The Dragon Games (HTTYD AU)

Five - Camp Astrid

Hiccup spent the next few days maintaining a low profile, spending as much time as possible in the cave with Throggsjorn. The flock of monstrous nightmares seemed to gather by the stream, which he could avoid by taking a detour when getting to the rock pools. Despite this, he still needed fresh water. By gathering water at night when the night fury was attacking the other side of the island and getting food during the day, Hiccup had managed to avoid another dragon confrontation.

However, he was exhausted, his irregular schedule catching up on him. Hiccup knew he needed to stay alert. Even if Snotlout had decided to leave him alone, who knew what the others would do or think. Sabotage and betrayal weren't exactly uncommon concepts in the Dragon Games.

"Good thing you're here as a natural Viking deterrent, huh?" Hiccup murmured, petting the night terror. Throggsjorn purred, settling on his lap. "Looks like I'm not going anywhere anytime soon then."

As the fish cooked, Hiccup stroked Throggsjorn and thought. The night fury always flew past his cave, so at some point he'd get spotted when he left in the cover of darkness to get water without being attacked by the monstrous nightmares. But this required phenomenal timing, something he could not afford to get wrong.

Somehow, he had to figure out how to reliably evade the night fury or the entire flock of monstrous nightmares for the entire rest of the Dragon Games. As powerful as the night fury was, the choice seemed obvious.

"It'll be far easier to catch one dragon than an entire flock," Hiccup stated, pushing Throggsjorn off his lap so he could take the fish off the fire. "It will need lots of preparation and resources though."

Hiccup remembered the bright plasma blast and the immediate collapse of the rock pillar. "It'll be worth it."

*

Using Snotlout's axe, Hiccup spent several days getting wood and converting it into useable pieces. For his plan to work, Hiccup would need to make a sturdy base and support for his contraption.

Wiping away the sweat on his forehead, Hiccup picked up the logs and carried them back to the cave. He gave Throggsjorn some chin scratches before heading back down to repeat the process.

The sky over the island was a stunning blue, with dark storm clouds far off in the distance. Hiccup wished there was a cool breeze, but the still air provided no comfort from the heat.

Sighing, Hiccup put the axe away and began taking one of the last sets of logs back up to the cave. When he returned, an eerie sensation of being watched came over him.

"Hello?" Hiccup called out, picking up the axe.

The sound of a blade being sharpened caught his attention. Hiccup crept towards it, grip tightening. He walked around the boulder.

"I was wondering who'd been hacking at the forest," Astrid announced, still sharpening her axe.

Hiccup shifted awkwardly. Was she going to kick hin out of this area?

When Hiccup said nothing, Astrid stopped sharpening her axe and looked up. "Got something going on?"

"Huh?" Hiccup replied, very intelligently.

"From the looks of it, you've got enough wood to build a small cabin."

Hiccup didn't correct her, knowing he only managed to cut down small trees which didn't provide much timber.