Ch. 4
Dragon Training
INT. STOICK'S HOUSE-CONTINUOUS Hicca enters through her front door, and turns to see Stoick, seated in front of the fire pit, stirring the coals with his axe. Hicca pauses, then quickly tip-toes over and crawls up the stairs. She tries to sneak past as quickly as possible, when…
Stoick: Hicca.
'Not very stealthy, are you?' Toothless teased Hicca, who blushed.
Hicca: Caught in the act, she freezes. Dad. I, uh… Uhh, I have to talk to you, dad.
Stoick: I need to speak with you to, dear.
"This can't be good," Fishlegs stated.
Hicca and Stoick straighten up at the same moment. Both are ready to speak their minds.
Unison:
Hicca: I've decided I don't wanna fight dragons.
Stoick: I think it's time you learn to fight dragons.
Both: What?
Low, but genuine chuckles echo from around the room. Even with the tension still high in the room, people couldn't help but find Hicca's bad luck amusing. Said girl, however, wasn't amused.
"Typical," she said to Toothless and Austen. "Just when I'm ready to give up on fighting dragons, he decides to change his mind."
"There is some irony in there," said Austen.
Stoick: Um, you go first.
Hicca: No no, you go first.
Stoick: Alright… You get your wish. Dragon training. You start in the morning.
Hicca: (Shocked; flustered) Ooh man, I should've gone first. 'Cause I was just thinking, after all, we already have more than enough dragon-fighting-Vikings, right? But do we have enough- I don't know…bread-making-Viking? Or-or small home-repair Vikings…"
All the teens, including Austen, laughed at that.
"Really?" Austen asked, still chuckling. "Bread-making? Home-repair? Is that the best you could come up with?"
Hicca frowned. "What? I was desperate!"
Stoick: You'll need this. Hands Hicca and axe. Hicca slumps under the weight.
Hicca: I-I don't wanna fight dragons…
Stoick: C'mon, yes you do!
Hicca: Okay, rephrase: Dad, I can't kill dragons!
Stoick: But you will kill dragons.
Hicca: No, I'm very extra sure that I won't.
Stoick: It's time, dear.
Hicca: Can you not hear me?!
"Of course he can't," Hicca whispered so that only Austen and Toothless could hear. "He never does, and he never will."
Toothless looked down at her sadly before nuzzling her cheek.
'It's okay,' he said. 'I'll always listen to you.'
Hicca smiled. "Thanks, bud."
Stoick: This is serious, Hicca! When you carry this axe, you carry all of us with you.
"A whole village?" Hicca whistled. "That's a really big load to carry!"
A few Vikings chuckled, and Austen and Toothless laughed.
Which means you walk like us, you talk like us, you think like us. No more of… Gestures all over Hicca. …this.
Hicca: (bluntly) Frowns. You just gestured to all of me.
Stoick: Deal?
Hicca: This conversation is feeling pretty one-sided.
Stoick: Deal?!
Toothless couldn't help the small growl building in his throat. How could he be so stubborn? Why wouldn't he listen to his own daughter? Ugh, the nerve of some humans, he thought to himself.
Hicca sighs irritably, the axe weighing down her shoulders. She has no choice.
Hicca: (glumly) Deal…
Stoick nods, satisfied. He grabs his duffel bag and swings it over his shoulder. He grabs his helmet and places it on his head.
Stoick: Good… (BEAT) Train hard. I'll be back. Probably…
Hicca: And I'll be here. Maybe… She pauses, and at the last moment she adds, Be careful!
Stoick lets out a gruff sound and heads out the door, leaving Hicca alone.
"Cheerful household, don't you think?" Hicca muttered to Toothless.
'Well, it isn't ideal,' he admitted.
EXT. TRAINING GROUNDS- DAY Gobber raises a massive iron gate at the entrance of a vast stone arena.
Gobber: (cheerful) Welcome to dragon training!
"Finally! I show up!" Snotlout jeered.
"Hey! We're there too, you know!" said Tuffnut.
Austen: No turning back.
The recruits file through the gate, and out onto the arena floor. They take it in like gladiators entering the coliseum. The walls are covered in scorched silhouettes of blasted Vikings. It's a grim yet awe-inspiring place.
Tuffnut: I hope I get some serious burns!
Ruffnut: I'm hoping for some mauling, like… my shoulder or lower back.
Austen: He nods. Yeah, it's only fun if you get a scar out of it.
'Are they always like this?' Toothless whispered to Hicca.
"All the time," Hicca whispered back.
"Not all the time," Austen said defensively.
Both Toothless and Hicca raised their eyebrows, giving him a look that said, "really?"
Hicca(O.S.): (sarcastic) Yeah, no kidding, right? Pain; love it.
The teens turn to see Hicca behind them. Groans all around.
Tuffnut: Oh great, who let her in?
Toothless looked over at the same twin and growled. Hicca noticed and placed a hand on top of his head.
"Shh… easy, bud," she said calmly.
