Hiccup leaned heavily on the wooden railing of their boat, staring blankly at the setting sun. The reds and golds reflected off the clear water, rippling as the boat glided over.
He groaned and tore a hand through his hair. After setting off from Defenders of the Wing island a half hour ago, he had sunk into a kind of lost trance. His mind swirled with the things he had done and seen in the past few weeks. The magnitude of a few actions, yet the impact of them.
He turned around slowly, gazing at the few people on deck. The twins sat on a few crates, talking to each other. Fishlegs leaned on the railing a few yards away, engrossed in a book.
He rubbed his eyes, the glare of the sun still appearing when he closed his eyes. He walked wearily past the twins and stumbled down the stairs, trying to focus on the stairs when in the middle of his vision was a circle of purple, from the sun.
He pushed the boy's door open, glancing at the corner to see Snotlout conked out on his bed. He wrinkled his nose, then sat on his own cot.
He sighed and leaned over, his head in his hands. His body was exhausted, by tomorrow his stump would surely be sore, and his mind would not stop bouncing from ideas to thoughts to crazy threats.
In his mind he felt reckless, in his body he felt unimaginably tired. He was overcome with the urge to fall asleep and forget about the world, to jump off the ship and watch as they sailed away, to doing crazy things he knew he would never do.
He flopped down on his bed, wincing as a loud creak echoed from the wooden frame. He turned to see Snotlout, glad he hadn't been woken up. He turned back to face the ceiling, closing his eyes and trying to focus on one thing.
Defenders of the Wing. Dagur had released Sleuther to the Hidden World, in the hopes that he would find a mate of his own, another Triple Stryke. Much like what happened with Hiccup and Toothless. Hiccup squeezed his eyes shut, willing himself not to think about it.
Wingmaiden Island. They were headed there right now, thanks to maps they copied from the Defenders of the Wing library. By nightfall, they should have reached their island.
Persuading Atali to let the Razorwhips go. Internally, his heart broke. The Wingmaidens had just as much of a bond to their dragons as the Defenders of the Wings did, if not more. Their sacred nesting grounds were vital to the survival of so many young Razorwhips. If not bonded with a human and protected from male Razorwhips, they were in far more danger.
The Hidden World didn't seem to exactly fit for the Razowhips. Male Razorwhips would surely be there, even if there were very few of them. Not to mention that the female Razorwhips were so protective of their young they would attack any sort of male presence near them.
Maybe Vanaheim? As soon as the thought crossed his mind, he vetoed it. Still far too many male dragons, and the Grim Gnashers added an extra threat.
He knew that they couldn't possibly be allowed to stay with the Wingmaidens. As much as it hurt to take their dragons from them, it wouldn't be fair to the Berkians or Defenders of the Wing if the Wingmaidens were allowed to keep their Razorwhips.
His mind drifted to Heather and Windshear. Heather had not spoken to him since they had arrived at Defenders of the Wing, but he knew Astrid had. In fact, she was probably talking to Heather right now, seeing as Heather decided to accompany them to Wingmaiden Island, then to their next stop, Berserker Island.
He rolled over on the bed, shoving his face into the small pillow at the front of his cot. He groaned, the pillow muffling any sound.
He would ask Atali about the situation later, obviously. But he doubted that she would take kindly to his notion of releasing the dragons, even though she wouldn't be as harsh as Mala.
He heard Snotlout snore a loud shuffling snort, and he laughed into the pillow. He sat back up, slumping on the corner of his bed and feeling infinitely better now that he had organized his thoughts.
Was there anything else?
Oh. Right. That one little thing.
Astrid had seemed very hesitant to talk to him after her chat with Mala. He knew what it was about, because really, what could it be besides their relationship?
They'd both been interrogated by village members several times. They'd heard all the reason and arguments the villagers had made. They were about twenty-one, Astrid was already the General and Hiccup the Chief, they were in love, hard times, new heir, we don't want Snotlout, yadda-yadda.
He felt very stressed out about the whole thing. Was he supposed to walk up to Astrid and propose? Was he supposed to arrange a bride price first? Would that offend Astrid? How would he ask Mr. Hofferson?
