Tuffnut Thorston
Right when they turned the corner, they immediately came across an expanse of stone - of course - ice - no surprise - and ". . . is that fire?" Tuffnut asked.
"No. It's lava," Ska'i corrected in a faint whisper.
The stone walls had the thinnest possible ledges, and below them, was what appeared to be a layer of ice. Then beneath that, lava. It was flowing, immediate death, boiling lava.
"Uh, Fishlegs?" Hiccup began to ask apprehensively. "How is this possible?"
Fishlegs took a breath. And exhaled. At a loss for words, he shook his head, giving his leader his best answer, "I don't know."
They'd gathered at the edge, but Tuffnut got too close and kicked a stray pebble. Ska'i impulsively jerked his hand back toward safety, but they watched it pummel toward the ice and lava below. Whether due to the weight that it gathered from the fall, or the ice was that thin, it managed to break through. And disappear with a little plop into the lava.
"Okay. So. That ice is thin," Astrid noted.
"Alright, gang. You know the drill."
"Look for a riddle," Astrid completed Hiccup's sentence wearily, already searching.
Snotlout and Ruff heaved a collective sigh, while everyone else complied, and Tuffnut began casting his eyes around. He noticed the theme of them being carved onto things, yet, they were never in the same place twice. So ignoring the places his fellow Riders were looking, Tuffnut doubted it'd be in the most obvious place: the stone wall across from the entrance.
Of course not. Even a little reprieve would have been nice, especially after those stairs.
He was sure nothing could outlast that lava heat, so high doubts it would be on the ice. And nothing about any of this has been easy. As Ska'i joined him, they cast a glance to their left, which revealed a sheer drop-off. And the riddle. Of course, it was at an angle where it was nearly impossible to read.
"Hey, guys!" He called out, then read aloud,
Tip-toe, tip-toe, careful where you step
Or over the edge you'll go, and you'll fall to your death
Tip-toe, tip-toe, your back will start to ache
Over the edge, don't hurry for your sake
"Well, that's not perilous at all," Snotlout remarked, sarcastic as ever.
"So what does it mean?" Astrid let out a heavy exhale.
Hiccup drew his hand over his face; it seemed like they were all near to their wit's end, and Tuffnut wondered how much more of this they'd be able to take.
"This isn't like crossing the rope," Fishlegs explained. "None of us are exerting any excess energy, other than our own. We can take a break here, recuperate as much as we can."
"Wait," Ruff was confused. "Did you already solve this?"
"Yeah, Tuffnut joined in. "Did I miss that part?"
"It's spelled out in the riddle for us; we have to toe along the edge," and Hiccup pointed to the few-inch ledge that led around the river of lava, that was to the right of the entrance.
"Oh, you've got to the kidding," Astrid protested.
"I feel like they're just getting harder," Ruff complained.
"You don't think crossing a rope would be easier, Fishlegs?" Hiccup asked.
"I'd rather not try to solve this riddle, in a different way than what it's telling us how to."
Ska'i stepped forward. "I'll go first."
Nervousness struck Tuffnut right away. "Are you sure?"
Ska'i confirmed with a nod. "It'll give Astrid a break." She proceeded to toe along the six-inch ledge. After she was out a few feet, Ruff was instructed to follow. If Tuffnut thought all the other riddles were harrowing, this was nothing. He found himself between Astrid, with Snotlout following. It was like each riddle was slower than the last.
The progress was getting to Snotlout; he was the first to show signs of snapping. He had been muttering under his breath for what seemed like the past hour. "What if this doesn't end, man? What if this is just an endless quest of riddle after riddle, aimed to wear out to all who dare try to get this Stone?"
Astrid shook her head. "That's not what's happening, Snotlout."
"How do you know, Astrid?!"
Guys," Fishlegs interjected before Hiccup could. "Let's not start this, while we're toeing over a stream full of boiling lava!"
"Fishlegs is right," Hiccup mediated. "I know the longer we're out here, the more our nerves might get the best of us. But like with the other riddles, this has got to end somehow."
"And," Astrid added. "Slow and steady will win, here."
They were only able to walk sideways, like the crabs he'd find himself watching while Ska'i was still sleeping. The ledge wasn't consistent the whole way through; it ebbed and flowed, the further along they went. That was when Hiccup would instruct them to slow down even more and hug the wall behind them. Unlike the other times, when they would have the first person go with a rope, or be able to throw a rope across to form some type of safety net. There were no second chances, here.
Every so often someone would accidentally kick a pebble over the edge. They all seemed hyper-aware that if a pebble could break the ice and fall into the lava, they could only imagine what they could do. But no one even stumbled, so the slow-going progress worked.
But he felt he had aged about five years.
'"Ugh, it feels like I've aged five years," Ruff groaned, while Ska'i agreed.
Astrid spoke softly, "We're almost there. I can see the end."
Instead of motivational cheers going up, her announcement was met with dead silence. Tuffnut doubted they had much left in them, and hoped the true end of this would be here soon.
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