A/N: Like my profile says, Band Camp is making it kinda harder to get to computer.
But then again it gives me those moments where I'm like: "Ow. Standing so still for so long. My bones. Ouch. I'm dying. I can't- wait a minute, that's a good idea for my story. O-o"
True story.
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Mistyeyes paced swiftly beside Nightflight, ears perked attentively as she sniffed at the wind. It blew over the ocean, carrying with it the tang of salt. It made the air heavy with a certain amount of humidity, and Mistyeyes wondered silently whether or not it was going to rain again. She looked up at the sky, blue eyes flashing as she eyed the dark masses that were shrouding above. Rain wouldn't make their journey any easier; Thor knew that they could do with some luck right about now.
"You think it'll rain?" She asked, turning over to Nightflight with an interested look. But immediately, she wanted to snatch back the words, feeling a rush of embarrassment. She hadn't said anything to Nightflight since they had left the cave for the last time, and Nightflight had been just as silent. Mistyeyes had figured that dragoness would have wanted a bit of space, adopting the silent walk down to the beach. Up until now she was rigid on not trying to start a conversation with the obviously-irritable female. It slipped her mind, and now she was left wincing away like a wounded squirrel.
Nightflight's ear twitched, as if she were trying to swat away an annoying tic. Astrid sat perched on her back, the girl hunched over as she rested her elbows on the top of the Night Fury's head. Her blue eyes had been somewhat distant, but as Mistyeyes barked out, she jerked to attention. Astrid was now watching them, expression unreadable from Mistyeyes's viewpoint. She thought she had detected a small hint of sorrow in the gaze of the Viking earlier on in their walk, and yet she knew that that couldn't possibly be right. Astrid was never sad, Astrid was tough.
Surprisingly, Nightflight spoke up. Mistyeyes's attention was immediately shifted back over to the black dragon, knowing that she was more attention-worthy right now. Whatever was bothering Astrid right now, no matter how confused and put-out it made Mistyeyes feel, she knew that she wouldn't be able to help. After all, Astrid couldn't understand them like Hiccup did. If she even tried to get it out of her, Astrid would just think she was barking nonsense out of her. There was no use trying to comfort a deaf ear, and Astrid's ear was deafest of them all.
"I dunno." Nightflight sighed breezily, lifting her snout into the air and copying Mistyeyes as she gave a few experimental snuffles. Mistyeyes tensed, realizing a little too late that Nightflight wouldn't be able to see the clouds rolling in from the horizon. She wondered whether or not the dragon would flash out a sarcastic remark over the accidental jab, but if Nightflight noticed the slip-up, she gave no heed. She merely smelled the air a few more heartbeats more before finally drawing back to glance over in Mistyeyes's general direction. "Smells like rain." She commented, voice somewhat distant.
Mistyeyes let out a groan of disapproval, a small growl rumbling in the back of her throat at the notion of another downpour. It'd be raining these past few days, she had been hoping with all her heart that it would come to a stop today. After all, they were just about to leave on this huge journey, and she didn't even want to imagine how difficult things could get during a storm. The clouds had been unloading for longer than she'd like to picture, why couldn't they just give them these next few days of traveling? "Figures." She scoffed, voicing her irritation aloud. "The universe just can't give us a single break, can it?"
Nightflight shrugged as she walked along, tail whisking quickly along the ground. "I wouldn't be too worried." She offered. Up ahead, the rumbling of voices caught Mistyeyes's ear, and it dawned on her that they had come a long way. It felt like they had left the cavern only moments before, and yet they were almost to the meeting place. "After all that the Night Furies have done with deciding whether or not to leave…I don't think a small little storm would be enough to stop them."
Mistyeyes hummed agreement, unable to find anything but logic and thought in the dragon's voice. And yet the clouds hanging over them were a sickly shade of gray, and the pale dragon had to fight back a small shiver of foreboding. It looked like it held promise for a nasty gale, and even Nightflight's words couldn't put too much comfort into her heart. "Still. Let's just hope we can beat it out of here." She grumbled, words so soft she wondered if Nightflight had heard her.
