Chapter Two

As Hiccup ran off to get Toothless, everyone broke into quiet conversation. Well, except for Gobber and Stoick. Nothing they ever said seemed to be quiet. Snotlout, Ruff and Tuff started chanting.

"Field trip! Field trip! Field trip!"

Though it looked like that was not the plan. Stoick yelled, "All right you lot, we don't know where this is or how to get there. No decisions are being made until we consider everything. Dismissed!"

Everyone got on their dragons and flew off except for Astrid who was talking to the chief.

"You know he's going, no matter what you tell him. You should just-" Stoick interrupted her with his booming voice.

"I just said no exact decisions, until we consider everything. I'm going to speak with Hiccup about this. And I am sure you're right. He'll want to go, no matter what I say."

Rayden, already having dismissed the nightmare, had to get back to the great hall on foot. During the walk he had a lot to think about. He was wondering what would happen if they'd really find another Night Fury. Hopefully he would get to come along. He pondered this on the whole walk there. Most likely they would fly there on dragons, but Rayden had no idea how far away it was, and if it is a long journey, they would have to use a ship if more than a few people were going, the dragons couldn't possibly carry enough food for a large group.

When he got to the great hall two Vikings with their battleaxes guarded the door.

"This meeting is for dragon trainers only!" one said.

Rayden almost face palmed. He undid his sheepskin vest and gestured to the leather riding outfit underneath it, while Arrow promptly landed on his shoulders and let out the biggest roar he could muster, which was more like a squeak. The warriors barring the way stepped aside with muttered apologies. Arrow breathed smoke into one of their faces and Rayden had to resist the urge to laugh.

When he saw the chief, Astrid and Hiccup in a debate, he walked towards them. Stoick stabbed the table with his dagger. No, not the table, the map that was on the table.

He asked Hiccup, "What's going on?" Hiccup gestured to the map.

"The trip would last around a month… On dragon-back". He let them all ponder the last two words. Rayden glanced at the map and sure enough, their destination was weeks away, even on their dragons. True to his word, Stoick was considering the details, shooting out questions in rapid succession.

"What will you get for food? Who will run the forge, and WHO is going to run the academy? You know that you have duties that need attending to!"

Hiccup was being overloaded, and the verbal assault did not appear to be letting up. Rayden smiled and was contemplating dragging up a chair to watch. While Rayden looked on, Astrid spoke over the din until it quieted enough for her to talk at a normal volume.

"I don't think that you actually want to keep him from going, do you? Chief... Stoick... You know how big this is."

She grabbed his large, muscular arm and attempted to pull him away for a private conversation, though his large frame did not budge until he consented. As the two vacated the premises and moved across the room, Hiccup started to regain his vocabulary. Turning to speak with Rayden, he said what was on both of their minds.

"Astrid will convince him."

"You know she will. She is some woman, isn't she?"

Hiccup may have taken the hint, but he didn't show it. Meanwhile, Astrid was talking some sense into Stoick.

"You're just arguing for arguments sake now. Everything you mentioned can be resolved. The dragons can carry all our supplies, and if you think that Gobber can't handle himself in the forge then I'm a Whispering Death with no teeth! Think about it! This is the biggest thing for him since Toothless himself! Just tell him he can go, he'll hand the academy to Fishlegs and I'll threaten Snotlout to behave. Then we can be off."

Stoick finally saw sense. Nothing but fatherly instincts kept his decision from being made. They turned and walked back to Rayden and Hiccup. Stoick coughed, and spoke in a firm tone to his son.

"You'll have to take at least three people..."

"You're letting me go?"

"Wouldn't matter either way, would it?"

"I'll take Astrid, and Hilda. There are sure to be wounded."

Astrid spoke the next sentence for him.

"And the fourth-", she said, turning to Rayden,"- is you."

Rayden grinned and pumped his fist in the air.

"I'll go pack!"

He turned and raced out of the hall. As he rounded the corner and reached the door he realized that there were still two battleaxes crossed over the threshold. He couldn't stop in time, so he slid under them and rolled back onto his feet to keep speeding towards his home. He unlatched the door and slid inside, out of the frigid air. He owned only about a week and a halves worth of clothes and a second vest. Taking a bedroll out of his closet and grabbing some extra sleeping furs, he arranged it all and rolled it inside his bedroll.

Going back outside with a molded leather saddle designed for comfort, and a Deadly Nadder, he knelt and began to croon into the afternoon air. It was not a forced command, yelled into the forest like he had earlier, but a gentle plea of assistance. Soon after his voice carried on the wind, a Nadder came from the general direction of the coastline and landed in front of him. He complied by feeding it the Icelandic cod he had brought, and began to saddle the bluish red dragon. It took nearly ten minutes to readjust the straps and a further ten to apply it. He tucked his bedroll, now protecting all of his travel attire, into the saddlebag.

