Chapter six: Test Flight
The sound of a snore made me snap my head up; looking around my room I understood that I was still alone in the house. My head fell on the pillow, I was not sleepy anymore but I didn't want to wake up.
Raising my head again I looked at the room's door like if I could see beyond it, through the stairs and the main door and look outside. There were a lot of noise and movement.
What time was it? My gaze turned to the closed window, the sun passed through the wooden planks. My stomach answered me: it was late. I groaned burying my face in the pillow; after a minute I stood up with a sigh.
The window cracked when I opened it. The light outside blinded me till my eyes adjusted; it was a beautiful day: the sky was clear, the sun shined on top of the sky, the air was cold but the warmth of the sun makes you forget it. I closed my eyes and rested my elbows on the window, feeling the sun on my skin and the wind on my cheeks.
The feeling reminded me to something: today was the big day.
I looked at the forest with a smile because I knew that Toothless was waiting. I shouldn't make him wait but he surely understands that I had other things to do, like sleep.
Gobber gave us the day and since I had spent the days in the ring and the cove and I studied with Fishlegs when I was back and I passed the night at the smith working on the saddle I didn't had much time to sleep. Sure, I napped with Toothless in the cove but I hadn't sleep so well since long ago.
My hunger leaded me downstairs. I didn't bother to put on my pants or my boots, who cares? I was alone. I headed to the kitchen with my stomach grumbling, I gave the food a look, did I really want to test my stomach while flying? I was hungry but I didn't want to throw up.
I opted for just making eggs so I made my breakfast – or lunch or whatever this counted as – as I tried to ignore the noise from outside. I was tempted to give a sneak peek but I knew that if I opened that door hell would broke lose.
May be use what I learned from Toothless in Training was a bad idea; I could no longer go to the forest unnoticed like I always did, now I couldn't walk for the village without being followed and questioned about Training.
I wanted to stop but it was impossible for me to don't try. The good thing was that I didn't just improved on Training; I had made a saddle with pedals for the new mechanism for the tail and a vest with harness for me so I won't fall again.
The bad thing was that Asher was more than mad at me – at least he noticed me now, not in the way I wanted but – a few days ago while training with a Terrible Terror Tuffnut said that I was better than Asher ever were. That afternoon he almost discovered me carrying Toothless' tail fin wrapped in the saddle on my way to the cove.
Anyways, we'd already checked the pedals positions and continued practicing tied to a tree trunk on a cliff. That place was perfect, the winds were as hard as I though they would be on the air so they helped us o simulate a flight. And of course, bad thighs happens, well, it's me who we are talking about; the rope that attached us to the trunk snapped and we fell back getting me stuck with Toothless and, again, Asher almost cached me, now in the blacksmith… tied to Toothless.
But after all the struggles we were finally testing the fin.
"Hey, Toothless." I sang, his head snapped out and he ran for me taking me down and licking me, "No, Toothless, that's gross." I laughed and took him off. He gave a step back moving his tail side to side.
Toothless sniffed the air and looked at the big bag that now where on the floor and pushed it with his nose to me. I didn't know why but dragons are very special with food, every time I had bring him food he waits for me to eat first or to give him permission to.
I opened the bag and took a fish from the tail, "Just one, the rest is after the flight," the dragon took it from my hand with more kindness he did the first time. "Now, go for the saddle." Toothless raced for the hidden saddle and harness and brought it to me.
He had the fin already on; I didn't want to take it off. The saddle bothers him a bit so I had been taking it off after our training. I put on my harness first, then kneeled and proceeded with Toothless.
This time I didn't need to chase for him to put the saddle on. He stood still – if you don't count the thrilled shivering – while I set the saddle on its place.
I took a deep breathe before looking up at Toothless, "Are you ready, bud?" He shook his body ready for fly, "Okay." I whispered giving me courage and standing up.
Toothless slowly opened his wings as I hoped to the saddle and secured the harness; I felt his muscles tense, he didn't need an order to take flight or at least he didn't waited for one; he took us up with the clink noise of the harness.
