Pokemon: Gates to Infinity The Novel Series: Another timeline

episode 7: Hiccup and Astrid's conversation

She didn't know where she was or where she was going, all she knew was that she had to get away from the village as quickly as possible. She could hear someone calling for her, but she ignored it, no doubt someone ready to rub it in her face.

"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! What in the world was I thinking?!"

Tripping over a root, she picked herself up and kept running, still ignoring whoever was calling her.

"Go away! Just leave me alone!"

She was getting out of breath, dodging left and right as she weaved in and out of the trees, jumping occasionally to avoid another root. She refused to cry, vikings do not cry.

"ASTRID!"

"I SAID STAY AWAY!"

Up ahead, she saw a passage between some large rocks. Thinking that she could lose her pursuer, she slipped inside only to emerge in a small cove. Leaning against one of the rocks, she struggled to catch her breath.

"Why? WHY?!"

Closing her eyes and swinging her fist, she felt the crack of wood under her hand. Turning, she saw that she had punched a wooden shield. Upon closer inspection, she saw that the shield was pretty new, so it had to have been left there fairly recently. Stepping backwards to ponder her discovery.

a low growl emanated from behind. Swinging around, she watched as a black dragon assume a predatory stance, growling at her in hateful.

[Who are you?! What are you doing here in the place like this?!]

Pressed against the rocks, she swung the shield in front of her, wishing that she had something else to fight with. The dragon growled again, ready to pounce when a blur of green and brown rushed out in front of her.

"Toothless no!"

He emerged to find Astrid hiding behind his shield and Toothless growling at her. Throwing himself between her and the annoyed night fury, he shook his head at the dragon.

"Toothless no!"

Toothless stopped growling and tilted his head in confusion, warbling at the small viking.

[Twerp? What are you doing here?!]

Astrid, seeing her chance, grabbed Hiccup and pulled him behind the shield.

"Astrid!"

Immediately Toothless snarled and swiped the shield away. Exposed, Astrid did her best to hide Hiccup behind her.

"Astrid, what are you doing?"

"Protecting you! Can't you see there is a dangerous dragon in front of us? I think that it could be a night fury!"

"Astrid I don't need protection!"

Slipping away from her, he walked out to the growling dragon.

"Hiccup!"

"Toothless! Stop! Astrid is a friend!"

Astrid watched in amazement as the night fury calmed when Hiccup began petting his head.