Chapter 3 ~ Heather Report (Part 2)
Heather sprinted through the forest on Berk as she ran from Astrid. She panted heavily as she pushed through the foliage, looking behind her every now and then to see where Astrid and Stormfly were.
Before she knew it, she ended up finding the cove and quickly rushed down when she spotted Hiccup and Kala relaxing in the shade. Kala was in her dragon form with her head resting in Hiccup's lap as he gently rubbed her head as he leaned against her with his head bent back slightly with his eyes closed.
Kala's head shot up as she heard Heather rushing down into the cove, which got Hiccup to open his eyes and look that way as well.
"Heather?" He asked, confused.
"Hide me!" She said as she dashed over to them and hid under Kala's wing, scooting as close as she could to Kala's body.
Kala instinctively covered her with her wing and wrapped her tail around her and Hiccup, her instincts screaming at her to protect her nest from harm.
Not a minute later, Stormfly landed in the cove and a rather upset Astrid dismounted and made her way over to the young couple, not realizing that there was a certain black haired green eyed girl hidden in plain sight.
"What is it Astrid?" Hiccup asked as he crossed his arms with a bored look as he and Kala looked up at Astrid.
"I know you two have seen that lying thief. Now where is she?!" Astrid asked with her hands on her hips as she leaned down.
Kala growled at her with a warning, her tail pulling Hiccup closer to her body. The growl was ignored by the upset Hofferson though.
"We don't know who you're talking about Astrid. And I'd suggest backing up before Kala blasts you from getting too close to us." Hiccup said as he rubbed the side of Kala's head with one hand, the other resting atop her tail, his thumb rubbing the scar where her left tailfin once was.
Astrid huffed and took a couple steps back, her arms crossed.
"Heather! She escaped from her cell. Again!"
Kala felt Heather curl up and scoot closer to her for comfort, but she didn't move to comfort her to keep Astrid from figuring it out.
Hiccup glared at Astrid and crossed his arms. "She's not even supposed to be locked up Hofferson. That's why she keeps escaping. Hel, Stoick himself said she was pardoned. You just keep putting her back in there because you're a jealous bitch that won't let go of a grudge."
Astrid rolled her eyes with a scoff. "As if! She deserves to be locked up! She stole from us and manipulated you! She's the reason we lost the Book of Dragons!"
"She didn't manipulate us! She was trying to protect us from Alvin and trying to save her parents! Yes, she took Stormfly and the book. But she did it to save who she cares about! She had no other choice!" Hiccup shot back, getting pissed off now.
Kala began to growl at Astrid again to emphasize Hiccup's point, her glare sharp as her instincts were screaming threat.
Astrid groaned in frustration and mounted Stormfly's back again. "Fine! Be that way! I'll find her myself!"
And with that, Stormfly took off and disappeared from sight as Astrid went back to searching for Heather.
Kala huffed out steam as she unraveled her tail and folded in her wing once Astrid was gone. She and Hiccup looked at Heather with concerned looks as said girl uncurled herself and looked up at them.
"Are you okay Heather?" Hiccup asked as Kala nudged her with a whine.
She smiled slightly and nodded a bit as she rubbed Kala's head in appreciation.
"Yeah..I'm alright..could you guys hide me in your hut..? Just until this whole thing dies down..?"
Hiccup and Kala nodded.
"Of course we can. You're our friend Heather. We'll do everything we can to help you. We promise you that." Hiccup said with a soft smile.
Kala added to that in her own way by nuzzling Heather's side with a soft purr. Heather smiled as she held in a laugh from how ticklish Kala's nuzzles felt against her side.
~~~HTLANF~~~
Later that same day, the riders were all gathered in the Academy training in preparation for getting the book back.
Snotlout released a boulder from a mini catapult a little too close to Meatlug as they trained, which made Fishlegs yelp in surprise as Meatlug turned and caught it in her mouth.
"Hey, that was a little too close, Snotlout!" He shouted shakily.
"Quit whining, Fishlegs!" Snotlout shouted back.
Fishlegs then had Meatlug send a blast of lava at Snotlout, which made Snotlout have to jump away from it.
"Hey! Cut it out!" Snotlout yelled irritatedly as he glared at Fishlegs.
"Quit whining, Snotlout!" Fishlegs said, taunting the Jorgenson slightly.
"Nice job, guys." Hiccup said as he and Kala walked up to them, Kala in her human form this time. "But remember, the Outcasts are not gonna be coming one at a time."
"You don't need to remind me, we're under enough stress." Fishlegs said nervously as Meatlug hovered in place.
"Remember, we're only gonna have one shot at getting the Book of Dragons back. And hopefully Heather's parents, too." Kala said with a hand on her hip.
"Um, did I not make myself clear about the stress..?" Fishlegs asked as he and Meatlug flew past the young couple.
Ruffnut and Tuffnut then flew past on Barf and Belch, Barf releasing gas as they did. Once they landed, Belch ignited the gas which made an explosion trail. Snotlout yelped as he dodged it when it got too close to him and Hookfang, the Nightmare roaring in irritation from the explosion.
