A/N: Annnd this is the last of the prewritten episodes. Updates will be a little slower. Plus (Not really a plus) I am sick! Yay! I absolutely love having a throat that can challenge the Sahara for dryness. :D
Disclaimer: I own nothing but Haedryin!
Episode 21: Edge Of Disaster Part l
Asher and Stormfly glide through the air, Asher laying on his back a happy expression on his face, not a smile, but close. He sighs, "Oh, I could stay up here all day." He says and sits up, "But we have work to do." He says and Stormfly squawks in agreement. "Don't we girl?"
The two glide over Dragon's Edge before coming up to the south watchtower where the twins are on watch duty. "Hey guys! You are officially relieved from guard duty!" Asher shouts and receives no answer. He sighs in annoyance, "Ugh, Stormfly get me in close would ya?"
The Deadly Nadder lands on the platform and Asher leaps off her back walking towards them, "Why do we have to go through this every single ti-are you kidding me!?" Asher demands as he sees that instead of the two Thorsten's two dummies take their place. Asher moves forward and rips the two helmets off the dummies heads. He growls in frustration before moving back towards his Deadly Nadder.
000o000
"They didn't stand there watching, those two dummies left two dummies in their place." Asher explains in frustration and shakes the helmets back and forth aggressively. I lean against my palace wall and fold my arms over my chest smirking slightly.
"Well you know those dummies could, conceivably be just as effective as the twins." I point out and he scowls at me.
"Not funny. We built that watch tower so that-" Asher starts.
"I know why we built it, Asher." I assure.
"I just don't understand how this isn't driving you completely insane!" Asher shouts and I shrug. Well for one, it's the twins, they were bound to pull this anytime soon, for two, it's really not as terrible as he's making it sound, and for three the twins in the least are honest. When they don't want to do it, they say so and don't do it
"Well then there would be two crazy people in this conversations and we probably wouldn't resolve anything." I say finally.
"Are you saying that I'm-" Asher starts.
"Asher, let me talk to the twins." I interrupt. "I'll get their side of the story then we can figure out what we need to do."
"Ugh, I guess it's a start." Asher says before the twins land behind us. Asher turns, "Well if it isn't our crack security team." He says dryly and tosses them their helmets. They catch them easily and Tuffnut smirks.
"Please, please there's no need to shower with accolades." Tuffnut says and puts his helmet on.
"Tuff, you left two dummies to guard this entire base." Asher says and I turn as a Terrible Terror flies and lands on my forearm.
"Terror mail." I murmur and take the note from his claw.
"Dummies, you say?" Tuffnut asks and I unroll the paper looking down at the scribbly handwriting looking slightly like someone was writing well battling someone else with the other hand.
"Poor confused thing." Ruffnut says.
Queen Haedryin,
I have a large issue with DRAGon Hunters, assistance woUld be great, wanted, and needed, please sEnd someone or come yourself as soon as you can. My ship is taking water quickly and I have high doubts that it will last much longer. Hurry.
Trader Julia
"Are you following any of this?" Asher demands and looks back at me. I look up from the note. Um, no, not in the slightest.
"Not super mostly, I'm actually reading this, it's from Julia, she's in trouble." I explain and look up at them.
….
A little less than half an hour later, Snotlout and I strap Gronckle Iron armor over Toothless and Hookfang as Fishlegs prepares Meatlug. I tighten a strap and turn when I hear footsteps behind me, "You can not be leaving me with these two muttonheads!" Asher hisses.
"He knows were standing right here right?" Tuffnut asks.
"Look, Julia is surrounded by Dragon Hunters and her ship is taking in water we have to get out there and help her." I say.
"Then let me saddle up Stormfly I'll-" He starts to say.
"I need you to stay here and hold down the Edge," I say and lift up the frosted Dragon Eye handing it to him, "and make sure nothing happens to the Dragon Eye."
Asher looks down at the cylinder before he sighs, "I can't believe this is happening, this actually may be the worst day in history." Asher groans. Oh for Thor's sake, the twins are not that bad, if anything they're like an odd pair of older siblings I never had, well at least to me.
"Asher, Hookfang and Toothless have the only working Gronckle Iron armor and Meatlug is immune to the Dragon Hunter's arrows." I say and gesture in her general direction.
