Behind the Mask

The Stranger In The Shadows

We find ourselves in the thrall of the How To Train Your Dragon world once again. Last time we saw what had become of Hiccup and Toothless, now we skip forward in time to see what has become of them all. In this chapter we introduce a few familiar faces to the storyline for the first yet unexpected time, and find where life has taken them or where they've taken life in some cases. So pull up a chair and get comfy cause it's about to go down.

Astrid's POV: Eight Years Later

Well, here I am........turning twenty-three today and nothing has happened to me much in the last eight years since Hiccup's death. That left a gaping whole in me that nothing has filled it up to this point, and I doubt anything ever will. I am still a shieldmaiden, a warrior; but I have never been able to kill a dragon since the day he died. The look in that dragon's eyes still remains drilled into my mind. I cannot forget the calmness and tame spirit he had, even if it was only for a few seconds. It haunts me, whenever I see a dragon that is the only thing running through my thick skull and I cannot bring myself to harm a single beast. They are innocent......I know that now. Nothing can change my mind. The only dragon I deem worthy of death is that Night Fury who stole Hiccup away. If I ever catch him he will regret ever landing on this island in the first place. He is rightly called the offspring of death, for that is what he brings wherever he goes. It cannot be escaped and no one can hide from its clutches.

I walk through the village, on my way to the dragon arena for there are many little children to train in the ways of the Viking. They all are taught the skills needed in battle and drilled with Viking maneuvers so that each may outsmart his enemy on the field of war. We have not needed these skills for the last year. Dragons have mysteriously stopped raiding and attacking us. It makes us all very nervous and on our toes, but it has been peaceful on our island and there has been no sign of trouble. I constantly wonder what made the dragons stop raiding and stealing from us, but I can't come up with a reasonable explanation other than something bigger is coming and they all are fleeing the danger. I pray that that is not the case, but one can never be sure in this harsh world.

I turn the last corner to the arena, and I hear children screaming. "Oh, boy." I think to myself. "Those twins better not have set the armoury on fire again." I run through the gate and see children scatter around me, running away from...........a dragon? It was a Zippleback, a beast with double the heads and double destruction. Of course the twins would want to let it out. I see Ruffnut and Tuffnut waving their hands at the dragon, and yelling at it. What were they thinking? Were they trying to get all of those kids killed? I sigh and run further into the arena, careful to avoid the patches of Zippleback gas that hung around in places for if the dragon should happen to spark.........it would be bye-bye one of my appendages.

"Ruffnut and Tuffnut Thornston!" I shout at them, not caring whether the dragon heard me or not. Lately the dragons have been acting strange around me......like they actually might like me. I know I feed them everyday and make sure they all get a turn in the arena, but it's not like that is enough to turn a dragons head.........was it? I know they are dragons to be used in the arena, but even though I am a Viking warrior I am not as heartless as everyone thinks........though I never show any feelings when they are around.

Both of the twins turn around, their hands still in the air and facing the dragon.

"What are you doing?!" I ask. "Are you trying to run the training center down again on purpose! What did we talk about? You can't keep doing this." I scolded. "What if one of the kids got hurt?"

"Then they would go see Gothi......Duh, Astrid." Ruffnut answered, pulling her hands down and turning to face me.

"Yeah, Astrid." Tuffnut chimed in. "What a dumb question to ask. I mean, everyone knows that if you get hurt or die or something, that you go see Gothi." He too turned to face me. "So obvious."