Soul of the Sky (HTTYD Runaway Fic)

Hide and Seek

Astrid
The ground rocked, tremors shaking the island as another fireball hit. They were far too regular for anyone's liking - I could hear Hiccup muttering under his breath. Something about dormant volcanoes and shocks. Whatever he meant, it didn't sound good.

After Hiccup's jump off the side of the platform, Stormfly and an erratically flying Toothless had managed to lift Hookfang, Snotlout and I down. We'd taken shelter in a cave off to the side of the island where the fireballs hadn't hit. And here we'd stayed, slowly going mad from anxiety and uncertainty.

Occasional crashing impacts were punctuated by awful silence. It felt like the Berk of so many years ago, only worse. I could fight dragon attackers. I could fight human attackers. But here I was helpless, trapped in a way I'd never been at home. The twins and Fishlegs could be dead for all I knew.
I wanted to get out there and smash in Viggo's face with my axe. Anything but this endless waiting.

"I'm going out there." I said determinedly, taking stock of my companions' dulled faces. "Don't try to argue with me, you know we can't stay here forever. I'm gonna scout the area and see where we are."

As expected, Hiccup immediately protested. "If anyone should go, it's me. I know the island." he said firmly. "You also don't have a leg." I pointed out. "And Snotlout's arm is broken. I'm the only uninjured one out of all three...sorry, six of us." Stormfly headbutted me in the shoulder, clearly displeased. She was curled up in a knot of blue-and-yellow scales, nursing her injured leg.

"I know, girl." I murmured, scratching her head. "But we gotta get out there."

Hiccup and Toothless exchanged looks and hissing growls. Then the Night Fury leapt up and stood next to me, stretching in a catlike manner. "He's going with you." Hiccup explained. "That way, if one of you is injured, the other can get help. And if you run into Dragon Hunters, you could use some firepower."

"Uh, okay I guess." I murmured. "But the tail-"
"Toothless doesn't need it to walk. Dragons have legs as well as wings."

I sighed, looking beside me at the Night Fury. "I guess we'll go then?"

*   *   *   *   *

Toothless was not the most social companion. He would continually bound off to inspect something in the distance and then return, seemingly frustrated with my inability to keep up. My attempts at small-talk were met by silence or emerald glares.

"I am not a dragon person." I sighed, once again faced with the Fury's retreating tail as he darted away. What had happened to the playful, almost kittenish creature of mere days ago?
War, that's what. His home had been destroyed and his friends had been killed. The rest of the dragons (and humans) were nowhere to be seen - they could be dead, they probably were dead. No wonder he didn't feel like chatting.

A low, rumbling growl startled me back into reality. It sounded like Toothless...where on Midgard had that accursed dragon gone? Shouts echoed from the same direction. "Easy, easy, good deathly killing machine..."

I broke into a sprint, heading in the last direction I'd seen the creature go. Through the dense foliage of the trees, I could see a large black shape and two - no, three - armed soldiers. One of them approached the snarling Night Fury with an insincere smile. "Viggo will be very pleased to know this one didn't get blown with the rest of 'em."

My heart sank. That could only mean one thing - the refuge caves had been hit. Everyone - Fishlegs and his oversized puppy of a Gronckle, the twins and their two-headed disaster magnet, the large owlish dragon and the Typhoomerang that had shepherded the rest to 'safety'...all dead. 

Toothless must have known it too. His little ear-nubs drooped and his warning rumble modulated into an anguished howl of grief. The soldiers recoiled at the terrible shriek, putting their hands over their ears. 

With a sudden whip of his tail, he sent the three men spinning into the trees. Darting back to where I stood, he grabbed my shirt in his teeth and flipped me onto his back, starting off at an incredible pace back where we'd come from. His half-hopping, half-running gait was interspersed with an occasional burst of speed as his wings caught the air before he tumbled back to earth. Shouts echoed from behind.

"Stop 'em! Don't let the dragon get away!"

All I could do was hold on for dear life and pray I'd survive without breaking something.