Chapter Twenty Eight
Not a lot was said after the incident with Dagur and the Beserkers. Luckily life returned to normal once they were gone. Though the news of Dagur becoming Chief had spread like wildfire, and everyone was on edge after that.
The life of a Viking can be a difficult, harsh and stormy one. Nobody could make it through alone. Eventually you will have to rely on someone. I'd learned that shortly after arriving on the island of Berk. Having to rely on anyone was something I wasn't used to. Sure I had Jacob to lean on from time to time in our world, but that was different.
Now we found ourselves over a stormy ocean trying to find a boat that was missing. All of us were struggling to see through the blinding wind, and of course, Snotlout wasn't making it any easier by complaining.
"This is so lame," he groaned. "Why are we even out here?"
"Because this is our first dragon search and rescue mission," answered Hiccup without missing a beat.
"I see a lot of searching, but not much rescuing," Snotlout complained.
"That's because we need to find the boat before we rescue it," Jacob pointed out.
"Do we even know where we are?" Snotlout asked, ignoring Jacob in the process.
"My dad said the fishing boat was last seen heading south," Hiccup replied.
"You don't know what you're talking about," Snotlout snapped. "There's nothing down there. I say we go south."
'Why must you be such an irritating human?' Snowfire grumbled in annoyance.
I could only nod in agreement to that statement. Of all the people on Berk, other than Mildew and Jessica, I liked Snotlout the least. All he ever did was complain when things didn't go his way. And worse, he was constantly flirting with whatever girl he met.
"And if Hiccup said to go north?" I finally asked when Snotlout continued muttering under his breath. Snotlout just looked at me in confusion when I said that.
"Are you trying to mess with my mind?" he demanded. "Because nothing gets in here. Nothing!"
"I think everyone knows that," Jacob muttered under his breath.
Both Astrid and Hiccup were snickering in amusement while Snotlout narrowed his eyes. I only sighed and looked towards Fishlegs, who happened to be holding the map.
"What does your map say, Fishlegs?" I asked. Fishlegs held the map up in confusion, but than it suddenly slapped him in the face from the wind.
"It's kind of tough to read from this angle," he admitted, his voice muffled by the piece of parchment.
"You know what, Hiccup?" Snotlout yelled. "I said north, and north is where I'm going." Hookfang roared angrily at the thought of going against the other riders' words. Snotlout rolled his eyes in annoyance and glared at Hookfang defiantly. "Hey, you work for me!" he shouted.
Snotlout and Hookfang veered off course, and we all just went on ignoring him. I think at that point everyone was just grateful to get some alone time away from Snotlout. Like Snowfire had said, he was one of the most obnoxious people on Berk.
"Are we just gonna let him go?" Ruffnut asked, sounding almost bored.
"Works for me," Tuffnut replied with a shrug.
I didn't miss Hiccup's sigh of relief once Snotlout was gone. Of all the people on Berk, Snotlout got under his skin the most. I've known for some time how irritating Snotlout could be to him. Though they were cousins, Snotlout didn't treat him as such.
"Ugh, I'm going, I'm going," he finally grumbled when Astrid gave him the look. I couldn't help but smirk at his deflated look. "Astrid, lead the others back. We'll get him."
"Oh, you're dragging me into this?" I groaned after realizing what that meant. Something told me I'd rather deal with this awful weather than go looking for Snotlout of all people.
"Hey, he's your boyfriend," Jacob said with a smug look. I just stuck my tongue out him before Snowfire followed Toothless.
'Why does everyone worry about that obnoxious hatchling?' Snowfire wondered out loud. 'He has never shown his usefulness to us.'
"There's a little saying in our world," I murmured thoughtfully. "You don't leave a brother in arms behind, even if that brother happens to be one of the most annoying people around."
I didn't miss the look Snowfire gave me. With a shrug, we followed Toothless' trail until reaching a massive looking water sprout in their direction. Unfortunately, Snotlout and Hookfang happened to be headed in that direction.
"Wow, look at the size of that water sprout," Hiccup breathed once we'd gotten close enough.
"And look what idiot is flying right towards it," I muttered under my breath.
Hiccup glanced at me in surprise before finally spotting what I was staring at. Hookfang did not look comfortable flying towards the water sprout, and understandably so.
"That water sprout is way too dangerous!" he called after his cousin.
"That's why I'm flying around it, duh!" Snotlout retorted.
"Snotlout, as much as I'm enjoying watching this, you're getting too close!" I added.
Things only got worse from there when Hookfang was suddenly sucked into the water sprout. Snowfire didn't hesitate to jump in and rescue them, despite our earlier warnings. I didn't need to look behind my shoulder to see that Hiccup and Toothless had followed.
Snotlout was losing his grip on Hookfang, and started flying around in the funnel.
"Help me! Help me, Hiccup, Alex!" Snotlout cried out in panic.
"We're coming!" Hiccup shouted. Both Snowfire and Toothless managed to dive in to try and save him. At least one of us could take Snotlout before he was thrown out of the water sprout. "Toothless, get us out of here," Hiccup ordered once he'd managed to snag Snotlout.
"This isn't going to end well," I muttered after realizing that Toothless' tail fin had been ripped to shreds by the wind.
'Brace yourselves!' Snowfire warned as a powerful gust of wind sent us flying across to a nearby island. Unfortunately, Hiccup and Snotlout were sent on one side of the island, while Snowfire, Toothless and I were sent on the other.
...
Stoick and Gobber were at the docks pulling a cart towards the village when the Viking teens returned.
"Push, Gobber!" Stoick yelled.
"I'm pushing it, Stoick," Gobber retorted.
"Well, it certainly doesn't feel like it," Stoick grumbled. "Push harder."
"Oh, there they are," Gobber said once he'd finally noticed the teens' arrival.
"I'm glad you're back," he told them. "The boat has returned."
"Could've told us that before we left," Jacob grumbled under his breath. Sniper crooned in agreement, tail flicking irritably against the cold wind.
"Excuse me?" asked the Chief, his eyes narrowed as he looked down at the young teenager.
"Um, nothing, Chief. It was all them," he quickly said, pointing towards the twins.
"Hey!" they chimed in together.
"Where's Hiccup, and Alex?" Stoick asked after noticing that three of the group were missing.
