The Night Rider (A How To Train Your Dragon AU)

Chapter Sixteen - Island Under Siege

With the Dragon's Edge residents still reeling from the outcome of the Berserker tribe visiting Berk, the path to Heather's home still unknown, and Snotlout actually showing he cares about something other than himself, everyone seemed to hit the hay in a very cautious mood. During the night however, Heather tossed and turned on the bench in Hiccup and Astrid's hut, seeming to suffer from a nightmare. The noises alert Hiccup, initially thinking Toothless was growing restless again and wanting to burn off more energy. He gets up from the bed carefully as to not disturb Astrid, and with a muffled yawn, proceeded towards the central room. Seeing Heather thrashing around on the bench, before she let out an audible scream, waking her up with a breathless pant and causing Hiccup to stagger backwards in shock.

Hiccup: "Whoa, whoa... Heather... What's going on?"

Heather: "Huh!? Oh... Sorry Hiccup... I didn't mean to wake you..."

Hiccup: "W-were you suffering from another nightmare, Heather?..."

Heather: "Just imagining what the Outcasts were doing to my parents..."

Astrid then emerges from the bed with a yawn and really tired eyes as she approaches the fire pit.

Astrid: "What is all this commotion out here?..."

Hiccup: "Heather had another bad dream..."

Astrid: "Oh no..."

Heather: "Sorry Astrid..."

Hiccup: "Hey no it's okay... You don't have to apologise..."

Heather: "I just can't sleep thinking about what could be happening over there..."

Hiccup and Astrid briefly look at each other with worry, before Hiccup kneels down to Heather.

Hiccup: "Would you like to go back there and see what's going on?... Even if it's just a brief reunion with your family?"

Astrid: "Hiccup, is that really a good idea? Alvin the Treacherous could be there..."

Hiccup: "Then we won't let him get anywhere close to Heather, if he's on the island, it'll just be a quick fly over then back."

Heather: "Thanks Hiccup, but you don't have to... I don't want you or Astrid to feel obligated to do these things for me..."

Hiccup: "Heather, we're not doing this for any reward or praise, plus it would be best to try and take a look instead of assume the worst."

She thinks it over for a while and nods, Hiccup and Astrid then turn to exit the hut and grab their dragons. After taking to the air, Heather, who chose to ride on Stormfly with Astrid, points them to the general direction of her island and where to go, suggesting left then straight ahead for twenty miles. As soon as sunrise begins, the island appeared in front of them.

Hiccup: "Is that the place?"

Heather: "Yep, that's it, Vior Ofanginnug... I hope nothing's happened to the village..."

Astrid: "Only one way to find out..."

Hiccup: "Just stay as high up from land as possible, we don't know what 'Vin could have done down there."

He replies as they fly over the island, seeing several areas flamed out, the trio looking down on the place with shock and horror as Heather's village comes into view.

Heather: "No..."

Astrid: "The village is destroyed..."

Hiccup: "This is a really bad sign... We should leave before-"

Outcast member: "Dragons! Fire the catapults!"

Hiccup: "Incoming!"

Astrid: "Hold on tight Heather!"