Training Begins: The Rules

The dragons were left outside and the six teens walked inside. Lunch had just finished and the villagers were still gathered inside. Hiccup pushed his way through the crowds of chatter. He gave his father a greeting of a nod of his head then stood up on the table. His fingers were brought to his mouth and he whistled.

Below him, Stoick rubbed his ear. He had to admit his son sure as heck knew how to call the village to his attention and that was a good thing to have for later in his years when he was to become Chief.

"All right, Dragon Training starts now!" Hiccup called. "I have a list of six classes that we, my fellow educators, have decided compile to everyone in the village. After I list them off and tell you where to go, go there. If you feel you fall into a different category then move there. Class One: Dragons 101. This is for children who are eight winters old to fifteen winters old. The six of us are going to teach you. Meet on the west wall. Class Two: No Knowledge of Dragons Worth Sharing to the Rest of Us. You go by the south wall. Class Three: Some Knowledge of Dragons but Not Enough to You Get Anywhere. Meet on the east wall. Class Four: Those of You Who Are Walking Dragon Books. Meet at the north wall. Class Five: Former Dragon Fighter. You go to the center of the room. And Class Six: In Need of Brainwashing. You just stay seated where you are Dad. This is your private class."

The hustle and bustle of villagers moving to the respected areas stopped moving immediately. Even the children looked up curiously. The eyes of wonder and confusion and disbelief all focused on Hiccup and Stoick. Did they hear the boy correctly? Did he just say Stoick the Vast was having his own private class? Not even curious murmurs echoed around the room. All that was heard was the sounds of dragons chatting outside and Hiccup handing the other five stacks of papers and boxes of pens. Hiccup turned to his father and presented him a pen and a piece of paper with a smirk on his face.

Less that amused, Stoick shook his head at his son and took the paper, forcing a smile.

"All right, gather to your respective places," Hiccup called. "My friends here will hand you papers for you to write down a few things. First of all, don't expect to get near a dragon for a while. If a dragon has taken a liking to you already then tell me during our first training session and I'll put you as companion." He flipped through the papers in his own hands as the blank sheets were handed out to everyone else. "Oh, and if you have no desire for a dragon you are still attending these lessons. During our first lesson tell me if you are confident, possible, don't know yet, not sure, or really don't want one. You can change your mind anytime you want and just let me know. All right. Do you all have papers? Yes? Good.

"Dragon Rule number one and the most important rule to follow. If you remember only one rule then remember this. Dragons are companions NOT pets. Do not think of a dragon as a pet. They do not like to be referred to as pets. They are still wild creatures and there are days you will be reminded that they are wild.

"Dragon Rule number two: not all dragons will want a companion. Don't push it. Some dragons may want to help us humans freely and on their own will. If they choose to help out then let them. You will know who these free dragons are.

"Dragon Rule number three: one dragon per person. If more than one dragon takes a liking to you the dragons will fight for you and the last one to fight will be your companion. Now I can't tell you if they will fight to the death or give up easily.

"Dragon Rule number four: respect your dragon. Do not give him or her reason to hate you otherwise you might not be around for another day. If you respect your dragon you will get respect from your dragon in return.

"Dragon Rule number five: your dragon will try to protect you. After the initial bond is formed, you will notice your dragon watching out for you closely. A bond between a dragon and his or her human is the strongest bond of all. I'm confident all of you know what I'm talking about.

"Dragon Rule number six: teach your dragon you are the master right away. You need to show who is in charge of whom. This is your village and your dragon needs to know this is where you are the master. This comes natural with respect

"Dragon Rule number seven: spend time everyday just you and your dragon. Bonds and respect are formed when the two of you share time together. Generally do what it is your dragon is bred to do. You will learn what all dragons specialize in during the first weeks of training.

"Dragon Rule number eight: start small then work up to gain trust and respect of each other. Do small things like talk to your dragon or feed him or her. Spending time together is the best way to get trust. Your dragon will be curious, let him or her watch you. At first it may seem as though you are getting nowhere, but a dragon knows when you have his or her trust.

"Dragon Rule number nine: learn your dragon's habits, likes, dislikes, and food specialties. Learn how your dragon likes to be fed and where. Learning a dragon's habits is the first thing you should do. Dislikes can be frightening, but a trust and respect bond will keep your dragon from harming you.

"Dragon Rule number ten: all dragons have a place of retreat. It is up to you to know where that place is. Tell no one. Your dragon will decide who gets to go to his or her place of retreat. Most of you have experienced this with Toothless and know to stay away from Fury Canyon. You'll understand why when your bond is formed.

"Dragon Rule number eleven: know your dragon's habitat. A dragon's habitat will be shared in the Dragon Book. Some dragons will make their place of retreat there or elsewhere. If you are unable to share his or her place of retreat for various reasons then teach your dragon to understand that.

"Dragon Rule number twelve: learn your dragon's emotions. I've discovered that dragons show their emotions in their body language and their eyes especially. Determine what caused this emotion and remember it. Both happy and bad feelings should be taken into account. After your companion is chosen then we'll explain to you how to see the emotions.