"They had to double back to get Snotlout," Astrid explained.
"Yeah, Snotlout had this brilliant idea that the boat would be north instead of south like you'd said," Jacob put in.
"I said leave him," Tuffnut scoffed after jumping off of Belch. Stoick then turned and glared at him. "Uh, her again," he quickly added while Ruffnut jumped off of Barf. "I don't know what her deal is," he said when she suddenly punched him in the arm.
Stoick looked at the sky, clearly worried about the impending weather.
"Nothing to worry about, Stoick," Gobber reassured him. "You know how those two are when it comes to their dragons. It's impossible to keep them apart."
...
I held back a groan when I finally caught my bearings. Snowfire rolled to her side, groaning in annoyance once she'd recovered as well.
"Well, this is just great," I muttered crossly.
We crash landed on some island in the middle of nowhere. I couldn't make out my surroundings too well, but this place looked desolated. Bare trees grew on cracked rocks and soil. A few ferns grew here and there with tough looking tufts of grass as well.
To make matters worse, I couldn't see Hiccup or Snotlout anywhere. Wherever they went, hopefully they had an easier time finding out where they were.
'They should not be too far,' Snowfire reassured me.
"We might as well start looking for them."
The rocky cliffs here weren't something I was used to climbing. While Jacob and I had our little adventures from time to time, I was never that much of an outdoorsy kind of person. So that made this trip all the more difficult when I almost slipped and fell on a boulder. Luckily Snowfire had caught me before I could break anything.
'Clumsy hatchling,' she hummed in amusement. 'Why would you not rather fly? Taking to the skies would be easier.'
"It would," I said in agreement, "but we don't know who else lives here, or what for that matter."
I could imagine my father choosing an island to live on like this one. If he had arrived in this world, than he would choose something tactical like this. No one would ever suspect anyone living on an island such as this one.
'You are worried,' Snowfire told me, concern filling her voice.
"Yeah, I just... want to find the others," I lied. Snowfire eyed me skeptically; she could see right through a lie. "Let's just keep moving."
...
"Toothless!" Hiccup called as he regained his senses. They were on an island of some sort, and of course he'd been separated from both Toothless and Alex. This day just got better and better. "Where are you? Snotlout?" He than heard a familiar roar and ran over to where he found Toothless laying in a small dip in the barren landscape. "Toothless! Are you okay?" Toothless gave him a 'what do you think?' look. "Come on, talk to me, bud." Eventually Toothless gave him a lick on the face to show that he was alright. "Oh, thank Thor," he sighed in relief.
Toothless than got up and shook himself. The rough landing hadn't been easy for any of them. Luckily it seemed both of them had made it through alright.
"That wasn't our best landing, was it?" he asked Toothless. The Night Fury only warbled in agreement, than Hiccup noticed his tail fin. "Great. Your tail fin is gone and the connecting rod is a mess," he muttered as he bent down to examine the damage. "What are we supposed to do now?"
"You can start by getting me out of this stupid tree!" a familiar voice shouted.
They looked up in time to see Snotlout hanging from one of the dead trees that surrounded them. Toothless fired a plasma blast that knocked him free. Snotlout let out a cry of surprise before crashing down to the ground in a heavy thud.
"Well, that looked like it hurt," Hiccup remarked as he approached the taller teen. Snotlout just shook his head angrily. "You sure? Can you talk?"
"Go... suck... rocks," Snotlout managed to wheeze out.
"Hey, he's back. Lucky us," Hiccup muttered with a roll of his eyes. Snotlout than stood up on shaky legs. "Hey, where's Hookfang?"
It only took Snotlout a few seconds to realize that his dragon was missing as well. Hiccup only rolled his eyes when Snotlout started calling for his dragon. It was a wonder Hookfang had stayed with him at all over the last few months.
"Hookfang, you get over here right now!" Snotlout shouted.
"I don't think he's here, Snotlout," Hiccup told him.
"Obviously," Snotlout scoffed and folded his arms. "Pig-headed dragon."
"Don't worry," Hiccup said, struggling not to let his temper flare. "Now all we have to do is figure out how to get out of here." And find out whether or not Alex was okay. He knew Snowfire could easily take care of her rider, but what if they had been separated as well?
...
Moments like these made me wish I'd taken some kind of survival training class in our world. If it wasn't for Snowfire backing me up along the way, I probably would've either gotten stuck somewhere or broken a leg or two. Either way, I needed to start some physical exercise once this was over.
'Perhaps they have already left the island,' Snowfire suggested when night fell upon us. I gave her a look of disbelief before shaking my head.
"Snotlout would do something like that, but not Hiccup," I replied.
'You seem quite uncertain,' Snowfire huffed once she'd caught the doubt in my voice.
I shook my head at the thought. No. We were getting off this island once I was sure that both Hiccup and Snotlout had gotten away safely.
Fortunately it didn't take me long to find some shelter under a rocky cave. It was late, and I was exhausted after climbing over rocks all day. This 'search and rescue' mission was beginning to take it's toll on me, and Snowfire seemed to notice first.
"I just need to rest for a little," I reassured her as I leaned against the rocky wall.
'I will keep watch,' she hummed after deciding rest was the best thing for me.
I simply nodded in agreement before drifting off, not really caring whether or not we weren't alone out here.
...
Hiccup had spent most of the evening working on a new tail fin for Toothless. The Night Fury sniffed it curiously, not quite sure of the bright yellow color. Snotlout, in the meantime, was rummaging through Hiccup's satchel.
"Okay, that should work," he gave a nod of satisfaction once it was finished. Then he bent down to look for the metal connecting rod. "This might be a little harder."
He turned towards two rocks and placed it between them in the attempts to straighten it. But all that did ended up whacking him right in the face. His shout of pain drew Snotlout's attention, who was grinning at the scene the whole time.
"There's nothing to eat here, Hiccup," he grumbled. "What kind of search and rescue mission is this?"
"Point one, Astrid was carrying all the food we needed, and point two, instead of complaining, why don't you help me?" Hiccup asked after sighing in frustration.
"I am trying to help you," Snotlout protested while pointing a biscuit at him. "I'm trying to teach you about survival. You let your best friend carry all the food and you didn't pack enough proper supplies. And at the top of that list is food."
