"There she is!"
Hiccup and I land our dragons, Hiccup sliding off right away. I just stare in shock as Nightstar nudges me off her back with her wing. What looks like the whole village and their dragons have gathered and cheer loudly when my feet hit the earth.
"Um...what?" I ask.
"Your newcomer celebration! We need to welcome you to Berk!" Stoick says jovially, thumping my shoulders again and making my knees wobble.
"Didn't you say we would do that tomorrow?" I question, that familiar tightness appearing in my gut.
"Yes, but why wait?" Stoick laughs. He turns to the crowd and raises his hands. "LET'S CELEBRATE THE COMING OF THORA AND HER NIGHT FURY, NIGHTSTAR!"
The crowd roars and so do the gathered dragons. I swallow any anxiety inside of me and force a smile. If they did all this for me, I need to be polite.
"Why not?" I squeak.
Music starts playing from a few musicians on a raised stone. People start dancing and talking and milling around happily. Tons of people swarm me, babbling about Nightstar and me and my life. I still feel very overwhelmed, feeling like I'm about to burst from the sheer amount of people crowding me.
"Thora!" Hiccup calls.
I spin in the direction of his voice. He shoves a few people aside and grasps my hand, pulling me away from the crowd. I move incredibly close to him, my head pounding and my heart racing.
"Thank you," I breathe.
"You looked scared. I did what I had to," he responds. He glances at me. "Just a warning, our elder, Gothi, has this little welcoming thing that she likes doing. You can tell her if you don't want it."
"Thanks for the heads up." I duck as a Gronckle flies over my head. "Where are the others?"
"Right here!"
I turn around to see that all of Hiccup's, and I guess my, friends have arrived.
"Hey Thora!" Ruffnut greets. "Really great that you're becoming an official Berkian Viking and all. We need some more girls our age."
"I agree completely!" Snotlout says.
I try not to let guilt get the best of me, choosing to nod in response.
"What do you think of the party?" Astrid asks.
I look around. People are singing and drinking, the band is playing, dragons shoot fireballs into the air like fireworks, and others stand around just talking.
"It's insane," I say honestly. "But awesome...I guess?"
"Ain't no party like a Berkian party!" Tuffnut whoops.
Hiccup taps my shoulder, leaning over and whispering in my ear as the others start talking, "I'm gonna go tell dad about Drago in the forge."
"You need backup?" I ask with the same volume he used.
"Nah. Enjoy the party. Maybe stop by in a bit though." He smirks before he turns and strides away.
I watch him disappear, unsure, but sigh and let it go. As I look back at the laughing group nearby, then turn my gaze in a panorama of the giant gathering, I get the sudden urge to run. I obey my gut feeling, slinking off to a quieter spot. I find a rock ledge with a sturdy amount of vines and moss clinging to it. I climb the vegetation and settle on the ledge, glancing back at the throng of overjoyed Vikings.
I let out a long breath and rest my head against the cool stone. I run my hands over my face, trying to calm the second heartbeat that's appeared in my head. It's all too much to take in all at once. Stoick said that we'd do this tomorrow. That would've given me the chance to breathe and calm myself down and prepare. This "surprise party" thing is not what I wanted.
There's a rush of air from nearby and my eyes fly open. I look up just as a black dragon face appears, bright blue eyes glistening. I laugh.
"Oh...hey Nightstar," I greet, my voice lighter. "Are you having more fun than I am?"
She snorts and leaps down, nuzzling my face with her wide nose. I hug her head, squeezing my eyes shut as my body trembles.
"I don't know if I can do this," I whisper.
She snorts, her hot breath fanning my auburn hair for a moment. I look up at her, rubbing her nose as my lips try to turn upwards. I give that up rather quickly, placing my hands on my freckled cheeks as I stretch my face in exasperation.
"It's all so weird," I mutter.
Nightstar seems to frown at me. I get to my feet and look back towards the party, my eyes flickering to the forge. I instantly remember Hiccup, glancing back at my dragon. She understands my silent look, scooping me onto her back and flying me to the forge before I can say "Zippleback".
I sneak around the edge of the forge, no Vikings at my back. I peer in through a crack in the walls, hearing the voices of the men chatting.
"But, seriously, I really need to tell you about this new land we came across," Hiccup says.
"Another one?!" Gobber exclaims, smacking his dragon, which I've come to discover is a Hotburple, over the nose.
"Any new dragons?" Fishlegs asks.
Stoick slaps a sheet of leather onto a dragon mould and hands Hiccup a pencil. Exasperated, the younger Viking begins tracing an outline.
"Thora and I didn't stick around to find out. These folks weren't particularly friendly," he mutters.
"Oh, really?" Gobber asks. "Your double Night Fury gang didn't bring them cheering to the rooftops?" The blond Viking spins his prosthetic arm dispenser as he speaks.
"Son, you need to relax a little! It's a celebration of gaining a new Viking!" Stoick says cheerfully.
