Okay, here's the epilogue to Cheating Death and a short blurb for the sequel. I warn you in advance that the sequel is still a flat outline with few details. I'll spend some time working those out before I start posting. But enough talk – Onward!

Epilogue

The skies over Berk were a madhouse of clouds. Wispy ones were racing like wild dragons while colossal puffs where staggering upwards into the heavens. A breeze rattled doors and hanging laundry.

"Oh, just listen at that." Ingrid sighed as she tied the shutters closed. They had been rattling all morning. Finally she couldn't take anymore and tied them closed. "All this flipping and flopping will keep me up tonight."

Astrid sat at the table and watched the fire flutter. The wind pushing through cracks and crannies and fought against the bright flames. The humidity was heavy on the air. No doubt there'd be a storm that evening and into the night.

"You'd best hurry, Astrid." Ingrid said as she returned to the table. "You don't want to be late."

"Oh, Hiccup is always late. I've got time." Astrid reassured her.

Astrid had helped Ingrid with the morning meal. She'd been telling her that she needed to learn how to cook if she was going to be a wife someday. Astrid had laughed to herself. She and Hiccup had kept their engagement a secret. They knew that if anyone found out it would be a short few hours until the entire village knew. And if Stoick heard the news they'd be married as soon as possible.

Until Hiccup and Astrid got used to the idea of marriage no one else had to know. They'd announce the news when they were ready.

When Hiccup and Astrid had returned to Berk from their excursion Ingrid had reluctantly welcomed Astrid back into her home. She was tense and nervous about it but over the next several days she had eased. It was almost like everything was returning to normal. Although, Astrid knew it would never be exactly the same.

Astrid lingered a bit longer with her aunt Ingrid, trying to nurse the severed relationship. Ingrid was trying and Astrid respected her for that. She knew something had happened to make her change her mind but she didn't want to ask what.

"I'd better be going. He'll never let me hear the end of it if I'm the one who's late." Astrid smiled as she stood to leave.

"What out for that wind. Don't want you blowing away." Ingrid waved politely.

Astrid waved goodbye and pulled open the door. A strong breeze pushed it inward and Astrid had to work hard to close it. Outside Vikings were securing their houses and possessions in anticipation for a storm. The massive and threatening clouds way out over the ocean were tell-tale signs.

Astrid started toward Hiccup's house. They'd made plans to meet after breakfast at the cove. However, since Astrid would be on foot Hiccup suggested they ride there together. Stoick was securing the back door with planks when Astrid walked up.

"Morning, Astrid." He said, hammer in hand.

"Morning, Chief." Astrid responded politely. She felt a twinge of guilt for not telling Stoick about the engagement, not because he was chief but he was Hiccup's father. She'd thought about saying something several times but she didn't know how to bring it up without sounding weird. And Hiccup wanted to tell him together, whenever that was.

Hiccup came flying in from the dock's direction. He didn't even stop to dismount.

"Ready?" He asked. He seemed like he was in a hurry.

"Yeah." Astrid nodded.

"What's the rush, Hiccup?" Stoick asked. He was done with the backdoor was had a ladder at the ready. It looked like Hiccup's second floor window was next.

"Johan just arrived and he had a letter from Esol." Hiccup said.

There was a slight nerve twitch in Stoick's face. Hiccup had told her that Stoick was still sore about his son's involvement in Esol's disappearance. But that twitch soon was recoiled.

"Johan's early?" Stoick asked. Johan wasn't expected for two more days.

"Yeah, I guess the wind worked with him." Hiccup shrugged. He gave Hiccup the motion for flight and soon they were soaring back into the air. Astrid hugged on with a tension that she hadn't been able to get rid of. Without a securing belt like Hiccup's she was at the mercy of her grip on his waist.

They made it to the cove in no time at all. Toothless landed and they dismounted. The wind seemed to go right over the cove and it was left still. The sound it made was chilling, though. Wind rushed over the rocks and through the towering trees with a high-pitched whistling like a million children.

"I came here earlier to get it ready." Hiccup had said.

Astrid hadn't been paying attention until then. She looked where Hiccup was standing, arms out proud, to see a picnic set up on an old stump. He'd spread a blanket over the wood and made two place settings. An unlit candle was in the middle.

"You came here just for this?" Astrid smiled. He could be so sweet sometimes.

