Unaffirmed Patience: Chapter 3- Hole In the Wall

"Astrid! No!" Hiccup yells out to her.

Astrid charges in with Stormfly, flying fast and low over the dragon hunter ship. She orders Stormfly to spray the deck of the ship with spikes but they dont get the chance.

Dagur shoots up a net and catches Stormfly and Astrid in the net, quickly dropping them into the ocean below.

"Hahah! How do you like them apples astrid! Payback for pinning me up against the cliff!" Dagur laughs manically.

"No!" Hiccup yells, "C'mon guys we have to save Astrid!"

"Hiccup there is no way we can save her now! She is surrounded by dragon hunter ships. There are at least a dozen around her, all with net cannons and catapults. Not to mention the dragon proof chains!" Fishlegs yells to Hiccup.

Hiccup growls, defeated. "Fine. You're right Fishlegs. Lets regroup back at the Edge. Everyone, head south, now!"

As they fly away, Hiccup curses at himself under his breath...


Hiccup storms into his outpost home. Toothless follows, somewhat intimidated by his friends anger.

"Gah!" Hiccup calls out in distress, loud enough to cause Toothless to wince at the noise. "Son of a bitch!" He contiunes to curse himself.

He pounds his hand on his table. Toothless growls at him curiously.

"I'm sorry buddy. I... I'm just really upset. I can't believe Astrid i captured. They have her." his head droops low, somberly. "I let Astrid get captured..."

Toothless growls in denial, seeming to say it wasnt his fault.

"But.." he studders, "I guess you're right, but still. Who knows what they could do to her. They could be torturing her or... worse. And I couldn't do anything about it."

Hiccup collapses onto his bed.

Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck. Okay, okay calm down. Do what you do best, make a plan..


"Let me go!" Astrid struggles against the cannon fodder viking.

"Hah, in your dreams woman." the stubborn viking refuses, not as if he has a choice in the matter anyways.

The viking shoves her into a cell and locks the gate in the hull of the ship. Astrid grips the iron bars with an angry vice grip, glowering at the guard vikings.

Ryker walks up to the cage. "Well, hello there angel."

Astrid shutters at the sound of being called 'angel' by Ryker. "What do you want, Ryker." Astrid asks him, shortly.

"You, actually. But I have you now. So that is no longer just a simple want." Ryker grins maniacally. "Guards, to me." Two guards rush over to Ryker and the cage in moments. "Tie her up to the wall, facing the bulkhead."

The guards nod, and open the cage.

Astrid takes a fighting stance, not intending to go down quietly. She knocks down the first guard and strikes at the other but he dodges her attack, using the attack to parry and grab her arm. He wraps a rope around her captured arm and she swings at him with the other. But again, she misses as he dodges it and grabs her second arm.

The guard pins her to the wall and ties her to two large nails studded into the large bulkhead of the ship. Astrid turns her head and see's Ryker approaching her.

"Leave us." Ryker commands the guards, smiling threateningly.


"Okay, so everyone knows the plan?" Hiccup asks with a stern face.

"Yup!" Tuff and Ruff reply simultaneously.

"Yeah!" Fishlegs calls out.

"We got it, already." Snotlout says, annoyed.

"Alright lets go!" Hiccup yells. He nudges Toothless and the group takes to the air.

Hours later, Snotlout spot the dragon hunter fleet. "Hiccup! Three ships on our front left!"

"Okay everyone, game face time! Lets get Astrid back!" Hiccup yells to the group, begining a sharp dive towards the ships. The gang follows suit, diving in formation behind Hiccup towards the ships.

Hiccup scans the sea, looking for Ryker's ship. He quickly find it leading the dozen or so ships in the armada. He dives after it, slowing down to let the others pass ahead of him.

The gang swoops down from the clouds and attacks Rykers ship. Ruff, Tuff, Snot, and Fishlegs all clear the deck of Rykers ship and land on top, taking control of the main deck of the ship.

Hiccup lands suit, just behind his teammates, and heads striaght for the open iron hatch that leads below decks. Toothless shoots a weak plasma blast at the guards, knocking them out. Hiccup dismounts Toothless and runs through the deck, looking for the cage holding Astrid and Stormfly.

He finds her. She is tied up against the wall.

She is still, and appears to be unconscious. Her armor is no where in sight.

But he doesnt have time to think about why or how that is.

"Toothless! Blast the wall next to Astrid!" Hiccup shouts to his dragon. Toothless bounds over to Hiccup and shoots a strong plasma blast at the wall beside Astrid, blowing a large hole in the side. Hiccup dashes across to the other side and orders Toothless to do the same for Stormfly.

Soon there are two large smoking holes in the side of the ship.

"Great job bud! Lets go!" Hiccup re-mounts Toothless. "Stormfly, get out of here!" And with that, they bound up to the main deck. Toothless jumps into the air and flies around the side of the ship, slipping into the large hole he created.

Hiccup jumps from Toothless and quickly unties Astrid from the wall. He lifts her up and carries her over to Toothless. He remounts him again and holds her close as they take off from the hole in the side of the ship.

He joins the gang in the air as they take off for the horizon. He peers over his shoulder to make sure the Stormfly is following them. She flies up next to Toothless and Hiccup, checking concernedly on her unconscious rider. Stormfly crows worriedly.

"I know girl. I'm worried too." Hiccup says to Stormfly.


Astrid shoots up from her unconsenting lack of consciousness, yelling as if in distress. Hiccup, who was sitting at her table near-by, half asleep, darts up from his sleepy state. "Astrid! It's okay. It's me. It's just me."

His voice is comforting and familiar. She looks around, trying to figure out where she is. Instead of the small cell she was tied to, she sees her familar outpost house at the Edge. And his eyes. His emerald green eyes. The small panic inside her fades quietly away.

Despite what has happened, what she has been through, she is calm. She is calm again. His eyes pierce her caringly. Trying to comfort her. Trying to assure her she is safe.

He is careful not to touch her. He doesn't know what she has been through, and he has no intention of setting anything off. But he does reach for her, he can't help it.

She closes around herself slightly, despite knowing she is safe, that she is comfortable, that she is cared for.

Maybe touch is what she needs... Hiccup continues reaching out for her. Slowly, carefully he runs his hand up her arm. Gently feeling the light hair on her arm stand up as he touches her.

She continues to gaze into his emerald green eyes. They're caring. They're careful. They're hopeful. They're also ungodly loving.

What's wrong? He continues to think to himself, without saying a word. Should I say something? Is now the time?

"A-Astrid..." he begins.

She continues glaring deeply into him.

An unknown confidence brews up from inside him and it just spews forth.

"I love you, Astrid."