Life on the Edge

1.06 Gone Gustav Gone

"Okay. Give me a slow burn, bud."

Ragnar watches idly as Toothless gives a low plasma blast and the familiar purple images shine on the wall. He smiles when he sees how excited Hiccup is as he presses different options on the Dragon Eye.

A low chirp and nudge to his shoulder regains his attention. He shakes his head and gives Nightshade an apologetic look.

"Sorry, beautiful. I got a little distracted."

Nightshade gives him a look then turns her head to look between him and Hiccup with a quiet coo.

Ragnar rolls his eyes. "Keep it up," he warns playfully. "I can always stop now." He grins when she shakes her head and presses closer in a clear request to keep brushing.

As he does, he makes a mental note to thank Hiccup again for the brush he made her. Designed after the brushes he uses to clean rusty metals in the forge, the thin metal bristles work perfectly against the heavily armored scales of a Deadly Nadder.

Nightshade loves it and Ragnar is more than happy to indulge (spoil) his girl.

Hiccup pushes a few different buttons on the Dragon Eye. "Now Monstrous Nightmare gem plus Night Fury equals... nothing," he says in disappointment as the images fade away. "Okay."

"Is it only those two or does mixing dragons just not work?" Ragnar asks curiously.

Hiccup shakes his head as he switches the Eye again and the light comes back. "I'm not sure because-"

He cuts off as the hut's door suddenly opens to show Astrid with the purple symbols glowing against her skin.

"Oh! Astrid class," Hiccup says with a chuckle, turning off the Dragon Eye.

Astrid nods when she sees Ragnar and Nightshade. "Oh, good. You're here too, Ragnar."

"What's wrong, Astrid?" he asks, setting Nightshade's brush aside.

"We have a problem- a huge problem."

"Dagur?" Hiccup asks.

"Worse," she says seriously.

"What could possibly be worse than Dagur?"

The answer comes in the form of a Monstrous Nightmare crashlanding in the open doorway, knocking Astrid to the floor in the process.

Ragnar curses under his breath when he sees the dragon's rider.

"Gustav!" said rider announces cheerfully.

"Gustav?" Hiccup repeats in surprise, not so subtly hiding the Dragon Eye behind his back as he does.

"Gustav," Astrid confirms dully.

Ragnar sighs and goes over to check on the slightly dazed Nightmare still lying in the doorway. He ignores the way Gustav swerves far around him when he goes by. "You alright, Fanghook?"

Fanghook growls quietly and sits up, shaking himself off with a toothy smile.

Hiccup walks backwards until he reaches a chest at the back of the room. He sits down on the stool in front of it, careful to keep the Dragon Eye out of view. "Gustav, what are you doing here? I- I mean, to what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?"

"Very convincing," Ragnar mutters. He grins when Hiccup gives him a look for it.

The other Riders suddenly appear in the doorway, all of them looking some level of distressed.

"Hiccup!" Snotlout calls. "Did you hear that Gustav is..." He trails off when he sees the boy in question dancing around on top of the closed chest. "Standing right beside you. Perfect," he says with a very fake smile.