"Dragon Rule number thirteen: if your dragon is angry stay away. It's a good idea just to let him or her be. Your dragon will come around eventually. If you have the feeling you caused your dragon's anger then try to apologize.

"Dragon Rule number fourteen: dragons sense human emotions. Your dragon will follow off of your emotions. If you are afraid then he or she will sense that and use it to his or her advantage. If you are happy then your dragon will normally be happy. If you're upset you may find your dragon down with you.

"Dragon Rule number fifteen: territory issues must be solved immediately with a house of more than one dragon. Tell your dragon and only your dragon where he or she is allowed. Dragons know this Hall is for humans only like their island is still for mostly only them. Only the six of us are allowed back on their island, but that may change with time.

"Dragon Rule number sixteen: dragons love attention. This is the enjoyment of having a dragon. They will come to you and love you back if you just love them. All dragons love being rubbed. You'll learn to find where your dragon's favorite rub areas. Oh, and I would mind under their chins. They have this pressure point that tends to numb them for a few minutes.

"Dragon Rule number seventeen: when a dragon is sick give him her comfort. It is best just to let your dragon be. Sometimes your dragon will simply like your company when he or she is not feeling well but most of the time your dragon will want to be alone and rest.

"Dragon Rule number eighteen: dragons do not like eels. Do not try to feed your dragon an eel. I've tried it on a Nadder, Zippleback, Nightmare, Gronkle, Night Fury, and a Terror. All of them have backed away from an eel. Most dragons do not take to human food but I would watch it. Terrors like bread.

"Dragon Rule number nineteen: do not try to think of a name for your dragon. It will hit you. Your dragon will decide if he or she like the name you have chosen. For example, Nighty is not a good name for a Nightmare.

"Dragon Rule number twenty: absolutely NO N-O shouting, weapons, curses, or physical behavior. It reminds them of the days of old. You will have no weapons on you beginning day one of dragon training. When you choose your dragon you will wear simple clothes to show them you have no weapons.

"Dragon Rule number twenty-one and the last thing to remember: think like a dragon. Watch and learn how your dragon behaves. Imitate your dragon. You will notice almost immediately your dragon will watch you and start acting like you. As you think like a dragon and behave like a dragon, your dragon will think like a human and behave like a human. The balances will even out eventually and you will become as one.

"Now, I know this is a lot to remember so I expect all of you to remember these simple twenty one rules and you will be tested for memorization at your first lesson. I'm not expecting the kids here to remember this because they won't be near dragons for a while yet. All you adults will be tested on this the second you walk into training. You'll be given a piece of paper and are expected to write them down.

"Classes are once a week for now and will change once you have been claimed by a dragon. Dragons 101 on Sun's Day. No Knowledge of Dragons Worth Sharing to the Rest of Us on Moon's Day. Some Knowledge of Dragons but Not Enough to Get You Anywhere meet on Tyr's Day. Those of You Who Are Walking Dragon Books are on Odin's Day. Former Dragon Fighter I will expect you on Thor's Day. Dad, your lesson is on Frigg's Day. No lessons are on Saturn's Day because that's my day with Toothless and you are expected to wash that day, although none of you do. And tomorrow just happens to be Frigg's Day so, Dad I'll expect to see you tomorrow in the arena after lunch. All classes begin on your respective day after lunch and will continue no later than dinner. Oh, and your tests on these will be the following week. I'll give you a week to study up on them because I know none of you can remember anything beside the measurement of your belly.

"For the record, Toothless will be at all of these lessons. It has to do with the bond between a human and a dragon. Eventually, you and your dragon will form an inseparable relationship. It only took Toothless and I a few weeks and I can't go anywhere without him and he can't not be near me. We need each other. You will form that relationship eventually and you'll never be able to go back to life before you had a dragon. Your dragon will become part of the family and you will become part of their family.

"Dragons and Vikings will form an everlasting relationship. The dragon is the sunset and we are the sunrise. Without the progression of the night into day and the day into night, life cannot exist and if there is no life, there is nothing. This is the dawn of a new era; let's not turn the dawn into night because we can't let go of the past. You have to let go of the darkness of the past to have a glowing future."

He closed his mouth and surveyed the people that were looking up to him. What was happening there he did not expect. He was expecting some sort of protest for one of the rules he laid out. No, they were not speaking. They were looking at him with, dare he say it, admiration and wonder. They were looking at him with deep respect like he was their chief. His eyes narrowed and he turned his head down to look at his father.

Stoick was looking at him with a proud smile on his face. When his eyes met with his son's he nodded. Hiccup thought he saw his father's eyes glistening more than they should have been. Could it have been the combination of firelight and sunlight through the rafters? Or perhaps there was dust.

