Hello everyone.

Well then, with messages from Draco, Stripesicles and Vin, it looks like the gang is all here (smiles broadly) and yes Vin I am doing well indeed. Covid is a very different thing here in Australia; ten cases in a week is considered a major outbreak and we all lockdown for a few days. Some fires have started this summer but we're assuming the worst will come in the new year with the heatwaves of midsummer.

As usual I plan to stay in town and out of the bush if things get bad again, so don't worry about me. Anyway, here's some more story.

Chapter 4

"What were you thinking?" Hiccup said as he cradled Astrid's head "You know I can't keep up with you when you're on four legs."

"Ha! You can't keep up with me when I only use two" Astrid replied "I'm sorry Hiccup; when I'm the wolf, instinct tends to take precedence over strategy."

"Well I think we'd better try and get you home for some bed rest before anything else happens."

It was clear Hiccup still had not learnt all the rules of being in a humorous adventure story, for at that very moment... something else happened.

"Down there Chief!"

Ruffnut looked up from her hiding place to see Fishlegs had returned. After sneaking up quietly and finding both Ruffnut and the invaders gone he had scanned the area and seen Hiccup and Astrid down below. Soon the small team of reinforcements were making their way down to the beach and then up to the tree where Astrid still lay.

"What happened son; where are the pirates Fishlegs warned us about?" Stoick asked.

"Out there Dad" Hiccup pointed to where three sails slowly headed towards the horizon.

"Ivan; get over here" Stoick ordered "Hurry back to Berk and try to signal Gobber out at sea. His orders are to pursue those ships and make sure they don't try to come back. If he can get close enough, tell him to use the catapults to reinforce the message."

"Aye Chief" the man acknowledged and ran off.

"Are you alright Astrid?" Stoick turned back to the obviously injured girl.

"Just a few bruises Chief, I'll be fine in a day or two" Astrid gave a weak smile.

"But how on earth did you two manage to drive off three shiploads of pirate raiders by yourselves?"

"Ah... well... you see Dad..." Hiccup tried to explain; badly.

"That is to say... we um..." Astrid tried to help; even more badly.

From her hiding spot, Ruffnut shook her head and sighed. These two obviously knew very little about getting out of trouble by making up outrages lies; fortunately for them, the Thorston twins were both experts so Ruffnut knew exactly what to do.

"I can tell you everything Chief because I saw the whole thing" she called, leaping out from the undergrowth.

"Very good Ruffnut, please proceed" Stoick ordered.

Not knowing what she had planned, Astrid and Hiccup froze on the spot, neither realising they had stopped breathing.

"There I was, hiding up on the coastal trail gathering information, when all of a sudden Hiccup and Astrid burst onto the scene with their swords drawn. 'Be gone foul pirates' Hiccup cried out but he and Astrid were greatly outnumbered; and so naturally, the pirates attacked."

"Naturally" Stoick could already tell the story was being embellished, as his son did not normally talk like he was a hero in a badly written stage play.

"They both fought valiantly Chief, but it was all in vain. I was already making my way down to render assistance when the mighty pirate captain, his muscles rippling and blonde locks flowing in the wind, picked up Astrid and threw her into this tree. 'Noooooooo' Hiccup cried and ran at the man, determined to strike him down for his crime, but he could not reach his target for he was overpowered. It took ten... no twenty men to bring Hiccup down, such was his fury."

"This is good" Stoick nodded.

"One of the best stories she's ever told" Snotlout agreed.

"Things looked bad" Ruffnut continued "Even if I managed to get there in time, I knew there was little I could do and the three of us were all surely doomed. But even so, I could not just hold back and watch my friends die without trying at the very least."

"Of course not" Stoick agree, in spite of the overacting going on in front of him.

"But then we were all saved by..." Ruffnut paused to build tension "... by... ... ... The Winter Wolf."

At the mention of the wolf everyone, especially Stoick, began to listen more intently. It was fortunate that all eyes were on Ruffnut so nobody noticed the open mouthed and wide eyed looks of terror on the faces of Hiccup and Astrid.

"The mighty beast burst out of the forest and knocked the captain onto his back, and then like lightning, it sprang from man to man."

"Really?" Stoick wondered if any of this could be true, but he found it all fascinating.

"You should have seen it go Chief" Ruffnut continued "It fought... it bit... it fought and fought and bit, fight, fight, fight... bite, bite, bite... it was the Winter Wolf slaughter show!"

"Odd way of putting it but... okay" Stoick shrugged "So what happened next."

"Well as you could imagine, the pirates were extremely distraught! Their invasion plan, whatever it was, had turned into a complete disaster; so gathering up their injured, they fled back to their longships and bid our happy island adieu. Then the Winter Wolf walked over to Hiccup and Astrid, bowed its head in respect, and wandered off back into the forest."

"I see" Stoick took a deep breath and turned to his son "Hiccup, is that really what happened?"

"Uh... more or less; Ruffnut does tend to go a bit overboard sometimes" he grinned guiltily, unsure if he was going to get away without further interrogation.

"Yeah Chief, it didn't really take twenty men to hold Hiccup down; can't have been more than a dozen actually" Astrid tried to make the story a little more believable.

"And the Winter Wolf really did help you?"

"I can honestly say Dad that without the Winter Wolf, we didn't stand a chance."

Nobody but Ruffnut noticed the look Hiccup gave Astrid as he spoke those words, nor did they see how she blushed.

"So then... it seems you were right about the wolf after all Hiccup" Stoick admitted "It seems to be more ally than threat. I suppose there's nothing more to be done except get Astrid back to Berk."

Taking her cue, Ruffnut jumped in eagerly to volunteer.

"Hiccup and I will help her Chief, you better hot foot it back to the village and make sure all is well there. Pirates can be sneaky you know."

"Good idea Ruffnut." Stoick agreed "Better safe than sorry when there are pirates about."

"I'll come and see you when we get back Sweetie Pie" Ruffnut said, kissing Fishlegs on the cheek.

"Wait... Sweetie Pie?" Snotlout gasped "What the... don't tell me you two are..."

"A couple? We sure are Snottykins" Ruffnut winked.

"But... but... I'm better looking... I'm stronger..." Snotlout's frustration was clearly building "FIRST Astrid REJECTS ME, AND NOW YOU?"

The three remaining Dragon Riders could barely keep themselves from giggling as Stoick's team marched off towards Berk.

"You know, I'm actually starting to feel sorry for Snotlout" Astrid admitted as Hiccup helped her up.

"That seems like an odd thing for a werewolf to say" Ruffnut said, digging her elbow into Astrids ribs.

"Shh... they may hear you" Hiccup whispered.

Christmas comes next week, and with it comes the last chapter :)