Okay, so, guys, this is mort likely the last chapter of this story. So after this, it's onto a new one! I don't know how much I'll be able to write at Christmas and new years, but we'll see. I may do a one-shot about Wrenlou's first Snoggletog, if I can find the inspiration. I do have some, so who knows. I can't promise anything for next week, but I'll do my best.

Enjoy!

The Adventurous Adventures of Hiccup and Wrenlou

Consequences, Part VII

He woke up feeling significantly better than he had the day before. He was still hot, his lungs still burned with every breath he took, but he wasn't as out of breath as he had been before. It took a while before he realized that he was alone, and when he looked around he could see the light streaming in through every crack in the wood. It had to be mid day. Toothless was still next to him, his head on the edge of the bed. The dragon seemed asleep, but as soon as he tried to sit up, two emerald green eyes opened and focussed on his face.

"Hey bud," he mumbled, rubbing the dragon's nose, "sleep well?"

Toothless crooned a little, then yawned widely. Hiccup wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"You're breath smells like rotten fish," he said, pinching his nose to demonstrate the stench.

Toothless whined softly and pulled away, but Hiccup started laughing. It quickly turned to a coughing fit that had him doubled over in pain, his arms wrapped around his chest. After a while he caught his breath again, and when he looked up he looked straight into Toothless' worrying eyes.

"I'm okay," he said, his voice hoarse from the coughs, "I'll be fine. Where's Wrenlou? And Snowflake?"

Toothless crooned again, just looking at him, and Hiccup sighed. He knew he shouldn't ask questions he couldn't get an answer to. And besides, if it was mid day, possibly around noon, than Wrenlou and Snowflake would most likely be out with the other students, doing some sort of exercise he should be doing too. Once again he realized that he had missed a lot, even after he came here. First with the fall that cost him his memory, now this. He sat up, but before he could sling his legs over the edge of the bed to get up, the door opened and Dale came in. He was carrying a tray, and smiled when their eyes met.

"Good afternoon." he said. He stepped over the dragon on the floor to get to the night stand. "It's good to see you're awake. I came this morning, but you were sleeping, and it seemed best to let you sleep. How do you feel?"

Hiccup shrugged. "Better. Not great though."

"But better is a start," Dale said and he sat down on the edge of the bed, "are you hungry?"

Hiccup looked at the tray. It had some soup, some bread, a cup of water. He nodded.

"I am..." he said softly, "but..."

"But what?" Dale asked kindly, placing his hand on Hiccup's shoulder.

"I'm afraid I... I'l throw it up..." Hiccup mumbled.

Dale smiled. "I can't promise you that won't happen. But if you want to get better, you have to eat. It will help you heal, and it will make sure you won't have to spent the last 5 weeks before the Initiation in here, being sick. You don't want that, do you?"

Hiccup shook his head and sat up a little more. Dale gave him the cup first, and he eagerly drank the cool water within. He hadn't realized how thirsty he had been, and he downed it all in just one long gulp. Dale laughed a little and took the cup once it was empty.

"I'll have to get you a little more it seems," he said smiling, "why don't you start on this," he handed Hiccup the bowl with soup and a spoon, "and I'll get you some more water. Okay?"

Hiccup nodded and blew in the bowl while Dale got up. The soup was still quite hot, too hot for him to eat, but the warmth was nice and it felt great on his cold hands. Dale was back quickly, carrying the pitcher as well as the cup, both filled with water.

"Brought you some extra," he said as he set them down, "you need plenty of water."

"Thank you," Hiccup said, fully expecting the man to leave again. But Dale didn't leave. He sat down again.

"Look, Hiccup," he started, "I owe you an explanation."

"For what?" Hiccup frowned.

"Why I called you useless." Dale said, and Hiccup tensed at the word. Dale noticed this and gave his leg a gentle squeeze while he continued. "It was never meant as a personal insult, or a reflection of your capability. It's really just something I say to get my students to do things, like training exercises and chores. I hope you understand that I never meant it as an insult."

"I... I know that," Hiccup mumbled, tasting a careful spoonful of the soup, "I guess I just... overreacted... a...and I let my emotions get the best of me..."

"Don't apologize," Dale said, "none of it was your fault. Why don't you eat your soup, and if you're up to it, you can come outside. Some fresh air will do you good. We're not far away, we're on the beach. I think you'll feel better when you get out of this stuffy germ nest, don't you think?"

Hiccup nodded and slurped some more soup from the spoon. Dale smiled and ruffled the boy's hair before he left again, leaving the door ajar this time. The small stream of light that came in fell right over Toothless' nose, and the dragon wriggled it. He didn't move, he just wriggled his nose as the warmth from the sun soaked into his black scales.

When he finished the soup, he looked at the bread, but found he wasn't hungry anymore. So he just put the bowl on the tray, and very carefully slipped out of bed. Toothless looked up and was at his side in seconds when he stumbled. While leaning on the dragon, he carefully walked to the door, and pulled it open.

The light hit his eyes like a ton of bricks. The sun was high in the sky, the heat radiating off the sand. It was just like any other day, nothing except the damage that hadn't been repaired yet betrayed the storm that had swept over the island only a few days before.

