Chapter 16

Keila pulled her shirt up to cover her face and protect herself from the stinging rain and small bits of hail that was now pelting her as they sped through the air. She decided she was going to suggest to Hiccup they make some rain gear for all the riders, masks maybe, because flying at these speeds in a storm like this stung.

It felt like the rain was slicing into her cheeks and arms, and she was fairly certain some of the small hail shards actually had left marks.

She leaned into Shade and encouraged him to speed up. "To the village Shade come on." she reminded him again.

The dragon grumbled at her at if to say, I know idiot girl you've said that five times already!

She prayed they were flying in the right direction. She could hear the rain slapping a cliff face to her side, she figured if she kept it on one side of her they would eventually hit the village.

She listened as hard as she could trying to make out her surroundings, the rain did add to what she could identify, but with the wind and hail and thunder she was starting to get overwhelmed by sounds.

She became tense and started moving in the saddle to adjust, but Shade started to become confused and was weaving as she turned this way and that.

Suddenly Nightshade let out a frustrated roar, Shade slowed down, and she felt a tugging and scraping on her leg. She hadn't realized how long Shade's neck was that her could reach her leg, just barely it seemed. She reached down to push his nose away.

"What is it boy, is the saddle bothering you? Is it your wing-" Before she could finish her statement she felt the strap on her thigh release, and suddenly she felt a rush of air and knew she was upside down and felt her stomach drop as she began to fall.

Keila screamed as she fell though air and rain. She knew she had been right not to trust dragons. Why had she let Hiccup get her to do this? Now she would die out here in the forest and no one would know, and who knows what would happen to the others in the cave. Maybe no one would ever find them.

Her arms flailed in a last ditch attempt to perhaps grab something and save herself. Stupid dragon. Stupid Hiccup. Stupid. Stupid!

Tears came from her eyes and joined the rain in streaking her face. She was sobbing hysterically waiting for everything to go...well for her to hit the ground.

She heard the flap of wings and a familiar shriek and thought, Decided to stay and watch as I hit the ground, ungrateful thing? Or did you come back for some scrambled viking a la dirt?

Then something swooped under her and she hit something scaly, hard. She started to slide backwards on the dragon's back, but she quickly reached out and found the pommel of the saddle and hugged it tight.

She lay there clenching Shade's neck as he flew softy, and she caught her breath, she tried to get her sobs under control, but then she realized she was smiling and laughing. Shade's scale's scraped her cheek, and tears flowed freely, and she was laughing. Shade started making a chuffing sound that sounded like he was laughing too. They flew slowly like this for a few moments until Keila got her hysteria under control.

When she got quiet Shade made a rough cooing sound she hadn't heard from him before. She sat up and he bobbed his head gently so that he pulled the handles on the pommel from her fingers and then gave them back to her.

It was like he was asking her to just trust him to steer, to just hang on. She took a deep breath and leaned forward tightening her grip on the pommel. She lifted her shirt against the rain again and said loudly, "To the village!"

Hiccup paced in front of the rock wall nervously. Everyone else was sitting further back in the cave around a pile of burning pages and bits of fabric that everyone had offered up so they could have some light.

"She should be back by now." Hiccup muttered.

"Hiccup, I swear to Thor if you chill out and sit down I'm going to use your leg as tinder!" Astrid threatened.

"She is probably fine did you see the way she was flying earlier, that was awesome!" Fishlegs bounced in excitement, "That Flashfang is really something!"

"Flashfang?" Hiccup said looking up at Fishlegs.

"Oh yeah I figured it out! Nightshade isn't a new breed he's a Flashfang! A Striker class dragon that emits a bright flash of light when it shoots fire, some people think it's because their fangs are so bright they are reflective."

"Yeah I've heard of them I think, but aren't they usually smaller? I thought they usually aren't much bigger than Terrors. Nightshade's as big as Toothless." Hiccup stated

Fishlegs pulled out his notebook and started flipping through its pages, "I think it just depends on each dragon, like some Leviathans are bigger than others, Nightshade must just be of a larger bloodline. But, he's definitely a Flashfang, same markings, same shot characteristics, same horn and plate structure, same tail structure, same speed capabilities-"

"Uh...yeah Fishlegs I think we get it." Astrid said stopping him.

