Sorry that this chapter is so late. I'm working on a one-shot called Beggin' On Your Knees.
When I post it, I recommend you check it out. I might be a little bit until I can get the next chapter out, and you'll hate me for it.
I know, because I wrote the ending. You can say I'm feeling a bit evil today. :)
DISCLAIMER: I do not own HTTYD or its characters. I only own the plot that I pulled from the hodgepodge of ideas called my brain.
Onto the chapter!
Chapter 8-Leaving?
Astrid finished putting her clothes in her bag, and she swung it on her back. She walked outside to see Dark and Toothless, waiting for her.
"Time to go." He said, looking around sadly.
"Yeah," Astrid replied. "Will you come back here when Stoick lets you leave?" Dark looked at her with a tender look.
"I might just stay. After all, I've got an excuse to." He said, smiling slyly at her. Astrid blushed at his words, and adverted her eyes, desperate to change the subject. Her eyes found Stormfly, and she got the excuse she needed.
"What about Stormfly?" Astrid asked, walking over to her Deadly Nadder. "I can't take her with me." She said, petting Stormfly's head. The dragon purred at the contact, making Astrid smile.
"No you can't, and she'll be safe here." Dark said, walking up beside her.
"So I leave her?" Astrid asked, looking sadly at Stormfly.
"Yeah. Don't worry though. If you're in danger, she'll be next to you in an instant." Dark reassured.
"But Nadders aren't fast." Astrid countered.
"Each dragon flies at the speed of sound when their rider is in danger." Dark said, slipping into the saddle on Toothless's back.
Astrid hugged Stormfly, and got on behind Dark. She slipped her arms around his waist, and leaned her head on his shoulder.
Toothless took off, flying into the bright sky. Astrid looked back sadly, thinking of Stormfly. She turned forward, looking at Dark, and smiled. She'll be fine.
Hiccup was enjoying the flight, when Toothless's ear plates perked up.
"What is it bud?" Hiccup asked, rubbing his head. The Night Fury didn't answer, but he dived down into a swarm of wild dragons. Hiccup instinctively ducked down, with Astrid following him.
"What is he doing?" Astrid asked, her voice scared.
"Taking us to the new queen." Hiccup breathed.
"What?" Astrid said incredulously.
"Me and Toothless defeated the old queen, but there is a new one. This is how we found the old queen, so I bet he's taking us to the new one." Hiccup explained, fixing his eyes on the Nightmare in front of them.
A tall volcano came into view, and all the dragons flew into it. Toothless veered off, and landed on the shore. Hiccup quickly got off, and grabbed his notebook. He started to messily sketch the landmarks around it, and the volcano itself.
"What are you doing?" Astrid asked.
"Getting the landmarks down. I have a feeling we'll need to find this again." Hiccup replied. Toothless let out a slight roar, and Hiccup slipped his notebook back into his suit. He didn't have any more time.
"Get on!" He yelled at Astrid, hopping into his dragon's saddle. Astrid obeyed, slipping her arms around his waist. "Go bud." Hiccup whispered.
Toothless shot off into the air, sailing smoothly into the thin air.
"We have to tell Stoick." Astrid said, leaning against Hiccup. He winced at the mention on his father. Knowing him, he would immediately attack, killing many innocent dragons.
"No. He'll kill those dragons. We have to save them." Hiccup protested, turning Toothless toward Berk.
He'd flown over the island many times and knew the best way to stay hidden. Hiccup landed Toothless in a shady spot where no Berkian would find them. Astrid got off, and looked expectantly at Hiccup.
"Are you coming Dark?" She asked. He grimaced. He wished he could tell her who he truly was, but that wouldn't work. It would destroy everything.
"I'm leaving." Hiccup whispered.
"What?" Astrid sputtered. "But you promised Stoick that you would stay until he let you go."
"Yeah, but if he finds out about this nest, a lot of good dragons will die for a rotten cause. How would you feel if you were the ones raiding the dragons, but only because it was that, or death, and then the dragons come in to kill all of you so you won't raid them anymore, huh? Seems pretty stupid to me." Hiccup countered, glaring at the village of Berk.
Astrid laid her hand on his leg, making him meet her bright eyes.
"That's exactly why you have to come back to Berk. If you don't, Stoick will surely attack, but if you do, then you can stop him from attacking-"
"How?" Hiccup cried. "He won't do anything I suggest. I'm an outsider. It's obvious, and it won't change. It never did." Astrid looked at him weirdly, but shook her head.
"There's one thing that he won't be able to resist." Astrid mused.
"What?"
"You help us train the dragons."
"What?!" Hiccup asked incredulously. Astrid sighed.
"It's not such a bad idea. You help us train the dragons, and Stoick will surely let you leave. You have to do it," Astrid pleaded.
Hiccup still must've looked doubtful, because she gave him the puppy dog eyes.
"For me?" She asked. Hiccup knew that Astrid hated to seem weak or pleading, so this must be important to her. He sighed, defeated.
"Fine." He agreed. Astrid smiled brightly.
"Great! Let's go!" She started to walk toward Berk, but Hiccup grabbed her arm.
"We take the high road." Hiccup said, smiling. She smiled back, and hopped back onto Toothless, hooking her arms around his waist.
They took off, flying into the air. Landing in the middle of the town, villagers quickly cumulated around them.
