A/N: I have a scene-by-scene outline planned all the way through chapter 25, you know, and I add new scenes and ideas all the time when they cross my mind. So even when it's taking me an eon to update, you can at least take comfort in knowing that I'm not going to stop writing until this story is completed. P.S.— How is everyone doing? It's been so long! I missed all of you! Thanks for the reviews, follows, and favorites!
Disclaimer: Do I have to do this every chapter? Eh, I'll do it anyway. I DON'T OWN HTTYD.
HICCUP'S POV
Camicazi held my hand in a vice grip as she pulled me along past dozens of tents. The contact made me uncomfortable, but I was too focused on keeping hold of the heavy axe to really try to break out of her grasp. We raised a few eyebrows as we rushed by, but I couldn't tell if it was because I was holding a large weapon or if Camicazi dragging me behind her against my will was the cause. She continuously ignored my complaints, so eventually I fell silent and tried to figure out where we were going.
It felt like we'd crossed the entire length of the island by the time we reached our apparent destination. Camicazi squealed and tugged me towards a packed gathering of humans. My eyes widened and I frantically dug my heels into the dirt to prevent going any farther.
"W-What are you doing? Where are we?" I stammered, dropping the axe and yanking my hand away from hers.
She rolled her eyes and picked up the axe herself, flipping it up to rest casually on her shoulder. It was hard to comprehend how such a small human was so strong. "See for yourself," she replied, pointing at a sign to my right. In big letters, the words "Axe-Throwing Competition: All Ages Welcome" were displayed.
I gaped. "You're kidding. This is why we stole that stupid axe?" I exclaimed, and her hand promptly slapped over my mouth to quiet me.
"Shh! Are you trying to get us in trouble?" Camicazi hissed, glancing around to make sure no one overheard. "This competition is important to me. I have a bet going with a boy from another tribe," she explained.
I shoved her hand away, taking half a step back. "Okay, well, you have fun with that. I'm gonna go." As soon as I started to turn she grabbed my elbow and gave me her best pout.
"Aw, come on! I need you there to cheer me on!" She insisted, then let go of me and shuffled her feet in embarrassment. "I don't...have anyone else..." She admitted.
"Where's your mom?" I wondered, softening my tone a bit. It was strange feeling sympathy for a human, but she brought it out in me for some reason.
Camicazi shrugged. "My guess? The tavern, probably gambling." Her tone was slightly amused, so she must not be too upset that her mother was otherwise engaged. I bit my lip, glancing past her at the tightly-packed crowd. If anything happened, at least I had my dagger. And good training involves putting myself in challenging or stressful situations...
"Alright...fine," I reluctantly agreed. "I'll stay. But you better win!" I told her, cracking a small smile.
Camicazi grinned, punching me lightly on the shoulder. "Of course I'm gonna win! I'm a Bog-Burglar! Come on." She waved for me to follow her. "Move out of the way, people! Champion coming through!" She announced, pushing everyone out of her way. There were many grunts of irritation, but we were let through a narrow gap in the crowd. I stayed close behind her, working on controlling my breathing. Every time my skin brushed against someone else's, I tensed up, but I was pleasantly surprised to find I was able to refrain from growling or reaching for my dagger.
When we finally made it into open space, I could see we were in a small clearing with three targets set up in the distance. A few people were practicing their throws already. Camicazi skipped right up to a short man that was sitting at a wooden table with a piece of paper and a pencil in front of him. He was busy writing something, so he didn't see us approach. Camicazi slammed her axe down on the table, causing the man to jump and let out a quiet squeak. As soon as he saw who it was that disturbed him, his face twisted into a scowl.
"No," he stated simply, shaking his head emphatically. "No way." I tilted my head in confusion, subconsciously noting the way his cheeks reddened with anger and slight panic. What had she done to him?
Cami gave him puppy dog eyes, sticking out her bottom lip and nearly making tears well up on command. "Oh, come on, Frederick! I brought my own axe this time and everything! It cost me every penny I had!" She lied, winking at me in the split second he looked away. I subtly covered my mouth so he didn't see my mouth twitching in amusement.
