Life on the Edge

1.10 Have Dragon Will Travel, Part 1

A trip back to Berk is always welcome, but none of the Riders can say they aren't ready to return to the Edge.

"Okay. Now, remember, gang," Hiccup says as he passes Astrid two of her daggers. "We're only taking absolute necessities to Dragon's Edge."

Snotlout laughs. "Aw, I guess we're leaving you behind, Fishlegs."

"Come on. You're better than that, Snotlout," Fishlegs tells him as he adds an armful of rocks to Meatlug's saddle bag. "Oh, wait. No. You're not."

"Uh, Fishlegs?" Ragnar calls. "Do you really need all those rocks?"

Meatlug quickly proves his question fair when she tries and fails to lift off from the ground.

"Come on, girl. You can do it," Fishlegs encourages. "Lift with your legs."

Nightshade chirps quietly and shakes her head.

Ragnar nods and reaches over to scratch under her jaw. "You said it, beautiful."

He focuses on securing his own saddlebags to Nightshade- much lighter than any filled with stone- and making sure she's comfortable, easily tuning out the conversations around him. He only focuses on the others again when he hears a distinctive clang of metal.

Unfortunately, it's a familiar sound.

"Not bad," Tuffnut says. "That's a two. Do it again."

Ruffnut looks all too happy to oblige as she slams a mace into her brother's helmeted head.

"Ooh. Yeah. A three. I still think we can do better," he tells her.

Ruffnut grins. "Yes, we can!"

She swings again and hits him hard enough he spins in a complete circle and his helmet briefly flies up from his head.

Ragnar sighs and closes his eyes for a second. "Do you think if I just stop treating their concussions, I'll stop having to?"

"Well, they'd probably be dead," Hiccup points out. "So, yes. I do. I also think that's precisely why you won't do that."

"Tempting though," Ragnar mutters.

Astrid nods. "We understand completely, Ragnar."

He sighs again and walks over to check on the dazed Tuffnut who is now sprawled in the dirt and trying to blink his dizzy vision back into focus.

"How many times do I have to tell you two to stop hitting each other with maces?" he asks as he checks Tuffnut's pupils.

Ruffnut rolls her eyes with a scoff, mace balanced on her shoulder. "Uh, we have to test them, Ragnar," she tells him. "Duh. How else are we gonna know which ones are good?"

Ragnar ignores Tuffnut's slurred rambling as he quickly decides he'll be fine. After all, Thorstons are resilient if nothing else.

"You'll be fine, Tuff," he tells him. He stands up from his crouch and doesn't bother to offer him a hand up. Instead, his attention is drawn to the small group of Vikings headed their way.

"Which one of the usual suspects was out sinking boats on their dragon this morning?" Stoick asks. "I have my suspicions."

Stoick, Gobber, Mulch, and Bucket all look pointedly at the twins.

"Sinking boats?" Hiccup repeats with a confused frown.

"Bucket and Mulch saw the whole thing," Stoick says, gesturing at the two in question. "And don't try convincing me that there's anyone else in the Archipelago who could pull something like this off."