Squints as stuff starts to become more coherent. This one actually continues off the last one like a normal fic. Wao. And I guess this longer length is more favorable. Enjoy this nonsense! *twerks backwards*

Crafting a viable explanation for the bruise under her eye had been easy enough. Most were quick to accredit it to a blunder out in the field, while the other half was too scared to ask. Upon remembering the truth, a bubbling embarrassment boiled her insides. It was hard to keep a hood on at all times to conceal the upper half of her face and deflect any glances or inquiries. Ryker was sure to get a good hearty laugh at it, and admit to jealousy that he didn't inflict the honking bruise himself. Impressed at the Rider, much to her dismay, Aqua tenderly pressed the pad of her index finger to the edge of the discoloration on her face. The slightest twitch in her cheeks was her only evidence of pain.

Graciously stepping around a hunter being dragged kicking and screaming from Viggo's tent, going on about not wanting to die, the girl continued unfazed. There might have also been another bit about doing better in the near future. Most of those around could have guessed at his nonexistent future.

She halted in front of the tent entrance, hearing two voices inside. From the stark contrast in volumes, it was indeed a disagreement. Moonlight cascaded off the intricately carved dragon heads atop each outside support. The display was much less foreboding than when they first towered over her many years ago. Candlelight flickered past the tent flap. The huntress caught the tail end of the conversation, all too used to such condescension in overflowing doses.

"I know your position on the issue, but thankfully, as Chief, choosing to heed such… pitiful advice is an entirely different matter." Her foot slid in the dirt, shifting her weight back. The woman knew better than to eavesdrop.

"Yeah—your obsession is a good way to get yourself and everyone 'round ya killed" Unsure if the warning was coming from a place of concern or not, Aqua took a step back. "Admit it. You underestimated 'em. Again" A shadow shifted within the tent, followed by a crash. "An' what have we to show for it?" Destroyed operations, sunken cargo, and a flurry of released dragons that proved invaluable to their business. Anyone with half a brain could formulate a response to that.

"If you had been paying any attention, you might actually come to realize that this project takes into account those…" There was a second of contemplation "…errors" For lack of a better word. Each experience only fortified any future plan of attack.

Aqua had debated returning at a later time. She herself had limited knowledge on the project they were discussing just within earshot. Most of her info was on a need-to-know basis. There were those in this world molded to be leaders, and those destined to be followers. And Aquaria made for the most exemplary follower.

"So why don't you stick with what you know," Another blatant stab at his overall aptitude. "And do as I say." He ended the conversation. "It suits you." Hearing Viggo pleasantly dismiss his older sibling, Aqua glided back further to avoid being knocked to the ground.

"We'll see about that, brother." Rage steaming off in waves from his large stature, Ryker swung his arm to throw open the tent, rattling its wooden frames. He hadn't even afforded a moment to give the girl waiting at the entrance a hard time for listening in on the conversation and/or the contusion she'd sustained. Standing as motionless as a marble statue, the huntress slipped her hand past the tent slit and parted it just enough to step inside. Few individuals would survive an unannounced admission into the Chief's private office.

His back was to her, hands clasped tightly behind him. "Everything alright?" Not that he would ever command her to punch Ryker, but Aqua would be lying if she said she wasn't holding out hope. "You seem tense…er."

"Don't concern yourself, Aquaria." In spite of his nonchalance, a kernel of sincerity embedded itself in the suggestion. "The litany of grievances is always lengthy whenever my dear brother is involved." Scanning a half folded map on his desk, he kept his peripherals on the young huntress crossing to his desk. "I need you to supervise a shipment of the utmost importance tomorrow." A satisfactory nod confirmed the mission acceptance, no questions asked.

"You seem well this evening." He glanced up, scrutinizing her presentation. From the stiffness in one shoulder to the minute tear at the end of her tunic, there was plenty to be criticized. Many individuals took pleasure in capitalizing off her disgruntlement. And Viggo was definitely one of them.

"I'd say I'm annoyed." She murmured, purely for the sake of responding.

"Well, hello annoyed, I'm Viggo." A loud choking noise closed the only pathway she had to breathe, as a sizeable amount of saliva had shot down the wrong hole. Brows raised, the man lifted his head to fully witness her expression, which was one of abject horror, tinged with bewilderment. She looked at him with utter betrayal in her eyes as if he'd just taken up his sword and run her through.

