Hello, everyone!

I hope everything is going well! I'm so glad that everyone was so intrigued by the last chapter. C: I especially want to thank Samateus-Taal, MysteryWriter175, NomexGlove, aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah, JustAnotherRandomPoster, picothea, VigoGrimborne, and AdamantJackal for all of your wonderful reviews!

I'd also like to thank Crysist, kwizjunior, Dragon-Crusader, Anticept, and Reclusive-Shadows for all of your help beta-ing!

Without further ado, I hope you all enjoy, and have a great day!

Chapter 11

Hiccup

The next morning, the four of us stepped outside the house to find that practically our entire nest had gathered to see us off. Some perched on roosts, rooftops, and sturdy pines. Others lounged on the soft, long grass that was starting to splinter and fall away at this time of the year. More still hovered or circled overhead.

The dragons weren't our only nestmates waiting outside. Astrid, Fishlegs, and the twins rested among their dragon companions. Even Gobber had made his way up to our house, taking a break from his busy work in the smithy.

An ache settled in my chest as I scoured the rest of the mostly-dragon crowd, looking for Snotlout.

"Well, there ya are!" Gobber called, sauntering over. "Though I never woulda known you were here," he added dryly, poking my chest with his hook.

I grimaced. "Sorry," I said. "All of this has happened so fast."

Gobber chuckled, coming up behind me. "Just wait 'till yer a week into flying over nothin' but ocean and abandoned islands, and I doubt you'll be saying that." He put a warm hand on my shoulder. "Keep yer head on yer shoulders out there, Hiccup. And make sure ya bring a Night Fury or two back to Berk!"

"We'll try," I said, my heart fluttering at the thought.

"We'll be safe, if nothing else," Dad added. "Gobber, would you make sure to watch out for Astrid, if she needs any help?"

"Astrid? Needing help?" Gobber said, quirking a brow and looking over at her. "Well, I suppose there's still time for Hel to freeze over. Speaking of which…" He squinted down towards Berk and let out a groan. "Agh, I can even see that Grumpy's let the forge die! I best be off then." He turned back to us and said, "Stay. Safe," punctuating each word with a light jab from his hook.

"We will, Gobber," I groaned, looking to Dad and Toothless for support.

Dad merely chuckled. Toothless had his head in the cloudsーliterally. From the moment we'd stepped outside, all he'd done was stare out at the sky, his eyes filled with wonder and longing.

"We certainly will!" Haugaeldr chimed in, squeezing between us and jumping out into the fresh day. "We must be off soon! We've got so much to work on, and we're already behind schedule!"

"Alrightーwell, I hate long goodbyes. Keep in touch with Terror mail, if ya can!" Gobber turned and began to hobble off.

"Keep Berk together for us!" Dad called.

Toothless jerked, as if suddenly aware that the world existed outside of his thoughts. "What are we waiting for?" he asked, shaking some warmth in his muscles. He turned to us and gestured with his head towards a pile of our supplies next to the door. "Come on, put the things on us!"

As if to spite him, that was the moment that everyone else, dragon and human, ran over. The dragons descended on Toothless, wishing us well and offering "advice" on how to fly long distances. He tried to nod politely and look engaged, but his tail lashed with anxiety and he couldn't stop from glancing out to the horizon every few seconds.

"Ready to go, isn't he?" Astrid asked.

"Yeah," I said. "Especially with all this news of Grimmel."

"Are you sure you don't need help?" Fishlegs begged. "I'd love to record this for our archives…"

"Then who would help with the trade, mail, and record-keeping?" Astrid lightly admonished. She turned to me, grinned, and gave me a friendly punch on the shoulder. "Don't make too many friends without us."

"Yeah!" Tuffnut said. "Too bad we're going to make even more friends with the sea dragons!"

"Don't be too jealous of how important our job is," Ruffnut said, examining her fingernails and slouching.

Astrid nodded gravely. "Yes. It's very important." She looked at Fishlegs and me and widened her eyes slightly.

"So important! So important," Fishlegs stammered.

"Right!" I agreed. "Uh, good luck, you two."

"Hah! Who needs luck, when you've got the Tuff!" Tuffnut shouted.

"Gods!" Ruffnut groaned. "So embarrassing. Can't believe I have to put up with this…" Without so much as a glance our way, she spun on her heel and walked away.