A shiver went through Hiccup. It was not a shiver of discomfort, but a shiver of wonder. He didn't feel like himself at the moment. He felt like he was something greater than himself. What did he say? All he did was tell them a few rules to keep in mind and that humans and dragons could easily coexist together. There was nothing special about that. There must have been something special though. Even the teens were looking at him with respect and admiration and that was something Snotlout and Tuffnut never did. His father was looking at him the same way he was when he told him all they "needed was a little more of this" the day he woke.

He shook it off, as he had one more announcement to make. "And I need you to write your name on the little piece of paper and what class you are attending. I need to figure out the number of people per class so I know how to prepare. You can put it in this little box here. Lesson concluded for the day and I'll see you in class if not wandering the village I guess."

Hiccup stepped down from the table and debated if he should sit down or leave. Since he was uncomfortable about the whole situation and just didn't understand why he was being looked at in the manner he was, he decided he just wanted to leave the Hall.

As always, he was greeted by green eyes and a toothless grin. Toothless noticed his odd mood and lost the grin. His head darted from inside the Hall to Hiccup.

"I have to make a quick stop at the smithy," Hiccup told him walking forward.

No one was around and he knew he was safe to do this without suspicion. Gobber was most likely going to be speaking with his father like they always did after meals. The teens either had to finish their chores or were going to spend more time with their dragons. Still, he cautiously kept an eye out as he packed a hammer, wedge, small axe, wood working tools, and grabbed a basket of leather. He shoved it all in a little pack then walked out where Toothless was, of course, waiting for him.

"Let's go to your canyon," Hiccup said. "Stop Toothless."

Obeying, Toothless stopped. As if knowing what he was about to ask him, Toothless got down on all fours. He gave a satisfied nod when he felt Hiccup climb on his back. After that walk earlier, he didn't want his human walking anymore and especially through the woods where he fell that one time. Minding Hiccup, he trotted through the woods leisurely. He knew there was something on his human's mind, but it wasn't too horrible since he wasn't crying. He simply sensed Hiccup was thinking deeply and didn't want to disturb him.

Toothless was much more occupied watching the landscape and the leaves and the birds. The smaller earth creatures fascinated him. He especially enjoyed little grasshoppers and jumping bugs. Birds were entertaining to watch. Butterflies were his favorite though. They were so bright and pretty that he couldn't help but to watch them. The sounds that traveled through the forest trees and leaves were a nice sound to his ears.

He carefully half fell half glided down the rocky canyon walls, minding the little human on his back. Once safely on the ground, he expected Hiccup to gently slide off his back, but he didn't. He turned his head to see his little human looking through papers he was shuffling in his lap.

Hiccup looked around him with his lips to one side of his face and eyes narrow. Like a hawk, he was scanning for some things in particular. Finally, he got himself off Toothless' back.

Toothless went to his little hill on the far side of the canyon, the highest spot on the canyon floor. He warmed up the rock then curled himself about, but watched Hiccup curiously.

The teenager marked out the length of the lake in paces then wrote it down in his book. He then went around collecting rocks of all kinds and grouped them into piles, the smallest fitting in the palm of his hand and the largest being the size of his head. Of course, the one the size of his head he rolled across the canyon. They were grouped in piles of four each. After, he scanned the largest rock in the canyon, circling around it with his hand on his chin in thought. He lay on his back and bent his knees as if measuring something, which he was. His pen was taken across the rock, tracing where his feet were.

He then walked over to the stones he had collected. Looking at them then the few trees that occupied the clearing, his eyes darted across each one of them until settling on one in the far corner.

Humming to himself he walked over with the axe in his hand.

The Night Fury was contently dozing in the sunlight ignoring his little human. Hiccup was always so curious and funny to watch, but sometimes he was just annoying and it looked like he was being annoying again. Poor Toothless darted to his feet and wide eyes scanned all around him as a concussive sound thundered in the canyon.

"Sorry buddy," Hiccup apologized from beside the fallen tree.

Toothless rolled his eyes. He settled himself back on his warm rock with a look of displeasure on his face. Hearing chopping, he opened his eyes and looked at his little human curiously. Now what was he doing? He got up and walked over to him slowly since there was an axe in his hand and he was still wary about weapons.

Hiccup was chopping off even rows of the trunk of the tree. The trunk itself was the width of about his two feet and he was cutting it into strips the size of his palm. He continued this strange behavior then took his wood to his collection of rocks he assembled. Two pieces of the wood were laid by every pile of rock. Sitting down he then observed the smallest rock in thought. He took measurements of his rock and the width of his palm.

Even more curious, he chopped off all but the center of his wooden trunk pieces. Contently, he lay back against the large rock and began carving at the wood and smoothening it out. When finished, the former piece of a tree trunk had become a wooden cylinder that cupped perfectly in his palm. Satisfied with the outcome, he set it aside and took up another piece of the tree trunk.

