17 JUST EXACTLY WHEN IS TOO LATE

17. JUST EXACTLY WHEN IS TOO LATE? Hiccup had been in some tricky situations in his time. But to be standing on a Volcano when the Volcano starts erupting has got to be the trickiest so far. "Camicazi! Fishlegs! Get on the White Dragon's back!" yelled Humungous, swooping down toward them. He knew that the White Dragon couldn't carry any more, particularly wounded as she was. "Will you be all right on the Windwalker, Hiccup?" asked Humungous anxiously. "Of course," replied Hiccup, with a confidence he was far from feeling. "I was before, wasn't I?" And then he remembered the Riddle of Lava-Lout Island, the piece of paper that Old Wrinkly had given to him at the bottom of the well, and that was now in his pocket. He whispered to himself.

"It is never too late." He turned to Toothless. "Toothless, I am trusting you with something now. It is not too late. Get the Fire-Stone from Alvin, I don't care how, and throw it into the Volcano anyway. EVEN IF THE VOLCANO HAS EXPLODED ALREADY, Toothless, THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT." And Hiccup climbed on to the Windwalker's back and the Windwalker began to run down the mountain. The poor wounded White Dragon struggled to lift off carrying the three Vikings. But on the third attempt she achieved it, and fumbled into the air. Fishlegs had his eyes absolutely tight shut. This was his first flying experience, and it had to be said it was one that wasn't likely to make him feel confident about flying. I think you would describe it as TURBULENT. The White Dragon would flap forward for a couple of moments and then drop like a stone for twenty meters, leaving Fishlegs's stomach some way behind. "We're going to die..." whimpered Fishlegs, as they plunged down toward the little sail of The Peregrine Falcon in the bay, which had now been joined by the sails of Stoick and Big-Boobied Bertha's boats. "Oh, stop moaning," snapped Camicazi. "I'm

much more worried about Hiccup." For at least the White Dragon was FLYING, in a fashion. The Windwalker's wings weren't strong enough yet to take off with Hiccup aboard. Camicazi was peering at the tiny figure of the Windwalker running down the mountain.

Hiccup clung to the Windwalker's skinny neck. "Run," he whispered. "Please, run, run, run." "R-r-r-r-run!" squeaked Toothless, flapping furiously after Alvin. "Run, run, r-r-run!" BOOOMMMM!!!!! The Volcano exploded.