Hey, guys! Chapter 3! :D My wrist is really sore...ugh. Ick. It makes me feel mad. But here's the shout-outs I promised! :D
Lightclaw's Shadow: I know! Poor Hiccup! I love Hiccstrid though, and I'm glad you do, too! :D
HiccupHaddockIII: Thanks! I'm glad everyone in the fandom seems to like Hiccstrid, or else I would be in trouble. :P :D
silverwolvesarecool: Thanks, Sil! I'm glad you liked it! :D
Shizuku Tsukishima749: Thanks a bunch! I'm really happy you like it. :D
ScarletNightFury: Yeah, poor Hiccup...
Markiplier is My Senpai: Yeah, seriously. I hate the stomach flu. :(
Animals Rule: :D Thanks for the reviews! :D
hiccupandtoothless294: I'm glad you think it's good. :D
Across the oceans, three ships were slicing through the water, towards a set destination that was to not be changed under any circumstances by penalty of death. Dagur the Deranged stood at the bow of the ship, overlooking the waters ahead of them.
"We should reach their base by midnight at this rate, Dagur!" Savage reported, giving his deranged leader a salute.
Dagur turned to him, his glare hardening. "What did you call me?" he asked, too sweetly to match the image on his face.
Savage understood his mistake instantly, and he tried to take back what he'd said. "Oh, I meant...your derangedness, sire," he said instead, bowing lowly.
Dagur chuckled darkly. "Derangedness," he said, turning his eyes back to the sea. He laughed again, this time in a higher voice. "I like it. Rolls right off the tongue, doesn't it? Although next time you slip...I might not let you get off so easily." He drew his sword for extra emphasis, and Savage took a step back, swallowing.
"Point made," Savage said, nodding. Dagur retracted his sword and sheathed it once again. "So," Savage said, "if we're attacking their base, why didn't we bring the whole fleet?"
"Because," Dagur said, "we don't know how to activate the...whoodicky thingamajig that we want. The thing Hiccup stole from the Reaper. If this mission was simple, we would steal it, but we don't know how to work it, so, we're going to capture...well...Hiccup, who else?" He laughed again.
"Sire," Savage began nervously, "I don't see how this is a plan."
Dagur glared at him, his laughing coming to an abrupt stop. "After my brother is in my custody," Dagur said, "we'll leave a little note for his friends. They have to bring me the thing that I want, show me how to work it, and then...and only then, will I release Hiccup."
"But sir," Savage tried again.
"QUIET," Dagur snapped. "Go, I want this ship at Dragon's Edge as soon as it's dark! We can't wait until midnight! Go!"
Savage scrambled to do as ordered.
"Oh, and Savage," Dagur called, and Savage froze. "After we capture Hiccup and everything," Dagur walked forward, and Savage remained still, "as soon as you see his friends flying in on their dragons to save the day…" He grinned madly. "...Shoot them out of the sky."
Savage smiled. "Dead or alive, sire?" he asked.
Dagur tapped his chin in thought, and shrugged. "Either way works for me," he said casually.
…
"Hey, Fishlegs." Astrid knocked on Fishlegs' door, and the boy opened it instantly, stepping aside to let Astrid in. "Did you have a chance to make any broth?"
"I did, actually, Astrid," Fishlegs said proudly, gesturing to a pot hanging over his fireplace, which Meatlug was lying in front of.
Astrid nodded. "You'll have to save it," she said. "I don't think Hiccup can eat anything right now." She shut the door behind her.
Fishlegs sighed. "Yes, I assumed just as much," he said. "The stomach flu's a nasty thing. How do you think he got it?" As he spoke, he stacked books and put them on his shelf neatly, like they always were.
"There are lots of ways he could have gotten it," Astrid said. She picked up a book absently and handed it to Fishlegs. "It could have been something he ate, maybe he stayed up all night again...I don't know. But the important thing is that he has it now, and we have to take care of him."
Fishlegs nodded in agreement. "Should we get help from Berk?" he asked.
Astrid shook her head. "I thought about that, Fishlegs," she said. "Berk is a good day and a half away from here, so it would take three days for one of us to go to Berk and return, and by then, chances are, Hiccup's bug will be over with."
