speak the words  " they, broke a piece of his back. Gothi said that he could be paralyzed."  The color drained from her face. "He may never ride again."

"Oh gods." She placed a hand over her mouth. She sat down at the wooden table and closed her eyes for a minute. 

"Fish legs told me a someone with a grudge against the Dragon riders did this." He concluded. Thinking out loud he said;  "However,  we have to consider, whoever it was didn't kill Snot."

"Why?" Astrid asked. He shook his head and stood for a minute. Through the open window he noticed a small colorful bird perching on a branch happily chirping in the setting sun's light. Suddenly a thought crashed like thunder in his head.

"This kind of attack wasn't done by some crazy person, no Astrid," He said moving closer then further away."  This assault was precise, it was thought out, they knew what they were doing, this was a battle strategy. They don't want to kill the dragon riders" He paused for a moment shaking his fingers."...yet. They first want to disable us. This is the perfect way to do it. What if someone, someone we know, found a way to stop us from flying?"

Hiccup ran his hands through his hair. Soon he was pacing in front of the large fireplace, his mind raking over every possible enemy they'd come across, that could have had a chance to construct the attack. Astrid joined in the search. 

"What about Drago."

"No. He would've done this to me first and foremost, if it had been him." He replied. 

"Eret?" Hiccup waved his hand.

"Hroar?"

"Viggo?"

Each character had a long list of reasons as to why they would attack,but none had the means of doing such. After a while they ran out of names.

"Ok so we're out of enemies to blame." Hiccup said frustrated. silent thoughts filled the space in the room for a minute as they both searched their memories for an answer.

"What if, we're looking at this the wrong way?" Astrid proposed. "Hiccup, all the people we've considered as the attacker,  are people who would want revenge right?" Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "What if this isn't about revenge. what if the person who did this to Snotlout, doesn't even know him... or us!?" 

"Then why would they do this? It makes no sense." He said confused.  

"What if this new enemy attacked him, simply because he was a dragon rider. "

He pointed with two fingers and shook them. "Thats a good theory. If you're right, then we can catch them easily." 

"How? it's a big ocean Hiccup." 

"By setting bait." He shook his pointer fingers some more. "If its dragon riders they want. Lets give them dragon riders. They can't have gone far, if we send some riders out now maybe-"  

"We can't do that Hiccup. Its too dangerous. Look what happened to snot lout." She cut off. 

"Do you have a better idea?" 

"Give it some time to think through this one. We can't just send someone out there. We don't know what we're up against." She stood. 

"We won't just be sending anyone, I'll go. I'll do it." He crossed his arms.

"Uh uh. No way. Not happening." 

"This isn't your choice to make, Astrid." 

"You said it yourself." She continued ignoring him. "This was nothing but a battle strategy to them. Snotlout, a human being, was nothing but a battle strategy. You can't go in flying blind like you usually do this time. I know you're angry-" 

"Angry? Angry doesn't began to describe-" He stopped himself. "It is my job to protect our island. We have to strike back." 

"And we will. But after we think about this. Hiccup, please." She asked. She had stood and was gripping his shirt sleeve like it was her life support. "You are chief now, if something happened who would take over? Besides..." She stepped a little closer. "I can't imagine what would happen if you lost your ability to ride. You would break. You know you would." 

It was a compelling argument. Truly it was. That's why he chose not to talk about it anymore. She was right. She always was. But right now, he didn't care. 

"Alright. We'll come up with a plan tomorrow." He lied. She looked at him skeptically and let go of him. A look of disappointment crossed her face. 

"Don't lie to me." She crossed her arms. "Come on Hiccup, I know you better than that."  Frustrated he threw his arms up in the air and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"You can't stop me."

"Then let me come with you." 

"No." 

They both stood apart, arms crossed, staring hard at each other. Their stubborn attitudes were strong enough to split wood. As the intensity between them got stronger, suddenly the door flew open shattering the moment. Tuffnut's skinny shadow and long blonde dreads appeared in the frame an excited look on his face.

"Snotlout is awake!" He noticed what was going on and awkwardly frowned. "Oh, whoops, wow,  I didn't mean to interrupt a lovers quarrel my friends." He raised his hands.

"It's ok Tuff." Astrid said shoving past him out the door. "We were just finished."

Awkward silence accompanied the group as they made there way to Gothi's hut on the other side of the village. Tuff steered far behind Astrid, her shoulders tense, her pace, battle ready. 

"What's with her." he whispered to Hiccup, who ignored him and continued to scowl. "too soon?" He asked with raised hands. Hiccup plowed past him. "I'll take that as a yes."

.         .         . 

They all stood around the bed where Snotlout lay. His eyes were foggy and his face was pale. Even his  viking attitude had drained away. Gothi slowly hobbled away to give them all privacy. Ruff, Tuff, Fishlegs, Astrid, and Hiccup, became quiet in a respectful manner.

"Hey guys." Snotlout weakly tried. to see him like this made fury bubble inside of Hiccup, his fists clenched.

"Hey there Snot." He stepped forward.

"Gothi says I might be able to walk again." A hopeless look on his face. 

"Of course you will dummy." Ruffnut sat at the edge of his bed and folded her hands neatly. She almost, just almost, looked like a lady. 

"Yeah, soon, you'll be up and about, causing trouble as usual." Fish legs neared the bed and looked at him pitifully. 

"Come on you know you will." Astrid said determined.

"You know honestly... I just really miss hookfang."  Hiccup could attest that hookfang missed him too. The temperamental dragon, had been pacing outside of Snotlouts hut all day, impatiently waiting for him. The groups positivity drained as each one began to imagine what it would be like to be separated from their dragons. 

Soon they had all gathered as closely as they could around Snotlout on either side of the bed.  Hiccup kneeled right next to him looking at him straight in the eyes. They both reached out and clasped each others hands tightly, as if he was going to help him stand up. 

"We will find who did this to you. And soon." Thats when he saw the fear laced in Snots eyes. 

"I know." He said. "But how many of us will turn out like me if we go after them?" The question dawned on him. Originally, he was planning on sending some of the riders to get caught, then attack when they wouldn't expect it. Seeing the damage Snot was facing changed his mind.

 Right then, he made a decision. He would do this alone. He would go after the attacker. He would destroy them, all by himself. No one would get in harms way.

"Can you tell me about the person who did this to you?"  He asked breaking the quiet.

"I never got a name. But I did see an insignia on the ship they had come from. It was two swords, crossed through this bat looking thing. There was this woman, she seemed to be in charge. She did this to me." He proceeded to tell him what she looked like.

"Anything else?" He asked eyebrows pinched together.

"Yes. There was a man, I do remember his  name." He shook a finger. "Leif. He looked kind of familiar. Maybe that can help." 

"Thank-you." Hiccup said. He quickly stood and exited the room. Astrid caught up and stepped in front of him.

"Hiccup, what are you going to do?" She asked. 

"Fine, Astrid. You win. I won't go." He threw up his hands and glared at her. She took his answer as a surprise, but she also looked like something was bothering her. However she sighed a look of relief wash over her face. She'd bought the lie.