𖣯 ✹ 🌷(makligr) ꏍ ！┈─❟
╰───►chapter two; hiccup
❝ what commeth when winter arrives! ❞

    HICCUP felt like his entire stomach was sinking with the ship. Fast, sudden━lurching into the waters at an almost full vertical with Dagur laughing in his ears; he knew what he had done. He knew Hiccup far better than he'd like to admit, and that infuriated him. He glanced back and forth, hearing the screams and yells of his friends, the growls of Toothless and the taunts Dagur cried out, standing at the sternpost with a bright, deranged look on his scarred and tattooed face.

    "Isn't this exciting?!" he called out. Hiccup's heart raced. He glanced back at the others, seeing the ship now halfway down into the waters; the cage jolting as it slowly slid. They would be submerged in just minutes. "What will he choose, ladies and gentlemen? Saving his friends or capturing his mortal enemy, his brother?"

    Hiccup gritted his teeth and pulled Toothless around. Leaving Dagur behind, Hiccup pushed his chest flat against the saddle and the Night Fury's body vibrated with his usual shriek whenever he dived. He will have to get back that strange object later. First, he needed to help his friends.

    They landed on the mast━now horizontal━right over the cage where his friends were desperately trying to break the door. Yrsa had rallied the others in an attempt to force it open with all of their weight. But the best it was doing was just bruising their shoulders. Astrid caught sight of Hiccup and she gasped.

    "Hiccup!" she cried. "Get us out of here!"

    When Astrid was asking for help, Hiccup knew they were out of ideas and out of time.

    He tried to think on his toes, and the best thing he could come up with was: "Move back from the door!" Toothless jumped down from the mast, and they landed on the rapidly sinking deck. The waters lapped at the broken stem, dark and deep. Hiccup slipped off the saddle, gripping onto the hinges of the trapdoor to keep himself steady.

    "Toothless," he called, "plasma blast!"

    His dragon reacted without hesitation. Purple escaped from his maw and blasted the lock of the cage━the green sparked and turned red with pure heat, but didn't budge. Hiccup's stomach twisted. Come on, he tried to stay calm and instead focused on the second thing━dragon-proof metal?

    "Dragon-proof bars?" Fishlegs ran back to the door, peering at the lock with wide, inquisitive eyes. "Oh, fascinating..."

    Hiccup walked up to the cage, peering at the metal, "Whoever built this ship really knew what they were doing━whoa!" the ship lurched to the side and HIccup was thrown off balance. He hit the deck, clinging onto the edge of the cage to stop himself from falling overboard.

    Snotlout grabbed the bars with a similar idea. "Oh, you know what would be more fascinating━?" the ship lurched the other way and he was pinned to the bars by Fishlegs. His sarcasm turned into a full on scream, "━GETTING US OUT OF HERE!"

    Hiccup held onto the door, trying to think on his toes. He was great at coming up with plans under pressure, but this was seriously under pressure. He thought about using Yrsa's axe still on his back to cut the lock off━but if it was strong enough to resist a Night Fury's fire, would it shatter the blade? He couldn't risk it. That axe was the last thing she held that her father gave her, he refused to let it get destroyed.

    Miserable, he tried Toothless again. And again. And again. The ship was decending further and further into the dephts, and each blast did nothing but jolt the cage backwards, sending the group of them into serious trembles in their bones.

    Yrsa appeared at the cage door as well, glaring down at the lock. Her fingers were inches from Hiccup's━and he hated how he focused on that in such a dire time, but he couldn't help it.

    "Snotlout, give me your helmet," she ordered.

    The Jorgenson stared at her in shock, "What? No!" he held it protectively to his head, the strange braids he had found flying about.

    "Just do it!"

    No one━even Snotlout━was idiotic enough to defy Yrsa when she rose her voice like that. Even after three years, they were all still a little scared of her. (She was always just that bit crazy). He passed it over, his wig falling to the ground and slipping through the bars into the water below. He cried out in anguish, and Astrid smacked his ear.

    Yrsa reached in through the bars with the horns on Snotlout's helmet and tried to wedge them inbetween. Holding the other end, she pulled, desperate to break it. But it wasn't even budging. She tried until the horn chipped and Snotlout shrieked, snatching it back before she'd break it completely.

    "We need more firepower," decided Hiccup, now far more than desperate. "Guys━dragon calls!"

    Together, the group of them all took deep breaths and let loose a series of screams, roars and deep-throat calls they had learnt off by heart for their specific dragon. The calls echoed out into the dawn, but who knew how close their dragons were. Hiccup was sure that they wouldn't have gotten far. They were coming back━they were probably already on their way back now (most definitely led by Stormfly and Helrose).

    The cage rattled again. The ship took a sudden hulk of water. Yrsa was pinned to the bars by Tuffnut who had fallen from the top. She banged her head on the bars and Hiccup winced. He was going to ask whether she was okay, but only more problems added to their list.

    From the waters, emerged their dearest friends, the giant, screaming eels. With horrifying hisses, one leapt from a rock yards away and onto the top of the cage. Hiccup stumbled back, tripping onto the trapdoor.

    "Why'd it have to be eels?!" screamed Snotlout.

    Toothless fired a plasma blast that sent the eel screeching and flying back into the ocean, but there were more to come. They were getting closer to the deck of the boat, and when Toothless's tail hit the water, he scurried back up to them, letting out his own shriek of fear. He leapt up onto the top of the cage and defended them from that advantage instead.

    The eels appeared out of the murky water. Hiccup gritted his teeth. The rest of their dragons were nowhere to be seen. He started to tug at the lock, seriously wishing he had his father's strength right now. Yrsa and Astrid helped from the inside, back to probably jarring their shoulders to add to his impact. Oh come on, he grumbled to the gods, we have to have loosened the lock at least by now?!

