Race to the Rescue

Chapter 9

Astrid was up before anybody else, her knees clutched close to her chest, head resting on them. She just knew something was wrong. About Hiccup. They way he acted last night, it just wasn't him. She sat by the edge of the ocean, staring out at the waves, trying to figure out what was wrong with her friend. She just couldn't place it.

She closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath. When she opened then she was shocked the see a terrible terror flying towards her. She held out her arm and let the terror land on it. A small red leaf was tied to his paw. The leaf was dotted with black spots along the edges and one in the middle. Astrid studied the leaf carefully.

Then she gasped as she recognized it. It came from a tree from one of the trees on Dark Spot Island, and only that island. She jumped upward and bolted back for the group of tents her friends were still sleeping. Dark Spot island was home of the Dark Spot dragon, leath, powerful, speedy. It could kill a person at close range.

Wait she thought as she ran. What if this a trap to lure me there? But... What if someone's really in trouble?

She didn't have a choice.

She burst into the tent she and Heather had decided to stay in along with their dragons and Toothless. "Wake up"! She shouted at Heather who instantly bolted upright. "What's going on" she gasped, placing her hand over her heart, to try and slow its beating.

"I'll explain on the way" Astrid cried frantically as she rushed over to Toothless and began messing with his tail fin. She rummaged through his saddle bag and quickly pulled out his auto tail fin and attached it to Toothless.

Heather was frantic. "An explanation would be nice" she commented as she slipped her saddle bag over her shoulder. "I promise I'll explain in the air" Astrid said and heaved herself into Toothless back. "Come on we're running out of time"!

Astrid whistled for Stormfly and bolted out of the tent but stopped and quickly scribbled a note for Fishlegs and left it by his head. Then she shot into the air, Stormfly and Heather following on her wake.

"What's going on" Heather demanded once they evened out their altitude. Astrid pulled out the leaf. "This came for me" she rushed. "And it only comes from the island of the dark spot dragon! Which can kill someone. If someone's on that island we have to help them"!

Heather nodded and they quickly set off for Dark Spot Island.

~~~~~

Hiccup sat towards the top of a tree, in a small wooden shack, probably used for a lookout for fires or dragons. Hiccup had assumed an old researcher had lived here. The shack was completely covered with vines, leaves and branches, making it almost completely invisible to anyone who would be passing by. And hopefully dragons.

Hiccup looked down at the long deep gash on his arm. Dried blood. He closed his eyes and sighed. He had not expected to find a dragon on this island. And not one as strong as he did. He had ripped of part of his sleeve off and wrapped it around the wound. As long as he kept it clean he should be fine.

How did he get himself into this mess! Well let's see. First he snapped at Astrid for no reason at all. Then when he took a walk in the forest to blow off steam he had been knocked unconscious, kidnaped by dragons hunters, been thrown in a cell, broke out, fought Viggo, and swam for the island he was currently on. And to top it all off, their was a blood thirsty dragon, waiting for him to come out back to his cave and eat him!

He closed his eyes and tried not to cry. He had taken a leaf from the tree he was in and tried to send it to Astrid, who they both knew only came from this particular island. He had discovered one of her old headbands in the small saddle bag he had with him and used that for a terrible terror to pick up her sent. Why he had it? He had no idea. He only hoped she would come find him.

~~~~

Viggo stood at the bow of his ship, glancing out over the horizon, his face straight. Ryker walked up beside him. He cleared his throat. "How did you managed to copy Hiccup on Herby" he asked. Viggo smiled ever so slightly. "Well for the time we did have the dragon eye some power was discovered. The power to copy. But when I get my hands on those lens I will become the most powerful person on earth"!

Ryker looked pleased. "I like it" he mused. "We should dispose of the boy first" he said. "Get him out of the way"! Viggo only smirker. "Ryker dear brother, Hiccup is on Dark Spot island. That dragon doesn't listen to anyone, not even Haddock. On the way back to the base we'll swing by the island, kill the dragon and find Hiccups corpse".

"And" Viggo continued. "Without heir leader, the riders will crumble then we'll dispose of them all".

"What about Dagur" Ryker could help but ask. A wide devilish smirk broke across Hiccups face. "He's a traitor" Viggo turned away from Ryker. "And the traitor always dies in the end".