The youngest Grimborn

Chapter 16: Blindsided

Thyra's POV

I shake my head in disappointment when, once again, the card doesn't match. I've been trying to figure out what Project Shellfire could be and decided to ask Fishlegs for his dragon eye cards. He was happy to lend them, but so far no dragon could be connected to Project Shellfire.

Suddenly, Hiccup and Astrid come racing in. I startle and drop the card I was holding, drawing their attention to me. They look like they are in a hurry.

'Uhhm? Did something go wrong with the Triple Strike?' I ask carefully. Astrid already runs out again but Hiccup takes a break and turns to me instead.

'No, no, training went fine... sort of. It's just that a big storm is coming and we need to get everything ready.'

I nod. 'Okay, what can I do?'

'Astrid is storm warden.'

I nod and whistle for Midnight before jumping out of the clubhouse. Midnight quickly catches me on her back and we fly to Astrid.

'Fishlegs, hurry. You need to get them into the stables, the storm-'

'I know, I know.' Fishlegs holds his hands up in surrender while also trying to get the night terrors to the stables. 'My thunder-to-lighting calculations are never wrong. And according to them, well, let's just say it's-' Before he can finish, a lighting bolt interrupts him. Fishlegs screams. 

'Really close?' I finish for him. He nods. 'Alright, what can I do Astrid?'

'Help Snotlout with battening down the hatches.' I quickly fly away while the twins fly toward Astrid. If I had time, I would wait to see what would happen since it's always idiotic with those two, but we don't have time.

Once Snotlout and I are done, we wait in the clubhouse. The twins and Astrid are already there. Eventually, Hiccup walks in as well. Toothless is following him while all the other dragons, including Midnight, are at the stables.

'Did you drop off the food and water at the stables?' Astrid interrogates.

'Yep, throughs are all full.'

Then Fishlegs comes in and closes the door with him. 'Well, the dragons are all cozy in their pens.'

'Did you lock the main doors?'

Fishlegs laughs a little. 'Astrid, Astrid, of course. Who would forget something like that.' He scratches his head. 'I mean, I guess it is possible, but I would never! But then again, there is a first time for everything...'

Astrid groans frustrated. 'Ugh, I'll go check.'

Before anyone can stop her, she's gone. I sigh and lean at the table. Then we hear a loud crash and not much later, the stables are on fire. Hiccup quickly mounts Toothless. 'Stay here.' He says to all of us. Then he flies away.

I run to the edge of the clubhouse and look at the stables. Unfortunately, I can't see anything because of the rain. Then I finally notice two dragons coming closer. 

Toothless and Midnight quickly land inside the clubhouse and for a moment I feel relieved, then I notice that Hiccup is carrying Astrid, who is unconscious and covered with black smudges.

'Oh Thor, what happened?'

'I don't know.' Hiccup gently places her down on the floor while Fishlegs folds a cloth to a pillow. 'We found her like this, the place was collapsing.'

The others immediately look alarmed. 'What about my Hookfang? Did you see him?'

'Speaking of wayward dragons, nobody happened to see one Barf and Belch?'