     He kept tugging and pulling, hearing distant cries of Toothless's fire warning back the growing pack of eels. The water was just inching towards the trapdoor━with the weight of the boulder, they could go vertical at any second now, and the cage will drop down (with them) into the sea below. Hiccup had been paying so much attention to the cage door, he forgot about the eels at the water's edge. He gasped when one launched right out to him. Hiccup yelled in alarm, feeling his metal leg be pulled painfully against the leather keeping the wood tied to his stump. He gripped ahold of the bars, trying to kick the thrashing eel away. "Toothless!"

     With a single plasma blast, he was gone. And Hiccup was onto his last idea. Unlatching his leg, he leaned against the upturned wood of the trapdoor, slipped in the metal of the foot base and twisted. Instead of hinging the lock, he tried to hinge the door itself, and there was a breath of tired relief to see it creak open━a little bit, but enough to weaken the lock.

     But the ship was turning now. Tipping up and up and up━Hiccup yelped as his legs were lifted off. He held onto the bars like the others, dangling as the cage began to slide━closer and closer to the eel infested waters below. The others screamed for their dragons. Even as they continued to tilt, Hiccup still tried to open the cage until then, from the yellows of the sunrise, arrived the remainder of their crew.

     "Helrose!" cried Yrsa in relief━

     The ship came full vertical. The cage dropped and the door swung wide open.

     Hiccup yelled, ready to hit the water, when he felt Toothless's paws snatch him up. He gasped and quickly pulled himself up onto the saddle. He grasped his leg from the cage door as it fell and secured it back on. The mast Toothless manages to pull them up to snapped and Hiccup shot them into the sky, followed by the others and their dragons, safely back in their saddles.

      He let out a long breath, slumping forward a little. They did it. They got out with just split-seconds to spare. Hiccup scratched Toothless's scales to settle his nerves and anger, "Thanks, bud." He purred in reply.

     Fishlegs was still shaking, clinging onto Meatlug's ears with a whimpering, "That was way too close!"

     Hiccup didn't say anything. He just glowered the way Dagur and his men escaped. "Hiccup," he heard Astrid say, "what are we doing?"

     He set his jaw stubbornly. "You guys go back to Berk," he said. He gave them all a brief glance. "I'm going after Dagur. Whatever that cylinder-looking thing is, I know one thing for sure━it shouldn't be in his hands."

      But before he left, he swooped in beside Yrsa, passing over her axe that she took with delicate fingers. She ran them along the designs on the hilt. She locked his gaze, and without any words, Hiccup knew she was beyond grateful.

◞ ★ ꒱꒱◜

     TAKING BACK the strange object was far too easy in Hiccup's experience against Dagur, but it was relieving after such a stressful near-death experience on the Reaper. The flight back to Berk gave Hiccup plenty of time to think; about what this strange cylinder could be, what it was doing on a ship owned by Vikings who were no friends to dragons, what Dagur might do next to retain it (and a pretty cool name for the object, if Hiccup did say so himself). He was sure of one thing: whatever this thing was, it wouldn't be good for the safety of dragons. If those people had it, secured it with many traps in a ship littered with dragon bones in cages and mounted on walls, Hiccup felt as though his horrible, dreaded feeling in his gut was well-enforced.

     But none of these questions could be answered if they didn't find a way to open it.

     And watching Gobber try to do so was exhausting in itself. It was like watching a wrestling match between a slab of Gronckle Iron and a yak (impossible to win). He twisted and pulled and even gnawed his teeth on the hatches in either side, but nothing worked. It was like it was fused shut with dragon flame.

     "Have you ever seen anything like this Dragon Eye before?" asked Hiccup, and all the Dragon Riders turned to him, confused.

     "Dragon Eye." frowned Tuff from where he leaned against a barrel in the forge. "How do you know it's called a Dragon Eye?

     Hiccup arched a brow, "Because I named it."

     Tuffnut didn't look impressed by the name (well, Hiccup thought it was cool...)

     "Whoa, whoa━" Snotlout held a hand up to stop him. Hiccup resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Aren't we supposed to vote on stuff like that?"

     Hiccup didn't resist the urge this time. "Fine," he relented. "All in favour, say 'Dragon Eye'."

     In immediate response, the others raised their hands and chorused his choice of name. Snotlout narrowed his eyes at them, before crossing his arms with a scoff, "Just wanted to make sure we voted."

     They returned their attention to Gobber struggling with the Dragon Eye, and Yrsa fiddled with her fingers, unsure. "Can you open it, Gobber?" she asked.

     With a mighty strain, he stopped and laughed, like her question was outrageous. "Ha! Can I open it?" He gestured his hook at her viciously. She arched a brow, unamused. "I once opened a five-hundred-year-old giant clam at the bottom of the ocean with my bare hook!" At the look on Yrsa's face, Hiccup could tell she didn't believe a word. He hid his amusement. "Can I open it?" Gobber scoffed. "I think it's going to be━" his hook reached a nook I'm the contraption of the Eye and Gibber grinned. "Huh━aha━!"

    A far shot out of the butt of the cylinder and hit Tuffnut right in the chest. He grunted in alarm and the others all gasped, staring at him with bated breath to see what would happen (and whether they should go get Gothi).

     Tuff glanced down at the dart poking out of his tunic. "Urgh!" he let out. "What is that? That looks like a━" wham! He hit the ground face-first, unconscious. His sister pointed and laughed.

    Gobber's eyes went wide and he winced. "Well, that was ... something, maybe ..." he shrugged it off and returned to pulling at the Dragon Eye.

