Chapter 3: Catching Up

Hiccup squinted to keep his eyes on the Terror flying ahead of him. Though he knew Toothless could keep up with hi, he didn't want to take his eyes of him for a minute. It was the only thing that could take him back to Annly.

The Terro, blissfully unaware that he was being followed, hummed to himself as he sped along, glad that the scroll he was carrying back was much lighter than the one Dagur had given him. As he drew near the island, he let out a sigh at the thought of finally being able to go back to sleep.

"There!" Hiccup gasped as he pointed to the looming shape of land appearing before them. Toothless purred with glee and sped up.

The Terror began to descend towards a lagoon and ducked behind a waterfall. He flew into the cave and landed on his perch.

"Temperthorn?" Dagur asked from where he was seated at the mouth of the cave. "Back already? What's this?"

He walked to the Terror and pulled the note out of its claw to read. "Heck no, I'm not waiting until morning…"

"Dagur!" A voice called from the lagoon.

"Really, Hiccup?" Dagur sighed. "So impatient. You stay there, little princess, Uncle Dagur will be back. Shattermaster, keep an eye on her."

Dagur stepped outside the cave and walked to the ledge where he saw Hiccup and Toothless landing on a ledge just beneath him.

"Hiccup, brother! It's been too long! Have you grown a beard? Looks good, looks good."

"Where's Annly?" Hiccup asked as he jumped off Toothless and began running up the slope of his ledge to reach the one Dagur was on.

"Annly? Is that her name? I like it! Feminine, but not too squishy."

"Where is she!?" Hiccup all but scream as he reached Dagur.

"Whoa, relax, she's fine. She's inside with Shattermaster," Dagur jabbed behind him with his thumb.

Hiccup pushed past him and raced inside the cave.

"Whoa!" Dagur exclaimed at the impact. "Someone's in a hurry."

Hiccup ran inside and found Annly grasping onto a green gronkle's nose to help herself stand. The gronkle watched her with keen eyes, ever so slowly backing up so she could practice walking. At the familiar sound of her father's step-click-step-click, she turned her head, released Shattermaster's nose, and began to shakily toddle her way towards Hiccup, whimpering a little.

"Da-Da-Da-Da-Da-Da."

Hiccup raced to her and snatched her into his arms and held her close.

"Annly!" he sighed in relief as he peppered her face with kisses, tears of relief rolling down his cheeks. Annly just clung to him as well as she could with her tiny hands, whimpering all the while, as if trying to tell him how scared she'd been.

"It's okay, sweetie, it's okay," he assured her as he leaned his forehead against hers. She grabbed onto his face and babbled.

"Daddy's got you, you're going to be okay."

"Da-Da-Da-Da-Da."

Toothless plodded up to the pair and gently nudged Annly with his nose, purring gleefully.

"Too-la!" Annly cried as she tapped his nose. He nuzzled her back and she grinned.

Hiccup smiled, rubbed his nose against hers, then kissed forehead.

"Aw, isn't that just precious guys?" Dagur asked as he leaned against the cave wall next to his two dragons.

Hiccup held Annly against his chest and rested his chin on top of her tiny head as he began to walk towards Dagur, Toothless following, sticking his tongue out to make the little girl laugh.

"Dagur, I…I don't now how I can ever thank you…"

"Oh, psh," Dagur waved his hands. "Don't worry about it, what are uncles for? Hm?"

"Really, though," Hiccup set one hand on Dagur's shoulder, the other still holding his daughter close. "Thank you so much."

Dagur smiled. "You're welcome."

Annly gigled against Hiccup's chest as Toothless stood up on his two back legs and spun around comedically. Hiccup smiled at his friend, then looked down at his grinning daughter. It was then he noticed the series of gashes on her arm. He gasped as he gently took her hand to examine them.

"Oh, that," Dagur said. "I already clean them off, but I don't have any bandages, so-"

"She'd tear them off even if you did," Hiccup answered as he continued to look at them. "I didn't know they were going to be this bad."

He gently ran a finger over them, and Annly winced in pain and began crying.

"Oh, no, sh, sh, sh," Hiccup began rocking her again. "I'm sorry, sweetie. Daddy didn't mean to hurt you."

As Hiccup rocked her, Toothless covere his eyes with his tail then peeked out from behind it with a Toothy grin, causing Annly to laugh once more. Hiccup smiled in thanks at Toothless, and looked down at the gashes again. "Those are gonna scar," he sighed sadly.

"Hear that, little princess?" Dagur said excitedly as he bent to Annly's level. "Your first battle scars!"

Hiccup glared at him and he took a step back.

"Oh, you're that kind of dad. Got it."

Annly began yawning against Hiccup's chest. He repositioned her to where she was lying on her back in his arms and began to bounce her and walk in a small circle. Toothless, knowing what that meant, took his place against one of the back cave walls.

"Good luck," Dagur sighed. "I can't get her to stay asleep for more than five minutes."

"You tried laying her down as soon as she falls asleep?"

