A/N: Wow! Once again, thanks for the reviews! They make me feel all warm and fuzzy ;3
…I've got a crap-load of candy with me as I type. So y'all better brace yourself.
I want to swim away but don't know how.
Sometimes it feels just like I'm falling in the ocean.
Let the waves up take me down, let the hurricane set in motion.
Into the Ocean - Blue October
(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)
The air rushed by Astrid so fast that she couldn't even think of breathing. Her hands dug tightly into Nightflight's neck, probably choking the dragon as she fought to cling on. Mistyeyes and Shadowclaw tried to dash forward, claws straining to latch onto Nightflight in hopes of helping her gain back altitude. But the dragoness was falling too fast, flailing and twisting as she tried to figure out where she was. Her blinded eyes were stretched wide with shock and fear, the dragon too much in shock to let out the wailing that was gradually building inside of her throat.
Astrid's thoughts were everywhere at once, and yet they weren't going anywhere. As the wind slapped against the girl and buffeted her everywhere on the dragon. All she could think about was Hiccup. Where he was, how he would react in this kind of situation. Or maybe how disappointed he would be when Toothless brought him here. His face when he would see how Astrid had failed in rescuing Nightflight. She could just imagine the painfully-heartbroken look that would overcome the boy's face, his voice small and betrayed as he said: "Why couldn't you do it, Astrid?" His green eyes raw with sorrow as he stared at her fixedly.
"Why couldn't you do it?"
Astrid's eyes narrowed firmly, grip tightening on the dragon as her knuckles bleached themselves white. No. She wasn't going to let Hiccup down, no matter what happened, she would be there for him. "Extend your wings!" She hissed, jerking herself forward as she whispered fiercely into the Night Fury's ears. Nightflight faltered in her thrashing for a heartbeat, looking confused as she let out a sharp noise. Mistyeyes took the chance, rushing forward and clamping her teeth down tightly on the dragoness's tail. Nightflight let out a sharp retort at this, whipping around to snap back at the gray Night Fury. Shadowclaw copied Mistyeyes's movements as the dragon started to turn, leaning forward and grabbing one of Nightflight's feet.
The two pulled backwards rapidly, the ocean getting closer and closer as they started to slow their descent. Nightflight's thrashing subsided, getting weaker and weaker until she was completely still. Mistyeyes's face was creased with effort as she held the weight of both Nightflight and Astrid in her jaws; Shadowclaw's muscles rippled underneath his scales as he did his best to help the older dragon out. Biting her lower lip, Astrid repeated her instructions to the dragon, blue eyes still narrowed as she tried to figure out what was going on. "Extend your wings!" She coached, silently screaming at the dragon to open her ears and listen to her.
But it looked like her prayers did not go unanswered. Nightflight suddenly seemed to catch onto what was happening, her black wings shooting out at her sides. In doing so, she accidentally slapped Shadowclaw in the face, sending the smaller youngling flying out over to the side. The brown Night Fury rocketed down, falling into the ocean with a large smack as he went under. Astrid's eyes widened considerably, the girl leaning over and looking after the youngling with a panicked expression. But as fast as he had gone under, the Night Fury poked its head up from the waves, green eyes flashing with annoyance.
Astrid breathed out a small sigh of relief, shoulders sagging with relief as she let out a small smile. They managed not to fall to their deaths, that had to account for something at least. But the moment of relief was short-lived. The absence of Shadowclaw's help proved too difficult for Mistyeyes. The dragon buckled underneath the sudden weight, Nightflight beginning to speed up in her descent as she let out a sharp yelp. Astrid shrieked with surprise, floating up from her perch on top of the dragon as they fell again. Mistyeyes gasped sharply, trying to get a hold on the girl before it was too late. But the trio smacked into the water at full-speed, Astrid losing her hold as she was ripped away from both Night Furies.
Freezing cold water rushed into Astrid's mouth and nose, clogging her airways as she coughed, trying to get the water out of her system. The saltwater stung her scrapes and injuries she had acquired from the battle, causing her to cringe away painfully. Her throat closed in on itself as she fought to get over the shock from the sudden burst of cold. She forced herself to move, arms and legs feeling like weights as she made for the surface. Clawing and kicking out at awkward angles, Astrid tried to remember which way was up and which way was down. If she mixed up to the directions, she was in a lot of trouble.
But she'd been kicking far too long. Was she going the right way? Her struggles started to get weaker and weaker, wounds screaming with pain as she fought to clear her mind for comprehendible thoughts. So far, it wasn't working. Her arms were failing her, and her mind was getting fuzzy. The girl tried to keep going; she couldn't have fallen that deep into the sea, could she? Her body started to relax against her will, breaking down as she started to feel herself sink deeper.