"Food. Like the one in your hand," Hiccup pointed out. "Alex was the one who told us to pack some rations and medical supplies."
She was also the only one who would likely offer any help in a situation like this. Snotlout, on the other hand, was pretty much useless at the moment. He only hoped that she was having a better time than they were.
"You mean this day old biscuit?" Snotlout scoffed in disgust. "It's even got a spot of mold right on it's—" Hiccup suddenly walked over to his side and snatched the biscuit right from under his nose. "Hey!" he shouted.
"We've got bigger problems than a biscuit!" Hiccup snapped. Toothless suddenly ate the biscuit from his hand.
"He ate my biscuit!" Snotlout shouted. "What kind of dragon eats a man's biscuit?" Hiccup let out a sigh of frustration. Snotlout was giving him a harder time than he could've imagined. "You know, his bad manners are a reflection on you."
Hiccup ignored him and went on trying to straighten the connecting rod. Having a dragon that could melt and cool it rapidly would really come in handy at a time like this. Snowfire could easily do that, if she didn't burn Snotlout to a crisp first.
"Give me that," Snotlout grunted after noticing what Hiccup was trying to do. "You're doing it all wrong. You need to put some muscle into it. Oops, I forgot you can't!" He laughed, earning a glare from Hiccup after he shoved his cousin aside. He then took the metal rod and started bending it.
"No, no, no. Be careful with that, it might—" Too late, the connecting rod snapped in half once Snotlout put more muscle into it.
"You wanted two of them, right?" Snotlout asked.
"Nope! That was our only hope of getting home, unless somehow we find Alex out here, and with any luck, she's with Snowfire," Hiccup snapped.
"Well, it's not my fault that your dragon has half a tail," Snotlout retorted. "Just get another rod."
"Don't you understand? We have no idea where we are!"
Hiccup was practically shouting now, and Toothless seemed to sense his best friend's anger rising. Unfortunately he also happened to sense that they weren't alone at the moment. He let out a warning growl, that caused Hiccup to stiffen with unease.
"You hear that?" a voice sounded.
"Over there," another one, this one familiar, sounded.
The two Viking teens exchanged wary looks before Hiccup pointed towards a boulder. They quickly hid themselves behind it along with Toothless while watching the intruders.
"What do you see?" Snotlout asked a bit too loudly.
"Would you be quiet?" Hiccup snapped, his voice dropping to a whisper while peering through a gap in the boulder. "For all we know, we could be on a hostile island."
"Don't be such a baby," Snotlout scoffed in disgust. "How hostile can it be?"
"Those are wild dragon tracks, alright," the first voice said.
"Good, I feel like killing," the second one, more familiar, added.
"Is that hostile enough for you?" Hiccup asked in a whisper.
Suddenly a large figure stood in front of the boulder, blocking their view. For a moment, Hiccup was afraid they had been spotted. Fortunately they moved away fast enough that they couldn't be seen.
"Do you see anyone over there?" the familiar voice asked.
"Nothing here," the first voice replied after moving away.
Hiccup was finally able to see who was there, and dread washed over him. "I know where we are now," he concluded.
Snotlout leaned over and peered through the boulder, only to have his face fall at the sight before them. Savage and one other Outcast guy were wearing armor, scouring the island for any dragons they could either kill or capture. Hiccup's fists clenched as he recalled what Alvin and the Outcasts had done to Alex.
"Come on, this way," Savage ordered.
"Right behind you!" his comrade replied.
"That was Savage, Snotlout," Hiccup explained, his voice grim with hate. "We're on Outcast Island."
...
It was early in the morning when Snowfire's growl woke me up. I blinked against the darkness to regain my senses. For a while I wondered where we were. Than it all came rushing back. Snowfire was blocking the only way out of the shelter I'd found.
"Morning," I murmured sleepily.
'Good morning, little one,' Snowfire turned and rested her snout on my stomach, causing me to lurch forward.
"Did something happen while I was asleep?" I asked, wary of anyone who might have seen us.
'We are not alone on this island, just as I suspected,' Snowfire warned me. I only rolled my eyes at that, recalling that I was the one who'd told her that.
"Well, that's just wonderful," I muttered, sarcasm dripping from my voice. "So, not only are we alone, but we're also on an inhabited, and most likely hostile island in the middle of nowhere." Snowfire simply hummed in amusement at my response.
'They will not dare get close enough to see me,' she promised.
I could only hope that she was right. For now we needed to find Hiccup and Snotlout more than ever. We were all sitting ducks out here if anyone spotted us. And I for one was in no hurry of becoming anyone's prey again.
...
Hiccup and Snotlout were both climbing down a steep ravine after they'd had a difficult night's sleep. Toothless had thankfully kept watch over them, but that didn't help ease the worry that washed over his rider. Hiccup was amazed at how calm Snotlout could be in a situation like this.
Lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating dark gray clouds that surrounded the island. The storms hadn't broken up since earlier yesterday. This wasn't good flying weather to begin with.
"Outcast Island! I can't believe this. We've really got to fix the connecting rods and get out of here, or we're dead men," Hiccup said. Then he turned to see Snotlout was stuffing his face was purple-red berries. "Snotlout, I'm not sure you should be eating those," he added.
"Well, I'm not sure you should be telling me what to eat," Snotlout retorted, his mouth still full of berries. "Especially after you took my biscuit," he added to Toothless, who was sniffing the bush curiously. "Hey, back off! These berries are mine!"
"Those berries also happen to be poisonous," Hiccup pointed out.
"Hey, we're on Outcast Island! We're going into battle. We need to save our strength, a concept you know nothing about," Snotlout snapped.
"Battle the Outcasts, really? Just the two of us?" Hiccup asked in disbelief.
"Abtholutely," Snotlout replied in a horrible lisp.
"What did you say?" Hiccup asked, turning around before noticing Snotlout's badly swollen tongue.
"I thaid, abtholutely. As in, of courthe," he replied, sounding a bit more confused than before.
Hiccup shook his head in frustration. This was exactly what he was afraid would happen. Snotlout rushed blindly into everything, and was paying the price for it now. He really wished that Alex was here, maybe they could get off the island between the two of them.
"Give me my satchel," he ordered. "Alex may have given me something to help with your tongue."
"Thatchel?" Snotlout repeated, sounding nervous.
