Hello faithful readers! Things are starting to heat up in this chapter! We get a closer look at Hiccup's and Cora's relationship, please read and review. Comments as far as story and character arcs are welcome. New chapters coming soon!

Chapter 10: New Beginnings

Hiccup sat in the grass finishing his meal, leaving him somewhat satisfied. He continued to watch Toothless bat at the butterfly, making him laugh, but when the Night Fury rolled over to reveal the underside of his neck, Hiccup noticed something I hadn't before.

A massive, thick, and deep scar lined the underside of Toothless' neck, stretching from one side of his huge head to the other. Hiccup immediately scurried closer to his dragon to examine the mark, running his hand along it. He felt that it was rough where the skin had fused back together and onto each other, closing the gash tightly. The scales were severed, as new plating had to grow between the crack, showing that the cut was deep but clean, most likely done with a blade. But that wasn't on Toothless' neck just days ago, how could it be scarred already, and more importantly, how did he possibly survive such a morbid cut?

Panic began to surge through Hiccup, and he was glad the small insect was distracting his best friend while he scowled his underside for similar battle scars. He came across another scar, this one being a stab wound, right above the dragon's heart. The tissue around the area was raised, and looked like a tangled mass of veins on the Night Fury's otherwise seamless skin.

Rage boiled within the Viking at the thought that someone would hurt his dragon, but he was just glad he was okay. He seemed happy enough, rolling on his back, swinging his paws in the air, and making gurgling noises in joy. Hiccup giggled again, and the dragon turned his head and looked into his master's eyes with a sweet glint of love floating in their green irises. However, when he noticed something troubling the young man, Toothless righted himself, walked over to the Viking sitting cross-legged in the grass, and shoved his large head against his face in an act of comfort.

Hiccup placed a hand on his head and sighed. "At least you're alright, bud, and I guess that's all that really matters to me. I just don't know how you survived, or healed so damn fast. It took you weeks to finally close the wound from that spike the Whispering Death shot into your leg," he said.

Toothless offered a low rumble, responding to his master's concern for him, then rubbed his head harder against Hiccup's face, hoping to make everything better. "I guess we just have to be careful. I'll always watch out for you buddy," he said. He looked into his dragon's eyes once again. He felt guilt come over him. "You've always looked out for me and loved me, bud, and there were times I put so much into finding Astrid that I forgot what was right in front of me. For that I'm sorry, Toothless," he spoke softly.

He wrapped his arms around the dragon's wide neck, and Toothless bowed his head to pull the Viking closer towards him, accepting his apology. He had always enjoyed the warmth his master gave him; his master that he would protect with his life. In his mind, the boy could do no wrong.

After a few moments of sharing the wonderful embrace, the two best friends pulled back to look at each other. "I won't abandon you again, old friend, and next time I do, feel free to slap me in the face," and he let his signature dorky smile dominate his face. The ice built up after so many years began to melt, as he forced himself to live in the moment. He took a minute to remember how his bravery has changed his life, his family, his tribe, and his world, and won him the girl of his dreams.

He smiled, letting his tears he once hid finally fall from his eyes. He no longer felt the painful urge to save his true love, but rather enjoyed his memories of her for what they were worth. It had taken him years, but he was finally beginning to let go.

Toothless rubbed his nose against Hiccup's, showing his love. All Hiccup had to do was open his eyes, and what he needed most was right in front of him: his best friend. After Toothless licked his face repeatedly, washing away the saltiness of his tears, the Viking pushed him away and stood up, wiping the spit from his face and laughing quietly. "Alright, alright Toothless. You stay here, I'm going to find Cora."

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By the time Hiccup made his way to the Inn, the sun had completely set and left the town in the dead of night. He hoped that Cora and the man who reminded him of his idiot cousin had not left yet. When he opened the door to the Inn, he was greeted by the smell off wood, fresh sheets, and cool mead, with a hint of sweaty men. He glanced around, seeing the brutish man he met before softly serenading a giggling woman on a luke. With another once over, he found the elf in question face down at the bar with at least 10 empty tankards next to her.

Hiccup froze. This strong soul he saw on the block was passed out in a dying slump before him, and it grounded him to reality. It was sad, but Hiccup knew the elf's strongest and liveliest moment was right before her death. With a sigh, we walked over to hunker down next to her in the sleeping Inn. The two love birds in the corner and Hiccup were the only ones awake, and he could hear other people snoring in the side rooms.

Hesitantly, Hiccup poked Cora's shoulder with one finger, then pulled back quickly to examine her response. She didn't move. With more confidence, Hiccup laid a hand on her shoulder, shaking her softly.

"Cora…Cora, time to get you to your room. Cora, wake up," Hiccup cooed softly.

