A.N.: Okay, sorry about the wait you guys I just had a lot of stuff get piled up on me and I hit a writers block and it was just a mess...I mean I still have other things that I need to do...but I made my mission to finish it!
Also I'd like to extend a special thanks to FjordMustang, she's been nothing but supportive and very sweet! Thank you sweetie and all your kind comments! :3
"In learning you will teach,
And in teaching you will learn,
You'll find your place beside the
Ones you love."
I ran as fast as I could to the valley. I'd finished my riding vest and was done making the modifications to the saddle so that I wouldn't fall off as much as I had been. Scooting down the incline and practically flying into the valley, I drop the basket of fish and tilt it over, to make it easier for Toothless to eat out of. Sighing, I remove my original vest and replace it with my new one.
It latched around my waist where two leather straps hung down on either side. A metal clasp rested on the middle of my chest and shoulder coverings comfortably covered my shoulders. After clicking it on, I move over toward Toothless, whose head was buried in the basket, to attach the new saddle. After wrestling that on him I wait until he's finished eating before I eagerly climb onto his saddle and, after securely wrapping the leather strap that opened his tail fin to my left ankle, attach my self to the saddle.
"Okay, bud lets see if this works…all right…lets try going a different direction though…I'm not so keen on getting soaked today are you?" I pat his left flank and he just snorts in response and shakes his head. Grinning, I could almost see the eagerness in his eyes too. Taking a few more deep breathes; I crouch against his back as he does to the ground. Excitement radiated of Toothless and sank into my very core; we were both anxious to see if this worked.
"There's only one way to find out, let's do this!" Feeling him start at a quick-paced run, the wind rushing past me and rummaging through my hair, pulling it back from my face. Furrowing my brows, I feel as he leaves the ground in a glide. Gripping on tightly to my leather handle, I glance back at my left foot and then at his tail fin. We started to lose some momentum; I knew I had to do it now.
It was harder then it looked, with the wind blowing so forcefully against my leg it almost pressed fully against his side. With all my strength, I forced my leg to go against the wind to pull the tail fin out. With a noise that was lost in the wind, the tail fin came out, and we pulled up, up, and over the canyon wall. Excitement thrilled me as we soared high above the wall and we almost made it into the sky, but the wind had again forced my foot to slip back and the tail fin snapped shut causing us to fall straight toward the ground again.
"Wh…wha…whoa!" Squeezing my eyes shut, I felt the ground come quickly beneath us. The momentum knocked me away from Toothless, my harness proving useless. I land roughly on my back with a thud. Groaning, I slowly sit up looking around I see nothing but tall grass surrounding me. Standing up, I noticed that the grass was slightly taller than I was. My first thought was to get of it so I start to push my way out of it. Panting, I finally breach the end making it out of the grass…that's when I noticed the sounds of grunts and gurgles coming from deeper into the grass.
'That must be Toothless…' As I listened to the sounds he was making I began to wonder if he had been hurt. 'Oh, I hope he's not to badly hurt!' Pushing my way through the tall grass, hearts pounding hard in my chest I anxiously follow the grunting sounds and they get louder. "Tooth…less" I was cut off for as I breached into a clearing I noticed that Toothless was rolling around in the soft tendrils of grass. I stood there dumbstruck as he rolled, not in pain but in what seemed like pure bliss in the grass.
Tilting my head I continue to watch Toothless roll around in the grass, it seemed almost dog like. Chuckling, I pick a couple blades of the grass and inspect them, feeling the cool soft texture against my skin as I caress them with my thumb. Closing my eyes, I caress the blades of grass against my cheek. They felt like a cool blanket that was rubbing against the heat of my skin, the soft texture of the blades left a tickling sensation where they had been caressing my skin. No wonder Toothless was so happy to roll around in it.
A snort that brushed my bangs back from my face and caused the blades of grass to shuffle in my hand caused me to freeze. My eyes shot open, and I was face to face with big amused green eyes. Flushing I threw the blade at the dragon, which began tittering at me.
"Oh, you think I'm amusing? I wasn't the one rolling around in it a minute ago." His green eyes flashed, and he sat back watching me. I watch the waving blades of grass, the memory of the cool soft blades of grass against my skin still lingered there. Plucking a couple more blades, I eye them, and look up at Toothless. "I wonder what this does for other dragons…guess I'll find out soon huh bud." Shaking his head, I stood up and tilted his head for me to get on. Jumping back onto his back, we glided back to the valley below.
