CHAPTER 18
A cloud of green gas engulfed the training arena. Hiccup crept forward, keeping one eye out for the Zippleback's other head.
"You ever noticed it looks like it's barfing?" Tuffnut asked next to him.
"Is this really the time?" Snotlout snapped.
Hiccup rolled his eyes and scanned the gas. They had been split into two teams for the exercise. Not Hiccup's favourite choice; he would have preferred Ruffnut, but Gobber had chosen the teams.
Tuffnut snorted a laugh. "Look. The sparky one looks like it's belching."
"What?" Hiccup turned to see the sparking head emerge from the gas on the other side of the arena. It lit a small explosion.
"Oh, it totally looks like it's belching. I think I found my favourite dragon."
"Now's not really the time," Hiccup said. "Get your water ready."
"Which one am I going for?"
"The right one."
"Uhhhh."
Hiccup stifled a sigh. "The belching one."
Tuffnut grinned. "Why didn't you say so?"
"He's hopeless," Snotlout muttered.
They waited, scanning the gas for any sign of movement. The green gas shifted in front of them and the Zippleback lunged straight at Snotlout. Hiccup grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the way just as the dragon's jaws snapped closed on thin air.
"Now, Tuffnut!"
Tuffnut threw the bucket, splashing the electric head. It snorted, shaking its head to rid itself of the water. The gas head turned and homed in on them and Hiccup raised his shield and darted forward, catching its attention. The head came toward him, jaws parted. It let out a stream of gas, but it did nothing more than create a blanket of green smog that covered Hiccup's movements as he slipped his hand into his jacket and pulled out a small handful of dragon nip, brandishing it like a weapon at the dragon. The dragon's head, about to rear up, paused. It blinked, confused, before inhaling a whiff of the grass. Its tongue flicked out and snatched it up, pupils dilating. The other head appeared through the smog, eyes wide, nostrils flaring. It shook itself, showing Hiccup with droplets of water, and sniffed his now-empty hand.
"I don't have anymore," he said. "I gave it to your other head."
The electric head reared up and hissed at its twin. It hissed back and flared its wings. The electric head snarled and snapped at its neck, enraged. Hiccup scurried back as the gaseous head screeched and belched a face-full of gas that engulfed them both, and, at the same time, the other let out a shower of sparks.
The gas lit, setting off an explosion that engulfed the heads. Dazed by both the dragon nip and explosion, the Zippleback stumbled, shaking its head, and tripped on the rope that Tuffnut and Snotlout had pulled tight while it was distracted. It teetered for a moment before crashing to the ground, defeated.
Snotlout and Tuffnut let out a whoop of triumph, and Hiccup grinned, unable to contain himself and infinitely glad that his plan had worked.
Gobber called down from the stands where the rest of the trainees and a few villagers were watching. "Good work, ye three. Nice one, getting the heads to attack each other. As ye know, the Zippleback heads rarely agree with each other. Remember that. As you can see, it comes in useful." Gobber clapped his hands and beckoned to Astrid, Fishlegs, and Ruffnut. "Okay, next group. Yer going in once the Zippleback's in its cage. Yer up against the Gronckle."
Hiccup found a seat a little way away from the others and watched the others train. Tomorrow, trainees would start to be disqualified. He had a feeling that Fishlegs would be the first one. As smart as he was, even he'd admitted that he wasn't cut out for this. Hiccup needed to hang back in training soon. He couldn't outright flunk. That would raise suspicion. He'd have to do it slowly. Aim for third place, maybe. There were only a few more weeks before training was over. His father would surely be back by then.
As always, his mind drifted back to the chief. Where was Stoick? Had the tribal meeting been successful? He would be coming home soon. The thought made his stomach tighten. Maybe being disqualified could wait until Stoick returned. That small part of him still wanted to make his father proud if only for a little while.
There was time to mull over that later. If he was going to stay in the ring for a bit longer, he needed to be prepared. He'd used the last of his dragon nip against the Zippleback. He'd been holding onto it since he and Nraseri had first picked it in the first week of training. That had been so long ago.