The two companions contently listened to nature and watched each other. Toothless got up for the occasional drink of water or dove his head underwater to catch a fish or two, which he was getting quite good at. Off and on he rolled around on his back or stretched against the canyon wall, screeching his claws down the rock. He mostly dozed in the sunlight. Hiccup paused once in a while to massage his hand or brush himself off. His eyes turned to the sky and made a quick calculation of the time remaining until dinner. Of course, when he heard the unforgettable sound of his Night Fury snoring, he always silently laughed. He remembered the first time he was awoken by Toothless and his father told him it gave him the worst fright ever when Toothless snored for the first time in his house. He was done with just over half a dozen wooden cylinders when Toothless' ears perked up.

Toothless sniffed the air with his nose high and his ears perked. His eyes narrowed, looking straight at the small entrance to the canyon. His tail flicked back and forth and he simply stared.

"What is it? Someone coming?" wondered Hiccup, quickly gathering his smuggled tools and hiding them back in the sack he brought.

"Toothless, I come in peace. I, uh, wanted to give Hiccup something. Astrid said I would find him here."

"Dad, you couldn't have waited until I got home. Toothless doesn't trust you enough to be here yet," Hiccup muttered, double timing to hide everything.

Stoick's figure slowly approached between the rocks. He was holding a wooden box under his arm.

Not approving of this, Toothless barred his teeth and growled.

"All right Toothless. It's come to this then. I let ye in my house so you should let me in yours on occasion," Stoick told him.

Slumping and backing off, Toothless understood the word "my house" and "on occasion" he didn't trust the human, but he knew the human was speaking logically. He did sleep in his house every night so it was acceptable for him to enter the canyon. He nudged his human's arm then motioned to Stoick and gave a nod.

"You're all right with it?" Hiccup asked one more time for clarification.

Toothless settled himself on the rock Hiccup was laying against, taking the highest place in the canyon showing the humans he was the dominant figure here. He lowered his head on the rock; his tail was slid down the side. A low grumble was let out, but his eyes did go to Stoick calmly.

"I guess Toothless says it's all right," Hiccup called.

"And how in Odin's name to I get down from here?" wondered Stoick.

"Slide down the rock on your left. That's how I used to get down. These days Toothless gets me down here," said Hiccup.

They watched Stoick slide down the rock in his usual, flawless manner. His eyes scanned the canyon in awe and he had perfectly good reason to be in awe; he was never allowed in there before. He tried once, but of course Toothless practically bit his head off for it. He spun in a circle walking forward at the same time and when the turned the full turn he was greeted by narrow green eyes.

"No weapons," Stoick announced turning around again. He pointed to his bare head. "Look, no pointy hat either. I'm beginning to learn with ye Toothy."

Toothless hissed at him.

"He only lets Gobber call him Toothy," Hiccup said.

"I'll remember that," noted Stoick. "Is it all right for me to sit?"

Hiccup patted the ground and nodded.

Stoick sat. He set the wooden box in Hiccup's lap gently. "I brought ye something."

Curiously, Hiccup looked at him. He must have done something good earlier because his father never gave him anything unless he was pleased with him. After a gesture toward the box, he turned his attention to it. Before opening it, he had to look at the detailed work put into it. All six sides were carved into and depicted some sort of scene: battle, farming, worshiping, fishing, family, and the lid had a mighty dragon atop it. He knew this box had to go back centuries because of the wear and tear it saw on the sides and in the depictions.

He breathed in through his nose then exhaled in the same manner before opening the lid carefully. Two circular objects were centered inside. He picked on of them up and admired the work put into it. They were made of soft leather and appeared to be bracelets of some sort. Metal studs were implanted all around the rich, reddish leather. Between the studs was the symbol Tyr.

Hiccup gasped softly and his eyes gazed at the symbol. The symbol looked like an arrow pointing upward. Its meaning was clear: strength, the warrior path, wound, duty, discipline, responsibility, sacrificing one's self, and heroism, otherwise known as all a chief had to do to maintain his land. He needed strength to lead his people. In times of need, he was the warrior that fought for his people. A chief would receive many wounds, both physical and mental during his reign. His duty was to lead his people graciously. To keep to his duty required self-discipline. No greater responsibility was there than being a chief. He would sacrifice many things during his reign and it was a reminder his life could be the sacrifice for his people. Upon accepting his place as chief, his former life was sacrificed. But, above all else, a chief had to contain heroism. There were many, many forms of heroism. All these qualities were similar to that of a God and the chief was considered Godly on land. This symbol meant one thing and only one thing.

"You're ready," Stoick's voice said.

Not breathing and in a complete state of shock, Hiccup continued to stare at the symbol. "I'm only fifteen Dad. I'm not ready to be Chief."

"Not yet no, but ye are my heir," said Stoick. He pointed to the Tyr. "This symbol is to warn all others who ye are son. You, Hiccup, are the next Chief. After today, listening to ye Son, hearing your words and how ye spoke them and how ye handled the entire village was done like a leader. Ye have shown all the qualities of this symbol. I'm proud of you Hiccup."

Breathing, but unable to move, Hiccup sat silent. That explained why they were looking at him odd. They were finally seeing their future Chief. It was probably the first time he behaved like who he was born to be.

