Well, I'm back with another chapter! :D Yay! I hope you guys enjoy this one as much as you enjoyed the last (if you enjoyed the last, LOL! :D). Shout-outs:
Dimensional Girl: Yeah, Tuff's pretty funny. :D
wingedflower: Aw, thanks! :D Yeah, I love writing about Tuffnut. I've never done Tuffnut and Hccup one-on-one before, so I'm looking forward to more of it. :D
HappyPup1: You got that right. Yikes. :)
SilverGhostWolf: Haha, sorry. XD LOL. I've had too much experience with cliffhangers, really. XD
Martyn: Thanks! :D
Galaxy-Mitsuko-Pegasus: At least they're alive! :D That's the important thing! Broken legs will heal. Death will not. :)
ShadowSpirit020: Toothless is still at the Edge. We'll see him in a minute. ;) Thanks for the review! Yeah, poor Hiccup...:(
Crystallion12: Yeah, Hiccup's always getting hurt. :( He really needs to stop that...XD And Tuffnut, too! He's hilarious! And ridiculous. :D Aw, thank you! :D You too! :D
Animals Rule: Yep! Hopefully Ruffnut and Astrid will find them! :D
pinkpop002: Yes, Tuffnut is awesome. :D
Charr2003: Hiccstrid should be reunited soon. I promise they won't be too far away for too long. :D Glad you liked the chapter! :D
DG-Agent37-Lover: Haha, thanks! I love writing Tuffnut. ;) Good to know I'm not making anyone OOC. Sometimes it's hard to do, and I don't want to do it ever. :D And I TOTALLY know what you mean! Ruffnut and Tuffnut are AMAZING. They're definitely smarter than people give them credit for, and I really like it when they do something amazing, because they really are brilliant characters. :D I can definitely promise you some more Hiccstrid and sibling fluff to come! :D Thanks for the review! :D
Carly Marley: Yeah, seriously, Tuffnut. XD Copywrite your brilliant ideas next time! XD LOL! :D
The Ink Splotches: Yeah, Tuff is pretty funny. :) I'm sorry about your dog. That is very ironic.
"Hicccccccuuupppp!" Astrid shouted, cupping her hands around her mouth, desperately trying to get her voice over the wind, which was blowing hard enough to rival a waterspout at this point. The snow around them was blown in gigantic gusts, as though trying to permanently wipe Ruffnut and Astrid off the face of the world.
"Tuuuufffnnnuuuut!" Ruffnut screamed, hands over her mouth. "TUFFNUT! Where are you, bro!?"
"Hiccup!" Astrid yelled. "HICCUP!" But only her echo came back, taunting her, as if daring her to shout louder.
Night had fallen once again over the island, and the entire Edge was bathed in black. The moon wasn't full, so they had little help from it on light, and the dragons were tired from having flown against so many high wings. Stormfly and Barf and Belch looked ready to collapse.
"Astrid, we have to go back!" Ruffnut shouted, trying to get her voice to carry over the wind. "We can't find anything out here with this weather!"
"No!" Astrid shouted back. "We have to find them! They're here somewhere! Hiccup! Tuffnut! HICCUP!"
"Astrid, it's dangerous!" protested Ruffnut, and she sounded every bit as regretful and disappointed as Astrid was. "And of course, normally I'm all for danger and everything, but we're no help to Tuffnut, or to Hiccup, if we're dead!"
Astrid tried to peer through the snow, but to no avail. She couldn't see anything. The wind was becoming higher, and the snow was falling faster and thicker with every moment.
As much as Astrid hated to admit it, Ruffnut was right. They had to get back to the Edge before they, too, became lost in the storm.
Astrid let out a scream of furious frustration, and then, she directed Stormfly back into the air. Barf and Belch followed quickly with an equally frustrated Ruffnut mounted on their back.
…
Hiccup and Tuffnut made their way down the tunnel. The air was cold, and Hiccup had a hard time coping with it, as did Tuffnut. His leg was pulsing with pain; he knew he would have to stop and take a break in a few minutes to rest it, but until then, he and Tuffnut would push on. They had to find a way out of this ice tunnel. They had limited provisions and no shelter. They wouldn't survive much more than a night in here.
"Hey, Hiccup, I have a question," said Tuffnut, rubbing his arms, shivering from the cold.
Hiccup sighed. "Sure, Tuffnut, what is it?" he said.
"What happens if we get frostbite?" said Tuffnut.
"Then...um…" Hiccup paused for a moment. "We die," he said.
"Oh," said Tuffnut quietly. "So, that's not what we want, right?"
"Not hardly," said Hiccup, shaking his head. "Come on, I think there's a clearing up ahead…" He and Tuffnut walked across the blue ice, and sure enough, they came to a clearing.
