Stranded

30

(Iona)

I was comfortable as could be as we took off. I have always loved heights, and this was the same as flying in a helicopter with the door open (which I remembered doing once). And it was so quiet and peaceful up here... my mind started to drift.

Why are we here? Was the question my mind kept coming back to. We definitely came on a ship... but why was I on a ship with Donoma? I didn't remember her from my life before this... It was all so confusing. My memory went up to about Christmas and then stopped. Suddenly, I had a thought.

"What is today?" I asked Hiccup nervously.

"Um, well it's right around Snoggletog here, that's why it's pretty cold," he said, "but I'm not really sure what day it is. I think it's like, a week or so away from Snoggletog?" he said cautiously. "I'm not really sure. The days all blur together, especially with being chief and all."

'Oh,' I thought. Well, at least I hadn't been gone too long... but that still didn't really explain anything.

Sighing gently, I leaned back. I wondered if anyone missed me at home... but it didn't really matter. I had wanted to get away for some time now, and having just turned 18 I was free to go anywhere.

I thought back to how bad my life had been going before this... The college of my dreams had rejected me, and so I was stuck at home for a whole year because I couldn't get accepted into ANY colleges in time. I felt like a failure.

Being here made me feel better. Maybe if I just stayed here a little while, I could get myself back together and then go back and start over.

Pushing my troubles to the back of my mind, I caught my first glimpse of Berk. It was beautiful; the painted wooden rooftops, the training ring, the huge plank bridge. It was everything I had ever dreamed of. And the dragons! Oh, the dragons. They were everywhere. There were people riding them, some were just flying around alone, and others were in the stables. It was wonderful.