But the black dragon gave a small nod, showing that she had heard the wish clear as day. She veered suddenly, skirting over to the side and weaving back to Mistyeyes's side, quick as a fish. Dodging around a fallen tree, Nightflight slipped around it as easily as if she could see it right in front of her nose. Mistyeyes stiffened at the skillful movement, surprise and admiration flashing through her eyes as she hopped over the debris in their path. "You're getting good at that." She puffed when her feet hit the ground. She picked up the pace a little bit, increasing her strides as the voices ahead grew louder. The others would be missing them, she was sure.
"So you've told me already." Nightflight said dryly, sounding almost annoyed as she bounded ahead. Mistyeyes's eyes narrowed at the dismissive tone, opening her jaws to flash back a retort at the uncalled for reaction. But as the black dragoness darted ahead, the pale female could see that her tail was kinked lightly over her back, ears straight up as her steps lightened into a bounce. A smile crept over Mistyeyes's face as she bit back the words, flattening down to the ground as she charged after the other. However much Nightflight tried to act neutral or uncaring, Mistyeyes's comment had sent a thrill of satisfaction through her.
They burst through the ring of foliage in a flash, coming out into the open and immediately coming to a synchronized halt. The Night Furies that had been milling around like frightened bees before where now seated all together, ears perked and eyes intent as they looked out over the ocean. The tension of concentration and expectance was thick in the air, adding to the weight of humidity and making it almost hard to walk straight. Every single dragon was ready and waiting, Mistyeyes catching on that they were all in the exact spots Hiccup had mentioned. The strongest circled around, and those who were old, expecting, or having a youngling in their wings were tightly knitted in the center.
Only the younglings yipped with happiness, jumping up and down with excitement as they got under everyone's' paws. Other than them and the mothers, who were trying to calm them down, the place was silent except for the mummer of planning. The group of dragons had changed from what they were in the cave; the dragons back then had been riled and impatient, itching to be off and hating the wait. Now they were ready to stop and listen, the full weight of their responsibility having now firmly settled itself on their shoulders.
Mistyeyes craned her neck, trying to spot Toothless in the crowd. He would probably be up towards the front with Hiccup and the others. Do you see this change as well as I do? She wondered dimly, instantly regretting her brief bout of worry and fear over possible traitorous actions from their group. Toothless had planted the seed in her mind, he had been the first to worry over something such as double-crossing. Do you still think they're not fully on board yet? Or are you willing to give them another chance? Can't you see how firmly they believe in us now? She shook her head slowly to herself, eyes flashing with something of regret. How can we ask them to have faith in us if we don't do the same for them?
Hiccup's voice traveled through another blast of wind from the ocean, Mistyeyes turning instantly to see where it had come from. The teen was leaning against Toothless's shoulder, eyes scanning the crowd a million times over. His eyes were riddled with concentration and thought, it was obvious that he was mindful of the possibly-short time span they would have before the rain came. Any hope of beating the storm would be to leave ahead of it. His mouth was moving, mouthing out numbers as he counted and re-counted the numbers that were laid out in front of him.
His expression was that of worry, and Mistyeyes gave a sigh, already knowing what he would say next. She turned, tapping Nightflight's side with the tip of her tail as she parted to go towards the boy. Nightflight started at the touch, turning after the tap and heading after the sound of Mistyeyes's paw steps. "C'mon." The gray female purred, feeling a flash of amusement despite the tense atmosphere around them. "He's going to freak out unless we go over to him. He's probably already lost control of himself." By the look on Toothless's face, the dragon was a little bit more than frustrated. Shadowclaw and Leafdapple were sitting side-by-side, glancing at each other every now and then as Hiccup continued to rant.