"What?!" Tuffnut exclaimed, scrambling after his twin. "That was great! I've been working on it all morning."

I couldn't help a small smile. "I'll miss you guys," I told Fishlegs and Astrid. I couldn't help but flick my eyes around one last time. My face fell.

Astrid's good-humored grin faded. Of course, we'd told her about what had happened. Especially since Snotlout had been avoiding us ever since our conversation. "He'll come around. This is just him pouting about not getting what he wants. You don't need to worry." A little more wryly, she added, "If that's even possible for you."

"Besides," Fishlegs said, "What were you saying about a new job for him? He'll probably forget he was even mad."

I lifted my brows. "What is it?"

"I'm still working on it," she sighed. "It's hard to make it not look like a pity-gift."

I grimaced. "Yeah. I just wish…" I trailed off. No point in going on, repeating myself over and over, as if that would change things.

Astrid nodded sympathetically. Fishlegs, however, glanced over my shoulder.

"Well, wish no longer," he said, pointing behind me.

A rustle of wings, a red blur, and Hookfang landed very clumsily on our roof with a thump!"

Weーmade itーKings!" he gasped, taking huge, deep breaths between every word. "I hadーto drag himーthe whole wayーhere!" With that, he swiveled on his hind legs, and I saw the reason his landing had been precarious. His tail was coiled tight like a constrictor around none other than Snotlout.

He swept his lump-of-a-tail over the edge of the roof and deposited Snotlout on the ground in a heap. Then he lifted his head with a proud, satisfied grin. Snotlout, on the other hand, eased up to his feet, scowling and swiping the dirt off of his clothes.

"Traitor," he muttered to his dragon. He looked over at Astrid, Fishlegs, and me. "What?" he barked.

"We're about to head off," I said, trying to keep my voice light.

He didn't say anything, leering off to the side.

I glanced at Astrid, who had narrowed her eyes at him. I recognized that determined look; if I didn't say something, then she would.

The problem was, Astrid was just about as blunt as Toothless.

"Snotloutー" I began.

Snotlout huffed, cutting me off. He crossed his arms, glowering at his feet. His shoulders hunched up. After a solid second of grinding his teeth, he sighed again, this time with resignation, and faced me.

"Hiccup, what I said to you was…totally un-cool," Snotlout said. He gave me a "friendly" punch on the shoulder, which actually hurt. "Don't get yourself captured again. I can't always come flying to your rescue, after all."

Well, as far as apologies from Snotlout went, I guess that was as good as it got. "I'll try not to," I groaned, wincing and rubbing my sore arm. Honestly, why did everyone always aim for the same spot?

"Cool," Snotlout said.

We all stood there. Awkwardly.

"Well," Snotlout finally said. "I guess I'll go…hang around somewhere…" The latter half came out as a mumble. He turned away, his scowl returning.

"You don't want to see them off?" Astrid asked. Although it was more of an accusation.

Snotlout stiffened and refused to meet her eye. "Well, I guess I can, since there's nothing for me to do." He looked up and met my eyes. "What are you gonna do if you find those Night Furies? Is this…" he paused, and that lost hurt filled the undercurrent of his voice again. "…is this the last time I'm gonna see you like…like this?" He gestured at all of me.

I reared my head back. The ball of light at my forehead, the center of my magic, suddenly became impossible to ignore. It was like a heart-fire inside of me, keeping me warm always.

"I…uh, haven't even thought of that," I said. "Right now, we just want to find them."

"But if you do?" Snotlout pressed. "Is that the end of it, then?"

My heart hammered in my chest and a zing went down my spine, though I wasn't quite sure why. "I…don't know," I stammered. "I also need to finish the Book on Dragonese."

"And after that?"

"Snotlout," Astrid interjected. "Is this really any of your business?"

His brows lowered. He looked at his feet. "I guess not," he said. He snuck a look at me. "Be safe, Hiccup."

"I will," I said, my mind whirling. Where had all of this come from?

More than thatーwhy hadn't I been thinking about it, too?

Snotlout tried a lazy smile, but it was so strained it almost looked like some attempt at a snarl. He turned away and ducked into the crowd. We watched him go.

"…yikes," Fishlegs eventually hissed.

