Strangers

Part 8: I Can't Find Answers, Just More Questions

I jumped on Max and was about to leave Dragon's Edge when I heard Hiccup calling me. Max flew to him. "Are you feeling better?" That question again. He was on Toothless who was flying next to Max.
"Yeah, I'm fine now. No reason to worry" I tried to look normal, but I was afraid if he gets suspicious. "I'm glad. Listen, a group of dragon hunters is near. Somebody should go there." This shouldn't be problem. "I'm going right now", "I was thinking if Willow and Corinne could go with you?.." I could hear he hardly said that. I was okay when he mentioned Willow, but my eyes widened when he mentioned Corinne. Why her?

"Hayden? Is everything alright?" he looked at me and I nodded. "Yeah, like I said, everything is fine." he nodded "Alright, good luck" with that he left. Now all I need to do is to go with Willow and Corinne to that dragon hunter's ship. Nothing easier. What could possibly go wrong? I went to find Willow who was to my happiness talking with Corinne. "Hayden, didn't you say you have work to do?" They looked at me and Willow said with curiosity in her voice.
"Actually that's why I'm here.." She raised an eyebrow while Corinne looked at me without expression. "Hiccup said there's dragon hunter's ship near and asked if we can take care of it.." I said without expression. "By we you mean about all three?" Corinne asked and I nodded.

"So..are we going?" I asked while looking at them. "Yes" Corinne said while going to her dragon. "Are you okay with this?.." Willow looked at me as if she's trying to read my mind. I nodded. "Yeah" she went to her dragon and we started to search for the ship. It didn't take too much time because they weren't far from Dragon's Edge. We let them to see us because it was three of us and they clearly couldn't do anything. Max flied close to the ship. "Are you lost?" I asked while men were running on the ship trying to find the weapon. Corinne's dragon was flying close to Max while Willow was on the other side of the ship.

There were some dragons in cages on the ship. Corinne's dragon landed and she went to free them while Willow and I distracted the hunters. I went on the ship and knocked down few of them. "I can't break it!" I heard Corinne, she frowned and started to punch the cage. "You're looking for these?" Suddenly a male voice was heard. He was one of the hunters. A smirk was on his face while he was holding the keys looking at Corinne. She just stood there looking at him. "Give me the keys!" She threatened. He laughed "And what if I won't?" her eyes were full of anger. "Then I'll take them by myself!" She started to run towards him. Some of men were attacking me so I had to fight them first.

I couldn't concentrate in fighting them, my eyes were searching for her though I didn't know why. She was fighting against him, but he was stronger. Willow jumped on the ship trying to take down rest of them. Then I saw Corinne was pushed against the floor of the ship. The hunter swing his hammer about to punch her, then everything happened in a blink. I found myself throwing the hunter away from Corinne. He fell and hit his head losing consciousness. I turned to face her "Are you alright?" she looked at me with widen eyes and nodded. I took her hand and helped her to stand up. She took the keys from unconscious hunter and unlocked the cages. As soon as dragons flew away I jumped on Max. Willow and Corinne went on their dragons and we started to go back. We were silent. Nobody dared to say anything.

Same moment Max landed I went to my house. I could feel Willow and Corinne looking at me, but I didn't react, I just continued to walk. As I entered in my house I washed my face. Why did I do that? I don't even know how I came between them. What if she noticed? She probably did.. Nobody can move that fast even I can't realize what happened. Questions were running in my head. Millions of them. And I couldn't find answers, just more questions. I was completely lost inside my thoughts, then I heard knock on the door. "Who is it?" I stared at the door not even blinking. "It's me, Willow..", "Come in.." She saw what I did.. That's why she came..

She came in my house closing the door behind her. I just stood there waiting for her to start talking. She turned to look at me and sighed. "You saw that, didn't you?" I asked and she nodded. "I did..", "She probably saw too..", "Probably" now I was the one who sighed. "Hayden why did you do that? I mean..you saved her and that's good, but.." she didn't have to finish because I knew what she's thinking. I shrugged "I don't know.. In one second I was fighting with hunters and in another I punched him.. I don't know what's happening to me..." She looked at me and sighed again. "We should go to dinner.." when she mentioned that I was confused. Dinner? Already? Then I looked through the window and saw it's almost night. "I guess we should.." With that she started to walk outside and I followed her.

As we were walking towards the others I could hear them talking. When we came Willow sat down and I sat next to her. Corinne was there too. Everybody was. They were eating and talking about today. Where they've been and what have they done. Suddenly Tuffnut looked at me and looked like he is going to tell something. "So I heard Hayden saved Corinne from that dragon hunter today.." My eyes widened when he said that. I looked at Corinne for a second and she looked shocked too. I could feel everybody looking at me.
"How he saved her?" Astrid asked with curiosity in her voice. "He hurriedly came between her and the hunter and pushed him before he hit her with his hammer" Ruffnut answered. "And where did you hear that?" Fishlegs asked a question like he's reading my mind. "A terrible terror told us"

"Pff yeah right, I'd save her if I was there" Snotlout groaned. "Aha you sure would" Hiccup was the one who spoke next.
I looked at Corinne, she seemed distant. As if her body is here but her mind is miles away. I know what she's thinking about. About that what happened today. I was thinking about that too. Something brought me there. To her. To stop that hunter from harming her. I wasn't afraid if he's going to hit me because I knew that's impossible. I saw him about to punch her and my body acted faster than my mind. Why I stopped him? Why I couldn't imagine someone hurting her?