AN: Many thanks to all that reviewed!
14: Thunder Island
Clan Hunt
In the seven days following the funeral of Oswald the Agreeable, Dagur had busied himself in the forge helping Gobber and Hiccup with the weapons, and pressing Berkian silver. The young Berserker was doing his level best to keep himself calm during those days, but things were beginning to look grimmer by the day.
With four tribes on such a small island, Berk's storehouses were running dangerously low on meat and vegetables. Mildew the Unpleasant had made a near fortune for himself in selling his cabbages, horrible as they smelled, and was more than willing to rub everyone's faces in it.
All of the meat from the whale hunt had nearly vanished, and it was unlikely that the great leviathans would appear en mass again until the spring warmth brought called forth more algae for the krill to feed on, which attracted the whales, and other predators.
Ack and Dogsbreath were out on the hunt every day to provide more meat for the tribe and visitors. Snotlout was busy as a tracker in his attempts to help hunt boar, and deer, but the young Viking was more bluster than skill. Thuggory, due to his injuries, was forbidden to fly with Bonesnarl, which neither dragon or rider was thrilled about.
In the rare moments that Hiccup wasn't repairing Astrid's home, he was in the air with Toothless and his bow at the ready in case he spotted a small herd himself.
But the simple fact of the matter was that winter had arrived.
Berk was now blanketed by a thick layer of snow. Toothless and Stormfly outright refused to leave the hearth on the best of days, considering that the cold was deadly to their breed. Dagur was almost the only one that had taken to the air. Which was a surprise to many.
In his grief for his father, he had found a companion in Hookfang, who was still upset over the death of his friend, and possible ancestor, Silverfang. When the young Berserker chief had come to Hiccup asking for a saddle to be made for the two of them, he had been more than shocked, but was happy to know that both had a shoulder to lean on in each other.
Astrid's saddle for Stormfly was completed right alongside Hookfang's, and the young Night Fury had accepted it without much of a fuss. Though she did tend to gnaw at the harnesses under her front legs.
Mildew had nearly started another riot over the dragons considering all four of them ate primarily fish, and the village's main food source was also fish. How were they to feed themselves when the dragons would out eat them by tons?
Thankfully they had answered that question themselves. Even though they disliked the cold greatly, Toothless, and Stormfly were seen alongside Hookfang and Bonesnarl in the bay, diving in and out of the water, and coming back up with mouthfuls of fish with each dive. Hookfang even shared his catches at times when he returned with a particularly large blue fin tuna, and presented it to Dagur and Heather, who were delighted with the generosity.
Still, the problem remained that with the coming of the first snow, all of the animals had moved off of the island of Berk and taken shelter elsewhere to find food.
And so it was with a heavy heart that Stoick asked his son to stop his work on the war machines to combat the Red Death, and start on the large whale bone ship that he had begun only a month earlier.
Hiccup and Gobber took to the task with fervor, buying juniper planks for the hull from the Thorston Clan, and salvaging dragon hide from the bone yard just outside of the village for the sail. It took them two weeks to do so, but when the work was finished, Stoick was proud of the ship in his harbor.
It was then that he called a meeting in the mead hall to discuss their food problems.
"We should go a'whalin', " Norbert sang out, "Got a whale of tale to tell ye lads! A whale of a tale or two!" Bertha shut him up by throwing her empty mug at him.
"Now that that's over," the Bog cheiftess grumped. "What do ye suggest we do, Stoick?"
Stoick sighed, "I doona see any alternative," he said, pointing down at his map, "We need tae go tae T'under Isle," he frowned as many of the gathered people started whispering, "I know, t'is a risk, but we have verra little choice."
"Stoick, that's Lava Lout territory," Alvin reminded him, "If the tribe catches wind of us, then we might be finished. Ye know how they are."
"Aye, that we all do," Thuggory put in, nodding, "But I believe Stoick has the right idea; Thunder Island is out best bet. It's the biggest island in the entire archipelago, and no one goes there, so there ought to be plenty of game." He said, turning to his men, "Think on it; bison, auroch, elk, and boar a'plenty! We'd not lack for meat the rest of the year!"
