Chapter 74: Mi Amore Wing
It was a normal day on Dragon's Edge and the riders were busy collecting all the scrap around the island. The Thorston twins were currently flying above them holding a large net of scrap.
"A little to the left." Tuffnut directed. "A little bit more. Little bit—No, no, no. No, now we got to go back right. Let's get back to the right!"
"Failure is not an option," Ruffnut told him. "The entire known world is counting on us!"
Hiccup looked at the others. "So does everything have to be a game with them or…?"
"Is that a serious question?" Henry asked with a raised brow.
"Yeah, they share pea brains, Hiccup, and peas are really small to start with," Snotlout pointed out as he then laughed, but then immediately stopped and jumped in the way of the scrap that nearly landed on top of him.
"Nailed it!" Ruffnut cheered as she high-fived her brother.
"Okay, look, come on down, you two," Hiccup instructed. "We have to decide what to do with all this scrap metal."
"Yeah. We can't just leave them around the island to rust." Hicca added in agreement.
"Throwing in the water with those Nuts," Snotlout suggested as he brushed himself down.
"And pollute the ocean?" Fishlegs asked, shaking his head. "Unh-unh. Not on my watch."
Raeda scratched the back of herhead and looked at the scrap. "We could try melting it down and use it for something productive." She suggested.
Hiccup shook his head. "I'm afraid that we could do very little with re-forging this stuff."
"We could give it to Gobber and Grump. You know how they love Scrap." Valerie suggested.
Hicca rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, "Uh, actually dad put Grump on a strict metal diet after he ate his favorite sword by accident." She told her.
"Yeah, dad nearly tore him to pieces if Gobber wasn't there to protect him." Hiccup added sheepishly. "And almost got torn to pieces himself."
Tuffnut tapped his chin. "If there was a way, some—some way that this metal, this very metal here, could benefit all of dragon-kind," said Tuffnut.
"Yeah, like if there was a dragon that could somehow reuse all this junk." Ruffnut nodded.
The Haddock twins, Henry, Raeda, and Fishlegs eyes lit up. "Armorwing!" They all said.
Valerie raised a brow at them, "The who-wing?" She asked.
Snotlout looked at them dubiously. "The Armorwing? That thief?" He asked, still mad at that dragon for stealing his family's ax.
"Let it go, Snotlout. He was only following his instincts to protect himself." Raeda pointed out.
"Still, the Armorwing would definitely be happy with this scrap pile." Hicca said as she chuckled at the image of a happy Armorwing.
"This great deed shall be known forevermore as… re…" Tuffnut then stopped as he tried to think of the proper pronoun, "Doing the thing."
Ruffnut patted his hand. "Yeah. We'll figure it out, bro."
"Re-figure it out, bro," said Tuffnut waving his hands dramatically.
They then heard the roar of the dragon and looked up and saw flying towards them was Dagur and with him was Mala, to their surprise.
The moment he dismounted, Dagur rushed over to the Haddock twins "Hiccup! Hicca!" He said.
"Dagur. Mala." Hiccup blinked. He then noticed an arrow sticking out of Dagur's shoulder. "A-arrow?"
"Yikes! Dagur what happened?!" Hicca asked wincing at the arrow
"Are you guys okay?" Fishlegs asked in concern.
"Never better! Why do you ask?" Dagur asked.
"You have an arrow sticking out of your…" Fishlegs then stopped when he saw Dagur smile. "Nothing."
"Mala, Dagur, what are you two doing here, and what's with the arrow on your arm, Dagur?" Henry asked in confusion.
Mala smiled as she approached Henry and grabbed Dagur's arm. "We have a very important announcement, brother." She said excitedly.
Dagur looked at them proudly. "I just finished the Defender of the Wing King Trials. Nailed it!"
Mala looked at them joyously. "We are getting married."
"Yes, we are," Dagur nodded. "I'm over the moon!"
Everyone just stared at them open mouthed.
"Wait, wait, wait. Dagur, you did the Defender of the Wing King Trials like Snotlout almost completed, and passed!?" Henry asked in shock.
"That's right, Henry!" Dagur answered with a wide smile and walked over to him. "Bring it brother!" He added holding his arms out.
Henry backed up, "Hey, hey, hey! Wait, wait, wait, wait-!" He tried to say before Dagur hugged him tightly and lifted him from the ground.
"Meet your new brother-in-law, Henry." Mala said with a chuckle at the sight.
"I-I didn't think you would pull off the trials, Dagur. But not surprising since this is you." Henry strained from Dagur's tight hug, "N-now, if I could just, breathe?!"
Dagur then dropped him as Henry held his back, "Haha, Sorry Henry! Berserker in-law hug, it's tradition." He said.
Henry then gave him a wincing smile, "Oh great, my shattered spine and I am honored to have you part of our little family." He said while winching as he cracked his back into place as he turned to Mala. "You know, I am surprised that you and Dagur tied the knot, Mala, I mean just a few months ago, you looked ready to rip his head clean off."
Mala gave a chuckle. "I know. I nearly did. But after spending some time with Dagur and getting to know him better, he seems fit to be my king." She said with a smile.
"No surprise there. Since if I could compare, you both have a knack of going into intense dangers and having short tempers." Henry commented.
"What was that?" Mala asked with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.
"Nothing." Henry quickly said.
Dagur then flexed his shoulder and looked at Hicca. "Now, if, uh, Hicca could fix this before the ceremony, I would greatly appreciate it. Don't want to scare the new in-laws." Dagur then chuckled in his own creepy manner.
Hicca smiled awkwardly. "In-laws." She repeated.
Raeda then walked over, "Uh, don't worry Dagur, I got it." She said, walking behind him and grabbing the arrow, "Also, word of warning, this will be painful."
Dagur chuckled a bit uneasily, "That's fine, painful is good. Great even." He said.
Raeda then gave a strong tug and then Dagur's scream rolled across the island, scaring Night Terrors out of the trees.
(Linebreak)
Once Hicca had treated Dagur's shoulder, they all crowded around in the clubhouse. Dagur and Mala then immediately began giggling at each other affectionately that was both adorable and creepy at the same time.
"Eskimo." Dagur said as they rubbed noses.
"Mm, butterfly," Mala said, resting her chin against his.
"Beard tickles." Dagur continued.
Fishlegs squeaked affectionately as he rubbed his nonexisting beard. Snotlout on the other hand looked as if he was going to be sick.
Henry was really weirded out at seeing Mala and Dagur, "Should I be happy or disgusted?" He asked.
"I think both are the answers." Hicca said to Henry.
"You are the Dagur in my heart and the king of my kingdom." Mala said.
Both Toothless, Midnight and Sleuther were watching the entire scene and they were sharing Snotlout and Midnight sentiments.
