The Forgotten Friend (How To Train Your Dragon)

Chapter Three:

Hiccup and I are last to leave the arena behind the other recruits. Even with the distance between them, we can hear them joking about Hiccup's mistake during training.

"You didn't have to save me, Eira. Gobber would've stepped in."

"No. I'm your friend. I don't care what the other teens think or say about the incident."

"I don't understand how you are so calm and not bothered by them."

I sigh, strolling along the edge of a wooden bridge, "Like I said, I don't care. If I don't care, it won't bother me because they can kiss my ass. I find it good to be different."

"But you don't have your dad's shadow pressuring you."

"Actually, I do, and speaking of which, I'm going in another direction."

Hiccup stops in his tracks to face me, "Why?"

"My dad wants Calder to train me even after we stop for the day."

I retrace my steps, but instead of returning to the training arena, I split off the path with Hiccup following me.

"I guess you do have your family pressuring you."

"Yep. You would think having your family support you for becoming a 'great Viking' would feel good, but it doesn't. I didn't even have a say in the matter."

"I didn't have much say either," Hiccup grumbles, struggling to stay with my stride. "Hey, slow down, will ya?"

"Sorry, trying to create distance from the village."

"You know what's bothering me?" Hiccup questions as we reach a clearing, "Gobber said that dragons always go for the kill. So, why didn't the Night Fury?"

"Maybe it was showing you mercy, like what you did with it."

"'Dragon' and 'mercy' in the same sentence?"

"Hey, you asked." I reply, sparing a glance at Hiccup, who stares intently at the moss-covered ground, "What are you thinking?"

"The Night Fury. I don't think it went far. Before I passed out, I saw it hit a cliff and crash somewhere."

"It could have just been disoriented from the crash it took," I suggest. "You're thinking about looking for it again, aren't you?"

"Aren't you at least a bit curious?" Hiccup retorts.

"I am, but this dragon... it is still very dangerous. It might not show you mercy this time."

"I'll be careful and try to stay out of sight."

"Fine. Just be careful, alright?"

"I'm always careful."

I open my mouth to speak, but Hiccup is jogging away from me in the direction of Raven's Point. I chuckle and shake my head. He is going to be the reason why I'm going to get killed one day, and not by a dragon, it'll be by stress or one of the twins, who tend to mess with him when he is not being scolded by Stoick the Vast. As I explore the area with the intent of discovering new areas to practice my bow and arrow, my mind recalls the rather terrifying experience with that snowy white dragon. I can still feel the warm breath of the beast brushing against my forehead. If that branch wasn't in my reach, I would probably be dead... but then again, the Night Fury showed mercy to Hiccup.

I rub my temple in frustration, "What am I thinking? A dragon showing mercy to a Viking?"

As soon as the words escape my mouth, the hairs on my arms and back of my neck stand up, and the unsettling feeling of being watched returns. I draw an arrow from the quiver and lock it into place. My sea green eyes scan my surroundings, but I don't find anything.