AN: To all the complaining 'Guest's / Reviews of the last chapter...
Ahem... IF YOU'RE NOT HAPPY WITH MY STORY AND HOW I AM WRITING ASTRID / NOT SHIPPING HIC-STRID, THEN STOP READING THIS STORY!
Also, to Windshear was NOT going to kill Astrid, she was only going to cut the girl pony-tail off
With that sorted let the new chapter begin...
The next morning in the nest, Heather, Thuggory, Camacazi, Astrid, and Mari were woken up at the crack of dawn by Terrible Terrors praising the new day by singing.
"Gah! Will someone please tell them to stop?" Thuggory asked clamping his pillow over his ears and rolling over.
"I think it's cute," Mari said getting up and putting her boots on "Besides it's just like birds and them singing."
"Yeah but birds can stay on key with one another," Heather said stretching a little, not even going to try to go back to sleep.
"I wonder what they're singing?" Camicazi asked brushing her hair a little.
"They're singing how wonderful and beautiful the new day is," a voice said from the door where they saw a masked, already wide awake and ready for the day Night Ryder.
"Yeah right," Astrid said scoffing at the idea that dragons can be smart enough to do that.
"Really?" Mari asked curious about this.
Nodding Hiccup waited until the tune started again and started singing.
"Oh what a wonderful morning
Oh what a beautiful day
And we've got a wonderful feeling
Everything will go our way!"
When he was done, he bowed and said if they wanted it, breakfast was ready.
After blinking away the surprise, and agreeing there was no point trying to go back to sleep, everyone followed Hiccup to the dining room.
On the table was bread, re-heated fish and chicken, jugs of milk, and jars of jam.
"You all go ahead, I've already had my breakfast," Hiccup said pulling out a little wooden block and a small knife "Once you're all done we will get started on me teaching you how to be nice to and accept dragons."
Agreeing on that, everyone got started on eating breakfast.
Part way though, a Terror came in and said something to Hiccup.
"You guys look after each other for a bit," he said to his guests calling for Toothless "Sparky here says he's spotted some Dragon Hunter ships nearby, so I'm just going to go rescue the possible dragons and chase them off."
With that he got onto his dragon and the pair zoomed out of the cave.
"Should we feel sorry for those hunters?" Camicazi asked taking a bite out of her jammy bread.
"I don't know about you, but I won't be," Mari said firmly petting Sparky a little who came over to say hello to her.
"Why?" Astrid asked "They're just doing their job and Night Ryder is stopping them from doing it."
"Their job... Astrid Hoffersin," Mari said trying to stay calm "Is capturing, tormenting, forcing to obey, selling on, and killing dragons."
"So?"
"Astrid, Dragons are living things," Camicazi said joining with Mari "Think of them as friends and family. Your friends and family. How would you feel about it then?" she asked getting a nod of thanks from Mari and a 'Huff' and cold shoulder from Astrid.
A couple of hours later, everyone was out in the nest waiting for Hiccup to come back, and spotted him coming in with a small group of dragons trailing behind, a couple of dragons carrying another one it looked like.
Backing up so there was space for the dragons to land, everyone was surprised to see how many scars and injury's the dragons had.
One looked like she was blinded, and the one that was being carried seemed to have something wrong with his wing.
Unable to just stand there and look on, Mari and Camicazi slowly came over and asked if they could help.
"Go back inside, follow Toothless to the healing cupboard, and bring back bandages and as many jars of medicine as possible," Hiccup said calmly as if he has done this many times before, which thinking about it he probably had.
As they went to go get that, Hiccup then told Thuggory to count how many of each new dragon there are and make a list of them.
And then Astrid and Heather go to the food storage and bring back at least five baskets of fish.
After a few hours, the new dragons were settled in, counted, and eating their fish, with those with injury's looked at and tended for.
"Ok, now we can leave them for a bit, and get on with your lessons," Hiccup said speaking to others, telling Toothless to stay and keep watch over the new dragons.
Slowly so not to scare the new dragons, Hiccup led his guests to a different part of the nest where he called out for Terrible Terrors.
After a couple of minutes five little dragons came and landed in front of him.
"So, you're first task, will be showing me how you would pick up and hold a Terrible Terror," Hiccup said smiling beneath the mask "Astrid, why don't you go first?"
"Ok, I will," Astrid said stepping forward and choosing the light blue one.
As fast as she could, Astrid reached out and grabbed the dragon by the scruff of the neck.
Not happy about this, the Terror wiggled and jiggled and let its claws come out in an attempt to scratch this girl, also letting out small bursts of fire.
All of it getting too much, Astrid dropped the dragon which then ran away to hide behind a rock.
"Looks like you'll have to try again later," Hiccup said checking to see if the blue Terror was all right "Next?"
"What? But I did as you said, I pick it up, and held it," Astrid complained.
"Not in the way I wanted you to. Now get to the end of the line so you can try again later," Hiccup said telling Thuggory to have a go while Astrid grumpily did as she was told.
Taking note that what Astrid did was wrong, and having an idea that he shouldn't pick the dragon up by its tail, Thuggory slowly went over to the purple one and picked it up by scooping it up from under its forelegs, and then brought it close to him.
This Terror not liking the way it was being held wiggled a little until it slid out of Thuggory's grip and went to join his friend.
"Better than Astrid, but still not quite there," Hiccup said sending Thuggory back and calling up Mari.
Taking a deep breath, Mari stepped forward, knelt down before a pink one, and held out her hand.
Curious the Terror sniffed it, liking the sent on this human, it began to climb up her arm, and lie down in them.
Once it was Mari curled her arms around it and held it there as if it were a small pet or a baby, and then slowly stood up, looking to Hiccup to see if she did it right.
"And that's how you do it. Well done Mari," Hiccup said clapping her "Slowly, gently and steadily, show them you're not a threat, and let them come to you instead of going to them. Camicazi, your go."
Nodding Cami stepped forward and followed Mari's example, going for a yellow one.
After getting hers, Heather went for a green one and got that one too.
Now it was back to Astrid's go. Grumily she wnt over to the blue one again andshoved her hand into its face.
Scared by the sudden speed, the Terror bit her and flew away.
"OWWW..." Astrid screamed as she nursed her hand glaring daggers all around looking for the dumb little dragon that did this.
"Well serves you right for scaring her," Hiccup said a chuckle in his voice. "Thuggory your turn again."
Nodding Thuggory went back to his one and managed to gain its trust and hold it in his arms.
"Well done," Hiccup said to those who had passed the test "For the rest of the day I want you four to go play with your Terrors, give them names, and get to know them a little more. Astrid and I will stay here until she get her Terror to like her."
Nodding everyone went out to do as Hiccup had said.
"I am Not trying again," Astrid said firmly clutching her unbitten hand into a fist.
"Fine, then I hope you are happy with the possible destruction of your home village to rest on your shoulders," Hiccup said shrugging and turning away "After all if you're not even able to do it with a Terrible Terror, how can you possibly become friends with anything bigger. Oh well."
With that he went off back to go check on the new dragons, leaving Astrid there to think over what he just said.
Crying out a little in frustration, Astrid went off to look for the blue Terror and give it one more try.