Astrid glared and gave him a harsh shove. Then she turned to me and put a hand on my shoulder. "Don't let him bother you. Seriously, Hiccup," she added when I rolled my eyes. "You've worked too hard and too long for anyone to make you feel guilty."

"I know," I grumbled. "I don't feel guilty."

"Your face says otherwise," Astrid said.

I looked back in the direction my cousin had gone. "He's never been…enthusiastic about it," I admitted. "It's something I accepted a long time ago. It'll be fine." I shrugged, as if the conversation was a bunch of snow I could just shove off. As if that ever worked out.

Fishlegs and Astrid shared a look, no doubt thinking the same thing.

"Hiccup!"

I swiveled around. Dad was standing next to Haugaeldr and Toothless, who both had their saddlebags geared up and secured. Toothless bounced on his feet anxiously, wings fluttering. Haugaeldr fiddled with my sandbox, making sure it was placed in the most comfortable position.

Toothless met my eyes. Our link snapped into place.

Come on hurry up hurry up hurry up let's go let's go you said goodbye to them yesterday honestly how much longer do you need?

In spite of it all, the explosion of excited urgency bowled me over and brought a smile to my lips. With my brother so invigorated with the prospects of finding others just over the horizon, it was hard to feel weighed down. More than that, I didn't want to. There was no benefit in sinking into it.

Even so, I let my thoughts spin over the conversation that he had just missed. Toothless considered it, grumbling about stupid human politcs and some very choice words about Snotlout's behavior. He supposed, as I did, that the "apology" Snotlout gave was the best case scenario, though he would have liked much more sincerity. He balked, horrified, at the thought of me being guilty about returning to my dragon form, but relaxed once I reassured him no, never, I would never feel guilty or have reservations about that.

Are you sure it's okay? he asked.

But beneath it all, the constant rush of hurry up we need to leave! still sang from him, and I just couldn't not be excited, too.

All of this happened within momentsーa few beats of our hearts, aligned together.

"It is fine," I whispered to the both of us, as I often did. I turned to Astrid and Fishlegs, allowing the link to dissolve. "Well, thanks for coming to see us off."

Astrid beamed. "Find those Night Furies!"

"And take notes!" Fishlegs said. "Please, take notes."

"We will," I laughed. I ran towards my family with a final wave to them. "See you later!"

Toothless all but grabbed me by the scruff and pulled me onto his shoulders when I reached his side. Dad climbed onto Haugaeldr, who took his weight with surprising ease despite his lithe, snakelike frame.

"Readyーwoah!"

Toothless sprung into the air and charged into a straight climb. It was all I could do just to hang on, flattening against him, hugging my arms around his neck and digging my feet into the space just between his foreleg and chest that was easiest to grip.

"Wait!" Haugaeldr squawked, tumbling after us at a much more laden pace. "I'm no Shadow-Blender; slow down!"

Toothless leveled out once Berk was nearly a dot on the ocean below, the air chilly even in the morning sun.

"I still can't believe it," he said, glimmering eyes set on the horizon. "Other Shadow-Blenders…"

I purred, pressing against him. "And hopefully, we'll find them."

Toothless snorted. "We will!" he said like it was the most obvious thing. He opened his wings to the wind, catching them and adding their strength to his. "Come on!" he shouted over his shoulder.

And so we were swept away, our hearts hammering in time with each beat of our wings, racing to find the final members of our kind lost to the dangerous lands of the south.

o.O.o

Astrid

The moment Hiccup, Toothless, Haugaeldr, and the Chief were out of sight, it hit meーreally hit me.

I…was acting Chief.

A surge of pride and fear shot through me. I took a deep breath, patted Stormfly, and said, "Alrightーwe've still got plenty of work to do. I'll see you later, Fishlegs."

Fishlegs grabbed my shoulder. "Wait." He bit his lip, then asked, "You said you have something planned for Snotlout?"

"Yes," I said. "I've been thinking about it a lot, and although the way he's going at it is driving me insane, he does have a point."

Fishlegs nodded. "I was gonna say something similar. He's a real ass sometimes, but…" he shrugged. "I think he does have some right to be upset about being passed over. He is the next in line, and the Chief picking you instead is rather unprecedented."

I grimaced. "It's not just that." Giving him a friendly punch to the shoulder, I said, "But thanks for keeping me accountable. Keep doing that."

