Hello everyone! I present to you Chapter 3 of my story! Hope you enjoy it; this is where it'll start getting exciting. ;) Plus a little bit of romance (if you must know between Astrid and Hiccup. Nothing to serious, but this is a warning for all the soft folk).
A/N : Remember, Toothless talks 'Dragonese' in bold italics.
! – How to Train You Dragon and all characters and places deriving from it are the creations of Dreamworks and Cressida Cowell. All rights and credit is owed to them. "Fury and Glory" is mine. -!
Hiccup entered his home and began hobbling his way up the steps to his room. After battling with the Red Death, Hiccup's new archenemies became staircases. Over the last few months, he would need Toothless' help to get up the steps, and that was hard given the dragon's size and the lack of space on the staircase. When his friend wasn't around, Hiccup most of the time avoided the hassle and got on all fours to get up the steps. Fortunately, this was no longer the case, and Hiccup was beginning to show improvement on his balance with the prosthetic. Granted, he couldn't run like he used to or try anything that required more natural dexterity, but Hiccup kept trying to push those limits in hopes of finally overcoming them.
After a short amount of time, Hiccup reached the second floor and his room, consisting of a mattress, a grafting desk, and a view of the outside currently covered with fur pelts to keep in the warm air. He sat down on his bed. He was excited about his date with Astrid, but now he had to get ready. Unlike most times when they spent time together in the forest or on the beach, everything was very informal. But Hiccup was determined to look nice for this engagement. "The son of a Viking Chief must be…uhm…presentable! Yeah!" he thought aloud. Then Hiccup took a look at himself. "Oh who am I kidding?"
Hiccup sat up and went to his wardrobe which was a medium sized chest at the foot of his bed. Inside was all of his clothes, in which there wasn't too much variety. Hiccup sifted through fur vest and green tunic one after the other until there was nothing much left. Sitting on his heels and thinking, his vision glanced towards the window when he heard a roar outside. 'Hmmm…Toothless must be playing with the sheep again,' he thought to himself. 'Meh…I know he doesn't like sheep as much as fish, and he REALLY doesn't like wool in his mouth.' He recounted a period of hacking hairballs. Toothless hadn't eaten a sheep since, sticking with his favorite, Cod-fish, instead.
Hiccup's eyes darted again to a space above his desk next to his window. There was an extravagant fur cloak hanging there, presented to him on the day he woke up from his coma after the climactic battle against The Queen. Now, the Vikings of Berk were never known for much more than their combat expertise and now the dragons, and rightfully so. However there were a few fine gems in the village when it came to crafting things that were not weapons. Hiccup was one of them, Gobber another when he wasn't busy with his work. And then there was the village elder. She, with her deft and experienced hands could make all sorts of clothing, whether it was loin cloth or tapestry.
The fur cloak that she had given him was made from the pelt of a black wolf. On most occasions, Vikings did not kill wolves. They were quick and agile as well as intelligent. An unwary group of Vikings were no match against a pack of experienced hunting wolves. On top of this, wolves were very revered among Vikings. But the elder said to pay it no heed. On the back of the cloak was overly intricate embroidery consisting of knotting patterns for a border around a young human figure and a black dragon figure alight with blue flame encircling the human, obviously a testament to Hiccup and Toothless for their exploits and their bond. Running along the knotted patterns were sewn runes that spelled "United" and "Eternal", and between them were the sun on one side and a full moon exactly opposite it. Hiccup thought that, given the situation, he may finally have a reason to wear the cloak.
He took it down and draped it across his back wearing nothing else but his normal tunic and his riding gear, and pinned the cloak together at his right shoulder with a decoration carved from the claw of Monstrous Nightmare. With the riding gear, it raised the shoulders of the cloak up a little, delivering an oddly regal look. It trailed down to below his knees and sort of billowed when he walked. Hiccup looked at himself before carefully walking back downstairs again and looking for a reflecting pool. "Wait…does dad even have a bowl for one of those?" Hiccup asked himself. "He's always wearing the same thing; he most likely doesn't…" Before Hiccup could continue, he turned t the sound of scratching and loud whining at the front door of his home. "Toothless? Is that you? The doors are open you kn-"
At that, Toothless rammed in through the doors, nearly knocking them from the hinges and bringing with him an uncannily strong wind. The Night Fury ran around Hiccup and then back in front of him, and began growling murderously towards the open doors. Hiccup looked at his friend, noticing that while the dragon was indeed intent upon ripping apart whatever came through the door, there was also a twinge of fear in his eyes. He remembered that look from when he first found the dragon and when he had come to protect Hiccup in the ring and he was called off before attacking Stoick. "Toothless, what's the matter buddy?" he asked as he placed his hand on the dragon's head.
