Ugh, so sorry it's taken me so long to update! *cries* But guess what: I'M DONE WITH SCHOOL NOW, WHOOP DE WHOOP! I'll have more time to write! Anyway, only a few more chapters of HTTYH! *sniffs* *pats story* There, there, you SHALL live forever.
Here's the song for this chapter and then shoutouts!
(to the tune of What Makes You Beautiful)
Purple, you shake up my world like nobody else
The way you leave cliffhangers gets me overwhelmed
But when you say 'wahahaha', it ain't hard to tell
You don't know, oh oh
You don't know you're evil
If only you read what I can read
You'll understand why I want you to update so desperately
Right now I'm reviewing your stories and I can't believe
You don't know, oh oh
You don't know you're evil, oh oh
That's what makes you even more evil
Shoutouts:
katurdi: Eh, it's not THAT evil… *cackles* Yes, HICCSTRID KISS YAAAAAAAAAAAAY! *hugs self, squealing* Haha, I enjoy leaving cliffies! First off, if I know I left you guys on a cliffie, I'll be more forced to write instead of dawdling. Aw, thank you!
FanWriter02: YAY THEY KISSED! *dances around* Yes! I, Queen Cliffie of FanFiction, strike again! Cliffies are my signature move, after all! Thanks!
SailorMew4: Yep! THEY FINALLY KISSED!
Silentleap85: Weeeelll… hmm… 3 cookies? *taps chin thoughtfully* I'll tell ya what- I'll put that under advisement.:D Very tempting offer…. Hmmmmm….
Hiccstridlover13: *dances in your cofetti* YES, It's about time they kissed! I mean, it took 20 chapters for them to do it, gods! *inspects crown, smiling* Thank you!
phieillydinyia: I agree! I infuriate even myself!
animalsarepeopletoo: Yep, I'm finally back! THEY KISSED HEHEHEHEHEHEHE! Your welcome! I loved writing it! Haha, yes I gave you a cliffie! You should know better than to trust ME! Thank you! Here's your chapter!
Astrid E Lokison: *grabs you and we both dance around* HAHAHA THEY KISSED THEY KISSED THEY KISSED! Yes, Astrid's pretty smart to have gotten the key! Yeah, in Night of the Hunters with Ruff, it WAS kind of weird! Haha, yes I'm evil! But I'm glad you still like the stories! Yeah, end of the year testing has its up and downs! Thanks!
Guest #1: Thank you! Yes, I'm just as furious with Ryker… grrr… STOP SLAPPING HIM, RYKER OR I'LL SLAP YOU! *slaps Ryker* There we go!
AvatarAngel0723: Glad you liked the song and the Hiccstrid kiss! I enjoyed writing them!:D Gah, you're right? Will Astrid save Hiccup in time? I dunno! Read and find out! *gasps* Astrid… caught? No! Your song is above!:D More Hiccstrid is coming! Probably Hicctooth as well. Here's the update!
Guest #2: I'm happy you liked the chapter! Thank you!
PKWolf014: Yep! FanFiction was down for a couple of weeks, so it stopped sending out chapter alerts for some reason. *shrugs* Yay! Glad you like it! Yep, I'll strangle Ryker too! He's gotten out of hand! Thank you!
Clover and Darkness: I'm an EVIL person, wahaha! Aw, thanks! I'm glad you like it. NO DON'T YOU DARE TAKE MY CROWN! *snatches it back* I'm Queen Cliffie! NO ONE takes my crown!:D
jessygirl03: Haha, well I'm glad you like it! Here's your update! Hiccup's condition will be revealed later on... WAHAHAHAHA.
HiccupZain: Thank you! Yeah, I enjoyed writing the Hiccstrid too. :D Haha, yes, there'll be more cliffies… I'm not sure if this will end on one, though. You'll have to read and see!
Goldeneyeddragon101: Haha, yep, we're waiting for Heathlegs! Which I PROMISE will come, DON'T WORRY. :) Thanks! Yes, I'm almost done! *runs towards the finish line, smiling* *cliffie jumps in the way* *we all scream* Aw, thanks!
Gods, guys, thank you for all the reviews! I mean, we're past 200, woah! THANK YOU.
Anyhoo, here's the long awaited CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE!
