This is my FIRST update today. Shout-outs:
AnimeAngel: Yeah, I was laughing while writing it! :) I LOVED writing that chapter, it was so much fun! :D Well, here's some more popcorn for yall! *tosses out more free virtual popcorn*
amillipede: Yes, I do believe Hiccup would. XD And yeah, I LOVE the joking around between the two of them. It's so hilarious and sweet at the same time. LOOOOOOVE IT!
a random person: Aha, glad you like it! :)
movielover48: YAYAYAYAYYAY! YOU LIKE IT SO FAR! YAY! :D
Arcaane: That...is...perfect! Fear of Heights? I'm doin' it! :D And yeah, if ever I changed my pen name, it would be "Queen Cliffie" for the win. XD! No, seriously though, no joke, it would. Hahahaha!
We stand at the dock in no particular order: me, Astrid, Snotlout, Fishlegs, Ruffnut and Tuffnut. Toothless stands on my other side, looking over the ocean with worried eyes. I know there's nothing to worry about.
My father comes, bids us good luck, and then we climb aboard our vessel. It's not too big a boat, but it could easily hold each of the youths and their dragons reasonably comfortably.
My heart pounds. I'm not scared. I'm nervous. Nervous at what might happen...
Ahh, I push that thought aside. I'm with my friends. What could possibly go wrong? For some reason, the thought didn't assure me much.
I help Astrid and Snotlout push the boat away from the docks. We then each take an oar and start rowing out to sea. Well, everyone besides Fishlegs, who is our navigator right now.
The last time we were in this position was when Gobber talked us into going on that crazy search for the Boneknapper. I smile, remembering that time. It was just like then, only Fishlegs was in the place of Gobber, and Toothless was in the place of Fishlegs, trying desperately to use an oar with his teeth.
After about an hour of rowing straight, I release my hold on my oar when Fishlegs calls for a stop. I look at my hands. They are splinter covered, and red. There are a few cuts on them, too, but I don't really care. I'm a dragon trainer. Rowing isn't really much of a chore.
"Here's the spot," says Fishlegs. Snotlout stands up and walks over to a barrel. Sticking out of it are fishing rods.
I gulp, suddenly feeling nervous again. I knew it was stupid to feel so nervous over something as simple as fishing, but I was still so...what's the right word? Inexperienced? Embarrassed since everyone else would be so much better than me, and probably have to walk me through the steps about a hundred times?
I hold out my hands as Snotlout tosses us each a fishing pole. I look at mine, examining it, running my fingers across the line. The hooks and bait had been pre attached. All we had to do was toss them in the water and boom...we're fishing.
I look to Astrid, and she looks back at me. She sees the obvious question on my face: "What in the world do I do now?"
She walks over to me and sets down her pole, her hands fumbling around mine in attempt to show me how to do it.
"Okay," she says, "try using the same gesture as you would while skipping a stone. Bring the rod back to your side and bring it smoothly in the direction you'd like to cast, releasing the line as you point in the right direction. Got it?"
I nod, and then do as she instructed me. Strange enough, and much to my delight, it works.
I am fishing, and it feels good. I look behind me, seeing the others have already set their lines out in the sea. I turn back to my work. Astrid casts her line next to me, but at the same time, far away enough so they don't intersect.
We wait there for the longest time. I began to slouch, my body getting sick of staying in the same position for ever. I look to Astrid, seeing the same posture.
"It normally doesn't take this long," she tells me, her voice just barely rising above a whisper. "Normally we would have at least caught something by now."
I nod, but then grip the sides of the boat when I feel it shudder. I turn around, seeing everyone else doing the same. Toothless starts growling, and I know something is wrong.
"What...was THAT!?" yells Ruffnut, dropping her fishing line.
"I don't know!" replies Snotlout.
Again. We let out a sharp cry in unison as our boat rocks again. We all tumble to the deck in awkward positions, just to have it shake us again while trying to get back on our feet.
Toothless is all but quiet now. He's practically roaring, eying the water. I move over to where he's looking just in time to see a dark figure cross in the water underneath our boat.
Something's in there.
Another shudder, and I nearly fall over the side of the boat. Toothless pushes me back with his tail at the last second, and I'm too shocked to even mumble a thank you to the dragon.
"We should drop the anchor, just so we don't get too much off course!" says Fishlegs. I know it's wise. If there's something stirring the water, it could cause waves, and we really don't want the boat moving too much while the whatever-it-is moves in the water beneath us.
My hand shoots up and I shout "I'll do it!". Snotlout joins me, and we toss the anchor over the side of the boat. As it sinks, I look on the deck, seeing the chain vanish quickly as the anchor pulls it into the water.
But then I realize something, and before I have time to react, find myself yanked harshly off the boat, and pulled into the water.
The chain had somehow found its way around my foot when I lost my balance. Now the anchor pulls me down, deeper and deeper into the water.
I can't breathe. I try not to swallow the water, I really do, but I also really fail. I don't know how much water I've swallowed now, but the anchor hasn't stopped. It's still pulling me further down. Down...down...down...down...down...
And I don't know if I'll ever see the light again.
