Ch. 12: Astrid

One day after Dragon Training, Shelen was about to head to the cove but was stopped by an axe that was held to her throat. She looked up and saw Astrid holding the axe. She looked furious.

"Ok, talk!" The angry Viking girl commanded. "What have you and Hiccup been up to?"

"Up to?" Shelen asked, glad it was her Astrid was questioning. Hiccup was a terrible liar. "We're not up to anything."

"Lies! I saw you and Hiccup walking with baskets! Are you two training or something?"

"You are accusing us of doing something suspisious just because we are carrying baskets around?" Shelen almost laughed.

"Yes! You could be carrying weapons or somthing!" Astrid said her anger rising. Shelen decided it was time to wrap up the conversation and she backed away from the axe and with one hand lowered it.

"What Hiccup and I do in our spare time is none of your buisness, Astrid Hofferson." Shelen replied coldly and turned to leave a stunned Astrid staring after her.

Later at the cove Shelen explained the conversation she had had with Astrid. Hiccup was abit suprised Shelen was still alive. After that they continued training with the Night Furies. That was when the two discovered the use of Kitty Grass. The Night Furies purred with pleasure and rolled around like kittens in catnip.

Hiccup used this knollage and tried it on the Gronkle in training. The crocodile-like dragon rolled to the side as Hiccup rubbed the kitty grass against the dragon's snout. After training he and Shelen returned to the cove for more flying practice. Before they began though the dragons were in the mood for a good scratching. Hiccup scraped his blunt nails against Toothless's hide and the dragon's tail thumped in pleasure, that is until Hiccup reached under the Night Fury's chin. That was when the great Toothless collapsed with a happy moan. Shelen raised an eyebrow as Windchaser was being scratched then she too came to the other Night Fury's neck and to her chin. Windchaser's eyes widened and she went stiff. Her jaw hanging open. Shelen looked at the dragoness curiously then abandoning all precaution placed her hand in the dragoness's mouth and scratched the creature's tongue. Windchaser's eyelids drooped but when Shelen got to the roof of Windchaser's mouth the dragoness collapsed like Toothless.

Shelen only had enough time to pull her hand away before the dragoness fell with a pleased sigh.

"You are one strange Night Fury." Shelen shook her head with a chuckle.

The next day in training Hiccup used the scratching method on a Deadly Nadder. That night at dinner everyone in the village that was not off looking for Hel Heimes Gate went to sit with Hiccup or at least talk to him. Shelen smiled from afar and glanced at Astrid to see the Viking girl slam her mug onto the table. This was very saticefying.

...

(Windchaser POV)

The humans returned to the cove as scedualed and we greeted them with enthusiasm. Hiccup got everything set up and Toothless and I waited patiently. I then suddenly caught sight of a shiney spot. Could it be? A star? I glanced at Toothless and then made to stomp on the star. Toothless looked up and seemed to notice my attempts. He too tried to catch the star but it kept getting away.

We heard our humans talking but we were focused on the star. I chased it to the lone tree in our cove but the star dissapeared. I blinked and looked around for the star but it was no were to be found.

"Where'd it go?" Toothless asked me with a sad look on his face.

"Shelen, where'd the star go?" I whined to my girl. She just smiled at me innocently with her hands behind her back and looking anywhere but at us. Hiccup laughed and I suddenly felt extremely foolish. I lowered in appoligy but heard Shelen whistle at me. I looked up and a sudden flash of light hit my vision. I blinked the spots out of my eyes and shook my head with a snort. Toothless though was staring at something in Shelen's hand. My eyes widened when I saw it was her dagger!

"Shelen! I thought we agreed you'd keep that thing put away!" I whined. She smirked and then used her wrist to reposition the dagger to where light struck it. I looked to the far rocks and saw a rainbow! Humans really were different in mor than just ways of language. They could create rainbows and call stars down to Earth. Vikings really could do anything!

...

(3rd Person POV)

The next day Hiccup's harness got stuck in his riding belt. The four had to sneak into Berk, as Windchaser and Shelen were also stuck to the boys, and get the correct tools to fix the problem. They finally got to forge, very greatful that the dragons were made with back hides.

"Hiccup?" Came a voice. It was Astrid. Hiccup quickly jumped through the dropoff window and closed the shudders. He began to speak to Astrid as Shelen searched for the tools as best she could while tangled with a dragon. Suddenly the two Furies caught sight of a lone sheep. Shelen struggled to keep them in the forge.

"No! Stay here!" He hissed to the dragons as their temptation tried to overpower their common sense, "Hiccup, hurry!"

"Is there someone else there?" Astrid asked suspisiously. Hiccup tried to say "no" but was being pulled back into the forge. He suddenly dissapeared and Astrid opened the shudders but didn't find Hiccup. The two riders had already been dragged from the forge and had managed to fly away.

"We will NEVER do that again!" Shelen said the next day. The others agreed.

After a little more practice, though, they were finally ready for the test flight.