"Yeah…" Dagur's voice raised to a squeak. "Is that wrong?"

Hiccup shook his head. "No, not really. Annly's just a light sleeper. Takes her about thirty minutes before she falls deep enough asleep that little things won't wake her."

"Oh…" Dagur nodded. "I'll keep that in mind."

Hiccup didn't respond, but instead began quietly whistling the tune to "Dancing and Dreaming."

"Ah, whistling! Why didn't I think of that!" Dagur cried.

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "'Cuz you're not her dad. Now can you keep it down to a whisper so I can get her to sleep. She'll cry the whole way home if she doesn't get a good night's rest."

"Right, sorry," Dagur whispered. Hiccup sighed before picking the tune back up. He whistled and hummed the entire song, and then moved onto "Into Fantasy," "Sticks and Stone," and "The Storm King." He went through the entire list twice before he was satisfied that she was deep enough asleep that she wouldn't wake up. Still, rather than lie her down, he settle against the cave wall and kept her lying on his chest. He didn't want to part with her. Not tonight. Not after nearly loosing her.

"Who would have thought?" Dagur whispered sweetly as he watched the pair. "My little brother a Daddy? Is she the only one you have?"

"No," Hiccup answered. "She's actually a twin. My son's back on Berk with Astrid."

"So Astrid is the mother!"

"Sh!" Hiccup checked to make sure Annly hadn't woken. She grunted in her sleep, but that was about it. "Yes, Astrid's the mother. We've been married for about two and a half years now."

"Good for you, brother. How's Heather?"

"Great," Hiccup answered. "She and Fishlegs got married a little over a year ago and are expecting their first baby any day now."

"Oh," Dagur grinned excitedly. "I'm getting another niece or nephew? Happy day!"

"Dagur, sh!"

"Oh, sorry. Hey, what's your son's name?"

"Torinth."

"Nice, very nice. I'm loving these names."

"Well, thank you."

"How old are they. You said they're twins right?"

"Yeah. They'll be a year in a two weeks."

"Oh, my! Time flies, doesn't it!"

"Sh!"

"Sorry."

"Yeah," Hiccup sighed as he rubbed the back of Annly's head. "Time really does fly."

"So, you and Astrid going to have any more?"

"Uh…well…we..." Hiccup rubbed the back of his neck. "We haven't really talked about it yet. Still too busy trying to get the two we have walking and out of diapers to really think about it."

"I see," Dagur nodded. "Finish one thing before you make another. Well, in your case two things. Hey, maybe you'll have another set of twins."

Hiccup shuddered. "Ah…let's hope not. I love my twins, but one set is enough! Anyways, enough about me, what have you been up to?"

"I already told you," Dagur said. "Keeping an eye on Viggo and Riker, trying to keep them from causing more trouble."

Hiccup was silent for a long while. "We thought you died back there, you know?"

"Yeah, I know," Dagur said. "I figured that out after you guys didn't try and come for me after a week or so."

Hiccup shuddered at the thought. "I'm sorry, Dagur."

"Don't be. It worked out for the best. If you guys had still been fighting the dragon hunters this whole time, you and Astrid wouldn't have had time to make the little princess there and her brother."

"No, probably still would have found time," Hiccup muttered under his breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing!"

"Sh! Hiccup your baby is sleeping."

"I know that," Hiccup whispered, patting Annly on her back. "Heather was real torn up after you…you know…"

"She was?" Dagur looked surprised.

"Well, yeah."

"Huh. I thought she didn't like me."

"Dagur, you're the only family she's got left."

"Not so," Dagur shook his head. "She's got old Fishy and the new baby. Three nieces and nephews in one day! Oh, I'm a lucky man!"

"Sh!"

Annly grunted and whined in her sleep. Hiccup began rocking her again.

"Sh, sh, sh. You're okay, go back to sleep."

Annly still fussed and began tapping at her gashes in pain. Hiccup gently lifted her arm to his lips and blew gently on them to stop whatever pain or itching was there. Annly relaxed and went back to sleep. He kissed the injuries and stroked her head again.

"Here," Dagur handed him the bottle of medicine. "She could probably use another coat."

Hiccup dipped the tips of his fngers into the bottle and rubbed the ointment on the gashes. Annly slept soundly through the whole thing, snuggled against her father's chest.

"There you go," Hiccup whispered before kissing the top of her head.

"So, what's the plan?" Dagur asked. "I'm assuming now that you know that the hunters are back you'll-"

"Actually, we've known for a while."

"Really?"

"Yeah, they-" Hiccup frowned. "Attacked Astrid and nearly made her miscarry a while back. We've been trying to take them down ever since."

"Oh."

"But, now that you're here and have been fighting them for a while-"

"Of course."

"Really?"

"You think I'm going to turn my back on my family?" Daguerre asked. "Of course I'll help."

"Thank you."

"Now, you sleep, I'll get Temperthorn to deliver a note to Berk to fill them in."

The Terror hissed in protest.

"Yes you will! And you'll like it!"

"Shh!"

"Sorry!"