Revenge at the Haunted Spring 9

Narrator: "With the guys well on their way back to the village, Astrid and Ruffnut come out of hiding and clean the vines off of their surprisingly willing accomplice: Toothless. Astrid rewards him with a basket of tasty, fresh fish and marvels at how easily he helped them prank the guys. It was almost as if Toothless could read her mind and knew what had happened earlier that day."

Astrid (giving fish): "Great work, Toothless! You taught those guys a lesson they'll never forget. I've never seen them that scared in my life!"

Ruffnut (chuckling): "I've never laughed that much in my whole life!"

Astrid: "Me, too. And Toothless! My, my he seemed to be enjoying this whole charade quite a lot----maybe too much. If I hadn't whistled for him to come back, I bet he would have chased them all the way back to the village!"

Ruffnut (curtsying): "And what did you think of my performance?"

Astrid (laughing): "Terrifying! I've never heard such horrific shrieks and howls before! How did you learn to make them?"

Ruffnut: "When you've lived with Tuffnut for as long as I have, you learn to scream, schreech, and shriek to get him to go away!"

Astrid: "Then you will need to teach me how to do them, all of them."

Ruffnut (holding up Tuffnut's vest): "I will, but first, can I at least stomp Tuffnut's vest into that mud over there? Please! Please!"

Astrid (petting Toothless): "No, Ruffnut. We're taking the clothes back to the village just like we found them---even Tuffnut's. Okay? (pause) Okay? (pause) Ruffnut?"

Narrator: "Astrid turns around to see Ruffnut frozen like a statue, pointing to something that has not just caught her attention but also unnerved her. Following the angle of Ruffnut's arm, Astrid sees a dimly glowing form slowing moving out of the dense forest and toward them. The girls and Toothless watch spellbound as the light grows brighter and starts solidifying into a shape."

Astrid (eyes wide open): "It looks like---"

Ruffnut (arm starting to shake): "A man------a viking---"

Astrid (jaw drops): "He's missing an arm----"

Narrator: "Astrid and Ruffnut look at each other in terror and immediately know what the other is thinking."

Ruffnut: "Fishlegs's story!!"

Astrid: "Time to go!!"

Narrator: "In a flash, both girls jump onto Toothless's back. With a swallow of the last fish, Toothless extends his wings and shoots into the sky away from the glowing apparition and the appropriately named haunted hot spring."

"With Toothless tearing through the sky at terrific speed, the girls quickly catch up to the guys, who are by now quite winded from the long, all-out run of panic and are taking a breather in a field.

"Astrid and Ruffnut give each other a sly look and without having to say a word, Toothless banks and spirals downward toward the guys. Ruffnut unties the sack holding the guys' dry clothes and shakes its contents out as they dive bomb the guys' location.

"But what was intended to be a gesture of goodwill, unfortunately becomes an added jab of payback as the wind catches the clothes and scatters them all over the field.

Ruffnut (putting a hand to her big-toothed smile): "Oops!"


*****


Tuffnut: "MY VEST! IT JUST LANDED ON MY HEAD!!"

Hiccup (pointing up): "Look, there's more falling over there!"

Snotlout (scratching head): "Uh ... how can it rain clothes?"

Fishlegs (snatching his fur shirt from a bush): "I don't care! At least it's not wet!"

Tuffnut: "Hey Snotlout! I found your stinky shirt! How much will you give me for it?!"

Snotlout: "THREE PUNCHES YOU IDIOT!"

Tuffnut: "Five! I drive a hard bargain!"

Hiccup (pondering as he jumps to grab his coat from a low tree limb): "Wait a second --- Conveniently falling clothes .... A roaring monster that just happens to show up tonight ......... Toothless???. No. Surely not. ----- But then ........ *gasp* ..... TOOTHLESS!"


THE END




********************************
Afterword from the artist/author Master Rohan

This whole story started when I was sitting in one of the rooms at my doctor's office. On the wall, he had a print of the Norman Rockwell painting "No Swimming" which shows a bunch of guys running from a lake that they weren't supposed to be swimming in (which became the inspiration for picture #8).

And that was how this silly story started.

~Master Rohan

<--Part 8