He wondered if his father ever had to go through this to propose to Valka.
Speaking of Valka...
He rose up and exited the room. Once outside, he softly walked to the girl's room, tapping on the door. He heard a soft accented voice reply, "Who is it?" Definitely his mom.
He cleared his throat. "Uh, mom? Is it just you?"
The door opened, and his mother smiled at him from inside. "Yes, Hiccup. What is it?" She ushered him inside and insisted he sit down.
He coughed uncomfortably. "Can.. you tell me about how Dad proposed to you?"
Valka's eyebrows shot up. Her soft green eyes were wide, and she seemed ready to break out in laughter or a huge grin. "Well, oh my. Such a long time ago. Well, imagine this."
He nodded as she continued. "Thirty or something years ago, maybe even less, I can't remember. But your father and I were courting, and had been for a few years. Pressure growing on us to get married, as Stoick's father was growing old. The village was scared of anything happening to him, and beseeched us to marry so they could be certain of a substantial future."
"We talked about it, of course. Not like we just avoided the topic. And you know what your father did? Said in a great stumbling speech that oh, he wanted to get married but he was scared of pressure and thought he didn't deserve me, and all sorts of things."
Hiccup laughed. "Dad, stumbling? Yeah, that does not sound like Stoick the Vast at all."
Valka shook her head mirthfully. "You'd be surprised how similar you two were, when both of you were around the same age. Yes, Stoick was a might taller and a smidgen- well more than a smidgen- bigger. But you were both clumsy, stammering fools." She laughed.
"Well anyway." She sat down across from Hiccup on another bed. "We were already engaged, but being engaged and actively looking for a wedding are two very different things. You can have a plan to become married, or you can plan to become married. Very different."
"But he proposed in the sweetest way possible." She laughed at the expression on Hiccup's face. "Yes, I just used the word sweet to describe Stoick. But he did, really. On a hilltop, in Berk. Got down one on knee, went though the incredibly nervous process of actually asking. And you know the rest."
He nodded, twisting his fingers nervously in his lap. "How- how much pressure was there?"
Valka shrugged. "Maybe four times a week we would hear someone talking about it. But even without the pressure, I know we would have eventually married."
He nodded again, trying to ignore the lump in his throat.
"Do you think he would be proud of hat I've done?"
Valka took her son's hands gently, stopping them from twiddling. She looked up to meet his eyes. "Of course."
"I just feel like- I've done so much in my time as Chief. I just don't know how much of it was good."
She reached up and ran a hand through his hair. "Everything you have done was for the best, and you know it. Being Chief isn't easy. But in a such a short time you have accomplished more than most can say."
He swallowed, then met Valka's eyes. "Thank you, Mom. Thank you."
Valka nodded. "Of course, anytime."
He stood up to leave, glancing back to offer a shaky smile before opening the door.
He walked up to the deck, wanting to breathe some fresh air again. He reached up to push the trapdoor open, and climbed onto the deck.
The wind hit him first, blowing him off balance for a second. He grabbed onto the nearest pole, then screwed his eyes up against the wind. He looked around, seeing the twins huddled in a corner where the wind wouldn't reach them. Their hair whipped furiously around their heads.
He released the pole and grabbed onto the railing. The wind had obviously picked up during the time he was belowdecks. Walking along the edge of the boat, he headed toward the back of the ship.
He saw Eret there, trying desperately to hold a map still and read it. Fishlegs was on his side, trying to make sense of it.
He hurried toward them, shaking his head to get rid of the strands in his eyes. "Are we still going in the right direction?"
Eret looked up. "You know what, I have absolutely no idea. The wind makes it impossible to see."
Fishlegs pointed to a dot on the horizon in front of them. "We think that might be it, considering that's the only island we can see."
Hiccup squinted toward the dot. It did seem to have the same formation as Wingmaiden Island. Even more so, Wingmaiden Island's borders were often plagued with storms. One of which he could sense coming now.
He pointed toward it, telling them, "That's our best shot. Go toward it!"
Eret handed off the map to Fishlegs, who rolled it tight while Eret jumped to the top of the sail. Pulling hard at a rope, the sail began to turn and the ship pointed toward the minute island on the horizon.
