Chapter 21: Side-stepping Brutes

Once again, not the best chapter title, but I was really in a bind with naming this one.

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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)

Much like how we came into the Cave, Astrid and I stayed flat on Toothless' back while draped in a pelt. However, trailing us was a sled with the antitoxin and an unconscious Spitlout and a 2nd sled where Snotlout had no choice but to clutch onto Astrid's frozen bear head.

As Toothless emerged from the tunnel, there was noticeably more activity than before. All the wolves seemed to be filing in line to go up ramps that leads to the upper areas of the cavern. The wolves were all carrying some form of a fresh kill or hunks of preserved meats.

"It's satisfying to know that all of our food is being filed away orderly." I couldn't help but think aloud.

"But why are they bringing it so high up?"

As if to answer their question, there was a shift in the center pile of bones that we saw when we first entered. As the bones moved, it revealed grey fur that started the get taller and tower over everything around us. As the back of the pillar of fur reached the top of the cavern, a muzzle emerged from the side. Even with the dim-light of the cavern, the crimson muzzle stained from blood stood out from its grey head. It's maw opened for the wolves liked up to toss their kills and catches for her to eat.

Despite Astrid and I stunned silence, Toothless kept up his silent tread to match the movement of wolves lining up without actually getting in line. A few wolves noticed this and tried to steer him into the line, but he continued outmaneuver them. But that didn't stop some from getting more vocal for him to get in line or more curious from trying to sniff at our sleds covered in fur.

It was all that sniffing and growling that made Snotlout peak from up the furs. And I know he did because a piercingly high scream that came from behind us that made every wolf in sight turn to us.

Toothless took off like a bullet, with the wolves closest to us dropping their loads and chasing after us. As we held on tight, a growl that seemed to rumble and vibrate the ground. When I glanced back, I saw a glimpse of the crouching giant's yellow eyes before we went down a tunnel. When we were out and into the stormy forest, I feel Toothless darting to avoid the snapping wolves chasing us, with the sleds swerving behind us.

When I heard a snap that sounded different, I looked behind us in concern. The snow from the wolves' storm made it hard to see, but I could make out the general shape of what's behind us. The sled with the antitoxin & Spitlout was still attached to Toothless, but the sled holding Snotlout was gone.

"Snotlout!" I stirred Toothless to try to double back. "Snotlout!"

The silence was a little much for me until...

"Oi! Oi! Oi!" Snotlout grunted behind us.

Even with the sled definitely gone, the rope behind the 1st sled was taint with grunting bundle hanging on to it.

"Well, I'll be damned. Hang on tight Snot!"

Toothless kept running at speed, gradually making distance until we cleared the snowstorm. Not long after he emerged, a piercingly deep howl sounded off calling the wolves off out tails. Even though I motioned for Toothless to slow down, he kept at it until the mountain was a good distance away. When he finally slowed to a stop near a stream, he was huffing and panting before breaking a hole in the ice to get a drink.

"Hey Hiccup, looks like that bear head came in handy" she nudged me to look behind us as we slid off Toothless.

Sure enough, clinging to it for dear life, was a snow covered Snotlout on top of Astrid's bear head that got tangled onto the lead rope when the wolves attacked the sled.

"I can't feel my face."

"not much of a lost compared to losing your life"

Snotlout paused before answering "Fair enough."

"Alright guys" I interfered "Let's make a fire so that we all don't freeze."

Once we got enough kindling and sparking up a decent sized flame, we all circled around to while eating some of the bear met that we still had. Once Snotlout was warm enough to not worry about catching anything, we pieced together way we saw, heard, and/or felt while in the mountain to understand what just happened.

"So, let's make sure we got this right." Astrid started. "It's like a giant beehive. They're the workers... and that's their queen. It controls them. The thing is so massive that it needs food from all over, but can probably only hunt be snow is around because of its power advantage."

"Well, since that's all sorted." Snotlout spoke up. "I think we should make sure to tell everyone about this new info once we get back into town."

"No. We're not." I spoke up and made both of them turn to me in brief silence.

"Say wha?"

"I said that were not telling anyone about this." I said a little more firmly. "It least not yet. If we tell everyone about this, then we'd have to tell them about Toothless. They'd kill him on sight."

"Hiccup" Astrid got my attention. "They're going to have to know about Toothless anyway. How were you planning to explain getting the antitoxin, without mentioning Toothless?"

"I planned on us having at least enough sled dogs to pretend that they pulled the sled. Even with that idea shot down, I just wanted to focus on getting the medicine back and spirits help me that I could figure out what to do with Toothless."

"Who cares about you wolf?!" Snotlout sat up as he shouted. "We just discovered the Wolves' Cave! The Main Den and how it works! The thing that has terrorize us for years and possibly infected everyone to begin with! And you want to hide all that just from the off chance that it will affect covering up your gimp of a wolf? Are you serious?"

I heard Toothless start to growl but sprung onto my feet to make him to stop.

"Yes." I said simply as we made eye contact, it was brief, but he remained silent and looked away.

"I... I'll hold off on telling anyone." Snotlout grumbled "But we're going to tell them eventually."

"Fair enough." I turned to Astrid who seemed to be taken back from the exchange. "You have an objections, Astrid?"

"Nope." she said with her hands up in mock surrender. "In fact, we should probably turn in for the night."

Since Astrid lost some of her supplies along with her sled, I lend her my sleeping bag. As I settled some furs against Toothless, Astrid settled her bag next to mine. I didn't think much of it before, but with Snotlout around now, I realized just how close she slept next to mine. It was definitely odd would she gave the most subtle slug to my arm.

"What the-?"

"That's for being so stubborn." She whispered. "But I sort of get where you're coming from. It's in our blood, I guess."

"Yeah." I looked away as I rubbed my arm only to feel a quick peck on my cheek. When I turned to look at her again, she was looking away grinning.

"Really, right in front of me? I'm trying to sleep." Snotlout said almost appalled on the other side of fire.

You know I just realized that Snotlout's dad's name was Spitelout and not Spitlout. But if you're naming your son snot, you should be called spit.

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