Chapter 15

Keila took a deep breath as Shade lifted his wings to take off. She gripped the harness on her dragon's neck so tightly her hands hurt. Apparently Hiccup had been planning for this ever since she came out of the water. The saddle seemed to be a lot like everyone else's saddles as far as Keila could tell. It was a leather pad with straps to secure it to Shade's back, but Hiccup had added a few things he thought would help her. There was an extra strap that tightened around her thigh to help her stay on. The saddle also had a thick pommel that sat just behind Shade's head with handles for her to hold on. The different pieces each had a texture so she could tell the difference between the straps.

She was impressed that Hiccup had been able to make this saddle so quickly. It really was great. The world lurched around her as Shade lifted into the air. She yelped as her stomach dropped.

"Keila here we go. Now lean toward my voice."

Keila did as Hiccup said and leaned. Shade moved in the direction of her lean.

"Ok. Ok, now sit straight and lean forward. Squeeze with your knees." Hiccup called out. Keila leaned forward and Shade started to speed up. He got to going really fast, but Keila didn't know what to do. The speed of the wind hitting her face started to scare her.

"Keila! Lean back now! Lean back!" she heard Astrid call out from behind her. She did as she was told and pulled back on the pommel as she did that, there was no way in hell she was letting go of the saddle.

Shade snorted in frustration and reluctantly slowed down. Keila cracked a smile, she was doing it she was actually riding on her own.

Shade rumbled at her irritatedly. "What?" She was enjoying this and she wasn't letting her grumpy dragon change it all now.

"Uh, Keila you really should turn." Fishlegs shouted up at her.

Why? she thought. Then she heard it, waves crashing against rocks, the sea stacks. Wind brushed all around it whistling and moaning.

She leaned into Shade and held on as he wove around and through the obstacle in front of them. When he leveled out Keila let lose a big breath of air and a grin. Shade would be her eyes now and she would learn to accept that, so she could feel some sort of normal again.

There was cheering behind her, accompanied by the flap of wings.

"Keila, that was incredible!"

"We didn't even have to tell you which way."

"Awesome!"

Everyone seemed really excited. Keila grinned, even Shade perked up a bit. They flew around for a while. Everyone occasionally yelled out instructions for her, and she worked on learning the sounds of different parts of the island so she would at least be able to fly around the island.

Thunder was rumbling all around them and everyone seemed to be getting anxious to get back. Keila smelled the moisture in the air and felt the wind picking up, and occasionally a drop of water splashed her face. The storm was picking up. They were all standing on the ground, because Hiccup had dropped his notebook.

Keila sat on Shade's back waiting patiently. She sighed begrudgingly. They were about to need to be inside because of the storm, and Keila wanted to fly some more. "Hiccup, just get a new book." Keila groaned.

"I think it fell over here!" Hiccup shouted over the now buffeting wind. "I'll lose all my notes, Keila." Keila shook her head and hunched over in her saddle. The rain was picking up and Keila's shirt was starting to stick to her.

"Oh, come on already! Forget your stupid book! Hookfang and I are getting soaked!" Snotlout complained to Keila's left. She knew he was mainly making excuses because he wanted out of the rain, but Hookfang did seem irritated. She heard him scratching the ground and he was growling softly. He was a Stoker class dragon after-all, Keila didn't know as much as Hiccup about dragons, but she figured she knew enough that she knew Stoker dragons were not fans of water.

Thunder ripped through the air around Keila, and she felt like the lightening was getting closer.

"Hiccup..."

"Found it!" Hiccup shouted. She listened to the thump, click, thump click as he trotted back towards Toothless. His saddle rattled as he mounted Toothless. Keila didn't wait for anyone's signal as she pressed Shade into the air. Thunder rumbled all around them and Shade dodged to the side every so often. Everyone kept quiet for the most part just trying to focus on getting back safely. Hiccup flew on one side of her, she could tell by the squeak of his stirrups, and by the beat of the large wings on her other side she could tell Hookfang and Snotlout flew beside her. Hookfang seemed on edge and he lunged this way and that with each crack of thunder. Shade wove to avoid him.

"Hookfang! Fly right!" Snotlout yelled over the wind. Keila could hear the rain beating against a cliff to the right of them. Keila was really having to focus to hear everything and be able to tell where things were. Shade was having to do most of the work, and Keila just did her best to hold on.

Hiccup was trying to help Keila navigate by yelling to her, but his voice kept getting lost in the storm. He knew if he could barely hear himself she wouldn't be able to hear him from her position twenty feet away. She seemed to be managing, or at least Nightshade was. She laying as low to Nightshade's neck as she could and was turning her face away from the stinging rain.

He was worried about Snotlout and Hookfang, Hookfang was not handling the rain very well and Snotlout was getting frustrated. Hookfang was flying erratically and Snotlout was trying to steer but he just ended up fighting against Hookfang and making it worse. They had almost hit Keila and her dragon a few times. Thankfully Nightshade was doing a good job of staying out of their way. Hiccup just hoped Keila trusted Nightshade to do the flying. Keila was still very new to flying, and even an experienced rider would have trouble in this wind, and that's with all their senses intact.