'Dagur please, you're embarrassing me!' Sleuther pleaded while covering his eyes with his pincers.
Toothless gagged while Midnight covered her eyes with her wings. 'Why do humans make love so weird?' Toothless asked.
'They're humans, everything about them is weird.' Midnight told him with a grunt.,
"You are my Queen Mala-poo," Dagur smiled.
He then grabbed her waist and began to tickle her and she began giggling and then punched him. Dagur merely shrugged it off and giggled.
"Uh… Hiccup?" Astrid said, looking a bit disturbed.
Hiccup looked equally disturbed. "They did seem to get along after the Thorstons twins' whole mediation thing, but… ugh."
"Yeah, I'm thinking it might've worked a bit, too well." Raeda said, unsure if she should squeal or gag. "I've never seen Mala this into a dude before."
"I don't think I ever wanted to see her like this." Henry added. "So how did Heather and Throk take the news?" He asked as he had some ideas on their reactions.
"Oh, Heather was really proud of me for finally engaging with Mala." Dagur answered with smile,
Mala nodded, "Indeed, she even offered to slice me in half should any harm come to Dagur." She added with a smile.
The Dragon Riders were speechless from this as Astrid spoke up. "Knowing Heather, she would definitely do that to you." She said with a smirk.
"So what did Throk say to you, that he would gut you like fish?" Raeda joked to Dagur.
Dagur raised a hand in offense, "Of course he didn't, Throky would never." he said that he would throw me into a volcano if anything happens to Mala." He corrected her with a smile.
"Yeah, that would be something Throk would do alright." Henry said with a small chuckle.
Fishlegs looked at them excitedly. "Marriage? Wait, w-when? How?"
"Let me set the scene, Fishy," Dagur said. "One day, I was sitting, pondering this one little spot of fat that I can't just seem to get rid of no matter how much crunches I do. Then it just—It hit me, Fishy."
"Or more specifically, I hit him." Mala smiled as she hit him.
"Ah, it was love at first fight," said Dagur as they grasped each other's hands. "Hit me again."
"Oh, no, no," Mala said, who was actually blushing now.
"Hit me again," Dagur begged.
"Dagur." Mala said.
Astrid just looked at them and was starting to think about her own relationship with Hiccup, because neither of them were quite as open as the two of them. Hicca and Henry seemed opened up to theirs from what she could tell, but her and Hiccup, not so much.
Little did she know that Raeda was beginning to have those similar thoughts in her own head. Though she told Snotlout how she felt he had yet to give her an answer back and she was beginning to wonder if he had any feelings to return.
The Thorston twins then approached the happy couple.
"Hey, lovebirds." Ruffnut said. "You know what you're gonna need? You need someone to plan the wedding."
Tuffnut nodded. "We offer our services to the rightful king and queen. It will be the grandest event the known world has ever known. That which it cannot know, it will not, but this, the known world, will know what it is."
Mala looked at them dubiously. "You've done this before?" She asked.
"Never," Ruffnut admitted. "Not even a kid's birthday party. Not worried about it though. It's gonna be awesome, 'cause we're the best in the biz."
Dagur shook his head. "Don't focus on those Nuts, my queen. Your boo is yearning for your affection."
Snotlout gagged. "Would it be insulting if I barfed everywhere?" He asked.
"If it was, don't care because I think I might do the same." Valerie said, holding her stomach.
"Well, I think it's kind of sweet," Fishlegs said. "Proof that true love knows no bounds." He then looked at the Haddock twins, Henry and Astrid. "Right, guys?"
The Hiccup and Astrid just remain completely quiet.
"What?" Henry asked with a raised brow.
"Why are you asking us?" Hicca asked as well.
Snotlout then looked at the four of them. "Hey, how come you guys never use sappy names for all of your beards on each other?"
"Uh, because we don't have beards, Snotlout." Hiccup pointed out.
"And I don't need silly names to let Hicca know she's my girl." Henry said as he drew an arm over Hicca's shoulders as she blushed a bit.
"Drop the act. It's obvious what true love really looks like." Snotlout said, gesturing to Dagur, who was currently kissing all the way up Mala's arm.
Raeda heard what Snotlout said and looked away troubledly, "True Love?" She repeated almost silently with hand close to her chin.
Henry cringed as he covered his eyes. "Okay, having my own relationship with Hicca is one thing. But seeing my sister having her own is just weird and disturbing." He commented.
"Come on, Snotlout. Everyone has their own relationships." Hicca pointed out in defense before turning to Henry with a smile. "Henry and I just prefer to keep ours simple." She added.
Hiccup nodded. "She's right, and Astrid and I have a different kind of relationship, built on years of friendship." He said putting an arm on Astrid's shoulder.
Astrid however remains completely quiet and looks to the affection that Dagur was giving Mala. "Right. Yeah, um, years of friendship," She said, placing herself more than anyone else.
(Linebreak)
Astrid was soon in her hut lying down on her bed and what Snotlout had been saying was plaguing her mind. She then turned her head and looked at the statue, which was holding her betrothal gift and then decided to put it on.
Then there was a knock on the door and Astrid naturally assumed that it was Hiccup and immediately rushed towards it. However, her smile vanished the moment she opened the door and discovered that it was the Thorston twins.
"You, uh—You want the yak or the fish?" Tuffnut asked.
Astrid frowned at them. "Huh? What?"
"For the royal wedding,. Ruffnut explained.
"It's important to have an accurate account before we…" Tuffnut then quickly looked over his shoulders and leaned in towards her and talked to her in a very quiet whisper, "Kill all the yaks and fish, all the fish." He then immediately noticed her betrothal gift. "Hey, nice necklace, A."
"Uh, thanks," Astrid muttered. She then looked at them. "Please tell me it's not that disgusting salt-encrusted sea bass. Ugh." She groaned, clearly remembering their Vacation Disaster on Grimora Island.
The Thorston twins narrowed their eyes.
"How would you like your yak cooked?" Tuffnut asked coldly.
"I knew we should've offered the meatless option," Ruffnut muttered as they walked off.
Astrid then smiled when she heard a familiar sound and soon landing on her doorstep was Hiccup on top of Toothless.
"Hey, so can you believe this wedding deal?" Hiccup asked, shaking his head in disbelief. Astrid then leaned in towards him, with her hands behind her back and began to wave her betrothal necklace at him. "I mean, I've never seen Dagur so passionate about anything. Well, except maybe killing me, my sister and everything we love." He said playfully.
'Ooh, shiny.' Toothless warbled as his eyes followed the swaying jewel.
"Yeah," Astrid smiled. "They can't seem to take their eyes off each other."
