𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐊𝐘𝐑𝐈𝐄, how to train your dragon ¹

vi. An Outcast's Greeting

━━ chapter six
an outcast's greeting

✿✼:*ﾟ:༅｡.｡༅:*･ﾟﾟ･⭑

    ━━"Arrrgh! We've been here for hours and we haven't found anything!"

    Hiccup frowned at Sotlout, "We've been here for ten minutes! And you've done nothing but build that!" he pointed to a castle made of sticks and stones on the sandy shore, and Snotlout gasped in horror.

    "That," he stated as he walked up to it, placing a proud hand on the twigs keeping it together, "is Snotlout Manor. And all I need now is a queen━" he grinned to Astrid, and she just gave him a face full of her palm, pushing him to his butt, "━Aghh!"

    Tuffnut suddenly roared with rage and stomped a mighty foot onto Snotlout Manor, destroying and pummelling it to the ground. His twin watched with glee. Snotlout's hands flew to his cheeks, "What━what are you doing?"

    Tuff stopped to say, "Storming the Castle━" he flexed his muscles. "We Vikings raid each other's manors━Garrrrrr━" he stomped some more, and Snotlout screamed in outrage, tackling him off. They landed on the sand, rolling across it before coming to a stop in front of Asrifth. He turned up his nose and stepped over them, before returning his focus back onto the Book of Dragons he had━for some reason━brought along.

   Hiccup sighed, annoyed, "Asrifth, I thought you wanted to help get your dragon back."

   "I do," Asrifth mumbled, deciding to be annoying and kicking sand onto Hott's drawing. He glared up at his older brother. "But you're not going to find anything here."

    "Come on, guys!" the son of the chief tugged at his hair. "I'm telling you, Mildew framed our dragons! I saw dragon feet in Mildew's house and I watched him throw them into the ocean!"

    Fishlegs shuffled forward, coming to an awkward stance in between Astrid and Valkyrie. "I━I don't mean to be Norbert the Negative, but Asrifth is right. The ocean is really, really vast. And our chances at finding those dragon feet are as good as Snotlout and Astrid━"

    She glared at him, "Don't go there."

    Fishlegs went pink, "Going nowhere," he said in an abnormally high voice.

    Astrid sighed, "Look, they're right," she told Hiccup gently. "Even if Mildew did throw them in the ocean, they're not just gonna wash up on shore here━"

    "I found it!" Snotlout threw his arms up in victory by the edge of the water, and Hiccup grinned.

    "Great!" he smugly cleared his throat at Astrid. "Ehm ... you were saying?" His grin fell away when he saw what Snotlout really was holding.

    "I haven't seen this since I was a baby!" Snotlout grinned at the wooden bludgeon; small, the wood rotting away, but he still hit it against his helment with a happy laugh. "You never forget your first bludgeon!"

    Hiccup sighed, hanging his head. "Just keep looking ..." he told the others.

    They searched the watery shore for hours trying to find these dragon feet to prove Midlew's cunning plan. But nothing came up. In the end, it was only Valkyrie and Hiccup left on the shore line. She watched him brood, looking out towards the skyline where Dragon Island settled amongst the distant fog and rocks. She pursed her lips.

    Walking up to stand next to him, she looked out as well. She wondered whether Zephyr was gazing back at her, feeling the same desperation and loneliness. She knew she had to find a way to prove Mildew wrong, for her dragon.