"You hear that girl, what a special dragon! Meatlug is so special!" Fishlegs says and rubs the Gronckle's head. I look up at Asher.
"It just makes sense for us to be the ones to go." I say and he tosses his hair from his eyes.
"Your highness, please! For all that is sacred in Thor's world, you cannot leave me alone with these two-" Asher starts and the twins pipe up.
"What do you say? Simpletons, blockheads?" Tuffnut asks.
"I was always partial to dimwit myself." Ruffnut says with a smirk. "It rolls trippingly off the tongue." She adds.
"Oh yeah!" Tuffnut agrees, "Watch this, what with dim with the twins dimwit if dimwits could wit dim?" He asks and he and his sister both laugh, "Say that five times fast." Tuffnut commands. Asher turns back to me.
"You see what I'm talking about right?" He asks.
"Hey, it's not like we woke up this morning hoping to spend twenty four seven with you either, Asher. I mean, you are not exactly a picnic and I think you know what I'm saying, you have never been a blanket on a grassy hill with delicious food." Tuffnut says and I sigh walking my forehead slightly, "But," Tuffnut says and I look up, "we are team players. We will do what is necessary for the good of the group. Hence, we shall remain behind and enjoy your good company my fine fellow, Asher. Even if you have no grassy knolls or blankets to offer." Tuffnut says and Asher sighs.
I rest a hand on his shoulder and he twitches, "We'll be back by tomorrow at the latest, just do the best you can okay? And try to get along, please." I say and move back towards Toothless rubbing the top of his head before climbing onto his back.
"No need to worry about us, your majesty." Tuffnut assures.
"Oh, Asher. I know these next twenty four hours will be difficult to you." Snotlout says walking up to the Hofferson, "Unable to look into these deep, romantic yet hauntingly beautiful eyes, shimmering like gold dust in the wind-" Snotlout starts but Asher grabs her back and shoves her against Hookfang's neck with a disgusted face. "Okay! So we'll see you when we get back, have fun!" Snotlout calls and Asher sighs before moving back towards the twins. "Don't talk to any strange Dragon Hunters!" Snotlout yells. Toothless leaps into the air followed by Hookfang, Meatlug, and Toothless narrows his eyes before he starts to glide in the direction of Julia's sinking boat.
"Bye! We'll miss you write home often!" Tuffnut shouts up at us as he and his sister wave cheerily.
000o000
Tuffnut looks at Asher and Ruffnut, "Alright, I think the first team building exercise we should perform is that of going back to sleep-I mean as a team, of course." Tuffnut says and Asher sighs in annoyance.
"Couldn't agree more, what say you, Asher?" Ruffnut asks.
"I have to go hide this, "Asher says and lifts up the Dragon Eye. "and when I get back, expect both of you to be sweating profusely from hard work."
Ruffnut and Tuffnut shoot murderous scowls in his direction.
…
"What say you, Asher? Really? Haven't I always told you it's better to beg for permission than to ask for forgiveness?" Tuffnut says later as he and his sister drag a log towards the edge of a cliff, Barf and Belch carrying two.
"Personally, I think it's the other way around." Ruffnut says.
"Oh so now you're the literary authority of the subject of permissions and forgivenesses and-" Tuffnut starts.
"Quit talking, you lose focus when your mouth is moving." Asher snaps and returns to looking down at his paper.
Tuffnut frowns, "Bleh, bla, eghl, I'm Asher." Tuffnut mocks.
"Real mature guys." Asher says sarcastically. The twins reach a large pile of lumber and Tuffnut's eyes widen.
"We've done all of these already. We are kicking some serious-" He starts.
"No, no, no. That's your first one, all the others I did by myself. Go team." Asher drones. The twins share looks of irritation before they throw the log onto the pile. The rest of the wood tips and rolls down the cliffs edge Ruffnut and Tuffnut watch it for several seconds and Barf and Belch throw their logs over the side as well then headbutt. Asher looks back at them looking seconds from taking his axe and chasing them from Dragon's Edge to Berk with it. "You know what, I'll get the rest of the lumber myself, you two start lashing together some pulls for the first level of stairs, do you think you can handle that?" Asher snaps before walking off.
