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Hi all! This is Rachelp18 speaking. This book belongs to ME, so no stealing. Editing is fine, as long as it's only for grammatical or spelling errors. So yeah, enjoy!


(Cover Image Removed)

A Story of Dragons (A Book That I Felt Like Writing)[]

Introduction to Characters and Species[]

Wild Dragons:[]

Angler: Is a female, navy-blue Sinister Sea-Strike. She is shy around people she doesn't know, but around people she does know, she makes jokes and is quite loud and bold. Angler is also very chatty, and talks to hide when she is shy or nervous.

Flipper: Is a male, yellow and brown Stormcutter. He likes making jokes. He is also sort of bossy, and can be overwhelming to people and dragons who don't know him, but his friends tend to keep him in check.

The Foursome:[]

Sunbeam: Is a female, yellow and blue Threadtail. She is quieter than the rest of her friends, is a bit of a pushover, and not the best fighter. Sunbeam is a tamed dragon, and her rider is Freyda.

Chillfire: Is a male, light blue and white Snow Wraith. His best friend is Sunbeam, and when she is in trouble (because, you know, she's no good at fighting), he will always defend her. He is strong, and a good fighter, but he is really a pretty big softy. Chillfire's rider is Bjorn.

Strawberry: Is a female, red Dramillion. She is very bright (in mind, I mean), but she also tends to rush into dangerous situations. Strawberry loves the foursome she is part of, but is not the most sympathetic dragon. Her rider is Ingrid.

Sandburn: Is a male, bronze coloured Sand Wraith. He is a lot like his rider, Erik, so he is the leader of the foursome, is pretty serious, and can be distrustful. However, around his friends he is good-natured. He is a great fighter, and a strong dragon.

Riders:[]

Freyda: Is a girl with blue eyes, brown hair, and tan skin. She is not shy, but since she is also quite hard-headed, she will not admit that she has a crush on Bjorn. Freyda is Ingrid's best friend and rides Sunbeam.

Bjorn: Is a boy with green eyes, dark brown hair, and tan skin. Bjorn likes Freyda, but won't admit it because he is pretty strong minded. He is Erik's best friend and rides Chillfire. Bjorn also is one of the quickest people to challenge Erik when he exerts his leadership, along with Ingrid.

Ingrid: Is a girl with grey-green eyes, gold brown hair, and tan skin. She likes Erik, but pretends to dislike him. She, along with Strawberry, her dragon, often rush into battle without a second thought. She is Freyda's best friend. Ingrid is a quick challenger of Erik when he tells her and the others what to do, because her stubbornness and independence make it hard for her to simply accept leadership. She just has to protest. However, her independence is partly a ruse, and she is actually fine with going along with other´s plans.

Erik: Is a boy with brown eyes, (you guessed it!) brown hair, and tan skin. He likes Ingrid, and openly shows it, often trying to either flatter or annoy her. Erik is the leader of their foursome, is slightly serious, and can (of course, all leaders in stories have this) be distrustful, though around his friends he is loud and jokeful. (Is that a word?) He rides Sandburn, and the Foursome Riders turn to him when in trouble, obviously trusting him.

Additional Humans:[]

Aliana: Is a girl with strawberry blonde hair, brown eyes, and tan skin. She is a distant cousin of Freyda, though her personality and appearance are very different. Aliana can be pretty violent, though mostly unintentional or as a sort of joke, and is a capable warrior. She rides Valk (not based off Valka), a brown with gold TImberjack.

Additional Dragons:[]

Valk: Is a female gold and brown Timberjack. She is Aliana's dragon, and is like her rider in personality, though a bit more reserved. She fights well.

Random Dragons: They pop up now and then. Some tamed, some not.

Species:[]

Sinister Sea-Strike: A dragon that lives underwater, has crocodile-like legs, a body like that of an eel, and a speed rivalling that of a shark.

Sinister Sea-Strike

A Sinister Sea-Strike (by me)

They hunt by dragging their pray underwater and twisting around them, squeezing the air out of them.


Author's Note[]

I, as you may have noticed, enjoy making lots of characters. (they help me develop the story) More characters may be added as this story develops.

Important: This story is written just for entertainment. I felt like writing a completely unrelevant, funny, no-death, weird story. Have the most fun you can possibly pull from this extremely and exceedingly strange story!

More important (I think, maybe not): There is mild bad wording in this story, I don't know if you consider ¨stupid¨ to be a bad word, but it's in there.

Also: There is some romance, as you may have guessed from the list of characters. Maybe you don't like that, I don't know. (If you're reading this, I'm looking at you, certain best friend person)

Foreword[]

This book is in the setting of Berk, I'm not sure what time yet, probably right after Httyd 2. I would like to contribute this story to my best friend, who is convinced that she does not like fanfictions, and myself, who has never finished a story, but will now have to because people might actually read this.

