Translated

Silence filled the forest for only a moment before the brush rustled once more. Toothless slunk out of the darkness like a jungle cat, the saddle dangling from his mouth.

Relief warmed Hiccup, both at the sight of the dragon and at Toothless' forethought to hide the saddle with him. Finding that among his belongings would have raised excessive questions—and the less he heard Arnulf's voice, the better.

Toothless spat the saddle from his mouth. His pupils were slit, nostrils flared, and his movements jerky, as though he still fought with himself to keep from running after the Frenchmen.

::Are you okay?:: the Night Fury pressed, he sounded as agitated as his movements. He brought his face up to Hiccup's and sniffed at the human's cheek. Hiccup's hair fluttered at the, the ends brushing the throbbing area.

Hiccup nodded before he spoke. "Yeah."

::Do you want to go get your stuff?::

Hiccup shook his head. Though anticipated, Toothless looked put out

"One spoke Norse," Hiccup mumbled, detached. "He said his nemesis spoke it... so his nemesis must be a Norseman. He's probably used to fighting Vikings... and that means there's a chance they know how to fight dragons. I don't want to take that chance. I can get this treasure..."

Hiccup rubbed a hand down his face and lingered over the bruised jawbone that took the brunt of the blow. The farther south he got, the fewer Viking-sized men he encountered... but, despite lacking the stature of a Viking, that thrice-damned Frenchmen hit like one.

Or maybe it stung more because he didn't fight back. Not physically.

::Hiccup?:: Toothless crooned, staying close to the human. ::Hiccup what's wrong? We will get your stuff back. I don't care if they can fight dragons or not—I can still take them::

"Yes you can," Hiccup agreed softly. "But I can't."

Toothless' brow lowered. The plates on the side of his face twitched. Concern left his shoulders and wings tight. Culpability, solicitude... things he very rarely used to feel towards others.

Hiccup had that affect on him.

::Hiccup... is this about what I said to you earlier? You must know I was speaking out of fear—::

"I know," Hiccup cut him off, having already heard it from Gudrid. "You're scared that I'm going to get myself killed one day because I always bite off more than I can chew." And it was a very sensible fear. "But you can't keep fighting my battles, Toothless."

Toothless sat back, beginning to identify with Hiccup's earlier indignation during their argument.

::I won't:: Toothless assured him. ::You're getting better. You're great with the little blade. And you're fast::

Despite the words of encouragement, Hiccup couldn't help but feel the sting of patronization.

"Yeah, that's me," Hiccup snorted. "Great at running away."

Toothless rolled his eyes at the self-depreciating comment.

::Even if you were the most skilled warrior of your human-drove, you would not have been able to defeat all those men::

Hiccup held his initial retort about underestimating Berk's warriors and instead chose to address Toothless' earlier claim.

"And yet, you could."

::I'm a dragon:: Toothless stressed.

Hiccup's fervor promptly vanished—he had been waiting for that—and he gave the dragon a sad smile.

"Exactly," he conceded. "You know... we're raised to believe that dragons are beasts—the humans, I mean. That you're lower than us. Incapable of thought. But the reality is..." He gingerly touched his face again and closed his eyes. "The reality is that I'll never equal up to you."

It was something he had begun to realize during his first couple of weeks in the Night Fury's company. There was so much more to dragons than what history taught. It was one thing to have superior bodies, but dragons had intelligence on their side too. And longevity. And no constraints on transportation.

They were the superior species.

"No matter how hard I train or how much I learn, I feel like I'd drag you down in everything," Hiccup admitted. He gave a short, empty laugh. "I mean, here you are—a Night Fury—and you're hiding in the trees from a few humans just to humor me! Being around me is practically degrading for you!"

Toothless' shoulders sagged. ::Hiccup...::

"I can train all I want, but I'll never be as fast or as powerful or...or as capable as you. I have nothing to offer to a dragon. Except for your flight. And even that won't be dependent on me forever."

Toothless looked at his human with pity and shock, shaking his head in disbelief at what he was hearing.

::Hiccup, you have something I could never have!::

Hiccup scoffed. "What? Opposable thumbs?"

Toothless lashed at the back of Hiccup head with his tail.

