Chapter Eight
A/N: The reference I make about Hiccup being struck by lightning is from the Riders of Berk episode, "When Lightning Strikes". Just in case you haven't seen it. Also, REALLY short chapter! GAH! I'm sorry!
In response to...
The Wolf Raven: The only reason there's no Hiccstrid in this story is because I wanted to just focus on the man vs nature aspect and when I have romance in a story, I like there to be a decent amount of build-up, which would have been hard since Astrid doesn't have a role in this one and...well...I like there to be a... *ahem* 'meet up' with the two characters by the end. Which there won't be... (You'll find out)! But yes, there will be a decent amount of romance in Fire.
The moment Hiccup's body plunges into the cold, dark water, every one of his muscles seize up. His lungs seem to cramp and immediately, all of his air goes bubbling out from his mouth and nose. The boy's vision blurs into one, big color and his eyes flutter shut...
This is it... He decides numbly as he drifts toward the bottom of the frozen lake. I'm really going to die here. Somehow, he can't bring himself to be disturbed by that thought. He's too numb to be scared...
Toothless bursts back above the surface, having fallen in again when the ice gave way from beneath Hiccup. Speaking of which...where is he? The dragon whirls around, scanning the miniature glaciers for any sign of his Rider. His chest tightens when he realizes...Hiccup is nowhere to be seen.
He must still be underwater!
Toothless can't remember the last time he felt so panicked. Maybe he never has. But what he does remember is how badly humans respond to cold temperatures...and the fact that they can't hold their breath for long.
But both of those factors together?
He sucks in a huge breath and dives back under, expertly swimming through the murky spring, down to where he can see Hiccup's faint silhouette in the distance... He's not moving. Why isn't he moving?! Why isn't he trying to swim?!
An image flashes through Toothless's mind. Of Hiccup's body lighting up, his human spasming painfully as lightning stabs through him. The boy had fallen like a rock off the mast of the ship, slamming into the ocean below. He hadn't tried to swim that time either... He'd closed his eyes to the world and let himself sink.
It's just like that time all over again. Except now, there's no Stoick waiting to hurry him home and make sure he's alright. No roaring fire and heavy quilts to assure he stays warm. Just an unforgiving ice cave and his terror-stricken Night Fury who is beginning to feel exhausted...
"HICCUP!" Stoick shouts as he and Thornado jog down the tunnel. The boy's father cups his hands around his mouth and calls out once more, straining to hear a response.
He gets none.
Could they have been wrong? Could this not be the right cave, after all? Fighting to keep himself from panicking, Stoick tries again. "HICCUP! TOOTHLESS!?" But once again, he's greeted by nothing but an eerie silence.
Soon, the passageway becomes narrow...and then the ceiling begins to grow closer to their heads. The corridor is getting smaller... Not long after, the seven-foot viking chief has to nearly double over so he won't bang his head on the roof.
"Are we still going the right way, Thornado?" Stoick wonders, suddenly feeling very uncertain about all this. Would Hiccup and Toothless really have come this way?
The Thunderdrum snorts, nodding his head as he continues to crawl further along the tunnel. It may not seem like it, but they're getting close. They just have to keep moving...
Water laps at the edge of the shore as Toothless tiredly drags Hiccup back onto dry land. The Night Fury pants and is shivering slightly but still manages to get his young Rider entirely out of the frigid lake before collapsing to his belly. Through half-lidded eyes, he gazes at Hiccup.
He isn't moving...
With an exhausted groan, Toothless crawls a little closer, nudging the boy with his nose. When he gets no response out of him, the dragon whimpers and pushes him again.
Only now does Hiccup's head lull to the side, his brow knotted slightly as if just waking up from a deep sleep. His own weary green eyes blink open and for the shortest of moments, he just stares at Toothless with a blank, uncomprehending expression. He doesn't breathe, he doesn't move...he just...stares.
Am I...dead...? Hiccup tries to move but his limbs are so cold he can't feel them. His muscles are stiff and rigid and unresponsive. But he can feel his heart thumping weakly in his ribcage...
Without warning, he feels a terrible sensation in his chest. His half-frozen body suddenly lurches violently and he begins to cough, over and over until his throat is raw and so much water has spilled out of his mouth that he can't believe he hadn't already drowned. He gasps for air in every gap of the fit and each tiny breath of oxygen helps to clear his head.
He vaguely hears Toothless cooing at him and glances up to see the Night Fury laying on the ice beside him, tail wagging tiredly.
Hiccup doesn't have the strength to speak and he's too numb to smile... He isn't shivering anymore. But that's probably bad, isn't it...? Still, he forces himself to drag his hand across the ground, closing the space between him and his dragon, who purrs when Hiccup's fingers weakly brush his paw.
He can't say it outloud...but Hiccup wants to thank him for saving him. Even though...he has a feeling it won't last for long. Even now, the edges of his vision are turning black and stars are dancing in the rest of it. He can't move enough to get up and try to stay warm or even curl onto his side... He's more or less paralyzed.
Frozen.
Frost has collected on his hair and lips, his skin as white as snow. Although the tips of his fingers have begun to turn purple and he can only imagine his toes look the same. He watches his white breaths in mild interest, noticing that he can no longer hear Toothless's purrs. All he can hear is a high-pitched ringing.
His vision finally begins to fade the whole way through and he switches his attention to Toothless, who has finally stood up and is sniffing his human's hair as if to say, 'Hiccup, get up.'
But he can't.
His sight goes from grey to black and his eyelids fall shut. A heavy sigh escapes him and he doesn't draw in another breath. Looks like I was worried for nothing. Hiccup decides, with relief. Seems like dragons do pretty well in the cold.
And with that thought, the whole world just...disappears.
A/N: ...