Unfortunately, the clearing wasn't much help to them. More branching tunnels turned in each direction, three pointing North, another three pointing South, and so on. Hiccup studied each tunnel and swallowed hard.
"Sooo," said Tuffnut, coming up beside him, fingertips together, "it all comes down to this, does it, young Hiccup?"
"Please, Tuffnut, for the last time, stop calling me that," said Hiccup, trying not to get irritated, which was hard to do with a broken, painful leg and someone who didn't know when to shut up.
"Okay," said Tuffnut. He paused. "So, Hiccup, can I have another question?"
Hiccup sighed again. "Yes, Tuffnut…"
"What happens," said Tuffnut dramatically, "if we go down the wrong tunnel? Do we die then, too?"
"I don't know, Tuff…" Hiccup looked at each tunnel. There were so many to choose from. "I think we should keep to the East," he said. "The thinner the ice is, the easier it'll be to break through."
"Right," said Tuffnut. "Break through the ice...and I have the perfect mace for the job!" He drew Macey and thrust her forward. "Perfect! Total destruction is what I live for!"
"Y-Yeah, that's great, Tuffnut," said Hiccup. "Just great…" He put his hand against the side of the wall, his other hand clasped around his walking stick. After a moment, he sank to the ground and shut his eyes, wincing as the movement jostled his leg.
"Hey, Hiccup?" said Tuffnut's voice, and Tuffnut's fingers snapped in his face, forcing Hiccup to open his eyes again. "Are you fainting on me?"
"No," said Hiccup flatly. "Just...let's rest for a few hours, alright? We'll keep going in a little bit…" He pulled open the satchel, and instantly, he wanted to groan. Out of all the satchels that could have possibly fallen in the crevice with them, it had to belong to -
"Tuffnut," Hiccup said, "what did you pack in your satchel?"
"Oh, you know," said Tuffnut, shrugging, "the important stuff. A few bottles of Zippleback gas, a jar or two of Monstrous Nightmare gel, a few knives…"
"Tuff," Hiccup said, releasing the satchel to put his head in his hands, "you do realize that we were packing actual supplies in the emergency satchels, just in case there was...well...an emergency?"
"I know!" said Tuffnut, grinning. "We can use the Zippleback gas and Monstrous Nightmare gel to light a fire!"
"And what do we light the fire with, Tuffnut?" Hiccup asked.
Tuffnut opened his mouth and raised a finger, only to shut his mouth and drop that same finger again. "Eh...oh," said Tuffnut, finally realizing. "I guess I should've packed flint, too…come on! And I almost had it!"
Hiccup sighed heavily. "Look, Tuffnut," he said, "I know you were only trying to take what you thought was good for emergency situations, but...please, Tuffnut, next time, you have to listen to us, alright?"
"Alright," said Tuffnut, nodding eagerly, but Hiccup wasn't reassured. "I did bring one blanket, actually, Hiccup," said Tuffnut.
"Yes," said Hiccup, checking over the supplies again, "but you do realize there's one blanket and two of us, right?"
Tuffnut, once again, held up his finger, paused, and dropped it again. "Body heat?" he offered.
"No way," said Hiccup. "Tuffnut, this is why I told everyone to bring two, just in case we needed a spare." Tuffnut looked down guiltily, and after that, Hiccup didn't have the heart to be mad at him. Instead, he sighed, pulled the blanket from the satchel, and tossed it over.
"Here," he said, "you take the blanket, and I'll take the watch." Tuffnut picked up the blanket in quiet confusion, and Hiccup grabbed his walking stick, hauled himself to his feet and, after wincing momentarily, trekked down the nearest tunnel to check that the coast was clear.
Tuffnut watched him go. "Wait, Hiccup-"
"I'm fine, Tuffnut," Hiccup said. "Just...don't move."
Tuffnut looked down, and by the time he looked up again, Hiccup had vanished from sight.
…
Ruffnut and Astrid paced back and forth at the Clubhouse on the Edge, their dragons waiting in the corner. Toothless bounded impatiently about, growling at the door and at the wind still howling outside.
"I'm sorry, Toothless," said Astrid, moving towards the dragon and scratching his head. Instead of calming down, like Toothless did when Hiccup scratched his head, Toothless tensed up and growled again at the door longingly.
"We can't go out, Toothless," Astrid said. "Not until the storm lets up."
Toothless whined, and his posture drooped. He looked more like a kicked puppy than the most dangerous dragon in the archipelago.
"I know," said Astrid quietly. "I'm worried about Hiccup, too."