"Ok...but, the point is Flashfangs are natural born navigators! If they've been somewhere even once they can find it again. Keila will be fine!" Fishlegs blurted trying to get it out before Astrid cut him off again. He looked at her smugly as if he'd won and she shook her head.

Hiccup wrung his hands and looked back the wall blocking them in. Astrid put her hand on his and look I'm in the eyes reassuringly.

Snotlout piped up from his spot next to Hookfang who was laying on his side across from them, "Hiccup he's looking worse."

"Let me take a look."

Keila felt incredible, it felt as if Nightshade was an extension of her body. They moved together through the storm and soon she could feel that they were close. She could here the rain hitting smooth wood and metal.

"Okay boy, touch down here somewhere."

The wind made it difficult to land. Nightshade's wings kept filling with air and they would float up.

"Try again!" She leaned into him and the tilted towards the sound of water hitting metal. The clinking metal got louder as they approached the ground, too fast. She tried to pull up, but couldn't tell how far they were from the ground, it was too late.

It had been at least another twenty minutes, the storm outside was starting to weaken. Hiccup jumped in frustration. "Ugh something's happened!"

"You don't know that." Astrid said trying to sound positive.

"I don't know he could be right." Ruffnut said scribbling in the dirt. Astrid spun around glaring at the other girl. Ruff shrugged.

Everyone was worried, in their own way. Snotlout was watching Hookfang closely, even though Hiccup was sure his wing would heal and as for his behavior Hiccup was convinced he was just picking up on Snotlout's strange behavior lately.

Toothless followed Hiccup and nudged him softly, "You're right bud I'm sure she's ok."

"Or she could be lying helpless somewhere in a canyon, all of her bones broken, and wolves are circling in to tear her-"

"YOU ARE NOT HELPING!" Astrid punched Tuffnut in the face.

Hiccup ignored the image as he heard new noises outside, it sounded like voices.

When the storm had died down a bit Keila, Stoick, Gobber, and a few other villagers went out to find Hiccup and the others. Nightshade led them straight back. Gobber had brought a litter for to carry Hookfang home in and the villagers had their dragons carry the injured Nightmare home.

When they had cleared the fallen rocks away Hiccup had all but tackled Keila, followed by Astrid and Fishlegs. They cheered and gave her a few I told you so's to both her and Hiccup.

Hiccup couldn't help but notice her face was all scratched up and she had new bumps and bruises all over, which she later explained as a "bad landing." Hiccup made a mental note to find a way to help Keila map out Berk from the air. Wind chimes maybe?

When they returned home Gobber set away on working on Hookfangs injured wing, and Keila told Hiccup all about her experience with Shade, and how once she calmed down it was like she was seeing through him, strangely enough.

Hiccup felt a strong sense of triumph as he watched his cousin with her new best friend, he could already see the bond becoming stronger.

A couple days after the storm the were all in the arena playing a game Hiccup had come up with to help strengthen the trust between the riders and their dragons, Keila had inspired it. The riders were blind folded and they had to let their dragons lead them through a series of obstacles, some mounted, some walking.

Keila and Shade were already the best at the game, at least until Hiccup suggested they switch roles and have the dragon be blind folded. To which Keila started to protest until Hiccup beat her to the chase suggesting she sit out, then she knew she had to do it. After a few tries she and Shade were both able to do the course leading each other.

Everyone else wanted to try it with both dragons and riders blind too, but the twins were have a hard enough time agreeing when they weren't blindfolded and their dragon was already confused. Snotlout and Hookfang were doing slightly better, but despite Hookfang's wing being in a sling the dragon still kept trying to launch the blind Snotlout into some of the more dangerous obstacles.

Hiccup and Toothless of course took only a few tries to get it pretty much perfect, followed by Astrid and Stormfly. It seemed though Keila would always be the champion in this particular challenge.

They all stood around grooming their dragons after class and Astrid walked up to Hiccup who was absentmindedly watching Keila feeling under Shade's chin for his sweet spot.

"You did good." Astrid said softly to him.

Hiccup looked at her in surprise, "Oh? Is that a compliment? Well, you know I didn't really do anything, it was all-"

Astrid shoved his shoulder, "Shut up." She pecked his cheek and walked away.

Across the ring Keila rubbed her hands all over Shade's back massaging where he didn't have hard plates blocking her.

She heard feet shuffling to her side, as if someone was sneaking by.

"Snotlout." she called.

