The 'Dragon Master'

United As One

We reach the island in record time and I'm glad I do. What I see is awful. The island is swarmed with strange dragons being captured by hunters. Thankfully I don't recognise any of the beautiful creatures, meaning they're all in hiding. However, I do recognise the human leading the assault.

Balkor.

Flashwing rumbles beneath me, unsettled. She knows that these are the hunters that captured me before and she's murderous for it. Me? I'm just shocked.

How did they know that this was my island? Do they even know at all or is it only a coincidence? Though the smug smirk resting atop Balkor's face suggests to me that it's not by chance.

"Let's go back, we can't take them all on alone and if we bring the others out they'll know how to get to the hatchlings," I tell Flashwing, who nods and flies speedily away. I start wracking my brain for what to do. How do I fight all those hunters at once with just one dragon?

It's then that I realise what I need to do. I need to get help from the other riders. It's all I can do. It's going to kill me, but if it means protecting my partners I have no choice.

We arrive on Slitherwing Island first. Hiccup and Toothless are being circled by the entire pod, including Saffron. "Let them go," I tell her. She nods and shrieks out the order, causing the usual polite exit.

Before Hiccup can say anything, I hurry over to him. "I need your help!" He must've sensed my urgency because he was instantly alert. "What's wrong?"

"There are dragon hunters on my island, I need to save the dragons before they're discovered! Dozens of wild dragons are already being attacked, it's only a matter of time before my partners are found and they're all caught!"

Saffron rawks out in fear. Hearing her distress, the Slitherwings all return and look around for any signs of trouble. I bow to them submissively to show I mean no harm to them or their leader.

"What do you want me to do?" Hiccup asks. I take a deep breath, wishing there was another way. "I'm going to need you... to come to my island. Please. They need help."

He puts a reassuring hand on my shoulder. I flinch away at first, surprising even myself. I'm not scared, I'm just not used to it. But the human contact and my fears seem to awaken a barely familiar feeling. A feeling I haven't allowed myself to embrace for years.

The fact that, technically, I'm still just a kid. A little girl who lost her parents at a young age, left school early and went straight out onto the world with help only from those who had enough heart to care. I'm going to be seventeen soon, but I'm not even seventeen yet.

I've had to push my childhood back to defend my new family. I forced myself to grow up too soon, to be wise, responsible and skilful beyond my years. Now it's all catching up to me, weighing down on me. My vulnerability and my youth.

I start to cry.

It's only small, silent tears running down my cheeks, but it stays consistent. Hiccup must see me as a baby now. I cry at the first sign of trouble. But I don't care. It's not like his opinion defines me anywhere other than his own image of me, where I can't be hurt.

I hang my head in shame as my tears continue to fall. Hiccup gives me a comforting hug and this time I don't flinch away from him. He's always been a good friend to me, though I don't know why. It's just him being him, I guess.

"It's going to be alright, they won't touch your dragons," he tries to calm me down. "If they discover an entrance to the sanctuary..." I trail off, barely managing to keep my voice under control. "There are hatchlings in there, Hiccup. They can't defend themselves against an attack. I can't let that happen. If any of my partners get hurt, I'll never be able to forgive myself."

"Hey, it won't come to that," Hiccup tells me sympathetically but sternly, pulling me back so I'm looking into his forest green eyes that lock with my own emerald ones. "Of course I'll help. I'll send a Terror mail for the others to come."

I pause, not liking the idea of so many people knowing the location of my home, but I nod. It's the only way. "Alright... just don't let any dragons get hurt."

"I won't, I promise," he agreed. "Lead the way to your island. I'll write the letter while we fly."

I mount Flashwing again, wiping my tears furiously. "Sorry about that," I say to Hiccup. "It wasn't something to waste tears on."

"Hey, it's fine," he says, mounting Toothless. "You were worried about your friends' lives. Anyone would get like that."

"And I guess I should let you know of another friend," I say. He looks to me in confusion. I pull my mask down and his expression only deepens. "Who do I look like, Hiccup? And don't say Heather."

"Um..." he's genuinely thinking. "Do I look familiar to you?" I prompt. He slowly nods. I chuckle. "I went to the School of Dragons for a brief time. I was the girl who was taken by a Skrill, remember?"

He seems to wrack his brains for a minute, trying to remember me. Slowly his eyes widen as everything clicks into place within his mind. I smile slightly to him and he returns it. Toothless seems ecstatic that his partner finally worked it out.

"... Indigo?"