He poked his head into the forge after training but found it empty. Nraseri wasn't back from helping Mulch with his fence. that wasn't a problem. Hiccup could go by himself.
Birds sang in the trees above him as he hiked to where Nraseri had shown him where to find dragon nip. It took him about half an hour before he spotted a crop of dragon picked a few clumps of the grass and tucked it into his jacket.
A soft burst of wind ruffled his hair, and he heard a soft thump from behind him and a series of chitters.
Hiccup froze. slowly, he turned, heart pounding.
a Deadly Nadder stood not two meters. Not just any Nadder, he realized with a jolt. even though he had seen it first in the dark, its deep purple colouring and markings on its wings were unmistakable. It was the same one from the island. Its head was tilted toward him so that it could get a clear view as it eyed him curiously, its pupils dilating as it sniffed the air.
It had smelled dragon nip.
Oh, no.
Hiccup didn't move. Did it recognize him? his mouth was dry. What should he do?
The Nadder didn't move, still staring at him. It looked relaxed, curious, its spines tucked safely away. It chirped as if asking a question.
It wants the dragon nip.
Slowly, he pulled out a few pieces and held them out to the dragon. It sniffed it before snatching it from his hand, and he had to force himself not to jerk away as the sharp beak brushed his skin. It danced away with a series of chirps, but it didn't stray far.
Hiccup looked at his hand and flexed his fingers, marvelling at the fact that they were still attached. He looked back at the dragon, an idea forming. He held his hand out again, this time, with his palm facing toward it.
Toothless sniffed the air, catching Hiccup's scent on the breeze. He'd taken a well-needed chance to stretch his wings before heading back to the forge. He'd had to take down Mulch's whole fence after they'd discovered that most of the posts were rotten. What should have been only a few hours' work ended up being a whole day.
He'd landed to take a drink from a stream when the breeze had blown through. He glanced up at the sky. Was training over? Curious, he followed Hiccup's scent. It wasn't long before it mingled with the sweet smell of dragon nip, and Toothless hummed. Hiccup must be collecting more from the patch. He faltered as another scent caught his nose.
Deadly Nadder. He quickened his pace and crouched in the undergrowth, hidden in the dense brush, and peered into the clearing.
His blood froze.
Hiccup was standing unarmed, his back ramrod straight and unmoving. A large and very familiar Deadly Nadder loomed over him.
What was he thinking? Hiccup, move! run away!
The Nadder chirped and tilted its head to one side. Hiccup inched closer and raised his hand.
And then it hit him. Hiccup was copying what he'd done with the Gronckle. He was trying to tame the dragon. Toothless' heart was in his throat. This is what he'd wanted, but not like this! Not with a Deadly Nadder whose fire could melt the flesh off a man's bones, or with spines that could pierce a man's body with ease.
He saw Hiccup lying helpless on the ground, riddled with Nadder spines, and his heart pounded faster and faster.
Toothless tensed as the Nadder stared at Hiccup's hand, bunching his muscles to pounce if it tried anything. Every fiber in his being screamed at him to throw himself between them, to get Hiccup out of there.
The Nadder pressed its beak into his hand and closed its eyes. Toothless heard Hiccup let out a pent-up breath and he did the same.
Hiccup had done it. He'd managed to tame a wild dragon.
Hiccup let out a huff of laughter and scratched under the dragon's chin. Toothless craned his neck to get a better view of Hiccup's face.
The brush shuddered and the Nadder lifted its head. Its sharp eyes picked him out in the brush immediately and it chirped in surprise.
Hiccup spun around at the sound. Their eyes met.
The Nadder puffed its chest out and rose to its full height. "I had to come see for myself. This human is good. Don't kill him, night-flyer."
It nudged Hiccup's shoulder and took off, leaving them there alone. The Night Fury didn't dare move, didn't dare breathe.
Hiccup broke the silence. "Hi, bud."
Toothless took a few steps back, unsure of how to proceed.
Don't go," Hiccup said quickly, his hands out in front of him in a reassuring gesture. "Please. I, uh, I want to talk to you." Toothless paused, surprised. "You can stay over there if you want or—or I have some dragon-nip." He pulled out a bundle and set it down on the ground and backed up a bit.