"You nearly took off my head last year!" He retorted, grimacing at the memory. My eyes widened in surprise.
Camicazi shrugged. "Mistakes were made," she allowed. Frederick fumed silently. "But you don't have to worry about that this year because I'm gonna win! You won't hear a single curse from me," she promised, holding out her pinky. He glared at her, smacking her hand away.
"You're not competing," he gritted out, pushing the axe back towards her. She stopped his movement by placing her hand over his, then leaned down so their faces were almost touching.
"How 'bout this? Either I throw this axe into those targets over there, or I bury it between your eyes," she threatened in a sickly-sweet voice. I cringed at the image that popped into my mind. She knew how to haggle.
The two of them glared at each other through unblinking eyes for a few seconds. Then, thankfully, Frederick picked up his pencil and roughly jotted down her name on the piece of paper, muttering angrily under his breath. As Camicazi picked up her axe with a triumphant smile, he pointed at her. "If you do anything remotely endangering anyone, you'll never step foot on Amity Island again," he warned.
She turned away. "Yeah, yeah, I've heard it all before, Freddy!" She called over her shoulder. I hesitantly followed after her, avoiding the gazes of the humans we passed.
"I told you not to call me that!" He shouted, but she ignored him.
"You threw an axe at his head?" I remarked as we made our way over to where a small group of humans were waiting for the competition to start. They all appeared older than us, but I didn't see any adults. There were three males and two females, all of them staring at the two of us with narrowed eyes. I guess Frederick wasn't the only one she'd pissed off last year.
"It slipped out of my hands. He was exaggerating," she assured me, throwing the axe into the ground so she could stretch out her arms.
"Who do you have a bet with?" I asked, changing the subject.
"His name is Thuggory. He's from the Meathead Tribe. I guess you could call us friends..." She pursed her lips, debating whether that was actually the right term for their relationship. "He gets here tomorrow. I'll introduce you," she offered, bending over to touch her toes. I think she was preparing a little too much for a simple axe-throwing competition, but I wasn't going to question her methods.
"I don't know..." I began, nervously fiddling with the hem of my shirt.
"Please?" She begged, standing up straight and placing her hands on her hips. "I think you two would get along. Besides, you clearly need friends. Don't think I haven't noticed how you are around people," she said, nodding towards the crowd behind me. "All jumpy and wary, like you haven't been around people a day in your life." I gulped, disconcerted at how observant this girl seemed to be. She was very discreet—the type of danger you'd never see coming.
"I'll think about it," I answered finally, not wanting to commit to anything just yet.
"Great!" She beamed. "Oh, I think the competition is about to start," she said, gesturing at Frederick, who was walking over to where the other contestants were standing. "You'll have to stand with the other people observing," she told me, turning me around and pushing me forwards. "Wish me luck!"
"Good luck," I replied quickly, stumbling a bit as I walked away. I made my way to the very end of the crowd. It wasn't the best vantage point, but at least I wasn't in anyone's way. I briefly wondered if my mom was still watching the play, but all thoughts of her went to the back of my mind as Frederick stepped forward, a flag in his hand.
He raised it in the air, then waved it back and forth, not even bothering to smile to entertain the humans watching. "Let the competition begin!" He called out, more dread in his voice than excitement. I didn't miss how his gaze kept returning to Camicazi, as if he expected another axe to come flying towards him any second.
Cami looked around until she found me, then a happy grin spread across her face. I smiled back, feeling extremely human in that moment.
TOOTHLESS' POV
My ear twitched slightly as Cloudjumper shifted into a more comfortable position below me. We were in the same area our riders had left us. I was hanging from a tree branch by my tail, my wings wrapped around my body to block out the light as I attempted to get some sleep. Cloudjumper was dozing contentedly, curled up next to my tree. As much as I tried, I couldn't calm my thoughts enough to fall asleep. My boy was far away and out of sight, which made me restless. If I focused hard enough, I could hear the chatter of many humans in the distance, none of them the voice I wanted to hear.