Hiccup nodded. "Yeah, no kidding." They then just stood there in silence as Astrid tried to make and noticed the betrothal necklace around her neck. "So, want to deliver some scrap metal?"
Astrid looked slightly disappointed. "Yeah, sure. Let's go."
(Linebreak)
Soon the Dragon Riders, minus the Thorston twins, and Dagur had made their way to Iron Isle, the home of the Armorwing, carrying as much scrap as they possibly could. Once they reached a clearing they immediately dropped all the scrap and landed on the ground.
"Hopefully the Armorwing will accept it," Hiccup said.
"Otherwise, we bought these metals here for nothing." Hicca noted.
Dagur then suddenly, and unexpectedly, turned the Haddock twins to face him. "Why, sibs? Why?"
Hiccup and Hicca were caught off guard by this as Hiccup spoke. "Uh, uh, well, the dragon uses metal to protect itself, so it would—"
"No! Why must I be away from my beloved?" Dagur cried as he released him. "My heart bleeds without her, like it's been ripped from my heaving chest and left to die on a lonely, distant rock."
Henry whistles. "Boy, he really loves her that much." He commented.
"Makes me sick." Snotlout groaned as he placed a hand over his stomach.
Raeda then elbowed Snotlout in the stomach. "Snotlout, we get it. Love can get gross." She said before looking away, "Would it be for us too?" She whispered to herself.
Fishlegs then went over to comfort him. "Aw, that's so beautiful, Dagur. Very poetic."
Astrid groaned and walked past the Haddock twins without looking at Hiccup.
"Hey, is everything all right?" Hiccup asked.
Astrid then immediately turned and was about to say something, but Dagur pulled him and Hicca away from her.
"Hiccup, Hicca, sibs!" Dagur said, placing his hands on their shoulders. "I know this question might come as a shock, but…" He then went down on his knees and grabbed Hicca's hand, "Were you honoring me by being my best man?" He then sniffed slightly. "Before you answer, I-I know I don't deserve you, but I-I just can't imagine that glorious day without you by my side."
Hicca was now looking immensely disturbed. "Uh, Dagur, I-I don't—I don't know what to say to that."
Dagur narrowed his eyes at him forcefully. "Say yes."
"Uh… uh, yes," Hicca said rather nervously.
Dagur then shot up and pulled him into a hug. "Oh! Sisterly hug!"
Hicca then groaned as Dagur began suffocating her. "Can't breathe." She uttered.
"Uh, Dagur, can you let my sister down?" Hiccup asked as Dagur kept hugging.
Snotlout then approached Astrid. "Hiccup and Hicca haven't chosen the best man? Ugh! That's weird, right?"
Astrid then immediately elbowed him in the chest and broke his ribs.
Raeda came to him as she rolled her eyes. "You really gotta stop saying things to Astrid, Snotlout." She said, while helping him up.
"Yeah." Snotlout moaned in pain as he held his chest.
They then heard the roar of the Armorwing close by.
Hicca for one was immensely relieved as Dagur released her. "Oh, hey, it's the Armorwing. Quick. Everyone hide." She ordered.
Quickly they all jumped behind a bush just as the Armorwing arrived they watched as it began to examine the scrap metal dealer behind. It then began picking up the scrap and welding it onto its body.
"Wow. So that's an Armorwing. Nice." Valerie said in awed.
"Yep. And a tough one, trust us." Raeda commented.
"It's working, guys." Fishlegs said cheerfully.
"Good thing he's not picking on scrap." Henry said.
Astrid then moved her way towards Hiccup. "Hiccup?"
"Yeah?" Hiccup asked as Astrid stood right in front of him.
"Have you n-noticed anything?" Astrid asked. "I mean, does anything look, like, I don't know, different to you?"
Hiccup looked at her briefly and then he placed his hand on his forehead. "Yes! How could I miss that?" Astrid sighed with relief. "Right in front of my face the whole time. A Dragon Eye lens!"
Astrid blinked and then turned to look in his direction, that's when she saw that on the armor of the Armorwing was indeed a Dragon Eye lens.
"The Armorwing has a Dragon Eye lens on it," Hiccup pointed.
Astrid sighed with disappointment.
"Wait, that thing has a Dragon Eye lens?" Hicca asked in surprise before taking out her spyglass and looking at the Armorwing, "Oh my Thor, you're right!"
"I can't believe it," Fishlegs said, looking at them all. "A Dragon Eye lens on a dragon? How did you see it, Hiccup, hidden in all that metal?"
Astrid merely narrowed her eyes at Hiccup as she leaned against a tree. "Of course he did. Hiccup would never miss something as important as that," She said sarcastically.
"Was that on that thing the whole time or did it just find it?" Raeda asked.
Hicca shook her head, "Doesn't matter, what matters is that we need to get it." She said.
Snotlout then spoke nervously, "Uh Hicca, don't you remember what happened the last time one of us tried to take something off the Armorwing?" He asked.
"You mean that time you tried to get your family ax off the Armorwing and fought it, which caused our dragons' eyes to be disoriented." Hicca recalled blankly.
"Yes. And can we not bring that up, please?" Snotlout asked annoyingly.
"As much as we hate going near that dragon, Snotlout, but we need that lens." Raeda pointed out. "Especially before 'you know who' finds out that this guy has a lens and tries to get a lot less gentle." She added, knowing it wasn't just them who wanted the lenses.
Snotlout then sighs. "Okay fine. But I won't like it." He conceded.
Hiccup then began to make his way to the clearing and Dagur placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't you die before my wedding."
He then gave a powerful pat on the shoulder forcing him forwards and Hiccup carefully made his way into the clearing. The Armorwing saw him and immediately growled territorially and Hiccup extended his hand as calmly as possible.
"If my brother almost dies again, I'm putting it on the list." Hicca said with a bored expression.
The Armorwing was about to place its snout on his palm, when suddenly a viable shot came out from nowhere. They immediately looked up and saw a couple Flyers flying overhead and immediately they fought directly at Hiccup. Fortunately, Toothless was able to grab an impression to safety before he was struck.
"Thanks, bud." Hiccup said.
The Armorwing then immediately began rushing into the forest.
"Flyers coming in hot!" Astrid yelled as she flew over Hiccup.
"They're here already!" Hicca yelled out in annoyance.
"That didn't take them long to find out." Raeda said in surprise.
Hiccup quickly mounted Toothless and soon joined her in the air as they charged at the enemy. Astrid fired several spines towards them and Hiccup a plasma blast, but a fly was able to avoid them. Hicca and the others soon took to the air and immediately fired upon, but the two of them then wasted any time fighting and immediately flew away from the island.