"No, no, no!" Hiccup threw his arms up in frustration after realizing where Snotlout was going with this. "Do not just tell me that you left it there. If someone finds that 'thatchel', we're done! It's got the Berk crest on it!"
"Relax, we're thafe," Snotlout replied. "Trutht me, no one is going to find it."
...
"I swear to God, if anything has happened to Alex, I'm gonna strangle that Jorgenson boy myself," Jacob growled as he paced between Sniper and Stormfly. Astrid watched his ranting with a smirk, her arms folded while he continued ranting under his breath.
"They've been gone for a whole day," Stoick put on as he joined them. "I thought you said they were right behind you?"
"Knowing Hiccup, they've probably set down to wait out the storm," Astrid reassured the Chief.
"And if they haven't?" Jacob asked, his anxiety reaching boiling point. "What if something's happened to them?"
"You seem to care an awful lot about a certain someone," Astrid pointed out.
"Yeah well, she's my best friend," Jacob replied after realizing who the young blond was talking about. "I just wish I'd had the chance to admit that we were more than just friends," he added, his voice dropping to a whisper.
"I see something!" Fishlegs suddenly called.
Everyone looked to the sky to see what Fishlegs had seen. Sure enough, a figure was approaching them fast. It didn't take them long to recognize what said figure was. The figure happened to be Hookfang, engulfed in flames and heading straight towards the riders. Sniper let out an irritated growl that sent the Monstrous Nightmare turning in circles.
"If Hookfang is here, than where's his rider?" Fishlegs asked anxiously.
"And where are Hiccup, Toothless, Alex and Snowfire?" Jacob put in.
"I don't know, but I don't like this," Astrid murmured thoughtfully.
"Get your dragons ready," Stoick ordered. "We're heading out!"
...
Snowfire had blocked my view when we reached a beach. My eyes narrowed when I recognized an Outcast boat. This wasn't good. An Outcast boat on this island meant that we were on their territory, or they were investigating this island for whatever reason.
"This isn't going to end well for anyone, if they see us," I muttered crossly. Snowfire only growled in agreement. That was when I noticed an oddly familiar entrance. One that led directly to the caves where Alvin and his men worked. "Okay, maybe staying on this island wasn't the greatest ideas I've had," I admitted.
I chose that moment to approach the rocky cliff nearby, hopeful they hadn't spotted me first.
'They will know that we are here,' Snowfire warned me. 'We should leave, now.'
"Not until we—" My heart nearly skipped a beat when a familiar roar cut me off. "Toothless!" I couldn't help but grin as said Night Fury nearly tackled me to the ground in a happy warble. "It's good to see you too," I laughed when he finally let me up.
"Alex, you're okay!" Hiccup's cry made me look up in surprise. Standing beside him was a very annoyed but relieved looking Snotlout. "I thought you would've flown away with the others by now."
He held out a hand to help me back on my feet.
'She did not want to abandon you, hatchlings,' Snowfire explained, shooting a glare at Snotlout.
"Awe, you were jutht too chicken to go on your own," Snotlout replied. I smirked after noticing that Snotlout's tongue was swollen and hanging out of his mouth. "What?" he asked, giving me a cold look.
"What's the plan from here?" I asked, ignoring his question.
"We need to wait until nightfall," Hiccup explained, gesturing to the village that led to Alvin's compound. "Once the blacksmith leaves, I can sneak in and get a new connecting rod for Toothless' tail fin."
Only than did I notice that Toothless' tail fin had been replaced with a new one.
"Okay, sounds like a plan," I murmured thoughtfully. Then I looked at Snotlout with a knowing smirk. "You know, there is a remedy for that swollen tongue of yours," I added.
Snotlout looked like he wanted to know what that remedy involved. Fortunately he didn't have the guts to ask. Toothless was giving me a look that said everything Snotlout needed to know. This was not going to end well for Snotlout.
...
Meanwhile, somewhere out at sea, a small rescue party of dragon riders were approaching the area where Hiccup and the others had disappeared. Hookfang, who was currently flaming up under Gobber, flew beside Jacob and Sniper.
"Easy there, dragon! It's a good thing I packed my iron skivvies," Gobber shouted while trying to keep Hookfang under control. "That's it, dragon. Sniff out your master's scent." He was holding onto the Monstrous Nightmare's horns as tightly as he could.
"It's Snotlout, how hard can that be?" Astrid asked in a joking manner while Stormfly hovered close to Sniper. She was concerned for Jacob, especially after hearing what he had to say about his missing friend.
"I don't think he's taken a bath once since I've met him," Jacob muttered. "It's a wonder his stench hasn't attracted scavengers."
The twins were busy annoying Stoick as he flew Thornado close to him.
"Are we there yet?" Tuffnut asked.
"No," Stoick replied.
"I have to go to the bathroom," Ruffnut whined.
"You should have said that before we left," Stoick snapped, sounding exasperated.
"That's what the helmets are for," Tuffnut retorted. The twins suddenly took their helmets off to do their business.
"Ugh, that's more than I needed to see in my lifetime," Jacob grumbled, shielding his eyes from the sight.
"Hang on, I think the dragon's got a whiff," he suddenly heard Gobber shout.
...
Back on Outcast island, Hiccup was leading both me and Snotlout to the blacksmith stall. It was already dusk, and the longer they stayed on the island, the better chances they had of Alvin or one of the Outcasts spotting us. I really wasn't in any hurry to become their prisoner again.
Unfortunately, venturing into the village meant I had to leave Snowfire outside. She had a tendency to stand out. And attack those who were an obvious threat to anyone she cared about. That could lead us into disaster.
"Come on, hurry! We don't know how long the blacksmith will be gone," Hiccup urged us.
"Do you know how hard it is to keep Snowfire from following us?" I asked with a roll of my eyes. "Of course I'm trying to hurry." It was Snotlout who seemed to take his good old time.
"Betty Boda bought a bit of bitter butter. And she said, 'this butter's bitter.' If I bought a bit of better butter, it would—" I cut Snotlout off by elbowing him in the rib. He let out a choking cough before glaring at me. "What was that for?" he demanded crossly.
"One, for being an ass, and two, for talking so much that you could give away our position," I explained, my voice dropping to a whisper. "Be thankful my punches aren't as hard as Astrid's."