"Wha—" Aqua coughed, "Why—" Had he purposely cracked such a ghastly joke, or was it a part of a newly adopted speech pattern of his she knew nothing about. The man stared evenly at her, and if she didn't know any better, he almost looked gratified by the reaction. Making to excuse herself to quell the rest of the rest of her fit, Aqua shuffled back the way she came.

"What are your thoughts on Hiccup?" Mouth covered with her arm, the huntress tilted her head at the sudden exposition of the Viking.

"Why do you ask?" She swallowed to test the sensitivity in her throat.

"I'd simply prefer a second opinion from someone I trust." The hunter chief carefully arranged his rare compliment, as saccharine as fresh honey. In evaluating the inner circle of allies he had, Aqua's allegiance had remained steady, but there would always be doubt.

"I think you're madly in love with him." Her answer was met with a growl disguised as a heaved sigh, "That was a quip. I was joking." Wordlessly crossing his arms over his chest and donning a stern countenance clearly indicated he was in no mood for her retorts. "He's resourceful, a quick thinker, and would be a valuable asset as a hunter." She paused, "His deep emotional ties with the dragons and other riders…."

"Make him vulnerable." Viggo finished. Nothing he didn't know already.

"No…" Tentatively disagreeing, Aqua hung her arms by her sides, fingers twitching at the research she'd personally conducted on the riders.

"No?" His dark, foreboding gaze met her glacial blue eyes. "You're going to defend that weakness?"

"His sentimentality emboldens him." He'd asked for her opinion, and as unformulated as it was, he was going to get it. "In a battle with someone who is fighting to protect something, like Hiccup," She held her hands up, balancing the opposites, "against someone who isn't… only one of those parties will do whatever it takes to win. Even if it means their death." Aqua concluded, "And I don't think that's weakness." If anything, it made him a very scary opponent.

"So what you're saying is you'd die for our cause." Rather bothered by her rationalization, the man rhetorically backed her into a corner.

"Of course." He found himself unsure how to feel at the supremacy in her retaliation.

"Care to explain your encounter with the Riders?" Two fingers revolving near his left eye to mirror hers, Viggo regarded her with a pinch of dissatisfaction.

"How'd you know I was with a Rider?" Pushing her hood back since it did absolutely nothing to keep the purplish, green mark staining her left cheekbone out of sight, Aquaria scowled. It was a harrowing visual reminder of her mistakes.

"Hm. I didn't." His voice was low, precise. He had guessed the plural form, and yet she had confessed to only coming across merely one Rider. "Now," A flat palm slammed so harshly on the table that the legs shook, jostling the liquid inside of a wooden cup and rustling his papers, "I'd like to know how my Huntress was bested by one Rider." Any excuse her brain churned up was nowhere near sufficient, and she knew that. Resisting the urge to shrink back slightly at the mighty projection of his voice, Aqua screwed her face.

"I was caught off guard."

"In combat?" More than a hint of acid sharpened his tone at the edges. After the grueling physical exercises he had put her through over the years, he expected more.

"Not exactly."

"Willpower, then?" Either way, she had been beaten, and he was taking the time to rub salt in it. Rounding the table to where she was standing, still as stone, the man seized her chin, manipulating it to the side to take in the discoloration. "Do not lie to me." Being that he versed her in the art of deception, accomplishing such a feat against him was near impossible. In a way, her failure reflected negatively on him.

"It won't happen again." She stated firmly.

"Ensure it does not."

0_0_0

Delivering a shipment across the sea to one of their designated construction sites had gone off without a hitch. The only complaint Aqua had repeating in her head was the lengthiness of the ordeal. It had taken nearly three days to navigate the waters, and would be the same upon their return.

Selling dragons was a dangerous and prolific business. However, the business part of it had never been her top marked performance. Nevertheless, she sailed across the turbulent ocean, vigilant for the approach of dragon riders shielded within the scattered clouds. Upon reaching the isle with their cargo, the huntress saw her mission through and prepared for the journey home.

She had brought along a crew of twenty, all of which were exhausted from their taxing occupation and were now indulging in drink at the local tavern. Seeing no reason to account for their tasks any longer, the huntress headed off to scout the north side of the island. Across the stretch of seawater, there was another smaller island that loomed in the distance. Unable to bear the company of rowdy hunters for the evening and given that her duties were complete, she boarded her modified slalom sled and made for the uncharted island.