My heart was beating faster than ever, adrenaline already rushing on my veins. Toothless stopped beating his wings and we soared with the clouds. I looked down to see how high where we. Bad idea. The ground was miles away and my food was trying to make its way up from my stomach; I swallowed hard in a try to put it in its place. I had never been afraid of heights and not of flying anymore; falling to my death? Maybe a little.
A strong airstream made me lose my balance for a bit, I returned to my position knowing that this was not going to me like our training in the cliff.
"Okay bud, we're gonna take this nice and slow." I pat him on the neck, giving him courage that he didn't need; he had waited for this for too long.
I checked my notes with the positions, "Position three- no, four." I changed the pedal and looked back to the tail making sure it shifted. Toothless moved his shoulders, more than ready. We twisted to the left in a smooth move. I inspected the harness, pulling from it and making sure it still on its place.
Under us were a lots of rock formations where we could perfectly practice. The bigger one, an arched stone, got my attention. "Alright, it's go time. It's go time." I tucked tight to his neck and pushed my weigh forward, Toothless understood the move and drove us down gaining speed, "Come on buddy. Come on buddy!"
Changing positions with a little clumsiness and turning almost every second trying to match the prosthetic with Toothless' fin we zipped trough the arch in perfect maneuver. "Yes, it worked!" The beauty of the scene distracted me, I though this things where smaller. I returned my gaze forward only to see a stone in front of us.
Toothless growled with the crash, "I'm sorry." I pulled from the saddle but lead us to another stone; the dragon growled again, "That's my fault," he hissed and hit me with his ear-flap- I almost could hear his 'pay attention'.
"Agh! Yeah, I'm on it." I rubbed my face. "Position four, uh, three." I twisted my feet and drew my body closer to his as we climbed up, and up, and up. We were reaching the clouds. I looked down without fear as a new sensation put away the vertigo on my stomach and filled my chest; I could explode at any moment.
I could see the whole island below us, we were way to high and I wanted more, "Yeah! Go, baby!" I screamed, not containing the feeling on my chest anymore. Toothless seemed to be enjoying this as much as I was. The ferocious dragon had his tongue out, flapping with the wind.
"Oh, this is amazing! The wind in my-" My notes hit me on the face and flew free on the air, panic got me. "Cheat sheet! STOP!" Frenetically I reached for the paper feeling a new lightness on my body, now I was floating free on the air; my scream had made Toothless suddenly stop the climbing. I looked at him and saw my own fear reflected on his face; we floated for a second looking at each other without knowing what to do, in the next second Toothless roared and I screamed in complete terror as we were falling to our ends without control.
"Oh, gosh! Oh, gods! Oh, no!" I turned my gaze to Toothless who was watching me with terrified eyes. "All right, Okay." Think fast, think fast! Okay, I need to get to the saddle again, how? "You've just gotta kind of angle yourself." My voice was shaking but I tried to sound sure of it and do it myself; it wasn't easy but I got to be upside down extending my arms and legs a little so I would not turn. "Come back down towards me, no, no." He was spinning without control; he was a dragon, fly was their instinct but everything he knew about flying would not serve him anymore, not without a fin of his own.
I tried to get close, "Come back down- Ow!" Toothless wing snapped me on the face sending me away. The good part of it was that he was now below me, but whatever that kept us in the ground was taking him down faster.
Toothless looked up at me, terrified. He screamed not for his life, I realized, if not for mine. My breath completely stopped. Something hit my chest from the inside, something that wanted to get out and hug Toothless and tell him everything was going to be all right.
That feeling needed to be kept inside; if it got out I would began to cry and I knew that I couldn't delete it. But I could make something better with it.
I took the sheet with my teeth and put my arms and legs together, positioning myself with my head down; I gained speed fast and soon I was close enough to Toothless to jerk my arms to reach the saddle and pulled me on. I put my feet on the pedals and secured the harness before pulling the saddle up forcing Toothless to open his wings.
Toothless shrieked as we nearly touch the treetops; Toothless' wings were fully open trying to stop us, it must hurt. Looking forward I found a new problem: a maze course of jutting sea stacks drowning in fog. I grabbed the sheet off my teeth in a failed attempt to check the positions. The wind made it flap violently making it impossible to read.
We were getting closer, there was no time to think; I tossed the paper away. Don't letting the panic got one me again I stuck to Toothless body and let instincts and adrenaline on my veins do the work.
