Cast Out

Recon Flight

Astrid's P.O.V
"You are going on a Recon Flight aren't you." I huff angrily at Hiccup who guiltily tries to hide the dragon armor behind his back.
"W-what? No. I am simply just going out for a flight to uh... Test and see if this armor still works! Yeah that's it." He stumbles and trips over his words trying to find an excuse.
"Oh when will you learn, I always know when you are lying," I say grabbing Stormfly, "At least let me come with you incase something goes wrong." Toothless and Stormfly decide to play while Hiccup and I argue.
"Nope. Not happening it is too dangerous. I can't let you get hurt again. Besides there is a chance that Ryker is still out there! He knows that you are a weak spot for me and if he caught you he could use it to his advantage." He sighs running his hand through his hair and calling Toothless over to him.
"Hiccup, Ryker is dead, we watched him drown! Besides, no matter what you say I'm coming." I exclaim in my frustration, throwing my hands in the air. I love Hiccup, I really do, but sometimes he annoys me.
"No way. I'm putting my foot down on this one Astrid." He tells me. At the words 'putting my foot down' Toothless perks up and shakes his head as if reminding Hiccup not to say that.
"Don't you remember what happened last time you put your foot down?" I smirk grabbing my axe. He gasps and shakes his head as if to shake out the memory. When I was temporarily blind not too long ago Hiccup wouldn't let me come with to search for Stormfly. He said that he was putting his foot down as the leader. Things didn't go too well and the next thing you know I'm behind Hiccup on the back of Toothless searching for my dragon. He had asked Toothless to remind him to never put his foot down again. I chuckle slightly at the memory.
"Fine you can come." He finally sighs in defeat.
"Yes!" I cheer and do a little victory dance while he secure Toothless' armor. I give him a quick peck on the cheek as if to say thanks then rush to secure Stormfly's armor. I sling my axe over my shoulder and hop onto Stormfly and fly to where Hiccup is waiting for me in the sky.

Hiccup's P.O.V
Once Astrid reaches us I grab her hand and we start to fly off.
"Which way are we going?" She asks me a few moments later. An idea forms in my head as I stare into her eyes.
"South!" I say as we turn our dragons to the south. A small smile forms on her lips. I know her favorite place to fly is south. Plus I haven't checked there yet unlike the other quadrants.
"So what makes you feel like Ryker is still alive?" She suddenly asks turning to me. For once I don't have a good answer.
"Uhhh, I don't really know," I sheepishly chuckle before regaining seriousness, "I just have this feeling that I can't shake. It's like he never really left. Viggo we know is dead, we watched him fall into lava but Ryker might know how to swim or gotten away some other way." She squeezes my hand lightly and smiled compassionately at me.
"Hiccup I think you are just paranoid. You have been in war mode for so long your body doesn't know how to cope with peace. None of us do." She tries to reason with why I feel the way I do.
"I don't know, maybe? But it feels like more than that like, ahg I don't know." I struggle in my confusion with how I feel myself.
"Shh, shh. It is okay Hiccup. You don't have to explain, I trust you." She shushed me. I begin to lean in and she does too when she gasps and pulls back.
"Maybe you aren't paranoid." She says pointing to something behind me.
"Dragon Hunters!" I gasps as I spot the ship, but something seems off, "we should take a closer look." She nods and we dive down to look.
"I've never seen this symbol before. Maybe they aren't hunters?" Astrid offers. I am about to respond when an arrow whizzed past my head. I look down to see hunters filling the decks all pointing their arrows at us.
"Nope definitely hunters!" I yell, "Evasive maneuvers!" I shout to her. She nods and begins to fly off. Suddenly she shouts as an arrow flies at Stormfly. She moved her leg so that it takes the hit instead.
"Astrid!" I shout as she takes the now bloody arrow out.
"I'm fine!" She says throwing the arrow into the ocean below. I hear the sound of a catapult being pulled back from behind me. I turn around and watch the boulder fly at me and brace myself for the impact knowing I can't move in time to get away.
"Hiccup!" Astrid screams. Suddenly I am pushed out of the way. I turn back to see Astrid in my place and being knocked off of Stormfly.
"Astrid," I shout diving after her as she falls toward the water, "grab my hand!" She reaches up and our fingers are centimeters apart when a chain wraps around her waist and pulls her down.
"No!" I shout as I watch her ruthlessly being banged against the side of the boat and falling under the water. They drag her up from the water and grab her arms trying to drag her away but she fights back.
"Don't come after me! Go find help!" She shouts as they drag her away with no regards for her wounded leg. I try to go after her but a pleading look in her eyes tells me otherwise. Going in now would be suicide. No one would know where we are or what happened. I need to get the others. With one final look back as they aim more arrows at me and Toothless wakes me up from my trance.
"I'll come back for you!" I shout as I avoid the arrows and fly back to get help.