"A hunt sounds like a good idea right now, Stoick," Gobber put in, "Lot'a the boys 'ave been gettin' a wee bit itchy, if ye know what I mean?"
Stoick nodded, "That I do, and I'm sorry tae say that it'll have tae be a small hunting party." He said, looking at his son, and Dagur, "Thuggory, my son, and Dagur will take a few able-bodied men to the island in that new ship that was built, and hunt as much game as they can. The dragons can provide extra protection, and may even be good as hunting hounds."
"Can I go, too?" Fishlegs asked, raising his hand, "I'd like to do my part for the village."
"Same here!" The twins shouted in unison.
"I'll go, too." Cami smiled happily.
Astrid stepped forward, smirking, "Now I have to go just to keep all of them in line." She said sarcastically, looking down at Olga, "And since I'm going, Olga'll have to go, too."
Hiccup grimaced, "Are you sure that's such a good idea?" He asked her, "The hunting trip aside, but we'll be in Lava Lout territory. What if they catch us?"
"Ye leave them tae me, laddie," Alvin stepped forward, "Ye'll need the added muscle, so ye can count on me."
Stoick nodded, "Aye, ye've proven yerself tae me, Alvin, in protecting Astrid and her wee lass." He said, "We'll load the ship with all that ye'll need for butchery, and tanning. The hides ye'll bring back will be useful in leather goods."
.
Alvin was on deck of the "Bone Knapper", as christened by Gobber, smiling at the young folk as they moved about, and got things ready to be underway. They would take no food supplies, only living off of what water they could carry, and what the dragons could catch for them since food was getting scarce on the island.
"Alvin?" The man turned and found Hiccup standing beside him, holding a set of armor.
"Aye, lad? What are ye doin' with all that?"
He held the armor out to the former Outcast chief, "I never thanked you for protecting Astrid and Olga," he said, "Being a smith, this is all that I could think of to repay you."
Alvin understood, smiling, "Ah, lad, ye need not - "
"But I do," Hiccup said with a shake of his head, "Astrid and Olga, even if we are barely a family, mean the world to me. If I'd lost them to the bear, then I doubt I'd know what to do with myself."
Alvin nodded, and heft the shield that was set on top of the armor, "T'is light, much lighter than that plated Gronkle Iron ye made fer ye're da?"
"My finest work," the young man said, "I found that if I combined Mythril with the Gronkle Iron, and Ebony metal I made Astrid's armor and axe from then it turned this color, and became much stronger."
"And ye made it in the shape of a bear," Alvin remarked with a hint of amusement as he looked at the helmet and the shoulder pauldrons. "I thank ye, lad, and promise that I'll use it well...ye're a true mastersmith, young Hiccup, and ye'll make a fine chief when the time comes."
Hiccup blushed slightly, "Thank you, but I hope that time is long in coming."
Alvin chuckled and patted the boy on the shoulder, "Lad, in all honesty, ye are greater than yer da," he said, gaining a look of confusion from the younger man, "Look at what ye have done." He said, gesturing to the village, "Bringing the tribes together is no small feat, m'boy. And ye have showed us all that dragons can be tamed, and be fine companions. Whether in battle, or as simple friends. And ye are a master at the forge, somethin' yer da could never claim tae be." He smiled, "When I look at ye, lad, I doona see a simple chief, I see a king."
Hiccup blushed near the shade of his own hair, "I'm not sure I could handle being a chief, let alone a king."
"Bringing together three different metals to create this armor is one thing, yes," Alvin nodded as he set the armor down and started clasping it over his tunic. "But lad, ye have brought together not only six tribes of boar-headed vikings, but two separate species that 'ave been at war wit' t'other for more than three centuries, me lad." He chuckled as Hiccup helped him with the chest piece, "That is what a king does, laddie."
"My dad brought them all together," the boy argued.
