School just started up again and I hate it. This chapter has been finished for a while, I just haven't had the time or internet connection to upload it until now. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I own Nothing


Getting the fish was easy enough. As was reaching the cove. Finding a way in that would lead to ground level took longer, but it was still relatively easy. The real trouble was convincing himself to actually enter. Astrid pulling off his mask had only reminded him of what dragons could do. How much danger he was putting himself in just by coming here. But… they had had so many chances to attack him. They could have killed him when he set them free, or when he came by to draw them. They didn't. They must know that he doesn't want to hurt them. He's even bringing them food.

Steeling himself, Hiccup inched towards a gap in the cove walls. Once he was close enough to trow the fish into the cove, he did just that.

The fish lay, undisturbed, for a minute before Hiccup grew tired of waiting. Cautiously, he walked through the gap, shield held in front of him. The dragon probably would not hurt him. Better safe than sorry, though.

A force suddenly stopped him. His shield had become stuck to the rocks at the sides of the gap. Hiccup had walked right into it. He tugged on it. It didn't move. He pulled on it. It didn't budge. He pushed on it. Still nothing. It was astounding he had managed to get it that stuck. The Gods just had to take every opportunity to make his life terrible, didn't they?

Switching tactics, Hiccup crawled under the shield. He stood and turned towards the shield. His back to the most dangerous creature on Midgard. He repeated his earlier actions. He tugged. It didn't move. He pushed. It didn't budge. Oh well. 'Guess I'll die.'

It would not have done much in the face of a Night Fury. But it was the thought that counted.

When Hiccup turned back around, the fish was still there. Exactly where it landed. No dragon in sight.

Cautiously, he scooped up the fish by its gills -decidedly ignoring how gross that was- and searched the cove. No dragon. Had it escaped? Was it hiding?

A soft growl came from behind him. Hiccup turned to face it. The dragon was perched atop a rock, staring him down.

Well, that answered that question.

Hiccup stumbled back, instinctively bringing the fish closer to his chest. Then, remembering why he came back there, the boy offered the fish to the dragon.

They leapt off the boulder, crawling in a semi-circle around the boy until his back was to the rocks. Smart, making sure Hiccup was trapped and giving themselves room to move. Or to run. Or to kill him. Yay.

Once they were satisfied with their positioning, the dragon's gaze switched between Hiccup's face and the fish in his hand.

Gingerly, they began to move towards him. They opened their mouth. Then, Hiccup flinched. A response to the dragon raising its hackles and growling at him. No. at his waist.

Hiccup lifted the end of his vest to find out what had spooked the dragon. A knife. The knife he had used to cut the dragon free. It was one he had made. One he kept on him everywhere he went. He moved his hand to grab it. The growling increased. Definitely the knife then.

Here was a dilemma. His favourite knife or feeding a starving dragon. Well, a knife would not do much against a dragon anyway. He could always make a new one.

Ignoring the dragon's growled threat, Hiccup took the knife from his belt. He held it away from himself and dropped it. I'm Not A Threat. I Don't Want To Hurt You.

The dragon relaxed slightly but continued growling. Good, But Not Good Enough. They tossed their head towards the lake in the middle of the cove. Throw It In The Water.

Hiccup scooped the knife up with the toe of his boot, balancing it before kicking his leg and throwing it in the water. All the while watching the dragon in front of him.

They watched the knife's path through the air and into the lake. Once it landed in the water, they relaxed completely, sitting back with their eyes wide and their ears up.

Hiccup hesitated before offering them the fish once more.

Their eyes narrowed. Gingerly, they began to move towards him. They opened their mouth. Wait. Where were their teeth? He made a low, curious croon.

'Toothless? That's odd. I could have sworn you had-' Teeth snapped out of their gums and they lunged towards the fish in Hiccup's hands, just barely missing biting his hands off. 'Oh'

They swallowed the fish whole. Once it was gone, they let out a pleased purr. Then, they seemed to realise something and turned back to Hiccup. They slinked towards him and he backed up, one of their steps to two of his. What did they want? Did they want more? He didn't have any more. Did they decide now was the time to eat him?

He tripped over a small stone and fell backwards, switching to crab crawling away from the advancing dragon. His blood ran cold when his back bumped against the boulder that had been behind him. A small whimper left his lips. I Don't Have Any More.

The dragon paused on top of him, their expression changed to considering, as if they were debating something. They sniffed him once before their eyes rolled back in their head and they began making a choking, heaving noise.

