Where I Belong
Author: Nightstar Fury
Rating: M
Pairing: Hiccup/Astrid
Disclaimer: I don't own the HTTYD movies, or any of the HTTYD series such as Riders of Berk, Defenders of Berk, or Race To The Edge.
Different Approach
No one knew what to say or do after they saw the crash happen before their own eyes, no one even saw the boy when this dragon smacked into the catapult tower, dove down then suddenly rolled into town with its wings wrapped around its body but upon further inspection by Astrid, she could see there was a human boy wrapped in the wings of the elusive dragon. No one could even believe any of it but the proof was right there before him, a dragon was holding onto a boy but the question was why? Gobber made his way to head of the group beside Astrid and the other teens along with the chief, Stoick. "What is going on out here?" The man demanded.
"Dragon rolled into town, chief. Has a boy wrapped in its wings..." Spitelout, Snotlout's father answered first. Stoick now looked to see the Night Fury laying unconscious on the path, he moved around to see the top of the auburn hair to confirm there was indeed a human wrapped in its wings.
"Someone from our village?" Stoick asked.
"No sir, everyone was in the hall when it crashed here. It hit the catapult tower, dove, then rolled to where it is now..." Astrid responded next.
"Must of taken the boy from another village...Kill the dragon and free the boy." Stoick ordered, almost instantly the dragon began to stir and open its eyes. Seeing itself surrounded by people with weapons, Toothless began to growl lowly wrapping his wings tighter closing the boy off from their sight line. Stoick pulled his ax nearing the dragon-who snarled at him then roared loudly, Toothless now unwrapped his wings slightly showing more of Hiccup as he stood up but kept himself in a protective stance over his human. "You beasts have destroyed enough families..." Stoick huffed out nearing again. Toothless glared as his back spines split into two making a small line of V's down his tail which wrapped around Hiccup and he continued to snarl.
"Stoick!...Hold on...I don't...think this dragon wants to hurt the boy..." Gobber said quickly.
"Gobber, what are ya talking about. It's standing over him refusing to let us near...It wants to kill him!" Stoick boomed.
"No, Stoick...I think Gobber is right. If it wanted to kill him, he'd be dead already...This dragon is...protecting him." Astrid said, Stoick arched a brow at her now.
"Don't be foolish, lass. Dragons don't protect humans...They are mindless killers." Stoick snapped back. Toothless growled low again as a blue glow emitted from his back spines, top of his head, nostrils and throat. A few people gasped, they'd never seen a dragon do such a thing before.
"Look at the stance, chief!" Astrid ordered, Stoick looked again seeing how the dragon was standing over the boy with its tail wrapped around him trying to keep everyone else away. "It had that boy in its wings, and now it won't let us near him...It thinks we're a threat so it wants us to keep back. That dragon is protecting that human..." Astrid added as she nervously looked at the dragon once more and moved closer to it but Toothless snapped at her however she held her ground firmly. She noticed its eyes were eyeing the ax in her right hand, she carefully placed it down and kicked it away. Toothless's snarling seemed to lighten up but his stance didn't change nor did the glare.
"What are you doing, that thing will kill you Astrid!" Snotlout exclaimed.
"Will you hush up...If its protecting him...then it won't hurt him...But it thinks we will." Astrid brought herself to one knee and looked into the dragon's eyes firmly. "Its okay...Its okay. I'm not gonna hurt you, I just want to...make sure your friend is okay. I promise you are safe and so is he..." Astrid said softly to the dragon. Toothless's growls stopped as the blue faded but still didn't budge, his eyes darted towards the large Viking chief holding the ax. Astrid noticed the dragon's uncertainty now. "Put your weapons down, all of you...Yes you too, chief...It doesn't trust we won't hurt it if it backs off and it knows as long as it's near the boy we won't attack..." Astrid mentioned.
"If it attacks anyone...I'm putting a sword in it's heart..." Stoick stated as he put the weapon at his feet then kicked it away, soon the rest did the same.