"Ah, but t'was ye that united us all when ye brought that dragon o' yours tae show us that they could be more than the monsters we once thought them tae be." Alvin put in, "Ye see? Kings come in all shapes and sizes, but only a few o' them could do what ye 'ave done, lad." He pulled on the boots and gauntlets. "Well, lad, how does it look?"
"Good," Hiccup said, still a bit flustered from the man's claims, "Very viking-like."
"T'is fitting," he said, settling the bear-shaped helm over his head, "Now all will know that I be as monstrous as the bear I fought to protect yer wee lassies." He said, smiling fondly down at the deck as he watched Astrid and Ruffnut hauling a few crates onto the deck with little Olga trailing behind them.
Hiccup smiled as well, "I feel like they should stay here."
"A chief protects his own," Alvin agreed, "But a father protects his house. And a father's family is his house. Without those two Valkyries, ye would have nothing but a an empty shell of a home."
Hiccup looked at the man, "I noticed that you seem to care more for Astrid than most...almost like she was your daughter, or niece."
Alvin chuckled humorlessly, "I knew her family, lad," he sighed, deciding to confide in the boy, "Long ago, when she was just a tiny little thing, her parents and I were the closest of friends. They even went so far as to name me the little mite's godfather." Hiccup's eyes widened, "But, t'was not to be. When she was five, there was a raid on the village by the Lava Louts, and I led Arvak and Helga to the front lines...and I was the only one that came back..." He looked at the stunned Hiccup, "Ye see, lad, t'is me own fault what was done to the wee lass. I could'nae live with the guilt o' what I'd done...So I asked Stoick to make me Outcast, and made up some yak dung story about my being treacherous or some such...when it was because I was'nae brave enough to sit me goddaughter on me knee, and tell her that her family was gone because of me."
Hiccup looked hurt, and beyond stunned, "You never betrayed my father," he said, seeing the man hang his head, "You left us...because you felt shamed?"
"Shame is a powerful thing, lad," Alvin said, nodding, "From what I've heard, ye've used it to put Astrid's home back together, have ye not?"
Hiccup nodded, "I suppose you could say that," he said, admitting that he had done so, "But...when I found out what my own people had done, I couldn't just sit back and do nothing when someone I loved had suffered for so long, and said nothing out of fear."
"And I am grateful fer that, and fer ye loving her when she was left with nothing," Alvin said, "Not many men would think like ye would, lad. Astrid is a beauty, after all."
"But she's not a trophy," Hiccup pointed out, "And I would never treat her as such."
"That I can plainly see," Alvin smiled, patting the young man on the back, "Come, lad, let's be on our way. The hunt awaits."
(*)
Thunder Island was not like most islands in the archipelago. Nor was any island in Lava Lout waters. The waters around the island were warmed year round by undersea volcanoes, so the land itself was warmed, and gave rise to yearlong greenery, giving rise to large forests and plains. It was by far the largest island in the area, but vastly uninhabited by people given the large number of massive beasts that lived there.
As the Bone Knapper was beached along the shores of the island, it became apparent that their prey would be easy to find. The four dragons that had tagged along were already wary of something that Bonesnarl had sniffed out. It was a large paw print, not a bear, but nothing that either Thuggory or Snotlout had seen.
"A wolf?" Snotlout suggested, "I remember dire wolves were supposed to be pretty huge?"
Thuggory shook his head, "No, look at the toes," he said, using his finger to trace around the pads, "No claws. That's a cat print, if I have my father's teachings right."
Snotlout grimaced as he placed his whole hand inside the heel print, easily fitting it inside without disturbing the print. "That's one big cat."
Alvin frowned, "We'll need to post watches." He said to the crew, "Astrid, ye, Cami, and Ruffnut see about getting camp set up here on the beach." He said, turning to Hiccup and Fishlegs, "Lad, ye and Legs take that beastie o' yours, and do a scouting flight. See if there's any game nearby that we can sneak up on, or drive toward the camp."
"Thuggory, I want ye and Snotlout looking for spots to set up snares and foot traps," he said, "Whatever left those prints might still be in the area, and I doona want tae meet it."
"I'll help," Tuffnut volunteered, "Traps are my specialty!"