Hiccup sighed as the wind blew past his face, aiding them in reaching the island faster. The cold gusts of air no longer battered his face; instead they pulled his hair forward and probably made him look strange but he didn't mind.
Eret hopped down from the sail, calmly leaning against the railing. "So? Got a plan for once we get there?"
He groaned, running his hand through his hair in a fruitless attempt to calm it. "Something like what happened with Mala, but I honestly don't want to go through that again."
Eret scratched his head. "Aren't they those girls with dragons on their backs?"
Fishlegs nodded. "They train and take care of baby Razorwhips. And they are maidens. No males allowed to permanently stay there."
"Strange." Eret remarked. "I think my men and I may have sailed near here a few times, but never had we seen a Wingmaiden."
As they talked, they walked toward the front of the boat. Seeing Snotlout and Valka climb out of the trapdoor, he beckoned to them.
They reached the twins, who were leaning over the side of the boat, faces almost parallel to the water. Ruffnut looked up, her narrow face bright. "We're almost there!"
Snotlout rubbed his eyes. "Hwuagh? We are?" He squinted toward the growing island on the distance. "Hmm. We are."
Valka looked up, then glanced questioningly at Hiccup. "Any idea where the girls might be?"
Ruffnut leaped up, arms crossed. "Hey, watch it! Just because I look like Tuffnut does not mea-"
She broke off as Astrid jumped down behind her, scaring them. Heather jumped down a moment later, both grinning madly. Hiccup looked up to see Windshear flapping above them, then flying down to squeeze onto the deck.
Astrid's face was pink, and her azure eyes twinkled. She and Heather clapped their hands together.
Fishlegs stared. "Where have you guys been? You left us to suffer in the wind!"
Heather smirked. "Oh, it's not like we could fit you all into Windshear. But we were against the wind for some time too."
Astrid joined in. "We just flew higher until we were above the wind."
Hiccup winced briefly. He couldn't deny that he was jealous with pangs of longing. Astrid had gotten to ride a dragon again, had gotten to feel the sky and wind battling against her. Had felt free, in control against the elements.
He opened his mouth to ask if they had seen the island from up above, but was sharply cut off as a voice sounded from above.
"Whoever you are, you are harboring a Razowhip. Let it go immediately, or- Hiccup?"
He tilted his head up and grinned as he saw Atali and Minden fly down. They softly touched down, their eyes widening as they took in the many people.
Atali spoke first. "Hiccup, what are you doing here? And on a ship? And who are these people?"
He turned to face them, self-consciously smoothing his hair. "Atali! It's great to see you again. Umm," He internally sighed. "We're here on a matter of... urgent business."
Minden stepped forward. "What is it? Krogan?" Hiccup noticed Snotlout blushing when he saw Minden, and slightly turn away. "It's not Krogan. But, this would be better explained somewhere different. Would you allow us to dock on your islan-"
Atali cut him off. "Of course. Hiccup Haddock, you are always welcome here. Feel free to stay as long as you must." She nodded to Minden, who raised two fingers to her mouth and whistled. The long, shrill sound brought several other Wingmaidens from the sky, guarded and wary until they caught sight of Windshear and Hiccup.
Atali stepped closer. "Whatever you need to discuss, we will do it on our island." She furrowed her brow, looking among the ship. "I take it... you left your dragons behind?"
In response, Hiccup uncomfortably groaned. "Atali, it's... so much more complicated that than. I'm sorry, we should probably wait to tell you."
Minden stepped forward, an eyebrow raised but Atali cut her off. "It's fine, Minden. Get back to the island, and tell them to prepare for guests."
Minden looked as if she wanted to argue, but Atali sent a sharp glance her way and she was off. The other Wingmaidens landed on the deck, making the crew very crowded and very uncomfortable.
Atali smiled at Hiccup. "Apologies, she's still learning."
"Uh, what for?" Snotlout intervened.
Atali glanced at him. "She's learning, Snotlout, to walk in my footsteps. She's by far the best candidate to be my heir."
