Hey, here we go. Might not have time to update before Christmas so Merry Christmas.
I don't own how to train your dragon
"I was throwing the bad fish over the back. It was a boring job but someone had to do it. Anyway, I noticed that none of the fish were hitting the water so I knew something was going on. Then I threw an eel. It was something I did every day. Yes, fishing is dull. But that day the eel caused a roar to sound and this grey dragon appeared, flinging a thirteen years old girl onto the deck. As a reaction, my parents flung a net over the girl and..."
Everyone was listening to Alfie's story intently. He was telling them about how he had first met Iesra. They were six teenagers sitting around the campfire and it was late at night. Iesra and Ghost were asleep, Iesra curled up against Ghost as the Stealth dragon changed colour rapidly to fit with his dream.
"I'm sorry, Al, you may have moved out but you still have to help us with the fishing once in a while." Alfie's father said, appearing behind the group.
Everyone jumped (apart from Iesra who was still asleep). Alfie sighed and got to his feet. He didn't like fishing.
"But we need to find out how Iesra escapes!" Astrid moaned. "And somehow we need to get her back to their house."
Alfie looked hesitantly at his father but was quickly told that he needed to work. He apologised to his friends and went to go. Hiccup looked at Iesra.
"Jay, Astrid, do you think you could pick her up or...?"
Aya sighed and got up. She walked up to Iesra and brushed back the burning red hair. She blew into the girl's ear and Iesra jumped and shrieked, waking up.
"The only way that ever works." Aya remarked.
Ghost was growling, having been woken up by Iesra's shrieks. He growled at Aya but settled down when he was sure his rider was safe.
"Where's Alfie?" Iesra asked.
.
Alfie was grumbling as he threw the net over the side.
"Dad, you fished for years without me." Alfie informed his father. "You don't need me."
His father shook his head and walked across the boat so he could talk to his son.
"I'm really proud of you. You and Shadowfire, you've grown up so fast and now you're the responsible one in a house of your own."
There was a pause. Alfie couldn't really believe his father had got him on a late night fishing trip to have some father and son bonding.
"Now you are probably thinking about the future. Being a warrior isn't a very long term career. Everyone need fish, especially with all those dragons around."
Alfie rolled his eyes and got back to the net. His dad's hand landed on his shoulder and Alfie looked up at him.
"If you are going to become a warrior, you're going to need a weapon."
His father handed him a large triple pointed trident. It was perfectly weighted and meant for use fishing. Alfie had been taught to use one from his youth.
"But if I give you this trident then you need to promise me that you'll help me out whenever I need it." Alfie's dad said.
Alfie nodded and took the trident from his father, placing it behind him and continuing to handle the net.
.
Below the surface of the water, a creature studied Alfie and his father. It chirped. Then it ploughed into the net the seventeen year old boy was holding.
"Alfie!"
.
Shadowfire brushed against Jay, as if wondering where Alfie was. It was the next morning and Alfie hadn't returned. The fishing boat hadn't returned.
"Hey, Jay, have you seen...?" Hiccup said, walking up to Jay as he tried to stop Titan and Shadowfire from getting into a play fight.
"No! Alfie is not back yet." Jay shouted exasperated.
Hiccup took a step back from the sudden bellow from Jay.
"I was actually going to ask if you had seen Iesra. Um... Toothless wanted to see Ghost."
Jay picked up on the hints of a blush in Hiccup's cheeks. He noticed Toothless seemed content with playing with Titan and Shadowfire and took in the knowing glance Titan was giving him about Hiccup.
"She doesn't like to be around people. She's probably off somewhere with Ghost." He paused, thinking back. "I think she might have offered to pick some herbs or something for Gothi."
Hiccup nodded and called Toothless. Jay watched them go.
Jay himself was torn with how he was going to spend the morning. Aya was training with Astrid and the twins were off causing each other harm. He had no idea what Fishlegs was going but he guessed it had something to do wih updating the book of dragons (which Jay was now sure he was an expert on given how much Fishlegs had told him during the excitement of two new dragon species). He was considering going for a ride on Titan and getting Snotlout and Hookfang to join them. He didn't, however, want to leave Shadowfire alone while he went off adventuring.