"How do you always know?" He said turning back.

"I can hear you trying to go by, and you have a particular aroma." Keila said smiling, and trying to look in the direction of his voice.

"Oh..." Snotlout said sounding uneasy.

"What is wrong with you? Usually that would at least get me a 'that's 100% man you're smelling baby' or 'that's the aroma of love!' Nothing?" Keila said shocked.

Snotlout just shuffled his feet.

Keila scoffed, "Gods you're being weird." She started to give up and turn around when she heard a very soft, "Sorry."

"What?"

"I-I'm sorry, about your eyes."

Keila stood in silence for a moment. "Is that why you've been so weird around me? For Thor's sake Snotlout! That wasn't your fault! That wasn't anyone's fault, except maybe mine I had no business being where I was. It. Was. An. Accident. Besides the twins were just as much a part of that whole thing as you were and they are fine."

Snotlout was quiet, Keila almost wondered if he had left, but she could hear Hookfang biting at his sling to her left.

"Gods, Snotlout I didn't know you could be this sensitive."

She heard him sniff softly, and then he said his voice completely changed from before, "Oh yeah sensitive about you baby..."

Keila smiled, "And, he's back."

She said goodbye and went with Hiccup back to their house.

Later that night she sat curled up next to Shade as Hiccup drew at his desk, just enjoying each other's company. Finally she broke the silence as she traced a scale on Shade's shoulder.

"Hiccup?"

"Hmm?"

"What...what does Shade look like?"

"Hmmm...oh." Hiccup realized she'd never actually seen the dragon, "Where do you want me to start?"

"What color is he?"

"He is dark red with dark spots in places, and some yellow on his horns and the plates on his back."

"Tell me about those."

"He has two horns on either side of his head that are about as long as your forearm, and smaller horns underneath those. In-between those all the way down his back he has thick plates, and they are also on his forearms and thighs. He stands about the same height as Toothless and has a similar body structure. His wings are large and he has a large fan on his tail. The main difference is that his head is slightly more pointed like a Nightmare's and his neck is about as long as a horse's. His eyes yellow...uh. He has a scar on his wing, but you knew that...uh...it looks like he has another scar on his left flank-"

"What does that look like? Can you tell what might have caused it?" Keila urged.

"Uh...maybe a fisherman's pike, looks about that size, hatchet maybe, but it looks more like a spear. Why? What-"

"When he shoot's fire does it look like a white flash?"

"Yes, Keila what it is it?"

Keila was now standing up away from Shade who was looking up at her wondering why his petting had stopped.

"L-last question, does he have a dark mark on on side of his tail, on the fin?"

"Yes, right side."

Hiccup watched Keila carefully, several different emotions seemed to play across her face, and she was quiet for a very long time. Then she finally seemed to settle on an emotion, acceptance.

"So it's you." she said.

"Keila what is it?" Hiccup said pushing his chair out to stand. Toothless woke up from his nap in the corner and looked up.

"The day my parents died I went for a walk along the beach. I saw a dragon in the air off the coast and decided to watch it. I should have gotten out of sight, but it was so fast and so sleek, I hadn't seen one like it before. It dove in and out of the water trying to catch fish. Then it saw me and started flying for the shore. It landed in front of me and started sniffing me curiously. I held out my dagger, but didn't run, I don't know why. It didn't like my dagger being pointed at it, but that was the least of its worries because, about then my parent's fishing skiff came around the bend. They saw the dragon and me and immediately began attacking with their minimal weapons. The dragon turned its attention on them and started fighting back. The ship went down, and the dragon flew away wounded, and bleeding. I assumed he'd died."

"Nightshade is..."

"The dragon that caused my parent's death, yes."

"Keila..." Hiccup's voice held a warning, but she had already processed what he was going to say.

"It's okay I don't blame him, Hiccup...It's okay." She stepped forward and pressed her hand to Shade's nose and he pressed back.

She needed him now, and whether he liked it or not he needed her too.

This was her new life now. A life on Berk. A life without her sight. A life with Hiccup and the others. A life having to learn everything over again. A life with Nightshade.

A life with dragons

Hey guys thanks so much for reading my story. There will be another coming soon based around the events of HTTYD2. Thanks for bearing with me. I try to update whenever I get time, but I know the gaps are extensive sometimes thanks for bearing with me. Love ya'll.