I let out a frustrated huff, extending my wings and flapping them to release some of my pent-up energy. Cloudjumper grudgingly opened his eyes, the commotion waking him. I didn't care if I was bothering him. He didn't understand what I was going through—Valka wasn't his other half.
I pulled myself up onto the thick branch, digging my claws into the bark to keep from slipping. It was a good hiding spot in case any humans wandered by. Cloud stood out easily with his large size and bright-colored scales—he would have to hide amongst the rocks down by the ocean if anyone came along.
*Calm down, will you? You're making me nervous.* He grumbled.
*What if he's in trouble? What if something happens and I'm not there?* I fretted, swatting at a twig in front of me. It broke off with a quiet snap and fell to the ground, barely missing Cloud. When he gave no response, I leaned over to see if he was listening. His eyes were still open, so I knew he could hear me. I jumped off the branch, using my wings to soften my landing, then ran over and pushed at his shoulder with my front paws.
*Cloudjumper!* I whined. *Talk to me!*
*Nothing I say will reassure you. You never listen to me.* He retorted, using one of his clawed wings to shove me off of him.
I padded around so I could see his face, sitting back on my haunches. *That's not true. I always listen to you.* I argued.
He snorted, lifting his head while using his wings to balance. *No, Hiccup listens to me, and you listen to Hiccup.* He corrected. I considered his words for a moment. Maybe he was right about that...
*I need a distraction, otherwise I'll end up flying across the island to look for him.* I muttered, walking over to the cliff to stare out over the vast sea. The breeze brushed against my scales lightly, but even that familiar comfort could do little to relax me.
*Why don't you go fishing? I'm sure getting hungry.* Cloud joked, stepping up beside me. My pupils narrowed in agitation. He's teased me about my aversion to water ever since I was a hatchling. His jabs grew tiring years ago. Seeing my unamused expression, he sighed. *Look, Hiccup's not around, and we have time to kill. Why not tackle this water problem right now? Seriously.* He implored. I was rigid as stone, ignoring him. *Imagine how happy Hiccup would be if he came back and you were able to fish on your own.* He added persuasively. I bared my teeth, hating that Cloudjumper knew exactly what to say to bend my will. I would do anything to make my rider happy.
*I-I can't. I'll go under, and there's not even a beach here—*
*That's what I'm here for, Toothless. It's not like I'd let you drown.* He pointed out. *Valka would kill me.* He continued sarcastically. I glared at him. *Okay, sorry, I'll stop.* He chuckled. *Let's just start out simple. Fly down to the water and land with your wings spread as far as you can, then just float.* He suggested, demonstrating what to do. I eyed him critically, not believing it would be that easy. He curled his tail around to nudge me forward encouragingly.
My chest rumbled with unease as I gazed down at the water. It was a cloudless day, and the ocean was calm, so I wouldn't have to deal with waves. I could almost pretend it was the lake back home. Fish scales glimmered in the sunlight as they neared the surface briefly, reminding me that it's been a while since either of us last ate. It would be nice to be able to rely on myself for food and not Cloudjumper...
*Fine...* I finally decided, my hunger and pride winning out over my fear. *I'll try, but you better keep your comments to yourself.* I growled, flashing my teeth at him. He bowed his head in agreement.
I paced along the cliff edge for a few seconds, planning exactly how I wanted to land, then jumped off. My wings shot out, catching the wind easily. I had perfect control over my body in the air, as all Night-wings do, and kept myself straight as I glided downward. There was a moment right before I hit the water where I pulled up, hesitating, wondering if this was a good idea. Then I pictured all of my nest-mates at home doing this exact thing, and I quickly angled my wings so I landed delicately on the ocean surface. My paws broke through first, and I managed not to flinch as the rest of my body submerged, save for my head, wings, and tail. The water would have been freezing to Hiccup, or any human, but the temperature had no effect on me. My inner fire kept me warm. That didn't help me escape the uncomfortable, heavy feeling of being partly underwater. I was a dragon meant for the skies. I didn't understand how dragons like Alpha could enjoy this.
