Disclaimer: I do not own How to Train Your Dragon.
Author's Note: Lately I've been extremely bugged by ideas of some scenes from To Tame a Land that were 'unseen' so to say. So, this happened. Basically, these are (I only have one up right now, but there will be more soon) short little scenes that shed further light onto some of the characters from the main story. While these are not required to read in order to understand To Tame a Land, I strongly recommend that they be read as they expand the reader's understanding of some of the characters, that haven't had (as of yet) much 'screen-time'. If there are any questions definitely ask!
This scene is a short one which takes place the night after the concluding events of chapter 8 (if you haven't read that chapter yet I highly suggest you do so before reading this one). Summary: Toothless goes to check up on a grieving Cloudjumper.
Dragon dialogue in italics.
The King
"Cloudjumper, Cloudjumper!" A young Night Fury shouted, steady paws galloping across the slanted rocks of the escarpment they were on.
The creamy brown dragon held his proud pose, overlooking the ocean. Not even a day since his beloved King had fallen to the flock of pathetic humans, and he was being bothered by other dragons—a Night Fury of all things!
The galloping of the Night Fury suddenly stopped, noticing the Stormcutter's unwelcoming posture.
"Go away, Night Fury." He said sternly. "Can you not see that I am in mourning?"
Toothless hesitated, staring sideways at the large dragon, "Cloudjumper… Hiccup and Mother are upset and are looking for you."
"I will not ask again, Night Fury. Be gone."
Toothless frowned, knowing his Hiccup would be very much saddened by this failed effort. "Are you—"
"GO!" he roared, his eyes sharp with intensity as he fully stared at the jet-black dragon.
Toothless bit back a growl as he jumped at the sudden threat. He noted the posture of the Stormcutter—tense, hunched, and prepared to pounce. He knew the dragon was ready for a fight, and would leap at the first opportunity given.
So he settled for hold a long stare with the dragon before turning to face the ocean, plopping his body on the edge of the cliff-side so that his tailfin could drape leisurely over the precipice.
This earned a furious glare from the four-winged dragon. "What are you doing?" Cloudjumper questioned harshly, a thin growl resonating from his throat.
Toothless, despite his screaming instincts to face the potential predator, held his view over the ocean. "I'm watching the sea." He said casually. He'd known this dragon for seven summers now and in that time he had developed a somewhat firm level of trust with him. After all, the Stormcutter did show an affectionate side toward his human and for that he was grateful.
A wave of adrenaline pulsed through his body, though, as he heard the Stormcutter's massive feet stomp up to his side. He turned his dark-scaled head to face him, his body riskily remaining in its prone position.
Cloudjumper drew in close to his throat, "Are you mocking my authority?" he asked thinly, flaring heat from his nostrils.
"You have authority over me, yes, but I don't think you will kill me." the Night Fury said confidently.
The Stormcutter whirled back in outrage, furious at the nonsense this Night Fury was spurting. "Are you suggesting I'm hesitant?"
The small dark dragon just shook his head unfazed by the massive Stormcutter's threats. "Things have changed…" he said, his tone resonating with sympathy now.
"You state the obvious."
"If it's obvious then why do you not see it?"
Cloudjumper hesitated, narrowing a glare at the dragon, "What game are you playing with me, Night Fury? Do you think I have useless time to waste on entertaining you? We no longer have business with one another."
Toothless, didn't make any gesture, just stared at the dragon with calm eyes. "Why not?"
The Stormcutter growled and drew away. "Night Fury, if you continue to bother me I will kill you."
"Even if we have no business with each other, we'll still be together."
He shook his head, "No we will not…" he trailed off, casting a somber glance down to the ocean below. "I've lost my King…"
The level of sorrow in the Stormcutter's tone was so great it pressed in Toothless' chest as well. He could sympathize with the Stormcutter's pain, but there was more to it than that. Cloudjumper seemed ready to give up entirely and cease living. That was not like him. "Cloudjumper, why are you so upset about this? He fought as well as he could. He saved us."
"Shut up!" he roared causing the Night Fury to freeze in his tracks. "I am tired of you pretending to know him—like you were his companion… Your life might have been full of easy friendships and little pain, but you've yet to be maimed by humans. And you will be—every single one you cross paths with will betray you."
