The Night Rider: Book Two

Chapter 5: Washed up Ship

ASTRID POV.
2 Days Later

Astrid stuck a spoonful of the broth into her mouth savoring the flavor. She was in the Dining Hall, it was packed with hungry Vikings and even a few dragons wandered through the crowded aisles between tables.

"Okay, okay listen closely." Tuffnut said eagerly holding his hands out in front of him drawing everyone's attention. Well mostly everyone's.

"Hey!" Ruffnut yelled at Snotlout, who was turned away from the twins and turned towards another table trying to flirt with a girl a year older than him.

"So Lemma." The arrogant Viking said running one of his hands down one of the girls shoulders, Astrid was surprised Lemma didn't hurl at his touch, she almost did seeing it. "Why don't you say we get out of here?" He suggested with a devilish look in his eye. The girl rolled her eyes and stood up brushing away his hand.

"My name isn't Lemma yak for brains." She insulted picking up a half full broth bowl and dumping it onto his lap. And with that she walked away but not before receiving Astrid's nod of approval.

"I never get tired of seeing that happen." Said Fishlegs finishing his second helping of broth.

"Shut up." Snotlout said. "I'm still more successful than you." He said and Fishlegs turned a beat red.

"I don't know Snotlout that's not what I heard." Astrid said quickly, so quickly that when the twins, Snotlout, and Fishlegs all turned to her for an explanation she didn't have one. "Well, I mean I heard Fishlegs has- had, I don't know success." Astrid said trailing off with the last few words sticking another spoonful of broth into her mouth.

Snotlout looked at her and then back to Fishlegs in the end rolling his eyes. Astrid rubbed the back of her neck slightly embarrassed but when Fishlegs mouthed a subtle 'thank you' to her she didn't feel that way anymore.

"Ugh, people really don't appreciate the finer things anymore." Complained Ruffnut folding her arms and turning towards her brother.

"No they really don't." Replied the brother copying the mannerism and turning towards his sister.

"Can you two mutton heads hurry it up already!" Complained the Yoregenson burying his head in his hands.

The twins rose from the seats so suddenly that Fishlegs who sat next to them almost fell out of his own. The two's expressions became exited, which probably meant one of them or someone else was about to get hurt.

"Ladies and gentlemen." Boomed Tuff trying to sound impressive. "Today, we gather you here to demonstrate the..." He drew on, but Astrid pushed away from the table with her arms and stood up.

"Hey, disrupting the presentation is very rude!" Yelled Ruff pointing at Astrid.

"Sorry, I'll have to see it later." She said and quickly made her way out of the hall before anyone could talk to her. When Astrid got outside the air was cool and the morning sun shined down into her skin. Stormfly stomper up beside her greeting her with a happy squawk.

"There's my girl." Astrid said giving Stormfly a pet. From inside the hall Snotlout yelled in frustration and she could faintly her Fishlegs say something as well. Guess whatever the twins demonstration was didn't go to well. The twins, covered in soot came walking out of the hall next to each other deep into a conversation mounting the necks of their dragon, a Hideous Zippleback which they called Barf and Belch and soared off.

Seconds later Snotlout emerged, he was also covered in soot but his hair was slightly smoking unlike the twins.

"Oh! When I get my hands on those two!" He yelled running over to his Monstrous Nightmare, Hookfang. He saddled up and took off as well. Astrid looked up at the sky, it was early and her and Stormfly had already gone for their morning flight but two couldn't hurt.

"Want to go for another flight?" She asked and he dragon nodded eagerly bending its knee's so Astrid could mount up easier. A minute later the two were twirling through the clouds their home, a distant memory. Stormfly caught one of the numerous wind currents that blew over Berk and began to coast. Astrids mind began to wander, Trader Johann was due back tomorrow, and although the took ages to tell anyone anything he was the only way she could receive any news about Hiccup related events.

Her mind was starting to wander more to Hiccup and a smile crept onto Astrids face curling her lips. But then, when Stormfly squawked beneath her she was pulled back to the presence. At first she was confused, unaware of what had stirred her dragon, but then she saw it. On one of the coasts on Berk about as far away as you could get from the village... was a massive ship. It wasn't a hunter ship, or at least she didn't think so. It was long like a tube coming to a point at one end, constructed from a greenish-blue metal and there were no sails on it so Astrid was curious to how it got here, must have drifted. Multiple parts of the metal hull were missing probably from the collision with the shore. Whoever had been sailing it wasn't very good at it.

Astrid wondered if she should go get Stoick or someone but she thought about the people who could be hurt of the vessel and decided she couldn't waste anymore time. Her and Stormfly dove to the ground cutting through the air reaching the beached ship in no time. The dragon landed on top of the ship where Astrid saw a hatch leading into the interior. She dismounted and pulled an axe from Stormfly's saddle approaching the hatch cautiously.

She opened it when she reached it revealing a dark interior.

"Hello?" She called. No response. "Is anyone alive in there?" She asked her words echoing inside the metal hull.

"Oh yes please!" Yelled a man. "Me and my friend need help!" He continued.

"Ok. Let me go back to my village and get help." Astrid told the man but he yelled at her.

"No, no, no please you have to help my friend, Im pinned and can't reach him! I think he's gone unconscious!" He yelled. "Boutle! Boutle answer me!" Yelled the man and Astrid poked her head down the hatch. The interior was dark and she didn't have a torch, but she had to try.

"Ok I'm coming!" She yelled and without thinking to much about it dropped through the hatch falling for about a second before her feet hit a metal floor. Astrid took a few steps in the dark. "Hello?" She called out, but no response came. "Where are you?" She called out but no answer.

Something moved behind her and she turned brandishing her weapon out in front of her. And that's when she realized how foolish she had been. She ran for the still open hatch, there was a ladder leading out she just had to reach it. She tripped on something sending her crashing to the ground her axe flying from her hand and sliding somewhere off into the dark. Astrid rolled over onto her back looking into the darkness waiting, not moving. When from the darkness came a foot pressing itself against her neck and pinning her down. She squirmed beneath the weight trying to free herself but it was futile.

"Tell me..." said the man from earlier. He had never been trapped, he had just said that to lure her into the dark. "Is this you?" He asked leaning down towards her face the light from the open hatch illuminating his face and something he held in his hand. A torn and crumpled piece of paper with a drawing on it. It was a drawing of her, on Stormfly. The man must have figured out that she was indeed the same person as in the drawing and he let out a deranged laugh.

"We're going to have so much fun..."