Hello, I hope you're enjoying the story so far. I've decided to make Toothless slightly more aggressive in order to soften his character up in future chapters. Posted 4-22-2014. Please enjoy & thank you for your time.
...
After catching up with her, Gobber escorted Hiccup home as promised. For the most part, they were silent, occasionally reminding one another about metal orders and inventory. It bothered her that her father didn't trust her enough to help around more. Sure she was accident prone and maybe a little ditsy, but her heart was in the right place. She looked to the heavens for guidance, the sun was slowly inching its way up the sky with light puffy clouds blanketing the blue.
"We're expecting rain soon," she trailed in speech.
Gobber glanced up to confirm her statement, "Aye, and soon we'll be getting snow an' ice before the seasons end."
The thought of winter reminded her of last night's flop on her part, hitting the dragon and what her father had said. Winter is coming and I have an entire village to feed. She never meant for her actions to cause harm to the villagers. Her heart sank, I'm just a walking wreck.
"He's so stubborn," she said under her breath.
"It runs in the family," Gobber gave her a smirk.
"Sometimes...I just want to be one of you guys," she frowned as they made it to the steps of the Haddock home.
"You don't mean that, Hiccup."
"I do. I look around and I see men and women fight to protect this village with their lives while I'm too weak to do so. If I had been born a boy like Aarne, then maybe I could fight or make my dad proud."
Gobber looked at her closely, raising a brow, "Is that what this is about? You mean more to your father than anyone else in this village, and that wouldn't matter if you were a girl or a boy."
"Come on Gobber, you see the way he looks at him," she motioned out to the distance. "He's the son I can never be to him. If he had a choice to start over and pick an offspring ten out of ten times he'd take Aarne," she sighed in sorrow. "Aarne's not a hiccup, he's the champion of Berk and what chief wouldn't want a champion by their side?"
"If you keep trying to compare yerself to Aarne, you'll only bring yerself more pain. Maybe he would take Aarne if he could, but he would have missed out on a brilliant smith, a wise inventor and not to mention a fantastic cook", he smiled as he saw the glowing grin on her face. "Who else can make turnip taste like trout without ever eating one?"
She beamed. Only Gobber really knew how to make her happy after being down, "You really think so?"
"If I had to choose, I'd pick you. You're a diamond in a coalmine, Stoick is just too focused on the coal itself to look at the gem he's got for a daughter," he placed a caring palm on her cheek, a loving smile on his face.
She reached out and gave him a firm hug, "Thank you, Gobber." He returned the embrace before they both let go.
"Be the best YOU can be and don't let anybody tell you otherwise," he told her as she made her way up the steps.
"I will," she opened the large door before disappearing behind it.
...
She was finally home. Her mind replayed the events of last night and the morning. She really wanted to know if she did down a dragon or if it was all in her head. Making her way up the staircase she slowly began to undress before heading to the bathroom near her room. It had a tub lined on the bottom with copper to trap the morning sun as it rose, heating up the water in it (her design, of course). Carefully she climbed in, washing away all the soot and sweat from the day, submerging herself so her hair got wet. She turned over and reaches for an herbal cleanser she made, her favorite, Sweet Grass. All her troubles from her head to her feet washed away, allowing the calming aroma to relax her mind and body.
After the bath, she got out, dried her hair and redressed in a fresh pair of her usual attire. Making her way to the kitchen she snacked on an entire bowl of blueberries before grabbing her satchel containing her sketchbook, dagger and charcoal pencil. She walked towards the back door and made her way out to Raven Point.
...
"Let's see, if I calculate the angle of impact, taking into account wind speed velocity and estimated weight of dragon, it should be right...here!" she pointed to a tree. Now she was confused. She already searched a good chunk of Raven Point empty-handed, and she was certain her calculations were spot on. What was she missing?
"Sigh, the gods must hate me more than usual today..." she remarked as she crossed out another part of her sketchbook before slamming it close. "Some people lose their knife or a mug, not me I manage to lose an entire dragon."
She walked over to the tree, turned her back to the trunk and let her body slide down to the earth in a seating position.
If she ever found the dragon, what then? Maybe she'd rip out its heart and present it to her father as a trophy. The thought of it all sent a cold shiver down her spine. Truth be told she never thought she'd ever have to kill a dragon, let alone take one down. Sure she was always trying to do so, but it was mostly for show. Dragon killing was everything in Berk, so she tried to share their regards. She took a deep breath and remembered a conversation far back in time...
...
Hiccup was running in the forest, ducking behind trees when she could. She was on a mission, a troll hunt. Gobber had told her all about them and she wanted to see one for herself. Every chirp and chatter would have Hiccup pause and scope the area for clues of a troll. She had to be sneaky to outsmart it, even for a four-year old she was considered bright.
