I think it's time for another disclaimer: I do not own How to train your dragon! I only own my own characters and the story-line.

By the way, did you see the new trailer? Wasn't that awesome? I'm so dying to see it!

Love you,

Kate.

PS: Reviews? *smiling innocently*

Chapter Forty-Three: Separated

Kate was mad.

"Boys." She muttered as she picked her way through the trees. "Why do I even waste my time?"

She wasn't pleased at all. First they had gotten stuck in that mist with a dragon that could make your worst fears come alive.

It also had made them sick and weak. Kate hated feeling weak. It was to girly.

Then Josh, Josh of all people, had somehow saved them from said monster-dragon and insisted that he wanted to keep it.

That had all ended in an argument in which Hiccup had walked away from the camp fuming and Josh following after a while.

And now both guys were nowhere to be found.

The nerve!

When the sun had reached its highest peak, Kate had started to get impatient.

She knew Hiccup needed time to cool down but please! Not several hours.

So without further ado she had broken up camp and was now searching with three dragons on her tail her two missing companions.

They broke the timberline and they found themselves at a stony beach. The sudden sunlight in her face hurt her eyes and she shielded her eyes.

When she adjusted to the new light and took in her surroundings, she thought she didn't see right.

"Toothless! I need Hiccups map!"

The dragon in question stopped next to her and she began searching Hiccups saddlebags. She didn't care about his privacy and rummaged through his belongings.

There were cloth, books, pencils, more cloth, weapons, paper, more books, food, tools, paper, and some wooden carvings…hell, where did that boy keep his maps?

Finally she found then and rolled them apart.

Then she scanned the area.

"Jepp, looks like we got closer than Hiccup thought."

She trailed with the finger over the area on the map that was brushed with white paint, symbolizing the Misty Island. Then she trailed father east and her fingers stopped at the outline of Talkin.

Then she looked up.

At the horizon she could make out the outline of said land.

But that was not everything.

"Nightlight, fly me up. You stay!" she ordered the dragons.

Clinging to the saddle she raced through the clouds. It were roughly fifteen Kilometers from the Misty Island to Talkin, but the blurry line of land was not what made her frown.

And her frown deepened the closer she got.

Maybe five kilometers from the shores of Talkin away a row of ships seemed to ring the complete, massive body of the country.

But the ships were nothing like she'd ever seen before. They were gig enough for a cavalry of dragons to land on deck and still there would be enough space for a small village. (And I am talking not about a fishing-boat; I am talking about ships like the USSEnterprise (CVAN-65) or these huge container-ships! And then imagine those forming a ring around a country the size of Australia! If it helps you getting the image it better!)

Kate reached for Hiccups looking-glass and scanned the scene from above.

On the deck of the ships men patrolled armed with weapons. Others manned cannons and harpoons, bolas and other nasty war-machines.

On each mast was a flag hoisted. It was blood red with gruesome black paintings of weapons and horrible scenes of men-slaughter.

"What the hell is going on down there?"

She steered Nightlight closer but the moment she broke the clouds there came a sound from beneath her.

She saw people blowing into massive horns and suddenly there were nets and bolas coming her way together with burning orbs and bolts fired from crossbows.

"Nightlight down!" she bellowed and the dragoness obeyed, going into a dive.

Kate pressed herself against Nightlights warm body and shut her eyes as the dragon started spinning, trying to avoid the things coming their way.

She felt something whistling past her ear, missing her by an inch or two.

"Please, please, please!" she whispered. "Please make me get through this alive! Let me make it back to the others."

Nightlight desperately tried to avoid the projectiles but she didn't see the bola coming their way.

Dragon and rider plumed down like a rock and disappeared out of shooting range.

AN: Yes I know, it's short even though I promised it to be longer, well, deal with it :-D But there is more coming, I swear!