Hiccup watched as they convulsed before throwing up a half-eaten fish and going still.

They both stared at each other before the dragon sat back on their rump. Hiccup looked at the fish, then, he looked at the dragon. The dragon looked at the fish, then, they looked at Hiccup. What did they want from him?

The dragon glanced at the fish, looked back at him, and swallowed. Eat It.

Hiccup grimaced. 'Do I have to?' Well, he supposed it was either eat the fish or face the dragon's anger. Fish it was then.

Hesitantly, Hiccup lowered the scarf covering his mouth, watching for the dragon's reaction. Their eyes widened slightly and they leaned back minutely. Then, they softened their eyes and crooned. Was it an apology? They didn't do it. Were they sympathetic? It was a war; everyone had scars of some sort. Maybe they hated fighting just as much as Hiccup did, but just like him, it was all they knew.

Slowly, Hiccup raised the fish to his mouth. Gods, he was not going to enjoy this. He took a bite. He was right. He was always right about these kinds of things. It was awful, but he forced himself to hold the fish in his mouth.

He hummed –or as close to humming as he could get without lips-, hopefully in a way that would convey to the dragon that he enjoyed and had swallowed the disgusting thing in his mouth. It was awful, terrible, the second the dragon stopped looking at him he would spit it out. He was never going to look at a fish the same way again. No, he was not exaggerating, it really was that awful.

They were not fooled, a shame, really, that this dragon was smarter than most Vikings, and wouldn't they just hate that fact. Were all dragons actually this smart? It was obvious that this one understood cues, expressions, and body language. They probably had object permanence too, if their making him get rid of his knife and the fact that they were currently encouraging him to swallow the revolting sea creature inside his mouth were enough evidence. Hiccup felt his expression become incredulous. I've Taken A Bite, Isn't That Enough For You?

The dragon deadpanned, and mimicked swallowing again. Eat It.

Hiccup sighed around the fish.'I guess I have no choice then.' He steeled himself, once it was out of his mouth he could wash out the taste, so, really, this was a good idea. He decided to completely ignore the implication that putting the fish in his mouth wasn't a horrible idea in the first place.

He brought a hand to his mouth to stop himself from regurgitating and swallowed. Wow. That actually managed to feel worse that having a fish in his mouth for over a minute, a real accomplishment on both his and the fish's part.

The dragon was still staring at him. Definitely smart if they knew what a trick was. The boy opened his mouth, filled with fish slime and dragon slobber, to show the dragon that he had not deceived them. See? No Fish.

They nodded and gurgled. Good, Wasn't It?

Hiccup closed his mouth. 'No, it really wasn't' But… while the fish hadn't been nice, the past couple of days had been the most interesting thing to happen to him in years. If he got to spend more time with this mysterious, amazing, fascinating creature, he might start to enjoy it. The thought made him smile, the corners of what was left of his lips raised themselves crookedly, it pulled at his scars and showed off his gums, but he was glad that he could even remember how to smile, genuinely at least, it had been a long time since he'd last had a reason to.

Hiccup was distracted from his thoughts when the dragon narrowed their eyes at him. Where they angry at something? No, that look was more confused, more curious. Their eyes widened, their lips quirked up, where they doing what he thought they were, their lips pulled away from their mouth, showing off their toothless gums, wow, okay, yes they were.

Hiccup watched in astonishment as the dragon mimicked his smile, it was awkward and clearly forced, but it was a smile. 'Fishlegs would have a field day with this.' Then another though came to him.

The dragon's scales were a beautiful, almost iridescent blueish-black they had stripes and spots like a Monstrous Nightmare. Or the tigers and jaguars that he had heard come from the mainland. They certainly looked like how cats were described. Lithe, strong, vicious, untrusting, playful, graceful, swift, intelligent, wild, so many contradicting traits, somehow they all managed to apply to the dragon in front of him.

Travellers and traders had told tales of those that had tamed cats, gained their trust and loyalty, and befriended them. Maybe he could do something like that.

Hesitantly, Hiccup lifted from his seated position into a crouch and slowly, but eagerly –and isn't that weird, that he can be hesitant and eager at the same time, but he managed it, lucky him, he really was talented-, he reached out his hand to the dragon's snout.

The second they realised what he was doing, their imitation-smile fell. The growled, a warning, there was peace for now but there were boundaries. Reasonable. His hand flinched back to his chest and they turned, running to the other side of the cove.

Well, he would just have to try again later.