Riders Unbroken

2

 We flew over the island at almost top speed, and as we neared the smoke the ground seemed to transform. The leaves changed from orange and red, to black. You could see giant scorch marks on the ground, and charred dragon bones. Dawn looked away and cooed,

No wonder this place is so quiet, she told me.

"Yeah," I whispered, "no kidding, whatever did this is not very fond of dragons."

Which means it could be a threat, she told me. I nodded, and we kept flying. Suddenly the smell of cooking meat entered my nose, and I couldn't help but think of what it was. I was disgusted at the thought, and I'd make whoever did this pay if it was true.

Dawn stopped in midair as a small campfire came into view, she dove to the ground so fast I was just barely able to spot it. She landed lightly in the dirt, and she crouched low as she climbed into some bushes. She began camouflaging herself, and I hopped off. She wrapped her wings around me, and I peeked through the gap they created in the front.

As we neared the camp, we began to hear voices. Dawn brought us within a hundred feet of them, and we stopped dead in our tracks.

"We're lucky Svara packed this Tallhorn for us," the shortest man said, obviously drunk. "Or else we'd have to resort to whatever is on this island."

"Yeah," the biggest agreed, "with that fire we put out, I don't think there's a deer or dragon for miles."

They didn't set the fire, I whispered to Dawn through my brain.

The woman in the group stood, "Whoever did set that fire, is probably an enemy of Berk."

I froze, wondering how these strangers knew of us. I felt Dawn tense up also, she quickly relaxed though, and we continued to listen.

"I heard that Berk's dragons left them years ago," the small man stated, "went to some hidden place, right after we left."

"Yeah, right after some guy almost killed Hiccup's dragon," the big one said, "to bad we had problems of our own back home. We probably could've helped them."

What is this? Dawn asked.

These people sound like they knew Berk, I told her.

"If this new threat is from our home, or this place," the woman noted, "then Berk has a big problem on their hands" the woman's voice was drowned out by the sound of wingbeats. It sounded almost like thunder as the massive dragon landed in the camp. Its head alone was bigger than Dawn, in fact, it was the size of a Submaripper. The fire reflected eerily off the dragons blue scales, and what shocked me the most was the fact that I couldn't identify its species.

Ram Like horns, blue scales... I began listing off the dragons characteristics.

"Shalkar-drag!" the little man yelled. "So glad you're finally here, did you find us food."

"No, I didn't," the dragon said.

Oh my gods! I gasped. These dragons and people are from-

The Nine Islands, Dawn said.

"I'm guessing Svara's still out looking," the big man stated.

"Yes Darman," the dragon told him, then its eyes narrowed to slits. Its nostrils flared, and it growled.

"What is it?" the woman asked.

"Someone's here," the dragon said, and it looked right at us. Right then I knew we were dead, "Come out, we mean you no harm!"

"Oh my gods Shalkar!" the woman said, "dragons don't talk here, you know that. You probably just scared them even more-"

Suddenly Dawn pushed me out from her embrace and I was out in the clearing with the strangers. I smiled, and gave them a little wave. The dragon's eyes widened,

"It's a girl?" the little man said. I felt Dawn leave from behind me, and I closed my eyes.

Really? I whispered.

I don't speak their language, she said.

"Explain yourself," the woman demanded, her head was hooded, and I couldn't see her eyes. I could see her small nose though, and light freckles that spread across her cheeks.

"Umm," I said, "I was just passing through."

"I can smell a liar," Shalkar-drag said, and walked towards me. His footsteps sounded like thunderclaps in the silence of the forest. "I smelt a dragon with you, where is it?"

"I don't know," I told him, "she kinda disappeared."

The dragon got close enough to me that I could see the detail in his eyes. He smelled my hair, then blew steam in my face from his enormous nostrils. His eyes widened,

"You smell...familiar," he said, "have we met?"

"I don't think we have-" his eyes must've caught something, because he lowered his gaze. He gasped, and I looked down to see my necklace hanging out of my shirt. "Oh, sorry. It was a gift, from my father." I tucked it back in my shirt, but not before the woman saw it to.

We'll talk later, I heard as her voice entered my head, and I knew she suspected something.

I nodded, and she turned away. "She's a friend," she told the two men.

"You should stay, and eat with us," the big man said, "fresh tallhorn on the spit if you want some. Have that dragon in the tree come down as well."

I looked behind me to see a tree bent over, like there was a lot of weight on it. I rolled my eyes, "Come on Dawn!" I yelled and the branch snapped back to normal. "We really need to work on your stealth. She materialized in front of me, and blew smoke in my face.

And we need to work on your people skills, she retorted, and walked by me. She sat next to the fire, and allowed our new friends to admire her beauty. She looked at me with her big blue eyes, and I could tell she was annoyed with me.

I smiled, "duh-duh duh, I'm dead," I whispered, and walked towards the fire. I sat opposite of the Night Light Fury, and the big man offered me a plate of meat. I took it,

"I'm Darman," He told me, and I saw his pointed tusks. He was an orc. "that over there is Arven, he's the Dwarf. And the tall mean elf...that's Elva.

I choked on my food, almost dying before it finished its course down my throat. I looked at the woman, and she pulled back her hood, exposing her violet eyes and jet black hair.

Elva.