How to Train Your Dragon - Traitor Among Them

Chapter 2 - Questions Unanswered

"Guess you're not so tough, huh, tough guy?" Tuffnut asked with a look of pity, leaning against Toothless.

Toothless growled and moved away. With a yell Tuffnut hit the floor. Hiccup sighed and made no move to help Tuffnut as he sprang back up.

"I'll tell you what your problem is, Hiccup," Snotlout scoffed.

"I thought it was you," Astrid answered, folding her arms.

Snotlout chose to ignore her comment, and Hiccup waited expectantly.

"You're too soft. You see the enemy; you want to sit down and have a conversation with them. And then what? You get shot! And you take the rest of us down with you," Snotlout cried. "Clearly, you need more strength on these little... outings."

He was shouting unnecessarily, but the others were used to that by now. It was highly obvious by "strength" he meant himself.

"I wouldn't call that strength; I would call that dangerous impulse," Astrid said with a roll of her eyes.

"And dangerous impulse is what sends the arrogant heart to their ultimate doom, but those who remain cautious are normally victorious in their endeavors," Tuffnut announced dramatically.

"Too much?" he added, as everyone stared at him.

"Alright, here's what we know about this person," Hiccup said, and he took a serious stance.

The others instinctively gave him their attention, finding seats or any place that seemed most comfortable.

"She's claimed she's been on the island before. I'm not sure how long or how frequently, but she seemed to care about the island's overall well-being. If she's from another island, it's not one I'm familiar with. Her outfit was distinct, but unique. She is skilled, which means we need to be cautious –" he glanced at the twins, and they returned his stare with an innocent smile "– this is not a simple catch and release, and she seems to recognize our own skill, too. I do not encourage an attack, but if it comes down to defending yourself, well –" he paused "– you know what to do."

He didn't tell the others about the young woman's threats, because he didn't plan on bending to her wishes. Besides, they had enough to worry about. However, Astrid seemed to notice the hesitation and gave him a searching look. Hiccup made a mental note to talk to her later; she would take it well.

"If we do manage to capture her, I don't plan on keeping her here long. Hopefully, we can gain some insight and send her on her way."

"We're not going to go searching for her?" Snotlout asked incredulously.

"No. We'll continue to regularly scout the island, and we may notice something out of the ordinary in the process, but we need to be on our guard."

"I really don't like this," Fishlegs sighed. "You said she has a dragon?"

"Yes, but I don't know what kind. It may be an entirely new species."

Fishlegs' face lit up but fell when he realized the unknown dragon could be a threat, especially when he didn't know about its weaknesses.

"Wow, Hiccup. She must have seriously beaten you up if you can't give us more information than that," Ruffnut laughed. "Besides, I saw her a few weeks ago."

Hiccup's defensive expression quickly changed to one of shock.

"Ruffnut, you saw a stranger on the Edge and didn't even think to tell us?" Hiccup asked in disbelief.

Then again, maybe he wasn't surprised.

"I didn't see much. Just a hooded figure disappearing into the woods. I figured it was one of you guys or Heather," Ruffnut answered casually.