"Yeah! Keep flying, suckers!" Snotlout yelled. "Me and Hooky chased 'em off, guys. Hookfang! Snotlout! Oi, oi, oi!"
"No, you didn't," Astrid said. "They were scouts. They left to go report in."
"You say 'scouts,' I say 'deadly assassins,'" Snotlout huffed. "Who's to say who's right?"
"Astrid's right." said Hiccup.
Snotlout narrowed his eyes. "Shut up, Hiccup."
"Meaning that they'll be back with more troops and Krogan himself." Henry said grimly.
"Look, as soon as Krogan finds out we're here, you'll be coming to find out why we're here," Hiccup pointed out.
"Hiccup's right." Hicca said in agreement. "We have to find the Armorwing and get the dragon lens off of him before they can get here."
"Let's hope he's in a good mood when we find him after what the Flyers did to spook him." Valerie said as the others nodded in agreement.
(Linebreak)
At Dragon's Edge, the Thorston twins were discussing with Mala about how best to prepare the wedding. The twins were already guiding Mala to the clubhouse about their plans for the wedding.
"Mala, Queen of the Great Protector and someday half Berserker, if you'll please, cover your eyes," Tuffnut said. "Jeepers creepers, shut those peepers."
Mala looked at him dubiously. "Is this entirely necessary?"
"Shut 'em!" Ruffnut ordered. "Your Majesty."
Reluctantly, Mala endeared as they instructed.
"Picture this." Tuffnut said. "The sun is starting to set over the island, leaving the sky a dingy, rusty orange. Your guests have just finished eating—not completely finished. You know, they're still pokin' around with the potatoes. They're hungry for more. They won something sweet yet tangy."
Ruffnut then immediately ripped off a sheet on the table revealing a vast array of different plates of food that didn't look entirely appetizing.
"Voila!" Ruffnut announced.
Mala opened her eyes and looked at the food and wasn't quite sure what to make of it. "Oh? Oh."
"Sweetbread sherbet," said Tuffnut gesturing to a plate of bread with a strange green substance around it. "Ah! My own personal brainchild. Don't ask me where I got the feeling."
Ruffnut then gestured to any I was not with strange ooze on top of it. "And this one, I call Mangy Mutton Meringue… for obvious reasons."
Mala looked a bit disgusted when some formal wick began pouring out of it. "Quite obvious."
"Now, get ready to have your wings blown up," said Tuffnut dramatically. He then immediately grabbed a pie with strange teeth sticking out of it. "I present you fermented flesh flambé!"
"The pinnacle of pastry perfection," said Ruffnut as flies began to fly around it.
"Harvested from the fangs of a rapid Grim Gnasher."
"Foam to table."
Tuffnut then approached Barf and Belch and coughed. "I said fermented flesh flambé!" He told the two-headed dragon.
Tuffnut then held the plate towards Barf and Belch and immediately they used their gas and spark technique. In the wake of the explosion there was nothing left on the plate for Tuffnut to present and he just smiled at Mala with his ash covered face.
"We're still working on the tableside preparation," said Ruffnut.
"There will be no dessert served," said Mala quickly. "It is not the tradition of the Defenders of the Wing. That time is reserved for the Dance of Blades, which Dagur and I will perform for everyone in attendance."
The Thorston twins just blinked as she walked out.
"The Dance of Blades?" Ruffnut asked.
Tuffnut then tossed the plate aside and smashed on the floor. "Sounds awesome." He said casually.
(Linebreak)
Meanwhile on the Iron Isle, the Haddock twins and the others were tracking down the Armorwing before Krogan arrived.
"The Armorwing has to be around here somewhere," Fishlegs said, looking around.
As they walked Hiccup could notice that Astrid was not acting like herself and could sense that something was wrong. Immediately he began to rush over towards her and everyone just stopped and watched.
"So a-anything you want to… talk about?" Hiccup asked.
Astrid just looked at him in the corner of her eye coldly. "If you don't really already know, I'm not telling you." She brushed him off.
Dagur leaned in towards Snotlout and Henry. "See that? Classic passive-aggressive move."
"Meaning Hiccup better choose his next words wisely." Henry said, knowing Astrid was close to blowing up.
Snotlout nodded. "He should quit now before it's too late." He said.
"Can you cut it out, Snotlout." Raeda said firmly with a look.
"Look, if you don't tell me what's wrong, Astrid, how am I supposed to help?" Hiccup asked.
Astrid then immediately turned on him furiously.
"And it's too late," Snotlout said, cringing slightly.
"Okay, now I'm starting to see it." Raeda said in a worried expression.
"Oh boy." Hicca said with a cringe.
Astrid then immediately held out her betrothal necklace. "Hiccup, I've been wearing this betrothal necklace all day. Did you even notice? No. Never mind. No, of course you didn't." She said.
Realization immediately dawned on him. "Uh, oh, hey! Wow," Hiccup said rather awkwardly. "No it looks gr—it looks great."
Astrid raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?" She asked him.
"Uh… no, no. I mean, yes," Hiccup said as he tried to find the proper words to get out of this mess. "Well it does—It does look great on you, but—What would you like me to say?"
The Dagur and Snotlout wincied, while Henry did the cut it out gesture and Hicca pinched her nose and shook her head, "He's doomed." Raeda said bluntly.
"You have any idea how that feels, Hiccup?" Astrid asked, looking hurt.
"Astrid, just because I didn't notice the necklace right away doesn't mean I don't care," Hiccup said gently. "I don't know. I guess when it comes to accessories, I'm not the noticing type."
Astrid raised an eyebrow. "Oh, well, you have no problem noticing the lens on the Armorwing." Hiccup was about to open his mouth, but Astrid cut across him. "Oh, right, wait a minute, because it's a dragon."
"Astrid—" Hiccup tried to explain.
Astrid then turned away from him and hugged herself. "It's like I'm invisible to you." She said.
"I noticed the medallion right away." Snotlout blurted out. "Never too late to join Team Jorgenson."
Astrid then immediately narrowed her eyes at him as Raeda grabbed the helm of his shirt.
"And what does is that suppose to mean?" Raeda demanded him. "Think carefully before you answer, Jorgenson." She growled.
Then right then and there, Snotlout remembered, "Uh… I was talking about-" He tried to say.
Raeda then turned to the others, "Could you excuse us for a moment?" She asked the others before dragging Snotlout away with Hookfang and Sparkfrie following them.
Henry then shrugged, "Well, he's dead." He said casually.
"So dead." Dagur agreed.
"When it comes to Snotlout, women are not his specialty." Fishlegs shrugged.
"From what you guys told me of his history, the dude's dead meat." Valerie said with a chuckle.