"Snotlout, what are you doing in the first place?" Hiccup asked with a roll of his eyes.
"I was enjoying my tongue again," Snotlout explained.
Really? Because my eardrums weren't. Luckily it seemed like the poison was fully out of his system. Night Fury saliva, it made a surprisingly good remedy for poisonous plants. And Toothless had been all too willing to help out as well.
"Well, I'm glad someone is," Hiccup muttered as if he'd read my thoughts.
That's when Snotlout caught sight of a familiar dragon. Or at least what he thought was familiar. It only took me a second to realize that this happened to be a wild Monstrous Nightmare that Snotlout was rushing at.
"Hookfang!" he shouted with glee.
"No, Snotlout, wait!" Too late, Snotlout realized that it wasn't Hookfang.
"Whoa, not Hookfang," he yelped, backing away from the dragon that glared at him.
"It's a wild Monstrous Nightmare," Hiccup explained before Toothless suddenly roared at it. "Toothless, stop!"
"There they are, the Berk intruders!"
"Uh, guys... we have company," I stated, seeing a group of Outcast soldiers headed in our direction.
"Run!" Before I could make sense of what was happening, Hiccup suddenly grabbed my hand and ran in the opposite direction of the soldiers, Snotlout and Toothless close behind. The Outcast soldiers began firing arrows from their crossbows, prompting the four of us to make for a shallow crevice to avoid getting hit. "Circle back around, bud!" Hiccup instructed as Toothless looked at us anxiously.
"Be careful, Toothless, and warn Snowfire!" I called after the Night Fury.
"There they go, that way!" one of the Outcast soldiers shouted. They were relentless in their pursuit, shooting arrows at the teens as they dodged them.
"It's like gym class all over again," I gasped once I managed to catch my breath. We'd been running for what felt like forever, until finally we managed to shake the Outcast soldiers off our trail. Hiccup took a few more minutes to catch his breath, while Snotlout barely looked like he broke a sweat. "Yeah, definitely gym class," I muttered under my breath. Snotlout could easily pass for a football player in our world.
"Good, they're gone," Hiccup sighed in relief once he'd caught his breath. "Alright, we'll just wait here until Toothless and Snowfire get back, then head to the blacksmith shop."
"No way! I'm not going anywhere near that place," Snotlout protested. "You almost got us caught!"
"Really? Now?" I muttered with a roll of my eyes.
'I told you this was a bad idea,' Snowfire hummed once she and Toothless found us. Unfortunately, Hiccup and Snotlout were caught in another one of their infamous arguments. 'Do they ever cease their arguing?' she asked, rolling her eyes in annoyance.
"I almost got—" Hiccup paused to let Snotlout's words sink in. "The only reason the Outcasts know we're here is because you lost the satchel with the Berk crest on it!"
"Well, who brought the satchel with the Berk crest on it?" Snotlout retorted.
"Well I had no idea we would end up on Outcast Island!" Hiccup shot back.
"So you're not prepared and I get the blame?" Snotlout demanded.
"Would you two quit it?" I shouted above their arguing. Both of them looked at me in surprise, and even Toothless looked taken aback. "This arguing isn't going to get us anywhere, especially with those soldiers looking for us. Just once would it kill you to get along?"
Somehow it felt like I was back in preschool, where someone was fighting over a pack of broken crayons. And this was only giving me a headache.
"We could build a raft to get us off this island," Hiccup suggested after apologizing. Snotlout, of course, refused to apologize.
Luckily though, with a bit of grudging reluctance, Snotlout agreed with the raft idea. I only gave Snowfire a smirk. If anyone could get us off this island, it was her. But Toothless couldn't fly, and I doubt she could carry three riders and a dragon. Besides, it was good to actually see if these two could work together.
Unfortunately, Snotlout refused to do any of the physical work while Toothless and I helped gather the wood. We were halfway finished with the raft when Snotlout began another argument; this time it was Hiccup who'd started it.
"There you go... good job, bud," Hiccup praised Toothless as the Night Fury handed him a piece of wood. What am I, chop liver? "At least someone is pulling their weight around here," he added over his shoulder. That's when Snotlout chose to rebel again.
"Oh, you are so smug," he said in a sarcastic tone.
"ME?" Hiccup exclaimed. I only shook my head in frustration once again.
'Useless hatchlings,' Snowfire hissed under her breath.
"Well, I wonder how long it'll take for Alvin to find us?" I wondered to no one in particular.
'At this rate, their squabbling voices will attract his attention,' Snowfire chimed in.
"Hiccup's so smart! Hiccup's so brave! He killed the Red Death! He's trained the dragons! He's got a metal leg!" Snotlout went on rambling, and I nearly facepalmed at the stupidity of this argument.
"That was low, Snotlout, even for you," I muttered crossly. Neither of them seemed to hear me though. Toothless looked at his rider uneasily as he scurried to my side, warbling in concern. "Yeah, I feel you," I whispered while scratching his chin.
"Metal leg?!" I don't think I've ever seen Hiccup this angry. Than again I've only known him for about a year and a half. "That's what's bothering?! That's where you're going? Metal leg?!"
"No, it's everything the leg's attached to!" Snotlout fired back.
'Enough!' Snowfire suddenly snapped, stepping between them. Her stern glare was enough to shut them both up, and I let out a sigh of relief. 'If you continue on like this, I will personally rip your throats out and feed them to the Scauldron's,' she finished, earning looks of disbelief from both Hiccup and Snotlout.
Snotlout's mouth opened and closed like he wanted to say something else, but luckily he thought better of it. Instead he threw his hands up in frustration and started wandering away.
For the first time, I understood what Hiccup had meant when he said that he never got along with his cousin. The two of them were nothing alike, yet they shared the same blood. And of course, Snotlout did not want to take orders from someone like his cousin. My fists clenched with frustration as I tried thinking of a way to make them understand one another. Otherwise we were never getting off this island.
"Snowfire's right," I muttered crossly. "I only just ran into you two, and all you've been doing since than is argue with one another. You're supposed to be cousins, why not treat each other as such? And Snotlout, it's your reckless behavior that got us into this mess in the first place. If you'd actually listen for a change, than maybe we wouldn't get into these situations!"
"Alex, I—" I cut Hiccup off before he could continue.
