I Am Dragonblood: Alpha and Chief {Book Two} (HTTYD Fanfic)

Chapter Six - Eret Encaptured

    Astrid 

'Anyone else noticed that Hiccup's acting weird?' Astrid asked, looking out over the vast ocean. 
    'He's always acting weird,' Snotlout snorted from his position leaning against Hookfang. 
    'Well, weirder.'
    The gang were perched on a rock in the middle of the sea, hardly bigger than a rowboat and beginning to crumble from the weight of four dragons and five riders. They'd been there for half an hour, watching for Stoick's return and getting ratty with each other. 
    'I don't like it,' Astrid said. 'They should've been back by now.' She started pacing, or taking a step one way then back because there was no room. 'What if Drago shot them down? What if they need our help? We have to find them.'
    'But Stoick said—' Fishlegs began.
    'It doesn't matter what he said if they've all been captured. Come on!' She leapt onto her Nadder and they took off, heading back the way they'd come, with the other teens scrambling to get to their dragons and follow before they got left behind. 

***

'There,' Astrid pointed. 
    Eret's ship was still ploughing through the ice, making its way slowly to who knew where. She could hear him complaining loudly to his crew as she and Stormfly dove, not heeding the warnings coming from the lads. 
    'We've nowhere to go! Nothing to sell! And no heads to call our own! If we don't turn up with dragons and fast—' Astrid heard before her Nadder snatched the Hunter from the deck and they flew up to join the gang again with a struggling human. 
    'Careful what you wish for!' She yelled, laughing when she saw his maddened face looking up at her. 
    'What is this?!' Eret shouted.
    'A kidnapping,' Astrid said happily.  'You're going to take us to Drago.'
    'And help Dragon Riders sneak into Drago's camp? Just kill me now.'
    Astrid smiled. 'That can be arranged.' Stormfly released Eret from her talons, his short ponytail of black hair flying. The Nadder rawked and dove after him, obviously enjoying this game of fetch. 
    'ALRIGHT! I'LL TAKE YOU TO DRAGO!' Eret bellowed, seeing the deep, rough ocean speeding nearer every second. Stormfly plucked him out of the air just yards from the water, beating her blue and yellow wing to gain lost height. 
    'Works every time,' Astrid said, cracking her knuckles. 

***

Hours later and they were still flying, in relative silence now. The others had drifted behind, letting Stormfly do the work of tracking her way to Drago, with the help of few and far between directions from Eret. He was still in her claws, looking frozen and annoyed. 
    'You know the guy with the Night Fury?' He asked suddenly, startling the Hofferson from her thoughts. 
    'Hiccup, yes,' she replied, suspicious of what was coming. 'What about him?'
    'Have you noticed anything weird about him?'
    Astrid snorted, though she was troubled by the question. 'Hiccup's always weird.'
    'Nothing... Different, then?' The Hunter persisted. 'His eyes changing or a growl in his voice?'
    'Well, now that you say...' Astrid hesitated. She had noticed those things. When Hiccup was angry she sometimes noticed that he growled or his eyes would momentarily flash to... Something, she had never quite seen what, it being so quick. She'd thought it was her imagination, but now someone else had seen it, it proved it was real. 'Yeah, I have noticed that.'
    'Not just me, then,' Eret murmured. 'Little more east, towards that island over there.'

575 words, I think that's the shortest chapter XD

≈Flitt