Olga looked up at the big viking, "What should I do?"
Alvin chuckled and patted the little girl on her head, "Ye just stay close to Stormfly, and Hookfang, lassie."
.
"This island is amazing!" Fishlegs gushed as he and Hiccup flew over the land. The young man was equally thrilled about his first flight on the back of a dragon, a Night Fury no less!
Toothless was just happy to be over warm land. Night Furies, Hiccup discovered, couldn't stand long stints outside in the cold. While the snow covered the land back on Berk, Toothless and Stormfly took to sleeping in the arena, heating up the stone floors with their flames. Hookfang and Bonesnarl didn't seem to mind, however, and often were seen playing in the snow.
"Let's not get too comfortable, Fish," Hiccup said, looking back over his shoulder at the man, "We need to - "
"Look, Hiccup, down there!" Fishlegs shouted, and pointing down, nearly unsettling both of them from the saddle.
Grumbling about the unsettling, Toothless straightened his flight path as the two humans gazed down below. Hiccup frowned as he spotted...tigers? They certainly looked like the large striped cats that Johann had showed him pictures of from books, but...
"They're wolves," he noted as he guided Toothless lower to get a better look. There were four of them, and they were massive. Dire wolves! "I've never seen wolves like that!"
"It must be a new species!" Fishlegs gushed excitedly as child on Snoggletog would, "Oh, I can't wait to tell Heather when we get back!"
Hiccup chuckled as they followed the wolves into the treeline, and banked back toward the plains in search of their prey, hoping the rumors of the island's game being large enough to contend with dragons to be true. "Okay, bud, find us some meat." He said to his partner.
Toothless hissed and shot toward the plains. Hiccup immediately recognized hunting behavior from the dragon, and unslung his bow from his back, reaching for an arrow from the quiver attached to the saddle.
"Ugh, what's that smell?!" Fishlegs gagged, and Hiccup followed suit as he caught wind of an unbearable odor of mold, and...wet wool.
Toothless gave a sharp screech, and out of the shrubbery below them jumped a truly massive creature. "Is that an elk?!"
"Too big!" Fishlegs shouted as the dragon gave chase, "And look at those antlers! Those could gut a Nightmare!"
Hiccup could care less as he knocked his arrow and drew back, "Close in, bud!" He said, preparing to make his shot as the dragon dipped lower to the fleeing animal...before another large shape collided with the beast out of nowhere, and brought it down with a roar. "What the -!?" Hiccup and Toothless cried out as the animal struggled as the beast that had knocked it over sank foot long fangs deep into its neck, forcing it to cease its struggles.
"I've never seen anything like that!" Fishlegs shouted as the monster began to feed, disemboweling the large elk-like beast in a matter of seconds. Both young men were made sick by the sight, "Uh, Hiccup, maybe we should..."
"Go?" Hiccup nodded, "You're right. I don't wanna stick around here any long than we need." Toothless made an angry grumble beneath him, and the young heir patted the side of his neck, "It's okay, bud, there's gotta be more where that elk came from." The dragon moaned lowly, seemingly disappointed at the loss of their prey, but relented a moment later as he glided away from the kill sight.
Thankfully, it wasn't long before the Night Fury homed in on another, much larger prey. And it wasn't alone.
"Giant Bison!" Hiccup breathed out as they looked from above, "I've only heard stories about them from Dad!"
"Even one of these would feed a family for a year!" Fishlegs smiled as they scoped out the heard, and the Ingerman heir pointed, "Look, a white one!" He said, pointing out the oddly colored bison directly below them, "Their said to bring good fortune to those that hunt them!"
Hiccup smiled and urged Toothless lower, "Goose'em, bud!" Toothless gave out an elated roar, spooking the herd of bison into thundering across the plains. The white bison they were targeting was near the rear of the herd, a large bull if his eyes weren't deceiving him, making the beast an easy target for Hiccup's bow. Toothless zipped down and flew right alongside the animal as Hiccup took aim and loosed his arrow right behind the shoulder, and through the heart.
