"Hiccup – um, hi." Astrid's never stuttered before, but she does now. I know why, too. It's unusually perceptive of me, but I know she realizes she's the outsider here, because she knew his secret.

"Hi, Astrid!" Snotlout jumps up, offering her his seat on the edge of the bridge. She shakes her head.

"Hiccup needs us." The sentence is so clear, despite everything that's raging on her face – pain, hurt, and something less identifiable because she's biting her lip and trying to hide it from us.

"He's over there." She points, and they get up wearily, and I get up, catching Astrid by the arm.

"You didn't lie to me." She shakes her head, and suddenly tears are falling down her face.

"Don't tell Hiccup. Toothless means the world to him. He'd never forgive me if he knew I told you…you can't tell him. It would hurt him so badly…"

I accept this stoically, and nod at Astrid while she swipes carelessly at her tears. "I had to tell, though. It was so big and important. I don't know how he's lived for all these years, even these two weeks, hiding Toothless while everyone is so horrible to him…"

"Astrid, where are we going?" I should have asked this question earlier, but she knows I'll follow her into battle with her arms tied down.

"We're going to the Dragon's Nest. We're going to kill it, and we're going to go save Toothless."