     Hiccup winced, "Uh━Gobber, maybe you shouldn't━"

     "Trust me. I'm━"

     Out of the side, a jet of what Hiccuo could guess to be Hideous Zippleback gas sprouted out and filled the room in seconds. He immediately cupped his nose and mouth, holding his breath. Tuffnut pushed himself back up onto his feet, dizzy, but conscious. "It's all right," he hadn't noticed the gas, "I'm okay. I got hit with something, but now━" he sniffed the gas by accident and his eyes widened, "━Nope, scratch that━" he fell back down and started to convulse on the floor.

     Ruffnut laughed again through her cupped nose and mouth and his shaking, babbling figure on the floor. Hiccup grimaced as the gas started to disperse and they rushed to Tuffnut's side.

     Hiccup pursed his lips, "Yeah ... I'm thinking we should probably go get Gothi."

     They lugged Tuffnut up the cliff to Gothi's home where she whipped up a quick solution to his problems. He was fine in minutes, shaking off his shivers and babbles. Hiccup stood back with Yrsa, continuing to frown at Gobber who still wasn't giving up on this Dragon Eye. She also had a brow arched and her nose upturned, slightly disgusted at the way his teeth yanked at the many notches and nooks.

     "I'm not ever touching that thing from now on," she told Hiccup softly.

     He glanced at her, a little amused. "I'm going to clean it. You'll be fine."

    She stared at him like he was crazy. "Hiccup, do you really think a simple clean will get rid of Gobber? That man never bathes! He smells worse than Tuffnut that day he and Ruff went on a mud-strike." She shivered in disgust at the memory.

     "My teeth are itching," their conversation broke away at Tuffnut scratching his teeth, alarmed. "My teeth are itchy!"

     Gothi scribbled a quick sentence on the sand by her feet with her staff. Gobber read it over her shoulder and translated for them, "She says that's a good sign. Means it's working."

     "Er━thank you, Gothi," Hiccup stepped forward and the small, old woman gazed up at him. "We really appreciate this."

     Tuffnut whined, raking his nails along his teeth. Yrsa winced at the horrendous noise.

     Gobber noticed something on the Dragon Eye. He tapped his hook on Hiccup's hand to grab his attention, and they all looked over to see where he pointed. On the side of the Eye, hidden in the leather wraps and mechanisms, was a three-hole key.

     Seeing it, Gothi's eyes widened. She let out an inaudible gasp, quickly turning away. Hiccup immediately frowned, welling up with concern. "Gothi?" He asked the woman gently. "Are you okay? What is it?" He stepped closer, holding out a helpful hand and she met his gaze briefly. With a sigh she stretched out her left arm. There, on her skin, was a scar that matched the three keyhole contraption on the Eye.

     Hiccup's lips parted in surprise and he shared a look with Yrsa to say, are you seeing this? Her eyes widened, giving him a subtle nod.

     With that done, Gothi hugged her arm to chest and hobbled off with her staff hitting slight thinks on the ground back into her home. They watched her leave with deep frowns on their faces. Hiccup has never seen her so startled and shaken.

     "Her━her scar..." he murmured. "It matches the keyhole."

     "Yeah," said Fishlegs, "and it looked like a dragon bite to me."

     "Oh, it is━" Gobber whacked the Eye against the wooden posts of Gothi's home. "But she doesn't like to talk about it."

     "She doesn't like to talk about anything," muttered Yrsa, picking at her nails. Hiccup gave her a slight exasperated look and she replied with a, what?

     "Oh, that's why she writes in the dirt with her stick," realised Tuffnut, muffled with his fingers in his mouth still scratching at his teeth. "I thought that was just━like━her thing."

     "Yeah," added Ruff, "like Snotlout being a woman repellent."

     "Hey!"

     "Maybe we could use the stick to itch the teeth..."

     Yrsa rolled her eyes at them. Hiccup paid them no mind, starting to follow Gothi's footsteps into her home. The others sighed, shuffling after him. Gobber frowned, "Whoa━where are you going?"

     Hiccup glanced back. "After her," he said. "We have to find out what kind of dragon made that scar. It could be the key to opening the Dragon Eye."

     "Whoa, hold on━" Gobber held out his hook, "━I have ways of making her talk, heh━heh," Hiccup frowned. He didn't particularly liked the way he laughed. "Well ... scribble, anyway."

◞ ★ ꒱꒱◜

     HICCUP honestly thought Gobber meant that he had some serious leverage over the Elder of the village, but when he, Yrsa and Fishlegs returned with him to Gothi's hut with a cauldron of soup, he was slightly confused.

     "This is your fantastic plan?" Yrsa was dubious, immediately out to judge with her snobby up-turned side-glance. Hiccup gave her a pinch that she shot him a glare at for. He replied back with a look that said, hang on. She was way better than she used to be three years ago, he'd admit. She went from refusing to speak to the Twins and Snotlout, constantly upturning her nose at Fishlegs and putting down those she found anything lesser, to a way milder version of such. Hiccup tried to remind her and point it out whenever he needed to, considering he's had the chance to know a far nicer and happier version of Yrsa━he wished she didn't feel like she needed to hide that.

     Gobber just sent Yrsa a grin and took off the lid. The smell wafted towards Gothi who sat before it, and she looked up with a small whimper. "It's the old bat's weakness," said Gobber, "isn't it? Come on━" he waved the steam and smell her way further. "You know you can't resist Gobber's homemade yak noodle soup."

     (But despite his nudges to Yrsa, Hiccup was very surprised when the old woman downed it quicker than Toothless with a basket of fish).

     He watched Gothi throw the cauldron aside, finished in seconds. Rubbing her stomach, satisfied, she sat back up on her chair and burped.

     Fishlegs and Yrsa were just as susprised. "She downed that like a yak in a heat wave," muttered Fishlegs. He frowned. "That makes sense, right?"

