Author's Note: Hello, all and welcome back to "Sticks and Stones!" =D Here's part four for "Safe Haven." I hope you guys enjoy it! =D
Summary: Astrid and Hiccup manage to find the baby Scuttleclaws, and come up with a plan to drive off the Titan Wing Monstrous Nightmare preying on them. (Post HTTYD 2.)
Safe Haven, Part Four
Astrid arrived at the Scuttleclaws' island faster than a sheep being chased by a dragon. She hopped off of Stormfly before her Nadder even landed, and proceeded to search the island—no, scour—the island for the three baby Scuttleclaws. She walked along the beach; her axe swinging at her side in case there was any danger lurking around. Stormfly sniffed the sandy ground for the three adolescent dragons' scents.
The Hofferson was hoping that Hiccup would be okay. Despite the fact that he had survived multiple different types of wounds, beats, injuries, and perilous situations, she still worried about him rather often. Even though she knew Hiccup could take care of himself, the young chief was quite impetuous sometimes. Hiccup was willing to do anything to save a dragon or his friends, which Astrid admired but also feared. Hiccup didn't care if he lost his life or suffered from another injury worse than losing his leg. He just wanted his loved ones to be safe, and Astrid found that sweet.
Still, she couldn't help but let worry squeeze her whenever she was forced to let Hiccup go out on his own facing some kind of unprecedented danger or chase after malicious, cruel anti-dragon folks. Astrid didn't know what she would do if she lost Hiccup; he was the world to her. As she had done several times before when she found herself letting her worries gain the best of her, Astrid calmed herself down, reassuring herself that the Haddock would be fine. They had been in far worse situations, and he had a Night Fury after all. The most feared, powerful dragon in existence. He would be fine. He would be okay. With that, Astrid's anxiousness slowly ebbed away from her and was replaced by determination to find those baby Scuttleclaws before something happened to them.
Deciding that they probably weren't hanging around the beach, Astrid headed into the forest area, and she frowned at the sight of several burn marks made by both the Titan Wing Monstrous Nightmare and the babies defending themselves. Astrid wondered how long the three Scuttleclaws had been on their own, and how many times the Titan Wing Monstrous Nightmare had attacked them. Astrid was glad that she and Hiccup had found the Scuttleclaws before something had happened to them, and she still felt compelled to find them the perfect place to live.
Astrid was beginning to consider bringing the Scuttleclaws to Berk; Toothless seemed to have some kind of control over them. But with the number of dragons that already lived on the Isle of Berk and the current construction that was going on, Astrid didn't know how the Scuttleclaws would feel suddenly being ripped from an area that they were familiar with and placed into a new, possibly overwhelming place, knowing only two people and dragons that lived there.
Astrid decided to drop the matter for the time being and focus on searching for the baby Scuttleclaws. She looked around and didn't see any sign of them, but Stormfly had picked up a scent. Finally!
"Where are they, girl?" asked Astrid hopefully. "Lead the way."
Stormfly chirped and trudged through the woods and Astrid followed her dragon. Stormfly was her loyal companion, and if she had caught something that might lead to the baby dragons, Astrid was going to follow her without hesitation.
After some time, Stormfly and Astrid found themselves in a clearing. Astrid smiled happily at the sight of the trio of baby dragons, not noticing right away that they seemed to be looking for something. The Scuttleclaws turned around, and upon spotting Astrid and her Deadly Nadder, they brightened. The trio squawked and crooned in greeting.
Astrid was glad to see them. She walked up to the Scuttleclaws and gave them each an affectionate scratch.
"Thor, am I glad to see you guys," said Astrid. The Hofferson then frowned. "But you shouldn't have just flown off like that!" she scolded. "Hiccup, Toothless, Stormfly, and I were really worried about you!"
The baby Scuttleclaws didn't give any sign that they were sorry. In fact, they had walked away while Astrid was talking! They returned to what they were originally doing, which Astrid found extremely strange, flipping and shoving away sticks, leaves, and stones. Astrid watched in pure bemusement. What in the world were they doing?
Astrid followed the baby Scuttleclaws as they went deeper and deeper into the forest, pausing to examine bushes, trees, and piles of leaves. Astrid was wondering what they were doing when she heard something shuffle in the bushes behind her. In an instant, her axe was drawn and Stormfly's spines were spiking out from her tail, ready to impale whatever danger was in front of them.
