Forde and Thyra had a wonderful time observing the Buffalords. The male had written down and drawn so much that his notepad was basically full. Once research was done, the two decided to prepare dinner for when the others arrived. They managed to find some wild sheep on the island and made a kill with the help of their dragons. Parts of the lamb were chopped up and cooked over the fire as the two sat there in silence. Forde fiddling with his notes and Thyra watching the meal cook.
From a distance, a roar hit their ears, causing their heads to turn to the left. It was Rune and the others. Forde and Thyra shared a smile, happy to know that their friends were safe. The group of dragons landed, and you could tell that they were exhausted. The dragons moaned and ground as they all slumped to the floor, drained.
"How was your exploration? Was Sten's gut right?" Forde asked.
"It was right…" Rune answered with a straight voice.
"Yeah, it rightfully almost sent us to our graves", Virgil yelled from the back.
"We are never trusting his gut instincts ever again" added Vyra.
"What happened? It couldn't have been that bad" said Thyra.
Rune, Vyra and Virgil paused what they were doing and stared at her.
"It was that bad?" she said with shock.
"He led us right to Purple Death's doorstep and offered us for lunch. We are very, very lucky that no one died" Virgil explained.
The other two were left in a state of shock, their mouths agape at the horror they had just survived.
"Let it be written in stone then. We will never trust Sten's guts" Rune proposed.
"Agreed" everyone chorused, except for Sten.
"Thank Odin, you guys made dinner. We are famished" Vyra said, dropping to the floor next to the fire.
"Me need food…. Me want fooood…" Rune said with a weak voice as he lay on the floor.
Forde helped his friend out with some lamb chops for his nourishment. They ate, they drank, and they slept. When the sun arose, Rune had them on a schedule to pack up and leave. Only Odin knew what the purple Death was up to; it could be tracking them while they slept. They carried what they could and scattered their campsite so no one would know humans had been there before.
"I am never coming back to this region ever again!" Virgil cried.
"Oh yeah. I had nightmares about Purple Death chasing me. It's going to take a while" Sten added.
"I can't wait to get home and relax. Take time off for a day or two, and back to work" said Rune.
"I need to make some updates to my entries on the Buffalord. We have a lot of information about them to add" Forde said.
The flight back home was relatively silent; home was on their minds, and the comfort of their beds became a longing. The long flight hours they logged were worth it as their eyes fell upon the sight of home. Dragon carried their sleepy-eyed riders to their huts and passed out right there. The humans didn't fare any better as they all passed out on the floor before they could make it to their beds.
Three days had passed since they had returned, and they had settled well into a routine. Forde and Rune engaged in adding drawings to their map in the clubhouse and added extra info to their copy of the book of dragons and a set of dragon cards. Sten was on lookout while Vyra, Thyra, and Virgil carried out some exercises by the training dome.
"Truth be told, now that we are back, I kind of miss the joy of being out there and exploring" said Rune as he sketched Purple Death on their map.
"Me too. Apart from the distance from home and almost getting killed, I was happy being out there" Forde replied.
"I think we might just go out one of these days. Look for an undiscovered Island around here. It shouldn't be over a day's flight to get there. I don't think our dragons can handle such rigorous flights consistently"
"Agreed. I wonder what Hiccup and Fishlegs would think of our discovery"
"They would approve" answered Rune. "It's good to know that a once rumored to be extinct species is making a comeback. In ten years, their numbers could be closer to fifty with the right efforts"
"Yes. But we don't want them getting too used to human presence. Visits must be limited"
Rune hummed.
"I want to start another project soon" their leader voiced.
"What type of project? We just finished your glide gear" questioned Forde.
"Well, I was thinking about armour. Using dragon scales to create armour that is both fireproof and very durable. Then slap our glide system on there for something complete"
Forde hummed, using his hand to stroke his chin gently.
"That will take some time, but I know we can work it out"
The two Vikings looked at one another, with wide grins on their faces. There was a shared drive to improve and innovate gadgets and equipment for themselves. This was the base of their friendship, among other shared interests. This was the reason behind the strong bond they shared and how inseparable they were.
"What are you two smiling about?" a voice said, cutting across the room.
It was Vyra. She stood by the entrance, holding her sword by her waist as she looked at the two boys.
"Oh, just some plans we've come up with" Rune answered sharply.
"What type of plans?" she asked, walking towards the duo.
"Well, Rune was thinking of us heading out again" said Forde.
"What? We only just got back" exclaimed Sten.
He was accompanied by Thyra, and Virgil, completing the squad of riders.
"It was only a thought. Not a final decision" Rune said.
"But we wouldn't have had to come back so soon if you hadn't led us to Purple Death" Vyra fired.
