HEY NERDS. Okay, so, I'm obviously super super sorry that it took this long to update, but now that I'm out of school for the summer, I don't have to worry about projects or finals or any of that crap. So installments will hopefully be more frequent. The story isn't that much longer, at least.
-x-
Chapter ten - in which the relationship shifts.
He was dizzy. A blur of light rocked back and forth somewhere beside him, leaving a trail of dimming gold in its wake. His eyelids, half open, fluttered weakly before he closed them, a fragile sound escaping from the back of his throat.
The world titled around him curiously as he felt something scoop his body off the ground, high into the black sky. His arms and legs swayed limply, regardless of his attention at regaining control over his own body. In a final fit of struggle, Hiccup strained to lift his head, catching only a glimpse of Snotlout's bloodied face before his strength left him again.
The elder stood carefully, minding Hiccups neck long enough for the younger boy to keep his equilibrium. The darkening spot on the corner of Hiccups forehead had started to bleed where Snotlout had punched him, and in the light of the fire it made Snotlout's skin crawl. Moving back into the cave, he carried his prey like a newly-wed bride, cradling his vulnerable body as if it were a lifeline. His fingers twitched, clasping and unclasping the fabric of Hiccup's shirt as he walked, until finally the dark rock tunnel revealed to him the pit Hiccup had struggled out of.
Standing in the small column of moonlight from a crack above, Snotlout's hard eyes considered the unconscious face in his arms. Even bruised, with shadows bordering swollen eyes and lips cracked with dehydration, the same word still fit: beautiful. And even though he was right there, in his arms, Hiccup still seemed untouchable. He didn't seem like something Snotlout could own.
Disturbed by this sudden thought, Snotlout simply relaxed his arms, letting Hiccup drop unceremoniously into the hole. The solid thump of his landing drew Snotlout into a sitting position on the ledge, where he looked own through the darkness and studied the shape Hiccup had landed in. It didn't seem to have caused any visible damage, and realistically, the hole wasn't that deep. Just deep enough to keep a runt like Hiccup from getting out.
Or so he had thought. Snotlout wrinkled his nose and glared down at the younger boy, willing him to wake up and beg for forgiveness. Instead, Hiccup just lay there, out cold. Snotlout snorted to himself and, for lack of something productive to do, spat on his hostage bitterly.
-x-
"Tooth- Toothless! Please, I'm not going to do anything Hiccup wouldn't do!"
A black wing shot out over her head, a few strands of blond hair lifting gently in the breeze it created. She ducked, tucking down toward the ground as Toothless swung the other wing overhead.
"Toothless, stop!" She cried, looking wildly around behind her. "For the love of Odin, Ruff, hurry up!"
The Night Fury continued to thrash, rumbling cries erupting from the depths of his chest. His clawed feet pounded and clawed at the hard earth as he spun in circles, doing everything in his power to display his unwillingness to cooperate. Ruffnut darted forward out of the brush, her arms extended before her with a familiar looking object, it's yellow and black stripes swaying to and fro. Toothless caught the thing in the corner of his eye and, after a full turn to expect it, froze stiff on the spot.
There was a pause, in which Astrid slowly stood, her hands up to protect herself should Toothless attack. Ruffnut inched forward, holding the eel toward Toothless, who backed away until he caught the scent of more. Turning sharply, he found Tuffnut behind him and Fishlegs beside him, each with their own. On his open flank, Astrid appeared with her hands up in a gesture of peace.
"I didn't want to bring out the eels, Toothless, but you need to listen."
A draconic screech of panic was forming somewhere in the back of Toothless's throat. He turned, shuddering, in a complete circle, but everywhere he turned he was met with an eel.
"Hiccup is in great danger, Night Fury," Astrid continued, taking on a serious tone that reclaimed the dragon's attention. "The only way to get to him is for you to smell him out, and you'll need me to help you fly. So please stop freaking out and let me on?"
Toothless stared at her with eyes dilated in fear. He turned, sharply, and looked toward the eels, but they had vanished; the humans were resorting to trust at such an odd time, it seemed. Turning his pale green hues back toward the blonde girl, the Night Fury snorted several times through his nostrils before setting his mighty jaw and collapsing down onto his belly. Astrid dropped her hands tiredly and moved toward him, pained by the distress in his eyes. Her fingers found his nose, followed by her palm. She squat down, her eyes never once leaving his.
"I know you're worried. We all are. But we have to work together to get him back. Okay?"
He stared at her a moment before flicking his head toward the harness on his back, prompting her to smile. "Thanks, Toothless."
The twins helped her up and began to argue about who should follow her first, while Fishlegs managed to find away for her full foot to fit where Hiccup's hook normally would.
"Just flex your heal backward to slow down, and forwards to speed up. It'll be different then flying a normal dragon, you know," he was saying. She listened impatiently, aware that his advice would be important; after all, he had helped Hiccup modify the saddle several times. Then, as the other teens backed away, Astrid gripped on to the leather handles of the saddle and leaned forward. Toothless stood, alive with nervous energy, and moved backward a few paces.
"I'll be right behind you," Tuffnut called, raising his hand into his air only to have it smacked down immediately by his sister.
"We all will," Ruffnut growled, peeved that her brother would try to steal their glory for himself. Astrid nodded.
"When we get there," she started, "be sure to stay quiet. That means you two need to shut the hell up. Just follow wherever Toothless goes and keep up."
She was answered with muted agreement. "And remember," Astrid added bitterly, "his Nightmare is just that: a nightmare. So don't think it won't attack you just because it doesn't know you."
-x-
He could hear a bird. It was horribly off tune and seemed to have all the breath in the world, but it was a bird. Hiccup tried to open his eyes, finding that they were plastered shut with fatigue and dried tears. But that bird... it kept singing. As he gradually became more aware of where he was, his eyelids began to part, revealing to him a familiar rock wall. Glancing toward his feet, he found another, and up above his head, another still. He looked up. Blackness, a column of light, cave.
He was back in the hole.
He-... But.. How? How did he get back down here? Perhaps he had dreamed it all. Maybe he had just imagined that bravery, and that drive to save himself. Maybe Hiccup had just fallen asleep.
But that didn't explain all the new aches he had. Moving hurt, but the more of it he did, the more the pain began to focus on certain areas; his arm, his head, his chest. He shifted onto his back awkwardly, imagining that the soft plush of his mattress would be beneath him instead of stone.
And then it hit him. Why was there a bird in this cave? Especially one so loud and terrible sounding. Hiccup opened his mouth, drawing air into his aching lungs and holding it for a minute before he found the will to speak.
"Hello?" His voice was cracked and raspy, but it was loud enough to make the bird stop. After a small silence, he heard footsteps that sped up in tune with his beating heart before suddenly, Snotlout was standing above him, peering down over the ledge. He looked at the Haddock boy a minute before a smile appeared on his bruised face.
"Well wouldn't ya' know it, cripple," he said, "since you fucked up my nose, I can whistle now. Looks like I owe ya' one."
The sarcasm was enough to make Hiccup squeeze his eyes shut; it hadn'tbeen a dream. Stiffly, and with great effort, Hiccup pushed himself up into a sitting position and scooted back against the wall. He had almost no strength in his legs, and so he resorted to letting them drag along after him. Relaxing his back slowly and wincing, Hiccup looked back up again, eyes widening as Snotlout shifted and jumped down into the hole, landing solidly on both his feet.
"Now," he said, a smile curling onto his face, "tell me why I shouldn't take advantage of this situation."
-x-
And this brings us to the start of the action-packed climax. D:
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