Broken Prophecy: How to Train Your Dragon

THE BROKEN PROPHECY Chapter 7

This is a fanfic and I make no money from this. Original copyrights belong to Dreamworks and Cresedia Cowell

Chapter 7

"Hiccup!!!" Gobber yells, finally reaching the section of forest with the damaged trees. Astrid joins in his search, shouting in turn. The forest floor suddenly begins to slant downward, forming a steep, rocky hill, leading down toward the ocean.

Astrid stops to examine the largest and most damaged tree finding a trail of small, flat, black stones leading past and through the heavy undergrowth. "What kind of stones are these?" She asks the blacksmith, then with a gasp. "Gobber?! Here!!"

Taking one of the disk like objects, Gobber turns it this way and that, watching patterns of iridescent purple marble the otherwise featureless disk. "Well lass, this is no stone... It looks like a scale, a dragonscale to be precise... But I've never seen one colored like this. What else have ye found lass?"

Astrid reaches into the undergrowth, pulling the tattered remains of a bloodied green shirt, and shredded pants. "These are Hiccups!" She can see the look of hope in the blacksmiths eyes fade. She points out, "The trail of scales seem to be going in the same direction as the damaged trees." With a nod, both Vikings begin following the scattered trail.

***

Tannlaus can't stop grinning as Kari continues to fearlessly throw herself from the large boulder. Her stubborn desire to become airborne warms his heart. Although her attempts are awkward and unsteady, he recognizes a grace he hasn't seen in many years. His thoughts of his youth, watching as his mother patiently teaching him to fly is disturbed by a cacophony of noise coming from the forest just beyond their cove.

"Hiccup!!" a voice calls out, deep and booming it echoes from the coves protective walls. Another cry of "Hiccup!", this one higher but just as clear, sounds closer.

Tannlaus looks to his friend, a pain he can't deny suddenly fills him with dread. "Those are two-legs!! How do they know that name?! Your name?!"

A young Viking with blond hair, and almost comically large axe strapped to her back reaches the edge overlooking the cove. She draws her weapon as a much larger figure, with a hook for a hand joins her.

Kari turns at the sound of her name, "Astrid? Gobber?"

Tannlaus looks stunned. Staggering a step back, "You... You know them?!" Wild eyed, his vision dances between the humans on the ridge and the dragon before him. "You can't fly, can't flame, can't fish... You are known by these 'Vikings'... You know what the two-legs call us better than what we call ourselves... You've... You've lied to me? Dragons don't lie to each other!" His tone is hurt and confused.

"Tannlaus, please! It isn't what is seams."

"No?! What are you? A trap?! A pet?! I don't really know you, do I?! Is anything you've told me true?... No! Don't answer! I can't trust you..." With a powerful lunge the older Night Fury takes to the air, roaring in rage and disappointment, "I hate that you made me care for you. I hate that you played me for a fool, and I HATE YOU!!!" Spinning on his wing, Tannlaus quickly flies from the cove and heads out to sea leaving the distraught young Night Fury alone on the shore.

***

Gobber and Astrid watch the interaction between the two ebony dragons, and before they can move the larger dragon roars in apparent rage at the smaller, then flies out to sea and away from Berk. Gobber pulls a bola from his belt, "Stay here lass! This could be dangerous, I've never seen a dragon like that before, but it must be a Night Fury."

Finding a trail, more a slim crag in the stone wall, much too small for a dragon to use he makes his way down into the hidden cove. Astrid watches as the abandoned dragon flaps its wings wildly. Desperate to escape, it only manages to crash into the wall dazing it. With a practiced hand, Gobber casts the bola, snaring the black dragons feet, preventing it from getting back up.

Astrid races down the path Gobber took. With axe in hand she charges the black beast, rushing past the blacksmith. Raising the broad blade over her head, the creature stares with purple eyes. In one brief moment, Astrid sees the deep, soul felt regret reflected back at her. The dragon closes its eyes, almost as if accepting its fate, as she brings her axe down with all her strength. The blade arcs downward smoothly and swiftly, then with a twist of her wrist, the head turns at the last moment, crashing the broad side of the axe onto the dark dragons skull.

"Well lass, you did a number on that one. I thought for sure you were going for the kill." Looking around the cove, Gobber takes note of the shallow cave on one side, and the nearby pool. A glint of something catches his eye as the sun reflects off a cast aside piece of metal. Moving to investigate, he picks up a length of heavy rope with a ball of iron hanging from the end. He finds another, the second find is more conclusive. "Three lengths of rope, with an iron weight on one side and an iron ring attached to the other. Those three rings are interlinked with a fourth. This was a three armed bola... Hiccups work." Taking another look around the cove, he sighs.

"Why didn't this one fly away, like the other?" Astrid asks.

Bringing the destroyed snare back to her, "I'd guess this dragon was hit by Hiccup's bola, and was injured. It probably hasn't recovered enough to fly." He holds the rope up so Astrid can see. "The rope's been bit through... That larger probably freed this one, and has been bringing it food. But as you saw, they don't really have any loyalty to each other and that bigger one flew off when we showed up." Using what parts of the destroyed bola he can, Gobber secures the dragon, "Let's get help from the village, and bring this beasty back to the arena for dragon training."

Astrid looks around, "I don't see any sign of Hiccup."

With a deep sigh, "I suspect he ran afoul of that second dragon, and..." Gobber can't bring himself to finish his thought. Straightening up, he turns and gives the young warrior a look that offers no argument. "Hiccup died a hero... He did something no Viking ha' ever done before, HE shot down and captured a Night Fury. The chief lost his only son, but he died like a true Viking!"

Astrid looks between the dragon and the blacksmith, "I won't try to take the glory of the capture... You're right, Hiccup will be remembered as a hero. Should I stay here in case it wakes up again?"

Gobber looks at her, "That's a good idea, lass. I'll go get help... Just try not to hit it so hard next time."