Stormfly landed close to Barf and Belch with Astrid atop her back as Snotlout sat up after he skidded across the arena floor.
"Too early, Snotlout. We have to time it perfectly!" Astrid said rather upset.
"It wasn't me, it was them!" Snotlout defended as he pointed towards the twins.
"Uh, sorry." Ruffnut said.
"Yeah, still working out the kinks." Tuffnut added as he and Ruffnut laughed to themselves.
Hookfang kept roaring in irritation, his body now ablaze from the startle of the explosion as Snotlout stood. Astrid grew irritated at Hookfang's tantrum and huffed.
"Can you calm him down?"
"Fine, whatever." Snotlout said as he went over to his dragon and grabbed him by the horns, then he pushed him down to the ground by them.
Hookfang calmed down instantly and began to purr as his tongue poked out of his maw and the flames dissipated from his body.
Snotlout smirked as he looked at the others. "Figured that one out yesterday. He likes it!"
"Wait, wait, wait. He likes having his horns bent to the ground?" Fishlegs asked as Meatlug landed beside the other dragons.
"Tuffnut does." Ruffnut said, which confused her brother.
"I do?" He asked, which led to Ruffnut pouncing on him and sending him to the Academy floor by his helmet. "Oh, yeah…that does feel kinda nice. The dirt's soft…"
"Can we get on with it?" Astrid asked, her irritation clear in her voice. "There could be a whole army coming at us!"
Snotlout had mounted Hookfang as she spoke. He looked at her in anticipation as he held onto Hookfang's horns.
"Well? We're waiting!" Snotlout said.
Stormfly lifted into the air and hovered, waiting for her signal.
"Hit it!" Snotlout yelled, which led to Hookfang sending a blast of flames that the twins had to dodge.
"Spines, Stormfly! Now!" Astrid ordered, which Stormfly obliged.
The spines flew through the flames and became ablaze as they passed through, getting logged into the stone wall behind the flames. Which just so happened to be where the twins were standing as well. Tuffnut looked at the spines then turned back just in time for one of the spines to get stuck in his helmet.
He groaned slightly as it made contact then smiled with a shrug. "Eh, I kinda like that too. Make a note."
"That's gonna work great!" Hiccup said with a small smile, his arms crossed.
Kala nodded in agreement in the same pose. "Sure is."
"You know all this training is nice once we have the book." Fishlegs said beside the young couple, no longer astride Meatlug's back. "But Alvin's not just gonna hand it over to us."
Astrid dismounted Stormfly once they were on solid ground once more and walked over to the others.
"No…but maybe Alvin will hand it to Heather." She said, hinting towards something.
"Uh…I think Astrid's been eating Dragon Nip again." Fishlegs said, but that just earned a sharp elbow to the stomach from Astrid. "OW! Why is it always violence with you?!"
"It's not violence, it's communication!" She defended with her hands on her hips.
"What exactly are you getting at Hofferson?" Hiccup asked with a raised brow.
"Yeah, what do you mean? I thought you wanted Heather locked up in the prison hold." Kala added, glaring at her with a small growl forming in the back of her throat.
"I may not know where the little thief ran off to, but I'm suggesting we 'let her go'." Astrid said as she looked directly at Kala with a smirk.
That only made Kala grow even more confused. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Oh you know exactly why dragon girl." Astrid said, her smirk never fading.
"Yep. Dragon Nip." Fishlegs said, but he yelped in pain when Astrid punched him in the gut.
~~~HTLANF~~~
After Astrid explained her idea, the riders split up to get prepared for the mission. Hiccup and Kala went straight to their hut as the others went to secure a boat for the voyage.
When they got home, they immediately went upstairs.
Heather looked at them from her spot on Hiccup's bed, a brow raised in confusion. "What's got you two in such a rush?"
"We figured out how we're gonna get the Book of Dragons back, and possibly your parents too." Hiccup said once he had caught his breath.
Heather's eyes widened as she sat up straighter gripping her legs as she got into a crisscrossed position. "Really?! What's the plan?"
"We're gonna disguise me as you and I'll trick the Outcasts into giving me the book and your parents, then we'll be home free!" Kala said once her breathing was back to normal as well.
"Wait, wait, wait. You're going in alone?! Kala, that's super dangerous! Hiccup, how can you possibly think this is a good idea?! She's not gonna be able to protect herself!" Heather said worriedly, knowing that Kala wouldn't be able to transform without blowing her secret to the enemy.
"Because I know that she can handle it. Knowing the Outcasts, they're struggling with figuring out how to tame the dragons even with the book in their possession. So they'll more than likely ask 'you' to help them out." Hiccup explained, complete confidence in his words and Kala nodded in agreement.
"And out of all of us, I know dragons the best. Not to mention, they wouldn't be able to tell the difference." Kala said, the last sentence said in a different pitch of voice that sounded almost exactly like Heather.
