Chapter 17: Through the Storm
I know that I already mentioned, but that last bit in the last chapter still felt a bit... off. The main issue (mentioned by Anonymous Noob the 2nd) is the lack of dialogue that can justify it. Even now, I'm still drawing a blank on what exactly they could say, but I did change some of their actions in the last paragraph to make it a little less rushed.
Before I forget, Happy Holidays Peoples! A special thanks to Anonymous Noob the 2nd and Eris for being such avid reviewers.
Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Balto or How to Train your Dragon. They both belong to their respective owners and this is just for fun, NOT for profit.
(Hiccup POV)
You know that things are messed up when seeing swirling blue smoke is something completely normal.
Unlike other times, I came over the feeling of not being in own body. I was running full speed on all fours. I didn't feel human, but like a dog. A sled dog, harness and all. When my vision of the smoke cleared, it didn't make much a difference with being surrounded by snow. The storm was bad enough to almost not see the dog in front of me.
Wait what am I even thinking? Let's see what's going on. I'm in the position of a sled dog in the snow storm. I know that I fell asleep and saw blue smoke. So, this has to have something to do with the Spirits. The only question is why.
"Hike! Come on boys! Just a little more! *cough, cough* We'll be out of this blizzard! Hike Hike!"
That voice. It's Spitlout's.
"Hey! Are you sure that we're going the right way?"
It's fainter, but that's Snotlout's. It'll be nice to see where these two knuckleheads been all of this time. I tried to turn my- or the dog's head, but I couldn't control it. Damn Spirits.
"We've been veering to the south too much."
"I know boy. *cough* But keeping straight or veering to the north will only lead us to thicker fronts. *cough, cough, cough*"
"I'll check the map to see if there are any structures that we can take cover. How many degrees to the south we've veered now?"
"10 more degrees?"
"Dad, we've gone too far! Not only are we set back in travel time, but we're dangerously close to the Nest"
"W-we can be. We're not that far off course. Let me just find some cover and I'll look at the map mysel- arghh!"
The sled behind me rattled as Spitlout was cut off. I couldn't turn my head, but the dog's ears shifted to listen behind me. Through Spitlout's grunts I would hear snarls that definitely wasn't the other dogs' huffing.
"Dad! What's going on?!"
"We got wolves on us. They must be the cause of this blizzard, cause one already nipped my ankle."
In the horizon, over the shoulders of the dogs in front of me, I should make out a dark mass big enough to be a mountain. With the sound of snarls surrounding us we had no wear to go except heading straight towards the mountain.
Before we could really see the mountain, a black smoke swirls through the snow and into my view. It felt like I was plucked out of the dogs body but unlike other times, I felt my soul free floating. Bare to whatever sinking feeling that was coming from this black and grey smoke. From the smoke, came 6 reptilian red eyes that looked more demonic than any of the dragons eyes that I've seen.
"Begone spineless brat"
There was a rumble behind that voice that felt like an earthquake. So much so that I couldn't tell if the chill down my spine was from the rumbling, the sheer amount of dread, or both. The only thing that I could utter was a faint whisper...
"iidigidil?"(*1)
I woke up the next morning alone.
This wouldn't be weird any other day. But when you fall asleep with a girl holding your hand, you just don't keep sleeping through that. Instead I woke up Astrid nowhere in sight, but a note in my hand. I blinked the sleep out of my eyes until I could make out the note.
Saw that you were out of rice
Went to get some along with more meat
will be back by lunch
I considered getting up to go to the repair shop, but if Gobber managing the town the shop wouldn't be open. Ans since we haven't had a raid in weeks, there would be no orders to do except the occasional sharpening.
With nothing else to do I pondered over the dream I just had. If it was real, then that meant the Louts were off course and heading toward the Nest. It's not like there was any other place for cover, but still. If it took fleet of sleds to attempt to have the Nest in sight, it would take three times as many to get Lout out of the Nest itself.
I must have pondered this for more than a minute, because Astrid came back like hours didn't pass by. I made a quick stew with some clams she brought, but I still couldn't get past my dream even while we ate.
"Hiccup? Agitaadaan? Earth to Hiccup? Kachil (*2)?!"
"Huh? What?"
"You've been quiet lately. Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I could say the same about you."
"At least I respond~" She said trying to poke fun.
"Hmm."
"You know. All the things you did to help me the last few weeks, it goes both ways."
"I'm pretty sure your cooking is lethal."
"I can cook eggs and-."
"And that's about it."
"That's not the point. You only get that spaced out when you got something on your mind. I'm all ears if you need to let it out."
"Even if it was about a dream?"
"I may not understand half of it but can try."
"It might sound craz- ugh." I was cut off from her reaching over and grabbing my ear.
"Are you even using these things? I said I'll try my best to help."
"Hey, jeez." I swatted her hand off me. "Okay, so I was having an out of body experience. Like in the body of a sled dog."
"Like in a raid or race?"
"Like in a raid. I was in a snowstorm and I think that we were in heading for the Nest."
"That's weird."
"I know, right?"
"Was there anything else about the dream? Could you see or feel anything else around you?"
*flashback* Black smoke "Begone spineless brat" Red eyes "iidigidil?"
"N-not really."
"Well, who knows? You can probably go to the Qugax Tanaa to talk with Gothi about it. Are you sure that there isn't more to it?"
"Y-yeah."
She held her gaze on me a little longer, probably to see if I budge. "If you remember anything that you want to get off your chest, I'll be training at the Arena." She placed her bowl in the sink and grabbed her axe. "I'll see you later at the Qugax Tanaa, near the Tugamixtal Log."
"Alright."
When she left, I have nothing but to clean up and ponder over my thoughts. Was that dream for real? If so, what to do about the Louts?
We don't have the half the number of sleds for a proper raid, not enough dogs and mushers to steer them all if we did. Even if we have everything else in place, there would be no guarantee that it will be enough to actually get to the Nest.
One of the main contributes of use getting close was with the help of the dogs. However, we can't always rely on the dog in the fight, because they are our main means of transportation during every season but the summer. The best way to get to the Nest would be if we had home advantage.
Wait, that's it. The only thing that can beat a wolf is another wolf.
No one alive has ever sided with the wolves and the only ones in history were natives that are dead and gone. We're running out of time, so it's now or never. If I can Toothless to help, we can get the medicine back before we lose anyone.
(*1) iidigidil = be ugly, evil, disgusting
(*2) kachil = have the hiccups
Other Atkan Aleut Translations used:
- Agitaadaan = friend
- Qugax = assistant spirit; Tanaa = place
- tugamixtal = to strike several times
Thanks for all those that reviewed, every little bit helps. If you're new to the story, please let me know what you think with a review. Constructive criticism is accepted, but no flames please. And don't be too shy to check out some of my other stories.