The Edge of Black Wing

11 Blow us Away, Show us the Way II

He saw Ska'i startle a bit, then lurch forward in the saddle, clinging to Hookfang. Meanwhile, the rest of the dragons followed suit, in a scatter formation. Which was a pretty weird term, now that he thought about it; "scatter formation." Scatter: (v) chaotic. Formation: (n) order, and instruction.

"Where did that come from?" Fishlegs cried when they were hidden above the clouds.

"Well," his sister started. "I'd say since none of us carry a bow and arrow."

"Or a crossbow," Tuffnut interjected.

"Or a crossbow," she acknowledged, with a polite gesture.

"I'd say it came from below us."

"That was a Hunter arrow," Astrid observed.

"We have to go down there," Ska'i expressed concerned. Wait. Is this jealousy? Tuffnutt felt the sting of fierce hotness rose within him, like a mixture between her volcano. (Olawai, he thought he remembered that was what it was called.) About to explode, and getting rushed by a Speed Stinger. So sharp, you could barely feel it, at first.

But as he kept watching, her eyes were darting around the entirety of the ground beneath them. She must be more concerned about the islands - perhaps more of its black-shelled, pinchy inhabitants - than Snotlout. He hoped.

Hiccup agreed with a nod. "Fishlegs, see if you can guesstimate where Snlotlout laned. The rest of us will follow once you give the okay."

It didn't take long; Fishlegs popped back after a second. "I didn't see anyone else so it might have been a single archer. He might have gone right over to where Snotlout landed, though. Of course, it's difficult to tell exactly, from up here."

"Then let's go," and Hiccup led the rest of the Riders down.

They all landed in different places. He and his twin on a dead cactus, collapsing it completely, those pokey thorns didn't stand a chance against their 'Zippleback. Hiccup and Toothless on the decomposed granite that littered the ground. (Ska'i was reading the most boring book around rocks she'd borrowed from Fishlegs, and he'd skimmed through it once.) Fishlegs and Meatlug landed on one of those black jagged rocks. Astrid and Stormfly landed on an entire mountain of those black jagged rocks. There were plenty of crests and hills on this island, but seeing as this was the highest mountain, it was like it was the only mountain. The only mountain, on the edge of this island. And Hookfang and Ska'i on the most gigantic, dark, dead tree Tuffnut had ever seen. At least it looked dead; it was twisted, and warped in a way that he'd never seen anything in nature before. And in the crook at the base of this tree, was a sprawled Snotlout, struggling to get out.

"Would one of you guys help me?!"

With a burst of laughter, Astrid cried, "You look like a turtle!"

"Or like that beetle right there, trying to get up!" Ruff pointed at a pokey violet, shell-encased bug-looking thing, that managed to right itself within an instant.

Even Fishlegs giggled, and Tuffnut guffawed until Hiccup reminded them of the enemies around. "Quiet, gang. That Hunter could still be around here. And this is also Ska'i's enemy's island the - who? Do they have a name?"

"The Honua," he repeated it like he was committing it to memory.

"What would they do us, if they knew you were here?" Ruff asked in serious concern.

"I'd like to see them try," Tuffnut glowered.

"Well, my people were about to throw you in a volcano."

"Were you going to let them do that, though?" Fishlegs warbled.

Despite the current tension they were going through, Ska'i cracked half a smile. "We were never really going to."

"I knew it!"

"How could you possibly have known that, Tuffnutt?"

"Because, Astrid, a beautiful woman such as Ska'i, could not be part of something so heinous and violent!"

"Actually," Fishlegs reasoned. "It would match up with why Fjorgyn made certain snakes so vibrantly colored, and distinctly patterned."

"Oh, yeah? Why'd that, Fishface?" Snotlout chimed between puffs, as Hiccup tried hauling him out of the crook he'd landed in. Their dragons looked on in wonderment, while Astrid had on a conflicting expression of amusement and a longing to help.

"It's to let us more vulnerable creatures beware of something whose toxins are potentially fatal. Like that one," as he pointed to a diamond-colored orange and white snake, slithering up the tree trunk.

There was a pause for a few seconds, as everyone gathered and stared at the hypnotizing, scaly reptile making up way further toward Snotlout. Then he forgot everything about being on an island surrounded by enemies, and the imperative necessity to stay silent. Panicked shrieks from him, and shouts to "calm down" from everyone else, echoed nicely off the surrounding rocks.

"We'll get you out, Snotlout," Hiccup promised.

"Fascinating."

"What is, Fishface?! What could be fascinating with any of this?!"

Ignoring Snotlout's blow-up, Fishlegs explained, "This appears to be the only tree, on this entire island."

That got Ska'i's attention, "I've heard of this mountain. My enemies, call it Eheu Ele. It means 'black wing'."

Finger to his chin, Fishlegs remarked, "Makes sense. It appears we are standing on an immense structure of black tourmaline. With this interesting cave."

Grunt. "How could -." Grunt. "A cave." Grunt. "Be interesting." Grunt. "Fishface?"

"Interesting," Astrid joined in the echo. "There seems to be warm air blowing from it."

"There does. Wait a minute."

"Warm air? Astrid, get back!"