Even though Astrid had only been gone for five minutes at the very most, Hiccup was getting worried. He had tried to sit up and look around the cell to see if he could put anything at use, but it caused too much pain in his back.
Heather was just glad Hiccup wasn't trying to sleep. If he did, she wasn't sure if he'd ever wake up. Though it was a back wound and not a head one, it was still dangerous in its own ways.
Toothless growled as Hiccup tried to sit up again, and the boy reluctantly lowered himself to the floor. "I'm fine, bud," he argued, rolling his eyes when Toothless snorted. "I just want to sit up… hey, Heather, is Astrid back yet?"
Heather sighed. "Not yet, Hiccup. Not yet."
Biting his lip, Hiccup nodded. "Okay…" A few beats passed, and then he began to try to sit up once more. He held back cries of pain when his back burned in protest, but was still persistent. Toothless glared, and tried to paw Hiccup back to the floor.
"Hiccup, stop! You're going to hurt yourself!" Heather protested, forcing Hiccup to lie down again. "It's not healthy!"
Toothless rumbled with agreement, and Windshear growled.
"Fine, fine," Hiccup muttered, stopping his protests. For a minute he didn't say anything else, but then he asked once more, "Is Astrid back yet?"
Heather glanced up at the stairs, her ears trying to pick up any sound of Astrid's arrival. There was nothing, and she sighed. "No."
"Oh." Hiccup, suddenly overwhelmed by a wave of sleepiness, began to close his eyes. Sleep seemed so welcoming… so warm and cozy… a way to escape all the pain he was feeling now… he was about to surrender to unconsciousness when Heather noticed his eyelids drooping. "Hiccup!" she yelped, shaking his arm. "Don't fall asleep!"
Groaning, Hiccup peeked open his eyes. "Just… so tired… mmm, is Astrid back yet?"
Heather shook her head, concerned with her friend's state. "Hiccup, you just asked me that. No, she's not back from getting the supplies yet, but she'll be here very soon, and then you'll feel much better."
"I'm fine," Hiccup grunted, his eyes floating in and out of focus. "Don't need…. her to risk-"
"Shh, shh…" Heather quieted him with a hard look. "Astrid is doing what she thinks is best right now. There's no stopping her when there's a chance to get rid of your pain." She winced when Hiccup moaned. "Hey, are you alright?"
"Right as rain," Hiccup muttered. His eyes began to close, but he forced them to stay open. Astrid wanted him to remain awake, so he had to try. For her.
"I don't think you're 'alright'," Heather sighed, her brow furrowing in concern. "Tell me the truth, Hiccup. How much does your back hurt?" When the boy didn't answer, she crossed her arms. "How much?"
"Um… eight out of ten," Hiccup replied, avoiding her gaze.
"Hiccup…"
"Okay… okay… it's a- a nine… or a ten sometimes..."
Heather held back a curse, and once again wondered just how Hiccup held in all of that pain. She probably couldn't do it herself, and that was saying something. She frowned, studying him closer. "Hiccup, why are you sweating?"
The Rider shrugged, but it was painful. "Isn't it… a bit warm down here?"
Toothless growled with concern, shuffling on his feet. Heather bit her lip. "No, it's not warm in here at all, Hiccup. It's actually quite cold… hang on, let me see if you have a temperature." She put her hand on Hiccup's forehead and waited for the result. Eyes narrowed, she pulled away. Hiccup wasn't burning up, but he wasn't at a regular temperature either. "Oh, gods, I think you're starting to get a fever from your wound."
Hiccup's eyes widened, yet he didn't react. "Oh. Makes sense… well, Astrid will be back soon enough, so there's no reason to worry… right?"
Heather dipped her head.
"Heather…?" he asked. "Right?"
"Hiccup," Heather breathed, her voice wavering, "I-I honestly… I don't know."
Astrid flattened herself against the side of the wall, looking around for any incoming guards. It had been ten minutes since her prison break, and she hadn't seen any Dragon Hunters around in the halls.
But that didn't mean she wasn't going to be cautious. If anything, it made her even more cautious. Where was everyone? It was like they had all disappeared.