Astrid then turned her attention back to Hiccup. "Dagur and Mala have known each other for a few months, and they can't stand to be apart. We've known each other our whole lives, Hiccup, and I've never felt further away from you."
She then took off her betrothal necklace and tossed it over to Hiccup. Hiccup attempted to say something to her, but then they heard the roar of the Armorwing close by and saw it between the trees.
Hicca then walked up to her brother while placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "She didn't mean it, bro. She just needs to remember that your kind of love isn't the publicly open kind." She assured him.
"Yeah, I'm sure she's not gonna call off your betrothal," Henry added, "Because if she did, then you can't become the next chief without a future chieftess, meaning Stoick would have handed the mantle of Chieftess over to Hicca in that case. Am I right?" He joked, gesturing to his girlfriend.
Unfortunately, the idea of becoming Chieftess horrified Hicca as with a frantic expression she grabbed her brother by the tunic, "Please don't pass the Chiefhood to me, brother! I'm a Healer, not a Chieftess! And I don't wanna be Chieftess!" She cried out while shaking her brother. "You've gotta assure Astrid you love her! You gotta!" She begged.
"W-w-w-w-whoa! Okay Hicca! Stop!" Hiccup called out as he grabbed his sister as she stopped shaking him. "Don't worry, I'll patch things up with Astrid."
"You better! I've been pulling my hair out waiting for you two to become a couple! And I am not letting all those years of waiting go to waste!" Hicca told him while holding her hair.
Hiccup gave a nervous chuckle. "Okay. I'll make sure it won't go to waste." He said awkwardly.
Henry then turned to Hiccup with a confused look. "Is being Chief really that bad for you two?" He whispered.
"Only if we learn from our father about the lessons is a bit overwhelming." Hiccup answered. "While I'm gonna be the future Chief of Berk being the first born, Hicca sometimes acts as second-in-command if things get tough." He explains.
"And trust us, when Dad was captured by Dagur on Outcast Island a few years back, Hiccup was left as acting Chief of Berk and I tried to help as second-in-command, but things were already overworked at the time." Hicca added while calming down a bit.
"Ah, I see." Henry said, suddenly very glad he's not destined to become the Chief of his own tribe anymore before they turned their attention back to the Armorwing.
(With Raeda and Snotlout)
Once they were a good enough distance from the others, Raeda finally let go of Snotlout but kept her back to him, while Hookfang and Sparkfire stayed back, knowing they needed to work things out themselves.
"Raeda, what's the deal?" Snotlout asked in confusion.
"I think you know Snotlout." Raeda said simply, still not turning to face him.
Snotlout rubbed the back of his head, "Okay, I admit it what I offered Astrid was totally uncool of me," He said, "You know I'm muttonhead, i doesn't mean I-"
"It's not just that Snotlout!" Raeda interrupted him, "Besides, how can I be upset about something that's not real, right?" She asked sarcastically.
Snotlout looked confused for a moment before he realized what he meant. "Oh, what I said about relationships! Oh man. I didn't mean it like that, Rae. I was only trying to make a point about Hiccup, Astrid, Henry and Hicca." He reasoned.
"And yet you didn't think about how that affected me?" Raeda questioned while still keeping her back towards Snotlout.
She then turned to him and Snotlout was surprised to see how upset Raeda was, "Snotlout, on Wingmaiden Island I finally found the courage to show you how I really felt and a small part of me hoped you felt the same, so I waited and waited until you could give me an answer." She told him before crossing her arms and looking away, "But now I'm starting to wonder if you ever did see me the way you saw Astrid or even Heather." She said while looking down.
Snotlout finally realizes how much he hurted Raeda without realizing it as he gives a sigh. "Raeda, I'm sorry for not answering sooner. I'm still new at this relationship thing. You know how much I tried to win over women over the years. And Astrid and Heather were one of those examples. And a bit of bruises from either one of them when I just tried to flirt with them." He said while rubbing his arms. "And I never thought I would actually win a girl for me, especially you Raeda. I never really had this kind of experience before." He reasoned.
"Have you ever had practice having a relationship before trying to flirt with girls, Snotlout?" Raeda questioned with a raised eyebrow. Snotlout's only answer was him rubbing his head as she sighed, "Well, if you knew you didn't have a chance with Astrid or Heather, why didn't you just flirt with me after them?" She asked.
Snotlout just sighed sadly, "Because, I knew it was pointless. If two warrior girls didn't like me, then why would one from a long line of them would?" He asked before looking away, "Besides, what's to like about me compared to Heroic Dragon Riders Hiccup and Hicca or Gronckle loving Bookworm Fishface?" He asked.
Raeda looks at Snotlout in surprise, never hearing him saying he was less than the Haddock Twins or even Fishlegs, "Why would you think like that, Snotlout? You are a brave Dragon Rider who's always there when his friends need him. You're the guy who was so loyal to his dragon that he refused to replace him when he thought he'd lose him, twice." She said, reminding him of his loyalty to Hookfang.
"Yeah. That is true. I will never replace Hookfang, even for another Monstrous Nightmare." Snotlout said while giving his dragon a pat on the head as the two walked over to their riders. "He's not just another sword."
"Exactly and you're not just another Muttonhead, Snotlout." Raeda said as she walked up to him and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Look, the others might have their own ways of being unique, but there's only one Snotlout who actually has the blade to back his boast. And more importantly, the heart to admit when he's wrong and to care for others." She said with a smile.
Snotlout smiled back at Raeda as he then spoke. "Thanks, Raeda. I really appreciated it. And if you want to know, I really do care about you. Actually what should I say is…" He paused for a moment before taking a breath and turning back to her, "I love you Raeda Henderson, with everything I have."
Raeda smiled warmly at Snotlout's words. "And I love you, Snotlout Joregenson, with everything I have too." She replied.
The two then leaned close and lips met in a kiss.
Sparkfire smiled proudly at the two before turning to Hookfang who's eyes were watery, 'That is so touching.' Hookfang growled weepingly.
Sparkfire looks at Hookfang teasingly. 'Are you crying, Hookfang?' She squawked.
'No! Maybe.' Hookfang retorted, wiping his tail over his eyes, 'Aren't I allowed to cry?!' He growled as Sparkfire gave a dragon-like chuckle.
Snotlout and Raeda broke the kiss as the two smiled at each other warmly.
"So, how about we get back to the others? We do have an Armorwing and lens to find." Raeda suggested with a smile.
"Me likey!" Snotlout agreed as they mounted up, "Oh and uh, could we keep this whole relationship thing between us? Because if Ruff and Tuff find out…"
"Agreed." Raeda immediately answered. "We'll never hear the end of it. Especially to the others." She added.
"Good. Alright, let's lock and load!" Snotlout said as they immediately took flight.
