Ingrid led Hiccup and Toothless out of the forest in a perilous walk.

Up ahead lays the outskirts of the village, accessed through a gnarly but sturdy wooden bridge.

Hiccup watched his step, careful to not fall down into the river below.

He had to admit, Edon really had a breathtaking view. In a way, the view almost reminded him of home, except this was probably better than home.

Toothless crooned happily as he watched fishes swam freely in the stream.

For a bridge ready to collapse, it was amazing how it could hold two normal size humans and one overgrown reptile.

The Night Fury leaned over the bridge, smacking his lips. Unaware, his weight made the bridge shook slightly.

Hiccup let out a yelp as he tugged onto the ropes supporting them.

"Whoa! Toothless, what are you-''

Oblivious to his human's calls, Toothless leaned forward, almost tipping them over.

Ingrid yelped as she clung onto the ropes tightly.

Nobody in her village knew it, but ever since she was a young girl, she has been afraid of water.

The thought of drowning deep to a bottomless ocean really send shivers down her spine.

Then flashbacks of herself as a six-year-old flooded through her mind.

Ingrid shook her head, erasing the horrid memory she hope to never return.

Glancing at the cold dark waters below, she swallowed a nervous lump in her throat. Her mouth tasted dry, and she realise she was parched.

The sooner they get back to her village, the sooner she can get something to drink.

Suddenly the bridge gave a loud shriek as Toothless leaned further and further.

His one thousand seven hundred and seventy-six pound body was too heavy for the bridge to support.

With the fishes in focus, the dark dragon ignored the humans' panicked cries. He opened his jaws as a fish quickly swam closer.

Just a little closer and he could catch it.

"Toothless, stop!" Hiccup released himself from the ropes. Quickly, he grasp onto his dragon, tugging him away from the edge.

He peered over the bridge, swallowing nervously.

The last thing he wanted was to fall in ice cold water.

"Looks like your dragon is hungry," Ingrid points out to the Night Fury's craving, "But I promise you. There are so many fishes back in the village. Salmon, cods, trouts, you name it. But for Thor sake, can we move along?!"

There was a shrill of panic in her voice as she found herself slipping.

Her palms were already sweaty, and it didn't help that they were surrounded by water below.

There was a sudden creak, followed by the snapping of rope.

Hiccup gasped as he found the rope slowly ripping apart. He doubts the bridge wouldn't hold them much longer.

"Toothless!" he screamed, water spitting to his face, "We'll get you a nice decent fish! I promise! Just-''

There was a loud rip as both dragon and humans felt gravity slowly separating.

That's when the ropes snapped in two.

All three began to plummet down to the dark waters below.

Debris flew around them as they plummeted further and further.

They continued screaming for what felt like forever, afraid to collide into the dark abyss below.

Their screams echoed through the silent forest below slowly becoming feint.

The trio found themselves collapse deep into the water.

As they sunk deeper, Ingrid began hyperventilating as flashbacks of herself drowning comes haunting her.

She could still remember herself as a six year old sinking into the water, struggling to breathe. Then she began kicking and screaming for help.

Ingrid shook her head, returning to the present.

She knew she couldn't let her fear keep holding her down forever. It was time she face her fear.

Ingrid tread deeper below, scrutinizing the murky water for signs of that brunet boy and his dragon.

A small hunched shape floated just a couple metres below.

He was slowly sinking, almost losing consciousness.

Quickly, Ingrid swam closer and yanked the collar of his shirt.

Tugging the brunet, Ingrid swam onto the surface, gasping for air.

Thankfully, he didn't weigh much so it made it easy for her to drag him to safety without trouble.

Once Hiccup gained back his consciousness, he sputtered violently.

"Wait, where's Toothless?" he coughed.

Ingrid heard loud splashing, followed by a desperate roar nearby.

Peering over her shoulder, Ingrid found the Night Fury clumsily treading on water.

Quickly, she steered Hiccup and his Night Fury to dry land.

Dragon and Viking hauled themselves onto a patch of mossy ground.

"We are never doing that again!" Ingrid collapsed onto a boulder, squeezing water out of her hair.