We raced trough the rock stacks, going left and right, changing pedals without noticing and knowing where to go without even need to tell Toothless or he pointing at me. Toothless made a spin – we made a spin- and I had no idea of how I did to not fall.
It was a weird feeling, I just… knew. I knew where to go, to what position change the pedals; the stacks were passing like a blur by my side and I could barely focus anything ahead but I just knew.
The fog was gone; the stacks were gone. We had passed and we were alive; I raised my breath and tried to catch it again, we were alive, "YEAH!" I screamed lifting my fists to the air and letting out the weight on my chest.
The happy Night Fury below me launched a fireball that explode just ahead us, he didn't made any attempt to move, "Oh, come on!" my arms fainted a little, he let out his tongue and closed his eyes, overjoyed.
I tried to cover my face from the flames as we passed trough them, they didn't let any burn on my skin but my clothes and hair didn't had the same luck. I sighed and stood up on the pedals, leaning forward to look at Toothless' face.
He looked up and let out a slightly laugh, "What? You think is funny?" the dragon grinned, "Yes, you do." I said with a sigh and sat again, "Well, it's not for me, now I have to explain my burned shirt." Toothless laughed, more than clear that he didn't care.
"Are you hungry?" I asked knowing that was something that he did care. He let out a sound that I had identify as a yes days ago. "Okay, lets go to the cove." I changed the pedals and turned to the cove.
It didn't took us long to reach the place. I changed pedals to land, Toothless had other thing in mind and took the bag on his paws and tried to take us up beating his wings hard, we almost tripped down. "Whoa, whoa, what are you doing?" I moved my foot before we crashed to the cove's wall and we were up in a second.
Toothless twisted his body indicating me where to go, "Where are we going?" I asked obeying Toothless and changing direction. I got a roar in response, "Hey, but-" he cut me off with another roar, it heard like a 'shut up'.
I pouted and followed his orders. We flew calmly at comparison with the last experience and after who-knows-how-long- we reached an island; it was smaller than Berk, almost all rocks and sand with a tree there and there.
We finally landed; I hoped off of Toothless and stretched my legs. Toothless jumped away and called out for me; I never told him my name but two days after I gave him one he began to do this sound every time he wanted my attention, I had get that it was my name – or at least the one he gave me.
Putting the bag over my shoulder I followed Toothless trough the beach. We reached the end of it and a weird rock-pillars formation followed; Toothless jumped easily over them, I, well, I had to manage to climb some then get down only to had to climb again. I had no idea how many times I did that before laid the basket down feeling it heavier and looked around.
"You know," I called Toothless, breathless, he was too far but he surely heard me, "this is a beautiful place, why don't we stop here and-" I didn't finish the sentence distracted by what was on the horizon, a heavy, gray fog. I stared at it, how could I have missed that?
Something came to my mind: I had a dragon, what if I could convince Toothless to take me in? No, it was too risky. Lot of lives had been lost in there, lives of the best Vikings Berk had, I wouldn't make it alive.
And what if I could convince him to take them in? Of course that would mean to tell then the true and put him on danger.
Toothless huffed my name at my ear, I jumped and returned to reality, he didn't look at the fog like he uses to do when I stare at something, like if he didn't like the place. I wondered why, it was his home after all. I said nothing and followed him.
The sky had already turned orange, my stomach was grumbling, my legs were burning for the long walk, and we hadn't reach wherever Toothless was taking me "Are we there yet?" I asked almost tripping with my own foot. Toothless let out an annoyed growl trough the bag straps. He decided to carry with it when he saw that it slower my walk. "I'm hungry!" I knew that I had said it ten times already nut my feet were killing me. He let out a yowl and pointed somewhere onward in a we-are-almost-there expression, I groaned and let me fall forward, hitting my knees first and didn't putting too much effort on stop my face to hit the ground. My head got buried on sand, great, more sand.
Toothless called me very annoyed, "I'm not walking anymore!" I heard his steps going away until I didn't hear him anymore; if he though that was going to make me follow him he was very, very wrong. I heard him getting close and called me when he was on my side, "No." I groaned, he answered me with an annoyed sigh; I had heard lot of them lately.
