Astrid fidgeted in Grimmel's grip, shouting, "It's none of your business who I am-just-let go of me! !"

Astrid barely just met the eye of the sneering assailant who had introduced himself, unceremoniously, as Grimmel the Grizzly, when the sounds of additional hollers and jeers closed in around them, adding to the susurrus of snapping twigs under the approaching boots from Grimmel's henchmen and crooked-dealers.

"That won't be happening any time soon," Grimmel said. He rounded her to his side with her bicep clenched in his grip as a wriggling staff. Astrid trudged alongside Grimmel's boots as he led his snickering or stone-faced soldiers towards a distant glow in the darkening wood of the island's outskirts.

Astrid spared a hopeless glance towards the cloaking horizon as the ever-increasing distance over wild forest paths in which Grimmel yoked her added to the miles Astrid had already separated herself from her friends at the heart of Dragon's Edge, especially from her loving Nadder, Stormfly. And, from the Viking whom she found it harder everyday to sift from her absent-minded thoughts, Tuffnut.

In a gut reaction to facing immediate death, from numerous threats Astrid would have never dreamed of encountering on her adventures on the Edge, Astrid screamed, "Hiccup!", and then, in a voice she hardly recognized, began call her savior-and frankly, the entire team of the Dragon Riders' guardian angel-in hysterical shrieks. A cold grip of flesh slammed her lips, and bony fingertips dug firmly into her mandible, holding mysterious restraint for causing her discomfort. Astrid complied too quickly for her content, yet she decided temporary obedience to Grimmel would spare him from any notion that she was intimidated by what she imagined he would do next.

The light Astrid spotted ahead of them began to appear to flicker in the place where Grimmel's aggravated stalking lead them, as if the light emanated from a waiting fire. The sizeable parade of men and women had found their favorite paths through the black and blue-shaded woods of the evening, and soon started to trot ahead of Grimmel and Astrid, looking anxious and hungry towards the light ahead. While Astrid stumbled beside Grimmel, she curdled when a lifeless carcass of white fur and red innards passed by on the shoulders of a soldier.

"Just so everyone is aware, it's really obvious Astrid's not here," Snotlout announced to his bowl of charred oats on the mealtable inside the main lodge of Dragon's Edge.

Earlier that evening, the Dragon Riders had re-assembled from their clean-up posts and reunited eat the dinner Ruffnut had prepared in Astrid's absence.

Ruffnut noticed Hiccup's face, poised at the opposite side of the mealtable, wrinkle in worry. She watched Hiccup's eyes rove in their own pattern, probably in tandem with the search route he might have already mapped out in his mind to look for Astrid immediately, more than likely planning to fly solo.

Ruffnut looked to Snotlout and touted, "How come you're so sure?! Astrid could be watching us from the roof right now."

Fishlegs chuckled once, at least, but then his eyes darted towards the roof thatches.

Ruffnut forced a laugh, which gave her the slight attention she desired: a temporary glance of Hiccup's eyes in her direction, even though he wasn't truly seeing her with Astrid's whereabouts seemingly clouding his emerald gaze.

Ruffnut met eyes with worried Hiccup again, and there was the most unusual flutter in Ruffnut's chest that had seemingly sprouted from thin air. She assumed it was only because she was growing scared for Astrid too, and so she let Hiccup acknowledge their shared worry and look away from her first, down at the cold center of his bowl again. However, the ways that Hiccup's eyes calculated another mysterious yet gloriously insane plans kept Ruffnut anxious for Hiccup's next move at a safe distance on the other side of the meal table.

"Plus, the food gives it away she's not here. How in Hel do you burn oats, Ruffnut?" Snotlout said.

"Pass the salt?" Fishlegs asked anyone who would remember.

Ruffnut yelled, "I told you to wake me up when you saw steam from the pot-it was right in front of yer face!"

"You do have a nose, right?" Snotlout replied. "You know I had'ta feed Hookfang or he'd get mad."