"Right, acting Chief!" Fishlegs said with a grin and mock salute. Meatlug, who had lumbered back over to his side, repeated the gesture with a wing and a coy smile.

I rolled my eyes, grabbed Stormfly's saddle, and swung up onto it. The morning sky was clear and crisp today, not a cloud to be seen within the sapphire expanse. It was a perfect day for flying, especially with the winter ready to set in any week now.

Which meant that I had a lot of work to do.

"See you later!" I said. "C'mon, Stormfly!"

She gave a happy squawk and launched into the air, twirling just for the fun of it. I took it in stride, creating a mental tally of all the tasks that needed to be done. First and foremost…the giant Bewilderbeast having a splash in our bay.

The problem about hosting Tempy was that even though he had his own bay, he didn't like to stay in it. He wanted to crawl up onto the island so he could play with the other dragons. He wanted to swim around Berk's perimeter, scaring all the fish away for miles and sending enormous waves crashing ashore. He wanted to be a normal young dragon, regardless of his strength and size.

When we got to the bay, he was huffing and sighing, stomping his webbed paws and sending waves racing up the cliffs and up into the sky. A fine spray even managed to reach me, though Stormfly flew at his eye level. Eret and Anatoli were tying down their goods to some of his spines, and the Stormcutter was lounging on Tempy's tusk, long tail swaying with his movements.

Stormfly shouted a greeting before I could even raise my hand to get their attention. Tempy swung around to face her, nearly sending everyone atop him tumbling down, and roared in return.

"Woah, there!" Eret cried, holding onto a spine with one hand, dangling hundreds of feet above the jagged stones of the cliffs. He pulled himself up onto the spine, stood on it, and dusted himself off. Anatoli floundered with the packages, struggling to keep them in place. Eret caught sight of me and shouted, "Well, hello there, Miss Chief!"

I grinned. "Not yet!" I called. "But I am coming here to ask a favor."

"I know, I know!" Eret said. He did an impressive leap up onto another set of spines, weaving between them to get to Anatoli and help him tie everything down. "Stoick has given me the talk more than once. We're leaving soon, I promise. Can't have Tempy stealing all your fish before winter, eh?"

"Well, yes," I said, "but this is something else."

He gave me a funny look, finished his knotwork, and leapt clear down to Tempy's tusk. The Stormcutter lurched to grab him, but he landed with practiced ease. I directed Stormfly closer so that I could step onto the tusk, not so confident in my skills to land and not fall off. Once deposited, she flapped over to the opposite tusk, where she began to caw and crow at the enormous dragon.

"So, what is it?" Eret asked.

"You said yesterday that the dragon-trappers are moving south, right?"

He eyed me. "Yes…"

"Do we know what they're doing?"

Eret shrugged. "Dragon trapping? It's kind-of their whole job description."

I rolled my eyes. "Obviously. But why the retreat from our waters?"

"I already told you!" He lifted his chin. "It's because of me and the lads. With Tempy guarding the border, nobody would dare come near!"

"It's a long border," I reminded him. "Easy to get through if you spread wide enough. I don't think that's it."

Now he was rolling his eyes. "I think the paranoia's already got to you. Now you're just lookin' for reasons to be worried."

"Paranoia?" I repeated. I shook my head. "That's besides the point. The last time we were attacked in full force, we were completely unprepared. Berk was almost leveled to the ground because of it. If the dragon-trappers have been bothering us for five years, I doubt they're leaving because they're giving up. There's something going on, and I want to find out before it's at our doorstep."

Eret frowned thoughtfully. "That's a fair point," he conceded. "I'm sure I can get a few of my men to scout."

Here was the hard part. Nodding, I said, "I was going to say the same. And I want Snotlout to come with you."

He froze. "The hot-tempered boy with the overly-anxious Nightmare?"

"That's the one."

"No. No, no, no!" Eret protested, holding his hands up. "My men and I have a routine. We have our lifestyle down to an art. I don't want to babysit someone who's gonna go off picking fights he can't win."

"He's not an idiot," I pressed. "Just…overconfident. Or he tries to be, anyways. He would be a valuable asset if you just pushed him a little in the right direction."

"Are you just trying to get rid of 'em?" Eret accused, squinting one eye at me.