"He didn't let us answer." Tuffnut says and folds his arms across his chest.
"That's what they call a rhetorical question." Ruffnut says and Tuffnut rolls his eyes.
"Please, like that's even a thing, and you don't know what it means." He says and Ruffnut glares at him for a second.
"A rhetorical question is one asked solely to produce effect or to make an assertion, not to elicit a reply. Bam!" Ruffnut says and Tuffnut's stares at her before he shrugs and moves forward.
Asher drags a log across a stretch the twins are supposed to be putting stairs in, he shoots them a half glance as he sees them both hopelessly tangled in the ropes and laughing madly. He sighs and throws the log onto the ground storming off. Tuffnut looks at Ruffnut, "Not to teamly if you ask me." He says dryly.
"Not in the slightest." Ruffnut agrees.
….
Asher throws two smaller logs onto the ground and looks up his eyes narrowing, "Really?" He asks as he sees the spot the twins should be are absent of the siblings, "Where could you two have gone?" He asks and whirls around as shouts of joy ring through the air.
"Yeah!" Tuffnut calls as he and his sister swing down a rope laughing. Asher's eyes widen as he see's them and if he'd been holding anything, it would have slipped from his fingers. "AH!" Tuffnut shouts before he smacks into the end of the wood falling back against the lumber Asher's collected. Ruffnut turns to the side to prevent being smashed by her brother and groans.
"That hurt." She mutters.
The twins roll off the logs and Asher scowls at both of them as the logs he once again gathered roll of the side of the cliff. Tuffnut leaps to his feet, "Asher, you have got to try this! The landings a little rough, but-" Tuffnut starts.
"Asher, I know this isn't what you were planning, but we really onto something here." Ruffnut interrupts, Tuffnut nodding behind her, "The stairs have their own use for sure but this can truly come in handy." Ruffnut says.
Asher rips his axe off and slams it onto the ground and looks up at both of them, "It can, can it?" He asks.
"Yes! In the right situation-"
"And what situations would those be, Ruffnut?" Asher demands.
"Well I mean, we could, if we were in a-" She starts.
"You have no clue do you?" Asher asks and Ruffnut scowls at him, "Didn't think so."
"Is that a rhetocical question?" Tuffnut asks.
"And do you know why? Because the two of you don't think, you don't plan, you just come up with these crazy ideas and you forge ahead with no regard for logic or what you're supposed to be doing, what am I going to do with you guys? Seriously, tell me." Asher demands.
Ruffnut moves forward clearly as done with Asher's attitude as he is of them. "Well you could start by being kind-oh wait! You can't do that because kindness is nowhere in that tiny empty brain of yours!" Ruffnut snaps.
"What?" Asher demands.
"Easy, sis." Tuffnut says and rests a hand on her shoulder. She throws his hand off.
"Back up, bro. I got this." Ruffnut says and moves forward.
"Do you know what your problem is, Ruffnut?" Asher asks.
Ruffnut snorts,"You bet I do. I've got a list of problems so long I can't even keep track. The question is, do you know what your problem is, Asher?" Ruffnut demands and points at him. Asher folds his arms across his chest daring her to say it.
"My problem, are you serious?" He demands.
"Allow me to lay it out for you my flaxen haired friend," Ruffnut says and straightens so she's to her full height which really isn't much taller than she was before, "you have no respect for the people around you who are just trying to help and be a part of the team. You have no respect for Fishlegs, certainly none for Snotlout, only any for Haedryin's powers and you couldn't have less respect for the two of us!" Ruffnut snaps and Asher's fists clench tightly as he shakes his head back and forth, "Now, you can shame the others, you can mock this entire island of dragons if you wish but I am not going to sit here and watch you insult the ENTIRE NUT FAMILY TREE!" Ruffnut shouts and with that said she tosses her hair and storms of, shoulders tense, hands clenched tightly.
Asher takes a step back in shock and Tuffnut moves forward, "She's wrong, you know, I do, I, I..respect you guys." Asher says the word having a hard time leaving his tongue. Tuffnut snorts.
"Please, you can't even say it." Tuffnut says and moves forward past the Hofferson, "So sad, Asher, so, so sad."
