I have been thinking about this story. Being sick sometimes messes with my brain. No, I'm not discontinuing, so no worries there. In fact, my thinking has found a way to improve this. Allow me to explain. We already know that there will be several timeskips (already determined within the plans). I am also adding "arcs". The arcs, conveniently, will line up with the time skips which are set at roughly every 12-14 chapters. With me so far? This chapter, as a heads up, will end Arc 1. The arcs will not be named because that could be a huge spoiler-risk for the chapters in the story.
Okay, I think that's it. Here we go with the review replies.
Review Replies:
Ferdoos: Thanks and thanks.
dragonlover17: I hope so too...that they find Hiccup, I mean. I hope to get better soon too, but…anyway, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!
aaquater: Well, she has learned to keep a calm exterior, but inside she was very worried, yes. That would make for a good plot twist. Hmm… I looked back through the chapter and found that you are indeed correct. I will be fixing that. I blame this being sick nonsense. Thanks for the well wishes.
Guest (anonymous): Maybe Hiccup will invent the filtration system to rid the water of its salt. That'd be so…Hiccup. Thanks for reminding me about the sub-plot. I had to write that back into my plans. My bad. Haha.
kitty.0: Yep, they know and, knowing them, they won't stop, won't rest, until they know Hiccup is okay.
Next chapter starts…now!
Chapter 15: Last Hope
He was walking and it was so dark that he could barely see anything in front of him. Up ahead, Hiccup saw a glowing light. As he approached, he finally saw the source of that light and he couldn't stop the soft gasp that escaped his lips. "Astrid…" he whispered.
"Hiccup…" her whispered answer was just as soft as his had been. She reached out and gently stroked her hand against his cheek. Hiccup had forgotten how soft her hands were. He had always liked that about her. For such a strong woman, a suitable warrior, her hands did not reflect the rough and calloused texture of most shieldmaidens' hands. Astrid moved closer to embrace Hiccup and he wasted no time in returning her embrace. "I miss you," she whispered in his ear. "When will you be back?"
I need to tell her. "Actually…about that...Astrid…" Before he could finish, he was wrenched from her grasp. Only then did he remember; he had forgotten to unhook his saddle clasp from Toothless and now he would not get a chance to tell her that he needed her help.
"Hiccup!"
All he could manage before he lost sight of her again was a short "Astrid…help!"
Then he awoke, arms outstretched at his side and laying on his back on the sandy beach that he and Toothless had washed up on a month ago. Yes, it had to have been about a month now. He had watched the sun daily and added a simple mark in his journal each night as the sun dipped again below the horizon. Sure he did not know how long he had been unconscious after he and Toothless had fallen from the sky, so he just took his best estimate at the passing time.
He lay there, looking up at the blue sky and watching the clouds roll past. As much as he wished that he could get up, stand up and walk around, he just couldn't. Over the month that he and Toothless had been stranded, their food supplies had continued to dwindle down (despite their best efforts to ration—even to the point of significantly reducing their portion sizes and, additionally, dropping the amount of "meals" they ate per day). Though Hiccup tried his best to remain optimistic, even he knew that they would not be able to live much longer this way. Hiccup knew what he had to do. He had to find a way to get both him and Toothless off this island and back to their mission. The real question was: how would he do that? Not only would it be very difficult to create a new tailfin to replace the shredded one, but he had no idea where he even was. He could fly for months and not find Berk or the island that had been his initial destination. For the first time in a while, Hiccup felt completely at a loss about what to do. Stay here to die slowly and painfully or find a way to fly again only to, potentially, also die slowly and, most likely, painfully. Not the best choices.
Hiccup wanted to scream in frustration, but he could not muster more than a simple groan. Toothless startled and looked over to his rider, cooing at the young Viking's distress. The boy knew that he could always talk to his dragon, but he felt they'd had this conversation way too many times and he didn't want to bore Toothless (though he knew the dragon wouldn't mind) with such pessimistic talk. Instead, Hiccup continued to just slowly drown in his misery and pain, hungry for food that they did not have and desperate to discover a way off this island. As days passed, though, chances of either dwindled as surely as their food supply. His empty stomach growled another reminder of lack of food. Even that bland mashed-up wheat porridge that was sometimes served at breakfast in the Great Hall sounded appealing right now.
For an instance, Hiccup was angered with himself. There should've been something more that I could've done to prevent us being stranded here. There just had to have been… However, as he replayed that day in his head, as he thought back on every moment leading up to this one, his anger faded and he remembered. There's nothing more I could've done. Everything I've done was the best possible solution given the circumstances. The Gods just hate me.
A gnawing feeling clutched the back of Hiccup's throat. He knew this feeling well too, but it was another that he had no easy fix for either. Ever since he and Toothless had become stranded here on this island, they had not been able to find a source of fresh water. Not to mention that water was not something Hiccup could pack in his satchel; it would have surely soaked through, ruining everything else within his pack of supplies.
Having tested the waters shortly after awakening on the island, Hiccup had come to learn that it was the same type of salty water that surrounded Berk—unsuitable for drinking and unable to quench the inherent thirst for fresh water. Dehydration was beginning to set in for both him and Toothless. There were many days that Hiccup would wake up feeling horribly sick and he never knew if the cause stemmed from dehydration or the lack of food in his small stomach. He had made a mental note to think of a way to remove the salt from Berk's surrounding waters and make it suitable for drinking, but he had no materials here with him now to experiment on this idea. The best solution that he could come up with was to use falling rain and snow until he could figure out a way to acquire fresh, clean water.
Sighing, Hiccup continued to stare up at the cloudy sky. There wasn't much else to do. In the distance, he caught sight of silhouettes, small dots flying among the clouds. Probably just wild dragons, he determined sadly. Even if he could train a wild dragon to fly back to Berk, he wouldn't because he refused to leave Toothless. Regardless of how short a time it might be, a downed dragon was still a dead dragon. Yet another lesson he had learned from Gobber.
Focusing closer, Hiccup noticed something about these dragons that perked him up instantly. "Riders..." he muttered. "Those dragons have riders. Even if they're not from Berk," he told Toothless, "they still might be able to help us somehow."
Rain was starting to fall as Hiccup, with great effort, sat up and tried to yell to the riders he had seen. "H-Help." His voice came out weak and barely audible. "Help." A little better this time, but still too soft. "Down…here."
It was no use. The rain had picked up and it was quickly becoming a deluge. "T-Toothless, we have to take shelter under the trees," he told his dragon as they scrambled into the forest. From the cover of the trees, Hiccup sadly watched as the riders, whoever they were, turned back the way from which they had come. Well…so much for that chance. All thanks to this rain. There was nothing else Hiccup and Toothless could do. The rain had ruined their one possible opportunity. He hated to think pessimistically, but there weren't very many options left. I think we're…doomed.
*~End Arc 1~*
I'm terribly sorry about ending this chapter on such a low note. In fact, this arc is ending on such a low note. Wow…poor Hiccup and Toothless. Curse that rain…ruining their one chance to be rescued.
Anyone else see that awesome new trailer? Okay…stupid question, of course you have all probably seen it. Wasn't it amazing?!
Coming Up Next: Three months have passed since the letter arrived to Berk and search parties took to the skies. The villagers have been trying to adjust to life without their young heir. One girl continues to hold out hope. Deep in her heart, she just knows Hiccup is still alive. He is out there somewhere, but…where?
Next chapter: I'll try to aim to have the next chapter posted on Wednesday night after 10 PM US East Coast time (because I work late on Thursday and Friday nights). We'll see, though since Brave gets the next update.
Thank you all for reading and supporting Wheel in the Sky!
Posted: April 13, 2014