     "I don't know," Yrsa met his gaze, thinking about. "I've only heard of them from Johann."

    (Like Hiccup said, three years has changed her a lot. She got along with Fishlegs now! Well ... Sometimes, it depended on the day━either way, Hiccup is proud of how far she's come!).

     Gobber approached Gothi sitting upon her wooden chair, narrowing his eyes menacingly. Hiccup sighed, but decided they might as well use this to their advantage, "Now, tell me about this bite mark."

     Gothi reached for her staff. Yrsa's eyes widened. "Gods, it worked."

     She began to scratch into the sand and dirt. Gobber read her words over his shoulder. "'I was a turkey neck━'" she whacked him over the head, "━Ow! 'Teenager'. Sorry." Gothi rolled her eyes and went back to scribbling. "'I had a longing to climb Glacier Island to find pure glacial water known for its healing properties. So, I went with two vegetables━'" whack! "━Ow! 'Vikings!' Sorry! I'm a bit rusty.

     "'We had only been at the summit for a few hours when we were hit by a terrible snowstorm. That's when it attacked. It was vicious. Relentless, and impossible to see in the white-out'." Gohti's face turned ashen and she scribbled down a menacing name: "'The Snow Wraith'."

      There was a moment of silence as she wrote nothing. Her eyes were dull; off to the gloomy night as they flickered down in mourning. Hiccup felt a jolt of guilt for making her tell him this story━but they had to figure out what this Dragon Eye was. She sadly wrote: "'I'll never know why it didn't finish me off that day. I left knowing only one thing━I never wanted to smooch that dragon again━'" Gobber frowned at her, confused, "Smooch?━OW!━'See! Never wanted to see it again!'" Gobber glared at the Elder, rubbing his head. "You know, your drawing ain't what it used to be, old woman━" she held up her staff and the blacksmith winced, "━But your swing, strong as ever!"

    Hiccup frowned at the drawings in the dirt, determination already filling within him. "Gothi," he said, "a tooth from the Snow Wraith is the key to unlocking the Dragon Eye," she narrowed her eyes at him. "You have to help us find it."

     Angry, she scribbled an answer. Looking up at Gobber, he gaped. "I━I can't say that to him! He's the chief's son!"

     Hiccup arched a brow. Now he really wanted to know. He turned to Fishlegs, who was the only other one out of them who could read Gothi's drawings. He turned a little pale and gave him a nervous chuckle. "L━let's just say she's not going back..."

      Gothi continued, rubbing out the colourful words in the dirt to write something else. "And besides," Gobber spoke for her. "Berk needs her. It's true━she's the best healer we've got."

     Hiccup stepped forward, stubborn. "Gobber can cover for you━" he held out a hand towards his mentor.

     "What━?" let out Yrsa, "━Uh━" Fishlegs winced, "━Huh?" Gobber's brows rose in surprise before he cleared his throat. "Oh, well, uh, of course, I can. I've watched Gothi work so many times, I know this place like the back of my hand━" he held up his hook. Realising, he laughed nervously and quickly switched the hands around.

      Gothi wasn't happy with this decision. Hiccup pursed his lips. He understood, and in reality, the last thing he wanted to do was take Gothi back to a place she feared and held such horrible memories. But Berk might depend on this. Dagur will be coming back for this Dragon Eye, and he needed to know what was in it. For the dragons as well. It was dire. So, with a sigh, he closed his eyes and dropped his shoulders to say, "Look, Gothi, you remember the viciousness of the Snow Wraith, I get that," he began. "But ... but you also remember how it was to be my age, to want to explore, to need to see what else is our there. To get answers to questions you haven't even asked yet." To help Toothless, he added quietly to himself. He showed her the Dragon Eye, "This will help me do all of that. But only━only if you help me unlock it."

     Those words brought a fresh ferociousness to Gothi's eyes, and Hiccup knew she was going to help.

◞ ★ ꒱꒱◜

     EVEN cladded in his tunic and leather armour that usually kept him warm in the Berk climate, it was nothing compared to Glacier Island. It was covered from North to South, East to West in snow and ice━the glaciers themselves standing at least twenty feet tall like frozen waves leering over them. The island shifted and crunched underfoot, which made Toothless nervous. Night Fury's weren't good in climates as cold as this, either.

     Hiccup placed a hand on his snout, "It's okay, bud," he murmured. "We'll be out of here in no time..."

     Yrsa and Helrose walked up to them. The regal Viking wrapped an arm over Toothless's neck and he purred at her, nuzzling against her leg. Hiccup smiled a little at them, brushing a hand down Helrose's slender dark purple neck. The Devilish Dervish bounced her head like a horse, something she did when she wasn't comfortable either. With her high firepower statistic, she was better-accustomed to weather such as this since she had natural body heat, but the sound of ice moving made her jittery and nervous.

      Hiccup glanced up at the high glaciers. He wondered whether this Snow Wraith might be hiding out in one of them━awaiting for the perfect moment to strike on the intruders to its home.

      A thud! on the snow made him jump a little. But his startlement soon turned to annoyance wehn he saw it was just Snotlout being an idiot, offering a hand to Gothi to help her step down from Hookfang's saddle only to trick her, making her fall face-first into the white.

     "Oh!" Snotlout laughed at her. "Yak hands! Oh, I'm so sorry. Are you okay?" Gothi pushed herself to stand with her staff, glaring at Snotlout with her small, beady eyes. As he laughed again, she swept her staff under his feet, tripping him right over.

     Astrid laughed and Yrsa crossed her arms, impressed. "You know," the Hofferson muttered to her, "we should bring her along more often."