(Linebreak)
It was late afternoon on Dragon's Edge, the Thorston twins were watching as Mala was approaching the dummy of Dagur in the dome.
They watch as she immediately raises her sordid and begins swinging it as if she was dancing and fighting at the same time.
"Ah, the Dance of Blades," Tuffnut said. "Such beauty. Such grace."
"Ugh, such a shame there's no desert," Ruffnut sighed with disappointment.
"Look at how effortlessly she…" Tuffnut then stopped when Mala plunged her sword into the dummy of Dagur then she withdrew the sword and chuckled slightly, "plunges the sword right through Dagur's heart."
"That's definitely gonna leave a mark," said Ruffnut.
Tuffnut then looked at her. "Wait a minute. Is this whole wedding just a twisted setup so that she can kill him after the ceremony? It's so obvious!"
Ruffnut's eyes widened in horror. "And he fell right into her tangled web of passionate lies."
"Poor Dagur," Tuffnut said as Mala began moving gracefully around the dummy of Dagur and she kissed it. "He'll never see it coming."
"Got to give her the Viking cred, though," Ruffnut admitted. "I mean she should be in the Loki Hall of Fame."
Tuffnut then approached Mala, "Queen of the Great Protector and someday half Berserker and soon-to-be sleigh of the deranged, anything else we should, uh, know about your… traditions?" He asked.
The twins just smiled at her awkwardly.
"Yes, actually, there is," Mala nodded. "Every guest at the wedding will be receiving a very special gift from me." She said before She immediately swung her sword and sliced the head of the dummy and the twins looked at her shockingly.
The dummy's head then struck Tuffnut, who wasted no time giving it to Ruffnut and they began tossing it one another frantically like it was a real severed head.
(Linebreak)
Meanwhile, after Raeda and Snotlout return, the Haddock twins and the others were watching as the Armorwing walked up and down and roared at them territorially.
"Look, we have to get the lens." Hiccup said. "If we don't, Johann, Viggo and Krogan will hunt down the Armorwing until they have it."
"Meaning that he will be one step closer to the King of Dragons." Hicca added.
"And every dragon in the world will be literally in the palm of their hand." Valerie pointed out.
Hiccup then extended his hand to the Armorwing, but then it immediately snapped at him and he backed away quickly.
Raeda folded her arms. "He might not be quick to trust us this time, I mean the Flyers did attack him while he was distracted." She said.
"Yeah, Raeda's right. This guy has major trust issues." Henry said in agreement.
Snotlout looked at Hiccup and Hicca. "Then how exactly are we supposed to get the lens?"
Dagur laughed and took his helmet. "Oh, Snothat."
Snotlout narrowed his eyes at him. "You know, I thought we were past that! My name—" He then stopped when he realized that Dagur was only joking and laughed slightly. "Oh, I get it. It's 'cause I'm wearing a hat."
Raeda gave a chuckle. "Took you long enough." She said with an amusing smile.
"I know a thing or two about winning over people that want me dead," Dagur said as he confidently made his way to the Armorwing. "Well, Mala, Heather, uh, Savage, Alvin… Ooh, that merchant from the Northern Market… most of the Archipelago, really." He then presented the Armorwing with Snotlout's helmet. "I have a gift for you." He offered.
'No way am I taking that gaudy thing!' The Armorwing growled and then swung its tail and knocked the helmet out of his hand and it headed straight towards Hiccup. Hiccup quickly ducked, but the helmet struck Snotlout, who unfortunately was standing behind him at the time, in the head.
"Snotlout!" Raeda said in surprise as she helped him up.
The Armorwing then advanced towards Dagur and fired its breath attack. Dagur got out of the way and it headed straight towards Snotlout, who quickly hid behind a tree. They then watched as it immediately took off into the air.
"And now it's running again." Hicca said dully.
"Come on, guys." Hiccup said, looking at everyone. "We can't let him get away."
They quickly mounted their dragons and immediately took off after the Armorwing. Though it wasn't making it easy for them as it immediately fired its breath attack at them every now and then as they flew through the trees.
"Look out, bud!" Hiccup yelled as the flames headed straight towards them.
"Watch out for those flames!" Hicca called out.
Toothless and Midnight quickly fired plasma blasts, blocking the flames and quickly swerved out of the way to avoid another burst of flames. Soon they were out of the tree tops and the Armorwing quickly turned around as Dagur was blocking his path, only to be blocked by Astrid. It kept on flying around, but the other Riders kept on appearing from out of the trees blocking it until they had completely surrounded it.
"Calm down," Fishlegs said gently. "We're not here to hurt you."
The Armorwing apparently didn't believe them as it immediately flew towards the sky.
"Toothless, Midnight, climb!" Hiccup and Hicca ordered.
The Haddock twins and their dragons were catching up to the Armorwing, but when they flew out of the crowds they found themselves face-to-face with Krogan and his Titan Winged Singetail. Krogan instantly saw the Dragon Eye lens on the Armorwing's armor.
"Krogan!" Hicca growled as she clenched her saddle.
"When my Scouts told me you were chasing and Armorwing, I was pretty sure I knew why, but I didn't expect you to deliver the dragon and the lens right to me," Krogan said, presently surprised. "Thank you."
Toothless and Midnight growled and prepared to fire plasma blasts.
"Careful, Night Furies, you don't want to hit the poor Armorwing," Krogan warned as the Armorwing looked at them in worry.
However, moments later the other Riders and Dagur emerge from the clouds.
"Ooh-hoo-hoo-hoo!" Dagur said eagerly. "Who doesn't love a good face-off?"
"It's all of us against one of you, Krogan!" Henry told him.
Krogan, however, was then reinforced by his Flyers.
Henry widened his eyes as he cringed a bit. "Okay, should've seen that one coming."
"Indeed you have friends. I have friends, Grimborn." Krogan smirked. "The difference is, I don't care about my life or die. Now!"
The Flyers immediately swarmed them.
"Watch out for the Armorwing!" Hiccup ordered.
"Scatter!" Hicca ordered next.
They immediately flew past the Armorwing and began to engage the Flyers in an air battle. Unfortunately there were just too many of them to swarm the Armorwing, but it appeared to have a trick of its wing. He then immediately unleashed his flames onto his tail and then spun around unleashing a fiery ball of metal directly at them.
"Look out!" Hiccup cried.
Toothless got out of the way just in time as the metal fireball slammed right into a Flyer, knocking the dragon unconscious and sending the two of them falling towards the ground.
"Watch out, Midnight!" Hicca called out as Midnight then dodge some fireballs as she fired a barrage of plasma blasts, knocking the Flyers of the dragons. "Smoldering Metal projectiles?!" She gasped at the Armorwing's ability.