-Break-
'I really hope this works.' With my back pressed against the barricade, I watched as the Gronkle chased all the other kids, some were trying to apprehend it, like Astrid and Snotlout, others were running away from it trying to stay out of it's way, like Fishlegs. Ruffnut and Tuffnut were in the middle somewhere. Swallowing, I pull the blades of grass out of my pocket and eye them again. Seeing how Toothless rolled in it, I could only hope that these soft, cool blades of grass would stop the Gronkle in its tracks.
Taking a deep breath, I stand up and watch as the Gronkle head butts Snotlout, its beady eyes shift toward me. I began thinking that his scales were tougher then Toothless' , this thought made my heart leap into my chest which didn't help as I noticed it start barreling toward me, I squeeze my eyes shut and hold the blade of grass out as far in front of me as my arm would allow. Sucking in as I hear the dragon thud onto the ground in front of me…then, instead of biting my hand off, I hear a snorting sound emitting from his throat..
'Did it…work?' Opening my eyes, I see the Gronkle sniffing the grass and he had the same look of pure bliss in his eyes that Toothless had. I softly start laughing and begin to rub the grass on his snout; he made a gurgling sound and started wagging his tail. Grinning from ear to ear, I experimentally move the grass away from him, highly amused that he rolled on his side to keep it near him. This was just to much, I had a dragon rolling, with just a movement of my hands.
Elated at the fact that the dragon was under my control…well rather…he seemed to want to keep the grass near him and was willing to follow me to do so….still he was following my movements and was following me…it was amazing! Biting back a bigger smile, I start to move slowly past the dragon while he eagerly followed me. The way he wagged his stubby, spiky tail really reminded me of a dog begging for a bone.
I had to stop my self from reaching out and petting the dragon so, instead, I reach my hand out and rub it on the dragons snout again, causing happy grunts and groans to escape it's jagged teeth filled mouth. I slowly back it into the cage where they were keeping it, loving the feeling of being in total control of where this dragon went. I had the same feeling when I'd had the Zippleback against the wall with the eel, I've never felt like this before, it was such an amazing feeling!
As he followed me in, I change direction, rubbing the blades of grass on his scaly hide. Groaning, again the dragons back leg kicked and it fell on its side caught up in pure bliss of the cool soft blades caressing against him. Chuckling, I threw the grass on the floor, and watched in amusement as he rubbed his face in the ground where the grass had fallen. Pushing the doors shut, I slowly turn to see the group staring at me with amazement in their eyes.
That awkward feeling started seeping in as their eyes bored into me. I still wasn't sure how to handle their stares so my first instinct is to run away. It's funny, I use to think that I'd reveal in their stares of awe, but now I just want to get away from their stares. It was so strange, I guess being shoved aside for so long I wasn't so use to having people watch me. So, I quickly book it out of the arena. Breathing a sigh of relief as I escaped their stares, but then as I start across the bridge my blood froze as I heard familiar hollering…it was Snotlout, Fishlegs, and the twins running up behind me.
'Oh gods, what do they want…' I was torn between running the other direction and stopping to get their verbal assault over with, so opting for the latter I stiffen as the group came up behind me, then it was my turn to freeze in shock as they one of them threw their arms around my shoulders, and the rest were grinning in awe at me.
"That was so amazing!"
"I never thought you had it in you!"
"Yeah, I've never seen a Gronkle do that!"
I was shocked for a second before joy slowly started to rise in my being as the complements touched my ears. I wasn't sure who was saying them, but the fact that these kids, who use to pick on me and ignore me, are now noticing me and complementing me. I guess Gobber was right, all I had to do was try and after actually tying in the arena they really weren't as bad as they seemed in the beginning. Maybe finding Toothless wasn't so bad after all. Oh, man…Toothless!
"Ah you know what guys…I forgot my ax back at the ring…" I slow pry myself out of their grip and slowly started back away, "You guys go on ahead…" I swivel around and almost bump right into Astrid…she gasps and I narrowly evade her spinning around to see the whole group looking back at me, "I'll catch up with ya!" With that, I turn around and start running toward the ring again. Excitement coursed through my veins and propelled my feet to push my self faster.
I don't think that I'd ever been this happy; oh man so much was going right. I couldn't believe how good my luck had been, I knew that finding Toothless wasn't an accident! Oh, I am so glad that I decided to go back to the valley that day; it really did change my life.
"I owe you big time for this bud!"
-Break-
The next morning, I had gotten up extra early, and spent a little extra time out by the water trying really hard to catch Toothless' favorite fish the Icelandic Cod…he always seemed to go for them first then the other fish afterward. So I'd decided to try to focus on getting those for him. I still couldn't help grinning to myself on how my luck had changed so much in past couple of days.
