two

ALORA WAS VERY EXHAUSTED AND VERY TIRED AFTER TRAINING FOR HOURS ON END WITH THE WOMAN SHE BELIEVED TO BE A GREEK GODDESS. Astrid wasn’t giving her any breaks whatsoever. Because of that, it made Alora angry and Astrid thought that if she made her angry then maybe she would put more of her strength into hitting her.

She thought.

Alora was not much of a fighter. She did not have any upper body strength and nor did she have any hand-to-eye coordination (they learned that the hard way).

Okay. So I wasn’t exactly the best fighter. But everyone has to start somewhere. . .right?

Alora groaned as she tried lifting up the ax by its handle, but it ended with her lifting it an inch off the ground before she started dragging it behind her.

“This is just sad,” Ruffnut said.

“You can say that again, sister,” Tuffnut replied.

“This is just sad.”

“What is?”

The twins looked at each other in complete confusion.

“So maybe ax’s aren’t her thing!” Fishlegs said, trying to encourage Alora.

“You know what, fine, I’ll protect you,” Snotlout told her.

“I’d rather take my chances with the twins,” Alora said.

“Okay! Why don’t we try a sword?!” Astrid told her.

“She’s already worked with a sword,” Heather said.

“So then we’ll try it again.”

“Face it Astrid, I can’t carry a weapon,” Alora said.

It’s true. I couldn’t. I was probably the weakest link in the whole bunch.

“Yes you can. And you will try and try, over and over again until you can lift something over your head.”

“Okay!” Hiccup said, getting in-between them.

Astrid pulled him aside to talk in private.

“Hiccup trust me, I’ve got this.”

“Astrid, maybe you’re being a little bit too harsh on her.”

“No Hiccup, I know she’s strong enough. But there’s something blocking it out.”

“W-What are you talking about?”

She looked around to see if the group was paying attention.

“A few days ago, I saw something.”

Alora watched as the two talked and was surprised that she could hear them despite the distance that was between them. But she decided to ignore them and go back towards the hut to rethink her decisions about training with Astrid.

∾

Alora was never a part of the action. She was always stuck here doing chores, cleaning up the huts (though she never entered Ruff and Tuff’s).

And I never did.

But it had only been a few weeks and given their past experiences, she was not qualified to go out.

But that was going to change.

Sooner than she expected.

two days later

Alora wasn’t really expecting anything that day. She stayed in Hiccup’s hut for the majority of the time. But then the whole group decided to take off and Alora had no suspicions. Until Snotlout rushed in with a panicked look on his face.

“Aly, we need you to come with us!”

“W-What? Why?”

“Just get your ass off of the chair and come with us!”

Alora threw her parchment and ran off towards the group. She went with Astrid and climbed onto Stormfly. She held the blonde woman’s waist as they took off.

“What’s going on?!” Alora asked.

“Hiccup and Toothless,” Astrid told her, not giving her any more information.

“O-Okay,” she said, pretending to understand what was happening.

When they landed, Alora slid off the rough-scaled dragon and ran inside with Hookfang and Snotlout.

But when they entered, no one was there.

“I-I don’t understand. They were just here! They were here! They’re gone!” Snotlout looked at his dragon. “Back me up Hookfang!”

“There, there little Snotlout,” Tuffnut said.

“Here we go,” Alora whispered.

“I’m sure Stoick will forgive you for losing his one and only son.”

“Tuff,” Alora said in a threatening manner.

“Alright, focus,” Astrid said. “We have to find them!”

Fishlegs found sea slugs by the entrance of one of the cages. He explained that the dragons that were in the cages were lured in with food before getting gassed with something called Dragon Root (she wasn’t exactly too up-to-date about things). Heather concluded that it must mean someone was transporting dragons to another location.

“So Hiccup and Toothless are being taken to Thor knows where?!” Snotlout exclaimed in worry.

“Are you saying that we have no way of finding them?!” Alora asked.

“Not quite,” Tuffnut said. “Do not fret other little one, we will find the missing Hiccup Haddock and one Toothless Night Fury.”

“We?”

“Yes,” Ruffnut said. “We. Because we are. . .”