Asher sighs as Tuffnut starts to leave and grabs his axe from the ground clenching his jaw slightly, "Iyn, where are you when I need you?" He whispers softly.
000o000
"Okay from what the Terror mail said Julia sent it from this general area." I say and point down at a spot on the map then looking up scanning for the Trader.
"And it said her ship was incapacitated." Fishlegs adds.
"Correct so she should be somewhere right below us." I conclude and roll up the map stuffing it into Toothless's saddlebag. Toothless dives forward his wings beating against the wind easily.
"Hey, good thing Meatlug is immune to those arrows right? To bad you aren't." Snotlout calls from behind me and Toothless and laughs. Yeah, that's hilarious.
"It's okay girl, we'll be fine, right?" Fishlegs asks.
"Um, not so sure about that." I say and look forward at Julia's boat the vessel is being attacked by wild dragons. Those are not Hunters.
"Hey I thought she said it was Dragon Hunters." Snotlout calls behind me.
"Not actual dragons." Fishlegs adds.
"She did. But you know Julia." I say and Snotlout nods.
"Dragons, Dragon Hunters. What's the difference?" Snotlout asks. I sigh and release a breath before Toothless dives down towards the boat and the attacking dragons.
"I wonder what Julia did to get them so riled up." Fishlegs says and I shrug snorting softly. Maybe she wouldn't stop telling them her stories, after a long period of time, I would attack her like this.
"Probably told them one of her dumb stories." Snotlout answers literally voicing my thoughts.
"Not funny, Snotlout." I call back at her.
"I wasn't even trying to be funny." She retorts.
"Okay let's just get Julia out of there and be careful we don't want to hurt any of these dragons." I say and look at the boat planning how best to take this.
"What about them hurting us!? That never seems to enter your mind." Snotlout says and Toothless dives by the boats causing several of the dragons to pull away causing after us.
"Queen Haedryin, they're everywhere!" Julia shouts up at me.
I lift up a hand snowflakes trailing after my fingers the dragons dive towards us and start to attack Toothless, bad idea, bad idea, bad idea! "Okay, nevermind, nevermind, nevermind!" I shout and Toothless snaps his wings out pulling back and fires several blasts at the dragons, "Wow, we really got these guys on a bad day." I say and Julia smacks at the dragons with her broom again.
At least it's a broom, relatively harmless unless you're afraid of being clean. "This reminds me of the time I was attacked by a flock of rabid wild fruit bats on the coast of Paulo-" Julia starts.
"Quiet! You're only making them more angry and us to." Snotlout shouts.
"Miss Snotlout, thank Thor." Julia calls up. Toothless circles the boat several more times before the dragons all pick up and leave as if bored of taunting Julia and leave. I look up in confusion watching the dragons fly off. What happened?
000o000
"Asher, Asher, Asher." Ruffnut mutters angrily as she storms up steps to the south watchtower sighing, "He's such a jerk, I don't understand how anyone can like him. I mean seriously." Ruffnut says and sighs lowly before she looks up at the dummies she and her brother made, "I mean how can he not see the geinous in Stuffnut and Fluffnut?" She asks and the two tip over causing the female Thorsten to groan.
Tuffnut walks through the forest, going for a nice calming walk slightly looking for Ruffnut but also giving her time to cool off. Chicken bursts from the woods and Tuffnut leans down next to the panting bird, "Chicken! What is it! What's wrong?" He asks and the bird gasps for breath. "Shh, relax Chicken, easy, now gather your strength. Is it Ruffnut?" Tuffnut asks and lifts the bird up looking at her.
Chicken clucks.
"Oh, it is. Is she in trouble?" Tuffnut asks and Chicken clucks harder. "Oh, you have such a way with words, I will find her and bring her back, you, you rest. Don't ruffle your feathers, I shall return." Tuffnut says and sets his bird down on the ground before taking off down the snow covered forest. He stares at the watchtower spotting it empty and his eyes widen.
"HELP!" Ruffnut's voice rings out and Tuffnut's gaze snaps down towards where Ruffnut is being dragged by several Dragon Hunter's.
