Riders of B E R K

Part 11: Out of Control

We were making good time out of the seminar room when Gobber stopped us and gave me a new ID badge:

Lieutenant Astrid Hofferson, Rider/Medical.

"I thought ye may need this, lassie," he said warmly and I accepted it with a grateful smile. I mumbled a word of thanks and clipped the new ID badge on with a hint of pride. Truly, it wasn't something I had been expecting when I came to BERK but I wasn't actually complaining. He winked at me as well. "I've moved yer wee lassie to Pen Five," he said with a grin and paused, staring at Hiccup. "And you couldn't keep yer mouth shut for a moment, could ye?" he sighed. Hiccup shrugged.

"Gobber, we both know Snotlout isn't an option to lead the unit," he said quietly. "Much as I hate to say it, Eret or Heather would be better leaders. Dogsbreath Donald and the twins certainly aren't. Nor is Fish."

"You are the best leader but ye had tae run away!" Gobber warned him in a low voice. "Spitelout is really gunning for ye, lad. Just promise me ye'll try not tae deliberately annoy him." Hiccup frowned slightly, clearly giving no such undertaking.

"Can I see Toothless?" he asked softly. It was a definite plea. Gobber sighed.

"Yer father has made it very clear yer not to be granted access for at least three days, laddie. I'm sorry," he said and ambled away. I turned to Hiccup.

"Um...where is Pen Five?" I asked sheepishly. He sighed.

"I'll take you," he offered and began to walk alongside me, his skill with the crutches meaning I was almost having to trot to keep up. I almost said something but his face was closed and unhappy and it was clear he was brooding about what had gone on. I could understand the reasoning, reprimanding a member of the unit who had broken protocol and orders but Hiccup wasn't actually a soldier and had done what he thought was best to protect his dragon. And, like it or not, I thought he was right: the Outcasts had picked him up before Stoick's team had arrived. Clearly, despite Spitelout's assurances, security here wasn't watertight.

"Dragon training begins and ends with trust," Hiccup said earnestly as we caught the lift up two levels. He'd told me this before but he was serious: it was his mantra. "You need to project reassurance and friendship. Ideally love, but that takes time." I stole a glance at him and his eyes were misted: he was thinking about his own training with Toothless.

"I'm sorry," I said softly. "I really didn't mean to keep anything from you." He glanced up and sighed.

"I know," he admitted. "And I...felt awful going through your private files. But when I saw you had searched my Dad and BERK, I was worried that you would be in danger. I really didn't know much about you and I had risked everything to get Toothless away." He moved his left hand slightly, wincing at the pain from the breaks. "I actually felt heartbroken when I realised you were military because...it was kinda nice to have someone to talk to as well."

"I'm sorry," I said again. "Can-can we sorta start over?" He looked at me as we emerged into level four and gave a small nod. So I stepped in front of him and stuck out my hand. "Hi. Lieutenant Astrid Hofferson, medic and...um...Nadder Rider." He gave me a smirk and paused to readjust his crutches so he could get his right hand free.

"Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, Night Fury Rider," he said and took my hand. "Pleased to meet you." And then we both burst out laughing. "That was lame," he chuckled and I nodded, grinning. "Now, let's see this dragon of yours."

Mine. She was mine. Well, technically, as the General had stated, she was a piece of biological ordnance, but in reality she was a living breathing creature who had chosen me above all others offered to her as her Rider. And that was the kind of endorsement that no money can buy. I was grinning like an idiot as we arrived at the big steel armoured door labelled PEN FIVE. Hiccup shrugged and gestured to my ID-he knew his access was revoked-and I tentatively pressed my right hand onto the reader. There was a breathless pause.