Wanted: Hiccup Haddock III

Chapter 8

Astrid's POV:

Stoick and I were flying through the fog. I was on Stormfly while Stoick was flying on Toothless. We had been silent for a while now, focussing on finding Hiccup. Flying past the sea stacks and rocks, I looked around. Nothing. Where is he I thought.

"Astrid look out!" I barely had time to register what Stoick said when Stormfly cawed, and I almost flew into a sea stack. I gasped and turned a sharp right, barely missing it. Breathing hard, I apologised to Stormfly. "I'm sorry girl. My mind was somewhere else."

Stoick pulled up next to me with worry etched on his face. "I'm okay," I said. "Just, worried about him." Stoick nodded. "So am I, Astrid. He's all I have left." I looked forward again, trying to focus. "We'll find him." I said with determination. We have to.

"There!" Stoick said a few moments later. I saw it too.

Helheim's Gate, a foggy, sea stack-surrounded island with an old nest broken through, lay in front of us. I couldn't help but shiver. Even now after the Queen's death a few years ago, the island still made me uneasy. Toothless growled and Stormfly cawed nervously. They felt it too.

Stoick flew one way and I flew the other, searching everywhere to find Hiccup. I flew over a large mountain, and gasped with horror.

There lay the skeleton of the Queen, the bones brownish-greenish white with age and decay.  Stormfly begin to freak out, eyes wide and darting around. "Easy girl, easy." I said soothingly.  She calmed, and continued flying over the skeleton. 

I continued searching, finding absolutely no sign of Hiccup.  Flying over another mountain, I found Stoick and Toothless.  I flew to them, feeling almost hopeless. "I couldn't find anything.  Did you find anything?" I asked. "No." He answered. He sighed. "Where to next?" 

"How about Melody island?" 

"Alright then. Lead the way." I nodded, and began to fly in the direction of Melody island with Stoick behind me.

Where are you, Babe?

.  .  .

"Argh, we've lost him!" I heard a voice below us. I looked down, spotting a small ship. The yells continued, swearing about whatever they had lost. "That sneaky, one-legged-" I gasped when the voice said one-legged. Was it possible they knew where he was? Or had they been the ones to kidnap Hiccup? "Did you hear that?" I asked Stoick, who suddenly tensed up. "Yes. Let's check it out."

 I was already diving down when he finished speaking.  I swapped over the ship,  getting ready to perch Stormfly on the bow of the ship. "Dragon Riders!" cried the shipmates as I landed Stormfly. Stoick landed Toothless a moment later and unmounted. 

 I raised my axe threateningly, daring them to get closer. "We were flying overhead when we heard you shouting. You've lost someone?" Stoick asked. "Yeah, a boy."  I could tell suddenly that the men were not very bright. "What did he look like?"

"What's it to you?"  The man said, who appeared to be the captain. "We might be looking for the same person." I answered. The man shrugged. "A boy, almost a man, with dark hair. He was skinny, pale, and only had one leg. He was knocked out the whole time we had him, so I don't know what colour his eyes were." 

My stomach dropped. Hiccup!

"Why did you have him?" I asked, glaring at the men.

"Well if we turn 'im in, there's a reward. 1000 gold coins." said one of the shipmates, a glint of greed in his eyes. Stoick's eyes met mine, and he nodded. I pointed my axe at the captain and he backed away.

"Where were you planning to take him?" I asked fiercely. "Sleipner island!" he said quickly, eying the sharp edge of my axe with fear. I lowered my axe, and made my way to Stormfly. Mounting Stormfly, I gestured to Stoick join me. But he stayed where he was.

"One moment." he said, before grabbing the collar of the captain and punching him in the face. The captain stumbles backwards, and hit the ground with a loud thump, knocked out. Stoick cracked his neck. "That's for kidnapping Hiccup." He then made his way to Toothless, who was growling at the men. The men stood frozen, none of them bothering to help the captain up.

Stoick mounted, and before flying off he said under his breath "That felt good."