Hiccup dazedly stood up. He gave Ingrid an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry," he said, coming over to his dragon, "Toothless didn't mean to do that. He's just hungry,"

"I figured," Ingrid smiled faintly at the boy. She stood up, squeezing excessive water from the hem of her tunic.

"Well, at least we're still alive,"

Hiccup stared at his drenched clothes.

"Except we're drenched," he sighed in defeat.

He set down his duffel bag and reached for his journal.

Most of the pages were yellowing and completely soaked. Some had fallen out of the journal.

Hiccup let out a crestfallen breath, "Well, that's quite disappointing,"

Ingrid peered over him, eyeing the smudged pages in curiosity.

"Wow, you drew this?" she grabbed his journal, flicking through several pages.

Her sapphire-blue eyes lit up, awe-strucked.

"Oh, these are just some ideas for inventions," Hiccup said sheepishly inspecting the ground.

He sat on a fallen log and pulled out his boots.

Water splashed onto the ground. A small olive green fish squirmed onto the ground, desperate for water.

Hiccup's eyes widened. He scrunched his face in disgust.

"Okay...how did that get there?"

When Toothless saw the fish, he leaned forward, swallowing the fish in one go.

"Looks like you got what you wanted," Hiccup scratched below Toothless' chin, "Didn't you, bud?"

The Night Fury crooned happily as he nuzzled himself against his human.

"So where's your village, Ingrid?" Hiccup asked, slipping on his boots.

Ingrid clamped Hiccup's journal shut. She looked up at him blankly.

Completely off-guard by Hiccup's blueprints, Ingrid hadn't been listening.

"My village?" Ingrid cleared her throat, "It's not far from here. We just need to go up this trail," she pointed to a rocky trail winding up a hill, "Past a circle of stones and- come on, I know a short cut,"

She sheepishly handed Hiccup his journal then trudged up the trail.

Tossing his journal in his bag, Hiccup followed her.

Toothless trailed after the humans, crooning in curiosity.

Honestly, the Night Fury had no idea where they were going.

If there were fish where they were going, then he would be satisfied.

"Would we be able to get some clean, dry clothes?" Hiccup stared at his drenched clothes. He shudder, feeling a sudden chill ran down his back. "At least until my clothes dries,"

Ingrid pulled down her hood. She turned to the brunet with a nod.

"Of course. I'm sure my brother's clothes would fit you," she glanced at his scrawny frame, "Though, it might be a little big on you,"

Hiccup tugged onto his bag, using Toothless as support.

Ever since this morning, his body ached and he stomach was constantly growling.

Hopefully the village would be kind enough to offer him food to eat.

He gave one last look at the early pastel morning sky. It would be a while until he and Toothless could fly again.

But Hiccup was really intrigued about Edon.

This was the only island he's heard where dragons were welcomed.

Back on Berk, after befriending Toothless, he dreamt of seeing humans living alongside dragons. Maybe it was just a mere dream.

Vikings were just too stubborn to change.

Dragon killing was one of their finest traditions. It had been for centuries.

"So, your people live amongst dragons," Hiccup paced alongside Ingrid, his eyes brimming with curiosity.

Toothless gave a low croon as he gazed at his surroundings.

"Yep. For the last hundred years," Ingrid replied, her blue orbs fixed on the trail ahead, "But it wasn't until six years ago that we learned of secrets about dragons,"

Hiccup beamed brightly. Then Ingrid allowed herself to continue.

"It was during late spring," Ingrid began, gathering her memories, "A stranger came into our shores. We weren't sure who they were, but they claim to mean us no harm. They were like us-curious about dragons. They claim to know more about dragons than either of us. So our chief let them to demonstrate,"

Hiccup and Toothless exchanged intrigued looks.

"After discovering these secrets," Ingrid went on, "the stranger was welcomed to stay, but refused the offer. They claim to be exploring and had come across our village. We often get visits,"

Hiccup lifted a brow, "So, did they reveal anything about them?"

Ingrid nodded, "The stranger revealed she was a woman. Long dark brown hair, green eyes and..." she stared at Hiccup, tilting her head, "she bears a strong resemblance to you. Are you sure you're not related?"

Hiccup knitted his thick brows together. He stammered, not knowing what to say.

