So even after finishing my thesis it was quite difficult to get back to writing and there wasn't time to get anything done for end of May. Either way no skipped month this time. The first chapter of the summer is here.

.

Comments:

Dragonrider's Fury: She was supposed to be more present in the chapter according to the original plan, but one thing that happens to me often with Another Nightmare is putting so many things in chapter during planning that I end up splitting it during writing. I think that might have been cause of some cliffhanger endings too.

erikatyusharon: Considering the hunter numbers there needs to be some crazy plan. Even the author is struggling with one.

.

.

Proofread by 3DPhantom

Hiccup looked after Minden until she disappeared out of sight and then got up. He stood still for a while with Toothless next to him. Fishlegs kept looking between him and the direction Minden had disappeared to. A moment later he focused on Hiccup.

"So… what should we do next?"

"Long term… I still don't know," Hiccup answered. "Right now, I want to get back to the flock and wait to hear from Atali. I'm not sure how she is going to react to the issue you just brough up. They don't want to be involved and I don't want to cause them any more trouble, even if all help would be good. What a mess I've gotten us into."

'Don't start blaming yourself or I'll slap you,' Toothless said. Hiccup sighed, almost smiling.

"We can't do anything before Ivar recovers. He's in good hands so we should give the Wingmaidens some space to choose what they want. They aren't hurting anyone. We shouldn't try to change how they want to live."

"I agree. I just hope the damage hasn't happened yet. It is bad enough what is happening in Fjoll. The Maidens are much too few in numbers if the Hunters target them."

"They might kick us from the island, but hopefully not before Ivar recovers," Hiccup said.

"That isn't even the worst thing that could happen. What if they are divided by this like Fjoll is with dragons?"

Hiccup stared at Fishlegs for a moment and rubbed his forehead.

"Even if that is a possibility," he paused for a moment, "right now we can only make things worse. We should go back to the flock. I want to know what they think about all this. Want a ride?"

Hiccup turned around and put his hand on Toothless' head. He paused, looking at the dragon's empty back and missing tailfin.

'It is still in the village.'

"Seems we'll have to stop by the village after all."

They walked back to the village. It wasn't really a problem since Hiccup hadn't come that far from it. Maybe they could get the gear on and leave before Minden finished talking with Atali. Hiccup soon forgot those concerns as they approached, and he noticed he was still sensing Shortclaw right where she had landed in the middle of the village and her emotional state wasn't great.

'We forgot her completely with Ivar's injuries,' Hiccup thought.

'Yes,' Toothless responded. 'Well, fixing her head is your job.'

'I guess it is.' Hiccup sighed and looked at Fishlegs. "Can you get Toothless' fin on? Seems like I may have a Nightmare problem on top of everything else."

Fishlegs nodded and glanced at Toothless. As they arrived in the village the few Wingmaidens present didn't seem concerned but gave space as two boys and a dragon walked past, concerned looks on their faces. Shortclaw was laying right where she had landed. Fishlegs picked up the tailfin but Toothless wasn't paying him enough attention to cooperate with putting all of the gear on.

He and Hiccup were focused on the larger dragon in front of them. She dragged her head against the ground just enough to face them. The dominant emotion on her face and top of her mind was soul wrenching grief, but it was merely a lid over bubbling mess of contrary emotions that even Hiccup couldn't make sense of with his abilities.

'Ivar told us what happened,' Hiccup paused. 'Thank you for taking care of him while you came here.'

'And because of that, I lost everything else, my hatchlings. The only way those hunters could have found us was because I let him attract me to visit him.'

'Are you angry at him for that?'

Shortclaw started turning her head away, still without raising it from the ground, but Hiccup grabbed her snout. She stopped, more from surprise than anything else.

'Yes… I think,' she answered. 'If I didn't go to him, if I didn't take the risk for a Viking, the Hunters would not have found our island. I would still have my other hatchlings, or at least I could have protected them.'

'Then they would have gotten you too,' Hiccup said.

'I'd rather die for my hatchlings than abandon them.' Shortclaw closed her eyes. 'But that is what I did.'

'They would have gotten Ivar too,' Hiccup said.

'He cost me my hatchlings. I don't want to see him.'

'And yet you brought him all the way here, tried to treat his wounds… and think of him too as your hatchling.'

'No, I don't.'

'That is what you just called him,' Hiccup recalled, making Shortclaw think back on how she had called her hatchlings the 'other hatchlings'.

'You pretend you are angry at him, but you really can't be,' Toothless said, brushing his head against Hiccup's side.

'I lost my hatchlings because of him.'

