The Night Rider

Chapter 17: What they thought on Berk

HICCUPS POV.

"You ready to go?" Hiccup asked Astrid who trailed out of his house a few paces behind him. He had noticed her eyes fixed on Toothless who outstretched his wings now that they were outside. "If we leave now we may be able to get back to your village by mid-day." He said tightening the belt around his waist to keep his sword from swaying to much during flight.

After to long of not hearing or seeing Astrid he looked back to check if she was still there. She was but something was different. The way she looked at Toothless. Before whenever she looked at the Night Fury he could see anger in her eyes, loathing, disgust. But know when he looked into her ocean blue eyes.

All he saw was pure hatred. The kind of hatred to make you go insane. The kind of hatred to make you kill. "What's wrong?" He asked studying her body language further. Her fists were balled, her skin had a reddened tone, and all her muscles tight. "Astrid?" He asked a final time pulling her out of her thoughts.

Her muscles and clenched fists relaxed and she turned to him. "What did you say?" She asked, her voice laced with anger and annoyance. "Are you okay? You seem different." She scoffed at his concern and rolled her eyes. "How could I seem different to you! We haven't even had more than five minutes of a conversation!" She exclaimed.

Hiccup dropped the subject and went back to his own business of tightening the straps on Toothless's saddle so it wouldn't slide and shift under the weight of two people. Toothless let out a unhappy roar as he moved his front left left trying to loosen one of the tight leather straps.

"I'm sorry bud, but it's only for a little bit." He said giving him an encouraging pat on top of his head. Hiccup had a feeling, like someone was watching him. He turned around and to no surprise Astrids eyes quickly darted away from the two and she turned away from them.

Hiccup rose from the ground beside Toothless and walked up behind her slowly as if he approached to quickly she'd attack. He outstretched his right hand and directed it towards her shoulder but he stopped himself. She was right. They didn't know each other. Or at least she didn't know him, not in the way she thought as least.

He lowered his hand back down to his side and let out a sigh it's sound being amplified by his mask. She turned around and gave him a questioning look. "What do you want?" She took a step back because the two had been standing so close together they could almost touch.

"Were ready to leave." He said with a slight stutter in his voice. He began to rub the back of his neck to break the tension between the two of them as Astrid glanced at Toothless. "I'm not riding it." She said flatly. "Him." He corrected before she could start talking again.

"You must have a long boat around here somewhere." She said gesturing to the island. "Sorry but the only way on or off the island is by dragon." He said leading her over to Toothless who eyed her suspiciously. They were about five feet away from mounting onto Toothless before she pulled away from him.

"I can't, I won't ride that beast." She said, her tone getting fairly aggressive. "Toothless is no beast I can assure you." He said offering his hand to her as he mounted Toothless. "Your right he's not a beast! He's a killer!" Astrid spat out and Toothless looked away and let out a sad coo.

And that's when it clicked in his head, why she had been on edge around Toothless all day. And not just because he was a Night Fury. "What did a dragon do to you, that you hold them all accountable." He asked and she stiffened under his words. He had struck a nerve.

"What, who did you loose." He asked. He wasn't sure if that's why she didn't like dragons. If she didn't like them because they had taken someone precious to her but when she stiffened more under those precise words he continued. "Who? Both your parents are still alive, and you don't have any other family."