Chapter One

A/N: Sorry for the wait guys, I was violently ill with some kind of food poisoning or stomach bug or something. But FINALLY here we are! I hope you enjoy and don't forget to REVIEW!

Also, Astrid and Stoick might be a little OOC in this chapter but it's only because of the fear/stress of the situation.

In response to...

PinkMustache: Oh wow. XD Way to work THAT joke in!

Jesusfreak: I AM evil, I admit it! XD And you know how I love my cliffhangers.

Jo: Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it!

DoomsdayBeamXD: Yes, yes I did. And sorry for the suffering. It's just my way. XD

Foxlight the Dragon Trainer: I'm glad! :D And wait no more~ Here it is!

Breyannia: Haha, thank youu~ And sorry, I don't mean to kill you!

OinkyThePiggy: Thanks! And you got that right! You'll see how worried they were in this fanfic. Lol, writer's block is the WORST!

LittleDragonRider: I'm sorrryyyy! D: And you'll find out about the assassin soon.

Yondaime Namikaze: Haha, yep. That would be unfortunate!

XxPinkMustachexX: No it is definitely NOT their day! XD And yes, getting hit by arrows would hurt. (It hurts just getting hit by the bow string! Trust me, I know. So I can't imagine how it would feel to get SHOT.) And don't worry, I'm also a nerd. Just ate my breakfast to a documentary about the Egytians so...

NightFury999: I am hopefully over my writer's block and here's the sequel! :D

"Are ya' sure about this, Stoick?" Gobber makes sure to keep his voice low so the others won't hear him. The other Hooligans have already accepted what has to be done. They accept it grudgingly, but they accept it all the same. They know they have no other choice. But Gobber is still unsure about all this... He doesn't want to leave his friend, not to mention his injured apprentice, alone on this island... It just doesn't sound like a good idea to him.

"It's not like I have a choice, Gobber." Stoick grumbles unhappily. "Hiccup's wound is too serious to sustain a long boat trip. He wouldn't..." But the Chief's voice hitches and he trails off. His tired, green eyes sink downward to the ground and he suddenly looks exhausted. His hands are still stained red from Hiccup's blood...

Gobber frowns deeply at the sight of his friend. He places a hand on Stoick's shoulder and squeezes supportively. "Maybe I should stay behind with ya' and-"

"No." Stoick shakes him off and stands up, once again the proud Chief who is quite adept at swallowing his emotions. "I need you to lead the others to safety. I'm counting on you, Gobber."

"And where, exactly, should I take them?" The Blacksmith wonders, even though he's already pretty sure what Stoick will say.

And surely enough, Hiccup's father lets out a huge sigh and plants his hands on his hips. "It's risky...I'm not sure how reliable he'll be in this situation but...I think Outcast Island is our best option now. Alvin claims he's on our side so we'll just have to trust him."

"Hmph." The old Blacksmith snorts. "Trust a man named Alvin the Treacherous? I was afraid you were gonna say that..."

"He's our only hope, Gobber." Stoick whispers. "And he's got an army to back us up. The invaders won't dare go there after losing their commander. You'll be safe there."

"And what are you going to do, exactly?"

Stoick nods and glances over his shoulder at the shape of his son stretched out on the sand, his torso all wrapped up in bandages and the skin of his bare chest stained red with the same blood as on his father's hands. For only a single arrow, the boy bled a lot...

Hiccup has been unconscious ever since he was shot, which is a small blessing in and of itself. He wouldn't enjoy the sight of his dragon whimpering and whining and desperately nuzzling his Rider to wake him, nor the tears that streamed down Astrid's cheeks when she saw him go down. It would break his heart to see his friends in so much pain... But now, Toothless has wrapped himself around his friend, acting like a shield to anything that would want to hurt his little Hiccup. And he isn't the only one...