Prolouge[]

This prolouge is actually a warning of what is to come. This book will contain extreme humor and joking, and there may be exciting parts. Of course, all you people reading this probably expect this to be a book about dragons who go on a mission, or become King or Queen. However, this story is about dragons and riders who sit at home, do a few patrols, see a few new dragons, and do mostly nothing. Please only keep reading if you are seriously interested in this. Here is an excerpt of a story in my style.

Once apon a time, there was a little duck. He had six sisters and six brothers. One day, they went out of the pond in which they lived, and walked over a hill far away. Their mommy quacked, and only twelve of them came back. A day later, they went again. Their mom quacked, and only eleven of them came back. This went on for a few days, one less ducky everytime they came back, until their mama quacked and none came back. Then the mother duck left and went to them, over the hills and far away, and lived a life there, in a nice new pond. The End.

Are you still reading? You must really want this story. Fine then. I shall write. Wait. For. It...

Chapter 1 (the Beginning, or ¨The Genisis¨ (whatever you want to call it) )[]

The Foursome Riders were bored. There was nothing to do, and flying had been banned, due to a large storm brewing in the east. Freyda, Ingrid, and Erik were simply feeling listless, but Bjorn was trying to think up a way to get Chillfire feeling better. Chillfire wasn't feeling well, because, you know, Snow Wraiths and hot weather before a storm don't mix. Of course, it's pretty hard to get a cold-loving dragon to cool down, so Bjorn wasn't really coming up with anything. Dumping icecubes on Chillfire wouldn't work, letting him eat cold food wouldn't work, and submerging him in water wouldn't work either. The only thing Bjorn could think of, was flying to a colder island, one with lots of snow. But, because of the flight ban, that couldn't happen either.

He glanced over at Chillfire, who was lying in a corner of Bjorn's hut, trying to fan himself with a wing. Chillfire groaned slightly, and Bjorn sighed, standing up. He'd just have to risk his parents' wrath. He sent a terror message to the other Foursome Members, and picked up his satchel.

Bjorn walked down the staircase in his house, trying to look casual. But, despite his best efforts, when he reached the door, his mom stopped him. ¨Where are you going with Chillfire? He can hardly feel like a walk.¨ Bjorn shrugged. ¨Just going to step outside, see if it's cooler there.¨ His mom looked sceptical, but stepped aside anyways. When he stepped out the door, Bjorn heaved a sigh of relief, then walked towards the Foursome Riders' hangout, which was on the far side of the village.

As he walked along, he wished he could fly. He'd reach the hangout much sooner then. But, as he was thinking this, he reached it. Bjorn, sunken in thought, noticed this only because he walked into the doorframe of the hut. ¨Ouch!¨ He rubbed his head. Freyda peeked around the frame, and laughed. ¨Did the doorframe attack you, Bjorn?¨ Bjorn huffed, but couldn't really get mad at her. ¨Are you saying you've never accidentally walked into something before?¨ Freyda lifted her chin, blowing a hair out of her face. ¨I am indeed.¨ Then she attempted to pull a serious face. ¨Password?¨

¨Don't you believe it's me?¨ Bjorn said this mainly because he had forgotten the password, as it got changed every other week, and was hard to keep track of, and so was stalling for time to think.

¨Of course I believe it's you! It's just that you may be someone else, disguised as Bjorn.¨ She shrugged. ¨I don't know who would want to do that, so you can come in.¨

Bjorn stepped into the clubhouse, and was greeted with two voices saying ¨hello!¨ and three dragons saying ¨wrargh!¨.

Chapter two (the Second Chapter, if you hadn't guessed by the order of chapters, or you know, the title)[]

When a bonk sounded against the doorframe, Ingrid lifted her head. Who on earth would walk against the doorframe? Freyda answered her unspoken question by asking Bjorn if the doorframe had attacked him. There followed some dialouge, (which was in the last chapter. If you haven't already, go read it) and Bjorn stepped past Freyda, inside. Ingrid greeted him with a ¨hello!¨, and so did Erik. All the dragons made an unintelligible noise to greet Chillfire, who had followed his Rider in. After all these greetings, they, referring to the Riders, moved to sit at the center table. ¨So, what did you want to talk to us about?¨ Erik asked Bjorn.

¨Well, I wanted to ask you to do something illegal with me.¨ Bjorn pronounced. Ingrid leaned closer in and glanced around furtively. ¨What sort of illegal buisness?¨

¨Ingrid!¨

¨What?¨ Ingrid glanced innocently at Erik. ¨I was just asking.¨

¨And also encouraging him to do it. You were probably going to volunteer yourself. Bjorn, continue.¨ Ingrid pouted, then sat back, looking at Bjorn expectantly. He looked around furtively, like Ingrid had done before. ¨I want you to come with me to a colder island.¨

¨That doesn't sound like much of an illegal activity,¨ Freyda said

Erik sat back, looking like a brooding leader (or a brooding duck, whichever you prefer). ¨Why would you do that? It's dangerous with the storm.¨

¨Chillfire needs to cool down, and that won't happen anywhere around here.¨ Bjorn gestured around the hut, pointing out the buzzing flies that were attracted by the sweaty dragons and people, and the shuttered windows, which were closed to try keep out the sun.

