Tales of the Dragon Riders

Maces & Talons ll

"I don't get it. How did Viggo get away?" Hiccup asks. "How did we lose Heather, Windshear and the Flightmare?"

"I don't even want to think about what they're going to do to her and the dragon." Astrid says as the others return.

"You guys find anything?" Hiccup asks.

"No, the fog was too thick. They used it as cover and just vanished." Fishlegs tells him.

"It could've been worse. We could've brought the Dragon Eye." Tuffnut says, seeing an upside when Ruffnut hits him.

"How do you know I didn't bring the Dragon Eye?" Hiccup asks him.

"How did I know you didn't bring the Dragon Eye?" Tuffnut asks as Ruffnut elbows him again.

"Whatever, okay. I didn't bring it." Hiccup says since he doesn't know where it is.

"No kidding. Then, Viggo would have Heather, Windshear, the Flightmare and the Dragon Eye." Snotlout states in anger.

"Which is still back in Dragon's Edge, completely unguarded by nothing but dragons." Hiccup realizes and they need to get back.

-

Returning to the Edge, the entire place has been torn apart on their search for the Eye and most of the dragons were taken down by the dragon root arrows.

"This was the last part of Viggo's plan. Leading us away so the Hunters could come in and steal the Dragon Eye. How did I not see that?" Hiccup asks himself.

"Are you sure you put it away after you got it back from the twins?" Snotlout asks Hiccup.

"Got it back from the twins?" Hiccup asks, not known what he means.

Snotlout leads them to a cave at the end of the Edge where Tuffnut retrieves the Eye.

"Thank Thor." Hiccup says taking the Eye. "I can't believe you took this without telling me. All you had to do was ask. It belongs to all of us." He informs them.

"Yeah, you two, do you know what could've happened if Viggo got a hold of it?" Snotlout asks.

"Seems to me, if I hadn't removed the Dragon Eye from your masterful hiding place, we'd be having a very different conversation right now." Ruffnut tells them.

Hiccup walks out of the cave and needs to think of what to do.

"I can't believe I let this happen. I got Heather and Windshear captured and risked the Dragon Eye being taken. I fell for Viggo's plan." Hiccup says as Toothless tries cheering him up.

"You're right, it's a mess." Astrid tells Hiccup. "And if there's a mess, we clean it up. All of us. Together." She assures him.

"We can find some of our allies, load up whatever weapons we can and go in, dragons blazing." Fishlegs says.

"Can I bring Macy? She's been begging to come along on a mission." Tuffnut asks.

"No, were not going anywhere. Nobody is going anywhere. Not yet anyway." Hiccup tells them knowing they can't go in without a plan. "Think about it. We do what we do well. We're a smart group. Fast, fearless, and ride dragons. But Viggo, he manipulated us like we were a bunch of inexperienced kids. If we have any chance against him, we can't go in, dragons blazing. Like normally. That could get Heather and Windshear killed. Any of us could be killed."

"Well, I for one, am definitely against getting us killed." Tuffnut says.

"Yep, I have to agree. And not just because we're twins and we always think the same thing." Ruffnut agrees.