Heather's eyes widened at the same time Hiccup's did.
"I didn't know you could do that. Did you Hiccup?" She asked, pure shock adorning her face.
Hiccup shook his head as he looked at his girlfriend in awe. "No..no I didn't..wow.."
Kala blushed and messed with a strand of her hair. "I-it's not that great..but it's close right?"
"Very, very close milady. That was practically spot on!" Hiccup said in excitement. "This is great! Alvin and the Outcasts won't know what hit 'em!"
Kala and Heather smiled at one another then nodded in agreement as they looked back at Hiccup, who was practically beaming at the idea of the plan working flawlessly.
"Okay! I'm gonna go help the others. Heather, help Kala with the disguise. We'll meet up at the beach you washed up on when everything's good to go." Hiccup said, then he gave Kala a quick peck on the lips before he dashed back downstairs and left to help the others.
Kala purred slightly as Hiccup left then looked back at Heather as her purrs died down. Heather got up and smoothed out her clothes.
"Alright, let's get you dressed for the occasion." She said in a joking manner.
Kala giggled and nodded as she removed her cloak. "Let's."
~~~HTLANF~~~
"T-t-t-t-t-this is gonna w-work, right?" Fishlegs asked as he and the others were stocking the boat for Kala's trip to Outcast Island. "'Cause if it doesn't work, Alvin's gonna know all of our dragon secrets. And if Alvin knows all of our dragon secrets…"
Hiccup set a basket down in the boat and placed a hand on Fishlegs' shoulder to get his friend's attention.
"Fishlegs! It'll work." He said calmly, then his attention was broken when he heard someone approaching the group. "Oh, that must be–"
He then cut himself off with a smile when he noticed it was Kala. She had on clothes that were identical to Heather's and her hair was tied together in a loose braid to the left just like Heather's as well. And with how Heather had styled it, you couldn't even tell that Kala's hair was unruly.
The others took notice of her as well and smiled at the results. Well, besides the twins who were smirking as they nodded to one another and pounced on Kala to mess around.
"How did you escape that cell?! Tell us!" Tuffnut shouted.
Kala growled as she struggled to get the twins off her. "It's me, you muttonheads! Get off!"
Hiccup facepalmed and pulled Tuffnut off his girlfriend, while Ruffnut got off her herself. "Would you two stop?! This is serious!"
"Heh heh..sorry." Ruffnut apologized.
"Totally unconvincing costume by the way." Tuffnut added with a small cackle.
"I could tell.." Kala grumbled as she got up and dusted herself off.
Hiccup helped her get the sand she couldn't reach then he pulled her into a kiss and rested his forehead against hers.
"Please be careful, love.." He whispered.
Kala purred softly and closed her eyes. "I promise I'll be careful my love.."
Hiccup smiled and kissed her cheek, then he helped her aboard the ship. "We'll be shadowing you from the sky. I'll be riding with Snotlout."
"I'll be fine, Hiccup, trust me. You guys don't need to shadow me." Kala said with a soft smile.
"It's just in case milady. Plus..it'll make me feel better." Hiccup admitted.
Kala giggled and rolled her eyes playfully, then gave him one last kiss. "Oh, alright. Just stay out of sight. If Alvin sees you guys, it'll all be over."
"Don't worry about us, love. Just get the book and Heather's parents and get out of there. We'll be waiting. Be safe." Hiccup said with a soft smile.
Astrid groaned in annoyance and pulled the two of them apart harshly. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. This is very heartwarming. Now let's get this over with!"
Hiccup growled slightly under his breath at being pushed away from his girlfriend in such a way but huffed and began to push the boat offshore with Fishlegs' help.
Kala waved to them as the boat floated away from the beach, which Hiccup returned as he tried to keep his worry from consuming him.
He then turned to the others, noticing Heather hiding behind a large boulder father off as he spoke. "Okay guys, let's mount up and follow her."
"You sure you don't wanna ride with me on Stormfly, Hiccup?" Astrid asked as she mounted Stormfly's back, a hint of flirtatiousness behind her words.
Hiccup grimaced as he mounted Hookfang behind Snotlout. "Nope. I'm perfectly fine riding with my cousin, thanks."
"If you say so." Astrid said with a roll of the eyes.
Hiccup glanced at Heather, who gave him a thumbs up and mouthed a 'good luck'. He nodded slightly at her before she turned around and dashed back to the village.
~~~HTLANF~~~
Once Heather was back to the village she went straight back to the Haddock household to hide in Hiccup and Kala's room again just to be safe. But as she entered, she saw Stoick heating up food over the fire.
Stoick turned to her as he heard the door and smiled. "Ah, hello Heather. Care to join me?"
Heather smiled slightly as she made her way over to the man. "How'd you know I'd still be here?"
"Just a hunch. I knew Hiccup and Kala were protecting ya from Astrid, so I assumed you'd rush right back here once you saw them off for that mission. Here. Made some cabbage soup for the both of us. Might not be the best, but it tastes alright." Stoick said as he handed Heather a bowl full of soup and a spoon.
