Night Rider

T or D

-Astrid's Pov-

The sun was setting and the gang had tried many ways to cheer me up, even though I didn't need it. I was sitting at the cave with Stormfly right now, stroking her beak-like muzzle gently.

"You know girl, we don't need anyone to keep us safe. We lived fine without mum and dad and look at me now! I am strong and independent!" I sighed, "I don't trust my friends with anything, I mean they are nice to hang around and all, but I wouldn't trust them with any secrets and they are slightly annoying. Why am I talking to a dragon? I mean you probably can't even understand me, am I going insane?" I said, my head in my hands. I was sitting on a rock outside the cave, Stormfly crooning and squarking beside me, sniffing the grass as I stared out at the setting sun over the rippling calm sea. "And don't get me started on Hiccup. Who does he think he is? He can't just storm dramatically back into my life, and quickly storm back out again! Arrgghhhh!!" I chucked a medium rock off the side of the cliff and it fell with a huge splash in the sea below. "Why? Why? Why! He just came here to use us! To use our care! To use our hospitality! To use our friendship! To use our medical supplies! To use our food! To use our support! And what did he give back? Nothing! Except ruining my life! He made the chief hate me, and the chief dislike the gang! He made Stormfly outcasted, but he did give me Stormfly... He made a Very Angry Astrid Fearless Hofferson!!" I kicked a few loose stones over the edge too, Stormfly cocked her head and cast a questioning glance towards me, before returning to sniffing the grass.

"What's so interesting in the grass?" I questioned her, my anger seemed to have diminished along with all the rocks I had kicked over the cliff, but Stormfly didn't stop sniffing the grass deeply. Her nose was fully buried and her head bent low, like she was sniffing something which was irregular or unusual, but then she pulled up, and started to whine and scratch at the dirt with her talons. "What now?" I asked her, as I stood up grumpily from the rock, sighing as I did so. My feet made no sound as I slowly walked over and I tiredly looked into the ground where she had been scratching, just to find a sight which got me thinking. Half-buried in the grass, there lay a single Night-Fury scale, covered with dirt and with a small rip cascading through one of the sides; I gently picked it up and carefully wiped away the loose dirt from the top. My head snapped to attention as I heard the distinct voice of Snotlout arguing with the twins, walking through the forest. I quickly pocketed the scale into my pouch (I don't know why, I just didn't want the others to know about it) as they rounded the dirt path into my sight. They trudged slowly up the last section of the hill and I crossed my arms and glared at them, the setting sun casting a shadow over my face and the wind blowing my braided hair to the side gently. 

"Hey, Astrid!" Came the voice of Snotlout, "Thought that you'd be up here. Hey Storm."

"Stormfly." I corrected him.

"Yeh, yeh. Same thing." He concluded, flicking his greasy black hair away from his eyes.

"How about if I just call you, Snot, from now on?" I challenged him.

"That's off the topic now, princess." He said, obviously in a flirty, yet egoistic way.

"What do you want?" I asked sternly, my gaze still threateningly locked on Snotlout.

"We came to give you some fun!" Answered Ruff, "You have been hiding your emotions recently, a common symptom of a great feeling on loss, sadness or anger. And it is scientifically proven that if we take your mind off Hiccup, or the thing which you are feeling sad or angry about, you will start the recovery process."

I blinked. Was this really Ruff talking? She sounded almost... clever.

"She is actually correct..." Fishlegs piped in.