Chapter Four: Move Along
X-X-X-X
A tense silence permeated the forest. Not even the birds dare chirp, and the wind geld still in this reverent moment.
Hiccup stood, poised and ready in the center of the clearing. A thin line of smoke lazily flowed from the embers of that mornings fire. His arms were covered by cloth hiding the ugly scars beneath. A sheen of sweat covered him, his breaths came heavy in the morning air. Every sense that he had was set at high alert. From his periphery he saw movement, turning on a dime he narrowly skirted the night furys attack.
Hiccup faced his attacker. Once more it pounced, waiting til the last possible second he leapt to the side and struck out with his left foot, the dragon's jaws clacked together with the force, earning a bitter snarl as Hiccup set back down into a crouch. They stared at one another for some time before the human lunged forward, taut muscles rippling as he darted in and quickly pressed the dragons soft spot, the black beast crumpled at the touch.
Hiccup flopped to the ground panting and suddenly started laughing. "Eight to six, Toothless, I win today." A few minutes later an equally exhausted Toothless lumbered over and flopped beside Hiccup.
"It's only cause you hit my pressure point." Toothless grumbled.
"Oh hush, I got you without it the first time."
Toothless growled and turned his head away.
Hiccup smirked. They had been training like this since Hiccup had healed. Toothless hadn't let Hiccup out of his sight the whole time. To pass the time they sparred, at first Hiccup always lost. But slowly they came to be on equal grounds. Trading victories day by day. The general rule was if one won twice in a row, that was the end. Each day their bouts came to be longer and longer. Both of them were coming into peak physical condition.
"So what do you think Ayun is doing?" Hiccup mused.
"I'm not sure, he simply said he had to leave, he never gave his reason. Once he was done with..." An awkward pause stopped the conversation. The events of the last few weeks had become a taboo between them, always ending in hot words and hurt feelings.
Hiccup was desperate to fill the silence, "I know..."
"...Yeah. After that he just left. He said he'd be back eventually."
The silence between them stretched for what seemed an eternity.
"I'm ready to leave. He was a good guy, but I think it's time we continue on our way."
Toothless looked at Hiccup. "You sure?"
"About as sure that you're not a sheep."
Toothless grinned his usual namesake grin. "Baaa."
X-X-X-X
It wasn't long before they were packed up and ready to go.
The last embers of the fire had died out and the sun shone down through a cloudless sky.
"A perfect day for flying, right bud?"
Toothless needed no urging to shoot up into the sky. Climbing rapidly above the trees they were soon on their way. Heading further to the east and north the duo made no effort for speed, enjoying a leisurely pace and the occasional bit of showmanship. As the day went on the forest went with it. Seeming to stretch forever in all directions. Here and there were abnormalities, a clearing, a small lake, a small stream. But otherwise it was a seamless mass of green.
However, in the distance a mountain range was making itself visible. "Do ya wanna go for it Toothless?"
"Why not?" Toothless sped up slightly, the trees began to blur beneath them. Every minute they drew closer to the mountains, and Hiccup was beginning to grasp their obscene size. These were taller than anything he had ever imagined. The trees came far up the slopes and coursed through the valleys.
Hiccup gazed in awe, and Toothless found it hard to ignore the majesty around them. They flew through the mountains in silence, just staring. It was this silence that saved them. Toothless' ears twitched and he suddenly rolled to the side while a blast of flame shot by him. Hiccup adjusted his foot and the two whipped around to face their attacker.
In the air across from them an entirely new dragon hovered. Neither Toothless or Hiccup had ever seen one like it. Its head was wide and long, filled with straight razor sharp teeth, from there it's spined neck reached back onto a wide torso with massive wings keeping it aloft. Its forelegs held foot long claws that looked ready to disembowel a jotun. Its tail had a set of six wickedly sharp spikes placed flat and on each side. This dragon was a flying weapon. Its head reared back as flame began to fill its throat. Toothless dodged the bolt with ease, but it still didn't offset the danger. Recognizing that breathing fire would do it no good the dragon charged, and Hiccup and Toothless fled, neither one wanted to needlessly harm the other dragon.
As fast as Toothless flew the dragon behind them seemed to have no trouble keeping pace. "Toothless! I have a plan!" Hiccup yelled over the wind.
Reaching out Hiccup hoped he could talk to the dragon. If nothing else hopefully the contact would throw it off. It took some work to focus enough to find it, but when he did he was slammed by a whirlwind of emotion. There was no talking, for whatever reason the only thoughts going through their pursuers mind were of hatred. "Plan B Toothless, you take the lead!"
Toothless understood Hiccups meaning and whipped around. His advantage over the other dragon was the speed his fire moved. The other dragon had no chance, it caught the bolts impact in its shoulder and with a dismayed roar fell to the valley floor. Toothless was fast to fly away. Hiccup looked back. "We should leave these mountains."
Toothless took a while to answer. "We're lost. These mountains are a maze and the sun is setting."