Heather took it gingerly and sniffed it as she sat at the table. "It smells good, chief. Thank you."
"Not a problem lass." Stoick said with a smile as he claimed his spot at the table with his own bowl. "Definitely better than what my late wife Valka could do, that's for sure." He added with a chuckle.
Heather stifled a laugh. "Was she not a good cook?"
"Oh by Odin's beard, no. That woman burned almost everything she made. I had to do most of the cooking around here, especially when she was carried off by that Stormcutter when Hiccup was just a wee thing." Stoick explained as he ate.
"Oh wow…I'm so sorry for your loss…"
"Ah, it was years ago. But thank you. So, why did you decide to stay back? I figured you'd want to contribute to savin' your parents." Stoick asked with a raised brow.
Heather sighed as she put her spoon back down in the bowl. "Well for one, I didn't want to get in the way. I know the riders have this under control. They have a pretty solid plan. And the other reason is Astrid..I didn't want to rile her up and end up ruining the mission in any way."
"I see. Well then, in the meantime you could help me around the village until they get back. Just so that you're not cooped up in here all day again. Are you up for it?"
Heather smiled and nodded. "Sure. I have to repay you for letting me stay here somehow, right?"
Stoick chuckled and patted her shoulder from across the table. "Tha's the spirit."
~~~HTLANF~~~
After sailing for some time, Kala finally reached Outcast Island.
She looked over the map she had with her to make sure she hadn't gone off course, then looked around the area she was in. It sent a shiver down her spine from how creepy it looked.
'Why does it look even creepier from ground level..?' She thought as she shuddered slightly.
Kala was then broken out of her thoughts as a Monstrous Nightmare flew over the boat, which made her jump with a slight screech. She then sighed when she saw it was just a dragon and shook her body out to get rid of her nerves.
"Now is not the time to be scared Kala…you've got a mission to do…" She muttered to herself as the boat met the shore.
She then hopped out and pulled the boat further onto the beach to anchor it, then she pulled out the map again to see where on the island she had to go from there. But as she turned back around to face the island, Savage was right in front of her which made her jump slightly.
"We thought you'd been captured." He said as he looked at her confused, but with a hint of skepticism.
Kala fixed her bangs slightly as she prepared herself to impersonate Heather. "I was! But I got away. That girl who rides the Nadder made it very difficult."
"Well, it's good to see you safe and sound." Savage said as he drew closer, then turned to the Outcasts he brought along. "Get rid of her."
"WHAT?!" Kala asked fearfully, backing up slightly.
"We don't need you anymore." Savage said as he turned to leave.
"Savage, wait! You do need me! I can prove it! You have the book, right?" Kala asked as she walked over to Savage when he turned back around to face her. "I've watched them. I've learned from them. Trust me! That book is only worth something if you know how to use it."
~~~HTLANF~~~
"I wanna go on record as saying I'm not so sure about this plan, Hiccup." Fishlegs said as he and the others flew across the ocean, each of them having baskets of fish in tow.
"If you have another one, I'm open." Hiccup said as he looked over at Fishlegs.
"I just think landing in a wild dragon nesting ground is really going to freak Meatlug out." Fishlegs defended, covering up the fact that he was super nervous.
Meatlug seemed perfectly fine as she crooned in response to her rider's statement.
"Really? Well, how does she feel about flaming arrows and catapults?" Hiccup asked, seeing through Fishlegs' coverup but wanting to play along to make his friend feel better.
"Uh, yeah, she really doesn't like those, either."
"Oh, you don't say." Hiccup said sarcastically.
"Tell you what, Fishlegs, when we get there, you just lay back, and let the real dragons do the work." Snotlout said as he finally piped into the conversation.
Astrid rolled her eyes and had Stormfly get ahead of Hookfang, not wanting to be near the Jorgenson much longer.
"Yeah…you really have no idea what a swarm of angry dragons are capable of." Fishlegs said, his nervousness very clear in his voice.
"You know what would be awesome?" Tuffnut asked as he and Ruffnut steered Barf and Belch close to Fishlegs and Meatlug.
"Flaming arrows…catapults…" Ruffnut said as they drew closer, then she and Tuffnut leaned close to Fishlegs.
"And wild dragons!" The twins said in sync before they had Barf and Belch fly ahead of the Ingerman and Gronckle.
"That makes three of you." Fishlegs said as he accepted staying in the back of the group, not really wanting to deal with all the wild dragons they were about to come across.
~~~HTLANF~~~
"Seems pretty straightforward to me." Alvin said as he was looking through the Book of Dragons, then he closed it to look at Kala.
"It's anything but straightforward, Alvin." She said as she walked towards him slightly, being careful to not get too close to him considering Savage was right behind her.
"If there's anything I've learned, it's that people will say anything to keep themselves alive. Isn't that right, Savage?" Alvin asked as he leaned forward from where he sat atop a boulder.
