Night Rider

"Surprise!"

-Hiccup's pov-

We were now back on Berk. Mainly because we left straight away when we woke up (no. Not what you're thinking) so Astrid didn't have anything which she needed - no spare clothes, weapons, spoons, plates, bowls, pencils, but most importantly no Stormfly. I had been given the task to retrieve Stormfly from the West part of the island where Astrid had hidden her in a concealed cave, while Astrid was going to the village to pack her bag. She should be done before me, so when she is done, she will go into the forest and then we can leave (again) without anyone noticing. I had also left a note on Fishlegs's table explaining where we will be camping for a few days, just incase he wants to join us - I think a Gronckle would suit him - and no-one else can read the note because I wrote it in latin. I made sure that he had a book on latin so he could translate it.

It was extremely bright, getting close to midday, when I reached the cave where Stormfly was hidden. Astrid was correct in saying that it was hard to spot: vines draped down over the concealed entrance with small heather bushes dotting the banks of the mossy rock. Only when a moderate breeze blew could you see the entrance beyond the vines.

"Stormfly?" I whispered just before I went in so I wouldn't startle her. Toothless warbled behind me to let her know of his presence too. "Stormfly?"

I gently swiped some vines from the entrance and I peered inside. Small stalactites forming from calcite hung on the cave roof, dripping water onto the mossy and slippery floor below. A tiny stream trickled in the corner of the cave to allow Stormfly to have a fresh supply of water whenever she needed a drink. The floor was slippery under foot and blunt, pale calcite curtains hugged the corners of the cave where the floor met the wall. Streams of colour were plastered in the walls: iron ore, steel ore, lead ore, granite, dorite, limestone, sandstone and coal. But right in the middle of the cave, there stood Stormfly. Apart from looking slighty skinny, she looked as healthy as ever and eager to get out the cave.

"Come on, Stormfly." I said to the dragon. She seemed to remember me because she came right over to me and then steadily walked through the vines into the open air. I heard her warble in relief, and I guess that she hadn't stepped foot out of that cave for a long time - I guess she is loyal to Astrid and takes instructions seriously, just liker her rider. I hopped outside too, and swung myself onto Toothless before taking flight. We hovered in the air for a few seconds while Stormfly gazed up at us, longing to join us.

"Come on, Stormfly." I told her again. She hesitantly flapped her wings and took off with a slow pace, almost as if she wasn't sure if she was meant to be doing this. However, in a few minutes we were gliding towards Berk at a fairly speedy pace. Stormfly was enjoying the long awaited flight and kept dipping in and out of the bare trees and shooting spines at small banks of snow which had fell during the night causing small snowy explosions to occur in our wake and drowning the small plants below them in a snowy shower.

The sun was just past mid point when we reached the outskirts of Berk a few minutes later. I landed Toothless right in the middle of the plaza - there was no point in being discreet because I would be leaving again very soon. Stormfly soon landed after us, just to our right and seemed to have picked up on Astrid's scent as she immediatly trotted towards Astrid's house as quickly as her two legs would carry her without destroying anything. Then I noticed how abnormally quiet it was. It was a Saturday and there was normally kids running about enjoying the Winter spirit, men bringing in the livestock and food for the Winter, women buying food and cooking delicious-smelling meals for their family or teaching their kids how to hold a sword and shield properly. Young adults would normally be training in the forest or enjoying time with their partners. But today... nothing. No-one.

Silence. Never had I heard something so loud. As if the world was screaming, and yet I heard nothing. Silence. So pure, so glass-like, so fragile. Yet stronger than a thousand axes, so strong that not even my own thoughts seemed to pierce it.