Then he noticed a boat going into the port. He looked up at Shadowfire and told him with a grin that Alfie was back.
.
Iesra was standing in the middle of the wood, Ghost beside her. She was examining the flowers nearby, searching for the right one. She found a blue flower and went to pick it. She stopped.
Ghost was growling.
"Is someone there, buddy?" Iesra asked.
She reached down and produced her weapon of choice. She loaded it and pointed it in the direction Ghost was growling.
"Thanks for the warning." she smiled.
Her hands were steady and the moment she saw movement she fired.
"Whoa!" a boy Iesra's age shouted after his black dragon jumped to the boy's protection.
Iesra blushed and apologised to Hiccup. He told her there was no harm done. He took the weapon off her however.
"You use a slingshot?"
"I like to travel light."
Hiccup paused and frowned. He asked Iesra if she travelled a lot. Iesra nodded and took back her slingshot.
"Not many places are willing to take a kid like me for a long amount of time and those that do, I don't always feel comfortable in."
For a long moment, Hiccup was left staring into Iesra's blue eyes. She looked into his and then Toothless leapt.
He hit into Hiccup and pinned him down, licking him happily. Ghost appeared behind Iesra and pulled her back with his tail. Iesra shook her head as she turned back to the flower she had needed to pick.
"I better get this back to Gothi." she told Hiccup as she struggled under Toothless. "Me and Ghost are going flying at sunset, want to come?"
Hiccup nodded a bit too enthusiastically and then decided he had to rein it in. He said he would come if he could.
"Great, Jay will be happy for company talking about forges and stuff when me and Aya are reminiscing." Iesra smiled and then the ridges closed up around her and she disappeared.
Hiccup looked up at Toothless and frowned.
"You did that on purpose." Hiccup moaned and tried to push the dragon off him.
He soon gave up and sighed.
"Okay, me liking Iesra can be our little secret." Hiccup said.
Toothless looked happy with this answer and got off his rider.
"Way you're acting," Hiccup remarked. "I would say you're jealous."
.
Astrid was happy that she had someone to spare with who was actually roughly on her level and not trying to flirt with her the whole time. Aya was happy to have someone female she could spar with who didn't insist on using a slingshot and a dagger as her only weapons.
Aya and Astrid were both armed with swords and their own personal shields. Astrid's shield had the Berk crest on it and was completely. Aya's shield had a Skrill painted over a layer of metal. It resembled Hiccup's shield slightly.
Aya raised her shield just in time to block the lunge from Astrid. They were talking as they fought but they both had their main focuses on fighting.
"Have you ever fought Alfie?" Aya asked as she lunged forwards.
"No." Astrid answered with a parry. "Is he good?"
"For a boy."
Astrid looked thoughtful for a moment and shrugged. She had never really talked to Alfie before the two weeks ago where he had been revealed as a rider. She had watched him training once and been impressed but when she had gone to talk to the red faced boy, he had turned redder and quickly made his escape.
.
Jay, Titan and Shadowfire ran down to the Hjalte boat. A crowd had formed around the boat but Jay couldn't understand why. He practically leapt onto the boat and looked around.
"Alfie?" he called. "Shadowfire was missing you."
Jay frowned when his friend didn't just suddenly appear. He felt uncomfortable about what was going on. He could see Mr Hjalte was sitting on a crate, looking heartbroken.
"My son..." he whimpered.
It was clear to Jay that something had gone very wrong. Mr Hjalte had been crying and Alfie was missing.
"Mr Hjalte, what happened?"
.
Alfie could remember something suddenly pulling on the net. He could remember not being able to let go and hitting the water. He could remember the panic as he had seen a large creature about the size of a man pulling him through the water. He could remember passing out.
What he couldn't remember was how he had ended up on the island. He was lying to the beach, dripping wet and not holding the net any longer.