"RUFF NO!" He yells and rips his spear off his back throwing it forward. The weapon sails through the air and the two Dragon Hunters holding his sister captive leap to the sides, the weapon barely missing them. They race down the beach and Tuffnut scowls at them, "Asher, I've got to get Asher." He says before he whips around and races down the forest.
Ruffnut struggles against the ropes around her entire torso and scowls at both the Dragon Hunters, "When I get out of these ropes I'm gonna-" She starts.
"You're going to what?" One of the Dragon Hunters asks.
"Uh, I haven't decided yet, but rest assured you are not going to like it!" Ruffnut snaps.
"Feisty, isn't she?" One asks.
"I like it." The other says and shoves Ruffnut onto a boat.
000o000
"So they just picked FIshlegs up and flew off?" I ask for probably the twentieth time since learning of her capture. We're scouting the island the dragon's landed on after tracking them here, unwillingly dragging Julia with us.
"Yeah definitely, that's how it happened." Snotlout says.
I turn, "Julia, did the wild dragons take anything from the ship, food, freshwater, anything?" I ask and she shakes her head.
"No, Queen Haedryin. They seemed only interested in terrorizing me until you lot came along, then they started terrorizing you. Which was a bit of a relief if I'm being honest, I've always been a great friend to the dragons, that they would turn on me, it's-it's inconceivable." Julia says and we start to move forward again. Terrorizing her. Just terrorizing her? That is not normal dragon behavior, as far from it.
"This doesn't make any sense, Nightmares, Nadders, Gronckles, even in the wild these dragons shouldn't be this aggressive, I mean from a Speed Stinger or a Changewing those dragons I could understand but maybe these guys have just never seen humans before." I suggest and Snotlout shakes her head.
"All I know is that we've been around these guys, in the wild, none of them have ever acted like this." Snotlout says and I nod.
Yup. That's true.
"Snotlout, I hate to admit it, but you've got a point." I say solemnly.
000o000
Asher sits next to Stormfly, sharpening his axe as he tries to bury feelings of guilt from Ruffnut's words. Tuffnut bursts into his hut, gasping for breath. "Tuff," Asher says and leaps to his feet walking over to him, "you okay?" He asks. Tuffnut staggers forward, leaning forward his entire body sagging, "Tuffnut, breathe." Asher commands resting a hand on the Thorsten's shoulder. "What's going on?" He asks.
Tuffnut sits up and points back to the stairs, "You have got to do something about those stairs, there's got to be hundreds of them, there's over ten at least." Tuffnut gasps.
"That's it the stairs?" Asher asks relatively calm.
"No, no! It's Ruffnut, they got Ruffnut!" Tuffnut shouts.
"Who did?" Asher asks.
"The Dragon Hunters!" Tuffnut answers causing Asher's eyes to widen.
Several minutes later, with both boys on Stormfly's back, Asher scowls and groans, "Oh this is all my fault!" He shouts.
"Oh, tell me about it." Tuffnut says.
"I shouldn't have been so hard on her." Asher says and Tuffnut nods.
"You were way to hard on her, pour sis." Tuffnut agrees.
"She can't help it. She's just Ruff being Ruff." Asher says.
"Truer words, ay? Truer words." Tuffnut agrees and his eyes widen as Asher looks back at him with one famous death glare across his face. Tuffnut stares at it for a second before he shrugs and says: "Sorry, just trying to help you work through, you know, the shame, all the bad things that you did. All the things you should feel bad about, you know get some closure."
Stormfly lands on a watchtower and Tuffnut jumps off her back his eyes widening. "What is it?" Asher asks and moves next to him.
"There may not be a Ruffnut to apologize to. Infact, there might not be any of us at all." Tuffnut says and he and Asher both stare forward at the fifteen Dragon Hunter ships sailing towards their base.
…
"Okay what's the plan!? We have to get my sister back!" Tuffnut shouts as he and Asher run into the Clubhouse. Asher rips out a piece of paper from who knows where and starts to scribble down on it.
"The first thing is to send a SOS to Berk. We need reinforcements fast, the axillary team." Asher says and ties the note around Sneaky's leg and the dragon races of in the direction of Berk.
"How do we know it'll get there in time?" Tuffnut demands.
"We don't." Asher answers and throws several weapons onto the table.
"Well how do we know they'll get back here in time!?" Tuffnut shouts.
