Chapter 4: It Tasted Worse Than My Cooking

I woke up to Ruffnut standing over me. "Ruffnut, why are you are in my house?!"

She just smiled in her evil way. "You're forgetting someone!" She yelled. Forgetting someone? Oh no...

I looked up and saw Tuffnut hanging from the rafters and holding a terrified chicken. As soon as I saw him he dropped the chicken on me. The bird scratched my face and arms with its claws, and pecked my face. The twins ran from my room, howling in laughter. I finally got the chicken caught and took it outside. It ran in circles before running to its buddies at the bottom of the hill. Since my dad was gone, the twins could prank me in my house. Great.

I walked back in my house, looking everywhere for a trap those awful twins could have left behind. Finding none, I realized my face and arms were bleeding. Using a wet rag and my mirror which used to be my mother's, I cleaned my scratches. I felt like crying. Why couldn't everyone just be nice? Why did I have to be so different?

I looked out the window. It was time for dragon training. I could see the other teens walking into the ring, including the twins. They were all laughing, probably at me. I looked towards the docks. My dad wasn't going to get home till tomorrow, at the earliest.

I decided I was going to visit the Night Fury. She was just interesting. And, I didn't want to put up with the laughter today. I put on my shoulder armor and walked out the door. Luckily, I wore my skirt to bed last night.

A while later, I found myself laying beside the water in the cove. I didn't see the Night Fury. I knew I should be scared, but for some reason I wasn't. Maybe it was because yesterday the dragon could have killed me but didn't. Or maybe it was because whether I ran or not, if the dragon wanted to kill me she would have no problem.

I must have dozed off because I woke up to warm air blowing in my face. I held myself completely still, waiting for- well, I don't know. I barely opened one eye. I was met with two bright green eyes staring at me. The dragon sniffed my face and arms. She purred- who knew a dragon could purr? - when she saw the blood on me. I know this sounds crazy, but the dragon almost looked worried. Like she was worried about my face and arms. Like she was worried about me.

"It's only a few scratches," I whispered against my better judgement. When the dragon noticed I was awake, she growled. "What?" She focused her death glare on my shoulder armor. "Oh you don't like these? I don't either," I said quietly. I slowly reached my arm up and took them off. The Night Fury jerked her head to show she wanted my to throw them towards the water.

I threw them a short ways away, then laid back down. The dragon came back up and started sniffing me again, purring as if she approved my outfit now. I felt the almost uncontrollable urge to pet the dragon. I just wanted to know what a dragon would feel like.

I reached out my hand. The dragon growled a bit. I hesitated, then squeezed my eyes shut. I reached out my hand a little more, eyes still closed. I could feel her warm breath on my hand, then... I felt her push her nose into my hand. I opened my eyes, and stared at the dragon who was letting me pet her. She lifted her head, and then walked away. I sat up, and watched her for a bit. She laid down, first heating up the ground then laying on the warm place.

I had an idea and stood up and grabbed a sharp stick. There was only a few things I was good at, and fishing was one of them. I sat very still and waited for a fish to swim to me. Once one did, I stabbed it with my stick. I took the dead fish off the stick and showed it to the dragon. She picked up her head and looked curiously at me. I probably was pushing my luck with her, but she looked hungry.

She crept slowly towards me and I held the fish out. She opened her mouth as she got closer.

"Toothless? Wow, I would've thought you had-" teeth popped out of her gums and she grabbed the fish from my hand and ate in one gulp. Then she got closer and sniffed me, looking for more fish. "I don't have anymore," I told her as I stood still so she wouldn't bite me. I reached my hand out, palm up, wanting to pet her again. She took one look at my hand and threw up the head of the fish I just gave her in my hand.

"Ugh, that's nasty," I told her. She looked at me, then the fish, then back at me. "You want me to eat this?" My stomach told me it did not want to eat it, but I didn't want to upset the Night Fury, so I took a bite.

All I can tell you that is was awful. Worse than my cooking, which is saying something. I showed the dragon I ate it. Maybe if she turned away I could spit it out. She just swallowed, telling me to swallow it. I did, and grinned at her. Thank Thor that was over.

She tried to imitate my smile, showing her gums. The image was so funny I burst out laughing. Here I was, standing with the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself smiling at me. It was so funny I dropped to the ground, still laughing.

This was worth the twins pranks, just so I could come see this toothless dragon smile at me. Toothless.

"Hey girl," I said, turning around to talk to the dragon. "How do you like the name Toothless?" She smiled again, and I knew I found the perfect name.