The lush vegetation for such a remote area was to be expected. Thriving under the circumstances, trees stood taller than any she'd come across. Some bent with age and pliability of their trunks into an enchanting archway, heralding entry to another realm. With the gradual spread of the dragon hunting enterprise, it wouldn't be long before the dragons of this island were subdued and sold. Aqua knelt, fingers grazing one of the leaves sprouting from the root of a tree.

One quick flick of her dagger let her collect the herbs into her satchel. Some of the sap from these trees would soothe the dull ache on her cheekbone. Future potential for injury always existed, and it never hurt to be prepared. Nimbly scaling a crooked tree trunk, the huntress plucked a vibrant flower blossoming from the trunk's split. Her exploration led her to a cave. This island would have been ideal for a dragon root operation. There was an appropriate amount of sunlight, prime for harvesting, and the soil was conducive to varietal plant growth.

Advancing into the cave with light footsteps, the huntress listened for signs of life or anything that would be detrimental to it. Something such as a toxin spewing plant or aggressive volcano would make this island unlivable. She lurked in the shadows, waiting for her eyes to adjust before proceeding.

A twinkle towards the back of the cave pushed her to walk faster. "Ahh!" A misstep and grave miscalculation helped her realize that she had been standing on the precipice of a large, gaping hole. Twisting with the help of her lightning reflexes, the huntress dug her fingers into the jagged cliff face, miraculously gaining a foothold before sliding to her death. Against her better judgment, she whipped around to look over her shoulder. Nothing but a black void greeted her below. Moving her gaze upwards and across the expanse of emptiness, she saw the sparkle still in the same spot.

If she were a reasonable human being, she would have used her remaining stamina to climb back up and leave the cavern. Unfortunately, curiosity, and perhaps greed, was in play at center stage now. "How do I get there…?" Tightening her grip with her right hand, Aqua unhooked her weapon with her left hand.

The glittering object was deeper into the chasm. For all she knew, it could have held no value, but she was already invested at this point. Movements flowing into one another, Aqua let go of her safety ledge and took hold of her collapsed weapon with both hands. She'd have to be quick if this were to have any chance of succeeding.

She leapt off, extending the weapon at the same time, and jamming it against the wall she'd just let go of. The force added just enough spring to take her halfway across. Finally, Aqua unleashed a spout of flame from the end of the rod, which propelled her almost the rest of the way. The remaining distance depended on her arm reach. "Ohh I didn't think this through." She commended herself sarcastically, arms aching from stabilizing herself.

Her target was not more than a sword length below her. The huntress descended and squinted, aware that the sunlight filtering in past the vines covering the cavern top and entry were fading with the day's end. It was a smooth stone deeply entrenched into the crater wall, clearly not uniform with the rocks surrounding it. Weapon back on her belt, Aquaria ripped away the knotted vines that covered it like a net. The task of carving out the find was a race against sunset and depletion of endurances. Chipping away at the pieces surrounding it only revealed more of the stone.

Aqua hadn't noticed how heavily she was breathing, nor how her legs and singular support arm were trembling from the effort. Taking a break, the girl curved herself against the cavern wall, cheek pressing against her prize. "What the—" There was warmth inside. At learning this, she hacked away faster. Pieces of stone flew away and the huntress finally wiggled her trophy from the cold grasp of the mountain. "Its an egg?" How long had it been in there? Whatever it was, it was ancient and dead.

Employing the same tactic to return to the chasm edge, minus the use of one of her hands to cradle the egg, Aqua hoisted herself up with her weapon arm. Allowing herself a soft groan, the woman massaged her arms and recovered for a moment before inspecting the dragon egg. It was smooth, without any ridges or dents, despite its position. How it had ended up practically stuffed into the center of the earth, she didn't know. At the market, it would fetch a nice price, if she could determine what should have slumbered within. As an antique, fossilized collector's item, the cost would skyrocket in some circles. There were all sorts of characters across the archipelago that would pay a hefty sum of gold to add to their assorted oddities.

