In this chapter, we shall see the answers to a few more of those burning questions. If anyone has any other questions they want to ask as they are reading, just leave them in a review and I'll either answer them in the review replies section or I'll direct you as to when they'll be answered in the story.

Also, to answer the question about the Riders' ages, I'm going with what I've seen mentioned officially. Hiccup, Astrid, and Fishlegs are 16. Snotlout and the twins are 15.

I edited some of the earlier chapters, but not for content. Just for bolding/italic in the thoughts and such. If there's ever anything that seems to not quite "fit" , just let me know so I can take a look and fix it accordingly. Thanks!

Review Replies:

kitty.0: Hiccup does seem to be pretty good at adapting to his surroundings. We shall now see what's going to happen with Astrid.

Ferdoos: Thanks. I'm glad that was more realistic. I wasn't quite sure because it's been awhile since I took any science courses that discussed the possibility of using leaves as a water/food source.

Jesusfreak (anonymous): "Uh oh." is a very good way to put it. Here's the next update.

aaquater: Thanks. Yeah, Toothless does miss his fish, but he's probably just glad to have something. Some of the answers (most of them, I think) will be found in this chapter. As for Hiccup's fate…I can guarantee he'll be in the rest of arc two. I make no promises about arc three. Haha.

Guest (anonymous): Hmm…that does sound possible. Here's the next update.

Guest (anonymous): They'll either be more muscular or walking skeletons. That is, assuming they make it off the island!

Next chapter starts…now!


Chapter 18: Our Own Search Party
Here Without You

Every day it was always the same…and Astrid was fed up with it. She could not walk through the village anymore without being mobbed by the questions. "How are you doing, Astrid?" "Are you okay, Astrid?" "You holding up alright, Astrid?" Was this how Hiccup had felt when he'd started improving so greatly during dragon training? How did he put up with all that unwanted attention? That's right, he had distanced himself from the village and chose to spend his days hiding out at the cove with Toothless (although, no one had known that Toothless existed at that point in time). That was exactly what Astrid planned to do today. She would take Stormfly for a lap around the island, high above the ground where she could peacefully be alone. Then, they'd probably spend the rest of the day in the cove by themselves. Hey, if it worked for Hiccup, then it would do just fine for Astrid.

Before Stormfly could leave the ground, though, a passing adult Viking noticed Astrid. Internally, she grimaced, knowing exactly what would come next. The Viking woman, as expected, asked that usual question about Astrid's well-being. Astrid should've known this all would happen when the villagers of Berk began to believe that Hiccup had not survived. However, she was still surprised when the questions had first started coming. Now, it was just annoying. "Yes, I'm fine," she lied again. This had to have been the one-hundredth lie she had told since the final search party returned empty-handed and clueless back to Berk. "I'm just going for a flight with Stormfly now," she continued, a small (but fake) smile on her face.

Either Astrid was very good at faking smiles or the other Viking woman was not very observant because she just smiled back and told Astrid, "Alright, my dear. Have a great flight," as she walked away. Once the woman had walked a good distance, Astrid dropped the fake smile and replaced it with a frown. Wasting no time, she climbed into her saddle on Stormfly's back and they took to the skies.

The day was rather pleasant, despite the quickly-approaching season of harsh snows. Winds brushed past Astrid's face; she loved how it felt as it rushed through her braided hair. Stormfly's pace was relaxed, but Astrid couldn't help but to miss her races against Hiccup and Toothless. What if it was all true? What if they wouldn't be back? She had been experimenting with Stormfly's diet lately in hopes that small alterations could make her Nadder faster than the previously-invincible Night Fury. If Hiccup and Toothless never returned, Astrid would never know if her experiments were successful.

Completing their lap around the island, Astrid directed Stormfly to land at the cove where they could both relax. They would stay there at the cove until the air temperature would drop and become too cold. Then, they would return home and Astrid would feed Stormfly before entering her own home for dinner. All the while, Astrid would avoid as many fellow villagers as possible; she was tired of lying about how she felt, but, with each passing day, more and more of Berk's inhabitants would fear the worst about Hiccup. No matter what, Astrid refused to just give up…at least, as long as there was no evidence to prove that Hiccup and Toothless had perished while out on their quest. If no one else is going to send out search parties, then… Astrid halted in her thought process as an idea came to her. … I should. That's it! Standing up suddenly, Astrid looked over at Stormfly who had perked up at her rider's sudden movements. "Come on, girl, let's find Fishlegs and Meatlug!"

Returning to the village, Astrid and Stormfly flew lower than usual as they searched through the village for the one boy whom Astrid knew to be on her side. Finally, Astrid did find him and Meatlug. Both were sitting in a quiet and secluded grassy section just outside the village. The knowledgeable boy had the Book of Dragons with him, but Astrid did not know if he was updating it or just reading through it again for the thousandth-some time. As Stormfly landed, Astrid made sure to get Fishlegs's attention and let him know of her presence.

Fishlegs set the Book of Dragons aside and turned his attention to Astrid. He looked to be truly interested to know why she had sought him. Astrid did not take a seat. Instead, she wasted no time in conveying her thoughts. "Remember how we were talking about Hiccup and how neither of us believed him to be dead like everyone else does?"

"Yeah…" Fishlegs answered slowly and Astrid could tell that he still was unsure what she was getting at as she brought up the subject again.

"Well, I was just thinking recently about how the Chief has slowly been sending out fewer search parties. Soon enough, he won't be sending any out and I just refuse to believe in giving up just like that. So, I was thinking that we, the riders of the Berk Dragon Academy, could form our own search party and fly out every so often to look around for clues about Hiccup and Toothless."