Toothless looked at him, indecision gnawing at him. He should leave before things got out of hand. But Hiccup was right there talking to him. He wasn't afraid. Well, maybe he was a little afraid. He was standing in front of a Night Fury that had almost killed him. The scent of dragon nip was enticing, but it was his curiosity that brought him out of the brush and into the clearing. He stopped a few meters away and sat, his curiosity getting the better of him. He didn't go for the grass but gave Hiccup a look of expectation.
I'm listening.
Hiccup's eyes were wide, and he let out a shaky breath. "I, uh, I'm sorry I shot you down. I was in a bad place but I'm okay now. I really hope I didn't hurt you." He hesitated. "You've been following me for a while. Did…did you need something?" He flushed, embarrassed. "Of course, you can't answer. You're a dragon. I just want you to know that I don't want to hunt dragons. I want to learn everything I can. my friend has been teaching me. He's helped me see that there is more to this war than we thought. And I wanted you to know that."
If only you knew the battle that rages within me, Toothless thought. Would you be so cordial if you knew? If you knew that your best friend was keeping such a dark secret?
He should leave. He couldn't risk it. He wanted so desperately to tell him. But he couldn't. Not yet. Not with the images of burning and his family—everyone he got close to—dying because they knew.
Hiccup spoke again. "I know you don't trust humans. We have done terrible things to you. But Berk is your home too." He moved slowly and stretched out his hand. "You can trust me."
Trust. That was what it boiled down to. Hiccup trusted Nraseri, his friend. Maybe it was time for Toothless to do the same.
He slunk closer until he was within a foot of the Viking. Hiccup reached up and Toothless shied back, heart racing. Seeing his hesitated, Hiccup turned his head away and held out his hand, palm toward him.
Trust.
Nraseri was the one with secrets. He moved through the human world hiding behind a mask. He planned and tricked and talked his way out of everything. Hiccup was right. He had little trust for humans. But Nraseri couldn't do anything right now.
Trust.
Toothless pressed his forehead into Hiccup's outstretched hand. The Viking breathed in sharply, but he didn't move. A tingling sensation ran down Toothless' spine and the amulet thrummed loudly.
This was right. This was what he was supposed to do.
He was in the air in seconds, leaving Hiccup alone in the clearing. Resolve fueled him as he disappeared into the fading sky. It was time to reassess his plan.
Hiccup stared up at the shrinking back dot, the foliage around him still rustling from the powerful gust of wind. His hand tingled. He remembered the smooth scales against his palm, that low hum that vibrated up his arm and settled in his chest. He closed his hand, fingered curling as if trying to grasp that strange sensation and hold it.
Up close, the Night Fury was smaller than he'd remembered, but that could have been because the last time he'd seen it fully, it had been trying to kill him. That time, the dragon's eyes had captivated him because of the intense emotion it had shown. The fear and rage and intelligence. This time, when it had looked at him, it was with the eyes of a creature who knew many secrets. It was the solemn look of someone who had seen too much and didn't know who to trust. There was something familiar about it, but he couldn't quite place where he'd seen it before. It was like a memory that he couldn't quite grasp. Part of him knew that it was ridiculous. Still, the thought stayed with him as he collected the rest of the dragon nip and made his way back to the village.
What did it mean to have a dragon's trust? What did that entail? It certainly changed things. He wouldn't dare try that in the arena. That would be admitting that he wasn't fighting for real. But maybe he could sneak into the cages and try with the other dragons. He discarded the idea immediately. He didn't think they would appreciate being approached by someone they'd been forced to fight for weeks.
"Hiccup!" He turned at the sound of his name to see Nraseri jogging over, his hand raised in greeting. "There you are. Where've you been?"
"In the forest." He held up the pouch. "Restocking. I checked the forge, but you weren't there, so I went by myself."
"Ah. Mulch's fence was worse than he realized. I just finished. I was actually heading up to the Great Hall for dinner. Care to join?"
Hiccup's stomach rumbled. He nodded.
"I take it you didn't have trouble finding the spot," Nraseri said.