Snotlout looked up to where Minden was flying away, then turned away quickly. "Umm, okay." Valka spoke. "Are you the ones who sent the Bewilderbeast egg? And left it at the Lunar Rock?" Atali's eyes widened. "Yes. I assume you were the one who took it in?" When Valka nodded, Atali smiled at her. "I cannot thank you enough, for taking care of the Bewilderbeast. This is what our people have done for centuries, taking in baby dragons and raising them to be free and whole."
She looked uncomfortably behind her, at her baby Razorwhip. The small, metallic-blue dragon squawked happily at her. "Though I must admit, they have been rather... rambunctious lately. Several don't return until midnight, and even then they show signs of having traveled very, very far. Some won't eat, some try to escape."
Hiccup swallowed, his throat dry. "Wha.." he cleared his throat. "This is going to sound crazy, but do you think they could be.. following something?"
Atali shrugged. "We're not sure. We do know, that recently one adult Razorwhip flew away, toward the sun. She's not back, and while we do fear for her, it may be connected to following something."
Hiccup bit his lip.
"We have a lot to tell you."
They reached the Wingmaiden shore in maybe ten minutes or so. They had no dock, so they lashed their ship to a strong tree overlooking the sea.
Atali flew ahead, shouting out orders to the Wingmaidens. A few stayed behind to accompany them to the main village. One by one, the Berkians hopped off the ship to land onto the soft, grainy sand.
Walking to the village, Hiccup looked around. They were walking in a densely wooded area, with clearings and meadows scattered around. He saw Wingmaidens everywhere, generally looking very hassled as they shouted and chased down tiny Razorwhips.
Astrid walked beside him. She whispered, "Do you think the Razorwhips might be responding to Toothless?"
He shrugged. "It's a possibility." Seeing her look, he hastily amended, "I mean, yeah that's probably what's happening. When the Bewilderbeast called all dragons, back on Berserker Island, they came. It's probably the same thing here."
"Maybe this is happening other places too?"
"Wingmaiden Island is the farthest away from the Hidden World. So if Toothless's call reached all the way out here, it's probably gotten to other places."
They reached the end of the woods, where the trees began to thin out and their leafy boughs provided little shade. They stepped out a wooden pathway, and their eyes grew wide.
Their village had grown much larger, with several more huts and wooden walkways. Many layers of living area reached up, most accessible by stairs or by dragonback. Or, dragon-on-Wingmaiden-back.
Minden saw their expressions and smiled. "Yes, we have been working on expanding our buildings. It's been going very well—when the Razorwhips behave." She sighed as a baby ran across her feet, a stumbling Wingmaiden following it.
She gestured out toward two huts, on the very edge of the lowest layer. They were larger than most, though barely decorated and seemingly un-lived in. "These are available for you all, and you may stay here as long as you wish. Feel free to explore our island, and all the things we have to do."
Tuffnut and Ruffnut perked up. "Hey, Do you guys still have that awesome boar pit?"
Minden nodded, then squeaked as they ran past in pursuit of the muddy pit. She took off after them, yelling, "Be careful! It's not ready for boars yet!"
Hiccup laughed as he watched her fly after the twins. "She'll have her hands full with them."
Fishlegs turned toward Hiccup. "What do you want us to do?"
He held a hand out to the village. "Whatever you want. You heard what Minden said. We'll sort out the important stuff later."
Eret hesitantly headed toward a random path, unsure of where to go, when Snotlout grabbed his arm and jerked him towards a cliff. "Cmon, Eret, I have got to show you where I jumped off a cliff! I bet you wouldn't ever do that." They raced off to the waterfall.
Fishlegs and Valka were already deep in discussion about the Razorwhips, Fishlegs eagerly grabbing the chance to show off his dragon knowledge.
Astrid placed a hand on his arm. "Are you sure you want to leave all the 'important stuff' until later?"
He pressed a hand to his eyes. "They can. I still have a lot to figure out."
She took his hand from his face. "Do you need some help?"
Hiccup looked gratefully at her. "Sure."
They left Fishlegs and Valka behind, going into one of the dark huts. Astrid walked along the perimeter, opening windows to let light in.
Hiccup sat on one of the straw beds. "Do you think Atali would need as much convincing as Mala?"
