SUMMARY: Hiccup and Ruffnut lose the archery competition, but make a desperate attempt to win a boat from the winner of the competition to find the Riders before it gets too dark on Berserker Island. However, they are surprised by the archer's identity. Later, Hiccup gets a funny feeling about a new bit of information he overhears.


CHAPTER 26

With a cold precision, the masked marksman released his arrow, and it plunged into the heart of the center of the faraway target with a loud kluck!

Hiccup released the long breath he was holding, sounding like the sails of a hopeful ship deflating.

Ruffnut sighed too, from relief that the round was finally over. Nevertheless, the crowd of Berserkians clapped gleefully at their first thrilling round at an archery competition.

"The champion of today's games and the most honorable winner of a brand new fishing boat and a full chest of coins is..." the emcee began. He spun around in confusion, for the archer had already disappeared with his prizes.

The crowd murmured to themselves to attempt who had remembered the name of the star of the afternoon's contest.

Hiccup and Ruffnut followed their curiosity from the grassy field all the way to a local dock. They were sure they had lost the rest of their team by the evening, and with no coins or easy transportation in sight, they hoped to negotiate a ride with the champion stranger to find the seamstress, and perhaps meet the rest of the Riders there.

In the sunset, the shrouded archer had dragged the handsome personal boat by its cable and had sat the treasure near the bow.

Just before the figure's boots splashed in the water and mounted on the craft, Hiccup paraded in the shore, feeling the cold ocean send chills up his spine.

"Woah-woah-woah, wait just a second," Hiccup panted. His mind raced for some words to distract the archer further, but he was sharply cut off.

"If ye know what is good for ye life, boy, take ye hand from me ship-I earned it me damn self!"

"Papa?" Ruffnut called out feebly.

The archer turned suddenly behind himself, weakening the grip on his oar. He surrendered his leather head-covering, revealing a head of grey-blonde dreads adorned with some modest, threadbare leather bands that Ruffnut had come to memorize. His surprise softened the anger in his face. He whispered, "Ruffnut?"

Ruffnut unexpectedly found herself in a tight hug, enveloped by her father's smoky scent.

"I've missed ye so," Mister Thorston whispered.

"Why did you say those things to me?" Ruffnut muttered tearfully in his coat. She felt the pressure around her squeeze fiercely.

"Because I didn't know what I was going to lose. And now I've finally found ye again." Mister Thorston's lips raised into a smile, using muscles he hadn't used in a long while. He held Ruffnut's face and wiped her tears with his calloused fingers.

Hiccup smiled too, but then hesitantly spoke, "so, uh, sorry to cut in to the very heartwarming reunion happening right now, but...we just wanted to know if you'd be willing to share your boat.

We have to find the others we came with, fast, and pick up our dragons. We have an appointment in the morning, and then Ruffnut and I have to go to a very, very important auction...together."

"At this time o'night? There's only one place ye friends can be and that is in a bed, halfwit," Mister Thorston said. He processed the rest of Hiccup's statement. "An auction? Do you mean gambling with witches? What kind of trouble have ye gotten yourself and my girl into?!"

Hiccup raised his hands defensively. "Trust me, Mister Thorston, there's no witches involved. There's this very powerful man named Grimmel who wants to take Dragon's Edge.

The only way for us to beat him is if we show up to the auction and show him what we're made of. Of course, we have to pay for some appropriate clothes first that's made by some seamstress... which is where my friends come in.

They should have enough to pay for the garments by now. All we ask is that you help us find our friends, and our dragons, so we can get to the seamstress by sunup."

Mister Thorston's face softened as he looked at Hiccup, then to his daughter. "Ye always did have a talent for finding trouble," he said with a chuckle. "Alright, ye can borrow my boat. But I'm coming with ye."

Ruffnut pulled away from her father in surprise and frowned at him. "What? Papa, no! We don't need your help!"

Mister Thorston raised an eyebrow at his daughter incredulously.

"Are you forgetting that I'm familiar with these waters like the back of me hand?" He asked pointedly.

"Well...no." Ruffnut admitted reluctantly.

"Then it's settled," Mister Thorston declared. "We'll take my boat and find your friends." Hiccup followed close behind him, with Ruffnut trailing at a distance.

As they prepared to go, Mister Thorston couldn't help but wonder how much trouble Hiccup was getting himself into this time. But then again, he knew that when it came to saving Dragon's Edge and its inhabitants from any kind of danger or threat - whether it be Grimmel or sea storms- there was no stopping him.

The three set off on their journey, sailing into the dark of night. The moon was high and full, casting an eerie light over the waters.

As they sailed deeper out to sea, Hiccup couldn't help but think about what lay ahead. He knew that Grimmel was a powerful man who would stop at nothing to get his hands on Dragon's Edge. It wasn't just him and Ruffnut he had to worry about anymore; this was bigger than anything he'd faced before.

Mister Thorston must have felt Hiccup's unease because he laid a hand on his shoulder reassuringly. "Don't you worry now," he said gruffly. "we'll get through this. You, me, and Ruffnut will make sure of it."

Hiccup looked at Mister Thorston gratefully before his gaze shifted back to the horizon. They had a long journey ahead of them, but he knew that with the help of his friends and family they could conquer any obstacle.

Mister Thorston and Ruffnut sat close together as Hiccup took over steering for a while. It was harder than Hiccup thought to navigate Berserker Island at night, but he was determined to find his teammates and dragons.

Meanwhile, Ruffnut and her father cherished each other's long-lost company, more than they ever thought they would. Hiccup couldn't help but listen in to their conversation.

"I have another question, Papa," Ruffnut whispered as Mister Thorston clutched her tightly while they bobbed over churning waves from Hiccup's unsure movements.

"One more question and you'll have asked me out of answers," Mister Thorston chuckled.

"Why did you do that snort when I had my turn shooting the arrow?"

Mister Thorston's face softened as he looked at Ruffnut. "It wasn't because of you, girl," he said gently. "I was just reminded of yer mother when I saw you shoot that'arrow."

Ruffnut's eyes widened in surprise and confusion. "Ma?" she asked incredulously.

Mister Thorston chuckled again, but there was a hint of sadness in his voice this time. "Yes," he admitted. "She had a habit of holding her breath whenever she took aim with an arrow or threw something at me."

Ruffnut nodded slowly and giggled, trying to imagine what her mother had been like before her death.

Mister Thorston's expression grew serious as he contemplated Ruffnut's question. "Truth be told, lass, I've never seen anyone shoot an arrow like one of the archers, though," he said with a sigh.

Ruffnut furrowed her brows. "What do you mean?"

Hiccup turned to Mister Thorston in question.

"The one I faced in the next-to-final go. I mean, the way he held himself and the bow... it reminded me of someone," Mister Thorston explained cryptically.

"Who?" Hiccup pressed. An eerie feeling gripped his stomach.

Ruffnut saw her father's eyes glaze over, and she gently prodded, "who, Papa?"

But before Mister Thorston could answer, they heard a loud roar from above them. Hiccup looked up to see Toothless flying towards them-with Astrid and Tuffnut on his back.

"Looking for us?" Astrid called. "We've been looking for you guys everywhere." She halted at the sudden sight of Tuffnut's father.

In the same bewilderment, Heather floated near the stars on her Razorwhip, and Fishlegs, Snotlout, and Gustav waited in a similar fashion on their dragons.

"Dad?" Tuffnut exclaimed, meeting his father's gaze with an expression of surprise and anger.


Words: 1378

A/N: I still quit Fanfiction, but I'm going to wrap this story up.