As they got closer, words slowly separated into a more sensible script, Mistyeyes almost able to concern one word from the other as they got nearer. "…ridiculous." He was growling, arms crossing over his chest as he glared over the heads in front of him. He looked like a child that was being refused to play with, angry and resentful as his lower lip stuck out into a sort of pout. "Where do they go thinking that they can do this? They've already been late before, and now they're doing it again. Can't they see the sky? It's going to rain! Did you hear me Toothless, it's going to rain!"
"I heard ya." Toothless sighed lightly.
But Hiccup was far from listening. "Obviously they can't see it where they are, so they must still be in the cave. This is going to set us so far back…can we even leave today? We're going to get stopped because Mistyeyes and Nightflight wandered off and we can't find them! The whole operation is in shambles! I don't know what they expect me to do! I can't even try and picture what they think is more important than being here and leaving on time! This is a disaster!"
"Maybe they-" Leafdapple tried.
But Hiccup cut through her words, probably doing the same as he had with Toothless as he completely ignored her. His green eyes had strayed off to the side, widening out as he caught sight of Nightflight and Mistyeyes loping over towards their clustered group. A look of shock flittered over his face, and Mistyeyes winced as it slowly replaced itself with anger. And as the two of them got closer, Hiccup stamped his foot into the ground over and over, spelling out a tempo of fury and impatience. The other dragons looked up, gazes almost apologetic, as if they knew how Hiccup was right now and knew they wouldn't get off so easily for being late a second time.
No sooner than they were five feet away from their friends, did Hiccup purse his lips tightly, like he always did when he got angry. His eyes narrowed into an angered glare, and Mistyeyes's scales itched as the gazes of the waiting dragons burned through them. They had an audience a ways away, and Mistyeyes hoped that Hiccup wouldn't forget that. "Where have you been?" The Viking demanded, throwing his arms out in an exaggerated performance of dismay. Mistyeyes opened her mouth to answer the question, but Hiccup didn't give her the chance. "We've been waiting! It's going to rain soon! We needed to get up into the sky, and you weren't here for us to leave! So why were you late?"
Nightflight spoke up first, the tip of her tail flicking in a comical manner. "Just planning our entrance." She said easily.
Hiccup deflated at this, angered look souring into a slightly more muted on. His green eyes still flashed as he glared at them, but at Nightflight's words, most of the edge was taken off. The blinded dragoness snickered at the response, rolling her scarred eyes as she went over to poke him in the side. "Don't worry." She said, more seriously now as the soft edge of her voice hardened a little bit. "Mistyeyes just wanted to hang behind and say her last goodbyes to the cave." She turned, turning over in a neat sweep and sitting down on Shadowclaw's other side neatly. Astrid slid off her back, landing with a thud on the ground opposite the dragon. "I figured she might need someone with her when she did, so I lagged behind with her."
Mistyeyes blinked, her own surprise matching Hiccup's as the boy straightened somewhat. She hadn't realized that Nightflight wasn't just being polite in making sure that the last member of the group didn't get left behind. Leaving her home had been a special kind of heartache, she knew. But she hadn't realized how much having someone there had helped. If she was on her own, it might have taken her a year to leave her old haunts and memories. Nightflight had been the one to drag her out in the first place; had she known that Mistyeyes might have had trouble if she were to be on her own? The female wasn't showing any special pride in herself at her actions, she didn't have a lift in her voice, or a spring in her tail. She merely spoke casually, as if her and Mistyeyes had always been close friends. Not bitter rivals or soured dragons that inwardly raged over the other in jealousy.
Mistyeyes knew that things were going to change…it was just stunning her at how fast things were actually going.
Hiccup looked from one dragon to the other, as if coming to the conclusion that this was just something that couldn't be helped. Something that showed not a hindrance, but a success. And whether or not he was aware of what Nightflight was implying to Mistyeyes, he shook it off quicker than ever. He shook his head firmly, waving the thoughts away with a brisk flick of the hand. "Fine, okay." He said swiftly, going along and picking up where he surely had left off before he had seen that Nightflight and Mistyeyes had been missing.