"What? No. why would there be trouble?" Nraseri gave him a strange look but shrugged. Hiccup coughed awkwardly and changed the subject. "Did you finish the fence?"
Nraseri sighed dramatically. "We had to redo most of it. The winter moisture had rotted the poles. I was planning on spending the afternoon figuring out what to do with the extra leather Hulf dumped on us while we were away. Pity you guys don't have horses around here. It'd be perfect for saddles."
"Armour, maybe?" Hiccup wasn't really listening. His mind was back in the forest.
Nraseri waved a hand in front of his face. He blinked and realized that they'd entered the Great Hall without him even noticing. His friend looked at him, concerned. "Are you alright?"
He glanced around at the other tables. "I'll tell you later."
Someone slung an arm over Hiccup's shoulder. "Hey, Hiccup," Snotlout said. "Can we talk?" He nodded to Nraseri who narrowed his eyes. "Alone."
Caught by surprise, Hiccup nodded. "Uhhhh…Sure. Toothless, save me a seat."
"Great." Snotlout steered him back out the doors and down the stairs of the Great Hall. He looked around nervously as if afraid someone would see them.
"So, uh, what—what did you want to talk to me about?" Hiccup asked.
"Why did you help me back there?"
Hiccup frowned, confused. "What?"
"In training. You pushed me out of the way."
"It was the point of the exercise."
Snotlout ground his teeth. "You didn't have to. But you did."
"What are you trying to say, Snotlout?"
"Look, I—" He sighed in frustration and rubbed his forehead. "Why is this so hard? I'm trying to say sorry, okay? I'm sorry. For everything. For pushing you down and calling you useless. I was jealous."
That caught him by surprise. "Jealous? You were jealous of me?"
"You're next in line to be chief. I thought you didn't deserve it. You're not exactly a brawny Viking. I was jealous because I thought that I was better for the role. My father thought I was better. And then you get into training and suddenly you're good. Everyone was looking at you and it made me angry. But then today you helped me instead of saving your own skin and," he ran his hand through his hair, "and I realized that I'm a big, stupid idiot. There. I said it. I'm an idiot. And I'm sorry. So, uh, so no hard feelings?"
Hiccup stared at him. "Did Nraseri put you up to this?"
"What? No," Snotlout protested. "As if I'd let him push me around like that." Hiccup doubted that. "Come on, this is hard enough as it is."
Hiccup let out a slow breath. No hard feelings. He'd never stood up to his cousin. Never saw a reason to. He was so used to taking the blows and rolling with them. he could easily accept his apology and move on and hope that Snotlout had actually changed. He thought back to that day Nraseri stood up to Snotlout all those weeks ago. He could do that too.
Hiccup straightened and lifted his chin. "You made my life miserable, Snotlout. You and a lot of people on Berk. I'm not blind. I know that you and the others are only being nice to me because of training. What would you do if I went back to the way I was? Would you pick on me again? Or would you find someone else to take your anger out on? I accept your apology, but I can't forget everything that you put me through. I can't forgive you either. Not yet. Show me that you mean it, that you've changed. Then I'll forgive you."
He turned and walked back up the stairs of the Great Hall.
Nraseri gave him a curious look when he sat down. Hiccup shot him a lopsided smile. "So, Snotlout just apologized to me."
Nraseri's eyebrows shot up. "Really?"
"You didn't have anything to do with that, did you?"
"As much as I'd like to take the credit, no I did not." He took a swig of whatever he was drinking. "What'd you say?"
"I told him to prove to me that he meant it."
Nraseri nodded. "How do you propose he does that?"
"No idea."
A plate of food clattered onto the other side of the table and the twins dropped down into the benches, Fishlegs in tow.
"There's the Viking of the hour," Tuffnut said. "Where've you been?"
"Hiding, probably. You should be used to all the attention, by now," Ruffnut added. "Hey, Snotlout, over here!"
Snotlout had found his way into the Great Hall. He hesitated for a moment, catching Hiccup's eye before taking the spot next to Fishlegs on the other side of the table.