She just solved her other problem! And now she was right smack dab in another one!
Her head started to dip close to her chest, Astrid's held breath brushing out of her chest in the form of thick bubbles. They rose quickly away from her, leaving her without any more oxygen to take in. Her arms and legs dragged her down, chest burning with fire as the girl struggled to stay awake. She felt herself falling deeper and deeper into oblivion, mind starting to slip away. She was drowning! The only thought that actually made sense rang back and forth in her mind, vibrating against the sides of her head painfully. Hiccup's crestfallen face flashed into view behind her eyelids, the brooding frown that Astrid hated to see looking back at her.
"Why couldn't you do it?"
Suddenly, teeth met with the back of the girl's collar. Astrid felt a weight tug her upwards, pulling her limp body up towards the surface. After what felt like forever, the blonde felt her head break through the water, arms and legs snapping into unnecessary action as she started to flounder in the water. Her hands smacked forward with a sense of urgency, throwing up water and spraying everyone within a two foot radius. Mistyeyes lifted her head up higher, hoisting the girl up and out of the water in the process. Astrid gasped for air like a fish out of water, blue eyes bugging out of her skull as her chest moved up and down rapidly. Her head spun like a top, and it took a moment for Astrid to be able to get a full grasp on what had just happened.
Shadowclaw and Nightflight were off the side, both being buffeted by waves as they were jostled back and forth. The little Night Fury seemed to be coaching Nightflight on how to move, yipping and barking in the dragoness's direction as he fought to keep himself afloat at the same time. Nightflight was going a sloppy version of the 'doggy-paddle', puffing and choking through the waves that slammed into her. But she seemed to be doing a much better job than Astrid was at swimming. Which was a little odd, considering that Astrid could actually see what she was doing.
The girl blushed beet red at the thought, turning with difficulty and looking back at Mistyeyes. "You can let me down, now." She said, voice punctured with sharp snaps as her teeth clattered from the cold. The dragon looked at her skeptically for a moment, but then shrugged, opening her mouth wide and letting Astrid fall back down into the water. Her head went under for a moment, but she was able to recover by herself this time, resurfacing with a large huff. She bounced up and down, being tossed around by the large slaps of water that smashed into her. She looked gratefully over to Mistyeyes, blue eyes flashing as she gave the dragon a small smile. "Thank you." She breathed out, relief alive in her voice.
Mistyeyes gave her a smile accompanied with a nod. Astrid turned around quickly, looking over to where Nightflight treaded water with a large amount of difficulty. She opened her mouth to say something, when suddenly a voice echoed down to the four, stern and booming in its tone. "Has anybody found anything yet?" It asked, Astrid gasping sharply as she recognized the voice. Shadowclaw seemed to realize who it was as well, eyes growing large as he turned to look anxiously at Astrid. The blonde's mind groped for an answer of what to do, the girl raising her arm and beckoning Shadowclaw forward urgently.
The Night Fury started, turning around with a hushed whisper. He stuck his tail up and out of the water, Nightflight leaning forward and clamping her jaws around it tightly. Shadowclaw winced at the pressure, but started to paddle forward, trying to make the least amount of noise possible. Though the same thing couldn't be said for Nightflight. The dragon splashed through the ocean nosily, ears flattening against her head as she tried to figure out where she was going. Shadowclaw flinched at the sharp noise, turning around and barking out something to Nightflight. The dragoness straightened, looking a little offended.
The voices subsided for a moment above them, Astrid feeling a strong sense of fear crawl over her. "Did you hear that?" Stoick demanded, voice nothing but a small echo the reverberated down to them. "I think it was the sound of dragons." Astrid grimaced at this, backpedaling rapidly as she flattened herself against the rock of the cliff that jutted out of the water. She watched, heart in her throat, as Shadowclaw and Nightflight made agonizingly slow progress back to both her and Mistyeyes. Nightflight was trying to take care in being as quiet as she could. But when you were blind, and trying to swim, it didn't really come out as entirely silent.
The Vikings that were searching the sky above them had stopped in their chatter, trying to listen out for whatever their chief had heard. Shadowclaw and Nightflight were a few inches away from Astrid, the blonde gasping mentally at Stoick's next words. "I think they're close." No, no, no! She thought in a panic. We've come so far! Hastily, Astrid lunged forward, grabbing Shadowclaw in her arms and yanking forward. She pulled both dragons forward, tucking them in what she hoped was out of sight. She trembled from the effort, gasping as she lunged forward, draping her arms over Mistyeyes's back as she gasped for air.