Astrid shrugged and sat on the bed opposite him. "Honestly, if it didn't involve dragons and their village, I would say no. Atali's more relaxed than Mala. But since it does involve their dragon and the future of their villages, I'm saying yes. The Wingmaiden's job to protect the Razorwhips is just as important as the Great Protector protecting the Defenders of the Wing."
"Well, now we have significant evidence of the dragons needing to go to the Hidden World. They're responding to the alpha's call."
"That presents it's own problems, though. We don't know if they even could get to the Hidden World safely, none of these dragons have ever been there. And they're babies!"
Hiccup opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off when he heard a sharp squeak and felt a burst of flame narrowly miss his head. He ducked down, crashing to the floor. Facing upwards, he saw a purple and green Terrible Terror fly past with a smirk on its face and a scroll in it's claws.
Astrid held her arm out, for the Terror to settle on it. She shook with laughter, barely suppressing it when she saw Hiccup roll his eyes at her. He scrambled up, brushing himself off. Ignoring Astrid's giggles, he took the tightly rolled scroll from the Terror.
Astrid kept an eye on him, waiting eagerly for the news as she stroked the Terror, now comfortable sitting on her lap.
He unrolled the parchment, recognizing Gobber's handwriting at once. The shaky, large letters were on every inch of the papers, almost indecipherable. Luckily, Hiccup had a lot of experience reading Gobber's writing.
Astrid leaned forward. "Who's it from?"
He showed her the paper. "Gobber." He read over the letter, wincing at spelling and grammar mistakes.
deer hiccup, youv got to come bak. i cant control these crazy viking. wild dragens everywere. like old deys. village need you. other tribes keep coming four help. but your not here. khaos. danger, kid almost fel oph klif, he ok now.
com back soon gobber
Astrid laughed as she read through the letter, then stopped as she let the meaning sink in. She stared at Hiccup. "He needs you to come back?"
He stared at the message. "Apparently so."
He was silent as he went through their current situation. Could he afford to go back? Could their mission really be so short-lived?
Seeing his hesitation, Astrid took the paper and read through it once more. "Do you think we should go back?"
He helplessly shrugged. "I... don't know. We came out here to convince the other tribes and villages, and we've only gotten to the second one. And they're showing signs of being affected by Toothless. But a child almost died."
Astrid gave him back the letter. "Maybe Gobber was right from the beginning. I... don't want to say this, but we may have to go back."
Seeing Hiccup look morosely back at her, she continued. "Look, I want to visit everyone too. The Edge, the Outcasts, the Berserkers. But sometimes-"
Hiccup finished her sentence for her. "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. But I guess we should change that to the needs of your own people outweigh the needs of the others."
He breathed out a long, heavy sigh. Was this what being Chief truly was like? He was never put against a situation like this; the first year of his Chiefing had mostly been reckless dragon rescues and far-fetched ideas to expand the ever-growing dragon population of Berk.
But almost never were foreign affairs in the mix. He'd dealt with them before, but he had never been the cause of trouble and unrest in the other islands. And when he had tried to fix it, to settle matters overseas, he had neglected his own.
Astrid twisted her fingers in her lap, waiting for Hiccup to say something. He had his head in his hands, threading his tangled hair through his fingers.
Her heart turned at how lost he looked. She crossed over to sit next to him, and gently took one of his hands from his head and entwined their fingers.
Astrid wasn't a very gentle or caring person to most. She was a shield maiden, the toughest girl on Berk, and the best fighter of their generation. When she was younger, she would revolt against any kind of affection shown to her that wasn't from her parents. She believed that love was foolish, and would get in the way of her training.
But as she grew older and saw more of the world, she grew slightly softer. Especially to Hiccup. And especially not to Snotlout. But Hiccup would always be the one she could show the other side of her with.
He didn't look up, but squeezed her hand and let his arm hang limply, held up by hers.
She clasped his hand with hers. "Hiccup." When he looked up at her, she went on. "Whatever you're feeling right now, whatever you're thinking, you cannot blame yourself for any of it."