"See now...No one will hurt you, we just want to make sure your friend is alright. You can trust me, dragon..." Astrid smiled a bit with her hand out to Toothless who looked at Hiccup, he was still unconscious. Toothless ignored her hand as he unwrapped his tail from Hiccup's body then stepped back so the girl could get closer to his rider. Astrid inched closer until she reached Hiccup's body and listened for his heartbeat, then moved her hand under his nose to make sure he was breathing. Other than that he just had a few scrapes and bumps. "He's alive, just unconscious. Probably from the fall." Astrid looked back to Stoick now. Stoick seemed to sigh with some relief then they heard groaning, all eyes were on the boy who was beginning to wake up.
Toothless heard his rider start to awaken as he moved close again and nudged his face with his own, Astrid moved back now watching. They all were, they'd never seen a dragon act so docile before. Especially a Night Fury of all dragons acting like an overgrown puppy over his wounded friend if that is indeed what they were. Toothless screeched softly with worry and licked Hiccup's face, Hiccup now put a hand to his head and sat up slowly with help from Toothless before his eyes began to open. "Oh my head..." He grumbled, "To—Tooth...less?" Hiccup asked, his dragon nuzzled his face purring softly. "I'm glad you're okay too bud..." Hiccup smiled rubbing his head.
"Are you okay?" Hiccup now saw a blond girl with blue eyes kneeling before him, Hiccup quickly stood and moved closer to Toothless who was of course up with his tail back around Hiccup's waist to protect him.
"Wh-Who...are you?" Hiccup asked afraid. The only time he ever saw people were when he and his mother were rescuing dragons, he'd never been this close to any human.
"Um...I'm Astrid." She introduced herself.
"How...did I get here! Did you shoot me and my dragon down!" Hiccup said quickly as Toothless began to snarl again.
"No no! You misunderstand, you crashed here in the storm. Your...dragon had you wrapped in it's wings..." Astrid said right away not wanting the dragon to get angry again.
"Where is...here?" Hiccup asked now.
"This is the island of Berk, home of the Hairy Hooligan Tribe. I'm the chief, Stoick." Hiccup looked to the large Viking male before him now. "What is your name?"
Hiccup didn't know if he should give his real name or not, his mother never said what to do if captured or crashed on a Viking island. "It—It's..." He paused now, what name could he use? "Einarr Riddari." Hiccup finally said. Made sense to use it. Ein meant lone or one, arr meant army or warrior. And Riddari stood for rider. That is what he was, a lone warrior rider.
"What Tribe do you originate from, did this dragon take you from them?" Snotlout asked.
"What, no! Toothless would never...I asked him to take me away because I hated where I lived. I'm never going back there...I'd rather die. We've been on our own for a week, we don't have a Tribe to go back too. And Toothless is a good dragon, they all are! You just can't see that because all you want to do is kill them!" Hiccup snapped.
"All they do is attack us." Tuffnut pointed out.
"They defend themselves, just like you do. But they are still living creatures of Odin, and unless you are such a God then you don't have the right to decide who lives and who dies be they dragon or human..." Hiccup crossed his arms over his chest.
"Alright now, lets settle this down..." Gobber interjected stepping forward. "I think the lad is right."
"Are you serious, Gobber?" Spitelout asked.
"If dragons were as dangerous as we believed, this one known to never leave its victims alive wouldn't of protected this boy from us when we're his own kind. It was ready to defend him without any hesitation, also it let Astrid near Einarr to make sure he was alive." Gobber stated.
"Toothless...let you near me?" Hiccup asked softly now. Astrid nodded slowly.
"When you were unconscious, he wouldn't let us near you until Astrid made everyone drop their weapons and told him we promised not to hurt you or him then he backed off to let her check you." Fishlegs explained.
"What made you do it? Toothless kept me safe, he wouldn't let anything happen to me...He's my best friend..." Hiccup asked looking at her.
"We didn't...know if you were okay after such a hard fall and...I thought maybe if we showed your...friend we wouldn't hurt him or you that he'd trust us and let me check on you." Astrid said slowly. "Violence isn't always the answer, sometimes you just need to take a different approach to a situation you don't understand." She shrugged a bit. Hiccup looked at this girl a few seconds before nodding with a small smile. Maybe his mother was wrong after all, these people were willing to listen so maybe he could show everyone the truth about dragons.