The gray dragon looked surprised by the movement, ears perked as she looked at the blonde with an impressed expression. But Astrid was too tense to try and notice her silent praise. She was fixed on what was possibly going on atop the cliffs, trying to paint a mental picture in her mind. The Vikings must have been riding dragons; how else would they have gotten so high up? And there weren't any kind of ships surrounding the area of water. Besides, they might need help in bringing down the Night Fury later. What better thing to do than use something that's both transportation and a fighting supply? At least that was the thought that occurred to Astrid.
Silence reigned for a moment, nobody in the water even breathing to break the silence as they looked up anxiously. The only noise was the occasional rapid splash that came from Nightflight; Astrid hoped fervently that the sound could be dismissed to the Hunting Party as a stray wave smacking against the rock. Astrid had a permanent grimace on her face, the girl waiting with bated breath for some kind of assurance that things would be okay. It had to be okay, right? Otherwise Astrid didn't know how she would ever be able to face Hiccup again. She was entrusted with this plan by Hiccup; if she let it fall apart, would he ever forgive her?
Finally, Stoick's voice sounded again. "It must have been nothing." He sighed, sounding a little disappointed at the fact. Astrid sagged forward, burrowing her head into Mistyeyes's damp scales as she breathed out a gusty sigh of relief. She listened, still silent, as the sound of dragon wings tore through the silence. "Let's go back and search to the west!" Stoick commanded, voice strong even from where Astrid was floating. "We need to comb every inch of the land! We'll be in danger until we do!" Shouts and cheers of assent followed the speech, Astrid listening with a grim look on his face. The murmurings from one Viking to another started to subside, getting quieter and quieter until eventually there was nothing else.
Astrid bit her lip, craning her neck and leaning out to the side, trying to see up to the cliff that they had fallen from minutes before. But she couldn't manage to lean hard enough, all she saw was the looming mass of rock. Biting back her frustration, she hesitated a moment, reluctantly raising her voice. "Hello?" She called out tentatively, Mistyeyes letting out a worried coo as she called out. Pausing a moment, she started to push it, voice escalating to a yell. "HELLO?" She shouted, voice bouncing off the walls of rock and bouncing back into her ears.
Nothing.
The blonde let out a sigh, giving a small nod as she turned to look back at the trio of dragons watching her anxiously. "I think the coast is clear." She said, trying to sound more sure of herself than she really did. Shadowclaw perked at this, looking happy as he gave a small bounce. The movement caused a wave to slap into the girl, Astrid smiling as the water splashed over her. She cleared her throat, smile starting to vanish as she swept on.
"But we can't stay here anymore." She said, the smiles on the dragon's face crumbling at this. Much as she hated to ruin their fun, she had to be practical. "Those people could come back when they don't find Nightflight." She said, teeth still chattering together rapidly as she tried to warm herself up. She hugged her arms tightly, rubbing her arms up and down as she created a small hint of warmth. She kicked out firmly with her legs, unable to use her arms for treading by now. "We have to go someplace safer. Someplace more secluded." She paused a moment, surveying the area before adding: "If we stay here, we'll either freeze to death, or be found. I don't know about you guys, but I don't really want either of those things happening."
Mistyeyes gave a tense nod, as if agreeing with the girl's words. Astrid debated a moment, suddenly looking more concerned. "But…how will Hiccup find us if we leave?" She asked aloud, voice getting smaller by now as she looked down into the water. People didn't normally like to go out and swim in Berk's ocean, and there was a reason for that. Any sane person who lives on an island where it snows most of the year would never suddenly decide to go out and jump into a ten-below-freezing temperature of water for a little bit of fun. Astrid was losing feeling her feet by now, the water started to feel like needles in her skin the longer she stayed inside.
The dragons didn't seem to feel anything wrong with the water, not even shivering a little bit as they all stared at her. But then again, dragons were fireproof. So there wasn't really a big mystery as to why they weren't as cold as she was. Shivering uncontrollably by now, Astrid cursed under her breath. "We have to get out. I'm going to freeze if we stay here any longer." She said, voice shaky as she trembled. "Hiccup will find us, I know he will. We just…need a better place." She repeated, starting to feel like a broken record. Forcing her arms back into the numbing water, Astrid paddled forward, heading over for Nightflight. "You're going to have to listen to me, this time." She said, voice taking on a harder tone as she raised an eyebrow at the Night Fury. "We're not going to get anywhere with you ignoring me."