Hiccup nodded. He had that nervousness about him again. He needed approval, reassurance, a proud thanking.

"Hiccup, it's great." Astrid smiled. She saw the instant sigh in Hiccup's tense muscles. There was a reason why Hiccup didn't do things like this very often. It wasn't because he didn't care or wasn't romantic. If he did he'd stress himself to death.

Astrid walked to him and pecked him on the cheek.

"Of course, since we just had breakfast we've got plenty of time before lunch." Hiccup shrugged.

Astrid laughed. Anyone else would have said that as a sexual innuendo. But not Hiccup. He was looking to the sky. At the sound of her laughter he looked back down with his innocent confusion.

"Oh, come on, Astrid!" Hiccup exclaimed humorously as it dawned on him.

"You said it, not me." Astrid laughed.

"You thought it, not me." Hiccup said, kissing her cheek. "But seriously, a flight before lunch?"

"What about Esol's letter?" Astrid asked.

Hiccup almost jumped. "I already forgot!"

He scrambled to find the letter he'd stashed in the satchel. Several papers fell out and he searched. Astrid knelt down to pick them up. They looked like drawings of some sort, designs. Interested, Astrid look a closer look while Hiccup was busy with the letter searching.

They were designs.

"Hiccup, what are these?" Astrid asked.

Hiccup turned around and the instant he saw what was in her hands he tried to snatch them away. But Astrid moved out of his range just in time.

"Is this…a flight suit?" Astrid read the name he'd scribbled across the top of each paper. Each was a specific limb of a leather-bound suit with hidden nooks and compartments. It looked…ridiculous.

"It's nothing…I was just being creative, you know." Hiccup shrugged. He pulled his arms back to his sides and fidgeted with the letter he'd found.

Astrid wanted to laugh but she didn't. She got to the last page and saw something that flipped in her chest.

"Are these wings?" Astrid asked.

"…Yes." Hiccup said quietly, like a child in trouble.

"Are you planning to fly?" Astrid asked. Was he mad? He'd kill himself.

"It's…a prototype." Hiccup shrugged. He was having trouble making eye contact.

"Hiccup, that's a horrible idea." Astrid told him. She handed his designs back to him. "What if you fall? Or run into something? You're not a dragon, Hiccup. What if something malfunctions and you fall? Who'll be riding Toothless while you're flying? What if you fall?"

"I won't fall, Astrid." Hiccup put his hands out like he did when calming a dragon. Palms flat on the air, he gently moved them downward. "I promise. I won't test it out until I'm sure it's stable. And I'm working on a new tail system that will help Toothless stay in flight without me on the saddle. And I'm trying to figure out a way that his tail will work with any foot, instead of just mine."

He motioned to his metal leg.

Astrid sighed. There was no talking him out of it. "Right, well, you found the letter?"

"Yes." Hiccup said. He was glad to change the subject.

He unfolded the paper and Astrid came in closer to look over his shoulder.

Hiccup,

It's Esol! Chuck and I have finally found the island we were looking for. Apparently, someone isn't as good with directions as he thought. We stopped a few times to make sure this place even existed!

The locals were hesitant at first but I think they're just a shy people. We've got a little house near the beach and Chuck had a job fishing. I've made friends with the local women and after explaining our story to them I think they're warming up to us. One woman said she could get me a job at the temple!

Everything seems to be working out very well. On the island they've had a small problem with some Changewings and when we first arrived Chuck used all that you told him about dragons to help them out. I think those dragons are starting to like him!

Maybe one day you and Astrid could visit us here. The island is beautiful! They say it's the volcanic soil that keeps it all so lush and plentiful. The air is clear and the fish are plenty.

As promised, once we were settled I told Stormfly to head home. She left day before yesterday but I don't know how many days it is from here to Berk by dragon. Could be any day! I'll send this letter with Johan as soon as he arrived. It's hard to believe he's known here too! That man has been everywhere!

I'll write again soon. Thank you again for everything that you've done for me, Hiccup. Maybe one day I'll find a way to repay the favor.

Esol and Chuck

"That's a lot of exclamation points." Astrid commented on Hiccup's shoulder.

"I'm glad they're alright. I was worried they'd wander forever." Hiccup half-laughed.

"And, you trained a new dragon trainer." Astrid mused.

