So…random thought…I used to know how to do this, but when the site changed everything, I no longer knew anymore. When I put in the main characters for the story (like, you can see it says "Astrid, Hiccup" for this story), how do I order them? Like…instead of having Astrid first, I want it to say "Hiccup, Astrid" (with Hiccup's name before Astrid's). I see that it's possible because other stories have them switched and such. It frustrates me because every time I try to fix it, the site reverts it back to this way and that's not correct/the way I want it to be. Anyway…
Review Replies:
Ferdoos: Yes, hopefully, because it looks like she will be head instructor for a while.
kitty.0: And both of the last two chapters had Hiccup and Astrid receiving advice from their parents…even though Hiccup's was a memory.
aaquater: Maybe because many of the islands we have seen in the Dragons TV show have not had forests on them, but, of course, this island is unknown to Berkians. I actually enjoy playing with the idea of Astrid's parents because we don't know anything about them. This story just seems like one where her parents would be supportive and loving…but it also takes place after Hiccup trains all the dragons and everyone changes their mind about him, so that also might have something to do with it! I'm quite pleased with how the last chapter ended.
Guest (anonymous): That she is! Was it that obvious? Haha. That is good! I never even thought about how Hiccup's having Astrid as his right-hand … uh, woman really does help him out. Although, Stoick seems quite fine (better than fine, actually) without one…right-hand man, I mean. Well, I guess we shall find out in this chapter because it's time for Hiccup and Toothless to go exploring. Funny, this chapter was already in the works when you posted your review. It's like a sixth-sense…or something.
Next chapter starts…now!
Chapter 13: Exploring the Island
Hiccup woke up the next morning….actually, it was more like he was wrenched harshly from the happiness of his dreams and forced back into a reality where he was stranded on a strange island. The sun was just as harsh as it hit his awakening eyes and he was forced to close them again until they could adjust to the light. Looking around, Hiccup realized that Toothless was no longer nearby. At this realization, Hiccup jerked fully awake and sat up rather quickly. He was just about to cry out for his friend when he noticed that the dragon was over closer to the edge of the beach where the lapping waves were slowly rolling in and receding. What's he doing over there? Hiccup wondered as he pulled himself up from where he had been laying while he was sleeping.
Walking slowly over to where Toothless was sitting, Hiccup tried to figure out why his dragon had moved. Toothless was usually very protective of Hiccup and the boy knew that the dragon would not normally leave the boy out in the open, unprotected, even if it was only a separation of a few feet. As he approached, he found Toothless looking out over the relatively-still waters. Hiccup began to understand. Toothless was looking at waters, hoping for fish; the dragon was hungry. Much as he hated to admit it, Hiccup was also hungry. Rationing their food had left them with very small portions at meal times and, eventually, the supply was going to run out completely; Hiccup had not planned on being stranded on some island when he had packed the emergency food supply.
Toothless had not noticed Hiccup's arrival, so the boy placed his hand softly on the scales of the dragon's back. Startled, the dragon whirled around, baring his teeth and pinning Hiccup to the sand. "Whoa, whoa! Bud, it's just me!" Hiccup yelled out, knowing that Toothless could easily have fired a plasma blast. The dragon, seeing that the disturbance was merely caused by his rider, backed away and allowed Hiccup to stand once again. "Well…that was a little too close for comfort! Thanks for looking out for any danger, though, Bud. That makes me feel a little better and safer, I guess." Hiccup could see that Toothless felt bad for having almost attacked his rider, so the boy changed the topic of discussion. "So…how about we go exploring in that forest? Maybe we'll find some more food and then we won't have to eat so little each time."
Walking side-by-side, Hiccup and Toothless headed toward the forest. However, before they left the beach, Hiccup stopped to draw another line in the sand with his prosthetic. The line he had drawn yesterday was no longer in sight; the light wind overnight must've tossed the sand enough to blur it. "Like yesterday, this line will mark our starting place," he explained to Toothless. "Just in case we get a bit lost, we know to look for this line…hopefully." Hiccup knew that his plan was not foolproof. The line, while drawn far enough back from the waterline, could still be erased by the sand if the day grew windy. So far, though, he knew there was no need to worry. There was no wind and the day was starting off quite clear.