Nightflight curled her lip slightly, looking wounded as she turned away from her.
"Look." Astrid huffed. "I know I'm not Hiccup. You're just going to have to pretend I am or something. Because until we actually find out where he got himself, I'm all you have right now. And unless you embrace the fact, we might as well just stay here and let you get caught. In case you didn't know, the ocean isn't really a good hiding spot. If the clouds clear up while we're still here, we'll be sitting ducks." Nightflight blinked at this, turning over and eyeing the girl doubtfully. Astrid slapped her hands in the water out of frustration, rolling her eyes. "It's cloudy right now." She sighed slowly, as if talking to a toddler. "When it clears up, we're going to be just sitting here in the wide open. We will be found. So unless you're tired of living, you need to listen to me."
Nightflight soured at her tone, cloudy eyes narrowing slowly. Astrid glared at her sharply, the dragon seemed to be aware of the look as she snorted underneath her breath. Finally, she turned, showing her to back to Astrid a little reluctantly. She turned back, shooting the girl an expression that obviously said: 'I let you ride me once and ended up face-first in the ocean. If that happens again, you're dead meat.'
Trying her best to ignore the threat, Astrid leaned forward, placing her hands carefully on the dragon. She hesitated, giving her a moment to adjust before pulling herself onto her back. She blinked, almost slipping right off the dragoness's back and into the ocean again. The water was making the Night Fury's back slick and hard to hang onto, Astrid holding on tightly as she recovered sloppily. Mistyeyes bounced forward, eyes wide with concern as she tried to help Astrid. But the blonde waved her off quickly, a determined look settling in her eyes. She was Astrid Hofferson! She could do anything! She'd been the top rank in her class when they were in Dragon Training, she got what she wanted by threatening people's lives on a daily basis, and she was one of the best fighters that existed on Berk! She could ride a dragon by herself, that much was certain.
"Alright. Extend your wings." Astrid coached, starting at the most basic part to try and help them along. Nightflight rolled her eyes, letting out a grumbling noise as she followed the girl's instructions. Her wings shot out, spraying water around from the movement. Shadowclaw winced away, Mistyeyes taking the splash without a bat of her eye. She watched nervously, poised to spring to the girl's aid in case she was needed. But Astrid had this, she wasn't going to be stumped by a task as easy as teaching a dragon to fly. She'd flown on Stormfly a million times before, and she'd sat through Hiccup's lectures about dragons way too many times to count. She wouldn't be as good as the boy when it came to things like this, (she'd be the first to admit it) but she'd be able to come pretty darn close.
"Alright, we're going to have to fly back up the cliff. It's pretty high, so you can-" She broke off quickly, eyes widening quickly as she stiffened. There was a voice up on the cliff again. "Get down!" She hissed quickly, Nightflight ducking close to the water as her eyes widened with surprise. The other dragons did the same, looking up and watching the cliff with panicked looks. Yelling erupted up above, Astrid feeling a sense of panic stab deep into her heart as she listened stiffly. The yelling was too quiet for her to make out words, the girl only hearing the muffled sounds of anger and disappointment. Had the others come back? Wouldn't she have heard something if they had all flown back?
Astrid stiffened, closing her eyes as she ducked low to Nightflight's frame. Her heart pounded unevenly, throbbing in her ears as she waited for whoever was up there to leave. But they didn't. The girl peeked up from her hiding spot, watching the sky carefully, trying to see if it was more than one person. But she couldn't figure it out, she was too far down. Maybe it was Snotlout? Somebody from the group trying to find her and figure out more of the story? The image seemed to fit, and Astrid slowly straightened, a frown pulling down the edges of her lips. Could she chance something like that? It would be risky; what if it wasn't somebody like that? What if it was a stray Viking coming back to reevaluate the area? Maybe they saw something the others didn't and came back alone.
But if it was just one person, she'd be able to get around them, right?
She took in a slow breath, forcing her heart to slow down, to stop racing. She knew what she needed to do. "Alright." She whispered, turning back to take in the others that were gathered around her by now. "We're going to be quick with this one." She said firmly. "Otherwise everything will fall apart. But it's falling apart now, so I guess there's no changing anything." She looked down at Nightflight, tone getting a littler sharper as she addressed her. "You got that, Nightflight?" She demanded. "You have to do what I say, or we're all going to die." She sighed listlessly, dropping her hands with a thump onto the dragoness's neck. "No pressure." She huffed, almost talking to herself as she rolled her eyes.