"What am I saying? Of course you don't know her!" Ingrid interjects, chuckling, "I can't remember her name. I'm sure my dad knows,"

"Does she visit your village often?" Hiccup asked, stroking Toothless' head, "I would like to know some things about Night Furies,"

Ingrid gave a small chuckle as Toothless nuzzled against his human.

"Well, she does pay us a visit," Ingrid replied, clearing the path of tangled branches with her sword, "Occasionally,"

During their perilous walk, neither of them said a word.

Though, it wasn't really all that uncomforting.

The scenery was breathtaking and everything in sight was budding with fresh life.

Wildlife crowded around them; growing on trees, boulders and on grassy plains.

The fresh scent of rain from last night lingered in the air.

"So, are you an inventor?" Ingrid asked after a brief silence.

The auburn haired teen smiled sheepishly.

"Well, you could say that..."

"I saw the blueprints in your journal," Ingrid beamed brightly; "They're really good. You have gift,"

Hiccup's eyes lit up. He was speechless that anyone would appreciate his works. Well, this was the first.

"You think so?" he gave a snort, "Back home, nobody really cared about my inventions. I wasn't really appreciated for my work,"

Ingrid almost felt sorry for him. Wherever this boy was from, he seems to be unprivileged and troubled.

"So, where are you from, Hiccup?" Ingrid questioned, eyeing him closely.

Hiccup avoided the young girl's gaze. He lowered his eyes, letting out a crestfallen breath.

"A place where you kill or be killed," he said flatly, "People fought dragons there. So I didn't exactly fit in,"

Ingrid shuddered at the thought of dragons murdered for pride and honour. She hated seeing dragons as vulnerable hostages by men, ripped apart from limb to limb, and their spirits destroyed.

A part of her grew a sudden distrust in this boy. Now knowing his origin, this boy must probably be accustomed to his harsh, dragon killing lifestyle.

That wouldn't be good for her village.

Ingrid shook that thought aside. Maybe she was just being irrational.

"May I ask why you left?" she asked the lanky brunet.

Hiccup tugged onto his drenched vest. He could feel the bitter cold biting through his bare neck.

Turning to Ingrid, he let out a shallow breath.

Flashbacks of that fateful day when he was banished rushed through his mind. As if haunting him, reminding him why he was out here homeless, and in the unforgiving cold.

"It's best if you don't know," he shuddered, shifting uncomfortably, "I don't really want to talk about it,"

Although this Ingrid girl seems kind, Hiccup had only met her almost an hour ago.

Some things were meant to be locked in the darkest corners of his mind. He swore to never release it out in the open.

Nobody needed to know he was banished; an outcast, a stowaway.

Every time he thought of that horrid day, Hiccup felt his eyes welling up with tears. Though, he held them back.

All he wanted was to forget about it, to move on.

"So, how far is your village? Are we close yet?"

~

Moments later, the trio had arrived at Ingrid's village.

The village of Edon was an incredible sight as Hiccup and Toothless roamed through the bright, lively hustle and bustle.

By the time they reached the village, it was already an hour to midday.

Villagers walked past, being on their merry way. Children chased each other along muddy streets where their mothers were left chasing after them. Carts full of fruits rolled past, delivering exotic smells.

The village was perched on rolling hills where each house were crafted in individual architectural designs.

Green pastures crawled all the way to the docks, which overlooked the scenic ocean.

Two long ships disembarked at the docks, where men hoisted fishes from nets.

Stalls circled the village square, offering spices, bread, livestock and exotic jewellery.

An impressive wooden statue of a bearded man stood proudly in the centre.

Hiccup assumed the statue resembled the village chief or someone of great authority.

His green eyes fell on a group of Terrible Terrors coiled around a shop keeper who sell fish.

When the shop keeper reached for a salmon, a pastel blue terror yanked it away.

For a moment, both Terror and shopkeeper fought over the salmon, grunting and clawing. Then as a team, the Terrors eventually tackled down the shopkeeper.

Dragons were perched on rooftops, some striding along humans and others flying around with humans on their scaly backs.

Hiccup had to admit, he had never seen such an array of colours. Let alone species of dragons he had never known before.

"Welcome to Edon," Ingrid declared, spreading her arms wide.

Hiccup could only smile in awe. He wasn't used to seeing dragons and humans living alongside each other.

Yet, after befriending Toothless, he had dreamt of a utopia like this.