Hiccup smiled. "It's nice to think that I'm spreading dragon training. It'll end a lot of conflicts between dragons and people."

"Hiccup Horrendous Haddock, changing the world one dragon at a time." Astrid said in a mock-speech tone.

Hiccup laughed but he couldn't hid the blush across his cheeks.

Toothless, who had been playing with a courageous fish in the shallows, suddenly stood straight. His eyes weren't looking but his ears were listening intently.

"Bud, what is it?" Hiccup said with caution.

Toothless stepped out of the water and was one edge. He was looking upward and his ears were twitching every way. He called out to the sky and listened, and repeated. After a few calls his tension eased.

"What's happening?" Astrid asked Hiccup.

He shook his head, but soon they heard a return call. It was distant and definitely a dragon. Toothless called back into the sky. The other dragon called back, this time closer.

"I think he's calling to it." Hiccup said. "He knows the other dragon."

They called out back and forth. Each time the other dragon grew closer. Over the wind it was hard to identify. Toothless almost seemed excited.

"Wait, Hiccup, doesn't that sound familiar?" Astrid asked. The call was closing in but still hindered by the strong winds.

"A little, yeah." Hiccup agreed. He was listening to the wind and Toothless was standing up on his back legs. It's like he wanted to get as close as he could.

The call sounded again and this time was just over the trees.

"That's-" Hiccup started to say but Astrid cut him off.

"Stormfly!" Astrid jumped with joy.

The deadly nadder came over the trees just as Astrid spoke. The blue and yellow scaled creature was unmistakable. Toothless called upward as Stormfly prepared for a hasty landing in the cove. She was struggling against the wind but once she cleared the cove's opening she glided to the ground.

Astrid was overjoyed and ran to meet her. Stormfly chirped as she nuzzled Astrid, nearly knocking her over. Astrid wrapped on arm around the horn on Stormfly's nose and tucked the other under her chin. As Stormfly chirped she lifted Astrid off the ground.

"You can't get timelier than that." Hiccup laughed. He padded the dragon's nose and she eagerly drank the attention.

"Let's write back to Esol." Astrid said. "Before Johan gets blown back out to sea."

Hiccup laughed but didn't waste time. He withdrew parchment and a little ink bottle. He gently shook it and sighed.

"Almost out?" Astrid asked.

"Yeah. I think I have enough for a letter but I hope Johan has more." Hiccup said as he uncorked it.

"Tell her that Stormfly made it home." Astrid said as she gave the dragon a warm pat with her hand.

"Uh-huh." Hiccup said as he started to write.

"And tell her how great it is that Chuck is training the changewings."

"Uh-huh."

"Oh, and tell her that we found Richard and defeated him."

"Uh-huh."

"And mention-"

"Do you want to write it?" Hiccup interrupted. He was sitting at the stump with the ink-dipped quill in his open hand.

"No, I'm sorry. You're doing great." Astrid smiled. She stood behind him to read over his shoulder as he wrote.

Esol and Chuck,

It's great that you made it there safe. Stormfly just made it back. Johan arrived today with your letter and we'd just read it. Weird how things happen sometimes. I'm glad that Chuck was able to use what I told him to help the people and dragons. Maybe one day the people on the island can coexist with them like we do here on Berk.

Astrid and I found the man that was eluding death and tricked him back into the underworld. The story is a lot longer than I've got room to write and ink to write with. I'll write it down when I have more ink.

We're both back on Berk and everything slowly returning to normal. Or as normal as it can be. Astrid is learning to live with her spirit sensitivity.

"Don't call it 'sensativity', Hiccup. It sounds weak." Astrid complained.

"Too late, I already wrote it." Hiccup said.

Astrid groaned but Hiccup continued the letter.

Write back, we're both eager to hear about the new home you're making.

Hiccup and Astrid

"Let's fly it down to Johan." Astrid said as Hiccup blew on the paper to dry the ink completely.

"Right," Hiccup nodded as he folded it. Astrid climbed up on an eager Stormfly and waited for Hiccup and Toothless.

Stormfly chirped and treaded on the ground. Although she's just flown Thor know how many miles home she was eager to fly with Astrid. She patted the dragon's head. She'd missed her dragon so much.