¨Anyways, why do we need to come with you?¨ Ingrid asked. ¨Not that I don't want to come, but I'm sure you know the way.¨

Bjorn shrugged. ¨I want you to come, so in case we get hit by the storm, someone can go get help, and I'd also like the company.¨ The Riders turned to Erik, waiting for a reaction. After a while of creepy staring, Erik sighed. ¨Fine...¨

>>---->

And that was how the Foursome Riders ended up, sneaking around their houses, trying to get their saddles without anyone seeing them.

¨Freyda!¨ Freyda jumped, and glanced over her shoulder, all the while trying to conceal the saddle. ¨Yes dad?¨ Her father stood in the hallway, looking at Freyda, suspicious. ¨Have you seen your sister, by any chance?¨ Freyda almost heaved a sigh of relief, but was barely able to stop herself. ¨Uh, no! I mean- I haven't seen her anywhere. She's probably off, searching for birds! I.. uh... need to go now! Bye!¨ As she ran off, Freyda had a feeling her dad wouldn't buy it. And she was right. ¨Hey! Freyda! Where are you going with that saddle?¨ Freyda ducked into a alley, her father in persuit. ¨Come back here, young lady!¨ Luckily Freyda knew the village better than her dad, and she wove in and out of small alleys.

Finally she lost him, and she breathed a sigh of relief, then made her way towards the Hangout, where they had agreed to meet.

>>---->

¨So, where are we going exactly?¨ Ingrid asked, as she saddled up Strawberry. ¨A colder island, so probably Glacier Island.¨ Erik looked at Bjorn for confirmation. ¨Yep.¨ Bjorn nodded. They set off.

Chapter 3, The Exodus (From now on, my titles have names instead of only numbers, 'cause, in the past, the name part was just a random note, like this. Btw, its called the Exodus because they leave, or exit, Berk)[]

The Foursome walked with their Riders to a less crowded part of Berk, where they could take off without being seen. Chillfire was sluggish and tired due to the heat, so the other dragons tried to encourage him. ¨Come on, a little further, then you can fly. It's probably much cooler in the sky,¨ Strawberry said. ¨Only got a little distance to go, Chillfire,¨ Sunbeam encouraged. Chillfire just trudged on, too tired to listen to his friends.

Finally they reached a small clearing, a distance into the forest on Berk. There they could take off, and in an instant they were up in the sky, racing above cloud cover, where their fellow Berkians would not happen to see them if they were playing I Spy and looked at the sky. As they flew, Ingrid and Freyda attempted to talk to each other. ¨So how is..¨ Gust of wind, ¨your family?¨ Freyda asked, completely pointlessly, as they both knew the answer (just don't question conversation starters) . Ingrid attempted to answer. ¨Good, we...¨ Gust of wind, ¨are going to have a...¨ Gust of wind, ¨family BBQ tomorrow night, so...¨ Gust of wind, ¨I hope I'm...¨ Gust of wind, ¨there.¨ Gust of wind, ¨AAARGH!!! You stupid....¨ Gust of wind, ¨Wind!¨ Freyda laughed (she seems to do that a lot) ¨You can't insult the wind, Ingrid, it doesn't care whether you find it stupid or not.¨ Ingrid sighed. ¨True, but it did just stop gusting!¨ She added, perking up.

After about a day of flying, the foursome camped on an unnamed island for the night. Chillfire was already feeling better, as it was getting cooler the further north they went. They set up camp. Then, they discovered that Erik had forgotten his bedding (not always the responsible leader, huh.) , so he had to share with Bjorn. Neither of them were happy with that, as they were rather cramped. After setting up camp, the group sat around a fire, while their dragons raced around, catching fire-flies. ¨Did anyone think to bring marshmallows?¨ Ingrid asked. (yes, they have marshmallows) Erik nodded. ¨Yep, I did bring a bag.¨ Bjorn smirked. ¨But forgot your bedding.¨ Erik huffed. ¨Priorities. Marshmallows were above bedding.¨ Bjorn snorted with laughter. It sounded pretty gross, so that set the others laughing even harder. After staying up till what was probably way to late, the Riders fell asleep, though Bjorn and Erik only after a bit of scuffling in their shared bedding.

