Stormbound

Scene 15: Berk

Stoick did not love the training.

He had participated for a few minutes, with Spitelout taking far too much pleasure in shooting at him. He'd only been hit once, but that once had turned a good portion of his beard bright yellow.

You did not mess with the beard.

After that, he'd taken over shooting duty for a few more minutes, with no small amount of satisfaction when he'd hit Spitelout's stubble in retribution.

Sometimes (most times) revenge goes down a treat.

He'd made Bucket bring him a bucket of water in which to wash the yellow from his magnificent red beard. Unfortunately, that meant his beard was wet, which is not a very comfortable feeling. So then he'd left to dry it by the fire, very carefully so as not to burn it.

He sits there still, unable to stop worrying. I should've gone with Astrid, he growls to himself.

Unable to stand it any longer, he leaves the fire to look outside again. To his surprise and great relief, he sees a blue winged shape dive from the clouds and land just outside the dragon arena.

"Astrid!" he calls, even though it's too far away for her to possibly hear him. He wastes no time in flying Skullcrusher to hear the report.

"Well?" Stoick says before he's even dismounted. Then he notices the worried looks on the A team's faces.

"Where's Astrid?"

"Not here, Chief," Gustav rubs the back of his neck nervously.

Gothi scribbles something on the ground. Stoick stares at it for a moment, but he can't decipher it and he doesn't feel like asking someone else. He turns instead to the blue Nadder.

"She's remarkably calm for a dragon who's lost her rider," he muses. No one says anything. Stoick rolls his eyes and flips open the saddlebag on Stormfly's back.

"There's nothing there, Stoick," Spitelout groans, "I checked it myself."

Stoick holds up a pencil, eyebrows raised.

"Except for that," Spitelout concedes.

"Uh, Chief," Gustav interjects.

"In a minute, Gustav," Stoick digs through the empty saddlebag. "There was a map. I definitely gave her a map."

"Didn't see any map, Chief, but- OW! WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!"

Stoick turns at the distinctive clang of Gothi's stick hitting Gustav's helmet. Gustav's rubbing his head and scowling at Gothi. Gothi's holding out a rolled up piece of paper.

"The map! Good work, Gothi!" Stoick snatches it and quickly unrolls it.

"You could've listened to me," Gustav sulks, "I was trying to tell you Gothi wanted to say something."

"Quiet, Gustav," Stoick orders distractedly. His eyes have found the writing on the map. First there's a line marking Astrid's route, with a circle over where she'd presumably found Hiccup. Above that are four words:

Stick to the plan.

"She planned this," he realizes, "If she had time to write this, then she meant to get captured. She sent Stormfly back with the location."

"Hey Chief," Spitelout crosses his arms, "Any time you wanna fill us in?"

Stoick hands him the map and begins to pace as Spiteout inspects it. The others crowd around, trying to get a look at the map. Except Gothi, who watches Stoick pace with a frown.

"Astrid said to stick to the plan," Stoick says finally, planting his feet.

Spitelout looks up, "and that would be..?"

"Gothi, you're going to Dragon's Edge to help the riders defend it."

Gothi nods and cracks an unsettling smile, patting her Gronckle.

"Spitelout, Gustav, Bucket and Mulch, you're with me. We're going to get Hiccup and Astrid back."

Spiteout cracks his knuckles. "That's more like it."

"Sven, you stay here. Look after Berk while we're away."

Silent Sven nods.

"Gothi can leave right away. The rest of us have some time. We can't rescue Hiccup immediately, so we leave tomorrow, at first light."