In Lieu Of A Tail

25. Hiccup's In Trouble, Then He Gets Mad

"Cami, Heather – great to see you!" Hiccup managed to say, speaking carefully so that the very pointy weapons at his throat didn't get any closer.

The hooded girl narrowed her eyes, the green orbs flashing and piercing his soul with blades sharper than the ones pressing against his jugular. Her cloak had moved just enough to reveal that she, too, donned armour of the same strange material of Camicazi's, except hers appeared to be shaped in a way similar to the metallic dragon still circling above. Aside from that, she wore a simple chestnut tunic with darker leggings and mocha boots. Her cloak was so dark it was almost black, and the only weapon visible was the one she was pointing at Hiccup, though she undoubtedly had more.

"I am going to cut off your other leg!" Heather began. "You stay still!"

"Come on Heather, it isn't nice to pick on the amputee, you know that!" Came a roar from the other end of the dock.

The assembled Vikings turned to see Aurora dismounting from Astra's back, where she had ridden through the forest. She rubbed the dragon's nose by way of thank you, and faced them with a mischievous grin on her face and one hand on her hip, her other arm still in the sling.

"Aurora!" Cami called. "What happened to your arm?!"

She shrugged, smirking. Her draconic companion rolled her eyes, chuffing a laugh.

"Yes, everybody is fine so can we please put the weapons away or at least stop pointing them at my face?!" Hiccup squeaked. Toothless laughed. "Shut up Toothless."

After a few more threats from Camicazi and Heather, and enduring the glares from the girls and amused looks from the others, Hiccup was finally permitted to stand, rather than lay and have several shiny and pointy weapons in his face.

The silence dragged on painfully. They had moved the discussion – read: interrogation of Hiccup as to why in the name of ALL THE GODS DID YOU NOT TELL US WHERE YOU WERE?! – to the Great Hall, it did not make it any less awkward or uncomfortable for Hiccup.

"Just say something, the longer you wait, the worse it will be!" Aurora sing-songed.

Hiccup put his head in his hands and placed his elbows on the table, groaning. "Do you have to be so cheery right now?"

"Oh yes, I tried these beans I got down south – you grind them up and dissolve them in hot water – and they make you all zingy and I feel great! I can't remember what they were called but I know they're amazing and my friend from there –Dihna – said she'd never seen me so energetic and—"

"Okay, okay, dear Gods you're worse than that time you went East to see Jaya and came back with those white grainy cubes, just stop."

"Only if you say something to everyone!"

"Fine." Hiccup cleared his throat, and all eyes were suddenly on him. "Well, ahem, it would seem I have a fair amount of explaining to do."

"You bet your ass you do." Heather growled.

"Language Heather! I am sure he will explain."

"You're one to talk. Your title was going to be Dagur the Dirty-Mouthed!"

"That was a secret!"

"Enough!" Cami yelled. "Mala, control your 'Butterfly'," Mala flushed a deep scarlet, "and Heather sit down and shut up or I will take and hide your knives where you will never find them!"

"You wouldn't!" Camicazi then stuffed her hand in her pocket and withdrew three expertly-crafted throwing knives; it was at this point they all recalled that she was Camicazi of the Bog-Burglars, and while Heather imitated a fish and Cami stared smugly at her, Alvin steered the conversation back to the matter at hand.