Stoick pushed through the crowd, his red beard looking even more matted. His green eyes drooped, as did his posture.
"Good. You're back," Stoick said, his voice relieved. "Come on Astrid. You have to help pack." Astrid silently got off Toothless, making Hiccup sputter with disbelief.
"What are you doing?"
Astrid winced as Dark as the question she was dreading.
"We're leaving Berk." Stoick said firmly. After he said that, he swept away to pack his own.
"You're leaving Berk?" Dark asked, his voice soft.
"The dragon attacks are more frequent and dangerous and we can't risk anymore lives. Stoick is doing the best for Berk." Astrid protested, trying to make him understand, but he just shook his head angrily.
"You can't leave! I have to go back to my nest soon, and if you leave, I might lose my nest!" Dark cried, looking at Astrid.
"That's the thing," She whispered. "You're free to go back to your nest. Stoick obviously doesn't have any more questions for you. Goodbye Dark."
Astrid started to walk away, but a screech from the sky stopped her. She looked up to see a couple Gronckles dive-bombing a sheep pen. She sighed, but lifted her hands to her mouth nonetheless.
"DRAGON RAID!" She called to the vikings. Warriors poured out of the empty houses, bearing weapons and scowls. Dark looked frightened at all of them.
"No!" He cried, flying around the villagers. "Don't hurt them! They're just trying to survive!"
No one listened, and someone threw a spear, embedding itself in a Gronckle's side. The dusky colored dragon started to fall, its eyes glazing over. Dark gasped, and shot toward the injured dragon.
The Gronckle fell onto the ground, heaving with pain, blood pouring out of its side. Dark jumped off of Toothless and fell on his knees at the dragon's side. It was already dead. Dark lifted his head, his eyes filled with grief, his features etched in anger.
He hopped back onto Toothless, and the two of them flew into the air. They started to shoot blasts at the dragons; not to hurt them, but to drive them away.
The dragons retreated, but one stayed behind. It was a blue and yellow Nadder, with intelligent golden eyes. Astrid gasped, and staggered her way through the crowd. Dark must've seen her too, because he was soon by her side, running with her.
"What's she doing here?" Astrid asked, her voice thick with emotion.
"She must've heard your cry. You sounded distressed." Dark said, his voice tight and controlled. An older man saw the Nadder, and started toward it with an axe, ready to kill.
"No!" The plea was torn from Astrid's throat. The man turned around to see two young people rushing toward him.
"You can't kill that dragon." Dark said stopping in front of him. The man scowled grumpily.
"I've killed tens of dragons in my time. Killing one more won't hurt their herd. They never go away." He growled to Dark. Meanwhile, Astrid ran to the Nadder, who caught sight of her. The blue dragon started to rush toward Astrid.
"ASTRID!" Stoick yelled, scared for the young girl. Astrid reached the Nadder and flung her arms around its neck.
"What are you doing here Stormfly?" Astrid asked, tears coming out of her eyes.
She knew she would be labeled as a traitor when she claimed Stormfly as her friend, but she couldn't let the Nadder die.
Never in her lifetime.
Stormfly cooed to Astrid, nuzzling her neck. Astrid heard gasps from all around her, and then she felt two strong hands pull her off of Stormfly.
She struggled to get back to her dragon, but the person held her still. She looked back to see Stoick's surprised face.
"Let me go!" Astrid growled at the chief, shocking him even more.
"No." Stoick said, his voice firm.
"You can't kill her." Astrid protested raggedly.
"It's a dragon," Stoick said shortly. "It has to die. We can't support the village and two dragons."
Astrid started to cry as a viking hefted a hammer, aiming at the unsuspecting dragon. Dark stepped in front of Stormfly shielding her. Astrid sobbed with relief.
Dark would not let Stormfly die. She knew that. The viking glared at Dark.
"Move out of the way." He snipped. Dark shook his head violently, his green eyes narrowed hatefully.
"Get him." Stoick whispered to another viking. He nodded and charged Dark, tackling him to the ground. The hammer wielding viking threw his hammer, aiming for Stormfly's head.
Then, a dark blur jumped in front of the Nadder, the hammer hitting it. It crumpled to the ground, the hammer thudding next to it. Astrid screamed and tore away from her captors.
She threw herself on the heap, brushing the hair away from his eyes.
His green eyes were closed, and his black hair was matted with blood.
Astrid turned Dark's head to see a large gash on the side of his head, bleeding steadily. Pressing her head against his chest, she heard a steady thumping sounding in his chest. She looked up at a stunned crowd.
"You could've killed him," She whispered, her voice tight and laced with venom. "You could've killed him!"
She set his head on the ground and launched herself onto the man, screaming insults and profanities.
Everyone gasped and struggled to get her off of him. When they finally did, she raced back to Dark, who was lying on the ground.
"Why are you just standing there? Get help! We have to help him!" Astrid yelled at the crowd.
As everyone started to rush around to get Gothi or do something or other, she cradled his head, his eyes still closed and his heart beating steadily.
"I love you." She whispered, her tears falling onto his face. She cried, and pressed her head against his chest, wanting to fell its warmth, but feeling a disturbing cold.
Then she heard his heartbeat, and her face paled instantly.
Thump..Thump..Thump...Thump...Thump...Thump...Thump...Thump...
I know it's short and not my best work. Sorry bout that.
Next chapter out ASAP!
BookLover86, Out! ;)