I felt Toothless breathing on my neck and in the next moment I was on the air, "Hey! Put me down!" he huffed with my harness on his mouth and began to walk. I tried to put my feet on the ground but I couldn't even reach it. He wasn't that tall, why couldn't I reach the ground?
Twisting to look at Toothless' body I noticed that he, indeed, was taller than I tough, he had his legs completely extended and his neck stretched up. Hell, he is big. The last two weeks with him had made me forget that he was the dragon that had destroy entire buildings with just one freaking shoot, the one with children have nightmares on, the adults have nightmares on, even when no one – except me – have seen him. This was the big dragon that almost killed me a month ago.
He dropped me in front of the basket, "Couldn't we land here instead?" I remained sit with my legs unfolded and with my but sore, I pout at Toothless; he rolled his eyes in his dragon way – lowering his eyelids and turning his eyes up like he didn't want to see whatever where bothering him, in this case me. Most of the times where me – and walked away again, "Where are you-" he roared shutting me up again.
I saw him go to a near tree and snapping off every branch. He dropped them in front of me and set them on fire, after it he dropped the bag, bit it from the bottom, and pulled it up empting it; the fish spread thought the rock and he pushed it at me. Toothless sat behind me, letting me use him as backrest.
A bright smile appeared on my face and I looked at him, Toothless stared me with big, rounded eyes and gave me a little lick on my cheek. "Thanks, buddy." I said sweetly and grabbed three fishes, "The rest if for you." He immediately took one and swallowed it; I took a branch that wasn't burned jet to stick the fish and roasted it.
Cuddling on Toothless I let the fish cook and watched the sunset in front of us, he had chosen a beautiful place. I took off my boots to rest my feet and got ready to nap a little. Toothless' stomach began to move with a sound I knew too well now. A slimy fish head fell at my side, I stared at it, "No, thanks." I said maybe too fast, a cloud of what might be betrayal crossed his eyes, "I'm good with this buddy, seriously, I don't eat that much."
He looked at the fish head and to the ones by the campfire, he pushed it with the other ones and continued eating. I closed my eyes again.
Three seconds, three damned seconds passed before high-pitched screeches made me wake up. A group of Terrible Terrors landed with us walking around and smelling the fish.
Toothless soon protected his food putting it closer to him with his paws and snarling at the little dragons. They seemed kind of funny being so little but I knew what were they capable of. One may not be a problem but together – as they always are – could cause a big mess, they can ever carry an adult. We didn't call them Terrible Terror for nothing.
I crawled back to Toothless' body as a red Terror tried to take one of his fishes getting too close to me for my pleasure but Toothless just needed to snarl at it to get back.
While he was distracted with the red one a yellowish green Terror tried and managed to steal a fish, actually he stole the fish's head Toothless had regurgitated for me. The red Terror turned to the yellowish green and tried to eat from the head. The yellow-green dragon hissed and the red began to gargle, the yellow-green was faster and shot at it making the other Terror to take flight.
Toothless looked at them unimpressed. Something cached my eyes, actually cached Toothless too; a fish from the pile was standing up and walking away, the black dragon immediately grabbed the fish by the head.
The green Terrible Terror didn't let it go and fought for it, they struggled for a bit but the little dragon was nothing for Toothless who snapped off the fish and swallowed it whole letting the Terror with a piece of tail on his mouth, Toothless laughed, bothering the little guy even more.
I looked away to the other ones, thanks Thor they were distracted, the red and blue one trying to snatch the food from the yellowish green dragon. Back with Toothless, the little one scratched its claws on the rock, gargling, it opened its mouth and jerked up. I slowly backed up and look at Toothless who still was unimpressed.
I was tough to fear every dragon and to don't underestimate them but for Toothless this was probably just another little and annoying nest-mate. Toothless spited out a little plasma blast, no more bug than my fist but it filled the Terror mouth, taking him down. The Terrible Terror stood up, smoking, and walked away to his mates who now where playing attention to him just to laugh a the dizzy dragon.
"Huh, not so fire prof on the inside, are ya'?" The dragon shook his head focusing again. I took one of my fishes, a small one, and tossed it to him, "Here you go." The dragon's face lighted up and took the fish on his mouth, swallowing it without bit it once.
