Life on the Edge

3.10 Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Toothless growls as he touches down on a large sea stack. Hiccup pulls out his spyglass to get a closer view of the three ships in the distance.

"What are we landing for?" Snotlout asks, hovering in the sky on Hookfang while the others all touch down. "They're pulling away. Hookfang, come on."

"No," Hiccup and Ragnar say in unison.

"There's too many and they're sailing in tight formation," Hiccup adds.

Snotlout scowls as he guides Hookfang down to the others. "I'll show you a tight formation," he mutters.

"Hiccup's right," Fishlegs agrees. "We'll never be able to approach that convoy without being spotted first."

"We need a distraction," Astrid tells them.

Hiccup reaches into his saddlebag. "Leave that to us," he says, pulling out a new tailfin and proudly holding it up.

"Hiccup, this is not time to play dress up," Snotlout tells him with a frown.

"And how can you even think of wearing yellow after Snoggletog?" Tuffnut asks, one hand on his hip as he gestures with the other. He snaps his fingers. "That, my friend, is a fashion faux pas."

Ruffnut crosses her arms with a scoff. "Ugh. How gauche."

"You finished the Gronkle iron one," Ragnar notes, easily ignoring them as he studies the bright yellow fin in interest.

Hiccup nods. "Last night."

"And you tested it already, I'm sure," he adds with an expectant look.

"Eh..."

"Hiccup!"

"I'm sure it'll be fine," he tells him, voice falling into that gentle register he uses specifically for calming Ragnar down. "Based on my calculations, it should work perfectly."

Ragnar heaves an exhausted sigh and pinches the bridge of his nose. "Do you want me to go gray before I'm thirty?" he asks tiredly. "Is that it? Is it some kind of goal you have?"

"No. It's not," Hiccup says with an amused look that quickly shifts to a soft, adoring smile. "Besides, I think you'd look wonderful with gray hair."

Ragnar chuckles as he drops his hand and shakes his head. "That's good because, at the rate you're going, that's exactly where I'm headed."

Tuffnut hums in thought and brings one hand to his chin as he studies the healer. "Yeah," he decides with a nod. "He could pull off the gray look."

"Absolutely," Ruffnut agrees.

"This one is lighter and stiffer," Hiccup explains, ignoring the twins as he switches out Toothless' prosthetic. "It's not great for long distance flying but-"

"-the added stability will allow you to fly along the water's surface without using any wing flap," Fishlegs finishes excitedly. "It's ingenious!"

Hiccup climbs back in his saddle. "Exactly, Fishlegs. We're gonna glide in right under their sight line."

Ragnar sighs when Hiccup looks over at him like he's waiting for approval. "Just promise me you'll be careful."

"Of course, I will," he promises. "You know I hate to stress you out."

"Could've fooled me," he deadpans.

Hiccup gives him a playful wink before he nudges Toothless to take off. "Watch for my signal!" he calls over his shoulder.

"Honestly, I would've stuck with the red," Tuffnut says as they watch them fly off. He looks at his sister. "Yellow with Night Fury black? Really? Puh-lease."