Riders of B E R K

Part 23: The new player

I wrenched Stormfly to the right: I knew it wouldn't be enough but I had to try something. Maybe I would only be very badly burned rather than killed. But as I closed my eyes in anticipation of the impact, a purple explosion slammed into the blast of flame and there was an shower of fire over Stormfly and I. I instinctively ducked as a pitch black silhouette whizzed between the Razorwhip and my Nadder and I felt my heart lurch with relief as the welcome whistle sliced through the air.

"Where the Hell have you been?" I shouted at him.

"Good to see you too, Milady!" came the familiar voice over the com. "Um...why is Heather trying to kill you?"

"YOU ask her!" I shouted back, pulling Stormfly into a steep banked climb above a roaring petrol fire. "I'm too busy trying not to be killed!" The Razorwhip fizzed after us, her climb very direct and aggressive and Toothless spun and accelerated after us.

"Heather-what the Hel are you doing?" Hiccup shouted at her as she flamed at me. I pushed Stormfly into a steep dive to duck under the ferocious assault and then flipped to the left, arrowing away from her. Hiccup intercepted her and hug in the air, facing her and hovering.

"Ah-the wanderer returns!" she sneered. "Did you know the penalty for desertion is execution by firing squad?"

"I presume you'll be next to me, being shot for TREASON!" Hiccup retorted.

'I don't think so-because if I have any say, rather than getting you shot, I'll make sure you'll be with my brother, keeping him company," she sneered. Hiccup went very quiet and I guessed he was suddenly unsure what she meant. "And I guess Dagur will really want to make his little 'brother' scream."

"Heather, I..." he began hoarsely and I knew he was trying to frame an offer of condolence but she lurched up and swooped over him. I saw Windshear's claws swipe at him, flashing in the firelight. He screamed and I saw blood on his shoulder: she had tagged him hard.

"You're gonna make a great addition to our group once we change your mind!" she threatened him and he clutched at his shoulder, a low groan sounding over the com.

"Will. Never. Happen," he grunted.

"Think again!" she scoffed as bolas whirled up at him from the ground forces. And I realised now the whole thing was a trap. I wondered how this had happened-had Heather been in contact with these men? Stormfly swung round as I leaned and I made her flame, her exceptionally hot fire vaporising the bolas before they could tangle Toothless. I dinked away as machine gun fire strafed at me and Hiccup threw Toothless into a barrel roll to avoid the bullets. I know the dragon was pretty much bulletproof-I had seen it by the loch-but he was very vulnerable because he wasn't in a flight suit. Heather circled round and flamed at him again and I snapped off a volley of spines at the gunman, then swooped round at Heather. Hiccup flipped Toothless away but he clearly didn't want to attack her: I had no such qualms.

"Hey, bitch!" I shouted and she snapped round to stare at me, her face locked in a sneer.

"Don't you get it? You can't beat me!" she scoffed. "I've been riding five years-you've had five days! Do you think you can stop me? We want your Nadder-and you are surplus to requirements!" I smiled.

"You know your problem?" I shot back, swooped Stormily round. She eagerly made to intercept me.

"What, dragonbait?" she snapped.

"You think like a Rider!" I sneered. "You've forgotten that I'm a soldier!" And I raised my pistol and emptied four darts into her. "By the way-get away from him!" She immediately slumped in the saddle. I dumped another four into her roaring dragon and it gave suddenly gave a plaintive screech and dropped from the air. I was breathing angrily as she slid from the saddle but instantly, Hiccup dived down and Toothless caught the limp silver shape deftly. I sighed and ordered Stormfly to fetch: she obediently arrowed down and grabbed the limp Razorwhip before it could crash into one of the infernos on the Refinery. Whatever Heather had done, it hadn't been the dragon's fault.