Ch. 4
Astrid was not as planned as she thought she was. Just before her door flew open, she ran to her windowsill. When it had opened, she jumped out, Stormfly's stable below her. She jumped out to the top of the stable, shortening her fall. She knew it was better than falling all the way. But as she landed she heard a small crack and almost fell off in pain. She looked down and saw she had twisted her ankle in the fall. Biting her lip, she climbed down as fast and quietly as she could, hoping not to alarm the person in her room.
She limped over to Stormfly. Her Deadly Nadder's head popped up in alarm, noticing it. "it's fine, girl." She lied, patting her dragon on the nose. "Now, let's go find Hiccup…" she secured the saddle onto her dragon's back, then hopped on. As she took off, she directed her to the docks.
It was nightfall, and she could barely make out the rocks that the riding pair had crashed into. She was still mad at everyone, they should know she wasn't joking around! She growled, the flew to the rocks, hoping to find the closest piece of land that Toothless would have landed on. She dived down near the water, a small feeling o thrill coursing through her. She loved flying, ever since Hiccup had forced her on a joyride, back when they were still fighting dragons. Ever since, she had seen flying in a whole new way. Now it was bound time she'd pay him back for what he had shown her.
Hiccup was having the strangest dream, and probably the most terrifying. He kept falling, over and over and over, into darkness. Every time, right before darkness would enclose him, he heard a scream. He knew that scream. It would stick to him forever, and never let go. It had scared him to death the first time he heard it. He had first heard it when they were fighting the Red Death, and Astrid was plummeting to the ground. He had never heard her scream as much as she did that day, and it had terrified him since. He had Toothless catch her, but it had still scared him much. And now, here it was, but it was also ringed with a thud, and he would be hit hard against something, then it would replay. He was tossing in his sleep, and Toothless was very worried.
Astrid landed on the right beach, little had she known it. Toothless and Hiccup weren't far up the shore, yet something scared her – worried her- Hoffersons never get scared. Something worried her about this place, like she had been warned over and over never to come here, unless you wanted to meet death itself. No one cared then, their biggest priority was the dragons that kept raiding the village. She limped towards the darkened woods, knowing the sun would be fully set in seconds, and they would be engulfed in darkness.
"Hiccup?! Toothless! HICCUP!" she shouted, while occasionally having Stormfly fire flares, carful of her shot limit. Fortunately, Toothless knew that voice well, and smirked. He sent up one o his own flares, it exploding in the sky, and would normally make most people stare in awe.
Astrid saw it and came running. As she was running, she heard a small hiss behind her. She stopped and turned around, "Who's there?" she questioned. When nothing happened, she turned back around and kept running. Little did she know, a pair of glowing, amber eyes were staring at her as she ran, and then quickly vanished. She stopped running and sighed with relief. There, curled up around his rider, was Toothless. He was trying to keeping him warm and seemed to know he wasn't making any progress. She ran over and hugged the dragon. "Oh gods! Oh gods, oh gods, oh gods your alright! Your both alright!" she looked down at Hiccup, and frowned. He was shivering and unconscious. She saw a rather noticeable bruise on the back o his head and knew he must have hit the rock. Unsurewhat to do (she had never been taught about unconsciousness), and unsure if this was correct, but did it anyway. She grabbed his shoulder gently and shook it. "Hiccup! Hiccup wake up!" just again she heard the same hiss. She pulled out her axe that she had kept sticking out of her pack, and pointed it in front of her. "Who's there?" Hiccup opened his eyes just in time to see the thing that their parents warned them about when they were kids, a big mountain cat that usually lives in Badmist Mountain, with glowing amber eyes leap out at him.
"NO!" he heard Astrid shout.