"I'm not finished," I snapped, glaring at them both. "You should consider yourselves lucky to have each other. This isn't the way family should treat each other. I should know." My voice suddenly became bitter, and it wasn't because of their constant arguing. I've never met my dad's side of the family, and my mom's family had cut her off before she was even married. They had no idea just how lucky they were to know each other. "Be thankful for what you have, because one day, it might just disappear."
"Where are you going?" Hiccup asked as I turned back towards the direction we'd run from.
"To the blacksmith," I called over my shoulder. "You're more than welcome to join me once you've settled your differences."
I'm not even sure where this sudden bravery came from. But I knew that somehow we had to get off this island without causing a fuss over it. And I was going to prove that it could be done.
...
Hiccup exchanged a look of surprise with Snotlout. After what had happened on the island during the Heather incident, both were surprised she had the courage to face them again. Snowfire looked like she was ready to charge after her rider when Toothless let out a warning warble.
"She's gone and out of sight," Snotlout sighed once Alex had left them alone. "You know, she's got a lot of fire in her. I'm surprised you can tolerate her."
Hiccup only glared at him in response. Despite his cousin's arrogant attitude, at least Snotlout had finally gotten quiet after her outburst. Both of them were well aware that she had a history she wasn't willing to share, and that curiosity had gotten the better of Snotlout.
"Look... I don't know if you'll ever get along with me... and I'm okay with that, Snotlout," Hiccup explained after earning a look of surprise from his cousin. Snotlout, for once, decided to listen to what his cousin had to say. "If you don't want to come, you can wait here with Toothless and Snowfire. I'll go and find Alex, I'm sure Alvin would love to get his hands on her. You don't have to come if you don't want to." For once, Snotlout was quite once again before shrugging.
"I'll probably just slow you guys down anyways... you go on ahead," he replied. Nodding, Hiccup motioned for Toothless to follow. "You know, Alex is right," Snotlout suddenly added. Hiccup turned and looked at him in surprise. "About the whole family thing," he quickly put in. "I should've been looking out for you, when all I've done is make things worse. I guess I can be too proud for my own good, and I have been a real jerk to you. So... I guess I'm sorry."
Hiccup could hardly believe that Snotlout was saying these things. Maybe Alex really had gotten through to his cousin's head. Either way, he was grateful to have a moment of silence between them.
"We'll be back in a little while," he reassured Snotlout. "You sure you're okay, staying here with Snowfire?"
'I shall look after the hatchling,' Snowfire reassured them both. Hiccup could only smirk at that.
"Just make sure you two get a move on," Snotlout muttered after rolling his eyes. "I really would like to keep my throat after all of this."
Without another word, both Hiccup and Toothless left Snotlout on the beach with Snowfire. That alone should make things interesting for the Jorgenson boy. Snowfire had a quick temper and wouldn't put up with him so easily. Hopefully Snotlout would still be alive when they got back.
...
"Well, well, if it isn't the girl who can bond with dragons." I groaned at the sound of Savage's voice. "So nice of you to drop by." I turned to face said Outcast soldier, my fists clenched as I glared at him defiantly.
"Damn, I should've known you'd still be here," I muttered crossly.
"All by yourself now, are you?" he asked in a mocking tone. Luckily I still kept a dagger at my side. I'd learned in a short time to always keep it with me. And this time having it came in handy as I rushed at Savage. Unfortunately he easily sidestepped just as I reached him, only to have another soldier grab me by the collar of my shirt. "Wouldn't you like to have a reunion with that boy?" Savage asked in a sneer while I struggled to free myself. "I'm sure he's looking for you as we speak."
"In the meantime, we could always have some fun with the girl," another soldier said with a sly smirk. My heart nearly skipped a beat in horror at that. "I bet she'd—" Savage stopped him before he could say anything else.
"Shut your trap!" he snapped. "Alvin wants the girl alive. Besides, if she's hear, than so is Stoick's boy. Those two are always together."
"But she has a pretty face," the soldier added. I struggled against Savage's grip, but despite those efforts, he wouldn't let go.
"Enough, if want the boy to listen than we'd best keep her in the best health possible. Besides, he'd more than likely destroy our entire island if we violated her in any way," Savage snapped once again.
I squeezed my eyes shut at the thought of what they could do to me. Their little chat only brought back terrible nightmares. Nightmares that I'd rather keep hidden from the rest of the world. At least Savage seemed to have some sense of morality, unlike the rest of his comrades.
"So, what are we supposed to do with the brat, than?" the soldier asked in annoyance.
"We'll use you as bait, my lass," Savage replied, looking down at me with a knowing grin.
A shudder ran through me at the thought. I couldn't let them hurt Hiccup, or the dragons. I'd never felt more useless than now.
...
The rescue party had been on route for what felt like hours when Fishlegs finally spotted something in the water.
"You guys need to see this," he alerted everyone.
"There's something red in the water," Jacob announced after spotting what Fishlegs had seen. Than his eyes widened with realization after remembering what Toothless' tail fin looked like.
"Okay, Stormfly, tail flip," Astrid ordered. Stormfly obeyed her with ease and used her tail flip maneuver to grab the floating object. Only when the object was out of the water did she realize why Jacob was gaping at the object in horror. "It's... Toothless' tail," she said softly, gripping the cloth tightly.
"Oh no, Toothless lost his tail! If Toothless doesn't have a tail, than he can't fly! He can't fly! He can't fly! He can't—" Stoick cut Fishlegs' mumbling off randomly with a stern look.
"Enough! Those kids are probably stranded at sea," he explained. "We fly close to the water." Thornado swooped down closer to the sea, not noticing the look of concern washing over Jacob's face as the young teen flew along side Astrid and Fishlegs.
"That doesn't explain why Alex didn't come back with Snowfire," he muttered quietly.
"Alex wouldn't leave Hiccup's side," Astrid murmured. "Not with Snotlout around, at least." Only than did she notice that it wasn't Hiccup that Jacob was worried about. "Do you regret not making the first move?" she suddenly asked.
Jacob looked at Astrid in disbelief before shaking his head. Sniper rolled his eyes at his rider's lack of trust in the group. "Is it that obvious?" he asked in a whisper.
"Oh yeah, it's obvious," Astrid replied with a smirk. Her gaze softened though when she realized that he was serious. "Why didn't you say anything before all of this?"