Toothless paid the gesture no heed. His mind was still focused on the strange anomaly that had approached him. After it disappeared, he wanted inside with his comrade, but once inside he realized that whatever it was could have followed and attacked Hiccup. Despite his fear, he was now Hel-bent upon not letting it touch his partner. Being with Hiccup also strengthened the dragon's resolve and courage a little. He knew they were tougher together ten-fold what they were apart. "Demon," Toothless dubbed the entity as he roared out, "you will not enter this threshold, or I shall show you true unholiness owed to my reputation as the terror of the night sky!" Of course, Toothless did not believe he was unholy, nor did he even know if the 'demon' could understand Dragon. But that didn't change the fact that he was going to show that he was fearsome and territorial when it came to this home and his dear Hiccup.
Fortunately, nothing came through the doors, besides of course a cool breeze. Toothless began to relax as he turned towards Hiccup. His eyes changed from bestial and slightly afraid to safe and, as many Vikings were reluctant to admit, kinda cute. "Are you okay little Hiccup?" the dragon asked his partner with low and comforting growls as he nuzzled up close to his friend rather forcefully. "Toothless, calm down, ok? Everything's alright bud," Hiccup attempted to calm his friend. He could tell that something was troubling Toothless, he just didn't know that the dragon thought that he was in danger. Regardless, the dragon was acting skittish and Hiccup continued to comfort the dragon just as the dragon comforted his rider. When everything had calmed down Hiccup looked Toothless in the eyes. "You all better now Toothless?" The dragon purred and licked his partner upside the cheek in confirmation. Hiccup laughed; though it smelled of rotting cod it still felt weird and ticklish kind of.
Hiccup then backed up and stood a dramatic pose, flourishing his cloak. "So, my valiant companion!" Hiccup joked. "What do you think? Nice huh?" Toothless, though seemingly impressed with his cohorts get-up, chuckled a little. "Well, well. I don't know much about your standards, but from my view it appears you aren't completely hopeless when it comes to looking impressive." Hiccup, not understanding the compliment but clearly getting the laughter, slouched a little. "Aw, gimme a break. I hardly ever overdress anyway." Toothless looked him over once again, a deep and thoughtful growl rumbling in his chest. "Hmmm…I think there's something missing, but it still looks nice."
Hiccup smiled as he looked up at the eclipse. He wondered why nobody else in his village seemed to ever really celebrate or even recognize it as much as other customs. Remembering how intrigued he was with the star charts, Hiccup guessed maybe his tribe really didn't have an easy way of predicting the date on which it falls. Taking a second glance at the sun and moon, Hiccup approached Toothless, who was still outfitted in saddle and also excited about going. "Ready bud?"
"Astrid! Hiccup's here to see you!"
Astrid turned around from her reflecting pool, but then slowly looked back. 'Are you sure this is enough?' She asked herself. Her hair was kept back and she was no longer wearing her headband, and over her normal skirt she wore a very soft brown cloak with white wool lining the edges. Astrid shook her head as she decided that she was too overdressed to be keeping her hair up. She reached for her headband on her bed and put it on, letting a few bangs cover her one eye. After looking in the pool, she determined that she looked ok. And then she rushed down stairs. Her mother was there waiting for her.
"That's a nice cloak Astrid, so don't go getting it all mucked up alright?" she chided. "And why didn't you comb your hair?" Astrid shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, I just think I look better that way." Her mother merely shook her head. "Well, whatever. Please take care of yourself while riding the Night Fury. Tell Hiccup not to let it do loops and tricks and all that." Astrid looked at her mom with disdain. "Mom, Toothless is not an 'it'. He has a name, a gender, and a heart just like anyone else in the village; maybe even more so than most people." Astrid's mom just grunted before replying, "Ok, ok. Old habits die hard. Just make sure you stay safe for me."
Astrid nodded her head. "Alright, I will." Then mother and daughter gave each other a tight hug before Astrid went to the door and walked outside. Waiting for her was Hiccup astride Toothless. "All ready for the eclipse?" he asked her with a smile. Astid was speechless. Hiccup did look…dashing actually; gallant even. His arm was outstretched to assist her to ride with him, and his black cloak wavered in the wind behind him with a passing breeze. "Uhm…Astrid?" Astrid, who had been, denied to this day, gawking at Hiccup broke from her trance. "Umm yeah. Yes! Totally ready to go." She took his hand as he helped pull her up to the saddle (which surprised Astrid that the scrawny kid could actually support her).
"Oh!" Hiccup started, "You look really nice by the way. In your cloak. It's very, y'know, pretty. Hehehe…" Toothless, unbeknownst to the two humans, rolled his eyes. 'For the love of…would you stop acting so nervous you scrawny...meh…' Toothless hoped one day he would be able to instill a tad of confidence in his young friend without him always having to be around him. The dragon shrugged his shoulders which brought the rider's attention to him. All he did once Hiccup noticed him was smile smugly. It wasn't one of his signature 'Toothless' smiles, just one that reflected understanding and confidence in his human.
