Hiccup woke early the next morning before getting dressed; she then ran downstairs & out the door, quickly making her way to the hall. She spotted several early risers, who were walking about the village & starting their morning routines; Hiccup jogged up the stairs & entered the empty hall, the teens were not known for being morning people & the older Vikings that were up had already had breakfast, leaving her all alone.
Finally, some peace until training!
She sat down at her usual table in the furthest corner & ate a big breakfast to prepare for training; she then cleaned up & headed for the door, almost bumping into the twins.
"Morning, Hiccup! Sleep well?" Ruffnut asked as Tuffnut walked past them; Hiccup smiled,
"I sure did! We're gonna haveta keep an eye on Tuffnut though; remember the Gronckle?" Ruffnut smiled & nodded before she went to join her brother; Hiccup then walked down the stairs & over to the forge to work on something. It wasn't long before she heard the other teenagers moving through the village in a pack; the metallic ringing coming from their direction hinted at the fact that they were going to training. Hiccup sighed,
This is gonna be interesting; I just hope it doesn't go like yesterday.
She then picked up the ax her father had given her, placed it over her shoulder, & left the forge behind the group, trying her hardest not to be seen; Fishlegs turned to wave at her subtly, knowing that his friend wouldn't want the others to see her. Tuffnut looked over his shoulder & slipped her a genuine smile; Hiccup couldn't help but daydream about her & the male twin before she shook her head.
Why would I even consider these thoughts?
Sooner than she had hoped, Hiccup was once again in the ring; the other teens were standing a little ways away from her in a group. Fishlegs detached from them & walked over to her; sticking by her so the others would hopefully leave her alone.
At least Fishlegs cares about me, just like Gobber.
Her eyes scanned the makeshift maze that Gobber had created out of huge wooden panels; it didn't look that difficult to navigate but Hiccup doubted that all they had to do was make it from one side to the other.
"What dragon do you reckon we're going to fight today?" Fishlegs asked quietly, trusting her inner knowledge of the way Gobber worked.
"Well, if I know Gobber, he'll be pitting us against the Deadly Nadder; tell me, my friend, how good are you with large sharp spines?" She teased, pausing dramatically at the end & breaking into giggles at the horrified look on his face.
That was just way too easy.
Hiccup was completely unaware of the fact that the other trainees had stopped to listen to her, missing the dark look of jealousy that the male twin shot at her friend as he smiled, only for him to pale as she determined the dragon they were facing today. A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he heard her chiming laugh; he suddenly frowned & looked at the ground,
I hope the Nadder doesn't attack me.
"Oi lass! Thank ya very much for ruinin' the surprise! I wanted to see their faces when I told 'em which one was goin' to be trying to kill 'em today!" Gobber thundered as he entered, sending a fake mad look in her direction; Hiccup giggled some more.
"Sorry, please continue telling us how you plan to kill us today." She gestured with her free hand to the group of teens & put up an incredible poker face, not a sign of emotion crossing her face; Gobber then hefted a shield into her arms & threw some more at the others, leaving them to grab their own from the small selection.
"Alright, let's get started." He called, moving swiftly through the maze & across the ring before jerking down a lever to one of the cages, once again letting the dragon loose on the group of teens without any beforehand knowledge.
Here we go; hopefully Tuffnut doesn't end up in the same situation as yesterday.
Gobber then grabbed the edge of the ring & hoisted himself out, slipping carefully through the iron bars so he could observe the teens as they struggled to survive; Hiccup ignored the looming threat of the dragon as it made its way around the ring, choosing instead to stand in the center so she had a clear view of Gobber so she can talk to him.
"You know, I just happened to notice the book had nothing on Night Furies. Is there another book? Or a sequel? Maybe a little Night Fury pamphlet?" She asked, letting her shield hang casually by her side; the only warning she got for the incoming fireball was a steady swoosh as it thudded into the wall next to her head, embedding the burning embers into the thick wood.
"WHAT?!" She cried, ducking instinctually away from the heat with a startled yelp.
"Whoa." She looked at what was left of her ax.
"Focus Hiccup! You're not even trying." The Deadly Nadder hopped over one of the panels & Hiccup shrieked as it bore down on her, its mouth open wide & its rows of pointy teeth glistening like freshly sharpened blades; her feet thrummed back & forth quickly, her mind trying to figure out which side would be easier to navigate but with only seconds to spare, she darted off to the right, her shield weighing her down as she ran.
