A/N: Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing! It really makes my day. I forgot to say this before, but in case you haven't noticed, I don't own How to Train Your Dragon or its characters, nor do I want to. I would probably botch it up. Please review!
"Hiccup, you have to rest!" Fishlegs stood between the frazzled viking and his dragon's pen.
"Would Astrid rest if one of us were missing?" Hiccup made an attempt to get around Fishlegs but was met with a snarling Meatlug. Though it took more than a miffed Gronkle to intimidate him, Hiccup turned back around to face Fishlegs.
"She would if she knew she couldn't do the job well!" Fishlegs said. Hiccup crossed his arms and looked away. "Look Hiccup, I want to find Astrid as much as you do, but riding out from dawn till dark searching the entire ocean by square inch isn't the answer." Hiccup gave Fishlegs a death glare.
"Well what do you propose I do? Chart the mathematical course of Dagur's ship using quadrants and circumferences?" Hiccup's voice oozed with sarcasm and he waved his hands for emphasis. Fishlegs decided that this was not the time to instruct his friend on the many values and proper uses of trigonometry and geometry.
"No, but I think we should pick up a little bit more information. Right now all we have are the literally foggy observations of some less than educated fisherman. Maybe you should try someone with a bit more knowledge of the ships that sail in and out of port."
"And who would that be?" Hiccup said, crossing his arms again in what Fishlegs, if he hadn't known Hiccup better, would have called a pout.
"Well, I know he's not always the most direct person, but we could try trader Johann. He has helped us find Dagur in the past."
"Ok then, let's go." Hiccup turned and walked past the now docile Meatlug into Toothless's pen to get him ready. He heard a clank and spun around to see Fishlegs locking the chain on the door.
"What are you doing?!" Hiccup rushed to the door and reached his arms through wooden bars in hopes of swiping the keys from Fishlegs.
"Look Hiccup, it's been three days since we started looking for Astrid, and you've gotten almost no sleep."
"If you don't let me out of here, so help me I'll..." But Fishlegs wasn't done.
"Maybe you can handle it, but what about Toothless? You can't tell me that you haven't noticed how weak he's getting."
"What are you talking about? Toothless is fine! Look at him!" Hiccup gestured behind him and then glanced over his shoulder to where Toothless was stretched out on the floor. Concern crossed Hiccup's face as he walked over and knelt in front of his friend, "Hey, bud, are you ok?" Toothless shifted his head away from Hiccup and made a low rumble in his chest. Hiccup hung his head and sighed.
"I guess I was just too caught up to think about your side of things. I'm really sorry, bud. You have the day off." Toothless cooed and licked Hiccup square on the face. Hiccup blinked. "Well, I guess that means you forgive me." He turned around and saw Fishlegs walking out the door of the stable.
"Hey! Aren't you going to let me out? Fishlegs!" The blonde head appeared in the doorway again.
"Let you out? No, I know you too well for that. You'd probably steal the fishermen's ship or something and go see Johann yourself! I'll bring you some food and a blanket, and in the morning we'll all go talk to Johann."
"All of us?"
"Yes. In the morning." Fishlegs went out again, presumably to get what he had promised.
Hiccup sighed and went to sit by his dragon again, "Well, I guess it's just you and me, bud."
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In the morning, as promised, the dragon riders left their base and flew out to trader Johann's post.
"You're looking for Dagur again?" Johann raised an eyebrow, "Whatever would possess you to do such a thing? Why, if I remember correctly, the last ti-"
"He has Astrid," Hiccup interrupted what he was sure would be a long ramble. Johann's eyes widened and he shook his head.
"Oh dear, oh dear! This is a horrible incident. Why of course, whatever I can do, to be sure! I do pride myself on being very helpful and direc-"
"Do you know where Dagur is?" Hiccup nearly shouted, and he probably would have grabbed Johann by the shirt front, but Tuffnut got in his way. Most likely by accident.
"Hiccup," Fishlegs said, "maybe you should go sit outside. We'll come and tell you when we figure something out." Snotlout grabbed Hiccup's arm, but he shook himself free and stormed outside. Why? Why? Why am I so wrapped up in this? Astrid was his best friend, other than Toothless of course, but that being said, he should trust her to take care of herself. Did he... have feelings for her? She had kissed him, square on the mouth too, but that was so long ago, they had just been kids. Hiccup shook his head and leaned it back against the side of Johann's hut. He didn't know why he cared so much, but he knew he had to find Astrid.
After what seemed like an eternity, the others came out of the hut, and Hiccup stood up.
"Did he say anything?"
"When does he ever NOT say anything?" Ruffnut snorted.
Hiccup ignored her and turned to Fishlegs. "Well?"
"Johann gave us two sights of Dagur's supposed hideouts, but he's not guaranteed to be at either one."
Hiccup was already headed toward the dragons.
"So, what exactly are we doing?" Tuffnut queried after they had taken off. All eyes, even the dragons', turned toward Hiccup.
"We'll find the camp closest to here, and if Dagur isn't there, we'll fly along the sea route to the second one."
"Uh, and what if we find him?" Ruffnut continued her brother's misgivings, "Doesn't he have like, a bajillion ships with him?"
Fishlegs interjected, "First, 'bajillion' isn't even a number. Second, last time we saw Dagur he had about twenty ships, and Johann said he hasn't heard of anyone building ships since then."
"Twenty ships. Well, nineteen without the one Dagur's on. You guys can take that, right?" Hiccup looked back expectantly at his friends, who in turn stared at him blankly.
"Aren't we going to send someone for reinforcements from Berk?" Snotlout finally broke the silence.
"We don't have time. We need to get to Astrid before it's too late. Who knows what he's done to her."
The rest of the flight was very quiet, each of the riders was thinking about the hopelessness of their mission, but no one dared broach the subject with the rider leading them.
They arrived at the first destination, but all they found was a barren shoreline and an empty harbor nearby. Though it was nearly dusk, Hiccup urged them on, and very soon, they found Dagur.
The sun was getting near the horizon when Hiccup turned Toothless and put his hand out for the riders to stop.
"Dagur's fleet is just beyond this cloud bank. We're hidden right now, but we need to move quick if this is going to work. Ruff, Tuff, you take the eight ships in the middle of the fleet. Use wide sweeps and go up above their range if you need to. Snotlout and Fishlegs, you guys take the eleven ships around the edges. Draw their fire and aim for the masts. Try to get them to take each other out if you can. I'm taking Dagur's ship first. Without Dagur to command them, the other ships won't be as deadly. As soon as Toothless and I land on the deck, start attacking." The other riders nodded vacantly at these rapid-fire commands and Hiccup turned Toothless back around. He was about to dive over the fast moving bank of clouds when he stopped.
"And guys," Hiccup turned in his saddle, "try not to get hurt, ok?" He turned back around and dove down towards Dagur's ship. And to Astrid.