"Oh, ha! Thanks! I considered where we were going and thought this would be nice with all the snow there would be," Astrid claimed, returning Hiccup's attention to her "I thought I might have overdressed some too, but…" Hiccup patted her on the shoulder. "No, you look great really!" Astrid smiled in return. "You look really nice too, y'know. Be a little proud of yourself, I can tell you're nervous. Whys hould this be any different then walking on the beach?" Hiccup shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe because we all look fancy or something." Toothless moaned and shuffled his stance a little. "I think this is really cute, but can we get moving now? Just standing here with you on top of me is starting to make my legs numb."
"Ok, time to go now. Take us up to the mountain top Toothless." Astrid, grabbed onto Hiccup and prepared for the velocity of the dragon bolting into the air. Toothless leaped up and spread his wings as Hiccup splayed the prosthetic tail fin, and they were flying high above the village within seconds. The trio ascended along the cliff sides. Despite Toothless' speed, the pinnacle of the mountain was high up and carrying two people wasn't too easy either. Eventually they were circling the top looking for an area of the mountain that was high up but not totally covered with snow OR a vertical grade that couldn't be stood upon. Eventually, a small plateau came into sight and Hiccup directed Toothless' attention to it. They landed and disembarked the noir dragon, careful of their footing."Well. This is nice!" Hiccup exclaimed to Astrid who just smiled and laughed gently.
Toothless breathed a gentle flame that melted the snow and heated the stone beneath him. He barked to his friends and offered them a seat in the patch of warmth. Before long, the three were sitting together 'snuggled up,' Toothless enacting a living hearth to stay warm. It turns out that Hiccup had misgauged his timing on the eclipse and the three had to wait for a while. But it was alright in the end, as the two Viking children chatted endlessly about each other and life and laughed and jokes. Toothless, though ever wary and happy to be in the company of the two, tried to settle down and rest some. Eventually however, the big moment arrived.
Astrid pushed gently on Hiccup's shoulder. "Look." She pointed upwards towards the sky. Hiccup followed the gesture and looked up to the beginning of the eclipse, though he was careful not to look directly into it as it was still blindingly bright. Hiccup tapped gently on Toothless' snout to wake him up from some well deserved Z's. "Buddy look it's starting! Wake up!" Toothless' verdant green eyes fluttered opened and looked up as the moon blocked out the sun slowly but surely. He stared directly at the wonder of nature. His eyes were not affected by the damaging effects oddly enough, and he was very impressed with this event of nature.
Astrid snuggled closer into to Hiccup, who wrapped his cloak around the two of them and held her tight as the watched the sun grow black as coal. "Wow… it's amazing, isn't it?" Astrid asked Hiccup dazzled by the event. Hiccup only grasped her tighter. "Almost as much as you are Astrid." Astrid looked up into Hiccup's eyes, which were firm and resolute though soothing with their evergreen texture so much like the verdant forests of their island. And Astrid for a moment was lost in those eyes before she burst into a fit of the giggles. Hiccup, though in the slightest, was taken aback by this. "Oh, c'mon. I mean…it was a little cheesy, I'll admit."
"A little, Hiccup?" Astrid asked him, still giggling slightly. Hiccup merely rolled his eyes and looked away, his mood dampened by her joking. "Well, nice to know that was appreciated. Being able to retain a little dignity would be nice, but I…" Hiccup was interrupted as Astrid kissed him on the lips softly. She looked at him with a smile and gentle eyes, and he returned it with at first a look of surprise and then his own relaxed smile. "…should be used to it by now. I still don't understand it, though." Astrid shrugged. "Love is confusing for me too. It isn't like war or battle where thoughts are so simple minded and focused on a single goal," she claimed silently and with an air of poeticism Hiccup had never heard before. "So I can understand if you think the way I love you is," she paused as she breathed deeply, "at times odd. But it's the way it works." She pointed up towards the eclipse. "Kinda like that, just in a way I can't really word."
"It is something uncontrollable and inexplicable, but awesome in every way imaginable." Hiccup described. "How's that for cheesy, eh?" Astrid shook her head. "Actually, it was quite beautiful and romantic." Hiccup was still confused as to how that could be pretty and what he said before was cheesy. "Aaagghhh… my head hurts. Toothless, do you get it at all?" Toothless, didn't reply off first, staring at the eclipse like it was hypnotizing him. Hiccup blinked in confusion. "Hey, buddy? Did you hear me?" Toothless snapped back to reality as he shook his head and then looked to his rider, cooing in apology, "Sorry. I must not have understood at first." Hiccup looked worried about his dragon partner. "Are you alright? You've been acting a little weird lately Toothless. You're not hurt are you?" Astrid laughed a little. "Maybe he's just a little jealous of the attention you're giving me. Don't worry Toothless, Hiccup loves you too. And I do as well!" She finished her statement as she began scratching Toothless behind his ear-thingies as he nuzzled closer to the humans.
