The Other-worldly Protector

44. Heather

But now as Kiara watched her fight, she wondered how long it would be before the hunters figure her out; she was riding a dragon after all.

The fight ended as Stormfly fired a spine shot at the other dragon's leg. Windshear shrieked and fell to the wooden deck below. By then, the rest of the riders had freed the dragons held captive in those ships, so they calmly flew out of the ships' range, heading home.

"Alright," Kiara sighed, "time to go."

"No, wait," Whiplash said before Kiara could pull out of her mind. "You need to hear this."

Ryker's voice sounded in Kiara's head and she realised that Whiplash was now sharing her hearing as well.

"I asked," he growled, "WHAT were you doing up there? You had a clear opening when that gronckle knocked against her!"

Heather got up from where her dragon had fallen and faced him with a blank look. "I was doing my job, Ryker. No thanks to your arrows that distracted my dragon."

Ryker stepped forwards, his hand instinctively travelling to the hilt of his sword. "Why you—!"

"Oi!" A man with unkempt red hair stepped between them. His skin was littered with scars and tattoos, even his face, where a patchy red beard accompanied them. "Now, now," he said condescendingly, "we don't want a fight here."

"I didn't ASK what you want, Dagur," Ryker seethed.

"Let me rephrase that for you," Dagur said calmly, then his voice darkened into a murderous tone. "If you touch one hair on my sister's head, I will skin you..." He suddenly smiled. "Okay?"

Ryker grumbled incoherently and walked off, probably deciding the berserk red-head wasn't worth his time.

"You alright, sis?" Dagur asked.

"Never better," Heather replied. "Except I wish I could have given that Astrid a fist to the face."

"Hoho! HoHO! HohuHAHAha!" he laughed diabolically, a hand on Heather's shoulder as he bent over. He broke off abruptly and held her shoulders at arm's length. Staring intensely at her, he leaned forward. "What were you doing up there...?"

Heather stared back with wide eyes, her heart undoubtedly hammering against her ribs. "I..."

Dagur chuckled. "Your face! You're too easy! I was just messing with ya." He playfully slapped her arm.

"Haha, funny," she forced a laugh as he continued to snicker. But the moment he turned to walk away her face hardened into a scowl. Her eyes burned with hate as she glared holes into the back of his head.

"Whoa," Kiara said, as she pulled out of her dragon's mind.

Whiplash was equally shocked. "How common is it," she asked, "for human siblings to harbour that much hate for each other?"

"That much?" Kiara said, "I've never seen anything like it... I've only ever loved my brother."

"Hey! What's keeping you?" Astrid's yell broke them out of their thoughts.

Kiara glanced up, and Stormfly squawked a greeting when their eyes met.

The two dragons flew side by side from there, their riders silent. They were heading back to dragon's Edge now, having returned to living there after spending a few days on Berk.

"You're upset," Astrid finally said, cutting the thick silence.

"No," the other lied.

"You know, you couldn't have possibly been part of that rehearsed fight. Heather doesn't even know you exist yet."