"Well, we'd better get moving, then." Hiccup muttered, craning his neck as he looked up to the sky. He had no need to screw his eyes shut against the light of the sun, for it was hidden away by mounds and mounds of dark gray overcast. "The rain will come any minute, and we need to get as far as we can before we're forced to find shelter. I just hope another island will come along before too long; we can't go far in bad weather." He paused a moment, mulling over the words with a worried grimace before turning to the close knit of Night Furies around him.
"Shadowclaw, Leafdapple, you two will take the back of the group." The two smaller dragons straightened at the order, Leafdapple's eyes shining with eagerness as she looked at Hiccup. She was the newest in their group -added in thanks to Shadowclaw- and she was no doubt ready and willing to do anything to prove herself to Hiccup. Something like this would be just what she needed, and Mistyeyes wondered if Hiccup knew that as well as she did. "Make sure there are no stragglers, and if there are, do whatever you can to help them along. If it's a severe problem, send a messenger up to the front where me and Toothless will be. We'll figure something out then." The pair leapt to their feet, dipping their heads in a polite gesture to show that they understood. But when they glanced at once another, their eyes sparkled with excitement, and Mistyeyes didn't mistake the happy skip in their steps as they hared off for the back of the travelers.
Hiccup sighed, part amusement and part exasperation as he turned to address the others. Mistyeyes purred, settling herself down beside Toothless as she leaned over ever so slightly, putting her head so that it rested neatly against his shoulder. The male's tail curled at the movement, but he didn't turn down to look at her. His green eyes were glued intently on his human, and Mistyeyes copied him as she did the same. Hiccup had grabbed Astrid's hand, pulling her closer as he looked at her importantly. The dragon's eyes clouded with confusion as she saw the same weird look on Astrid's face. The girl stilled looked put-out, looking tired and overly worn as she stood dejectedly at Hiccup's side.
Something was wrong obviously. But what? Did Hiccup not notice?
But the dragon saw Hiccup glance over between Astrid and Nightflight, as if thinking over something in his hyperactive brain of his. Had the dragon and the human go through some kind of falling out? She didn't think so; the pair had been together all the way down here from the cave, and they barely even showed a hint of anger towards the other. Was it something other than a problem? Something that Nightflight could help solve? Or something Astrid could help solve but didn't want to? It was a mystery to Mistyeyes, and she had to force herself out of dwelling on it in fear of a headache.
"Astrid and Nightflight, you'll be up near the front with me and Toothless. That way Astrid, you can help me scope out the fastest way back to Berk." The blonde nodded at this, crossing her arms tightly over her chest as she looked away. Hiccup hesitated at the movement, eyes flashing, but he swept by it quickly, shaking himself as he went over to Mistyeyes. The pale dragon perked importantly at this, leaning away again from Toothless so that she could sit up by herself.
"Mistyeyes, you'll sweep the edge every so often and make sure there are no drifters. Younglings just learning how to fly are going to be flapping around, and we need to make sure that they don't fly off-course. It'll be their mothers' job to corral them back, but we need you there to make sure they do it properly. It'll be a little bit more tiring, but you're one of the best fliers here, so it shouldn't be too big of a problem for you."
Her chest swelled at the hidden praise, and Mistyeyes hoped that Nightflight didn't notice. The last thing she needed from the female was another flare of jealousy to come from her. But Nightflight was busy lowering herself down so that Astrid could scramble onto her back. Mistyeyes felt a flash of guilt at the way she couldn't seem to keep worrying over Nightflight, but she brushed the thought away. Instead, she nodded to Hiccup, turning and poked her muzzle affectionately into Toothless's side, and spun around. She looped around to the side of the group, calling out greetings and 'Good Mornings' as she flashed past.
Ahead, Hiccup was calling the Night Furies together, Mistyeyes watching as they all stretched out their wings as he snapped them to attention. Feeling a rush of fright at being the last one to take off, Mistyeyes pushed herself faster as she made for the far edge of the group. Youngling whined loudly as their mothers fussed over them, correcting their take-off positions frantically as they became somewhat nit-picky. Mistyeyes could feel the flashes of indignation from the smaller Night Furies at the fuss, but she prayed that the mothers knew what they were doing. If a youngling went down along the way, she didn't know how things would bode. Not well, she could guess.