Something on the edge of the cove caught her eye. She looked instantly but whatever it had been was gone. Astrid glanced at Hiccup who was tucking the letter into the satchel. She looked back to the cove's edge where she thought she'd seen something. She scanned the edge and soon she saw something peeking out from between a cluster of old tree roots. It was a paled face with stringy hair. Two darkened eyes were looking down into the cove.

"Astrid?" Hiccup asked. He was sitting on the saddle and looking to her with curiosity.

"Ready?" Astrid said. He'd seen her looking but she tried to push it off.

"What were you looking at?" Hiccup asked.

Astrid sighed. He knew what she was looking at. "It was nothing."

They both knew that was a lie. She'd been seeing stray spirits here and there. Hiccup had told her she would get this strange look on her face, distant but with an intent. She tried to not notice them but it was impossible. Sometimes, she was sure they were looking at her.

Hiccup sighed this time. "What are you going to do about that?"

"I don't know." Astrid said. "I don't think there's anything I can do. But, I want to try and help the spirits cross to the other side. I'm the only one that can."

"How?" Hiccup asked.

"I don't know. By figuring out what keeps them from it." Astrid shrugged. "I was thinking about the old cave on the mountain. It's out of the way and wouldn't entice the spirits to linger around the village and frightening the random Viking."

"We could spruce it up." Hiccup looked upward even though he couldn't see the cave from there.

Hiccup had had the unfortunately chance encounter with the random spirit. They seemed to follow Astrid, or be attracted to her, and every once in a while Hiccup would claim to see a stray foot or hear footsteps. Most of the time it was shadows and voices, neither of which he was a fan of.

"Ready?" Astrid said.

"Yeah." Hiccup responded with a nudge to Toothless who then leapt into the air.

Astrid followed on Stormfly and once out of the protection of the cove the wind interrupted any conversation they might have had. They flew a little haphazardly toward the docks where Trader Johan's boat. It stood out against the Viking's well used fishing boats.

Hiccup and Astrid had a mini-race over the village. He ultimately won, but only because he knew she hated it when he let her win. Johan was still on his ship and trying to talk Fishlegs into some new volume of knowledge he'd procured in some unknown little civilization.

"The tale behind the tome is more invigorating than the book itself!" Johan was saying to Fishlegs.

At the sight of Hiccup and Astrid, Johan thrust the book into Fishlegs's hands and bowed with a relish of his hands.

"Master Hiccup, pleasure to see you again this day." Johan said.

"We've got a letter for delivery." Hiccup said, handing the folded paper to Johan.

"Ah, to the Miss Esol, I presume? She told me not to leave Berk without a reply." Johan smiled. He tucked the letter into a satchel that was inside a chest. It was where he kept his paper items and special deliveries.

"And do you have any more ink?" Hiccup asked as Johan closed the chest.

"As a matter of fact…" Johan put up a finger to indicate the beginning of a magnificent story.

Hiccup sighed but Johan went on with his tale. Astrid nudged Hiccup with a grin. He'd honestly walked right into it. Fishlegs traded another book for the new one and scooted out of there as fast as he could. It seemed the ink was at the bottom of a very deep barrel of items for Johan kept pulling out intriguing item after another all while telling his story with feverish detail.

-End-

That epilogue turned out longer than I thought it would. Oh, well. But, now's the time for that sequel summary I kept telling you about! Yay!

I don't have a title yet, at least nothing clever, so right now it's still "Cheating Death 2" because it helps keep files organized on my computer.

And, as promised, here's your summary:

A year has passed since Hiccup and Astrid faced the man that eluded Death. Life on Berk has returned to normal. Hiccup spends his days in the air and at the smithy working on "new and improved" building designs for Berk. Astrid is working with the spirits at her mountain retreat and helping them to pass on to the beyond. However, something terrible has happened and the spirit world is sent into a tizzy. Astrid reaches out to the spirits and one reaches back, a young girl with a tragic fate. Within her vision Astrid sees the island where Esol and Chuck have made their home. They are in trouble, not only Esol and Chuck but everyone on the island.

It's a working summary, like I said before. I tried not to give away too much while still revealing enough of the plot to make it interesting. Haha, I thought about doing a one-liner summary just to be a butt. So yeah, the second one would be less people and death oriented and more spirit and spirit world. I've got it in my head but I don't want to just tell you the entire plot.

If you really want to know you'll just have to wait and see!