Normally it wouldn't have been a concern for Alfie but Shadowfire wasn't with him and that made getting off the island very hard.
Alfie sat up and brushed the sand out of his hair. He searched through his pockets and saw that the contents were soaked. He had a notebook in one and it was dripping wet. It had a selection of dragon bones drawn over the pages and tallies to show the growth, depletion and re-growth of Shadowfire's armour. Slipping the notebook away, Alfie surveyed the island with a frown. There was a dense clump of trees and a strip of beach. Alfie sighed and decided to find a water and food source in case he was out there for a long time.
.
Any of the riders who had been easy to find were in the academy, getting told a shorter version of the story that Jay had been told. It was pretty clear that something bad had happened to Alfie and a search party was desperately needed. Fishermen had already launched their boats and more where leaving every second.
Six riders and seven dragons stood in the academy.
"From Hjalte's description, there is a large water creature that could be dangerous." Hiccup said.
"Then let's get out there!" Iesra called.
Aya rolled her eyes and asked Hiccup what that meant. He explained that it meant they needed to keep away from the water line.
.
"I'm hungry!" Snotlout moaned.
They had only been flying for a few minutes and already Snotlout was moaning. Hiccup rolled his eyes and looked at Astrid for help. Astrid looked back at Snotlout and told him to be quiet. Jay said he was hungry as well.
"You're always hungry." Aya said, rolling her eyes.
"Maybe we should land." Iesra said. "You were all up late last night and I can't think of the last time Aya and Tempest went to sleep."
Hiccup could see an island and he nodded. He got them to land the dragons there.
.
Alfie was listening out. He was pretty sure that he had suddenly heard voices start. He had seen a fire and was sure that a camp had formed. He decided to go and see what was happening. He had talked to both Aya and Iesra who had visited many of the inhabited islands around Berk and they had never told him about this one. He crept up on the camp.
He couldn't actually see the camp but he could make out a figure sitting in a tree with their back facing him. It would be easy for him to find out what was happening.
He climbed the tree silently, used to climbing. He reached out and clamped his hand over the figure's mouth, pulling them back.
"Aya!" a familiar voice screamed.
Alfie looked down at the struggling figure he was holding and realised that it was Aya. A grin flooded across Alfie's face and he let his friend good. Dragons and their riders were already appearing.
"Alfie!" the group cheered as they rushed forwards.
.
Alfie had told the group what he knew. He had told them what he had seen of the creature and that it wasn't dangerous.
"Is it some sort of dragon?" Iesra asked.
Alfie paused and shook his head. Hiccup raced through all the dragons he could remember and he knew of a few water dragons but none that would just dump Alfie on a shore with no reason for it.
"At least I got out of fishing." Alfie said with a smile.
For a few seconds, his attention fell onto Astrid and, when the female warrior realised she was being stared at, she stared back. Alfie looked away first, a blush on his cheeks.
Titan once again gave a knowing look at Jay who rolled his eyes. Jay paused and tipped his head back.
"We should launch a search. Go along the water line." Jay suggested.
Hiccup quickly shook his head even as excitement was being to blaze in the eyes of his companions. Iesra and Aya were already on their feet when Hiccup began.
"We could get attacked." Hiccup said.
"But Alfie said the creature wasn't any bigger than a man." Iesra reasoned with a smirk. "And Toothless is desperate for a ride."
Hiccup looked around at the group and tried to work out who wanted you leave. Toothless and Stormfly looked like they wanted to go and Ghost was fighting not to camouflage himself ready for a flight. Hookfang and Titan were already letting their riders climb on as neither Jay or Snotlout wanted the other to seem braver. Astrid was looking at Hiccup for approval, knowing Hiccup was the leader while Hiccup was sure he could see Alfie looking for Astrid's approval as he pretended to be grown up.
"Well I'm going." Aya announced. "And help won't be turned down. Unless it is from Snotlout."
She took off and Ghost, disappearing as he flew, with Iesra. Hookfang and Titan took off with their riders.
