The younger Grimborn (sequel)

Chapter 8: Searching for Chicken

I look down from the roof I'm sitting on, feet dangling over the edge. Since the moment the sun came up, the twins have been throwing their entire hut inside out. They are too busy to notice me, so I haven't had the chance to ask yet.

'Are you spring cleaning?' Astrid, who just came walking towards us, asks with the lightest hint of surprise.

'Finally getting the mold out of your hut?' Snotlout snickers.

'Oh, if we were spring cleaning, you'd know. We'd be getting rid of this stuff and our hut.' Ruffnut says as she pushes a big statue out. I don't understand how all the stuff outside was once inside. How did it fit? 

The statue suddenly rolls down. Ruffnut looks over the edge. 'Oops...'

'I won't leave a single stone unturned, not a corner unscoured, not a rotisserie unrotated until my little egg-laying ingenue is found!' Tuffnut suddenly yells. He runs out of the hut and starts to lift every box he sees on the way.

'Chicken's missing again.' Ruffnut clarifies. 

'Ooh. Mystery. Intrigue. I love it.' I jump down, startling Snotlout in the process. 

'Whaaa- Thyra! Where did you come from!?'

'The roof.'

I then look at Tuffnut and place a sympathetic hand on his shoulder.  'Hey, it'll be fine. I'm sure we'll find her. I'll help you.'

'Oh, thank you, Thyra! thank the gods for a kind soul like you! Chickeeeeeeen!' He almost cries. I can only stare at him, flabbergasted. He's really worried...

'Maybe she just needed some alone time, Tuff.' Astrid offers an explanation. Tuff doesn't buy it.

'Chicken hates alone time, unless it's with me. Besides, she's been acting strange lately. She keeps disappearing, she's tired all the time, and she didn't show up to book club this week. She never misses book club, especially when we're reading chick lit. Get it? Chick. Lit.'

Book club...?

'Maybe Chicken just flew the coop?' 

I start coughing to hide my chuckle. That pun was terrible, and that made it funny. But not now, of course.

Tuffnut squints his eyes at me in suspicion, then he turns to Astrid. 'Oh, no! Really, Astrid? Terrible chicken puns at a time like this? You are better than that.'

'But had Chicken really flown the coop, or was there something more sinister going on? Only time will tell. Or would it?' Snotlout comments. Then he notices Dagur landing behind us.  'Ooh. Dagster!'

Within seconds, Dagur has Snotlout pushed up against the wall. 'You know I hate nicknames, Snothat.'

'Hypocrite.' I mumble.

'For real.' Ruffnut says, crossing her arms as she stands beside me.

'Nicknames are for buds. I thought we were buds.' Snotlout tries to save himself. 

Dagur glares again, but lowers his arm, allowing Snotlout to harshly fall down. 

'So, uhh, Hiccup around?' Dagur asks us. 

'Probably his hut.' I point him. Astrid nods in agreement. 'Why? What's going on?'

'No time to talk! I'll explain it later. BROTHER! WHERE ARE YOU?' Dagur's sudden yell makes me jump, making Snotlout snicker, which results in Astrid elbowing him harshly. 

While Dagur looks for Hiccup, we keep looking for Chicken.

'Hey Tuff, didn't you say this happened before?'