"I didn't know that" Sten defended.
"It was just a big coincidence. It could have happened to anyone" Thyra chimed in.
"But somehow bad things always find a way of attracting themselves to him" she continued.
"Vyra!" Forde exclaimed.
"What? It's the truth. I'm glad Rune is our leader. If we had to follow him, we would be dead" she added.
"That's too far Vyra" Virgil cautioned.
"I said what I said. Call me when you've made a decision Runy"
Vyra wore a huge smile on her face, giving Sten a good look before skipping out of the clubhouse. The rest of the team was in shock, Sten was speechless, the others were left scratching their heads, and Rune still hadn't processed what he had witnessed. It was one thing to call a teammate out for a mistake, but it's another to say they are the reason for their misfortune.
Sten gathered whatever self-respect he had left and walked out. Virgil and Thyra accompanied him, leaving the two who were there in the beginning. Forde turned to Rune, wide-eyed and exhaled loudly. Rune found himself a seat to sit down, leaned into it and lifted his head to the ceiling.
"That was a wild ride. I didn't expect that today" Forde said with a sigh.
"I'm lost for words" Rune said softly.
"What are you going to do?"
"Me?" he asked, snapping his head down to look at him.
"Yeah. You're the leader. You have to handle this. It's part of your responsibilities"
Rune sighed heavily.
"It's a big ask from me"
"You know, I try my best to handle these things because I know that it's not your forte, but you have to put your hand down about this"
"Odin help me"
"I know Vyra is your girlfriend and all, therefore complicating things. But you have to caution her when she goes off the rails. I'm not trying to pry into your relationship or anything, but you can't let that affect the team's dynamic"
"She has to know that her special relationship to you doesn't give her the right to do things like that and go scot-free. She is your girl when you two are together, but in a team setting, she is a teammate first and foremost"
"I understand it, Forde. Thank you. I will do my best to speak to her"
"You got it Rune. I got your back, always"
Rune sat in his room, pondering on what to do and what to say to Vyra. He couldn't compose a sentence strong enough to tell her how he felt, yet soft enough not to get on her bad side. He felt helpless. Sandstorm noticed his frustration; his dragon was eager to help him release the stress building up inside of him.
The brown dragon walked up to him and brushed his head slowly against his leg before resting his head on his thighs. Rune placed his hand on his head, scratching his scales slowly. He rested his head on the table, deep in thought on what to say. Sandstorm cooed gently and rumbled, trying to soothe him. He nudged his head against his abdomen and looked up at Rune with wide, dilated eyes. Rune looked down at him, gazing at his own reflection in his dragon's eyes.
"What's up?"
Sandstorm stared, not making a sound at all. Rune looked at him and understood what he wanted.
"Okay, we'll head out. It would probably help me too"
His dragon was full of joy, leaping away from his thighs. Rune chuckled at how happy he got at a little flight.
"Easy Sandstorm. You better not hurt yourself"
The two headed out into the skies above. Rune donned his full kit, from his helmet to his armour and gliding flaps. Sandstorm soared above the clouds with great speed. Despite his size, he was still silent to most. Rune's eyes were focused as he sought to forget everything through a memorable flight with his dragon.
"Come on, Sandstorm, let's go!"
The dragon let off a long, howl-like roar as they switched from cruise to more active mode. They carved their way through the clouds, banking hard from left to right as they went past the gaseous formations. Sandstorm ascended over a cloud, twisting and spiralling into a daring dive before pulling up at the last second. Their flight was full of high-speed maneuvers, insane dives, and high-G turns, helping Rune relax and totally forget about his problems. Apart from the help he got mentally, it was also a time where his bond with Sandstorm deepened. He was indebted to him for his help.
"Thanks, bud. You always know how to make me feel better" he said, rubbing his dragon's head.
Sandstorm tilted his head to the right, using his left eye to look at Rune before sticking his tongue out like a dog. He was glad that he was able to help.
Rune rested his back on his dragon, trusting him to fly without his supervision as his gaze was set on the sky above. His mind was clear, and he could arrange his thoughts clearly now. The best way he was going to do this was when the whole team was together, especially after a big win. That way, it wouldn't hit as hard.
"I got it. Let's go out, chill, have a good time, bond a little bit, and then I can lay this off" he thought.
It sounded like a good plan in his head, anything to avoid a major conflict and do things nicely. He sat up on Sandstorm and gave his dragon a pat on the neck. The sun was beginning to set, and he didn't want to get caught out at night, alone and away from the others. If anything happened, they wouldn't know where to look. He pulled left on the saddle, guiding the Sand Wraith into a long, wide turn, setting a course for home.