Saving You

Chapter 24

It had been hours. Hours of waiting outside of his hut. Hours of pacing frantically, up and down the same area of lan Hours of their mind's racing with all possible outcomes. Hours of answering people's queries about their Chief's health with simple 'I don't know's. Hours of longing to know if their leader, their friend, was okay.
Astrid was thumping up and down, up and down the area in front of Hiccup's hut. It had been set on fire, yes, but it as deemed safe to use, especially since none of the others were even standing. The female Viking's mind raced, as she wondered if her betrothed was alive. Not even well, but alive. She thought over the words she had cried to him, moment's after the original event took place. I can't imagine a world without you in it. She couldn't believe how true it really was. No more sunset flights together, where they could laugh, and not have a care in the world. No more punching him on the arm for something stupid, and following it up with a kiss to his confusion and amusement. No more being calmed by him when she was most stressed, probably to do with something or another the twins or Snotlout had done. No more being comforted and hugged when she was at her lowest or most scared. No more flying in to fight the hunters together, with a plan tat was going to fall apart within the first five minutes of the battle. No more Hiccup and Astrid... She could see the blade raising up, piercing the skin around his stomach, the pain in his sparkling green eyes as he collapsed to the ground...
"Aargh!" She screamed, as she drew her axe swiftly from it's sheath, and flung it hard into the nearby tree, which collapsed immediately, already weak from the burning an flying rubble. Astrid was panting, as she held her arm in the place where she had released the axe, until she gained control of herself once more, and continued her anxious pacing.
No one had so much as flinched after she had thrown the weapon- they were all far too engrossed in their own worried thoughts to bat an eye.
Fishlegs sat on a rock just outside the door, bouncing his leg up and down, his hands clamped together, and sitting firmly on his lips. A single tear was rolling down his cheek. You are a viking, he thought to himself. A Berkian. You should be stronger than this! Control your emotions! But he couldn't. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't compress his anger and his sadness for his friend laying fatally wounded inside the hut directly in front of him.
Valka sat next to Fishlegs. Of course, her pain and worry was unbelievably strong- just after being reunited wit her family once more, her husband was killed, and now, six moths later, there was a high possibility of her so facing the same fate. With that, she burst into tears. It wasn't very Viking-like, but she didn't care. She hadn't lived among them in 20 years, so she didn't need to hide her emotions- especially not when it concerned Hiccup. She felt Fishlegs wrap a comforting arm around her shoulder, but she didn't move, just continued to violently sob in hopes that her son would survive.
Snotlout wasn't feeling sad so much as guilty. He stood leaning against the wood of the house wall, as he watched the twins bath their heads together, and complete their usual stupid tasks amongst themselves. All he could think about was the nasty things he had said to Hiccup over the years; the rude, jealous remarks, the times he completely disobeyed his orders, and almost got them all killed, the fights and bickers, and he even thought as far back as to 'Hiccup the Useless'. He was his cousin for Thors sake! Couldn't he just have been nice?! He rested his head on the wall, and continued to ponder everything he could have done and didn't.
Ruff and Tuff were doing what you would expect of them- fooling around. Ruff was putting fake information into Tuff's head, as per usual, and They were testing them out, mainly by hitting one another, hard. What you wouldn't expect though, was why. Surprisingly, they were paranoid that Hiccup wasn't going to be okay. Panicking about who they would completely ignore orders from if he were to die. Who was going to save them? Who was going to look after them? Bashing their heads together once more, they sighed as they continued to use their usual idea of fun as an escape mechanism, but for once, it never worked. Nothing could take away their worry.
Toothless was the worst of them all. His rider was up there. His rider! Lying in that bed, alone, injured, or for all the Nightfury knew, dead. He couldn't bear the thought, as he lit another ball of purple fire, and fired it high into the night sky, where it exploded with a bang, showering him with little purple particles, as he began his pacing once again. He had saved Hiccup before, he could save him now! Just let me up there... He thought, turning to look at the door, as he lay down, defeated and anxious. Just let me in...
Everyone was frantic, as the hours ticked by, yet not of them said a word to one another, just stared, paced, worried, head-banged and cried, in the hopes of any kind of news.
...
It happened. After another hour of waiting, Gothi shoved the door open with surprising force, startling the young Berkians, who scrambled to their feet, exhausted, but fuelled by their longing to know any kind of information. It was pitch black, the only light being emitted from the stars up above, and all of the other Berkians were asleep in and around the makeshift great hall. The ground was bloodstained still, and the grass was singed with fire. On a normal night, they may have heated the distant noises coming from the sheep and the yaks, but all had either been killed, or had fled during the battle.
Each of the Dragon Riders were on their feet now, forming a semi-circle around the healer, Toothless roaring loudly behind the group, as he shifted from one foot to another, as if standing on hot, burning coals. They all looked at her expectantly.
She nodded.
Before anything else could be said, or scribbled, for that matter, everyone had rushed past her in a flurry, and she watched with wide-open, shocked eyes, as they raced up the stairs as quick as their legs and paws could carry them, for one reason only:
Hiccup was alive.