Hiccup smiled and laughed with the others, trying to forget how out of place he felt. He still felt like the same awkward boy as before. A month ago, they wouldn't have paid him any attention. Now, people passed his table and gave him a pat on the shoulder or asked questions about training. The others seemed to revel at being at his table, except Astrid who refused to sit near them. She sat a few tables away, knuckles white as she gripped her mug and glared in his direction.
Nraseri left before him, saying that he was going to catch up on some sleep. Hiccup suspected that he'd got about as much sleep as him; the events from the camping trip and the subsequent conversation from the night before ran laps around his head. He tried not to think about it, but his mind kept returning to it, and when he tried to think of something else, the Night Fury surfaced, its intelligent eyes sizing him up for a moment before creeping closer to rest its snout against his hand.
Even as he climbed the stairs of the empty house and fell into bed, he could see the dragon. He'd forgotten to tell Nraseri about the encounter. It was too late by now; the sun had dipped below the horizon hours ago. He'd tell him in the morning.
What would he think? What would he say? What could he say? Hiccup had tamed a dragon. He hazarded to count the Night Fury as tamed; they'd come to an agreement, that's all. Would he be angry? After all, he'd been angry that Hiccup had jumped in the way of the Deadly Nadder the first time. regardless, Nraseri would surely be impressed. Hopefully.
And what about the Night Fury? Would it approach Hiccup with Nraseri there? It hadn't in the past. Hiccup had seen no hide or scale of it when they were in the forest together, though he was under no pretenses that it hadn't been far off just out of sight.
It seemed as interested in him as he was in it. Why was that? Was it because he'd released it after the raid? Did it want something from him or was it merely curious? He sighed. He had a hundred questions and no answers. And so, the thoughts spun around and around, tangling and disentangling like a piece of rope come loose in a wind storm.
The sky had turned grey as the sun began its ascent and Hiccup was still awake. Finally, he threw off his covers and shoved his boots on. He crept through the village, snagging a couple of fish from the storehouse, and made his way into the forest.
If I were the Night Fury, where would I be right now?
His mind went to the Cove, but he decided that no, he and Nraseri had gone there too many times and hadn't seen any trace of it. He made his way back to the place he'd seen it the day before.
The grass was flattened slightly. Hiccup's heart quickened when he saw familiar prints. He knelt down to inspect them. Birds had woken and were calling to each other high above him. He scanned the pink skies for a glimpse of darkness. But there was no sign of the dragon.
Hiccup opened his journal and flipped to the map he'd made when he'd first shot down the dragon. His frustrated crosses and scribbles seemed inconsequential after everything that had happened. He'd found the thing he'd been looking for in the end. He wondered what would have happened if he hadn't found the Night Fury at all. Would he still have glimpsed it in the following days? What if he'd injured it? He didn't think he would have been able to forgive himself if he'd done that.
He traced his finger across the page from where he was now, passed the Cove, passed Raven Point, and stopped. The cave networks. That was where he guessed it lived. It had been the first place he'd seen it properly. Hiccup tucked the book away and turned in that direction.
The sun had risen fully when he finally made it to the entrance of the caves. He set his pack of fish down, sweaty, and out of breath from the trek, and took a moment to look out over the forest. He could just make out the village from his vantage point. People would be awake soon.
Something glinted on the ground. Something small and black. Hiccup picked it up. He turned it over in his hands. A scale, darker than the night sky. The Night Fury was here. Or at least, it had been. Looking around, he spied a few more scales littered around the area. He pocketed the ones he found, hands beginning to shake with excitement.
Hiccup pulled out the bundle of fish and set it on the ground a little way from the cave entrance. He retreated a good distance away and settled down to wait.
Minutes passed. The sun arched higher in the sky. The village would be waking by now. Nraseri would definitely be up. Maybe he was in the forest.
What am I doing?
The thought came unbidden, breaking through the intense need to see this through, to understand what exactly the dragon meant when it had approached him and let him touch it.
Maybe I should have woken Toothless, Hiccup thought. He shook his head. Hiccup didn't know how his friend would react if he knew exactly what he was doing. What if he got angry? Hiccup couldn't risk it, not after they had just figured things out. The last thing he wanted was to upset him even more.
