The Edge of Black Wing

5 I'm a Loner, and I Don't Like it That Way II

His question was responded with a whine, "I had just asked her that!"

"Erm technically you didn't, brother."

"Whatever! It's up to me to comfort my girlfriend, thank you!"

Ignoring Snotlout's - "Oooh, so it's 'girlfriend,' now!" - Ska'i shot a full smile at Tuff, and replied, "It's wonderful!" Despite being only somewhat terrified flying at this high altitude, not to mention how fast they were going. And I have to control an animal that could easily kill me!

"Don't worry about Toothless," Hiccup faced forward. "He won't harm you."

"He's right," Tuff comforted her. "Toothless is a great guy. Dragon," he corrected himself. "A great guy-dragon."

Ruffnut nodded along in wholehearted agreement.

"Great," came Snotlout's sarcastic tone. "So now that we almost killed Ska'i - ."

"Did not," she interjected.

" 'Almost,' " Tuff emphasized. "Again, she would have been fine."

"She is fine," Ruffnut affirmed.

" - what are we going to do now?" He finished his question, talking over the twins. The way his thought process worked, was he thought that if you were louder than your opponent, that makes you the winner of any conversation.

"Uhhh, well, we're following Stormfly," Ruffnut pointed out the obvious.

"Thank you, Ms. Chef Obvious!"

"I think what my sister is trying to say - ask - is what is the plan? I mean, other than following Stormfly to the end of the earth?"

In unison, they all turned their attention toward Hiccup. Even though they could only see the back of his head, Ska'i could tell he was thinking frantically. "Look," he responded a minute later. "It's obvious Stormfly is too frantic to do anything else; she knows where she's going."

"Really?" Snotlout scoffed. "So that's your brilliant plan? Just continue letting a dragon lead us? Ow!" He protested defiantly when Hookfang lit himself on fire. At least the 'Nightmare was considerate and waited until Ska'i was no longer riding on him. He'd never done that while she was astride him. Or maybe that was a coincidence, and she shrugged it off. Either way, she appreciated it.

"That's not a bad plan," Fishlegs conceded. "It's obvious poor Stormfly is too worked up to do anything other than chase after the directions she thinks Astrid has gone."

Ska'i caught Snotlout opening his mouth to no doubt continue arguing but there was an unexpected break in the clouds. It was a relatively beautiful day; the sun reflected with blinding brilliance of the glass-smooth ocean. And besides the dragons flapping their wings - there was a cooling breeze about the air, and there were no signs of a raindrop in sight.

But there was an unexpected couple of Dragon Hunter fleets, spread out below them.

Perhaps it was because they were so used to not having much else to break the mundane normalcy of always flying with only each other. So it was understandable that everyone was startled, from Hiccup to Stormfly <who was at the forefront> to the Riders - even the dragons! Ska'i wasn't even aware something with wings could jump while already airborne.

Thank Pele everyone seemed to be on the same page, and no one made a sound. Yes, even the dragons. Hiccup hand gestured, "Get back," but Ska'i had already nudged Toothless to dive further. Out of the corner of her eye, Ska'i saw Hiccup mouth a violent hiss, but she was dive-bombing too fast to tell what it was. The others' whispers were already fading above her -.

"Uh, what?"

"Ska'i, no!"

"No, wait!"

"She's doomed."

But it was too late.