Finally skidding to a stop in her spot, Mistyeyes whirled around, puffing from her run already as she craned her neck once more. Hiccup had already strapped himself to Toothless, Nightflight and Astrid standing at their shoulders like a shadow. She could see that Hiccup was tense where he perched, and Mistyeyes knew that they were mere seconds away from leaving the island for good. The clouds overhead pushed down on them, and Mistyeyes felt a choking sensation underneath their black depths. The other dragons around her were tense, but not frightened or worried. Their eyes were full of trust and steadiness as they stared up at Hiccup, only a few reptiles glancing this way and that with clouded eyes. Flexing her muscles carefully, Mistyeyes took a deep breath, watching as Hiccup raised his left hand high into the air.
The others seemed to realize what this was, wings stretching out at once around Mistyeyes. Dragons lowered themselves down to position, and the pale dragon stumbled after them, copying their movements with a rather surprised look. She guessed she forgot the speech and instructions that Hiccup had given, her and Nightflight had missed a lot of important things. Feeling a flash of regret and hoping that the dragon wasn't too lost because of her, Mistyeyes gathered under herself before launching into the air.
Like a rising tide, the others followed suit, their wings catching the sea breeze at once as they angled themselves forward. With the aid of the stormy winds blowing towards them, the travelers swooped up high into the air, taking it rather slow at first. Through the masses of Night Furies, Mistyeyes caught a glimpse of Hiccup. The teenager was twisted around in his saddle, green eyes narrowed as he pointed this way and that, calling out helpful tips or telling others to move into gaps in the circle. The dragons followed his advice quickly, swerving to the side or propping up others.
Glancing over her shoulder, she could see that Shadowclaw and Leafdapple were taking their job rather seriously. The pair were sweeping in and out of the protective circle, righting others and pushing others to the side so that they were flying accordingly. Figuring that she might as well try to take her job just as seriously, Mistyeyes turned her attention over to the mothers and their younglings. Those who were old enough to understand could fix their flight pattern, but the younglings were just starting out wouldn't be able to tell up from down at first. Her center of concern should rest there.
And besides, with the way the clouds were getting worse, there was no telling how dark it could get. It was already pretty dim around, and if it got any darker, she was sure that a few mothers would lose contact with their young ones.
Her concerns were broken up though, a sudden presence by her side catching her attention to the side. A Night Fury suddenly swooped forward, taking place beside her as he looked her way. He had bright blue eyes, his scales a mixed color of gray and white. She stared at him for a moment, floundering for a name before she could finally place it. Clear something. I remember him, right? Clear something, Clear something, Clear something. Blanching a moment, she gave him a tentative smile. "Hello there." She said politely, tensing as she heard a small drone of thunder in the distance.
The male blinked, studying her for a close moment or two before attempting the expression. His grin was sloppy and messy, a smile that caused Mistyeyes's to only grow wider. Her attention was fixed fully on him now, his name flashing through her mind like a shooting star. Clearsky. He was a little bit younger than her, though not by much. She had distant memories of the multi-colored male, things like training or flying for the first time. Maybe he was younger than her by a mere few months.
Nevertheless, he obviously remembered her. Which was per the norm, she guessed. Who wouldn't remember any of them right about now? "Mistyeyes, right?" He asked, though by his tone, he was more than aware of which dragon she was. The female smiled once more at her name, giving a nod of recognition towards him. "I'm Clearsky." He introduced himself, confirming her suspicions. "I don't know whether or not you'd remember me. I think we trained together. For a little while, at least."
"I remember." Mistyeyes assured him quickly, not mentioning how vague the memories were.