"And I'm worried about Tuffnut," said Ruffnut, moving to sit on the edge of their round table. "This is so weird...I don't think this has ever happened to me before...what is this feeling…?" She looked down at her hands and hugged herself. "Is this...panic? I can't remember the last time I actually felt...panicked. I thought I was used to all the dangerous scenarios. The getting burned by a dragon, turned into a kabob by spears, loaded with arrows...but never this…"
"They'll be fine," said Astrid. "They'll be fine, Ruffnut, you don't have to worry…"
"Then why are you worrying?" said Ruffnut harshly. "I can tell you're worried, too, Astrid! You just said you were to Toothless! We have no idea where Hiccup and Tuffnut are, this blizzard has been blowing for hours, and we don't even know if they got to safe cover!"
"No, we don't!" said Astrid, irritated because she was worried and didn't want to say it openly. "But we can't assume the worst! It's not helping anything!"
"Tuffnut's my brother, Astrid," said Ruffnut quietly, any trace of previous anger gone. "We have to find him. And...well...Hiccup's sort of like my brother, too, you know. I know we're not related at all and that the Thorston family has never been in union with the Haddocks, but after all we've been through...all of us, including Fishlegs and Snotlout, and even you…"
Ruffnut sighed heavily.
"If something happens to Tuffnut, or Hiccup," said Ruffnut, "I don't think I'd be able to cope, alright?"
"I know," said Astrid, rubbing her forearm nervously. She tried to imagine a life without Hiccup; she tried to imagine a life without the second Thorston twin, but both things were equally impossible to think of.
"As soon as the storm lights up," said Astrid, "we're going to go out, and we're going to find them, no matter what it takes. I promise, Ruffnut, alright?"
Ruffnut swallowed thickly. "Alright…" she said. "Thanks, Astrid."
Astrid nodded. "Sure thing," she said, but the only reason she wasn't panicking like Ruffnut was because she was trying to be the strong one for Ruffnut's sake. If Ruffnut got the idea that Astrid wasn't confident in her belief that Hiccup and Tuffnut were safe…
Well…
Astrid didn't exactly want to think about that, either.
…
"And this," said Snotlout, walking beside Colburn with Fishlegs on Colburn's other side, "is our Dragon Training Academy."
Colburn studied the training arena thoroughly. Gustav and the other members of the A-Team were flying overhead, practicing drills. Colburn narrowed his eyes up at them, frowning.
"Hmm…" he said skeptically. "This was your old Kill Ring, wasn't it?"
"Em, yes," said Fishlegs nervously, "but Stoick gave it to us as a Training Academy after we made peace with the dragons. It's been a Training Academy ever since."
"Right…" said Colburn, and he sounded furious, as if he had been betrayed. "You know," said Colburn, "my father has some great stories about the days when Berk and the dragons weren't at peace. During our treaty signings, the two Chiefs of either tribe would go up against the dragon of their choice. The one who killed it the fastest was named strongest and most capable Chief."
"Yeah, well, we don't do that anymore, Colburn," said Snotlout, crossing his arms over his chest. "I love a good fight, but a good fight, not fights when capable Vikings go up against helpless dragons."
Colburn turned to glare at him. "And who was it," he said, spitting each word out as though they tasted sour, "that made peace between the dragons?"
"Um...that was Chief Stoick's son, Hiccup," said Fishlegs.
Colburn rolled his dark eyes to the sky, just as Gustav shouted out, "HEY! ILLEGAL SPINE SHOT! IN THE NAME OF ASTRID HOFFERSON, DROP AND GIVE ME TWENTY!"
"Hiccup," said Colburn coldly. "What kind of Chief would name their son Hiccup? Is Hiccup the second oldest? Does he have an older brother? You know, ancient tradition has it for the younger brother to be named Hiccup."
"Ancient tradition for the Murderous Tribe," muttered Snotlout under his breath.
"No," said Fishlegs, shaking his head. "Hiccup is Stoick's only and eldest son."
Colburn sighed heavily. "Shame," he said. "To have a hiccup for an heir...I pity you Berkians." He tutted and shook his head, making for the exit gate of the Training Academy.
Snotlout narrowed his eyes, balled one fist, and slammed it into his open palm as soon as Colburn turned his back. "Oooh," said Snotlout, "he is going to get it-"
Fishlegs looked at Snotlout, a bit shocked. "Snotlout," he said, "are you actually defending Hiccup?"
"Hey, I might be!" said Snotlout. "He's my cousin, isn't he? Family is family!"
"HEY, SLOWPOKES!" shouted Colburn. "Are you going to show me around the rest of the way, or not!?"
Snotlout growled under his breath and stomped after Colburn, Fishlegs shuffling along in his wake.