     Gothi shuffled forward in the snow, leaving three footprints behind her. Gazing around with narrowed eyes, the rest of them waited for her to say━well, scribble━something. In the end, she just turned to them with a shrug.

     Hiccup sighed, a little disappointed. Snotlout scoffed from beside his dragon. "Great," he said, "just great. She's got nothin'! Someone else is wearing that bag of bones home. She's all knees and elbows."

     Yrsa rolled her eyes, "Snotlout, we just got here, and we're not leaving until we get that tooth."

      Hiccup nodded at her, agreeing. As the wind picked up, sending a breeze that nearly toppled them over, he made a decision to split up in search of the Snow Wraith. There wasn't much about this dragon in the Book fo Dragons or Bork's Papers other than it was fast, dangerous and under Strike Class. Which meant that they knew no weakness, had little knowledge of its statistics and abilities━or anything, really. Hiccup and Toothless did a lap before returning, coming up with nothing. By the looks of it, no one else seemed to have had any luck, but he still asked:

     "Anybody find anything?"

     "All we found was some scattered yak bones," said Ruff from Barf's saddle.

     "Uh, I━I didn't see anything," Fishlegs held onto Mealtug, shivering a little from the cold, "but I had this weird feeling that something was watching me..."

     "Oh! I had a weird feeling, too!" Snotlout piped up with the usual sarcasm. "Like this old lady was stuck on my back!"

     Gothi peered over his shoulder and Tuff screamed. "Gah!" he hid his face. "Two heads!" Barf and Belch snarled up at him and he winced. "Oh, sorry, guys," he scratched Belch's head tenderly. "I mean, on you two, it works. I've seen it before. I'm used to it..."

     The wind returned, billowing over the glacier. Hiccup looked up, frowning at the snow storm heading their way. Helrose shuffled her wings, wanting to get out of here. Yrsa ran a hand down her snout to calm her, but met Hiccup's gaze to say, "Maybe we should get out of here. I know we need that Wraith tooth, but we won't be able to see or do anything━that looks like a huge storm."

     "No," Hiccup shook his head. He might be being stubborn, but he was determined━he was not leaving without this Snow Wraith tooth. "We should dig in here and wait for the Snow Wraith to show itself. Remember, it likes to attack when you can't see it."

     "Great," muttered Fishlegs, glancing around them nervously. "Just great."

      The group of them worked to set up camp in the growing storm. Their tents flapped in the wind, barely staying down. Hiccup got slapped in the face by his more times than he'd like to admit (and Snotlout found it hilarious). Soon, the wind grew so harsh, it felt as though Hiccup was being pushed back. It sent ice against his cheeks, stinging.

      Even if Hiccup wanted to get out of here like Yrsa suggested, there was no way to do so now. They were stuck in this storm and had no choice but to wait it out. He crouched in behind Toothless's wing who was trying his best to give them some cover against the ferocious winds.

      Hiccup could barely see the others in the snow, but called out nonetheless, "Use your dragons as extra protection from the wind!" His voice sounded distant even to himself.

      Before Snotlout could make an annoying sarcastic reply, there was a roar behind them and Hiccup's tent was snatched away. It could have been the wind, but no wind made that sound; like teeth grinding against metal.

     "It's the Snow Wraith!" exclaimed Fishlegs, screeching and hiding under his tent only for it to be swept up right over him. He screamed.

     Hiccup didn't know where this dragon was. It was there, and then it was gone, camouflaged with the snow and wind. It could be anywhere━it could be right behind him, and he wouldn't know until it was too late.

     High stealth stat, he thought off-handedly. Definitely. Add that to the Book of Dragons ...

     Toothless growled into the storm, but it was washed away.

     "HOLD YOUR GROUND!" bellowed Hiccup. "AND FIRE BACK!"

     "Fire back where?!" Yrsa yelled back. "We can't see it━Gah!" her tent was the next one to go, whisking away in a blur of white.

     "Actually, you know what?" Hiccup spun on his feet. "TAKE COVER!"

     They all split up. Hiccup heard an explosion behind him and Snotlout's screams. He dared not look back, diving behind a mountain of snow with Toothless beside him. There was a great big roar, echoing and carrying miles through the wind. He thought it was behind him, but then it was as if it was in front, and to his left━and then to his right. With a shaking heart, Hiccup mustered up enough bravery to peek over the snow mound and his eyes widened.

     "Whoa..." he breathed.

     The Snow Wraith stood larger than the neck and body of a Zippleback, towering over their hiding figures. The snow and wind wrapped around it, making it seem like it was made if its very fibre━a glorious creature with ice coated horns and a stubbed snout. Its teeth were small and sharp except for two on either side, thick and sticking out in an overbite. Pure white from head to wing to tail; even whe he staed right at it, it seemed to blink in and out of the snow. It would be beautful if it wasn't trying to kill them.

     It approached Snotlout. Hiccup stiffened. The Jorgenson was stuck in a pile of snow, his head the only thing visible. The Dragon sniffed at him and he whimpered, trying to be as silent as he could. Hiccup didn't know how the dragon didn't see him. The Snow Wraith sniffed and titled his head, peering at Snotlout with gleaming blue-purple eyes ... but it walked away.

     Hiccup had no time to wonder why. Instead, he turned to his dragon, "Toothless! Warning shot, bud!"

     A purpe sonic blast showered snow over Snotlout's head and the Snow Wraith reared up in fury. He roared in Hiccup's direction, his mouth lighting up in an icy white-blue fire. In response, Hiccup saw the rest of the dragons fire in retaliation. The Snow Wraith took flight towards them. Hiccup's heart jolted.

     "CEASE FIRE!" he cried. "CEASE FIRE!"