Mistyeyes was first to move, beating her wings in a gradual rhythm as she climbed up into the air. Her blue eyes flashed up to the cliff, the dragoness looking to be in a thoughtful state as she tilted her head to the side. "Alright, Nightflight." Astrid hissed, leaning over so that she was speaking in the Night Fury's ear. The waves slapped against the quartet, getting angrier and angrier the longer they stayed. Looking up at the clouds, Astrid bit her lower lip as she saw that it looked like rain. Or more precisely, a storm. Which was just what they needed right now.
Sighing to herself, Astrid shook her head to clear it, grabbing hold of the base of Nightflight's neck. The Night Fury perked at this, but didn't flip her off or anything of that nature. Which was most likely a good thing, in Astrid's opinion. Deciding that it would be easier than walking her through everything, Astrid tightened her hold on the dragon, pulling back on her neck as she angled the Night Fury upwards. Nightflight complied, surprisingly, wings copying the rhythm of Mistyeyes as she gained altitude little by little. Shadowclaw followed the movements until they were all hovering a few feet above the water.
Astrid looked up at the cliff one last time, giving her a chance to just back down. They could just wait until whoever was up there left. But she shook her head fixedly, locking her jaw backwards firmly. The longer they stayed in one place, the more likely they would be found. The dragons couldn't hover like this forever, and if Astrid stayed a moment longer in that water, she'd turn into an iceberg. Taking in a slow, deep breath, Astrid gave a small nod. "Alright, guys." She said, leaning forward and willing Nightflight up. The dragon was a little slow on the directions, but she grasped it after a moment of brief confusion, turning up and starting in the ascent. "We have to do this fast."
Mistyeyes suddenly shot ahead of her, Astrid letting out a surprised gasping noise as she started. Shadowclaw let out a yip, increasing his pace as he tried to catch up with her. "Wait!" Astrid yelled, not even trying to be quiet by now. "Slow down, you two! W-We're in this together!" She pushed up and down on Nightflight, willing her to be faster. If she lost those two, she was in deep trouble. Nightflight growled in reply, but pushed herself harder, shooting up from the water and rocketing after the others. Mistyeyes and Shadowclaw turned up ahead, landing on the cliff and disappearing from sight.
Astrid's eyes narrowed furiously, teeth grinding together. They're going to get us killed. She thought ruefully. Nightflight continued to fly up, ears slicked down to her head as she tried to pinpoint the location of the others. When they got high enough, Astrid yanked sharply to the left on Nightflight's neck, steering her like somebody would a horse. Immediately she reacted, twisting in midair and veering over to the rock face. She flew until she felt her feet scrape against the rock of the cliff, the dragon jolting with surprise. But then she relaxed, wings tucking themselves firmly against her sides as she dug her claws into the ground. She skidded for a few seconds, spinning slightly in her crazy landing. Finally, she lost her momentum, coming to a stop as she straightened, blinking rapidly.
If Astrid didn't know her any better, she would have thought there was a hint of pride in the dragoness's sightless eyes.
"Are you guys mental?" Astrid demanded, slipping off of Nightflight's slippery back as she staggered rather ungraciously onto the ground. She recovered without hesitation, drawing herself up to a turn and glare in the dragon's direction. "You could have gotten us all killed! I have half a mind to-" She broke off, eyes widening with shock. Toothless stood beside Mistyeyes and Shadowclaw, the two Night Furies eyeing the girl with amusement. As if they were saying: 'Go ahead. Finish that sentence.' Toothless looked at Astrid with a start, relief seeming to flood through the dragon as he visibly loosened. Ludi was perched the dragon's back, tail curling up happily as she called out a meow of greeting.
Astrid's heart immediately picked up, blue eyes shining as her eyes went every which way, trying to see where Hiccup was. Was he okay? Did Toothless get him? Obviously he did, otherwise he wouldn't be here! ….Right? He had to be okay! But the longer she looked, the more she was unable to catch sight of her Viking, coming up short as she let her hands swing loosely down to her sides. She blinked slowly, feeling disappointment like a club as she felt her breath whoosh out of her. She frowned, feeling her eyes start to burn and prick with pain. "…oh…" She murmured, voice small as she clasped her hands together in front of her tightly. "…I guess-"
But suddenly a weight crashed into her from behind. Arms found their way around the girl's chest, embracing her so tight that she thought she would lose blood circulation. But they let go as quickly as they had come in the first place, the person who had done it stepping around her, greeting her with a wide, sloppy grin. "There you are!" Hiccup laughed, relief written in every feature on the boy's face. Astrid stared at him with wide eyes, unable to form a sentence for once as she looked at him. He blinked rapidly, catching sight of her odd look. "Are you okay?" He asked, looking around as if he expected a million Vikings to suddenly start to ambush them. "Is something wrong?"