"No," I emphasized, pushing all of my denial into that one word. I truly wasn't trying to dump him on someone else, make him another person's problem. "I'm just…trying to help him." I met his suspicious eyes. "Look. I know it's a big favor to ask of you. But this is something important for all of usーyour people, mine, and all the other Viking tribes with dragons. And our team has spent plenty of time hunting down the dragon-trappers over the years. He could give you valuable information on how they move, strike, and coordinate with each other. And he'd probably help you figure out what they're doing, too."

Eret lifted a brow. "My men spend plenty of time fightin' them, too."

"But do you track them down?" I challenged. "Do you try to learn what they're up to, who's leading them, and where their old hideouts are? Do you know what the best way to track them is, and how to avoid the different ways they watch out for attacks? We've learned all of these things, because Hiccup and Fishlegs have always insisted on observation first, attack second. I thought it was a waste of time until it wasn't."

Eret crossed his arms. He huffed. "I suppose that could be…useful." He shook his head. "But…"

I sighed inwardly. It was time to pull out the final resort.

"If you agree," I said reluctantly, "then you can have twice the amount of ale that you traded for."

His head snapped up. I was already regretting the financial loss.

"Well!" Eret laughed. "Why didn't you lead with that?" He clapped me on the shoulder. "You got a deal, Miss Chief!"

o.O.o

Once I had haggled out the particulars with Eret, Stormfly and I took our leave, returning to the open skies. The tension that had built up in my shoulders over the conversation eased. It was hard to stay worried when we were flying up in the clear, bright sky. "Alright, Stormfly!" I said. "Can you find Snotlout and Hookfang?"

She shouted her affirmation with a boisterous twirl. We raced back from Tempy's bay, over the cliffs and forests to Berk. Between dodging other nestmates, buildings, and trees, Stormfly swung her head to and fro, nostrils working to catch the scent.

I knew the exact moment she found it, because she snapped her wings out and jerked into a hover. A less-experienced rider would have been knocked about in the saddle, even concussed from smacking their head into their companion, but I lucked out and managed to not injure myself.

"Stormfly," I complained anyway. Random spins and flips I could tolerate, but these kinds of dangerous maneuvers could end up getting me actually hurt.

She shot a meek grimace over her shoulder and crooned out the familiar "Sorry!" she always gave when she was too reckless. I patted her to let her know it was okay, and she zipped off again without a care, never slowing down.

We swooped above Berk, out towards the forested mountains that guarded it from the northern gales. Soon I spotted a flash of bright red amongst the deep emeralds and brown-grays of the cliffsides. Stormfly took the opportunity to show off, spinning and flipping in front of her playmate, calling out taunts to him.

Hookfang crowed back. Sitting on the grass cleaning his saddle, Snotlout scowled.

After some more showy maneuvers, Stormfly finally took us into a landing. I leapt off her. She had pounced on Hookfang before my feet even touched the ground. With a delighted squawk, he wormed away and took flight, Stormfly at his tail. They chased each other in the skies, flitting around with far more speed and agility than either would dare try with Snotlout or me on their backs.

I turned to Snotlout. "I have a job for you."

His head snapped up. For a moment, hope rose in his eyes, which then sank into suspicion. "I don't need the pity party," he said. He continued oiling Hookfang's saddle, taking care to make sure all of the links slid smoothly over each other and that the padding was plump. I had a strong feeling that Hookfang hadn't gone a day in his life feeling the wiring beneath.

"It's not," I said, fighting down the immediate surge of irritation that came so naturally. I plopped down beside him with a sigh. "Look," I said, "I know that things have been tough for you lately. And that I haven't helped much."

"Yeah, no kidding," he muttered.

I suppressed another sigh. "Well, this is me making it up to you. I have a job that I need you to do."

I explained everything to him: my concerns about the dragon trappers suddenly abandoning our waters, how Eret's men were going to start keeping a closer eye on them, and how I thought he could help them. I especially emphasized the skills he well and truly had that I thought would be an asset for them.

"And, unless you want anyone to come with you, this will be a solo mission for you," I finished.

Though he was still frowning, Snotlout had straightened and the tension had gone out of his shoulders. "And this isn't…" He swallowed, and without meeting my eyes, he said, "This isn't just you sending me away?"