"Right! A-as usual, Alvin." Savage said nervously.
Kala gave him a look, then rolled her eyes as she looked back at Alvin.
Alvin chuckled. "See?" He then rose and made his way over to Kala, the book still in his grasp. "Now you say I need you to interpret what's in this book, to use it properly. I say it's nothing but a ploy."
"Fine. Give it a try." Kala said with a shrug, knowing that her point was going to be proven.
"You heard the girl." Alvin said as he tossed the book to an Outcast.
The Outcast caught it and opened it to a random page, which just so happened to be the Deadly Nadder one. He gulped as he walked over to where other Outcasts were holding back a Deadly Nadder by rope. The Nadder was squawking in displeasure as it moved about to try and get free.
"Alright. Uh, seems easy enough." He said as he scanned over the page and looked up at the dragon. "Uh…what kind of dragon is this?"
Kala smirked slightly as she rested a hand on her hip. "It's a Deadly Nadder. Do you need the page number?"
"Uh…nope. Nope, nope, right here." He said as he looked over the page again. "Deadly Nadder. Likes to preen. Very sure of itself. Uh, constant grooming. Hmm, alright, will appeal to its vanity."
Alvin looked indifferent and glanced at Kala, who shook her head with a small smirk. The Outcast then approached the Nadder as he closed the book and held it at his side.
"Well, you, uh, certainly are a lovely girl." He said, the Nadder tilting its head to look at him properly. "O-or are you a handsome boy? Wh-who can tell?"
That upset the Nadder and made it flare out its tail spines. But before it could attack the Outcast, Kala rushed to grab a shield nearby and got in front of the Outcast to block the spines as a few of them were sent their way. The spines then got logged in the shield and Kala lowered it while smiling at Alvin.
"Like I said." Kala began to say as she tossed the shield aside, the shield in question skidding across the rock floor to a stop in front of Alvin, who was sitting down on the rock he was on earlier, and Savage, who was standing beside him. "The book can only get you so far, Alvin."
~~~HTLANF~~~
"You see this, Fishlegs? You got yourself worked up over nothing." Hiccup said when he noticed they still haven't come across any other dragons.
"Like always." Astrid said with a roll of the eyes.
"Umm…you were saying Hiccup?" Fishlegs asked as he pointed to something ahead of them.
Hiccup and the others looked at where he pointed only to see quite a few wild dragons coming their way or growling at them as a warning to stay back.
"Guys, remember! Stick to the plan! No matter how crazy it gets." Hiccup said as he prepared himself to dump out the fish connected to Hookfang's sides.
"Crazy? I love crazy! Bring it!" Snotlout said with determination, then he grew confused and looked back at Hiccup. "Wait! What's the plan again?"
Hiccup ignored his cousin's question as he focused on the wild dragons then released the fish. "Now! Fire!"
The others then released the fish from their baskets as well, which all the wild dragons went after and caught, which gave the riders and their dragons a safe path to Outcast Island.
"That's sweet!" Fishlegs said as he watched the dragons go after the fish, glad that they didn't have to tussle with any of them.
"Yes! We did it!" Snotlout exclaimed in glee as he looked behind them at the wild dragons, who were now munching away happily on the fish. "Stupid dragons!"
"You say that now, but just wait until you end up having to deal with them, Snotlout!" Astrid said, growing annoyed at the Jorgenson.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever!" Snotlout said with a roll of the eyes.
Hiccup rolled his eyes as well as he closed the baskets then fixed his position on Hookfang's back.
'I hope Kala's doing alright..hopefully Alvin and the Outcasts haven't figured out she's not actually Heather..' He thought, his worry for her growing the longer this mission took.
~~~HTLANF~~~
Alvin led Kala to the arena on the island and pushed her towards the entrance. Kala then turned to him and reached out for the Book of Dragons with a serious look as a hand rested on her hip, said book being tucked into Alvin's belt.
"What is it?" He asked, not understanding what she was implying.
"The book. I need it." Kala said, not lowering her hand once as she did. Alvin gave her a skeptical look as she did, which she anticipated as she continued. "Well, I didn't memorize it."
Alvin then handed her the book then pushed her harshly into the arena. She yelped out of surprise, holding in a screech as she did while holding the book close to her chest.
The door then closed behind her and she looked around the arena, then she lowered her head with her eyes closed as she waited for them to bring in the dragon they wanted her to demonstrate with.
"Please be a species I'm familiar with, please be a species I'm familiar with, please be a species I'm familiar with, please be a species I'm familiar with." She muttered to herself, then looked up as she heard the gate in front of her being raised. "Please be a species I'm familiar with, please be a species I'm familiar with."
The dragon they released into the arena was a Monstrous Nightmare that was very displeased, its body ablaze as it barged into the arena. As Kala saw it, she relaxed with a soft smile.
"Thank Akatosh.." She whispered, then began flipping through the book to the Nightmare page to keep up her charade.
"Well?" Alvin asked from his spot above the arena. "I'm waiting."