"Today… is all about attack. Nadders are quick & light on their feet. Your job is to be quicker & lighter." Gobber instructed, missing the incurious look Fishlegs sent in his direction; the Nadder's spines thudding into his shield as he ran through the maze with a scream, his big bulk making the lesson a lot harder for him.
"I'm really beginning to question your teaching methods." He called as his shield hit a wall & sent him spinning before he looked over his shoulder for the Nadder that had attacked him moments before from its place above them on the top of the panels.
"Look for its blind spot. Every dragon has one. Find it, hide in it, & strike." Gobber advised, watching with an almost bored expression as Hiccup darted past the twins, who were running almost in sync as only twins could; they both jerked to a stop as they came face to face with the Nadder, its head moving forward till they were almost touching, the twins having found its blind spot first.
Okay Tuffnut, stay in the blind spot & you'll be safe.
Its nostrils flared as it tried to locate the owner of the scent that was so close but it couldn't see; Tuffnut instinctively pulled back & crashed himself against his sister as he watched the Nadder with a terrified expression. Ruffnut stayed calm as she tried to avoid large movements & risk moving out of the blind spot,
"At least this one isn't trying to kill you." Both twins moved side to side as the Nadder swung its head, somehow remaining hidden in its blind spot; Tuffnut whispered back,
"Please don't jinx it." His sister had a look of guilt before whispering,
"Sorry." Both twins backed away & silently bolted down the side they came from; Gobber chuckled as three of the teens darted past beneath him. Hiccup saw that the Nadder was far enough away not to be a threat & broke away from the group, skidding to a halt back in front of Gobber & craning her neck back so she could see Gobber,
"Hey, so how would one sneak up on a Night Fury?"
"No one's ever met one & lived to tell the tale. Now get in there." Gobber ordered loudly, thrusting his real hand towards the dragon that was moving swiftly across the arena in search of prey.
"I know, I know, but hypothetically…" she began, slowly backing up so she could still ask her questions but was cut off by Astrid, who was crouched behind the corner with Snotlout close behind her.
"Hiccup! Get down!" Astrid hissed, peeking around the corner only to duck back as the Nadder crept around the one in front. Its jerky movements reminded Astrid of a bird of prey she once saw, its sharp beak like mouth, small eyes, & thin body completed the image.
I may have been born to hate dragons but this Nadder is really magnificent & beautiful.
She carefully timed the exact moment when they would be in its blind spot then counted down before quickly tumbling forward into a roll, using her shield to gain speed & move to the other panels.
That was way too easy; a Nadder is a synch!
Much to her displeasure, Snotlout managed the same maneuver & appeared next to her; the two turned back just in time to see Hiccup attempting to copy them, only for the weight of her shield to drag her back by the arm strap as it refused to move with her.
Hiccup is unable to join us properly, like always.
The Nadder heard the sharp clang & heavy breathing, tipping its head to the side so Hiccup was out of its blind spot & in full view; it darted forward, snapping dangerously close to where Hiccup was once standing as she shrieked, quickly heaved herself to her feet, & darted down the maze, trying desperately to avoid the Nadder.
At least she can avoid them faster than we can.
The dragon flapped its wings strongly & landed heavily on top of the panels, balancing precariously on the edge before dropping down, cutting off the alley that Astrid & Snotlout were about to run down. The Nadder sped forwards & Astrid crouched, bringing up her ax as she readied to face it; Snotlout sneered & pushed her aside with his shield, ignoring her cry of ignition as he pulled back his mace arm & leant back.
"Watch out, babe. I'll take care of this." He preened, throwing his mace towards the dragon. It flew straight into the panel, connecting with a muffled thump before falling to the ground, completely missing the dragon, which made a funny sound in the back of its throat: a cross between a hiss & a cough as it turned back to face the two Vikings.
"The sun was in my eyes, Astrid." Snotlout protested, slumping as he turned to face the blonde teen before she spun on her heel & fled from the Nadder. He gave a startled yelp as it shot a blast of fire towards him, moving at the last second so it struck the wall; Snotlout was still whining as he tailed Astrid.
"What do you want me to do, block out the sun? I could do that, but I don't have time right now!" He almost forgot about the angry dragon as it chased them through the alley; Astrid continued on her forward path but Snotlout, sensing that it was getting closer to him, slunk into the closest exit from the wooden alley.