"Wait!" Fishlegs put his hands up in a dramatic show, "so you're saying that we should go out and search on our own, like…without the authority of Chief Stoick?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying, Fishlegs." Astrid deadpanned as the boy repeated back to her exactly what she had just told him.

"Isn't it Hiccup's job to make plans that go behind his father's back?" Fishlegs asked, confused.

"Normally, yes, but Hiccup's not here, so that responsibility falls to me. Come on, let's go find Snotlout and the twins." Astrid made to leave, but when she looked back she saw that Fishlegs and Meatlug had yet to get up and follow her. "This isn't optional, Fishlegs," she told him in reply, briefly lapsing back to a former Astrid, one that had been less patient, the person she had been during dragon training.

It did not take long to find the rest of their group; all Astrid and Fishlegs had to do was follow their senses to the place in the village where the most destruction was currently happening and there, sure enough, was Snotlout and the twins.

Astrid called everyone together and they stood a distance away from the commotion so that she could tell the other three about her plans. "…so, that's why I decided we form our own search party," she concluded and waited to hear thoughts from Snotlout, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut.

"I don't get it. If no one else could find anything, what's the point in us going out there and trying?" Tuffnut asked.

"Yeah, we're not interested," Snotlout replied, acknowledging the "we" as Hookfang and himself.

Astrid stared them down. "I never gave you an option. We're doing this. Get your dragons ready. We will…"

"Ah, Astrid, there you are," a loud voice stopped the girl before she could finish giving instructions.

"Chief!" she exclaimed, jumping only slightly as she turned to face Hiccup's father. He can't possibly know… Sure, Hiccup said that he always seems to know everything that goes on around this island, but… "You were looking for me?" From behind her, Astrid could hear the twins snickering slightly. They probably think I'm going to get in trouble. Well, they'll learn the meaning of trouble when I get finished with them later, she promised herself as she waited to hear what Berk's Chief wanted to tell her.

"Ah, yes. Come and take a walk with me for a moment, would you, Astrid?"

Astrid recognized this tone instantly. She had just used it recently when gathering her fellow Riders. Though the statement had been phrased like a question, it was not voluntary. She was expected to follow Stoick and hear what he had to tell her. As she walked over to the Chief, she discretely turned back to the other Riders and made it quite obvious to all four of them that she would be back and she expected them to be ready to depart when she did return.

Stoick, as always, wasted no time getting to the point as soon as Astrid had caught up to him. "I understand that you are still grieving over the loss of Hiccup," he began. "That's why I really didn't want to have to come speak with you about this."

"Chief, I—" Astrid started, but she was cut off before she could finish.

"Let me speak, Astrid. I'll answer your questions later."

By this point, Astrid was practically running in an attempt to keep pace with the large strides of Berk's Chief. "As you wish," she answered, submissively (this time) and waited for him to continue. He knows, doesn't he? He knows that I want to continue the search parties and he's going to reprimand me for trying.

"Because Hiccup is…well, what I mean is…" the chief trailed off for a moment in an attempt to recollect his thoughts.

Astrid waited, tense. If the chief was going to be scolding her for organizing a search party without his permission, she wished that he would just do it already.

"As you know, Hiccup left Berk on a mission," Stoick began again.

Wait, so this isn't about… Astrid wondered, but, as instructed, she waited to hear what the chief had to tell her.

"Hiccup, of course, never…made it to complete the mission," Stoick continued, trying to mask the sadness he felt for the disappearance of his son. "Therefore, we need another trainer to complete this mission…and, you were always our second-best trainer, Astrid, so I fear this responsibility will now fall to you."

Astrid did not speak for a brief moment after hearing this news. She was still frustrated that the chief so quickly believed that his son was gone forever. Sure, it had been roughly four months already, but that was no guarantee that he hadn't found a way to survive. Hiccup was one of the most stubborn Vikings that Berk had ever seen.

Stoick seemed to take Astrid's silence for hesitation as he was quick to add, "I know how hard it is to ask this of you so soon after Hiccup…but I'll need to send word to the chief there to alert them of our future plans. Though I do not believe what has happen will cause any tension between our tribes, I cannot say that for certain at this point in time."

"I…" Astrid started, but stopped quickly. What am I supposed to say this this…offer? "I…I don't know, Chief. Can you give me some time to think about it? Send word to the other village and tell them just that I just need to think this through a little more clearly first?"

Seeing that Astrid would not be making a decision either way right now, Stoick reluctantly agreed. "Very well, Astrid. Just don't wait too long to decide," he told her as he walked away.

Astrid did not immediately move from the spot where she had stopped. Instead, her mind raced with all she had just heard. Gods, now we definitely need to find Hiccup as soon as possible so he can complete this mission…and, next time, I refuse to allow him to go alone! These were her final thoughts as she turned back the way from which she had come and prepared to again gather her fellow Riders.


I am so sorry that this is over two weeks late. It's been a busy two weeks and I've been lucky to even find time to sleep. In a few more weeks, though, it will be summer break and I'll only have to worry about one job. That's when updates will speed back up.

Coming Up Next: Hiccup weakly looked through his satchel to see what supplies remained and which had been lost when they descended from the sky that night almost four months ago. It was then that an idea, one he should've thought of months ago, came to him. "I need to alert Berk. They might not know that…" Grabbing his sketchbook and his charcoal pencil, he roughly scratched out a short note. "Now how am I going to get this to Berk?"

Next Chapter: We all know how well this goes, but…I'm going to aim for this Saturday after 10 PM US East Coast time. That looks to be the next time I have any open time for this week.

Thank you all for reading (and putting up with me, too!) and supporting Wheel in the Sky!

Posted: May 13, 2014