"Alright, bud. It's just you and me." Kala said as she looked at the Nightmare, noticing it was male from how similar he looked to Hookfang.
Kala closed the book and held it to her side as she slowly approached the Nightmare with her right hand outstretched. But before she could get close enough for the dragon to catch a whiff of her scent and recognize her as one of his own, he flared up and sent her flying across the arena. She groaned as she made contact with the ground and huffed as she got up and dusted herself off.
"Okay. Check that off the list. How 'bout the direct approach?" She said, then sprinted towards the dragon and began to try and wrangle him to get him to calm down, but that only upset him further.
"Our little Heather is feistier than I remember." Alvin said as he watched Kala struggle as Savage came up behind him.
The Nightmare then flung Kala off his tail, which made her hit the opposite wall. She growled under her breath and huffed to keep herself calm so as to not transform in front of the enemy.
'Gods this is more difficult to do in human form…' She thought in irritation.
"This isn't anything my soldiers haven't already tried. You'll need to do better." Alvin said, growing angered at Kala's attempts.
Kala huffed in annoyance as she stood. She dusted herself off as she thought. "Okay…what's the best way to calm a Nightmare..? Wait…"
Kala's eyes widened as she remembered the trick Snotlout did with Hookfang the day before and smirked. She readied herself to grab the Nightmare's horns as he approached her, then she pounced and gripped them the best she could. The Nightmare thrashed his head about to try and get her off, but she only tightened her grip as she tried to figure out a way to force his head to the ground by his horns.
The dragon then rammed his head into the wall, his horns hitting against the rock as he did. From Alvin's viewpoint, he thought that Kala was knocked out cold, but she was perfectly fine and was just blocked from his view by the Nightmare.
"Well. That's the end of that." Alvin said as he looked at Savage with a shrug.
"Wait! Look." Savage said as he pointed to the dragon and girl below.
"Urgh! You guys sure do like standing your ground don't ya?!" Kala said as she used the wall to push the Nightmare away from her, trying her best to not use her full strength as she did.
She then made eye contact with the dragon, who finally realized she was a dragon just like him as his pupils dilated. Kala took the opportunity to force his horns to the ground, which led to him purring as his tongue poked out of his maw just like Hookfang had.
"What?!" Alvin asked in shock then he grew excited. "Oh, ho! I told you she knew what she was doing!"
"Yes, you certainly did." Savage agreed, not wanting to anger the man in any way.
Kala then let go of the Nightmare's horns and sat on his back, rubbing his head as she grabbed the Book of Dragons that was conveniently beside them.
"What do you say we get outta here bud?" She asked as she held the book close to her chest.
The Nightmare purred at the attention and nodded slightly as he rose from the ground carefully so as to not make Kala slip off him. "Agreed. I can take you back to your nest."
Kala held onto one of his horns as Outcasts rushed into the arena with their weapons drawn, blocking the exit. The Nightmare then sent fire their way and began to walk towards the exit to make their escape.
"Going somewhere, Heather?" Alvin asked, which made the Nightmare stop as Kala looked over at him with a glare.
"As a matter a fact I am!"
"Without your parents?" Alvin asked as a couple of Outcasts pushed a man and woman into view beside him.
The man had brown hair and a thick beard that was in a thick braid, while the woman had black hair that was in thick twin braids. Both were very built in stature as well, a clear sign that they were warriors or at least used to be warriors before they decided to settle down and have a family.
Kala's eyes widened, then she smirked. "Nope! With my parents!"
Alvin laughed. "Well by all means, but before ya do I might see my way clear to trading 'em for that book. But if not, then I'll kill 'em!"
~~~HTLANF~~~
"Cuckoo, cuckoo!" Snotlout shouted while cupping his mouth with his hands.
"What are you doing?" Hiccup asked as he looked over at his cousin with a raised brow.
"Cuckoo, cuckoo! Duh, that's our signal." He said as if it were obvious to the Haddock.
Hiccup groaned and ran a hand down his face. "Guys, we don't give the signal this time. Kala does." He then sat down on the rocky ground beside Hookfang, resting a hand on the Nightmare's head as Hookfang rested it in his lap to comfort him. "We talked about this."
"Traitor…" Snotlout grumbled to Hookfang, which got the dragon to grumble in return as he closed his eyes.
"Like any of this matters anyway." Fishlegs said fearfully. "She's almost an hour late. We never should have let her go. Alvin must have figured out what was going on and.." Fishlegs rambled, gasping in worry as his mind raced with possibilities.
Astrid laughed. "Oh that would be wonderful if the little demon was discovered."
Hiccup glared harshly at her as he growled under his breath, the other dragons growling at her as well.
She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "What? I can't speak my mind?"
"If we're being honest, the costume sucked. Which I told you on the beach, but did you listen? No." Tuffnut said with crossed arms.
Ruffnut nodded in agreement. "Yeah, yeah. She may have black hair and green eyes like Heather, but she doesn't look identical to her."