Once feeling the same way his son did and understanding why his son was not moving because of the shock, Stoick chuckled. He took the armband from his son's quivering palm. The leather band was buckled to the center of his bicep on both arms.

Hiccup looked at the metal shining in the light suddenly feeling happier than he had been in such a long time. He wrapped both palms around the mark of his future throne. Slowly he was becoming more Viking. This, this completely boosted is stamina and dedication to his people. He couldn't help himself. His arms were thrown around his father's body and his head nuzzled into his father's neck.

Stoick himself was brought to tears by that one simple action by his son. Usually it was him who began a small bit of affection. The last time Hiccup willingly embraced him was years and years ago. He was just a boy of nine who brought home a piece of flat metal. It was his first completed task as a blacksmith. He was thrilled he was beginning to make a sword and he had to show him.

"I don't know if I tell ye this enough," Stoick began softly, cupping his son close to him. "I love you."

"I love you too Dad," whispered Hiccup.

"Your mother would be proud of ye Son," added Stoick.

"I know she is," replied Hiccup. "And you don't tell me enough. Promise me one thing, we'll stop screaming at each other for our single conversations of the day and actually spend some time together. I'm so sick of this random moment of perfect life then reality hitting and running it."

"You got it Cuppy," said Stoick. "Now, can ye explain to me why your dragon looks like he's going to bite my head off?"

"He's jealous," explained Hiccup. "He knows I'm happy and he knows he wasn't the one who made me happy. You made me happy and that makes him jealous."

"You need to promise me you'll get him to like me," said Stoick.

"That's up to you Dad. I can try everything, but only you can get him to like you," Hiccup told him.

"Of course," muttered Stoick.

Watching this, Toothless gave a low growl as his tail flicked back and forth. He was not a happy dragon at all right at that moment. His human was only happiest with him and not with his father. Yet, there must have been a greater bond between his human and his father. He understood they were bound by blood and that was the greatest bond of all, but he still didn't see why he should trust his human's father.

Jealousy sinking in further, he jumped from the rock and walked across the canyon as far away from Hiccup as he could.

"If you'll excuse me, I have an upset dragon to attend to," said Hiccup.

"Of course," Stoick said. "And I think I should get my hind out of here before he decides to chase me out."

Father and Son stood. Neither could resist the urge for one more quick embrace. While one walked back toward the village, the other walked toward his dragon.

As he approached, Toothless stood, spun in a circle so his head was facing away from Hiccup and flung his tail over his eyes.

"Oh, come on Toothless. He's my dad. He deserves to make me happy too," said Hiccup. Nothing from his dragon. "Toothless, you don't have to be jealous. I spend all my time with you nowadays. I can't live without you anymore. I need you in my life. Hey buddy, I don't know if you know these words, but I'm going to teach them to you."

Hiccup walked close to his dragon. He gently began rubbing his neck and head. As much as he saw Toothless trying to fight it, he was delighted when the Night Fury leaned into the caresses and rubs. "This, Toothless, this is love. This is what it feels like to be loved." He wrapped his arms around Toothless' neck, pressing his cheek against the scales. "This is an embrace, another form of love." He walked around and stood face to face with his dragon. "And this, this is the best way of telling someone you love him." He kissed Toothless on the top of his nose then rubbed his cheek right there. "That's a kiss and it's the only way I'm going to kiss you."

Toothless purred and shut his eyes. He pressed his nose against Hiccup's forehead, imitating what his human did to him.

Hiccup shut his own eyes. He liked this feeling more than he could share to anyone else. His moment was ruined when all he suddenly saw was black and he was dragged down.

Purring came from Toothless as he rolled on his side. His arms were wrapped around Hiccup. He felt his human shift uncomfortably for a second then settle.

Recognizing this feeling from somewhere, Hiccup couldn't quite place his mind on it. He was cocooned in scales against a warm body with firm, gentle arms and legs holding him close. It was so very familiar, like a dream. When Toothless purred, he felt the vibrations go through his body. It calmed him and his eyes fell shut. He had to admit the best part about having a dragon like Toothless was his body temperature. Unlike the rest of the fire breathers whose temperature was ice cold to keep themselves cool when they used fire, a Night Fury's body was warm. He shifted again so he was on his side. His back was against Toothless' body. One leg supported his head as a pillow and the other leg kept his knees off the ground. It was surprisingly comfortable, more comfortable than his bed. A tail slowly whipped around them and a head was lying quite close beside his. It was so comfortable.

When he opened his eyes again, most of the canyon was consumed in darkness. Only the light poking through the trees illuminated the top of the rock wall across the canyon in front of him. Sunset. Hiccup shut his eyes then they immediately shot open again.

Sunset!

"My Dad's gonna kill me!" Hiccup shouted as he untangled himself from the black body.

Toothless awoke and stood alert. He shook the sleep off and scooped his human onto his back with his neck. Even he knew Stoick didn't like his son out past dark unless he himself was there. Quickly and minding his human, Toothless rushed back to the village after the sun had dipped below the horizon. He went to rush up the hill, but stopped.