Together, side-by-side, the two began their exploration adventure into the woods. Having trekked many times through the forests of Berk, Hiccup knew to keep his eyes and ears open and alert at all times. Often, that could end up being the difference between life and death. Additionally, Hiccup and Toothless kept alert for any signs of wildlife. The boy didn't know what good it would do, though. He had only brought a small dagger along with him; he could not lift any heavier weapons. Toothless could probably…if he had to, but we'd have to find something edible first, Hiccup mused.
The walk through the woods was easy, too easy. Never once did Hiccup experience problems walking through the woods, even with his prosthetic leg. Very few times did Hiccup have to push branches aside to continue walking. It was not long before Hiccup pushed through some growth to find…another beach. He knew exactly what that meant. They, Hiccup and Toothless, had walked through the entire forest and made it to the other side of the island. "Come on, Toothless, we'll go back and take a different path. Just in case there's something we may have missed."
This time, Hiccup led the way and Toothless followed. As he continued on, walking this new path, Hiccup couldn't help but let his mind drift a little (only a little, though; he still needed to keep focused). Walking alone (well, almost) through the woods brought back memories, times when Hiccup would disappear into the Berkian woods, away from the hateful expressions and harsh whispers. Those woods had been his sanctuary as he knew these woods would never be.
So much had changed since then; Hiccup's whole life was different. Walking through these woods and the memories and feelings that surfaced only made Hiccup miss Berk more. When would they realize his absence? Would they search for him? That was a stupid question. Of course they would. His father would not rest knowing that his son was out there somewhere. Wait…what if they thought that… No! He had to keep optimistic that his tribe, his people, would not just presume him dead and move on. Blinking back stray tears, Hiccup turned his attention to the beach approaching in front of them. Once his feet hit the sand, Hiccup looked down, trying to spot the mark he had drawn earlier. No matter how hard he looked, the mark was not there. There's no way that it could have been erased…which means… "Well, that path led us to a different part of this island…but still nothing," he told Toothless who had, long ago, established himself to be an excellent listener. From his leather vest, Hiccup pulled out his sketchpad and drew a map of the island based on his perceptions and observations. He drew the beaches on the edges, encircling the woods which, so far, showed simply a series of pathways.
For the rest of the day, Hiccup and Toothless explored all the paths in the woods and the boy noted them on his map. Once all the paths had been plotted on the accurately-drawn map, the young Viking and his dragon followed Hiccup's map back to the familiar beach. Along the way, they had managed to find some edible berries which Hiccup had added to his satchel. He had also noted the location on his map, just in case they would need to find some more berries later. There had also been some trees deeper in the woods that supplied some type of nut, but the shell was very hard. As he found them, Hiccup noted these trees on his map, but the nuts would have to be for an absolute last resort because Hiccup was not strong enough to crush them to eat and Toothless would just end up smashing the nuts into way-too-small pieces.
The last rays of sunlight were falling over the beach and rippling on the waves. Hiccup, a stick in his left hand, sat drawing in the sand as Toothless lay beside him. They had eaten dinner (well, if the meager meal could even be called that) some time ago. Now, they were just passing time until they felt ready to sleep once again. As Hiccup continued to sketch lines into the sand, he paused briefly to notice how the lines had come together perfectly; without realizing it, he had been sketching out a portrait of his beautiful girlfriend. He sighed sadly and shifted the sand, erasing the drawing. Turning to his dragon, Hiccup asked Toothless if he was also ready to call it a night. Sure, it was still early, but it wasn't like there was anything else to do anyway.
Toothless sheltered Hiccup and he relished the heat from the dragon as the setting sun began to chill the air around them. Hiccup stared into the blackness as he thought back on the day. Overall, it had been significantly less productive than he had hoped. The pair was not much closer to replenishing their food supply than they had been yesterday. Though Hiccup preferred to remain optimistic, he was starting to worry. At this rate, our food supply is going to run out and we'll barely get by if we have to live on berries and nuts. I have got to find some way to get us off this island before that happens, but…how?
I apologize for the late update, but here's the next chapter now! The ending is kinda…but it'll do. Next chapter, there will be a slight timeskip. Just a heads-up. A more significant timeskip is also coming up very quickly.
Coming Up Next: A letter has made its way to Berk. What does it say and what does happen when the chief and the dragon riders learn of it?
Next chapter: This weekend is going to be a bit busy for me, but I will try to have the next chapter posted on Wednesday after 10 PM US East Coast time. If it isn't, though, it's because I will not be home most of this weekend, so just a heads-up about that.
Thanks for reading and supporting Wheel in the Sky.
Posted: March 21, 2014