The rustling of winds drew him out of his thoughts. His breath was cut short as a dark shape landed on the rocks.
The Night Fury nudged the fish curiously. Then he found himself looking into its green eyes. Its pupils were large and almost comical and, if Hiccup didn't know any better, he'd say that the dragon looked surprised. With one gulp, it swallowed the fish whole and sniffed the ground around it. Its wings twitched, and it made a strange gurgling sound before leaping into the air.
Hiccup's shoulders slumped in disappointment and he got to his feet.
"Couldn't have stayed longer, huh," he muttered as he brushed the dirt off his clothes. He sighed and started the long trek back to the village. Training was in a few hours. Maybe he could spend some time in the forge.
He had just reached the path down when he heard the flap of wings and, before he could react, something snatched him up and lifted him into the air. He shouted, flailing his legs as the ground grew farther and farther away.
"Oh, gods!" Hiccup grabbed onto whatever was gripping his shoulders. "Oh, Thor!" His hands brushed something smooth and with a sickening jolt, he knew what had grabbed him. He dared to look up and saw the dark underbelly of a dragon. And not just any dragon.
"Odin, help me," he whispered as the Night Fury soared higher and higher into the air, its powerful wings churning the clouds.
It's going to kill me. It's going to kill me, and no one will ever know what happened.
Berk was behind them now andHiccup squeezed his eyes shut, the panic and fear welling in his chest, threatening to overwhelm him.
Suddenly, he was thrown into the air and he opened his mouth to scream, but he was cut off as something appeared beneath him. His hands brushed against warm scales and whatever he had landed on rumbled loudly. Hiccup opened his eyes a fraction and gasped, his fear forgotten for the moment.
The sky was laid out before him, long and blue and utterly breathtaking. The rising sun sent long pink rays skittering across the water. A flock of morning birds flew in formation to his right, gliding effortlessly through the clouds. The thing he had landed on rumbled, drawing his attention to it and his stomach plummeted.
The Night Fury had turned its head to look at him with amusement. Hiccup stared at it with wide eyes.
"I'm on a dragon," he said stupidly. "I'm on an actual live dragon."
The Night Fury gurgled strangely and, without warning, shot higher into the sky. Hiccup screamed and clung to its neck as it spun and dove before levelling out again. It flapped its dark wings a few times before gurgling again. The action made its entire body vibrate under Hiccup and he was struck with a thought.
"You're…laughing?"
The dragon gave him another amused look before rumbling again as if agreeing. The idea of a dragon laughing was so absurd that Hiccup laughed as well. He was flying on a dragon, so why not? He grinned again. He was flying. On a dragon! Imagine if the other could see him now?
They flew for a while, the only sound being the dragon's wings churning the air and Hiccup's delighted gasps as he drank in his surroundings. Berk had fallen away and was a little speck behind them. He marvelled at how far they'd come in such a short amount of time. The ocean stretched on forever, waves like flicks of white paint on the deep blue waters.
"This is amazing," he breathed.
The Night Fury hummed. The sound reverberated through him like the purr of a cat, and, for some reason, Hiccup found it comforting. He patted the dragon's head.
The Night Fury hummed again. It flapped its wings and picked up speed. Hiccup let out a startled noise and clung to it as the wind whipped around them. the dragon shot a blast of plasma and barrel-rolled around it, roaring in delight. Hiccup's stomach jumped at the sudden change in direction. The dragon dipped again and shot through the clouds. A cool spray of mist hit Hiccup's face and a laugh escaped him. The Night Fury let out another rumbling laugh. It tilted its wings down and descended below the clouds, the tips of its wings brushing the ocean as it rushed beneath them.
Hiccup grinned. The dragon moved like it was one with the sky. And for some reason, Hiccup felt safer up here than with his own two feet on the ground.
He didn't know how long they flew, but the dragon's ears pricked as a series of sea stacks came into view. One was a familiar purple Deadly Nadder.
The Night Fury tilted its wings down toward it and landed a few metres away. The Deadly Nadder chirped excitedly when it saw them, flapping its wings and hopping from one foot to the other. Hiccup slipped off the Night Fury's back.
"So, you've met?"
