How to Train Your Dragon: Journey Beyond Berk

Chapter Eighteen - Reunited at Last

Hiccup's POV:

The sun was just starting to break through the horizon as we flew through the sky. The light glimmering across the waters and reflecting onto the trees of islands as we passed by. I still had no idea what this dragon was in such a hurry for or if she maybe caught a scent that would lead us to Astrid. The islands passed by quickly, it felt so foreign not to stop and explore each new land we passed, my map sitting in my pocket being left untouched for months.

"We've been flying for hours," I called out, "do you need another sniff of the brush? I feel like we are lost..."

Though this creature never had much of human interaction before, well besides the days of dragon training and the day we were attacked on Berk, she seemingly let out a noise that almost sounded like a scoff.

My hands went up in defense before letting out a slight chuckle from her response, "okay, okay! I won't underestimate you again!"

The ride was quiet, the deadly nadder remaining focused on a target. I was quickly shocked at the sudden hesitation when she came to an abrupt stop in the sky before jerking to the left, flying us further into unknown territory. I struggled to hold onto her thorns that emerged from her head, riding without a saddle was new to me especially on a wild dragon like herself.

We continued on for some time into what felt like nothingness, all that surrounded us was the calmness of the ocean below and the clear sky above. My eyes squinted when I finally saw a little dot in the distance just up ahead, an island seemingly emerging as we continued on closer.

"Prepare yourself," I said as I leaned closer to her ears, "I'm not sure what we are running into when we arrive..." My voice trailed off as we continued on closer, the island seeming quiet and bare of any life.

We landed on the beach which looked up to tall mountains that spread across the island, leaving giant cliff sides in view. Confused, I tapped the nadders sides trying to signal her to leave. She wouldn't budge, refusing to move from her place.

"Come on!" I yelled, "it's an empty island! We might be lucky to find some wild monkeys out here within the trees but that's not what we are here-"

I stopped mid sentence when I heard a rustling from above and the sounds of dragons coming from a cliff on the far end of the island. My eyes tracing the trees, seeing if I could spot any movement from within.

"I haven't see wild dragons in months besides you," I whispered, "i'm not sure if they see my face they'll be quite pleased.."

The rustling continued before I heard a males voice singing from the top of the cliffs, emitting from the same direction of the dragons. Was this one of Drago's hideouts? I thought to myself before slowly hopping off the deadly nadder. No... He'd have much better security than this, there's no way he'd even let me step foot on his territory without a fight.. I braced myself as I followed the nadder head into the trees and we made our way up to the voices.

-

"I can never tell the poisonous from the non poisonous berries," the male voice stated.

I watched hesitantly from a distance within the bushes, watching as he spoke with what I presumed a dragon based on the noises it made beside him.

"See and this is why you are so resourceful!" He called out in a laughter, "Now let's go find some edible food for the Chief, shall we?"

I moved closer to the side, trying to catch a better view of the dragon he was with when all of the sudden my hand slipped causing me to fall. My eyes shot up when I saw the man and the dragon looking back in my direction in shock. The man I didn't recognize, but the dragon that stood beside him was non other than Toothless himself.