"Dad, Thora..." He purses his lips as he takes a long breath. "Thora isn't sure that she wants to stay for...well, forever."
There's silence for a second. Guilt and anger flare up inside me, making my chest feel hot. I didn't think Hiccup would mention that little thing, but I suppose it's too late now.
"Really?" Astrid asks. There's a pause as she sighs. "Oh...that would explain why she disappeared from the party."
"Thora is still nervous," Stoick says. He looks to Hiccup again. "As for this new land stuff, you've got other things to worry about."
"No, dad, this is important. This was different. Not the standard run-for-the-hills hoo-ha I've come to enjoy. These guys were trappers. Dragon trappers," Hiccup responds. "Their fort was all blown apart and stuck in giant spikes of ice. I've never seen anything like it," he admits. "And worst of all, they thought we did it!"
Gobber pops off his prosthetic tongs and selects a wire brush from his dispenser, which he uses to brush his moustache and eyebrows. I swivel my body, noticing that Astrid, Ruffnut and Tuffnut, and Snotlout are also with their friends.
"Y'know, you two are gonna get yourselves in serious trouble one of these days. Not everyone appreciates this way of life," Gobber comments.
"Thora isn't a troublemaker," Hiccup says. "It was me who even suggested that we check the thing out."
Stoick takes the sheet of leather to the table saw. "Gobber's right, son. Best we keep to our own. Besides, you'll have more important uses for your time-" He pulls a lever, starting it up. Under his breath, he adds in a sing-song tone, "-once we make the big announcement!"
Hiccup pulls the lever, shutting the saw down. "They are building a dragon army." Silence fills the entire shop. Worried glances are exchanged. "Or at least the guy they work for is; Drago Bloody Fist or something."
Stoick's eyes widen. He turns to Gobber with growing alarm written all over his face.
"I'll bloody his fist with my face if he tries to take my dragon!" Tuffnut threatens.
"Or mine," Ruffnut adds.
"You have one dragon with two heads," I mumble under my breath.
"You're such a moron," Tuffnut says to his sister.
"A beautiful moron," Fishlegs says dreamily.
"Yeah..." Snotlout seconds in the same tone.
Ruffnut grumbles, revolted by their advances. Stoick grabs Hiccup by the shoulders, his gaze wide-eyed and intense.
"Bludvist? Drago Bludvist?" he demands.
"Uh, yeah. Wait. You know him?" Hiccup asks.
"STOP THE CELEBRATION!" Stoick bellows as he rushes from the forge, hardly stopping to answer his son's question. "GROUND ALL DRAGONS!"
"What? Why?!" Hiccup demands.
I watch as the Vikings rush to listen without hesitation, the festivities of the party disappearing. I back up, taking slow breaths as I look around. If Stoick is grounding all the dragons, then that means...
My breath catches in my throat. Nightstar.
I look around, seeing my dragon a few feet away. She stares at the bustling Vikings with an adorable sort of confusion in her eyes. I give a short whistle and she perks up, bounding to me in a split second. I climb on her back, spurring her back towards the rock ledge I'd been hiding on. From there, I'll have a good view of everything that's going on below.
The Vikings still rush around, calling their dragons and ushering them to the hangar. I wait, trying to find some clarity. Drago must be awful if Stoick is reacting in this way, yet his reaction still leaves much to the imagination.
Just as the giant storm doors of the hangar are about to close, a flash of black zips from the lowering jaws of wood.
I have just enough time to acknowledge that it's Hiccup and Toothless before Nightstar takes off after them, carrying me with her.
"Why'd you do that?" I ask her as she lets out a playful growl.
She shakes her head in Hiccup's direction, making me sigh. Of course she'd want me to go with him, or should I say, him and Toothless. She picks up speed, gliding as she pulls up alongside them.
"So what's the plan?" I ask.
He looks to me in surprise, but the look quickly fades as he shakes his head and looks out at the approaching sea.
"You shouldn't have followed me," he tells me. "It could be dangerous."
"I'm a Viking. Dangerous isn't in my vocabulary," I say.
He smiles. "I always say stuff like that."
"You didn't mention that during our deep conversation," I point out.
"Deep conversation?"
"You know, where we talked about our favourite colours?"
He laughs. "Purple, right?"
I nod, then let out a sigh. "I was watching everything from the cliffs. Nightstar is the one who chose to fly out here. She obviously wants you to have company."
Nightstar licks Toothless' face and he looks surprised, then happy.
"Goofball," I hear Hiccup mutter as he scratches his dragon's neck.
I smile at the two. "What's the plan of action?"
"Well, we're going to find that boat again and have them take us to Drago as 'prisoners'. There, I'll talk to Drago and get him to call off this war," he explains.
"Dragon war?" I clarify. He nods, making me do the same. "Sounds like a plan. A crazy plan...but a plan."
Hiccup turns to look at me and sighs again, running one hand through his tousled brown hair.
"I know it's crazy, but we can't have a war. I can't let my friends and family get hurt." He pauses. "That includes you."
I feel my face heat up as I look down.