"Uh, I just wanted to say hello." He said awkwardly, glancing around at the other dragons around them. But none of them were paying special attention to them, focusing on which way they were going and what Hiccup was saying so that they wouldn't get lost. "I thought it was weird that I never made a point to speak to you before, so I figured I would just come over here. For old time's sake, you know." He said the point in a laughing manner, and Mistyeyes allowed herself a small laugh along with him.
She was glad he wasn't serious, she was getting rather tired of having people look up to her. Funny, since she would have killed for the admiration just months before now. She used to live for the feeling of stares on her scales, or the way that dragons dipped their head to her as she passed. But now it just made her feel uncomfortable. She was much more at ease when she was with Hiccup and the others, lounging around or joking with one another. The life of a leader was something she was exceptionally good at…but as time went on she was slowly realizing that it might not be the way she wanted to go anymore.
And hopefully when they got to Berk, she could put the role of leader behind her permanently. Her as well as Nightflight. The Night Furies wouldn't need a leader where they were going, and they never would. The thought was comforting, and she allowed herself a small breath of relief. If everything went calmly today, and the rest that followed, they would be on a perfect track.
"Oh, I was just coming over here to offer something." Clearsky went on, rousing her from her thoughts. She turned over, blinking rapidly as she titled her head to the side. The male shrugged, turning over and jerking his muzzle over to the other end of the group. "I could keep watch over on the other side if you want. I heard what Hiccup said to you, and I figured you might need some help. Even if you're a good flyer, I mean. I can cover the other side while you cover this one."
"Oh." She said, pleasant surprise flickering through her eyes. "That would really-"
"Amber!"
The shriek split the air like a thunderclap, Mistyeyes immediately jerking with surprise and horror at the amount of fear in the scream. Whipping around, Mistyeyes was suddenly buffeted over by a strong gust of wind, the sudden blow causing her to tumble backwards in a whirl. She forced her wings out stiffly, righting herself at once as she snapped her blue eyes back open. She spun wildly, trying to find the source of the shout. Her blue eyes landed on it at once, and the situation was registered almost at once.
Unlike the other strong fliers, one of the younglings hadn't been able to catch themselves before the wind came. Like a leaf caught in a whirl of air, a young female shrieked with fear as she plummeted towards the ocean far below. Her paws flailed wildly, trying to find some kind of purchase as the wind smacked her this way and that. She was falling at a million miles and hour, and for a moment Mistyeyes was frozen to the spot. But then she gasped sharply, breath catching as she threw herself forward. "Someone save her!" She yelled, the wind snatching away her voice as she streaked down for the small bundle.
Toothless and Hiccup were fighting their way through, trying to slip by the other Night Furies who were trying to get to the child. But there were too many, and all they did was get in each other's way. The youngling was falling fast, and Mistyeyes could see that it was barely old enough to walk, much less fly. Shadowclaw had been nearly twice this one's age when he flew to Berk, and he barely managed it himself back then. The mother must have been out of her mind to try and get this little scrap into the air by herself.
Eyes watering as the wind blasted against her, Mistyeyes swooped up and over the dragons that got in way, heartbeat racing in her ears as she raced against time, which was gradually slipping away from her. The frightened youngling looked at her with wide eyes, jaws gaped open in a silent wail as she seemed to lose the ability to voice her fright. She was breathless with fear, and Mistyeyes knew that she only had a little bit of time. The ocean was getting too close, she wouldn't be able to save her.
"It's too fast." She whispered, voice breathless against her windpipe. She started to flounder, swerving and whipping past others who got in her way. "I'm not fast enough." Clearsky raced beside her, glancing over at her with a frightened look as he caught her words. A dead weight went down much faster than someone trying to get down there, she realized. Though the smaller dragon was lighter than her, she wasn't able to try and keep herself afloat in the air. She was way too fast for her, and Mistyeyes's wings slowed down numbly as she knew it was a lost cause.
"Too fast…" She whispered softly, eyes round with grief as she watched the youngling.
The mother let out another cry, trying to race down to her daughter. "Amber!"