"We don't." Asher repeats.
Tuffnut moves forward, "Okay there is a terrifying lack of clarity in those answers." Tuffnut says and Asher moves forward and rests his hands on Tuffnut's shoulders.
"It's all going to be okay, Tuffnut. We're going to hold down the Edge,defend this base and we will get your sister back, okay?" Asher asks and Tuffnut just stares at him ,"Say. "Okay, Asher."."
"Okay Asher." Tuffnut repeats.
Asher turns back to the map, "Now there's no way we can defend the Edge against a full out assault with only one flyable dragon. But maybe we can slow them down until help gets here if we use our spears and arrows sparingly." Asher says rubs his chin.
"Wait!" Tuffnut says and moves forward. "I know an even better way we can slow them down."
"Not now, Tuff I-I need to think." Asher says.
"No seriously Asher! You need to hear this, listen to me." Tuffnut commands.
"What , what is your idea?" Asher says and turns looking at him.
"Okay, well as you know, tricking is my area of expertise. I am the official Dragon's Edge trickster. Trickster extraordinaire, the mayor of tricks-" Tuffnut starts.
"Yeah, I get it, we all know how tricky you are." Asher snaps.
"But they don't." Tuffnut says and gestures back to the advancing boats, "So I figure, we trick them into thinking there's more of us than there are. We can start with our scareships we can build our own little tricking army, it'll be so awesome." Tuffnut says and grabs a handful of weapons looking over at Asher with a smirk. "Wait! I think I just had another idea, whoa! Do you know how many Lokiish thoughts are running through my mind right now?"
"Tuff." Asher says.
"It's like a hurricane of practical jokes pounding on the inside of my head! Whoa! Here comes one!" Tuffnut shouts.
"Tuffnut." Asher says in irritation, "This is not the time for pranks or Loki'ing, this is a time for strategic thinking and precise preparation." Asher says and takes the weapons from Tuffnut's hands looking back down at the map. "There are times in life that you have to be serious, deadly serious or people can die." Asher says and smashes his dagger onto the table top. "We can die, Ruffnut can die, do you understand?"
"Yes I understand, I am taking it seriously, I am seriously a trickster and I seriously have some ideas that can help!" Tuffnut argues.
"Tuff listen to me, do you know all those times early in the morning when it's still dark outside and I'm out by myself on Stormfly?" Asher asks and would have laughed at Tuffnut's look had the situation been different.
"Uh, well I do know. Is this going to get weird?"
"No. What I'm doing is training, day and night I train myself for situations just like this, that's why we're gonna do it my way." Asher says firmly and folds his arms across his chest.
"But I have ideas! Good ideas!" Tuffnut argues.
"And I believe you." Asher says.
"No you don't." Tuffnut says and whirls around, "The only thing you believe is that I'll mess this up and get us all killed." Tuffnut says and Asher's eyes narrow with annoyance at the twins sudden ability to read his mind.
"No, that's not true the only thing I believe is true is that we're wasting time arguing when we should be preparing come on, there's a lot of work to do." Asher says and Tuffut finally turns.
"That's my sister out there Asher. If this goes wrong and we don't save her, I couldn't live with myself."
Asher's lips purse tightly before he sighs, "You know what, you're right, you do what you have to do and I'm gonna set up our defenses then we'll come together and the time is right we'll decide which one to use. Alright?" Asher asks and Tuffnut nods.
"Awesome plan. I like it, and we'll definitely end up using mine so it's great!" Tuffnut shouts.
"Good." Asher agrees. "Just so long as we understand and agree that I lead the counterattack and you follow me.
Later that day, Asher pounds down on a nail hammering together a line of defenses, Tuffnut turns another Scareship around and Asher sighs taking the nail from his mouth, "Oh boy."
Asher dumps a giant container of Monstrous Nightmare gel on the ground and looks over as Tuffnut fishes drawing a smile onto yet another laughs and looks back at Asher who gives a thumbs up with a tight lipped smile.
Asher throws another barrel of the gel onto the ground and rips his axe from off his back as Tuffnut walks out laughing with shoes on his hands, "It's him right?" Asher asks Stormfly rhetorically. She growls an affirmative.