The rest of the evening consisted of laying out traps that would ensnare any trespasser within fifty paces. Sleeping on the forest floor was commonplace for her. She'd return in the morning to oversee the departure. Shoving the smooth egg into her satchel, the huntress slipped into her makeshift cloth sack she'd fashioned for sleeping in cold environments.

0_0_0

"She's winning!" Practically jumping up and down in unbridled enthusiasm, the Viking gasped. Heather's mouth curved into a smirk, but didn't dare respond to the cheer, keeping all of her strength endowed in her right arm.

"No she's not!" Snotlout interjected, a pinprick of worry in his tone, "I'm just giving her a head start?" Forearm flexing outward from his opponent pushing against it, the Rider attempted to push back with his own strength. He had held her hand midline for a while, but was starting to bend is wrist back from the opposition.

"Oh give it a rest, Snotlout." Her voice was strained as well, but not at all lacking in vigor. "Say goodbye…" Elbow firmly against the wooden table, wrist steeled, Heather squeezed Snotlout's hand and drove it down towards the table, "To your hair!" A loud thud shuddered the table as the back of her opponent's hand slammed against its surface. "Yes!" A metal clang sounded when the shell of her arm-guard made contact with Astrid's in revelry.

"Not even a competition!" The blonde proudly declared.

"Heather wins the arm wrestling match!" Throwing his arms to the air, Fishlegs announced the attained victory with a joyful laugh. Meatlug joined in, purring happily and letting her tongue loll out.

"Sister, if you'll do the honors." Tuffnut bowed to his twin who slowly began to approach Heather with a knife. Their two-headed dragon exchanged mutual amused glances.

"Wh—hold on, the loser is supposed to get their hair shaved off." Heather frowned, leaning away from the twin, clearly eager to use the knife one way or another.

"What? That's lame. I thought the winner did." Narrowing her eyes disappointedly, the lanky woman twirled the knife, "What's the point of winning then?" She shrugged, turning the blade on Snotlout. "Oh well!" Mortified, her target made to hop up and escape.

"H-h-hey! I demand a rematch! I hadn't stretched yet." Retreating until the back of his heel almost dipped off the edge of a platform, the man yelped, "Hookfang!" No assistance was provided from his Monstrous Nightmare as the widely grinning woman crept closer. "Not the hair! Not the face!" Waving his arms wildly, the Rider let loose a girlish screech.

"Alright what—I…. shudder to ask—is going on here?" The brunette knew better than to ask when certain members of his team were involved, but he just had to know. For example, why was Ruffnut straddling Snotlout with a knife while everyone else was celebrating? "I know Snotlout can be a… Snotlout, but murder is never the answer."

"Hey!" The man protested.

"Relax Hiccup, they were just arm-wrestling. Loser gets their hair cut off." Chuckling, Astrid figured they wouldn't cause each other any real, lasting harm.

"Oh… if that's all." Leaning on his good leg, "Heather, I think you need to take a look at this." In his hand was a rolled piece of parchment, addressed to her. Brows furrowed, the woman accepted the letter, unfurled it, and perused the lettering. Bright green eyes widening, Heather exhaled in a soft scoff.

"It's… from… the Huntress." Yes, the woman that she had punched perfectly in the face and left for dead. "She wants to meet…" Crinkling the worn paper with her grip, the Rider studied the rudimentary map scribbled at the bottom in a hurry. Millions of questions flared.

"That's a trap, obviously" Staking his claim on that statement, Fishlegs looked around, "That we're not going to fall for." His speech slowed with each passing word. "Right?" Fiddling with his fingers fretfully, he thought to confirm.

"I don't know." The dark-haired rider sounded unsure herself. She hadn't really told anyone about being trapped in a cave-in with her, but luring her into a petty trap of this caliber was poorly planned. "There's just something about her letter…"

"Yeah, something shady and murder-y." Tuffnut wrinkled his nose in profound thought. "Or maybe she knows! And doesn't want us to go! And that was her plan all along."

"What if she knows that we know that, and that we think she wants us to stay, but in reality… we go, and shouldn't…." Ruffnut supplemented.

"But that would mean—"

Hiccup held out his arms, imploring with an incoherent yell to dispel the twins before he wound up with a headache he fully signed up for. "Heather? It's your call. We've got your back." He assured her. The Razorwhip chimed in on his claim.

"Let's do it."

Thanks for reading! And to those who reviewed and fav'd :'0 I owe ya'll my life.