Cloud's Journey: Banished

In Danger

I was going to go through with it. The Night Fury would die.

Hiccup didn't love me. How could I have been stupid enough to even hope it for a second. I clenched my fists. It was my family who loved me, deep down they did. They regretted sending me away. They'd had to. There's another area I had acted stupid in: I had admired dragons, endangering my village.

But I would make my parents proud. I would kill a Night Fury, the most dangerous living dragon.

I felt a fierceness I had never know. This was who I truly was. I was a storm cloud. I relished the feeling.

When it faded, I felt lonelier than I ever had in my life. A single tear slid down my cheek.

A faint breeze whispered through my hair. I looked up. I had never heard a whisper like this. My head tilted to the side. What was it? It was kind of beautiful.

Suddenly there was a crash. I fell to the ground, covering my face as splinters of wood shattered around me. Dust filled the air, making me cough. I squinted past my arms. Something was writhing in a tangle of trees and bushes. Something HUGE!

Then it rose its head. My eyes widened and I broke into shakes.

It was a round head with spikes sticking out from it. It had a long, long body lined with spines. The teeth in its mouth spun in circles. Oh, so many teeth! I whimpered, unable to take my eyes off of it. It didn't take its eyes off me.

Its blind eyes. One red. One white.

I backed up as far as I could, cowering. The 'thing' screeched. I curled up and cried out.

Tears fell. I was going to die. I would never see my parents again.

My parents. I stopped sobbing and peeked up at the ugly, evil creature.

I should kill it. It looked more dangerous than a Night Fury. Far more dangerous.

Maybe that was why I couldn't do it. It would kill me first.

It came closer. Backed up against something, I couldn't escape. It sniffed me with wide nostrils. In its not-quite closed mouth, teeth moved from side to side. I tried to look away, but my eyes met its eyes. Its one red eye and its one white eye.

The thing made no move to eat me. I felt for a rock. My fingers wrapped around one and I got ready to throw it. Where should I? Its eyes? No, the forehead was better.

The rock flew from my hands.

The creatures wide jaws snatched it out of the air and in seconds the rock was gone. Vanished completely.

I screamed in shock. The thing moved closer. It tilted its head to the side. I found myself doing the same.

A blue bolt of fire smacked it in the side of the head. It screamed.

"Leave her alone!" Hiccup shouted at it.

My chest puffed out with relief and pride. The I frowned. What was I doing? Nothing, that was what!

But what could I do?

I could run.

So I ran.

I was no help. Hiccup could handle this. I left the screaming behind, running deeper and deeper into the forest.

Trees whizzed past. The screaming grew fainter, rising once in a high pitch I had never thought possible. The pain and terror in the screech ripped my heart. They were hurting it.

Of course they were, get a grip. It tried to kill you.

Then it dawned on me that it hadn't lashed out in the least. It hadn't tried to kill me.

A root seemed to grab my feet. Yelling, I crashed onto the ground, branches whipping my face. I kept falling. I hit the ground and suddenly I couldn't breathe. At last I was able to sit up.

The sky was a bright blue circle framed in black. A few roots poked out like branches against the sky. I was in a pit.

I stood up, my body aching a little. Walking to the cool dirt around me, I grabbed a root and hauled myself up. Soon, though my biceps screamed in anger, I was half way up. Half way to my escape.

Dirt crumbled under my seashell-laced fur boots. I slid back down in a small shower of earth.

"Ugh!" I fumed, stomping my foot. Dirt stained my good white wool vest and pale clothing. This wasn't fair!

I almost sat down but stopped myself. No way would I get these clothes even grubbier. So I crossed my arms and waited, scowling.

Wind whispered around me, but it wasn't the creature's whisper. I sighed.

Cloud.

My head lifted. It was faint, but the whispers had carried my name to my ears. I strained to hear better. No. I had imagined it. I kicked the ground, staining my boot a little more.

"Cloud!"

This time I KNEW I hadn't imagined it! I jumped up and down, waving my arms.

"Over here!" I shouted. "Down here!"

"Cloud," A black, flapping shadow blocked out most of the sky. "Are you OK?"

"Yes!" I grinned, feeling light and airy. "Yes, I'm OK."

"Good, now just... hang on."

Hiccup lowered a rope to me. I made a loop in the bottom for my boot.

"I'm ready!" I called up when I was.

Toothless' wings carried us higher until I was out of the pit in the open air again. I took a deep breath. My feet lighted on the moss cover dirt.

All of the dragon riders crowded around me, asking if I was alright. I nodded, gazing at Hiccup.

"I'm glad you're OK." He said. His smile was so sweet (and cute). "We relocated the Whispering Death. I think it will be fine on a nearby island for now."

I nodded, staring deep into Hiccup's eyes. His green eyes that reflected the forest. His green eyes that reflected nobility.

He'd just risked his life for me.