In the open doorway, Stoick the Vast leaned against the doorframe. The fire in the background illuminating only his shadow gave him a devilish appearance. He was tapping his fingers on his folded arms. One ankle was crossed over the other.

"Do ye notice what's not in the sky?"

"I know Dad, I know. We fell asleep in the canyon," said Hiccup.

"Do ye know how cold it is at night?"

"Do you know how warm it is to have a Night Fury wrapped around you? It was so comfortable," said Hiccup. "I might sleep like that every night. He had me cocooned in his arms and against his belly. He supported everything perfectly."

"That's nice now get inside before ye catch a cold," Stoick demanded, reached forward and grabbing his son by the collar of his tunic and practically lifting him inside the house.

Toothless tiptoed in with his head down and eyes low and apologetic. He knew he did wrong and quietly walked to his pile of fish.

"Obviously since ye weren't at dinner I brought some back for ye Son," said Stoick.

Hiccup's mind was elsewhere as he looked at his Night Fury. He still couldn't place it where he felt like that before. Toothless naturally held him close too. That was first. Usually he was hesitant about handling his small body against him, but no, he simply pulled him in. How simply his dragon did that gave him reason to suspect it wasn't the first time Toothless did it. He would have remembered being that close to his dragon. Riding him was one thing, but tucked in his arms was another. Of course, perhaps he didn't remember being that close to his dragon because he couldn't remember it and it felt like a dream because he was hardly conscious.

When a palm grabbed his shoulder he spoke his mind. "Toothless held me didn't he? After the Green Death incident, he held me didn't he?"

"I found you in his arms," replied Stoick painfully.

"I think I remember him holding me," said Hiccup. "It seems like a dream, but I think I remember falling and burning and then feeling comforted before blacking out. I remember it perfectly in that weird place between awake and asleep, but I can't describe it when I'm awake."

"Then don't. I don't want to hear it Cuppy. I don't ever want to see ye like that again either. Having to carry you after ye fell, scared me enough," said Stoick. "And I'm no fool. I know ye didn't just 'fall'. Ye blacked out."

"Maybe," admitted Hiccup. "A little." He motioned a small pinch with his fingers. After a stern expression from his father, he nodded. "Yeah, I blacked out. I was only awake for three days so don't get mad at me."

"I'm not. I'm not," said Stoick, pulling out a chair for his son and setting him in it. "Oh, I took the misery out for ye Cuppy. The five classes are divided out already. It looks like ye are going to have your hands full. Most of the village qualifies under some knowledge of dragons."

"Actually, it's former dragon fighters and brainwashing I'm worried about most," said Hiccup. "Especially brainwashing."

"I won't be that bad," Stoick told him with a wave of his hand.

In mid-chew Hiccup looked at him with a raised eyebrow. He swallowed and frowned at him.

"I'll try not to be that bad then," Stoick corrected.

"Yeah, sure you will," muttered Hiccup.

"I'm getting better with Toothless. That's got to count for something," noted Stoick.

"I have to admit Dad, I'm impressed you haven't yelled at him yet for not getting me home on time," said Hiccup.

"He kept you safe and I should know he keeps ye safe. I'm trying to let go of a bit of the darkness of the past to give myself a glowing future," Stoick told him.

Hiccup's smile turned into a smirk.

A soft growl sounded across the room followed by floppy feet. Toothless narrowed his eyes at Stoick and growled softly. He pressed his nose against Hiccup's forehead and purred. He rubbed his nose up and down a little. Out of nowhere, he opened his mouth and his pink tongue swiped up Hiccup's face.

"Eh," was all the sound Hiccup made when Toothless backed away.

Stoick looked at his son's face and erupted into hearty laughter.

Saliva and fish guts were plastered to Hiccup's face in thick gobs. His bangs were molded upward and remained standing on end. The white saliva was dripping from his nose and chin. When he blinked, white strings folded and stretched. He shuddered entirely.

Toothless pressed his nose against Hiccup's forehead again.

"Maybe it wasn't best to have taught you what a kiss was," Hiccup noted.

"What, did ye lick your dragon?" Stoick asked before laughing with such laugher he grabbed his sides.

It wasn't that he couldn't tell his dragon he was a bad dragon for doing that to him; it was because Toothless was still "kissing" him. He patted his dragon's head.

"Good boy," he managed to say.

Knowing those words and as giddy as ever, Toothless swiped his tongue up Hiccup's face again.

This time Hiccup groaned because his father stumbled into a beam and slid to the floor. He couldn't hear his father laughing anymore and secretly wished his father would continue laughing so he would die of suffocation because the last thing he needed was his father telling him that he and Toothless were "kissing last night".

Even more than not wanting to know he was kissing his dragon last night, Hiccup didn't want anyone to know what he was about to do. He lay quietly in his bed keeping a keen ear out for his father upstairs. There was one good thing about having his room downstairs now: he was down there and his father was up there and he could sneak out or sneak in.