I sat once again, the dragon looked at me and walked forward hesitantly and got to my side crawling underneath my arm, I pulled it up instinctively but he just rested down and closed his eyes.
Slowly, I put my hand down petting him. His small body rising up and down with every fast breathes. I scratched him and he began to purr. A slight nervous laugh leaved my lips as I smiled. The other three Terrors got close to me with a suspicious gaze but the blue one crawled to my lap, the yellowish green to my shoulders and the red to my head. I couldn't contain a laugh; Toothless rolled his eyes and shook his head but said nothing – well, nothing I could understand – I looked at myself, who would ever imagine this? Sitting beside a Night Fury with four Terrible Terrors napping on me.
It wasn't just Toothless; I played with the Gronckle on the ring with the dragon nip; the Zippleback weren't so bad since I fed him, uh, them; and, damn, even the Nadder stopped its race when I dropped the maze! Now these little fellas… "Everything we know about you guys, it's wrong."
And it took me a whole freaking month to realize that, years of war between Vikings and dragons. Years full of funerals and losses and starving. Years and no one had ever realized.
But, why they attack us? Maybe we were too close to their nest. Or someone pissed off a dragon long ago.
I stretched my hand and straighten a little to take my cooked fish. The four Terrible Terrors lifted up their heads at the slightly move but put it back down when I took my position again; I hadn't eaten half of the fish when Toothless finished his pile. He looked back, watching carefully at the Terrors; he growled in warning before resting down his head on his paws.
When I finish to eat I really regretted not having taken more fishes. Since when I haven't eat well? Probably since I met Toothless. Anyways I jerked my back and twisted a bit to my left cracking my bones and disturbing all the five dragons, I twisted to my right and let our a groan of relief; I opened my eyes and see a very scared Toothless with four Terrors on his head with the same horrified expression.
"We are going!" I declared with a laugh taking my boots and putting them on before jumping to my feet. Toothless sniffed my back and poked it with his nose making a worried noises; I laughed again "I'm fine, see?" I interlocked my fingers and stretched my arms to crack them, Toothless gasped in horror and looked at my fingers expecting they were broken. "They are fine." I waved them in font of his eyes.
Seeing I was well his glare changed to an angry one, "Oh, c'mon." He huffed at me, "But I'm fine!" He roars furiously and a red fireball fell on his mouth.
Toothless coughed as the green Terror sat on my shoulder and growled at the Night Fury. I shot of a laugh as Toothless slowly turned his gaze to the Terror standing protectively on my shoulder. Damn, when was the last time I laugh like this?
"I guess I made a new friend." I took the Terror off my shoulder and held him up from his sides, he looked at me and liked his own eye before twisting his head, "Hum… I'm gonna call you… Sharpshot! You like it?" The Terror gargles a kind of laughing. Toothless just watched with a low, deep growl on the back of his throat. "Oh, come on buddy, don't be jealous."
Toothless turned his head and I could swear I heard an "I'm not jealous." Coming from his direction. Sharpshot laughed and crawled for my arm to my shoulder and to my head; his mates accompany in his scoff.
For a moment I felt bad, I didn't like to mock on people, not like this, and Toothless it's my friend; I couldn't make him this, not when I knew how it feels.
"Okay, we're going." I put Sharpshot on the ground and pat him on the head before hopping on Toothless; he wasted no time and took off to the sky. After a moment of silence I got close to his earflaps and whispered, "You are still my favorite, bud." His earflap perked up and he raised his head, then it turned to me; I gave him a sweet smile and scratched his neck softly, "you will always be."
When I was a kid I was always afraid of enter to the forest at night, it gets too dark and you can't see if there was a dragon or another beast stalking you. Till now I still didn't like it but Toothless couldn't land close to the village, so I did the only thing a rational fifth-year-old girl would do: brace myself and run for my freaking life before something cached me.
I began to see the flickering lights of the village and happy Hooligans all around, I smiled, I was close. A nervous laugh leaved my lips and I got out of the trees. Closing my eyes with relief I walked forward rubbing my neck and realizing how stupid it was that I just rode a dragon and I was still afraid of the forest.