Astrid crept toward the shifting bushes slowly, keeping her axe raised in a defensive position. When the thing in the bushes didn't reveal itself, Astrid immediately assumed it was danger and she brought up her axe to strike it down when a familiar, nasally voice suddenly erupted from the bushes.
"Don't kill us! It's just us!" exclaimed Hiccup as he and Toothless stepped out of the bushes. The young chief had his hands raised over his head while Toothless looked perfectly normal. The Night Fury snorted at his Riders' behavior with a smirk.
Dropping her axe to her side, Astrid sighed in relief, glad that it was just Hiccup and Toothless instead of some sort of imminent danger. She gave Hiccup a quick hug and told him everything.
"I found the baby dragons," Astrid said as she gestured to the trio of Scuttleclaws ahead of her. "How did it go with the Titan Wing?"
"We managed to drive the dragon away as far as we could," replied Hiccup as he patted Toothless' head. The Night Fury purred. "On our way back here, we took shelter in the clouds so that it wouldn't follow us." Hiccup looked up into the cloudy sky, a concerned expression on his face. "I don't know how long it'll be until that dragon finds us."
Astrid nodded. "That means we need to hurry." She turned to the baby dragons, who were still searching for whatever they were looking for. The Hofferson then realized something.
"These guys don't seem like they want to leave, Hiccup," remarked Astrid. "They flew all the way back here on their own, and they didn't fly away when the Titan Wing Monstrous Nightmare attacked unlike most baby dragons would upon being attacked…"
Hiccup hummed as he rubbed his chin in thought. "I wonder what's causing them to stay…maybe they left something behind?"
"I don't think Scuttleclaws pack for trips, Hiccup," said Astrid jokingly.
"I know, I know," the Haddock said. He gestured to the Scuttleclaws. "But they seem to be looking for something."
Astrid, Hiccup, and their dragons continued to follow the Scuttleclaws. They both were wondering what the cause of their strange behavior was, and all of their questions came to an end when they reached a cave that seemed to be a home for a dragon family. Hiccup and Astrid looked around; Toothless and Stormfly sniffed the air inquisitively. Hiccup decided to take a closer look inside of the cave, and he noticed something at the end of it that made his eyes widen.
"Astrid," whispered Hiccup. "Come look at this."
Astrid walked to Hiccup's side, and she gasped. At the back of the cave, there was a larger version of the baby Scuttleclaws. She seemed to be wounded and she was curled up in the back. The larger Scuttleclaw growled threateningly upon spotting Hiccup and Astrid.
"Don't worry, we're friends," said Hiccup reassuringly. The larger Scuttleclaw was slightly placated, but her threatening gaze didn't waver. The trio of Scuttleclaws ran up to their mother happily, nuzzling her and licking her affectionately, and they occasionally sent concerned glances toward one of their mother's hind legs.
"Her leg is broken," Astrid perceived. She turned to Hiccup. "That must be why the babies were all the way out on the beach. They were trying to draw the Titan Wing Monstrous Nightmare away from their mom!"
Hiccup shook his head. "Wow, these babies are amazing." The young chief looked inside of the cave toward the adolescent Scuttleclaws' mother again. "They don't want to leave her, but she needs help."
"Maybe we should bring her back to Berk," prompted Astrid.
"No," said Hiccup. "This is their home, and they clearly don't want to leave. We don't want to tear them away from a place that's special to them." Hiccup faced Astrid, the spark of an idea shimmering in his green eyes. "We can use a couple of sticks and vines to make a splint for her leg, and then we can find a way to draw that Titan Wing away from here."
Astrid nodded in agreement. "Sounds like a plan."
Suddenly, here was a loud, ear-splitting roar that shook the forest and caused pebbles and stones to fall from the mouth of the cave. The baby Scuttleclaws cowered, and their mother peered outside with a fearful, but brave look. She was willing to protect her children even though she was injured. Hiccup and Astrid both turned toward the direction that led back to the beach, where leaves and branches were rustling.
"That dragon is back," said Astrid as her eyes narrowed. She pulled out her axe and held it firmly in her hands.
Hiccup nodded determinedly. "We need to draw it away from this dragon family. Luckily, I have a plan."