The 'Dragon Master'

Giving Chase

I throw my head around and internally groan at what I see, which is Snotlout and those two idiotic twins flying over. Snotlout only has eyes for me and Saffron. "He tamed a Slitherwing as well? Without getting poisoned?"

"I see you brought reinforcements just to find out who I am," I hiss at them while Harmony takes to the skies. Saffron swiftly follows her and this turns into a full-on chase.

"This is totally crazy!" The twins keep screaming as their Hideous Zippleback stalks us. I roll my eyes at this, making sure my mask stays plastered to my face. I can't let them see me, I can't let them find out. They know my face already.

"We've already found your dumb island, Dragon Master!" Snotlout shouted at me. "I see you like Slitherwings, but there really isn't that many different kinds of dragon besides that! Hardly the place this is made out to be!"

I grin at both the fact that he still thinks I'm a boy and at the fact that he thinks that Slitherwing Island is my home. This means my identity is being concealed sufficiently and he isn't suspecting my island is anywhere near where it is.

I start wracking my brain to figure out a way to get away from these idiots. I can't let them find out who I am or the entire sanctuary could be in danger. They could figure out my weaknesses and use it to tear down our home, not leaving any of my partners to tell the tale due to dragon hunting. I shudder at the thought.

"You run like a girl!" Snotlout taunts. I pause. That's it. "Bank up and keep steady," I tell Saffron, who obeys me. Once we've levelled out I run along her slender body and gather Snotlout's face in one hand. I put just enough pressure on his throat to make his eyes widen in panic, which is to say I didn't even have to apply pressure at all.

I made sure I towered over him, glaring down at him and allowing our eyes to make contact. He tried to back away but I tapped my fingers against his neck gently, giving him the impression that I've got his throat in a very tight grasp. It stops his struggling just as I'd planned.

"The word girl is not an insult and I will not allow anyone to treat it as such!" I shout angrily at him. I hate sexism, it's just unnecessary and degrading. Saffron and Harmony, both being girls, screeched in agreement.

"Let me go!" Snotlout wailed, flapping his arms about wildly. I smirk at him, though I know he can't see it. "On two conditions. One, you leave me, my dragons and my island be. Two, you must apologise to the ladies." I gesture to my dragons at the last demand.

"Fine! Fine! I'm sorry! Now let me go, you crazy muttonhead!"

I snarl at him and push him roughly backwards, not satisfied but keeping my word anyway. He starts gasping for air dramatically. I honestly barely touched his throat, this is all for show.

"Gotcha!" Two voices shout in unison as a rush of wind suddenly beats at my face. I realise who they belong to and press my back against Saffron's saddle, successfully avoiding the talons that try and grab me from the Slitherwing's back.

The twins are silent for a moment, just looking at me. "Or we don't gotcha," one of them shrugs after a moment. "And you never will, I have too much to handle without having to worry about keeping my partners safe from you morons," I snap.

I wish I could allow Harmony to start singing, which would leave their dragons dead to the world without actually harming them, it would also attract Saffron and the other Slitherwings on the island.

Saffron could always call her friends for back up, but that would pull them into danger as well. I can't let that happen to them. I'm supposed to protect dragons, not force them to protect me at the cost of their freedom or, even worse, lives. I couldn't live with myself if one of them was captured or killed. I'd blame myself every day.

The twins looked at each other and smirked. "What about him?" One asked.

Before I have the chance to react, talons curl their way around my shoulders and pull me into the air. I look up to my captor, struggling against the restraints the talons provide.

I'm shocked, angered and slightly hurt to see Hiccup glaring down at me, though Toothless seems indecisive to everything. "I save your island and you replay me with this?!" I hiss to him. "I saw what you tried to do to Snotlout, I can't let you get away with that," he said. His tone was relatively calm, but anyone could tell he wasn't the spitting image of just that.

I realise what he meant; he caught me faking holding Snotlout by the throat. But I'm more irritated by something else. "So you have also been following me?" I inquire sharply.

I don't give him a chance to answer. "And I barely touched him if that's what you claim you saw. As much as he deserved to be slung into the ocean I prefer not to resort to violence when it's possible."

Hiccup glares a moment longer before Toothless moves his head down, catching my attention. He gives a gummy attempt at a smile towards me and tries to prise my mask off with his tongue. "Don't even think about it," I warn him with a glare, though my voice has already softened toward him. He retracts his tongue instantly, shooting me another sly grin.

"Toothless seems to be interested in you," Hiccup remarked. "That he does," I agree. "Now let me go. I have places to be and that doesn't include the talons of a Night Fury."

Toothless lands down on Slitherwing Island, where he is immediately surrounded by six Slitherwings all ready to pounce. Harmony and Saffron land next to them and Saffron looks to me, silently asking what she should tell her followers.

I pretend to think about this just to annoy Hiccup.