He shook his head. "How- how can I not? I abandoned my village when it was the worst time, a kid almost died, we're stuck on an island the farthest away from New Berk, and I've got a mess of things I have to do for the Berserkers, we have to help the Defenders of the Wing, we'll probably have to relocate the Razorwhips but I don't know how-"
Astrid stopped him. "Maybe you've made some bad decisions. But I told you, a long time ago, that when you can't make the right decision, you can't thinking about what you could've done. What's important is that you learn from the past so you can teach your future."
Hiccup straightened up, running a hand briefly over his face before facing Astrid. "I- how-" He took a deep breath, trying to settle the churning emotions inside him. "Thank you."
Astrid smiled. "So, what's our plan?"
He rolled up the scroll and stuffed it in a pocket. "We're going back to Berk."
After the Terror had been taken care of, fed morsels of cod and appropriately rested from the long journey, Hiccup had written a letter in response to Gobber. He made sure Gobber knew what to do with neighboring villages and wild dragons. Polite dismissals, herding stray dragons with bait, etc.
He also made sure Berk would know he would be coming back soon. At most, he would be gone another week.
Astrid wrote a side note, with additions and ideas for rebuilding the villages. Hiccup was glad he had her write more afterwards, for when he read her writing he realized how much he'd accidentally left out.
He was just tying the scroll to the Terror's leg when Snotlout and Eret burst into the hut. Startled, Hiccup jumped and accidentally elbowed Astrid.
She glared at him, and thankfully moved her glare to Snotlout and Eret. "Do you have to barge in like that?"
Snotlout wiggled his eyebrows. "Why? It's not like we're interrupting- hey! What's he doing with a Terror?"
Hiccup straightened up with an apologetic glance to Astrid. "I'm sending a T-Mail to Berk."
Eret frowned. "Any news?"
Hiccup took in their soaked clothes and crazed hair. "Umm, yeah. But what happened to you guys?"
Eret glanced down, and pointed an accusing finger to Snotlout. "He made me go cliff diving. Said he made it through once before, but I doubt it. I had to push him before he went. But don't change the subject, what's the news?"
Astrid put her hand on her hip and stared at Hiccup, waiting for his answer. He sighed and spoke. "We have to go back to Berk."
Snotlout gaped. "What?"
He stood up straighter. "I just got a Terror mail from Gobber. Didn't exactly go into detail, but things aren't going well there."
Snotlout snorted. "It's Gobber! Cmon, it'll be fine. We got more places to go to!"
Something flared inside of Hiccup, and he glared at Snotlout. "We left our village when they needed us most. There is chaos there, and a child almost died." He saw Snotlout's face whiten.
Eret was wringing out his hair. "Are we going back right now?"
Hiccup shook his head. "We need to talk to Atali first. Not to mention they're going to need our help too, if they agree to let the Razorwhips go."
Astrid asked, "When are we going to talk to her? We're going to need to soon if we want to get back to Berk."
Hiccup looked at Eret. "Can you guys get everyone? I'm going to have to tell them, then we'll all talk with Atali."
Snotlout shoved the towel toward Eret and dashed through the door. "Hah! Catch up, son of Eret!"
Eret rolled his eyes. He muttered, "He's not going to get very far, being so short." He tossed the towel aside and calmly strode out the door.
Hiccup turned toward Astrid and said, "Can you get Atali? But not now, in a few minutes. I don't want her to have to wait for everyone."
Astrid nodded. "Are you ready? This might be as hard as it was for the Defenders of the Wing."
Hiccup sighed. "It's probably going to be. I don't think we understood how difficult it would be to actually convince them to release their dragons. Terror mail is one thing, but this?"
Astrid shook her head. "Atali is more level-headed than Mala. But you're right, it will be hard." She hesitated, and started walking toward the door. "Remember, just keep moving forward. This is going to be over someday, but the only way we'll get there is if we keep going."
She smiled in farewell, and closed the door behind her in pursuit of Atali.
Hiccup crossed his arms, now alone in the room. While feeling extremely overburdened by what was to come, he also felt a deep sense of thankfulness for Astrid.
About half an hour later, Hiccup stood in front of Eret, Ruff, Tuff, Fishlegs, Valka, Snotlout, and Astrid. He was beside Atali, with Minden and several other Wingmaidens behind them.
