Astrid watched Hiccup fly off with his brothers, heading towards the Shivering Shores. Stormfly and Windwalker bracketed her and Sneaky rested upon her shoulder. Sneaky crooned when the three disappeared into a cloud bank. Astrid reached up, scratching the female Terror.
"He'll be back," she said softly, both to reassure Sneaky of Sharpshot's return and to reassure herself of Hiccup's return. "They'll all be back," she added, knowing that if Toothless was unable to return, neither of the other two would as well.
"He'll mess up," a new voice said causing all the dragons to snarl.
Astrid turned, finding Baneson standing behind her but not close. Astrid's eyes narrowed.
"'Dat lump 'o space destroy everyt'ing he touches."
"Watch your tongue," Astrid growled. "Lest you lose it."
Baneson cackled. "Ye stop me?" he demanded. "Ye a Hofferson, lass. Run on ta-"
His voice stopped. The blood drained from his face. Astrid glared at him over her axe blade resting at his throat. Twins sounds of Nadder tails lifting and spikes extending echoed. A familiar hiss flew past Astrid's ear as Sneaky tensed and snarled.
"I will say this only once," Astrid stated, her tone low and as cold as Gyda's when she informed all of them the gods were angry with them. "Leave Hiccup alone or you will not live long."
"Astrid," another new, but welcomed, voice said. "What did he do now?" Gyda asked as she stopped beside Astrid.
Baneson's eyes narrowed. "Ye be Us-"
Gyda lifted a hand and a thin ribbon of lighting curled around her finger. Baneson's eyes widened.
"You live only because my liege lord wishes it," Gyda said calmly. "You remain out of jail because his father deems it so. You are not maimed because Astrid holds greater honor than you. You are not in pain from Nadder spikes or four dragon flaming because they hold greater intelligence than you ever will. You would be wise to remember all of that."
Baneson backed up a step. He spun on his heel. "Witch! Dere be a witch! Chief Stoick, a witch!"
Stoick, walking by with the helmsman from the Shores and Gobber, paused. The two men paused as well.
"Boy," Stoick began, "I have nare the time for your tomfoolery. And ye be on the verge of going back ta the jails for disturbin' my future daughter-in-law and her friend."
"She be a witch," Baneson declared. "She be holdin' lightin' in her 'and."
"Boy," Stoick said, "Ye be feelin' right? Go see Gothi. Have her check ye over. Honestly, holdin' lightin'." Stoick shook his head. "What will he think of next?"
"But, chief-"
"Lad, yer chief give ye 'n order," the helmsman said. "Ye best be gittin' on now."
Baneson growled. "Ye can't order me 'bout."
"No, but I can," Stoick stated, standing to his full height. "Get yerself ta Gothi, now, boy. Ye mother be up there 'n can aid the elder in lookin' ye over."
Baneson growled again but turned and walked away. Astrid glared after him and noted as Iggy and Buttercup, sitting on the eave of a nearby house, flew straight for Gothi's hut. Astrid kept her cackle in her belly. The Terrors would get there before Baneson and would find a way to inform Gothi of what was going on. Baneson would not like his time with the village elder.
"Ye two be 'ight?" Stoick asked, pulling Astrid's attention.
"Aye, chief," Astrid said.
Stoick smiled softly. "Stoick, Astrid. Ye be family soon, ye don't have to call me chief. And dunna worry 'bout Hiccup. Ye know Toothless and Sharpshot be protective of the lad. He'll be back in yer arms 'fore ye know it."
Astrid grunted as Gobber winked at her. The three men continued their walk. Astrid turned to Gyda, blinking as she found the mage frowning.
"Astrid," Gyda began, "we need to watch the seas for ice."
"Why?"
Gyda turned, looking out in the directions Hiccup and his brothers went. Astrid watched the mage take a deep breath before facing her.
"Remember the Changewing's story about Speedstingers?" Gyda asked.
"Yes." Astrid frowned. "You think they will try their luck here? They can't fly."
"They can walk," Gyda said. "And if the seas become ice.." Gyda's voice trailed off and she stared at Astrid with a lifted eyebrow.
Astrid's eyes widened then she frowned. "Why are you warning us? Chief said not to tell the future."
"I am not sure the future I know holds any weight anymore. Too much has already changed. I don't know if the Speedstingers will even try. I do know they did in the tale I saw. If they try, they will pose a danger to this nest and everyone in it." Gyda's eyes narrowed. "And I will end anyone or anything that harms my family."
Night fell as Hiccup and his brothers flew beyond the far sea stacks that gave passing ships a marker to turn for Berk. The last snowstorm had raged until late in the day and it had taken his father and those who went with him the better part of three hours to investigate the state of the village. This meant the warning about Johann came near to twilight. Hiccup knew the merchant would not survive the night. They had to find Johann before the man froze to death. Hiccup was grateful that the moon offered some light. If Johann was not near a sea stack or capsized, he would at least see the silhouette of the mast.
Hiccup blinked when Toothless opened his mouth and emitted some odd noise. He was surprised more when Toothless' ear flaps lifted and twitched. The Night Fury banked left and dived to fly nearer to the water. Hiccup looked down and gasped. The moonlight showed a vast swath of the ocean covered in ice.
"How did you do that?" Hiccup asked.
[Since my kind tend to stay in caves and cave systems, we learned to find things in the dark with a special sound,] Toothless answered.
"That's amazing," Hiccup said, smiling. "Does that ability help your kind have such good accuracy?"
[Yes. The time it takes the sound to bounce off of something and return allow us to know how far away it is. The lobes around my head help me determine where and in which direction an object is. The two longer ones determine which side. The smaller ones determine up or down. My regular ears are under the longer ones. That's the second reason they are longer.]
Toothless suddenly rose. Hiccup opened his mouth to ask, only to hear chittering, a lot of chittering. He looked towards the horizon and saw a cloud of snow heading their way at a fast clip. Toothless rose higher. The cloud passed under them. Toothless and Sharpshot snarled.
"What?" Hiccup asked.
[Tail-stingers,] Sharpshot said.
Hiccup's eyes widened. "You think they're the ones the Changewings queen spoke of?"
[Maybe,] Toothless answered. [They seemed pleased about some plan their leader has thought of.]
"Sharpshot," Hiccup said. "Fly to the Changewing nest. Maybe you can get there before them and can warn the queen."
[Brother?] Sharpshot questioned.
"Go. We are their allies. We have to warn them, but Johann still needs to be found. He will die if left out here over night."
Kirika: Hehe, well, it's not really his fault this time.
Kal: Hi, welcome, and thank you for reading and reviewing. Hiccup will experience a growth spurt just not right now. And he has a sword already. He forged himself a seax and carries it on his belt. That was the sword he pulled when the dragons roared at him and Astrid after she kissed him back in Two Worlds: One Family. He still has it, just hasn't had need to draw it. He can't put anything on his back as Sharpshot rides there most of the time. When Sharpshot's not there, Hiccup's shield is.
Prince: Hehe, well, Astrid's not the only one looking for revenge