The Night Fury's tailfin flicked him over the head. "Ow!" Hiccup rubbed his head as the Night Fury moved to greet the Nadder. The dragons communicated for a few minutes, bickering, from the looks of it. Hiccup sat, unsure of what to do.
When they were done, the Nadder tilted its head to look at him, then edged over to where he was sitting. Hiccup stood. "I, uhh, I'm sorry for hitting you with a stick back on the island. I was helping my friend."
The Nadder looked at the Night Fury. It ruffled its wings and let out a series of what sounded like happy chirps.
He took that as a good sign. He held out his hand as he'd done before and the Nadder chirped and nuzzled it. It took off a few seconds later.
The Night Fury turned and gave him a toothless smile.
Hiccup frowned. "I could have sworn you had teeth a few seconds ago."
The smile grew wider, and teeth shot out where none had been earlier. Hiccup jumped, startled, but immediately went in for a closer look. "that's amazing."
His stomach rumbled. The sound made the dragon's ears prick and it looked at him.
"Sorry," Hiccup said, somewhat embarrassed. "I haven't eaten."
The Night Fury's ears flattened, and it gave him the most disgruntled look Hiccup had ever seen. It opened its wings, still maintaining eye contact, and dropped off the sea stack. Hiccup ran to the edge to see where it went just in time to see it dive into the water. What was it doing?
The Night Fury shot out of the water and landed on the sea stack, shaking water all over Hiccup. With a flick of its paw, it pushed Hiccup to the ground and dropped a fish at his feet and sat back on its hind legs and stared at him, expectant.
Hiccup's mouth fell open. "Is this…for me?"
The dragon stared at him and hummed. It let out a burst of plasma, singing the fish, then pushed it toward Hiccup and sat back.
Unsure of what to do, Hiccup picked up the fish, ignoring his burning fingers. He pulled a piece off and, hesitating, ate it.
The dragon gave him a toothless grin. Its eyes were the same hue as Nraseri's and had a spark of mischief similar to Nraseri's when he was biting back a laugh. He could almost imagine his friend making the same exact expression. With an excited wiggle, it leaped up and dove back into the water.
Hiccup began picking at the fish while he waited. It was still slightly raw on the inside, but he was too bemused to care.
The Night Fury reappeared a few minutes later and regurgitated a sizable pile of fish. Hiccup scrunched his nose, thankful that he hadn't been offered one of those. Satisfied, the Night Fury sat a few metres away and dug in.
It wasn't long before the smell of fish attracted attention. A pack of three Terrors landed on the sea stack and one immediately went for the pile of fish.
The Night Fury growled, curling its paws around its lunch, and when the little dragon wasn't perturbed, it shot a little plasma bolt at its feet. The Terror growled and opened its mouth to shoot a blast of fire, but the Night Fury beat it to it and shot a tiny plasma blast into its mouth. With a squawk and a puff of smoke, the Terror staggered off, dizzy and defeated.
"Not so fireproof on the inside, huh?" Hiccup smiled and tossed a piece of his fish. Excited, the Terror snatched it up. It sniffed his hand and climbed into his lap and promptly fell asleep. Hiccup put a hand on its head as it purred.
"Toothless was right," he murmured. "We really don't know much about you guys."
Next to him, the Night Fury rumbled, and Hiccup looked at it. "We know less about you."
The dragon, having finished its fish, yawned and tucked its head into its paws. It curled its tail around itself, its tailfins facing Hiccup.
Trying not to jostle the Terror still snoring in his lap, Hiccup pulled out his journal and started sketching. He paused when he got to the tail. There was a long scar on its left tailfin. It looked fresh, still pink against the black scales.
The Night Fury must have felt his stare because it lifted the tailfin to look at him. Hiccup gave it a little wave and it grumbled and turned its back to him. Hiccup smiled. At least they'd been right about one thing: the dragon was temperamental. He turned to a fresh page in his journal and began writing notes.
He nodded off at some point, the exhaustion of a sleepless night creeping up on him and woke when the Terror crawled out of his lap and took off. Hiccup rubbed his eyes and looked up. The sun had risen fully by now. It was about midmorning. He had training in less than an hour.