Astrid moved slowly down the hall again, her footsteps not making a sound against the stone floor. Stealth was one of her specialties, and this was the perfect time to put it at use. Hiccup's life depended on it. She needed to get those supplies before his condition took a turn for the worse.
Astrid was about to cross an intersection, when she heard a few sets of footsteps coming towards her. Dragon Hunters. Panicked, she looked around for somewhere to hide while they passed. Right before the soldiers came, she ducked under a nearby table, panting.
As the Hunters came down the hallway, she could hear snippets of their conversation.
"-what Ryker said!"
"No!"
"Really? The Berserker ships have been sighted?"
"Yeah. Ryker's just pretending he hasn't seen them so he can set up a trap."
"Clever…"
"Well, we'll blast them into bits, won't we boys?"
"Aye!"
"It'll be fun running them all through…"
The Dragon Hunters finally disappeared down the hall, their words muffled by distance. Astrid let out a gasp when they were gone, and her heart thudded with both fear and relief.
The Berserker army was still coming for them, at least. They had figured out what had happened to her and Heather, and were nearing Ryker's base… completely unaware that they were already found out, and that this was all a trap…
"No," she whispered, stumbling back. "I won't let the Dragon Hunters hurt my friends." She sighed, rubbing her hands together. "But first, Hiccup is my top priority… then the Berserkers and the Riders are… I'll save all of them."
With a quick nod, she continued down the hall, keeping an eye out for any doors along the way.
Where would the Dragon Hunters even keep their medical supplies? she wondered, chewing on her lip. Do they even have them? She nearly laughed at the thought. No, of course they do, what with all the times we've attacked them with our dragons…
But still. Where could she find the supplies?
Astrid sighed, her thoughts running a mile a minute. She had to find them, no matter what. She couldn't fail Hiccup again.
Because Astrid couldn't- no, wouldn't let anything else happen to him.
"Dagur!" Gustav said cheerfully as said Berserker passed him on the ship. "I have a question!"
Dagur stopped walking, annoyed. The kid hadn't stopped bothering him for an hour now, and it turned out that even his famed death glare couldn't frighten the boy off. "What?" he snapped. "What is it now?"
Gustav bounded over to his side, a large smile on his face. "I was wondering… what would be the best way to ask Heather out? You know, the best way for her to handle it. I'm totally fine with whatever way we end up together."
Growling, Dagur felt the urge to go for his sword, but he pushed it away. "My sister's been kidnapped by Ryker. She's not 'going out' with anybody. Plus, she's been poisoned. I don't even know if she's alive…" Dagur's heart was filled with remorse, and he sighed.
"Oh! I get it," Gustav beamed. "I'll tell her the hard way." He cleared his throat, and deepened his voice. "Heather, I've come to inform you that if you don't go on a date with me now, I shall never love you again… hey, that was pretty good! What do you think?"
Dagur rolled his eyes. "Great. Yeah, sure…" His eyes flickered up from Gustav, and he saw Stoick on the other side of the ship, pacing. Eager for an excuse to leave the kid behind, Dagur brushed by him and went over to the Berkian chief. "Stoick! How're you doing now that we're so close to Hiccup, Heather, and Astrid?" he asked.
Stoick stopped pacing, and looked up in surprise. "Hello, Dagur… and oh, yes. I'm quite ready to get my boy back." He cracked his knuckles, scowling. "Ryker's going to pay for ever messing with the Berkians."
"And Berserkers," Dagur added.
"And Berserkers, yes, yes… so, what's the battle plan? Attack first and ask questions later?"
Dagur tapped his chin. "I've gone over a few strategies with my soldiers, and we haven't found an attack formation that will guarantee success just yet, but attacking like that has come close."
"I don't need guarantees!" Stoick exclaimed. "All I need to do is get on that island, and I'll get Hiccup out myself." He smiled grimly. "Then I'll have a little chat with Ryker."
Smiling, Dagur rubbed his hands together. "Oooh, I can't wait to hear his jaw crunching beneath my fist… it'll feel so good-" He stopped, and reminded himself that he wasn't going back to anger. Not while Heather in danger. "Yes, he'll pay… he took my sister, and I'm going to show him that it was the biggest mistake of his life. Because no one hurts Heather." He darkened. "And if they do, they're not going to get off easy."