"I'd better go after them." Alfie said, standing up.
He climbed onto Shadowfire's back and shifted slightly, smiling at the familiar feeling. He got Shadowfire to take off and Hiccup looked at Astrid.
"They're so stubborn."
"So you're going to join us then?" Astrid asked, climbing onto Stormfly.
Hiccup sighed but smiled and moved towards Toothless.
.
The group were flying out over the ocean. The sun was setting and the sea and its gentle ripples were dyed red and orange. The dragons and their riders were very happy to relax and watch the sea.
"It's beautiful." Aya remarked.
"It as beautiful as you." Snotlout said.
Jay glared at Snotlout and flew closer to Aya. Aya was reaching for her knife, ready to throw it at Snotlout. Jay stopped her.
Hiccup was flying next to Astrid. He could see something dark in the water. He frowned.
"Astrid, look at that." I said.
Astrid shifted her weight so she was leaning off the side of Stormfly. She paused and then Stormfly flew upwards. Something had leapt out of the water and cut through the air. At Stormfly's sudden movement, Astrid lost her balance and fell from her dragon. She hit the water.
"Hiccup! Get her!" Alfie shouted, knowing Hiccup was the closest.
Hiccup shouted back that he couldn't. If he got off Toothless, the dragon would fall into the water. Alfie wanted to roll his eyes but he didn't have the time. He dove head first into the sea before even Shadowfire knew what was going on. The group and their dragons began to circle.
"What was that thing?" Iesra asked.
Snotlout shrugged and Hiccup said he wasn't sure. The other riders lowered down to the surface of the water and began to study the waterline. They all studied the dark shapes under the water.
.
Alfie began to battle through the water. He could see Astrid being circled by the shapes. He gasped as he realised the creatures were dragon like as they cut through the water. He began to fly through the water, pushing forwards bravely. Astrid was trying to swim upwards but, every time she did, a creature would swim into her path.
The boy swum forwards, his hair flying around his face. His heart was racing and his chest was burning. He managed to reach Astrid and looked around. Bubbles and long blonde hair blocked their view. They couldn't make sense of what was happening.
Alfie pulled down, hoping to be able to swim under the creatures. Astrid was struggling to fit the urge to breathe. A few bubbles escaped from her mouth and Alfie began to pull her upwards. The creatures noticed they had moved and went towards them.
With the speed of lightening, Alfie and Astrid reacted. They broke apart and began to battle upwards. The creatures were quick but the teenagers were fighting for their lives. They ended up on the surface of the water and Shadowfire swooped down. He snatched Alfie and Astrid out of the water.
One of the creatures leapt out of the water. Hiccup had been looking and watching. He smiled to say he understood. Aya and Iesra recognised the creatures and fell back, laughing.
"They're Golphins!" Aya shouted.
The others looked at them confused apart from Hiccup. He was watching the waterline and the dragon creatures leaping out of the water. He grinned.
"They were playing." Iesra laughed, and then Ghost disappeared.
Her voice could still be heard but no one could see her.
"They must have realised Alfie didn't want to fish and decided to play a game with him."
The dragon reappeared as the tips of his wings cut through the water. Toothless went down as well as the Golphins propelled themselves out of the water and used their wings to do tricks in the air. Alfie and Astrid hung from Shadowfire's grip and shivered from the wet. Aya sighed and got Tempest to fly parallel with Hookfang. She leapt off her dragon and tackled Snotlout. Snotlout went flying off along with Aya and they were caught by Tempest once again.
"Shadowfire, put Alfie and Astrid on the back of Hookfang. He'll help them warm up." Jay said.
"And if they hug, they'll be warmer too." Iesra said with a knowing smirk in Alfie's direction.
Alfie flushed and hoped that the others put it down to the sudden rush of heat from Hookfang. Astrid lean back and her head was resting against Alfie's chest. Alfie grinned.
And they rode the dragons back, heading towards their home. Around them, intelligent and friendly dragon creatures leapt out of the water and danced around them.