The bison gave out a low, surprised grunt as it bulldozed into the ground, and flipped end over end before coming to rest, dead. Hiccup gave a thrilled crow as he, Fishlegs and Toothless landed. The rest of the herd, not seeing their comrade go down, moved on in fear of the dragon, paying them no mind.
Which allowed the two human to marvel at their kill.
The bison was easily larger than a Thunderclaw, nearly dwarfing Bonesnarl in size and bulk. The horns, from tip to tip, were six feet apart, and sharp to the touch. Deadly weapons against any foe the beast could have faced.
Hiccup knelt, placing a hand on the bison, "May your spirit walk free, and know that your life was taken to give life to others." He said in prayer for the beast, Fishlegs giving a silent bow to the animal. Toothless crooned anxiously, his ears twitching this way and that, making the two humans realize that there were hungry predators nearby. "Come on, Legs, let's get him cut up and get back to camp. Alvin will want to know about the things we've seen, and everyone will be hungry."
Using his dagger and short sword, Hiccup and Fishlegs set to working butchering the bison, saving the edible organs, such as the heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys as well as the robe, using the bison's own hide to pack and carry the meat.
"We should take the head, too," Fishlegs pointed out, gaining a look of confusion from Hiccup, "We can crack the skull open and use the brains to help in tanning the hide."
"Alright, that's gross, but useful," he said, frowning as he slung the head up into the saddle, "Can you fly with this, bud?"
Toothless grunted and gave a small flap of his wings, lifting from the ground slightly, and touched back down. He could fly, but not very far without resting. It would be a long trip back to the ship.
.
"How are you doing?" Thuggory asked his fellow chief as he sat next to Dagur, who was tending their campfire. The man had been eerily quiet the entire trip. "Feeling better?"
Dagur grunted, "I haven't felt my madness rising if that's what you mean, Thug."
"It's not," the Meathead chief said, shaking his head, "We may not be Blood Brothers, like you are with Hiccup, but you're no less a friend, and I do tend to worry about my friends, you know?"
Dagur sat back, sighing, "It just feels strange without...you know...?"
Thuggory nodded, "Yeah, I know," then sighed, "But your dad at least went out the way he wanted to go. Mine? He tried to stab our friends in the back, and feed me to a giant dragon."
Dagur frowned, "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be insensitive."
"We're vikings, it's kind'a our thing, right?" He joked, making the younger man chuckle lightly. "And you don't have to worry about it. Dad made his choice, and it cost him, simple as that. No one's fault but his own. Your dad did the opposite of what he did, and saved his son's life, and died like a true warrior. I kind'a envy him that."
"But I wasn't ready to live without him," Dagur sighed, "I never...I never thought I'd lose him like that..."
"Life, funny thing i'n't it?" Thuggory said, "One minute, you're alive, next you're pushin' up daisies. And you never expect how you go, either. Peaceful, or battle."
Dagur shrugged, "I think...I think he was at peace when he died...I hope he was..."
"Died with his boots on," Thuggory nodded, and knocked him in the shoulder, "Doing what he felt was right by him, and -What the - ?!" Bonesnarl suddenly muscled his way between the two vikings, growling lowly. "What's up, big guy?"
Dagur got to his feet, reaching for his sword, "Something's not right." He said, "It's gotten too quiet."
Thuggory reached for his shield and war axe, "You're right...Bone, what do you see?" He said, crouching low to line his sight up with his dragon's. Bonesnarl was glaring hatefully at a small drop-off cliff that over looked the beach, and was high in grass. In the dim light of the fire, Thuggory caught gleam of eyes glaring right back at them from the grass. "There!" He hurled his axe, spinning it through the air with practiced ease.
A large shape lept from the grass, barely missing the axe. The shape roared viciously, answered by an angry Bonesnarl as the dragon thundered forward as the beast landed.
It appeared to be a feline, a feline the size of an ox! And those teeth!
"Bonesnarl, away!" Thuggory warned as the dragon barreled into the beast.