My legs were splayed out, as if trying to catch my fall, but I wasn't moving. My wings successfully allowed me to float, and the ocean was almost completely still. I could sense the minute vibrations of fish swimming around me, and had to fight my instinct to go after them. I looked up, searching for Cloudjumper. He was still resting at the top of the cliff, observing me from a distance. When he caught my gaze, he rose up and flapped his wings victoriously. I gave him a wide, gummy smile, making sure I didn't get any saltwater in my mouth. I nearly made the mistake of shooting a plasma blast into the air in celebration, then remembered at the last second that we were supposed to be laying low.
What now? I thought. I couldn't just float here forever. Before I could figure out my next steps, a fish—one apparently determined to get itself killed—jumped out of the water right in front of me, its tail flicking my nose. The strong, delicious scent hit me square in the face, and I automatically tucked my wings and dove after it as it fell back beneath the surface. My pupils narrowed as I went into hunter mode, and my limbs acted of their own accord. I flapped my wings, growing frustrated when they moved through the water at a snail's pace compared to what I was used to. I kicked my legs, but however I was doing it obviously wasn't the correct way, since I only moved forward a few feet. The fish made a quick getaway, leaving me disappointed and hungry and struggling to get back to the surface. Any other fish would be far gone now—my uncoordinated thrashing made sure of that—so the hunt was practically over before it even started.
My wings were merely hindering my advance to the ocean's surface, so I focused on using my legs. I tried to recall how other sky dragons managed to swim around, but none of the ones I'd seen were built quite like me. Except Tiny-wings...I realized. They had a similar four-leg, broad-wing body, just on an extremely small scale. I'd watched Perch swim with Hiccup plenty of times!
Having spent too many minutes underwater, my chest was beginning to ache slightly from lack of oxygen, so I quickly imitated Perch's movements. Miraculously, as soon as I got my legs sorted out, I found myself naturally pushing up with my wings as well—this time at a much more effective angle. I was suddenly speeding upward, and the momentum sent me flying out of the water. I flapped vigorously as soon as I was in the air, making sure I didn't just fall back in. Being in the air felt even more invigorating than usual, and I performed a tight barrel roll out of pure excitement, simultaneously drying myself off.
I flew over and landed next to Cloudjumper, who was bobbing his head, sharing in my elation. I hopped circles around him, fighting the urge to roar my accomplishment to the world.
*I did it!* I exclaimed, my tongue hanging out of my mouth as I grinned happily.
*I can't believe you got out of there so fast! I thought for sure I'd have to come rescue you!* Cloud replied, shaking his head.
I puffed out my chest. *I'm a Night-wing! I catch on fast.* I bragged, disregarding the fact that I had absolutely no confidence going into this little exercise.
*Great. Now you just have to catch us a meal!* Cloudjumper chortled.
HICCUP'S POV
I inspected the round, shiny medal, running my fingers lightly over the engraving of an axe. It wasn't anything special—if I found it washed up on a beach, I wouldn't give it a second glance. It was made out of some cheap, silver material that would hold almost no value at a market. It was odd that Camicazi had fought so hard to get it.
"Remind me why you wanted this so bad?" I questioned doubtfully.
She snatched it out of my hand, rolling her eyes. "I told you, I had a bet to win," she replied. Her words were true enough, but based on the way she smiled nearly imperceptibly as she gazed down at the medal, I had a feeling it ran a little deeper than that. I was smart enough not to press further, though. Camicazi didn't seem like someone who shared her emotions—unless it was anger.
She had outshined everyone in that competition. There were some moments when her opponents even appeared genuinely afraid of her as she hurled her axe with a ferocity that seemed unfitting for a simple game. Eventually, she had the whole crowd on her side, and their loud cheers helped throw the other contestants off their aim. I'm pretty sure even Frederick flashed the briefest of smiles as he placed the first place medal around her neck.
Cami and I had gotten some food afterward from the tent with the delicious chicken (she had graciously spared me one of her coins to pay for it, though I had to swear on my life to pay her back), and now we were walking to the bonfire they were holding in the square. The sun had sunk below the horizon a few minutes ago, so torches were the only thing lighting our path. Surprisingly, I wasn't constantly searching for hidden dangers in the shadows. I was just enjoying Camicazi's company.