>>---->

The next morning, Ingrid was the first awake. She just lay, looking up at the beautiful sky for a moment. Then, when she stood up she stretched, and started walking to the dying campfire, she noticed that one of the supply packs they had taken with, had disappeared. She crouched down where the pack had been, and studied the faint prints leading to and away from the scene. After studying them for a moment, she dug up the Team's Dragon Book from a pack that had (thankfully) not been stolen. Ingrid flipped for a moment, until she found the page she was looking for. The tracks were those of a Stormcutter, according to the book. What Stormcutter would steal into the camp, take a bag, and just ignore the other dragons and humans? Ah well. Ingrid stood up, sighing. They had just lost a bag of their major supplies. Technically, they should have taken more care, and set a guard to keep away wild dragons and possibly confront hostile humans. Though, in her, Freyda and Bjorn's defense, it should have been Erik's job to set a guard.

By this time, the others were stirring, and starting to sit up. ¨Well guys, we're really observant, aren't we?¨ Erik yawned. ¨What do you mean?¨

¨Well, a Stormcutter snuck into our camp and stole our provisions.¨

¨Ok...¨ Erik looked sceptical. ¨How did a large dragon get past us and our dragons?¨ Ingrid threw up her hands. ¨How am I supposed to know? I woke up, and the provisions were gone!¨ Erik stopped looking sceptical after he saw that the bag was, indeed, gone.

>>---->

After ages of fruitless searching for a dragon that disappeared (seemingly) into thin air, the Foursome and Riders returned to their campsite, bummed.

Strawberry flopped down on the ground. ¨Don't be depressed, only 'cause we didn't find the Stormcutter!¨ Sunbeam said.

¨I'm not depressed. I'm just thinking. How could he have disappeared into thin air? And how did he get past us without anyone noticing?¨

Now Chillfire also flopped, then Sunbeam, and finally Sandburn.

¨Are you still tired, Chillfire?¨

¨Not really, it's colder out here.¨

¨Hey, do y´all notice that storm progressing?¨

¨How can we still see it from here?¨

¨It must be huge!¨

¨Let's hope we can get back home before it hits...¨

Sunbeam lifted her head, and looked at the storm, which was still to their east. ¨Are you seeing what I'm seeing?¨

¨What?¨ The others looked up too. In the distance, a lightning bolt shot out, illuminating the shape of a Stormcutter, flying into the storm.

>>---->

The Riders noticed their dragons staring, and acting agitated, and looked east as well.

Ingrid acted first. She dashed towards Strawberry, climbed onto her back, and shot into the air. ¨We need to get that pack back! It's got all our navigation things!¨ Then she turned towards the storm, and flew off, as fast as she could. The rest followed, just behind, shouting for her to stop.

When they caught up, they were deep inside the storm, and Erik glared at Ingrid. ¨Great, Ingrid.¨ He shouted over the wind, sarcastically. ¨You just got us lost in the biggest storm in twenty years!¨ Ingrid glanced around guiltily, but stopped looking with said expression, when she saw the Stormcutter again.

¨This way, guys!¨ Freyda groaned, then followed, along with the rest, who understood that following the Stormcutter was probably their best way out.

>>---->

Meanwhile, at the island, the Stormcutter landed at the shore of a large river, and dumped the satchel on the shore. ¨Hey Angler! Come see what I found!¨ the Stormcutter called. A navy-blue Sea-Strike stuck her head out of the water. ¨Yes? What is it? I was just eating.¨

¨Check it out, I got it without the humans and their pets noticing.¨ He picked out a map. ¨What's this? It's very delicate. Useless.¨ He threw it aside, the carefully crafted map melting in the mud. Freyda would be devastated. ¨And this? It's pretty, but also useless.¨ Flipper threw aside Bjorn's prized compass. ¨Ooh... What about this?¨ He lifted out the bag of choc-chip cookies that Freyda had put in there. ¨Yum. Angler, have one.¨ Angler picked one up gingerly. ¨We shouldn't eat human food...¨ But she ate it anyways. ¨These are good. Give me another.¨

When the cookies were finished, Angler excused herself and left for the river again. After a moment more of rifling through the bag, Flipper left too, abandoning the satchel on the bank.

>>---->

The Foursome flew towards the island, barely having the strength to flap their wings.

¨Oof. Pfff... Pufh.¨ Strawberry laughed at Chillfire. ¨Those noises! Why are you making them? They're hilarious!¨ Chillfire glared at her. ¨I'm tired. And hot.¨ Strawberry laughed a bit more, but stopped when they reached the island.

The smell of lavender permeated the air, along with Stormcutter, and a hint of... something else. Strawberry shook her head, the lavender confusing her senses. Why was there so much lavender anyways? There were no bushes nearby, and it didn't seem to come from a specific direction. Woozyness worked its way into Strawberry's head, and those of the rest of the dragons. Even the humans smelt it now. They desperately tried to revive their dragons, and land on the island at the same time. They weren't going to make it...

A/N: I may have gotten a little carried away... The chapter isn't true to it's title anymore. Ah well...

Chapter 4, Lavender and Oranges[]

Erik crashed into the beach with Sandburn, and soon the rest crashed too.