I had gone from clueless, to amazing in the last two days and I had Toothless to thank for that. Without him, I'm not sure where I'd be right now. Staring at the water shimmering in the early suns light, I watched as flock of birds flew overhead. I watch them and my brows furrowed. I still hadn't thought about how I was going to get him airborne again. Looking down at the fishing pole I had, I watched as the rope had looped through the little holes to come out of the top and extended into the hook that fell in the water. Blinking, I pull it out and inspect it further, I had made this fishing pole myself…figuring that it was easier then just pulling at the stick with the string the same length all the way…you had to find away to contract the rope without having to walk backward or heave heavily.
Licking my lips, I tug on the rope and it spun the little knob at the base of it that had the rope wrapped around it. Then it hit me, my mouth dropped open and a smile tugged on my lips, this was how I was going to get Toothless airborne again. Standing up I heave the basket on my shoulder and with my fishing pole I began to make my way to the Toothless' valley.
"Hey, Toothless," I crane my neck to find the black dragon, laughing as he came bounding from a tree he'd been hanging in. "Morning bud, I brought your favorite, Icelandic Cod." I watch as his eyes flashed and started sniffing at the basket, feeling a slight tugging on my shoulders I begin to laugh as I felt the lid being nudged, "Whoa, whoa, whoa Toothless! Let me get it off my back first!" I drop the basket off my shoulder before Toothless took me down with it.
Shaking my head, I walked over and sat beneath a trees shade. Holding out my fishing pole in front of me I tried to remember the basic schematics that I had planned to make the pole work. I remember the basic idea had been to be able to extend and contract the rope without much hassle. Biting my lip, I place it on the ground in front of me, pull out my sketchbook, and began sketching a rough picture of it.
My next sketch, I had subtracted the hook and the knob at the end. Leaving just the pole and the string in front of me, I had to try to figure out how to apply the same idea to keep Toothless' tail fin out, and tilt it if necessary. Brushing bangs back from my face, I began to sketch out ideas for it, but none seemed to be logically possible in construction.
Tapping the end of my pencil on the new sketch, I'd made. It was a long metal pole that extended from Toothless' left flank all the way to the hind left flank and just the rope extended toward his tail. His tail fin where it was attached at the base, it then came back around and went through a small hole that started at his hind leg and went all the way to the front one. I had gotten that far, but how to get it to contract and extend as need is what was puzzling me.
A nudge at my elbow is what pulled my attention away from my sketch. I looked up at those puzzling green eyes. He tilted his head, looked down at my sketchbook and then back at me. I reached up to pet him, and scratched behind his ear, looking back down at the sketch I sighed. "I'm just trying to figure out how I'd get this to work, I've got the basic thing out of the way…but getting it to move in increments is the problem now."
He began softly purring at me, nudging his head further under my arm and lay beside me. I look at the dragon as he rested his head on my lap, on top of my notebook. I was going to say something, but his soft purring seemed to calm the frustration I was feeling. Laughing, I leaned back against the tree and kept scratching his head. I watched the birds flying in the sky and began to wonder how much Toothless missed it. My lips pulled into a frown again and I looked back down at him. His eyes were closed and he was purring contentedly on my lap.
"I really am glad that I met you Toothless." He nudged his head into my abdomen. Laughing, I rest my arms on top of his head. "You've changed everything for me and I've only known you for a week. People are starting to see me different, well my classmates anyway…my teacher. I'm getting noticed, and it's all because of you." I lean down and rest my cheek on top of his head; his scales were warm against my cheek. The vibrations of his purrs caressed my skin along with the warmth. "I owe you so much bud; I just wish that I could do as much for you. Yet all I can manage is tail fin that halfway works and a saddle that proves pointless and a half drawn out sketch that probably isn't feasible…" His purring stopped and he lifted his head, lifting me up as well. The guilt started to seep in again as I eyed his tail. "I'm sorry buddy; I really wish that I could do more…" He snorted at me indignantly and tilted his head toward his tail fin, and then he picked up the sketchbook and held it in front of me. I blink, and then I look up at him raising a brow.
Shaking his head, he dropped it in my lap again and tapped my chin up with his tail forcing me to look at the sky again. I blink, staring at it for a couple seconds before I tilt my head back to look into his green eyes. They looked confident and trusting, I softly laugh as I realized he was trying to tell me that he believed that these would work in getting him airborne. He believed in me, tears pricked at the corners of my eyes. He believed in me as Gobber did.
Closing my eyes, I wrapped my arms around his neck and laughed. "Thanks bud, you really are something else." I felt his paw wrap around my middle and I grinned. "You've not let me down, so I won't let you down! We will get airborne again, I promise!" He snorted at me as if to say, 'that's more like it' and then he took his paw and lightly shoved me back so I fell.