     With a swipe of its wing, Astrid was knocked from Stormfly's back. She fell down the glacier, managing to grasp a nook in the ice. Her dragon squawked and peered over, shuffing her feet nervously. "Stormfly!" ordered Astrid and with a flick, the Nadder's tail was armoured. She hung it over the edge, and Astrid was able to climb back up.

     Hiccup stood up from his hiding spot with Toothless at his side. "All right," he grumbled; the wind fought against him, but he kept his feet rooted and his knees bent. "I've had just about enough of this dragon, bud. Do your thing."

     With a deep breath, Toothless opened his maw. Instead of a sonic blast, waves of purple extended out into the white-out and Hiccup could see the Snow Wraith. "Now!" he cried. "Multiple blasts!"

      The Wraith dodged them, but didn't account for the snow behind him. Some fell and struck him on the head━his flight staggered, shaking the snow from his eyes. He let out a final, furious roar before retreating into the cover of the glaciers above.

     Hiccup waited for a second, expecting it to return. But when the dragon didn't, he let out a sigh, "I think it's gone." He checked his surroundings, trying to do a head-count. "Everybody okay" Hiccup called out to the team. "Everybody here?"

      Astrid raised a weak arm as a yes. To his left, Yrsa and Helrose emerged━Hiccup let out a sigh of relief. Toothless bounded towards Yrsa and she held his snout gently. But she was shivering from the cold; trembling even.

     She returned with Toothless, her walk staggered slightly from the wind.

     The Twins revealed themselves from the snow next. "What do you mean by here?" asked Ruffnut, and Hiccup's eyes flickered up to the heavens with slight annoyance.

     "I have a question, Hiccup━" Snotlout dug himself out of the snow mound he had fallen into, dusting the ice off his vest. "What exactly is your plan to get a Snow Wraith tooth? Take it out of one of our dead bodies?!"

     "If all goes well," Tuffnut clasped his hands in front of him smartly, "it'll be Ruffnut's dead body━" his sister shot him a glare, "━and the Wraith tooth."

     She held up a fist to punch him, but with Gothi shuffling towards Hiccup, he silenced them with a, "Hold on, quiet! Gothi wants to tell us something."

     Fishlegs hobbled over, reading the scribbles she wrote in the snow. "She says we should've ..." he gulped. "She says we should've left when we had the chance."

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     THEY waited out the snow under the cover of their dragons' wings, huddled together. Now that the Snow Wraith was gone, it seemed to storm had no need to be here anymore, and dispersed with the dragon's retreat.

     "Okay," Snotlout crossed his arms, "that thing was gnarly."

     Yrsa shot him a glare to shut up. Hiccup turned to Astrid who was still a little blue at the tips of her fingers from clinging onto the ice. "Astrid, are you okay?"

     "Yep, barely," she shivered under Stormfly's shadow. She was warming her fingers up by holding them under her arms.

     "Hiccup, you know I want a shot at this as badly as you," said Fishlegs, "but maybe we should get out of here. We're just sitting ducks in this storm━"

     Hiccup's eyes widened. "Whoa, whoa, whoa━" he was struck with an idea. He remembered how the Snow Wraith had completely disregarded Snotlout━as if it couldn't see him in the snow. His heart began to race as he thought of a plan. "━wait a minute. What did you say?"

     "He said we're sitting ducks," snapped Snotlout. "And for once, I agree with him."

      Hiccup turned away, mind racing. His plan was coming together━crazy, but when wasn't it? Yrsa frowned at him, a little concerned. His eyes widened when it all finally came together and Hiccup spun back around with a grin on his face. "Sitting ducks! Yes, yes! Yes, that's exactly what we need to be!"

     Yrsa propped her hands on her hips, annoyed. "You want to explain yourself? Or are we just going to stand here in the cold and wait?"

      "What if we could make the Snow Wraith think it sees us when were not here?" Hiccup waved his hands at her, hoping she'd catch along. She just arched her brow, unamused. He sighed, shoulders slumping, trying to tell her━you know, come on!

      Before she could say anything else, the Twins gaped. "You can make yourself invisible?" gasped Tuffnut. "Why does he get to do all the cool stuff?" he added to his sister who shrugged as if to say: beats me. "I just have to sit here with you as a sister━"

     "Will you two be quiet for ten seconds!" Snotlout growled at them.

     "Tuff's actually not that far off," said Hiccup and they all rose their brows. "Look, the Snow Wraith didn't have any trouble seeing us until Snotlout got buried in the snow. A━and Gothi said it couldn't find her when she fell into a snow bank. I think that's because it sees body heat in the same way Toothless can find things with sound. We'll use this to our advantage and confuse it. Then, while it's distracted, we'll net it and get that tooth."

     "And you're sure it will work?" asked Yrsa. He met her gaze and gave her a weak smile. She went blank-faced. "Of course not."

     Snotlout glared at Hiccup. "I hate you," he said. "You know that?"

    Hiccup rolled his eyes, "Yes, I am aware of that," he turned to the others. "All right, gang, let's get to work."

     His plan consisted of using what was left of their tents to create as convincing statues of themselves as they could with nothing but posts and shredded leather. It was the Twins' idea to draw smiley faces on all of them━except for Yrsa and Astrid's, in which they drew large frowns as a 'silent protest against their mean attitudes'. From a distance amongst the wind and snow, Hiccup couldn't help but grin, feeling his heart rise with a fresh determination and eagerness. He nodded to himself, quite proud from the foot of the cave they hid in.

    "Pretty good," he mused. He turned to the rest of he Riders and Gothi. "Now, if I'm right, when we light these on fire, the Snow Wraith will think they're us and attack. Then, we'll have the drop on it."