::Listen to me!:: he snapped ::You are completely underestimating the human mind! Yes, I have thousands of years of instincts ingrained in my being without even having to experience them. I know what is and what is not, in this world. I know a lot, but that is all I know. I cannot...I can't...::

Toothless looked frustrated, like he was trying to find the right word.

::You can see what could be. Like it...appears in your head. Human magic. I cannot do that.::

Hiccup's lips tugged into half a smile. "You mean... imagination? Sure you can. It's... it's not something that can be controlled or stopped. It's just there."

Toothless appeared grave.

::No Hiccup. It may be something you stop help, because you are gifted with more of it than I have ever seen in any human. But when my tailfin was taken from me, I knew it would be Spells before it returned—and too many spells. I know it would be near impossible to survive grounded. I knew I had met my fate. I knew this and I accepted it. That's why I did not struggle when you were set to kill me. My instincts dictated that there was no other way...and no cleaner way to go.

::But you... You looked at such a finite sentence and saw possibilities. Dragons do not have that ability. We do not have the power to create unknowns. We are creatures of tradition. And considering how we are both breaking tradition for both our kind, that is the greatest asset we can have. I am following your lead.::

Incredibly heartened, Hiccup bit his lip to try a keep the smile off his face. He failed when Toothless gently head-butted him in the stomach. Hiccup's arms wrapped around dragon's head in a brief, meaningful hug.

As long as Toothless didn't think of him as Hiccup the Useless, he would be happy.

"Really?" he asked haltingly.

::Yep::

"I could lead us straight into Hel, for all we know," Hiccup warned.

::Sounds like a good time to me:: Toothless quipped back. ::And, because of you, I am going to be breaking records everywhere: first to have a rider, first to grow back a tailfin—first to fly with only one tail fin. I think your road to madness will only bring us good things::

In a wily maneuver, Toothless lifted his head and gave Hiccup a heavy lick to his abused cheek.

"Ugh!"

But Hiccup laughed through his dislike of licking.

::I will, however, have to destroy the man who hit you::

"Yeah, yeah. You'll get your fun..."

Hiccup rubbed the saliva from his face, though the quickly cooling liquid soothed the pain.

As his hand touched his cheek for the untold time that day, he was reminded of a different touch his face recently felt.

"Treasure..." he whispered. Surely, she wasn't being literal!

::Yeah, that's something we can still avoid. We'll just do some more sneaking around, like that time with the pirates:: Toothless, not privy to Hiccup's thoughts, decided. ::They shouldn't be too hard to track::

"Then again, she said plunge..." Hiccup continued to mutter under his breath. "What were her exact words, again?"

Toothless' ears perked.

::She?::

"Gudrid."

The ears fell back down. ::The vördr?::

"Yup."

Toothless snorted. ::I should have known. I tried to wake you when the humans approached, but nothing worked. And then that scent came. The one I am beginning to associate her...::

Hiccup snapped to attention.

"Scent? What scent?"

Toothless wrinkled his nose in both thought and distaste.

::It is like a... like what males emit when trying to attract a mate::

"What!" Hiccup yelped. His collar suddenly felt hot. "N-no, no! You probably got it confused with...interest! Like the educational kind..."

He trailed off at Toothless' deadpan look.

"It's her fault!" Hiccup exploded. "She's the one who keeps touching me—!"

Toothless reared back.

::I do not need to hear this!::

Hiccup began waving his hands in the air. "Not like that!"

::Just tell me why she appeared to you again:: Toothless interjected. ::And leave out all touching::

Hiccup grimaced when he realized there was nothing he could say to save face at the moment.

"She had something to tell me... mostly about the decisions I've been making. She said they were... well, she said they were the right ones." He might be leading them right to Hel but Gudrid at least gave him a thumbs up for it. "And, I think...I..."

Something niggled the back of his mind—had been for sometime, now that he thought about it. In that moment, as he stood between Toothless and the ocean with his cheek throbbing, it blossomed into an idea.

The treasure Arnulf wanted... the place no human could reach... the serpent...

"...I think I understand where she was trying to guide me!"

Toothless warily watched as Hiccup's face moved through several familiar expressions.