Fishlegs didn't look convinced, and Astrid understood why he didn't. She wasn't fully convinced with herself, either, but she knew Hiccup was strong, despite what others might say or think of him. She knew he would have a fast recovery.
"Look," Astrid said, "if he isn't doing better by tomorrow morning, we can send someone back to Berk. Alright?"
Fishlegs nodded yet again. "Okay, sounds good," he said. "Here." He handed her a cup full of sickly-sweet smelling herbs. "It should help his nausea," he explained when she gave him an odd "please-tell-me-what-the-heck-this-is" look. She nodded in understanding.
"Thanks, Fishlegs," Astrid said.
"Oh, here." Fishlegs poured some of the broth into a pail, and he handed that to Astrid as well. "Just in case he wants to eat something," Fishlegs said.
Astrid thanked him, and without another word, left for Hiccup's residence again. On her way, she collected a rag, and a bucket of cold water to use against Hiccup's fever. Her hands were kind of full at that point, but she managed.
She knocked on the door with her foot as soon as she reached his place. It was already dark, and Astrid assumed the rest of the dragon riders had already gone to bed. The night was tranquil and very peaceful, which she was thankful for. Hiccup could get some real sleep now.
"Knock knock?" she called, not wanting to disturb Hiccup if he was already sleeping. If he was sleeping, she would slip in quietly, leave the cup of herbs and broth on the table, and put the wet rag on his forehead. If he was awake, she would give him the herbs, put the rag on his forehead with instructions for him to not take it off, and leave him to sleep.
When Hiccup didn't answer, Astrid nudged the door open, set the pail of soup down on the table, and made her way upstairs. Just as she figured, Hiccup was sleeping, lying on his back with Toothless' head on his chest. Toothless lifted his head to look at Astrid for a moment before resting it over his rider's body once again.
Astrid set the cup of herbs down on the bedside table and sat on the edge of the bed. She placed the bucket on the floor, soaked the rag in it, and laid it across Hiccup's forehead, trying to be careful so she didn't wake him.
He still looked peaked, his forehead covered in a thin layer of sweat, which worried Astrid. Sure, they always got sick sometimes - beit Snotlout, Fishlegs, the twins, her, or Hiccup - but that didn't make the experience any more enjoyable. Not by a long shot.
But it was part of living on Dragon's Edge alone, with nothing but each other. It was part of exploring the world.
She looked down at Hiccup when she noticed his eyes were open. He smiled weakly up at her, squinting. "Hey," he said. "Hi."
"Hi," Astrid whispered. "Sorry I woke you. You can go back to sleep. Actually," she reached over, taking the cup off the table, "here. Drink this first, and then go back to sleep."
Hiccup sighed, yet nodded in the end, remembering that there was no arguing with Astrid Hofferson. Astrid helped him sit up, leaning him back against the headboard of his bed. Afterwards, she handed him the cup, and he sniffed it before taking a sip.
Almost instantly, he recoiled. "Bleh," he spat. "What...what is this?"
"Fishlegs said it'll help your nausea," Astrid said.
"It will help my nausea?" Hiccup questioned in obvious disbelief, staring into the cup as if it had wronged him in some way. "Unfortunately, Astrid, this will probably only serve to make it worse."
"I trust Fishlegs," Astrid said. "He's not trying to poison you...Oh, don't look at me like that. It's not my fault."
Although it was clear he was reluctant to comply, Hiccup, after more persuasion from Astrid, downed the contents of the cup, set it back down on the table, and sank back underneath his covers, laying on his side. Astrid re-wet the rag and laid it back on his forehead.
"Sorry you're sick," she said sympathetically.
"It's alright," Hiccup murmured. "It's not your fault."
She stayed with him for another good fifteen minutes, and by then, he had fallen asleep once again, his chest rising and falling steadily. She stood up and headed towards stairs, pausing just before she walked out, looking over her shoulder at her ill friend one last time before heading to her own residence to get some sleep herself.
She was unaware of the quickly approaching Berserker ships and the danger that lied in store.