Mistyeyes closed her eyes, flinching at once as she braced herself for the deadly splash. A fall like that would kill a youngling on impact. But suddenly a flash of black whirled past her, the dragon's eyes snapping open as a rush of air flew by her. Toothless and Hiccup shot by, fast as a blast from a cannon as they spiraled down towards the ocean. Mistyeyes leaned forward, eyes widening as she shook her head fast. They'd kill themselves in the process; there was no way they could reach her before the ocean did!
Hiccup tore himself off from Toothless's saddle as he stood, green eyes flickering up to Astrid, where she and Nightflight were hovering in midair. The girl had shaken her attitude from before, eyes round with horror as they tracked her Viking carefully. Hiccup nodded once at her, as if making a promise. "Don't be stupid." Mistyeyes whispered, watching as Toothless changed the angle so that they were flying straight forward. Amber was just about to hit the water, they would have no chance. What would they do if Hiccup got injured? Or worse?
Gathering himself up for a moment, Hiccup crouched, the other Night Furies immediately screeching to a halt as the boy launched himself off of Toothless's back. His arms reached forward, wrapping tightly around Amber's body as he held the female tightly over the stomach. He flipped around as he threw his weight to the side, making it so that he took the full impact of the water as he went over to land on his back. Toothless made an attempt to grab them up before either of them could hit the water, as if regretting their plan as soon as Hiccup had jumped off.
But they both disappeared underneath the water with a might slap, sinking underneath the waves in less than a moment. The choppy waters that came along with the storms was enough to shock Mistyeyes where she hovered, just imagining the difficulty in maneuvering the tides. She broke away from Clearsky, veering down and going down to be beside Toothless. The male was readying himself to dash into the water after them, but she held him back firmly as she skidded beside him. "Stop." She whispered, blue eyes intently scanned the water as she tried to remember how to breathe.
It could have been seconds, minutes, or hours. But eventually, bubbles formed on the surface of the water, popping with a loud burst and signaling the arrival before it actually happened. Hiccup's head broke the surface soon after, the boy's eyes round with shock as he gasped in sharply, stomach heaving with the effort. He kicked out lopsidedly with his legs, unable to use them to tread water as he held the youngling in his arms tightly. He took care in making sure that her head was above the choppy waves, the baby wailing thinly as she continued to flounder.
At once, cheers and shrieks of relief rippled through the group. Mistyeyes was stunned, eyes large as she looked down at Hiccup. Toothless broke away from her, swooping down low and helping Hiccup back onto his perch he had before. "That was a lucky shot." He growled to the human as Hiccup placed that mewling youngling down on the saddle first. "We're not even a few minutes into the journey yet and you're already throwing yourself into the ocean. I'd appreciate it if you were a bit more careful."
"Well, I couldn't really help it, could I?" Hiccup puffed, shaking and shivering as he clambered on after the baby. "She needed me."
The mother dashed forward, eyes round with relief and shock as she nosed her daughter thoroughly. "Thank you so much." The older dragon breathed out shakily, voice trembling almost as much as her as she anxiously searched her child. "I don't know what we could have done without you. Thank you. Thank you so much."
Hiccup smiled at her, opening his mouth to reply kindly. But Mistyeyes wasn't listening. She turned, looking over at Clearsky and narrowing her eyes. "Actually, I would like you to take the other side." She said firmly, surprising the male as he nodded reluctantly. "In fact, get as much dragons as you can to help survey the area." She glanced over, watching as Hiccup rubbed his arms roughly, wincing with something that looked like stiffness as he shifted wearily.
"Something tells me we're gonna need all the help we can get." She warned gravely.
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A/N: By the way, I found it so funny that that one review told me to: 'Stop watching Sherlock and update.' XDDDD howdidyouknow? O-o
Anyway! Hopefully this if good! I'm sore. I'm tired. I'm up way past my limit. And this is it.
So I hope it lives up to expectations XDDD
Review and you'll have another update pretty soon! ;)