The Soul of a Dragon

Chapter 5

Just a quick remark. I know this story is taking place after the second film, but I decided that the Edge still exists and that the gang goes back there from time to time. As you will soon notice, there will be several tweaks and changes about the original story line.

Hiccup

"That person could be a dragon rider, like us", Astrid proposes, "Or a dragon trainer, like you." With one hand on her hip and leaning her weight on her left leg, she points at me and raises her eyebrows with a small and excited smile. That smile is one of her common demeanours. I used to love that smile.

You still do, Hiccup. I scold myself and turn away from her whilst shaking my head slightly. I don't know why this keeps happening.

"Yeah, yeah. Ooooor...", Tuffnut suddenly chimes in with an exaggerated look of enthusiasm, "He or she's a spy trying to outsmart us and figure out all of our secrets!" With more drama than needed, he screams like a little girl and hides behind his sister who rolls her eyes at her twin brother.

"Let them take Ruffnut! I still need to carry on the family name," Tuff says with a deep and sorrowful voice. Then he pensively scratches his chin and swirls a strand of his long dirty blond hair around his finger. Before someone can interrupt his important exclamation, he continues: "And you know...it's obvious the spy would pick Ruff. Just look at her."

Ruffnut ruffles her nose in disgust and disbelief. She picks up one of the mugs standing on a near-by table of the common room of the Edge, watches it intensely for a minute, and throws it at her brothers head with a loud thud.

As the siblings get into yet another fist fight, I sigh and walk out of the hut. I need to be by myself for a moment. But I can sense someone following me.

"Hiccup..", Astrid begins and lays a hand softly on my shoulder. I look at it and tense my jaw, but I don't turn around. Her hand slips off its placement and I can hear her take a deep breath.

"We both agreed that I am your voice of reason in times of stress and, well, I think you need to listen to that voice.", my shoulders sink a little. She's right and I already know what she's going to say next. "Hiccup, there's an enemy threatening Berk's existence and we don't even know who this guy is! And today, we found one of his ships and you got distracted. Again."

Flashes of a slender silver-headed man come up as I close my eyes. But I was too occupied with the mysterious rider. I didn't examine the enemy to learn more about him, like I normally would.

"That rider is messing with your head. I don't now why, exactly. Perhaps you don't know the reason as well. However...", she places her hand on my shoulder again and gently pulls so that I now face her worried face, "that rider is our smallest problem. Berk needs you, Hiccup."

She gestures towards the gang sitting by the fire, talking and discussing about our situation, "We need you."

I pinch my eyes together and clench my jaw, averting her intense stare. She gently takes my chin into her right hand and forces me to look into her sky-blue eyes. "I need you."

She waits for a response, and I know I should give her one. I know she deserves one. But how can I explain to her that this rider and their dragon have been living in my head ever since I saw them first, hidden in between the clouds, watching us after a battle against some dragon hunters.

Astrid notices my inner debate and sighs, removing her hand from my face, whilst disappointment and hurt cover hers. She walks off to the group and sits down next to a smug Snotlout, telling the others a probably made-up story about him coming face to face with a Whispering Death and barely surviving.