“Thorston and Thorston, sleuths extraordinaire!” they exclaimed.

“Odin help me now,” Alora muttered.

“Don’t worry, I know a lot about the Dragon Hunters ports,” Heather told her.

“Lead the way,” Alora said.

⬩⬩⬩⬩⬩⧌⬩⬩⬩⬩⬩

Heather guided them to one of the main Dragon Hunter trading ports. She was kind enough to let Alora ride with her on Windshear. She held onto her tightly as they started taking out the posted guards.

“Oh my Thor. Oh my Thor. Oh my Thor,” Alora said, hyperventilating.

“Where is the Night Fury?!” Heather yelled at the man who was dangling on Windshear’s tail.

After several attempts it was actually Ruffnut and Tuffnut who found one guy to interrogate. But ultimately they failed and meanwhile, Astrid, Heather, and Alora found one guy on their own.

Astrid wasn’t surprised that after Alora talked to him, he gave up their location.

“What did you say to him?” Heather asked, noticing the man’s pale skin.

Alora shook her head and said nothing other than, “Astrid, tell the twins I have their location.”

And that was how Alora got him to send a Terrrible Terror, thus letting it lead them to the location they desperately seeked.

“Gotta hand it to you, that lie you told was pretty genius,” Astrid told her as they flew behind the Terror.

“Thanks Art,” Alora said.

Was I terrified? Yes. Yes I was. Did I ever tell anyone what I said? No. No I did not.

When they arrived they took the Terror before it landed and found that Hiccup and Toothless were taken down there for dragon fights. Alora cringed at the idea, reminding her of how people did chicken and dog fights.

Her eyes widened in realization. Dog fights? How did that come into her head?

The team was figuring out a way to get inside without being seen or known.

Then the twins decided to take matters into their own hands. . .again. But this time it worked.

Astrid was very surprised that Alora was outrunning them. They saw three guards and Alora skid to a stop, waiting for Astrid. Then, she took her sword, leaving her with an ax and screamed as she charged at them.

Okay. So maybe I was a little bit of a fighter.

The other two girls followed suit and Alora kicked the man so hard that he crushed the wooden boxes behind him.

A lot of a fighter.

“I thought you said you weren’t a fighter!” Astrid yelled at her.

“I’m not!” Alora yelled back, very surprised at her actions.

Astrid had never felt more proud as she watched Alora take down every guard in her path. The last one she kneed and banged his head on a door. Her eyes widened as she saw who was inside.

“Hiccup!”

“Aly?!” he said.

“Yeah? Why the long face? Am I not enough your highness?” she asked, opening the door.

It’s the little things that can go a long way. After that day, my world was never the same again. All because of a little mistake I’d made. But, I’m glad it turned out this way, otherwise. . . I don’t know where I’d be.

“I-I’m not. No, of course I’m happy to see you Aly!”

Astrid and Heather looked at the door hinges. But because their dragons were in front of them, Heather assumed that Stormfly broke it open.

But Astrid knew.

“Astrid! Heather!”

The two hugged and Astrid pulled Hiccup so his body was facing the other way. Astrid pointed at the clamp that was on one of the chained up dragon's tails. Alora gave her a look but tried her best to clamp it open. Heather was too busy looking at Toothless — who was outside fighting for his life — to notice that Alora had gotten it open.

They freed the other dragons and Stormfly blasted the wooden fence. Hiccup stood in front and yelled, “This ends now!”

He’s such a drama queen. Always wanting to make a production out of things!

Alora saw a new face in front of her and decided it’d be best to stick back while the dragons took over.

The whole fiasco ended with them freeing the dragons and flying back towards the Edge. Alora rode on Toothless’s back and a sudden thought occurred in her head.

“Ow! Why?!” Hiccup yelled as he felt a sharp pain in his back.

“Do you know how terrifying it is for me to see a panicked Snotlout rush into the hut and tell me to leave with him, without any details?! I was worried, Hiccup, worried!” she yelled. “And my poor Toothless!”

The dragon purred as she rubbed its side.

“Your Toothless?!” Hiccup yelled.

“When we get home, I'll make sure to give you all the belly rubs in the world!"

"Oh my Thor."