TAW Tales: How to Train Your Shifters (#1)

~ Chapter 22 ~

"Well, frog-legs."

"What is that supposed to be?" I asked Winter in surprise.

"A very offensive term in owl-language," she replied, grinning. "Because apparently, frog's legs always get caught in your throat."

"I don't even wanna know how you know that." Zero put his hand over his eyes.

"Nope," said Winter happily.

"So, how'd you know that?" Night asked me.

"I didn't know that frogs' legs get stick in your throat!" I protested.

"No, not that!" Night waved her hands, annoyed. "I mean, how'd you know that Hiccup's in our world?"

"Hiccup's where!?" Astrid had just walked up.

"Oh, great, let's just shout it out to the world," I muttered.

"Okay!" Winter turned and cuffed her hands to her mouth. "HICCUP'S IN OUR WORLD!"

The whole Hall paused and fell dead-silent.

"You're welcome," she said brightly to me. I scowled at her.

"This doesn't have anything to do with you falling over like a domino, does it?" said Moon uneasily.

"I did not 'fall over like a domino', thank you very much," I retorted, affronted. "Did you see me hit anything on the way down?"

"Anyway." Astrid put her hand on my shoulder. "Back to the more important matter. You said you know where Hiccup is. How's that?"

"I-I sort of... saw him." I hesitated. How could I describe the way I'd managed to appear to Hiccup, and how could I explain what I'd found out?

"That's not an answer," Astrid snapped severely. "How can you see him? And how'd you know he was in your world?"

"She magically rode on a unicorn and asked him," Night said sarcastically. "What d'you think she did? She fell over and had some sort of vision. Am I right, or am I right Willow?"

"Actually, that's pretty much what happened."

"Wait, what?" Night's eyes went wide. "It is? I was only joking!"

"Very funny joke," said Fishlegs flatly.

"Yeah, you actually got it almost perfectly right," I laughed. "Except that I don't think it was a vision. I think I actually saw him and spoke to him."

"You spoke to him?" Astrid's blue eyes widened with hope. "Did you tell him we're looking for him?"

"I-yes I did."

Astrid breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. At least he knows we haven't given up looking for him."

"It's only been a couple of days," Snotlout murmured under his breath.

"Don't worry Astrid," Winter said boldly. "Hiccup knows you wouldn't ever give up looking for him."

I noticed Zero exchange a 'seriously?!' look with Luna and shook my head at them warningly. It probably wouldn't do their health any good if Winter or Astrid saw them.

"How'd you know it was our world?" Moon asked me. "I mean, it could've been any place in the universe for all you know."

I shook my head firmly. "No. It was definitely our world. I can recognize that forest anywhere, and he was sitting on a rock outside the Grand-Cave."

"We seriously need another name for that," Everest muttered. "It sounds like the Bat-Cave, only for elderly people."

"I hope you show more respect for 'elderly people' when you meet them face-to-face."