Things were mixed on Hiccup's side.
Alvin was coming around soon to sign the first official treaty between him and of Berk. For 20 years he and Stoick had fought over how he thought the village should have been protected, but that was the past. They had burned that bridge between them, and built a new one, all because of a change of heart.
Hiccup, on the other hand, was still on the offensive about Alvin. Even though he had helped him reunite with his father and stop Dagur from destroying Berk, a man like Alvin doesn't change, even when shown that he was wrong for what he had down. Stock too was doubtful of Alvin's miraculous change of heart, but only the future can decide.
The Leatherhead child and tribe were going to be sent off by boat, hoping that they will find a new home since the battle was a loss. Tigerlily had recovered from the major wounds, and was able to walk on her own, but she now needed a staff to support her body. The other teens had since became much of a help to her, and had reconciled with one another. Getting some supplies from the food storage, with the supervision of the chiefs, they were going to have food to leave with. The Bog-Burglars and the Meatheads were departing as well, as they had other chiefly duties of their own, and molding their children into acting chiefs.
Hiccup was at the watch tower, looking over at the ocean that lead the Leatherheads, Meatheads, and Bog-Burglars out of the Archipelago. He was happy that everything died down from before, but he felt like something wasn't done the way it should have been. He then began to remember Mayweather, and wonder where she had really went. Astrid and the gang began to head up the watch tower.
"Sup Hiccup," Astrid said, standing next to him and looking over at the ocean. "Thought you might want company," she asked.
"Wrong!" Snotlout said, "She wanted to know what's up with you. You've been moping around all week and stuff."
"I was going somewhere with this but thanks," Astrid said angrily.
"Anytime, buttercup," Snotlout replied with sweetness in his voice, in which Astrid had growled.
"Anyways, you've been a little distracted. What's up?" she asked him. He sighed and looked at her.
"We gave up too early for Mayweather," Hiccup finally said. The group had gone silent for a moment before Tuffnut spoke.
"Who?" he said.
"What? Tuffnut how could you!" Hiccup said.
"Hey, hey, hey I was just kidding. I am deeply concerned for Mayweather," he said, his hands behind his back. "Aren't we Ruffnut?"
"Yes, we are good sir," Ruffnut said jokingly.
"Guys!" Hiccup said, looking frustrated. "I know that we've had a lot to deal with in the course of three months, with the baby Thunderdrums and the Screaming Death… and Dagur. But through everything, we still owe it to Mayweather," he explained.
"But she chose to look for Vladimir. That's her problem, not ours~" Snotlout said.
"Well, it wasn't her problem when the twins were almost killed by that Whispering Death, and it wasn't her problem when me and Toothless got netted by Dagur, but she still helped us out," Hiccup said, validating Mayweather's actions. "Mayweather was always there when we were in trouble, no questions ask. Now we need to do the same for her again," Hiccup said. "Who's with me."
No one answered, they all looked at one another and frowned a bit. Astrid had step up from the group of teens. "Hiccup… maybe we should… stop," she explained.
"What? After everything we've been through?" Hiccup said in confusion.
"I'm not saying we should stop completely, but maybe Mayweather doesn't want to be found. Maybe she'll come around on her own," Astrid said. "Besides, she's probably off the edge of the world by now."
"This doesn't mean that we won't stop thinking about Mayweather… I sometimes wonder where she is," Fishlegs confessed.
"We think about her every day… seriously," Tuffnut said. "OUR SISTER FROM ANOTHER MISTER MUST BE FOUND!" he said, his sister nodding to this.
"Anyways, when you're ready, I'll be patrolling the Archipelago with Toothless," Hiccup said, "I wanna look for Mayweather."
Mayhem's Abyss
Mayweather sat at the edge of a cliff, her knees tucked up to her chest. She had changed… severely. She was no longer the girl she was three months ago. She looked different… and acted different.
Her hair, once soft and supple became frizzy and dusty colored. It was from her flights with Roedd that made her hair stand up. She had to make three tight fish braids to keep the loose hairs kept calm. Her skin was flawed a bit, as she had suffered from falling off steep cliffs. She had scarring on her arms, legs, and even on her cheek. She had looked into the soft looking horizon. Her dragon had crawled up the cliff, appearing in front of her.
"Hey there, buddy," she cooed, scratching the dragon's neck, the dragon responding with trills. He had fell off the cliff and flew up and behind the girl. He had crawled behind her and engulfed her in his large wings. "Thank you~" she cooed. Gunther, Angus, and Beowulf zoomed pass them, squawking and roaring at one another. "Hey! You leave each other alone," she scolded, the dragons halting at the girl's demand. The dragons had knocked into one another falling on top of each other. They separated, crawling to Mayweather and licked her face.
"Hey hey hey!" she said, pushing them away playfully. "I can't get rid of this dragon spit you know," she said, laughing a bit. She had scratched her dragons, the legs kicking as they were treated like little babies. She had laughed herself. It was good to know that dragons like these were as loyal as anyone else she had encountered. She had stopped scratching, and began to think about it.
Hiccup… he was her friend, and much more, a mentor. He taught her a lot about dragons from just reading the book of dragons. Everyone she meant made her a stringer person. She wanted to go back to Berk so badly, but she didn't want to be bombarded and even more confronted by them, if they were to bombard her. Oh she could hear them say it.
