Exile

So close

Nine.

Toothless burst from his cage when Astrid walked into the the arena. He was howling and his eyes were suddenly bright, focussed. He wolfed a huge breakfast and half of Hookfang's and the Monstrous Nightmare stood back and let him. Snotlout frowned: his dragon was very protective of his food but the Night Fury was suddenly fired with purpose and none of the dragons would argue with him. Then he bounded into his cage and nudged his saddle towards Astrid. He wanted to go flying.

Even though Hiccup had made a real point of making sure that Astrid knew how to work Toothless's tail, she felt really apprehensive about climbing into the saddle and resting her foot on the control pedal. Toothless was Hiccup's: they were a pair, bonded more tightly than any other pair in the Academy. They had an almost unconscious understanding underpinned by a boundless well of love. Hiccup would do anything for his dragon and Astrid was pretty sure that the Night Fury would do the same. She grasped the front of the saddle and leaned forward as Toothless bunched his muscles. She pressed her heel down and the tail opened.

"OK, Toothless-let's do this!" she said as they arrowed up into the sky.

She almost felt breathless at the speed of climb: it was easy to forget how extreme the Night Fury's flight could be when Hiccup usually tempered his flights so effortlessly to match the capabilities of his friends. He was kind and generous, always ensuring that everyone was included. And he just loved flying. So did Toothless, which showed how desperately the dragon missed his friend to refuse to fly. So what had happened now to change that?

Just as suddenly, Toothless levelled out, his huge bat-like wings extending fully to caress the breeze and they soared above the cliffs and sea stacks. He was crooning and Astrid found herself smiling. Her first flight on the dragon had been terrifying as the dragon had taken enormous exception to her very rough treatment of Hiccup before she had uncovered the dragon. But ever since, the dragon had decided she was a friend of Hiccup and he had tolerated and greeted her. He took a couple of lazy flaps of his wings and then banked, arrowing out to sea in the direction Hiccup had been exiled. Astrid tugged on the saddle.

"Toothless, I know you want to find Hiccup," she told him gently, "but we can't go to Outcast Island. Not until we have some proof that he is innocent. Otherwise, he could be executed for returning."

The dragon gave a grumbling little growl, his wide green eyes fixed on the horizon. Then he growled fiercely, the sound vibrating through his entire body. Astrid peered over and her eyes widened.

A Berserker Armada was heading for Berk.

Rapidly, she counted thirty ships, all armed and laden with men. It wasn't Dagur's whole force but more than enough to cause serious trouble for the Hooligans. She pulled harder on the saddle.

"We have to get back to Berk!" she said urgently. "Toothless! We have to warn them. We have to get the riders ready and defences manned. Toothless! You know it's what Hiccup would want you to do!"

Toothless circled tightly above the lead ship and roared and roared, the sound filling the sky. Every eye suddenly jerked upwards and Astrid was alarmed as catapults trained on them. She wasn't as adept at handling Toothless in evasive manoeuvres: even Hiccup struggled sometimes to control the dodging dragon.

"Toothless! We have to go-NOW!" she shouted as the first missile whistled past them. Toothless gave one last, plaintive roar, then turned almost on a wingtip and accelerated furiously back towards the jagged silhouette of Berk.

oOo

Hiccup curled up tighter, a small huddle of battered, burnt and bruised flesh shuddering with pained sobs. His arms were wrapped around his legs and his face was buried in his knees. His shoulders were jerking with his misery. They had taken everything from him: his tribe, his freedom, even... He shuddered and tears slid down his battered face.