A/N: Sorry for the long wait but here's the next chapter. Another two chapters to go and fingers crossed I'll get them both written before the summer's over. Been so busy working on original stuff but it looks like I might get a bit of extra time in the future.

Anyway, please enjoy and don't forget to review!

Chapter 18

"Chief the Night Nadders are destroying everything in the Great Hall," Mulch said as Hiccup and Astrid landed outside the door of the hall.

"We're already aware of that Mulch," Hiccup said. "Please tell me there's more than one in there."

"Hard to tell. They move so fast." And with that Mulch went running down the steps with the rest of the Vikings. Astrid was already running into the Great Hall and Hiccup and the dragons were close behind. Inside a few of the tables were on fire, the flames in the pit in the middle of the room burning brighter than ever.

"Please let it be more than one dragon," Hiccup said as he came closer, scanning the room for any signs of the baby dragon.

"I see it!" Astrid exclaimed, spotting something black and red under one of the burning tables. She rushed over with Stormfly, both of them trying to lure the baby out from under the table, while Hiccup and Toothless rushed around the hall to find signs of any more dragons. "Come on little one," Astrid said. "It's not very safe under here."

"Looks like it's just him," Hiccup said as he and Toothless returned. "And you'd think someone would have arrived with some buckets of water by now." As if on cue the doors opened and Eret came in on Skullcrusher, carrying some buckets of water. "Well that's one thing I don't need to organise," Hiccup finished taking one of the buckets off the older Viking. As Eret went to one of the tables on fire, Hiccup went over to the table the baby dragon was hiding under and threw it on the flames, soaking the dragon in the process and making it rush out from hiding and into Astrid's arms.

"Well that's one caught," Astrid said giving the baby a scratch behind the ear as she stood up. "How many more?"

"Before I went on water duty the total so far was zero," Eret said joining them with the empty buckets now all the tables were no longer on fire.

"Then we'd better get back out there and find them," Hiccup said dropping the bucket he was holding. He then looked around the hall and saw the mess the baby had made. "And get someone to help tidy up this mess."

"You should get the twins to do," Eret said as they left the Great Hall, their dragons close behind. "As punishment for scaring the dragons and allowing them to escape in the first place."

"I might just do that."

"Where are we going to put this little one while we search for the others?" Astrid asked.

"Valka said she was going to head back to the academy in case any of the babies headed back there," Eret replied. "Maybe you could take this one back and she can keep an eye on him."

"Good idea. I'll catch up with you later." And with that Astrid got back onto Stormfly, the baby dragon still in her arms, talking about not letting the baby out of her sight in the most girlish tone Eret had ever heard Astrid use. Hiccup and Eret watched her fly away, Eret a little stunned at what he'd heard.

"Does she always do that voice around baby dragons?" Eret asked.

"All the time," Hiccup answered. "And after five years I'm still not used to it."

As Astrid flew over Berk on her way back to the academy she could see Snotlout chasing after one of the purple streaked baby dragons as it flew around the streets of Berk, knocking over carts and barrels as it went. "Hey Astrid this is just like our first dragon race!" Snotlout called up as he flew up to join Astrid in the air. "Just chasing after baby dragons instead of escaped sheep!"

"And you're losing Snotlout," Astrid pointed out. "Get that baby dragon before it starts setting things on fire."

"Oh right." Snotlout went flying off to find the baby dragon again, following the sound of falling and breaking objects, and the screams and shouts of the villagers.

Astrid continued flying to the academy, where Valka was waiting with one other baby dragon, this one streaked with yellow. Astrid landed next to Cloudjumper and let the baby dragon in her arms fly down to join their sibling. "Well that's two down," Astrid said as she jumped down from Stormfly and joined Valka. "Snotlout's chasing after one as we speak."

"Any sign on Dragon Hiccup?" Valka asked.

"None yet. I'm going to get back out there. He could be anywhere by now."

"I just hope he hasn't decided to try flying off the island. None of the baby dragons would make it to the nearest land yet, least of all him."

Astrid nodded in agreement, before she mounted Stormfly again and flew back into the air. She saw Hiccup and Eret coming back from The Great Hall and flew over to join them. "Two down, one red, one yellow," Astrid said.

"Three down, one purple!" Snotlout yelled as he passed, the purple streaked dragon in his arms.

"You cannot evade me forever tiny baby dragon!" Tuffnut yelled before the second red streaked dragon flew past, followed by the twins.

"We should focus on finding Dragon Hiccup," Astrid said.

"Been on the lookout for him since we left The Great Hall," Hiccup said. "He could be hiding anywhere. We need to split up. You two start searching the woodland. I'm going to find Fishlegs to see how he's getting on."

"On it Chief," Astrid and Eret said before flying off to the woods. Hiccup watched them go before giving Toothless a pat on the head and urging him on in the other direction in search of Fishlegs and hopefully spot Dragon Hiccup along the way.