Deception (A Dragons Race to the Edge Fanfic)

Chapter 1

You crept silently through the forest. You knew that Hiccup would be mad if he knew what you were doing, and Astrid would back him up, of course. But just because he was the leader of the Dragon Riders, that didn't mean he could tell you what to do! You knew what you were doing – you knew the risks, and there was nothing Hiccup could do to stop you from doing what you wanted.

Of course, you had been right. When the riders had encountered the Defenders of the Wing, Viggo had tried to use the Eruptodon to destroy Dragon's Edge while it was left undefended. Luckily, you had narrowly evaded complete disaster, and had been able to stop him in time.  The whole fiasco was hardly surprising - it's what you'd said from the start! But they wouldn't listen to you...Perhaps it had something to do with you being a year younger than them? Even then, you were older and more experienced than Gustav, and you'd been a dragon rider for the same length of time as Astrid, so why should that make a difference?

You picked up your pace, yet remained just as elusive as the creatures you sought. Then, it would be a direct flight to Viggo's base. You scanned each bush, each tree, searching for any rustle or subtle giveaway that Changewings were nearby. You had to be observant and smart to find a Changewing but, luckily for you, both of those qualities came naturally to you. You thought of the riders again: what would they say if they found out what you were doing? If you were gone for too long they would get suspicious. But you supposed you could think of a pretty good excuse on the spot, like every other time you'd snuck off, if need be. The problem was, although you and the riders had successfully defended the Edge against Viggo several times, you knew it was a matter of time until the merciless Dragon Hunter succeeded in destroying it. That's where you had to step in - you had to act before then, even if the other riders didn't. Viggo was smart – you knew that. But it was more than mere cleverness - the was a cold, calculating, manipulative quality about him. You also knew that it was likely that he was planning something to rid himself of the Dragon Riders once and for all at this very moment. And, this time, it wouldn't fail.

Coming to a clearing in the forest, you hesitated for a moment. You strained your eyes to peer ahead, towards a large thicket. Either your eyes were playing tricks on you, or there was something moving slowly through the bracken. A Changewing! At this point, you couldn't help but imagine what Snotlout would have done: probably a high-pitched scream for Hookfang, followed by running around in circles until he realized that his dragon had abandoned him, (boy, did you appreciate that dragon's sense of humor!) A small smile swept across your face at the thought, but soon disappeared as you focused all of your attention on the task at hand.

The Changewing was up ahead, stalking slowly through the undergrowth, having not detected you yet. Making sure you were downwind of it, you crouched on the ground, rubbing fresh mud and grass over your clothes, to disguise your scent. You really hoped that this plan would work, or else you would be bombarded with shots of highly acidic Changewing fire. Brushing that disturbing thought aside, you advanced quietly, but determinedly, towards the dragon, until you were just meters behind it. You tried to keep your breathing quiet – one shot of acid and it would be game over before you even got to Viggo's base.

You were just getting to your feet, when the creature suddenly spun round to face you, its teeth bared and eyes wild. You narrowly dodged a blast of acid (startling a Changewing was a bad idea). There was only one thing to do. Squeezing your eyes shut, and stretching out your hand towards the dragon before you, you prepared yourself for the scalding sensation of burning acid, but instead felt cool, smooth scales against your palm. Daring to open your eyes, you saw the Changewing's snout pressing against your outstretched hand. A sense of achievement washed over you. Your plan had worked! Clearly, the Changewing appreciated the way you had used camouflage and discretion to your advantage – like a Changewing would itself. Looking calmer, the dragon gazed into your eyes. Somewhere inside, you felt a pang of grief. You remembered your previous dragon, who not been as lucky as the others when Ryker had attacked. But, you buried your sadness, instead enjoying the sensation of bonding with a dragon again, like something was complete.