Here we are fellas. I have no idea how much writing I can do next week, I have a dog staying over for a week, so that'll be fun. I'll try to write though, I'm sure a certain friend will make me.

Enjoy!

The Adventurous Adventures of Hiccup and Wrenlou

Consequences, Part IV

He was cold. That's what he noticed first. That he was cold. Yet he felt the warmth all around him, surrounding him like a cocoon of blankets. But somehow, he was still cold. For a moment, he was also confused. Confused as to where he was, and what had happened. He coughed, and in a flash it all came back. Dale's words, the running away. Getting sick and hiding under Toothless's wing. He remembered Broghan finding him, and then... nothing.

He sat up, or tried to. His body was too tired to cooperate properly, and the moment he tried again, he broke out in an intense coughing fit. He didn't notice how someone beside him stirred, rubbed his eyes, and then sat up. He only noticed Wrenlou when the boy pulled him up into a sitting position, held him there, and rubbed his back.

"It's okay," Wrenlou whispered, "it's okay... I'm here..."

After a while the coughing subsided, but not before he had coughed up some bloody slime that stuck to his chin. After Wrenlou had wiped it away he pulled the sobbing boy against his chest, still rubbing his back. After a while he calmed down, but he still felt horrible and cold. He nestled against Wrenlou's chest, and felt how the blankets were tucked around him. It did nothing to help him get warm.

"A...are you okay...?" Wrenlou asked, "are you hurt? How do you feel? Talk to me Hiccup, tell me what's wrong."

"T...tired..." Hiccup managed to say, "c...cold... s...so cold..."

Wrenlou pulled him closer, wrapping the blanket around him as much as he could. As he looked down on Hiccup, he felt the worry grow. Hiccup had just coughed up blood. No matter what anyone said, that was bad. Very, very bad. He decided to get Dale, hopefully a healer, and without disturbing Hiccup, he slipped out of the bed.

"I'll be right back," he whispered, "stay here, okay?"

Hiccup nodded weakly and pulled the blankets closer around his shivering body. After a last worried glance at his friend, he grabbed his shirt from his bad and opened the door while he pulled it over his head. The moment he opened the door however, a black dragon dashed past him, pushing him over in the process, and stopped next to Hiccup's bed.

"Toothless..." Wrenlou sighed as he stood back up, "be a little more careful next time, please. I don't much care for broken bones.

Toothless crooned, but didn't pay any attention to the boy at the door. Wrenlou sighed again, left the cabin and closed the door behind him. He didn't know where he could find Dale, or the healer, but he figured the Hall was the best place to start. While he made his way over there, carefully walking over the sand, he looked around. Most of the damage had been repaired, the roofs of the cabins had been fixed, the rubble had been cleared away. The Bay looked like it had never been terrorized by a hurricane.

Just before he reached the Hall, he had his second encounter with an over enthusiastic dragon, only this time, it was his own. Snowflake bounced around him as a happy puppy, before she pushed him over and started licking his face.

"Snow... no.. I don't have time for this right now... come on..." Wrenlou groaned as he tried to get the dragon out of his face, "come on... Hiccup is very sick and he needs a healer... get off of me.. please... ugh!"

He finally managed to push the dragon away, but she stayed at his side when he stood up and started walking towards the Hall again. While he was wiping the dragon spit from his face, he pushed the door open. The Hall was empty, except for one person, a woman, sitting at one of the tables. She looked up the moment he entered.

"Wrenlou," she said, "what can I help you with?"

"It's Hiccup," Wrenlou answered, who had recognized the healer the moment she looked up, "he woke up, but he coughed up blood. I'm worried."

"He coughed up blood?" the healer said as she stood up, "that's not good... Alright, I'll collect my supplies, then meet you at the cabin, okay?"

Wrenlou nodded and quickly left the Hall, making his way back to the cabin. When he opened the door he found Hiccup the way he had left him, curled up under the blanket. Toothless had his head on the bed, watching his rider with worried eyes. It wasn't long before the healer came in, carrying a bag. She sat down next to Hiccup after pushing Toothless aside, something the Night Fury wasn't too happy about.

"He's got pneumonia, hasn't he," Wrenlou said softly, "is he going to die?"

"How do you... did Dale talk to you?" she asked, "I told him to keep that information to himself."

"He didn't tell me," Wrenlou answered, "but I recognized the symptoms. The fever, the coughing... the blood..."

The healer frowned. "You recognized the symptoms? How?"

"I... I read all the medical books there are..." Wrenlou said, looking down, "I've always wanted to become a healer. I just never... life got in the way..."

"It means you can help me," she said, "you know what herbs are used to treat fevers?" When Wrenlou nodded, she pointed at the bag. "In there. Find them and make me a brew. Warm, but not too warm. Can I count on you?"

Wrenlou straightened his back and took a deep breath. Then he took the bag and stood up. "You can," he said, "I'll be right back."

The woman nodded and watched him leave. Then she turned back to Hiccup. His breathing was raspy, shallow, and she could see the traces of blood on his chin. She was deeply worried for the boy. Pneumonia on its own was no joke, but with a compromised immune system, it was almost always a killer. Right now they had to get his fever down, and his body temperature back to normal. Wrenlou wasn't gone for long. When he came back he was carrying a cup, the bag over his shoulder. As he handed the cup to the healer, she inspected the contents, then looked up.

"Impressive," she said, "you really do know what to do. Can I count on your help?"

"Sure..." Wrenlou said softly as he sat down on his own bed with a pained groan, a hand at his side, "when I'm not feeling too tired."

"Rest," she said while she pulled Hiccup into a sitting position and gently coaxed him to drink the brew, "you need it just as much. I can handle this."

Wrenlou nodded and lay down, still watching how the healer coaxed Hiccup to drink all of the potion.

"That should bring his fever down," she said as she tucked him in again, "we just have to get his core temperature up."

"Toothless can help," Wrenlou said, "if Hiccup rests against his belly. I mean, dragons have internal fires right? No better way."

"That..." she said while she looked at the black dragon, "is actually a great idea. Okay, Toothless... come here boy, help me warm your rider."

She didn't have to say it twice. Toothless rushed over and clambered onto the bed. He curled up against the wall, and Hiccup was quickly situated against the dragons warm scales. Toothless looked down on his rider, then folded his wing over him, trapping all the warmth inside.

"Alright," the healer said while she took her bag, "I leave him in your car for now. If there's anything, come get me."

"Wait," Wrenlou said sitting up, "what about the blood he coughed up?"

"I checked his lungs," she said, "and I don't think it's anything bad. Just some rawness in his throat. It's not unusual in pneumonia patients."

"I know that," Wrenlou said, "but it could be something serious too, right?"

"You said it was a small amount, right?" Wrenlou nodded. "That usually points to some rawness in his throat and mouth, mainly from coughing. We'll keep an eye on it, but there's not much I can do at his point."

"Okay..." Wrenlou mumbled.

The healer smiled a little and left the cabin, closing the door behind her.

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Hello lads and lassies! Here we are again with a new winner and a new riddle! The answer to last weeks riddle was Silence, and the winner is LittleDidYouKnow! So, PM me, please?

The next riddle is here! Guess away my fellow riddlers.

I feel your every move, I know your every thought
I'm there from your birth and I'll see how you rot
I am your shadow, you shall never be free
Riddle me this, the answer is?

Good luck!