This time she stirred slightly, rolling her face over in the direction of the Viking, and opened her eyes slightly, as if she was straining to look at the sun. At the sight of Hiccup, she gave a weak smile. "Hiccup, I was just," she gave a small hiccup. "I was just dreaming about you, playing with your dragon," she giggled.

Hiccup began to panic. "Cora, be quiet! Don't talk about this!"

She giggled again, then gave a small pout. "Oh boo, no talk about that little guy? Not so bad when you get used to him," she slurred, rolling her head back into her arms in a sprawled mess on the bar.

Hiccup rolled his eyes, then glanced around the small Inn, eyes settling on an empty room directly to the left of the bar. "Is that your room?"

She looked up squinting again, then gave a weak nod. "Yup yup yup!" she said.

"Well, we better get you there and into bed," he said, reaching for her. She reached out her arms like a child as he took one of her arms over his shoulder, and the other around her waist to help haul her to her room.

She blushed at the sight of his hand on her waist, then laughed. "Why, Mr. Haddock, this is all so sudden. You taking me to bed, and all," she teased, twirling a finger around his hair. He hoisted her up out of the barstool, her head rolling on her shoulders.

"Cora, you need some rest, you'll think straight in the morning," he said levelheadedly.

"Baby, I won't be able to think straight in the morning if you're still there," she purred, and gripped his shoulder tightly.

Hiccup ignored her as he pulled her through the doorway and sat her gingerly on the bed that she proceeded to fall back on and stare at him with lust clouded with drunkenness in her red eyes. She then sat up and removed her helmet and ruffed up her hair to drop it back onto the bed. "Your turn, fly boy. Maybe I'll find out why that dragon of yours loves being ridden so much," her lips curled up in a seductive smile, but Hiccup couldn't help but cringe at the vulgarity of her comment.

"Cora, go to sleep," he replied sternly to which the elf pouted again. He began to remove her boots, quiver, and bow, and repositioned her in the bed to get her into a better sleeping position. He put his hand under her head and laid her carefully on a freshly fluffed pillow. "Trust me, you'll thank me in the morning," he said, breaking away from her arms trying to pull him down on top of her.

With that last statement, he threw a soft blanket over her, and closed the door just to exit the room and slump against the frame. He ran a hand down his face, and had the urge to pull out the picture of Astrid from his vest. After a slight hesitation, he had the drawing in his hands and was unfolding it. The second his eyes came upon the beautiful girl, he felt relief. He was no longer in Skyrim, lost, or forgotten, with an elf drunk off her ass. He was standing next to his blonde goddess, and his desire to find her grew inside him again. Ice made its way into his eyes again, and he let a pained smile slide onto his face. Finally, something familiar.

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With the gray early morning light shining in through the windows, Cora awoke with a massive pounding in her head with dizziness making her have the urge to vomit. Groaning, she sat up slowly, feeling her stomach slosh inside her sickeningly. She put her fingers to her temple and tried to make sense of the previous night. She had come to the Inn, seen Delphine, learned of the Brotherhood, and the rest was a blur. She moaned again in pain, and also with realizing she was still stuck with Sven and still needed to take Hiccup to Whiterun.

After a few moments, she looked around at her surroundings. She was sleeping the right direction in a bed, her helmet was removed, her boots were set nicely next to a chest at the foot of the bed, and a blanket covered her frame. Her bow lay on a nearby chair with her quiver carefully balancing next to it. She scowled. When she was drunk, she usually ended up waking up in the bar where she passed out, dried vomit crusting at the sides of her mouth, or would come to in a damp gutter somewhere on the side of the road. This was really odd…

Working her hardest to keep her last meal in her, she threw the blanket off of her, and stood up slowly, struggling to keep her feel under her. She slipped on her boots, smoothed down her hair, and made her way to the door, realizing she looked like Oblivion frozen over. She opened the door and looked around to find Hiccup sitting in a chair right outside her door. He sat upright, with his arms folded across his chest, head bowed, and his legs stretched out in front of him. He looked as though he was dozing, and a light snoring came from his peaceful body. He made no move to look at her, so she quietly stepped out and look around the Inn. No other resident had awoke yet, so she was careful to sneak when snagging an apple for her breakfast. She walked softly around the Inn to find Sven, peaking into the rooms and looking under tables to find the moron. She finally saw him, lying on his back peacefully in a room just across from Cora's, bare-chested, and with the form of a naked woman thrown across him. The sight did not help her nausea, and she gagged before quickly averting her eyes and making her way back to her room.

She saw Hiccup still sleeping and it made her smile, but then it hit her. It hit her hard. By the nine, she thought to herself. I slept with Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III.