A New World, Complicated

Chapter 24: Tunnel Vision (Hiccup)

"We'll have to dig a new well. And until it's done, we'll have to ration water, which means-"

"No more baths!" Gobber cheered, clapping a hand on my shoulder. A disgusted and uncomfortable look crossed Reign's face as I gagged from the smell, unable to control myself as I coughed and my eyes watered. "Always a silver lining."

Covering her mouth, Reign reached under Gobber and pulled me out, away from the two adults near us.

"You good now?" she joked, a bright smile crossing her face as she jabbed me with one of her elbows. Carefully, I stood up straight again and looked her in the eyes. "We should gather everyone in the Academy and try to come up with some answers. Most of our brains will work better together." Her eyes flicked down for a second. "Most..."

I could help but laugh as she hopped onto Shriek. I knew for a while she'd had some trouble. With what, I'm not quite sure-- she wouldn't tell me. But she seemed to recover quickly, and was back to her old self in no time. So now, she was focused on this well issue, and knowing her, she wouldn't quit until she knew what was going on. And the best I could do was support her on it. We went and gathered everyone up and got them to the Academy.

"Okay. We need to find a way to keep Berk supplied with water until a new well can be dug." I paced back and forth as I explained the situation.

"Ruff, Tuff, strap on the washtub and head to Lars Lake to fill it," Reign delegated.

"Okay, but that thing's pretty big." I didn't like the way Tuffnut laughed as he answered. "I mean, it's bigger than Ruff's butt. That might take a while. Like, a week or two." Following the insult, Ruffnut reeled back and punched her brother in the arm, causing him to fall over.

"Well, I was assuming you would use your dragon," Reign sighed.

"Why would you think that?" Tuff asked as he stood up straight.

"Because I-" She face palmed, and I reached out to place a hand on her shoulder.

"Okay, moving on," I said. "Astrid, Snotlout, head to the mountain streams and fill as many canteens as you can."

"The mountain streams..." Snotlout reached over to Astrid in an attempt to drape his arm around her shoulders. "Romantic." The moment his arm made impact, she grabbed onto it and threw him to the ground. "Ow!"

"Fishlegs, Meatlug, you're going to help Reign and I figure out what happened inside that well." A nervous look crossed Fishlegs' face, and he began to back up toward his dragon.

"Um, you may not know this, but Meatlug and I don't do well in tight spaces." I continued to stare at them for a second, growing exhausted with my friends. Both Reign and I were at our wits ends.

"You don't have to go down into the well, Fishlegs. You just have to lower Hiccup and I down there so that we can check it out."

He nervously glanced at Meatlug again, before sighing and giving in. Once we reach the well, Reign handed Fishlegs the rope that typically lowered the bucket down and instructed him to tie it a couple of times around Meatlug. She met my eyes every now and then as it got done, and she reached over to hand me a lantern.

"I'm going to have Fishlegs lower you down first, then I'll meet you down there. Don't try to wander." I smirked at her as she made her way back over to her dragon. "Don't laugh. You know you'd do it if I didn't say something."

"Reign, with our luck, the water's just farther down than we thought it was."

"Then don't go swimming."