Pic mine :)

~~Next morning, sunrise~~
Hiccup's POV.

"Mornin' bud!" I yawn as I sit up, having woken up a few moments before now. My mood darkens when I realise we're on Berk. Still.
"Hey Hiccup!" He answers casually from beside me. I look up, seeing the recently risen sun shining down though the tree tops, and reflecting onto the shimmering water in front of us. I sigh.

"Man, this would be a nice time to go flying, wouldn't it bud!" I murmur, notimg that the sky just seems to be calling to me. I crave the adrenaline rush as we fly between the clouds, the surge of excitement when free falling, the calm sensation when I look down to see the world so small, and at my fingertips, And the fact that I have no worries. All that matters is the sky and my best friend.

"Yes. The .. we get out of here, the better!" He answers, stretching like a cat as he too looks up, longing in his large green eyes. I get another pang of sadness and guilt.
This would lf never of happened if we hadn't returned to Berk. If we'd just flown straight on, out of the archipelago maybe! We would be living, and loving, a life far away from here! A free life. Just us. But no, I just HAD to come on this raid, just HAD to loose focus and cause Toothless' tail to get destroyed.

I get up and walk over slowly to where I left the saddle and go to the saddle bag. I crouch down and sift through it. Luckily, I managed to pack bread before we came for the raid. I take out the bread and toss a fish from last night to Toothless. He grabs it mid air and downs it, appreciatively.

"So.....What the heck do we do now?" I ask a few minutes later, after we've finished eating, as I sit back on my heels.

Toothless looks at me and simply says "I don't know. Don't ask me!"
I start thinking, hoping to find something for us to do. I know it's daylight now, and I know that were still stuck on this stupid island, but hey, we've gotta do something!

"We could go on a walk? I don't want to have to keep you here the whole time..." I suggest. "And the sooner we can get out of here, the better. I can't just walk into the village in broad daylight..there's too many people."

Toothless grabs his saddle in his mouth and bounds up to me eagerly.
I chuckle and help put it on him. A minute or so later, I climb on and we leave the cove through where the shield used to be.
At least Toothless can fit through it now, I think that's basically the only positive! I think as he shuffles through the space easily, and then carefully comes up the narrow path, only slipping twice.

Astrid's POV
"Ugh. Why must we be up this early?!" Fishlegs complains as he sets down some wood onto a pile we've created.

"This is ridiculous!" I agree, dropping a piece of wood hastily and dusting off my hands. "I get that the clean up is important, and I don't mind helping out, but there are like three hundred Berkians—we don't all need to be up this early! Besides it's just gonna end back up like this anyway when the dragons attack again." I logically exclaim, rolling my eyes and gesturing wildly.

"We, as young warriors, future protectors of Berk, should be preparing ourselves, not cleaning up ruble." I add enthusiastic like I'm doing a speech to thousands of people.
"And I need my beauty sleep!" Snotlout adds, ruining the vibe, and I roll my eyes.
"Yes, clearly."
"AHAHAHAHA! Funny, Astrid!" Snotlout shouts, not impressed. I just smirk, satisfied with myself, as I then trip him over.

"Aww, come on it's not that bad!" Ruff exclaims as she and Tuff carry a big plank- she being at the front.
"This is like a walk through the forest!" Tuff adds...before they trip over and the piece of wood goes flying forwards. A loud crash follows, and I wince.

And angry "HEY!" Can be heard from the distance. The twins shrug in dismissal and move to grab some more wood from the destroyed but that we have been taking apart for the last two hours.

"What are you two talking about?! We have to stay up late just to get up early!" Randi exclaims to the twins as she drops some wood on the pile. "And call me ungrateful but I don't wanna do that! It's already hard enough at the fishing sheds, I don't need all this--this extra work!"

"Well, when do ya think we set up our pranks?!" Ruff replies, she and Tuff dropping down another plank.
I role my eyes, "Figures!" I exclaim as I heave up a plank of wood onto my shoulders and Randi helps me toss it onto the pile.