Keila's hands gripped the pommel of her saddle tightly and she tried to lean with Nightshade's movements.

He felt a familiar tingling up his spine and Toothless rumbled irritatedly. "Uh guys we gotta-"

He was cut off by a blinding flash of light and a horrible explosion. His ears were ringing, but he could hear shouts and roars from all the dragons and his friends. Toothless was disoriented and they were falling. He heard a roar of pain and Snotlout yelling as the shot out of the sky. Finally Hiccup's vision cleared and he was able to see what was happening. He and Toothless were about to fall into the trees and Hiccup worked to calm Toothless and land safely. Everyone was having similar problems getting their dragons to stabilize and they all one by one landed next to Hiccup their dragons blinking in disorientation. Astrid, Fishlegs, Ruff and Tuff. Hiccup looked up for Snotlout and Keila. Keila was holding her ears tightly and Nightshade was flapping hard to maintain altitude and keep Keila safe. Snotlout was struggling to get Hookfang to level out and yelling insults at his dragon, but something was wrong and Hookfang was spiraling towards the ground.

"Snotlout pull up!" Hiccup shouted. "You don't think I'm trying?" Snotlout yelled back.

"Uh...move!" Hiccup said as the pair fell quicker towards them. They all jumped away just before Hookfang crashed hard into the ground. Hiccup jumped down and ran to help Snotlout.

Keila must have realized everyone was on the ground because she landed next to Toothless softly. "Is Snotlout okay?" She yelled over the rain.

Hiccup sighed in relief as Snotlout stood and brushed himself off. Astrid ran over to Keila and let her know he was ok and checked her out to make sure she was ok as well.

"What happened?" Hiccup asked Snotlout, shielding his face. Snotlout shook his head and ran to Hookfang's head. "I think he got hit." Snotlout said breathlessly.

Snotlout was right, there was a black mark on Hookfang's wing. Hookfang seemed ok, despite being disoriented and his wing was going to be out of commission for a little while. The storm was still raging around them and Hiccup felt the static in the air. "Come on guys lets get Hookfang into that cave over there."

All the riders and the dragons helped to guide Hookfang to shelter. Keila and Nightshade bought up the rear. Keila walked carefully next to her dragon, and Hiccup turned back every once and a while to see how she was progressing. Maybe this would work. He hadn't been sure how the irritable dragon would take to leading her around, but he seem to want to protect her.

They got in out of the rain and Hiccup mounted up. "Fishlegs, Ruff, Tuff. Stay here with Snotlout and Hookfang we are gonna get help." Hiccup looked over to Keila stood at the mouth of the cave. Her pale eyes searched the space around her. Thunder crashed as the storm grew. "Hey Keila you should st-"

He was cut off by a deafening crash and a rumbling sound. Stones began falling all around the mouth of the cave, and Keila shielded her head as rocks struck all around her.

The rumbling increased and Hiccup sprinted for the mouth of the cave, "Keila!"

Boulders crashed into the mouth of the cave blocking off the entrance and separating them from Keila. Hiccup ran to the wall and yelled at the top of his lungs, "Keila! Keila!" He couldn't hear her, she had to have been crushed.

"Keila! Keila!"

Keila cowered on the ground having expected to be crushed by the falling rocks, but rain hit her back, and she could hear Hiccup shouting. She stood and walked towards his voice, running smooth into Nightshade's side. The dragon growled at her, he must have protected her. Hiccup's shouting became desperate.

"Yes, Hiccup I'm here! I'm here."

"Oh thank Thor! Are you alright?" Hiccup yelled sounding muffled.

"Hiccup where are you? You sound funny." Keila yelled feeling her way forward.

"The rock slide! It blocked the entrance to the cave! We can't get out!"

Keila finally hit the wall of rock and felt around trying to find loose rocks to dig them out.

"Keila, Keila don't move anything! You might make it worse...just...just go get my dad and Gobber! They'll get us out." Hiccup shouted.

Keila's stomach dropped, "Hiccup I-I can't fly on my own!"

"You won't be alone Keila!" Astrid shouted from somewhere behind the wall. "Trust your dragon. You can do this!"

"Keila Nightshade has very large wings and a large tail fan, meaning he is equipped for maneuvering and navigation, he can get through the storm easily." Fishlegs yelled.

"Uh yeah, what he said." Tuffnut called, she heard a thump and Tuffnut yelped, she guessed Ruff hit him. "Don't die!" Ruff said.

Keila smiled and felt for her saddle, and pulled herself up. "Ok guys I'll try."

She turned Shade's head. "Keila!" Snotlout yelled, and Keila stopped. "Um...good luck."

Keila smiled, "Thanks Snotlout."

She turned into the storm and braced herself as Nightshade took off into the wind.