"You two literally tackled her to the ground thinking she was Heather." Snotlout said with crossed arms.
"To mess around, duh. Did none of you notice we were messing around?" Tuffnut asked.
The others rolled their eyes at the twins.
"Guys, she'll be here. It's Kala." Hiccup said, trying to keep from mounting Hookfang to go rescue her as he looked away from the others.
~~~HTLANF~~~
Kala stood close to the Nightmare with the book held at her side, Alvin and Heather's parents across from them.
"Well, let's have it." Alvin said beside Heather's parents as he reached out for the book.
"Send them over first!" Kala demanded, not wanting to give Alvin what he wanted as she knew he wouldn't keep his word if she did what he wanted.
"Fine…" Alvin said and he pushed Heather's parents towards Kala. "Off you go."
Heather's parents walked over to Kala once they got their bearings then when they got a better look at her they looked at one another confused. Kala noticed and realized they must have noticed she wasn't Heather even though she looks almost identical to her. But she knew it must be a parent thing where they can tell who their child is or not even if there is someone that looks almost exactly like them.
"Mom! Dad!" Kala said as she rushed over to them and hugged them then whispered to them in her actual voice. "I'm a friend of Heather's. I'm here to help."
Kala then looked over at Alvin as he began to speak.
"You do realize I'll never let you out of here with that book." He said with a stern look on his face.
"No kidding!" Kala said in her Heather voice, then she turned her attention back to Heather's parents and whispered to them with her actual voice again. "When I tell you, drop to the ground. It's about to get really hot in here!"
The Nightmare heard this and prepared himself to help out his Night Fury friend.
"Oh, Heather! I'm waiting." Alvin said with his hands on his hips, reaching his hand out for the book again.
Kala looked at the book then glanced at the Nightmare, who nodded to her slightly and she nodded back. She then tossed the book into the air and looked at Heather's parents.
"Now!" She shouted as she dove to the ground, Heather's parents following suit.
The Nightmare then flared up and sent fire at the Outcasts, who had to dodge or cover themselves to keep from being burned to a crisp.
Kala quickly got up as the Nightmare dissipated his flames and she grabbed the book off the arena floor. Heather's parents got up to follow her, but as she was making her way back over to them to get out of there, Heather's father was caught by a small bola around his legs. Heather's mother grew worried and tried to free him, Kala following suit and having to put the book down to help.
When she noticed Alvin coming over, she abandoned her task and dived for the book and covered it with her body. But as she did, Alvin got ahold of her and lifted her off the arena floor, taking the book from her. Kala struggled in his grasp and tried to get the book back from him as she held in growls and screeches.
"Heather, Heather, Heather…" He said with a shake of the head. "Did ya really think yeh could get away that easily?"
Kala growled under her breath and pulled out the hidden dagger she had with her, which was the one Hiccup made for her just a few days after their first Snoggletog together, and she slashed at Alvin's face with all her might.
The man yelped and dropped her and the book as he backed away covering his eye. Kala stashed her dagger away again then scrambled to her feet as she picked up the book and rushed back over to Heather's parents as she noticed Heather's father was free and they were standing close to the Nightmare waiting for her.
"Get on the dragon, quickly! Now's our chance!" Kala said hurriedly.
Heather's parents nodded and mounted the Nightmare's back, Kala helping them the best she could, then mounted the Nightmare herself and held onto his horn tightly. The Nightmare sent flames at Outcast soldiers as they flooded into the arena and dashed out of the entrance.
"Hold on tight!" Kala yelled out to Heather's parents as the Nightmare took to the skies.
Heather's parents yelped in surprise and held on the best they could. Kala looked back at the island and smirked as she steered the Nightmare away from arrows sent their way.
Once they were out of range, she looked around the island as she signaled for the Nightmare to hover in place. The dragon looked at her in question.
"Why are we stopped?" He asked.
Kala gave him a glance before she whispered for only him to hear her. "I'm looking for my intended and our team. They followed me here as backup in case the mission failed. But I am not sure where they landed on the island."
"I see. Do you have a call you could try to get their attention? Perhaps a mimic of your roar to alert them?" He suggested.
Kala thought over his suggestion and her eyes widened with a smile forming on her lips. She then placed the book in her lap and cupped her mouth as she mimicked her own roar.
The mimic echoed throughout the island and it formed into a Night Fury roar as it traveled through the surrounding area.
Hiccup and the others heard it and looked in the direction it came from in shock.
"That's not the signal we agreed on!" Snotlout complained as they all mounted up.
"No, but it's a signal nonetheless!" Hiccup said excitedly as he mounted Hookfang's back behind Snotlout. "C'mon guys! Let's get outta here!"
Astrid grumbled to herself as she mounted Stormfly and they all took off to catch up to Kala.
As they came closer to where they heard the signal come from, they saw that Kala was riding on the back of a Monstrous Nightmare with two others in tow. Hiccup smiled in relief whereas the others' eyes widened in shock.
"Heather was actually telling the truth?!" Astrid asked once they were in earshot.