'Maybe, I can't deny there aren't many other ways they could have found you,' Hiccup admitted, 'but even then, it was because of your own choices, because you care about him, and still do.'

'That won't bring my hatchlings back.'

'Then… then we have to get them back. The Hunters capture dragons alive, just like they did with you and you're still okay.'

Shortclaw raised her head for the first time. 'There are more of them now than a single ship. You can't defeat them.'

'I… We'll find a way. People told me I couldn't catch a Night Fury and that happened, and this time no one will be alone. I don't know how we can do this, but we can't just do nothing.'

'If you can get my hatchlings back, I'll swear my loyalty for life.'

'You already promised that for saving you from Fjoll in the first place. That time you also doubted Hiccup and were wrong,' Toothless growled. 'You haven't really even kept that promise properly.'

'I don't think this is the right place or time for this discussion,' Hiccup noted. 'We should go to the flock. If there is a chance to save your hatchlings it will take all of us.'

'And Ivar?' Shortclaw asked.

'The Wingmaidens will take care of him for now. Right now, they can treat him better here than we can.'

'Okay.' Shortclaw finally got up even though she did it sluggishly. Hiccup helped Fishlegs finish putting Toothless' gear on. The dragon murmured when he had to take both of the boys on, but only for show so Hiccup would have to apologize with scratches behind the ears, the first moment of calm in a while. The additional weight hardly mattered as Toothless leaped into the air. Shortclaw followed in silence.

Soon they saw rest of the flock gathered together and standing up instead of laying around as usual. They were focused on Shortclaw as she landed.

'Everyone,' Hiccup began immediately gaining their attention, 'we got troubles… big ones. The Hunters are back, and it's worse than we ever feared.'

Hiccup explained the situation as well as he could, though still without asking the flock for anything.

'So, when are you going to drag us to help that Viking village that clearly learned nothing?' Stormfly commented as soon as Hiccup stopped his explanations. He couldn't give any response immediately, which left Stormfly time to comment further without facing him: 'If the Hunters had not taken hatchlings, I'd tell you two to get burned without me.'

'If?' Hiccup asked.

'Unlike some dragons,' Stormfly's eyes glanced at Toothless who tensed, 'some of us prefer to protect hatchlings.'

'I won't let them take anyone else's hatchlings, especially not from my flock,' Whiplash growled. A drop of acid fell from his mouth. 'Knowing Hookfang, his honour would not let him do anything less if someone else was caught.'

Hiccup simply stood, turning his head to face each of the dragons, reading how they expressed their support in their own ways. He hadn't even asked them, even if they probably guessed he would.

"They all want to help, at least for Hookfang and the hatchlings," Hiccup almost whispered to Fishlegs, then focused.

'Everyone, I am grateful, but… do you understand how dangerous this is? They are called Dragon Hunters and control the entire village. Even if we succeed it is impossible to tell what is going to happen next. We are in this situation because of the fight last year. It is going to be like a war if we fight now.'

'It will be a war,' Stormfly corrected. 'At least you are leading us to a war against someone I prefer to burn.'

'You are right,' Hiccup gulped, 'and in wars both people and dragons die.'

'That was true when they took you. We took the risk then,' Meatlug said.

'Maybe he values his own life more than the hatchlings,' Stormfly commented. Toothless growled. Hiccup had to put his hand on his head.

'I would be lying if I pretended I'm not afraid of the Hunters. That fear has existed all winter, but it's not just for me. I never had many ties with most of the people on Berk, but after all these months, I can't even imagine losing any of you.'

'That might be a sign of a good Alpha, but you still need to be able to act in spite of it,' Meatlug said, walking closer. She stopped next to Fishlegs but focused on Hiccup. 'You need to decide what happens next, if you think the risks are worth it for the flock.'

'Right. Then I decide we need to act, though I don't yet know how. We have to at least see how Ivar recovers. He still knows more than we do. That is the most help we can count on.'

'How about the Wingmaidens? The warriors here are skilled, especially together with the hatchlings,' Whiplash suggested.

'They also don't want to get involved in others' conflicts. Considering what has happened to Fjoll I can't blame them,' Hiccup explained.

'They don't meet many other people, but I can't imagine them abandoning hatchlings, even if they aren't Razorwhips. I will go see Atali,' Windshear offered, turning to face toward the village.

'She can't understand you.'

'She might not have your abilities, but she raised me. She'll understand what she needs to.'

'We may have already endangered them by coming here.'

'The more reason to fight together.' Without needing to say more, Windshear spread her wings and was off.