Astrid acted without a second thought, drawing her arm back in a perfect ninety-degree angle before ramming it forward. She punched Hiccup as hard as she's ever managed to punch anybody before, right smack in the arm. The boy gaped, actually being thrown backwards from the force of it. But, he was Hiccup. A gust of wind would probably be able to throw him backwards. He skidded backwards on the rock, eyes wide and accusing as he glared up at Astrid.
The blonde paced forward stiffly, eyes daggers as she gave Hiccup a death-glare. "I hate you." She snarled angrily, hands balling into fists at her sides. At Hiccup's confused look, Astrid went on angrily: "Do you have any idea how worried I was?" She shrieked. "I couldn't find you anywhere! And then I had to get Fishlegs to throw Snotlout into the ocean!" Hiccup blinked rapidly at this. "And then I had to do everything without you! We almost got caught, like…a million times! I hope you're happy!" She sighed heavily, reluctantly reaching out and offering her hand with a roll of her eyes. "Next time you wanna disappear for the afternoon, you have to alert me beforehand."
Hiccup smiled, giving a small laugh as he reached up, grasping the girl's hand gratefully as he pulled himself with a grimace. Shaking off the pain for the moment at hand, he gave another laugh, green eyes glittering as he looked at the blonde. "Sound like somebody needs me." He teased lightly, watching as the girl's cheeks flamed red at the comment. But Astrid just sighed, shaking her head back and forth for a moment. Her shoulders shook with suppressed laughter as she did so, seeming to find something very amusing. Hiccup frowned, but she spoke up finally, voice riddled with small giggles.
"I'll always need you, you idiot." She laughed.
Hiccup's eyes softened.
"Hey." Mistyeyes spoke up, Hiccup jumping as he looked back over at her. "I really hate to be the Debby-Downer right now…but we kinda don't have a lot of time." She said dryly. Toothless perked, looking a little put-out at the harsh tone she had adopted. But Mistyeyes paid no heed, nodding over to Nightflight, who was kneading the ground anxiously where she stood. "I suppose you'd like to watch her head come off?" She asked sarcastically, only half-joking as she looked at the two.
Hiccup blew out his cheeks at the dragon, letting the air out in a small huff. "We gotta get going." He said, turning back to Astrid. The blonde blinked, blue eyes flickering in between Mistyeyes and Hiccup, a flash of suspicion in her eyes. But she shrugged without giving any kind of comment, dropping Hiccup's hand from her own and letting her arm fall back to her side. Hiccup blinked, scanning the sky for a moment before speaking up. "Where do you think would be safest for a new hiding spot?" He asked, surprising the girl. Catching her expression, he shrugged. "I mean- we can't just stay here. And this hiding spot isn't doing so hot, it looks like." His voice grew slightly bitter at this, and Astrid frowned.
But she dodged the question, Hiccup looking as though he'd rather not talk. "How about somewhere on the island?" She suggested. "Your father is looking somewhere off of Berk because of the way you landed a few hours ago. If we go the opposite way that he's thinking, then he'll never be able to find us."
Hiccup turned to the island, eyes narrowed with thought as he surveyed the mass of land. "Alright." He said simply, voice low. "It makes sense."
Astrid rolled her eyes, doing a dramatic curtsey in response.
"But we'll have to be careful." Hiccup mumbled.
(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)
It took forever to find the perfect spot. Forever being an understatement. The two kids had gone through every nook and cranny of the island they could without meeting any other people. They'd gone from the head of the island, to the tail, always tense and worried as they looked over their shoulders. They could be caught at any moment, and with their sometimes-noisy traveling, it was enough to grant them each heart attacks. The cove would always be the prime place for them to rest, perfect and enclosed. Perfect if you wanted to be found, though. Everybody knew that this was the place Hiccup had spent with Toothless when he kept the dragon safe. It would have made sense for the Vikings to be checking that spot. So they had to skirt around the hiding spot, Hiccup looking back with a yearning look as he passed their old spot.
So they walked on for a few hours, Nightflight being led (surprisingly) by Astrid. The girl had rested her hand lightly on top of the dragon's neck, steering her along with a tactic that Hiccup hadn't thought of, alarmingly. Nightflight didn't seem to mind the girl either, it looked like. She followed Astrid gratefully, looking worn out and tired from the long trek. Hiccup had watched the Night Fury with concern, knowing that she would be the first to give out, but the last to admit so. They had to find shelter before Nightflight couldn't go on any longer. Before it was too late.