Where were you! Why did you leave?
She didn't want to think about it, she just wanted to forget everything that had happened to her. Horrowcow had sudden nudged her, his green snout rubbing against her arm. "Aw, you want a snack?" she said. She had gotten up and grabbed her halberd. it was a little bit chipped, but the jaggedness of the weapon made it well for her kill instantly.
She jogged through the trees of her home, now decorated in little spindly branches with rare sightings of leaves. She had spotted a wild boar with it's young. She waited behind a rock, hoping the wild boar did not spot her. When she looked over the rock, the boar had its back turned. She had then took her chance, and leaped at the unsuspecting boar.
Back on Berk
The teens were at the arena. A few hours had gone by since Hiccup had searched around the Archipelago to search for Mayweather. "He'll show up soon," Astrid said.
"You said that an hour ago," Snotlout said. "Face it, sweet pea, he's gone. But luckily I'm still here," he said, flexing his arms.
"Oh stop it. I should have never said what I said before. We need to find Hiccup, and if we're lucky, Mayweather," Astrid said, mounting Stormfly.
"Wait, wait, wait. Are you serious?" Fishlegs said, looking worried.
"Yeah, now if you value Hiccup's friendship then come on!" She said, flying off into the sky.
The Cove
Hiccup was distraught. Never had he ever felt so conflicted before. He couldn't stop thinking about what Astrid said.
Maybe she'll come around on her own.
Hiccup wanted to believe that she would come around on her own, but it was hard to believe it. She didn't come at all when she was looking for the skrill; it had only induced her return when he found her. This had been the longest disappearance Mayweather had made ever. Toothless was laying on his side, resting his exhausted self near the water. He had looked worried for his friend, and wondered.
He had approached him and nuzzled his back. Hiccup had jumped and looked back. "Hey, Toothless," He said. Toothless gave him that puppy eyed look. "I'm just a little bit stuck is all, buddy."
Hiccup was trying to figure out where Mayweather was, and fast. He knew that Mayweather had all of those dragons, but even so she could have gone crazy and killed all of the dragons, and herself. Hiccup didn't even wanna think about the idea of find dragon carcasses all over the place, and a human one. He had shot up from rock and mounted Toothless. "We gotta find Mayweather," he said.
He took up up to the skies and looked over some sea stacks. He then heard familiar squawking sounds that were linked to a Deadly Nadder. He looked back to see Astrid, the smile on his face spreading.
"You guys!" he said, seeing the rest of the group behind her. "I can't believe it, you guys actually came."
"Hiccup you were right," Fishlegs said.
"We shouldn't have given up on Mayweather. She helped us with battles that weren't hers, and we need to be their for hers," Astrid defended.
"Alright! Team Berk!" Snotlout said, "race ya!" he said, the twins following.
"Guys! This is a life changing situation, not a competition," he said.
Hiccup's House
Stock had his meaty fingers locked into one another, looking at the door. Goober had fixed up some food for himself. He noticed that his long life friend stared daggers at the door, as if he was expecting someone to come through that door. "Stoick, I know something's that matter. Spit it out," Gobber said.
"Why?" he said vaguely.
"Stoick, you know I don't do the riddles. You should ask your son that and see if he answers," Gobber said with humor in his voice.
"Why did he change all of a sudden?" Stoick asked again. "Alvin loathed me for 20 years, and now he wants to be forgiven?" he said.
"Oh here we go again," Gobber said to himself, sitting across from him. "You've gone over this so many times I've counted my good toes," he said. "What's eating you up inside that making you over think this. He saved your son, and Berk."
"It could have been a cover up, Gobber," Stoick said. "You've seen what he's like, Gobber. He's wicked, he's dangerous, he's downright two faced-"
"To make it officially one word, treacherous. But he also saved your son," Gobber said. "I know it seems risky, but you were a little uneasy, too."
"How can you compare me to the likes of him," Stoick said.
"I'm not. I'm just saying that some people change. You were very hesitant to accept the idea of dragons around Berk. Now you like having Toothless around," Gobber argued.
"Alright… I get it. But not all people change, especially not Alvin," Stoick said.
"But you said it was in the past. You're taking it back now?" Goober questioned, having Stoick stop in his tracks. Stoick had inhaled.
"I know what I said Gobber; I may have said it's in the past, but I'm not going to ignore everything that happened because of Alvin. I'm keeping a close eye on him when he comes for the treaty signing i. Then I'll see if he's trustworthy," Stoick explained.
"Whatever you say Stoick," Gobber said. "But if you are going to do it, do it with concern for the future, not for the past," he said.
Stoick sat down, looking worried. "I don't know. Am I a fool to take back a man that tried to take over the village 20 years ago?" he asked Gobber. Goober had looked at him with blue eyes and chuckled a bit.
"Well when you put it like that it's hard to reply… but no, not at all. Yes the relationship may never be the same as it was before, but you can start building a new one with Alvin. You two were best friends before, and if Alvin is willing to meet you half way, then you should too."
Stoick nodded. Alvin didn't have to save Hiccup; he could have left him to be killed by Dagur or worse… but he didn't. If a man was willing to change that much through a series of life-threatening events, then maybe Alvin must have changed.
But it was for actions to decide.