¨Splut.¨ Erik spat out a mouthful of sand, pushing himself up on his elbows. ¨Is everyone okay?¨ Bjorn and Ingrid answered, but Freyda's voice wasn't heard. Ingrid looked around, holding her head. ¨Where's Freyda?¨ She stood up, wobbling, almost fell, stumbled backwards, and stepped on Erik's hand. ¨Owch!¨ He pulled his hand out from under her foot, tripping her, and making her fall on top of him.

After a moment of silence, Bjorn started laughing. Then Ingrid, then Erik. (don't get me wrong, this is not a happy scene, they're just in shock).

And then they remembered Freyda. Everyone stopped laughing, and started looking around for Freyda instead.

>>---->

Despite looking for her for half an hour, there was not a trace to be found. Erik started to get worried, and Bjorn and Ingrid were panicking. They had walked up and down the beach what seemed like a hundred times, though Erik knew it had to be only about five.

Right about that time they noticed that the dragons were gone too. Now Bjorn and Ingrid were seriously panicked, and Erik was starting to do so as well.

His leadership senses kicked in, and he forced himself to stay calm, despite the obvious emergency. ¨Right, everyone. We'll make a shelter and a large fire, and someone is bound to come find us. Then, they'll help us find Freyda and the dragons.¨

It went as he said. Mostly.

>>---->

The first part of making a shelter went well. Sticks, vines, and leaves were gathered. Then came the hard part. They tried to lash the sticks together with vines, but it didn't seem to be working. Everything kept falling apart. Finally, it worked, and they had the rough frame for a small hut-like shelter. Next came the roof. They placed more sticks for a roof, then plastered the cracks with mud. Finally, they created small beds for themselves out of leaves.

Then the fire. They collected sticks. And sticks. And sticks. And more sticks. Enough sticks to last a life-time, or so they thought. They kindled a large fire, which blazed a hole into the fast approaching night. Ingrid was assigned for the first watch, since it was technically her fault that they had ended up here. She set herself up near the fire, while the others crawled into the small hut.

>>---->

Bjorn woke with a start. Someone was shaking him. ¨Bjorn, it's your turn to keep watch.¨ Erik whispered into his ear. He and Ingrid had already taken their shifts, and now it was Bjorn's turn.

Bjorn crawled out of the little hut, and stretched. It was very cramped in there, he thought with a mind still dazed with sleep. The cold night air would soon make him more alert, hopefully. A cold breeze blew from the sea, making Bjorn shiver. The last stars of the night were starting to blink out, and the sky was rapidly colouring pink. It would be a beautiful day. He smelled the fresh ocean air. The lavender smell was back, strange. On the horizon, a black mist advanced towards the island. Bjorn stared for a moment, trying to wrap his mind around what he was seeing, and then rushed to the shelter. ¨Erik! Ingrid! Something's coming!¨

Ingrid crawled out of the hut and wiped the sleep from her eyes, and Erik came after her. ¨What do you mean?¨ He asked sleepily. Then he saw the mist, and his mouth fell open.

From the deep black mist, tongues of coloured lightning shot out, illuminating the dawn sky. A very strange weather phenomenon.

Erik gathered his wits.¨Look for shelter! Not under the trees!¨ He rushed towards a large rock formation on the other end of the beach. The others followed. They scrambled on and around the rocks, looking for a cave. Nothing. They searched desperately. Nothing. Panic flared up again.

Ingrid turned to look at the ocean and gasped. A waterspout had appeared, and now it was raining hard. Wind whipped her hair, and rain stung her face. The mist and waterspout came closer. They couldn't find a cave, and they wouldn't reach the trees before the mist hit. ¨Anything?¨ She cried at Erik, desperate. ¨Nothing!¨ He yelled back.

¨Here!¨ They both turned to Bjorn. He had found a shallow cave. They scrambled into the cave, with the waterspout hitting the shallow water by the shore behind them.

The black mist rolled in, and the worst of the storm hit. Thunder rolled, almost deafening them. Trees bent and cracked under the weight of rain and wind, sounding like gunshots when they fell. The wind raged on, howling like a pack of rabid wolves. And the mist progressed, silent, like a sinister black blanket. It smelled distinctly of lavender, and oranges too. Sleepiness began to overcome Bjorn, as the lavender overwhelmed his senses. He struggled to stay conscious, but spots filled his vision. Lavender spots. It was his last thought before darkness covered him.

>>---->

Freyda sat up. Her head throbbed, and a blinding headache was setting on. She had crash-landed on a small sandbank near the shore of the island. Sunbeam. Where was Sunbeam? Freyda tried to stand, but she wobbled, and fell down again. When she put her hand to her head, she felt stickiness. Blood. She must have hit her head on a rock when she fell. ¨Sunbeam?¨ Her voice came out as a croak. She needed water. Was there any? She looked to the east. A black bank of clouds was rolling in. Her eyes must be confused, because she thought she saw coloured lightning shoot out from them. ¨Focus.¨

If a storm was coming, that would mean rain. But if it was too strong, it would mean danger too. Freyda waited for the storm to come. She didn't have many options, anyways. Why did it smell of lavender? It was the same smell that had made Sunbeam crash. The smell seemed to have drugging qualities. Freyda blinked. Her head was swimming. She felt dizzy. Maybe she should sleep... Yes, that was a good idea. She lay down on the sand, and fell asleep as the storm washed over her.

