SHOUT-OUTS:

xFaerieValkyriex: I think Fishlegs needs more credit then he gets sometimes. He's awesome! :D

TheLastNightFury777: That would have been cute! GAH. :D

silverwolvesarecool: Me too! :D

Omegaman17: So sorry about that cliffhangie thingy...ya. :D

BraveDragonof214: Yes, I am insane. :D

VulcanTrekkie: You're right about the stopping at the most cliffy part. I like doing that for some reason. I don't know why! Maybe I'm just weird...CORRECTION, I AM CRAZY.

Guest: Thank you so much! :D

HiccupHaddockIII: I like cliffy! :D

AnimeAngel: DAGUR, JUST DIE! AGH!

Edlover23: Me too! (I will try and get your chapter to you today, I am so sorry it is taking me so long)

Silver Electricity: Oooh, latte! *takes it* *hands you another one*

Wanli8970: DANGER! :D

Astrid made the mistake of looking. Hiccup's entire stomach was covered in blood, the fabric from his shirt being cut away where the arrow entered his skin. Fishlegs had one hand on the arrow, his other hand holding a dagger.

All in all, Astrid was happy to have Fishlegs there, who had studied health and injuries and knew what to do in case one occurred, because without him, she didn't know what she would have done. She was a soldier; not a healer. She didn't know anything about wounds or illnesses and what not.

When she finally managed to pull her eyes away, she focused on trying to keep Hiccup calm while Fishlegs worked in earnest to remove the crossbow arrow. She had a hard time registering what had happened exactly; she had watched Hiccup knock the crossbow out of Dagur's hands, but hadn't seen how he had ended up getting shot. The crossbow could have gone erratic, firing at will without someone behind the trigger, but she decided against that. It was bad luck; Hiccup was shot either way.

"Are you ready, Astrid?" Fishlegs asked. Astrid really wished he would just get it over with, because he was making her have second thoughts with the more he kept asking. She managed to nod, though, not even looking at Fishlegs as she did so.

She held Hiccup firmly but gently, one arm wrapped around his own arms, pinning them to his sides in case he struggled while the arrow was being pulled out, her other arm cradling his head to try and keep him relaxed. He gasped for breath, his eyes shut as his chest heaved from what little oxygen it was receiving.

She didn't watch Fishlegs, but she knew when the arrow was being pulled out because of how Hiccup lurched forward, grabbing Astrid's arm in a death grip as he whimpered and gasped for breath.

She patted his head awkwardly, not knowing what else to do. Hiccup seemed to relax, though, and leaned against her wearily.

"Done," said Fishlegs, looking at Astrid, ready to faint at that point. He held, in one hand, the arrow, which he held out for Astrid to look at while pressing a cloth against Hiccup's wound with the other. She recoiled in disgust at the sight of the weapon, grabbed it, and then hurled it in the opposite direction.

Fishlegs looked to the girl. "Keep pressure on the wound," he said, moving his hand to let Astrid resume his position. She took it up almost instantly, pushing against the incision. "If the blood soaks through the cloth," said Fishlegs, "don't remove it." He put a whole bunch of torn, rugged fabric in front of her. "Just put another one over it."

Astrid managed to nod, despite how shaky and terrified she felt at that moment. Fishlegs stood and went back over to Meatlug, no doubt looking for something he could use to wrap the wound, while Astrid remained with Hiccup.

Fishlegs returned an instant later and began wrapping the wound. Astrid held Hiccup in a sitting position while Fishlegs wound the bandages around Hiccup's stomach to stem the bleeding, and to prevent infection as best he could.

"There," he said at long last. "We need to get him back to Berk."

"We got the ship!" Ruffnut and Tuffnut exclaimed. Fishlegs, Snotlout, and Astrid looked up at the sky as the twins arrived on their dragon, dismounting and rushing over as soon as touching down.

"The Berserkers didn't want to give it up," said Tuffnut, gasping as he fought to regain his breath.

"But we got it regardless!" said Ruffnut. "It wasn't fun, doing it without blowing it up, but we managed it."

"Let's get going, then," said Astrid. As if on cue, Snotlout moved over to her, taking his cousin from her arms and hefting him into his own.

"Let's get out of here," said Snotlout.

And so, they trekked towards the shore, Ruffnut and Tuffnut leading them to their destination, followed by Snotlout, Astrid (who kept reasonably close to the boy), Fishlegs, and then lastly the dragons.

The twins broke into a run once they spotted the ship they pirated from the Berserkers. It was one of the smaller ships, yet still looked impressive. It was small enough for the twins and probably Snotlout and Fishlegs to mand on their own, yet big enough to fit the dragons and riders.

"That'll work," said Fishlegs simply.

"It better," said Snotlout.

They boarded the ship, Astrid and Snotlout heading below deck while Fishlegs and the twins, with a little help from the dragons, took to setting sail.

It wasn't cluttered below the deck of the ship, which helped tremendously. While Astrid fumbled to light an oil lamp, Snotlout walked over to an empty spot in the corner that looked remarkably scrubbed and cleaned, laying Hiccup down on the floor as gingerly as he could have managed.

Astrid brought the oil lamp over and set it down next to Hiccup, kneeling down next to the injured rider and his cousin.

"I need to go...um...help the others get back home," said Snotlout. "Take care of him."

"Okay," said Astrid. Snotlout never showed his caring side to anyone openly, and when he did by accident, he always covered it up, but yet everyone knew that he cared about Hiccup, no matter how hard the Jorgenson tried to deny it.

Another instant later, Toothless and Stormfly went below deck to check on their riders. Hiccup was still unconscious, while Astrid held his hand. Toothless growled in concern, eying Astrid and his master warily.

"You worried there, Toothless?" Astrid asked the Night Fury, trying to keep the panic tone out of her voice. Toothless growled in response, prancing over an unbelievably light paws and nuzzling Hiccup's side.

"Yeah, me too," Astrid admitted. "But Hiccup's been through worse than this. He'll be fine."

Toothless didn't appear to buy it, though, and moved to stand over Hiccup and Astrid, Stormfly doing the same beside him. Even though Astrid was with him, Toothless still wanted to remain there, standing guard in case a Berserker tried to take their ship back.

"Thanks, Toothless," said Astrid. "You too, Stormfly."