The Night Rider

Chapter 1: Leaving

HICCUPS POV.

"We are leaving." Hiccup said bluntly as he stumbled into the cove that houses Toothless. The dragon pulled its head out of the pond and looked at Hiccup. "Yep, you heard me bud, we're getting out of here." He walked over to Toothless and fastened a bag of supplies to him.

"When it gets dark me and you are flying away from here and never looking back." He said with a hollow and strung out exhale while he  tied off the straps on Toothless. Toothless emitted a curious purr that sounded like he was asking why they were leaving. "Were leaving because they want me to do something... that I can't do bud."

Hiccup sank down to the grassy floor next to a rock. "Does that make me a coward bud?" Toothless put his head down to the same level as Hiccups and brushed up against him making a sad purr. Hiccup had no idea what his dragon was trying to communicate but he took it as a reassuring noise.

Hiccup patted Toothless on the head. "Thanks bud." Toothless started licking him suddenly which made Hiccup started laughing trying to push Toothless away between his laughs. "Hiccup?" The voice came from near the entrance to the cove. There was nobody there but they were close enough so their rapid footsteps could be heard.

Hiccup tried to push Toothless away into a hiding spot but there was no chance of success. The dragon was to focused on the sound of the foreign voice to listen to his friends commands. "Toothless you have to move!" He whispered urgently. "This isn't someone you want to be seen by!" Hiccup continued trying to push away Toothless but it was to late and Astrid ran into the cove... spotting them both.

"Hiccup! Get down!" She said raising her axe above her head ready to throw it. Toothless let out a fearsome and Earth shaking roar at Astrid. "No!" Hiccup yelled at Astrid putting his hand out to motion for her to stop but it was to late as her axe flew through the air hurtling towards Toothless. The dragon reacted instantly shooting a purple plasma blast into the axe exploding it into a million pieces.

The shot echoed all around the cove and could most likely be heard at Berk which was only around 2 miles away. When the dust cleared Toothless got off Hiccup and approached Astrid cautiously, her body was lying on the ground perfectly still. "Astrid!" Hiccup scurried to her side. There was a gash on the top of her head that had a steady stream of blood coming from it.

He placed his fingers on her carotid artier and sat there in silence awaiting a heart beat. His muscles lost all there tension when he felt the thuds of a heart beat. "Oh thank the Gods." He exclaimed, a smile quickly spread across his face from ear to ear. "The shot came from over here!" He heard a male Viking say in the distance. 

"Hurry! We must catch the beast before it flies away!" It was his dad, he was coming probably with half the village coming to catch and most likely kill Toothless. Toothless made a noise and grabbed Hiccup by the foot pulling him to the  ground and then over to the shoreline of the lake. Toothless released Hiccup but accidentally pulled off his shoe.

The dragon chocked on it for a second and then spit it out. He issued a set of noises and looked up to the sky and then back over to Hiccup and in his eye's Hiccup saw that he knew his approaching fate if they didn't leave soon. Hiccup looked back at Astrid still lying on the floor, the sounds of the Vikings mob quickly approaching. He glanced at Toothless.

Hiccup knew what they would do with his dragon if his father and the rest of the Vikings caught him. They would kill him. Even if Toothless had harmed Astrid on purpose, they wouldn't show any sliver of mercy. Toothless let out one more roar, like he was pleading for Hiccup to get up and leave, to get up and save him. Hiccup looked away for Astrid and back at Toothless.

And in a moment of intense pressure he picked himself off the ground and mounted the leather saddle on Toothless's neck. Clipping into the saddle with one of his feet the two took off into the darkening sky. Leaving his family, his friends and Berk... behind.

(Authors Note)
The first few chapters of this book are a bit slow but they are building up to something so if you keep reading you won't be disappointed.-Samuel Scutter