How to Train Your Dragon - Traitor Among Them

Chapter 3 - The Gang

Again, he extended his hand, and after contemplating a few moments Lyra took it and shook.

"Lyra."

Hiccup. She knew him, though not by name. It was always "dragon riders from Berk" in a negative tone. That's all Lyra heard from Viggo, and she never wanted to be involved after the awful experiences, despite her blood. He had destroyed her life and everyone she cared about, acting as if she were his pawn and nothing else. Viggo's constant anger and scolding kept her from believing anyone could ever be trustworthy, and she wondered if she had found the very "dragon riders" Viggo spoke of even though she had seen them for the first time months ago. Well, here he stood, and it both confirmed and confused Lyra's mind even further. Enya nuzzled Lyra's shoulder as if to remind her she was still there. When Lyra introduced Enya, Hiccup immediately became fascinated. He had never seen a dragon like her, and Lyra only responded with a shrug.

"Follow me. If you attempt to swerve off course, Toothless will have to repay you for the wounds you gave him earlier," Hiccup said, swinging his leg over the saddle.

Toothless turned to look at Lyra, and it was the kind of dangerous look that reflected pain. Lyra swallowed, feeling an unwelcome weight of guilt on top of everything else. Enya bent so Lyra could settle on her back, and they took to the skies, heading in the direction Lyra had always tried to avoid. Lyra felt the need to remove some of the guilt weighing on her chest, especially since Hiccup hadn't spoken a word for the past few minutes.

"I thought most vikings were keeping up with tradition; kill or be killed."

Hiccup thought for a moment, and Enya sped up until she was level with Toothless.

"Berk isn't what it used to be. Toothless and I changed that," Hiccup said.

There was a moment of silence.

"You didn't know my name, but you knew where I came from. Why is that?" Hiccup asked, but it sounded less like a request and more like a demand.

"Lucky guess," Lyra lied. "Berk is a big island with a large population."

He didn't seem fully satisfied, so Lyra decided to add some honesty to her remark, hoping she would sound more convincing.

"I reacted harshly because I didn't know whether to trust another viking on the back of a dragon, especially since many do so for control and destruction."

"You've seen dragon hunters, then?" Hiccup asked thoughtfully.

"Yes," Lyra answered, resisting the urge to break eye contact. "They're everywhere, it seems like."

Silence settled again. Lyra pushed back wisps of hair that were beginning to cling to her forehead. No matter how hard she tried, there always seemed to be tendrils of hair that escaped. She wore a french braid half up half down, smaller braids weaving into the braid or lying flat with the rest of her hair. Her skirt flapped in the wind, and Lyra adjusted her belt, making sure her dagger was secure. She brushed a finger over the tiny jewel at the hilt; it was a deep shade of red.

"Where are you from?" Hiccup asked, and Lyra realized he had been watching her. "I don't recognize anything you wear, and some of your fighting techniques I've never witnessed before."

How could he turn a simple question into one Lyra felt inclined to answer to? He seemed kind enough, even after having just fought. Not only that, but Lyra injured Toothless. As for Enya? Well, she barely had a scratch on her. While she had been stabbed in the back more than once, Lyra hung on to the fragile hope that Hiccup and the others were dependable. No! She couldn't get attached. Viggo would simply use such an opportunity to his advantage. She couldn't escape him. She had to face his wrath alone. She doubted Hiccup and the others had seen him at his fiercest.