The cat snarled and clawed at the dragon's face, raking its claws over the skin between his eyes. Bonesnarl roared with his green flames blasting out, warning the large feline off as it rounded on the two humans, seeing them as easier prey. Thuggory and Dagur stepped up, ready for a fight when an arrow whizzed right between the pair, and struck the cat dead between the eyes as it lept, and ploughed into the sand.
Surprised, the two men looked behind them to see Camicazi still holding her bow, the string vibrating from the release. Thuggory looked stunned by the shot, "Um, wow...thanks for that..."
Cami giggled and gave the young man a sultry smirk, "Any time, little boy."
"L-little?!" Thuggory blushed brightly as Dagur snickered, "I-I-I'll have you know that I'm older than you!"
"Oh, wee lamb," Cami simpered, making Dagur outright laugh as the others joined them. "Looks like we've got more than just Lava Louts to deal with, Alvin."
"Aye," the former chief said, kneeling to inspect the kill, "Masterful shot, lass. Yer mum must've taught ye well."
Cami beamed with pride as she went to claim a prize from her kill. "Hiccup and Fishlegs have been gone an awful long time," she noted as she cut the claws of one paw from the cat, and stomped out both of the large upper teeth, "You don't think they ran into trouble, do you?"
Astrid sighed as she held Olga away from the large feline with Stormfly hissing at it. "I don't doubt this island's dangerous, never did." She admitted, "But I also doubt that Toothless would let anything happen to them. It anything, we'd have heard him a hundred miles away if a fight broke out."
"He's a decent fighter," Snotlout had to admit from past experience.
"INCOMING!" The twins shouted from the beach. No sooner had they shouted than the rush of wings caught their attention, and Stormfly bounded over to greet Toothless as he flew/bounced onto the beach camp, looking tired as he lugged a large white hide that looked to be bloodied and packed with whatever had worn the hide.
Both Hiccup and Fishlegs slid tiredly from the saddle and slumped to the ground. Hungry, and exhausted from the slow flight back. "Good job, buddy, good job," Hiccup mumbled absently patting the tired dragon.
"Next time, I think we should bring Hookfang," Fishlegs suggested, "He can carry much more than poor Toothless."
"Rrrrrooooo~," rumbled Toothless in agreement.
The group crowded around the returned hunters, the two humans ushered to the fire while Toothless was given plenty of fish to eat while he rested. Spotting the downed predator, however, Hiccup was immediately fearful of his family, but found both Astrid and Olga to be completely fine. He and Fishlegs then went into the tale of their flight over the island, recounting their sightings of the dire wolves, and another strange feline like the one that Camicazi had brought down as well as the giant elk and bison herd from which they had taken the white beast from.
"Fortune smiles on us at least," Alvin said as the bison meat was stored into the hull to be kept cool by ice harvested from the sea, some of which was now being roasted over the fire to feed the hungry hunters that had downed the beast. "And a white hide, of all things, lad." He said, waggling a finger at the young man, "T'will make a fine cloak fer ye and yer lassies."
Hiccup chuckled, "I'm just glad we got back with it," he admitted as he sat with Astrid and Olga, who was sitting in his lap and dozing against his chest. "But this island has a lot more danger than we thought. I figured we'd just have to worry about Lava Louts, and maybe a few wild dragons, but the wolves and this...this thing here...I never even imagined!"
"Seeing yer first saber cat will do that," Alvin nodded in agreement, drawing looks of surprise from the younger vikings, "Aye, I've heard o' these beasts, but I thought they'd died off long ago, like the cave bear, but seems tae me that a lot o' beasts survived."
Camicazi didn't seem to care for the most part, happy with her trophies from the cat.
"So," Ruffnut said, testing a piece of meat with her dagger, "what's the plan? We'll need a lot more than one bison to feed the tribe."
Alvin nodded, "I know. And tomorrow, we'll hunt 'til the hull is full." He said, grabbing the spit and slicing off a piece for himself, "Now, eat up. We'll all need strength fer tomorrow."
AN: Short chapter, but it will build up. They're in Lava Lout territory, and the dangerous do not just extend to a tribe of feral vikings.
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