The sound of feet heading upward and eventually walking above him suddenly got adrenaline to shoot through his blood. He had done this several times. Sneaking out and in were nothing new to him, but this time was different. Usually his father was completely unaware that he snuck in and out. He knew his father was known for checking in on him at random times of the night. He was halfway aware of a human presence in there. The feet stopped moving and he gave it a moment or two.

"Toothless, let's go," whispered Hiccup.

Toothless looked at him oddly knowing he shouldn't be going anywhere past dark. And since his human wanted him to go, he knew who would be blamed if they were caught. Acting like he didn't hear him, he shut his eyes and rolled over.

"Toothless, we're going to Fury Canyon," Hiccup told him. Toothless didn't move. "My father won't be there now."

Approving of that very much, Toothless got on all fours. He stretched a bit.

"We'll only be out for an hour at the most," Hiccup added.

He went across his room then poked his head out. There was no light in the main room. The fire was smoldering. All the chairs were put away as well as the mugs and candles. Papers were stacked and the candles were extinguished. All was safe. He motioned for his dragon to follow and they went out the back door, just in case.

Toothless motioned toward his back and Hiccup nodded. He took his human through the village on the edge and to Raven's Point and then down into Fury Canyon with ease. When they arrived, he let out a low whine and gave him huge eyes.

"I know you don't like this buddy, but this is something you need to trust me on. I want to do this on my own. If we're caught I'll defend you. I won't let my father blame you. No one will blame you because I'm here. You're probably not going to like what I'm going to do to myself, but you have to let me do it. Don't catch me. Don't try to drag me away. Just let me deal with it on my own," Hiccup told him.

The Night Fury's eyes were narrow and uncomfortable. A gentle rub between his eyes reassured him that his human was speaking the truth. He settled himself on his high spot.

"Okay, well, I can't do much yet, but I can start with my stomach and my arms, and swim a bit," Hiccup said to himself.

Really not sure how to do any of this, he looked at Toothless as if for advice for a second. What he got for an answer was his dragon shrugging at him. He shrugged his own shoulders. His clothes were removed and set in a pile on one of the boulders. He wore only tight, black shorts that covered him from his hips to the center of his thighs. In the moonlit air, he shivered and his body did look fluorescent in the blue light. No birds were in the air. Crickets chirped now and then. Twigs that snapped far away seemed much closer. An owl occasionally hooted. The air was dead and silent. Light against the canyon walls and in the lake was cold and eerie. Night itself in Fury Canyon was eerie and disturbing. It was almost as though the cosmos was trying to scare him out of doing this.

He shook it off then sat on the ground near the large rock. Scooting upward, he slipped his feet into the little notch holes he made earlier.

"Why do I feel like an idiot?" he asked himself as he set his hands behind his head. He hunched upward then immediately fell back on the ground. "Oh, that's why."

A dragon's laughter carried across the canyon.

"Just ignore him Hiccup. He's dumb dragon who doesn't know the first thing about working out," Hiccup muttered to himself. He hunched himself upward again, fighting the pain in his stomach until his chest touched his knees. He flopped down again. "One," he gasped. He took a breath in and held it while doing the same thing. "Two." He lay there breathing hard. "Oh, come on. Am I that pathetic?"

Three, four, five.

He lay there with his stomach killing him already. This was pathetic. He couldn't even do five sit-ups without his stomach killing him. It must have had to do with something about being unconscious for two weeks and then hardly moving for another two weeks. Yeah, that was it. He just hadn't moved in a while so his body was more pathetic than it should have been.

Trying again, he inhaled then exhaled as he hunched up and slowly lowered himself. Six. Okay, breathe. He had to remember to exhale while he was putting himself through that pain. Seven, eight, nine, and ten.

"Ow," he muttered to himself, pressing his palms into his burning stomach. "No, no, no. Ignore the pain. It'll go away. Just like it did with your leg. It's going away. Pushups. Ten."

The teenager flipped around on his stomach. He pressed his palms on the ground evenly with his shoulders then flipped his head behind him to check his feet. Settled, he pushed off the ground and immediately cried out as he fell. He leaned back and clutched his leg.

Toothless was suddenly at his side whining and nudging him.

"I'll be all right Toothless. That just felt weird," Hiccup told him in gasps.

He sat up and rubbed the sore spot on his leg, right where it ended. Gravity wasn't pulling evenly on him and so it was pulling down on one side. He felt like his leg was shifting. After tightening all the straps a bit more, he gave it one more shot.

The Night Fury was right there watching him and not liking this.

Hiccup pushed himself from the ground again. It didn't hurt as bad as it did before. Well, he felt he solved the problem. He exhaled as he lowered himself to where his arms were parallel then inhaled when he pushed up again. He lowered himself and felt his arms trembling. No, no, no, Astrid could do more than two pushups. Anyone could do more than two. He wasn't going to use the past month as an excuse.

"I'm a Viking. I'm a Viking. I have to make them see it. The pain will go away. I'll just keep doing it and then sleep and I'll wake up tomorrow have a day to recover, and then do it again tomorrow night," he told himself.

