The Dragon Master and The Lightning Rider *Hiccup Fanfic*

3. A Stranger at the Door

"A Night-Fury! How is this possible? I thought they were extinct," (Y/n) mumbled, clutching onto the rod in her hand tighter. Her thumb brushed lightly over a small button there. 

"The last one left," he said, watching her warily. "The better question is: how did you train a skrill?"

(Y/n)'s thumb twitched. "Get out of the cave before I sic her on you."

"Toothless will make sure that doesn't happen."

And wasn't that a strange name for a nightfury? 

(Y/n) grinned behind her mask. And while the dragons are fighting, do you think you can fight me?"

The rider's lips pursed tightly. "I am really hoping it won't come to that. Why don't you put the... rod down, and we can talk about this?"

"You're trespassing," (Y/n) snapped, advancing forward, and the nightfury's growl grew louder. The rumbles echoed in the cave and made Sin's hackles rise dangerously. 

The man held up a palm and the nightfury quietened, but there was no mistaking the narrowing of eyes at her. "Can I at least know your name?"

She glared instead and advanced, and he chuckled nervously.

"Um, okay - I feel like we're getting off to a bad start," he said, backing away slowly. "We shouldn't have come into your cave, really, we were stupid. But if you hadn't noticed-" he waved a hand towards the cave entrance, where the sky was darkening rapidly. "-there's a storm coming, and we need shelter. We couldn't possibly fly out in these conditions, and trust me, we'd leave immediately if we could but-" 

"Do you ever stop talking?" (Y/n) snapped, and gripped the underside of her helmet to shove it off and over her head. 

"Oh..." 

(Y/n) found him staring at her, at her hair, at her face, studying her in surprise. There had been many times she went trading on islands and surprised the locals that she was a girl, especially when she would get into brawls. It really was worth it to see the shock on the faces of men she's beat when they find out they had their asses kicked by a girl. 

"You're surprised I'm a girl," (Y/n) said, hooking her helmet to her belt. 

"Frankly, I'm terrified," he replied. "I know a girl who would find you a delight." 

(Y/n) approached him again, pointing the rod at him. "You were following us."

He fiddled with his fingers - nervous fellow, wasn't he? "I was curious."

"I would've killed you if you managed to catch up with me."

He paused. Took in the utter seriousness of her words, and then began fidgeting again as she stared him down. A crack of thunder broke through the sky and the soft patter of rain began. 

(Y/n) could kick him out and let him fend for himself. But Odin damn it, he looked like a kicked puppy. "You want to stay in my cave."

"We'll leave immediately after the storm has passed, I promise." He drew his finger in a circle, and his nightfury turned around obediently. 

Her eyes skimmed over the saddle, then down to the metal rods that were connected to the tail, where a red tailfin was attached to the black tail. 

"Toothless here - well, and me-" he raised his own leg, the foot replaced by a metal peg. "We don't do great in storms. This metal tends to attract lightning and it would be a death sentence in a storm like that."

(Y/n) sighed. "I have rules."

His face lit up. "You're letting us stay?"

"Only until the worst of the storm passes," she said. Clicking the button on the rod, a blade shot out from one end and flames burst around it. She ignored his gasp to walk across the wall and light up the little oil lamps hitched on the walls.