He went back inside and acquired his bow off the wall. He also strapped his dual scabbard to his belt. It held his saxe, a heavy, tough knife designed for all manner of use, and perfectly balanced for throwing. Also inside was his throwing knife, smaller but still reasonably durable. He was proficient with these weapons as well as his bow, having familiarized himself with them since childhood.

His arrow making kit was tucked away with his clothes, and his large quiver held three dozen arrows. He strapped these on to his back, but kept his bow unstrung. He had a special addition to the saddle to hold it whether it was strung or unstrung, and there was a flap on his quiver to prevent any of the incredibly sharp projectiles from escaping if he did a violent maneuver on a dragon. Said flap closed, and bow fastened securely to his seat, his new friend took off and carried him to Hiccups house.

Hiccup was outside hurriedly packing his own items. Rayden noticed four moderately sized packages being arranged on Toothless. It seemed fairly awkward on the black dragon, who looked overladen with food supplies already.

"Here, I'll carry those", Rayden suggested, so Hiccup gratefully handed them over to Rayden, who put them adjacent to his bow.

"Thanks, Rayden."

"What are they anyway?"

"Canvass tents I got from trader Johann. Right before he left, too. I need you to go get Astrid. You and she can get Hilda, the physician. I have to talk to my dad. "

"Alright."

Without further prompting, Rayden climbed onto his Nadder and flew towards Astrid's house. The air was cold around him, but the Dragon's natural heat helped. He noticed the moisture in the air and wondered if the rain's about to fall. Since the defeat of the Dragon Queen a few years past, nobody had used Dragons as transport to leave the Archipelago yet. His thoughts were driven back to the sure to be coming precipitation; Rayden speculated that they might need to stop on an island for a night before they make it out of the vast sea.

The Nadder landing with a tooth-jarring thud, Rayden slid down and knocked on the door, but on his second knock the door swung on its hinges, ajar. Rayden walked in to see Astrid furiously eating a leg of mutton. She stopped and started to eat slower and more dignified when he walked in. She swallowed the last mouthful.

"Sorry, I'm all packed, but I had to walk my brother over to Phlegma's house. Let's go get Hilda."

Rayden escorted her outside and latched the door behind him. Stormfly and his own helpful companion were greeting each other. Arrow, having flown off after the meeting, decided to grace them with his presence and perched squarely on Astrid's shoulder guard. He snorted, and sneezed out a puff of cinders. He's been eating starfish again. Rayden sighed. The little lizard had a soft spot for them but they frequently gave him sniffles.

That aside, Rayden and Astrid began the short walk to the med clinic. Flight was pretty much unnecessary. They made small talk and such, but didn't broach the subject of the upcoming journey.

The medicine hut was located near the harbor, so that any warriors returning home could get quick attention. Also, it was an old wives' tale that sea air helped to fight illnesses. As they came upon it the door, it opened and a small girl walked out with a bandage wrapped around her foot. She was ushered by an old woman. Hilda certainly looked ancient, but she was tall and healthy with a straight back. Astrid waved at her while the aged woman scolded the small girl. Hilda then turned to Astrid.

"You wouldn't believe how many children come to me for help because they refuse to do something as simple as putting something on their feet!"

"I still remember when I was like that." Astrid smirked.

"So what do you need, dearie?"

While Astrid explained the situation, Rayden peered over Hilda's shoulder to peek inside the clinic. There were a few rows of cots for sick people, all currently unused. Shelves upon shelves of books and herbs lined the far wall, and a stairway led to the second floor. Meanwhile Hilda was giving Astrid an incredulous look.

"My old bones couldn't handle half of a journey like that. I cannot accompany you. But I will send my apprentice. She learns well, there is nothing I think she cannot handle when you get to Blood's Peak."

Hilda turned and walked halfway across the clinic while Rayden and Astrid followed her inside to stand on the doormat. Hilda raised her voice towards the ceiling.

"Freya! I have another task for you!"

A feminine voice drifted back down.

"Coming!"

Freya came down the stairs and Rayden's jaw dropped. Somewhere in the back of his mind he heard it striking the floor. She was dazzling, slim and beautiful. Lightly tanned and looking to be about his age, she was a few inches taller. Wearing almost exactly the same garb as Astrid, without bulky shoulder guards, and auburn hair cascaded down past her shoulders. While his mind was currently in overload, Astrid once again took over negations while he smiled at Freya, who was listening intently and excitedly to the list of items she would need.

Once Astrid had dragged Rayden out and onto the street, she went on to get Hiccup. They were leaving soon. Rayden was content to walk to the docks where they would meet, while above him, his Nadder flew riderlessly. It took him about fifteen minutes to get there, stopping by the bakery on the way there.

He walked onto the docks, feasting on the last of his bread and cheese, when he heard voices from behind the dock house. He instinctively lightened his steps and peered around the corner. It was a teenage girl of middle height and stature, with a Zippleback standing behind her. she held Freya in a tight embrace.