"This is amazing," Hiccup breathed turning to Toothless, "Don't you think so, bud?"

The Night Fury roared in satisfaction.

"So does everyone own a dragon?" Hiccup asked as a mint green Monstrous Nightmare strode past them.

"Ever since birth, you are assigned with a hatchling. This hatchling reflects on your traits," Ingrid gave a chuckle, "Mine is a Timberjack named Arrow. Maybe Toothless would like to meet her,"

"Timberjack?" Hiccup murmured in awe, "I've come across that species in the Book of Dragons. But I have never seen one up close,"

As they manoeuvred through the village, people would stop to gawk at the newcomers.

Having newcomers was not a regular thing around here.

Realising a Night Fury had crossed their shores; the villagers grew even more intrigued.

"Is that a Night Fury?" somebody asked from the crowd.

"I thought they were extinct," another villager spoke, "Didn't those dragon hunters kill them?"

Hiccup exchanged an anxious, perplexed glance at Toothless.

The Night Fury lowered his head. He had endured the pain of losing his kin long ago, yet he didn't want to be reminded.

Knowing this commotion was making the newcomers uncomfortable, Ingrid steered them away from the curious villagers.

"My father's workshop is this way," Ingrid ushered them through the crowd, who kindly parted for them to get through.

Unaware, a man with dark hair leaned against an alleyway watching them with a cold glare.

Once they broke out of the crowd, Hiccup let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you," he said.

Ingrid gave a curt nod, "Don't mention it. I'm sorry if the villagers were making you uncomfortable,"

Hiccup shrugged it off. The desperate whimper from the Night Fury made him stop in his tracks.

"What is it, bud?" he asked as the Night Fury circled around the spot, chasing his tail like a playful puppy.

Toothless stopped abruptly. Then he stared up at the clouds, whimpering.

A desperate roar from the black dragon made the two teenagers chortle in amusement.

"Oh, Toothless. I know you want to fly. I do too," Hiccup glanced at his friend's broken tail fin, "But until we get your tail fixed, we won't be able to. I'm sorry,"

Toothless roared sadly, dejection in his dilated green eyes.

Both dragon and rider followed Ingrid towards the farthest end of the village.

Puddles and muck scattered everywhere, so Hiccup had to cautiously watch his step.

Dark clouds soon gathered in the distant. Then the rumbling of thunder soon followed.

Soon rain started pouring over the village, which progressed quite heavily.

A streak of lightning flashed through the grey clouds.

Removing his vest, Hiccup held it over his head to protect himself from the downpour.

Stepping over puddles, Hiccup trailed behind Ingrid.

With his duffel bag weighing his shoulders, Hiccup struggled to run faster.

After a short walk, the trio came to a halt in front of a small lodge.

The lodge was covered with windows and a large wooden door.

A well stood at the side of the lodge with a small vegetable patch in the yard.

Pulling down her hood, Ingrid climbed the set of steps and knocked on the battered door.

Moments past and the door creaked opened, revealing a round man with a horned helmet.

Chestnut brown hair tucked beneath his helmet. His beard was thick and scruffy with flakes of dandruff.

The man wore a leather apron with tools poking through the waist pockets.

Grasp in his hands was a double sided axe with a noticeable dent.

When he saw Ingrid, the man eyed her in shock.

"Ingrid, you're soaked and..." he shifted his eyes to the Night Fury and young man standing before him.

The man stared at the Night Fury, blinking in surprise.

"Is that what I think it is?" the man was about to step out, but realised the downpour.

So he ushered the three of them inside, shutting the door.

Hiccup stared at the dim lit workshop, absorbing his surroundings.

Being here reminded him of home; his previous life.

Weapons and tools hung on walls in an orderly fashion. Benches lined along the workshop with weapons needing to be repaired.

A fireplace leaned against a bricked wall, providing warmth in the cold, dark shop.

"Dad, this is Hiccup and Toothless," Ingrid introduced the newcomers, "I found them knocked in the forest after last night's storm,"

The blacksmith eyed the auburn haired teenager closely.

"We don't get many visitors here," he lifted a brow, "So, what brings you here?"

Although the people here were quite friendly, Hiccup couldn't help but feel intimidated by the blacksmith.