     "Wait, wait, wait!" Snotlout held his hands up and Hiccup set his jaw. "Look at how realisitcally gorgeous my statue is! I can't in good conscience sent that into flames━ah!" the head of his statue broke off.

      Yrsa was fixing her hair. She gave him a side-eye━looking very much like Helrose in this moment. "I'll work through the pain and do it for you," she said snidely.

     Snotlout didn't realise the insult. Instead, he gaped at her, eyes welling up, "Wow ..." he breathed, "you'd do that for me, Yrsa?"

     She shook her head, not giving him the satisfaction of a response as she tied the end of her right braid.

      "All right, Toothless," Hiccup gestured to the stick-figure staties, "light 'em up."

     His dragon bounded forward and shot a bright flame towards the group of statues. They were in flames after two, lighting up the snowscape like pyres in the dark. The team was uncharacteristically quiet in waiting for the Snow Wraith to appear. Snotlout took off his helmet in grief of his, and the silence was over: "Somewhere in the world, a silent tear was just cried."

     Hiccup narrowed his gaze into the distance in search of the dragon he had seen before. For a short while, there was nothing; just the sound of wind and fire crackling away at wood.

     Fishlegs twiddled his thumbs apprehensively. "Hiccup, I don't know if this━"

     "Wait━" he spotted something, "━look!"

     A blur of white swooped over their burning counterparts in the shape of a dragon. At the roar that followed, Hiccup knew he was right━it was the Snow Wraith.

     "Okay," he continued, "next time it comes in, we go."

    The dragon dived back down, snatching up Snotlout's statue. He gasped and fixed his helmet back onto his head. "Oh, no you don't━" matching his anger, Hookfang's body lit on fire. Hiccup felt his stomach drop.

    "Wait, Hookfang, no━!"

     The ice above caved in. In the chaos that followed, Hiccup found himself covered in a mass of black, scaly wings. Another body was squished against him and at the grunts, he recognised it as Yrsa. Hiccup managed to snag an arm around her as they hit the ground, rolling across in Toothless's wings.

     When it subsided, they were twisted around and with an unwrap of his wings, Toothless peered down at them. Yrsa let out a breath of thanks, then another thought hit her. Hiccup had no time to ask whether she was all right before she pushed her way out of his arms and ran to the blockage in the cave; now obscured with a large sheet of snow and ice. "Helrose!" she shouted, banging her fist against the ice. "Helrose!"

     Hiccup pushed himself onto his hands and feet, "Yrsa━" he called after, "━Yrsa, it's okay, we'll━" his eyes widened to see a something white swoop down out of the snow. "Toothless, look out! Yrsa━!"

     Before he could see whether she ducked for cover, Hiccup was pulled back into the safety of Toothless's wings. As soon as he was free, he scrambled to his feet with a thundering heart. The Snow Wraith disappeared into the skyline━he snapped his gaze to Yrsa, and felt something in him relax to see her peek an eye open from the cover she had made with her arms.

     He rushed over to her, helping her up. "Are you okay?!"

     She brushed snow out of her hair and glanced back at the cave blocked behind them. "Helrose and the others━"

     "We'll have to come back for them," Hiccup didn't like the idea, but they had no choice. "If the Wraith can see our body heat, then we are way too easy a target out here."

     Yrsa nodded. She shivered and gave a final glance back at the cave. Hiccup felt the need to place a hand on her shoulder, but he stopped himself. His fingers curled up, knowing he shouldn't. They had decided together that they were to stay friends. Hiccup respected that━even though his heart ached to pull her in to make sure she stayed warm.

     But he pushed those feelings down and nodded back to Toothless. Yrsa took a deep breath and followed him. Together, the three of them descended the slope back towards the flaming statues.

     Eyes peircing through the snow, Hiccup tried to see where the Wraith might be, but it was like he was walking through a sea━a continuous, freezing, white ocean. But with the fire surrounding them, crackling in their ears, he felt a little warmer in his wool. It was also easier to see ... well, kind of.

     "This should even the odds a little," he said, glancing at Yrsa who gripped her axe tightly. "It won't be able to make us out within the heat of these fires."

      "You sound really sure over that..." Yrsa shuffled closer to Toothless, her axe up.

     "Well, you know━" Hiccup set his hand on Toothless's scales, "━it makes me feel better."

      She scoffed lightly, but good-natured.

     Hiccup did a quick signal with his hand. "Do your thing, bud."

      He let loose his sound waves, igniting the grey snowstorm in circles of purple. As he did, taking turns to expand his cry out in circles around them, Hiccup and Yrsa peered out, trying to catch sight of the dragon.

     In the end, Hiccup held a hand out, "Easy bud ..." he sighed, meeting Yrsa's gaze. She shrugged. "Nothing ... where is he?"

     He went to have Toothless heave another set of soundblasters when Yrsa gasped. "Hiccup━look out!"

     Hiccup had no time to turn around before she knocked him to the snow. He grunted, surprised (and if not a bit winded). Toothless shrieked to see the Snow Wraith run towards them. Yrsa gasped, grabbing the hilt of her axe again━

      When out of nowhere, a crazy old woman launched forwards to the Snow Wraith's snout with her staff.

     Hiccup sat up, stomach lurching, "Gothi, no━!"

     She ignored him. With no fear (or perhaps no thought at all), Gothi smacked her staff across the dragon's snout. Once, twice, thrice━Hiccup lost count. The Snow Wraith cried out, startled and shaking his head. He backed away, confused and unable to gain his bearings with each smack sent to his maw. Then, he finally managed to grasp his teeth around her staff and hoisted her up. Gothi was a blur as she was shaken around with no mercy.

     "Toothless, plasma blast!" Hiccup shouted. "A━and careful not to hit the crazy little woman with the staff!"