"Hey, what was that for?" I look up at him, and he gave me his Toothless grin. Smiling, I shot up and started after the dragon as he bound off. I began laughing as he would stop and turn around, facing off against me, his tail flicking back and forth eyeing me playfully. Smirking over at him, I launched myself at him. He must've moved slowly on purpose because my arms caught his neck again. I don't think that I've ever laughed so freely in my life.
"Got ya bud! What now?" He eyed me as if saying, 'oh yeah?' and I felt his tail wrap around my middle and lift me off the ground. I still couldn't fight the grin that split my face. "Hey, come on now, that's cheating!" He just tittered at me, and he put back on the ground before bounding off again, smiling I chased after him.
After awhile, I had to catch my breath so I stopped and leaned against the closest boulder. He eyed me as I panted for air, I hold up my hands in surrender, "I…give up…you…win." I pant, and I flop on top of the boulder. I open my eyes as a shadow falls over me, I see the big black dragon looking down at me triumphantly. "Yeah, yeah rub it in you big bully." I reach up and scratch behind his ear, and he begins purring again. I couldn't help but smile at him, he really was a big push over, but I'd never tell him that aloud.
That's how the days had slipped past me, I would work on the design for keeping his fin open, then I would relax by chasing him around, sometimes getting thrown in the water, sometimes getting stuck in a tree, but always had fun. Training in the ring was somewhat lax; we didn't have it everyday mostly because with Gobber being the blacksmith and me being his apprentice we did have orders to fill for the villagers. It wasn't until I was watching Gobber make a saddle that it hit me on how I'd get the contraption to work.
It was way after Gobber left that I began working on the prototype for my design, it was quickly put together, but it was just for a test for the real thing anyway. This was the base for what was the real thing. Running toward the valley, I found myself excited that I just might be getting closer to getting Toothless flying again, and I would be flying with him, that small taste that I'd had almost a week and a half ago was amazing, brief but enough of a taste that I want to experience it for all of what it is.
With that thought in mind, I decided that it was time to give this prototype a test. So as Toothless was eating I hooked up the contraption to his left side and his tail fin. With a final click, I hooked it to my foot pedal. Hearing the click, Toothless looked back at the contraption. His head tilted with curiosity at and then at me, his tail flicking.
"Don't worry 'bout this bud. It's just to test to see if it'll work. I haven't really worked out the kinks yet, but that's what these tests are for, so don't your worry one bit…we'll get there." I pat his shoulder, and hop onto the saddle, planting my foot on the pedal, I tipped my foot and with a click, the tail fin moved out. I couldn't help but smile and look down at the gleam in his eyes. "All right, lets see if this works huh?"
Grabbing onto the handles, we took a few flying leaps toward one side of the canyon wall, exhilaration pumped my heart and adrenaline ran through my veins as he crouched down on his front haunches, his excitement was fueling mine which made me all the more excited. Taking deep calming breathes I closed my eyes and prayed to Odin that something good would come of this.
When he took a few more flying leaps, he then spread his wings to a glide above the lake, with a flick of my foot the tail fin flapped open and we started soaring parallel to the canyon wall. Smiling, I flicked my foot slightly back and when I heard a clap, we started to plummet. I looked back and saw that the tail fin snapped completely shut.
"Oh, no, come on! Come On!" I pulled instinctively pulled back on the handles around Toothless' neck; he flipped forward and put his front paws out. His wings slowing the decent to the ground, bracing myself for the hard landing and hard it was. Toothless barley caught the ground, and I held on for dear life onto the handles. Panting, I slowly opened my eyes. Toothless was laying on his stomach, groaning at the hard landing. Jumping off, I inspected him to make sure that he wasn't hurt.
"Oh, thank gods." I put my forehead on his shoulder. I heard him crooning at me, I looked up at him concerned. "You're not hurt are ya bud? You landed pretty hard." He nudged my arm and crooned at me again. Smiling I pat his head, he moved and rubbed his head on my stomach and chest. The feeling of the fabric of my short and riding vest rubbing up against my skin was a weird sensation so I tried to push him away from me, tittering he kept nudging me until I was in a fit of laughs.
"Okay Toothless, Toothless! Stop!" I wrapped my arms around his neck to get him to quit. He lifted his head, lifting me off the ground causing my hands to slip almost off, I couldn't help but try and hang on my fingernails scraping his scales. That was when he pulled his ears back and closed his eyes and purred.
