HTTYD: Dragon Girl

Chapter 2: Mistake

"What were you thinking?" Unferth roars. "I leave you alone for one second and what do you do? You could have been killed!"

It's been about fifteen minutes since I hit the White Creeper. It's also been that long since I spotted that Flaming Drakon.

I ran for about fifteen minutes straight, which is about the longest I've ever sprinted in one go. I think I can cross the rest of this week's exercising off the list.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of running so fast I thought my legs were going to fall off, Enger heard me screaming. He attacked the Drakon and scared it off, but not before it brought down one of the enormous torches, sending it crashing down and rolling through the village, which I had been foolish enough to lead the wild dragon straight into.

And now it seems I am going to have to pay for my mistake.

"Do you know how many Vikings couldn't help with the battle because their weapons were damaged?" Enger shouts, his face redder than the Drakon's scales with rage.

Meanwhile, Keegan, surrounded by his band of oversized goons, smirks triumphantly at me.

That smug little smile sets me off. "I hit the White Creeper," I say, cutting Unferth off as he opens his mouth to scold me even more. Both he and Enger gawk at me like I've got eels slithering out of my ears. "What?" Enger says, his eyes narrowing.

"I hit the White Creeper," I say again. When no one responds, I go on, "I'm serious! It fell just off Wolf's Overlook, if we send out a search party--"

"I don't care what story you've made up to try and save your skin," Enger cuts me off. "Winter is coming, and I have an entire village to feed!"

I glance at Keegan's enormous friends. "Between you and me, a few of those villagers could do with a little less feeding, you know?"

"This isn't a joke, Astrid!" Enger booms. "I don't want to believe I made a mistake by taking you in five years ago, but between that White Creeper stalking us ever since you came here and now this--"

His words sting harder than I'm sure he means them to. I've never felt I belonged here. And it's true, ever since I came to Skaldi, the White Creeper has been following me, presumably to finish what it started that night when I was ten. But to say that rescuing me might have been more of a mistake than leaving me to that monster's mercy?

"I'm sorry," I say in a small voice. "I just... wanted to make my mark, you know?"

Enger sighs. He can never stay mad at anyone for too long. "I understand, Astrid," he says. "I know you want to mark your place. But I think you're looking to mark the wrong place."

His stinging words sink in as he turns to Unferth. "Take her home," he says. "She's done enough."

I silently follow Unferth's lead, though I can't do anything to block out the taunts of "Outstanding performance" and "I've never seen anyone fail that bad" from Keegan's gang. Keegan himself says nothing, but his smug expression holds too many words.

When we arrive at the hut, Unferth finally speaks. "I know it's hard, Astrid--" he begins.

"No," I say, my voice stone-cold and just as hard. "You don't know. How could any of you know what it's like not knowing who you are or where you came from, only knowing that everyone hates you and you'll never have any place among them? How could you know how lost and confused I feel every day, because the first ten years of my life are a complete blank? I don't know anything about myself, Unferth. I don't even know my real name! How could you understand that?"

Unferth is silent, seemingly at a loss for words. Good. I don't need him to say anything else to send me over the edge.

I slam the door behind me, and Unferth leaves. He doesn't see me sneak out the back door and into the woods.