Chapter 8

Astrid sat for a minute staring at Keila and wondered how she hadn't realized it earlier. Keila's long braided hair was the same oaky brown, the same green eyes, freckles covering her face, the same lanky build, and even the same goofy smile. As Keila waited for Astrid to respond she puffed out her cheeks and looked at the ground, Astrid realized even their mannerisms were the same.

"Whoa…" Astrid remarked.

"Uh yeah…"

Hiccup looked towards the door for the seventh time in the last twenty minutes. Keila had been gone for a long time. He hoped Astrid hadn't dropped her off a cliff, but he knew Keila could hold her own pretty well.

He stood and went outside to look for them. As soon as he got outside he heard laughter.

"Oh his face was priceless!"

Both girls were cracking up in front of Astrid's house, while Stormfly preened herself in her stall. As soon as they saw Hiccup they both guffawed one last time before trying to stifle their laughing. They stood and walked towards him, he didn't like the looks on their faces.

Astrid leaned in like she was going to kiss him or something, ok he didn't have a problem with that, he relaxed, and then she slugged him so hard in the arm he lost his balance.

"That's for not telling me she was your cousin!" Astrid said.

Keila stuck her toe behind his prosthetic as he stepped backward and he stumbled to the ground.

"And, that's for…um..well I just thought it looked fun." Keila chuckled.

"Oh great you've teamed up, I'm doomed."

The girls chuckled and Stormfly walked up behind them and screeched as if she was laughing too. Keila screamed and jumped away.

Astrid laughed for a moment and then looked at Keila confused, "You're afraid of dragons?"

Keila looked from Hiccup to Astrid, "Why is that so shocking to you all?"

"Oof!" Keila slammed into the wall of the arena. The wild Nadder trotted away as if it hadn't just thrown her across the arena. Stars spotted across Keila's vision as Hiccup and Astrid came sprinting toward her.

"Keila!" Hiccup called. Keila fought to regain the breath that was knocked out of her. Astrid helped Keila to her feet.

"Ok, so maybe you're not a Nadder girl." Astrid said.

"No." Keila gasped putting her hands on her knees.

"It wasn't that bad." Hiccup said rubbing his neck.

"I swear he's laughing at me." Keila said watching the Nadder who seemed very proud of what he had done. "No...I don't think so," Astrid said as the dragon gurgled at them, "Ok, yeah, he is. We'll try again."

Keila shook her head, "I don't think so guys, this just isn't...maybe this isn't for me."

"No you'll get the hang of it, we just have to find the right dragon!" Hiccup said.

Keila sighed, "I don't know."

"Hey, at least you're not scared anymore." Astrid said trying to lighten the mood. Keila chuckled nervously. At the edge of the arena the twins played with the lock at the gate of the dragon cage.

"Uh...hello! Are we gonna let this Changewing beat Keila up or not?" Ruff yelled.

"Uh...not!" Hiccup said, his attention on Keila. Toothless bounded up to Keila and nudged her. She smiled and pet his snout.

"See you like Toothless!" Hiccup smiled.

"Yeah, well that's after I realized Toothless isn't even a dragon, he's just a gecko with wings." Keila quipped. Toothless made a sound of protest. "What?" Keila said smiling at the dragon.

"Don't worry we'll find you a dragon." Hiccup reassured her.

Keila groaned as she pushed Toothless down again, "I don't understand why this is so important to you. Why is it?"

Hiccup hesitated, "I-I...uh...I don't... don't you want to...uh?"

"Hiccup...I don't really-" Keila started.

The twins were growing restless, "Now?" Tuff yelled.

"Not now!" Hiccup yelled. He looked at Keila in what seemed to be near disbelief. He was about to question her reasoning (even though he already kinda knew), but then he heard the slamming of the gate as it opened.

The trio turned to see Tuffnut and Ruffnut grinning broadly at each other landholding the gate open.

Astrid jumped right on them, "What do you two dung heads think you are doing?!" They elbowed each other back and forth for a moment and then Tuffnut said, "Oh you said 'not now'?"

Astrid and Hiccup groaned and Keila tensed immediately staring at the opening of the cage. She kept her eyes trained there for almost five minutes while Hiccup and Astrid yelled at Tuffnut and Ruffnut for screwing around during something that was so important. The cage was still open, didn't they realize? The monster inside could come out at any moment. Now that she thought about it, why hadn't it already come out? The others had come barreling out as soon as there was a sliver of an opening, where was this one? What kind of dragon did Hiccup say it was again?

Hiccup glanced over at her and his eyes grew wide, Astrid slowing followed suit copying Hiccup's movements, and the twins grinned.

"What?" Keila said scanning their faces. Then she realized, she froze. She heard the hiss behind her, Changewing...camouflage.

Keila nursed the new burns on her arm tenderly, as Hiccup furiously flipped through his dragon book.

"There just has to be something we haven't tried." He mumbled.

Keila hissed as she ran a wet cloth over her injuries, "Hiccup we have tried every dragon you have on Berk. And I have been beaten, chewed on, and almost melted by acid, I give up!"

Hiccup turned to face her, "No, there has to be something...you can't...there is a dragon out there-"

"No Hiccup!" Keila groaned, "There isn't. And to be perfectly honest I don't know that I want there to be!"

"What-what how can you say that?" Hiccup stuttered.

"I just did. Hiccup I can't be near most dragons without feeling like I'm going to either going to throw-up, or finally beat the record of running halfway around the island on foot. I will give you that all dragons are not what I thought, I will give you that, but Hiccup I will never be a Rider like you. I will never be able to do what you do."

"No...no, you are my irrationally insane cousin who once tried to test if she fly if she flapped her arms like a bird when she jumped off a cliff! This is-"

"Not me Hicc, I'm not cut out for this. Even if I wasn't afr..." Keila trailed off.

"Keila-"

At that moment they were interrupted by a loud explosion outside.