I punched him in the shoulder. "C'mon, Snotlout, you know I would've done that years ago if I wanted to." He looked up at me, eyes shining with hope and doubt, and I said, "You don't have to if you don't want to. But I thought that you might like having something to do on your own. You know, to show your skills."

I left out the obvious: that when we were in a group, Hiccup and Toothless' leadership roles, Fishlegs' analytics and knowledge, and my own skills easily overshadowed his own. He never got a chance to shine on his own, and the resentment he harbored towards us kind-of made sense because of that.

Snotlout fiddled with the saddle. "I guess that would be kinda cool…" he said.

"You don't have to make a decision now," I said. "Eret's leaving tomorrow morning, so you have until then toー"

"No." Snotlout set his jaw. "I'm gonna do it."

I grinned. "And you're sure you don't want any backup? Maybe the twins?"

He paled. "NO! Gods, no."

I laughed. "Well, if that's that, then you better start packing."

He leapt to his feet. "Alright! I can totally do this." To our dragons, he shouted with all the volume of a well-built Viking, "HOOKIE, GET OVER HERE!"

I had covered my ears before he shouted, but they still rang.

I stood up and brushed myself off. "I'm glad you're excited about this," I said earnestly. I hesitated, then put a hand on his shoulder. "You're right that people have been pretty unfair to you. I know that this doesn't make it go away, but I hope it'll be a start."

He grinned and offered a friendly punch to my shoulder. "Yeah, well, I guess this makes up for it a little."

Hookfang plopped to the ground at that moment, eyes wide and curious. He gave a questioning croon.

"We've got a mission, Hookie!" Snotlout said. Hookfang tilted his head to the side, eyes flicking to mine and Stormfly's. He lowered his head to Snotlout, who quickly but carefully re-attached the saddle. He launched into a very…editorialized version of their new job, rife with mystery and dangers and opportunity.

Stormfly turned to me, narrowed her eyes accusingly, and squawked.

"Stormfly, we have important things to do, too!" I laughed.

She was definitely pouting. She nosed me towards Snotlout and Hookfang, chirruping.

"Aw, already miss us?" Snotlout crowed, puffing his chest up. He finished the saddle adjustments and leapt into it. "Don't worry, you'll only miss out a lot!"

I rolled my eyes, but couldn't keep a smile down. At least he was already throwing himself into it.

Stormfly whined, looking at me pleadingly.

"No, Stormfly," I said. I jumped into her saddle. "And don't you even think about trying to kidnap me all the way to Tempy's nest. Again."

She froze mid-crouch and reluctantly settled upright.

"That's what I thought," I said. "Don't worry, we'll hear from you two with Terror mail. Right?" I asked pointedly to Snotlout.

"Well, of course!" he drawled. "How else can I give reports on the dragon trappers?"

"Good." I patted Stormfly. "Well, if that's settled, then we have to go check on the dragonery to see if the messengers from the other islands are back. Their weekly reports are due today."

Stormfly sighed. Loudly. Hookfang craned his swanlike neck over to her and nipped at her head spines playfully.

"And we have to pack!" Snotlout announced. His eyes widened. "Oh, and I should probably tell my parents."

"Probably," I said, wondering how long it would take Spitelout and Eelsbreath to realize their son had disappeared from the island. "I'll see you tonight for dinner?"

Snotlout nodded. "Yeah! We'll need to load up before the flight tomorrow." He urged Hookfang forwardーthen stopped. "Um, Astrid?"

I met his eyes, curious.

"Thanks." He shuffled a little in his saddle, blushing. "It means a lot. Especially when I've been a little bit of a jerk to you guys."

"Only a little?" I said, quirking an eyebrow.

Snotlout grimaced, running a hand through his head. "Yeah…well, oh well. I just hope…" he sighed, casting his eyes out to the southern ocean. "…I hope Hiccup and Uncle Stoick aren't mad at me."

"They're not," I reassured him. "I'm sure they're so busy looking for those Night Furies, they won't even remember it."

Snotlout relaxed. "Yeah, that's true. And I gotta focus on this!" He straightened in his saddle, eyeing Tempy's bay. "I'm gonna go find Eret and talk to him. See you later, Astrid!"

He and Hookfang tore into the air. Stormfly and I watched them go until they disappeared over the lip of the bay. Then, with a whole island to look after, we set off into our busy day.