"..Also, does anyone else think we sound like spoilt brats!" Snotlout chuckles as he picks up a block of wood. We shrug in dismissal.
"Quit ya yapping and start stacking!" we all turn to see Mildew leaning on his staff.
Ugh. Not him. Ugly and unpleasant old man. Smells of yak dung and sheep crap. Whinner of the village. Nobody likes him.

"Hey, How about..NO!" I retort, hand on my hip. "We don't have to do anything you say, old man!" I narrow my eyes at the old man. He scoffs. Everyone on Berk hates him—it's why his hut was built so far out of town.
Apparently not far enough.
"its not like we were not told to stack it anyway!" Randi exclaims, shrugging.
"Yeah, you're not the boss of us!" Tuffnut adds determinedly, and proceeds to kick down the whole pile of wood. I facepalm while he and Ruffnut cackle in laughter at the mess it creates.

"Just go back to your cabbages and cry!" Snotlout mocks. Mildew grumbles under his breath and wonders off with his staff and sheep, muttering about no respect. I make an offensive gesture at the back of his head, wishing I could hack it off with my axe, but thanks to common laws I can't.

Ever since we've been ordered to do this work, the whole group has been kinda sassy. Sometimes even FISHLEGS! Most of it's been directed at Mildew, though. He's everyone's least favourite person.

"So.....are we really going to do this ALL DAY like obedient little kids?" Randi exclaims. "Or...are we...gonna--" we all drop our wood and run off towards the forest, laughing a little bit as we escape from the annoying work.

Stoick's POV

The sounds of my people working outside satisfies me, it means that the village can be safe again. Well, safe-ish.
I know it's early in the morning, but you know what they say. The early Viking catches the boar. Okay, I just made it up. But I'm chief. I can do whatever I want!

I hum a tune familiar to me as I saunter out of my room and to the kitchen section of the hut, clipping on my bear skin cape. Know the song? It's called For The Dancing And The Dreaming. A song my love and I once sang together in perfect harmony.
Oh, how I miss her.

I scoop some oats I saved from last night into two wooden bowls.
"Hiccup! comes down 'ere for breakfast!" I call automatically. I freeze just as I finish, eyes widening. Then, I glare angrily, "AAAAAAAAAUGH!" I turn and hurl the wooden bowl at the wall.

I slump down, my chiefly ass hitting my chair. I rub a hand over my face.
What have I done?!

Hiccup's POV.
"...Okay, so maybe I did get a little bit carried away hiking. I was lucky I had my journal so I could map the forest!" I tell Toothless as we walk side by side through the forest. "In the end it was pretty good. I mapped most of the woodland that day! And it was a nice break from life." I chuckle.

"Ya know, if we got high ..., you could show me .. you went." Toothless says.

"Yeah, not a bad idea!" I remark, taking a second to peer around us.
"How about that tree?" I suggest, pointing to a fairly big tree nestled off track with lots of branches–easily climbable. Toothless nods and so we make our way to the bottom of it. I grin mischievously and look at him.
"Race ya!" I yell and use my spear to boost myself up onto a low branch.

"Oh, you are so on!" Toothless replies and jumps up onto one branch. I pull myself up onto another and step up onto yet another branch.

I look behind me to see Toothless momentarily flap his wings to reach another branch, dig his claws into that branch and climb up to another.

I quickly turn back and start to rapidly climb the closer together branches.
Oh, its a close one! I'm small so I can move inbetween the branches, but I'm relatively slow and off balance. Toothless may be large but he has the advantage of sharp claws, wings, and speed.

Astrid's POV.

"So, do we wanna go to our tree?" I ask the gang, not sure what else to do.
Everyone shrugs and we head that way, quietly talking amongst ourselves as we head to the tree that were taken residence in. As we trek on, I throw my axe at trees and then pull them out as we walk past. Not gonna lie it's funny seeing the groups reaction of surprise and fear when I do it out of nowhere. Snotlout screams louder than any teenage girl I know.

