𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐊𝐘𝐑𝐈𝐄, how to train your dragon ¹

iv. Holey Ground

Gobber glowered. He didn't move.

Behind him, Snotlout and Hookfang landed, ready to help. "Hookfang!" cried the Jorgensen. "Toss him in the tub!" The Monstrous Nightmare growled, determined. Then, with a flick, he launched Snotlout right off his saddle and into the tub. "HOOKFANG!" He turned to his dragon, scowling. "Every━single━TIME! Doesn't this get old for you?!"

Hooking sent him a mischievous side look.

Hiccup took this chance, while Gobber was distracted, to slip off Toothless saddle and give him a quick hand gesture. The Night Fury nodded and started to wrap around the blacksmith as he cried, "I won't do it, Stoick!" Hiccup turned to Valkyrie, and a silent conversation passed. She nodded subtly, understanding. She readied Zephyr.

"Now, Val!"

Valkyrie pulled Zephyr up to a hover. Gobber frowned up at her, confused when Toothless hoisted him up and chucked him into the tub. Stoick ran to keep his best friend down. "Fishlegs!"

The pudgy Viking and his Gronckle, Meatlug rushed over with a bucket of water from the well. "Soap and water!" He poured it over━

A frown was on all of their faces when only just a trickle of water fell, dropping onto Gobber's forehead. Even he found this unusual. He glanced up, "Is that it?"

Stoick scowled up at the boy in his saddle, "You're gonna have to do better than that, son!"

Fishlegs hugged the bucket to his chest, "I can't, sir!" he said, upset. "The well! It's run dry."

Valkyrie set back down, startled. She wasn't the only one. Hiccup and Stoick shared an uneasy glance. They had dug that well just weeks ago. It was fresh; at least, it should be. She hopped off, joining up with Snotlout and her brothers as they all made their way over.

"What do you mean?" she asked Fishlegs.

He shrugged. "I don't know! I went to fill up the bucket and nothing was there!"

Valkyrie took a sharp breath, a sinking feeling settling in her stomach.

✿✼:*ﾟ:༅。.。༅:*·ﾟﾟ·⭑

━━Hiccup wasn't a bearer of good news. The teens all gathered in the arena, frowning with their fingers juttering nervously. Droughts and famines were never good, and they've sure experienced some. When rationing starts, so did fear, and that turned out more of a problem than the lack of resources.

"Okay," Hiccup paced the stone ground, a scowl of thought settled deep on his brow. "We need to figure out a way to keep Berk supplied with water until a new well can be dug ..." he stopped, arms crossed. "Ruff, Tuff━" he turned to the Twins, "━strap on the wash tub and head to Lars Lake to fill it."

Tuffnut scoffed out a laugh. "Okay," he propped his hands on his hips. "But that thing's pretty big. I mean, it's bigger than Ruff's butt━" his sister frowned at him, and checked her backside herself (Valkyrie sighed, shaking her head), "━it could take a while. Week or two."

Ruffnut realised the insult soon enough and she punched her brother in the collarbone. Tuff hit the floor with a yell.

Hiccup arched a brow, "Uh━I was assuming you would use your dragon ...?"