Howling Echoes - A How to Train Your Dragon Story, The Echoes, Book 1

30: Shellshocked, Part One

   "To your left!  And right!  And - well - everywhere!"  Dagur's voice called from behind Heather and me.

   The cave was caving in.  Rocks crashed down toward us as the cave gave in.  Shattermaster, Frostflake, and Windshear flew as fast as they could.  We glided through a small crack in the side of the mountain, but Shattermaster and Dagur took another route, unable to take that path.  Heather and I eyed the cliffside nervously when Dagur and his dragon crashed through the side of the cliff.  Windshear blasted a rock that headed toward us as Dagur flew up to us.

   "That was too close,"  I said.  "Definitely."  Heather agreed.  "Are you kidding me?  That was awesome!"  Dagur objected.  I rolled my eyes.  "You ok there, Whiplash?"  I asked, petting the young Singetail.  It had been a few months, and Whiplash was getting increasingly bigger.  In fact, he had started to learn how to glide.

   Whiplash burbled.  "I'm fine,"  He assured me.  "Heather, your turn to take him!"  I called, noticing Frostflake's exhaustion from escaping with the Singetail that was about half her size now.  "You ready, girl?"  Heather asked, petting the side of Windshear's neck.  She burbled in response.  "Alright Whiplash, come on!"  Heather called, Windshear flying slightly further than Whiplash normally could glide.

   Whiplash uneasily balanced on Frostflake's back.  "That's further than normal..."  He pointed out, shuffling his feet and folding his wings in, then spreading them out again about five times.  "It's ok, Whiplash, you've got this,"  I assured him.  "Please hurry,"  Frostflake begged.

   "Ok..."  Whiplash steadied himself, then leaped for Windshear.  His wingbeats were jerky and unsteady, but he just managed to grip the older dragon's neck and haul himself up.  "Thanks,"  He breathed.  Windshear burbled in response.  "Let's get back home before Windshear gets tired, too, and to give our dragons a break,"  I suggested.

   Heather and Dagur flew off towards Berserker Island, Frostflake and I in tow.

   After watering and feeding the dragons, we got them washed, and I got wet doing it.  Frostflake always liked to take baths to wash, but she always accidentally splashed water on me, and Whiplash had picked up the Frost Wraith's habits.

   After drying off, it was getting dark.  All of the dragons were rested.  It was time to kick Viggo's butt.  And Whiplash was coming.  

   But it was weird.  When we arrived, all of us ready and in place, no one was there.  Even when Hiccup entered Viggo's tent.  "Ugh, what is it going to take to catch this guy!?"  Hiccup groaned, flipping the Maces and Talons gameboard.  One of the pieces hit something hollow, and Hiccup took off a blanket hiding a trapdoor.  I walked up, tense, with my sword out while Frostflake quietly reminded Whiplash of what to do if they got caught.

   When Hiccup opened the trapdoor, Toothless started gathering a plasma blast.  "Woah woah woah woah, hold your fire!"  Hiccup stopped him.  When I looked down, I was about ready to fire myself.

   At the bottom of the pit was Viggo, dust, and dirt smeared all over him.  He looked up at Hiccup.  "I never imagined these words would come out of this mouth but my dear Hiccup, I am overjoyed to see you,"  Viggo said.

   A few minutes later we had Viggo sitting in a chair, everyone looking at him suspiciously.  Frostflake and Whiplash were ready to fire, Toothless and Stormfly as well.  "What happened here?"  Hiccup demanded.  "Viggo where's the Dragon Eye?"

   Stoick came into the tent.  I couldn't help but laugh.  "Viggo's gonna get his butt kicked,"  I whispered in Astrid's ear.  She elbowed me in the belly.  "What!?"  I asked.  "Ssh!"  She scolded.