"The Armorwing has another defensive move," said Fishlegs looking immensely intrigued. "What an amazing dragon!"
"Big deal. It tosses metal. So can Gobber," Snotlout said.
Valerie rolled her eyes. "Yeah, but he can't set them on fire and then fling them so fast it'll chop your head clean off." She retorted.
Proving her point, the Armorwing then fired another shot this time directly at Snotlout, who panicked and flew out of the way in time. However, that's when they noticed that it's back was now completely exposed.
"Hiccup, Hicca, the Armorwing." Fishlegs said, pointing to the Armorwing's exposed back.
Hicca gasped in worry, "Oh no, his armor!" She said, realizing the Dragon's defense came at a cost.
"It's a powerful move, but it leaves him vulnerable." Hiccup said in worry.
"I suppose it only uses that move as a last resort," Raeda said.
Krogan immediately took the opportunity and fired a fireball directly at its back. The Armorwing screeched painfully and fell towards the ground.
"He's hit!" Astrid cried.
"Attacking from behind!" Henry shouted before glaring at Krogan, "You really are a coward!"
The Armorwing crashed to the ground and was knocked unconscious.
"Fall back! Protect the Armorwing!" Hiccup ordered.
"Dragon Riders, cover and protect!" Hicca called out.
They immediately flew down towards the ground and Krogan merely smiled as he predicted such a move.
(Linebreak)
On Dragon's Edge, the Thorston twins guided Mala to the stables, believing that she was going to kill Dagur just to gain control over the Berserkers and then kill everyone else.
Tuffnut placed an arm around Mala's shoulder, much to her annoyance. "It's right over here, Mala." He directed as Mala shoved his arm off of her.
Ruffnut nodded. "Yeah, we want to show you some… fancy place settings." She told her vaguely.
Mala raises an eyebrow. "And why would place settings be in a stable?" She asked in confusion.
The twins just smiled and chuckled one another behind her back.
Barf and Belch then appeared rather nowhere and landed right in front of Mala. They then immediately position their heads to trap.
"G-grab her! Grab her. Grab her. Grab her quickly." Tuffnut told his sister.
The Thorston twins immediately charged at Mala and jumped on her. Ruffnut immediately grabbed her leg and Tuffnut was positioning himself to block her to prevent you from escaping.
Mala looked at the two of them in bewilderment. "Have you lost your collective mind?"
Ruffnut then, for some reason, began biting into her boot. She then looked up at Barf and Belch. "Come on, Barf and Belch!" She ordered.
Barf merely lowered his head and licked her. 'Like that?' He asked.
"Say uncle. Say uncle Tuffnut. Say your favorite Uncle Tuffnut," Tuffnut said.
'Like this?' Belch growled and then began to lick him and Mala took the opportunity to grab him.
"Uh-oh," Tuffnut said.
Mala then tossed him right on top of Ruffnut and then placed her foot on top of him pinning them down.
"Okay, now, yes, uncle, uncle," Tuffnut yielded. "What did you want me to say? I'll say what you want."
"Auntie." Mala smirked.
Mala then walked off and grabbed some rope and immediately tied the twins. Once she was done she clapped her hands together and walked out of the stables.
"Since it's going to be a bloodied wedding, uh, I don't think white linen is the way to go." Tuffnut said, looking at his sister.
"Definitely something that complements red." Ruffnut agreed.
"A forest green might be nice. Really a dark, dark forest green. Something where you can't see the evidence of a murder." Tuffnut added.
(Linebreak)
The Riders and Dagur had taken shelter in a cave and Krogan and his Flyers kept on pounding the rock face with fireballs.
Henry looked at Astrid with a concerned look. "Astrid, don't you think you're being rather silly?"
Astrid frowned at him. "About what?"
"You know… Hiccup." Hicca said.
Astrid looked at him. "I've been wearing my betrothal necklace all afternoon and he failed to notice it and you think I'm being silly?"
Hicca looked at her soothingly. "Look I've known my brother far better than you and trust me when I say that he does love you. It's just that when he comes to girls he's a bit awkward and sometimes oblivious, especially when his mind is on dragons. Despite what you might think, he does love you." She assured with smile.
Astrid just remained quiet, but then suddenly the entire Cavan shook as more fireballs pounded the rock face.
"Ugh! We're sitting ducks down here." Snotlout said.
"There's too many Flyers to even get the Armorwing out of here and to fight them at the same time." Raeda pointed out. "The moment we step out, next stop Valhalla!"
"They're right, Hiccup." Dagur said as he almost got hit by a fireball. "It's only a matter of time until we all go boom!"
Hicca and Fishlegs were doing their best to tend to the Armorwing, but it took a really bad hit.
"He can't fly, Hiccup." Fishlegs said. "He's not gonna make it."
"These wounds are bad, he's lucky that he survived," Hicca said in concern. "But one more hit and I can't promise he's gonna make it."
"We have to do something," Snotlout said with a panicked look on his face. "Come on, Hiccup!"
"And whatever we're gonna do, I suggest we do it now!" Valerie urged.
Hiccup began rubbing the back of his head trying to think of something, but his thoughts were to Astrid. Astrid looked at him briefly and then realized that Hicca was right and approached him, she then grasped his hand with hers and looked him in the eyes.
"I'm with you," Astrid said.
Hiccup smiled at her. "I know." He then looked at everyone else. "Okay, here's what we're gonna do." He said.
(Linebreak)
A few moments later, Dagur sored into the sky performing a Berserker battlecry.
"Come on, Sleuthy! Make me proud!" Dagur yelled.
'You got it!' Sleuther roared and increased his speed.
Krogan saw him and quickly deduced what the plan was. "He's trying to escape with the lens!"
Then he and his Flyers immediately flew towards Dagur as quickly as they could. Hiccup and Hicca were hiding in the woods as they saw them fly over them and looked at Toothless and Midnight.
"Okay, guys, now's our chance," Hiccup said.
"Time to move the Armorwing." Hicca added.
They then joined the other Riders as they began to position themselves to lift the Armorwing into the air.
Krogan and Flyers were a fair distance away from the island, when he immediately came to a stop.
"Why are we stopping? He's getting away!" A Flyer said, gesturing to Dagur.
Krogan noticed that the riders were carrying the Armorwing away and began to realize.
(Linebreak)
The Haddock twins and the others were now directly over the sea as they tried to escape with the Armorwing, but then a fireball came flying towards them.
Thankfully, Fishlegs noticed this just in time. "Hiccup! Hicca!" He yelled.
They looked back and saw the fireball, "Oh man, our trick didn't work!" Valerie exclaimed.