Eventually, as the three kept watching the eclipse continue to form and complete itself, the trio fell asleep together under the sun and moon.
Hiccup fluttered his eyes as he looked up. 'Was I asleep?' he thought to himself. He looked to his shoulder which had fallen numb to find Astrid asleep as well, her head resting upon his shoulder. He did his best not to stir so much as to wake her. He then looked to Toothless who was not asleep but instead staring up at the eclipse. Hiccup looked again towards the astronomical formation of sun and moon, now fully complete. It made it seem closer, and from what Hiccup could bare to glance at a ball of black glowing fire. 'Must not have been asleep for very long,' Hiccup reflected. Toothless glanced to his partner as he noticed him watching. The dragon snorted and growled lowly. "I hear voices Hiccup," the dragon said in his own language.
Again, though a wall of communication was between the two, Hiccup attempted to bond with his friend. The dragon seemed like it was longing for something. "What is it Toothless. Are you looking for something?" The dragon growled lowly again. "Do you sense them around us, the voices?" Hiccup still didn't understand, but at that point he noticed the wind was beginning to pick up some. "Toothless we better go now; otherwise we'll have a tough time with the winds." Toothless nodded silently and made no other response as he lowered his stance to the ground. Hiccup gently shook Astrid awake, who slowly got up with a lot of help and no noise. "Kind of a heavy sleeper Astrid," he commented humorously as he mounted Toothless. "Shut up…" Astrid moaned as she got on with Hiccup's help again.
Toothless wasted no time in launching into the air, flying straight up instead of downwards towards the village. "Toothless, we have to go back home," Hiccup said above the roaring winds. "There is no time to play right now and it's probably getting late." Toothless didn't respond, but merely kept flying up like as if he was trying to fly into the eclipse itself. Astrid was beginning to worry. "Hiccup, what's the matter with Toothless?" she asked with a twinge of fear. "I don't know. Toothless please, we have to go home," Hiccup coaxed the dragon as he laid a hand on his head. But the dragon batted it away with his ear-thingies and kept flying up towards a seemingly growing sun and moon as it roared out to the two riders, "They say we have to go now." And then before any of them knew otherwise, they knew nothing but darkness; no feeling. No smells or sights, only the dark.
Hiccup jolted awake for a second time, though this time he did not see much. All around him was black, but it felt warm and soft. Hiccup began thinking and when he tried to move and was returned a loud draconic groan, Hiccup struggled more in attempts to wake his friend up.
"Toothless! Toothless, wake up! C'mon buddy, wake up!" The warmth surrounding Hiccup vanished though the darkness did not, and the voikingboy heard the groans from the dragon change into those of disturbance into those of slight pain. Translated into dragonese; "Ouch...Bad landning..."
"Hiccup! Where are you?" Hiccup turned around to the voice of Astrid. "Over here! If you can't see anything just follow my voice!" Before long Astrid's unsure shuffling grew closer until she collapsed into Hiccup's arms. "I'm ok!" she claimed with enervated breaths. "Yeah, I'm fine!" Despite the situation, Hiccup couldn't help laughing some. "Nobody asked, but it's good to know," he chuckled only to recieve a punch on the arm in reply. "Of all the times you couldn't be a gentleman, you choose..."
Astrid never finished her sentence. She was interrupted by loud growling from behind her. Loud growling of an angry Night Fury. Hiccup realized it was the same growling Toothless displayed this afternoon when he had burst into the house. Which meant that it was more defensive than aggressive. "Hiccup," Astrid approached the boy, "what's going on? Where are we?" Hiccup didn't know anymore than she did. "That's a really good question. Toothless, what's wrong with you? Where did you take us?" The Night Fury's growl became louder as if to silence th boy. "I can sense it. It's back..." But then his growling paused before he gurgled in his throat curiously. "I can smell...dragon."
All righty, cliffhanger! Gotta love those! XD
You're a jerk! On top of that, you took about 5 days or so to upload this.
Oh bugger off, will ya? Besides, schools starting back up for me and I studied a lot of Norse history to get a few details right in this.
Hmmmm... fine. I'll give you that.
Anyway, some honorable mentions. First, I'd like to thank any and all readers for your time reading and patience and to please keep reviewing. On the note of reviews, I'd like to thank user chalicity for the very nice review that struck me speechless (SSSSSOOOOO NIIIICE!). I hope I continue to impress and that you all keep enjoying the story.
Review and leave fish please! ^^