"As for Hiccup," Stoick said. "So, back to battle plans… we should arrive at Ryker's base in the morning." He gazed off into the sea. "We'll pull the ships to a stop tonight and get rested up in the cover of darkness. Then we attack at dawn's first light and retrieve my son, Astrid, and Heather."
"Yes, Stoick," Dagur frowned, and scanned the horizon as well. Ryker's base faintly showed up ahead. "We're going to get them back."
"I found it," Astrid murmured in disbelief as she looked over the room she just discovered. "I found the medical supplies…" And indeed she had. It had taken awhile to locate the right room, as she often entered many useless ones.
But now, she was finally here at her destination. The medical room. Not to her surprise, it wasn't very big. There were only a few tables and shelves on the walls, making it look bland. She saw just a few vials of medicine along the walls, which she figured was where Hiccup had gotten Heather's antidote from.
Astrid sighed, looking around. Okay, I need… bandages, water, alcohol, and food. Her stomach rumbled, and she scowled. No, first thing was first- bandages. Hiccup needed something to prevent any more blood flow, and that would help the best.
She narrowed her eyes as she began to inspect the room. "Bandages… where do they keep their bandages?" Her eyes floated up to a cabinet on the wall, and she snapped her fingers. A second later, she was opening up the cabinet doors, and found a stack of thick white bandages inside. Astrid did not hesitate to grab almost all of them.
Next, water and alcohol, she thought. Great. Where would she get those things? She wasn't even sure if they were in the room with her. Maybe I'll at least find alcohol. Astrid nodded.
She set up another search in the room, scouring each drawer, cabinet, and box for what she needed. Fortunately, a few small flasks of alcohol turned up to be inside a drawer, and Astrid grabbed two of them.
Rubbing her chin, the girl wondered just where she could find water. The Hunters probably wouldn't have it in here… they would have it in their drinking supply.
Astrid almost cursed. She didn't have enough time to search through this base just to find some water… she'd have to return to the cells without it. And possibly with no food, either. We can survive without food, she told herself. But water is more important.
"Hey!"
A deep voice startled her from her thoughts.
"What are you doing in here?"
Astrid swerved around, and was met with the face of an angry Dragon Hunter. He stood in the doorway, half of his face covered in a mask. Still, that didn't make it any harder to see his frown.
But Astrid barely noticed his face, for what she was most interested in was his belt.
Because on his belt, there was a water flask.
Astrid straightened, her eyes blazing with fury. "I escaped," she spat with a quick roll of her eyes. "It turns out your little prison stronghold isn't so strong after all."
The soldier glowered at her. "How dare you treat me with such disrespect! I'm taking you back to your cell immediately!"
"You know, I could easily blame this all on you to Ryker," Astrid drawled, amused. "He'd punish you for letting me get out of my cell with so much ease… now, I suggest you hand over your water jug to me before things get ugly."
"Why do you need my water?" the Hunter asked with suspicion.
"Why are you asking?" Astrid returned, just as dark. "Okay. I see how it is. Since you're not cooperating…" She quickly ran forward, and after she grabbed the Dragon Hunter's own sword from its sheath, she aimed it at him.
The soldier froze, terrified. "P-please don't k-kill me!" he stuttered. "I only w-work for Ryker b-because I have t-to!"
"You're lucky I have mercy," Astrid growled. "If I didn't, I'd kill you now." She grabbed his water flask with a successful grin. "Sleep tight." And then she hit him over the head with the sword.
The Hunter crumpled to the floor, unconscious, and Astrid smirked. It felt nice to make him pay for Hiccup's condition, even if he hadn't been the one to harm him. She studied the sword in her hand thoughtfully. It'd make a useful weapon if they had to fight back against Ryker.
So, with medical supplies, water, and a sword, Astrid ran out of the room, heading back to Hiccup and Heather's cell.
Hang on, Hiccup… hang on.
Toothless licked at Hiccup's warm forehead, growling with worry.
In the hour Astrid had been gone, Hiccup's fever had been slowly rising. And as Heather felt his forehead for the seventh time… yes, it did feel a bit warmer than before. She coughed, rubbing Windshear. Oh, when would Astrid be back?