"Hiccup?" a well-know voice came to my ears but what was he doing here? "What happened to yer shirt?" suddenly more pair of eyes joined my uncle's.
"Ugh…" I lowered my hand slowly and began to mumble an explication, "I- I, well… I was on the woods… and, uh, ya' know how it gets at night, I didn't see it comi-"
"What was it, a Gronckle?" a neighbor, Ack, asked. What was he doing here?
"Nah, Gronckles don't come close to the village at night, it surely was a Nadder."
"Yep," I confirmed, "It was a Nadder." Every one gave a step closer to hear the new story, shit I hate to lie, someone always ended discovering the true.
"What did you do? Smack it with a hammer?" somebody I the second line asked.
"Of course not. Hiccup doesn't use hammers. You used a sword isn't it?" Now it was Phlegma the one who spoke, she had been in all my lessons since the Zippleback. Somebody deny that and other take the word from him and a big discuss began. It didn't last long, tough; in a moment everyone was shouted and looking expectant to me. I looked at them still trying to figure out what was wrong with this situation- aside of being surrounded of Vikings wanting to hear how I fought a beast.
"Uh, just took it down like the Nadder on the ring the other day." I said and it surprised me how confident I sounded. The group of Vikings began to cheer up with a surge of 'I tolya so's' but a voice above everyone cached my attention.
"That's my daughter!" The people in front of him got out the way I finally saw him.
"Dad!" I screamed and ran for his open arms, he lifted me off the ground in a hug. One month, one freaking month without him. I fought the tears 'Chin up, shoulders back' I recalled his words as he put me down and I rose my chin, stood straight and pulled my shoulders back as I gave him a smile with more confidence that I though I had. He returned me the gesture with a proud smile and with a hand on my shoulder.
My heart flinched, I didn't deserve that smile.
"Good you are here," Gobber interrupted in the right moment, "we were waiting for ya'!"
"Fo-For what?" I asked more than confused.
"Party at the Great Hall!" Spitelout didn't fail to say and everyone attention turned to the food and drinks that were waiting. My father laughed and gave a pat on my back pushing me a little to start to walk.
"I'll catch with you latter." I said getting out of Ack's way before he took me down in his race of being the first. "I want to change first." I explained to my father before heading to the house.
I walked in non-stop, evading people and giving smiles to the ones that congratulated me until I got to my room, close the door and lay on it. My breath began to accelerate and I let myself fall using my hands to stop the blow. My legs spread on the floor and I kept my gaze in my boots not actually seeing anything.
This is bad. The whole village, the whole freaking village! I hit my head with my fists, recoiling my legs. How could I have been so stupid?! This had gone out of hand long ago, I should had stopped then, when I had the chance but no, Hiccup wanted to see if what she does with Toothless worked with other dragons, Hiccup had befriend a motherfreaking dragon and thought that no one would ever notice! Any conclusions? Yes, Hiccup is stupid. What was I even thinking? Oh, right! I wasn't…
"Everything is a lie," I breathe out hugging myself. "What am I going to do?"
There it goes… there it comes…
I pushed the pencil again and saw it rolling on the desk. It rolled away and didn't return so I picked it up and began again. My stomach grumbles asking for food, I couldn't be hungry, I ate with Toothless and that hadn't been a couple of hours ago.
Toothless… shit, I needed to fix the saddle so I won't fall again but I let it on the cove. I gave out a frustrated sigh as the pencil got stuck on some papers, they probably were Toothless' saddle planes, if not they were drawings of him, I didn't know; the good thing of having a place for my own in the smith is that, well, is mine. And I didn't have to worry for hiding anything or – my favorite thing – having everything organized.
In fact, it was organized; the clean sheets of paper were on the shelves with my pencils and tools, the things that I was currently using were on the desk and the cut-out leather that had no more use were on the floor with the one I hadn't use jet. Sometimes I sleep there, the leather kept warm and in the night I was too lazy for walk to my house.
"Everything is in its place and no one can tell otherwise." I muttered to myself as I put the pencil on its place to continue playing.
"Hiccup?" an unexpected voice called form the door.
I jumped off my sit, "Dad!" his gaze danced trough the messed up room. I moved to papers on the desk putting them together, "W-what are you doing here?" I asked nervously, hopefully it will pass like I was trying to accommodate my workspace.