"Yes, she was. Now let's get outta here before the Outcasts catch up!" Kala said as she urged the Nightmare to fly away from the island and head to Berk.
The others followed suit, not wanting to risk anything else as they all sped away from Outcast Island.
Alvin and his soldiers got to where the riders were just in time to see them retreating and he balled up his fists while grumbling in anger. He then pushed an Outcast out of his way with his bloody hand as he stormed off in defeat.
~~~HTLANF~~~
Once they reached Berk, the riders landed in the plaza and all dismounted their dragons.
As Kala dismounted, she was startled by Hiccup as he rushed over to her and hugged her tightly, which sent the both of them to the ground. She smiled and hugged him back just as tight, not noticing that the Book of Dragons had fallen to the ground beside them as she did.
"Thank the gods you're alright.." Hiccup muttered as he buried his face in the crook of Kala's neck.
Kala smiled and nuzzled her face into Hiccup's hair as her eyes closed. "I told you I'd be fine my love.."
Astrid glared harshly at the young couple, her jealousy bubbling up once again. But before she could so much as pull the two apart, she was nudged away by Stormfly. She gave her dragon an odd look but shook her head and stormed off to calm down, Stormfly following right behind her.
Snotlout, Fishlegs and the twins looked between one another awkwardly. Snotlout then cleared his throat, which got Hiccup and Kala's attention.
The two separated with light blushes of embarrassment on their cheeks and Hiccup offered a hand to Kala to help her up once he was standing again. She gladly accepted his help and dusted herself off once she was on her own two feet as well.
"S-sorry guys.." They both apologized as Hiccup picked up the Book of Dragons.
"Yeah, yeah. Now are we gonna go tell Heather we saved her folks or what?" Snotlout asked with a raised brow as he gestured to the two adults standing a little ways away from them all.
~~~HTLANF~~~
After some discussion between the riders, Hiccup and Kala led Heather's parents to their hut.
As they reached the hut, the young couple turned to them.
"Okay, we'll head inside and see if she's here. Are you guys okay with waiting out here in the meantime?" Hiccup asked, which earned a nod from the two adults.
"Yes. We just want to see our girl again, so we'll do anything it takes." Heather's father said, his wife nodding in agreement.
Hiccup and Kala smiled and nodded back before they went inside. Heather looked up from the book she was reading at the table and smiled as her friends entered the hut.
"You're back! Please tell me the mission went okay.." She said as she rose from her spot and walked over to them.
Hiccup and Kala looked at each other and smiled as they looked back at Heather.
"It went way more than okay, Heather." Hiccup said as he showed her the book in his grasp.
Heather's eyes widened as she looked at it. "You got the book back! That's great! But..what about my parents?"
Kala's smile widened as she took Heather by the hand and led her outside. Heather let her with a confused look, but that look changed from one of confusion to one of happiness when her parents came into her line of sight.
"Mom! Dad!" She exclaimed as she bolted to them and hugged them tightly.
Her parents hugged her back just as tight as the three of them ended up on their knees, crying in joy to be reunited.
"Thank Odin you're alright Heather." Heather's mother said in relief.
"Did the Berkians treat you well?" Heather's father asked.
Heather smiled at them and nodded. "Very much so. I'm very grateful for their hospitality."
"Good. Now, let's go home."
~~~HTLANF~~~
After the sweet family reunion, Hiccup and Kala were able to arrange a boat for Heather and her parents to use to go home.
As her parents were boarding the boat, Heather turned to Hiccup and Kala and hugged them tightly, which the young couple returned just as tight.
"I can't thank you guys enough." Heather said, then pulled out of the hug. "Especially you, Kala. You put your life on the line for us. I'll never forget that."
Kala smiled with an embarrassed blush. "It's the least we could do, Heather. You're our friend and you needed help."
Heather nodded and smiled sadly as she hugged Kala again, which the young dragoness returned happily.
"I'm gonna miss you.." Heather said then she pulled out of the hug again and looked at Hiccup with a sad smile. "Both of you.."
"Eh, who knows. Maybe we'll see each other again someday. I mean, you could always come visit." Hiccup said with a small laugh.
Heather giggled and nodded. "Same goes for you guys."
"Just promise us one thing, Heather. If you ever need help again, you'll ask." Kala said with a soft smile.
Heather smiled back as she tucked her bangs behind her ear. "I will. I promise."
The three hugged one last time before Heather boarded the boat with her parents and she waved goodbye to the young couple as they slowly sailed away from the docks. Hiccup and Kala waved back with soft smiles as their friend left.
Ever since us dragons showed up on Berk, we Berkians have learned to expect the unexpected.
As Heather was sailing away, Snotlout was on a vacant dock with a smirk. He then mimicked writing on parchment and quietly spoke.
"Write me."
Heather shook her head with a smile as the boat grew further and further away from Berk.
But every once in a while, something or someone comes along that surprises us. And when that happens, you kind of hate to see them go.
~~~HTLANF~~~