'What in Thors name?' His head and lowered me to the ground and tilted his head again, so I moved my hands on his scalp scratching behind his head, just behind his ears. A smile broke my face in two as he started purring, pushing further and further into the scratching. 'Oh man, he really is like a big dog!' completely entertained by his antics I started moving my hands more rapidly causing his right front paw to lift off the ground in order to tilt my direction. 'How much goofier can you get?' Smiling, I move my hand to scratch under his chin, when I moved my fingers however; he went stiff and fell on his side.
"Toothless?" I looked down curiously at the dragon, he didn't look in pain…actually almost seemed like he was smiling. "What did I do?" I looked at my hands in amazement. I had no idea that dragons had that week spot on their chins…well not really on their chins…more like on the left side of their chin. I crouched down next to the dragon that was now unconscious on the ground. Shaking my head, I pat the side of his face before standing up.
"I'll be back tomorrow bud. Hopefully you've recovered by then."
-Break-
I didn't know how I'd managed to duck and escape the Nadder head until now, I guess it was because the other kids were making a lot more noise then I was. Pressing my self as far into the wall as I could I clutched the mace in my hand, I watched as Astrid threw an ax at it and it then knocked it aside with the spike on his nose, charging her.
Again, it was just down to me and Astrid the others had been taken out and were waiting on one of us to get the dragon. Since I'd managed to push back the Zippleback and the Gronkle they were all watching to see how I'd calm the Nadder head. Swallowing I really was beginning to think that it wasn't going to have the same weakness underneath it's chin…I mean it has a rough spiky head…why would it even expose it's self to…wait…it does have a blind spot…in front of its nose I think.
'Oh man, I better think fast because it's looking over here!' At that moment, I'd pried my self from the wall and dropped the mace from my hand drawing my hands close to myself. It stopped and sniffed me, probably wondering why I wasn't throwing axes and spears at it while shouting at the top of my lungs. It's yellow eyes gazed at me in curiosity, then alarm as a shout ran through both our ear drums. It tilted its head and extended it's spikes as Astrid came running at it with an ax.
'Man I really hope this works!' Biting my lip I start to frantically scratch at it's cheek, it's seemed to forget about its attacker and was caught up in the pure bliss that Toothless seemed to have experienced. Quickly moving my hands down to the left side of its chin, I scratched and with a crow, it thudded to the ground blissfully unconscious. This left me standing and staring at a perplexed Astrid.
"Well done Hiccup! Yeh've done it again lad!" I felt a hand push my left shoulder and Gobber came into view. He seemed so proud; I couldn't help but smile back. Another batch of cheers reached my ears as the other kids came bounding down to meet me.
"How in the world did you do that?"
"Yeah you knocked that Nadder out!"
"What's your technique?"
I grin at them all and try to pry myself away from them, "Uh, you know what guys. It's been a long day and I'm tired so…so…uh. I'm just going to go home. I'll see…see you guys later!"
I really don't know why I didn't stay and relish their praises, it was just so strange to have them praise me…as much as I enjoyed it I really didn't feel as comfortable with their praise as I thought I would.
"Hiccup!" I slowed my pace at the voice calling me. Turning I see Gobber hobble/running toward me.
"Yeah, what's up Gobber?"
Before I knew it I was enveloped in a hug, a tight, tight hug. Pressed against his muscles and being surrounded by nothing but hair and muscle I wasn't able to even catch my breath.
"Gobber…choking…not…breathing."
"Oh, righ' sorry lad…I's jus' I'm so proud a yeh. Yeh've really come a far way from wha' yeh were."
"Eh, I had a little help." I said with a huge grin on my face, I did include him in that statement because he really did help give me the motivation to keep trying, but Toothless also helped me by accidental secrets that he shared with me. Not that I would ever use it to harm the dragons, I would just use it to distract them or render them unable to fight back with out killing or maiming them...that should be the other way around…
"I'm so proud o' yeh…when yer father finds ou' he's gonna be jus' as proud as I am…if no' more."
A smile formed on my lips as a beaming face of my father replaced Gobbers. That would be amazing to see. "Yeah, I hope so."
"He will, trus' meh."
He gave me congratulatory back slap, which nearly sent me sprawling on the ground, had I not had my feet firmly planted apart to keep my balance. Gobber hobbled off, ecstatic that I'd done so well. I smiled and shook my head at my mentor, I did owe a lot to him I mean like Toothless, I don't know where I'd be right now.
" I owe you big time Gobber…I really do."
A.N.: That's all for now guys, I really don't know when I'll get the next chapter up. I really do appreciate all of your guys patience and support, I really do appreciate it! The next chapter will consist of More training, more construction and Stoick finally comes back! Find out what happens!