     He got back to his feet beside Yrsa, watching in shock as at the second blast, Gothi was thrown to the snow. The Snow Wraith drew his wings and roared furiously down at them. Yrsa bent her knees, gripping her axe tight.

     Then another ball of fire struck him in the face.

     Yrsa's eyes widened. A grin formed onto her lips and she spun on her toes, "Helrose!"

     Her Devilish Dervish roared in greeting, running towards her from the opening of the cave. The ice had been melted and their friends stepped out. Despite the Snow Wraith in front of them, Yrsa met her dragon halfway with her arms around her snout. "Oh━good girl! You good girl━oh, I'm so glad you're okay!"

     "Oh, yeah, that's right!" cried Snotlout in victory as he emerged from the cave with a fire-lit Hookfang. "Snotlout got us out of the snow!"

     "Yeah," said Astrid in passing as she ran up to meet Hiccup, Yrsa, Gothi, Toothless and Helrose, "and you're also the one that got us buried in it to begin with!"

     "Ah━details..."

     It wasn't long before the Snow Wraith was outnumbered. Yrsa returned to Hiccup's side with Helrose, chin high in determination. Toothless snarled and Hiccup readied himself to fight for this tooth. They were joined by the rest of the Riders and their dragons, fresh out of the snow and just as determined to get off this blastard island.

     Hiccup thought they had it. They finally had it.

     But the Snow Wraith grew skittish. His roars turned to snarls as he backed away. Hiccup's eyes widened. "Wait━no━!" but he was too late. The Snow Wraith took to the sky again.

     They lost him.

     Again.

     "We can't lose him!" Hiccup brought up snow with his metal leg, trying to see where the Snow Wraith went. They were so close!

      "Actually," spoke up Tuffnut, "he lost us."

     Hiccup sent him a scowl and went to mount Toothless.

     "Hiccup," Astrid stopped him, "we should get out of here while we can."

     But he shook his head. No. He won't━he refused to when they were so close. "Not yet," he said, stubborn. "This isn't over." Beside him, Gothi reached up a frail finger to tap his shoulder pads. He gave her a quick glance, "Not now, Gothi━" he returned his gaze to the team. "Gang, we came here for a Snow Wraith tooth and━" Gothi tapped him again, "━I said in a minute, Gothi. And were are not leaving━Gothi!" he spun on the Elder, annoyed. "Without━" she showed him her staff and Hiccup froze, startled. There, in the wood, was lodged a jagged, three-tipped tooth. "Oh," he stopped. "Oh, a tooth."

     He realised.

     Hiccup's face broke out into a grin. "A tooth!"

◞ ★ ꒱꒱◜

      HICCUP SPENT until the late hours of the night trying to figure out how to unlock the Dragon Eye. The tooth fit in perfectly, but that was it━nothing out of the ordinary happened. Nothing showed, nothing opened ... just, nothing.

     He sat at his desk back home, fiddling and twisting and pressing the nobs on the bottom to try and understand━to get it to work. But nothing was happening. He was starting to get frustrated. He went through all of that ... he had to be missing something. There was something else he didn't know.

     Slumping forwards, he held it up close to his eye, trying to see down the throat of the dragon-head at its tip. Toothless was watching him, droopy-eyed and just wanting to head to sleep. Hiccup was getting tired himself, but his mind was alive. He wouldn't be able to get a wink of sleep until he figured this thing out.

     He turned it around for what felt the hundreth time. He peered at the designs, thinking that there might be some runes as instructions. He tapped the rubies as the dragon's eyes. But nothing. Just nothing.

     Even if his mind was alive, Hiccup couldn't stay up forever. His eyes had a whole different idea than his brain, for they were starting to close on their own accord. He shook himsefl awake again and sighed. "All right━" he let out a yawn and set the Eye onto his desk, a bit disappointed, "━that's it. I guess I'm calling it a night. Maybe tomorrow ..." He stood up and headed over to his bed. Happy, Toothless finally jumped up onto his charred stone, scratching the surface for a good spot to sleep.

     Hiccup sat down on his bed, letting out another yawn and rubbing his eyes. He heard Toothless do his usual spin; settling alight to his bed for warmth as he tried to settle. He glanced over to watch him with a smile━

     That was, until another purple gleam caught his eye.

     Hiccup's breath hitched. He spun to the Dragon Eye on his desk━out of the mouth of the head, came the light. Reflected directly from Toothless's fire.

     An idea came to him and sleep was now forgotten. He rushed to pick it up, peering at the light that still seemed to emit even away from Toothless's fire. It dimmed, but was still there. It wasn't just some reflection.

     He turned to his dragon, "Toothless, come here, bud ..."

     Miffed about being called just as he settled down, Toothless let out a yawn of a moan and stretched his limbs. Hiccup dragged his stool over to the centre of his room and set the Dragon Eye upon it, his heart starting to race. Toothless hovered over his shoulder, confused.

     "Do that again, bud ..." said Hiccup, breath hitched a little in his anticipation. "Give me a low flame ..."

     Toothless titled his head at him as if to say, what? But did so anyways. Stooping his neck and back low in front of the Dragon Eye, he opened his mouth and a soft glow of warm, purple fire extended out━it dashed through the contraption. Hiccup heard slight clicks of movement, mechanisms falling into place before out of the maw breeched the light in a more refined edge.

     It illuminated Hiccup's entire room in purple, expanding out along his wall.

     He forgot how to speak.

    Finally ... he managed to find his voice.

     "This ... this changes everything."

◞ ★ ꒱꒱◜

      a/n: this show has too much of a hold on me for it being a kids animated tv show. like seriously. (i mean, i ain't complaining ahahahah). 

      sorry if there are mistakes ahaha, hope you enjoyed this chapter!!!