An Unknown Sickness - httyd

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Astrid sat waiting in the bushes. Her legs were turning numb from staying in that position for so long. She tried shifting slightly to allow blood flow to continue in her legs but her feet were tingling slightly. The Nadder, that was tied to a tree right below the net was laying down and drifting off. As long as it wasn't spooked, it wouldn't try and escape. It had been hours. The sun was disappearing quickly and there was no sign of the Red Grapple. Astrid was hoping they would be able to catch it in the light of the sun so they could see what they were doing better. She was worried that Stormfly would miss the small rope tied to the tree in the dark. And underneath the thick underbrush of the trees, the moonlight did nothing. Darkness would soon be the only thing everyone saw. That, and the Grapple's glowing white eyes...

"My butt hurts," Astrid heard Tuffnut complain from somewhere to her right in the bush as well as her and the other riders.

"Shut it, bro!" Ruffnut hissed back. After Astrid's conversation with Ruff, she followed directions better and didn't complain like she used to. At least, not nearly as much. She was also helping Astrid keep everyone else in line. Astrid also helped her out in bossing her and the others around less as well as actually helping them instead of telling them what to do. 

There was momentarily silence. The sun almost gone. Only a couple minutes left of daylight.

"How much longer?" Came Tuffnut's voice again. This time it was Fishlegs and Snotlout who shushed him. Tuff audibly sighed and Astrid did too. How much longer did they have to wait?

More silence. 

"I'm just wondering because my butt is really starting to-"

Snotlout couldn't take it anymore."Tuffnut! If you don't shush your face right now, I will rip it off and shove it up your sore little a-" 

There was a snapping of a twig and everyone stopped talking. Astrid heard Stormfly nearby squawk in alert as the Nadder on the ground raised its head and scanned the area. Astrid squinted her eyes in the darkness as the sun slipped fully below the horizon and looked around for what could be the Grapple. There was a rustle of leaves. Whatever was coming towards them was flying. Flying? How could the Grapple be flying with the trees so thick?

Snotlout screamed suddenly and caused everyone to jump, the dragons included. Hockfang set himself on fire and rushed to his rider as the Nadder jumped up and started panicking.

"Sormfly!" Astrid yelled and pointed to the agitated Nadder. Stormfly rushed over and tried to calm the Nadder.

Astrid ran over to where Snotlout had been hiding in the bushes to see him on the ground with a...Terrible Terror on his head? Hockfang's fire had started to burn down at the realization that his rider wasn't in trouble. Fishlegs was helping Snotlout up with the Terror still attached to his face. Astrid recognized the blue Terror as Speedy. And he had something attached to his leg...Oh no!

"Hiccup!" Astrid said out loud and rushed to take the note off of Speedy who was now entwined with the horns on Snotlout's helmet sleeping. Everyone looked at Astrid nervously as she untied the small rope around it to read what the Chief had sent them. What he had sent in a hurry. 

There was a loud squawk of a Nadder before Astrid could unroll the paper with her shaking hands. She spun around. It was a distress squawk of a specific Nadder. Stormfly. There was a horrifying roar and Astrid couldn't see over the bushes they were hiding behind to see anything. The bushes they had found to hide in were perfect. Verry tall and thick with leaves so they could see through but the Grapple would have a hard time seeing them. But Astrid didn't need to see what was happening to know. The Grapple had arrived in the darkness and was attacking the tied-up Nadder and Stormfly.