::I do not like what you are thinking right now:: Toothless informed him.

Hiccup scoffed. The wonder receded from his expression. "You can't hear me think!"

Toothless gave him a flat look.

::I can see it in your face:: he said. ::You're thinking of something that is going to upset me::

Hiccup had to grant him that.

"Well...among other things, Gudrid did help me understand why you were so mad earlier—and I get it! I do!—but she also made me realize that I should not stop trying to communicate with the sea serpent..."

::Yes. This is absolutely upsetting me::

"And that's where you come in!" Hiccup supplied cheerfully.

Toothless looked very much like he would like to slap himself in the forehead if he had the body for it.

::Hiccup, that is a sea serpent. They're...they're disgusting, tainted, slimy beasts!::

Hiccup raised his eyebrows. "Is it because they smell of eel?"

::That and I want to melt its greasy skin off every time it pops its deformed head into the air::

Hiccup stared.

::Can't help it:: Toothless shrugged.

"Yeah..." Hiccup said, slowly. "Gudrid explained that to me—your natural hatred for sea serpents. But really I think this is one that can be reasoned with! Which is why I need you to act as a translator," he finished with a pleading look at his best friend.

Toothless sneered, ::The vördr should have explained to you how I would rather bathe in eel blood::

Unwilling to be deterred, Hiccup tried to mediate.

"Look, we'll approach the shore with me on your back so we can fly off at a moment's notice. But only if it comes to that." When Toothless continued his unyielding glare Hiccup added, "You said you were following my lead here! I need you to trust me on this."

The dragon deflated some, though more so out of reluctance than regret.

::Why can't you just walk away from this:: Toothless implored.

Hiccup threw his hands in the air. "I can't! My—my mind won't let me! The same way I couldn't leave you flightless."

Toothless huffed at the comparison. ::Low::

Hiccup winced. "Look, I know you're not comfortable with this, but I really, truly feel that this needs to be done. I don't understand—not yet, that is. But Gudrid said something about treasure, and then Arnulf wants some treasure, and we meet the sea serpent who just happens to be guarding this treasure... we'd have to be trying to ignore the signs."

::When the signs are pointing to your imminent death, it's time to start ignoring them::

"No one is going to die!" Hiccup shouted. Toothless' obstinacy exhausted him.

::Because no one is going back to that shoreline:: the dragon resolved.

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::Why am I here?::

Toothless directed his question at the heavens. He didn't want to look ahead of him, at the span of salt water housing that snake, nor did he want to look at the human on his back—the one responsible for this most unfortunate situation.

"Because you love me," Hiccup answered, patting Toothless in a placating manner.

Toothless shook the hand from his head.

::Loathe:: Toothless corrected. ::I loathe you::

"This will turn out fine. You'll see." Hiccup cleared his throat and raised his voice to the channel, "Erm, sea serpent? Uh... I'd—we'd—like to talk to you."

Toothless snorted at the wording and curled his lips back.

::Get out here you slimy, fork-tongued, water guzzler. I can smell your rank stench befouling the air::

"Be nice," Hiccup murmured. He didn't want to blow his chance of figuring this out just because Toothless' irritation scared off their ticket to the treasure.

He needn't have worried, for Toothless' call seemed to have done the trick. This time the great head emerged from the water just faðmr off the shore. It slowly moved forward until its head could rest on the rocks; water cascaded down the frills and snout like a thousand tiny streams.

Though a far less impressive entrance than before, Hiccup felt even greater disquiet at the proximity and stealth managed by a creature of such gargantuan proportions.

"Right..." he mumbled. He felt unable to tear his eyes away from the serpent's—once more, locked in an uneven staring match. The serpent's penetrating gaze never wavered from the odd human boy and Hiccup helpless to match its intensity.

Hiccup felt the body beneath him tense. Toothless's frame vibrated with a nonstop growl, ready to spring into the air with the next move made by the sea monster.

"Is he saying anything?" Hiccup asked quietly while leaning forward towards Toothless' ears. He kept his face turned toward the serpent.

::Yes:: Toothless answered shortly. ::He is really interested in the saddle you are on::

Hiccup's lips quirked with a flash of a grin. "Can he understand me?"