There was just a slight problem: he was on a sea stack in the middle of the ocean.
He glanced and the Night Fury who was still curled up a few meters away. He wasn't sure that the dragon would take him back. It could just drop him somewhere in the middle of the ocean. but he had no other way to get back.
Before he could talk himself out of it, he stood and edged over to the dragon. "Hey, um." He poked the dragon lightly on the shoulder. It opened its eyes and looked back at him. Hiccup smiled awkwardly, feeling ridiculous. "I need to get back. Could you… take me back?"
The Night Fury yawned and stretched like a cat. It stood, shaking its wings, and extended its shoulder so that he could get on.
Hiccup stared at it for a moment, reeling. He felt like he was dreaming. He pinched himself but the dragon didn't disappear. Hiccup got on. The moment he was seated, the Night Fury launched into the sky and, to Hiccup's utter disbelief, turned in the direction of Berk.
"You understood me," he breathed. "You actually understood me." The dragon flicked him with its ear flap and grumbled as if insulted. He patted its head and laughed.
About a half-hour passed before Berk came into view. The Night Fury angled itself so that it didn't pass over the village in broad daylight. The forest stretched beneath them, the tips so close that if Hiccup were to lean over, he could touch them. It was surreal. The trees parted and the dragon angled its wings down toward it. It landed in a clearing not far from the Cove.
Hiccup slid off its back. The dragon turned to give him a curious look. He placed his hand on the dragon's head. "Thanks, bud."
The Night Fury hummed in satisfaction. It shook itself and took off. Hiccup watched it until it disappeared behind the clouds. He pulled out his journal and began to sketch rapidly, charcoal scratching across the page as he threw down dimensions and notes, going from memory. A few minutes of sketching later, he inspected the page with satisfaction and a spark of determination.
Before him was the rough sketch of a saddle.
"You did what?" Toothless flattened his ears as Stormfly stomped around the cage, spiked tail lashing furiously.
"I had it under control. Eat your chicken."
"Bonding with him was dangerous enough, Toothless. Flying with him even more so."
"I was going to do it sometime anyway. Besides, your kin beat me to it."
"You were going to wait until after the trial," she snapped. "And do not bring my kin into this. If I were not in this cage, I would have some words for that foolish hatchling. Thistle Foot should have had more sense."
Toothless breathed out slowly. "Fine, you are right. I got excited. Are you happy, now?"
"No."
"We are running out of time. I do not know what's going to happen or if my plan will still work." Toothless got to his feet and started pacing. "I am fighting blind. Yes, it was reckless, yes, it could have gone horribly wrong, but if something happens to me before the trials end, then someone has to tell Hiccup. I have hidden a letter in the Cove that explains everything. The Nadder he tamed has instructions to take him there. I also have another friend who can answer any questions he has. She knows about all of this."
"Why not just tell him the truth before that happens?" Stormfly asked. "Instead of making this overly complicated."
"This is my best friend we are talking about. I know Hiccup. If I tell him before he's ready, he'll want to help, and I don't want to even think about what could go wrong. What if the amulet rejects me again? I will never forgive myself if something happens to him. I have to do this part alone."
"And what of us? You promised our freedom. What happens if you perish? They'll kill us sooner or later."
"Hiccup will release you. I have left instructions in the letter."
Stormfly flexed her tail spines, something she seemed to do when she was anxious. "You put too much faith in him. He is one hatchling amongst dozens of killers. He alone cannot release us without failure."
"I am working on Astrid. She is coming around."
Stormfly hissed. "She has no love for us. That much is clear in the ring. She is as stubborn as the rest. It will take more than a few words to sway her."
Toothless stood and brushed off his pants. "I do not need to convince her fully, just plant the seeds of doubt. And I have done that. She may have no love for us, but she trusts me."
To an extent, but he didn't say that. Astrid was almost as stubborn as Hiccup and even more set in her ways.
Stormfly's wings drooped and she rubbed her beak against one of them and folded them to her sides. She looked at him, her gaze like steel. "I hope you are right about this, Toothless. For both our sakes."
Yeah, Toothless thought, me too.