Hiccup muttered something incoherent, fighting the hard battle of keeping his eyes open. "Is… Astrid back yet?" he finally managed to ask, the effort causing him to be beaded in sweat.
Heather looked up at the stairs, and listened for any sign of her friend coming down. No. Nothing. "Not yet, Hiccup," she told him. "But soon. She'll be back soon."
"Good…" Hiccup slurred.
Toothless laid down beside his rider, his neon green eyes sparkling with worry.
Hiccup chuckled. "I'm… okay… bud…" He paused, cocking his head. "H-Heather? Do y-you… hear that…? It sounds… l-like someone… is coming down.. here... is… Astrid back… yet?" He hoped she was. The pain in his back made it feel like he was on fire.
Biting her lip, Heather allowed a moment of silence to pass between them. At first, there was nothing… but then there was a small patter of feet from the stairs… and yes, now it was much more steady than it had been before…
What if it's not Astrid? Heather thought, nervousness gripping her. What if it's Ryker coming to take Hiccup away again? Or what if it's me this time?
Her fears vanished when Astrid revealed herself from the stair's shadows, and raced towards the cell. "Astrid! You're back," Heather grinned, relieved to see her friend. "You don't know how good it is to see you." She gestured to the sweating Hiccup. "He's not... he's not doing well."
Astrid then noticed just how poor of state Hiccup was in now, and gasped as she unlocked the cage door with her keys. "Heather, what happened?"
"He's running a fever," the Berserker explained. "We need those medical supplies now."
Astrid got the cage door opened, and slid inside, emptying her stuffed pockets on the way, along with the sword. "I-I've got some water, alcohol, and bandages," she announced, and handed the items over to Heather. "Please… help him."
Heather nodded. "Alright. First, we have to get some fluids into him." She grabbed the flask of water, and looked over at Hiccup. "Hiccup…? We're going to give you some water okay? You need to stay hydrated."
His eyes opening to their fullest, Hiccup croaked, "Okay."
Heather held out the flask to his lips, and Hiccup slowly began to drink. After the fifth sip, though, he started to cough. "No-no more," he whispered, lowering his head. "Please…"
Heather gave Astrid a worried look, but pulled the water away. "That's fine, Hiccup… alright, now we're going to roll you on your stomach so we can bandage your wounds."
Hiccup groaned.
Astrid, getting more concerned by the second, gripped Hiccup's hand. "It's going to be okay, Hiccup," she promised. "We're going to get you through this… you'll be better in no time. And then we all can defeat Ryker once and for all… hey, guess what? I overheard some guards talking in the hallway, and they said that they saw Berserker ships out at sea. Your father is waiting for you, Hiccup. Berk is waiting for you. The Riders are waiting for you. We're all waiting for you."
Hiccup took a deep breath in, looking even more pale than before. "I guess I'll just have to be brave, then."
"You've always been brave." Astrid smiled. "Who knew that it would take you this long to admit it?"
Grinning weakly, Hiccup studied Astrid's face. "You're beautiful, you know."
Astrid reddened. "That's besides the point, dragon boy."
"But you are…" Hiccup pushed. "Just know that… you've always been beautiful to me…" He trailed off, and looked over at Heather. "Okay… I'm ready." Then his eyes went to Astrid. "You'll stay… with me?"
"Always," Astrid murmured, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "And I'm never going to let you go again."
Hiccstrid feeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeellllllzzzzzzzzzzzzz! Badaboom! I'm on a roll over here! :D Oh yeah! Can you believe it? NO CLIFFIE. Like… WOAH! MIND SHATTERING THING, AM I RIGHT? I'm being too nice to you guys… NEXT CHAPTER, I'M DOING A CLIFFIE. WAHAHAHA. (Nah, just kidding. I don't enjoy it as much as you may think... Hehehe...)
Okay, so I also have news on updating. I SHALL UPDATE HTTYH EVERY FRIDAY AND TUESDAY. I REPEAT, EVERY FRIDAY AND TUESDAY. Finally I have a schedule! I feel accomplished. ;)
Annnnyyyywaaaaayyys, I hope you liked the chapter! Please fave, follow, and review! I love seeing what you guys think!
Until the next chapter (WHICH WILL BE UP ON TUESDAY)!
-thepurplewriter333