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

~ Chapter 28 ~

I hummed the How To Train Your Dragon theme song as we soared above the clouds the wind whipping through our hair.

I felt something slap the side of my head. I ducked and looked up as Winter barrel-rolled by on Cloudsky, having just whacked me over the head.

"No singing," she called back as Cloudsky glided just in front of us.

"I wasn't singing!" I protested, rubbing my head.

"You were humming, and that's enough," Night laughed, twirling past on the Small Shadow, who's name I learnt was Smokey.

I narrowed my eyes and tapped Wavebreaker's side. Instantly, he opened his mouth and Night and Smokey had to spin to avoid his electric blast.

Night guffawed even louder. "Missed me!"

"Stop messing around," Astrid barked, urging Stormfly between us.

"I don't see you saying that to them!" Night complained, pointing to where Tuffnut and Ruffnut were flying below us.

They were practising what looked like acrobatics between the necks of their dragon, trying to high-five eachother as they flew past.

"Yeah, we don't normally bother telling them to knock it off," Snotlout said, cruising on Hookfang's neck. "They never actually listen."

"Where are we going, anyway?" I asked.

"___ Island," Astrid replied. "There aren't many dragons there, and Vikings don't normally bother with it, so we should be free to practise and train."

"But what if the Outcasts attack Berk while we're away?" Moon asked atop Sandstorm. "We already know that there's a spy in the village, so they might send a message to the Outcasts that we're away."

"I've told Heather to remain on guard," said Astrid. "She and Windshear won't let anyone leave the village without being watched."

"Oh, goodie," Luna said sarcastically. "How do we know that she's not the traitor?"

"Because I know she's not," Winter snapped at Luna with such a fierceness that Luna blinked a few times in surprise.

"Alright, alright, no need to bite my head of," she murmured, before guiding Darkspine away to fly beside Everest and Sleuther.

Heather, in case you didn't know, was a fellow Dragon-Rider, but she didn't start out with the rest of them; she was found when they were younger, and ended up betraying them, and then joining them. Then leaving them, then- well, you don't need to hear it all, I'm sure.

Anyway, she and her silver Razorwhip dragon, Windshear, were best friends with the Dragon-Riders, and I even though I had only briefly met her when we were fixing a saddle onto Wavebreaker, I could tell she was a strong-minded girl with a really bold personality.

"Wait, what's that down there?" Everest's sudden call made everyone pause, the dragons beating their wings as they hovered.

I looked to where she was pointing and saw the smallest, brown shape bobbing on the deep blue ocean below us.

"What is that?" I asked, sheilding my eyes and squinting.

"A ship!" Astrid shouted in recognition.

"And not one of our ships, either," Fishlegs added worriedly.

"Should we go down and take a look?" I suggested.

"I don't think that's-" Astrid began, but before she could finish the twins, who were still below and had also spotted the ship, shouted up to us before shooting down towards it, the wind catching their words away from our ears.