000o000
The Dragon Hunter boats dock as close as they can to Dragon's Edge which really isn't all that close a good hundred yards away from the shore thanks to Haedryin's ice barrier around the base, the ocean is completely frozen from the shore's edge to a hundred yards out to sea. Something she'd made after Dagur found Dragon's Edge nearly two months ago.
Ruffnut shoved across the ice reaches the row boats docked at the frozen water, Rika turns to Dagur who's standing next to his little brother, "Well I guess you don't know the Dragon Riders as well as you thought, ay, Dagur?" Rika asks and Dagur scowls at her.
"Pfft. He doesn't know us at all." Ruffnut says.
"Hey, at least my brother had a plan to get the Dragon Eye. It's not his fault they didn't bait." Heeth argues.
"They never left to rescue Trader Julia from those dragons, the girl proves it." Rika says and points at Ruffnut who is struggling against her captors grip.
"Yeah! I prove that you have all been fooled!" Ruffnut shouts.
"I guess we better leave, come up with a better plan." Heeth suggests.
"No. We'll just have to deal with all of them instead." Rika says and sends a scowl at Dagur .
"Listen if you all wanna go on a suicide mission, that's your problem buddy! But don't say I didn't warn you!" Ruffnut shouts
"She's lying, she's trying to confuse us!" Dagur says.
"I'm always lying!" Ruffnut retorts.
"Or she's telling the truth to confuse us." Heeth says.
Rika nods and looks at the Dragon Hunters, "Gather the men, we move slowly, destroy anything in our path, until we get our Dragon Eye, then we destroy whatever's left." Rika says and the Dragon Hunters climb into a rowboat sailing towards their boat.
Ruffnut is thrown onto another rowboat, Dagur, Heeth and Savage climbing in after her. "Excuse me sir, oh, and sir two, but uh, there's something I've been wondering about." Savage says and Dagur huffs.
"A daily occurrence, but go ahead." Dagur says.
"In regards to this Rika fellow, it seems as though she's taken on the role of leader and well I was always under the assumption that that's your role." Savage says.
Ruffnut snorts, "Pfft, that's not his role!"
"It is you dunderhead." Dagur says and looks back at Ruffnut, Heeth echoing him.
"We're just using Rika for the time being, when she leads us to the Dragon Eye," Heeth starts.
"We figure out the most painful and horrible way to get rid of her and the rest of her crew." Dagur finishes. A gangplank is thrown out to them and Heeth starts to scale it.
"Oh, that's a relief." Savage says and shoves Ruffnut towards the deck.
"Once we get the Dragon Eye, Rika and her men, see ya." Dagur says and makes a slashing motion across his neck.
"That is the single worst plan I have ever heard and I have heard a lot of bad plans." Ruffnut says.
"Would you STOP TALKING!" Dagur shrieks.
000o000
"Stop, don't move." I command looking down at the dragons littering the ground everywhere. I grab Julia and Snotlout's shoulders receiving and equal twitch from both of them before pushing them to the dirt.
"Oh, finally, do you know how long we've been walking? My feet are swollen to the size of watermelons." Snotlout groans and I shush her. Would it kill her to be quiet for three seconds? I stare down at the dragons, they leap around each other hissing and growling.
"Queen Haedryin, I realize that you are the dragon expert among us-" Julia starts.
"I wouldn't say the dragon expert I-" Snotlout starts but both me and Julia shush her.
"As I was saying, it appears to me that this island is occupied by a rather unfriendly pack of wild dragons." Julia says and I clasp my hands together forming an icicle, I really should start carrying around a spyglass. I lift it up and my eyes widen as I see that in the center of the pack is Fishlegs.
"You're right, Julia. But it's worse that that." I say and hand her the ice.
"Oh, you are just full of good news aren't you?"Snotlout asks sarcastically. Julia takes in a sharp breath and Snotlout shoves over me, "Give me that!" She demands and grabs the icicle from Julia lifting it up to her own eye. I scan the area looking for anyway into the dragon's nest. Normally I'd say, let's wing it in a better grouping of words but this, is something we should most definitely not wing. "So this means we get to go rescue her doesn't it?" Snotlout asks.
Yes!"It does." I say and look over at her, "And thank you for volunteering. But it's not going to be easy." I say and Snotlout smirks looking over at me.
