HICCUPS POV.
Three years had passed. Hiccup and Toothless perched atop one of the colossal stone statues rising from the waters surrounding Berk, shrouded by the night sky. Through his spyglass, Hiccup scanned the arena below. It felt like a lifetime ago he’d trained here with Gobber and the others.
He often wondered what they were up to now. Had they all moved on, settled down? Maybe they were married. He doubted it, especially the twins. The thought sparked a laugh. He refocused, peering closer to the arena entrance.
“Let’s go, bud,” he murmured to Toothless, and the night fury swooped down toward the entrance. It was the first time Hiccup had actually *gone* into Berk since leaving. He’d regularly fly over at night, but never set down. He dismounted, quietly and swiftly laying aside the metal pole securing the gate.
He placed it gently on the ground and lifted the gate just enough for himself and Toothless to slip through. Walking along the edge of the wall, he moved from cage to cage, unlocking each one. Dragons poured out—two groncles in the first two cages. He moved to the third and final.
He opened it, and a deadly natter exploded outwards, knocking Hiccup to the ground. The natter roared, circling the arena, searching for an escape. “Shh, quiet now,” Hiccup said, stepping in front of the dragon. The natter raised its tail, unfolding a deadly array of spines. Hiccup lifted his mask, presenting it to the dragon. “Shh, it’s okay. You don’t need to be scared.”
“I’m going to get you somewhere safe.” He slowly extended his hand, offering it near the dragon’s snout. “The dragons are loose!” Hiccup glanced up at the sound of a voice. Astrid. She stood outside the chain dome, staring directly at him. “Toothless!” He remounted, taking to the air. He whistled—a specific, practiced tone. Over the years he’d discovered that a certain whistle, the *right* whistle, would send any dragon—tamed or wild—into the sky.
Astrid charged into the arena, even though they were already twenty feet above her. “Okay, no time to backtrack,” she yelled. “Toothless, plasma blast!” Toothless unleashed a blast, tearing open the roof of the dome. They soared out, followed by the other dragons.