The Night Rider: Book Two

Chapter 23: The Horn

ASTRIDS POV.

It was growing darker quickly over the ocean and they still couldn't find the island that Kain had told them Hiccup was being held and made to fight at. He had said it was a straight shot north, but she was beginning to worry that maybe they had veered off course and had missed it. She was starting to grow more anxious as the daylight dwindled. Astrid knew Hiccup could fight, probably better than anyone on Berk, even her. But being made to fight everyday for a week straight, everyone has a breaking point. And she was afraid that Hiccup may have been nearing his.

"We need to land! It's getting too dark and there's no point looking for an island at night!" Snotlout yelled to the group. Toothless, who was being carried in Hookfang's claws growled and Astrid agreed.

"We can't just leave him!" She objected.

"Astrid. Snotlout's right." Fishlegs said. Astrid couldn't believe that he had actually just said that. "We could fly over it. We should land and pick up the search in the morning." He said.

Astrid gritted her teeth. "You all can land but I'm going to keep looking! We have to be close!" She said and Stormfly sped up. Her dragon had to be exhausted from all of the flying they had done. But she wouldn't land until Hiccup was found. Her friends called after her but she didn't stop. They had to be close, they had to be.

The group continued to fly and soon it was night. She heard the twins mumbling between one another about how if one of them fell asleep the other had to swear not to throw them off their saddle. Fishlegs yawned, and Snotlout was reclined on Hookfang's saddle and could already be asleep. Maybe they should have landed. If they did find Hiccup, when, they found Hiccup. It would probably result in a fight and how would that turn out if all of her friends and their dragons were exhausted? Astrid glanced down at Stormfly's face. She looked tired. The only one that didn't was Toothless. He was alert, and through the darkness of the night she could see his green eyes wide open.

"Okay, the next island we see we'll land on. Pick up the search again in the morning." Astrid announced. There were sighs of relief from several members of the party, but Toothless cooed in disagreement.

"Wait! Astrid, look!" Exclaimed Fishlegs, pointing to a orange light far off in the distance. The group flew quickly towards the light, and soon through the darkness they could all make out an island. It was large, with cliffs and hills. It had almost no trees or any lakes or rivers. On one coast there was a ship yard filled with vessels from massive Hunter ships to small trading vessels. And more inland from there was a circular arena in the ground with a chain stretched over as the ceiling. There was a large tent farther up on a hill, and hundreds of people in stands that wrapped around the perimeter of the arena.

And in the arena there was two people. One of them was a muscular bald man and was pinned to the ground by another man who had a sword. The second man was covered in scars across his chest and back, with several bleeding lashes across his skin. He was wearing a familiar helmet and he had a prosthetic leg. There was no mistaking who it was—Hiccup. And she recognized the man he had pinned as well. It was the man who she had fought on the Hunter ship when the Night Rider, when she didn't know he was Hiccup, and had convinced her to help him free dragons. Ryker. Suddenly down in the arena Ryker flipped Hiccup onto his own back and pressed the blade up against his throat. Toothless growled at the sight and tried to free himself from Hookfang. Ryker cut Hiccups chest with the sword and then raised it above his bald head.

"Go!" Astrid exclaimed and all of the riders began a decent downwards towards the chain ceiling. Toothless let out his Night Fury call and fired a plasma blast down into the chain ceiling forming a hole that they all could fly through.

The group flew down into the arena and landed. Toothless freed himself from Hookfang and roared. Astrid grabbed her axe off of her back and dismounted, the rest of the riders doing the same. The hundreds of audience members screamed and scrambled from their seats. On either side of the arena were two large doors that opened, and two dozen Hunters entered wielding swords, axes, and maces. Astrid saw the Night Rider looking at them through the slits in his helmet and she knew he was glad to see them. The riders let out a shared battle cry, and all the dragons joined in it as well. Down the field, the Night Rider grabbed the shocked Ryker by the collar of his shirt and pulled him down towards him and punched him across the face. Astrid and the others charged towards him ready to defend him.