Trust

Chapter One: Dragon Training

The crisp, cool air of autumn rushed through the discolored trees. Large leaves of red, orange and yellow floated around the hill where nine year old Ash and her seven year old little sister played sword fight with sticks.

The two young girls were almost identical. They both had the same lightly tanned skin that was lightly sprinkled with freckles, they both had the same light brown almost blond hair (though Ash wore hers in a side braid where as her sister wore hers in pigtails), and they both had the same emerald colored eyes.

Ash hit her little sister's stick away from her and pinned her to the ground.

"No fair! You always win!" Her little sister complained.

Ash stuck out her tongue at her little sister, and then she helped the seven year old back up onto her feet.

Suddenly, there was the sound of snapping twigs and shuffling leaves. A low growl rumbled out like thunder.

"W-what was that?" Ash's little sister whimpered as she hid behind Ash.

"I'm not sure... I'm going to go check it out." Ash said and walked towards the sound.

Ash stepped carefully trying not to make a sound in the autumn leaves which heavily littered the ground. There was a loud roar off to her side but when she turned, there was nothing. Then, something swooped over head blocking out the light. Ash turned her head skyward but there was nothing there. By now, Ash was thoroughly freaked out. She turned back the way she had come and started to swiftly make her way back, no longer caring about the sound under her feet.

A scream broke through the air and a long and loud roar followed it. Ash recognized her sister's screams and knew the roar belonged to a dragon.

"SIS! Sis, are you alright?!" She yelled out.

There was no response, human or dragon. The young Viking raced toward where she had left her sister. When she arrived the seven year old was gone.

"SIS! SIS W-WHERE ARE YOU!?" Ash yelled out her voice breaking with fear as tears streamed down her face.

Just as she feared there was once again no response. The nine year old Viking turned and ran home to find help.

Ash screamed as she shot up in her bed, her messy light brown hair falling in her face. Tears fell down Ash's face as she pulled her knees up to her chest. It had been almost exactly eight years since her sister's disappearance but the memory was still clear and was forever burned into her mind.

After Ash had gone home to get her parents a search began. It lasted a week until blood was found at the base of the hill where she had last been seen along with a red/orange scale. After that, everyone came to the conclusion that Ash's sister had been eaten by a wild Monstrous Nightmare. Ash didn't believe it and continued searching. As days turned to weeks, weeks turned to months, and months turned to a year, she gave up looking and accepted the fact her sister was dead. She went into her room to grieve and never came out. She stopped talking to everyone so she wouldn't have to feel the same loss she had when her sister died if she lost them.

Ash got up and went over to the window. Outside, the rain pounded down on the already soaked ground and ripped the autumn leaves down from the trees.

"Welcome to Berk where it rains, snows or hails almost everyday." She murmured to herself.

Ash returned to her bed and at down on the edge of it staring into her mirror. Her hair was down and messy from her lack of caring for it. Her once beautiful emerald eyes now lacked their bright shininess. Her skin was practically white from the lack of sun for seven straight years. The once beautiful nine year old had become a rugged and dull looking seventeen year old.