"I-I don't know!" he snapped. "Before we showed up in this world I had a crush on Jessica, but than... I always did like Alex, maybe even as more than just a friend. But than she met Hiccup and..."
"I know how you feel," Astrid suddenly told him, her voice quiet enough that the others didn't hear. Jacob looked at her in disbelief. "If there was anything I could do to change the past, I'd go back and apologize to him. For everything I've said and done." Her grip on Stormfly's saddle tightened.
Neither of them said another word as they continued searching for all three teens. This was a search and rescue mission. They had to find them before the storms broke again.
...
Luckily Hiccup had arrived at the forge within about thirty minutes. Toothless had hidden himself after a group of Outcast soldiers walked by. The area seemed oddly quiet as Hiccup made his way inside. Once he was inside he immediately went to work on a new connecting rod.
Unfortunately his work didn't last long when he was interrupted by someone approaching the forge.
"And just what are we making, Hiccup?" Savage's voice made him jump in surprise. Hiccup finally looked up to see the older man grinning at him.
"A gift for... Alvin!" Hiccup quickly explained, thinking fast of some kind of excuse. "To thank him for his hospitality."
Suddenly, one of Savage's guards fell on the ground nearby, clutching his knee in pain. Both Hiccup and Savage looked at him in confusion until Alex suddenly came rushing at Savage, dagger in hand. Savage stood there in disbelief, his mouth gaping open when he suddenly grabbed her by the wrist.
"Oi, you're quite the feisty little girl, aren't you?" he sneered. "I'll have to remember that the next time we're holding you hostage."
Hiccup's fists clenched with fury as more Outcast soldiers surrounded him. They were outnumbered and outmatched. This wasn't going to end well for either of them, and Toothless couldn't find a way through here even if he wanted to.
"You can thank Alvin in person when we're finished with you," Savage added to Hiccup once he was secured.
...
"Where are they? They should've been back by now," Snotlout muttered as he sat on a nearby rock. Snowfire had, luckily, kept mostly to herself. The Jorgenson boy was in no hurry to feel the harsh sting of her tongue. He'd learned all too quickly that it was best not to piss off a White Terror, especially with her rider around.
'Something is wrong,' Snowfire suddenly growled. Snotlout eyed her in disbelief when he realized that she was speaking to him.
Eventually he decided to go about with Hiccup's idea and build a raft. He doubted Snowfire would let him ride on her back to begin with. Fortunately the construction of the raft didn't take long as he wound the planks of wood together and eyed it proudly. It might not look like the best raft, but at least it would float... right?
"You and Alex aren't the only ones who can come up a good idea, Hiccup. Ha! Ha! Snotlout, Snotlout! Oi! Oi! Oi!" he exclaimed, feeling more than happy with himself. Of course he had to stub his toe when Snowfire was watching in amusement. "Good thing they weren't there to see that," he added, wincing in pain.
That's when Toothless arrived. Snowfire was immediately on the defensive, her head raised and wings looking more ruffled than usual. The Night Fury continued nudging and prompting Snotlout to follow him, roaring to catch his attention.
'I knew it!' Snowfire's roar of defiance echoed across the beach. The temperature around them had suddenly gotten much colder, and Snotlout shivered against the cold breeze.
"What? Oh, I get it. Something's wrong with Hiccup and Alex," Snotlout realized after understanding what she meant by that. He than glanced at Toothless, already knowing that Snowfire would never allow him to ride her. Without a second thought he mounted the Night Fury.
Fortunately Toothless understood where he was getting at and ran back towards the forge. Snowfire had taken to the sky and kept an eye from above. Toothless was well aware that Alex and Hiccup wouldn't be there, but at least the connecting rod would.
"Hiccup! Alex!" he called out, half expecting to see them waiting there patiently. Snotlout frowned and turned to Toothless after realizing they weren't there. "Stupid dragon, they're not even here!" he grunted before noticing the metal rod Hiccup had left behind. "Hm... this looks familiar," he said to himself. That's when Snotlout suddenly remembered why they'd come here in the first place. He turned around and was ready to fix the Night Fury's tail when suddenly he came face-to-face with an Outcast soldier. "Ah!" Snotlout screamed and scrambled away before the soldier could grab him. Then a couple more showed up. Luckily Snotlout was a pro at fighting, and fought them off with the rod while Toothless fired a plasma blast and whacked them with his tail. Once all the Outcast soldiers were down, Snotlout took the chance to fix Toothless' tail fin. "You know what, Toothless? We make a pretty good team. I might not give you back," Snotlout said after grinning at the Night Fury.
Toothless just rolled his eyes at the human's comment. After listening to him argue all day with his best human friend, there was no way Toothless would ever become partners with Snotlout again after this. For now they needed to work together and rescue their friends.
"I'm kidding," Snotlout reassured him. "Now let's get 'em, Toothless!"
...
Being bored was something I did not enjoy in my life. Especially when we were on our way to meet Alvin again. Savage and his soldiers were leading us on a rocky path to wherever Alvin was waiting. I wasn't looking forward to seeing him again, not after what the bastard had done to me and the dragons. To make matters worse, Savage kept asking why we were here in the first place.
"Stoick wouldn't have sent you two here alone. Where's the rest of your party?" he asked, turning to look at the pair.
"Oh, no. No, it's just us," Hiccup reassured Alvin's highest ranking soldier. "We're just taking a little vacation. Alex and I heard that Outcast Island is beautiful at this time of the year." I didn't miss the sarcasm in his voice, and couldn't help but smirk.
"We just needed a change in scenery," I chimed in, playing along. That was when I noticed the same soldier that Savage had scolded earlier was giving me 'the look'. A shudder ran through me at what was running through the bastard's mind. Hiccup had noticed it too, and immediately fired something I never expected to hear him say.
"I swear by Odin, if you do anything to hurt her, I'll personally cut your throat out, do you hear me?" The soldier in question stared at Hiccup with horrified eyes, and frankly, I couldn't blame him. "I said, do you hear me?" Hiccup repeated himself, the venom in his voice catching everyone off guard.
"I-Yes," the soldier quickly replied after realizing that Hiccup was serious. Even Savage looked a little afraid at Hiccup's dark warning. Without a second thought I grabbed Hiccup's hand and squeezed it gently.