"With you as queen, I know it won't."
Yeah, hilarious, "Alright you see up there, dragon centuries, "I say and gesture upwards with my head, "they look like they're ready for anything it's going to be really, really hard to get anywhere near Fishlegs." I say and Julia clasps her hands together.
"Well I suppose the life of a dragon rider is shorter than most. I'll miss her dearly." Julia says and I scowl. Really? Have you never have to deal with something hard before?
"Good point, Julia. Let's get out of here." Snotlout agrees. I leap to my feet and grab both their shoulders.
"We're not going anywhere!" I say and shove them both to the ground at a dragon roar, "I said it's going to be hard, not impossible."
000o000
Stormfly drops a piece of wood into a large pile and Asher looks up at her, "This is our last line of defense, Stormfly. If they make it this far, hopefully these will take them out." He says and Stormfly rubs against his back reassuringly. He pats her and they both look up at Tuffnut's grunts.
He sits on the top of he and his sister's hut. The balloon filled with Zippleback gas he's holding starts to float up, taking the Thorsten with it. "Uh oh." Tuffnut says and looks down at the ground growing further and further away. Asher and Stormfly fly up next to him and Tuffnut looks at the Hofferson, "Uh, regardless of how this looks, I can assure you I have a master plan for these balloons." Tuffnut says and Asher raises an eyebrow.
"I'm sure you do." He agrees and Stormfly starts to fly past him.
"Um, but Asher, I just have a little quick thing, can you bring me back down to earth before I fly into the sun?" Tuffnut asks. Asher shakes his head slightly and Stormfly grabs the rope to Tuffnut's balloon dragging him back down towards the hut. Tuffnut ties it off and looks up at Asher, "Is it time?" He asks.
"It's time." Asher says.
…
Next to the Clubhouse, Asher walks towards Stormfly resting a hand on her snout, "This is going to be a rough day Stormfly. Whatever we have to face, I'm glad we're facing it together." He says and rests his head against the Deadly Nadder's snout. He turns as he hears a thump from Tuffnut dropping a box of weapons onto the ground. "Hey, whatcha got there?" He asks.
Tuffnut looks up at him, "Ta da! Only the solution to all our problems!" Tuffnut says and gestures down the crate, "I call Macy, but you can have any of the other except maybe this sword and this axe." Tuffnut says and Asher's gaze flickers briefly to where his axe is on his back, like usual and then back at Tuffnut. "Can't decide huh? Yeah I can understand that." Tuffnut says.
"Um, Tuff, these weapons are for close combat, if it comes to that there's two of us...were finished." Asher says.
"Oh, well I know that but-" Tuffnut starts.
"Listen we don't have time, just do me a favor." Asher says.
"Fine but-"
"The ballista on my roof, you know how to use it right?" Asher asks and they both look back at the giant arrow firing weapon.
"Uh, it's a massively destructive weapon isn't it?" Tuffnut asks and looks back at Asher. He smiles.
"It is. So get up there and massively destroy things. But, on my command, not before, got it?" Asher asks and Tuffnut lifts up his hands in a thumbs up grabbing his mace.
"Got it! Come on Macy."
Tuffnut walks off and Asher looks towards the boats the only thing separating them is the giant sheet of ice from here to the boats.
000o000
Fishlegs gives a squeak of fear and I look at Julia and Snotlout from our position over the side of the cliff. This has a ninety nine percent chance of death with the other one percent being losing a limb. Again, in my case.
000o000
Heeth stares ahead at the base as Savage shove Ruffnut to the ground, the dragon rider gives her a half glance before continuing to look forward. Dagur and Rika standing side by side smirk. Rika looks at the Berserker, "You feel that in the air? It's fear, "She says and her eyes narrow, resting a hand on her sword hilt the other on her hip as she finishes, "soon, it'll be death."
A/N: Mentally adds the cantaloupe, carry the two, :D only three more episodes till Maces and Talons! For some reason (I hate those episodes) I am really excited to write those. :) I know a large majority of you are excited for the Skrill episode how do I know, because I CAN READ MINDS! Kidding! You've left it in your reviews. Okay, I am done blabbering now. :)
Please review!