A Tense Encounter

Welcome. Thank you to all who have reviewed, it means tons and tons. This chapter unfolds pretty much like the movie with a little internal dialogue for our dear Hiccup.

As Stoic and Gobber talked, Hiccup was trekking on the other side of the island, journal in hand. She calculated a spot with her finger and closed her eyes in blind hope. But when she opened them she was only disappointed. No sign of any Night Fury. She added another X to her hand-drawn map and examined the countless ones scattered everywhere. Frustrated, she scribbled out her map and closed it, placing it in her belt.

"Oh the Gods hate me," she said to herself. "Some people lose a knife or their mug. No, not me. I manage to lose an entire dragon!" She hit a branch in her way, only for it to fling back and hit her in the face, sending her to the ground.

"Ow!" She felt a large scratch on her face. "Great. Now Dad's going to know I snuck out again. How am I going to explain this one?" She then looked up at the tree and tilted her head puzzled. It was snapped right in half. She rose to her feet and saw that she was sitting on a deep trail cut into the ground… as if something had crash landed there.

She dropped back to her knees and crept down the path. It ended just as it met the crest of a small hill. She gave a small peek over it just too immediately flatten herself against the wall again. She had seen something big. Very hopeful and a little frightened, she slowly looked over the hill once again and got a better look at the large black motionless figure on the ground. He was tangled in ropes.

She rose and could barely contain her excitement. It just had to be! Still a little frightened though, she pulled out the small knife she kept in her belt. She slowly made her way down the hill, hiding behind a rock for a moment before walking up to the unmoving creature.

"Oh-oh wow. I did it. Ohh I did it. This fixes everything!" She walked up to the fallen Night Fury and placed her foot on him. "I have brought down this mighty beast!" Suddenly, the dragon stirred and she immediately back-pedaled, knife at the ready. The breathing started heavily.

She peeked around to his head as one large green eye opened and stared into her it felt like. The Night Fury made no attempt to free itself or attack her. It simply made low rumbling noises.

She raised her knife, positioning herself in front of it. "I'm gonna' kill you dragon," she said uncertainly and mainly to herself to give her courage. "I'm gonna'- I'm gonna cut out your heart and take it to my father. "I am a dragon killer. I am dragon killer. I am a Viking." She looked the dragon in the eye and shouted, "I'm a Viking!"

The dragon looked at her eyes full of fear. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and raised the knife above her head. She opened one eye and looked at the black monster. It looked so frightened. As she forced her eyes shut again and raised the knife even higher, she heard the dragon loll its head back on the ground as it shut its eyes.

There was a pause of what felt like an hour as Hiccup tried to gather the courage to stab the dragon through. They had killed her mother, her father would accept her, and she wouldn't be teased any more. Yet those eyes.

She let out a deep, angry sigh at herself as she brought her knife down. She couldn't do it. She was unable to kill the helpless dragon. She looked at the ropes, stepping back, taking in what she had done to try to become somebody. "I did this," she said to herself. He had been about to suffer for her stupid wants.

The Night Fury's eyes shot open at the sound that followed. Hiccup was on her knees using her knife to saw through the ropes that contained it. This was very unexpected.

The moment the dragon was free it lunged at Hiccup, pushing her up against the giant rock she had hid behind with its claw at her neck. Its eyes bore into hers, filled with un-imaginable anger as it let out short, growling breaths. She struggled under his hold, but it was useless. Her eyes met his, tears swimming in them. She let out short choked breaths mixed with stabbing sobs.

It looked at her for a long moment before opening its mouth, revealing rows of sharp white teeth. She was shoved to the floor as it let out a ferocious roar in her petrified face and released its claw. Once it was satisfied it took off into the forest, attempting to fly but continually crashing into rock cliffs and trees.

Hiccup sat up, her heavy breathing being the only sound in the forest. She shook her head trying to regain her senses and wiped away her tears. She rose, grabbing the knife, and started back for the village. She had not made it three steps when her knees went wobbly and her legs gave out underneath her. She let out a moan as she dropped her knife and fainted.