Next chapter! No fighting in this one, just fluffy fluffyness, which sounds good to me, after all the nasty fighting of the last chapters. Without further ado, on we go!
Guest: I'm glad! Still working on Blueflame's breed! Ehehe...
Guest: Why, thank you! I'm always worried it's not action-y enough, so I'm glad at least you like it!
HideousZippleback: I'm glad you like it! I spent ages working out how Blueflame would produce fire. Ages... Anyway, the villagers are a bit meh when it comes to fighting. It's no fun if they beat her up before the main characters get her, right? And as for the fish, Kat just tends to use that as an excuse to cause chaos, though she doesn't really need one. It also saves her catching fish for Blueflame, who, as you could imagine, eats a ton of fish. He's a big dragon!
"How can't we take her down? She's just one little girl!" Snotlout spat, pacing up and down beside Hiccup's bedside. His teeth were grinding beneath his lips, his nostrils flared. Hiccup looked up at him, catching his eye and holding a steady gaze.
"Because she's not just 'one little girl', Snotlout. Kat is a trained, experienced dragon rider and fighter. She's a Runaway." He coughed out an angry sigh, staring down at his bedclothes. "I shouldn't have underestimated her. It was stupid of me..."
"Won't happen again, though, will it?" Astrid smiled encouragingly. "You'll get her next time. She's no match for the whole academy."
Hiccup looked around the long barn of the infirmary. There were only a few beds inside, occupied by those who fell victim to Kat's flames and smoke. The tall roof was criss-crossed with rafters that were as covered in moss as the walls outside. There were stoves lining the walls at regular intervals, the ones closest to them lit and burning brightly. He looked over at Toothless, who was contentedly curled up and sleeping beside him. The burn on his back looked less severe than he'd first thought, though the scales were turned up and twisted in places. Gobber told him that the dragon was healing well. Somehow, that vile liquid of Blueflame's had seeped through the protective layer of scales and gone right down to the skin. Hiccup wouldn't let it happen again.
"We need to get out and find her..." Hiccup muttered, looking to Astrid, who quietly nodded.
"I think Snotlout and Hookfang should go. They're fast enough to scan the whole forest for signs of a camp and they won't be doing anything useful sat in here. What do you think, Snotlout?" She turned to the brawny lad, eyebrows raised as a smirk came across his face. "Will you go?"
"Sure! Anything to get my hands on that Kat!"
The Monstrous Nightmare's wide wings spread lazily, beating only minimally to keep them aloft. The crimson dragon was scanning the forest with his sharp, yellow eyes as they soared over it. His back was dappled with darker red stripes, his belly a light, creamy yellow. He lazily stretched out the long, deadly claws on his hind legs.
Hookfang gave a soft moan of pleasure; flying was one of his favourite things. His long snout lifted to the wind and he snorted.
"Quit fooling around, Hookfang! We're on a mission here!" Snotlout shouted from the saddle at the base of the dragon's neck. He gave the Hookfang's horns a sharp tug to get his attention. With a snort, the Nightmare shook himself off (just to unbalance his rider) and resumed his search. They had been flying above perfect, green forests for hours, the sea not far away to their left glittering invitingly.
Suddenly, Hookfang's head jolted up. He'd seen something. With a word of encouragement from his rider, his wings tilted and he swooped down to get a closer look. There, in a particularly beautiful forest clearing, he could see a shelter made out of sticks. A camp fire wasn't far away, though not lit at the time of day. Nearby, a forest stream, cool and clear, trickled by. It formed a pond not far away, with flowers growing by its edge. Even Snotlout couldn't resist the urge to gasp. This was a perfect place to stay.
However, Snotlout could see no evidence of a dragon anywhere nearby, nor any signs that one had landed anywhere in the clearing. He frowned. Surely, a person like Kat would want to keep Blueflame nearby, wouldn't she?
"Let's get a closer look, Hookfang. Go down through the trees over there, where you can hide," Snotlout whispered. Hookfang obeyed, softly landing between the trees, folding his wings so that they became his front legs. "Now, stay here. If I need you, I'll call you. Whoever lives here probably doesn't want a dragon to come barging through their clearing." He gave the dragon's nose a final pat, then left him behind to go and investigate.
Up close, the clearing was even more astounding. The grass was lush and green, the river teeming with little fish. Snotlout's eyes shone. This place was amazing. He smirked at the birds twittering in the trees, dancing about in the air and swooping over the river, catching insects. Swallows, he thought to himself, or possibly House Martins. To be honest, he didn't know the difference anyway.
A sudden movement startled him, his hand flying to the handle of the axe that swung at his hip. He squinted through the sunlight into the shadow of the trees beyond.
"Who's there?" He called out, heart beginning to pound with excitement. If it was Kat, it would be the end of her. Snotlout would be a hero in the village for capturing the infamous runaway. However, the figure that came from the shadows was not who he expected at all. In fact, it wasn't anyone he knew. The girl had a slight frame, rather small and timid-looking, her hazel hair falling down over her shoulders in swathes; long, silky and luxurious. Her clothes were simple, just a cloth shirt and breeches, far too big, so that they hung off her frame like rags from a washing line. And, more than anything, she looked frightened.
Snotlout dropped his axe, holding his hand up as though taming a shy animal. "Hey, it's okay, I'm not going to hurt you." His voice took on a soft, encouraging tone, a smile lighting up his face. The girl tiptoed closer curiously. Her shoulders hunched as she stopped, examining the boy closer. Her eyes were startling, brilliant green, wide with wonder and shock.
"Hey, come on, you can come closer. I won't hurt you, I promise. Here, I'll even put my axe down, see?" True to his word, the bulky boy dropped the weapon in the grass and took a few steps away. The girl's head tilted to one side, and then she came closer. There was only a few paces between them.
Snotlout could see the pain beneath her sharp eyes, the sunken shadows under them. However, to the Jorgenson boy, it didn't obscure her outward beauty. She wasn't at all the usual beauty, her cheeks too rounded and her nose slightly skewed, but somehow, something just shone straight through and struck him as unusually attractive.
Slowly, her long fingers reached out towards him, touching his outstretched palms as though she wasn't quite sure if he were real or not. As she felt the brush of his calloused palms, she gave a short chuckle, looking him in the eyes.
"My name's Snotlout. I come from a village nearby. Who are you?" The young man kept his voice quiet and calm.
"I'm... I'm Sophie..." The girl whispered. Snotlout smiled.
"That's a beautiful name. What are you doing here? Don't you have a home?"
"I did, but I left..." Sophie didn't seem too eager to talk, pulling her hands away.
"Well... it's not safe out here, Sophie. There's wild animals and dragons and then there's this runaway called Kat who's been attacking our village. Do you want to come back with me? I can help you..."
"Oh, no... I don't like being around lot's of people. It's why I left home. I prefer the wilderness; it's much calmer."
"Are you sure?" Snotlout was concerned that the girl wouldn't be safe on her own. "You can stay with me if you like."
"No, thank you, Snotlout. I'm much happier here. Though..." She suddenly looked rather bashful and shy. "Perhaps... you could stay here for a while? I haven't had company for ages..."
Snotlout grinned, flattered by the question. "Of course I'll stay, if that's what you want. I guess, in a way, I was hoping you'd ask."
I feel like it ended very abruptly... Oh well! I had to end it there, because otherwise I would have made this chapter far, far too long. Besides, at the moment, I seem to be running at two chapters per song on my playlist, so it's not too bad going, considering. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed, and let's give a warm welcome to shy little Sophie, the second and final OC of the story. Yay!