makligr, httyd

xix. snotlout's paper jaw

𖣯 ✹ 🌷(makligr) ꏍ ！┈─❟
╰───►chapter nineteen; hiccup
❝ snotlout's paper jaw! ❞

   TODAY WAS going to be a productive day.

Hiccup was excited, considering productive seemed to be a concept foreign here on Dragon's Edge. Something always happened. Whether a fight breaks out, some trouble rises on the coastline, some migration needs to be handled, the others turn whatever it is into a competition, or the Twins do ... well, just do what they do.

He was smug. Very smug to see his team work together in gathering the stone foundations for the watchtower on the North side of the Edge. No fights, no competitions, no grumbles about who they were paired with whatsoever and no Twins' Funny Business ... but then again, perhaps that was because Ruff and Tuff were unaccounted for.

Even in the warmer weather, the snow had grown a little bit heavier at the mountain tops of Outpost Island. But even with the mountains covered in blankets of snow like a winter wonderland, the sun glared down with the ferocity of summer. The rays seared off the white, making Hiccup squint as he carefully dived to a hover over his markings for the watchtower, carrying a boulder in between him and Fishlegs with a large, threaded net.

He watched the others join them: Yrsa, Astrid and Snotlout carrying two in a net between the three of them. "All right, guys," he called up to them. "Let's drop the foundation right about here."

He glanced down, checking whether he was hovering in the exact right spot before━nodding at Fishlegs━he had Toothless let go of the net. The boulder toppled out and down, landing with a thunk! onto the snow. He and Fishlegs edged out of the way of the next three who followed suit, dropping their boulders a little to the left━the length of a good-sized watchtower.

"That should work," sighed Hiccup, smug and satisfied from his saddle. "Perfect location."

Fishlegs grinned, nodding in agreement. "I━for one━couldn't be happier that we're finally━"

"Setting up the new watchtower, we know!" cut in Snotlout, annoyed. "We've been hearing about it for the past━oh, I don't know━week, month ... what comes next?"

Hiccup sent his cousin a scowl as he leant forward against Hookfang's horns, peering upwards at Fishlegs with that gaze upon his face that only meant trouble. "Guys, look, this is important. We've been seeing ships off the northern coast that have absolutely no reason to be there. Now with this━" he gestured to the layout below, "━we can send an early warning signal if they come into our waters."

They all drifted back to the snowy ground, settling down onto the earth.

"If you're talking about Dagur and Ryker," went on Snotlout, "and that's who I assume we're talking about━"

"Actually, I wasn't referring to━"

"━How about this? Whoever's out there that shouldn't be out there," Snotlout didn't give Hiccup the time of day, gesturing out his arms wildly with an obnoxious brow arched, "let's just get on these very effective fire-breathing war machines━" he pointed to Hookfang who's attention was focused on the way the snow melted whenever he huffed smoke at his feet, "━and go and blast them into oblivion!"

Hiccup made a face, annoyed, "Because that's not who we are!" he answered in the same tone. His cousin rolled his eyes. "Since when do we go blasting people into oblivion?"

Snotlout gaped. He settled himself against Hookfang's long, twisted horns. He rubbed his dragon on the forehead tenderly, as if it hurt him that the Monstrous Nightmare could've heard what Hiccup said. Hookfang couldn't care less, he was now huffing out rings of smoke to melt rings into the snow. "Don't worry, Hookster. He doesn't speak for us."