The two continued for another few seconds and then Freya pulled back. The girl slowly turned and walked away, the Zippleback following her. Freya knelt to pick up her bag and Rayden realized she was about to turn his way. He slipped out of view as quickly as he could. She walked around the corner and nearly ran right into him. They were both about to apologize when Hiccup, Astrid and his Nadder landed next to them. The sheer amount of wind from the three landing dragons ripped the air from their lungs. Freya stepped back to a normal distance away from Rayden. Hiccup showed them his entire crooked grin.

"C'mon! Before my dad changes his mind!"

Astrid helped Freya climb onto Stormfly, who was now fitted with a large saddle not unlike Rayden's. Molded, padded leather designed for comfort. Toothless was fitted with his normal saddle, which seemed already comfortable enough for Hiccup. Rayden climbed onto his dragon and they took off, riding the thermals high into the air.

As they circled lazily Hiccup studied his map and his new compass that he had made three days past. Once he had found the proper bearing they began flying on the course Toothless set, with him leading a v-formation and Rayden on the left. While they steadily made distance and the shoreline of Berk slowly became a hazy line in the distance, Rayden became lost in thought.

As the minutes grew into an hour the sky slowly darkened. It was late afternoon, and soon it would be dark. Hiccup brought a map, not a star chart. They have to stop for the night on one of the islands. That fact became apparent to everyone, and Toothless lead the way to the nearest isle.

It was perfect for a campsite. The island was fairly large, and there was a series of cliffs near the middle. They chose one large cliff with a cave situated to one side. While Hiccup and Toothless checked inside the cave, Astrid and Freya began to build a fire pit with some rocks and dig out some food. Rayden, wanting to be useful, flew down on his Nadder and came back with several branches and logs in his arms and in his dragon's jaws. They quickly had a cheery fire roaring and the smell of savoury mutton stew was wafting through the air. Once it had simmered long enough, it was served in wooden bowls with spoons also carved from wood. Astrid sat close to Hiccup and Rayden was on the other side of the fire. Freya sat in between, quietly eating.

It was all quiet until a sound came out of nowhere. What Rayden they thought might have been a Thunderdrum's mating call, was actually Hiccup burping after he slipped his last spoonful of stew into his mouth. They all shared a laugh, some of the tension vanishing. After they thoroughly discussed the burping habits of Gobber too, Hiccup taught them how to set up their tents, and they soon had all four side by side. As the fire died down Freya and Astrid retired to their respective tent. Hiccup sat by the fire, spreading out the coals and letting it die down. Rayden retrieved an unused log and propped it up against the cliff face. The feel of his weapons were part of him, he had practiced with them every day for the past six years. Hiccup walked over and watched as Rayden pulled his throwing knife out of its dual scabbard it shared with his saxe. Hiccup opened his mouth enquiringly:

"That knife is too small to do anything practical."

"You'd be surprised."

Rayden flung his hand up and then forward in a blur of motion, sending the knife spinning into the log, about six metres away. Hiccup stared in awe.

"How did you do that?"

"It's a throwing knife. My father forged it for me, along with my saxe."

"Your father? Did he teach you?"

Rayden dwelled on the question for a moment, then answered:

"Yeah... More or less."

Hiccup thought Rayden would continue, but he did not. Hiccup continued the conversation

"Teach me!"

Rayden retrieved his blade and began schooling Hiccup on how to hold it and how to throw it. Hiccup had an inventors mind, and grasped the concept well, listening with rapt attention, occasionally asking questions.

"So how do I make it hit blade first?"

"You control the spin of the knife by how you hold the blade before the throw. Closer to the tip and the blade spins faster. Closer targets and you spin the blade fewer times. It's a matter of instinct. You have to train your mind to know how to hold it and hit blade first. Then you start to worry about accuracy."

He handed Hiccup the knife and he threw it. It was pretty good for his first try. It hit the log blade first and held fast, but it was so slanted, had the log been a few inches farther away it would have bounced off harmlessly. Rayden knew that since Hiccup hit it the first try he would be filled with enthusiasm.

"Can I borrow your knife for the night?"

"Sure. Keep practicing. And remember, worry about the spin. Not the accuracy. That bit comes later."

"Thanks!"

Leaving Hiccup to his practice, he strolled into the cave where the dragons were asleep. He quietly pulled his bedroll and sleeping furs out of his bag and made his way back out to the campsite, where Hiccup was retrieving the knife from the ground and muttering. Rayden decided to bolster his spirits.

"You're doing better than I did when I first started. Don't give up."

It worked, and Hiccup's enthusiasm returned. Rayden crawled into his tent and found out that he has plenty of room. The floor was just as big as the surface area of his bed, and he had no trouble arranging his bedroll and crawling in. He let his thoughts wander away as he slowly fell asleep.

Any suggestions, corrections or questions? Review! since its march break I will be able to work a bit quicker than normal. Chapter 3 will be added within the next few days! But seriously, review please!