TAW Tales: How to Train Your Shifters (#1)

~ Chapter 9 ~

I couldn't sleep.

I rolled over again, so that I was lying on my back, staring up at the wooden ceiling above me and listening to the distant roars and snorts of sleeping dragons.

This world was amazing. I, like Winter, had always wanted to know what it's like to really fly on the back of a dragon, to experience Berk first-hand. But as I shivered under the thin blanket, still in my normal clothes, I decided that we had to find a way back home.

And soon.

As another thump on the roof from the sleeping Stormfly jerked me out of my semi-consciousness, I sighed and slipped out of bed. I decided that I was going for a walk. I could probably slip past everyone as a dog, or at the very least they wouldn't pay attention to me.

A soft, yellow glow consumed me, and I felt my body changing shape. In an instant, I was a medium-sized dog with amber and white fur. As I fluffed my thick fur up against the chill, I reflected that it was also pretty good to be a dog right now because my double-layered coat was resistant to the cold.

I carefully trotted over to the door, making sure I didn't wake up Luna (who was asleep in the bed opposite) and nudged it open with my nose. Cold air blasted my fur and I felt my whiskers tremble.

Then I nosed it wider and padded down the stairs.

Astrid, I knew, was sleeping in the room opposite me. Downstairs, I had to sneak past Winter and Moon, who were sleeping in blankets on the floor in front of the fireplace, whose embers were dying slowly but providing better heat than my chilly room.

I pawed at the front door and held my breath as it creaked open. When no one stirred, I slipped through and heard the door shut slowly behind me.

I blinked out across the village; very few lights were on, and dragons slept on almost every roof. I flicked my ears and crept through the sleeping village, keeping my ears pricked and eyes open. Once, I paused as I heard a Viking (I have a pretty strong hunch it was Fishlegs) snore, but as no one came out of the house I hurried along.

At last, I reached the outskirts of the village, and, with a last, sweeping look back, I turned and ventured down to the beach.