Finally, they came to the very edge of Berk. Not many Vikings came to the place, finding the rocky terrain and forested area much too cluttered to deal with. Which was perfect. Hiccup remembered how he had found this place when he was little, the way that he would sneak away for hours on end to explore the area. He had found many interesting things here at the edge of the island, but the most amazing thing he had discovered was ringing in the teen's mind as he clambered over the boulders and pebbles. "If I remember this place right, it should be somewhere over here." He had said, skirting around a stunted tree as he ducked underneath the overhanging branches.
"That was ages ago." Astrid had huffed angrily, doing her best to help Nightflight through the tough land. "What if you emphasized your memory?" She asked frostily.
"Well, then we're in a lot of trouble." Hiccup had flashed back, not bothering to turn back and look at her. But he could feel the irritation sparking off the blonde. She had a point. If Hiccup was thinking about something that didn't exist, he was going to get an earful from just about everyone here. He could feel the tight atmosphere around them, tension crackling like lightening between the party members. They were all tired and sore; if they didn't get to where they were going, somebody was going to flip out. Possibly more than one person.
But finally Hiccup had found it. The biggest tree on the island. At least, from the way it look. It was a large pine tree. The branches went outwards, the pine needles drooping in a curtain-like fashion as they were swept to the side from the wind. Hiccup had gone forward, reaching out and brushing aside one of the largest branches to reveal a hollowed-out space inside. From the outside of the pine tree, it looked like it was just a normal tree. This way they could be better protected from the storm, and harder to find to others if any happened to stroll by. It might be a tight fit for all of them to squeeze inside, but it was better than nothing.
Which left them here. All huddled together on the floor of a hollowed pine tree, listening as the storm outside started to pick up into a roar. Surprisingly, there was enough room inside; or at least more room than Hiccup had first anticipated. The dragons were curled up together on one side, refusing to speak as they stared back at one another. Astrid was hovering over the group anxiously, trying to find any injuries or things of that nature. Hiccup sat across from them, on the other side of the trunk. He looked out in between the needles, looking glumly out into the storm as he drew his knees close to his chest. His green eyes were weighted down at he looked out, his bangs drooping over his eyes tiredly.
A set of footsteps came closer, Astrid settling herself down beside him as she leaned forward. "You did good." She said, giving him a small smile. "I thought that this thing was a figment of your weird imagination. Looks like I was wrong." She gave another laugh, but her smile faded as Hiccup didn't do the same. "You okay?" She asked, blue eyes widening slightly. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"Not really." Hiccup sighed wearily, green eyes darting away from her prying blue ones.
"What happened?" Astrid asked anyway. "When you were gone, I mean."
"It was my dad." He explained tiredly, for the second time. "I told him about Nightflight, but he didn't believe me. He locked me inside the house. If Toothless hadn't gotten me, I'd probably still be in there."
"What, did he disown you again?" Astrid said, trying to make a joke.
"You know, sometimes I sit back and wonder why you say things like that." Hiccup said simply.
"Me too." Astrid said quickly, realizing that she had struck a nerve with that one. Stupid. She reached out, putting a comforting hand on Hiccup's shoulder as she gave him an encouraging smile. "It'll be okay." She assured him. "As soon as this storm is over, we'll have a way to show your dad. Just like we did before." Hiccup blinked, raising his eyes to meet her's. The glum look was still on his face though, it was like he was trying to force himself to believe her words. Astrid's smile wavered slightly, the girl sighing. "We'll get through this." She said. "You'll get through this. You always do."
"That's the thing." Hiccup said thickly. "Sometimes I'm just waiting for my luck to run out like it always does." He paused for a moment before ducking his head. He closed his eyes tightly, shaking his head. "Maybe this is when it finally does, Astrid. Maybe we're just kidding ourselves in thinking that this mess could ever be able to be sorted out." He said.
"Don't say that!" She said firmly, blue eyes firing up at the thought. "Don't ever say that again. Because if you give up, this whole thing will be for nothing." She sighed, scooting closer to him. "You're not alone in this, as much as you want to believe you are." She said. "I'm here, and so is everybody else. I wont leave you again, if you wont leave me again. We're in on this together, and no matter what, we're going to pull through on it. Okay?"
Hiccup looked up, saddened look lifting slightly at her words. "How do you know?" He asked.
"Because I know you." She pressed. She leaned forward, wrapping the boy in a tight embrace. Hiccup hesitated a moment before doing the same, arms circling around Astrid and holding her close. "Everything will work out perfectly." She comforted him. "And no matter what happens, I'll be with you, okay?"
