Apologies for the delay. I finally cleaned my computer. There was lots of... stuff. Anyways, enjoy chapter 8! : D
The ongoing wait was starting to feel as exhausting as walking all day. Heather sat on a large tree branch, back pressed against the rough bark of the trunk while she kept an eye out on the docks from the steep hill they had made use as a lookout point. She swung her leg rhythmically above the ground, absolutely bored from staring at boats all morning.
"Any good news?" asked Hiccup as he returned from scouting, approaching her from behind. The repetitive click of his prosthetic had notified Heather of his presence long before he'd spoken. She sighed, resting her head against the trunk.
"Depends on your definition of 'good'," she replied, looking down at him while she crossed her arms over her chest.
"How so?" wondered Hiccup, tilting his head curiously, hands full of blueberries he'd found on his way back.
"We got a ship that docked a few hours ago," reported Heather, tapping her fingers against her upper arm. "But I didn't see any dragons get unload."
"More Hunters?" guessed Hiccup, wishing he could get as good a view as she did.
"Looks like it," said Heather grimly. "I couldn't see much though, you know, without a spyglass."
Hiccup cupped the berries he'd gathered and wrapped them in a cloth he had tucked away in the small satchel at his belt. He stretched his arm for her to grasp.
"Thanks," she said, glad she could at least get some nutrients to satisfy her growling belly.
"Well, if we don't get lucky with a new cargo soon, we'll have to come up with another solution," said Hiccup, taking a few steps forward, narrowing his eyes on the little activity he could see through the foliage. "It's only a matter of time before these Hunters start tracking us down with more intention than just sending us on the run. If those are Hunters that just docked, my best guess is that they're gathering Hunters for training. Which means we better get ready. Come on."
Heather finished the last of the berries and swung down the branch, landing skillfully on her feet despite the considerable height her post was off the ground. She hurriedly joined his side, turning to him.
"What's your plan then?" she asked.
"Well, we can't hide," said Hiccup, meeting her gaze despondently. "The Hunters know this island. We'll have to keep on moving so that they don't pick up on our tracks."
"Sounds like a terrible plan," commented Heather, smirking. She could say that she was beginning to grow used to those by now.
Hiccup chuckled, nodding his agreement. "Yeah, it probably is," he said, meeting her gaze. "But it's all we've got. We can't take them by ourselves."
"If only I had my axe," said Heather, balling her fists in front of her. She missed the presence of her makeshift weapon that had saved her life so many times in the past. "I'd chop those Hunters to pieces."
"They're more likely to hunt while there's daylight, so we'll come back here when the dust settles back down, see if our ride has arrived," said Hiccup, bracing himself for another long day.
…
Ryker followed his own path while the rest of the recruits rushed into the woods, quickly scattering all over the place unprofessionally, shouting out and ruffling leaves. He was quiet - attentive. It didn't take him long to pick up tracks, and as he studied the soil on the edge of the forest bordering the cliffs of the canyon, he recognized the unmistakable prints of Hiccup Haddock's metal leg. The square track next to the one of a boot confirmed the Rider's presence on the island, just as the Hunter had told him. He picked up the dry dirt, studying it more closely before brushing his hands off and straightening back up.
He moved out, scanning his surroundings as he walked deeper into the woods, ears peered, eyes sharp, just like a predator tracking down its prey. He wandered around, trying to pick up on a lead that might lead him directly to those Riders. From broken branches to disturbed foliage, or perhaps even a single berry lying all alone in the middle of a path. Ryker was attentive to all those leads. He wandered around to the top of a hill overlooking the docks. This was a perfect spot to spy on their docking activities, and Ryker didn't miss the footprints in the soil right by him. There were two Riders.
So the Hunter wasn't lying… Hiccup Haddock, along with the traitor, were indeed on this island, dragonless, and on the run. Ryker easily realized that the Riders must've seen them coming and decided to move out, probably heading for a denser part of the island.
But he didn't go after them. Oh no.
He knew they'd come back. And he would be waiting.
…
The two of them walked for hours again until the sun went down once more, casting an enchanting golden glow on the island. They sat down on the first fallen trunk they saw, finally resting their legs from carrying their weight all day.
Hiccup sat down next to Heather with a complaining groan, baring his teeth while he grasped his bad leg, lifting it completely off the ground. Heather had noticed him begin limping when the sun had begun to set, but she hadn't thought the issue could be as bad as that complaint had sounded.
"You okay?" asked Heather, tilting her head his way with visible concern.
"Yeah," reassured Hiccup, fingers digging in the skin by his stump. "It's just this leg, it's pinching me. Think it needs to be filed down the more I'm walking around on it." He hissed again, teeth bared, and Heather didn't miss the blood staining through the cloth at the stump.
"Hiccup, you're bleeding," said Heather, reaching back to the little piece of cloth Hiccup had offered the berries in. "Here."
Hiccup detached his prosthetic from the stump and saw the wood stained dark. It wasn't every week he walked around for long hours multiple days in a row, and the constant friction with the skin was beginning to wear it down. He grabbed the cloth, wrapping it against the stump of his leg to allow a little bit of cushioning against the base of his prosthetic as he strapped it back on.
Hiccup tested it against the ground, sighing.
"I guess that helps a little," he said, turning around to face her, smiling gratefully.
Heather smiled back before looking up at the darkening sky.
"The sun's going down," she observed. "Guess we survived another day, huh?"
"Yeah," agreed Hiccup, chuckling lightly. "Tough luck, though. They'll be coming back another round tomorrow, no doubt about that. We better get some rest, I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be another long and painful day."
Heather laughed at that, glad they could find some humour in all of this. She began gathering a few branches and loose foliage in the heart of dry bunches to make a fire, looking forward to a warm campfire and some well-earned rest. She got the flames going and sat down on her side, warming up her hands as the cold air began hugging her from every side.
"I'll head out for a quick reconnaissance at dawn before those Hunters head out," said Heather, staring into the blinding light of the flames, feeling her eyelids growing heavier with every flicker. "See if our luck has changed." She lifted her gaze to meet Hiccup's as he nodded in agreement at the logic of the idea. "Who knows, maybe we'll be back to our warm beds before sundown."