"I'm going to stay here until Hiccup wakes up. Hopefully by that time, he'll be capable of the trip and we'll be able to join you." Stoick explains. A long silence follows as both men stare at the trio sitting further up on the beach. Hiccup, wrapped inside Toothless's protective wings, and Astrid...

"Is she staying too?" Gobber asks.

"No. She needs to go to Outcast Island with the other Riders..." Stoick replies dully.

"Well, someone has to tell her that." The Blacksmith reminds him, his expression glum as he watches Hiccup's friend. Astrid is sitting beside Toothless, her battle-axe in hand, as if ready to jump to his protection at any time...

Stoick nods, knowing Gobber is right. And he has a feeling the news will go over better with her if it's Hiccup's father who tells it to her. So he slowly crosses the sandy stretch between them, stopping a few feet from her. He parts his lips to speak but is almost immediately cut off.

"I'm not leaving." She informs him stiffly. "It will be safer for him if I stay too." Her expression softens for just a moment as she glances over her shoulder at the frail boy behind her, her lips tugging down even further than before.

"I'm sorry, Astrid." The Chief sighs. "But you have a responsibility to the other Riders and-"

"They can take care of themselves." She snaps defensively.

"-and I need you to go with Gobber to Outcast Island in case something goes wrong." He continues despite the interruption. When Astrid doesn't reply, he groans and kneels down in front of her. Placing a hand on the girl's shoulder, he frowns when she suddenly snaps her head in the other direction, refusing to look at him. "Astrid...please, don't make this harder than it already is." He whispers. "I need someone I can count on to keep an eye on the dragons. And you're the best I've got right now."

She lowers her eyes, obviously defeated but still reluctant to leave.

"You're a strong girl, Astrid. I know you can do this." Stoick concludes. "I'll bring Hiccup to the island as soon as he's able to stand the trip. I promise."

However, when Astrid next speaks, it almost doesn't even sound like her. Where her voice usually sounds firm and confident, now there's only doubt and fear. "But what if something happens here? What if you need help? What if he needs help?!" She cries, jabbing an almost accusatory finger in Hiccup's direction. "What if...what if he doesn't make-"

"Stop." Stoick barks, cutting her off. "Hiccup is not going to die, Astrid! He just needs more time to heal and he'll be good as new!"

She frowns and suddenly shakes off his hand before aggressively jumping to her feet. "Fine." She growls. "If you say so, Chief. I just hope you know what you're doing..." With that, she stalks away toward the ships where her dragon is waiting. The other Riders stare at her with confused expressions but don't question her, only obediently mounting up when she coldly orders them to. Even Tuffnut and Ruffnut can tell this is no time for fooling around...

While the teens prepare to take off, Gobber hobbles over once more. He tries to smile at Stoick when he says, "I'll keep an eye on them."

"Thank you..." The other man replies darkly.

"Just try to join us as soon as possible. We'll leave a ship anchored a little ways off shore, where the invaders won't see it."

Stoick only nods, his eyes tight.

After a long moment of tense silence, Gobber sighs and turns around to go back to his own ship. "Alright then." He grumbles before walking off, his head shaking sadly. I hope you know what you're doing, Stoick.

Then, everyone is boarded on the ship and it pulls away from the lonely little beach. Although their retreat is a slow one, even the winds seem reluctant to carry them without the presence of their Chief and Heir onboard as well. The dragons hover above mast, all the Riders staring down at their wounded friend as he's carefully lifted by Stoick and carried to a safer place where they can lay low until he wakes up.

...if he wakes up.

A/N: Yeah, they might be OOC...I don't know. But! I hope you enjoyed and don't forget to REVIEW!

I don't see this being a very long fanfic, just enough to wrap up the plot and all that. (Although the climax is going to be a doozy... XD) See you next chapter, guys!

(Sorry for the wait by the way...for anyone who didn't see it on my profile or PM me and ask the release date, I was very sick for about week and couldn't do anything but lay on my bed and sleep for the majority of that time. Thanks for your patience and I hope this turns out to be worth the wait!)