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a large stone formation and made her way to it. She circled around its' cold walls and found an entrance. She entered and found herself in a cove. There were large rocks and trees at the corner, even a pond in the center. She turned to a small patch of wildflowers. Golden petals danced in the breeze as a small blue butterfly glided on a flower. Carefully, she inched her way to it. When she was in close range she struck, catching it in her tiny hands. It fluttered this way and that in her tiny palms hoping for an escape. She gave herself a victories smile before...
"Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III!" she flinched, she was in trouble now. "What are you doing young lady?" It was her mother, how she managed to always find her was a mystery but here she was, right behind her.
"Nothing," she swiftly put her hands behind her back without releasing the insect.
"Really, then what are you hiding behind your back?" her arms were crossed.
"Nothing, see," she gave a quick twirl, her hands still clamped shut.
"Hiccup."
Hiccup looked down, she returned her hands forward. Valka kneeled down to her daughter's height, looking down at her closed palms. She slowly opened them and revealed the blue butterfly motionless but still alive.
Valka drew her hands near and extended a finger to the blue winged creature. It waited, then climbed onto her fingers slowly, fluttering its wings lightly. With the butterfly relaxed, Valka returned it to the flower where it stayed.
Hiccup looked at the butterfly then to her mother confused, "Why'd you let it go, Mama? I wasn't gonna hurt it."
Valka lovingly stared into her daughter's big forest colored eyes, "Because, Hiccup, it has a job to do."
"What is it?"
Valka turned to the flowers, "What do you think a butterfly does, Hiccup?"
Hiccup looked at the little thing, "Nothing, it just sits there on the flower then flies away to a new one."
"Why would it just simple move from one to another, there has to be more to it than that." Valka never like to give Hiccup the answer right away. She wanted her to figure things out for herself.
Hiccup thought for a bit, butterflies just flew around, right? She looked at her tiny hands where the insect had been moments ago. There was a light blanket of gold dust on her fingertips. She examined it and looked over to the butterfly and flowers, "The dust came from the flowers and the butterfly spreads it to other flowers."
"That's right. Without the butterfly, the flowers couldn't spread their pollen easily, they'd die without them."
"So the butterfly is important to the flower and the flower is important to the butterfly. If I had hurt it, it couldn't have done its job," she frowned slightly.
"Oh, Hiccup," Valka scooped Hiccup into her arms and wrapped them tightly."You didn't know. Now that you do, you understand the butterfly a bit more and its purpose in life."
Hiccup listened closely to her mother's heartbeat, how it drummed soothingly, "Do you think butterflies have a heart?"
Valka mused over this for a while, "I'm sure they do. All creatures have a heart. And a heart means life."
"Fish and yak too?"
"Yes, fish and yak too."
"But we eat them, we eat things with hearts!" her tiny voice cracked. Suddenly the idea of eating something that was once alive and had a reason to live grossed her out. The thought that it once had a heartbeat and a mind made it even worse.
"Ha-ha, yes. But thinking about it now it does seem off-putting doesn't it," she lifted herself, Hiccup wrapped in her embrace. "Let's head back home before your father gets worried. I'll make you a nice bowl of yak stew."
The thought made her slightly gag, "Maybe I'll just have some beets and turnips tonight, Mama. I don't think I wanna eat meat for a while."
"Ha-ha, alright dear, whatever makes you comfortable."
"Mama, do you think dragons have a reason for living?"
"I'm not too sure. Maybe one day we'll find out."
...
Her mother's teachings about life and nature shaped the way she was now. After that day she stopped eating anything with a heart, soon even milk and eggs were something she shied away from. But even so her mother supported her decisions. When her mother disappeared, she felt alone. Not only was she an herbivore, but a hiccup. She tried to fit in with the others, but the more she seemed to force it, the more she detested herself. Maybe she was wasting her time here, looking for a dragon that most likely escaped or never got hit in the first place. "I should just visit the cove and pick some things for today."
She lifted herself up, grabbing onto a nearby branch. Once lifted, she released the branch which repaid her by smacking her right in the face, creating a semi deep cut on the right side of her forehead. "Ow, thank you tree, I really needed that," she looked up to it sarcastically. Gazing up she noticed its trunk clawed at and several branches hanging loose. Something big came this way.
Following the trail of shattered tree limbs she reached disturbed earth as if something big had fallen. She quickly continued till she reached the end, looked forward and there she saw it. She ducked down breathing heavily. It was real. She found the dragon. From the quick look she got, it was black and dead. She peeked slowly. It was lying flat on its right side in a clearing near a large boulder and soft moss.
Mustering up her courage, she slowly made her way towards the boulder, gripping its stony body tightly. Leaning to the side she got a better look at it. It was definitely black. The bola wrapped tightly around its body. She pondered for a moment reviewing her calculations, "Of course, I didn't consider to add additional weight to the estimated mass." She palmed her face lightly, "Idiot!"
...
