Life on the Edge

2.08 Edge of Disaster, Part 1

Hiccup sighs to himself as he walks up to Ragnar's hut. Astrid is not happy with the twins ditching their guard shift and he can more than use the backup to deal with her temper. He knocks absently on the wall beside the open door even as he walks in without waiting for a response.

"Hey, Rags, can you- oh gods."

He coughs and brings one hand up to cover his nose as soon as he enters the hut itself.

Ragnar, apparently unbothered, stands at the fireplace where a mid-sized pot hangs over the flames. A thick piece of cloth is tied over his own nose and mouth as he stirs what Hiccup can only assume to be rotting meat.

"What is that?" he asks through another cough.

Ragnar turns to look at him, smile visible only by the way his eyes crinkle at the corners over his impromptu mask. "Henbane," he says simply. "Gothi sent some after Johann last visited Berk. I finally got around to steeping it."

"Did you have to?" Hiccup asks.

"It's useful," he says with a shrug. "In multiple ways."

Stirring the mixture one last time, Ragnar lifts his ladle and studies the contents. Satisfied with what he sees, he sets the utensil aside and carefully moves the pot from the fireplace to a nearby rack to cool.

He gestures for Hiccup to step outside so they can talk, amused but unsurprised by the way he grabs his hand and quickly pulls him along.

Hiccup takes a deep breath of the much fresher air. "Guess that explains why Nightshade is hanging out with Toothless," he muses.

"Yeah," Ragnar agrees, reaching up and pulling the cloth down to hang around his neck. "It's a little strong for her senses. Did you need something, Hic?"

"Well, let me start by saying the twins were on guard duty-"

"Not a great start."

"It gets better," Hiccup says sarcastically. "Astrid was the one who went to relieve them of said guard duty."

Ragnar clicks his tongue. "How mad is she about whatever they did?" he asks before he stops and thinks for a second. "Or didn't do, more likely."

Hiccup offers his most charming smile. "See, that's the thing. I came to get you before I actually found out."

Ragnar gives him an amused look even as he silently admits to himself that the smile works. "Did you now?"

"You wouldn't make me face her temper alone, would you?"

"There's not much I'd make you face alone," he tells him. He tugs lightly at the hand still linked with his, leading the way to where Astrid is inevitably waiting. "Come on. Let's get this over with."

As expected, Astrid looks distinctly unhappy when they reach her. She holds up the twins' helmets in either hand, already giving her report as soon as she sees them.

"They didn't stand their watch," she tells them. "Those dummies left two dummies in their place."

"You know, those dummies could conceivably be just as effective as the twins," Hiccup points out.

"He's not wrong," Ragnar agrees with a chuckle.

Astrid is far less amused. "Not funny. We built that watchtower so that-"

"I know why we built it, Astrid," Hiccup assures her.

"I just don't understand how this isn't making you completely insane."