1.03

AUDENZIA's POV

"Thanks for showing up. I'm glad I have you by my side, Auden." Hiccup smiled, nudging my shoulder.

"Of course, what kind of best friend/sister would I be if I just let you get killed. I just can't believe the night fury's were still in that quarry."

The two of us ventured throughout the woods until we came across a quarry. There, we saw both the black and white night fury.

The white watched as the black struggled to fly. My question was if the white one was capable, why didn't it leave?

Now, Hiccup and I were entering the hall for dinner with the other trainees and we were soaked from the rain.

The group was talking about where they went wrong. Hiccup and I scooped up the last two plates of meat and began walking over to the empty table when my arm was grabbed.

"Hey, Audenzia." Snotlout. "Saved you a seat, there's no room for your buddy though." He nodded towards Hiccup.

"Thanks but-"

"It's fine, Auden. Sit with them." Hiccup told me.

"What about you? We always sit together."

"We'll sit together tomorrow." He shrugged and turned around to go to the empty table. I turned as well and sat between Snotlout and Fishlegs.

"Where did Hiccup go wrong?" Gobber asked.

"Uh, he showed up." Ruffnut said.

"He didn't get eaten." Tuffnut added.

"He's never where he should be." Then Astrid said.

"Thank you, Astrid." Gobber sighed, then gestured to me. "What about Auden?"

"Audenzia did pretty great today." Astrid said, her voice was small but loud enough to hear in the hall. "She actually attacked the dragon, which is more than what any of the those guys can do." She jabbed her fork towards Snotlout and Fishlegs.

"Thanks." I said to Astrid, she gave me a single nod in return.

"You need to live and breathe this stuff." Gobber came around the table and held up a book. "The dragon manual. Everything we know about every dragon we know of."

Outside, thunder crashed. I reached over Fishlegs and grabbed onto the manual.

"No attacks tonight, study up." Gobber said, leaving the hall.

"Wait. You mean read?"

"While we're still alive?" Ruffnut and Tuffnut asked.

"Why read words when you can just kill the stuff the words tell you stuff about?" Snotlout asked.

"Reading this helps you learn the dragons weakness' and strengths. Without that knowledge, there's a chance you can get killed." I told the three Vikings.

"Yeah, but, that's boring." Snotlout said.

"I've read it like seven times. There's this water dragon that sprays boiling water at your face-"

"Yeah, that sounds great." Tuffnut said, shushing Fishlegs. "There was a chance I was gonna read that..."

"But now..." Ruffnut shook her head.

"You guys read, I'll go kill stuff." Snotlout said, standing up.

"Not if it kills you first." I mocked as Fishlegs, Ruffnut and Tuffnut joined him.

Hiccup appeared beside me and looked over at Astrid. "So I guess we'll share?"

"Read it." She stood and followed the others out.

"Well, at least one of us got to have a full conversation with the person we like." He grumbled. I pat his back and continued flipping through the book pages.

"It just says kill on sight for every dragon." I told him as I continued turning the pages. Then, an empty page caught my eye. "Night fury."

I laid the book flat on the table and Hiccup leaned in. "Speed; unknown. Size; unknown. The unholy offspring of lightning and death itself. Never engage this dragon. Your only chance; hide and pray it does not find you."

FLASHBACK

"Når trollmor har lagt sine elleve små troll,Og bundet dem fast i halen.Da synger hun sakte for elleve små troll,De vakreste ord hun kjenner:O-ai-ai-ai-ai-boff. O-ai-ai-ai-ai-boff.O-ai-ai-ai-ai-boff, boff. O-ai-ai-ai-ai-boff."

I stared up at my mother and father with adoration as my mother finished the lullaby. My father held me in his arms as mamma looked over his shoulders.

"What's wrong?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest. "You only sing that to me when you know I won't be able to sleep the next night."

"You're very smart, min datter." Papa moved my hair from my face and sat me in the seat in front of them. "But nothing is wrong."

"In fact, everything is perfect."

"Then why did you sing?"

"We have news for you." Papa started, smiling back my mamma. "You're going to be a big sister-"

REALITY

"Auden?" Hiccup shook my shoulder, making me look at him. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah... I'm fine."

"You were thinking about them again... weren't you?"

"It's nothing, I promise. Let's go home?"

—

"A maze? Why a maze?" I panted, turning around a corner where I saw Hiccup talking to Gobber.

I also noticed the Nadder getting ready to shoot fire at him. I rolled my eyes and tackled Hiccup to the ground. "Woah!"

"Focus, Hiccup! You're not even trying! You're lucky Auden was there to save your unlucky undies." I pulled Hiccup from the ground and started running around the next corner.

"Hiccup, stop turning around!" I pulled him in front of me and started to push him around any corner we could until eventually losing the nadder.

"T-thanks... Auden."

"Stop... trying... to get... killed." I put my hands on my knees, trying to grab my breath when someone crushed into the back of me.

"Sorry, Audenzia." Fishlegs said, helping me up. I waved him off and began to follow Hiccup around the next corner.

That's when we noticed Astrid and Snotlout crouched behind the wall. Astrid shushed us and waved us over. 

The Nadder was just behind the corner, trying to find it's prey. Astrid rolled over, then Snotlout, then me and when it was Hiccup's turn, he get stuck.

I grabbed Hiccup's ankle and dragged him behind the wall as the nadder jumped on top of the wall.

I came around the corner and saw Snotlout and Astrid facing the nadder but when I tried slipping behind them, the dragon started chasing after me.

"Ahh... no." I groaned, racing throughout the corridors as the dragon crashed into the sides. The walls came crashing down, one in front of me as well.

I ran on top of the fallen wall and jumped from wall to wall to get away when I noticed Snotlout.

"Snotlout!" I yelled, grabbing his attention. He turned to me just as I jumped from the last wall.

I landed on top of the boy, my axe getting stuck in his shield. "Oooh... love on the battlefield." I heard Tuffnut say.

I tried pulling the axe from his shield as he made pain filled noises. "You're... hurting me." He wheezed.

I noticed the nadder push itself out of the ruble that landed on top of it and look around before noticing me.

It started towards me, making me try more urgently to get my axe before I gave up and took the shield to.

Just as the nadder opened it's mouth to shoot fire, I swung my axe/shield and hit the side of it's head. The nadder whimpered and stalked off.

I panted heavily, putting my hands to my knees when I heard Astrid start talking to Hiccup.

"Is this some kind of a joke to you? Our parents war is about to become ours. Figure out which side you're on." She pointed her axe at his nose.

"Lay off, Astrid. He didn't ask to be apart of this." I looped my arm with Hiccup's and we walked away from the group.

"Thanks."