>>---->

Ingrid's shoulder throbbed. She had probably hit it when she fainted. Where was she, anyway? She stood up. They (Erik and Bjorn were there too) were in a small cell, made of wood, with some sleeping mats in a corner, and a jug of water on the floor. Oh, and the room was swaying.

The swaying felt faintly familiar. Was she dizzy? She didn't feel dizzy. Wait a second. All that swaying, and the faint sound of water all around, that meant... She rushed over to Erik and Bjorn, who were still asleep. Ingrid had to feel amused. They were so sweet when they were asleep. She smiled. Erik looked like he was hugging a teddy.

Another shake, one that almost knocked her over, wiped the smile off her face. She bent over, shaking the boys.

¨Ingrid?¨ he mumbled. ¨You’re pretty.¨

Well, that was weird. She shook him again. Bjorn was awake already, and this time Erik woke up as well. ¨Guys! We’re on a ship!¨ Ingrid yelled at them.

Now they were not only awake, but alert too. ¨What? We were just in a cave!¨ Erik cried. Ingrid rolled her eyes. ¨Yes, but now we’re on a ship.¨ Bjorn jumped up. ¨We must have been kidnapped by whoever made that lavender smell.¨ Erik and Ingrid looked at him. ¨Oh really?¨ Ingrid said sarcastically. ¨We hadn’t noticed.¨ Bjorn glared at her.

Before he could say anything, however, the door-lock made an unlocking noise. Erik gestured for Ingrid to stand on one side of the door, and Bjorn on the other. When the door opened, a big, bulky man strode in, flanked by another two bulky men. Before they could use the plan that Erik had communicated silently, Ingrid and Bjorn were grabbed by the two flankers, and Erik by the middle man.

>>---->

They were pulled through a hallway without any explanation. Oranges were stuck in bunches to the white-wood walls, and pots of blooming lavender stood like guards underneath.

Finally, they reached a white, impressive door. The door itself was not impressive, but the knocker on it was. It was an intricately carved depiction of a dragon, curved around a brass ball.

The middle guard held on to Erik with one hand (that’s how strong he was), and knocked on the door with the other. ¨Come in.¨ A clear, distinctly feminine voice called. The door opened to reveal a beautiful woman sitting on a chair behind a desk in the middle of the room. She waved her hand without looking up from her paperwork. ¨Sit down. Men, you are dismissed.¨

The three teens (they're fifteen)  sat down, perplexed. For one, why had they been kidnapped? And this lady was not who they were expecting. They were expecting a man, probably a devious-looking guy. ¨Maybe she’s the secretary.¨ Ingrid whispered to the other two. They didn’t answer. Both were staring at the woman, probably enchanted by her beauty.

For the first time, Ingrid really looked at the woman. She had long black hair, swaying loosely behind her. Underneath the black tresses, she had striking blue eyes, from which intelligence shone. She had a small, delicate nose, and plump lips. Ingrid looked from the boys to the woman, and couldn’t help but smirk. They were clearly lovestruck.

The woman finally looked up at them. ¨Good day, children.¨ She said in a clear, even voice. Ingrid contemplated telling her that they weren’t children, but decided against it, staying silent instead.

¨I’m Samantha, Samantha Van Om. And you?¨ Samantha stood up, and shook out thick, flowing, lavender robes. The boys snapped out of their daze to answer her. Erik spoke. ¨I’m Erik, that’s Bjorn, and that’s Ingrid.¨ Samantha smiled. ¨Very nice names. Now, you are probably wondering why you are here.¨ She put up her hands, stopping the answer that was on Ingrid’s lips. ¨You need to help me. I have seen that you were kidnapped by dragons, or at least influenced by people who thought dragons were good, and I need you to help me prove the opposite.¨

Now Erik and Bjorn were not in love (as much) anymore.

¨I’m afraid you’re mistaken, Miss Samantha. Dragons are good.¨

Samantha smiled condescendingly at Erik. ¨Of course, you think that. But you must be hungry and tired.¨ She said, changing the subject suddenly. Samantha clapped her hands, signalling a short, thin man to come in with food and drinks. Behind the man trotted a fully grown, silver-white wolf. Ingrid barely suppressed a scared noise. Samantha smiled again, this time at Ingrid. ¨I understand your surprise, but there is no reason for worry. This is Sanda, my...¨ She hesitated, ¨pet.¨

Ingrid was surprised. Not because of the fact that Samantha had a pet wolf, though that was surprising, but because she had hesitated. In the short time that Ingrid had known Samantha, she had not heard (or seen) her hesitate. And even when she hesitated, she had a smooth face, as if she was completely serene. Ingrid wondered how she could have a face like that, if she was the bad guy. Bad guys were meant to have a face permanently twisted into a sneer, or at least look tortured, since they were always out for something they could not have. Samantha had neither expression. She looked completely self-assured, and calm in her decisions. Maybe she thought she was right.