He had told of his story, he had told them of the hardship and struggles since he had seen them last. Drago, Grimmel, Toothless. And finally, he had gotten to the part he dreaded most, asking them, to release their dragons.
He now stood in front of them all, awaiting Atali's decision. Uncomfortable silence filled the air, he felt that if he moved he would be moving through slow pudding.
Her eyes were steely, examining him as he tried to stare back. The Wingmaidens behind her whispered anxiously, some cradling their baby Razorwhips while others straight on glared at him.
She tightened her grip on her spear, and spoke in halting, dreadful words. "You ask us to let our dragons go?"
Hiccup nodded. "Yes. Atali, it's for the good-"
She cut him off abruptly. "I understand. And I can see your reasoning."
She stood stationary for a few agonizing seconds more, then turned to whisper to Minden. He saw Minden's eyes widen, and stare questioningly at Atali. She shook her head in response, and they whispered more frantically.
Hiccup hated every second of it. He knew this was more than a Chiefly conference, this was one Chief asking another of a great deed, a favor even. He hated the feeling of her being in power, of feeling like a young boy being punished.
She turned back to him. "If we decide to go along with your idea, do you promise that our Razorwhips will be safe?"
Hiccup tried to nod as affirmatively as he could. "Yes. They should be able to instinctively know the way."
Atali shook her head. "I don't want to hear any 'shoulds'. I want cemented ideas, not half-hoped ones."
Hiccup tensed. "Atali, we can't wait for something to happen, either. You know how your Razorwhips are acting. As hard as it is to say this, they're not happy here."
She narrowed her eyes, then said, "I offer a compromise. I send two Wingmaidens, therefore two baby Razorwhips, and five grown Razorwhips. They will attempt to reach this Hidden World. If they succeed, and it is a habitable situation, then the Razorwhips will all leave."
Astrid glanced at Hiccup, obviously wondering if this was a good idea. It was the best offer they would get, but it still had its risks.
Atali scanned the faces of her Wingmaidens, then turned back to Hiccup. "If they do not succeed, then all Razorwhips will stay here."
He considered the implications of the plan. He was sure they would reach the Hidden World, with five grown dragons following it, but it would also be revealing the location of the Hidden World to even more humans. Yet he knew two more was not very many, and the Wingmaidens were reliable people. "The Hidden World is a sacred place. Maybe even more then Vanaheim. If your Wingmaidens accompany the Razorwhips there, they cannot be allowed inside. It's too dangerous."
Minden stepped forward. "How are we supposed to know if it is a habitable place if we are not allowed to go inside?"
Atali raised her hand, and Minden stepped back uncertainly, keeping an eye on Hiccup. "We agree to your conditions."
Almost letting out a relieved sigh, Hiccup stifled it. "Thank you."
Behind Atali, about four or five Wingmaidens were staring open-mouthed at Atali, while a few more, Minden included, were nodding sadly. Atali herself ignored them for the time being. "Hiccup, this isn't a matter of thanks."
He stiffened, realizing his mistake too late. He relaxed as she continued. "But we will do this, because I see it is the right thing, and because you have proven to be a trustable ally."
She then turned around, and was immediately surrounded by frantic Wingmaidens, cradling their Razorwhips protectively. Hiccup winced in sympathy, then winced in pain Snotlout shoved him from behind. "Snotlout! What is your problem?"
Standing on tiptoe, Snotlout glared at him. "How could you let the Wingmaidens go to the Hidden World? You didn't let the Defenders of the Wing! What-"
He stopped as Astrid elbowed him. "Snotlout, he has his reasons."
In return, he snorted at Astrid. "Well, what are they? Huh, Hiccup?"
He glowered at Snotlout, wanting to unapologetically shut him up. Seeing his look, Snotlout's eyes widened and he slightly cowered. "I just mean.. it doesn't make sense."
Valka stepped between them. "He'll tell us later. Don't badger him."
Fishlegs tapped Hiccup on the shoulder. "Eret said you were planning to go back to Berk? Like, soon?"
Hiccup nodded. "I got a letter from Berk. Things aren't looking too good."