He awkwardly lowered himself, feeling his chest, belly, and legs sink into the ground then felt his chest, belly, and legs slowly pull up but not at once. That was wrong and he knew it. He had to keep his body straight.

Breathing deeply, he did it again and again and again until he reached the number ten completely. Altogether, he fell on his belly and rolled on his back. His jaw hurt from clenching his teeth together. His arms hurt and his stomach hurt.

Shaking it off, he stood up and fell to his knees.

Toothless cried out again and picked him up. He growled and nudged at his human while motioning to his back.

"Uh uh," Hiccup told him. "Let me be. I'll do this. I will do this."

He stepped forward again and stumbled, but he did not fall. Tears were rolling down his cheeks. He felt as though he was walking for the first time again, like he did a month ago. Sitting by the lake, he stuck his hand in the water.

"It's so cold," he whispered to himself. "But I have a Night Fury to warm me up," he added, looking on the bright side of things.

Carefully, he undid the straps and pulled the prosthetic off. He was relieved to find there was no blood stains anywhere. He wasn't sure how he would explain that one to his father. The stocking was removed and he suddenly had a second thought. Should he really be swimming with a wound like that? It was only a month old and still bothering him. If it got infected then, well, how would he explain that to everyone? They would think of him a stupid and brainless. Was doing this to himself really worth it?

He saw his reflection in the lake, seeing himself glow and every contour. His jaw was set tight and confidently. He nodded then dove into the water.

Poor Toothless wasn't sure what was going on so he once again squealed as he rushed to the water and dove in himself.

"Toothless, how am I going to work out if you keep dragging me out of it?" Hiccup asked as he was arched over his dragon's neck.

Toothless set him down and nudged him.

Dripping wet, Hiccup looked at him. "I'm okay. I'm just going for a swim. I'm not going to kill myself. I'm just going for a swim. It's like a bath."

At the word bath, Toothless backed away. He shook his head. He didn't like bathing, but he knew his human did.

"Knew that would work," Hiccup muttered to himself. So his dragon could see that he was all right, he lowered himself into the water. "See, I'm okay. This feels weird."

Below the surface, he was kicking back and forth, testing the feeling. One side was kicking normally and the other with not so much power. He let go of the side and tried treading water. His legs kicked and his arms brushed back and forth. "Huh, this is easier than I thought it would be, a bit awkward, but I could get used to it."

Testing it out in the shallower water, he lowered his torso in the water and brought his legs upward, slowly pushing water behind him. Yep, it was definitely awkward considering he had a tendency to lean to the left a little, but he would just balance that out with his arms. After few minutes of swimming around, he felt he got the rhythm of it.

He kicked off the rock with his right foot and shot forward, pushing the water behind him. While he swam to the other side, he noticed Toothless following him. It was such a different feeling swimming. His leg wasn't hurting him. He hardly felt he was missing his foot, other than the awkwardness, but the cold soothed his aching muscles. He completed three laps then decided that was enough since he was struggling to keep himself above the water now. He pulled himself back onto dry land and dripped.

Almost immediately, he began shivering in the night. Winter was definitely approaching. The days were warm, but the nights were cold. Warm scales huddled beside him.

"Thanks buddy. Remind me to bring a towel next time," he said, breathing heavily and shivering.

Knowing his little human needed warmth, Toothless trotted to the tree he cut down earlier. He picked it up and set it near Hiccup.

Feeling the warmth of a sudden fire, Hiccup sighed contently. He wiped the dripping water from his body. Between the temporary fire and his Night Fury, he was warm again in no time and quite dry really. His clothes were given to him by a toothless grasp, hinting.

"I know Toothless, I know," said Hiccup.

The teenager clothed himself and strapped his leg back on. He stood and felt shaky. His jaw hurt and a foul taste poisoned his mouth. His heart was still pounding quite rapidly inside of him. It took an effort to climb onto his dragon's back, an effort he felt was too much. He was taken home on the back of his Night Fury who cautiously walked through the village and took him through the backdoor of his house. Hiccup was not allowed to walk anymore that night and he was personally delivered to his bed.

"Thanks," he whispered. He gave his dragon a pat between the eyes.

The second he laid down after changing and getting warm in his bed, his eyes shut and he fell fast asleep, but not before thinking how good he felt to start his training as a Viking.


A note from TurtleHeart

just so you know...

- Monday = Moon's Day

- Tuesday = Tyr's Day

- Wednesday = Odin's Day

- Thursday = Thor's Day

- Friday = Frigg's Day

- Saturday = Washing Day & Saturn's Day

- Sunday = Sun's Day

well, another chapter completed like i wanted to do because i work quite a lot these next few days. i just want to thank everyone for the wonderful notifications i've been getting and i hope you are enjoying this story as much i am writing it. it's becoming my favorite and i'm a pirate freak so that's saying something there! the next chapter will definately be interesting. well, let me know what you think and i'll keep writing!

Happy Readings!