Astrid skidded around the corner, the shield that was dragged across the floor with her threw up sparks as she passed Hiccup; the Nadder barely even noticed the small teen & continued chasing Astrid, knocking over the panels & destroying Gobber's maze as the blonde Viking darted through the alleys to avoid the snarling dragon. Hiccup had once again stopped to talk to Gobber, hoping for the meaty Viking to tell her anything about Night Furies.
"They probably take the daytime off. You know, like a cat. Has anyone ever seen one napping?" She asked desperately, barely even noticing she was buffeted from side to side by the Viking teens, excluding Tuffnut, while they ran past in a panic, several of their shields making contact with her arms & back in their haste to get away.
"Hiccup!" Gobber shouted, making her turn & watch in dismay as the maze fell apart in front of her; Astrid ran up one of the falling panels, the steep incline making it unfortunately easier for both her & the dragon to climb. She reached the top & made a desperate leap to the next, balancing unevenly on the top as it fell.
"Hiccup!" She shrieked as a warning to the other girl to get out of the way; unable to stop Astrid's descent, Hiccup cringed & prepared to do the next best thing to insure the Viking girl's safety: break her fall.
What happened to Hiccup, Astrid, & the Nadder?
Tuffnut thought as a cloud of dust rose from the arena floor when the last of the panels hit the ground, stirring up a year's worth of dust & dirt; as the cloud slowly drifted away, the other teens could make out two distinct shapes on the floor. Astrid got tangled up with Hiccup; Astrid's ax had become embedded in Hiccup's shield when the girl broke her fall.
"Oooh! Love on the battlefield!" Tuffnut sung as Astrid attempted to free her ax from Hiccup's shield, their legs still wrapped together; no one noticed the tiny hint of jealousy in his voice as he called out from the other side of the arena.
"She could do better." Ruffnut agreed, stage whispering so everyone could hear while her blue eyes trained solely on the golden-haired Viking, a spark of possession flaring within her eyes.
"Just… let me… why don't you…" Hiccup's voice trailed off as Astrid finally managed to untangle their legs, shoving Hiccup to the ground by her vest in the process; Tuffnut suddenly heard a voice,
"The Dragon Whisperer!" He turned his head to the right & saw the Nadder freeing itself from the ruins of what used to be the maze; he bolted when the Nadder chased after him. Astrid saw this, gasped, & looked about for her ax only to realize that it was still embedded in Hiccup's shield.
She placed her boot onto the surface of Hiccup's shield & tugged sharply on the handle of her ax, ignoring Hiccup's cries of pain as the strap dug firmly into her arm & the shield's metal bearings scraped roughly across her forearm; Tuffnut ran wherever he could, keeping the Nadder away from the others.
"You must use your cosmic powers to save us all."
"What?" Tuffnut muttered before the Nadder shot a blast of fire at him, knocking him down.
"Our fates rely on you, Dragon Whisperer!" The Nadder raced towards him before Astrid raced over & slammed her shield-embedded ax heavily against the approaching dragon's face, knocking the great beast to the side with a startled groan of pain as most of the shield shattered on impact; the Nadder raced back into its cage, keeping a fearful eye on Astrid as she held the broken remains of the shield still attached to the ax in front of her like a club.
"Well done, Astrid." Gobber called out; Hiccup slowly got to her feet & the group walked over to Tuffnut & Astrid. The male twin tried to get up but he quickly fell down with a hiss; Astrid turned to face him with her ax hanging loosely by her side,
"Are you alright, Tuffnut?" He glared at her,
"Do I look alright?" The teens saw that the Nadder's fire had scorched his right leg; Ruffnut helped her brother up & followed Hiccup out of the arena. They took Tuffnut to the healing hut; Hiccup dragged out a small roll of bandages & a salve that helps against the pain of burns.
This is really gonna go bad in a hurry.
Ruffnut carefully took off his boot before Hiccup applied some salve to the burn, receiving a faint hiss from the male twin; after a quick coating, she carefully wrapped his leg in bandages.
"Okay, that about does it. Do you need help taking him home, Ruff?"
"No thanks; I got it!" She then took her twin home.
Hiccup stumbled across a loose rock & cursed, readjusting a shield on her arm. Her hand slipped to the pouch at her waist & withdrew a medium fish she had taken from the stores, holding it carefully in front of her.
Let's see how it'll be! Wait…I gotta remember that it's a dragon. A dragon that let me live; I gotta feed it so it won't starve to death.
The cove entrance came into sight & she readied her shield in front of her, shuffling forward into the narrow tunnel that leads to the mini section of paradise. She came to the very end before it opened up & stopped, lowering her shield so she could see over the top of it into the cove.