Ingrid shook herself out of her contemplations. Concentrate. She might find a way to escape. Glancing around the room surreptitiously, Ingrid noticed that there were two doors, one of which was now guarded by the short man. There was a large window on one end of the room, encompassing an entire wall. The desk that Samantha was originally sitting behind, stood in the middle of the room. It had many papers on it, but was actually quite neat. On another wall, colourfully decorated shields and spears covered it.

Samantha was speaking to them, explaining how they needed to help her, while Erik and Bjorn ate. They seemed to be eating some sort of meat. It looked delicious, and Ingrid’s mouth watered. She took some. No sense in dying of hunger before they could escape.

¨So that’s it. You can think about it over the afternoon. I expect you to dine with me tonight. Now, Mr. Carté, you can escort the children back to their room.¨ She turned away, then seemed to remember something. ¨You will notice that there are two other doors in your room. One leads to a room for Ingrid, and one leads to your… facilities.¨ Samantha sat down at her desk again, ignoring them completely. The thin man waved for the teens to follow him, and walked into the hall, seemingly expecting them to follow without question.

Chapter 5, New Dragons[]

Freyda woke up. Her head still hurt, but she felt better, refreshed. Probably the effects of being drenched in a storm. Well, that storm was long past, and the sun beat down on her.

Now that she was feeling better, maybe she could find Sunbeam. ¨Sunbeam?¨ No answering roar. ¨Suuunbeeeaaaam!¨ Nothing. Freyda was worried now. Where were the others, anyways? And the rest of the dragons? And the tide was rising. Freyda stepped away from the water that was lapping at her feet. She tried to judge the distance to the beach. Swimming to land was her best choice. She plunged into the water, and swam to the beach.

Freyda came out shivering, because the water was frigid, despite the hot sun, as it usually is in a Northern place. Now, where was everyone? No one on the beach. No one on the sea.

For the first time since she had reached the island, Freyda turned to really study the forest just beyond the wide beach. Dark green ferns reached up to grope at brown and white tree-trunks. Leaves with light filtering through them canopied the tall trunks, while hints of blue sky showed through gaps in the leaves. The trees towered over Freyda, making her feel as puny as an ant.

Speaking of ants, quite a lot of them crawled along the forest-floor, as Freyda saw as she walked into the forest. There were also tracks of many animals, such as rabbits and wild boar. As well as that, there were dragon tracks. Stormcutter tracks.

Freyda stopped short. Stormcutter? If she followed them, she’d most likely find the bags. And she’d hidden food in the bags. Great idea. Then you can get caught and eaten by that rogue dragon. They probably have no qualms about eating random humans… Still, it was the best option, and Freyda took it.

She navigated further into the forest, following the Stormcutter tracks. They seemed to be following a narrow path that cut through the forest, toward a rushing noise. The noise of a river. A big one, by the sounds of it. Even though the river sounded like it was right next to her, it took several minutes to come within view.

A huge, mud filled river rushed in front of Freyda. The Stormcutter tracks made a weird pattern on the bank, and there, in the midst of them, lay the navigation bag, with its contents strewn around. ¨The map!¨ Freyda cried out when she saw the map in the mud. She rushed over, crouched, and pulled the map out. Almost all the ink had smeared, and half the Archipelago had become an unrecognizable mess. Freyda couldn’t believe her eyes. She had worked for hours on this thing! She almost cried, but stopped herself. No crying now. She had to move on. Standing up again, she looked at the wreckage. She picked up Bjorn’s compass, the empty packet of cookies, and the remnants of the bag.

Freyda felt numb. It felt like one bad thing was happening after the other. A terrible storm, losing her friends and her dragon, discovering that she had no food, and now that the map she had worked on for hours was gone!

Finally, the tears burst out. She just stood there, tears streaming down her face. It felt good to finally cry. All the feelings were free, and it helped her sort them.

When she was finished, she felt refreshed, just like she had felt after the storm. Her thoughts were all in a line, and she knew what to do.

Walking through the long grass in the clearing while making billows of tiny blue moths take flight, Freyda collected the still-usable things, stuffed them into the bag, and walked back to the beach, the way she had come.

She didn’t notice the hunched figure of a human in a long cape, crouched on a birch’s branch. She didn’t notice the dragon, perched on an evergreen. Nor did she notice the icy stares the two seemed to be exchanging…

>>---->

Flipper landed in the clearing by the river, and instantly noticed that something was amiss. Strong scents were scattered in the grass and air. Two humans, and a dragon. It was unclear what species.