The sudden noise caused the dragon's eyes to widen. He trailed to the location of the noise. From the side of a boulder he could see a small figure muttering something to itself. Staring at this strange creature he determined it was human, small for one but still human none-the-less. Noticing it finishing its ramble he closed his green eyes, hopefully it didn't notice and figured him dead.
Hiccup snailed towards the dragon. It definitely wasn't a Gronckle or a Nadder. She'd never seen a dragon like this before. Could this be a Night Fury?, her mind racing with the possibility. From her satchel she pulled out her dagger, put her sketchbook in the bag and remained still. Kneeling down to it, she got a good look at its wings, twisted in ropes and metal rings. She placed her hand on its side. It gave a vicious shake and echoing roar. It was still alive. The movement and sound caused her to push herself back a few feet. She looked to its head and gazed into an emerald mirror that was its eye.
He glared at it. It was surely a female and was frightened as she should be.
Recovering from the shock, Hiccup took the dagger in hand and returned to the dragon's side. It gave a firm growl and breathed heavily by her actions. She followed suit and began taking deep breaths. "You can do this, Hiccup. You're a Viking. You're a Viking," she reassured herself calmly as she lifted the blade above her head with both hands.
This was the moment of truth. The moment that separated her from being the 'hiccup' she was and the Viking she needed to be.
She glanced over to the dragon's eye once more, still glued to her. Watching her every movement like a hawk. She felt pain and fear in that eye. It was almost human, too real. She shock the thought and closed her eyes shut, not wanting to see it see her or her actions.
...
This was it, he was about to die, at the hands of this pathetic excuse for a Viking. Her eyes met his and he saw confusion and vulnerability. She seemed to be struggling with the idea of killing him, something he never thought a human could do. At this point there was no use in fighting it. He laid his head down in defeat, it was over. He was as good as dead.
She took one finally breath and rested her hands on her head. She couldn't do it. She couldn't kill it. It was a living creature, killing it went against her beliefs in life. Killing was the Viking way, but she wasn't one of them. She knew now more than ever, she was different. She wasn't a Viking. She opened her eyes, a stream of hot tears rolled down her face. She looked at the beast once more, it had its head down in defeat, ready for the end.
"I did this."
It was horrible. Hiccup lowered the dagger to her side and placed her ear to the dragon's chest. The heavy beating of a heart drummed through her body. Her mother's words echoed in her. A heart means life. This dragon had life, a purpose and she took that from it. No, she had to give it back.
His eyes flew open at the sensation of not cold steel to his heart but a warm soft pressure near his chest. He remained motionless, breathing more heavily. Even more confusion stormed his head as he heard the sound of ropes being hastily cut and a loose feeling over his body.
Hiccup grabbed her dagger and looked around her. Hopefully she was too far out for people to notice the act of treason she was about to commit. Assured the coast was clear, she began digging into the ropes. One by one, cutting the only thing keeping the dragon from ripping her apart. It remained still throughout the process, probably too lost in itself to even notice.
She would cut the ropes, run as fast as she could and hopefully never have to deal with this ever again.
...
When the last rope was cut, he instantly pinned her down, his claw to her thin neck. He could easily snap it like a twig. Maybe he'd burn her alive, he didn't care, whatever got the job done. He pierced his eyes to hers, they were teary and full of fear. This was too easy for him, not that he minded, but she was putting up no struggle. Not a flinch or a cry for help, just staring back into his eyes, like he had done to her moments ago. Her face softened and she leaned her head to the side, steadily breathing, eyes closed. She was ready for whatever he had prepared for her. She was awaiting her death.
He stood there, just eyeing her, a smell of something sweet and herbal danced into his nostrils. It was her. She smelt of fresh sweet grass and pine needles. He slowly began to lose himself in her decadent aroma before snapping back to reality. What am I doing? For the first time he really looked at her face, small spots trail her neck and profile. A fresh wound on her right side caught his attention. He lowered himself and took a slow lick over it. Her taste was earthy, delicious.
...
If she was to die, she would do so quietly, it was the least she could do for this dragon. It had a right to be angry at her like everyone else. If there was one person she'd miss, it would be Gobber. At least I left him with a smile... She accepted her fate and relaxed, she wasn't afraid of death. The dragon took its time before taking a slow wet lick at her forehead. She was sure it was going to eat her, it wouldn't have the heaviest of meals with her but at least it would be a grass and root fed human for breakfast.
What came next was not sharp teeth or ripping of flesh, but a loud monstrous roar right into her ear. It was earth trembling and vibrated her entire body.
He somehow felt he owed this twig of a Viking something. From what he gathered she was of little to no threat to him. For heaven's sake, she had the most perfect chance to end him and let him free. Why? That was the puzzling part to him. Why didn't she kill him? Why couldn't he kill this sweet grass smelling, earth tasting, weak, pathetic, female?
He gave a final huff before taking off.