::He is ancient... he can probably understand anything:: Toothless muttered back.

Hiccup got the impression that, despite the dragon's hatred for the sea monster, Toothless still did not want the age comment heard. Apparently, fear of the elderly transcended all matters of dislike.

With this thought in mind, Hiccup sat up straighter.

"Hi," he greeted the sea serpent clearly. "I'm Hiccup... oh wait, I already introduced myself earlier, didn't I? Sorry. This is Toothless," Toothless emitted a charming snarl, "and we'd like your help."

A moment of silence passed; the serpent continued to stare at Hiccup, unblinking.

::He is willing to hear you out:: Toothless said grudgingly. Hiccup's smile widened.

It was a start.

"Great. Uh, well, there's this treasure we need to get—but it's not for us! It's for some French guy who took my stuff. It's not really about that either. Okay, so, I had a dream...and it involves destiny and a vördr and all this stuff that's actually way over my head—"

The sea serpent continued its passivity, Toothless continued to knead the sand with his claws, and Hiccup realized he might be rambling.

"Uh, the point is, we were told you guarded this treasure. I don't really have the details but...apparently you took it from a pirate? And you guard it in a 'magical lair' that humans can't reach? Any...any of this ringing a bell?"

The confidence Hiccup felt when he first addressed the serpent had waned some; he felt rather foolish asking a monster if it remembered a specific treasure it may have.

::No::

Hiccup jolted at Toothless' admission.

"Huh?"

::He does not have the treasure...:: The disappointment Hiccup felt was almost enough to keep him from noticing Toothless' own peak in curiosity. The dragon had even stopped growling. ::He said he knows what treasure you are talking about, but he's not the one who took it, and he's not the one who guards it::

Hiccup let out a breath he didn't know he held, eyes wide.

"Could...could you get it for us?" Hiccup asked the giant head. He bit his lip, hope wriggled in his gut.

::No:: Toothless said again. ::He himself can't get it. They would not relinquish it to him...but they would likely allow you to have it. However... they do not leave the cavern::

"Cavern?" Hiccup asked, "The place unreachable to humans?"

::It is located on the floor of the ocean, too deep for any human to swim. Also—humph!::

"Dragons can't reach it either, can they?" Hiccup guessed correctly.

::Perhaps not myself:: Toothless reluctantly admitted ::But there are certainly other dragons that have the aptitude::

"I know, I know..." Hiccup patted the side of Toothless' neck. He worked the predicament over in his mind.

The treasure was underwater—too far for him or Toothless to reach. The sea serpent could reach it, but whatever guarded it wouldn't give the treasure up to the serpent. But it might give it to him. But he couldn't reach it...

The sea serpent could reach it, but he couldn't.

He could get the treasure, but the sea serpent couldn't.

The sea serpent could reach it...

"Toothless...I'm getting off you now."

Toothless jerked at Hiccup's announcement. ::What!::

Hiccup hopped off before Toothless could pull a stunt that would make everything impossible.

"He's not going to eat me! Right?" Hiccup directed at the serpent. The usual vulnerability of having both feet on the ground settled, but a stimulating trill ran up his spine at his nearness to such a great beast.

Toothless started growling again, his legs tensing as if ready to grab his human (with his teeth if he had to) and bolt.

"Toothless..." Hiccup warned.

::I don't believe him!::

"But I do! Now please, please, bear with me for this," Hiccup begged. He held Toothless' gaze until the dragon begrudgingly nodded.

Hiccup took a deep breath, steeling himself, and faced the serpent.

"Can you bring me to this cavern?" he asked it.

Both the serpent and dragon had, funnily, similar initial reactions—bemusement. The sea serpent's head cocked a fraction to the side, possibly wondering how it would manage this, before its eyes widened marginally.

::What?:: Toothless sounded confused. ::How would he do that if its under—Oh no! No!::

Toothless dived at Hiccup, teeth out, clearly intent on yanking Hiccup back to the trees as fast as possible. Hiccup anticipated this. He nimbly dodged the muzzle, dancing out of reach and closer to the monstrous head positioned on the shore.

