Author's Note: So sorry for the delay in updating. Life has gotten quite hectic for me and I'm not able to keep up. Anyways, here's the long-awaited chapter 5. Please consider leaving a review when you're done reading. I'd love to hear from you guys.
Hiccup sat in a far corner of the cave, watching as Johann stood talking to one of his men. He couldn't hear what was being said, but he figured it was about him because, at one point, Johann took out one of his blades, pointed it at him, and sneered.
The chief looked down at his injured hand that he had wrapped in a piece of tunic. He had bled through the cloth, which was so saturated that it dripped with blood. Hiccup then tried to reach behind him to feel the wound in his shoulder but stopped when the pain from moving made him want to scream.
It had been an hour or so since he had woken up, and Johann hadn't done much more than stab his hand, his good hand, for that matter. He wished he could get a feel for the older man and figure out his plan, but Johann was different than he used to be. It was like being trapped in the ice for so long messed up his brain.
Hiccup wondered if he could reason with him and, if not, one of his men. He recognized a few from back when they were fighting against each other. He knew Harek; he'd become quite the breadmaker in the Northern Markets. According to Dagur, his honey bread was a treat worth more than what it cost to buy it. But, by the looks of it, Harek was Johann's right-hand man, who didn't look all that eager to have the role.
He'd also recognized Skarsgard and Nygren, both of whom had families living on Dragon's Edge. After the dragons disappeared, Dagur offered asylum to former Hunters willing to work the land to pay for their misdeeds. They took the offer in order to keep their families safe, just in case. They both kept glancing at Hiccup and his family portrait, probably wondering if they'd ever see their own kids again.
The rider was sure he could talk to any of those three whenever Johann wasn't around and get them to help him. He didn't plan on holding what was happening against them.
Just as he was figuring out what he would say to them, given the opportunity, Johann stomped over to him, grabbed him by his hair, and pulled him up off the ground. "Let's get started, shall we?"
Toothless paced his cave back and forth, his Night Lights watching him with great interest. He couldn't do anything until his mate got back from Berk. He had sent her out with an old sketch of Hiccup riding him around when they used a saddle. He hoped that Astrid or whoever she went to understood the message.
Astrid was sitting in the woods, taking a break from gathering firewood, when she heard a familiar roar above her. She looked up, shock covering her face. It was the Light Fury. She stood up, waving to get the dragon's attention.
The white dragon let out another roar and dove down to meet the blonde Viking. "What are you doing here?" Astrid asked, holding out her hand as a symbol of trust.
The Light Fury dropped a scroll she had in her mouth and nudged it towards Astrid, who picked it up and unrolled it. She looked at it, confused. Why would this dragon bring her a scroll of a drawing Hiccup made when they were teenagers? It was a drawing he had made at the Edge of him and Toothless flying.
Astrid looked back at the dragon, who was pacing urgently and making a worrisome crooning noise. "Is something wrong with Hiccup?"
The Light Fury bobbed her head up and down as if to say, "Yes." Then, she ripped the drawing out of Astrid's hands, laid it down, and studied it for a second before picking up a nearby stick. She quickly drew Hiccup's leg and Toothless's tailfin and drew lines over them as if to erase them. She then drew a saddle with a circle around it.
As Astrid stared at the drawings, it clicked. She knew what she had to do. "Wait right here. I understand now. I'll be right back."
Astrid took off, running toward the house. As she ran, she cursed at herself for leaving Hiccup all alone. Trouble always followed that idiot, somehow.
She burst through the door and sprinted to the attic, barely acknowledging her kids playing in the living area. Thankfully Hiccup had become more organized as he got older. Everything was in its place, so finding the saddle and tailfin was easy. She grabbed them and ran back down the stairs towards the door.
She stopped long enough to fill her kids in. "Something's come up. I need you both to pack up some clothes and belongings and head over to Uncle Fishlegs' place. I don't know how long I'll be gone. Tell Uncle Fishlegs Code Red; he'll know what it means. When I get back, I promise to tell you everything. I love you guys."
"We love you too, Mom," Zephyr replied. "Come on, Nuff, let's get our stuff."
Astrid ran back towards the woods as fast as she could under the weight of the saddle and tailfin. She eventually made it to the Light Fury, who was more agitated than before.
"It's okay," Astrid said. "I'm back. Let's get going." The chieftess held out her hand once more, hoping the dragon would trust her enough to let her ride her. "I promise I won't hurt you, but if we're going to help them, we have to work together."
The Light Fury hesitated as if trying to decide to let a human ride her was worth the risk. She knew time was of the essence and that a human boat wouldn't be fast enough. Her mate needed her to be okay with being ridden, even if it was for a short time. She cautiously placed her snout into Astrid's hand.
"Okay, Nudge," Astrid smiled, naming the dragon. "Let's do this."
Astrid strapped the tailfin to her back and climbed onto Nudge, balancing the saddle into her lap. As soon as she was in position, Nudge shot upward into the sky, taking off in the direction of the Hidden World.
In less than four hours, the pair arrived at the caldera. Nudge dove straight in, effortlessly navigating the caverns, getting them where they needed to go.
They arrive at her and Toothless' nesting cave in no time. Astrid slid off of Nudge, who promptly trotted off to the other end of the cave and laid down. Toothless rushed over to his rider's life partner, roaring with impatience.
Astrid sensed the urgency and quickly set to work putting the saddle and tailfin back together. "I wish you could talk and tell me what's happened to Hiccup." Toothless crooned with concern as if agreeing with her.
In no time at all was the saddle and tailfin restored and ready for use. Before Astrid could climb on, Toothless ran over to his mate, gave her a lick, and then picked something up. He bounded back over and dropped the item at Astrid's feet. It was Hiccup's old prosthetic leg, the one he'd lost when he fell from the sky with Grimmel.
Astrid picked up the leg and climbed onto Toothless. "Okay, let's go get Hiccup."