I hate doing all these 'After raid clean up!' jobs. I just want to train but from the moment I step outside tools are shoved in my hands and I'm sent on my way. I mean, I'M A JUNIOR SHIELD MAIDEN FOR THOR'S SAKE....not for long. Soon I'll be probably married. And I'm FIFTEEN! IT'S NOT FAIR!

"Urg. The chief seriously needs to lighten up on the work!" I complain as we walk.

"Yeah, like he is just too depressed to do anything!" Randi exclaims. "Instead making us do it all!" she flinches as my axe slams into the trunk of a tree to her right.
"I hate doing all this. We never had this problem before!" I complain. "I don't mind helping out but this has gotten out of hand." I pull my axe out and test it's weight.

"Yeah. Tell me about it." Randi says as we all cross over onto the path that leads to the tree.
We should be their in a minute or two now.

Hiccup's POV.

"Okay, okay! You bet me! You win!" I shout as I clutch the branch desperately.
Predictably, Toothless got up before me and he used his weight to bend down the tree top– I'm dangling hundred of meters above the ground with my spear dangerously balanced on my feet.

If I let go, I'll be killed. Toothless' tail doesn't work either cause of...ya know, the whole flammable fabric situation.

Toothless laughs at me and moves back slowly so the tree goes upright again. I pull myself up onto the branch with a grunt and use my spear to make my way to Toothless. As soon as I climb up onto the saddle and Toothless suddenly plunges off. If it wasn't for my quick grip, I probably would of fallen off.

"Hey!" I protest jokingly as we fall. Toothless looks back at me and smirks, before he sticks out his claws and clutches onto a nearby trees branch, the tree swaying. "EEL CAKE" Toothless curses out loud.

"Toothless!" I laugh at his choice of words.

"Hey! Don't blaim me. Your favourite .. in the ... are coming!" Toothless replies, backing as far away from view as possible, suddenly cautious.

I peer down to see the teens coming into view after rounding a corner.
Oh, no.
"Hey! Does our tree seem....different to you?" I hear Fishlegs ask, pointing to the tree that we were just on.
"Yeah, like more...Disturbed?" Snotlout suggests, studying it.
Your tr—YOUR TREE?!

"You guys it's probably nothing! All this Stoick business has us all on edge!" Astrid says as she and the rest of the teens begin to climb the tree that Toothless and I had literally just climbed.
Stoick business? Never mind. Not my business anymore haha. Sucks to be them.
I look closer to see that a claw mark that Toothless had left is covered by leaves. Thank Thor!

"What do we do now?!" I whisper yell to Toothless, who shares my worry.
He shrinks back further against the tree silently, and we share a silent conversation with each other. If we were to move we would have to be really stealthy. I know he's a Night Fury and all, so it's possible, but this tree is relatively creaky so we could perhaps be given away by any movement we would make.
This is just my luck.

We share a look that means we'll just have to stay here until they're all distracted enough, and hope and pray that they don't look over and see us.
Oh, gods. No. Not good. This is SO bad. This is really, REALLY bad!

We sit back and just try to relax, though you can't do it so easily when you risk having six people spot you.
Astrid sits on a high branch and across from her Randi climbs up to sit on a branch. These two are the most likely to see us.
Thor, help us. We're lucky they haven't spotted us already.
--------------------
Hey! What do ya think, recon they'll be caught?! Think they can get out of Berk quickly, and without being captured?

This one was a little over 2000 words. Tbh this chapter was boring, wasn't it.

Here are a few questions to ponder over:
Why do you call it a building when it's already built?
Why do we still call a Fly a fly when it's not actually flying?
Why do we call a lock a lock, even when it's unlocked?
How good can a bedtime story really be if its supposed to put you alseep?

Quote Of The Chapter:
Alvin: You know Hiccup. With this book, your knowledge of dragons and my knowledge of warfare... we could make quite the team. How does that sound?
Hiccup, while counting on his fingers: Uh, insane, demented, delusional, stupid.

(The last face he pulls though 😂)

Bye!