Free (HTTYD)

08: Eight

[OH LOOK AN EARLY UPDATE

mainly bc this week has gone by so freaking sLOW i didn't feel like waiting another two days rip

there will be hiccstrid eventually i swear]

The next morning, when everyone was up and ready, Valka had them gathered on a ledge in the sanctuary.

"You have everything down? Are you sure?" Valka asked Gobber. He nodded. "What about the dragons missing limbs? Are they all accounted for?" Another nod.

"Yes, yes, and yes. We'll be fine, dragon rider." At Gobber's words, Valka sighed and walked to her dragon companion. She climbed on, and Hiccup and Fishlegs followed suit. As Cloudjumper took off, Valka prayed to the gods that Stoick would be in a good mood when they arrived.

Hiccup stole a glance at Astrid. He hadn't really bothered to look at her as he used to, since five years of not seeing her let his juvenile crush sizzle out eventually. But seeing her now, here, and riding a dragon made him like her all over again. She didn't know who he was,and that was a good thing. She probably would lose her current image of him, and he'd be thrown back under the label of 'weak'.

Although, now that he thought about it, she hadn't been rude like the others. She just never talked to him.

He dragged himself out of his thoughts when his mother took off, Fishlegs and Meatlug picking up the pace to fly beside her. He quickly urged Toothless to flap his wings to catch up, flying above them both.

After an hour or two, Fishlegs decided to start up a conversation.

"So, how did you guys find the sanctuary?" Hiccup glanced down at Valka, who turned her head to look up at him. She flicked her head slightly toward the other boy on his Gronkle, telling Hiccup to answer the questions and not her.

"Oh, well. You see, it was her who actually 'found' the sanctuary. It was basically already a thing before either of us got here, since it's more the Alpha's nest than anything. Her dragon brought her here about twenty years ago. I got here when we were flying and she snatched us out of the sky, thinking we were working for trappers. 'Bout five years ago, give or take." He honestly didn't care if Fishlegs put the pieces together, since Hiccup trusted him. Fishlegs was his closest friend (only person you could even consider remotely a friend), so Hiccup kind of wanted him to find out.

It'd be nice.

"Oh," Fishlegs replied. He looked around a bit before asking, "how many breeds are at the sanctuary? There are many I haven't ever seen before."

Valka jumped in at this point. "Oh, over fifty, at least! We have dragons in the nest ranging from common Nadders and Hobblegrunts to Seashockers and Deathsongs!"

Hiccup piped up, "We have Deathsongs here? Since when?"

Valka set her staff on Cloudjumper's back in front of her. "They usually stay up towards the upper levels of the compound, and they don't stay inside the ice walls. They basically nest on top of the entire sanctuary and keep to themselves. They do come down for feeding time, though."

Hiccup guided Toothless into a barrel roll, the dragon happily complying since he was tired of flying in a straight line for hours on end. They leveled out a bit in front of the other riders before the Night Fury spread his wings to catch air and slow down, drifting back to fly between Valka and Fishlegs.

"I never see them."

Fishlegs seemed to think for a bit before speaking. "What's feeding time?"

"It's when the dragons eat. You need to witness it! It's a fun experience." Hiccup leaned back until he was lying down between his dragon's wings.