Toothless continued to glare at Tuffnut, but didn't growl. The teens and even some of the Vikings stared at the pair in amazement. This scrawny little teen was able to not only sit next to a Night Fury without fear, but able to calm it without it resisting. How was that possible?!
Gobber: Let's get started! The recruit who does best will win the honor of killing his first dragon, in front of the entire village.
Snotlout: Umm, Hicca already killed a Night Fury. So, does that like disqualify her or something? The teens laugh and chatter in the background.
Tuffnut: Can I transfer to the class with the cool Vikings?
Hicca sighs miserably. Gobber throws a supportive arm around her and ushers her along.
Gobber: (cheery, confident) Don't worry. You're small and weak, that'll make you less of a target. They'll see you as sick or insane and go after the more Viking-like teens instead.
Toothless couldn't help himself.
'You're not very good with words, are you?' he asked Gobber.
Said Viking turned and stared at the dragon for a few seconds. After a moment he cleared his throat.
"Well… I'm not the best," he admitted. "But I'm not the worst either."
Toothless chuckled. 'No, I suppose not.'
Gobber stared at the dragon for a second before turning back in his beanbag to face the screen. You could almost see the corners of his mouth twitch upward.
Gobber sticks her in line with the others and continues on toward five massive reinforced doors. Terrible roars and bellows issue from within. Fishlegs, who is standing next to Hicca, smiles at her.
Fishlegs: Hey Hicca.
Hicca: Hey 'legs.
The Fishlegs and Hicca who were off screen both grinned to themselves. They had always been friendly with each other. In fact, with Fishlegs being a nerd and Hicca being an outcast(until her excellent dragon training happened), the two were the closest thing to friends that they each had.
Gobber: Behind these doors are just a few of the many species you will learn to fight. Gestures to one cage. The Deadly Nadder…
Fishlegs: (under his breath) Speed eight, armor sixteen.
All of the teens groaned at them.
"Not again," Snotlout moaned.
Gobber: The Hideous Zippleback…
Fishlegs: Eleven stealth, times two.
Gobber: The Monstrous Nightmare…
Fishlegs: Firepower fifteen.
Gobber: The Terrible Terror…
Fishlegs: Attack eight, venom twelve.
Gobber: CAN YOU STOP THAT?!
Laughter rang out from the entire room. Fishlegs blushed as he curled into his seat a bit.
And…the Gronkle.
Fishlegs: (quietly, to Hicca) Jaw strength eight.
Hicca: Giggles. Thanks.
Fishlegs: No problem. Gobber raises his hands to the cage door and grabs hold of the lever.
Snotlout: Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait! Aren't you gonna teach us first?
"What's the matter, Snotlout?" Austen asked, folding his arms. "You scared?"
Snotlout snorted. "Me? Scared? As if!"
Hicca: (matter-of-factly) He's a blacksmith. He believes in learning on the job.
Gobber: Unfortunately for all of you, Hicca is, in fact, correct.
Hicca reared her head back. "Why must I be right?"
Gobber pulls down the lever, raising the cross beam on the door. BAM! A Gronkle thunders out of its cave, charging out into the ring. The teens scramble in ever direction to avoid the creature.
Gobber(CONT'D): Today is about survival. If you get blasted, you're dead.
"Lovely," Hicca stated.
The Gronkle scoops up a pile of rocks in its mouth, and swallows them.
Gobber: Quick! What's the first thing your going to need?
Hicca: A doctor?
Fishlegs: Plus five speed?
Austen: (confident) A shield.
Gobber: Shield. Go!
The teens all scramble, grabbing the shields scattered around the ring. Hicca tries to pick one up, but struggles in the process.
Chuckles ring throughout the room as they watch Hicca struggle. Hicca bites down on her tongue, her cheeks going pink. Knowing what was going through her mind, Toothless nudged her face to get her attention.
'Hey, it's okay,' he said.
"Yeah, I know," she sighed. "Nobody's perfect, right?"
Toothless smiled, and licked her cheek affectionately. 'You're perfect to me.'
Despite her cheeks going warmer and probably redder, Hicca stared at the dragon in shock.
Gobber comes over to help her.
Gobber: Your most important piece of equipment is your shield. If you have to make a choice between a sword or a shield, take the shield.
Gobber shoves the shield into Hicca's hands, and pushes her out into the ring. Ruffnut and Tuffnut are standing amidst a dozen shields. They both grab the one that has skulls on it.
Tuffnut: Get your hands off my shield!
Ruffnut: There's like a million shields!
Tuffnut: Take that one, it's got a flower on it. Girls like flowers.
Ruffnut snatches the shield out of Tuffnut's grasp, and smashes his head with it.
Several people laugh at this, watching the twins' own misfortune. The twins' parents, however, groaned in frustration, rubbing their foreheads stressfully.
Ruffnut: Oops. Now this one has blood on it.
Tuffnut grabbed the shield, and the two fight over it once more. The Gronkle heads for the twins, taking it's aim. BLAM! The shield is blasted out of their hands. The twins spin like spinning tops and fall down.
