Love Between Riders 2: Nightmares

It Starts

A week goes by, Dragon Racing becoming a popular sport to play amongst Berk. Everyone participates and everyone gets to show off their skills or how much they've improved.

"Gwen wins once again!" Gobber yells. The crowd goes wild. Gwen and her monstrous nightmare have become quite popular.

Hiccup and Astrid sit alone on a rock outcropping, watching the race. They're in each other's arms, Hiccup's hand on her stomach.

"I can't believe this is gonna happen," Hiccup whispers in Astrid's ear. She grins wide.

"Me either. I'm really excited about this," Astrid kisses him.

Hiccup and Astrid go on a flight, just spending the day together since everyone is taking time to play games and such. Snoggletog is in two months, but Hiccup had to start early to make sure everything happens right.

Later that night, Astrid was fast asleep. Hiccup sits at a table going over old findings he discovered when he used to go out and explore. He studies the maps under the candle light, looking at what routes he might take Astrid on soon, plus to get his mind off the fact this is the first Snoggletog without his dad around.

A branch snaps outside and Hiccup immediately draws his sword. He walks outside, blade spinning like a windmill. He saw nothing so went inside and lays in bed, putting his arm around his beloved and better half. That was when it all started.

He was stranded in a house, flames licking at him from all sides. He didn't know what was going on or how he got into this house. All he knew was that he had to find Astrid and make sure she was safe and sound. He looks all over the house, his wife nowhere to be found. Timber falls around him, threatening to crush the life out of him. He rushes to the door but finds it locked. He can't find any windows to jump from. He was completely sealed in. He starts getting to where he can't breath. He covers his mouth with cloth that he tears from his shirt but the thick, heavy smoke seeps right through it.

He hears a scream for help. It's Astrid. He runs in the direction it came from. He found nothing but an empty room. He found traces that someone had been there but not who. The house starts to tremble with the sound of a voice.

"Run you fool. You can't escape the nightmare!" it yells. A form starts to appear and the scene changes.

Now Hiccup was in an unfamiliar forest and couldn't tell where he was. A four legged animal with blood red eyes forms from the surrounding blackness and starts to chase him. Hiccup runs for his life, never being so afraid. Every time he looks back, the creature seemed to be closer than the last. The world around him shakes, and he feels himself jerk up.

"Hiccup, babe, wake up! Please wake up!" Astrid was pleading, almost crying.

Hiccup had been thrashing about in his sleep, whimpering and muttering about sparing his life and those he loves. He jerks up screaming.

"Hiccup!" Astrid hugs him, combing her fingers through his messy brown hair trying to sooth him. "It's okay, babe. Everything will be okay."

Hiccup just buries his face in the crook of her neck, wanting to forget that awful nightmare.

"I.. I don't know what that was," Hiccup tells her.

He gets out of the bed and paces, trying to calm down. He goes to a bowl and splashes water in his face. He walks back to the bed and sits down. Astrid comes behind him and wraps her arms around him, placing her head on his shoulder.

"Oh Thor. What was that?" Hiccup asks himself, his head in the palms of his hands.

"It was only a nightmare. It's nothing to worry about," Astrid tries to comfort him.

"Then why did the it feel so real?" Hiccup asks back.

As he goes to walk around again, he steps in something rough. He bends down to pick it up. As he examines it, he realizes that it's sand. Black sand.