The Middle of Our Story (Hiccup x OC) [COMPLETED]

Chapter 8

I chuckled as the others laughed but became concerned when I noticed Shadow suddenly perk up her ears. She became weary as she looked out into the mouth of the cave and ran over to me with eyes that betrayed her concern. "What is it, girl?" she nudged my hand with her nose and shook her head. "Hiccup, something's wrong." I rose from the bed with a hand on her head to steady myself against her body as he looked at me.

In a sudden flurry before the mouth of the cave, a swarm of dragons flew in an attempt to escape somewhere safe from the perceived danger. "We need to go. Now!" I weakly managed to pull myself up into Shadow's saddle before a loud boom cut shook the fortress.

"We need to save the dragons!" Valka shouted, mounting the Stormcutter and flying through the mouth and into the center where she disappeared.

I encouraged Shadow to fly after her, all the while looking around me in aw when I discovered the fortress of ice we were in. "Come on, Shadow, get us out of here to see what all the commotion is about." She flew out of the fortress through a crevice that revealed a beach filled with Vikings and catapults, their ships grounded in the sand. "Look out!" We dodged a huge rock catapulted our way. It soared past us, but made contact with the ice and chipped the fortress' wall.

As each swarm of dragons escaped the mountain of ice, they proceeded to attack the Vikings and carrying them off one by one. My head began to throb fiercely, but I ignored it.

"Marish!" a feminine shout called my name and I looked to see Astrid and Eret sharing Stormfly's saddle as they flew toward me. "What happened to you?"

"You know," I said to her as she hovered beside me, "I am not quite sure. My head was hit on something and the next thing I know, I was inside there," I pointed to the mountain behind me, "with this lady bending over me and wrapping my head."

"Wow, that's intense. Head's up!" Another boulder hurled at us, blown to bits by a dragon blast.

"Hey, guys," Hiccup smiled, pulling up on Toothless.

"Where have you been?" Astrid asked him.

"Oh, y'know. Catching up with Mom." He nodded upward and we all looked to see Valka, dressed in her warrior garb. She flew out of the mountain with a massive dragon following. The alpha. The Alpha controlled the dragons. It released signals that forced all dragons to submit, but it required eye contact for obedience.

"That's your mom?" Astrid was shocked as we observed the scene in amazement, the alpha's roar shaking the ground.

"Well, now you know where I get my dramatic flair," Hiccup winked at me, but suddenly a flash of concern lit his face. "How's your head?"

"I'm fine," I lied, despite my head feeling like I was pounding it into the wall as hard as I could nonstop.

"No, you're not, I can see it in your eyes." His motherly instincts kicked in. "Maybe you should sit this one out."

"Where? The fortress is being destroyed and the beach is littered with Vikings!"

"Just go down beside the beach into the forest and wait."

I continued to argue with him. "So, either I die by a falling ice shard landing on me or by flying with you into battle?"

"Marish, I would feel much better if you were on the ground. You might fall off Shadow or something." He sighed irritably and cut off the argument by flying away.

I mumbled a few things under my breath through clenched teeth as Shadow flew me down to the forest beside the beach. We walked deep enough into the cluster of trees to hide from the outer world as the battle raged on. My anger fumed as I began to pace with clenched fists. I should be out there with them! Hiccup doesn't always have to take me to a hill of safety. I'm fine on my own.

A loud war cry came from the beach and the ground shook as something massive stepped upon it. I stopped my ranting to look up past the tops of the tree and saw, to my horror, another alpha dragon. The two dragons collided in battle and created an earthquake below my feet. Their tusks rammed together in an epic battle as the opposing dragon shoved Valka's alpha into the mountain. The enemy shoved its tusk into the other's body and shoving the limp dragon further into the ice fortress where it was covered by an avalanche.

Shards of ice fell from above and I ran to avoid being impaled and Shadow followed at my heels. I barely had time to react as my feet automatically ran between the trees when a massive shard of ice fell in front of me. I scrambled away from it, but the only other place to run lead me to the beach. There, Hiccup stood in front of a brawny Viking dressed in a cape with Toothless circling him protectively. The man yelled a loud battle cry that summoned his alpha dragon. Drago.

Shadow growled by my side with her teeth bared.

Suddenly, Toothless' behavior changed and he began grinding his head against the ground until after a moment, he turned to Hiccup and walked toward him as if in a trance. "Knock it off!" Hiccup shouted at his dragon friend. "Stop! Snap out of it!" Toothless continued to stalk toward him, forcing Hiccup back as the dragon opened his mouth to prepare to fire.

Oh, no. No, no, no. I pondered the idea of running toward them and being seen or standing there and watching him die. I chose quickly, running in their direction.

"Stop!" Hiccup shouted continually at Toothless. My eyes caught Stoick also running toward him and my heart leaped into my throat as I realized the truth. I won't reach him in time. I can't stop this.

Toothless released his blast and smoke filled the sky.

"No!" I slid from Shadow's saddle and rushing through the haze with her close behind me. "Hiccup!" I ran through it blindly and the curtain finally lifted.

"Dad!" Hiccup's voice shouted. I was surprised to see him, but even more distraught when he ran to Stoick's body lying in the rubble.

I stopped, stunned at the sight and watched as he turned over his father's limp body.

The alpha dragon turned and left with Drago. With the Alpha departing, Toothless was lifted from his trance. Once freed, the dragon timidly sniffed Stoick's hand, unaware of what he had done.

Hiccup pushed him away roughly. "No! Get away from him!" he shouted at the confused dragon. "Go on! Get out of here! Get away!" Toothless hung his head as he followed orders and Shadow walked beside him for comfort.

"Hiccup, it wasn't his fault," I began in a calm voice, but my anger at him suddenly grew. "Do you even hear yourself? You just yelled at your best friend! He couldn't control it. The alpha can control any dragon it chooses." I paused when his eyes that brimmed with tears met mine. "You're perfect, Hiccup, but one thing you can't manage to do is keep your friends." I turned away from him, my own eyes tearing up as I walked away and into the forest.