::Hiccup! Get back here!:: Toothless barked, looking rather ferocious with his thinned pupils and thrashing tail.

Feeling daring, Hiccup stepped closer to the serpent.

"What did he say?" the boy demanded.

::Hiccup!:: the dragon roared.

"What did he say?"

Toothless held his tongue a moment longer with a rather sour expression on his face once he realized his continued refusal to comply would only drive Hiccup closer to the snake.

::He's willing, but—::

"And he won't eat me?" Hiccup asked more for Toothless' benefit than his own.

::So he says:: Toothless answered with a threatening growl towards the sea serpent. ::Do you understand what you're doing?::

Hiccup looked to horned jaws of the serpent—just a few arm-lengths away at this point—and at the stained, towering fangs that could not fully be contained by the scaly lips. At the skull—the size. He'd seen houses smaller.

"This will work," he declared and took a breath, swelling with confidence—false or otherwise.

::How do you know?:: Toothless' fierce anger had begun to deflate and now the tendrils of anxiety threaded his words.

"Gudrid said it would," Hiccup said as if that would explain everything. She worked for the Gods, after all. He continued his light steps towards the slowly opening mouth. The beast showed no caution to his approach, no threat. Hiccup knew it would not deceive him; a creature as grand as this would not stoop to something so human.

::Gud—:: Toothless shook his head, incredulous. ::The woman in your head told you to climb into a sea serpent's mouth? ...And you're listening to her?::

Hiccup laughed just as he reached the body. He had to take a moment to revel at his current situation—standing alongside a legendary myth. He gently touched the scales of its lips. They were cool and wet and overly smooth—like an algae covered rock.

He looked back at his dragon.

"I need you to trust me," he said softly. He really did hate upsetting Toothless this much; but the dragon was so influenced by instincts he was practically unable to give the sea serpent any benefit.

::I do trust you but...:: Toothless' eyes were large with alarm. He still debated suffering the putridity of the snake, if just to forcibly drag Hiccup away from all this. ::This is the craziest thing you've done to date, and that terrifies me::

Hiccup chuckled again, taking his hand from the scales.

"This one time," he began in mock story mode, "I climbed on the back of a Night Fury's tail—"

::Hiccup...::

"—and I ended up finding my best friend and changing my life for the better."

::This one time,:: Toothless countered, ::you climbed into a sea serpent's mouth...and it ate you!::

"He already promised not to eat me." Hiccup looked up into the enormous, filmy eye. Its pupil could be the size of his arm. "Right?"

The sea serpent made a huffing-like noise and some water sprayed from the blowhole between its eyes. Hiccup took this as a 'yes'.

Toothless appeared pained with the words he uttered next.

::If this is what you feel you have to do...then I will go along with it::

It was all Hiccup needed to hear. He placed a foot between two of the serpent's teeth, mindful not to slip on any of the seaweed caught within crevices, and levered himself up. The air inside the giant mouth was stifling and Hiccup had to shallow his breathing to keep from gagging. Hopefully, the ride wouldn't be a long one.

::But if you die...:: Toothless added, his threatening tone directed at Hiccup rather than the snake. ::If you die I will go into the nearest human settlement and I will bite the head off of every human child I come across::

Hiccup stared at him, still halfway into the sea serpent's mouth.

::Let that be on your head:: Toothless said resolutely.

Hiccup gave him a faint smile and finished his climb into the slimy, odorous orifice, making himself comfy on a thick, grey tongue.

"And you said you weren't creative."

The jaws closed.

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A/N: And so Hiccup rides off to the treasure in a sea serpent's mouth—in true Hiccup fashion. Normally the pressure that far deep into the water would be to much for a human to handle, but sea serpents are protected by their mystical magic to keep their own heads from exploding...which would protect Hiccup as well. My story, my rules!

This is actually one of a few mini-adventures Hiccup will go on in his entire journey. It was initially supposed to take one chapter...but including this one and last, it looks like its going to cover three!

The scent Toothless referred to when describing Hiccup and Gudrid was pheromones. Pubescents will be Pubescents!

Let me know what you think! Next chapter we find out what is guarding the treasure and what the treasure is :)