"What do you mean we're lost?"
"I mean I don't have a clue where we are." Toothless looked around. "Everything looks the same."
"Let's find somewhere to sleep then."
They flew along for sometime, it was Toothless who spotted it. A shallow cave in the mountain.
"Im overjoyed. Cave sweet cave, stone is such a nice change." Sarcasm poured from Hiccup.
"Oh deal with it. It's better than sleeping in the open and waiting for the angry one to find us."
"You've got a point there."
They descended into the cave rapidly, hoping no one dragon or otherwise saw them. Hiccup hopped off Toothless and stretched. Sitting hunched in the saddle for hours made for some stiff muscles. Hiccup walked outside the cave. It was high time he had some personal time to answer a call of nature. "Toothless I'll be right back."
"You've got ten minutes." Toothless began to explore the cave, looking for anything interesting on the ground
The cave floor was bare. Not even dusty. Just smooth rock Toothless couldn't help but be curious as to how it was formed. He'd been in hundreds of caves and none of them were like this one. But for now, he curled up and waited.
Hiccup was quick to return he had a bundle of wood in his arms which he promptly dropped to the ground. He unbuckled the saddle from Toothless, letting him relax from the weight. The sun shone into one half of the cave before slowly being cut off by the mountains. Hiccup used the fading light to get a little more wood. Working for a few moments in one corner of the cave he made a dense tangle out of the branches and sticks. Toothless stalked over and with a small jet of flame ignited the fire.
There the two sat, watching the fire slowly eat away at the branches, every so often Hiccup added some to the fire. Eventually sleep tugged at their eyelids. Hiccup grabbed his furs and laid out in the corner. Toothless curled up a few feet away.
As the fire died to coals Hiccup fiddled with it once more to keep it burning longer. "Night Toothless." He said, Toothless' response was lost as sleep pulled him under.
X-X-X-X
Hiccup awoke suddenly.
The night was black and moonless, but a deeper darkness pervaded and blocked out the night. He felt suffocated. His limbs felt leaden. A voice, like his own but not, broke the silence. "Why are you here?"
"Who are you?"
"I'm you. Why are you here?" the darkness solidified into an emaciated legless wisp.
"You aren't me!" Hiccup looked to Toothless.
"It's no use, he can't hear you right now. Why are you here?"
"What in the name of all the gods are you talking about!?"
"I mean what I say. I am you, I am the real you. I want to know why. Are. You. Here?"
"I don't know!" Hiccup yelled. He looked over and Toothless didn't even stir. "I don't know why I'm here damnit!" He slammed his fists to the ground. "All I know is Toothless saved me!"
"Saved you? That's an interesting take." The figure moved closer and caressed Hiccup's cheek, it was cold like ice but somehow, it wasn't there at all. "I thought you wanted to die? All I see is that the selfish lizard stole your dignity. Look at you, forced to live with scars. Forced to know that no matter what-"
"Don't you dare say her name."
"Aaastriiid." A sick chuckle left the spectre "No matter what Astrid is gone and it's all. Your. Fault."
"Shut up!"
"I'm just telling the truth. We both know it. Besides, I'm the only one you can trust. Toothless didn't save you because you're his friend." The being floated around Hiccup. "Toothless saved you because he needs you. He can't fly without you, but otherwise, he doesn't, even, care."
"You're wrong!"
"He's an animal! A beast that can talk is still a beast!"
Hiccup suddenly dug his hands into the faintly glowing coals and flung them at the wisp. With another distorted chuckle it vanished.
The pain lanced through him then, the coals had not been kind to his skin. Reflexively he held it to his chest and groaned.
Toothless raised his head curiously. "Are you okay?" He asked.
"Just leave me alone and go back to sleep!" Hiccup snapped.
Toothless recoiled, hurt from the seemingly sourceless anger. But, with his pride in ruins Toothless stalked off to the other side of the cave and went back to sleep.
X-X-X-X
Hiccup sat at the edge of the cave, cradling his hand. The grey of morning heralded the sky splitting open and letting free a pounding rain. Hiccup just stared into the clouds.
For hours he sat pondering the conversation he had the night before. What if Toothless really was just using him? These feelings of mistrust, while new, were filled with bitterness. He had always considered Toothless as his best friend. What if the dragon only viewed him as a tool?
Soon toothless awoke and sat next to him. A comfortable silence grew between them. But nonetheless Hiccup felt compelled to break it.
Hiccup looked at Toothless. "Why did you save me?" He asked out loud.
Toothless was taken aback but the directness of the question. "Because you're... You're my friend. And... I care about you."
"Thanks bud." In the back of Hiccup's mind the voice came back. 'You see, he lies, it's as plain as day.' Hiccup looked back into the rain. He knew, Toothless had lied about something. Now Hiccup needed to catch him in that lie.
X-X-X-X
AN:It seems Ill never be happy with this chapter