Chapter Text
The pain was unbearable.
Snotlout wanted to scream, to sob, but all he let out was a pitifully small whine. He tried opening his eyes (which felt so heavy) and after a couple of failed attempts, he managed to do it.
Dust was the first thing Snotlout noted from his surroundings, he felt it settle in his lungs and the urge to cough was beginning to build in his chest.
“Snotlout..!” A familiar voice breathed out in relief.
He knew that voice.
“ ‘Iccup…?” Speaking turned out to be a mistake, Snotlout figured, as he found himself in a painful coughing fit.
Immediately Hiccup began to fuss over him; his hands hovering above Snotlout’s face; And a pressure in his right flank tightened.
“Jus—hang in ‘ere” That was Astrid’s voice. She sounded strange.. Was she hurt?
*
“A—“ was all he managed before he retched; dry at first, but then he felt the bile climbing up his throat and pooling in his mouth.
Oh no..
Before he could choke though, Snotlout felt himself being moved —and Gods was it excruciating—. Black spots danced around the corner of his eyes and he was certain that he would pass out again.
Being moved around hurt but at least he wasn’t choking on his own vomit anymore.
When he finally hurled all the contents of his breakfast onto the dusty ground, Snotlout managed to push out more words without getting cut off.
*
“Whe.. where ‘re w..we?” He asked in a raspy voice.
“……Dark Deep….” Hiccup muttered with his eyes trained at the ground.
If Snotlout could form at least one coherent thought that wouldn’t slip away the second it was thought of, he’d say Hiccup looked guilty.. ashamed.
A big, slimy tongue licked his head and face and he looked up to see Hookfang right there with a dazed and worried look in his eyes.
“Wha— hap..pened…? He asked again.
“We—we were flyin… I th’nk— ‘nd then…” Astrid began explaining, when she trailed off; a look of realization crossed her mind and she whipped her head around frantically.
“S’ormf’y!” She called
“ST—ORMFLY!?” She called again more urgently.
When she had no answer for her calls her breathing picked up again. She looked at Hiccup with wide eyes
“I jus r’meber— sh’ fell too…” she said worriedly.
Hiccup put a hand on her (un injured) shoulder firmly enough to ground her at least a little (and himself too in a way because in truth he was also beginning to freak out).
Ok…. Ok so all the dragons were down, Snotlout —thankfully alive— was still bleeding at an alarming rate, Astrid’s concussion rendered her basically out of commission (it was a miracle she was even conscious anyway) and everyone else was back on the edge.
Hiccup wanted to scream but another weak cough from his cousin snapped him out of his spiral.
With a deep breath he strengthened his resolve. They needed to get out of here…
He had to fix this.. it was all his fault..
His friends needed him to get them out of here.
“Ok… Toothless, I’m gonna need you to look for Stormfly and make sure she’s al— alright.. Astrid just keep putting pressure on the wound and I’ll—I’ll see what I can do to get us out of here..” With those instructions uttered, Toothless bound off in search for the nadder, Astrid put more pressure into the wound and Hiccup stood up and began to pace.
His thoughts were muddled and slipped out of his grasp too soon; gods he was so tired….
If only he could send a terror mail.. but there were no terrible terrors here….
Then it hit him.
The message didn’t have to be sent via terrible terror exactly… Maybe if he could free one of the gronckles he could send a message with them since they needed to stop by Dragon’s Edge where (Fishlegs and the twins would be waiting) anyway!
He’d have to sneak back into the armed forges.. which was definitely easier said than done, especially now that they know they’re here; but right now this seems like the only hope of getting help.
Now.. He needed a way to bypass their defenses. A way he could get in and out quickly without being caught (his friends’ lives depended on him right now).
—By the looks of Snotlout’s paling face and his rapid breathing— Hiccup thought to himself. —The planning would have to be on the go—.
With swift steps, he walked back to where his injured friends were and grabbed Astrid’s attention.
“Astrid..” He said slowly. “I’m gonna have to go back to the forges… I need you to stay and keep putting pressure on that wound ok?”
Astrid simply blinked at him slowly and frowned, but before she said something to stop him, he stood back up and began making his way back where he and Toothless came from. With one last glance at his dear friends and a murmur of —Toothless isn’t gonna be too pleased about this.— He disappeared into the dusty fog.
Astrid had a simple instruction: Keep pressure on the wound; which in other words meant: keep Snotlout alive.
One thing that made the job much harder though, was the fact that the only thing keeping her tethered to reality was the feeling of the already cool blood staining her hands and Snotlout’s shaky grip on one of her wrists.
It seemed she wasn’t the only one fighting to stay conscious either, because Hookfang’s eyes were staying closed for longer with each slow blink.
She didn’t know how much time had gone by since Hiccup went on his little errand (not much probably..hopefully) When she began feeling her eyes dropping heavily…
She’d stayed awake for so long… Can’t she just take a small nap?
The hand on her wrist tightened its grip slightly and she was then all too aware of what she could lose if she closed her eyes for even a second.
“T—alk.” She slurred. “B’fore— I…”
“U—uh” babbled Snotlout eloquently. “M’ tummy hurts..? I th’nk I ate somethin’ bad…”
“M—May—be br’kfas..” She indulged him.
“ ‘m cold….” He said next. “ ‘m I dyin..?”
“NO!!” Astrid suddenly shrieked, startling him and Hookfang.
The pressure on his wound became almost painful.
“No…” She said again; softer this time.
“ m’kay..” Snotlout murmured
“Y—Y’re not dyin’.. y’ hear—me?” She said with a tone that sounded like she was mostly just trying to convince him (or herself).
“..’kay..” He answered again.
“I—mean it…!” She insisted.
Snotlout wanted to answer again but breathing was starting to become harder and more painful; black spots started appearing at the edges of vision and the cold gripped him once again.
“ hurts….” He slurred.
“I..know…” Astrid comforted
Hookfang gave an empathetic whimper and began licking the crown of his head. The motion was comforting and he felt himself relax.
“ ‘m sleepy..” He murmured
“Do—n’t…” She replied half-consciously and he didn’t know if the warning was for him or for herself.
“ ‘Strid..?”
The pressure on his wound was gone and he saw as Astrid slumped sideways and fell to the ground unconscious.
Hookfang stopped licking him and began to nudge her urgently, but she didn’t even stir.
All at once he became too aware of the pain, the coldness in his limbs, and a sense of impending doom overcame him.
Oh gods he was going to die! He was going to die!
His breathing picked up and the shadows across his vision were making his panic worse.
“ ‘m g’nna die..?” He whimpered in between rapid breaths. “I don’ w’nna die yet..”
But he felt so very tired..
A nap wouldn’t kill him.. Right…? Astrid said he wasn’t dying.. And she meant it… Astrid was always right..
“Hook…fang…” Snotlout said; barely above a whisper.
In one blink the dragon was there with a worried, almost scared look in his big yellow eyes, and Snotlout couldn’t think of a better last view. His best friend, his soul, his everything…
His beginning and…
Wait why was he getting all sappy and emotional for? It’s not like this is actually his last view!
He would wake up again after his nap…
He would..
Maybe..