"I came for you-" he said as if it was obvious and entered the tiny room filling the space "What are you doing in the smith this late anyways?"
"I, uh… came for something but kind of forgot…" I looked around the room like if searching for it with my eyes; I ended eying my sketchbook open at my side in my first Toothless sketch. Quickly I closed it and struck for an awkward casual pose, trying to cover as much as possible before my father's eyes returned to me.
"Yeah," He whispered, understanding how easy I would lose something in here, "Well, we must be going," he turned to the door – actually, it wasn't a door, just a piece of cloth hanging out – I followed him releasing my breath, the sooner we were out of here, the better. "Oh! Wait," he turned again an I covered the desk again with a nervous smile, "I… brought you something," he handed me a horned helmet.
My legs gave out. I slid, dragging the table's paper with me and sitting again, "A- a helmet?" my voice was almost audible, I looked at him with my jaw dropped; Dad nodded, fixed a tilted horn and pushed it closer to me, encouraging me to take it. My arms were wimps but I took it without hesitation, "Wow, thanks." I put it over my lap and caressed the top, feeling the cold iron.
"Your mother would've wanted you to have it," he said softly and I couldn't reprise a smile, I didn't want to reprise a smile. Mom. Was this hers? "It's half of her breast plate." Yes, it was. I automatically pulled my hand off the helmet and clenched it to a fist. He didn't seem to notice, tough, and taped his own, smiling. "Matching set. Keeps her close, y'know?"
I smiled sweetly, the only thing I had from her was the stuffed dragon. Grabbing it from the horns I stood up and out it on my head.
"She'll protect you on the ring," he said as he put his hand on my arms to fix my posture, I did it myself, rising my chin and pulling my shoulders back and adding a determined smirk. He fixed the helmet in place so he could see better my face, "wear it proudly, you deserve it" he drew his fingers softly trough my cheek and my jaw, ending on my chin. He raised it a bit up and gave me a encourage, sweet, proud and loving smile that was suppose to give me courage but felt like he was crushing my heart.
My smile slowly faded, my first Viking helmet and it was a lie.
"Why were you lying?" he asked and I panicked again feeling how the blood drained my face.
"WHAT? Lying? No. I wasn't, I-" His booming laugh cut me, I stare at him a little baffled. Of what was he laughing? Or an even better question, of what was he talking about? He couldn't know about Toothless, he couldn't know the true. He wouldn't be laughing if he knew.
"Oh, come on! All these years of the worst Viking Berk has ever seen and it was all a farce! I thought Flashburn was lying about the sword fighting, oh, Odin. I almost give up on you." He smacked me on the shoulder sending me to the wall and making me fell and stuck into a basket. I drew my hand to my head to stop the helmet to fall; I fix it and tried to get out. "And all the while you were holding out on me! Thor almighty!" I stopped trying to get out, grimacing at him – even when in his excitement he didn't notice the expression – the worst Viking, well thank you. It's always good to know that you have family to support you.
"Yeah," I breathe out, getting unstuck and again to my feet, "I guess I only need a chance to try." My dad laughed and put more gently his hand on my shoulder driving me to the door and out the smith.
We walked to the Great Hall side by side; I had to jog to keep his steps.
In the moment his laugh ended and awkward silence began. It was always good to have a conversation with your father, but when he was a dragon slayer warrior and you were a scrawny teen who was faking to be a dragon slayer warrior, there wasn't really much to talk about.
To break the silence I talked about the first days of training and that I got injured; at least those weren't lies. My heart flinched, this was one of the best conversations I ever had had with him.
"Don't worry." He told me as we climb the stairs, "You'll have time to return the favor." I laughed anxiously 'yes, that helps a lot'.
As soon as we were spotted someone kidnapped me and took me to a table where there was a discussion on my favorite weapon, some were very sure it was an ax since it's the one I use the most, plus it was kind of familiar tradition to use it; some –including Phlegma - were sure it was a sword; other that it was a maze, other that a hammer, I had never use a spare so it was quickly disqualified; when I got the chance to speak I said that I didn't had a favorite one and as soon as I end speaking someone grabbed me form the arm and took me to another group of Vikings. I was at least dragged to seven different tables before Gobber came to my rescue and made me sat with him to eat. I wasn't sit even five seconds and I was already surrounded by Hooligans.