She lifted her hand with the fish & turned her shield to the side so she could get a clear shot; she silently tossed the fish forward into the open & cowered back behind her shield, watching attentively as it landed with a thump on the grassy floor. She poked her head around the boulder & glanced from side to side as the fish remained stationary, no dragon coming to claim it; deciding she had already come too far to turn back she moved forward, holding her shield in front of her as protection.
Hiccup had barely made it two steps before her shield became wedged in-between the two boulders, the grey rocks holding it tightly in their embrace; she gave it a few tugs only for it to remain steadfast in its place. She unlatched her arm & ducked under the shield to appear on the other side in the cove before she gave one last half-hearted tug & turned away, sighing under her breath.
There goes that plan; better stay alert.
She moved towards the fish that still lay on the ground, picking it up by its gill; she took several steps into the cove, her eyes scanning the wide expanse as she moved forward cautiously. She was unaware of the Night Fury carefully watching her; she then rotated slowly on the spot to face him & gasped, holding the fish close to her as he began to slowly make his way down the rock, never breaking the intense staring contest between the both of them.
Just relax & give him the fish, Hiccup! Stay calm!
She held out the fish to him; he took several steps forward & opened his mouth before he looked at her vest. He backed up & made a suspicious grumble in the back of his throat, startling her so she drew back the fish against her chest & her hand moved her vest aside to reveal the dagger she had brought. He then snarled & prepared for her to attack; a small bit of him would feel guilty for killing her but he pushed it away & focused on the fact that it would be out of self-defense.
I just gotta let him know that I'm not a threat!
She glanced at him; he let out of a puff of anger & shuffled backwards, keeping a steady eye on her hand near the dagger. Her fingers clasped around the handle & he growled, drawing back in preparation to pounce but her hand retreated & her small face twisted into a weird expression before she took several small breaths; she pulled it from her belt & held it at arm's length, dropping it to the ground.
Almost gaining his trust; just need to let him know.
He jerked his head stiffly to the side as the toe of her boot shifted under the knife, tossing it easily to the side & into the water; she saw almost at once a change envelope the dragon as the threat disappeared in a place where it would not be easily accessible. He shifted back onto his haunches, his eyes widened, & his ears lay back; she could see his face resembled that of a begging puppy.
She doesn't wanna hurt me? Is she giving me the fish as a peace offering? Very interesting!
The dragon thought as Hiccup held out her hands to offer him the fish; he looked suspicious for a moment but then moved slowly forward till his mouth was a foot away from the fish, wide in anticipation.
"Huh. Toothless. I could've sworn you had…" she was interrupted when razor sharp teeth filled his mouth; moments later, the fish was snatched from her hands & he held his head high, happily munching on his treat. He licked his lips happily, showing off his beautiful, clean teeth.
"…teeth." She finished, holding her hands close to her body & marveling that he had managed to take a fish from her without even getting scratched. His head snapped in her direction, his pupils dilating as he went from sitting to crouching in moments & began stalking towards her, causing her to stumble backwards & trip over her own feet, landing heavily on the ground. She scuttled on her hands & knees until she was backed against a rock as his head was just mere inches away.
"Uh, no. No, I don't have any more." He suddenly sniffed her before he snorted, growled in fear, & raced away; Hiccup stared after him in confusion.
He must've smelt Tuffnut on me!
She suddenly gasped when she realized something,
Tuffnut! I almost forgot he doesn't know he's part of a legend.
She quickly darted out of the cove, glancing back at the last second to see the night fury curled up on the other side of the cove, his piercing eyes staring at her as if he were looking right into her soul; she shuddered at the eerie feeling & kept running, making it back to the edge of the forest in record time. The sun was barely even touching the horizon yet & she sighed in relief.
I still have enough time to get the smell of sweat off me from training & the run I just completed.
Hiccup snuck through the village, hoping that no one had seen her enter the village from the forest; if they told her father she was in the woods this late, he would be raving mad. She was almost at her house when she heard voices from a dark alley nearby; she looked to the alley but was unable to see a thing due to the alley being dark,
What the…must be my imagination; besides, no one could say that I screwed up in training anyway.
She was rudely stopped when a hand shot out before several more followed its lead; she was grabbed roughly around the arms & waist. Another hand that was placed over her mouth prevented her from crying out & she was dragged into the shadows, kicking & screaming, which was muffled.