Toothless felt anger for a split moment, wanting to shout, "How dare you say that about Hiccup?!" But as he thought about it, he realized what the words actually meant. "But… Mother loves you very much! You would destroy her heart by leaving…"
"I'll take her with me." He said; face remaining as hard as stone.
"W—what about Hiccup? He's not like dragon fledglings, he still needs his mother!"
"I'll take him too."
Toothless shook his head in what he hoped was a misunderstanding of the Stormcutter's words: "If you do that, then nothing will be different. We'll still be together."
He shook his head, "You won't be with us."
The words were like jaws clamping down around his throat. He was not going leave his Hiccup! He loved him too much!
Sitting up indignantly, he faced the Stormcutter, face in a contorted snarl. "I will not let you take Hiccup from me!" he informed, prepared to strike at the dragon's throat right now. "You can't do this, you're the King now. You have to protect other dragons."
"I am not the King." He snarled in near disgust.
Now it was Toothless' turn to whirl in surprise, "What? Of course you are the King! You were the closest one to him! That makes you his heir."
Cloudjumper glared at him viciously, resentment evident in the bright burning in his amber eyes.
Toothless shook his head in disbelief, "Why are you doing this? We won't survive if you're going to be stubborn. And I can't do anything about it!"
Cloudjumper was ready to pounce for such demeaning words, but the last sentence made him halt and consider. "Okay, I will give you one chance to prove that you are not trying to make a fool of me."
Surprise was evident in the swift turning of the Night Fury's neck. "I don't understand what you're talking about!"
Still unable to swallow the suspicion of the Night Fury tricking him, Cloudjumper had to clench his eyes shut in order to push the words: "You're the King…not me."
Immediately, Toothless' slit pupils went wide and soft with confusion, "W—what? No… you can't give me your title, I don't want it!"
The Stormcutter's eyes went wide in shock—the Night Fury was telling the truth? He seemed too genuine to be playing the fool… but how in the world would he not know something as important as this?
Body relaxing now, Cloudjumper approached the Night Fury once again, staring down at those frantic emerald eyes darting all around for an answer. "Night Fury do you honestly not know of this?" he asked, tone taking on a softer note.
The dragon just stared at him as if begging that this were some sort of dream. "You can't do this! I don't want to be King!"
"Night Fury, the title cannot be passed… You're the one whom was chosen to be…King."
This was insane! Toothless thought. He had come up here merely to try to retrieve the Stormcutter and now he was King?
Toothless shook his head sharply, "Cloudjumper, whatever I did to anger you, I apologize, but this is just cruel!"
The Stormcutter sighed heavily in frustration, "Trust me—if I was trying to be cruel, I would not be addressing you as King."
This brought no comfort the Night Fury, in fact, it made him even more panicked. "Cloudjumper, what am I supposed to do?"
"Not my concern." He began to pace away, but was stopped by a forceful nudge to one of his left wings. He quickly jerked the wing away as if the dragon was dirty. "You're the King now, and I suggest you act like it."
"Stay here!" he pleaded. "You can't leave the flock!"
"Watch me."
"I will force you to stay!" he roared, taking the Stormcutter by surprise. "If I'm the King now, then that means I have the power to do it."
The snarl on Cloudjumper's face was so dark that even the mightiest of predators would still in its deadly path. "You think to hold me slave?"
"I need your help!" Toothless insisted. "I can't do this alone and you're the only one who knows how… And I'm NOT leaving Hiccup either."
He is perhaps the most foolish dragon I have ever encountered! Cloudjumper thought, staring into his emerald pools. He has no inkling on how to use the powers he's been given nor does he comprehend what they could do… If I don't stay with him, he might very well turn out just like…Her…
A long moment of silence passed between the two before Cloudjumper spoke. "If I stay, that means I retain the same position I held with… the Great White King."
A rush of excitement/relief surged over Toothless' features, and he had to restrain from pouncing on him and showering him with dragon kisses… this wasn't Hiccup. "Thank you, Cloudjumper." He managed.
And the Stormcutter cast him one more unreadable glace before saying, "We'll see…"