One word: recant. Completely. I totally and completely recant almost every ill thought. (Except battle score. That was pathetic. John Powell must return.) Other than that, would you like to know why? Because Fishlegs writes poetry, Hiccup acts arrogant, and Astrid has the guts to try and kill Alvin the Treacherous! I fell in love today...well, I was already in love with Hiccup. Now he deserves it. ;)
Although, I can't get that image of Ozai out of my head...when Aang is facing his vision-fears in his water chakra? And shadow-Ozai is framed by fire and lifts his mouth and bellows...yep, that was going through my head every time Alvin spoke. Of course, he needs a few ... many... less limbs (and no magnificent beard) to really be Alvin. But still, I LOVE it!
"Am I? Well, there's only one way to find out." Hiccup sounded arrogant and prideful. And for once, he knew he deserved it. "Take me to Dragon Island."
He could do it by himself. All he had to do was lead these outcasts – oh, gods, Outcasts – to the dragon's home base, and he'd be home free.
It wasn't a bluff: he tried to fill his heart with vengeance and anger, which weren't hard to come by. They'd invaded his home. They'd captured his friends and fought his family. They'd tried to take him away. Self-confidence was another story.
He wasn't confident in himself … he was confident in Toothless.
Together, they could take whatever they threw at them.
The boat ride was agony. He wasn't nervous – at all – but Alvin clearly didn't believe that he was the 'Dragon Conqueror' and his men seemed to regard him as a joke. A sick, gory, nasty, completely honorless joke, but still. The hardest part was the disinterest: faking it while his heart was thumping practically out of his chest.
Even though he knew they weren't beaten yet, he swelled with relief when he saw Toothless' slow, careful creep forward. Slightly confused, Toothless still did exactly what he'd expected: rushed toward him, pinned him to the ground and opened his mouth wide.
Luckily, this worked in Hiccup's favor. He winced, turning away, and muttered out of the side of his mouth, "Hi...missed you too. We'll catch up later, okay? Just follow my lead."
His tail - oh, gods. They were going to have to … bluff, lie, act, whatever – all the way to where he'd stashed the flying equipment.
Luckily, it took only seconds before Toothless was shrieking and wailing and they were airborne.
He hadn't noticed until that moment how safe he felt in the air: walking made him nervous, and standing on the short trip – by moving boat – had almost made him sick. But the only way Toothless was getting in the air was if Hiccup was with him…and the only way Hiccup was getting an inch off the ground (no falling off roofs involved) was if Toothless was going to take him.
Of his two battles, this one stunned him. There were others. He wasn't alone. The smoke and fog played to his advantage, yet again: a dragon-made camouflage. He'd thought for the merest of seconds that he was going to lose Astrid, but Toothless flipped his wrist sharply with an ear before diving after her.
Yeah, yeah. I get it, bud. Faith.
For weeks, Hiccup floated – fell – through air.
Because if Alvin was a Viking, he was stubborn. He'd try again.
Hiccup wondered how long it would take before he'd crash into the water below. Maybe if they caught him for good this time, he'd flounder pathetically – cruel, really – until his metal leg finally dragged him back under.
But this is why he was a Dragon Trainer – a Dragon Rider. He had someone ready to catch him and pull him back to shore.