"Come on bud," he said, "to the beach. But slowly. My legs are kinda wobbly."

He slowly set a foot on the sand, then the other next to it. The sand was hot, but not as hot as it could be on the days that it was impossible to walk outside without boots and not burn your feet. He stood there for a moment, reveling in the sun's rays, feeling the warmth seep into his skin, and for the first time in days he felt every bit of cold being driven from his body.

After a few minutes he started walking, leaning heavily on the dragon next to him. Toothless stayed at his side, careful not to let him fall. Before he could make it off the plaza, Wrenlou came towards them, dismounting Snowflake next to them.

"There you are!" he said cheerfully, "Dale send me to take you to the beach."

"Are you done training?" Hiccup asked, stopping to catch his breath.

"Well, I am," Wrenlou said, "that dragon in those tunnels has some very potent poison. I can still feel it's effects sometimes. So Dale told me to go get you, and then we can both lay on the beach and do nothing! Work on our tan a little."

Hiccup chuckled, looking at Wrenlou's bronze arms. "You have enough tan," he said, "I need more tan."

"You'll get there," Wrenlou smiled, "hang on, don't move. I'm gonna get a blanket to sit on. Be right back!"

Wrenlou was back shortly after, carrying a blanket and a bag. He smiled at Hiccup after he fastened the items to Snowflake's saddle and went to his other side.

"Alright," he said, "come on."

"You know," Hiccup said, carefully walking over the sand, "I had pneumonia before, at Berk. But they didn't let me go out at all."

"That's because cold air can be murder for pneumonia patients," Wrenlou said, "cold air can kill them. The air here is much warmer and not as dry, which is actually good. So it makes sense that they kept you inside."

"Oh..." Hiccup mumbled, "okay..."

"Hey, don't worry," Wrenlou said, stopping, "I think here will be fine, don't you think?"

Hiccup nodded and after Wrenlou had spread the blanket on the sand, he sat down on it. Toothless curled up next to him, purring loudly as he basked in the warm rays of the sun. Hiccup smiled when he looked at the dragon, rubbing his nose a little, then he lay back as well. He closed his eyes against the bright light of the sun, and let it warm his skin. He felt how Wrenlou sat down next to him, and for a while neither of them said anything. They just sat there, enjoying the sun.

"Does it still hurt?" Hiccup asked suddenly, "where the dragon hurt you?"

"Nah not really," Wrenlou said, lifting his shirt to look at the scars, "it's mainly after effects of the poison that I still feel sometimes. It's weird, really. I just get... really tired all of a sudden. Although that may be due to the fact that I don't sleep?"

Hiccup smiled and closed his eyes again. The silence lingered between them, a pleasant silence. The only thing that broke it were Toothless' purrs and the sound of the waves crashing on the shore.

"What about you?" Wrenlou asked, looking over at Hiccup, "are you still feeling the effects?"

"To be honest, I wouldn't know," Hiccup said, glancing at his arm, "I wouldn't know the effects of the poison from the effects of pneumonia. So, I guess I could, I just don't know."

"Right..." Wrenlou mumbled, "you were lucky you know. Pneumonia kills."

"I know," Hiccup said softly, "believe me, I do."

"Dale didn't mean it," Wrenlou said, eyeing Hiccup, "when he called you useless. It's just something he says. He says a lot of things. The first time I flew with Snow, when I crashed, he called me useless. And... a bunch of other things. And it hurt. At that moment, it really hurt. But he was right too. I trusted my own mind more than her instincts. And it nearly got us killed."

"I know he didn't mean it," Hiccup said, "I... it just... took me back, you know?"

"Don't let him get to you," Wrenlou said, "not ever. Dale says a lot of things, some of which can be hurtful, but he cares about you Hiccup, he really does."

"I know that," Hiccup mumbled, "he's like the dad I never had..."

Wrenlou smiled a little, laying back as well. He looked at the sky a little, the endless blue spotted with just a few white clouds. Then he glanced at Hiccup. The boy was laying with his eyes closed.

"Hiccup?" he asked, "are you asleep?"

"No..." Hiccup mumbled without opening his eyes, "why..."

"I just wanted to say that I'm glad that you're okay," Wrenlou said, "we all are. Honestly."

Hiccup smiled a little. "Thanks," he mumbled, "that makes me feel better."

"What, you didn't think we didn't care, did you?" Wrenlou asked. When Hiccup didn't answer he sat up, leaning on his arms. "Hiccup? Did you think we didn't care?"

"For a moment... when no one came... I guess I did," Hiccup said softly, "but it's all right now. Now I know you do. And I won't ever forget that."

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Hey there folks! Another update, another riddle. Almost the last one. Okay, last weeks winner is Deathstrike59, who guessed correctly that the answer was the letter N. Hehe, do you get it? If not, go back and read very carefully. Deathstrike59, PM if you please?

And here's the new one!

Two men are in the desert.
They're both wearing back packs.
One of the men is dead.
The man who is alive has his pack open.
The dead man's pack is closed.
What is in their packs?

Good luck!