Disclaimer: I do not own How To Train Your Dragon.
"Hhkffg, hhnlld!"
"Nice try Snotlout, but I don't think Hookfang can understand you."
"Hah! You look like Fishlegs when we dumped those spices into his soup the other night!"
"Wait, that was you?!"
"Er – it was Ruff's idea!"
"Was not! You totally suggested it!"
"Snotlout, what did I say about eating those berries?"
Hookfang snorts in amusement as his rider butchers up his verbal command to 'annihilate' the teens laughing at him, purposely ignoring the frantic hand signals. The other dragons are rumbling with laughter themselves, watching gleefully as Snotlout's tongue hangs out of his mouth, stuck in its position due to some foreign berries he ingested earlier.
"Okay guys, thanks to Snotlout, we've got our first lesson of the day," says Hiccup, trying to keep a straight face as he addresses the group. "Never eat anything without first making sure it's safe. Or else, you might end up like… well, that," he gestures to Snotlout, shooting him an exasperated look.
"You'd think he'd learn something from that trip to Outcast Island," Astrid sighs, rolling her eyes. "But then again," she smirks, "it's Snotlout we're talking about."
"Hh! Whs thh ssps th mnn?"
"As much as I definitely do not miss Snotlout's regular verbal skills, shouldn't we do something about it?" Fishlegs asks nervously.
Groaning, Hiccup reaches for their bag of equipment and rummages through it. "Astrid, could you and the twins head back to that stream we passed yesterday to collect more water? We're running a little low," he says, tossing them a few empty jugs before pulling out a small bowl.
"Sure! We'll be right back. Ruff, Tuff, let's go."
"And just what are you planning to do with that?" Fishlegs eyes the bowl in Hiccup's hand suspiciously as Astrid and the twins disappear into the forest, their dragons following not far behind.
"Oh, you know… Night Fury saliva has incredible healing properties," Hiccup grins, making sure to stay out of Snotlout's earshot as he winks at Fishlegs. The latter sniggers quietly as Hiccup beckons Toothless over. "Hey bud, care to do the honors?"
Sharing his rider's enthusiasm, the Night Fury is more than happy to oblige and spits generously into the bowl in his hands.
"Hhkffg! Whhr ydnng?"
Hiccup and Fishlegs turn around to see Snotlout trying unsuccessfully to appease an agitated Hookfang. With narrowed eyes, the dragon is flexing its claws and growling dangerously at something in the trees. The rustling sound of something moving through the forest sends Toothless and Meatlug into a defensive stance, causing them to growl in warning as well.
"Meatlug, what is it?"
"Toothless, what's wrong?"
Putting the bowl gingerly on the ground, Hiccup moves to Toothless's side and places a hand on his head. His dragon does not respond and moves towards the trees, sniffing cautiously. Hookfang and Meatlug do the same, scouting their surroundings for unexpected company.
Letting out a sharp roar, Meatlug abruptly lunges forward and glares at something in the distance. Hookfang and Toothless immediately turn their attention to the same spot, their growls rising in volume. Behind them, their confused riders squint and peer into the forest, but they see nothing.
A tense moment follows with the three dragons glaring at something hidden within the trees. Their riders hold their breaths and no one dares to move. The silence is broken only by the growls of the dragons and the rustling of leaves around them. That is, until Snotlout aims a swift kick at Hookfang's foot and causes him to whip around in surprise.
Hookfang shakes his head and blinks in confusion, glancing around curiously before growling at his rider and swatting Snotlout with his tail, sending the teen sprawling onto the ground.
"Toothless? Toothless!" Hiccup calls out with worry when his dragon doesn't answer. It is only when he snaps his fingers in front of the Night Fury's face does he react, blinking in surprise and turning to look at Hiccup.
It takes Fishlegs a tackle hug to finally get Meatlug's attention and the Gronckle is in the midst of licking the teen's face when Astrid returns with a pair of bickering twins behind her.
"What happened?" she asks, noticing the tense atmosphere between them as she places the jugs near their food.
"The dragons sensed something in the forest," Hiccup explains, frowning. "We didn't see anything and we don't know what it was, but then they just… it's like they fell into a trance or something."
"What do you mean they fell into a trance?"
"They just kept staring at the same spot, like they were dazed," Fishlegs says. "Took us a while to snap them out of it and get their attention."
"Whatever it was, I don't think it's here anymore," Hiccup sighs, looking around warily. "Maybe it was just something passing by and –"
With a started yelp, Ruffnut stumbles into Astrid when Tuffnut shoves her a little too hard. Caught off balance, Astrid staggers forwards and accidentally kicks the bowl on the ground before Hiccup can reach out to steady her, spilling its contents everywhere.
"Hhy! Whh bhht mmh?" Snotlout splutters for attention, rubbing his butt from where Hookfang had smacked him to the ground.
But his protest falls on deaf ears as everyone else stares in shock at the way the liquid that had been in the bowl starts to eat through the grass on the ground, leaving behind patches of barren earth.
Author's Note: Not sure if it's obvious or not, but can anyone tell what the heck just happened?