They quickly moved out of the way and avoided the fireball and that's when they noticed that the Hunter ship was advancing towards them. Then to make matters worse, Krogan and his Flyers were heading straight towards them firing fireballs at them.
Hiccup then looked at Astrid, who nodded.
"Hicca, Valerie, Raeda, Henry, Snotlout, Fishlegs, I know you guys can carry the Armorwing all by yourselves," Hiccup said to them.
"What?" Snotlout gasped in horror.
"Don't worry, we got this." Raeda assured both Hiccup and Snotlout.
"Hiccup and I have some unfinished business," Astrid said with a smile.
"You can count on us, brother." Hicca said with a smile. "Kick some Singetail for me." She added.
"Will do, sis." Hiccup answered with a smile.
Then before any of the others could say anything, the two of them released the Armorwing and flew straight towards Krogan and his Flyers. Krogan wasted no time by firing at them, but avoided the fireballs and fired back with a plasma blast and spines.
They moved in perfect harmony as they went between a group of Flyers, one of them actually fired a fireball and missed hitting his partner.
Hicca was leading the others towards the ships and then both he and Snotlout fire down upon them. Many hunters on the deck of the ship immediately jumped overboard to avoid getting roasted.
Krogan was still chasing after Hiccup and Astrid and was ready to fire, but before he had a chance Dagur appeared rather nowhere and struck him with a fireball.
"Remember me?" Dagur smiled.
In anger, Krogan turned on him and fired, but Dagur lowered his head and the fireball flew over him.
"Ooh. Testy," Dagur teased with a finger to his cheek.
A Flyer tried to sneak up behind Hiccup, but Stormfly appeared out of nowhere and grabbed him, removing him from his Singetail and dropping into the ocean. However, the two of them noticed that Krogan was closing in on Dagur.
"Oh, no! Dagur!" Astrid panicked, knowing even Sleuther didn't stand a chance against a Titan-Wing Singetail.
Krogan fired a fireball this time he actually struck Sleuther, he then fired again and struck him once more. Dagur quickly turned Sleuther around and was ready to take on Krogan head on.
"This one's for you, Mala-poo." Dagur said and then charged at him.
Krogan happily accepted the challenge and the two of them began playing chicken.
"Oh no," Hiccup said, knowing there was no way Dagur would back down.
Immediately flew down towards them as quickly as he could and watched as the two of them laughed incessantly. Hiccup then immediately reached towards his belt and pulled out the lens.
"Krogan!" Hiccup yelled, holding out the lens for him to see. "You want the lens? Go get it!" He then tossed it directly into the sea.
But Krogan merely smiled and fired two fireballs directly at Dagur.
"Uh-oh." Dagur said, realizing the danger he was in.
Dagur quickly pulled up, but one of the fireballs struck Sleuther and Krogan then quickly dived into the sea. In no time at all he was able to find the lens and grabbed it.
Fishlegs stared at Hiccup like he was mad. "Hiccup, what did you do?" He asked.
"You just gave Krogan what he was after." Henry added.
"Yes. I gave them the lens," Hiccup said. "And maybe that will come back to haunt us someday. All I know is today we are saving this dragon." He told them, knowing that if they took that lens at the cost of the Armorwing, they'd be no better than Johann.
Hicca then sighs with a smile. "Well, you made the right call bro. They may have a lens, but we still have five to seven of them." She called out. "We don't know how many lenses they have, but let's hope we got a head start from them." She said to keep their spirits up.
"Seeing every life as something precious," Raeda commented with a smile, "That's why you're the future Chief of Berk."
Hiccup smiled, "You know, I think I'm finally getting used to being called that." He admitted.
"Well, you are a good Dragon Rider leader." Hicca said before giving a teasing grin, "So, you gonna tell dad he can retire soon?"
Hiccup however gave a nervous smile back, "Uh, let's not jump the barrel too soon." He suggested a bit pleadingly.
The Dragon Riders chuckled as the Haddock twins then led the others as they flew away from the island with the Armorwing in tow.
(Linebreak)
The next morning they arrived at Dragon's Edge, after bringing the Armorwing to the Edge to heal, Dagur and Mala wasted no time with embracing one another.
"Oh, Eskimo, butterfly, ooh! Beard tickle!" said Dagur as he grasped her hands. "I thought of you, darling, every time I sent a Dragon Flyer screaming and plummeting into the sea."
"You are too sweet." Mala said, pinching his nose.
"Yeah, but what about the Dance of Blades?" Tuffnut asked as he and his sister entered the clubhouse. "Nothing sweet about disembowelment."
"The Dance of Blades is the first stand between bride and groom," Mala explained. "Traditionally, it takes place on the royal lawn on flesh 'blades' of grass."
"Oh," Tuffnut said in realization. "Okay, well, then that is a terrible name for that dance."
"And what about the gift that everyone is getting from the ceremony, huh?" Ruffnut asked questionably as she held out the dummy's head but she sliced off.
"Gift bags with Eruptodon trinkets carved from lava." Mala explained. "I'm sure by now Throk has worn his little whittler to the nub."
Ruffnut dropped the dummy's head. "What? Sweet!" she said in a girly voice.
Hiccup then took Astrid to one side and she had a good idea what this was about.
"Don't say anything. I was being silly," Astrid admitted.
"No, you weren't. I should have noticed that necklace right away, but it's not about that," Hiccup said, looking slightly ashamed. "I've been taking you for granted. I have, and I realize that today. I couldn't have done any of this without you, Astrid, not the Dragon Riders or the Edge. You've always been there for me, and I want to always be there for you." He then held out his betrothal necklace. "I love you, Astrid Hofferson, with everything I have. And I always will."
Astrid smiled at him as she placed her hands over his and together they placed the betrothal necklace over her neck. "I know you do. We don't have to be like them. I mean, we have a different kind of—"
Hiccup interrupted her by pulling her into a kiss, which took her completely by surprise. Though eventually they both melted away in the embrace.
"Um…" Fishlegs said.
"Uh, Hiccup, Astrid…" Hicca said next.
The two of them turned and saw that everyone was looking at them.
"We're still here." Hicca finished with a teasing smile.
"Oh, my." Mala said, smiling at the two of them.
"Get a room, you two. At least Hicca and I have our moments behind doors!" Henry said, before walking away, having enough romance to last a lifetime, not including his own of course.
"You two really are made from each other," Raeda nodded with a smile.
Almost immediately they followed Henry's example and left the two lovebirds alone.
"Okay. Come on, Meatlug." Fishlegs quickly as they left the clubhouse. "Let's go make some Gronckle Iron for the Armorwing."
"And I'll go with you to make sure it's well." Hicca said as she followed after Fishlegs.
Hiccup and Astrid remained behind and then the two of them looked towards the sunset with their arms around one another.