Ruffnut hawed. "You're still scared of that stupid dragon?! I'd kick his arse by now!"

"Can someone please pass the salt?" Fishlegs thanked Tuffnut when a salt bowl pucked against his dish plate.

"You haven't even tasted yours yet," Ruffnut said.

"That's because I want to live another day." Snotlout looked in front of him at Gustav at Hiccup's right who hadn't rested his spoon yet, and then he asked "What do you think, Gustav?"

Gustav shrugged. "It's alright, but nay a third round."

"At the rate you eat, you'll need a fourth round. Maybe a fifth?" The main lodge flooded with sniggers.

"Guys!" Hiccup cut in, lashing a hand to the air as if it would physically bar the distractions his friends' voices were giving him. For a short moment, only modest swallows and slurps could be heard, with an occasional burp.

"Fishlegs, we're going out there." Hiccup concluded. "Do you remember the way to those really creepy caves we got lost in once?"

"The ones way on the other side of the island we swore we would never go in again? Of course I don't."

"Well, I'm going to need you to remember this time. I have a feeling Astrid went a little too far out, and, maybe, lost her way. If we take our dragons, I'm sure with enough distance we can spot her from the skies. C'mon." Hiccup stood with Fishlegs and began clamoring on his armor, beginning with his discarded sabatons and greaves for his shins.

"This is a bad idea."

Hiccup recognized Gustav's voice behind him and promptly ignored it, instead swapping Fishleg's helmet in his hands for his own helmet that he couldn't find fast enough. For an easy flight at daybreak, he and Fishleg's would have had time for a laugh.

"What if she got kidnapped? You'll fly right into an ambush, right?" Gustav went on.

"The kid has a point," Tuffnut agreed softly, speaking for the first time since the meal began.

Fishlegs offered Gustav, "we'll be fine."

"The Astrid I know is a really strong fighter and smart," Hiccup added quickly just before snapping his helmet's buckles tight on his chin. "don't worry about it, she can handle herself until we get there." He continued with his suggestions in his exchange with Fishlegs about the fastest route their dragons should fly to reach the outskirts.

"Aye- -whatta load of yakshit from ye!" Gustav blurted. He hesitated at Hiccup's alarmed gaze, and then mumbled, "if Astrid was that good of a fighter like you say, she'd be here now! Something is out there, and- -and whatever it is, I think it's coming for us too, so let's just stay here and stand our ground, where it's safe."

Gustav's heart jumped when Hiccup scolded, "we can't just stay here and hide! We are not on Berk anymore, Gustav! Astrid needs us right now! If you were really one of us you would learn your place, and stop pretending like you know everything already!"

Gustav felt the weight of the group's eyes on him, Tuffnut's more than anyone's, and then Gustav shrank slightly into his seat, filling his mouth with food before he would upset anyone else.

"Let's head out before it gets too dark." Hiccup said, giving Fishlegs a quick pat of confirmation on his pauldrons before jogging to the deck of the main lodge to call for Toothless.

"Where are you going?" Snotlout called to Tuffnut when Tuffnut eventually left his bowl and snatched his helmet from a hangar.

"Where else? T'look for Astrid!" Tuffnut called. Tuffnut glanced once Ruffnut's way, who was jogging to follow him into exciting danger as she always would, he guessed, until the day they were both damned to hell. The twins raced each other to wake their Zippleback.

Snotlout groaned for the sound sleep he would miss that night, but was quick to advance to Hookfang's cage with an excited smirk on his face. Gustav carefully followed Snotlout from the lodge. On Gustav's way, Ruffnut stopped Gustav near the firelight of the dragon stables to ease Gustav's nervousness with a smile only a sister could give, and Gustav melted, settling into a look of sheepish confidence that Ruffnut thought suited him for his first ever team rescue.

Thank you for reading and supporting! Where do you think Astrid will end up, and will Gustav be able to prove himself under pressure?

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