The calm, azure waters around the boat crash quietly against the hull. Each rowing stroke a difficult task for the 8 Vikings manning the oars on a ship that has room on the oar benches for 10 more.
Astrid had volunteered to row, but Hiccup had needed to discuss the fine details of their tactics.
Ruffnut decided she wanted to help, and in his desire to not be outdone, so did Tuffnut. Snotlout didn't want to, and so to keep the number on each side of the boat even, neither did Fishlegs.
The 6 adult Vikings alongside Ruffnut and Tuffnut were visibly sweating, but only partly due to the exhaustion.
As they passed Quake's Crescent, every Viking had a chill run down their spine. They were now well and truly in the Jormung's territory. Gobber mutters something in a prayer to the gods that they return home.
This area quite far South of Berk had never been extensively mapped, so they had only a rough bearing to head towards. Towards where they assumed the Jormung must be waiting.
"What if the Jormung isn't there when we arrive?" Fishlegs frets, "We know it roams fairly frequently after all."
"We just have to hope that it has eaten recently and is holed up in some island we can try and drive it away from. That way we can oust it from our Waters before it ever gets within visible distance from Berk."
"Hey Hiccup, 'Drive it away'? We have to kill this dragon before it reaches our home!" Snotlout steps forwards with his hands on his hips.
"He's right y'know laddie." Gobber looks round from rowing, his face serious. "Thinkin' we'll be able to drive it away easily is a farfetched dream o' yours. And we're all here knowin' we may not even make it back to Berk. But we do know with you Dragon Riders, we stand some kind of chance."
Hiccup begrudgingly nods and walks down towards where Astrid was standing with the dragons.
"Hey." He awkwardly starts, his hands fidgeting by his sides.
"How are you feeling then?" Astrid asks him, turning from Stormfly to meet his face but continuing to stroke around her Nadder's horns.
Hiccup gets the feeling that she doesn't necessarily mean just about their current quest, and more a general check in after the events of the prior day. "I feel happy. Happy in my own skin, Astrid. I don't need the mask to hide from everyone I care for now. But still.." He trails off, breaking the eye contact.
"Don't go there." She tells him, "I know it's going to go fine, we'll all be fine. Because I still owe you for showing me how amazing flying is, and of course uniting me with Stormfly. Not to mention we still have a lot to talk about and things to catch up on."
Hiccup looks up at her and gently grins at her reassurance, thinking to himself 'Was that a wink after what she just said?' But soon concludes he was probably just seeing things.
Astrid continues to pet her dragon, who faintly trills in a matter similar to a purr. Her ministrations soon come round to Stormfly's harness and to the engraved sheep bone.
"Thanks again for this Hiccup" Astrid smiles.
"No problem, it only took a few minutes to mount onto the harness. I just took another small strip of leather and a small iron hook and made it adjustable, and it's tight enough so that it shouldn't fall out when you fly, even if you fly upside down." Hiccup explains, lost in his thoughts and so misses Astrid softly smiling at him detailing his small little creation.
After a few more minutes of rowing, there is only the outline of Crescent's Quake behind them for miles around, yet all the dragons on board get suddenly restless. Hiccup glances at Astrid at the same time everyone else looks to him. He steels his determined grimace and gives the crew a nod to proceed.
Toothless starts prowling the side of the ship, Meatlug stomps her front feet and Stormfly's spines raise like a dog's hackles. Hookfang snorts a few flames and Belch tries to hide behind Barf's neck.
A few more minutes passed with the reptilians on high alert, and they all watch as a new island comes into view in front of them.
This island was much larger than Crescent's quake, and was even larger than Berk itself.
"The Jormung's Island" Fishlegs breathes heavily.
It has rugged sharp rocks on the closest shore, but just to the side is a more sheltered bay, to which Hedgelout directs them towards.
They got to just about halfway into the bay before stopping, not wanting to beach the boat in case they need to escape in a hurry.
"Start ferrying people to shore with the dragon's." Hiccup orders Snotlout and Astrid, who nod and quickly get astride their dragons.
"Fishlegs, Twin's. Keep eyes out for the Jormung. We don't even know if it's made its home here, but whatever the case we don't want to be surprised."
The Vikings all grab their supplies, and Hiccup then joins Astrid and Snotlout, Toothless grabbing Gobber in his front paws and taking him to shore.
Stormfly takes Sköld to shore in her claws, along with a long mooring rope he holds.
Once let down on the beach, Sköld starts knocking a peg into the ground to secure the mooring line, but in doing so notices the tide lines.
"Hey! There are still visible tide lines over here."
"No Ingerman, that can't be right." Hedgelout said, still on the prow, "It should be high tide now. It won't get any higher than this."
Despite it being high tide however, Sköld's observations weren't any less true, and this worried the more experienced Vikings among them.
"If the tide doesn't get naturally any higher..." Gró starts.
Every Viking - whether aboard the ship, on the shore and astride their dragons - all watch as a swell of water enters the mouth of the deep water bay, rocking the boat and causing the water to splash right at the highest tide lines.
"...There must be something big in the bay to displace that much extra water."
A/N:
Just a quick message: I've moved to and started University! I will still be continuing this fanfiction at the same rate as before, and if that needs to change to give myself a little more time, I will let you know if possible. Not giving up on the story, and I hope everyone is having a great time wherever you are!