Chapter 40: News

                                    

                                          
   Moon stared at the purple sky, anxiety buzzing through her like a hundred bees swarming her ears.
                          
   "They should be back by now, shouldn't they?  Why would they be late?"  Amber paced back and forth, fear filling her voice.  She sounded as scared as Moon felt.
                          
   Moon tried peeking into Amber's brain, trying to find anything she could use to help calm her friend down, but what met her was a rigid wall of thorns - that was what always met her.  Although Amber and Moon had returned to being friends, Amber still didn't like the fact that Moon could rummage around in her brain, and fiercely blocked her out - even subconsciously now.
                          
   "Moon?  Why would they be late?"  Amber asked, staring at Moon with wide eyes.
                          
   Moon opened her mouth, her gaze flickering between Amber's eyes, but she could only sigh, left without an answer.  Amber's gaze clouded with dread as she looked out toward the sea, vibrant green clearly expressing her fear. 
                          
   "They'll be okay.  It's Dewdrop, Alaya, and Toothless!  They'll be fine, alright?"  Moon said, walking over to nudge her friend.  Amber nodded without saying anything, and Moon stared out toward the sea with her.  With every second they stood there, the sun sunk lower and lower beneath the horizon until the purple sky turned black, and the flames of the firepit were their only source of light.
                          
   "They should've been back by now!"  Astrid said, glaring around the campfire.
                          
   "They'll be fine!"  Ruffnut said.  "Nobody could touch them so long as Toothless is around!  Uh - right?"
                          
   "Ruffnut, we literally just got caught by Dragon Hunters two days ago.  What are you talking about?"  Snotlout asked, quirking his eyebrows.
                          
   Suddenly, there were three quick wingbeats, and, as though he had magically appeared, Toothless landed next to next to Moon, with Dewdrop appearing, seemingly out of thin air, exhausted right behind him.
                          
   "Hiccup!  Where were you?"  Astrid asked, rushing toward him.
                          
   Moon turned toward Dewdrop, her heart racing as she searched for Alaya, but she wasn't there.  "Are you okay?  What happened?  Where's Alaya?"
                          
   Dewdrop shook her head, breathing too heavily to speak, and nodded toward Hiccup.  Moon turned, fear seeping through every scale, and if she was Amber or Dewdrop she was certain she'd be turning a lime green brighter than anything Amber had ever turned into.
                          
   Hiccup hesitated, still on Toothless, then sighed.  "It's...a long story.  We better sit down."
                          
   After a little while of getting Hiccup, Toothless, and Dewdrop food and water, everyone settled down to listen.  Moon had searched for Amber, but she hadn't been anywhere nearby, and Moon thought she must've been crying in a tree as she had when they'd returned to Berk.
                          
   "Hiccup, what happened?"  Fishlegs asked.
                          
   "Alaya approached me earlier saying she thought she knew why the hunters knew we were coming the first time...she said she thought since Johann was the only one told outside of the Riders, that he had told the Hunters, but he couldn't the second time because he wasn't told the second time."  Hiccup explained.  "So we left to question Johann in the Ship Graveyard, but we heard him and two other people talking - he seemed to be mad about our escape. 
                          
   "Although...it seems one of them and someone else he mentioned knew about Heather being a traitor but had planned to use her as a tool...but we should try to save her soon.
                          
   "They heard us, but only Toothless and I managed to get away.  We realized Alaya wasn't with us after a while and doubled back, but only Dewdrop was left.  We searched for her in the fog, but...no luck.  It had been too long."  Hiccup finished with a sigh.  
                          
   "Wait a second, okay, back up."  Snotlout said.  "What about Johann exactly?"
                          
   Hiccup stopped, as though realizing he'd skimmed over the minor detail of the fact that Johann was a traitor.  "Johann...Johann has been tricking us all for years.  It seems he's been working for the Hunters - or they've been working for him - for a while now.  He's not on our side."
                          
   "What?"  Astrid gasped.  "But - why?"
                          
   "I don't know."  Hiccup admitted, sighing.
                          
   Moon absolutely did not care.  "We have to find Alaya!"  She cried.
                          
   Hiccup walked up to her and patted her neck.  Moon remembered with a tinge of sadness and fear that Alaya was the only one that could understand and translate her words.  "Don't worry, girl.  We'll find her soon."  He said.
                          
   "Don't find her soon!"  Moon snapped, snarling at him.  "Find her NOW!"
                          
   "Woah, Moon, calm down!"  Toothless cried, jumping in between her and Hiccup.
                          
   "Calm down!?  WHAT DO YOU MEAN CALM DOWN?  DO WE EVEN KNOW WHO'S SHE'S WITH?  WHAT IF THEY THREATEN HER?  WHAT IF THEY HURT HER?  WHAT IF THEY KILL HER?  WHAT IF SHE'S ALREADY DEAD?  WHAT DO YOU MEAN CALM DOWN?"  Moon panted.
                          
   "Y'know, it's moments like these when I really wish we could understand what she was saying.  Too bad Alaya's gone, am I right?"  Snotlout chuckled.
                          
   "IT'S NOT FUNNY!"  Moon's attention turned from Toothless to Snotlout in an instant, and he jumped back off of the log he was sitting on with a yelp.
                          
   "Okay, okay, not funny, alright, geeze, don't need to be so violent about it."  Snotlout grumbled, getting up and rubbing his rear.
                          
   "We'll rest up, resupply, and go back to the Ship Graveyard to see if we can find clues to where they might've taken her tomorrow."  Hiccup said.
                          
   "Hiccup, they probably didn't leave anything behind,"  Astrid said.
                          
   Hiccup leaned over to whisper in Astrid's ear, trying to hide it from Moon, but she could still hear the words running through his brain.  I know they didn't.  But we have to hope.
                          
   Astrid sighed.  "Fine."
                          
   "For now, everyone, get some sleep.  We've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow."  Hiccup said.
                          
   And with that, everyone settled down to sleep, aware of a lengthy, but probably fruitless, day ahead of them.
                          
   Did you enjoy the chapter?  I hope you enjoyed the chapter.
                          
   So, this little intermission thing (whatever you want to call it) I wanted to ask some questions - to get some feedback on my work, and to let you have a bit of...agency?  Wiggle room?  I don't know.  Call it what you will.  As well as some of your thoughts on what's gonna happen next. :)  So uh...I would appreciate it if you would answer these questions :) (Gosh I feel like someone asking 'hey, can you take this 5-minute-survey that will take half an hour?  Thank you)
                          
- What do you think is going to happen to Alaya?
                          
- What would you like happening to Alaya?  (When I say this I mean like what would you like happening in Alaya's side of the story right now, or in the future).
                          
- What are some things you'd like to see in the future?  (Any plotlines I may have forgotten about wrapped up, certain things that may have happened in the show that I haven't confirmed will happen here yet, and just some things you want me to do with the story in general).
                          
- How do you think the story is going to end?  I know how it's going to end, I have it all planned out (except for the minor details), but I would like to know your theories. :)
                          


                          
   Anyway, I hope you've been enjoying the story so far, I hope you have a wonderful day, and I hope you enjoy the next chapter!