How to train your Dragon Rider

~Chapter five: A different kind of Bond~ (Jenny)

"You know, I just happened to notice the book had nothing on Night Furies. Is there another book? Or a sequel? Maybe a little Night Fury pamphlet?"

KABLAM!

A blast takes the ax head off of Hiccup's hilt, leaving a smoking hole behind him. Hiccup yelped and ran, while I grimaced slightly at this. I wasn't exactly sure why I came back. I tried to convince myself that it was because I needed to know just how much of a threat this boy was, rather than actually being interested in who he was.

"Focus Hiccup! You're not even trying!"

I had learned that the teacher's name was Gobber, and he didn't look too pleased with Hiccup at the moment. But to be fair, I hadn't seen this much chaos in a good while. One of the captured Deadly Nadders was loose in a maze-like arrangement of moveable walls. Gobber called orders from above, directly across from where I sat unnoticed.

"Today... is all about attack." Gobber explained as the Nadder hops from wall to wall, sending the recruits scurrying. "Nadders are quick and light on their feet. Your job is to be quicker and lighter."

The teens move in, stumbling over Hiccup and his unwieldy shield. I shook my head at him as he stumbled along the pathway near to where I was sitting. It didn't take long for the Nadder to spot one of the recruits (Fishlegs as I remembered) ample rear hiding behind a wall. It whips its tail of spikes, causing Fishlegs to scream loudly, and lift an entire wall to shield himself from the spray of knife-like spines.

"I'm really beginning to question your teaching methods." he said as he dodged another spike, and I had to agree with him.

Gobber chose to ignore him as he picked at his teeth with his hook. "Look for its blind spot. Every dragon has one. Find it, hide in it, and strike."

The two twins rushed in, diving and rolling up to the Nadder's nose. The Nadder sniffs the air- unable to see them. Jackpot I thought, suddenly worried for the dragon. Right in the blind spot. They were close. Too close for comfort.

"Do you ever bathe?" she asked her twin, scrunching up her nose.

"If you don't like it, then just get your own blind spot." The boy said, rolling his eyes.

"How about I give you one!" They both shove and push each other, till their movement and noise gave them away. The Nadder attacked, snapping and biting at both of them.

"Blind spot? Yes. Deaf spot?" Gobber shrugged "Not so much."

That's when once again, my eyes fell on the boy I was supposed to be watching in the first place. Hiccup wandered up to Gobber, while the others darted past, sneakily avoiding the dragon. "Hey, so how would one sneak up on a Night Fury?"

Now we're getting somewhere, I thought as I leaned forward to hear better.

Annoyed, Gobber rested his head on his hand and rolled his eyes. "No one's ever met one and lived to tell the tale. Now get in there!" he weakly explained.

"I know, I know, but hypothetically..."

A moment later, the Nadder leaps over the walls, surprising the recruits by landing in front of them. Astrid somersaults into its blind spot, confusing it. She rears back to strike -- just as Snotlout leaps in, protectively sweeping Astrid behind him. Something told me that she didn't need protection.

"Watch out babe. I'll take care of this." Snotlout said cockily.

"Hey!" Astrid clenched her fists around her ax, glaring at him. Snotlout missed the dragon completely causing Astrid's glare to intensify.