"Hiccup, don't," I whispered softly. "I don't like this side of you." Hiccup looked at me in surprise before nodding in understanding. This kind of behavior reminded me too much of my father, and he was someone I'd rather forget.
"I'm sorry, Alex," he murmured, ashamed that he'd stooped to that level. I couldn't help but blush when he leaned against me, his cheek nuzzling mine. Savage only rolled his eyes at the young couple's affection.
"Anyways, Savage, we'll never train the dragons for you," I put in. "Nor will we ever reveal our secrets."
"Oh, Alvin will get it out of you two," Savage replied with a knowing smirk. "You he can force to bond the dragons with. As for the boy, well, Alvin has his ways. Move!" he shouted before giving us a hard shove.
We were shoved forward, only to trudge along the overpass where Alvin was waiting for us. A shiver ran through me when Alvin eyed us both with a hungry expression.
"Happy birthday to me! Happy birthday to me!" Alvin chuckled upon seeing the two dragon riders.
"I'm confused, is it your birthday or not?" one Outcast soldier asked.
"As far as you're concerned, every day is my birthday," Alvin snapped before yelling loudly at the rest of his men, "Now prepare the dragons, their trainers have arrived!"
I could only glare at Alvin as we were pushed towards him. Just when it seemed like we weren't about to get out of this situation, help arrived. Rocks and boulders were falling down towards the waiting soldiers.
"Run!" one Outcast soldier yelled in alarm.
"Now, Toothless!" Snotlout yelled as the Night Fury charged into battle with him. My eyes widened in amazement when I realized they'd arrived just in time.
"Back the other way!" Savage ordered as he and everyone tried to escape the chaos.
"Toothless!" Hiccup cried with joy when Toothless approached him. "I can't believe I'm saying this, Snotlout!"
"As usual, I can only rely on myself," Alvin growled after realizing his men had run away.
"Hiccup, Alex!" Snotlout exclaimed, relieved to see that they were both unharmed.
"Are we glad to see you two," I added with a grin.
"Ah, good to see you too. Thank you, bud," Hiccup said, grateful that Toothless had arrived just in time.
"Need some help?" Alvin sneered as he pulled out a crossbow and aimed it at Snotlout.
"Snotlout!" Hiccup called. Luckily, Snotlout ducked just in time. I gave one wave of my hand, and suddenly a blast of flames was fired at Alvin, knocking the crossbow right out of his hand. One familiar roar was all it took for me to know that Snowfire was still with us.
"Yeah, you better run!" Snotlout was laughing as Alvin went scurrying in the opposite direction as she landed in front of Toothless.
'Foolish hatchlings, you should not have come here alone,' Snowfire growled, angry that we'd put all of our lives at risk.
"Thank you, Snow," I murmured, placing a hand on her snout as she hummed in contentment. Unfortunately, Alvin wasn't finished with us as he ran towards his remaining soldiers.
"Shoot them down! Fire!" Alvin was shouting while Snowfire took into the air along with Toothless.
They both dodged the attacks with ease, and Toothless fired several plasma blasts at Alvin and his men to scare them off. I was more than grateful to get away from that island, and the dark memories it brought back.
...
Once we were a safe distance away from the island, we all cheered.
"Snotlout, I can't believe I'm saying this, but you and Toothless are the heroes this time," I said with a sheepish grin.
"Whoo-hoo!" Hiccup cheered while grinning at his cousin. "Do you realize what we just did?" he asked.
"We totally kicked butt, duh," Snotlout replied.
"Yeah, and we kicked butt together," Hiccup put in.
"You actually worked together, and here I didn't think that was possible," I said cheekily. Snotlout just stuck his tongue out at me.
"Look, Snotlout, I'm—"
"Hungry, right?" Snotlout suddenly chimed in, cutting his cousin off.
"Yeah, exactly," Hiccup laughed in agreement.
"You know, this is the first time I've ever seen the two of you get along since we've met," I suddenly pointed out. "So I think that in itself deserves a celebration. Dinner's on me tonight."
Snotlout gave me a look of surprise. Hey, I knew how to cook. Considering I'd been living on my own now for the last year, I'd had to adapt pretty quickly.
"Sounds like a plan," Hiccup said with a knowing smirk.
"Hey, what's that?" Fishlegs' voice sounded in the distance, he and Meatlug spotting us from not too far away. Astrid narrowed her eyes when she spotted us as well.
"It's Hiccup, and Alex!" she exclaimed, sounding more than relieved.
"And they've picked up a baby seal," Tuffnut said, referring to Snotlout.
"Snotlout!" Fishlegs exclaimed in surprise, the Jorgenson boy giving him a salute. Stoick was more than happy to see us when he approached Snowfire and Toothless.
"Son, you're safe," he sighed in relief.
"We never had a doubt," Gobber added.
"Alex, are you okay?" Jacob asked when Sniper flew in close.
"Never better," I replied with a sheepish grin.
"Hello? Other quarter of the team," Snotlout complained when everyone ignored him. Hookfang than chose that moment to fly right towards his rider, engulfed in flames as he approached. "Hookfang!" he shouted with happiness, jumping onto Hookfang's back. "I'm still mad at you!" he shouted after Hookfang flamed up once again.
Hiccup and I exchanged grins as Snotlout hugged his dragon. Despite his obnoxious behavior, Snotlout had proven himself as a good friend in the end. I'm glad he was on our side, because he'd make one hell of an enemy.
Sometimes the last person you want to rely on is the one person you get stuck with, and being stuck with Snotlout was no picnic. But who knew where we would have been had it not been for his help? Sometimes life worked out in mysterious ways.
AN: I only just realized that my chapters have a tendency to sound alike when they first start out ^^ Anywho, this one was a little challenging to write, but I still had fun with it nonetheless. Hopefully there weren't too many mistakes.
Sil - It was a well deserved one :P And don't worry, you're not the only one who does.
CartoonLoverBecky - Actually that's part of the reason why I love Dagur so much. He reminds me of Cyrus from Tron: Uprising. Both characters are great, and I love having someone to hate XD And yeah, the second season is pretty awesome... I haven't seen all of the episodes yet, but I've seen enough to know that it is.
The Silent Fury - I feel like all twins just love to argue and finish each others sentences. It just makes things all the more entertaining :P
