Another Nightmare book 1

Chapter 3

"Today is all about ATTACK!

Fishlegs barely avoided the hottest known dragon fire, and got his hammer melted before Gobber had even finished his instructions.

"Nadders are quick and light on their feet. Your job is to be quicker and lighter."

"I'm really beginning to question your teaching methods", Fishlegs shouted while running from the dragon through maze that Gobber had built in the ring.

Nadder encouraged Fishlegs' running with hail of spikes from its tail that luckily only hit boy's shield. Somehow, shields and weapons seemed to be the only things that actually were hit.

Hiccup couldn't help but think being in Fishlegs' position, if his dad had put him in dragon training. It might have made his live worse outside the training, but when others were dodging dragon fire, Hiccup could only feel relieved. Gobber's relatively careless attitude didn't help the matter. At least during the training with the Gronckle, he had been in the ring with the recruits.

"Look for its blind spot. Every dragon has one. Find it. Hide in it, and strike."

Which would be much easier if they had read the dragon manual, which clearly listed blind spots for each dragon species.

"You know Gobber. I just happened to notice the book had nothing on Night Furies. Is there another book, or a sequel, maybe a little Night Fury pamphlet?", Hiccup tried to take advantage from the situation since he was standing right next to the smith.

"Concentrate Hiccup. Even if you're not in the ring yet, you still need to learn this."

Their attention was pulled back to the ring by twins' bickering, again. They had accidentally found the nadder's blind spot, but one dragon's blind spot wasn't big enough for both of them. They were again lucky as the dragon only let its fire loose fraction of a second after they got out of the way, warned by its snarl.

"Blind spot, yes. Deaf spot, not so much", Gobber giggled to his own comment while his students were playing tag with a dragon.

"So, how you think one would sneak up on Night Fury?"

"No one has never met one and lived to tell the tale. Now, eyes, ring."

"I know, but hypothetically?"

"Fishlegs" Astrid's low shout came from below then.

The scared boy noticed the other's hiding from the dragon. For a moment things seemed to go well. Astrid and Snotlout managed to take advantage of dragon's blind spot and cross past the corridor from which the Nadder was coming. Fishlegs stayed hidden on the other side.

"They probably take the daytime off. You know, like a cat. Has anyone ever seen one napping."

This time Hiccup didn't even manage to get Gobber's attention. Snoutlout had tried to impress Astrid, again, but hammer he threw missed at least by meter. The following chain of events ended with most of the maze walls fallen and Astrid on top of Fishlegs with her axe embedded in boy's shield.

"Ooh, love on the battlefield" Tuffnut commented amidst the chaos, which he loved.

"She could do better", Ruffnut added.

Astrid managed to pull her axe, and Fishlegs' shield, from the boy's arm just in time. She swung it at dragon's head. Nadder yelped and stumbled away from the two, disoriented by the strike. Astrid took few seconds to catch her breath before turning angrily at the boy still laying on the ground next to her.

"What's wrong with you? Our parents war is about to become ours! Figure out which side you are!"

Hiccup couldn't help but feel sorry for the larger boy. He had never really seen this side of Astrid. Sure, she had short fuse, but Hiccup had never seen her treat others like this. Usually she just gave people cold shoulders or bent wrists near breaking point if someone, Snotlout, got too close.