Gobber: Ruffnut, Tuffnut, you're out!
Tuffnut: (dazed) What…?
Ruffnut: (dazed) What…?
Hicca and Toothless both chuckled.
The Gronkle heads for the other teens, who are all gathered on the far side of the ring.
Gobber: Those shields are good for another thing; noise. Make lots of it, throw a dragon off its aim. The teens take their weapons and start hammering them against their shields. The Gronkle shakes its head at the noise. GRONKLE POV- the teens are all blurry and scrambled. The noise is working.
"So, that's what it looks like?" Hicca asked.
'Pretty much,' said Toothless. 'It depends on how loud and how close the noise is. You guys were pretty close, so her sight was really blurred.'
"Her?" Austen asked.
'Yes,' Toothless nodded at the screen. 'See how she has smaller wings, and her tail is larger? Only female Gronkles have those.'
Sitting only a few feet away, Fishlegs couldn't help but overhear what the dragon was saying. Where female Gronkles really that easy to tell apart? He had never read that in any of his dragon book, or the Dragon Manual. Maybe…he could write down some questions for the creature. Maybe he could ask Hicca some questions too. She's obviously friends with the dragon, she must know some things. Huh… a human friends with a dragon, he thought to himself. Fascinating.
Gobber(CONT'D): All dragons have a limited number of shots. How many does a Gronkle have?
Snotlout: (guessing) Five?
Fishlegs: No, six!
Gobber: Correct, six. That's one for each of you! BAM! The Gronkle blasts Fishleg's shield away.
Gobber: Fishlegs, out.
Fishlegs screams like a little girl and runs off, flailing his arms in the air.
Everyone laughs at the poor, frightened boy. Fishlegs blushed with embarrassment.
Gobber spots Hicca hiding from the Gronkle's molten slugs.
Gobber: Hicca! Get in there!
"Well, excuse me for trying to stay alive!" Hicca said sarcastically.
Hicca: Alright, I'm going! She attempts to make her way out, but jumps back when a Gronkle fired at her again.
ON AUSTEN bouncing on his heels, ready to dodge another blast. Snotlout appears behind him, trying to talk with him.
Snotlout: So, anyway, I'm moving into my parents' basement. You should come by sometime to work out. You look like you work out.
Austen groaned. "Seriously, dude? Are you gay or something?"
"Gods, no!" Snotlout said quickly. "Excuse me for inviting you to my crib."
"You still have a crib?" Tuffnut asked. "I thought those were for babies."
Snotlout smacked Tuffnut's face, and they all turned back to the screen.
Austen ignores him. He cartwheels out of the way, allowing a shot to shoot past him and hit Snotlout's shield. He's blasted onto his back.
Gobber: Snotlout! You're done! Austen rolls to a stop beside Hicca, who stirs awkwardly, trying to look cool.
Hicca: So, I guess it's just you and me, huh?
Austen: Nope. Just you.
"That was friendly," said Hicca.
Austen rubbed his shoulder. "Erm… sorry."
"It's okay."
Austen rolls away again. A split-second later a lava slug knocks Hicca's shield clear off of her arm. She is exposed!
Gobber: One shot left!
Hicca panics and chases after her shield as it rolls across the ring. The sudden movement sends the Gronkle chasing after her, leaving Austen in the clear.
Gobber: (worried) Hicca!
Toothless can't help but feel worried as he stared at the screen. Hicca looked so scared and vulnerable up there. He felt like he should do something.
"Bud, it's okay," Hicca said, patting his side. "I'm alive now, aren't I?"
Toothless calmed down slightly, and nodded.
The Gronkle dives straight toward Hicca, pinning her against the wall. It opens its mouth and cocks its tail, ready to fire point-blank. Gobber lunges in and hooks the Gronkle's mouth at the last second, causing its head to jerk back and fire against the stone wall above Hicca's head.
Gobber: And that's six! Gobber wrestles with the irritated Gronkle. (to the dragon) Go back to bed, yah overgrown sausage! You'll get another chance, don't you worry!
Slam! Lock. Gobber walks over to Hicca, who is panting slightly, looking shocked. He quickly helps her to her feet.
Gobber: (softly)You alright, lass?
Hicca: Rubs her arm. Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine.
Again, Stoick can't help but feel jealous at how close and friendly those two were. He was still unbelievably angry with Hicca, but she was still his daughter. And one way or another, he was going to make things right between them.
Gobber nodded, patting her back in a comforting fashion. He turns and looks at all of the teens.
Gobber: That's all for today. We'll meet in the Great Hall for dinner, and afterward we'll talk about how you need to improve after today's lesson. Remember, a dragon will always… Looks at Hicca. Always…go for the kill…
"Always?" Hicca asked the blacksmith.
"Well…maybe not always…" Gobber said sheepishly.
Gobber walks off. Hicca looks over at the steaming pit in the solid stone wall. A look of curiosity overcomes her.
'I know that face,' Toothless nudged Hicca. 'What are you up to?'
She giggled. "You'll see."
