Sadly, HTTYD doesn't belong to me.
Chapter Seven
The next morning, Hiccup saw Astrid when he trailed after the others into the training ring. Astrid avoided looking at him; Snotlout and Tuffnut jeered. Ruffnut, curiously, shot him a murderous look. Fishlegs, as usual, was full of knowledge he could not wait to share.
He did notice the way Astrid's hands tightened on her axe, and wondered if she was fighting the urge to fling it at his head, or if she was just nervous. Judging by the fact that Astrid had been looking forward to dragon training since they were both eight, Hiccup thought it was the former. She really was a remarkable person to show so much restraint. If he were Astrid, Hiccup would have murdered himself.
He nearly died – not because of Astrid, no. Though he wouldn't have been surprised if she'd deliberately let the Gronkle kill him. It was only Gobber's intervention that prevented him from being incinerated by the Gronkle's last shot. He blamed his inattention on his distracting oncoming wedding.
'Remember, a dragon would always –always- go for the kill,' Gobber warned them.
That took his mind off the fact that he had just narrowly escaped death, Astrid, and her dangerously lethal axe.
Then why didn't the Night Fury kill him?
Hiccup ventured back to the site where he had found the Night Fury, following fallen scales to a cove. Sure enough, the Night Fury was there, scrambling frantically up the sides of the little cove and falling; trying over and over again.
It was really beautiful. Hiccup, hidden from sight, sketched the streamlined animal quickly. Huge wings, short neck, blunt head…
And half a tail.
He had knocked off half of the dragon's tail. And now it couldn't seem to fly properly.
Guilt welled. As his fingers slackened, he dropped his charcoal into the cove. The Night Fury sensed his presence, and looked up at him. It did not attack, or show any outward sign of aggression. The dragon seemed to recognize him. It sat back on its hunches and stared back at Hiccup suspiciously, tilting its head to one side, observing him as he was observing it.
The Night Fury was no brainless animal, Hiccup realized. It was intelligent. It probably used its head more than most of the Vikings on Berk. No wonder it was so dangerous. It could think. It could plan. Explosive shots, great speed, agility, and now add in intelligence. The Night Fury was one formidable enemy.
But it didn't behave like an enemy should, not right now.
What was he supposed to do with a Night Fury that defied normal dragon aggressive behavior? Apart from 'kill on sight', he really had no idea what else to do with a dragon.
He would return the next day with fish, he thought to himself as he walked home. He assumed that was what the dragon ate after witnessing its attempt at fishing. Maybe he could stand at a distance and... throw the fish in or something. It couldn't fly, so Hiccup should be safe enough if he didn't enter the cove.
He had the guilty feeling that if he didn't do something soon, the Night Fury would die.
His feet carried him to the Great Hall. After his mother died, the Great Hall was where he and his father took to having all their meals. Stoick was not a cook, neither was Hiccup, though he could probably manage a broth better than Stoick could. He pushed open the tall door, and it was a few seconds before he realized the hall was brightly lit with ceremonial torches, and almost everyone in the tribe was in there.
He spotted Astrid's father in a wheelbarrow – his usual means of transportation, and blanched. There was Astrid's mother, and his own father. And Astrid herself, standing with them and glaring. She looked resigned and murderous.
'Come here, son!' Stoick boomed, a forced smile on his face as he waved at Hiccup. 'I have news!' he announced to the entire Hall, 'My son and Astrid Hofferson here will be married on Frigg's Day!'
Utter silence greeted this announcement. The people looked as though they were struck by lightning. Forks and cups clattered from slack hands. And all thoughts about the Night Fury fled from Hiccup's mind.
This was going to be a long night.