Fishlegs furrowed his brow and shifted uncomfortably. "Didn't we have to, go to the Berserkers? And, Outcasts?"
Hiccup silently took the letter from his pocket and handed it to Fishlegs. As he finished reading, he stared at Hiccup. His voice quiet, he said, "We need to get back."
Atali approached his side. "Get back where?"
Hiccup responded, "Berk. There are... issues that need to be taken care of."
Tilting her head, Atali asked, "When will you be heading back?"
He guessed it was very late, as it was getting darker and darker. "We don't want to trouble you, but the soonest we could leave is tomorrow."
Atali nodded. "Our invitation still stands. We are happy to have you stay here as long as you need. Though I must say, be careful. Our Wingmaidens have reported rogue dragon hunters on the loose."
Astrid questioned, "Dragon hunters? Like the ones that were with Viggo?"
Atali shook her head. "No. These are freelance dragon hunters, who work for no one but themselves. We've encountered them several times before, but recently they have become reckless. About thirty of them. Brutal."
Tuffnut waved a hand lazily. "Ahh, they won't mess with us. We've got-" He broke off as he realized what he was going to say, and his voice broke. "Never mind."
Ruffnut put an arm around his shoulders. "They won't bother us because we don't have... you know. They're looking for them, so.. we should be fine." She sniffed. "Ouch. That hurt."
Fishlegs blinked hurriedly, then turned to a hut. "Umm, I'm going to excuse myself, if you don't mind."
Hiccup nodded. "See you later."
Atali gestured toward the center of their village. "We have prepared dinner, if you would like to eat."
Valka nodded gratefully. "Thank you. And what was that you were telling me about the Razorwhip?"
Atali started walking toward the fireplace with Valka by her side. "Oh, yes. Did you know their inner leg scales..." Her voice trailed off as they walked away.
Hiccup and Astrid began to follow. He asked, "Do you think I made the right decision?"
She laced her fingers with his. "Do you?"
He gripped her hand tighter. "For once, yes."
She smiled. "Then yes, I think you have."
They walked in silence toward the rich smell of smoke and frying fish, then he asked her a question that had been at the back of his mind ever since they had started the journey. "On the way back to New Berk," He bit his tongue before rushing on. "Maybe, just maybe could we stop by Berk? Old Berk, I mean. Just for an hour?"
Astrid faced him, her face illuminated by the firelight. Her eyes shone, with sadness and thoughtfulness. "It is on the way back.. and it would be amazing to..." She nodded. "If you'd like to."
He brightened at the prospect of seeing his old home again, even if it had been scarcely a week since he had seen it last. "Then we'll stop by Berk." He kissed her cheek, then led her to sit on a log by the fire. They sat, surrounded by the companionable sound of chatter and hissing flames.
And for once, he felt like he had a plan, had a path, and knew where he would go.
A pair of gleaming brown eyes looked out upon a dry beach. The brown murky water had long dried out, turning it into a desert land. Mountains stretched in the distance, and the night sky fell beyond the horizon.
A young, feminine voice broke the eerie silence. "Lower ranks. Search for any remains."
A tall, slim figure stood on a sand dune, with a spear by its side. When it turned, the woman's face still held the features of youth, yet she was looked ages old. Round nose, sharp observant eyes, thin mouth, the combination of features looked strange and alien on her face.
Several robust men ran past her, into the dusty sand. She stood solitary, watching as they scurried around.
A short man, with wild hair and scarred clothes ran up to stop beside her. "Orion. They said they didn't find anything the first time."
She shook her head. "I have heard you say that five times. If I thought of it any importance I would have said it the first time."
The man ducked down, his foot slipping. "I'm sorry. But they also said it was of those dragon riders."
She hissed, not wanting to be reminded of them. "I know. Who else could do this?"
She ground her spear in the sand until it sunk deep down. "I thought we were rid of them."
The man froze, not wanting to risk moving until she gave an order. He looked back at the ship moored far away, at the edge of the island.
The woman yanked her spear from the sand and pointed it toward the ship. "We leave now. If they won't rid themselves," She let out a heavy breath. "We'll do it for them."
Thank you for reading! Have a great day. ~ScribeOfTheLegends