Trapped (HTTYD)

Chapter 4

As strange as it sounds, Astrid had indeed spent her time talking to the dragon. It's not like she had anything else to do at the moment. She even took Night's crazy advice to name it: Stormfly.

What's been weirder still though, has been how the Nadder's behaviour changed. It had moved closer to the bars - forgoing its continuous nap - as if it were listening, turning its huge head almost understandingly.

Throughout the period of - what she presumed was - the day, she ran out of compliments for it and just started saying her thoughts out loud. Still, the dragon listened intently, she was beginning to think maybe Night isn't as crazy as she thought.

"Night... it's a strange name, isn't it Stormfly? He kind of reminds me of someone... I knew a long time ago. He was the fishbone of the village but we were friends when we were little. My father forbade me from seeing him when we grew older, but... I regret the time I could've spent with him but didn't." She sniffed.

"He won first place in..." She remembered who she was talking to. " Well, some classes we had. I thought he was cheating, but before I could find out... he was taken. A NightFury took him. It's why I didn't believe in the Dragon Master existence. I mean, Hiccup was so sweet, kind and understanding, and if a NightFury took him away then how could anyone possibly ally with it? Now I'm starting to question it. I mean, if there was anyone I'd picture for Dragon Master, Night would be it." She chuckled to herself, getting an amused squaw from the dragon. "Wait... what if Night's right, then that NightFury may have taken Hiccup, but maybe it didn't kill him? Night... NightFury!" She gasped as hurried footsteps echoed closer through the halls.

"HEY, WHAT ARE YOU -" She heard the guards shout get cut off by sounds of a skirmish taking place down the hall before Night came flying around the corner with a - flaming sword?

"No time to explain! Did you talk to the dragon?" He rushed, retracting the sword into its handle. She nodded. "Good. I got the key." He explained as he opened the Nadder's cage, then her own. "The last step to forming a bond with a dragon is a show of trust." He explained, taking her hand and holding it out for the dragon, "here."
She felt a twinge of panic but she strangely trusted Night, or was he indeed Hic- "Close your eyes, and let her come to you." The panic surged again, but she did as he said, oddly. Closing her eyes and mentally saying her goodbyes to her hand.

Smooth, warm scales met her palm.
Though, she felt something else too.
Trust.

She could trust this dragon because it trusted her.

"Well done. Now, I don't want to rush you, but we really need to get the muzzle and restraints off before they come running." He stated, constantly checking the entrance he came through.

They worked together and got the chains off her tail and the muzzle off her snout.
As soon as they were off, they rushed through the cave system, Stormfly hot on their heels.
They passed the guards that were apparently knocked out by Hic-
"Ready to ride your first dragon?" He asked as they ran.
"It's that or: see what lies in store with the Outcasts after an attempted escape."
"Fair point."

Not that Astrid had a lot of time to notice, but the caves were an eerie quiet. All the cages were either swinging loosely open or completely blown up.
"Where are the..."
"The dragons were set free by yours truly, and that friend I mentioned."
"The metal's been blasted to bits."
"Yeah, he can do that."

They finally reached daylight and were met by a war zone.

Every dragon raid Astrid had ever seen was nothing compared to the scale of this.
Battle cries and screams of Vikings and dragons filled the air. Dragon fire and smoke clashed against silhouettes of fighting Vikings and dragons.
The entrance was void of this chaos as dragons weren't risking getting pulled back into cages.