Hiccup smiled, drawing back and giving her a grateful look. "Okay." He replied.
The sound of rain started leak through their canopy, Astrid making a face at the noise. But then she gave out a huff. "Sounds like we'll be here for a while." She said, a clap of thunder booming off in the distance as she commented. "I'm going to go to sleep." She said with a small smirk on her face. "Nearly drowning can really make a person tired." She leaned over, giving Hiccup a small peck on the cheek before pushing herself up, walking away a few paces until she found a good place to lay down. Nowhere where you could get poked by branches or stung by needles.
Hiccup turned, watching as she settled herself down on the ground, turning so that his back was to him as she curled up into a tight ball. The boy sighed, changing his gaze so that it was trained on the ocean outside. The dragons off the side had taken to keeping watch, Toothless looking left and Mistyeyes watching right. Shadowclaw kept his ears perked a little lazily, eyes drooping in on themselves as he staggered. It was clear that he was going to fall asleep soon, whether he wanted to or not. Nightflight was off the edge of the group, looking down at the ground emptily, looking as though she was dozing off. That, or deep in thought.
Whichever one it was, Hiccup didn't want to interrupt her.
He watched off seaward instead, thoughts mulling together like the gears that had been Toothless's old tail.
Hiccup, you're obviously confused.
As Chief, I'm responsible for the safety of everybody here! You should learn that lesson before it's too late!
I'm not wasting any more lives, Hiccup!
I want you to go to the house. And I want you to stay there.
The boy closed his eyes tightly, shooing the voices away stubbornly. He had to remember what Astrid had told him. This wasn't all for nothing! There was a reason for this! It wouldn't be wasting any more lives, it would be saving them in the long run! Everything in his story was perfectly sane, he was taking into consideration everybody in the island, knowing at the same time that he couldn't just leave Nightflight alone. The way that they could live together was ideal, of course. Nothing was blemished or scarred in an odd way.
…Right?
…Then why did he feel so guilty? So unprepared?
He started at a sharp clacking noise, perking as he turned around swiftly. Astrid was shivering where she was, presumably asleep. Her form twitched and shook where she lay sprawled on the ground, her teeth chattering loudly. The boy could hear it from where he sat. Pushing himself up to his feet, Hiccup ignored his injuries, turning and making his way over to her. He crouched down beside her, tilting his head with confusion as he looked at the shivering Viking. What did she say about nearly drowning? Was she in the water?
It was a rare occurrence when he was smarter than Astrid. Even he knew that nobody went in Berk's ocean. It was like jumping into a snowdrift and saying: "Hm, I quite like it in here. I think I'll stay."
He rolled his eyes, smiling as he shrugged out of his wool vest. Leaning forward, Hiccup draped the piece of clothing tightly around the blonde, watching as her shivering subsided a little bit. But she was still trembling in her sleep, hair slicked down wetly to her forehead. Hiccup stepped over her with care, sitting on her left side and pausing for a moment. But then he leaned backwards, settling himself down beside her, trying not to bump her or lay down on her. He turned on his side, green eyes soft as he looked at the sleeping girl.
Reaching over, Hiccup moved closer, draping an arm around her frame and pulling her a little closer. The girl shivered at the sudden warmth, shivers slowly fading away as Hiccup held her against himself. Finally, she relaxed, unconsciously tucking herself closer as she let out light snores. Hiccup blinked rapidly, but just smiled once again. Closing his eyes himself, Hiccup rested his cheek against the top of her head, feeling the exhaustion from the day catch up to him. Sleep started to drag him under, a foggy feeling filling his head.
The memories of the last few hours lingered on the edges of his mind, pressing forward and threatening nightmares.
But he finally managed to shrug them off.
He was going to try and listen to what Astrid had said for once.
Everything will work out perfectly. And no matter what happens, I'll be with you.
Okay?
(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)
A/N: You're not alone, together we stand.
I'll be by your side, you know I'll take your hand.
When it gets cold, and it feels like the end, there's no place to go, you know I wont give in.
No, I wont give in.
Keep Holding On - Avril Lavigne
TASTE DUR FLUFFEH. LURVE DUR FLUFFEH.
I told you I was eating cotton candy, guys. Gosh.
Next chapter will be between the dragons, so you all have that to look forward to ;)
Me: -writing last half of the story, minding my own business-
Sister: -comes over, reading what I type, as she does all the time- Hey.
Me: What? O3o
Sister: Hey. You know what would be so awesome?
Me: What? -.-
Sister: A Lemon Scene.
Me: LAUREN, GET OUT.