"Go away and let her eat!" Gobber yelled and tried to shoo them; they didn't move but at least let me eat and whenever someone made a question either some of my 'fans' answered it or I just needed to nod or mumble a short answer.
The group began to fall apart as the night went on and a new group of drunken Hooligans replaced them with questions that became more and more stupid so I just laughed and them – both Viking and question - and answered shortly.
By some point the twins, Snotlout and Fishlegs joined me; Fishlegs and I began to talk about dragons, actually he talked more than me and I liked it so the attention wasn't on me. Ruff, tuff and Snotlout didn't last much and leaved to make havoc in other place but Fishlegs stayed with me. Our conversation kept most people away so it was good for me; just some came to listen us and provided information of their experiences.
I felt someone's glare on me, there were a lot but that one was different: hot, uncomfortable and it let me breathless. Looking between the huge Viking bodies in front of me I found a pair of blue eyes.
Asher was leaning on a wall with his arms crossed and staring me angry; then I realized with whom I was sitting with. Sven, Spitelout, Phlegma and, gods help me, his parents. No wonder why he was so furious.
Slowly the Hall voices began to lower to whispers and everyone looked at some point behind me. I looked over my shoulder, concerned and saw my dad over the main table.
Oh, no.
Someone in the crowd of Vikings began to cheer, by the sound of it he was more than drunk, a fellow Viking joined him and in a few seconds the whole room was sheering the Chief.
Rolling my eyes I put my right hand by my mouth and sheered with the others raising my fist to the air. My dad accepted the ovation for a moment then gestured to quiet down, laughing at the happy crowd. I passed my legs to the other side of the bench and rested my back on the table waiting for the hall to be silent.
A hand pressed my shoulder and I turned to see Ruffnut walking over the table and sitting at my side; her twin followed her using me as support as well before jumping down and sitting between Fishlegs and I. Snotlout made his way to the table and sat by his father; Asher had followed him but he just rested his hip on the side of the table and stared at my father direction, still with his arms crossed. His eyes turned to me and we met for a second before he returned his gaze to the Chief with an inexpressive face.
"In this last weeks," he began and I turned my attention to him, "a lot of things happened: we leaved to Helheim's Gate and found nothing unfortunately losing three people." What? There was a moment of silence for the fallen ones.
And what was Hiccup doing? Oh, right. Playing with her Night Fury.
"Now, they are in Valhalla dining with our ancestors and the gods!" At that everyone shout hurrahs. When they calmed again, my father continued, "But not all is bad news," Oh, no. "In this last weeks Gobber had been training our future warriors." He shouted signaling at us with his hand.
The Hall got full of sheers one more time. I grabbed my helmet and ducked just in time for evade Ruffnut and Tuffnut head-butt.
"And more surprising" No, please. "We have discovered a new big warrior" No, you haven't "My daughter." He ended proudly and I was wrong when I thought the Hall couldn't ne louder because now I couldn't even hear what Ruff was saying and she was in front of me. Rolling her eyes, she graved my arms and I felt Tuff grabbing the other as they stood me up on the table.
There wasn't a single pair of eyes that wasn't on me, but I felt more two of them, father's and Asher's and I had no ides whose I feared the most. The only thing I knew was that I was going to kill the twins.
How many minutes passed I had no idea but as son as the mass of Vikings began to chill I jumped to the bench and to the floor and sat again.
"Tomorrow will be the final class," the Chief said to all the recruits, "and the Elder will decide who will kill its first dragon. So, I recommended you to go to rest now."
The attention turned to the six of us and the applauses gave us the exit. My heart beat faster, the blood drumming on my ears, I stopped listening to anyone as I stood up with the others and leaved the Great Hall.
All my life I had been told dragons were demons mean to harm, destroy and wreak havoc to Vikings and all mankind; Getting to know Toothless had make me doubt it all.
Figure out which side you are on!
The words danced on my head. I sighed as I entered to my house. I already figured out.
Without noticing I chose long ago and I was afraid of my decision. Not because it may be wrong; because I knew what I would need to do. And I didn't want to.