Flipper wrinkled his nose. It had to have been rolling in corpse flowers to stink so bad. One of the humans also stunk like a dead person. They were obviously dragon and rider.

He sniffed the air again, then lowered his nose to the ground, streching his neck. The girl had taken the bag, and some of the things. Maybe he should follow her. He could figure out what the things were for, and then take them back.

Decision made. He flapped his wings, stirring up small, blue moths from the grass as he took off.

>>---->

Freyda was still walking. She’d been walking for a while now, but still hadn’t even come close enough to the ocean to hear the waves crash against the beach. She was positive that she had taken the right trail, so why was she not back yet?

A groan escaped her lips. The never-ending green of the forest on all sides was starting to make her crazy. ¨Aaauuurrrggghh! Why have I not reached the beach yet?!¨

Yep, definitely crazy.

A flash of yellow in the otherwise green and brown forest made her look up. The Stormcutter, the one they had been following for so long, was landing in front of her. And cocking its head at her. And making deep chirpy-rumbling noises in its throat.

¨Well hello, boy,¨ she said, while scratching his chin. ¨Why did you come here, and why did you take our stuff? You landed us in a lot of trouble.¨ The Stormcutter just chirped, and sat back on its haunches, studying Freyda. If she ever found Sunbeam again, this would cause serious jealousy issues. Ah well…

Freyda walked around the dragon, its head turning to follow her. She stroked his back, seeing how he would react. Nothing. Barely a twitch. Perfect.

She pushed him a little, to make him stand on his four legs again. He complied, somewhat reluctantly, while still watching her. Now came the hard part. Freyda took a deep breath, and jumped on.

>>---->

Erik paced the cell. ¨What if Freyda is hurt? What if the dragons are? What if the dragons flew away? What if Freyda is all alone?¨

Bjorn stopped him, holding up a hand while lying on his bunk. ¨Erik, calm down! If they’re fine, they’re fine. If they’re hurt, they’re hurt. You can’t do anything, so you may as well stop worrying and focus on the things you can do.¨

Ingrid finally moved her gaze up from the book she was holding, and looked at Erik with pleading eyes. ¨He’s right, Erik. And you should stop pacing, because it’s driving me crazy! So please sit down, and think about what we could do to escape, and stop worrying.¨

Erik looked from one to the other. ¨Fine… I’ll sit down, but I have no idea how to escape.¨

The other two didn’t bother answering, satisfied with his acceptance. Erik sat down on his bunk, where Ingrid was also sitting.

He glanced to the side. She was already completely submerged in her book. He grinned to himself. No need to pass on an opportunity to irritate her.

He made his expression as sincere as possible.

¨Hey Ingrid, I need to admit something.¨

Ingrid looked at him, disturbed. ¨Yes, go ahead.¨

¨You know that pet cat you once had?¨

Ingrid looked faintly suspicious.

¨What about it?¨

Erik attempted to look sorrowful.

¨I was the one who painted it blue.¨

¨What? You- You did that? I should have known.¨ Her voice had an edge to it on that last sentence, and she looked ready to whack him with her book.

But she must have decided that the book was too precious, because she put it aside before picking up the pillow instead.

¨Whack,¨ the pillow said, ejecting a few feathers. Erik had partly blocked the strike, and looked for something to get her back with, but before he could find anything, she hit again. ¨Whack.¨

¨You-¨

¨Whack.¨

¨Will-¨

¨Whack.¨

¨Pay for what-¨

¨Whack.¨

¨You did to-¨

¨Whack.¨

¨My poor cat!¨

Erik reached up quickly, and stole Bjorn’s pillow, right from under his head, and delivered a blow to Ingrid.

Soon it was a full-blown pillow war.

Chapter 6, The Meaning of Freedom[]

Two hours later, Ingrid was sitting on the couch, panting. The fight had just subsided, and all three of them were exhausted.

Someone knocked on the door, then opened it. Mr. Carté, the silent servant of Samantha, came in with a tray of food, their dinner.

Chicken legs and broccoli, from the looks of it. As a drink they had water, and for dessert there was magic cake (if you don’t know what it is, look it up).

Erik grimaced when he saw the vegetables, because he didn’t like broccoli, but Ingrid and Bjorn eagerly accepted their plates.

Once they had finished, the plates were returned to the tray, and Ingrid went to her room, while the boys sat in theirs, talking.

This was the first time that she had actually looked at her room, as well as been in it, apart from the time she went to get her pillow when Erik stole the one she had.

There was a small desk with paper, a single bed, a closet, which, upon opening, appeared to have several sets of clothes, and on the wall there was a painting. A rather ugly one, Ingrid noted as she looked at it with distaste. I could do better than that.

She went over to the desk, checking the drawers of the desk for anything interesting. Some pencils, a small eraser, and an old teddy bear. Ew. It stunk.

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