When we made it to the square, there were logs set up around the gigantic fire to use for seating. Camicazi led me to an open one that only fit the two of us, so we wouldn't have to deal with other humans sitting near us. I let out a contented sigh as we sat there in comfortable silence, letting the warmth of the fire seep into my bones. It reminded me of Toothless. There hadn't been a single second of the day that I wasn't thinking about my best friend, but I could rejoice knowing that I would see him after the bonfire.
"Isn't that your mom?" Cami spoke up suddenly, gesturing across the clearing where my mom was indeed standing. She was partially concealed in the darkness, her hood drawn up over her head. The flickering flames every now and then lit up portions of her face, allowing me to see the pensive expression she wore.
"Yeah...it is," I answered slowly, debating whether or not I should get up and check on her. As soon as the thought crossed my mind, she looked up, feeling my eyes on her. Thought-speak wouldn't work at this distance, not for her anyway, so I could only hope she read my curious thoughts. She waved me off, sending me a reassuring smile. It must not be too important if she was trying to convince me everything was fine. I nodded, figuring I'd ask her about it later.
Music started playing loudly across the path, and a bunch of humans stood up, linked arms, and started skipping around the fire in a very interesting dance. This must be some sort of tradition, since everyone knew what to do. The humans still sitting down began to clap along to the beat of their steps, laughing and cheering in delight. The square came alive, and I could only look on in fascination. Camicazi nudged me suggestively, jerking her chin in the direction of the dancing humans. My eyes widened and I shook my head firmly.
"No way!" I told her, grabbing onto the log just in case she tried to drag me out there.
She laughed at my reaction, but raised her hands in surrender. "Just kidding! I can't dance, either." She shuddered at the very thought. Her assumption that I couldn't dance was absolutely correct, but it wasn't my only reason for staying put. I didn't want to be around so many humans, in the spotlight, with so much going on that I'd have no idea if a threat was approaching. I wouldn't tell that to her, though. She already thinks I'm strange enough as it is.
"You know, I actually had fun today," I confessed, watching as another human joined in with the line of dancers.
"Me too," she agreed. "It's nice to have a sidekick sometimes," she joked.
I snorted. "Oh, please. I have all the brains, which means you're the sidekick," I argued.
"No, it just means you're a nerd," she retorted, sticking out her tongue at me. "How are you so smart, anyway? Vikings are usually dumb. The boys, I mean." Her voice indicated she was completely serious, and I couldn't help but agree with her. Vikings are dumb.
"I'm not a—"...viking. "I mean...I read a lot..." I replied, scratching the back of my neck awkwardly.
"What does your dad think about that?" She giggled, shaking her head.
I bit my lip, wondering just how much of the truth was safe to reveal. "Um...I don't really...have a dad," I admitted.
Cami blinked in surprise. "So it's just you and your mom?" She wondered. "I can relate, of course. What happened, though? Was it a dragon?" She asked bluntly. I scowled, glaring at her. That's just what vikings believe, though, isn't it? If some tragedy occurs, blame the dragons!
"No," I spit out, and she flinched at my sudden shift in attitude. "Dragons didn't do anything! My dad is the reason I don't have a dad," I continued, scuffing the dirt with my boot.
"Oh...sorry..." She said quietly. I glanced over at her resigned expression, then sighed. I suppose I couldn't blame her for her ignorance. She told me she rarely ever sees dragons. All she really has to go on are horror stories from Berk.
"No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you," I apologized, red creeping into my cheeks.
"Don't be. I like a person who can speak their mind," she assured me with a smile, pushing lightly at my shoulder to break the tension. "By the way, you better not forget your promise," she said, pointing her finger at my face. "You're gonna meet Thuggory tomorrow."
I raised an eyebrow in amusement. "I'm pretty sure I only agreed to think about it," I reminded her.
She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Funny...I don't remember the conversation going that way...Nope! You definitely agreed wholeheartedly!" She chirped, giving me a cheeky grin.
I shook my head in exasperation. This girl would be the death of me.